1 . Wildlife researchers in Georgia and Florida are concerned about the population of endangered whales. The winter birthing season just ended, but no newborn sightings have been reported.

At present, there are only about 450 North Atlantic right whales according to calculation.

Last year, the number of right whale deaths was greater than the number of births. In the U.S. and Canada, there were 17 right whale deaths recorded, while only five right whale births were reported.

Research on the whales has found that most female right whales are only living to half their expected years. Research on the whales that gave birth last year showed that they were having babies for the first time in seven or eight years. That is more than double the usual time between pregnancies.

Philip Hamilton is a scientist at the New England Aquarium in Boston. Hamilton has studied right whales for 30 years. He said, “Following a year of such great number of deaths, it’s clear that the increase of the population can’t be guaranteed.”

This is why researchers are saying more needs to be done to protect the species.

Examinations of the 17 bodies showed that a ship had hit at least four of the right whales. Another two of the deaths were caused by fishing equipment.

Philip Hamilton called for more restrictions on the fishing industry. Placing speed restrictions on ships in certain areas will help protect the whales further.

However, there is still hope for the right whale population.

Charles Mayo is a right whale researcher in Provincetown, Massachusetts at the Center for Coastal Studies. Mayo remains hopeful about the possibility that right whale babies were born this season a little further north, as far up as Virginia’s coast.

In Cape Cod Bay last year, two calves (幼崽) were seen that had not been seen earlier in the south.

It is also possible that after a light birthing season this year, a baby boom could happen next year. This has happened before. In 2000, only one newborn birth occurred while in the following year there were 31 births.

Mayo said, “I do think we can turn this around. But what’s our will power to do so? This is a time for all to work together.”

1. What is the text mainly about?

A．The reasons for the right whale’s low birthrate.

B．The need to be done to protect the right whale.

C．The hope for the right whale population.

D．Wild life experts’ worry about lack of newborn right whales.

2. What mainly leads to the death of the right whale according to the text?

A．An unexpectedly shorter lifetime.

B．The high speed of the fishing ships.

C．A longer cycle of the pregnancies.

D．The decrease of the number of births.

3. What is likely to happen next year?

A．More baby whales can be seen in Virginia’s coast.

B．The birthrate may grow sharply.

C．31 calves will be born.

D．The birthing season will be earlier.

4. What is Mayo’s attitude towards the situation?

A．Positive.	B．Uncertain.
C．Worried.	D．Indifferent.

2 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

The respect for life is a kind approach, says a man     1     has taken up the protection of Mother Nature as his lifetime work.

Xu Liqiang, the founder of a grassroots wildlife protection group in Qingdao, Shandong province, has devoted more than 20 years     2     saving wild animals and plants, as well as raising social awareness about conserving biodiversity.

    3    (raise) in a village in the western foothills of the mountain, Xu had started to think about wildlife protection from     4     early age. After he grew up, as a volunteer, he     5    (active) joined the efforts of the wildlife protection society in Qingdao city when in college. After graduation, Xu worked for years in a local foreign trade company. But he     6    (leave) his job in 2017 and decided to follow his passion for wildlife protection full time.

His efforts have made a     7    (different): Since 2009, more than 1,700 wild animals     8    (save) or sheltered, including rare bird species under state-level priority conservation in China.

He sold his apartment and used the money     9    (build) animal and plant shelters, nurseries and rescue stations that he now uses for awareness campaigns.

“Treat wildlife as your own life,     10     the harmony between humans and nature will be achieved.” Xu says.

3 . Want to reduce your carbon, footprint? Here are the best sustainable choices for carrying your luggage(行李).

Paravel Aviator Grand $ 425

The Paravel Aviator Grand combines recycled fabric with recycled metal parts, including zippers(拉锁)and a handle that can be used as long as you do. The fabric lining is made from recycled and single-use plastic bottles. Its producer Paravel has up-cycled 3.1 million plastic bottles and planted 70,000 trees. A five-year after service,covering wear and tear, ensures you’ll get a lot of use from the Paravel Aviator Grand.

Dakine Terminal Spinner $220

With a 40-liter capacity, the Dakine Terminal Spinner is not only roomy but also lasting, with waterproof polyester(聚酯纤维)made from recycled plastic water bottles. The roomy outer pocket is padded for laptops up to 17 inches. It’s even got a cup rest—a place to set your coffee when you’re standing still.

Peak Design Travel Backpack $483

The Peak Design Travel Backpack expands to 45 liters. It has both internal and external pockets, with quick-access pockets for frequently-used small items. Made from lightweight polyester, this travel backpack is weatherproof. The bottom liner provides even more protection and a thicker fabric, so you don’t have to worry about setting your bag down on a wet surface, The Peak Design Travel Backpack is also Fair Trade certified and carbon neutral.

Solgaard Check-in Closet $355

The Solgaard Check-in Closet is designed with five inner shelves, so you interact with its contents with the bag standing up. It can handle more than enough for a week of travelling. Despite its size, the Solgaard Check-in Closet is also easy to roll around, thanks to smooth 360-degree wheels. Built from a polycarbonate shell made from recycled plastic bottles, the Solgaard Check-in Closet is lasting enough and has a 10-yearafter service.

1. Which luggage container has recycled metal parts?

A．Paravel Aviator Grand.

B．Dakine Terminal Spinner.

C．Peak Design Travel Backpack.

D．Solgaard Check-in Closet.

2. What do Dakine Terminal Spinner and Peak Design Travel Backpack have in common?

A．They are waterproof.

B．They have quick-access pockets.

C．They are made of recycled bottles.

D．Their producers have planted many trees.

3. What are the selling points of Solgaard Check-in Closet?

A．Low price and outer pockets.

B．Strong zippers and a cup rest,

C．Large capacity and easy movement.

D．Roomy outer pockets and long after service.

4 . Around the world, rivers seem to be either flooding or shrinking (缩小). While Pakistan’s rivers have left one-third of that country flooded and millions of people without homes, a drought unseen for 500 years has left Europe’s major waterways almost dry. In the United States, the Kentucky River suffered deadly flooding this summer, while the Colorado River dropped sharply, which brought about water distribution cuts across several states.

There is little disagreement about what’s going on. Scientists have warned for years that our changing climate will cause the frequency of both rainfall and droughts to increase, making the wet wetter and the dry drier, with more extreme impacts on rivers. The question now may be how to manage those waterways affected by climate change and, specifically, what role dams (大坝) should or should not play in relieving the disasters we’ve been seeing lately and will see more of.

Advocates say water storage dams will become more significant which can stop water during flooding and allow it out in times of droughts. Dams, they say, can help relieve climate change by producing clean hydropower (水电). “Dams and hydropower are fundamental to climate relief and adaptation,” says Richard Taylor, a leading hydropower expert.

Not so. People holding opposite opinions claim that dams do more harm than good. Their arguments have long centered on the negative impact most dams have on biodiversity and river ecosystems, and increasing data show that dams actually worsen both floods and droughts. They also point out studies have shown that lakes created by dams often produce far more harmful greenhouse gases than people previously understood.

“Dams are thought to be a climate solution,” says Isabella Winkler, who co-leads International Rivers, a U.S.-based advocacy group. “They have been praised as a source of green energy but they are actually not.” Besides, scientists warn that many existing dams use operating rules based on old climate assumptions. New dams, experts agree, must be built for the worst cases.

1. Why did the author mention some rivers in Paragraph 1?

A．To compare the rivers.	B．To describe the disasters.
C．To introduce the topic.	D．To analyze some findings.

2. What has been a long-existing concern to scientists?

A．Building dams destroys the ecosystem.

B．Climate change worsens natural disasters.

C．Hydropower increases the impact on disasters.

D．Waterways are in terrible condition widely.

3. What’s Isabella Winkler’s attitude towards building dams?

A．Doubtful.

B．Positive.

C．Negative.

D．Objective.

4. What is the main idea of the text?

A．The distribution of water in different areas.

B．The influence of hydropower on the environment.

C．Main causes of water shortage all around the world.

D．Different views on dams’ role in fighting climate change.

5 . January is the month recognized as the time to diet. This year a health expert told me to get serious. I have to take away half of every meal and put a carrot in its place. Every meal? She was serious. “We’re dealing with sick fat. There’s no hip and all I see is a piece of big bread on your dog’s legs.”

However, it wasn’t my mistake. When we go out, people just keep feeding Eric snacks because he looks so cute. He looks at me when I’m eating my fish so I give him some.

He wasn’t always this way. When he came to us after a short but successful time on the show dog circuit, he was, as you would expect a dog like him to be, well within his healthy weight. But then he came to us and got comfortable knowing this was his “forever home”. His appearance no longer mattered.

He ate everything he could get. Whole blocks of cheese and fresh banana cakes before we pushed everything out of his tongue’s reach. We placed schoolbags high up on the wall. Sometimes, Eric managed to open the schoolbags and carry the lunchboxes in his mouth out through the dog door and into the garden where he happily ate my lovingly prepared offerings.

It’s time for Eric to clean up his act. He’s not to be given pigs’ ears or fish from my dish anymore. I’ve asked my husband to bring a “Nil Orally” sign home from the hospital where he works. I’m going to hang it around Eric’s neck to show everybody that he’s on a diet.

1. What did the health expert say about Eric?

A．He was out of shape.	B．He had too much bread.
C．He had short and strong legs.	D．He needed a couple of pieces of bread.

2. What was Eric like before coming to the author’s home?

A．Inactive.

B．Heavy.

C．Fit.

D．Carefree.

3. What did Eric do with the schoolbags?

A．He took them off the kitchen table.	B．He played with them in the garden.
C．He hid some food inside them.	D．He opened them on his own.

4. What does “Nil Orally” in the last paragraph probably mean?

A．Clean up.	B．Help me.
C．Everything is fine.	D．Nothing by mouth.

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。

Maria and Peter lived in a coastal city. The greatest pleasure in summer for them was to swim at their local beach after school. But one day they started to lose their enthusiasm for swimming in the waters. More often than not, they would find plastic bags thrown on the beach. Worse sill, as they swam in the water, some plastic bags would float around them and even stick to their legs when they walked to the shore.

They were upset and decided something needed to be done to stop the beautiful sea becoming consumed by waste.One weekend,Maria and Peter brought a big bag to the beach and determined to clean it up. Sweat streamed down from their forehead while they bent down and picked up the plastic bags. To their disappointment, after a day’s hard work, there were still many plastic bags lying on the beach or floating in the water. Going home with aching legs and arms, Maria and Peter were almost defeated by a strong sense of failure.

That night over dinner with their parents, the pair ate silently. Noticing their low spirits, Mother asked gently, “You two looked so down. What happened?”Exchanging glances with Peter, Maria replied in a low voice,“It’s those annoying plastic bags. We tried to clean up but it was just impossible.”Understanding the pair’s disappointment, their father patted them on the back and comforted,”Well, it’s really hard for just two of you to fix such a big problem.”“Just two of us.”complained Maria and Peter, looking at each other.Suddenly, an idea lashed through their minds, their eyes shining with excitement.“Yes,that’s the point! We should make more people aware of the problem and encourage them to take action!” the pair said in chorus.

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。

Quickly finishing their dinner, the pair went upstairs and started planning.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Excited and nervous, they posted the video and article on WeChat.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7 . Thailand’s “loneliest tree”, a tree growing on a rocky island only a few meters in diameter, is being seriously threatened by tourists desperate to get a selfie (自拍) with it.

The small patch of land located just off the country’s eastern coast in Trat Province has been called “Koh Khai Hua Roh” because it looks similar to the island featured in drawings of funny scenes involving a man and a woman trapped on an island in the popular Khai Hua Roh comic. The uninhabited island is quite a sight to behold, as it is home to a lonely tree that struggle to live despite being surrounded by salt water. Unfortunately, the tree’s popularity might just be the death of it.

On Tuesday, the Koh Mak Tambon Administrative Organization led a team of Thai reporters to Koh Khai Hua Roh in order to observe the country’s loneliest tree. They knew that photos of the lonely tree shared on social media had been attracting an increasing number of tourists to the island, but they had no idea how much damage that could produce.

According to The Nation, several small branches of the tree were found broken off, the tree’s exposed roots appeared to have been stepped heavily on to the point where the outer cover has peeled off (剥落), and the trunk appears to be tilting (倾斜) more than it did a few years back.

Koh Khai Hua Roh island is so tiny that it can only accommodate up to five people at a time, but local authorities admit that selfie-addicted tourists sometimes crowd there in much greater numbers, with some even climbing the poor tree.

The Koh Mak Tambon Administrative Organization plans to kickstart an educational campaign to hopefully teach people to conserve iconic landmarks like Thailand’s loneliest tree. It also plans to take more drastic actions, like restricting the number of tourists allowed to visit the island and making the island only accessible in certain seasons.

1. The name of the island is related to     .

A．a lonely tree	B．a popular comic
C．a controversial selfie	D．a threatened tourist

2. How is the loneliest tree according to The Nation?

A．It is under protection.	B．It proves inaccessible
C．It has become less popular.	D．It is in a really bad state.

3. What is the last paragraph mainly about?

A．Ways to establish landmarks.

B．Measures to advertise the island.

C．Responses to the damage from tourists.

D．Actions to attract more tourists.

4. From which is this text most probably taken?

A．A geography textbook.	B．A news report.
C．A health magazine.	D．A travel guide.

8 . Giant pandas are among the most lovable animals alive today. Unlike their relatives, such as the polar bear, pandas don’t eat meat but survive on a diet of only bamboo. So why and how have pandas abandoned their taste for meat to pick up a vegetarian diet?

Pandas today don’t eat meat. However, they’ve kept much of their meat-eating adaptations from times past. Their digestive systems have not changed much from their meat-eating days. Out of the huge 12.5 kg of bamboo they eat in a single day, only about 17% of it is digested. To survive, pandas eat large amounts of bamboo while having a low-metabolic (新陈代谢的)，lazy lifestyle to make up for the poor energy return.

The giant panda’s shift to a vegetarian diet is in line with the inactivation of a specific gene-Taslrl, which provides them with the ability to taste certain amino acids (氨基酸) abundant in meat. Its inactivation in pandas would lead to their dietary change.

Pandas have evolved to a great degree to cope with their relatively recent bamboo-eating lifestyle. Pandas must seize long and thin pieces of bamboo shoots. To assist with this, they have developed a long “fake-thumb” (伪拇指). So giant pandas have six fingers in each paw which provides better support for them to seize object such as bamboo in one paw quickly. Researchers have found that the surface of the panda’s tongue is different. While other bears and many meat-eating animals have smooth tongues, pandas have evolved tiny projections on the surface of their tongues that serve to file down food. This is especially useful for pandas as they remove the outer cover of bamboo.

Time will tell if pandas will adapt and survive, go back to eating meat, or disappear in the wild. Whatever the future holds, we can be grateful that, for the time being, we get to share our planet with these adorable animals.

1. Why are the numbers mentioned in paragraph 2?

A．To illustrate the variety of food.

B．To represent the evolutionary rule of pandas.

C．To describe the changes of living environment.

D．To show the ineffectiveness of digestive system.

2. What caused pandas’ change in diet?

A．The low-metabolic ability.

B．The amino acids in meat.

C．The Taslrl gene’s inactivation.

D．The supplies of bamboo.

3. What does the underlined word “this” in paragraph 4 refer to?

A．Seizing bamboo shoots.

B．The low energy return.

C．Developing more fingers.

D．The vegetarian diet.

4. Which aspect of pandas does paragraph 4 focus on?

A．The preference for bamboo.

B．The evolutionary feature in eating.

C．The unique lifestyle.

D．The special appearance.

9 . I wanted to travel to the Caribbean but couldn’t afford it. By chance, a friend________“pet sitting”, a service to help look after pets when owners are away from homes. I quickly began________ opportunities on a pet sitting website. There were only a couple of sits available, but I tried my luck, sent an_________, waited a few days and________landed a three-month job in a beautiful house.

A month into my sit. I had explored the________ pretty well. Impressed by such a beautiful island, I decided to start a travel blog to share the beautiful beaches.________, for every photo of a beautiful beach there were 10 photos of rubbish. It was________for me to ignore (忽视) the plastic pollution________. So I began to share photos of the rubbish I_________and how much I could_________on my daily dog walks. The blog was used to raise_________and highlight plastic-free travel.

I changed my way of living and even my_________to accommodate more organic foods without plastic packaging. It’s been over three years now and I_________to do what I can.

This journey has led me to some amazing but_________places, and I have even organized some country-wide beach clean-up activities. My_________now is to keep on going.

1.

A．mentioned

B．offered

C．doubted

D．requested

2.

A．turning down

B．giving up

C．jumping at

D．searching for

3.

A．application

B．apology

C．order

D．invitation

4.

A．fortunately

B．generally

C．obviously

D．casually

5.

A．website

B．destination

C．custom

D．market

6.

A．Therefore

B．However

C．Otherwise

D．Instead

7.

A．dangerous

B．possible

C．hard

D．normal

8.

A．control

B．type

C．process

D．issue

9.

A．saw

B．threw

C．produced

D．buried

10.

A．pay for

B．take out

C．pick up

D．cut down

11.

A．questions

B．standards

C．money

D．awareness

12.

A．necessities

B．diets

C．impression

D．workout

13.

A．forget

B．compete

C．agree

D．continue

14.

A．poor

B．polluted

C．noisy

D．crowded

15.

A．limit

B．advice

C．goal

D．answer

10 . Healthcare professionals in four Canadian provinces can now prescribe (开处方) their patients passes to National Parks thanks to a new program, PaRX, which stresses the health benefits of spending time in nature in helping to manage physical and mental health.

PaRx was founded by the B. C. Parks Foundation in November 2020 and was officially supported by Parks Canada last month. Health professionals who register (注册) with the program can offer their patients a Parks Canada Discovery Pass, making it the country’s “first national nature prescription program”. The Parks Discovery Pass typically costs about $57 per adult per year.

“We’re really asking doctors to prioritize patients who live close to Parks Canada sites so they’ll have more access and can make it part of their everyday lives, and also those for whom the cost of a pass might be a barrier to nature access,” said Melissa Lem, president-elect of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment.

Studies have shown that spending time in nature has a range of health benefits—from lowering blood pressure and improving heart health to reducing stress and anxiety. PaRx recommends that patients spend at least two hours per week in the great outdoors, and at least 20 minutes each time, to get the most benefit.

The program is currently available in the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Ontario, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. It will eventually spread to every province.

PaRx also has benefits outside of the national parks, with many gardens offering free admission to visitors who show their prescriptions.

“There’s almost no medical condition that nature doesn’t make better. Rediscovering nature and then realizing how important it is to us has really shown that nature-health connection,” Lem said.

1. What do we know about the Parks Discovery Pass?

A．It is low priced.	B．It is designed for poor families.
C．It is well received.	D．It is owned by registered doctors.

2. What does PaRx plan to do about the program next?

A．Improve its service quality.	B．Carry it out all over the country.
C．Do further research on its effect.	D．Make it available free of charge.

3. What does Melissa Lem stress in the last paragraph?

A．Nature matters a great deal to our health.

B．Not all patients can get treated by doctors.

C．People should learn to change their lifestyle.

D．People should place health above everything.

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

A．Canadians Are Living in Harmony with Nature

B．Canadians Are Trying to Get Away from Hospitals

C．Canadian Doctors Are Prescribing National Park Visits

D．Canadian Doctors Are Leading the Way in Medical Research