1 . After living in the city for nearly ten years, my family decided to be more self-sufficient (自给自足). Then we moved into a house in the country, where we met real challenges.

There was no electricity available in the area. The energy is generated by the wind and sun and stored in batteries. When we first moved in, we lost power almost daily. After this happened a few times, we came to realize how often we wasted electricity. Lights, fans and computers were left on when they were not in use. The refrigerator door was left open too long. The cell phone chargers were plugged in all the time. All of this used unnecessary power. We steadily increased our awareness of conversing (节约) power.

No water line is connected to the house. We have two large water tanks. Every weekend after we came here, we carried two smaller tanks to the nearby town and filled them with water, which we carried back and pumped into our big tanks. It didn’t take us long to understand that we had to use less water. We started taking quicker showers, turning off the water while brushing our teeth and collecting the water every time it rained.

In addition, we are also trying to make other changes, including reducing the amount of waste we produce, growing our own organic vegetables, and reusing things that we would normally throw away. These changes not only make sense financially but also give my kids a feeling of satisfaction in doing something good for the planet.

While living far away from civilization has been a big adjustment, there are many benefits. One of the greatest is teaching my kids the importance of conservation. We used to take water, power and gas for granted. Now we have learned to conserve. I hope that once my kids move out of the house, they will keep the habits that they have formed by living here.

1. Why did the family move to the country?

A．To reduce their expenses.

B．To change their way of life.

C．To get away from the noisy city.

D．To teach the kids to be independent.

2. The family started taking quicker showers in order to ________.

A．save time

B．carry less water

C．protect the tanks

D．save water

3. What kind of benefit does the writer seem to value most?

A．Children’s awareness of conservation.

B．The good habits of protecting the planet.

C．The determination to take up challenges.

D．The ability to adjust to new environments.

2 . What is eco­fashion? Eco-fashion is about making clothes that take into account the environment, the health of consumers and the working conditions of people in the fashion industry.

    1     Firstly, the production of textiles(纺织品)pollutes the environment heavily. Cotton­planting uses pesticides(杀虫剂)；sheep­farming and wool­cleaning contribute to global warming；Secondly, every stage of clothing production has a significant effect on the environment. They all use a great deal of energy, and some also involve chemicals which evidently do harm to the surroundings.    2    Thirdly, growing consumption levels and our shopping habits further worsen the bad effects. We are now so quick to throw away clothes that have been worn only a couple of times.

    3    To a large degree, it is the fashion producers that really have the power and the responsibility to shape our future. There are numerous ways in which these producers can reduce their ecological footprint, from switching to green energy and reducing energy use, through selecting sustainable (可持续的)materials and choosing local suppliers, to recycle and minimize waste.     4    

There is some concern that eco-friendly fashions are just a trend that we will eventually grow tired of but in fact, more and more people are concerning about this and we can make sure that doesn’t happen.    5    

A．Then, how to solve the problems?

B．They relate directly to our personal health.

C．Because choosing eco­fashion can also contribute to our personal health, though it is mostly done by way of keeping the health of the planet.

D．In addition to this, there is a lot of waste produced in the process, especially in the form of polluted water.

E．The fashion industry has developed quickly.

F．On the other hand, as consumers we can all make contributions by selecting environmentally friendly clothing and reducing clothing consumption.

G．A closer look at the fashion industry points out many problems.

3 . 假定你是李华，你的美国朋友Peter上次来访后惊叹你们家乡的巨大变化，回去后写信询问你们是如何在实践中将“绿水青山就是金山银山”这一理念转化为生动的现实的。内容要点如下：1. 简要介绍之前存在的问题； 2. 具体整改措施； 3. 带来的好处。
注意：1. 词数不少于100；

2. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

参考词汇：绿水青山就是金山银山 Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets.
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4 . The amount of rubbish that piles on our shore lines is hugely worrying and a growing problem for the planet. It seems like no matter how remote you hike and how high you climb, there’s always a dropped plastic container there waiting for you.

Mariah Reading, an American artist, spends the majority of her time outdoors looking for inspiration for her art, based in nature and our natural surroundings. On noticing the amount of waste filling her natural areas, she decided she had to reflect it in her works.

For her latest project, Mariah is looking at both the problem of wasteful littering and the way that art itself can be wasteful in materials, taking the dropped items that fill her natural spaces and painting them to reflect the place in which they were left.

Applying paint to create her masterpieces, Mariah has collected trash (垃圾) from different mountains and parks. “I’ve been considering my relationship with art and the large amount of waste it can produce,” says Mariah. “I wanted to find ways I can confirm art and its important purpose by working with recycled materials found in landscape environments.”

“Since the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, I’ve especially appreciated and been inspired by the natural beauty the parks offer, and found how easily we can take these precious places for granted. I seek to gather as much trash as possible, sculpt it into a canvas (画布), and paint the scene where the trash originated onto the trash itself,” says Mariah.

As well as through this project, Mariah has explored nature in her art in various different ways and through exhibitions. Mariah’s work might not solve the litter problem, but it’s just another way that we can get people talking about the problem and the ways we can prevent it from growing any larger.

1. What gave Mariah the idea of the latest project?

A．The beauty of nearby scenery.

B．The rubbish-covered surroundings.

C．The potential security risks of beaches.

D．The high energy consumption of her artworks.

2. What’s the important purpose of Mariah’s art?

A．To keep people from wasting natural resources.

B．To remind people of the litter problem.

C．To encourage people to explore parks.

D．To make full use of rubbish.

3. What is special about Mariah’s new artworks?

A．They are made of oceanic rubbish.

B．They appear in the form of sculpture.

C．They reflect the trash places on trash itself.

D．They’re designed to inspire people’s love for painting.

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A．The Growing Problem of Rubbish

B．Mariah Reading: a Sociable Artist

C．An Artist Turns Waste into Amazing Works

D．Celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the National Park Service

5 . “Plogging” is a new fitness trend (趋势). It is a combination of “jogging” and the Swedish phrase “plocka upp”, meaning “pick up”. It encourages people to stop while out on jogs to pick up litter.     1    .

Started in Sweden around 2016, plogging is now going global.     2    To advocate plogging, Swedish fitness app Lifesum allows people to record their plogging lime and track their plogging activity as part of the workout choices. According to the app, a typical user will bum 288 calories in 30 minutes of plogging, which is more or less the same as what’s burned off while jogging.

Like other fitness trends, there are plenty of plogging pictures and videos online.     3     Ploggers take plastic bags along with them so they can store the collected litter they find along their route (路线). Many ploggers are surprised to see just how much trash is in parks and along running trails. They even show off their bags of trash online.

Plogging is a great way to encourage people to make a difference in their local environment.     4    All you need for it is a bag for trash and it empowers everyone to help create cleaner, greener and more beautiful communities.

    5     Anyone can do it. You can do it by yourself, with n friend or even in a large group. And it is a challenge you can truly feel good about. Why not give it a go?

A．They clearly show what this trend looks like.

B．Plogging is suitable for all ages and fitness levels.

C．If you’re not a runner, biking or walking works too.

D．It is appealing because it is simple and meaningful.

E．More and more runners are turning their jogs into plogs.

F．So it adds the idea of environmental protection to the sport.

G．Plogging isn’t the first fitness trend to connect sports with a good cause.

6 . The Ocean Awareness Student Contest(International)

We invite middle and high school students from around the world to attend the 2017 Ocean Awareness Student Contest! The theme is Making Meaning out of Ocean Pollution, and it challenges you to research, explore, explore interpret, and say something meaningful about the connections between human activities and the health of our oceans.

This year, we challenge you to concentrate on one type of ocean pollution and “make meaning” of it through art, poetry or film. We encourage you to connect it with your own life, your own local community, or something else that is personally meaningful to you, but what’s most important is to pick a topic that inspires you.

To take part:
(1)Research

Do research on your own. Ask tough and complex questions, and think about the way science and society help you explain the topic

(2)Create

To explain your topic, create your own work of art, writing, poetry or film.

(3) Submit(提交)

The closing date for entries is on June 13, 2017, at 11:59pm.

Submit as an individual: This means that you are the only creator of your submission .

Submit as a group: Groups can be of unlimited size, but you must provide the names of each group member. There will be one group leader who will be the contact(联系)person for the group and prizes will be awarded to the group as a whole.

Prizes:

The winners will receive scholarships (up to $ 1,500), and each year we give out over 140 prizes(totaling up to $80,000) as well as chances to the winners to work with us and to get their works exhibited and published.

1. The purpose of the contest is to______.

A．encourage more people to explore the ocean

B．direct students to receive more scholarships

C．draw students’ attention to the health of the oceans

D．help students complete their works in various styles

2. The contest is designed for______.

A．college students	B．teenagers
C．art students	D．people of all ages

3. To take part in the contest, students are asked to______.

A．submit their works in groups

B．experience the life in a local community

C．exhibit or publish their works in advance

D．do research and explain their topics

4. Which of the following prizes is not mentioned in the passage?

A．Scholarships will be offered to the winners

B．The organizers will let the winners work with them

C．The winners will be admitted to famous universities

D．Chances are that the winners can get their works published

7 . In an effort to discourage people from using plastics，scientists have been hard at work inventing alternative packaging products．From water bottles made from seaweed to cutlery(餐具) made from rice and wheat，a number of inventions are set to change the way we eat while we are on the go，or having a relaxing picnic in the park．

The idea of using seaweed to make eco-friendly(环保的) water bottles has been around for a few years．Recently，Ari Jonsson took his invention—a water bottle made from red seaweed—to show off at a festival. The bottles will only hold their shape as long as they are filled．As soon as these bottles are empty they will begin to break down，though they would be perfectly safe to eat．Ari Jonsson’s bottles are a step closer to a widely used alternative to the current plastic ones．

The eatable water container is not the only product to add to our image of the future．Narayana Pessapaty has also created eatable spoons．After the success of his spoons, Mr Pessapaty is ready to expand and introduce forks and chopsticks to his menu．His aim is to largely reduce the amount of plastic waste，which is a huge problem for waste sites all over the world．It is a product that may take up to 500 years to break down，and recycling companies worldwide are struggling to deal with it．

Aside from the obvious benefits to the environment，this new packaging is also cheap to produce and therefore cheap to buy．Even better is the fact that similar eatable cutlery can be made at home，possibly a science project for children or just fun with friends．Why not get experimenting and create your own recipes?

1. Why do scientists invent alternative packaging products?

A．To make people’s life more convenient．

B．To reduce the amount of plastic waste．

C．To charge the way we picnic outside．

D．To show off their inventive talents．

2. What makes Ari Jonsson’s water bottles eco-friendly?

A．They can be made at home．

B．They are cheap to produce and buy．

C．They will hold their shape when they are filled．

D．They will break down themselves when empty．

3. What do Ari and Narayana’s inventions have in common?

A．They are convenient to carry．	B．They are safe to eat．
C．They can be used for a short time．	D．They are heavier than plastics．

4. What can be inferred from this passage?

A．Home-made eatable cutlery is likely to be popular．

B．Eatable cutlery’will completely replace plastics in the near future．

C．No recycling companies can breakdown plastic waste．

D．It’s unsafe for individuals to invent eatable cutlery at home．