1 . Six Solar Terms in Summer

Lixia

Lixia is the first solar term in summer, signifying the beginning of the hot summer.    1    People usually consider Lixia as an important solar term. When it comes, the temperature rises obviously, and summer heat arrives, there is a remarkable increase in thunderstorms, and crops enter their peak season for growth.

Xiaoman and Mangzhong

During Xiaoman, summer harvest crops such as wheat already bear fruits, and their seeds are full though they are not ripe yet. Thus, the solar term is named Xiaoman. The solar term Xiaoman is in late May. Summer begins to reach all parts of the country. Rainfall begins to increase further. Mangzhong means, "wheat with awn（芒）should be harvested soon, and rice seeds with awn can be sown".    2    

Xiazhi

On the day of Xiazhi, the daytime in the Northern Hemisphere（半球）reaches its maxi-mum length.    3    At Xiazhi, though there is direct sunlight, it is not the hottest time in a year.

Xiaoshu and Dashu

    4    Xiaoshu is minor heat, which means it's not very hot. The weather is getting increasingly hot, but not the hottest moment yet. The crops in the entire country begin to grow rapidly, and this situation requires more intensive field management. Dashu is extreme heat. Compared to Xiaoshu, it's much hotter.    5    And it also marks the period with the fastest growth for crops which enjoy heat.

A．The character shu means heat.

B．It predicts the busy farming activities of farmers.

C．The temperatures rise and summer drought begins.

D．The more northern a place is, the longer its daytime is.

E．People need to prepare for heat prevention and cooling.

F．It means the end of spring, and the beginning of summer.

G．It marks the hottest period with the highest temperatures in a year.

2 . For millions of years, Arctic sea ice has expanded and shrunk in a rhythmic dance with the summer sun. Humans evolved in this icy world, and civilization relied on it for climatic, ecological and political stability. But now the world comes ever closer to a future without ice. The National Snow and Ice Data Center reported that 2019’s minimum arctic sea ice extent was the second lowest on record. Arctic summers could become mostly ice-free in 30 years, and possibly sooner if current trends continue. As the northern sea ice declines, the world must unite to preserve what remains of the Arctic.

Although most people have never seen the sea ice, its effects are never far away. By reflecting sunlight, Arctic ice acts as Earth’s air conditioner. Once dark water replaces brilliant ice, Earth could warm substantially, equivalent to the warming caused by the additional release of a trillion tons of carbon dioxide (CO₂) into the atmosphere and declining sea ice threatens wildlife, from the polar bear to algae that grow beneath the sea ice, supporting the large amount of marine life.

To avoid the consequences the scientific community should advocate not just for lowering greenhouse gas emissions, but also for protecting the Arctic from exploitation. The Antarctic shows the way. In the 1950s, countries raced to claim the Antarctic continent for resources and military installations. Enter the scientists. The 1957-1958 International Geophysical Year brought together scientists from competing countries to study Antarctica, and countries temporarily suspended their territorial disputes (争议). In 1959, 12 countries signed the Antarctic Treaty to preserve the continent for peaceful scientific discovery rather than territorial and military gain.

Sixty years later, we must now save the Arctic. A new Marine Arctic Peace Sanctuary (MAPS) Treaty would protect the Arctic Ocean as a scientific preserve for peaceful purposes only. Similar to Antarctica, MAPS would prohibit resource exploitation, commercial fishing and shipping, and military exercises. So far, only 2 non-Arctic countries have signed MAPS; 97 more need to sign on to enact it into law. Scientists can help—just as they did for the Antarctic—by giving statements of support, asking scientific organizations to endorse (支持) the treaty, communicating the importance of protecting the arctic to the public and policy-makers, and above all, by convincing national leaders to sign the treaty. In particular, Arctic nations must agree that recognizing the arctic as an international preserve is better than fighting over it. In 2018, these countries successfully negotiated a 16-year moratorium on commercial fishing in the Arctic high seas, demonstrating that such agreements are possible.

Humans have only ever lived in a world topped by ice. Can we now work together to protect Arctic ecosystems, keep the northern peace, and allow the sea ice to return?

1. What can be inferred from the passage?

A．wildlife relies on sea ice for food and water.

B．The Arctic would be ice-free in 30 years.

C．Sea ice slows down the global warming.

D．The melting of sea ice releases CO2.

2. The Antarctic is mentioned in the passage in order to ________.

A．remind readers of the past of the Antarctic

B．propose a feasible approach for the Arctic

C．stress the importance of preserving sea ice

D．recall how the Antarctic Treaty came into being

3. The word “moratorium” (in paragraph 4) is closest in meaning to ________.

A．battle	B．ban
C．memo	D．protection

4. Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?

A．Antarctic: a Successful Comeback?	B．Sea Ice and Global Warming
C．Arctic: the Earth’s Future	D．Life Without Ice?

3 . Think of Japan in the spring, and the image that comes to mind is likely the country’s famous cherry blossoms, which experience a “peak bloom (开花)” that only lasts a few days and have been honored in Japan for more than a thousand years. But this year, the cherry blossom season has come and gone in the blink of an eye, in one of the earliest blossoms on record -- and scientists warn it’s a symptom of the larger climate crisis threatening ecosystems everywhere.

Yasuyuki Aono, a researcher at Osaka Prefecture University, has gathered records from Kyoto back to 812 AD from historical documents and diaries. In the central city of Kyoto, cherry blossoms peaked on March 26, the earliest in more than 1,200 years, Aono said. And in the capital Tokyo, cherry blossoms reached full bloom on March 22, the second-earliest date on record.

The peak bloom dates shift every year, depending on numerous factors including weather and rainfall, but have shown a general trend of moving earlier and earlier. “Cherry blooms are very temperature sensitive,” said Aono. “Flowering and full bloom could be earlier or later depending on the temperature alone,” he said. This year’s seasons in particular influenced the blossom dates, he added. The winter was very cold, but the spring came fast and unusually warm, so “the buds are completely awake after enough rest.”

Their early bloom, however, is just the tip of the iceberg of a worldwide phenomenon that could make natural systems and countries’ economies unstable, said Amos Tai, assistant professor of earth science at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. There are two sources of increased heat, which is the main factor making the flowers bloom earlier: urbanization（城市化）and climate change. With increased urbanization, cities tend to get warmer than the surrounding rural area, in what is called the heat island effect. But a bigger reason is climate change, which has caused rising temperatures across the region and the world.

These earlier dates aren’t just a matter of tourists scrambling to catch peak bloom before the petals all fall-- it could have a lasting impact on entire ecosystems, and threaten the survival of many species.

1. What is the purpose of mentioning the dates and figures in paragraph 2?

A．To present “peak bloom” in Tokyo came earlier than in Kyoto.

B．To suggest when cherry blossoms will bloom next year.

C．To report the dates of “peak bloom” in different Japanese cities.

D．To show cherry blossoms came out earlier this year than in the past.

2. Why are scientists worried about the peak bloom moving earlier and earlier?

A．The blossom season this year is a sign of a larger global crisis.

B．The weather will be too cold for the blossoms to last long enough.

C．The earlier peak bloom will threaten the survival of many species.

D．The earlier bloom could affect natural systems and countries’ economy.

3. What does the underlined word in the last paragraph mean?

A．Deciding.

B．Managing.

C．Rushing.

D．Marching.

4. Which can be a suitable title for the text?

A．The Japanese Climate Crisis

B．Sooner’s Not Always Better Than Later

C．Cherry blossoms and Their Impact

D．The Early Blooming of Cherry Blossoms

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。

What is the weather like up on Mount Everest today? Last year a bunch of     1     (courage) scientists and Sherpas installed (安装)the world's     2     (high ) weather station at 8 ,430 metres, just 400 metres short of Everest's summit (顶点). But it almost didn't happen.

Having been stuck behind a line of climbers, the team were dangerously cold when they reached their destination. "We paced around to avoid getting frostbite (冻伤)as the temperature     3     ( stay) close to -30° C and our drill batteries became too cold to work," said Loughborough University's Tom Matthews on the Conversation.     4     ( lucky )team member Phutasi Sherpa had enough body heat     5     (warm) up the batteries and get the drill going     6     .The team was able to install     7     (they) weather station to the side of the mountain.

The data from this extreme weather station is enabling scientists to directly keep     8     close eye on the jet stream and understand     9     Himalayan climate is changing. Early-stage measurements    10     ( publish) in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society are already overturning assumptions. They showed that melting may even be possible on the summit.