1 . As the Earth turns, its rotational axis (自转轴) naturally move a bit. Anything from ocean currents, to shifting molten rock under the crust, to the melting (融化) of glaciers caused by climate change can cause the axis to drift (飘移). Water stored in artificial lakes and seasonal changes in atmospheric winds can play a role as well.

But global warming isn’t the only human-caused factor moving the planet’s axis as some of us believe. A new study estimates that between 1993 and 2010, the pumping of groundwater and the resulting sea-level rise caused the axis lo drift by about 2.6 feet. “Every mass moving around on the surface of the Earth can change the rotational axis,” said Ki-Weon Seo, a geophysicist at Seoul National University.

In the study, the researchers used a computer model to look at the effects of different factors on the shift of the axis. When they didn’t include groundwater removal in their model, their predictions did not match the level of shift that scientists have observed. But when they look into account the massive amount of pumped water — which totaled more than two trillion tons between 1993 and 2010 ― their model fit the real-world observations. From this analysis, the researchers estimate that the axis is moving 1.7 inches per year due to groundwater removal. Of the factors the study looked at, pumping groundwater was the second-largest contributor to the axis drifting, behind the melting Greenland ice sheet.

The paper calls attention to just how much water humans have pumped, as Clark Wilson, a geoscientist at the University of Texas, tells Science. “The precise number doesn’t matter really. What matters is that the volume is so huge that it can impact the polar drift of the Earth,” he says. “Groundwater removed from sites at the Earth’s midlatitudes (中纬度), such as in the U.S. and India, has a large impact on polar drift, compared with extraction at the equator or the poles. However, most of the pumping has occurred in these high-impact zones, causing the water removal to have a bigger effect on the axis,” says Wilson.

1. What does the author aim to do with the second paragraph?

A．To correct a wrong belief.	B．To describe a phenomenon.
C．To provide related data.	D．To test a new theory.

2. The researchers used the computer model in their research mainly by ________.

A．putting it to field tests

B．storing related information in it

C．comparing it with real-world facts

D．doing real-world observations with it

3. Which factor has contributed the most to the axis drift?

A．The melting of ice sheet.	B．The atmospheric winds.
C．The artificial lakes.	D．The groundwater pumping.

4. What could be a suitable title for the text?

A．Factors That Affect the Earth’s Rotation

B．Challenges of Groundwater Our World Faces

C．Climate Change Has Shifted the Earth’s Axis

D．Groundwater Pumping Has Changed the Earth’s Axis

2 . In 2008, when National Geographic Explorer and photojournalist Martin Edstrom learned about the discovery of Hang Son Doong in Vietnam, he realized the cave’s vast “room”—as large as a city block—would be a perfect showcase for the 360-degree and virtual reality(VR) technologies he was using. And while he loves heading to remote places, he doesn’t regard this part of his work as “exploration”. “I find that going to these remote and challenging places brings out the best in me creatively,” he says.

Edstrom traveled with a small team deep into the jungle to reach the remote entrance to the cave. There, they used robotic camera heads, a single DSLR and several smaller camera rigs to build immersive(沉浸的), 360-degree environments that viewers could “inhabit” via VR headsets. This technology was beginning to go mainstream, with Facebook launching their 360-video service in 2015.

The media that Edstrom and his team created allows people to have an intimate (亲密的)—though digital—experience of a natural wonder that few will ever witness firsthand. “The joy of this is really that I get to step out of these restrictions of the frame. I can put people inside the experience,” Edstrom explains. “They get to see what I see.”

Inspiring wonder of the natural world can also help catalyze positive action. The discovery of Hang Son Doong prompted great interest from investors looking to capitalize on the site’s heritage value, including one company that proposed running a cable car through a section of the cave. By drawing international attention to the cave, Edstrom’s 360-degree interactive videos may have played a part in ensuring its preservation: for now, just one tour operator is licensed by the Vietnam government to conduct expeditions to Hang Son Doong, and these are limited to four days. For Edstrom, this is exactly the kind of outcome he’s looking for.

1. Why did Edstrom travel to Hang Son Doong?

A．To attend a photo exhibition.

B．To test a new VR technology.

C．To photograph for a magazine.

D．To explore further into the cave.

2. What can we learn about Facebook’s 360-video service?

A．It is supported by simple equipment.

B．It is similar to Edstrom’s technology.

C．It is still leading the world in VR technology.

D．It is designed for Hang Son Doong tourists.

3. What does the underlined word “catalyze” in the last paragraph mean?

A．Deal with.

B．Figure out.

C．Keep up.

D．Bring about.

4. How does Edstrom feel about the impact of his technology on Hang Son Doong?

A．Satisfied.

B．Confused.

C．Guilty.

D．Worried.

3 . Ecofriendly replacement products for single-use plastics are appearing everywhere. But have you heard of edible (可食性的) straws? Now EQUO, a new eco-friendly company in Vietnam has come up with a natural edible solution to plastic or paper straws.

The edible straws are completely plastic free, nontoxic, chemical free, and 100 percent biodegradable according to a company press release.

“It’s well known that plastic straws are harmful to the environment. Most of the 500 million used every day in America end up in oceans where they pollute water and harm marine life. Currently over eight billion straws pollute the world’s beaches,” said Marina Tran-Vu in the press release. “Although there are some plastic and paper straw alternatives on the market, most are environmentally harmful, and we were also unsatisfied with the quality and lasting of paper straws.”

All of the materials are locally from regions that support sustainable farming according to the company’s website and they struggle to have zero-net influence by” using the power of mother nature”. The name of the company was created by combining “ECO” — meaning environmentally friendly — with “STATUS QUO” — meaning the existent state. EQU stands for creating products that have minimal influence on the environment. The company was first shown on Kickstarter on May 18 and hit their funding goal in only 30 days.

Many countries are banning single-use plastics. The EU banned 10 single-use plastic products including straws that will take effect in 2021. Other items that will no longer be made of plastic include cutlery (餐具), and balloon sticks. These 10 items make up a large percentage of ocean waste that harms marine life.

So do your part, use biodegradable cutlery — you can carry your own , edible straws, and reusable water or coffee cups. These small items can contribute to reducing plastic waste.

1. What is the third paragraph mainly about?

A．The popularity of plastic straws.

B．The harm of plastic straws.

C．The pollution of beaches.

D．The necessity of change.

2. What does ECO stand for?

A．It means the original aim.

B．It means the existent state.

C．It means how to create products.

D．It means being good for the environment.

3. What can we expect in Europe after 2021?

A．Plastic straws will be forbidden.

B．Edible straws will be sold cheaply.

C．Ocean waste can be rid completely.

D．Single-use plastic products will disappear.

4. Which word best describes the author’s attitude to biodegradable cutlery?

A．Skeptical.

B．Objective.

C．Tolerant.

D．Approving.

4 . 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。

Xixi, located less than five kilometers from the West Lake in the west of Hangzhou, is China’s first national wetland park. The area covers about 10 square kilometers and it     1     (be) around for more than 1,500 years, although it was only recently reopened     2     (offer) visitors a chance to escape from the concrete of the city. Despite its growing popularity,     3     wetland’s winding waterways, thick greenery and wide     4     (variety) of wildlife guarantee its peaceful spots in nature.

Wetlands themselves are one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems,     5     (act) as natural green lungs, water purification (净化) systems and flood control. But wetlands are     6     (serious) threatened by environmental pollution worldwide nowadays. More than 200square kilometers of wetland in the country have disappeared every year     7     average in the past decade, the China Institute for Marine Affairs warns. The wetlands of the Yellow and East China seas have lost up to 90 percent of their natural function, the institute reports,     8     makes the 226 plant species, 50 kinds of fish and aquatic (水生的) animals as well as 126 kinds of birds in Xixi even     9     (valuable).

Xixi’s native vegetation,     10     (water) by six crossing rivers, consists of subtropical mountainous swamp (沼泽) and evergreen forest.

5 . When scientists and the public worry about sea level rise, they mostly focus on when and where communities will be permanently flooded. But there’s another consequence of rising seas that will affect many more people much sooner: getting cut off from roads and other critical infrastructure (基础设施). It’s a threat that society has not paid nearly enough attention to, says Allison Reilly, a civil engineer at the University of Maryland.

In a new paper, Reilly and her colleagues show the width and pace of the isolation (隔离) threat. Inspired by her work on the eastern shore of Maryland, where people already need to adjust their travel and work schedules to account for tides that frequently flood roads, Reilly and her colleagues calculated that, with one meter of sea level rise, twice as many people across the coastal United States will be isolated than will be fully flooded.

Worse still, many places currently considered at low risk of sea level rise suddenly become much riskier when isolation is taken into account, Reilly says. While planners know that low-lying Florida will be severely flooded, Maine, with its high rocky coasts, is generally thought to be at low risk. But Reilly’s work shows many Mainers are in great danger of being cut off by flooding in coastal communities and river valleys.

This far more immediate effect of rising seas needs to become part of the broader planning process. That kind of planning is starting to happen around the Chignecto Isthmus, an interprovincial land bridge in Canada, connecting New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The New Brunswick and Nova Scotia governments are considering a variety of plans to raise or replace the dikes (坝). For Ollerhead, a Nova Scotian, that work can’t start soon enough. “It will take a lot of sea level rise before Nova Scotia becomes an island, but you could have a storm that cuts off the major transportation links for days, weeks, or months,” he says. “It’s nearly impossible to predict when, but it will happen eventually.”

1. What is the threat Allison Reilly mentioned in paragraph 1?

A．The rising sea level.	B．Flood-related isolation.
C．Permanent flooded areas.	D．Irreparable infrastructure.

2. What is paragraph 2 mainly about?

A．Conclusions of a new paper.	B．Calculations of collected data.
C．Situations of Eastern Maryland.	D．Influences on coastal United States.

3. Why are Florida and Maine mentioned in paragraph 3?

A．To clarify a point.	B．To offer a solution.
C．To present an assumption.	D．To illustrate a reason.

4. What’s Ollerhead’s attitude toward the governments’ planning?

A．Dismissive.

B．Doubtful.

C．Favorable.

D．Unclear.

6 . Forest & Bird, a conservation organization in New Zealand, held a contest for Bird of the Century and invited people in the country and abroad to ______ their favorite threatened species, Comedian and talk show host John Oliver ______ Forest & Bird if he could campaign for the püteketeke, a native water bird with eye-catching black-brown ______ around its neck. The organization ______ .

To get ______ for the species, Oliver started a worldwide campaign, which focused on its ______ feather surrounding its neck, romantic mating ceremony and heart-warming parenting style.

“The püteketeke are fantastic couples and ______ parents who always carry their babies on their backs!“ read one of the ads.

His effort ______ The püteketeke began at the bottom of the ______ . But it ______ the contest with 290,374 votes after Oliver started the campaign on its behalf. By comparison, the much more ______ bird kiwi just got 12,904 votes.

According to Forest & Bird, there are fewer than 3,000 of the bird across New Zealand a few decades ago. But the ______ has been increasing thanks in part to conservation efforts.

Usually called Bird of the Year, the annual ______ is held to raise awareness about the plight (困境) of the nation’s native ______ , 80% of which are on the threatened species list. This year, the contest was named Bird of the Century to celebrate the group’s ______ birthday.

1.

A．meet

B．select

C．protect

D．feed

2.

A．asked

B．informed

C．challenged

D．reminded

3.

A．bone

B．meat

C．feather

D．skin

4.

A．protested

B．disappeared

C．developed

D．agreed

5.

A．support

B．space

C．resource

D．pressure

6.

A．ugly

B．unique

C．red

D．thin

7.

A．annoying

B．rich

C．caring

D．clever

8.

A．fell apart

B．went on

C．gave away

D．paid off

9.

A．lake

B．list

C．bottle

D．tree

10.

A．hosted

B．missed

C．won

D．joined

11.

A．famous

B．intelligent

C．disappointed

D．ordinary

12.

A．variety

B．value

C．chance

D．number

13.

A．party

B．ceremony

C．event

D．festival

14.

A．birds

B．flowers

C．crops

D．people

15.

A．delayed

B．100th

C．forgotten

D．first

7 . More than 80 percent of global heat is absorbed by the ocean, which has a massive capacity to store and give off heat. High sea-surface temperatures are causing long-term damage to coral reefs (珊瑚礁). Corals are dying. The IPCC (政府间气候变化专门委员会) projects that up to 90 percent of coral reefs could disappear if global warming reaches 1.5℃. Another reason corals are in trouble is because of ocean acidification. Higher carbon dioxide levels have shift ed the chemistry of the ocean, making it more acidic, and corals and sea creatures have trouble growing in acidic conditions.

When ocean water warms, it expands in volume. This is a major cause of the rise in sea levels, along with the water added to the ocean by the melting of land-based glaciers (冰川). The sea level has risen by an average of 20 centimeters since the late 19th century, and the research by scientists studying the last 25 years of satellite data found that the ocean water is rising faster and faster. If it continues at its current rate, the rise in sea level by 2100 will be more than double the current estimates. Sea level rise leads to the destruction of coastal wetlands, flooding and damage to water ecosystems.

Temperature and precipitation (沉淀) are key elements of climate. A warmer climate means that more water rises from both the land and ocean, and a warmer atmosphere holds more of that water. Scientists have noticed that there are more heavy rainfall events. Additionally, higher water temperature in streams, lakes, and rivers lead to lower levels of dissolved oxygen in the water, which impacts the survival and populations of fish and other sea life.

Especially troubling are the extreme weather events that are happening more often around the world. Hurricanes are ramping up in intensity, particularly in North Atlantic. The year 2017 was a busy one for Atlantic hurricanes. Meanwhile, in the western United States, the state of California has had record-setting drought conditions, which began in 2012.

1. What does the author intend to tell us in Paragraph 1?

A．Global warming has little damage to the land.	B．Ocean acidification affects the sea temperature.
C．Coral reefs are in danger of disappearing.	D．Corals and sea creatures need critical surroundings.

2. What can be known from Paragraph 2?

A．Sea level rise has positive effect on sea animals.

B．By 2100 the sea level will rise 20 centimeters.

C．Global heating is the direct cause of wetlands destruction.

D．The rise of sea level is beyond our imagination.

3. What does the underlined part “ramping up” in last paragraph mean?

A．Increasing.

B．Failing.

C．Appearing.

D．Changing.

4. Which is the suitable title for the text?

A．High Sea-surface Temperatures to Creatures	B．Global Warming, What Damages It Causes
C．Ways to Stop High Sea-surface Temperatures	D．Extreme Weather Events and Global Warming

8 . Campaigners opposing the building of new wind farms often point to the possibility that the blades of wind turbines (涡轮机) can cut careless birds to bits. No one doubts that wind turbines kill some birds. But a new analysis of American data, published in Environmental Science & Technology, suggests the numbers have little impact on bird populations.

Wind power has expanded dramatically in America over the past 20 years. Many studies have analysed the effects in specific locations or on specific bird species. But few have looked at the effects on wildlife at the population level. Dr. Katovich, an economist at the University of Geneva, used the Christmas Bird Count, a citizen-science project. Volunteers count birds they spot over Christmas, and the society edits the numbers. Its records stretch back over a century.

Dr. Katovich assumed, reasonably, that if wind turbines harmed bird populations, then the numbers seen in the Christmas Bird Count would drop in places where new turbines had been built. He combined bird population and species maps with the locations and construction dates of all wind turbines in America, with the exceptions of Alaska and Hawaii, between 2000 and 2020. He found that building turbines had no obvious effect on bird populations. That reassuring finding held even when he looked specifically at large birds that many people believe are particularly easy to be struck.

Dr. Katovich didn’t limit his analysis to wind power alone. He also examined oil-and-gas extraction (提取). Like wind power, this has boomed in America over the past decades. Comparing bird populations to the locations of new gas wells revealed an average 15% drop in bird numbers when new wells were drilled, probably due to a combination of noise, air pollution and the disturbance of rivers and ponds that many birds rely upon. When drilling happened in places designated by experts as “important bird areas”, bird numbers instead dropped by 25%. Such places are typically migration hubs, feeding grounds or breeding locations.

Wind power, in other words, not only produces far less planet-heating gas than fossil fuels. It appears to be significantly less damaging to wildlife, too. Wind turbines might look dramatic, but their effect on birds isn’t.

1. What does a new analysis find about wind farms?

A．They take the lives of careless birds.	B．They improve birds’ living conditions.
C．They do little harm to bird populations.	D．Their harmful effects on birds vary a lot.

2. How did Dr. Katovich make the finding?

A．By counting bird numbers in different locations.

B．By relating bird numbers to turbines’ distribution.

C．By researching perfect places to build turbines.

D．By studying the decline of birds near turbines.

3. What contributes most to the drop of bird numbers?

A．The wide spread of wind turbines.	B．The over-development of farming.
C．The lack of environmental concern.	D．The drilling of wells for oil and gas.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Wind Turbines and Birds Can Co-exist	B．Oil Drilling Shares the Sky With Birds
C．Several Factors Lead to Bird Decline	D．Campaigners Oppose Bird Disturbance

10 . We’re all familiar with the idea of climate change and how our planet is warming. Extremes in temperature have become more commonplace, making parts of the world difficult to live in. But one place where extreme heat is making life very uncomfortable is our cities. Luckily, innovation might be keeping it under control.

As thermometers(温度计) record temperatures, sometimes above 50 degrees Celsius, solutions are being sought to cool the air in our cities. In India, for example, heatwaves and rapid urbanization have led to a big rise in the use of air-conditioning units, adding to CO2 emissions. So, architects, looking for a sustainable cooling solution, are copying an ancient lattice (框架) design, used in old buildings like the Taj Mahal, to construct comfortable,low-carbon buildings. Yatin Pandya told the BBC: “Traditional architectural forms have proven their performance in combating environmental conditions.”

In America, about 80% of the population lives in cities, and it’s these cities that suffer from an urban heat island effect, caused by factors such as trapped waste heat, concrete structures and pavements absorbing the sun and tall buildings blocking the wind. Residents and developers have tried to cool these places by planting large trees that offer shade and putting plants and gardens on top of roofs to help trap heat. And in Los Angeles, there’s a experiment to cover street s with light-coloured material that reflects rather than absorbs the sun and so they remain cooler than typical black roads.

But it’s satellites in space that are really giving us the best picture of our over-heated cities. Glynn Hulley, who is leading an image-capturing project, called the Land Surface Temperature Monitoring mission, told the BBC: “The data can be used to identify hot spots, weak regions, and assess the cooling impacts of heat mitigation (缓解) approaches.” It’s already found how green spaces, white roads and water features, have helped prevent our cities from boiling over. But with extreme heat still posing a threat to our lives, more solutions are still needed.

1. What leads to the increase of CO₂ emissions?

A．Invention of thermometers.	B．Imitation of traditional architecture.
C．Building of concrete structures.	D．Application of air-conditioning units.

2. Why is Los Angeles mentioned?

A．To prove it is miserable to suffer from heat.	B．To show people are trying to solve problem.
C．To demonstrate the benefit of modern buildings.	D．To support the idea of low-carbon construction.

3. What is the Land Surface Temperature Monitoring aimed at?

A．Evaluating the cooling effect.	B．Identifying city features
C．Emphasizing threats to lives	D．Testing image capturing technology.

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?

A．Cities in Danger	B．Dramatic Climate Change
C．Temperature Monitoring Mission	D．Cooling Hot Cities