1 . A review from the International Programme on the State of the Ocean (IPSO) warns that the oceans are facing multiple threats. They are being heated by climate change, turning slowly less alkaline (碱性的) by absorbing CO2, and suffering from overfishing and pollution.
The report says, “We have been taking the ocean for granted. It has been shielding us from the worst effects of accelerating climate change by absorbing excess CO2 from the atmosphere.”
Although the temperature increases may be experiencing a pause, the ocean continues to warm regardless. For the most part, however, the public and policy makers are failing to recognize — or choosing to ignore — the severity of the situation. Coral reefs, for instance, are suffering from the higher temperatures.
IPSO, funded by charitable foundations, is publishing a set of five papers based on workshops in 2011 and 2012 in partnership with the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The reports call for governments all over the world to halt (暂停) CO2 increase at 450ppm, and also urge much more focused fisheries management and a priority list for tackling the key groups of chemicals that cause most harmful effects. They want the governments to negotiate a new agreement for the sustainable fishing in the high oceans to be monitored by a new global high seas enforcement agency.
The IUCN's Prof Dan Laffoley said, “What these latest reports make absolutely clear is that delaying action will increase costs in the future and lead to even greater, perhaps permanent losses. “The UN climate report confirmed that the ocean is bearing the pressure of human-induced changes to our planet. These discoveries give us not only more cause for alarm, but also a roadmap for action. We must use it.
1. According to the passage, _______ are NOT the reason why the oceans become slowly less alkaline.| A．various pollutions | B．higher temperatures |
| C．bad fishing practices | D．destroyed coral reefs |
| A．warning | B．protecting |
| C．showing | D．cooling |
| A．To appeal to world governments to halt CO2 increase at 450ppm. |
| B．To tell us that the ocean is bearing the pressure of human-induced changes to our planet. |
| C．To ask the governments to carry out new measures for the sustainable fishing in the high oceans. |
| D．To advise the governments to make a priority list for tackling the key groups of chemicals that cause most harm. |
| A．The reports warn us that we need to take actions right now. |
| B．Coral reefs are weakened by bad fishing practices and pollution. |
| C．The global temperature is increasing and the ocean continues to warm as well. |
| D．It seems that the policymakers are trying to ignore the severity of the ocean situation. |
| A．To tell us that the oceans become less alkaline. |
| B．To advise us to negotiate a new agreement for the sustainable fishing. |
| C．To tell us that global warming has a great effect on the oceans’ temperature. |
| D．To warn us that the oceans are in danger and immediate measures should be taken. |
2 . I stole your dog today. No, I didn’t set a foot on your house, but from the condition of your dog, I can imagine what it looks like…the word “rubbish” comes to mind.
I found her along a road, with a heavy chain wrapped around her neck, still attached to rotten boards from her doghouse. Not only did I know that most of the town people had already ignored her, judging by where I found her, but I knew that if she had gotten into the Woods, the “cross” that she dragged behind her would have wrapped around a tree until starvation or thirst killed her. She has a beautiful name now. Already in the first week she has come to look more like she should. Her eyes sparkle and she has learned to wag her tail in greeting. She has stopped flinching (畏缩) when I make a sudden movement, because she knows now that I won’t beat her, in fact, she rarely leaves my side. She’s even become brave enough to bark at a cat and today I watched from the window as she attempted to play with the other dogs. No, it’s clear she does not miss you or her former life on a chain.
It’s not clear yet whether she'll remain here or whether I’ll find her a loving home where she can count on more individual attention than I can give her, but one thing is certain, this is one bit of stolen “property” who is never returning to you. So sue me, accuse me, plead with the courts that she is rightfully yours ... I’m convinced this is the best “crime” I’ve ever committed. Hardly anything has pleased me more than the day I stole your dog. I need only look into her beautiful brown eyes to know that she’d defend my decision with her life. If we have one prayer, it is that you will not replace her, and if we have one special day to celebrate together, it is the day I stole your dog and the day she stole my heart.
1. What’s the author’s attitude towards the former owner of the dog?| A．Puzzled. | B．Angry. |
| C．Shocked. | D．Satisfied. |
| A．the dog is not lovely |
| B．the dog tried to find a kind master |
| C．the dog was treated badly by its former master |
| D．the author will be charged with stealing a dog |
| A．playing with other dogs | B．barking at a cat |
| C．not missing her former master | D．waving her tail to make greetings |
| A．He was afraid of being punished. |
| B．He thought he had to do it. |
| C．He believed that the law would allow him to do so. |
| D．He did it with pride. |
3 . With an eye for style and a heart for the environment, 18-year-old Alexis Giger launched a do-it-yourself blog aimed at “reducing your environmental impact fashionably”.
The idea was sparked (激发) by the ecology unit in her biology class at Charlotte Latin School last year, she said, which taught her about issues like deforestation and habitat destruction. “I started thinking about what I could do to stop the wastefulness in my immediate community,” the fashion lover said.
The blog, ecouturieracg.wordpress.com, aims to make reusing thrift store (旧货店) finds or last season’s pieces easy and fashionable while cutting down on the resources consumed by garment production, Alexis said. Through online research, she discovered that a simple cotton T-shirt takes more than 700 gallons of water to make.
“It made me realize that the fashion industry consumes huge amounts of natural resources as it relies on producing garments quickly and in large supply – many of the garments are only intended to be worn three or four times,” she said.
Alexis had a number of tools to help her get started. Her mom, Kimberly, taught her to sew when she was 5. Her grandmother taught her to crochet (钩边) around the same time. Alexis said she also gained technical knowledge and inspiration from her part-time job at a clothing company that creates theater wardrobes for schools and drama productions.
Prior to the blog launch, she spent several months illustrating “recycling” projects by creating photo tutorials. Though Ecouturier hasn’t been online long, she’s been getting positive feedback. “I’ve had people come up to me in the hall and say, ‘Hey, I saw your blog. I’m working on one of the projects right now,’” Alexis said.
She said she hasn’t bought a brand-new piece of clothing since last July, and her thrift store shopping has paid off with finds such as a $5 (31 yuan) dress she wore to homecoming.
“Taking an hour from Saturday afternoon to make something for yourself can really have an impact on the environment. A little change every day can really add up,” Alexis said.
1. What inspired Alexis to launch a do-it-yourself blog?| A．Her talent at making handicrafts. |
| B．Her fascination with the fashion industry. |
| C．Her part-time work experiences. |
| D．Her growing concern for the environment after taking a biology class. |
| A．It sells items made from thrift store finds. |
| B．It teaches people how to choose thrift store goods. |
| C．It encourages people to remake their clothing in a cool way. |
| D．It informs people of the bad effects of deforestation and habitat destruction. |
| A．In order to promote her blog, Alexis is spending a lot of time online every day. |
| B．The projects on Alexis’ blog have convinced some people to try recycling clothes themselves. |
| C．Alexis has been dreaming of working in the fashion industry since she was a child. |
| D．To start the blog, Alexis learned from her mother and grandmother how to sew and crochet. |
| A．attitude |
| B．advice |
| C．response |
| D．approach |
| A．Creative and responsible. |
| B．Smart and cooperative. |
| C．Independent and humorous. |
| D．Fashionable and amusing. |
4 . Every year migratory（迁徙的） bats travel from Mexico to Bracken Cave, where they spend the summer consuming insects that would otherwise hungrily eat common food crops. But the bats have been showing up far earlier than they did two decades ago.
In a study, scientists at Rothamsted Research, used radar data from 160 U.S. weather stations to analyze activity in the Texas bat colony from 1995 through 2017. They discovered the creatures were leaving their winter quarters in Mexico earlier and reproducing sooner. They were also astonished to find increasing numbers of bats overwintering（过冬）at Bracken Cave instead of heading back to their cold weather quarters in Mexico. Overwintering is a sign that warmer temperatures change the bats' annual rhythms, Rothamsted biologist Phillip Stepanian says.
A separate study of migratory bats in Indiana, published last year, found that temperature variations affected arrival and departure times-likewise hinting at the potential influence of climate change. Joy O'Keefe, a biology professor and co-author of that study, says early arrival at their summer habitats could expose these bats to cold snaps（寒流）, and they could freeze to death.
Joy O’Keefe and her colleagues also found that changing bat migration times can also clash with rainfall patterns. Many insects that bats eat breed in seasonal lakes and puddles. If the bats arrive too early to benefit from summer rainfall and the resulting abundance of insects, they may struggle to feed their pups（幼崽） or skip reproduction altogether, O’Keefe says. She fears this shift could cause Midwestern bats to decrease toward extinction, which would be bad news for humans. “Declines in bat populations could have severe effects for crop success,” she says, adding that bats also “control significant disease vectors, such as mosquitoes.”
However, scientists are not certain that climate change alone is causing the Bracken Cave bat colony to migrate earlier. They have found a direct link between seasonal temperatures and bird migration, but bats are also influenced by factors such as changes in wind speed and direction. And there are other complications. “Bats are mysterious little animals that move mostly at night and are difficult to observe and track ,” Stepanian says. “We have this conceptual picture of what might be happening, but really tying it to the cause is the next step.”
1. What is the best title for the passage?| A．Bats’ habitants | B．Endangered bats |
| C．Bats’ migration | D．Bats, our good friends |
| A．bats prefer heading back to Mexico | B．bats delay their reproduction |
| C．warming affects bat migration | D．radar can be used to observe bats |
| A．bats are used to living in rainfall seasons |
| B．bats’ earlier migration might harm farming |
| C．insects' reproduction helps to spread disease |
| D．insects shortage makes bats reproduce earlier |
| A．Insects. | B．migration times. |
| C．Bats. | D．lakes and puddles. |
| A．Wind speed and direction affect bats. |
| B．It is difficult to observe and track bats. |
| C．Climate change makes bats migrate earlier. |
| D．Further research on the cause is necessary. |
5 . NASA scientists have found evidence of flowing water on Mars. This opens up the possibility of
We may be excited by the thought of living things on another
Think of what would change if we valued
A couple of weeks ago, I launched a column focusing on extreme consumption, and
As clever new ways of wasting stuff are continually
| A．peace | B．trust | C．life | D．danger |
| A．appearance | B．discovery | C．performance | D．operation |
| A．planet | B．stage | C．level | D．island |
| A．courage | B．hope | C．pride | D．interest |
| A．spread | B．lost | C．ignored | D．found |
| A．climb | B．turn | C．increase | D．decline |
| A．water | B．plants | C．animals | D．air |
| A．Often | B．Only | C．Even | D．Last |
| A．private | B．public | C．unclear | D．accessible |
| A．checked | B．chosen | C．wasted | D．polluted |
| A．saves | B．threatens | C．enriches | D．changes |
| A．interests | B．satisfies | C．frightens | D．terrifies |
| A．complaint | B．doubt | C．appreciation | D．surprise |
| A．pressure | B．control | C．guidance | D．attention |
| A．made | B．considered | C．invited | D．followed |
| A．benefits | B．reasons | C．features | D．products |
| A．time | B．hair | C．help | D．knowledge |
| A．allows | B．promises | C．persuades | D．advises |
| A．criticized | B．reported | C．replaced | D．created |
| A．expensive | B．limited | C．pointless | D．stable |
6 . Some humans consider mulberry trees( 桑 树 )little more than oversize weeds. the giraffe Stella loves them. Her long, gray tongue snakes around the leaves and gets them from their branches beautifully.
Stella’s mother, Abby, comes over for her share. The Philadelphia Zoo’s two female giraffes consume about a pound of leaves in mere minutes. Fortunately, the zoo has plenty, thanks in part to an unusual source: the local power company.
Utility( 公 共 事 业 )companies routinely cut back trees. They want to keep branches from damaging power lines and causing power failures. Usually the branches end up in landfills. But in recent years, a growing number of energy providers have begun donating them to zoos. Hungry zoo animals are happy to eat the green, leafy tree branches known as “browse”
Browse partnerships between zoos and power companies are one example of the creative and sometimes unexpected ways zoos work with local organizations to meet animals’ particular-and often huge-dietary needs. Store chains and restaurants sell or donate greens, fruits and vegetables to zoos. Local landowners also provide plant material. But utility companies are in a special position. They need to regularly cut back branches. And they have no use for these branches themselves.
PECO Energy Co. Is Pennsylvania’s largest electric and natural gas utility. From August through October, the company delivered three pickup trucks full of browse every week to the Philadelphia Zoo. The weekly browse delivery totaled between 100 and 200 pounds.
“Zoos require a lot of browse because it’s such an important part of many animals’ diets. Of the Philadelphia Zoo’s 330 species, 40 eat it. Browse has it all: fiber, protein, vitamins, minerals and a little fat. It’s also lower in sugar and higher in protein and fiber than some other plant material, ”said Toddes, the Zoo’s director. “Chewing on the bark is even good for animals’ teeth.”
What’s more, browse provides animals with important exercise, she said. In the wild, giraffes eat the tops of trees. So zoo staff hang browse up high to simulate(模拟)their native environment. This also gives visitors a better idea of the animals’ natural behavior.
1. What can be learned about Stella and her mother?| A．They are big eaters | B．They don’t like oversize weeds |
| C．They have difficulty reaching leaves | D．They live in a local power company |
| A．To beautify the tree | B．To use them to produce power |
| C．To provide food for zoo animals | D．To keep power lines working normally. |
| A．The donations are for large animals | B．The donations come from landfills |
| C．The donations are given routinely | D．The donations contain fruits and vegetables. |
| A．It has great nutritional value. | B．It doesn’t require strong teeth |
| C．It’s more than what the animals can eat. | D．It’s suitable for most of the zoo’s species. |
| A．To give visitors a better view. |
| B．To get the giraffes moving a lot. |
| C．To prevent other animals stealing giraffes’ food |
| D．To get the giraffes out of their native environment. |
Therapy dogs are dogs that are trained to give comfort (安慰) and love to people in unfortunate situations. They are often used to help people in hospitals, retirement homes, schools and disaster areas. Whether or not a dog is suitable for this line of work is based on its personality. Because therapy dogs must work with many kinds of people, such as young children or the elderly, they must have patience.
During World War II, a soldier named William Wynne found a dog abandoned (遗弃) on the battlefield. He became friends with the dog and named it Smoky. When Wynne became ill and entered a hospital, his friends brought Smoky for a visit. Smoky became so popular with the other sick soldiers in the hospital that he was allowed to stay. The doctors in the hospital used Smoky to help cheer up the patients. After the war ended, he continued to work as a therapy dog in the United States.
In the 1970s, an American nurse named Elaine Smith started a program to train therapy dogs. Smith noticed that patients in hospitals seemed to get better faster when they were around dogs. Many other doctors and nurses noticed that having animals regularly visit hospitals helped lower stress and blood pressure among patients. In the 1980s and 1990s, other animals also started to help the sick. Cats, birds and rabbits have become “therapy pets” and they are now used in many hospitals around the world.
Today, therapy pets not only help injured soldiers, but also help children with reading disabilities by providing an audience that won't look down upon them. Some therapy pets are used to work along with the doctor to help the patient learn to walk again after a serious injury.
1. What dogs are most suitable to be therapy dogs? (No more than 5 words)2. Why was Smoky allowed to stay in the hospital? (No more than 10 words)
3. What encouraged Elaine Smith to train and use therapy dogs? (No more than 8 words)
4. What does the underlined word ''therapy'' mean? (No more than 1 words)
5. What can we learn from the last paragraph? (No more than 15 words)
8 . George Gershwin, born in 1898, was one of America's greatest composers. He published his first song when he was eighteen years old. During the next twenty years he wrote more than five hundred songs.
Many of Gershwin's songs were first written for musical plays performed in theatres in New York City. These plays were a popular form of entertainment in the 1920s and 1930s. Many of his songs have remained popular as ever. Over the years they have been sung and played in every possible way — from jazz to country.
In the 1920s there was a debate in the United States about jazz music. Could jazz, some people asked, be considered serious music? In 1924 jazz musician and orchestra leader Paul Whiteman decided to organize a special concert to show that jazz was serious music. Gershwin agreed to compose something for the concert before he realized he had just a few weeks to do it. And in that short time, he composed a piece for piano and orchestra which he called Rhapsody in Blue. Gershwin himself played the piano at the concert. The audience were thrilled when they heard his music. It made him worldfamous and showed that jazz music could be both serious and popular.
In 1928, Gershwin went to Paris. He applied to study composition (作曲)with the wellknown musician Nadia Boulanger, but she rejected him. She was afraid that classical study would ruin his jazzinfluenced style. While there, Gershwin wrote An American in Paris. When it was first performed, critics (评论家)were divided over the music. Some called it happy and full of life, to others it was silly and boring. But it quickly became popular in Europe and the United States. It still remains one of his most famous works.
George Gershwin died in 1937, just days after doctors learned he had brain cancer. He was only thirtynine years old. Newspapers all over the world reported his death on their front pages. People mourned the loss of the man and all the music he might have still written.
1. Many of Gershwin's musical works were ________．| A．written about New Yorkers | B．composed for Paul Whiteman |
| C．performed in various ways | D．played mainly in the countryside |
| A．It proved jazz could be serious music. |
| B．It attracted more people to theatres. |
| C．It made Gershwin leader of the orchestra. |
| D．It caused a debate among jazz musicians. |
| A．He studied with Nadia Boulanger. | B．He created one of his best works. |
| C．He argued with French critics. | D．He changed his music style. |
| A．The death of Gershwin was widely reported. |
| B．Many of Gershwin's works were lost. |
| C．A concert was held in memory of Gershwin. |
| D．Brain cancer research started after Gershwin's death. |
| A．Serious and boring. | B．Talented and productive. |
| C．Popular and unhappy. | D．Friendly and honest. |
9 . The killdeer, a small bird known for its high-pitched ( 声调高的) call, could lead to the cancellation of one of Canada’ biggest music festivals.
The first hint of trouble for Ottawa’s Bluesfest, an outdoor festival that draws around 300,000 people each year, came last week after workers at the site found one of the birds.
It had laid four eggs nearby, effectively claiming the main stage area as its nesting ground. “This is one of the most challenging problems we’ve been presented with, but we feel we can work through this,” said Mark Monahan, executive director of the festival.
“Anything that changes the schedule has a major effect, so we’re taking it very seriously.” The discovery meant that government officials rushed to protect the nest and the eggs, hiring a security guard to watch over them 24 hours a day. Environmentalists were also brought in.
“We don’t know when the eggs might hatch,” said Monahan. What is known is that the young killdeer will likely leave the nest soon after they are hatched, leading many to hope that the eggs hatch in the next day or so.
The festival is now seeking permission from Environment Canada to relocate the nest some 50 meters away or take it to a wildlife center.
Moving the nest would also ensure the bird and its young would be protected during the festival’s 11-day run, said Monahan. It’s highly likely that the festival’s thousands of attendees would cause huge problems for the bird and its eggs.
Monahan was confident that the festival would go on as planned, however.
“Most of the people we’re working with are looking for a positive solution,” Monahan said. “There is no one saying that the festival can’t go on.”
As news of the dilemma spread, it left residents divided. Some supported the bird, saying that moving the nest might result in the eggs being abandoned.
Others expressed annoyance that protecting the eggs of the small bird, which is widespread across North America, was risking an annual festival that contributes millions of dollars to the local economy.
The killdeer’s tendency to build its nest in open fields or flat areas has caused issues in other areas of the US: earlier this year, construction on a health center in Wisconsin was temporarily stopped after a killdeer and its four eggs were discovered.
1. What can we learn about Bluesfest?| A．It is the first music festival in Canada. |
| B．It is an important event for music lovers. |
| C．It is a music festival held every two years. |
| D．It is a challenging outdoor activity in Ottawa. |
| A．Pressure from the government. |
| B．Disagreements with the public. |
| C．The need to protect the bird’s eggs. |
| D．The lack of experience in hosting the event. |
| A．Move the nest to another place. |
| B．Ask government officials for help. |
| C．Seek advice from environmentalists. |
| D．Hire security guards to protect the eggs. |
| A．Negative. | B．Positive. |
| C．Unsure. | D．Indifferent. |
| A．a difficult situation |
| B．an extreme situation |
| C．a dangerous situation |
| D．an encouraging situation |
In the last week, terrible floods have hit Prague, the beautiful old capital city of the Czech Republic. These are the worst floods for over 100 years, leaving thousands of people without homes.
The floods rushed into Prague zoo as well, and hundreds of zoo animals had to swim for their lives. One of the monkeys drowned in two minutes, because the place where he lived was covered by water.
An elephant, called Kadir, also drowned, but his death helped to save other animals. Kadir was famous because he had appeared on TV. When they heard the news of his death, hundreds of people phoned the zoo offering help.
After the sad news of the elephant’s death, many volunteers came to the zoo to help the animals. This was not easy. They had to use the huge machines to lift things onto ships. Without these, it would have been impossible to lift the very large animals like elephants.
Other animals swam out and were found in the rivers. One of the seals, Gaston, swam to Germany, 120 kilometers away. In the end, four hundred animals were salvaged.
1. Why do you think the elephant death helped to save other animals?(no more than 15 words)2. How did a seal survive the flood at last? (no more than 10 words)
3. What’s main idea of Paragraph 4? (no more than 8 words)
4. The underlined word “salvaged” can be best replaced with ______.(no more than 2 words)
5. Do you want to be a volunteer to help save the animals? And why?(no more than 25 words)
