1 . Directions: After reading the passage 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.
The Mystery is No Mystery
The area of ocean between Florida, Puerto Rico, and Bermuda, known as the Bermuda Triangle, is the source of much mystery. Over the centuries, reports of ships and planes disappearing
The Bermuda Triangle covers a vast 700,000 square-kilometer swathe of ocean. Close to the equator(赤道)and near the United States, it is a particularly busy patch of sea with heavy traffic. According to Lloyd’s of London and the U. S. Coast Guard,
These days, new theories are being put forward, with a bit of scientific truth to them. Some have attributed Bermuda Triangle disappearances to explosive releases of methane (甲烷) gas,
The only problem with this theory is that scientists won’t be able to tell with much certainty if this is a factor
2 . 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.applauding B. entry-level C. struck D. fascination E. back-seal F. stuck G. stand H. promoter I. hook J. dominant K. empowered |
The nature is part of us. Therefore, it holds a mysterious
Led by fate, I have became an environmentalist and had the honor of being invited to address students about my green lifestyle for a long time. The students were surprised at my lifestyle and maybe they thought my lifestyle was no longer suitable for modern life. Fortunately, they were still listened to whole lecture, saluting or
After the address, I put up a stand in the
Since then , I have been considering why kids today do not have the same deep appreciation for nature that I do. One of the significant factors may be that the former rural civilization has been replaced by the urban civilization. In the past, the poor played the
3 . The misery of my bike commute in Calgary, Alberta, is the river valley hill. It’s not particularly steep, but at about a mile long, I rarely climbed up without arriving with sweat. Studies have shown the prospect of arriving at work sweaty is one of the biggest
“Pedelec”, or pedal electric-assisted bikes like the one I rode, can end that worry. They look and act like traditional bicycles, but their motors make pedaling much easier when required. Sometimes called the most energy-efficient motorized mode of transportation ever built, they’re also incredibly green. The biggest barrier may be the outdated attitude that sees bikes only as a recreational athletic opportunity rather than a practical
At a time when cities across North America are struggling to combat crippling traffic and reduce climate emissions, e-bikes have the
Many of the barriers to e-bike
Few places on the continent,
Amid these legislative
A.advantages | B.processes | C.barriers | D.complements |
A.riders | B.builders | C.customers | D.volunteers |
A.production | B.communication | C.facilities | D.transportation |
A.routine | B.potential | C.temporary | D.major |
A.make of | B.carry on | C.bring up | D.take off |
A.adaptation | B.adoption | C.adjustment | D.justification |
A.proved | B.alerted | C.banned | D.authorized |
A.however | B.unless | C.meanwhile | D.anyway |
A.originate | B.combine | C.separate | D.satisfy |
A.factors | B.benefits | C.limits | D.damages |
A.proper | B.critical | C.sensational | D.difficult |
A.expensive | B.distinctive | C.sensitive | D.intensive |
A.trouble | B.concern | C.power | D.scale |
A.favored | B.folded | C.referred | D.gifted |
A.appeal | B.address | C.amount | D.advocate |
When Leakey and Jane begin a study of wild chimpanzees on the shore of Lake Tanganyika, British authorities resist the idea of a young woman living among wild animals in Africa. They finally agree to Leakey’s proposal when Jane’s mother Vanne volunteers to accompany her daughter for the first three months.
On July 14, 1960, Jane and Vanne arrive on the shores of Gombe Stream Chimpanzee Reserve in western Tanzania.
On November 4,1961, Jane observes David Greybeard and Goliath making tools to extract termites (白蚁) from their mounds. They would select a thin branch from a tree, strip the leaves and push the branch into the termite mound. After a few seconds they would pull out the termite-covered stick and pick off the tasty termites with their lips. This becomes one of Jane’s most important discoveries.
Jane’s work in Gombe becomes more widely known and in 1962 she is accepted at Cambridge University as a PhD candidate, one of very few people to be admitted without a university degree.
Jane in Africa National Geographic decides to sponsor Jane’s work and sends photographer and filmmaker Hugo van Lawick to document Jane’s life in Gombe. In August 1963, Jane publishes her first article in National Geographic, My Life Among Wild Chimpanzees.
A.But studying the chimpanzees of Gombe was not easy. |
B.Until that time, only humans were thought to create tools. |
C.These observations disprove the widely held belief that chimpanzees are vegetarian. |
D.So she learns to be a secretary and works for a time at Oxford University typing documents. |
E.However, Jane loves the toy and names the chimpanzee Jubilee, carrying it with her everywhere. |
F.Some scholars and scientists give Jane a cold reception and criticise her for giving the chimpanzees names. |
5 . Plastic is everywhere, from the Arctic ice to vital organs in the human body. In fact, previous estimates suggest that the average person swallows a credit card-worth of microscopic plastic particles(颗粒) every week. But new research shows that this could actually be an understatement.
Microplastics are plastics smaller than 5 millimeters, found in industrial waste, beauty products, and formed during the degradation of larger plastic pieces. Over time, they break down into even smaller nanoplastics. These tiny particles can pass through our intestines and lungs into our bloodstreams, reaching vital organs like the heart and brain.
While the idea of eating plastic is unsettling in itself, the major concern here is that these plastic particles contain chemicals that can interrupt our body’s natural release of hormones, potentially increasing our risk of reproductive disorders and certain cancers. They can also carry toxins(毒素) on their surface like heavy metals.
In the past, researchers have shown bottled water can contain tens of thousands of identifiable plastic fragments in a single container. However, until recently, only the larger microplastics were detectable with available measuring tools, leaving the area of nanoplastics largely a mystery.
Using Raman microscopy (显微镜学), capable of detecting particles down to the size of a flu virus, the team measured an average of 240, 000 particles of plastic per liter of bottled water, 90 percent of which were nanoplastics, a revelation 10 to 100 times larger than previous estimates.
These plastics likely originate from the bottle material, filters used to “purify” the water, and the source water itself. “It is not totally unexpected to find so much of this stuff, ” the study’s lead author, Columbia graduate student Naixin Qian, said in a statement. His team hopes to expand their research into tap water and other water sources to better inform our exposure to these potentially dangerous particles. “The idea is that the smaller things get, the more of them I reveal, ” he added.
1. What is the primary focus of the new research?A.The presence of plastic particles. | B.The use of plastic in everyday products. |
C.The detection methods for microplastics. | D.The potential risks of nanoplastics to human. |
A.Finding the source of plastic particles. | B.Helping to cure the deadly flu virus. |
C.Detecting the smaller plastic particles. | D.Improving the quality of bottled water. |
A.To focus on areas with higher plastic pollution. |
B.To be aware of the dangerous particles in daily life. |
C.To further measure the types of particles in tap water. |
D.To detect the smaller plastic particles in industrial areas. |
A.Skeptical. | B.Objective. | C.Conservative. | D.Positive. |
6 . 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.experience B. associated C.position D.claim E.accompanied F.conducted G.duration H.preserve I.breeze J.representative K.weighed |
One of the British royal traditions is that the king or queen can
Several years ago, when I was living in London, I went along to
The Uppers themselves are a mix of old boys and younger men-all dressed in uniforms. They paddle their way upriver in a fleet of wooden boats, shiny with gold detailing. Flags flutter behind them in the
The small fleet is
Not long after, the traditional call goes out: “All up!” it’s the first catch of the day. The Uppers carefully
7 .
A.The harm done by single-use plastics. |
B.The topic for the woman’s composition. |
C.Environmental issues. |
D.Some recent hot news. |
8 .
A.She agrees with the man’s plan. |
B.She is concerned about the weather. |
C.She considers it unwise to go outside. |
D.She has a better plan than having a picnic. |
9 . Why is the fish in danger of dying out?
A.Because of over-fishing. |
B.Because of water pollution. |
C.Because of a natural disaster. |
10 . Mars is no stranger to life. Seven U. S. spacecraft have successfully landed there, and all of them took microbes to the planet’s surface(though the bugs probably did not survive for long). Yet the world’s space agencies continue to maintain strict spacecraft sterilization (消毒) procedures in the hope of minimizing the spread of Earth life beyond our planet. For decades this idea — known as planetary protection—is widespread. Now, some scientists say, these procedures are preventing the search for life beyond Earth by raising costs and preventing innovative missions-without meaningful benefits.
Of all missions to Mars to date, only the Vikings, the first trip to the Red Planet, were intended to test for life. Spacecraft that went later did not have that ability. But a future mission will, and the protectionist thinking goes, a spacecraft might not be able to distinguish between a life form native to Mars and one with origins on Earth. In July 2013 astrobiologists Dirk Schulze-Makuch and Alberto Fairen argued against this in Nature Geoscience.
“If Earth life can thrive on Mars, they almost certainly already do,” the authors write. “If they cannot, the transfer of Earth life to Mars should be of no concern, as it would simply not survive.”
With clear evidence of a water y history and some signs of water present, Mars could be where we find life in our solar system. And with the development of Curiosity’s precise landing system, we can finally reach the mysterious parts of the planet. But it’s these areas that require a craft sterilization process.
In the 1970s Vikings 1 and 2 revealed what seemed like a dead planet, so planetary-protection requirements were relaxed. Now, with more knowledge of Mars’ environment, missions set to visit areas with evidence of flowing water below the surface have to meet the strict-and more costly- Vikings standards.
Finally, there’s the philosophical problem of what responsibility, if any, we have to other planets and any life we leave there. The truth is we’re never going to be able to fully protect Mars if we intend to explore it. And spreading is simply what life does.
“If we want to survive for a long time, we have to expand beyond Earth,” Schulze-Makuch says. “There’s no other way.”
1. Strict spacecraft sterilization procedures are meant to ______.A.decrease the costs of space exploration |
B.help the search for life forms beyond Earth |
C.contribute to innovative missions in the universe |
D.prevent Earth life being transferred to other planets |
A.there was no preclse landing system |
B.Mars was considered to be a lifeless planet |
C.the mysterious parts of Mars remained unknown |
D.flowing water was found below the surface of Mars |
A.Mars is now on the edge of being destroyed |
B.human beings are too ambitious to expand beyond Earth |
C.there is no need to worry about bringing Earth life to Mars |
D.we need to be responsible for keeping Mars what it is like now |
A.optimistic | B.relaxed | C.debatable | D.negative |