1 . FIRE plays an important role in maintaining woodland ecosystems but fire introduced to undergrowth too often destroys too much; as humans remain the leading cause of wildfire, the responsibility to minimize the damage done falls on our shoulders. Here are four man-made fires that highlight the mission to fight fire and help to replant the world’s forests to counter the effects of deforestation.

Heilongjiang Fire—China, 1987

One of the largest fires ever to occur in history, the Heilongiiang Fire devoured three million acres of forest in the Greater Khingan Range. Reports attributed the fire’s easy spread to dry conditions in the area-but it was excessive logging activity without any effort to let the forest regrow that really let it rage unhindered. 34,000 soldiers were deployed to put the fire out, and 33,000 people were left homeless.

Wallow Fire—USA, 2011

Still the largest wildfire in Arizona’s history, Wallow got its name when two men accidentally started it while camping in the Bear Wallow Wilderness. Their campfire blew out of control and burned through over half a million acres of land, costing $72 million to extinguish, and a further $37 million to clean up and rebuild after the damage. More than 6,000 people had to be evacuated.

Uttarakhand fires—India, 2016

Throughout the year, man-made fires plagued the pine forests of the Uttarakhand Region. Widespread media coverage eventually spurred the government on to intervene, sending Indian Air Force helicopters to put them out. It’s suspected that these increased numbers could be the result of honey or seed collectors trying to frighten off animals.

Brandenburg Fire—Germany, 2018

Largely thanks to longer, dryer summers than usual—the forested area of Brandenburg, Germany, caught alight. Results of investigation suggested that evidence pointed to arson (纵火). Brandenburg lost nearly 1,000 acres of its forested land and three nearby villages had to be evacuated. A choking, smoky haze drifted twelve miles to Berlin, causing residents to have to shut themselves in their home.

1. The underlined word “counter” in the first paragraph has the closest meaning to ________.

A．reverse	B．multiply
C．achieve	D．enhance

2. Which of the following is true about the four fires?

A．The dry condition of the Greater Khingan Range was mainly responsible for the rage of Heilongjiang Fire.

B．A total of $72 million was poured in putting out the Wallow Fire alone.

C．Uttarakhand fires claimed so many lives that Air Force helicopters came to the rescue.

D．Excessive heat from the Brandenburg Fire confined the residents nearby to their homes.

3. The most suitable title for this passage might be ________.

A．hot weather setting the globe on fire

B．forest blazes caused by human hands

C．forest fires consuming people and money

D．uncontained forest fires raging worldwide

2 . Don’t Drop the Ball

Drop prevention risk assessment is really important. Everyone knows objects get dropped on work sites – there’s nothing radical about that. In Australia, mining has the third highest fatality rate of any industry (4.4 fatalities per 100,000 workers in 2015), and in less well-documented areas like India the fatality rate is even higher. A lot of these fatalities come from dropped objects. It’s worth trying to address this and work out just how big the risk is and where it comes from. At the end of the day, safety should be a priority in any industry and it should come as no surprise that addressing safety issues early can actually save money, long-term, for companies. It doesn’t look good for a mining company if people are getting injured and equipment damaged from falling objects.

The risks from dropped objects come from all sorts of areas; it’s not just a matter of dropped tools. We’re talking about sites characterized by a lot of activities, where all sorts of things can come loose or fall, whether its light fittings or objects like rocks falling off transporting belts. The risks are largely personal but are also financial: if a piece of equipment gets damaged it will need replacing. That’s a pretty strong inspiration for companies to address these risks. In terms of frequency, here in Australia we’re looking at around 18% of compensation claims coming from workers being hit by moving objects, but those are just the claims – the frequency is likely higher. Around 28% of deaths and injuries come from such incidents, too. As I said earlier, that’s just Australia; some industries don’t keep statistics, but I wouldn’t be surprised to find other countries report comparable rates. That’s a lot of accidents that could be prevented with adequate safety measures.

It’s important to take an active approach. It’s a lot easier and cheaper to address these risks during the installation or maintenance phases by adding barriers to the inside of guard railings on walkways and transporting systems and adding nets to fixed devices. There are safety mechanisms available, but it’s up to the companies to install them. It is a lot more efficient to add barriers right from the start rather than waiting for an accident and then thinking, “Should we be safer?”, when they should have reduced these risks from the start.

1. Why is drop prevention risk assessment important?

A．People seldom knows the extent of risk.

B．Many bosses consider their reputation.

C．Many deaths are caused by falling objects.

D．Companies need to save a lot of money.

2. What sorts of risks from dropped objects are there in the mining industry?

A．Light devices on the transporting belt.

B．Personal injury and equipment damage.

C．Safety issues and corporate development.

D．Compensation claims and statistics.

3. Which of the following statistical statements is true?

A．The frequency is higher though some industries do not have statistics.

B．Some 46 percent of deaths and injuries resulted from such incidents.

C．Four out of ten people died in incidents like this every year.

D．There have been more incidents in Australia than anywhere else.

4. What is suggested by the author to reduce the risks?

A．To find a security mechanism.	B．To reduce the use of tools.
C．To replace the damaged equipment.	D．To install some security equipment.

3 .

Charity Cycling UK recently launched a campaign to raise awareness of dooring after discovering that many people don’t know what it is. Dooring is when a driver or passenger opens the door into another road user—typically cyclist—without looking for other road users.

Cycling UK chief executive Paul Tuohy told Gloucestershire Live: “Some people seem to see car dooring as a bit of a joke, but it’s not and can have serious consequences. Cycling UK wants to see great awareness made about the dangers of opening your car door carelessly, and people to be encouraged to look before they open.”

The charity says 2,009 of the 3,000 injuries were sustained by cyclists, resulting in five fatalities but says this might not be the full extent of the danger.

Cycling UK says not all car dooring incidents will be attended by police, so the charity has written to transport minister Jesse Norman calling for a public awareness campaign urging all car occupants, not just drivers, to look before opening vehicle doors. One of the ways the charity suggests is the “Dutch reach”, where people leaving a vehicle reach over and use the non-door side hand to open the door.

Cycling UK also suggests harsher laws and advice on safer road positioning for people who cycle.

Mr. Tuohy said: “In the Netherlands they are known for practicing a method, known sometimes as the ‘Dutch reach’, which we think could be successfully encouraged in the UK.”

“Cycling UK has written to the Department for Transport asking them to look into this, and highlight the dangers of ‘car dooring’ through a public awareness THINK style campaign.”

If you’re really concerned about opening a door into the path of a cyclist coming behind you, consider using what’s known as the “Dutch reach” to open the door. That will naturally turn you in your seat and give you a much better view of what’s coming up alongside in the car.

1. Why does the author mention the figures in Paragraph 3?

A．To cause public concern.

B．To report the terrible accidents.

C．To show the danger of car dooring.

D．To stress the importance of traffic safety.

2. While doing the “Dutch reach”, you should ________________________.

A．sit still in your seat

B．open the car door politely

C．use the inside hand to open the door

D．use the left hand to open the car door

3. What can be learned from the text?

A．Many people are ignorant of car dooring.

B．The “Dutch reach” is well received in England.

C．Dooring incidents are all attended by police.

D．Drivers are to blame for dooring incidents.

4. What’s the author’s attitude towards car dooring?

A．Negative.	B．Ridiculous.
C．Neutral.	D．Concerned

4 . Traffic Regulation and Accident Prevention

We live in a remarkable time, and many of the once fatal diseases can now be cured with modern medicine and surgery. It is almost certain that one day a cure will be found for the rest of the diseases. Expectations of life have greatly increased. But though the possibility of living a long and happy life is greater than ever before, every day we witness the incredible killing of men, women and children on the roads. Man fights against the motor-car. It is a never-ending battle which man is losing.     1    

Nothing can seriously increase your risk of potentially fatal car accidents other than speeding and failing to pay due attention to weather conditions.     2     There is no doubt that the motor-car often brings out a man’s very worst qualities. Usually quiet and pleasant people, when they are behind the steering wheel, will become unrecognizable. They are impolite, aggressive, self-willed like two-year-old, completely selfish. All their hidden frustrations, disappointments, and jealousy seem to be caused by driving.

    3     It’s all for his own convenience. Due to a serious tragedy, the city is almost uninhabitable and the huge parking lot makes the town ugly. The destruction of rural areas and the annual mass killings are just a statistic, easily forgotten. With regard to driving, the laws of some countries are not strict and even the strictest are not strict enough.

Traffic rules are for everyone to follow under any circumstances, and no one can make an exception unless you make a joke of your own life. Universally accepted standards can only have a significant beneficial on the incidence of accidents. Governments should develop safety codes for manufacturers.     4     These measures may sound cruel. However, if these measures result in a reduction in the loss of life every year, they should certainly not be considered serious. After all, the world belongs to humans, not cars.

A．There are five reason for the accident and you are guilty.

B．Every year thousands of people are horribly killed, and we sit still and let it happen.

C．Surprisingly, society should smile at the driver and forgive him.

D．Someone has rightly said that when a person is sitting behind the steering wheel, his car becomes an extension of his personality.

E．All advertisements that emphasize power and performance should be banned.

F．It is time to develop a universal norm to reduce this senseless waste of human life.

5 . Beldon and Canfield are two seashore towns, not far apart．Both towns have many hotels, and in summer the hotels are full of holiday-makers and other tourists．
Last August there was a fire at the Seabreeze Hotel in Beldon．The next day, this news appeared on page two of the town’s newspaper．The Beldon Post:
FIRE AT SEABREEZE
Late last night firemen hurried to the Seabreeze Hotel and quickly put out a small fire in a bedroom．The hotel manager said that a cigarette started the fire．We say again to all our visitors： “Please don’t smoke cigarettes in bed．” This was Beldon’s first hotel fire for five years．
The Canfield Times gave the news in these words on page one：
ANOTHER BELDON HOTEL CATCHES FIRE
Last night Beldon firemen arrived just too late to save clothing, bedclothes and some furniture at the Seabreeze Hotel．An angry holiday-maker said, “An electric lamp probably started the fire．The bedroom lamps are very old at some of these hotels．When I put my bedside light on, I heard a funny noise from the lamp．” We are glad to tell our readers that this sort of adventure does not happen in Canfield．
What are the facts, then? It is never easy to find out the exact truth about an accident．There was a fire at the Seabreeze Hotel last August: that is one fact．Do we know anything else? Yes, we know that firemen went to the hotel．
Now what do you think of the rest of the “news” ?
1. Which of the following best gives the main idea of this text?

A．Beldon and Canfield are both good places for tourists in summer．

B．A fire broke out at night in Seabreeze Hotel last summer．

C．It was not easy to find out exact truth from newspapers．

D．Two newspapers gave reports on the same matter．

2. Which of the following are probably facts?
a．The fire broke out in a bedroom at the hotel．
b．A cigarette started the fire．
c．An old lamp started the fire．
d．The fire broke out at night．
e．There has never been a fire in Canfield．

A．b and c

B．a and d

C．c and e

D．a and c

3. The Canfield Times used the headline like this in order to make its readers think _______．

A．hotels in Beldon often catch fire

B．hotels in Beldon don’t often catch fire

C．this was the second fire at the Seabreeze Hotel

D．Beldon was a good place except that hotels there are not quite safe

4. The Caield newspaper gave a report just the opposite to the Beldon Post by saying that _______．

A．the bedroom lamps were very old at the Seabreeze Hotel

B．the bedroom lights made funny noise when the fire took place

C．the firemen failed to save clothing, bedclothes and other things

D．such accidents never happened in Canfield for the past 5 years