1 . Let’s get inspired by reading about the following four young people.

Reshma Kosaraju

At 12, her family moved to Northern California. Soon after, the Camp Fire started. “It was one of the largest fires in California history,” Reshma, now 17, said. Her school was about 200 miles south of the fire. But students had to wear masks because of the smoke, which made her create away to use artificial intelligence (AI) to predict forest fires.

Nihal Tammana

On his10th birthday, he learned that every year 15 billion batteries are thrown out. They harm the environment. Nihal’s organization, Recycle My Battery, provides recycling boxes for batteries. It has a team of 250 student volunteers around the world. In the past three years, they’ve helped recycle over 260,000 batteries. “My biggest goal is to bring the 15 billion batteries being thrown away each year worldwide to zero,” the 14-year-old boy says.

Miles Fetherston-Resch

Miles, now 10, is in the business of saving oceans. Learning sharks were in trouble, he persuaded his mom to help him start a non-profit organization called Kids Saving Oceans, whose website sells T-shirts and hats made out of recycled plastic found in the ocean. Some $40,000 so far has been donated to organizations that support clean waterways.

Mia Price

Mia, 18, is the chair of the sustainability committee (可持续发展委员会) at the Kinkaid School, in Houston, Texas. The committee recently met its goal of getting rid of plastic water bottles from the school dining center. Now Mia wants to make the school campus greener. Her ideas included installing (安装) solar panels and LED light bulbs and recycling materials from the old gym.

1. What do we know about Recycle My Battery?

A．It was founded by accident.	B．It was Nihal’s birthday gift.
C．It has finished its biggest goal.	D．It has attracted worldwide attention.

2. Who’s keeping an eye on the school canteen?

A．Reshma.

B．Mia.

C．Nihal.

D．Miles.

3. What do the four people have in common?

A．They all need volunteers badly.	B．They’ve set up their societies.
C．They are kid heroes for nature.	D．They are all young inventors.

2 . The Living Planet Index (LPI) report shows that wildlife numbers have dropped sharply since 1970. It says that, on average, wildlife populations dropped by 69% in the 48 years from 1970 to 2018. That’s a huge drop. Marco Lambertini, who leads the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), said, “The message is clear and the lights are flashing red.”

The LPI is reporting the average change in the size of animal populations over time. Some kinds of animals are in worse trouble than others. Populations of vertebrates (脊椎动物) that live in fresh water (not oceans) have dropped by 83%. The numbers of sharks and rays in the oceans have gone down by 71%. Central and South America and the Caribbean had the greatest population losses — a drop by 94%. Next came Africa, with a 66% drop, followed by Asia and the Pacific with a 55% drop. Europe and North America showed smaller losses. These areas probably had greater losses before 1970.

The biggest problem is the loss of wild areas to growing cities, and activities like farming and deforestation. Hunting, poaching (偷猎), overfishing, and pollution are also big challenges. Climate change is a growing problem, and may soon be the biggest one.

But there are some hopeful signs. About half of the populations are jarless or growing. In some cases, human efforts to protect animals are working. For example, nests of loggerhead turtles in Chrysochou Bay, Cyprus rose by 500% from 1999 to 2015 because of efforts to protect them.

An international meeting on biodiversity this December is seen as extremely important. The meeting, called COP15, is being run by the United Nations in Montreal, Canada. The meeting’s goal is to get countries to agree to new guidelines to help stop the loss of animals, plants and wild lands by 2030. “Our future depends on reversing (逆转) the loss of nature just as much as it depends on addressing climate change,” says Carter Roberts, who leads WWF in the US. “And you can’t solve one without solving the other.”

1. What does Marco Lambertini say about the drop of wildlife numbers?

A．It’s alarming.	B．It’s unreal.
C．It’s tolerable.	D．It’s puzzling.

2. What is Paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．Fast development of big cities.

B．Effects that climate change brings.

C．Causes for wildlife populations’ decline.

D．Challenges of protecting wild animals.

3. What does the underlined word “jarless” mean in Paragraph 4?

A．Stable.	B．Considerable.
C．Imbalanced.	D．Shrinking.

4. Why is the meeting in the last paragraph considered important?

A．It is hosted by the UN for the first time.

B．It reports the main threats to humankind.

C．It offers a way to deal with climate change.

D．It aims to make new rules to protect nature.

3 . Madagascar, the world’s second-largest island country located off Africa’s eastern coast, is an island of diverse ecosystems and a biodiversity hotspot. The country has unique wildlife, with 90% of its plants and animals found nowhere else. Madagascar’s wildlife creates some of the country’s most beautiful scenery and popular spots. One of its conspicuous landscapes, attracting tourists from almost all corners of the Earth, is the Avenue of the Baobabs in the Menabe region. This avenue is made up of numerous baobab trees along the dirt road linking Belon’i Tsiribihina and Morondava, creating a unique and beautiful setting.

Baobab trees are common throughout Madagascar. Of the Earth’s eight species, six are native to the country. Some of the baobabs in the country are about 2, 800 years old, with trunks rising to 150 feet. The avenue is a row of about 25 baobabs stretching about 260 meters. Other baobab trees are also found in the nearby pastures (牧草地). This road is one of Madagascar’s most visited places. It is also the most accessible place to see some of Africa’s oldest baobabs. These trees were once part of a forest that was made up of other plants. However, massive deforestation cleared the area of most trees, leaving the baobabs to grow alone.

The baobab trees along the road and the other species growing in the nearby areas are always under constant threat from the increasing population. The trees also face threats from polluted water from the nearby fields, forest fires, and bushfires. Despite being a popular tourist attraction, the Avenue of the Baobabs has no admission fee or visitor center and generates little money for local communities.

Thankfully, non-governmental organizations in partnership with the government have noticed the area and developed activities to protect the avenue. The Ministry of Environment, Ecology, and Forests declared it a temporary protected area in July 2007. In July 2015, the site was declared a national monument (国家保护区), the first in Madagascar. The government and local communities hope the trees can survive for additional 800 years.

1. What does the underlined word “conspicuous” in the first paragraph mean?

A．New.

B．Cultural.

C．Striking.

D．Changing.

2. What do we know about the Avenue of the Baobabs?

A．It is a big forest.	B．It has eight baobab species.
C．It consists of many different plants.	D．It has Africa’s oldest baobabs.

3. What does paragraph 3 mainly talk about?

A．The risk to local baobab trees.

B．Natural disasters in Madagascar.

C．Poor living conditions in Madagascar.

D．The quality customer service of the avenue.

4. What kind of feeling is expressed in the last paragraph?

A．Curiosity.

B．Caution.

C．Hopefulness.

D．Sympathy.

4 . 假设你是启明中学王磊，作为学校环保社“Earth Warrior Club”的社长，你负责写一则英语短文吸引你校交换生加入该社团，你的文章包括：
1.社团成立目的；
2.社团活动及给社员的收获；
3.加入的方式。
注意：
1.词数80左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3.开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。

Earth Warrior Wanted

Want to do your part for the earth? Join Us!

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Earth Warrior Club

5 . MUST SEE BRAZILIAN LANDMARKS

A country is often defined by its memorable and impressive landmarks. Brazil is no exception. Here are the must-see natural, and man-made landmarks that make Brazil unique.

Cristo Redentor

This is the large statue of an outstretched Jesus Christ that sits upon Corcovado Mountain overlooking Rio de Janeiro. The statue, over the years, has became an icon for the city. It can be easily accessed via the city bus that starts off in the Santa’ Teresa neighborhood.

Patio do Colegio

This small Jesuit College may not look too grand, but it is the founding site of Sao Paulo itself. Based on history and folktale, if this building was not built by Jesuit monks, the city of Sao Paulo would not be around today.

Amazon Rainforest and River

The Amazon Rainforest is the largest and most biodiverse area of tropical rainforest in the world. Contained within it is its life force, the Amazon River, which is the lar gest river in terms of volume and discharge (排水量) in the world. Together, these two giants create the most spectacular natural wilderness that one should visit.

Iguacu Falls

This churning (漩涡的) white water with thundering sound is a sight to behold. The name of the falls comes from the Guarani word meaning ‘water’ and ‘big’。 The falls themselves are separated into numerous smaller falls, and one large impressive drop, called the Devil’s Throat.

1. Which place can you visit by public transportation?

A．Patio do Colegio.	B．Cristo Redentor.
C．Iguacu Falls.	D．Amazon Rainforest and River.

2. What can we visit in Sao Paulo?

A．Cultural buildings.	B．A large statue in Rio de Janeiro.
C．Natural wilderness.	D．The biggest waterfall in the world,

3. What is the purpose of this text?

A．To introduce the unique symbol of Brazil.

B．To explore the largest wilderness areas in Brazil

C．To introduce four must-see Brazilian landmarks.

D．To display impressive modern Brazilian landmarks

6 . 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。

Indoor plants are a beautiful way to    1    (bright) up your home, especially in the gray    2    (month) of winter. But there can be a dark side to houseplants if you have children or if children visit your home. It is important that you know which plants are poisonous to children.

Gardening expert Jessica Damiano    3    (recent) wrote about the issue for The Associated Press. She said she often pointed out houseplants in homes that should     4    (keep) out of children’s mouths. Last week, Damiano    5    (visit) her cousin’s home and saw a Dieffenbachia plant in the kitchen. Her cousin told her that her young son,    6    had just begun crawling, had shown interest in     7    leaves. Damiano had to explain to her cousin that eating a small amount of the plant’s stem could cause temporary     8    severe pain. The plant parts can cause throat and mouth swelling. The plant’s sap can cause nose, skin and eye pain. Damiano wrote that parents should teach their young children not to put non-food plant parts into their mouths. “Parents should also educate     9    (they),” she said. She urged parent store search whether the plants in their homes are safe to grow around children. She also suggested     10    (learn) the official botanical names of any houseplants so that they can be able to provide that information quickly to a poison control expert, if needed.

7 . Ashley Liberto asked her students to use the school’s 3D imaging equipment to make a prosthetic limb (假肢) for her dog Bentley.

Bentley developed cancer after one leg became swollen, which was later ______ to save his life. Ashley described this experience as “______” and “emotional”.

Bentley is now healthy and still ______ all of his usual activities, but he gets ______ easily with only three legs. So Ashley brought him in to meet the school’s 3D printing students, and they were excited to get to ______.

Senior Brandon led some students in designing a prosthetic limb for Bentley. Brandon said it was nice to have a(n) ______ that would improve someone’s life. Bentley ______ to his new limb with ease. And the students were ______ to see their work put to such practical, real-life ______.

“Just seeing Bentley walk with four legs and seeing the ______ this project was going to have was really something special,” Brandon said.

Bentley is ______ using a temporary limb, but the final one will be ready in a few weeks. Ashley was happy that her students stepped up in such a ______ to improve her dog’s quality of life.

“______ are amazing.” she said. “They have such an imagination. They want to ______ big things in life.” These students really got a taste of what it’s like to be true ______. Well done!

1.

A．run over

B．cut off

C．checked up

D．hidden away

2.

A．scary

B．embarrassing

C．disappointing

D．important

3.

A．hosts

B．guides

C．loves

D．changes

4.

A．bored

B．tired

C．confused

D．lost

5.

A．contact

B．repair

C．work

D．adjust

6.

A．project

B．qualification

C．presentation

D．urge

7.

A．contributed

B．added

C．turned

D．adapted

8.

A．surprised

B．regretful

C．proud

D．selfless

9.

A．scene

B．use

C．image

D．level

10.

A．impact

B．purpose

C．relation

D．problem

11.

A．constantly

B．frequently

C．typically

D．currently

12.

A．situation

B．way

C．matter

D．case

13.

A．Dogs

B．Limbs

C．Students

D．Teachers

14.

A．discover

B．explore

C．influence

D．do

15.

A．inventors

B．operators

C．artists

D．pioneers

8 . In the heart of Texas, “Bee Czar” Walter Schumacher is saving the world—one hive (蜂群) at a time. And he does it without wearing a protective bee suit. What is his technique? He “communicates” with the bees to avoid being bitten. Walter and his team at the American Honey Bee Protection Agency rescue hives from places that are unwanted—inside the walls of a house or 30 feet up in a neighborhood tree, and relocate the hives where the bees can grow and pollinate (授粉) in peace.

According to Walter, every third bite of food we eat was pollinated by bees; without them, life would cease existing. But saving bees costs money, so they have got to sell honey to make money.

Walter’s business once was booming with $200,000 in yearly sales. But after losing everything in the past three years, Walter wants to rebuild his honey business so that he can afford to rescue unwanted hives. With his oldest son Will and a small but dedicated team, Walter has a plan to transform their old family farm into their new headquarters, to save more bees and sell more honey.

Saving bees is a big affair. Will runs the business, trying to keep his dad organized; Walter teaches his younger sons Bodhi and Odin the skills of keeping bees, and Will’s wife Meredith is experiencing her first bee rescue. Walter also invites bee technician Jonathan who seeks inner calm by rescuing bees and scaffolding (脚手架) pro Sandy, who can reach angry bees in places ladders can’t and dreams of talking to bees herself. Walter brings audiences into the hive when he trains beekeepers to safely handle millions of bees Will plans to sign big contracts selling honey to businesses like restaurants and supermarkets, meanwhile undertaking dangerous hive rescues.

1. Which of the following can best describe Walter’s work of rescuing bees?

A．Interesting.

B．Tough.

C．Tiring.

D．Simple.

2. What does Walter think of bees?

A．They are important to us.	B．They are not in danger.
C．They can’t grow in peace.	D．They can bite many people.

3. What is Walter’s present plan?

A．To find more hives.	B．To expand his team.
C．To rebuild his business.	D．To train more bee raisers.

4. What does the last paragraph mainly talk about?

A．Why Walter started the big affair.

B．What Walter’s family do to save bees.

C．Whether Walter sticks to his business.

D．How Walter teaches his sons to keep bees.

9 . Unlike other natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes are very hard to see coming, even for scientists.    1    Thus, specific practices for earthquake preparedness are necessary. Here are four steps you can take to prepare yourself in advance.

Drop, cover and hold

If you feel the ground start to shake, drop, take cover under as table piece of furniture, and hold on. You can hide under something like a desk or table, with one arm holding on to a leg of the table and your other arm protecting your neck and head.    2    In modern homes, it is no stronger than any other part of the house and will not protect you from injury.

Make a family plan

    3    Create a meeting point—somewhere easy for everyone to remember, or you could also meet at home. Whatever plan you decide on, don’t rely on your phone as your main form of communication. Technology fails all the time in disasters. A major earthquake in California, for example, damaged cell towers and knocked out communication services for days.

Secure your furniture

Those hanging shelves above your bed could be a danger during an earthquake. People often get injured from “flying or falling objects” like furniture or glass during earthquakes. So examine your home and ask yourself, “What could be a potential danger to my safety?”    4    

Make digital copies of important documents

Important documents may get destroyed during earthquakes. Therefore, scan or take photos of your important documents, such as your license, financial records and insurance policy information.    5    This step can help ensure your documents will be available even if your computer is lost in a quake.

A．Then send them to your e-mail.

B．These are all important personal documents.

C．Make sure your household has a plan of action.

D．Whatever you do, do not stand in a doorframe.

E．If you find the answer, you need to runaway immediately.

F．Nowadays early detection systems can only give seconds of warming ahead.

G．If possible, remove those heavy and big objects above your bed immediately.

10 . 4 Best Places to Travel in 2023

2023 is the year when travel returns in a big way. To get you started, we’ve rounded up some of the best places to travel in 2023. All you need to do is pick the place that appeals to you.

Copenhagen

With its fantastic houses, clean streets and colorful architecture, Copenhagen is regarded as the most livable city on the earth. Named the World Capital of Architecture for 2023, Copenhagen will offer a series of major artistic events and programs sure to delight architects and design lovers.

Bhutan

For travelers with a sense of adventure and a love of discovery, Bhutan has always been a must-go destination. In 2023, travelers can once again explore the Trans Bhutan Trail, which runs 250 miles from east to west, offering visits to the century-old communities along the journey. The trail spans (横跨)18 major bridges and national parks and connects more than 400 historic and cultural sites.

Bordeaux

The coming years will be sporty in the historical wine region of Bordeaux in France. In 2023, the city will host the Rugby World Cup, an intense and stressful game. Beyond sports, Bordeaux is one of the favorite historical cities, with more than 350 structures that are either nationally or regionally listed as historical monuments.

Namibia

Wildlife and adventure lovers looking for a unique path in African Safari trips should head straight to Namibia in 2023 — this country in southern Africa is the perfect place to travel to reconnect with nature and escape the modern stresses of life. On the wildlife front, you may see lions along with giraffes and elephants.

1. What is Copenhagen well-known for?

A．The natural landscape.	B．The adventure travel.
C．Eye-catching architecture.	D．Famous art designers.

2. What can you visit on the Trans Bhutan Trail?

A．Modern communities.	B．Cultural relics.
C．Historical wine regions.	D．National monuments.

3. Which place attracts those who want to be free from stressful city life?

A．Copenhagen.

B．Bhutan.

C．Bordeaux.

D．Namibia.