1 . Explorer Lucy Shepherd and her team completed a 253-mile walk across the Amazon’s Kanuku Mountains in 50 days.

She said she _______ deadly snakes and groups of wasps (黄蜂) and had to climb a tree to _______ a herd of wild boars (野猪). “I’m exhausted but excited,” she said.

Ms. Shepherd _______ the challenge in the hope of highlighting the ongoing deforestation (滥伐森林) of the Amazon and the _______ to protect wildlife areas.

For 17 days of the mission the group travelled without seeing _______, due to the thickness of the jungle’s covering. Once they were left holding their backpacks to stay afloat (漂浮) as their boat _______ in the strong rapids of the river. Ms Shepherd said she did not have accurate maps to _______.

“It was a _______ but unbelievably rewarding journey and to see what we’ve _______ together as a team is just ________,” she said. “To know I have witnessed the ________ of one of the last remaining unexplored wildernesses on earth is the ________ that will stay with me forever.”

“The Kanuku Mountains are ________ growing pressures from unsustainable (不可持续的) wildlife hunting and trapping, logging and mining, as well as forest clearing for agricultural expansion, which all ________ this unique ecosystem,” she said.

Ms Shepherd’s next journey is to ________the Arctic next year.

1.

A．found

B．met

C．ate

D．caught

2.

A．trick

B．shoot

C．escape

D．hunt

3.

A．took on

B．gave up

C．thought about

D．fought for

4.

A．need

B．ability

C．potential

D．freedom

5.

A．clouds

B．rocks

C．sunlight

D．water

6.

A．came in

B．broke down

C．set off

D．turned over

7.

A．make

B．follow

C．watch

D．guide

8.

A．smooth

B．dangerous

C．pleasant

D．favorable

9.

A．received

B．prepared

C．achieved

D．expected

10.

A．incredible

B．imaginable

C．possible

D．reliable

11.

A．destruction

B．development

C．change

D．beauty

12.

A．shame

B．reward

C．regret

D．fear

13.

A．facing

B．reducing

C．surviving

D．resisting

14.

A．improve

B．protect

C．support

D．threaten

15.

A．occupy

B．defend

C．explore

D．locate

2 . New research from the University of Portsmouth has shown a marked increase in shipping in the North East Atlantic. Scientists now warn that more monitoring is required to help protect sea life.

Researchers at the University of Ponsmouth have discovered that rates (率) of shipping in the North East Atlantic area rose by 34 per cent in a five-year period. The research is the first detailed survey of shipping activity in the North East Atlantic. Researchers used data from over 530 million vessel (船) positions recorded by Automatic Identification System(AIS). They looked at the change in shipping between 2013 and 2017 across ten different vessel types. In total the study area covered 1.1 million km², including waters off Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany,Iceland, Ireland, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal. Spain, and the UK.

Lead author, James Robbins said: “This change is likely to put more pressure on the marine (海洋的) environment, and may influence the protection of at-risk species. Renewed monitoring effort is needed to make sure that protective measures are enough to save species under threat in a changing environment.”

Some of the greatest shipping increases were found in areas close to the Spanish coast. The Espacio Marino de la Costa da Morte saw a rise of 413 percent in vessel activity. It is an area used to protect seabirds.

Dr. Sarah Marley, Visiting Researcher at the University of Portsmouth, said: “Shipping is the most widespread human activity in our oceans, carrying a set of threats-from unnoticeable effects like underwater noise pollution to serious results when ships hit whales.”

Professor Alex Ford. from the University’s Institute of Marine Sciences, said: “Given the well-documented effects that shipping can have on the marine environment, it is necessary that this situation continues to be monitored-particularly in areas used to protect vulnerable (脆弱的) species which may already be under pressure.”

1. What can we say about the new research?

A．It started in 2013.	B．It is the first of its kind.
C．It was carried out by AIS.	D．It covers the whole Atlantic.

2. What do the underlined words “This change” in paragraph 3 refer to ?

A．Rapid population growth.

B．Rising global temperatures.

C．The huge increase in shipping.

D．The disappearance of marine life.

3. What does Dr. Sarah Marley want to tell us in paragraph 5?

A．Shipping plays an important role in the local economy.

B．Shipping can be a danger to the marine environment.

C．Noise pollution is closely related to human activity.

D．Marine areas should be monitored more carefully.

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．New waterways across the Atlantic

B．The shipping industry in the North East Atlantic

C．New research opens windows into life under the water

D．Sea life needs better protection from an increase in shipping

3 . For most of human history, the stars shone brightly in a dark night sky. But today, cities and towns, increasingly lit by artificial light at night, dramatically reduce the visibility of stars.

Satellite data suggests that light pollution has been increasing in many parts of the world over the last decade. However, satellites miss the blue light of LEDs (发光的二极管), which are commonly used for outdoor lighting, resulting in an underestimate of light pollution.

An international citizen science project called Globe at Night (环球夜景) aims to measure how everyday people’s view of the sky is changing. The data shows that the night sky got, on average, 9.6% brighter every year. For many people, the night sky today is twice as bright as it was eight years ago. The brighter the sky, the fewer stars you can see. If this trend continues, a child born today in a place where 250 stars are visible now would only be able to see 100 stars on his/her 18th birthday.

The main factors leading to increasing brightness of the night sky are industrialization and the growing use of LEDs for outdoor lighting. The loss of dark skies threatens our ability as astronomers to do good science. But everyday people feel this loss too. Starry night skies have inspired artists, writers, musicians and philosophers for thousands of years. Light pollution also has a bad effect on the daily cycle of light and dark that plants and animals use to adjust their lifestyle. Two-thirds of the world’s key biodiversity (生物多样性) areas are affected by light pollution.

Individuals and their communities can make simple changes to reduce light pollution. The secret is using the right amount of light, in the right place and at the right time. Making outdoor lights shine downward, using lights that give out more yellow-colored light instead of white light and putting on light timers can all help reduce light pollution. A view of about 2,500 stars in a truly dark sky might convince you that dark skies are a resource worth saving.

1. How is the first paragraph mainly developed?

A．By giving an example.	B．By making a comparison.
C．By reaching a conclusion.	D．By raising a question.

2. What do the figures in the third paragraph indicate?

A．The light pollution is getting more serious.

B．The night sky today gets darker than before.

C．It’s difficult to imagine a child’s fast growth.

D．LEDs are commonly used for outdoor lighting.

3. What does Paragraph 4 mainly tell us?

A．The bad effects of light pollution.	B．The factors causing light pollution.
C．The functions of starry night skies.	D．Key biodiversity areas in the world.

4. What is the purpose of writing this text?

A．To explain a phenomenon.	B．To suggest a solution.
C．To remember a scientist.	D．To increase public awareness.

4 . According to a new study released Wednesday, human activity has now gone past six of nine planetary boundaries, which are ways to measure the stability and livability of Earth for humans. The study published in the journal Science Advances represents the third update of the planetary boundary framework carried out by 29 scientists from eight different countries.

The planetary boundaries concept identifies nine global priorities relating to human—caused changes to the environment. The concept sets boundaries on how much we can allow ourselves to impact not only the climate but also other global processes that can support modern civilization. Respecting these safety boundaries would minimize the risk of human activities setting off a dramatic and potentially irrecoverable change in global environmental conditions.

Crossing six boundaries does not necessarily mean a disaster to follow, but it is a clear warning signal. “We can regard it as we do our own blood pressure,” said the study lead author Katherine Richardson of the University of Copenhagen in Denmark. “A blood pressure over 120 is not a guarantee of a heart attack but it increases the risk of one. For our own and our children’s sakes we need to reduce the pressure on these six planetary boundaries.”

As pressure on the planet increases and vital boundaries are being violated, we don’t know how long we can keep turning against these key boundaries before combined pressures lead to irrecoverable change and harm.

Richardson likens the framework to a bank statement—“it tells us how much of various resources of the Earth system we can allow ourselves to use without greatly increasing the risk in the overall environmental conditions we experience on Earth.”

According to Richardson, the study shows that focusing on climate alone will not solve the climate crisis; it must be seen together with the biodiversity crisis. Life is what makes this planet unique and it is the interactions between land, ocean, atmosphere and life that together provide conditions upon which our societies depend.

There is still time to prevent disasters, but we must take action, not next year or next month but now.

1. What can be inferred from the first paragraph?

A．Our planet is safe enough to live on.

B．Man puts our environment in great danger.

C．The environmental stability can be ensured.

D．The earth we live on is in a healthy condition.

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

A．Reduce.

B．Increase.

C．Reconsider.

D．Challenge.

3. What does the writer mention a blood pressure over 120 to indicate?

A．Blood pressure is an important indicator in measuring physical health.

B．Breaking six boundaries is certain to result in environmental disasters.

C．Crossing boundaries is a clear warning against damaging environment.

D．Paying attention to the behavior towards environment is very important.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．The nine planetary boundaries we should never go past

B．How much of various resources of the Earth system we can use

C．The ideal conditions upon which our humans depend to survive

D．Immediate actions should be taken to protect the environment

5 . Dogs have a different way of seeing the world compared to human beings. As a result of this they heavily rely on their body language to pass their different messages across to people.     1    

Their Way of Barking

Dogs bark for different reasons. If you notice them barking very often and loudly, they bark for an urgent reason probably.     2     It could also be a sign that they are in some kind of pain. When the barks are shorter and also softer, they probably just want to play around. Pay attention to the barks closely so that you understand exactly what is going on.

Before You Leave

    3     When you see your dog making sad faces while you are leaving, it might feel sad. Don’t worry too much because your little pet knows very well that you will definitely be back.

On Your Feet

Dogs like to lay on people’s feet during dinner time or when people are watching TV.     4     However, it’s just their way of showing you some loyalty (忠诚) and how close they want to get to you. This is a behavior that they obtained from their ancestors long ago.

Resting on you

You should feel honoured when a dog rests against you for support while it’s hanging around the place.     5     Don’t take it as being lazy. The next time your dog does this, just allow them to show their love in this way.

A．This could get a bit annoying.

B．To the dog, this is equal to a hug.

C．It could mean that the dog is really tired.

D．They are also very good at telling twins apart.

E．Read on to find out what your dog tries to tell you.

F．It’s normal for you to feel guilty about leaving your pet at home.

G．Maybe they have sensed some danger around and are trying to inform you about it.

7 . After my diagnosis (诊断) with a cancer, I loved the ________ of having something new and green around. My wife, Hannah, bought me what she said was a lucky bamboo plant in a deep-green pottery bowl. We placed the plant in the living room. I ________ every time I looked at it from the sofa where I spent most of my time.

I told Hannah I wanted to ________ the plant myself. I was pleased when it didn’t immediately turn yellow or brown or ________ all its leaves.

The cancer ________ my ability to walk, and the treatment left me ________, making it hard for me to perform everyday tasks. Since my diagnosis in August 2018, far too often, it seemed that I had to depend on help from other people. The huge ________ left me feeling upset. ________, caring for the plant gave me a sense of ________ at a time when I sometimes felt ________.

Before I fell sick, I had worked as a family doctor. I was used to being the one who ________ care, not the one who received it. Watering the plant, as small an act as it was, connected me to my old _______ and taught me I could still be a caregiver. Plants and ________ could still depend on me.

Over the next few months, I recovered from surgery and ________ work. Now I keep a few pots of lucky bamboo in my clinic. Sometimes, I will give one to my patients, telling them, “Take care of it. It ________ you!”

1.

A．idea

B．photo

C．conclusion

D．story

2.

A．cried

B．nodded

C．smiled

D．escaped

3.

A．hunt for

B．wish for

C．call for

D．care for

4.

A．grow

B．lose

C．decorate

D．shake

5.

A．limited

B．strengthened

C．questioned

D．showed

6.

A．hopeful

B．painless

C．weak

D．energetic

7.

A．success

B．change

C．support

D．failure

8.

A．Besides

B．Unfortunately

C．However

D．Therefore

9.

A．achievement

B．closeness

C．humour

D．adventure

10.

A．proud

B．useless

C．amazed

D．equal

11.

A．accepted

B．approached

C．required

D．provided

12.

A．purpose

B．personality

C．dream

D．identity

13.

A．people

B．memories

C．jobs

D．diseases

14.

A．insisted on

B．gave up

C．returned to

D．resulted in

15.

A．observes

B．needs

C．connects

D．respects

8 . On Sept. 2, 2012, the dog Hunter passed away over the Rainbow Bridge at about 15 years old. He was so sweet and gentle. I rescued him from HELP in 2001 when he was about three (after his second visit to HELP). I went to his foster (代养的) home in North Aurora. His foster mom said she just gave him a shower, so he would be presentable. I walked through the door and there were many dogs and toys. I never understood why he came to the shelter twice. He did get two pieces of bread from the table and put them on the floor, but that was my carelessness and I quickly learned that. No more problems.

On the way home that day, I promised him he was home for good and he would never have to worry again—I would love him till the end. That was the best move I had ever made. I just lost my dog Bo two months ago. Now Hunter brought sunshine into my life and saved me. Near the end of his life, I was able to repay him for all he had done for me.

I do not remember his foster mom’s name. I promised to send the latest information to her, but lost her email address. I wish I could tell her what a good dog Hunter turned out to be, but I’m sure she already knew that. If she is still a foster mom, perhaps she will read this.

I should have written this long ago. How time flies! Hunter was the finest dog I had ever raised. We shared thousands of miles on the trail (小径). Everyone who ever met him fell in love with him.

1. Why did the author get to the foster home?

A．To save a poor dog.	B．To buy some bread.
C．To meet his friend.	D．To treat a sick pet.

2. How did the author probably feel about Hunter?

A．Carefree.

B．Regretful.

C．Thankful.

D．Nervous.

3. What can we learn about Hunter after he lived with the author?

A．He missed his home.	B．He was well-loved.
C．He often acted badly.	D．He was lost on the road.

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

A．To present a hotline.	B．To share his social skills.
C．To remember a dog.	D．To show his love of wildlife.

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。

Camellias (山茶花) are available in a great range     1     colors — red, pink, white and mixed colors. For the longest time, the golden camellias lived in a valley     2     was unknown to the outside world.

In the 1960s, Chinese scientists announced their discovery of the golden camellias. It was an     3     (amaze) announcement for the international gardening community. Also, the discovery made     4     achievable to create yellow camellias, though creating a new kind of golden camellia was not very easy.

Unfortunately, in the past, golden camellias were cut down in large numbers because     5     (local) needed the limited land space for farming. In 1986, a nature reserve (自然保护区)     6     (build) in a mountain valley from 200 to 500 meters above sea level, so the camellias could be well protected. Years ago, Huang Zainian and his brothers took up the work. In the past 10 years, the Huang brothers have made a great     7     (contribute) in protecting the camellias. Even in hard times they didn’t cut down any golden camellias.

Year after year, the Huang brothers spent much time working     8     eventually made their hard work pay off. Now the golden camellia is     9     city flower of Fangchenggang. And life for the Huang brothers is greatly improved by     10     (plant) golden camellias.

10 . Bottlenose dolphin moms adapt their individually special whistles (口哨) when their babies are nearby. This “parentese” might increase attention, bonding (联系) and vocal learning in babies, as it seems to do in humans.

During the first few months of life, each common bottlenose dolphin develops a unique tune, or signature whistle, similar to a name. The dolphins shout out their own “names” in the water “likely as a way to keep track of each other,” says marine biologist Laela Sayigh. But dolphin moms seem to adjust that tune in the presence of their babies, which tend to stick by mom’s side for three to six years.

Sayigh and colleagues analyzed signature whistles from 19 female dolphins both with and without their babies close by. Audio recordings were got from a wild population that lives near Sarasota Bay, Fla., during catch-and-release health assessments that occurred from 1984 to 2018. The researchers examined 40 examples of each dolphin’s signature whistle, confirmed by the unique way each vocalization’s frequencies change over time. Half of each dolphin’s whistles were voiced in the presence of her baby. When youngsters were around, the moms’ whistles contained,   on average, a higher maximum and slightly lower minimum pitch(音高)compared with those voiced in the absence of babies, contributing to an overall widened pitch range.

These whistle adjustments echo baby talk because human caregivers use real words and language, just with certain inflections (变调), Sayigh says. Formally called child-directed communication, these inflections typically involve higher pitches and a wider pitch range, like what was observed in the dolphins. “Bottlenose dolphins are a main candidate for child-directed communication,” says Quincy Gibson, a marine mammal behavioral ecologist. Similar to humans, these dolphins form strong mother-baby bonds and learn vocalizations.

But to confirm this study’s results, scientists should analyze signature whistles of freely swimming, uncontrolled dolphin moms, notes Gibson. “We do need to look at this question in more natural and undisturbed conditions.” Still, Gibson says, “The idea that there might be similar forces driving parentese in such different species is just really cool.”

1. What can be learned about a bottlenose dolphin’s signature whistle?

A．It warns of danger.	B．It’s voiced by females.
C．It’s targeted at babies.	D．It varies individually.

2. What kind of whistles did a dolphin mom give with her babies nearby?

A．Whistles with a stable frequency.	B．Whistles hard to record.
C．Whistles with a broader pitch range.	D．Whistles with a lower maximum pitch.

3. According to Gibson, the study would be more convincing if_________.

A．more dolphins had been involved

B．the subjects had included different species

C．the dolphins had been studied in the natural environment

D．the dolphins had been studied when they were younger

4. What could be a suitable title for the text?

A．Dolphins and Humans Have Much in Common

B．Bottlenose Dolphins Communicate Like Humans

C．Dolphin Moms Use Baby Talk to Bond with Young

D．Dolphins Have a Highly Advanced Spoken Language