1 . Chaudhary weaves (编织) together lengths of rope and grass collected from the nearby riverbank in her village, skillfully shaping the materials into a gift box while instructing a group of women to follow suit.

The ropes being used were once the lifeline for mountain climbers tackling Nepal’s mountains and were then cast away. Diverse measures to remove such discarded materials have rocketed since 2019, when the government launched Clean Mountain Campaign.Around 140,000 tons of waste were collected on Mt. Everest alone, which were handled accordingly, either securely buried or recycled.

Some waste is now finding fresh life, transformed by skilled hands like Chaudhary’s into items to sell, thanks to an initiative led by Acharya, an owner of a waste processing business and an advocate for sustainable waste management. She has been working with the cleaning campaign, aiming at mountains like Mt. Everest.

“Metal waste goes through the recycling process, but we weren’t capable of recycling these ropes and cooking gas cans,” Acharya says. It didn’t occur to her that the waste which couldn’t be recycled could be reused until she met Rai at an art exhibition and a solution emerged.

Rai, a businessman dealing in craftworks, helped connect Acharya with Chaudhary and her team of craftswomen in hopes of unlocking the economic value of the mountain waste. With flexible hours, the project gives the craftswomen an opportunity to earn money even as they maintain their household responsibilities.

“While this seems insignificant compared to waste in the mountains, it’s a start. We can’t supply sufficient raw material with waste sorting and cleaning processes taking plenty of time and money,” Acharya says, desperate to expand the program to involve more women and treat more waste. But progress has been slow. “We need investment to mechanize the cleaning and processing of waste in the initial phase to provide the crafting team with enough materials to meet their demand,” she adds.

1. What were the ropes mentioned in paragraph 2 initially intended as?

A．Tools for tying up weeds.	B．Villagers’ basic necessities of life.
C．Raw materials tor unique artworks.	D．Life-saving devices for mountaineers.

2. What inspired Acharya’s resolution of non-recyclable waste?

A．A journey to the rural area.	B．An encounter with a trader.
C．Information from a product launch.	D．Attendance at an academic conference.

3. What does Acharya expect to do based on the last paragraph?

A．Train more senior technicians.	B．Obtain a better reputation.
C．Drop waste washing procedures.	D．Bring in advanced equipment.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Chaudhary: An Eco-Minded Folk Artist

B．Nepali Women Are Turning Garbage into Crafts

C．Clean Mountain Campaign Has Already Taken Effect

D．A Headache: Mt. Everest Is Heavily Littered with Waste

2 . 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.

3 . 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

4 . Do you know cultivated meat? Typically, making this sort of meat starts with cells from domestic animals. The cells are grown in bioreactors full of nutrient-rich liquid, and then harvested, and eventually become products such as steak or chicken. In a homely kitchen of Eat Just, a startup, a slice of such meat was fried and then served with peppers. The first mouthful of it was extraordinary because the meat was grown in a lab, rather than on an animal. Meanwhile, it was also dull, because the texture, taste, look and smell of the meat was almost identical to that of chicken.

In June, Eat Just and Upside Foods became the first two companies to win regulatory approval to sell cultivated meat in America. A handful of other firms are trying to bring cultivated meat to market. But the hope is fading owing to continued high costs and troubles with mass production.

The UN reports meat and dairy production already accounts for 12% of humanity’s greenhouse-gas emissions, Demand for meat is skyrocketing among the growing middle classes of Africa and Asia. Lab-grown meat could help meet that demand without the world breaking its carbon budget. By contrast, two-fifths of Americans claim to restrict their meat consumption either for ethical(伦理的) reasons or environmental ones. Lab-grown meat may seem less ethically worrisome than eating animals. And the early success of plant-based meat alternatives gave investors hope. Beyond Meat, one such firm, went public in 2019, and saw its value shoot to $14 billion.

Though lab-grown meat offers an alternative to farm-grown meat, questions have been raised about how climate-friendly it can be. A study published earlier this year found that in some circumstances cultivated meat could be more polluting than the conventional stuff because the bioreactor is in great need of power to control its temperature. Consequently, only if renewable energy is used in the production process will cultivated meat cut the carbon footprint of the meat industry.

Whether this effort can make lab-grown meat attractive and cheap enough to attract consumers remains to be seen.

1. What does the author focus on concerning cultivated meat in paragraph 1?

A．Its characteristics.	B．Its health benefits.
C．Its cooking methods.	D．Its similarities to artificial meat.

2. What can we infer from paragraph 3?

A．Most Americans skip meat.

B．Asians prefer lab-grown meat.

C．Beyond Meat is facing financial collapse.

D．Lab-grown meat may have a vast consumer market.

3. In which aspect does the cultivated-meat industry damage the environment?

A．Poisonous chemical leaks.	B．Land occupation.
C．Grecnhouse-gas emissions.	D．Water consumption.

4. What’s the author’s attitude to lab-grown meat?

A．Opposed.

B．Favorable.

C．Uncaring.

D．Reserved.

5 . Tropical cyclones(热带气旋), including hurricanes and typhoons, are now moving at a slower speed than they did decades ago, new research shows.

While having a cyclone travel with less speed may seem like a good thing, it’s actually just the opposite. Wind speeds within the storm remain high, but the whole system itself moves slower, allowing punishing rains to stay longer over communities. “Nothing good comes out of a slowing storm,” says James Kossin, author of the paper. “It can increase the amount of time that buildings suffered from strong wind. And it increases rainfall.”

In his paper, Kossin showed that from 1949 to 2016, tropical cyclones across the globe slowed their movement by 10 percent on average. In some regions (地区), the speed of those storms slowed even more as they hit land. In the western North Pacific, the decrease was much more manifest—almost a third. That means a storm that may already hold more moisture (水分)will have time to drop more of it in each spot.

Kossin’s work was based on details of almost 70 years’ worth of storms, but he didn’t try to determine what was causing the slowdown. Still, the change is exactly what he and other cyclone experts said, which would be expected from climate change. With the polar regions warming faster than other parts of the globe, that is changing the pressure and reducing the winds that push these storms.

Christina Patricola, a scientist, called Kossin’s work important and new and said she found it reliable. “I was not surprised by his findings,” she says. “But I was surprised by the speed of the slowdown.”

Kossin hopes that scientists will begin building models that show which places are likely to face the most risk. Given that storms in some regions are moving towards polar regions and already increasing in intensity(强度), cyclones causing unusually powerful rain may threaten places not normally in their paths. Scientists must take action to make those places suffer less from the disasters.

1. Why is the decrease in cyclones’ speed a bad thing?

A．It leads the cyclones to move faster on the ground.

B．It causes the cyclones to have higher wind speed outside.

C．It makes hard rains and strong wind last longer in one place.

D．It results in more typhoons taking place in some communities.

2. What does the underlined word “manifest” in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．Obvious.

B．Satisfying.

C．Confusing.

D．Impossible.

3. What does Paragraph 4 suggest?

A．Climate change in the polar regions is under control.

B．Scientists find it hard to understand the slower cyclones.

C．Scientists should do further experiments in polar regions.

D．Climate change may be the cause of the slowdown of the cyclones.

4. Why does Kossin want scientists to build models in the last paragraph?

A．To find out the normal paths of serious cyclones.

B．To prove the speed of the cyclones can be controlled.

C．To reduce the damage from cyclones to possible areas.

D．To call on scientists to focus on the danger of climate change.

6 . How to limit your environmental impact while travelling

Travelling unlocks a world of endless possibilities and adventures, allowing us to hike through breathtaking landscapes, encounter kangaroos and deer in their natural habitat, and witness the power of volcanoes.     1     Increased plastic waste and noise pollution can damage ecosystems. Thankfully, there are ways to limit our impact on the environment.

Try to travel by land instead of air. While air travel can often be quicker, it is typically one of the most polluting forms of transport.     2     For example, if you’re heading to Las Vegas from Los Angeles, driving for around four hours emits (排放) around 75% less CO₂ compared to the one-hour flight (provided you have several friends with you).

    3     A typical hotel uses about 73,000 gallons of water per year. As laundering towels (洗熨毛巾) is an energy-and-water-consuming process, many hotels often put up signs asking you to re-use your towels. By doing so, you’ll reduce your environmental impact.

Make the most of safe tap water (自来水). Drinking tap water may come as a shock to many travelers. But when you’re in countries where tap water is safe to consume, avoid bottled options. Not only are they more expensive, but they have a higher level of pollution compared to treated tap water.     4    

Respect the local environment. When visiting different destinations, we should recognize the importance of protecting the natural beauty. We mustn’t throw rubbish everywhere.     5     Additionally, supporting local conservation (保护) efforts, such as participating in community-led clean-up projects, can make a positive impact on the local environment.

A．Be a responsible hotel guest.

B．Explore with green tour companies.

C．Instead, carry a bottle and refill it wherever you can

D．And we should avoid activities that may harm wildlife.

E．However, tourism can also be harmful to the environment.

F．Low-cost airlines have made it much more affordable to travel.

G．Taking the train or driving in some countries may be better options.

7 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

Last year, 28-year-old Jane Bell moved to a suburb of Philadelphia for her newly found job and rent a house with a big yard in a village.

Jane had the habit of rising early for exercise. One cold morning, she was jogging through the nearby park when she spotted a weak husky lying by the path, seeming to have been deserted. She approached and checked it, only to find one of the dog’s legs severely broken. The pitiful dog looked at her with its sad blue eyes as if asking her for help. Blaming the dog’s previous owner for the selfish and irresponsible action, Jane, without hesitation, bent down and carried the dog home. Then she drove the dog to an animal clinic for a checkup and treatment, where a doctor told Jane it would take about 3 months before the dog got well.

Jane returned home with the dog, which she called Kobe. She made a comfortable den (窝) in the front yard and took great trouble to look after it. With time going on, Kobe gradually recovered and was able to get around with her. Every morning, Jane would take Kobe for a run. Every evening Jane came home from work, Kobe would welcome her, excitedly wagging (摇) its tail at her. Kobe kept Jane company and became her inseparable and loyal friend.

Jane’s furry companion was usually gentle and quiet. But one dawn Jane was woken up by Kobe’s loud barking and the constant noise of its pawing (用爪子抓) at the door. The moment she opened the door, Kobe pulled on her clothes with its mouth, attempting to lead her away from the yard. Initially dismissing it as typical dog behavior, Jane patted Kobe on the head to quiet it, saying firmly, “No, Kobe! Good boy, ca lm down!” However, the dog didn’t stop behaving strangely. It arched its back, its nose moving against a piece of ground in the yard anxiously. Jane was surprised and confused.

注意：
1.续写词数应为150个左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

Then Kobe began to dig the ground with its paws.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Soon gas workers came.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8 . With pet ownership becoming more popular, being saddened by the loss of a beloved pet is becoming a terrible headache. Li Peng, a woolen felt (织物) craftswoman, has found a unique way to preserve the memory of dead pets by creating realistic woolen images.

Li’s journey into this craft is accidental. During her college years, she majored in e-commerce and worked part time at a pet store. One day, while visiting a website, she came upon a small fox made entirely of wool. Astonished at its delicacy, she set off on a self-taught journey in this art form. In late 2019, Li Peng made the firm decision to start her own business and pursue wool felting as a full-time profession.

While a video showcasing the work may only take a few minutes to watch, the actual process is far more intricate. The three-dimensional creations feature genuine fur, lifelike glass eyes and tiny whiskers (胡须), each one individually secured by hand. To achieve a vivid effect, she repeatedly sticks layers of wool with a needle, winding the loose fibers together to create solid felted shapes. The key is massive patience.

The handcrafted creations satisfy her desire to convey love. The majority of her customers are pet owners who have experienced the loss of their beloved companions. They send Li photographs and even their pets’ hair, hoping to freeze the appearance of their furry friends through her wool felting models. Fascinated by the deep bond between people and their pets, she is committed to grabbing and investing these emotions in her artworks. And it turns out that the career is a success. Orders are often scheduled for one year later, and she has gained substantial attention through social media.

Reflecting on her work, Li expresses her desire to create meaningful pieces using the warm material, offering a heartfelt gift of warmth to the beautiful souls of this world.

1. What inspired Li Peng to take up wool felting as a career?

A．A temporary job at a pet shop.	B．Her self-study art course.
C．A discovery of an alternative to fiber.	D．A woolen creation online.

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

A．Confusing.

B．Efficient.

C．Complicated.

D．Effortless.

3. Who are Li Peng’s primary clients?

A．Conservationists of animal rights.	B．Individuals fond of furry toys.
C．Distributors providing personalized service.	D．People suffering from pet loss.

4. What’s the crucial factor behind Li Peng’s success?

A．Fair product pricing.	B．Human-pet attachment.
C．Smart network marketing.	D．Hunger for a fine reputation.

9 . 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。

The year 2023 witnessed the significant protection plan released for Beijing’s Central Axis (轴线),     1    (stretch) for 7.8 kilometers through the Chinese capital. World-famous landmarks like the Forbidden City, Tian’anmen Square, the Temple of Heaven are located along the central axis,     2     construction began in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), and     3    (last) until the Ming and Qing dynasties.

The protection plan for Beijing’s Central Axis from 2022 to 2035 was released in January of 2023, marking     4     new stage in its conservation, sustainable development and application as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The plan is said to be one of the necessary steps for UNESCO World Heritage status, and     5    (it) release and implementation (实施) will play an important role in the protection and     6    (manage) of the capital’s central axis.

Alongside regulations on the protection of the Central Axis     7    (carry) out earlier, the plan is in line     8     the requirements of World Heritage conservation and provides an     9    (effect) strategy for the conservation.

The 21 member countries of the World Heritage Committee will decide on whether Beijing’s Central Axis can     10    (add) to the World Heritage List at the committee’s 46th annual conference in 2024. If the application succeeds, it will reinforce Beijing’s top position among cities worldwide by number of World Heritage Sites.

10 . Johannes Fritz, an Austrian biologist, needed to come up with a plan again if he was going to prevent his rare and beloved birds from going extinct.

To survive the European winter, the northern bald ibis needs to migrate south for the winter over the Alps. But shifting climate patterns have delayed when the birds begin to migrate and they are now reaching the mountains too late to make it over the peaks, locking them in an icy death trap. Determined to save them, he decided to teach the birds a new, safer migration route by guiding them himself in a tiny aircraft. He was confident that he could succeed in this daring, unconventional plan.

Some 400 years ago, the Europeans hunted these birds without stopping and devoured the last in the wild, causing the birds to disappear entirely from the wild. When Mr. Fritz was born 56 years ago, the northern bald ibis could be found in Europe only in captivity (圈养).

Mr.Fritz has spent his career reintroducing the birds into the wild. Through years of trial and error, he learned to fly like a bird. He modified (改装) a lightweight aircraft so it would fly at speeds slow enough for the birds to keep up. In 2004, he led the first flock from Austria to Italy, and has since led more migrations. But the route he originally taught the ibises does not work successfully. With climate change warming the area where the birds summer, they now start their migration at the end of October instead of the end of September. The trip is expected to take about six weeks, “Still, we’re optimistic that it’ll work,” said Mr. Fritz.

His family and colleagues witnessed the risks he was taking. “But the unavoidable risks are necessary,” Mr. Fritz said. “It’s not so much a job, but my life’s purpose.”

1. What was Johannes Fritz’s plan?

A．To shorten bald ibises’ migration route.

B．To lead bald ibises to migrate on a new route.

C．To better the climate patterns for bald ibises.

D．To find out a safer destination for bald ibises.

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

A．Destroyed.

B．Abused.

C．Released.

D．Raised.

3. Why was Mr. Fritz’s initial route for the birds ineffective?

A．Owing to the long time it consumes.

B．For the slow speed of his modified aircraft.

C．Because of the toughness along the first route.

D．Due to higher temperatures in the summer habitat.

4. Which of the following can best describe Mr. Fritz?

A．Honest.

B．Innovative.

C．Straightforward.

D．Demanding.