1 . 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. bend     B. fascinated   C.implication     D. invites     E. resembles F. habitable   G. outpacing   H. determine       I. exploration     J. alternative     K. colonized

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen:

We’re at a tipping point in human history, between gaining the stars and losing the planet we call home. At the same time as we’re discovering this treasure of potentially     1     worlds, our own planet is sinking. 2014 was the hottest year on record. Glaciers and sea ice are now disappearing in a matter of decades. These planetary-scale environmental changes are rapidly     2     our ability to alter their course.

I’m not a climate scientist, I’m an astronomer. You could say that I look for     3     alien real estate. Now, as somebody who is deeply     4     in the search for life in the universe, I can tell you that the more you look for planets like Earth, the more you appreciate our own planet itself. Each one of these new worlds     5     a comparison between the newly discovered planet and the planets we know best: those of our own Solar System.

Consider our neighbor, Mars. Though the Martian view     6     the deserts of our own home world, Mars is a pretty terrible place to live considering the extent to which we have not     7     the deserts of our own planet. Even in the driest, highest places on Earth, the air is sweet and thick with oxygen exhaled (呼气) from thousands of miles away by our rainforests.

I worry that Mars and other planets carries with it a long, dark shadow: the     8     by some that Mars will be there to save us from the destruction of the only truly livable planet we know of, the Earth. As much as I love interplanetary     9     , I deeply disagree with this idea. There are many excellent reasons to go to Mars, but for anyone to tell you that Mars will be there to back up humanity is like the captain of the Titanic telling you that the real party is happening later on the lifeboats.

If we truly believe in our ability to     10     the hostile environments of Mars for human habitation, then we should be able to surmount the far easier task of preserving the habitability of the Earth.

2 . About 50 years ago, the famous British band The Beatles sang that “money can’t buy me love”. Today, British economists are saying that it perhaps can’t buy you happiness cither. This is showed by the Happy Planet Index (HPI 快乐指数) published recently by the New Economics Foundation (NEF) in London.

The index is about how well countries are using their resources. It shows how well they provide people with better health and longer and happier lives, and at what cost to their environment.

It would seem to be common sense that people in richer countries live happier lives, while those in developing countries are having a harder time. But the results are surprising, even shocking. The numbers show that some of the so-called developed countries are performing very badly. The United States, for example, ranks number 150^th. On the other hand, some little-known developing countries are doing a much better job. A tiny island in the Pacific, Vanuatu, comes in first. There are 178 countries and areas in the index. China ranks number 31.

Countries are graded on the basis of information supplied in response to the following questions. How do people feel about their lives? How long does an average person live? How greatly does a country need to use its natural resources to maintain its living standards? This is what the index calls the “ecological footprint”.

The NEF found that the people of island nations enjoy the highest HPI rankings. Their populations live happier and longer lives, and use fewer resources.

The results also seem to show that it is possible to live longer, happier lives with a much smaller environment impact. The index points out that people in the US and Germany enjoy similar lives.

“However, Germany’s ecological footprint is only about half that of the US. This means that Germany is around twice as efficient as the US at producing happy lives,” says Nic Marks, head of NEF’s Center for well-being.

So the Happy Planet Index (HPI) tells us a brand-new concept of understanding “being happy”. HPI figures out different countries or individuals’ HPI through their “Ecological Footprint” and “Life Satisfaction Level” or “Life Expectancy”. Clearly, people’s HPI is related to their consumption of the resources on the earth.

You can find out your own HPI by visiting http: //www, happyplanetindex.org.

1. The passage is mainly about __________.

A．in which country people feel the happiest

B．why money can’t buy you happiness

C．what index can influence people’s happiness

D．what Happy Planet Index is

2. According to the passage, __________plays a major part in the index.

A．the richness of natural resources

B．the efficiency of energy consumption

C．the development of economy

D．the life expectancy of the people

3. What can we learn from the passage?

A．The happiest countries listed in the index are quite different from those expected.

B．Developing countries are having & hard time reaching the top of the index.

C．Countries that have high HPI rankings have a greater impact on the environment.

D．The less happy countries depend on the developed countries’ resources.

4. The author cites Germany as an example to show that __________.

A．some developed countries are performing badly ecologically

B．it is possible to live a happy life with fewer resources

C．not all the people in developed countries enjoy happy lives

D．history and culture play an important role in people’s lives

3 . The old 1986 truck was a gift from his grandfather. It worked, but it was large and inconvenient. So it was not an ideal vehicle for Ian Cheney’s ________ inner-city neighborhood in New York. Many New Yorkers would look at the truck and think of a rubbish dump. Ian Cheney looked at his grandfather’s truck and thought of a (n) ________.

As in other large cities, there are not many places to grow food in New York. Yet Cheney wanted a vegetable garden. Many urban farmers in New York have found ________ ways to grow vegetables. There are rooftop gardens high above the city. There are community gardens in old parking lots. There is even a (n) ________ garden in the Hudson River. Cheney, however, didn’t ________ any of these. So the old truck was a (n) ________ solution. The back of the truck provided him with the ________ he needed. “Since I don’t have a rooftop to grow any food,” Cheney explains. “It seemed like the logical thing to do.”

So Cheney ________ to work. First, he drilled holes in the truck bed for drainage—allowing water to pass through the bed. Then he laid down a recycled plastic mat. The soil came next. He made sure that everything was organic. Cheney ________ organic because he wanted to grow vegetables without chemicals. Then he planted lettuce, herbs, spinach, and tomatoes. Finally, he watered and waited.

When the food was ready to pick, Cheney drove the truck from one urban neighborhood to another. He ________some of the vegetables. He sold the rest to friends and neighbors. Everywhere he parked, passersby stopped and talked about the beautiful vegetable garden in the back of the truck.

Cheney is ________ about food. He strongly believes that people are better off eating more local food, because it reduces economic and environmental ________. There is also the question of nutrition. Less nutritional benefits of vegetables ________ over time. So eating food within a few days of harvesting is healthier for you.

Cheney knows that his truck cannot solve the problem of the lack of fresh food in all neighborhoods. Yet, like rooftop gardens, it could be part of the solution. Cheney continues to plant his truck and drive it around New York neighborhoods. He hopes that fresh and healthy food can be ________ in more places, including inner-city areas. As Cheney says, “If we can grow food in the back of a 1986 Dodge pickup, we can ________ find better ways to grow more fresh produce.”

1.

A．crowded

B．plain

C．deserted

D．breathtaking

2.

A．house

B．square

C．farm

D．bank

3.

A．creative

B．uniform

C．regular

D．ugly

4.

A．floating

B．emerging

C．rising

D．remaining

5.

A．have attachment to

B．make commitments to

C．have access to

D．make contributions to

6.

A．difficult

B．practical

C．limited

D．common

7.

A．tool

B．space

C．information

D．material

8.

A．set up

B．set off

C．set aside

D．set out

9.

A．recognized

B．measured

C．commercialized

D．preferred

10.

A．gave away

B．gave up

C．gave back

D．gave in

11.

A．curious

B．anxious

C．optimistic

D．passionate

12.

A．consumption

B．costs

C．advantages

D．significance

13.

A．change

B．decrease

C．remain

D．adapt

14.

A．acceptable

B．reasonable

C．popular

D．available

15.

A．logically

B．vaguely

C．definitely

D．randomly

4 . 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．backed     B. commonly     C. cover     D. customs     E. special     F. major G. mark     H. misfortunes       I. performed     J. puzzled     K. thoroughly

Telling the bees

“London Bridge is down” is how Sir Edward Young, Queen’s private secretary, conveyed the official news about the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday. As the news spread through the world, a headline     1     many on social media: “royal beekeeper has informed the Queen’s bees that the Queen has died.”

Did bees need to be told about human affairs? Would they have any sort of opinion on the matter?

But some beekeepers,     2     by historians, say “telling the bees” is a standard practice that goes back centuries, with potentially serious consequences if not followed.

“It’s a very old and     3     tradition, but not something that’s very well-known,” said Mark Norman, a folklorist and the author of Telling the Bees and Other     4    : The Folklore of Rural Crafts.

The tradition holds that bees, as members of the family, should be informed of     5     life events in the family, especially births and deaths. Beekeepers would knock on each hive, deliver the news and possibly     6     the hive with a black cloth during a mourning period. The practice is more     7     known in Britain but is also found in the United States and other parts of Europe, Mr. Norman said.

In the 18^th and 19^th centuries, it was believed that neglecting to tell the bees could lead to various     8    , including their death or departure, or a failure to make honey. Nowadays, beekeepers may be less likely to believe they risk bad luck, but they may continue to follow the tradition as “a     9     of respect,” Mr. Norman said.

Stephen Fleming, a beekeeper for 25 years and the co-editor of BeeCraft, a magazine for British beekeepers, said he once     10     the tradition after a friend died. He went to the friend’s bees, gently knocked on the hives and told them the news, he said.

“It was just something I thought my friend would have enjoyed,” he added.

Mr. Fleming said most beekeepers would most likely be aware of the tradition, but not as many would practice it.

“It’s generally thought to be a good and nice thing to do,” he said.

5 . Directions: After reading the two passages below, fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.

Classic gardens of Suzhou

Fine works of art and architecture form an important part of our cultural heritage. Fortunately, some of these cultural sites    1     (preserve) well since they were unearthed.

Chinese garden design,     2    seeks to recreate miniature natural landscapes, couldn’t be any better illustrated than in the nine gardens in the historic city of Suzhou, Jiangsu province. Suzhou’s classical gardens,     3    buildings and landscape are coupled together, create a harmonious union between man and nature.

The classical gardens of Suzhou are the unification of houses and gardens, and they were meant to be appreciated and lived in as well. A thickly populated city     4    Suzhou often lacks rich natural scenery, and that is why such typical architecture should be found in the city.     5     (improve) their living conditions, certain individuals in Suzhou would attempt to create harmony in their living environment by constructing their homes together with nature.

Founded in the Song Dynasty, Canglang Pavilion has     6     (long) history among all of the existing classical gardens of Suzhou. Naturally well designed, it     7     (call) one of the four best gardens in Suzhou.     8     other three are Lion Grove Garden, the Humble Administrator’s Garden and Lingering Garden. The masterfully designed Canglang Pavilion looks simple but elegant. Without fancy decorations, it combines buildings with scenery so perfectly and profoundly     9    the whole garden appears to have been formed naturally.

Suzhou’s classical gardens hold high value for the study of Chinese landscape gardening, architecture, culture, aesthetics (美学) and philosophy. All nine of Suzhou’s most famous classical gardens     10     (add) to the World Heritage List by UNESCO in 1997.

6 . The woods are turning orange. Drifts of dry leaves are growing on forest floors and flying into street corners. From a distance, it is beautiful. But the air is still warm and summery. This turning and leaf fall is not the usual gradual preparation for winter in temperate zones(温带) but a stress response by trees trying to preserve water. We are now in a false autumn, caused by heat and drought. And it feels wrong.

There is, therefore, something deeply disturbing about such a graphic alteration of familiar rhythms, Droughts are not unknown to the UK, of course, and too many parts of the world are certainly familiar with far more severe versions. But increasingly they are occurring in the context of a climate emergency, and record-breaking heat. And the beauty of a false autumn, specifically, has an emotional effect, a deep weirdness, something mysteriously suggestive of evil or danger

Cultures across the world contain ceremonies for the propitiation(宽恕) of the weather; a sense of responsibility for the natural world—and the belief that it will punish us if we fail it—is as old as humanity. One of the reasons why the Romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s 1798 poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner is so effective is the directness with which it links the shooting of an albatross(信天翁)—the destruction of innocent wildlife—to a terrible change in the weather: no rain, just burning, death-dealing sun. We may not understand the mechanism, but at an instinctual(本能的) level it feels right.

And in a similar way it has not really been a surprise to hear that birds are struggling. In London,   young swifts (雨燕) were seen falling out of the sky. Fewer—and too early—nuts and berries mean some animals will not live through this winter. Older trees, with their longer roots, will hopefully survive, but young trees may not—all that promises further warming. There will always be a degree of uncertainty about the causes of specific weather events, but we cannot deny that we have not taken care of the albatross. Now we must hope we are doing enough to make sure that these fearful golden days are pot an autumn of autumns.

1. According to the passage, what is a disturbing sign of “a false autumn”?

A．Tree leaves are turning orange and fall gradually in winter.

B．Birds are struggling to fall out of the sky in London.

C．People worldwide are careless of droughts and heat in the UK.

D．Nuts and berries-ripen earlier but yield less than before.

2. Why is Coleridge’s 1798 poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner so effective?

A．Because people across the world sympathize with the albatross.

B．Because it directly links destruction of wildlife to extreme weather.

C．Because we are certain about how the weather shifts instinctually.

D．Because he is an established Romantic poet curious about nature.

3. Which of the following is implied by the underlined sentence (Line 6, Paragraph 4)?

A．This autumn must be seen as a warning to take instant action.

B．Plants and animals are bound to survive in spite of their fear.

C．The writer appreciates and looks forward to such golden days.

D．Abundant environmental protection has already been ensured.

4. What is the overall tone of the passage?

A．Optimistic.

B．Concerned.

C．Humorous.

D．Ironic.

7 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。1.

A．He was punished to be working in an animal shelter.

B．He was fined a lot of money and lost his job as a butcher.

C．He was forbidden from living in his apartment for three years.

D．He was heavily fined and not allowed to keep animals for ten years.

2.

A．He was scratched by the cat he raised at home.

B．His cat was captured and nearly killed by the tiger.

C．He was attacked by the tiger and was bit in the arm.

D．His tiger was seriously ill after eating the raw meat.

3.

A．Ming can’t live without jazz and hip-hop.

B．Ming is not accustomed to the country life.

C．Ming doesn’t like the food in the animal shelter.

D．He can’t fall asleep without Ming’s smell and noise.

8 .

A．From the newspaper.	B．From the Internet.
C．From wildlife protection groups.	D．From the government officials.

9 . 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. hike       B. requires          C. hosts          D. man-made       E. attraction      F. Belonging   G. peak   H. introduce   I. romantic     J. fascinating     K. sun-bathe

Touring “Treasure Island”

Chinese mainland tourists will be able to visit Taiwan via charted flights in July according to two landmark agreements signed on June 13. So, 21^st Century invited two young Taiwanese to     1     their favorite site on the island.

Yangming Mountain, north of Taipei

Young couples can definitely enjoy a     2     evening on the mountain and a bird’s eye view of the Taipei city. College students often visit the mountain for a     3    : others ride motorbike to the top. The mountain and the nearby town of Pei-tou have many hot springs, which often appear in romantic Taiwan TV dramas.

Ali Mountain, Jiayi County

Ali Mountain is the general name for 18 hills. The highest     4     of Ali Mountain is Tower Hill, which has a height of 2,663 meters. Ali Mountain is famous for its “five rare sites” - the sunrise, the Ali mountain Forest Railway, the famous Alishan Sacred Tree, the Grand Sea of Clouds and the Flamboyant Cherry Blossom. The best time to visit the     5     scenery is during the comfortable midsummer.

Taipei 101 tower, Taipei

The 101-floor landmark is one of the world’s tallest completed skyscrapers. Besides the shops inside and outside the tower, Taipei 101     6     splendid firework shows during festivals. A new     7     next to the tower is under construction. It will be a     8     beach on which the public will be permitted to     9    .

Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s Memorial Hall and Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, Taipei

The squares in front of these halls are open all day to the public. They have become a paradise to colleges students, who often meet there for an activity that     10     space. You will run into students dancing, rehearsing skits or even playing musical instruments.

10 . 语法填空

Landslide injures at least 10 in Norwegian Town of Ask

A landslide (山体滑坡)    1    (smash) into a residential area near the Norwegian capital at midnight on Dec 30, which injured at least 10 people, left 21 unaccounted for and    2    (destroy) several homes, authorities said. By yesterday afternoon, according to a local official, about 700 people    3    (bring) to safety for fear of further landslides.

The landslide    4    (cut) across a road, which left a deep gap that cars could not pass. Video footage showed dramatic scenes including houses falling into the gap.

Rescue teams worked day and night to search the area for people caught in mud and debris. “People’s life is the most valuable and is worth    5    (pay) the most attention to”, they told the press.

The area where Ask    6    (locate) is known to have a lot of quick clay, and the clay can change from solid to liquid form. Previous landslides have been reported in the region. In the future, the local weather bureaus should make sure they    7    (warn) people of any possible danger in advance.