1 . Why Go To London

The English writer Samuel Johnson famously _________, “When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life, because the city can provide wonderful experience.” More than two centuries_________ since Johnson’s era, but his words are still true. This is because life in London is nothing short of wonder, and travelers find that one visit isn’t enough to experience everything that this two-millennia-old city offers.

In London, when you walk into the opera house, you may find that Shakespeare’s works_________ by actors. While Londoners still praise the power of tea, they_________(make) room for some Starbucks here and there, and pressed juice too. In all, London’s culture is always aimed to what’s next. _________(discover) it all on one of London’s best tours.

1.

A．will say

B．said

C．saying

D．was said

2.

A．have passed

B．passed

C．had passed

D．passing

3.

A．perform

B．will perform

C．performed

D．are being performed

4.

A．make

B．will make

C．made

D．have made

5.

A．discover

B．will discover

C．discovered

D．discovering

2 . At first, the grains of rice that Ingo Potrykus held in his fingers did not seem at all _________, but inside, these grains were not white, as ordinary rice is, but a very pale yellow — thanks to beta-carotene (胡萝卜素), a building block for vitamin A.

For more than a decade Potrykus had _________ creating a golden rice that could improve the lives of millions of the poorest people in the world, strengthening their eyesight and their _________ disease.

_________ imagining golden rice was one thing and creating one quite another. Year after year, Potrykus and his colleagues ran into one _________ after another until success finally came in the spring of 1999.

At that point, he tackled an even greater challenge. The golden grains _________ pieces of DNA borrowed from bacteria and flowers. It was what some would call Frankenfood, a product of genetic engineering. As such, it _________ a web of hopes and fears.

The debate began the moment genetically engineered crops (GM crops) were first sold in the 1990s, and it has _________ ever since. First to start major protests against biotechnology were European environmentalists and consumer-advocacy groups. They were soon followed by their U.S. counterparts (相对应的人事物).

The hostility is _________. Most of the GM crops __________ so far have been developed to produce a plant that is not harmed by chemicals used to kill weeds (杂草) in the fields. These genetically engineered crops are often sold by the same large, multinational corporations that __________ the weed-killing chemicals that farmers spray on their fields. Consumers have become suspicious (怀疑的).

The benefits did seem small __________ golden rice was developed. It is the first strong example of a GM crop that may __________ not just the farmers who grow it but also the consumers who eat it. In this case, those include at least a million children who die every year because they are weakened by vitamin-A deficiency (缺乏) and an additional 350,000 who go blind.

Many people __________ poverty and hunger look at golden rice and see it as evidence that GM crops can be made to serve the greater public good. They see a critical role for GM crops in feeding the world’s ever-increasing population. As former U.S. President Jimmy Carter put it, “Responsible biotechnology is not the enemy; __________ is.”

1.

A．typical

B．special

C．local

D．white

2.

A．dreamed of

B．come in handy

C．been reminded of

D．broken up

3.

A．attempt at

B．effort to

C．resistance to

D．majority of

4.

A．But

B．And

C．While

D．Since

5.

A．surprise

B．obstacle

C．norm

D．opposition

6.

A．achieved

B．stressed

C．overlooked

D．contained

7.

A．was caught in

B．was alive with

C．be conscious of

D．was honored by

8.

A．announced

B．maintained

C．escalated

D．applied

9.

A．brilliant

B．understandable

C．discharged

D．rewarding

10.

A．introduced

B．reminded

C．respected

D．overlooked

11.

A．toss and turn

B．give and take

C．produce and sell

D．demand and supply

12.

A．until

B．after

C．although

D．when

13.

A．feature

B．mark

C．build

D．benefit

14.

A．worried about

B．ashamed of

C．filled with

D．admired for

15.

A．terror

B．misery

C．starvation

D．crisis

3 . All over the world, people admire the beauty and grace of butterflies. Butterflies come in every color imaginable, and their_________display an incredible variety of patterns. The largest butterfly, Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing, has a wingspan (翼展) of up to 280 millimeters and lives in Papua New Guinea. The smallest, the Western Pygmy Blue in the southern U.S., has a wingspan of only 12 millimeters. Sadly, some of these beautiful creatures are now _________.

Estimates indicate that between 15 and 20 thousand species of butterflies exist around the world. A number of these species are endangered, over 20 in Japan_________. Although that number may seem small, losing even one species would be_________. Nowadays scientists even look to butterflies as a _________of the environment’s health, since they are _________ to environmental changes. Many environmentalists around the world are eager to protect the endangered butterflies from extinction. The American Museum of Natural History in New York, for example, has an unusual butterfly exhibit. This exhibit _________ the important role that butterflies play in our environment.

In recent years, environmental groups have made significant progress in _________endangered butterfly populations. Governments throughout Asia have passed laws to help protect endangered wildlife, including butterflies. An area called Butterfly Valley in Assam, India, has become the focus of conscious _________ to protect the butterflies’ habitat (栖息地). Other projects in Serbia, Japan, and Canada are also hoping to __________. Some of these efforts are already starting to work. The population of the El Segundo Blue Butterfly in California, for instance, has increased by 8 percent since 2010.

Finding a cure for the butterfly crisis is, __________, not just for environmental groups. __________citizens can plant butterfly gardens to support and enjoy these gentle creatures. A group of female prisoners in Belfair, Washington, are helping to rescue an endangered species called Taylor’s Checkerspot. They recognize how__________ seemingly insignificant creatures can be. The world cannot afford to lose any butterflies. As environmentalist John Muir once__________, “When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it __________ to everything else in the Universe.”

1.

A．colors

B．bodies

C．wings

D．feelers

2.

A．out of control

B．in great danger

C．on the fly

D．out of date

3.

A．nearby

B．though

C．besides

D．alone

4.

A．predictable

B．possible

C．imaginable

D．terrible

5.

A．factor

B．picture

C．measure

D．display

6.

A．exposed

B．accustomed

C．sensitive

D．resistant

7.

A．highlights

B．changes

C．replaces

D．finds

8.

A．preserving

B．controlling

C．observing

D．recognizing

9.

A．projects

B．efforts

C．steps

D．groups

10.

A．set an example

B．keep the promise

C．make a difference

D．take the time

11.

A．however

B．furthermore

C．otherwise

D．therefore

12.

A．Distinguished

B．Leading

C．Senior

D．Ordinary

13.

A．graceful

B．significant

C．pitiful

D．mysterious

14.

A．proposed

B．commented

C．promised

D．recommended

15.

A．restricted

B．adapted

C．contributed

D．recommended

4 . The Good of Gardening

Do you have a hobby that helps you relax and unwind? For some people, there is no better way to relieve pressure than spending time in the garden. This small private area of green space can be their place of calm.

    1     A survey conducted by the Royal Horticultural Society, found that 82% of people in the UK said that gardening makes them happier. It also found that 70% of them, given the choice, would prefer to spend their working day in the garden with just 9% opting for an office.

For those with green fingers, the pleasure of gardening comes from getting out in the fresh air, in all weathers and communing with nature — even if there are a few too many worms! It can also be seen as a sort of digital-detox — time away from technology.     2    

Dr Christopher Lowry, a neuroscientist at the University of Colorado, injected a bacterium commonly found in soil into mice to see what affection this would have on them.     3     When we dig in soil we absorb this bacterium through our lungs or cuts in our so Br Lowry concluded that since the mice seemed happier when treated with soil bacteria, it’s likely we would be, too.

    4    There’s evidence that recovering alcoholics who have been given the opportunity to plant, grow, and even sell their produce, have managed to stop their addictive habits. Scot Stephenson, for example, got dismissed from school and started a vocational qualification in gardening. He says, “got my NVQ level 2 which is my first qualification and enjoyed it ever since.”

Whatever the reason, there are many therapeutic benefits to getting your hands dirty, doing some physical hard work and then watching your garden grow. Does this sound like your idea of fun?

A．He found the bacterium had a similar effect on the mice as an anti-depressive drug might.

B．Soil bacteria not only benefit people but also benefit animals.

C．Gardening can also be used as a way of treating addiction.

D．It’s no wonder some of us turn to gardening as a form of therapy.

E．Alcohol can make people behave peculiarly and dangerously in gardening.

F．Some experts actually believe that getting outside to dig and plant things acts as a “natural excitement”.

5 . It took brave European explorers less than 300 years, between 1420 and 1713, to establish that all the seas of the world formed an enormous and continuous ocean. This discovery encouraged them to _____ into areas which hadn’t been charted until then. With the discovery of new lands, new trade routes were _____. In many parts of the world, colonies and settlements were established and many odd-looking products were brought back to _____, arousing great interest and _____ wealth.

It was probably the irresistible desire for wealth that _____ persuaded Europeans of the fifteenth century to _____ their legendary dangers and explore further out into the open seas. They were also _____ by the love for their countries. Many explorers wanted to serve their kings and countries as well as gain personal _____ from their exploring.

The most effective way of gaining wealth was through _____. Silk, gold, silver and ______ stones, and more importantly spices, such as gingers and peppers, were the most profitable trade goods in Europe. Spices were of the greatest ______ because they enabled the Europeans to make their winter diet of salted meat more delicious. These items were ______ mostly from the East by a difficult overland route. The Italian ______, who bought goods from the Arabs of Alexandria, controlled the trade along this route. Other countries of the Mediterranean ______ the wealth which this trade generated and they were ______ to discover new routes which would allow them to share in it.

1.

A．sail

B．walk

C．fly

D．drive

2.

A．set back

B．set off

C．set up

D．set against

3.

A．the East

B．the Mediterranean

C．Europe

D．Italy

4.

A．inheriting

B．creating

C．saving

D．losing

5.

A．frequently

B．hardly

C．frankly

D．eventually

6.

A．recognize

B．risk

C．realize

D．foresee

7.

A．discouraged

B．praised

C．forced

D．inspired

8.

A．business

B．benefit

C．fame

D．rights

9.

A．trade

B．war

C．conquering

D．bargaining

10.

A．precious

B．rough

C．hard

D．smooth

11.

A．interest

B．efficiency

C．value

D．practice

12.

A．exported

B．imported

C．robbed

D．occupied

13.

A．soldiers

B．explorers

C．pioneers

D．merchants

14.

A．lost

B．won

C．possessed

D．envied

15.

A．disappointed

B．available

C．anxious

D．reluctant

6 . What do ants, bees, pigeons, and herrings have in common? All these animals swarm. Swarming occurs when large numbers of individual animals move, work, or cooperate as a group. They appear to know where they are going and what they are doing. Why are they doing this?

Ants are a good example of swarming animals. Swarms of ants can do many difficult tasks. For example, they can find the shortest path to the best food source. It may appear that individual ants build nests and defend their homes, but ants aren’t clever architects or soldiers—at least not as individuals. If you watch an ant try to accomplish something, you will be impressed by how inept it is. Although individual ants don’t appear to be very intelligent, as colonies they are, thanks to swarm intelligence.

Swarm intelligence is the collective behavior of large groups. The key feature of swarm intelligence seems to be that no one is in charge. In the case of ants, there appear to be no leaders. No ant seems to be telling any other ants what to do. There is a queen ant, but her only role is to lay eggs. Yet, a colony of half a million ants functions perfectly without any managers at all. Furthermore, no single ant seems to have any knowledge about the big picture—the main goals or objectives. The swarm relies on lots of interaction between individuals who all follow the rules. One of these rules is to stay close together. When individuals stay close together, they communicate and share a lot of information.

Different animals have different methods of interaction. For example, ants leave a trail of pheromones for other ants to follow. A key component of bee interaction is movement. When bees need to move their hive, scout bees go out in search of a suitable place to live. When they return, they each do a type of dance. The “happier” the bee is about the new location, the faster the dance is. In addition, the dance includes a code with directions to the new location. The excited dancers excite other scout bees. These bees then fly out to check. They come back, get close together, and dance with the other excited bees. The bees will not move until they are all “excited”, or in agreement about the best location. Once a large enough group of bees all agree, they convince the thousands of other bees. Then they all fly together to the new site.

Some scientists are applying the wisdom of animals to solve human problems. Thomas Seeley, a biologist at Cornell University, uses swarm intelligence in his meeting. Seeley doesn’t tell his staff what to do or make all decisions. Instead, he asks his staff to identify all the possibilities, discuss their ideas, and then vote by ballot. Seeley wants his staff, like the bees, to focus on the group’s needs, not on the individual ideas. “It gives a group time to let the best idea emerge and win.” Seeley says that running meetings using swarm intelligence ideas can lead to better decisions. It can also reduce conflict among the staff.

In nature, animals use swarm intelligence for survival. For these animals, working together is a matter of life or death. For humans, there is much to learn from swarm intelligence to make our lives more efficient.

1. According to paragraph 2, “inept” means ________.

A．awkward

B．appealing

C．isolated

D．smart

2. In the case of ants, which of the following statements about swarm intelligence is TRUE?

A．There should be a leader although he may not be in charge.

B．It won’t work if individuals don’t understand the collective goals.

C．Every individual should be very familiar with the rules and with each other.

D．Team member should stick together and communicate what they know.

3. According to paragraph 4, what can be inferred about bees?

A．They communicate within their group through pheromones.

B．Failure in reaching agreements seldom occurs in an intimate team.

C．They head towards the new location when majority of bees agree.

D．The way they dance reflects how satisfied they are with the location.

4. According to Thomas Seeley, swarm intelligence is useful for us in ________.

A．boosting team spirit	B．eliminating conflicts
C．encouraging best ideas	D．solving interpersonal problems

7 . Each one of us shares this planet with seven billion other individuals. And we all need transportation. The majority of cars, motorcycles, boats and planes cause pollution. They are also noisy. This is a serious problem in many cities. So inventors are coming up with innovative ideas to try to reduce the pollution and noise.

By Land

In many cities around the world, motorcycles are becoming increasingly popular. Currently, Vietnam has around 33 million motorcycles. China has almost 120 million. The convenience of these motorcycles comes at a cost. Air pollution is a growing problem. In large cities, people often complain it is difficult to breathe. They also complain about the noise.

To solve these problems, a U.S. company designed an environmentally friendly motorcycle. It uses electricity as fuel. You can drive it for 40 miles (64 kilometers) before recharging the battery.

It is also quiet and fast-60 miles (96 kilometers) per hour. This makes it a good choice for getting around a city.

By Water

The Italian city of Venice is a city with only a few roads. There are no cars in the city center. Instead of cars, water taxis and buses carry people along the city’s canals. The engines of these boats are simple and cheap. However, they cause pollution, particularly to the water. This causes damage to the city’s buildings.

English mechanics Dick Strawbridge and Jem Stans designed a solar-powered water taxi. The solar panels charge three electric batteries. These, in turn, provide power to the engine. The water taxi can carry six passengers. It can run for a day. In the future, solar taxis could be an alternative to Venice’s current taxis.

By Air

Designing an environmentally friendly airplane is a real challenge. Planes use an enormous amount of jet fuel. This means they cause significant air pollution, and they are very noisy. Some major airplane manufacturers have started to address the problems. They are using cleaner fuels, for example. However, Swiss engineers have gone one step further. They developed a solar airplane — the Solar Impulse. Solar panels cover its wings. These panels provide power to four electric motors and batteries. The batteries allow the plane to fly at night. This plane holds the world record for the longest solar-powered flight — 985 miles (1541 kilometers) from Arizona to Texas in the United States.

1. What do the three innovative ideas proposed have in common?

A．They aim to solve traffic problems in big cities.

B．They use cleaner energy and cause less pollution.

C．They aim to change traditional way of transporting goods.

D．They are good will of developed countries to help developing countries.

2. Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．China owns the largest number of motorcycles.

B．There are no cars in the center of Venice city.

C．Solar-powered water taxi can run for a day with one battery at work.

D．The newly designed motorcycle can drive 60 miles after being charged.

3. According to the passage, the distinguished merit of Solar Impulse is ________.

A．lighter wings	B．less noise
C．powerful batteries	D．longest solar panels

8 . Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. alarming B. carbon-intensive C. durability D. glued E. labels F. man-made G. manufacturing H. recycle I. redefine J. samples K. share

How sustainable are your sneakers?

Over the last five years the sneaker industry has grown rapidly and shows no sign of slowing down. The global athletic footwear market is expected to exceed 95 billion (USD) by 2025. According to the World Footwear Yearbook, over 24 billion pairs of shoes are produced annually. Among them sneakers account for the largest     1    . What are the environmental impacts of the rapidly growing sneaker industry?

Sneaker production is very     2    . A typical pair of running shoes produces about 13.6 kilograms of CO₂ emissions which is unusually high for a product that does not use electricity or require power-driving components.

These emissions mainly come from     3    . The majority of sneakers are made from plastic and/or plastic-like materials. All these petroleum-derived plastics produce a(n)     4     number of carbon dioxide.

Then why don’t we move away from the use of plastic? Since sneakers have to endure much more than a regular pair of shoes, the aspect of their     5     is very important when it comes to their overall performance. Unfortunately,     6     materials hold up better than natural ones. Plastic has made shoes better, lighter, faster, more comfortable, and more accessible to everyone worldwide. Another issue with sneakers today is that most of them are made by using a combination of different plastics     7     in a very complicated way, making them very hard to     8    .

The footwear industry is at least 10 years behind the rest of fashion in terms of environmental standards. Seven out of ten brands are having discussions on sustainability, yet only 40% of companies have a sustainability program in place. Big industry players (such as Adidas and Nike) and some smaller     9     are trying to reduce their carbon footprint in different ways.

Considering that close to 25 billion pairs of shoes were produced worldwide in the last year, it is clear that immediate action is very important. It is my hope that we consumers will     10     our relationship with fashion and think about the environmental impact of our shopping habits.

9 . Yvonne Morones, who has a pet dog named Scamp the Tramp, is talking with the Pet Journal about Scamp.

76

When I saw Scamp on Petfinder, all of a sudden I understood what love was like. I suddenly found I loved him because I fell in love with his face.

What did you know about him when you adopted him?

He’d been living on the street in Compton, California, and people were feeding him McDonald’s. And his name was Muffin Man, which didn’t seem to fit him at all.

What do you do to give him that bed head look?

It’s au naturel! He does get a mango shampoo and a coconut conditioner, but these gray dreads just appear on his head, back, and tail. The pet hairdresser says his hair is uncontrollable.

Scamp works with you as a social therapy dog too. How do people react to his unusual looks?

The first time he went to the senior center with me, the seniors just laughed and said, “Yvonne, what have you got there?” Then they fell in love with him. They’ll even write little adventure stories about Scamp. He just inspires people.

Has being awarded the world’s ugliest dog changed him?

He’s no longer Scamp the Tramp. He’s now Scamp the Champ. Now I have to get him a new dog tag.

1. What can be learned about Scamp the Tramp?

A．He loves fast food.	B．He looks unattractive.
C．He dislikes his new tag.	D．He used to live with seniors.

2. Which of the following best fits the blank numbered 76 in the passage?

A．Why did you go to Petfinder so often?

B．What did you often find on Petfinder?

C．Who brought you Scamp the Tramp?

D．How did you first meet Scamp the Tramp?

3. By “It’s au naturel!”, Yvonne means that ______.

A．Scamp turned gray after being adopted by her

B．Scamp is fond of being washed with shampoo

C．nothing has been done to change Scamp’s appearance

D．it is the pet hairdresser who has given Scamp his new look

10 . A simple piece of rope hangs between some environmentally friendly Americans and their neighbors. On one side stand those who have begun to see clothes dryers as a wasteful consumers of energy (up to 6% of total electricity) and powerful emitters of carbon dioxide (up to a ton of CO2 per household every year). As an alternative, they are turning to clotheslines as part of what Alexander Lee, an environmentalist, calls “what-I-can-do environmentalism.”

But the other side are people who oppose air-drying laundry outside on visual grounds. Increasingly, they have persuaded community and homeowners associations (HOAs) access the U.S. to ban outdoor clotheslines, which they say not only look unattractive but also lower surrounding property values. Those actions, in turn, have led to a right-to-dry movement that is pressing for making laws to protect the choice to use clotheslines. Only three states — Florida, Hawaii and Utah — have laws written broadly enough to protect clotheslines. Right-to-dry advocates argue that there should be more.

Matt Reck is the kind of eco-conscious guy who feeds his trees with bathwater and recycles condensation drops (冷凝水) from his air conditioners to water plants. His family also uses a clothesline. But Otto Hagen, president of Reck’s HOA in Wake Forest, N.C., notified him that a neighbor had complained about his line. The Recks ignored the warning and still dry their clothes on a rope in the yard. “Many people claim to be environmentally friendly but don’t take matters into their own hands,” says Reck. HOAs Hagen has decided to hold off taking action. “I’m not going to go crazy,” he says. “But if Matt keeps his line and more neighbors complains, I’ll have to address it again.”

North Carolina lawmakers tried and failed earlier this year to insert language into an energy bill that would expressly prevent HOAs from regulating clotheslines. But the issue remains a touchy one with HOAs and real estate agents. “Most visual restrictions are rooted. to a degree, in the belief that homogenous (统一协调的) external appearance are supportive of property value,” says Sara Stubbins, executive director of the Community Association Institute’s North Carolina chapter. In other words, associations worry that housing prices will fall if prospective buyers think their would-be neighbors are too poor to afford dryers.

Alexander Lee dismisses the notion that clotheslines devalue property advocating that the idea “needs to change in light of global warming.” “We all have to do at least something to decrease our carbon footprint,” Alexander Lee says.

1. What is NOT mentioned as a disadvantage of using clothes dryers?

A．Electricity consumption.	B．Air pollution.
C．Waste of energy.	D．Ugly looking.

2. Which of the following is INCORRECT?

A．Opposers think air-drying laundry would devalue surrounding property.

B．Opposers consider the outdoor clothesline as an eyesore to the scenery.

C．Right-to-dry movements led to the pass of written laws to protect clotheslines.

D．Most of states in the US have no written laws to protect clotheslines.

3. In the last paragraph Alexander Lee recommends that ______.

A．clotheslines should be banned in the community

B．clotheslines wouldn’t lessen the property values

C．the globe would become warmer and warmer

D．we should protect the environment in the community

4. An appropriate title for the passage might be ______.

A．Opinions on Environmental Protection	B．Opinions on Air-drying Laundry
C．What-I-Can-Do Environmentalism	D．Restrictions on Clotheslines