1 . An earthquake happens when two plates rub together. The earth plates travel in different directions and at a different speed. If one plate is slowly forced underneath the other，pressure(压力)builds up until the plates break apart. This process(过程)causes the ground to move. It is an earth-quake. In other words，earthquakes are the shaking of the earth’s surface caused by the earth’s rocky outer layer as a result of the energy stored within the earth. The strain within the rocks is suddenly released(释放).

The damage an earthquake causes depends on where it is and when it is happening. If an unpopulated region is struck, there will be low loss of life or property(财产). If it hits a large city，there may be many injuries and much destruction. Many of the areas at risk are largely populated now. Major earthquakes hitting those areas today could produce terrible damage.

Actually, there are several million small earthquakes every year. Large earthquakes, such as the 1964 Alaska earthquake that measured 9.2 on the Richter scale, caused millions of dollars in damage. In the last 500 years, millions of people have been killed by earthquakes around the world-including over 240,000 in the 1976 Tangshan earthquake in China.

A60-second or less earthquake can cause devastation that continues for years after the first tremor. In 1972, a series of severe earthquakes struck Managua, Nicaragua. Fifteen years later, the city still looked the way it had a week after the earthquake hit, because the country did not have the necessary money to rebuild it.

The shaking of the earth is sometimes not the greatest disaster. It is in the ensuing fires and floods that often the greatest damage occurs. In the 1906 earthquake, it was the fires caused after it that did the majority of the damage. An earthquake can also destroy dams high above a city or valleys, causing floods to sweep down and sweep away everything in their path.

1. Which of the following is the main idea of the first paragraph?

A．An earthquake comes from the inside of the earth.

B．The earth has great energy in storage.

C．How the earth plates move.

D．How an earthquake happens.

2. What does the underlined word “ensuing” in the last paragraph probably mean?

A．Causing too much heat and great damage.

B．Causing many injuries and much destruction.

C．Happening as a result of another event.

D．Happening suddenly and unexpectedly.

3. By giving the example in Paragraph 4, the author wants to show that ______.

A．an earthquake doesn’t last long	B．the damage can last long
C．people in Managua suffered too much	D．Nicaragua is still a poor country

2 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

With few trees left to slow the wind in southern Madagascar, red sand is blowing everywhere: onto fields, villages and roads, and into the eyes of children     1    (wait) for food aid parcels. The area has been transformed     2     a dust bowl because of the facts that the weather is     3    (extreme) dry and forest is cleared to make farmland.

“There’s nothing to harvest. That’s     4     we have nothing to eat. As a result, we’ re suffering from     5    (hungry),” said mother-of-seven Tarira, standing at a remote World Food Programme (WFP) post near Anjeky Beanatara, where children are examined for signs of malnutrition (营养不良) and given food. It is reported that at     6     present time more than one million people in southern Madagascar need food handouts from the WFP, a United Nations agency.

The world’ s fourth     7    (large) island and one of its most diverse ecosystems, Madagascar     8    (regard) as a natural paradise (天堂) at one time. However, in parts of it, such as its far southern regions, the reality on the ground has changed. “When you look in the villages, you see children running left and right. That     9    (be) not the case before. We used to call Madagascar the green island.     10     now it is more of a red island, which makes us very sad,” said Soja Lahimaro Tsimandilatse, governor of the southern Androy area.

3 . 语法填空

I am a nature photographer and have to brave the elements. But despite the wind and the rain I still enjoy working outside in    1     wild. I can observe animals in their    2    (nature) environment. My favorite place    3    (take) photos is Yellowstone National Park,     4    is famous for the variety of its wildlife but is probably best known for     5    (it) bears.    6    (weigh) up to 300 kilograms, the bears can run at about 64 kilometres per hour and are also excellent swimmers. Last spring I followed a path through dark forest. I     7    (enjoy) the breathtaking view when I felt I was being watched. Slowly I turned and     8    (freeze). Only metres away was a bear, with water    9    (fall) off its hair. Though I was very frightened, I pressed the button. A second later, the bear ran back into the forest and I got a photo of it. I realized that it is we who are the visitors     10    their world.

4 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。

A penguin colony in Antarctica that’s home to over 18,000 pairs of Adélie penguins suffered a massive breeding failure, with all but two of the babies starving to death when their parents     1     (force) to travel further in search of food during this breeding season.

According to CNN, the World Wildlife Fund said unseasonably extensive amounts of sea ice around the colony forced the adult penguins to travel further     2     (hunt) for food. The babies did not survive the parents’ journeys. “This disastrous event contrasts with     3     image that many people might have of penguins,”     4     (say) Rod Downie, Head of Polar Programs at WWF.

Downie continued: “The impact of this event is restricted to this specific colony of Adélie penguins, and predictions are that the Antarctic will get     5     (warm) and this may pose different     6     (challenge) in the longer term.”

Adélie penguins are     7     (general) doing well in East Antarctica and there they mostly eat krill, a small shrimp like crustacean.     8     they are declining in the peninsula,     9     the effects of climate change are already being felt. In addition     10     the climate change, the local penguin population is further threatened because of proposals to open the area to the krill fishing industry.

5 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Recently Australia has listed the koala as an endangered species across most of     1     (it) east coast, after a dramatic decline in numbers because     2     land clearing, bushfires, drought, disease and other threats. The federal government has been urged to do more     3     (protect) koalas from rapidly decreasing habitats and climate change.

“This listing adds priority when it comes to the     4     (conserve) of the koala,” Environment Minister said on Friday. She said officials were designing a recovery plan, and land development application would now be assessed for impacts on the species.

Last year, a New South Wales survey found koalas would be extinct there by 2050     5     there was urgent action. It estimated that the Black Summer bushfires of 2019-2020 had killed 5,000 koalas and affected 24% of habitats in New South Wales alone.

“Koalas have gone from no-listing to vulnerable (易危物种) to endangered within a decade. That is a     6     (shocking) fast decline,” said a scientist. “Today’s decision is welcome, but it won’t stop koalas     7     (slide) towards extinction unless it     8     (accompany) by stronger laws.”

Scientists warn that climate change will also     9     (worse) bushfires and drought, and reduce     10     quality of koalas’ eucalyptus (桉树) leaf diet.

Koalas are also found in South Australia and Victoria but their numbers are on the decrease nationally, according to protection groups.

6 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Huangshan, which lies in Anhui province, is on the UNESCO World Heritage List and is one of the top scenic     1     (attraction) in China. HuangShan     2     (it) does not have good transportation links. Most travelers stop in either Tangkou or Tunxi for the nights before and after a visit to Huangshan.

Huangshan has 36 separate peaks, all     3     (rise) above 1,800 meters. Famous throughout Chinese artistic history, Huangshan represents the typical (有代表性的) mountain in Chinese paintings. So far, over 1,450 kinds of plants     4     (find) there.

The main thing to do in Huangshan is walk pround and take photographs of the scenery, which is spectacular (壮观的),     5     (beauty), different and changing in appearance with every change of weather.     6     same view looks quite different by day in fine weather and with cloud, early morning and late evening. Sunrise and sunset are famous but, of course, they depend     7     the weather.

When there is good weather and clear skies, watching the stars at night is     8     (fair) rewarding. If you are staying overnight at a hotel on the mountain then before dark     9     (come), find some good areas     10     you can get away from the hotel lights and look up. You are likely to view a sky full of stars.

7 . After erupting almost continuously for over three decades — from 1983 to 2018 — Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano finally seemed to lose steam , producing no lava (岩浆) for nearly two years. The stillness ended on the night of December 20, 2020, when the active volcano began erupting lava fountains, gas and steam from a crack in the northwest wall of the Halema’uma’u crater (火山口).

By December 31, 2020, the volcano had erupted over 27 million cubic meters of molten rock — enough to fill more than 8000 Olympic-sized swimming pools — and replaced the existing water lake with a nearly 600-foot-deep lava lake. Fortunately, the magma (岩浆) is contained inside the volcano’s crater and does not bring a risk to people or property as it did in 2018, when the molten rock flowed through a residential neighborhood, destroying over 700 homes.

Residents have, however, been asked to limit outdoor activities in areas with high volcanic smog, which is a form of air pollution created when sulfur dioxide and other pollutants sent out from volcanic activity interact chemically with atmospheric steam, oxygen, dust, and sunlight. While not deadly, it can bring unpleasant feelings to skin, eyes, nose and throat, and it can be particularly harmful to individuals with breathing problems.

Now recognized as one of the world’s youngest and most active volcanoes, Kilauea was initially believed to be one offshoot of a bigger volcano. It was only after researchers discovered a magma system extending over 37 miles inside its crater in 1884 that the volcano was finally accepted as a separate unit.

Many locals believe that Kilauea’s eruptions are caused by Pele, a Hawaiian volcano goddess who lives in the mountain. According to a popular folk story, the goddess was forced to leave Tahiti. Upon arriving at Hawaii, she burst with anger, creating destructive fire caves and volcanoes. While Pele was killed during an historic battle with her sister Nāmaka on the island of Maui, her spirit lives on inside the Halema’uma’u crater.

1. What can we infer from Paragraph 2?

A．The volcano is located near a lake.	B．Kilauea was completely dead in 2020.
C．Magma seldom erupts out of craters.	D．The 2018 eruption did some damage.

2. Why were citizens asked to stay indoors as much as possible?

A．The roads were ruined after the eruption.	B．The volcano may erupt at any time.
C．The volcanic smog can be harmful to people.	D．The atmosphere outside was deadly.

3. What does the underlined word “ offshoot ” in Paragraph 4 mean?

A．Branch.

B．Mixture.

C．Ancestor.

D．Product.

4. What is Paragraph 5 mainly about?

A．How Kilauea got its name.	B．Why Kilauea became active.
C．The origin of Kilauea.	D．A tale about Kilauea.

8 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Every civilization has its own set of unique ways to produce its delicious food. When     1     comes to China, its unique method is to use ancient herbs in their dishes. Chinese cuisines are tasty, full of flavor, and are now widespread throughout the world due to their     2     (popular). If you want to bring the Chinese taste to your home,     3     (grow) some herbs is the best way to go.

Most herbs originating from Asia are simple plants that are easy     4     (plant). You won’t struggle much to plant a garden of them on your lawn. Most of them are natively from a warm environment,     5     they grow best in warm climate. However, you can also plant them in containers and they’ll adapt     6     their new environment. Get a package of seeds of your desired herbs and plant them in     7     (suit) pots. You’d need to give them moisture (水分) and temperature. When the plants grow out of the soil, transfer them to your garden bed     8     they can grow well. Make sure your pots, as well as your garden bed,     9     (expose) to natural sunlight. These herbs grow on moisture, but too much of it could be dangerous for them. If you     10     (equip) your house with HVAC equipment (供暖与空气调节设备) already, research ways how to maintain the herbs growth while using air conditioning.

9 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

The awful night rolled slowly away, and the dawn greyly broke on THE LAST DAY OF POMPEII! The crowd looked upwards, and saw, with unspeakable fear, a huge cloud     1     (shoot) from the top of the volcano. It took the form of     2     huge tree: the trunk, blackness, the branches, fire! This fire moved and changed in colour with every moment: now it was wildly bright, now of a pale and dying red, and now again it burnt with an     3     (bear) light!

The cries of women broke out; the man looked at each other, silent. At that moment, they felt the earth shaking     4     their feet; beyond in the distance, they heard the crash of falling     5     (roof). A moment later, the mountain—cloud seemed to roll towards them, dark and rapid, like a river; at the same time, it threw out a shower of ashes and huge pieces of     6       (burn) stone! Over the empty streets—over the forum—far and wide—with many a noise crash in the stormy sea—     7     (fall) that awful shower!

Each turned     8     (fly)—each running, pressing, pushing against the other. If, in the darkness, wife     9     (separate) from husband, or parent from child, there was no hope of their meeting again. Each hurried blindly and     10     (fear) on. So came the earthquake. . . and so ended life in Pompeii.

10 . Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. double          B. intense          C. pressures       D. stock          E. agriculture       F. trapped G. withdrawal     H. availability   I. drive             J. expanding     K. rising

Throughout history, people have fought bitter wars over political ideology, national sovereignty and religious expression. How much more     1     will these conflicts be when people fight over the Earth’s most indispensable resource water? We may find out in the not-too-distant future if projections about the     2     of water in the Middle East and other regions prove correct.

Less than three percent of the planet’s     3     is fresh water, and almost two-thirds of this amount is     4     in ice caps, glaciers, and underground aquifers too deep or too remote to access. In her book, Pillars of Sand-Can the Irrigation Miracle Last, Sandra Postel outlines three forces that     5     tension and conflict over freshwater. Using up the water “resource pie”. In India, the world’s second-most populous nation, with over 1 billion inhabitants, the rate of groundwater     6     is twice that of recharge, a deficit higher than in any other country. Although water is a renewable resource, it is not a(n)     7     one. The freshwater available today for more than 6 billion people is no greater than it was 2,000 years ago, when global population was approximately 200 million. (The current U.S. population is 287 million.)

Global     8     accounts for about 70% of all freshwater use. In five of the world’s most water-stressed, controversial areas the Aral Sea region, the Ganges, the Jordan, the Nileland and Tigris-Euphrates population increases of up to 75% are projected by 2025. With the fastest rate of growth in the world, the population of Palestinian territory will more than     9     over the next generation. Most experts agree that, because of geography, population     10     and politics, water wars are most likely to break out in the Middle East, a region where the amount of available freshwater per capita will decrease by about 50% over the next generation.