The Pacific island nation of Nauru used to be a beautiful place. Now it is an ecological disaster area. Nauru’s heartbreaking story could have one good consequence — other countries might learn from its mistakes.
For thousands of years, Polynesian people lived on the remote island of Nauru, far from western civilization. The first European to arrive was John Fearn in 1798. He was the British captain of the Hunter, a whaling ship. He called the island Pleasant Island.
However, because it was very remote, Nauru had little communication with Europeans at first. The whaling ships and other traders began to visit, bringing guns and alcohol. These elements destroyed the social balance of the twelve family groups on the island. A ten-year civil war started, which reduced the population from 1,400 to 900.
Nauru’s real troubles began in 1899 when a British mining company discovered phosphate (磷酸盐)on the island. In fact, it found that the island of Nauru was nearly all phosphate, which is a very important fertilizer for farming. The company began mining the phosphate.
A phosphate mine is not a hole in the ground; it is a strip mine. When a company strip-mines, it removes the top layer of soil. Then it takes away the material it wants. Strip mining totally destroys the land. Gradually, the lovely island of Nauru started to look like the moon.
In 1968, Nauru became one of the richest countries in the world. Every year the government received millions and millions of dollars for its phosphate.
Unfortunately, the leaders invested the money unwisely and lost millions of dollars. In addition, they used millions more dollars for personal expenses. Soon people realized that they had a terrible problem — their phosphate was running out. Ninety percent of their island was destroyed and they had nothing. By 2000, Nauru was financially ruined. Experts say that it would take approximately $433,600,000 and more than 20 years to repair the island. This will probably never happen. What might be the author’s purpose in writing the text?________.
| A．To seek help for Nauru’s problems. |
| B．To give a warning to other countries |
| C．To show the importance of money |
| D．To tell a heartbreaking story of a war. |
What was Nauru like before the Europeans came? ________.
| A．Rich and powerful | B．Modern and open |
| C．Peaceful and attractive | D．Greedy and aggressive |
The ecological disaster in Nauru resulted from _______.
| A．soil pollution | B．phosphate overmining |
| C．farming activity | D．whale hunting |
Which of the following was a cause of Nauru’s financial problem? ________.
| A．Its leaders misused the money |
| B．It spent too much repairing the island |
| C．Its phosphate mining cost much money |
| D．It lost millions of dollars in the civil war. |
What can we learn about Nauru from the last paragraph?________.
| A．The phosphate mines were destroyed |
| B．The ecological damage is difficult to repair. |
| C．The island was abandoned by the Nauruans |
| D．The leaders will take the experts’ words seriously. |
Dragons are not real animals, but look like a combination (结合体) of many animals such as snakes, fish and deer. They have two horns (角) and a long moustache (胡子). With fantastic powers, they fly in the sky or swim in the sea. They can make rain, too. The Chinese dragon is a symbol of strength and good luck. The emperors of ancient China loved dragons. Their clothes were covered with pictures of dragons.
We are proud to call ourselves the "descendants (传人) of the dragon" In Chinese, "excellent" people are often called "dragons". A number of Chinese sayings and idioms talk about dragons, for example, “Hoping one's child will become a dragon," which means hoping he or she will be successful.
It is said that people born in the Year of the Dragon have certain characteristics. They are creative, confident, brave and quick-tempered. There are some famous "dragons" who have done excellent things, for example, the great man Deng Xiaoping, the famous businessman Li Jiacheng and the movie star Zhao Wei. They are all very successful.
There are also some traditional festivals about dragons in China, such as Dragon Head – Raising Day and Dragon Boat Festival. We have different kinds of activities to celebrate them. These two festivals come every year, but the Year of the Dragon comes every twelve years.
The dragon is very important in Chinese culture. As the "descendants of the dragon", it is necessary for us to know the views on dragons in our culture. It can help us understand why our parents always want us to be "dragons".
This year is the Year of the Dragon. Good luck to you! What does the Chinese dragon symbolize?
| A．A combination of many animals. |
| B．Chinese sayings and idioms. |
| C．Traditional festivals. |
| D．Strength and good luck. |
In the passage, the underlined sentence "Hoping one's child will become a dragon." means in Chinese.
| A．龙马精神 | B．龙飞凤舞 |
| C．望子成龙 | D．龙腾虎跃 |
What characteristics may the people born in the Year of the Dragon have?
They may be _______.
| A．creative, confident, brave and powerful |
| B．creative, confident, brave and quick-tempered |
| C．lovely, confident, brave and quick-tempered |
| D．lucky, confident, creative and successful |
Which of the following years is the Year of the Dragon?
| A．1988. | B．1998. |
| C．2008. | D．2018. |
According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．Dragons are real animals. |
| B．There are many Chinese sayings and idioms about dragons. |
| C．People born in the Year of the Dragon must be successful |
| D．The "descendants of the dragon" are often called "dragons". |
A 8.2-magnitude（震级）earthquake struck off the coast of northern Chile late on Tuesday, cutting power and leading to small landslides and a tsunami (海啸). Four men and one woman died —two who suffered heart attacks and three who were crushed（压死). About 300 prisoners escaped from the northern port city of Iquique in the immediate aftershock (余震).
The quake struck at about 8:46 p.m. local time, some 60 miles northwest of Iquique. It had a depth of 12.5 miles. Chile’s National Emergency Office asked coastal residents to leave for safe places. “The fact is, we will know the extent of the damage as time goes by and when we inspect the areas in the light of day,” Chile’s President Michelle Bachelet said early on Wednesday. “The country has faced these first emergency hours very well.”
Residents in the port city of Antofagasta walked calmly through the streets to higher ground as traffic became heavy in some places. “Many people are fearful after experiencing the powerful earthquake in 2010, so they immediately rushed to higher ground when they heard the tsunami warning,” said a government official.”There have been lots of aftershocks and communications have been cut off in many of the affected areas. So people are waiting in the dark hills, not knowing what is to come, and hoping they will be able to return to their homes safely.”
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center sent our several tsunami warnings, but called off all of them by early Wednesday.
Tsunami waves of more than six feet caused by the earthquake washed ashore on the coast of Pisagua. Iquique, with a population of more than 200,000, saw seven-foot waves.The earthquake resulted in _____.
| A．300 prisoners being trapped |
| B．five people being crushed |
| C．many cars being damaged |
| D．some other natural disasters happening |
How did the whole country respond to the earthquake when it happened?
| A．They were so fearful that they were in a panic. |
| B．They went into the streets immediately. |
| C．They acted very calmly. |
| D．They drove to higher ground after hearing the warning. |
What difficulty did people in the hills face?
| A．The weather was terrible. |
| B．The communications were cut off. |
| C．They got lost in the hills. |
| D．Their houses were destroyed. |
Which of the following statements is NOT true, according to the passage?
| A．The government had estimated（估计）the damage of the earthquake by early Wednesday. |
| B．The tsunami waves in Pisagua were more than six feet high. |
| C．Several tsunami warnings had been called off by early Wednesday. |
| D．The earthquake happened in the evening and it had a depth of 12.5 miles. |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．Chile Deals with Emergency Well. |
| B．Tsunamis Caused by Aftershocks in Chile. |
| C．A Powerful Earthquake Strikes off the Coast of Chile. |
| D．Tsunami Warnings Work Well in Chile.. |
“Tear’ em apart!” “Kill the fool!” “Murder the referee (裁判)!”
These are common remarks one may hear at various sporting events. At the time they are made, they may seem innocent enough. But let’s not kid ourselves. They have been known to influence behavior in such a way as to lead to real bloodshed. Volumes have been written about the way words affect us. It has been shown that words having certain connotations (含义) may cause us to react in ways quite foreign to what we consider to be our usual humanistic behavior. I see the term “opponent” as one of those words. Perhaps the time has come to delete it from sports terms.
The dictionary meaning of the term “opponent” is “adversary” “enemy”; “one who opposes your interests.” Thus, when a player meets an opponent, he or she may tend to treat that opponent as an enemy. At such times, winning may dominate one’s intellect, and every action, no matter how gross, may be considered justifiable. I recall an incident in a handball game when a referee refused a player’s request for a time out for a glove change because he did not consider them wet enough. The player proceeded to rub his gloves across his wet T-shirt and then exclaimed. “Are they wet enough now?”
In the heat of battle, players have been observed to throw themselves across the court without considering the consequences that such a move might have on anyone in their way. I have also witnessed a player reacting to his opponent’s international and illegal blocking by deliberately hitting him with the ball as hard as he could during the course of play. Off the court, they are good friends. Does that make any sense? It certainly gives proof of a court attitude which departs from normal behavior.
Therefore, I believe it is time we elevated (提升) the game to the level where it belongs there by setting an example to the rest of the sporting world. Replacing the term “opponent” with “associate” could be an ideal way to start.
The dictionary meaning of the term “associate” is “colleague”; “friend”; “companion.” Reflect a moment! You may soon see and possibly feel the difference in your reaction to the term “associate” rather than “opponent.”Which of the following statements best expresses the author’s view?
| A．Aggressive behavior in sports can have serious consequences. |
| B．The words people use can influence their behavior. |
| C．Unpleasant words in sports are often used by foreign athletes. |
| D．Unfair judgments by referees will lead to violence on the sports field. |
Harsh words are spoken during games because the players ________.
| A．are too eager to win |
| B．are usually short-tempered and easily offended |
| C．cannot afford to be polite in fierce competition |
| D．treat their rivals as enemies |
What did the handball player do when he was not allowed a time out to change his gloves?
| A．He refused to continue the game. |
| B．He angrily hit the referee with a ball. |
| C．He claimed that the referee was unfair. |
| D．He wet his gloves by rubbing them across his T-shirt. |
According to the passage, players, in a game, may ________.
| A．deliberately throw the ball at anyone illegally blocking their way |
| B．keep on screaming and shouting throughout the game |
| C．lie down on the ground as an act of protest |
| D．kick the ball across the court with force |
The author hopes to have the current situation in sports improved by ________.
| A．calling on players to use clean language on the court |
| B．raising the referee’s sense of responsibility |
| C．changing the attitude of players on the sports field |
| D．regulating the relationship between players and referees |
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
When I first entered high school, I knew no one at my school. All my friends in middle school went to other schools. I wanted to make some new friends. However, I was shy and wasn’t good at making new friends. On my first day at school, I looked at others who were talking in groups happily. How I wish I were one of them!
I guess I was very lucky then. At lunch in the dinning hall, when I was eating at a table alone, a girl came to me. “Excuse me, is this seat taken?” she asked. I immediately shook my head. She smiled and sat down opposite(面对) to me. I felt a little awkward and didn’t know what to say at all, but I really wanted to communicate with her. It was a good opportunity to make friends with her. When I looked up, I found she was smiling at me. Her smile calmed me down. “I really like this school. It’s beautiful, but I don’t know anyone here. All my friends went to other schools,” said the girl. Hearing her words, I immediately said, “my friends are not here either. Can we be friends?” I was surprised. I couldn’t believe I would say something like that, and to my surprise, that girl immediately said “yes”. We both smiled.
We became very good friends. Now it’s the beginning of a new term again. Many students may have no friends at their new schools. If you are also as shy as I used to be, please don’t be afraid to talk to others. You may get a surprise and make a new friend. After all, others want to make new friends, too.We know on her first day at school, the author _________.
| A．hoped she could make some new friends |
| B．only knew a few people at her school |
| C．met some old friends at her new school |
| D．hoped she could go to her old friends’ schools |
The underlined word “awkward” in paragraph 2 is closed in meaning to “”
| A．bored | B．excited |
| C．interested | D．embarrassed |
After the girl sat down opposite to the author, the author _________.
| A．immediately shook her hand |
| B．immediately say something to keep calm |
| C．wanted to talk with her |
| D．wanted her to go away at once |
What did the girl do after the author asked if they could become friends?
| A．She agreed at once |
| B．She thought for a long time |
| C．She felt a little down |
| D．She sat down in no time |
What’s the author’s purpose in writing the passage?
| A．To show that high school is really exciting. |
| B．To encourage shy people to talk to others. |
| C．To tell us how lucky she was in high school. |
| D．To advise us to have a good first day in high school. |
第一节 任务型阅读（共10小题；每小题1分，共10分）
Nowadays, science is developing at a high speed. With the development of science, many countries have improved their economy and raised their people’s living standards. Therefore, science is of great benefit to our daily life.
If we look at the things around us, we’ll find how closely our everyday life is related to science. In one case, at home we can turn on the central heating or air conditioner when we feel cold or hot, and we can watch TV or listen to the tape recorder for entertainment, and we can use a gas stove to cook our meals, and we have computers to help us with our work when we are working in the office, and we also have cars, buses, even planes as traffic tools when we go out. All these things are the results of the scientific development. It goes
without saying that without science our society cannot make rapid progress and our life cannot be comfortable and convenient.
Now that science is so significant in our daily life, we should try to make as many contributions as possible to the development of science. As college students, we must first of all study hard to gain useful scientific knowledge, and then put what we have learnt into practice. We should make the most of science to serve our society.