1 . A blue hole is a special kind of underwater cave found inland or in the sea, which forms when the earth above a cave falls in and water fills the space.
An inland blue hole’s water is very still and has different layers. A layer of fresh rainwater floats on top of salt water; the fresh water keeps oxygen from the atmosphere from reaching the salt water; brightly colored bacteria live where the two layers meet.
Diving into blue holes is very dangerous. Near the top of the blue hole, there is a layer of toxic gas, which causes itching, headache, and—in large amounts—death. Divers must also be fast. They have to get in and out of a cave before their oxygen runs out. Additionally, divers have to follow a guideline as they swim through a blue hole because it is very dark inside. Without the guideline, they may get lost.
If blue holes are so dangerous, why do explorers and scientists risk their lives to explore them? The reason is that these underwater caves can provide valuable scientific information. They provide clues about geology, archaeology, and biology. For example, some blue hole creatures probably haven’t changed for millions of years.
The blue holes could even provide clues about astrobiology. For example, divers have found bacteria there that can live without oxygen. Astrobiologist Kevin Hand says the bacteria may be similar to forms of life that might exist on Jupiter’s fourth largest moon, Europa. “Our study of life’s extremes on Earth,” he says, can help increase “our understanding of habitable environments off Earth.”
In addition, the oxygen-free environment of the blue holes preserves bones of humans and animals that fell into the caves long ago. By studying blue holes, we can understand what life was like in prehistoric times. As cave diver Kenny Broad says, “I can think of no other environment on Earth that is so challenging to explore and gives us back so much scientifically.”
1. What’s the main idea of Paragraph 1?| A．The definition of a blue hole. | B．The location of a blue hole. |
| C．The formation of a blue hole. | D．The structure of a blue hole. |
| A．In the saltwater layer. |
| B．In the freshwater layer. |
| C．In between the freshwater and saltwater layers. |
| D．In both of the freshwater and saltwater layers. |
| A．The study of life on Earth. |
| B．The study of life in the universe. |
| C．The study of life in prehistoric times. |
| D．The study of life in oxygen-free environment. |
| A．They’re oxygen-free and lifeless. | B．They’re free of air and light. |
| C．They’re death zones and mysterious. | D．They’re poisonous and dark. |
2 . The Best Photography Contests to Enter
Moscow International Foto Awards
Deadline: April 30,2023
Prize: The Photographer of the Year title along with a $ 3,000 prize
There are nine: categories for you to enter. The entry expenses vary according to the level of proficiency, and students can enter at a reduced price. Here you can hand in up to twenty images. which can be individual images or photo series in either category.
Monochrome Photography Awards
Deadline: November 13,2022
There’re thirteen categories to enter, ranging across landscapes, fashion and abstract photography. If you’re in the top three of any of them, you will get a certificate and an exhibition of-your work. Each image costs $15.The only rule is that the image has to be black and white.
Prize:$ 2,000,certificate and exhibition
World Press Photography Awards
Deadline: January 13,2023
Prize:$ 5,000 for each category
There’re eight categories for you to enter. Each of these is aiming to find the best visual journalist in that particular field. Every category is judged by three photographers specializing in that area. The competition definitely captures the reality of our world. If you’re a press photographer and feel like you’re excellent at capturing important contemporary topics, this contest is for you.
BigPicture Natural World Photography Awards
Deadline: March 3,2023
Prize: Each category winner receives $1,000
The contest accepts nature, wildlife and protection images from all around the world, organized into seven categories. Sea life, wild animals, and humans’ interaction with nature are especially welcome. You can hand in up to 10 single images for $ 25,or 4-6 images in the Photo Story category for $ 10.
1. What is special about Moscow International Foto Awards?| A．It only accepts color images. |
| B．It has the biggest number of categories. |
| C．There are discounts for students. |
| D．Participants have to hand in 20 images. |
| A．Moscow International Foto Awards. |
| B．Monochrome Photography Awards. |
| C．World Press Photography Awards. |
| D．BigPicture Natural World Photography Awards. |
| A．A new start. |
| B．Meet the muse. |
| C．Times change. |
| D．At one with nature. |
注意：
1. 字数80 字左右；
2. 不得透露班级、姓名等任何个人信息。
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Merna, a girl who lived in Poland, was in love with a Polish soldier, who marched away to fight in World War I. Later on, she began to dream about him.
The first dream came in October, 1918, about a month before the end of the war. In the dream she saw her boyfriend in a dark place among some rocks or stones. He was trying to move some of them, but he could not do so. So he stopped trying and sat down on the ground alone in the dark.
She had this dream several times, but then in the following summer it changed. In the new dream she saw a castle on a hill. Part of the castle had fallen down and there were a lot of stones on the ground below the broken part. She went towards the stones in her dream, and then she heard the voice of her boyfriend. The voice came from under the stones, and so she tried to lift some of them. But she was too weak to do this, and she had to go sadly away.
This dream took the place of the old one, and she saw the same stones several times in her sleep on other nights. She told her mother about it, and a lot of other people heard about the dream. But they did not care very much. A girl’s dreams were not important to other people.
Merna decided that she ought to find that castle. She was quite sure that it was a real one, but there were a lot of old castles in that part of Poland. There was little hope of finding a special one among so many. But the dreams continued, and one day Merna could not bear it any longer. She had to find that castle. So she began a long journey on foot.
注意：
1. 所续写短文的词数应为l50左右；
2. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好，不计入总词数。
3. 续写前，请认真思考下列问题。
Did Merna finally find the castle? What did she do then?
Was her boyfriend rescued? How?
注意，以上问题不需要回答，只为续写思路提供部分思考依据，并不代表全部续写情节！
Paragraph 1:
Day after day she went onwards, looking for the castle.
Paragraph 2:
Merna knew it was the voice of her boyfriend.
5 . Learning to Accept
I learned how to accept life as it is from my father.
My father was once a strong man who loved being active, but a terrible illness
I was also
Sometimes I
| A．Afterwards | B．Therefore | C．However | D．Meanwhile |
| A．tired | B．weak | C．poor | D．slow |
| A．took | B．threw | C．sent | D．put |
| A．impossible | B．difficult | C．stressful | D．hopeless |
| A．decisions | B．experiences | C．expectations | D．beliefs |
| A．suggests | B．promises | C．seems | D．requires |
| A．spoke | B．turned | C．summed | D．opened |
| A．something | B．anything | C．nothing | D．everything |
| A．Surprisingly | B．Immediately | C．Naturally | D．Certainly |
| A．had | B．accepted | C．gained | D．enjoyed |
| A．touched | B．astonished | C．attracted | D．warned |
| A．quiet | B．calm | C．relaxed | D．happy |
| A．ready | B．likely | C．free | D．able |
| A．doubt | B．wonder | C．know | D．guess |
| A．award | B．gift | C．lesson | D．word |
1. What should shy people do to start a suitable conversation?
| A．Smile at people. |
| B．Feel good about themselves. |
| C．Have some interesting topics to discuss. |
| A．Bad behaviors. |
| B．Negative thinking. |
| C．Growing up in a poor family. |
| A．Dress nicely. | B．Speak in public often. | C．Play sports more often. |
1. Why did the man hesitate when he was first told the news?
| A．He knew he was not qualified. |
| B．He was afraid it would take up too much time. |
| C．He was not interested in becoming a student leader. |
| A．It will greatly affect his studies. |
| B．It won’t make any difference to him. |
| C．It will help him gain a lot of experience. |
| A．Attending social activities. |
| B．Doing her schoolwork. |
| C．Writing books. |
1. What was the purpose of Mrs. White’s visits to Kew Gardens?
| A．To meet her favorite writer. |
| B．To learn more about plants. |
| C．To write an article on gardens. |
| A．In Dorset. | B．In West London. | C．In Somerset. |
| A．She grows them from seeds. |
| B．She buys them from a market. |
| C．She gets them from her friends. |
| A．Tourist and gardener. |
| B．Newspaper reporter and garden owner. |
| C．College professor and biology student. |
1. What’s unusual about the woman today?
| A．She spoke to her boss rudely. |
| B．She made too many mistakes. |
| C．She finished all of today’s work quickly. |
| A．Not having a holiday. | B．Too much work. | C．Her poor health. |
| A．The woman will be fired. |
| B．The woman will get a raise. |
| C．The woman will have a short rest at home. |
1. Where does the conversation take place?
| A．In a lab. | B．In a hospital. | C．In a park. |
| A．Go to find her bike. |
| B．Try to move her fingers. |
| C．Get an X-ray examination. |
