1 . Vast lands of America are dominated by corn, nearly 100macres of it, stretching from Ohio to the Dakotas. What once was forest today produces the corn that feeds people, cattle and, when made into ethanol (乙醇), cars.
Now, the nation’s airlines want to power their planes with corn, too. United Airlines signed a deal with a Nebraska ethanol company to buy enough sustainable fuel, to power 50,000 flights a year. The government could decide on its tax incentives (税收激励) for the industry as soon as December. “Mark my words, the next 20 years, corn farmers are going to provide 95% of all the sustainable airline fuel,” President Biden said in July.
The airlines’ ambitious goal would likely require nearly doubling ethanol production, which airlines say, with great expectation, would decrease their greenhouse gas emissions. If they succeed, it could transform America’s Corn Belt, stimulating farmers and ethanol producers, but potentially further damaging one of the nation’s most important resources: groundwater.
Corn requires a lot of water to grow and it can take hundreds of gallons to produce a single gallon of ethanol. But as airlines take the idea of ethanol, the vital groundwater faces serious risks. “We’re on track to massively increase water usage without any real sense of how sensitive our groundwater is,” said Jeffrey Broberg, who is concerned about groundwater in Minnesota, a major corn state.
The Department of Energy said in a statement that “water use is a critical part of the conversation surrounding bio-energy sustainability”. It pointed to a 2022 department study that concluded that the United States could significantly reduce pressure on groundwater by shifting fuel production away from water-intensive crops like corn, instead growing more crops that don’t require irrigation (灌溉), like various types of straw, grasses and trees. Hopefully, a better approach will be soon studied and adopted.
1. What can we learn from the first two paragraphs?| A．Farmers will increase 95% of their ethanol production. |
| B．The sustainable fuel will not be popular in the future. |
| C．Corn will be an influential source in the fuel industry. |
| D．The government stops the new fuel for the groundwater. |
| A．Preventing. | B．Motivating. | C．Destroying. | D．Impressing. |
| A．The shortage of corn production. |
| B．The increase in global warming. |
| C．A rise in clean-energy tax credits. |
| D．Higher stress on the groundwater. |
| A．Expand the corn planting area. |
| B．Use some alternative materials. |
| C．Cut down the daily water usage. |
| D．Turn to the government for help. |
1. What does the speaker probably do?
| A．A firefighter. | B．A plane designer. | C．A news reporter. |
| A．From a river. | B．From a lake. | C．From the Fire Center. |
| A．It’s time-wasting. | B．It’s quite easy. | C．It’s dangerous. |
| A．It has been put out. | B．It lasted 20 hours. | C．It is still spreading. |
I had an independent and clever dog named Stickeen. He enjoyed the delicious food that my family prepared for him every day. He often ran out of my sight when walking with me.
Early one morning, I went to explore a nearby glacier (冰川). Stickeen followed me, and together we went upon the glacier. Later, I discovered that we were trapped between two very deep cracks (裂缝) in the glacier. The only way across it was a very thin ice that connected the cracks. I made a path across the “bridge” and got to the other side. But my dog was afraid to have a try and began to cry. After taking another careful look at the large cracks, he ran away hopelessly to find some other crossings. By the time he got back, he was confused of course.
When I reached the other side, he screamed louder than ever, and after running back and forth without searching for a good way to escape, he would return to the edge (边缘) of the crack, crying as if in the sadness of death. I called again and again in a sure voice to come on and fear nothing, but he would think for a moment, look down again at the “bridge”, and shout his unshakable thought that he could never, never come that way, and then lie back hopelessly, as if screaming, “O-o-oh! What a place! No-o-o, I can never go-o-o down there!” At last, I seriously shouted to him that now I must certainly leave him and I could wait no longer if he could not come.
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。
He knew very well what I meant.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When we went back home, Stickeen was a changed dog.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________4 . 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. |
5 . “What if we treat the ocean as if our lives depend on it? Or, what if we don’t?” World-famous marine biologist Sylvia Earle poses her famous “what if” questions to inspire people to reflect on how they can help save the ocean. In 1998, Time magazine named Earle its first “Hero for the Planet.”
Earle’s move to Florida’s west coast at age 12 is what started a lifelong passion. She says, “That’s where I first fell in love with the ocean.” In 1953, using newly developed equipment, the young scientist became one of the first in her field to scuba dive (水肺潜水). Her first long-term exposure to the ocean depths came in 1970 when she led an all-female research team to study the ocean. They lived under the sea in a submersible (潜水器) for two weeks. When they returned to the surface, world-wide cheer and praise were waiting, especially for Dr. Earle.
Sylvia Earle’s career includes many firsts. In 1979 she became the first woman to walk the ocean floor 381 meters below the surface. In 1990, she became the first female chief scientist of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Through the years, Earle has spent roughly 7,500 hours underwater. During that time, she has become increasingly alarmed by the significant changes she has observed.
The famous scientist fears that the ocean is dying. Climate change, overfishing, the dumping of trash and chemicals and oil spills are just some of the many causes. In order to tackle the problem, Earle formed Mission Blue in 2009. This organization promotes the legal protection and conservation of the world’s oceans. Her plan is to develop “Hope Spots,” protected areas large enough to reverse (逆转) damage and restore the ocean.
1. Why does Sylvia Earle put forward “what if” questions?| A．To call on people to protect the ocean. |
| B．To stress our dependence on the ocean. |
| C．To criticize people’s damage to the ocean. |
| D．To contribute an article to Time magazine. |
| A．She moved to Florida to learn diving. |
| B．She was the best in scuba diving. |
| C．She did not get much attention in 1970. |
| D．She became a chief scientist of NOAA in 1990. |
| A．Scientists’ fears. | B．Causes of the damage. |
| C．Efforts Earle made. | D．Bright future for the ocean. |
| A．Dr. Sylvia Earle — A Lover of Diving |
| B．Dr. Sylvia Earle — Pioneer of the Deep |
| C．The Ocean — A place in Urgent Need of Our Care |
| D．Scuba Diving — A Fantastic Way to Learn the Ocean |
1.题目含义; 2.生态保护的意义; 3.具体措施.
注意︰
1. 词数80左右; 2.可以适当增加细节,以使行文连贯.
Ladies and gentlemen,
I am honored to stand here to deliver a speech.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Picking tea leaves is
China has been a big tea producing country since ancient times. According to official data, China’s tea planting area
In spring, local hillsides are often filled with tea pickers as well as farmers
8 . I was suddenly awakened at about 4 a.m. by a strange experience which I did not understand at first. I was
Others too in my house and neighborhood must have
The quakes of the earth caused no damage in Mumbai. For several hours next morning we thought, with
The destruction caused by the earthquake at Latur proved the
| A．attacked | B．comforted | C．rocked | D．sheltered |
| A．pleasant | B．strange | C．fascinating | D．fluent |
| A．coming | B．flashing | C．reflecting | D．tracking |
| A．annoyance | B．joy | C．relief | D．horror |
| A．warned | B．recognized | C．impacted | D．prevented |
| A．jumped | B．walked | C．rushed | D．struggled |
| A．anxious | B．excited | C．curious | D．hopeful |
| A．blown up | B．come out | C．died down | D．gone off |
| A．expected | B．forgiven | C．repeated | D．stopped |
| A．admiration | B．gratitude | C．regret | D．satisfaction |
| A．generous | B．impressive | C．harmless | D．tough |
| A．burned | B．frozen | C．thrown | D．ruined |
| A．lost | B．cured | C．discovered | D．rescued |
| A．power | B．creativity | C．helplessness | D．limit |
| A．fact | B．pity | C．honor | D．wonder |
9 . In 2017, Titli Trust began working with Tehri Forest Division to arm the local community — with knowledge — through a program named Living with Leopards (豹). The forest officials made a study trip to Mumbai to learn from their experiences there.
“Our Mumbai trip has taught us that we need to change the focus from leopards to people,” says Dr Koko Rose from the Tehri Forest Division. This meant reaching out to villagers to share measures they could take to minimize (最小化) the chances of meeting a leopard or being attacked. They include clearing bushes around homes to minimize hiding spaces for leopards, leaving a light on at night, and ensuring people, especially children, did not go out alone at night. The strategies are carefully aimed at a leopard’s known habits: they are shy, tend to avoid human beings, and are more active at night.
Forest officials also went to schools and launched a children’s ambassador program, where children dressed up as leopards and performed for their parents in order to create more understanding of why leopards come near their homes, and how to stay safe.
These efforts seemed effective. In the four years before the program started, there were 45 cases of human-leopard conflict in the Tehri area, among them 10 human deaths. Now, the number went down to 14 and four human deaths. “Our ancestors tell us how they have lived in the forests, grazed (放牧) the animals in the forests, but the leopard has never attacked them,” says Meena, a local villager, “So we too can live with leopards, if we remain watchful and follow the rules.”
1. What did the forest officials learn from the study trip?| A．The community could be armed. |
| B．People were more attractive than leopards. |
| C．What people could do to help mattered more. |
| D．They could reach out to the villagers for help. |
| A．The leopard’s shy nature. | B．The forest officials’ opinion. |
| C．The villagers’ measures. | D．The geographic features. |
| A．They didn’t go out at night. |
| B．They learnt how to stay safe. |
| C．They dressed up to drive leopards away. |
| D．They performed to teach their parents. |
| A．Leopards — Shy Animals |
| B．Learning to Live with Leopards Again |
| C．Cooperating in Protection of Wildlife |
| D．Measures to Reduce Leopard Movements |
10 . When the dog Abby disappeared in Dothan, Alabama, all she left behind was her collar(项圈)and an empty tie-out line. June Rountree and her husband searched the neighborhood door to door for their missing 4-year-old black-and-white fur baby to no avail. Three weeks passed and there was no sign of Abby, then something unexpected happened.
June was working on the weekend at the Walmart register when she heard a lot of noise. Somehow, a dog had gotten loose in the store and was cleverly dodging(避开)the would-be shoppers and staff as she rushed through various departments.
“I was like,‘What in the world is happening?’” customer service associate Danielle Robinette said. When the dog arrived at June’s post,register No. 6, it was clear that she wasn’t checking out,but she was checking in. June could hardly believe it. The dashing dog was her long-absent Abby. “I called her name and she came to me,” Rountree said. “I bent over and hugged her. I completely lost it then. I couldn’t speak. I was in complete shock and just couldn’t believe it. ”
No one is sure where Abby was for the three weeks, but for a dog that had been on its own three weeks she was in pretty good shape. The Rountrees believe someone must have been feeding her even if they were unable to catch her, and they’re truly grateful for that.
Someone guesses that since June had been with Abby in the Walmart parking lot a few times, the dog might have recognized the location when she happened upon it in her travels. While we’re not sure where Walmart generally stocks(存货)happy reunions, we think it’s safe to say when Abby left the store to go home with her mom, she was one satisfied customer.
1. Where did June find Abby?| A．In a store. | B．In her house. |
| C．In a parking lot. | D．In her neighborhood. |
| A．June was lost in Abby’s departure. |
| B．June almost forgot Abby at that time. |
| C．June was afraid that she would lose Abby forever. |
| D．June was so excited that she was almost out of control. |
| A．She was caught by someone. |
| B．She was adopted by a new owner. |
| C．She went through very hard times. |
| D．She was fed by warm-hearted people. |
| A．The Magic of Kindness |
| B．A Heart-warming Reunion |
| C．Abby’s Love for the Store |
| D．The Pleasure of Owning a Pet |
