1 . 2020 is on the way to being the hottest year in history

It’s been a super year in a lot of ways, and with just a few weeks left, 2020 is likely to be titled the hottest year on record.

Previously, 2016 held that title-and global warming records are getting broken faster and faster. Before 2016, 2015 had the title, and previous to that it was 2010.    1    But, unfortunately, this is the reality we live in: the climate is warming at an alarming rate, and we’re doing little to slow it down.

    2    To be more exact, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) gives it a 46 percent chance of being the second hottest year on record.     3    

It was actually expected to be a cooler year. A strong La Nina weather pattern was in place, which has brought down the temperature of the eastern and central parts of the Pacific Ocean.    4    As a result, the planet as a whole has still ended up way too warm. In fact, it was the warmest the oceans have ever been during such a strong La Nina.

All in all, we’ll have to wait until January to know for sure where this year lands in the record books.     5    .

A．That might technically be good news, but it’s not really.

B．But the rest of the world was so much hotter than normal.

C．These aren’t exactly the kind of records we want to be breaking.

D．However, whether we break the record or not, it’s been a hot year.

E．This year has seen lots of weather events caused by global warming.

F．Still, there is a chance that 2020 won’t be the hottest year on record.

G．According to the Met Office, 2020 will likely be 1.11℃ warmer than 1850-1900 average.

2 . With the rise of social media in recent years, young people around the globe have easy access to shocking ______ about how we’re currently ______ to look after the Earth. Websites provide accessible information about ______ matters that quickly have millions of views, and links to new scientific information are easily ______. But, it’s not just online research that uncovers the     ____, and it’s not a ______ threat either. Climate change is happening around us; our oceans are 30 percent more acidic(酸性的) and one and a half acres of forest are cut down every second.

Of course, just because ______ people are now readily armed with such information doesn’t mean all ______ will eagerly listen to them. Many ______ young activists simply due to their age, and others still aren’t willing to see the environmental ______ we face, but that doesn’t mean a ______ can’t be made.

In fact, there are some ______ to being a young environmentalist. A study on participants aged 16-24 in the UN climate negotiations showed that adults thought of younger activists as being ______ due to the lack of financial problems. Young activists not only aren’t ______ by busy schedules being forced on them, but they also have a simple-hearted view of what’s going on and , being ______ from politics, they often say what adults aren’t willing to.

1.

A．comment

B．information

C．knowledge

D．feeling

2.

A．failing

B．continuing

C．managing

D．stopping

3.

A．financial

B．political

C．environmental

D．technical

4.

A．shared

B．added

C．included

D．selected

5.

A．secret

B．history

C．source

D．truth

6.

A．serious

B．distant

C．public

D．common

7.

A．strong

B．smart

C．young

D．local

8.

A．adults

B．children

C．scientists

D．activists

9.

A．wear down

B．believe in

C．know about

D．write off

10.

A．benefits

B．protection

C．challenges

D．education

11.

A．difference

B．decision

C．deal

D．choice

12.

A．advantages

B．limits

C．keys

D．purposes

13.

A．more friendly

B．more trustworthy

C．poorer

D．busier

14.

A．supported

B．treated

C．paid

D．influenced

15.

A．safe

B．tired

C．free

D．absent

3 . Earth’s forests are emptying. Half of their inhabitants (栖息动物) have disappeared in the last 40 years, according to a new report from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

The 6th mass extinction (大灭绝)

A growing body of evidence suggests that the Earth is in the middle of a mass extinction event－the sixth of its kind in the planet’s history. More than 27% of species on the planet are dying out.

The reasons behind

Worldwide, humans have cleared 30% of all forest cover. According to the research, 60% of the threats ( 威 胁 ) of forest animals result from the disappearance of forests. Hunting, too, is a major reason for the falling number of animal populations. More than half of the species that are in danger due to over-hunting, according to the report, are African primates (灵长目动物), since they’re hunted in the bushmeat trade. Climate change becomes another big danger to forest animals. Many forest species are struggling to adapt to rising temperatures and more extreme weather.

The recovery

“In order to change the decrease of forest biodiversity ( 生物多样性), it’s urgent to handle the multiple pressures on forest species,” the reporter wrote. But with the right strategies, he said, “the recovery of forest species’ populations is possible.”

1. Why is the Earth in the middle of a mass extinction event now?

A．Because 30% of all forest cover has been cleared by human.

B．Because half of its populations have disappeared in the last 40 years.

C．Because many species on the Earth are in the danger of dying out.

D．Because extreme weather is killing more and more of its inhabitants.

2. What consequences may the disappearance of forests bring according to the passage?

A．The soil of the earth is in the 6th mass extinction.

B．The inhabitants are decreasing both in number and species.

C．African primates are at the risk of extinction.

D．More forest animals are cruelly hunted in the bushmeat trade.

3. How can the future of the forest species be pictured according to the reporter?

A．Where there is smoke, there is fire.

B．Where there is a will, there is a way.

C．Where there is life, there is a ray of sunshine.

D．Where there is a solution, there is a silver lining.

4 . An Oregon witness at Hood River reported watching two cigar-shaped objects that stopped and hovered (盘旋). He was in a car driven by her mother at 2:06 p.m. on July 18, 2018.

The witness stated, “I was in the passenger seat. My mom then pointed to two white lines in the sky. They were far off and too big to be an airplane. The lines were surely not made by airplanes because there was no tail or wings. These were just straight white, cigar-shaped lines in the sky. They appeared to be headed eastward before they stopped and started hovering.”

“While I was thinking about what the cigar-like objects might be, I did forget to record. After a while, they moved northward, disappearing into a thundercloud (雷雨云), in which an airplane could not go. Also, I noticed the two objects were flying very close to each other, and I know commercial (商业的) airliners do not do that. The way that the objects were flying was as if they were formation flying.”

The witness did not feel like the objects were presenting a possible danger in any way.

“People in movies tend to make UFOs seem like dangerous things that come to the Earth to Kill humans. But these objects only appeared to be looking at the Earth below. I was not frightened by these objects, and I was left with many questions instead: What were they here for? Did anyone else see them? And why had they come to the earth?”

“When my mom and I came home we told my dad and brother about the strange event. They did not believe us though. And because we don’t have any pictures or videos, this event will be considered as another product of human imagination or a joke. Though I do accept that not everything on the Internet is real, I know what I saw. The UFOs that I saw were real,” said the witness.

1. Which of the following correctly describes the two UFOs?

A．They kept their distance.	B．They flew in a special way.
C．They made a noise like thunder.	D．They were half the size of airplanes.

2. What did the witness think of the UFOs?

A．They were carrying out a task.	B．They provided ideas for movies.
C．They seemed harmless to the Earth.	D．They seemed frightened of humans.

3. How did the witness feel about the UFOs?

A．Afraid.	B．Excited.
C．Confused.	D．Uninterested.

4. Why did the witness think people didn’t believe his story?

A．He couldn’t prove it.

B．He didn’t believe it himself

C．They had heard too many similar stories.

D．They might think he copied it from the Internet.

5 . 读后续写

Early one weekend morning, I was sleeping like a log when the telephone rang. When I answered I heard my Grandma’s voice “Hey, sweetheart. I have missed you so much lately. Why don’t you come to the countryside and enjoy some fine views?” she asked. “Dad, Grandma is inviting us to her home,” I shouted to my father who was busy in the kitchen. “Fine with me,” he responded in a casual tone. After a quick breakfast, we drove to Grandma’s.

Once we arrived, we were both thrilled by the breathtaking landscape. The plum trees in the backyard were ripe with fruit, while millions of wildflowers colored the valley. Grandma prepared delicious lunch including her special homemade apple jam, which was my favorite. Seeing my greedy eyes, grandma said “Take some when you leave, and I’ve got plenty stored in the cellar (地窖) .” Talking and laughing, we didn’t even notice that it was late in the afternoon, though somewhat cooler than it had been that morning. Grandma suggested that we take her homemade wooden boat for a tour along the nearby river.

Seated in the boat, looking up at the sky, I felt like the clouds were greeting us cheerfully from above. In the vast fields, the golden trees were like brides in the sun. The breeze skimmed over the surface of the field, carrying the sweet smell of the flowers. It was like a picture painted by one of the Dutch masters. “It is so nice to spend some quality time with family,” Dad murmured. “It feels like we’re on an adventure,” I added. “It’s been so much fun!”

While we were admiring the splendid setting around us, the weather started getting hot and humid again. At first, we ignored this change, but when dad looked up at the sky, he saw dark, low clouds were approaching us. Then a fierce gale (大风) sprang up. Lightning flashed within the black clouds, followed by a roar of thunder. “Row!” Dad shouted, trembling, “A tornado (龙卷风) is coming!”

There was no time to think. We rowed as fast as we could.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Grandma opened the door for us.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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。

The size of fish in the oceans is shrinking. A new report from Canada states fish may shrink by as much as a quarter in the coming decades, which mainly     1     (result) from global warming. The research team conducted tests on the effect of     2     (rise) ocean temperatures on the size and number of over 600 species of fish. They concluded that most fish are likely to shrink by 14-24 percent by the year 2050. The biggest changes     3    (see) clearly in tropical regions. There is     4     (little) oxygen in warmer water so fish cannot grow normally and many will migrate to cooler waters.

Lead researcher Professor William said: “We were surprised to see such a large decrease in fish size. Marine fish are generally known to respond to climate change     5     changing distribution and seasonality. But the unexpectedly big effect     6     climate change could have on body size suggests that we may be missing a big piece of the puzzle of understanding climate change effects in the ocean.” He added that overfishing and pollution will     7     (worse) the problem. “Our work shows a very     8     (worry) future for the oceans,     9     it is very important to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and develop better fish management policies     10     (adapt) to these changes,” he said.

7 . SpaceX, Elon musk’s rocket company, launched the newly designed Crew Dragon capsule carrying four astronauts to space on Nov 16. The spacecraft successfully docked (对接) with the International Space Station (ISS) on Nov 17.

This is the first time that NASA has sent a crew into orbit entirely via a privately-owned spacecraft. “It’s the start of a new era in which routine astronaut journeys to low-Earth orbit are being conducted by commercial providers,” NASA said. NASA’s commercial manned program has taken a lot of risks. Whether the funding is sufficient in the long term and whether the companies have the capabilities to solve all the technical difficulties have been repeatedly questioned by the US Congress.

Before the launch, NASA had cooperated with SpaceX for more than a decade to build a manned spacecraft. Back in 2014, NASA was facing a vital decision — choosing the finalists to complete the task of developing alternative space shuttles. Eventually, it came down to Boeing and SpaceX. There was fierce competition between the two companies to complete the mission.

In December 2019, Boeing’s manned spaceship, CST-100Starliner, conducted a test flight, but due to multiple errors, the flight failed to reach the ISS. The recent launch of the Dragon capsule wasn’t flawless, either. An air leak caused an unexpected drop in capsule pressure less than two hours before launch, a NASA official said. Thanks to the technicians, the launch wasn’t affected.

In the coming year, US actor Tom Cruise will start a commercial space journey on the Dragon capsule to film a movie at the ISS. At the same time, Boeing is catching up. The company will conduct another unmanned flight in 2021, and its first manned mission will take place sometime in 2022. “It very much follows the aviation (航空) era where airliners used to be government-run, and now of course they’ve been commercial for a number of decades,” said one of the Dragon capsule crew members.

1. What is the significance of the successful launch of Crew Dragon capsule?

A．It carried four astronauts into the space.

B．It successfully docked with the International Space Station.

C．It sent ordinary people to space for the first time.

D．It marks the beginning of spaceflights being conducted by commercial providers.

2. What’s the main factor contributing to the successful launch of Crew Dragon capsule?

A．SpaceX’s long-term cooperation with NASA.

B．Boeing’s failure in the test flight due to multiple errors.

C．SpaceX’s having sufficient funding.

D．All the technical difficulties being timely fixed.

3. What does the underlined “it” refer to in paragraph 5?

A．Crew Dragon capsule launched by SpaceX.

B．commercial space exploration.

C．the competition between Boeing and SpaceX.

D．commercial airliners.

4. Which one can be the best title for this passage?

A．Manned spaceflight was launched.

B．Spaceflights go commercial.

C．NASA faces lots of risks.

D．SpaceX leads the way in spaceflights.

8 . If you live in China, mandatory (强制的) garbage sorting is coming to a city near you. In the UK, people have been sorting out rubbish for a while. For most people, it’s just second nature to sort waste at home before throwing it into separate bins.

But like most Brits and other Westerners, I had no idea that most of our recycling used to go to China until the country banned foreign trash imports last year. With its booming middle class of urban consumers, China has its own increasing waste problems that it urgently needs to deal with. During China’s new drive to sort out its trash problem, I was keen to see what Hangzhou was doing to get residents ready.

It was seven a.m. when I first got to work, in a local community where residents were heading out to work, school or for a morning walk. I was joined by Liu Lianqun, a “garbage guide” next to the local trash sorting station. When many locals approached us, enthusiastically holding their green bags given for free, it was up to us to give them a kind but firm telling-off. “Kitchen waste is food items only! No tissues! No paper! No plastic!” Some people took our advice while others were clearly angry at being told what to do. It’s understandable. Our rubbish can be very personal and something that we keep to ourselves. Any attempt by a stranger to spy into our bin bags is going to be unwelcome. But Liu was very optimistic that progress was being made.

In another community, I found a different approach to garbage sorting—rewarding residents with points in return for their recyclable waste. By scanning a QR code through a smart phone app, locals can collect points for their cardboard, plastic bottles and old clothing, and exchange them for goods or cash in local shops.

If common people could see truck after truck pouring glass, paper and plastic into landfill with their own eyes, they would likely give garbage separation a lot more attention. For China’s garbage separation campaign, education will be essential in the long term.

1. What can be inferred from paragraph 2?

A．Foreign trash imports have done great harm to China.

B．Imports of foreign garbage have not been banned up to now.

C．Residents in Hangzhou are ready for garbage sorting.

D．Most of the foreign garbage in China comes from Britain.

2. What does the underlined word “telling-off ” in paragraph 3 refer to?

A．Carrying out severe punishment.	B．Showing a warm welcome.
C．Pointing out their mistakes seriously.	D．Giving them guidance.

3. Why is it understandable for residents to get angry at being told how to sort garbage?

A．Because the green bags are given to them free of charge.

B．Because residents there tend to be defensive towards strangers.

C．Because only food items can be kept in kitchen waste garbage bags.

D．Because the contents in green bags may let out personal information.

4. What can be the best title for the passage?

A．Wealth hidden in waste

B．Less garbage, clearer environment

C．More points, more rewards

D．Good start for garbage sorting

9 . We now are in a “golden age” of space-sample retrieval (取回) and exploration. Space agencies around the world are busy collecting, or planning to collect, samples from celestial bodies (天体) like asteroids (小行星), moons and planets.

China’s Chang’e 5 mission is the most recent sample-return mission that has been successfully completed. On Dec 17, the Chang’e 5 lunar probe (探测器) returned home and landed in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region after weeks of space travel, China Daily reported. This was the world’s first lunar sample-return mission since 1976. The mission retrieved an incredible 1,713 grams of samples of rocks and dust with the help of a drill (钻孔机) and a mechanical (机械的) arm.

Another space sample-return mission was completed on Dec 6. Japan’s Hayabusa2 probe returned a capsule to Earth containing valuable samples from the asteroid Ryugu. This was the second time asteroid samples have ever been collected and brought back to Earth. The first asteroid samples were collected by the original Hayabusa spacecraft back in 2010.

There will be more such missions in the near future. NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, which collected samples from the asteroid Bennu in October, is expected to return to Earth in 2023. Russia’s Lunar-25 mission is scheduled to launch to the moon in 2021 to collect lunar samples.

Collecting these samples from different celestial bodies is important because they can help to answer questions that have puzzled scientists for years, such as how life first came about or how water appeared on our planet.

“I cannot emphasize enough how valuable return samples are for increasing our understanding of the origin and evolution of our solar system and our place in the universe, and how we came to be,” said Ann Nguyen, a NASA planetary scientist.

Once the space samples are delivered to Earth, they are then analyzed with high-powered tools. These tools can help to reveal more detailed information than just photos or robotic rovers (探测车) alone.

As for the Chang’e 5 lunar samples, scientists will conduct various analyses, tests and experiments to determine the composition (构成), structure and physical characteristics of the samples. This information will help to deepen our knowledge about the history of the moon, as well as our solar system as a whole.

We have only just begun to scratch (抓) the surface of such celestial bodies, both literally and figuratively (象征性地). However, we have already learned so much and have a lot left to discover.

1. What do we know about the Chang’e 5 lunar probe?

A．It was launched on Dec 17.

B．It collected the world’s first lunar sample.

C．It brought back 1,713 grams of lunar samples.

D．It completed the most successful mission recently.

2. Which of the following collected the first asteroid samples?

A．Hayabusa.

B．Hayabusa 2.

C．OSIRIS-REx.

D．Russia’s Lunar-25.

3. What can the samples shed light on (阐明)?

A．The origin of life.	B．Structure of the solar system.
C．Which celestial bodies have water.	D．How water first appeared on the moon.

4. What will scientists do with the samples?

A．Analyze them and conduct experiments.	B．Determine their sources.
C．Compare them with space photos.	D．Scratch their surfaces.

10 . 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。

When she was 10 years old, Ana Moreno watched buses full of tourists pull into her village. They had come to see the monarch butterflies,     1     arrive in groups each November and stay the winter in the Sierra Madre's forested peaks. At that point, Ana's goal was     2     （become） a butterfly guide, leading tours into the forest.

This year,     3    , Ana won't be leading tourists into the Cerro Pelon Butterfly Sanctuary （保护区）owing to the effect that the CO VID-19 has had     4     ecotourism from domestic and international visitors alike. Forest communities are losing tourist income, which has led to them     5     （return） to farms, while others restart cutting down trees     6    （legal）.

But forest communities across the country hold the     7     （believe） that under pressure, solutions also tend to become clear. They     8     （step） up to invite the outside world in and seek new ways to support     9     （they）.

To keep their six forest guardians on the mountain, Ana's brother and his wife have designed virtual tour packages. "I'm hoping it can save us this year," says Sharp. These virtual tours offer visitors an experience they couldn't get in person: up-close     10    （observe） of the colonies on an ongoing basis.