1 . Time is running out for coral reefs as the climate gets hotter. So scientists are searching the globe for corals that are better at enduring heat, Now, new research shows how those “super corals” can survive: less roommate drama.
Reefs depend on a crucial partnership between the corals and the algae (海藻) that live in the corals’ tissue, The algae make food for the corals using sunlight and in exchange, get a nice spot to live. But when oceans heat up, that relationship goes bad, and the corals kick the algae out, Without their roommates, corals can die, turning a ghostly white, bleached (白化) color.
Still, some corals seem to resist bleaching better than others, A new study shows that those corals depend on algae that are better at tolerating heat. Researchers hope that pinpointing these abilities will help develop new conservation tools to preserve the world’s reefs as temperatures rise. About 1/4 of all marine life rely on coral reefs in some way, along with half 1 billion people around the world also depend on reefs for their food and livelihoods.
“Heat stress can kill a lot of corals really fast,” says Kate Quigley, a research scientist at James Cook University and the Minderoo Foundation in Australia. “I hope that nature does have some mechanisms to get us through the next few years while we get our act together.”
While the hope is that those algae could also aid in reef conservation in the future, researcher Patrick Buerger says it’s likely that it wouldn’t help all coral species. And even the toughest corals can only endure so much. Currently, the world is on track for just under 3degrees Celsius of warming by 2100, a level that would wipe out nearly all coral reefs.
“The action has to be on climate change,” he says. “This is a short-term solution that might buy some time for corals to adapt. But the main focus has to be on climate. There’s not a silver bullet to the problem.”
1. What is the feature of super corals?| A．Sun-loving. | B．Long-living. | C．Good-looking. | D．Heat-bearing. |
| A．Habitat. | B．Food. | C．Sunlight. | D．Friendship. |
| A．The population of marine life. | B．The importance of coral reefs. |
| C．The seriousness of global warming. | D．The living conditions of coral reefs. |
| A．It is useless | B．It is the last hope. | C．It is temporary. | D．It is the silver bullet. |
2 . The combined quantity of water on Earth has varied over the course of our planet’s geological history, and it still does.
Today, Earth includes some 1,386 million cubic kilometres of water, a volume that includes water in oceans, lakes and rivers, plus ground water, vapour in the atmosphere, and the frozen water of glaciers and ice caps. On the young Earth — some four billion years ago — vast quantities of water were added to the planet by ice-containing comets (a mass of ice and dust that moves around the sun and looks like a bright star with a tail) that struck us, eventually making our world a “blue planet”. But such events became increasingly rare in Earth’s more recent history, and today we are in an age during which Earth is losing water.
The water loss is due to the fact that particles (微粒) sometimes escape Earth’s gravity to travel into space. This is particularly true of the light hydrogen atoms that form part of water molecules (分子) together with oxygen. Every time the atmosphere loses hydrogen, we lose one of the building blocks of water. Scientists estimate that Earth loses about 3kg of hydrogen per second. At this pace, Earth would run out of water in three billion years — but that assumes that we don’t get any new water supplies.
New water need not come from space — it might come from the inside of the Earth. At depths below 50km, minerals contain water that is not reckoned within the water cycle. Some of it dates back to Earth’s formation; the rest is part of slow geological exchange between the planet’s layers. When Earth’s plates sink and melt, deep minerals can release these bound water molecules so that they can subsequently rise to the surface via volcanic eruptions, adding to the planet’s overall water resources.
1. How did Earth become a “blue planet” in geological time?| A．By getting water from comets | B．By making use of glaciers. |
| C．By releasing its inside water. | D．By storing water in the ocean. |
| A．Serious. | B．Regretful. | C．Uncertain. | D．Unworried. |
| A．locked | B．displayed | C．counted | D．marked |
| A．Where Can Water Be Stored? | B．Could Earth Run Out of Water? |
| C．How Can New Water Be Found? | D．Will There Be More Water on Earth? |
For many years, my only companion was our dog, Sno. A small but mighty Bichon Frise, our dog may have looked ordinary, but he was smart, creative, and always ready for ice cream and rolling at my request. While I worked, he slept, waking to chase the red cat from next door, greet a delivery person, or sit in the sunshine.
We didn’t agree on everything, especially when to get up and when to go to bed. He sighed with boredom when a project was due and I didn’t have time to play. He didn’t understand weekends, deadlines, and visitors who left him. However, we both agreed on walking.
At least once a week, we took a long walk to the beach. For him, there were tall grasses and exciting smells. For me, there were other dog walkers and neighbors to catch up with. We returned tired, thirsty, and very happy.
Being a dog with huge ambition and short legs, Sno needed several breaks along the way. The one at the entrance to the beach was his favorite, possibly because he knew we were circling back home. There, on a windy summer day, he looked up at me just as I was looking down at him. We both grinned (咧嘴笑). This was the best walk ever.
When he was old and dying, our walks were shorter and closer to home. I’d take him for a walk and then go out for my own walk, wandering around the beach like we used to do. I always grinned when I got to the entrance to the beach, remembering that summer day when he was young and energetic.
In his final days, Sno still insisted on walking. It took twice as long to take even the shortest walk, but we enjoyed every step. Then came that Sunday when he leaned hard toward the beach walk. How could I refuse his last-walk wish?
注意：1．续写词数应为150左右；
2．请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
We took the walk.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
After he died, I went for the long walk.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Wetlands are the link between the land and the water. They are transition zones where the flow of water, the cycling of nutrients and the energy of the sun meet to produce
The National Nature Reserve of Guangdong Nanpeng Islands in Guangdong Province was established in 2003. It
The main focus of the reserve is to protect the unique underwater natural landscapes, the ecosystems of the nearby
Researchers have discovered 1,308 marine species in the area, including 772
5 . I was mostly based in Samburu National Reserve, recording details of the population and leading collar (颈圈) operations. We put trackers (跟踪仪) around wild elephants’necks, so we can learn about their activities.
In May 2009, in the middle of the wet season, Rommel appeared again. And it was histurn to be placed a collar. We sent three cars out to search for him. There’s a river running through the park where many elephants gather in the mornings. At 10:30 am, one of my partners clocked Rommel.
A tranquillizer (镇静剂) was carefully shot into his body so we could safely place a collaron him, but for a bull of Rommel’s size it could take longer. After that, he turned away, heading in an unexpected direction and seemed to be near danger by killing himself in thewater. It would be a bad accident. Only by pulling his trunk (象鼻) from the river, could weensure his survival. The problem was that the river was a little bit changeable. Immediately, I decided to act. I jumped in and lifted his heavy, twitching trunk from the water with the help of lifeguards. The team tried to fit him with a collar, but we discovered that we didn’t have one big enough.
We couldn’t risk keeping him there while we created a bigger collar. So I struggled on, holding his trunk high with all my strength. And medicine that took away the efforts of the tranquillizer was delivered.
As soon as his ears started to move, a sign of coming to life, I dropped his trunk and moved to safety. Within a couple of minutes, he was back to life. That was one of my proudest moments
1. What is the purpose of putting trackers around wild elephants’necks?| A．To record their sizes. | B．To know their activities. |
| C．To control and train them. | D．To save them from danger. |
| A．To sent him to a zoo. | B．To treat his wounds. |
| C．To place a collar on him safely. | D．To check his health. |
| A．He gave him certain medicine. | B．He lifted his trunk out of water. |
| C．He performed an operation on him. | D．He called other members for help. |
| A．Pride. | B．Surprise. | C．Anger. | D．Worry. |
6 . Super Typhoon Rai (known as “Odette” in the Philippines) made landfall on Siargao Island in southeastern Philippines at 1:30 pm local time on Thursday, December 16. The typhoon was the 15th storm to hit the country in 2021 and was the strongest storm of 2021. Almost 16 million Filipinos were facing threats including strong winds, heavy rains, flooding, landslides, displacement and risking loss of life, home, livelihood and agriculture. Around 700,000 of them were children.
UNICEF (United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund) expressed deep concern for children and families at risk and announced its commitment to providing support to the Philippine government. Reyn Ambag was one of the children who were rescued during the typhoon.
12-year-old Reyn Ambag is a grade 7 student living on the island of Siargao. He goes to school in San Isidro National High School which is located in the Municipality of San Isidro. With Values Education as his favorite subject in school, Reyn is always ready to help others.
Reyn is raised by his mother who is a single parent and runs a retail store alone. Aside from his mother, his cousin has also been living with them to help out in the absence of Reyn’s father. Reyn’s mother provides for all three of them. She is able to support their daily needs and Reyn’s schooling by the income she gets from the small retail store.
During Typhoon Odette, Reyn’s family stayed inside the comfort room of the school where they were evacuated (疏散) to. There, he witnessed through the window how the strong winds of the typhoon destroyed the area. They stayed there until the storm subsided and it was safe for them to go out. Upon returning to their home, they were astonished to find that their house was damaged due to the fallen trees.
After observing the delays in restoring the electricity in their community, Reyn wanted to pursue a related job in the future. “I want to be an electrician someday so that if a power cut would happen because of a typhoon, I would be able to help in restoring it for free,” said Reyn.
1. What is the first paragraph mainly about?| A．Different types of natural disasters. |
| B．The introduction of a typhoon and its threats. |
| C．Historical data of the strongest typhoons. |
| D．The government’s reaction to Super Typhoon Rai. |
| A．His father. | B．His cousin. | C．His family store. | D．His part-time job. |
| A．Broke into. | B．Fell apart. | C．Went over. | D．Died down. |
| A．To make money to support his family. |
| B．To reward the community with his work. |
| C．To restore power in time after typhoons. |
| D．To meet his mother’s expectations of him. |
7 . For many people, retirement is a chance to take a break. Not so for Victorin Laboudallon from the Seychelles who spends his days planting forests to fight climate change. Wherever there’s a forest fire in the Seychelles, you can be sure you’ll find Laboudallon ready to fight back, armed with seeds and shovels.
Laboudallon is widely known across the Seychelles for his decades of environmental action and his big personality. While planting trees in the wet dirt, barefoot and laughing, he says his surname means “friend of the mud” in his local Creole language. “I’m not somebody who lives under the big concrete. I live under the beautiful trees,” he says, pointing above at the iconic coco de mer palm.
The Seychelles is a nation of 115 islands—known for beautiful beaches and biodiversity—off the east coast of Africa. Here climate change is not a distant prospect, but a daily reality. “We’ve got the sea rising,” says Laboudallon. “You can see places where there used to be houses. Now there are none. There is something on this planet going wrong.”
Nature enthusiasts like Laboudallon have taken matters into their own hands. While giving a tour of his tree nursery, he explains how different types of trees offer different services when adapting to climate change. For the Seychellois, mangroves (红树林) are fundamental.
Mangroves defend against the impacts of rising seas and coastal erosion (腐蚀) by reducing the height and force of the waves before they hit the shoreline.
This strategy of using nature—and the services it provides—to adapt to climate change is known as ecosystem-based adaptation. It’s often cheaper than concrete infrastructure (设施). Not to mention that it creates a space for nature. Communities can adapt to climate change while protecting biodiversity. It is no longer a choice between people and nature. Considering the Seychelles’ economy is highly dependent on ecotourism, ecosystem-based adaptation is seen as a promising approach.
1. What does Victorin Laboudallon do in his retirement?| A．He travels around the world. | B．He enjoys his free time at home. |
| C．He plants trees in different countries. | D．He fights climate change in the Seychelles. |
| A．He prefers to live in big cities. | B．He is afraid of mud and dirt. |
| C．He enjoys the beauty of trees and nature. | D．He feels safe when surrounded by concrete. |
| A．Uncertain and potentially dangerous. | B．Hopeful and optimistic. |
| C．Challenging but manageable. | D．Insignificant and not worth worrying about. |
| A．It’s more costly than concrete infrastructure. |
| B．It met with indifference among local communities. |
| C．It’s a win-win strategy for local economy and ecosystem. |
| D．It has no effect on the local environmental protection. |
8 . In southeastern Brazil, local fishers walk into dark waters in search of mullet (鲻鱼). On their own, it would be tricky to find the silvery fish. But the humans get help from an unusual partner—wild bottle-nose dolphins.
With nets in hand, the fishers patiently wait as their cetacean (鲸类的) partners drive the fish toward the shore. A signal from the dolphins—usually a deep dive—indicates when they should cast their nets. This fishing partnership has passed down through the generations, lasting for more than a century.
While researchers knew humans profited from this pairing, they couldn’t confirm whether it benefited the dolphins. Now, in a new study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers suggest cetaceans that hunt with humans have more chances to live than those that don’t.
“Human-wildlife cooperation in general is an uncommon phenomenon (现象) at a global scale,” says Mauricio Cantor, a biologist at Oregon State University and leader of the study. “Usually humans gain the benefit, and nature pays the cost. But this interaction (互动) has been happening for over 150 years.”
Fishers were more successful when they worked with the dolphins. When dolphins were present, the fishers were 17 times more likely to catch prey (猎物) and netted nearly four times more mullet when they timed their casting with the cetaceans signals. Eighty-six percent of all 4,955 mullet caught during the study period came from their interactions at the same time—when the allies organized their actions perfectly with one another.
The study also revealed dolphins hunting with humans had a 13 percent increase in survival rate over other dolphins. These cooperative (合作的) dolphins are more likely to stay near the shore reducing their chance of being caught in illegal fishing equipment. Besides, the dolphins can take some fish directly from the fishers harvest.
1. What do the first two paragraphs talk about concerning Brazilian fishers?| A．They trick dolphins into fishing for them. |
| B．They have been training dolphins over a century. |
| C．They harvest more fish with dolphins’ help. |
| D．They throw the fishing nets when dolphins are on the top of water. |
| A．Nature supports human beings at no cost. |
| B．Fishers benefiting from cooperation with cetaceans is common. |
| C．Human-wildlife interaction is a new global trend. |
| D．Dolphins working with man have higher survival rate. |
| A．partners | B．preys | C．dolphins | D．researchers |
| A．To call on the protection of sea creatures. |
| B．To support development in fishing research. |
| C．To show a unique human-dolphin relationship. |
| D．To encourage fishers to better draw on dolphins. |
At the time of this writing. I have reached the age of 105. As I look back, I think of the many wonderful things that have happened in my long life. many of which have served to strengthen my belief that miracles really do happen. One of these that I recall today happened many years ago but is still as fresh in my mind as if it had happened yesterday.
Peter was a Russian Wolfhound (Borzoi) with the typical tall, long-legged build of the hunter he was supposed to be but never was. He weighed close to eighty-five pounds and had the long nose and narrow head of the Borzoi, so narrow that it didn’t seem to have much room for brains. In Peter’s case, it didn’t. He became easily confused, but his gentle nature made up for his lack of intelligence.
On the day in question, I had gathered up my dogs. one Old English Sheepdog, one Whippet rescue, and Peter. They were all settled in my covered pickup truck bed, and was headed out for our daily exercise, six miles into the country where there was no leash (绳) law and they could run free. They were all trained not to chase wild animals, to stay reasonably close. and to come when called.
After I had walked for about ten minutes, I noticed one dog was missing. Peter, of course! It seemed obvious that he had stopped to investigate some irresistible (不可抗的) smell, and then, becoming confused, had turned back the way we had just come, He would easily be able to follow our track, but in the wrong direction. And when a Borzoi runs, he covers a lot of ground in a very short time.
Feeling guilty, knowing I should have kept a closer watch on him, I retraced (折返) my steps, calling and whistling, but there was no sign of him. It was winter and would soon be dark. In desperation, I started to pray. “Please God, keep Peter safe.”
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
After half an hour of calling at the top of my voice. I finally decided to drive the two other dogs home.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Upon reaching home, I discovered a long nose waiting at the doorway.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
10 . As days are getting shorter and colder, people can often find themselves feeling sad or lacking the motivation to do anything. One possible reason for those feelings is seasonal affective disorder (SAD), which is common during the cold months.
Pay close attention to your dog’s behaviour.
Analyzing your dog’s behaviour will help you get a better understanding of whether they may be feeling sad.
Even when you’re inside, make sure to spend time playing or training your dog. Try to come up with new games that require you to interact with your dog. This is a great way to get your pet excited and boost their mood, and yours, too.
Provide them with as much sunlight as possible.
As with humans, the lack of sunlight during the winter can cause lower mood levels, so it is very important for your dog to get as much sunlight exposure as possible.
Ensure your dogs get exercise during the day.
The winter months are colder and darker, and it might be inviting to skip an exercise or a walk outside, but much like humans, this can have a significant effect on your dog’s mood.
| A．Spend time interacting with your dog. |
| B．Calm your dog down with relaxing activities. |
| C．Whenever possible, take your dog outside for a walk. |
| D．Observe their behaviour for a while and speak to a vet if needed. |
| E．While we know people can suffer from SAD, can dogs get SAD too? |
| F．Changes in routine or environment can cause your dog to feel unwell. |
| G．Even a short walk can help improve your dog’s mood and also your own. |
