1 . Cotton bags have become a means for brands, retailers, and supermarkets to promote a planet-friendly concept — or, at least, to show that the companies are aware of the overuse of plastic in packaging. “There’s a trend in New York right now where people are carrying cotton bags from local bakeries, hardware stores, or their favorite steakhouses,” said designer Rachel Comey.

So far, so earth-friendly? Not exactly. It turns out the wholehearted embrace of cotton bags may actually have created a new problem.

An organic cotton bag needs to be used 20,000 times to offset (抵消) its overall impact of production, according to a 2021 study by the Ministry of Environment and Food of Denmark. That is equal to daily use for 54 years — for just one bag. Even when a bag does make it, most coloring matters used to print logos and decorations onto them are PVC-based and thus not recyclable in waste treatment factories.

That’s not to say cotton is worse than plastic, or that the two should even be compared. While cotton can use pesticides and has dried up rivers from water consumption, lightweight plastic bags use greenhouse gas-emitting fossil fuels, never break down, and block up the waterways.

Some brands are turning to other fabric solutions. British designer Ally Capellino recently swapped cotton for straw, while designer Anya Hindmarch introduced a new version of her original bag, this time made from recycled water bottles. In the end, the simplest solution may be the most obvious. “Not every product needs a bag,” Comey said.

1. Why on earth do companies offer cotton bags?

A．To provide convenience to their customers.

B．To cut down on the use of plastic packaging.

C．To advertise themselves as eco-friendly ones.

D．To promote the concept of protecting the earth.

2. What do we know about the cotton bags?

A．They can be used for over five decades.

B．They do much harm to the environment.

C．They have logos printed with natural materials.

D．They can be recycled in waste treatment factories.

3. How does the production of plastic bags affect the environment?

A．It consumes too much water.	B．It saves the use of fossil fuels.
C．It pollutes the earth’s atmosphere.	D．It increases the use of pesticides.

4. Which might be the best title for the text?

A．Plastic Bags Beat Cotton Bags	B．A Revolution for Bag Designers
C．How to Choose Bags for Yourself	D．Less Packaging, Better Environment

2 . I Still Look for Patches

Aren’t we lucky, when we had a childhood friend willing to be our everlasting, faithful companion(同伴)？I can still remember the day I met my special _________ .

One spring evening, my mother and I patiently waited for my father to come home. His_________ in the doorway made no clear impression on my mind. Suddenly, I heard a_________ “Yip”. “Did I hear something? Daddy, please tell me. What was that?”

As he_________ his pocket he answered, “Nothing. It was only my pocket.” The look on my face must have been a sign of_________.

“Amy!” Softly, daddy called.

I slowly turned around to look at daddy’s_________. There, crawled in his palm was a little dog. _________ several brown spots on her white fur, I named her, “Patches(斑点).”

Patches became a_________ and blame taker. If I was troubled, I could depend on her two ears to listen_________ to everything I had to say. If unfortunately I broke a glass, my trusting companion would willingly__________ responsibility. Her__________ devotion(奉献) only made it hard to separate from her.

When I was about 10, my family moved into a house which wasn’t__________ enough to contain a dog. Sadly, we had to__________ her. My auntie, owning a house with vast pieces of land, __________ her.

I can still remember her eyes__________ at me forlornly(可怜地) as she left. The__________ in her eyes will be with me forever.

I saw her once or twice before she__________. Until my dying day, I shall always expect to see her. I believe that, to this very day, she is still trying to find her way back to her true home. Because I have no__________ that she died, I continue to have faith. The picture is__________ in my mind: a thin white dog comes jumping up, __________ me in loving dog kisses.

1.

A．friend

B．dog

C．neighbor

D．relative

2.

A．absence

B．appearance

C．performance

D．confidence

3.

A．clear

B．loud

C．small

D．weak

4.

A．looked up

B．found out

C．reached into

D．took away

5.

A．excitement

B．sadness

C．disappointment

D．pleasure

6.

A．leg

B．hand

C．foot

D．face

7.

A．Because of

B．Instead of

C．In spite of

D．In case of

8.

A．trouble maker

B．baby sitter

C．risker taker

D．good listener

9.

A．wisely

B．carefully

C．positively

D．unwillingly

10.

A．avoid

B．allow

C．take

D．face

11.

A．faithful

B．powerful

C．fearful

D．wonderful

12.

A．cool

B．clean

C．large

D．bright

13.

A．make use of

B．take care of

C．look out of

D．get rid of

14.

A．caught

B．adopted

C．bought

D．refused

15.

A．seeing

B．staring

C．watching

D．smiling

16.

A．joy

B．anger

C．pain

D．strength

17.

A．disappeared

B．ran

C．returned

D．fell

18.

A．doubt

B．idea

C．problem

D．proof

19.

A．unclear

B．colorful

C．creative

D．vivid

20.

A．watering

B．hugging

C．bathing

D．following

3 . What to Do During a Flood Warning?

Floods are among the most frequent and costly natural disasters in terms of human hardship and economic loss. When a flood or flash flood warning is issued, you ought to:

    1     A warning means a flood is approaching or is happening in the area.

Follow the instructions and advice of local authorities.     2    

If you live in a flood-prone area or think you are at risk, evacuate (撤离) immediately. Move to a safe area early before access is cut off by flood water.     3    Your safety is more important than any other thing. And evacuation is much simpler without carrying too many belongings.

If outdoors, move away from dangerous flood waters. If you come upon a flowing stream, stop, turn around and go another way. Never try to walk or swim through such swift water. Most flood deaths are caused by people attempting to pass through water, or people playing in water.     4    

When driving, do not attempt to cross flowing streams. The roadbed may be washed out under the water, and you could be trapped.     5     Look out for flooding at highway dips, bridges, and low areas. Two feet of water will carry away most automobiles.

A．Warn residents against flooding.

B．Look out for the alarms of flooding.

C．They are the most informed about affected areas.

D．Save yourself, not your property, when moving.

E．Evacuation is much safer before flood water becomes deeper.

F．Rapidly the engine may break down, and the vehicle may be swept away.

G．If it is moving swiftly, even water six inches deep can sweep you off your feet.

4 . For years, scientists have been mapping this remote forest in Montana for an animal that’s extremely tricky to find. Camera traps haven’t offered convincing evidence, and even experts can’t identify its tracks with certainty. But within the past decades, researchers have developed a technique called DNA metabarcoding that can detect even the most hidden species.

The world is covered in DNA. It’s all around us — on the ground, down in the ocean and up in the clouds, which begins to break down once exposed to the environment. In 2018, scientists took a sample from some well-beaten snow tracks. Lab tests showed conclusive results: the Canada lynx (山猫) was indeed present in the area. Without seeing the cat, scientists had proof it was there because of environmental DNA or eDNA.

The process of DNA metabarcoding starts with an environmental sample like a bit of soil or the blood from leeches’ (水蛭) stomachs. Researchers use enzymes (酶) that break down cellular proteins and release DNA, which they purify. The result is a “soup” of all the DNA in the sample. Scientists then apply the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which uses artificial DNA thread called universal primers. These primers bind to DNA sequences (序列) that are similar across species, then enlarge genetic barcodes (条形码) that are species-specific. A special device reads millions of these DNA parts. Finally, researchers compare them to reference databases and identify how many and which species are present.

This method has led to the discovery and identification of tens of thousands of species over the past decade. In Yosemite, researchers used eDNA to track and remove aggressive bullfrogs. DNA metabarcoding can also be used to monitor biodiversity. For example, using traditional approaches, categorizing all of the insects in a hectare of rainforest can take decades, but DNA from insect traps could produce these results in just a few months.

1. How can DNA metabarcoding help researchers?

A．By helping spot hidden animals.

B．By replacing camera’s functions.

C．By mapping remote forests accurately.

D．By setting up traps to catch animals more easily.

2. What can we learn from paragraph 2?

A．eDNA metabarcoding’s application is convincing.

B．DNA forms and disappears around us in a mysterious way.

C．Scientists did see the Canada lynx in the area.

D．Seeing things with our own eyes is not necessary.

3. What does paragraph 3 mainly talk about?

A．The wide uses of an environmental sample.

B．The vital role chemistry plays in DNA metabarcoding.

C．The steps of carrying out a DNA metabarcoding analysis.

D．Scientists’ efforts in developing a device to read DNA parts.

4. What is the author’s attitude towards DNA metabarcoding?

A．Suspicious.	B．Positive.
C．Indifferent.	D．Critical.

5 . A recent study says violent killing in Mozambique has driven more female elephants to be born tuskless (无长牙的) to survive. According to the study published in the journal Science, elephant populations in the Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique declined by 90 percent during the country’s civil war (1977-1992) as a result of heavy poaching by armies from both sides of the conflict.

The study shows the sharp decline of the elephant population in Gorongosa was accompanied by a nearly threefold increase in the frequency of tuskless females, from 18.5 percent to 50.9 percent. It also finds about two-thirds of the offspring (后代) of the tuskless mothers were daughters. Female elephants use tusks as tools to defend themselves and their babies. However, rampant poaching forced the elephants to “disarm” themselves, and changed their course of evolution.

Usually, the evolution driven by natural selection takes millions of years or longer, but human activity accelerated the process, making it occur in a matter of a few decades or as brief as one generation. The accelerated evolution means our past experiences no longer apply to new situations, which may lead to unexpected, and in some cases, unbearable consequences. Humans should not have the thought of being “the Creator”; rather, the rising number of tuskless elephants indicates that human activity poses huge threats to other species.

Actually, it is nothing new for humans to change other species. Humans have a long history of raising wild animals, either for meat or for companion. Nevertheless, the tuskless elephants deserve some serious soul-searching. It reflects the malfunction in the administration of human societies, and our inability to stop crimes against wildlife. Illegal ivory trade, which is responsible for pushing elephants to pass the gene of tusk lessness to their offspring, should be banned completely.

1. What caused the increase of female tuskless elephants born in Mozambique?

A．Soldiers’ desire to kill male elephants for food.

B．The genetic adaptations of elephant populations.

C．The illegal and cruel killings of elephant populations.

D．Elephant populations’ tendency to have tuskless daughters.

2. Why does the author use data in paragraph 2?

A．To stress new-born elephants’ better ability to survive.

B．To show the benefits brought by more and more tuskless females.

C．To indicate female elephants’ willingness to disarming themselves.

D．To state the consequences of the elephants’ forced course of evolution.

3. What may be the possible impact of the accelerated evolution process?

A．Human beings’ creator position will be damaged.

B．Wild species will doubtlessly gain benefits from new situations.

C．Wild species may become endangered or extinct at a quicker pace.

D．Human beings will enjoy more harmonious relationship with elephants.

4. What does the underlined word "malfunction" probably mean in paragraph 4?

A．Improvement.	B．Disorder.
C．Experience.	D．Process.

6 . The British entrepreneur Richard Branson has successfully flown to the edge of space and back in his Virgin Galactic passenger rocket plane, days ahead of a rival launch by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, as the billionaires compete to kick off a new era of space tourism. Seventeen years after Branson founded Virgin Galactic to develop commercial spacecraft, the space plane went into sub-orbital flight on Sunday morning, reaching 88 km above the Earth’s surface.

“Welcome to the dawn of a new space age,” Branson tweeted (发推特) shortly after the flight. Branson is the first of the competing “billionaire space barons”, and the flight can be served as a huge stunt (噱头) of advertisement for Virgin Galactic. In nine days’ time, Bezos will launch his own rocket, New Shepard — named for Alan Shepard, the first American astronaut in space, which was manufactured by Bezos’s company Blue Origin. On Saturday, Blue Origin tweeted a message of good luck to Virgin Galactic, after laughing at the company on Friday, when it came to whether Unity 22 was really going into space, instead of just to the edge of space.

The boundary between Earth’s atmosphere and outer space, known as the Kármán line, has been a source of controversy for years. Aeronatics standard setter Fédération Aéronautique Internationale defines the Kármán line as the altitude of 100km above Earth’s average sea level, However, US space agency NASA says the boundary is 80km, above sea level.

Interest in space tourism is rapidly catching on. Virgin Galactic says it has more than 600 reserved seats at $250,000 each for people who will fly in the future. The company plans to launch two additional flights before commercial service begins in 2023.

1. Why is Amazon founder Jeff Bezos mentioned in Paragraph 1?

A．To present his achievement.	B．To introduce the following topic.
C．To make a comparison with Branson.	D．To give an explanation of space tourism.

2. What does Branson’s initial flight mean?

A．Act as an advertisement.

B．Launch an rocket plane.

C．Gain a good luck message.

D．Make fun of Blue Origin.

3. Which is controversial among scientists?

A．Earth’s atmosphere.

B．The Kármán line.

C．The altitude of outer space.

D．The Earth’s average sea level.

4. What can we know about Virgin Galactic’s space tourism?

A．Over 600 reserved seats will be provided.	B．Tourists can get two extra flights.
C．Commercial service has begun.	D．250,000 people can fly to space in 2023.

7 . The narwhal is a mysterious resident of the remote Arctic. The species, a relatively small whale is known for growing a spiral tusk （螺旋长牙）that resembles the historical description of a unicorn's horn.

Experts have long speculated why narwhals have this strange long tooth. Some think that the tusk is a tool for survival, as they could possibly use it to break up ice or spear fish for meals. However, the vast majority of female narwhals don't have tusks, and females tend to live longer than males. Most scientists now think the tusk provides no advantage for survival, but rather acts as a sex characteristic and determines the social rank. But the tusk may also have another purpose. A 2014 study found the narwhal's tusk is full of sensitive nerve endings that allow the whale to detect changes in the environment, such as changes in temperature and salinity. The finding suggests that the tusk might also be a sensory organ.

Narwhals are an important subsistence resource （生存资源）for high Arctic communities. They provide the humans with high-calorie fat, protein and nutrients, vital and hard to come by in the harsh northern winters. Narwhal tusks were carved into artworks and sold to support families with few job opportunities.

Narwhal tusk is protected now. But similar to all other Arctic wildlife, narwhals are likely to struggle in the face of climate change. Warm temperatures in the Arctic have caused sea ice to disappear at an alarming rate. New shipping channels have become accessible, threatening narwhals and other marine mammals. Researches suggest that narwhals are the most vulnerable （易受伤害的）marine mammals to human activities in the Arctic because these isolated creatures are highly sensitive to ship activities. Their response to changing conditions near the pole could provide insight into larger changes in Earth's future.

1. What does the underlined word "speculated" in paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Known.	B．Guessed.
C．Overlooked.	D．Concluded.

2. What did the 2014 study find about the narwhal's tusk?

A．It is an indicator of gender.

B．It reveals narwhals' social rank.

C．It can sense changes in the water.

D．It can be used to dig fish for meals.

3. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．The conservation of narwhals is a must.

B．The situation of climate change is under control.

C．Some human activities affect mammals slightly.

D．Narwhals are under the threat of being hunted.

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

A．Research on Narwhals' Tusk

B．Insight into Climate Changes

C．Narwhals ： Feature and Behavior

D．Narwhals ： Mysterious Sea Unicorns

8 . 阅读下面材料，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 Colombian black spider monkey is among dozens of animals whose live cells and tissue right now     1    (preserve) as part of a new project. Nature's Safe, a charitable     2    (organize) in the UK, is creating the first living biobank in Europe     3    (save) animals that could one day be at risk of dying out. A biobank is a store for biological materials. Nature's Safe takes samples of animals' cells and body tissue and     4    (store) them in the hope that they can revive a species if it disappears.

Tullis Matson, who started Nature's Safe, said, Time is ticking by — there are a million endangered species and some of them have reached a point     5     conservation experts believe they might soon become     6    (extinction)”. So far, the Nature's Safe biobank has stored cells of species     7    (include) black rhino, the pied tamarin, a small monkey native to Brazilian forests,     8    the mouse deer.

It costs around £100 to keep one sample from one animal. The bank aims to store around 50 samples for each species,     9    (take) from separate animals. Matson says that this means "as little as £5,000 could save     10     entire species”.

9 . Contributing to climate change efforts and biodiversity conservation have been the priority of the ongoing work for global beverage leader the Coca-Cola Co. in China, as it has operated more than 50 water stewardship programs in the country.

Since 2007, Coca-Cola has been working with the WWF, UNDP and other partners to protect the freshwater resources of the Yangtze River, in which rare species such as pandas, snow leopards, white cranes, porpoises and Chinese dragonflies were bred. Coca-Cola’s actions over a decade have effectively contributed to the protection of more than 200, 000 hectares of high-ecological value areas, as part of the efforts to conserve the biodiversity and communities of 2 million hectares of wetland ecosystems in the basin.

Coca-Cola China has also been working on responsible agriculture. Since 2012, together with the UNDP, Coca-Cola China has helped double the production of sugar cane in Chongzuo, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, by establishing an irrigation system for the first time, which uses wastewater byproducts to irrigate the fields.

“The water coming from the sugar processing facility needed to be treated, but once it’s treated it can be used,” Goltzman said. “You don’t have to withdraw from the ecosystem to water those crops.”

The Coca-Cola Company used a smart “golden triangle” model in all sustainability proposals. The innovative (创新的)model gives full play to the advantages and expertise of governments, businesses, nongovernmental organizations and all sectors of society, to meet the increasingly serious environmental challenges, and protect water and biological diversity.

Zhang said, “We act in ways to create a more sustainable and better shared future. Sustainability remains core to what we do.”

1. Which of the following can best describe the Coca-Cola Co.?

A．Peace -conscious.	B．Earth-friendly.
C．Fully-equipped.	D．Recently-built.

2. Why is the production of sugar cane in Chongzuo doubled?

A．The ecosystem has been improved.	B．The sugar processing facility is set up.
C．The irrigation system has been changed.	D．Treated wastewater byproducts are used.

3. What can be learned about “golden triangle” model?

A．It consists of new conservation proposals.

B．It is created by nongovernmental organizations.

C．It makes the most of social resources to help nature.

D．It is employed to solve the problem of water shortage.

4. Where can the text be found?

A．In an essay.	B．In a newspaper.
C．In a fashion magazine.	D．In a biology book.

10 . World Wildlife Fund (WWF) 向中国青少年征集一封写给在美大熊猫“小奇迹”的生日祝贺信。内容包括:
1.祝它周岁生日快乐;
2.表达对它的喜爱;
3.关注对大熊猫的保护。
注意:1.词数100左右;
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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