1 . To produce the classic clothing, blue jeans, producers rely on indigo dye (靛蓝染料), the only molecule known to provide jeans’ unique, beloved color. While indigo itself naturally comes from a plant, growing demand for blue jeans throughout the 20th century gave rise to synthetic (合成的) indigo, which is now more commonly used.

Indigo is the dye that makes jeans blue, but it doesn’t mix with water. To dye clothes, usually, chemicals are needed to make the color stick to the cloth. But in Denmark, scientists have created a new way to dye clothes using an enzyme (酶), which is a kind of protein that can cause chemical reactions, instead of harmful chemicals. This new method is better for the environment and doesn’t use poisonous stuff.

The chemical process for dyeing blue jeans has persisted for the last century. Workers are exposed to the poisonous chemicals, which also pollute the environment near factories. Waste water from those factories often ends up in waterways, decimating local ecosystems and even dyeing rivers blue.

Ditte Hededam Welner, the study’s lead researcher, says their new enzyme works really well and is strong enough for making lots of jeans without breaking down. This enzyme makes dyeing with indican, which is like indigo, much less harmful to the planet — about 92% better than the old way.

However, the new method doesn’t fix all the environmental problems of making jeans. Making a single pair of jeans uses a lot of water — enough to fill many bathtubs — from growing the cotton to putting the final touches on the jeans.

Even though the new dyeing process is better for the environment, it’s not always easy or cheap to change to it. Welner’s team isn’t sure if jeans companies will find it easy or affordable to switch to this method. It costs a little bit more — just seven cents extra per pair of jeans — to use the enzyme for dyeing. But Welner believes it’s worth it because it’s much better for the environment.

1. Why was synthetic indigo created in the 20th century?

A．It made jeans’ color unique.	B．It was easy to dye cloth with it.
C．People liked jeans made from it.	D．People were in greater need of jeans.

2. What does the underlined word “decimating” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Troubling.

B．Entering.

C．Destroying.

D．Defeating.

3. Which is an advantage of the new method?

A．The colour is more beautiful than the synthetic indigo.

B．The market can keep stable goods supplies.

C．Enzyme facilitates the advance of science.

D．The dye is more environmentally friendly.

4. What makes Welner worried about the new method?

A．Production costs.	B．Environmental benefits.
C．Water consumption.	D．Laborer shortage.

2 . Stress often occurs when humans have too much work or are in immediate danger. We communicate our stress to others through our behavior and physiological changes. Thus, stress can communicate information and even be useful for survival in certain situations. On the other hand, the massive spread of stress frequently leads to dangerous situations in groups, such as mass panic.

However, not only humans, but also animals can experience and spread stress. This is the present research focus of Dr Hanja Brand l from the University of Konstanz.

“It has been repeatedly shown that stress can be spread from one human to another,” Brand l says. “Often, a similarly strong physiological response is triggered, even though you have never experienced the stress yourself.” But what is known about stress among animals? Brand l concludes other animals in the group can be just as stressed as the friend who experienced something bad. Stress is evolutionarily deeply rooted and the process is similar in all vertebrates (脊椎动物).

When are animals stressed? To be mentioned primarily are naturally occurring threats to which they are exposed, such as natural enemies. Human influences raise the level of stress. “Increasing changes in the habitat or noise and light pollution also have an impact as these massively influence the environment of the animals.” Brand l explains. “Animals are flexible and can adapt to situations. But at some point, the stress response—the adaptations that otherwise help animals better escape stressors like enemies—no longer gives them a survival advantage,” she adds.

This not only endangers the animals’ health, but also changes the social structure of groups. “If we know how the underlying mechanisms (机制) work, we can better protect animals,” says Brandl.

For humans, too, insights from the animal world are useful, she says. “With humans, we can’t measure the functionality of groups under stress well in natural scenes.” Therefore, Brandl is now continuing her studies. In the future, this will make it easier to respond to and help with the spread of stress in groups of people.

1. What can we learn about stress from paragraph 1?

A．Stress is both good and bad.

B．Group living. can easily cause stress.

C．Each individual reacts differently to stressful situations.

D．Poor communication is one of the biggest causes of stress.

2. What does the underlined word “triggered” probably mean in paragraph 3?

A．Ignored.

B．Eased.

C．Caused.

D．Transformed.

3. What can humans do to help animals reduce stress?

A．Supply food to them.

B．Make them live in groups.

C．Protect their habitat from being destroyed.

D．Provide opportunities for them to practice their survival skills.

4. From which is the text probably taken?

A．A pet magazine.	B．A news website.
C．A book review.	D．A technical forum.

3 . 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 vast fields of wheat in Northeast China are no ordinary plants — they were created in outer space. They are a variety known as Luyuan502 and are China’s second most     1     (wide) grown type of wheat. The plants were bred from seeds     2     (fly) into orbit 340 km above the Earth’s surface. In the unique low gravity environment, they picked up subtle (微妙的) changes to DNA that gave them new qualities,    3     made them more tolerant to drought and able to better resist certain diseases.

They are an example of a growing number     4     important food crops that are being bred on spacecraft and space stations while orbiting our planet.     5     some of the mutations (突变) leave the plants unable to grow, others can be advantageous. Some plants become     6     (strong) than previous ones. Besides, they are able to resist more extreme growing conditions, but others produce more foods from a single plant or grow faster or require less water.

China     7     (experiment) with space mutagenesis since 1987. Since then it has conducted dozens of missions     8     (carry) crop seeds into orbit. “We benefit from China’s strong space programme,” says one of the     9     (expert) in China’s space mutagenesis project. “We can use recoverable satellites, high-altitude platforms and manned spacecraft to send our seeds to space up to     10     (two) a year and use those space utilities for crop improvement.”

4 . Several art projects are on show to warn people of the climate change happening around us.

Video on the walls

Photographer Camille Seaman has traveled to both the North Pole and the South Pole, where she has captured the disappearing ice in photographs and video. Camille Seaman made a video with some of her most powerful photos of melting ice for people in four coastal cities to display on their buildings. The video ends with a prediction that sea level will rise by 2050 without relative action.

Mural (壁画)changing color

Temperatures in Austin, Texas, are on the rise, and climate change will put the city at higher risk of extended drought, wildfires, intense rain and flooding. Artist Lope Gutiérrez-Ruiz designed a unique mural that changes color as it gets hotter. This art work calls for people to change the world and change climate change, underlining the importance of individual actions to the collective future.

Public billboard   (广告牌)

Artist Christine Sun Kim released a public billboard on the 710 Freeway called The Sound of Temperature Rising. It points to the reality of climate disaster that has become all too clear on the West Coast and the need for significant change now. The illustration features a graph (图表) of music notes that get progressively longer and redder.

Anti-Extinction Library

Globally, species are disappearing at an unheard-of rate. In response, architect Mitchell Joachim created The Anti-Extinction Library in New York. The sculptural piece is not only beautiful but also functional. Their unique egg-shaped library has a special freezer storing test tubes with the frozen cells and DNA of rare animals and plants. It’s important for people to realize we must quickly work to protect the rights of different species in our area.

1. What is the key feature of the mural?

A．It lights up at night.

B．It moves with the wind.

C．It plays music when it rains.

D．It changes color with temperature.

2. Whose work contains frozen cells?

A．Camille Seaman’s.	B．Lope Gutiérrez-Ruiz’s.
C．Christine Sun Kim's.	D．Mitchel l Joachim’s.

3. What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?

A．To praise artists’ participation.

B．To call for people to take action.

C．To show the severe result of climate change.

D．To facilitate the combination of art and climate.

5 . One Saturday in June, I got off the train from Vienna at Altenberg station, in the midst of a gathering of bathers, such as often flock to our village at fine weekends.

I had gone only a few steps along the street and the crowd had not yet scattered when, high above me in the air, I saw a bird whose species I could not at first determine. It flew with slow, measured wing-beats, varied at set intervals by longer periods of gliding. It seemed too heavy to be a hawk; for a stork (鹳), it was not big enough and, even at that height, neck and feet should have been visible. Then the bird made a sudden turn so that the setting sun shone for a second full on the underside of the great wings which lit up like stars in the blue of the skies. The bird was white. By Heaven, it was my cockatoo (凤头鹦鹉)! The steady movements of his wings clearly indicated that he was setting out on a long-distance flight.

“What should I do? Should I call to the bird?” Well, have you ever heard the flight-call of the greater cockatoo? No? But you have probably heard pig-killing in the traditional method. Imagine the loudest long cry a pig could make, picked up by a microphone and amplified many times over by a powerful speaker. A man can imitate it quite successfully, though somewhat weak, by shouting at the top of his voice “O-ah”. I had already proved that the cockatoo understood this imitation and promptly “came to heel”. But would it work at such a height? A bird always has great difficulty in making the decision to fly downwards at a steep angle. To yell, or not to yell, that was the question. If I yelled and the bird came down, all would be well, but what if it sailed calmly on through the clouds? How would I then explain my song to the crowd of people?

Finally, I did yell. The people around me stood still, rooted to the spot. The bird hesitated for a moment on outstretched wings, and then, folding them, it descended in one dive and landed upon my outstretched arm. Once again I was master of the situation.

1. What was the author’s cockatoo like?

A．It looked like a hawk.	B．It was blue and shiny.
C．Its neck and feet were long.	D．It was white with great wings.

2. How did the author signal to his cockatoo?

A．By waving at it quickly.	B．By singing a song loudly.
C．By screaming his head off.	D．By using a powerful loudspeaker.

3. What does the underlined part “came to heel” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Flew about.

B．Came back.

C．Came around.

D．Landed on the ground.

4. Which can be inferred about the author from the text?

A．He knew birds very well.	B．He could speak with his bird.
C．He liked showing off in public.	D．He often surprised people around him.

6 . In a small, rough shipyard on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, a small team is building what they say will be the world’s largest ocean-going clean cargo ship.

Ceiba is the first ship built by Sailcargo, a company trying to prove that zero-carbon shipping is possible, and commercially available. Made largely of wood, Ceiba combines both very old and very new technology: sailing masts stand alongside solar panels, a uniquely designed electric engine and batteries. Once on the water, she will be capable of crossing oceans entirely without the use of fossil fuels, which sets her apart.

“The thing that is striking is the fact that she’ll have one of the largest marine electric engines of her kind in the world,” Danielle Doggett said. The system also has the means to capture energy from underwater propellers (螺旋桨) as well as solar power, so electricity will be available for the engine when needed. “Really, the only limit on how long she can stay at sea is water and food on board for the crew.”

Despite some hold-ups due to the global disaster, the team hopes to get her on the water by the end of 2024 and operating by 2025, when she will begin transporting cargo between Costa Rica and Canada.

“There are actually loads of innovations happening that could transform shipping emissions, but few companies are willing to apply them to building ships like Ceiba.” says Lucy Gilliam. “So it’s not that we don’t have great ideas. The problem that we have is that fossil fuels are still too cheap. And we don’t have the rules to force people to take up the new technology.”

When it comes to promoting this kind of boat, it has to be said that Ceiba is small for a cargo ship — tiny in fact. She will carry around nine standard shipping containers. She is also relatively slow. Being a world-first, there are some aspects of Ceiba’s design that have yet to be proven at sea.

1. What is unique about Ceiba as a cargo ship?

A．It is the world’s largest.	B．It is environment-friendly.
C．It is wooden with old technology.	D．It is modern with unique equipment.

2. What determines Ceiba’s length of staying at sea according to Danielle Doggett?

A．The size of the sail.	B．The weather of the ocean.
C．The power of the electric engine.	D．The quantity of the living supplies.

3. Why are companies unwilling to build ships like Ceiba?

A．The rules are disobeyed.	B．The fuels are affordable.
C．The bigger ships are preferable.	D．The innovations are distrusted.

4. What is the author’s attitude to the innovation of Ceiba?

A．Objective.

B．Doubtful.

C．Critical.

D．Favorable.

7 . A songbird jumps around in the woods near Washington, D. C. On its back it carries a very small, lightweight electronic device called a tag (标签). Ecologist Emily Williams watches from behind a bush. On this clear spring day, she says, “Now I’m watching to see whether he’s found a mate.” The bird has moved to a nearby tree where there is another robin. When the bird leaves, this new device it carries will send data about its position to a special satellite, then back to Williams’ computer.

The Georgetown University researchers have been attaching tracking (跟踪) tags on birds and animals for many years. But, the International Space Station and the involved satellite now provide new ways to receive the information sent by the tags. The new system permits scientists to watch songbird movements from a faraway place in much greater detail than before.

“We’re in a sort of golden age for bird research,” said Adriaan Dokter, an ecologist at Cornell University, adding that the technology is improving as the tags are made smaller and smaller. “We can track a robin by satellite with smaller and smaller chips. The device that the robin wears can report its immediate place on Earth, within about 10 meters. Ten years ago, that was unthinkable,” said the scientist, who is not involved in Williams’ study.

A second new device, for only the heaviest robins, provides more information about the bird’s movements; future versions may also measure the humidity and barometric pressure of the space the bird occupies. The devices are known as ICARUS tags.

Martin Wikelski is director of the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior. His scientific team is working to improve the ICARUS technology. He hopes that more and better devices could help develop what he called “an Internet of animals”—a collection of sensors around the world giving us a better picture of the movement of life on the planet.

1. What is Emily Williams doing in the woods?

A．Trying to catch a songbird.

B．Observing a bird with a new device.

C．Playing a bird game on the computer.

D．Taking an adventure trip in the nature.

2. How does the electronic device help the researchers?

A．Find the exact place of the robins quickly.

B．Take control of the robins easily.

C．Collect all the information from the satellite.

D．Communicate with the robin in a faraway place.

3. How does the text mainly develop?

A．By explaining the reasons.	B．By making a comparison.
C．By listing two new devices.	D．By analyzing the data.

4. Which is the expectation of Martin Wikelski?

A．People can use more devices to keep healthy.

B．Technology can give better ways to track animals.

C．Human beings and animals can live in harmony.

D．People will know more about animals from the Internet.

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。

On March 31, the Eiffel Tower celebrated its 130th anniversary since it opened.     1    (original) planned to last only 20 years, the people of Paris wisely decided to keep it standing,    2     (recognize) its importance. Millions of people     3     (visit) the tower so far, according to its official website.

The tower was created by the French engineer Gustave Eiffel and was first intended as the main entrance     4     the 1889 World’s Fair. It was built in a little over two years and faced criticism from some locals initially. However, it quickly captured the attention of fair visitors, attracting more than two million people. It also had a     5     (practice) use as a radio antenna during World War I.

Visitors today can choose to climb 1,665 steps or take one of the original elevator cars    6     (reach) the top. At the top of the tower,     7     the tower’s administrative office is located, guests can enjoy a drink at the champagne bar on the top floor.

Today, the Eiffel Tower is a symbol of France, representing a feeling of pride and thankfulness. It is a global icon that can bring together people from different     8    (background). The tower is not only     9     popular tourist destination but also a widely recognized symbol, a     10     (believe) held by many who appreciate its enduring charm.

9 . Like many others, Animal Lovers League (ALL) all started with a love for animals. ALL is a charity and home to over 500 dogs and cats. It encourages the public to adopt (领养) instead of buying animals and tries to help the animals at ALL find loving families.

Tasks that the founders, Cathy and Mohan, as well as volunteers carry out to care for the animals include feeding them, taking sick animals to hospital and bringing them for checkups.

The adoption process at ALL:

STEP 1 Contact us

Learn more details about our animals for adoption, or view them on our website www.animalloversleague.com .

For dog adoptions, please WhatsApp Catheryn at 9753 3320.

For cat adoptions, please WhatsApp Mohan at 9670 8052.

STEP 2 Meet our furry kids

Get a chance to play with our furry kids, one-on-one, to find your perfect match!

All adoption visits are by appointment (预约) only. No walk-ins are allowed.

STEP 3 Homestay

We will interview you and do a home visit to ensure you are able to take care of our kids.

After that, you will go through the adoption initiation (开始) process with a 2-week homestay to see if our furry baby is able to get used to the environment of your home and if you can follow the lifestyle of having a furry kid to care for.

STEP 4 Successful adoption

You will be asked to fill in an adoption form upon the completion of this process.

We will keep in contact with you to check up on your progress.

No adoption fees are required as we do not put a price on the lives of our furry kids.

1. What do we know about Animal Lovers League?

A．It focuses on taking care of animals.

B．It offers professional medical treatment to animals.

C．It is home to many animals including dogs and cats.

D．It was set up to stop the buying and selling of animals.

2. What is the purpose of STEP 2?

A．To give people some detailed information about the animals at ALL.

B．To ask people to provide a home for the animals at ALL.

C．To teach people how to get along with animals at ALL.

D．To invite people to get close to the animals at ALL.

3. What should people do at the end of the adoption process?

A．Give some money to ALL.	B．Complete an adoption form.
C．Attend an adoption interview.	D．Do some volunteer work for ALL.

10 . A kitchen garden produces vegetables for delicious, healthy meals. It doesn’t have to be right outside the kitchen door, but the closer it is, the better.     1    , the more likely it is that you will get tasty things out of it. Just a few steps are needed for what you want.

    2    . The most important recommendation is start with what you like to eat. This may go without saying, but I have seen first-year gardens that don’t reflect the eating habits of their growers. One of the easiest and most rewarding and popular kitchen gardens is a simple salad garden. It can produce multiple harvests in most parts of the country.

Planting a garden: where, when and how. Make a garden plan of what will be planted, where, when and how.     3    . It means you should know what they like in terms of space, water, soil fertility (肥力) and soil temperatures.

When and how much to water your garden. Vegetables are made mostly of water.     4    .You’ll want to water them lightly every day or two. If nature isn’t providing that amount of rain, you’ll need to water by yourself or with a drip irrigation system.

Garden maintenance: keep an eye on it. Sun and rain willing, fast growers such as radishes (萝卜) and salad greens will begin to produce crops as early as 20 to 30 days after planting. Check on them regularly so you get to harvest them before someone else does.     5    .

A．Choosing garden crops

B．Getting ready for garden site

C．The easier it is for you to get into the garden

D．So you need to ensure your plants have enough water

E．You show an interest in how to produce multiple harvests

F．To do this, you need to get familiar with all kinds of crops

G．Besides, protective barriers and organic products can prevent pests and diseases