1 . 阅读下面两篇短文，根据其大意，从方框中选择适当的短语，并用其正确形式填空。

in addition     turn one’s back     break down     a variety of          live in harmony     run out     maintain friendships     be concerned with

A

Friendship clubs provide a platform for people to take part in     1     social activities, such as group outings, shared hobbies, and interactive events. They help to bring together like-minded individuals who are seeking to make new friends.     2    , joining a friendship club is also beneficial for people to     3     through face-to-face interaction.

B

Nature is our home. Humans and other living things on the planet couldn’t survive without the resources that come from nature. We should take care of our “home” before it’s too late. If we keep overusing and destroying nature, it will finally    4     on us. We should try our best to     5     with nature.

2 . 语法填空

Glass recycling has become such a big industry that the amount of glass     1     (recycle) is not meeting the demand for new glass to be produced. Some states in U. S. have attempted to resolve this situation in hopes of encouraging the     2     (produce) of glass over plastic by offering monetary incentives (奖励) for glass. For example, California has a special program     3     you can earn five cents for most glass bottles as well as plastic ones and aluminum cans less than 24 ounces. For items over 24 ounces, you can earn 10 cents each.

3 . As a shift in the polar vortex (极地涡旋) swept across much of the US, many people in the country were hit with a sudden snap of cold. Heavy ice and snow coupled with fallen trees caused the outages in major cities, with companies unable to tell their customers when power will be restored.

Polar vortices were noticed long ago. But the first known use of the term “polar vortex” was in a magazine in 1853. Polar vortices are present year-round, but we don’t hear about them until they cause problems. They maintain freezing temperatures at the North and South poles by moving in tight counter-clockwise patterns. Polar vortices grow stronger in winter and weaken in summer. They are kept in place at the poles by another atmospheric current called the jet stream. However, when the jet streams weaken, the cold winds of the polar vortex are pushed southwards and it is during this time that people begin to pay attention!

In Texas, roads froze over, causing six traffic deaths, and many schools were shut-down. People are not the only Earthlings to struggle with the cold. Crops and animals are also freezing. This could have major consequences, especially if herds of cattle die. If snow blocks cattle, the animals can’t reach basic necessities like food and fresh water.

On a brighter note, some Texas cities were more prepared than others. For instance, Amarillo, which is located in North Texas, so they are more accustomed to colder temperatures. Amarillo is notable because the city was redesigned to stand up to severe winter storms. Officials have spread out fire stations to increase coverage of first responders, employed modified dump trucks for clearing ice, and upgraded civic centers to provide shelter during storms. Hopefully, other Texas cities will follow the good example set by Amarillo!

1. What does the underlined word “outages” refer to?

A．Traffic jams.	B．Power struggles.
C．Power cuts.	D．Traffic accidents.

2. What can we learn about polar vortices?

A．They grow stronger in summer.	B．They are affected by jet streams.
C．They were first observed in 1853.	D．They move in a clockwise direction.

3. What is the last but one paragraph mainly about?

A．The definition of the polar vortex.	B．The characteristics of the polar vortex.
C．The ways to deal with the polar vortex.	D．The serious impact made by the polar vortex.

4. Why is Amarillo striking?

A．Because it is located in the north of Texas.

B．Because it has been upgraded and modernized.

C．Because it has been regarded as an example to other cities.

D．Because it has taken effective measures to resist winter storms.