1 . The mystery of how groups of fire ants survive floods has puzzled biologists for many years. But now scientists have worked out how the ants stick together in order to build a kind of raft (筏) that helps them to float easily for days.
The fire ant lives in the rainforests of Brazil, where heavy rainfall can cause flooding twice daily. In order to stick together as a colony (群体) during these floods, the fire ants hook (钩) their legs and mouths together to create a living and breathing material that floats for hours, or even weeks, if necessary, until floods go down.
These so-called fire-ant rafts contain nearly 200 bodies per square inch; they can grow to be as large as garbage bin lids (盖) in the case of large colonies, but more often, they grow to the size of small plates. The ants gather themselves quickly in response to an emergency, and can organize thousands of bodies in less than two minutes, according to study researcher David Hu. “They are all acting together, and there are so many of them that they are really becoming a single material.” said Professor Hu.
They found that living fire ants within a raft always changed their positions in response to forces, such as the push of a stick or a drop of rain in nature. “This responsiveness allows the fire ants to deal with small rocks or bursts of waves while floating.” Hu said.
The raft is also self-healing, so that if one ant is removed from the raft, others move in to fill the space.
When in danger of drowning, a colony of the tiny creatures-thousands of them-will save themselves by joining forces and forming a raft. Though insects do insect things, we human beings could learn a thing or two about teamwork from the awesome fire ant.
1. What is the main idea of the passage?| A．Tiny creatures can survive disasters. |
| B．Fire ants work together to survive floods. |
| C．Teamwork is important for human. |
| D．Rafts help fire ants live in nature. |
| A．By joining a colony. | B．By floating for a long time. |
| C．By hooking parts of their bodies. | D．By living and breathing together. |
| A．They can be formed in a short time. |
| B．They are usually the size of garbage bin lids. |
| C．They will be separated in case of forces. |
| D．They move to some spaces when in danger. |
| A．A news report. | B．A brochure. |
| C．A story book. | D．A magazine. |
2 . Some spiders hunt on the ground, others build webs to trap their food, but the grass water spider catches its prey by running along the surface of the water.
This special water spider lives on the grassy banks of streams where mosquitoes, flies and other insects come to feed and breed.
Although it is one of the largest spiders in New Zealand, it has an unusual ability. It doesn’t disturb the water as it waits for its meal, and there is barely a ripple (波纹) when it skims (掠过) across the surface at lightning speed to catch its prey.
Grass water spiders deal swiftly with larger insects like damsel flies by pulling their heads under the water and holding them there until they drown.
After a meal, the grass water spider spends up to half an hour grooming (修饰) itself. It wipes its eight eyes, brushes its antennae (触角), and takes special care to clean the hairs on its body.
It is the hairs that trap tiny bubbles (泡沫) of air so that the spider can run down a blade (叶片) of grass and stay underwater for up to an hour when it is frightened. The hairs also keep the spider dry, even underwater.
It is only when the female spider is caring for the young that she does not hunt on the water. After mating (交配), she produces a large egg sac (囊), which she carries around for five weeks. Once the eggs start to hatch (孵化), she attaches the sac to some blades of grass or a thistle (蓟). She then tears the sac open and releases the tiny spiders into the nursery web.
1. How does the grass water spider kill its prey?| A．in a web | B．by drowning | C．by poisoning | D．with its antennae |
| A．it walks on water | B．it has eight eyes |
| C．of its hairy appearance | D．of the way it produces its young |
| A．feeds grass |
| B．lives on blades of grass under the water |
| C．lives in the grass on the banks of streams |
| D．eats a meal once every five weeks |
| A．convince readers that spiders are dangerous |
| B．indicate that the grass water spider is endangered |
| C．list all of the spiders that can be found in New Zealand |
| D．describe the characteristics of the grass water spider |
3 . The Cambodian Government’s Fisheries Administration and WWF announced that the Irrawaddy dolphin population in the Mekong River numbers just 89. The number is a slight decline from the estimate of 92 in 2018, but shows that the population has stabilized. In recent years after decades of sharp decline.
Critically, the survey’s findings also indicate a positive survival rate of calves through to adulthood, with a “recruitment rate” of 4.22%, signalling an improving trend for the dolphin population. “Although the survey confirmed that the number of river dolphins in Cambodia has stabilized, the population size is still small, so stronger conservation action is urgently needed,” said Mr. Seng Teak, WWF Country Director.
The Irrawaddy dolphins are fully protected under Cambodia’s Fisheries Law. The dolphins, however, continue to face great danger. Gill nets, development of upstream dams, overfishing, and illegal fishing practices such as electrofishing are among major known threats to the survival of the species.
Effective conservation action in recent years has halted the decline in the population, but more is required to ensure that the population expands. The Fisheries Administration and WWF are committed to continuing to work gather with the local communities and other partners to make collective efforts to carry out the recommendations of the 2020 population report.
These recommendations include enforcement of the fisheries law and the ban on illegal gill net use in the protected dolphin habitat, continued robust monitoring of the species population, and management of the Ramsar site in Stung Treng province to improve natural fish stocks for food and prey enhancement for both the local communities and the dolphins.
1. Which of the following best describes the present population of dolphins in Cambodian?| A．Uncertain | B．Steady | C．Declining | D．Increasing |
| A．Normal fishing. | B．Gill net fishing. | C．Illegal fishing. | D．Too much fishing. |
| A．The recommendations haven’t been put to use. | B．It is banned to fish in conservative habitats. |
| C．The species of dolphins will be managed. | D．Dolphins will have more fish to eat. |
| A．The food the dolphins eat. | B．The threats the dolphins meet. |
| C．The protection of dolphins in the Mekong. | D．The population of dolphins in the Mekong River. |
1. What are the highest temperatures in Northern India now?
| A．About 35℃. | B．Almost 40℃. | C．Over 45℃. |
| A．About 200. | B．About 1,000. | C．About 2,000. |
| A．Government projects will be done at night. |
| B．Bottles of water will be sold at low prices. |
| C．School days will be reduced. |
| A．Cooler. | B．All the same. | C．Hotter. |
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（˄），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2.只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
I am fond of wild animals, which existence makes our world lively and colorfully. However, many wild animals in nature are in the danger. It is believed that human beings mainly lead the terrible problem. Thanks to many governments’ and organizations’ efforts, much attention from the world are paid to the protection of wild animals. As a member of human beings, I am sure willing to protect the wildlife. So far, I had launched two activities to show the public the great achievements make in the protection of the wildlife. Many of my classmates have joined myself. I hope that more people can participate in the activity to advertise the importances and benefits of environment protection.
6 . A study has shown how ecotourism in the Philippines has changed people's attitudes towards marine conservation.
Researchers from the University of Victoria and other institutes in Philippines, visited three sites where tourists pay to swim with whale sharks in the wild. They interviewed a range of locals in Oslob, Donsol and Pintuyan, including fishers and ex-whale shark hunters. At Oslob, the largest of the three sites, people were more likely to speak about the resulting improvements to their quality of life and an increase in job opportunities. At the smaller, less profitable sites, responses were more likely to be about the changes in how people behaved towards the sharks.
Dr. Jackie Ziegler, leader of the team of researchers, said, “Many of the people we spoke reported they now care about and value whale sharks because of tourism activities. They also expressed the community’s emotional connection to the species and the strong need to protect them. Before the introduction of tourist activities, most of the locals admitted to harming the sharks by hitting them with stones or riding them.” In terms of attitudes towards the wider marine environment, the majority of respondents now actively encourage others to care for the ocean and they also use more sustainable fishing practices.
The study also acknowledged the potential negative effects of tourism on the marine environment, such as impacts on the health of local coral reefs and of the sharks. It concluded that further studies were needed to assess these impacts before firm conclusion could be drawn regarding the positive impact of whale sharks tourism on ocean conservation.
Nevertheless, the researchers say their work suggests ecotourism can be an effective means of strengthening protection. “Bringing in the views of the local tour operation to the study was necessary in uncovering the true impact of whale shark touristm and the wider benefit to the ocean conservation in the Philippines,” Dr Ziegler added.
1. What were the local people concerned least according to Paragraph 2?| A．Improvement of life. |
| B．Behaviours towards sharks. |
| C．Increases of work chances. |
| D．Relationships between people. |
| A．Protective. | B．Satisfying. | C．Unsustainable. | D．Beneficial. |
| A．Influence on other marine species. |
| B．Strategies for carrying out marine ecotourism. |
| C．Types of ocean conservation. |
| D．Importance of protecting the local whale sharks. |
| A．Ecotourism Transforms Locals’ Attitudes to Marine Conservation. |
| B．Ecotourism Does Much Good to Marine Life as Before. |
| C．Marine ecotourism Gives Rise to a New Kind of Business. |
| D．Ecotourism Has Brought Large Benefits to People. |
7 . Top universities for employability 2021 in USA
California Institute of Technology
The California Institute of Technology, founded in 1891, is one of the best private universities in the world, ranking 9 in National Universities. Its setting is suburban and the campus size is 124 acres. The student population is tiny compared with other colleges with just over 1,000 undergraduates and 1,200 postgraduates (2021 ). Students are admitted on the basis of strong maths, science and engineering skills and interest. Some of them may get high scholarship.
Tuition and fees: $58,680(2020-2021)
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private research university that was founded in 1740 in Pennsylvania, USA. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 9,872(fall 2021). Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, and is one of several institutions that claim to have been the first university in America. University of Pennsylvania is ranked number 4 in National Universities.
Tuition and Fees: $ 57,770(2020-2021)
Columbia University
For more than 260 years, Columbia university has been a leader in higher education in the nation and around the world. The oldest private institution recognizes the importance of its location in New York City and seeks to link its research and teaching to the vast resources of a great metropolis. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 6,170(fall 2021) and is the 5th oldest in the United States. It is ranked number 11 in National Universities.
Tuition and Fees: $53,000(2020-2021)
University of Chicago
University of Chicago is a private institution that was founded in 1890. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 6,989(fall 2021). In an urban setting, the campus size is 217 acres. University of Chicago has a reputation for devotion to academic scholarship and its ranking is number 6 in National Universities.
Tuition and Fees: $49,298(2020-2021)
1. What is special about California Institute of Technology?| A．It is the oldest university in America. |
| B．It is a small but well-known university. |
| C．It offers the highest academic scholarship. |
| D．It only admits international talented students. |
| A．University of Chicago. | B．Columbia University. |
| C．University of Pennsylvania. | D．California Institute of Technology. |
| A．They are all built in urban areas. | B．They are all small schools in size. |
| C．They are all private universities. | D．They are all ranked top 10 in the USA. |
8 . Earthquakes have killed many people and have caused serious damage to people's life. Here are some of the worst earthquakes that happened around the world.
Haiti Earthquake
A great earthquake hit Haiti on 12 January 2010. Its center was located just southwest of Port-Au-Prince, the capital and largest city of Haiti. It is the strongest earthquake to hit the country since 1770. It led to 100，000 to 316，000 deaths and left 2 million people homeless and 3 million people in need of immediate help. At least $195 million have been given by different countries, along with a large number of rescue workers to support rescue efforts.
Kashmir Earthquake
The Kashmir earthquake happened on the morning of 8 October 2005. It was centered near the city of Muzaffarabad. The official number of deaths was 75,000 and there were 106,000 people who were injured. As Saturday is a normal school day in the area, most students were at schools when the earthquake happened. Many young people were buried under destroyed school buildings. Many people were also trapped in their homes. Reports said that entire towns and villages were completely wiped out in northern Pakistan. The serious damage was mainly because of poor buildings.
Indian Ocean Earthquake
Known as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake, Indian Ocean Earthquake happened on 26 December 2004. While the earthquake itself lasted for only 10 seconds, it caused a tsunami. The tsunami killed about 200,000 to 310,000 people along the shores of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, South India and Thailand. There was one death even happening at Port Elizabeth in South Africa, 8,000 miles away from the center.
1. What can be learnt from Paragraph 2?| A．Haiti is a poor country. | B．Haiti suffered many disasters. |
| C．Over 400，000 people died in the earthquake. | D．Haiti received international help after the earthquake. |
| A．Because it is the strongest in history. |
| B．Because its center was near Muzaffarabad. |
| C．Because it happened during the school time. |
| D．Because there were too many school buildings. |
| A．To suggest South Africa is far away. |
| B．To show how strong the earthquake was. |
| C．To tell us the earthquake killed many people. |
| D．To prove the earthquake was felt by South Africa. |
