1 . Climate emergencies are a bit like buses. You wait an age for one and then three come along at once. Parliaments in the UK and Ireland passed motions declaring a climate emergency in May. Last Monday, Canada followed suit.

It isn’t just parliament sounding the alarm. “This is a climate emergency,” said U.N. climate chief Patricia Espinosa for the first time last Tuesday. Hours earlier, James Bevan of England’s Environment Agency and Vince Cable, the leader of the U.K.’s Liberal Democrats, also used the phrase.

They join a cast of high-profile public figures already on the bus, from UK opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn to UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres. But how did the language of climate change campaigners jump to the lips of the establishment, and should we welcome its seemingly unstoppable adoption?

Does this language make a difference? A day after Canada’s climate emergency motion, it approved a £4.4 billion oil pipeline. Bristol City Council in the UK also declared a climate emergency, yet the city’s mayor subsequently backed expansion of the local airport. Nothing changed on UK streets after parliament declared a climate emergency, notes former Labour Party leader Ed MIliband. “This silent response to an alarm that we ourselves have sounded symbolizes the challenge we face,” he wrote. _______?_______

Mike Hulme at the University of Cambridge argues against the phrase because it implies “time-limited radical(激进的)” action could end the emergency, when climate change is actually a “new condition of human existence.” Some, HUlme included, also fear the language may cause counterproductive responses.

Bur Roz Pidcock of communication organization Climate Outreach says a climate emergency “suggests a response that is very radical in scale and ambition, but not incautious or knee-jerk(本能的),” and certainly not a license for extreme measure like geoengineering the climate.

Despite the risk of phrase being devalued, Rebecca Willis at Lancaster University in the U.K. tells me it is still useful ---and that’s because it is true. As Spratt says, “You cannot solve a problem unless you name it for exactly what it is.” Getting politicians to adopt the language will also be crucial to holding them to tough policy decisions later, says Doug Parr of Greenpeace.

The phrase’s widespread adoption isn’t a problem. The lack of action equivalent to such language is. And that action is going to include a lot of silently gliding electric buses.

1. Which of the following sentences may best end Paragraph 4?

A．We should strive to stimulate people’s initiative.

B．The use of “climate emergency” highlights the challenge.

C．Such a mismatch risks making the term meaningless.

D．There are many people against the use of the phrase.

2. It can be inferred from the passage that Mike Hulme thinks that ______.

A．climate change call for deliberate consideration before action is taken

B．immediate action should be taken to put climate emergency to an end

C．the phrase “climate emergency” may lead to the opposite consequences

D．people all over the world have been accustomed to climate change

3. Which of the following arguments can be used in favour of the phrase “climate emergency”?.

A．Extreme measures will be taken to address the issue of climate change

B．The use of the phrase may contribute to substantial policymaking.

C．The phrase will make no sense unless practical solutions are found.

D．Less attention is paid to the phrase though it reflects a true story.

4. What is the author’s attitude towards the phrase “climate emergency”?

A．Negative	B．Optimistic
C．Indifferent	D．Objective

2 . The company that revolutionized the delivery of information now aims to do the same with electricity, Technology powerhouse Google today announced it would spend “tens of millions” of dollars next year in research and development and investments in an effort to drive down the cost of large-scale renewable energy to make it cheaper than coal, Not only will Google be hiring engineers and energy experts for its new initiative, known as RE<C (renewable energy at less cost than coal), but it also will make investments in new companies-starting with those that focus on solar is not only critical for the environment, and high-altitude wind power. “Cheap renewable energy is not only critical for the environment but also vital for economic development in many places where there is limited affordable energy of any kind,” said Sergey Brin, Google co-founder and president of technology, in a prepared statement.

Coal supplies 40 percent of the world’s electricity and more than half of U.S. power, and if current trends continue, it is expected to grab an ever increasing share because it is a plentiful and cheap fuel for big consumers like the United States and Russia. But coal is also the worst fuel in its production of the global warming gas carbon dioxide. Google co-founder Larry Page said the company’ s goal is to produce one gigawatt (十亿瓦特) of renewable energy capacity that is cheaper than coal within “years, not decades.” Google says that’s enough electricity to power a city the size of San Francisco (about 330000 households).

Google, located in Mountain View, Calif, said it was initially working with two other California companies. They are e Solar, of Pasadena, which is specializing in solar-thermal power, using large fields of mirrors to concentrate sunlight and generate steam to run utility-scale electric turbines (涡轮), and Makani of Alameda, which is developing wind energy technology that takes advantage of the much stronger and more reliable currents available at high altitudes.

Google did not specify how much money it was putting into its projects with these companies but said they both had “promising scalable energy technologies.” This portion of the initiative will be funded through the company’s philanthropic arm, Google.org, which is not a traditional charity but can make equity (股票) investments in companies. Brin and Page have pledged (抵押) 1 percent of Google’s equity and profits toward efforts including climate change and global poverty.

The RE<C program is the latest of a series of steps Google has taken on climate change. The company says it is on track in its goal to be carbon neutral in the near future.

1. Which one of the following statements is TRUE of the coal?

A．It is a kind of controversial fuel given its large quantity and its harm to the environment.

B．It is s plentiful and cheap fuel that will surely earn more market share

C．It will be totally replaced by the renewable energy in years because it produces the worst gas-carbon dioxide

D．It is supported by some enthusiastic countries like U.S. and Russia which rely heavily on the coal

2. It can be inferred from the passage that ________.

A．Google.org has made some crucial decisions in expanding the company

B．Google.org has focused on exploiting alternatives to traditional energy

C．Google.org is a charity organization committed to funding the projects benefiting mankind

D．Google.org is an environmental organization that specializes in promoting green fuel

3. What can Not be learned about the RE<C Programme?

A．It will come true in a few years with the efforts made.

B．It is a programme of environmental protection.

C．It is one of the measures taken to neutralize carbon.

D．It will be realized through investment in solar and wind energy companies.

4. The best title of this passage is ________.

A．Google’s RE<C Programme

B．Google, the Energy Revolutionary

C．Google, the Environmental Protector

D．Google’s Renewable Energy

3 . Directions: Read the following passage, Fill in each blank with a proper sentence given in the box Each sentence can be used only once. Note that there are two more sentences than you need.

Venice Carnival

The annual Venice Carnival is in full swing, with thousands of revelers (狂欢者) gathering the city’s canals and squares in elaborate costumes and extraordinary masks       1    .

The Carnevale di Venezia is thought to date back to the 11th century, making it one of the world’s oldest. Carnivals are held in many Catholic countries: such as Spain and Brazil, where they serve as a last chance to cat, drink end be merry before the deprivations or Lent, the 40 days of fasting (斋戒) that precede Easter.

It is thought that the masks allowed Venetians to hide their identities, allowing the poor to mix with the wealthy, breaking strict social order, even if only for a brief and controlled period.

    2     The theme of Carnival 2019 is “Tutta cope della Luna,” or “Blame the moon”, marking a half-century since man first walked on the satellite

To prevent overcrowding, authorities have installed turnstiles at the entrances to the historic St. Marks’Square, closing it off to new visitors once 23,000 revelers have entered. Costumed revelers are also searched as they enter the square.

Venice is situated across a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The islands are located in the shallow Venetian Lagoon, an enclosed bay that lies between the mouths of the Po and the Piave Rivers       3     The lagoon and a part of the city are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Although most visitors stick to the traditional Carnival costumes of baroque gowns and be jeweled masks for women and black capes and threatening masks for men, more and more people are opting for their own unique interpretations.

Some visitors use Carnival as an opportunity to show off a fantastic creation they’ve always reamed of wearing. It doesn’t have to be Venetian       4     At Carnival, everybody is free to who-or what-they want to be. Perhaps a different gender-or even species. That’s the joy of the mask-nobody knows who or what the person wearing it was before Carnival.

A．This year’s Carnival festivities kicked off on February 16 and go on until March 5.

B．During the 18 days of Carnival, the city fills with thousands of tourists from across Italy and around the world.

C．Parts of Venice are well known for the beauty of their settings, their architectureand artwork.

D．The Italian government decided to bring back the history and culture of Venice by seeking to use the traditional Carnival.

E．It doesn’t have to be traditional.

F．Carnival virtually disappeared when Napoleon’s troops brought an end to the Venetian Republic in 1797.

4 . Questions are based on the following passage1.

A．He is an Englishman living in Sweden.

B．He prefers hot weather to cold weather.

C．He visits London nearly every winter.

D．He likes Sweden better than England.

2.

A．The long night.	B．The bad weather.
C．The gloomy winter.	D．The cold houses.

3.

A．Delightful.	B．Refreshing.
C．Painful.	D．Frustrating.

4.

A．They work hard and play hard.

B．They often stay up late reading.

C．They like to go camping in summer.

D．They try to earn more and spend more.

5 . Summary Writing
Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.

A remarkable variety of insects live in this planet. More species of insects exist than all other animal species together. Insects have survived on earth for more than 300 million years, and may possess the ability to survive for millions more. Insects can be found almost everywhere -- on the highest mountains and on the bottom of rushing streams, in the cold South Pole and in bubbling hot springs. They dig through the ground, jump and sing in the trees, and run and dance in the air. They come in many different colours and various shapes.

There are many reasons why insects are so successful at surviving. Their amazing ability to adapt permits them to live in extreme ranges of temperatures and environments. The one place where they have not yet been found to any major extent is in the open oceans. Insects can survive on a wide range of natural and artificial foods -- paint, pepper, glue, books, grain, cotton, other insects, plants and animals. Because they are small they can hide in tiny spaces.

Also, insects have an enormous reproductive capacity: An African ant queen can lay as many as 43,000 eggs a day.

Another reason for their success is the strategy of protective colour. An insect may be right before our eyes, but nearly invisible because it is cleverly disguised(伪装) like a green leaf, lump of brown soil, gray lichen(青苔), a seed or some other natural object. Some insects use bright, bold colours to send warning signals that they taste bad, sting or are poison. Others have wing patterns that look like the eyes of a huge predator, bitter-tasting insects; hungry enemies are fooled into avoiding them.

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6 . Welcome to Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle is the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world and the Official Residence of the Queen of Britain. Over a period of nearly 1,000 years it has been     1    continuously, and altered and redecorated by monarchs(君主) one after the other. Some were great builders, strengthening the Castle against     2     and rebellion; others, living in more peaceful times, created a grand Royal residence. William the Conqueror chose the site, high above the river Thames and on the edge of a Saxon hunting ground. It was a day’s march from the Tower of London and intended to guard the western     3    to the capital. The outer walls of today’s structure are in the same position as those of the    4    castle built by William the Conqueror in the 1070s. The Queen uses the Castle both as a private home, where she usually spends the weekend, and as a Royal residence at which she undertakes certain formal duties. Windsor Castle is    5    used by the Queen to host State Visits from overseas monarchs and presidents. Every year the Queen takes up official residence in Windsor Castle for a month over Easter (March-April).

The Castle is huge, so people tend to head for the most    6    bits -- the State Apartments, St. George’s Chapel, the Gallery and the delightful Queen Mary’s Dolls House. Works of art, antique furniture, curiosities and impressive architecture reflect the tastes of many different royal generations. The State Apartments are    7    decorated formal rooms still used for state and official functions.

The magnificent and beautiful St. George’s Chapel was started in 1475 by Edward IV and was completed 50 years later by Henry VIII. It    8    among the finest examples of late medieval architecture in the UK.

The Drawings Gallery    9    the exhibition “The Queen: 60 Photographs for 60 Years”. The exhibition presents portraits of the Queen    10    in brief moments on both official occasions and at relaxed family gatherings.

7 . Against the assumption that forest fires in Alaska, Canada and Siberia warm the climate, scientists have discovered that cooling may occur in areas where burnt trees allow more snow to mirror more sunlight into space.

This finding suggests that taking steps to prevent northern forest fires to limit the release of greenhouse gases may warm the climate in northern regions. Usually large fires destroyed forests in these areas over the past decade. Scientists predict that with climate warming, fires may occur more frequently over next several centuries as a result of a longer fire season. Sunlight taken in by the earth tends to cause warming, while heat mirrored back into space tends to cause cooling.

This is the first study to analyze all aspects of how northern fires influence climate. Earlier studies by other scientists have suggested that fire in northern regions speed up climate warming because greenhouse gases from burning trees and plants are released into the atmosphere and thus trap heat.

Scientists found that right after the fire, large amounts of greenhouse gases entered the atmosphere and caused warming. Ozone（臭氧）levels increased, and ash from the fire fell on far-off sea ice, darkening the surface and causing more radiation from the sun to be taken in. The following spring, however, the land within the area of the fire was brighter than before the fire, because fewer trees covered the ground. Snow on the ground mirrored more sunlight back into space, leading to cooling.

“We need to find out all possible ways to reduce the growth of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.” Scientists tracked the change in amount of radiation entering and leaving the climate system as a result of the fire, and found a measurement closely related to the global air temperature. Typically, fire in northern regions occurs in the same area every 80 to 150 years. Scientists, however, found that when fire occurs more frequently, more radiation is lost from the earth and cooling results. Specifically, they determined when fire returns 20 years earlier than predicated, 0.5 watts per square meter of area burned are soaked up by the earth from greenhouse gases, but 0.9 watts per square meter will be sent back into space. The net effect is cooling. Watts are used to measure the rate at which energy is gained or lost from the earth.

1. According to the new findings, taking steps to prevent northern forest fires may _______.

A．result in a warming climate

B．cause the forest fires to occur more frequently

C．lead to a longer fire season

D．protect the forests and the environment there

2. Earlier studies about northern forest fires ________.

A．analyze all aspects of how northern fires influence climate

B．indicate that forest fires will pollute the atmosphere

C．suggest that people should take measures to protect environment

D．suggest that the fires will speed up climate warming

3. The underlined phrase “soaked up” in the last paragraph most probably means ________.

A．released	B．absorbed
C．created	D．disturbed

4. From the text we can draw a conclusion that forest fires in Alaska, Canada and Siberia may ______.

A．warm the climate as the assumption goes

B．allow more snow to reflect more sunlight into space and thus cool the climate

C．destroy large areas of forests and pollute the far-off sea ice

D．help to gain more energy rather than release more energy