California has lost half its big trees since the 1930s, according to a study to be published Tuesday and climate change seems to be a major factor（因素）.
The number of trees larger than two feet across has declined by 50 percent on more than 46, 000 square miles of California forests, the new study finds. No area was spared or unaffected, from the foggy northern coast to the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the San Gabriels above Los Angeles. In the Sierra high country, the number of big trees has fallen by more than 55 percent; in parts of southern California the decline was nearly 75 percent.
Many factors contributed to the decline, said Patrick Mclntyre, an ecologist who was the lead author of the study. Woodcutters targeted big trees. Housing development pushed into the woods. Aggressive wildfire control has left California forests crowded with small trees that compete with big trees for resources（资源）.
But in comparing a study of California forests done in the 1920s and 1930s with another one between 2001 and 2010, Mclntyre and his colleagues documented a widespread death of big trees that was evident even in wildlands protected from woodcutting or development.
The loss of big trees was greatest in areas where trees had suffered the greatest water shortage. The researchers figured out water stress with a computer model that calculated how much water trees were getting in comparison with how much they needed, taking into account such things as rainfall, air temperature, dampness of soil, and the timing of snowmelt（融雪）.
Since the 1930s, Mclntyre said, the biggest factors driving up water stress in the state have been rising temperatures, which cause trees to lose more water to the air, and earlier snowmelt, which reduces the water supply available to trees during the dry season.
1.What is the second paragraph mainly about?
A.The seriousness of big-tree loss in California.
B.The increasing variety of California big trees.
C.The distribution of big trees in California forests.
D.The influence of farming on big trees in California.
2.Which of the following is well-intentioned（出于好心的） but may be bad for big trees?
A.Ecological studies of forests. B.Banning woodcutting.
C.Limiting housing development. D.Fire control measures.
3.What is a major cause of the water shortage according to Mclntyre?
A.Not enough snowmelt. B.A longer dry season.
C.A warmer climate. D.Dampness of the air.
假定你是李华，你的英国笔友 David 给你发了一封邮件，倾诉他因疫情居家进行线上学习所遇到的烦恼，请你针对David 的问题回复邮件。
Dear Li Hua,
I have some problems. Due to the COVID-19, all of us now have to keep social distance and take online courses at home. I find it hard to constantly focus on studying. I feel tired easily. Worse still, I have become so anxious and short-tempered. I do want to change the situation, but I don’t know how. What should I do?
Yours,
David
注意：1. 词数 100 左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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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。
I, together with my parents and cousins, were planning to have a fantastic beach day. We’d been looking forward to the beach all week, so you can imagine how disappointing we were when Dad announced, “Today will be a inside day because of the bad weather.” To cheer us, Mom brought out our favorite snacks and all kinds of fruit that he had prepared for the outing. “Why not to arrange a fruit platter?” Mom suggested. We cut the fruit into different shape. Though we didn’t have a clear picture of how it would look like, we simple enjoyed ourselves. We made necessary adjustments, carefully adding or replaced each piece, and finally made it a piece of art.
阅读下面短文，在空白处填1 个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
English playwright Arthur Wing Pinero said, “Where there’s tea, there’s hope.” Similarly in China, it is said 1.firewood, rice, cooking oil, salt, sauce, vinegar and tea are the seven necessary2.(item) to begin a day. Tea is, without doubt, welcomed all over the world. Tea is much more than just a hot drink. It’s a big part of many cultures around the world. People in China use top-grade tea3.(show) respect when receiving important guests. Meanwhile,4.British tradition of afternoon tea is an important part of that country’s identity. As an5.(express) of Moroccan hospitality and tradition, mint tea – a mix of green tea, spearmint (绿薄荷) leaves and sugar –6.(serve) during gatherings and negotiations. Apart from its7. (culture) significance, tea is also a medicine, 8. (use) from ancient times to modern day. “Tea is cold and lowers the fire,” Chinese herbalist Li Shizhen once9.(say). The health benefits of tea are still being discovered today: preventing heart disease, obesity and cancer have all been linked 10.drinking green tea.
I was 11 years old when I asked my mom for piano lessons in 2010. We were badly off in the recession (经济衰退). She said a_______“no”.
That didn’t stop me. I Googled the_______for a keyboard, drew the keys on a piece of paper and ________it on my desk. I would click _______on an online keyboard and “play” them back on my paper one – keeping the_______we they made on the computer in my _______. I spend six months playing without______a real piano. Once my mom saw that I was_______, she got into debt to buy me ten lessons.
In the first lesson I was_______by how real the sound of the piano was. I sat my grade one after eight lessons.________we couldn’t afford lessons again. I________grade three, then grade five,_______only on my piece of paper. When I was about 13, my mom said she had a_______for me: it was an electronic keyboard, bought with more______money.
My school didn’t offer music A-level. I found the Purcell School for young_______. The tryouts (选拔) were________. Some of the questions involved a judgment on the composer (作曲家) or when it was written. I felt stuck. To my amazement I was offered a_____. There, I worked as hard as I could to improve my performance and save enough money to buy my _______piano.
I feel proud: it’s been 10 years since I drew my paper piano, and now I’m at one of the world’s leading music schools. However, the irony is that I________doing a lot of my practice away from the piano: what we call________practice. The paper piano helped spark my curiosity about how music works, the building blocks that form the pieces.
1.A.determined B.polite C.flat D.strong
2.A.measurements B.colors C.design D.principle
3.A.laid B.stuck C.threw D.folded
4.A.links B.tunes C.notes D.buttons
5.A.noise B.video C.image D.sound
6.A.voice B.hand C.head D.ear
7.A.touching B.seeing C.buying D.hearing
8.A.patient B.serious C.interested D.optimistic
9.A.terrified B.confused C.annoyed D.struck
10.A.Lately B.Meanwhile C.Sometimes D.Afterwards
11.A.passed B.missed C.organized D.quit
12.A.operating B.focusing C.practicing D.experimenting
13.A.prize B.surprise C.secret D.chance
14.A.borrowed B.hidden C.earned D.pocketed
15.A.students B.programmers C.musicians D.performers
16.A.difficult B.various C.common D.formal
17.A.job B.mark C.class D.place
18.A.best B.favorite C.first D.new
19.A.set about B.keep on C.turn to D.jump at
20.A.junior B.casual C.regular D.mental
Slow Walking and Ageing
Getting old might not be something that’s yet to cross your mind. 1., so it’s something I’m sure we’d all like to control. That’s why scientists are constantly seeking out evidence that will show us what we need to do to achieve longevity.
2.. To walk 10,000 steps a day or do three brisk 10-minute walks plays an effective role in our health. But the latest research might put a spring in your step if you’re accustomed to walking at a fast pace. That’s because the speed at which people walk is a sign of how much their brains, as well as their bodies, are ageing.
According to the result of those tested, slower walkers tended to show signs of “accelerated ageing”. Their lungs, teeth and immune systems were in worse shape than those who walked faster.3.. Professor Terrie E Moffitt, has proved that a slow walk is a problem sign decades before old age.
This might be seen as a wake-up call for people with a slower gait who might feel it’s time to work out and get fitter. But it might be too late; researchers predict the walking speed of 45-year-olds using the results of intelligence, language and motor skills tests from when they were aged three.4..
So, what’s the point of knowing that a slower walking pace might mean a smaller brain? Well, researchers say measuring walking speed at a younger age, and understanding what this might mean, could be a way of testing treatments to slow human ageing.5.. Any steps we can take to prolong a good mental and physical state is a no brainer!
A.Everyone wishes to keep young
B.There are various ways to exercise
C.We all know that regular exercise is good for us
D.But ageing is unavoidably going to get the better of us one day
E.This might help us make lifestyle changes while we’re still young and healthy
F.In other words, some signs even in early life will show who will live younger and healthier
G.To add insult to injury, the result also indicates the faces of slower walkers usually look older and they have smaller brains
