1 . Bees are essential for the pollination of flowers, fruits and vegetables. Sadly, over the past 15 years, the global population of the hardworking insects has been dropping worldwide at alarming rates due to loss of food and habitat. Now, Dutch cities are coming up with creative ideas to help stem the population decrease of these all-important insects.

In Amsterdam, bees can live for free in specially built “hotels” — tall wooden structures — across the city. While they may not look like much to the untrained eye, they provide perfect homes for members of the over 200 known species of solitary bees. As the name indicates, the insects spend their lives alone. The smart insects nest inside holes like the ones provided by the insect hotels, marking their occupancy by covering the entrance with a mud “door”. Though unable to produce honey, solitary bees are excellent pollinators and perform an essential role in many ecosystems.

Additionally, city officials are also educating people on the use of harmful chemicals and are providing prize money to encourage developers to build green roofs and populate them with local plants. In 2015, they set a goal to change some plants in public green spaces to native plants. Geert, one of eight ecologists working for the city, says, “Our idea is when we design a park, we use native species but also the species that give a lot of flowering and fruit for bees.” Many people, with help from the government, are replacing the sidewalks outside their homes with small gardens featuring flowers.

In Utrecht, bus stop roofs are gradually being turned into beautiful, living gardens designed to attract varieties of bee species. The green roofs, which naturally collect both rainwater and dust, are also beneficial for the environment.

These cities’ collective efforts seem to be working. A recent study found that the variety of bee species there has increased by an astonishing 45 percent since 2000.

1. What does the underlined word “stem” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?

A．Review .

B．Stop.

C．Monitor.

D．Improve.

2. What’s special about the bees in Amsterdam?

A．They’re not social insects.

B．They make high-quality honey.

C．They like to nest together in woods.

D．They’re scared of other species of bees.

3. What are bus stop green roofs mainly meant to do?

A．Collect rainwater for future use.

B．Plant flowers for enjoyment.

C．Draw bees to them.

D．Clear dust away.

4. What’s the text mainly about?

A．Protecting the environment.

B．Importance of bees in ecosystems.

C．Design ideas of insect hotels and bee stops.

D．Dutch cities’ attempts to restore bee population.

2 . As ice melts in West Antarctica the ground beneath is quickly rising---a process that could prevent the catastrophic(灾难性的) collapse of ice sheets, according to researchers.

A study published in the journal Science provides a glimmer(一丝;一线) of hope for a region affected by climate change. In recent years, several studies have warned the ice sheet, which contributes to a quarter of melted ice worldwide annually, is very easy to break up. Scientists fear even slightly melting could cause global sea levels to rise by 3 meters.

Researchers at the Technical University of Denmark set out to answer how the bedrock underneath the ice sheet of West Antarctica behaves as the ice melts. To study the land, the team analyzed data collected by high-precision GPS equipment positioned on remote rock formations in West Antarctica, which measured movements of the land down to the millimeter over a 10-year period.

“After a heroic effort to install and maintain the network of sensors in one of the least accessible places on the planet, the team has been rewarded with incredibly valuable data, which tell an incredible story about the Barth,” wrote Valentina Barletta.

The team found that the Earth was pushing the bedrock to rise faster than expected. In 2014, the surface rose by 41 millimeters: four to five times quicker than predicted. In 100 years, the land could be up to 10 meters higher than it is currently.

It is hoped that as the ice melts, the Earth's crust(地壳) will bounce back much faster than previously expected. In turn, this could stabilize what the researchers described as the "catastrophic collapse" of the ice sheet.

Barletta told Newsweek the ice sheet will never be stable if global warming becomes too extreme. “Reducing the greenhouse gas will give the ice sheet a better chance of survival because that would allow some known and unknown feedback(反馈) to create better conditions for the ice,” she said.

1. What happens to West Antarctica as ice melts?

A．The ground beneath is getting taller.

B．Its ice sheets break up completely.

C．Global sea levels rise by 3 meters.

D．Climate change comes to an end.

2. Why do scientists use high-precision GPS equipment?

A．To find out whether the ice sheet is very easy to break up.

B．To find out the connection of the bedrock and ice melting.

C．To find out what really affects the speed of ice melting.

D．To find out when West Antarctica will disappear totally.

3. How did the research team feel about the study result?

A．Disappointed.

B．Sorry.

C．Surprised.

D．Angry.

4. What should we do for the ice sheet's survival?

A．Stop the bedrock from rising.

B．Prevent the temperature rising.

C．Create more ice for the ice sheet.

D．Cut down the greenhouse gas.

3 . In the US and Britain, the slogan around colleges was “Save water. Shower with a friend.” Now, Wuhan University has come up with another system for the campus bathhouse. It charges students for the amount of time in a shower. Before entering the bathhouse, students pay for the amount of time they want in the shower with cash or their student ID card. The clock starts ticking the minute the tape is turned on. It pauses when a button is pressed for soap. An integrated circuit (IC) card reader at each tap shows the time. No money, no water. The benefits of the new system can be seen with the old system, which charged 1Yuanfor each person regardless of time in the shower. The university used about 320 tons of water daily under the old system, but only 160 tons now.
Many students use the new system but opinions on it are divided. Some students say it is bad because bathing had become a sort of race. Many people using it for the first time are not sure how long they need to shower. Some might be embarrassed if their time is up and they’re still covered in soap. They have to ask the bathhouse worker to help them buy extra time.
“It’s aflawin the system that you can not buy extra time on the ID card,” said Ren, a freshman in Wuhan University. The university is also considering some students’ suggestions that they be allowed to pay after they’ve finished the shower. Not surprisingly, some are complaining about losing the hour shower. But many students say the move helps them develop a water-saving sense.
Without the time limits, most students tended to shower for 30 to an hour in the bathhouse.
Some even used the hot water to wash their clothes. “In my experience, 10—20 minutes is enough,” said Dai Zhihua, a third-year student who usually takes 8 minutes.
A similar system has been installed in other universities. Shanghai Normal University introduced it at its Fengxiang Campus in September. The bathing fee there is 0.2Yuanper minute. One male student responded by setting a record with a two-minute shower.
1. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?

A．Students pay for the amount of time they want in the shower.

B．The clock times all through while the student is bathing except when the bather paused for soap.

C．If money runs out, there will be no water.

D．Having finished bathing, the student has to pay for it.

2. The underline word “flaw” (Paragraph 3) most probably means __________.

A．fault	B．advantage
C．pity	D．perfection

3. Since the new system has performed, __________ of water can be saved.

A．a quarter	B．one third
C．one half	D．two thirds

4. It can be inferred from the passage that __________.

A．The new operation can raise students’ environmental awareness.

B．the new operation can solve the water crisis.

C．a similar operation has been set in other universities.

D．The university has saved a lot of water by using the new system.

5. In which column can you find this passage?

A．People.	B．Society.
C．Campus Life.	D．Lifestyle.