1 . Have you ever noticed that sometimes you may be ill suited or perfect for the same thing?     1     Here are ways weather can affect your mood that you never noticed.

You’re more helpful on sunny days. Sun makes you happy!     2     Therefore, on sunny days, you’re more likely to help those in need than on days filled with clouds and gloom. Next time you want to volunteer, try to pick a sunny day— you’ll be more helpful to the people.

    3     Summer sales, here we come! Get ready to open your wallet if you go out to a mall during a nice, sunny day. Research shows that you are more likely to spend money when it’s sunny. My theory is that the sun makes us feel happier and less stressed about our life (including our financial life) -therefore we spend more money! Thus, try not to go shopping on shiny days if you want to save money.

Cold temperatures impact complex physical tasks.     4     It’s like you don’t want to move. Have you ever tried untying (解开) a knot while your hands were cold? Be careful when trying to perform complex physical tasks in the cold weather— too much time in low temperatures can cause hypothermia (体温过低) !

Lack of sunlight makes you eat more. Bears hibernate (冬眠) while humans just start swallowing everything in sight. Well, bears eat much too, before they go to sleep.     5     Your body needs extra fuel to fight off the cold. Unfortunately, often you don’t actually need the extra food because a lack of sun doesn’t necessarily mean you’re cold.

A．Sunlight makes you spend more money.

B．Sunny days make you feel more tired.

C．The secret lies in distinct weather conditions.

D．Being less stressed leads to a poor life.

E．Happy people tend to be more willing to help others.

F．The cold, dark winter months make it much easier to overeat.

G．When you’re cold, your muscles feel slow and dull.

2 . Few sights fill you with nostalgia (怀旧) like the fireflies dancing at night.     1    Their populations are declining around the world as the threats against them are increasing. Sara Lewis, an expert who studies the insects, offers tips on what you can do to ensure that fireflies will continue to light up your backyard.

Create a firefly habitat

    2     With about 2, 000 different species of fireflies, there’s a wide variety of environments in which they thrive (繁衍) —including wetlands, forests, and even city parks—which is why some species are more threatened than others. “You can recreate those conditions in your own backyard simply by leaving some leaf litter around the edges of your property, “ Lewis says. ”That’s a good microhabitat for fireflies.”

    3    

Flashing lights are an important part in fireflies life. As the sun sets, male fireflies move around while flashing their lights to signal their interest. If a nearby female is interested, she flashes back from her position to the ground, and the males fly down to find her. “All of that has to happen for the next generation to survive,” says Lewis. “However, light pollution makes those scenes much harder to see. It’s like cutting a phone line. It really stops the romance.     4    You can draw your curtains shut at night and turn off the lights completely when possible.”

Stop using pesticides (杀虫剂)

Using pesticides in your yard also poses an existential threat to fireflies, which are insects after all.     5    . Scientists are researching alternatives to chemical pesticides that could target specific species, like mosquitoes, while leaving other insects unharmed.

A．Reduce light pollution

B．Make a fire in the open air

C．Luckily, there are some solutions

D．But these beloved insects are in trouble

E．The living conditions of fireflies are getting better

F．The biggest threat facing fireflies today is the loss of their habitats

G．Most of the pesticides will kill less-beloved insects as well as fireflies

3 . In 2018, Russian scientists took a soil sample from deep in the permanently frozen ground in Siberia in Russia. They discovered two tiny round nematodes (线虫) frozen in the sample, which were so small that they could only be seen with a microscope. Tests showed the soil had been frozen for about 46,000 years old. When the nematodes were placed in room temperature, they began to move. The nematodes are the oldest living animals ever brought back to life after being frozen. The discovery makes up for the research on how living things can survive in tough conditions.

Nematodes can live for years if they’re frozen. They can enter a special state called cryptobiosis (隐生现象) , during which animals reduce their activities and consume very little energy. Before this, the longest nematode had been known to survive through cryptobiosis was about 25 years. Being revived after 46,000 years was a new record for any kind of animal.

The nematodes were sent off to Germany to be studied further. The researchers found the two nematodes were a new species of nematode that had not yet been discovered. That’s not too surprising, since there are so many species of nematodes. They also found the nematodes were able to survive being frozen better if they were dried out a little first. The drying helped them produce a special sugar called trehalose (海藻糖), which helped them survive being frozen. The scientists also studied a nematode species that is common these days. They found that it also uses the sugar to protect itself in cryptobiosis.

Both of the nematodes were females. Before long, they began to have babies. Some kinds of nematodes, including these, have the ability for a single nematode to have babies all by itself. The two original frozen nematodes have now died. But their babies had babies who had babies, and so on. Most of the nematodes only live a month or two unless they get frozen.

1. What do we know about the two nematodes in the first paragraph?

A．They were the oldest living animals.

B．They were still alive when warmed up.

C．They were found on the surface of the ground.

D．They were the tiniest creatures ever discovered.

2. How does cryptobiosis affect nematodes?

A．It slows down the pace of their life.

B．It helps them speed up their drying.

C．It gets their body temperature down.

D．It stops them from consuming energy.

3. Which of the following is unrelated to the nematodes’ survival for years?

A．Cryptobiosis.

B．Trehalose.

C．Their sex.

D．Dry condition.

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A．Female nematodes live longer than the male ones

B．Nematodes can produce young when they are frozen

C．Nematodes are ranked the fastest producing creatures

D．Short-lived nematodes survived for thousands of years

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。

Shanghai Oriental Pearl Tower     1     (locate) in Pudong Park in Lujiazui, Pudong New Area, Shanghai.     2     (surround) by the Yangpu Bridge in the northeast and the Nanpu Bridge in the southwest, it creates a picture of “twin dragons playing with pearls”. The entire scene is a photographic jewel that excites the imagination and attracts thousands of visitors year-round.

This 468-meter-high tower is the world’s sixth and China’s second     3     (tall) TV and radio tower. However, even more charming than its height is     4     unique architectural design that makes Oriental Pearl Tower one of the most attractive     5     (place).

Visitors travel up and down the Oriental Pearl Tower in double-decker elevators     6    can hold up to fifty people     7     the rate of seven meters per second. Once you reach your destination, you will be amazed at the     8     (various) of activities available as the various spheres and columns     9     (actual) house places of interest, commerce and recreation. It is amazing that this Oriental Pearl TV Tower     10     (combine) ancient concepts such as the spherical pearls with 21st Century technology, commerce, recreation, education and conference facilities.

5 . 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。

The panda population in the wild     1     (rise) in the last 20 years, which reflects the pandas’ improved living conditions and China’s efforts in keeping their habitats integrated. Now, it’s time     2     (release) the cubs (幼兽) into the wild.

A gene exchange between captive (被圈养的) and wild pandas aimed at better     3     (protect) genetic diversity is a major project at the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Panda, according to He Shengshan, a guardian and expert at the center. He said wild pandas live in     4     wide range of areas, so the population is divided into 33 groups     5     (base) on their location.

“This is similar to human villages or tribes. Some large groups in the wild may have     6     (hundred) of pandas, while smaller groups may have just a few dozen. After investigation, we found that of the 33 communities, 22 communities had     7     (few) than 30 giant pandas,” said He Shengshan. “Because pandas have poor ability to travel and there are mountains, human activities, highways and railway tracks, giant panda groups can’t communicate with each other, and those with small populations are still at risk of     8     (extinct) over time.”

The training for release is a long process     9     starts before a cub is born. And usually it is divided into two stages. The first lasts from the mother’s pregnancy     10     the cub is about 1 year old, while the second stage runs from the cub to a panda about 1 to 2 years old.

6 . In 2011, organizations in England called on the citizens to reduce the amount of meat eaten on Fridays. 28% of people adjusted their dietary habits in various ways. Some gave up meat on Fridays, while others reduced it.

A new study from the University of Cambridge aimed to look at the consequences of behavioral change from people within a society and how these consequences bring in potentially large environmental benefits over time has assessed the impact of this shift, estimating that over the past decade, 55,000 tonnes of annual carbon emissions were saved.

The 28% of people said they changed their habits; of these, 55% reduced meat consumption on Fridays, and 41% stopped eating meat on Fridays. The 72% of people who did not change dietary habits attributed it to preferring to choose their own foods.

Using further data from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS), researchers could tell that people in the UK eat an average of 100 grams of meat daily, and the average high-protein, non-meat-eater (who eats fish and cheese) contributes one third of the greenhouse gas emissions per kilogram that a meat-eater does.

Thus, making a conservative assumption that citizens who adapted their diet switched to high protein non-meat meals on Fridays, the researchers estimated that this equated to approximately 875,000 fewer meat meals a week, which saved 1,070 tonnes of carbon, or 55,000 tonnes over a year.

There are some concerns about the implementation(实施) of meatless Fridays leading to further reduction of fish stocks, as fish is a common substitute for red meat. The researchers say, however, that this need not be a concern; there was no increase in fish consumption over the past decade, nor did meat consumption go up on other days to make up for its absence on Fridays. Furthermore, there are many more meat substitutes available now than in the past, offering more options.

1. Which of the following can best describe the shift?

A．Costly.	B．Meaningless.
C．Well-known.	D．Environmentally friendly.

2. What do the numbers in paragraph 3 show?

A．The experimental process.

B．The changes in people’s lifestyle.

C．The people’s response to the appeal.

D．The people’s care of carbon emissions.

3. Why is NDNS mentioned in the text?

A．To support the findings of the study.

B．To introduce the application of the study.

C．To show a different opinion about the study.

D．To call on more people to participate in the study.

4. How do the researchers feel about the implementation of meatless Fridays?

A．Curious.

B．Optimistic.

C．Doubtful.

D．Shocked.

7 . 假如你是学校环保社(Environment Protection Club)社长李华，近期，你想在学校开展一次“减塑(Less Plastic)”社团活动，倡议大家保护环境，请写一篇发言稿。内容包括：
1. 大量使用塑料的危害；
2. 倡议减塑环保。
注意：
1. 词数100左右;
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3. 开头语已写好，不计入总词数。
Dear fellow students,
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8 . 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。

Thirteen Chinese scientists successfully reached the peak of Mount Qomolangma on May 23rd in Southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region, with the world’s highest automatic meteorological station successfully     1     (improve). The scientists reached the peak at around 12:30 p.m. on May 23rd,     2     was the second time a Chinese expedition to Mount Qomolangma reached an altitude above 8,000 meters since 2022.

Recently, several leading technologies     3     (apply) in China’s Peak Mission expedition by a total of 170 scientists who     4     (be) conducting research on water, ecology and other activities during the 2023 expedition to Mount Qomolangma as part of the second comprehensive     5     (science) expedition to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

At 3 a.m on May 23rd, a group of 13 scientists     6     (form) the expedition team set off from the 8,300-meter high camp at Mount Qomolangma, known as Mount Everest in the West. After     7     8-hour climb, they reached the world’s highest automatic weather observation station at 8,830 meters above sea level around 11 a.m. The team secured fixed steel ropes, replaced batteries, installed a wind speed     8     direction sensor at the station. After     9     (approximate) one hour of work, the scientists successfully completed the maintenance and upgrade of the automatic weather station.

Currently, automated weather     10     (station) at 7,790 meters and 8,300 meters on Mount Qomolangma have completed their technical upgrades.

9 . According to a study conducted by UK scientists, there is something known as “plant blindness”. This leads to the common misconception that plants seem to be “less alive” as compared to animals.

Plant blindness was not proven to be what people were born with; rather, the severely reduced contact with nature in urbanized societies appeared to be the problem’s root. According to the research, a decline in relevant prior (先前的) experience with plants causes the cycle of inattention.

Urban civilizations display well-documented plant blindness. Kids are found to frequently think of plants as less superior to animals, especially when they’re young, and struggle to recognize a wide variety of species. Both teachers and students reported having different levels of plant knowledge, especially primary teachers without a science degree. Older people are more knowledgeable about plants because they are more likely to appreciate outdoor activities.

35 studies concluded that urbanization or modernization had a detrimental effect on plant knowledge. The usefulness of plant gathering was decreased by a greater dependency on urban services and a cash economy. The amount of time available to spend outdoors was reduced by work and school. These factors also decreased family time, which had a negative effect on verbally passing down plant knowledge to younger and older relatives.

Stagg said that instead of a cognitive (认知的) barrier to the visual perception of plants, people who live in highly industrialized countries have a lack of plant attention caused by a decline in relevant exposure to plants.

Stagg pointed out to break the cycle of plant awareness, people must be exposed to biodiverse environments and the key is to show that there are some direct advantages of plants to people as opposed to indirect advantages stemming from their use in industry or advantages to distant, traditional societies. Experiences with edible and practical plants in local environments can help with this. Younger generations’ level of botanical knowledge is directly correlated with how useful they think this knowledge is to them.

1. What causes “plant blindness”?

A．The plants have little attraction.	B．People lack contact with plants.
C．The plants have inactive characters.	D．People live an unhealthy lifestyle.

2. Who are most likely to have “plant blindness”?

A．Teenagers interested in animals.	B．Experts devoted to agriculture.
C．Students majoring in biology.	D．Farmers working in the field.

3. What does the underlined word “detrimental” in paragraph 4 probably mean?

A．Encouraging.

B．Harmful.

C．Joyful.

D．Temporary.

4. Which statement might Stagg agree with?

A．“Plant blindness” can be treated or reduced.

B．“Plant blindness” is bad for social development.

C．“Plant blindness” is something people are born with.

D．“Plant blindness” happens most in less developed countries.

10 . This past July was the hottest recorded month in human history. Heat waves brake temperature records worldwide. It’s more than just a matter of sweaty discomfort. As climate change worsens, access to artificially cooled spaces is rapidly becoming a health necessity.

Yet standard air-conditioning systems leave us trapped in a negative feedback cycle: the hotter it is, the more people use the air condition er and the more energy is consumed as a result. Cooling is the fastest-growing single source of energy use in buildings, according to the International Energy Agency. Breaking the cycle requires new innovations that will help bring cooler air to more people with less environmental impact.

Standard air-conditioning systems cool and dehumidify (除湿) through a relatively inefficient mechanism: in order to condense (冷凝) water out of the air, they overcool that air past the point of comfort. Many new designs therefore separate the dehumidification and cooling processes, which avoids the need to overcool. For example, some new air conditioner designs pull water from the air with desiccant (干燥剂) materials. The dried air can then be cooled to a more reasonable temperature. Massachusetts-based start-up Transaera claims that the system it is developing could use 35 percent less energy than the average standard air-conditioning unit.

However, the gains in efficiency might not help us get rid of the impact of air-conditioning. “It won’t work to simply replace every existing air conditioner with a better model and call it a day,” says Nicole Miranda, an engineer at the University of Oxford. “Instead, a truly coder future will have to employ other strategies. It’s critical to bring greenery and water bodies into cities to take advantage of natural airflow.”

“Cooling is a challenge involving many aspects,” says Sneha Sachar, an expert at the nonprofit organization ClimateWorks. “There isn’t one strategy or one answer. We need a combination of better buildings and cities, better technologies and a better understanding that the true cost of air-conditioning extends beyond electric bills.”

1. Why does the author talk about record heat in the first paragraph?

A．To make comparisons.	B．To support his theory.
C．To introduce the topic.	D．To show cooled places.

2. What does Transaera say about its system?

A．It’s available in the market.	B．It’s time-honoured.
C．It’s the most efficient model.	D．It’s energy-saving.

3. What is Nicole Miranda’s attitude to just upgrading air conditioners?

A．Favorable.

B．Tolerant.

C．Negative.

D．Uncaring.

4. What message does Sneha Sachar want to convey about cooling?

A．Companies will offer various options.

B．A comprehensive approach is required.

C．We can address the issue once and for all.

D．Our first priority is to lower electric bills.