1 . One afternoon in 2022, something on the Internet caught my eye：a tiny hedgehog (刺猬) held by a big hand. The post read: “HELP! My hedgehog abandoned (抛弃) her two babies, and I cannot raise both of them because I have to go to school fulltime. Good home with experience needed as soon as possible!”
I had no experience with baby hedgehogs. I was an animal person through and through and had raised cats, dogs, birds, and guinea pigs. But this tiny animal was new to me, and it touched me that he was abandoned, that maybe I could love him and be the best mom for him.
I wrote the most heartfelt email I could. That was how I found my Louie. True to my word, he was my baby. Louie didn’t know he was a hedgehog. He never curled (蜷缩) into a ball, and he liked my two cats, no fear. The cats, however, were afraid of him, as he often moved into the room, running after the cats and blocking my way.
By the time he reached old age, Louie had only three feet. However, he still managed to climb the stairs to visit other animals. He helped me realize my dream of hedgehog photography, a hobby that began during childhood with cats and dollhouses. I love showing off his modeling.
Life has meaning because of the purpose we have. Louie needed a good home and mom, and in return, I got to be a good mother and be needed. Hedgehogs require great amounts of patience, trust, and knowledge—but the payoff (回报) is pretty great.
1. The author got Louie from .| A．a pet shop | B．a family friend |
| C．a hedgehog owner | D．a hedgehog rescue center |
| A．Frightened. | B．Relaxed. | C．Lonely. | D．Tired. |
| A．He disliked climbing stairs. | B．He enjoyed being left alone. |
| C．He always refused to be in photos. | D．He was active despite his difficulty in moving. |
| A．It was easier than expected. | B．It gave her a sense of safety. |
| C．It made her lose her patience. | D．It was satisfying and meaningful. |
2 . A little penguin, named Mercy afterwards, arrived at the Bonorong Wildlife Hospital. He was in really bad condition. “The penguin was
Mercy was
| A．underweight | B．concerned | C．unfriendly | D．depressed |
| A．climbing | B．stable | C．declining | D．average |
| A．Naturally | B．Fortunately | C．Strangely | D．Consequently |
| A．watched over | B．let alone | C．set free | D．brought up |
| A．changed | B．posted | C．filmed | D．refused |
| A．hospital | B．book | C．video | D．record |
| A．treated | B．hunted | C．searched | D．observed |
| A．cure | B．select | C．raise | D．collect |
| A．examination | B．favor | C．description | D．survey |
| A．serious | B．obvious | C．previous | D．familiar |
| A．puzzle | B．shock | C．awareness | D．relief |
| A．supported | B．fed | C．operated | D．adapted |
| A．belong | B．recover | C．reserve | D．escape |
| A．thought | B．success | C．chance | D．try |
| A．demanding | B．fascinating | C．alarming | D．rewarding |
The Singing Sands Mountain(鸣沙山)is located in Dunhuang in
The flowing water gathers here along the landform and overflows through a porous(可渗透的) geological layer
The ancient Silk Road once passed by the Crescent Spring. And today, it has become a romantic paradise for
4 . What is the most shocking about the heatwave affecting the Pacific Northwest is not that it has hit a usually mild area, nor that so many long-standing temperature records are being broken. It is that those records are being broken by such large margins (幅度). In Portland, Oregon, temperature reached 46.6℃(116°F) — making it one of several cities in the region where former records have been beaten by a full 5℃(9°F). At the same time, heatwaves are also hitting central Europe and even Siberia.
Heatwaves may become headlines, but less attention is paid to them. In 2018 about 300,000 people over the age of 65 died as a result of extreme heat, mainly in India, a 54% increase since 2000, according to a report in the Lancet, a medical journal. The report also shows that, unlike storms and floods, heat does not lead to dramatic before-and-after pictures or widespread damage to belongings. It is a silent killer. As many as 70,000 people died due to a heatwave in Europe in 2003.
Heat also kills by worsening health conditions such as heart problems, so not all the deaths it causes may be directly attributed (归因) to it. Climate change will make heatwaves more common and more extreme. Even if greenhouse-gas emissions (排放) are cut to zero by the middle of this century, temperatures will go on rising for decades. So other measures are needed to protect people against extreme heat.
Governments can set up early warning systems to alarm health workers, shut down schools and stop outdoor activities. They can provide the public with forecasts of coming heatwaves, explanations of the dangers and detailed advice on what to do. Improved facilities can also help. This includes providing shaded areas, water parks and “misting stations” to help people cool down, and get to airconditioned “cooling centers” where they can find shelter and sleep if necessary.
The world is, undoubtedly, facing a big health challenge right now. There is no excuse for ignoring heatwaves and their effects.
1. What shocks us most about the heatwave in the Pacific Northwest?| A．It has stricken a usually mild area. |
| B．It hits central Europe except Siberia. |
| C．Many temperature records are being broken. |
| D．Many records are being broken by large margins. |
| A．People have paid much attention to heatwaves. |
| B．Heat doesn’t cause widespread damage to belongings. |
| C．The damage of heat is as obvious as storms and floods. |
| D．About 300,000 middle-aged people died from extreme heat. |
| A．Provide some cool places. | B．Build nursing homes. |
| C．Organize outdoor activities. | D．Shelter the homeless. |
| A．Improving Public Facilities | B．Taking Heatwaves Seriously |
| C．Preventing Natural Disasters | D．Reducing Greenhouse-gas Emission |
5 . Giant pandas are among the most lovable animals alive today.
Pandas today don’t eat meat. However, they’ve kept much of their meat-eating adaptations from times past. Their digestive systems have not changed much from their meat-eating days.
The giant panda’s shift to a vegetarian diet is in line with the inactivation (失活) of a specific gene—Taslrl, which provides them with the ability to taste certain amino acids (氨基酸) abundant in meat.
Pandas have evolved (进化) to a great degree to cope with their relatively recent bamboo-eating lifestyle. Pandas must seize long and thin pieces of bamboo shoots. To help with this, they have developed a long “fake-thumb” (伪拇指). So giant pandas have six fingers in each paw which provides better support for them to seize objects such as bamboo in one paw quickly.
Time will tell if pandas will adapt and survive, go back to eating meat, or disappear in the wild.
| A．They eat 12.5 kg of bamboo in a single day. |
| B．Bamboo is the healthier diet for captive (圈养的) pandas. |
| C．Its inactivation in pandas would lead to their dietary change. |
| D．The newborn panda is blind and covered with only a thin all-white coat. |
| E．Researchers have found that the surface of the panda’s tongue is different. |
| F．Unlike their relatives, pandas don’t eat meal but survive on a diet of only bamboo. |
| G．Whatever the future holds, we get to share our planet with these adorable animals. |
6 . “It is necessary for us to go to places that still look like the ocean as it was 500 years ago,” says Enric Sala, former professor at Scripps Institute of Oceanography. However, in most parts of the world, marine conservation is stymied by opposition from fishing, oil, and mining interests. A mere 7 percent of the world’s ocean has protection—mostly weak rules, and only 2.5 percent is highly protected. Outside of these zones, the ocean’s story is a continuing failure.
A few remaining parts of the ocean are the last wild places of the sea—the marine equivalent of the remotest old-growth forest in the Amazon—still unaffected by overfishing, pollution and climate change. Enric is working with the National Geographic Society and together launched the Pristine Seas project in 2008. Over the past 14 years, Pristine Seas has helped create 28 marine reserves, making up two-thirds of the world’s fully protected marine areas—covering more than two million square miles in all.
Now Sala and his team have set an even more ambitious goal: to see more than a third of the world’s ocean conserved for the purpose not just of sustaining biodiversity but also of replenishing(补充)fish stocks and storing carbon.
Pristine Seas worked with native Palauans(帕劳人)to give an ancient conservation tradition a modern change. For centuries, Palauans have used what they all “buls”, a Palauan word which means closure, to preserve and rebuild their reef fish stocks. Over the years they have created 35 reserves to protect marine life around their islands, some of which ban fishing permanently.
Sala and his team calculate that a 14-fold expansion of the fully protected part of the ocean, from 2.5 percent to 35 percent, would provide 64 percent of the biodiversity benefits while increasing the global fish catch by almost 10 million metric tons. Even that may sound impossible, but the alternative is awful. For now, we still get to choose.
1. What does the underlined word “stymied” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?| A．Frustrated. | B．Supported. |
| C．Accelerated. | D．Overestimated. |
| A．Protecting the ocean influences mining most. |
| B．Ocean protection has achieved great progress. |
| C．Few oceans have been properly protected so far. |
| D．Current rules have been enough for ocean protection. |
| A．It has protected two-thirds of the world’s ocean. |
| B．It sets unrealistic goals when protecting the ocean. |
| C．It asks to prohibit fishing in the 35 created reserves. |
| D．It has made some advances in maintaining biodiversity. |
| A．www.newsflash.com. |
| B．www.worldissues.com. |
| C．www.scienceforkds.com. |
| D．www.eco-conservation.com. |
7 . Do you know how to prepare for and survive a major earthquake? According to Department of Conservation scientists, it is important to have the right answer to that question.
How to Be Prepared
Electricity, water, gas(煤气) and telephones may not be working after an earthquake. The police and fire departments are likely to be tied up. You should be prepared to fend for yourself for at least three days, preferably for a week. You’ll need food, water and so on. It’s also a good idea to decide ahead of time how and where your family will reunite if separated during a quake. You might choose an out-of-the-area friend or relative that family members can call to check on you.
If you’re indoors, stay there. Get under a desk or table. The kitchen is a particularly dangerous spot. If you’re in an office building, stay away from windows and outside walls and do not use the elevator. If you’re outside, get into the open. Stay clear of buildings, power lines or anything else that could fall on you. If you’re driving, move the car out of traffic and stop. Avoid parking under or on bridges or overpasses.
After an Earthquake
Check for fire. If you smell gas, shut off the main gas valve(阀). If there’s sign of damage to electrical wiring, shut off the power at the control box. If the phone is working, only use it in case of emergency (紧急情况).Avoid driving if possible to keep the streets clear for emergency vehicles. Be careful that things may fall out of cupboards when the door is opened, and also that chimneys can be weakened and fall with just a touch. Listen to the radio for important information and instructions. Remember that aftershocks, sometimes large enough to cause damage in their own right ,generally follow large quakes. If you leave home, leave a message telling your friends and family your location.
1. What is advised to do before an earthquake?| A．Making a date with your family the way of reuniting. |
| B．Preparing enough food for more than a week. |
| C．Making sure of your telephones in hand. |
| D．Calling your distant relatives to help. |
| A．Never drive when in earthquake. | B．Keep calm when in earthquake. |
| C．Never run away when in earthquake. | D．Do and don’t when in earthquake. |
| A．To reduce the resources. | B．To avoid the possible fire. |
| C．To better the environment. | D．To avoid the outbreak of earthquake. |
| A．It’s a good idea to drive to a safe place. | B．Stay near a door to protect you. |
| C．Get hold of the latest information. | D．Call everyone to help you. |
8 . The United States space agency, NASA, says its Mars exploration vehicle recently recorded a high level of methane gas on the planet. The discovery is exciting because the presence of methane gas could support the case for life on Mars.
NASA’s Curiosity vehicle recently recorded the largest level of methane ever measured during its 7-year Mars mission.
Methane has no color or smell. A special instrument on Curiosity’s Mars Science Laboratory recorded the increased gas level. It measures levels of chemical elements and gases in the Martian atmosphere. In addition to methane, it can record levels of water and carbon dioxide.
Nearly all the methane gas found in Earth’s atmosphere is produced by living things. It usually comes from animal and plant life. But it can also be formed by geological (地质的) processes, such as interactions between rocks and water.
It was not the first time that Curiosity had found methane gas in the Martian atmosphere. About a year ago, NASA announced that Curiosity had discovered sharp seasonal increases in the gas. This time NASA said the measured methane gas level was clearly larger than any others observed in the past. “It’s exciting because microbial (微生物的) life is an important source of methane on Earth,” NASA said in a statement announcing the discovery.
However, Curiosity’s team carried out a follow-up methane experiment that showed a sharp drop in levels of the gas. “That number was close to the background levels Curiosity sees all the time,” NASA said. The rise and fall of the methane gas levels left NASA scientists with more questions than answers.
“The methane mystery continues,” said Ashwin Vasavada, Curiosity’s project scientist, “we’re more active in keeping measuring and putting our brains together to figure out how methane behaves in the Martian atmosphere.”
1. What can we know about methane gas?| A．It is highly necessary for Mars. | B．It can easily be found anywhere. |
| C．It is mainly related to biological activity. | D．It smells more or less like carbon dioxide. |
| A．Humans have known much about Mars. | B．There will be more methane gas on Mars. |
| C．There is no progress in the 7 years’ research. | D．The level of methane gas on Mars is changeable. |
| A．Life may exist on Mars. | B．Methane gas on Mars is increasing fast. |
| C．The mystery about Mars will be solved soon. | D．They know where methane gas on Mars is from. |
| A．Worried. | B．Stressed. | C．Confident. | D．Serious |
9 . Canada’s new Dark Vessel Detection program is using advanced satellite technology to find illegal fishing ships that attempt to steal fish from waters around the world. Illegal fishing is a major contributor to the decrease of fish and their habitat destruction.
It is said that illegal fishing accounts for about 30 percent of fishing activity worldwide. It means that u to 26 million tons of fish are caught at a cost to the global economy of more than $ 23 billion a year. Illegal fishing occurs both on the high seas and within the 200 mile limits of coastal states. It has an especially negative effect on coastal populations in undeveloped areas.
Now, the government’s Fisheries and Oceans Canada, in partnership with the Department of National Defense and MDA (Canada’s space technology maker), has started a new program that has already led to fines on five foreign ships. The $7 million Dark Vessel Detection program uses satellite technology to locate and track ships. Some illegal fishing ships have switched off their location transmitting (传输) equipment, in an attempt to avoid surveillance (监视) and control.
The program offers state-of- the-art satellite data to small island nations and coastal states around the world. The local economies of those places are often influenced by illegal fishing. Finding illegal fishing ships from space will allow these small island nations to focus on their investigations and protect their fish.
“Illegal fishing threatens the health of our fish population and takes resources (资源) away from hard- working, legal fishermen,” said Bernadette Jordan, the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, “This state -of the art system will help Ecuador and small island nations in the Pacific region deal with illegal fishing. Such illegal activity will do great harm to the Galapagos Islands and the food and economic security of its people,” she added.
1. What is the purpose of Canada’s new Dark Vessel Detection program?| A．To prevent sea pollution. | B．To assess the loss of fish farms. |
| C．To observe endangered fish species. | D．To protect the fish population worldwide. |
| A．The difficulties of undeveloped countries. | B．The slowdown in the global economy. |
| C．The seriousness of illegal fishing. | D．The general result of overfishing. |
| A．By speeding up their ships. | B．By finding remote fishing areas. |
| C．By hiding signals of their ships. | D．By fishing in the middle of the night. |
| A．Island nations tend to suffer food shortages. |
| B．The interests of legal fishermen are threatened. |
| C．The tracking system will be applied to more fields. |
| D．Stricter laws will be made for the fishing industry. |
10 . Over the streets of Paris, France, rises the Eiffel Tower. An internationally recognized symbol of France and one of the most famous structures in the world, the Eiffel Tower was originally built as the entrance to the 1889 World’s Fair, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution.
More than 100 artists competed with plans for the monument, but the contract was given to Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel, a bridge builder, architect, and metals expert who had already designed the framework for the Statue of Liberty. The final design required more than 18,000 pieces of iron and 2. 5 million rivets(铆钉) to construct. It took hundreds of workers more than 2 years to finish, and when it was completed in March of 1889,it was almost 1,000 feet high—more than twice the height of the pyramids at Giza—making it the tallest structure in the world at that time.
The tower was originally meant to be a temporary structure, and only stand for 20 years. Many of the people of Paris disliked the tower. They thought it was ugly, or that it was dangerous and might fall down. By the time the tower was supposed to be removed, however, people had realized that it was a valuable way to transmit wireless telegraph and radio signals, and city officials decided to keep it. It continues to be used for communications today, with more than 100 antennas(天线) on it.
The tower is completely repainted every seven years to protect it from rusting(生锈), using 60 tons of paint each time. Originally, the tower was reddish brown and the color was changed sometimes when it was repainted. These days it is painted a bronze color called “Eiffel Tower Brown”.
Today, the Eiffel Tower is the most popular paid attraction in the world, with about 7 million visitors each year. It has been the inspiration for replicas(复制品) and imitations around the world. No longer considered an eyesore, the Eiffel Tower is an icon of France and is inside the World Heritage Site that includes certain parts of Paris.
1. What was the purpose of building the Eiffel Tower?| A．To be an important symbol of the country. |
| B．To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. |
| C．To be the exit to the 1889 World’s Fair. |
| D．To help France gain international recognition. |
| A．The people of Paris liked the beautiful tower very much. |
| B．It didn’t fall down after 20 years as it was originally designed. |
| C．City officials made it more beautiful and safer. |
| D．It was used for transmitting wireless telegraph and radio signals. |
| A．It was constructed with an amount of iron and rivets. |
| B．There are more than 100 antennas on it. |
| C．It is the most popular paid attraction in the world. |
| D．It is repainted every six years. |
| A．An Icon of France | B．The Most Popular Attraction |
| C．The World Heritage Site | D．A Tower for Communication |
