1 . Chaudhary quietly weaves together lengths of ropes, binding them with grass collected from the riverbank. She skillfully shapes the materials into a jewelry box. Meanwhile, she’s instructing a group of women to work out the materials. The ropes used were once the lifeline for climbers tackling Nepal’s mountains and were then discarded (扔掉). They are now finding new life, transformed by skilled hands into items to sell.

Acharya, working with the cleaning campaign, owns a waste processing business in Kathmandu, also an advocate for sustainable waste management. “Aluminum and other metal waste go through the recycling process, but we found no way to recycle ropes and gas cans,” she says. It struck her that the non-recyclable waste could be reused, but it wasn’t until she met Maya Rai that a solution emerged. Rai, leading Nepal Knotcraft Centre, helped connect Acharya with Chaudhary’s team of craftswomen in hopes of turning the mountain waste into economic opportunity. “While this seems insignificant compared to waste in the mountains, it’s a start. We aim to connect local expertise, mountain waste and local economy,” says Acharya, proudly displaying a mat made from ropes left on Mt. Qomolangma by climbers. Her goal is to ensure that no waste collected from mountains ends up in a landfill again.

Finished crafts are sold at outlets and exhibitions. The craftswomen are paid according to how many items they make and sell. With flexible hours, the project gives women an opportunity to earn money even as they maintain household responsibilities.

Eventually, Acharya hopes to expand the program to involve more women and process more waste. But progress has been slow. “We still have not found a sustainable business plan to make crafts in large quantities, ”she says. Now, she is searching for cooperators to make a model that serves not only the mountain but the communities. “After all, we are trying to craft a sustainable future.”

Each rope turned into a decorative item is a way to help local women earn a living and keep mountains clean.

1. What is the author’s purpose in mentioning Chaudhary in paragraph 1?

A．To lead in the topic with her example.

B．To spread her environmental consciousness.

C．To show her patient instructions to the women.

D．To speak highly of her outstanding weaving skills.

2. What is the second paragraph mainly about?

A．A business involving waste processing.

B．A team transforming waste into treasure.

C．A campaign advocating sustainable management.

D．A solution connecting expertise, waste and economy.

3. Which of the following is the most likely reason for craftswomen to join in the project?

A．Selling crafts at outlets can earn more money.

B．Removing mountain waste generates a sense of pride.

C．Cooperating with local experts helps promote skills.

D．Work-life balance can be achieved due to flexible hours.

4. What is Acharya’s attitude towards expanding the program?

A．Hesitant.

B．Positive.

C．Suspicious.

D．Disapproving.

2 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What did the man do just now?

A．He took some photos.

B．He did some reading.

C．He shared an article online.

2. What is the consequence of plastic in the ocean according to the woman?

A．Seafood will be polluted.

B．Ships won’t sail properly.

C．The beauty of the ocean will be damaged.

3. What recyclable item has the man started using?

A．A reusable bag.

B．A metal straw.

C．A glass bottle.

4. What do the speakers agree to do?

A．Stop buying bottled water.

B．Organize beach cleanup events.

C．Participate in club activities every month.

3 . The Mysterious World of Deep-Sea Creatures

The deep sea remains one of the least explored and understood environments on our planet. Lying below the sunlit upper layers of the ocean, the deep sea is a region of permanent darkness, freezing temperatures, and massive pressure. Yet, life thrives (茁壮成长) here in some of the most astonishing ways.

* The Black Dragonfish *

Residing at dephs of up to 2,000 meters, the black dragonfish is a predator with a thin and long body and sharp teeth. What makes it unique is its ability to produce its own light, a phenomenon known as bioluminescence. This helps it attract prey (猎物) and communicate with potential mates.

* The Giant Squid *

Long a stuff of legends and tales, the giant squid, which occasionally attacks whales, can reach lengths of up to 43 feet. Its massive eyes, the size of dinner plates, allow it to detect weak light in the deep dark waters. Encounters with this enormous creature are rare, and much of its life remains unknown.

* Tube Worms at Hydrothermal Vents *

In the depths of the ocean, hydrothermal vents (热液喷口) shoot superheated water packed with minerals. Around these vents, communities of tube worms thrive, reaching lengths of up to 2 meters. They possess no mouth or digestive system; instead, bacteria inside them process the minerals from the vents to produce energy.

Modern technology has enabled humans to explore deeper into the ocean than ever before. Using remotely operated vehicles and deep-sea submersibles (潜水器), scientists can now study these creatures in their natural habitats, uncovering secrets that could hold the key to understanding life’s adaptability.

1. What ability is unique to the black dragonfish?

A．Generating light for itself.	B．Attracting and capturing prey.
C．Discovering light in the deep water.	D．Communicating with other creatures.

2. Which creature relies on internal bacteria for energy?

A．The black dragonfish

B．The tube worm.

C．The giant squid.

D．The whale.

3. Where is this text probably taken from?

A．An academic article.	B．An experimental report.
C．A travel guide.	D．A natural science magazine.

4 . New research suggests that the relationship between humans and cassowaries(鹤鸵) dates back to the Late Pleistocene era, several thousand years before humans domesticated geese and chickens. “And this is not some small fowl,” said Kristina Douglass, an archaeologist at Penn State University. “It’s a huge, bad-tempered, flightless bird that can eviscerate(开膛破肚) you—most likely the dwarf(侏儒) variety that weighs 20 kilograms.”

By examining the remains of ancient cassowary eggshells, Douglass and an international team of researchers determined that some 18,000 years ago, people in New Guinea were collecting, hatching and possibly raising cassowary chicks, which the researchers consider a clever and complicated food-gathering technique. This represents the earliest known evidence of intentional bird rearing(饲养).

People would have kept these eggs for one of two purposes: to eat them or to raise the hatched chicks for their meat and feathers. Like geese, cassowary chicks imprint on the first creature they see. That makes them unusually ideal for human rearing, a practice that continues in parts of New Guinea to this day. Though Douglass and her team didn’t find evidence of ancient people penning cassowaries, it’s something they plan to look for in the future.

Historically, cassowary tibiotarsae, the upper part of the bird’s leg, were used to fashion bone daggers(匕首) for hunting. Today their feathers are prized for decorations, and the birds remain an important source of meat. But these striking birds, which can reach nearly 1.8 meters tall and 54 kilograms, are also incredibly dangerous.

“They have these really large claws. And if they feel threatened, they will use them,” Douglass said. A frightened or territorial cassowary can lash out with a kick powerful enough to eviscerate a medium-size—or even human-size—mammal. Cassowaries do occasionally kill humans, including a man in Florida who was deadly attacked by a cassowary he kept on his farm in 2019. Even so, these instances are exceedingly rare.

1. What did the researchers find when checking the eggshells?

A．Most cassowaries were of the dwarf variety.

B．Cassowaries used to help with gathering food.

C．Geese and chickens existed before cassowaries.

D．People might have kept cassowaries on purpose.

2. What does the underlined words “imprint on” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Pitilessly catch.	B．Generously feed.
C．Firmly remember.	D．Confusedly mistake.

3. What can we say about cassowaries?

A．They tend to kick larger mammals to death.

B．They were recorded by ancient New Guineans.

C．They have caused concerns among potential owners.

D．They remain valuable despite posing threats at times.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Birds Kill with Claws

B．The Secret Behind Eggshells

C．Domestication Process of Cassowaries

D．Prehistoric People Raised Deadly Cassowaries

5 . Bang! Somewhere, someone set off fireworks. After hearing the loud noise, ten-year-old Rosie, ran back towards her ________, Steve Harper. Rosie, ________ from a rescue shelter, was easily shocked by loud sounds when she first arrived, but soon fell in love with the Harpers’ sons and ________ with Steve. But Rosie’s ________ of loud noises always continued and never ________. After the second bang on that Friday afternoon, she took off and ________ disappeared from sight with a silver ring shining around her neck.

Nowhere can Steve find Rosie. Steve had less than five minutes to begin worrying when his phone rang. “Is that black-and-white dog yours, Mr. Harper? She’s just ________ herself over. It seems that she were a criminal.” On the other end the voice came, and the caller was half ________.

Closed-circuit television showed Rosie walking into the police station, ________ around for a few seconds as if she were looking for food, and ________ seating herself in the waiting room just like a lady. A few minutes later, staff ________, gave her some water and called Steve, whose phone number was on Rosie’s ________.

Steve supposed why Rosie knew just where to ________: the waiting room chairs closely resemble those at the local vet. “Maybe she saw the chairs and thought, Oh, this is what I do. I sit and wait.”

Steve headed to fetch Rosie from the ________ and the dog was overjoyed. On their way home, Steve hugged her and stroked her curry hair. Finally they arrived home, safe and ________.

1.

A．partner

B．owner

C．vet

D．trainer

2.

A．adopted

B．bought

C．stolen

D．separated

3.

A．competed

B．fought

C．bonded

D．finished

4.

A．fondness

B．care

C．fear

D．awareness

5.

A．built up

B．gave off

C．passed on

D．went away

6.

A．partly

B．gradually

C．permanently

D．quickly

7.

A．handed

B．thought

C．pulled

D．troubled

8.

A．crying

B．kidding

C．whispering

D．shouting

9.

A．jumping

B．sitting

C．rolled

D．nosing

10.

A．anxiously

B．bravely

C．politely

D．impatiently

11.

A．left

B．explained

C．hesitated

D．emerged

12.

A．collar

B．back

C．tie

D．leg

13.

A．lie

B．settle

C．sleep

D．play

14.

A．station

B．house

C．shelter

D．clinic

15.

A．charming

B．nervous

C．sound

D．amazed

6 . As an only child, Renae often felt _________. But that all changed when she turned ten. For her birthday, Renae’s grandmother _________ her with a lovely puppy named Chloe. From then on, the two were _________. Every bit of love Renae gave, the little dog returned more. “She was such a sweet dog,” Renae says. “She’d lick your face forever if you didn’t stop her.”

When Renae was 14, her father got a new job and the house needed to be free of noise. “Chloe liked barking,” Renae says. “I didn’t want to lose my dog but I didn’t have any _________ as a kid.” With no easier _________, the family sent Chloe to a humane society(动物保护协会). Though they were _________ that the dog would find a new home with people who loved her, they couldn’t know for sure. “I called the humane society to try to _________ what happened to her, but they couldn’t tell me anything. So, I never knew,” Renae says _________.

Later, Renae grew up, got married, and had a child. But her family didn’t feel quite _________. Remembering the joy that having a dog had brought her as a kid, Renae wanted her daughter to __________ the same. She had it in her mind that she would __________ a puppy. One day she saw a post on Facebook about a senior dog that needed a new home. The dog in the photograph looked like Chloe-she was even named Chloe. In an __________ it was decided: she would adopt it. “When we met, she ran up to me and started __________ my face. I was crying,” Renae says. “I just knew in my heart that it was her.” After years of thinking she’d never see her dog again, Renae is __________ to have her back. “I get so excited to come home and see her,” she says. “__________ Chloe, she’s made herself right at home,” Renae says. “And why shouldn’t she? She knows that she’ll be with me forever.”

1.

A．anxious

B．embarrassed

C．responsible

D．lonely

2.

A．reminded

B．attracted

C．surprised

D．pressed

3.

A．flexible

B．horrible

C．generous

D．inseparable

4.

A．choice

B．measure

C．benefit

D．loss

5.

A．conclusion

B．decision

C．tradition

D．inspiration

6.

A．impressed

B．typical

C．optimistic

D．sensitive

7.

A．take out

B．find out

C．drop out

D．put out

8.

A．disappointedly

B．crazily

C．excitedly

D．amazingly

9.

A．complete

B．original

C．current

D．formal

10.

A．accomplish

B．attempt

C．experience

D．observe

11.

A．adapt

B．adopt

C．acquire

D．abuse

12.

A．instant

B．incident

C．individual

D．instruction

13.

A．hugging

B．patting

C．licking

D．stressing

14.

A．motivated

B．astonished

C．alarmed

D．delighted

15.

A．As long as

B．As well as

C．As with

D．As for

7 . Bumblebees are vanishing at a rate consistent with widespread extinction, and climate change is playing a big role. The analysis comes from a new study published in the journal Science today.

The authors found that the likelihood of a bumblebee population surviving in any given place within North America and Europe has dropped by an average of 30 percent as temperatures have risen.

Pesticides, habitat loss, and pathogens(病原体) have already hit bumblebee populations hard. The new study, however, is able to isolate the effect that hotter temperatures are having on bumblebees. Sadly, bees are having a hard time adapting to a warming world. “If things continue along the path without any change, then we can really quickly start to see a lot of these species being lost forever,” lead author of the study Peter Soroye tells The Verge.

That’s not just a tragedy for the bees. It’s also bad news for all the plants that they pollinate and for humans who eat the fruits (and vegetables) of their labor. “We also lose out on a lot of color on our plates,” Soroye says. “Tomatoes, squash, and berries are just some of the crops we can thank bees for pollinating. Animal pollinators like bees, birds, and butterflies could be responsible for up to 1 out of every 3 bites of food we eat,” the US Department of Agriculture says.

For this study, Soroye and colleagues examined data from 1900 to 2015 on 66 species of bumblebees across North America and Europe. They mapped the places bees called home and how their distribution changed over time. They found that bees were vanishing in the areas that had heated up beyond the limit in which the bumblebees had historically been able to survive.

Some bee populations are colonizing new territories that were previously too cold. But those gains are overshadowed by losses in areas where the bees once thrived but are now too hot.

1. What is bumblebees’ main struggle?

A．Habitat loss

B．Climate change

C．Human activities

D．Virus treat

2. What might Peter Soroye agree?

A．Humans can barely strive to save bumblebees from extinction.

B．Bumblebees will inevitably die out some day.

C．Bumblebees serve as a delicacy on our plates.

D．Human’s lives are tightly linked to bumblebees’.

3. What is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Animal pollinators eat up 1 out of 3 of our food.

B．Peter Soroye’s study started from 1900 and lasted 25 years.

C．Bumblebees can not be accustomed to the places they used to live in.

D．Bumblebees are more used to colder weather.

4. What does the last sentence mean?

A．The negative effects outweigh the positive ones.	B．No cold areas are left for Bumblebees.
C．The losses are beyond estimation.	D．Bumblebees will have a rather bright future.

8 . In Takoma Park, Maryland, in suburban Washington, people, adults or students, lined up at a pay phone outside a restaurant several times a week.

“Once I put the phone out there, it just took off,” said David Schulman, a Takoma Park violinist who created the Bird Calls Phone. Listeners push 1 to hear a yellow-crowned night heron (夜鹭), 7 to hear a pileated (红冠) woodpecker’s call and 9 for the distinct scream of a red-tailed hawk. Instructions about how to use the phone are in three languages: English, Spanish and Amharic — a reflection of Takoma Park’s Ethiopian community. In all, 10 birds native to the Takoma Park area are featured.

In addition to being fun, listening to Bird songs can reduce stress and anxiety, studies show. Even hearing recordings of birds can relieve negative emotions.

After noticing an abandoned, nonworking pay phone in town, Schulman wondered if he could turn it into something appealing. He said, “I really like the old technology of just picking up a receiver, pressing one button and having something happen.” Schulman thought bringing birds sounds to the abandoned phone was a way to add a bit of nature to the neighborhood.

Takoma Park city officials agreed, and they budgeted $5, 000 to complete the project. Schulman reached out to The McCaulay Library in Ithaca, New York, which agreed to send him a few dozen recordings of native birds. He then managed to gain the help of software engineer and artist Branden Hall to rewire the phone to play different bird calls. Schulman said he persuaded several of his friends to record short descriptions of each bird to go with the calls.

“One thing I like about the Bird Calls Phone is that it’s the opposite of a loud broadcast,” Schulman said. “Only one person can listen at a time, and each person will take away their own unique experience.”

1. What will listeners hear if they press buttons on the pay phone?

A．The calls of native birds.	B．Songs in different languages.
C．Descriptions of local creatures.	D．Instructions on reducing stress.

2. Which of the following best describes David Schulman?

A．Observant and nature-loving.	B．Diligent and easy-going.
C．Serious and public-spirited.	D．Ambitious and kind-hearted.

3. What can be inferred about the project?

A．It encourages art appreciation.	B．It presents the harmony among birds.
C．It turns loud broadcasts into private phones.	D．It receives broad support from the community.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．A Violinist Specializes in Ecology	B．Pick up the Phone, Hear Bird songs
C．Close to Nature, Far From Depression	D．Turn Trash into Treasure in Washington

9 . The Maasai people are the most easily identifiable in Kenya with their very colorful clothing and ornaments on the body. They live a nomadic life, raising and hunting animals near some of Kenya’s most visited wildlife parks.     1    

It is a tradition for a young Maasai man, called a moran in the Maasai language, to kill a lion alone with a spear to show that he is a man. With the kill, a moran would be able to win a “lion name” and admiration among young women.     2     Instead, the young Maasai will take part in a javelin (标枪) throwing competition at an event called the Maasai Olympics.

Mingati Samanya, at the age of 69, is one of the Maasai elders. During his youth, Samanya killed two lions to show he was a man.     3     Samanya is now among the elders who are trying to push the young Maasai to do something different to prove themselves, which includes participating in javelin throwing, jumping and other activities in the community Olympics.

    4     In the past, they killed lions and didn’t get any benefit from it. Right now, when the morans throw a javelin, run or jump, they get not just medals, but also some money.     5     Thanks to the Maasai Olympics and its appealing practice in particular, the lion population in parts of the Kimana Sanctuary (保护区) near Mount Kilimanjaro has increased 10 times over the last 20 years.

A．It can help provide for their families.

B．Quite often women also join in the events.

C．That is how he had the “lion name” Mingati.

D．Here comes how they protect the rights of the Maasai.

E．But the Maasai seem to be ending the tradition.

F．However, their hunting has often been taken as a threat to the lions.

G．On a Saturday, the morans near Kimana will compete for rewards.

10 . Legend has it that centuries ago, manatees (海牛) used to be mistaken for mermaids, so a sight last week at one Florida state park would have put ancient sailors in shock.

Blue Spring State Park is home to one of the largest winter gathering sites for manatees in Florida, and recently, the park reached a new record when the number of manatees spotted in one group was nearly 1,000.

Manatees typically flock to the park during the winter months. According to a Facebook post from the non-profit Save the Manatee Club, January 21 was one of the coldest mornings of the Florida winter season so far. The temperature of the St. Johns River, which Blue Spring sits on, was recorded at 14.9 ℃.

To survive the cold winter weather, manatees will seek out water that is typically warmer than 20 ℃. This is because despite their thick-looking bodies, the blubbery animal affectionately known as the sea cow only has “about an inch of fat and a very slow metabolism (新陈代谢), meaning they cannot easily stay warm,” says the state park.

Since their spring water remains at a constant 22.2 ℃, and is protected from human recreational activity, Blue Spring makes the perfect manatee shelter during the colder months. “What’s more, many manatees rely on artificial warm water sources from power plants, and these might be going off line in the near future. So having some of these manatees come to these natural warm water sites and finding them is really encouraging,” says Cora Berchem, a research associate and the director of multimedia at Save the Manatee Club.

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, there are anywhere between about 7,000 to 11,000 manatees in Florida, which represents a large increase over the past 25 years.

1. What does the underlined phrase “flock to” in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．Escape from.

B．Drop into.

C．Depart from.

D．Flood into.

2. What do we know about Blue Spring?

A．It serves as a recreation center.	B．The temperature remains at 22.2 ℃.
C．It is a well-preserved state park.	D．Power plants heat the shelter there.

3. What might be discussed following the last paragraph?

A．Importance of protecting manatees.	B．Why manatees’ population grows.
C．Unique living habits of manatees.	D．How manatees fight against cold.

4. Which might be the best title for the text?

A．A Club Taking Measures to Rescue Manatees

B．A Record Number of Manatees Spotted in Florida

C．Florida: the Largest Winter Shelter for Manatees

D．Manatees: an Animal Resistant to Cold Weather