1 . What does the man like best in the zoo?

A．The Cat House.

B．The Lizard Lounge.

C．The Monkey House.

2 . 假设你是晨光中学的李津，我市为外国友人提供生活信息的某英文网站新增了《最美中华》栏目，请你给该栏目投稿，介绍一下国内你喜欢或去过的地方（如天路The Sky Railway、龙脊梯田Longji Rice Terraces、故宫博物院The Palace Museum、四川省Sichuan Province等）。
内容包括：
1. 该地方的基本情况（如名称、地理位置等）
2. 该地方的特色（如文化、景点等）
3. 你对该地方的印象和感受。
注意：
1.词数不少于100；
2.可适当加入细节，使内容充实、行文连贯

A Beautiful Place in China

November 13th, 2023
By Li Jin
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3 . Steven Stein likes to track garbage trucks. He says, “It’s hard to resist.” Stein’s strange habit makes sense when you consider that he’s an environmental scientist who studies how to reduce litter, including stuff that falls off garbage trucks as they run down the road. What is even more interesting is that one of Stein’s current plans is defending an industry behind a source of trash: plastic shopping bags.

Americans use more than 100 million plastic bags every year. So many end up in tree branches or along highways that a growing number of cities are banishing (排除) them from checkout lines. The bags are outlawed in some places in the USA.

Facing these situations, plastic-bag manufacturers are hiring scientists like Stein to make the case that their products are not as bad for the planet as most people assume. “It’s important to base your decisions on facts,” says Stan Bikulege, CEO of Hilex Poly, which has hired Stein.

Among the bag makers’ argument: many cities with bans still allow shoppers to purchase paper bags, which are easily recycled but require more energy to produce and transport. And while plastic bags may be ugly to look at, they represent a small percentage of all garbage on the ground today.

The industry has also taken aim at the product that can take the place of plastic bags: reusable shopping bags. The sturdier a reusable bag is, the longer its life and the more plastic-bag use it cancels out. But this plan has another side. Longer-lasting reusable bags often require more energy to make.

Environmentalists don’t agree with these points. They hope paper bags will be banned someday too and want shoppers to use the same reusable bags for years. So are reusables our destiny? The answer is probably yes. And Andy Keller, inventor of reusable polyester (聚酯纤维) bags, says, ”If you can carry it out in your hands or put it back in your car, you don’t need a bag.”

1. The first paragraph serves as___________.

A．an explanation

B．an introduction

C．a comment

D．a background

2. For what purpose are scientists like Stein hired by plastic-bag makers?

A．To collect facts about shopping bags.

B．To show plastic bags are eco-friendly.

C．To research on people’s consuming habits.

D．To prove plastic bags are better than people thought.

3. Which disadvantage of paper bags is mentioned by plastic-bag makers?

A．They look a bit ugly.	B．They are easy to break.
C．Their prices are comparatively high.	D．Their production is energy-consuming.

4. What does the underlined word “sturdier” in Paragraph 5 probably mean? d

A．Stronger.

B．Lighter.

C．Heavier.

D．Softer.

5. What’s the best title for the text?

A．Forget about plastic bags.	B．Paper bags are coming.
C．Paper, plastic or neither.	D．A strange scientist.

4 . The African grey parrot’s ability to talk and mimic sounds makes it a charming companion. African grey owners often report that their greys oftentimes talk in context and can understand their people’s emotions. The African grey parrot is not just a top talker — this bird is also known for its extreme intelligence, which gives it the name “The Einstein s of the bird world”.

The bird is medium-sized, dusty-looking and almost pigeon-like. It has a bright red tail, intelligent orange eyes, and a stunning scalloped (扇形的) pattern to its feathers. Its diet in the wild consists mostly of nuts, seeds, fruits, and leafy matter.

At home, African greys need plenty of toys that challenge their intelligence, such as food searching and puzzle toys. Nutri-Berries by Lafeber Company are a perfect choice, which, with a balance of grains, seeds and other nutrients in the shape of a berry, encourages African greys to hold, bite off, and even do other things, just as they do in the wild.

African greys seem especially affected by stress and disturbing noise in their environment and can be put more at ease by placing one corner of the cage against a wall compared to in the middle of a room.

African grey parrots are more likely to suffer from lack of vitamin A/beta-carotene, and therefore benefit from eating vegetables high in beta-carotene, such as cooked sweet potato and fresh kale. Lack of vitamin D is another concern, especially for greys on a poor diet. Offering a balanced, pill-shaped diet,such as Nutri-Berries, helps prevent vitamin and mineral shortage.

1. Why are African grey parrots called “The Einstein s of the bird world”?

A．Due to their talking ability.	B．Because of their brain size.
C．Owing to their rich emotions.	D．On account of their intelligence.

2. What can “Nutri-Berries” probably be?

A．A type of round fruit.	B．Puzzle toys for birds.
C．A brand of bird food.	D．Wild intelligence games.

3. What is the characteristic of African grey parrots?

A．They are smart and love to have fun.	B．They are dusty-looking with blue eyes.
C．They seldom get ill despite the lack of vitamin.	D．They prefer to stay in the middle of a room.

4. Where can we most probably find the text?

A．In a travel guide.	B．In science fiction.
C．On a shopping website.	D．In a wildlife magazine.

5 . 假设你是晨光中学的学生李津，你校环保社团在校公众号上发帖征集保护野生动物的建议，请你根据以下提示写一篇短文。
(1)野生动物的现状
(2)保护野生动物的建议
(3)保护野生动物意义
注意：
(1)词数不少于100词；
(2)可以适当增加细节以使行文连贯。

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6 . Everybody hates rats. But in the areas where there are many earthquakes, rats will soon be man’s friends.

What happens after an earthquake? We send in rescue (营救) dogs. Why? Because they can smell people. Dogs save lives. They help rescuers to find living people. But dogs are big and they can’t get into small spaces. So now a new research project is using a smaller animal to save lives: the rat.

How does it work? First, the rat is trained to smell people. When this happens, the rat’s brain gives a signal (信号). This is sent to a small radio on its back, and then the rescuers follow the radio signals. When the rat’s brain activity jumps, the rescuers know that someone is alive. Although there are already robots which can do this job, rats are better. Christian Linster at Cornel University, New York says, “Robots’ noses don’t work well when there are other smells around. Rats are good at that.” Rats can also see in the dark. They are cheaper and quicker to train than dogs, and unlike robots, they don’t need electricity!

The “rat project” is not finished, but Julie Ryan of International Rescue Corps in Scotland says, “It would be fantastic. A rat could get into spaces we couldn’t get to and a rat would get out if it wasn’t safe.” Perhaps for the first time in history, people will be happy to see a rat in a building (but only after an earthquake, of course).

1. Why are rats used in the new research project?

A．They are smarter than dogs.	B．They are more curious.
C．They can reach smaller spaces.	D．They are more popular than dogs.

2. What is the purpose of the new research project?

A．To make a comparison.	B．To help rescue people.
C．To reduce the work of rescuers.	D．To charge robots.

3. What’s the main reason why rats are better than robots to find survivors?

A．Rats have a better sense of smell to find survivors.

B．Robots can’t judge the smell of living survivors.

C．Rats have natural ability to find survivors.

D．Rats can get to spaces unreachable for robots.

4. What’s Julie Ryan’s attitude towards “rat project”?

A．Negative

B．Neutral

C．Positive

D．Opposed

5. What is the main idea of the text?

A．The ways to rescue survivors.

B．Rats are man’s new best friends.

C．Rats can be trained to help find survivors after the earthquake.

D．Man will be happy to see a rat in the building.

7 . As an only child, Nicole Renae often felt lonely in her youth. But that all _________ when she turned 15. For her _________, her grandmother surprised her with a(n) _________ puppy “Chloe”.

The two were _________, and they always played together because they were best friends. Chloe always _________ her face. But when Renae was 18, her father got a new job. He’d be working from home _________ distraction (干扰). “Chloe made a lot of noise at home,” Renae says. Unwillingly, the family sent _________ Chloe to an animal home although Renae didn’t want to _________ her likeable dog.

Years later, Renae grew up, got married, and had a child of her own. Remembering the _________ that having a dog had brought her as a kid, Renae wanted her daughter to ____________ the same. She had it in mind to adopt (领养) a dog as a(n) ____________ for her child too. Then one day, she saw a(n) ____________ on Facebook about a senior dog named Chloe that needed a new home. The dog in the photograph looked a lot like Chloe, and she was even named Chloe. ____________, she decided to adopt this dog.

When Renae met Chloe, she was struck with a ____________ feeling. The dog ran up to her and started kissing her face. Chloe ____________ Renae so much of her old dog that the ____________ overwhelmed (充溢；淹没) her. She knew it was her Chloe. ____________, ten years had passed since they last met, and her whole family thought she was crazy.

Luckily, Renae’s mom ____________ that there was a way to ____________ the theory: Their Chloe had a microchip with the ID number. Sure enough, the dog also had a microchip and the numbers were the ____________. Renae was overjoyed to have her birthday gift back.

1.

A．mattered

B．changed

C．worked

D．happened

2.

A．birthday

B．honesty

C．wedding

D．safety

3.

A．weak

B．annoying

C．quiet

D．lovely

4.

A．dangerous

B．healthy

C．inseparable

D．optimistic

5.

A．cleaned

B．bit

C．hit

D．kissed

6.

A．under

B．without

C．by

D．from

7.

A．noisy

B．frightened

C．curious

D．surprised

8.

A．keep

B．leave

C．support

D．sell

9.

A．courage

B．money

C．hope

D．joy

10.

A．forget

B．experience

C．find

D．expect

11.

A．coach

B．award

C．nurse

D．gift

12.

A．letter

B．invitation

C．post

D．like

13.

A．Firstly

B．Unwillingly

C．Immediately

D．Regularly

14.

A．familiar

B．strange

C．disappointed

D．terrible

15.

A．broke

B．told

C．freed

D．reminded

16.

A．excitement

B．praise

C．pride

D．embarrassment

17.

A．Therefore

B．Then

C．However

D．Meanwhile

18.

A．warned

B．predicted

C．realized

D．hoped

19.

A．test

B．accept

C．research

D．record

20.

A．least

B．opposite

C．best

D．same

8 . TED Ed Hi Katherine!

This December, the TED-Ed team will host a series of 4 calls for students to learn about climate change, as part of our larger TED Countdown Initiative (方案).

Details about call series:

Each week during the month of December, we’ll meet at the same time on Zoom (an online meeting APP). Students should join in the calls on their own. We’d like students to be able to attend at least 3 of the 4 calls.

Register your students’ interest:

As we plan the time when we will meet with students, we’d love to see how many students are interested in this opportunity. Please share this interest with your students so they can register their interest before the Countdown Summit. In this form we’ll ask them for their parent’s email address for permission.

Share this interest form with your students:

https://airtable. com/shr4U7DICbrdHuaGM

More about TED Countdown:

On January 25, we’re hosting the Countdown Summit in Scotland— the first TED conference focusing on climate solutions. In April, TED hosted an online meeting and announced our plan to help the planet. And as always, education plays an important role in this mission (使命). That’s why we have chosen talks for students to do together virtually for a deeper understanding of this global issue and solutions.

We hope your students join us!

Please note that this event is only for students aged 3-19, in high school and below!

1. How many call should students attend at least in December?

A．3

B．4.

C．7

D．12

2. Which one is Not the detail about call series?

A．The time we meet at each week is different.

B．We meet on an online meeting.

C．Students should join on their own.

D．Students are able to attend at least 3 calls.

3. What should the students do before the Countdown Summit?

A．Work out plans for the team.

B．Attend online calls with their parents.

C．Register their interest in an online form.

D．Download the application form.

4. What is the focus of the Countdown Conference to be held in Scotland?

A．Education mission.	B．Virtual reality.
C．Climate solutions.	D．Events organizing.

5. Who can join in this activity ?

A．A baby of 2 years old	B．A university graduate
C．A worker of 30 years old	D．A high school student of 17 years old

10 . Can trees talk? Yes—but not in words. Scientists have reason to believe that trees do communicate with each other. Not long ago, researchers learned some surprising things. First a willow tree attacked in the woods by caterpillars (毛毛虫) changed the chemistry of its leaves and made them taste so terrible that they got tired of the leaves and stopped eating, them. Then even more astonishing, the tree sent out a special smell—a signal causing its neighbors to change the chemistry of their own leaves and make them less tasty.

Communication, of course, does not need to be in words. We can talk to each other by smiling, raising our shoulders and moving our hands. We know that birds and animals use a whole vocabulary of songs, sounds, and movements. Bees dance their signals, flying in certain patterns that tell other bees where to find nectar (花蜜) for honey. So why shouldn’t trees have ways of sending messages?

1. It can be concluded from the passage that caterpillars do not feed on leaves that         .

A．have an unpleasant taste	B．a relying on the ground
C．have an-unfamiliar shape	D．bees don’t like

2. The willow tree described in the passage protected itself by        .

A．growing more branches

B．communicating with birds and bees

C．changing its leaf chemistry

D．shaking caterpillars off

3. According to the passage, the willow tree was able to communicate with each other by         .

A．waving its branches	B．giving off a special smell
C．dropping its leaves	D．changing the color of its trunk

4. According to the passage, bees communicate by        .

A．touching one another	B．smelling one another
C．making special movement	D．making unusual sound

5. The author believes that the incident described in the passage          .

A．cannot be taken seriously	B．seems completely reasonable
C．should no longer be permitted	D．must be checked more thorough