1 . Earthquakes usually happen on the edges of large sections of the Earth’s plates. These plates slowly move over a long period of time. Sometimes the edges, which are called fault lines, can get stuck, but the plates keep moving. Pressure slowly starts to build up where the edges are stuck and, once the pressure gets strong enough, the plates will suddenly move causing an earthquake.

Generally before and after a large earthquake there will be smaller earthquakes. The ones that happen before are called foreshocks. The ones that happen after are called aftershocks. Scientists don’t really know if an earthquake is a foreshock until the bigger earthquake occurs.

Shock waves from an earthquake that travel through the ground are called seismic waves (地震波). They are most powerful at the center of the earthquake, but they travel through much of the earth and back to the surface. They move quickly at 20 times the speed of sound.

Scientists use seismic waves to measure how big an earthquake is. They use a device called a seismograph (地震仪) to measure the size of the waves. The size of the waves is called the magnitude.

To tell the strength of an earthquake scientists use a scale called the Moment Magnitude Scale or MMS (it used to be called the Richter scale). The larger the number on the MMS scale, the larger the earthquake. You usually won’t even notice an earthquake unless it measures at least a 3 on the MMS scale. Here are some examples of what may happen depending on the scale:

4.0-Could shake your house as if a large truck were passing close by. Some people may not notice.

5.0-If you are in a car, it may shake. Glasses and dishes may rattle. Windows may break.

6.0- Items will fall off shelves. Walls in some houses may crack and windows break. Pretty much everyone near the center will feel this one.

7.0- Weaker buildings will collapse and cracks will occur in bridges and on the street.

8.0- Many buildings and bridges fall down. Large cracks in the earth.

9.0 and up- Whole cities flattened and large-scale damage.

1. If a 5.0-magnitude earthquake hit your area, what might happen?

A．Your house might shake violently.	B．People might feel no shaking at all.
C．The family photo may fall off the wall.	D．There might be cracks everywhere on the street.

2. What does the author mean by saying the underlined sentence in paragraph2?

A．It’s still hard to tell foreshocks from main earthquakes.

B．Scientists can’t exactly measure the strength of an earthquake.

C．People may ignore foreshocks when an earthquake is not so strong.

D．The earthquake won’t cause any damage unless it reaches 9.0 MMS.

3. The writer explains the concepts concerning the earthquake by .

A．listing examples	B．giving explanations
C．making comparisons	D．offering data

4. The passage is written mainly to .

A．enrich people’s knowledge of self-rescue in disasters

B．stress the importance of earthquake rescue

C．issue early warnings before an earthquake

D．present facts about the earthquake

2 . Sports can help you keep fit and get in touch with nature. However, whether you are on the mountains, in the waves, or on the grassland, you should be aware that your choice of sport might have great influence on the environment.

Some sports are resource-hungry. Golf, as you may know, eats up not only large areas of countryside, but also tons of water. Besides, all sorts of chemicals and huge amounts of energy are used to keep its courses(高尔夫球场) in good condition. This causes major environmental effects. For example, in the dry regions of Portugal and Spain, golf is often held responsible for serious water shortages in some local areas.

In fact, there are many environment friendly sports. Power walking is one of them that you could take up today. You don't need any special equipment except a pair of good shoes; and you don't have to worry about resources and your purse. Simple and free, power walking can also keep you fit. If you walk can regularly, it will be good for your heart and bones. Experts say that 20 minutes of power walking daily can make you feel less anxious, sleep well and control your weight better.

Whatever sport you take up, you can make it greener by using environment friendly equipment and buying products made from recycled materials. But the final goal should be "green gyms". They are better replacements(代替物) for traditional health clubs and modern sports centers. Members of green gyms play sports outdoors, in the countryside or other open spaces. There is no special requirement for you to start your membership. And best of all, it's free.

1. What do we know about golf from the passage?

A．It is popular in Portugal and Spain.

B．It needs water and energy to keep its courses green

C．It pollutes the earth with chemicals and waste.

D．It causes water shortages around the world.

2. The author uses power walking as example mainly because        .

A．it uses fewer resources

B．it improves our health

C．it is an outdoor sport

D．it is recommended by experts

3. Which of the following is the author most probably in favor of?

A．Playing basketball in a gym.

B．Motor racing in the desert.

C．Cycling around a lake.

D．Swimming in a sports center.

4. What’s the purpose of the author writing the passage?

A．To show us the function of major sports.

B．To encourage us to go in for green sports.

C．To discuss the major influence of popular sports.

D．To introduce different types of environment friendly spors.

3 . 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.

2. In the Tohoku earthquake, over 15,000 people died mainly because of ________.

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

3. What can we learn from the passage?

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.

4. The passage is developed mainly by _________.

A．listing some facts	B．making some comparison
C．providing some numbers	D．making some conclusions

4 . Shark nets in place across Australia, specifically in New South Wales(NSW) and Queensland,to protect beachgoers should be dropped as they have caused more harm than good, a study has found.

The measures were carried out by some governments, including nets and traditional drum lines , and provided beachgoers with a false sense of safety. The study found the effectiveness if nets was difficult to evaluate, while the significant damage they cause to other marine(海生的）wildlife was clear. Researches desire for non-deadly shark control measures such as eco barriers, sonar(声呐）technology , and various shark-spotting techniques.

Researchers said while the risk coming across a shark was rare, any shark-related deaths and injuries caught huge public and media attention.

One of the arguments in support of using shark nets is that just one shark-related death has been reported in Queensland since the 1960s. Similarly, since the 1930s, NSW has had only one shark-related death. But there have been at least 13 people killed by sharks at beaches without nets in the NSW north coast over the past two years.

The Human Society International’ head of campaigns, Nicola Beynon, said the government needed to move away from outdated methods.Deadly shark nets and drum lines are more than 50 years behind scientific and animal welfare standards for dealing with marine wildlife,” said Beynon.

The NSW Greens’ marine spokesman, Justin Field,said, People are 100 times more likely to drown at the beach than to be killed by a shark in Australia. Therefore, millions of dollars going into the shark net program should be directed to observation towers for our lifeguards and improving the beach devices.”

1. Which of the following do researchers focus on?

A．Beachgoers’ safety.	B．The shark-related death rate.
C．Friendly shark control ways.	D．Advanced shark-spotting techniques

2. What is paragraph 4 mainly about?

A．Shark-related deaths.	B．Measures to protect sharks.
C．Reasons of using shark nets.	D．Dangers for beachgoers

3. What do Nicola Beynon and Justin Field have in common?

A．Science is developing too fast	B．Observation towers need rebuilding
C．Many people are drown every year.	D．No shark nets are to be used.

4. What can be the best title for the next?

A．Are shark nets necessary?	B．A new study on sea animals
C．Shark net programs	D．Effective ways of avoiding sharks

5 . One night, Pilar was in a deep sleep when she was woken by her cat Inti. Inti was meowing wildly outside Pilar’s bedroom and throwing himself against the closed bedroom door. When Pilar opened her eyes, she saw that her bedroom was filled with smoke. As she escaped her house with Inti in her arms, she saw that a fire was burning in her kitchen. Pilar could easily have lost her life, but Inti would not let that happen. Even though Inti could have escaped the house through a cat door, he wouldn’t leave Pilar.

As amazing as this story is, it is not as uncommon as you may think. Take the example of Charlotte Lee and her horse, Thunder. One summer night, the whole family was asleep with the windows open. It was normally very quiet where they lived. Suddenly, there was a loud noise. Charlotte woke up from her sweet dream, and the noise continued. Then she heard a horse running fast towards the house. The next thing she saw was Thunder standing outside her window, neighing(嘶叫) and shaking his head. She knew something was wrong. Charlotte quickly got everyone out of the house before the earthquake hit. Thunder has saved her life.

There are also stories of wild animals coming to the rescue of humans. One animal known to be a friend of humans is the dolphin. Once, Todd Endris was surfing with his friends when he was attacked by a 13-foot(4-meter) shark. In the middle of the attack, a group of dolphins came to his rescue by forming a protective ring around Endris until he could get safely to shore. Without the help of the dolphins, there is little chance that Todd could have escaped.

No one is sure why animals have so often come to our rescue. However, it is clear that humans and animals enjoy a close relationship. It is important that we care for them as much as we can.

1. Why did Inti throw himself against the door?

A．He was trying to wake up his owner.

B．He wanted to get out of the room.

C．He felt bored and was playing by himself.

D．He couldn’t find the way out because of smoke.

2. Before the earthquake hit, Charlotte     ______.

A．closed the windows	B．was sleeping deeply
C．ran to warn her neighbors	D．got her horse out of the stable

3. Both Inti and Thunder     _______.

A．were shy and quiet	B．used to make noise at night
C．were brave and smart	D．saved their owners several times

4. Which of the following is probably Todd’s feeling towards the dolphins?

A．Doubtful.	B．Grateful.
C．Frightened.	D．Bored.

6 . Can dogs and cats live in perfect harmony in the same home? People who are thinking about adopting a dog as a friend for their cats are worried that they will fight. A recent research has found a new recipe of success. According to the study, if the cat is adopted before the dog, and if they are introduced when still young (less than 6 months for cats, a year for dogs), it is highly probable that the two pets will get along swimmingly. Two-thirds of the homes interviewed reported a positive relationship between their cat and dog.

However, it wasn’t all sweetness and light. There was a reported coldness between the cat and dog in 25% of the homes, while aggression and fighting were observed in 10% of the homes. One reason for this is probably that some of their body signals were just opposite. For example, when a cat turns its head away it signals aggression, while a dog doing the same signals submission.

In homes with cats and dogs living peacefully, researchers observed a surprising behaviour. They are learning how to talk each other’s language. It is a surprise that cats can learn how to talk ‘Dog’, and dogs can learn how to talk ‘Cat’.

What’s interesting is that both cats and dogs have appeared to develop their intelligence. They can learn to read each other’s body signals, suggesting that the two may have more in common than we previously suspected. Once familiar with each other’s presence and body language, cats and dogs can play together, greet each other nose to nose, and enjoy sleeping together in the sofa. They can easily share the same water bowl and in some cases groom (梳理) each other.

The significance of this research on cats and dogs may go beyond pets —to people who don’t get along, including neighbors, colleagues at work, and even world superpowers. If cats and dogs can learn to get along, surely people have a good chance.

1. The underlined word swimmingly in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to________.

A．early	B．sweetly
C．quickly	D．smoothly

2. Some cats and dogs may fight when________.

A．they are cold to each other

B．they look away from each other

C．they misunderstand each other’s signals

D．they are introduced at an early age

3. What is found surprising about cats and dogs? ________.

A．They eat and sleep together

B．They observe each others behaviors

C．They learn to speak each other’s language

D．They know something from each other’s voice

4. What can we human beings learn from cats and dogs? ________.

A．We should learn to live in harmony

B．We should knows more about animals

C．We should live in peace with animals

D．We should learn more body languages．

7 . If anyone had told me three years ago that I would be spending most of my weekends camping, I would have laughed heartily. Campers, in my eyes, were people who enjoyed insect bites, ill-cooked meals, and uncomfortable sleeping bags. They had nothing in common with me.     1    

The friends who introduced me to camping thought that it meant to be a pioneer.     2     We slept in a tent, cooked over an open fire, and walked a long distance to take the shower and use the bathroom. This brief visit with Mother Nature cost me two days off from work, recovering from a bad case of sunburn and the doctor’s bill for my son’s food poisoning.

I was, nevertheless, talked into going on another fun-filled holiday in the wilderness.     3     Instead, we had a pop-up camper with comfortable beds and an air conditioner. My nature-loving friends had remembered to bring all the necessities of life.

    4     We have done a lot of it since. Recently, we bought a twenty-eight-foot travel trailer complete with a bathroom and a built-in TV set. There is a separate bedroom, a modern kitchen with a refrigerator. The trailer even has matching carpet and curtains.

    5     It must be true that sooner or later, everyone finds his or her way back to nature. I recommend that you find your way in style.

A．This time there was no tent.

B．Things are going to be improved.

C．The trip they took me on was a rough one.

D．I was to learn a lot about camping since then, however.

E．I must say that I have certainly come to enjoy camping.

F．After the trip, my family became quite interested in camping.

G．There was no shade as the trees were no more than 3 feet tall.

8 . A mouse, because of an     1    (luck) chance, made close friends with an evil frog. One day,     2    frog played a trick on the mouse by     3    (tie) a foot of the mouse to his own. At first, both of them joined together and the frog    4     (lead) his friend toward the pool in which he lived, and didn’t stop    5    he reached the side of the water. Then the frog suddenly jumped into the water and the mouse was pulled in with    6    (he). The frog enjoyed the water and swam in it around, happily crying    7    if he had done a great deed. The unhappy mouse died soon in the water, and his dead body floated around on the surface,    8    (fasten) to the foot of the frog. A hawk saw the dead mouse, suddenly flew down towards it, caught it and flew away. The frog, still tied to the leg of the mouse, was also carried off as a    9    (prison), and it    10    (eat) by the hawk. Harm hatch, harm catch.

9 . It was an unforgettable experience. We sat in a boat waiting for Ofai. He was swimming under water. There were many beautiful shells at the bottom. If he could ever find some and bring them _____________, he would make a lot of money. It was a good and fast way to become rich. My uncle Harry was with us to take care of us. Suddenly I saw Ofai _____________ his arms. Then I could see a large shark fish _________ under the water. All at once I was ___________ and held my breath.

“A shark!” cried my uncle. An anxious expression suddenly _____________ on his face. He was thinking of how to save Ofai. We _________ at my uncle and waited for him to take_________.

The fish came near. Now we could see him better. He was of a yellow-brown color and as big as our boat. What could we do to help Ofai? He had been under water for more than an hour. So by now he must be very ___________ and it was difficult for him to swim fast enough to ___________ the trouble. Thinking that Ofai’s life was at great risk, my uncle could ____________ it no longer. Without ____________ he took his knife and jumped into the water. Down he went after the man-eating fish. The shark was ____________ straight for Ofai. Then, suddenly, the fish turned. My uncle’s strong arm had __________ the knife deep into the side of the great fish. The water turned red as blood ran from the shark.

Now Ofai had time to reach the top. At last he was safe in the boat. But the fish was __________. He turned to __________ the man who had hurt him. As he swam to my uncle, he opened his great mouth. Again the knife went forward. This time it cut deep into the shark’s nose.

For a minute the shark lay __________. Now Uncle was able to swim to the top. Ofai quickly pulled him into the boat. It wasn’t long before the shark came to __________. He hit the boat with such a hard __________ that the sides were almost pushed in. We rowed as hard as possible and finally we were safe on the seashore.

It was my uncle’s __________ and ability that saved Ofai and all of us. We learned a lesson from this experience that courage __________ everything in time of great danger. We will always keep this experience in mind.

1.

A．down

B．up

C．in

D．forward

2.

A．wave

B．rise

C．hold

D．extend

3.

A．lying

B．crawling

C．moving

D．jumping

4.

A．annoyed

B．excited

C．astonished

D．frightened

5.

A．appeared

B．existed

C．reflected

D．flashed

6.

A．called

B．stared

C．laughed

D．shouted

7.

A．measure

B．step

C．action

D．advice

8.

A．tired

B．excited

C．disappointed

D．satisfied

9.

A．put up with

B．break away from

C．get along with

D．get out of

10.

A．make

B．stand

C．hold

D．accept

11.

A．difficulty

B．permission

C．delay

D．preparation

12.

A．waiting

B．heading

C．fighting

D．looking

13.

A．turned

B．passed

C．took

D．sent

14.

A．sad

B．calm

C．brave

D．angry

15.

A．see

B．help

C．attack

D．protect

16.

A．quiet

B．frightened

C．still

D．discouraged

17.

A．life

B．notice

C．mind

D．an end

18.

A．movement

B．weight

C．crash

D．blow

19.

A．courage

B．kindness

C．cleverness

D．enthusiasm

20.

A．matters

B．means

C．suggests

D．predicts

10 . 假设你是星光中学的李华，将参加主题为“Let’s Ride Bicycles”的英语演讲比赛。请撰写一份演讲稿，主要内容包括：
1.目前汽车带来的空气污染和交通堵塞等问题；
2. 骑自行车的益处，如能环保有利健康等。
注意：1.词数：120词左右；演讲稿开头已给出，但不计入总词数。
2.参考词汇：低碳生活（low-carbon life）   节能 (energy saving)
Good morning, everyone,
I am Li Hua from Xingguang Middle School. The topic of my speech is “Let’s Ride Bicycles”.
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