1 . A volcano has erupted in Iceland near the capital Reykjavik after thousands of small earthquakes in the area in recent weeks, the Icelandic meteorological office has said.
A red cloud lit up the night sky after the eruption began in Fagradalsfjall on Friday about 40km from the capital Reykjavik. A no-fly zone has been established in the area but the eruption appeared to be calmer as of Saturday evening.
Streams of red lava could be seen flowing out of a crack in the ground which is estimated to be about 200 meters long.
Police and coastguard officials raced to the scene late on Friday and the public has been advised to stay away from the area.
More than 40,000 earthquakes have occurred in the area in the past four weeks, a huge jump from the 1,000-3,000 earthquakes registered each year since 2014.
The Krysuvik volcanic system does not have a central volcano. While the country’s largest airport and a small fishing port are only a few kilometers away, the area is uninhabited and the eruption is not expected to present any danger.
Volcanic eruptions in the region are known as effusive eruptions, where lava flows steadily out of the ground, as opposed to explosive ones such as that of Eyjafjallajökull in 2010 which shot ash clouds high into the sky and paralyzed air traffic in Europe for weeks. However, all flights in and out of the airport have been stopped.
The Krysuvik volcanic system has been inactive for the past 900 years, according to the meteorological office, while the last eruption on the Reykjanes peninsula (半岛) dates back almost 800 years to 1240.
But the region has been closely watched for several weeks after an earthquake of magnitude 5.7 was registered on 24 February on the outskirts of Reykjavik, followed by an unusual number of smaller quakes — more than 50,000, the highest number since digital recordings began in 1991.
1. What happened before the volcano erupted?| A．Streams of lava flew out. |
| B．A red cloud lip up the sky. |
| C．No symptom was observed by scientist. |
| D．Huge numbers of small quakes happened. |
| A．The central volcano erupted first. | B．It shot ash clouds high into the sky. |
| C．The lava flew out continuously. | D．It has been active for 900 years. |
| A．There are no residents near it. |
| B．The airplanes fly high enough. |
| C．The small fishing port has enough water. |
| D．People have taken protective measures. |
| A．Thousands of small earthquakes. | B．The eruption of a volcano. |
| C．A research on a special volcano. | D．The history of a volcano. |
1. What was Fossey famous for?
| A．Her job at a magazine. |
| B．Her research and life in Rwanda. |
| C．Her performance in the movie. |
| A．Protect the gorillas. |
| B．Do research on gorillas. |
| C．Establish a research center. |
| A．35. | B．46. | C．53. |
| A．She saved gorillas (大猩猩) from extinction. |
| B．She agreed with “conservation tourism”. |
| C．She built lots of zoos all over the world. |
3 . Earthquake safety tips
On April 14, 2010, a big earthquake hit Yushu, Qinghai. Over, 2,000 people died. Many people were hurt. Why are there earthquakes?
The surface of the Earth has many pieces. These pieces are always moving. When two pieces move past each other, there is an earthquake.
Scientist are working hard to find out more about earthquakes. They try to predict (预测) them, but it's very hard.
Do you know how to get ready for an earthquake? Do you know what to do during an earthquake? Here are some things you should know.
What to do before an earthquake:
Make sure you have two bottles of water, a packet of biscuits, a clean towel, a few band-aids (创口贴), a radio and a flashlight (电筒) at home.
What to do during an earthquake If you are inside:
★Stay where you are. Quickly move under a strong desk, or along a wall. This will protect you from falling things.
★Don't stand near windows.
★Turn off the lights.
★Don't get into a lift during an earthquake. If your are in a lift, get out as quickly as possible.
If you are outside:
★Don't stand near buildings. Things may fall on you.
★Lie on the ground until the shaking stops.
1. You need ______ at home before an earthquake.| A．some water and biscuits | B．a clean towel and a few band-aids |
| C．a radio and a flashlight | D．all of the things above |
| A．getting into a lift | B．turning on the lights |
| C．keeping you from falling things | D．standing near the window |
| A．the surface of the earth is thin |
| B．two pieces of the surface move past each other |
| C．the pieces of the surface are moving slowly |
| D．there are too many people on the earth |
| A．You can play under a big tree. |
| B．You can't stand near the buildings. |
| C．You can lie on the ground until the shaking stops. |
| D．Both B and C. |
4 . Wildfires have captured headlines around the globe in recent years. These intense and widespread fires worry scientists. Besides causing billions of dollars in property damage, wildfires can erase the habitat of valued wildlife. They also fill the air with choking pollution. And when they burn near cities, they put the lives of whole communities in danger.
But scientists are interested in these fires for another reason. The black carbon-rich smoke from their flames is made of the ash from burned trees, grass and shrubs. The intense heat of some wildfires can cast this ash to high altitudes and it can travel around the globe.And the warming sunlight absorbed by dark particles(微粒)at high altitudes won't reach Earth's surface.
Scientists refer to those tiny particles of ash,dust and more as aerosols(气溶胶). One important trait is how well they reflect light. Snow and white ice reflect the most light. Dark things absorb the sun's light, mostly as heat. So the color of aerosols is important. Those aerosols can either warm or cool the air. Overall, researches showed that smoke aerosols cool the atmosphere. As intense fires cause dark ash aerosols high into the air, they mix with clouds and mostly prevent the sun's energy entering the earth.
The warming climate that can lead to wildfires may experience a temporary cooling when serious wildfires do erupt. Meanwhile, fire aerosols also can have bad effects when they fall back to Earth. And that fallout can sometimes be up to half a world away from where a fire took place.
Many studies show that intense wildfires are becoming more common, partly because of global warming. As the planet warms and new fires occur, scientists will continue to explore the big impact of tiny fire aerosols that temporarily occupy our atmosphere.
1. What does paragraph 1 focus on?| A．Wildfire-related air pollution. | B．Cities suffering from wildfires. |
| C．Harmful effects of wildfires. | D．Scientists' concern over wildlife. |
| A．By absorbing the sun's heat. | B．By reflecting most sunlight. |
| C．By blocking out dark clouds. | D．By clearing away clouds. |
| A．Uncaring | B．Cautious. | C．Disapproving. | D．Supportive. |
| A．How wildfires affect the climate. | B．Why warming causes wildfires. |
| C．Common occurrence of wildfires. | D．Serious damage from wildfires. |
5 . The urge for most of us is to throw something away, even if it means we have to buy anew one for more money. Most people think it's often
After a repair shop opened in the neighborhood, hundreds of residents began
The shop is called Remade, and it's looking to change the way Britain
One regular customer said she had a changing moment when an extension cable( 扩展电缆) she owned
| A．greener | B．funnier | C．cheaper | D．easier |
| A．change | B．expand | C．break | D．grow |
| A．performance | B．responsibility | C．explanation | D．expense |
| A．bringing in | B．showing off | C．mixing up | D．taking apart |
| A．accepting | B．finding | C．resisting | D．assessing |
| A．habit | B．fear | C．choice | D．problem |
| A．consumes | B．communicates | C．travels | D．relaxes |
| A．throw | B．fix | C．sell | D．collect |
| A．exchange | B．replace | C．connect | D．compare |
| A．promote | B．decorate | C．destroy | D．lack |
| A．comments | B．donations | C．invitations | D．requirements |
| A．stopped | B．kept | C．continued | D．risked |
| A．controversial | B．challenging | C．immediate | D．permanent |
| A．permission | B．ability | C．way | D．need |
| A．open | B．shut | C．silent | D．ruined |
| A．advice | B．thought | C．worry | D．promise |
| A．improper | B．hard | C．right | D．illegal |
| A．potential | B．symbol | C．blessing | D．burden |
| A．Strangely | B．Fortunately | C．Similarly | D．Particularly |
| A．desiring | B．failing | C．regretting | D．pretending |
6 . Off the coast of Formentera, an island, lives seagrass that stretches 15 km. The seagrass, covering several kilometers, is made up of a single organism. The grasses are also long-lived, for tens or hundreds of thousands of years. Along with two other kinds of coastal ecosystem—mangrove swamps and tidal marshes—seagrass fields are particularly good at taking carbon dioxide from the air.
This role was highlighted in a report published on March 2nd by UNESCO, on “blue carbon” —the carbon stored by Earth’s oceanic and coastal ecosystems. In total around 3,300 million tons of carbon dioxide (about three-quarters of the world’s emissions in 2019) are locked away in the planet’s blue-carbon sinks. Research by Carlos Duarte, the report’s author and an ecologist, has shown that one hectare of seagrass can suck as much carbon dioxide each year as 15 hectares of rainforest.
One reason that blue-carbon ecosystems make such effective sinks is that underwater forests are thicker than the land-based woods. They can also trap floating pieces and organic matter, which settles on the sea floor and can double the amount of carbon stored away. They possess another advantage, too. Climate change is leading to more wildfires around the world. As forests burn, their carbon stocks are sent back into the atmosphere. Unlike forests on land, blue-carbon ecosystems do not burn.
Blue-carbon ecosystems may not be fired, but they remain affected by other sorts of disasters. In May 2020 cyclone Amphan destroyed 1,200 square kilometers of mangrove forests. A marine heatwave in Australian waters in 2010 and 2011 damaged around one third of the world’s largest seagrass field in Shark Bay. Mangrove forests can weaken or control waves and provide natural barriers to storm surges. Protecting and expanding them, then, appears to be a must.
1. What do the blue-carbon ecosystems consist of?| A．The carbon stored in coastal ecosystems. |
| B．Seagrass living off the coast of Formentera. |
| C．A single organism, seagrass fields and forests on land. |
| D．Seagrass fields, mangrove swamps and tidal marshes. |
| A．The concrete role of “blue carbon”. | B．The special features of the seagrass. |
| C．The storage ability of the blue-carbon sinks. | D．The findings about the blue-carbon ecosystems. |
| A．Because they aren’t influenced by disasters. | B．Because there is more carbon in water than on land. |
| C．Because their carbon stocks are released back. | D．Because they have greater absorbing ability. |
| A．To add background information. | B．To give suggestions. |
| C．To list influential examples. | D．To offer scientific data. |
7 . Glacier National Park in Montana shares boundaries with Canada, an American Indian reservation, and a national forest. Along the North Fork of the Flathead River, the park also covers about 17, 000 acres of private lands that are currently used for ranching(牧场)and agriculture. This land is an important part of the habitat and migratory area in which several endangered species live. These private lands are essentially the only ones available for development in the region.
With encouragement from the park, local landowners initiated a land use planning effort to guide the future of the North Fork. The park is a partner in an inter local agreement that calls for resource-managing agencies to work together and with the more than 400 private owners in the area. A draft plan has been prepared, with objective of maintaining traditional economic uses but limiting new development that would damage park resources. Voluntary action by landowners, in cooperation with the park and the county, is helping to restrict small productions, maintain wildlife habitats, and minimize any harmful impact on the environment.
The willingness of local landowners to participate in this protection effort may have been stimulated by concerns that Congress would impose a legislative solution. Nevertheless, many local residents want to save the existing character of the area. Meetings between park officials and landowners have led to a dramatically improved understanding of all concerns.
1. The passage mainly discusses ________.| A．the endangered species in Glacier National Park |
| B．the protection of lands surrounding Glacier National Park |
| C．conservation laws imposed by the state of Montana |
| D．conservation laws imposed by Congress |
| A．They function as a hunting preserve. |
| B．They are restricted to government use. |
| C．They are heavily populated. |
| D．They contain natural habitats of threatened species. |
| A．indifferent | B．intimate |
| C．cooperative | D．disappointing |
| A．limit land development around the park |
| B．establish a new park in Montana |
| C．influence national legislation |
| D．settle border disputes with Canada |
8 . When thinking about intelligence, we often place humans at the top of the ranks. However, there is a species whose intelligence is far more advanced and perhaps more similar to humans than we'd thought - crows （乌鸦）.
In 2002, a crow named Betty wowed Oxford University by picking up a piece of wire in her cage and bending it at one end using another object to shape the wire into a hooked (钩状的)tool. The hooked tool was then used to lift a small container containing a pig's heart from inside a plastic tube for the bird to eat. Many years later, researchers found that bending tools was in fact, not that unusual for New Caledonian crows.
Part of the Corvid family of birds, the brains of New Caledonian crows and others within the family have been studied more closely. Corvids have shown amazing cognitive（认知的）abilities. Unlike humans, corvids do not have a neocortex—a brain structure that allows for advanced cognitive development. Instead, their brains are filled with neurons(神经元)which have enabled the birds to have similar mental capacities.
According to a paper published earlier this year, New Caledonians are fastidious about the type of plant stem （茎）used to make their hooked tools and are able to figure out what the best plant stem is for them. They are capable of looking for that plant stem even when it is disguised(伪装) with leaves from a different plant species. Crows are also able to apply their abilities to advanced problem-solving. Through only learning individual steps of a challenge, a crow successfully solved it by arranging the steps in the correct order. This shows the bird's ability to make judgements through context. Crows also seem to use their cleverness for fun, much like humans do, as young birds love to play.
New Caledonian crows have emotions and memories and are cognitively skilled animals. They just might not be so different from us humans after all!
1. How did Betty surprise the scientists?| A．She made a hooked tool. |
| B．She escaped from her cage. |
| C．She managed to lift a heavy container. |
| D．She showed great interest in a pig's heart. |
| A．They remain unknown to humans. |
| B．They are quite different from other corvids. |
| C．Their brain structure is similar to that of humans. |
| D．Their cognitive abilities are decided by neurons. |
| A．Guilty. | B．Hesitant |
| C．Picky. | D．Curious. |
| A．The intelligence of crows. |
| B．The survival skills of crows. |
| C．The development of the crow family. |
| D．The emotions and memories of crows. |
9 . The problem of global warming has caused a lot of people to get started on increasing their battles to save the Earth's ecological system. The trouble is that nearly all people think it even expensive to begin living green. Continue reading to see several immediate things you can do to get on the road to living green.
You can get on a great start by learning to recycle. While this appears really simple, there are many people who still throw glass bottles and aluminum（铝）cans into their common garbage. In the US, it's easy to locate a trash service that has glass and aluminum recycling alternatives. If you take a few seconds to wash the cans and bottles and put them in the recycle bin, you will be on the path to saving the Earth.
One more big waste product is newspapers. Majority of people will merely take their newspaper and throw it in the garbage when they finish reading it. Still there are many other things you can do with an old newspaper when you finish reading it. For instance, newspapers make terrific material for cleaning windowpanes. You can clean your windows with newspapers rather than paper towels and window cleaner for a streak-free shine.
What else you can do to get started living green is to start walking a bit more. Many people think nothing of getting in their car and driving one block to get soda at the local convenience store. If you merely walk to the store, not only could it take less time, because you won't have to try to find a parking place, but you will be saving money on petrol and helping to save the planet by not burning those fuels. If you wish to save even more on fuel, take the chance to join the car pool whenever you can and just mow your lawn twice a month instead of weekly.
1. What is the main purpose of Paragraph 1?| A．To tell us that many people are living green. |
| B．To express worries about global warming. |
| C．To call on people to live an easy life. |
| D．To advise people to learn how to live green. |
| A．many people can't recycle glass bottles properly |
| B．cans and bottles are usually washed before recycled |
| C．it is rather difficult to recycle cans and bottles |
| D．people would like to throw the wastes everywhere |
| A．a pool where cars can park |
| B．a good way to avoid traffic jams |
| C．a group of people sharing the same car |
| D．an organization to protect the environment |
| A．It may cost us much more to live a green life. |
| B．Going green is much simpler than people think. |
| C．A lot of things can be reused in our life. |
| D．People are living a much better life than before. |
10 . Once there was a very old lion. As he grew older, he became weak and slow. He could no longer hunt animals. So he was not able to eat any food.
The lion was sure he would soon die. He was very sad. As he slowly walked home, the lion told a bird about his sad situation.
The other animals felt sorry for the lion. “That’s awful,” they said. “We should visit the lion and see how he is doing.” So one by one, they went to visit the lion in his cave.
The lion was old and weak, but he was also very smart. When each animal came into his cave, they were easy to catch and eat. Soon the lion became fat.
Still he kept pretending to be sick. And the animals kept going into the lion’s cave. After a while, many of the animals of the forest had disappeared.
One day, early in the morning, the fox went to the lion’s cave. The fox was very smart, too. He slowly walked close to the cave. Standing outside the cave, the fox called out, “Hello. How are you feeling now?”
The lion answered, “I am not doing well. Why don’t you come in? I can’t see you. Come closer and tell me some kind words. I am old and will die soon.”
While the lion was talking, the fox was looking closely at the ground. The fox suddenly realized what the lion was doing.
Finally, the fox looked up and answered, “No, thank you. I can see many footprints (脚印) entering your cave. But I cannot see any footprints leaving your cave.”
1. The other animals felt _________for the lion when hearing about his situation.| A．surprised | B．happy |
| C．interested | D．sorry |
| A．they were caught and eaten by the lion |
| B．they moved to live in another forest |
| C．the bird asked them to leave the forest |
| D．there wasn’t enough food for them |
| A．The lion was too busy to hunt the animals. |
| B．Though the lion was stupid, he was strong. |
| C．The fox knew the truth through the footprints. |
| D．The fox thought the lion was very honest. |
| A．Work hard today to prepare for tomorrow. |
| B．Slow and steady(稳) wins the race. |
| C．A wise person learns from the bad luck of others. |
| D．No one believes liars even when they tell the truth. |
