1 . Four Peak District waterfall walks

The Peak District National Park offers beautiful scenery for hiking. One exciting attraction is the region’s waterfalls. We’ve picked out four of the most breathtaking waterfall walks; visit just one or tick off all of them as you discover the Peak District.

Kinder Downfall

If there’s one Peak District waterfall that you must visit, it’s this one. Kinder Downfall is one of the best Great British waterfalls, where you can watch a 30-metrestream of water flowing from an open plateau at Kinder Scout. It’s best to schedule your visit after heavy rain when the waterfall is really in full force.

Lumsdale Falls

If you feel like stepping back in time, take a trip to Lumsdale Falls. The area includes many 17th-century mill (磨坊) buildings which used to be powered by the nearby rivers, and the ancient ruins create a timeless atmosphere in the beautiful Lumsdale Valley.

Padley Gorge

The journey to this waterfall has a charming, fairy-tale feel, making it perfect for a fun day out as a family. The walk is around an hour each way, but there are plenty of picnic spots where you can all refuel, as well as areas for little feet to safely paddle in the chilly water.

Rivelin Valley

Make sure you pack your camera when you visit this waterfall in the Rivel in Valley, as it’s one of the most picturesque spots in the Peak District. Follow the nature trail through the woodland where you’ll find dams, reservoirs, streams and a series of very pretty waterfalls.

1. Which of the following best describes the atmosphere of Lumsdale Falls?

A．Rural.

B．Historic.

C．Family-friendly.

D．Dangerous.

2. Which waterfall walk is recommended for photography enthusiasts?

A．Kinder Downfall.	B．Lumsdale Falls.
C．Padley Gorge.	D．Rivelin Valley.

3. Where can the text be found?

A．In a travel guide.	B．In a news article.
C．In a historical document.	D．In a scientific journal.

2 . The polar bear was a tiny point in a frozen white world. A film crew began to follow at a distance, gradually getting_________, hoping to get a good picture. However, the bear came to a rest at a hole in the ice and started to_________. So did the crew.

For 12 hours the bear lay half asleep, half ________ without a move. It was too long; the crew had been working for 22 hours ________ on the sea ice. Cold and exhausted, they ________ defeat.

Hours of waiting for little reward is not_________. “It’s the price we pay to get unique images,” says award-winning photographer Florian Ledoux. “It is a ________ for us to get each shot in Arctic — we push our limits.” The battle is intense especially during winter:_________ darkness affects your mood, the lack of routine_________ your body clock, you are forever fighting the bitter cold, and everything you touch with_________ hands sticks to your skin. However_________ your clothes are, the cold bites through.

An Arctic photographer for years, Ledoux has witnessed the significant ________ there. It is heating up, causing ice to melt and ________ the whole ecosystem. “Am I just photographing? No,” he says. “I try to catch some unique beauty of ________, to give a voice to the one that cannot ________.”

1.

A．easier

B．larger

C．closer

D．darker

2.

A．dig

B．dive

C．jump

D．wait

3.

A．awake

B．alive

C．aware

D．alone

4.

A．forward

B．straight

C．more

D．later

5.

A．overcame

B．forgot

C．imagined

D．admitted

6.

A．unnecessary

B．uncertain

C．uncommon

D．unfortunate

7.

A．bonus

B．battle

C．chance

D．lesson

8.

A．Endless

B．Aimless

C．Windless

D．Countless

9.

A．wakes up

B．follows up

C．messes up

D．winds up

10.

A．bare

B．empty

C．rough

D．cold

11.

A．dear

B．stylish

C．thick

D．heavy

12.

A．change

B．landscape

C．accident

D．advance

13.

A．developing

B．reforming

C．monitoring

D．threatening

14.

A．art

B．nature

C．ice

D．space

15.

A．run

B．see

C．hear

D．speak

3 . As climate change causes ocean temperatures to rise, one of Greenland’s previously most stable glaciers is now reducing at an unheard-of rate, according to a new study.

The study was led by researchers at The Ohio State University. The team found the truth. Between 2018 and 2021, Steenstrup Glacier in Greenland reduced about 5 miles, thinned by about 20% and doubled in the amount of ice that went into the ocean. According to the study, such a rapid change is so extraordinary among Greenland’s ice formations that it now places Steenstrup Glacier in the top 10% of glaciers that contribute to the entire region’s total ice discharge.

Steenstrup Glacier is part of the Greenland Ice Sheet, a body of ice that covers nearly 80% of the world’s largest island, which is also the single largest contributor to the global sea rise from the cryosphere (冰冻圈), the portion of Earth’s ecosystem that includes all of its frozen water. While the region plays a crucial part in balancing the global climate system, the area is steadily reducing as it loses hundreds of billions of tons of ice each year because of global warming.

As far as scientists knew, Steenstrup Glacier had been stable for decades. It was hardly influenced by the rising temperatures that had influenced so many other regional glaciers, likely because of its special position in shallow water. It wasn’t until Thomas Chudley, lead author of the study, and his colleagues collected observational and modeling data from previous remote sensing analyses on the glacier that the team realized Steenstrup Glacier was likely experiencing melting due to anomalies (反常现象) in deeper Atlantic water.

According to Chudley, the current situation in Greenland serves as an early warning sign for possible future events in West Antarctica within the next few centuries. He also expressed the importance of conducting direct observations in the fjord to understand the reasons behind the changes observed in Steenstrup Glacier.

1. Why does the author mention the figures in paragraph 2?

A．To count the number of global glaciers.

B．To show the severity of melting glaciers.

C．To tell people the percentage of glacier water.

D．To stress the consequence of global warming.

2. What possibly makes Steenstrup Glacier stable for a long time?

A．Its location.

B．Its content.

C．Its sort.

D．Its big coverage.

3. What is Chudley’s attitude to the current situation in Greenland?

A．Optimistic.

B．Concerned.

C．Disappointed.

D．Confident.

4. What is the main idea of the text?

A．A once-stable glacier in Greenland is now rapidly disappearing.

B．The Steenstrup Glacier is the largest contributor to the global sea rise.

C．Researchers try to enter Greenland to observe how it has changed.

D．Glaciers play a crucial part in balancing the global climate system.

4 . I have loved and cared for all kinds of creatures for as long as I can remember. A few years ago, I came across news reports that said animals with _________ challenges are less likely to be adopted from _________ and are more at risk of being killed without pain.

I had to _________ up with some way to help because I believe all living things deserve a _________. During the pandemic, when activities were _________ and I was mostly at home, I had the perfect opportunity to go through online ways on how to build a _________ to help them. It takes me from a few weeks to a couple of months to make one. Each wheelchair is _________ and depends on the size of the animal and the type of support they require. I have built 16 wheelchairs so far, for dogs, a cat, a hedgehog — and a sling for a duck. When I help an animal _________ their moving ability back, it feels so rewarding and means _________ to me. Knowing that I’ve made a __________ in an animal’s life makes me feel needed, and seeing them use their wheelchair for the first time is __________ priceless.

It warms my heart! No matter what ability or disability an animal or human has, they deserve the best __________ of life possible. If you have a __________ for something and feel that you can change something, no matter how __________, then go for it. Have confidence and believe in yourself, and don’t let anyone __________ you!

1.

A．learning

B．mental

C．mobility

D．sight

2.

A．shelters

B．hospitals

C．businesses

D．labs

3.

A．speak

B．take

C．show

D．come

4.

A．race

B．school

C．chance

D．prize

5.

A．agreed

B．returned

C．canceled

D．arranged

6.

A．house

B．furniture

C．tent

D．device

7.

A．expensive

B．tailored

C．multifunctional

D．complex

8.

A．hold

B．push

C．gain

D．set

9.

A．the world

B．the thing

C．the freedom

D．the life

10.

A．wish

B．difference

C．circle

D．miracle

11.

A．cautiously

B．hardly

C．normally

D．absolutely

12.

A．game

B．quality

C．lesson

D．wheelchair

13.

A．problem

B．cure

C．way

D．passion

14.

A．random

B．moving

C．small

D．efficient

15.

A．bother

B．submit

C．seize

D．discourage

5 . 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式。

Scientists are racing to study the volcano in Tonga that    1     (erupt) just before sundown on January 15,2022.

“Everything so far about this eruption is really strange,” said Janine Krippner,    2     scientist working on Smithsonian’s Global Volcanism Program. “The sound of the explosion, the tsunami(海啸) waves that followed eruption and the huge energy of this explosion,    3    equaled to five to six million tons of TNT, were unlike any seen in recent     4    (year).”

The tsunami waves that followed the eruption    5     (be)even stranger. Tsunami waves usually start from the center of the eruption. Yet this time, waves appeared in other places far earlier than would be expected of a classic tsunami.     6    addition, as tsunami waves travel further, they usually become    7    (weak).While the waves that hit the islands in Tonga were damaging, they weren’t high enough to account for the surprisingly larger waves across the ocean.

Monitoring underwater volcanoes is a complex task. GPS — which is frequently used     8    (track) changes in the surface-doesn’t work on the seafloor. The situation in Tonga shows how well the Tonga Geological Services(TGS)has been applied to    9    (deal) with the latest eruption. “They don’t have a huge amount of money. They don’t have a number of staff, either.” Janine Krippner added. “But     10    (actual) they have done a really nice job to reduce the possible.

6 . An orphaned (孤儿的) deer named Afra and a rabbit named Alice have formed a friendship that’s straight out of a Disney movie. Workers at Chase Sanctuary (保护区) and Wildlife Conservancy in Webster, Florida, have seen many interspecies friendships_______ over the years, but this one is, by far, the cutest!

Alice and Afra were_______drawn together when landing in the sanctuary since they were both alone. Afra lost her _______ at an early age and couldn’t _______ herself in the wild. Around the same time, Alice’s former owner made the_______ and sent her to the shelter, where he felt she would be_______ “Her owner came here for a tour, and saw we have this big, open habitat. He _______   her to run all around in the grass,” said sanctuary founder, Nina Vassallo.

These days, they’re always_______   Afra follows Alice and eats the green grass in the day, and they sleep curled up together at night. “They_______ each other,” Nina explained with _______   “They watch out for each other, just like human friends. It’s so amazing!”

Visitors_______ seeing the two friends together, and the sanctuary says they don’t plan to_______   them. Watching their friendship grow up makes the_______   business of rescuing animals very_______. As is known, rescuing them often faces challenges.

“It always brings us joy to_______ to make an animal’s life better,” said Nina.

1.

A．disappear

B．develop

C．arrive

D．work

2.

A．instantly

B．slightly

C．initially

D．temporarily

3.

A．parents

B．dreams

C．memories

D．friends

4.

A．know about

B．cheer for

C．learn from

D．look after

5.

A．call

B．comment

C．decision

D．suggestion

6.

A．busier

B．happier

C．safer

D．braver

7.

A．needed

B．forbade

C．wanted

D．advised

8.

A．hungry

B．comfortable

C．sensitive

D．together

9.

A．control

B．support

C．disturb

D．feed

10.

A．excitement

B．curiosity

C．sympathy

D．enthusiasm

11.

A．report

B．consider

C．enjoy

D．miss

12.

A．remove

B．return

C．adopt

D．separate

13.

A．promising

B．possible

C．important

D．difficult

14.

A．early

B．sweet

C．accurate

D．normal

15.

A．manage

B．choose

C．agree

D．stop

7 . Beijing and Xi’an 5-Day Itinerary

This itinerary is top recommended if you are the first time to China. It connects the two classic must-visit cities that allow you to learn most about Chinese civilization and late-imperial and modern-era history.

■ Day 1: Beijing (visit the Forbidden City with a hutong walking tour)

■ Day 2: Beijing (go to the Great Wall and learn about the sacrificial culture in the Temple of Heaven)

■ Day 3: Beijing (visit the famous royal garden — the Summer Palace, and take & bullet train to Xi’an)

■ Day 4: Xi’an (the Terracotta Army with a hands-on terracotta-warrior-making experience and a walking/biking experience on the City Wall)

■ Day 5: Xi’an (visit a famous pagoda and museum to learn about Chinese history)

In Beijing, discover the imperial past in the Forbidden City, which used to be the home of China’s 24 emperors. Hike on the Great Wall to see the watchtowers and majestic natural mountain views.

Stroll around old hutongs, where you could catch a glimpse of the traditional daily lifestyle of Beijing’s local people.

For a more in-depth travel experience, you could visit a local family’s home and learn some Chinese culture and philosophy of living.

The famous Terracotta Warriors is the must-visit attraction. The highlight of the visit would be a hands-on experience of making your own clay warriors. You would learn more about the making, preservation, and story behind the Terracotta Warriors.

Walk on the 600-year-old Ancient City Wall and catch a full view of the city. If time permits, the sunset time would be the best for a stunning view. For learning about Chinese history, Shannxi History Museum and Big Wild Goose Pagoda are worth visiting.

All our tours can be adjusted based on your needs. Just contact us at https://www.chinahighlights.com/travel guide/.

1. Which is the best means of transportation during the travel?

A．By bike.

B．On foot.

C．By air.

D．In a bus.

2. What is suggested to know more about local life style?

A．Visiting the Temple of Heaven.	B．Walking Around old hutongs.
C．Being a guest in a local family.	D．Producing your own soldier statues.

3. Who is probably the text written for?

A．An architect.	B．A tour guide.
C．A foreign visitor.	D．A Chinese historian.

8 . 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.

9 . Like most of his classmates, Zhang Yixuan is facing academic pressure as he is preparing to attend the national college entrance examination, or gaokao, next year. However, compared with playing smartphones and games, Zhang Yixuan prefers spending his summer vacation walking in wild nature, meeting little creatures like crabs. His bedroom is packed with dozens of “living treasures” that he has collected from the outdoors, including insects, fish, and crabs.

It is the microscope that his father bought him that makes the bedroom look more like a mini-biology lab than anything else and it’s a place where Zhang can devote himself to identifying or observing crabs day and night. With the help of the microscope, Zhang buries. Himself in studying the natural world. Sometimes he spends hours simply examining the leg of a crab. It was his deep interest in nature that led Zhang into a new world of discovery.

Last year, a group of crabs caught Zhang’s attention since they looked unusual compared with the commonly seen ones in Rongxian county, where he lives. He decided to take seven of them home. After much observation and lots of researches by reading related articles and documents, Zhang speculated that it must be a new species. And it proved to be true by experts.

The hardworking and gifted teenager is very grateful to his parents for their understanding and support. His father Zhang Lefei, who was born in a rural area, loved catching fish and crabs himself at an early age. So he and his wife would take their son out into nature to explore as much as possible and would allow him to observe crabs quietly without any disturbs.

They say interest is the best teacher. And so are parents, it seems.

1. What does paragraph 1 mainly tell us about Zhang Yixuan?

A．His hobbies.	B．His character.
C．His academic pressure.	D．His relationship with others.

2. Where does Zhang Yixuan carry out his research?

A．In the wild.	B．In his school.
C．In his bedroom.	D．In a biology lab.

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

A．Showed.	B．Inferred.
C．Argued.	D．Suggested.

4. What is the author’s purpose of mentioning Zhang’s parents?

A．To share their interest.	B．To show their support.
C．To indicate their effort.	D．To reveal their background.

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.

Nature inspired us to figure out ways to solve the problems we faced. Birds inspired us to fly, beavers gave us ideas on how to build dams (大坝) and even tiny white ants demonstrated building ideas that we could use. By means of     1    (study) the workings of wildlife, we've come up     2     some pretty brilliant inventions. Here' re some examples to inspire students to explore their own ideas.

Bats (蝙蝠) can use     3    (they) mouths and ears to identify high-frequency sound waves, allowing them to avoid barriers and catch insects in the air. They do this by making sounds     4     can be reflected off a surface in a process     5    (call) echolocation. It is no big surprise that researchers are working on ways that poor-sighted people can use a system like echolocation.

Spider (蜘蛛) silk is one of the strongest materials in nature, believed to be five times     6    (strong) than steel. But unlike steel, spider silk is both flexible     7     lightweight. Scientists recently created a new type of medical tape based on the features of spider silk.

Even plants can inspire invention.     8     electrical engineer named George de Mestral noticed that burrs from burdockplants (牛蒡植物的芒刺) stuck fast to his unfortunate hunting dog. From that bit of inspiration, he invented Velcro, one of the most     9    (wide) used fastening systems in human history.

Students should     10    (encourage) to study the characteristics of a plant or animal and see what inventions or ideas they can design.