1 . Rising water temperatures and the increasing levels of carbon dioxide in our oceans are killing our beautiful coral reefs at a surprising speed. Add the current extreme weather pattern, and things look even worse.
So what makes coral so sensitive? Although it may be hard to believe, corals are not plants, but animals. The colorful reefs we admire so much happen to be skeletons(骨骼) given up by hundreds of thousands of polyps(珊瑚虫). To survive, these animals live with an algae(海藻). The coral polyps give the algae a home and then the algae provide the polyps with their bright color and food.
But the rising water temperatures are causing the coral polyps to lose their algae friends. As a result, the corals are not only losing their food source but also their beautiful colors.
The disappearance of the coral not only makes humans lose the chance to admire the beautiful coral reefs. It also removes a natural barrier which protects shorelines from storms and also fewer living places for fish and other sea animals.
To prevent these important animals from disappearing, a team of researchers are attempting to raise ‘super’ corals.
They began by selecting certain coral species that seems to have got used to the changing ocean conditions. Then they made them even more adaptable to warmer water. Once ready, the researchers plan to transplant the coral into Hawaii’s Kaneohe Bay.
This sounds simple, but they are not sure that it will work because coral is sensitive to touch and also develops very slowly and infrequently. Also, past attempts to remove coral have failed because they were either eaten by fish or died of disease.
Though there exist these dangers, researchers believe there’s no other choice to prevent the reefs from disappearing. Tom Oliver, a scientist says, “The question is not ‘can they do it?’, but ‘can they do it fast enough?’”
1. Which fact might surprise people according to the text?| A．Corals come in different colors. |
| B．Corals are not plants but animals. |
| C．Corals are sensitive to water temperatures. |
| D．Coral reefs can protect the coast from storms. |
| A．The failure to raise them. |
| B．Too much sunshine. |
| C．The polluted sea water. |
| D．The loss of algae friends. |
| A．Remove. | B．Admire. |
| C．Export. | D．Exchange. |
| A．Corals are of great use to people. |
| B．People are trying to prevent corals disappearing. |
| C．Human activities are affecting the growth of corals. |
| D．Coral polyps depend on an algae for color and food. |
Jim is an 8-year-old boy. One day, when he went to the countryside
After
One day, his father said to him, “You should let the bird go now. It would be much
One morning, when Jim went to play with the bird as usual, he found that the bird
3 . A farmer had some puppies to sell. He painted a
“Well,” said the farmer,
The boy
“
And with that he let out a whistle, “Here, Dolly!” he called.
Out from the doghouse ran Dolly followed by four little balls of fur. The little boy pressed his face
When the dog
“I want that one,” the little boy said, pointing to the little pup.
The farmer knelt down at the boy’s side and said, “Son, you don’t want that puppy. He will
Hearing that, the little boy stepped back from the fence, bend down and began
The world is full of people who need someone who understands.
1.| A．sign | B．reminder | C．poster | D．signal |
| A．nalis | B．nailed | C．nailing | D．nail |
| A．up | B．down | C．at | D．for |
| A．since | B．before | C．as | D．until |
| A．cost | B．paid | C．spend | D．take |
| A．shook | B．dropped | C．raised | D．bend |
| A．reaching | B．reached | C．reaches | D．reach |
| A．dollars | B．changes | C．fees | D．fines |
| A．Sure | B．Certain | C．Right | D．Absolutely |
| A．on | B．beyond | C．against | D．caught |
| A．sadness | B．sorrow | C．delight | D．disappointment |
| A．took their way | B．push their way | C．made their way | D．paid one’s way |
| A．other | B．another | C．some | D．any |
| A．fun | B．awkward | C．smart | D．curious |
| A．catch up | B．catch on | C．keep on | D．keep off |
| A．ever | B．never | C．rare | D．slightly |
| A．rolling | B．putting | C．picking | D．coming |
| A．what | B．so | C．which | D．those |
| A．specially | B．especially | C．particularly | D．partly |
| A．share | B．show | C．stick | D．separate |
4 . My previous home had a stand of woods behind it and many animals in the backyard. That first year, I
That second year, the rabbits
By year three, the rabbits and the groundhog were back. The groundhog
| A．avoided | B．started | C．stopped | D．suggested |
| A．business | B．fun | C．problem | D．right |
| A．help | B．cheat | C．threat | D．exception |
| A．play | B．miss | C．admire | D．trust |
| A．feared | B．discovered | C．touched | D．remembered |
| A．proved | B．decided | C．noticed | D．understood |
| A．extreme | B．increasing | C．additional | D．inspiring |
| A．squirrel | B．rabbit | C．peanut | D．carrot |
| A．before long | B．long ago | C．over and over | D．all over again |
| A．eating | B．playing | C．sitting | D．sleeping |
| A．Next | B．Once | C．Soon | D．Lately |
| A．carefully | B．suddenly | C．violently | D．patiently |
| A．also | B．thus | C．just | D．still |
| A．thought | B．doubted | C．designed | D．realized |
| A．While | B．Or | C．So | D．For |
| A．fixed | B．placed | C．hung | D．kept |
| A．surprise | B．delay | C．move | D．shake |
| A．Even if | B．Ever since | C．As far as | D．So long as |
| A．welcomed | B．minded | C．hated | D．expected |
| A．trade | B．chance | C．task | D．life |
5 . One day, a woman walked into a pet store to buy a bird for her Thanksgiving Day party. The guy said, “We only have one parrot. But I think you do not want it because it can talk…” The woman said happily, “That’s great. I’ve always wanted a talking bird.” So the guy said, “Since you are a nice lady, I’ll give it to you as a gift.”
And the lady went home and put the bird on her bed and walked out of the room. But as soon as she walked into the kitchen, the bird started to speak dirty words as loud as it could. The woman walked back into the room thinking, “I can’t have this at my party!” So she took the bird and put it in the fridge. A few hours later, while the woman was eating, she remembered that her bird was still in the fridge. Quickly, she opened the door and found it was shivering. Then she took out the bird at once. She said to the bird, “I’ll keep you out of there if you don’t use that language again. Do you agree with me?”
The bird nodded and asked, “Can I just ask a quick question?” The lady nodded and said, “Yes, you may.” The bird pointed at the turkey behind him and asked, “What did he do?”
1. The woman went into the pet store because ________.| A．there were lots of nice birds in it |
| B．she wanted to buy a bird to make a big meal |
| C．she wanted to buy a bird for Thanksgiving Day party |
| D．she wanted to buy a bird for his son’s birthday |
| A．发抖 | B．睡觉 | C．生气 | D．跳动 |
| A．how the turkey was put into the fridge. | B．why itself was in the fridge. |
| C．who could be in the fridge. | D．why the turkey was in the fridge. |
| A．she wanted to cook it on Thanksgiving Day | B．the bird spoke dirty words |
| C．the bird liked living in the cold place | D．she thought it’s the best place for it to live in |
People build bridges for a
Longview has a very busy street with many cars
The bridge
注意：每个空格只填一个单词,请将答案写在答题卡相应题号的横线上。
Many animal lovers would like to do more to protect animals, but aren’t sure where to start or feel like they just don’t have the time. The good news is that there are many simple things you can do to help protect animals.
Think twice before you decide
When it comes to eating meat or other animal products, the decisions that you make can go a long way toward stopping the killing of animals. Consider eating a vegetarian(素食的) diet. If you aren’t ready to make this change, there are still things you can do. Do not buy animal products from companies known to use practices that go against the law such as using drugs to increase milk production in cows.
Help get the word out(传出消息)
Getting the word out about the problems of animals can be as easy as putting up a notice on your car. Also, talk to your friends and family members about important issues that are related to animals. Give some simple advice to a friend with a new pet about the serious pet over-population problem we’re facing. Turn to some books on the subject if you are not so clear about the advice you give your friend.
Write a letter
We’ve all heard the saying, “The pen is more powerful than the sword”. Put this idea to the protection of animals. If a company has practices or rules that are harmful to animals, write them a letter to let them know you are angry about them, and that you will refuse to buy their products until they make some changes. Write letters to state and local legislators(立法者) to let them know how important it is that they support legislation that protects animals. Make them know that their actions will have a great effect on your vote.
Be more loving
If you’re considering adding a dog or a cat to your family, think about getting one from a homeless-animal house rather than buying a pet. There are many wonderful animals just waiting for a home. By taking back an animal from there, you will be helping in the fight against pet over-population, as well as giving your money to those who are responsible for taking care of pitiful animals.
Let your actions be an example to others
It may sound simple, but one of the best ways to help animals is to let your actions speak to the world. You should do the following things first by yourself: Treat all living creatures with respect. Care about your pets and look after them well. Avoid (避免)entertainment places where people use animals to perform. Support legislation (立法)that does good to animals. All of these things set an example for others to follow.
Title: Ways of
| Think about your | ●Don’t eat meat or animal products. ● |
| Get the word out | ●Put up an animal-protection ●Talk to your friends and family members about. important animal issues. ●Give your friends some simple ●Get help from books if necessary. |
| Write letters | ●Let those companies that are doing harm to animals know about your ●Let legislators know the |
| Be more loving | ●Get a pet from a homeless-animal house. |
| Act as an example to others | ●Treat all living creatures with respect. ●Take good ●Do not go to places where animals ●Support legislation that is |
8 . The endangered pandas in Qinling Mountains might face a new threat (威胁): the loss of their food, bamboo, which makes up 99% of their meals.
Adult pandas spend most part of the day eating bamboo and have to take in at least 40 pounds a day to stay healthy. However, a new study published in Nature and Climate Change warned that they may soon find their food gone because most of the bamboo in Qinling Mountains might disappear by the end of the century as a result of rising temperature worldwide.
A team made up of researchers from Michigan State University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences has studied the effects of climate change on the bamboo in Qinling Mountains. They have found that bamboo is very sensitive to climate changes. “80% to 100% of the bamboo would be gone if the average temperature increases 3.5 degrees worldwide by the end of the century.” said Liu Jianguo, one of the report’s authors.
He added, “This is how much the temperature would rise by 2100 even if all countries will keep their promises in the Paris Agreement. But you know what is happening around the world.”
In recent years, China has been trying its best to protect the endangered pandas by setting up more and bigger natural reserves.
“But it is far from being enough and the endangered pandas need cooperation from the rest of the world, because their future is not just in the hands of the Chinese,” said Shirley Martin from World Wildlife Fund but not a member of the team.
The Qinling Mountains, in the southwest of China, are home to about 260 pandas. That is about 13% of the China’s wild panda population. In addition, about 375 are living in research centers and zoos in China.
1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?| A．Lots of the bamboo in Qinling Mountains will probably disappear. |
| B．Qinling Mountains cannot provide enough bamboo for the pandas. |
| C．Pandas in Qinling Mountains are just threatened by the loss of food. |
| D．Pandas have already eaten 99% of the bamboo in Qinling Mountains. |
| A．China needs more help from World Wildlife Fund. |
| B．Bamboo is sensitive to the changes of temperature. |
| C．China is making great efforts to protect the pandas. |
| D．It is difficult to control the temperature rise within 3.5℃. |
| A．About 260. | B．About 635. |
| C．About 2,000. | D．About 2,635. |
| A．The Disappearance of Bamboo | B．Necessity to Change Pandas’ Food |
| C．Efforts Made to Save Pandas | D．A New Threat Faced by the Pandas |
9 . Swimming in the water of Hawaii’s Big Island is a fun experience. But it can be more exciting if there are dolphins swimming around and jumping out of the sea too. For many people, it would be a wonderful dream to swim with these lovely animals! However, this may not be good for dolphins. They may get hurt because of human interaction (互动).
Dolphins are active and usually look for food at night. In the day, they like to rest in shallow bays (浅湾). Many people think the dolphins are awake during the day as they swim. But when they sleep they rest half of their brain and keep the other half awake to breathe, so they may be sleeping even when they’re swimming in the water.
From 2010 to 2013, spinner dolphins (飞旋海豚) of Hawaii’s Big Island were exposed to human activities more than 82 percent of the time, according to Julian Tyne, a researcher at Australia’s Murdoch University.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says disturbing the animals in their near-shore habitat could force them to swim to less favourable places, putting them at risk of being attacked by sharks and other animals.
Besides, when people are around, dolphins become more active. Thus, they can’t get enough sleep. “Disturbing their resting behaviours can actually affect their long-term health and the health of the dolphin population,” Ann Garrett of NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service told the Associated Press.
As a result, the NOAA wants to make rules to help protect the dolphins. For example, the agency (机构) may ban swimming with the Hawaii spinner dolphins. Or they may stop people from swimming in shallow bays when the dolphins are resting. Tour operators must also be taught to watch for signs to know when the dolphins are in their resting state.
1. Which of the following about dolphins is NOT true?| A．They spend most of their time sleeping at night. |
| B．They like to stay in shallow bays during the day. |
| C．They keep half of their brain awake while sleeping. |
| D．They may be sleeping even when they’re swimming. |
| A．Swim to a crowded place. |
| B．Move closer to sharks. |
| C．Become less active. |
| D．Likely sleep longer. |
| A．Swimming with the Hawaii spinner dolphins. |
| B．Swimming in bays where the dolphins live. |
| C．Making signs that show the dolphins’ resting state. |
| D．Making signs that show where the dolphins are. |
| A．What habits dolphins have. |
| B．What spinner dolphins are. |
| C．How the animals live in the sea. |
| D．How to protect dolphins near the shore. |
10 . When we see a person in trouble, the first idea that comes to our mind is to lend a hand. But what if we see an animal in trouble, does the same rule apply?
This question was raised after a group of penguins (企鹅) were saved from an icy gully (峡谷) in Antarctica. It was filmed for the BBC wildlife series Dynasties. The film crew were anxious when they saw that a group of penguins had fallen into a gully and been trapped with their young. They built a slope (斜坡) so that a few of the penguins could save themselves.
The case has taken the international media by storm. Viewers watching this film sighed in relief. “I’m so glad. I understand not taking action directly, but a helping hand isn’t bothering, right?” viewer Kathryn Shaw said on her Facebook.
However, others think human interference (干涉) is unnatural. “You can’t have sunshine throughout your life. To have done anything else would only make matters worse.” said the show’s creator David Attenborough, according to TheTimes.
In this case, however, Mike Gunton, the executive producer of the series, said that this was a one-off situation. “There were no animals going to suffer by interfering. You weren’t touching the animals and it was just felt by doing this …They had the chance not to have to keep slipping down the slope.” he told the BBC.
Such cases are familiar to Paul Nicklen, wildlife photographer for National Geographic. He told Metro, “If it’s ever a predator (捕食者) situation, no matter how gut-wrenching, you stay out of the way. Even when you’re watching a male polar bear eat a baby bear.”
“There’s no rule book in those situations. You can only respond to the facts that are right there in front of you.” Will Lawson, the show’s director, told Daily Mail.
1. What has led to a heated media discussion?| A．The rescue of penguins from a gully. |
| B．People’s various opinions on penguins. |
| C．Some penguins’ sufferings in a gully. |
| D．Ways of filming the series Dynasties. |
| A．David Attenborough. | B．Will Lawson. |
| C．Paul Nicklen. | D．Kathryn Shaw. |
| A．Making one confused. | B．Making one heartbroken. |
| C．Putting one in danger. | D．Making one amazed. |
| A．Necessity of Lending a Hand to Animals |
| B．Protect Animals From Dying Out |
| C．Human Interference on Dangerous Animals |
| D．Help Animals in Trouble or Not |
