1 . Plastic straws (吸管) have been a major problem in global discussions of environmental damage. Maybe because of their small size, the production cost of straws is low. In many countries, straws are offered freely after buying soft drinks. Therefore, plastic straws are one of the most used plastics and pollutants in the world.
The plastic straw is light and small. Due to their small size, plastic straws are often eaten by sea animals. Environmentalists have shown that the death of many sea animals is caused by eating plastic straws. The other damaging characteristic of plastic straws is that they are made of materials which cannot degrade. That means the materials cannot be changed into small harmless (无害的) ones.
The most effective way of dealing with the environmental pollution caused by plastic straws is the reuse or banning (禁止) the use of plastic straws. Being plastics, the straws can be made new items. Many organizations around the world change used straws into new products. In Africa, local communities collect used plastic straws and use them to make mats and bags. Another way of dealing with environmental pollution caused by plastic straws is placing a ban on their production and use. Experts advise governments to ban using plastic straws to save the environment. A few countries in the world such as Rwanda, Macedonia, China, Kenya have already banned the use of plastic bags and are expected to include plastic straws and bottles. But it will be a long way to do this effectively.
There are few environmentally friendly and biodegradable productions to take the place of plastic straws. These productions include paper straws, bamboo straws. However, such straws are usually expensive as their production cost is high. It’s still a question whether they can entirely take the place of plastic straws.
1. Why can people be free to use plastic straws?| A．They are very cheap. | B．They are light and small. |
| C．They are dangerous. | D．They are easy to use. |
| A．Cut up. | B．Because of. | C．Go on. | D．Break out. |
| A．It’s not difficult to ban using plastic straws. |
| B．Many countries have stopped using plastic straws. |
| C．Experts advise people to stop producing plastic straws. |
| D．Some Africans change plastic straws into new products. |
| A．It is a must to use them. |
| B．It’s not easy to reuse them. |
| C．There are still some problems to be solved. |
| D．There are some other kinds of cheaper straws. |
| 旅游资源 | 许多世界著名的风景名胜，如九寨沟（湖水清澈见底；色彩斑斓）和都江堰水利工程（2,000多年的历史；仍在发挥作用） |
| 相关信息 | 气候适宜；交通便利 |
2．信的开头和结尾已为你写好，不计入总词数；
3．可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
参考词汇：都江堰水利工程Dujiangyan Irrigation Project
Dear Nick,
I’m glad to hear that you’re coming to Sichuan in October.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Yours sincerely,
Li Hua
3 . Natural disasters take many different forms and can happen without warning. Earthquakes, floods, vol-canoes, droughts, typhoons, and hurricanes are all natural disasters.
The earthquake of 26 December 2004 resulted in one of the worst natural disasters in living memory. It was a massive underwater quake and occurred in the Indian Ocean. This caused a huge tsunami (海啸) to cross the Indian Ocean. It destroyed coastlines and communities and brought death and destruction to many people. The survivors needed fresh water, food and shelter as well as medical help. People from all over the world gave money to help the people survive.
The surface of the Earth has not always looked as it does today; it is moving continuously (although very slowly) and has done so for billions of years. This is one cause of earthquakes, when one section of the Earth crashes with another. Scientists can predict where this might happen and the area between plates is called a fault line. However, earthquakes do not always happen on fault lines, which is why they are so dangerous and unpredictable.
All the disasters are very dangerous and continue to kill thousands of people each year,but they are nowhere near the most dangerous disaster to ever happen on earth. One type of event in the earth’s history has regularly killed millions of beings: asteroid (小行星) impacts (撞击). About once every million years the Earth is hit by a piece of rock and ice from space large enough to cause massive destruction (including earthquakes, volcanoes and ice ages) and sometimes to kill entire species. Sixty-five million years ago more than half the earth’s species were killed by such a disaster,including all the dinosaurs (恐龙). Disasters on the Earth may seem dangerous, but the biggest threat to humans is likely to come from space.
1. What did the world do when the tsunami occurred in the Indian Ocean?| A．They gave away money to the beggars. |
| B．They sponsored to help the people survive. |
| C．They donated their art works to the survivors. |
| D．They helped rebuild the coastlines and communities. |
| A．The possible time. |
| B．The possible climate. |
| C．The possible place. |
| D．The possible frequence. |
| A．What do earthquakes destroy? |
| B．Why do earthquakes happen? |
| C．How can we prevent earthquakes? |
| D．Which is the most dangerous natural disaster? |
| A．Space. |
| B．Earth. |
| C．Humans. |
| D．Wild animals. |
1. Why did the speaker fail to have a dog at first?
| A．She had no time to keep it. |
| B．Her mother didn’t allow it. |
| C．Her house was not big enough. |
| A．To a pet store. | B．To a local farm. | C．To a friend’s home. |
| A．To take him home. |
| B．To choose another one. |
| C．To guide him to have a rest. |
5 . In the US and Britain, the slogan around colleges was "Save water. Shower with a friend." Now, Wuhan University has come up with another system for the campus bathhouse. It charges students for the amount of time in a shower. Before entering the bathhouse, students pay for the amount of time they want in the shower with cash or their student ID card. The clock starts ticking the minute the tap is turned on. It pauses when a button is pressed for soap. An integrated circuit (IC) card reader at each tap shows the time. No money, no water. The benefits of the new system can be seen with the old system, which charged 1 yuan for each person regardless of time in the shower. The university used about 320 tons of water daily under the old system, but only 160 tons now.
Many students use the new system but opinions on it are divided. Some students say it is bad because bathing had become a sort of race. Many people using it for the first time are not sure how long they need to shower. Some might be embarrassed if their time is up and they're still covered in soap. They have to ask the bathhouse worker to help them buy extra time.
"It's a flaw in the system that you can not buy extra time on the ID card," said Ren, a freshman in Wuhan University. The university is also considering some students' suggestions that they be allowed to pay after they've finished the shower. Not surprisingly, some are complaining about losing the hour shower. But many students say the move helps them develop a water-saving sense.
Without the time limits, most students tended to shower from 30 to an hour in the bathhouse.Some even used the hot water to wash their clothes. "In my experience, 10-20 minutes is enough," said Dai Zhihua, a third-year student who usually takes 8 minutes.
A similar system has been installed in other universities. Shanghai Normal University introduced it at its Fengxiang Campus in September. The bathing fee there is 0.2 yuan per minute. One male student responded by setting a record with a two-minute shower.
1. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?| A．Students pay for the amount of time they want in the shower. |
| B．The clock times all through except when the bather pauses for soap. |
| C．If money runs out, there will be no water. |
| D．Having finished bathing, the student has to pay for it. |
| A．perfection | B．convenience |
| C．fortune | D．fault |
| A．the new operation can solve the water crisis |
| B．the new operation can help raise students' environmental awareness |
| C．a similar operation has been set in other universities |
| D．the university has saved a lot of water by using the new system |
| A．People | B．Society |
| C．Campus Life | D．Lifestyle |
Jane Goodall had wanted
The 15 wild Asian elephants left their habitat in Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve in Southwest China's Yunnan province and
8 . Researchers have found two different species of sea snake that were previously thought to be extinct. The snake, discovered off the coast of Western Australia, had not been seen for more than 15 years.
“This discovery is really thrilling, and we get another chance to protect these two specific Western Australian sea snake species,” study lead author Blanche D’Anastasi said happily in a news release.
The two species of sea snake—short-nose and leaf-scales—have disappeared from Ashmore Reef in the Timor Sea, previously their only known habitat. So scientists thought the animals had gone extinct. Instead, it seems they have been driven elsewhere. The short-nose snake was spotted by a Western Australia Parks and Wildlife officer, Grant Griffin, on Ningaloo Reef.
Some leaf-scales sea snakes were found in the seagrass beds of Shark Bay, over 1,000 miles south of Ashmore Reef.
“In order to succeed in protecting them, we will need to monitor populations as well as undertake research into understanding their physiological characteristics and the threats they face,” D’Anastasi said.
Sea snakes across the board have seen a decline, especially in Ashmore Reef. That reef used to be rich in biodiversity, but only one or two in nine sea snake species that used to live there are still rich in biodiversity, according to a 2013 study.
These sea snakes aren’t the only animals to be rediscovered this year. Animals that were thought to be extinct but were found alive have been regarded as “living fossils ”.
In August a mollusc（软体动物）called the nautilus（鹦鹉螺）was seen again after about three decades, leading scientists to call for protection against illegal fishing of the animals for nautilus shells.
1. How did Blanche D’Anastasi feel about the discovery?| A．Relieved. | B．Stressed. |
| C．Astonished. | D．Disappointed. |
| A．have long noses and leaf scales |
| B．still live in Ashmore reef |
| C．have gone extinct |
| D．have moved to Ningaloo Reef |
| A．They had good nutrition. |
| B．They were fished for shells. |
| C．They were very beautiful. |
| D．They were living fossils. |
| A．The rediscovery of two species of sea snake. |
| B．The habitat and living conditions of sea snakes. |
| C．The threats that sea animals face. |
| D．The research of sea animals. |
9 . A duck is causing curiosity and thinking since its appearance recently in New York’s Central Park. It’s even gained the nickname as “New York’s most eligible bachelor(单身汉)”.
People gather at the Pond in New York’s Central Park to enjoy the rare appearance of a male Mandarin Duck, a water body at the southeast corner of Central Park, just to have a look at the male Mandarin duck, a brightly-colored bird originated in East Asia.The ducks are commonly found in China, Japan and occasionally some parts of Europe, rather than North America.
Barrett and his fellow birders came up with two theories of why the duck showed up in Central Park. It might be an unwanted pet as it is not an uncommon practice for people to bring pets they no longer want, particularly birds and turtles, to the park and release them, said Barrett. The duck might also be an escapee from a nearby house, with New Jersey a particularly likely location as the state, unlike New York, allows these kinds of birds to be kept as pets. People originally suggested that the duck might have escaped from a local zoo, but none of the four major zoos in New York has a lost Mandarin duck, ruling out this speculation.
Mandarin ducks do not breed with other species, and no female duck is around to accompany it, Barrett said. Because of that, it has been named “ New York’s most eligible bachelor” by New York Magazine.
The park authorities have publicly stated that they would not intervene with the duck unless it gets injured and needs medical care. “ It’s a fun thing — people can have a good time,” added Barrett, “ and maybe they will take an interest in nature, and in other wild birds.”
1. The purpose that people go to the Central Park is to ________.| A．appreciate an unusual male Mandarin Duck |
| B．enjoy the beauty of autumn |
| C．spend weekends with families |
| D．have a look at the park |
| A．It is very beautiful. |
| B．It has no female for company. |
| C．They do not breed with other animals. |
| D．They are real bachelors. |
| A．The Mandarin Duck is common in Europe and North America. |
| B．There are two sayings about the duck’s disappearance in the Central Park. |
| C．Barrett says that people can have fun watching it. |
| D．New York allows these kinds of birds to be kept as pets. |
| A．Shot. | B．Kill. |
| C．Catch. | D．Disturb. |
10 . Elephants might be the most well-known well-loved animal in African wildlife. But conservation (保护) of the African elephant still faces special difficulties. While the elephant population is half of what it was 40 years ago, some areas of Africa have more elephants than populated areas can support. That’s why AWF scientists are studying elephant behavior, protecting habits and finding ways for humans to live peacefully with elephants in Africa.
Years ago, overhunting and the ivory trade were the biggest threats to elephants’ survival. Luckily, ivory bans (禁令), hunting rules and protected areas protect elephants from these dangers today.
The 21st century brings a different challenge to elephant conservation—land-use. Elephants walk across borders and outside parks and other protected areas. So they often destroy crops, causing conflicts (冲突) between local farmers and these big animals.
Successful conservation strategies (策略) must allow elephants to walk freely in their natural habitats while reducing conflicts between elephants and local people.
AWF researchers are searching for a way to give both elephants and people the space they need. The AWF is collecting information on elephant habitats and behavior. The information they gather will help to develop the widest possible space for elephants.
The AWF is helping elephants by protecting their habitats. And they also work with local farmers to improve their life in order to encourage them to protect rather than destroy elephants.
1. The first paragraph of the text is mainly to tell readers ________.| A．African elephants are endangered now |
| B．there remains a lot to do to protect African elephants |
| C．African elephants are popular animals |
| D．the number of African elephants has increased over the years |
| A．They are still being killed. | B．Their habitats are being destroyed. |
| C．They don’t have enough food. | D．They can’t live in peace with farmers. |
| A．helping farmers improve their life | B．protecting elephants’ habitats |
| C．doing research on elephants | D．keeping elephants |
| A．African elephants conservation | B．Living with African elephants |
| C．African elephants’ situation | D．African elephants being endangered |
