1 . As many as 10 of the 17 kinds of penguins may be in danger of disappearing. The number of penguins has decreased by 30% since 1987.
Penguins are black and white birds that live in the southern part of the world. They are common in South America, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. Many live near cold waters. But some live near warm waters in Galapagos Islands. Penguins cannot fly, but they are fine swimmers. Penguins eat fish and krill(磷虾). The warming of the earth is the reason for the decrease in the number of penguins. The heating of the air has caused ocean waters to become warmer. Higher water temperatures have reduced the supply of fish and krill. Some years later these birds are completely unable to reproduce(繁殖). Besides, many adult penguins die of hunger.
Widespread(广泛的)fishing, exploration for oil and oil leaks(漏)also make penguins in danger. Poisonous things in ocean waters are another danger. Penguins also have their enemies, including wild dogs, sharks, seals and sea lions.
News about penguins is not all bad, however. Several years ago, oil leaking from a ship hurt 40% of the penguins in South Africa. The penguins became covered with oil. But thousands of people helped clean and treat the birds well. Then they returned the penguins to the wild. Now these South African penguins are reproducing in higher numbers than before the oil leaking.
1. The first paragraph tells us that________.| A．some new kinds of penguins appear |
| B．all the penguins are in danger of disappearing |
| C．there are twenty-seven kinds of penguins in all |
| D．for more than 30 years, the number of penguins has decreased by 30％ |
| A．Oil leaking. |
| B．Widespread fishing. |
| C．Human's killing. |
| D．Warming of the oceans. |
| A．Protecting our environment |
| B．Ocean waters are polluted |
| C．The decrease in the number of penguins |
| D．Ocean is important for penguins |
2 . A newly discovered planet looks just right for life as we know it, according to an international group of astronomers. Orbiting a star about 500 light-years away, the planet called Kepler-186f is about the same size as Earth. It orbits its star at the right distance for liquid water on the surface. That is a necessary condition for life as we know it.
But it is not exactly like Earth, NASA planetary scientist Elisa Quintana said. "It's more of an Earth's cousin. It's not an Earth's twin. It shares the same characteristics as Earth, but their parent stars are very different," said Quintana.
Kepler-186f orbits a star that is smaller and cooler than our sun. But, writing in the journal Science, the astronomers say the planet appears to be a closer relative than most of the hundreds of others discovered so far. Some are massive gas-covered giants with thick, crushing atmospheres. Others orbit too close to their stars and are too hot for life.
Two planets discovered last year are in the right orbit and might be good candidates for life, Quintana says, but they are a bit bigger than Earth. "For the first time, we can actually say we now have a planet that is both Earth-sized and orbits in its star's habitable zone," she said.
It may be the first time, but it probably is not the last, says Massachusetts Institute of Technology astrophysicist Sara Seager. "We've been waiting decades to understand how common habitable planets might be, and it's looking like they're really common. And this gives us excitement and motivation to take the next step," said Seager.
The next step would be to look for signs of life in the atmospheres of these distant worlds. That would take a more sophisticated (高端的；复杂的) space telescope. But budget cuts threaten that mission, says University of California at Los Angeles astrophysicist Ben Zuckerman, "In principle, we could do this in the next few decades. But in practice, because there's no money, it's not gonna happen. It's not gonna happen in my lifetime, for example."
Leaving earthbound concerns behind, NASA's Elisa Quintana believes that when the next-generation space telescope is launched, it will find that we are not alone in the universe.
1. What does the underlined word "That" (Paragraph 1) refer to________| A．The right distance. | B．Liquid water. |
| C．The right size. | D．A star. |
| A．is more of an Earth's cousin than an Earth's twin |
| B．has a lot in common with Earth, including their parent stars |
| C．is a lot bigger than Earth |
| D．is smaller and cooler than our sun |
| A．Where there is water, there is life |
| B．A planet exactly like Earth found |
| C．Life discovered on Kepler-186f |
| D．New Earth-size planet found |
3 . The Four Famous Embroideries (刺绣) of China refer to the Xiang embroidery in Hunan Province, Shu embroidery in Sichuan Province, Yue embroidery in Guangdong Province and Su embroidery in Jiangsu Province.
Xiang embroidery
The earliest piece of Xiang embroidery was unearthed at the No. 1 Tomb of Mawangdui, Changsha City of the Han Dynasty (206 B.C. —A.D. 220). The weaving technique was almost the same as the one used in modern times, which shows that embroidery had already existed in the Han Dynasty. In its later development, it absorbs the characteristics of traditional Chinese paintings and reaches a high artistic level. Xiang embroidery crafts include valuable works of art, as well as products for daily use.
Shu embroidery
Shu embroidery has formed its own unique characteristics: smooth, bright, neat, etc. The works choose flowers, animals, mountains, rivers and human figures as their themes. The craftsmanship of Shu embroidery involves a combination of fine art and practical uses, such as the facings of quilts, pillowcases, coats and screen covers.
Yue embroidery
Influenced by national folk art, Yue embroidered pictures are mainly of dragons and phoenixes (凤凰), and flowers and birds, with neat designs and strong, contrasting colors.
Gold-and-silk thread embroidery is widely used, even for crafts of daily use.
Su embroidery
The weaving techniques of Su embroidery are characterized by the flat surface, dense lines, even pictures and harmonious colors. Su embroidery products fall into 3 major categories: costumes, decorations for halls and crafts for daily use. Double-sided embroidery is an excellent representative of Su embroidery.
1. The unearthed embroidery at Mawangdui shows Xiang embroidery’s _______.| A．time-honoured history | B．excellent designs |
| C．artistic value | D．advanced techniques |
| A．Xiang embroidery | B．Shu embroidery |
| C．Yue embroidery | D．Su embroidery |
| A．All are rooted in folk art. | B．All are valuable artworks. |
| C．All share the same themes. | D．All have practical use. |
4 . Moringa Farm Internship Program
DATE： 5 May〜30 November 2019
LOCATION: Jaipur India
EVENT TYPE： Twining
EVENT INDUSTRY/TOPIC: Clean Energy, Climate & Environment, Food & Agriculture and Quality/Process Managem
Moringa (辣木), a kind of miracle tree, has come a long way today to become a symbol of the fight against growing nutrition deficiency (营养不足) across the globe. It is also a crop suited to the climatic conditions of the region, which is unusually rich in its nutrition content literally from top to bottom.
Supporting learning：
The Moringa Farm Internship Program is sort of like a live, interactive slideshow of agriculture making of Moringa from “Soil to Super food” that touches all the participant’s senses.
The Program’s Objectives：
The Moringa Farm Internship Program is devoted to enriching the knowledge and lives of young people by providing them with a unique educational experience on an organic Moringa Farm in rural Jaipur, India. Program participants can learn about conservation, maintenance (维护), care, and management of Moringa Farming by means of hands-on work experience with local Moringa Farm staff.
Participants will be able to interact with Moringa specialists and educators, on all issues that may affect their operations. Experts will let you know management strategies and equipment operation up close on hand to answer your specific questions.
The Moringa Farm Internship will provide an excellent opportunity to learn about sustainable tools, techniques, and approaches that can be used in Moringa Production and value-added production systems, righting (突出) pest and disease management, leaf/seed production, and tools and equipment for commercial production.
If you’re trying to learn about Moringa, there’s nothing like going to a farm and getting your hands dirty. So click here to register now!
1. Why is Moringa specifically described in the text?| A．To stress the importance of the crop. |
| B．To encourage people to plant Moringa. |
| C．To show the significance of the program. |
| D．To draw attention to nutrition deficiency. |
| A．It is intended for farmers. | B．It lasts more than half a year. |
| C．It provides vocational training. | D．It is available on the Internet. |
| A．By attending various courses about it. |
| B．By involving themselves in farming it. |
| C．By observing specialists and educators. |
| D．By watching slideshows about the crop. |
5 . Have you ever been into a cave? If not, please follow us and explore some of the most beautiful caves from around the world!
Marble Caves
Located in the center of Lake General Carrera, the Marble Caves in Chico, Chile, are only accessible by boat. The surrounding crystal clear waters allow visitors to see the rock formations beneath them while the rock ceilings above change color(depending on the writer levels and the season). The best time to visit: during sunrise and sunset, when the sun’s rays light up the cave walls, making it an experience to remember.
Reed Flute Cave
Reed F1ute Cave known as “the Palace of Natural Arts” is located in the northwest of Guilin in southern China.The limestone cave offers a grand fairyland of stalactites(钟乳石), stone pillars, stone curtains, birds, plants and animals in fantastic shapes and colors.
Fingal’s Cave
This incredible sea cave is located on the uninhabited island of Staffa in Scotland. The cave’s size, shape, and naturally—arched(拱形的) roof combine with the waves to create strange sounds that enhance its cathedral—like atmosphere.
The Blue Grotto
The Blue Grotto is the symbol of Capri. It is a sea cave found on the coast of the island and is a well-known spot to all who visit the area. This cave is unique for its brilliant blue light which comes from two sources: the entrance to the cave and a bigger hole beneath the entrance. When viewed from inside the cave, the entrance appears as a brilliant white light just above the waterline, while the underwater hole, which is the larger source of light, provides a blue light.
1. Why is sunset the best time to visit Marble Caves?| A．Because it has enough light in it. |
| B．Because it has the most beautiful scenery. |
| C．Because it is surrounded by clear waters. |
| D．Because boats are only available at sunset. |
| A．Reed F1ute Cave. | B．Marble Caves. |
| C．The Blue Grotto. | D．Fingal’s Cave. |
| A．C1ear waters. | B．Various birds and animals. |
| C．Bright blue light. | D．Strange shapes. |
6 . Why do we like drinking water from plastic bottles（塑料瓶）? Some people think it is healthy and clean. Others drink bottled water because it’s easy — you can carry it around with you. In hot countries, like Greece, we often buy bottles of cold water in the summer.
However, making lots of plastic is not a good idea for many reasons. First of all, we need a lot of oil for plastic products. We usually use oil as a source of energy. If we reduced the number of bottles we made, we wouldn’t need so much oil. Plastic bottles also pollute the environment. If we reused all our plastic bottles, we wouldn’t need so much space for rubbish dumps. But in Greece, we don’t reuse much of the plastic we use. In 2006, Greeks reused only about 10% of plastic waste. The rest became rubbish on land and in rivers and seas.
So next time you want to throw away a plastic bottle in the litter bin, stop and think. If you reuse it, you would help the environment. But what can you do when there isn’t a bin near you? Well, there are lots of useful ways that you can use your bottles again. For example, an empty bottle makes a great piggy bank for your pocket money, and if you cut a bottle in half, you will have a plant pot. Go green! You can make a difference.
1. What is not mentioned about bottled water in this passage?| A．It’s healthy. | B．It’s clean. |
| C．It’s easy. | D．It’s expensive. |
| A．energy | B．oil |
| C．rubbish | D．plants |
| A．To reuse them. | B．To make a piggy bank. |
| C．To make a plant pot. | D．To drop them into the river. |
| A．To make a different life, you’d better go outside. |
| B．To look different, you’d better wear green clothes. |
| C．To protect the environment, you can do something. |
| D．To go green, you should use plastic products. |
7 . The world itself is becoming much smaller by using modern traffic and modern communication means. Life today is much easier than it was hundreds of years ago, but it has brought new problems. One of the biggest problems is pollution. To pollute means to make things dirty. Pollution comes in many ways. We see it, smell it, drink it and even hear it.
Man has been polluting the earth. The more people, the more pollution. Many years ago, the problem was not so serious because there were not so many people. When the land was used up or the river was dirty in one place, man moved to another place. But this is no longer true.
Man is now slowly polluting the whole world.
Air pollution is still the most serious. It’s bad for all living things in the world, but it is not the only one kind of pollution. Water pollution kills our fish and pollutes our drinking water. Noise pollution makes us angry more easily.
Many countries are making rules to fight pollution. They stop people from burning coal in houses and factories in the city, and from putting dirty smoke into the air. Pollution by SO2 is now the most dangerous kind of air pollution. It is caused by heavy traffic. We are sure that if there are fewer people driving, there will be less air pollution.
The earth is our home. We must take care of it. That means keeping the land, water and air clean. And we must take care of the rise in pollution at the same time.
1. , our world is becoming much smaller.| A．Because of the rise in pollution |
| B．Because the earth is being polluted day and night |
| C．Thanks to science development |
| D．Because the earth is blown away by the wind every year |
| A．it makes much noise |
| B．it makes us angry more easily |
| C．it’s had for all living things in the world |
| D．it makes our rivers and lakes dirty |
| A．Many countries are making rules to fight pollution |
| B．The pollution of the earth grows as fast as the world population does |
| C．If people could go to work by bus or bike instead of car or motorbike, it would be helpful in fighting against the problem of SO2 |
| D．The problem of pollution is not so serious because there are not so many people on the earth |
8 . Far from the land of Antarctica, a huge shelf of ice meets the ocean. At the underside of the shelf there lives a small fish, the Antarctic cod.
For forty years scientists have been curious about that fish. How does it live where most fish would freeze to death? It must have some secret. The Antarctic is not a comfortable place to work and research has been slow. Now it seems we have an answer.
Research was begun by cutting holes in the ice and catching the fish. Scientists studied the fish’s blood and measured its freezing point.
The fish were taken from seawater that had a temperature of -1.88℃ and many tiny pieces of ice floating in it. The blood of the fish did not begin to freeze until its temperature was lowered to -2.05℃. That small difference is enough for the fish to live at the freezing temperature of the ice-salt mixture.
The scientists’ next research job was clear: Find out what in the fish’s blood kept it from freezing. Their search led to some really strange thing made up of a protein never before seen in the blood of a fish. When it was removed, the blood froze at seawater temperature. When it was put back, the blood again had its antifreeze quality and a lowered freezing point.
Study showed that it is an unusual kind of protein. It has many small sugar molecules held in special positions within each big protein molecule. Because of its sugar content, it is called a glycoprotein. So it has come to be called the antifreeze fish glycoprotein. Or AFGP.
1. What is the text mainly about?| A．The terrible conditions in the Antarctic. |
| B．A special fish living in freezing waters. |
| C．The ice shelf around Antarctica. |
| D．Protection of the Antarctic cod. |
| A．The seawater has a temperature of -1.88℃. |
| B．It loves to live in the ice-salt mixture. |
| C．A special protein keeps it from freezing. |
| D．Its blood has a temperature lower than -2.05℃. |
| A．A type of ice-salt mixture. | B．A newly found protein. |
| C．Fish blood. | D．Sugar molecule. |
| A．sugar | B．ice |
| C．blood | D．molecule |
