1 . A blue hole is a special kind of underwater cave found inland or in the sea, which forms when the earth above a cave falls in and water fills the space.

An inland blue hole’s water is very still and has different layers. A layer of fresh rainwater floats on top of salt water; the fresh water keeps oxygen from the atmosphere from reaching the salt water; brightly colored bacteria live where the two layers meet.

Diving into blue holes is very dangerous. Near the top of the blue hole, there is a layer of toxic gas, which causes itching, headache, and—in large amounts—death. Divers must also be fast. They have to get in and out of a cave before their oxygen runs out. Additionally, divers have to follow a guideline as they swim through a blue hole because it is very dark inside. Without the guideline, they may get lost.

If blue holes are so dangerous, why do explorers and scientists risk their lives to explore them? The reason is that these underwater caves can provide valuable scientific information. They provide clues about geology, archaeology, and biology. For example, some blue hole creatures probably haven’t changed for millions of years.

The blue holes could even provide clues about astrobiology. For example, divers have found bacteria there that can live without oxygen. Astrobiologist Kevin Hand says the bacteria may be similar to forms of life that might exist on Jupiter’s fourth largest moon, Europa. “Our study of life’s extremes on Earth,” he says, can help increase “our understanding of habitable environments off Earth.”

In addition, the oxygen-free environment of the blue holes preserves bones of humans and animals that fell into the caves long ago. By studying blue holes, we can understand what life was like in prehistoric times. As cave diver Kenny Broad says, “I can think of no other environment on Earth that is so challenging to explore and gives us back so much scientifically.”

1. What’s the main idea of Paragraph 1?

A．The definition of a blue hole.	B．The location of a blue hole.
C．The formation of a blue hole.	D．The structure of a blue hole.

2. Where can bright-colored bacteria be found?

A．In the saltwater layer.

B．In the freshwater layer.

C．In between the freshwater and saltwater layers.

D．In both of the freshwater and saltwater layers.

3. Which of the following best explains the underlined word?

A．The study of life on Earth.

B．The study of life in the universe.

C．The study of life in prehistoric times.

D．The study of life in oxygen-free environment.

4. Which of the following can best describe blue holes?

A．They’re oxygen-free and lifeless.	B．They’re free of air and light.
C．They’re death zones and mysterious.	D．They’re poisonous and dark.

2 . Ask people to name the world's tallest peak and anybody with sound general knowledge will name Mount Qomolangma. But quiz them on its exact height and many will hesitate. Recently, a team of over 30 Chinese surveyors left the base camp at Mount Qomolangma for a higher spot on its journey to the peak on Wednesday as part of the country's mission to remeasure the height of the world's highest mountain.

The remeasurement of the peak's height is a part of China's latest large-scale scientific survey of Qomolangma. Preparation of the project was started in early March, with 53 surveyors from the First Geodetic Surveying Brigade (大地测量旅) getting stationed near Qomolangma to carry out adaptive climbing and training in other technical skills, and they are going to the survey on the top of the mountain.

To ensure the accuracy of the measurement, and to work it in a more scientific way, experts from the Chinese Academy of Surveying and Mapping, the Shaanxi Bureau of Surveying, and the China Geological Survey were invited to assist in the technical design and planning of the project from the beginning.

The technical innovation and breakthrough applied in the latest survey include the application of the BeiDou-3 Navigation Satellite System and advanced domestic surveying and mapping instruments.

The Chinese government has conducted six large-scale surveys and measurements on Qomolangma in the past few decades; it had successfully measured and announced the height of the mountain in 1975 and 2005. Chinese mountaineers and researchers climbed Mount Qomolangma in 1975 to determine its height and concluded that the rock height of the peak was about 8,848.13 meters; in 2005, the summit measured 8,844.43 meters. It is believed that this remeasurement will surely bring about surprise to the world, thus showing how powerful our country is!

1. Where does the text come from?

A．A story book.	B．A news report.
C．A science fiction.	D．A travel guidebook.

2. What ensures the accuracy of the measurement according to Paragraph 3?

A．Applying adaptive climbing skills.	B．Planning the project in early March.
C．Inviting many experts to support.	D．Using the most advanced mapping instruments.

3. Which of the following about the survey is true?

A．This is the 7th large-scale survey of Qomolangma

B．The height of Qomolangma must be shorter than before.

C．30 Surveyors were stationed near Qomolangma.

D．83 surveyors worked for the remeasurement.

4. What's the main idea of the passage?

A．The ways of remeasuring Qomolangma.

B．The results of measuring Qomolangma.

C．The technologies applied in remeasuring

D．China's remeasurement of Qomolangma.

3 . Antarctica (南极洲) is like no other place in the world.It is _______. It is very big. It is like the United States and Australia together. Antarctica is the _______ place in the world. The temperature is sometimes -1250F (-87℃). August and September are the coldest months because there is no _______.

Antarctica is the highest continent, about 10,000 feet high. Antarctica also has very strong winds. The wind sometimes _______ as fast as two hundred miles an hour. It is also the driest place in the world.

Antarctica is also _______. There are huge glaciers (冰川) and ice everywhere. A glacier is an area of ice that _______ slowly. The ice and glaciers are beautiful. But most plants and land animals cannot _______ on the ice. There are no trees, no rivers, and no cities in Antarctica.Only penguins and other sea birds live there.

Antarctica does not _______ any one country._______, every country owns Antarctica. More than twenty countries have stations in Antarctica. A station is a place where scientists do experiments. The ________ are the only people who live in Antarctica.

Life on an Antarctica station is ________. It is like life on a space station. The sun shines for six months, and then it is ________ for six months. People usually have problems with sleeping and eating. They eat more ________ they are not busy.In an emergency, it is hard to get ________. Once, an American doctor Nielsen realized she was ________. She had cancer. It was winter, and airplanes could not ________ in Antarctica. Dr. Nielsen had no choice but to ________. An airplane dropped medicine to her, and she ________ herself. Several months later, Dr. Nielsen ________ to the United States to get special medical help.

Today, ships go to Antarctica during the summer months from November to February.People want to ________ this unusual place，but they don’ t want to live there!

1.

A．strange

B．flat

C．terrible

D．unique

2.

A．greatest

B．cleanest

C．coldest

D．worst

3.

A．sun

B．air

C．water

D．food

4.

A．comes

B．blows

C．rises

D．drops

5.

A．empty

B．dangerous

C．noisy

D．important

6.

A．forms

B．happens

C．shakes

D．moves

7.

A．remain

B．produce

C．live

D．change

8.

A．depend on

B．compete with

C．appeal to

D．belong to

9.

A．Above all

B．In fact

C．For example

D．On average

10.

A．scientists

B．hunters

C．fishermen

D．sailors

11.

A．hard

B．interesting

C．normal

D．active

12.

A．day

B．night

C．vacation

D．winter

13.

A．while

B．so

C．though

D．because

14.

A．messages

B．replies

C．help

D．relief

15.

A．alone

B．anxious

C．sick

D．hungry

16.

A．land

B．remain

C．stand

D．fly

17.

A．continue

B．stay

C．work

D．adjust

18.

A．took pride in

B．felt sorry for

C．paid attention to

D．took care of

19.

A．referred

B．traveled

C．returned

D．drove

20.

A．remember

B．visit

C．control

D．save

4 . Not all bodies of water are so evidently alive as the Atlantic Ocean, an S-shaped body of water covering 33 million square miles. The Atlantic has, in a sense, replaced the Mediterranean as the inland sea of Western civilization. Unlike real inland seas, which seem strangely still, the Atlantic is rich in oceanic liveliness. It is perhaps not surprising that its vitality has been much written about by ancient poets.
“Storm at Sea”, a short poem written around 700, is generally regarded as one of mankind’s earliest artistic representations of the Atlantic.
When the wind is from the west
All the waves that cannot rest
To the east must thunder on
Where the bright tree of the sun
Is rooted in the ocean’s breast.
As the poem suggests, the Atlantic is never dead and dull. It is an ocean that moves, impressively and endlessly. It makes all kinds of noise—it is forever thundering, boiling, crashing, and whistling.
It is easy to imagine the Atlantic trying to draw breath—perhaps not so noticeably out in mid–ocean, but where it meets land, its waters bathing up and down a sandy beach. It mimics(模仿) nearly perfectly the steady breathing of a living creature. It is filled with symbiotic existences, too; unimaginable quantities of creatures, little and large alike, mix within its depths in a kind of oceanic harmony, giving to the waters a feeling of heartbeat, a kind of sub-ocean vitality. And it has a psychology. It has personalities: sometimes peaceful and pleasant, on rare occasions rough and wild; always it is strong and striking.
1. Unlike real inland seas, the Atlantic Ocean is ________.

A．always energetic

B．lacking in liveliness

C．shaped like a square

D．favored by ancient poets

2. What is the purpose of using the poem “Storm at Sea” in the passage?

A．To describe the movement of the waves.

B．To show the strength of the storm.

C．To represent the power of the ocean.

D．To prove the vastness of the sea.

3. What does the underlined word “symbiotic” mean?

A．Living together.	B．Growing fast.
C．Moving harmoniously.	D．Breathing peacefully.

4. In the last paragraph, the Atlantic is compared to ________.

A．a beautiful and poetic place

B．a flesh and blood person

C．a wonderful world

D．a lovely animal