1 . 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.

Like many people acting on the desire to eat healthy and local, Acropolis resident Eduardo Jimenez decided to plant a garden in his backyard. He ploughed the soil, he planted the seeds, and he even set up a fence to keep out the deer. Eduardo did everything right. Or so it seems. However, when     1     time has come, he has not one tomato, bean, or leaf of lettuce to show for his hard work. How did this happen? The answer comes in the form of a small, brown, particularly smelly insect: the stink bug.

Unlike their picky cousins, stink bugs feed on some 300 species of plants, including figs, blueberries, corn, and kiwi fruits as well as soybeans, peas, and weeds. Although they do little damage to the plant itself, they make the fruits and vegetables     2    . For this reason, stink bugs pose the most serious threat to the big agriculturalists and macro farm operators. Macro farmers have more     3     in their produce, and therefore have more to lose. While hobbyists like Eduardo are left to face the disappointment of an unsuccessful garden, macro farmers are forced to live with the loss of entire tracts of cash crops—a fact that has left many     4     able to clothe their children or put food on the table.

Last season alone, several New Jersey pepper farmers saw 75% of their crops damaged. Pennsylvania lost half of its peach population, and, according to the US Apple Association, apple farmers in the mid-Atlantic states lost $37 million. This year could be worse. As a result of this     5     in the supply of fresh fruits and vegetables, shoppers have seen     6    —sometimes quite dramatic—in prices at the grocery store. Prices of apples in Maryland are up 8%. In the north-Atlantic states, prices for peppers shot up an astonishing 14%. Not only are these items becoming more expensive, but they are also getting harder to find. Last week, Marge Jenkins of Athens, Georgia reported having to check three different stores before encountering a decent batch of peas. And this, she assures us, is a regular       7    . Accidentally brought from Asia, the stink bug has no natural     8     in America, and thus its population is rising sharply. Reported sightings of stink bugs are becoming increasingly numerous, as the dried, brown, trapezoidal(不规则四边形) shells of the dead bugs are everywhere in some areas. This has farmers and scientists alike     9     their heads in search of a remedy. Hope, they believe, may lie with an Asian parasitic wasp(黄蜂), which helpfully lays its eggs inside stink bug eggs.

The larvae(幼虫) of the wasp consume the stink bug from the inside. But the     10     of such a solution is still several years away, as scientists must first determine if it is safe for the wasp to be introduced into America. Until then, some farmers are resorting to homemade traps. Others have even contemplated the use of peacocks and praying mantises, which, they imagine, will gulp down the little stinkers.

2 . 选词填空（可变换形式）

There are all kinds of celebrations     1     the world. Different countries have different     2    . Festivals of the dead are held to honour the dead or to satisfy the     3    . For the Japanese festival Obon, people should go to clean graves and light incense     4     their ancestors. Festivals can also be held to honour famous people. In China, the Dragon Boat Festival honours the famous ancient     5    , Qu Yuan. The most     6     and important festivals are spring festivals which     7     the end of winter and to the coming of spring. At the Spring Festival in China, people eat dumplings, fish, and meat and give children lucky money in red paper bags. Some western countries have very exciting carnivals, which     8     forty days before Easter, usually in February.

3 . Direction: Complete the following passage by using the words in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

Red grouper(石斑鱼) are known for a few key characteristics — their color, which can     1    from pink to bright orange; their tastiness, whether they’re grilled or fried; and their predation (掠夺行为) method, in which they       2     sea creatures and swallow them whole.

But their least-known characteristic might be the most valuable of all: They operate as underwater architects,     3     the seascape for numerous other forms of underwater life. That surprising discovery is     4     scientists and policymakers to readjust their approach to preserving the ocean’s natural order — and heightening tensions with those who fish for a living or as a hobby.

A team of scientists, led by Florida State University’s Felicia Coleman, recently found that the red grouper off Florida’s east and west coasts have created entire ocean       5    by digging large holes in the sea’s sandy bottom. In the same way beavers     6    dams, red grouper dig and maintain distinct holes whose rocky surfaces provide a place for coral, sponges and other marine life to gather.

This new understanding is changing the way federal and state authorities manage ocean habitats and is creating a completely new crack with fishermen. “The people who are in control want to     7     fishing as much as possible,” said Bob Jones, executive director of the Southeastern Fisheries Association. He added that the recent discoveries about red grouper amount to an “excuse they can use to restrict fishing,     8    or recreational.”

But to many researchers, fishery officials and even some fishermen, the fact that fish act as environmental engineers provides a compelling reason to protect them from exploitation.

“If you     9     that fish, it puts into motion a whole chain of events,” said Don deMaria, who used to fish for red grouper near Key Largo, Fla., but no longer does. “There’s a whole lot of other animals that are     10    . I’m not saying you can’t catch them. But you can’t do it to the extent we’ve been doing for the last 20 years.”

4 . 选词填空（可变换形式）

Human beings must solve many problems so that they can continue to live successfully. Most problems can be solved, but some are impossible to solve. The way in which people solve problems     1     how long and how well they can live. In the past, people could go to wild areas to see nature, and they also could     2    , camp or fish. And governments also encouraged their people to enjoy themselves,     3     the environment.     4     ，people are faced with a serious problem —     5     of wildlife. Just because some species have     6     and may never live with us and some are really     7    , the government has taken measures quickly to protect wildlife and created     8    . But there is still a long way to go.

5 . 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.

Is climate change consuming your favorite foods?

Coffee: Whether or not you try to limit yourself to one cup of coffee a day, the effects of climate change on the world’s coffee-growing regions may leave you little choice.     1     America, Africa, Asia and Hawaii are all being threatened by rising air temperatures and unstable rainfall patterns, which invite disease and     2     species to live on the coffee plant and ripening beans. The result? Significant cuts in coffee yield and less coffee in your cup. It is estimated that, if current climate patterns continue, half of the areas     3     suitable for coffee production won't be by the year 2050.

Tea: When it comes to tea, warmer climates and erratic precipitation aren't only     4     the world's tea-growing regions, they're also messing with its distinct flavor. For example, in India, researchers have already discovered that the Indian Monsoon has brought more intense rainfall, making tea flavor weaker. Recent research coming out of the University of Southampton suggests that tea-producing areas in some places,     5     East Africa, could decline by as much as 55 percent by 2050 as precipitation and temperatures change. Tea pickers are also feeling the     6     of climate change. During harvest season, increased air temperatures are creating an increased risk of heatstroke for field workers.

Seafood: Climate change is affecting the world's aquaculture as much as its agriculture. As air temperatures rise, oceans and waterways absorb some of the heat and     7     warming of their own. The result is a decline in fish population, including in lobsters (who are cold-blooded creatures), and salmon (whose eggs find it hard to survive in higher water temps). Warmer waters also     8     toxic marine bacteria, like Vibrio, to grow and cause illness in humans whenever ingested with raw seafood, like oysters or sashimi.

And that     9     "crack" you get when eating crab and lobster? It could be silenced as shellfish struggle to build their calcium(碳) carbonate shells, a result of ocean acidification (absorb carbon dioxide from the air). According to a study, scientists predicted that if over-fishing and rising temperature trends continued at their present rate, the world's seafood     10     would run out by the year 2050.

6 . 选词填空，并翻译划线句子

A Night The Earth Didn't Sleep

On July 28，1976，a magnitude 7. 8 earthquake hit the sleeping city of Tangshan in northeastern China. The very large earthquake killed over 240, 000people，making it the deadliest earthquake of the twentieth century.

In a village outside of Tangshan，well water rose and fell three times the day before the earthquake.Water pipes throughout the area cracked and     1     .Animals also gave a warning that something was about to happen.Chickens and pigs were too nervous to eat. Mice ran around looking for a place to     2     .A goldfish began jumping wildly in its bowl.   Stranger Indeed.Many people reported seeing strange lights as well as hearing     3    ，which was described as louder than that of an airplane.

At 3:42 a. m. on July 28，over a million people lay sleeping.   As the earth began to shake，it seemed as if the world was     4    .One-third of the nation felt it.In fifteen terrible seconds a large city lay in     5    .Two-thirds of people died or were     6    during the earthquake.Everywhere they looked nearly everything was destroyed.All of the city's hospitals，75%of its factories and buildings and 90% of its homes were gone.     7     were faced with no water，no food，and no electricity.People were shocked.Then，later that afternoon，another big quake which was almost as strong as the first one shook Tangshan.Some of the     8    workers and doctors were trapped under the ruins.

All hope was not lost. Soon after the quakes，the army sent 150, 000 soldiers and thousands of people were helped. The army organized teams to     9     those who were trapped and to bury the dead.Workers built     10     for survivors whose homes had been destroyed.Fresh water was taken to the city by train，truck and plane. Though it took time，the entire city was rebuilt，earning Tangshan the name“Brave City of China.”

The very large earthquake killed over 240, 000 people，making it the deadliest earthquake of the twentieth century.

    11    

Everywhere they looked nearly everything was destroyed.

    12    

7 . The Nile

The ancient Greek writer Herodotus once described Egypt-with some envy-as‘the gift of the Nile’. The Egyptians depend on the river for food, for water and for life. The Ancient Egyptians were able to control and use the Nile, creating the earliest irrigation systems and developing a prosperous     1    .

Snaking through the deserts, the Nile would flood almost     2     each year in June. Once the water subsided, a rich deposit of sand was left behind, making an excellent topaoil. Seeds were sown, yielding wheat, barley, beans, lentils and leeks. Drought could spell disaster for the Egyptians, so during the dry seasons, they dug basins and channels to deliver water to their land. They also devised simple channels to transfer water at the peak of the flood.

An early system of     3     a Nilometer, was used to de determine the size of the floods. Later, during the New Kingdom, a lifting system called a shaduf was used to raise water from the river--    4     to the way in which a well is used today.

The Egyptians took up some of the earliest trading missions. Without a(n)     5     system they exchanged goods, bringing back timber, precious stones, pottery, spices and animals. Their efforts in medicine were also     6     advanced: surgeons performed operations to remove cysts(囊肿). Mummification gave them great understanding of the human body-yet they also relied heavily on various medicines to prevent disease, and discoveries were often confused with superstition(迷信). And while a great deal of time was dedicated to     7     the Egyptians thought the stars were gods.

By the 16th century Egypt was under the Ottoman Empire until Britain seized control in 1882. What is now mostly Arabic Egypt only won     8     from Britain after World War Ⅱ. The Suez Canal, opened in 1869,     9    the country as a center for world transportation. But it, and the completion of the Aswan High Dam in 1971     10     the ecology of the Nile, which now struggles to satisfy the country’s rapidly growing population, currently more than 76 million-the largest in the Arab world.

8 . Aurora(极光):wonders or disturbances

Canada，February 2017:I stood in the snow on a frozen lake, watching as the sky twisted in front of me. Green bands of light     1     out in the darkness. Slowly the colours twisted and broke and reappeared elsewhere until, suddenly, a whole band flowed and pulsed across the sky,     2     with delicate yellow. pinks and purples. It was as dramatic as thunderstorm, yet calm.Gentle,yet    3    ,Most of all, it was a gift.

This was my fifth aurora trip and the first time I had seen fast movements and bright colours.The calm green auroral displays that many people see are driven by a(n)    4     stream of particles(微 )from called the solar wind. But when the sun throws us extra hot fast particles, this process goes overdrive-we get much more movement and colour. It is glorious! Aurora-spotters long for it

But for some, the wild movements of the heavens can have serious     5    Satellites' electronics are affected or damaged by incoming fast particlies,    6    industries that rely on them. Flights may need to change course to avoid radio     7     around the poles, or to protect aircrew from enhanced radiation exposure. During a solar storm，aircrew may receive their annual radiation limit over a single flight.

Stormy space weather affects us on the ground，too. A larger storm in 1989 caused a 10-hour electrical blackout over Canada's Quebec Province, costing the economy a(n)    8     C$10 billion. Disturbance of the atmosphere causes problems with radio broadcast and GPS. In September 2017,a huge solar fame     9     just as Hurricane lran hit the Caribbean. The resultant HF radio blackout held up the emergency response. Meanwhile，beautiful aurora displays were seen in England. Place its beauty aside，then, and the auroral    10    is nothing other than a giant planetary disturbance, more of a worry than a wonder for some people. Yet seldom do such disturbances have such fascinating side effects as that of the aurora dancing across our Arctic skies.

A.astonishing   B.bordered   C.blackouts   D.consequences   E.constant
F.estimated   G.exploded   H.fascinated   I.process   J.stretched   K.upsetting

9 . Welcome to Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle is the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world and the Official Residence of the Queen of Britain. Over a period of nearly 1,000 years it has been     1    continuously, and altered and redecorated by monarchs(君主) one after the other. Some were great builders, strengthening the Castle against     2     and rebellion; others, living in more peaceful times, created a grand Royal residence. William the Conqueror chose the site, high above the river Thames and on the edge of a Saxon hunting ground. It was a day’s march from the Tower of London and intended to guard the western     3    to the capital. The outer walls of today’s structure are in the same position as those of the    4    castle built by William the Conqueror in the 1070s. The Queen uses the Castle both as a private home, where she usually spends the weekend, and as a Royal residence at which she undertakes certain formal duties. Windsor Castle is    5    used by the Queen to host State Visits from overseas monarchs and presidents. Every year the Queen takes up official residence in Windsor Castle for a month over Easter (March-April).

The Castle is huge, so people tend to head for the most    6    bits -- the State Apartments, St. George’s Chapel, the Gallery and the delightful Queen Mary’s Dolls House. Works of art, antique furniture, curiosities and impressive architecture reflect the tastes of many different royal generations. The State Apartments are    7    decorated formal rooms still used for state and official functions.

The magnificent and beautiful St. George’s Chapel was started in 1475 by Edward IV and was completed 50 years later by Henry VIII. It    8    among the finest examples of late medieval architecture in the UK.

The Drawings Gallery    9    the exhibition “The Queen: 60 Photographs for 60 Years”. The exhibition presents portraits of the Queen    10    in brief moments on both official occasions and at relaxed family gatherings.

10 . A desert doesn’t sound like the most promising place to plant a tree．Yet，since 1978，China has planted at least 66 billion of them across its arid northern territories，     1     (hope)to transform its sandhills into a Great Green Wall．

The tree-planting strategy is     2     massive attempt to help fight desertification(荒漠化)．    3     (Rough)a million square miles of China—a quarter of the country—is covered in sand．Many scientists are skeptical planting trees will make a difference in the long run．But China’s State Forestry Administration claims the measure     4     (reduce)sandstorms by 20 percent and desertification by nearly 5,000 miles in recent years．

Ian Teh lives in Malaysia but     5     (work)throughout Asia，documenting humans’ influence     6     the landscape．Over six days in May 2016，he photographed tree-planting     7    (plan) in the Gobi Desert in northern China．They seemed to be     8     (Success)in places like Duolun County，some 220 miles north of Beijing，    9     the government has planted 2．6 million trees over the past 17 years．The place felt almost grassy．“To be honest，    10     was hard to imagine it was ever a desert at all，”he says．