1 . Aviculturists, people who raise birds for commercial sale, have not yet learned how to create similar conditions to the natural incubation (孵化) of parrot eggs in the wild. They continue to look for better ways to increase egg production and to improve chick survival rates.

When parrots incubate their eggs in the wild, the temperature and humidity (湿度) of the nest are controlled naturally. Heat is transferred from the bird’s skin to the top of the eggshell, leaving the sides and bottom of the egg at a cooler temperature. This temperature difference may be vital to successful hatching. Nest construction can contribute to this temperature difference. Nests of loosely arranged sticks, rocks, or dirt are cooler in temperature at the bottom where the egg contacts the nesting material. Such nests also act as humidity regulators by allowing rain to drain into the bottom sections of the nest so that the eggs are not in direct contact with the water. As the water that collects in the bottom of the nest changes into gas, the water vapor rises and is heated by the incubating bird, which adds significant humidity to the incubation environment.

In artificial incubation programs, aviculturists remove eggs from the nests of parrots and incubate them under laboratory conditions. Most commercial incubators heat the eggs fairly evenly from top to bottom, thus ignoring the bird’s method of natural incubation, and perhaps reducing the survivability of the hatching chicks.

When incubators are not used, aviculturists sometimes suspend wooden boxes outdoors to use as nests in which to place eggs. In areas where weather can become cold after eggs are laid, it is very important to maintain a deep foundation of nesting material to protect eggs against the cold bottom of the box. If eggs rest against the wooden bottom in extremely cold weather conditions, they can become chilled to a point where the embryo (胚胎) can no longer survive Similarly, these boxes should be protected from direct sunlight to avoid high temperatures that are also fatal to the growing embryo.

Nesting material should be added in sufficient amounts to avoid both extreme temperature situations mentioned above and assure that the eggs have a soft, secure place to rest.

1. According to paragraph 2, when the temperature of the sides and bottom of the egg are cooler than the top, then ________.

A．there may be a good chance for successful incubation

B．the incubating parent moves the egg to a new position

C．the embryo will not develop normally

D．the incubation process is slowed down

2. The construction of the nest allows water to ________.

A．provide a beneficial source of humidity in the nest

B．loosen the materials at the bottom of the nest

C．keep the nest in a clean condition

D．touch the bottom of the eggs

3. Which of the following is a problem with commercial incubators?

A．They are expensive to operate.

B．They are unable to heat the eggs evenly.

C．They lack the natural temperature changes.

D．They fail to transfer heat to eggs like parent birds do.

4. What is the main idea of the passage?

A．Nesting material varies according to the parrots’ environment.

B．Humidity is an important factor in incubating parrots’ eggs.

C．Aviculturists have constructed the ideal nest box for parrots.

D．Wild parrots’ nests provide information useful for artificial incubation.

2 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What do we know about the woman?

A．She knew nothing about the band.

B．She wants to join the band, too.

C．She was a member of the band.

2. How old was the man when he started to play base guitar?

A．15.

B．16.

C．21

3. Where does the man usually play music?

A．In the city theatres.

B．On the town square.

C．In local clubs.

4. Why does the man join the band?

A．To make money.

B．To have fun.

C．To meet stars.

3 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. How did the woman use to go to work?

A．By bus.

B．By car.

C．On foot.

2. What are the speakers mainly talking about?

A．Saving traffic fares.

B．Protecting the earth.

C．Riding the bus.

4 . 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。

A Chinese space mining company has designed a robot     1     can collect waste material left behind by spacecraft in outer space. The state-run Xinhua news agency     2    (recent) reported that the robot launched on the government’s Long March 6 rocket along     3     several satellites (卫星). It will also enter deep space to observe the small     4    (universe) objects.

The 30-kilogram robot,     5    (call) NEO-01, was developed by a high-tech company, Origin Space.     6     company says the robot will use a big net to collect waste and then burn it, leading the way for future technologies capable of mining on asteroids (小行星). The world’s first asteroid mining company, Planetary Resources, was established in 2009. Since then, more than 12 businesses around the world     7     (enter) the industry. Su Meng, the     8     (found) of Origin Space, said the company plans to launch many space     9     (telescope) and more spacecraft to begin the first for-profit mining of asteroids by 2045.

The Xinhua news agency reported that China was increasing efforts     10     (land) a spacecraft on a near-Earth asteroid to collect materials. China is also speeding up a plan to build a defense system against near-Earth asteroids.

5 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. How did the woman use to go to work?

A．By bus.

B．By car.

C．On foot.

2. What are the speakers mainly talking about?

A．Saving traffic fares.

B．Protecting the earth.

C．Riding the bus.

6 . How did the woman feel during the first two days in Thailand?

A．Upset.

B．Happy.

C．Tired.

7 . What will Celia do?

A．Find a player.

B．Play basketball.

C．Watch a game.

8 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. How many days does the man work in a week?

A．5 days.

B．6 days.

C．7 days.

2. Who is the girl?

A．A passenger.

B．The man’s colleague.

C．The man’s daughter.

9 . Where was the man going when he fell off the bike?

A．To the supermarket.

B．To the bank.

C．To the hospital.

10 . On February 22, 2021, cancer survivor Hayley Areeneaux was selected to be one of four crew members of the SpaceX Inspiration4 — the world’s first civilian astronaut mission. The 29-year-old will make history as the youngest American — and the first with a false limb — to travel to space.

Hayley’s space dreams began two decades ago, following a visit to the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. However, the young girl’s dreams were derailed a year later when she was diagnosed with osteosarcoma — a type of bone cancer.

Fortunately, the fatal disease had been caught early and the experts at St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis were able to reduce its spread through chemotherapy and by replacing the diseased bones with metal rods (杆) in her left leg. Arceneaux said she never thought she would be able to go to space. But when the call came “out of the blue” from Jared Isaacman, CEO and founder of Shift4 Payments, asking her if she would like to go to space, she said without hesitation, “Yes, yes, absolutely!”

Isaacman had always intended to go to space. Hence when SpaceX announced the world’s first all-commercial astronaut mission, the 37-year-old billionaire, instantly booked the available four seats. The flying enthusiast announced that he would donate three seats to members of the general public. Hayley, the first crew member to be announced, will represent the pillar (支柱) of “hope” — a nod to her survival of cancer and frontline work as a physician at St. Jude. The remaining passengers, representing the pillars of “generosity” and “prosperity”, will be chosen randomly to raise $200 million for St. Jude, which treats children at no charge.

Before the mission launch later this year, the crew will undergo intense training. The mission, which will orbit Earth every 90 minutes, will be carefully monitored by SpaceX mission control scientists from Earth. Upon the mission’s completion, the Dragon will reenter Earth’s atmosphere for a soft water landing off the coast of Florida.

1. What do you know about Hayley Arceneaux?

A．She is a disabled woman.	B．She was caught in a storm.
C．She is a famous physicist.	D．She used to be a fighter pilot.

2. What does the underlined phrase “out of the blue” in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．Sadly.

B．Strangely.

C．Randomly.

D．Suddenly.

3. Why would Jared Isaacman donate the last two seats to members of the general public?

A．To promote his company’s products	B．To raise funds for a cancer hospital.
C．To inspire interests in space travel.	D．To seek help for disabled children.

4. Which of the following is the best title of the passage?

A．“The Sky Is Not Even the Limit” For Jared Isaacman

B．Hayley’s Space Dreams Were Derailed by Osteosarcoma

C．Cancer Survivor to Become the Youngest American In Space

D．Hayley Arceneaux Became the Youngest American travelling in Space