1 . For Cruz, who grew up in Peru’s mountainous region of Cuzco, fog represents a massive opportunity. As a boy, he had to hike for more than an hour every day across hills to collect water from the nearest source. But over time, he realized that during the rainy season, droplets of water would gather in the large leaves of banana trees. So one day he and his father tried to build a canal system with the leaves to collect water and it turned out a success. But afterwards, he moved to Lima at the age of 25.

There, shocked by the water shortages and expensive water supply that some of the city’s poorest residents were faced with, Cruz set up El Movimiento Peruanos sin Agua in 2005. The idea was to deploy the method he learned in his hometown on a larger scale, which would provide free, independently sourced and easily accessible water to those who needed it most. He began installing (安装) a traditional fog catcher model developed in the 1980s.

At the highest point of Los Tres Miradores, there is a curious set of large structures that resemble a fleet of ships in the sky. They are so-called “fog catchers”. Netted devices, made of high density Raschel polyethylene and spanning several meters wide, are lined up at the top of a misty mound and linked by a network of tubes that lead to storage containers. The 40 fog catchers there provide enough water for 180 families, whether to bathe, clean, drink or to irrigate crops on small garden patches.

Supporters believe that fog catchers have the potential to improve water supply for communities around the world among the ever-challenging circumstances. German researcher Lummerich says, “They are cheap, easy to construct.” In a world searching for water supply systems, it is one important puzzle piece that can make an essential difference locally.

However, there are some issues. For one, fog catchers require space, which is not always easy to come by in cities, let alone urban slums. At the same time, fog catchers must be properly cleaned and maintained to stay effective. Most crucially, appropriate climate conditions are required. Fog isn’t everywhere.

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

A．Employ.

B．Adjust.

C．Design.

D．Study.

2. What does paragraph 3 mainly talk about?

A．The reason why Cruz installed fog catchers.

B．The difficulties of constructing a canal system.

C．The installation and benefits of fog catchers.

D．The inspiration Cruz gained to build a canal system.

3. What is the biggest challenge associated with the use of fog catchers?

A．High costs.	B．Public opposition.
C．Space limitation.	D．Climate conditions.

4. What’s the best title for the text?

A．Urban Areas: A Struggle for Sufficient Water

B．Innovative Water Collection Techniques in Peru

C．The Global Water Crisis and Possible Solutions

D．Fog Catchers: A Local Solution with Global Potential

2 . Our two-year investigation into caged (关在笼中) tigers in America sent us through 32 US states—with some truly shocking experiences. But as the deadline neared, I still needed a powerful and hopeful image.

When we began our reporting in 2017—Sharon, writing; me taking photos; and our son, NickRuggia, filming—more tigers likely lived in cages in the US than remained in the wild. The number ranged from 5,000 to 10,000, but without strict government oversight, no one knew for sure.

Roadside zoos that allowed tourists to take pictures of young tigers were the main cause of what’s been called a US tiger crisis (危机). Caged cats often ended up in the illegal wildlife trade. Young tigers, parted from their mothers at birth, were fed poorly and touched by hundreds of people. When they grew too big and dangerous to pet at around 12 weeks, young tigers were put on show, or simply disappeared.

While we documented the unpleasant part of this industry, we also wanted to show the good life these impressive animals could have. With two weeks left before my deadline, I headed to the Wild Animal Sanctuary near Denver, where well-cared cats walked freely in their habitat.

There I met Clay, Daniel, and Enzo, three of 39 tigers rescued from an animal park in Oklahoma. These nearly grown cats raced beside our car, which I’d seen only in the wild. It was a hot July day and soon two of the cats jumped into a pool to cool off. The third rested beside them on the ground. I crossed the road to take a picture of them. Then quietly, I came up close, trying not to disturb (打扰) them. I had the shot.

1. Why did the author start her reporting?

A．To dig out the dark truth of caged tigers.	B．To explore the amazing land in the country.
C．To tell people that baby tigers are harmless.	D．To share the happy moment during the trip.

2. What is the main cause of the US tiger crisis according to the text?

A．Forest fires.

B．Climate change.

C．Roadside zoos.

D．Water pollution.

3. What can we learn about these young tigers from paragraph 3?

A．They prefer to stay indoors.	B．They are badly treated.
C．They get used to the changes.	D．They are traded legally.

4. What is the author’s purpose in mentioning the Wild Animal Sanctuary?

A．To praise her family for their effort.	B．To explain what the animals suffered.
C．To introduce a special kind of tigers.	D．To show some tigers lead an easy life.

3 . My real research started at the New York Botanical Garden. I met a person who is a paleobotanist (古植物学家), which means that he ________ prehistoric plants. My novel centers on Merwin and Louise, two little Sycamore ________ who began life during the Cretaceous Period.

Sycamore trees are called fossil species, which means they have been ________ since the time of the dinosaurs. They are ________ to modern trees we see in forests today. The Sycamore tree also makes those kind of seed balls, a little bit like a nursery (托儿所), like all these ________ in there together. In most of my stories. I write about children who get ________ from their parents and find their way in the world. That’s kind of what Sycamore seeds and other seeds do. They must ________ the plant that made them and go find a place to ________.

It was fun trying to ________ all the different places these two little seeds could go. I wanted them to go underwater. Drawing pictures underwater is so hard. ________ the whole scene with King Seaweed was really fun.

What surprised me the most was the idea that ________ are really communities. Trees communicate with each other with a mycelial (菌丝) system under the ground that ________ everything. It felt like there were interesting parallels (相似之处) with us, because we also live in ________, and we try to help each other. However, there are sometimes ________ from outside, and we have to find out ways to ________. Plants are doing the same thing

1.

A．cooks

B．studies

C．plants

D．keeps

2.

A．animals

B．children

C．birds

D．seeds

3.

A．alone

B．away

C．around

D．abroad

4.

A．familiar

B．junior

C．unnecessary

D．typical

5.

A．teachers

B．kids

C．parents

D．cleaners

6.

A．absent

B．safe

C．separate

D．tired

7.

A．break away from

B．go away with

C．look after

D．get in

8.

A．die

B．learn

C．sleep

D．grow

9.

A．search

B．dig

C．imagine

D．remove

10.

A．Writing

B．Enjoying

C．Dreaming

D．Controlling

11.

A．rivers

B．forests

C．oceans

D．companies

12.

A．expresses

B．revises

C．improves

D．connects

13.

A．communities

B．buildings

C．systems

D．nurseries

14.

A．qualities

B．greetings

C．difficulties

D．comforts

15.

A．lose

B．quit

C．challenge

D．survive

4 . The 187-foot-tall Tower of Pisa is famous all over the world mainly because it leans (倾斜). For many years, people believed that the tower’s designer intended it to lean. As it turns out, though, the tower’s lean is an accident caused by poor planning. The Tower of Pisa was constructed (建造) on a riverbed of sand and clay (黏土) that was not strong enough to support a building so tall and heavy.

Construction of the tower began in 1173. Because Pisa experienced several wars, the tower wasn’t completed until 1350. Only a few years after the construction started, people could see that the first three floors of the tower were already leaning. As the next three floors were added, builders purposefully built them with one side higher than the other to try to correct the lean. This resulted in the tower leaning in the opposite direction

Fortunately for the people of Pisa, the long delays (耽搁) during construction gave the structure time to settle and the ground to become compacted (结实的). This mad the foundation (地基) stronger over time, which is the main reason why the tower never fell over. For hundreds of years, the tower was indeed falling. It would lean one more inch about every 20 years. In the end, in 1990, it was closed to the public for fear that a large group of people at the top would weigh enough to make it fall down.

From 1990 to 2001, engineers from around the world helped balance the tower After several unsuccessful attempts at a solution, engineers finally came up with a plan that worked. They slowly removed ground under the high side of the tower. When they had finished, they had returned it to the position it held in about 1838—the tower had been straightened by nearly 16 inches. Except a sudden great disaster, such as a earthquake, engineers believe the tower is safe for another 300 years now.

1. What does the author try to explain about the Tower of Pisa in Paragraph 1?

A．Why it leans.	B．Why it was built.
C．Why it is famous.	D．Why it stopped leaning.

2. What can we learn about the Tower of Pisa?

A．It was completed in 1173.	B．It began to be built in 1350.
C．It was seen leaning after 1173.	D．It was repaired every 20 years.

3. What kept the Tower of Pisa from falling down according to Paragraph 3?

A．The special structure.	B．The timely protection.
C．The skill of the builders.	D．The long time of building.

4. What would be the best title for the text?

A．When does the Tower of Pisa lean?

B．Is the leaning Tower of Pisa falling?

C．When was the leaning Tower of Pisa built?

D．How did the leaning Tower of Pisa get its name?