1 . Most people agree that honesty is a good thing. But does Mother Nature agree? Animals can’t talk, but can they lie in other ways? Can they lie with their bodies and behavior? Animal experts may not call it lying, but they do agree that many animals, from birds to chimpanzees (大猩猩), behave dishonestly to fool other animals. Why? Dishonesty often helps them survive.
Many kinds of birds are successful at fooling other animals. For example, a bird called the plover sometimes pretends to be hurt in order to protect its young. When a predator (掠食动物) gets close to its nest, the plover leads the predator away from the nest. How? It pretends to have a broken wing. The predator follows the “hurt” adult, leaving the baby birds safe in the nest.
Birds called cuckoos (布谷鸟) have found a way to have babies without doing much work. How? They don’t make nests. Instead, they get into other birds’ nests secretly. Then they lay their eggs and fly away. When the baby birds come out, their adoptive parents feed them.
Chimpanzees, or chimps, can also be sneaky. After a fight, the losing chimp will put out its hand to the other chimp. When the winning chimp puts out its hand, too, the chimps are friendly again. But an animal expert once saw a losing chimp take the winner’s hand and start fighting again.
Chimps are sneaky in other ways, too. When chimps find food that they love, such as bananas, it is natural for them to cry out. Then others chimps come running. But some clever chimps learn to cry very softly when they find food. That way, other chimps don’t hear them, and they don’t need to share their food.
As children, many of us learn the saying “You can’t fool Mother Nature.” But maybe you can’t trust her, either.
1. A plover protects its young from a predator by ________.| A．getting closer to its young |
| B．driving away the adult predator |
| C．leaving its young in another nest |
| D．pretending to be injured |
| A．Chimps are ready to attack others. |
| B．Chimps are sometimes dishonest. |
| C．Chimps are jealous of the winners. |
| D．Chimps can be selfish too. |
| A．Some chimps lower their cries to keep food away from others. |
| B．The losing chimp won the fight by taking the winner’s hand. |
| C．Cuckoos fool their adoptive parents by making no nests. |
| D．Some cuckoos often steal other birds’ newborns. |
| A．Do Animals Lie? |
| B．Does Mother Nature Fool Animals? |
| C．How Do Animals Learn to Lie? |
| D．How Does Honesty Help Animals Survive? |
2 . The similarities between elephant and human behaviour have been a curiosity to scientists worldwide. These huge beasts are not so different from us. Their devotion to their family is just as powerful as the friendships between humans. In order to prevent future elephant attacks, people must first understand the similarities between elephants and themselves.
Because deaths are felt so deeply in elephants, memories of people harming or killing elephants are not forgotten. Due to the UgandaTanzania War in Africa, poaching (偷猎) elephants increased during the 1970’s and continued, despite government restrictions. However, ecologists like Eve Abe did not see this as simple poaching; they saw it as a “mass destruction”. Elephants that have witnessed the murder of a matriarch, are more likely to become violent and attack humans. Many aggressive elephants do not act without reasons; they are suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). At their young age, humans invaded their life, killed their parents, and ultimately destroyed their peaceful environment. More and more calves live neglected lives without a mother figure, and have to become a parent early for survival. Humans that have a difficult childhood or early family life also suffer from aggression and pain. Young elephants have been known to have “nightmares”, waking up suddenly and screaming. These are clearly signs of stress, as males grow up to be increasingly hostile (敌对的) to humans and target certain villages where painful experiences have occurred.
Although many see elephants as massive, violent, and simpleminded animals, their social structure is not unlike many human societies. Humans and elephants have been on parallel paths. However, if people continue practising ignorance over the cruel treatment of these creatures, then collision will become inevitable.
Cruel treatment of elephants still goes on, but by understanding the similarities between us, it can be stopped.
1. What is advised to do in order to stop the hostile behaviour of elephants?| A．Take good care of the young elephants. |
| B．Understand the similarities between elephants and humans. |
| C．Carry out the government restrictions. |
| D．Stop harming or killing the group members of elephants. |
| A．A young elephant. | B．A male elephant. |
| C．A strong elephant. | D．A mother elephant. |
| A．Young elephants will grow up to be violent easily. |
| B．Sometimes young elephants are forced to grow up. |
| C．Humans and elephants have the same social structure. |
| D．Elephants attack villages when painful experiences occur. |
| A．Because early family life counts. |
| B．Because signs of stress have to be stopped. |
| C．Because they will be aggressive when they grow up. |
| D．Because humans and elephants are on parallel paths. |
In Rome there was once a poor slave whose name was Androclus. His master was a cruel man, and so unkind to him that Androclus ran away. He hid himself in a wild wood for many days; but there was no food to be found, and he grew so weak and sick that he thought he would die. So one day he climbed into a cave and lay down to wait for death, and soon he was fast asleep.
After a while, a great noise woke him up. A lion had come into the cave, and was roaring loudly. Androclus was very afraid, for he felt sure that the beast would kill him. Soon, however, he saw the lion was not angry, but that his foot were hurt.
Then Androclus grew so courageous that he started to examine the lion’s paw to see what was the matter. The lion stood quite still, and rubbed his head against the man’s shoulder. He seemed to say, “I know that you will help me.”
Androclus lifted the paw from the ground, and saw that it was a long, sharp thorn that hurt the lion so much. He took the end of the thorn between his fingers; then he gave a strong, quick pull, and out it came. The lion was full of joy. He jumped about like a dog, and licked the hands and feet of his new friend.
The two became such good friends that Androclus found his new life a very happy one. One day some soldiers found Androclus in the cave and took him back to Rome. It was the law at that time that every slave who ran away from his master should fight a hungry lion. For each of these occasions, a fierce lion was locked up for a while without food, and a time was set for the fight.
Paragraph 1When the day came, thousands of people crowded in to see the fight.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2
The people, who had expected to see the man killed by the lion, were filled with wonder.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________4 . The Internet’s carbon footprint is as bad as air travel. While it is difficult to measure precisely, estimates place it at over two percent of global greenhouse gas emissions(排放)—the same as the air travel.
Information may appear to spread around the world unseen to our eyes, but it actually passes through enormous data centers placed strategically about the globe, which store, organize and deliver everyone’s data. These centers are extremely energy intensive. In the EU, they consume close to three percent of its total energy usage and also require lots of water to prevent their computers from overheating. In the US, about a fifth of data centers draw water from already stressed water sources.
A typical spam email(垃圾邮件)emits around 0.03g of CO2 emissions, though longer messages read on a laptop can go all the way up to 26g. Now multiply that by 333 billion(roughly the number of emails that get sent every day in 2022). That puts all those work emails into perspective. One study found if every British adult sent one less “thank you” email a day, it would save 16, 433 tons of carbon a year. It even predicted that the ICT industry could account for up to a fifth of the world’s energy consumption by 2025.
However, there are measures that we can take to reduce our digital carbon footprint. For instance, you can unsubscribe from marketing and other spam emails and only subscribe to newsletters that you still regularly read. Have regular data checks where you delete old contact lists and other documents that no longer have any use. Keep a clean inbox and delete emails you no longer need.
1. Why does the author make a comparison in the beginning?| A．To present the digital carbon footprint. |
| B．To emphasize the importance of air travel. |
| C．To advise people not to travel by airplane. |
| D．To inform the disadvantages of the Internet. |
| A．It enjoys a wide popularity. |
| B．It has various kinds of functions. |
| C．It causes large energy consumption. |
| D．It has quite a complex mode of operation. |
| A．To draw the readers’ attention. |
| B．To illustrate a certain information. |
| C．To highlight the change of CO2 emission. |
| D．To stress the importance of reducing CO2 emission. |
| A．Neutral. | B．Optimistic. |
| C．Unfavorable. | D．Concerned. |
5 . No matter how many times Sandy has rescued an animal, she never gets over the casual cruelty some people display toward unwanted pets. When she lost her own “angel” dog, she started Logan’s Legacy to help other pets in need.
Sandy recently received a phone call about a small dog, possibly a puppy, that had been abandoned on a street. Since she was too far to help on, she called a friend who lives nearby to get there as soon as possible. When her friend Tom arrived, he found a tiny dog curled(蜷缩)in a tight ball with the chain firmly tied to a tree. Someone had left food and water for her, but the puppy was too frightened to eat or drink. Once gathered up in a blanket and placed into the back seat of the car, she began to get weak quickly from dehydration(脱水)and exhaustion.
The moment she got some water and food, the puppy made a rapid recovery, and her lovely and sweet personality could finally shine! “We have named her CiCi,” Sandy added, “She is feeling so much better. She has been observed at my place and she is doing great. This sweet baby girl will never feel fearful again, and won’t ever be abandoned again.” After winning hearts at Sandy’s office, CiCi has been approved for adopting and will soon leave for her new life. Sandy and her fellow rescuers are trying their best to find her the perfect family to love her and treat her with the respect all living creatures deserve!
1. What did Sandy feel it hard to overcome?| A．The casual humanity. | B．The cruelty of humanity. |
| C．The kind human nature. | D．The weakness of kindness. |
| A．She suffered a serious illness. |
| B．She had nothing to eat or drink. |
| C．She got lost far away from home. |
| D．She was scared and in poor health. |
| A．She will stop taking medicine. |
| B．She will continue further treatment. |
| C．She will have a perfect match for home. |
| D．She will get on well with Sandy forever. |
| A．A Warm Home for CiCi |
| B．Dog Saved Heart Fulfilled |
| C．A Terrible Experience of CiCi |
| D．Saving Dogs Saving Themselves |
In a small community located at a suburb of Exeter, a disheartening issue had been troubling the neighborhood for years. The once pleasant surroundings were ruined by piles of waste that seemed to multiply with each passing day. Residents were growing tired of the worsening environment, leading many to abandon their homes in search of cleaner neighborhoods. It was in this terrible situation that two young students, Emma and Mia, decided to take matters into their own hands.
Emma and Mia were classmates and best friends from Phillips Exeter Academy, both passionate about environmental preservation and deeply concerned about the pollution crisis their community was facing. Witnessing more and more neighbors’ leaving, they knew they couldn’t stand by any longer. Determined to bring about a change, they undertook a mission that would soon catch the attention of the entire community.
Their journey began with thorough research and planning. The two girls searched carefully on the Internet for information on environmental initiatives and connected with local environmentalists. They organized meetings with residents to understand the issues at hand, collecting data on the types of waste, the sources, and the areas most affected. Armed with this knowledge, Emma and Mia worked out a comprehensive plan and announced it to ask for opinions from the residents. Surprisingly it was strongly supported.
Their strategy was twofold. First, they initiated a waste classification and recycling program. They distributed recycling bins(回收箱) to every household and educated the community about the importance of responsible waste management. Soon, the streets began to show signs of improvement as the volume of garbage inappropriately thrown away decreased gradually.
The second part of their plan was more ambitious. Emma and Mia gathered volunteers from their school and the neighborhood to take part in a massive clean-up campaign. Armed with gloves and trash(垃圾)bags, they began systematically clearing the waste from the streets, parks, and even the local bodies of water. Their firm commitment and hard work inspired others to join the cause.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右;
2. 请按如下格式作答。
Half a year later, the changes were significant.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Emma and Mia received recognition and honors for their work.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________1. By 2020, where should trash sorting happen?
| A．In all major cities of China. |
| B．Only in Zhejiang province. |
| C．In Ms. Chu’s neighborhood. |
| A．Trash collector. | B．Reporter. | C．Politician. |
| A．Door-to-door training. | B．Free trash cans. | C．Plastic trash bags. |
| A．He will call a volunteer. |
| B．He will see a name on the bag. |
| C．He will scan the bag with a phone. |
1. What is the conversation mainly about?
| A．What made Alexa’s plants dead. |
| B．Where Alexa planted her plants. |
| C．Why it’s hard to keep house plants. |
| A．She put it in the sunlight. |
| B．She returned it to the shop. |
| C．She gave it too much water. |
| A．Throw all her plants away. |
| B．Find out more about plants online. |
| C．Move all her plants out of the sun. |
9 . Since childhood, London-based artist Josh Gluckstein has been fascinated by the incredible diversity of our planet’s wildlife and inspired to make sculptures of animals from found materials. He often uses abandoned or recycled materials like clothing from junk shops or wood from old furniture. An important aspect of his practice is concern for the environment. “I have traveled through Asia, Latin America and East Africa, and have been fortunate enough to have some incredible wildlife encounters,” he says. “However, on my travels, even in the most remote locations, I was shocked by the huge amounts of plastic waste.”
Mach of the garbage that washes up on shorelines around the world is due to an unregulated (未受监管的) system in which richer countries export waste to developing countries because it is often cheaper than developing better infrastructures (基础设施) to handle it. Many of the thousands of shipping containers exported each year are often dumped illegally.
“I remember going to the Galapagos Islands and visiting a beach famous for a large population of sea lions. It was indeed incredible to see them in the wild, but on every inch of sand not covered by sea lions, there were plastic bottles and cans. It was a heartbreaking sight. I knew I wanted to create artworks that didn’t create waste or harm our planet,” Gluckstein says.
Gluckstein hopes his works will raise people’s awareness about the importance of protecting endangered species. His new series called “Gold” focuses on illegally hunted animals by applying gold leaves to their bodies. He plans to donate some of the sales of his sculptures to the world Wide Fund for Nature.
1. What do Gluckstein’s sculptures focus on?| A．Fashion. | B．Animals. | C．Sports. | D．Travel. |
| A．Poured, | B．Protected. | C．Sold. | D．Used. |
| A．Where he has toured. | B．How sad he was. |
| C．How he found sea lions. | D．Why he created eco-friendly sculptures. |
| A．They can bring him financial benefits. |
| B．They can make him famous as an artist. |
| C．They can help protect endangered animals. |
| D．They can improve people’s ability to appreciate art. |
Josie and I wanted a dog more than anything else. Whenever we had time, we’d sit together and talk about dogs. “You’re so silly, Jake,” Josie would say. “Bulldogs (斗牛犬) are scary.” “Hah. Golden retrievers (金毛猎犬) are scary,” I’d say. We had this ongoing argument about what our ideal dog would be. But it made no difference—any dog would do, as long as it had a tail to wag and a friendly face.
One summer night, as we sat together beside the window, Josie saw something. “What’s that?” she said, pointing to a dark shadow on our driveway. The moon was up and everything looked either black or milky. At first all I saw was darkness. Then the shadow moved and I heard the sound of metal. Then the shadow flowed out onto the silvery driveway. With a little fright, we found ourselves stepping down to the front door. There in our yard stood a dog—a big, black dog with long, shaggy (蓬松的) hair.
Josie made a little kissing noise and held out her hand. “Here, boy!” I said. And the dog came to us slowly, taking a few steps forward, and then a step back, not sure whether to trust us. When close enough, it had a doggy smell that always made me think of dirt and grass and piles of leaves. “Don’t say ‘Here, boy’,” said Josie. “She’s a female.” Pulling back and looking, I said, “I wonder what her name is.” I felt for her collar while she sat patiently. I found no tags, but just a chain with a small old bell on it.
“I bet she’s hungry,” said Josie. “I can feel her ribs.” I ran my hand through her fur. The dog was so skinny that you could feel every bone, and her coat was twisted and full of dirt. If she belonged to someone, they weren’t taking good care of her.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150个左右；
2. 请按如下格式在相应位置作答。
“What can we give her?” Josie asked me.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The dog did something completely unexpected.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
