On March 31, the Eiffel Tower celebrated its 130th anniversary since it opened.
The tower was created by the French engineer Gustave Eiffel and was first intended as the main entrance
Visitors today can choose to climb 1,665 steps or take one of the original elevator cars
Today, the Eiffel Tower is a symbol of France, representing a feeling of pride and thankfulness. It is a global icon that can bring together people from different
2 . A kitchen garden produces vegetables for delicious, healthy meals. It doesn’t have to be right outside the kitchen door, but the closer it is, the better.
Planting a garden: where, when and how. Make a garden plan of what will be planted, where, when and how.
When and how much to water your garden. Vegetables are made mostly of water.
Garden maintenance: keep an eye on it. Sun and rain willing, fast growers such as radishes (萝卜) and salad greens will begin to produce crops as early as 20 to 30 days after planting. Check on them regularly so you get to harvest them before someone else does.
| A．Choosing garden crops |
| B．Getting ready for garden site |
| C．The easier it is for you to get into the garden |
| D．So you need to ensure your plants have enough water |
| E．You show an interest in how to produce multiple harvests |
| F．To do this, you need to get familiar with all kinds of crops |
| G．Besides, protective barriers and organic products can prevent pests and diseases |
3 . Thanks to its harsh environment, Antarctica remained largely untouched by humans for many millennia, allowing a thriving (旺盛的) ecosystem to evolve. However, since the 1990s, the last true wilderness on the planet is becoming an increasingly popular destination for adventure-seeking tourists. Now, a new study declares that the visitors may be leaving behind harmful bacteria which could devastate the area’s native bird population.
Humans can infect animals with illnesses such as the flu. Researchers, however, believed that the Antarctic animals were immune to the danger due to the continent’s extreme weather. However, microbiologist Marta Cerda-Cuellar was not convinced.
She and some colleagues decided to examine waste samples from Antarctic birds for evidence of human bacteria. To ensure the waste was not polluted, the scientists had to collect it from the birds themselves.
The results of their study revealed the presence of several types of human bacteria in the bird waste. This included a common strain (品种) of bacteria that causes food poisoning in humans. The researchers say the bacteria strains were resistant to commonly-used human antibiotics (抗生素)，indicating they were brought in by the visitors, rather than migratory birds (候鸟).
“These strains, which are a common cause for infections in humans and livestock, do not usually cause death outbreaks in wild animals,” says Gonzalez-Solis. “However, the emerging or invasive pathogens (病原体) that arrive to highly sensitive populations could have severe consequences and cause the local collapse and extinction of some populations. “The researcher also fears the presence of these bugs could foreshadow the arrival of other, more deadly, pathogens as the number of tourists people increases.
Experts believe the only way to prevent the mass destruction of the birds is to impose stricter regulations or, at least, put the ones already in place into effect. For example, while the Antarctica Treaty requires visitors to carry their waste back home to safeguard the pristine environment, the regulation is rarely enforced. Nowadays, some officials are taking steps to save the vulnerable birds before it’s too late.
1. What problem is Antarctica facing according to Paragraph 1&2?| A．The increasing number of tourists. |
| B．The worsening wilderness. |
| C．The replaced native bird population. |
| D．The spread of infectious illnesses. |
| A．To treat their illness. | B．To get their waste. |
| C．To raise them as pets. | D．To study their lifestyles. |
| A．Bacteria can be killed by human antibiotics. |
| B．Extreme weather keeps Antarctic animals healthy. |
| C．Humans bring bacteria to Antarctica. |
| D．Antarctic animals are immune to human bacteria. |
| A．Indifferent. | B．Doubtful. | C．negative. | D．Optimistic. |
4 . Getting rid of(丢弃) old tyres(轮胎) has long been a problem. Every year many tyres are thrown. Some of the ways might be better than getting rid of them, but they are not especially green.
Energy recovery(回收利用) is one common way. This includes burning tyres to produce electricity, or as a way to provide heat for other industrial processes. But that produces planet-warming pollution. Tyres can be whole or broken in construction projects, such as repairing roads. There are, however, worries about chemicals from the tyres coming out and polluting the ground.
So some companies have begun exploring another pleasing idea. Since tyres are mostly made from hydrocarbons(碳氢化合物), it should be possible in principle to turn old tyres into environmentally friendly materials which can be used to run some cars they came from. One of the most thoughtful companies is based in Oslo, Norway. Later this year the company will start building a huge tyre-reused factory in Sunderland in northeastern England. In a couple of years, when the factory is fully operational, it will be able to turn 8 million old tyres into new products.
The process works by dividing a tyre into its three main parts. One is steel, which is used to support the structure of a tyre and which can be easily reused. The second is powder used to improve the continuous use of the tyre. The third is rubber. Some of that will be natural rubber from the rubber trees. The carbon black can be reused to make new tyres. That is of interest to tyre makers because it helps efforts to become carbon neutral(碳中和).
1. What is the disadvantage of energy recovery of tyres mentioned in the text?| A．It is unpractical. | B．It produces pollution. |
| C．It costs a lot. | D．It produces less electricity. |
| A．By giving an example. | B．By making questions. |
| C．By following time order. | D．By comparing differences. |
| A．Costly. | B．Useful. | C．Dangerous. | D．Short-lived. |
| A．Tyres can be divided into three parts |
| B．A company built a tyre-reused factory |
| C．Energy recovery can deal with old tyres |
| D．Old tyres can become environmentally friendly materials |
5 . Wildlife biologist Purnima Devi Barman remembers the first time she ever saw the nest of a greater adjutant stork (秃鹳) in a tree near her grandmother’s home. Her grandmother would tell her stories about birds and animals under the tree. The love for the natural world developed in those years led Barman to devote her life to saving the endangered greater adjutant stork.
Known as the Hargila in Assam, the greater adjutant stork is the second-rarest stork in the world. Unlike pandas or lions, whose attractive appearances help gain widespread support for their protection, these tall, bald, clumsy birds meet with bias in conservation campaigns.
“Hargilas also bear a reputation of bringing bad luck,” says Barman. “What was the point of writing my paper on them if there was no way of actually saving these birds? I had to start with changing the misconception.”
Not one to shy away from a challenge, Barman put her PhD on hold and set to work. “I started engaging with the women in the village. In our experience, educating and securing the participation of women ensures that the learning passes on to the next generation,” Barman says.
Today, around 400 women have been trained to work on conserving this rare bird. The group’s activities include awareness-building in schools and plantation drives in which 45,000 trees were planted to support the stork’s future populations.
A key component allowing Barman to successfully integrate conservation efforts into the village cultural life was her idea of building related livelihoods. Weaving (纺织) is a long-standing craft in Assam, so Barman created a self-help group employing women to weave stork patterns on textiles. This innovative idea was highlighted at the UN Champion of the Earth Awards she won in 2022.
Currently the number of greater adjutant nests in Assam’s Kamrup district has grown from 28 in 2010 to more than 250. The once unlucky stork is now a symbol of community pride, its pictures appearing on bags, blankets and celebration decorations.
1. What motivated Barman to save the greater adjutant stork?| A．Her interest in observing nests. | B．Her passion for doing research. |
| C．Her love for nature from childhood. | D．Her grandmother’s encouragement. |
| A．Prejudice. | B．Support. | C．Danger. | D．Success. |
| A．The stork is common in appearance. | B．The stork was believed to be unlucky. |
| C．She had not finished her paper for PhD. | D．She lacked experience in wildlife conservation. |
| A．By creating related jobs. | B．By teaching women to weave. |
| C．By planting trees in the village. | D．By advertising local products. |
It is not every day that scientists explore a beautifully protected ancient forest deep inside a sinkhole (落水洞).
Such a
The sinkhole also had other plants
Apart from being deep, the sinkhole is 306 metres long
The scientists said the forest was an ancient woodland and it had probably never been disturbed (打扰) by human activity. These types
China is home to the world’s deepest sinkhole, Xiaozhai Tiankeng, which is 662 metres deep and was
In the Bahamas, Dean’s Blue Hole is another sinkhole famous for
7 . The levees (防洪堤) that protect New Orleans held up against Hurricane Ida’s fury (猛烈), passing their first big test since Hurricane Katrina that struck 16 years ago. The government spent billions of dollars to upgrade the city’s levee system which had failed before Katrina. But the effort couldn’t spare some neighboring communities from Ida’s terrible storm surge (风暴潮).
Many people living in LaPlace, located 25 miles west of New Orleans, had to be rescued from rising floodwaters. Marcie Jacob Hebert ran away before Ida. But she has no doubt that the storm flooded her LaPlace home. Her house didn’t flood during Katrina. But it took on nearly two feet of water during Hurricane Isaac in 2012. “We didn’t have these problems until everybody else’s levees worked,” said Hebert, 46. “It may not be the only cause, but I sure do think it makes a difference.”
Gov. John Bel Edwards said a recent survey of levees across Louisiana showed they did exactly what they were for and held the water out. “We don’t believe there is a single levee anywhere now that actually broke or failed. There were only a few smaller levees in New Orleans that failed,” Edwards said.
After Katrina, the government spent $14.5 billion on projects designed to improve protection from storm surge and flooding in New Orleans and nearby areas. The system is a 130-mile ring built to hold out storm surge of about 30 feet. In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina produced a storm surge that flooded about four-fifths of the city, causing over 1,800 deaths.
Work recently began on a levee project to protect LaPlace and other communities outside New Orleans’ levee system. That project will be completed in 2024.
“I’m glad they’re building us a levee, but I worry about what happens to the next group further to the west,” Hebert said. “The water has got to go somewhere no matter how many levee systems are built. We can’t just keep moving it from person to person, place to place.”
1. What is the reason for the flooding in LaPlace according to Hebert?| A．Heavy rainfall. | B．Weather change. | C．Levees breaking. | D．Nearby levees. |
| A．It costs too much. | B．It may cause danger. |
| C．It is generally satisfying. | D．It badly needs improvements. |
| A．Provide some helpful suggestions. | B．Offer some background information. |
| C．Introduce a new topic for discussion. | D．Discuss the causes of the problem. |
| A．Levees cannot completely solve the problem. |
| B．Some locals had better move away from LaPlace. |
| C．The levee project in LaPlace won’t be finished on time. |
| D．It is a mistake to build a levee system for locals in LaPlace. |
8 . The distinctive smell of wet dogs was a reminder of the Christmas vacation when I was twelve. My cousins from Ohio were
On the third day of our festivities, we were so
We all
| A．working | B．travelling | C．visiting | D．coming |
| A．air | B．snow | C．water | D．sun |
| A．pond | B．sea | C．beach | D．well |
| A．change | B．ruin | C．attempt | D．lengthen |
| A．gifted | B．nervous | C．frustrated | D．eager |
| A．warmth | B．freeze | C．temperature | D．freedom |
| A．excitement | B．fear | C．courage | D．anxiety |
| A．surfing | B．struggling | C．performing | D．swimming |
| A．normally | B．actually | C．especially | D．generally |
| A．laughed | B．screamed | C．watched | D．escaped |
| A．guard | B．friend | C．dog | D．cousin |
| A．cover | B．hide | C．bury | D．equip |
| A．curious | B．clean | C．wet | D．lost |
| A．break away | B．dry out | C．calm down | D．get up |
| A．informing | B．warning | C．convincing | D．reminding |
9 . A 3-year-old boy who was lost in the woods for 3 days is now safe at home. But Casey told his parents that he was not
The child went
Casey told the police that he had
| A．afraid | B．amazed | C．alone | D．addicted. |
| A．dog | B．cat | C．toy | D．bear |
| A．missing | B．swimming | C．hiking | D．camping. |
| A．ran | B．returned | C．walked | D．hurried. |
| A．participated in | B．arrived in | C．checked in | D．handed in |
| A．laughing | B．crying | C．singing | D．reading. |
| A．questioned | B．examined | C．practised | D．commented. |
| A．confidence | B．puzzles | C．injuries | D．efforts. |
| A．hung out | B．left alone | C．worked out | D．cleaned up. |
| A．brother | B．sister | C．friend | D．soldier. |
| A．play | B．travel | C．survive | D．compete. |
| A．Therefore | B．Instead | C．Besides | D．However. |
| A．warned | B．thanked | C．informed | D．requested. |
| A．patience | B．money | C．kindness | D．time. |
| A．challenge | B．recognize | C．watch | D．contact |
10 . For some ant queens, the secret to long life might be a self-produced insulin (胰岛素) blocker. Ant queens are famously long-lived even though they shouldn’t be. Generally, animals that put lots of energy into reproduction sacrifice some time off their life. But ant queens produce millions of eggs and live an extraordinarily long time compared with worker ants that don’t reproduce.
Now, researchers have shown how one ant species pulls off this anti-aging great work. When queens of the species, Harpegnathos saltator (跳跃蚁), are prepared to reproduce, a part of what is called the insulin signaling pathway gets blocked, slowing aging. In a rare behavior for ants, when a queen H. saltator dies, some female workers begin competing in fights for the chance to replace her. These hopeful royals start laying eggs and then change into queen-like forms called gamergates (雌工虫). When a worker changes to a gamergate, her life length becomes five times as long as it was. But if she doesn’t end up becoming a queen and goes back to a worker, her lifetime shortens again.
The researchers researched this behavior in these ants. It turns out that H. saltator gamergates extend their lifetime by taking advantage of a split in the insulin signaling pathway, the chain of chemical reactions that drive insulin’s effects on the body. One branch of this pathway is involved with reproduction, while the other is linked to aging.
Examining patterns of gene activity, expert Yan and his colleagues found that gamergates have more active insulin genes than regular worker ants and, as a result, have increased metabolic (新陈代谢的) activity and physical development. But the secret sauce protecting the ants from the insulin’s aging effects appears to be what is called Imp-L2, which blocks the branch of the insulin pathway linked to aging. The branch involved in reproduction, however, remains active.
These results represent a leap forward in our understanding of extreme social insect lifetime, while also showing an anti-aging evolutionary adaptation that hasn’t been seen in the wild before.
1. How does the author begin the text?| A．By listing data. | B．By quoting a saying. |
| C．By asking a question. | D．By describing a phenomenon. |
| A．They live longer than before. |
| B．They rarely fight with each other. |
| C．They are resistant to become queens. |
| D．They are five times shorter than worker ants. |
| A．It may prevent ants from aging. |
| B．It may reduce ants’ metabolic activity. |
| C．It may regulate ants’ physical development. |
| D．It may protect ants’ reproductive capability. |
| A．Complicated. | B．Controversial. | C．Instructive. | D．Invalid. |
