1 . Every spring, in regions at high altitudes around the world, one of Earth’s tiniest migrations takes place. The migrants are single-celled green algae (海藻); they are relatives to plants growing in the sea, but instead of living in the sea they live in snow. They spend the winter deep in the snow. In the spring, they wake and swim up through flowing streams of melted snow to the surface, dividing and photosynthesizing (进行光合作用) as they go. Then, at the top, they turn red. This creates what scientists call pink snow.
The color comes from astaxanthin (虾青素), a substance that gives some living things their reddish color. The algae produce astaxanthin as a form of sun protection; it absorbs UV light, thereby warming the organisms and thus melting the surrounding snow. “The melting helps them a lot,” said Roman Dial, a biologist at Alaska Pacific University. “The moment there is liquid water on the snow, the algae start growing.”
Pink snow is a perfectly natural phenomenon, but in an age of disappearing glaciers (冰川), it is also problematic. Last year, scientists discovered that the algae turned the snow surface dark, reducing the amount of sunlight reflected by some glaciers in Scandinavia—and increasing the amount of sunlight absorbed—by 30%. The result, as Dial and his colleagues demonstrated in this month’s issue of Nature Geoscience, is faster melting. As in other parts of the warming planet—particularly the Arctic, where scientists fear that melting permafrost (永冻土层) may lead to further climatic changes. Ice sheets are already being darkened by dust and ash, which makes the process of melting faster and provides nutrients for algae growth. As the organisms multiply, they melt even more snow, which allows them to increase in their population again. “It spreads more rapidly than people realize, once it gets established,” Dial said.
Snow algae need snow; when that’s gone, which seems to be the direction of things, the snow algae will go, too. Before the snow algae disappear, though, and while there’s still some glacier left, it’s entirely possible that the last snow we’ll see on Earth will be pink or even red, a wound on Earth.
1. What causes the color of pink snow?| A．The migration that involves the algae and other plants. |
| B．The flowing streams that the algae travel through. |
| C．The algae that turn red at the snow’s surface. |
| D．The sunlight that directly reflects on the algae. |
| A．It absorbs UV light to cool down the algae. | B．It prevents the algae from photosynthesizing. |
| C．It colors the algae for the purpose of decoration. | D．It helps protect the algae from the sun. |
| A．It increases the reflection of sunlight. | B．It speeds up the melting of glaciers. |
| C．It leads to a decrease in algae populations. | D．It reduces the amount of liquid water available. |
| A．The rapid melting of glaciers may lead to an increase in permafrost. |
| B．The darkening of ice sheets may slow down the process of melting. |
| C．The warming climate may result in the extinction of algae in the region. |
| D．Darkening ice sheets and multiplied algae may worsen climate change. |
| A．Concerned. | B．Indifferent. | C．Neutral. | D．Optimistic. |
2 . A little girl ran to her bedroom and pulled out her piggy bank (储蓄罐) from a secret drawer in her closet. She took the change from it and counted it carefully three times.
She carefully placed the coins in a jar and twisted on the cap. She took the jar and slipped out of the back door. She made her way six blocks to a drug store. She waited patiently for the pharmacist (药剂师) to give her some attention but he was too busy attending other customers at that moment. She tried several times to get his attention but failed. Finally, she took a quarter from her jar and hit it on the glass counter, which was finally able to get her some attention.
“What do you want, little Miss?” the pharmacist asked the tiny girl in the front of his counter. “My brother is really, really sick and I want to buy a miracle,” the girl answered back. “I beg your pardon?” said the pharmacist. “My brother is really sick and my daddy says only a miracle can cure him now. So, I want to get a miracle for him. How much does it cost?” “I’m sorry but I can’t help you. We don’t sell miracles here, little girl,” the pharmacist said, softening a little.
Next to the little girl was a tall well-dressed man. He lowered himself and asked the little girl, “What kind of a miracle does your brother need?” “I don’t know,” the girl replied with her eyes in tears. “I just know he is very sick and has something bad growing inside his head. Doctor says he needs an operation. But daddy can’t afford it, so we need a miracle to save him now. I can use all my money to save my brother.” “How much do you have?” asked the man. “One dollar and twelve cents, it’s all the money I have now, but I can get some more if needed,” the girl answered in a whisper. “Well, what a coincidence,” smiled the man. “That is the exact price of a miracle for a little brother. Take me to your brother. Let’s see if I have the miracle your brother needs.”
The man was a famous nuerosurgeon (神经外科医生). He was just the right person needed to save the little boy’s life. The operation was completed without any charges and it went successfully.
Her mommy wondered how much it would have cost. The little girl just smiled, but said nothing.
1. The girl took the money out of the piggy bank to ______.| A．keep it in her bank account | B．buy her brother a miracle |
| C．cover the debt at the drugstore | D．donate it to a needy child |
| A．To let off her steam. | B．To show off her wealth. |
| C．To get timely service. | D．To attract other customers. |
| A．Her father was embarrassed for lack of money. | B．Her brother suffered from head injuries. |
| C．She was confident in saving her brother. | D．He was ready to help the little girl. |
| A．considerate and honest | B．gentle and open-minded |
| C．brave and creative | D．kind and professional |
| A．The Price of a Miracle | B．A Special Day at the Drugstore |
| C．A Doctor with Kindness | D．The Survival of a Strong-willed Boy |
3 . Welcome to the library, new students! The library will play a big part in your experience while you’re at the University of York. There’s a lot to take in if you’re new.
Buildings
We have several library sites, including a main library on Campus West and two other libraries in the City Centre. Our main library is made up of three connected buildings: the Morrell, the Fairhurst and the Burton. You enter all three buildings through the Morrell.
Resources
Our library has lots of books and journal articles that will help with your studies and research. We also provide videos, slides and interactive tutorials (学习指南) to help you develop your information skills, learn to code (编码), work with data and get creative with digital technologies. We’ll show you how to follow good academic practice and develop your digital skills for effective reading, note-making, essay writing and problem solving.
Checking out
Always bring Library Card with you as you will need it to enter the library and borrow items. You can borrow books and access the electronic resources provided by the library for free. There’s no need to request books that are available. This means you will need to go to the shelves yourself to find the books you need. You can borrow up to 75 items at once, and you’ll need to check your emails to find out when to bring them back.
Opening Hours
The library is usually open from 8 am to midnight. The exceptions to this are days over the Christmas period when the library closes early or is closed all day, and the exam period at the end of each semester when the library opens 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
1. The entrance of the main library is in ______.| A．the Morrell | B．the Fairhurst | C．the Burton | D．the City Centre |
| A．Effective reading and public speaking. | B．Video editing and slide making. |
| C．Note-making and problem solving. | D．Information coding and tutorial making. |
| A．You need make a request in advance. |
| B．You should pay the deposit with your Library Card. |
| C．You can directly take them from the shelves on your own. |
| D．You can borrow 75 books at once and return them anytime you want. |
| A．On December 25th. | B．On the day before the final exam. |
| C．On weekend. | D．On the first day of a new semester. |
| A．An education journal. | B．A travel brochure. | C．A local newspaper. | D．A student guide. |
4 . I learnt an important
Linda was
Overnight, the dressings (敷料) would
I took care of Linda for the next several years,
Years later, at a national meeting, I
She was the nurse the patients most often asked to clean their wounds and change their dressings. Her compassion and her courage in returning to a burn unit
Physicians can be
| A．chance | B．incident | C．lesson | D．memory |
| A．Besides | B．Otherwise | C．However | D．Therefore |
| A．abandoned | B．damaged | C．restored | D．exchanged |
| A．evaluated | B．surrounded | C．admitted | D．required |
| A．opportunity | B．process | C．performance | D．operation |
| A．stick | B．adapt | C．appeal | D．object |
| A．frequent | B．occasional | C．previous | D．gradual |
| A．relief | B．boredom | C．pain | D．embarrassment |
| A．reaction | B．impact | C．impression | D．judgment |
| A．recovering | B．treating | C．fastening | D．moving |
| A．significantly | B．necessarily | C．relevantly | D．temporarily |
| A．kept pace of | B．lost track of | C．gave rise to | D．took notice of |
| A．took in | B．got over | C．called out | D．ran into |
| A．applicant | B．consultant | C．sponsor | D．colleague |
| A．unit | B．room | C．model | D．role |
| A．blessed | B．increased | C．proved | D．defeated |
| A．sorrow | B．amusement | C．sympathy | D．regret |
| A．overcome | B．suffer | C．obtain | D．extend |
| A．hesitant | B．frustrated | C．thrilled | D．content |
| A．images | B．instructions | C．gifts | D．words |
| A．While | B．Unless | C．Once | D．As |
6 . In his senior year of high school, Wei Fangjie happened to see a poster for recruiting (征募) PLA Air Force pilots. “The pilots on the poster looked really cool, and I got to know that a pilot is known as a profession of the brave. So, I decided to give it a try,” said Wei, 26, who now works as a flight instructor at the Air Force Aviation (航空) University.
According to Wei, pilot students need to not only study aviation theory but also practice difficult aerobatics (飞行特技), which require strong resistance to gravity force. “To do some of the movements, a pilot has to bear about three times their body weight pressing down on them,” said Wei. They also use special equipment like a spinning ladder to overcome dizziness.
Despite all the training, becoming a top PLA Air Force pilot remains a tough job. “During flight, pilots must carefully decide how to land, especially at night, and maintain position during formation flight,” explained Wei. He added that the key to these skills lies in continuous practice.
In the world of aviation, a balanced mentality and quick thinking are very important. One of Wei’s most unforgettable experiences was dealing with illusions during a formation flight up above the clouds. All he could see in front of him was the lead aircraft and clouds. “I felt like I was turning all the time, but my instruments showed that my flight was level,” said Wei. “In such situations, trusting instruments is essential to making sound decisions.”
But what always remains constant is the great sense of freedom and pride that Wei feels as he flies his aircraft in the sky and looks down at Earth from above. Now, as an experienced flight instructor, Wei hopes to channel his passion for aviation into the “training and development of a new generation of skilled pilots.”
1. Why did Wei Fangjie determine to become a pilot?(no more than 20 words)2. What should students learn to qualify as pilots according to Wei Fangjie?(no more than 5 words)
3. In Wei Fangjie’s opinion, what is crucial in mastering the skills required to become a top pilot?(no more than 5 words)
4. What does the underlined word mean in Paragraph 5?(1 word)
5. What do you think of Wei Fangjie? Please explain it in your own words.(no more than 25 words)
| A．will emerge | B．will be emerged | C．have emerged | D．have been emerged |
| A．frank | B．skeptical | C．casual | D．identical |
| A．has been taken | B．are taken | C．have been taken | D．is taken |
—______! I just felt exhausted and sleepy.
| A．You got me there | B．Take your time | C．Nothing serious | D．Don’t bother |
