Do you know anyone who plays Ant Forest? It is a game on Alipay. Users collect “energy “ for their “trees” to grow. When their “tree” finishes growing, Alipay will plant a real tree in the desert areas of China.
This is part of China’s efforts to fight desertification . Since 1978, China has planted over 66 billion trees across its dry northern areas, according to China Daily.
Desertification means there are no trees or grass. Water can’t stay in the soil and sand is everywhere.
About 2.6 million square kilometers of China’s land is covered with sand. That’s about 27 percent of the country’s land. It has also caused sandstorms .
By planting new trees, sandstorms in China have been cut by 20 percent in recent years. About 13,000 square kilometers of land have become oases (绿洲).
Ian Teh, a British photographer , traveled through northern China last year. He saw many new oases.
“It was hard to imagine that it was ever a desert,” he told Wired magazine.
1.What is Ant Forest?
A.It is an app that lets people buy things.
B.It is a game that can help fight desertification.
C.It is a forest for people to grow trees in.
D.It is a name for a group of special ants.
2.What has China done to fight desertification in the past 40 years?
A.Planted billions of trees. B.Built houses in dry northern areas.
C.Moved all the sand to one place. D.Built oases around cities.
3.Planting new trees has helped China cut down sandstorms by .
A.2.6 percent B.27 percent C.20 percent D.66 percent
4.How did Ian Teh like northern China after his visit last year?
A.It was hard to travel in the desert. B.It was amazing to see new oases there.
C.It was still full of sand. D.It was not easy to find any trees in the north.
Manny Abreu practices Benjamin Franklin’s famous saying, “If you want something done, ask a busy person.”
Throughout his four years at Kellenberg Memorial High School in the US, Abreu made community service an important part of his life.
“I don’t know where he finds the time to do everything,” said Erin Ronan, Abreu’s math teacher, “He’s truly a class act .”
As an excellent student, Abreu, 18, took part in different voluntary(志愿的) activities after school, during weekends and summer holidays. These included helping staff at the public library, doing garden work at Kellenberg, and serving customers at a local restaurant.
But faced with a limited number of hours in a day, Abreu left his library job last summer to start working as an emergency medical technician – a role that fits his strong love for making a difference in other people’s lives.
“My love for service has guided me into giving back,” said Abreu, who is setting his sights on becoming a doctor. “It’s such a rewarding feeling to help someone.”
During his three years at high school, Abreu devoted between 40 and 50 hours of his time each year to volunteer work – more than double the school’s annual requirement of 20 hours. For all his hard work, Abreu was welcomed into a leadership club that organizes fellow students’ volunteer activities.
St Martin de Porres Marianist School (Kellenberg’s sister school) also benefited from Abreu’s devotion. Through his school’s Smart Club program, he voluntarily provided homework help and played games with the junior high school students.
Abreu thanked his parents for inspiring him to do the right thing, saying they are “the most selfless people I know.” He remembered when he was about 6 years old, and his mother invited a disadvantaged neighborhood boy to have dinner.
Upon seeing the boy’s happiness, Abreu came away with a sense of how he wanted to live his own life – “I won’t focus on my own desires (愿望). I’ll help as many people as I can,” he said.
1.What do we know about Manny Abreu?
A.He didn’t do well in math.
B.He once lost interest in his studies.
C.He did a lot of volunteer work.
D.He fell behind others because of after-school activities.
2.What made Abreu work as a medical technician?
A.His love of being praised by other people.
B.His limited time to do any other job.
C.His hope to try different types of jobs.
D.His desire to improve the lives of others.
3.According to the passage, which statement is TRUE about his voluntary activities?
A.They gave him a chance to attend medical school for free.
B.They gave him a sense of self-worth by helping others.
C.They made his family famous around the neighborhood.
D.They made him a leader among his fellow school students.
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.How should you feed rabbits?
A.Provide them with various foods every day.
B.Provide a treat for them sometimes.
C.Make sure they often drink clean warm water.
2.What can you learn about rabbit care?
A.They should be given enough space.
B.Pet rabbits don’t like to play with toys.
C.Rabbits tend to be more relaxed indoors.
3.Where is the passage taken from?
A.An agricultural report.
B.A magazine for pet lovers.
C.An interesting story book.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.What is the woman going to be?
A.A part-time waitress.
B.A full-time secretary.
C.A part-time teacher.
2.Why does the woman want to leave Park Hotel?
A.She can’t earn much money there. B.She is too busy to work full time. C.It is far from her university.
3.On which day should the woman work all day?
A.On Friday. B.On Sunday. C.On Saturday.
4.When will the woman start working?
A.On May 8. B.On May 3. C.On May 1.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.When was the last time the two speakers met each other?
A.A few years ago. B.Last summer. C.Last Christmas.
2.What do we know about Mr. White’s kids?
A.Joe is now interested in sports.
B.Billy has broken his arms badly.
C.Joe is learning to play the violin.
3.What is Mrs. White learning now?
A.Cooking. B.French. C.Typing.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.How does the man feel after the interview?
A.Nervous. B.Hopeful. C.Disappointed.
2.How many people will be chosen for the job in the company?
A.Twenty-eight. B.Twenty-six. C.Two.
3.What do the man’s parents expect him to do?
A.To find a job near home.
B.To get the job he has just applied for.
C.To work in a big city.
