1. What is the conversation mainly about?
| A．Fighting fires. | B．Detecting fires. | C．Using fires. |
| A．Around 50. | B．About 400. | C．Over 8600. |
| A．Size of a car. | B．Size of a plane. | C．Size of a sports field. |
| A．Saving animals. | B．Saving the trees. | C．Saving humans. |
1. What do the speakers work for?
| A．Museum. | B．Neighborhood. | C．Factory. |
| A．Paint the wall. | B．Plant trees. | C．Empty the rubbish can. |
3 . Every year, tens of thousands of kids aged 3 to 13 become Junior Rangers in different national parks across America. At Yosemite alone more than 20, 000 kids take part in the Yosemite Junior Ranger Program. If you want to be a Junior Ranger, you need to learn about the natural and cultural history, and make a promise to be a national park protector.
Here Is How YOU Can Become a Junior Ranger!
Earn yourself an official Junior Ranger Badge You could become a Yosemite’s Junior, Ranger today by completing the following steps:
•Buy your Junior Ranger Handbook in the nearest Visitor Center.
•Complete the pages in the handbook.
•Pick up rubbish.
•Attend a Guided Program.
•Return your completed handbook and a bag of rubbish to the Visitor Center.
•Make your official Junior Ranger Promise at a ceremony.
•Get your official Junior Ranger Badge.
After you become a Junior Ranger, you are encouraged to share your ranger stories with your friends, teachers and families.
1. Who can become Junior Rangers?| A．Children. | B．Parents. | C．Teachers. | D．Officers. |
| A．Read the handbook. | B．Learn American history. |
| C．Share ranger stories. | D．Protect the national parks. |
| A．Collect a bag of rubbish. | B．Start a Guided Program. |
| C．Write your ranger stories to friends. | D．Get a Junior Ranger Handbook for free. |
4 . Fish cats are a kind of cats that love water and love to fish. They are like tigers and lions, only much smaller, around twice the size of our average pet cats. They live in wetlands of South Asia and mangrove forests(红树林)of South and Southeast Asia. Like many endangered species, fish cats were in danger of dying out more than twenty years ago, mainly because of the great international need for fish food and the people s cutting of the mangroves at an extremely fast speed.
Mangroves of Southeast Asia are home to a great many fantastic species, like fish cats, turtles, shorebirds and others. Mangroves can protect soil, and they can be the first line of protection between storms, tsunamis and the millions of people who live next to them. The fact is that mangroves can store almost five to ten times more CO2 than other forests. So protecting mangroves may well be like protecting five to ten times more of other forests.
Ten years ago, in South India, many people came together to change the future of their home. In less than 10 years, with international support, the state forest departments and the local people worked together to restore over 20,000 acres of unproductive fish and shrimp farms back into mangroves. Now experts are working with them in helping study and protecting the mangroves as well as the species living in them. Fish and shrimp farmers are now willing to work with experts to test the harvest of nature protection like fishes, turtles and other species in mangroves. The local farmers are encouraged to protect and plant mangroves where they have been lost. A win win-win for fish cats, local people and the global ecosystem(生态系统)is being built.
1. What made the fish cats endangered?
| A．Being too large and need for fish food. | B．Cutting of mangroves and lack of water. |
| C．Less fish and overcutting of mangroves. | D．Natural enemies and environment pollution. |
| A．They can prevent extreme weather. | B．They are perfect home to all species. |
| C．They can take in more CO2 effectively. | D．They help plants grow better on the soil. |
| A．Work in protecting shrimps. | B．Efforts to protect the mangroves. |
| C．Ways of turning farms into forests. | D．Changes of South India in I0 years. |
| A．Man and Nature | B．Ways to Protect Fish Cats |
| C．The Restoration of Wetlands | D．Fish Cats and Mangroves Protection |
5 . My name is Miranda Gibson. I have been at the top of a tree for five months now. Some people might wonder
I have walked through this forest many times. On December 12, 2011,
Life in the tree top can be
Living on the tree has been inspiring. I am willing to
| A．why | B．when | C．how | D．where |
| A．water | B．animals | C．machinery | D．tourists |
| A．bear | B．help | C．keep | D．spare |
| A．sold | B．stolen | C．protected | D．lost |
| A．grew out | B．fell short | C．ran out | D．let go |
| A．refreshing | B．risky | C．challenging | D．rewarding |
| A．get up | B．get away | C．give in | D．give up |
| A．change | B．look | C．search | D．touch |
| A．confused | B．nervous | C．sorry | D．lonely |
| A．Beyond | B．Without | C．Despite | D．Unlike |
| A．height | B．experience | C．background | D．position |
| A．return | B．stop | C．stay | D．hide |
| A．but | B．though | C．because | D．so |
| A．soon | B．long | C．near | D．bad |
| A．moved | B．logged | C．burned | D．missed |
The world witnessed
7 . As most people know, in the past few years, sandstorms have swept across many cities and areas of North China, polluting the air and disturbing daily lives of human beings. People look dirty and suffer many kinds of illnesses, such as breath difficulty. The sandstorm is such a serious problem that it has not only undermined the industrial and agricultural development of our country but also caused a lot of trouble to the living conditions of the Chinese people. It is expected that effective measures should be taken as soon as possible.
So what should we do with the frightening sandstorms? Some experts put forward practical suggestions as follows: For one thing, more funds ought to be put into tree planting and forest protection so as to keep more water resources within the surface of the earth. For another, governments of all countries should make laws on environmental protection. For example, banning the use of throw-away chopsticks and punishing illegal tree cutting. Scientists should also find ways to cut down the degree of its destruction and to improve the whole environment.
How people look forward to sunny days with little wind touching their faces now and forever! Nevertheless, I am fully confident that the golden days can come back so long as everyone tries his best to protect natural environment from today on.
1. The underlined word “undermined” in Paragraph 1 means ________.| A．weakened | B．encouraged | C．kept | D．made |
| A．China has taken no measures to prevent sandstorms. |
| B．more sandstorms will happen in the near future in North China. |
| C．the sandstorm is the most dangerous natural disaster to human beings. |
| D．sandstorms can cause much damage to human beings and their daily lives. |
| A．5. | B．4. | C．3. | D．2. |
| A．Unconfident. | B．Hopeful. | C．Curious. | D．Unclear. |
8 . With climate change on track to destroy the world’s coral reefs, scientists race to create a new super-coral that can survive extreme temperatures.
A type of microscopic algae called Symbiodiniaceae lives within most coral’s tissues. The two organisms have been living dependently for hundreds of millions of years in a way that resembles the relationship between humans and trees. The algae consume coral’s waste products, and coral consumes nutrients that the algae photosynthesize. Coral also provides shelter for algae. But when exposed to too much heat or light, the algae release harmful chemicals, so the coral casts them out. Left without their main energy source, the coral will starve to death. This is also bad news for the algae. But natural evolution has provided a biological feedback loop that can help the two reunite.
One of the compounds that algae release when water becomes hot, called DMs, bubbles up to the surface of the water and forms a thin layer, which shields the coral like a natural, on-demand layer of sunscreen. With this protection, the water cools down and algae can return to the coral and reestablish their partnership unless the water is too hot, in which case the coral consumes the components that make up DMs before it can form.
Climate change is becoming too intense for coral and algae to naturally adapt fast enough. Therefore, scientists are testing out different ways to accelerate that adaptation through various methods of assisted evolution. Some teams are currently conducting small field trials of selective breeding, where they identify the most heat-tolerant members of a sample of corals. Then they breed them together to create offspring that can be used to help restore coral reefs. Others are focusing their efforts on speeding up the algae’s adaptation, attempting to increase its heat tolerance in labs.
Ultimately, scientists may implement a cocktail of solutions to save coral reefs. “To create a super-coral, we could, for example, selectively breed heat-tolerant corals and combine that with enhanced algae, ” says van Oppen.
1. What can we learn about Paragraph 2?| A．The algae release damaging substances when exposed to heat. |
| B．The coral eats the waste produced by the algae. |
| C．The algae is to the coral what trees are to humans. |
| D．The coral will die from harmful chemicals when it’s too hot. |
| A．DMS can’t be formed | B．the sunscreen layer is destroyed |
| C．the coral consumes DMS | D．the algae release too much DMS |
| A．By analyzing causes. | B．By making a comparison. |
| C．By presenting approaches. | D．By describing a process. |
| A．The role played by the algae within the coral. |
| B．The way to create a super-coral to save reefs. |
| C．Selective breeding conducted among corals. |
| D．Scientists’ efforts to increase algae’s heat tolerance. |
9 . A highly expected project to get plastic out of the massive pool of ocean debris (碎片) is ready to begin its first period from Alameda, California. The creators of the project, called the Ocean Cleanup, say their system can remove 90 percent of the plastic in the ocean by 2040.
It’s those larger pieces that the cleanup system will stop. The system features a 600-meter-long line of unmoored booms (未停泊的水栅) that act as an artificial shoreline traveling with the wind, waves and ocean currents while rounding up plastic debris. Beneath the surface, the booms drag a 3-meter-long skirt, through which only the tiniest bits of plastic can escape. Currents will naturally push the line of booms into a U-shape, herding plastic particles (颗粒) so they’re easier to collect.
The booms are also tricked out with solar-powered lights, anti-collision (防冲撞) systems and satellite positioning to avoid ships and help project scientists keep track of the system’s location. Periodically, support ships will cart the collected plastic bits back to land for recycling.
The launch of “System 001” will be a test for the first of a planned fleet of about 60 such systems. Once launched, System 001 will undergo two weeks of field testing off the California coast, Lebreton says. If all goes well, it will head to the North Pacific, arriving within five weeks of the launch date. “We’re hoping to bring the first plastic back before the end of the year,” he says.
The Ocean Cleanup representatives say their project is meant to work consistently with such upstream measures. “Even while trying to change human behaviors, it’s still worth trying to remove whatever is already out there floating near the surface. The whole point is that we want to try to collect as much as possible,” Lebreton says.
Whatever the result of this deployment, some experts trying to tackle the plastic trash problem applaud the Ocean Cleanup for raising awareness around the issue.
1. What can we know about the cleanup system?| A．It has been launched for several times. | B．It’s also called the Ocean Cleanup. |
| C．People don’t think much of it. | D．It may remove most large ocean plastic. |
| A．Acting as a shoreline. | B．Traveling with waves. |
| C．Collecting plastic particles. | D．Pushing booms’ line into a U-shape. |
| A．Equipped. | B．Filled. | C．Covered. | D．Poured. |
| A．It’s vital for protecting the ocean from plastic waste. |
| B．It contributes to informing people of ocean pollution. |
| C．It’s far from perfect and needs improvement before use. |
| D．It has won applause from ocean-protection organizations. |
10 . Starting in 1972, the National Park Administration set up a policy for forest fires called Natural Burn. It was acknowledged that some forest fires, such as those caused by lightning, were necessary for forests to maintain balanced ecosystems, so the fire should be allowed to burn.
However, a big fire in Yellowstone National Park in 1988 caused this policy to be abandoned since the fire was at first allowed to burn yet soon out of control. As a result, the fire of 1988 destroyed much of Yellowstone, which is America’s oldest and most beloved national park. Massive areas of plants were destroyed, and large empty spaces and acres of burned and blackened trees greeted visitors. The rivers and streams were choked with ash, and the ecosystem of the park was changed beyond repair.
In addition, great numbers of animals were killed by the fires that burned out of control. The fires were driven by high winds, moving as many as ten miles a day. Many small animals died in the flames. The fires’ rapid advances gave the wildlife little chance to escape. Even today, few of these small forest animals have returned to live in the park.
In the years immediately following the fires, the numbers of visitors declined rapidly. No one was interested in seeing a blackened and treeless park on vacation. Yellowstone had previously been famous for its amazing views and unique geological formations such as the Old Faithful Geyser. But now its reputation as America’s wonder is damaged permanently.
1. Why was Natural Burn adopted as a policy?| A．Because some forest fires were impossible to put out. |
| B．Because forest fires were started by lightning accidentally. |
| C．Because some forest fires were good for the balance of nature. |
| D．Because it was approved officially by National Park Administration. |
| A．Strong winds contributed to the fire a lot. | B．Big Winds were blown from high places. |
| C．The animals moved only ten miles a day. | D．Many animals lived by rivers chocked with ash. |
| A．Yellowstone fire in 1988 was under control at first. |
| B．The seriousness of Yellowstone forest fire was unexpected. |
| C．The ecosystem of the park was slightly damaged by the fire. |
| D．Yellowstone is no longer a national park after the forest fire. |
| A．A guide book. | B．A news report. |
| C．A commercial ad. | D．A geography magazine. |
