1 . Burning coal for energy adds planet-warming carbon dioxide(CO2) to Earth's atmosphere. As the planet heats up, experts warn that simply cutting greenhouse gas emissions（排放） will not be enough to avoid global warming. CO2 must also be remcved from the atmosphere.

Existing experimental machines that pull CO2 directly from the air are too expensive to be widely used. But a new effective technology to remove CO₂ already exists. It is not expensive and easy. It is forests. Planting trees and watching forests are effective ways to clean the air.

Forests used to cover large areas of the Appalachian Mountains in the eastern United States. In the state of West Virginia, coal mining left the land there bare, without trees. Over the years, coal mining and cutting forests took over 90 percent of the red spruce（云杉） forests.

Chris Barton works for the University of Kentucky. He started a group called Green Forests Work, aiming to put trees back on the roughly 400 , 000 hectares of land.

However, Barton explains the land has problems. "If you planted trees on these places, they just didn't grow. The ground was too hard. Water didn't infiltrate（渗透）. The trees can't root. Oxygen can't circulate in those environments. "Using heavy equipment, workers tear the ground. In this way, the trees put down roots.

Barton says not everyone believes the solution is a good idea. "We've had a lot of doubtful look at us twice from people. But after we do it, there's no question that it was the right thing to do. "And it has worked. Forests are coming back to the grounds.

Scientists say that, in West Virginia alone, restoring red spruce forests to the area could send what is equal to 56 million barrels（桶）of oil into the ground. But it will take time—a long time. Around the world, experts say, nature offers powerful tools to fight climate change. But patience is needed. Nature works, but slowly, in its own time.

1. What is the economical and effective way to remove CO₂ from the air?

A．Inventing new and powerful machines.

B．Cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

C．Making use of natural gases instead of coal.

D．Planting trees and protecting forests.

2. What does the underlined word "tear" in paragraph 5 probably mean?

A．Cry.

B．Repair.

C．Destroy.

D．Cover.

3. From the fifth paragraph we know that ________.

A．oxygen is not enough for trees to grow there

B．too many rocks had made it hard to plant trees

C．coal mining has spoiled the land through years

D．there is no water for trees to grow there

4. The last paragraph tells us that restoring the forest environment there is________.

A．a painful process

B．a slow process

C．a creative process

D．a learning process

2 . 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。

Around       1     earth, there is a thin layer of ozone(臭氧), a kind of gas protecting us from any of the harmful rays of the sun. A few years ago, scientists in the Antarctic became aware     2     holes growing in the ozone layer. As these holes get bigger, harmful rays from the sun are     3     (increasing) reaching us,     4    (cause) crop damage and cancer. This is a big problem in countries near the polar regions, like Australia     5     skin cancer caused in part by ozone depletion (消耗)is now considered a national epidemic(流行病).

Further research into the problem showed that the ozone layer is being destroyed by gases called CFCs. These gases     6     (release) into the atmosphere by the chemicals used in aerosol cans, refrigerators and air conditioners. To help save the ozone layer, many     7     (manufacturer) have stopped producing aerosol cans that use CFCs. They have switched to other less harmful chemicals, and labeled     8     (they) cans “ozone-friendly” or “no CFCs”.

The problem of refrigerators and air conditioners has been more difficult     9     (solve). However, more and more manufacturers are now producing refrigerators and air conditioners     10     do not use CFCs. Therefore, when you go shopping you should choose ozone-friendly products. Then you will be doing something to help the environment.

3 . Bosses trying to quickly increase productivity should give up brainstorming meetings and instead invest in office plant, a study has found.

Green plants in offices increase work output by 15 percent, and challenges the “lean philosophy”(极简哲学)which holds that tidy buildings are best for concentration.

In experiments at two large commercial offices in the UK and The Netherlands, it was found that plants significantly increased workplace satisfaction, levels of focus, and air quality. “Simply decorating an office space with plants help to increase productivity by 15 percent,” said lead researcher Marlon Nieuwenhuis.

“This conclusion doesn't agree with the modern ‘lean’ management techniques, yet it points out a path to a more enjoyable, more comfortable and a more profitable form of office-based workings.” She added, “Our research suggests that investing in decorating the office with plants will pay off through an increase in workers’ quality of life and productivity. It directly challenges the widely accepted business philosophy that a lean office with clean desks is more productive.”

Previous studies have shown that the presence of plants can reduce physiological(生理上的) stress, increase the attention span and improve health and well-being.

Researchers studied offices over several months during which plants were removed and added. Professor Alex Haslam, who also worked on the study, added, “The lean philosophy   has been influential across a wide range of organizational fields. Our research questions this widespread belief that less is more. Sometimes less is just less.”

Plants are beneficial because a green office makes employees more physically and emotionally involved in their work.

Another researcher Dr. Craig Knight said: “Psychologically manipulating(处理，操纵)real workplaces and real jobs adds new depth to our understanding of what is right and what is wrong with existing workspace design and management. We are now providing a model of a really smart office.”

1. According to the “lean philosophy”, ________.

A．green plants can increase productivity.

B．green plants may disturb people’s concentration.

C．a beautiful environment is beneficial to productivity.

D．green plants will help bosses come up with new ideas.

2. The value of the research findings lies in that___________.

A．it may create a new way of management.

B．it will lead to less investment in offices.

C．it may lead to a better form of office-based workings.

D．it challenges the widely accepted brainstorming meetings.

3. Which of the following is NOT true according to the researchers?

A．The “lean philosophy” is widely adopted nowadays.

B．A green office helps employees focus on their work.

C．Green plants will make office workers more efficient.

D．When it comes to decorating offices, the less the better.

4. The passage is intended to ________.

A．blame the “lean philosophy”.

B．show how to increase productivity.

C．Persuade bosses to remove plants from offices.

D．indicate the effects of green plants on works’ efficiency.

4 . In 2006, an alarm sounded concerning the health of honeybees in the United States when a Florida beekeeper found 400 of his hives were empty.     1     Home gardeners can play an important role in supporting bees, in particular, by offering food, water, and shelter for them.

Food. Grow a variety of plants to supply nectar (花蜜) and pollen (花粉) throughout the growing season. Bees like plants native to their habitats.     2     Choose a sunny location and set plants in groups.

Water. Although we rarely see them taking a drink, bees appreciate gardens with a source of water. It can be as simple as filling a shallow water dish with small stones and branches so bees can land and rest while drinking. A birdbath (水盘) also offers a dependable destination for bees.     3    

Shelter.     4     These bees don’t live in hives like honeybees but in logs, dead tree branches, even in holes in the ground. You can build a bee shelter by drilling holes in an untreated wood block. The holes should be three to five inches deep and a quarter inch in diameter.     5     Choose a site protected from wind and rain for your nest — under the eaves of a shed, for example.

By creating an environment with shelter, water, and bee-friendly plants, soon your local bees will be buzzing.

A．Replace the water regularly.

B．Even plants in a window box can help.

C．Leave an inch of space between holes.

D．Leave an area of bare dirt for ground insects.

E．So choose wildflowers and natives whenever possible.

F．Don’t ignore the wild bees that live in North America.

G．Similar reports of disappearing bees were reported nationwide.

6 . On Tuesday the Indian Army found mysterious large footprints in the snow.The military group.on an outing in Nepal, took pictures and later put them on Twitter.Their conclusion: the footprints belong to the Yeti, also known as the abominable snowman.

Most experts in the scientific community say the Yeti is a myth, an imaginary story.The man-like creature is part of Nepali tradition and is said to live high in the Himalayan mountains.

In the tweet, the Indian army said it found the footprints close to a camp near Mount Makalu on April 9.The footprints measured 81 centimeters by 38 centimeters.The tweet did not explain how a mythical beast could leave footprints.

Reactions on social media

The Indian army’s Twitter post has drawn criticism(批评)by some on social media. One user, for example, put an image of a big hole in Bombay and said that Yeti footprints could be found there.Other users said that the supposed Yeti tracks appeared to be a single foot line.One user suggested the Yeti may have been riding a kind of strange bicycle.

Mount Makalu and the Yeti

Mount Makalu, where the Indian Army took the photographs, Is one of the highest mountains in the world.It stands near the Makalu-Barun valley, an area very far from human population.The area has already been explored by researchers looking for the Yeti.

Daniel C.Taylor is one of them.He wrote a book on the mystery of the Yeti.Taylor pointed out that the footprints likely came from a bear.Taylor told the Reuters news agency that if the footprints came from "an animal or a single animal, it's the size of a dinosaur."Taylor added, " One needs to really confirm those measurements of the footprint size because we know for sure that there are no dinosaurs living in the Barun valley.

Since the 1920s, tales of a wild beast have attracted climbers in Nepal and around the world.In2008, Japanese climbers returning from a mountain in western Nepal told Reuters they had seen footprints, which they thought belonged to the Yeti.Although they carried cameras, video equipment and telescopes, they had not seen or taken any photographs of the creature.In 2017, a group of international researchers studied many Yeti samples(样本) The researchers concluded the samples belonged to bears.

1. What does the underlined phrase"part of Nepali tradition"refer to?

A．The Nepali's belief in the existence of the Yeti.

B．The Nepalis celebration on the finding of the Yeti.

C．The Nepali's custom of telling imaginary stories.

D．The Nepali's choice of camping on high mountains.

2. What can we learn from the passage?

A．Japanese climbers have taken some photos of the Yet.

B．The Indian army provided Yeti samples to researchers.

C．Taylor wrote a book based on the Indian army's Twitter post.

D．Some social media users doubt whether the footprints are Yeti’s.

3. What could be the best title for the passage?

A．Social Media Joke About ‘Yeti’ Tracks .

B．Climbers Announce Finding of Yeti.

C．Researchers Measure ‘Yeti' Footprints.

D．Indian Army Tweets About" Evidence"

4. How does the writer make the news report?

A．By giving his own opinions.

B．By showing different discoveries.

C．By providing latest numbers.

D．By comparing different studies.

8 . Biologists from Boise State University have been making noise in the forests of the western American state of Idaho. They are making noise to study the value of quiet in nature. They want to know how people and animals react to noise pollution.

The researchers placed outdoor speakers on the side of a half-kilometer-long part of a road in the Boise National Forest. For two years, they played the sounds of passing cars through the speakers. Professor Jesse says they found the sounds caused migratory （迁徙的）birds to flee. The birds also failed to gain weight.

Recently, researchers played sounds of machines that are used to remove natural gas from the ground. That sound is heard in natural gas fields throughout the American West. Professor Barber says these experiments are designed to help researchers learn the effects of noise pollution on birds, insects, bats, and people.

"We are testing the idea that these things are coupled -- that as the soundscape gets louder, wildlife suffers. But that also feeds back on to how much people get out of that experience, how much they value it, and thus how much they are willing to protect that same place."

The research team also studied a group of volunteers who watch birds for fun. Mitch Levenhagen is a graduate student in the research team. He measured how much the artificial noise lessened the ability of the birdwatchers to recognize recorded bird songs.

The birdwatchers said the artificial noise affected their ability to recognize bird sounds more than they thought it would. Birdwatcher Jim Lyons said the experiment caused him to value quiet more.

"I moved out of the city to a little place in the country where I wanted it to be quiet. I greatly value that. It is hard to find those places more and more. There are lots of ways to mitigate（减轻） sound. But it is trade-off. There is always a cost. And it comes down to people's values. What do we value more." said Volunteer Janice Engle.

1. What is the purpose of carrying out the research?

A．To prevent people making any noise in their daily life.

B．To find out the effect noise has on humans and animals.

C．To call on many more people to protect the environment.

D．To encourage people to keep quiet while they are in nature.

2. By playing sounds of machines, the researchers try to make the findings ________.

A．impressive

B．unique

C．instructive

D．convincing

3. What have some volunteers realized after the experiment?

A．The great importance of quiet in nature.

B．The big price humans will pay for health.

C．The great value of a sharp sense of hearing.

D．The necessity of protecting wildlife in nature.