1 . You know by now that dirt is good for lots of things: growing plants, feeding worms, even the occasional mud bath. But building houses? Absolutely.

People build houses with dirt because it is plentiful, really cheap, and fireproof. Thick dirt walls keep you warm in winter and cool in summer. And you can build a whole house with few tools other than your own two hands.

In fact, dirt is so good for building things that half the people in the world live in houses made of mud. Maybe even you!

Mud works best for building where it’s dry for most of the year. If there’s too much rain, the walls of your mud house could melt like ice cream on a warm day.But in places that don’t see many storm clouds, mud bricks (砖块),which are baked hard in the sun or in a hot oven, can be as strong and durable as stone. In Africa, some mud­brick buildings have been standing for thousands of years.

In the southwestern United States, American Indians built four­story apartment buildings from mud bricks called adobe (土坯). And on the Great Plains, the first white settlers saw an ocean of grass as tall as oxen, but few trees for building houses. So they made their houses out of sod, dirt held together by the thick, tangled roots of prairie grass.

Most sod houses became worm food years ago, but many of the buildings you see every day are pure dirt.The bricks that may make up the walls of your house or school are made of clay that’s been baked in a fiery kiln (炉). So the next time someone says a building is made of bricks, correct them. You know it’s really made of plain old dirt.

1. What does the second paragraph mainly tell us?

A．The way to build houses of dirt.	B．The best time to build houses of dirt.
C．The reasons to build houses of dirt.	D．The places to build houses of dirt.

2. Which of the following is the best place to build such houses in?

A．Places where it rains most of the year.

B．Places where there are many storm clouds.

C．Places where there is little rain all the year around.

D．Places where it is cold in winter and hot in summer.

3. The first white settlers built houses with sods because        .

A．the grass was as tall as oxen	B．they were as strong as stones
C．they could make a garden on the roof	D．they were lack of wood

4. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A．Sod houses could be destroyed by worms.	B．Sod houses could last as long as stone ones.
C．Sod bricks are baked in the oven.	D．Sod bricks are really made of pure dirt.

2 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. How did the speakers find the restaurant?

A．From a friend.

B．From a website.

C．From the newspaper.

2. What does the woman want to do after the meal?

A．Eat some pizza.

B．Get another drink.

C．Talk to the owner of the restaurant.

3. What will the woman do this weekend?

A．Phone Susan.

B．Go back to the restaurant.

C．Get some money from Brian.

3 . In 1670, two Scottish doctors set up a garden in the city of Edinburgh to find out connections between plants and medicine. That first garden wasn’t very big — about the size of a tennis court. Fast-forward 350 years, and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) now covers an area bigger than 1,000 tennis courts. The RBGE’s goal is to “explore, conserve and explain the world of plants for a better future”.

After doctors and distant cousins Robert Sibbald and Andrew Balfour graduated from university in the mid-17th century, they shared the goal of improving Scottish medicine by looking into botanical (plant-related) research. They found some land near Holyrood Abbey in Edinburgh and started to collect plants. They taught students how to grow exotic (外来的) plants and use them to make medicines. As the collection expanded (增加), the garden moved to different sites, including what is now Edinburgh’s Waverley Station.

In 1823, the garden was moved to its current location in Inverleith, a suburb of Edinburgh. It took three years to move the collection of plants and trees using specially built machines. The Tropical Palm House was built in 1834, and it was joined by the larger Temperate Palm House in 1858. Both are still popular with visitors. Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, the RBGE continued to search for new specimens (标本) from around the world.

The RBGE has about 13,500 species of living plants in its collection today. The herbarium — a collection of dried and protected species — includes more than three million plant samples, which represent more than half of the world’s known plants. The oldest specimen dates back to 1697. Experts continue to recognize new species each year, as well as growing plants that are extinct in their own habitats. The RBGE also works with botanical gardens around the world, including in Africa and South America, and supports them with conservation projects, education and training.

1. Why did Robert and Andrew build up the garden?

A．To teach people some knowledge about exotic plants.

B．To do research on plants and medicine.

C．To protect endangered wildlife.

D．To practice their tennis skills.

2. When was the Tropical Palm House set up?

A．In the mid-17th century.	B．In the 20th century.
C．In1834.	D．In1858.

3. What do we know about the RBGE?

A．It has made achievements in growing extinct plants.

B．It has collected less than half of all known plants.

C．It is going to expand its sites in other countries.

D．It collects native plants only.

4. What is this text mainly about?

A．How the RBGE has expanded.	B．The progress of saving endangered plants.
C．Why a botanic garden was built.	D．An introduction to the RBGE.

4 . 语法填空

New Shanghai Library Test Operation

The test operation of the new Pudong branch of the Shanghai Library kicked off on August 16,     1     construction started in September 2017 and lasted for 5 years.     2     an area of 115,000 square meters, the seven-story building was made to be the     3     (large) library in China. It can hold up to 6,000 readers each day and host more than 200 lectures     4     (year).

A new appointment system, which    5    (allow) readers to reserve a desk，exhibitions and activities at the library, has been introduced during the test operation. With the help of robot librarians and a new intelligent sorting system, readers can easily find the books they want. The library has     6     collection of 400,000 books and 600 periodicals (期刊).

The library has a children’s zone that contains more than 160,000     7     (copy) of books for young readers under 14.     8     (serve) those with some physical problems, the library has set aside (留出) a non-barrier reading room on the ground floor with reading resources like books in Braille, audio books, as well as special reading tools     9     (design) for the blind. In future, special training courses    10     (provide) to help them learn to use the computer.

5 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What does the man often talk about?

A．The news in the paper.

B．The trouble with his roommate.

C．The trouble with the apartment owner.

2. Who left the front door open for the whole night?

A．The man.

B．The woman.

C．The man's roommate.

3. What kind of house does the man want to move into?

A．A house near town.

B．A quiet house far from town.

C．A big house in the countryside.

4. What does the woman think of the manager of her building?

A．Careful.

B．Mean.

C．Friendly.

6 . 根据语境和所给词汇, 用本单元所学的时态填空

Our school was built in 1902. When I studied there, it     1     (be)famous throughout the country. By 1978, the school’s use     2     (change) several times. By the end of last century, our school     3     (become) a provincial model high school. When I graduated, our school     4     (win) many honors both at home and abroad. Before last year’s anniversary of the founding of our school, all the school buildings     5     (rebuild) and it is now larger and more beautiful than before.

7 . Top running routes in the USA

Holidays for some people are all about relaxing on the beach but for others, it’s important to be out and about. Walking and running holidays allow travellers to explore the beauty of a country and get plenty of fresh air without spending too much money. Here are some of the most beautiful running routes (路线) in the USA — you may want to give these a go.

Mammoth Lakes

An area favoured by athletes from all over the world, Mammoth Lakes offers amazing views and plenty of trails (小路) along with a healthy running community for active travellers to explore. Well-known track coaches Joe Vigil and Bob Larsen brought marathon superstars to the area in 2001 and ever since, it has trained 12 Olympians who have earned two Olympic medals as well as three major marathon wins.

Three Rivers Heritage Trail

Perfect for runners who like a bit of variety on their route, the Three Rivers Heritage Trail offers 24 miles of path going through a number of neighbourhoods, popular shopping and entertainment districts (娱乐区) and green space providing the perfect guide to the city on two feet.

Naples

Naples is well-known for its high-end shopping, world-class culture and high-class dining. The best running trail is along Gulf Shore Boulevard and Gordon Road, with views of the white sandy beaches and water, and some of Naples boutique hotels and holiday homes.

Barr Trail

The Barr Trail is a trail that began as a way to enter mining (采矿) areas on Pikes Peak and later developed into a tourist trail. It starts in Manitou Springs, a little tourist town just west of The Springs, and climbs to the top of Pikes Peak in about 12 miles and 7,400 feet of vertical (垂直的) gain. This is not an easy route so be sure to pack the right supplies and rest when you need to.

1. What might you experience in Mammoth Lakes?

A．Running like an Olympian.

B．Meeting your favourite stars.

C．Taking part in a major marathon.

D．Being trained by Joe Vigil and Bob Larsen.

2. On which route can runners eat delicious food?

A．Three Rivers Heritage Trail.

B．Barr Trail.

C．Mammoth Lakes.

D．Naples.

3. Which route provides different places and helps you know the city well?

A．Mammoth Lakes.

B．Barr Trail.

C．Naples.

D．Three Rivers Heritage Trail.

4. Which route passes along a coastline?

A．Naples.

B．Barr Trail.

C．Mammoth Lakes.

D．Three Rivers Heritage Trail.

5. Who might be interested in the Barr Trail most?

A．Coal miners.	B．Window shoppers.
C．Competitive swimmers.	D．Experienced adventurers.

8 . “美丽的自然风光、灿烂的历史古迹、绚丽的民族风情”使昆明远近闻名。假定你是李华，你的英国朋友Jim计划今年暑假到你的家乡昆明旅游。来信询问你关于昆明的一些基本情况。请你回信给Jim。
内容包括：
1. 描述昆明的基本的情况、天气等;
2. 推荐他去的附近地方;玉龙雪山(Yulong Snow mountain)、温泉、公园等
3. 邀请他来你家做客。
注意：
1. 词数100左右;       
2. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9 . 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。

Do you know the place Jinli? It’s a street     1     (lie) in Chengdu, Sichuan. The street has a long history and is rich     2    traditional Chinese culture.

The street is about 550 meters long. You can see some ancient-style     3     (building) along the well-known street. Years ago, Jinli     4     (view)   as   the   “National Top Ten City Commercial Pedestrian Street (商业步行街)”. Each year, a large number of travelers come to the street to enjoy    5     (they), especially during the Spring Festival.

There are many restaurants     6    special snacks are offered. In this street, you’ll be attracted by local snacks, which will make your mouth water. One well-known local snack is San Da Pao, which is made of rice, brown sugar, and so on. Some other    7     (equal) attractive local snacks provided in Jinli include boiled dumplings. All of them are delicious and are waiting for you     8     (taste).

In addition to the delicious snacks, there are many other     9     (impress) attractions in Jinli. If you have time, pay     10    visit to this street and have fun.

10 . Touchdown spaces are simple work spaces that may be employed as a replacement for a larger office.     1    They can also refer to a cubicle (小隔间) in a business setup that provides a place for individuals to work. Rental agreements can be signed on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis.

    2    One cubicle may have a telephone, some type of Internet access, a desk, and a chair. An overhead light may also be provided. In addition, the individual space will be supplied with any other items needed, such as printers, pencils, notepads, and other tools which are common in an office environment.

One ideal customer for a touchdown space is someone who is starting his or her own business and wants a space outside the home for work-related tasks.    3    However, renting a cubicle is often much less expensive and may include some of the amenities (便利设施) that come along with a rented office space.

A touchdown space is also taken advantage of by business people who are in town for a short period of time. Rather than working in a hotel room, the visiting business professionals will rent a desk for them during their stay in town.     4    

Not every city recently offers touchdown spaces as a replacement for larger offices.     5    One of the best ways of locating a rental touchdown space is identifying any business setup resources within the town locally.

A．However, the idea is really gaining more attention.

B．They can be a rented work space within a working office.

C．Doing so allows these people to separate work time from personal time.

D．Touchdown spaces often include a few basics needed for doing business.

E．In today’s office environments, different tasks require different work spaces.

F．Touchdown spaces, at the very least, require a table, a chair, and Internet access.

G．They usually have limited money, and renting even a small office is not practical.