1 . A couple was treated for injuries at Mission Hospital after they were attacked by a black bear on Sept. 29 on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Asheville, forcing closure of trails near the popular spot.

The man and woman, who live locally, were having a picnic on a grassy hill when they were warned by their dog’s barking that a bear was nearby. The dog, which was not on a chain, ran toward the bear while barking loudly. Likely annoyed by the dog, the bear acted defensively toward the dog and the couple. Over the next several minutes, there were repeated attacks by the bear while the couple were returning with their dog to the safety of their vehicle. The couple suffered hurts and scratches in the skirmish with the bear, but the dog was not harmed.

Autumn is one of the busiest times on the parkway for humans as millions travel the scenic byway that passes directly through Asheville to view the autumn leaves. The parkway is the most visited unit of the National Park Service, with 14.1 million visitors in 2020. The parkway is also a shelter for bears, since it provides their natural, forested habitat, and hunting is prohibited. This is also a critical feeding period for bears before they enter winter hibernation (冬眠). Visitors should be cautious and follow Bear Wise protocols (条约) while in bear country, including properly following food storage regulations, keeping pets controlled and remaining at a safe viewing distance from bears. If attacked by a black bear, fight back with any object available and remember that bears may view you and your pets as prey. Though rare, attacks on humans do occur, and can cause injuries or deaths.

1. Who warned the couple of the bear?

A．Their guide.

B．Their dog.

C．A passer-by.

D．A policeman.

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

A．Competition.

B．Communication.

C．Fight.

D．Crash.

3. Why did so many people go to the parkway?

A．To see the bears.	B．To look for shelters.
C．To hunt wildlife.	D．To appreciate the autumn scenery.

4. What does the author intend to tell us in the last paragraph?

A．Live with wildlife in peace.	B．Avoid visiting the Blue Ridge Parkway.
C．Fight back bears with any object available.	D．Don't affect the animals' winter hibernation.

2 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. Where is Newcastle?

A．On the River Tyne.

B．On the Thames.

C．In the north of England.

2. How many bridges are there on the River Tyne?

A．One.

B．Five.

C．Ten.

3. What’s the main industry of Newcastle now?

A．Shipbuilding.

B．Coal-mining.

C．Chemical and soap industries.

4. Why does the man miss Newcastle so much?

A．Because of the special name.

B．Because of the wide and beautiful countryside.

C．Because of the wild and nice countryside with hills and streams.

3 . 听下面一段对话，回答以下小题。
1. What does the woman say about dogs?

A．They’re more active than cats.

B．They need to walk every day.

C．They have to be cleaned up every day.

2. What will the speakers get in the end?

A．A dog.

B．Nothing.

C．A fish.

3. What will the speakers probably do next?

A．Drink coffee.

B．Buy a fish tank.

C．Talk with a pet doctor.

4 . When people think of tigers, they think: strong and dangerous. But now, the big animal is calling for our help.

There were once eight kinds of ____________in the world, but three died out during the 20th century. In the last 70 years, the___________ of Siberian tigers (东北虎) has gone from as many as 300 to   _________ 22 somewhere. The Siberian tiger has been ________dying out completely. If the government doesn’t make any efforts, it’s quite __________ that there will be no more Siberian tigers in China in ten to twenty years.

In order to double the number of wild tigers in the _________ ten years, the World Wildlife Fund (世界自然基金会) has started a program recently. It__________save wild tigers and put an end to tiger hunting and killing. China, together with twelve other__________, has joined in.

Wild animals, such as red deer and wild pigs, are the main __________ of the tigers. The hunting of these animals is the greatest threat (威胁) to tigers. So the most important thing is________the animals that tigers eat. To protect the wild tigers, we need to call on more people to stop eating and hunting wild animals.

1.

A．pigs

B．tigers

C．deer

2.

A．name

B．kind

C．number

3.

A．less than

B．more than

C．bigger than

4.

A．in need of

B．in danger of

C．in front of

5.

A．possible

B．impossible

C．necessary

6.

A．last

B．next

C．past

7.

A．aims to

B．used to

C．refuses to

8.

A．cities

B．provinces

C．countries

9.

A．friends

B．food

C．members

10.

A．to sell

B．to kill

C．to save

5 . Earth Hour started in Sydney on March 31^st, 2007. It calls on families and buildings to turn off the lights from 20:30 to 21:30 on the last Saturday night of March.     1     A year later, on March 29, Earth Hour 2008 became a global activity and was supported by 50 million people from thirty-five countries. On March 28, 2010 over 2100 cities in another eight countries took part in it.     2    

In 2012 in China, there were many cities taking part in this activity, especially some large cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai.... Many citizens consciously (有意识的) turned off lights in the hour.     3     In colleges some students held some activities to make all the students leave their dormitories.

It was 20:30, Beijing time.     4     In Shanghai some people were taking a walk with their families or friends. And in Ningbo some young people were holding a party in a park, singing and dancing.     5    

Earth Hour has a variety of activities, but the final goal is the same, that is focusing on (聚焦) climate change and protecting the environment for individuals.

A．The people from the three cities felt very relaxed.

B．In 2007 more than 2.2 million homes and businesses turned off their lights.

C．And without lights, they could also enjoy themselves.

D．Some people in Beijing were having a nice talk with their friends.

E．Earth Hour came to China on that day, too.

F．The people there are very happy.

G．It is easy to travel to the Beijing.

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。

The Grand Tang Mall in Xi’an, Shaanxi province, offers a fascinating experience that transports visitors back to the Tang Dynasty. Even after 10 p. m. on weekdays, the pedestrian area comes alive     1    vibrant lights and lively music. The main street    2     (line) with Tang-style pavilions, and people dressed in traditional Chinese attire (服装) can be seen     3     (leisure) strolling.     4     sets this modern recreation apart is a series of outdoor performances     5     (feature)cultural elements from the Tang Dynasty presented in a contemporary way. Onstage, acclaimed Tang Dynasty poets,     6     (play) by actors, engage visitors in conversations about ancient Chinese poetry. Within a compact area, captivating musicals and dance performances blend traditional and contemporary elements, providing an     7     (impress) cultural experience. These interactive events     8     (become) the city’s tourism highlight, attracting     9    daily average of 300, 000 tourists to the Grand Tang Mall since June.

Inspired by the glamour of the Tang Dynasty, the Grand Tang Mall continues to create new productions    10    showcase the era’s poetry and art performances. With over 20 regular programs, each lasting 10 minutes, visitors are encouraged to arrive early to secure a good view of these popular shows.

7 . The color of the ocean has changed greatly over the last 20 years and human-caused climate change is probably responsible, according to a new study.

More than 56% of the world’s oceans have changed color, and this cannot be explained by natural changes, said a team of researchers. Tropical (热带的) oceans close to the equator especially have become greener in the past two decades, reflecting changes in their ecosystems.

The color of the ocean is derived from the materials found in its upper layers. For example, a deep blue sea will have very little life in it, while a green color means there are ecosystems there. The ecosystems are based on plant-like small living things which include chlorophyll(叶绿素). The living things form the base of a food web which supports larger creatures such as fish, seabirds and some other sea animals.

It’s not clear exactly how these ecosystems are changing, said study author Stephanie Dutkiewicz. Ocean ecosystems are finely balanced and any change in the small living things will influence the food chain. “All changes are causing an imbalance in the natural organization of ecosystems. Such imbalance will only get worse over time if our oceans keep heating,”she said. It will also affect the ocean’s ability to act as a store of carbon(碳), Dutkiewicz said, as different living things take in different amounts of carbon.

The researchers are still working to find out exactly what the changes mean. However, what is clear, they said, is that the changes are being driven by human-caused climate change.

The researchers checked changes in ocean color from space by following how much greenor blue light was reflected from the surface of the sea. They studied the changes in color from 2002 to 2022. And then they used climate change models to see what would happen to the oceans both with additional(额外的) planet-heating pollution and without.

The color changes matched almost exactly what Dutkiewicz said would happen if greenhouse gases were added to the atmosphere — around 50% of our oceans would change color.

1. Which areas of the ocean have shown the greatest color change?

A．Deep-sea areas with little life.	B．Oceans with lower temperatures.
C．Coastal areas close to large cities.	D．Tropical oceans near the equator.

2. What does the underlined “is derived from” in para.3 mean?

A．Is reflected in something.	B．Comes from something.
C．Influences something.	D．Creates something.

3. How can the changes in ecosystems influence oceans?

A．They keep the balance among different living things.

B．They reduce the ocean’s ability to store carbon.

C．They improve the health of large sea animals.

D．They make oceans support more life.

4. What did the researchers use climate change models for?

A．To support space exploration.

B．To find the sources of greenhouse gases.

C．To show future ocean temperature changes.

D．To study the influence of planet-heating pollution.

8 . An educator with a passion for getting children emotionally invested in saving the ice caps gave a lesson to students as a polar bear stayed on his shoulder. The bear seemed to say “hi” to them about climate change.

Gavin McCormack is trying to bring the “amazing natural phenomena” to the fingertips of children in an attempt to get them to help stop rising sea levels and become passionate about climate change, which is threatening the home of polar bears.

The primary school teacher decided to jump headfirst into his teachings and spent ten days on an icebreaker heading towards the North Pole. On the first day at sea, a polar bear climbed out of the water right in front of him and onto an island where it was attacked by a group of Arctic terns (北极燕鸥).

“Each day is different but so interesting,” McCormack said. “This week, my dream to teach children about the wonder of a polar bear with one right over my shoulder came true.”

The most memorable moment for him while in the Arctic was when his ship reached the pack ice. The ship crunched (嘎吱地响) through the ice as they reached 82 degrees north and the noise was deafening. Earlier this week he launched his new course “Be the Change”, which is free to all schools nationwide. “Be the Change” is designed to empower children, families and communities around the world to bring about changes and make global impacts. “It takes a course-related approach to improve the world in meaningful ways,” Mr. McCormack said.

McCormack hopes to teach the “leaders of tomorrow” to include nature and the climate in every decision they make. He is planning another course named “It Starts With You”, with the hopes of bringing purposeful education to as many children as possible.

“Working alongside teachers, schools and students, we believe that when children are empowered to make real choices about the future, the skills for life are developed not through listening to what others tell them, but through experience,” McCormack said.

1. Why did McCormack head to the North Pole?

A．To observe an amazing natural sight.

B．To measure the rate of sea level rise.

C．To save polar bears from extinction.

D．To educate children in a real situation.

2. What can we learn about polar bears according to the text?

A．They are friendly towards human beings.

B．Climate change causes the loss of their habitats.

C．Arctic terns are their natural enemies.

D．Hunger drives them out of water for food.

3. What does “Be the Change” aim to do?

A．To make a difference in improving the world.

B．To change people’s decision-making methods.

C．To teach students to think twice before making choices.

D．To develop students’ life skills through experience.

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

A．Climate Change — A Worldwide Concern

B．New Ways of Teaching About Climate Change

C．Join Hands and Say No to Global Warming

D．An Interesting Trip to the North Pole

9 . Sea ice in the Antarctic (南极) area fell to a record low this year. The drop is a result of rising temperatures worldwide. And there is no quick method to make up for the ice drop, and the recovery (恢复) has a long way to go, scientists said recently in a new study.

Antarctica’s smallest summer ice cover fell further to a new low in February. This year’s sea ice minimum (最小值) is 20 percent lower than the average (平均值) over the last 40 years. The sea ice loss equals an area nearly 10 times that of New Zealand.

The warming of Earth’s surface driven by the burning of coal, gas and oil has made Antarctica more likely to suffer from extreme (极端的) events. And the result is almost “certain” to get worse, the study said. Climate change will “lead to increases in the size and rate”of heat waves, broken ice shelves and drops in sea ice, it said.

The effects of the Earth’s warming on Antarctica and the surrounding ocean have been uncertain. Scientists have had problems measuring how much the Earth’s warming is altering the thickness of Antarctic ice.

But from events such as the fast drop in sea ice, it is “scientifically reasonable” to suppose that extreme events are going to become worse as temperatures rise worldwide, said Martin Siegert of the University of Exeter, another study co-writer.

Siegert described the temperature increase as completely surprising. Siegert added that luckily the event had happened during the Antarctic winter, instead of summer, or it would have caused melting (融化) on the surface of the East Antarctic ice cover, which has so far been saved from melting.

Siegert used the term “fragile”, meaning easily broken or damaged, to describe Antarctica. “Antarctica is fragile as an environment, but extreme events test that fragility,” he said.

1. What do the scientists think of the recovery of Antarctic sea ice?

A．It is hopeful.	B．It is difficult.
C．It is on its way.	D．It can’t be prevented.

2. Why does the author mention New Zealand?

A．To explain the size of sea ice loss.	B．To show the position of ice cover.
C．To describe how far Antarctica is.	D．To state sea ice is connected to New Zealand.

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

A．Adding.	B．Pressing.
C．Changing.	D．Protecting.

4. What might have caused worse results according to Siegert?

A．Antarctic sea ice is recovering too slowly.

B．The Antarctic ice cover is continuously moving.

C．The environment of Antarctica is easy to break.

D．Extreme events happen in Antarctic summer.

10 . The Greek historian Herodotus reported over 2,000 years ago on a misguided experiment in which two children were prevented from hearing human speech so that a king could discover the true, unlearned language of human beings.

Scientists now know that human language requires social learning and interaction with other people, a property shared with multiple animal languages. But why should humans and other animals need to learn a language instead of being born with this knowledge?

Given that the ways honeybees communicate are quite complex, we decided to study how they learn to communicate to answer this language question.

Bees possess one of the most complicated examples of nonhuman communication. They can tell each other where to find resources such as food, water, or nest sites with a physical “waggle (摇摆) dance”, by circling around in a figure eight pattern centered around a waggle run. This dance conveys the direction, distance and quality of a resource to the bee’s nestmates.

Bees begin to dance only as they get older. Could they be learning from practiced teachers?

We thus created isolated experimental colonies of bees (蜂群) that could not observe other waggle dances before they themselves danced. Like the ancient experiment described by Herodotus, these bees could not observe the dance language because they were all the same age and had no older, experienced bees to follow. In contrast, our control colonies contained bees of all ages, so younger bees could follow the older, experienced dancers.

We recorded the first dances of the bees. The bees that could not follow the dances of experienced bees produced dances with significantly more directional, distance and disorder crrors than the dances of control bees.

We then tested the same bees later, when they were experienced dancers. Bees who had lacked teachers now produced significantly fewer errors, possibly because they had more practice or had learned by eventually following other dancers. The dances of the control bees remained just as good as their first dances.

Complex communication is often difficult to produce even when individuals are born with some knowledge of the correct signals. Bees are born with some knowledge of how to dance, but they have to learn how to dance even better by following experienced bees.

1. Why does the author say the experiment on the two children is a misguided experiment?

A．Language learning is a social activity.	B．Language learning has changed greatly.
C．Children are born with human speech.	D．Children develop differently in language.

2. What does the underlined word “isolated” in paragraph 6 indicate?

A．Old bees could not produce waggle dances.	B．Old bees could not observe waggle dances.
C．Young bees were separated from older ones.	D．Young bees could follow experienced bees.

3. What do we know about the bees whose dances remained as good as their first dances?

A．They had little practice in waggle dances.

B．They had learned waggle dances without teachers.

C．They were experienced in teaching waggle dances.

D．They had learned waggle dances before their first dances.

4. What does the last paragraph serve as?

A．A guide to complex communication.

B．An answer to why language should be learned.

C．An example of nonhuman communication.

D．A proof that bees are born with some knowledge.