For as long as they can remember Jynne Martin and April Surgent had both dreamed of going to Antarctica. This winter, they each made it to the icy continent as guests of the National Science Foundation (NSF).But they didn’t go as scientists. Martin is a poet and Surgent is an artist. They went to Antarctica as participants in the NSF’s Artists and Writers program. The NSF is the government agency that funds scientific research in Antarctica. But it also makes it possible for artists, including filmmakers and musicians, to experience Antarctica and contribute their own points of view to our understanding of the continent.
The mixing of science and art in Antarctica isn’t new. Some of the earliest explorers brought along painters and photographers. Edward Wilson was a British painter, doctor, and bird expert who journeyed with Robert Falcon Scott on two separate Antarctic expeditions more than 100 years ago. Herbert Ponting was a photographer who also accompanied Scott on one of those expeditions. In hundreds of photos, Ponting captured the beauty of the continent and recorded the daily lives and heroic struggles of the explorers.
Today’s scientists write articles for scientific journals. Unlike the early explorers’ journals, scientific papers can now be very difficult for non-scientists to understand. Writers in Antarctica work to explain the research to the public. Peter Rejcek is editor, writer, and photographer for the Antarctic Sun, an online magazine devoted to news about the U.S. Antarctic Program. Rejeck began his career in the Antarctic in 2003 by spending a year at the South Pole. He has returned every year since，interviewing， scientists about research at Palmer，McMurdo，and South Pole stations.
There are also scientists in Antarctica who work hard to explain their research to the public. Scientist Diane McKnight wrote The Lost Seal，a children’s book that explains the research she and others are doing in an unusual ice-free area in Antarctica called the Dry Valleys.
Antarctica is full of stories and wonders that are scientific, historic and personal. People such as Martin, Surgent, Rejcek, and Diane McKnight are devoted to bringing those stories to as many people as they can. “Some people are going to be scientists，some people are going to be journalists，some people are going to be artists，but we can all work together.” says Surgent, “to celebrate，this extraordinary place.”
1.What do we know about the NSF?
A. It is a government agency.
B. It only funds scientists in Antarctica.
C. It encourages the understanding of human nature.
D. It enables the mixing of science and art for the first time.
2.Why didn’t some earliest explorers bring writers along?
A. Writers were not funded at that time.
B. Writing can’t capture the beauty of the continent.
C. Writers were not interested in popularizing science.
D. Early explorers ’journals can be easily understood by the public.
3.By mentioning Diane McKnight, the author may try to suggest that_____.
A. scientists should explain their research to children
B. writers are not necessary since scientists can tell stories as well
C. telling stories to children is more important than knowing the truth
D. no matter what role we play, we can work together to appreciate Antarctica
4.What would be the best title for this article?
A. Antarctica: A Land for A11
B. The NSF: A Program for All
C. Antarctica: A Land of Beauty and Stories
D. The NSF: A Program for Artists and Scientists
Mosquitoes have an extraordinary ability to target humans far away and fly straight to their unprotected skin. Regrettably，mosquitoes can do more than cause an itchy(发痒的）wound. Some mosquitoes spread several serious diseases，including Dengue，yellow fever and malaria.
Over one million people worldwide die from these diseases each year. New research now shows how mosquitoes choose who to bite.
Mosquitoes need blood to survive. They are attracted to human skin and breath. They smell the carbon dioxide gas，which all mammals breathe out. This gas is the main way for mosquitoes to know that a warm-blooded creature is nearby.
But mosquitoes also use their eyes and sense of touch. Michael Dickinson is a professor at the California Institute of Technology. His research shows how these small insects，with even smaller brains，use three senses to find a blood meal.
Michael Dickinson’s team used plumes—a material that rises into the air of carbon dioxide gas into a wind tunnel. They then used cameras to record the mosquitoes. The insects followed the plume.
Then，the scientists placed dark objects on the lighter colored floor and walls of the tunnel. Mr. Dickinson said，at first，the mosquitoes showed no interest in the objects at all. “What was quite striking and quite surprising is that the mosquitoes fly back and forth for hours. These are hungry females and they completely ignore the objects on the floor and wall of the tunnel. But the moment they get a hit of CO2. they change their behavior quite obviously and now would become attracted to these little visual blobs (斑点).”
This suggested to the researchers that a mosquito’s sense of smell is more important in the search for food. Once mosquitoes catch a smell of a human or animal, they also follow visual signals.
1.What do mosquitoes mainly use to find their targets?
A. Sense of smell. B. Sense of touch.
C. Sense of sight. D. Smart brains.
2.The first response of the mosquitoes to the objects in the experiment is .
A. to fly to the dark ones
B. to catch and stick to them
C. to take no notice of them
D. to attach themselves to them
3.How can we avoid being attacked by mosquitoes according to the text?
A. Don’t let them see us.
B. Use dark objects to stop them.
C. Make them fly back and forth for hours.
D. Attract them to objects full of carbon dioxide gas.
4.What can be the best title for the text?
A. How Do Mosquitoes Survive?
B. Why Do Mosquitoes Need Blood?
C. How Do Mosquitoes Choose to Bite You?
D. Why Do Mosquitoes Attack the Human Being?
The stories we share with one another are important. They show wisdom, and provide inspiration. They are important to our development. But sometimes people chose not to tell.
Consider the negative effects of not sharing a story in the news: People are wondering if public health officials are holding back too much information about the recent outbreak of Ebola.
There is a danger in holding back stories that ought to be told. Bobette Buster said it like this, “The fact is, history has shown us that stories not told an become like a dangerous genie(妖怪)left in a bottle. When they are finally uncorked, their power to destroy is set free.”
There are a number of reasons why we hide parts of our story: they often show our weaknesses or expose our disadvantages; they require courage and strength to share; and of course, there are some stories that should be kept secret—especially those that embarrass someone else.
Most of us have two selves: the one we display on the outside and the one we actually are on the inside. And the better we get at hiding the stories that show our true selves，the more damage we may be causing to ourselves and to others.
Honesty and openness is important: It proves we are trustworthy. It displays we are human. We are not perfect or better. It highlights the importance of hard work and personal development. Hard work may not allow us to overcome our disadvantages completely. But with hard wonk: we do not have to be restricted to our mistakes.
Does this mean we admit every weakness, every disadvantage, and every secret regret to everybody we meet? No, of course not. There is a time and a place and a certain level of relationship necessary for some stories to be told in all appropriate manners.
1.What’s the function of the example in Paragraph 2?
A. It reflects that people are concerning about the spread of Ebola.
B. It shows the bad effect caused by sharing a story.
C. It proves not sharing a story can cause trouble.
D. It concludes that one should share a story at a proper time.
2.One of the reasons why people are unwilling to share experiences is that______.
A story-sharing highlights the importance of hard work
B. people are used to exposing their weaknesses
C. people sometimes have no courage to share their stories
D. some stories make themselves feel sad
3.Which is close in meaning to the underlined word “uncorked” in Paragraph 3?
A. freed B. broken
C. unfolded D. untouched
4.The writer aims to convince us to_____________.
A. be open to people close to you by sharing some secrets
B. share stories appropriately for the good of others and ourselves
C. remove the dangers that can be caused by untold stories
D. realize the importance of being honest when making friends
Parents usually go to malls to find new school supplies for their children. One of the most important things to get during this time is the backpack. Most students choose to bring a backpack because it allows them to have both hands free. This makes the bag less likely to hinder (妨碍)other activities that the person carrying it may be doing at the same time. Here are the ways parents can choose the perfect backpack for school.
How many books will children be carrying to school? How many notebooks should be inside the bag? Parents should know these details before buying a bag for their children. Each situation requires a different bag so it pays to ask children about the expected load.
Do children need special storage for the bag? If they will be carrying a laptop computer inside the new backpack, make sure that parents get a model that’s designed specifically for laptop use. This will protect the computer from bumps and falls that might damage the device if it had less protection.
Are children going to use the bag for a long time? If they want to use a bag for a long time，parents will be better off investing in a good brand that is known for quality. Parents may have to pay extra cash to get the top of the line and the best backpack in the market.
Count the pockets. Backpacks usually come with a lot of pockets, and generally, the more pockets, the better. This allows children to organize their things, like pens and pencils inside small pockets.
Picking the perfect school backpack is all about getting the sweet compromise (折中）between form, function and price. Remember to choose the best fit for children’s needs.
1.What does the second paragraph mainly talk about?
A. Parents should find out how many books their children have.
B. Parents must ask teachers for help before buying a backpack.
C. Parents should know the weight of things that will go inside the backpack.
D. Parents must ask their children’s requirements when buying a backpack.
2.The underlined word “bumps” in the third paragraph is closest in meaning to“ ”.
A. knocks B. jumps C. stands D. beats
3.Which of the following can we know from the text?
A. Picking a backpack is very easy to do.
B. It’s better for children to have a backpack that has more pockets.
C. The backpacks that have a good brand are more popular with children.
D. Parents always feel worried when buying a backpack for their children.
书面表达
请阅读下面文字，并按照要求用英语写一篇150词左右的文章。
"Are you happy?" I asked my brother, Ian, one day.
"Yes. No. It depends on what you mean," he said.
"Then tell me," I said, "when was the last time you think you were happy?"
"April 1967," he said.
I added up my little moments of pleasure yesterday. First, there was enough happiness when I shut the last lunchbox and had the house to myself. Then, I spent an uninterrupted morning writing, which I love. When the kids came home, I enjoyed their noise after the quiet of the day.
You never know where happiness will turn up next. When I asked friends what made them happy, some mentioned seemingly insignificant moments. "I hate shopping," one friend said. "But there's this clerk who always chats and really cheers me up." Another friend loves the telephone. "Every time it rings, I know someone is thinking about me."
We all experience moments like these. Too few of us register them as happiness. While happiness may be more complex for us, the solution is the same as ever. Happiness isn't about what happens to us; it's about how we perceive(看待) what happens to us. It's the best way of finding a positive for every negative, and viewing a set-back as a challenge. It's not wishing for what we don't have, but enjoying what we do possess.
[写作内容]
1.用约30个单词概述上述信息的主要内容；
2.以约120个词以 “happiness” 为主题写一篇短文，内容包括：
（1）你认为幸福是什么并说明理由；
（2）怎样才能得到幸福快乐？
[写作要求]
1.写作过程中不能直接饮用原文语句；
2.作文中不能出现真实姓名和学校名称；
3.不必写标题。
[评分标准]
内容完整，语言规范，语篇连贯，词数适当。
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
任务型阅读
请阅读下列短文，并根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格里填入一个最恰当的单词。
注意：每个空格只填一个单词。
Bird migration (迁徙)
The man reason for migration or movement is food; for example, some birds may choose not to migrate if they are fed through the cold months Changes in the day length are signals for migration and relate to the physical changes in the birds. Birds will also display restlessness and increase their fat deposition(沉积). During shorter days in the fall, birds will return to warmer areas where they find adequate food supply.
Many smaller insect-eating birds migrate large distances usually at night. They may feed for a new days before continuing their course of travel. An advantage for night migrating is that it minimizes the threat of predators(食肉动物), allowing the birds to feed during the day and avoid overheating.
The migration for these birds is based on a number of different senses. Many birds use the sun as a compass. The ability to detect magnetic field (磁场), use of visual landmarks, as well as their sense of smell are used to help travel during migration. Bird migration is a strong genetic factor in terms of timing and route, which can be influenced by temperature. Migratory birds may use two tools to find their destinations; innate capability(genetically programmed) and experience. A first-timer migrant(候鸟) flies according to the Earth’s magnetic field, but does not know how far it will take until it grows accustomed to the journey and is able to use its other capabilities. With experience it learns various landmarks often called “mapping”.
Migration is mainly seen in the Northern Hemisphere and less obvious in the Southern Hemisphere. This is due to the lack of significant weather changes and the continual supply of food for the birds. A common pattern in migration involves flying north in the spring to bread(繁殖)during the summer and traveling to the south in the fall into warmer regions. No two species follow the exact route from beginning to end. Migrations narrow into one or more preferred routes or often called “flyways”. Flyways mainly follow coasts, sometimes rives, or mountain ranges. There are four major North American flyways; the Atlantic, the Mississippi, the Central and the Pacific Flyways. The flyways are not defined in their boundaries and at times may be combined into one.
In fact, long distance migrants move away from each other as young birds and form attachments to potential breeding and wintering sites. Once the site attachment is made, birds show high site-faith, visiting the same sites year after year. You will want to ensure your nesting boxes are cleaned out and available when these birds return to keep the cycle going for these migrating species.
Bird migration | |
Passage outline | Supporting details |
Why do birds migrate? | Besides1._____, migration has something to do with birds’ physical changes and day length changes. |
What are the advantages of night migrating? | ◇Night migrating helps minimize the 2._______ of being threatened by predators. ◇Night migrating allows birds to feed enough during the day with out overheating. |
3.______do birds migrate? | ◇The sun, magnetic field, visual landmarks and the sense of smell are all 4.____for birds to migrate. ◇Environmental changes are connected with birds’ timing and route. ◇Not only magnetic field but also some other capabilities and 5._____ relate to a first-timer migrant’s flying. |
Where do birds migrate? | ◇Migration mainly takes place in the 6._____ Hemisphere. ◇With four major flyways birds mainly fly 7.______ coasts, rivers, or mountain ranges. |
What 8.________ can you draw from the bird migration? | ◇Birds are 9._______ to their site attachment very much. ◇You must make sure the clean boxes are 10.______ before the birds come back. |
