1 . 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.

2 . 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.

3 . 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.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4 . 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.

5 . 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.

6 . 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.

7 . 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。

Carved from mountains in Yunnan province, the Hong-he Hani Rice Terraces reach over more than 160 square kilometers to create a most spectacular landscape.

Since ancient times, the local Hani people have channeled spring water from mountains and forests     1     (water) the terraced fields. Some terraces are as big as football fields, and others no larger than a bed sheet. They climb     2     riverbank locations at less than 500 meters above sea level to heights of more than 1,800 meters. The     3     (common) used description “stairways to heaven” is most suitable here.

However, the wonder remained largely unknown to the rest of the world for     4     (century). Nobody paid much attention to these terraces until     5     2000s. New roads arrived and the local government was determined to get the terraces     6     (place) on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. This     7     (achieve) in 2013. Over the past decade, it has become impossible to keep such a wonder under wraps. Photography fans have crowded in, taking postcard-perfect pictures and then     8     (post) them on social media.

Although the terraces shine with bright green during the summer growing season, the landscape is most     9     (appeal) from November to late April. During this period, the water-filled terraces turn into natural mirrors     10     reflect every sunrise and sunset.

8 . It is late autumn—millions of gardeners across the northern hemisphere, pulled on their thickest sweaters, spent hours clearing large piles of leaves and packed them into plastic bags at the end of driveways.

In the US alone, nearly 10 million tonnes of garden waste go to landfill every year. That is a large amount of effort, not just from an environmental viewpoint but from that of our aching backs, too. So where does this advice come from? Well, it largely comes from the belief that thick fallen leaves can make plants under them unable to breathe, especially shorter grass. They shut down important photosynthesis (光合作用) and get in the way of the growth of the shorter grass. However, this received wisdom has recently been questioned by researchers at Wisconsin University.

The key finding of their new research was that although clearing fallen leaves is one of the most common gardening practices, it makes very little sense. In natural ecosystems, fallen leaves help return nutrients necessary for healthy plant growth to the soil, which greatly improves soil condition. Removing leaves year after year breaks this ecological (生态的) balance. Letting some leaves stick around to cover your garden is a great way to help your grass and the local ecosystem.

They further explained that if up to 50percent of your grass lawn (草坪) is covered by fallen leaves, you might as well go back indoors and put your feet up. The advantages of this light leaf coverage far outweigh the disadvantages—the leaves will quickly break down and help next year’s lawn grow far better than if you had cleared them. Only at over 50 percent coverage do the Wisconsin researchers recommend clearing.

So why not consider leaving the leaves? Save time, carbon and effort, and in exchange get a healthier lawn from this garden waste—that seems like a pretty good deal. And how many plastic bags could be saved by simply not binning fallen leaves every year? In the US alone, about 700 million.

1. What does the author describe in paragraph 1?

A．An amazing autumn game.	B．A common sight in gardens.
C．A hot attraction in the north.	D．An extreme weather event.

2. What is the received wisdom?

A．Fallen leaves need not be cleared.

B．Fallen leaves protect shorter grass.

C．Fallen leaves block photosynthesis.

D．Fallen leaves are hard to break down.

3. The new research finds clearing fallen leaves makes little sense, because ________.

A．it ruins city image	B．it breaks gardening rules
C．it affects local economy	D．it causes ecological damage

4. What’s the author’s attitude to Wisconsin University’s study?

A．Doubtful.

B．Positive.

C．Unclear.

D．Worried.

9 . A sleeping animal cannot look for food or flee from danger. But the fact that sleep is widespread among animals shows its restorative powers are essential. Some animals, though, try to have their cake and eat it. Dolphins and ducks sleep with half their brains, leaving the other half on guard. A paper in Science by Dr Le reports another innovative workaround. Chinstrap penguins take their sleep in thousands of naps, tiny micro- sleeps-or at least when they are nesting.

Chinstraps sleep with either their whole brain or just one half. Data confirmed they sleep in the ocean or on land. Ducks sleep in long periods, while the penguins nod of for several seconds at a time, hundreds of times an hour. The naps average 4 seconds in length; 72% lasted less than 10 seconds. Micro-sleeps aren’t unknown. Exhausted humans, like jet-lagged (倒时差) tourists and parents of newborn babies, can experience them. Totaling the duration, the researchers concluded Chinstraps get around 12 hours of sleep daily.   

Two explanations are given for Chinstraps’ sleep pattern. The first is to do with external threats. Penguins hatch eggs alone while their partners are away seeking for food. Colonies (领地) are threatened by big birds that’ll steal unattended eggs. Broken sleep is a clever strategy of getting some shut-eye during long egg-guarding periods.   

Penguins with nests near the edge of the colony are at greater risk than those in the centre, but enjoy more extended naps. The second is threats from within, as penguin colonies are noisy, crowded places. They steal nesting materials from careless neighbors, so penguins in the crime-ridden centre find it harder to sleep than those in the safer suburbs.   

Choosing between those theories requires more research. Dr Lee said, “Nor can we measure how restorative such naps are. Chinstraps are evidently able to hatch their young under such conditions, which suggests they’re getting something from their constant nodding-off. So, humans nurturing their newborns should take heart.”

1. Why do dolphins and ducks sleep with only one side of their brains?

A．To enjoy their cake.	B．To establish a nice nest.
C．To be watchful during naps.	D．To obtain high-quality sleep.

2. What does Chinstraps’ sleep pattern feature?

A．Engaging in numerous naps a day.	B．Sleeping nowhere beyond the ocean.
C．Ranging from 4 seconds to 12 hours.	D．Always sleeping with the entire brain.

3. What can be inferred from the explanations in paragraph 3?

A．Penguins live safely in natural colonies.	B．Penguins encounter a variety of challenges.
C．Penguins hatch their eggs away from colony.	D．Penguins at the core of the colony sleep longer.

4. What does Dr Lee think of Chinstraps’ micro-naps?

A．Their duration is hard to detect.	B．They distract the restorative effects.
C．Adopting them aids human newborns.	D．Taking this sleep mode favors penguins.

10 . Last week, Chicago became the first city in the US to join the “Lights Out Plan”. People turned off the lights in the city’s tallest buildings, so that thousands of birds could get to their winter homes. Every year in autumn, some birds fly over Chicago on their way to the south, and come back the next spring.

Lights mean danger to birds. Birds find their way by looking at the stars in the sky. Lights in tall buildings are so bright that birds may mistake them as stars. This means they cannot find the right way to go home.

This month, about 300 types of birds are flying over Chicago to go back to the south to live through the cold winter. Birds fly to warmer places for a few reasons. Many birds cannot live in the cold, so they fly to warmer places. But there are other reasons, too. Birds need to look for food in the south. Another reason is that they want to have baby birds. Many birds like to have their baby birds in the same “house” they lived in last year, so they fly back there.

There are about 9,000 kinds of birds in the world, and about 600 kinds of birds migrate. Some birds can fly a very long way. Sometimes they fly to other countries. We have fewer birds today because there are fewer places for birds.

1. Why did people in Chicago turn off their lights last week?

A．Because people wanted to save money.

B．Because people liked the dark night.

C．Because people were a afraid that birds would make much noise.

D．Because people were a afraid that birds would lose their way.

2. What does the underlined word “migrate” mean in Chinese?

A．move to a new place	B．stay at the same place
C．sleep in winter	D．lay eggs

3. Today we have fewer birds because ________.

A．lots of birds are often ill	B．people kill lots of birds
C．there are fewer places for birds	D．other animals eat them

4. Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A．All birds fly to warmer places every year.

B．Some birds have to fly to warmer places in autumn.

C．Some birds can fly a long way to other countries.

D．About 600 kinds of birds migrate in the world.