1 . Scientists have discovered more than 5,000 new species living on the seabed in an untouched area of the Pacific Ocean that has been identified as a future hotspot for deep-sea mining, according to a review of the environmental surveys carried out in the area.
It is the first time the previously unknown biodiversity of the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ), a mineral-rich area of the ocean floor that spans 1.7m sq miles between Hawaii and Mexico in the Pacific, has been comprehensively documented. The research will be critical to assessing the risk of extinction of the species, given contracts for deep-sea mining in the near-pristine area appear imminent.
Most of the animals identified by researchers exploring the zone are new to science, and almost all are unique to the region: only six, including a carnivorous sponge and a sea cucumber, have been seen elsewhere.
Contracts for mining exploration in the CCZ have been granted to 17 deep-sea mining contractors in an area covering 745,000 sq miles. The companies, which are backed by countries including Britain, the US and China, want to dig for minerals including cobalt manganese and nickel in part to sell to the alternative energy sector.
To better understand the impact of mining this fragile ecosystem and its newly discovered inhabitants, an international team of scientists has built the first “CCZ checklist” by compiling all the records from expeditions to the region. Published in the journal Current Biology, it includes 5,578 different species, of which an estimated 88% to 92% had never before been seen.
To study and collect specimens (样品) from the ocean floor, biologists have joined research cruises in the Pacific that send remote-controlled vehicles to traverse (穿越) the seabed 4,000 to 6,000 meters below. Adrian Glover, a deep-sea biologist at the NHM and senior author of the study described it as an “incredible privilege”. The expedition, funded through the Natural Environment Research Council and others, is backed by UK Seabed Resources (UKSR), a deep-sea mining company that operates the UK’s exploration area. The scientists watch operations by video link direct from the boat as new species are gathered by remote control vehicles in the darkness below.
The seabed, Glover said, is an “amazing place” where, despite the extreme cold and dark, life thrives. “One of the characteristics of the abyssal plain is the lack of food, but life has a way of persisting down there,” he said, “It’s a mystery.” One of the deep-sea animals discovered was nicknamed the “gummy squirrel”, because of its huge tail and jelly-like appearance, he said. There are also glass sponges, some of which look like vases.
With approval for deep-sea mining looming, Glover said he believed it was “imperative that we work with the companies looking to mine these resources to ensure any such activity is done in a way that limits its impact upon the natural world”.
1. What’s the meaning of the underlined word “imminent”?| A．Easy to carry out. | B．Ready to take place. |
| C．Hard to cope with. | D．Important to look over. |
| A．Identifying new species living on the seabed. | B．Assessing the risk of extinction of species. |
| C．Documenting the biodiversity of the area. | D．Exploring the potential for deep-sea mining. |
| A．Abundance of food. | B．Extreme lifeless environment. |
| C．Presence of glass sponges. | D．Prosperous life despite challenging conditions. |
| A．A magic zone:available to mining companies |
| B．A mineral-rich area: Clarion-Clipperton Zone |
| C．An “amazing place”: new species booming |
| D．Deep-sea wonders: the new species found in a Pacific mining hotspot |
1. 描述手机的相关问题；
2. 你期待的处理方法。
注意：
1. 词数80左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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内容包括：1. 介绍购物的情况；
2. 反映存在的问题；
3. 提出解决的方案。
注意：1. 词数80左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Sir/Madam,
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Yours,
Li Hua
1. 提出意见：
2. 给出理由和建议。
注意：1. 写作词数应为80左右；
2. 请在答题卡的相应位置作答。
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1. 这本书的书名、作者；
2. 简要介绍这本书的内容；
3. 你推荐的理由。
注意：
1．词数80左右；
2. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Jim,
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Yours,
Li Hua
1.介绍你学到的新技能；
2.谈谈你的学习体会。
注意：
1.写作词数应为80左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Learning a new skill
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The day I heard that the Rainbow Bookstore was closing after fifty years of business, I was heartbroken. The bookstore was a place where anyone in the neighborhood could drop in and connect through their love of books.
When I hurried to the store, I saw the books were being packed into boxes. Sighing deeply, the store’s elderly owner, Casey, told me how it was becoming difficult to run an independent bookstore. Most young people preferred reading e-books on tablets. Customers were being attracted by chain stores and online discounts. I tried to think of some words of sympathy, but I had to admit that the Rainbow Bookstore couldn’t stay in business much longer.
Childhood memories came flooding back. A bunch of us kids would frequently drop by the store after school, looking at the new books, or just chatting with old Casey. He knew every book in the store and would always pick the perfect one for us. We spent hours reading, seated on the store’s old, but comfortable furniture. Casey encouraged us to share our ideas and comments on the books by writing them on a large board in one corner of the store.
When I left the bookstore, it was becoming cold and dark outside. I turned to wave goodbye to Casey, but both he and his bookstore were already hidden in a thick mist. It made me realize that the bookstore and all that old Casey had given to the community could soon disappear for good.
A few months later, I was back in the neighborhood from my vacation and was surprised to see that the Rainbow Bookstore was still there and open for business. Its old brick outside hadn’t changed, but inside it was like a different world. Clearly, the Rainbow Bookstore was in good and creative hands.
I was told that the community had decided to work together on a campaign to save the Rainbow Bookstore. The campaign had been led by Jennifer Oakley, a saleswoman who had grown up in the neighborhood and who was helping Casey run the bookstore.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150词左右。
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
With Jennifer’s help, the bookstore was being turned into a different place.
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I suddenly saw Casey, who was reading readers’ comments on the big screen, and joined him.
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内容包括：
1. 遵守交通法规的重要性;
2. 遵守交通法规的做法及倡议。
注意：
1. 词数80左右;
2. 短文的题目和首句已给出，不计入词数。
Traffic Safety, Our Responsibility
Recently, many teenagers have got injured or even killed in traffic accidents.
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1.时间、地点；
2.比赛过程；
3.比赛影响。
注意：1.写作词数应为 80左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
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1．写信目的；
2．个人优势；
3．希望被录取。
注意：1．词数100左右；
2．可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Miss Yang,
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Yours,
Li Hua
