1 . Check out our tsunami (海啸) facts and lean some interesting information related to these great walls of water that can cause so much destruction. Find out what causes tsunamis and read about some notable recent examples of tsunamis that have occurred around the globe.
Tsunamis are huge waves of water that are usually caused by earthquakes or volcanic eruptions.
As a tsunami approaches the shore, water may move back from the coast. If it is shallow enough, the water may be pulled back hundreds of meters. If you are in the area, observing this is a good indication that a tsunami is on the way.
Regions in tsunami danger zones often have warning systems in place to give people as much time to evacuate (撤离) as possible.
When tsunamis hit shallow water (often near the coast), they slow down but increase in height.
An earthquake in the Indian Ocean off Indonesia in December 2004 caused a tsunami that killed over 200, 000 people in 14 countries.
In March 2011, the Tohoku earthquake off the eastern coast of Japan caused a tsunami that was a major factor in the death of over 15, 000 people.
The tsunami waves created by the Tohoku earthquake reached heights of over 40 metres (131feet) in mine areas, wiping out coastal towns and causing a number of nuclear accidents.
The Japanese word “tsunami” literally means “harbour wave”.
Tsunamis are sometimes referred to as tidal waves but this term has fallen out of favour because tsunamis are not related to tides.
1. Which of the following shows a tsunami is coming soon?| A．An earthquake takes place. |
| B．The water marches towards the coast. |
| C．The water near the shore is pulled back. |
| D．The water near the shore is very shallow. |
| A．the earthquake itself |
| B．the lack of warming systems |
| C．the tsunami caused by the earthquake |
| D．the nuclear accidents caused by the tsunami |
| A．The word “tsunami” is from British English. |
| B．The term “tidal wave” is used more often than “tsunami” |
| C．Some nuclear accidents happened after Indonesia tsunami. |
| D．More people died in Indonesia tsunami than in Tohaku tsunami. |
1. What will the weather be like near the ocean this weekend?
| A．Windy. | B．Snowy. | C．Sunny |
| A．Traveling to the coast. |
| B．Staying inside. |
| C．Playing in the snow. |
| A．Temperatures could be very low. |
| B．Roads may become dangerous. |
| C．People might lose electricity. |
| A．On Tuesday. | B．On Friday. | C．On Saturday. |
| A．Black. | B．Red. | C．White. |
4 . Researchers recently discovered that mosquitoes who have their sleep interrupted would rather get rest than go looking for their next meal. “It was a bit surprising. Sleep deprived (睡眠不足) or not, a blood meal should appeal to them,” said Oluwaseun Ajayi, the leader of the study.
To study mosquitoes, researchers spent more than a year developing ways to analyze how they sleep, and to show the posture of mosquitoes accurately and count their amount of sleep. It was particularly challenging because of something researchers call the “observer effect”. This is when the act of just observing something can change its outcome. In the case of mosquitoes, they’re able to sense that people are nearby due to their body heat, movement, smells and breath. To deal with those circumstances, researchers set up the experiment in a quiet lab where the mosquitoes were several rooms away from anybody who might pass by. They placed cameras and infrared sensors (红外传感器) in the room so they could record whenever the mosquitoes moved without any risk of disturbing them.
Researchers found that the mosquitoes in the lab slept between 16 and 19 hours each day. When mosquitoes were actually in a sleep-like state, their hind legs are lowered, and they bring in their bodies closer to the surface where they are resting. Then, researchers moved their sound equipment regularly at night or during the day to subject them to sleep deprivation. More than three-quarters of the mosquitoes that got to sleep normally went hunting for a blood meal when they were awake. But less than one-quarter wanted to eat after a sleepless night.
Mosquitoes can spread serious diseases to humans. By understanding the sleep rhythms of insects, researchers hope to find new methods to prevent the spread of infections. “In fruit flies, a link between sleep and immunity (免疫力) has been established. And immunity is an important factor for disease transmission in mosquitoes,” Ajayi says. “Based on this, this research would provide us with an understanding of the role of sleep on the disease transmission in mosquitoes.”
1. What did the researchers recently find?| A．The regular sleep patterns of mosquitoes. |
| B．An effective way to prevent mosquito bites. |
| C．The lack of sleep increases the death of mosquitoes. |
| D．Sleep deprivation influences mosquitoes’ eating behaviors. |
| A．Interrupting the sleep of mosquitoes. | B．Avoiding the impacts of observers’ act. |
| C．Figuring out the number of mosquitoes. | D．Placing suitable equipment in the laboratory. |
| A．The results of the experiment. | B．The process of the experiment. |
| C．The purpose of the experiment. | D．The significance of the experiment. |
| A．Conduct research on sleep rhythms of humans. | B．Explore new means of improving human sleep. |
| C．Help reduce the diseases spread by mosquitoes. | D．Present the relationship between sleep and immunity. |
1. 活动目的；
2. 活动时间、地点；
3. 活动内容。
注意：
1. 词数80左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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6 . I was driving on the freeway when I noticed heavy clouds roll in. A storm was coming. The rain began beating
Hurricane Katrina struck when I was nine years old. I had worried it would strike us in Houston. It missed us, but other cities were not so lucky. I remembered watching the
The next day, my friends
Suddenly, a phone call brought me back to the present. To my joy, the storm had
| A．creatively | B．lazily | C．merrily | D．heavily |
| A．looked out | B．set out | C．pulled off | D．got off |
| A．warned | B．informed | C．reminded | D．cured |
| A．news | B．disaster | C．game | D．performance |
| A．observing | B．greeting | C．challenging | D．interviewing |
| A．cheap | B．worn | C．fascinating | D．funny |
| A．hugging | B．pressing | C．selling | D．throwing |
| A．left | B．joined | C．asked | D．annoyed |
| A．invent | B．deliver | C．collect | D．produce |
| A．freedom | B．happiness | C．struggle | D．belief |
| A．gathered | B．processed | C．donated | D．spread |
| A．left | B．decorated | C．entered | D．measured |
| A．flew | B．drove | C．marched | D．surfed |
| A．struck | B．passed | C．strengthened | D．approached |
| A．reports | B．clues | C．victims | D．photos |
7 . In Takoma Park, Maryland, in suburban Washington, people, adults or students, lined up at a pay phone outside a restaurant several times a week.
“Once I put the phone out there, it just took off,” said David Schulman, a Takoma Park violinist who created the Bird Calls Phone. Listeners push 1 to hear a yellow-crowned night heron (夜鹭), 7 to hear a pileated (红冠) woodpecker’s call and 9 for the distinct scream of a red-tailed hawk. Instructions about how to use the phone are in three languages: English, Spanish and Amharic — a reflection of Takoma Park’s Ethiopian community. In all, 10 birds native to the Takoma Park area are featured.
In addition to being fun, listening to Bird songs can reduce stress and anxiety, studies show. Even hearing recordings of birds can relieve negative emotions.
After noticing an abandoned, nonworking pay phone in town, Schulman wondered if he could turn it into something appealing. He said, “I really like the old technology of just picking up a receiver, pressing one button and having something happen.” Schulman thought bringing birds sounds to the abandoned phone was a way to add a bit of nature to the neighborhood.
Takoma Park city officials agreed, and they budgeted $5, 000 to complete the project. Schulman reached out to The McCaulay Library in Ithaca, New York, which agreed to send him a few dozen recordings of native birds. He then managed to gain the help of software engineer and artist Branden Hall to rewire the phone to play different bird calls. Schulman said he persuaded several of his friends to record short descriptions of each bird to go with the calls.
“One thing I like about the Bird Calls Phone is that it’s the opposite of a loud broadcast,” Schulman said. “Only one person can listen at a time, and each person will take away their own unique experience.”
1. What will listeners hear if they press buttons on the pay phone?| A．The calls of native birds. | B．Songs in different languages. |
| C．Descriptions of local creatures. | D．Instructions on reducing stress. |
| A．Observant and nature-loving. | B．Diligent and easy-going. |
| C．Serious and public-spirited. | D．Ambitious and kind-hearted. |
| A．It encourages art appreciation. | B．It presents the harmony among birds. |
| C．It turns loud broadcasts into private phones. | D．It receives broad support from the community. |
| A．A Violinist Specializes in Ecology | B．Pick up the Phone, Hear Bird songs |
| C．Close to Nature, Far From Depression | D．Turn Trash into Treasure in Washington |
8 . There’s nothing wrong with a tomato that isn’t perfectly round or a peach with an extra dimple or two; they still carry the same benefits and flavors as the versions we’re used to seeing in grocery stores (食品杂货店). Farmers throw away these imperfect items, as many grocery chains won’t buy them for fear that they are unsellable. However, a growing group of grocery chains are fighting to make these discarded fruit and vegetables part of consumers’ buying habits.
One such business is Imperfect Produce, a start-up that provides fresh ugly produce for consumers. Through this service, you can get up to 20 pounds of fruit and vegetables for around $20 a week. This is about a 30 percent discount compared to what’s now sold in stores. Recently, the company had a major advancement when Whole Foods Market accepted their partnership and agreed to sell the misshapen produce.
While this movement might be a new trend here in the U.S., it’s already gained serious momentum (势头) in Europe. In 2014, the EU announced the European Year Against Food Waste, with French supermarket chain Intermarché launching a very successful campaign called Inglorious Fruits and Vegetables and England’s Waitrose selling weather blemished apples. In Portugal, a similar company to Imperfect Produce called Fruta Feia has also taken off.
Buying the unfortunate-looking produce should be attractive to consumers not only because of the affordability, but also because of the support it gives to farmers and the direct impact it has on reducing food waste and environmental pollution. When the discarded fruit and vegetables decompose, they release (释放) methane (CH.), a greenhouse gas. When released into the air, it is about 86 times as powerful as carbon dioxide (CO,) over a 20-year period. Waste is, in fact, the ugliest thing of all.
1. What does the underlined word “discarded” in paragraph 1 probably mean?| A．Thrown away. | B．Harvested. | C．Eaten up. | D．Packaged. |
| A．To make better profits. | B．To sell unattractive goods. |
| C．To get discounts from farmers. | D．To compete with Whole Foods Market. |
| A．It hardly produces misshapen fruit and vegetables. |
| B．It has more successful food chains than the U.S. |
| C．It is facing the serious problem of unfavorable weather. |
| D．It solves the problem of ugly produce earlier than America. |
| A．It pollutes the farms. | B．It gives off a bad smell. |
| C．It contributes to global warming. | D．It produces lots of carbon dioxide. |
9 . Dogs are man’s best friends, and they may be the heart’s best friends as well.
A group of heart disease experts from the American Heart Association (AHA) reviewed research connecting heart health with owning a dog and found that owning a dog has a likely nexus with a lower risk of heart disease for those without a history of heart problems, and with greater survival rates among heart disease patients.
The group, chaired by Dr. Glenn Levine, a professor of medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, released a scientific statement in favor of having a dog to lower the risk of heart disease by helping people to be more physically active as well as reduce blood pressure and minimize the effects of stress. Previous studies showed that the companionship and close relationship that owners build with their dogs can boost levels of anti-stress hormones (抗应激激素) that can increase resilience (适应力) and help people to cope with stressful situations. One of the studies found, for example, that those who adopted dogs enjoyed a drop in blood pressure, while another revealed that among 5,200 adults, those who owned dogs were 54% more likely to get recommended levels of exercise and be active than non-dog owners. That trend is supported by other studies that found people who owned dogs were less likely to be overweight.
According to a report of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC), dogs aren’t a panacea (灵丹妙药) against heart disease, and it’s likely that taking care of them requires their owners to get more exercise, which can reduce stress, weight and blood pressure and thus benefit the heart. “If someone adopts a pet, but still sits on the couch and smokes and eats whatever he wants and doesn’t control his blood pressure,” Levine told the Nero York Times, “that’s not a wise strategy to decrease the risk”.
1. What does the underlined word “nexus” in paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．Comparison. | B．Similarity. | C．Combination. | D．Link. |
| A．Stress is the cause of heart attack. |
| B．People raising pets can be slimmer. |
| C．Dogs’ companion holds back hormone functions. |
| D．Anti-stress hormone levels are low in dog owners. |
| A．Dog owners work out more by walking the dog. |
| B．Dogs can be trained to detect high blood pressure. |
| C．Dogs can prevent owners from smoking on the couch. |
| D．Dog owners attach importance to monitoring heart health. |
| A．How dogs promote owners’ mental health. |
| B．Raising dogs can help reduce heart attack. |
| C．What are the advantages of raising dogs. |
| D．Having a dog may lower heart disease risk. |
10 . Whether it be a person, an animal, or even an insect, a mother’s instincts (本能) are never wrong. This idea rings true for a mother cat who acted fast and sought out help when her kittens were in trouble. This mother cat’s quick thinking may have just saved her babies.
In the urban district of Izmir in western Turkey, a cat walked into a regular hospital holding a kitten in her mouth. As the mother cat moved through the hospital, people were surprised to see such a sight, but let her pass. The mother cat asked for help, crying for a long time. She was familiar to the hospital staff, who had been leaving her food and water outside, but they were unaware that she had given birth to kittens.
The mother cat was concerned for her young because they weren’t able to open their eyes. After the doctors looked at the kittens, they noticed that they were suffering from eye infections, one of the doctors recalled, “We consulted with vets (兽医) and gave medicine as described. When the kittens opened their eyes a short time later, we were excited.” Later, they were sent to an animal hospital for further care. The cats are now up for adoption and will hopefully find loving forever homes.
When it comes to mother cats and kittens, kittens completely depend on mothers for the first few months of their lives. Because they are blind and almost deaf until about two or three weeks old, the mother cat must protect them from any threat or danger. Without the mother cat’s help, the kittens may not make it to adulthood.
As shown by the mother cat in Turkey, a mother’s love and protection knows no bounds. Whether the mum is a human or a cat, mothers will always look out for their babies and make sure they are safe and healthy.
1. Why did the mother cat show up in the hospital?| A．To beg for food. | B．To get her babies treated. |
| C．To ask the patients for help. | D．To give birth to her babies. |
| A．They built them a home. | B．They adopted all of them. |
| C．They operated on them immediately. | D．They gave them the right medicine. |
| A．Their physical state. | B．Their eating habit. |
| C．Their appearance. | D．Their behavior. |
| A．Cat has nine lives. | B．One good turn deserves another. |
| C．Love makes a difference. | D．Mothers know their kindness only when they raise their children |
