1 . My kitchen may be the best kitchen on the planet. That is because when I look out of its window can see the west side of Grandeur Peak. Grandeur Peak is one of the most attractive mountains in central Wasatch, with its animals, trees, morning clouds, evening sunset, and the mountain’s paragliders (滑翔伞运动员).

The number of paragliders flying above Grandeur Peak has grown over the past 15 years, so much so that they have become part of the mountain. But during the past year they have largely disappeared. Some paragliders told me that the wind became too strong to fly in. The wind is too strong! Is this another character of our changing climate (气候)? Will paragliding be a sport affected by a warming planet? Utah has been much windier in the past few years. For me, a scientist who studies living things, it is easy to believe that our future will be windier. This year it’s getting super-hot, and the planet is warming faster than scientists expected. I can’t help but worry that the future of paragliding in Utah is not bright.

I’m writing to the brave people who fly from Grandeur Peak with beautiful wings. I want you to join Clean The Dam Air, a group that’ s working hard to fight climate change and air pollution — I’m part of it too. We are introducing a measure, which aims to remove the state sales tax (税) on grocery store food and put a carbon tax on fossil fuels (化石燃料) in its place: gas, electricity produced from fossil fuels, and natural gas. The goal isn’t to make taxes higher. The idea is to encourage everyone to reduce their use of fossil fuels. So, paragliders, join us. Now is the time to take care of our planet. If we succeed, then Utah can be an example to others in fighting climate change.

1. Why does the author mention his kitchen?

A．To share his love of cooking dishes.

B．To bring back his memories of paragliding.

C．To introduce Grandeur Peak’s paragliding.

D．To describe his adventures around Grandeur Peak.

2. What happened in the past year?

A．The author saw less paragliding.	B．Few people visited Grandeur Peak.
C．Air pollution became serious in Utah.	D．Strong winds stopped people going outside.

3. What is the author’s attitude towards the future of paragliding in Utah?

A．Uncaring.

B．Supportive.

C．Positive.

D．Worried.

4. What did the author call on paragliders to do?

A．Buy those foods that are taxed less.

B．Reduce flying with wings in Grandeur Peak.

C．Join him to support a program about taxing.

D．Join a group to improve their paragliding skills.

2 . 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。

In Shanxi Province, there is a tradition of taking afternoon naps, which means people take a short rest in the middle of the day. You can see people of all ages, men or women     1    (take)their naps. To them, it’s a peaceful and quiet time     2    the busy streets become empty and still.

Taking an afternoon nap is a tradition that     3    (be)around for a long time in Shanxi. It has been passed down from generation     4     generation. Parents teach their children the     5    (important)of rest and encourage them to do it. Through naps, they hope the young ones can learn to take care of     6    (they)and enjoy a quick break from a busy day.

Actually, the tradition of afternoon naps     7    (believe)to have many benefits. It helps people feel     8    (great)refreshed for the rest of the day. It also gives their bodies and minds a chance to relax and recover from all the activities in the morning.

So, if you ever visit Shanxi, don’t be     9    (surprise)if you see people taking naps in the early afternoon. And when you feel tired during the day, try finding somewhere comfortable and taking a good afternoon nap. Who knows, a little shut-eye might make     10    difference in making you feel great and your day even better!

3 . Have you ever thought of the reasons why we had better learn a second language? As a matter of fact, in today’s highly-connected world, there are many benefits of it. Here are a few of them.

It helps you better understand the world.

Learning a language isn’t just about learning words and grammar.     1    . Learning new languages can broaden your horizons(眼界)and bring you closer to people of different nationalities. You may develop a deep appreciation for another culture, or become friends with someone totally different from you.

    2    .

As you learn and get better at the language, you’ll find that you have increased self-awareness and more confidence using your second language, which can also make you more attractive to others! Truly, people will respect the fact that you’re learning another language. Native speakers will be impressed with your efforts, friends and family will be proud of you and strangers will be interested in your story.

It makes you smarter.

Believe it or not, it is said that learning a second language improves your memory and strengthens your problem-solving abilities.     3    . The more you use your brain to learn, the more powerful your brain will become.

You can help more people.

    4    ! Perhaps it’s obvious, but speaking another language allows you to help more people. There are volunteer programs around the world where multilingual(多语言的) speakers are valuable to the team. Being the bridge of communication between cultures is a great feeling, and the joy you’ll get from helping someone in need will make all the hard work of learning the language worth it.

There are so many positive effects of learning a second language.     5    .

A．It improves your creativity

B．It builds up your self-confidence

C．It allows you to connect on a deeper level

D．Studying a foreign language doesn’t have to be all about you

E．So choose a language that you find exciting and benefit from it

F．This is because learning languages helps your brain exercise

G．It’s also about learning about the history and culture of a country

4 . Two new residents in Aarwangen, a small village in Swiss, filed complaints with the village council about the constant ringing of cowbells. They asked for the cows’ bells to be _________ at night so they could sleep.

Long-term residents, and the village’s remaining farmers were _________. They thought it was a(n) _________ on their traditional culture. “We want to _________ and maintain our lived traditions in the future,” they say.

Cowbells have been used in rural Switzerland for centuries. They were once useful for _________ cows on the hill side in summer. Farmers say they can _________ each individual cow by the sound of its own bell. _________, in modern times, many farmers have switched to using electronic chips _________ bells.

Over the past few decades, many new _________ have arrived here from large cities. They are less __________ to the agricultural way of life.

This year’s battle is not the first time residents have __________ cowbells. In 2015, a Zurich appeals court __________ a farmer to remove the bells from his 27 cows from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., since they were safe in a small farm and keeping the neighbors __________.

Next month, Aarwangen’s villagers will gather for a public meeting to vote on the __________ of their bells. They will decide how the sound of the bells can __________ without breaking noise pollution laws.

1.

A．marked

B．watched

C．fastened

D．removed

2.

A．angry

B．proud

C．frightened

D．excited

3.

A．effect

B．comment

C．attack

D．reliance

4.

A．study

B．preserve

C．record

D．restore

5.

A．counting

B．tracking

C．entertaining

D．feeding

6.

A．catch

B．contact

C．spot

D．hear

7.

A．Besides

B．Therefore

C．However

D．Meanwhile

8.

A．instead of

B．thanks to

C．regardless of

D．according to

9.

A．residents

B．researchers

C．tourists

D．pioneers

10.

A．attracted

B．accustomed

C．opposed

D．devoted

11.

A．thought over

B．gave up

C．put on

D．complained about

12.

A．hoped

B．promised

C．ordered

D．refused

13.

A．alive

B．asleep

C．ashamed

D．awake

14.

A．future

B．number

C．tone

D．design

15.

A．rise

B．continue

C．spread

D．return

5 . On November 8th, a tornado, the most powerful in the past 70 years, hit Jersey, causing great damages to the area and leaving the residents in great panic.

“Suddenly, the windows of the waiting room exploded in and dragged everything inside. My cars have been completely destroyed by branches and fences, and my garden is completely gone. There’s no furniture, no fence; everything has been thrown everywhere. At first there was lightning but then a strange noise and strange darkness came over the whole house. It was like being in a scary scene in the movie The Wizard of Oz,” Ashleigh Quail-Charleston, a Jersey resident, told the Bailiwick Express after the tornado that struck overnight on November 1—2 during Storm Ciaran.

The consequence looked like a bomb had gone off: cars hit, roofs with holes, windows broken. “A huge tree leans drunkenly against a block of flats. Piles of branches are piled optionally and pavements are covered with pieces,” said Chris Stone at BBC Radio Jersey. The tornado was powerful and exceptionally rare, caused by a severe thunderstorm that had sent out intense lightning and huge hailstones described as “ice bombs”. The Tornado and Storm Research Organization (Torro) and Jersey Met Office revealed the tornado left a trail of damages 8 km long across the island, and rated its intensity as T6 on an international scale of tornado power.

According to Torro records, this was the most powerful tornado to strike anywhere in the British Isles or Channel Islands since December 7th, 1954 when a tornado struck west London, leaving tremendous devastation, with Gunnersbury railway station torn apart, roofs torn off houses and one car even thrown through the air.

Tornados during Storm Ciaran also hit Sompting in West Sussex and Loders in Dorset. One resident in Loders, Sophie van Hensbergen, described the moment, saying, “The tornado struck with a very, very powerful whistling sound and the windows looked as though we were in a car wash.”

1. Why is The Wizard of Oz mentioned in paragraph 2?

A．To summarize the consequence.	B．To introduce the topic.
C．To enrich the readers’ knowledge.	D．To help describe the tornado.

2. What does paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．How tornado was rated.

B．What caused the tornado.

C．How severe the tornado was.

D．What should be done to prevent the tornado.

3. What does the underlined word “devastation” mean in paragraph 4?

A．Marks.

B．Damages.

C．Memory.

D．Impression.

4. What is this text?

A．A news item.	B．A science report.
C．A movie reviewer.	D．A weather forcast.

6 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

“You’re fired!” Andrew Chilton wasn’t joking. At that moment, the high school junior wanted his personal care attendant, Christy Chachere, out of his life forever. He didn’t want her help any more. He thought he could write his own term papers. “You’re fired!” He said it again.

Christy Chachere, a retired PE teacher, didn’t take a step back. She believed she could do this job. “You know, I’ve taught middle schoolers,” she said. What about Andrew’s outcry? It was music to her ears. Progress was faster than expected.

When Andrew suffered from autism (自闭症) at age eight, people told his mom, Cindy, to get him on the list for an attendant to provide after-school care. Someone would drive him to places and see that he was safe. In New Orleans, Louisiana, the wait can be years, the need far outstrips (超过) the supply. Cindy had no choice but to turn to the program Volunteers of America for help.

Even so, it was eight years before they were matched with Christy. In the meantime. Andrew’s family did their best to help him get through life’s hardships. “I did worry about him,” said Cindy. There was a lot to worry about. Doctors and school teachers said that Andrew might not even graduate from high school. Other questions were around the corner as well. Would he ever have a job, or live independently?…Cindy would do anything for her son.

Christy saw the problem right away. “Andrew wouldn’t take a step without his mother’s permission (同意),”she recalled. “You have to let him fail,” she told the family. “It’s the only way he’s going to learn. He has to be able to do things on his own.”

No longer would Cindy help Andrew write papers. His younger brother wouldn’t help him with the computer, either. It was a little unacceptable to step back. Actually, everyone was on board but Andrew.

注意：1. 续写词数应为 150个左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

Andrew was filled with anger, but things began to change.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“She understood me, and it turned out she was really nice.” Andrew said.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7 . Nasugraq Rainey Hopson is an author and illustrator (插图画家). She has written short stories and made art inspired by her Iñupiaq culture. The Iñupiaq people are native to Alaska, the US. Hopson’s first and only novel to date, Eagle Drums, is set in Iñupiaq tales about a great festival. The great festival is still celebrated locally today.

In the book, the hero Pina struggles with the suffering from losing his brothers, who have traveled to a nearby mountain and never returned. Pina decides to go to the same mountain, trying to uncover the facts, where he happens to meet Savik, who gives Pina a choice: To follow him or to meet the same fortune as his brothers. Pina’s decision takes himself on a journey that exposes himself to the dances and songs that are part of Iñupiaq culture. Eagle Drums describes aspects of Iñupiaq life as a world that doesn’t exist much in the current world, such as walking in the tundra (苔原) and imagining mythological beings and talking animals everywhere. It will definitely inspire the teen magical thinking in its beauty.

Hopson wants to write more Iñupiaq stories. “We have a lot of oral history and stories in our culture,” she says. Hopson explains that Iñupiaq people use their voices, facial expressions and movements to express emotions as they tell a story. “But you can’t do that when you’re writing,” she says. “It’s very uncomfortable, in a way, to have to write down something that is a performance.” But she’s up for the challenge.

Eagle Drums is for anyone who is looking for a vivid adventure. Hopson says that when Iñupiaq kids read her work, they get excited about seeing something from their own area and their own culture. Other kids who read her work tell Hopson they’re excited about experiencing a story they’ve never experienced before in a new place. “You know, that’s the best part, hearing feedbacks,” she says.

1. What do we know about Eagle Drums?

A．It is based on the author’s culture.	B．It is about a world-famous festival.
C．It is one of the author’s best novels.	D．It is rich in illustrations on each page.

2. What does paragraph 2 mainly tell us about Eagle Drums?

A．Its intention.	B．Its background.
C．Its content.	D．Its comment.

3. Why does Hopson think it uncomfortable to write Iñupiaq stories?

A．The Iñupiaq people are poor performers

B．The Iñupiaq culture is too rich for words.

C．The Iñupiaq language is difficult to catch on.

D．The Iñupiaq stories are little known by people.

4. What is the text?

A．A news report.	B．A childhood story.
C．A diary entry.	D．A book review.

8 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. Why do some American churches cancel Christmas Day services?

A．To let people gather with their families.

B．To celebrate the birthday of Jesus Christ.

C．To buy gifts and go to parties.

2. What’s “Silent Night”?

A．The name of an old man.

B．The name of traditional music.

C．The name of Christmas Day service.

3. Who probably celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday?

A．All Americans.

B．Non-Christians.

C．Christians.

4. When does Santa Claus leave presents under the tree?

A．On Christmas noon.

B．On Christmas Eve.

C．On Christmas Day.

9 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What is the rent price of a room with a city view?

A．120.

B．130.

C．175.

2. What does the man think of the rent price of the hotel?

A．Ridiculous (荒唐的).

B．Reasonable.

C．Just so-so.

3. What can we know according to the dialogue?

A．The woman cares about the type of the room.

B．The man likes being in quiet surroundings all night.

C．The woman wants a room on the ground floor.

4. What will the woman probably do in the end?

A．Go to visit the Great Wall of China.

B．Choose the penthouse (楼顶) room for 400 a night.

C．Give up the choice of the hotel room.

10 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. Why was the boy asked to go to the office?

A．Because his hair was not clean.

B．Because he was late for class.

C．Because he disturbed his classmates.

2. What was wrong with the alarm clock?

A．The batteries ran out.

B．The alarm clock was broken.

C．The alarm clock was ahead of the exact time.

3. What can we know about the boy?

A．He was careless.

B．He liked telling lies.

C．He was lazy.