1 . Much of the United States is locked by an unusually large winter storm, which has sent temperatures dropping sharply across the country, from coast to coast and as far south as southern Texas. In many areas, ice and snow storms have added to the challenges. Only a few areas in the south have dodged the freezing weather pattern. The National Weather Service( NWS) says that a winter storm, this large and this serious, has almost never been seen before.
The NWS reports that over 150 million Americans were under winter storm warnings. In Texas, over 2.7 million people were left without power on Monday. Texas isn't used to such serious winter weather. In the city of Houston, temperatures have dropped to - 9℃. The storm has led to huge, deadly highway accidents, and has forced its airport to cancel flights. On Sunday, President Joe Biden declared an emergency in Texas, allowing the state to get more help for the weather disaster from the US government. Several other states have declared some sort of weather-related emergency. In Washington and Oregon, warming shelters were opened to help people stay warm and safe.
The NWS says cold air from the Arctic is behind the record-breaking low temperatures. Though it may seem surprising, global warming may be one of the causes. A strong wind known as the jet stream usually flows in a circle around the Arctic, keeping super-cold air near the North Pole. But as the jet stream weakens because of climate change, the cold air is able to escape the Arctic and bring freezing temperatures to places that are normally much warmer.
The NWS is forecasting there’ll be more snow and freezing rain over the next few days as a new storm cuts up toward the Northeast from the middle of the country. The NWS says that much of the country will continue to have extremely cold temperatures, and it's likely that hundreds of cold weather records will be broken. Perhaps, people should think about the consequences of global warming.
1. Which can best replace the underlined word “dodged” in paragraph 1?| A．Seen. | B．Recorded. |
| C．Avoided. | D．Defeated. |
| A．It’s hit the hardest by extreme weather. |
| B．It's brought the super cold under control. |
| C．It's the first to warn of the climate disaster. |
| D．It's helping other states with the winter storm. |
| A．How the jet stream forms in the Arctic. |
| B．What causes the extreme cold in America. |
| C．Why the cold air escapes from the Arctic. |
| D．When the global warming affects America. |
| A．It’ll change climate permanently. | B．It’ll cause another new storm. |
| C．It’ll lessen global warming. | D．It’ll go on for some time. |
2 . In an effort to fight the “throw-away culture” and promote reuse and repair, the city of Berlin has taken the unique step of opening its own secondhand department store.
This isn’t your grandma’s thrift shop (旧货商店). It resells perfectly good items that would otherwise be thrown away. A pun on the German words for “department store” and “conserving house”, B-Wa(h)renhaus sells a wide variety of products. Far from simply selling old items, the electronic goods have been fixed by expert technicians and come with a year’s guarantee. And, to reach more secondhand shoppers, the store was set up right in the middle of the famous Karstadt department store.
With the success of its initial six-month trial run, the city plans to open four more similar operations in other parts of Berlin. By 2030, it hopes to have at least one location in each of Berlin’s 12 districts. Since 2008, city policies and educational campaigns have reduced average annual household waste by about 25 pounds per resident. It also recycles about 49% of its mineral construction waste. Currently, the city estimates that 8% of abandoned electronic goods and 6% of huge items thrown away can actually be reused. The goal is to expand the market for these items beyond the usual bargain hunters and eco-conscious consumers.
“Three years ago, we started collecting all kinds of used goods,” city spokesperson Dorothee Winden said. “There are lots of things that are well-preserved and functioning but aren’t being used anymore. The goal is to give these things a new life with somebody who can use them.” The store also includes an education center to encourage more sustainable lifestyles — and also gave an award to a project that recycles school uniforms, so that parents don’t have to buy new ones every year.
1. Why has Berlin opened its own secondhand department store?| A．To attract more shoppers. | B．To promote recycling. |
| C．To foster traditional culture. | D．To expand secondhand market. |
| A．The variety of the goods. | B．The location of the store. |
| C．The quality of the products. | D．The operation of the store. |
| A．Berlin currently has 4 second-hand stores in construction. |
| B．Berlin has been successful in cutting its waste since 2008. |
| C．It is not easy to make the goal to expand the market a reality. |
| D．It is estimated that Berlin will be a zero-waste city by 2030. |
| A．To introduce Berlin’s new reuse shop operation. |
| B．To raise people’s awareness of reasonable shopping. |
| C．To persuade people to become eco-friendly shoppers. |
| D．To encourage more people to donate to secondhand shops. |
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:把多余的词用斜线（\）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 want to take an action to put my family on the path to zero waste. First, I'll make sure the water in my house won't be left running when no one is using them and the lights in my room will be turned off when I left. Of course, I'll convince my parents to packing the goods in cloth bags instead plastic bags. Beside, I plan to do at least one environmental volunteer project with my family a week. For example, we can spare a few hour on Saturdays to serve at a restaurant but remind diners not to waste food. I'm surely we will be amazed at what much satisfaction we get from our work.
4 . A new phone app uses shaking from smartphones to warn people about earthquakes. The new app is called MyShake, which is the work of four researchers at the University of California, Berkeley.
Smartphones are equipped with accelerometers （加速器）.MyShake uses phone accelerometers to measure seismic （地震的）activity. It has been programmed to know the difference between normal activity and earthquake movement. The software developers say their app is right 93 percent of the time. A smartphone sends seismic information to the app developers. If the developers receive several warnings from one area it recognizes that an earthquake may be taking place or will take place soon. Using information sent from the app, the network then judges the location and strength of the quake in real time. MyShake can record 5. 0 earthquakes at distances of 10 kilometers or less.
MyShake uses very little power according to its developers. Only when seismic activity is sensed by the app does it become active and sends data to the network. The app works best when your phone is resting on a flat surface like a table.
The developers hope that MyShake can add to information collected by the US Geological Survey. That US agency has created the Earthquake Early Warning System also known as the EEW. The EEW has used sensors for measuring quakes in many areas. In places where no such equipment exists MyShake may be the only method of early quake detection（发现）. The app also shows ways to stay safer during an earthquake. The developers say it will become more effective as more people use it.
The developers say they hope to add a feature that will warn people about a possible tsunami（海啸）after an earthquake.
1. What's the main idea of the first two paragraphs?| A．What seismic activity is, |
| B．What MyShake is and how it works. |
| C．When accelerometers record earthquakes. |
| D．MyShake plays an important role in reporting earthquakes. |
| A．Only when smart phones are placed on a flat surface can it work. |
| B．The smart phone can warn its owner when it senses an earthquake. |
| C．MyShake can quickly send seismic information to the app's developers. |
| D．MyShake can sense the difference between normal activities and earthquakes every time. |
| A．To better the EEW. |
| B．To combine the EEW and MyShake. |
| C．To add its function to warn the possible damage after an earthquake. |
| D．To use the information by the U.S. Geological Survey to better MyShake. |
| A．MyShake will Be Used in Earthquakes |
| B．MyShake Is on the Way to Predict Earthquakes |
| C．MyShake Has Been Developed to Predict Earthquakes |
| D．MyShake Makes Earthquake Prediction More Accurate |
5 . About 12 million tons of plastic wastes are entering the oceans every year. This garbage pollutes the water, kills wildlife and breaks down into small pieces that fish and other creatures eat.
Now a group of Spanish fishermen will receive economic support to catch plastics. It is part of a new project. Carlos Martin is one of the fishermen taking part in the project. He and his partners collect the plastic in the ocean and bring it back to land every week. Martin thinks rivers carry a lot of plastics to the sea. He says his most concern is no more than that the plastics often get caught in the nets, which makes nets not work properly. They take on mud（泥）, causing the nets to break because they weigh so much.
Under the new programs, one million pounds will support ocean cleanup efforts for fishermen like Martin. The money is coming from the European Union and the Catalan government. Sergi Tudela, the General Director of Catalonia Fisheries, is responsible for the cleanup project. He said, "We are hopeful that if we are successful in this project, we can apply it to other areas in the Mediterranean（地中海）."
Government reports show that the amount of plastic wastes washing up along the Spanish coastline has grown by 65 percent in just six years. Fishing equipment makes up a large part of the about 8 to 12 million tons of plastics left in the world's oceans every year.
Martin says the fishing community now understands how big the problem is. He says, "In the past we didn't see it that way. We took the plastic garbage and threw it back into the water. I think that after a few year here we have realized the problem. Nothing is thrown into the water; we collect everything and bring it to shore.
1. What worries Martin most about plastic wastes at the beginning?| A．They pollute the sea environment. |
| B．They affect the quality and taste of fish. |
| C．They prevent the fishing nets from working well. |
| D．They kill wildlife and reduce his fishing amount. |
| A．Getting more money to support the project. |
| B．Getting help from other European countries. |
| C．Spreading the cleanup project to more places. |
| D．Praising the European Union for their helping to the oceans. |
| A．Its members do a lot of work for free. |
| B．It has stopped using plastic fishing equipment. |
| C．It has made positive changes to fight plastic wastes. |
| D．Its members find people sill throw the garbage carelessly. |
| A．New programs are changing fishermen's life |
| B．Money is given to Spanish fishermen to clean up oceans |
| C．Traditional fishing equipment causes a lot of plastic wastes |
| D．Spanish fishermen are encouraging people to clean up oceans |
6 . Micro-plastics have occupied almost every part of the planet today, including the most distant reaches.
The Arctic is far from clean, though it s rarely stepped in by visitors. Melanie Bergmann, a marine ecologist (海洋生态学家) and her colleagues had been studying plastics on the Arctic seafloor since 2002. In deep sea, they found about 6,0000 particles (微粒) in every 2.2 pounds of mud. In sea ice, there were as much as 12,000 pieces per 34 ounces of melted ice.
Scientists measured micro-plastics in snow from this distant location and found a lot, which could only have caught rides on the wind. The study raises concerns about the pollution that micro-plastics brought to the air, bringing a health risk to people and animals that breathe them in. But they are less worried about the threat that breathed-in pollutants have to wildlife than about polluted snow going into water.
The science on the health effects of micro-plastics is still going on.“For human health, we now now very little," says micro-plastics researcher Chelsea Rochman, “There is a lot of concern. For wildlife, we know that micro-plastics may go into every level of the food chain." Laboratory studies find some physical and chemical effects from micro-plastics, but the findings vary by the plastic type, shape experiments will be carried out soon with use of equipment if financial support approves."
Even worse is the threat from airborne micro-plastics in the area---too small to be noticed and may actually enter cells. Research on that also has been done and it could be a bigger problem, according to Rochman.
1. What can you learn from the data in Paragraph 2?| A．Visitors rarely step into the Arctic. |
| B．Micro-plastics threaten the human beings. |
| C．Micro- plastics are everywhere in the world. |
| D．The Arctic suffers serious micro-plastics pollution. |
| A．Wildlife's threat by micro-pollutants. |
| B．Human beings breathing micro-plastics in. |
| C．Micro-plastics entering the water ecosystem. |
| D．Micro-plastics pollution worsening global warming. |
| A．Damage of micro-plastics to health. |
| B．Appeals for environmental protection. |
| C．Findings about airborne micro-plastics in the Arctic. |
| D．Measures to solve micro-plastics pollution. |
| A．Science. | B．Health. |
| C．Education. | D．Entertainment. |
1. 分析雾霾天气形成的原因（至少两点）；
2. 提出解决的办法；
3. 号召大家关注城市环境问题。
注意：1.字数 100 字左右 2.可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
提示词汇: 雾霾天气 haze weather
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8 . In 2018, Pakistan promised to plant ten billion trees in an effort to slow climate change and to save a land that has been destroyed.
That program, whose name is 10 Billion Trees Tsunami, has been taking effect slowly for the past two years, but it recently has received unexpected help from the coronavirus(新冠病毒). Many Pakistanis are suddenly unemployed, so the government has given them jobs as tree-planters. Unemployed day laborers have been turned into "jungle workers", planting trees for 500 rupees a day($3). It's not much, but it can help the unemployed get by.
As the coronavirus struck Pakistan, the 10 Billion Trees campaign was halted as part of social distancing orders put in place to slow the spread of the virus. But earlier this month, the government allowed the forestry agency to restart the program and create more than 63, 600 jobs.
The program is employing three times the number of planters as it normally does, and the planting season has been extended from May(its usual end)throughout June, in order to keep workers employed. All workers are being told to wear masks and keep two meters of distance from others.
Shahid Rashid Awan, project director for Punjab province, said the project hopes to reach 50 million trees this year. “We can absorb all the unemployed laborers and workers who have fled the cities and returned to their villages in the past few weeks.”
A study declared tree planting to be an effective way to store carbon, and if planted in large quantities around the globe, a powerful solution to climate change. While it won’t fix every climate-related problem we have, it can go a long way if done widely, which is exactly what Pakistan is trying to do with such impressive determination.
And the workers will benefit greatly, too. Not only are they able to earn money and support their families at a difficult time, but they’re outside in the fresh air, away from the potential health risks from more tightly-packed urban environments. It’s a brilliant idea that all country leaders should consider copying.
1. How does the coronavirus influence Pakistan?| A．A lot of animals are starving. | B．Many people are out of work. |
| C．Much land is left unmanaged. | D．The government has lost power. |
| A．Agreed. | B．Discussed. | C．Stopped. | D．Doubted. |
| A．It has helped with employment. |
| B．It has persuaded people to plant trees in big cities. |
| C．Many laborers produce much less carbon dioxide. |
| D．It can contribute to fighting against climate change. |
| A．It serves as a good example. | B．It is not fit for other countries. |
| C．It is a waste of time and money. | D．It brings many economic benefits. |
9 . On November 7, Lewis Pugh completed a one-kilometer swim in the freezing waters of King Edward Cove, off South Georgia in Antarctica. He was wearing only his swimming glasses, cap and Speedo !
Pugh is an advocate for our oceans and seas, working to protect these ecosystems with their large diversity of marine life. When asked why he doesn't wear a wetsuit(防寒泳衣), Pugh says, "I ask world leaders to do everything they can to protect our oceans. Sometimes the steps they need to take are difficult and unpopular. If I'm asking them to be courageous, I must also be. Swimming in a wetsuit would not send the right message."
It took Pugh about 19 minutes to complete the one-kilometer swim in Antarctica where the water averaged about 1.6 degrees Celsius. He says that his body can only tolerate about 20 minutes in the freezing waters before it starts shutting down. As he swims, his body temperature steadily drops, which in turn causes his muscle control to drop, slowing him down. When he is done with his swim, his support team rushes him to a hot shower and it takes almost an hour for his body temperature to return to normal.
Doctors and Pugh caution that one must receive months of training to swim in such cold waters. Even expert swimmers who are unused to freezing water can drown within minutes because of the physical shock experienced by the body. Pugh says he trained for six months before this swim.
This is not the first time that Pugh has swum in dangerous conditions. In 2007, he swam one kilometer in the North Pole to draw attention to the melting Arctic ice due to climate change. In 2015, he swam in the Bay of Whales in Antarctica's Ross Sea as part of his successful campaign to help set up a marine reserve there.
1. Why did Lewis Pugh swim without a wetsuits ?| A．To show his bravery. |
| B．To swim faster. |
| C．To build up his body. |
| D．To have overnight fame. |
| A．His body temperature. |
| B．His body |
| C．The water. |
| D．The water temperature. |
| A．One should be expert at swimming. |
| B．One must be used to long-distance swimming. |
| C．One should be ready to take on challenges. |
| D．One must be adequately prepared for it. |
| A．Lewis Pugh: achieving the impossible |
| B．How to survive a swim in cold waters |
| C．Lewis Pugh: swimming for a cause |
| D．How to prepare for extreme swimming |
10 . In October 2015, Shah began picking up rubbish from the beach every Sunday morning. At first, it was just him and a neighbor, and then he began
Shah hasn't stopped since. He's now spent 209 weekends
For Shah, the work has
Today, Shah is also working with coastal communities to
"This world
| A．asking | B．ordering | C．warning | D．forcing |
| A．challenged | B．encouraged | C．involved | D．required |
| A．compared | B．adapted | C．related | D．devoted |
| A．workers | B．volunteers | C．journalists | D．clerks |
| A．originally | B．finally | C．suddenly | D．theoretically |
| A．park | B．bank | C．beach | D．market |
| A．occasionally | B．hardly | C．already | D．always |
| A．global | B．local | C．national | D．coastal |
| A．described | B．honored | C．opposed | D．elected |
| A．simplified | B．changed | C．accepted | D．finished |
| A．make | B．discuss | C．throw | D．handle |
| A．trees | B．materials | C．rubbish | D．tools |
| A．ocean | B．factory | C．mountain | D．forest |
| A．protect | B．control | C．scold | D．educate |
| A．talks | B．complains | C．thinks | D．argues |
| A．earlier | B．faster | C．more | D．better |
| A．sea | B．planet | C．water | D．sands |
| A．pity | B．need | C．pain | D．effect |
| A．come on | B．get on | C．look on | D．go on |
| A．great | B．complex | C．complete | D．difficult |
