1 . Aron Lee Ralston came into the world within the nurturing environment of a middle-class American family. His formative years took a pivotal turn when, at the age of twelve, his family relocated to Colorado, a move that sowed the seeds of his profound affection for trekking amidst the majestic canyons.

On the fateful day of April 26th, 2003, Ralston found himself at the precipice of a life-threatening predicament, one that nearly culminated in his demise. While venturing solo through the Blue John Canyon, an inadvertent misstep caused him to dislodge an enormous boulder, which subsequently ensnared his right hand against the unyielding canyon wall.

Having embarked on this solitary expedition without alerting anyone to his whereabouts, Ralston faced the harrowing realization that he might remain entrapped indefinitely. Despite his valiant efforts to extricate his hand, he was met with failure, and the futility of crying out for assistance became apparent. Moreover, the exertion required to shout for help would deplete the energy reserves that were crucial for enduring the dire circumstances over an extended period.

As the days unfolded, the grim reality of his entrapment under an 800-pound boulder set in, compelling Ralston to contemplate the unthinkable: severing his own right hand. Armed with a rudimentary pocket knife, whose edge was insufficiently sharp to penetrate bone, he faced the daunting task of self-amputation. As time elapsed and his provisions of sustenance and hydration dwindled, he inscribed his name, birth date, and a projected date of death upon the stone.

In a twist of fortune, Ralston conceived an ingenious strategy to harness the principle of torque and the leverage of his own bones to detach his arm from his torso. Employing the modest tool at his disposal, he ultimately managed to achieve this desperate act and staggered out of the canyon, hemorrhaging profusely. Providentially, a family on holiday espied him in this dire state, offering him sustenance and hydration before conveying him to a medical facility.

In the aftermath of this harrowing ordeal, Ralston was fitted with a prosthetic limb and, undeterred, resumed his passion for mountaineering. He embraced the accident as a transformative“turning point”in his existence, a testament to his indomitable spirit and resilience.

1. What happened to Aron while he was hiking?

A．He was too tired and unable to climb

B．He suffered a knife wound in his right leg

C．He accidentally fell down the mountain.

D．He got a hand stuck between a rock and the canyon wall

2. Why did Aron stop calling for help?

A．He found a way to save himself.	B．He needed to save energy.
C．He gave up hope for survival	D．He met a family on vacation.

3. How did Aron save himself?

A．He removed the huge stone.

B．He cut off his arm with a knife.

C．He was pulled out of there by his family.

D．He was rescued by people from a hospital.

4. Which of the following words can best describe Aron?

A．Enthusiastic and kind.	B．Independent and generous.
C．Adventurous and determined	D．Responsible and professional.

2 . Similar to you and your canine companion, plants are sentient beings: they consume nutrients, absorb water, and expand in size. Contrary to you and your pet, they lack the ability to flee, engage in physical combat, or seek refuge when confronted with danger. Nevertheless, plants are not without their own methods of self-defense.

What need would a plant have to defend itself? To evade consumption? Absolutely! Plants have devised an array of mechanisms for self-preservation. A plant might opt to grow in a secluded or inaccessible locale. Consider the vegetation that clings to precipitous, rocky escarpments. Alternatively, a plant could evolve to make only certain parts of its structure enticing to famished pests and fauna. For example, if a plant generates delectable foliage, herbivorous creatures might be inclined to consume the leaves rather than the seeds, which are essential for the plant’s propagation.

Some plants incorporate sharp or slick features that deter insects and other creatures from approaching too closely, such as the prickles on a rose bush.

However, the most captivating method of defense employed by plants is through the use of chemical compounds. Plants extract minerals from the soil and synthesize them into functional chemicals. For instance, plants generate chlorophyll, a substance that aids in the transformation of sunlight and water into the sugars that plants consume for sustenance.

In addition to this, plants also biosynthesize chemicals for their defense. A certain species of tobacco plant emits a chemical into the atmosphere whenever it is being nibbled on by diminutive insects. This chemical serves as a signal to larger bugs, effectively announcing, “A feast awaits!” The larger insects then arrive to consume the smaller ones, thereby safeguarding the plant. Most plants, however, utilize chemicals in a more forthright manner against their adversaries. In essence, plants manufacture toxins.

1. What would be the best title for the passage?

A．Plant information.	B．Plant enemies.
C．Plant poisons.	D．Plant protection.

2. How many ways do plants use to protect themselves according to the passage?

A．Two.

B．Three.

C．Four.

D．Six.

3. What do we know from the passage?

A．Some plants hide under the covers when faced with threat.

B．A plant grows in a hard-to-get-to place to draw people’s attention.

C．Some plants produce tasty leaves to protect their seeds.

D．Plants produce chemicals to meet the needs of big bugs.

4. What may be talked about following the last paragraph?

A．Different effects that different plant poisons cause on plant eaters.

B．Different kinds of plants in the world.

C．Why plants make poison.

D．How to protect plants.

3 . Gardening 380 Kilometers above Earth

Astronauts have to go through physical, psychological, and technical training. They also go through training in how to care for plants. These “astronaut gardeners” share their work and living space with plants.

Taking seeds and plants along on a trip isn’t a new idea. As space trips become longer, it will be necessary to grow food in space.     1     Because of this, it’s not practical to send everything needed for a long journey, only to be used once and thrown away.

Plants can serve many uses on a space journey. They can provide more fresh things.     2     Also, plants can help to make air quality better because they produce oxygen. They can improve the quality of the air inside the spacecraft — the only air the astronauts can breathe.

    3     Due to the lack of gravity in space, the oxygen that the plants produce stays around the plants. This can actually kill them, so fans are needed to circulate the air. Without gravity, roots don’t “know” to grow down, leaves don’t “know” to grow up, and water doesn’t easily travel up the roots to the leaves.     4     Besides, soil is too heavy to send to space, and special liquid gels (胶) are used to help plant growth.

Scientists are also working on the plants themselves. They are trying to make plants grow more rapidly and grow with less water and light in space, and they are looking for ways to make plants more resistant to disease.     5     Imagine that deserts may one day provide lots of fresh food for local people, saving transportation costs. Similarly, plants that are resistant to disease could provide an important food supply. With the world’s population now at seven billion (十亿) people, our astronaut gardeners may help discover ways to feed those billions.

A．Every plant grown in space must have several uses.

B．However, there are challenges with growing plants in space.

C．Such methods may result in improvements back here on Earth.

D．The cost of taking anything into space is about $22,000 per kilogram.

E．Specialized containers are being developed to help the plants grow correctly.

F．Astronauts will welcome the addition of fruits and vegetables to their diet of dry foods.

G．Currently all oxygen is taken aboard in tanks and then caught again so it can be reused.

4 . Sharks and their relatives are some of the most threatened vertebrates (脊椎动物) on Earth. Coral reefs (珊瑚礁) provide homes for countless fish species that are vital for fisheries and are therefore an especially important ecosystem for humans — and one where the decline of shark populations seems to be especially acute (剧烈的).

The study by Simpfendorfer with his team is the result of a worldwide cooperation called the Global FinPrint project. The data analyzed include more than 20,000 hours of standardized underwater video taken at nearly 400reefs in 67 countries around the world. It reveals declines of 60% to 73% of once-abundant (充足的) coral reef shark species at reefs around the world.

However, the findings of Simpfendorfer with his team include signs of hope and a clear path forward. Their results show that although shark populations in many reefs had declined, some healthy reef shark populations remained. The reefs with healthier shark populations had some important similarities: they tended to be in the waters of high-income countries with stronger natural resource management regulations (规定) . A country that lacks the resources to feed its people is less able to sustainably manage and protect its biodiversity.

The most unexpected result of the study is that a decline or complete loss of shark species in one reef was not always associated with similar changes in nearby reefs. They found that one reef can be over fished so badly that a once-common reef shark species is totally gone, but another reef a short distance away can have healthy populations of that same species. It is likely that healthy population s can eventually help repopulate nearby areas.

The problem is clear — animals that provide ecosystem services that are vital for human food security and livelihoods are disappearing at an alarming rate. The loss of sharks and the ecosystem services they provide represents an ecological disaster that can cause substantial harm to humans. But apparently, the findings have shown a way. If the threat that led to population decline are resolved, then these important and threatened animals may recover.

1. Why is Simpfendorfer with his team mentioned in Paragraph 2?

A．To stress the result of global cooperation.	B．To state the urgency of protecting the ocean.
C．To show the severe condition of certain sharks.	D．To present the figures of their contributions to sharks.

2. Why could healthy reef shark population s remain in some areas?

A．Citizens there had a stronger environmental awareness.

B．Science and economics were improving fast in such areas.

C．The waters in these areas were suitable for sharks to live in.

D．These areas took stricter measures to protect natural resources.

3. What can be inferred from the text?

A．Changes in reefs lead to loss of shark species.

B．Humans and animals co-exist in ecosystem.

C．It’s not clear whether humans cause damage to biodiversity.

D．The declined shark species have nothing to do with overfishing.

4. What’s the text mainly about?

A．Acute Decline of reef sharks.	B．Potential recovery of reef sharks.
C．Global cooperation of saving sharks.	D．Amazing discovery of Coral reefs.

5 . How far back does your family tree go? A hundred years? A thousand years? What about 6 to 7 million years? An ancient skull found in Africa suggests that the human family might be that old.

Discovered in 2001 in the desert of Chad, the skull was nicknamed Toumai by scientists. Toumai is a rare find. The skull is nearly complete; it even includes a few teeth. The Toumai skull is estimated to be between 6 and 7 million years old. Scientists are debating whether the skull is linked to humans.

The finding is not without controversy. Some scientists think that Toumai is the oldest known hominid (原始人类) ever found. Others say Toumai is an ape (猿).

Most hominids that scientists are aware of lived millions of years after Toumai. The most famous one is called Lucy. She lived in Ethiopia about 3.5 million years ago. While Lucy’s face looked like the face of a chimpanzee, Toumai’s skull has both human and ape-like features.

Because Toumai’s skull looks different from other hominid skulls, some scientists think Toumai represents a whole new species. Toumai’s official name is Sahelanthropus tchadensis.

Scientists were surprised to find a human-like face on a skull as old as Toumai’s. They thought hominids turned into humans step by step over time. Scientists mark those changes on a timeline, starting with a chimpanzee - like ancestor and ending with modern humans. Toumai’s human-like face and chimp - sized brain suggest that the development of hominids was not so simple. There may not be a direct line leading from Toumai to Lucy to us. Instead, the timeline might be similar to a tree with lots of branches. Different species in different places could have evolved human-like features at different time.

Scientists aren’t sure where exactly Toumai belongs on our family tree. Tournai could be like a great - great - grandfather — or just a distant cousin. Toumai could also be one of many types of hominids who wandered Earth millions of years ago.

1. What can we learn about Toumai skull?

A．It is the oldest ape-like skull.	B．It is about 3.5 million years old.
C．It was named by a historian from Africa.	D．It was hardly damaged before being discovered.

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

A．Argument.

B．Surprise

C．Hardship

D．Unhappiness

3. What do the scientists conclude from Toumai’s human-like face in paragraph 6?

A．Hominids turned into humans in a simple way.

B．Toumai may belong to the same species as Lucy.

C．The development of hominids may not be a direct line .

D．It confirmed the evolution from Toumai to Lucy to human.

4. What is the main idea of the text?

A．The origin of human being.	B．The introduction of Toumai.
C．The study of human family tree.	D．The research on different hominids.

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。

It started with a phone call from my son, Nate. “Mom, there’s a dog here. She needs help. She’s lost, hungry and afraid of people. Nobody can catch her. We tried, but she runs.

I bet you can catch her. Please?” My teenage son’s dramatic plea (恳求) came from a visitor center where he volunteered.

“Not now,” I objected. I love dogs, but at that moment I did not want to take on another project.

“Can you please just take a look at her when you come pick me up?” He had confidence in my abilities.

When I arrived to pick Nate up, I found the dog he described. Her state was bad with all the diseases in a stray dog. She watched us cautiously, her tail giving the occasional hopeful wag before retreating between her legs as she shied away from any approach. Her eyes, however, were warm and pleading. She wanted to connect but she was afraid.

Many years of working with all kinds of distressed animals had hardened my heart. I thought of a thousand reasons why I could not take a dirty dog home. I wanted to get a dog that I could use as a therapy (治疗) dog. I could see that this sad dog was not therapy dog material. Therapy dogs connect to people in ways that can understand human better. I turned and walked away.

I convinced Nate to wait a few days to see if the dog’s owner would magically appear. Secretly, I was expecting the dog would disappear. But she didn’t.

A friend with a small animal rescue shelter took her for quarantine (检疫) and treatment. I knew she was safe but the dog’s eyes haunted me. That longing look kept returning to my mind, pleading for connection. After a couple of weeks, I gave in and brought the dog home with me. She was quickly accepted by other dogs in my home. Cleaned up and fed, she looked like a short and strong Border Collie (博得牧羊犬) with gold and white fur. I named her Leala.

注意：
1.续写词数应为150个左右;
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
A month or so later, at a routine checkup, what the vet (兽医) said excited me.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Within another month, Leala and I were in a therapy dog training class.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7 . When Ariel Cordova rode her bike to Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in Queens, New York, last November, she planned to go hiking and bird-watching. A mile into her walk, she spotted a beautiful female mute swan near the water’s edge. Cordova, 30, who had worked at the Wild Bird Fund recovery center, knew that mute swans can be aggressive (侵略性的). But as she approached this one, it didn’t move.

She was certain that the bird needed medical attention. Cordova draped (披，悬挂) her jacket over the bird’s head to keep it calm, carefully picked it up, and held it gently in her arms. She was wondering how to transport a 17-pound swan on her bike to the recovery center when, luckily, some confused strangers driving by offered her, her bike, and the swan a lift to a nearby subway station. Cordova called the recovery center on the way, and Tristan, an animal care manager, picked her up at the subway station and drove the bird, the bike, and the rescuer to the facility (场所). There, staff members determined that the swan might have lead (铅) poisoning. Sadly, even with all that tender loving care, the swan got contracted, which caused her passed away two months after being rescued.

It’s a disappointing ending, but the real story is just how far some people are willing to go to save a swan in the big city. In all, Cordova traveled two hours by foot, car, and subway. “That’s the perfect summary of who she is,” says Tristan.

1. What made Cordova believe the bird needed medical attention?

A．Its careful move.

B．Its aggressive nature.

C．Its unusual behavior.

2. How did Cordova finally get to the recovery center?

A．She walked two hours.

B．A manager took her by car.

C．Some stranger picked her up.

3. What does the underlined word “contracted” in Paragraph 2 mean?

A．Infected.

B．Rescued.

C．Killed.

4. Which of the following can best describe Cordova?

A．Caring.

B．Demanding.

C．Professional.

8 . In the scenic coastal city of Cornwall, Lizzi Larbalestier has become a beacon of hope for marine (海洋的) wildlife. As a committed volunteer for British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR), her journey began with transforming her Airbnb, an online platform that allows people to rent out their homes or accommodations to travelers, into a temporary shelter for injured seals. This effort came as the result of the increasing incidents of marine animals suffering from human-related injuries and the lack of specialized care facilities in the region.

Recognizing the urgent need for a more permanent solution, Lizzi, alongside her husband and a team of committed volunteers, established a fully equipped seal hospital. This facility, now in its third year of operation, has expanded its capacity to ten pens and is prepared to recover around 100 seals annually. The hospital caters to a variety of cases: seals injured by boats or caught in fishing gear (用具), young pups separated from their mothers, and young seals weakened by poor nutrition. Each animal receives personalized care, ranging from basic first aid to extensive recovery programs. After initial treatment, seals are often moved to larger recovery centers for further care before their release back into the wild.

Lizzi’s commitment to marine conservation extends beyond seal rescue. She is an active participant in environmental campaigns like Surfers Against Sewage and Ghostnetbuster. Her tireless efforts were recognized when she received the Animal Action Award from the International Fund for Animal Welfare. Lizzi owes the success of BDMLR’s operations to the collective effort of all volunteers, emphasizing the importance of teamwork in achieving their conservation goals.

The BDMLR team also reacts to emergencies involving other marine wildlife, like whales and dolphins. Lizzi recalls several successful operations, including the rescue of stranded (搁浅的) dolphins and a turtle that required specialized care.

Lizzi’s story is not just about rescuing marine animals; it’s a proof of the power of community involvement and the impact of individuals on environmental conservation.

1. What inspired Lizzi to protect the marine wildlife?

A．One of her trips to the seaside.	B．More and more injured marine animals.
C．Her love for the marine creatures.	D．Increasing profits from her Airbnb.

2. What do we know about the seal hospital from Paragraph 2?

A．It has been in operation for five years.

B．It provides a separate space for each seal.

C．It offers temporary help to injured animals.

D．It is the largest recovery center in the area.

3. What message does BDMLR’s success convey according to Lizzi?

A．All roads lead to Rome.	B．Actions speak louder than words.
C．Time and tide wait for no man.	D．Many hands make light work.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．A practical solution to seal rescue.

B．Challenges of marine wildlife recovery.

C．The impact of human activities on marine ecosystems.

D．The journey of a marine life rescuer in Cornwall.

9 . Approximately 5,000 juvenile individuals lose their lives on a daily basis due to diseases that are entirely preventable, such as cholera and dysentery. These illnesses proliferate when individuals consume or prepare food using contaminated water. The absence of clean water for personal hygiene also facilitates the transmission of entirely preventable conditions like trachoma, which has resulted in the loss of sight for an estimated six million individuals.

The scarcity of water resources also ensnares numerous households with limited financial means in a perpetual loop of economic hardship and suboptimal educational opportunities, with the most impoverished being disproportionately affected by the lack of access to water. Those who dedicate a significant portion of their daily routine to dealing with health issues, tending to ailing children, or traversing an average distance of 3.75 miles to gather water, are deprived of the educational and economic opportunities necessary to elevate their living conditions.

Agriculture is often referred to as the primary consumer of clean water globally, accounting for approximately 70 percent of its usage, while industrial applications require an additional 22 percent. Water bodies do not recognize political boundaries, and nations do not consistently collaborate in the equitable distribution of these shared resources, making water a frequent catalyst for international disputes.

The ongoing demand for water is steadily increasing, depleting sources from vast rivers to subterranean aquifers. As Postel remarked, “We are progressively incurring a greater debt in terms of our groundwater exploitation, which has profound implications for the security of our global water supply. The pace at which we are extracting groundwater has doubled since the year 1960.”

Some of the Earth’s groundwater is classified as fossil water, a resource that originated during a time when the planet's climate was vastly different from what it is today. Presently, such water is as finite as petroleum. “However, we are extracting a significant portion of these resources at an unprecedented rate,” Postel elucidated. “The escalating demand for water by humanity also poses a significant challenge concerning water and our ecosystems. This not only incurs a cost to the natural environment but also has long-term financial implications for future generations, including our offspring and grandchildren.”

1. What does the author mainly discuss in the passage?

A．Water shortage has been a most serious challenge.

B．So many children die of polluted water every day.

C．Diseases should be properly controlled and treated.

D．Wasting water leads to the unrest of the world.

2. Why is agriculture called the lion’s share of clean water?

A．Because nations don’t always work together to save water.

B．Because agriculture uses about two-thirds of clean water.

C．Because more people live on the agricultural produce.

D．Because agriculture is much stronger than industry.

3. According to what Postel said we can know ________.

A．groundwater is rich for us to use

B．there is no need to dig deep for groundwater

C．we are using our next generations’ water

D．we should use river water instead of groundwater

4. What can we infer from the passage?

A．Water should be distributed equally.

B．Laws should be passed from groundwater.

C．We shouldn’t use water from rivers.

D．We should protect our ecosystems.

10 . 语法填空

The Great Wall of China with a total length of over 5,000 kilometers is one of       1     (great) wonders of the world. The Great Wall starts from Jiayuguan in Gansu Province in west China and     2     (end) at Hushan Mountain in Liaoning Province in     3     east. The Great Wall stretches from west to east like a giant loong,     4     (wind) its way across mountains, through deserts and over valleys. It was built continuously over more than 2,000 years originally     5     (protect) the northern borders of the Chinese Empire against intrusions by     6     (vary) nomadic(游牧的)groups. One of the most famous is the wall     7     was built between 220-206 BC by the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang. Little of that wall remains, and the majority of the existing wall     8     (build) during the Ming Dynasty. The Great Wall is not only a brick wall, but also one of the worldˈs greatest historical architectural works. It played a significant role     9     Chinese history. The Great Wall has been a symbol of Chinese civilization,     10     it has become one of the most famous scenic spots in China, attracting tourists from all over the world.