1 . One night, Pilar was in a deep sleep when she was woken by her cat Inti. Inti was meowing wildly outside Pilar’s bedroom and throwing himself against the closed bedroom door. When Pilar opened her eyes, she saw that her bedroom was filled with smoke. As she escaped her house with Inti in her arms, she saw that a fire was burning in her kitchen. Pilar could easily have lost her life, but Inti would not let that happen. Even though Inti could have escaped the house through a cat door, he wouldn’t leave Pilar.
As amazing as this story is, it is not as uncommon as you may think. Take the example of Charlotte Lee and her horse, Thunder. One summer night, the whole family was asleep with the windows open. It was normally very quiet where they lived. Suddenly, there was a loud noise. Charlotte woke up from her sweet dream, and the noise continued. Then she heard a horse running fast towards the house. The next thing she saw was Thunder standing outside her window, neighing(嘶叫) and shaking his head. She knew something was wrong. Charlotte quickly got everyone out of the house before the earthquake hit. Thunder has saved her life.
There are also stories of wild animals coming to the rescue of humans. One animal known to be a friend of humans is the dolphin. Once, Todd Endris was surfing with his friends when he was attacked by a 13-foot(4-meter) shark. In the middle of the attack, a group of dolphins came to his rescue by forming a protective ring around Endris until he could get safely to shore. Without the help of the dolphins, there is little chance that Todd could have escaped.
No one is sure why animals have so often come to our rescue. However, it is clear that humans and animals enjoy a close relationship. It is important that we care for them as much as we can.
1. Why did Inti throw himself against the door?| A．He was trying to wake up his owner. |
| B．He wanted to get out of the room. |
| C．He felt bored and was playing by himself. |
| D．He couldn’t find the way out because of smoke. |
| A．closed the windows | B．was sleeping deeply |
| C．ran to warn her neighbors | D．got her horse out of the stable |
| A．were shy and quiet | B．used to make noise at night |
| C．were brave and smart | D．saved their owners several times |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Grateful. |
| C．Frightened. | D．Bored. |
2 . Three-quarters of a million tourists flock to the primitive, white beaches every year—but this booming industry has come at a price. When foreigners left the government struggling to cope with a stream of rubbish, their answer was to turn one of these islands into a dumping ground. Clouds of sharp, poisonous smoke rising from open fires, piles of rubbish made up of plastic bottles, crisp packets and consumer junk. It’s a far cry from the white sands, crystal-clear waters and gently swaying palm trees that we associate with the Maldives (马尔代夫), the beautiful paradise island holiday destination set in the Indian Ocean.
Of its 200 inhabited islands, which are spread across an area of 35,000 square miles, 99 are dedicated resorts. Three-quarters of a million tourists visit every year — more than double the domestic population. of these, over 100,000 travel from the UK. The capital, Malé, is four times more densely populated than London. Given these facts, it’s hardly surprising that the Maldives on which has a waste disposal problem.
What you are seeing here is a view of the Maldives on which no honeymooners will ever fix eyes. Four miles west of Malé is the country’s dumping ground, Thilafushi — or Rubbish Island as it has simply become known.
The country dumps upwards of 330 tons of rubbish on the island every day. A figure attributed largely to the tourist industry on which the chain of islands relies. Each visitor generates 3.5 kg of waste per day.
Now, the government of the Maldives has banned the dumping of waste on the island, which is too late, due largely to an increase in the number of waste boats “fly-tipping”(非法倾倒) directly into the sea, fed up with waiting seven hours or more to offload their cargo.
1. The government of the Maldives is in troubled faced with ________.| A．how to develop the tourist industry |
| B．where to set up a dumping ground |
| C．how to deal with the rubbish left by tourists. |
| D．where to set up dedicated resorts |
| A．the Maldives are still paradise islands with clear waters. |
| B．the Maldives rely on tourist industry |
| C．the Maldives are called Rubbish Islands |
| D．the country dumps about 330 tons of rubbish on the island every month |
| A．positive | B．satisfied |
| C．forgiving | D．critical |
| A．inform people of the present situation of the Maldives |
| B．expose people’s bad behavior on the islands |
| C．introduce the Maldives to the whole word |
| D．persuade people out of going to the Maldives |
3 . Mandara seemed to know something big was about to happen. So she let out a yell, caught hold of her 2-year-old daughter Kibibi and climbed up into a tree. She lives at the National Zoo in Washington D.C..
And on Tuesday, August 23rd, witnesses said she seemed to sense the big earthquake that shook much of the East Coast before any humans knew what was going on. And she’s not the only one. In the moments before the quake, an orangutan (猩猩) let out a loud call and then climbed to the top of her shelter.
“It’s very different from their normal call,” said Brandie Smith, the zookeeper. “The lemurs (monkey like animals of Madagascar) will sound an alarm if they see or hear something highly unusual.”
But you can’t see or hear an earthquake 15 minutes before it happens, can you? Maybe you can——if you’re an animal.
“Animals can hear above and below our range of hearing,” said Brandie Smith. “That’s part of their special abilities. They’re more sensitive to the environment, which is how they survive.”
Primates weren’t the only animals that seemed to sense the quake before it happened. One of the elephants made a warning sound and a huge lizard (蜥蜴) ran quickly for cover. The flamingoes (a kind of birds) gathered before the quake and stayed together until the shaking stopped.
So what kind of vibrations (震动) were the animals picking up in the moments before the quake? Scientist Susan Hough said earthquakes produce two types of waves——a weak “P” wave and then a much stronger “S” wave. The “P” stands for “primary”. And the “S” stands for “secondary”. She thinks the “P” wave might be what sets the animals off.
Not all the animals behaved unusually before the quake. For example, Smith said the zoo’s giant pandas didn’t jump up until the shaking actually began. But many of the other animals seemed to know something was coming before it happened. “I’m not surprised at all,” Smith said.
1. Why did Mandara act strangely one day?| A．Because it sensed something unusual would happen. |
| B．Because its daughter Kibibi was injured. |
| C．Because it heard an orangutan let out a loud call. |
| D．Because an earthquake had happened. |
| A．many animals hearing is sharp |
| B．earthquakes produce two types of waves |
| C．primates usually gather together before a quake |
| D．humans can also develop the ability to sense a quake |
| A．A giant panda. | B．A flamingo. |
| C．A lemur. | D．A lizard. |
| A．How animals survive a quake |
| B．How animals differ from humans |
| C．How animals behave before a quake |
| D．How animals protect their young in a quake |
4 . Steven Stein likes to follow garbage trucks. His strange habit makes sense when you consider that he’s an environmental scientist who studies how to reduce litter, including things that fall off garbage trucks as they drive down the road. What is even more interesting is that one of Stein’s jobs is defending an industry behind the plastic shopping bags.
Americans use more than 100 billion thin film plastic bags every year. So many end up in tree branches or along highways that a growing number of cities do not allow them at checkouts(收银台). The bags are prohibited in some 90 cities in California, including Los Angeles. Eyeing these headwinds, plastic-bag makers are hiring scientists like Stein to make the case that their products are not as bad for the planet as most people assume.
Among the bag makers’ argument: many cities with bans still allow shoppers to purchase paper bags, which are easily recycled but require more energy to produce and transport. And while plastic bags may be ugly to look at, they represent a small percentage of all garbage on the ground today.
The industry has also taken aim at the product that has appeared as its replacement: reusable shopping bags. The stronger a reusable bag is, the longer its life and the more plastic-bag use it cancels out. However, longer-lasting reusable bags often require more energy to make. One study found that a cotton bag must be used at least 131 times to be better for the planet than plastic.
Environmentalists don’t dispute(质疑) these points. They hope paper bags will be banned someday too and want shoppers to use the same reusable bags for years.
1. What has Steven Stein been hired to do?| A．Help increase grocery sales. |
| B．Recycle the waste material. |
| C．Stop things falling off trucks. |
| D．Argue for the use of plastic bags. |
| A．Bans on plastic bags. |
| B．Effects of city development. |
| C．Headaches caused by garbage. |
| D．Plastic bags hung in trees. |
| A．They are quite expensive. |
| B．Replacing them can be difficult. |
| C．They are less strong than plastic bags. |
| D．Producing them requires more energy. |
| A．Plastic, Paper or Neither |
| B．Industry, Pollution and Environment |
| C．Recycle or Throw Away |
| D．Garbage Collection and Waste Control |
| 湿地 | “地球之肾（kidney）”， 有极其重要的生态功能 |
| 西溪湿地 | 杭州市区西部，总面积约10平方公里 |
| 主要活动 | 泛舟、观鸟、赏花、品尝美食等 |
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3. 开头和结尾已为你写好，但不计入总词数。
Dear Mike,
How’s it going with you?
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I’m sure we’ll have great fun.
Yours,
Li Hua
6 . I work with Volunteers for Wildlife, a rescue and education organization at Bailey Arboretum in Locust Valley. Trying to help injured, displaced or sick creatures can be heartbreaking; survival is never certain. However, when it works, it is simply beautiful.
I got a rescue call from a woman in Muttontown. She had found a young owl(猫头鹰) on the ground. When I arrived, I saw a 2-to 3-week-old owl. It had already been placed in a carrier for safety.
I examined the chick(雏鸟) and it seemed fine. If I could locate the nest, I might have been able to put it back, but no luck. My next work was to construct a nest and anchor it in a tree.
The homeowner was very helpful. A wire basket was found. I put some pine branches into the basket to make this nest safe and comfortable. I placed the chick in the nest, and it quickly calmed down.
Now all that was needed were the parents, but they were absent. I gave the homeowner a recording of the hunger screams of owl chicks. These advertise the presence of chicks to adults; they might also encourage our chick to start calling as well. I gave the owner as much information as possible and headed home to see what news the night might bring.
A nervous night to be sure, but sometimes the spirits of nature smile on us all! The homeowner called to say that the parents had responded to the recordings. I drove over and saw the chick in the nest looking healthy and active. And it was accompanied in the nest by the greatest sight of all — LUNCH! The parents had done their duty and would probably continue to do so.
1. What is unavoidable in the author’s rescue work according to paragraph 1?| A．Efforts made in vain. |
| B．Getting injured in his work. |
| C．Feeling uncertain about his future. |
| D．Creatures forced out of their homes. |
| A．To rescue a woman. |
| B．To take care of a woman. |
| C．To look at a baby owl. |
| D．To cure a young owl. |
| A．A new nest. |
| B．Some food. |
| C．A recording. |
| D．Its parents. |
| A．It’s unexpected. |
| B．It’s beautiful. |
| C．It’s humorous. |
| D．It’s discouraging. |
7 . Would it surprise you to learn that, like animals, trees communicate with each other and pass on their wealth to the next generation?
UBC Professor Simard explains how trees are much more complex than most of us ever imagined .Although Charles Darwin thought that trees are competing for survival of the fittest, Simard shows just how wrong he was. In fact, the opposite is true: trees survive through their co-operation and support, passing around necessary nutrition “depending on who needs it”.
Nitrogen（氮）and carbon are shared through miles of underground fungi（真菌）networks, making sure that all trees in the forest ecological system give and receive just the right amount to keep them all healthy. This hidden system works in a very similar way to the networks of neurons（神经元）in our brains, and when one tree is destroyed, it affects all.
Simard talks about “mother trees”, usually the largest and oldest plants on which all other trees depend .She explains how dying trees pass on the wealth to the next generation, transporting important minerals to young trees so they may continue to grow .When humans cut down “mother trees” with no awareness of these highly complex “tree societies” or the networks on which they feed, we are reducing the chances of survival for the entire forest.
“We didn't take any notice of it.” Simard says sadly. “Dying trees move nutrition into the young trees before dying, but we never give them chance.” If we could put across the message to the forestry industry, we could make a huge difference towards our environmental protection efforts for the future.
1. The underlined sentence “the opposite is true” in Paragragh2 probably means that trees____.| A．provide support for dying trees |
| B．protect their own wealth |
| C．compete for survival |
| D．depend on each other |
| A．pass on nutrition to young trees |
| B．know more about the complex “tree societies” |
| C．look the largest in size in the forest |
| D．seem more likely to be cut down by humans |
| A．how trees grow old |
| B．how “tree societies” work |
| C．how forestry industry develops |
| D．how young trees survive |
| A．Trees Contribute To Our Society |
| B．Young Trees Are In Need Of Protection |
| C．Trees Are More Awesome Than You Think |
| D．Old Trees Communicate Like Humans |
8 . Valencia is in the east part of Spain. It has a port on the sea, two miles away on the coast. It is the capital of a province that is also named Valencia.
The city is a market center for what is produced by the land around the city. Most of the city's money is made from farming. It is also a busy business city, with ships, railways, clothes and machine factories.
Valencia has an old part with white buildings, colored roofs and narrow streets. The modern part has long, wide streets and new buildings. Valencia is well known for its parks and gardens. It has many old churches and museums. The university in the center of the city was built in the 13th century.
The city of Valencia has been known since the 2nd century. In the 8th century it was the capital of Spain. There is also an important city in Venezuela named Valencia.
1. Valencia is the capital of _______.| A．Spain | B．Venezuela | C．Valencia | D．Uganda |
| A．farm products | B．parks and gardens |
| C．clothes and machines | D．ships and railways |
| A．shops | B．factories | C．white buildings | D．wide streets |
| A．Spain and Britain | B．Venezuela and Britain |
| C．Spain and Venezuela | D．Spain and Vietnam |
9 . When Columbus ‘sailed the ocean blue in 1492’ he wasn't looking for America, he was searching for a route from Spain to China; America just got in the way.
The Spanish were after the riches of Asia: silk, dates, spices. Until later adventurers discovered how to sail to the Far East, trade with China depended on the Silk Road. The trade between China and Europe brought huge wealth, so the Spanish had a strong desire to find a new way to the East. Eventually a way appeared; as sea traffic developed from the 17th Century onwards, the overland route diminished.
Now China is seeking to revive(复兴)the Silk Road and is preparing to invest 4 trillion pounds in new roads, rail links, oil pipelines and other basic facilities. It is hoped that goods can be shipped westwards by land far more quickly and economically than by sea.
But the plan is also to attract more tourists. Actually, China does pretty well for tourists already; it's the world's fourth most visited country. Two cities — Beijing and Shanghai—possess the tourism business, with significant interest in destinations such as Xi'an and Chengdu. While Beijing is modern, cities such as Lanzhou and Dunhuang have one foot planted firmly in old China.
Other places featured include Xi'an, the former capital of China, where you can come face to face with the Terracotta Army built to protect China's first emperor in the afterlife. From Lanzhou tour members take the train to Jiayuguan, China's western gateway and a key location on the Silk Road.
There is also a fourday coach journey along the original Silk Route through the Xinjiang region to Kashgar. Along the way, at Kurla, you can visit the ruins of the Iron Fortress.
1. What does the underlined word “diminished” in Paragraph 2 mean?| A．Discovered. | B．Disappeared. |
| C．Disturbed. | D．Displayed. |
| A．To rebuild the ruins of the Iron Fortress. |
| B．To construct new roads and other basic structures. |
| C．To make transportation westwards faster and cheaper. |
| D．To draw more inland tourists' attention to the western gateway. |
| A．It is nothing but a trade route. |
| B．It may destroy some cities' ancient style. |
| C．It attracts foreign investment of ￡4 trillion. |
| D．It promotes the tourism industry of China. |
| A．The charming of the Silk Road |
| B．The function of the Silk Road |
| C．The origin of the Silk Road |
| D．The future of the Silk Road |
10 . It was an unforgettable experience. We sat in a boat waiting for Ofai. He was swimming under water. There were many beautiful shells at the bottom. If he could ever find some and bring them
“A shark!” cried my uncle. An anxious expression suddenly
The fish came near. Now we could see him better. He was of a yellow-brown color and as big as our boat. What could we do to help Ofai? He had been under water for more than an hour. So by now he must be very
Now Ofai had time to reach the top. At last he was safe in the boat. But the fish was
For a minute the shark lay
It was my uncle’s
| A．down | B．up | C．in | D．forward |
| A．wave | B．rise | C．hold | D．extend |
| A．lying | B．crawling | C．moving | D．jumping |
| A．annoyed | B．excited | C．astonished | D．frightened |
| A．appeared | B．existed | C．reflected | D．flashed |
| A．called | B．stared | C．laughed | D．shouted |
| A．measure | B．step | C．action | D．advice |
| A．tired | B．excited | C．disappointed | D．satisfied |
| A．put up with | B．break away from | C．get along with | D．get out of |
| A．make | B．stand | C．hold | D．accept |
| A．difficulty | B．permission | C．delay | D．preparation |
| A．waiting | B．heading | C．fighting | D．looking |
| A．turned | B．passed | C．took | D．sent |
| A．sad | B．calm | C．brave | D．angry |
| A．see | B．help | C．attack | D．protect |
| A．quiet | B．frightened | C．still | D．discouraged |
| A．life | B．notice | C．mind | D．an end |
| A．movement | B．weight | C．crash | D．blow |
| A．courage | B．kindness | C．cleverness | D．enthusiasm |
| A．matters | B．means | C．suggests | D．predicts |
