1 . The African elephant, the largest land animal remaining on earth, is of great importance to African ecosystem (生态系统). Unlike other animals, the African elephant is to a great extent the builder of its environment. As a big plant-eater, it largely shapes the forest-and-savanna (大草原) surroundings in which it lives, therefore setting the terms of existence for millions of other animals that live in its habitat (栖息地).

It is the elephant’s great desire for food that makes it a disturber of the environment and an important builder of its habitat. In its continuous search for the 300 pounds of plants it must have every day, it kills small trees and underbushes, and pulls branches off big trees. This results in numerous open spaces in both deep tropical forests and in the woodlands that cover part of the African savannas. In these open spaces are numerous plants in various stages of growth that attract a variety of other plant-eaters.

Take the rain forests for example. In their natural state, the spreading branches overhead shut out sunlight and prevent the growth of plants on the forest floor. By pulling down trees and eating plants, elephants make open spaces, allowing new plants to grow on the forest floor. In such situations, the forests become suitable for large hoofed plant-eaters to move around and for small plant-eaters to get their food as well.

What worries scientists now is that the African elephant has become an endangered species. If the elephant disappears, scientists say, many other animals will also disappear from vast areas of forest and savanna, greatly changing and worsening the whole ecosystem.

1. What is the passage mainly about?

A．Disappearance of African elephants.

B．Forests and savannas as habitats for African elephants.

C．The effect of African elephants’ search for food.

D．The eating habit of African elephants.

2. What does the underlined phrase “setting the terms” most probably mean?

A．Fixing the time.

B．Worsening the state.

C．Improving the quality.

D．Deciding the conditions.

3. What do we know about the open spaces in the passage?

A．They result from the destruction of rain forests.

B．They provide food mainly for African elephants.

C．They are home to many endangered animals.

D．They are attractive to plant-eating animals of different kinds.

4. The passage is developed mainly by______.

A．showing the effect and then explaining the causes

B．pointing out similarities and differences

C．describing the changes in spare order

D．giving examples

2 . Since the sex of a sea turtle(海龟)is determined by the heat of sand hatching the eggs, scientists had suspected they might see slightly more females. Climate change, after all, has driven sea temperatures higher, which, in these creatures, favors female children. They found female sea turtles from Raine Island, the Pacific Ocean's largest and most important green sea turtle living area, now outnumber males by at least 116 to 1. "This is extreme," says turtle scientist Camryn Allen.

Biologist Michael Jensen wanted to know if climate change had already changed turtles' sexes. By using genetic(基因的) tests, he'd figured out that he could follow turtles of all ages. Still, his research data would lack an important detail: sex. Only after a turtle matures is it possible to tell its sex from the outside -- mature males have slightly longer tails. By then turtles can be decades old, so scientists often use Iaparoscopy(腹腔镜检查)，sending a thin tube into each animal, but that's not so practical if you're hoping to examine hundreds of creatures. Fortunately, at a turtle conference, he met Allen, and all she needed was a little blood.

They compared their results with temperature data for nesting beaches. What worries them is that Raine Island has been producing almost female turtles for at least 20 years. This is no small thing. More than 200,000 turtles come to nest there. During high season, 18,000 turtles may settle in at once. "But what happens in 20 years when there are no more males coming up as adults? Are there enough to maintain the population?" says Allen. They also found cooler beaches in the south are still producing males, but that in the north, it's almost entirely females hatching. These findings clearly point to the fact that climate change is changing many aspects of wildlife biology.

But how widespread is this phenomenon -- and what is the consequence?

1. How might the scientists feel if there were slightly more female turtles?

A．It's normal.

B．It's unique.

C．It's extreme.

D．It's doubtful.

2. What is a scientist's conventional way to identify a turtle's sex?

A．Testing its blood.	B．Doing genetic tests.
C．Using laparoscopy.	D．Watching its tail.

3. Why do the findings worry Jensen and Allen?

A．Too many females gather near Raine Island.	B．Sea turtles may end up dying out.
C．Turtle populations are in decline.	D．Female turtles cause temperatures to rise.

4. What does the last paragraph imply?

A．People should stop the phenomenon.

B．People have to test the consequence.

C．Climate change has changed sea turtles' sexes.

D．More work needs doing about the phenomenon.

3 . Golden eagle populations in the UK are set to increase as some chicks are reintroduced to the north of England. Ten birds will be released(释放)from south of Edinburgh in summer 2018, with the hope of bringing the species back from disappearing in England. More eagles will be released in the summertime of the next five years.

The project received ￡ 1.3 million of lottery funding in March and has now been awarded a further ￡ 150,000 to employ workers to run the operation. Project manager Cat Barlow said: “This is a really exciting time as the project is now starting to happen and we will soon start to see its benefits. Work will start next summer, when we will collect a number of golden eagle chicks in the Highlands and bring them south to be reared and released from an already selected place.”

The birds will be released with satellite tracking tags that will allow the scientists to gather information about their behavior and find if they suddenly go offline.

Recently, golden eagles have died out in England as the last known individual is believed to have died. Due to the popularity of shooting birds of prey(食肉猛禽), those birds in the wild struggle to survive. Main causes of death are systematic poisoning, shooting and nest disturbance by gamekeepers.

It is hoped that the newly released birds will move further south in search of new living areas and food supplies. The project expects to see the number of wild birds in Scotland and England increase as the range of the animals develops. While the birds were gone in England, in the Highlands of Scotland the number of golden eagles rocketed. With up to 500 breeding pairs, the chicks will be sourced from here. It is hoped that golden eagles may finally return to the north of England, and if all goes well, numbers should grow steadily.

1. Why will some golden eagles be set free from south of Edinburgh?

A．To keep the balance of nature

B．To prevent eagles from dying out

C．To bring back the number of other species

D．To encourage more birds to live in the wild

2. Which word can replace the underlined word “reared” in Paragraph 2?

A．Raised	B．Stored
C．Sold	D．Exhibited

3. What does Paragraph 4 focus on ?

A．Harmful effects of shooting birds

B．Why animal hunting should be forbidden

C．Reasons for golden eagles’ dying out

D．The difficult situation golden eagles face

4. What is the author’s attitude towards the golden eagle project?

A．Ambiguous	B．Cautious
C．Doubtful	D．Hopeful

4 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What’s the woman doing now?

A．Giving a lecture on animals.

B．Introducing some special events.

C．Providing some practical advice.

2. What will David Crocker talk about?

A．Ants’ life.

B．Birds’ migration.

C．Garden wildlife.

3. Where will the film The Great Migration be shown?

A．In Theater A.

B．In Theater B.

C．In Theater C.

4. What will the visitors know in Encouraging Garden Wildlife?

A．Useful ideas to protect garden wildlife.

B．Practical ways to invite wildlife to gardens.

C．Interesting life habits of garden wildlife.

5 . 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。

Our parakeet (长尾鹦鹉) Chip and Goldie, a stray tortoiseshell kitten we took in,     1     (grow) to be best friends, eating and playing together. I was a member     2     a bird conservation organization at the time, so we often took care of injured     3     (bird). Goldie helped raise dozens of injured and orphaned native birds,    4     (act) as a watchful guardian. One day, it was Chip who needed Goldie’s supervision. I had left a large bowl of pancake batter (面糊)    5     (cover) in the kitchen. But while I was out of the room, Chip climbed onto the bowl to have     6     taste but soon fell in and sank.    7     (luck), Goldie was on hand and stuck her face in the bowl to fish Chip out. She cleaned his face and beak so he could breathe before running to alert me with a loud meow. I followed Goldie,    8     was also covered in batter, back into the kitchen     9     found a battered budgie on the floor. After being washed, dried and warmed, Chip made a full     10     (recover). Bowls were always covered in future and Goldie and Chip remained the best of friends.

6 . When I was six, Dad brought home a dog one day, who was called “Brownie”. My brothers and I all loved Brownie and did different things with her. One of us would walk her, another would feed her, then there were baths, playing catch and many other games, Brownie, in return, loved each and every one of us. One thing that most touched my heart was that she would go to whoever was sick and just be with them we always felt better when she was around.
One day, as I was getting her food, she chewed up(咬破)one of Dad’s shoes, which had to be thrown away in the end. I knew Dad would be mad and I had to let her know what she did was wrong. When I looked at her and said, ”Bad girl,” she looked down at the ground and then went and hid. I saw a tear in her eyes.
Brownie turned out to be more than just our family pet, she went everywhere with us .People would stop and ask if they could pet her. Of course she’d let anyone pet her. She was just the most lovable dog. There were many times when we’d be out walking and a small child would come over and pull her hair. she never barked(吠) or tried to get away. Funny thing is she would smile. This frightened people because they thought she was showing her teeth. Far from the truth, she loved everyone.
Now many years have passed since Brownie died of old age. I still miss days when she was with us.
1. What would Brownie do when someone was ill in the family?

A．Look at them sadly.	B．Keep them company.
C．Play games with them.	D．Touch them gently.

2. We can infer from Paragraph 2 that Brownie__________.

A．world eat anything when hungry

B．felt sorry for her mistake

C．loved playing hide-and-seek

D．disliked the author’s dad

3. Why does the author say that Brownie was more than just a family pet?

A．She was treated as a member of the family.

B．She played games with anyone she liked.

C．She was loved by everybody she met.

D．She went everywhere with the family.

4. Which of the following best describes Brownie?

A．Shy

B．Polite

C．Brave

D．Caring

7 . Cold weather can be hard on pets, just like it can be hard on people. Sometimes owners forget that their cats are just as used to the warm shelter (住所) as they are. Some owners will leave their animals outside for a long period of time, thinking that all animals are used to living outdoors. This can put their pets in danger of serious illness. There are things you can do to keep your animal warm and safe.
Keep your pets inside as much as you can when the weather is bad. If you have to take them out, stay outside with them. When you’re cold enough to go inside, they probably are too. If you must leave them outside for a long time, make sure they have a warm, solid shelter against the wind, thick bedding, and plenty of non-frozen water.
If left alone outside, dogs and cats can be very smart in their search for warm shelter. They can dig into snow banks or hide somewhere. Watch them closely when they are left outdoors, and provide them with shelter of good quality. Keep an eye on your pet’s water. Sometimes owners don’t realize that a water bowl has frozen and their pet can’t get anything to drink. Animals that don’t have clean and unfrozen water may drink dirty water outside, which may contain something unhealthy for them.
1. What do we learn about pets from Paragraph 1?

A．They are often forgotten by their owners.	B．They are used to living outdoors.
C．They build their own shelters.	D．They like to stay in warm places.

2. Why are pet owners asked to stay with their pets when they are out in cold weather?

A．To know when to bring them inside.	B．To keep them from eating bad food.
C．To help them find shelters.	D．To keep them company.

3. If pets are left on their own outdoors in cold weather, they may          .

A．be short of clean water	B．dig deep holes for fun
C．dirty the snow nearby	D．get lost in the wild

4. What is the purpose of this text?

A．To solve a problem.	B．To give practical advice.
C．To tell an interesting story.	D．To present a research result.

8 . 摘录信息；阅读下面短文，根据所读内容在文后小题的空格里填上适当的单词或短语，并将答案转写到答题卡上。注意：每空不超过3个单词。

Some beach creatures are wonderful -- like dolphins, but others are dangerous. Here are some examples of harmful beach creatures.

Puffer Fish

Puffer Fish, found in all Japanese seas, have very interesting features. They are very easy to catch but must not be eaten because their flesh and organs contain a poison. Anyone who does eat the flesh can become sick very quickly. They may even stop breathing.

The Blue Bottle

The Blue Bottle is found in most Caribbean waters. Blue Bottles float lightly on the surface of the water but their tentacles (触须) can be as long as 10 metres. Blue Bottles are much less dangerous than some other jellyfish but they can give a swimmer a bad sting (刺) if the swimmer accidentally touches them.

Stingrays

There are many different kinds of stingrays in Mauritius waters. They usually swim and feed on the bottom of the sea. Accidents can happen if people stand on them or try to pick them up. Stingrays have a sting on their tail. These stings have poison on them. If someone is stung the wound can easily become infected.

Title :     1    

Wildlife	Where creatures live	2	What effects on men
Puffer Fish	3	● easy to catch ● unfit to eat	● become sick ● stop breathing
4	most Caribbean waters	●their tentacles being as long as 10 metres ● less dangerous	give a sting
Stingrays	Mauritius waters	having a poisonous sting on their tail	easily     5     by the sting

9 . I believe that animals possess greater intelligence than most people think. But plants? I’ve never considered the possibility of plant intelligence. The idea seems absurd.

Yet I've had friends argue that plant intelligence might exist. “What are the differences between plants and animals?” they ask, and then they argue about certain species that seem to share the intelligence of both plants and animals.

New research suggests that plants communicate via “networks”. Plant communication is not idea, and cannot indicate that it is a kind of intelligence, but it is still interesting.

Recent research from Vidi researcher Josef Stuefer at the Radboud University Nijmegen shows that plants have their own chat systems that they can use to warn each other. Therefore plants are not boring and passive organisms that just stand there waiting to be cut down or eaten up. Many plants form internal communication networks and are able to exchange information networks and are able to exchange information efficiently.

Many herbal plants such as strawberries and clovers (三叶草) naturally form networks.

Individual plants remain connected with each other for a certain period of time by means of runners (plant stems that grow along the ground and put down roots to form new plants). These connections enable the plants to share information with each other via internal channels. They are therefore very similar to computer networks. But what do plants chat to each other about?

Recently Stuefer and his colleagues were the first to prove that clover plants warn each other via the network links if danger is nearby. If one of the plants is attacked by caterpillars (毛虫), the other members of the network are warned via an internal signal. Once warned the intact (完好无损的) plants strengthen their chemical and mechanical (机体的) resistance so that they are less attractive to advancing caterpillars. Thanks to this early warning system, the plants can stay one step ahead of their attackers. The research has shown that this significantly limits the damage to the plants.

Again, I don’t believe this reflects intelligence, but it’s is certainly fascinating.

1. The author thinks that the plant communication ____   .

A．is absolutely a new idea

B．is a sign of plant intelligence

C．is related to animal communication

D．is interesting and fascinating

2. Clover plants warn each other when danger is nearby by ____ .

A．making sounds

B．releasing chemicals

C．strengthening mechanical resistance

D．sending internal signals

3. Which of the following statements about the research is NOT true?

A．Most plants have no chat system and are passive organisms.

B．Individual plants can also remain connected with each other.

C．The communication between clover plants can protect them from damage.

D．The research is the first to show how clover plants warn each other.

4. The author's attitude towards plant intelligence is____.

A．unconcerned

B．doubtful

C．positive

D．hopeful

5. What's the best title for the passage?

A．Does Plant Communication Really Exist?

B．Some Discoveries About Clover Plant

C．Does Plant Communication Imply Intelligence?

D．A New Study on Plant Communication