1 .

Saving the Planet is Kids’ Task Environmental problems plague every country, but where there’s energy and enthusiasm, there’s hope. Nowhere is energy and enthusiasm more boundless than amongst school-age children. Now thousands of Australian children can have fun while learning to develop a real passion for protecting the environment. Sponsored by Australia Post, the ‘Ollie Saves the Planet’ interactive CD-ROM and associated website (www.olliesworld.com) introduce children to the concept of conservation and encourage them to consider their actions in the areas of waste, water, energy, air, and bio-diversity. It is a great resource for classroom activities and school projects, with lots of games for hours of entertainment. A complimentary(免费赠送的) copy of the CD-ROM, which retails for $24.95, has been sent to every school throughout Australia to show young environmentalists how they can ‘reduce, reuse, recycle and rethink’. Order your CD-ROM today!  Hours of easy-to-use edu-tainment  Suitable for PC and Mac  Project resource information  Extensive teachers’ notes & lesson plans  A range of interactive games and puzzles  Real-life case studies Hurry, the environment needs your help! Call 1800 804 078 NOW! AUSTRALIA POST

1. Which of the following words has the closest meaning with the word “plague” (para.1)?

A．trouble

B．arouse

C．target

D．motivate

2. The words “reduce, reuse, recycle and rethink” (para.4) are mostly used ________.

A．to draw the readers’ attention to bio-diversity

B．because they’re easy for students to remember the projects

C．to show the writer’s skill of using similar words

D．because they are the technical terms for environment protection

3. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in this poster?

A．The CD-ROM product is fun for children to use.

B．Children must have certain skills to use this product.

C．It is important to act quickly to obtain this product.

D．The CD-ROM will help children become environmentally aware.

4. What’s the purpose of the poster?

A．To command school to introduce the CD-ROM to students.

B．To provide a discount for the schools to buy the products.

C．To encourage Australian children to contribute to protecting environment.

D．To collect education resources for classroom activities and school projects.

3 . Directions: Fill in the blank with a proper word chosen from the box: Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. dramatic   B. concerns   C. frequently   D. threats   E. revealed F. emerge   G. previously   H. keep   I. deepened   J. native   K. exist

The reason for the mysterious deaths of hundreds of elephants

When hundreds of African savanna elephants dropped dead in Botswana’s Okavango Delta in 2020, conservationists were alarmed. As the death toll rose — from dozens in March to more than 350 animals by July — their     1     increased, especially because nobody knew what was happening. A short time later, the mystery     2     when 34 more individuals of the endangered species died across the border in northwestern Zimbabwe in a three-week period, with one more found in November. “It was very quick,” says Chris Foggin, a vet who examined the elephant carcasses (尸体) in Zimbabwe. “That was so     3    .”

African savanna elephants     4     to this area represent the majority of what’s left of that species. Around 350,000 African savanna elephants remain, and given the already significant     5     to their survival, a new disease could be what tips that last domino towards extinction.

Now, new research published recently in Nature Communications points to a bacterium not     6     found in elephants of any species, called Bisgaard taxon 45, that causes a massive systemic blood infection called septicemia. “It’s a disease we know can kill a reasonable number of elephants in a short space of time,” says Foggin, co-leader of the study. And “it has the potential to kill a lot more given the right circumstances.” What those are, however, remains unknown — yet it’s pressing to find out. Aerial population surveys in KAZA in 2022 found a high number of new elephant carcasses. The examination     7     the elephants had enlarged livers and spleens, as well as internal bleeding in multiple organs — signs of septicemia (败血症).

However, scientists still don’t know how widespread Bisgaard taxon 45 is, or if the bacteria     8     as a normal group of bacteria within elephants and other animals. “We’re assuming it’s probably present more     9     than we’ve known, without causing disease, but we don’t have proof of that,” Foggin says. It’s possible environmental stressors, such as heat and lack of food and water, may have led Bisgaard taxon 45 to multiply and cause the septicemia in the Zimbabwe elephants. With much of Africa predicted to get hotter and drier, the bacterium “could cause much worse mortalities down the line,” says Foggin. That’s why, he says, “it is important to     10     monitoring elephant deaths and see if it’s responsible.”

4 . The woods are turning orange. Drifts of dry leaves are growing on forest floors and flying into street corners. From a distance, it is beautiful. But the air is still warm and summery. This turning and leaf fall is not the usual gradual preparation for winter in temperate zones(温带) but a stress response by trees trying to preserve water. We are now in a false autumn, caused by heat and drought. And it feels wrong.

There is, therefore, something deeply disturbing about such a graphic alteration of familiar rhythms, Droughts are not unknown to the UK, of course, and too many parts of the world are certainly familiar with far more severe versions. But increasingly they are occurring in the context of a climate emergency, and record-breaking heat. And the beauty of a false autumn, specifically, has an emotional effect, a deep weirdness, something mysteriously suggestive of evil or danger

Cultures across the world contain ceremonies for the propitiation(宽恕) of the weather; a sense of responsibility for the natural world—and the belief that it will punish us if we fail it—is as old as humanity. One of the reasons why the Romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s 1798 poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner is so effective is the directness with which it links the shooting of an albatross(信天翁)—the destruction of innocent wildlife—to a terrible change in the weather: no rain, just burning, death-dealing sun. We may not understand the mechanism, but at an instinctual(本能的) level it feels right.

And in a similar way it has not really been a surprise to hear that birds are struggling. In London,   young swifts (雨燕) were seen falling out of the sky. Fewer—and too early—nuts and berries mean some animals will not live through this winter. Older trees, with their longer roots, will hopefully survive, but young trees may not—all that promises further warming. There will always be a degree of uncertainty about the causes of specific weather events, but we cannot deny that we have not taken care of the albatross. Now we must hope we are doing enough to make sure that these fearful golden days are pot an autumn of autumns.

1. According to the passage, what is a disturbing sign of “a false autumn”?

A．Tree leaves are turning orange and fall gradually in winter.

B．Birds are struggling to fall out of the sky in London.

C．People worldwide are careless of droughts and heat in the UK.

D．Nuts and berries-ripen earlier but yield less than before.

2. Why is Coleridge’s 1798 poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner so effective?

A．Because people across the world sympathize with the albatross.

B．Because it directly links destruction of wildlife to extreme weather.

C．Because we are certain about how the weather shifts instinctually.

D．Because he is an established Romantic poet curious about nature.

3. Which of the following is implied by the underlined sentence (Line 6, Paragraph 4)?

A．This autumn must be seen as a warning to take instant action.

B．Plants and animals are bound to survive in spite of their fear.

C．The writer appreciates and looks forward to such golden days.

D．Abundant environmental protection has already been ensured.

4. What is the overall tone of the passage?

A．Optimistic.

B．Concerned.

C．Humorous.

D．Ironic.

5 . Many people say that they have seen creatures such as yetis and mermaids. However, the existence of these creatures has never been proven. Despite this, these creatures frequently appear as characters in literature, films and television programmes. Below are some of the most well-known mythical creatures, which you may talk about when telling bedtime stories.

Yetis: There are many stories about sightings of a large, hairy creature that lives in the snow-covered mountains of the Himalayas. It is said to resemble a giant ape and walk like a man. Many scientists have visited the Himalayas in search of this giant creature, and though they have never seen a yeti, many people claim to have seen huge footprints in the snow. Due to the cold and dangerous conditions in the mountains, it is impossible for humans to explore there for long, so it is difficult to know what creatures may live there. See also Bigfoot a similar creature from North America.

Phoenixes: The phoenix is a bird that is said to be the size of an eagle and to have colourful feathers. Many stories report that the phoenix lives a long life and that once it grows old it will make a nest and set itself on fire. After the phoenix’s body has been consumed by the flames, it will be born again from the ashes. It is thought to represent the Sun, which sets every evening and rises again each morning. Stories of the phoenix are found in countries throughout Africa, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

Mermaids: A mermaid is a creature that lives in the sea. The upper part of a mermaid’s body is human while the lower part is a fish’s tail. Stories of mermaids have been around for thousands of years and exist in many cultures. In British stories, mermaids are often portrayed as evil creatures that give sailors false information leading to their deaths. There are, however, many stories showing mermaids as beautiful creatures that help humans at sea. Some people believe stories of mermaids were made up by sailors who saw sea mammals such as dolphins.

1. Yetis are thought to live only in ________.

A．Asia and the Americas	B．high, snowy mountains
C．cold and dangerous areas	D．places with no people

2. What’s the meaning of the underlined word “consumed” in paragraph 3?

A．used up	B．eaten immoderately
C．decorated beautifully	D．destroyed completely

3. Mermaids have been portrayed as both ________.

A．evil and kind	B．sea and land creatures
C．beautiful and ugly	D．dolphins and humans

4. The passage was most probably written for ________.

A．biology teachers	B．literature experts
C．young parents	D．college students

8 . 近两年，国内刮起了一阵“宠物热”，有些人喜欢从猫舍或狗舍（breeders）那儿购买宠物，然而，另一些人认为应该用领养（adoption）代替购买，选择从动物收留所那儿领养宠物。
根据以上现象，思考自己认同哪一方？以“Getting a Pet：From Breeders or Shelters？”为题，写一篇120-150字的文章。
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9 . The Delight of Bird-watching

It is springtime, and the city feels especially glorious. If we were to reflect on what has brought us joy during this challenging time, birds would probably be enjoying a top ________ on the happy list for many. Especially those we saw outside of our windows - or, in New York City, on the street.

Three species in particular ________ the sidewalks, tops of buildings, fire escapes, window ledges, and air conditioners: house sparrows, pigeons and starlings (椋鸟). All of these species are ________. When these species were first introduced, the scientific fields of ecology (生态学) and conservation were ________ nonexistent, and now we know that for pest control (虫害防治), this was a terrible idea. But I would add a qualifier to that terrible idea by calling it “a wonderful, awful” idea.

I have been studying starlings in New York City since 2016. I do so formally in museums and labs, but in between my research I watch them ________ on the street. I was initially fascinated by their adaptability to the ________ landscape, especially their ________ flexibility. They will eat a pile of yellow rice on Columbus Avenue, a soft pretzel on Central Park West, and a flattened apple pie in the parking lot of a Costco in Queens. Pigeons and house sparrows often hover and hop around them, but cannot compete with their ________. For a bird, they are good at walking on the ground.

The sounds they make are so ________ that you might not recognize that they are coming from the same species. If you listen closely, you can hear their up-and-down whistling, whirring, and even an early video game laser-like sound. You may not consider it ________ enough to be called a song, but it is a song nonetheless. When you stare at them, as I have many times, they never even appear to look at you, but they obviously see you because they respond incredibly rapidly to absolutely any movement or disturbance. They are off ________, always faster than I can draw my phone out in order to grab a good picture.

Sometimes, I wish that I did not know about what else they do across the country, and could just enjoy watching them in a quiet ________. And I wonder if you can know about their paths of ________ and still appreciate aspects of their behavior.

At times this winter, nothing in the built environment even came close to ________ me of life or the natural world. And then way up in that bit of sky, beside the water tower, I spotted five of them. I’d know their triangular wings, and their quick and suspicious behavior, anywhere. As they flew up and ________, they left in their wake the hope of bluer skies and future springtime.

1.

A．peak

B．priority

C．spot

D．stage

2.

A．dominate

B．destroy

C．endanger

D．drift

3.

A．adaptive

B．alternative

C．invasive

D．creative

4.

A．dramatically

B．ironically

C．specifically

D．virtually

5.

A．informally

B．occasionally

C．partly

D．obviously

6.

A．continent

B．district

C．suburban

D．urban

7.

A．behavior

B．dietary

C．scenery

D．voluntary

8.

A．laziness

B．quickness

C．toughness

D．trick

9.

A．similar

B．unforgettable

C．unique

D．varied

10.

A．alive

B．beautiful

C．sacred

D．delicate

11.

A．in a way

B．in a flash

C．in particular

D．in all

12.

A．community

B．ignorance

C．neighborhood

D．sidewalk

13.

A．destruction

B．transition

C．instruction

D．resolution

14.

A．freeing

B．informing

C．reminding

D．suspecting

15.

A．out of mind

B．out of place

C．out of reach

D．out of sight