1 . Plastic straws (吸管) have been a major problem in global discussions of environmental damage. Maybe because of their small size, the production cost of straws is low. In many countries, straws are offered freely after buying soft drinks. Therefore, plastic straws are one of the most used plastics and pollutants in the world.

The plastic straw is light and small. Due to their small size, plastic straws are often eaten by sea animals. Environmentalists have shown that the death of many sea animals is caused by eating plastic straws. The other damaging characteristic of plastic straws is that they are made of materials which cannot degrade. That means the materials cannot be changed into small harmless (无害的) ones.

The most effective way of dealing with the environmental pollution caused by plastic straws is the reuse or banning (禁止) the use of plastic straws. Being plastics, the straws can be made new items. Many organizations around the world change used straws into new products. In Africa, local communities collect used plastic straws and use them to make mats and bags. Another way of dealing with environmental pollution caused by plastic straws is placing a ban on their production and use. Experts advise governments to ban using plastic straws to save the environment. A few countries in the world such as Rwanda, Macedonia, China, Kenya have already banned the use of plastic bags and are expected to include plastic straws and bottles. But it will be a long way to do this effectively.

There are few environmentally friendly and biodegradable productions to take the place of plastic straws. These productions include paper straws, bamboo straws. However, such straws are usually expensive as their production cost is high. It’s still a question whether they can entirely take the place of plastic straws.

1. Why can people be free to use plastic straws?

A．They are very cheap.	B．They are light and small.
C．They are dangerous.	D．They are easy to use.

2. What does the underlined word “due to” in paragraph 2 mean?

A．Cut up.

B．Because of.

C．Go on.

D．Break out.

3. What can we learn from paragraph 3?

A．It’s not difficult to ban using plastic straws.

B．Many countries have stopped using plastic straws.

C．Experts advise people to stop producing plastic straws.

D．Some Africans change plastic straws into new products.

4. What does the author think of environmentally friendly straws?

A．It is a must to use them.

B．It’s not easy to reuse them.

C．There are still some problems to be solved.

D．There are some other kinds of cheaper straws.

2 . Natural disasters take many different forms and can happen without warning. Earthquakes, floods, vol-canoes, droughts, typhoons, and hurricanes are all natural disasters.

The earthquake of 26 December 2004 resulted in one of the worst natural disasters in living memory. It was a massive underwater quake and occurred in the Indian Ocean. This caused a huge tsunami (海啸) to cross the Indian Ocean. It destroyed coastlines and communities and brought death and destruction to many people. The survivors needed fresh water, food and shelter as well as medical help. People from all over the world gave money to help the people survive.

The surface of the Earth has not always looked as it does today; it is moving continuously (although very slowly) and has done so for billions of years. This is one cause of earthquakes, when one section of the Earth crashes with another. Scientists can predict where this might happen and the area between plates is called a fault line. However, earthquakes do not always happen on fault lines, which is why they are so dangerous and unpredictable.

All the disasters are very dangerous and continue to kill thousands of people each year,but they are nowhere near the most dangerous disaster to ever happen on earth. One type of event in the earth’s history has regularly killed millions of beings: asteroid (小行星) impacts (撞击). About once every million years the Earth is hit by a piece of rock and ice from space large enough to cause massive destruction (including earthquakes, volcanoes and ice ages) and sometimes to kill entire species. Sixty-five million years ago more than half the earth’s species were killed by such a disaster,including all the dinosaurs (恐龙). Disasters on the Earth may seem dangerous, but the biggest threat to humans is likely to come from space.

1. What did the world do when the tsunami occurred in the Indian Ocean?

A．They gave away money to the beggars.

B．They sponsored to help the people survive.

C．They donated their art works to the survivors.

D．They helped rebuild the coastlines and communities.

2. What can scientists predict about earthquakes?

A．The possible time.

B．The possible climate.

C．The possible place.

D．The possible frequence.

3. Which is the best heading that matches Paragraph 3?

A．What do earthquakes destroy?

B．Why do earthquakes happen?

C．How can we prevent earthquakes?

D．Which is the most dangerous natural disaster?

4. Where does the author think the most dangerous natural disaster will come from?

A．Space.

B．Earth.

C．Humans.

D．Wild animals.

3 . In the US and Britain, the slogan around colleges was "Save water. Shower with a friend." Now, Wuhan University has come up with another system for the campus bathhouse. It charges students for the amount of time in a shower. Before entering the bathhouse, students pay for the amount of time they want in the shower with cash or their student ID card. The clock starts ticking the minute the tap is turned on. It pauses when a button is pressed for soap. An integrated circuit (IC) card reader at each tap shows the time. No money, no water. The benefits of the new system can be seen with the old system, which charged 1 yuan for each person regardless of time in the shower. The university used about 320 tons of water daily under the old system, but only 160 tons now.

Many students use the new system but opinions on it are divided. Some students say it is bad because bathing had become a sort of race. Many people using it for the first time are not sure how long they need to shower. Some might be embarrassed if their time is up and they're still covered in soap. They have to ask the bathhouse worker to help them buy extra time.

"It's a flaw in the system that you can not buy extra time on the ID card," said Ren, a freshman in Wuhan University. The university is also considering some students' suggestions that they be allowed to pay after they've finished the shower. Not surprisingly, some are complaining about losing the hour shower. But many students say the move helps them develop a water-saving sense.

Without the time limits, most students tended to shower from 30 to an hour in the bathhouse.Some even used the hot water to wash their clothes. "In my experience, 10-20 minutes is enough," said Dai Zhihua, a third-year student who usually takes 8 minutes.

A similar system has been installed in other universities. Shanghai Normal University introduced it at its Fengxiang Campus in September. The bathing fee there is 0.2 yuan per minute. One male student responded by setting a record with a two-minute shower.

1. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?

A．Students pay for the amount of time they want in the shower.

B．The clock times all through except when the bather pauses for soap.

C．If money runs out, there will be no water.

D．Having finished bathing, the student has to pay for it.

2. The underlined word "flaw" (Paragraph 3) most probably means ________.

A．perfection	B．convenience
C．fortune	D．fault

3. We can infer from the passage that ________.

A．the new operation can solve the water crisis

B．the new operation can help raise students' environmental awareness

C．a similar operation has been set in other universities

D．the university has saved a lot of water by using the new system

4. In which column of a newspaper can you find this passage?

A．People	B．Society
C．Campus Life	D．Lifestyle

5 . What is the greatest threat to mankind? Maybe different people come up with different answers. However, there is no denying the fact that the only threat to humankind, apart from humankind itself, is, without any doubt, the nature. Natural disasters are the result of natural environmental processes that have a damaging effect on people. Natural disasters can come in many forms: such as geological events like earthquakes, tsunamis or mud-rock flows, climatic events like storms, hurricanes or tornadoes and fire events like forest fires and wildfires.

The damage done by natural disasters is mainly as a result of our inability to predict exactly when they will happen. Although great progress has been made in designing and developing forecasting models for some natural disaster, complete certainty is still impossible. Even to be pessimistic there is a possibility that human beings will never achieve accurate prediction of the happening of all natural disasters.

What's more, even though we were able to predict these disasters from nature, preventing them is equally impossible. So we only have two ways to both prevent injuries or deaths and reduce economic losses to the least. These two methods are to prepare before a natural disaster comes to hit, and to manage the necessary resources and public services after a natural disaster strikes.

These two things have always been at the leading position of the projects of both national governments and international organizations. In the United States, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is responsible for the "preparedness, response and recovery planning" of both man-made and natural disasters.

Most natural disasters cannot be prevented, and both emergency preparation and good disaster management are the best ways to deal with them. Although natural events may appear to serve no purpose but simply to punish and destroy, natural disasters, a perfect symbol of the great power of the nature, are display of our planet's evolution and its state of change.

1. Which can't be regarded as a similarity between tornadoes and earthquakes?

A．They can not be prevented.

B．They are both geological events.

C．They cause damage to people.

D．They are both the result of natural environmental processes.

2. The reason why natural disasters cause so much damage is that ________.

A．it is very difficult to predict when exactly they will happen

B．our forecasting equipment is too old for many natural disasters

C．we don't do enough preparation before natural disasters strike

D．we don't have the necessary public services to use after natural disasters strike

3. It may be concluded from the passage that ________.

A．natural disasters can not be predicted at all

B．human beings are pessimistic to the future

C．being well-prepared can avoid economic losses

D．good preparation and disaster management are advisable.

4. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A．a symbol of the power of nature	B．the greatest threat to mankind
C．Natural disasters and mankind	D．reduce losses to the least

6 . 假定你是李华，你的加拿大网友Jack想了解你所在社区的垃圾分类（garbage classification）开展情况。请你给他写一封回信，要点如下：
1.活动开始时间
2.活动开展情况
3.活动后社区变化
注意：
1.写作词数应为80词；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Jack,
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yours,

Li Hua

7 . One evening, Catherine was at home as usual. As her ________ swung between what she was going to do with her life and their dinner plans for the evening, she was ________ by an urgent call from her sister “Get over here! Turn on NBC and check these guys out. They are just like you…” One Facebook message and a phone interview later, Catherine _______ herself on a bus with 8 strangers in the middle of the desert heat of Utah, picking up rubbish and ______awareness about zero-waste and climate change.

With a deep _______ of the environment and a desire to make a _______, Catherine, Davey, and a group of ________“environmental pick-up artists” went on a coast to coast road side rubbish pick-up. As they walked, sometimes only ______ 0.9 miles in an entire day, they ______ and steadily made their way across the United States for three years, picking up a total of 201,678 pounds of rubbish.

Catherine and Davey ________ with us ________ stories of hope and inspiration that fueled their efforts to continue their journey. After spending weeks ________ how she would have enough ______ to fly home for their two-week spring break, Catherine found a blank, unidentified envelope ________ with $850 cash in the desert. Just enough to get her home and back. After their bus _______ outside of Denver, they ________ got help and arrived in Yosemite National Park three weeks later, just in time for the “Yosemite Facelift” where________from all over the state came together with the ________ of cleaning up rubbish all over the park.

Being at the right place at the right time became almost normal, and they realized that much of what they ______ was more than just a coincidence. Together, their team learned to simply ________ themselves to their task and enjoy the journey.

1.

A．hands

B．balance

C．thoughts

D．position

2.

A．bothered

B．interrupted

C．moved

D．frightened

3.

A．found

B．cheered

C．learned

D．taught

4.

A．abandoning

B．shaking

C．raising

D．hiding

5.

A．pride

B．trust

C．fear

D．love

6.

A．difference

B．promise

C．mistake

D．plan

7.

A．self-corrected

B．self-discovered

C．self-repeated

D．self-described

8.

A．driving

B．covering

C．riding

D．fixing

9.

A．slowly

B．secretly

C．helplessly

D．frequently

10.

A．heard

B．shared

C．wrote

D．read

11.

A．useful

B．helpful

C．amazing

D．disappointing

12.

A．worrying about

B．replying to

C．depending on

D．meeting with

13.

A．time

B．food

C．money

D．room

14.

A．marked

B．supplied

C．decorated

D．filled

15.

A．set off

B．broke down

C．headed for

D．held on

16.

A．gradually

B．unexpectedly

C．obviously

D．easily

17.

A．members

B．reporters

C．tourists

D．volunteers

18.

A．purpose

B．question

C．decision

D．lesson

19.

A．introduced

B．evaluated

C．experienced

D．examined

20.

A．turn

B．limit

C．compare

D．devote

8 . 假定英语老师上课要求同桌之间交换修改作文, 请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。作文中共有10处错误, 每句中最多有两处。错误涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧）, 并在此符号下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线 ( \ ) 划掉。
修改：在错的词下面划一横线, 并在横线下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1. 每处错误及其修改仅限一词；
2. 只允许修改10处, 多者（从第11处起）不计分。

Yesterday, the strong earthquake hit a city. It was a terribly disaster. About 200,000 people were killed, more people were injured and also a lot of became homeless. The beautiful capital city destroyed in a short time.

This afternoon a meeting was held in our class. At the meeting many student made speeches. We decided to help those that were in need in the struck area. Some students recommended that we raised money to help the people there and they all agreed. After the meeting more than 1,000 yuan was collected.

It is true that many natural disasters can’t be avoided sometimes and at least we can do our best to helping the people in the struck area. We are very proud of ourselves.

9 . Saving energy is half the battle won when it comes to protecting the environment and reducing our carbon footprints.     1     They will be good for environment protection and save you some money as well.

Use less electricity.     2     There are some cities and countries that have successfully implemented alternative energy sources, but many places are still relying on fossil fuels for energy. You can use less energy or electricity by switching off lights and unplugging appliances that are not being used. You can also save on energy by using natural light and warmth for longer.

Use less water.     3     This will reduce the number of times you need to run the washer and it will ensure efficient use of water. Let the dishes air dry instead of using the washer’s dry cycle to save on energy. Take short showers instead of baths. This will reduce the loss of too much warm water and your water heater working overtime.

    4     Energy Star approved products are products that have been proven to be eco-friendly and will help save the environment, make your home greener, and save you money in the long run. You can find many different types of appliances and equipment with Energy Star approval.

Fix problems. Leaky faucets or pipes, cracks in windows and doors, and poor insulation can all cause an increase in water and energy use. To make sure this doesn’t happen, check all your door and window frames and seal them well if needed. A lot of a home’s heat can get out through those cracks. Leaky faucets and toilets can add quite a big number to your water bill.     5    

A．Use Energy Star products.

B．Use fewer electrical appliances.

C．There are many things you can do about going green.

D．Handling these issues can help avoid unwanted water bills.

E．Electricity is still mainly supplied by burning fossil fuels.

F．Wash fewer clothes at a time to use water efficiently.

G．Wash clothes or dishes when you have a full load.

10 . Waste management is an industry. Many forms of waste can develop into a major problem when they are not handled properly.     1    

Humans generate （生产）a great deal of waste as a byproduct of their existence. Every task, from preparing a meal to producing a car, is accompanied with the production of waste materials. Waste management agencies have placed an increasing focus on reducing waste so that there is less waste to cope with.     2     Good examples include developing more efficient processes and reducing packaging. And individual consumers can also make a contribution by trying and making less waste. A big part of this movement has focused on recycling, in which usable goods are reused.

Transportation of waste is a major issue. The reason is that appropriate disposal sites may be remote.

    3     Subscription pickup services are available, with people paying a flat fee to have their waste picked up and disposed of, and people can also subscribe to special services, like medical waste pickup services.

    4     Historically, the approach to a great deal of waste is burying it in landfills. This option has become increasingly problematic due to issues like limited space, pollution, and the concern that usable materials may be buried in landfills. Waste has also been burned, in some cases being used to generate electric power. Some other approaches to waste management have included simply dumping it into the sea or shooting it out into space without any attempt at containment.     5     Rather than effectively deal with waste problems, they bring waste management problems to future generations.

A．So it is vital to develop effective waste management strategies.

B．This can be done on an industrial level.

C．These approaches are especially troubling.

D．Once collected, waste has to be dealt with.

E．Difficult as it is, it is not an impossible mission.

F．When this happens, sea animals will be affected.

G．It involves the classification and storage of waste.