1 . A NASA climate research scientist, Cynthia Rosenzweig, who has spent much of her career explaining how global food production must adapt to a changing climate, was awarded the World Food Prize on Thursday.

“We basically cannot solve climate change unless we address the issues of the greenhouse gas emissions from the food system, and we cannot provide food security for all unless we work really hard to develop adaptable agricultural systems,” she told The Associated Press in an interview.

Rosenzweig, who describes herself as a climate impact scientist, grew up in Scarsdale, New York, a suburban area that she said led her to seek out life in the country. Later, she moved to Italy, and developed a passion for agriculture. After returning to the United States, she focused her education on agronomy (农学).

She worked as a graduate student at the Goddard Institute for Space Studies in the early 1980s, when global climate models were beginning to show the effects of human-generated carbon dioxide on the global climate. As the only team member studying agronomy, she researched the impact on food production and has been working since then to answer those questions.

Rosenzweig’s work led to the Environmental Protection Agency’s first prediction of the effects of climate change on the nation’s agricultural regions in the agency’s assessment of the potential effects of climate change on the United States in 1988. She was the first to bring climate change to the attention of the American Society of Agronomy and she organized the first sessions on the issue in the 1980s. The research organization she founded, AgMIP, develops adaptation packages, which could include the use of more drought-tolerant seeds and improved water management practices.

Even the largest agribusiness corporations have shown a willingness to listen. Some models her colleagues have developed show how businesses could be effected by climate change and how they have a role to play in reducing the impact on climate.

“It’s really a global partnership of all the global food systems to come together to restrain climate change and maintain the food security for the planet,” she said.

1. What can we learn from paragraph 2?

A．Plants can hardly cause greenhouse gas emissions.

B．Issues of food security will result in climate change.

C．Improving food systems will help address climate change.

D．Some adaptable agricultural systems have been put into use.

2. Which of the following can best describe Rosenzweig?

A．Modest.

B．Devoted.

C．Adaptable.

D．Warm-hearted.

3. What is paragraph 5 mainly about?

A．Rosenzweig’s contributions.	B．Rosenzweig’s challenges.
C．Rosenzweig’s expectations.	D．Rosenzweig’s backgrounds.

4. What does the underlined word “they” in paragraph 6 refer to?

A．The models.	B．The practices.
C．The colleagues.	D．The businesses.

2 . Geoffrey Holt was a “nobody” in the public eye. He worked in his eighties as a caretaker at a mobile home park in Hinsdale, New Hampshire.

Holt collected hundreds of model cars and train sets that filled his rooms. He also collected books about history, with Henry Ford and World War II among his favorite topics. Holt had an extensive record collection too, including Handel and Mozart. Very often, he’d find a quiet place and study financial publications.

After retiring, Holt did various jobs for others. Despite having taught driver’s education course to high schoolers, he’d given up driving a car. He opted for a bicycle instead and finally the mower（除草机）. His mobile home in the park was mostly empty of furniture—no TV and no computer, either. The legs of the bed went through the floor.

But Holt did have two things. He had a big secret and an even bigger heart. He passed away in early 2023. In a move that surprised the tiny town of 4,200 people, he left all his worldly goods to the people of Hinsdale.

With his casual lifestyle, no one would have guessed that Holt had a wealth worth up to $3.8million! Holt, who earlier in life had worked as a production manager at a grain factory that closed down in nearby Brattleboro, Vermont, spent his money on communications, hoping to earn more out of it. In the end, it was doing better than he’d ever expected.

Holt grew up in Springfield, Massachusetts. His father, Lee Holt, was a professor who taught English and world literature in a college. His mother, Margaret Holt, was an artist. Holt went to boarding schools and attended the former Marlboro College in Vermont, where students had self-designed degree plans. He graduated in 1963 and earned a master’s degree from the college where his father taught in 1968.

        Undoubtedly, Holt will be remembered forever.
1. What can we learn about Holt?

A．He had a wide range of interests.	B．He had always longed to be a driver.
C．He possessed a mobile home park.	D．He was often out of job while young.

2. How did Holt accumulate his wealth?

A．By gaining his parents’ help.	B．By doing business in a field.
C．By setting up a grain factory.	D．By working hard after retiring.

3. What does the last but one paragraph focus on about Holt?

A．His father’s education concept.	B．His educational experiences.
C．His parents’ love for him.	D．His early work dreams.

4. Which best describes Holt?

A．Simple but other-centered.	B．Serious but straightforward.
C．Daring and demanding.	D．Easygoing and ambitious.

3 . 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。

Zhang Xuehua is     1     artist of paper cutting, who works attentively in her workshop in Ma’anshan city, east China’s Anhui Province. As she turns the paper, her scissors fly and a paper-cut work is “born”.

    2     (normal), paper cutting craftsmen first draw patterns on paper and then cut them into outlines, but Zhang has a special     3    (capable) to cut without sketching (画素描) patterns ahead of time. She can turn a piece of paper the size of a handkerchief     4     a lifelike paper cutting work in less than one minute. Her works show a mixture of paper cutting styles in northern and southern China.

Zhang     5    (learn) the craft from her grandmother. “In the beginning, I was not able to cut well, but in time I could create little frogs, butterflies, flowers and other works,” Zhang said. “Paper cutting created countless beautiful childhood     6    (memory) for me. ”

The walls of Zhang’s studio are covered with work, large and small, with subjects     7    (range) from the twelve zodiac signs to daily items. The work Zhang remains proudest of is the Folk Girl series,     8     now sits in the National Art Museum of China’s permanent collection.     9    (carry) forward the traditional craft of paper cutting, Zhang often offers paper cutting classes for free at residential communities, schools and museums, well     10    (recognize) by young people who want to understand the living heritage.

4 . Our history is rich with remarkable scientists who helped advance the development of our society. Here are some of them.

Isaac Newton (1643-1727)

Isaac Newton is considered by many to be the greatest scientist of all time. There weren’t many subjects that Newton didn’t have a significant impact on—he was one of the inventors of calculus (微积分), built the first reflecting telescope, and helped establish the field of classical mechanics(力学). He was the first to divide white light into its component colors and he gave us the three laws of motion, now known as Newton’s laws.

Emmy Noether (1882-1935)

Emmy Noether was a German mathematician particularly known for Noether’s theorem, which establishes a fundamental connection in symmetries (对称) in physics. It is considered a milestone of modern theoretical physics. Her contributions are foundational in various branches of mathematics as well, such as abstract algebra, algebraic geometry and topology.

Carl Friedrich Gauss (1777-1855)

Carl Friedrich Gauss was born in a poor family in Germany and quickly showed himself to be a brilliant mathematician. He published Disquisitiones Arithmeticae, a foundational textbook that laid out the principles of number theory. Many of the advancements that we’ve made in using computers to solve problems are solved using number theory. Gauss was productive, and his work on number theory was just a small part of his contribution to math.

John von Neumann (1903-1957)

Before 1940, John von Neumann focused primarily on mathematics. Then he turned to its practical use, designing the structure of nearly every single computer today. Right now, whatever device that you are reading this on, whether a phone or computer, is cycling through a series of basic steps billions of times over each second, steps that were first thought up by John von Neumann. Remarkably, He proposed a theory of global warming caused by human activity.

1. Who put forward a theory about an environmental issue?

A．Isaac Newton.

B．Emmy Noether.

C．Carl Friedrich Gauss.

D．John von Neumann.

2. What do the four scientists have in common?

A．They showed a gift for physics since young.

B．They contributed a lot to the computer field.

C．They were highly established in mathematics.

D．They were from a similar family background.

3. In which part of a newspaper may the text appear?

A．Environment.

B．Figure.

C．Culture.

D．News.

5 . Four Great Explorers in History

Christopher Columbus
Italian (1451—1506)

Christopher Columbus did not “discover” America, contrary to popular belief. However, he came across the continent rather accidentally while taking what he thought was a shortcut from Europe to Asia. Despite others landing there first, Columbus made Europeans more aware of this New World, leading to increased contact between the lands and ultimately the development of the modern Western world.

Ferdinand Magellan
Portuguese (1480—1521)

Ferdinand Magellan had a dream:to visit the Maluku Islands. Magellan set off with five ships and more than 200 men, heading west via South America. Unaware how vast the Pacific was, they faced great challenges and many died. The remaining crew reached the islands, where Magellan was shot with a poisoned arrow in a fight with Mactan people, and died in 1521. Only one ship and 18 men from Magellan’s crew made it back to Spain.

Francis Drake
English (1540—1596)

On becoming a ship’s captain in his 20s, Francis Drake was on his way to fulfilling his dream of finding an undiscovered land in the Pacific. Drake’s travels took him to the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico before finally starting a secret expedition to the western coast of North America. His circumnavigation (环球航行) helped identify the true geography of our planet.

Roald Amundsen
Norwegian (1872—1928)

His heart set on exploring the Arctic, Roald Amundsen quit university and began his adventures via land, sea and air, first sailing through the Northwest Passage. Beaten to the North Pole, Amundsen was determined to be the first to reach the South Pole, and he was. Subsequently crossing the Arctic by air, Amundsen became one of the greatest polar explorers.

1. Who contributed to the first continuous contact between Europe and America?

A．Christopher Columbus.	B．Ferdinand Magellan.
C．Francis Drake.	D．Roald Amundsen.

2. When did the explorer shot with a poisoned arrow die?

A．In 1506.

B．In 1521.

C．In 1596.

D．In 1928.

3. What was Roald Amundsen’s achievement?

A．He was the first to explore the Arctic.

B．He was the first man to reach the North Pole.

C．He was the first man to reach the South Pole.

D．He was the first to sail through the Northeast Passage.

7 . Born in 1940 in Nyeri, Kenya, Wangari Maathai spent her childhood in the Kenyan countryside and her young adult life in the United States. She studied biology at Mount St. Scholastica College in Kansas, then obtained a master’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh. After returning to Kenya and pursuing her PhD at the University of Nairobi, Wangari became the first woman in East Africa to receive a doctor’s degree.

In the 1970s Wangari was an active member of the National Council of Women of Kenya. Women came to the council in part to search for solutions to the environmental problems—deforestation and desertification had caused many of the resources women relied on for food and clean water to decrease.

Fuelled by her knowledge of biology and her passion for helping others, Wangari decided to take action. Wangari had two goals in mind: to help restore environmental resources and give women the ability to support their families in a self-sufficient, sustainable way. To achieve her goals, she came up with a practical but impactful idea: to plant trees. The trees would reduce the effects of deforestation, in addition to providing food and firewood for local families. Wangari’s plan inspired the formation of the Green Belt Movement in 1977, an organisation dedicated to environmental conservation and poverty reduction in Kenya.

As the Green Belt Movement grew, Wangari began to focus on several different but interconnected causes: environmental conservation and human rights. In the late 1980s, she called on her community to oppose the construction of a skyscraper (摩天大楼) in Uhuru Park, Nairobi’s central public space. In 1999 she led a protest against the privatisation of Karura Forest in Nairobi, during which Green Belt Movement members were beaten by private guards. Despite facing ongoing opposition and even danger, Wangari’s belief in her work was never shaken.

Wangari served on the boards of countless environmental organisations, and spoke to members of the United Nations. Due to her tireless work Wangari received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004.

1. What do we know about Wangari Maathai?

A．She had a hard childhood in Kenya.

B．She acquired an excellent education.

C．She was the first woman to get a degree.

D．She came back to Kenya due to her colour.

2. What contributed to the foundation of the Green Belt Movement?

A．Wangar’s family’s support.

B．Wangari’s achievements in biology.

C．Wangari’s tree-planting idea.

D．Wangari’s desire to fight world poverty.

3. What is Paragraph 4 mainly about?

A．Wangari’s efforts to expand her influence.

B．Wangari’s ways to fight for human rights.

C．Wangar’s strategies to establish a reputation.

D．Wangari’s plans to handle growing opposition.

4. Which of the following best describes Wangari Maathai?

A．Honest and hard-working.	B．Patient and unselfish.
C．Considerate and generous.	D．Determined and inspiring.

8 . 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。

John is a Mazahua textile artist from the community of San Felipe Santiago, Villa de Allende, Mexico. Ten-year-old John was     1     (great) attracted by the unique forms and beautiful colors of the Mazahua textiles, and asked his mother to teach him embroidery (刺绣). But he     2     (tell) that a man shouldn’t learn it and that a man must spend his time on other things. However,     3     his mother said didn’t affect John’s big interest     4     embroidery.

After that talk with his mother, John set about     5     (make) the effort to learn the artform and hoped to change     6     idea that men couldn’t learn embroidery. He wished to share their cultural heritage through their textiles, so he attended events like meetings related to their     7     (tradition) textiles. To date, he     8     (win) many national prizes presented to people who promote art.

John’s success has changed community opinions and encouraged young people, including men,     9     (preserve) their unique embroidery art. Women from these communities have begun to teach their son to embroider. Clearly, John made a big     10     (contribute) to the protection of their cultural heritage.

9 . As you walk around the UK in March, you might notice that some people are wearing a daffodil(水仙花) on their coats. The British wear these yellow flowers to show they support one of this country’s best-known charities: the Marie Curie Cancer Care.

The Marie Curie Cancer Care tries to ensure everyone diagnosed with cancer is cared for in the best possible way. It also helps fund research into possible cures through other organizations. Founded in 1948, it has been continuing with its goal ever since.

The charity was named after Marie Curie, a renowned scientist. She experimented with newly-discovered elements to create the theory of radioactivity. Unfortunately, over-exposure to the radioactive elements made her develop a disease and die in 1934. Marie Curie won the Nobel Prize in two different fields. Because of her pioneering work which led to chemotherapy (化学疗法), the charity shared the name of Marie Curie.

The daffodil is one of the first plants to flower during spring in the UK, which marks the return of flowering plants to the ecosystem after winter. Because of this, the charity uses the daffodil as a metaphor for bringing life to other people through charitable giving.

Everyone you see wearing a daffodil has donated money to the charity, but each daffodil is worth only what you want to pay for it. The charity does ask that you stick to a minimum amount of £1.

The charity encourages people to start wearing their daffodils at the start of March, when the “Great Daffodil Appeal” kicks off. But that doesn’t mean you can only wear them in March. People are sometimes seen walking around with daffodils on their clothes all year round.

1. What does it mean when the British wear a daffodil on their coats?

A．They support a charity.	B．They are recovering from cancer.
C．They’ve been helped by a charity.	D．They’ve been diagnosed with cancer.

2. What does the underlined word “renowned” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Beautiful.

B．Modest.

C．Famous.

D．Humorous.

3. Why was the charity named after Marie Curie?

A．Because patients required that.	B．Because it was launched by her.
C．Because she greatly supported it.	D．Because it could show respect for her.

4. What can we learn about the daffodil from the text?

A．It can be used as medicine.	B．It’s thought to stand for hope.
C．It’s widely worn worldwide.	D．It’s sold to the wearers at a high price.

10 . 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。

The Japanese branch of the Chinese Literature Readers’ Club was established at the China Cultural Center in Tokyo     1     September, 2022.

The event had Chinese sci-fi writers Wang Jinkang, Bao Shu, and Qi Yue, alongside Japanese sci-fi writer Taiyo Fujii and Nozomi Oomori, the Japanese    2    (translate) of Liu Cixin’s The Three- Body Problem, as guest speakers to talk about their sci-fi creations    3     the development trend of sci-fi.

Shi Yongjing, cultural counselor(参赞)at the Chinese embassy in Japan, said that “both China and Japan have a long history of translating each    4    (other) cultural works”. The club will provide a new platform for Japanese readers    5    (learn) about contemporary China, she said.

During the event,     6     ran for more than two hours, three Chinese writers shared stories about how they became sci-fi writers.     7    (start) from Chinese writer Lao She’s Cat Country, Japanese guest speakers talked about their     8    (joy) experiences of reading Chinese science fiction. For them, Chinese sci-fi literature     9    (develop) quickly in the last 10 years, and works like The Three- Body Problem have attracted many Japanese readers.

In recent years, on average, China has     10    (annual) published more than 500 sci-fi novels. In 2023, Chengdu in Southwest China’s Sichuan province will host the 81st World Science Fiction Convention.