1 . The northernmost part of Earth is warming two to three times faster than the rest of the planet. The melting (融化的) ice has cleared space through the historically dangerous Northwest Passage. This means the melting sea ice is opening new routes for shipping.
Donna Hauser is a marine biologist with the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Hauser says she was interested in studying the possible threat (威胁) to Arctic marine mammals from shipping.
Hauser says her hope was to protect both these animals and the people who depend on them. “All of these species (物种) are really important for local communities throughout the Arctic as well as in Alaska.”
Hauser and other researchers looked at seven Arctic species. They limited their study to the month of September. This is when sea ice is at its lowest point and most ships pass through Arctic waters. The study found that narwhals and other whales were most at risk to ship traffic during the late summer. Polar bears were the least at risk, with walruses and seals in between.
The noise of ice-breaking boats and other ships is extremely unsettling to marine mammals, notes Kristin Laidre of the Polar Ice Center. “That underwater noise is a disturbance for marine mammals, especially different whale species that rely on sound to do everything.”
This is the first study to compare effects of increased ship traffic on major Arctic marine mammal species, and identify which animals might be most in need of protection. “We’re no longer in an Arctic state that was experienced by British Captain Sir John Franklin in 1845 or some of those early Western explorers,” noted Hauser.
In order to help protect marine animals, the researchers suggest requiring ships to move at slower speeds to reduce the chance of striking. They also suggest a limit on the amount of noise ships can make.
Kristin Laidre says that it is unrealistic to try and stop people from using Arctic passageways. However, by understanding which animals are at risk, researchers can help plan for the future.
1. What’s happened to the Northwest Passage?| A．It’s lost its attractiveness. |
| B．It’s become safer for ships. |
| C．It’s been blocked by thick ice. |
| D．It’s been destroyed by ship traffic. |
| A．Seals. | B．Polar bears. | C．Whales. | D．Walruses. |
| A．To tell the bad effects of increased ship traffic on Arctic marine species. |
| B．To require ships not to move through the Northwest Passage. |
| C．To say the significance of the voyage of Sir John Franklin. |
| D．To call on people to take steps to protect animals. |
| A．Climate Change in the Arctic |
| B．Arctic Animals Need Better Protection |
| C．Studies on Sea Animals in the Arctic |
| D．Animals Are at Risk From Increased Arctic Shipping |
2 . Few things have helped create the look of the English countryside more than hedges（树篱）. Hedges have been used for a long time in England, yet for all their ancientness, much of the familiar checkerboard pattern they help create is of very recent age.
Hedges have been used as field boundaries in England since the times of the Romans. Archaeological discovery at Farmoor(Oxon) shows Roman hedges were made of thorn（荆棘）. The Anglo-Saxons also used hedges widely, and many that were used as estate boundaries still exist. Although these early hedges were used as field enclosures（圈地）or to mark the boundaries of one person’s possessions, there was no systematic planting of hedges in England until the first enclosure movement of the 13th century.
The pressures of population expansion led to a widespread clearing of land for agriculture, and the new fields needed to be marked clearly. Later, farming expansion in the 15th century led to more widespread hedge planting, but the greatest use of hedges came in the Enclosure Movement of the 18th and 19th centuries. The Enclosure Movement is a fancy term that historians use to describe the habit of wealthy landowners enclosing common fields for their own use, usually for the purpose of raising sheep.
Hedges are used as field boundaries in the lowland of England. In the highlands, such as the Yorkshire Dales, dry stone walls are commonly used. So great was the need for hedges during the Enclosures that a whole new industry sprang up supplying hawthorn（山楂）plants to be used in planting new hedges.
In the process of enclosure many rural labourers lost their livelihood and had to move to the new industrial urban centres. So the next time you sigh over the timeless quality of the English hedge-shaped countryside, spare a thought for the pain and hardship caused by the expansion of hedged fields to much of England’s rural population.
1. What were hedges originally used for in England?| A．Enclosing common lands. |
| B．Marking the limits of fields. |
| C．Protecting agricultural crops. |
| D．Protecting sheep from the wolves. |
| A．Immigration. | B．Conflicts. |
| C．Agriculture. | D．Tourism. |
| A．Roman times. | B．The 13th century. |
| C．The 15th century. | D．The 18th century. |
| A．They made good hedges. |
| B．They produced nice fruits. |
| C．They had beautiful shapes. |
| D．They were suitable food for sheep. |
3 . THIS WEEK EVENTS IN THE POCONOS
THURSDAY OCTOBER 4
BIRD FEEDING BASICS 10—11:30 am
Join an Environmental Educator to learn about winter bird identification, types of birdfeeders and the different birdseed available at Kettle Creek.
STROUDSBURG — 8050 RUNNING VALLEY ROAD
(570) 629 - 3061 MCCONSERVATION. ORG
$6 Outdoors Registration Required
SATURDAY OCTOBER 6
CREATING NATURE BOOKS 10 am—Noon
Join local children’s artist and author Barrett George for a hands-on bookmaking workshop. No previous drawing experience necessary. Then enjoy a Meet and Greet book signed by the author. Gather at the Watres Environmental Education Center.
DINGMANS FERRY—538 EMERGY ROAD
(570) 828 - 2319 PEEC. ORG
$5 Registration Required
SATURDAY OCTOBER 13
FALL FOLIAGE HIKE 10 am—Noon
All ages are welcome to enjoy the fall foliage（叶子）learning a little about why fall is such a special time of year. Wear comfortable footwear.
LAKE ARIEL—94 SANCTUARY ROAD
(570) 689 - 9494 LACAWAC. ORG
FREE Registration Required
SUNDAY OCTOBER 14
INTRO TO ORIENTEERING 10 am—Noon
Learn the basics of how to use a map and compass in a race that requires navigational（航行的）skills and see if you can find all the markers along the way.
LAKE ARIEL — 1475 LEDGEDALE ROAD
(570) 698 - 6154 SEWFAS. ORG
$7 Outdoors Registration Required
1. Who will most probably come to the event on October 4?
| A．Gardeners. | B．Music fans. |
| C．Businessmen. | D．Bird lovers. |
| A．Social manners. |
| B．Bookmaking skills. |
| C．Drawing lessons. |
| D．Environmental protection. |
| A．call (570) 629 - 3061 |
| B．call (570) 828 - 2319 |
| C．call (570) 698 - 6154 |
| D．call (570) 689 - 9494 |
1.比赛的时间、地点；
2.比赛的目的；
3.报名方式。
注意：1.词数 100 左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
5 . Carson Kropfl, who is 12 years old enjoys the excitement of surfing. In addition to riding the waves, he likes riding his skateboard. His story is evidence that necessity is truly the mother of invention.
Carson had enjoyed skating for years. He liked to use his skateboard to go to places, including school. But over time, he grew increasingly discouraged that he had no place to store his board once he arrived. As a student, he could not change the size of his locker. But he realized he might be able to change the shape of his skateboard. And, from that small desire, a business was born.
Carson first just made a shorter skateboard in the shape of a square for himself. “But then my parents told me I had to clean and do chores(家务)to pay for my surf contest and surf lessons. But I hate to clean, so I asked them if I could try selling my Lockerboards instead.” Carson’s parents not only said yes, they also agreed to help him make it happen. They searched around for the best tools for creating skateboards.
Carson made his first sales in the room where students ate at his school. He put a few skateboards on a table and his schoolmates started buying them up. Within months, Carson had an agreement with a producer. The young man says he has now sold about 700 skateboards.
His skateboards come in a number of shapes and designs. Each one costs around $100. But not all the profit goes to Carson. Some money goes to a non profit group that supports the health and well-being of a place close to his heart. “I donate one dollar for every Lockerboard sold to Ocean Unite because they’re focused on ocean conservation.”
Carson’s hometown of San Clemente sits along a beautiful coastal area of the Pacific Ocean. And Carson, the surfer, wants the ocean to stay that way.
1. What troubled Carson at school?| A．He had no access to the Internet. |
| B．Skating was not allowed at school. |
| C．He didn’t have a locker of his own. |
| D．The locker didn’t fit in his skateboard. |
| A．Disapproving. | B．Supportive. | C．Doubtful. | D．Unconcerned. |
| A．The ocean. | B．The locker. | C．The classroom. | D．The market. |
| A．They were mostly of a larger size. |
| B．They had strange designs on them. |
| C．They were popular with the students. |
| D．They were handmade by Carson himself. |
1. 介绍你身边的数字化生活；
2. 阐述你的看法；
3. 询问对方情况。
注意：1. 词数不少于80；
2. 开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
Dear Jim,
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
7 . Obviously television has both advantages and disadvantages.
In the first place, television is not only a convenient source of entertainment, but also a comparatively cheap one. With a TV set in the family people don’t have to pay for expensive seats at the theatre, the cinema, or the opera .All they have to do is to push a button or turn a knob, and they can see plays, films, operas and shows of every kind. Some people, however, think that this is where the danger lies. The television viewers need do nothing. He does not even have to use his legs if the has a remote control. He makes no choice and exercises, no judgment. He is completely passive and has everything presented to him without any effort in his part.
Television, it is often said, keeps one informed about current events and the latest developments in science and politics. The most distant countries and the strangest customs are brought right into one’s sitting room. It could be argued that the radio performs this service as well; but on television everything is much more living, much more real. Yet here again there is a danger. The television screen itself has a terrible, almost physical charm for us. We get so used to looking at the movements on it, so dependent on its pictures, that it begins to control our lives. People are often heard to say that their television sets have broken down and that they have suddenly found that they have far more time to do things and the they have actually begin to talk to each other again. It makes one think, doesn’t it?
There are many other arguments for and against television. We must realize that television itself is neither good nor bad. It is the uses that it is put to that determine its value to society.
1. Television, as a source of entertainment, is ______.| A．not very convenient | B．very expensive |
| C．quite dangerous | D．relatively cheap |
| A．Because TV programs are not interesting | B．Because TV viewers are totally passive |
| C．Because TV prices are very high. | D．Because TV has both advantages and disadvantages |
| A．it keeps us informed | B．it is very cheap |
| C．it enables us to have a rest | D．it controls our lives |
| A．its quality | B．people ’s attitude towards it |
| C．how we use it | D．when we use it |
In order to know a foreign language thoroughly, four things are necessary. Firstly, we must understand the language when we hear
There is no easy way to success
9 . People refuse to change the things they hate because they’re afraid．Once you let go of your fears, you’ll realize that whatever happens, you’ll be OK and be able to create a better, happier life for yourself．
Make a list of the things you hate about your life．Be specific．Don’t say “I hate my job” but instead list the things you hate about it, such as your schedule, the pay or your coworkers．Do the same with other areas of your life．
Let go of the past．You might not be able to forgive your parents, your ex or that friend that hurt you, but you don’t need to let the pain rule your life either．Katie Byron, author of “Loving What Is”, emphasizes the importance of accepting that certain things cannot be changed．
Keep a Thank You journal．
| A．Don’t look only outside your life． |
| B．A good change is as good as a rest． |
| C．But how can you stop hating your life? |
| D．List positive things you can do to change． |
| E．Never trouble trouble until trouble troubles you． |
| F．This will help you focus on the positive in your life． |
| G．Instead, focus on the present and what you can do to make your life better． |
10 . Award winning film Ballad from Tibet by Chinese director Zhang Wei was screened in New York City in March.
The film tells the story of four visually impaired kids from China’s Tibet going on a journey for their dreams.
Based on a true story, Ballad from Tibet is about the four Tibetan kids — Thupten, Sonam, Kelsang and Droma — achieving their dreams against all odds.
Thupten is a 10-year-old boy partially sighted in one eye and blind in the other. His doctor says that there is a chance that he could completely lose his sight, but there is an operation that could offer a 50 percent of saving his vision.
His teacher firmly suggests that he should have the operation right away, but Thupten is afraid and wants to see the world before his life is plunged into total darkness.
Along with his three friends who also suffer from blindness, Thupten goes on an exciting adventure. Together they decide to go to Shenzhen in South China’s Guangdong Province, a city more than 37,000km away from Tibetan capital Lhasa.
The reason for the children’s decision to go to Shenzhen is their love of music. They are all talented and want to sing their hearts out in front of the national audience by participating in a Shenzhen - based reality show.
The foursome’s trip is indeed fun, but also turns out to be dangerous. Luckily, help is on hand along the way in the form of a wandering family, a shepherd, a motorcycle club, and a TV producer’s assistant.
Ballad from Tibet has won the award for Best Children’s Feature at the 13th China International Children’s Film Festival in November 2017, and earned nominations at 17 different international children’s film festivals in Germany, Canada, Japan, Greece, Australia and India.
1. What does the underlined word “impaired” in Paragraph 2 mean?| A．Amazed. | B．Strengthened. | C．Shortsighted. | D．Damaged. |
| A．They want to take part in a Shenzhen - based reality show. |
| B．They long to earn money there to support themselves. |
| C．The teacher advises them to go there to pursue their dreams. |
| D．They want to look for their parents there. |
| A．The operation can completely save Thupten’s vision. |
| B．Thupten’s teacher goes on the trip with them. |
| C．Thupten wants to realize his dream before he totally loses his vision. |
| D．The four kids get much help from Thupten’s teacher on the way to Shenzhen. |
| A．Successful. | B．Negative. | C．Awful. | D．Surprising. |
