1 . The Vjosa River, one of the last wild rivers in Europe, has been declared a national park by the Albanian government, making it become the first wild river park on the continent.

Home to more than 1,000 animal and plant species, the river flows for 270 kilometers, from Greece, through Albania and into the Adriatic Sea. Giving the credit to no dams or other artificial barriers, it is rich in aquatic species and supports a large number of wildlife species, including otters, the endangered Egyptian vulture and the critically endangered Balkan lynx.

The wild river national park will include almost 13,000 acres of land, crossing most of the body of the country, with thousands of people living in its surroundings. The decision to establish the park is more important than people may realize. For years, the Vjosa’s fragile ecosystem has been under threat: at one point as many as 45 hydropower plants (水 电 站) were planned to build across the region. But thanks to the campaigning by environmental NGOs, the tiny Balkan nation was placed at the forefront of river protection.

Albania’s prime minister, Edi Rama, described the creation of the national park as a “truly historic moment” for nature as well as social and economic development. “Today we protect the only wild river in Europe once and for all,” he said. “This is about to change a mindset. Protecting an area does not mean that you make it in isolation from the economy.” He said national parks attract 20% more   tourists   compared with non-protected areas.

The park will cover the 118 miles of the Vjosa in Albania, three main tributaries (支流), and some land, including areas at risk of flooding. Phase II will add other tributaries. Unlike the IUCN's Wilderness Protected Areas, which limit the number of visitors, it will allow recreational tourism and some   other activities such as local fishing, particularly for 60,000 residents in the catchment.

“We hope it will inspire others to come together to protect the wild places we have left, in a meaningful way,” said Ryan Gellert, Patagonia’s CEO, adding that the park was proof that the “destruction of nature did not have to be the price of progress”.

1. What makes the Vjosa River rich in wild species?

A．Sufficient water.

B．The government's policies.

C．The large area of fertile land.

D．The absence of human disturbance.

2. Why is the decision to build the park extremely important?

A．It helps to establish hydropower plants.

B．It relieves the power shortage in Albania.

C．It strengthens the protection of Vjosa's ecosystem.

D．It promotes the development of the local wild land.

3. What can we infer from Edi Rama?

A．Building the park is beneficial to the economy.

B．More wild rivers need to be protected in Europe.

C．Non-protected areas will inspire a boom in tourism.

D．Social progress comes at the cost of the natural environment.

4. How is the park different from IUCN's Wilderness Protected Areas?

A．It includes more tributaries.

B．It limits the number of visitors.

C．It covers areas at high risk of flooding.

D．It combines leisure activities with tourism.

2 . In the Mediterranean Sea, a model detection system— the System for the Avoidance of Ship-Strikes with Endangered Whales(SAvEWhales) developed by Emmanuel Skarsoulis’s research team, can use the clicks of a sperm whale to determine its location in three-dimensional space. In tests using both artificial sounds and the sounds released from real sperm whales, researchers showed that SAvEWhales can provide enough notice for a nearby ship to change direction or slow down when a whale is in its path.

SAvEWhales’ design is fairly simple. It has won praise from a professor at Cornell University for its getting near-real-time information that ships could use on the spot. For the model detection system, Skarsoulis’s team fixed three buoys(浮标) in a triangle one to two kilometers apart near the Hellenic Trench, a five-kilometer-deep underwater canyon(峡谷). Hanging from each buoy on a 100-meter line was a hydrophone(水中听音器) to detect underwater sound. The three hydrophones picked up information each time a nearby sperm whale clicked. Based on the reflections of the sperm whale’s clicks, the scientists built their method to calculate the depth of the clicking whale. And by running the same calculations each time a whale clicks nearby, the scientists can actively track whales.

So far, the system has only experienced a two-year pilot test, and Skarsoulis and his colleagues have already identified some barriers to expanding it to a full-time monitoring system. These include analytical challenges as well as those involved in maintaining an at-sea system. In fact, fishermen who happened to be nearby watched the first two SAvEWhales buoys that were used disappear underwater, dragged down by strong water flows. Besides, the surface reflection analysis that makes SAvEWhales so powerful can’t be used for whales that communicate through song rather than clicks, such as fin whales.

Yet such monitoring is urgently needed in the Mediterranean Sea, says a whale researcher Nino Pierantonio. Pierantonio notes that other efforts to reduce ship strikes will also be essential tools in protecting the endangered sperm whales. “When reducing speed is not an option, we need another way to achieve it,” he adds.

1. How can the new system help endangered sperm whales?

A．By locating sperm whales through recorded sounds.

B．By reminding ships surrounding sperm whales.

C．By guiding sperm whales to a safe place.

D．By warning sperm whales of potential risks through artificial sounds.

2. What does paragraph 2 mainly talk about?

A．The selection of the experimental bases.	B．The basic development process of SAvEWhales.
C．The inspiration for the model detection system.	D．The unique features of sperm whales’ clicks.

3. What is the function of the hydrophones in?

A．To identify different sounds underwater.

B．To record the data gained from the buoys.

C．To provide ships’ specific location information.

D．To help collect the information on sperm whales’ clicks.

4. What can be inferred from the text about SAvEWhales?

A．It needs further improvement.

B．It will be tested in strong water flows.

C．It will target fin whales in the near future.

D．It needs to be applied as a full-time system urgently.

3 . Discover how you can help endangered species! Volunteer to help conserve endangered species around the world with GoEco.

Sea turtles, Sri Lanka

The species is threatened by human hunters. The Sri Lankan government has approved the creation of hatcheries (孵化场) in order to protect this species. Volunteers on this program spend 60% of their time working in the hatchery and the other 40% is spent on activities such as beach cleanups and creating awareness within the local community.

Program Fees: $1,280 for 2 weeks and $1,680 per month for volunteers.

Wildlife Rescue, Western Australia

Adult kangaroos and wallabies are hunted for food, leaving thousands of their babies without parents. Many are killed or injured in road accidents. At the wildlife rescue center in Perth, Western Australia, volunteers live and help in the bushland caring for sick, injured, and displaced animals.

Program Fee: $2,095 for four weeks. Volunteers stay on-site in a small room. Due to very limited space, applications must be sent at least 9-12 months in advance.

Endangered Species Reserve, South Africa

The project will give you an incredible wildlife experience while learning about conservation efforts. For the rest of the time between monitoring sessions, volunteers are required to enter all the data that they have collected into our databases. At times, volunteers need to operate on night shifts. We also give lectures and presentations over the lunch period.

Program Fee: $1,750 for 2 weeks

Big Cat Refuge, South Africa

As a volunteer on this project, you will be involved in a wide variety of activities. Volunteer’s work ranges from enrichment activities, such as toy-making and farm work, to educating the visitors. Volunteers will also directly care for the cats by preparing food or feeding them as well as maintaining their living space.

Program Fee: $1,450 for 2 weeks

1. What is the monthly project fee for volunteers in Sri Lanka?

A．$1,280.

B．$1,680.

C．$2,560.

D．$2,960.

2. What is required of volunteers for the project in Western Australia?

A．Having previous experience.

B．Working night shifts sometimes.

C．Applying for the project in advance.

D．Having a good knowledge of wildlife.

3. What can volunteers do for the project Big Cat Refuge?

A．Study the habits of big cats.

B．Help to sell some toys about cats.

C．Guide visitors to the habitat of the cats.

D．Do daily routines in the cats’ living space.

4 . The power of “seeing”

A spoon-billed sandpiper (勺嘴鹬) steps into the frame, heading straight for a small bug placed there. It swallows its food with its spoon-shaped beak.

The performance is for Joel Sartore, founder of Photo Ark, a personal effort to document animals around the world.

The critically endangered bird, of which there are fewer than 1,000 individuals in the wild, is the 13,000th species Sartore has photographed in 16 years. His goal is 20,000.

Before he started Photo Ark, Sartore spent more than a decade working as a photographer for National Geographic, mainly covering conservation stories in the field. He had seen wildlife decreasing firsthand, but felt like the public wasn’t interested.

Sartore thought of a new way to inspire people. He picked up his camera and set about taking shots of wildlife-but rather than recording animals in the wild, he wanted to photograph them outside their natural habitat. He visited zoos, aquariums and rehabilitation (康复) centers and photographed portraits of individual animals against a white or black backdrop (背景幕).

“This allows you to look them in the eye and see that there’s great beauty there and that they are worth saving,” he said. “We are primates and we respond to eye contact above all else.”

The response has indeed been huge. Sartore has more than 1.6 million followers on Instagram and a best-selling series of Photo Ark books. Part of the proceeds (收益) from his books goes to fund on-the-ground conservation efforts.

Gary Ward who works at London Zoo where Sartore has shot before, said, “Seeing is the first step to caring, and caring is the first step to conservation action.”

By choosing animals outside their natural habitat, Sartore admits he will only show a small part of the world’s wildlife. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, there are more than 2 million described species on the planet, and he plans to photograph just 1% of them. But doing so allows him to spotlight species that are already extinct in the wild, and those that would be difficult to take portraits of in their natural habitat. It also enables him to shoot in a controlled environment, meaning the animal can be kept safe and comfortable, with zookeepers or carers on hand to advise on its behavior.

1. What is Sartore doing at the beginning of the text?

A．He is feeding a bird.	B．He is training a bird.
C．He is photographing a bird.	D．He is studying a bird’s behavior.

2. What does Sartore aim to do with his Photo Ark?

A．Make a record of conservation stories.

B．Broaden his experience in saving animals.

C．Gather information on endangered species.

D．Raise people’s awareness of protecting wildlife.

3. What is Gary Ward’s attitude towards Sartore’s work?

A．Unclear.

B．Approving.

C．Doubtful.

D．Objective.

4. What is the last paragraph mainly about?

A．Why Sartore focuses on animals in human care.

B．Why Sartore can’t cover all animals in the world.

C．The benefits of working with zookeepers or carers.

D．The difficulties of photographing animals in the wild.

5 . 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.

6 . The Sierra Nevada range is incomparable in scale and magnificence. There’s no better way to see it than to appreciate every spectacular view with your own hard _______. My husband, Will, our kids (Herbie, 5 and Artley, 11) and I planned to _______ the northern half of the John Muir trail in two weeks, which _______ along the backbone of the High Sierra, past lakes, and through dusty pine forests.

We set _______ before we started: this would be tough, but worth it. To get our kids more _______, we let them have the map and decide when to stop and rest. In this way, they felt empowered. This _______ also resulted in Herbie nearly standing on a 4-foot snake on our first day, though. _______, it was early morning and the snake was half asleep.

For two weeks, the boys enjoyed the _______. They built dams and bridges across streams, climbed and swam. Sometimes, they refused to carry their packs and _______ about feet hurting. But these moments were far outweighed by extraordinary bursts of ________ and enthusiasm — particularly when we’d been slogging (艰难前行) uphill for hours and a mountain top finally came into view, our kids even decided we needed to ________.

By the time we finished, we had ________ countless mosquitoes, suffered foot pain and had terrible sleep. But we were right to be ________ about our kids’ abilities. Through the ________, they will, I hope, understand what they are truly capable of, how perseverance leads to bigger ________ later on, and what it feels like to be encouraged and supported so that they can achieve something great.

1.

A．driving

B．riding

C．running

D．walking

2.

A．assess

B．cover

C．survey

D．measure

3.

A．flies

B．returns

C．snakes

D．disappears

4.

A．choices

B．chances

C．situations

D．expectations

5.

A．involved

B．encouraged

C．relieved

D．convinced

6.

A．conclusion

B．strategy

C．attitude

D．belief

7.

A．Luckily

B．Strangely

C．Casually

D．Cheerfully

8.

A．competition

B．task

C．journey

D．cooperation

9.

A．bothered

B．inquired

C．complained

D．forgot

10.

A．energy

B．laughter

C．trust

D．interest

11.

A．draw off

B．take over

C．help out

D．push on

12.

A．caught

B．borne

C．observed

D．smoked

13.

A．confident

B．anxious

C．serious

D．disappointed

14.

A．training

B．accident

C．adventure

D．experiment

15.

A．challenges

B．rewards

C．honors

D．responsibilities

7 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

I am a volunteer of Story Dogs. Rosie and I began our Story Dogs journey at a local elementary school in Term 2 this year.

Story Dogs is based on the successful American literacy program, Reading Education Assistance Dogs, which was built around the appealing idea of children and young adolescents reading to dogs.

Reading sessions take place in a quiet area of the school grounds, such as the library or outside the classroom. A reading session is about 20 minutes long, where each child is one-on- one with the dog team. Books are chosen to suit the student’s reading level.

Jayon, a Year 2 student, is such a good boy as everyone likes. No one is perfect. Jayon, however, wanted nothing to do with reading! That made Jayon’s teachers and parents feel helpless. His wonderful teacher used all kinds of teaching methods, but none of them improved. At the same time, his parents trembled with his reading performance. Jayon struggled to stay focused, which meant he was disinterested in his school work... until he met Rosie!

When Jayon first came to read with us, I noticed a few things about his reading. For example, he would guess the words and become distracted very easily. He was unable to hold the book still, which would obviously make it difficult for him to read and he would lose interest very quickly, which meant I would have to read to him.

So I came up with a plan. I decided I would hold the book instead and point to each word and helped him to sound the words out instead of guessing. To keep him focused and still, I asked him to pat Rosie’s back, which helped keep his hands busy. Rosie certainly didn’t mind a bit!

Using these methods, Jayon’s reading improved every week! He developed a beautiful bond with Rosie and she would show him so much love and affection! She knew he needed her and it was lovely to watch them together. With weeks passing by, Jayon’s enthusiasm for reading became stronger.

注意：
1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

Jayon finally loved reading.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I was told that Jayon would receive the Growth Award at the end of year.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8 . From the world’s last seven to a global population of more than 5,000, China spent nearly 40 years bringing back crested ibises(朱鹗)from the edge of extinction.

With its typical red crest and face, as well as a long black mouth and snow-white feathers, the crested ibis is known as “the oriental gem” in China. They were once widespread in East Asia and Siberia until the 20th century when hunting, ecological damage and increased human activities drove the birds to near extinction.

In 1981, the entire species around the world was down to the seven crested ibises which were found only in Yangxian County, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, and deep in the Qinling Mountains, making Qinling, a natural boundary between China's north and south,the last shelter of the wild birds.

Since 1981, the local government of Yangxian County has put forward four bans for the protection of the species, prohibiting activities including hunting in the birds' living areas,cutting down trees where they nest, using chemicals in their food-finding areas, and firing guns in their breeding(繁殖)areas. The Chinese government arranged special funds to protect the habitat of crested ibises, sealing off mountains to plant trees in the birds' living areas.China started the artificial breeding of crested ibises in 1991 and had bred more than 400 birds in Shaanxi as of last year.

Years of constant effort have brought promising results. It is estimated that there are more than 5,000 crested ibises in the world now, and a majority of them live in Shaanxi. The bird's habitat in China has risen from less than 5 square km in 1981 to the current 15,000 square km.

“It is lucky that the crested ibis, an ancient bird, is still flying around,” said Zan Linsen, head of the Shaanxi Academy of Forestry. “The conservation story of crested ibises not only shows us the power of ancient life, but also the necessity and urgency of ecological environment protection.”

1. Why are the Qinling Mountains so important to crested ibises?

A．They are where crested ibises were first found.

B．They used to be the last habitat of crested ibises.

C．They are the only breeding area of crested ibises.

D．They protect crested ibises from natural enemies.

2. What can we conclude from paragraph 4?

A．Crested ibises are unlikely to be bred artificially.

B．It's legal to own hunting guns in Yangxian County.

C．Hunting has been the biggest threat to crested ibises.

D．The government plays a key role in saving crested ibises.

3. How does Zan Linsen feel about the conservation of crested ibises?

A．Merciful and ambitious.	B．Relieved and happy.
C．Shocked and curious.	D．Sorry and regretful.

4. What is a suitable title for the text?

A．Rare animals in China: crested ibises

B．Artificial breeding of crested ibises in China

C．Endangered crested ibises making a comeback

D．Crested ibises found again in the Qinling Mountains

9 . People have different ways of dealing with waste paper, specifically used newspapers. Some put them in the recycling area, while others keep them as wrappers (包装纸). While these are both good measures, a Japanese publishing company had a better idea for their end use.

The Mainichi Newspapers Co., Ltd. invented the “Green Newspaper”, which allows people to grow plants with it. This unique newspaper was published on Greenery Day, which is focused on environmental news and made of green paper with seeds placed into it. What makes it even more special is the ink (油墨) used to print words and photos, which is made from plants. The publisher advises readers to tear the used newspaper into small pieces and plant them in a container with soil. They should water them, like they would do for any plant. Within a few weeks, the seeds will grow into plants.

This brilliant concept was invented by Dentsu Inc., one of Japan’s most famous advertising agencies, which works with the publishing company on the initiative (倡议). The publisher’s belief is environmental sustainability (持续性). As its mission statement says, “The Mainichi doesn’t take action only through information, but also by solving global issues.” With joint efforts, this initiative has reached the corners of Japan and sold around millions of copies daily. Other such initiatives producing plantable paper are also seen in India and the US.

About 95 million trees are lost for producing newspapers every year. The Internet, the number of whose users stands for 62.5 percent of the population worldwide, has influenced how people read news and the print readership has dropped greatly. However, the reinvention and reimagination of this newspaper will bring about a change in the publishing industry as well as having an environmental influence.

1. What do we know about the “Green Newspaper”?

A．It uses high-tech materials.

B．It provides energy for seeds.

C．It’s printed with plant-based ink.

D．It’s published to celebrate Greenery Day.

2. What message does the publisher’s mission statement convey?

A．It’s easier said than done.

B．Everything comes to him who waits.

C．Many hands make light work.

D．Actions speak louder than words.

3. What’s the author’s attitude to the “Green Newspaper”?

A．Doubtful.	B．Supportive.
C．Indifferent.	D．Negative.

4. What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A．About 59 million trees are lost for producing newspapers.

B．The Internet has changed the way people read news totally.

C．The popularity of the Internet leads to the fall of the print readership.

D．The “Green Newspaper” will encourage more people to protect the environment.

10 . The tomato leafminer moth originates from Peru and is common throughout South America. However, it has spread through Europe since 2007 and has become one of the largest pests in Mediterranean regions, threatening food supplies. Experts around the world are currently struggling with new ways to battle the moth, but it has developed resistance to pesticides (杀虫剂), leaving farmers helpless to stop the damage. Now a new study from the University of Portsmouth has shown that an answer may lie in the tropical tent-web spider.

Scientists carried out laboratory tests and found that the spiders banded together to form webs which easily caught the flying insects, which they then ate. The tropical tent-web spider operate in large groups and can create giant joined-up webs to capture bugs. Dr. Lena Grinsted, the lead author of the study, said, “Spiders can provide large surface areas of capture webs capable of catching insects in the air. This could potentially lead to a reduction of reliance on chemical pesticides, resulting in less pollution in soils, waterways and food chains in the future.”

Crop damage is also caused by the larvae (幼虫), which directly attack the tomato fruit, making the crop ugly and thus unmarketable. Larvae live inside the leaf until they begin the process of turning into a moth, making them difficult to control. However, scientists expect that by targeting the adult moth population, it will reduce the number of eggs being laid. In addition, the spiders build the biggest webs during the summer months, which will benefit the tomato planting and growing season in May and June.

The researchers said the study will “open doors for the use of group-living spiders to control agricultural pests”, but warned that more work was needed to check the spiders did not change the ecology of regions. Dr. Grinsted added, “Future studies are now needed to investigate whether the spiders may negatively impact crop pollination (授粉) by also catching bees and other key pollinators.”

1. Why is it difficult to get rid of the moth according to Paragraph 1?

A．It is large in size.	B．It is drug-resistant.
C．It spreads too quickly.	D．It threatens food supply.

2. What makes using the spiders to control pests possible?

A．Their ability to weave huge webs.	B．The reduction of pest-control cost.
C．Their importance in the food chain.	D．The pollution of chemical pesticides.

3. How do scientists plan to deal with the larvae?

A．By destroying the eggs.	B．By reducing food supply.
C．By controlling the source.	D．By stopping them hatching.

4. What is a suitable title for the text?

A．Moths: The Biggest Threat to Crops	B．Moths: A Species Difficult to Control
C．Spiders: The Future of Modern Agriculture	D．Spiders: An Eco-friendly Alternative to Drugs