1 . New research shows that removing black rhinos’ horns (犀牛角) to make them less attractive to illegal hunters is reducing their territory (领地) sizes and making them less sociable with each other.

The study, published in the journal PNAS, found that de­horned South African rhinos have home ranges that are 45 per cent smaller than those of complete animals, and that they were 37 percent less likely to engage in social interactions.

“The big, dominant bulls that used to have very large territories that overlapped with a lot of females may now have much less territory and much less reproductive (繁殖的) success,” says Vanessa Duthé, who led the work at Switzerland’s University of Neuchâtel.

“It’s really hard to predict the effects of this,” she says. “It doesn’t mean that population success will necessarily decline, because it might open up gaps for younger males that would not have had the space or the means before.” Indeed, a University of Bristol study published last year showed that de­horning (去角) does not negatively affect populations overall.

But such unintended behavioral consequences necessarily feed into judgments about whether this highly invasive procedure is worthwhile. Remarkably, perhaps, there is little hard evidence either way. “No one’s put all the data together to say whether it’s a really effective measure,” says Duthé.

“What is clear is that the introduction of de­horning and a decline in illegal hunting has occurred at the same time,” she adds. “But de­horning has been accompanied by other conservation measures that may be more effective.”

“It’s incredibly complicated,” says Lucy Chimes, a member of the Bristol team. “There are so many other factors involved. You have to consider what other security measures are being carried out — fencing, patrols, staff numbers — and poverty levels surrounding parks, their nearness to national borders and whether there is community engagement.” Chimes is currently planning a project that aims to separate these and other factors. In the meantime, Duthé believes that de­horning is a worthwhile tool of last course of action. “A rhino that is behaving a little bit strangely is better than a dead rhino.”

1. What is the purpose of removing the horns of black rhinos?

A．To make them less sociable.	B．To protect them from being hunted.
C．To reduce their home ranges.	D．To affect their reproductive success.

2. What does the underlined phrase “invasive procedure” in paragraph 5 refer to?

A．The removal of rhino horns.	B．The loss of rhino territories.
C．The impact on rhino population.	D．The change of rhino behavior.

3. What is Chimes’ attitude toward the de­horning of black rhinos?

A．Supportive.

B．Opposed.

C．Unconcerned.

D．Uncertain.

4. What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A．De­horning rhinos shows satisfying effects.

B．Various factors lead to the decline in illegal hunting.

C．De­horning is the last action researchers will take.

D．Rhinos are supposed to behave a little bit strangely.

2 . 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。

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm glow over the animal shelter, Sarah walked through the rows of cages until her eyes landed on a small, trembling dog huddled (蜷缩) in the corner. “I think I’ve found the one, ” Sarah whispered softly to herself as she looked into the dog’s sad eyes. This timid, abandoned dog had no idea that a journey of transformation with friendly people lay in store for him.

The shelter staff explained that the dog, named Buddy, had a difficult past and was very shy and scared. Sarah extended a hand, offering a soothing tone, “Hey sweetie, you must have a story to tell, but from now on, you’ve got a buddy in me. ”

Bringing Buddy home was just the beginning of their journey, which was rocky at first for him. Everything was strange and new, causing him to hide under furniture and startle at every sound. Therefore, Sarah provided a cozy bed, delicious meals, and most importantly, heaps of love and comfort.

Slowly but surely, he started to emerge from his shell, wagging his tail tentatively and gazing at Sarah with a glimmer of hope in his eyes. Under Sarah’s patient and loving guidance, Buddy flourished, even learning tricks and commands, and forming a deep bond with his new owner.

The journey of healing turned out to be a success. But Sarah had never expected it would bring about another one.

One day, while scrolling through social media, Sarah came across a heartwarming story about dogs being trained to assist children with autism (自闭症). Those children had social communication difficulties and had few facial expressions and gestures. Without hesitation, she inquired about the program and soon, Buddy was enrolled in training to become a certified therapy(治疗) dog. But she was unsure whether Buddy would be comfortable with the new challenge.

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。
Their first day at the therapy center was filled with uncertainty.
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As the weeks progressed, Sarah noticed a remarkable change both in the children and Buddy.
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3 . More than 80 percent of global heat is absorbed by the ocean, which has a massive capacity to store and give off heat. High sea-surface temperatures are causing long-term damage to coral reefs (珊瑚礁). Corals are dying. The IPCC (政府间气候变化专门委员会) projects that up to 90 percent of coral reefs could disappear if global warming reaches 1.5℃. Another reason corals are in trouble is because of ocean acidification. Higher carbon dioxide levels have shift ed the chemistry of the ocean, making it more acidic, and corals and sea creatures have trouble growing in acidic conditions.

When ocean water warms, it expands in volume. This is a major cause of the rise in sea levels, along with the water added to the ocean by the melting of land-based glaciers (冰川). The sea level has risen by an average of 20 centimeters since the late 19th century, and the research by scientists studying the last 25 years of satellite data found that the ocean water is rising faster and faster. If it continues at its current rate, the rise in sea level by 2100 will be more than double the current estimates. Sea level rise leads to the destruction of coastal wetlands, flooding and damage to water ecosystems.

Temperature and precipitation (沉淀) are key elements of climate. A warmer climate means that more water rises from both the land and ocean, and a warmer atmosphere holds more of that water. Scientists have noticed that there are more heavy rainfall events. Additionally, higher water temperature in streams, lakes, and rivers lead to lower levels of dissolved oxygen in the water, which impacts the survival and populations of fish and other sea life.

Especially troubling are the extreme weather events that are happening more often around the world. Hurricanes are ramping up in intensity, particularly in North Atlantic. The year 2017 was a busy one for Atlantic hurricanes. Meanwhile, in the western United States, the state of California has had record-setting drought conditions, which began in 2012.

1. What does the author intend to tell us in Paragraph 1?

A．Global warming has little damage to the land.	B．Ocean acidification affects the sea temperature.
C．Coral reefs are in danger of disappearing.	D．Corals and sea creatures need critical surroundings.

2. What can be known from Paragraph 2?

A．Sea level rise has positive effect on sea animals.

B．By 2100 the sea level will rise 20 centimeters.

C．Global heating is the direct cause of wetlands destruction.

D．The rise of sea level is beyond our imagination.

3. What does the underlined part “ramping up” in last paragraph mean?

A．Increasing.

B．Failing.

C．Appearing.

D．Changing.

4. Which is the suitable title for the text?

A．High Sea-surface Temperatures to Creatures	B．Global Warming, What Damages It Causes
C．Ways to Stop High Sea-surface Temperatures	D．Extreme Weather Events and Global Warming

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。

When Jeff Permar returned home to Middletown, Delaware, after a trip to Orlando, he was     1     (annoy) to see his precious organic garden a little worse. An entire sweet melon plant had been damaged.

In a bid to catch the culprit (罪魁祸首), Permar set up a motion-sensitive surveillance camera.     2    it captured surprised and charmed him, as there, chewing on a cucumber, was a groundhog (土拨鼠).

    3     the sight of the cheeky intruder (闯入者), Jeff’s anger melted,     4     he decided to live and let live. From that moment on, he began sharing his homegrown fruit and vegetables with     5     intruder, whom he nicknamed Chunk.

Since he began visiting the garden, Chunk     6     (become) a star on Perma’s social media. Chunk now has a family that     7     (equal) prefer a free buffet. Together, their funny behavior have struck the online audience, with many people     8     (find) them relaxing.

“    9     really hit me that these videos are actually having an impact on people that sends a positive atmosphere,” says Permar. “I would get     10     (comment) about people having a really bad day. People were sick, and in the hospital, people lost a loved one. People were just looking for encouragement. And that element of it really hit home to me. So I feel like I'm obligated to just spread good atmosphere every day.”

5 . The world’s nations have promised to limit global temperature increases to 1.5 degrees over pre-industrial levels, which involves shutting down fossil fuel extraction (化石燃料开采) as quickly as possible. But despite this promise, first reached six years ago during the Paris Climate Accords, the fossil-fuel producing nations are on track to extract more than twice as much coal, oil and natural gas as would be permissible under this plan, a new United Nations report says.

To have a chance of limiting temperature increases to 1.5 degrees, production of coal needs to drop by 11% every year between 2020 and 2030. while production of oil and gas needs to drop by 4% and 3%, respectively, the report finds. Instead, production of oil and gas is set to increase, while coal production is projected to drop slightly.

The so-called production gap, the difference between countries’ climate promises and their fossil fuel production plans — hasn’t changed since the United Nations first examined it in 2019, indicating that international climate accords are still closer to theoretical promises than detailed plans.

The report looks at fossil fuel production in 15 countries — including Australia, Brazil, Canada, India, the U.S. and the United Kingdom — hat are collectively responsible for three-quarters of the world’s fossil fuel production. Most of these countries have promised to reach zero emissions by mid-century, but they are planning to increase their fossil fuel extraction until at least 2030.

So far, climate efforts from major fossil fuel extractors, including industry, have “focused on extracting fossil fuels in less-polluting ways, not on winding down production levels in line with climate goals,” the report says. While these efforts, such as developing carbon-capture (碳捕捉) technology and reducing methane leaks (甲烷泄露) are important. they fall far short of the changes science demands if global temperatures are to stay at a livable level.

To close that gap, the report urges governments to make realistic plans for winding down fossil fuel extraction, starting with state-owned companies, which arc responsible for more than half the world’s extraction of such fuels.

1. What does the new United Nations report say?

A．Climate promises are being made worldwide.

B．Fossil fuels arc being extracted in large quantities.

C．Global temperature will soon increase by 1.5 degrees.

D．Production of coal will drop sharply in the next decade.

2. Why are the figures mentioned in paragraph 2?

A．To imply an energy crisis.

B．To show the efforts made by now.

C．To indicate how to close the production gap.

D．To stress the goal of the Paris Climate Accords.

3. What can we say about most of the 15 countries?

A．They will achieve zero emissions by 2030.

B．They think little of carbon-capture technology.

C．They should turn to the United Nations for help.

D．They are on the way to breaking their promises.

4. Which should act first to bring us towards a livable climate future?

A．Coal mines owned by the government.	B．Gas stations run by private companies.
C．Power plants owned by the government.	D．Car factories run by private companies.

6 . 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 was eight years old and wasn’t aware of all the arrangements being made for our journey as a family to London in 1950. My mother was in great pain and wished to visit specialists in London. My father reluctantly had to sell our property in Queensland. The day before we boarded the ship, Father unwillingly said goodbye to his five-year-old cattle dog, Spider, who was loved by us all. Father’s friend Sandy was to be his guardian while we were overseas, as he had been getting to know Spider for many weeks.

Six weeks later, an airletter arrived from Sandy, giving my father the news that Spider had run away just two weeks after we had sailed. Sandy had advertised constantly on ABC and other regional newspapers. Despite many “sightings”, the dog was never found. It seems Spider just kept running and searching for us. As he was cattle dog, my father thought he would shoe or dingo-trapped, because of his appearance. But our family thought that Father held a secrets hope that Spider was still alive.

We sailed back to Australia two years later and re-established our home. My father immediately began his own search for Spider. One cold winter’s Saturday morning eight months after our return, my father had a call from an elderly lady living on her own on the outskirts of the town. As she told my father on the telephone, it was “just glimpses of a dingo-type dog in the shadows” of her disused tennis court. That was enough for my father to interrupt my homework.   

We set off in his blue and black Jensen car which he had brought back from England. It was hardly the right vehicle for the rough roads we travelled that day. Five and a half hours later, we found the run-down old property. Sadly, she told my father that the “dingo dog” hadn’t been around for a few days. My father had a strange look in his eye. He put two fingers to his lips and did his special whistle for Spider.

注意：
1. 续写词数应为150个左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Suddenly there was a sound in the bush.
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Once home we had the task of getting all the prickles (刺) off him.
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7 . People have come to understand the enormous impacts-beneficial as well as harmful- plastics have on human lives and the environment. As polymer (聚合物) scientists committed to inventing sustainable solutions for real-world problems, we set out to tackle the issue of plastic waste by rethinking the way polymers are designed so we could make plastics with recyclability built right in.

Everyday items including milk jug, grocery bags, and takeout containers are made from a class of polymers called polyolefins. These plastics are really durable (耐用的) because the chemical bonds in those polymers are extremely stable. In a world set up for disposable (一次性的) items, durability is no longer a design feature but rather a design drawback. Imagine if half the plastics used today were recyclable through twice as many processes as they are now. Also conventional recycling requires careful sorting of all the collected materials, which can be challenging with so many different plastics. For example, separating paper from metal doesn’t require complex technology, but sorting a container from a milk jug of a different polyolefin is difficult to do without the occasional mistake.

In a study published in Science in October 2023, we described a series of polymers with only two building blocks-one soft polymer and one hard polymer-that behave like polyolefins but could be chemically recycled. Connecting two different polymers multiple times until they form a single, long molecule (分子) creates what’s called a multiblock polymer. By changing how much of each polymer type goes into the multiblock polymer, our team produced a wide range of materials with properties that covered all polyolefin types.

Using the same strategy but by adding hydrogen, we could disconnect the polymers back into their building blocks and easily separate them to use again. When we made new polymers out of these recycled plastics, they performed just as well as the original materials even after several rounds of chemical recycling. So we were able to create materials with similar properties of the plastics the world relies on. We believe this work is a step toward more sustainable plastics.

1. What is paragraph 2 mainly about concerning plastics?

A．Their multiple uses.	B．Their chemical properties.
C．Their recycling challenges.	D．Their classification criteria.

2. A key factor of producing diverse multiblock polymers is ______.

A．mixing building blocks with long molecules

B．integrating chemicals into the two polymers

C．combining two different multiblock polymers

D．adjusting the percentage of the two polymers

3. Which is a feature of multiblock polymers?

A．They are made from sustainable materials.

B．They can be recycled by adding hydrogen.

C．Their reliability outperforms traditional plastics.

D．Their properties change with rounds of recycling.

4. Which of the following might be the best title?

A．Designing for Recycling	B．Classifying Plastic Waste
C．Replace Plastics with Polymers	D．Technology Creates the Future

8 . 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。

Chinese netizens recently expressed     1     (amaze) at a map online clearly marking the country’s historic relics (文物). The map     2     (make) by Wu Yunjie, who was born in the 1990s.     3     (interest) in history, Wu would often spend his spare time travelling around the country, when he was in college, and     4     (explore) ancient sites.

In 2020, he started collecting information on cultural relics and uploaded the data to the mapping software. As many historical sites in rural areas cannot be located     5     (specific) , Wu did a lot of field research. “The job is rather difficult     6     I have much joy in it．I’m happy to make people more aware of the huge and rich historical heritage (遗产) from China’s long history,” he said.

Now, the map     7     (include) nearly 10,000 relics or museums. Many valuable temples, bridges and towers     8     have been lost in the country are also shown on the map. One post online said “The ancient tower around my house on the map! I can’t wait to visit     9    .”

However, in Wu’s eyes, the map is just     10     step forward, as it records a very small part of the cultural relics in the country, and he still has a long way to go.

9 . Washing machines are one of the greatest inventions of the last few centuries.They have made life easier. Unfortunately, washing machines also contribute to the environmental issues of energy use and micro-plastics flowing into the oceans. That is why the washing machine manufacturer (制造商), Samsung, and the outdoor-wear company, Patagonia, are working together to make a change.

For Patagonia, the issue of micro-plastics has been on its mind for years — its woolen jackets release many microfibers. As for Samsung, new requirements throughout the world have forced many producers to start thinking about ways to help reduce the number of micro-plastics. There are currently more than 14 million tons of micro-plastics floating in the oceans. Though people previously think of things such as plastic bottles and fishing lines when it comes to plastics in the ocean, thousands of micro-plastics are released into seas with every wash.

The issue is a sort of catch-22. In order to reduce energy costs, manufacturers try to make their machines more efficient. These machines use hotter water and are designed to create more friction (摩擦) between the clothing in the machine. However, both of these things lead to the release of more micro-plastics. So, using Patagonia clothes as test cases, Samsung came up with a two-fold solution: One is a technology called Eco-bubbles, which creates more bubbles to make the detergent (洗涤剂) more powerful, and the other is a water purifier that can filter (过滤) out more micro-plastics.

The cooperation between the two companies is proof of how complicated protecting the environment can be. On the one hand, clothing that is well-constructed and durable is a weapon in the fight against fast fashion. On the other hand, the material used to make those clothes and the way they are washed can also add pollutants to the environment.The same goes for washing machines. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. The fight against climate change requires creative thinking and learning how to attack a problem from many angles. This will certainly lead to even more strange and fruitful cooperation between the environmentally conscious companies.

1. What is Samsung’s purpose in partnering the outdoor clothing company?

A．To limit the use of micro-plastics.

B．To solve the issue of energy waste.

C．To find a solution to micro-plastic pollution.

D．To produce high-efficiency washing machines.

2. What does the underlined word “catch-22” in paragraph 3 refer to?

A．A tricky situation.	B．A questionable fact.
C．A possible dream.	D．A practical method.

3. Which of the following will reduce the release of micro-plastics during washing?

A．Using hotter water.

B．Creating more friction.

C．Using powerful detergents.

D．Adding a water purifier to washing machines.

4. What does the cooperation between the two companies show?

A．The difficulty in fighting against fast fashion.

B．The complexity of environment conservation.

C．The influence of humans’ active action.

D．The importance of creative thinking.

10 . In the northernmost edge of Colombia sits the coastal town of Acandí. Access to the town is only by water or air; there is no road that leads there. The residents there are faced with the struggles of balancing livelihoods while protecting biodiversity.

In the past, traditional community fishing methods, passed down by the elders, focused on the reasonable fishing and management of resources. However, the introduction of large-scale trawling vessels(拖网渔船) decades ago gradually depleted the area’s fishing resources, leading to damage to marine(海洋的) life seriously.

Jesús Antonio Julio Cuestas, who serves in the region’s conservation and management of marine resources, stresses the bad impact of these developments and calls for new fishing techniques. “Fishing and conservation co-exist as long as we have good management practices and reasonable use of our fishing resources,” says Cuestas. He and other officials actively monitor fishing activities in Acandí. Each morning, they visit the fish markets to gather data on fishery resources—including prices and sizes—to monitor the state of the local fishing industry.

Along with Cuestas, the fishers work to reduce their impact on the marine ecosystem. By changing fishing methods and adopting new practices, they aim for a more balanced approach to fishing. “This year the local fishermen have not used the trawl net s that were causing the death of the leatherback sea turtles,” explains Cuestas proudly. Changes include the efforts of boats to protect the seagrass that serves as feeding grounds for marine life and an end to fishers throwing net s where turtles lay their eggs.

This marine reserve in Acandí, Cuestas believes, is their greatest treasure. He attaches great importance to working together with local residents to improve the quality of life while preserving the marine ecosystem. By doing so, he imagines a picture where individuals from the fishing community can pursue various careers, such as engineers or lawyers, proudly stating that they are the products of the fishing tradition in Acandí.

1. What does the underlined word “depleted” in paragraph 2 mean?

A．Reused.	B．Restored.
C．Explored.	D．Reduced.

2. Why does Julio Cuestas call for new fishing techniques?

A．To cut down on the costs of fishing.

B．To improve the income of local residents.

C．To promote the well-being of marine wildlife.

D．To spread traditional community fishing methods.

3. What is paragraph 4 mainly about?

A．The aim of the changes to fishing methods.

B．The efforts to preserve marine ecosystem.

C．The results the trawl net s have brought about.

D．The impact of fishers on the local environment.

4. What is Julio Cuestas’s attitude towards Acandí’s future?

A．Confident.	B．Uncaring.
C．Concerned.	D．Doubtful.