Anji, a small county in East China’s Zhejiang Province,
The outdoor café, the Deep Blue Coffeehouse, has received 350,000 tourists in less than a year, with the highest daily number of visitors
1. Why was Kaavan sent to Pakistan?
A.He was given as a gift. |
B.A zoo there wanted to train him. |
C.A female elephant there needed a companion. |
A.He was homeless. | B.He lost his friend. | C.He was kept in chains. |
A.2016. | B.2020. | C.2021. |
1. Where is Destiny’s community located?
A.Near the waterfront. | B.In the northern part. | C.In the city center. |
A.Her high school is closed. |
B.She has breathing problems. |
C.The air in her neighborhood is poor. |
A.Disapproving. | B.Unclear. | C.Supportive. |
A.Making a survey. | B.Conducting an interview. | C.Holding a press conference. |
4 . People flood into cities for understandable reasons: more job opportunities, more cultural diversity and larger communities. Yet living in a concrete-walled, green-poor, urban environment takes away from our-very essence our fundamental need to be close to nature. We can’t quite break the link with our evolutionary (进化的) past and part ways with our origins. Surrounding ourselves with walls and ‘screens, we tend to pay a price, often with our health and quality of life.
In Japan, a populous country with vast expanses of green forests, an ancient tradition, known as shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, tries to balance out the pressure from urban living. It’s the practice of spending prolonged periods of time with trees to gain from their many health benefits. In a book hitting shelves this month, Forest Bathing: How Trees Can Help You Find Health and Happiness, Dr. Qing Li, the world’s foremost expert in forest medicine, introduces readers to the valuable practice of forest bathing. The book features more than 100 color photographs of forests around the world. One may reject this kind of book as yet less convincing, but the point is that Li has not just practiced forest bathing, but has also studied its impact on people’s health through numerous scientific studies. He has data to support his claims, collected in a long list of expert-reviewed articles at the end of the book.
The book lists studies that consistently show-a substantial, reduction of stress hormones (应激激素). Essential tree oils found in forest air increase energy levels by more than 30 percent and improve a general state of well-being, including improvement in sleep.
Scientific results apart, the, concept of forest bathing shouldn’t be so surprising. Who hasn’t felt an inner sense of well-being when walking along a quiet forest path? Stepping into a forest, away from the artificial sounds and smells of urban life, does feel like pushing a life reset button, reestablishing a connection with our deepest needs.
To celebrate this wonderful book and. what seems to be a rediscovery of forest bathing in our life, I’m going to go now—to take: my forest bath.
1. What is stressed in paragraph 1?A.The harm of electronics. |
B.The downside of city life. |
C.The consequences of lack of workout. |
D.The reasons for pursuit of urban living. |
A.Promoting a lifestyle. |
B.Presenting research results. |
C.Stating the significance of walks. |
D.Appealing for forest conservation. |
A.One-sided. | B.Sharply worded. |
C.Evidence-based. | D.Widely recognized. |
A.Through clinical cases. |
B.Through practical experience. |
C.Through official statistics. |
D.Through Japanese experts’ studies. |
5 . Dozens of dolphins swam out of the polluted waters of Haifa Harbor on Tuesday. This was the first time that dolphins had visited this crowded Mediterranean Port, and researchers were surprised by the unexpected event.
Between 40 and 50 of the dolphins appeared in the busy port on Tuesday morning, obviously drawn by the fish-rich waters of Haifa Bay.
However, the bay is also full of harmful chemicals. Avia d Sheinin, professor of Haifa University’s Maritime Studies Department, said he didn’t think the dolphins were harmed by the pollution, but that he hoped they would swim back to the sea soon. “It seems that they are quite relaxed. They don’t seem to be stressed,” he said.
Haifa Bay is lined by chemical companies that have been pouring poisonous waste into the water for decades. While pollution levels have dropped in recent years, the water is still considered a health hazard, whispering warnings to those who draw near.
“There are lots of fishes in Haifa Port. Unfortunately, we couldn’t tell the dolphins that the fish are not healthy, and I don’t know what the result will be,” he told Israel Army Radio.
Hundreds of Haifa residents gathered around Haifa Bay to see the interesting sight, and researchers said this provided a rare chance to film and study the rough-toothed dolphins. In addition to the dozens of dolphins which swam into the port on Tuesday, a similar number stayed outside the breakwater (防波堤). Later Tuesday the dolphins left the port but remained near the entrance and Israel’s coastguard was patrolling (巡逻) the area to try to make sure the dolphins didn’t re-enter the poisonous waters.
Relatively little is known about rough-toothed dolphins, which are usually found in deep and warm tropical waters.
1. What cause the dolphins to appear at Haifa Harbor?A.Clean water. | B.Food supply. |
C.Social behavior. | D.Water temperature. |
A.Danger. | B.Benefit. |
C.Plan. | D.Survey. |
A.He is curious about the dolphins. |
B.He will do research on the dolphins. |
C.He is uncertain about what will happen to the dolphins. |
D.The dolphins might affect the existence of fish in Haifa port. |
A.To avoid traffic jam. |
B.To deal with the harmful waters. |
C.To prevent people killing dolphins. |
D.To protect the dolphins from the polluted waters. |
A.People love dolphins. |
B.Dolphins are well protected in Israel. |
C.Haifa Bay is full of harmful chemicals. |
D.Dolphins made a surprise visit to the polluted harbor. |
I can count a dozen friends, all in the 1950s, who adopted a puppy. Actually, I did, too. Last year, I was suddenly consumed by the urgent desire to acquire a seven-week-old Australian shepherd. For one thing, this breed is one of the most energetic on the planet, whereas I am bookish, lazy, and middle-aged.
My trouble with dogs is that I never have the remotest clue what they want, and they never seem to have the slightest idea of what I’m saying to them. He was highly alert, yet unable to grasp a single thing. Kevin’s entire communicative gestures — whether he wanted food, exercise, permission to jump on the sofa, a toy, or, who knows, a conversation about the electric bill — consisted of walking up to me and staring. He did this about 50 times a day, just staring brightly without moving a muscle, and after years of living together, I still didn’t know what he wanted. We coexisted in a state of profound mutual (相互的) incomprehension.
“Sometimes I think,” I wrote in my journal, “it doesn’t matter that I don’t know what he wants, because we have nothing in common. Whatever he wants will be something I don’t want. He probably wants me to go outside and chase squirrels. I don’t want to.”
But one afternoon, there was only Kevin and I at home. My husband was on business abroad for several days and my son was also abroad attending college. I enjoyed my favorite book leisurely while Kevin had a rest or stared at me as usual. It suddenly began to thunder aloud and soon rained cats and dogs. I dashed out of the front-door to fetch the vegetables in my parking lot. The wind was so strong that the front-door just slammed loudly, closed, after I made my way out. Worse still, when I came back with the rescued vegetables, I found the keys were not with me. There was also no backup (备份) of the keys outside my house.
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。
At last, I realized the only one who could help out was Kevin.
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Eventually Kevin began to act.
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7 . Flora was playing with her new dog Stitch, while wearing a favourite second-hand sweater. Stitch jumped up and grabbed her sleeve-and tore several holes in it with her sharp teeth.
Flora wasn’t about to throw the item out. “I can’t bring myself to throw away nice clothing just because of a hole, ”she explains. She decided to tackle a new skill repairing. She began by reading a book called Make Do and Repair, about the innovative ways to avoid waste.
Instead of tying to make the repair as small as possible, she turned to “visible fixing, ”a fashion in repairing clothes that leaves an intentionally obvious fix. She added flowers, or other small designs to damaged clothes. “Every time you do a repair, it’s like getting a new piece of clothing, ”says Flora.
Sadly, we have been in the habit of replacing things instead of repairing them—and the garbage is piling up. Worldwide, we throw out 92 million tonnes of fabric every year.
The good news is that fixing things can help solve the waste problem. It’s part of a larger shift toward a circular economy -the idea that instead of throwing out items once they are broken or out of date, we reuse or repair them, keeping them out of the waste yard for as long as possible.
There was a time when people fixed things themselves or called their local repair shop, But as more items were produced and prices dropped, replacing even a big appliance became more convenient.
That’s changing, in part due to information now available online. The popular how-to site iFixit. com has enabled more than 100 million repairs.
“Companies have been designing products that break easily or become outdated quickly, forcing consumers to buy new ones or purchase upgrades. We’re now seeing some producers show interest in making it possible for users to repair things. Some companies are selling official parts and sharing their repair guides through iFixit. IFixit has grown into a database with over 100, 000 repair manuals. We have this vision of a world where repair is the expectation for all things that are made, ”says Chamberlain, director of iFixit.
1. Why did Flora read a book?A.For innovation. | B.For repairing skills. |
C.For a better life. | D.For dog-raising information. |
A.People’s habit. | B.Repairing quality. |
C.Fabric production. | D.Worldwide garbage. |
A.To remove landfills. | B.To increase production. |
C.To help exchange goods. | D.To realize resource cycle. |
A.He expects more wiser users. |
B.He supports purchase upgrades. |
C.He creates the repairing database of iFixit. |
D.He has a desire for companies and consumers. |
8 . To protect people living in areas that are likely to suffer flooding and rising sea levels, a group of architects has designed a floating home.
The project is a collaboration between British architect firm Grimshaw and Dutch manufacturer Concrete Valley. Currently at the design stage, the home will be constructed using a concrete and glass framework, which sits on a floating pontoon structure. In the event of a tidal surge or flooding, the pontoon rises with the water level to keep the home safe. Fitted with solar panels and heat exchangers, the water home will be able to produce their own electricity during power cuts, in the event of a storm.
Other firms are exploring floating homes, too. In the UK, Baca Architects has partnered with manufacturer Floating Homes. Their design was originally an entry to a competition to reduce London’s housing shortage, and has since been turned into a prototype. Baca Architects is exploring ways to provide practical, affordable, flood-resistant additional city housing, which could occupy unnecessary docks, canals and other waterways throughout London, director Richard Coutts told the Guardian.
As the planet’s atmosphere warms, areas such as the Arctic are melting fast, contributing to rising sea levels and higher risk of flooding. The ocean is already reclaiming land in some parts of the world. With the global population set to reach 9.8 billion people by mid-century, extreme flooding could further add pressure to limited land, water, food and other resources. These challenges are at the heart of the Virtual Ocean Dialogues, an initiative by the World Economic Forum and Friends of Ocean Action. The online event provides a forum for more than 50 world leaders to address the most pressing challenges facing our oceans and develop ways to protect them.
While floating homes may be a common feature in parts of Asia and other developing regions, they are emerging as a way to relieve overcrowding and protect people in busy cities and urban areas which are likely to suffer from flooding.
1. What makes it possible to produce electricity in the floating home?A.The concrete and glass framework. | B.The tidal power. |
C.Solar panels and heat exchangers. | D.The floating pontoon structure. |
A.Floating homes will be useful but costly. |
B.Floating homes have been put into use in London. |
C.Baca Architects’ design was to ease the housing burden at first. |
D.There is a competition among firms in the UK to explore floating homes. |
A.Restoring. | B.Reoccupying. | C.Redeveloping. | D.Reshaping. |
A.Melting Oceans are Causing Rising Sea Levels |
B.A Forum is Ongoing to Explore Floating Homes |
C.Many Firms are Working Together to Reduce Housing Shortage |
D.Floating Homes are Emerging to Protect People from Flooding |
9 . 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。
Seagrass meadows (海草床) are wonder plants growing beneath the sea. Thanks to the assistance of tiger sharks,
In this study, tiger sharks were selected as research tools due to their
So far, the world’s largest seagrass ecosystem, measuring at least 66,900 square kilometers,
The sharks led us to the seagrass ecosystem in the Bahamas,
10 . For Cruz, who grew up in Peru’s mountainous region of Cuzco, fog represents a massive opportunity. As a boy, he had to hike for more than an hour every day across hills to collect water from the nearest source. But over time, he realized that during the rainy season, droplets of water would gather in the large leaves of banana trees. So one day he and his father tried to build a canal system with the leaves to collect water and it turned out a success. But afterwards, he moved to Lima at the age of 25.
There, shocked by the water shortages and expensive water supply that some of the city’s poorest residents were faced with, Cruz set up El Movimiento Peruanos sin Agua in 2005. The idea was to deploy the method he learned in his hometown on a larger scale, which would provide free, independently sourced and easily accessible water to those who needed it most. He began installing (安装) a traditional fog catcher model developed in the 1980s.
At the highest point of Los Tres Miradores, there is a curious set of large structures that resemble a fleet of ships in the sky. They are so-called “fog catchers”. Netted devices, made of high density Raschel polyethylene and spanning several meters wide, are lined up at the top of a misty mound and linked by a network of tubes that lead to storage containers. The 40 fog catchers there provide enough water for 180 families, whether to bathe, clean, drink or to irrigate crops on small garden patches.
Supporters believe that fog catchers have the potential to improve water supply for communities around the world among the ever-challenging circumstances. German researcher Lummerich says, “They are cheap, easy to construct.” In a world searching for water supply systems, it is one important puzzle piece that can make an essential difference locally.
However, there are some issues. For one, fog catchers require space, which is not always easy to come by in cities, let alone urban slums. At the same time, fog catchers must be properly cleaned and maintained to stay effective. Most crucially, appropriate climate conditions are required. Fog isn’t everywhere.
1. What does the underlined word “deploy” probably mean in paragraph 2?A.Employ. | B.Adjust. | C.Design. | D.Study. |
A.The reason why Cruz installed fog catchers. |
B.The difficulties of constructing a canal system. |
C.The installation and benefits of fog catchers. |
D.The inspiration Cruz gained to build a canal system. |
A.High costs. | B.Public opposition. |
C.Space limitation. | D.Climate conditions. |
A.Urban Areas: A Struggle for Sufficient Water |
B.Innovative Water Collection Techniques in Peru |
C.The Global Water Crisis and Possible Solutions |
D.Fog Catchers: A Local Solution with Global Potential |