1 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What is Tom doing?

A．Preparing for a speech.

B．Reading some online news.

C．Looking at pictures of wildlife.

2. Why was the 3-mile fence created?

A．To decorate the busy highway.

B．To make the bridge look natural.

C．To guide animals toward the bridge.

3. What do we know about the bridge?

A．It is under construction.

B．It has been used by animals.

C．It has got no traffic for a long time.

4. When will the speakers set off?

A．At 3:00 pm.

B．At 3:30 pm.

C．At 4:00 pm.

2 . For Cruz, who grew up in Peru’s mountainous region of Cuzco, fog represents a massive opportunity. As a boy, he had to hike for more than an hour every day across hills to collect water from the nearest source. But over time, he realized that during the rainy season, droplets of water would gather in the large leaves of banana trees. So one day he and his father tried to build a canal system with the leaves to collect water and it turned out a success. But afterwards, he moved to Lima at the age of 25.

There, shocked by the water shortages and expensive water supply that some of the city’s poorest residents were faced with, Cruz set up El Movimiento Peruanos sin Agua in 2005. The idea was to deploy the method he learned in his hometown on a larger scale, which would provide free, independently sourced and easily accessible water to those who needed it most. He began installing (安装) a traditional fog catcher model developed in the 1980s.

At the highest point of Los Tres Miradores, there is a curious set of large structures that resemble a fleet of ships in the sky. They are so-called “fog catchers”. Netted devices, made of high density Raschel polyethylene and spanning several meters wide, are lined up at the top of a misty mound and linked by a network of tubes that lead to storage containers. The 40 fog catchers there provide enough water for 180 families, whether to bathe, clean, drink or to irrigate crops on small garden patches.

Supporters believe that fog catchers have the potential to improve water supply for communities around the world among the ever-challenging circumstances. German researcher Lummerich says, “They are cheap, easy to construct.” In a world searching for water supply systems, it is one important puzzle piece that can make an essential difference locally.

However, there are some issues. For one, fog catchers require space, which is not always easy to come by in cities, let alone urban slums. At the same time, fog catchers must be properly cleaned and maintained to stay effective. Most crucially, appropriate climate conditions are required. Fog isn’t everywhere.

1. What does the underlined word “deploy” probably mean in paragraph 2?

A．Employ.

B．Adjust.

C．Design.

D．Study.

2. What does paragraph 3 mainly talk about?

A．The reason why Cruz installed fog catchers.

B．The difficulties of constructing a canal system.

C．The installation and benefits of fog catchers.

D．The inspiration Cruz gained to build a canal system.

3. What is the biggest challenge associated with the use of fog catchers?

A．High costs.	B．Public opposition.
C．Space limitation.	D．Climate conditions.

4. What’s the best title for the text?

A．Urban Areas: A Struggle for Sufficient Water

B．Innovative Water Collection Techniques in Peru

C．The Global Water Crisis and Possible Solutions

D．Fog Catchers: A Local Solution with Global Potential

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。

Anji, a small county in East China’s Zhejiang Province,     1     (receive) over 28 million tourists every year. There are more than 300 coffee shops there,     2     in terms of population density has surpassed that of Shanghai. “A cup of coffee bridges the gap between the big city and the small county,” said Han Jie, a Shanghai tourist who     3     (temporary) escaped the large city and came to Anji over the weekend. In Zhejiang,     4     increasing number of coffeehouse owners are venturing into rural areas to meet the demands of a growing population of young and adventurous coffee enthusiasts.

    5     (locate) in the bamboo forests of Penghu Village in Anji , a café called Waterfall Coffee has gained popularity     6     social media influencers. Visitors can not only taste coffee on the cliff halfway up the mountain, admiring waterfalls in the distance,     7     enjoy boating on the lake with an excellent view.

The outdoor café, the Deep Blue Coffeehouse, has received 350,000 tourists in less than a year, with the highest daily number of visitors     8     (reach) 8,000 people. By far, the small coffee shop has fueled the rural economy of Hongmiao Village in some way, causing university students     9     (cooperate) with the local government in organizing a start-up fair, with the aim of attracting more university     10     (graduate) to start business in the village.

4 . In a lab in London, newborn chicks took the first steps of their life and might become part of solving one of the brain’s big puzzles. Elisabetta Versace, the lead author of the new study and head of the Prepared Minds Lab at Queen Mary, and her co-workers published their findings on Tuesday in Biology Letters.

In a simple test, researchers placed the downy animals, hatched after less than a day in complete darkness, one at a time into a special box. Two screens on the opposite sides of the box played videos of moving orange balls, one moving upward and the other downward. Over the course of 20 minutes, most of the chicks hesitantly walked over to the end of the box with the upward-moving ball.

Biologists call the mechanisms (生物机制) that assist animals in their earliest moments “evolutionary predispositions (进化倾向)” or “priors”. “Studying how predisposition s work in humans is difficult,” says Elisa Raffalla Ferre, co-author of the new study, as babies take time to develop complex skills. By the time human babies can easily move, they have already spent significant time learning. Chicks, however, can perform relatively complex actions very soon after hatching, which makes them ideal candidates for exploring how predispositions function.

Why this preference for objects that move against gravity exists at all remains unclear. “Going against gravity in a consistent way is associated with animate objects in the ecological world,” Versace says, “because usually you see that water flows down or a rock falls down.” Lifeless objects, on the other hand, are unlikely to move consistently against gravity.

The newly released article is consistent with previous research, according to Orsola Rosa Salva, a comparative psychologist at the University of Trento. What Salva wants to see next in this field are experiments that begin to identify what areas of the brain are active when predispositions are launched, so scientists can better understand how the mechanisms work. Versace hopes that future research can offer insights into the way the brain is organized to make sense of the world.

1. What did the test find out about newborn chicks?

A．They liked bright colors.	B．They had a poor sense of direction.
C．They preferred rising objects.	D．They picked up first steps with difficulty.

2. Why are newborn chicks better subjects for the test than human babies?

A．Their mechanisms are more complex.

B．They were already studied more in the past.

C．Their evolutionary predispositions work more effectively.

D．They can exhibit complex behaviors soon after birth.

3. What does Versace say about going against gravity?

A．It is common among species in nature.	B．It is a natural behavior of living animals.
C．It contributes to the survival of animals.	D．It helps newborn animals to learn quickly.

4. What does Salva expect of future experiments?

A．They’ll be carried out in the wild.	B．They’ll offer detailed workings of the brain.
C．They’ll compare the brains of different species.	D．They’ll apply to scientific research in related fields.

5 . In 1670, two Scottish doctors set up a garden in the city of Edinburgh to find out connections between plants and medicine. That first garden wasn’t very big — about the size of a tennis court. Fast-forward 350 years, and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) now covers an area bigger than 1,000 tennis courts. The RBGE’s goal is to “explore, conserve and explain the world of plants for a better future”.

After doctors and distant cousins Robert Sibbald and Andrew Balfour graduated from university in the mid-17th century, they shared the goal of improving Scottish medicine by looking into botanical (plant-related) research. They found some land near Holyrood Abbey in Edinburgh and started to collect plants. They taught students how to grow exotic (外来的) plants and use them to make medicines. As the collection expanded (增加), the garden moved to different sites, including what is now Edinburgh’s Waverley Station.

In 1823, the garden was moved to its current location in Inverleith, a suburb of Edinburgh. It took three years to move the collection of plants and trees using specially built machines. The Tropical Palm House was built in 1834, and it was joined by the larger Temperate Palm House in 1858. Both are still popular with visitors. Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, the RBGE continued to search for new specimens (标本) from around the world.

The RBGE has about 13,500 species of living plants in its collection today. The herbarium — a collection of dried and protected species — includes more than three million plant samples, which represent more than half of the world’s known plants. The oldest specimen dates back to 1697. Experts continue to recognize new species each year, as well as growing plants that are extinct in their own habitats. The RBGE also works with botanical gardens around the world, including in Africa and South America, and supports them with conservation projects, education and training.

1. Why did Robert and Andrew build up the garden?

A．To teach people some knowledge about exotic plants.

B．To do research on plants and medicine.

C．To protect endangered wildlife.

D．To practice their tennis skills.

2. When was the Tropical Palm House set up?

A．In the mid-17th century.	B．In the 20th century.
C．In1834.	D．In1858.

3. What do we know about the RBGE?

A．It has made achievements in growing extinct plants.

B．It has collected less than half of all known plants.

C．It is going to expand its sites in other countries.

D．It collects native plants only.

4. What is this text mainly about?

A．How the RBGE has expanded.	B．The progress of saving endangered plants.
C．Why a botanic garden was built.	D．An introduction to the RBGE.

6 . How Weather Affects Our Mood

The weather supplies many metaphors (隐喻) for our changeable minds. Moods can brighten and darken, futures can be under a cloud, and relationships can be stormy.    1    , but does it also influence our moods?

Of the many aspects of weather, sunshine is the most closely tied to mood. Although the link is weaker than many people imagine, sunlight has repeatedly been found to increase positive moods and reduce tiredness.    2    . Happy people tend to be more favorable toward one another, and people are more helpful when the sun is shining. One study even found that diners in Minnesota, US, tipped more generously on sunny days.

    3    . A study showed that university admissions officers stressed the academic qualifications of applicants more on cloudy days, and their non-academic qualities more on sunny ones.

    4    . The more it departs (偏离) from an ideal of around 20C, the more discomfort we feel. One study found that rates of helping others decreased as temperatures dropped below or rose above this value.

Indeed, the effects of weather on mood depend on our behavior and on how we think.     5    . A study by US psychology researcher Matthew Keller and his colleagues showed that beneficial effects of warm and sunny conditions on mood were only seen in people who had spent more than 30 minutes outdoors that day. Good weather even had negative effects on mood for people confined (限制) indoors, who perhaps looked enviously (嫉妒地) outside at the solar fun they were missing.

A．Similarly, grey weather may encourage serious and calm thinking

B．Aspects of weather beyond heat and sunshine have also been shown to affect mood

C．Weather provides a vivid language for describing our emotional atmosphere

D．Temperature can also affect our mind and behavior

E．But the effects of weather on mood are not entirely biological

F．Anything that changes our moods can affect our behavior

G．Basically, weather will only influence us if we are outdoors experiencing it

7 . As an only child in her family, Nicole Renae often felt lonely in her youth. But that all _________ when she turned ten. For her birthday, Renae’s grandmother surprised her with a lovely gray puppy named Chloe. From the very _________ the two were always together. “She was my best friend.” Renae says.

But when Renae was 14, her father got a new job and they needed to _________ to a new city. With no easier _________, the family had to give Chloe to a humane society (保护动物协会). Renae felt so sick and sad about leaving Chloe.

Over time, _________, Renae grew up, got married, and had a child of her own. Renae wanted her daughter to _________ the same — keeping a pet dog. Then one day she saw a _________ on Facebook about an old dog that needed a new _________. To her surprise, the dog in the photograph looked a lot like Chloe — she was even named Chloe. Immediately it was decided: She would _________ this old dog.

Then, Renae went to meet Chloe. When she __________ the dog, it seemed so __________. “I couldn’t believe my eyes and I was crying. I just knew in my heart that it was her.” Renae says. And Chloe appeared to __________ the same way about Renae. “She __________ to me and started licking (舔) my face.” adds Renae.

After years of __________ she’d never see her pet dog again, Renae now gets so excited to come home and see Chloe play with her daughter every day.

As for Chloe, “she’s made herself right __________,” Renae says. And why shouldn’t she? “She knows that she’ll be with me forever.”

1.

A．cancelled

B．checked

C．changed

D．continued

2.

A．start

B．youth

C．basis

D．path

3.

A．return

B．move

C．escape

D．stick

4.

A．style

B．contact

C．option

D．training

5.

A．luckily

B．originally

C．frequently

D．eventually

6.

A．recognize

B．experience

C．ignore

D．admire

7.

A．post

B．case

C．nest

D．theme

8.

A．game

B．test

C．reason

D．home

9.

A．acquire

B．attack

C．alarm

D．adopt

10.

A．exchanged

B．respected

C．approached

D．tricked

11.

A．unique

B．familiar

C．positive

D．energetic

12.

A．feel

B．tell

C．hear

D．enjoy

13.

A．bent down

B．gave in

C．ran up

D．held on

14.

A．promising

B．thinking

C．learning

D．showing

15.

A．at home

B．at large

C．in action

D．in danger

8 . Long ago, Mexican wolves were common all through the Southwestern US and Northern Mexico. But as more human activities appeared in the areas, the wolves were hunted until they almost died out. The Mexican wolf is the rarest kind of gray wolf in North America. In the1970s, the US government began a program of raising Mexican wolves and releasing (放出) them back into nature. The program hoped to make the wolves spread back across the area they had once lived in for they are an important part of the balance of nature in the area.

The result of the latest count of Mexican wolves was reported by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). A total of 42 wolf packs were found in the wild, and half of them had baby wolves last spring. Around 90 baby wolves were born in all, and 58% of them survived. The count reported a total of 163 wolves, which is nearly 25% more than last year. Over the last 10 years, the number of wolves has been increasing by about 15% a year.

One change wildlife managers have made recently is placing little wolves into groups of wild wolves. The wolves that are returned to nature when they are young seem to be far more adaptable than wolves that go into the wild for the first time as adults. Besides, new wolves from outside the packs also improve the overall long-term health of the wolves as a group.

However, not everyone is excited about the news. For farmers, who must protect their cattle from wolves, the increase is likely to mean more lost animals on their farms. Last year, 184 farm animals were killed in all. That’s the largest number since 1998.

Now, the USFWS and others are studying the increase in cattle killings, and trying to figure out solutions to protecting both Mexican wolves and farm animals. Bryan Bird, speaking for a group called Defenders of Wildlife, says, “Ensuring that wolves and people can get along is a necessary part of long-term success.”

1. What is the aim of the US program?

A．To call on people to fight against hunting.

B．To reduce the natural areas for human activities.

C．To make sure the Mexican wolf population recovers.

D．To improve the living conditions of Mexican wolves.

2. What do the numbers reported by the USFWS show?

A．The US program has achieved great success.

B．The baby wolves have faced some difficulties.

C．The number of wolves has been out of control.

D．The Mexican wolves have trouble fitting into the wild.

3. What can be learned from paragraph 3?

A．Most young wolves are healthier than adult wolves.

B．Wildlife managers should take measures to manage wolves.

C．Releasing wolves in the wild causes some environmental problems.

D．Mixing human-raised baby wolves with wild wolves benefits them all.

4. What problem is mentioned in paragraph 4?

A．Wild Mexican wolves are short of food.

B．Farmers suffer losses due to increasing wolves.

C．Farmers fail to know how to drive away wild wolves.

D．Wild Mexican wolves are still in danger of dying out.

9 . Our two-year investigation into caged (关在笼中) tigers in America sent us through 32 US states—with some truly shocking experiences. But as the deadline neared, I still needed a powerful and hopeful image.

When we began our reporting in 2017—Sharon, writing; me taking photos; and our son, NickRuggia, filming—more tigers likely lived in cages in the US than remained in the wild. The number ranged from 5,000 to 10,000, but without strict government oversight, no one knew for sure.

Roadside zoos that allowed tourists to take pictures of young tigers were the main cause of what’s been called a US tiger crisis (危机). Caged cats often ended up in the illegal wildlife trade. Young tigers, parted from their mothers at birth, were fed poorly and touched by hundreds of people. When they grew too big and dangerous to pet at around 12 weeks, young tigers were put on show, or simply disappeared.

While we documented the unpleasant part of this industry, we also wanted to show the good life these impressive animals could have. With two weeks left before my deadline, I headed to the Wild Animal Sanctuary near Denver, where well-cared cats walked freely in their habitat.

There I met Clay, Daniel, and Enzo, three of 39 tigers rescued from an animal park in Oklahoma. These nearly grown cats raced beside our car, which I’d seen only in the wild. It was a hot July day and soon two of the cats jumped into a pool to cool off. The third rested beside them on the ground. I crossed the road to take a picture of them. Then quietly, I came up close, trying not to disturb (打扰) them. I had the shot.

1. Why did the author start her reporting?

A．To dig out the dark truth of caged tigers.	B．To explore the amazing land in the country.
C．To tell people that baby tigers are harmless.	D．To share the happy moment during the trip.

2. What is the main cause of the US tiger crisis according to the text?

A．Forest fires.

B．Climate change.

C．Roadside zoos.

D．Water pollution.

3. What can we learn about these young tigers from paragraph 3?

A．They prefer to stay indoors.	B．They are badly treated.
C．They get used to the changes.	D．They are traded legally.

4. What is the author’s purpose in mentioning the Wild Animal Sanctuary?

A．To praise her family for their effort.	B．To explain what the animals suffered.
C．To introduce a special kind of tigers.	D．To show some tigers lead an easy life.

10 . Nirvaan Agarwal found out early how powerful a kid’s voice can be. He was taking part in a protest against the mistreatment of animals at a local circus (马戏团) when he was 3 years old. “I passed out almost half copies of brochures,” Nirvaan told TIME for Kids. “People kept taking them from me because I was a little kid.”

Since then, Nirvaan, now 12, has been speaking out on a range of issues affecting animals, from their use in the fur (毛皮) industry to horse racing. That commitment shows in his personal life, too, He’s a vegan, which means he doesn’t eat food that comes from animals. He says, “It’s important to make a voice for animals because they can’t speak for themselves.” In the meantime, Nirvaan encourages other kids who care about animals to take action. “It’s never too early to help animals,” he says.

In 2022, he spoke before county officials in his hometown of Edison, New Jersey, relaying animal advocates’ concerns about the Johnson Park zoo, in Piscataway, which was always hit by flood, threatening the animals’ life, Nirvaan got results, Months later, it was finally closed and the animals were moved to shelters, Later that year, Nirvaan was recognized for his work by the animal-rights organization PETA Kids. He was named one of its Kids’ All-Star for Animals. The honor gave him a new viewpoint on his duty. “It makes me feel like I have the power to do something,” he says. “I feel like I can change the world.”

Even with all of his accomplishments, Nirvaan has big plans for the future, He says, “Ending the mistreatment of animals happens one step at a time. You can slowly break down the pillars (柱子) of a structure. Eventually, when you break down all of those pillars, the whole structure falls.” He hopes to be a chef and create vegan recipes someday.

1. What do we know about Nirvaan when he was 3 years old?

A．He used to go to circus animal shows.	B．He was involved in significant things.
C．He learned a way to be liked by adults.	D．He protested against printing brochures.

2. What did Nirvaan try to do to speak for animals?

A．Help horses go back to the natural world.	B．Advise people to become vegans like him.
C．Advocate freeing animals from local zoos.	D．Tell people not to kill animals for their fur.

3. What effect did the honor have on Nirvaan?

A．Resulting in his worry.	B．Leading him to a new field.
C．Building his confidence.	D．Inspiring him to join PETA Kids.

4. Which of the following can best describe Nirvaan?

A．Caring and responsible.	B．Serious and optimistic.
C．Ambitious and humorous.	D．Generous and sensitive.