1 . During the summer of 2021, I flew to Greece to learn more about the wildfires there. I wanted to hear people’s stories, to understand what it meant to be displaced by environmental disaster.

In a cafe for people surviving the fire, I met brave children who now have to live with terrible scars, physical and emotional. I met a man who could not even speak to me, his eyes filling with tears.

I was expecting to hear a lot about loss; I was not expecting to learn so much about the attribution (归因) of blame. I came to understand how desperately people needed to blame a tangible entity (实体) –a person, a group of people, the government. Indeed, this was understandable and reasonable. The outbreak and mishandling of the fire needed to be explored, looked into and dealt with.

What surprised me, however, was that the survivors were completely silent over any mention of the climate crisis and global heating. It was made clear to me that this subject was unacceptable. Survivors felt that these issues had nothing to do with what they had suffered, and that the people actually responsible needed to pay.

But when it comes to climate breakdown, blame did not come to just one person, one corporation, one country. In Greece, the fire didn’t rage so hard because someone had set off a spark—— it raged so hard because years of global heating had dried up the land, part of a set of unsustainable (不能持续的) practices and inaction that had set our planet on fire. And now the fires are even worse.

The more I spoke to people, including climate scientists, the more I came to see that there is often a gap that separates science from public awareness. In her book “Engaging With Climate Change” Sally Weintrobe says that “many people who accept global warming continue to regard it as a problem of the future”. To my astonishment, this seemed to apply even to people who had themselves been affected directly by wildfires.

1. What did the author hardly expect to learn in Greece?

A．Kids’ scars.	B．Economic loss.
C．Survivors’ blame.	D．Duration of the fire.

2. What did the survivors think of the fire?

A．It was closely related to global heating.

B．They couldn’t accept its massive destruction.

C．The government should be responsible for it.

D．It resulted from someone’s setting fire to the forest.

3. What does Sally Weintrobe say about global warming?

A．Much attention has been given to it.

B．People don’t consider it serious now.

C．Scientists are urged to apply efficient way to it.

D．People should make their opinions about it heard.

4. What is the purpose of the passage?

A．To inform readers of wildfires in Greece.

B．To encourage readers to donate to survivors.

C．To equip people with surviving skills in wildfires.

D．To raise people’s awareness about the climate crisis.

2 . New Caledonian crows are well-known for using different types of tools for preying (捕食) from tree holes and other hiding places. While they firmly hold their tools in the bill, they need to put them down to eat. This is when crows are at risk of losing their tools by accidentally dropping them or having them stolen by other crows.

In an earlier study, researchers in the UK had discovered that crows keep their tools safe when not needed, using one of two “safekeeping” strategies—they either securely hold them trapped underfoot, or temporarily put them into a nearby hole or behind bark. But are crows more careful when handling particularly valuable tools?

“Many of us will fuss (大惊小怪) about a brand-new phone, making sure it does not get scratched, dropped or lost. But we may handle an old phone with a cracked screen quite carelessly,” said lead author Barbara Klump from the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Germany.

Crows at one of the team’s long-term study sites use two different kinds of stick tools: complex hooked tools and basic non-hooked tools. The former are painstakingly crafted from a relatively scarce plant species, while the latter are simply twigs (细枝) sourced from the forest floor. “Hooked tools are not only more costly to obtain, but they are also much more efficient,” explained Barbara Klump. “Depending on the foraging (觅食) task, crows can get prey with these tools up to ten times faster than with non-hooked tools.”

In their new study, the researchers now discovered that New Caledonian crows are more likely to keep valuable hooked tools safe between uses than the more basic non-hooked tools. “It was exciting to see crows are just a bit more careful with tools that are more efficient and more costly to replace. This suggests that they have some conception of the relative value’ of different tool types,” noted study co-author James St Clair.

This is the first study to investigate how animals handle and store tools of different kinds, providing a new way to measure how much they value these objects.

1. Why are phones mentioned in paragraph 3?

A．To indicate the necessity of phones in our daily life.

B．To emphasize people’s attachment to their old devices.

C．To stress the similarity between humans and crows.

D．To show people’s improper attitude to old things.

2. What’s the main advantage of a hooked tool?

A．It can be gotten easily.	B．It can be adjusted freely.
C．It can make crows’ foraging more productive.	D．It can prevent crows from danger.

3. What excited the researchers about the New Caledonian crows?

A．Their secret hiding places.	B．Their unusual eating habits.
C．Their creation of complex tools.	D．Their treatment of valuable tools.

4. Which can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Crows Use Strategies to Gain Valuable Tools

B．Crows Learn to Use Special Tools for Preying

C．New Discovery of How Crows Make Tools

D．New Caledonian Crows Keep Favorite Tools Safer

3 . With the weight of its tall buildings, streets and people, New York City is sinking at an average rate of 1 to 2 millimetres each year, a new study says.

The sinking is called “subsidence”. That natural process happens everywhere as ground is compressed (压紧). But the study sought to estimate how the huge weight of the city itself is hurrying things along.

Over 1 million buildings are spread across five boroughs (自治区). The research team found that all those structures add up to 1. 5 trillion metric tons of concrete, metal and glass, equal to the mass of 4, 700 Empire State buildings pressing down on the Earth.

The rate of compression is different throughout the city. Midtown Manhattan’s skyscrapers are largely built on rock, which compresses very little. But some parts of Brooklyn, Queens and downtown Manhattan are on looser soil and sinking faster, the study said.

While the process is slow, parts of the city will eventually be under water. Researchers reached conclusions using satellite imaging, data modeling and mathematical calculations. It will take hundreds of years before New York becomes Venice, which is famously sinking into the Adriatic Sea. But parts of New York are more at risk. A researcher said Manhattan is at risk because of the borough’s large weight.

The ocean is rising at a similar rate that the land is sinking. So the Earth’s changing climate could speed up the process for parts of the city to go under water. Already, New York City is at risk of flooding because of large storms. Storms like Sandy in 2012 caused the ocean to expand inland and flooded neighbourhoods after a lot of rain.

New York City is not the only place sinking. San Francisco, California, is also at risk because of pressure on the ground and the area’s active earthquakes. In Indonesia, the government is preparing for a move from Jakarta, which is sinking into the Java Sea. The government is building a new capital being constructed on the higher ground of an entirely different island.

1. What is the main reason for the different compression rates in New York?

A．Different measurement methods.	B．Different geological(地质的)conditions.
C．Different building materials and styles.	D．Different climate changes and impacts.

2. What is the basic reason for Manhattan to be Venice?

A．Its huge weight.	B．Its distance to the sea.
C．Its similar position.	D．Various frequent natural disasters.

3. What is the purpose of the last paragraph?

A．To keep the reader’s attention.

B．To improve the atmosphere.

C．To show the issue is common.

D．To point out the negative effect of sinking.

4. What is a suitable title for the text?

A．New York City Is Slowly Sinking	B．The Flavour of New York City
C．Here Comes a Future Venice	D．The Problems Caused by Dropping

4 . 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。

China will release the world’s first high-fidelity (高保真) virtual giant panda and a metaverse-like(类似宇宙的) world     1     it will live, China’s forestry and grassland authority announced. The digital giant panda will be able to interact with humans after     2    (give) Al life in this metaverse-like world.

The details of the giant panda’s bones, muscles, skin, hair and facial features will be created with millimeter-level precision. After it goes online, the public can immerse     3    (they) in the habitat with their mobile phones to learn about the living habits and environment of the pandas.

The digital project     4    (aim) at telling the stories of flagship species at China’s national parks including giant pandas, golden snub-nosed monkeys, Asian elephants and Siberian tigers, and it is also a creative way     5    (show) the world China’s efforts in bio-diversity.

    6     this, Al has also been successfully used elsewhere. It has been used to     7    (automatic) identify and analyze the tracks of snow leopards from 100,000 photos taken every three months in national parks, increasing the     8    (accurate) of identification to 98 percent and     9    (strength) the efficiency of protection measures.

The National Forestry and Grassland Administration has also introduced VR solutions, which make visiting China’s Northeast Tiger and Leopard National Park on people’s phones     10     reality.

5 . Australian scientists have started vaccinating (接种疫苗) wild koalas against the disease Chlamydia (衣原体病) in an ambitious trial in New South Wales (NSW). They want to test a way to protect the animals against the widespread condition that causes blindness, the inability to have babies, and death.

“It’s killing koalas because they become so sick that they can’t climb trees to get food, and females are unable to have babies,” said Dr. Samuel Phillips, a microbiologist at the University of the Sunshine Coast.

Around half of the wild koala population in the Northern Rivers region of NSW—about 50 animals—will be caught and vaccinated. “We want to evaluate what percentage of the koalas we need to vaccinate to meaningfully reduce infection and disease,”said Dr. Phillips.

The first koalas were caught and vaccinated in March and the effort is expected to last about three months. Researchers use telescopes to spot koalas in the trees, then build fences around the tree bases with doors leading into cages. After a few hours or days, the koalas climb down from one tree to seek tasty leaves on another and wander into the harmless traps.

After a cheek-up to make sure the animals are in good condition, researchers give them anaesthesia (麻醉) to make them sleep before they administer the vaccine. They watch the koalas’health for 24 hours after they wake up to make sure there are no side effects. The goal is to vaccinate healthy koalas to prevent them from becoming infected with chlamydia. The researchers mark the koalas’backs with pink dye so the same animals aren’t caught twice.

It is not known what caused koalas to catch chlamydia, but the scientists believe it was probably from exposure to the infected sheep and cattle. It spreads when koalas mate, or it can be passed from a mother to her babies.

1. Why was the ambitious trial started?

A．To establish a wildlife reserve.	B．To attract the tourists of all ages.
C．To test a newly developed vaccine.	D．To reduce infection among koalas.

2. What is Dr. Phillips’attitude towards the current condition of koalas?

A．Uncaring.

B．Doubtful.

C．Concerned.

D．Cautious.

3. Which can best describe the process of giving koalas an vaccine?

A．Dangerous.

B．Demanding.

C．Simple.

D．Useless.

4. What is the last paragraph mainly about?

A．Why koalas suffer from the disease.	B．How researchers recognize koalas.
C．What a koala family largely feeds on.	D．When a female koala can have a baby.

6 . Beijing and Xi’an 5-Day Itinerary

This itinerary is top recommended if you are the first time to China. It connects the two classic must-visit cities that allow you to learn most about Chinese civilization and late-imperial and modern-era history.

■ Day 1: Beijing (visit the Forbidden City with a hutong walking tour)

■ Day 2: Beijing (go to the Great Wall and learn about the sacrificial culture in the Temple of Heaven)

■ Day 3: Beijing (visit the famous royal garden — the Summer Palace, and take & bullet train to Xi’an)

■ Day 4: Xi’an (the Terracotta Army with a hands-on terracotta-warrior-making experience and a walking/biking experience on the City Wall)

■ Day 5: Xi’an (visit a famous pagoda and museum to learn about Chinese history)

In Beijing, discover the imperial past in the Forbidden City, which used to be the home of China’s 24 emperors. Hike on the Great Wall to see the watchtowers and majestic natural mountain views.

Stroll around old hutongs, where you could catch a glimpse of the traditional daily lifestyle of Beijing’s local people.

For a more in-depth travel experience, you could visit a local family’s home and learn some Chinese culture and philosophy of living.

The famous Terracotta Warriors is the must-visit attraction. The highlight of the visit would be a hands-on experience of making your own clay warriors. You would learn more about the making, preservation, and story behind the Terracotta Warriors.

Walk on the 600-year-old Ancient City Wall and catch a full view of the city. If time permits, the sunset time would be the best for a stunning view. For learning about Chinese history, Shannxi History Museum and Big Wild Goose Pagoda are worth visiting.

All our tours can be adjusted based on your needs. Just contact us at https://www.chinahighlights.com/travel guide/.

1. Which is the best means of transportation during the travel?

A．By bike.

B．On foot.

C．By air.

D．In a bus.

2. What is suggested to know more about local life style?

A．Visiting the Temple of Heaven.	B．Walking Around old hutongs.
C．Being a guest in a local family.	D．Producing your own soldier statues.

3. Who is probably the text written for?

A．An architect.	B．A tour guide.
C．A foreign visitor.	D．A Chinese historian.

7 . 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。

The Yellow River and the Yangtze River are the two most important rivers. Both of     1     run through central China. Not only were these major rivers a great source of fresh water and food in ancient China, they also were the     2     (subject) of Chinese art and literature (文学).

Often, the Yellow River     3     (call) the “cradle of Chinese civilization (中华文明的摇篮)”. It is 3,395 miles long, making it the sixth     4     (long) river in the world. Early Chinese farmers built small villages along the Yellow River. The rich yellow colored earth was good for growing millet (小米). Farmers of this area also raised sheep and other animals.

The Yangtze River is south of the Yellow River and flows (流动) in the same     5     (direct) (west to east). Just     6     the Yellow River, the Yangtze played     7     important role in the development of ancient China.

Ancient Chinese farmers that lived along the Yangtze River     8     (make) full use of the warm and rainy weather to grow rice.     9     (final) the land along the Yangtze became some of the most important and     10     (product) places in all of ancient China. The Yangtze also served as a boundary between northern and southern China. It is very wide and difficult to cross. The famous Battle of Red Cliffs took place along the river.

8 . 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.

Nature inspired us to figure out ways to solve the problems we faced. Birds inspired us to fly, beavers gave us ideas on how to build dams (大坝) and even tiny white ants demonstrated building ideas that we could use. By means of     1    (study) the workings of wildlife, we've come up     2     some pretty brilliant inventions. Here' re some examples to inspire students to explore their own ideas.

Bats (蝙蝠) can use     3    (they) mouths and ears to identify high-frequency sound waves, allowing them to avoid barriers and catch insects in the air. They do this by making sounds     4     can be reflected off a surface in a process     5    (call) echolocation. It is no big surprise that researchers are working on ways that poor-sighted people can use a system like echolocation.

Spider (蜘蛛) silk is one of the strongest materials in nature, believed to be five times     6    (strong) than steel. But unlike steel, spider silk is both flexible     7     lightweight. Scientists recently created a new type of medical tape based on the features of spider silk.

Even plants can inspire invention.     8     electrical engineer named George de Mestral noticed that burrs from burdockplants (牛蒡植物的芒刺) stuck fast to his unfortunate hunting dog. From that bit of inspiration, he invented Velcro, one of the most     9    (wide) used fastening systems in human history.

Students should     10    (encourage) to study the characteristics of a plant or animal and see what inventions or ideas they can design.

9 . Fill in the blanks with the appropriate forms of the given words and expressions to complete the passage. Note that there are two more options than you need.

sail                    exceptional             set out             crew                    starve             freezing rescue               remote                    accompany       sink                    wave             abandon

Shackleton’s 1914 adventure, called the Endurance Expedition, was designed to cross Antarctica. His ship, the Endurance, was unfortunately stuck in ice and the     1     had to spend their days in complete darkness and     2     cold for eight months. When spring finally came, the ship, to their great disappointment, broke in the melting ice. They had no choice but to     3     ship. With three open lifeboats saved from the broken ship, Shackleton and his men eventually made it to Elephant Island. However, since the island was     4     from any shipping routes, it was unlikely that the men would be     5    . In order to save themselves, Shackleton,     6     by five most trusted men, left most of his men on Elephant Island and     7     for South Georgia, 810 miles away. The     8     in this part of the world can often reach 50 feet. Can you imagine that? They     9     in an open 23-foot boat! Almost three weeks later, Shackleton and his men, extremely tired and     10    , reached a whaling station after marching over the mountains of South Georgia. With help provided by the Chilean government, the captain finally made his way back to Elephant Island to save his men. Nobody died. Nobody!

10 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What probably happened in Fountain Hills during the winter?

A．It didn’t rain much.

B．All animals died off.

C．Many chemicals were used.

2. Which was a result of the environmental damage?

A．People got sick easily.

B．Black birds were missing.

C．The farmland couldn’t produce food.

3. Why did a lot of bees disappear?

A．They were eaten by birds.

B．They were dying off themselves.

C．They were killed by the government.

4. What do the scientists offer to do?

A．Tell people the importance of bees.

B．Teach farmers how to grow food.

C．Bring bees from the town.