1 . On the day the tornado hit, there was no sign severe weather was on its way—the sky was blue and the sun had been out. My husband Jimmy and I were watching TV upstairs.

No sooner had we got the coverage of the tornado than it was on top of us. It was the loudest thing I have ever heard. The bones of the house shook, and the power went out. We had three flights of steps to get through to get to the relative safety of the first floor.

As we struggled to reach the last flight of steps, our front door blew out. Pieces of glass that looked like crushed ice flew everywhere. Suddenly, a three-foot-long tree branch flew over our heads, missing us by inches. Had we been one step up, it would have impaled us.

By the time I reached the closet, Jimmy pushed me down to the closet floor, but he couldn’t get inside himself because of the wind. I grasped Jimmy’s arm and tried to bring Jimmy with it. My knees and head were full of glass, but in that moment, I felt no pain. If I had let go, Jimmy would have flown right out the back of the house and into the bay.

“Hold on! Hold on!” he yelled. But there was nothing in this closet to hold on to.

All of a sudden, Jimmy lifted off his feet like people in tornadoes do in the movies. I thought he was gone. And then everything stopped. He landed on his feet. In those first quiet moments, I couldn’t believe it was over. Jimmy said he’d go outside to check. “No,” I said. “Don’t leave me. Don’t leave me.”

Our neighbor says the storm lasted four minutes. In that time, four of the twelve town houses in our unit were completely destroyed. Of the houses left standing, ours suffered the most damage. Amazingly, none of us were severely injured.

1. Which of the following sentences is NOT the evidence to show the tornado is violent?

A．It was the loudest thing I have ever heard.

B．The bones of the house shook, and the power went out.

C．Our neighbor says the storm lasted four minutes.

D．Pieces of glass that looked like crushed ice flew everywhere.

2. From the passage, we can infer that______.

A．The couple had predicted the arrival of the tornado in advance.

B．Jimmy flew right out the back of the house and into the bay during the tornado.

C．The three-foot-tree flew over the couple’s head and injured them badly.

D．The author still felt scared when the tornado was suddenly over.

3. Why did the author feel “no pain” in paragraph4?

A．She didn’t hurt badly enough to sense the pain.

B．She was severely injured and failed to sense the pain.

C．Her attention was fully focused on her husband.

D．She had let her husband go away from her hand.

4. Which of the following phrases best describes the couple’s experience in this tornado?

A．A thrilling adventure	B．A narrow escape
C．A risky attempt	D．A serious accident

2 . Food blogs, celebrities, and nutritionists all advocate the benefits of eating organic (有机的) fruits and vegetables. But a new study published in Science Advances paints a more complex picture. While organic produce is likely slightly healthier to eat and, in some ways, more sustainable to grow, there are also downsides.

Organic fruits and vegetables typically cost more than conventional ones. To get a certificate as organic, farmers must meet specific criteria, including growing produce without the use of genetic engineering and chemical inputs. Without these methods, the growing process typically requires more labor, time, and money, a cost that is passed down to consumers.

It’s true that in many ways, organic is more sustainable than conventional farming. But when it comes to environmental concerns such as greenhouse gas output and water loss, the comparison gets complex. Organic farms produce less greenhouse gas output per acre. However, because they are barred from using genetic engineering, pesticides (杀虫剂), and other methods that increase efficiency (效率), organic farms also produce an estimated 19% to 25% less yield than conventional farms. While there isn’t a whole lot research on the topic, the few studies that do exist suggest green gas output and water loss might actually be higher on organic farms, on a per unit basis, says study author Verena Seurfert.

In addition, while organic produce is likely more nutritious than conventional fruit and vegetables, there’s not a lot of evidence to support the claim that these often slight differences influence consumer health. The same is true for pesticide remainder. In developed countries, where pesticide use is tightly regulated, there’s no scientific consensus on how these often slight differences influence human health.

Still, Seurfert stresses that if you can afford to eat organic, you should do so. Organic farms provide safer work environments for workers, plus they support great biodiversity. The real takeaway from her study is not that organic is bad but that the practice needs more studies to increase yield without lowering sustainability.

But if you can’t afford to buy organic produce, don’t stress too much, particularly from a nutritional perspective.

1. What does the underlined word “downsides” in Paragraph 1 most probably mean?

A．Dangers.

B．Drawbacks.

C．Benefits.

D．Differences.

2. Which key factor makes it hard to compare organic farming and conventional farming when it comes to environmental concerns?

A．The yield.

B．The price.

C．The water loss.

D．The labor.

3. Which of the following will the author most probably agree with?

A．Farmers, work environment should be improved.

B．Organic produce should be made more efficiently.

C．It isn’t wise for consumers to buy organic products.

D．Pesticide remainder does no harm to people’s health.

4. In the author’s opinion, why should we support organic produce?

A．It’s environmentally friendly.	B．It’s more nutritious.
C．It helps keep the variety of plants.	D．It’s safer for consumers.

3 . Last week the electricity in my flat went out. I had just got home from work and was happily making my tea, when all of a sudden I was surrounded by complete darkness. I tried to fix it but failed. I had to wait for an electrician to come in the morning.     1    

I sat down to eat my half - cooked dinner. And then I wasn’t really sure what to do. My typical evening is spent watching the TV and looking through social media.    2     So for me it was an early night. And I couldn’t help but think, do we rely too much on electricity? That night, losing our electricity felt like losing a basic necessity. As basic as running water.    3     I use electricity all the lime, even when it’s not really necessary.

    4    . It contributes to global warming. It is harming our environment and we need to do what we can to stop it. Not only that, but if we continue to use the same large amount of energy we will soon run out.

So, shouldn’t we start preparing for it now? Cutting back on our use of electricity would make losing it easier, and also save energy resources so that they could last for longer.    5     And if everyone does the same, we can make a big difference.

A．Tonight this wasn’t possible.

B．Obviously, we can’t survive without it.

C．Our over-use of electricity is a big problem.

D．This left me a whole night without any electricity.

E．Electricity brings us convenience and trouble.

F．But really, we’ve grown to take electricity for granted.

G．I know for sure that I could cut down on my use of electricity.

4 . NEW YORK－A massive winter storm paralyzed much of the US East Coast on Thursday and Friday, dumping as much as 46 centimeters of snow from the Carolinas to Maine. It also caused flooding on the streets of Boston due to swelling storm tides, forced the cancellation of nearly 5,000 flights and closed businesses, offices and schools.

Some meteorologists (气象学家) classified the storm as a "bomb cyclone" for its sharp drop in atmospheric pressure would be followed immediately by a blast of cold air that could break records in more than two dozen cities and bring wind chills as low as -40℃ during the weekend.

From Baltimore, Maryland, to Caribou in Maine, efforts were underway to clear roadways of ice and snow as wind chill temperatures were to plunge during the day, reaching -40℃ in some parts after sundown, according to the National Weather Service.

Utility companies across the East worked to repair downed power lines early on Friday as about 21,000 customers remained without electricity, down from almost 80,000 the day before, and issued warnings that temperatures may become dangerously low.

"If the temperature in your home begins to fall, we recommend taking shelter elsewhere until service can be restored. You can find warming centers by contacting local authorities," National Grid power company, which serves Massachusetts, said on Twitter.

Airlines canceled 4,000 flights on Thursday and hundreds more on Friday, according to FlightAware.com, an online tracking service.

Mayor Bill de Blasio said it could feel like -30℃ on Friday and Saturday nights with the wind chill. "This is a serious, serious storm, and may be the most severe in 2018," he said at a news conference.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency for the southern part of the state, while New Jersey Governor Chris Christie declared a state of emergency for several counties.

1. Which of the following is NOT the consequence of the massive winter storm?

A．Breakdown of the US coast

B．Flooding in Boston.

C．Cancellation of nearly 5,000 flights.

D．Closure in business, offices, and schools.

2. Why did some meteorologists classify this winter storm as “bomb cyclone”?

A．Because it will cause changeable atmospheric pressure.

B．Because the scale of this storm could break records in lots of cities.

C．Because of the deadly and destructive effects of this storm.

D．Because of the extremely cold air and the wind chills in this storm.

3. Which of the following best explains the underlined word “plunge” in P3?

A．decline steadily	B．drop dramatically
C．fluctuate violently	D．fall moderately

4. About the rescue work, which of the following statements is INCORRECT?

A．People were making great efforts to rid roadways of ice and snow.

B．About 101 thousand people were left without electricity on Thursday.

C．Residents can stay in warming centers until heating service is restored.

D．Aviation service hasn't been brought back to normal yet until Friday.

5 . A cobra (眼镜蛇) was set free on September 10 in a park in Xiangtan City, South China’s Hunan Province. 　    1    And they began hunting for the deadly creature to try to prevent it from hurting anyone.

In the name of mercy, some people free captive (关在笼子里的) animals, including foreign species, mostly bought from pet shops or markets.     2    Last April, someone freed hundreds of foxes and raccoon dogs in a Beijing suburb, causing economic losses to animal farmers and endangering the safety of local residents.

    3    Besides, today people are increasingly aware of the importance of environmental protection and biodiversity. But it is necessary to ensure that acts of freeing captive animals do not violate laws or harm the interests of the public.    4    

In order to regulate the release of captive animals, the government revised the law on wildlife conservation in 2016. According to the updated regulations, no individual or organization should harm the public interest by freeing captive animals.    5    

A．And any creatures set free should be local species that have no threat to local biodiversity.

B．However, their warm-hearted kindness often causes serious consequences.

C．Freeing a cobra in a park reflects the troublemaker’s ignorance of other people’s lives.

D．Such news has frequently appeared in recent years.

E．Local police immediately arrested the troublemaker.

F．Influenced by Buddhism, freeing captive animals is an act that deserves respect in China.

G．It is important to protect animals including those set free by people.

6 . You can’t make a call or send a text on your mobile phone in the US town of Green Bank, West Virginia. Wireless Internet is outlawed, as is Bluetooth. As you approach the tiny town on a two-lane road that snakes through the mountains, your mobile phone signal drops out, and your radio stops working. The rusted pay phone on the north side of town is the only way for a visitor to reach the rest of the world. It’s a pre-modern place by design, lacking of the latest technologies that define life today.

The reason for the town’s empty airwaves is apparent the moment you arrive. It’s the Robert C. Byrd telescope, also known as the GBT, a shiny white, 147-metre-tall satellite dish. It’s the largest of its kind in the world and one of nine in Green Bank, all of them government owned and operated by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO).

You don’t look through these kinds of telescopes. They’re radio telescopes, so instead of looking for distant stars, they listen for them. There’s a long line of astronomers all over the world who want to use the telescope which is so sensitive that it could hear a single snowflake hitting the ground 1,000 miles away.

Such a sensitive listening tool needs total technological silence to operate, so in 1958 the US government created a National Radio Quiet Zone, a 33,000 km² area covering Green Bank where, to this day, electronic and radio signals are forbidden every hour of every day.

People who live within a 15km of the Green Bank telescope are allowed to use landline telephones, wired Internet and cable televisions, but microwave ovens, wireless Internet and radios are forbidden. You can have a mobile phone, but you won’t get a signal.

Because of how much its way of life varies from the rest of America, Green Bank seems to be a somewhat isolated (隔绝), even alien place. For locals, the technology ban is annoying. For others who come to Green Bank for a little rest and relaxation, the town has become a refuge.

1. What do we know about the town of Green Bank from Paragraph 1?

A．It’s located at the base of a large mountain.

B．It is geographically and technologically isolated.

C．Its telecommunications are affected by its geography.

D．Many people live in the town and its surrounding areas.

2. How does the GBT work?

A．It traps light waves in its huge dish.

B．It stops all electronic and radio signals.

C．It receives pictures from space satellites.

D．It listens for and receives noises from space.

3. What equipment are locals of the Green Bank allowed to use?

A．Cable TV, wired Internet and radio.

B．Landline phones, wired Internet and cable TV.

C．Public phones, wireless Internet and mobile phones.

D．Landline phones, microwave ovens and cable internet.

4. What does the underlined word “refuge” in the last paragraph most probably mean?

A．A place of escape.	B．A source of confusion.
C．An area of interest.	D．A sign of danger.

7 .        Australian scientists are trying to give kangaroo-style stomachs to cattle and sheep in order to cut the greenhouse gases they send out, which are thought to be responsible for global warming.

Thanks to special bacteria in their stomachs, kangaroo flatulence(肠胃气胀)contains no methane(甲烷)and scientists want to transfer that bacteria to cattle and sheep who produce large quantities of the harmful gas.

While the usual image of greenhouse gas pollution is a huge chimney pushing out carbon dioxide, animals at home contribute a surprisingly high percentage of total emissions in some countries. “Fourteen percent of emissions from all sources in Australia is from methane from cattle and sheep,” said Athol Kleve, a senior research scientist with the Queensland state government.

And if you look at another country such as New Zealand, which has got a much higher agricultural base, they’re actually up around 50 percent, ” he said.

Researchers say the bacteria also make the digestive process much more efficient and could potentially save millions of dollars in feed costs for farmers. But it will take researchers at least three years to isolate (分离) the bacteria, before they can even start to develop a way of transferring it to cattle and sheep.

Another group of scientists, meanwhile, has suggested Australians should farm fewer cattle and sheep and just eat more kangaroos. People are still arguing about this, but about 20 percent of health-conscious Australians are believed to eat the national symbol already. “It’s low in fat, it’s got high protein levels and it’s very clean in the sense that basically it’s the free-range (放养的) animal,” said Peter Amp of the University of New South Wales’s institute of environmental studies.

1. Scientists try to give kangaroo-style stomachs to cattle and sheep to __________.

A．help them fight against different diseases.

B．reduce the amount of greenhouse gases.

C．get rid of the bacteria in their stomachs.

D．protect them from quantities of harmful gas.

2. The advantage of transferring the bacteria to cattle and sheep is that_____________.

A．it will take the researchers a long time.

B．cattle and sheep will eat more than usual.

C．it will help the farmers to save money.

D．the bacteria will make them grow quickly.

3. From this passage we can infer that___________.

A．scientists still don’t know how to transfer the bacteria to cattle and sheep.

B．people in Australia depend on kangaroos for food at the present time.

C．14% of the greenhouse gases in New Zealand is from cattle and sheep.

D．nobody in Australia will be allowed to farm cattle and sheep in the future.

8 . El Nino, a Spanish term for “the Christ child”, was named by South American fisherman who noticed that the global weather pattern, which happens every two to seven years, reduced the amount of fishes caught around Christmas. El Nino sees warm water, collected over several years in the western Pacific, flow back eastwards when winds that normally blow westwards weaken, or sometimes the other way round.

The weather effects both good and bad, are felt in many places. Rich countries gain more from powerful Nino, on balance, than they lose. A study found that a strong Nino in 1997 helped American’s economy grow by 15 billion, partly because of better agricultural harvest, farmers in the Midwest gained from extra rain. The total rise in agricultural in rich countries in growth than the fall in poor ones.

But in Indonesia extremely dry forests are in flames. A multi-year drought (干旱）in south-east Brazil is becoming worse. Though heavy rains brought about by El Nino may relieve the drought in California, they are likely to cause surface flooding and other disasters.

The most recent powerful Nino, in 1997-98, killed around 21,000 people and caused damage worth $36 billion around the globe. But such Ninos come with months of warning, and so much is known about how they happen that governments can prepare. According to the Overseas Development Institute (ODI), however, just 12% of disaster-relief funding in the past two decades has gone on reducing risks in advance, rather than recovery and rebuilding afterwards. This is despite evidence that a dollar spent on risk-reduction saves at least two on reconstruction.

Simple improvements to infrastructure (基础设施）can reduce the spread of disease. Better sewers (下水道）make it less likely that heavy rain is followed by an outbreak of the disease of bad stomach. Stronger bridges mean villages are less likely to be left without food and medicine after floods. According to a paper in 2011 by Mr Hsiang and co-authors, civil conflict is related to El Nino’s harmful effects—and the poorer the country, the stronger the link. Though the relationship may not be causal, helping divided communities to prepare for disasters would at least reduce the risk that those disasters are followed by killing and wounding people. Since the poorest are least likely to make up for their losses from disasters linked to El Nino, reducing their losses needs to be the priority.

1. What can we learn about El Nino in Paragraph 1?

A．It is named after a South American fisherman.

B．It takes place almost every year all over the world.

C．It forces fishermen to stop catching fish around Christmas.

D．It sees the changes of water flow direction in the ocean.

2. What may El Nino bring about to the countries affected?

A．Agricultural harvests in rich countries fall.

B．Droughts become more harmful than floods.

C．Rich countries’ gains are greater than their losses.

D．Poor countries suffer less from droughts economically.

3. The data provided by ODI in Paragraph 4 suggest that_________.

A．more investment should go to risk reduction

B．governments of poor countries need more aid

C．victims of El Nino deserve more compensation

D．recovery and reconstruction should come first

4. What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage?

A．To introduce El Nino and its origin.

B．To explain the consequences of El Nino.

C．To show ways of fighting against El Nino.

D．To urge people to prepare for El Nino.

9 . Around the world there is an increase in the demand for reforestation. This is because the consumption of the forests has affected not only the animals living in the area but also the people. And reforestation is about the rebuilding of the forests that have been severely destroyed. It can offer a lot of benefits when the recreation is successful.

    1    This includes collecting seedlings (幼苗) that are native in the area to make sure that there is a natural reconstruction of the area. Some additional trees which are not native in the area also need to be planted.     2    The importance of having multiple species of trees is considered to make sure that the needs of other species that will live and grow in the area are met.

Destroying a forest is easy but rebuilding it is really hard.     3    The plan must include accurate spacing on plants and trees. This is to ensure that they won’t cover each other while they grow.     4    

The forest greatly helps in the reduction of the air pollution. Trees are responsible for the production of oxygen and absorption of carbon dioxide.    5    It is there for a reason just like everyone else on this planet.

There cannot be a better way to restore the balance of nature than to increase the forest area. We must remember that the forest is a natural habitat of wide variety of animals and plants. In this manner, there is no substitute for reforestation.

A．And global warming will speed up the destruction of forests.

B．Keep in mind that you can’t just plant the seedlings anywhere.

C．Recreations won’t work until all these details have been considered.

D．So a good plan is needed to make the reforestation a successful one.

E．The forest also protects us from typhoons and other natural disasters.

F．There are many things to be done when it comes to this type of effort.

G．It is important to make sure that they are suited to the climate and the type of soil.

10 . Since the first Earth Day in 1970, Americans have gotten a lot “greener” toward the environment. “We didn’t know at that time there even was an environment, let alone that there was a problem with it,” says Bruce Anderson, president of Earth Day USA.

But what began as nothing important in public affairs has grown into a social movement .Business people, political leaders, university professors, and especially millions of grass-roots Americans are taking part in the movement. “The understanding has increased many， many times,” says Gaylord Nelson, the former governor from Wisconsin, who thought up the first. According to US government reports, emissions (排放)from cars and trucks have dropped from 10.3 million tons a year to 5.5 tons .The number of cities producing CO beyond the standard has been reduced from 40 to 9. Although serious problems still remain and need to be dealt with, the world is a safer and healthier place. A kind of “Green thinking” has become part of practices.

Great improvement has been achieved. In 1988 there were only 600 recycling programs; today in 1995 there are about 6,600. Advanced lights, motors, and building designs have helped save a lot of energy and therefore prevented pollution.

Twenty –five years ago, there were hardly any education programs for environment. Today, it’s hard to find a public school, university, or law school that does not have such a kind of program. “Until we do that, nothing else will change!” says Bruce Anderson.

1. According to Anderson, before 1970, Americans had little idea about ___.

A．the social movement	B．recycling techniques
C．environmental problems	D．the importance of Earth Day

2. Where does the support for environmental protection mainly come from?

A．The grass –roots level.	B．The business circle.
C．Government officials.	D．University professors.

3. What have Americans achieved in environmental protection?

A．They have cut car emissions to the lowest.

B．They have settled their environmental problems.

C．They have lowered their CO levels in forty cities.

D．They have reduced pollution through effective measures.

4. What is especially important for environmental protection according to the last paragraph?

A．Education.	B．Planning
C．Green living	D．CO reduction