1 . It used to be that a "green classroom" referred to the color of paint on the wall. But today's green classrooms are greener than that! New "green" classrooms help schools save money and provide clean environments where students learn better.
Many classrooms are going green by adding solar panels（太阳能电池板）to their roofs. The solar panels collect energy from the sun and use it to power lights and computers. The panels help make green classrooms grid-neutral, which means the panels create at least as much electricity as the classrooms use. In addition, new lighting and air systems can be programmed to lower energy costs and water use.
Many new "green" classrooms are built using recycled materials. Some even use pieces of material from blue jeans to insulate（使隔热）walls and roofs. The old-jean insulation cuts heat and air conditioning bills.
Green schools feature many other new ideas. Some classrooms are painted using special odor-free paints that help improve indoor air. Some use no glues that add chemical smells to the air. Others use triple-pane windows（三层玻璃）and skylights to help keep classrooms warm in cold weather and let in lots of natural daylight.
Experts say the benefits of building greener classrooms go beyond cost savings. Studies show that a healthful environment with good air quality can cut colds and flu by more than 50 percent. That means fewer sick days for students and teachers. Studies have shown that natural light and other green features improve student learning and test scores too.
1. What do we know about the present green classroom?| A．Its paint is green. | B．It has many plants. |
| C．Its furniture is green. | D．It is environmentally friendly. |
| A．Solar panels. | B．Triple-pane windows. |
| C．Material from jeans. | D．Lighting and air systems. |
| A．save money | B．have no smell |
| C．cost nothing | D．have no color |
| A．bettering air quality | B．getting natural light |
| C．Curing flu and colds | D．improving test scores |
| A．Classrooms Are Growing Greener |
| B．Make Your Classroom Green Now |
| C．Greener Classrooms Benefit Students |
| D．Green Is the Best Choice for Classrooms |
1. How many times has Mark visited the Topeka Zoo?
| A．Once. | B．Twice. | C．Three times. |
| A．It hurt a zoo worker. | B．It escaped from the zoo. | C．It injured a tourist. |
| A．It was rebuilt. |
| B．It was closed the next day. |
| C．It reopened about 45 minutes later. |
3 . For many years, scientists and animal lovers have worked to make the world safer for endangered species. Now, there is something that needs protection from these protected animals — a famous French cheese called Roquefort, known as the “King of Cheeses”.
Roquefort is made from sheep’s milk in the southern part of the French mountains. Farmers have been making Roquefort for thousands of years, and they follow many rules when making it, to be sure that it is done in the traditional way. One of the rules is that they must let their sheep live freely in the mountains.
However, following these rules has become very dangerous. Wolves have moved into the area, and they have killed 62 sheep. The wolves are an endangered species, and have not been seen in the French mountains since the 1920s. No one is allowed to kill the wolves, but the farmers are now saying it is impossible for their sheep to live in the same mountains as the wolves. Farmers have dogs to protect the sheep and have also built electric fences, but they say they will not have enough money to continue making Roquefort once they have spent it all on keeping their sheep safe. Many people have said that wolves that attack sheep should be killed, since they have become a threat to the farmers’ jobs. Others think that anyone who wants the wolves killed is trying to make them become extinct.
Maybe it would not be a problem if Roquefort became extinct instead, and the wolves were able to live in the mountains. But then the farmers would not have jobs. Will the people of Southern France be able to find a way that protects both the wolves and the King of Cheeses? Let’s wait and see.
1. The purpose of the first paragraph is to ________.| A．introduce the topic | B．make a comparison |
| C．give an example | D．give advice |
| A．It is produced in many places in France. |
| B．It has been made in modern ways. |
| C．It has a long history. |
| D．It is easy to make. |
| A．They have been endangered since the 1920s. |
| B．They are in danger of being attacked. |
| C．They are too expensive to feed. |
| D．They are killed by people. |
| A．They can’t afford to make the cheese. |
| B．They have no time to make the cheese. |
| C．They have no idea how to sell the cheese. |
| D．They can’t produce the cheese with high quality. |
| A．They agree with killing the wolves. |
| B．They support leaving the wolves as they are. |
| C．They all think people musn’t kill the wolves at any time. |
| D．They hold different ideas about how to deal with the wolves. |
4 . Kunta is a small attractive stone-built town in England. Water is a natural gateway to the Cheviot Hills and the Northumberland National Park. From its main street formed by the Market Place and High Street three roads lead off through the foothills into the National Park. The main street has hotels, specialist shops, pottery(陶器) factories and grocery stores. The shopping centre in the area has a reputation for friendly, helpful service.
The beauty of the surrounding scenery is eye-opening: on the one side the fallen sandstone goes across the valley below and on the other the wonderful Cheviot Hills rising behind the town to form a splendid background. Alnwick is a town with a historic castle and the famous Alnwick Gardens lie a few miles south while the Scottish Borders are within easy travelling distance from Kunta on clean country roads. Therefore, the town is an excellent place for a holiday. It offers a wide range of accommodation, ranging from youth hostels(招待所), campsites to local hotels. The summer months see the town’s High Streets become a busy scene of local people and visitors. Each July the town holds its Glendale festival with a program of events spread over the weekend.
Activities to do in Kunta include bowling, skiing, junior football clubs, fitness clubs, running, tennis, and walking. The industries are sheep farming and tourism.
There is much evidence of settlements throughout the area dating back to pre Bronze(青铜器) Age times. The Roman period seems to have had little impact on the area. In the twelfth century, it was ruled by Anglo Saxons, then Danish and eventually the Normans. In the twelfth century, the population was little more than eighteen hundred.
1. What do you know about Kunta?| A．It is a small attractive town built on the top of a mountain. |
| B．It is a small beautiful English town built of stones. |
| C．It is near the most beautiful national park in England. |
| D．The largest shopping centre in England lies in Kunta. |
| A．beauty of the surrounding scenery | B．friendly and helpful service |
| C．wide range of accommodation | D．historic castles and famous gardens |
| A．people | B．location |
| C．environment | D．history |
The Lomax family needed a dog. Though their house was already full with seven people, they knew a dog would truly make the house a home. So they settled on a dog whom they named Jack. It turned out to be the best decision they ever made.
It was Jack’s protective instinct(本能) that would save the lives of the Lomax family. If it wasn’t for him, the family may never have survived the terrible accident that would eventually befall one cold January day in 2020.
It was a night like many others. Autumn, the family’s youngest child and her mother Ashley had settled into bed in one of the bedrooms on the second floor. Jack, who rarely left Autumn’s side, had settled in there as well. Little did they know that something terrible was about to happen that night. While the family was fast asleep, a fire had started in one of the other second floor bedrooms. Jack had picked up a whiff (些微的气味) of smoke in the next room. In an instant, the brave dog jumped into action.
The four-legged family member knew something was wrong but had no way of telling his owners. He jumped up Ashley’s bed and began touching her face. She pushed him off her bed and tried to roll over but he began again, until she was up.
As soon as she could, Ashley took hold of Autumn and began to move away from the door. She screamed at the top of her lungs as she ran from the room, alerting the rest of the family to the disaster that was taking place. Jack did his part again too, barking loudly. Ashley’s screams woke the four other adults and two more children. All of them headed out into the cold January night. In no time, the fire had engulfed (吞没) nearly the entire home, but luckily, all of them had made it out alive, with Jack leading the way.
1. Why did the Lomax family raise a dog? (No more than 15 words)2. What does the underlined word mean in the 2nd paragraph? (No more than 3 words)
3. Which floor did Jack sleep? (No more than 5 words)
4. What did Jack do when he sensed something wrong? (No more than 10 words)
5. What do you think of Jack? Please explain? (No more than 20 words)
6 . The whale, as big as a locomotive (火车头), jumped out of the water, spinning (旋转) as though for joy, before jumping back under the waves. We watched silently in astonishment, never having been so close to such a huge, fast-moving creature. It seemed almost possible to count the small shellfish on the whale's skin.
In early December, gray whales, blue whales, and others had just started heading around the tip of Baja California, Mexico, moving as a community from the Pacific Ocean to the Sea of Cortez. It's in that protected waterway that pregnant whales give birth to their babies. Other whale babies, born the year before, could be seen sailing behind. All whale babies get two trips like this with their mom before they're ready to start having babies of their own and making the journey on their own.
We're in one of several small powerboats, sent out by ScubaCaribe, which carries on such tours in Cabo San Lucas, the whales seemed to be, at times, less than 100 feet from our boat when they rushed out of the water. At other times, they would get much closer and swim beside the boat.
“What if one lands on us?” a woman next to me wondered. Fernando Del Toro, the Destination Manager of ScubaCaribe said, “We haven't had any incidents (事件) of whales jumping over our boats as we always keep our distance. We're sure they themselves are probably careful not to crash into boats. Such an accident would probably also cause them much harm.”
“Everyone can enjoy this magical trip,” said Del Toro. “However, we do not recommend (推荐) it for kids under 5 years old,” he added.
Though conditions on the water vary, our trip was wonderful. Even when the boat sped up to catch up with the whales, there was little need to “hang on”, and some of us remained standing throughout most of the trip. Still, you may want to pack medicine for those who might get seasick while bouncing (颠簸行进) along the waves.
1. How does the author start the text?| A．By telling a story. | B．By asking questions. |
| C．By describing a scene. | D．By giving background information. |
| A．Proud. | B．Worried. | C．Amazed. | D．Discouraged. |
| A．A description of the author's journey. | B．A list of best places for whale-watching. |
| C．An introduction to the travelling of whales. | D．A suggestion on taking a whale-watching tour. |
| A．It is suitable for all ages. | B．It is much too dangerous. |
| C．It may cause serious damage to wildlife. | D．It should be done from a proper distance. |
| A．It was smooth. | B．It was exhausting. |
| C．It was destroyed by a storm. | D．It was terrible due to his seasickness. |
7 . Succulents (多肉植物) are plants with parts that are thick and fleshy, usually to stay wet in hot and dry climates. They are easy to grow well.
Step 1
Get the pots ready. The actual pot size will depend on the size of the plant, neither too large nor too small.
*There should be 3 or more holes at the bottom of the pot. Clay (陶土) pots are the best.
*Fil1 of the pot with gravel (沙砾).
Step 2
Prepare your soil. If you don't want to use one of the ready-made succulent mixes available on the market, prepare your own.
Step 3
Succulents prefer bright light; therefore, place the pots in an area where there is plenty of sunlight. An ideal sun exposure will be from early morning to 12 noon during the summer.
Step 4
Fill the pots up to the desired level with the potting mix so that the tip of the roots will touch it Then, hold the plant carefully at the center of the pot, allow the roots to hang inside and place the potting mix loosely around the roots until it covers them up.
Step 5
Water your plant. The first watering will be done on the third day of planting. The plant needs the soil to be dry for the first two days so that any harm to the root system can heal.
Step 6
Fertilize (施肥), during the summer growing season, as you would with other houseplants. Stop fertilizing entirely during the winter. The nitrogen content (含氮量) of the fertilizer should always be very low.
1. How should you prepare a pot for a succulent?| A．Try to avoid using clay pot. | B．Fill 1/2 of the pot with gravel. |
| C．Use a pot that is 3 times the size of the plant. | D．Use a pot with at least 3 holes at the bottom. |
| A．10 am-12 pm. | B．12 pm-2 pm. | C．2 pm-4 pm. | D．4 pm-6 pm. |
| A．Not fertilizing it during the winter. | B．Fertilizing the plant on the third day after planting. |
| C．Making the fertilizer yourself. | D．Using a fertilizer with a high nitrogen content. |
（1）你对本次比赛主题的理解；
（2）举例说明；
（3）号召全校同学行动起来贡献自己的一份力量。
注意：
（1）次数不少于100；
（2）可适当加入细节，使内容充实、行文连贯；
（3）开头已为你写好，不计入词数。
Good morning, everyone. It is my great pleasure to give a lecture here on “Clear Waters and Lush Mountains Are as Valuable as Gold and Silver”.
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9 . Some of Earth’s plants have fallen in love with metal. With roots that act practically like magnets (磁铁), these organisms—about 700 are known—flourish in metal-rich soils that make hundreds of thousands of other plant species flee or die.
Slicing open one of these trees or running the leaves of its bush cousin through a peanut press produces a blue-green “juice”. This “juice” is netually one-quarter nickel (镍), far more concentrated than the one feeding the world’s nickel smelters (熔炉).
The plants not only collect the soil’s minerals into their bodies but seem to store them to “ridiculous” levels, said Alan Baker, a visiting botany professor at the University of Melbourne who has researched the relationship between plants and their soils since the 1970s. This vegetation could be the world’s most efficient, solar-powered mineral smelters. What if, as a partial replacement to traditional, energy-intensive and environmentally costly mining and smelting, the world harvested nickel plants?
Dr. Baker and an international team of colleagues have set their sights on convincing the world the idea is more than just a fun thought experiment. On a plot of land rented from a rural village on the Malaysian side of the island of Borneo, the group has proved it at small scale. Every six to 12 months, a farmer shaves off one foot of growth from these nickel-hyper-accumulating plants and either burns or squeezes the metal out. After a short purification (提纯), farmers could hold in their hands roughly 500 pounds of nickel citrate (硝酸镍), potentially worth thousands of dollars on international markets.
Now, as the team scales up to the world’s largest trial at nearly 50 acres, their target audience is industry. In a decade, the researchers hope that a greater consumer demand for base metals and rate minerals could be filled by the same kind of farming that produces the world’s coconuts and coffee.
1. What does the underlined word “flourish” in paragraph 1 probably mean?| A．hide themselves |
| B．attract the attention of others |
| C．die out |
| D．grow well |
| A．Nickel runs along those plants’ leaves. |
| B．The blue-green “juice” contains a high concentration of nickel. |
| C．To produce nickel, those trees should be put into smelters. |
| D．Without peanut press, the blue-green “juice” can’t be produced. |
| A．Dr. Baker and his group have already started testing this plant in large quantities. |
| B．This vegetation contains a high content of nickel. |
| C．Farmers will cut down the plants and burn the metal out every six to 12 months. |
| D．Dr. Baker and his group have made a fortune from the vegetation. |
| A．An introduction of metal-purification technology. |
| B．The use of nickel-hyper-accumulating plants. |
| C．The discovery of nickel-hyper-accumulating plants. |
| D．The farming for metals. |
| A．Short-sighted. | B．Wait-and-see. |
| C．Optimistic. | D．Skeptical. |
10 . Nature has inspired many of the most fascination designs around us, including those in architecture. From Barcelona’s forest-like Sagrada Familia to the modern style of Beijing’s Water Cube, nature is presented in various architectural designs. Today, architects continue to explore ways to capture the beauty of natural forms, to mimic (模仿) the way nature works or even to make natural organisms part of a building.
ArtScience Museum, Singapore
ArtScience Museum was designed to show the connection between nature and the modern city environment in which it sits. Shaped to resemble a lotus flower, it appears to float above the waterfront promenade and the water that surrounds it. Its roof collects rainwater and channels it 35 metres down to a waterfall in the centre of the space. The water is then recycled through the building’s plumbing system. Visitors are often amazed to find themselves in an urban building that so truly captures the beauty of natural forms.
The Eastgate Centre, Harare
Harare’s Eastgate Centre is a superb example of biomimicry (生物仿生). To use biomimicry is to create structures based on natural forms and processes. Zimbabwean architect Mick Pearce was inspired to create the Centre while watching a nature documentary in which termites (白蚁) were constructing their nests. The insects built mounds covered in little holes designed to allow air to move freely in and out of the mounds. In a similar way, the Eastgate Centre has a “skin” covered in holes. During the day, warm air is drawn into the building through the holes, cooling as it reaches the middle of the building. At night, the heat absorbed by the wall during the day warms the cool air, creating a comfortable temperature inside. The design reduces the need for traditional air conditioning and heating systems, so the building uses less energy and costs less to run.
The Algae (藻类) House, Hamburg
The world’s first algae-powered building is in Hamburg, Germany. The surface of the apartment building is covered in panels that contain algae. The algae are fed with liquid nutrients and carbon dioxide to encourage them to grow. In bright sunshine, they grow faster and proved shade. The panels also capture heat from the sun and convert it into energy that powers the building. And that’s not all—the algae inside the panels can be harvested and used to produce fuel. The building therefore not only responds to its environment and uses less energy, but also reduces damage to the environment by generating its own renewable energy.
1. What is the author’s purpose in writing the message?| A．To introduce three biomimicry architects. |
| B．To show how nature fits into architecture. |
| C．To tell us how to use less energy and do less damage to the environment. |
| D．To show some buildings of the future. |
| A．ArtScience Museum looks like a flower. |
| B．The waterfall in the center of the space is formed naturally. |
| C．While in the building, visitors always find themselves in urban areas. |
| D．ArtScience Museum was designed to collect rainwater. |
| A．It was built according to the forms and processes of nature. |
| B．It is shaped like a termite nest. |
| C．Its design relics on traditional air conditioning and beating systems. |
| D．Without those holes, the building wouldn’t work. |
| A．The algae need to feed/ |
| B．The algae can be used to produce fuel/ |
| C．It’s the only algae-powered building in the world. |
| D．Panels containing algae cover the surface of the apartment. |
| A．Nature in architecture |
| B．The development of architecture |
| C．Charm of biomimicry |
| D．In harmony with the building |
