1 . At The Rachael Ray Foundation^TM (RRF), we’re pretty big animal lovers. As a part of our work, we support a wide variety of organizations that do good for animals, from rescue to care and more. Get to know a few of them and the work we do together.

Pittsburgh Aviation Animal Rescue Team

RRF helped enable Pittsburgh Aviation Animal Rescue Team (PAART) to purchase a new and bigger plane for its rescue missions which bring animals from danger to safety. Whether it be flying dogs in overcrowded shelters to new homes, saving animals caught in the path of natural disasters, or bringing supplies to shelters in need, the brave PAART pilots are always ready to help.

National Disaster Search Dog Foundation

National Disaster Search Dog Foundation (SDF) works to find and train shelter dogs who have the talent and drive to become search and rescue animals. RRF supports SDF’s efforts to identify and transform rescued dogs into rescuers, to provide lifetime care for these dogs and to find homes for all dogs who enter the SDF training program.

Rachael Ray Save Them All Grants

This is a program administered by Best Friends Animal Society (BFAS) to support Best Friends’ network partners in their lifesaving efforts. The money has been awarded to organizations across the country to fund initiatives such as adoption drives and shelter intake prevention efforts.

North Shore Animal League America Disaster Relief Grants

This program, administered by North Shore Animal League America (NSALA), provides money for animal welfare organizations impacted by disasters. RRF is proud to help NSALA in its efforts to identify needs in disaster situations and provide targeted, effective relief.

1. What is special about PAART?

A．It provides necessities for-animals in need.	B．It conducts animal rescue missions by plane.
C．It is supported by the Rachael Ray Foundation.	D．It assists in finding adopters for rescued animals.

2. Which organization is devoted to training shelter animals to do rescue work?

A．SDF.

B．BFAS.

C．PAART.

D．NSALA.

3. What do the last two programs have in common?

A．They both strongly promote animal adoption.

B．They are both in charge of Best Friends Animal Society.

C．They both provide financial assistance to animal welfare initiatives.

D．They are both administered by welfare organizations impacted by disasters.

2 . Falcons are powerful birds that may be trained to hunt in cooperation with humans. The art of training falcons as “hunting dogs of the skies” is called falconry (训鹰术). It was developed in the ancient Arabian Desert around 4000 B. C. In the past, falconry mainly involved hunting with falcons to supplement one’s diet. But now, it has become the favorite sport and pastime in the Arabian Peninsula.

Falconry includes three major processes: acquiring the falcons, training them, and hunting with them. Every year, falconers begin capturing wild falcons in June and July, the migration season. The best birds to catch are the ones with naturally nurtured hunting skills, aged one or two years. Once the falcons are captured, their heads are immediately covered with a leather hood. This is essential because they imprint as their master whomever they see first after the hood is removed. Right after a bird is caught, the training process starts. It begins by depriving (剥夺) the bird of food to make it easier to tame. The birds are taught to know their own name and respond to their master when called. Arab falconers live with their birds day and night in order to build a strong relationship with them.

By the end of October or mid-November, the trained falcons are ready to hunt in the desert. They have excellent vision, 2. 6 times greater than that of a human. They are also the fastest divers on the planet. One hunting technique that sets them apart from other animals is that they can be trained to deliver their prey, without killing it first. This is vital in Islamic culture because animals used for food must still be alive to ensure that the meat is halal, that is, properly prepared according to Islamic law.

Falcons have played such a crucial role in traditional Islamic cultures that a number of countries in the Middle East have made them their national bird. Falconry has grown so popular that specialist hospitals have been established to take care of these magnificent birds. Falcons are even issued their own passports. They are the only animals in the United Arab Emirates that are legally allowed to travel inside planes, enjoying a level of luxury that some humans can only dream of.

1. What is the main reason for Arabic people to hunt with falcons today?

A．To serve as entertainment and exercise.

B．To supplement their diet.

C．To replace the practice of hunting with dogs.

D．To honor their national bird.

2. What can we learn from the passage?

A．Falconers don’t give food to falcons in order to capture them.

B．Falcons are not allowed to see their masters during the training process.

C．Wild falcons with natural hunting skills are ideal for falconers to catch.

D．The trainers’ names are written on the hoods covering the birds’ heads.

3. What especially makes falcons a unique species for hunting in Islamic culture?

A．Falcons keep their prey alive before delivering it to falconers.

B．Falcons can form a strong bond with their owners quickly.

C．Falcons’ vision is particularly suitable for hunting in deserts.

D．Falcons are relatively easy to train for specific hunting.

4. According to the article, what privilege do falcons enjoy in the Arab world?

A．Free air ticket.	B．Passports issued by the King.
C．Expensive meals.	D．Access to specialized medical care.

3 . 使用恰当的过渡衔接词连句成篇
1. 我是李华，谨代表我校写信对你们的努力和帮助表示真诚的感谢。否则我们的城市可能会遭受更大的破坏。
2. 令人震惊的是，重庆受高温和干旱袭击，导致烈火发生。
3. 你们来了，及时提供了援助。
4. 尽管许多志愿者极其疲惫，依然专心于运送物资。
5. 正是你们不懈的努力和决心结束了这次自然灾害。（强调句）
6. 我们被你们深深感动，我们决定竭尽全力使我们的城市更美好。
Dear volunteers,
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yours,

Li Hua

4 . 根据提示，运用本单元的词汇、短语及句式或使用词汇的正确形式完成下面的语篇。
Dear Sir/Madam,

    1     (我写信感谢你的及时救援), without which my life couldn’t return to normal.

A few days ago,     2     (一场极其可怕的地震袭击了我的家乡), leaving many houses in ruins.     3     (shock) to find everything buried under the fallen houses, I burst into tears.     4     (世界似乎到了尽头). Thankfully, although you were strangers, you     5     (不遗余力) provide enough food and water for us to survive on. With strong support from the government and your generous aid, a new town was built upon the earthquake     6     (ruin).

I can’t express my gratitude too much.

Yours sincerely,

Li Hua

5 . 语法填空

The Alaska earthquake of March 27, 1964 was one of the biggest     1     (disaster) in the earth science. As it was a holiday, many people were at home. Everything was going on as usual     2     people’s houses     3     (shake). Buildings     4     (crack) and water pipes burst. It lasted more than four minutes and many people were buried under the     5     (ruin), who waited for rescue workers to come     6     their rescue. The earthquake left people    7    shock and destroyed many towns and a great number of people suffered     8     the disaster. However, they all did everything in their power     9     (rebuild) the city.

6 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What is Professor Lynn’s project about?

A．The protection of the Yang-zi-e.

B．The protection of the Yangtze River.

C．The protection of endangered animals.

2. What contributed most to the loss of Yang-zi-e according to Professor Lynn?

A．Farming led to the loss of their habitats.

B．Direct killing by humans.

C．The poisonous rats.

3. How many reasons are mentioned for the extinction of the Yang-zi-e?

A．3.

B．4.

C．5.

4. What does Professor Lynn think of his project?

A．He thinks they need a longer period of time.

B．He calls on joint efforts to promote the project.

C．He is satisfied with the progress they’ve made.

7 . Plastic is everywhere, from the Arctic ice to vital organs in the human body. In fact, previous estimates suggest that the average person swallows a credit card-worth of microscopic plastic particles(颗粒) every week. But new research shows that this could actually be an understatement.

Microplastics are plastics smaller than 5 millimeters, found in industrial waste, beauty products, and formed during the degradation of larger plastic pieces. Over time, they break down into even smaller nanoplastics. These tiny particles can pass through our intestines and lungs into our bloodstreams, reaching vital organs like the heart and brain.

While the idea of eating plastic is unsettling in itself, the major concern here is that these plastic particles contain chemicals that can interrupt our body’s natural release of hormones, potentially increasing our risk of reproductive disorders and certain cancers. They can also carry toxins(毒素) on their surface like heavy metals.

In the past, researchers have shown bottled water can contain tens of thousands of identifiable plastic fragments in a single container. However, until recently, only the larger microplastics were detectable with available measuring tools, leaving the area of nanoplastics largely a mystery.

Using Raman microscopy (显微镜学), capable of detecting particles down to the size of a flu virus, the team measured an average of 240, 000 particles of plastic per liter of bottled water, 90 percent of which were nanoplastics, a revelation 10 to 100 times larger than previous estimates.

These plastics likely originate from the bottle material, filters used to “purify” the water, and the source water itself. “It is not totally unexpected to find so much of this stuff, ” the study’s lead author, Columbia graduate student Naixin Qian, said in a statement. His team hopes to expand their research into tap water and other water sources to better inform our exposure to these potentially dangerous particles. “The idea is that the smaller things get, the more of them I reveal, ” he added.

1. What is the primary focus of the new research?

A．The presence of plastic particles.	B．The use of plastic in everyday products.
C．The detection methods for microplastics.	D．The potential risks of nanoplastics to human.

2. What is the advantage of Raman microscopy?

A．Finding the source of plastic particles.	B．Helping to cure the deadly flu virus.
C．Detecting the smaller plastic particles.	D．Improving the quality of bottled water.

3. Why will the team expand their research into tap water?

A．To focus on areas with higher plastic pollution.

B．To be aware of the dangerous particles in daily life.

C．To further measure the types of particles in tap water.

D．To detect the smaller plastic particles in industrial areas.

4. What is Qian’s attitude towards his research?

A．Skeptical.

B．Objective.

C．Conservative.

D．Positive.

8 . 假定你是李华，你班同学在上周末进行了一个有关“Plastic Pollution”的街头采访。请你写一篇报道给校报的英语栏目投稿。内容要点如下：
1. 介绍活动；
2. 不同观点；
3. 发出呼吁。
注意：1. 词数80左右；
2. 题目已为你写好。

An Interview about Plastic Pollution

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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。

For generations, Babusha,     1     is on the southern edge of the Tengger Desert, was troubled by sandstorms that frequently buried farmland, often leaving nothing to harvest.

Today, the desert’s southward spread has been stopped thanks to a green belt ten kilometers in     2     (long) and eight kilometers in width,     3     (plant) by Guo Wangang and his colleagues.

Guo’s father was one of the six men who first began planting trees in Babusha     4     (prevent) their land from being buried in 1981. When he     5     (force) to stop in 1983 due to poor health, Guo quit his job in the city and followed in his father’s rootsteps because he didn’t want to see the trees die. A deadly sandstorm in 1993 which claimed 23 students’     6     (life) firmed his resolve, turning Guo into     7     stubborn soldier, unwilling to give up the fight. “I asked     8     (I) that if we couldn’t protect our farmland or our children, how were we supposed to keep going?” Guo recalled. “That’s when I made up my mind to devote my life to this fight.”

Year after year, Guo and his colleagues have continued to plant trees each spring and fall,     9     (watch) out for fire and pruning (修剪) them in the winter. The vegetation coverage rate in Babusha has increased     10     less than 3 percent to 70 percent and the desert no longer moves further south.

10 . There’s nothing quite like a winter wonderland. When the snow falls and the lakes and ponds freeze over, there’s a certain magical chocolate-box feeling to the world that ironically makes us feel cozy inside. However, it might be different for some of our pets.     1    . Even those animals who don’t mind a frosty walk or a house that’s cooler than usual may need some protection from the elements for their own good. As a pet owner, you’ll undoubtedly make sure that your pets are comfortable and properly winterized.

• Keep the walks brief

    2    . If it gets cold enough for you to need a coat, know that your dog is probably also feeling the chill. Therefore, mind the length of walks when the winter is just coming.

•     3    

If your dog is shivering a lot, it isn’t a bad idea to give them a blanket or a warmer bed. Avoid electrically heated blankets and pads as some pups might not realize when it gets too hot.

• Wrap them up in the right clothes

Make sure the clothes you choose fit them properly and don’t have any dangling bits they could swallow.     4    , if your dog is truly uncomfortable putting on clothes.

• Watch out for dangerous snow

Salt and antifreeze on sidewalks are potentially deadly to pets.     5    . If they are OK with it, put them in booties and avoid problems together.

A．It takes a dog about ten days to adjust to any temperature change

B．Give them a heat source

C．Don’t force it to get dressed

D．Take your dog out even in cold weather

E．Compare and purchase the soft clothes for it

F．Make sure you wipe your pup’s feet after every walk

G．The prospect of facing the winter cold may not be so inviting