1 . 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。

With global events like the UN Climate Change Conference     1     (bring) sustainability (可持续性) into public focus, readers are expecting libraries to introduce more sustainable     2     (measure). They try to reduce their electricity usage and buy equipment from providers     3     are struggling to protect the environment. So far,     4     number of the libraries that have already taken steps to reduce their carbon footprint has been increasing.

Devices like monitoring tools can     5     (apply) to identify areas of a library that are frequently unoccupied. The Jean Anderson Morgan Student Center, for example, is taking advantage     6     the tools throughout its library study rooms. Up till now,     7     (significance) improvements have been made in reducing its energy usage. Bulb costs have     8     (obvious) declined, with fewer replacements needed in low occupancy areas.

Fixing automated equipment that runs on minimal electrical power is libraries’ another effort     9     (operate) more sustainably. Sophisticated self-service machines are now able to     10     (simple) the process of loaning and returning books without causing a big increase in a library’s electricity bill.

2 . In a joint effort to tackle the climate crisis, humans are turning to offshore wind farms (OWFs) as a source of renewable energy. OWFs are, quite literally, one of the biggest forms of renewable energy. The world’s largest OWF covers an area of 462 square kilometers, with each turbine (涡轮) standing 200 meters above the sea. It has the capacity to power over 1.4 million homes. But what impact do the towering turbines have on life in the waters below and the skies above?

It’s thought that OWFs could affect marine (海洋的) life in a number of ways, from noise disturbing the behaviors of fish and whales to changes in the diversity of species in the area. Seabirds that live in the North and Baltic Seas — where a vast majority of OWFs are placed — are also thought to be endangered by turbines. A report from Bird Life International found that twelve North and Baltic seabird species were at high risk of crashing with farms and seven at high risk of being displaced by their construction.

Not all impacts are negative though — some research has suggested that OWFs have the potential for environmental benefits too. A study following the movement of gray seals in the North Sea found that they were frequent visitors to two OWFs, searching between turbines for food. The researchers suggested that farms be acting like artificial reefs, representing a new and concentrated source of food. In areas where marine life has become less dense, it could allow life to flourish (繁荣) once again.

Even so, researchers explained that it’s difficult to predict the full extent of the potential environmental outcomes from these unexpected artificial reefs: “Only a small proportion of our study seals used wind farms or pipelines,” study author Deborah Russell told The Guardian at the time.

To avoid replacing one problem by creating a new one, it seems that researchers and developers will have to continue working hand in hand to ensure OWFs and marine life can successfully live side by side.

1. What is the main purpose of Paragraph 1?

A．To lead in the main topic of the text.

B．To show the effect of OWFs on sea life.

C．To draw readers’ attention to artificial reefs.

D．To introduce the largest OWF in the world.

2. How will OWFs affect the surrounding sea life?

A．They will help all the gray seals survive.

B．They will increase the diversity of species.

C．They will become a threat to seabirds.

D．They will provide new resources for seabirds.

3. What should researchers and developers do next?

A．Explore another resource of renewable energy.

B．Reduce the bad effects of OWFs on the marine life.

C．Build new OWFs to supply energy for more homes.

D．Make accurate assessment about the effect of OWFs.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．OWFs — Friends or Enemies to Marine Life?

B．The Pros and Cons of Wind Farms on Land

C．The Turbines — a Danger or Favor to Seals?

D．The Shift to OWFs as a Source of New Energy

3 . 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.

2. Why was it necessary to shoot tranquilizer into Rommel’s body?

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.

3. What did the author do to ensure Rommel’s survival?

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.

4. What kind of feeling did the author have after Rommel’s coming to life?

A．Pride.

B．Surprise.

C．Anger.

D．Worry.

4 . Wildlife conservation is the practice of protecting plant and animal species and their habitats. As part of the world’s ecosystems, wildlife provides balance and stability to nature’s processes. Wildlife conservation is aimed to ensure the survival of these species and educate people on living sustainably with other species.

The number of people has grown to more than eight billion today, and it continues to rapidly grow. The economic growth endangers the habitats and existence of various types of wildlife around the world, particularly animals and plants that may be displaced for land development, or used for food or other human purposes. This threat is at top of the list and means natural resources are being consumed faster than ever by the billions of people on the planet. The introduction of invasive species from other parts of the world is another threat to wildlife. Other threats include climate change, pollution, fishing and hunting.

International organizations like the World Wildlife Fund, Conservation International, Wildlife Conservation Society and the United Nations work to support global animal and habitat conservation on many different fronts. They work with the government to establish and protect public lands, like national parks and wildlife protection areas. They help write legislation(法规), such as the Endangered Species Act(ESA)of 1973 in the United States, to protect various species. They work with law enforcement to charge those with wildlife crimes. They also promote biodiversity to support the growing human population while preserving existing species and habitats.

National Geographic Explorers, like conservation biologists Camille Coudrat and Titus Adhola, are working to slow the extinction of global species and protect global biodiversity and habitats. Environmental filmmakers and photographers, like Thomas P. Peschak, are essential to conservation efforts as well, documenting and bringing attention to endangered wildlife all over the world.

1. Which is a goal of wildlife conservation according to the text?

A．To stop introducing invasive species.	B．To encourage harmonious coexistence.
C．To control the number of world people.	D．To increase the use of natural resources.

2. What is the biggest threat to wildlife?

A．Hunting.

B．Human activity.

C．Pollution.

D．Climate change.

3. What is paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．The activities of protection areas.

B．The importance of biodiversity promotion.

C．The relevant efforts of international organizations.

D．The great impact of wildlife crimes on ecosystems.

4. What does the author want to present in the last paragraph?

A．The necessity of legislation.

B．The wildlife conservation’s achievements.

C．The individuals’ contributions to the environment.

D．The statistics about the wildlife conservation efforts.

5 . Humans have always been working Earth’s land, and they also have always been studying and hoping to work the land of Mars one day.

Planetary scientist Abhilash Ramachandran at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference reported that Martian dirt may have all the necessary nutrients for growing rice, one of humankind’s most important foods. However, he emphasizes that the plant may need a bit of help to survive in perchlorate (高氯酸盐), a chemical that can be harmful to plants and has been detected on the surface of Mars.

Ramachandran says they want to send humans to Mars, but they cannot take everything there, especially food. He thinks it’s going to be expensive, but growing rice there would be ideal.

Ramachandran and his colleagues grew rice plants in a Martian soil simulant (模拟物). They also grew rice in pure potting mix as well as several mixtures of the potting mix and soil simulant. All pots were watered once or twice a day. The team found rice plants did grow in the artistic dirt of Mars. However, the plants developed slighter shoots and thinner roots than the plants that grew from the potting mix and hybrid soils. The researchers also tried growing rice in soil with added perchlorate. They sourced some rice varieties—modified to stand environmental stressors like drought—and grew them in Mars-like dirt with and without perchlorate. No rice plants grew in a concentration of 3 g of perchlorate per kilogram of soil. But when the concentration was just I g per kilogram, one of the rice varieties grew both a shoot and a root, while another managed to grow a root.

The findings are encouraging, suggesting that by changing to improve with one successful modified gene, humans might eventually be able to develop a rice cultivar suitable for Mars.

1. What does Ramachandran stress about growing rice on Mars in paragraph 2?

A．The challenge.

B．The reason.

C．The benefit.

D．The purpose.

2. Why do the scientists want to plant rice on Mars?

A．To purify the Martian air.	B．To feed Martian explorers.
C．To test the Martian soil simulant.	D．To improve the Martian soil environment.

3. What can we learn about rice plants from the experiments?

A．Their weight ranged from 1 g to 3 g.

B．They stopped growing in Mars-like dirt.

C．They never developed roots in soil with perchlorate.

D．Their growth was affected by perchlorate’s concentration.

4. What is the author’s attitude to the research findings?

A．Suspicious.

B．Critical.

C．Positive.

D．Curious.

6 . The distinctive smell of wet dogs was a reminder of the Christmas vacation when I was twelve. My cousins from Ohio were _________. We had gotten many gifts and were also blessed with fresh _________. The four of us spent as much time as possible sliding down the short white hill to the shallow _________. Naturally, we tested the ice on it the first day, and we knew we could slide across it and _________ our ride.

On the third day of our festivities, we were so _________ to play that we did not check the ice. A few degrees of _________ added a small layer of water to our slide, increasing our speed and _________. Seconds after, my brother Peter slid into the pond, he was _________ in the icy water. Peter was only eight and not a good swimmer, _________ dressed in a winter coat and boots.

We all __________. I jumped down the slope to reach him, but our __________ was faster to jump into the water, grab Peter by his waving hand, and pull him to shore. We managed to __________ Peter with our coats and get him back to the house in record time. Drinking hot juice by the fire, we patted and hugged the __________ dog. The dog took all day to __________. His wet-dog smell kept longer and returned often, __________ us of his heroics and our own Christmas miracle.

1.

A．working

B．travelling

C．visiting

D．coming

2.

A．air

B．snow

C．water

D．sun

3.

A．pond

B．sea

C．beach

D．well

4.

A．change

B．ruin

C．attempt

D．lengthen

5.

A．gifted

B．nervous

C．frustrated

D．eager

6.

A．warmth

B．freeze

C．temperature

D．freedom

7.

A．excitement

B．fear

C．courage

D．anxiety

8.

A．surfing

B．struggling

C．performing

D．swimming

9.

A．normally

B．actually

C．especially

D．generally

10.

A．laughed

B．screamed

C．watched

D．escaped

11.

A．guard

B．friend

C．dog

D．cousin

12.

A．cover

B．hide

C．bury

D．equip

13.

A．curious

B．clean

C．wet

D．lost

14.

A．break away

B．dry out

C．calm down

D．get up

15.

A．informing

B．warning

C．convincing

D．reminding

7 . 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。

In July 2019, Shanghai became the first city in China     1     (make) household waste sorting (分类) compulsory (强制的). A number of other cities have followed in Shanghai’s footsteps by     2     (introduce) compulsory household and workplace rubbish sorting in the following years.     3     (actual), about 300 cities in China have carried out rubbish sorting programs at present, with a community coverage rate of 82.5%.

According to Hua Lei, a volunteer involved in rubbish sorting, the practice     4     (become) part of the daily lives of local residents (居民) over the past five years. Young people have played     5     important role in raising knowledge and educating the community, using creative     6     (way) such as short plays to teach older residents about rubbish sorting. Additionally, students     7     have learned about waste management at school have shared their knowledge     8     their families, further spreading the message.

Through these joint efforts, China is making progress in rubbish sorting and recycling. More residents     9     (encourage) to use rubbish sorting habits to contribute to a cleaner and     10     (good) living environment for its citizens.

8 . Water makes up 71% of the Earth’s surface, but no one knows how or when such massive quantities of water arrived on the Earth. A new study published in the journal Nature brings scientists one step closer to answering that question.

Led by University of Maryland Assistant Professor of Geology Megan Newcombe, researchers analyzed melted meteorites (熔化的陨石) that had been floating around in space since the solar system’s formation 4.5 billion years ago. They found that these meteorites had extremely low water content — in fact, they were among the driest materials ever measured outside the Earth.

These results, which let researchers rule them out as the primary source of the Earth’s water, could have important information for the search for water — and life — on other planets. It also helps researchers understand the unlikely conditions making the Earth a livable planet.

Researchers wanted to understand how our planet managed to get water because it’s not completely obvious. Getting water and having surface oceans on a planet that is small and relatively near the sun is a challenge.

“We knew that plenty of outer solar system objects were differentiated, but it was sort of secretively assumed that because they were from the outer solar system, they must also contain a lot of water,” said Sune Nielsen, a study co-author and geologist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. “Our paper shows this is definitely not the case. As soon as meteorites melt, there is no remaining water.”

The findings have applications beyond geology. Scientists of many fields — and especially exoplanet (系外行星) researchers — are interested in the origin of the Earth’s water because of its deep connections with life.

“Water is considered to be a must for life to be able to exist, so as we’re looking out into the universe and finding all of these exoplanets, we’re starting to work out which of those planetary systems could be potential hosts for life,” said Newcombe. “In order to be able to understand these other solar systems, we want to understand our own.”

1. What did the new study focus on?

A．The history of the Earth.	B．The origin of the Earth’s water.
C．The source of meteorites.	D．The structure of solar system.

2. What did researchers prove from melted meteorites?

A．The driest materials coming from other planets.

B．An impossible source of the Earth’s water.

C．The challenge of getting water near the sun.

D．The likely conditions making the Earth habitable.

3. Why does the subject of the Earth’s water appeal to scientists?

A．Because it is closely related to life.

B．Because it can make them famous.

C．Because it concerns many disciplines.

D．Because it is deeply connected with outer space.

4. Where is the text probably taken from?

A．A science fiction.	B．A geography textbook.
C．A book review.	D．A research report.