Every Wednesday at 7 p.m., a group of runners from different countries gather at a bar in Shanghai before
THE BEST JOB IN THE WORLD
How would you like to spend six months living on an island and looking after the Great Barrier Reef? The working hours are flexible and accommodation is provided. Key duties include exploring the islands of the reef and finding out what the area has to offer. You’ll need to report back via weekly blogs, photo diaries and video updates. You’ll also be asked to promote the islands through newspapers, magazines and TV interviews.
It was actually a very clever means to highlight the importance of the Great Barrier Reef and the need to protect it.
About the size of Japan, it even can be seen from outer space. More than 25 million years old, the Great Barrier Reef is made up of living coral growing on dead coral. It is host to many species of birds and sea creatures. But this unique and delicate place is now under threat from pollution and climate change.
To get this job, the candidates had to make a short video showing how much they knew about the reef. They also needed to prove why they were the best person to do the job. Out of the thousands of applicants, eleven were selected, including a young woman from China. Eventually, the job was offered to Ben Southall from the UK.
In addition to blogging, taking photos and writing articles about the reef, he made a number of appearances on television to argue in favour of its defence. He also worked as a presenter for the National Geographic Channel, before going on to write a book about his experiences. Ben later joked that the job should have been advertised not as the “best”, but the “busiest job in the world”!
The most important thing was that people all over the world became aware of the beauty of the ocean in the area. What’s more, they came to understand the delicate balance that the environment exists in and what can, and must, be done to protect the reef. That way, it will remain a safe habitat for wildlife, as well as a dream destination for the millions of tourists who visit it each year.
1. What’s the purpose of the job advertisement?| A．To protect the Great Barrier Reef. | B．To build the Great Barrier Reef more beautifully. |
| C．To attract more candidates. | D．To attract more tourists to travel in Australia. |
| A．Lack of tourists. | B．Natural disasters. |
| C．Pollution and climate change. | D．Disappearing of the islands. |
| A．He took photos and wrote articles about the reef. | B．He appeared on television many times. |
| C．He worked as a host for one channel. | D．He told jokes on TV. |
3 . Farmer Pak Sadiman has made it his task to raise awareness and do something about Central Java’s water shortage problem, little by little.
He has changed his dry village into a groundwater haven by planting trees on nearby land for the last 19 years, and he’s encouraging others to join in, too.
Sadiman realised that the land was in need of some water when the Gendol River—previously the source of water for villagers—was quickly drying up. Even rubber trees, the local people’s main source of income, were so dry that they could no longer produce rubber latex. It was then that Sadiman took action so that generations to come could benefit from the planted trees.
“Banyan trees, unlike rubber trees, can keep groundwater. The more banyan trees are planted, the more clean water villagers will get,” he thought. Although he would often find his seeds dug up by cattle, the farmer never became discouraged from achieving his goal—providing his village with a clean water source.
He’s planted at least 11,000 trees over the last 19 years, and his village seems to have escaped from the dry season. Villagers have joined in Sadiman’s efforts and given him free seeds or worked alongside him to plant the trees. “Pak Sadiman is our hero. This village used to fight with water shortage, but now we have enough water because of him,” the local chief said.
Sadiman said as long as he’s physically healthy and fit, he’ll continue to plant trees and finish his vision of avoiding drought and help provide clean water for his fellow villagers.
1. What problem did Pak Sadiman plan to solve?| A．Water shortage. |
| B．Villagers’ low income. |
| C．Villagers’ bad living conditions. |
| D．The shortage of natural resources. |
| A．It has provided water for the villagers till now. |
| B．It has enough water even in the dry season. |
| C．It was the main source of water for locals. |
| D．It has been polluted by human activities. |
| A．Friendly and outgoing. |
| B．Kind and determined. |
| C．Thankful and patient. |
| D．Honest and clever. |
| A．A Plan to Plant More Trees |
| B．A Farmer Preferring to Plant Trees |
| C．A Village Saved by the Government’s Efforts |
| D．A Farmer Saving His Village from Drought |
Given the fact that chemical pesticides and artificial fertilisers can fight crop diseases and increase production, they
1．活动目的：亲近自然，美化环境；
2．具体活动过程；
3．活动感受。
注意：1．词数80 左右；
2．可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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6 . The world has a plastic problem—and it is increasing.
1.Replace plastic bags. People use a lot of plastic bags worldwide every year.About 10 percent are used in the United States alone. That’s almost one bag per American per day.
2.Skip the straw(吸管)．Today, around 8.3 billion plastic straws pollute the world’s beaches.
3.Use limited plastic bottles. Buy a reusable bottle and fill it with any type of beverage(饮料)you like.
4.Avoid plastic packaging materials.Don’t buy fruit or vegetables in plastic packaging.In the United Kingdom, leaders are calling for supermarkets to have plasticfree areas.They also want to tax plastic takeout containers.
5.Recycle. We can’t recycle all plastic items, but it is possible to recycle most bottles and milk or juice cartons.Today, Norway recycles 97 percent of its plastic bottle.How?
| A．Likewise, the average Dane(丹麦人) uses four plastic bags per day. |
| B．In contrast, the average Dane uses four singleuse bags per year. |
| C．So when you order a drink, say no to the straw, or bring your own reusable one. |
| D．However, there are still loads of people ignoring the seriousness of it. |
| E．Scientists are working to find a longterm solution by making plastic more biodegradable (可降解的)． |
| F．Some cities, like Bundanoon in Australia and San Francisco in the U．S., have completely or partially banned bottled water. |
| G．Machines at most supermarkets take the bottles and give a refund (退款) of up to 2.5 kroner (32 cents) per bottle. |
The Monarch’s Journey
Many animals move from one place to another at certain times of the year. This annual movement is called migration. They migrate to find food, seek a partner, or in search of warmer weather. One of the most wonderful migrations in nature is that of the North American monarch butterfly.
Every autumn, millions of these beautiful insects with fine black and orange wings begin a long and difficult journey. Somehow they manage to travel around 4,000 kilometres south and find their way to California or Mexico. However, until recently no one knew how they did this.
A team of scientists led by Professor Eli Shlizerman at the University of Washington has now found the answer. They have found out that the monarch is able to tell the time of day. It uses its eyes to measure the position of the sun. These two pieces of information — the time of day and the point where the sun is in the sky — allow the butterfly to determine the way to go. Eventually, it manages to reach the places where it will spend the winter.
The solution to the mystery of the monarch’s amazing ability comes at a time when it is in serious trouble. Its population has crashed by as much as 90 per cent in the last few years. Sadly, human activity is the main reason why the number of monarch butterflies is falling. In many of the places where the butterfly can be found, people are destroying the natural environment. They cut down trees and use chemicals that kill the plants that monarch caterpillars eat.
The research on the monarch’s behaviour has however led to a greater awareness of this creature. People have been working together to record its migration and make sure that there are enough plants for it to feed on. If this works, there may come a time when the number of monarch butterflies increases once again. The more we know about this lovely creature, the greater the chance it will survive and keep its place in the natural world for a long time to come.
1. What’s the main idea of the text?| A．The routes of the Monarch’s migration. |
| B．The reasons of the Monarch’s migration. |
| C．The significance of the Monarch’s migration. |
| D．The study of the Monarch’s migration. |
| A．To tell us what migration is exactly. |
| B．To tell us the reasons for migration. |
| C．To introduce the topic of the text. |
| D．To tell us how many animals migrate. |
| A．They may lose their way. |
| B．They can’t see anything. |
| C．They can’t find any food. |
| D．They will feel very cold. |
| A．Negative. | B．Neutral. |
| C．Indifferent. | D．Positive. |
| A．Being caught by humans. |
| B．The destroyed natural environment. |
| C．The bad weather condition. |
| D．Being eaten by birds. |
(1)
(2)
1．外貌： 金黄色或者灰色；尾巴几乎和身体一样长。
2．栖息地：主要在中国， 海拔在1 500—3 300 米的森林中。
3．生活习性：群居， 吃树叶、果子。
4．濒危动物， 呼吁大家保护金丝猴。
注意： 1.词数80左右;
2．可以适当增加细节，使行文连贯。
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9 . Johan Ernst Nilson is an explorer. His 32 expeditions in 100 countries include biking from northern Europe to Africa, hiking across Alaska and climbing the highest mountain on each of the seven continents. This summer, Nilson completed his most challenging journey the Pole to Pole Expedition. He travelled about 21,750 miles through 17 countries, from the North Pole to the South Pole. “I go to remote areas where no person has ever set foot,” Nilson told TFK.
Nilson walked, sailed, skied, biked, and took a dogsled. Known as the “environmental explorer”, Nilson used forms of transportation that are not harmful to the environment. Nilson hopes the expedition, which will be featured in a movie and a book, both due out this winter, will inspire others to protect the planet.
It took Nilson about 18 months to complete the expedition. He faced dangerous situations, just as the early polar explorers did. He travelled through hurricanes. He endured extreme heat and cold. He fell through ice. He suffered cracked ribs and frostbite(冻伤). He was even chased by bears.
Eating properly was a constant challenge. The explorer, who covered about 60 miles a day, ate a variety of foods, such as fruit, meat, fish and vegetables. At one point, Nilson ran out of food. He wrote on his blog: “The North Pole is a different story. On an expedition on the ice, you have to eat anything you can find.”
In spite of the many challenges, Nilson insists that the expedition was well worth it. He was able to visit with groups such as UNICEF and the American Red Cross, to take part in the work that they do to help people all over the world. He is hopeful that his adventure will inspire others to take action to protect the planet.
Nilson says his big expedition days are now over, but he will continue to explore in other ways. “Exploration is reaching for the unknown, learning how to play the piano, learning a new language,” he says. Are you an explorer, too?
1. What does Nilson do besides expeditions?| A．He likes playing the piano. | B．He helps those who need help. |
| C．He likes learning foreign languages. | D．He likes visiting people. |
| A．become famous | B．attract people’s attention |
| C．inspire people to explore | D．protect the environment |
| A．Nilson suffered a lot and was in great danger. | B．Nilson liked travelling through hurricanes. |
| C．Nilson stood extreme heat and cold. | D．Nilson suffered freezing. |
10 . Chemists have spent the past century trying to make plastics break down in seawater. Most plastics take centuries to fully break down in the ocean.
Timo Rhein Berger is a PhD student at the University of Twente in the Netherlands.
When the researchers weakened 15% of PLA’s monomer links, the PLA broke down entirely within just two weeks. When they weakened only 3% of the links, the breakdown took about two years.
| A．Plastics are useful. |
| B．Scientists created the now-popular plastic in the1930s. |
| C．So researchers have much confidence in their efforts. |
| D．That’s why plastics make up 80% of ocean trash. |
| E．His work has focused on speeding PLA’s breakdown. |
| F．This means the team can design how quickly PLA breaks down in seawater. |
| G．The more breaking points researchers added, the faster the PLA broke down. |
