The wildfires damaging parts of Australia can be seen from space in new satellite images released by NASA. Australia's capital, Canberra, was enveloped in a smoky haze Sunday and air quality at midday was measured at 10 times the usual dangerous limit. The damaging fires have killed at least 24 people in Australia and destroyed almost 2,000 homes. The early and damaging start to Australia’s summer wildfires, fed by drought and the country's hottest and driest year on record, has also been catastrophic (毁灭性的) for the country's wildlife, likely killing nearly 500 million birds, reptiles and mammals in New South Wales alone, Sydney University ecologist Chris Dickman told the Sydney Morning Herald.
Under such extreme conditions, the fires have been generating enough heat to create their own weather systems, including fire-generated thunderstorms and fire tornadoes. Thousands of firefighters continued to fight the flames that have burned millions of acres in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, an area twice the size of Maryland. In New South Wales, the rural fire service (RFS) said as of Sunday there were 150 fires active in the state, 64 of them uncontrolled.
On Saturday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that, for the first time in Australian history, 3,000 army, navy and air force reservists (后备军人) will battle against the fires. He also committed $14 million to hiring fire-fighting aircraft from overseas. On Sunday, cooler temperatures and lighter winds brought some relief to threatened communities, a day after thousands were forced to escape as flames reached the suburban areas of Sydney. Thousands of firefighters fought to contain the fires, but many fires continued to burn out of control, threatening to wipe out rural townships and causing almost incalculable damage to property and wildlife.
1.What does the underlined phrase “fed by” mean ?
A.get food from someone B.be strengthened by something
C.be destroyed by something D.under control of something
2.Why were there thunderstorms and tornadoes ?
A.Because the fires generated thunderstorms and tornadoes.
B.Because there was rainy weather.
C.Because the fires generated enough heat to create extreme weather.
D.Because the weather systems is easy to change.
3.What can we learn form the last paragraph ?
A.Many soldiers will fight against the fires as they have done before.
B.Fires were controlled due to cooler temperatures and lighter winds.
C.A lot of people moved out of the suburban areas.
D.Damage to property and wildlife is limited.
4.What would be the best title for this passage ?
A.Australia's destructive wildfires B.Soldiers fought against the fires
C.Wildlife died form the fires D.Australia’s wildfires was under control
When Ariyah Georges was born 15 weeks early, she weighed only one pound, 12 ounces. Her mother, Jovan, knew how important breastfeeding was, especially for a premature (早产的) baby like Ariyah, so she began pumping milk to feed her through a tube. But two days later, Jovan felt dizzy and feverish — 104 Fahrenheit degrees, in fact. She had a blood disease and was close to full shock.
She was separated from others for nearly two weeks at the regional Northern Virginia hospital where she'd delivered. During that time, she could still pump breast milk, but Ariyah couldn't consume it because of the risk of infection. Without it, the newborn was particularly easily affected by diseases. There are many cases like this, which creates the need for the milk donation.
Enter donor milk breast milk purchased by hospitals for mothers who aren't able to produce enough milk on their own, due to health complications, stresses, or other factors. The milk comes from milk banks, organizations that collect and screen breast milk from those women willing to donate. Usually processed in intensive-care units, the milk is only available by prescription.
In recent years, both milk banks and the use of donated human milk have risen swiftly in the United States. In 2011, 22 percent of NICUs used donor breast milk; four years later, that number doubled to nearly 40 percent, and went even higher for the most intensive NICUs — as much as 75 percent. There are 23 milk banks in the United States recognized by the Human Milk Banking Association of North America, or HMBANA, double the number that existed five years ago.
But as the demand for donor milk rises, banks must find more charitable donors — a task made more complicated by informal networks of milk sharing that happens online. And many of the most vulnerable infants are still not being reached.
1.Jovan couldn't feed her baby Ariyah on her breast milk because_______.
A.Ariyah was a premature baby B.Jovan couldn't produce enough milk
C.Jovan was separated from others D.Jovan was in poor health.
2.By telling the story of Ariyah and her mother, the writer wants to______.
A.tell us what to do if mothers cannot produce enough milk.
B.remind us of the importance of breastfeeding the newborn.
C.introduce the topic of an increasing need for donated human milk.
D.warn us against the risk of the newborn being affected by diseases.
3.How is the writer's idea mainly developed in Paragraph 4?
A.By following time order. B.By listing statistics.
C.By giving examples. D.By making predictions.
4.What problem are milk banks now faced with?
A.It's difficult to find enough charitable donors.
B.networks of milk looking for donors online are informal.
C.The milk purchased from milk banks cannot reach infants' home.
D.The number of women willing to donate breast milk are decreasing.
In her 17 years on this earth, Shreyaa Venkat has done more to help the planet and the people living on it than many adults. The non-profit organization she founded, NEST4US, has helped tens of thousands of people in the United States. Through it, it’s served over 12,000 homeless people in the Washington, D.C. area by providing food and other supplies.
Venkat’s passion for helping others started as soon as she could walk, as her parents, active volunteers themselves, brought her along on their various projects, like some creative ways to volunteer. By fifth grade, she’d developed such enthusiasm for it that she started organizing her own service projects in her community.
NEST4US was born when she realized how much food waste there is, how many hungry people there are, and how simple it would be to use the former to help the latter. “There was a homeless man standing on a corner in D.C. and he was holding a sign that said ‘Hungry Need Food’,” she recalls. “So I gave him my lunch and his whole face just lit up. It was so easy, it only took me 30 seconds, and it really helped him.”
As NEST4US took off, with hundreds of volunteers helping to feed thousands of hungry people, Venkat decided to branch out with her volunteer efforts, starting three other branches of NEST4US. Serving others had become such a way of life for her that she even celebrated her 13th birthday at a homeless shelter, bringing the party to them instead of expecting gifts for herself.
As much as she has helped others, they’ve helped her too. Not only does she get a lot of joy and personal satisfaction from her volunteer work but running NEST4US has taught her important life skills like time management, public speaking, writing, and leadership. “What it’s really given me is this opinion of putting other people first,” she says.
1.What can we infer about NEST4US from the first paragraph?
A.Its main aim is to make money. B.It offers people cheap supplies.
C.It takes in all homeless people. D.It is a charity organization.
2.What caused Venkat to set up NEST4US?
A.Her parents’ constant suggestion. B.The memory of her hard childhood.
C.Her experience of helping a hungry man. D.Volunteers’ great influence on her.
3.Why did Venkat spend her 13th birthday at a homeless shelter?
A.She held a grand party for many people.
B.She could receive many nice gifts there.
C.She got much personal satisfaction from it.
D.She saw helping others as part of her life.
4.Which of the following best describes Shreyaa Venkat?
A.Caring. B.Ambitious.
C.Humorous. D.Demanding.
Since the modern Olympics began in 1896, it has been held in more than 40 different cities. That gives Olympic fans quite a few possible travel destinations to choose!
Beijing, China
Olympic fans should consider visiting the Beijing Olympic Park to check out the special buildings of the so-called “Bird’s Nest” and “Water Cube”—the national stadium and aquatics center built for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Popular historic places in Beijing include the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, and Tian’anmen Square.
Innsbruck, Austria
Located in the heart of the Alps, Innsbruck is known as a great winter destination—which explains why it has hosted not one but two Winter Olympics. Known for its mountainous views, Innsbruck is the perfect stop for outdoor adventurers.
Mexico City, Mexico
This wonderful travel destination offers a wide number of popular museums, historic buildings, and public parks. People will love shopping for fresh meat and produce at the markets, taking a cooking class, and generally eating their way through Mexico City, which is especially known for its culinary (烹饪的) experiences that include both globally well-known restaurants and locally favored street carts.
Melbourne, Australia
Nearly half a century before Sydney hosted the 2000 Summer Olympics, Melbourne became the first Australian host city in 1956. Head to the “cultural capital of Australia”, located in Victoria on the southeastern coast, for an energetic cafe culture and art scene, Melbourne offers something for every type of traveler and everyone can enjoy an evening at one of the city’s many rooftop bars or a day of wine tasting.
1.Where will you go if you are fond of adventure?
A.Beijing, China. B.Mexico City, Mexico.
C.Innsbruck, Austria. D.Melbourne, Australia.
2.What can visitors do in Mexico City?
A.Enjoy wonderful culinary classes. B.Buy beautiful clothes and shoes.
C.Admire beautiful mountainous views. D.Visit special stadiums for the Olympics.
3.What can we know about Melbourne?
A.It is famous for all kinds of wine. B.It has many world-famous hotels.
C.It hosted the Summer Olympics twice. D.It can satisfy different travelers’ needs.
请认真阅读下文信息，并按照要求用英语写一篇150词左右的文章。
China’s New Wildlife Trade Ban and Upcoming Law Amendment（修正案）
March 05, 2020 “Lisa” Ning Hua
The Coronavirus Outbreak in China, has been identified by the World Health Organization as a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern” or “PHEIC.” Seventeen years after the horrific SARS outbreak, the coronavirus has once again shown a spotlight on the risks of consuming wildlife as food and encouraged public outcry to ban wild meat consumption in China.
This challenge is not unique to China. Epidemics, such as Ebola, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy or Mad Cow Disease, Avian Influenza, and SARS, all originate from wildlife.
To combat the outbreak, China announced a suspension on wildlife trade across the country in January and a crackdown (i.e., stricter enforcement) on illegal activities involving wildlife. The country’s top legislature also initiated a process for amending the current Wildlife Protection Law and announcing a decision this week to ban the trade of wildlife as food and tighten the crackdown on illegal wildlife trade.
While this is all very good news, it should be noted that the ban is not permanent and will automatically expire（失效）when the amendments to the Wildlife Protection Law become effective. Further, key details regarding ban enforcement have yet to be clarified to ensure it serves its purpose.
（写作内容）
1. 用约30个单词概述上述信息的主要内容；
2. 谈谈你如何看待保护野生动物，并说明理由（至少两点）。
（写作要求）
1. 写作过程中不能直接引用原文语句；
2. 作文中不能出现真实姓名和学校名称；
3. 不必写标题。
（评分标准）
内容完整，语言规范，语篇连贯，词数适当。
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请认真阅读下列短文，并根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格里填入一个最恰当的单词。注意：每个空格只填1个单词。请将答案写在答题卡上相应题号的横线上。
Potential energy is the energy, chemical or physical, stored within an object, atom or molecule（分子）. Think about a car at the top of a roller-coaster （过山车）, pausing just before it slopes into the next turn. A log resting in a fireplace just before it is about to be lit is a treasure house of potential energy. As the log burns, the connections between carbon atoms that make up the wood are being broken down, and the potential energy stored within those connections is being released as heat and light. As a comet approaches a planet or star, it slows, momentarily affected by the larger body’s gravity. The potential energy builds up and then reaches a breaking point as the comet accelerates around the larger body, and is shot out to the other side.
Sports show countless examples every day of potential energy being transformed into kinetic energy. Kinetic energy is the energy of movement. When an archer（弓箭手）draws and holds her arrow, her bow is filled with stored potential energy. When she releases the bowstring, all the potential energy is quickly transformed into kinetic energy, which is transferred to the arrow that takes flight.
The transformation of stored potential energy into kinetic energy can also be made use of to power homes, factories and entire cities. The most notable example is the Hoover Dam. The Hoover Dam is an arch-gravity dam by design. This design name is the first clue as to how exactly the dam makes use of energy. Located in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, the Hoover Dam formed, and now holds back Lake Mead — the largest reservoir in the United States.
Gravity acts as a force upon Lake Mead. Held at bay by the Hoover Dam, the waters of Lake Mead and the Colorado River gain greater potential energy with each passing moment. The Arizona and Nevada spillways（溢洪道）are two means by which the waters of Lake Mead can escape the dam. As the lake water falls over the walls into a spillway, potential energy is instantly transformed into kinetic energy. The channels through which the water normally escapes every day are the four intake towers. These towers allow the water flow through passageways to the powerhouse and hydroelectric generators. When the water reaches the intake towers and is allowed to flow down through the passageways, all the stored potential energy created by the force of gravity acting upon the water is transformed into kinetic energy, just as when water flows over the wall into a spillway. By taking advantage of the transformed potential energy of Lake Mead, the Hoover Dam provides power to California, Nevada and Arizona.
Moments like these happen all across the physical world, whether on the molecular or universe level.
Main points | Supporting details |
What is potential energy? | Potential energy is the energy existing either in the chemical or physical 1., which is stored in an object. When a car is sloping into the next turn from the top of a roller-coaster, it is building up potential energy. When a log is burning, the connections between carbon atoms are being broken down, 2. potential energy as light and heat. When a comet approaches a planet or star, the potential energy 3. to a breaking point and then the comet is shot out to the other side. |
How is potential energy transformed into kinetic energy? | Potential energy can be transformed into kinetic energy, which is the energy4. by movement. When the bowstring is released by an archer, the potential energy stored in the full bow is quickly transferred to the arrow, thus transformed into kinetic energy which sets the arrow 5. far away. Hoover Dam is the most notable example of energy transformation. Hoover Dam is 6. in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, holding back Lake Mead. The waters of Lake Mead escape the Dam, falling over the walls into Arizona and Nevada spillways, leading to the 7. transformation from potential energy into kinetic energy. The 8. of potential energy is from the force of gravity acting upon the water |
What 9. is the energy transformation made of? | Homes, factories and cities are efficiently 10. thanks to the powerhouses and hydroelectric generators taking advantage of the transformed potential energy. |
