1 . Our family was sitting on the porch swing enjoying the summer breeze when my husband pointed to something on the swing’s chain next to him. We _______ forward to see a large praying mantis (螳螂) attaching to the chain. We held our _______ and watched, not wanting to scare it away. We sat and _______ chatted for the next half hour as we watched the insect _______ up and down the chain. It seemed _______ by our presence, and we were _______ to observe its slow, precise movements.

We wouldn’t have _______ it if my husband had not pointed it out. Too often, we move through life, _______ of the beautiful blessings surrounding us each day. The _______ of sitting and watching an insect for half an hour is something I do not want to ________ for granted. Too often, I define myself by my productivity. I start my morning with a checklist and ________ my worth by how much I get done by the day’s end.

I’m learning to ________ my tireless striving for productivity and simply ________ the gifts of this beautiful world when I see them. Each creature displays a small ________. To sit and watch a unique bug like a praying mantis is an act of admiration. I think I’ll ________ and sit for a while in search of another beautiful bug just to appreciate the beauty of nature.

1.

A．struggled

B．put

C．bent

D．dropped

2.

A．breath

B．attention

C．back

D．tool

3.

A．casually

B．quietly

C．happily

D．nervously

4.

A．looking

B．flying

C．climbing

D．falling

5.

A．unbothered

B．undoubted

C．unattractive

D．inaccessible

6.

A．grateful

B．anxious

C．impatient

D．responsible

7.

A．selected

B．recognized

C．noticed

D．scolded

8.

A．unfamiliar

B．proud

C．shameful

D．unaware

9.

A．courage

B．wisdom

C．safety

D．reward

10.

A．owe

B．take

C．bring

D．fetch

11.

A．balance

B．measure

C．release

D．promote

12.

A．defend

B．keep

C．imagine

D．stop

13.

A．enjoy

B．deliver

C．produce

D．ignore

14.

A．principle

B．purpose

C．wonder

D．puzzle

15.

A．pull through

B．go out

C．turn up

D．come back

2 . Each summer I teach at the Cranberry Lake Biological Station, a remote wilderness field school in the Adirondacks.

One of our best teachers return s every summer. There are hundreds of sandy places for a snapping turtle (鳄龟) nest, but this turtle chooses to lay her eggs in the warm open sand of our volleyball court. Our students are excited to snap photos as eggs leave her body. It is a highlight of their field biology summer. But they also want to play volleyball. So the class carefully uncovers the eggs and takes them to another site the students have prepared and measured to be sure it’s a good place for warm, dry sand, so the babies will hatch (孵化) .

The turtle shows me that my life is thanks to the kindness of nature’s creatures who share this beautiful world with us. We’ve been ignoring the many other living things on this planet because of our way of taking without giving back. Science, armed with models to predict the coming changes, is a powerful tool for addressing these crises. But it is not the only one. As a scientist, I hear the certain data, and also a message, carried by snapping turtles: The Earth asks more of us than gratitude.

A few years ago, there was a second mother in just the same spot on our volleyball court. The next day there was another. And another. In all, more than a dozen snapping turtles came among us in a dozen days. Why would lonely things walk into a community of 100 humans? When our students went to find suitable sites for the repeated groups of eggs, they found that as the lake level rose, they had to seek out higher ground. It seemed to me that the snapping turtles had become climate refugees.

I believe the turtles madly climbing to higher places are trying to tell us something important. They’re showing us that we’re dangerously close to a huge climate disaster, and lots of plants and animals are quickly going extinct. They want us to notice and take action before it’s too late.

1. What do the students do after the turtle comes?

A．Find a nest for her in advance.	B．Photo the course of her laying eggs.
C．Clean the volleyball court completely.	D．Lead her to a good place for birth.

2. What does the author learn from the turtle mother?

A．Species actually owe a lot to the earth.	B．Humans should quit their culture of taking.
C．The earth asks gratitude of human beings.	D．Science isn’t powerful enough to save wildlife.

3. What can we infer about snapping turtles in paragraph 4?

A．They were eager to live in a community.	B．They found the volleyball court the best nest.
C．They gradually adapted to a life on land.	D．They displaced themselves for climate change.

4. What is the purpose of writing this text?

A．To appeal people to protect wildlife.	B．To amuse people with interesting turtle stories.
C．To introduce the survival ability of turtles.	D．To show the wisdom of turtles in laying eggs.

3 . Climate anxiety is appearing as a serious mental health concern, particularly among children, teens, and young adults, with symptoms ranging from frustration to constant anxiety.

A recent global survey illustrates the depth of anxiety many young people are feeling about climate change, with nearly 60% admitting feeling worried. Signs of climate anxiety include: They feel helpless about climate change.     1     They actively check climate news and weather forecasts. They experience physical symptoms such as headaches, shortness of breath, and racing heartbeats.

So how do we cope with climate anxiety? The first step is to understand that our reactions are normal.     2     However, you can learn to deal with it. You are experiencing climate anxiety because you care about what is happening to our planet; that’s a good thing.

Next, try to find small reasons to be hopeful. Our natural preference is to focus on the negative, and when it comes to climate change, this can be unbearable. We may destroy the future, thinking about all the ways climate change could ruin our lives.     3    

It can also help to remember that you’re not alone.     4     Fortunately, there are ways to cope. Connecting with other like-minded people who are working to fight climate change can help you feel less alone. A variety of organizations are taking climate action, and many are made up of people just like you.

    5     Get involved in activism can help you feel like your efforts are making a difference. Whether it’s writing to a politician or participating in marches, and get involved is an important step toward climate wellness.

A．Don’t forget to take action.

B．You have many people to turn to.

C．They worry extremely about the future.

D．This can lead to feelings of powerlessness.

E．They need support from others a great deal.

F．The climate crisis is alarming and overwhelming.

G．Many people are struggling with these feelings.

4 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Located in Lichuan, Hubei proince, Tenglong Dong is one of the world’s largest caves. The cave     1     (list) as the 74th longest cave of the world and the third longest in China with a length of 53,210m. The cave offers extraordinary big passages and one of the     2     (tall) cave entrances on earth, 74m high and 64m wide. The cave     3     (it) is a huge passage, only slightly smaller than the entrance.

The cave is entered at one point by a huge river,     4     (call) Qingjiang River, a branch of the Changjiang. This river first drops     5     almost 10m high waterfall, right before it enters the cave. Here a path was built about 20m above the water,     6     (enter) the river cave. The water deepens and calms down, while it is narrowed by the cave     7     (wall).

The first written mention of the cave is from the Qing dynasty. The cave was     8     (original) named Dong Po or Shui Dong     9     means Water Cave, probably in the meaning river cave. It was renamed     10     the unique name Tenglong Dong, after a Chinese evergreen about flying dragons (龙). And of course, there are mountains in the cave, caves in the mountains.

5 . The US military wants to build artificial reefs (礁) to protect coastal bases from rising seas and climate change. Its “Reefense” programme has awarded three contracts with the goal of using both artificial and natural defences to support the protection provided by human-built sea walls and concrete breakwaters alone.

A first line of defence envisioned by Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)’s Reefense programme would consist of an artificial structure capable of removing some of the power of incoming waves. That would pave the way for corals (珊瑚) to grow on the artificial foundation and further strengthen the coastal protection capabilities.

While natural reefs usually start shaping up over five to ten years, DARPA is aiming for these artificial reef structures to inspire coral settlement within just a few years. Its vision could take advantage of new lab techniques for growing corals.

As part of the programme, one team at Rutgers University in New Jersey has received $4.5 million to develop defences based on reefs in the Gulf of Mexico near Tyndall Air Force Base. Another team, at the University of Hawaii, received more than $7.3 million to experiment with structures that encourage coral reef to grow in the Pacific Ocean. The third team, at the University of Miami, was awarded almost $7.5 million to develop an artificial reef solution with different species of coral for the Atlantic Ocean.

The research teams must first build artificial reefs, starting at 50 metres in length, before eventually extending them to 150 metres. Early testing in wave tanks is set to eventually lead to a three -year-long project offshore between 2023 and 2026.

Researchers will also selectively breed (繁殖) corals at seawater temperatures 3℃ higher than surrounding temperatures, so the animals can better survive in a warming world. “All the teams have skills in growing corals in their laboratory environments, selecting for higher temperatures or disease resistance,” says Catherine Campbell at the US DARPA.

1. What can we know about the US military’s plan to build artificial reefs?

A．It has been put into practice.	B．It aims to protect sea animals.
C．It hasn’t been well received.	D．It focuses on natural defences.

2. What’s the advantage of artificial reefs?

A．They are stronger than natural ones.	B．Their expense is less than natural ones.
C．They need less time to grow perfectly.	D．They can be built anywhere we want to.

3. What does paragraph 4 mainly tell us?

A．Different species of coral should be protected.

B．Different teams will develop artificial reefs soon.

C．Universities are facing intense competition.

D．Many companies are willing to provide finance.

4. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．Corals live better in colder surroundings.	B．The research teams need more experience.
C．Campbell is positive about the programme.	D．“Reefense” programme is on its first stage.

6 . “In high school, I decided to stop eating meat. I love animals. I couldn’t see them suffering.” Babulski says, who is a biologist at Monroe Community College in New York. Teenage Babulski initially lived on starches (淀粉食物) and salads. Eventually she learned to eat a more balanced vegetarian (素食者的) diet. But, Babulski remembers, her mom still wished she’d give up the madness. Mom thought she was going to straight up die.

The decision by Babulski and others to go vegetarian can be threatening to those who view eating animals as typically American. Eating meat is the norm in the United States, even though medical experts have long encouraged people to eat less processed and red meat for health reasons. What is becoming clear is that a meat-heavy diet is also terrible for the planet.

Shifting demand from meat to beans, whole grains, fruits, vegetables and nuts could have many benefits for the climate. A more recent April report from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the IPCC, suggests that the world’s wealthiest individuals could greatly decrease emissions (排放) through lifestyle changes. That’s because households with incomes in the top 10 percent produce roughly 36 to 45 percent of global emissions, while households with incomes in the bottom 50 percent contribute just 13 to 15 percent. Therefore, wealthier individuals, who adopt a low-carbon lifestyle, can help establish new, more sustainable social norms.

Babulski learned about the environmental impacts of meat production. She now shares her personal journey with students in her environmental science course. Many of her students come to realize the power of their individual choices. The little things they do actually do add up and make a difference.

1. Why did Babulski’s mother object to her becoming a vegetarian?

A．She felt threatened.	B．She was a meat lover.
C．She misunderstood her.	D．She was worried about her health.

2. What do most Americans think of a meat-heavy diet?

A．It is a personal lifestyle.	B．It can cause health problems.
C．It is harmful to the environment.	D．It is an essential part of their life.

3. Who plays a key role in reducing emissions according to the IPCC’s April report?

A．The factories.	B．The government.
C．The low-income families.	D．The wealthy people.

4. What is the attitude of most of Babulski’s students towards her diet?

A．Neutral.

B．Supportive.

C．Critical.

D．Uninterested.

8 . For many young Canadians, planting trees is more than just a job. It’s a way of ______   and it could be catching on, thanks to a popular ______ by Leslie. While working for a logging company, the 29-year-old filmed herself using the ______ method that allowed her to plant 4,545 trees in a single day. She said that the work is incredibly ______.

Planting trees is not easy work, according to Leslie. Not only is it ______ tiring, but it also exposes laborers to the bad weather. “It could start the day off ______ and then minutes later, it will just be raining or snowing. You never know what to ______,” she described. “There were some days that we were planting through a heat ______, so we had like 37 to 40 degree weather for several days straight and that was really ______.”

So far, Leslie has planted a total of 372,290 trees in the past few years. ______, she’s still nowhere near beating the Guinness World record. That honor ______ Kenny Chaplin, who once planted 15,170 trees in 19 hours. After 35 years on the job, he says he’d ______ it to anyone.

“I think every parent in Canada should ______ their kid out tree planting because it will turn them into a worker,” he ______ . “They’ll learn how to work, they’ll have ______ and they’ll have money in their pockets.”

1.

A．appointment

B．impression

C．recreation

D．life

2.

A．investment

B．liberation

C．video

D．story

3.

A．negative

B．speedy

C．respective

D．influential

4.

A．rewarding

B．massive

C．original

D．diverse

5.

A．barely

B．permanently

C．gradually

D．physically

6.

A．heavy

B．sunny

C．severe

D．obvious

7.

A．expect

B．organize

C．prefer

D．recover

8.

A．scream

B．action

C．push

D．wave

9.

A．potential

B．sudden

C．tough

D．flexible

10.

A．Moreover

B．However

C．Besides

D．Therefore

11.

A．turns to

B．relates to

C．belongs to

D．subscribes to

12.

A．admit

B．warn

C．whisper

D．recommend

13.

A．send

B．celebrate

C．understand

D．decide

14.

A．imagined

B．argued

C．explained

D．responded

15.

A．version

B．concept

C．responsibility

D．qualification

9 . Global warming is causing problems for birds in Sweden and elsewhere. Warmer springs mean that caterpillars (毛毛虫) hatch and grow earlier compared with just a few decades ago. This has consequences for birds that cannot eat proper caterpillars. Therefore, when the food supply runs out at an ever earlier time in the spring, more and more baby birds starve during the breeding (繁殖) season. This is a big problem for migratory birds that spend winters in Africa, as they do not know how early spring arrives in Sweden.

“We thought that perhaps the migratory birds could fly further north until they find a place with suitable well-developed caterpillars,” says Nilsson, biology researcher at Lund University in Sweden.

To test this in practice, the researchers decided to help some pied flycatchers (斑背鹟) along the way. The biologists caught pied flycatchers that had arrived prior to breeding in the Netherlands. The birds were then driven during the night to Vombs Fure, an area of pine forest outside Lund in Skane, where they were released. The peak of caterpillar availability in Skane is about two weeks later than in the Netherlands — a distance of around 600 kilometres that a pied flycatcher could cover in just two nights.

“The birds that were given a lift from the Netherlands to Skane synchronized (同步) very well with the food peak! As they started to breed about 10 days earlier the Swedish pied flycatchers, they had a dramatically better breeding success than the Swedish ones as well as a better success than the pied flycatchers that remained in the Netherlands,” says Nilsson. In addition, it was shown that the baby birds of the pied flycatchers that had received migration assistance arrived earlier during the migration season to find Skane.

“The number of small birds, particularly migratory birds, has decreased drastically throughout Europe. By flying a little further north, these birds, at least in principle, could synchronise with their food resources and there is hope that populations of small birds can be maintained, even though springs are arriving ever earlier,” adds Nilsson.

1. What’s the problem for migratory birds spending winters in Africa?

A．Global warming affects their natural habitats.

B．Their babies suffer a lot from food shortage.

C．They return to Sweden earlier compared with decades ago.

D．Only a few of them can return to the northern habitat as usual.

2. Why were some pied flycatchers driven to Vombs Fure?

A．They were so timed that they can’t tally anymore.

B．They preferred to the warmer climate there.

C．They could be provided with sufficient food resources.

D．They were misled by the researchers during the night.

3. What’s Nilsson’s attitude towards migratory birds’ flying further north?

A．Positive.

B．Critical.

C．Unclear.

D．Neutral.

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

A．Migratory Birds Are at the Great Risk of Global Warming

B．Scientists Are Using High-Tech Tools to Study Migratory Birds

C．Human Beings Can Live in Harmony with Migratory Birds

D．Migratory Birds Can Be Taught to Adjust to Climate Change

10 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

For five years, the most famous clock tower in Britain was hidden behind an ugly fortress of scaffolding (脚手架) for restoration. This summer, a sound familiar     1     Londoners for more than a century and a half will again ring out across the British capital — Big Ben is back.

The clock tower stands tall over the Palace of Westminster     2     houses the British Parliament (议会). It is officially known as the Elizabeth Tower but commonly called by     3     nickname of the enormous bell in the belfry (钟楼): Big Ben. The bell’s bong is     4     (instant) recognizable to Britons.

The size of Big Ben,     5     (weigh) a little over 15 tons, is impressive, as is the complexity of a clock mechanism based on the most     6     (advance) technology available to its 19-century creators. Nobody had ever attempted     7     (build) a clock that size to the accuracy demanded.

During the restoration, the clock was serviced for the first time since it started ticking in 1859, when crowds lined the streets to greet Big Ben’s    8     (arrive). More than 3500 parts     9     (remove) from the 316-foot tower, including much of its iron roof. Now freshly     10     (paint), the tower stands as a monument to what can be achieved by modern restoration.