In 2018, more than 8,000 wildfires tore through California. They burned an area larger than the state of Delaware. In 2017, wildfires across the United States burned about four times more land than they did 30 years earlier. 1.
Climate change plays a big part in the wildfire increase. The Earth is getting warmer. The average global temperature is about 0.74℃ higher now than 100 years ago. Fires need three things to grow: fuel, heat, and oxygen.2. Hot weather dries out plants and trees. Those materials can go up in flames in an instant.
Climate change contributes to wildfires in other ways too. Fires tend to happen in the warm months. 3. In California, climate change seems to have increased the force of strong winds that spread fires. Higher temperatures have also attracted invasive species that give forest fires a helping hand.
We’re also seeing more damage because more people are building homes in places where wildfires are likely.4. That number is expected to go up by about 18 mimon by 2030. When people live near wildfires, firefighters may have more trouble fighting and preventing them. Firefighters need different strategies to protect houses and other buildings than to stop fires from spreading through woods.
The present wildfire crisis has many different causes. 5. If we learn to depend less on fossil fuels like oil and gas, we might be able to slow climate change. We might keep people out of harm’s way if we change the rules for building houses in fire-risky areas. What other ways can you think of to reduce fire danger?
A.Rising temperatures create more fuel for fires.
B.So climate change makes the fire season longer.
C.What’s making so many places go up in smoke?
D.So we may need to try many different things to resolve it.
E.Fires also do much more terrible damage when people are nearby.
F.Did you know a terrible fire known as the Big Burn killed 87 people?
G.Right now, about 45 million homes are located in the most fire-risky areas.
“I wish I could!” It’s my response when turning down an invitation, but it’s not exactly true.
Sometimes it is. For example, if you need people to feed your baby sheep, but I have to go to work that day, I really wish I could come to your farm.
But if you’ve invited me to attend a three-hour meeting, “I wish I could” is a lie. It’s a lie of omission, though, which is better than a regular lie. In a lie of omission, two people just assume（设想）different things about what’s left unsaid.
When you hear “I wish I could”, your imagination might complete my response as “I wish I could go to your makeup party.” If that’s what you think I mean, great. I may not want to go to your pottery exhibit (I really don’t), but I don’t want to make you sad either. So this works for both of us.
If I’m being honest about how that sentence really ends, most of the time it means “I wish I could please you by doing the thing you’re asking me to do; however, I’m not going to do it.” I’d love to say I’m a reformed（改进的）people pleaser, but I’m only reformed enough to say no to your event, not reformed enough to be clear and say, “I’d rather eat glass than attend a meeting on a Friday.” I admit it: I like being liked. Who doesn’t?
It made me happy that, when a friend asked last week, “Come and try my hot yoga class tomorrow?” and I answered, “I wish I could!” she walked away smiling. Plus, who knows? Maybe I’ll be in the mood for hot yoga next time. Probably not, but I’ve left the window open for her to ask me again.
1.What does the text mainly focus on?
A.The art of turning down.
B.The power of saying no directly.
C.The relationship between friends.
D.The most effective ways to accept invitations.
2.What can we infer about the author from Paragraph 3?
A.She is a habitual liar.
B.She is a sports enthusiast.
C.She tends to make people angry.
D.She knows how to tell white lies.
3.What does the author mean by saying “I’m a reformed people pleaser” in Paragraph 5?
A.She pleases everyone.
B.She hates those who tell lies.
C.She says no in an indirect way.
D.She pays little attention to others’ feelings.
4.Which of the following words best describe the author?
A.Wise and polite. B.Brave and generous.
C.Honest and respected. D.Sensitive and self-centered.
The bus stops in the Dutch city of Utrecht are as beautiful as they are practical. Now, 316 bus stops feature a green roof that adds some life to the city, while also storing rainwater, catching dust, and providing some much needed shade during the warmer months. This project is good for the honey bee population that is attracted to the plants on the roof. To keep up this successful ecosystem, municipal（市政的）workers drive around in electric cars, taking care of the mini gardens.
Another one of the biggest benefits to come out of these green stops is the improved air quality. Smoking, cars, and bacteria all contribute to polluting the air we breathe. These eco-friendly public spaces act as an air purifier for city people, though humans aren’t the only group that benefit from them.
Utrecht has also made great efforts towards moving their transportation system away from gas-guzzling（高耗油的）buses. The city replaced 10 gas-guzzling buses with electric powered buses and plans to have only CO2 inactive buses on the road by 2028.
The buses have a system that records the driver’s efficiency and rider’s comfort levels. Drivers can win prizes based on how safe and comfortable the ride was. The city is also one of the most bicycle-friendly places in the world. Roads have been redesigned for cyclists’ convenience and there is a new state-of-the-art 6,000 space bicycle parking area that is located beneath Utrecht’s central train station.
Utrecht offers prize money to keep citizens energized and motivated to live greener lives. There are even prize money for people to transform their roofs into green roofs too. Achieving the goals of an eco-friendlier city takes cooperation and Utrecht is leading the way to protect our environment.
1.What is special about the bus stops in Utrecht?
A.They are eco-friendly.
B.They can save a lot of energy.
C.They are artificially-intelligent.
D.They can provide electric power for buses.
2.What can we infer about the changes to the transportation system in Utrecht?
A.Not all buses are gas-guzzling at present.
B.Gas-guzzling cars have been completely replaced.
C.Only electric private cars are allowed on the roads.
D.Buses have air purifiers fixed on them.
3.What might passengers think of the bus service in Utrecht?
A.Buses are always too crowded.
B.Buses are often behind schedule.
C.Buses are too big for redesigned roads.
D.Buses are generally comfortable and safe.
4.What are people living in Utrecht encouraged to do?
A.Give up smoking. B.Create gardens on their roofs.
C.Paint their roofs green. D.Buy more honey.
I graduated in 2004 and moved to Israel, making a career as an English teacher. I am always looking for interesting projects to get my students more inspired to learn the language. Through Facebook, I saw that Kirstin, a friend of mine, was teaching at a school in an East African country. I contacted Kirstin and asked her if she would like to do a letter exchange between my students in Jerusalem and her students in Tanzania.
It took a while to wait for Kirstin’s answer because Internet access is not easy to come in the countryside of Tanzania, but when she finally was able to connect, she responded with a huge yes.
Two months later, a package arrived. The students gathered around my table in class, and we went over the letters together. “My name is Nelson,” one letter read. “I am 13 years old. I live in Njombe, Tanzania. I like to play ball, to ride a bike, and to read books.” Below the handwritten letter was a colorful drawing of a boy wearing traditional Tanzanian clothing.
My students were excited. “This is so cool! What a great project,” shouted one of my students, Hadas. This was followed by a group of students asking if we could travel to Tanzania to meet their new friends. One student, Nir, suggested maybe they could simply become friends on Facebook instead. “The kids don’t have Facebook accounts. And there’s very limited Internet access in their area of Tanzania, I explained to them.
It was hard for my students to imagine that there were places in the world where teens did not have online social networking systems.
The pen pal project gave my students the chance to not only practice their English, but to also learn about other areas in our world.
1.Why did the author get in touch with Kirstin?
A.To get to know East Africa.
B.To learn English online from her.
C.To let two classes write to each other.
D.To ask her for advice about teaching English.
2.How did Kirstin react to the author’s request?
A.She turned it down. B.She accepted it willingly.
C.She replied immediately. D.She never showed up online.
3.What was the attitude of the author’s students toward the project?
A.Disappointed. B.Uncaring.
C.Favorable. D.Doubtful.
4.What is the best title for this text?
A.Two Heads Are Better Than One
B.A friend In Need Is A Friend Indeed
C.How Writing Letters Improves People’s Relationships
D.How A Class Pen Pal Project Connected Two Continents
Come to Aranda Nature Park
A nature park with a very large number of activities for the young and old.
Highlights
◆trails for hiking and mountain biking
◆a nature trail to learn about the plants and animals of the park
◆Treetop Walk, a walkway in the air that provides a bird’s eye view of the forest. Get a chance to see and take photos of flying lemurs and long-tailed monkeys up close in their natural habitat.
◆Charles Education Centre, which houses the Charles Environment Learning Lab (CELL), a field study center for schools.
Walking trail at the Treetop Walk
◆250m-long suspension bridge between the two highest points in the park
◆enjoy views of the forest and surrounding greenery, and spot different wildlife in their natural habitat
◆home to more than 800 species of flowering plants and over 400 species of animals
Charles Education Centre
◆changed from an old horse shed（马棚）as part of efforts to protect heritage sites, natural habitats and ecosystems
◆a learning place for nature enthusiasts to meet and share their knowledge
◆learn about the history of Aranda Nature Park by viewing exhibits
◆The CELL has a programme for students to discover the country’s nature heritage through interesting hands-on activities and field studies.
CELL was set up by Singapore Parks Board and Science Nature Research Centre. For more information about CELL activities and booking of programmes, please email CELL at arandapark@cell.sg.
Visitor information
Weekdays: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Weekends: 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Admission is free. Donations to support the park’s conservation effort are welcome. If you have any questions about the park, please email arandapark@gmail.com or call Alice Tay at 68245125.
1.What does Aranda Nature Park offer?
A.Bird-watching equipment. B.A field study centre.
C.Mountain bikes. D.Cameras.
2.What can visitors expect to do when going for the Treetop Walk?
A.Walk across a 5-kilometre suspension bridge.
B.Watch exhibits on local history.
C.Enjoy a full view of the park.
D.See lemurs in cages.
3.The best way for students to book hands-on activities is to _______.
A.call Alice Tay
B.call Singapore Parks Board
C.email Science Nature Research Centre
D.email Charles Environment Learning Lab
假如你叫李华，计划 2 月 8 日傍晚和同学去敬老院 (nursing home) 陪老人们过元宵节 (the Lantern Festival)。请你给你的外教 Lucy 写封邮件，邀请她一同前往，内容包括：
1. 邀请原因，至少两条；
2. 出发的时间及地点。
注意：1) 请适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
2) 信的格式已写好，不计入总词数；
3) 词数：100 左右。
Dear Lucy,
How are you doing recently?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Looking forward to your reply.
Yours,
Li Hu
