1 . A new app promises to help Barcelona residents find the shadiest route between two places to avoid extreme heat.
Users can choose the most direct route, a shady route that may take a little longer, or they can set the app to a special mode, which avoids direct sunlight at all costs. Users can also use the app to find drinking fountains, or places to shelter from the sun.
The app uses a tool called Lidar to create high-resolution models of ground, accurate to within 10 cm. This information is combined with data on the sun’s path to work out where is in shade at any given time of the day.
Barcelona is looking to use green spaces and trees as part of its efforts to relieve the effects of global heating. The city’s 20-year tree planting plan aims to increase the proportion of land covered by trees from 25% to 30%.
Heatwaves kill more people than any other climate risk. According to C40,a climate leadership group made up of 97 cities around the world, extreme heat events in cities can lead to a 14% increase in death rates, as well as lower workforce productivity and damage infrastructure (基础设施) such as roads and rail lines.
Jon Burke, who was responsible for a massive expansion of tree planting in the district, said. “I think we should view this particular kind of app as a temporary measure to reduce the impacts of extreme heat... while cities rapidly invest in urban canopy (树冠层) cover and broader green infrastructure.”
1. What does Paragraph 2 mainly talk about?A.The designer of the app. | B.The function of the app. |
C.The potential users of the app. | D.The working principle of the app. |
A.Predict. | B.Feel. | C.Consider. | D.Reduce. |
A.The app is as a ever-lasting measure to reduce the effect of extreme heat. |
B.Jon Burke was responsible for a large scale of tree planting. |
C.The app stresses the importance of road construction. |
D.The app warns people of more upcoming disasters. |
A.The district needs to be expanded. |
B.Jon Burke has a great sense of duty. |
C.Investment in tree planting is a wise choice. |
D.The app is powerful enough to cope with heatwaves. |
2 . An earthquake is one of the most common natural disasters. It may cause great damage. So it is wise to learn some simple safety tips to protect yourself or your family members.
Fragile items like those made of glass are easily broken and should usually be placed on a lower surface, near the ground instead of placing them in the cupboards higher up. Never place them near your bed, sofas and other furniture where you would be sitting or lying down. So when there is a strong movement, these pieces will fall on the floor directly, not on you.
There is a strong chance of short circuits and fire during an earthquake. Make sure you turn off electrical connections and gas immediately when an earthquake happens.
During an earthquake, lie beneath an object that is not easily damaged. Do not go near objects that could directly fall on you. Never use the elevator to go down. Stay inside until the shaking stops and it is safe to go outside. Research has shown that most injuries happen when people inside buildings try to go out. Use the staircases (楼梯) at all times.
If you are outdoors, do not take shelter under a tree, streetlights, electric poles or tall buildings. If you are driving, stop your car and stay in a safe place. Do not park your car under a tree or any tall object.
If trapped in ruins, cover your mouth with a handkerchief or clothing. Tap on a pipe or the wall so rescuers can find you. Use a whistle (哨子) if one is available. Never shout for help. Shouting can cause you to breathe in dangerous amounts of dust. Do not light a match because you may burn yourself.
1. The purpose of the passage is to tell readers .A.the damage caused by earthquakes |
B.the rescue work after earthquakes |
C.how to prevent earthquakes |
D.what to do about earthquakes |
A.easily found | B.easily broken | C.expensive | D.heavy |
A.in the cupboards |
B.on a lower surface |
C.in the bedroom |
D.in a place where children can’t reach them |
A.go out of the building at once |
B.shout for help |
C.take shelter under a tree |
D.turn off electricity and gas immediately |
3 . Suddenly Uncle Henry stood up. “There’s a cyclone coming, Emily,” he called to his wife. “I’ ll go to look after the stock.” Then he ran towards the sheds where the cows and horses were kept.
Aunt Emily dropped her work and came to the door. One glance told her about the danger close at hand. “Quick, Dorothy!” she screamed. ”Run for the cellar(地窖)!“ Toto jumped out of Dorothy’s arms and hid under the bed, and the girl started to get him. Aunt Emily, badly frightened, threw open the door in the floor and climbed down the ladder into the small, dark hole. Dorothy caught Toto at last and started to follow her aunt.
Then a strange thing happened. The house circled around two or three times and rose slowly through the air. Dorothy felt as if she were going up in a balloon. It was very dark, and the wind blew horribly around her, but Dorothy found she was riding quite easily. After the first few twists and turns, and one other time when the house tipped(倾斜)badly, she felt as if she were being rocked gently, like a baby in a cradle(摇篮).
At last she crawled over the swinging floor to her bed, and lay down upon it; and Toto followed and lay down beside her. In spite of the swinging of the house and the crying of the wind, Dorothy soon closed her eyes and fell fast asleep.
1. What does the underlined word“cyclone”in Paragraph 1 probably mean?A.飓风 | B.洪水 | C.怪兽 | D.地震 |
A.To find the puppy Toto. | B.To find shelter from the cyclone. |
C.To protect their fortune. | D.To get tools to help Henry. |
A.She managed to control the house. | B.She found herself flying in a balloon. |
C.She became a baby crying loudly. | D.She remained undisturbed with Toto. |
A.Frightened. | B.Curious. | C.Calm. | D.Excited. |
4 . Have you ever wondered what wild animals do when no one is watching? Scientists have been able to record the “private” moments of wildlife with leading-edge technology. Low-cost, dependable and small modern cameras are of big help.
Cameras placed in hard-to-reach places have taken videos of everything from small desert cats to later snow-loving felines (猫科动物) in the northern Rocky Mountains. These cameras are important tools to learn new information on wildlife.
Some videos help scientists see the effects of climate change. For example, the desert animal javelina (矛牙野猪) and the tree-loving coatimundi (南美浣熊) have been caught on cameras north of their normal home. This could mean global warming is enlarging their living area northward.
Researchers use cameras, along with Global Positioning Systems or GPS. They attach GPS devices to animals living in or around Yellowstone National Park. Then they can record their movements, or migrations (迁移). These cameras can be left in the wild for days, weeks or even months. They can provide information on how many animals are moving over a given period of time.
Putting those cameras in place requires careful planning. Videos recorded by those cameras can show details about animal behavior. However, they have their problems too. Animals such as wolverines (狼獾) and bears sometimes attack them. Scientists do not know if the attacks are the result of anger or interest. Also, the devices have become popular tools to help hunters look for animals. Some people argue that it is unfair to use the cameras that way. Even with such problems, wild cameras are clearly important scientific tools in researching wild animals.
1. Which of the following helps scientists know about climate change?A.How active wild animals are. | B.What wild animals eat. |
C.Where wild animals go. | D.When wild animals move. |
A.Tools. | B.Maps. | C.Pictures. | D.Videos. |
A.They may make wild animals fight with each other. | B.They may make wild animals puzzled. |
C.They may attract only a few wild animals. | D.They may bring danger to wild animals. |
A.Cameras record animals in the wild | B.Cameras become popular in the wild |
C.Animals no longer have secrets | D.An invention makes animals mad |
5 . Hundreds of years ago, life was harder than it is today. People didn't have modern machines.
Life today has brought new problems. One of the biggest problems is pollution. Water pollution has made our rivers and lakes dirty. It kills our fish and pollutes our drinking water. Noise pollution makes us talk louder and become angry more easily. Air pollution is the most serious kind of pollution to all living things in the world.
Cars, planes and factories all pollute our air every day. Sometimes the polluted air is so thick that it is like a quilt over a city. This kind of quilt is called smog.
Many countries are making rules to fight against pollution. Factories must now clean their water before it is thrown away, and they mustn't let dirty smoke go into the air.
We need to do many other things. We can put waste things in the dustbin and do not throw them on the ground. We can go to work by bus or with our friends in the same car. If there are fewer people driving, there will be less pollution.
Rules are not enough. Every person must help to fight against pollution.
1. Hundreds of years ago, life was much harder than it is today because_________A.there were many problems | B.there were too many people |
C.there were wars now and then | D.there were no modern machines. |
A.noise pollution | B.water pollution | C.air pollution | D.waste things |
A.The air. | B.The city. | C.The quilt. | D.The smog. |
A.clean water after it is thrown away | B.throw waste things in the dustbin |
C.let dirty smoke go into the air | D.encourage more people to drive to work |
6 . Like many other natural disasters, floods can happen with no warning. They move quickly, pull trees out of the ground, destroy buildings and hurt people.
Being caught in a flood is dangerous, not only because there is so much water and it’s moving quickly, but also because of what the water is carrying. Debris (残骸) in the current can injure anyone in the floodwater, making swimming more difficult. To survive a flash flood, keep the following things in your mind.
If a flood warning is issued, try to find a shelter immediately. Never try to walk, swim or drive through floodwaters.
Avoid bridges that cross rapidly moving water, as floodwaters can cause bridges to break.
Stay inside a car that is trapped in fast-moving water. Only get out if the water begins to flood the car, and then move to the roof of it.
Avoid power lines. A knocked-down power line can cause surrounding water to become charged, leading to injury
Listen to the broadcast for further instructions before getting away from the flood successfully.
The results of a flood can be just as deadly. It can cause power failure and traffic jams, and break down communication. In addition, it may not be possible to deliver food and water to the flooded area. After the flood, return to your home only after local governments have said it is safe to do so. Use bottled or boiled water for drinking and cooking. And avoid driving through flooded areas and walking alone outside at night.
1. When a flash flood happens, you should _______.A.try to walk, swim or drive through floodwaters |
B.choose the bridges that cross rapidly moving water |
C.get out of a car that is trapped in fast-moving water |
D.avoid power lines |
A.The car. | B.The bridge. |
C.The house. | D.The power line. |
A.go back to your home quickly | B.use bottled or boiled water |
C.drive through flooded areas | D.walk alone outside at night |
A.A diary. | B.A story book. |
C.A newspaper. | D.A travel guidebook. |
7 . Mrs. Timms listened as the radio announcer gave a hurricane (飓风) warning for her town. Then she woke up her sons, Eddie and Jasper, and quickly explained, "We’ve got a lot to do, boys. There is no school today, and my office is closed. The hurricane is coming!
Just then, the boys grandfather arrived from his seaside home. Grandpa explained that the local government had told people to evacuate their homes by the sea. It just wasn’t safe for anyone to stay near the ocean during the hurricane.
Soon afterwards, Mrs. Timms left to buy supplies that the family would need during the storm. Batteries, bottled water and canned food were a few of the items on her list.
Grandpa stayed with the boys, and the three of them made preparations for the storm. First, they filled the bathtub and all the empty water bottles they could find. Next, they unplugged(拔掉插头)almost everything in the house. Then, Eddie helped Grandpa strengthen the windows. Meanwhile, Jasper put the outdoor chairs inside.
Later, as the storm approached, the family stayed in protected areas away from the windows and outside walls. Mrs. Timms and Grandpa moved chairs to a protected space near the staircase. Eddie and Jasper sat under a strong table next to them, reading and playing games. They waited for the radio announcer to declare that the hurricane had passed.
1. What did Mrs. Timms do after hearing the hurricane warning?A.She went to work. | B.She woke up her sons. |
C.She prepared breakfast. | D.She watched the hurricane. |
A.lock | B.reach | C.repair | D.leave |
A.filled the bathtub | B.turned off the lights |
C.put the outdoor chairs inside | D.sat under a strong table |
A.A Happy Family. | B.A Seaside House. |
C.The Damage of the Hurricane. | D.The Day of the Hurricane. |
8 . Do you know why different animals or pests(害虫) have their special colors? Colors in them seem to be used mainly to protect themselves.
Some birds like eating locusts (蝗虫), but birds cannot easily catch them. Why? It is because locusts change their colors together with the change of the colors of crops. When crops are green, locusts look green. But as the harvest time comes, locusts change to the same brown color as crops have. Some other pests with different colors from plants are easily found and eaten by others. So they have to hide themselves for lives and appear only at night.
If you study the animal life, you'll find the main use of coloring is to protect themselves. Bears, lions and other animals move quietly through forests. They cannot be easily seen by hunters. This is because they have the colors much like the trees. They can often hide in the trees and catch some other little animals.
Have you ever noticed an even stranger act? A kind of fish in the sea can send out a kind of very black liquid when it faces danger. While the liquid spreads over, its enemies cannot find it, and it immediately swims away. So it has lived up to now though it is not strong at all.
1. From the passage we learn that locusts _____.A.are small animals |
B.are easily found by birds |
C.change their colors to protect themselves |
D.are dangerous to their enemies |
A.They run away quickly. |
B.Their colors much like their enemies. |
C.They have to move quietly. |
D.They hide themselves by day and appear at night. |
A.like brown and gray colors. |
B.live in forests. |
C.have the colors much like the trees. |
D.move quietly. |
A.The Change of Colors for Animals and Pests |
B.The Main Use of Colors for Animals and Pests |
C.Colors of Different Animals and Pests |
D.Some Animals and Pests |
“When our families go to the grocery store looking for safe and healthy foods to feed their kids, the last thing they should have to worry about is poisonous bags.” Schumer said, “A quick investigation will allow everyone to make informed, timely decisions.” Schumer added.
Lead in the bags is not likely to rub off (因摩擦而粘在……上面)on food. But over time, paint on the bags can chip and the bags can wear out. When this happens, lead can be released(释放).
The Tampa Tribune newspaper said certain bags sold at Publix and Winn-Dixie supermarkets had lead levels that were a concern to health officials. The affected bags were found in Florida. But Publix has more than 1,000 stores in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Sough Carolina and Tennessee. Publix says that all of its bags are under current laws about lead content, but that they have asked the makers of the bags to reduce the lead levels in the product.
The bags with the highest levels of lead had fancy designs and many pictures. Plain reusable bags without decoration were found to contain little lead. Consumers worried about lead levels in reusable bags can change to cloth or string bags. Paper bags are also a good choice, since paper can be recycled(回收).
Since 2007, Publix supermarkets have sold more than 13 million reusable bags. The store says because shoppers have made the change to reusable bags, it has saved more than 1 billion paper and plastics bags.
1. The shopping bags containing high levels of lead ______.
A.have been reported by a newspaper |
B.have been stopped by the government |
C.have stopped people from using reusable bags |
D.have caused serious health damage to customers |
A.reusable bags do little harm to kids’ health |
B.people have shown much concern for the reusable bags |
C.people will be informed of the facts about the reusable bags |
D.people should refuse to buy things from supermarkets |
A.dependable | B.convenient | C.harmful | D.popular |
A.with colorful designs | B.with fancy pictures |
C.made of plastic | D.made of paper |
A.caused Publix a lot of trouble | B.saved Publix much money |
C.cost Publix plenty of money | D.been proved a wrong decision |