1 . In the middle of the Pacific Ocean lies the tiny island nation of Tuvalu, the fourth smallest country in the world. This group of four islands and five atolls (islands made of coral rock) is famous for its sandy beaches and turquoise (青绿色的) waters and has long been a popular tourist destination for nearby New Zealanders. However, the nation of Tuvalu is at the risk of soon no longer existing, not because of war or political change, but because it will be covered by the rising ocean.

Tuvalu is experiencing the harmful effects of global warming. As the global temperature rises, so does the ocean temperature. Due to the scientific law of “thermal expansion”, when water heats, it gets bigger.     1    . Most experts claim that the effects of climate change will make Tuvalu uninhabitable within the next 50 years. Problems are already emerging. As sea level rises, ocean water containing high levels of salt is travelling further and further inland, destroying the little amount of soil Tuvaluans have to grow crops in.

Even before Tuvaluans began to suffer from the effects of climate change, the life in Tuvalu was tough.     2    . Most of the land on an atoll is rock-hard and arid and the soil that exists on it is usually thin and poor for growing crops. The nation has always had to import food apart from fish.

More serious than Tuvalu’s lack of home-grown food has been its lack of drinking water.     3    . Therefore, Tuvaluans depend almost entirely on rainwater for their water needs. Unfortunately, due to a geographical phenomenon known as La Nina, Tuvalu often suffers from long periods of drought. In the autumn of 2010, after seven months of no rain, the Prime Minister had to declare a state of emergency not only because of a lack of drinking water, but also because the water left was polluted with cholera (霍乱).    4    .

Tuvalu’s problems have led some of its 11,000 inhabitants to consider migrating to Australia or New Zealand.     5    . They know they’ll have to someday, but for as long as possible, they want to remain and make the world aware of what is happening to their homeland due to climate change.

A．It was a desperate situation and, but for emergency shipments from New Zealand and Australia, many Tuvaluans would have died.

B．This is largely due to the geological makeup of atolls.

C．Unlike normal islands, atolls have no rivers or streams, which means that most of Tuvalu has no groundwater to be used for drinking.

D．Tuvalu’s representatives demanded that nations should have a more responsible attitude towards emission controls.

E．Therefore, the sea level is rising and for low-lying Tuvalu, this spells disasters.

F．However, they are not willing to abandon the land of their forefathers so easily.

G．And as a member of the United Nations, they are doing just that.

2 . Because of its extremely rich natural resources, the United States appeared to be a land of plenty where millions could come to find what they wanted. Therefore, immigrants have traditionally come to this land, hoping to make a fortune. Of course, most immigrants did not get rich overnight, and many of them suffered terribly, but most of them were finally able to improve upon their former standard of living. Even if they were not able to achieve the success they wanted, they could be very certain that their children would have the opportunity for a better life.

The phrase “going from rags to riches” became a slogan for the “American Dream”. Because of the huge riches of the North American Continent, the dream came true for many of the immigrants. They achieved material success and many got tied to material things. Material wealth became a value to the American people.

Americans have paid a price, however, for their material wealth. The North American Continent was rich in natural resources when the first settlers arrived, but all these resources were unexploited. Only by hard work could these natural resources be changed into material things, allowing a more comfortable standard of living. Hard work has been both necessary and rewarding for most Americans throughout their history. Because of this, they came to see material things as the natural reward for their hard work.

Most Americans still believe in the value of hard work. Most believe that people should hold jobs and not live off welfare payments (福利金) from the government. There have been many efforts to reform the welfare system so that people would not become dependent on welfare and stop looking for jobs to support themselves.

However, as the United States has shifted from an industry-based economy to one that is service-based or information-based, there has been a fall in high- paying jobs for factory workers. Additionally, with it competing in a global economy, many workers are losing their old jobs and finding that they must now work longer hours for less money and fewer benefits.

1. What attracted immigrants to come to America?

A．The natural beauty in America.

B．The dream of becoming famous.

C．The wish of improving their lives.

D．The idea of experiencing different traditions.

2. What does the underlined word “unexploited” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Undervalued.

B．Undeveloped.

C．Unprotected.

D．Unchecked.

3. What may most Americans agree?

A．People depend too much on government welfare.	B．One should support himself through hard work.
C．Welfare payments make sure people live better.	D．Everyone should hold a job whoever he is.

4. What does the last paragraph mainly talk about?

A．Why working hours are longer.

B．What affects the global economy.

C．What causes workers to quit jobs.

D．Why life is harder for workers.

3 . Almost all cultures celebrate the end of one year and the beginning of another in some way. Different cultures celebrate the beginning of a new year in different ways, and at different times on the calendar.

In Western countries, people usually celebrate New Year at midnight on December 31st or January 1st. People may go to parties, sometimes dressed in formal clothes, and they may drink champagne（香槟）at midnight. During the first minutes of the new year, people cheer and wish each other happiness for the year ahead. But some cultures prefer to celebrate the new year by waking up early to watch the sunrise. They welcome the new year with the first light of the sunrise.

Many cultures also do special things to get rid of bad luck at the beginning of a new year. For example, in Ecuador, families make a big doll from old clothes. The doll is filled with old newspapers and firecrackers. At midnight, these dolls are burned to show the bad things from the past year are gone and the new year can start afresh（重新）.

Other common traditions to keep away bad luck in a new year include throwing things into rivers or the ocean, or saying special things on the first day of the new year.

Other New Year traditions are followed to bring good luck in the new year. One widespread Spanish tradition for good luck is to eat grapes on New Year's Day. The more grapes a person eats, the more good luck the person will have in the new year. In France, people eat pancakes for good luck at New Year. In the United States, some people eat black-eyed peas for good luck—but to get good luck for a whole year you have to eat 365 of them！

1. Which of the following can be the best title of the text?

A．Several different New Year traditions

B．The meaning of "Happy New Year!"

C．What to eat on New Year's Day

D．Why people dress up nicely on New Year's Day

2. What do you know from the first two paragraphs？

A．Different cultures celebrate the beginning and ending of a year in the same way.

B．The Western people celebrate the New Year only by watching the sunrise.

C．People around the world celebrate the New Year at different times.

D．People hold parties, wear new clothes and drink champagne for a whole day.

3. In some cultures, why do people throw things into rivers or oceans?

A．To bring good luck.

B．To forget everything.

C．To avoid bad luck.

D．To plan for the next year.

4. Which of following is CORRECT if people want to escape bad luck and wish for good luck?

A．Families make big dolls filled with old clothes

B．Friends tell something special to each other

C．Some people get up early to watch the sunrise

D．Europeans eat 365 grapes on New Year's Day

4 . Finland is the happiest place on Earth, according to the 2018 World Happiness Report of 156 nations.

The report, released Wednesday by the United Nations' Sustainable Development Solutions Network, ranks the countries of the world based on six different categories of well-being: income, freedom, trust, life expectancy, generosity and social support. This year's report also pays special attention to the happiness of each country's immigrants.

The U.S. dropped four spots from 2017 and landed in the 18th place, and last year's winner, Norway, came in second place — followed by Denmark, Iceland and Switzerland.

'' The top five countries all have almost equally high values for the six factors found to support happiness, and four of these countries—Denmark, Switzerland, Norway and now Finland — have been in first place in the six World Happiness Report rankings since the first report" in 2012, '' co-editor John Helliwell told CNN. '' In a division with such excellent teams, changes in the top spot are to be expected."

Rounding out the top 10 happiest countries was Canada in sixth place, then New Zealand, Sweden and Australia. The order of the top 10 nations changed from the 2017 list but the countries did not, according to the report. They were also 10 of the 11 top spots in the immigrant happiness category (including Mexico — 24th overall, but 10th in immigration).

'' The most striking finding of the report is the remarkable consistency between the happiness of immigrants and the locally born, '' Helliwell said in a statement. '' Although immigrants come from countries with very different levels of happiness, their reported life evaluations resemble those of other residents in their new countries. Those who move to happier countries gain, while those who move to less happy countries lose. ''

Other major world powers placed in significantly low spots on the list. Germany came in 15th, the UK was 19th — followed by Japan in 54th place, Russia in 59th and China in 86th.

The report, based on surveys completed by citizen volunteers, came just under a week before World Happiness Day on March 20, when the UN declared to recognize '' the relevance of happiness and well-being as universal goals and aspirations inthe lives of human beings around the world and the importance of their recognition in public policy objectives''

1. What is the most significant finding of the report?

A．That immigrants are different from residents in the country.

B．That immigrants and locals feel the similar level of happiness.

C．That immigrants become happy when they leave the country.

D．That immigrants come from countries with different levels of happiness.

2. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．Happiness is no less important than any other aspect in life.

B．People’s happiness and well-being should be considered when it comes to policy-making.

C．The happiness report came under a week before World Happiness Day.

D．What the UN declared was beneficial to all human beings.

3. What is the best title of the passage?

A．World Happiness Day.	B．Happiness — forever pursuit.
C．The 2018 World Happiness Report.	D．What's your happiness index?

5 . In less than 60 years the people of my tribe have gone from being an independent nation, to cultural prisoners, to welfare recipients. Is it any wonder that there are so many problems facing indigenous（土著的）Australians today?

When I was growing up in Kowanyama there were 15 people in my class, I am the only one who has gone to university. I'm also the only girl in my class who did not have a child at 15. Of the boys in my class, seven have been incarcerated, two for murder, five for robbery and rape. Only three of us are not alcoholics. Four of my classmates have committed suicide.

Life as a young aborigine is not easy, in any setting. The story of my fellow students is a lesson in the magnitude（严重性）of the problems that young indigenous people in Cape York face.

The two issues that are central to changing this story are education and health. There is a huge gap between what we get in communities and what other kids get in cities.

One of the problems facing education in remote indigenous schools is that teachers tend to be just out of training and stay for only a year or two. Not one teacher stayed for the whole of my nine years at school—not even the principals. This seeming lack of commitment makes you feel they don't care.

We need to review the curriculum（课程）in these communities because it is pitched at a very low level. I have had to draw the conclusion that governments and educationalists see us as less than white people.

Education should be uplifting, not serve to reinforce lack of self-esteem（自尊）and the heart-wrenching low expectations that our race suffer from.

We need a massive reassessment of, education policies and an equally massive investment in education. We have spent so long listening to some white fellows telling us we are stupid, lazy no-hopers that the majority of my people actually believe it.

The relationship between poor education and poor health is clear. People whose self-esteem and pride have been destroyed by a substandard education system and a social system that creates an addiction（上瘾）to passive welfare have little reason to live healthy lives. Our health is getting worse.

The policies that determine the delivery of health services are deeply flawed by a bureaucracy（官僚作风） that does not want to hear our voices. Health services are often confined（局限于）to the clinic.

It is problems and challenges such as these that led me to stand in last October's ATSIC election. ATSITC is more than the board of commissioners and the Canberra bureaucracy. ATSIC is also people who are from community and work hard for community.

We recognize that governments cannot solve our problems for us. As young people we are trying to take responsibility for our future. I ask the Prime Minister, not that he fixes these problems for us but that he and his Government see us as equal partners in the huge task of rebuilding our families, communities and Cape York Peninsula.

He demonstrated his commitment by engaging his Government at the family and domestic violenc（e家庭暴力） summit. My view is that the level of domestic violence and child abuse sums up all that has been wrong with Aboriginal policy.

We need a new relationship to address this frightening reality in our lives. Aboriginal people are reluctant to admit that young girls and women are being raped by their own people because of the blanket of shame. I am asking you to help lift that blanket.

I stand here as a proud Aboriginal woman, a Kokoberra woman as well as a criminologist, and I thank you for your time and attention.

Tania Major，22，is an ATSIC regional councilor and a trainee manager at her home community of Kowanyama on Cape York．

This is an edited version of an address she is scheduled to give at a meeting between the Prime Minister and Cape York leaders (full text at smh.com.an)

1. The underlined word " incarcerated " in Paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to   .

A．criticized	B．killed
C．dismissed	D．imprisoned

2. We can infer from the passage that in Australia   ．

A．teachers work in indigenous schools temporarily because they are poorly paid

B．the curriculum in indigenous schools is easier otherwise the students would fail

C．the undereducated aborigines are considered to be lazy and dependent on welfare

D．a good education can help the aboriginal people make good use of welfare

3. Who do you think are Tania's target audience?

A．Aboriginal people.

B．Teachers and principals.

C．Young boys and girls in Kowanyama.

D．The prime minister and the Cape York leaders.

4. What is the main idea of the passage?

A．ATSIC doesn't serve the people because of its incompetence and bureaucracy.

B．The aboriginal people can learn to be responsible for their future if treated equally.

C．The government adopted new policies to provide health services to the aborigines.

D．The biggest problems facing the aborigines are domestic violence and child abuse.

6 . Small talk is a good way to make friends. If you travel to other countries or have friends from abroad, do you know how to use small talk to make conversation?

In Britain, the best topic is the weather. British weather is changing all the time.     1    

Besides weather, it's good to talk about gardens with British. You could say "Those roses look really beautiful, don't they?'*     2     So it's also nice to start with "What a lovely dog! What is his name?”

In America, people like to talk about sports news, such as American football and basketball.     3     So you might say "It's a nice shirt! Where did you get it?" Weather is a safe topic there, too.

    4     Don't ask people "How old are you?" Never ask: "How much money do you make?"It makes people uncomfortable. Don't ask strangers weather they are married.     5     There are others in our daily life.

A．English people love their pets.

B．Americans also talk about clothes.

C．Politics or religion is not a good topic.

D．Only a few topics are not used for small talk.

E．There are also a lot of topics to avoid during small talk.

F．You can start chatting by saying "It's a lovely day today, isn't it?"

G．Friends are important to us all, but how to make friends is a problem.

7 . The most welcome sight on a cold, wet winter night in London is the familiar shape of a London taxi cab approaching with its yellow “for hire” sign shining brightly. That shows it is ready to pick you up. Travelling by taxi in London is not just a way of going from one place to another. It is an experience to be enjoyed and remembered.

The main reason for this is the drivers, who are called "cabbies." Many of them are true Cockneys. This means they were born in the heart of London and speak their own special dialect(方言) of English. All of them know every street and famous building in the city, and all of them love to talk. A simple twenty-minute Journey across town can become very interesting. You may have a discussion about the government and its leaders or a friendly talk about the driver’s Aunty Nellie! One thing is for sure, it will never be boring. Cabbies know all the latest news about film stars, the Royal Family, government leaders, and popular singers or actors and actresses.

They also know the best places to eat, shop and relax. And they can take you straight to any large hotel, department store, theatre or museum. They know the shortest way possible without even looking at a map, because everyone who wants to become a taxi driver must pass a very difficult examination in order to get a license to drive a taxi. The exam is called “The Knowledge.” It is a written test, and in it drivers are asked the shortest way from one place to another. They must take into account the time of day—in rush hour, a longer route(路线) may be quicker—and describe the best way. Moreover they must never forget the one-way streets!

1. From what can we tell that someone is a Cockney?

A．Their interest.

B．Their manners.

C．Their speech.

D．Their appearance.

2. What does the author suggest by mentioning "Aunty Nellie" in paragraph 2?

A．Passengers are full of curiosity.

B．Cabbies’ topics are wide-ranging.

C．Aunty Nellie is popular in London.

D．Londoners are friendly to each other.

3. What is the purpose of "The Knowledge"?

A．To qualify one to drive a taxi.	B．To assess one’s driving skills.
C．To test drivers’ ability to write.	D．To check taxi drivers memory.

8 . 3:00 pm It’s Friday. Alice comes home from high school to her mother who greets her at the door. She puts her backpack on her bedroom floor. She sees that she got a text from her friend, and hurriedly texts back before getting a head start on her homework.

4:15 pmAlice takes a moon cake from the kitchen that her mother has set aside for her. Her mother sits her down in the dining room to ask about Alice’s day. Alice tells her mother in Chinese about her math test that morning. She fails to tell her about her history class on women’s rights and her modern art class, because she knows it would make her mother uncomfortable.

6:30 pm Alice tells her mother in rapid Chinese that she’s done her homework and mentions that there is a mandatory(强制的) school function that night which she will have to attend. She asks her if she can go over to a friend’s house to study in the meantime. Her mother refuses because she has arranged for a tutor to come over.

7:00 pm Alice puts on a long-sleeved shirt and jeans, because she knows her mother would approve, but secretly packs a crop top(露脐装) and shorts. She empties her backpack of books and puts in her change of clothes.

7:45 pm Alice’s mother drives her to the school and drops her off. She tells Alice that she’ll pick her up when the function is over. The girl tells her mother that she will call.

8:00 pm Alice finds her friend. She changes to English and tells her that she’ll be right back. She goes into the bathroom and changes into the clothes that she brought. She now looks like all the other kids at the dance. She deeply loves her mother and hates lying to her, but she knows that is the only way she’ll understand. Avoiding the issue entirely by just “slipping out” is the only way she feels she can maintain her loving relationship at home, but still fit in with her schoolmates, who are themselves doing something that is supported by their parents.

In today’s world, scenarios (情况) like this one are more than frequent. They’re everywhere. Being born or living in a different country than the country your parents grew up in has become more and more regular. In the U.S. where the word “immigration” (移民) is often on people’s lips, nearly one-quarter of the 70.9 million children and adolescents under 17 in 2009 had at least one immigrant parent. The untold story of immigration is the stress put on the adolescents who need to live in two different worlds at the same time.

In the home, these teenagers are brought up within the traditional culture of their parents. They eat sushi, andxiao long bao, but even more than that, they’re brought up with the ideas and values of their parents’ cultures. Even the most independent teenager is influenced by his or her parents. However, as soon as these teenagers leave their houses, these values and expectations begin to lose their meaning. Instead of it being something that unites them with others, these traditional principles create cultural boundaries between teenagers. Seeing this and desperately wanting to connect with others, teenagers cast off(抛弃)their identities and roles in the home and put on a new culture and set of values.

These teenagers change themselves many times a day to adapt to these different worlds. Of course this isn’t something that they necessarily have to do. But following what their parents want and what their friends expect gives them the ability to feel accepted both in their home and in their school. In most cases, these teenagers are not pretending to be something they’re not. Rather, they are simply willing to play double roles in the drama of their life, adding an extra layer of stress to their teenage years.

1. What does Alice probably do between 3:00 pm and 4:15 pm?

A．She keeps texting her friend.	B．She prepares for supper.
C．She does her homework.	D．She tidies her bedroom.

2. What can be inferred (推断) from Alice’s story?

A．Her social life is limited by her mother.

B．She is forbidden to speak Chinese at school.

C．Her mother is interested in history and art.

D．Her mother doesn’t seem to care much about her studies.

3. By “slipping out” in Paragraph 6, the author probably means Alice ________.

A．tells her mother she’ll go over to her friend’s home

B．goes to dance at the school party with other kids

C．fails to tell her mother what she’ll truly do

D．wears a long-sleeved shirt and jeans

4. According to the passage, what do you think of the life of teenagers from immigrant families?

A．Colorful.

B．Embarrassing.

C．Traditional.

D．Independent.

5. The last paragraph implies (暗示) that teenagers from immigrant families ________.

A．have their own ways to cope with stress

B．are fairly glad to learn different cultures

C．feel rather satisfied with their social activities

D．want to be accepted by the people around them

9 . In the depths of the French Guianese rainforest, there still remain unusual groups of indigenous(土著的) people. Surprisingly, these people live largely by their own laws and their own social customs. And yet, people in this area are in fact French citizens because it has been a colony of the French Republic since 1946. In theory, they should live by the French law. However, their remote locations mean that the French law is often ignored or unknown, thus making them into an interesting area of “lawlessness” in the world.

The lives of these people have finally been recorded thanks to the effects of a Frenchman from Paris called Gin. Gin spent five months in early 2015 exploring the most remote corners of this area, which sits on the edge of the Amazon rainforest, with half its population of only 250,000 living in its capital, Cayenne.

“I have a special love for the French Guianese people. I have worked there on and off for almost ten years,” says Gin. “I’ve been able to keep firm friendships with them. Thus I have been allowed to gain access to their living environment. I don’t see it as a lawless land. But rather I see it as an area of freedom.”

“I wanted to show the audience a photographic record touching upon the uncivilized life,” continues Gin. “I prefer to work in black and white, which allows me to show different specific worlds more clearly.”

His black-and-white pictures present a world almost lost in time. These pictures show people seemingly pushed into a world that they were unprepared for. These local citizens now have to balance their traditional self-supporting hunting lifestyle with the lifestyle offered by the modern French Republic,which brings with it not only necessary state welfare, but also alcoholism, betrayal and even suicide.

1. Why does the author feel surprised about the indigenous people in French Guiana?

A．They seldom   follow the French law.

B．They often ignore the Cuianese   law.

C．They are separated   the modern world.

D．They are both Cuianese and French citizens.

2. Gin introduced the special world of the indigenous Guiana     as       .

A．a tour guide	B．a geographer
C．a film director	D．a photographer

3. What is Gin's attitude towards the lives of indigenous Guianese?

A．Cautious.	B．Doubtful.
C．Uninterested	D．Apprecitive.

4. What       does the underlined        word “it” in the last paragraph refer to?

A．The modera Frrnch       lifestyle.	B．The self-supporting hunting.
C．The uncivilized world.	D．The French Republic.