The Outdoor City Adventure Book Festival...

假设你是红星中学高一学生李华。你的英国笔友Peter来信询问你高一学校生活的情况。请你给他回信，内容包括：

1.你的学校生活；

2.你的感受；

3.询问他的情况。

注意：1.词数不少于50；

2.开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。

Dear Peter,

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yours,

Li Hua

The Amazon Rainforest: A Natural Treasure

Welcome to the Amazon rainforest. As the largest rainforest in the world, it plays a significant role in maintaining the fine balance of the Earth's ecosystem.

The Amazon rainforest crosses into eight countries. With an area of around 5.5 million square kilometres, the Amazon rainforest is more than half the size of China. The Amazon River, from which the rainforest gets its name, is about 6,400 kilometres in length. On its journey from the mountains to the ocean the river supports many different ecosystems. 1.

Of the 390,000 plant species known to man, more than 40,000 can be found in the Amazon. The forest's different levels support an unbelievable variety of wildlife. At the bottom, there is a system of roots beneath the ground. Above that is the mass of leaf litter on the dark forest floor. 2. Then there are the towering ancient hardwoods, and finally the tops of the tallest trees many metres above the ground. Each level of the forest forms its own little world, home to different kinds of living things.

More than 1,300 species of birds and over 400 species of mammals hide among the jungle's plant life. This jaguar is one example. It has yellowish-brown coat with black spots. While a significant number of jaguars survive here, they are only one element of this forest's food chain. 3. These frogs, in turn, feed on insects which eat leaves and fruit. When a jaguar dies, a tiny army of microorganisms helps break down its body and return the nutrients to the earth.

The Amazon rainforest breathes life into the planet by fixing carbon and producing over 20 percent of all the Earth's oxygen. 4. Moreover, the Amazon rainforest is a treasure house of species that can be used for food or medicine. Yet there is one major danger to these irreplaceable plants and animals: us.

5. As the impact of human activities such as agriculture and cattle farming continues to grow and the list of species in danger of extinction becomes longer, we are left with a question: can we afford to damage the "lungs of the planet"?

A. They feed on at least 87 species, including frogs.

B. Thus, it is often known as the "lungs of the planet".

C. Rivers tend to be the easiest way to enter the forest.

D. The next level is made up of shorter plants with large leaves.

E. They give this area the richest species of plants and animals on the Earth.

F. Currently the trees in the Amazon take in around 500 million tonnes of CO2 each year.

G. Over the past 50 years, 17 percent of the rainforest has disappeared due to human activities.

Strangers Under the Same Roof

Does every dinner with your parents seem to turn into an argument? Have your once warm and open conversations become cold and guarded? Do you feel that you just cannot see eye to eye with them on anything? You are not alone. Heated arguments and cold silences are common between teenagers and their parents.

Teenagers' physical changes may result in such family tensions. You may feel anxious that you are developing at a different rate to your friends, shooting up in height or getting left far behind. You might worry about your changing voice, weight problems or spots（粉刺）.When it all gets too much, your parents are often the first targets of your anger.

It can be a big headache to balance your developing mental needs too. You enter a strange middle ground --- no longer a small child but not quite an adult. You have both a new desire for independence and a continued need for your parents' love and support. You feel ready to be more responsible and make decisions on your own. Unfortunately, your parents do not always agree and that makes you feel unhappy. "Why can't they just let me go?" you may wonder. On the other hand, when you are struggling to control your feelings, you wish they could be more caring and patient---sometimes they forget that growing up is a rough ride. It can be difficult when your parents treat you like a child but expect you to act like an adult. All of this can lead to a breakdown in your relationship.

Although sometimes it may seem impossible to get along as a family, you can take action to improve the situation. The key to keeping the peace is regular and honest communication. When you disagree with your parents，take a minute to calm down and try to understand the situation from their point of view. Perhaps they have experienced something similar and do not want you to go through the same pain. After you have thought it through, explain your actions and feelings calmly, listen carefully，and address their concerns. Through this kind of healthy discussion, you will lean when to back down and when to ask your parents to relax their control.

Just remember that it is completely a common thing to struggle with the stress that parent child tensions create, and that you and your parents can work together to improve your relationship. The good news is that this stormy period will not last. Everything will turn out all right in the end, and the changes and challenges of your teenage years will prepare you for adulthood.

1.The first paragraph is mainly introducing ___________.

A.the importance of close family relationships

B.the quarrels between teenagers and their parents

C.the wall of trust between parents and their teenagers

D.the common conversations between parents and children

2.What mainly causes the teenagers family tensions according to the author?

A.Their parents' attitude towards them.

B.Parents' strict control over their teenagers.

C.Parents' expectation on their children's development.

D.Teenagers' physical changes and their mental needs.

3.What would the author agree according to the passage?

A.Parents should let go of the control over their teenagers.

B.Teenagers should always follow their parents' points of view.

C.Parents and teenagers should always keep open conversations.

D.Teenagers should not depend on their parents' love and support.

4.The author thinks the stress that family tensions cause is ___________.

A.normal B.terrible

C.avoidable D.natural

Emperor Penguins

Emperor penguins are considered the most beautiful and the largest of all penguins. They are amazing birds. They are good survivors, excellent swimmers and great parents. Do you know where we can see them?

You are absolutely right! Antarctica. Only Antarctica!

Antarctica is the continent which is the most southern area of land on the Earth and is mostly covered with ice. It is colder, drier and windier than any other place on the Earth. The lowest temperature can reach -89.2℃. In order to survive the extremely tough environment, emperor penguins have to cooperate. They crowd together to protect themselves from the wind and keep warm. Meanwhile, they take turns to move to the relatively warm inside.

Emperor penguins live on a diet which consists of different types of fish and other kinds of sea life. To find food, these birds, which are unable to fly, can dive much deeper than any other kind of penguin. Their dives often reach about 244 metres, and they can even dive to more than 535 metres when necessary. They can remain under water for almost 18 minutes, longer than any other kind of penguin.

Emperor penguins have a very hard time bringing up their babies. They have to go to great lengths to care for their children. After laying an egg, the tired female emperor penguin will leave the family behind to feed at sea, while the male is left to take care of the egg. For two months, the father, whose duty is to keep the egg safe and warm, carries his egg around on his feet and will give up eating until the mother returns. He does not sit on the egg like many other birds, but stands and balances it on his feet. Thus he is at the mercy of the Antarctic weather. When the mother returns from the sea, sometimes up to 60-80 kilometres away, she throws up some of the food for the chick and takes the male's place to look after it. The father then takes his turn to feed at sea. Cooperative parenting at its finest.

By December, during the Antarctic summer, when the ice begins to break up and open water appears, the young emperor penguins are now ready to be excellent survivors, good swimmers and great parents on their own. What an amazing cycle it is!

1.The underlined word "cooperate" in the third paragraph means ___________.

A.work together B.fight against cold

C.protect themselves D.move to warm places

2.Emperor penguins ___________.

A.feed on only certain types of fish

B.live in the most terrible weather conditions

C.are amazing birds that can both fly and swim

D.stay in water 18 minutes longer than other penguins

3.From the passage, we know that emperor penguins are ___________.

A.great parents who sit on eggs to keep them warm

B.the most beautiful and the largest birds in the world

C.good survivors and they move to warm places in winter

D.excellent swimmers and they can dive deeper than other penguins

4.We can learn from the passage that ___________.

A.the chicks break up the eggshells in summer

B.an Emperor Penguin lays several eggs at a time

C.the male Emperor Penguins hatch the eggs in winter

D.the chicks are ready to live on their own one year later

Wang Daheng, Father of Chinese Optical Engineering

In 1949, the field of applied optical（光学）science didn't exist in China. Understanding its importance for national strength, the Chinese government paid much attention to optical research.

Wang Daheng, a respected optical physicist, devoted his whole life to this cause. He kept watching on the development of China's first optical glass, first electronic microscope, first laser device, and first large-size optical measuring equipment, and helped to found the Chinese Academy of Engineering. He was called the father of Chinese optical engineering.

As a teenager, Wang Daheng often followed his father to the observatory and became greatly interested in the apparatus（仪器）there. In 1936, he graduated from Tsinghua University with a degree in physics. Two years later, he won a government scholarship to study in England. After earning his master's degree from Imperial College London in 1940, he began his doctoral studies in optical physics and technology.

In 1948, Wang gave up his established career and comfortable life in the West and returned to his motherland with the aim of empowering it（增强它的自主权）through science and technology. At the time China did not have the capability to produce optical measuring equipment on its own. In 1951, Wang was instructed to found an institute of fine mechanics and was appointed its first president. Within less than two years, Wang and his team produced the first group of China-made optical glass. Over the following six years, they went on to develop the country's first electronic microscope, first high-precision theodolite（经纬仪）, first optical range finder, and five other optical devices, laying the foundation for China's precision optical instrument industry. In 1961, they independently developed the ruby laser in China. In addition to scientific research, Wang advanced the study of optics in higher education.

Starting in the 1960s, Wang participated in optical research related to the development of nuclear bombs, missiles, and man-made satellites. In 1970, China successfully launched the Dongfanghong I satellite, of which Wang was one of the designers. When the satellite returned to Earth, the devices they designed brought back clear images of our home planet as seen from the outer space for the first time.

To close the technological gap between China and developed countries, Wang and three other scientists made the suggestion of drawing up a state hi-tech development plan in 1986, which led to the famous 863 Program.

In 1992, Wang and a group of other scientists called for the creation of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. In the following years, he won many honors from the state. He passed away in Beijing aged 96 on July 21, 2011 after living a full and fruitful life.

1.Why did Wang Daheng return to China from West?

A.To earn his master's degree. B.To get together with his family.

C.To do contribution to his country. D.To won honors in the motherland

2.Why is Wang Daheng called the Father of Chinese Optical Engineering?

A.Because he drew up the hi-tech development.

B.Because he participated in the optical research.

C.Because he was a famous and respected physicist.

D.Because he achieved many firsts in Optical engineering.

3.Which word can best describe Wang Daheng?

A.Friendly. B.Positive.

C.Devoted. D.Humorous.

4.The passage is organized in order of ___________.

A.time B.space

C.importance D.effectiveness