Over the past five decades mosquito populations in parts of the U.S. have skyrocketed by a factor of 10-a situation with worrying implications for the spread of diseases. And some places are apparently more easily affected than others. A new study in the Journal of Medical Entomology found that in Baltimore, low-income neighborhoods bear the biggest burden: they have not only more mosquitoes but also larger ones, which often survive longer. The problem most likely is rooted in the fact that Baltimore has nearly 17,000 abandoned buildings, which are concentrated in economically disadvantaged areas and serve as convenient mosquito-breeding zones.
Compared with prosperous blocks, low-income blocks have more abandoned buildings and are more heavily littered with thrown-away containers that collect standing water. And water that pools in abandoned buildings is protected by shade-which helps mosquitoes grow larger. Some cities take efforts to plant trees in low-income blocks but may actually worsen the problem: trees and bushes not only shade outdoor breeding(繁殖) pools but also shed leaves into the water and feed the mosquito larvae(幼虫), helping them grow bigger. Worse still, climate change could worsen the disease landscape by broadening habitats and lengthening the time every summer that mosquitoes can breed and survive.
Cities may, then, need to focus more mosquito-control efforts on these areas. Urban health departments typically educate homeowners about the importance of emptying water out of outdoor containers. But nobody empties those in or around abandoned buildings. “It is something that is fairly difficult for a city to address because it’s really expensive to go into private belongings and clean them up,” says Dina Fonseca, a molecular ecologist at Rutgers University. Yet if these belongings become breeding grounds not only for annoying mosquitoes but also for dangerous diseases, officials’ concepts may need to change.
1.What does the phrase “a factor of 10” in Paragraph 1 refer to?
A.A major cause. B.A high rate.
C.A big concern. D.A special situation.
2.Why is the spread of diseases relatively more serious in poor neighborhoods in Baltimore?
A.Because people there lack the awareness of waste sorting.
B.Because people there pay little attention to water protection.
C.Because more thrown-away containers are collected for reuse there.
D.Because more abandoned buildings serve as habitats for mosquitoes there.
3.Which of the following solutions is well-intentioned but may result in opposite effects?
A.Planting more trees. B.Changing officials’ ideas.
C.Emptying water containers. D.Cleaning abandoned buildings.
4.What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?
A.To complain about the poor housing. B.To offer some treatments for diseases.
C.To appeal for mosquito-control efforts. D.To introduce a new species of mosquitoes.
The cheerful smiles and legendary strength of the Sherpas(夏尔巴人) have been an essential part of Mount Everest climbing expeditions(探险) from the very beginning. Indeed, very few significant successes have been achieved without them.
When Western mountaineers first set their sights on the world’s highest peak, they found in the Sherpas a people ideally suited to the hardship of high-altitude climbing, unfailingly positive, stout at altitude, and seemingly resistant to cold.
Sherpas did not venture into the high peaks until European mountaineers began arriving to climb in the world’s greatest mountain range. Mount Everest, known as Chomolungma or “Goddess Mother of the Land” to the Sherpas, was long considered as a living place of the gods where humans were not allowed to go.
Although Everest now sees many a human footprint, the Sherpas still regard the mountain as a holy place. All modern expeditions begin with a Puja ceremony in which Sherpas and other team members leave offerings and pay respect to the gods of the mountain, hoping to remain in their good graces throughout the climb.
Sherpas were first employed as porters, tasked with carrying large amounts of equipment to supply the military-style expeditions of the day. The early climbers were amazed at the strength of these people, from the fittest of mature men to the young and elderly. In addition to their heavy loads, some of the women even carried along their babies. The whole troop of Sherpas slept outside, using only rocks for shelter, as temperatures dropped well below freezing.
Stronger Sherpas soon graduated from porter status and began to undertake challenging climbing. Those who distinguished themselves were awarded the Tiger Medal, and many desired this honor and the higher pay rate it afforded. Despite the potential dangers, the Sherpa people remained enthusiastic about taking part in Everest expeditions, which even then were becoming an important source of income for a poor mountain folk.
1.Sherpas didn’t go into the high peaks before Europeans’ arrival mainly because ________.
A.they enjoyed staying at low altitudes B.they were short of proper equipment
C.they were unaware of their potentials D.they considered the mountain as holy
2.By mentioning the “rocks” in Paragraph 5, the writer emphasizes _______.
A.the intelligence of the Sherpas B.the challenges for the climbers
C.the physical ability of the Sherpas D.the wild landscape of Mount Everest
3.Which of the following can best describe the Sherpas according to the text?
A.Talented for high-altitude climbing. B.Adventurous and crazy about wealth.
C.Generous and willing to help climbers. D.Professional in treating altitude sickness.
Eduardo reached into his backpack, searching for his cell phone. He was scared of having to spend the spring break at Aunt Letty’s farm. Although he had protested, his parents decided that spending time on the farm would be a great experience for him. They grew up on a farm and believed that responsibility, hard work, and respect for the land were valuable lessons.
“So, have you ever ridden a horse?” Aunt Letty asked, trying to turn his attention away from his phone. “Hmmm, no.” he answered. “Well, we’ve got a nice calm horse I think you’ll like. Hercules-sounds like a beast, but he’s basically a gentle giant-big, but kindhearted!” she said, smiling. Eduardo glanced at his aunt, annoyed that he was expected to work. He tried to text a friend but there was no cell reception.
The next few days were busy. The crow of the roosters woke them up, and they had breakfast before dawn. Then they went out to the barn to get the feed while the animals waited to be fed. The afternoons were filled with transporting hay, cleanup, and caring for the animals. At dusk, when the farm was finally quiet, Aunt Letty stretched her arms out and inhaled(吸气), “Just take a deep breath of that sweet country air!” Eduardo, exhausted from his chores, was unable to appreciate his work.
On the third day, without warning, Aunt Letty announced, “It’s time to meet Hercules.” She led Eduardo into the stables. Aunt Letty was right. Hercules was remarkable!
Aunt Letty held her hand open for Eduardo to take. Reluctantly, he let her guide his hand toward Hercules and allowed the magnificent creature to sniff his palm. Softly, Hercules rubbed its nose and mouth against him.
“It feels like velvet(天鹅绒)!” Eduardo beamed. An hour later, Eduardo was scratching Hercules on his neck and offering him carrots.
That night, as they headed toward the house, Eduardo was inspired. His arms spreading wide, he inhaled and said, “Take a breath of that sweet country air!”
1.Why did Eduardo’s parents send him to the farm?
A.To better his views on life. B.To show him the beauty of nature.
C.To change his attitude to Aunt Letty. D.To prevent him using a mobile phone.
2.What can we infer about Eduardo from the last four paragraphs?
A.He discovered the horse was wild.
B.He realized working hard would pay off.
C.He came to appreciate the life on the farm.
D.He found Aunt Letty impatient but inspiring.
3.What can be a suitable title for the text?
A.Aunt Letty’s Farm B.Sweet Country Air
C.A Remarkable Horse D.Busy Country Life
假定你是李华，你校国际部打算举办“教外国学生下中国象棋（Chinese chess）”的活动，现正在招募志愿者。你有意向成为志愿者，请你用英语写一封申请信，内容包括：
1. 写信目的；
2. 你的优势；
3. 期待同意申请。
注意：1. 词数100左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3. 开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
Dear Sir/Madam,
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Your,
Li Hua
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（˄），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词。
2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
Ten years ago, I had an idea of extracting（提炼）preciously metals from used batteries. I was eager for the support of my father. A few years late, my father agreed with me. He decided offer me some funds to set up the company. In order to run the company well, I got on the fight down to Switzerland, on where I studied advanced production technology and management styles for three month. In my view, that was entirely likely for the company to achieve an annual profit approaching $3 million. With my hard work, I do achieve my aim. When asking why I had chosen the project, I said, “Recycling used batteries can save resources, protect the environment or benefit future generations.”
阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
Whales have been facing serious danger for a long time.
First, due 1. the greenhouse effect, glaciers are melting, and some living creatures in the Antarctic and the Arctic 2. (be) on the edge of extinction. With global warming, life in other parts of the ocean has also been seriously affected, whales 3. (include).
Secondly, whaling activity is another killer. Historically, whaling has been popular in some overseas countries, such as England, Japan and Norway. On the one hand, some people’s desire for money can’t 4. (meet) easily, and they regard whales as a money-making machine. A kilogram of whale meat can fetch about $100 in Japan. On 5. other hand, advanced technology has increased the efficiency of whaling and 6. (great) reduced the number of whales. What’s more, some countries are still on whaling in the name of science, 7. (seem) curious about this creature.
The fact 8. whales are on the edge of extinction is alarming us. Some 9. (organize) have begun working hard to save them. The international community has made a strategy against commercial whaling. In my opinion, governments should also make tough laws 10. (protect) whales.
