1 . 阅读下列短文，根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写1个恰当的单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。

A study shows 176 bird species have been found to build nests with human litter, such as plastic bags and fishing nets.     1     worries the scientists is that such materials can harm chicks and even adult birds. The study     2     (review) research covering almost 35,000 nests and finds that birds use human-made materials in nests on all continents except Antarctica. While such behaviour     3     (observe) as early as in the 1830s, in recent years it has undoubtedly increased.

2 . As you leave the Bandhavgarh National Park in India, there is a notice which shows a huge tiger. The notice says, “You may not have seen me, but I have seen you.” There are more than a billion people in India and Indian tigers probably see humans every single day. Tigers can and do kill almost anything they meet in the jungle. However, it is a little strange that attacks on humans are not that frequent.

Some people might argue that these attacks were in fact common in the past. But there were far more tigers around in those days. So, to some extent, attacks appear to have been as rare then as they are today.

People think it is because of fears, but what exactly are tigers afraid of? Can they really know that we may be even better armed than they are? Surely not. Has the species programmed the experiences of all tigers with humans into its genes to be inherited as instinct? Perhaps. But I think the explanation may be simpler and, in a way, more interesting.

I suspect that a tiger’s fear of humans lies in the way he actually observes us visually. Imagine a tiger sees a man who is 1.8 meters tall. A tiger is less than 1 meter tall but he may be up to 3 meters long from head to tail. So when a tiger sees the man face on, it might not be unreasonable for him to assume that the man is 6 meters long. If he met a deer of this size, he might attack the animal by leaping on its back, but when he looks behind the man, he can’t see a back. From the front the man is huge, but looked at from the side he all but disappears. This must be very disturbing. A hunter has to be confident that it can kill its prey, and no one is confident when they are disconcerted.

The opposite is true of a squatting human. A squatting human is half the size and presents twice the spread of back, and appears like a medium-sized deer. Many incidents of attacks on people involve villagers bending over to cut grass. The fact that humans stand upright may not just distinguish them from other species, but also help them to survive in an unpredictable environment.

1. As for some people’s opinion on tiger attacks, the author is ________.

A．objective

B．unconcerned

C．supportive

D．disapproving

2. Why does the author raise three questions in Paragraph 3?

A．To present assumptions.	B．To evaluate arguments.
C．To question findings.	D．To confirm opinions.

3. What does the underlined word “disconcerted” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?

A．Confused.

B．Annoyed.

C．Depressed.

D．Surprised.

4. What can we learn from the last two paragraphs?

A．It is the genes that cause the tiger’s fear of humans.

B．It is hard for a tiger to make out the shape of humans.

C．Tigers sense the danger the moment they spot humans.

D．Tigers are less confident when facing squatting humans.

3 . A baby giraffe, called a calf, can stand up and walk about an hour after it comes into the world. At least, it should be able to. That wasn’t the case with Msituni, a giraffe born at the Safari Park. The very day Msituni was born, her front legs were bending improperly, making it difficult for her to stand and walk.

Dr. Kinney, the wildlife care specialist at the park and his team recognized the problem and reacted quickly. They realized Msituni would need medical treatment. First of all, they decided to bottle raise Msituni because her injuries prevented her from staying with her mom. The care team aimed to reduce long-term joint damage, and do their best to ensure Msituni has a long, healthy life.

With the information from the detailed 3D imaging of Msituni’s legs, the care team determined that specialized orthotic braces(矫形器)should be able to fix the position of Msituni’s legs. However, her size made finding supports for her legs very challenging.

The solution came in partnership with Hanger Clinic, a nationwide provider of orthotic braces. While the company focuses on care for humans, the company’s experts asked Safari Park wildlife care staff for advice. Together, they made a pair of orthotic braces for the calf. They wanted to enable Msituni to lie down, stand, walk, and run like a health giraffe.

Finally, the treatments were a success. After about two months, with Msituni’s legs correctly positioned, caregivers were able to remove her leg braces. Today, Msituni can be found playing with the rest of giraffes in the Safari Park.

“It was worthwhile to use problem-solving skills to help wildlife,” said Dr. Kinney. “To address the challenges that wildlife faces, we need to work together.”

1. What was Msituni’s problem?

A．She got injured in the park.

B．She had trouble with her legs.

C．She found it difficult to breathe.

D．She was left alone by her mother.

2. To help Msituni, Dr. Kinney and his group ______.

A．developed a special medicine

B．were teamed up with other experts

C．trained Msituni how to live in the wild

D．guided the healthy giraffes to accept Msituni

3. What does the underlined word “address” in the last paragraph mean?

A．Deal with.	B．Come across.
C．Concentrate on.	D．Be responsible for.

4 . 阅读下面短文，根据题目要求用英文回答问题。

THE GROWING PROBLEM OF E-WASTE

The term e-waste is short for “electronic waste”. It refers to electrical or electronic products that are thrown away when they are no longer needed. These include computers, televisions, ovens, and basically anything else that runs on batteries or has an electrical cord.

E-waste has been a problem since the 1970s because of how difficult it is to separate things like metal and plastic from various products. Also, many electronics contain toxic materials that can pollute the environment if left in landfills. Over the past few decades, the problem of e-waste has only increased along with advancements in technology.

E-waste is now the fastest-growing waste stream around the world. The total amount of e-waste created every year is expected to reach 74 million tons by the year 2030. Currently, it’s estimated that only about 17 percent of global e-waste is properly recycled. However, the United Nations hopes to bring that number up to 30 percent by the end of 2023.

With more people using smartphones and computers every year, the problem of e-waste cannot be ignored. To increase the recycling rate of e-waste items, cities should consider adding special collection boxes at grocery stores or government offices. There should also be delivery or pick-up services for e-waste items. That way, these items can be sent directly to people who are able to properly take them apart and recover their useful components.

Despite current difficulties, e-waste has great recycling potential. In addition to the items thrown away, lots of people keep old devices that aren’t used anymore. As a whole, they add up to a lot of metals and minerals that can, and should, be recycled. If these components are recycled to make new products, there would be less of a need to dig for more around the world.

So, if you must replace your phone or computer, try returning the device to the manufacturer or dropping it off at an e-waste processing facility if there is one nearby.

1. What does “electronic waste” refer to?
__________________________________________________________________
2. What is Paragraph 2 mainly about?
__________________________________________________________________
3. Decide which part of the following statement is wrong. Underline it and explain why.
▶In order to reduce e-waste, people had better keep old devices that aren’t used anymore or drop them off in special collection boxes.
__________________________________________________________________
4. Apart from the ways mentioned in the passage, please share your way(s) to reduce e-waste. (About 40 words)
__________________________________________________________________

5 . 阅读下面短文，根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写1个恰当的单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。

Construction of the Tower of Pisa began in 1173     1     Pisa was a center of power and wealth. But work was stopped several times because of wars. The eight-story tower was not completed until the late 1200s. The tower itself is made of marble (大理石) and     2     (weigh) 16,000 tons. However, the leaning of the tower was not for its weights     3     for the soil underneath. The ground is     4     (soft) on one side than on the other. The south side has sunk 6.1 feet below ground level in the past centuries. The north side has sunk 12.3 feet!

6 . 阅读下面短文，根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写1个恰当的单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。

Dean Schneider leaves his life in Switzerland behind and goes to Africa     1     (pursue) his passion and make the world a better place. He was always fascinated by the animal world since he was a child. That is     2     he decided to form a club to help lions born in captivity (圈养). The name of the club is “Hakuna Mipaka”—a Swahili expression meaning “no limits”. It develops from five core values that Dean tries hard to follow:     3     (free), loyalty, appreciation, brotherhood, and boldness.

7 . 阅读下列短文，根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写1个适当的单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。

I am a 22-year-old artist. My journey through art led me to being an environmentalist.

    1    we consider waste may be useful when we think about it in a different light. Although largely    2     (ignore), materials thrown away provide plenty of resources for us artists to give them a second life. In my hands, glass bottles, plastic bags, and other waste    3    (item) become a form of sustainable art. I want to motivate the people who buy this type of art to contribute to the planet’s welfare.

8 . With climate change continuing to worsen, our situation is beginning to feel increasingly serious.     1     Is it right? Maybe not.

Techno-optimism is one of the greatest misconceptions when it comes to solutions to ensure our future. It can be defined as a belief that future technologies will solve all of our current problems. This definition reinforces (强化) the idea that there’s no reason to panic or change our current energy-intensive lifestyle. All society needs to do is look to green technology to work its magic.     2    

One of the best examples of this optimistic misconception is the electric car. Despite being highly regarded as an eco-friendly way to get around, electric cars are not the end for the future of transport. Batteries in electric cars use chemical elements which we could be seeing a shortage of by the midcentury.     3     Techno-optimism has led many to believe that if everyone just switched to driving electric vehicles, we would be making incredible steps towards sustainability. However, the reality is that the amount of resources and energy needed to produce enough electric vehicles for everyone is not even remotely sustainable.

    4     Investing in public transportation and moving away from individually owned vehicles. Producing fewer cars. Improving recycling practices of old batteries. The solutions we seek should not be rooted in new technology, but be about changing the way our society functions.

Techno-optimism puts too much emphasis on technology and not enough on what we can do right this minute. Unfortunately, people seem to like the picture that techno-optimism paints.     5     It is important to understand that the problem begins when we see those technologies as a way to make our current lifestyles eco-friendly. Until we are ready to face the need for a less complex life, we cannot make true progress towards sustainability.

A．So where should we look for answers instead?

B．The modern world’s simple solution is technology.

C．Moreover, they are more energy intensive to produce.

D．Is it a trap that many people have fallen into in recent years?

E．Unfortunately, this is an incredibly dangerous opinion to hold.

F．Despite any technology, we as a whole are not living sustainably.

G．Nevertheless, the truth is, we need a widespread change in our lifestyles.

9 . About 6 million to 12 million creatures are dissected (解剖) in U. S. classrooms every year, according to the National Anti-Vivisection Society, an animal rights group. While many students eagerly look forward to the chance to examine real animals up close, others say that there’s no educational value in cutting into animals’ bodies. Should students dissect real animals?

David Evans, the director of the National Science Teachers Association, argues that students should be given the chance to dissect animals in the classroom. Students learn best in a hands-on environment where they can work together to explore and discover. Interacting with organisms (生物) is an effective way to help students develop skills of observation and comparison and learn the unique structures (结构) and processes of organisms. As good as many models or simulations might be, they are very different from real organisms. And he believes they fall short of producing the respect for living things that comes from the actual dissection experience.

Jonathan Balcombe, a biologist and a life-long animal rights supporter, says, “I spent many years as a biology lab teacher. I remember the horrible feeling I had when it came time for my class to dissect animals. The lesson required that students cut open and examine dead frogs, fetal pigs, sparrows, and other creatures. I felt pity for these animals, who probably suffered before being killed. And I knew their pain could have been avoided. If students and teachers saw how these animals typically end up on their desks, I believe that dissections would soon stop.”

He points out there are many effective choices for learning animal dissection and physiology, including 3-D models, videos, and computer software. Hundreds of programs are free through lending services like The Science Bank. The simulated dissections can be repeated, and the programs provide feedback. Several studies have shown that computer models and other choices teach students just as well as or better than traditional animal dissection.

I’m not surprised that no state requires dissection to graduate from high school, and no college or university demands it as part of the admissions process. In fact, laws in 18 U. S. states and Washington, D. C. support a student’s right to use other choices. However, dissection could have a legal place in education if the animals did not suffer and were not intentionally killed. For example, some schools have students dissect animals that “were put to sleep” for medical reasons and whose bodies were donated to science.

1. Which of the following may Evans agree with?

A．Models are as effective as actual dissections.

B．Students are short of chances to dissect animals.

C．Dissecting animals helps people respect creatures.

D．Students benefit much more when learning in groups.

2. What do we know about Balcombe’s view on dissecting animals?

A．It causes pain to animals.

B．It advances medicine research.

C．It should be more educational.

D．It should be put in school programs.

3. What is the passage mainly about?

A．The nature of dissection.

B．The necessity of dissection.

C．The result of dissecting animals.

D．The research on dissected animals.

10 . 阅读下面短文，根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写1个适当的单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。

Hurricane Ian, a powerful storm     1     hit Cuba earlier this week, grew to a strong storm before making landfall on Florida’s west coast. At least 125 people, including 120 in Florida and 5 in North Carolina,     2     (die) since the disaster happened. Last week, Ian swept southwestern Florida, bringing heavy rains and dangerous flooding. Ninety percent of Fort Myers Beach     3     (destroy) by it. Right now rescue workers     4     (work) hard day and night to make sure people are safe.