1 . On November 7, Lewis Pugh completed a one-kilometer swim in the freezing waters of King Edward Cove, off South Georgia in Antarctica. He was wearing only his swimming glasses, cap and Speedo !
Pugh is an advocate for our oceans and seas, working to protect these ecosystems with their large diversity of marine life. When asked why he doesn't wear a wetsuit(防寒泳衣), Pugh says, "I ask world leaders to do everything they can to protect our oceans. Sometimes the steps they need to take are difficult and unpopular. If I'm asking them to be courageous, I must also be. Swimming in a wetsuit would not send the right message."
It took Pugh about 19 minutes to complete the one-kilometer swim in Antarctica where the water averaged about 1.6 degrees Celsius. He says that his body can only tolerate about 20 minutes in the freezing waters before it starts shutting down. As he swims, his body temperature steadily drops, which in turn causes his muscle control to drop, slowing him down. When he is done with his swim, his support team rushes him to a hot shower and it takes almost an hour for his body temperature to return to normal.
Doctors and Pugh caution that one must receive months of training to swim in such cold waters. Even expert swimmers who are unused to freezing water can drown within minutes because of the physical shock experienced by the body. Pugh says he trained for six months before this swim.
This is not the first time that Pugh has swum in dangerous conditions. In 2007, he swam one kilometer in the North Pole to draw attention to the melting Arctic ice due to climate change. In 2015, he swam in the Bay of Whales in Antarctica's Ross Sea as part of his successful campaign to help set up a marine reserve there.
1. Why did Lewis Pugh swim without a wetsuits ?| A．To show his bravery. |
| B．To swim faster. |
| C．To build up his body. |
| D．To have overnight fame. |
| A．His body temperature. |
| B．His body |
| C．The water. |
| D．The water temperature. |
| A．One should be expert at swimming. |
| B．One must be used to long-distance swimming. |
| C．One should be ready to take on challenges. |
| D．One must be adequately prepared for it. |
| A．Lewis Pugh: achieving the impossible |
| B．How to survive a swim in cold waters |
| C．Lewis Pugh: swimming for a cause |
| D．How to prepare for extreme swimming |
2 . The universe likes to be shy about its age,but astronomers believe they have a pretty good idea of the range.Currently,the most widely accepted age for the universe is around 13.8 billion years,but determining the age of...well,everything,is no easy feat(功绩）.Now, new studies have investigated the question using different methods-and they've come up with two different answers,separated by more than a billion years.
Because the universe is expanding at an accelerating pace,the further away an object is,the faster it appears to be moving away from us.This is expressed as the Hubble constant（哈勃常数, and it's a key factor in figuring out the age of the universe.After all, if we can determine how fast objects moving away from us,we can rewind that process to its beginning-the Big Bang.Researchers from the University of Oregon set out to map the distance to dozens of galaxies The team calculated that the universe is only 12.6 billion years old-that,you might notice is much younger than the 13.8 years usually stated.
In the second study,the method of figuring out the age of the universe is by mapping the oldest light we can detect.We are restoring the' baby photo' of the universe to its original condition, removing the wear and tear of time and space that distorted(扭曲）the image, says Neelima Sehgal, co-author on the study.Only by seeing this sharper baby photo or image of the universe can we more fully understand how our universe was born."In doing so, the researcher determined that the universe is 13.8 billion years old-in agreement with the accepted age.
The real problem though,is that the studies disagree so wildly with each other, to the tune of a billion years.But they are not the only ones-the battle lines are commonly drawn by the methods used. Obviously, more research is needed to determine where the truth lies.
1. What do we know about the universe from the first two paragraphs?| A．It doesn't exist long. | B．It becomes larger. | C．It runs away. | D．It causes the Big Bang. |
| A．The speed of moving objects. |
| B．The number of galaxies. |
| C．The process of the universe evolution. |
| D．The distance to other objects. |
| A．By referring to a similar thing. |
| B．By using hard scientific data. |
| C．By introducing a new concept. |
| D．By quoting an expert's words. |
| A．Whose method is better? |
| B．Which result can you believe? |
| C．How old is the universe? |
| D．Why is the universe so old? |
3 . In 2017, the BBC documentary Spy in the Wild (《荒野间谍》) gave us a chance to look much more closely into the world of animals through the eyes of “animal spies”.
Returning for its second season, Spy in the Wild follows the tradition of the first season while introducing new cameras and robots.
In the new season, more than 50 spy robots are sent to study animals in all kinds of environments, from under the Pacific Ocean to the Arctic.
| A．It won lots of praise from the audience. |
| B．But these spies don’t just record everyday goings-on. |
| C．These spies are actually robots with cameras that look like real animals. |
| D．With the help of these robots, these “animal spies” can do many things. |
| E．It uncovers how different we are compared to our animal cousins. |
| F．The documentary aims to record animal behavior that we would rarely see. |
| G．It watched on as penguin parents tried hard to make it home to feed their chicks. |
4 . A new study has found that ride-sharing services result in much more pollution than other kinds of private and public transportation. Ride-sharing trips also draw passengers away from more environment friendly methods of travel, like public transportation, walking or biking, the study found.
Several studies in recent years have suggested that ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft can worsen traffic problems in cities. The new study represents an attempt to center on how ride-sharing services affect pollution.
Overall, the researchers reported that ride-sharing trips now "result in a 69 percent more climate pollution on average than the trips they replace." The study notes that the same passengers could have chosen to travel by bus, train, bike or on foot.
One of the big reasons they give for this result is that ride-sharing vehicles are often driven with no passengers in the car. This happens when drivers are either waiting for rider requests, are on the way to pick up passengers. This situation, known as "deadheading," takes up about 42 percent of all ride-sharing driving activity, the study found. The researchers said that deadheading results in about 50 percent more carbon dioxide than one person driving in a private vehicle.
Both Uber and Lyft have said in the past that most studies on the subject overstate (夸大）the effects of their services on pollution. Uber told Reuters news agency in a statement it had no comment on the latest report and that the study made misleading claims about ride-sharing. Meanwhile, the company said it would work directly with cities to address climate changes, promoting sharing trips and other means of transportation.
1. Which of the following is the best title of the passage?| A．Ride-sharing becomes a new trend that can’t be avoided. |
| B．Ride-sharing industry is met with criticism. |
| C．Ride-sharing services increase pollution. |
| D．Ride-sharing services need improvement. |
| A．a driving process where the driver is not carrying passengers |
| B．a potential risk that the driver may lose control of the vehicle |
| C．a period of driving hours when vehicles produce more carbon dioxide |
| D．a situation in which a driver has too many passengers to pick up |
| A．barking up the wrong tree | B．not seeking the truth from facts |
| C．killing two birds with one stone | D．beating around the bush |
| A．Ride-sharing attracts exactly the same number of people as traditional means of transport. |
| B．the study was conducted to prove the influence of ride-sharing services on modern cities |
| C．ride-sharing service is not an environmentally friendly way to travel |
| D．the new report has forced Uber to make big changes to achieve its goal |
5 . China’s economic growth has long impressed the world with its high speed. Now the country’s accelerating green transformation (转型) is expected to offer inspiring lessons in balancing the economy and the natural environment.
Ant Forest, a program on the platform of Alipay, last week won the 2019 UN Champions of the Earth award for turning the green good deeds of half a billion people into real trees planted in some of China’s most dry regions. It was not the first time that China won the UN’s highest environmental honor due to a positive influence on the environment. Last year, a green rural program in Zhejiang Province won this award for its work to repair polluted waterways and damaged lands. In 2017, Saihanba Forest Farm, a program in northern China, was awarded the same honor. The awards came due to China’s solid progress in ensuring the harmony between man and nature.
However, China’s past economic growth has not come without negative consequences for the environment and climate. In the late 1970s, with the rapid development of China’s economy, environmental problems also increased.
To strike a balance between economic boom and environmental burden, China put environmental protection as a basic national policy and the sustainable development strategy was put into practice in the 1990s. Now the country holds a belief: “Lucid (透明的) waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets.”
Increased environmental awareness and investments have produced results. Air quality in China continued to improve with more cities reporting a drop in major pollutant indicators. Surface water quality kept improving in general. In terms of soil pollution control, the country reduced solid waste imports by 46.5 percent last year.
Strong environmental protection has motivated related fields. The country becomes the first in the world to set up a national green finance system. It also helps push green finance to be included on the G20 agenda. In 2020, the total revenue of China’s environmental protection industry is expected to surpass 2 trillion.
Recognizing that protecting the environment is the best way to realize economic growth, China will continue to stick to giving preference to green development.
1. What’s the author’s purpose in writing Paragraph 2?| A．To make a detailed list of the economic progress in China. |
| B．To sing high praise for the efforts the Chinese government made. |
| C．To show increasing importance of environment over economy. |
| D．To prove China’s achievements in balancing the economy and the environment. |
| A．China’s past economic progress has been smooth and healthy. |
| B．China has won many UN’s highest environmental honors. |
| C．China has made the protection of the environment a national policy. |
| D．Increased environmental awareness and investments have brought positive effects. |
| A．More cities report a drop in major air pollutant indicators. |
| B．Preference ought to be given to developing the economy. |
| C．China’s environmental protection industry is expected to make profits. |
| D．China reduced solid waste imports sharply last year. |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
6 . Scientists estimate that over 500 million species have died out throughout evolution. Here is a list of 4 incredible extinct animals.
Pinta Island Tortoise
| The giant tortoise of Pinta lived on the island Pinta of the Galapagos Islands,Ecuador. By the end of the nineteenth century,most of the Pinta Island tortoises had been wiped out due to hunting. The last known individual was a male named Lonesome George who died on 24 June 2012. In his later years,he was considered the rarest animal in the world. |
Falkland Islands Wolf
| The Falkland Islands wolf was the only native land mammal of the Falkland Islands. The animal was hunted for his beautiful fur,and the shepherds(牧羊人），considering it a threat to the sheep,poisoned him. On the islands,there were no forests in which the species could take shelter,and its lack of fear towards man made it easy prey to kill. The last known individual died in the late 19th century on the western island. |
Caucasian Wisent
| The Caucasian wisent which went extinct in 1926 inhabited(栖息）the Caucasus mountains. In 1910 their numbers were estimated in the hundreds. When state authority collapsed after the First World War,the remaining population fell victim to hunters. The decline can also be contributed to an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease that was introduced with cattle. |
Javan Tiger
| The Javan tiger is an extinct subspecies of the tiger that was native to the Indonesian island of Java. Very little data was gathered about their behavior before they were driven to extinction. The reduction of its two main prey species,and the modification of its habitat led to the extinction of the subspecies in the 1980s. |
1. According to the passage,which shows the correct order of the animals' extinction?
① Pinta Island tortoise ② Falkland Islands wolf
③ Caucasian wisent ④Javan tiger
| A．②③①④ | B．②③④① |
| C．③②④① | D．③④②① |
| A．Pollution. | B．Disease. |
| C．Hunting. | D．Habitat loss. |
| A．A travel brochure. | B．A news report. |
| C．A nature magazine. | D．A biology textbook. |
7 . You might associate bees with their cute, fuzzy shape and seemingly aimless interest in flowers. But beneath the yellow-and-black (mostly) stripes lies an incredible mind. To efficiently find and collect food to bring back to the hive, bees have to quickly learn to recognize (and then memorize) the most effective foraging routes.
A new study collected evidence from 23 studies of bees and concluded that levels of pesticides (杀虫剂) currently considered safe to use may still have a big effect on bee colony (蜂群) survival.
They found that pesticides had significant negative effects on learning and memory. That was true both when bees were suddenly exposed to a lot of pesticides, and when they got a little bit over a long time. It was also true regardless of whether the bees were exposed to neonicotinoids (新烟碱类杀虫剂), or other pesticides.
Current pesticide regulations are geared (便适应) toward making sure they aren’t used at levels that kill bees. But these currently legal amounts apparently make the bees dumber, which could have effects for species survival.
The other question these findings implicitly (含蓄地) raise is how these pesticides affect less-studied types of bees. Bees don’t all live collectively. Many wild bees do not live in colonies, and if their learning or memory are affected, there are no other bees to help out.
Ohio State University entomologist Reed Johnson told Popular Science in an email interview, the question is: “Can pesticides ever be used safely around bees?” This study, which in one sense has the strength of 23 studies’ worth of evidence,” suggests that the answer is NO,” he wrote.
The follow-up question goes deep into one of our most fundamental needs-food. Pesticides are an essential part of large-scale industrial agriculture, and some amount of honeybee exposure is inevitable. The question, then-which hasn’t been answered by regulation to date, Johnson says-is how much harm to bees is acceptable.
As ever, more research is needed. But this study is worth paying attention to, University of Ottawa bee conservationist Jeremy Kerr told Popular Science. Its conclusions are based on evidence from over 100 individual experiments included in the 23 studies, he says, lending their findings weight.” The lesson that emerges is that honeybees begin to lose their ability to learn and to remember when they are exposed to neonicotinoids,”he writes.
“With restrictions on neonicotinoids increasing globally, many will be looking on alternative chemicals for crop protection.” It’s important to think about what those chemicals might be doing to the bees.
1. Pesticides have a negative effect on bees in that_____.| A．wild bees fail to live in colonies |
| B．pesticides destroy food of bees |
| C．bees’ learning and memory will be harmed |
| D．even a low level of pesticides kills bees |
| A．they are exposed to a lot of pesticides |
| B．they take in some pesticides for long |
| C．they are in contact with neonicotinoids |
| D．they are living in the pure wilderness |
| A．how these pesticides affect wild bees’ survival |
| B．whether pesticides can be used safely around bees. |
| C．how much harm from pesticides bees can bear |
| D．whether bee exposure to pesticides can be avoided |
| A．limit the use of all pesticides |
| B．do more experiments on bees |
| C．reduce the amount of chemicals in farming |
| D．find some other chemicals to protect crops |
8 . The Hodgeheg
By now it was quite late. The rush hour was over. The shops were shut. All was quiet. I'll wait, thought Max, and then when a car or truck comes along, I'll cross in front of it.
Soon he saw something coming. It was a truck. He was halfway across when he suddenly realized that the truck hadn't slowed at all and was almost on top of him, blinding him with its brilliant lights, deafening him with its thunderous roar. It was not going to stop! Trucks stopped only for people-not hedgehogs!
The truck driver had been quite unaware of the tiny pedestrian. With no time to brake, he straddled the little animal. Looking back in his mirror, he saw that it was continuing on its way unhurt, and he grinned and drove on into the night.
The horror of this great monster passing above with its huge wheels on either side of him threw Max into a blind panic, and he made for the end of the crossing as fast as his legs would carry him. He did not see the cyclist and the cyclist, who did not see him until the last moment, caught Max on the bottom and threw him headfirst into the roadside.
The next thing that Max recalled was crawling painfully. Somehow he had managed to come back. He had known nothing of the concern of the cyclist, who had stared at what looked like a small dead hedgehog, sighed, and rode sadly away. He remembered nothing of his journey home, guided only by his sense of smell. All he knew was that he had an awful headache.
The family crowded around him on his return, all talking at once.
“Where have you been all this time?” asked Ma.
“Are you all right, son?” asked Pa.
“Did you cross the road?” they both said, and Peony, Pansy, and Petunia echoed, “Did you? Did you? Did you?”
For a while, Max did not reply. His thoughts were muddled(混乱的), and when he did speak, his words were disordered, too.
“I've got a head on the bump,” he said slowly.
The family looked at one another.
“Something bot me on the hittom,” said Max, “and then I headed my bang. My ache bads headly.”
“But did you cross the road?” cried his sisters.
“Yes,” said Max. “I hound where the humans cross over, but…”
“But the traffic only stops if you're a human?” interrupted Pa.
“Yes,” said Max. “Not if you're a hodgeheg.”
1. What's the correct order of the events that happened?① Max got hit on the bottom and bumped the head.
② Max explained what led him to such a situation.
③ Max was surrounded by the family who were curious and concerned.
④ Max waited for the chance to cross the street.
⑤ Max narrowly escaped being hit by the truck.
⑥ Max managed to return home.
| A．④⑤①⑥②③ | B．④⑤①⑥③② | C．④①⑤⑥②③ | D．④①⑤⑥③② |
| A．Max wanted to find out how to cross the road safely when a vehicle came along. |
| B．Max was seriously injured, so he hurried to the end of the crossing. |
| C．The cyclist sighed sadly because he believed the truck driver had killed Max. |
| D．Peony, Pansy, and Petunia,who echoed “Did you?” were Max's brothers. |
| A．The writer intends to convey some moral ideas to his readers. |
| B．Readers may wonder what is special about the writer's writing techniques. |
| C．It is typical of writers to be creative and try unique ideas. |
| D．Readers' curiosity can be aroused and they will continue reading. |
| A．Serious. | B．Concerned. | C．Casual. | D．Humorous. |
| A．Science fiction. | B．Travel brochure. |
| C．Children's tales. | D．Traffic guidebook. |
9 . We've been part of the Lammas project,an eco village in Wales.I was
Now I live in a roundhouse made out of straw(柏早）。It is not what I would call low-cost housing.The cost is your
I think we've done what I
We
Organic clothes are very
Looking back,I'd argue being organic is
| A．required | B．expected | C．inspired | D．allowed |
| A．in exchange for | B．in connection with | C．in reference to | D．in honor of |
| A．electricity | B．education | C．oxygen | D．sunshine |
| A．cold-hearted | B．white-haired | C．similar-minded | D．near-sighted |
| A．disappear | B．happen | C．stop | D．recover |
| A．money | B．pleasure | C．future | D．energy |
| A．borrow | B．dismiss | C．overlook | D．create |
| A．went on | B．joined up | C．set out | D．called in |
| A．searching for | B．using up | C．researching into | D．selling out |
| A．promote | B．export | C．grow | D．buy |
| A．income | B．experience | C．knowledge | D．entertainment |
| A．materials | B．equipment | C．techniques | D．influence |
| A．donate | B．throw | C．keep | D．sell |
| A．children | B．house | C．garden | D．books |
| A．common | B．expensive | C．casual | D．tough |
| A．as if | B．even if | C．now that | D．in case |
| A．comfort | B．speed | C．company | D．journey |
| A．impossible | B．changeable | C．achievable | D．visible |
| A．effort | B．fame | C．success | D．health |
| A．compete | B．provide | C．defend | D．vote |
10 . Going green seems to be a fad(时尚)for a lot of people these days. Whether that is good or bad, we can’t really say, but for the two of us, going green is not a fad but a lifestyle.
On April 22, 2011, we decided to go green every single day for an entire year. This meant doing 365 different green things, and it also meant challenging ourselves to go green beyond the easy things. Rather than recycle and reduce our energy, we had to think of 365 different green things to do and this was no easy task.
With the idea of going green every single day for a year, Our Green Year started. My wife and I decided to educate people about how they could go green in their lives and hoped we could show people all the green things that could be done to help the environment. We wanted to push the message that every little bit helps.
Over the course of Our Green Year, we completely changed our lifestyles. We now shop at organic(有机的)stores. We consume less meat, choosing green food. We have greatly reduced our buying we don’t need. We have given away half of what we owned through websites. Our home is kept clean by vinegar and lemon juice, with no chemical cleaners. We make our own butter, enjoying the smell of home-made fresh bread. In our home anyone caught doing something ungreen might be punished.
Our minds have been changed by Our Green Year. We are grateful for the chance to have been able to go green and educate others. We believe that we do have the power to change things and help our planet.
1. Why do the author and his wife decide to start their Green Year？| A．To challenge themselves. |
| B．To cater to (迎合) the fad. |
| C．To help the environment. |
| D．To educate others. |
| A．educating people to push the message of going green. |
| B．choosing green food. |
| C．saying no to meat. |
| D．selling what they owned online. |
| A．He or she would be praised. |
| B．He or she would be given a cup of lemon juice. |
| C．He or she would be enjoy the home-made fresh bread. |
| D．He or she would be fined. |
| A．People’s minds can be changed. |
| B．People can go green. |
| C．People can educate others. |
| D．People can help the planet. |
