1 . Most Beautiful of All

    1     Autumn was in the air. Rich, pleasant reds, painted by nature’s hand, were coloring some of the trees. On the ground a carpet of dry leaves had begun to form along the path.     2     High in the sky we noticed a V-shaped flock of birds heading south for the winter. As we walked along, I smiled. Beauty was all around us. It felt so good to be out in nature. I felt blessed to be watching nature’s glorious creation at its best.

    3     She was an elderly lady with gray hair. She wore old jeans and work boots. Her sweater was worn out in places. She was carrying a trash bag in one hand and a pointed stick with a nail driven through it in the other. As she slowly made her way towards us, she stopped to jab (刺) a piece of trash that she had seen on the ground with her stick.     4     When we met she smiled and said hello to us. Her teeth were cracked and worn, but her voice was as youthful as I had heard in many a day. We talked for a bit and I thanked her for making our nature more beautiful with her work. She smiled again and said, “I just do what I can before continuing down the path.”

    5     May we all have as lovely a life as her.

A．They smelled wonderful and crunched (发出碎裂声) under our feet as we walked along.

B．Then, she approached and asked us whether we had any trash.

C．I decided to take my sons for a walk the other day.

D．As is often the case, we are too busy to find the beauty of nature.

E．As we turned a corner along the walking trail, I noticed a woman slowly making her way towards us.

F．Of all the things I saw that day, she was the most beautiful.

G．Then, quickly and neatly, she placed it in the trash bag.

2 . 根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。

Palm oil(棕榈油) is the most widely used vegetable oil worldwide. It’s found in a wide variety of products from of vitamins to chocolate and bread.     1     The former makes it easy to spread，while the latter makes it good for our body.

But the oil’s popularity comes at a high price.     2     As a result，thousands of acres of rainforests in Indonesia，the world’s biggest palm oil producers，are being destroyed to make room for them.

With half of the world’s palm oil coming from Indonesia，orangutans(猩猩) have suffered a lot.     3     What’s worse，in 2015，wildfires endangered one-third of the remaining orangutans. Palm oil farms have also threatened tigers and elephants and caused water and air pollution.

    4     However，it’s not easy given that no other natural vegetable oil has both of its qualities. Now，scientists are creating a new oil to replace it by using food waste and M. pulcherrima，a yeast(酵母) that grows on leaves，fruits and flowers.     5     Besides, the yeast can be widely produced in any weather. The scientists say their biggest challenge was to find a cheap way to change the sugars in the food waste to a form that the yeast can take in easily. The team is now trying to test if they can produce the oil at a lower cost.

A．Palm trees need lots of land to grow.

B．The easiest solution is to stop using palm oil so widely.

C．The palm oil is so expensive that many families can’t afford it.

D．In the last 20 years，over 80% of their habitat has been destroyed.

E．There are many things we can do to protect the endangered wild animals.

F．The oil is popular because it has a high melting point and contains healthy fats.

G．It eats the sugars from the waste and turns it into thick oil that has similar qualities to palm oil.

3 . Lying alongside mountains of smelly garbage under the South American sun, Cateura is a long way from the conservatories of Prague or Vienna. Yet the township, which grew out of Paraguay's largest dump(垃圾场), is gaining a reputation as a hothouse for musical talent and for its youth orchestra(管弦乐队) that plays instruments made from garbage. "The world sends us garbage. We send back music," says Favio Chavez, leader of the "Recycled Orchestra," during a recent visit by the group to Los Angeles. Orchestra members, poor children from Cateura, play violins fashioned from oven trays and guitars made from dessert dishes. The orchestra provides the youngsters an outlet and an escape, a chance to go beyond the mess of their slum(贫民窟) through the music of Mozart, and even Sinatra. "In the beginning, it was difficult to play," says the l0-year-old violinist Celeste Fleitas." But Favio helped me learn over time. From Favio, I have learned to be more responsible and value the things I have."

The destination for more than 1,500 tons of waste each day, the community has no safe drinking water and little access to electricity or sanitation(卫生设施). Illiteracy is severe, and the children of the township often fall into drugs, violence and crimes.

Favio Chavez, a musical talent, came to Cateura as an environmental technician in 2006 and started a youth music school. He knew shop-bought instruments were beyond the means of villagers whose sheds are worth less than a violin, so he approached a carpenter to make some out of waste from the dump.

The orchestra caught the eye of Paraguayan filmmaker Alejandra Amarilla. She uploaded a short piece of the orchestra to YouTube in 2012, hoping to secure crowdfunding for what would become Landfill Harmonic, a documentary released across the United States this month and promoting the youngsters on a tour of the world's music halls later on.

1. What is the best title of the text?

A．Youngsters carry tunes from garbage to victory

B．A music talent hit the road to the world stage

C．A town for music fans

D．An orchestra on a global tour

2. What do we know about Cateura?

A．It has raised people's awareness of recycling trash

B．It has caught more attention through the orchestra

C．It recycles more than l,500 tons of rubbish per day

D．It provides its children with better schooling conditions

3. Why did Alejandra Amarilla upload a piece of the orchestra to YouTube?

A．To assist the youngsters with a world tour

B．To collect funding for a documentary

C．To organize carpenters to make instruments

D．To catch the eye of the Paraguay government

4. What can we learn from Favio Chavez?

A．To work in a team weighs more

B．To recycle things is to conserve things

C．To be creative is a quality of a leader

D．To own nothing is no excuse to do nothing

4 . Located just behind Amsterdam Central station, A1 Ponte is a popular cafe serving people on their way to and from the nearby ferry port. Not all A1 Ponte’s customers pay for their coffees, however.

A1 Ponte is one of the businesses taking part in Wasted, a project running in Amsterdam’s Noord district. It encourages households to recycle their plastics by rewarding them with discounts at local businesses.

When people sign up, they are given bags with unique QR codes, enabling the project’s organizers to give the correct credit to each household once the filled bags have been collected. For every bag of plastic, households earn one green coin.

At A1 Ponte, one coin earns users a free second coffee. Meanwhile, at Beekhoven Bikes, three coins earn users 50% off bike repairs.

Silvia Salani, who owns A1 Ponte, says there are days when only one or two customers have a coin to exchange free coffees. As well as improving her standing in the community, Salani believes being part of the project has been positive for business growth. Those who first came in with friends for free coffees usually return as paid customers.

Since Wasted was set up in early 2015 by a non-profit organization, Cities Foundation, more than 700 households have signed up. In a recent survey, 52% of users said they improved their waste disposal (处理) habits as a result of using Wasted and 23% said they reduced their plastics consumption.

Broader research shows schemes that reward people to recycle have mixed long-term results. A study shows the project caused different results. While the organizers acknowledge the long-term challenge, they believe that creating awareness can help bring positive effects. “We want to engage those who don’t usually care about recycling. At the same time, we can build a social contract between the community and business owners that goes beyond the traditional consumer relationship,” she says.

1. What’s the purpose of Wasted?

A．To promote sales in local businesses.

B．To advertise local tourist attractions.

C．To help win discounts at local stores.

D．To encourage people to recycle plastic.

2. Who can have a free second coffee at A1 Ponte?

A．The organizers of Wasted.

B．Those who have “green coins”.

C．People from nearby households.

D．People to and from the ferry port.

3. Why does Silvia favor the project?

A．It is beneficial both to her reputation and her business.

B．It has reduced the plastic consumption in her cafe.

C．It has improved her habits of dealing with waste.

D．It has helped her earn many green coins.

4. What do the organizers think of the project?

A．It is worth all the efforts.

B．The results are discouraging.

C．It won’t make much difference.

D．It’s more challenging than promising.

5 . 当今全球环境问题变得越来越严重。请你根据漫画内容，以李华的名义给“China Daily”写一封信，描述这种状况，并提出保护环境的建议。
注意：
1．不要拘泥于要点，可以适当发挥，词数100左右。
2．参考词汇：人口膨胀：population expansion；过度开发：overdevelopment

Dear Editor,
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Yours sincerely,
Li Hua

6 . It is reported that bags are getting bigger all the time，and that there are more bags per person on the street today than at any other time in history．If this is true，possible explanations could include the wide use of small electric and electronic devices，a reading-material explosion，a popular interest toward tight or pocket less clothing，or cheap bagmaking labor overseas.

But，much as nature finds ways—such as disease—to control overpopulation，city life has thrown up impediments(障碍) to bags．To enter many public buildings，such as theatres and railway stations，you must go through a search or go bagless．The city has countless bag rules．It is hard to keep them all straight，and you're never sure，when leaving home for the day，whether it might be a bad idea to bring one along．

Last week，the New York Public Library got in the game．Students，researchers，writers，historians，and anyone else who has got used over the years to treating the vast Rose Main Reading Room as an office or a reading room came up against a new rule．You are no longer allowed to bring a bag larger than eleven inches by fourteen inches into the library．If you walk in with one，you must leave it at the coat check．You may keep its contents with you，however，and the library provides big clear plastic bags for them．You return them when you come back for your own bag．

What the library is trying to prevent，in this case，is people taking things out，rather than bringing things in．A librarian said on the second day，”It’s a big change for people who used to come and bring in half their flats．The people who use the library responsibly will continue to do so．The people who steal will continue to get away with it，if they really want to．”

1. How many reasons does the author list to explain the changes related to bags?

A．2

B．3

C．4

D．5

2. What do the bag rules in many public buildings require people to do?

A．Have their bags examined.	B．Pay for bringing in bags.
C．Leave the places bagless.	D．Use big clear plastic bags.

3. What is the purpose of the new rule at the New York Public Library?

A．To change people’s way of reading.

B．To prevent people stealing things.

C．To help people better use the library.

D．To stop people from bringing in dangerous things.

4. How is the effect of the new rule according to the librarian?

A．Excellent．

B．Satisfactory．

C．Harmful．

D．Limited．

7 . Earth Day is on April 22nd. People say thanks to the Earth and learn ways to keep the Earth safe and clean. But saving the Earth is not just for grow-ups. Kids are also taking an active part in it.

The American writer and filmmaker Lynne made a film called Young Voices for the Planet. It lists a lot of stories about different kids who help to keep our environment clean.

Team Marine, USA group of students at Santa Monica High School started an organization called Team Marine. They tell people why plastic bags are bad for sea animals and environment. In 2011, they successfully made lawmakers (立法者) in their city stop people using plastic bags.

Felix, 15, Germany In 2007, a 9-year-old boy, Felix, started a club，Plant for the Planet. It encourages children around the world to plant trees in their own countries. Felix helped plant 25 million trees in Germany and 120 million trees worldwide.

Alec, 17, US When he was 12, Alec set up Kids VS Global (全球的) Warming. It teaches kids about weather change and ways to stop the world getting warmer and warmer. Alec travels widely to encourage people to help stop global warming. He has given more than 70 talks across the country.

Olivia, 13, US When Olivia was 11, she heard about the 2010 oil spill (漏油) in the Gulf of Mexico. She painted 500 pictures of birds to raise money for the clean-up. She raised more than $200,000 to protect (保护) birds and other wild animals.

1. What is the purpose of setting up the “Earth Day” and who can do something for the Earth?

A．To keep the earth peaceful and beautiful by adults and kids

B．To keep the earth balanced by adults only

C．To keep the earth safe and clean by adults and kids

D．To keep the earth safe and clean by kids only

2. Young Voices for the Planet made by Lynne is ________.

A．a book	B．a TV play
C．a film	D．a club

3. According to the passage, we know ________ doesn’t agree to use plastic bags.

A．Team Marine

B．Felix

C．Alec

D．Olivia

4. Alec travels widely to encourage people to ________.

A．raise money

B．plant trees

C．protect wild animals

D．help stop global warming

5. The passage is mainly about how ________.

A．kids are saving the Earth

B．parents are planting trees

C．students are raising money

D．grow-ups are using plastics bags

8 . Melissa Poe was 9 years old when she began a campaign for a cleaner environment by writing a letter to the then President Bush. Through her own efforts, her letter was reproduced on over 250 donated billboards across the country.

The response to her request for help was so huge that Poe established Kids For A Cleaner Environment (Kids F.A.C.E.) in 1989. There are now 300,000 members of Kids FACE worldwide and is the world's largest youth environmental organization.

Poe has also asked the National Park Service to carry out a "Children's Forest" project in every national park. In 1992, she was invited as one of only six children in the world to speak at the Earth Summit in Brazil as part of the Voices of the Future Program. In 1993, she was given a Caring Award for her efforts by the Caring Institute.

Since the organization started, Kids F.A.C.E. members have distributed and planted over 1 million trees! Ongoing tree-planting projects include Kid's Yards – the creation of backyard wildlife habitats (栖息地) and now Kids F.A.C.E. is involved in the exciting Earth Odyssey, which is a great way to start helping.

"Starting the club turned out to be a way to help people get involved with the environment. Club members started doing things like recycling, picking up litter and planting trees as well as inviting other kids to join their club."

"We try to tell kids that it's not OK to be lazy," she explains. "You need to start being a responsible, environmentally friendly person now, right away, before you become a resource-sucking adult."

1. Kids F.A.C.E is _____.

A．a program to help students with writing

B．a project of litter recycling

C．a campaign launched by President Bush

D．a club of environmental protection

2. What can we learn about Poe?

A．She was awarded a prize in Brazil.

B．She donated billboard across the country.

C．She got positive responses for her efforts

D．She joined the National Park Service.

3. Kid’s Yards is _____.

A．established in a national park.

B．started to protect wildlife

C．a wildlife- raising project

D．an entertainment park for kids.

4. Which of the following can be inferred from the text?

A．Adults are resource-sucking people

B．Poe sought help from a youth organization

C．Kids F.A.C.E members are from the U.S.

D．Kids are urged to save natural resources.

9 . On warm summer days with little or no wind, the air temperature in cities can be up to ten degrees higher than that of the surrounding countryside. This is a phenomenon commonly referred to as the “urban heat island” effect.
This phenomenon happens when pavement, buildings, and other infrastructure (基础设施) replace natural land cover. Large amounts of paved and dark colored surfaces—such as roofs, roads, and parking lots—absorb, rather than reflect, the sun’s heat, causing surface temperatures and overall ambient (周围的) air temperature to rise. Unlike soil, paved areas contribute to runoff, which means that as paved areas increase, the amount of water available for evaporation (蒸发) decreases. Moreover, urban areas have fewer trees and less natural vegetation which help to control the heat by providing shade and blocking solar radiation. The surfaces of leaves also provide water for evaporation which cools the air, further worsening the heat island effect.
In particular, during summer, more energy is required to cool the insides of building and for refrigeration, thereby creating additional heat output. This in turn leads to higher ambient air temperatures, which can also significantly increase the formation of urban smog in an area, degrading local air quality. Such a situation may directly affect public health with individuals more likely to suffer from heat exhaustion and the effects of asthma (哮喘).
1. The underlined part in Paragraph 2 means ________.

A．Due to dark colored roads, urban areas are becoming hotter each year

B．Dark colored surfaces reflect the sun’s heat, causing air temperatures to rise

C．Because urban surfaces absorb heat, air and surface temperatures increase

D．Rising ambient air temperatures lead to urban surfaces absorbing more heat

2. Which of the following is not a cause of the urban heat island effect?

A．The lack of trees

B．The demand for refrigeration

C．The blocking of solar radiation

D．The construction of infrastructure.

3. The underlined word “degrading” most probably means ________.

A．ignoring	B．improving
C．highlighting	D．worsening

4. The passage is mainly developed by ________.

A．giving typical examples

B．following the time order

C．presenting the effect and analyzing the cause

D．analyzing a problem and seeking the solution

10 . A town in Oxfordshire has become the first in the UK to have biomethane (生物甲烷) gas from human waste piped to their homes for gas central heating and cooking.
Up to 200 families in Didcot now receive the gas via the national gas power system. Head of energy and technology at British Gas, Martin Orrill, said customers wouldn’t notice any difference as the gas is purified (提炼) to the highest standard and has no smell. The gas is produced at a sewage (污物) treatment works plant in Didcot.
The entire process takes only less than three weeks, with the sewage being collected and sent first to settlement tanks. The solid waste material is then fed into digesters, where anaerobic bacteria (厌氧菌) digest the sewage, with the aid of enzymes (酶) to speed up the process. The digestion process produces methane, which can be burned to drive machines to produce electricity, or can be purified and fed into the gas network and piped to homes and businesses. British Gas says supplying the gas rather than electricity is far more efficient since around two-thirds of the energy is lost in producing electricity.
Partners in the Didcot project, British Gas, Scotia Gas Networks, and Thames Water, all hope to expand the process to other towns, and other companies such as Ecotricity and United Utilities have also announced biomethane projects being planned. One of these projects, in Manchester, could be supplying 500 homes with biomethane by mid next year. Another British Gas project in Suffolk will provide gas from digestion of brewery wastes to around 235 families.
The Didcot project cost ￡2.5m and was influenced by promises of government aids aimed at encouraging companies to develop renewable technologies. An EU directive means the UK must ensure at least 15 percent of its energy is from renewable sources by 2020.
The UK produces about 1.73 million tons of sewage annually. If all sewage treatment works in the UK were fitted with the technology, they could supply gas for up to 350,000 families.
1. Which of the following is true of the biomethane gas?

A．It’s mainly made from rotting plants.

B．It’s an environmentally friendly gas.

C．Its production process is too long.

D．It’s easily recognized by the customers.

2. What is the function of the enzymes?

A．To digest the solid waste material.

B．To help get rid of anaerobic bacteria.

C．To help purify the biomethane.

D．To speed up the digestion process.

3. According to British Gas, the biomethane gas had better be used _____.

A．as the power for the vehicles

B．for the heating and cooking

C．to produce the electricity

D．to drive a variety of machines

4. The last three paragraphs mainly show that _____.

A．UK government supports the biome thane projects

B．the biome thane projects are very costly

C．the biome thane projects still face many barriers

D．the biome thane projects are promising

5. What should the text belong to?

A．Computer science.

B．Engineering.

C．Energy.

D．Business.