1 . “Earth” has always been an odd choice of name for the third planet from the Sun. After all, if an alien examines it through a telescope, he would note that two-thirds of its surface is covered not by earth at all, but by oceans of water.

However, most of the oceans on Earth remain unexplored. For example, photographers are fond of pointing out that scientists have mapped nearly all the oceans’ surface, but less than a quarter of the seabed. Biologists think the oceans might host more than 2 million species of animals, of which they have so far identified perhaps a tenth.

A new project may change this. Launched in London on April 27th, 2023, Ocean Census aims to discover 100,000 new species of ocean animals over the coming decade. Its first ship, Kronprins Haakon, set sail on April 29 for the Barents Sea.

The project is launched for two reasons. One is that the longer scientists wait, the less there will be to study. “Top on our agenda are species thought to be in the greatest danger from climate change,” says Oliver Steeds, founder of the project. “Otherwise, the forest is burning down and we won’t know what was there before it is lost.”

The second reason is technological. Biologists find about 2,000 new species a year, a rate hardly changed since Darwin’s day. Ocean Census is betting that it can go faster. Fancy cameras on remote-operated vehicles, for instance, allow scientists to scan deep-sea creatures such as jellyfish without removing them from their habitat. Just as the huge pressures of the deep sea are deadly for humans, taking such a jellyfish to the surface for examination may reduce it to gooey slime (黏液).

Exactly what the new effort might turn up, of course, is impossible to predict. But history suggests it will be fruitful. Half a century ago, scientists discovered hot seabeds that were home to organisms living happily in conditions that, until then, had been thought harmful to life. These days, such hot seabeds are thought to be one possible candidate for the origin of all life on Earth.

1. What phenomenon is described in the second paragraph?

A．The oceans are home to most of the animals.	B．The oceans have not been studied in depth.
C．Scientists enjoy photographing the oceans.	D．“Earth” is not a proper name for our planet.

2. What does Oliver Steeds most probably mean?

A．More efforts from scientists are necessary.	B．Animals in the forest should be rescued, too.
C．Climate change is endangering the forest.	D．The project should start with threatened species.

3. What can we learn from the jellyfish example in paragraph 5?

A．It is mature to study the oceans now.	B．Scientists should slow down their studies.
C．It is harmful to study deep-sea animals.	D．Researchers want more advanced equipment.

4. What does the author think of Ocean Census?

A．Dangerous.

B．Creative.

C．Promising.

D．Unnecessary.

3 . Frank Herbert’s science fiction Dune was the first coming-of-age story that helped me survive my lonely junior high school. At age 12, my life was the tiny, boring cycle of home, school and my parents’ store. Dune cracked it all open and led me to a universe that made my little world a lot more bearable. Unlike Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye who kept breaking windows, Dune’s main character, Paul Atreides, equipped me with a junior-high survival guide.

Paul is not a classic underdog. He’s the son of a king. He’s been trained since birth in war arts, politics and critical survival skills by a group of smart and experienced men with impossible-to-pronounce names. But when his world is turned upside down-when he leaves his home, loses his father and enters a physically and politically hostile environment-he doesn’t complain and cry. He adapts.

To this day, I still can recite his words against fear: “I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total destruction. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”

The steady diet of literary fiction assigned by my teachers was escapist and the very act of reading (whatever the content) usually took me out of a given moment, but didn’t provide much advice on how to face my daily conflicts and painful insecurity.

Dune was escapist, too. However, it was expansive and literally redefined possibility for me who had been struggling along with eyes on the ground, just trying to make it through another day of boredom and hardship of being a teenage girl. Paul lifted my eyes up so I could see the stars.

1. Which best explains “hostile” underlined in paragraph 2?

A．Safe.

B．Unfriendly.

C．Unbeneficial.

D．Pleasant.

2. What is probably the author’s deepest impression about Paul?

A．His good education.	B．His noble birth.
C．His courage to face fear.	D．His escapist attitude.

3. What does the author say about herself as a teenager?

A．She was an optimistic girl.	B．She was not loved by her parents.
C．She had a carefree childhood.	D．She felt insecure and unconfident.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．The Catcher in the Rye Should Be Banned

B．Teenagers Should Not Read Literary Fictions

C．Dune Became My Junior-High Survival Guide

D．Science Fiction Is Better Than Literary Fiction

5 . Here are some of the stereotypes or false impressions about Germany that we’re sick and tired of hearing.

Germans are unfriendly

If you’re living in Germany, don’t expect to make casual chat at the supermarket or bus stop. But it doesn’t mean Germans are unfriendly. The truth is that a lot of Germans are just more particular about when they socialize. If you’re in a space that’s made for socializing-anything from a dinner party to a nightclub-that cold shoulder you get in public will usually disappear.

Germans put efficiency ahead of everything

To some degree, it is true. For example, you might notice that the bus runs usually on time, and that there’s a lot of enthusiasm for recycling and careful uses of resources. On the other side, though, anyone who has lived in Germany might have had painful experiences with its public services. From taxes to gas bill, almost everything happens slowly and on paper.

German food is terrible

Ask foreigners about food in Germany and it’s likely that they will say it is too heavy on tasteless sausage and bread. But those complaints overlook a wealth of fantastic food, both cheap and fancy.

For one thing, Germany has 309 restaurants with Michelin stars, more than any other country except France, Italy and Japan. For those who don’t want to throw down € 100 on a meal, Germany also has a variety of bakeries. The country’s bread-making culture has its own UNESCO listing, and sweet treats from apple or cherry cakes to doughnuts are excellent, too.

1. Where do Germans most likely have small talks?

A．In a gym.

B．In the office.

C．At the supermarket.

D．At a dinner party.

2. What can we learn about the public services in Germany?

A．The public transport isn’t well-managed.	B．Waste is rarely recycled.
C．Online services aren’t easily available.	D．A lot of resources are wasted.

3. Which of the following best describes German food according to the author?

A．Diverse.

B．Cheap.

C．Boring.

D．Expensive.

6 . May is a beautiful month full of sunshine and flowers. It is also the __________ when we show thanks to our mothers on Mother’s Day.

In my family, the celebration of Mother’s Day is __________ every year. Two years ago, I made a big __________ for my mom and she still remembers all the dishes I cooked that morning. Last year, I __________ some of my old books and I bought her a scarf with the money. She uses it all the time.

I wanted to do __________ special on Mother’s Day this year. In late April, I started to look for different gift __________ on the Internet. It took me about two weeks to get a final idea. __________ , I decided to make several (几个) cards by hand. And then I put the cards and a bag of colorful __________ in a box. Of course, I wrote some____________ on the cards. The words were all about __________ jobs I could help my mom do at home, like doing the dishes and cleaning the floor.

On the night before Mother’s Day, I went into my mom’s room __________ and put the gift on her bed when she was sleeping. When she __________ in the morning, she found the cards. She was very excited about my gift and __________ a lot of time looking at the cards and enjoyed the candies.

Mother’s Day is a happy moment (时光) for me to __________ my mom. I will try to show my love __________ she cares about me so much every day. Mother’s love is the best in my heart.

1.

A．day

B．week

C．month

D．year

2.

A．different

B．boring

C．famous

D．simple

3.

A．model

B．breakfast

C．plan

D．seat

4.

A．made

B．sent

C．gave

D．sold

5.

A．something

B．anything

C．nothing

D．everything

6.

A．ideas

B．times

C．places

D．shapes

7.

A．In fact

B．Of course

C．For example

D．At last

8.

A．chips

B．pies

C．candies

D．chocolates

9.

A．phrases

B．words

C．warnings

D．suggestions

10.

A．important

B．popular

C．small

D．hard

11.

A．quietly

B．loudly

C．seriously

D．comfortably

12.

A．stayed up

B．got up

C．grew up

D．woke up

13.

A．wasted

B．stopped

C．spent

D．began

14.

A．believe

B．thank

C．help

D．care

15.

A．although

B．and

C．or

D．because

10 . Fifth-graders gathered around a large tank inside their school’s greenhouse. Plants hang overhead, and trays of seedlings (幼苗) fill the shelves. Small silver fish pop their heads out of the water as Blanka, 10 years old, holds out food. “If you put your finger in a little bit, they might bite it. It doesn’t hurt; it just feels funny,” explains Blanka.

At Manzo Elementary Schools in Tucson, raising fish at school was one small answer to a big problem faced by many people in the neighborhood — food insecurity. While the students could have breakfast and lunch at school, their families often struggled to provide dinner. The teachers came up with an idea: could the students raise food at school for the neighborhood?

It wouldn’t be easy. Being in a desert region, water was a scarce resource in Tucson. Apart from that, the soil doesn’t always have the nutrients plants need to grow, so the students would need to add a natural fertilizer. Inspired by the Aztecs’ ancient practice of chinampas, floating farms on lakes near Mexico City, Counselor Moses Thompson introduced an aquaponics (鱼菜共生) system where fish waste served as fertilizer for the plants, while the plants’ roots purified the water in the fish tank. Apart from fish, other animals played an important part in supporting the students’ mission to feed their neighbors. Chickens laid eggs, and visiting pollinators (传粉者) like bees and butterflies helped transform flowers into vegetables.

Once the students had harvested enough food, it was time for Market Day. They offered vegetables as donations to people in the neighborhood and sold eggs and fish to raise funds for fish food and chicken feed. “We can plant good food and have fun while we’re doing something important,” says Blanka. “I’m so happy to be at this school.”

1. What is the first paragraph mainly about?

A．What the greenhouse ecosystem looks like.	B．How fifth-graders observe fish.
C．Whether feeding fish is funny.	D．Where plants are grown.

2. Why did Manzo Elementary School start raising fish at school?

A．To teach students about fish.

B．To bring in income for the school.

C．To attract more students to the school.

D．To handle food shortage in the neighborhood.

3. How did the ecosystem at Manzo Elementary School work?

A．Fish waste fertilized the plants.	B．Chickens helped purify water.
C．Plants provided food for fish.	D．Pollinators helped carry vegetables.

4. Which word best describes Blanka’s attitude to raising fish at school?

A．Tolerant.

B．Favorable.

C．Skeptical.

D．Uncaring.