4 . Gently holding a baby hummingbird (蜂鸟) between her hands, Lattouf says, “Hello, cute little guy. Are you very hungry?” It’s the newest patient at Lattouf apartment in Mexico City where she has nursed hundreds of the tiny birds back to health over the past decade. Under Lattouf’s caress (爱抚), the bird relaxes little by little.

This is often how Lattouf’s days have gone since she turned her apartment into a clinic (诊所) for sick, injured or baby hummingbirds. Most of the hummingbirds are in the bedroom where Lattouf sleeps. They stay there until they are strong enough to fly and feed themselves. Then she moves them to a neighboring room to prepare them to finally be freed.

With dozens of the tiny birds buzzing overhead, Lattouf explained that she began caring for them a year after surviving colon (结肠) cancer in 2011. It started with one hummingbird that had an eye injured by another bird. A veterinarian (兽医) friend encouraged her to try to help it. The bird became her close partner, staying on her computer screen while she worked. “It wrote me a new life,” she said of the nine months when the bird lived with her. It helped pull Lattouf out of the sadness and loneliness she had experienced after her husband’s 2009 death followed by her cancer. Later, friends began bringing her more hummingbirds.

Lattouf says she never turns away a bird. “Most come to me as babies. Many come to me broken,” she said. Some have injuries to wings after running into things or falling from nests. Some get sick because of drinking polluted water from hummingbird feeders, which are popular in the city. Now the demand for her services has jumped because someone put a video about her work on the social platform TikTok that has been viewed more than 1.5 million times.

The city is filled with threats to hummingbirds like constant construction projects that replace flower gardens with concrete. But Lattouf remains optimistic. “We do everything possible,” she said.

1. What do we know about Lattouf?

A．She tried to save hummingbirds.	B．She wanted to be a nurse.
C．She liked to live in Mexico.	D．She used to be a doctor.

2. What inspired Lattouf to start caring for hummingbirds?

A．Her love for hummingbirds.	B．Her needs for a partner.
C．Her encounter with an injured one.	D．Her friend’s encouragement.

3. How has the need for her services increased sharply?

A．She has worked hard.

B．She has shared videos about the tiny bird.

C．More people get to know her services by TikTok.

D．She has accepted every injured hummingbird.

4. Which of the following best describes Lattouf?

A．Brave and realistic.	B．Outgoing and active.
C．Generous and optimistic.	D．Humorous and energetic.

5 . 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。

“She needs me.” Those were the exact words I spoke to my husband when I spotted Dottie, a little dog we found at a local shelter eight years ago.

Dottie leaned (倾斜) away when I tried to pet her and refused to let me hold her. While the other dogs jumped and barked, Dottie returned to the back of the cage, curled up in a ball, hoping us to leave her alone.

On the entire drive home, Dottie was in fear. So, upon arrival at our house, we got right to work. I held her as much as possible, touching her head and softly singing in her ear. We learned that she loved belly touch, so every time we passed by, we would offer a gentle touch. Eventually, we noticed her presenting her belly as we walked by her. I knew we were making real progress when I found her quietly sleeping on a chair one day, her head resting on one of my shoes. My heart melted (融化) as I realized she had brought it there because it contained my smell, and she wanted it nearby.

Ever so slowly, our little dog came to life. She began to play with toys, enjoy walks, and rest on our laps. There was no special treatment, no fancy food or toys. All we did was love her. And she grew well. She was so broken when we first met her that we had no idea what her true personality would be. But now we found a sweet, playful, loving soul.

One day, a few years after her adoption, I was busy doing housework around the house, doing laundry and climbing the stairs from the basement up to the main floor. When I finished, I sat down and enjoyed a well-deserved break. That’s when I realized I hadn’t seen Dottie for a while. I called to her and began searching. My heart raced and my pace quickened as I began checking under beds and behind sofa.

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。

Suddenly, I remembered the door to the basement.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I held her in my arms tightly, telling her how sorry I was.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7 . Windows open? Fans on? Ready for another water break? For schools across Greater Toronto, the extremely hot temperatures provided some lessons in how to beat the heat—or at least attempt to—without air conditioning. It wasn’t easy. With some classroom temperatures getting close to 40℃—one teacher even handed out temperature meters to see how hot it got—both students and educators were red-faced and bathed with sweat all day.

The extreme weather had some parents wondering if their children should be spending most of the day inside hot schools, and a few chose to keep them home. Very few schools across Greater Toronto are air-conditioned. There are no rules or requirements that schools shut down as the temperature rises.

At Bowmore public school, near Coxwell Ave. and Gerrard St. E, teachers arrive at 7 am and open all the doors and windows to circulate fresh air. The windows at the school, replaced in stages over the past few years, swing in at the top, and out at the bottom to provide better air flow.

“Is it hot? Yes. Is it something that makes us feel uncomfortable? Yes,” said Headmaster Lilian Hanson. Despite that, she said she’d never advocate for air conditioners in schools, which are expensive and would consume the city’s electric power. She’d rather see more gardens, more trees—more natural solutions, more sustainable choices.

“We are teaching kids to make good choices,” she said. “Social responsibility is the key.” Students from kindergarten to Grade 8 seek pleasant places under trees and in the outdoor peaceful garden during the break time between classes and after school as the trees there provide much-needed shade. Teachers also take classes with students out there during the day. And kids do get the message about staying cool. Students are reminded to dress in cool clothing. When Hanson arrived at work in a dark-colored dress, a student asked her: “What were you thinking wearing a black dress on a day like today?”

1. What can be learned about the new windows at Bowmore public school?

A．They can let air in and out continuously.

B．They can let more light in.

C．They can stop the noise.

D．They can collect rains.

2. Why was Lilian Hanson against fixing air conditioners in schools?

A．She thought the heat bearable.

B．The schools hadn’t enough money.

C．The city lacked enough power.

D．She was concerned more about environment.

3. How did the student feel after seeing Hanson in a dark-colored dress?

A．Frightened.

B．Puzzled.

C．Embarrassed.

D．Interested.

4. What is the main idea of the last paragraph?

A．The students enjoy studying outdoors.

B．The school is unfriendly to the students.

C．The school beats the heat in different ways.

D．The students are free to learn anything they like.

8 . Europeans got more of their electricity from renewable sources than fossil fuels for the first time last year, according to an annual report from Ember and Agora Energiewende.

The report, which has been tracking European Union’s power sector since 2015, found that renewables delivered 38% of electricity last year, compared to 37% delivered by fossil fuels.

The shift comes as other sources, such as wind and solar power, have risen in the European Union. Both sources have nearly doubled since 2015, and as of last year accounted for one-fifth of electricity generation in EU countries, the report found. It’s also the reason why coal power declined 20% last year, making up only 13% of electricity generated in Europe.

“Rapid growth in wind and solar has forced coal into decline, but this is just the beginning,” said Dave Jones, senior electricity analyst for Ember and lead author on the report, in a statement. “Europe is relying on wind and solar to ensure not only coal is phased out by 2030, but also to phase out gas generation, replace closing nuclear power plants, and to meet rising electricity demand from electric cars and heat pumps.”

Last year’s COVID-19 lockdown measures resulted in less demand for electricity across the globe. European demand decreased by 4% in 2020, according to the report, which said COVID trends had no effect on the growth of renewable energy sources. Since 2015, Europe’s electricity emissions recorded a historic decline, becoming 29% cleaner, the report noted.

The milestone follows commitments from EU leaders last month to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 55% from 1990 levels by 2030. In the United States, their counterparts (同身份的人) successfully developed renewable energy to overtake coal consumption in recent years. Last May, renewable energy sources were consumed more than coal for the first time since 1885.

“Post-pandemic economic recovery must not slow down climate action,” said Patrick Graichen, director of Agora Energiewende, in a statement. “We therefore need strong climate policies — such as in the Green Deal — to ensure steady progress.”

1. What happened in EU countries according to the first three paragraphs?

A．The use of renewables declined by 38% last year.

B．20% of electricity was generated by renewables last year.

C．Fossil fuels were no longer used to generate electricity.

D．Coal power made up just 13% of electricity generation last year.

2. Which of the following does Dave Jones agree with?

A．Cutting greenhouse gas emissions forced coal into decline.

B．Coal consumption is phased out due to rapid growth in wind and solar.

C．More nuclear power plants should be built to meet electricity demand.

D．Fossil fuels will eventually be abandoned in European countries.

3. What happened after the COVID-19 lockdown according to the passage?

A．The demand for renewables decreased across the globe.

B．Electricity consumption dropped to a historic record.

C．The growth in wind and solar power was hardly influenced.

D．The economy was making steady progress.

4. What is the author’s purpose in writing this article?

A．To compare renewable sources with fossil fuels.

B．To report on electricity generation in Europe.

C．To emphasize recovery in post-pandemic era.

D．To advocate strong climate policies in Europe.

10 . Large amounts of waste, or garbage, are filling streets in Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu, after protesters blocked a road leading to a landfill outside the city. People in Bancharedanda where the garbage is kept blame the government for not doing enough to protect them from the waste.

One British tourist, Richard McSorley, recently talked about the problem. He remembered how clean Kathmandu was when he first visited it many years ago. “If I were a new tourist, I would be despondent now,” McSorley said, while pointing to a load of garbage next to a city street. For weeks, treatment of waste has been a continuous problem in the city surrounded by hills. The problems started after people in the village of Bancharedanda refused to have the garbage thrown at a nearby landfill.

Biswas Dhungana was one of the protesters. He said the villagers were refusing to permit trucks loaded with garbage to enter. They say government officials have done little to provide basic equipment and effective ways to deal with the garbage. He added, “We have been forced to live like pigs in terrible conditions for several years as the government has not done anything to keep the village clean.”

Last week, hundreds of villagers built a wall of rocks on the road leading to Bancharedanda. It forced about 200 trucks filled with Kathmandu’s garbage to return without dumping their load. It was said that protesters also threw stones from surrounding hills.

Sunil Lamsal is an official to watch over how Kathmandu’s garbage is treated. He said, “I am working to deal with the concerns of the locals in Bancharedanda. But now, garbage continues to grow on the streets of Kathmandu. This has led to increased danger for people living in the capital. In the light of it, the government will soon take further positive measures to tackle the problem, as the environment affects every family.”

1. How does the author begin the text?

A．By listing statistics.	B．By asking questions.
C．By describing a phenomenon.	D．By drawing a comparison.

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

A．Disappointed.

B．Dependent.

C．Dynamic.

D．Disabled.

3. Who were to blame in the eyes of the protesters?

A．Government officials.	B．Foreign visitors.
C．City residents.	D．Truck drivers.

4. What is Sunil Lamsal trying to do?

A．Punish the protesters.	B．Meet the villagers’ demand.
C．Stop the villagers’ illegal actions.	D．Urge every family to clean their village.