1 . If you think about World Heritage Sites, you probably think of places associated with ancient art and culture and historical buildings. And of course, many of these are on the World Heritage List (WHL). These include remains of ancient cultures like Cuzco in Peru or the rock city of Petra in Jordan as well as old city centers such as Rome in Italy. Also common are places of artistic or cultural significance, like the Stonehenge stone circle in England. But the WHL contains a lot of sites that are not so obvious. Let’s look at a few of the more unusual sites on the WHL and why it is important to preserve them.

Citadel of Haiti

These monuments were built at the end of the 19th century when Haiti became independent and the many thousands of black slaves in Haiti were free for the first time. These ex-slaves built the monuments, which the WHL describes as “a universal symbol of liberty”.

Borders of France and Spain

This is an area of great natural beauty and the mountains have many interesting geological formations.

But it is also an area of small farms. The WHL has listed the site because it shows us about past European society through its landscape of villages, farms, fields, up land pastures and mountain roads.

The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway

This railway in India was opened in 1881 and is still operating today. It crosses a difficult area of mountain landscape and it is a great example of railway engineering. The WHL says that it is “the first, and still the most outstanding, example of a hill passenger railway.”

The city of Brasilia

Brasilia is a capital city that was created from nothing in 1956. The WHL calls it “a land mark in the history of town planning”. The different areas of the city and the buildings themselves were all designed at the same time so that they would harmonize with each other.

1. What’s the function of the examples of World Heritage Sites in paragraph 1?

A．To highlight the importance of WHL.

B．To exemplify sites of artistic and cultural value.

C．To compare the differences between various sites.

D．To draw readers’ attention to more unique sites on the WHL.

2. Who built Citadel of Haiti?

A．Former slaves.	B．Citizens in Haiti.
C．Active revolutionaries.	D．Haiti government.

3. Which site will attract a town planner most?

A．Citadel of Haiti.	B．Borders of France and Spain.
C．The city of Brasilia.	D．The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway.

2 . In a fascinating discovery, western lowland gorillas (大猩猩) at Zoo Atlanta have been caught summoning their keepers using a strange cough-sneeze mixture, which researchers have called a “snough”. Only two other species have displayed this ability to create new vocalizations to attract our attention: zoo-housed chimpanzees and orangutans. Now, we can add gorillas to that list.

As many of us know, Koko put a spotlight on gorilla intelligence in the 1980s and 1990s with her incredible ability to communicate with humans using sign language. She was trained and worked hard at it, but now it seems gorillas have taken it upon themselves to establish unique communication with us in their own way.

Roberta Salmi, a biological anthropologist at the University of Georgia, and colleagues ran an experiment to confirm the purpose of the “snough”, by placing eight of the zoo’s gorillas in three different situations. In the first, only the keeper was present; in the second only the food was present; in the final one, the keeper was holding the food. The food and keeper were in sight but out of reach. The gorillas involved used the “snough” vocalization most when there was a human present with food, indicating the call is likely an attempt to get the keeper’s attention.

This complex vocal learning — the ability to produce unique calls — is rare in the animal kingdom and confirmed only in some species of birds, bats and elephants. But they all do so by imitating. The analysis showed the gorilla’s “snough” is a unique sound, not an imitation — although they are certainly capable of imitating us in other ways.

“These results demonstrate that gorillas can change their calls to produce a novel sound and furthermore confirm that they can produce their calls and gestures intentionally to change the attention state of their caregiver,” the team concluded in their paper. We’ve clearly long underestimated these clever souls.

1. Which of the following can replace “summoning” underlined in paragraph 1?

A．pleasing

B．calling

C．finding

D．warning

2. How did the researchers carry out the research?

A．By ordering the gorillas to make the “snough” vocalization.

B．By training the gorillas to attract their keepers’ attention.

C．By comparing the gorillas’ reactions in different situations.

D．By gathering information about the gorillas from their keepers.

3. Why does the author mention some other animals in paragraph 4?

A．To illustrate gorillas can imitate humans in other ways.

B．To confirm only gorillas have the ability to produce unique calls.

C．To prove the animals can produce unique calls through imitation.

D．To show gorillas’ ability to invent the new vocalization is uncommon.

4. What can be inferred from the research?

A．Some animals have the ability to make new sounds.

B．Gorillas can create a new sound to draw zookeepers’ attention.

C．Some intelligent animals try to attract attention by imitating.

D．Gorillas are able to communicate with humans using unique gestures.

3 . Any schoolchild knows that a whale breathes through its blowhole. Fewer know that a blowhole is a nostril (鼻孔) slightly changed by evolution into a form more useful for a mammal that spends its life at sea. And only a dedicated expert would know that while toothed whales, such as sperm whales, have one hole, baleen (鲸须) whales, such as humpback and Rice whales, have two.

Even among the baleen whales, the placing of those nostrils differs. In some species they are close together. In others, they are much further apart. In a paper published in Biology Letters Conor Ryan, a marine biologist at the Scottish Association for Marine Science, suggests why that might be. Having two nostrils, he argues, helps whales smell in stereo (立体空间).

Many types of baleen whales eat tiny animals known as zooplankton (浮游动物), which they catch by filtering (过滤) them from seawater using the sheets of fibrous baleen that have replaced teeth in their mouths. But to eat something you first have to find it. Toothed whales do not hunt by scent. In fact, the olfactory bulb—the part of the brain that processes smell—is absent in such creatures. But baleen whales still have olfactory bulbs, which suggests smell remains important. And scent can indeed give zooplankton away. Zooplankton like to eat other tiny creatures called phytoplankton (浮游植物). When these are under attack, they release a special gas called dimethyl sulphide, which in turn attracts baleen whales.

Most animals have stereoscopic senses. Having two eyes, for instance, allows an animal to compare the images from each in order to perceive depth. Having two ears lets them locate the direction from which a sound is coming. Dr Ryan theorized that paired blowholes might bring baleen whales the same sorts of benefits.

The farther apart the sensory organs are, the more information can be extracted by the animal that bears them. The researchers used drones to photograph the nostrils of 143 whales belonging to 14 different species. Sure enough, baleen whales that often eat zooplankton, such as the North Atlantic right whale, have nostrils that are farther apart than do those, such as humpback whales, that eat zooplankton occasionally. Besides allowing them to breathe, it seems that some whales use their blowholes to determine in which direction dinner lies.

1. What do we know about whales’ nostrils according to the first two paragraphs?

A．They are adapted ones.	B．They are developed merely for smell.
C．They are not easy to detect.	D．They are fixed universally in numbers.

2. What plays a role when baleen whales hunt zooplankton?

A．The teeth that baleen whales have.

B．The smell that phytoplankton send.

C．The sound waves that zooplankton create.

D．The chemical signals that zooplankton give off.

3. How is the concept of stereoscopic senses explained in paragraph 4?

A．By quoting a theory.	B．By using examples.
C．By making contrast.	D．By making inferences.

4. What is the position of nostrils related to according to the last paragraph?

A．The sense of smell.	B．The possibility to attract food.
C．The ability to locate food.	D．The ability to communicate.

4 . When astronauts land on Mars, a couple of decades from now, perhaps, they’ll need to find a way to communicate-with each other, with equipment on and around the planet, and with mission control back on Earth. Despite living so far from home, they’ll no doubt want to connect with loved ones, or stream their favorite shows or music.

But setting up a Wi-Fi connection to Earth’s internet won’t be a choice. Earth is simply too far away—around 55 million to 400 million kilometers, depending on where the planets are in their orbits. We will need another strategy.

Establishing good communication equipment is essential for human missions to Mars. Researchers are testing ways to upgrade existing networks, along with some far-out alternatives. For example, NASA’s Psyche mission, which lifted off in October with the job of exploring an asteroid (小行星) between Mars and Jupiter, will also test the communication using lasers. Lasers could carry far more data than the radio waves that have been used from the earliest days of space travel.

There is no strategy which can get rid of the time lag in communications between Earth and Mars; a message moving at the speed of light takes anywhere between 4 and 24 minutes for a one-way trip. In other words, a quick ping to mission control is out of the question, not to mention a WhatsApp call home.

There’s also the issue of solar conjunction (聚合), says Parfitt, when the sun comes between Earth and Mars. This happens for a couple of weeks every two years or so, cutting off communications between the planets. The last one took place in November.

But new approaches could open possibilities that make communications on Mars more like what we experience here on Earth. At least one research team has wondered: What if Mars had its own internet?

1. What discourages Mars to have a net connection to Earth?

A．The Earth is too far to reach.	B．The Earth is hard to identify.
C．The current strategy doesn’t work well.	D．Many planets are blocking the signals.

2. What writing skill is used in paragraph 3?

A．Raising a question.	B．Giving an example.
C．Listing numbers.	D．Comparing facts.

3. What do we know about the communications between Earth and Mars?

A．Laser carries less data than the radio waves.	B．There is no such thing as time lag.
C．It takes only four minutes for a single trip.	D．The process could sometimes be cut off.

4. What is going to be talked about in the following paragraph?

A．The possible mission of the astronauts on Mars.

B．The communication among the astronauts on Mars.

C．The possibility for Mars to have its own network.

D．The opinions given by experienced astronomers.

5 . Adrienne Tully, an amateur photographer, went to the coast of a beach in Belmar, New Jersey. She planned to take photos of the ______ against the sea. Instead, she was able to ______ a frightening but happy journey. It all started last Sunday morning when she noticed a crowd ______ on the beach. Naturally, she joined them in the ______ of learning what was going on.

For a minute, Adrienne was ______ about what everyone was looking at. From how far away they were, it almost seemed like a bird. Looking closer, ______ , it was clearly a deer who was ______ on a raised rock in the middle of the ocean. The deer made a couple of ______ to swim back to the shore but the turbulent (汹涌的) water ______ all its efforts. Then someone who came out of nowhere ______ rode his surfboard to the deer. After a short magic while, the ______ managed to guide the deer out. Upon ______ ashore, the deer just ran north on the beach. Those watching nearby were no doubt ______ at the way this nameless young man ______ to help. But he somehow disappeared too, leaving people to hope he knows that he is greatly ______ for what he did.

1.

A．wildlife

B．city

C．fight

D．sunrise

2.

A．launch

B．anticipate

C．shoot

D．report

3.

A．cooperating

B．forming

C．arguing

D．encountering

4.

A．hope

B．charge

C．absence

D．face

5.

A．confused

B．desperate

C．anxious

D．depressed

6.

A．fortunately

B．however

C．otherwise

D．therefore

7.

A．defeated

B．deserted

C．stuck

D．seated

8.

A．routines

B．attempts

C．excuses

D．routes

9.

A．ruined

B．interrupted

C．canceled

D．postponed

10.

A．purposely

B．randomly

C．elegantly

D．heroically

11.

A．onlooker

B．tourist

C．surfer

D．guide

12.

A．going

B．washing

C．thundering

D．struggling

13.

A．ashamed

B．mad

C．amazed

D．expert

14.

A．went off

B．turned up

C．settled down

D．set out

15.

A．appreciated

B．understood

C．awarded

D．supported

6 . Three years ago, Juan Carlos Sesma had a realization. Global warming and climate change seemed to be a mounting problem, with scientific records indicating rising temperatures and sea levels across the world. At the same time forest fires, logging, and aggressive human expansion meant the supply of trees which helped to regulate and remove greenhouse gases from our atmosphere was dwindling .

He decided the best way to tackle a problem this large was to combine two of the most powerful forces emerging in technology: big data and robotics. Sesma founded a new company called CO2 Revolution, whose plan was to use drones(无人机) to better understand where new trees should be planted and to automate the process of planting so that much larger areas of forest could be repopulated. The company designed a special smart seed that helped to deliver just the right amount of protection and nutrition to the young saplings. The overall goal was to considerably lower the time and cost of large-scale re-forestation.

CO2 Revolution isn’t alone. In the UK, a startup called Biocarbon Engineering ran a trial earlier this year where it used drones to help replant Mangrove trees in Myanmar. It has also deployed(部署) its technology in Australia, South Africa, and Morocco. “In a lot of places, people will either have a map taken by aeroplane, or just use Google Earth satellite imagery.

They’ll draw things out freehand and manually plant, either by hand or tractor,” said CEO Susan Graham in a recent interview.

The challenge for all these startups is to find ways to create a profitable, or at least sustainable, business model. For Sesma and the team at CO2 Revolution, recent regulatory action has highlighted one potential pathway. “We offer a solution that allows clients to carry out massive plantings, increasing forest mass and thus compensating for their carbon footprint.” Amid growing calls for carbon sequestration, this kind of effort might prove not just noble, but financially sensible for large corporations.

1. What drove Sesma to set up CO2 Revolution?

A．Big data and robotics.	B．Forest fires and human expansion.
C．Global Warming and climate change.	D．Powerful forces emerging in technology.

2. What does the underlined word “dwindling” probably mean in paragraph 1?

A．Declining.

B．Changing.

C．Recovering.

D．Expanding.

3. What can we infer from the passage?

A．Drones are populated in larger areas of forests.

B．CO2 Revolution calls for a profitable drone model.

C．Biocarbon Engineering sets up worldwide technology centers.

D．Smart seeds are designed to improve the accuracy of planting.

4. What does the author think of startups like CO2 Revolution?

A．Conventional.

B．Valueless.

C．Beneficial.

D．Impractical.

7 . 阅读下面材料, 在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式, 并将相应答案写在答题纸上。

The Qinghai Lake National Nature Reserve in northwest China’s Qinghai Province has updated     1     (it) list of protected wildlife, adding 10 species     2     the previous total of 72, according to a report by the Xinhua News Agency. The updated list, which was revised by experts,     3     (include) 82 species of protected wildlife. The number of national first-level protected animals has increased from 19 to 22. Meanwhile, the number of second-level nationally protected animals has increased from 53 to 60.     4     (addition), the number of wild plants under national protection has reached 12 species. According to the report, the     5     (revise) of the wildlife list focused on optimizing (优化)     6     adjusting the bird list. Species with uncertain records were removed from the original list and new species that have been monitored in recent years were added, increasing the total number of bird species from 232 to 281.

First     7     (found) in 1975, the Qinghai Lake National Nature Reserve is located in the northeast of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,     8     (cover) the entire water area of the Qinghai Lake and the islands, beaches and wetlands,     9     birds breed and nest. The reserve is the     10     (early) of its kind in China to be listed in the List of Wetlands of International Importance in 1992, according to UNESCO.

8 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内所给单词的正确形式。

As a country     1     has a long history of producing great writers, Ireland’s rural beauty has     2     great influence on people and traditions. Its beautiful rural scenery stirs your every sense,     3     (make) people unwilling to leave. The peaceful landscape, along with the rolling mountains,     4     (be) a grand visual feast. The waves and seabirds play music by the sea.     5     (bathe) in sunshine on a quiet morning, you can breathe in the scent of the flowers. Tasting a glass of wine and     6     (tradition) food is essential. All these lead to the formation of traditional     7     (custom) in Ireland, music, dancing and dining     8     (include). If you’re lucky to introduce     9     (you) to a friendly face, you will get an opportunity to experience local culture and traditions     10     person.

9 . Students at the Calhoun School in New York City have much more than a roof over their heads. They have a rooftop garden, with lush grass, colorful flowers and fragrant herbs. “Green roofs” are sprouting up all over, from schools to city skyscrapers. And roofs aren’t the only things going green. Architects are finding all sorts of new ways to build buildings that are easier on the environment. These schools, homes, and offices are called “green buildings”.

Normally it takes a lot of energy to run appliances. Too often, that energy comes from burning fossil fuels. So green buildings are designed to do all these things with much less energy. An energy-smart building starts with thick walls. A layer of insulation (隔热材料) traps air to stop heat from passing through. That keeps heat inside in the winter, and keeps heat outside in the summer. This saves energy for heating and cooling.

Heat pumps are another power-saving way to stay comfortable. A ground heat pump moves heat through pipes that run through the ground next to the building. A few feet under the ground, the temperature stays around 10℃ all year round. Water flowing around the pipes helps heat the building in winter and cool it in summer.

Another way to build green is to use recycled materials. That saves the cost and pollution of manufacturing something new. In the Chicago Center for Green Technology, the ceiling tiles (瓷砖) are made of pressed newspaper. The bathroom floors are tiled with recycled glass, and the stall walls are recycled plastic. Builders have found many creative ways to re-use old materials.

As more people become concerned about climate change, more buildings are going green. Green buildings produce less of the gases that warm the planet. City planners like green buildings because they save money. And they are healthier for the people who work and live inside. But you don’t need to build a whole new building. Simple changes like shading windows and planting trees can make any home greener—and a better Earth home for us all.

1. How are green buildings designed to keep warm in the winter?

A．By-burning fossil fuels.	B．By using thick walls with insulators.
C．By running heating devices.	D．By equipping buildings with appliances.

2. According to the passage, the advantages of green buildings include the following EXCEPT________.

A．saving water	B．using recycled materials
C．using less energy	D．reducing greenhouse gas emissions

3. In which section of a magazine can we read the text?

A．Education.

B．Culture.

C．Economy.

D．Technology.

4. Which of the following might be the best title for the text?

A．Recycling: to make a better earth for us all

B．Heat Pumps: a new approach to saving energy

C．Green Roofs: more than a roof over our heads

D．Building Green: to hug the earth more kindly

10 . Atmospheric (大气层的) rivers are long and narrow bands of water vapor (水蒸气) in Earth’s atmosphere, which are called “large rivers in the sky”. These rivers form over warm ocean waters. They are huge. They can be 930 miles long and one-third that wide.

Like real rivers, they carry huge amounts of water. These large streams of small water drops are blown by wind over land. When that happens, the water vapor cools down and condenses (凝结). Atmospheric rivers can be good. They bring water to dry areas. However, they can cause huge, fast-moving storms. Some cause snowfalls that bury towns. They are also the main cause of floods on the U.S. West Coast.

Atmospheric rivers are hard to predict. But scientists are working to change that. Marty Ralph, a scientist who works at the University of California, directs the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes (CW3E). They created the first computer model to predict atmospheric rivers on the U.S. West Coast. This model uses a program that runs on a computer to create a model of a real-world event. CW3E also studies atmospheric rivers using planes. Pilots drop instruments into atmospheric rivers to collect information like temperature and wind speed, which helps with forecasting.

Will climate change affect atmospheric rivers? Climate change happens naturally over a long period of time. But today, it is largely caused by human activities and is causing the Earth to warm, which affects atmospheric rivers.

Atmospheric rivers are pushed by the wind. Those winds are driven by the temperature differences between the poles and the equator (赤道). But the poles are also warming faster than areas near the equator. That makes the temperature difference between the areas smaller. This can make winds weaker.

Climate change might not cause more atmospheric rivers. But there may be very, very wet seasons and very, very dry seasons. Such a seesaw in rainfall could make it harder to manage what water there is.

1. What can we learn about atmospheric rivers?

A．They can be 930 miles long and 465 miles wide.

B．They are easy to predict as scientists are working on it.

C．They are bands of water vapor forming over warm ocean waters.

D．They are the main cause of floods in the U.S.

2. What is the third paragraph mainly about?

A．Why it is hard to predict atmospheric rivers.

B．Whether scientists can predict atmospheric rivers.

C．How technology helps the prediction of atmospheric rivers.

D．How scientists are working on the forecasts of atmospheric rivers.

3. What does the underlined word “seesaw” mean in the last paragraph?

A．Growth.

B．Drop.

C．Prediction.

D．Change.

4. Where is the text probably taken from?

A．A textbook.

B．A science magazine.

C．An academic article.

D．A news report.