1 . The cotton harvest is about to get underway in the Texas High Plains, the windswept region that grows most of the crop in the nation’s top cotton-producing state. But Barry Evans, a third-generation cotton grower, has already walked away from more than 2,000 acres (英亩) of his bone-dry fields. “It just didn’t come up. We hardly had anything,” said Evans.

Extreme heat and a lack of rainfall have severely damaged much of this year’s cotton harvest in the U.S., which produces about 35% of the world’s crop. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) forecast that more than 40% of what U.S. farmers planted in the spring would be abandoned because of drought. Nowhere is this more apparent than the flat, dry stretch of Texas. The USDA says Texas cotton farmers are likely to abandon nearly 70% of their spring planting. That has been the worst harvest since 2009.

The region normally receives around 18 to 20 inches of rain per year, but saw less than three inches of rain from August through the summer, as nearly all of Texas baked under drought. Much of the cotton grown in the region needs rain. Even those with irrigated (灌溉的) fields are expecting low yields (产量) this year.

The losses in cotton could cost the Texas High Plains $1.2 billion after farmers receive federal (联邦的) crop insurance payments, estimates Darren Hudson, director of the International Center for Agricultural Competitiveness at Texas Tech University. That leaves out others who depend on the crop, such as cotton gins (轧棉机) and storehouses. “Any time you have a bad year in cotton, it has a role to play in the overall economy,” Hudson said.

Fortunately, most cotton farmers in this part of Texas plan to use cotton seed varieties that can resist drought. Varieties are continuously developed and will be adjusted to generate high yields if dry conditions continue. “Even though it’s drought resistant,” Hudson added, “we still have to have a little bit of help from Mother Nature.”

1. What are the statistics in paragraph 2 mainly about?

A．The impact of extreme weather on U.S. farmers.

B．The world’s cotton distribution.

C．USDA’s measures to address drought.

D．The amount of U.S. cotton harvest in 2009.

2. What does Hudson stress in paragraph 4?

A．Texas is unfriendly to cotton farmers.	B．Cotton is vital to the American economy.
C．Farmers depend much on Mother Nature.	D．Cotton gins are unaffected by cotton losses.

3. What will cotton farmers most likely do next?

A．Build effective irrigation systems.	B．Apply for federal crop insurance.
C．Switch to growing a different crop.	D．Use further improved cotton seeds.

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A．Drought pushes cotton prices to a new high.	B．The world’s cotton supply keeps falling.
C．Texas cotton takes a hit during drought.	D．Drought impacts the quality of cotton.

2 . Earth Hour is an annual event, asking you to switch off all your lights for one hour in positive change for our planet. It is organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature and it’s a big event usually at the end of March every year.     1    , which means switching off all lights everywhere at the same time for one hour.

Earth Hour started in Australia in 2007, when 2.2 million people in Sydney turned off all unnecessary lights for an hour.     2    , and many countries around the world have taken part.

It’s true that switching off the lights for just one hour saves only a little power.     3    . Joining in Earth Hour makes people think about the problem of climate change and how to protect nature so that people can enjoy healthy and sustainable lives. Besides, many people acting together pushes governments and companies to consider green issues when making big decisions.

    4    . The number 60 is for the 60 minutes of Earth Hour, and the plus invites people to keep on taking action even after Earth Hour is finished. In fact, people joining in Earth Hour say that taking part in it inspires them to do more for the environment. The climate activist Greta Thunberg says, “Earth Hour is every hour of every day.”

Why is it in March? At the end of March in the northern and southern hemispheres (半球), the days and the nights are almost of the same length.     5    , so it is dark in the evening in each country for the Earth Hour switch-off.

A．But this is only the beginning

B．The logo of Earth Hour is “60+”

C．On this evening, people “go dark”

D．There are many events people can join in

E．Since then it has grown into an international event

F．The idea is to raise the awareness of environmental issues

G．At this time, the sunset time is similar in both hemispheres

3 . A NASA climate research scientist, Cynthia Rosenzweig, who has spent much of her career explaining how global food production must adapt to a changing climate, was awarded the World Food Prize on Thursday.

“We basically cannot solve climate change unless we address the issues of the greenhouse gas emissions from the food system, and we cannot provide food security for all unless we work really hard to develop adaptable agricultural systems,” she told The Associated Press in an interview.

Rosenzweig, who describes herself as a climate impact scientist, grew up in Scarsdale, New York, a suburban area that she said led her to seek out life in the country. Later, she moved to Italy, and developed a passion for agriculture. After returning to the United States, she focused her education on agronomy (农学).

She worked as a graduate student at the Goddard Institute for Space Studies in the early 1980s, when global climate models were beginning to show the effects of human-generated carbon dioxide on the global climate. As the only team member studying agronomy, she researched the impact on food production and has been working since then to answer those questions.

Rosenzweig’s work led to the Environmental Protection Agency’s first prediction of the effects of climate change on the nation’s agricultural regions in the agency’s assessment of the potential effects of climate change on the United States in 1988. She was the first to bring climate change to the attention of the American Society of Agronomy and she organized the first sessions on the issue in the 1980s. The research organization she founded, AgMIP, develops adaptation packages, which could include the use of more drought-tolerant seeds and improved water management practices.

Even the largest agribusiness corporations have shown a willingness to listen. Some models her colleagues have developed show how businesses could be effected by climate change and how they have a role to play in reducing the impact on climate.

“It’s really a global partnership of all the global food systems to come together to restrain climate change and maintain the food security for the planet,” she said.

1. What can we learn from paragraph 2?

A．Plants can hardly cause greenhouse gas emissions.

B．Issues of food security will result in climate change.

C．Improving food systems will help address climate change.

D．Some adaptable agricultural systems have been put into use.

2. Which of the following can best describe Rosenzweig?

A．Modest.

B．Devoted.

C．Adaptable.

D．Warm-hearted.

3. What is paragraph 5 mainly about?

A．Rosenzweig’s contributions.	B．Rosenzweig’s challenges.
C．Rosenzweig’s expectations.	D．Rosenzweig’s backgrounds.

4. What does the underlined word “they” in paragraph 6 refer to?

A．The models.	B．The practices.
C．The colleagues.	D．The businesses.

4 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. How many people died in a landslide in 2003?

A．About two hundred.

B．Over one thousand.

C．About two thousand.

2. What has the Philippines banned for several years?

A．Growing grass.

B．Cutting down trees.

C．Growing population.

3. What does the speaker advise to protect our environment?

A．Growing more forests.

B．Chopping down the old forests.

C．Getting busy in protecting our country.

5 . 阅读下面短文,在空白处填入一个适当的词或使用括号中词语的正确形式填空。

With the tourism    1    (develop), people are becoming increasingly concerned    2    the environment. Here in our city, there is a heated discussion about whether a hotel should    3    (build) at White Beach. The owner of the company thinks the hotel would attract more tourists,     4    will help the local economy.    5    , the local people worry that constructing the hotel is not eco-friendly,     6    (particular) the turtles. Admitting the various    7    (benefit) from the hotel, they still have many concerns about the surroundings     8     they have been living for many years. It is    9    unavoidable problem that increased tourist numbers will consume more natural resources, at the same time, more waste and pollution    10    ( release).

7 . After taking a few steps back, Hadj Benhalima rushed toward the building, pushed himself upward with his foot against the wall and stretched out his arm. At the peak of his jump, he flipped off a light switch, and the bright lights of a nearby barbershop went off immediately.

This is what Hadj and his friends have been doing for the past two years: swinging around Paris and switching off wasteful shop signs at night, in an effort to fight against light pollution and save energy. And they are all enthusiastic about Parkour — a sport that consists of running and jumping over urban obstacles.

While climbing other people’s property to turn off their lights may strike some as a form of trespassing (非法入侵), the Parkour athletes insist their activities are only about enforcing seldom-respected rules.

More than a decade ago, Paris City Hall issued orders requiring stores to turn off all signs and window displays from 1 am to 6 am, but they are widely ignored with little consequence. “for 10 years there has been no follow-up, no control, no punishment,” said Anne-Marie Ducroux, the head of the National Association for the Protection of the Sky and the Night Environment.

That is why Hadj and his friends have taken matters into their own hands. The group often gathers in the so-called Golden Triangle neighborhood, in western Paris, which is the center of French luxury.

Enforcing the orders in place of the authorities certainly enters a legal grey area. But the Parkour athletes say all the police officers they have met during their rounds have allowed their action — as long as it causes no damage.

And it seems that their efforts have produced the desired result, because Hadj says he has noticed that in recent months, several shops have stopped leaving their lights on after his group targeted them. He hopes others will follow suit. “At least, I’ll sleep better,” he said.

1. What are Hadj Benhalima and his friends trying to do at night?

A．To practice their Parkour skills.

B．To remove possible urban obstacles.

C．To turn off unnecessary store lights.

D．To ensure the safety of their neighborhood.

2. What can we learn about the rules set by the government?

A．They are too strict to follow.

B．They have achieved the desired effect.

C．They put great pressure on stores.

D．They are not carried out effectively.

3. What is the government’s attitude towards the Parkour athletes’ act?

A．Worried.

B．Supportive.

C．Doubtful.

D．Unconcerned.

4. What does the text mainly talk about?

A．Why Parkour is so popular among young people in Paris.

B．Why it is difficult to fight against light pollution in Paris.

C．How the lighting of shop signs affects the night view of Paris.

D．How young people in Paris help save energy through Parkour.

9 . Earthquakes are one type of natural disaster you simply can’t see coming. Earthquake preparation is the best way to deal with a confusing time. Here’s something you need to know about how to prepare for an earthquake.

Examine weak points in your home and make a plan to strengthen them. Protect your space or your home by finding out dangers and fixing moveable things.     1     Push top-heavy pieces such as bookshelves away from beds or sofas, and move the heavier things onto lower shelves.

Create an earthquake safety plan with your family. It’s key to create and practice an emergency plan with your family so that everyone knows what to do during a time of an earthquake. Talk about ways each family member can act as a team.     2    

    3     It may be under a strong piece of furniture which can protect you from falling objects or against any inside wall away from windows, bookshelves, or tall furniture that could fall on you.

Learn earthquake emergency plans at your workplace, children’s school or daycare center. Disaster can strike at any moment.     4     It’s also wise to make a note of how you plan to communicate with each other and how to let loved ones know you’re safe. Remember that cell phones may be unreliable (不可靠的) after an earthquake.

    5     Earthquakes usually last around one minute but if the damage is big enough, you could be trapped for a much longer period of time. You should have a bag containing medical equipment, food, water, flashlights and so on.

A．Prepare an emergency bag.

B．Prepare for more damage and danger.

C．Pick safe spaces in every room to take shelter in.

D．The shaking ground could move almost anything.

E．It can help reduce fears, especially in young children.

F．The preparation depends on a well-practiced plan and ready supplies.

G．So it is necessary to learn how to prepare for an earthquake in any environment.

10 . Since the 1950s, some 9.2 billion tonnes of plastic have been produced globally, of which only about 10% has ever been recycled. Yet environmentally conscious companies and consumers continue to look to recycling as a way to ease the plastic problem. Manufacturing giants claim to be committed to making more of their products and packaging from recycled materials. However, this confidence masks (掩饰) a complex web of issues around plastic recycling. Recycling rates remain extremely low and critics argue that we should look at alternative ways to tackle plastic pollution.

While many plastics have the potential to be recycled, most are not because the process is costly, complicated and the resulting product of a lower quality than the original. Despite rising demand for recycled plastic, few waste companies turn a profit. Part of this is because virgin plastic-linked to oil prices - is often cheaper than recycled plastic, meaning there is little economic incentive to use it. Worse yet, much of our plastic waste is difficult to recycle. Lightweight food packaging, like a mozzarella packet, contains different plastics, dyes and toxic additives (添加剂). This dirty mix means plastic recycled through mechanical methods- the most common form- can only be melted down and moulded (浇铸,塑造) again a couple of times before it becomes too fragile to be reused. And the nature of the process means plastic recycling has a carbon footprint of its own.

Given all of these difficulties, environmental critics say recycling is not the solution-and argue that creating more products from recycled material to attract environmental consciousness merely worsens the problem. “The solution is to use less plastic and to stop misleading the public about the recyclability,” says Enck, president of Beyond Plastics, a US campaign group with a mission to end single-use plastic. “They should stop making false claims about the recyclability of plastics since they know most will either be littered (乱扔) or burned or landfilled (填埋). Using less plastics means shifting to reusable products and relying more on paper, cardboard, glass and metal- -all of which should be made from recycled content.”

1. What is an environmentally conscious customer’s attitude towards recycling plastics?

A．Suspicious.

B．Favorable.

C．Indifferent.

D．Disapproving.

2. What does the underlined word “incentive” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．motive.

B．issue.

C．crisis.

D．policy.

3. What is Paragraph 2 mainly about?

A．The recycling process of plastics.	B．Pollutants contained in recycled plastics.
C．Reasons why users dislike recycled plastics.	D．Contributing factors to low plastic recycling rates.

4. What will the environmental critics be happy to see according to the text?

A．Using metal or glass food containers.	B．Littering recycled plastics in a landfill.
C．Processing plastics in a mechanical way.	D．Launching campaigns to promote recyclability.