1 . 根据句子结构的语法性，在下面空格处填入一个适当的词或使用括号中词的适当形式填空。

In June 1992, four farmers near the village of Shiyanbei in Zhejiang Province, China, made a(n)     1     (amaze) discovery. When they drained several ponds (排干几个池塘) on their land, they uncovered a secret     2     (hide) under the water’s surface. Five large man-made caves appeared, leading to the discovery of 19 more caves nearby. These caves     3     (know) as the Longyou Caves.

    4     (strange), the caves were not documented in any writings of the period. Following many studies since the caves were first found, caves scientists have tried to put forward explanations of the true purpose behind their     5     (create). But so far none have agreed. Artifacts (人工制品) within were discovered to be from the period 91 to 48 BCE,     6     makes the caves over 2,000 years old. The caves are     7     shockingly good shape after centuries of floods. Interestingly, the caves are of different     8     (size). Some are over 100 feet wide with vaulted ceilings (拱形天花板), supported by stone columns (柱). Others are much     9     (small).

Today, five of the caves are open to tourists, inviting them to experience the great wonders of     10     past.

2 . A tsunami is an extremely large wave in the sea caused by an earthquake at the sea bed. The following safety tips may help you deal with it.

Before the tsunami

Know the warning signs of a tsunami: rapidly rising or falling coastal waters, a loud noise from the ocean, or rumblings of an earthquake. “If people along the Indian Ocean coastline on December 26, 2004, were aware of these natural warnings, fewer people would have died.” says an expert.     1     And you’d better map your evacuation(疏散) route.

During the tsunami

● If you’re in a tsunami area and there is an earthquake, first drop to the floor, cover your head and neck, and hold on to something stable.     2    

●     3     “Listen to the authorities, but do not wait for tsunami warnings and evacuation orders,” suggests the U.S. site Ready.gov.

● People often mistake the distance they have to go to be safe. “Many people think they’ve got to go miles,” Richards says. “    4    ” If you’re a visitor staying in a tall concrete hotel, he adds, going above the fourth floor likely will be safer than evacuating.

● Stay put in a safe area until an official all-clear is given. The first wave may not be the last or the strongest and the danger can last for hours or even days.

After the tsunami

First, stay clear of damaged or flooded areas and downed power lines. Meanwhile, listen for further alerts and instructions about evacuation zones and shelters.     5     Phone systems are likely to be down or busy at that time.

A．But it might be just right behind Johnny’s house.

B．But they can also come back as soon as possible.

C．If you’re in a low-lying area, move inland as soon as possible.

D．Take the warnings seriously, and strictly follow the requirements.

E．Listen for official warnings, but also listen and watch for natural signs.

F．Besides, you should be familiar with your government’s warning system.

G．You’d better use texts and social media to communicate with loved ones.

3 . For many young Canadians, planting trees is more than just a job. It’s a way of ______   and it could be catching on, thanks to a popular ______ by Leslie. While working for a logging company, the 29-year-old filmed herself using the ______ method that allowed her to plant 4,545 trees in a single day. She said that the work is incredibly ______.

Planting trees is not easy work, according to Leslie. Not only is it ______ tiring, but it also exposes laborers to the bad weather. “It could start the day off ______ and then minutes later, it will just be raining or snowing. You never know what to ______,” she described. “There were some days that we were planting through a heat ______, so we had like 37 to 40 degree weather for several days straight and that was really ______.”

So far, Leslie has planted a total of 372,290 trees in the past few years. ______, she’s still nowhere near beating the Guinness World record. That honor ______ Kenny Chaplin, who once planted 15,170 trees in 19 hours. After 35 years on the job, he says he’d ______ it to anyone.

“I think every parent in Canada should ______ their kid out tree planting because it will turn them into a worker,” he ______ . “They’ll learn how to work, they’ll have ______ and they’ll have money in their pockets.”

1.

A．appointment

B．impression

C．recreation

D．life

2.

A．investment

B．liberation

C．video

D．story

3.

A．negative

B．speedy

C．respective

D．influential

4.

A．rewarding

B．massive

C．original

D．diverse

5.

A．barely

B．permanently

C．gradually

D．physically

6.

A．heavy

B．sunny

C．severe

D．obvious

7.

A．expect

B．organize

C．prefer

D．recover

8.

A．scream

B．action

C．push

D．wave

9.

A．potential

B．sudden

C．tough

D．flexible

10.

A．Moreover

B．However

C．Besides

D．Therefore

11.

A．turns to

B．relates to

C．belongs to

D．subscribes to

12.

A．admit

B．warn

C．whisper

D．recommend

13.

A．send

B．celebrate

C．understand

D．decide

14.

A．imagined

B．argued

C．explained

D．responded

15.

A．version

B．concept

C．responsibility

D．qualification

4 . Global warming is causing problems for birds in Sweden and elsewhere. Warmer springs mean that caterpillars (毛毛虫) hatch and grow earlier compared with just a few decades ago. This has consequences for birds that cannot eat proper caterpillars. Therefore, when the food supply runs out at an ever earlier time in the spring, more and more baby birds starve during the breeding (繁殖) season. This is a big problem for migratory birds that spend winters in Africa, as they do not know how early spring arrives in Sweden.

“We thought that perhaps the migratory birds could fly further north until they find a place with suitable well-developed caterpillars,” says Nilsson, biology researcher at Lund University in Sweden.

To test this in practice, the researchers decided to help some pied flycatchers (斑背鹟) along the way. The biologists caught pied flycatchers that had arrived prior to breeding in the Netherlands. The birds were then driven during the night to Vombs Fure, an area of pine forest outside Lund in Skane, where they were released. The peak of caterpillar availability in Skane is about two weeks later than in the Netherlands — a distance of around 600 kilometres that a pied flycatcher could cover in just two nights.

“The birds that were given a lift from the Netherlands to Skane synchronized (同步) very well with the food peak! As they started to breed about 10 days earlier the Swedish pied flycatchers, they had a dramatically better breeding success than the Swedish ones as well as a better success than the pied flycatchers that remained in the Netherlands,” says Nilsson. In addition, it was shown that the baby birds of the pied flycatchers that had received migration assistance arrived earlier during the migration season to find Skane.

“The number of small birds, particularly migratory birds, has decreased drastically throughout Europe. By flying a little further north, these birds, at least in principle, could synchronise with their food resources and there is hope that populations of small birds can be maintained, even though springs are arriving ever earlier,” adds Nilsson.

1. What’s the problem for migratory birds spending winters in Africa?

A．Global warming affects their natural habitats.

B．Their babies suffer a lot from food shortage.

C．They return to Sweden earlier compared with decades ago.

D．Only a few of them can return to the northern habitat as usual.

2. Why were some pied flycatchers driven to Vombs Fure?

A．They were so timed that they can’t tally anymore.

B．They preferred to the warmer climate there.

C．They could be provided with sufficient food resources.

D．They were misled by the researchers during the night.

3. What’s Nilsson’s attitude towards migratory birds’ flying further north?

A．Positive.

B．Critical.

C．Unclear.

D．Neutral.

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

A．Migratory Birds Are at the Great Risk of Global Warming

B．Scientists Are Using High-Tech Tools to Study Migratory Birds

C．Human Beings Can Live in Harmony with Migratory Birds

D．Migratory Birds Can Be Taught to Adjust to Climate Change

5 . Migratory (迁徙的) birds flying to China’s largest freshwater lake for winter are likely to face a tougher environment than before. Little rainfall, a record drought, and the earliest dry season in the Poyang Lake area — all exacerbated by climate change — have threatened the food supply and habitat of wintering birds, domestic media reported Monday.

Known as a “migratory bird haven,” Poyang Lake and its surrounding wetlands and ponds serve as one of the most important wintering stopovers for hundreds of thousands of migratory birds, including Siberian cranes and oriental white storks. The lake’s seasonal shrinkage provides abundant food to the waterbirds and helps maintain their habitat.

Duan Qingxian, director of the nonprofit Poyang Lake Wildlife Rescue Association, said on Tuesday that migratory birds inhabiting the lake area, as monitored by his team, had declined by at least 50% compared with the same period over the past years. “There is less food such as grassroots, snails, and shells for waterfowl (水禽) due to the drought,” said Duan, who has lived in Duchang on the north side of the lake for over 40 years. “While patrolling the lakeside this year, I saw several dozen geese at a time flying from north to south, instead of hundreds previously.”

In September, local authorities started drawing water from Poyang Lake’s main channel to replenish nearby sub-lakes. They also cut grasses that were too old and hard for the birds to eat to make the grass sprout (抽芽). Duan said that human efforts to minimize the effects of changing weather patterns were just “a drop in the bucket” for a massive lake like Poyang. “We just do what we can do to reduce the impact of the drought on migratory birds as much as possible,” Duan said. “As long as the weather cools, and it rains, the tender grass will grow, and more birds will come.”

1. What does the underlined word “exacerbated” in Paragraph 1 mean?

A．Worsened.

B．Improved.

C．Replaced.

D．Eased.

2. What is the function of Paragraph 2?

A．To define a concept.	B．To give some examples.
C．To present a new argument.	D．To add background information.

3. What is Paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．Measures adopted to save the migratory birds.

B．Difficulties in monitoring the birds in the lake.

C．Terrible situation caused by the severe drought.

D．Suitable food for the wintering birds in the lake.

4. What can be known from Duan Qingxian’s words?

A．About 50% the waterbirds living on the lake will starve to death.

B．Current measures to stop the lake from drying are very effective.

C．It’s necessary to offer some artificial food for the migratory birds.

D．The drought’s impact may be relieved when the temperature falls.

6 . 阅读下面材料,在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。

On the day the tornado hit, there was no sign that the fierce weather was on its way—the sky was blue and the sun had been out. Soon the tornado was on top of us. It was the     1     (loud) thing I had ever heard. The house was shaking, and the power went out. And the wind     2    (begin) to roar(咆哮) through the house. Everything was moving. My husband and I must reach the storeroom(储存室) on the first floor     3    (keep) us safe relatively. When we finally reached the last flight of     4    (step), our front door was blown open. Suddenly, a three-foot-long tree branch(树枝) flew over our heads,     5    (miss) us by inches(短距离). By the time I reached the storeroom, the tornado had been over us for about a minute. My husband pushed me down to the storeroom floor,     6     he couldn’t get inside himself because     7     the wind. I held his arm as the tornado blew the door open. All of     8     sudden, his feet stayed off the ground. I thought he was gone. And then everything stopped. He landed on his feet. I couldn’t believe it was over. Our neighbor said the storm caused serious damage,     9     lasted four minutes. In that time, four of the twelve town houses     10     (destroy). Luckily, none of us were seriously injured.

7 . Since the 1920s, a little-known policy called parking minimums has shaped many Americans’ life. In major cities, this meant that any type of building needed to reserve a certain number of parking spaces to accommodate anyone who might visit.

But as the country attempts to cut carbon emissions (排放), we should rethink what transportation and public space look like, especially in cities. Earlier this month, the city of Austin, Texas, became the latest community to undo parking minimums.

“If we want half of all trips to be in something other than a car, then we can’t, as a city, in my opinion, demand that every home or business have at least one parking space for each resident or customer,” said Zohaib Qadri, the Austin city council member who introduced the measure. Reducing dependency on cars was a huge push for the initiative in Austin. Qadri hopes the measure also will lead to a more sustainable city.

The undoing of this law could pave the way for cities to build denser (密集的) housing, increase public transit options, and reduce their carbon emissions, according to Donald Shoup, an engineer and professor. “It isn’t just the housing crisis and climate change; it’s a traffic jam; it’s local air pollution; it’s the high price of everything—except parking,” said Shoup.

Climate change and air pollution are particularly costly outcomes, with both estimated to cost the US billions of dollars every year. Parking spots, meanwhile, can run in the tens of thousands of dollars to construct, with one estimate putting that figure at almost $30, 000 per spot.

But undoing parking minimums does not mean that all parking will disappear overnight. It means that any off-street parking built will not need to meet any minimum standard.

“Austin is the same city that it was two weeks ago,” said Shoup. “It’s going to take quite a while for that city to really get the benefits of their parking space reforms. And so it just removes a roadblock and a barrier to other reforms.”

1. Why was parking minimums policy deserted in Austin?

A．To make room for green belts.	B．To help tackle climate problems.
C．To respond to residents’ demand.	D．To ease the heavy traffic.

2. What can we infer from Qadri’s words?

A．Parking space provides convenience.

B．Cars are used for half of people’s trips.

C．Each home needs more than one parking space.

D．Reducing parking space can reduce dependency on cars.

3. What is Donald Shoup’s attitude towards undoing parking minimums?

A．Supportive.

B．Concerned.

C．Doubtful.

D．Disappointed.

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A．The Harm of Climate Change	B．The Origin of Parking Minimums
C．The Reason for Too Many Emissions	D．A Possible Way to Fight Climate Change

8 . For 60-year-old Gao Ruyi, the proudest achievement in his life is not measured in honors or riches but in the wings of over 1, 000 swans he has rescued. Gao, former director of the wildlife rescue station in Sanmenxia, Henan province, has guarded swans and the ecosystems they live in for almost four decades. His efforts have earned him the name “Swan Dad”.

Gao Ruyi grew up near the Yellow River, China’s second-longest river. He had little connection to swans until the winter of 1988 when one day the peacefulness of the riverside was broken by gunshots. Rushing to the scene, he found that someone had opened fire on the swans. The heart-wrenching cries of four wounded swans left a deep-rooted mark on him. Since then, Gao has become a guardian of swans and a witness to the swan protection efforts along the Yellow River.

The endeavor (努力) is not without its challenges.

Gao started working at a wildlife rescue station in the Yellow River wetland in Sanmenxia in 1994. Despite their efforts, illegal activities continued. One such tragedy happened in 1998. Several wild ducks and swans were poisoned. Gao immediately called the police and provided treatment for the feathery victims. “Swans have memories,” he said, “Since the incident, nobody saw swans in the area for many years.”

Still, Gao’s passion for swan protection has never waned. He and many other “swan dads” and “swan moms” often visited nearby villages to educate residents about wildlife conservation, and encouraged them to bring sick or injured wild animals to the rescue station.

Another challenge for the birds came from the environment. Swan populations in Sanmenxia were limited in the 1990s due to severe pollution caused by mining and industrial development, said Gao. In the past decades, however, China started extensive efforts to battle pollution in the Yellow River basin, and gradually, swan populations in the Sanmenxia section began to increase. Tens of thousands of swans are flying back home, marking the start of “swan season”, as the locals affectionately call it.

1. Which of the following can best describe Gao Ruyi?

A．Peace-loving.

B．Good-tempered.

C．Hard-working.

D．Kind-hearted.

2. What did Gao Ruyi do to meet the challenges?

A．He started a wildlife rescue station.

B．He educated people to raise awareness.

C．He cured sick or injured wild swans.

D．He worked with government to fight pollution.

3. What does the underlined word “waned” most probably mean?

A．Recovered.

B．Expanded.

C．Benefited.

D．Declined.

4. What is the best title for this text?

A．Yellow River Birds Saved by “Swan Dad”

B．Illegal Activities Done to Swans Continue

C．Yellow River Pollution Problems Solved by Government

D．“Swan Season” Is Witnessed in Sanmenxia Section of Yellow River

9 . Yoriko, a sheepshead fish (kobudai in Japanese), first met Arakawa nearly 30 years ago. Arakawa started _________ at the age of 18. Now 79, he still loves his stays in the deep water. His _________ friendship with Yoriko is certainly one of the highlights.

“I’d say we _________ each other,” Arakawa said in an interview, “not that we talk to each other… I kissed her once. I’m the only person she’ll let _________ it.” Over time, the fish with an almost _________ face—“When looking close, you’ll think she looks like someone you _________,” Arakawa jokes—and her human companion became underwater best friends forever.

On one dive when Arakawa was visiting, he noticed Yoriko’s _________ had been badly injured. Even so, she came to greet him. Realizing she’d be _________ to catch her own food, Arakawa hand-fed Yoriko meat from crabs(蟹) he hammered open for her. _________, Yoriko bounced back from her injuries quickly. After her __________, the connection between the pair seemed to grow even stronger.

“I’m not sure if it’s the __________ of the kobudai or not. It’s probably because there is a sense of __________ between us. I guess she knows that I __________ her. So for me to be able to do that, I am __________,” Arakawa said. “I have an amazing sense of achievement.”

It sure sounds like this is one human who’s been truly caught in a net of __________—and we’ll bet Yoriko has no plans to toss(扔) him back, either.

1.

A．fishing

B．training

C．diving

D．swimming

2.

A．fast-developing

B．longstanding

C．open

D．regular

3.

A．understand

B．miss

C．please

D．support

4.

A．enjoy

B．do

C．make

D．change

5.

A．human-looking

B．good-looking

C．strange-looking

D．natural-looking

6.

A．admire

B．fear

C．perceive

D．know

7.

A．mouth

B．back

C．tail

D．head

8.

A．eager

B．happy

C．unwilling

D．unable

9.

A．Initially

B．Thankfully

C．Unexpectedly

D．Basically

10.

A．return

B．recovery

C．growth

D．arrival

11.

A．preference

B．gift

C．nature

D．habit

12.

A．trust

B．security

C．responsibility

D．fun

13.

A．cheated

B．caught

C．freed

D．saved

14.

A．unashamed

B．grateful

C．proud

D．regretful

15.

A．peace

B．hope

C．love

D．joy

10 . Researchers believe they have accurately estimated Antarctica’s Weddell seal population for the first time—using images from space and the eyes of citizen scientists.

Previous estimates of their population were “more back-of-the-envelope type calculations”, said Dr. Michelle LaRue, a professor of New Zealand’s University of Canterbury. “The previous research was done by traditional surveyors, but you can’t physically get to the entire Antarctic continent all at one time,” she said.

The results were “inaccurate”, so in 2016 LaRue created the first estimate of the seals’ baseline population, using satellite imagery and the keen eyes of 330,000 curious volunteers. “We combined the imagery with a web platform to conduct a citizen science campaign to find out where seals are present, their abundance, and the environmental factors that influence their habitat preferences,” LaRue said.

They discovered that, at the time the satellite images were taken in 2021, the global population was actually just 40% of the 800,000 animals previously estimated. The study, published in late 2021, estimated that there were about 202,000 sub-adult and adult female Weddell seals in Antarctica. Male seals were generally not captured in the satellite images because they were typically under the ice, guarding their territories, LaRue added.

The study also found that Weddell seals lived on about 1% of the ice and were picky about where they settled. The project relied heavily on volunteers to search the satellite images for signs of seals. Participants were given images of an area in Antarctica to scour and asked to tick a box saying if they believed they could see a seal or not. The more people to click yes, the more efficient the narrowing down of habitats became.

“The method is now being employed by other scientists to help determine the population of walrus(海象) in the Arctic,” LaRue said, “Looking at broader ecosystems and the relationships between animals and their environment was important in the long run, but to do that, it was helpful to have population guides for single species.” Once scientists have that information, they “can start adding it all together and putting together the puzzle a little bit better”.

1. What is Paragraph 2 mainly about?

A．Limitation of previous studies.	B．Significance of previous estimates.
C．Inspiration for LaRue’s research.	D．Difficulty in exploring the Antarctica.

2. What does the underlined word “scour” in Paragraph 5 probably mean?

A．Record.	B．Appreciate.
C．Examine.	D．Post.

3. Walrus are mentioned in Paragraph 6 to present _________.

A．a suggestion for follow-up studies.	B．supporting evidence for the research results.
C．an application of the research method.	D．further explanations of the research methods.

4. What is the purpose of the text?

A．To call for more research on counting seals.

B．To introduce a breakthrough in seal research.

C．To appeal to people to protect Weddell seals.

D．To discuss the involvement of citizen scientists.