1 . In January when wildfires came within a kilometer of her home, Jessica Miles found herself reflecting on the bravery of firefighters in the Port Macquarie area.

Jessica said the tires had been frightening. “There were helicopters (直升机) flying around our house and smoke everywhere,” she said. Over a family dinner, the 12-year-old girl raised the idea of building a sculpture to honor the men and women on the wildfire front line and was greeted with support.

With artwork from the Hello Koalas Sculpture Trail on their doorstep, Jessica’s mother suggested she contact the organizers of the trail with her idea. In a message to Hello Koalas through a Facebook post. Jessica wrote: “I’ve recently thought of an idea as Australia has been facing disaster lately... The firefighters have risked their life and time to protect us. In recognition of their bravery, I wanted so share an idea I had about making a koala (考拉) in honor of the firefighters and to spread hope to Australia.”

Hello Koalas director Margret Meagher said while she had thought about creating a sculpture to honor Australia’s selfless and heroic firefighters in the past, Jessica’s message made her more determined than ever to make it happen. Having been involved in the Rural Fire Service (RFS), Ms. Meacher was also personally touched by summer’s wildfires: “So I really wanted to celebrate the local men and women who fought bravely to protect our community and to recognize all firefighters in Australia.” Ms. Meagher said.

Jessica, who is passionate about the environment and animals said she had been excited to receive such a positive response to her idea including her suggestion “it could have the RFS badge (章) painted on the koala or it could have a fireman’s jacket.” The new sculpture, Frankie Firefighter, created by artist Kim Staples, was unveiled (揭幕) this week and features both Jessica’s ideas.

1. What did Jessica’s mother advise her to do?

A．Send greetings to firefighters.	B．Put her artwork on their doorstep.
C．Build a sculpture to honor firefighters.	D．Seek help from Hello Koalas to apply her idea.

2. What finally drove Ms. Meagher to create a firefighter sculpture?

A．Firefighters heroic stories.	B．Her involvement in RFS.
C．Jessica’s Facebook post.	D．Her own past thoughts.

3. What do we know about the sculpture Frankie Firefighter?

A．It wears a badge donated by a fireman.	B．It draws inspiration from Kim Staples.
C．It is contrary to Jessica’s expectations.	D．It is a koala in a fireman’s jacket.

2 . More than 30 year and S10 billion later, the James Webb Space Telescope finally left Earth. The observatory was lifted skyward by an Ariane rocket from the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana. Is flight to orbit lasted just under half an hour, with a signal confirming a successful outcome picked p by a ground antenna(天线)at Malindi in Kenya.

Webb, named after one of the architects of the Apollo Moon landings, is the successor to the Hubble telescope. Engineers working with the US, European and Canadian space agencies have built the new observatory to be 100 times more powerful.

Webb’s launch is only the start of what will be a complex series of initial activities over the next six months. The telescope is being put on a path to an observing station some 1.5 million km beyond the Earth. In the course of travelling to this location, webb will have to unpack itself from the folded shape it adopted at launch.

This won’t be easy, said NASA administrator Bill Nelson: “We have to realize there are still countless things that have to work and they have to work perfectly. But we know that in great reward, there is great risk. And that’s what this business is all about. And that’s why we dare to explore.”

At the core of the new facility’s capabilities is its 6.5 m-wide golden mirror. This is almost three times wider than the primary reflector on Hubble. The enlarged optics(光学器件), combined with   four super-sensitive instruments, should enable astronomers to look deeper into space—and thus further back in time—than ever before.

A key target of Webb will be the pioneer stars that ended the darkness theorized to have dominated the whole universe shortly after the Big Bang more than 13.5 billion years ago. It was the nuclear reactions in these objects that would have created the first heavy atoms(原子)essential for life. Another goal for Webb will be to explore the atmospheres of distant planets. This will help researchers work out whether these worlds are in any way habitable.

1. What can we learn about the new space telescope?

A．An antenna helped it go into orbit.

B．It was named after a landscape architect.

C．It is a project of international cooperation.

D．It has reached its observing station.

2. What is Bill’s attitude towards the project?

A．Disapproving.	B．Supportive
C．Fearful.	D．Uncertain.

3. Why can Webb look further back in time than Hubble?

A．It is fitted with a more powerful engine.

B．It is capable of changing shapes.

C．It has a primary reflector.

D．It has a much bigger mirror

4. What is the last paragraph mainly about?

A．Suggestions for astronomers.	B．Origins of the universe.
C．Webb’s limitations	D．Webb’s functions.

3 . 阅读下面短文，根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写1个适当的单词，在给出 提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。

A new study shows rapid decline in insect populations. A growing number of the Earth’s insect population now can     1     (see) only in collections on exhibitions. Nobody’s seen those for 400 years. A new review of over 70 studies of insect populations     2       (suggest) that human pressures are causing insect populations to decrease by as much as a quarter every decade. The loss of species is inevitable (不可避免的) because often we don’t know     3     those species are doing or how other species are depending on them.

4 . 阅读下面短文，根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写1个适当的单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。

Pandas     1     (live) in China for over three million years. A giant panda has a typical bear’s body but is a distinctive black and white color, with black fur around the eyes and on the cars, legs, chest and shoulders, while the rest of the body is white. Giant pandas are the     2     (nation) treasure of China. A panda’s daily diet consists almost     3     (entire) of bamboo. Sometimes, however, they do not just eat bamboo. Only about 1% of their diet consists of other plants and even meat such as small rodents (啮齿动物).

5 . The Great Book Swap

Hi, sixth graders! My name is Tony Hill. I am president of the Windsor High School Student Council. Your teacher let me come to your class today to tell you about a reading project that we want to do, and we need your help.

If you’re like me, you love to read but sometimes have a hard time finding books you want to read. It seems as if the best books at the library are always checked out. To help get more books into people’s hands, we’re planning the Great Community (社区) Book Swap.

To make the project a success, we need everyone’s help. Ask your parents if there are any unused books taking up space. Ask your friends and neighbours to donate unwanted books. Maybe you have books you liked when you were younger but don’t read anymore. Bring them to school and make a young reader happy. We need all kinds of books for all kinds of readers!

There are many times I’d like to go buy new books, but I don’t have a lot of money to spend on them. Wouldn’t it be great to swap books right here in our community? Volunteers will organize the donated books. Then the books will be displayed at the community center. Everyone will be able to read and hopefully find the perfect book. Students will be allowed to choose up to two books during each day of the swap. Our plan is to have the book swap the first Saturday of every month.

If you like reading, just come and look through the collection of books. Each grade will have its own week to bring in books. Right now, eighth grade is bringing in books. When every grade has brought in books, we will have quite a selection. You will probably find at least one new book that you’d like to read. Who knows? Maybe you’ll find a book so good that you won’t be able to put it down.

What are you waiting for? Go home and clean out your bookshelves and closets!

1. Why did Tony Hill come to the class of sixth graders?

A．To explain a reading project.

B．To introduce a newly-built library.

C．To ask the students to help donate books.

D．To give the sixth graders advice on reading.

2. What is Paragraph 4 mainly about?

A．How the book swap will work.

B．When books will be brought in.

C．What kinds of books are needed.

D．Why the book swap is necessary.

3. What does the underlined sentence in the last paragraph indicate?

A．More books are needed in the future.

B．Volunteers play an important role in the project.

C．Everyone is sure to be able to find the books he wants.

D．Students have already started helping with the book swap.

4. Which of the following words best describes Tony Hill?

A．Realistic.

B．Convincing.

C．Independent.

D．Ambitious.

6 . 阅读下面短文，根据题目要求用英文回答问题。

Just as noise pollution negatively impacts human health, it also affects wildlife. It can affect animal communication, their abilities to find food and impact where they live. A recent study published in Biology Letters found that human-created noise is affecting a wide range of animals. Noise pollution is caused by cars, trucks, airplanes, ships, factories, industrial activities and sounds from cities, among others. Researchers found that wildlife in many different land and water ecosystems showed significant responses to human-created noise.

For example, bats use ultrasonic sound waves to get around and to find food. However, noise pollution affects this and causes them to spend more time and energy locating their food source. Shipping lanes in the UK can be deafening to harbor seals, and noises from ships are seriously impacting killer whales ability to find food and avoid potential dangers, according to episode 2 of CBC s Killers: J pod on the brink (边缘). And it’s no secret that many human-created conditions, like noise, are changing the behavior of birds. You may be surprised to learn that plants are also impacted, since pollinators (传粉昆虫) often relocate to quieter areas.

Not unlike the impact of light pollution on insects, noise pollution is causing change. It can change the types of species living in many different ecosystems, which in turn impacts the functions of these areas, according to The Guardian.

The good news is that if noise is reduced or simply turned off, it more or less removes the issue. The impact does not remain in the same way as other forms of pollution, like plastic or chemicals. And efforts are already underway in Canada.

BC Ferries is working to lessen the effects of underwater noise, especially along ferry routes that pass through critical habitats. WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society) Canada is encouraging the federal government to increase protective measures in the Arctic. They’re also working with international colleagues to address the increase of noise in the region as a result of new shipping routes.

While these initiatives demonstrate progress, tightening rules and regulations around noise pollution is an important measure for conserving wildlife in Canada.

1. Why do bats spend more time looking for food?
________________________________________________________________
2. What is the influence of noise pollution on ecosystems?
________________________________________________________________
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
Noise pollution affects animals in many ways, and compared with other forms of pollution, noise pollution is harder to deal with.
________________________________________________________________
4. Please give some advice on how to reduce the effects of noise pollution on animals. (In about 40 words)
________________________________________________________________

7 . As seasons change, you can do the same with your wellness routine. When winter comes, you can adapt your seasonal healthy habits to suit your surroundings. Whether you live in a cold climate or closer to the warm place, you can use the change in seasons as an opportunity to stay healthy.     1    

Fuel your body with winter vegetables. If you live in a climate with four seasons, only the strong survive when it comes to vegetables. Why not take advantage of the season by eating what grows at this time of year? Vegetables and leafy greens come packed with nutrients.     2    

Focus on mental health. Often, well-being focuses more on the physical side of staying healthy.     3     Winter is an especially crucial time to care for your mental health, as limited sunshine and time outside can lead to seasonal mood decline.

Try something new to stay active. Wintertime can mean shorter days and colder temperatures. This can often put staying active on the back burner, especially with unpleasant temperatures outside. Why not take the change in seasons as an opportunity to try something new?     4     The exercise may help balance your mood, strengthen bones and muscles, and improve sleep.

    5     Volunteering may improve mental health and could reduce depression. What do you have to offer to help others? Often during the winter holidays, organizations run seasonal donations, like collecting canned goods, blankets, and clothing. You could look for more hands-on ways to get involved. Even just a small act of kindness this winter can go a long way, both for your mental health and the well-being of others.

A．Commit to an act of kindness.

B．But mental health is just as important.

C．Why don’t you eat enough vegetables?

D．Here are some winter wellness routines.

E．This can help you keep your wellness in winter.

F．Maybe you can enjoy cold outdoor activities, like skiing.

G．Look for local winter vegetables native to your area at a local famer’s market.

8 . If you’ve ever worried that we’ve solved all the mysteries of nature, fear not. Minnesota’s Devil’s Kettle Falls has been attracting hikers and geologists for generations. At the falls, along Lake Superior’s North shore, a river forks at a rock outcrop. While one side runs down a two-step stone bank and continues on like a normal waterfall, the other side vanishes into a deep hole and disappears apparently forever.

And this baffling situation only gets strange when geologists start explaining Devil’s Kettle. Consider, for instance, the sheer quantity of water pouring into the kettle every minute of every day. While the idea of some kind of broad, underground river is an exciting device in movies, the reality is that those sorts of deep caves are rare.

Another idea is that millions of years ago, a hollow lava tube may have formed beneath the falls, in the subsurface layer of basalt (玄武岩) . Over time, the theory suggests, the falling water eroded (侵蚀) the surface and fell straight down into the ancient lava tube, providing wide-open access to the floor of Lake Superior. Again, there are problems with this theory, because no lava tubes have ever been found in any of the hundreds of exposed basalt beds in the area.

In February 2017, scientists said that water that disappears into the rock at Devil’s Kettle resurges in the stream below the falls. To confirm the theory, scientists plan on conducting a dye trace during a low-water flow period. They’ll pour a vegetable-based dye into the pothole and watch where the dye resurfaces. This is a fluorescent (发荧光的) , biodegradable dye that’s noticeable at 10 parts per billion, so the scientists will use only a few quarts.

“What we think is happening is the water is going in the kettle, and coming up pretty close to immediately downstream of the falls,” Green said.

Green admits that if the dye is found below the falls like the scientists suspect, then much of the Devil’s Kettle Falls mystery will be gone. “There’s a little bit of that,” he said, “that folks aren’t going to stand there and wonder. But it will still be a fascinating spot, and a beautiful spot.”

1. What is the purpose of writing the first paragraph?

A．To explain the formation of waterfalls.

B．To introduce a mysterious natural phenomenon.

C．To describe a beautiful landscape scene.

D．To recommend an unusual waterfall to readers.

2. What does the underlined word “baffling” mean?

A．Astonishing.

B．Interesting.

C．Puzzling.

D．Challenging.

3. What can we infer from the 2017 theory?

A．It hasn’t been proved yet.	B．It is considered ridiculous.
C．It is deeply doubted.	D．It is supported fully in evidence.

4. What is the most suitable title for the text?

A．The exploration of Devil’s Kettle Falls

B．The disappearance of Devil’s Kettle Falls

C．The truth behind Devil’s Kettle Falls

D．The mystery of Devil’s Kettle Falls

9 . Paula Perry has a multi-page spreadsheet (电子数据表) titled “Squirrels”, which details the health and wellness of tiny, injured baby squirrels she keeps in her house.

Perry keeps careful notes on the more than 70 struggling baby squirrels she has rescued and rehabilitated (使康复) over the past 13 years at her home.

“They’re tiny little helpless things, and they’ll die,” said Perry, 62, who, appropriately, is known around her neighborhood as the “Squirrel Lady”.

Perry’s squirrel rescue efforts started in 2010, when her neighbor spotted a baby squirrel hanging from a tree. Perry did what seemed obvious to her: She brought the 3 week old squirrel in for medical assistance. “I could tell he was seriously injured,” said Perry. She took him to a local vet that offers wildlife care. While at the vet’s, Perry struck up a conversation with Trish Styles, a veterinary technician, who told her about wildlife rehabilitators—people who volunteer to house ailing (有病的) wild animals, and nurse them back to health. On the spot, Perry decided to become one.

“They chew your electrical wires, which they do,” she said. “A lot of people don’t like squirrels because they’re quite destructive. I don’t care. I love them.” Although squirrels can have bad effect on homes and telephone lines and are therefore considered pests, they are not as destructive as rats and mice. They also serve an important ecological function and have been called “nature’s gardeners”, since they regularly bury seeds—which helps to expand forest diversity and growth.

As she helps the baby squirrels heal and grow, they bring her joy. Letting a squirrel go can sometimes be sad, she said, but it also gives her a sense of pride and purpose. “You can tell when they’re ready to release, because they go crazy in the cage,” she explained. Often, though, they come back to visit her—which, she said, is a major thrill. She keeps pecans and walnuts on hand to supply them with snacks. “I think they recognize my voice,” Perry said, adding that she can recognize them, too. “I always know that it’s one of mine.”

1. Why is Perry called “Squirrel Lady”?

A．She likes to take squirrels as pets.

B．She keeps track of squirrels in the wild.

C．She attends to the injured squirrels carefully.

D．She has food in store for squirrels at any time.

2. What did Perry decide to become when chatting with Styles?

A．A medical assistant.	B．A volunteer at a clinic.
C．A vet technician.	D．A wildlife rehabilitator.

3. Why do a lot of people dislike squirrels?

A．They eat up the seeds of plants.

B．They often cause damage at home.

C．They love burying telephone lines secretly.

D．They usually destroy forest diversity and growth.

4. What shows a squirrel’s desire for being released?

A．Their uneasiness in the cage.	B．Their reluctance to eat snacks.
C．Their keeping motionless all day.	D．Their letting out sharp sounds.

10 . 阅读短文，根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写1个适当的单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。

Mid-Autumn Festival, or Mid-autumn Day, is the second grandest festival in China after the Chinese New Year. It is named so for that it is celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month,     1     is always in the middle of the autumn season in China.

The day is also known as the Moon Festival. In Chinese culture, full moon     2     (symbolize) reunion, so that they reunite with their families     3     celebrations. They worship the moon together, appreciate the moon together, enjoy reunion dinner and even share one mooncake     4     (celebrate) the reunion.