For the first time ever scientists prepare to set about a 3-year-long project，the Nekton Mission，to explore the Indian Ocean and document changes taking place beneath the waves that could affect the surrounding region over the coming decades.
The ambitious exploration team will reach one of the last major unexplored frontiers on the planet，a vast body of water that’s already feeling the effects of global warming with rising water temperatures damaging its coral reefs(珊瑚礁).Understanding the Indian Ocean’s ecosystem is important not just for the species that live in it，but also for the 2.5 billion people living in the region.
The Nekton Mission is supported by more than 40 organizations.Researchers will spend seven weeks surveying underwater life，map the sea floor，and drop sensors(传感器)to depths of up to 6，560 feet in the seas around the Seychelles.
The Seychelles aims to become a leader in the development of a“blue economy”that draws on the resources of the ocean.It relies on fishing and tourism，but has lately also been exploiting oil and gas from beneath the sea floor.“Our ocean is undergoing rapid ecological transformation by human activities.The Nekton Mission is vital to help us better know our ocean space and resources to make wise decisions.Only when we know what we have in the ocean and what is its value call we properly decide what to exploit and what to leave untouched，”said Jumeau，the Seychelles’ambassador to the UN.
The mission will conduct further dives in other parts of the Indian Ocean over three years.The researchers expect to discover new species and send videos to the world by satellite.The research will provide information for a summit(峰会)about the Indian Ocean planned for late 2021.
1.Why do the scientists plan to explore the Indian Ocean?
A. To save the endangered creatures living in the sea.
B. To discover the damage mankind has done to the ocean.
C. To make the best use of the natural resources in the sea.
D. To protect its species and people living around the region.
2.Which is not included in the tasks to be carried out around the Seychelles?
A. Drawing maps of the sea floor. B. Finding treasures under the sea.
C. Putting sensors into the deep sea. D. Studying underwater life.
3.What can be learned about the Nek-ton Mission?
A. It will extend beyond the Indian Ocean.
B. It will benefit a lot from“blue economy”.
C. It will contribute to the 2021 conference.
D. It will find solutions to global warming.
4.What can be a suitable title fur the text?
A. Scientists Are to Explore the Indian Ocean
B. The Seychelles Aims to Build a“Blue Economy”
C. Effects of Global Warming on Marine Ecosystem
D. Indian Ocean:the Last Unexplored Frontier on the Planet
There are about 6，500 languages spoken throughout the world，but about half of them are in danger of disappearing.
One of the primary causes driving language loss is that support for language communities drastically varies.While some languages are recognized by governments and taught in schools，the majority go unrecognized，unsupported，and untaught，leaving communities ill-equipped to pass their languages on to future generations.Tsakonian，a“dialect(方言)”in Greece，has declined to the point that only 100 speakers remain.
When a language disappears，many other things can go away as well.For example，parts of a community’s culture，knowledge and identity can also be lost.
One organization seeking to save world languages is Wikitongues，which was founded as a school project by Daniel Bogre Udell in 2012，when he began recording short oral histories in New York to explore the city’s rich cultural diversity with the simple idea:tell me about yourself or your home in your native language.When he posted the videos online，the channel quickly got wide attention.
There are currently over 400 languages and dialects represented on Wikitongues’channel and more than 1，500 people from 70 different countries have added videos to it.But that’s far from enough.The organization seeks to serve as an Internet resource to keep as many languages as possible alive.Udell believes they can make it happen.“There are many examples of languages that disappeared but later returned to use.Hebrew went extinct in the 4th century BC，and was revived(恢复)in the 1800s.Now once again，it's the mother tongue of half of the world’s Jewish population，”said Udell.
1.What can be inferred about Tsakonian in Greece?
A. It’s hard to speak and understand.
B. It will definitely die out in the future.
C. It’s not allowed to speak in Greece.
D. It lacks recognition and support.
2.What effect may be brought by the extinction of languages?
A. Harming future generations. B. Reducing cultural diversity.
C. Preventing daily communication. D. Changing school projects.
3.What’s the purpose of Wikitongues?
A. To support people in saving their languages.
B. To revive languages that have disappeared.
C. To record enough short oral histories.
D. To explore the world’s rich cultures.
4.What does Udell want to tell us by giving Hebrew as an example in the last paragraph?
A. All extinct languages will be brought back to life.
B. It’s possible to prevent languages from dying out.
C. More languages will be presented on Wikitongues’channel.
D. Hebrew has become one of the most popular languages in the world.
Children in rural areas of Cambodia often suffer from or even die of preventable illnesses because there is not any soap available.
In 2014，Samir Lakhani，an American college student，saw the issue while volunteering in a Cambodian village.“I remember quite vividly a mother bathing her newborn baby with laundry powder，which is so harmful to the skin，”said Lakhani.“It’s difficult for rural Cambodians to access soap.First is affordability.If you earn only$1.50 every day，you won’t spend $1 on a bar of soap.Then comes access.The demand is so low that local shops don’t stock soap.The last reason，because many Cambodians don’t really understand where diseases come from，they don’t know how to prevent them，including using soap.”
After figuring out a solution to the problem:the barely-used soap in hotels，Lakhani started asking hotels to donate leftover soap.“They were all eager to help，”he explained.
Lakhani registered Eco-Soap Bank shortly afterwards.Soon，he received enough funds to hire disadvantaged Cambodian women to collect and reproduce the used soap.
Today，the organization has four recycling centers across the country，providing jobs to 35 local women.And so far，some 174，000 bars of soap have been donated，about 24，000 pounds of soap has been recycled，and hygiene(卫生)has been improved for about 661，000 people.“We are killing three birds with one stone，”Lakhani said.
When it comes to the future of Eco-Soap Bank，Lakhani said，“We’ve just scratched the surface.Lack of hygiene is not something unique to Cambodia.The demand for improved hygiene in the developing world is huge，and much remains to be done.We’re looking at seven countries to expand to in the near future.”
1.Which of the following is not mentioned as the reason why rural Cambodians don’t use soap?
A. Poverty. B. Inaccessibility. C. Unawareness. D. Tradition.
2.What does the underlined part“killing three birds”in Paragraph 5 refer to?
A. Saving soap，curing diseases and providing education.
B. Stopping pollution，proving jobs and inspiring donation.
C. Reducing waste，providing employment and improving health.
D. Recycling waste，helping charity and improving community hygiene.
3.What can we infer about Eco-Soap Bank?
A. It won’t be long before it expands to the whole world.
B. There’s little it can do without other countries’assistance.
C. It will make greater contributions to the developing world.
D. It will soon settle the problem of poor hygiene in Cambodia.
4.What does the text mainly talk about?
A. Eco-Soap Bank helps improve hygiene.
B. Cambodian women have a bright future.
C. A US young man calls for helping poor countries.
D. Lack of hygiene remains a serious problem in the world.
Magical History Tour
Join us for our fifth annual exploration of fascinating historic sites around Greater Portland that you’ve never seen or maybe didn’t even know existed! The Magical History Tour is your key to unlocking fascinating historical places that are not usually open to the public.It is a self-guided adventure guaranteed to amaze and amuse both adults and children.Equipped with a map，and at your own pace，you will be greeted by guides at each location ready to share the history of the tour stop.
In the 5th year of the Magical History Tour，we will be presenting an exciting mix of both new sites and favorites from the past four years.
The Magical History Tour check in begins at 9:45 am at Maine Historical Society’s Brown Library.At this time，you will find out where the tour will take you as you receive your map and ticket into each site.
Follow us on Facebook，Twitter，and Instagram for updates，chances to win tickets and some other exciting opportunities；and feel free to share your tour experiences to our social media pages using # MHStour!
●Time:10:00 am—4:00 pm，Saturday，May 11，2019
●Location:485 Congress Street
●Tickets:Get your tickets online，by calling us at 207-774-1 822，or by visiting our Museum Store at 489 Congress Street.$25／Adult MHS Member；$35／Adult General Admission；$5／Juniors under age 18.
●Volunteering:We need volunteers for the Magical History Tour! Volunteers help for half the day of the tour and are given a free ticket to the tour to enjoy either before or after their volunteer shift!
For more information，email us at events@mainehistory org or call us at 207-774-1822.
1.What’s the purpose of the Magical History Tour?
A. To explore unfamiliar historic sites.
B. To visit some world-famous attractions.
C. To provide children with history classes.
D. To make some private places known to the public.
2.How much should a couple(one is MHS Member)and a kid pay?
A. $55. B. $65. C. $75. D. $105.
3.What can we learn from the text?
A. You can buy a ticket by emailing.
B. Tourists will only be guided by a map.
C. Only new sites are available for the tour.
D. Volunteers can take part in the tour for free.
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.What do people usually fill the Easter basket with?
A. Some clothes. B. Some candies. C. Some flowers.
2.Where do children look for Easter eggs in America and Belgium?
A. On the lawn and in bushes.
B. On the lawn and under trees.
C. In bushes and under trees.
3.Why do Austrian children sing from door to door?
A. To get colorful eggs. B. To get flowers. C. To get fruits.
4.What can we know from the speaker?
A. Easter is the most important holiday in the world.
B. Different countries have different Easter traditions.
C. Easter is celebrated on the same date every year.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.What does the man want to reserve?
A. A single room. B. A double room. C. A presidential suite.
2.Why does the man fail to book the room today?
A. The clerk responsible for it isn’t at work.
B. There are no available rooms.
C. The room is too expensive.
3.What can the man expect tomorrow morning?
A. A free breakfast. B. A call from Jenny. C. A visiting friend.
4.Where is Jenny now?
A. At home. B. In the hotel. C. In the hospital.
