1 . The accelerating melting of the Himalayan glaciers threatens the water supply of millions of people in Asia, new research warns. The study, led by the University of Leeds, concludes that over recent decades the Himalayan glaciers have lost ice ten times more quickly over the last few decades than that on average since the last major glacier expansion 400-700 years ago, a period known as the Little Ice Age.
The study also reveals that the Himalayan glaciers are shrinking far more rapidly than glaciers in other parts of the world—a rate of loss the researchers describe as “exceptional”. The paper, published in Scientific Reports, made a reconstruction of the size and ice surfaces of 14, 798 Himalayan glaciers during the Little Ice Age. The researchers calculate that the glaciers have lost around 40 per cent of their area-shrinking from a peak of 28, 000 km2 to around 19,600 km2 today.
The Himalayan mountain range is home to the world's third-largest amount of glacier ice, after Antarctica and the Arctic and is often referred to as “the Third Pole”. The acceleration of melting of the Himalayan glaciers has significant impacts on hundreds of millions of people who depend on Asia's major river systems for food and energy.
The Himalayan glaciers are generally losing ice much faster in the eastern regions. The study suggests this variation is probably due to differences in geographical features on the two sides of the mountain range and their interaction with the atmosphere—resulting in different weather patterns.
Dr Carrivick, the leader of the study, said, “While we must act urgently to reduce and relieve the impact of human-made climate change on the glaciers and meltwater-fed rivers, the modelling of that impact on glaciers must also take account of the role of factors such as lakes and debris (杂物垃圾).”
1. What may be the result of the accelerating melting of the Himalayan glaciers?| A．Himalayan is getting warmer. | B．The Arctic glaciers expand frequently. |
| C．The whole world is going towards Ice Age. | D．Asia’s water, food and energy is under threat. |
| A．The Himalayan glaciers have lost ice since they existed. |
| B．The study came to its conclusion by doing experiments. |
| C．The Himalayan glaciers have the largest amount of ice. |
| D．Climate change is the main cause of the melting of glaciers. |
| A．Because of different landforms. | B．Because of the time of sunlight. |
| C．Because of the amount of glacier ice. | D．Because of the activities of mountain climbers. |
| A．Asian people are in danger of water supply | B．The eastern region of Himalaya melts faster |
| C．Himalayan glaciers are melting at an unusual rate | D．The Himalayan mountain range has more glacier ice |
2 . I looked out of the door of my 100 year-old house and saw my newly built garden. I realized nothing is rubbish. I was full of
I
My neighbors would put the autumn
Nothing has to be really
| A．joy | B．sympathy | C．doubt | D．regret |
| A．refused | B．hesitated | C．liked | D．started |
| A．wealth | B．garbage | C．investments | D．necessities |
| A．packed up | B．brought up | C．threw away | D．gave away |
| A．value | B．request | C．confusion | D．consequence |
| A．own | B．find | C．forget | D．lose |
| A．collecting | B．recovering | C．recycling | D．competing |
| A．sorting | B．picking | C．spotting | D．recording |
| A．uniform | B．broken | C．limitless | D．separate |
| A．fruit | B．rice | C．leaves | D．vegetables |
| A．compare | B．deal | C．communicate | D．fit |
| A．platform | B．garden | C．picture | D．schedule |
| A．building | B．tent | C．sign | D．show |
| A．piled | B．polished | C．decorated | D．cleaned |
| A．unwillingly | B．hardly | C．seriously | D．casually |
| A．submitted | B．sowed | C．removed | D．reserved |
| A．smelly | B．annoying | C．imaginary | D．attractive |
| A．useless | B．careless | C．priceless | D．defenseless |
| A．pleasant | B．vivid | C．violent | D．disgusting |
| A．trouble | B．treasure | C．terror | D．trade |
3 . In the deepest dive in a manned submersible(潜水器), US explorer Victor Vescovo spotted and video-recorded a plastic bag and a pile of candy wrappers on the seabed.
His
Since the patent(专利) for plastics was
Most of the discarded(丢弃) plastic products
Every year, about 8 million tons of plastic waste flow into the ocean. It is
This plastic waste
We must do something to
But that’s so much
| A．report | B．discovery | C．record | D．accumulation |
| A．everywhere | B．anywhere | C．somewhere | D．nowhere |
| A．as | B．although | C．but | D．so |
| A．abolished | B．acquired | C．registered | D．advertised |
| A．with | B．without | C．off | D．above |
| A．end up | B．wake up | C．grow up | D．walk up |
| A．continent | B．park | C．island | D．garden |
| A．suggested | B．estimated | C．weighed | D．congratulated |
| A．thousand | B．hundred | C．million | D．billion |
| A．feeds | B．saves | C．cares | D．kills |
| A．looking | B．winding | C．floating | D．jumping |
| A．earth | B．air | C．water | D．environment |
| A．pollution | B．existence | C．temperature | D．cycle |
| A．production | B．supply | C．pyramid | D．trade |
| A．change | B．clean | C．satisfy | D．realize |
| A．otherwise | B．instead | C．therefore | D．meanwhile |
| A．exercise | B．activity | C．fact | D．habit |
| A．harder | B．more effective | C．more courageous | D．easier |
| A．calling for | B．looking for | C．sending for | D．waiting for |
| A．start | B．refuse | C．continue | D．hope |
4 . In south Africa’s Limpopo province, a baobab tree (猴面包树) once grew so large and stood so strong that its human neighbors decided to build a pub inside the living tree’s thousand-year-old hollow trunk(树干). For 20 years, “The Big Baobab Pub” attracted tourists all over the world. But in August 2016, one of “the walls” broke. Eight months later, another huge piece broke, too. Now, five of the giant stems have collapsed and died, leaving only half of the tree standing.
Though it could sound like a result of human visitation, it's part of an alarming trend: many of the oldest, largest baobab trees in Africa have died within the last 12 years.
Stephan Woodbourne, an African scientist, said: “Of the oldest trees that we’ve looked at in Southern Africa, the three trees that are older than 2,000 years have all died in the past 10 years. Of the 11 trees that are 1,000 to 2,000 years old, six of them have died.”
A report published in the journal Nature Plants claims scores of the ancient baobab trees, some of which are up to 3,000 years old, are now dying because of rising global temperatures.
Researchers believe it is impossible that such a high number of old baobab trees die in such a short time due to natural causes. They think it may be associated with huge change of climate conditions that affect southern Africa in particular.
1. What has happened to The Big Baobab Pub?| A．The pub has largely been destroyed. |
| B．More tourists from the world visit it. |
| C．The pub has a long history of 2,000 years. |
| D．The Baobab Tree grows larger and stronger. |
| A．all the oldest baobab trees have been dead |
| B．the oldest baobab trees will die out soon |
| C．ancient baobab trees are in the face of danger |
| D．Human’s visits lead to ancient baobab trees’ deaths |
| A．Many pubs’ foundation. | B．Global climate changes. |
| C．Human visitation. | D．Natural causes. |
| A．Research on Baobab Tree. | B．Facts about Baobab Tree. |
| C．Baobab Tree in Africa. | D．Tree of Life is Dying. |
5 . Air pollution influences our health in many ways. No air means death. Though we can’t see it, there is air around us. Air is everywhere and it gives a life to every living thing. But bad air makes people ill. In the city, there are a great many people and there are too many cars running on the road. The cars send out bad gases. There are many factories, too. From the chimneys of these factories, we get the smoke usually in black color. Every day we breathe it in and out. This makes us feel sick, when people talk about air pollution ,they are usually thinking about outdoor air pollution. But a lot of air pollution comes from indoor activities such as smoking and cooking. Indoor air pollution can hurt people’s eyes, noses and throats. So air pollution, both indoors and outdoors, can also lead to lung cancer and heart disease.
Everyone should help to fight against air pollution. In order to keep us healthy, we have to go out to the countryside to breathe more fresh air. Or we can climb up hills to get more fresh air.
1. what is this article about?| A．air pollution |
| B．water pollution |
| C．noise pollution |
| D．environment pollution |
| A．Many factories |
| B．Bad air |
| C．The cars |
| D．Going out to the countryside |
| A．bad gas from he cars |
| B．black smoke from the chimneys of these factories |
| C．smoking and cooking |
| D．air pollution |
| A．No air means death. |
| B．air pollution can lead to lung cancer and heart disease. |
| C．Only scientist should help to fight against air pollution. |
| D．we have to go out to the countryside to breathe more fresh air. |
| A．A Little air pollution comes from indoor activities such as smoking and cooking |
| B．Bad air never makes people ill. |
| C．Air pollution influences our health in few ways |
| D．we can climb up hills to get more fresh air. |
6 . The ground we walk on seems firm, but deep under the earth and under the sea the rocks change and move. In some parts of the world there are “fire mountains”， which we call volcanoes. From time to time they burst open and throw out fire and burning ashes. These volcanoes are very dangerous.
Hong Kong does not have any volcanoes but there are many volcanoes in Indonesia and Philippines. There is also a famous mountain near Tokyo, Japan, which is a volcano too. Its name is Mount Fuji. For much of the year it is covered with snow.
One of the most famous volcanoes which erupted in recent times was Krakatoa, on an island in Indonesia. The first explosions took place on 20th May, 1883, but the biggest eruption did not come until the 26th and 27th August of that year. The people on the island were used to the explosions by that time, and so they were completely unprepared for this terrible happening. Almost all the people on the island died and the explosion also made huge waves in the sea, which drowned (淹死) many people on the other island nearby. After the eruption was over, people saw that the whole northern part of the island had completely disappeared. Scientists say that 15 cubic (立方) kilometres of rocks and ash were thrown up in the explosion. The noise of the explosion was heard nearly 5,000 kilometres away in the middle of the Indian Ocean, and the city of Jakarta was completely dark for about two and a half hours.
1. There are many volcanoes ________.| A．everywhere in the world |
| B．under the earth and the sea |
| C．in Hong Kong |
| D．in Indonesia |
| A．had never met any explosions of the volcano before |
| B．were used to the explosions by that time |
| C．didn't want to leave their island |
| D．could do nothing but wait |
| A．see that the 15 cubic kilometres of rocks and ash were thrown up |
| B．hear the noise of the explosion |
| C．see the huge waves |
| D．see that Krakatoa was dark |
| A．all the people on the island die |
| B．the whole island disappear |
| C．the city of Jakarta completely dark for about two and a half hours |
| D．huge waves in the middle of the Indian Ocean |
7 . A male tiger was rescued in Mishan city, Northeast China's Heilongjiang province, on Friday. A tiger was recently seen on the Siner Russian border （边界），but there is no evidence to suggest this is the same tiger or that it had lost its way from Russia.
Wherever it may have come from, cross-border protection of endangered species is a problem. According to Ma Jianzhang, a senior wild animal researcher in China, tigers know no borders, which have been built to stop humans from illegally crossing over. However, these borders also stop the free movement of tigers, thus preventing their breeding （繁殖） and exchange of genes.
The Sino-Russian border also comes in the way of protecting tigers in the region. Data show about 500 to 550 Siberian tigers, or over 90 percent of the species, live in the wild in Russia; 27 live in the wild in China, and 50 in the border region. Sometimes tigers lose their way across the border and that is hindering （妨碍）efforts to stop illegal hunting and protecting them.
Fortunately, both China and Russia have realized this problem and are working toward solving it. As early as 2010, the two countries established a cross-border protection network aimed at strengthening communication on protecting tigers in the northeast. The countries have also held anti-poaching （反偷猎）activities together. In 2019, two national parks from the two countries signed a three-year deal to share research data on tigers, greatly improving the living conditions of Siberian tigers in the wild.
However, much more needs to be done to protect the species. It is necessary to combine the tiger protection areas in the two countries. That will require greater efforts from both sides and some difficulties might remain even then. Fortunately, both countries have been taking effective measures to provide the endangered species a better home.
1. What's the original purpose of setting up the Sino-Russian borders?| A．To ban people from illegal crossings. |
| B．To help protect tigers in the region. |
| C．To protect tigers from losing their way. |
| D．To stop tigers' breeding and exchange of genes. |
| A．keeps from. | B．is on the way to | C．is aimed at | D．keeps up |
| A．Recent studies and researches on tigers. |
| B．Joint efforts by China and Russia to protect tigers. |
| C．The possible effects of establishing a network. |
| D．Reasons for improving the living conditions of tigers. |
| A．To inform the possible dangers of tiger protection. |
| B．To cover the news about a missing tiger on the border. |
| C．To put forward suggestions on finding the missing tiger. |
| D．To report the problems and measures of cross-border tiger protection. |
8 . Promising 42,000 new homes across five residential districts, the eco-town of Tengah will be the 24th new settlement built by Singapore’s government since World War II. It is, however, the first with centralized cooling, automated trash collection and a car-free town center, which conservationists hope offers a road map for slashing carbon emissions in the Southeast Asian city-state.
Although comparatively small, with a population of under 6 million people, Singapore’s per capita emissions are higher than those of the UK, China and neighboring Malaysia, according to the country’s National Climate Change Secretariat. That’s due, in part, to air conditioning, which accounts for more than a third of typical household energy consumption. The Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) has predicted that, by the end of this century, average daily temperatures in the city-state may be at least 34.1 degrees Celsius “almost every day” during the eight warmest months of the year.
As such, keeping cool will, increasingly, be a necessity for residents. Rather than demonizing air conditioning, Tengah’s planners have instead sought to reimagine it. Cold water, chilled using solar power, will be piped through the district’s homes, meaning residents don’t need to install inefficient outdoor AC condensers. According to the town’s energy provider, SP Group, this will generate carbon dioxide savings equivalent to taking 4,500 cars off the roads each year.
Planners used computer modeling to simulate wind flow and heat gain across the town, helping to reduce the so-called urban heat island effect. Elsewhere, “smart” lights will switch off when public spaces are unoccupied, and trash will be stored centrally, with monitors detecting when garbage needs collecting. All residents will have access to the app allowing them to monitor their energy and water usage. Digital displays in each block will meanwhile inform occupants of their collective environmental impact, which could even encourage competition between residential blocks.
Regardless of whether the use of smart technology can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions or not, engaging residents with their own consumption could encourage behavioral change, according to Perrine Hamel, an assistant professor at Nanyang Technological University’s Asian School of the Environment. “Changing behavior is going to be an integral part of achieving climate targets and, of course, urban design is the first way to affect and change behavior,” she said.
1. What can we know about Tengah from Paragraph 1?| A．It offers free cars to every resident. | B．It faces serious environmental problems. |
| C．It features a sustainable urban design. | D．It’s the first eco-town in Southeast Asia. |
| A．To predict climate change in the future. |
| B．To warn people not to use air conditioning. |
| C．To explain the importance of conserving energy. |
| D．To stress the necessity of adopting efficient cooling. |
| A．They will be able to check their energy usage. |
| B．They will be required to dispose of garbage on their own. |
| C．They will be involved in various competitive activities. |
| D．They will no longer be affected by the urban heat island effect. |
| A．Helps efficiently reduce carbon emissions. | B．Promotes changes in people’s behavior. |
| C．Encourages the decrease in energy consumption. | D．Brings more convenience to people’s lives. |
9 . Imagine driving down a country road past a huge, open field where goats are eating grass. Suddenly a truck breaks down and makes a loud noise. Just as suddenly, the goats fall to the ground.
A few moments pass. The goats are back on their feet. What just happened? Well, the goats were very frightened and dropped to the ground, but not all goats act like this. There is only one kind of goat that behaves this way when it is surprised. It is called a Tennessee Fainting Goat.
In the 1800s, a farmer arrived in Marshall County, Tennessee, with a few goats and a cow. People say he came from Nova Scotia, Canada. Since the man did not talk much, no one knew where he got these goats. When he left, he took the cow, but he sold the goats.
The behavior of one of the goats was different from most others. Being frightened caused the goat’s body to go stiff and sometimes fall over. No one had seen goats do this before. They began to call this new goat a Tennessee Fainting Goat.
This special kind of goat does not actually faint. They just look like they do. The fainting goats stay awake. The baby goats, however, usually do fall over, but the good thing is that they do not have far to fall. Some older ones learn to stand near something like a fence or a tree, just in case they are frightened.
Now there are about three thousand fainting goats in the United States. People enjoy raising them, because goats of this kind are gentle, smart, and playful. They just get scared stiff now and then. The moment of stiffness only lasts about ten or fifteen seconds. Then the goats walk and act like any other goat.
1. What happens to the goats that fall to the ground a few moments later?| A．They fall asleep. | B．They eat much more. |
| C．They stand up again. | D．They are taken away by the truck. |
| A．Green fields. | B．A light wind. | C．Loud thunder. | D．Pleasant smells. |
| A．No one likes to raise them. | B．Not all of them really fall over. |
| C．Their stiffness lasts a long time. | D．Not all of them stay awake when they faint. |
| A．likes eating outside | B．sleeps during the day |
| C．comes from Canada | D．acts in a strange way |
10 . The natural wilderness of the Antarctic is under threat because of the increasing number of tourists. They come to Antarctic to
Scientists worry that this
A major
As a result of the Norwegian
Whatever the
| A．hunt | B．preserve | C．train | D．observe |
| A．curiosity | B．courage | C．competence | D．encouragement |
| A．display | B．change | C．address | D．worsen |
| A．reform | B．growth | C．faith | D．investment |
| A．conclusion | B．promise | C．concern | D．decision |
| A．pollution | B．stress | C．conflict | D．inconvenience |
| A．Obviously | B．Generally | C．Surprisingly | D．Fortunately |
| A．large | B．heavy | C．strong | D．luxury |
| A．clean up | B．give up | C．hold up | D．build up |
| A．boiled | B．stored | C．coated | D．burned |
| A．exploration | B．accident | C．behavior | D．attitude |
| A．explanations | B．suggestions | C．arrangements | D．announcements |
| A．ban | B．claim | C．comment | D．debate |
| A．creatures | B．rocks | C．water | D．ice |
| A．debt | B．shape | C．position | D．trouble |
| A．lack for | B．call for | C．respond to | D．adjust to |
| A．benefits | B．purposes | C．solutions | D．challenges |
| A．allowing | B．governing | C．requiring | D．admitting |
| A．However | B．Therefore | C．Moreover | D．Otherwise |
| A．agree on | B．focus on | C．try on | D．catch on |
