The Arctic Circle—the habitat of polar bears and decreasing sea ice at the top of the world—hit 32 degrees Celsius, last week.
This was the temperature in Banak, Norway on July 30, though some Norwegian areas even reached a couple degrees warmer, according to the European meteorology site severe-weather.eu. Banak sits atop northern Europe, over 350 miles above the bottom edge of the Arctic Circle.
The greater Northern Hemisphere and Europe itself have been repeatedly scorched by both record and near-record temperatures this summer, a consequence of overall rising global temperatures.
In the past 40 years, Earth’s climate has experienced an accelerated warming trend, which adds an extra level of background warming to hot spells—making heatwaves more extreme, climate scientists have said.
A photo of what appears to be Scandinavian folks taking a dip in a river while reindeer—the cold-adapted herbivores(食草动物)—cooled off in the water beside them is perhaps the best example of just how hot it is in parts of the Arctic Circle right now.
The “warm season” in Banak is short, lasting around three months, but the very warmest day of the year, around July 23, is usually around 62 degrees Fahrenheit(华氏度)—about 30 degrees cooler than temperatures there now. Overall, temperatures in northern Europe are between 14 to 21 degrees Fahrenheit, 8 to 13 degrees Celsius, above average.
All-time temperature records were set in both Norway and Finland on July 30, including 86 degrees Fahrenheit, 30 degrees Celsius, in Verde, near Banak, though extreme or near-record temperatures blanketed the region.
Persistent heat and dryness this summer have transformed normally green European countries into brown and yellow lands, and the continent’s extreme heat is expected to persist.
Andrew Derocher, a professor at the University of Alberta who studies polar bears, said climate change is shrinking the ice bears usually hunt on, making them faced with the danger of extinction.
1.What does the underlined word “scorched” in the third paragraph probably mean?
A. burned B. achieved
C. scored D. reached
2.What does the photo show according to the author?
A. Scandinavian folks like to swim in a river.
B. Reindeer have adapted to the cold climate.
C. The ice there has totally been melted into water.
D. The temperature of the Arctic Circle now is high.
3.What can you learn from Professor Derocher’s words?
A. Maybe bears will die out in the near future.
B. Climate change is threatening polar bears.
C. He is worried about the shrinking of the sea ice.
D. He advises people to do something to improve the condition.
4.Where may you find this article?
A. In a fashion magazine. B. In a news report.
C. In a geography textbook. D. In a travel handbook.
Mamoudou Gassama, a Malian migrant, won widespread praise after climbing the outside of the building to save a four-year-old boy hanging from a balcony in Paris. Now he is to be made a French citizen.
Video showed him being cheered on by spectators as he pulled himself from balcony to balcony to the fourth floor.
After meeting him at the Elysee Palace, President Emmanuel Macron said he would be made a naturalized citizen. He personally thanked Mr Gassama, gave him a medal for courage and said he would also be offered a position in the fire service.
The heroic story unfolded on Saturday evening on a street in the north of the city. Mr Gassama said he had been walking past when he saw a crowd gathered in front of the building.
He told Mr Macron: “I just didn’t have time to think. I ran across the road to go and save him. I climbed up and thank God, God helped me. The more I climbed, the more I had the courage to climb up higher.”
He said that the boy was crying when he pulled him to safety and had also suffered an injured foot.
Firefighters arrived to find the child had already been rescued.
“Luckily, there was someone who was physically fit and who had the courage to go and get the child,” a spokesperson said.
Local authorities quoted by French media said the boy’s parents were not at home at the time. The father has been questioned by police for leaving his child unattended.
The boy’s father was arrested and told police he had left his son alone to go shopping and returned home later than planned because he was playing Pokemon Go, an enhanced reality game, on his smart phone.
And the mother was not in Paris at the time.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo was among those to praise the 22-year-old’s heroism and said she had called him to thank him.
She described him as the “Spiderman of the 18th”, calling him an “example for all citizens”.
1.What is the right order of the following things?
① The firefighters arrived.
② A crowd gathered before the building.
③ The boy’s father went to shop.
④ The president met Mamoudou.
A. ③②①④ B. ④①②③
C. ④③②① D. ③①②④
2.What can you infer from the passage?
A. The parents didn’t care for their son.
B. The father was taken in for breaking the law.
C. Nobody found the endangered boy except Mamoudou.
D. Mamoudou felt a little afraid when climbing the building.
3.What’s the main idea of the passage?
A. A boy was saved from a balcony luckily.
B. A migrant will become a citizen of France.
C. A Malian man got a special prize for his heroism.
D. A careless father put his son into a dangerous situation.
Whether you’re the life of the party, a bookworm or a night owl, your personality plays a surprisingly large role in your ability to slim down. Ten examples are listed as follows.
1. If you’re reliable…
Always on time? Follow rules by the book? It means you’re a careful person who can stick with an eating or fitness plan. However, maybe just that merit forces you to think about food all the time, which can work against you.
2. If you’re often hard on yourself...
People who are hard on themselves have a huge negative reaction every time they make a mistake. Those who can forgive themselves simply move on and vow not to make the same mistake again. If you’re hard on yourself, you’re more likely to continue overeating after you do something wrong, since realizing you’ve overeaten leads to feelings of hopelessness.
3. If you’re a night owl…
Staying up late also has a negative effect on your figure. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania found that people who were kept up until 4 a.m. ate 550 additional calories during their late night hours. What’s more, a higher percentage of the late-night calories came from high-fat foods than they did during daytime hours.
4. If you’re an early bird…
In an Australian study participants who woke up early were less likely to be overweight than night owls—even though both groups slept the same number of hours. Although this study involved young children, the results are likely applicable to adults as well, says Allen Towfigh, M D, a sleep specialist. He recommends adults strive for seven to nine hours of sleep per night.
5. If you’re self-centered…
Being a little stuck on yourself may not be such a bad thing when trying to lose weight. Self-centered people tend to consider their own interests, which could lead them to better conserve their energy and have more willpower to make healthy choices.
1.What’s the passage mainly about?
A. The most effective ways to lose weight.
B. Life styles influence people’s personality a lot.
C. The earlier you get up, the slimmer you may become.
D. The relationship between people’s personality and weight.
2.Which of the following statement is NOT true?
A. Reliable people always follow rules.
B. People tend to eat more when staying up late.
C. Night owls tend to be less overweight than early birds.
D. People are easy to overeat if they are hard on themselves.
3._________, it is easy for you to lost weight.
A. If you are reliable
B. If you are a night owl
C. If you are hard on yourself
D. If you are self-centered
4.What may the author talk about next?
A. Analysis of other personalities.
B. Ways to improve your personality.
C. Suggestions for you to lose weight.
D. Choices self-centered people may make.
假设你是校学生会主席，为了解决城市空气污染问题，你代表学生会向全校师生发出倡议。请根据以下要点，用英语写一份倡议书:
1.简述城市空气污染的危害；
2.提出解决该问题的建议:
(1)尽量少开车；(2)不随地扔垃圾；(3)关闭一些工厂；……
3.发出号召。
注意:1.词数:100左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3.开头与结尾已为你写好，但不计入总词数。
Dear teachers and students，
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Thank you!
The Student's Union
The Silk Road is in fact a relatively recent term. These ancient roads had no particular name until in the mid-19th century, a European 1. (name)the trade and communication network the Silk Road. Since then the term 2. (accept)globally.
In the nineteenth century, a new type of travelers stepped onto the Silk Road, who were eager 3. (look)for adventure. Researchers who came from many countries traveled through the Taklamakan Desert, 4. is now in Xinjiang,to explore ancient sites along the Silk Road 5. (lead) to many discoveries and studies, and most of all,a renewed interest 6. the history of these routes.
Today, many historic 7. (build) and monuments still stand, marking the passage of the Silk Road through hotels, ports and cities. What's more, the remarkable network is reflected in 8. large number of cultures,languages,customs and religions that have developed for many years along these routes The passage of merchants and travelers of many 9. (difference)nationalities resulted not only in commercial exchange, but in a widespread and continual process of cultural interaction. 10. (obvious),it has become a driving force in the formation(形式)of diverse societies.
The accident happened on a Sepember night in 2013. A vehicle struck my car from behind _______ I was driving home. At the hospital. the doctors _______ I was a quadriplegic(四肢瘫痪者) and told me I wasn’t going to be able to move anything from my neck _______.I had lost the _______ of almost every muscle and was very weak.
I realized that my life was _______.My head _______ like a heavy ball and I couldn't hold it up. I was unable to use a phone, and unable to _______ or wash myself. I couldn’t grasp anything: a fork or spoon was too _______ to pick up.
However, I saw a glimpse _______ and was inspired by other patients with ________ like mine in the recovery center The first year was slow and I didn’t see much ________.But I had to learn to be ________ with myself. and to enjoy every ________ going forward. I was determined to walk again, so giving up was no longer a(n) ________. I struggled hard on my recovery(康复) and still do to this day. I'm now moving my ________ and arms on my own, doing things like swimming and yoga. All of this is ________ my doctors wrong, and is turning the page from the impossible to the possible.
My family, friends and team encourage me to ________ to work harder. I believe that this difficulty is an opportunity to ________ and become stronger. T'm sure my story will inspire others not to ________ If I learned one ________ from my car accident, it's this: Never give up on hope.
1.A. while B. after C. before D. because
2.A. guessed B. experimented C. concluded D. showed
3.A. up B. down C. forward D. inside
4.A. use B. sight C. touch D. contact
5.A. wrong B. simple C. impossible D. different
6.A. looked B. shook C. held D. felt
7.A. see B. find C. feed D. touch
8.A. heavy B. strange C. small D. large
9.A. courage B. hope C. future D. happiness
10.A. fears B. embarrassments C. shortcoming D. injuries
11.A. movement B. success C. progress D. influence
12.A. satisfied B. patient C. strict D. pleased
13.A. moment B. sight C. result D. sign
14.A. method B. choice C. introduction D. aim
15.A. head B. hand C. legs D. stomach
16.A. testing B. pointing C. blaming D. proving
17.A. continue B. stop C. return D. start
18.A. increase B. move C. grow D. exercise
19.A. slow down B. give up C. carry on D. fall behind
20.A. class B. story C. experience D. lesson
