1 . Ants are everywhere. They live in forests, fields, deserts and cities,all over the Earth. But how much do you know about them?
Ants are social animals. They live and work in groups. They always build nests, find food, and raise babies together. They have their own colonies (群体). Ant colonies are large or small, from just a few ones to millions!
Usually, ants are divided into (被分成) several different classes (等级) such as queens, workers, males and so on. Queens are females and they eat more as larvae (幼虫). Queen ants are usually the biggest ants in colonies. They lay all the eggs. A queen ant can live for several tens of years. Males have wings and they never help with the chores. They can only live for a few weeks.
Workers are females and they eat less as larvae. Workers do all the “housework” from building and cleaning the nest to collecting food. Workers are wingless and usually live for several months.
Ants are also clever architects. They can build their homes in different places. You may find their nests under rocks or in the trees. What’s more, the nests that they build are perfect for ant larvae to grow up. One ant by itself cannot do much harm to many larger animals. But they can beat much bigger and stronger enemies in large groups. By acting together, ants can even protect their colonies against animals. If you are lucky enough, you may see such a wonderful fight!
Ants are successful in the animal world.But have you learned the secret behind their success?
1. Which of the following is TRUE about ants?| A．You can’t find ants in cities. |
| B．Ant groups are different in size. |
| C．Queen ants’ life is very short. |
| A．have big wings |
| B．eat the most as larvae |
| C．help keep their nests clean |
| A．They are lucky enough. |
| B．They always act in groups. |
| C．Their enemies are not strong. |
| A．Nature. | B．Travel. | C．Food. |
2 . 
A street dog was adopted (领养) by the workers of a bank in Dalian, Liaoning Province. She has become known as a lucky dog and has brought new clients (客户) for the bank.
This yellow and white dog is called Meili. She showed up in the neighborhood with a broken ear about six years ago. She had no home and looked for food here and there when she was hungry then. Some bank workers began to feed her. Day by day, she seemed to become a member of the bank.
Meili is smart and cute. She is such a friendly dog that she never barks (吠叫) at anyone. Instead, she likes getting close to people. If you ask her to shake hands, she usually raises a front paw (爪).
One morning, Zhang Yi, a worker of the bank, was taking care of Meili in front of the gate of the bank. Several people stopped to greet them like old friends. “Because of the shared love of dogs, we communicate more with people living nearby, and over 30 of them have become new depositors (储户) thanks to Meili,” Zhang said.
The bank workers pay for Meili’s health check, food and cleaning. Sometimes, people also buy snacks from the market for Meili. Their love brightens the dog’s life, making her life happier and more comfortable. The dog’s appearance also connects the bank with people living nearby, bringing more clients for the bank.
1. What did Meili’s life use to be like before she was adopted?| A．It was hard. | B．It was busy. | C．It was boring. |
①Offer her food.
②Bring her to a pet shop for a bath.
③Buy toys for her from the market.
④Take her to the hospital for health examination.
| A．①②③ | B．①②④ | C．②③④ |
| A．An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. |
| B．Love given, love returns. |
| C．No pains, no gains. |
| A．A dog helped by workers brings a bank big business. |
| B．Some bank workers look after a homeless dog called Meili. |
| C．A bank gets more money from the people living nearby. |
3 . 
It is hard to imagine a place that’s more dangerous than Death Valley. Death Valley is the hottest and the driest place in North America.
Death Valley isn’t an easy place to live in. It gets less than two feet of rain year and it’s hot, too. In July, the temperature often reaches over 46℃. There is even a lake that has turned into salt crystals (晶体). But it is cold at night. When it gets cold enough, the water on the ground will turn into very thin ice. Then the strong wind—like a large hand—can move the rocks along the icy ground. That is why the rocks can “walk” on their own in Death Valley.
Although the weather is Death Valley is terrible, it is still filled with lives. Nothing can stop plants and animals from making it their home. People have found more than 1,000 kinds of plants there. It also has 51 kinds of mammals (哺乳动物), 6 kinds of fish, and more than 300 kinds of birds. The animals aren’t all small, either.
Finding water is the biggest challenge for anything that lives there. Some plants have roots (根部) that go fifty feet under the ground to find water. Some animals get the water they need from flowers.
Death Valley really creates a lot of surprising things!
1. Which statement is TRUE about Death Valley according to the passage?| A．Death Valley may be the most dangerous place to live in. |
| B．Death Valley is the driest place in South America. |
| C．Death Valley gets some rain in July. |
| A．Because the rocks have turned into thin ice. |
| B．Because the animals can carry these rocks. |
| C．Because the wind is strong enough to move the rocks. |
| A．the raindrops | B．the flowers | C．the lakes |
| A．Different kinds of animals in Death Valley |
| B．Death Valley—a dangerous but surprising place |
| C．How to travel safely in Death Valley |
As we all know, whales are the biggest animal living in oceans. However, how long whales can live in fresh water has become a matter of some discussion because of several visits of whales to fresh water (淡水). The interest in this matter first became hottest in 1985 when Humphrey, the name of a humpback whale (座头鲸), succeeded living in the fresh water of the Sacramento River for several weeks before finally returning to the Pacific Ocean. The matter happened again in May of 2007, when a mother whale and her baby whale entered the Sacramento River.
Some experts say that it is uncommon to see whales in fresh water for more than a few weeks because most whales are built for saltwater environments. Scientists are not quite sure how long whales can live in fresh water because they can’t get the food they usually have in the sea. Besides, small cuts, for example, are easily cured (治愈) in salt water. Fresh water environments do not have the materials (材料) which are good for cuts.
Fresh water environments are also not natural for a whale’s swimming and other activities. Most whales swim in water that is at least 20 feet (6.1m) deep. Fresh water rivers may be only a few feet deeper than the girth (围度) of a whale’s body. This makes it more possible for them to be beached.
Many whales are migratory (迁徙的) animals by habit. Because they are not used to the route they take, whales can easily get lost. That’s probably why we have the chance to see whales in fresh water. Although it may be interesting to see whales in fresh water, whale lovers actually worry about the matter.
1. Why does the writer mention (提及) Humphrey in Paragraph 1?| A．To ask people to keep an eye on the protection of whales. |
| B．To tell when people became interested in the matter. |
| C．To give an example of the visits of whales to fresh water. |
| A．路线 | B．方式 | C．饮食 |
① Because whales can’t get the food they want in fresh water.
② Because fresh water can’t help whales cure their cuts.
③ Because fresh water environments are not big enough for whales.
④ Because whales are easy to get lost in fresh water.
| A．①②③ | B．②③④ | C．①③④ |
| A．The things people can do to see whales in fresh water. |
| B．The study on how long whales can live in fresh water. |
| C．The ways to help whales return to the oceans. |
5 . 听下面一段对话，回答三个小题。
1. When did the girl go to the zoo？| A．Last Friday. | B．Last Saturday. | C．Last Sunday. |
| A．Koalas. | B．Tigers. | C．Lions. |
| A．It’s rainy. | B．It’s snowy. | C．It’s sunny. |
6 . 听下面一段对话，回答三个小题。
1. What animals does Peter like?| A．Lions. | B．Pandas. | C．Giraffes. |
| A．Because they are smart. |
| B．Because they are interesting |
| C．Because they are friendly. |
| A．At 8: 30 a.m. | B．At 9: 00 a.m. | C．At 9: 30 a.m. |
There is a zoo in our city. My parents often take me there on
I think the most interesting animals in the zoo are the dolphins. I like
| A．summer | B．weekends | C．weekdays |
| A．real | B．ugly | C．toy |
| A．zoo | B．library | C．bank |
| A．people | B．animals | C．friends |
| A．dangerous | B．ugly | C．interesting |
| A．houses | B．pools | C．cages |
| A．sorry | B．happy | C．sad |
| A．looking | B．listening | C．watching |
| A．in | B．on | C．at |
| A．friendly | B．shy | C．cold |
Scooter is a seven-year-old Chinese dog. His body is hairless, but he has long white hair on his head. His rear (后面的) legs face backward and his tongue always hangs out his mouth. Scooter’s special look won him the 2023 World’s Ugliest (最丑的) Dog competition.
Scooter may be a star now, but things didn’t always look so good for him. Since he had trouble with his rear legs from birth, he was unable to walk like other dogs. Scooter didn’t give up on himself, though. He learned to walk with the help of his two front legs. Now he can even jump to climb steps. Linda is the owner of Scooter. She looks after him very well.
The World’s Ugliest Dog competition started 50 years ago. The title may not sound very kind, but it isn’t about making fun of ugly dogs at all. Instead, this competition is to show that every dog needs love and a good home, nо matter what it looks like. For this year, at least, no dog shows those ideas better than Scooter.
1. How old is Scooter?| A．9. | B．8. | C．7. |
| A．Seven years ago. | B．Fifty years ago. | C．Five years ago. |
| A．冠军 | B．名称 | C．题目 |
| A．Because every dog needs love and home. |
| B．Because every owner of dogs needs money. |
| C．Because every dog needs to have fun. |
9 . Do you see elephants with your own eyes? Do you know about elephants? Elephants are very big and strong.
| A．Usually they live in a group. |
| B．They are bigger than any other animal on land. |
| C．They can lift heavy things with their trunks. |
| D．Now, there are very few elephants in the world. |
| E．What do elephants feed on? |
10 . It is known to us all that elephants are the biggest animals on land. There are two kinds of elephants: African elephants and Indian elephants.
The African elephant has a round head and very big ears. It has long teeth. Each of them can be as long as 3.4 meters and as heavy as 103 kilograms. African elephants live in forests in Africa. They eat leaves, roots and fruits.
Indian elephants are smaller than African elephants. They are found in forests in India, Malaysia and some other countries in Southeast Asia. They live on grass. They can be trained to do a lot of heavy work and amuse (逗乐) people.
An African elephant lives as long as a man does. But an Indian elephant does not live that long.
1. How many types of elephants are mentioned in the article?| A．3. | B．4. | C．2. | D．1. |
| A．appearance | B．living environment | C．eating habit | D．interest |
| A．African elephants live on grass |
| B．Indian elephants has a round head and very big ears |
| C．Indian elephants live in Thailand |
| D．all of the elephants can amuse people |
