2 . In 2011, artist Grimanesa Amorós stepped off a boat made of totora reeds (芦苇) onto an island—also made of totora reeds — in the northwest portion of Lake Titicaca. It’s home to one of the world’s most innovative achievement of human engineering: the Uros Islands.

The man-made floating islands, which are home to the native Uros people, are created by putting layers upon layers of totora roots and reeds. This water-resistant plant grows in the lake and is the lifeblood of the Uros community. It is used to make boats, houses, roofs, mattresses (床垫) and more. The plant is also eaten and serves as medicine, and its flowers are used to make tea.

However, the Uros weren’t always dependent on the totora. More than 500 years ago, the growing Inca Empire began to invade the Uros’ mainland villages. To beat this threat, the Uros began to build the islands, which could be launched deep into Lake Titicaca, away from danger. Hundreds of years later, there are now about 120 of these constructed islands, with around 1,300 people living on them.

To build the islands, the Uros first gather large blocks of totora roots. Multiple blocks are pulled together, and the roots and reeds mix naturally to form a layer about 1 to 2m thick. The totora reed is laid on top of this floating base. The Uros use a long tool to reach deep down into the water and cut the plant above the base. Then, the reeds are dried in the sun for one to four weeks and bundled (捆绑) together using a rope. Once dried, totora reeds are placed in alternating directions on top of the root blocks and become the ground that the Uros walk and build their homes on.

Today, urban influences are evident on the islands: Solar panels power bedroom lights and small TVs; a radio station operates on the main island. It’s evident that these modern changes and tourism have changed the Uros’ life on the lake. One thing remains certain, though. As long as there is totora growing at Lake Titicaca, the islands’ rooted foundation will stay the same.

1. Which word can best describe the role totora reeds play in the Uro’s life?

A．Essential.

B．Symbolic.

C．Protective.

D．Sustainable.

2. What was the original purpose of building the floating island?

A．To develop tourism.	B．To maintain their lifestyle.
C．To escape from enemies’ attack.	D．To be separated from the world.

3. What does the fourth paragraph mainly focus on?

A．The key to selecting building materials.	B．The procedure of building the islands.
C．The difficulty of living on the island.	D．The method of spotting reeds.

4. What might be the best title for the text?

A．Fancy Lifestyles of the Uros	B．Innovative Building Materials
C．Floating Homes on Lake Titicaca	D．A Must-see Tourist Attraction of Lake Titicaca

3 . Winners of the Broadcom MASTERS

Girls took the top prizes at the Broadcom MASTERS, a science competition for middle school students.

Alaina Gassler

Alaina won the $25,000 Samueli Foundation Prize for the project of reducing blind spots in cars. She was inspired to solve this issue by her mother who didn’t like driving her vehicle because its large A-pillar (A柱) design made her feel in danger. “I started to think about how blind spots were a huge problem in all cars,” said Alaina. So she worked on and solved it.

Sidor Clare

Sidor won the $10,000 Marconi/Samueli Award for Innovation, an honor made by Samueli’s generous donation of his 2012 Marconi Society Prize Award. She developed bricks that could one day be made on Mars, so that humans wouldn’t be required to carry building materials with them in order to build there.

Alexis MacAvoy

Alexis won the $10,000 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Award for Health Advancement, which recognized the student whose work and performance showed the most promise in health-related fields and demonstrated an understanding of the many social factors that affect health. She designed a water filter (过滤器) by using carbon to remove heavy metals from water.

Rachel Bergey

Rachel won the $10,000 Lemelson Award for Invention, awarded by The Lemelson Foundation to a young inventor creating promising solutions to real-world problems. She developed a trap made of tinfoil (锡纸) and netting for the spotted lanternfly, an invasive species causing damage to trees.

1. What is the purpose of Alaina Gassler’s invention?

A．To beautify vehicles.	B．To improve the safety of driving.
C．To decorate the sidewalk for the blind.	D．To reduce the carbon released from cars.

2. Whose invention is related to human health?

A．Alaina Gassler’s.	B．Sidor Clare’s.
C．Rachel Bergey’s.	D．Alexis MacAvoy’s.

3. What is the Broadcom MASTERS about?

A．Art.

B．Sport.

C．Technology.

D．Education.

4 . Are you a fan of outdoor adventures? Do you enjoy scenic views to relax? Look no further, as the following destinations offer all that and more.

Athabasca Falls

Alberta, Canada

Water from the Canadian Rockies flows down into the waterfalls of Jasper National Park, creating a flow with wild energy. The falls are wheelchairs accessible, with a paved path taking admirers to a number of viewpoints. If visitors leave the path, they can explore both the upper and lower regions of the trail.

Akaka Falls Trail

Hakalau, Hawaii

A short half-mile hike is big on sights and low on hard activity. The well-kept ring like trail guide visitors around to see a number of waterfalls, including the 442-foot main attraction, and beautiful local flora (植物群) among the famous landscape. Though there are no hills to climb, there are a number of stairways to go.

Nugget Falls

Juneau, Alaska

Located in Tongass National Forest about 12 miles from Juneau, the Mendenhall Glacier has produced Nugget Falls, a fan-like waterfall that leads into a lake. A series of short hikes allows for different views of the waterfall and icy surrounds, which are also known for frequent brown bear sightings.

Yosemite Falls

Yosemite Valley, California

Yosemite National Park is one of the oldest national parks in America and home to the fifth tallest waterfall in the world. Hikers can reach it by taking a 1-mile trail from the lodge or the 7.2-mile round-trip Yosemite Falls Trail route. Late spring is best, with the highest water flow. In the winter, the temperatures dip below freezing. A park admission fee applies.

1. Where can visitors expect to see frequent brown bear sightings?

A．Athabasca Falls.

B．Akaka Falls Trail.

C．Nugget Falls.

D．Yosemite Falls.

2. Which season is best for visiting Yosemite Falls?

A．Winter.

B．Spring.

C．Summer.

D．Fall.

3. Where can this text probably be found?

A．In a travel magazine.

B．In a novel.

C．In a history book.

D．In a diary.

5 . Say many things, and people will remember none. Say some things, and people will remember some. Say ONE thing, and people will remember ALL. Want to express clear viewpoints?     1    .

Express more, explain less.     2     We think the audience doesn’t understand something, so we explain it, But in that case, explaining serves to correct a failed expression. When you focus on expressing points instead of explaining ideas, you’ll communicate more precisely (精确地). Expressing and delivering are more important about what your audience hears and receives.

    3     Wherever you see a list of words or concepts (概念), ask yourself: Do I need all these words or concepts to attract my audience’s attention or are some of them not needed? When you remove less important ideas, your audience will gain more.

Limit paragraphs to three sentences. If you’re writing your idea in a document or email, try to make paragraphs to three sentences or less. This makes it easier for readers to understand your points because they have less content to process. And because you’re writing in short, direct points compared with long pieces of text, you may find yourself writing less overall.     4    .

Hear your own words. No matter how much you review your own, writing, hearing it aloud will always identify places to cut.     5     When you say even one word more than you need to, you make your point one word harder for your audience to receive.

A．Remove unnecessary ideas

B．Know your “Need-to-Know”

C．These four tips shouldn’t be missed

D．You can’t change the style of your writing

E．Explaining is often an understanding behavior

F．Everyone benefits from applying this writing rule

G．You can read it aloud yourself to find out the words

6 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

My dad and I had been looking forward to the Stale cross-country race of my senior year of high school, which would be the climax (顶点) of my existence.

I was the fastest runner on my team, and I was supposed to make it into the top fifteen. We had been working towards this race for three years. It was everything to me, and it was everything to my dad. He was a runner and was wild with joy by my success in running. He made it to every race, even flying home early from business trips to see me run. I always listened for his voice, which rang above the crowd-telling me to relax my arms, calling out my time. He pushed me. He cheered for me. He believed in me. We spent countless hours on the sandy canals of Arizona. Breathing in the dust of the desert, the blossoms of the orange trees, and the terrible smell of the dairy farm, we made our way across the city. We pounded miles and miles into our running shoes, marking with every step the path to greatness. It was a journey that was just ours. A dream passed on from one generation to the next.

Then the big day came. It was hotter than normal - too hot. My throat felt like a field of cotton, cracked with the summer heat, as I waited for the gun to fire. I gazed out at the crowd; dozens of familiar faces from church and school flickered across my view. They had come for me. They were counting on me. I saw my dad set his watch, worry and excitement etched across his face. With the sound of a gunshot, the race began.

For the first two and half miles, I felt great. I had never before been so ready for something. The weeks leading up to the race were filled with hard practices and a strict diet. The scorching sun beat upon my back, blinding me with its brilliance. Nothing was going to stop me, though.

注意：
1. 所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

However, without warning, my strength was running out.

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I whispered, “I’m so sorry I disappointed you, Dad.”

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7 . 根据首字母或中文提示，用对应单词的适当形式填空。

I’ve bought the plane tickets and arranged     1     (换乘) from the airport to the hotel. So we are almost set! Don’t forget to check in online and print your boarding pass in   a    2    . Then all we have to do is pack luggage. Remember to bring your camera! Oh, one last thing… Have you exchanged foreign       3    (货币)? I don’t have a credit card. I’d like to buy     4     (纪念品) for my family so I’m going to take $300 just in cash. Can’t wait!

    5     (烟雾) can be dangerous because it causes severe breathing problems and       6    (感染).

Well, SNNR was   e    7     in 2000 and is the highest and second largest nature     8    (保护区) in China. Here, you can see dramatic landscapes.

She appeared in The Cove, a documentary aiming at highlighting the c    9     of dolphin hunting. Besides performing and modelling, Hannah travels the world giving   p    10     and talks, getting more people involved in the conservation of ocean life.

8 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

One morning in spring four students were walking to school.

There had been a rain, and the ground was very soft. Water was dropping from the trees, and the grass was wet.

The four students walked along, one behind another, because the pathway was narrow (狭窄的) and the mud (泥) on either side of it was deep. They walked, talked and laughed.

As they were passing through some small trees, they heard a great fluttering (拍翅膀) over their heads and a weak chirping (鸣叫) in the grass by the roadside.

“Tweet! Tweet! Tweet!” came from the leafy branches above them.“Cheep! Cheep! Cheep!” came from the wet grass.

“What is the matter here? ” asked the first student, whose name was Speed. “Oh, there are two young birds. Maybe the storm has blown two of the little ones out of the nest. They are too young to fly, ” said the second student, whose name was Hardin.

“What a pity! They'll die down there in the grass,” said the third student Martin.

“Oh, well! We still need to hurry to school. We're going to be late,” said Speed. “Why should we bother? ” After Speed's words, the first three students walked on, talking and laughing as before.

注意：1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答，

But the fourth student, whose name was David, stopped.

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All were surprised to find that David was not with them when the roll call (点名) was made.

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