1 . Much of Puerto Rico is still without power after Hurricane Fiona struck the island on Sept. 19. The storm laid it in darkness and thousands of people in trouble, even some missing.
Yet some see signs of hope. Over the past five years, around 50,000 solar and battery power systems have been installed on homes in Puerto Rico, says Chris Rauscher, senior director of public policy at Sunrun, the biggest residential solar company in the United States. And almost all that equipment appears to have continued supplying electricity while the island’s central power system went dark, according to market participants and industry observers.
Climate change is making hurricanes wetter and more powerful, increasing the risks to electric reliability in places like Puerto Rico. That strengthens the case for more investment in home solar set-ups, Rauscher says.
“It’s showing that renewables paired with storage ... are really the fundamental building blocks of a clean recovery that we need to really focus on on the island and elsewhere,” he says.
John Berger, chief manager of Sunnova, another big solar company, agrees, calling Puerto Rico “a window into the future.” “The technology’s just physically and fundamentally better,” than the traditional power system, Berger says. “And that’s not going to change.”
But big challenges are still hanging over the island. Lots of reconstruction is still needed. And now on top of that, the hurricane season is not over yet. “The next storm after this — and it will come, I don’t know if it’s next week or next year or two years from now, but it will come — we’ll be in even better shape than we are right now,” Berger says.
1. What did the Hurricane Fiona result in?| A．The newly-built island’s central power system. | B．Power failure in much of Puerto Rico. |
| C．The loss of thousands of people. | D．Losing eyesight of some people. |
| A．To make the point convincing. | B．To give more choices for the islanders. |
| C．To state the status of Puerto Rico. | D．To make comparisons between the two companies. |
| A．The reconstruction work. | B．The coming hurricane. |
| C．The shortage of money. | D．The need for a safe shelter. |
| A．A Severe Hurricane | B．Natural Disasters Are Approaching |
| C．Renewable Energy Give Puerto Rico Light | D．A Newly-rebuilt Island |
2 . Vaping (吸电子烟) is becoming booming these days. The basic idea behind this is simple: vaping is a way of taking in nicotine (and other substances) that is far safer than smoking, because vapes produce far lower levels of the most harmful chemicals than cigarettes, as the World Health Organization notes. But there are several obvious issues with this.
Firstly, there is enormous variability in vaping products and devices. The market is largely unregulated, which means the term “vape” covers everything from solid, reliable devices to something that will explode when you put it in your mouth.
Switching from smoking to vaping is probably good for your health, but the epidemiological (流行病学的) evidence shows that most people become what’s known as “dual users” who both vape and smoke in differing amounts. Because of their different smoking regimes (养生法，方法), the evidence on whether dual use is more beneficial than just smoking is unclear.
Vaping is obviously worse for your health than quitting completely. In an experimental study led by Prof David Thickett in the University of Birmingham, the researchers designed a mechanical procedure to mimic (模拟) vaping in the laboratory, using lung tissue samples provided by eight nonsmokers. They found that vapor (蒸汽，雾) of vaping damaged the activity of alveolar macrophages (肺泡巨噬细胞), cells that remove potentially damaging dust particles and bacteria. They said some of the effects were similar to those seen in regular smokers and people with chronic lung disease. Moreover, there’s pretty good evidence that vaping nicotine products is habit-forming and addictive, and there’s a great deal of concern among epidemiologists that in young people vaping can lead to smoking, which is obviously a bad thing.
1. Which of the following is the most harmful to our health according to most people?| A．Smoking. | B．Vaping. |
| C．Dual use of both vaping and smoking. | D．Nonsmoking. |
| A．Vaping does less harm to health than smoking. | B．Vaping can make one addicted to it. |
| C．Vaping is a bad thing. | D．Vaping is safer than smoking. |
| A．travel | B．sports | C．health | D．music |
| A．Supportive. | B．Indifferent. | C．Favorable. | D．Disapproving. |
3 . Recently my wife and I were flying across the country and were about to board our plane when a woman sitting across from us at the gate had a medical
The woman, Jackie,
In one hand I held her and with my other hand I
I stood up
Fortunately, Jackie just needed someone to listen to her and
| A．exam | B．card | C．report | D．condition |
| A．track | B．sight | C．control | D．memory |
| A．changed | B．introduced | C．considered | D．pretended |
| A．ordered | B．needed | C．arranged | D．prepared |
| A．pointed | B．showed | C．believed | D．explained |
| A．felt | B．checked | C．covered | D．supported |
| A．yes | B．much | C．hello | D．sorry |
| A．lift | B．buy | C．mark | D．request |
| A．safely | B．quickly | C．actively | D．secretly |
| A．for | B．against | C．before | D．after |
| A．liked | B．tried | C．agreed | D．remembered |
| A．fine | B．ready | C．outgoing | D．friendly |
| A．pay | B．beg | C．fight | D．look |
| A．doctors | B．helpers | C．strangers | D．managers |
| A．opinions | B．battles | C．decisions | D．mistakes |
The Smile
I was in grade 7 and was the topper of my class. Friends surrounded me everywhere and I was the star of the school. My parents started creating special spaces at home to display all my medals, certificates and awards. Guests who came home, teachers who met my parents, friends and everyone who met my parents always had these words to say, “You have a very talented child. You are very lucky.” I was filled with happiness and pride when I heard these words and I knew that I had made my parents very happy.
Days rolled by, and I grew stronger and smarter and I was no match for anyone in any field. Things were fine until one day. I came back home with an award I won for standing first in the speech competition at school. Filled with pride, I gave it to my mother and waited for her beautiful smile. She smiled and congratulated me and asked, “Did your friends participate in the race? Did they run the race with you? What were their positions in the race?” I was a little angry. I have won the first place and why would my mother want to know about my friends. In fact, I do not even remember who was second and third or who participated because I was focused to be the first and the other positions were of no significance to me. I managed to tell her that I was very tired and I do not remember everything.
I started noticing a change in my mother, especially her smile. It was not the same lovely smile that I used to see. She started asking about my friends who were average achievers and who I do not even consider my equals now. I do not even know where they sit in my classroom. I was meant to be the first and I did not want to look back to see who was behind. I started ignoring her questions about my friends and I managed to change the topic.
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。
Paragraph 1:
One day, it was too much to handle when I was getting ready for the sports competition when she asked why I was not practicing with my loser friends.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:
I was on the track field the next day at school ready to run the 200m running race.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5 . Urban (城市的) heat kills about 600 Americans every year, and sends another 65,000 to the emergency room, according to a recent report from the Urban Land Institute. Climate change is going to make these problems worse, the report’s authors write.
Given that risk, Boston — like many cities around the country —plans to plant more trees. Urban trees have benefits beyond shading and cooling. They clean the air, reduce noise pollution and help prevent flooding by absorbing storm water. “Great,” you might be thinking, “let’s plant many trees.”
Unfortunately, the solution isn’t that simple; a lot of street trees don’t make it more than a few years in the big city. “It’s tough to be a baby street tree because their roots are really little. And the summers in Boston are quite hot, so drought alone can kill them,” says Andrew Trlica, who recently earned an urban biogeochemistry doctorate fromBoston University.
An urban tree, especially one planted on a sidewalk bordering a busy street, has many factors against it. “Cars run into them. Bikes getting locked to them is really surprisingly damaging when they’re little because their bark (树皮) is weak,” Trlica explains. “Road salts are hard on their roots. Dogs would pee on them. It’s just a tough environment.”
Trlica says he began to wonder: If city officials want to increase tree canopy (树冠) cover to deal with climate change, should they focus on planting new trees or helping older ones survive? To figure it out, he looked at two conditions for Boston: spend the next two decades planting saplings (树苗) in every available sidewalk location,or spend the time reducing the mortality rate of older trees by 50%.
For Trlica, the answer was clear. Yes, Boston should continue planting trees, but the real canopy pay off will come from preserving bigger, leafier ones.
1. Why does the author mention the recent report from the Urban Land Institute?| A．To show urban heat in America is serious. |
| B．To show Americans care about urban heat. |
| C．To prove climate change leads to urban heat. |
| D．To prove urban heat can be deadly worldwide. |
| A．Baby trees shouldn’t be planted on streets. |
| B．It is difficult for baby street trees to survive. |
| C．Planting trees in cities isn’t a good idea. |
| D．More trees should be planted in Boston. |
| A．Success. | B．Growth. | C．Recovery. | D．Death. |
| A．Environment. | B．Health. | C．Education. | D．Science. |
7 . On Thursdays, Charles Dandino becomes the conductor of an unusual kind of train. He leads what he calls a “ bike train, ” a group of cycling co-workers who band together for their 6-mile ride to work in the name of safety, as well as for fun and exercise.
After rising for several years, the percentage of commuters (通勤者) turning to bikes declined for the third year straight. In some cities, the decline was far more serious. In Tampa, Florida, and Cleveland, cycling to work dropped by at least 50 percent.
Experts offered several explanations for the nationwide decrease. Most obviously, lower gas prices and a stronger economy contributed to strong auto sales and less interest in cheaper alternatives, such as mass transit and bikes. The rise of ride-hailing services (叫车服务) such as Uber and electric scooters cut into bike commuting.
Around the country, city transportation officials wish there were more bicyclists like Dondino as they seek to cut traffic jams, promote health and identify alternatives to cars. Federal highway spending on bike and pedestrian-related improvements totaled $915.8 million this year. City officials tried to support bike commuters. Besides new bike lanes and trails, many cities added bike sharing programs, which allow cyclists to rent a bike to ride point-to-point or for the day.
For bike commuters, safety is a top consideration. It was one of the reasons that Dandino created his bicycle train. “ Riding bikes in a group is more thrilling and a joy to do, ” said Dandino. “ On the safety side, it makes us much more visible, and there’s strength in numbers. ”
Barbara Insua also rides regularly with Dandino’s bike train. She said she loved getting a workout on the way to her job. “ Uphill to work. Downhill home, ” she said. “ There are so many wonderful things about biking. ”
1. What was Charles Dandino’s main purpose to create the “ bike train ” ?| A．To protect the environment. | B．To reduce gas consuming. |
| C．To guarantee cyclists’ safety. | D．To support the officials. |
| A．Reasons for decline of cycling. | B．Contributions of a stronger economy. |
| C．Methods of being bike friendly. | D．Explanations for lower gas prices. |
| A．By cutting traffic jams. | B．By promoting alternative cars. |
| C．By building bike lanes. | D．By improving public transport. |
| A．To clarify a novel concept. | B．To provide more evidence. |
| C．To show a different opinion. | D．To offer background information. |
8 . Commercial aviation (航空) alone contributes around three percent of total global carbon emissions (排放). But the industry is actively looking for green solutions in the form of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). In a study released this week, a team of researchers from the U. S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) details a method of transforming food waste into SAF that can be used in existing engines. Making SAF is a more complicated process—it’s got to be very similar to the petrol-based aviation fuel we use today in commercial flights.
The researchers use volatile fatty acids (挥发性脂肪酸)(VFAs) from smelly food waste and transform it into simple paraffin molecules (石蜡分子) that can be used in fuel and really aren’t all that chemically different from traditional emissions-heavy fuels. There are other renewable biofuels that have been made from biomass (生物质), specifically oil and fat from vegetables and animals, but using the ever-mounting pile of food waste to fuel flights broadens those possibilities.
Derek Vardon, a senior research engineer at NREL, says major companies are eager to get involved in SAF because some sustainable solutions, such as battery-operated commercial flights, just aren’t possible yet with current battery technology. A battery-powered plane would be too heavy to fly long distances—“So using SAF that works in the same way as the fuel we have is a simpler way to trade out traditional emissions-heavy fuels.” Vardon also says that “because the wet waste would normally go to a landfill and break down to release greenhouse gases, the process of making and using SAF could actually have a negative carbon footprint when it is dramatically used.”
A major question as the researchers move forward with this type of research is if it is possible to run an airplane engine on fully renewable biofuel. Rolls-Royce recently did a test on one of their engines with 100 percent SAF and it worked. “This fuel is not crazy and we can solve these problems,” Vardon says.
1. Which of the following is TRUE about SAF?| A．It can be used to reduce carbon emissions globally. |
| B．It’s less functional than the petrol-based aviation fuel. |
| C．It’s composed of VFAs and simple paraffin molecules. |
| D．It is virtually impossible to be made from biomass like oil and fat. |
| A．The benefits of food rubbish-generated SAF. | B．The environmental impacts of the wet waste. |
| C．The simple process of making and using SAF. | D．The future of battery-operated commercial flights. |
| A．To promote its production. | B．To confirm the potential of SAF. |
| C．To show off its powerful airplane engines. | D．To express doubt about the research. |
| A．Natural emergence of renewable biofuels | B．Green alternative to emissions-heavy fuels |
| C．Unavoidable decline of commercial aviation | D．Gradual reduction in greenhouse gas emissions |
9 . Female figure skaters aren’t really expected to be able to do triple axels(三周半跳). Especially not older ones---in the Olympics, that means older than 20. Mirai Nagasu did both, nailing the jump in competition at 24 during the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. She was the first American woman to land a triple axel in the Olympic Games-and only the third woman to do it.
Nagasu’s been pursuing her own path since she was just 5. “My parents used to take me golfing(打高尔夫球)every day because that was the career they wanted me to have,” she wrote. “They took me ice skating one day because we couldn’t go golfing due to the rain, and after that, I kept asking to be taken to go skating.” Her ambition paid off eventually, beginning with a host of Four Continents and ISU World Junior Championship medals and ending with two World Championship and two Olympic appearances each.
Unlike other popular athletes who’ve traded childhood for training, Nagasu had to attend public school by day and help her parents in their restaurant by night. “They really taught me to work for what I want,” she said. That lesson was put to the test in 2014, when despite taking third place at the U. S. Figure Skating Championships, Nagasu was passed over for the Olympic team in favor of fourth-place finisher Ashley Wagner. Some athletes might have taken off their skates for good at that point. Instead, Nagasu got a new coach and learned the triple axel. After two years under his instruction, she displayed her new skill in the U. S. National Championships. By the time she tried it on Olympic ice in 2018, she’d perfected it. Nagasu performed the difficult three-and-a-half jump, helping her team win a bronze medal(铜牌) in the end.
1. Which of the following statements about Mirai Nagasu is TRUE?| A．She disliked ice skating at a young age. |
| B．She was well-known as a golfer in America. |
| C．She succeeded in the 2018 Olympics for her triple axel. |
| D．She was the first woman who successfully did a triple axel. |
| A．Nagasu’s creativity and ambition. | B．Nagasu’s family background. |
| C．Nagasu’s education at home. | D．Nagasu’s road to success. |
| A．She had to quit training out of economic reason. |
| B．She dropped out of school to help her parents in the restaurant. |
| C．She failed to be involved in the Olympics for some reason beyond expectation. |
| D．She was defeated by Ashley Wagner at the U. S. Figure Skating Championships. |
| A．Interest is the best teacher. | B．Poor children are in charge early. |
| C．Misfortune may be an actual blessing. | D．Success comes from constant effort. |
10 . A blind skateboarder has proven that his lack of sight won’t stop him from living a normal life—and now he’s learned some of the most complicated tricks.
Dan Mancina, 34,from Michigan,the US,was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa at 13,a rare genetic disease and it causes loss of vision. Around five years ago,Dan lost his vision completely and now is defined as a blind person—but refuses to let it hold him back. Dan said that he was discouraged by other people’s behaviors and was determined to prove people wrong,so he started skateboarding,practiced every day,and soon he was landing trick after trick.
Dan started performing tricks that some might not expect a blind person to be able to do—like throwing darts(飞镖)—but they would be wrong. He said he felt a need to prove himself to those who doubted his abilities. So Dan,who has been skateboarding since he was seven years old,recently posted a video of himself performing a trick on the Internet.
The experience reminded him of his love for the sport and inspired him to continue pursuing his passion,but now his methods are somewhat different. Before skating at a park,Dan uses a stick to measure the different ramps(斜坡)and corners,and get a feel for the area. He also uses a beeper box or a Bluetooth speaker to bounce the sounds off anything in the environment—such as a nearby road—warning him of any dangers in the area.
The skateboarder said, “I get a mental map of the area where I am and use every other sense I have. I'm always trying to progress and keep pushing myself further and further. I have certain goals that I want to achieve. One day I want to film full-length skateboard videos without any cuts. That’s really my goal.”
1. What happened to Dan Mancina when he was thirteen?| A．He became completely blind. | B．He was not allowed to skateboard. |
| C．He suffered from a severe eye disease. | D．He got injured while skateboarding. |
| A．To show he could live a normal life. | B．To achieve his childhood dream. |
| C．To shoot a video about his success in life. | D．To become the focus of public attention. |
| A．Dan’s training field. | B．Dan’s passion for sport. |
| C．Dan’s training equipment. | D．Dan’s preparations for skateboarding. |
| A．He who laughs last laughs best. | B．All that ends well is well. |
| C．Nothing is impossible to a willing heart. | D．A good beginning makes a good ending. |
