1 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. How many kinds of pollution have been mentioned by the speaker?

A．Two.

B．Three.

C．Four.

2. Which is the most serious pollution in today’s life?

A．Air pollution.

B．Noise pollution.

C．Water pollution.

3. Why must factories clean their waste water before it is thrown away?

A．It will make us upset easily.

B．It will pollute our rivers and lakes.

C．It will reduce their cost.

4. What does the speaker advise us to do to fight pollution?

A．Make new rules.

B．Go to live with friends.

C．Take public transportation.

2 . Floating solar panel systems are beginning to boom in the United States. They’re attractive not just for clean power and lack of a land footprint， but because they also conserve water by preventing evaporation (蒸发).

A study in Nature Sustainability found that thousands of cities-more than 6,000 in 124 countries - could generate an amount equal to all their electric it demand using floating solar, making it a climate solution to be taken seriously. In the process, they could save roughly enough water each year to fill 40 million Olympic-sized swimming pools.

The concept of floating solar is simple： attach panels onto rafts (筏子) so they float on water instead of blocking off land that could be used for agriculture or buildings. The panels are sealed and act as a cover that brings evaporation down to nearly zero, benefiting regions like California that repeatedly experiences drought. The water also keeps panels cool, allowing them to generate more electricity than their land-mounted counterparts, which lose efficiency when they get too hot.

Limited land may have spurred some countries in Asia like Japan and Malaysia to expand floating solar. But higher costs remain a barrier. Floating solar costs 10-15% more than land solar initially, but owners save money in the long run. Deeper water can increase installation (安装) costs, and the technology can’t operate on fast-moving water, the open ocean, or shorelines with large waves. Engineers are working on other challenges. If the solar panels cover too much of a water body’s surface, dissolved oxygen levels could change and water temperature will drop, harming life in water. Researchers are looking into whether the electromagnetic (电磁) fields generated by cables (电缆) could negatively influence water ecosystems. However, there’s no evidence of that yet.

1. What does the author intend to do in paragraph 2?

A．To present the limitation of a climate solution.

B．To show the great potential of floating solar panels.

C．To attract more countries to use floating solar panels.

D．To stress the effect of floating solar panels on environment.

2. What can we infer about floating solar panels from paragraph 3?

A．They contribute to drought in some way.

B．They keep the water around cool.

C．They may fail to function in hot weather.

D．They are more efficient than land solar.

3. What does the underlined word “spurred” probably mean in paragraph 4?

A．Stimulated.

B．Forbidden.

C．Enabled.

D．Limited.

4. Which of the following is a problem with floating solar panels?

A．High cost in the long run.

B．Negative effect on cables.

C．Increased water temperature.

D．Demanding installation conditions.

3 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. Which pet may an outgoing person prefer?

A．A bird.

B．A dog.

C．A cat.

2. What may a cat owner be like?

A．Clever.

B．Sociable.

C．Careful.

3. What does the speech mainly talk about?

A．Pet people’s personalities.

B．More outgoing dog people.

C．Less sociable cat people.

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。

Next week, I’ll be traveling to Australia to visit a friend over the school holidays and I’m excited to explore this new country. I’ve already researched many iconic sites ,     1     (include) the Sydney Opera House and the Great Ocean Road, and animals like koalas and kangaroos. But as a social study student,     2     interests me most is experiencing the culture, food, and way of life of Australians and meeting new people. So far, my trip     3     (take) me to Sydney, where my friend took me to my first open-air barbecue and introduced me to many of the country’s delicious dishes. I’ve learned that many     4     (type) Australian foods, like the Sunday roast, have British origins, but Asian influences have also led to new food introductions like bean curd and dim sim. I have traveled to Katherine as well , a town in Australia’s Northern Territory,     5     (learn )about the customs and ways of life of the Aborigines, the native people of Australia.     6     their population may be small, their influence is still visible, as seen in the Aboriginal meaning of the name of Bondi Beach. The Aborigines’ close connection with nature is seen in their music, like the didgeridoo, which     7     (make) from a hollow tree branch and requires proper lip vibrations and air blowing techniques to play. I tried playing the didgeridoo but failed. As my trip comes to     8     close, I am most impressed by the multicultural influences that have shaped the unique Australian culture     9     (contribute) by immigrants and minorities. The warmth and     10     (friendly) of the Australian people have made me feel at home and I wholeheartedly agree with the tourism slogan, “There’s nothing like Australia”.

5 . At Sho Farm in northern Vermont, farmers Melissa Hoffman and Shawn Smith work hand in hand with the land and its inhabitants, and among them are hundreds of ducks. The ducks at Sho Farm are not being raised to be killed for food. Rather, they are naturally involved in farming operations, helping to manage pests and add fertilizer (肥料) to the soil.

In the beginning, Hoffman, who has a background in organic farming and ecology action, worked with ecologists and biologists to survey the plants and wildlife all around the area. This was “to understand who was living here, so that everything we did was in relationship to the life already here,” he says.

So, at Sho Farm, focus is placed on living harmoniously alongside other life and working with traditional ecological knowledge. Food is seen not as a commodity (商品) but as a relationship with land and life.

The methods of food production at Sho Farm, as well as the farmers’ philosophy of working with rather than against nature, are in sharp contrast to most modern agricultural systems. And that’s the point. “We’ve been talking a lot about the broken food system and the consequences of it to the environment, to wildlife, to the animals in animal agriculture and to human health,” says Hoffman, adding that it’s not just the food system that’s broken. “It’s the relationship between humans, non-human animals, land and nature.”

The ducks play a vital, integrated role on the farm, explains Hoffman, by naturally providing pest control, fertilizer and (fuel-free) land maintenance (维护), just as by-products of their existence. “We noticed where we summered groups of ducks and parts of the food system that were not doing very well. The following year, the food system was efficiently improved,” he says.

It’s a symbiotic relationship that works well. “Animals don’t have to be part of a farm in a commodity sense. They can be part of the farm as a partner,” Hoffman says. “They are wonderful partners.”

1. Why did Hoffman do a survey in the beginning?

A．To get familiar with the surroundings.

B．To have a good relationship with other people.

C．To live in harmony with other life on the farm.

D．To have a good understanding of organic farming.

2. What does the author intend to explain in paragraph 4?

A．The causes of the broken food system.

B．The reasons for Hoffman’s farming methods.

C．The changes in modern agricultural systems.

D．The process of food production at Sho Farm.

3. What does “a symbiotic relationship” in the last paragraph imply?

A．Animals are treated well at Sho Farm.

B．Animals are not to be sold for money.

C．People and animals play the same role in organic farming.

D．People and animals work together and benefit each other.

4. Which of the following best describes the farming at Sho Farm?

A．Efficient.

B．Modern.

C．Natural.

D．Economical.

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。

China will establish a new batch of national parks, including Huanghekou, Qianjiangyuan-Baishanzu and Kalamayli, in a steady and     1     (order) manner, Guan Zhiou, head of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, said on Saturday.

Speaking at the second National Park Forum held in Xining, capital of Qinghai province, Guan said China has adopted the strictest measures     2     (strengthen) the protection of the authenticity and integrity of the ecosystem, and promote the continuous improvement of ecological functions.

China’s national parks are specific land or sea areas     3     main purpose is to preserve the     4     (national) representative natural ecosystems of the country and realize the scientific protection and reasonable use of natural resources.

In 2021, China established the first batch of national parks, with     5     protected land area of 230,000 square km. These parks, including the Sanjiangyuan National Park, the Giant Panda National Park, the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park and so on, are home to nearly 30 percent of the key terrestrial (陆生的) wildlife species     6     (find) in the country.

“The Sanjiangyuan park realized the full protection of the source of the Yangtze, Yellow and Lancang     7     (river) and the Tibetan antelope population has recovered to over 70,000. In the Giant Panda National Park, more than 70 percent of wild pandas are     8     good protection,” the official added.

“Efforts     9     (make) to promote high-level protection and facilitate the promulgation (颁布) of the National Park Law,” Guan said,     10     (add) that China will also increase the application of new technologies, build a world-class scientific research monitoring platform, and strengthen national park management capabilities.

7 . When micro-plastics end up in farm fields, the pollution can damage plant growth. But two young researchers now report that combining fungi (真菌) with certain farm wastes can partly overcome that problem.

May Shin, 20, and Jiwon Choi, 18, met in a research design class at the Fryeburg Academy, a high school in Maine. May had desired to explore how micro-plastics might affect the ecosystem. Jiwon was crazy about plants and fungi. The young scientists cooperated to test how long-lived plastics might affect farm crops.

Scientists have shown certain fungi can aid root growth and a plant’s nutrient uptake. Those organisms are named arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). Certain farm wastes, like straw, can provide nutrients to plants and help stabilize their roots. Such wastes are also known as mushroom substrate (基质) and people often grow mushrooms in them.

May and Jiwon planted over 2,000 scallion (大葱) seeds in pots of soil. Half the seeds got soil polluted with micro-plastics. The rest grew in plastic-free soil. The plants then were further divided into four groups. The young scientists added AMF to the soil in one group. Another group had a top layer of mushroom substrate. A third group got both treatments. The last group got none. For three weeks, the pair tracked how many scallions sprouted (发芽) in each group and measured the plants’ height once each week.

About twice as many scallions sprouted in clean soil compared to that containing plastic bits. But among plants surviving in the polluted soil, a combination of AMF and mushroom substrate helped them out. Those getting both treatments grew 5.4 centimeters per week. That was faster than either of the treatments alone or those getting none.

Jiwon and May then looked at the plant roots with a microscope. Where AMF had been added, it grew into those roots. That increased the scallion roots’ surface area, May said, which should promote their uptake of nutrients. So “I see this project as coming up with a sustainable solution for plant growth in polluted soils,” said May.

1. Why did May and Jiwon work together?

A．To see the effects of long-lived plastics on farm crops.

B．To find the relationship between plants and fungi.

C．To design a research on the growth of plants.

D．To explore the way that the ecosystem works.

2. What is the author’s purpose in writing paragraph 3?

A．To prove the existence of micro-plastics.	B．To compare fungi with farm wastes.
C．To tell the advantages of farm wastes.	D．To provide some related information.

3. What aspect of the study is the fourth paragraph mainly about?

A．Its purpose.

B．Its design.

C．Its findings.

D．Its reasons.

4. How can AMF and mushroom substrate make plants grow faster?

A．By keeping the plants more resistant to pollution.	B．By allowing the plants’ deep area more freedom.
C．By making nutrients more available to the plants.	D．By exposing the roots to a larger surface area.

8 . Astronomers long thought that an odd star system observed by the European Space Agency’s Gaia satellite was a simple case of a star orbiting a black hole. But two astronomers are challenging that claim, finding that the evidence suggests something far stranger: a never-before-seen type of star made of invisible dark matter. The system consists of a sun-like star, and its mysterious dark companion, which is much more massive.

What could that dark companion be? Maybe, as suggested, it’s a clump (团) of dark matter. Dark matter is an invisible form of matter that makes up the vast majority of the mass of every single galaxy (星系). We still don’t have a solid understanding of its identity. Most theoretical models assume that dark matter is smoothly distributed in each galaxy, but there are models that allow it to come together on itself.

One of these models supposes that dark matter in this case is a new kind of boson (玻色子). These bosons would have the ability to form clumps. Some of them could be the size of entire star systems, but some could be much smaller. The smallest ones could be as small as stars, and they get a new name: boson stars. Boson stars would be entirely invisible. Because dark matter doesn’t interact with other substances or light, we could detect them only through the gravitational influence on their surroundings. The researchers pointed out that a simple model of boson dark matter could produce enough boson stars to make the two astronomers’ finding reasonable.

While it’s unlikely that this is actually the discovery of a boson star, follow-up observations are still urged. Most importantly, this unique system gives us a rare opportunity to study the behaviour of strong gravity, allowing us to examine Einstein’s theory of general relativity to see if it holds. Secondly, if it is a boson star, this system is the perfect experimental set-up. We can keep studying our models of boson stars, see how well they can explain the orbital dynamics of this system and use that information to glimpse into the dark corners of the universe.

1. What does the evidence show about the odd star system?

A．Its mass is less than the sun.

B．It is a simple case for astronomers.

C．It is made of a star and a black hole.

D．Its star is made of invisible dark matter.

2. What can we infer about dark matter from paragraph 2?

A．It can be gathered.

B．It is solid and inactive.

C．It can be a clump of visible matter.

D．It makes up a minority of the galaxy’s mass.

3. What are boson stars?

A．The smallest dark matter.

B．The smallest boson clumps.

C．The smallest boson models.

D．The smallest star systems.

4. What does the author convey in the last paragraph?

A．Einstein’s theory holds true.

B．Boson stars have been confirmed.

C．More relevant studies will be needed.

D．A perfect model contains a boson star.

9 . The city of San Francisco, California, is known as a city for people who like food. There are many award-winning restaurants. San Franciscans also like dogs. So, Rahmi Massarweh, a dog owner and chef decided to bring his two likes together. He opened the first and only restaurant for dogs.

The restaurant is called Dogue. The name is like the word “vogue”, which means “fashion”. It opened in September in the city’s popular Mission District. Individual dishes cost around $30. Or, for $75 each, dogs can dine on a multi-course “bone appetite” meal. The special meal includes chicken cakes and raw steak with a bird egg. The price also includes a baked food and drinks for the dogs’ owners.

Massarweh left his job of running a fine dining restaurant to open his Dogue. Some people are expressing their opinions about the costly menu, which is unfriendly to people with relatively low incomes. But Massarweh has received some support from his customers. They are thankful to have a place to treat their furry friend. Recently, Dogue held three dog birthday parties at the same time.

Gledy Espinoza is the owner of Mason, an 11-year old dog. Mason enjoyed some mushroom soup with pieces of chicken. “I want to celebrate his birthday. He is so special to me. He is my four-legged child and this is the perfect place to do a really nice celebration. We’re foodies (美食家). I guess he is too, now,” Espinoza said.

Massarweh uses costly food materials to prepare Mason’s food. Everything he makes can be eaten safely by humans, but we probably will not like it. The dog dishes may taste very bland, or flavorless, to us. Dogue’s goal is to spread the idea of feeding dogs fresh, healthy and natural food. Some research shows that natural food may be better for a dog’s stomach than the dog food that you can buy in a store.

1. What do we know about Dogue?

A．It offers free drinks to the dogs’ owners.

B．It’s aimed to win dog food cooking contests.

C．It combines Massarweh’s love for food and dogs.

D．It’s the most popular dog restaurant in California.

2. What does the author mainly want to express in paragraph 3?

A．Dogue is widely accepted by people.

B．It’s unwise of Massarweh to give up his job.

C．Dogue makes dogs and their owners closer.

D．The price of the dog diets is controversial.

3. What is Espinoza’s attitude to Dogue?

A．Appreciative.

B．Curious.

C．Critical.

D．Suspicious.

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

A．A Restaurant for the Furry Friends

B．A Restaurant for the Homeless Dogs

C．Dogue Offering Discounted Natural Dog Food

D．Dogue Spreading the Idea of Adding Extra Favour

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。

Years ago, the authors conducted human-wildlife conflict surveys in the Tibet Autonomous Region’s counties,     1     (locate) in the TAR’s remote Chang Tang region. These surveys showed     2     previously undocumented and growing problem of human-snow leopard conflict. Next, snow leopard telephone interviews were conducted with Tibet Forestry Bureau staff,     3     (result) in an additional new conflict and sighting location records. This new location information, together with records provided by other observers,     4     (collect) to make a snow leopard distribution (分布) map.

This effort greatly expanded knowledge of the snow leopard’s distribution in this region,     5     remains one of the least understood of the snow leopard’s key range areas. New knowledge on snow leopard in the Chang Tang will help identify human-snow leopard conflict hot spots and influence design of human-snow leopard conflict relief and conservation strategies for northwest Tibet. Nevertheless, much field work will also be required     6     (describe) snow leopard distribution in the Chang Tang.

Importantly, in the past few years, a number of major transportation infrastructure (基础设施) projects     7     (make) the Chang Tang more accessible. This has led to a     8     (great) increased number of tourists visiting western Tibet, Mt. Kailash and Lake Manasarovar     9     particular. All these developments have a large potential to cause disturbance to snow leopards and their prey species, including influencing their movements     10     destroying their habitat.