1 . Cloud “engineering” could be more effective for climate cooling than previously thought, because of the increased cloud cover produced, new research shows.

In a study published in Nature Geoscience, researchers at the University of Birmingham found that marine cloud brightening (MCB), also known as marine cloud engineering, works primarily by increasing the amount of cloud cover, accounting for 60% — 90% of the cooling effect.

The practice of MCB has attracted much attention in recent years as a way of offsetting the global warming effects caused by humans and buying some time while the global economy decarbonizes (脱碳). It works by spraying tiny particles, or aerosols (气溶胶), into the atmosphere where they mix with clouds and with the primary aim of increasing the amount of sunlight that clouds can reflect.

However, the ways in which MCB creates a cooling effect, and the ways in which clouds will respond to aerosols, are still poorly understood. To investigate the phenomenon, the researchers created a “natural experiment”, using aerosol injection from the effusive eruption of Kilauea volcano in Hawaii to study the interactions between these natural aerosols, clouds, and climate.

Using machine learning and historic satellite and meteorological (气象学的) data, the team created a predictor to show how the cloud would behave during periods when the volcano was inactive. This predictor enabled them to identify clearly the impacts on the clouds that had been directly caused by the volcanic aerosols.

They were able to show that the cloud cover relatively increased by up to 50% during the periods of volcanic activity, producing a cooling effect of up to — 10 W/m² regionally.

Lead author, Dr Ying Chen, of the University of Birmingham, said, “Our findings show that marine cloud brightening could be more effective as a climate intervention than climate models have suggested previously. Of course, while it could be useful, MCB does not address the underlying causes of global warming from greenhouse gases produced by human activities. It should therefore be regarded as a ‘painkiller’, rather than a solution.”

1. How does MCB help global cooling according to the study?

A．By decreasing the amount of sunlight.

B．By boosting the volume of cloud cover.

C．By reducing the amount of cloud cover.

D．By removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.

2. What does the underlined word “offsetting” mean in paragraph 3?

A．Weakening.

B．Destroying.

C．Ignoring.

D．Suspending.

3. What does Dr Ying Chen think of MCB?

A．Perfect.

B．Ineffective.

C．Valueless.

D．Fruitful.

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

A．The Mechanism Behind Marine Cloud Brightening

B．Understanding The Impact Of Aerosols On Clouds And Climate

C．Enhancing Climate Cooling Through Marine Cloud Brightening

D．Marine Cloud Brightening: A Solution To Climate Cooling Strategy

2 . Imagine the sound of a dog walking across a tile floor, the “click, click, click” of its claws tapping against the ground. Now, imagine a cat walking across the same floor — the difference is the cat moves in total silence. Cats can fully retract (缩回) their claws, giving them superior ability to remain silence.

But why do cats have retractable claws, whereas dogs do not?

It all comes down to how cats and dogs use their claws. Cats use their claws primarily to attack their target, said Anthony Russell, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada. They use their front claws to grab and hold on to their target and their back claws to cut open the target’s belly.

Cats need to keep their claws sharp to secure that next meal. Extended all the time, their claws would get less sharp as they scrape the ground, much like how a nail file deals with sharp points on a human fingernail.

Dogs, on the other hand, are social hunters. They work in groups to take down larger animals, wearing their target out over longer distances. For dogs, “if you’re hunting a moose or something, you wander along for kilometres and bite it until it is fatigued, and then you all jump on it,” Russell said. “Whereas cats essentially have a short burst, and then it’s over. Either the target gets away, or the target is captured.”

With more hunters working together, it’s less important for dogs to be able to grab and hold onto their target, so they don’t have to keep their claws as sharp. Sheer numbers are enough to give them the advantage.

But dogs’ claws aren’t completely useless. Dogs’ claws help them stand firmly on the earth and change directions quickly — a useful adaptation for pursuing target over long distances.

In nature’s silent dance, cats’ retractable claws are knives for quick attacks, while dogs’ strong claws make them good chasers. Each claw tells a tale of adaptation made to their unique hunting styles.

1. Where is the text most probably taken from?

A．An animal novel.

B．A scientific report.

C．A zoology magazine.

D．A pet keeping guide.

2. What does the underlined word “fatigued” in the 5th paragraph mean?

A．Hungry.

B．Scared.

C．Wounded.

D．Exhausted.

3. Which statement would Anthony Russell probably agree with?

A．Cats use front claws to grab and kill the target.

B．Dogs use claws to attack and wear their targets out.

C．Cats stop hunting if the target escapes from the first attack.

D．Dogs work together to capture their targets in a shorter time.

4. What does the author want to show by comparing animals’ claws?

A．Cats are better adapted to hunting than dogs.

B．Claws are more important for cats than for dogs.

C．The sharper the claws, the more efficient the hunt.

D．Cats and dogs find different ways to survive in nature.

3 . 阅读下面的材料，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。

As I approached my fortieth birthday, I realized that my life was quite meaningless in the larger scheme of things. I had friends and a loving husband and yet something was missing. With no children, I felt that I hadn’t done anything that would help mankind or change the world. I would have no legacy to leave.

One day I was watching TV and I thought of my desire. It was to be someone who mattered. I wanted to make a difference in the lives of people and in the lives of animals. After all, dogs had always been a large part of my life, from the time when I was a little girl growing up in central Oklahoma. I thought that my “purpose” would somehow include my love of singing, writing, travel, and of course, working with animals.

Then, something happened that shook my entire core. The “love of my life” dog, my Nicholas, was diagnosed with terminal cancer. He died thirteen months later. I became quite concerned for Bear, our remaining dog, who was six years old. Bear had been Nicholas’s shadow and now that Nicholas was gone, Bear wouldn’t even eat. Our vet suggested that we get another dog to see if that would encourage Bear to eat.

I found an online advertisement for a Bichon Frise （卷毛比熊犬） and when we arrived at the place, it was a nightmare, like one of those puppy mills （工厂） you read about or see on the television news. I decided to delay my search for my “purpose” as I needed to tell the world about the horror I had discovered right in my own backyard.

I had even a bigger fight ahead of me than Nicholas’s cancer. This was a fight that would take years. I did research and then I spread the word on the Internet. People began to listen and we formed a small group of Bichon Frise lovers called Small Paws Rescue.

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。

I started out sending the latest news on our rescue efforts to about twenty-five people.\

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

My achievement made me reflect on the past.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4 . Two weeks ago, 93-year-old Joy Ryan set a world record. In her words, “I’m the _________ lady to ever visit every national park.”

In just eight years, she and her 42-year-old grandson Brad Ryan _________ to go to all 63 national parks, an adventure they’ve written on Instagram. Their _________ stop was the National Park of American Samoa in the South Pacific, some 6,700 miles from their home in Duncan Falls, Ohio. The pair received certificates (证书) from the park in _________ of their achievement.

In a way, the journey began 21 years ago when Brad’s parents got divorced (离婚), and he became _________ from Joy. It wasn’t until 2008, at his sister’s wedding, that he _________ her again. She was 78 and she didn’t look good.

“She came into the church and she was dry,” Brad _________. “Very unsteady (不稳定的). It was hard to see this woman that was so important to me in my growing years on the side of _________, knowing that there was so much _________ between us.”

But over a period of months, Joy __________. And Brad, who’d just finished hiking the Appalachian Trail where he’d been thinking through what mattered to him, __________ the courage to call Joy and __________ they make raisin-filled cookies together.

__________, “there was a little too much awkwardness for my liking,” he says. “You can’t pick up where you left off, I learned that quickly.” Still, they __________ in touch. Over the last eight years, Brad and Joy have had little dust-ups (吵架) to be sure. And this tour of the national parks has __________ the crack (裂缝) that once separated them.

1.

A．strongest

B．happiest

C．fastest

D．oldest

2.

A．managed

B．attempted

C．preferred

D．intended

3.

A．usual

B．extra

C．final

D．major

4.

A．favour

B．honour

C．charge

D．need

5.

A．free

B．different

C．tired

D．separate

6.

A．invited

B．saw

C．touched

D．understood

7.

A．describes

B．replies

C．requires

D．reminds

8.

A．progressing

B．disappearing

C．dying

D．quitting

9.

A．concern

B．shock

C．pleasure

D．distance

10.

A．recovered

B．adapted

C．struggled

D．flashed

11.

A．got in

B．worked up

C．concentrated on

D．made out

12.

A．debate

B．focus

C．suggest

D．explain

13.

A．Therefore

B．Moreover

C．Otherwise

D．However

14.

A．lost

B．stayed

C．got

D．buried

15.

A．created

B．ruined

C．mended

D．hit

5 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. When did the earthquake happen?

A．On Thursday afternoon.

B．On Thursday morning.

C．On Wednesday night.

2. What damage did the earthquake cause?

A．Forty people lost their lives.

B．At least 140 people were injured.

C．A railway was nearly destroyed.

3. What will the man do next?

A．Help the victims.

B．Check the highways.

C．Tell the woman some survival skills.

6 . 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。

China has been working quietly to address air pollution. In addition to observing, I also communicated with locals and foreigners     1     (learn) about China’s efforts.

According to Cui Xiaoyi, a resident of Beijing, due to serious air pollution the local administration (行政部门) sometimes warned     2     elderly not to go out in the past . But Beijing     3     (see) a great improvement in air quality over the last few years. They no longer need such emergency measures.

Muhammad Asghar, a representative of the Associated Press of Pakistan in China     4     has been living in Beijing for the past few years, said that the green transportation and energy industries that China has developed over the years have largely replaced fuel-powered (燃料驱动的) cars,     5     that the Chinese people are willing to use electric cars and public transportation.

Asghar added that China has not only done good work to address air pollution, but has also made contributions     6     promoting greener practices. The living environment has been     7     (significant) improved with the greening coverage of urban built-up areas nationwide     8     (increase) from 39.22 percent to 42.06 percent between 2012 and 2021.

The ideas     9     (share) by China in international conferences are impressive. Chinese netizens (网民) believe that rather than just talking about it, it would be     10     (effect) if we put our efforts into planting trees.

7 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What’s the conversation mainly about?

A．Fighting fire.

B．Detecting fire.

C．Preventing fire.

2. What can we know from the conversation?

A．Australia lost 4% of its trees.

B．The system is used in America.

C．The system will use heat cameras.

3. What size of fire can the new system discover?

A．The size of a football field.

B．The size of a plane.

C．The size of a car.

4. What is the woman’s concern besides trees?

A．Protecting humans.

B．Purifying the air.

C．Saving animals.

8 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What will the weather be like in London next week?

A．Rainy.

B．Sunny.

C．Foggy.

2. What does the hotel provide for people?

A．Toothbrushes.

B．Free breakfast.

C．Airport bus service.

3. What does the speaker remind the listeners to do in the end?

A．Bring their passports.

B．Have fish and chips.

C．Wear sunglasses.

9 . The National Heritage Responders is a volunteer network of around 100 experts in cultural heritage conservation from around Puerto Rico. They assist individuals and institutions in figuring out how to save important objects and buildings after disasters. Their crisis hotline has been busier than ever in recent years because of more frequent and severe weather brought on by climate change. In 2023, there have been around 70 calls so far, up from fewer than 10 in 2008, when the hotline first appeared.

Ann Frellsen, the Atlanta-based book and paper conservator, is a longtime heritage responder volunteer with more than three decades of experience in helping out cultural institutions after disasters. She was among those sent to Puerto Rico over several visits starting a couple of months after two hurricanes hit it in 2017.

After providing initial support via the phone, Frellsen and her team came in to help La Casa del Libro and other local institutions in crisis with equipment, supplies and advice. In fact, much of the advice the hotline provides is via phone or video-chat; volunteers are sent out into the field in certain cases, on an as-needed basis.

“There were no stoplights and signs on the highways because they’d all been blown away,” Frellsen said. She added that figuring out how to reach the more than 20 institutions that needed assistance in Puerto Rico was challenging—not to mention the on-the-job hazards.

When Frellsen isn’t heading into disaster zones to help save artifacts (文物) from fires, hurricanes and floods, she trains others in the heritage conservation field to do the same. Some of the participants may eventually take the test to become National Heritage Responders. But at this moment, they are deep in a hands-on training exercise, based on an imaginary situation cooked up by Frellsen and her co-trainers.

1. What can we say about Puerto Rico?

A．It calls on people to keep in contact.	B．Natural disasters are increasing there.
C．It works hard to build highways.	D．The weather is really nice there.

2. What can be learned about the National Heritage Responders?

A．It teaches individuals how to protect themselves.

B．New volunteers can join it with no tests required.

C．Victims all over the world can contact it by hotline.

D．It sends experts to the disaster areas when necessary.

3. What does the underlined word “hazards” in paragraph 4 mean?

A．Dangers.

B．Skills.

C．Trainings.

D．Rights.

4. What are Frellsen and her team busy doing at present?

A．Taking various tests.	B．Entering a new disaster area.
C．Conducting a practical exercise.	D．Restoring priceless artifacts.

10 . New Space Missions in 2024

ESA’s Hera mission

The European Space Agency (ESA) plans to launch its Hera spacecraft in October on a mission to return to an asteroid (小行星) system visited by NASA’s DART spacecraft in 2022. Hera is designed to collect data on the targeted system, called Didymos. The spacecraft is expected to closely examine the physical properties of Didymos and measure detailed effects of DART’s crash.

Europa Clipper

NASA hopes to launch its Europa Clipper mission in October. This orbiter is designed to carry out close examinations of Jupiter’s moon Europa. Specifically, the mission will look for signs that the icy moon might hold the right conditions to support life. NASA says the orbiter will fly in orbit around Jupiter and perform repeated close flybys of the icy moon.

Boeing’s Starliner test flight

NASA and Boeing have said they plan to launch the first crewed test flight of the company’s Starliner spacecraft. NASA says it is targeting May 2024 to have Starliner ready for flight. The launch date is to be set later.

The spacecraft completed its first unscrewed flight test to the International Space Station (ISS) last May. But Boeing has experienced several technical difficulties with Starliner during the mission and has worked with NASA to fix the problems as it prepares for the planned crewed flight.

SpaceX Starship test

SpaceX, another NASA’s partner, has been successfully using its rockets and spacecraft to transport astronauts and materials to the ISS since 2020. But the company will be seeking a successful test flight in 2024 for its super-heavy Starship spacecraft.

SpaceX experienced two failed Starship tests in 2023 — one in April and the other in November — which resulted in explosions. The April explosion caused major damage to the launch structure in the state of Texas. SpaceX has said it has been examining the issues related to the explosions and plans to carry out another test of Starship as soon as possible. But it will have to wait until the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) completes its investigation of the launch site damage and approves a new test.

1. Which of the following plans to collect data about Didymos?

A．NASA.

B．FAA.

C．SpaceX.

D．ESA.

2. When is Europa Clipper scheduled to launch?

A．In April.

B．In May.

C．In October.

D．In November.

3. What do we know about SpaceX Starship?

A．The date for its third test flight is unclear.

B．It has succeeded in sending astronauts to the ISS.

C．The reason for its first failure has been identified.

D．Its second test flight damaged the launch structure.