1. (locate) in a mountainous region of Chengde city, the Jinshanling Great Wall section is the 2. (good) preserved part of the Great Wall from the Ming Dynasty with many 3. (origin) features.
Three towers are must-sees at the Jinshanling Great Wall. Each tower contains 4. own legend. The General Tower was named to commemorate Wu Guihua, a heroine who sacrificed herself to resist invasions 5. the north. The Black Tower and the Taochun Tower were named to commemorate two girls, Heigu and Taochun, 6. made great contributions to the construction of the Great Wall.
If you go, you will find yourself experiencing 7. (total) different scenery in four seasons. In spring, apricot flowers decorate the Great Wall. In summer, the winding dragon-shaped Great Wall 8. (surround) by a sea of green plants. In autumn, the Great Wall turns into a colorful place and in winter, heavy snow covers the Great Wall, 9. (add) a sense of magnificence and solemnity.
The annual Apricot Flower Festival kicks off at the beginning of April. If you have time, you should witness the true 10. (beautiful) of the China’s landmark.
A young man was getting ready to graduate from college. For many months he had _______a beautiful sports car in a showroom, and knowing his father could well_______it, he told him that was all he wanted.
As Graduation Day came near, the young man awaited _______ that his father had bought the car. _______, on the morning of his graduation, his father called him into his_______ study room. His father told him how _______ he was to have such a fine son, and told him how _______ he loved him. He handed his son a beautifully_______ gift box.
Curious, and somewhat disappointed, the young man opened the box and _______ a lovely, leather- bound (皮纸封面) Bible, ________ the young man's name pressed in gold. ________, he raised his voice to his father, and said “With ________ your money, you give me a Bible?” and stormed out of the house.
Many years passed and the young man was very successful in ________. He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his father was very ________, and thought perhaps he should go to him. He had not seen him ________ that graduation day.
Before he could make arrangements, he received a telegram________ him his father had passed away, and gave all his possessions to his son. He needed to come home immediately and ________things.
When he arrived at his father's house, sudden ________and regret filled his heart. He began to search through his father's important papers and saw the still gift — wrapped Bible ________ as he had left it years ago. With tears, he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. Suddenly, a car key dropped from the back of the ________. It had a tag (标签) with the date of his graduation on it, and the words PAID IN FULL.
1.A. admired B. watched C. seen D. noticed
2.A. offer B. afford C. serve D. supply
3.A. marks B. supports C. signs D. promises
4.A. Finally B. Instead C. So D. Shortly
5.A. public B. hard C. lazy D. private
6.A. proud B. sad C. upset D. puzzled
7.A. many B. far C. much D. often
8.A. typed B. wrapped C. written D. painted
9.A. looked B. reached C. showed D. found
10.A. with B. while C. after D. when
11.A. Interested B. Pleased C. Angry D. Disappointed
12.A. none B. all C. little D. bit
13.A. business B. study C. city D. home
14.A. healthy B. strong C. young D. old
15.A. on B. until C. since D. after
16.A. telling B. showing C. saying D. talking
17.A. look for B. take care of C. care D. mind
18.A. excitement B. disappointment C. surprise D. sadness
19.A. but B. right C. just D. only
20.A. Bible B. bed C. desk D. door
At long last, Stefano Boeri Architects’ brilliant Bosco Verticale towers are finally completed. The “world’s first vertical forest” consists of a fantastic pair of costly towers that add nearly 2.5 acres of lush vegetation to the sky line of Milan, a city notorious (声名狼藉的) for its air pollution. 1. Like a pair of green lungs, its forested appearance of 21,000 plants will absorb CO2, control noise pollution, lessen the urban heat island effect, and create oxygen and favorable micro-climates.
The Bosco Verticale mixed-use towers are constructed with a $2.5 billion public-private investment as part of the re-development of Milan’s Porta Nuova district. The towers, measuring 260 feet and 367 feet, house 800 trees between 9 and 30 feet tall, over 4,000 shrubs (灌木) and 15,000 ground cover plants. Bosco Verticale is created with LEED Gold Certification (绿色建筑黄金认证) in mind. 2.
The buildings shrub have welcomed their first residents. 3. A fast-growing bird population has already begun to nest in Bosco Verticale’s rich leaves, of which over a hundred different species of trees and shrubs are represented. 4.
The superstructure is also selected for the world famous International Highrise Building Award as one of the five most beautiful and original high-rises in the world that is completed. 5.
A. “We take great pride in this project, which may earn us an award” says Boeri.
B. Boeri is currently in China, where he plans to build another Bosco Verticale project.
C. It is also equipped with a gray water recycling and irrigation system.
D. However, Bosco Verticale will be more than just a beautiful sight to enjoy.
E. “The real key to this project is biodiversity,” says Boeri.
F. It is also well received by the Chinese experts in the field.
G. But those families aren’t the only ones to call the vertical forest home.
Do you ever wonder why trees begin to bud (发芽) earlier in some cities? Scientists finally found the answer but it’s not very pleasant. New science suggests a relationship between light pollution and the timing when trees produce buds, which signals the arrival of the spring season.
Light pollution is defined by the Lighting Research Center as the unwanted consequence of outdoor lighting such as street lights. Excessive (过多的) man-made light at night results in disturbed natural cycles, and also prevents the observation of stars and planets at night. But its effect on the environment goes beyond that.
By studying some trees, researchers found out that trees that are more exposed to artificial lighting at night bud up to 7.5 days earlier than those at the natural nighttime setting. And they found out that light had a more significant effect than temperature when the buds came out. The early budding may cause problems for insects, which feed on leaves, and the birds which then feed on them in turn. Professor Richard Ffrench-Constant, who helped lead the research, explained that more than the budding of trees, the study implies the danger to the balance of the ecosystem. “At the moment, caterpillars (毛毛虫) are timed to hatch to make the most of the opportunities to feed on freshly budded leaves, and birds hatch in time to feed on the young caterpillar,” he said.
Migratory (迁徙的) birds are also negatively affected by light pollution. The glare might confuse them and make them lose their flying sense. The phenomenon might explain why some birds accidentally knock into buildings.
Such results stress the need to pursue studies that aim to measure the effect of light pollution. If the issue were left to continue, it is estimated that by 2100, spring would begin almost a full month earlier than it does today.
1.What will happen if there is too much man-made light?
A. People’s eyesight will be damaged.
B. The ecosystem will likely lose its balance.
C. No stars or planets may be observed at night.
D. Animals’ living habits may change suddenly.
2.How does the early budding affect insects or plants?
A. It will cause the rising number of insects.
B. It could lead to trees growing fewer leaves.
C. It may result in some insects going hungry.
D. It might push insects to hatch more slowly.
3.What does the author want to tell us in the last paragraph?
A. The effect of light pollution is destructive.
B. The spring of 2100 will become much longer.
C. Light pollution should be taken seriously.
D. A further study on light pollution is scheduled.
4.What is the suitable title for the passage?
A. Why spring comes earlier in some cities
B. Why light pollution needs to be studied
C. How trees’ early budding takes place
D. How much light is “too much”
Under new rules posted by the Civil Aviation (航空) administration of China on Friday, pilots will have to pass a “level four” test of Mandarin Chinese, China’s official language. Those who speak with an accent that “often impedes” comprehension will not pass. These rules take effect in January 2016.
China’s 56 ethnic groups speak more than 80 languages and dialects. Even native Mandarin speakers can have trouble communicating with each other depending on the strength of their accents, which can be mutually unintelligible (难理解的).
One flight trainer illustrated the scope for linguistic confusion, especially when common English aviation terms are used. Asked if there is a problem on board, a Chinese pilot might answer in the negative with the words mei you, or “there isn’t.” But someone speaking with a heavy Sichuan accent would pronounce mei you as “May day” — unconsciously parroting the universally recognized distress call (遇难信号).
Like their international counterparts (对应物), Chinese aviators have developed codes to avoid confusion resulting from homonyms (同音异义字) or near-homonyms. They use the terms yao for one and guai for seven, which are otherwise pronounced yi and qi respectively and easily confused.
The new rule could affect all pilots, who must renew their license every six years, and adds to a growing list of burdens for the profession.
1.What does the underlined word “impedes” in Para 1 mean?
A. improves B. helps
C. misleads D. limits
2.Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A. Sichuan dialect has the contrary meaning to Mandarin.
B. Native Mandarin speakers can understand each other well.
C. It isn’t necessary for a pilot to pass the test before January 2016.
D. “May day” is a distress call in our everyday life.
3.What is the purpose of the Chinese aviators using the terms yao for one and guai for seven?
A. To avoid misunderstanding.
B. To communicate with their international counterparts.
C. To pass the test.
D. To avoid their accents.
4.What is the best title for the passage?
A. Chinese Pilots Told to Get Rid of Regional Accents
B. Chinese Pilots
C. Rich Chinese Languages
D. Hard to Be a Chinese Pilot
Anne LaBastille was born in New York City and grew up in New Jersey. Her first experience with the wilderness was in the Adirondacks in the northeast of New York, where she worked at a summer resort to earn money for college tuition by caring for the horses, giving riding lessons, and working as a waitress. And she has many chances to begin her adventure in the Adirondack wilderness.
Anne returned to school in the fall, but she continued to spend as much time as she could in the Adirondacks. She grew to love her time alone in the mountains. Anne graduated from college with a bachelor’s degree in conservation of natural resources and began working for the National Audubon Society in Florida as a wildlife tour leader.
Although Anne took great pleasure in showing people the animals living in the Florida Keys and the Everglades National Park, she longed for the mountains in the northern parts of New York. Eventually, she decided to build a cabin near Black Bear Lake. Over the years, however, more and more tourists began hiking near her cabin. As a result, Anne decided to build another cabin deeper in the woods at Lily Pad Lake.
Anne lived in the woods for most of her life. She enjoyed living alone in the woods, and her life was far too busy for her to be lonely. When she was not writing books, she wrote articles for National Geographic, Reader’s Digest, and other magazines. In her later years, Anne conducted research in Guatemala on an endangered bird called the grebe. She also lectured nationwide about ecology. Besides, Anne worked with a number of organizations dedicated to conservation.
As a respected guide, author, and conservationist, Anne not only loved the land but also had found a way to become part of it.
1.Anne’s work at the summer resort _________.
A. showed her love for long tours
B. helped her to explore the wilderness
C. earned her high admiration in college
D. gave her a chance to learn horse riding
2.Anne built her cabin at Lily Pad Lake in order to ________.
A. live in the mountains
B. enlarge her living space
C. settle in a more beautiful place
D. get away from increasing numbers of tourists
3.We can conclude from the text that Anne _________.
A. felt very lonely living in the woods
B. made the wilderness a part of her life
C. tried to make more people aware of the grebe
D. longed to be an editor of National Geographic
4.What is the main idea of the text?
A. The life of Anne LaBastille.
B. The achievement of Anne LaBastille.
C. Anne LaBastille’s adventures in the wilderness.
D. Anne LaBastille’s pioneering work in wildlife ecology.
