1 . The science of why insects gather around lights at night has never been nailed down. Popular theories propose that moths and other insects navigate (导航) by the moon and mistake lamps for moonlight, or that the insects fly towards light to escape coming danger. Now researchers believe they have a more convincing answer: contrary to current theories, insects are not attracted to light from far away, but become trapped if they fly close to an artificial light source.
According to Dr Sam Fabian, study co-author and Imperial College London entomologist, moths and many other insects that fly at night evolved to tilt (倾斜) their backs to wherever is brightest. For hundreds of millions of years, this was the sky rather than the ground. The trick told insects which way was up and ensured they flew level. But then came artificial lighting. Moths found themselves tilting their backs to street lamps. This caused them to circle around the lamps endlessly, the insects trapped by their evolution.
Fabian and his colleagues filmed insect flight paths around lights in the lab. The videos reveal that time and again, moths and dragonflies turned their backs to artificial lights, which appeared to greatly change their flight paths. If the light is above them, they might start orbiting it, but if it’s behind them, they start tilting backwards and end up flying in circles or diving toward the ground.
Researchers have long warned that light pollution is a big driving force in the dramatic decline in insect populations. Moths and other insects that become trapped around lamps become easily caught by bats. The artificial lighting can also fool them into thinking it is daytime, causing them to bed down and skip a night’s feeding.
There are, Fabian believes, helpful lessons from the research. “What this tells us is that the direction of artificial light matters. Could we change lighting environments to not trap insects? For we’re facing a massive decline in insects around the world, and artificial light at night is one of the factors that could potentially be leading to this decline,” Fabian said.
1. What do the underlined words “nailed down” in paragraph 1 mean?| A．Popularized widely. | B．Discussed openly. |
| C．Defined accurately. | D．Explored academically. |
| A．they can’t keep their balance. |
| B．they use improper flight attitude. |
| C．they lose track of which way is up. |
| D．they are attracted to lights from far away. |
| A．It may lead to better conservation of insects. |
| B．Natural enemies of insects will be got rid of. |
| C．Artificial lighting will be greatly reduced at night. |
| D．It may raise concerns for insects’ eating behavior. |
| A．Why insects lose their ability to fly at night. |
| B．Why artificial light and evolution trap insects. |
| C．How artificial light impacts insect populations. |
| D．How insects evolved distinct strategies of flight. |
2 . Every year, as the surface water temperature off the United States mid-Atlantic coast rises steadily from late spring through the summer, a pocket of uncharacteristically cool and crisp water gets trapped at the bottom of the ocean. Packed with nutrients this thick band of cold water, known as the mid-Atlantic cold pool, is a vital home for shellfish species. Extending at its seasonal peak from Nantucket, Massachusetts, to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, the cold poll creates a diverse ecosystem ranging from algae(海藻)to fish — and some of the most valuable shellfish fisheries in the United States.
Now, however, two pressures have scientists worrying about whether the cold pool will last. The first is no surprise: climate change. Over the past five decades, climates change has destabilized the cold pool, causing it to warm and shrink. Compared with 1968, the cold pool is now 13℃ warmer and has lost more than one-third of its area.
The second concern is 1ess certain. In 2023, the US federal government approved plans to install(安装)98 wind turbines(涡轮机)off the New Jersey coast, covering an area of more than 300 square kilometers. Yet putting so many turbines to the seafloor could have unexpected consequences for the cold pool. That’s why Travis Miles, a researcher at New Jersey’s Rutgers University, and his colleagues are investigating. So far, Miles and his colleagues can’t definitively say what will happen to the cold pool, saying more research is needed to assess how climate change and offshore wind, together, could affect the cold pool. However, their initial analyses suggest the cold pool should be fine — at least in normal conditions.
New Jersey’s offshore wind plans are strongly opposed mainly by fossil fuel-industry funded efforts. Miles worries that an overabundance of caution or fear of potential impacts, including on the cold pool, might slow down the development of renewable energy. “...it’s quite clear that climate change is far more damaging than installing wind farms,” he says. “I don’t think any scientist would argue with that.”
1. What do we know about the mid-Atlantic cold pool?| A．It forms in early spring. | B．It’s a band of cold near-bottom water. |
| C．It serves as a habitat of most sea species. | D．It extends from Nantucket to New Jersey. |
| A．Break down. | B．Get polluted. | C．Dry up. | D．Become smaller. |
| A．supportive | B．dismissive | C．overcautious | D．skeptical |
| A．The Cold Pool Plays a Role on species |
| B．Opinions Divide on Offshore Wind Farms |
| C．Scientists Eye Potential Risks to the Cold Pool |
| D．Renewable Energy Helps to Race Against Climate Change |
3 . I’ve been in an 18-year love-hate relationship with a black walnut tree.
It’s a unique tree. In late September or early October, falling fruits as hard as baseballs threaten the skulls (头骨) of you, your children, your neighbors and those that reside next door to them. Umbrellas in the yard are a must while dining in early August, and as for me, I wear my bike helmet while working in the garden.
The black walnut also releases a chemical substance through its roots as a competitive strategy. It’s poisonous to several common plants. There have been many new plant varieties that I brought home with hopes that maybe the black walnut would accept them, but they failed to flourish.
What does work are native plants that naturally grow in the area. Native plants are important to have around since they provide beneficial pollinators (传粉者) like birds, bees and butterflies with seeds and contribute to a healthy and biodiverse environment. Native plants for this area are generally easy to grow, so they experience less stress.
Have I thought of getting rid of this giant pain in my tiny backyard? Yes, however, getting rid of this tree standing at 50 feet with an 87-inch trunk is next to impossible. It’s also protected under the law. Rightfully so. Trees are important to the urban forest and for all of those that inhabit it.
Sometimes I think about my life without the black walnut. I can’t imagine a spring without the birds who arrive every year and loudly sing their songs before dawn. I’d miss falling asleep on lazy weekend afternoons as I look up into its leaves.
Every spring, I wonder what the season holds: What are the chances of being knocked unconscious while barbecuing? Like any good relationship, I’ll never be pleased. I’m stuck with this tree, so I’ll listen to its needs and give it the space it requires. In return, my walnut offers a habitat for wildlife and a reminder.
1. Why does the author wear a bike helmet while working in the garden?| A．To protect the injured skull. | B．To prevent herself from sunburn. |
| C．To avoid being hit by the nuts. | D．To reduce the chance of getting bitten by bees. |
| A．It attracts beneficial pollinators. |
| B．It lets out poison to drive away pests. |
| C．It produces a chemical fatal to some plants. |
| D．It competes for nutrition with similar species. |
| A．The volume of its fruits may bring inconvenience. |
| B．The tree outcompetes the native plants in the garden. |
| C．The tree is home to numerous birds and other creatures. |
| D．The presence of the tree takes up much space of the garden. |
| A．it’s better to give than to take |
| B．trees and plants have their own ways to flourish |
| C．even a good relationship is not always trouble-free |
| D．acceptance, instead of resistance, is the better way to be |
4 . Scientists have shown how plants can protect themselves against genetic (基因的) damage caused by environmental stresses. The growing tips of plant roots and shoots have an in-built mechanism (机制) that spells cell death if DNA damage is detected, avoiding passing on faulty DNA.
Plants have small populations of stem cells (干细胞) at the tips of their roots and shoots, which enable them to continuously grow and produce new tissues throughout their lifetime. These stem cells serve as ancestors for plant tissues and organs. However, any genetic faults present in the stem cells will continue to exist and be passed on permanently throughout the plant’s life, which could last thousands of years.
Given the critical role of stem cells and their exposure to potentially dangerous environments at the growing tips of roots and shoots, safeguards are necessary to prevent stem cell faults from becoming fixed. Researchers Nick Fulcher and Robert Sablowski, funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, aimed to uncover these protective mechanisms. Through experiments involving X-rays and chemicals, they discovered that stem cells were more sensitive to DNA damage compared to other cells.
When DNA damage occurs, the cells have the capacity to detect it and cause programmed cells to die, preventing the propagation of the damaged genetic code to the rest of the plant tissues. This process has similarities to the safeguard mechanism found in animal cells, which has been broadly studied due to its relevance in preventing cancer.
The identification of a similar protective system in plants is of great interest in the field of plant development. It also helps scientists develop plants that can better handle environmental stress. So knowledge of how plants deal with these stresses is of fundamental significance to agricultural science’s response to climate change.
1. What is the function of the in-built mechanism in plants?| A．To produce more roots and shoots. | B．To increase the overall lifetime of the plant. |
| C．To enhance plant growth and nutrient intake. | D．To stop genetic faults in stem cells passing on. |
| A．They are relatively abundant in quantity. | B．They are resistant to environmental stresses. |
| C．They make quick response to DNA damage. | D．They have the ability to repair damaged DNA. |
| A．Spread. | B．Change. | C．Existence. | D．Self-repair. |
| A．The way of dealing with climate change on the earth. |
| B．The significance of identifying the protective system in plants. |
| C．The method of ensuring plant survival under environmental stress. |
| D．The urgency of developing plants that can handle environmental stress. |
I must admit, I haven’t always liked animals. In fact, I distrusted them greatly while growing up, and I still fear the ones I don’t know personally. What set my beliefs in stone was being attacked—not once but many times, including the summer after second grade when I was bitten by a rabbit. Then, when I was nine and riding my dirt bike down the road, a large dog charged me and tried to bite my ankle. After all those negative experiences, there was one thing I knew for sure: All creatures, great and small, were no friends of mine.
After college in California, I returned to live the single life in Las Vega. Then I met Lisa. In no time at all, we fell in love, married and moved into a new house. Despite my avoidance of animals, Lisa had a dog called Bailey. Bailey didn’t like me, but he tolerated my existence once he realized I wasn’t going anywhere.
Things changed as spring came. We welcomed a new member of our family: our son Evan. One evening Evan grabbed hold of the dog’s tail. The irritated dog paused and turned to look at his stuck tail but waited patiently until being released. Still the stories I’d heard of animals attacking babies worries me.
Then my worst fear occurred. I sat on the couch (沙发) reading after a long day while my wife worked at the dining-room table paying the bills. I saw Evan crawl across the family-room carpet as he made his way behind the couch. One minute, all was quiet and then Bailey entered the room and headed to where Evan had crawled. I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard the dog start a fearful barking behind me.
注意：1.续写词数应为150左右;
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Throwing the book away, I rushed around the couch with great fear.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Having witnessed our dog killing a scorpion (蝎子) and saving my son, I was speechless.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________6 . A United Airlines flight from Chicago to Washington D.C. made a bit of aviation (航空) history last December, completing a 600-mile trip that the airline hopes will prove the first leg of a journey to a greener future.
In a first, one of the two engines on the 737 Max 8 was powered entirely by fuel made from used cooking oil and waste fat from beef, pork and chicken. Refined (提炼) at a Southern California plant, the fuel produces about 80% less emissions (排放) than conventional aviation fuel. Biofuel had been mixed with conventional fuel in the past, but United Airlines said it had never been used by itself in the engine of a commercial flight.
The Chicago carrier made the flight to show the progress it has made toward its goal of getting rid of greenhouse gas emissions by2050. It’s a goal shared by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
For now, the biggest challenge is producing enough low-emission, sustainable aviation fuel that can be used in existing commercial planes without adjustment to power the world’s airlines. The world’s refineries now produce about 26.4 million gallons of low-emission, sustainable aviation fuel a year. That is only a tiny part of the 18.3 billion gallons of fuel burned by U.S. carriers alone in 2019.
“There is no question there is a challenge,” Gene Gebolys, chief executive of World Energy, a Boston biofuel energy company, said. “It’s all about scale (规模).”
World Energy’s Paramount, California, facility now has the capacity to refine cooking oil and animal fat into 15 million gallons of sustainable aviation fuel a year. The company is investing $1.5 billion to modernize the facility and enable it to produce up to 370 million gallons a year.
“Standing where we are right now, it is going to be an extremely ambitious goal to get to net zero by 2050,” Gebolys said. “Do I think it’s possible? Absolutely.”
1. What is the experiment of United Airlines?| A．Using fuel from fat and oil alone in engines. |
| B．Refining cooking oil and waste fat. |
| C．Mixing biofuel energy with conventional fuel. |
| D．Developing biofuel-powered carriers. |
| A．The stability of the refined cooking oil. | B．The lack of raw materials. |
| C．The limited production capacity. | D．The energy consumption in production. |
| A．Favorable. | B．Intolerant. | C．Doubtful. | D．Unclear. |
| A．Energy Company Discovers a New Green Fuel |
| B．Global Airlines Promise a Low-emission Future |
| C．Is Biofuel Energy Ready for Mass Production? |
| D．Could Cooking Oil Help Airlines Reach Zero Emissions? |
7 . The over 48,000 orange trees in Seville, Spain, not only fill the city’s air with the pleasant smell of orange blossoms in spring, but they also produce over 16,500 tons of fruit every winter. Though that makes the capital of southern Spain’s Andalusia region Europe’s top orange-producing city, the fruit is too sour to be consumed fresh. While some of the produce is used to make orange jam and an alcoholic drink, most of it ends up in Seville’s landfills (填埋场). However, that may change soon thanks to a clever idea to use the oranges to produce clean energy.
The trial program is being launched by the city’s council and park department in cooperation with Emasesa, Seville’s water supply and sanitation (卫生) division. Juice from 38. 6 tons of oranges will be left to ferment (发酵) in a specialized facility. The methane (甲烷) released from the fermented liquid will be captured and used to drive a generator to produce clean power. The officials estimate the test run will produce about 1,500 kWh of energy—enough to run one of Emasesa’s water purification plants. To ensure there is no waste, the orange skins, peels, and flesh will be used as fertilizer.
“It’s not just about saving money. The oranges are a problem for the city, and we’re producing added value from waste,” said Benigno Lopez, head of Emasesa’s environmental department.
If successful, by 2023, the city hopes to recycle all the oranges and add the electricity produced back into its power transmission network. In trial runs, one ton of oranges produced 50 kWh of clean energy—enough to cover the daily electricity needs of five homes. The project team estimates that if all the fruit is recycled, it will produce enough energy to power as many as 73,000 residences.
“This project will help us to reach our targets for reducing emissions, energy self-sufficiency, and the circular economy,” Juan Espadas Cejas, mayor of Seville, said in the press conference announcing the trial scheme.
1. What do we know about oranges in Seville from the first paragraph？| A．They are usually picked in spring. |
| B．They are mostly used to make jams and juice. |
| C．They are not recommended to be eaten fresh. |
| D．They make Seville the world’s top orange-producing city. |
| A．Different uses of oranges. |
| B．How to produce power from juice. |
| C．An introduction to the trial program. |
| D．Why the trial program was put forward. |
| A．Seville hasn’t carried out the trial program yet. |
| B．The electricity produced will be used to purify water. |
| C．The electricity produced will go to Seville’s power plants. |
| D．Seville may need to recycle 14,600 tons of oranges to power 73,000 homes. |
| A．Seville Is Turning Waste into Wealth |
| B．Seville Is Seeking Market for Oranges |
| C．Seville Is Contributing to Global Warming |
| D．Seville Is Dealing with the Electricity Shortage |
8 . “You should get a cat, ”my therapist(治疗专家)said. “A cat?” I couldn’t even look after myself. . I took a deep breath and carefully considered the idea of welcoming a feline (猫科的)friend into my life. This seemed like too easy a fix for the fact that I couldn’t leave the house without bursting into tears.
When my partner and I found Cinnamon, her adoption profile made her out as the perfect kitten. We filled out the paperwork and prepared for her arrival.
When she came home, it became increasingly obvious that Cinnamon didn’t understand “no”, “stop it” or “don’t do that”. She was the worst cat I’ve ever owned. I was beginning to doubt my therapist’s advice.
After visiting our vet, she concluded that Cinnamon just wanted our attention. She fought tooth and nail to get a bite of our meals. She’d fearlessly lick sharp knives when left unattended for a split second. Cinnamon stole my heart with her bravery and kept me busier than I’d ever expected.
We decided to start taking her for walks. I could barely leave the house before, but my heart couldn’t say no to Cinnamon. Cinnamon showed me what bravery looked like. She didn’t stop to consider every possible outcome of a situation; she simply went for it. If there was a dog at a park, she would run toward it. She jumped without knowing where she would land. She loved adventure. I found myself mirroring her behavior after a while, jumping out of bed without a second thought. I began to find the motivation to get out of bed in the morning.
Cinnamon unfortunately passed away after a medical accident. I’m no stranger to sadness or grief, but losing my pet so suddenly was the most confusing emotional experience I’ve had to date. She no longer wakes me up at 5 am begging for breakfast, but she’s still the reason I get up every morning.
Our time is often cut unpredictably, unmistakably short. It would be a shame to live life being anything less than brave and adventurous.
1. Why did the author’s therapist recommend that she get a cat?| A．To learn how to interact with animals. | B．To help the author fill up her spare time; |
| C．To solve the author’s fear of going out. | D．To distract the author’s attention from her pain. |
| A．Thrilled. | B．Amazed. | C．Pleased. | D．Disappointed. |
| A．Walking Cinnamon outdoors became an adventure for the author. |
| B．The author was positively affected by Cinnamon’s courageous behavior. |
| C．Cinnamon loved going outside and took consequences into consideration. |
| D．The author decided to take Cinnamon outside as she was too troublesome to stay in. |
| A．Life is short and unpredictable. | B．The loss of a pet can be painful. |
| C．We should have the courage to take risks. | D．Animal-assisted therapy is the best cure for mental illness. |
Space Station Rice Tests Show Promise
Chinese astronauts have successfully grown rice seedlings (幼苗) onboard the Tiangong space station.
There have been other rice
China launched the Wentian space laboratory into orbit on July 24. The space lab, which weighs 23 metric tons and is 17.9 meters tall, is the country’s
“We want to investigate how microgravity affects the plant flowering time on the molecular (分子的) level
“If we want to land on and explore Mars, food
10 . Kala has deep ties to her Hawaiian roots. Her ancestors navigated (航行) the oceans for centuries using their knowledge of the stars, the sun, the currents and the wind. It’s not that she does it in a canoe without technology, but rather uses the natural technology around her. It’s called Way finding, and was taught to her by her father.
“My father was my foundation, my rock.” she says of her first voyage with him from Oahu to Lahaina in a traditional canoe. He taught her how to read the stars, the ocean swells and how to use them to hold the course. “Over 200 stars have specific names and purposes when you are Way finding. You have to look at each and determine if they are rising or setting. You know this star and the direction it represents. If you can do that, you can use it as a tool to orient (确定方向).” Kala added.
Kala Tanaka sailed the canoe in the ocean for up to three weeks. During the day, Kala used the sun until it hit a certain height. When she got closer to land, she looked for certain species of land birds and clouds that indicated there was land below. When Kala sailed she felt “I feel very connected to the crew and the canoe. We’re a family.” The longer voyage required Kala to spend hours studying the day and the night skies. It was demanding physical work. But it also had its moments of awe. For Kala, the beauty was in tying together the past and the present to enjoy the moment. So when she was not sailing, she was teaching Way finding skills to school-aged children in hopes of preserving the skills her ancestors relied on.
It’s easy to be lost in the immediacy of the technology of our day, to be consumed by screens and miss the nature that unfolds around us. But if we will take the time to look up, to see the stars and the sun, the way the clouds move, the miracle of life beneath and above us, we will discover something deep inside us, something that will always lead to happiness.
1. How does Kala navigate the ocean in a canoe?| A．By observing the natural elements around. |
| B．By following the course of ocean currents. |
| C．By using hi-technology navigation devices. |
| D．By recalling the first voyage with her father. |
| A．It was a heroic adventure. | B．It brought great joy to her life. |
| C．It was school children’s favorite. | D．It represented a kind of innovation. |
| A．Enjoy the screens. | B．Explore the universe. |
| C．Get close to nature. | D．Keep the earth clean. |
| A．Finding Our Way | B．Navigating the Ocean |
| C．The Wisdom from Ancestors | D．An Unforgettable Journey |
