1 . In the 1960s and 1970s, the greatest fear was that the human race, and possibly all advanced life forms on the planet, could be wiped out by nuclear missiles. Today, however, environmental problems have taken over as the greatest risk to life on Earth. Scientists are thinking of ways to lower this risk, such as replacing coal and oil with forms of renewable energy. But they are also preparing for the worst: what can we do if the terrifying scenes in films such as The Day After Tomorrow happen in real life? What is our plan B for Earth?

One option is to explore other planets to see if we could live on them. The most likely choice is Mars, which is relatively close to Earth and has an environment less hostile than that of other planets. Mars has fascinated people since ancient times, and today our interest in Martian exploration is greater than ever before. Besides, more governments are making efforts to educate the public on the Red Planet.

There is no doubt that humankind is drawn towards Mars. However, sending people there will require all the skill, courage and intelligence. While the Moon can be reached within days, it would take months to reach Mars, travelling through dangerous solar radiation. And even if the first settlers do reach Mars safely, they may not be able to return to Earth — ever. Staying alive will be a daily challenge, but as proved by the Biosphere 2 experiment, not impossible. As early as the 1980s, scientists were building Biosphere 2 in the Arizona desert, consisting of a closed space in which people, animals and plants could live together. Although the two-year experiment was not a success, it did provide us with a better understanding of how humans might be able to live on another planet.       

For now, human settlement of Mars is still decades away. Until we are finally able to live on another planet, we need to take much better care of our own. Right now, it's the only one we have!

1. What was the biggest threat to humans in the 1960s and 1970s?

A．Human race themselves.	B．All advanced life forms.
C．Nuclear missiles.	D．Environmental problems.

2. Why is Mars so attractive to scientists?

A．It's closest to the earth.

B．It has relatively appropriate living conditions.

C．It has drawn the public's attention in recent years.

D．It has a more hostile environment.

3. What can be inferred from the passage?

A．Humans have visited Mars.

B．The Biosphere 2 experiment proved to be valueless.

C．Humans will have to go and live on another planet.

D．Our Plan A includes developing renewable energy resources.

4. From which magazine would the passage probably be taken?

A．The Traveler.	B．Environmental Concerns.
C．All About Space.	D．Biology for Fun,

2 . Jack was born without eyes. He was very lucky as he grew up having other kittens(young cats) to socialize with, and was used to people from the moment he was born. However, when it came time to find the kittens homes, no one knew where Jack would end up.

That's when I got an email from my friend. All she asked was “Do you still want one of the kittens? There's one here with no eyes and no one would like to take him.” Without thinking, I told her that I did want the kitten.

When we first brought him home, Jack stayed mostly in my room. After about a day he had no issues running around and climbing on everything. At times he gets lost in the house, he'll stop. But we just call him and talk to him and it isn't long before he finds his way back to us.

A few weeks after getting Jack, we got a new farm cat named Bear. Jack and Bear have   become best friends. It doesn't matter that he can't see. He always knows when Bear is around. He'll run across the yard straight to Bear and wrap his front legs around his neck in a big hug. They run after each other around and wrestle. They'll lie down in the grass together when tired.

Jack is truly an inspiration. I've owned lots of kittens in my life, but Jack is the happiest and most playful. He doesn't feel sorry for himself. He doesn't need pity. I think Jean, owner of Gumbo, another eyeless cat, said it best when she told me that cats don't have disabilities, they have adaptability.

1. Why did Jack come to our home?

A．I liked an eyeless cat.	B．I didn't mind whether he was blind.
C．No other young cats kept him company.	D．My friend ordered me to take him home.

2. What does the underlined word “issues” in the 3rd paragraph mean?

A．Difficulty.

B．Fun.

C．Luck.

D．Business.

3. Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．Jack likes to play with a new eyeless cat.

B．Jack is good at talking and playing with people.

C．Jack quickly adapts to the new environment.

D．Jack and Bear lie down on the sofa together when tired.

4. What can we learn from the passage?

A．A cat has nine lives.	B．All is well that ends well.
C．God helps those who help themselves.	D．A good beginning makes a good ending.

3 . How to Grow Plants in the Classroom

Growing plants in the classroom is an excellent way to get students excited about science!

Start with seeds（种子）in the classroom.     1     They can do this by putting seeds or beans in wet paper towels and then in a clear plastic bag. The seeds should begin coming out in a few days, which can give the students an idea of what is happening underground when plants begin to grow.

Continue with seeds in the classroom. At the same time as the seeds are beginning to come out, plant the same type of seeds in soil.     2     They can also predict（预测）how long it will be before the seeds come out and are seen above the soil.

    3     A quick Internet search should let you know which plants are native to your area. This can connect the plant-growing in the classroom with natural history and other social studies lessons. Also, after growing the plants in your   classroom, you can take the students on field trips to see where the plants grow naturally.

Explore the needs of plants.     4     You can know what they actually need by growing plants in the classroom and making observations along the way.

In all, growing plants in the classroom is sure to be an exciting science lesson.     5     They can train their creativity with their own gardens!

A．What do plants need to stay alive?

B．Grow native plants in your classroom.

C．Try to start an outdoor garden in your school.

D．Carrots and tomatoes can be grown easily.

E．Students of all ages learn more knowledge from growing things.

F．Students can learn about what exactly is happening under the soil.

G．For very young children, it is exciting just to see the seeds come out.

4 . Sam, our beloved companion over 10 years. died two months ago. It was still a big blow to my family until we finally decided to_____another shepherd dog through the local German Shepherd Rescue.

After meeting with the host family to see if we met the_________for adoption, we were allowed to take a 2-year-old female Shepherd home. She was a______dog. loving, gentle and smart!

One day on a walk, a neighbor's dog crossed the street in an(a)_____ manner and attacked her as she stepped in front of me. After that, she immediately______a fierce animal whenever

she saw any other dog ! When I______with the previous host family, I was told she’d also been____badly while at a dog park with them!

Quickly I searched and found an(a)______woman with her own dog一a team who would help Sam remove her terrible_______The other dog was an Australian Shepherd. We were ____ to walk to the end of the street. Once there, I saw the woman and her obedient (顺从)trained _____! As we slowly approached them, I_____as soon as my dog became anxious. Her dog was____ sitting, simply watching for directions.

As weeks passed, these two dogs______walked side by side because of this quiet, steady and careful_______!A calm Australian Shepherd erased the fear of a German Shepherd and finally healed her invisible scars.

1.

A．train

B．hire

C．adopt

D．offer

2.

A．instructions

B．oppositions

C．standards

D．problems

3.

A．generous

B．grateful

C．wonderful

D．careful

4.

A．casual

B．cautious

C．curious

D．aggressive

5.

A．ran after

B．changed into

C．fought with

D．came across

6.

A．debated

B．bargained

C．signed

D．checked

7.

A．refused

B．cheated

C．attacked

D．treated

8.

A．amusing

B．amazing

C．promising

D．confusing

9.

A．shame

B．loneliness

C．sadness

D．fear

10.

A．persuaded

B．required

C．reminded

D．warned

11.

A．partner

B．owner

C．driver

D．competitor

12.

A．stopped

B．cheered

C．passed

D．returned

13.

A．angrily

B．calmly

C．nervously

D．honestly

14.

A．quickly

B．occasionally

C．gradually

D．suddenly

15.

A．process

B．course

C．service

D．performance

5 . How could we possibly think that keeping animals in cages in unnatural environments－mostly for entertainment purposes－is fair and respectful?

Zoo officials say they are concerned about animals. However, most zoos remain “collections” of interesting “things” rather than protective habitats. Zoos teach people that it is acceptable to keep animals bored, lonely, and far from their natural homes.

Zoos claim to educate people and save endangered species, but visitors leave zoos without having learned anything meaningful about the animals’ natural behavior, intelligence, or beauty. Zoos keep animals in small spaces or cages, and most signs only mention the species’ name, diet, and natural range(分布区). The animals’ normal behavior is seldom noticed because zoos don’t usually take care of the animals’ natural needs.

The animals are kept together in small spaces, with no privacy and little opportunity for mental and physical exercise. This results in unusually self-destructive behavior called zoochosis. A worldwide study of zoos found that zoochosis is common among animals kept in small spaces or cages. Another study showed that elephants spend 22 percent of their time making repeated head movements or biting cage bars, and bears spend 30 percent of their time walking back and forth, a sign of unhappiness and pain.

Furthermore, most animals in zoos are not endangered. Captive breeding(圈养繁殖) of endangered big cats, Asian elephants, and other species has not resulted in their being sent back to the wild. Zoos talk a lot about their captive breeding programs because they do not want people to worry about a species dying out. In fact, baby animals also attract a lot of paying customers. Haven’t we seen enough competitions to name baby animals?

Actually, we will save endangered species only if we save their habitats and put an end to the reasons people kill them. Instead of supporting zoos, we should support groups that work to protect animals’ natural habitats.

1. In the state of zoochosis, animals _________.

A．remain in cages	B．behave strangely
C．attack other animals	D．enjoy moving around

2. What does the author try to argue in the passage?

A．Zoos are not worth the public support.

B．Zoos fail in their attempt to save animals.

C．Zoos should treat animals as human beings.

D．Zoos use animals as a means of entertainment.

3. The author tries to persuade readers to accept his argument mainly by _________.

A．pointing out the faults in what zoos do

B．using evidence he has collected at zoos

C．questioning the way animals are protected

D．discussing the advantages of natural habitats

4. Although he argues against zoos, the author would still agree that __________.

A．zoos have to keep animals in small cages

B．most animals in zoos are endangered species

C．some endangered animals are reproduced in zoos

D．it’s acceptable to keep animals away from their habitats

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。

This week, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed a bill banning the use of elephants, tigers and other wild animals in circus, acts,    1    (make) New Jersey the first state in the country to pass such a law. The law    2    (go) into effect since its formal declaration.

    3    (know) as “Nosey’s Law”, the bill is designed to protect animals in traveling circus acts from being abused. Nosey, the law's namesake, is a 36-year-old African elephant who    4    (force) to travel around the country and give rides at events despite being    5    (severe) lame by arthritis(关节炎). The arthritis had likely caused unnecessary suffering and permanent     6    (disable) for Nosey, but the U.S. Department of Agriculture filed to take action to0 protect Nosey, and Nosey’s owners continued to use her in shows.

“These animals belong in their natural habitats, not in performances    7    their safety is at risk.” Governor Murphy said. The law finally became a reality because    8    the years of hard work and the bill passes the New Jersey legislature (立法机构)with only three opposing    9    (vote), Illinois and New York have already banned the use of elephants in traveling or entertainment acts     10    New Jersey is the first to ban all wild and exotic animals.

7 . Kielder Forest in Northumberland, England, is home to birds of gray and red squirrels. Around 90 years ago, it was also home to the pine marten(松貂). The 0.5 meters animal was driven to dying out in England by 1926 because gamekeepers wanted to secure the safety of their game birds, according to The Guardian.

However, the martens thrived in Scotland, and the animals appear to be crossing back into England. A pine marten was spotted in Kielder Forest by John Hartshorne, a volunteer who monitors the red squirrel population in the forest, part of an effort to stop gray squirrels from further invading(入侵) the red squirrels’ territory.

The pine marten is one of the animals receiving a helping hand from Back from the Brink, one of the conservation groups working together to help save 20 species from dying out in England. Their efforts aim at helping the pine marten and other at-risk species.

Red squirrels are threatened by invasive gray squirrels, which out-compete the native squirrels for food and pass on a deadly virus. Martens keep gray squirrel numbers in check, especially since the invasive animals aren’t used to having a predator like the pine marten around. A 2018 study found that the presence of pine martens can be enough to push the gray squirrel population out of an area. So the pine marten returning to Kielder is a win-win: The pine marten returns to part of its historic range and by doing so, helps red squirrels continue to survive.

1. Why was the pine marten forced to leave Northumberland?

A．To attract more hunters.

B．To protect local animals.

C．To keep game birds safe.

D．To keep game birds from hunters.

2. What does the underlined word “thrived” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Died out slowly.	B．Evolved rapidly.
C．Had difficulty adapting.	D．Increased in population.

3. What is John Hartshorne’s duty according to Paragraph 2?

A．To help the pine marten to thrive.

B．To free the red squirrels of danger.

C．To monitor the population of birds.

D．To stop gray squirrels from dying out.

4. The last paragraph mainly talks about .

A．the role of the pine marten

B．the importance of a 2018 study

C．the promising future of red squirrels

D．the harmful effects of gray squirrels

8 . Why are photos and videos of cats high-fiving suddenly popping up on social media?

Ask Jackson Galaxy, who launched Cat Pawsitive last year, a program that encourages animal shelters to teach cats how to do tricks to make them more attractive for adoption.

The idea is simple. A kitty that can sit on command or give a high five shows that it can listen to instructions and connect with others. A high five can make a shy cat open up, Galaxy said.

“Big life changes can lead to cats losing their confidence, and we help those cats to feel more confident and to feel safe interacting with new people.” Christie Rogero, program manager for Cat Pawsitive, said.

And Stephen Holdeman, training manager at the KC Pet Project, added: “All we need to train a cat to do tricks is the right amount of patience, timing and motivation.” He uses a technique called “operant conditioning (操作性条件反射)”, which associates a cat’s action with getting a reward such as a favorite food or treat.

He also uses a clicker—a training device that makes a clicking noise. “In the initial stage, we get the cat used to the idea that when it hears the sound of the clicker, one of its favorite treats appears. After we have bridged these two ideas together we can use the clicker to reinforce different actions the cat does to let it know that if it repeats the action, it will get a treat.”

After several repetitions, the cat starts to link everything together. Now all you need to do is let your extended hand be the target, and we’ve got a high five.

1. According to the text, how can learning tricks benefit cats at animal shelters?

A．It is a good way for shelters to raise money.

B．It allows them to pick up skills to stay safe.

C．It helps them interact more with each other.

D．It helps them build confidence and get adopted.

2. According to the text, what should be done from the start to train cats to learn tricks?

A．Teaching them different actions.

B．Teaching them how to use a clicker.

C．Making them patient enough to repeat actions.

D．Helping them connect the sound of a clicker with treats.

3. What does the underlined word “reinforce” in paragraph 6 probably mean?

A．record	B．strengthen
C．ignore	D．reward

4. What is the main purpose of the article?

A．To explain how to train cats to perform tricks.

B．To show how cats are treated at animal shelters.

C．To describe the popularity of cats on social media.

D．To inform us of a program that trains cats to do tricks.

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 polar bear is found in the Arctic Circle and some big land masses as far south as Newfoundland. While they are rare north of 88°, there is evidence     1     they range all the way across the Arctic, and as far south as James Bay in Canada. It is difficult to figure out a global population of polar bears as much of the range has been     2    (poor) studied; however, biologists calculate that there are about 20,000-25,000 polar bears worldwide.

Modern methods     3     tracking polar bear populations have been employed only since the mid-1980s, and are expensive     4    (perform) consistently over a large area. In recent years some Inuit people in Nunavut     5    (report) increases in bear sightings around human settlements, leading to a     6    (believe) that populations are increasing. Scientists have responded by     7    (note) that hungry bears may be congregating(聚集) around human settlements, leading to the illusion(错觉) that populations are     8    (high) than they actually are. Of     9     nineteen recognized polar bear subpopulations, three are declining, six     10    (be) stable, one is increasing, and nine lack enough data.

10 . Most dog owners are convinced that their four-legged friends know exactly what they mean when they use certain words like sit，stay or treat.However，researchers have always wondered whether dogs really understand human speech or if they rely on other information to get the meaning.For example，does the word“fetch”form a picture of a stick or ball in the dog’s mind，or does the dog bring back the object based on the owner’s voice or gesture? A new study by scientists at Atlanta’s Emory University seems to indicate that“man’s best friend”does indeed know what the owner is saying.

The researchers began by asking the owners of twelve dogs of various kinds to train their pets to identify two toys of different materials，such as a toy animal and a ball.Once the dogs had mastered the task，they took turns inside a special scanner.The owners then tested their dog’s language skill by first calling out the names of the toys they had been trained to recognize and then saying meaningless words such as“bobbu”and“bodmick”while holding up random objects the dogs hadn’t seen before.

The scans suggested that the parts of the dogs’ brains responsible for processing of sounds showed different brain patterns when they heard words they were familiar with，compared with the ones they had never heard before.While that was not enough to prove that the dogs were picturing their toys when they heard the word，it did indicate some sort of recognition.The researchers believe this is an important step forward in understanding how dogs process language.

Even more interesting was that the dog’s brains showed a higher level of neural(神经)activity at the sound of unknown words.This is the exact opposite of what happens in human brains，which get more active at the sound of familiar words.The researchers say the dogs may become cheerful at the sound of new words to try to understand them in the hope of delighting their masters.“Dogs want to please their owners，and perhaps also receive praise or food，”says Empty neuroscientist Gregory Burns，senior author of the study.

However，though your pet may understand human speech，the scientists recommend using visual signals and smell for training.“When people want to teach their dog a trick，they often use spoken command because that’s what humans prefer，”Prichard says.“From the dog’s view，however，a visual command might be more effective，helping the dog learn the trick faster.”

1. What’s the purpose of the new study?

A．To convince dog owners to understand their dogs.

B．To advise dog owners to treat their dogs kindly.

C．To prove dogs follow owners’order by listening.

D．To test out how dogs get information from owners.

2. What does the author intend to do in paragraph 2?

A．Inform the result of the research.	B．State the process of the research.
C．Stress the importance of the research.	D．Introduce the subjects of the research.

3. How do human brains and dog brains react to words ?

A．Human brains become active at unfamiliar words.

B．Dog brains become delighted at unfamiliar words.

C．Human brains are not sensitive to familiar words.

D．Dog brains show no response to familiar words.

4. What do scientists advise the owners to do in dog training?

A．Give dogs oral command.	B．Teach dog new tricks.
C．Involve sight and smell.	D．Encourage faster learning.