1 . In a heartwarming rescue operation off the coast of Houston-Galveston, a U.S. CoastGuard team discovered an unexpected passenger during a routine inspection of shipping containers. The team, led by Petty Officer 2nd Class McMahon, were astonished when they heard barking and scratching coming from one of the containers.
As they cautiously opened the container, they were greeted by the sight of a small, furry face — a dog trapped inside the dark space. The dog seemed remarkably calm and happy to be liberated from her limited quarters.
“As soon as we opened it, we could see the little dog’s face poking out,” McMahon said. “She just seemed happy more than anything, to be out of that dark space and in the arms of people that were going to take care of her.”
Further investigation by Coast Guard officials revealed that Connie had been trapped in the container for at least eight days, deprived of food and water. The container, filled with deserted vehicles intended for overseas sales, had likely originated from a junkyard.
“So based on that, they think that the dog most likely was in a junkyard, in a car. And that how she accidentally got put in the container,” Chief Petty Officer Corinne Zilnicki said.
Grateful for being in the right place at the right time, McMahon expressed the urgency of the situation. “It would take at least another week to get to where she was going and two weeks without food or water. I don’t think she would have made it,” he said.
Forever Changed Animal Rescue has taken her in, diligently working to nurse her back to health and prepare her for adoption.
1. What does the underlined word “liberated” in paragraph 2 mean?| A．Chained. | B．Released. | C．Protected. | D．Inspected. |
| A．At a deserted parking lot. | B．Off the local coast. |
| C．In an unusable vehicle. | D．In a limited container. |
| A．Being sold overseas. | B．Starving to death. |
| C．Living with a family. | D．Being trapped in a junkyard. |
| A．An Unexpected Passenger | B．A Touching Rescue |
| C．An Abandoned Dog | D．A Remarkable Team |
2 . Composting At Home
Any gardener can benefit from adding nutrients and organic matter to the soil to help plants grow strongly and vigorously.
●Combine green and brown materials
●Water your compost pile
Usually rainfall is enough to keep it damp, but in a dry summer you might have to spray it with water. Don’t add too much water or the microorganisms in your compost pile will become waterlogged and be drowned.
●
Air is vital to the composting process, so it’s important to mix the ingredients in together, and never press them flat. You should turn the pile periodically with a garden fork and keep it damp. This step provides oxygen, and the dampness assures the survival of the microorganisms, which need moisture to live.
●Feed your garden with compost
When the compost pile no longer gives off heat and becomes dry, brown, and crumbly, it’s fully cooked and ready to feed to the garden. Add about 4 to 6 inches of compost to your flower beds and a thick layer to the top of pots at the beginning of each planting season.
Composting at home is easy and environmentally friendly.
| A．Stir your compost pile regularly |
| B．Harvest your finished compost |
| C．Plus, it’s a treat for your garden |
| D．If this happens, your pile will breakdown instead of compost |
| E．Almost anything you chop in the kitchen can go in the compost bin |
| F．One of the most popular and beneficial substances to add is compost |
| G．Once your pile is setup, maintaining it takes just a few minutes each week |
3 . When nine-year-olds Ella Grace Rossen and Cash Daniels met in July 2019, they immediately connected. When their moms introduced them, they had no idea that the kids were about to become an environmental-activism powerhouse pair.
“We knew we could make a difference together, ” says Cash from his home in Ella agrees. “It was pretty much instant best friends.”
Within a short time, their meeting transformed into action, birthing the Cleanup Kids — a youth-led non-profit determined to make waves in environmental conservation.
Ella’s passion for the environment started with an early love of sharks and many first-hand encounters of cleaning up trash along the shores of Vero Beach. For Cash, the spark was ignited (点燃) at just seven years old, when a single plastic straw on the beach caught his eye, symbolizing a much larger issue. That’s when he became aware of the crisis facing thousands of turtles, seabirds and other wildlife, which risk death from consuming discarded plastic.
“My hope for the Cleanup Kids is that it’s not hundreds of kids, it’s thousands of kids who have joined us, and for that to have a chain effect,” says Ella. Member responsibilities include conducting at least one cleanup per month, documenting and photographing the collected trash, and sorting and recycling items. It’s a lot of work, and it hasn’t gone unrecognized. In 2022, out of more than 700 applicants from across North America, Cash and Ella were chosen as one of 25 projects to receive the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes.
How do you even begin to make that impact? Cash’s best advice is to start small. “I started with just a couple cleanups with my family. Don’t overdo it,” he says. “And just remember that kids may be only a small part of the population, but we’re 100 percent of the future.”
1. What do we know about Cleanup Kids?| A．It is aimed at making a fortune. |
| B．It is co-led by mothers and kids. |
| C．It helps kids make friends. |
| D．It focuses on environmental preservation. |
| A．Trash along the shores of Vero Beach, |
| B．A single plastic straw on the beach. |
| C．Turtles eating discarded plastic. |
| D．Death of the wildlife in the ocean. |
| A．Acknowledged. | B．Fruitless. |
| C．Wasted. | D．Inadequate. |
| A．A Cleaner Future |
| B．Friendship Between Two Kids |
| C．Young Geniuses in the World |
| D．Advice for Kids |
4 . Djukic is a biology and chemistry student at John Carroll University. She never thought that one day she would be in a classroom where an English teacher asked her to play a board game in order to learn about climate change.
Debra Rosenthal is the professor of the class. At first, Djukic said she was uncertain about Rosenthal’s board game idea. “I was just like: ‘this is interesting, but how much are we actually going to take away from it?”
Rosenthal thought her students would gain a greater understanding about how their own ideas and experiences affect climate change. Students do not compete against each other. They work together to choose the best plan of action. The game is different from board games such as Monopoly, where the goal is to win. Rosenthal said she hoped the games would give students a chance to talk about climate change in a new way.
“By playing the games, it’s a way to be social, to engage in conversation. There has to be a lot of energy around the table. It’s very collaborative. And in the game that I chose to play, they really were able to work together and try to come up with a solution so that the planet was not destroyed.”
During the class, she said, students laughed, disagreed and had to call for votes as a way to decide how to move forward in the game. Djukic said it was a “way to have fun...while also learning about such a serious subject.”
The games are global, Djukic said. That is because she and her classmates said they were able to see how one player’s decision about agriculture affected another player on the other side of the world.
She said the games showed her that “in the game of climate change and the climate crisis, no individual wins.” “It’s either we all suffer from this, or we all somehow collaborate to work our way out of this and turn the clock back on climate change.”
1. What is the purpose of Rosenthal’s class arrangement?| A．To inspire the competition among students. |
| B．To entertain the students with the board game. |
| C．To stress the damage caused by climate change. |
| D．To encourage student’s viewpoints about climate change. |
| A．Cooperative | B．Competitive | C．Creative | D．Exclusive |
| A．Agriculture is of vital importance to the world. |
| B．The world is a community of shared future. |
| C．Man with strong will can conquer nature. |
| D．Climate change is a tough problem to solve. |
| A．Climate change calls for teamwork. |
| B．Climate change leads to global impact. |
| C．A board game helps students understand climate issues. |
| D．A good teacher gives students lifelong benefits. |
1.不文明出游的现象;
2.对文明出游发出倡议。
注意：1.可以增加细节，以使行文连贯;
2.词数80词左右;
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6 . Research found gophers (囊地鼠) might improve conditions for root growth inside their underground tunnels. This could help the root-eating gophers get enough food in areas that don’t naturally contain lots of roots. If gophers aid the growth of food in this way, it might be counted as a type of farming.
Gophers spend a lot of energy digging their tunnels. Two researchers, Jack Putz and Veronica Selden from the University of Florida, got curious about where they got all this energy. So in 2021, the two investigated some gophers in Florida. They studied roots near 12 gopher tunnels to estimate how much root mass a gopher would encounter as it dug a meter of tunnel. Then the researchers calculated how much energy those roots would provide. They found digging cost the gophers about as much energy as the roots provided.
They also examined gopher tunnels. Poop (粪便) was spread along the tunnels. Gophers also seemed to have taken a few bites out of the roots. All suggested the gophers bad provided conditions conducing to root growth. Their poop served as fertilizer. And biting also encouraged root growth. They now think this amounts to a form of farming.
But the idea meets doubts. “I don’t think you could call it farming,” biologist Pynne says, “Biting roots and pooping mightn’t be signs of farming. Gophers could just be doing what all animals do,” Biologist Ulrich Mueller says. “If gophers could be regarded as farmers, then most animals are farmers. These animals also create good growing conditions for the plants they feed on. Take cows, for example. Their poop fertilizes the grass. But farmers don’t consider cows as their colleagues.” Selden understands the doubts but thinks what qualifies the gophers as farmers and sets them apart from other animals is that they develop and maintain this ideal growing environment.
Putz hopes their research makes people kinder to gophers. “If you put in ‘gopher’ online, you’ll see many ways to kill them,” he says. If people see gophers as useful animals, they might treat them better.
1. What did the researchers find about gophers?| A．They dug holes on the farm. | B．They bedded roots in the tunnel. |
| C．They helped improve farming methods. | D．They acquired energy from roots. |
| A．Belonging to. | B．Pointing to. | C．Favouring. | D．Balancing. |
| A．To show farmers depend on them. | B．To present they benefit root growth. |
| C．To deny gophers are viewed as farmers. | D．To prove their poop can serve as fertilizer. |
| A．Treat them as explorers. | B．Avoid hurting them. |
| C．Publicize them online. | D．Protect their habitats. |
7 . For thousands of years, humans have used names to communicate with one another. We also give names to animals, especially ones we love, such as pets. Until now there has been little evidence of animals naming one another, but a new study suggests that elephants use specific noises to identify other elephants.
A few animals, including parrots and dolphins, have been known to use sounds that are similar to names. Each dolphin invents a signature whistle that is unique to it, and other members of its species communicate with it by simulating this special call. The new study, led by Michael Pardo of Colorado State University, shows that wild African elephants use names in a way that is not just copying sounds and is much closer to the way humans use names.
For the study, the researchers recorded 625 sounds made by wild African elephants in Kenya that they called "rumbles (隆隆声)”. This is the most common type of call produced by elephants, and it can travel long distances-as far as 3. 7 miles. It takes place at a very low frequency, which means humans can't hear it.
The researchers analyzed the sounds using computers and found that certain rumbles were directed at specific elephants to get their attention They found that all the elephants in the herd used the identical call to get a particular elephant's attention -these calls were not just nicknames used by one of the elephant's friends. Also. unlike the way dolphins communicate. the rumbles were not just imitations of the elephant they were trying to communicate with.
The researchers then played back some of the recorded rumbles to the elephants. They found that elephants responded more to their own name than to other calls. coming toward it more quickly or calling back faster. Cartlin O'Connell-Rodwell, an elephant expert, said, "The study shows that elephants can still keep in touch with one another even across a large area. "She told Live Science, "The rumbles ere magical, which allow them to spread out much further and still have very close tabs（密切关注） on individuals. "
1. What does the underlined word "simulating" in paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．Copying. | B．Inventing | C．Transforming. | D．Receiving. |
| A．By making certain rumbles heard by people. |
| B．By using specific languages like people’s. |
| C．By making specific noises with a high frequency |
| D．By using names in a way closer to people’s. |
| A．It records 625 sounds from several species. |
| B．It is subjective in the analysis of sounds. |
| C．It is carried out with the help of computers. |
| D．It shows dolphins' calls travel long distances. |
| A．Elephants communicate with noses across a large area. |
| B．Rumbles are important in elephants’ communication |
| C．Elephants may be last on the way to their habitats |
| D．Rumbles enable elephants to stand nr play closer. |
8 . The Luling Mountains in Jinzhou, Liaoning Province, used to be a deserted area without even a single tree. Now, it is a leafy paradise for birds, and tourists are flooding in. The huge transformation has occurred thanks to the consistent efforts of Tian Wangui, 67, and his wife Lu Min, 63, over nearly half a century.
In 1982, the couple contracted(承包)the land-use rights of the two mountains near their home. They intended to plant fruit trees in the mountains to make a living. Back then, the mountains were deserted with no trees at all. To help the seedlings(树苗)they planted survive in the barren(贫瘠的)land, the couple had to carry water to the mountains on their backs. They also bought whatever seeds were available from a nearby forest farm and spread them every spring, hoping to afforest the mountains. With such an extensive planting method, however, they initially failed to see many seeds take root in the barren soil. But the couple didn’t give up.
The couple’s perseverance finally paid off. They discovered that some tree species were tough enough to survive, including pine and mulberry. Now, more than 50,000 trees of over 20 species cover the land they contracted, following their consistent efforts to sow tree seeds year after year.
As the mountains became lush(郁郁葱葱), Tian and Lu were charged with a new task-patrolling(巡逻)their nearly 67 hectares of forest every day to prevent fires. The patrol even didn’t stop on the eve of last year’s Chinese Lunar New Year. Instead of watching the CCTV Spring Festival Gala on Jan. 21st like most Chinese, the couple went to patrol the mountains with the families of their son and daughter. “Many people set off fireworks to mark the arrival of the new year, so the holiday is a time when we have to stay cautious against fire threats,” Tian said.
The couple has no plans to quit their work, and they hope their children will follow in their footsteps. “We cherish the mountains and trees as we cherish our own children,” Lu said. “Even as we grow old, they will continue to patrol the woods and watch over the birds.”
1. What does the second paragraph mainly talk about?| A．The mountains. | B．The forest farm. |
| C．The poor couple. | D．The tough condition. |
| A．More than 20 species were sowed every year. |
| B．Pine and mulberry cannot survive on the land. |
| C．Their continuous efforts eventually worked. |
| D．They bought 50,000 trees according to the contract. |
| A．Honest and hardworking. | B．Curious and brave. |
| C．Determined and persevering. | D．Friendly and intelligent. |
| A．They regard the mountains as their children. |
| B．They want their children to succeed their career. |
| C．They can earn much money from the mountains. |
| D．They have a life-long contract with the government. |
Yellowstone is beautiful. No description I could give would do it in a right way. It is
On this 150th anniversary, the National Park Service and Yellowstone fans looked at the past, present and future with events
10 . 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。
Onni always had a great time with his grandad in winter because his grandad would teach him how to ski and they sometimes went for trips in the nearby woods.
When Onni turned ten, his grandad told him he was old enough to go with him into the Finnish wilderness. Therefore, one day, they put on their skis and set off into the forest, travelling for several kilometres while the sky turned dark above them. Eventually, they arrived at a silent and beautiful wooden cabin. Grandad managed to push the door open. Inside, it was icy-cold and smelled damp and musty.
“Now we need a fire!” said grandad. He pointed at the pot-belly stove in the corner.
They collected armfuls of wood and chopped them up. Before long, a fire lighted up the cabin with a golden light! The old man pulled out a pan and began frying some sausages.
Onni stared out of the window. “What animals live out here?” he asked. “Oh, the forest is full of life!” his grandad answered. “I have seen snow hares, stags, bears and snowy owls. There was only one creature we never managed to see.”
“What was that?” asked Onni. He was curious!
“Firefox! They say that during the day: his fur is inky-black. But at night, it shines with the most amazing colours! The light of his fur is supposed to brighten up the night sky at midwinter creating the wonderful glow that we call the Northern Lights, which always guide the people lost in forests.”
Grandad sighed. “I always wanted to see this beast! It is said that whoever spots the Firefox would be blessed.” Hearing this, Onni looked out of the window again in the hope of being the lucky one.
Grandad turned the sausages over as they sizzled (发出咝咝声) in the pan. “Why don’t you get some more firewood, Onni?” he suggested. Onni ventured out (冒险外出) again. As the boy was gathering more wood, he heard a sound and saw a glow in the trees.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150词左右；
2. 请按如下格式作答。
Overcome by curiosity, Onni followed the sound and the light.
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“Grandad! Come out here!” Onni called.
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