1 . What has the weather been like recently?

A．Really dry.

B．Really wet.

C．Really cold.

2 . What was the weather like yesterday?

A．Cold.

B．Rainy.

C．Hot.

3 . People sometimes say, "It's raining cats and dogs!” when there is a heavy rain. Nobody has ever really seen cats and dogs falling from the sky, but there have been many reports of other strange things “raining” down. In 1956, the people of a town in the USA saw a small black cloud in the sky. It started to rain from the cloud normally, but only in a small area. The cloud then turned white, and fish started to fall to the ground. Most of them were still alive.

During a storm in July 1901, in Minneapolis, people heard something falling from the sky that did not sound like rain. When they went outside, they found all types of frogs covering four streets.

There are other reports of strange “rains” failing from the sky including worms, insects and snakes.

Can these strange “rains” be explained by science? Scientists usually say that a tornado （龙卷风）has picked up the animals from a river or ocean, carried them for miles, and then dropped them somewhere else. But this does not completely explain all of them. On May 15, 1890, in Italy, there was a rain of blood-birds' blood. Scientists said that flying birds must have been torn（撕碎）to pieces by strong winds. But if so, why did only their blood fall from the sky, and not other parts of their bodies? And anyway, there were no strong winds that day!

1. What does it mean when people say, “It's raining cats and dogs”?

A．Cats and dogs are falling from the sky.	B．It's raining heavily.
C．Animals started to fall to the ground.	D．There is a black cloud.

2. Which of the following has not been reported as strange things failing from the sky?

A．Cats and dogs.	B．Worms and insects.
C．Fish and blood.	D．Snakes and frogs.

3. According to scientists, what can move things from the ground to the sky?

A．Storms.

B．Rains.

C．Clouds.

D．Tornadoes.

4. Scientists’ explanation for rain of blood is that________.

A．the tornado picked up the birds' blood.

B．there were no strong winds that day.

C．flying birds were tom into pieces by strong winds.

D．other parts of birds’ bodies did not fall with the blood.

5. Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?

A．Strange “Winds”.	B．Strange “Clouds”.
C．Strange “Rains”.	D．Strange “Animals”.

4 . When the leaves begin to change their colors and the birds head south, we know the season is starting to change. On September 7 comes White Dew (白露), the 15th solar term (节气) of the year. It indicates (标志着) the beginning of the cool autumn. As the temperature falls, white dew is often seen on the grass and trees at night.

For w riters and poets, autumn is a difficult season to describe. It ’s the end of the summer, and therefore a little sad. The days seem to get shorter, and when you wake in the morning, t here’s mist(薄雾) and it’s cooler. Winter is just around the corner.

American writer Ernest Hemingway wrote in his book A Moveable Feast (《流动的盛宴》), “You expected to be sad in the fall. Part of you died each year when the leaves fell from the trees and their branches (枝条) were bare (光秃秃的) against the wind and the cold, wintry light. ”

But on the other hand, autumn has its good side. There are so many changes at this time of year, such as the colorful leaves and cooler nights. French w riter Albert Camus even thought autumn was a second spring,   “when every leaf is a flower.” This view is also found in the most famous autumn poem in English literature, To Autumn by John Keats. In that poem, Keats says that autumn has its own songs, just like spring.

Another theme of this season is wisdom (智慧). The arrival of autumn is thought to be similar to a person becoming mature (成熟的).

The great Irish poet W.B. Yeats used this idea in his poem The Wild Swans at Coole (《库尔的野 天鹅》), writing about the changing seasons in Coole Park in the west of Ireland. Seeing and counting 59 swans, he remembers first making the count as a young man. Seeing the swans do the same thing for all those years, he’s reminded (提醒) that even though we get older, our hearts always stay the same age.

1. What can be concluded about White Dew ?

A．It is often ignored by w riters and poets.	B．It is the time of year with the most rainfall.
C．It is when the temperature begins to drop.	D．It indicates the end of the autumn.

2. A Moveable Feast was mentioned to ______.

A．point out that autumn is very cold	B．present the sad part of autumn
C．show that winter w ill soon come	D．express sadness about the end of life

3. What does “this idea” in the last paragraph refer to?

A．Autumn is an important season for man.	B．We can always stay young at heart.
C．Autumn is related to one’s grow ing old.	D．Nature is full of lessons to be learned.

4. What’s the article mainly about?

A．The solar term White Dew.	B．Why autumn is a sad season.
C．Autumn weather and activities.	D．Famous writers’ description of autumn.

5 . Several years ago climate change was a controversial subject with many people insisting it didn’t exist. Today, few people doubt that the climate is changing in uncomfortable and dangerous ways.

For me, living on an island off the west coast of Canada, climate change didn't directly affect me. That changed this summer. There are always a few wildfires in the forests of Canada in summer but this year has been exceptionally bad as we’ve had, for practical purposes, no rain at all. Then the fires started and many families have lost their homes to the flames. In early August we woke up one day to a heavy smoke from the mainland. It was dark for several days. By September, again the sun has been blocked by smoke, this time from Washington and Oregon in the United States. The smoke has covered us for about a week.

In the more than twenty years we’ve never before had this happen. Now we’ve been blanketed by smoke twice in one summer. The change in our climate is clear and it doesn’t bode (预兆) well. Already our seaside town is putting regulations in place and making plans to deal with a rise in sea level. However, if the sea level comes up more than a few meters we could have big problems.

I don’t pretend to understand all the causes of climate change or the best ways of fixing it if, indeed, it can be fixed. It is, however, becoming increasingly noticeable. Last night we were supposed to be able to see the Northern Lights but the smoke prevented that. But there’s some good news. I have just noticed that for the first time in months it is raining.

1. When did the author begin to be affected by climate change?

A．After the smoky days.	B．In August this summer.
C．On arriving at the island.	D．When the first fire broke out.

2. What did the seaside town do with climate change?

A．It found the causes.	B．It solved the problems.
C．It made a prediction.	D．It took some measures.

3. What’s the good news the author mentioned in the last paragraph?

A．The coming of the rain.	B．Seeing the Northern Lights.
C．The best way to fix the weather.	D．The appearance of heavy smoke.

4. What is the best title for the passage?

A．Causes of Climate Change	B．Climate Change Hits Home
C．Global Warming Is Less Serious	D．Ways to Deal with the Rising Sea Level

6 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. Who is the target audience of the report?

A．Travelers.

B．Local residents.

C．Overseas Europeans.

2. What does the speaker say about the snow in London?

A．It is 20 centimeters deep now.

B．It will disappear after Monday.

C．It has already snowed in the past three days.

3. How will the weather change in Paris tomorrow?

A．It will snow.

B．It will be warmer.

C．It will become windy.

4. What will the weather be like in Berlin tomorrow?

A．Snowy.

B．Rainy.

C．Sunny.

7 . 语法填空

The death toll from a powerful typhoon sweeping across China’s east coast rose to 30 on Sunday, with     1     least 18 still missing, after torrential downpours forced more than 1 million    2    (leave) their homes, the state news media reported.

    3    (Near) 5 million people in Zhejiang province have been affected by the storm, Typhoon Lekima,     4     made landfall early Saturday, according to the reports. Many of the deaths occurred in Yongjia County, near the city of Wenzhou, when the collapse of a natural dam set off a flash flood that swept away several people, said CCTV.

The typhoon, which packed winds of up to 116 mph, caused major travel disruptions across the region,     5    (include) in Shanghai, with thousands of flights canceled and train operations suspended. Shanghai Disneyland was closed on Saturday.

In Zhejiang, the typhoon damaged more than 400,000 acres of crops and 34,000 homes, amounting to economic losses of more than $2.2 billion, said Xinhua News agency, citing provincial authorities.

Officials in the city of Linhai, near Taizhou, said on Sunday that the typhoon    6    (cause) the worst flooding there in the 70-year history of the people’s Republic of China, with water levels as high as 36     7    (foot) causing major power failures. State news reports showed people wading through waist-high water in the centuries-old city’s narrow alleyways.

Lekima, China’s     8    (nine) typhoon of the year, is expected to make     9     second landing on Sunday evening farther north in Shangdong province, the state news media said. More travel disruptions are     10    (like).

8 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

What would happen if all of Earth’s ice melted? As Earth gets    1    (hot) every year, the planet’s ice suffers. The ice is melting faster than ever. Sea ice is    2    (main) in the Arctic. This kind of ice is made of salty seawater. Land ice is mostly in Greenland and Antarctica,     3    is made of fresh water. Sea levels will rise to 50 to 85 meters,     4    (cause) many global changes.     5    (city) near the sea will disappear. Sea animals will have no homes. Earth will move around more slowly. We will have longer days because two milliseconds    6    (add) to each day. Global temperature will rise by 3.5℃. Poisonous chemicals from some ice will go into rivers and oceans.

Only 30 percent of water on Earth is fresh,     7    about 70 percent of that is     8    (freeze). That’s 30 million cubic km of ice. Using this kind of ice     9    (build) a 1000- meter-thick wall,     10    would cover North America.

9 . From the moment you open your eyes in the morning,     you can feel sweat (汗水)running down your body,     even if you’re barely moving at all. That’s what most people in China felt like this summer. In fact, the entire northern hemisphere(半球 )saw high temperatures in July. The Arctic Circle(北极圈) was no exception(例外). Temperatures in the city of Norilsk, which is in the Arctic Circle, reached a record high of 32 ℃,   The Atlantic reported. Temperatures there are usually just 10 ℃ at this time of the year.

The heat wave in the Arctic is mainly a long-term result of global warming, according to the Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences. In fact, while the whole world is getting warmer, the Arctic is warming twice as fast as the rest of the planet. This is called the polar amplification effect(极地放大效应).

The most direct impact(影响) of Arctic warming is the melting of Arctic ice. According to NASA,     Arctic sea ice is now disappearing at a rate of 13. 2 percent every 10 years. NASA said that if this continues,     the Arctic will have no ice by the year 2040.   This has put some Arctic animals, like polar bears, in danger. The ice that the bears live on has shrunk(缩小), the Toronto Star reported.

Melting ice can also cause sea levels to rise in the long term. Since 1993, sea levels have risen at a rate of 3. 2 cm every 10 years, the Guardian reported. Some countries, such as Tuvalu(图瓦卢) in the South Pacific Ocean and Maldives(马尔代夫) in the Indian Ocean, are at risk of disappearing into the sea.

1. Which of the following is true?

A．Some countries in the ocean will disappear in 10 years.

B．China is the hottest in the northern hemisphere this summer.

C．The temperatures in Norilsk used to be lower than this summer.

D．The world gets warmer because of the heat wave in the Arctic.

2. What does the underlined word “this” in the third paragraph refer to?

A．The heat wave in the Arctic.

B．The result of global warming.

C．Getting warmer in the world.

D．The Arctic getting warm faster.

3. What may be the result of the melting of Arctic ice?

A．The polar will become dangerous.

B．Sea levels rise in the long term.

C．There will be an end of water shortage.

D．There will be no ice in the world by 2040.

4. What is the main idea of this passage?

A．Heat hits Arctic.

B．Arctic animals are in danger.

C．The world became hotter than before.

D．Some countries may disappear into the sea.

10 . What will certainly happen on Saturday?

A．It will rain.

B．The weather will improve.

C．The speakers will make a decision about their game.