1 . The Shiants, remote, cliff-edged islands off the coast of Scotland are home to 350,000 seabirds. This is the starting point for National Geographic contributor Adam Nicolson’s new book, The Seabirds Cry. Celebrating 10 species in detail, he describes the unbelievable recovery of seabirds and the many adaptations that have enabled them to survive and navigate the oceans, while sounding a loud call for their conservation among severely falling numbers.

Speaking from his home in Sussex, England, Nicolson explains why guillemot (海雀) colonies are information exchange centers: how new research is showing that those long-distance travelers. The shearwaters, "smell" their way across the globe; and what we can do to support seabird populations.

National Geographic has just kicked off Year of the Bird with a cover story by Jonathan Franzen titled "Why Birds Matter ". The beginning of Year of the Bird is beneficial to birds. Nicolson said, "Ill ask you the same question-why? For me, these seabirds are symbols of uniqueness. There is so much on the land where the rest of the living world seems to be controlled by us, but when you go to seabird colonies, there is this pumping, loud and raging uniqueness. It's a glance of the untouched world. ”

“The reason why it's untouched is that, until recently, we have not controlled the oceans that the seabirds depend on. More of them have survived in greater numbers than most other creatures in the developed world, where huge amounts of the animal kingdom have been removed by us. And so one reason these birds matter is that they are symbols of what the world might be if we hadn't done so much damage to it. "He added.

“Seabirds also tend to disappear; they’re not reliably of our world, due to their migration and habits of life. Very deep in our consciousness is a sense that they are ambassadors from another world. And witnessing and feeling that is, I think, one of the great enlargers of life.” Nicolson explained.

1. What is the book The Seabirds Cry mainly about?

A．Seabirds on an island.	B．The extinction of seabirds.
C．The importance of seabird.	D．Seabirds in the author's hometown.

2. What can we learn from Nicolson’s speech?

A．The wisdom of seabirds.	B．Ways to protect seabird.
C．Migration routes of seabirds.	D．The harder situation of seabirds.

3. What does the underlined phrase "kicked off" in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Watched out for	B．Cut across
C．Expressed	D．Started

4. Which is a lucky thing for seabirds in Nicolson’s view?

A．The sea is too large to be polluted.

B．The sea isn't entirely governed by humans.

C．The seabirds are able to fit the environment.

D．The seabirds are living in the developed world.

2 . 假如你叫李华，你所生活的城市周围有很多动植物正逐渐减少，对此你向有关部门写一封信，分析造成这种现象的原因，并根据实际情况提出切实可行的几条建议。但以下几条要点要包括在内：
1. 野生动植物的现状；
2. 分析造成许多野生动植物濒临灭绝的原因；
3. 提出几条保护野生动植物的具体措施。
注意：1. 词数100左右；

2. 不可遗漏要点，可适当增加细节；

3. 书写要干净、工整；

4. 开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。

Dear Sir or Madam,

I’m writing to give some suggestions to protect the wildlife living in and around our city.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yours sincerely,

Li Hua

3 . I often dreamed about Pisa when I was a boy. I read about the famous building called the Leaning Tower of Pisa. But when I read the word Pisa, I was thinking of pizza. I thought this tower was a place to buy pizza. It must be the best place to buy pizza in the world, I thought.

Many years later I finally saw the Leaning Tower. I knew then that it was Pisa and no pizza. But there was still something special about it for me. The tower got its name because it really does lean to one side. Some people want to try to fix (修理) it. They are afraid it may fall over and they don’t like it leans over the city.

I do not think it’s a good idea to try to fix it. The tower probably will not fall down. It is 600 years old. Why should anything happen to it now?

And, if you ask me, I like what it looks like. To me it is a very human kind of leaning. Nothing is perfect (完美的;无瑕的), it seems to say. And who cares? Why do people want things to be perfect? Imperfect things may be more interesting. Let’s take the tower of Pisa. Why is it so famous? There are many other older, more beautiful towers in Italy. But Pisa tower is the most famous. People come from all over the world to see it.

1. This passage is about ________.

A．how the Italian pizza was made

B．what are Italy’s problems

C．how the Leaning Tower of Pisa got its name

D．why the writer likes Pisa

2. The writer used to think Pisa ________.

A．in Spain

B．the same as pizza

C．not the same as pizza

D．not very famous

3. The writer ________.

A．doesn’t like what the tower looks like

B．likes what the tower looks like

C．thinks it’s the most beautiful tower in Italy

D．doesn’t like towers

4. The writer likes the Leaning Tower of Pisa because ________.

A．it’s imperfect	B．it’s perfect
C．it sells pizza	D．it’s old

4 . There is a good new for astrophiles. The last full moon of 2017 is going to appear a little bigger and brighter than most.

Dec. 3 will bring a supermoon,     1     (mean) a full moon that happens at perigee—the same time that the moon is closest to the earth.     2     this particular occasion, the moon will appear 7 percent larger and 16 percent brighter than usual. Not only will this be the only full supermoon of 2017,     3     it’s also going to kick off a series of three full supermoons in a row. The full moons on Jan. 2 and Jan. 31 will be super     4     (one) and even they’ll be blue super moons,     5     means the second full moon in a single month.

While some moonwatchers might be getting excited, some people think the hype（炒作）around supermoons isn’t all it     6     (regard) as being. A scientist slammed（抨击）the term last year as something made up     7     (complete) and a waste of everyone’s time. He acknowledged that supermoons would appear bigger and brighter, but that actually an amateur     8     (observe) wouldn’t notice the difference. Another scientist     9     (make) a similar     10     (argue) back in 2012.

If the supermoon makes you want to go out and appreciate the sky’s beauty, we say “Go for it.”

5 . Five eggs the size of Ping-Pong balls crack open as the tiny desert tortoises inside break through the shells. The two-inch-long babies immediately crawl off in search of flowers and grasses to eat. These animals may be newly hatched, but they already have survival skills that will allow them to thrive in their severe and hot habitats.

Desert tortoise live in the deserts of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. During the summer, ground temperatures in parts of their range can hit 140^oF. To beat the heat, desert tortoises use their strong forearms and tough nails to dig underground holes where they can hide from the sun. some of these tortoise tunnels are up to 32 feet in length. And the holes can get pretty crowded. As many as 25 desert tortoises might stay together in one shelter.

The animals also dig grooves(沟)into the ground’s surface to catch rainwater. After a storm, they’ll return to these holes to drink the water that’s collected inside. Once it has had a good drink, a desert tortoise can go up to a year without requiring fresh water again. The tortoise stores the water it has consumed in its bladder and can later absorb the liquid when it needs to hydrate.

Despite sometimes hanging out in holes together, desert tortoises are pretty solitary. And sometimes when males come across each other, they’ll fight to establish governance. The fighting tortoises may use horns(角)on their chests to try and knock each other over. The contest ends when one animal turns over the other on its back. The losing tortoise can turn right side up by wiggling(摆动)its body back and forth until it flips(翻转)over. But after that, the tortoise knows who’s the boss.

1. What do the desert tortoises’ babies mainly eat?

A．Insects

B．Small animals

C．Their mother’s milk

D．Flowers and grasses

2. The underlined word “thrive” in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to “________”.

A．play	B．fight
C．grow up	D．hang out

3. How do the desert tortoises fight the summer heat?

A．By drinking much water

B．By staying under the tree

C．By digging enough grooves

D．By living in the underground holes

4. What do we know about the desert tortoises?

A．They use their holes to save water

B．They fight mainly for the opposite sex

C．They can survive without drinking water for a year

D．They usually live in the northwestern United States

6 . Life is full of funny moments, and not just for humans.

Over the years, studies by various groups have suggested that monkeys, dogs and even rats love a good laugh. People, meanwhile, have been laughing since before they could talk.

Jaak Panksepp, a professor at Bowling Green State University, US, said he would not be surprised if positive feelings could be produced in some animals. Dolphins, for example, have long attracted animal researchers because of the complex (复杂的) ways in which they communicate: a rich variety of sounds of different rhythms. A decade ago, researchers studying dolphins at the Kolmarden Wildlife Park in Sweden noticed a set of sounds the dolphins made during play-fighting. They concluded that the purpose of the sound was to suggest that the situation was pleasant and to prevent it from a real fight.

Panksepp has even seen evidence of joy in crayfish (小龙虾). When given small amounts of drugs such as cocaine (可卡因) in a certain place, they appear to connect that location with pleasure. “Given the chance, they will always return to that place, perhaps in the hope of getting more,” he says. Panksepp wasn’t sure it equals the same happiness that humans get from cocaine, but said it “could be in the same evolutionary category”.

More studies are needed to really understand animals’ laughter. Strangely enough, the answers may help with our own desires for cures for mental illnesses. Panksepp’s experiments may soon lead to a new antidepressant (抗抑郁) drug that works by using the pathways in the brain behind positive feelings and joy. Perhaps pleasure and laughter in the animal world will help solve the depression in our own species one day.

1. Scientists are always interested in doing research on dolphins because dolphins ________.

A．understand humans’ sounds

B．show positive feeling while playing

C．make different sounds when they communicate

D．make a set of sounds during play-fighting games

2. What do the underlined words “our own species” in the last paragraph refer to?

A．Animals.

B．Humans.

C．Sounds.

D．Pleasure.

3. From the passage we can learn that ________.

A．people learn to talk before they can laugh.

B．animals have a very good sense of location.

C．humans have known the animals’ happiness well.

D．there is still much left to learn about animals’ laughter.

4. Which of the following can be the best title for this passage?

A．Animals Feeling Joy.

B．Man and Nature.

C．Sounds Made by Animals.

D．A Long Way to Go.

7 . Starting in 1972, the National Park Service established a policy for forest fires called Natural Burn. It was true     1     some forest fires, such as those which were caused by lightning were necessary for forests     2     (keep) balanced ecosystems, so the fire should be allowed to burn.     3    , a big fire in Yellowstone National Park in 1988 caused this policy to be abandoned (放弃) since the fire was initially allowed to burn yet soon out of control. As a result, the fire of 1988 destroyed much of Yellowstone, which is American     4    (old) and most beloved national park. Massive areas of plants were destroyed, and large empty spaces and acres of burned and blackened trees greeted     5     (visit). The rivers and streams were choked with ash, and the ecosystem of the park was changed     6     repair.

In addition, great numbers of animals     7     (kill) by the fires that burned out of control. The fires were driven by high winds,     8     (move) as many as ten miles a day. Many small animals died in the flames. The fires’ rapid advances     9     (give) the wildlife little chance to escape. Even today, few of these small forest animals have returned to live in the park. In the years immediately following the fires, the numbers of visitors declined     10    (rapid).

8 . Climate change will increase US wildfires,and the smoky air will cause terrible problems in areas far beyond those burned,reports an environmental group Thursday.

Two-thirds of Americans,or nearly 212 million,lived in states suffering from wildfire smoke three years ago,according to the report by the Natural Resources Defense Council(NRDC).These areas,which had smoke for at least a week,were nearly 50 times greater than those burned directly by fire.

“It affects a much wide area of the United States than people have realized.” says author Kim Knowlton,a Columbia University health professor,adding the smoke can move up to hundreds of miles.She says the smoke contains air pollution and can cause several kinds of diseases.

Texas was hit hardest in 2011,when smoke stayed for at least a week in areas that are home to 25 million people,according to NRDC’s report.Illinois,which recorded no wildfires within its borders, came second with nearly 12 million people affected by smoke that moved in from elsewhere.The other eight states with the most people in touch with smoky air were,in descending   order: Florida,Missouri,Georgia,Louisiana,Michigan,Alabama,Oklahoma and Iowa.

Nearly two dozen states had no wildfires within their borders in 2011,but eight of them still had at least one week of smoky air: Illinois,Missouri，Iowa,Kansas,Nebraska,Indiana,Wisconsin and Ohio.

Only 18 states and the District of Columbia had no people in touch with at least a week of smoke that year,although five of them—Alaska,California,Hawaii,Nevada and Utah—had a large area burned by wildfires.

The problem will only get worse.Knowlton says.Scientific research shows climate is causing higher temperatures and health problems.

1. We can learn from the first two paragraphs that_______.

A．climate change killed many Americans

B．there are fewer states burned by wildfires

C．every state had wildfire smoke for at least a week

D．most Americans suffered from wildfire smoke 3 year ago

2. Which of the following states had wildfires within its borders in 2011?

A．Iowa.	B．Kansas.
C．Ohio.	D．California.

3. The underlined word “descending” in the fourth paragraph probably means _______.

A．going down	B．coming true
C．looking practical	D．turning back

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．Climate change causes more wildfires.

B．Wildfire smoke becomes a serious health problem.

C．More wildfires cause climate changes.

D．Air pollution becomes a terrible problem.

9 . There are many American expressions about insects--- like bees, for example. Bees are known as very hard workers. They appear to be busy, moving around their homes, or hives (蜂窝). So you might say you were as busy as a bee if you spent your weekend cleaning your house. In fact, you might say your house was a beehive of activity if your whole family was helping you clean. You also might say you made a beeline for something if you went there right away. When we go to see a movie, my friend always makes a beeline for the place where they sell popcorn (爆米花) .
Here is an expression about bees that is not used much any more, but we like it anyway. We think it was first used in the 1920s. If something was the best of its kind, you might say it was the bee’s knees. Now, we admit that we do not know how this expression developed. In fact, we do not even know if bees have knees!
If your friend cannot stop talking about something because she thinks it is important, you might say she has a bee in her bonnet (女帽). If   someone asks you a personal question, you might say “that is none of your beeswax”. This means none of your business.
Speaking of personal questions, there is an expression when their children ask, “Where do babies come from?” Parents who discuss sex and reproduction (生殖) say this is talking about the birds and bees.
Butterflies are beautiful insects, but you would not want to have butterflies in your stomach. That means to be nervous about having to do something, like speaking in front of a crowd. You would also not want to have ants in your trousers. That is, to be unable to sit still.
1. If you make a beeline for something, you _____ .

A．are as busy as a bee	B．go quickly and directly towards it
C．always go to the same place	D．buy something at a certain place

2. The underlined expression “ it is the bee’s knees” ______ .

A．is not used at all now	B．was first used in the 1820s
C．reminds us that bees have knees	D．means “it is very good”

3. If you ask your American friend Jack “How old is your wife?” he may say “_____.”

A．It is none of your beeswax	B．You have a bee in your bonnet
C．It is the bee’s knees	D．You are talking about the birds and bees

4. When you have butterflies in your stomach, you _____ .

A．are too sick to sit still	B．have ants in your trousers
C．are nervous about something	D．have a stomachache

10 . It was one of the hottest days of the dry season. We had not seen rain in almost a month. The crops were dying. Cows had stopped giving milk. The streams were long gone back into the earth. If we didn't see some rain soon we would lose everything.
I was in the kitchen making lunch for my husband and his brothers when I saw my six-year old son, Billy, walking toward the woods. He was obviously walking with a great effort... trying to be as still as possible. Minutes after he disappeared into the woods, he came running out again, toward the house.
Moments later, however, he was once again walking in that slow purposeful long step toward the woods. This activity went on for over an hour: walking cautiously to the woods, then running back to the house. Finally, my curiosity got the best of me. I crept out of the house and followed him on his journey.
He was cupping both hands in front of him as he walked; being very careful not to spill the water he held in them. Branches and thorns slapped his little face but he did not try to avoid them. He had a much greater purpose. As I leaned in to spy on him, I saw the most amazing site.
Several large deer appeared threatening in front of him. But Billy walked right up to them. I almost screamed for him to get away. And I saw a baby deer lying on the ground, obviously suffering from heavy loss of water and heat exhaustion, lift its head with great effort to lap up the water cupped in my beautiful boy's hand.
I stood on the edge of the woods watching the most beautiful heart I have ever known working so hard to save a life. As the tears that rolled down my face began to hit the ground, they were suddenly joined by other drops... and more drops... and more. I looked up at the sky. It was as if God, Himself, was weeping with pride.
1. Why did the author follow her son?

A．Because there might be danger.

B．Because her son was doing a good deed.

C．Because she intended to help.

D．Because she was curious.

2. Which of the following statements is Not True according to the passage?

A．Rain was in great need.

B．Billy carried water with his small hands.

C．There were few trees in the woods.

D．Billy walked into the woods and then returned over and over again.

3. Which is the correct order of the development of the story?
① The author was moved to tears.
② Billy fed the water to the baby deer.
③ Billy walked towards the large deer.
④ It began to rain.
⑤ The author followed Billy into the woods.

A．③②⑤①④	B．⑤③②①④
C．④①③②⑤	D．⑤②①③④

4. At the end of the story, the author might experience different feelings Except that ________.

A．Billy was a pride

B．God was touched by Billy's activity

C．the rain should have dropped earlier

D．it was worthwhile to have given birth to Billy