1 . Poaching and habitat loss have threatened Africa's two species of elephants, taking them closer toward the edge of disappearance, according to a new report released by the International Union for Conservation of Nature(IUCN).

Before this update, Africa's elephants were grouped together and were evaluated as vulnerable by the IUCN. This is the first time the two species have been sorted separately. In the past, elephants were mostly considered as either Asian elephants or African elephants. Forest and savanna elephants were typically classified as subspecies of African elephants.

The African forest elephant is now listed as critically endangered and the African savanna elephant as endangered. The number of African forest elephants fell by more than 86% over a 31 -year assessment period. The population of African savanna elephants dropped by at least 60% over the last 50 years, according to the IUCN, which tracks the assessment risk of the world's animals. Africa currently has an estimated 415,000 elephants, counting the two species together.

Both elephant species experienced significant population decreases because of poaching. Although it peaked in 2011, illegal hunting still happens and continues to threaten elephant populations. African elephants also face continued habitat loss as their land is converted for agriculture or other uses.

There is some good conservation news, the IUCN points out. Anti-poaching measures, combined with better land use planning to support better human-wildlife relationships, have helped conservation efforts. Some forest elephant population figures have stabilized in well-managed areas in Gabon and the Republic of Congo and savanna population figures have remained stable or have been growing, particularly in the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area in southern Africa.

But with constant demand for ivory and increasing human pressures on Africa's wild lands, concern for Africa's elephants is high, and the need to creatively conserve and wisely manage these animals and their habitats is more severe than ever.

1. What can be inferred from the new report about African elephants?

A．They are divided into three kinds.	B．They are dying out.
C．Their threat is mainly from poaching.	D．Their population has grown in Africa.

2. What does the author mainly tell us in Paragraph 3?

A．The detailed number of African elephants.	B．The similarities of African elephants.
C．The different types of African elephants.	D．The present situation of African elephants.

3. What does the underlined word "converted" in Paragraph 4 probably mean?

A．Expanded.

B．Protected.

C．Transformed.

D．Forbidden.

4. What's the authors attitude to the present situation of African elephants?

A．Hopeless.

B．Optimistic.

C．Uncertain.

D．Worried.

2 . How to make true friends

Whether your friendship lasts for a season or a lifetime, here are some ways to make true friends.

Be friendly to people. Your actions should show them that you are a true friend and, in return, they will probably be a true friend to you as well.     1     You can't expect someone to be a true friend if you're not a true friend.

    2     Although life changes may separate you, you can call each other on the phone, visit each other, write letters, send cards, and communicate online through email and social networking sites.

Find friends with some similar interests. You don't have to have everything in common, but it would be helpful if you had some things in common.     3    

Learn the difference between good friends and bad friends.     4     They are always honest with you and they don't do things to hurt you. Bad friends are those who do not seem to value the friendship. They may never be there for you when you need them or do things that are hurtful to you.

    5     Once you recognize the differences in good friends and bad friends, decide which friends you want to stay connected with and which ones you're better off without. The friends who will stick with you through good times and bad times are true friends. Let them know that you appreciate your friendship and be sure to stay a true friend to them.

A．Choose your friends carefully.

B．Keep in touch with each other.

C．Accept your friends for who they are.

D．You have to treat people the way you want to be treated.

E．Show your respect to your friends no matter what happens.

F．Good friends are those who are there for you when you need them.

G．Having things in common gives you someone to share and enjoy doing something together.

3 . For any person who must speak in public, to business or pleasure groups, humor is a helpful and necessary tool for getting your message across. Why does humor work a lot? There are several reasons.

People will enjoy what you have to say if it is presented with humor. But，more importantly，if you are in a situation where important，and perhaps controversial (有争议的) ，ideas must be presented to less than open minds, humor allows those ideas to be presented in a non­threatening(无威胁的) manner. Abraham Lincoln was famous for his ability to relate humorous stories to make a point. Humor used carefully throughout a presentation will also keep the listeners' interest high. In a word, individuals learning how to use humor in their speeches can strengthen arguments, support interesting presentations and, most of all，entertain their audience in a positive and comfortable way.

While popular culture may well hold many kinds of humor，some of it has no place in presentations that are designed to educate and encourage the audience. If you want to become a professional excellent comedian whose goal is 100% entertainment, then you may be able to use some of the reference materials like The Art of Using Humor in Public Speaking. They can help you develop your skills and sources of humor. To that end, your participation in this study of humor will become necessary. Hopefully, you will come to appreciate the special difficulty of entertaining the audience with good and clean humor.

1. How many reasons does the author give for using humor?

A．Two.	B．Three.
C．Four.	D．Five.

2. What's the purpose of excellent comedians?

A．To educate the audience.	B．To encourage the audience.
C．To entertain the audience.	D．To exchange with the audience.

3. Why did the author suggest reading The Art of Using Humor in Public Speaking?

A．It was good for training one's skills of humor.

B．It helped the readers relax after work.

C．It gave some tips on how to live a positive life.

D．It was a textbook for professional excellent comedians.

4. Which of the following has a similar meaning to the underlined word “end” in the last paragraph?

A．finishing	B．conclusion
C．stop	D．result

4 . Nearly all our food comes from the soil. Some of us eat meat, of course, but animals live on plants. If there were no plants, we would have no animals and no meat. So the soil is very necessary for life. The top of the ground is usually covered with grass or other plants. There may be dead leaves and dead plants on the grass. The waste matter(粪) from animals also falls on it.

All soil needs food. If we do not give it any, the plants will be weak. Farmers found that animals' waste is the best food for the soil, but chemical fertilizers(化肥) are also very useful. The same crop should not be grown in the same place every year; it's better to have a different crop. A change of crop and the use of a good fertilizer will keep the land good.

1. What would happen first without plants?

A．People would have more crops.	B．Animals would die.
C．There would be more food.	D．There would be less soil.

2. What does the writer tell us in the first paragraph?

A．Leaves, plants, grass and waste live on each other.

B．There would be no animals without meat.

C．There would be no plants without animals.

D．People, animals, plants and soil live on each other.

3. Which is the best food for soil in the field?

A．Chemical fertilizers.	B．Plants and grass.
C．Animals' waste.	D．Different crops.

4. Why do we often grow a different crop in the same place every year?

A．Because we can keep the soil rich this way.

B．Because we don't have enough land.

C．Because we want to have a different food.

D．Because we do this as a habit.

5 . Mobile apps have been part of our life. The following apps are part of the most popular ones.

	Ctrip can be the best helper when you feel it hard to buy the train or plane tickets. You can buy tickets anywhere at any time on it. Next time when you want to go to another city or country, you may use it to get tickets.
	Ximalaya FM has lots of books including poems, short stories and even fairy tales for children. What's special about it is that you can listen to all these books on it. It's so wonderful, isn't it?
	Baby Bus is a very good friend for children under three years old. Kids can learn to speak, know numbers and draw pictures with the help of this app. Do you have a little brother or sister under three? If so, use it to help him or her.
	BaiCiZhan can help you learn more, English words through pictures. So, if you have problems remembering the new words when you learn English, use it! I'm sure you will make great progress in learning English.

1. If you are going to see your friend in another city, you may use________ to buy a train ticket.

A．BaiCiZhan	B．Ximalaya FM
C．Baby Bus	D．Ctrip

2. You can't________ on Ximalaya FM.

A．find short stories

B．find fairy tales

C．download films to watch

D．listen to many books

3. If your sister is________, you may download Baby Bus for her.

A．two years old	B．six years old
C．five years old	D．eight years old

4. BaiCizhan can help you________.

A．buy tickets	B．remember English words
C．draw pictures	D．read lots of books

5. What is the purpose of the text?

A．To introduce four English learning apps.

B．To introduce four useful mobile apps.

C．To introduce four types of mobile phones.

D．To introduce four computer games for children.

6 . If your cellphone suddenly stops working, don't blame the service provider. The malfunction(故障) might have been caused by something bigger—a solar storm. Experts expect that the earth will see more solar activities in the near future. The malfunction of electronic devices is just one of the effects.

Sunspots(太阳黑子) serve as an indicator(标志) of the sun’s activity. For the past two years, sunspots have mostly been missing. Their absence, the longest in nearly 100 years, has taken even sun watchers by surprise.

When the number of sunspots drops at the end of each 11-year cycle, solar storms die down and all become much calmer. This "solar minimum" doesn’t' t last long. Within a year, sunspots and solar storms begin to build toward a new crescendo—the next solar maximum.

What's special about this latest cycle is that the sun is having trouble starting the next solar cycle. The sun began to calm down in late 2007, so no one expected many sunspots in 2008. They should return in 2010. Scientists have predicted that the next solar cycle could be the most active on record: more sunspots and more solar storms. However, sunspots are mostly missing now

Since the earth is in close contact with the sun, strong solar activities can bring trouble to our life. People of the 21st century rely on high-tech systems for the basics of daily life. Air travel and radio communications can be affected by strong solar activities. A big solar storm could cause 20 times more economic damage than Hurricane Katrina.

What the sun will do next is beyond our ability to predict. Most astronomers think that the solar cycle will go on but at low level. However, there is also evidence that the sun is losing its ability to produce sunspots. By 2015, they could be gone altogether.

1. The sun watchers feel surprised at

A．the longest sunspots' absence	B．the largest sunspot number
C．the malfunction of electronic devices	D．the serious damage by sunspots

2. What does the underlined word “crescendo” in Paragraph 3 most probably mean?

A．small number	B．high level
C．usual cycle	D．fresh start

3. Which statement does the text lead you to believe?

A．Solar activities do no harm to our daily life

B．Hurricane Katrina is also a type of solar storms

C．It's difficult to predict sunspots.

D．From now on there're no sunspots.

7 . Tips for Choosing a Career

Choosing a career is one of the most important decisions you will ever make. Most people spend half or more of their waking hours five days a week at their jobs. While selecting a career can be a difficult process, the following tips can make this process easier for you.

Extensive reading about potential careers is vital.     1     It’s important to collect vital information such as career descriptions, career outlooks, employment statistics, educational requirements, and potential earnings.

    2     Do this frequently since these lists keep changing. A “hot job” today may not be “hot” next year or the year after next year. When evaluating these lists, keep in mind your interests, skills and job satisfaction requirements.

Find a mentor. Many colleges and employers have a formal mentoring program.     3     It is a great way to learn about a career, and a mentor can provide valuable networking opportunities. “Mentworking” is a new trend which combines mentoring and networking, and which has shown good results.

Interviewing people in the field is an excellent way to learn about the various aspects of a career.     4     Informational interviews often change a person’s perspective about an occupation. You can find interview candidates by asking friends, teachers and neighbors. You can also contact relevant professional associations and societies and visit appreciate social and professional networking sites online.

The skills required for a career are an essential factor for an individual’s potential for success in that career. Write a list of the skills needed for a particular field. Place a check next to each skill you possess.    5    

Your skills should be a vital factor in your career selection process. A satisfying career is often built upon a match with what you are naturally good at. Natural strengths allow an individual to work with ease and acquire expertise faster.

A．Also, formal mentoring organizations are available that match mentors with individuals.

B．Doing this may also provide good social communication opportunities.

C．At last, please count the number of checks you have.

D．Potential careers are the jobs which you will have in the future.

E．You will discover details about careers that you were not aware of.

F．The more checks you make, the more likely this field is right for you.

G．Look for lists of “hot jobs” on the Internet and in magazines.

8 . When Harrison School District 2 turned to e-learning last spring, they made sure to provide each student with a laptop and the tools needed to succeed at home. But one remaining need in many families was Internet access.

Christine O’Brien, spokesperson for District 2 said, "When you had many people learning and working from home, sometimes there were Internet glitches. We wanted to avoid that and make sure students in our district could have equal chances to learn and that our families could learn from home as well."

O’Brien said that this year they made sure to survey each of their students to see who exactly needed the Internet.

“This year we were really specific about asking whether families had Internet service at home without a phone," she said. They discovered that about a thousand families needed some sort of Internet connection.

And that’s where Altia came into play. A local software company heard there was an Internet shortage for students and it stepped in to see how they could help. Teaming up with local foundations (基金会), they were able to provide a monthly Internet service that allows many people to have Internet access at the same time. Mike Juran, CEO of Altia said; “At Altia we talked to Randy Rocha at District 2 and I just put out an email to friends and people that I knew and that made its way back to Pikes Peak Community Foundation and Norwood Foundation and people spread that around. Within weeks we were able to get something done."

"The community came together and helped us piece this part. We worked so hard as a school district to get those devices into the hands of students but this was a piece that we weren’t ready to do. We hadn’t budgeted (预算) for it, so the community’s coming together to help our families in this way was really truly amazing," said O’Brien.

1. What does the underlined word “glitches” in Paragraph 2 mean?

A．Users.

B．Services.

C．Problems.

D．Repairmen.

2. What did Harrison School District 2 do according to O’Brien?

A．They kept track of students’ situations.

B．They sold laptops to students cheaply.

C．They kept holding new learning programs.

D．They encouraged students to treat each other equally.

3. How did Altia help to make e-learning easier?

A．By visiting the families every month.

B．By sending emails to students every week.

C．By setting up a local foundation to raise money.

D．By offering Internet service to students in need.

4. Why was O’Brien so thankful for the community?

A．It inspired students to be helpful and active.

B．It helped deliver devices to the hands of students.

C．It added a big part to the school’s planned budget.

D．It solved things the school district was unprepared for.

9 . Rome can be pricey for travelers, which is why many choose to stay in a hostel (旅社). The hostels in Rome offer a bed in a dorm room for around $25 a night, and for that, you’ll often get to stay in a central location (位置) with security and comfort.

Yellow Hostel

If I had to make just one recommendation for where to stay in Rome, it would be Yellow Hostel. It’s one of the best-rated hostels in the city, and for good reason. It’s affordable, and it’s got a fun atmosphere without being too noisy. As an added bonus, it’s close to the main train station.

Hostel Alessandro Palace

If you love social hostels, this is the best hostel for you in Rome. Hostel Alessandro Palace is fun. Staff members hold plenty of bar events for guests like free shots, bar crawls and karaoke. There’s also an area on the rooftop for hanging out with other travelers during the summer.

Youth Station Hostel

If you’re looking for cleanliness and a modern hostel, look no further than Youth Station. It offers beautiful furnishings and beds. There are plenty of other benefits, too; it doesn’t charge city tax; it has both air conditioning and a heater for the rooms; it also has free Wi-Fi in every room.

Hotel and Hostel Des Artistes

Hotel and Hostel Des Artistes is located just a 10-minute walk from the central city station and it’s close to all of the city’s main attractions. The staff is friendly and helpful, providing you with a map of the city when you arrive, and offering advice if you require some. However, you need to pay 2 euros a day for Wi-Fi.

1. What is probably the major concern of travelers who choose to stay in a hostel?

A．Comfort.	B．Security.
C．Price.	D．Location.

2. Which hotel best suits people who enjoy an active social life?

A．Yellow Hostel.	B．Hostel Alessandro Palace.
C．Youth Station Hostel.	D．Hotel and Hostel Des Artistes.

3. What is the disadvantage of Hotel and Hostel Des Artistes?

A．It gets noisy at night.	B．Its staff is too talkative.
C．It charges for Wi-Fi.	D．It’s inconveniently located.

10 . The Biggest Stadiums in the World

People have been pouring into stadiums since the days of ancient Greece. In around 80 A.D., the Romans built the Colosseum, which remains the world’s best known stadium and continues to inform contemporary design. Rome’s Colosseum was 157 feet tall and had 80 entrances, seating 50,000 people. However, that was small fry compared with the city’s Circus Maximus, which accommodated around 250,000 people.

These days, safety regulations-not to mention the modern sports fan’s desire for a good view and comfortable seat — tend to keep stadium capacities (容量) slightly lower. Even soccer fans tend to have a seat each; gone are the days of thousands standing to watch the match.

For the biggest stadiums in the world, we have used data supplied by the World Atlas list so far, which ranks them by their stated permanent capacity, as well as updated information from official stadium websites.

All these stadiums are still functional, still open and still hosting the biggest events in world sport.

·Rungrado 1st of May Stadium, Pyongyang D.P.R. Korea. Capacity: 150,000. Opened: May 1,1989.

·Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Michigan, U. S. Capacity: 107,601. Opened: October 1, 1927.

·Beaver Stadium, State College, Pennsylvania, U. S. Capacity: 106,572. Opened: September 17, 1960.

·Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio, U. S. Capacity: 104,944. Opened: October 7,1922.

·Kyle Field, College Station, Texas, U. S. Capacity: 102,512. Opened: September 24, 1927.

1. How many people could the Circus Maximus hold?

A．104,944.

B．107,601.

C．About 150,000.

D．About 250,000.

2. Of the following stadiums, which is the oldest?

A．Michigan Stadium.

B．Beaver Stadium.

C．Ohio Stadium.

D．Kyle Field.

3. What do the listed stadiums have in common?

A．They host big games.	B．They have become tourist attractions.
C．They were built by Americans.	D．They are favored by architects.