Plastics are considered one of the most serious pollutants causing environmental problems. The garbage containing plastics end up in the waterways that eventually flow into the oceans. Accumulation (聚集)of plastic in the ocean endangers marine life and pollutes the water.

Does a plastic continent exist? Yes, a plastic continent does exist and was discovered by Captain Charles Moore a decade ago. The plastic continent is twice the size of Britain and it is the region between the Hawaii Islands and California in the central Pacific Ocean.

One of the causes of the lack of marine life in this region is due to pollution and pollutants are none other than plastics. Captain Charles Moore believes plastic waste started accumulating in the 1950s.

The plastic continent is the man-made continent of floating plastic waste. The fisher men and the sailors have avoided this region for years. The reasons are:

1. There are no fish here because of the lack of nutrients.

2. The zone also lacks the wind that is essential for sailing.

To do research on the ocean pollution, Captain Moore founded Algalita Marine Research Foundation. Other organizations such as Greenpeace supported his cause. The reports of The United Nations Environment Program show that millions of seabirds and marine animals are dying due to the invasion(入侵)of plastics. The waste plastics can be recycled, but in fact they are being thrown into the oceans. The marine animals mistake these for food and eat them. This leads to their death that affects the marine food chain.

To save the oceans from the plastic continent you need to reduce the use of plastics, reuse plastic bags and recycle plastics.

1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?

2. What is the direct influence of the plastic continent?

3. It is implied that the work of plastic recycling proves to be ______.

4.What can we learn from the passage?

One dark stormy night, an elderly couple hurried into a hotel and asked whether they could be  36  for the night, “I’m very sorry,” the clerk on night shift said politely, “we are all  37 tonight.  38 ,you could stay in my room if you don’t mind. I’m 39 ,so I’ll be here.” The young man gave the sincere advice.
The elderly couple accepted his  40  with gratitude. They apologized for the  41  they had caused him. The next day, the rain stopped and it  42 . When the old gentleman went to pay his bill, the same clerk said, “The room you and your wife stayed in is not a proper   43  room in this hotel, so you don’t need to pay.”
The old gentleman nodded in  44  : “You are an employee that every boss in the hotel business would dream of . Perhaps someday I’ll build a hotel for you.” The clerk was  45  but, deciding that the guest must have been 46  , he gave the remark  47 thought.
Two years later, the young man received a letter from the old gentleman, in which he  48 the experience of that dark stormy night. The letter also  49 a formal invitation, asking that young man to pay a visit.
At a street corner in Manhattan, the young man met his  50  guest. The old gentleman, pointing to a magnificent new building  51  over the crossroads, “Look, that is the hotel I 52 to build for you. I hope you will  53  it for me .Remember what I said then? Well, I was  54  about it.”
The young man stammered, “But…will there be any   55 , sir? Why do you choose me? And who are you?”
“My name is William Aster.” This building was none other than the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, a symbol of supreme status and honor in New York.

When he arrived, he found ____ the aged and the sick at home.

A. nothing but B. none but C. none other than D. no other than

完型填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）
阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。 
For long, a little boy was wondering why his deskmate could rank 1^st in the class whenever he wanted to, while he himself failed to: he only ranked 21^st.
At home, he asked his Mom, “Mom, am I more   21 than others? I feel I am obedient and as careful as him, but   22 I always fall behind? ” Hearing the words， Mom was aware that her son began to  23  the sense of self-respect, which was now being injured by the ranking system.  24  at him, she went wordless, not knowing  25  to explain.
In another test, the son ranked 17^th, while his deskmate remained 1^st. Back home he   26  the same question. Mom really wanted to inform his son that   27  differs, which means that students ranking 1^st are supposed to be cleverer than normal ones.  28 , was this discouraging answer the one that her son was constantly  29  about? Thank goodness she did not open her mouth.
How to answer her son’s question? There were times when she felt an urge to say, “You are too lazy. You are not as hard-working as others…”but she stopped   30  imagining her son suffering from the pains of unsatisfied grades and rankings. She thought it   31  to put any additional burden on his son and was trying to find out a perfect answer.
Time passing swiftly, the son   32  primary school. Despite studying harder and better, he was still unable to keep up with his deskmate. To show her pride of him, Mom decided to   33  him to the sea. During the trip, she managed to give an answer.
Now, the son no longer worries about his   34 , and there are no boring guys who would inquire his grades in primary school, because,   35  the 1^st ranking, he is admitted to Tsinghua University. Back home in winter vacation, he was invited to   36 the students and parents in his high school, In the speech, he mentioned a valuable experience in his childhood, “…When my mother and I were lying on the   37 , she pointed to the front and said, “Do you see the seabirds struggling for food over there ?When the waves come near, little birds can rise   38 while awkward seagulls would take more time to complete the process. However, have you noticed birds that finally fly  39 the endless ocean are none other than the awkward seagulls?” The speech   40  many mothers present to tears, including his mother.

完型填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）

  阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。 

    For long, a little boy was wondering why his deskmate could rank 1^st in the class whenever he wanted to, while he himself failed to: he only ranked 21^st.

   At home, he asked his Mom, “Mom, am I more   21  than others? I feel I am obedient and as careful as him, but   22  I always fall behind? ” Hearing the words， Mom was aware that her son began to  23   the sense of self-respect, which was now being injured by the ranking system.  24   at him, she went wordless, not knowing  25  to explain.

   In another test, the son ranked 17^th, while his deskmate remained 1^st. Back home he   26  the same question. Mom really wanted to inform his son that   27   differs, which means that students ranking 1^st are supposed to be cleverer than normal ones.  28  , was this discouraging answer the one that her son was constantly  29   about? Thank goodness she did not open her mouth.

How to answer her son’s question? There were times when she felt an urge to say, “You are too lazy. You are not as hard-working as others…”but she stopped   30   imagining her son suffering from the pains of unsatisfied grades and rankings. She thought it   31   to put any additional burden on his son and was trying to find out a perfect answer.

Time passing swiftly, the son   32  primary school. Despite studying harder and better, he was still unable to keep up with his deskmate. To show her pride of him, Mom decided to   33  him to the sea. During the trip, she managed to give an answer.

Now, the son no longer worries about his   34  , and there are no boring guys who would inquire his grades in primary school, because,   35   the 1^st ranking, he is admitted to Tsinghua University. Back home in winter vacation, he was invited to   36  the students and parents in his high school, In the speech, he mentioned a valuable experience in his childhood, “…When my mother and I were lying on the   37  , she pointed to the front and said, “Do you see the seabirds struggling for food over there ?When the waves come near, little birds can rise   38  while awkward seagulls would take more time to complete the process. However, have you noticed birds that finally fly  39  the endless ocean are none other than the awkward seagulls?” The speech   40   many mothers present to tears, including his mother.

1. A. considerate      B. careless        C. stupid               D. clever

2. A. what if           B. how come         C. how about            D. what for

3. A. lose              B. have             C. win                  D. beat

4. A. Shouting          B. Glaring         C. Staring          D. Pointing

5. A. which             B. why              C. when                 D. how

6. A. raised            B. met              C. answered           D. got

7. A. intelligence          B. right            C. knowledge            D. strength

8.A. Therefore          B. Still            C. Thus                 D. However

9. A. enthusiastic      B. curious          C. crazy                D. clear

10.A. if                B. before          C. unless               D. when

11. A. cruel           B. important       C. disappointed         D. necessary

12. A. attended        B. started         C. finished             D. entered

13. A. guide           B. take             C. bring                D. push

14. A. homework       B. belongings         C. health               D. rankings

15.A. in                B. by               C. with                 D. on

16.A. teach             B. deliver         C. address              D. face

17. A. floor           B. road             C. bank            D. beach

18. A. quickly          B. suddenly        C. slowly                D. sharply

19.A. into              B. through         C. across                D. throughout

20. A. made             B. moved            C. impressed            D. inspired