1 . There has been a very serious decline in the numbers of shallow-water fish as a result of overfishing. People still want to eat fish, so the fishing industry must look at other sources, especially the deep waters of the Atlantic.
Conservation measures will have to be put in place if these deep-sea fish are to survive. Research on five such species shows that numbers have declined by between 87 percent and 98 percent.
The problem is emphasized by the fact that the decline in numbers happened in less than twenty years. Deep-sea fish take a long time to reproduce and normally live for many years.
The damage done by overfishing goes beyond the sea environment. Millions of people make a living in the fishing industry.
| A．Billions of people rely on fish for protein. |
| B．Many people now choose not to eat deep-sea fish. |
| C．Unfortunately, their reproduction rate is very low. |
| D．This puts them in the category of “critically endangered”. |
| E．None of these facts has been taken into account by the fishing industry. |
| F．Overfishing is a major cause of decline in populations of ocean wildlife. |
| G．This has resulted in a sharp decline in the numbers of many of the species caught. |
2 . Natalie and Callie, both 13 years old, started raising monarch butterflies for fun in 2020.
But after realizing the monarchs were an endangered species, their
They learned that the population of monarch butterflies had
So the girls teamed up with a national nonprofit group to plant a native garden
The team has won the Silver Award for their
| A．dream | B．hobby | C．career | D．decision |
| A．doubled | B．aged | C．declined | D．exploded |
| A．management | B．assessment | C．selection | D．destruction |
| A．relied on | B．kept off | C．broke down | D．gave away |
| A．partly | B．secretly | C．rarely | D．specially |
| A．attracted | B．protected | C．monitored | D．trapped |
| A．employ | B．educate | C．force | D．limit |
| A．meant | B．cost | C．changed | D．hurt |
| A．dry | B．medical | C．healthy | D．wild |
| A．pleasing | B．light | C．long | D．disappointing |
| A．project | B．concept | C．schedule | D．assignment |
| A．concerned | B．connected | C．finished | D．occupied |
| A．chemicals | B．time | C．funds | D．energy |
| A．quoted | B．continued | C．replied | D．commented |
| A．donations | B．support | C．patience | D．efforts |
3 . Growing up, Danielle Belleny was always outdoors, picking up insects and investigating the animal world on her own. She hadn’t yet heard of wildlife biology, but that’s what she was learning about. She wanted to be a vet, a person who can treat sick or injured animals, at first. She said, “I always knew I wanted to work with animals, and as a kid，that was the only job I knew where I could do that.” But when Belleny was in college, her dad advised her to learn wildlife biology instead of veterinary.
Later, Belleny started working on research projects. One project involved placing trackers on a bird called the northern bobwhite. For another, she spent time herding goats, as a way to protect a grass habitat for endangered box turtles (龟) without hurting them.
Belleny’s working at Plateau Land &. Wildlife Management. “In the mornings, I’m usually out the door before sunrise,” she says. She surveys birds, keeping track of different species. And she searches for signs of what other animals in the area are doing. Around lunchtime, she’ll return home and write up a report. In the afternoon, she leaves for another site visit. Landowners can request her services. She advises people on how to protect the wildlife that lives on their farm. Her work takes her all around Texas.
Outside of work, young Belleny has been bird-watching for seven years. Her first book This Is a Book for People Who Love Birds was published in May, 2022. Now she’s working on a children’s book about birding, which is scheduled to come out in fall 2023. Belleny has some advice for young people thinking about careers. “Try everything you’re interested in through books and libraries. If you’re into wildlife biology, go to a library and find some field guides. After learning much information, you can do research work more easily.
1. What did Belleny want to do at the very beginning?| A．Working as a vet. | B．Protecting wildlife. |
| C．Watching birds daily. | D．Looking after goats. |
| A．Her field work. | B．Her link with animals. |
| C．Her research reports. | D．Her services to farmers. |
| A．Love nature and animals. | B．Make good use of libraries. |
| C．Write more animal books. | D．Go into biological research. |
| A．Curious minds never feel satisfied. | B．It pays off to put theory into practice. |
| C．Interest is the best teacher in your life. | D．Career choices should be made earlier. |
4 . Peppered moth caterpillars (桦尺蠖毛虫)live north of the equator. But if you’ve never seen one, don’t feel bad: They’re experts at blending in (融为一体). Each caterpillar looks like the branch it stays on, straightening its body into a stick-like shape. It also changes its color to match the branch’s color, whether white, green or brown.
According to a paper published in Communications Biology, the caterpillars sense the color of their surroundings not only with their eyes but also with their skin.
Ilik Saccheri, an author of the paper, normally studies the adult moth. This requires keeping a lot of caterpillars around. Years of observation awakened his curiosity about their color-changing abilities. Each caterpillar hatches tiny and black, and in its early days is blown around by the wind. Once it falls on a plant, it must disguise itself to avoid being spotted by birds.
“I was a bit disbelieving that they could change that only using their eyes,” Dr. Saccheri said.
Amy Eacock, a graduate student in Dr. Saccheri’s lab decided to investigate. First, she tested the caterpillars’ eyes for light-sensitive proteins called opsins (视蛋白). “We did the skin as kind of a negative control,” said Dr. Eacock. “But then we found they were expressed in the skin as highly as they were in the head.”
That’s when she suggested blindfolding the caterpillars. The researchers could cover their eyes, place them on different-colored dowels (木钉) , and see if they still changed to match.
“I thought it was kind of a crazy idea,” Dr. Saccheri said. The blindfolding itself was a difficult task, involving black paint, a tiny paintbrush, a microscope and lots of patience, Dr. Eacock said. Caterpillars molt (蜕皮) several times over their lives, which required that they be blindfolded again frequently.
But Dr. Eacock persisted, eventually testing more than 300 caterpillars. Over and over again, the blindfolded caterpillars successfully changed color to blend in.
Many questions remain, but the behavior alone impressed the researchers. Dr. Eacock said, “I remember turning to Ilik one day and saying, ‘You know what? The caterpillars are cooler than the moths.’” “Yes. They’re pretty amazing,” Dr. Saccheri agreed.
1. What can we learn about peppered moth caterpillars?| A．They feed on fresh tree branches. |
| B．They can be found easily across the world. |
| C．They can adapt to different environments. |
| D．They change their body color to match living conditions. |
| A．Caterpillars have a fear of height. |
| B．There are opsins in caterpillars’ skin. |
| C．Caterpillars molt several times in their life. |
| D．There is something strange in caterpillars’ eyes. |
| A．It was hard to operate. |
| B．It was well designed. |
| C．It was inspiring but the evidence was unreliable. |
| D．It was a failure but the methods deserved praise. |
| A．To solve a mystery. | B．To introduce a new species. |
| C．To present a scientific study. | D．To awaken readers’ curiosity. |
5 . According to the Solar Energy Industry Association, the number of solar panels installed(安装)has grown rapidly in the past decade, and it has to grow even faster to meet climate goals. But all of that growth will take up a lot of space, and though more and more people accept the concept of solar energy, few like large solar panels to be installed near them.
Solar developers want to put up panels as quickly and cheaply as possible, so they haven’t given much thought to what they put under them. Often, they’ll end up filling the area with small stones and using chemicals to control weeds. The result is that many communities, especially in farming regions, see solar farms as destroyers of the soil.
“Solar projects need to be good neighbors,” says Jordan Macknick, the head of the Innovative Site Preparation and Impact Reductions on the Environment(InSPIRE)project. “They need to be protectors of the land and contribute to the agricultural economy.” InSPIRE is investigating practical approaches to “low-impact” solar development, which focuses on establishing and operating solar farms in a way that is kinder to the land. One of the easiest low-impact solar strategies is providing habitat for pollinators(传粉昆虫).
Habitat loss, pesticide use, and climate change have caused dramatic declines in pollinator populations over the past couple of decades, which has damaged the U.S. agricultural economy. Over 28 states have passed laws related to pollinator habitat protection and pesticide use. Conservation organizations put out pollinator-friendliness guidelines for home gardens, businesses, schools, cities—and now there are guidelines for solar farms.
Over the past few years, many solar farm developers have transformed the space under their solar panels into a shelter for various kinds of pollinators, resulting in soil improvement and carbon reduction. “These pollinator-friendly solar farms can have a valuable impact on everything that’s going on in the landscape,” says Macknick.
1. What do solar developers often ignore?| A．The decline in the demand for solar energy. |
| B．The negative impact of installing solar panels. |
| C．The rising labor cost of building solar farms. |
| D．The most recent advances in solar technology. |
| A．Improve the productivity of local farms. |
| B．Invent new methods for controlling weeds. |
| C．Make solar projects environmentally friendly. |
| D．Promote the use of solar energy in rural areas. |
| A．To conserve pollinators. | B．To restrict solar development. |
| C．To diversify the economy. | D．To ensure the supply of energy. |
| A．Pollinators: To Leave or to Stay | B．Solar Energy: Hope for the Future |
| C．InSPIRE: A Leader in Agriculture | D．Solar Farms: A New Development |
6 . Can you imagine someone hunting you down with a gun? Most of us would be terrified. So, it’s no surprise that that’s how animals respond, too.
Orcas, a species that have been systematically hunted- even with machine guns-dramatically decreased in number in the twentieth century. These so-called “killer whales” hunted the same fish that fishermen prized and were therefore seen as competition. Consequently, killer whales began avoiding certain locations and routes. But while North America largely banned their killing in the 1970s, they continue to be hunted in Greenland to this day.
Elephants also have to deal with human hunters. Ivory poachers(象牙偷猎者)have greatly reduced the African elephant population, which used to cover the entire continent. The ivory trade was banned in 1990, but animal habitats and food supplies have still declined. In Kenya, the human population has increased four times over the last 40 years while the elephant population declined by four-fifths.
This has caused the elephants to adopt unique responses to people. For instance, elephants are terrified of the spear-waving Maasai, an ethnic group of Kenya and Tanzania who have often hurt elephants when trying to protect their own cattle.
So once in an experiment by a group of zoologists, when elephants living close to the Maasai were presented with three different T-shirts, one belonging to a Maasai, another to a different local and one to a researcher, they only reacted with fear to the Maasai shirt, literally smelling the danger.
However, neither elephants nor killer whales commonly show anger and hate for people. In fact, elephants are generally friendly to humans. And the only instances of killer whales harming a person occurred when the whales were kept in a water cage. Orcas have even been reported to aid humans in need, protecting them from other animals.
1. Why are killer whales often hunted?| A．They are hugely profitable. |
| B．They harm people’s interests. |
| C．They threaten fishermen’s safety. |
| D．They compete with other wildlife for food. |
| A．Less illegal ivory trade. |
| B．The decline of food supplies. |
| C．Elephants’ traveling to other continents. |
| D．The population change of humans and elephants. |
| A．To prove humans’ influence on animals. |
| B．To show the defensive nature of the Maasai. |
| C．To illustrate the cleverness of the wild animals. |
| D．To highlight the urgency of animal conservation. |
| A．Fierce Animals Can Feel Frightened Too |
| B．Animal Kingdoms Are Sounding an Alarm |
| C．Animals Are Trying to Fit in Human World |
| D．Human Actions Have Shaped Animal Consciousness |
7 . A single tremble shook beneath my feet. The trees above me began to sway(摇摆) hard. Then came the deadly
Years have passed since the disaster that
Today I am going on a trip to California to help
| A．silence | B．power | C．emergency | D．extinction |
| A．under pressure | B．in ruins | C．on hand | D．in shock |
| A．promote | B．supply | C．contain | D．measure |
| A．extremely | B．obviously | C．actually | D．simply |
| A．adapted to | B．thought of | C．concentrated on | D．worked out |
| A．carved | B．buried | C．designed | D．observed |
| A．balance | B．memory | C．strength | D．impression |
| A．request | B．comparison | C．path | D．reaction |
| A．struck | B．identified | C．threatened | D．reminded |
| A．amazing | B．frightening | C．exciting | D．challenging |
| A．professionals | B．volunteers | C．survivors | D．experts |
| A．painful | B．unusual | C．awkward | D．unique |
| A．appreciate | B．possess | C．exchange | D．improve |
| A．affect | B．recognize | C．recommend | D．contact |
| A．establish | B．change | C．remove | D．revise |
8 . I met the Man of the Trees in summer ten years ago, when I was visiting Uncle Jita.
Those were difficult times. People were cutting down our forest, and there was often flooding. Sometimes our water supply was dirty. When our pump(水泵)did have clean water, we had to wait in line for ages. When the pump wasn’t working, we had to walk five kilometres to the closest stream.
But I was happy. I was going to see my favorite uncle. When the day finally arrived, Dad drove me to Uncle Jita’s house and left. Once he saw me, Uncle Jita announced, “Tomorrow we’re going to explore a magical place. Here is my camera, Amy. You can take photos of what you see.”
The following day, we woke up and left early on a boat. The trip was exciting. But when we got off, there was ... nothing in front of us. “I don’t want to take pictures of this,” I complained.
Uncle laughed,“Start walking, Amy. I promise you’ll be surprised.” After some time, I could see the outline of a forest in the distance. A little closer, there was a man waving to us.
“That’s Kabir. The forest you see is his. He planted every single tree.” As we walked towards Kabir, Uncle explained that thirty years ago, the whole area was a wasteland. But one day Kabir decided to change all that and started planting trees. Thanks to him, part of the wasteland is now a paradise(天堂).
Uncle introduced me to Kabir, who had gray hair and a determined face. “Jita told me you like animals. Are you ready to see some?” he asked. “Of course!” I replied. We continued walking and soon were under the trees. I turned my head and was amazed at the difference between the two places. All because of the efforts of one man.
Like Uncle said, Kabir’s forest was magical. We saw deer, rhinos, and even tigers. During lunchtime, Kabir explained how, by planting trees, it was possible to stop the land from eroding(侵蚀).
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。
Hearing this, I turned to my uncle, “I think we can plant trees too ”
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________In the years that followed, people in our village worked hard to carry out our plan.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________9 . Milo is a rescue dog, adopted by 20-year-old Makayla Swift. One morning in November 2021, Swift opened her front door in Silver Spring, Maryland, and Milo
“He started
Hours earlier, around 4 a. m., Sherry Starr had
“Her voice was very
Swift called 911. The rescuers thought they’d have to remove the toilet, but they gave one last pull and out she popped. Though injured, Starr
| A．woke up | B．took off | C．caught up | D．held back |
| A．head | B．feet | C．tail | D．ear |
| A．scratching | B．struggling | C．opening | D．pulling |
| A．break down | B．settle down | C．sign up | D．break into |
| A．disturbed | B．embarrassed | C．discouraged | D．disappointed |
| A．own | B．way | C．property | D．business |
| A．risen | B．sprang | C．raised | D．jumped |
| A．skipped | B．crashed | C．slipped | D．wept |
| A．amazed | B．hopeful | C．angry | D．scared |
| A．aim | B．bet | C．opinion | D．point |
| A．sweet | B．deep | C．faint | D．familiar |
| A．fun | B．help | C．practice | D．sale |
| A．instantly | B．confidently | C．slightly | D．merely |
| A．considered | B．offered | C．declined | D．remembered |
| A．lesson | B．treat | C．blessing | D．pet |
10 . Scientists have discovered the world’s largest known field of sea grass. They did it using videos shot by some unusual helpers: tiger sharks. The work should help protect the sea grass, and also shows off a powerful way to explore the ocean.
Sea grasses are flowering plants that normally grow in shallow waters near coasts. They grow in thick fields，known as meadows(草地). Sea grass meadows help clean the ocean’s water, and provide food and shelter for many sea creatures. Sea grasses store huge amounts of carbon—the harmful pollution that’s making global warming worse. Damaging these sea grass meadows can release this pollution again,so it’s important to protect them.
From above, the meadows can be hard to spot, either because the water is too deep or not clear enough. And the ocean is so huge that it’s simply not possible to study it all by diving. So a team of scientists decided to have sharks help with the research. Tiger sharks are huge, strong, and deadly. But they also live underwater, are fast swimmers, and spend a lot of time in sea grass meadows. Between 2016 and 2020, a team of researchers attached cameras and other trackers to the fins (鳍) of seven tiger sharks. After catching the sharks, the scientists worked quickly to attach the equipment, and then let them go again.
The scientists have learned that the waters around the Bahamas are home to the largest sea grass meadow ever discovered and that the world has roughly 40% more sea grass meadows than they previously thought.
The programme shows how useful large underwater animals can be in helping to learn more about life under the sea. Oliver Ship ley is a scientist at Beneath the Waves,which led the work. He says animals like tiger sharks “...are going to take us to new places that we didn’t know existed.”
1. What can be known about sea grasses in Paragraph 2?| A．They help fight global warming. | B．They need to be removed regularly. |
| C．They mainly live on sea creatures. | D．They grow in deep waters of the ocean. |
| A．They are sensitive to sea grasses. | B．Cameras are easily fixed on them. |
| C．They are the most faithful sea animals. | D．They spend much time in sea grass meadows. |
| A．They are dangerous. | B．They are adorable. |
| C．They are helpful. | D．They are smart. |
| A．Many new places in the ocean need exploring. |
| B．Sharks help discover world’s largest sea grass meadow. |
| C．Scientists have found a powerful way to protect the ocean. |
| D．Large underwater animals contribute a lot to the ocean. |
