1 . In 2021, scientists studying animal communication discovered that some dogs connect objects with words similarly to babies. Then what about cats, which are commonly believed to be unconcerned about human affairs?

Saho Takagi, a researcher at Azabu University, doubted cats’ seeming unconcern. “Cats don’t appear to listen to people’s conversations, but in fact, they do,” said Takagi. According to previous research, cats understand human communication better than expected. Like dogs, they can use human pointing and stares to find food. They even can tell the difference between human facial expressions and states of attention, according to a 2016 study. However, cats can do more than that.

Another study showed that cats can discriminate their own names from the names of their cat companions (those that live in the same house). The researchers believed that cats learned to connect names with other cats by observing communication between their owners and their cat friends.

In a recently published study, Takagi and her colleagues compared two groups of cats: cats living with at least two other cats and cats living in “cat cafés” with up to 30 cats. Using a simple two-phase (阶段) test, they assessed the cats’ responses to hearing their names and seeing their faces on a monitor. Sometimes, the cat that appeared on the screen matched the name spoken; other times, the name and the image did not match. If cats knew the names of their cat friends, they would investigate by staring doubtfully at the monitor when the name and image did not match. House cats had a significantly longer stare than café cats, indicating that house cats generally expected a specific cat’s face upon hearing the cat’s name.

“This is the first evidence showing that house cats link human words and their social companions through daily experiences,” the researchers wrote. “However, we could not recognize the mechanism (机制) for learning. But with more and more scientists becoming interested in cats, who are much smarter than we assume, this question is sure to be solved.”

1. What’s people’s common understanding of cats?

A．They have their own language.	B．They can connect objects with words.
C．They show no interest in human things.	D．They can use human instructions to find food.

2. By comparing cats and dogs in Paragraph 2, the author wants to stress ______.

A．cats and dogs are all clever animals

B．cats’ ability to learn is stronger than dogs’

C．cats and dogs can get along well with humans

D．cats’ ability goes beyond recognizing body language

3. Which of the following can replace the underlined word “discriminate” in Paragraph 3?

A．Choose.

B．Protect.

C．Tell.

D．Learn.

4. What is the unsettled question of the study?

A．How cats can recognize other cats’ face.

B．Whether cats are much smarter than expected.

C．Whether cats can understand human communication.

D．How cats link human words and their social companions.

2 . What does the man mean?

A．The weather report is unreliable.

B．The time of picnic has to be changed.

C．He should listen to the weather report first.

3 . Five years ago, a friend asked me to look after his cat while he went on holiday, and I realized the idea had potential on a bigger scale. So I moved to London and decided to _______ cat sitting (猫咪代养).

For me, cat sitting is about _______ two groups of people who need what the other can offer. I get to stay in people’s _______ without rent while they’re on holiday. The owners get _______ cat sitting. It also means that there is someone to keep an eye on their homes while they are away. It seems a fairer _______ than just watering plants or walking dogs — I’m more of a cat person.

I have always loved cats, and their gentle temper makes them ideal _______ for someone working from home. Cats have such different personalities, so it’s not surprising that I _______ more with some than others. An owner once told me not to _______ her cat to sit on me, as it had happened only once. But just four days later, the cat came over and sat on my lap. I sent her a photo!

Cat sitting helps me with my _______ anxiety disorder, too. I want to be around people, but sometimes I can’t. Sometimes, this anxiety even ________ me from leaving the house. But since becoming a cat sitter my mental health has ________. Having my own ________ gives me the power to plan my day. I can recharge when I need to and can go out and meet people when I want. The cats have ________ helped.

Now I have stayed in 25 houses, ________ 30 cats and saved more than 10,000 pounds that would have gone on ________. One day I want to save up for a flat so I can have a cat of my own.

1.

A．study

B．start

C．observe

D．train

2.

A．connecting

B．judging

C．comparing

D．teaching

3.

A．offices

B．hearts

C．lives

D．homes

4.

A．free

B．tough

C．serious

D．possible

5.

A．test

B．game

C．dream

D．exchange

6.

A．employers

B．assistants

C．instructors

D．companions

7.

A．hate

B．bond

C．mind

D．trust

8.

A．guide

B．order

C．expect

D．scare

9.

A．musical

B．cultural

C．social

D．personal

10.

A．saves

B．discourages

C．protects

D．tells

11.

A．improved

B．suffered

C．worsened

D．formed

12.

A．cat

B．job

C．flat

D．space

13.

A．hardly

B．nearly

C．really

D．narrowly

14.

A．attended to

B．given away

C．brought up

D．left out

15.

A．holiday

B．rent

C．sale

D．credit

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

Bamboo is called “poor people’s material” and even in China it is not       1     (wide) accepted as a modern building material. But bamboo makes nearly the lightest houses, which       2     (become) better than “modern” materials at surviving earthquakes over the years.

And unlike the “Tofu” buildings that may     3     (destroy) in just several seconds in some earthquakes, bamboo makes a much     4     (safe) building. That is why it is suggested as a replacement(替代品)by International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR).

INBAR notes that     5     number of people who do not have safe and healthy shelter will increase with population growth if no proper action is taken.

Study shows that bamboo is excellent in     6     (strong) and is as strong as wood. Besides, because     7     the lightweight and good elasticity(弹性)of bamboo, bamboo buildings are very good at resisting(抵抗)earthquakes. For example, all of the 30 bamboo houses survived without any damage in the 7. 6 magnitude earthquake in Costa Rica in 2012.

Ancient Chinese people preferred living in houses     8     (make) of bamboo. In Yunnan Province, some locals still live in bamboo homes which can protect       9    (they) from rain and wind. And in Zhejiang Province,     10    bamboo is plentiful, local officials have been encouraging architects to design buildings using bamboo.

5 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。

The Palace Museum is becoming waste-free as the 720,000-square-meter structure has managed to reduce the number of trash bins to 110 sets in areas open to the public. This is     1     decrease from 310 sets recorded in January 2020,     2     a zero-waste campaign was launched, said the museum.

While     3     (protect) features of the six-century-old historical relic, the action also helps visitors and tourists get into the habit of creating less waste, said the museum.

According to China News, so far, four types of trash bins     4     (equip) following Beijing’s regulations (条例) on the     5     (manage) of household waste. Cleaning staff also check them to make sure all rubbish is     6     (correct) sorted, which is transported later to different destinations for disposal (处理).

The museum also recycled more than 32,000 plastic bottles     7     (make) cultural and creative products between June 2021 and October 2023, meaning a reduction in carbon emission (碳排放)     8     as many as 931 kilograms.

By launching the campaign, the Palace Museum is taking a careful, science-based way to waste. The target is to minimize the production of waste that needs to be buried or burned     9     bring the amount of such waste as close to zero as possible, said the museum.

Up to now, about 3,000 museum staff members, 40 000 tourist     10    (guide), and 21 million visitors have participated in the campaign.

6 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内所给单词的正确形式。

Once there were two     1    (mouse) who were friends. One mouse lived in the country,     2     other mouse lived in the city. After many years the Country mouse saw the City mouse. He said, “Do come and see me at my house in the country.” So the City mouse went. The City mouse said, “This food     3     (be) not good, and your house is not good. Why do you live in a hole in the field? You should come and live in the city. You would live in a nice house     4    (make) of stone. You would have nice food     5    (eat). You must come and see me at my house     6    is in the city.”

The Country mouse went to the house of the City mouse. It was a very good house. Nice food was set ready for them to eat. But just as they began to eat, they     7     (hear) a great noise. The City mouse cried, “Run! Run! The cat is coming!” They ran away     8     (quick) and hid.

After some time they came out. When they came out, the Country mouse said, “I do not like living     9     the city. I like living in my hole in the field. It is     10     (nice) to be poor and happy than to be rich and afraid.”

7 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. How many cats does the woman want?

A．One.

B．Two.

C．Three

2. What color cat does the woman choose?

A．Black

B．Gray.

C．White.

8 . What will the weather be like tonight according to the woman?

A．Rainy.

B．Clear.

C．Cloudy.

10 . The public nowadays has a misunderstanding of forest fires, believing that fires should be kept out of every type of forest. Many of us can recall Smoky the Bear’s famous warning: “Remember, only YOU can prevent forest fires”. However, that’s not always the case. Under the right conditions, and when conducted safely, fire can create many environmental benefits as well as help prevent larger, uncontrollable wildfires.

After a forest fire, many wildlife species will move into recently burned areas to feed on these newly available foods. Some reptiles and amphibians such as the snake prefer forests frequently burned by fire. As Herbert Stoddard put it, “One of the most harmful things modern man has done to birds has been his attempt to exclude fire from fire-type pine (松树) forests. Within a few years most forests choke up with bushes, lose their prairie-like vegetation (草原般植被) and can no longer support birds which depend on periodic burning for their food supply and proper cover.”

If you are asked to picture the forest floor, what do you see? Pine needles, cones, leaves, branches might come to mind — all sources of fuel. If these fuel sources build up without any type of removal, the ‘fuel load’ can lead to fires which are huge disasters to forests and people alike. In contrast, prescribed fires can be used by forest professionals every couple of years to keep forest fuels at a proper and manageable level. They can also greatly reduce the spread of pest insects and disease and remove unwanted tree and plant species. Plus, they can create and maintain important wildlife habitats rich in grasses and promote the growth of trees, wildflowers and other various plants.

Many organizations work to promote fire on the landscape. Smoky Bear even has an updated warning: “Only YOU can prevent wildfires,” as the Forest Service has over the last few decades developed policies and measures to include prescribed fire as a useful tool, as well as continuing their work to prevent and fight wildfires.

1. What can benefit birds according to Herbert Stoddard?

A．Forest bushes.	B．Periodic burning.
C．Fuel sources.	D．Pine forests.

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

A．Frequent.

B．Wild.

C．Planned.

D．Damaging.

3. Why do forest professionals need to conduct fire every couple of years according to the passage?

A．To keep the forest in balance.	B．To keep the fuel rich in the forest.
C．To put out wildfires.	D．To remove tree and plant species.

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

A．To prevent the use of prescribed fire in the forest.

B．To promote the complete exclusion of fire from forests.

C．To educate people on positive aspects of controlled fires.

D．To encourage the public to remove sources of forest fuels.