1 . Portugal’s white storks (鹳) were once a migratory bird (候鸟), known to leave the area each winter to travel to Africa’s warmer climate, but recently they have been staying put.

Surprisingly, though, the storks’ number has actually been on the rise. There are now thought to be more than 14,000 birds in Portugal in winter — a ten-time increase over the last 20 years. Any unusual change of an animal’s natural behavior often has negative influences.

It has been thought that their increase has a close relationship with a growing number of landfill sites (垃圾填埋场) in the area, providing the birds with a supply of fatty and dirty rubbish to eat, including junk food. Was it the junk food that stopped them migrating, or is Europe’s warming climate to criticize? Researchers sought to figure out exactly why their natural behavior had changed in this way. To understand, a team kept an eye on 48 white storks by equipping them with small GPS computers, which recorded their movements five times a day, checking how often they traveled to landfill sites as well as how fast they flew.

The conclusions were shocking. The birds also established more homes next to landfill sites — the team said that 80% of white storks were spending most of their time by the rubbish all year round, according to the results. The storks eat almost anything. “Every time after a truck with rubbish came, they collected what they could,” says Aldina Franco of the University of East Anglia in the UK. The storks have even been known to eat plastic, including old computer parts. “Really what they are trying to get at is rubbish that we throw away... like hamburgers, burnt meat and fish,” said Franco.

This rich and colorful supply of food will soon become hard to find, though, as new laws from European Union (EU) order that waste food be recycled. Open-air landfills will also be replaced by covered equipment, which birds will not be able to eat.

The white storks therefore face an uncertain future. Will they migrate to Africa as they had done for hundreds of years before, or will they stay put? No one knows. “I wonder what the Portuguese storks will do once the landfill sites are all closed, and we are going to continue to watch these storks and see how they will respond to the changes,” said Aldina Franco.

1. What do you know about the team’s research?

A．Researchers equipped 48 small computers on white storks.

B．The GPS computers were used to record white storks’ movements.

C．The conclusions the team got were the same as they predicted.

D．Researchers found Europe’s warming climate accounted for storks’ staying put.

2. What can be inferred from paragraph 4?

A．The landfill made the storks lose their homes.

B．The landfill helped increase the number of storks.

C．Open-air landfills will be replaced and storks will die out.

D．The landfill gave the storks food and in turn, influenced where they lived.

3. What can we learn from what Aldina Franco said?

A．He will continue to do research on white storks.

B．The Portuguese storks can eat whatever we throw away.

C．People should prepare more healthy food for white storks.

D．White storks will migrate to Africa if the landfill sites are closed.

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．White Stork Will Migrate Again After Rubbish Is Recycled

B．White Storks’ Staying Put Contributed to Rubbish Recycling

C．White Storks’ Staying Put in Winter Concerned Scientists

D．Climate Change will Be the Test for White Storks’ Migration

2 . Avoid These Five Gardening Mistakes

Much of gardening is learned by trial and error — that means, from mistakes. We have all been in that situation. Here is a list of five common gardening mistakes with advice on how to avoid them.

Not testing soil

Having the right pH level, a measure of acidity(酸性), for the soil is important for gardening success.     1    . Tomatoes, for example, grow best in soil with a pH between 6.0-6.8. Blueberry plants, however, will likely turn yellow and produce little if the pH is higher than 5.5. That is because nutrients are suitable for plants only at target pH levels.

Watering incorrectly

Most garden plants require 2.5 to nearly four centimeters of water weekly. The water could come from rainfall or from your home. Mold and bacterial(霉菌、细菌引起的) diseases, however, could spread if too much water becomes caught between plant parts.     2    . Make sure to direct water to roots, where it is needed. Avoid watering leaves, fruit and flowers.

Not composting(堆肥）

    3    . It improves the drainage(排水) of heavy clay soil, increases the water-holding ability of sand and adds high-quality nutrients. Add compost into new beds, or add an amount equal to half the removed soil to individual planting holes.

    4    

A plant that needs “full sun” will likely disappoint if planted in an area without sunshine. The same is true the other way around. And do not put “drought-tolerant(耐旱的)” plants, or plants that can survive long periods without water, in “poorly-draining, wet soil.” Choose the plants that are right for your growing conditions. The result will be a better-looking, healthier garden that requires less care and less work.

Improper mulching(用覆盖物覆盖)

Mulch is material made out of old leaves, wood or compost.     5    . It also prevents unwanted plants, or weeds from growing. So, it is an important part of every garden. Mulching incorrectly, however, can kill your plants.

A．Wrong plant, wrong place

B．Close your eyes to plants or flowers

C．It can keep water and heat in the soil

D．The pH level isn’t the same in different parts of the garden

E．Compost, made of food or plant waste, is a gardener’s best friend

F．Add five to seven centimeters of water around plants several times a day

G．Too much water can spread these problems from infected (传染) leaves to healthy ones

3 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Liu Cong, a 34-year-old illustrator (插画师), attracted by one particular aspect of the splendid city, the hutong,     1     (live) in Beijing since 2012. She enjoys     2     (ride) a bicycle and wandering through hutong neighborhoods. These narrow alleys consisting of trees, small shops and gray-walled courtyards, or siheyuan, contribute to a sense     3     community and offer a glance of a fast-disappearing way of life.

Last year, Liu moved to a courtyard in Chaodou hutong,     4     her friend, architect Jie Xiaofeng, had stayed for many years. There, Liu started a series of illustrations. With those 23 illustrations being displayed at the Shijia Hutong Museum now, in an     5     (exhibit) titled Wandering, Liu is popular among illustrators.

“Each of the     6     (yard) hidden in the hutong, as is known to people,     7     (be) different and full of the wisdom of the enthusiastic residents, who     8     (full) use the limited space     9     (create) comfortable and convenient surroundings for their families,” says architect Jie. What she loves about living in the hutong is     10     it offers a kind of close connection with her neighbors.

4 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入 1 个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

When it comes to building their dream home, people have a lot of different ideas. However, some people decide to avoid    1    (tradition) architecture, and build something completely different, for instance, a container house. That’s exactly what designer Will Breaux did and now he’s a proud     2    (own) of a house built out of shipping containers. His new home is located on McGowen Street in Houston. The containers are piled on top    3    each other to create a three-story house.

Breaux wanted to build his own house since the early 2000s, however, for a long time he struggled     4    (find) someone who would design the kind of house he wanted, so eventually Breaux decided to do it     5    (he). Breaux got the idea of a container house many years ago. Why containers? “Shipping containers are strong, fireproof, long-lasting, hurricane resistant, and have common characteristics,” Breaux explains.

However, the man,     6     is not a professional builder, had little knowledge of     7    it would take to build his dream house. But he was determined to do everything he could.

After long hours spent    8    (learn) everything about constructing a house out of shipping containers, Breaux possesses     9     impressive 2, 500-square-foot house. Now the house is     10     (full) furnished (装修) and looks just like Breaux had imagined it.

5 . “The first thing that came to my mind was, ‘They re having a worse night than me,’ and so that’s when I offered to help,” Landry Scott said.

Recognizing how _________it was and realizing he had better _________in his car, Landry approached Randy Head and asked if he needed any assistance (帮助).

Randy, who lived in a tent in a wooded area, _________ the last of the money in his pocket to put air in a young woman’ s spare tire (备胎). He said that there was “nothing amazing about the generous act; it was just “the decent (正当的) thing to do” . He said, “I haven t cured cancer. I’m not Superman. I just _________a tire, I was simply helping out another in _________.”

The 61-year-old said he thought of his daughters when he noticed the female driver get out of her car, and how he hoped someone would _________ them if they were in trouble. Having done hard labor for over 30 years before becoming homeless last year, Randy said he was _________to get his hands dirty once again.

The woman offered him $20 for his help, but Randy politely _________ the money.

Landry _________ the story online, along with two pictures of Randy helping the woman. The post has since been shared nearly 3, 000 times. Strangers who saw Landry’s post reached out to him and __________how they could help, so the next day Landry __________ the homeless man and asked him what he needed.

Randy responded that he wouldn’t mind somewhere to __________from the cold and windy weather. Landry then__________Randy a room at the Red Roof Inn for five nights. Also, Landry has already__________ $2,850 for Randy.

“I m still the __________nobody I was before Monday night,” Randy said.

“But if one positive thing can come out of all of this, I hope to re-establish common decency and common respect because neither of those things is that common anymore.”

1.

A．bright

B．cold

C．dangerous

D．quiet

2.

A．signs

B．gifts

C．suits

D．tools

3.

A．used

B．earned

C．saved

D．lent

4.

A．removed

B．changed

C．carried

D．borrowed

5.

A．charge

B．conflict

C．need

D．silence

6.

A．thank

B．welcome

C．persuade

D．assist

7.

A．surprised

B．delighted

C．embarrassed

D．afraid

8.

A．donated

B．prepared

C．refused

D．collected

9.

A．shared

B．recorded

C．appreciated

D．believed

10.

A．explained

B．imagined

C．asked

D．remembered

11.

A．sent for

B．came across

C．learned from

D．sought out

12.

A．benefit

B．escape

C．hear

D．rise

13.

A．showed

B．sold

C．booked

D．built

14.

A．raised

B．returned

C．lost

D．earned

15.

A．only

B．special

C．secret

D．same

6 . There are two roads that people can take.     1    No matter which choice you make, one thing is certain.    2    

My father taught me this important rule. Each week he would lay out the chores (家务) for the next seven days. Many of them could be done any time during the week.    3     If completed, we could do something fun with the family. If not completed, fun was taken away and that person stayed home to complete the chore. I only had to miss my deadline a couple of times to realize that I needed to pay up front and finish my work on time.

    4     I’m teaching it to my children, Elizabeth and Joe. I want them to realize that there is no such thing as a “free lunch”.     5    The sooner they can take control of their desires (欲 望) and give them up to life’s demands, the more successful they will become. John Foster said, “A man without decision of character can never be said to belong to himself — He belongs to whatever can make captive (俘虏) of him.” My friend often reminds me that “when we pay later, the price is greater!”

A．Life will demand a payment.

B．Life is not a gift but an investment (投资).

C．This lesson has been valuable to me.

D．So we can make a decision by ourselves.

E．Our goal was to complete them by Saturday noon.

F．They can either make excuses or make progress in life.

G．They can either play now and pay later or pay now and play later.

7 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What is the biggest difference between weak AI and strong AI?

A．Cost.

B．Service time.

C．Human involvement.

2. Which of the following belongs to strong AI?

A．Apple’s Siri.

B．A self-driving car.

C．AlphaGo.

3. What is many experts’ attitude toward the future of AI?

A．Supportive.

B．Uncertain.

C．Depressed.

4. What will be discussed about AI next?

A．The problem to deal with.

B．An example of weak AI.

C．The benefit of it.

8 . 听下面一段对话，回答以下小题。
1. What is Tina’s weakest part of learning English?

A．Speaking.

B．Writing.

C．Reading.

2. What matters most in learning a language according to Colin?

A．Being patient.

B．Making friends with foreigners.

C．Living in an English-speaking country.

3. What does Colin suggest Tina do?

A．Get up earlier to learn.

B．Read newspapers every day.

C．Practice English every morning.

9 . 听下面一段对话，回答以下小题。
1. Why does Eric quit?

A．He wants to work close to his parents.

B．He doesn’t get enough paid holidays.

C．He finds a new job with a higher salary.

2. In which country does Eric work?

A．China.

B．Finland.

C．The U.S.

3. What does Ms. Thomas think of Eric’s job performance?

A．It’s poor.

B．It’s ordinary.

C．It’s great.

10 . 如今许多工厂缺乏有专业技能的工人，这就是为什么他们的工资高于许多大学毕业生。(lack v.)(汉译英)