1 . Hummingbirds (蜂鸟) are a very important part of Mexico’s ecosystem, but because of the ever-spreading city landscape, they face all sorts of serious dangers. That’s where 73-year-old Catia Lattouf de Arida comes in. As a self-taught hummingbird care-taker, she devotes most of her free time and resources to nursing the tiny birds back to health. Her home in Mexico City has become known as a hummingbird hospital
Catia’s story as a hummingbird nurse began in 2011, at a very dificult moment in her life. At that time, she focused on her battle with cancer and fell into a depression (抑郁) . She was walking on the strect one day when she noticed a hummingbird that had suffered a serious eye injury. The kindhearted woman took it home and named it Gucci. She managed to nurse Gucci back to health, but she said it was Gucci that saved her. Why? Because the hummingbird managed to pull her out of the sadness and loneliness that had taken over her life.
Word of her success spread among Catia’s friends, and before long some of them began bringing her injured hummingbirds. She didn’t repulse them at all. She began to study the bird and their habits in order to better take care of them, and after 11 years of experience, the 73-year-old woman is considered an expert on hummingbirds.
In order to raise awareness of the difficult situation of hummingbirds in Mexico, Catia Lattouf de Arida started posting videos of the patients in her Mexico City apartment on social media, and many of them became popular. That’s when the need for her nursing services really blew up. She has cared for hundreds of hummingbirds in her 11-year career, when she has had as many as 50 of them in her apartment at any one time. She spends pretty much all her time looking after the tiny birds.
1. Which saying can best show the main idea of the first two paragraphs?| A．It is better to give than to take. |
| B．Actions speak louder than words. |
| C．Helping others is helping ourselves. |
| D．A bird in hand is worth two in the bush. |
| A．Expect. | B．Refuse. | C．Accept. | D．Recognize |
| A．When her friends heard about her success. |
| B．When she was considered as a bird expert. |
| C．After she shared the birds’ videos on the media. |
| D．After she looked after a large number of the birds. |
| A．honest and kind | B．generous and creative |
| C．devoted and strict | D．caring and responsible |
2 . After my diagnosis (诊断) with a cancer, I loved the
I told Hannah I wanted to
The cancer
Before I fell sick, I had worked as a family doctor. I was used to being the one who
Over the next few months, I recovered from surgery and
| A．idea | B．photo | C．conclusion | D．story |
| A．cried | B．nodded | C．smiled | D．escaped |
| A．hunt for | B．wish for | C．call for | D．care for |
| A．grow | B．lose | C．decorate | D．shake |
| A．limited | B．strengthened | C．questioned | D．showed |
| A．hopeful | B．painless | C．weak | D．energetic |
| A．success | B．change | C．support | D．failure |
| A．Besides | B．Unfortunately | C．However | D．Therefore |
| A．achievement | B．closeness | C．humour | D．adventure |
| A．proud | B．useless | C．amazed | D．equal |
| A．accepted | B．approached | C．required | D．provided |
| A．purpose | B．personality | C．dream | D．identity |
| A．people | B．memories | C．jobs | D．diseases |
| A．insisted on | B．gave up | C．returned to | D．resulted in |
| A．observes | B．needs | C．connects | D．respects |
3 . Parrots are prey animals, which means that other predators (捕食者) in the wild, such as hawks or snakes, are looking to make them into a meal. This one factor influences parrots’ behavior in your house more than any other.
Parrots are most easily hurt when feeding on the ground. Membership in a group plays an important function in ensuring their safety and improving their chances of survival from attacks by predators. The most common predators of parrots include hawks, snakes, cats, monkeys, and bats. Some predators make attacks only during the day while others hunt in the night.
As prey animals, parrots are constantly watching out for danger and they instinctively (本能地) react to risks. Their first choice is to take flight. However, if this is not possible, they will fight with their powerful beaks to defend themselves.
Because their biggest enemy is the hawk, parrots are especially reactive to quick movements from above and behind. For this reason, it is wise to avoid quick, sudden movements near your bird. This is a built-in reaction not subject to logic or reason. Simple and relatively harmless household objects can draw extreme fear responses from a bird. For example, a balloon may represent a hawk or a vacuum hose (吸尘器软管) may be the same as a snake in your bird’s mind.
As prey animals, parrots are often frightened by exposure to new household items or strangers. It is important to expose your bird to safe experiences and changes starting at a very young age to build flexibility and improve their adaptability. Variety in diet and toys, travel, and exposure to new people and places all help to make your bird more flexible and adaptable to change.
1. What is important for parrots to better survive from attacks in the wild?| A．Living in a group. | B．Growing beautiful feathers. |
| C．Feeding on the ground. | D．Avoiding coming out at night. |
| A．To attack back. | B．To get away. |
| C．To protect the young. | D．To play dead. |
| A．It may explode suddenly. | B．It may be in a strange shape. |
| C．It may have a strong color. | D．It may move around quickly. |
| A．To explain wild parrots’ behavior. | B．To give advice on raising a parrot. |
| C．To call for action to protect animals. | D．To introduce a study on bird ecology. |
4 . Thousands of emperor penguin chicks across four colonies in Antarctica are believed to have died because of record-low sea ice levels that caused a catastrophic breeding (繁殖) failure in late 2022, according to new research.
Analysis of satellite images showed the break-up of the stable sea ice and the disappearance of the colonies at a time when chicks had not yet grow n their waterproof feathers. Scientists have said emperor penguins face an uncertain future under global heating because they are so dependent on sea ice.
The research said that the breeding failures in the Bellingshausen Sea never happened before, as it was the first time multiple colonies across a large region had all failed in a single season. “It’s a worrying story,” said Dr. Peter Fretwell, a researcher with the British Antarctic Survey and the lead author of the research. “The sea ice loss has been far quicker than we imagined.” Many parts of the region had near-total loss of sea ice. Fretwell estimated as many as 7,000 chicks may have perished. “In some cases it’s possible the sea broke up into smaller floes (浮冰) or under the feet of the penguins,” he said. “If immersed, the chicks will drown. If they get back on to the ice floes, they will freeze because of lack of their waterproof feathers.”
Dr. Barbara Wienecke, a senior research scientist at the Australian Antarctic Division, said“They still have their down y plumage (全身茸毛). If the ice breaks out before they can safely enter the water, the plumage becomes so wet that the chicks die of exposure. It’s extraordinarily upsetting to think of this happening.”
Both Wienecke and Fretwell said predictions of the future for the penguin species may have to be revised, with the risk potentially greater than previously feared. Fretwell said: “It’s only by changing our behaviour and the amounts of fossil fuels we use will we completely change the situation for these emperor penguins, and many other species. How bad it gets is still up to us.”
1. Which can describe the situation of the emperor penguin chicks?| A．Promising. | B．Alarming. | C．Hopeless. | D．Inspiring. |
| A．They are dying of food shortages. |
| B．They are finding new habitats for breeding. |
| C．They have learned how to swim in the ice water. |
| D．They don’t have the kind of feathers protecting them. |
| A．Appeared. | B．Adapted. | C．Escaped. | D．Died. |
| A．Fossil fuels are to blame for the destruction. |
| B．We should change our behaviour to save the penguins. |
| C．We should not fear the potential risk as it can be removed. |
| D．More research should be done to ensure the positive changes. |
5 . In the summer of 2021, an unseasonal event took place. More than 100 miles of Florida’s coast around Tampa Bay became an oxygen-depleted (缺氧的) zone containing dead fish along the nearby shoreline.
Much of the conversation around our climate crisis highlights the emission of greenhouse gases and their effect on warming, sea-level rise and ocean acidification (海洋酸化). We hear little about the effect of climate change on oxygen levels, particularly in oceans and lakes. But water without adequate oxygen cannot support life. For the three billion people who depend on coastal fisheries for income, declining ocean oxygen levels are devastating.
As ocean and atmospheric scientists focus on climate, we believe that oceanic oxygen levels are the next big victim of global warming. To stop the situation from worsening, we need to expand our attention to include the dangerous state of oceanic oxygen levels — the life-support system of our planet. We need to accelerate ocean-based climate solutions that boost oxygen. Examples include nature-based solutions such as those discussed at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) held in Glasgow.
Enhanced monitoring of oxygen and the establishment of an oxygen-accounting system are a must. Putting oxygen into the climate story motivates us to do the work to understand the deep systemic changes happening in our complex atmospheric and oceanic systems. We celebrated the return of humpback whales in recent years to an increasingly clean New York Harbor and Hudson River. However, dead fish blocked the Hudson in the summer as warmer waters carried less oxygen.
Ecosystem changes connected to physical and chemical system-level data may point the way to new approaches to climate solutions. It includes an enhanced understanding of the life-support system of our planet. Roughly 40 percent of the world’s people depend on the ocean for their livelihoods. If we do not save marine life from oxygen starvation, we starve ourselves.
1. What is the result of less ocean oxygen according to the text?| A．A rise in the coastal fisheries. | B．The warming of the atmosphere. |
| C．The emission of greenhouse gases. | D．An increase in deaths of sea animals. |
| A．Attention to oceans is necessary. | B．Global warming effects are serious. |
| C．Oceanic oxygen levels are dangerous. | D．Ways to boost oceanic oxygen are urgent. |
| A．To bring in an oxygen-accounting system in climate. |
| B．To explain the urgency of oxygen levels in atmosphere. |
| C．To call for more attention to oxygen starvation in waters. |
| D．To show the achievements in reducing air pollution. |
| A．Save Marine Life. | B．Make Oceans Safe. |
| C．Let Oceans Breathe. | D．Keep Marine System. |
6 . Thanks to the 1999 Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, 26 endangered species in Australia have seen their populations recover.
It seems like that we're always hearing about new animals that have become endangered, but there's some good news in Australia: 26 animal species no longer meet the criteria to be listed as threatened. Australia’s biodiversity has been in decline, with more than 1, 700 species and ecological communities known to be on the line. In 1999, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act was passed to introduce protections for endangered animals. The burrowing bettong is one of 26 Australian species that have returned from the edge of extinction.
Seemingly these are working, as a recent study published in the journal Biological Conservation reviewed the animals that were previously or currently listed as threatened between 2000 and December 2022, and discovered that 26 species had recovered to no longer meet the criteria. Species that have seen improvement include the charmingly named burrowing bettong, the golden bandicoot and the bulloo grey grasswren.
Factors behind this improvement include habitat management, control of introduced predators (捕食者) and translocation of endangered animals to predator-free islands. However, the species have not been officially delisted at this time. The EPBC Act only allows species to be delisted if doing so will not have a negative effect on their survival, and researchers believe that conservation gains could be lost should management efforts be stopped.
Dr Michelle Ward, a conservation scientist at WWF Australia, told The Guardian, “The key problem with delisting species is that then they no longer have monitoring and no longer need certain funding plans.”
However, it is promising that researchers have found signs of improvement. Hopefully this will continue among these and other species!
1. What do the underlined words “on the line” in paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．Out of place. | B．At risk. |
| C．Under control. | D．On the increase. |
| A．Some animals are facing extinction. |
| B．Burrowing bettong is a charming species. |
| C．The criteria to be delisted were hard to meet. |
| D．26 endangered species’ populations are recovering. |
| A．their living situation is severe | B．the delisting consequences are uncertain |
| C．the conservation gains are short | D．the habitat management level is poor |
| A．Unconcerned. | B．Doubtful. | C．Positive. | D．Worried. |
7 . Blowing Up Balloons with CO₂
Chemical reactions (化学反应) make for some great experiments. You can make use of the CO₂(carbon dioxide) given off by a baking soda (小苏打) and lemon juice reaction to blow up your balloon!
What you’ll need:
●Balloon ●About 40ml of water ●Soft drink bottle
●Juice from a lemon ●I teaspoon of baking soda
Instructions:
●Before you begin, make sure that you pull the balloon long to make it as easy as possible to blow up.
●Put the 40ml of water into the soft drink bottle.
●Add the baking soda and mix it with water.
●Put the lemon juice in and quickly put the balloon over the mouth of the bottle.
What’s happening?
If all goes well, then your balloon should inflate! Adding the lemon juice to the baking soda creates a chemical reaction and produces CO₂. The gas rises up and escapes (逸出) through the soft drink bottle. It doesn’t, however, escape the balloon, pushing it outwards and blowing it up.
1. Which of the following do you need for the experiment?| A．Two cups. | B．Apple juice. |
| C．250 ml water. | D．A teaspoon of baking soda. |
| A．Heat the water. | B．Drink some juice. |
| C．Blow up the balloon. | D．Pull the balloon long. |
| A．To describe an experiment. | B．To introduce a game. |
| C．To produce soft drinks. | D．To save some chemicals. |
1. What was going on in the town where the speaker lived?
| A．A flood. | B．A forest fire. | C．An earthquake. |
| A．It was getting darker. |
| B．It was raining cats and dogs. |
| C．The sky was covered by thick smoke. |
| A．He was abroad. | B．He was in town. | C．He was in the garden. |
| A．Trees were burning. | B．People were escaping. | C．Animals were running. |
9 . It’s 4:30 in the morning. Behind a forest, the sun begins to lighten the sky with bright and warm tones. The national bird of Honduras, scarlet macaws (红金刚鹦鹉), which have colorful feathers, groom (理毛) each other as they wait for Anayda Pantin Lopez who has devoted the last 12 years to protecting them.
Pantin and her husband. Santiago Lacuth Montoya, live in a small village called Mabita. where most of its villagers protect these birds and the rest of the wildlife surrounding them. Twice a day, Pantin prepares food for 40 to 60 scarlet macaws that come to her village for feedings. She also cares for several other birds at a rescue center, or chicks that fall down from their nests, until they can fly freely.
Years ago, Lacuth supported the family by selling mac aw eggs and chicks as pets—not realizing it would have a detrimental impact on the bird population. At that time, the hunting and sale of wild species was legal and thousands of scarlet macaws disappeared.
However, when Lacuth learned the number of scarlet macaws was sharply decreasing, he decided to become a guardian of them. He tried to convince other hunters to follow in his footsteps. Eventually, other Mabita residents joined Lacuth and Pantin’s efforts. “For many years the scarlet macaws helped me provide for my family. Now it was my turn to help them.” Lacuth said.
“The Mabita project is very impressive because of the commitment of Pantin and Lacuth and the entire community,” says LoraKim Joyner, founder of One Earth Conservation. In 2014, additional funds came from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and England’s Darwin Foundation stepped in to support the conservation and community engagement efforts.
Since the project began, the scarlet macaw population has grown from 500 to more than800. “Now we have seen that the number of these birds has increased,” said Pantin. “But that does not change our goal, which is to continue caring for them so that our children and grandchildren can have the opportunity to enjoy everything that nature gives us.”
1. What phenomenon is described in the first paragraph?| A．The young birds are waiting for their mother. |
| B．The trees in the forest grow very well. |
| C．Scarlet macaws live comfortably and safely. |
| D．Scarlet macaws are trying to feed themselves. |
| A．Meaningful. | B．Harmful. |
| C．Possible. | D．Small. |
| A．To protect other hunters from harm. |
| B．To encourage other villagers to live better. |
| C．To improve the quality of life for his family. |
| D．To stop the number of scarlet macaws decreasing. |
| A．Its efforts have paid off. | B．Its goal has changed. |
| C．It will attract more volunteers. | D．It will continue to build schools for children. |
10 . Florida wildlife officials say manatees (海牛) facing starvation are benefitting from a program that feeds them on tons of donated lettuce (生菜). The program aims to save as many of the large animals as possible as water pollution has led to shortages of their favorite food, seagrass.
The effort has provided the manatees with more than 25 tons of lettuce. The feedings usually draw about 300 to 350 manatees per day. Sometimes, there are as many as 800 manatees. Normally, wildlife experts advise against people feeding wild animals. This is because it can lead the animals to make an unhealthy connection between humans and food. It is a crime in Florida for a person to feed manatees on their own, even though officials say many people want to do so. Experts believe the best way people can help is to donate money through an official institution (机构).
In 2021, 1101 manatee deaths were reported, largely from starvation. The normal five-year average is about 625 deaths. State wildlife officials say that so far this year, 164 manatee deaths have been recorded. Tom Reinert, the local director of state’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, said the feeding program has helped to reduce the rising death rates. Officials estimate there are about 8,800 manatees in Florida waters. That is a big improvement from about 2,000 that existed in the 1990s. The increased numbers were responsible for manatees being removed from the endangered species list.
The most important element for supporting the remaining population will be restoring seagrass beds. So far, Florida has set aside $8 million to deal with that problem. “You can’t just go out and plant a bunch of seagrass,” Reinert said. But he added, “Projects are getting started and are in the planning stages.”
1. What is the program intended to do?| A．To reduce food waste. | B．To study manatees’ eating habits. |
| C．To rescue large animals from starvation. | D．To solve the problem of water pollution. |
| A．Feed healthy food to them. | B．Set up special rescue groups. |
| C．Pay more visits to wildlife reserves. | D．Offer financial aid to official organizations. |
| A．Impractical. | B．Significant. |
| C．Complicated. | D．Time-consuming. |
| A．Manatee Saving Program | B．Ocean Protecting Program |
| C．Manatee Feeding Program | D．Seagrass Beds Restoring Program |
