1 . Christmas is a time of great joy but it can also lead to over-consumption. Here’s how to cut back on unnecessary purchases (购买) and help save the planet in the process.

Get an eco-friendly tree

Having a Christmas tree at home has been a British tradition since the 1700s and we fill our homes with around 8 million a year. But we know plastic trees pollute the planet and cutting down a two-metre tree can produce up to 16 kg of CO₂ when it rots in landfill according to the Carbon Trust. But there is an alternative. You can rent a tree from Eco-Elf who deliver it to your door, and then collects it after Christmas to replant it in their UK forests.

Give gifts that make new memories

There’s so much pressure to buy friends, family, colleagues, or neighbours a gift at this time of year. But in fact around £42 million worth of Christmas presents aren’t wanted and end up in dustbins each year, which is not eco-friendly. Chances are your loved ones would rather spend more time with you than have more gifts. You could either book an experience together like a cooking class or a boat trip; organise a nature treasure hunt or go bird-watching; or share a skill you have with them like fixing their bike.

1. What do we know about eco-friendly Christmas trees?

A．They will produce much CO2.

B．They can be bought from Eco-Elf.

C．They can be replanted after Christmas.

D．They have been used by British since the 1700s.

2. Which Christmas gift is Not suggested according to the passage?

A．Fixing your friend’s bike.

B．Organizing a business trip.

C．Enjoying bird-watching.

D．Sharing a cooking class with your kids.

3. What’s the aim of the passage?

A．To introduce several Christmas traditions.

B．To cut back on any purchases at Christmas.

C．To help people have an eco-friendly Christmas.

D．To remind people to spend more time with family at Christmas.

2 . 阅读下面材料, 在空白处填入1个适当的单词或所给单词的正确形式。将答案填写在答题卡的相应位置。

World Soil Day     1     (hold) every year on 5 December as a means to focus attention on the importance of soil health and to advocate for the sustainable management of soil resources. The UN General Assembly declared     2     first World Soil Day in 2014.

As we all know, the     3     (result) of climate change are increasingly unpredictable. Knowing the land, therefore, becomes essential in order to prevent damage     4     can do harm to soil health.

World Soil Day 2022 and its campaign, “Soils: Where food begins”, aims     5     (raise) awareness of the importance of maintaining ecosystems and human well-being by     6     (address) the growing challenges in soil management, increasing soil awareness and encouraging societies to improve soil health.

Soil nutrient loss is a major soil degradation (退化) process threatening nutrition.     7     is recognized as being among the most critical problems at a global level for food security and sustainability all around the globe. Agricultural production will have to increase by 60% to meet the global food demand in 2050     8     up to 58% more food could be produced through sustainable soil management.

Our lives depend     9     soils-the mix of mineral and organic matter combined with air, water, and microbes. Without     10     (health) soils, every living creature on Earth is at risk.

3 . Kids want to spend their summer vacations having fun in the sun with their friends. Reading may not even be on their list. But if you add a lovely dog, that could make reading a pleasant activity.

Now a new study found that reading to dogs helps to improve reading ability because dogs provide a nonjudgmental and supportive atmosphere(氛围).

Three educators from the college decided to look at new ways to get kids to read more after the Education Ministry expressed concern over a great drop in reading scores in fourth-grade students.

These students had reading difficulties because they did not go through school in person during the last three years. They missed out on reading practice with their peers(同龄人)during the second and third grades.

“We want to find an original way that would encourage students to practice their reading,” Har-Zvi, head of the special-education track and senior lecturer at the college said. “And to create that encouragement, we decided to do experiments with dogs.”

Reading to pets encourages kids to acquire confidence and interest in reading, according to the pet food company Purina. That’s not only because the practice of reading to dogs is used in home-schooling to help the kids acquire reading ability, but also because pets are comforting and nonjudgmental. Einat Artzi, whose daughter took part in the experiment, told Ynet that her daughter Michaela ”has loved dogs from a young age. Her experience of reading to dogs greatly increased her desire to read, and in her opinion, it improved her reading abilities. All in all, the experience of introducing dogs into the classroom made her feel comfortable and safe, and she began to enjoy going to school. Michaela is now considered one of the top readers in her class and has a very rich vocabulary. Thanks to this, we also took in a dog.“

1. What led three educators to try to get kids to read more?

A．Kids’ difficulty in making friends.	B．Teachers’ passive teaching methods.
C．Their worry about students’ health.	D．Concerns of education leaders.

2. What gave the kids confidence in the experiment?

A．The quiet listening of the dogs.	B．The kids’ love for the dogs.
C．The parents’ joining them.	D．The guidance from the teachers.

3. How did the experiment influence Michaela according to her mother?

A．It made her fall in love with dogs.	B．It bettered her reading ability greatly.
C．It improved her relationships with others.	D．It allowed her to take a dog to school.

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

A．Dogs Are Good Friends to Kids	B．Kids’ Reading Scores Are Dropping
C．Dogs Help Make Kids Better Readers	D．Kids Studying at Home Brings Problems

4 . 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。

Kay Day, an 87-year-old UK woman, loves elephants. But Day, who suffers from dementia(痴呆), rarely leaves her nursing home room and hasn’t seen a real elephant for a really long time. Until now.

Day is so fond of elephants that her room is full of elephant photos and toys. She dreamed of seeing an elephant up close again but never thought it would happen. On Wednesday, August 9, 2023, Day’s dream became a reality after her nursing home took her on a special trip to the Whipsnade Zoo.

The nursing home collected money to be able to realize Day’s dream. “Day doesn’t join in many activities and tends to spend quite a lot of time alone,” said the nursing home manager. “So when we sat and discussed wishes, we found out she would love to see an elephant. When we found the Elephant Experience at Whipsnade and contacted them, we said we should make her dream come true!”

Day was so excited about going to the zoo that she marked off the days on her elephant-themed calendar. Day’s carers telephoned her family and asked them to come along on the trip to support her on that exciting day.

Since the Whipsnade Zoo is a protection zoo that is working to protect wildlife as well as connect people with nature, the staff runs a lot of programs including various animal experiences and “Be a Keeper” days.

Day often told people around her that she would like to pet and feed the elephants herself as she did many years before. And she said that the elephants’ trunks (象鼻) are her favourite part of the huge animals. “It’s such a wonderful feeling to have an elephant take some food out of your hand, put it in his trunk, curl (卷起) it up and put it in his mouth, ” she told the reporter when she was interviewed.

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。

The day for going to the zoo finally came.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The moment arrived when Day was able to meet the elephants up close.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5 . As temperatures soar, electric bills often go through the roof. That’s because people tend to turn on their air conditioners during the long, hot summer months.

It’s been predicted that by 2050 about 75 percent of the world’s homes could have air conditioners. If that’s true, the energy required to cool buildings will double. For that reason, researchers continue to look for solutions to keep air-conditioner usage to a minimum. Some innovations are being used already or are in the process of being developed. Certain building materials can feel cooler because of their ability to absorb heat and release it slowly. Other buildings use water cooling systems to cool them. However, these aren’t the only methods. Science has a few more tricks up its sleeve.

Researchers at Purdue University have developed the world’s whitest paint. This paint can keep a building’s exterior surface cooler than the surrounding temperature. On hot days, walls absorb heat and often become 10 to 20 degrees Celsius hotter than the air around them. But walls painted with Purdue’s white paint reflect 98.1 percent of the heat and send it back into space. This creates a cooling effect.

Purdue professor Xiulin Ruan believes that the super-white paint could have a more powerful cooling effect than many home air conditioners. Researchers hope to have the paint on the market in five to 10 years.

Yi Zheng of Northeastern University has created a “cooling paper”. This material reflects the sun’s rays while pulling heat out of a building’s interior, and the paper can be recycled. He and his team discovered that the paper helps bring down a room’s temperature by about 6 degrees Celsius. Zheng hopes that the cooling paper will someday be used on roofs and within building materials.

Now and in the future, perhaps some of these energy-efficient methods will make it easier to beat the heat.

1. Why does the author mention the air conditioners at the beginning of the passage?

A．To describe a fact.	B．To support an idea.
C．To provide examples.	D．To introduce the topic.

2. What do we know about Purdue’s white paint?

A．It has been on the market.

B．It is the world’s coolest paint.

C．Walls painted with it reflect most of the heat.

D．It can keep the whole building’s surface cooler.

3. What can we infer according to Yi Zheng?

A．The surface of a buildings is better covered with paper.

B．Buildings will be built mostly with cooling paper someday.

C．The cooling paper will be practical and eco-friendly building materials.

D．The cooling paper can bring down a room’s temperature more than air conditioners.

4. Which of the following would be the best title?

A．Purdue’s White Paint: A New Material to Cool Buildings

B．Cool Buildings: Innovative Ways to Keep Buildings Cool

C．Cool Building Materials: Solutions to Fight against Climate Change

D．Future Air Conditioners: New Energy-efficient Methods to Beat the Heat

6 . The Best Space Museums

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum | Washington

Housing 60, 000 air and space collections, the museum enables visitors to learn about the rich history of aviation by viewing the first successful aircraft—the 1903 Wright Flyer—and everything that came next. From pilot uniforms to NASA spacesuits, engines and equipment, you’ll find it all at this museum.

National Museum of the U. S. Air Force | Dayton

If your main interests lie in military aviation, this museum will have everything you’ve ever wanted to see. It features exhibits on World War II, the Korean War, the Southeast Asia War and the Cold War. They’ve also got a Missile Gallery as well as a Space Gallery where visitors can walk inside a full-size reproduction of a NASA shuttle.

U. S. Space and Rocket Center |Huntsville

Space fans know this museum to be the site of the original Space Camp, including the film by the same name, but there’s plenty more to see here. The Center has a number of exhibits both indoors and out and many play areas for younger kids. 3D movies and live science shows add to the appeal. Most impressively, it is totally free to visitors.

Pima Air& Space Museum | Tucson

The privately funded museum has been in operation for over 40 years and has over 300historic aircraft on display. You’ll also find several exhibits that range from seaplanes and aircraft carriers to paper airplanes and women in flight. One of the biggest draws, though, is its extensive “boneyard”, a collection of over 4,000 U. S. government and military aircraft that are either being recycled or regenerated.

1. What feature distinguishes National Museum of the U. S. Air Force from the others?

A．It organizes space camps every year.

B．It has a shuttle of the same size as a real one.

C．It has a history of 40 years.

D．It charges a small entrance fee.

2. If you are a student on a tight budget, which museum are you expected to go?

A．Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.

B．National Museum of the U. S. Air Force.

C．U. S. Space and Rocket Center.

D．Pima Air & Space Museum.

3. What is this text?

A．An introduction to some museums.

B．A family outing guide.

C．A travel event brochure.

D．A commercial ad.

7 . Lightning can strike anyplace on Earth. In fact, there are about 6,000 lightning strikes every minute, which is more than 8 million strikes every day. The risk of being struck by lightning is low, but the consequences of lightning strike injuries are serious. Even though your home is a safe shelter during a lightning storm, you might still be at risk. About one-third of lightning-strike injuries occur indoors.     1    

Avoid water.

Do NOT bathe, shower, wash dishes, or have any other contact with water during a thunderstorm.     2    

    3    

Do NOT use anything connected to an electrical outlet (电源插座), such as computers, game systems, washers, or stoves. Lightning can travel through electrical systems, radio and television reception systems, and any metal wires or bars in concrete walls or flooring.

Avoid windows, doors, porches, and concrete.

    4     Do NOT lie on concrete floors or lean on concrete walls during a thunderstorm. Lightning can travel through any metal wires or bars in concrete walls or flooring.

Don’t use corded (有线的) phones.

Corded phones are NOT safe to use during a thunderstorm. Do NOT use them.     5    

Follow the safety measures above can minimize your risk of being injured indoors on lighting days. Don’t take it for granted that only outdoor activities can put you in a dangerous place. Keep it in mind that inappropriate indoor activities can also be disastrous.

A．Here are some tips to keep safe and reduce your risk of being struck while indoors.

B．In addition, follow up on the latest information about the storm.

C．However, it is safe to use cordless or mobile phones during a storm.

D．Stay away from windows and doors, and stay off porches.

E．Some outdoors measures can keep you safe and prevent you from being attacked.

F．Lightning can travel through a building’s water pipe system.

G．Don’t touch electronic equipment.

8 . 近年来，世界多地自然灾害频发，引起了全球对环境保护以及动物保护的思考。假如你是李华，要求你用英文写一封加入动物保护协会的申请信，要点如下表：

姓名	Li Hua	学校／年级	No. 1 Middle School/2
电话	0730-82835988	邮箱	8344506@qq.com
爱好	take photos of the nature
原因	1.enjoy the nature, learn more about the qualities of all kinds of animals 2.want to do something to protect the animals from danger
想法和建议	encourage more people to take part in the activities, advise the government to make laws and build more nature   reserves
空闲	every Sunday

注意：1．词数100左右，开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数;
2．可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Chairman,

I would like to join the Animal Protection Society.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I am looking forward to hearing from you soon!

Yours sincerely,

Li Hua

9 . 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。续写的词数应为150左右。

On the plains of northwest Oklahoma, you can see for miles: nothing but grass, masses of evergreen trees and steep red-rock canyons(峡谷). But with my telescope, I could see the helicopters, one after another clearly, dumping water on a wildfire in the far distance. I wasn’t concerned by the small cloud of smoke snaking skyward. It had to be at least 50 miles away, even across the South Canadian River.

That afternoon, my uncle Larry, my cousin Tony and I had driven to this 4, 000-acre farm for a three-day hunt. I took a few pictures of bushy trees and grand canyons. Then I sent some of them with my cellphone to my wife, Ande, who was 60 miles away. “There’s nothing to worry about. Just have a nice day.” I typed. She had seen the fire on the news and called a few minutes earlier to warn me. Anyway, I didn’t want her to be worried.

The wind had picked up, blowing hard from the southwest. We climbed into the vehicle, with Larry driving, to look for places to hunt the turkeys the next day. We headed north along a small road and stopped here and there to look for signs of turkeys.

We drove for about a mile before Larry turned to head back south, toward the farmhouse. As we did, my eyes went wide. A wall of flames was racing toward us, maybe three quarters of a mile away. “Get us out of here!” I screamed. Larry speeded up the vehicle, bouncing hard along the small road. How had the fire jumped over the river? The flames would be on us in no time. With a fence blocking the way, we jumped out of the vehicle. Then I made a phone call to Ande. “We’re surrounded by fire,” I shouted over the howling wind. “Call 911! We need a helicopter to get us out of here.” The connection went dead.

Paragraph 1:

I looked around, but I couldn’t see Larry and Tony.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:

When I woke up, I found myself in a helicopter.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

10 . Scientists in Antarctica have recorded, for the first time, unusually warm water beneath a glacier (冰川) the size of Florida that is already melting and contributing to a _______ in sea levels.

The researchers, _______ on the Thwaites Glacier，recorded water temperatures at the base of the ice of more than 2 degrees Celsius, _______ the normal freezing point.

It is _______ how fast the glacier is deteriorating (恶化): Studies have forecast its total collapse in a century and also in a few decades. The presence of _______ water in the grounding line may support estimates at the faster range.

That is _______ because the Thwaites, along with the Pine Island Glacier, _______ as a brake (阻力) on part of the much larger West Antarctic Ice Sheet. Together, the two bigger glaciers are currently _______ ice that, if melted, would raise the world’s oceans by _______ than a meter over centuries, an amount that would put many coastal cities under water.

“Warm waters in this part of the world, as ________ as they may seem, should serve as a ________ to all of us about the potential dire (非常糟糕的) changes to the planet ________ out by climate change,” said David Holland, a lead ________ on the expedition.

While scientists may not yet be able to definitively ________ how soon glaciers like the Thwaites will melt, human-caused climate change is a key ________. The biggest predictor of “how much ice we will lose and how quickly we will lose it,” Dr. Moon said, “is human action.”

1.

A．rise

B．improvement

C．decline

D．development

2.

A．travelling

B．walking

C．living

D．working

3.

A．in

B．at

C．above

D．under

4.

A．unclear

B．uneasy

C．uncommon

D．unlikely

5.

A．dirty

B．deep

C．cold

D．warm

6.

A．familiar

B．controversial

C．ambiguous

D．significant

7.

A．acts

B．sees

C．views

D．regards

8.

A．taking off

B．passing on

C．holding back

D．writing down

9.

A．stronger

B．more

C．better

D．other

10.

A．remote

B．funny

C．strange

D．likely

11.

A．warning

B．notice

C．discussion

D．explanation

12.

A．pulled

B．thrown

C．brought

D．taken

13.

A．reporter

B．resident

C．fisher

D．researcher

14.

A．date

B．think

C．predict

D．answer

15.

A．character

B．factor

C．role

D．figure