1 . Shivani Bhalla feels a strong sense of duty towards wildlife, and she wants others to feel it too.

Now based in Samburu in northern Kenya, the conservationist has worked for over 17 years with lions in the region. As lion habitats have contracted due to land-use change, conflict between lions and humans has increased. The African lion, one of the continent’s most iconic species, is now classified as vulnerable(脆弱的). Bhalla and her team aim to reduce these conflicts and seek mutually beneficial solutions.

Bhalla has seen firsthand the challenges facing the lions. Kenya’s recent economic growth has also included agricultural and industrial expansion into lion territory. Habitat loss from agricultural and industrial expansion has created tension between lions and communities. As lions struggle to find enough of their natural prey(猎物), they target raised animals. Impacted communities sometimes defend their herds and livelihoods via killings of the lions.

Habitat changes have also changed the lions` social structure. “In Samburu,” Bhalla says, “We don’t have prides(狮群). We actually have lions that live alone or they live in small groups. Lions adapt to their environment and they learn how to survive with what they have.”

Lions have also changed their behavior in an apparent attempt at self-preservation. As soon as they leave protected land and enter more populated areas, they tend to become nocturnal-active at night, and hiding in thick bush during the day.

Bhalla and her team have developed a number of successful programs designed to respond to the new reality of increased human-lion encounters. Looking to the future, a Lion Kids camp program provides conservation education and safari (游猎) experiences to children. Bhalla says she hopes to inspire these young conservationists to do work in Kenya. “People talk about children as the next generation of conservationists,” she says. “I like to call them a ‘new’ generation because children can be conservationists today.”

For Bhalla, it’s about more than just saving the species; she’s working to preserve something key to national identity.

1. What do Shivani Bhalla and her team mainly work on?

A．Expanding the habitats of African lion groups.

B．Protecting Kenya’s endangered animal species.

C．Promoting the country’s economic development.

D．Preserving lion populations and reducing conflicts.

2. How do lions in Samburu adapt to changes in their habitats?

A．They have formed larger groups.	B．They have started living in isolation.
C．They have migrated to other regions.	D．They have become more active during the day.

3. What do we know about the Lion Kids camp program?

A．It teaches children hunting skills.

B．It offers safari experiences to children.

C．It is more successful than other programs.

D．It encourages children to be professional researchers.

4. What is Shivani Bhalla’s attitude towards children’s potential as conservationists?

A．Negative.

B．Skeptical.

C．Optimistic.

D．Unclear.

2 . Most gardeners know that earthworms (蚯蚓) help keep soils healthy. Now scientists have assessed just how important their underground activities are to global food production — and how to protect them.

In research published this September, scientists found that earthworms may contribute to more than six percent of global grain production every year, because of their crucial role in soil ecosystems.

Worms help to break down dead plant material, releasing nutrients plants need to grow, and their tunneling (挖隧道) helps plant root growth. Evidence suggests they also help plants protect themselves against common soil-related diseases by stimulating their defenses.

“Their contribution may even be larger,” said Steven Fonte, an associate professor at Colorado State University in the United States who co-authored the research. “This is because earthworm populations are likely underestimated in many places, especially in the tropical areas, due to a lack of research and funding in the global south.” he explained.

The authors said their findings represent one of the first attempts to quantify the contribution of a beneficial soil organism to global agricultural production. They found that earthworm contribution is especially high in the global south, contributing about 10 percent of total grain production in sub-Saharan Africa and roughly eight percent in Latin America and the Caribbean. They owed this to soils there generally having higher acid and clay content and being less exposed to fertilizer (肥料), increasing the role earthworms play in plant growth.

Scientists figured that earthworms are threatened by today’s intensive and chemical-heavy agricultural techniques. Agricultural and environmental policies should support earthworm populations and soil biodiversity to promote more sustainable development. Measures could include reducing the use of land for growing crops, cutting the use of poisonous chemical substances, and increasing the application of worm food sources. “Soils are estimated to contain approximately half of all biodiversity on the planet and are incredibly important for biodiversity conservation efforts,” Fonte said.

1. How do earthworms benefit the soil ecosystems?

A．By increasing the number of plant roots.	B．By reducing fertilizer’s effects.
C．By helping plants against certain diseases.	D．By breaking down nutrients.

2. What makes earthworms contribute more in the global south?

A．The good soil quality.	B．The advanced agriculture.
C．The supportive policy.	D．The earthworm-friendly climate.

3. What is a possible way to protect earthworms?

A．Expanding the farming land.	B．Providing healthy food for them.
C．Banning intensive agriculture.	D．Using fewer harmful chemicals.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Earthworms: An Assistant to Soil Health

B．Earthworms: Their Threats and Conservation

C．Earthworms: The Decisive Factor in Biodiversity

D．Earthworms: A Contributor to World Food Production

3 . Almost as soon as I adopted Troy, a cute puppy, in the winter, I felt I’d made a terrible mistake. Troy was turning out to be very ________ from the little dog that had led me to expect. Not only was he ________ up to be far bigger than the promised 30—40 pounds, but he was extremely ________.

Troy would run around the apartment like lightning, ________ things over. I found myself running after Troy all day long. With time, I realized how ________ unprepared I was for dog parenting. Troy always tested my ________. I wished I could return to the free days before I had this huge ________ . Finally, I________ him wildly one day. That brought huge shame. I realized I had let my anger________ me.

I decided to reach out for help. The dog trainer ________ me skills to redirect Troy’s energy. With the snow ________ from the road, things started to get better. Troy went to the park and made puppy friends. He can better ________ my words. I changed, too. I was no longer quick to anger but instead learned to deal with situations with ________.

The first few months were hard, but I finally made my ________ with that little one. Troy taught me lessons I hold dear now. It’s easy to let our ________ get the best of us, but it takes strength and self-awareness to find healthier ways to deal with them.

1.

A．illegal

B．different

C．safe

D．suitable

2.

A．shaping

B．mixing

C．adding

D．walking

3.

A．friendly

B．lazy

C．competitive

D．energetic

4.

A．picking

B．knocking

C．looking

D．running

5.

A．comfortably

B．creatively

C．sadly

D．happily

6.

A．demand

B．strength

C．base

D．will

7.

A．context

B．progress

C．average

D．responsibility

8.

A．talked to

B．shouted at

C．ran with

D．cried for

9.

A．control

B．train

C．forgive

D．encourage

10.

A．quoted

B．cheated

C．taught

D．competed

11.

A．lain

B．broken

C．swept

D．struck

12.

A．protest

B．confuse

C．attract

D．understand

13.

A．patience

B．worry

C．hope

D．shock

14.

A．promise

B．peace

C．plan

D．habit

15.

A．debates

B．comments

C．emotions

D．concerns

4 . 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。

Taylor Swift does great donation to help victims of tornadoes

Severe storms and tornadoes have killed at least six people in Tennessee,     1    (include) a child, with homes and businesses suffering a heavy     2    (lose) and tens of thousands of people losing power.According to reports in the US, Taylor Swift,     3    was recently declared a billionaire, has donated 1million dollars     4     the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee (CFMT).

Although born in Pennsylvania, Swift has a close relationship with Tennessee, having moved to Nashville with her family at the age of 14     5    (follow) her musical dream.

Her music catalogue since 2019 is worth an estimated $400m, ticket and merchandise sales from concerts have earned her 370 million dollars while streams from Spotify, YouTube and other     6    (platform) are value d at 120 million dollars.

The Eras tour alone     7    (generate)hundreds of millions of dollars so far, with another year to go until it draws to a close. The tour is the latest show of charity from the 33-year-old, who     8    (award)Time magazine’s Person of the Year last week while Forbes ranked her the world’s fifth most     9    (power)woman.

The CFMT operates a fund supporting non-profit organizations providing services in all phases of a disaster.

The National Weather Service issued multiple tornado warnings in Tennessee with reports of     10     further tornado in Kentucky.

5 . Used clothing that you no longer wear can be donated to charities. And clothing with broken zippers or missing buttons can be repaired and worn again. But what do you do when your favorite shirt is too torn to wear or your socks have too many holes?

Every year in the UK, 336, 000 tons of unwanted old clothing and shoes are thrown out and sent to landfills (废物填埋场), according to Recycle Now.     1     So, instead of throwing away these old clothes, try one of these eco-friendly ways to give them a second chance.

One of the best ways to deal with unwanted clothing is to make it into something completely different. You can use pieces of old cloth as filling for pillows.     2    

Another very good way to reuse old textiles (纺织品) made of cotton like T-shirts is to cut the clothing up and use it as cleaning cloths around your home.     3     And they are greener than using microfiber cleaning towels that drop fibers when washed.

Besides, animal shelters are always looking for used towels and blankets to keep their animals warm.     4     And while you are throwing away your textiles, remember that shelters could use donations of unopened pet food and things too.

    5     Green Life is one of them. For a small fee, Green Life will ship you a bag that can be filled with up to 25 pounds of used clothing and sent to the company for reuse. When the bag is received, the sender receives a small amount of money to be used on the company’s website. Everything Green Life sells is made of recycled fibers.

A．You can bring your clothing to Green Life.

B．Or you can turn something you like into a doll.

C．So you can donate your unwanted clothing to such places.

D．Some clothing companies have their own recycling services.

E．The cleaning cloths can be washed and reused, unlike paper towels.

F．Check to see whether certain items you are throwing out can be donated.

G．This leads to greenhouse gases and allows chemicals to get into the soil.

6 . Recently, Tuthill’s team have shown that an extremely frightening trick helps snow flies survive sub-zero conditions. When a leg begins to freeze, the insects can rapidly self-amputate (自行截肢) it, preventing ice from moving up into their bodies, the team reports in a paper posted online May 30 at bioRxiv.org.

Tuthill’s team used a thermal camera (热成像仪) to record 77 snow flies as they walked on cold plates. They found the insects kept walking even when their body temperature fell to an average of -7℃. More than half of the snow flies tested dropped at least one leg during the experiments.

This team also noticed a temperature rise in the flies’ legs just before they fell off. That rise is a sign of ice formation. Liquid water releases heat as it turns into ice. Neurons (神经元) in the leg may sense this temperature shift and make amputation happen, preventing the ice from spreading, the team suggests. The flies “have about half a second to get rid of their leg before that wave of ice crashes into their body and then freezes all of their internal organs,” Tuthill says. Snow flies didn’t lose their legs when the researchers pulled them hard — only in response to freezing.

“Other animals have invented different strategies to protect themselves from frost. Some insects produce antifreeze proteins; certain snails and frogs simply withstand ice forming in their bodies. The cool thing about snow flies is that they don’t actually follow either strategy” says Dr. Marshall, who provided feedback on the team’s manuscript, which has not yet been published. “They let ice form in their legs,” she says, and “self-amputate to get rid of it, which is just completely strange to me.”

Snow flies that amputated their freezing legs survived more than a minute longer than flies that didn’t, the team found. That extra time may not seem like much. But in the wild, when night is falling and the temperature is dropping and the insects are “looking eagerly for a place to settle down.” Tuthill says, it could be the difference between life and death.

1. What is the finding about snow flies?

A．Reducing body temperature in advance.

B．Surviving by cutting off one frozen leg.

C．Loving to be covered by ice in cold days.

D．Recovering from self-amputation very soon

2. What can we know about the snow flies from the experiment?

A．Each of them was kept complete.

B．Their legs fell off before ice formation.

C．Amputation took about half a second.

D．They stopped walking when temperature fell.

3. What does Dr. Marshall’s words mean?

A．Self-amputation is a common strategy.

B．Animals have shared strategy against frost.

C．Snow flies’ strategy makes her surprised.

D．Cold weather helps animal be smarter.

4. Which of the followings does Tuthill probably agree with?

A．Nights in the wild kills plenty of insects.

B．Extra time means much to insects in cold weather.

C．Temperature is in charge of life and death.

D．Snow flies enjoy the same length of life time.

7 . Dogs may have earned the title of our best friends through their interactions with humans, but now researchers say these social skills could, be present shortly after birth rather than being learned.

To better understand the role of biology in dogs’ abilities to communicate with humans, the researchers studied 375 eight-week-old service dogs. They looked at how these dogs performed in a series of tasks designed to measure their communication skills. The puppies were still living with their littermates (同窝出生者) and had not been sent to live with a volunteer puppy raiser, making it unlikely that they had learned about his or her behavior.

In the first task, a person hid a treat beneath one of two overturned cups and pointed to it to see if the puppy could follow the gesture. Since dogs are good at using noses to find things a treat was also taped to the insides of, both cups. In the second task, puppies watched as the researchers placed a yellow, block next to the correct cup, instead of pointing to indicate where the puppy should look for the food.

The third task was designed to observe puppies’ tendency to look at human faces. The researchers spoke to the puppy in a voice people sometimes use when talking to a baby. They then measured how long the puppy fixed a stare on the human.

In the last task, researchers sealed a treat inside a closed container and presented it to the puppy. They then measured how often the puppy looked to the human for help in opening the container.

The study found that while many of the puppies were responsive to humans’ physical and verbal cues, very few looked to humans for help with the unsolvable task. Researchers said, “This suggests that while puppies may be born knowing how to respond to human-initiated communication, the ability to initiate communication on their own may come later.” The next step will be to see if specific genes that may contribute to dogs’ abilities to communicate with humans can be identified.

1. Why were eight-week-old service dogs chosen for the study?

A．They were the best age to learn.

B．They were cute and safe to deal with.

C．They were unlikely influenced by their mates.

D．They had had little contact with humans before.

2. What is the researchers’ purpose in taping food to both cups?

A．To provide clues for the puppies’ final decisions.

B．To make comparisons between different conditions.

C．To prevent the puppies from making use of their smell.

D．To check the puppies’ preference for a particular color.

3. What can we know from the study?

A．Puppies can understand our body language.

B．Puppies are good at asking humans for help.

C．Puppies are born to arouse communication with humans.

D．Puppies need specific genes to communicate with humans.

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

A．Dogs—talented performers	B．Dogs—humans’ best friends
C．Dogs—born to be able to learn	D．Dogs—born to understand humans

8 . A little dog, saved by the East Haven fire department, has been adopted by the fire station. This dog greets everyone with love, ________ the firefighters after a hard day on duty. ________ that, he is acting as a best friend, town star and mascot (吉祥物) in his new home.

The six month old dog was ________ from inside a hot car that was parked in the sun, with its windows all tightly closed. The inside temperature of the ________ car was 122 degrees Fahrenheit on that August day. Yet the dog was healthy after the ________ .

Everyone fell in love with this dog and wanted him. When it was finally ________ that the fire department could keep him, the next important ________ was giving him a proper name.

The entire town ________ selecting a name. Some 7,500 locals voted from a list of ________ and Riggs, a common word for a fire truck, was ________ . Riggs fit right in with the firefighters, nursing staff, and fire chief Matthew Marcarelli.

Marcarelli describes how seeing Riggs actually changes the ________ of tired staff after a long day of ________ . And they became more cheerful. He says that station supported dogs are becoming increasingly ________ as they help with the mental health of ________ . Marcarelli says that “ this is because of the growing effects of job related ________ and its impact on firefighters for their wellbeing and men tal health. Riggs can actually melt the toughest heart.”

Everyone at the station house ________ this small, furry friend. Even the most hard-nosed firefighter’s heart can be ________ when he meets Riggs. A firefighter said that having Riggs ________ changes his mental state. And he ________ that even after the worst day, coming back and seeing this dog at the top of the stairs makes the ________ go away.

1.

A．recognizing

B．treating

C．comforting

D．protecting

2.

A．Regardless of

B．In addition to

C．Rather than

D．On account of.

3.

A．rescued

B．dropped

C．raised

D．selected

4.

A．broken

B．antique

C．expensive

D．locked

5.

A．adventure

B．accident

C．challenge

D．attempt

6.

A．proved

B．assumed

C．analyzed

D．decided

7.

A．approach

B．sign

C．step

D．conflict

8.

A．applied for

B．took part in

C．insisted on

D．missed out on

9.

A．names

B．dates

C．places

D．rules

10.

A．created

B．removed

C．chosen

D．recorded

11.

A．opinions.

B．spirits

C．characters

D．grades

12.

A．exercise

B．preparation

C．communication

D．work

13.

A．active

B．aggressive

C．popular

D．dependent

14.

A．firefighters

B．customers

C．candidates

D．strangers

15.

A．memory

B．training

C．technology

D．stress

16.

A．appreciates

B．understands

C．remembers

D．supports

17.

A．touched.

B．evaluated

C．reserved

D．purified

18.

A．originally

B．possibly

C．completely

D．hardly

19.

A．imagines

B．explains

C．pretends

D．ensures

20.

A．anger

B．threat

C．fear

D．difficulty

9 . Are flash floods becoming more severe? Natural disasters are generally getting worse—and that's true for floods, too.

As climate change warms the atmosphere, extreme rainfall is rising, which increases the risk of flash floods. Heavy precipitation(降水) events are predicted to increase by 2 to 3 times the historical average. The Federal Emergency Management Agency expects the nation’s floodplains to expand by 45 percent by the end of this century, as the agency reported in a recent study. A study in early 2021 found that increased precipitation—resulting partially from climate change—costs the US an additional $ 2.5 billion each year in flood damage. And some studies show that flood frequency was increasing in the Mississippi River valley and across the Midwest in the last century, as well as in the Northeast over the past 50 years.

There are several steps you can take to prepare for flash floods

First, know the level of risk by looking at flood maps. You may be required to have flood insurance if you live in a high-risk area.

Pay attention to flash flood watches, which the National Weather Service issues to indicate when conditions could result.in flash floods. People in these areas-should be-ready to take action—particularly if the NWS announces a flash flood warning. That’s issued when flash floods are approaching and, at that point, people should immediately leave the area.

But be particularly careful when travelling by car. Don’t drive through flooded streets—it's difficult to judge the water depth, and roadways hidden below the water can collapse. If floodwaters cause your vehicle to lose control, abandon it and seek the higher ground. Rapidly rising water can sweep the vehicle away. Know your surroundings and head to the higher ground, and listen to the radio updates when in a flood.

It’s also important to develop an emergency prepared plan with your family or those you live with to have a few days’ worth of resources.

1. Why does the author ask the question in paragraph 1?

A．To confirm an idea.	B．To conclude the text.
C．To introduce a topic.	D．To express some doubts.

2. How does the authors support the theme of the second paragraph?

A．By analyzing causes.	B．By listing relevant data.
C．By describing processes.	D．By making comparisons.

3. What are the drivers especially advised to do in the text?

A．Purchase insurance.	B．Look at flood maps.
C．Have an emergency plan.	D．Avoid the flooded streets.

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

A．What Is a Flash Flood?

B．Do Flash Floods Need Controlling?

C．How Do We Prepare for Flash Floods?

D．Are Flash Floods Becoming More Severe?

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。

Researchers and wetland protectors in Wuhan, Hubei Province, are stepping up efforts to allow more wildlife to survive and thrive in their natural habitat.     1     treasured species of ducks is one of the latest beneficiaries from the growing focus     2     the environment.

In 2012, Baer’s pochard, the blue-headed duck,     3     (list) as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature after its numbers declined due to a bad habitat. The ducks were     4     (rare) seen in Wuhan until bird-watchers observed     5     (they) living in the city in 2014, according to the Wuhan Bird Watching Society. Despite that, no proof showed that, so far, the ducks     6     (turn) from migratory birds to resident birds in the city because researchers would not attach tracers to the animals     7     (prevent) humans disturbing them.

In 2019, the Wuhan Bird Watching Society started researching and rescuing the breeding habitats of the duck. They found that the ducks feed on submerged     8     (plant), shrimp, snails and aquatic insects. The birds also like to rest at shoals(浅滩)     9     food is abundant. Based on the results, the team will create an area toward the restoration of the habitat in the city’s Qijiawan for the blue-headed duck, first     10     (discover) in the area.