1 . On one side of the room sits the cutest life-size stuffed animal (填充玩具) you’ve ever seen. On the other side rests a real dog — the same size, shape and even the same name as the stuffed version. You get to sit next to both of these furry friends and pet their fur. Guess which one will make your brain light up?

If you guessed the real dog, you’re right. Stuffed animals, as cute and lovely as they may be, just don’t effectively activate our frontal cortex (额叶皮层), the part of the brain overseeing how we think and feel, according to a new study published in the journal PLOSONE. The study found an even stronger rise in brain activity when the person petted the fur of a real dog versus a stuffed animal.

“We chose to research the frontal cortex because this brain area is involved in several executive (执行) functions, such as attention, working memory, and problem-solving. But it is also involved in social and emotional processes,” said study lead author Rahel Marti, a doctoral student in the division of clinical psychology at the University of Basel in Switzerland.

Why is this finding important? It provides additional evidence that live human-animal interaction therapy (疗法) may promote cognitive and emotional activity in the brain. Marti said, “If patients with deficits in motivation, attention, and socioemotional functioning show higher emotional involvement in activities connected to a real dog, then such activities could increase the chance of learning and of achieving treatment aims.”

“This is an interesting, seriously conducted study that provides new insight into associations between human-animal interaction and regional prefrontal brain activity in healthy adults. We found that brain activity increased when the contact with a real dog or a stuffed animal became closer. This confirms previous studies relating closer contact with animals to increased brain activity,” Marti said.

1. How does the author introduce the subject of the text?

A．By listing some figures.	B．By giving an example.
C．By setting a situation.	D．By analyzing a phenomenon.

2. Why did the researchers choose to study frontal cortex?

A．It is involved in several body parts.

B．It is the most important part of the brain.

C．It plays a key part in performing functions.

D．It provides evidence for live human-animal therapy.

3. What does the underlined word “deficits” in paragraph 4 probably mean?

A．Styles.

B．Faults.

C．Adventures.

D．Sources.

4. What may be a suitable title for the text?

A．What Petting A Dog Can Do For Your Brain?

B．Why A Pet Dog Is Important To A Person?

C．Which Part Of The Brain Is Involved In Emotion?

D．How Can A Patient Benefit From Petting A Dog?

2 . Our recommended list of environmental books covers a broad range of topics. These must-read environmental books are sure to spark the interest of the greenest books.

Silent Spring

Written by Rachel Carson, Silent Spring highlights the effects of pesticides (杀虫剂) on the environment, especially DDT, which was a very popular insecticide until it was finally banned in 1972. The book eventually led to a change in the United States’ pesticide policy and contributed to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency.

No One Is Too Small to Make a Difference.

This book collects 11 speeches made by climate activist Greta Thunberg, highlighting the issue of climate change and its impact on future generations. Greta Thunberg was 15 when she started the School Strike for Climate, also known as Fridays for Future. She inspired protests worldwide.

The Uninhabitable Earth

This book by David Wallace Wells examines the disasters that have already occurred and looks ahead to the year 2100 and what climate change will do if we continue on our current path. Its opening line is incredibly telling: “It is worse, much worse, than you think.”

The End of Nature

Published in 1989, the book describes the relationship between nature and humans. It expresses the idea that nature was previously independent of humans but has now been affected by them in every way. According to author Bill McKibben, the idea of wilderness is lost, and nature is no longer complete.

1. Which book brought the environment to the government’s attention?

A．Silent Spring.	B．The End of Nature.
C．The Uninhabitable Earth.	D．No One Is Too Small to Make a Difference.

2. What feeling does the author display in The Uninhabitable Earth?

A．Curiosity.

B．Concern.

C．Annoyance.

D．Disappointment.

3. Which of the following is Bill McKibben’s idea?

A．Nature will not exist any longer.	B．Wild animals are disappearing fast.
C．Human activities are destroying nature.	D．Climate change affects future generations.

3 . In the global effort to protect biodiversity, Mexico has been at the forefront. In particular, for more than 30 years. Mexico’s National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity (CONABIO) has promoted research, compiled information on the biodiversity of Mexico and elsewhere, and connected academia, government, and society to guide decision-making. Unfortunately, last month, the Mexican government announced its intention to reduce CONABIO from a multi-ministry federal government agency to a branch within the environment ministry. This will rid CONABIO of its independent voice, credibility, and influence on national and international policy.

CONABIO was created in 1992, which aimed to promote international cooperation on environmental issues of the 21st century. Since then, CONAB1O has digitized tens of millions of records in national and foreign collections and has processed satellite data on vegetation cover and wildfires. It is not only a data base but a model for best practices in biodiversity management. All information is publicly available online, and contributors decide when the information they provide will be made public. In the past 5 years, CONABIO had an average of 1000 users per week, and it was consulted at least once per day by health, agriculture, environment, foreign affairs, and government agencies from Mexico and other countries. CONABIO has become a world-sought reference on how to effectively compile useful information and make specific policy for the benefit of the population and biodiversity.

The proposed change for CONABIO will likely eliminate the support it provides for the sustainable management, use, and conservation of biodiversity for Mexico and the world. Given that Mexico is home to 10% to 12%of the world’s species, there is much at risk. CONABIO is already very cost-efficient, and its capacity to influence political decisions depends directly on its multi-ministerial character. Burying the agency is a path to put it to an end.

Should this move become effective, it would be the end of the many essential benefits that CONABIO provides to address the environmental crises that threaten the future of all life on Earth. It is time for Mexico’s scientists, Mexico’s population, and the world to speak out against destroying this valuable institution.

1. What may happen to CONABIO according to paragraph 1?

A．It may be charged.	B．It may be dismissed.
C．It may be investigated.	D．It may be downgraded.

2. What does paragraph 2 mainly talk about concerning CONABIO?

A．Its original purpose.	B．Its bright prospect.
C．Its great contributions.	D．Its awkward situation.

3. What does the underlined word “eliminate” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Remove.

B．Improve.

C．Obtain,

D．Ignore.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Promote Mexico’s Biodiversity	B．Stand Up for CONABIO
C．Stick to Sustainable Biodiversity	D．Improve the Fame of CONABIO

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。

Now, you can travel back 3,000 years to see what life was like in a capital city of the Shang Dynasty at the new building of the Yinxu Museum in Anyang, Henan province.     1     (feature) incredible artifacts, the new museum is open to the public. With     2     exhibition space of 22,000 square meters, the expanded museum is the first national major archaeological museum     3     (present) the comprehensive Shang civilization.

Nearly 4,000 items or sets of cultural relics are on display in the museum, about three-fourths of which have never been publicly exhibited before. The Yinxu Ruins, listed     4     a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2006, are of earthshaking     5     (significant). For example, the oracle bone inscriptions (甲骨文)     6     (discover) at the site helped to extend recorded Chinese history to nearly 1,000 years earlier than     7     (previous) believed.

    8     catches your eyes most in the museum is Ya Zhang Niu Zun, a life-like buffalo-shaped exhibit piece. Also on display     9     (be) the oracle bones called “The Prince’s Diary”, which record the life of a prince in the Shang Dynasty. “Through this diary, we can see his life is relatable to today’s teenagers. Some cultural elements rooted in daily life have remained unchanged. This cultural continuity is inherited (继承), and the     10     (spirit) core of a nation remains constant,” said archaeological researcher Yu Chenglong.

5 . At age four, I found a garden behind the kitchen. My eyes became glued to the patterns of roses across my childhood landscape. I saw them and felt a sense of joy and adventure.     1    

When spring arrived, I ran so fast through the house, speeding ahead of my mother’s voice. I dashed out of the front door and threw myself on a fresh carpet of grass. Excited, I bounced to my feet and had three more cartwheels before landing by her side.     2     And I sat beside her, playing with mud pies in the flower bed. Work done, she rewarded me with an ice-cold glass of bittersweet lemonade.

    3     She fed love to a generation of people with purple peas and greens. She encouraged me to go anywhere in the world that would make me happy. Since then. I have planted her gardens through art installations (装置) throughout the world, in countries of the people that I meet. Now they are lining parks and courtyards, painted on walls and even in bare lots off the street.

Gardening has taught me that planting and growing a garden is the same process as creating our lives. It begins in the spring, when you break up the soil and start anew.     4     The gardener must then make sure that the proper nutrients are correctly mixed in the soil. Then it’s important to aerate the topsoil and leave it loosely packed on the surface. When our gardens are balanced with care, we can harvest the beauty of living a life of grace.     5     So cultivate (培育) your garden for giving and plant those seeds for the future. The garden is the world living deep inside of you.

A．My life was completely transformed.

B．Mother dear was in the garden busy breaking up the soil.

C．My mother cooked with the colors and textures of her garden.

D．The workman was busy when the garden caught my attention.

E．Then it’s time to clear out the dead leaves and roots of the winter.

F．My passion and connection to garden started at that exact moment.

G．Gardens are a mirror that cast their own reflection into our real lives.

6 . Hammond is the only wheelchair nurse in the UK with an assistance dog. Having disabilities most of her life, she was always ________ that nurses were caring, which motivated her to become a nurse to help people. It wouldn’t be easy. But nothing would ________ her passion.

She loves being able to ________ her clients to set achievable goals, helping them ________ the support in their changing lives. It’s really helpful to understand the ________ her clients may be having. She has been there: she ________ at home, she had to receive care. She used to be a dancer, so when she became a wheelchair user and people asked her what her ________ are, she would choke up because she didn’t have any more. Then it was lucky for her to find the love of dogs and her life got back on ________. She hopes she can use that to guide people to ________ themselves.

Her assistance dog, Ocho aids Hammond with her ________ difficulties, while he is also a therapy dog, comforting her clients. However, she completely understands that not everyone will want a dog in their home. Patients’ homes are ________. So before taking him to the first ________ she would call her clients and give them the ________ to accept or refuse him. Sometimes Hammond can do her job without him ________ if he is injured or sick.

Hammond would love to see more disabled doctors and nurses working in this field. Like her, they would bring their own ________ to improve patient care.

1.

A．uncertain

B．surprised

C．afraid

D．aware

2.

A．pass on

B．hold back

C．wake up

D．result in

3.

A．shape

B．inspire

C．force

D．follow

4.

A．deliver

B．update

C．access

D．express

5.

A．depression

B．fortune

C．sympathy

D．freedom

6.

A．struggled

B．waited

C．worked

D．retired

7.

A．duties

B．challenges

C．excuses

D．hobbies

8.

A．schedule

B．track

C．purpose

D．guard

9.

A．comment

B．award

C．behave

D．rediscover

10.

A．secret

B．social

C．physical

D．financial

11.

A．safe

B．worn

C．private

D．remote

12.

A．visit

B．operation

C．accident

D．tour

13.

A．guess

B．response

C．service

D．choice

14.

A．temporarily

B．gradually

C．generally

D．casually

15.

A．honors

B．experiences

C．researches

D．needs

7 . You may have visited antique stores and found cutting-edge goods in second-hand furniture stores, but have you ever stooping? On the streets of big cities at night, some young people are “looking for something”. Obsessed with the spiritual core of the old thing recycling, they fell in love with it. But what exactly is stooping?

In fact, this English word originally meant “bending over”, and now refers to a way of life of picking up discarded items and renovating and recycling old things, which originally emerged in New York and other foreign big cities.

Since the beginning of last year, the trend of “stooping” has spread to many big cities in China and many young people look for second-hand items such as discarded furniture on the streets, take home and repurpose them with a new look. In order to make the flow of information better, some “stoopers” have also built communities where group members can share “treasures” on the street with each other.

Mikiko, 27, is reportedly one of the first people in China to get involved in practicing stooping. At first, she posted online things that people no longer use, want to throw away, or exchange at home, and slowly hundreds of messages flooded in and since then, stooping has become more and more popular among young people. Mikiko admitted that she was surprised that the concept has become a hit on social media, as older generations often stigmatize picking up things from the street or using second-hand goods. “People like my mom consider stooping as’rubbish-picking’, and people will be looked down upon by doing this.” She even created an app called “Grecycle” where people can give away or take unwanted items for free, hoping people may realize that stooping can also be about doing good and helping others.

This generation of young people has given “new life” to old things, practiced social responsibility in their own environmentally friendly ways in life, and also contributed to the circular economy and sustainable society.

1. What do we know about “stooping” in this text?

A．It was developed in England.	B．It equals to rubbish-picking.
C．It is an expression to show respect.	D．It is a way to turn trash to treasure.

2. Why do stoopers build some communities?

A．To show off their good use of items.

B．To argue about the misuse of good treasure.

C．To share the information of the discarded items.

D．To make some comments on the abandoned items.

3. What does the underlined word “stigmatize” mean in paragraph 4?

A．Be skilled at.	B．Be ashamed of.
C．Be fed up with.	D．Be accustomed to.

4. What does the author convey with the example of Mikiko?

A．Second-hand stores are worth visiting.

B．Big cities offer more job opportunities.

C．Young people spend less than older people.

D．The young have a stronger eco-awareness.

8 . Many of the foods we regularly eat in our daily lives come from plants, which are essential for our survival on the “blue planet.” But what about the few people who live — although for a short span of time — in space? Is it possible for them to grow plants on board the spaceship and be self-sufficient for weeks on end? Yes, it is.

In fact, astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) ate the first space-grown salad (red romaine lettuce) on August 10, 2015. Even in a well-controlled environment like on the ISS, growing a plant in space is not an easy task. Traditionally, roots grow and spread downwards due to gravity. Still, in space, where the effect of gravity is negligible (忽略不计的), things change.

Roots grow in all directions in space. Other nutrients and water, which are essential for the growth of a plant, float all over the place! Can you imagine a plant floating in a spaceship, with its roots sticking out in every direction like the tentacles of a slimy sea creature surrounded by water and other nutrients?

Therefore, keeping this entire system going is very important. To achieve this, NASA astronauts Rick Mastracchio and Steve Swanson set up a special container named “Veggie” a few years ago, specifically designed for “space gardening” on the ISS.

Veggie contains “plant pillows”, which are essentially bags of fertilizer and dirt released in a controlled manner to facilitate plant growth. In the bags, small wicks (棉芯) are installed that absorb water. Seeds are glued to the wicks and arranged in the correct position so that their roots grow unidirectionally (downward) and ‘push out’ of the bag. For the plants to grow properly (i. e. , upward), LED lights shine above the plants, provide light for the shoots and support photosynthesis (the process by which plants prepare their food) for proper plant growth.

Space agencies worldwide are striving to develop more advanced methods and procedures to enable astronauts to safely grow and eat vegetables from space-grown vegetables.

1. What does paragraph 2 mainly suggest?

A．Astronauts want to live a sustainable life.

B．Space-grown plants might take more efforts.

C．Plants have been successfully grown in space.

D．ISS makes it possible for plants to grow at will.

2. Why is Veggie set up?

A．To honor someone.

B．To keep a system going.

C．To start up an enterprise.

D．To solve nutrient problem.

3. How does Veggie work?

A．By turning to LED lights.

B．By positioning wicks upward.

C．By absorbing nutrition from dirt.

D．By providing necessary facilities.

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．ISS have astronauts work to grow food in space

B．NASA strives to make space gardening possible

C．Space agencies commit themselves to food safety

D．Food growth enables spaceships to be self-reliable

9 . 语法填空

The world has just endured its hottest year on record, with global average temperatures     1     (break) historical records. There is no denying that climate change is one of the most urgent     2     (challenge) facing humankind. No one can be safe     3     the threat of climate change.

China, the world's largest developing country and a responsible major country,     4     (overcome) many challenges by taking a series of measures so far. It has planned to peak its carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060. The country is set to achieve the highest     5     (reduce) in carbon intensity globally.     6     (addition), promoting clean energy and the low-carbon transformation of the economy     7     (be) now a globally accepted method of addressing climate change.

Because of global warming, extreme weather events are increasing in frequency and intensity. Building     8     solid front line of disaster prevention is crucial for dealing with the effects of extreme weather events. People are expected work together to     9     (deep) international cooperation and make greater contributions to building a clean and beautiful world and safeguarding the Earth, the only place     10     we can call home.

10 . One of the things that make humans mammals (哺乳动物) is that we’re warm-blooded — our bodies have high metabolism (新陈代谢) that maintains our internal temperature independent of the surroundings, unlike cold-blooded animals that have to lie in the sun for heat. Among modern animals, only mammals and birds are warm-blooded and our ability to keep ourselves warm has enabled us to survive in icy weather and make long migrations. But it’s been a mystery exactly when mammals evolved their high metabolism. In a new study, scientists point to an unlikely source for determining when ancient mammal ancestors became warm-blooded.

The ears of all living creatures that have backbones contain tiny canals (管道) filled with fluid that helps us balance. The runniness (流动性) of that fluid changes based on temperature, and our inner ears have evolved different sizes so that the fluid can flow correctly. Cold-blooded animals’ ear fluid is cooler and thicker, so it needs wider spaces to travel through, while warm-blooded animals have runnier ear fluid, so our canals are different.

“Canals were generally used to predict the movement of fossil organisms. However, by carefully looking at their biomechanics (生物力学) , we figured that we could also use them to infer body temperature,” says Romain David, one of the study’s lead authors. “This is because, like honey, the fluid inside canals gets runnier when temperature increases, impacting function. Therefore, during the transition to endothermy (温血性) , physical adaptation was required to keep best performances, and we could track ear canals in mammal ancestors. ”

To track these evolutionary changes, the researchers compared the sizes of the inner ear canals of over 300 animals, including 243 living species and 64 extinct ones. They found that mammal ancestors didn’t develop the kinds of inner ear structures ideal for warm-blooded animals until 233 million years ago.

The origin of mammalian endothermy is one of the great mysteries to be solved. Many different approaches have been used to try to predict when it first evolved, but they have often given unclear or conflicting results. This method shows real promise because it has been confirmed using a very large number of modern species.

1. Which of the following might be the key to mammals’ long migrations?

A．The large body size.	B．The rich food resources.
C．The warm-bloodedness.	D．The adaptability to surroundings.

2. What can we learn about warm-blooded animals compared to cold-blooded ones?

A．They have much bigger backbones.

B．Their inner ear canals are relatively narrow.

C．They are much more sensitive to outside sounds.

D．Their ear fluid seldom changes with temperature.

3. What do Romain David’s words in paragraph 3 mainly tell us?

A．Theories on the evolution of mammal ancestors.

B．The reason for studying the inner ears of mammals.

C．The importance of physical adaptation to mammals.

D．Possible ways to predict the movement of fossil organisms.

4. What’s the author’s attitude to the new method of tracking evolutionary changes?

A．Appreciative.

B．Doubtful.

C．Negative.

D．Unconcerned.