1 . Pacific Coast Range

Stretching along the west coast of North America from northern California to Alaska, the forests found along the Pacific Coast Range are the largest area of temperate (温带的) rainforest in the world. The forests are home to the coast redwood, the world’s tallest tree. Across the region, the forest understory (林下叶层) is wet and heavily vegetated.

Taiheiyo Evergreen Forests

Found in southern Japan, they are temperate rainforests of evergreen broadleaf trees. The forests can receive more than 100 inches of rain every year. The forests are covered by Japanese cedar and Japanese stone oak, while moso bamboo comprise the understory. The extent of the Taiheiyo forests has been reduced due to development and agriculture. Today,17%of the remaining forest is protected by national parks and other reserves.

Atlantic Oakwood Forest

The Atlantic Oakwood Forest covers the wettest parts of the United Kingdom. A species of oak tree (橡树) called sessile oak occupies the landscape. Unlike other temperate forests, these forests tend to have an open understory of grasses. Much of the historical range of the forest has given to agriculture and other development, though that has changed in recent decades.

Valdivian Temperate Rainforest

This forest is found on the west coast of Chile and Argentina, on the wet, western slopes (斜坡) of the Andes mountain range. With the coastline to the west, the peaks of the Andes to the east, and the Atacama Desert to the north, the region supports a number of plant and animal species found nowhere else in the world. Uniquely, the forest is covered by evergreen flowering trees, which are native to Chile and little known outside the region.

1. Which of the four forest areas occupies the most land?

A．Pacific Coast Range.	B．Taiheiyo Evergreen Forests.
C．Atlantic Oakwood Forest.	D．Valdivian Temperate Rainforest.

2. What do Taiheiyo Evergreen Forests and Atlantic Oakwood Forest have in common?

A．They have open understory grasses.	B．They’re home to extremely tall trees.
C．They’re of great historical significance.	D．They used to be affected by agriculture.

3. What is unique to Valdivian Temperate Rainforest?

A．Wet climate.	B．Coastal location.
C．Evergreen flowering trees.	D．Well-protected national parks.

2 . Growing plants at home is a fun and enjoyable activity to do and can be developed as a new hobby.     1     Let’s take a look.

Gardening reduces stress. Gardening is one of the most effective, and fun ways to free yourself from the physical, mental, and emotional stress you have been carrying since the beginning of the week. If you are overworking yourself during the weekdays or seeing yourself drowning in stressful thoughts, try to spend your weekends gardening at home.     2     The sweet smell of the wet soil and the plants’ fascinating colors has a calming effect on our minds.

    3     Just like plants that need sunlight to photosynthesize (光合作用), we also need to be exposed to sunlight. Our body produces or makes natural Vitamin D when the sunlight touches our skin. Gardening outdoors allows us to be exposed to sunlight and, in turn, the sunlight enriches us with Vitamin D. Vitamin D helps protect our body from getting diseases such as cancer.

Gardening is good for your heart. Gardening requires our body to move around by doing simple tasks such as digging the ground, planting seeds, pulling out weeds, and carrying a water container’s load.     4     They allows our body to burn calories and fats, and help strengthen our heart, reducing the risk of suffering from heart attack.

By spending our free time gardening and monitoring our plants’ growth, we are also taking care of ourselves as we gain lots of health and emotional benefits. It is a worthwhile activity because we get to see the results of our hard work when our plants start growing fonder and healthier. The way we take care of our plants reflects the way we take care of ourselves.     5    

A．Gardening is an act of self-love.

B．Gardening is good for your bones.

C．Gardening helps your body against diseases.

D．You will see a significant change in your mind.

E．These simple gardening tasks can be considered a low-level exercise.

F．It also has several positive health and emotional benefits that you can enjoy.

G．Returning home to a place full of beautiful plants helps us enjoy the freshness of the air.

3 . David lost his beloved dog Baya before Christmas two years ago. Baya was active and cute. David’s family spent many days _________ for their furry (毛茸茸的) family member. The kids said they wouldn’t want any _________ from Santa Claus. They just wanted to get their dog back. All attempts to find her turned out to be _________. Baya was nowhere to be found. It seemed that the family wouldn’t have any more _________.

Two years later, a homeless dog _________ alone on a busy road. Someone _________ it to the Animal Protection Association (协会). Thanks to the microchip (芯片) planted in the dog, the association was able to _________ the owner. They _________ David. When David got a phone call that they were going to get Baya back, the family were pretty _________.

Obviously, Baya is __________ to living in this home. She is quite __________ of where her feeding bowl is. Even though Baya isn’t the dog she used to be, David is confident she’ll become her old __________ again. He said, “She was a very healthy and __________ dog. She’s not like that anymore, but we’re going to get her back. Our whole family are taking __________ of her. Kids play with her happily. She’s __________ her joyful nature. We will love her even more.”

1.

A．preparing

B．searching

C．paying

D．begging

2.

A．calls

B．honor

C．gifts

D．rescue

3.

A．fruitless

B．generous

C．worthwhile

D．different

4.

A．advantage

B．challenge

C．decision

D．hope

5.

A．continued

B．appeared

C．hid

D．returned

6.

A．sent

B．forced

C．followed

D．invited

7.

A．refer to

B．rely on

C．track down

D．cheer for

8.

A．appreciated

B．impressed

C．recognized

D．contacted

9.

A．frightened

B．excited

C．confident

D．curious

10.

A．addicted

B．related

C．adapted

D．reduced

11.

A．aware

B．uncertain

C．afraid

D．proud

12.

A．native

B．self

C．partner

D．owner

13.

A．calm

B．average

C．pretty

D．active

14.

A．care

B．notice

C．control

D．advantage

15.

A．removing

B．identifying

C．recovering

D．reserving

4 . A new study warns that more than a fifth of all reptile (爬行动物) species are threatened with extinction, which may have a bad impact on the planet.

The largest ever analysis of the state of the world’s reptiles, published in Nature, has showed that 21% of the reptile species are facing extinction. The study says from lizards to snakes, such a loss could have disastrous impacts on ecosystems around the world.

Although many reptiles live in dry environments such as deserts, most species occur in forests, where they suffer from threats such as logging of land for agriculture.30% of the forest-dwelling reptiles are at risk of extinction, compared with 14% in dry habitats. Hunting is also a major threat to reptiles, especially turtles and crocodiles, many of which are at risk of extinction. Another major contributing factor is the introduction of invasive species.

“If we removed reptiles, it could change ecosystems fundamentally, with unfortunate knock-on effects, such as increases in pest insects,” said Neil Cox, co-leader of the study. “Biodiversity, including reptiles, supports the ecosystem services that provide a healthy environment for people.”

Our hope is that this first-ever assessment of the world’s 10,000-plus reptiles helps put them in the spotlight and goes some way to highlighting this diversity, and just how much we have to lose. As well as controlling rats, mosquitoes and other pests, reptiles deliver many other benefits. “They help spread seeds, especially in island environments,” said researcher Hoffmann. “We’ve also achieved many medical advances from studies of reptiles.”

The results of the study are not all doom and gloom. Scientists have found, surprisingly, that if they set out to protect places where threatened birds, mammals and amphibians (两栖动物) live together, they’ll meanwhile protect many more threatened reptiles.

1. Which is the main concern raised by the new study?

A．The overpopulation of reptiles.	B．The loss of reptiles.
C．The sharp increase in reptile species.	D．The disastrous influence of reptiles on nature.

2. How many factors causing the extinction of species are mentioned in paragraph 3?

A．One.

B．Two.

C．Three.

D．Four.

3. What did Neil Cox and Hoffmann both say about reptiles?

A．Their benefits.	B．Their habitats.
C．Their living habits.	D．Their health problems.

4. What does the underlined phrase “doom and gloom” in the last paragraph mean?

A．Disappointing.

B．Odd.

C．Satisfactory.

D．Amazing.

5 . Plastic is everywhere in our modern world. Its toughness makes it an extremely useful material from household items to vehicle parts, but that same toughness makes it hard to break down for recycling or disposal (处理). However, Japanese scientists at the University of Tokyo have developed a new plastic material that can be broken down more easily and can self-heal and remember past shapes.

Based on a kind of plastic called an epoxy resin vitrimer, which is brittle (脆性的), the new plastic boasts a huge range of advantages. Once scratched with a knife, it can completely patch itself up after being heated to 150 ℃ for just 60 seconds. When shaped into the shape of a crane, then flattened, it can fold itself back into the crane shape by being heated up. It does all of this much faster than others of its type.

The new plastic can also break down easier. Even if it’s discarded (丢弃) into the environment, it still poses less of a, problem than other kinds of plastic, which the team demonstrated by placing it in seawater for 30 days. It biodegraded by 25% and released molecules (分子) that are essential food for marine life.

The new plastic is more resistant to breaking. It can also repair itself, and can recover its original memorized shape. It even biodegrades safely in a marine environment, according to Shota Ando, a researcher of the study.

The material can be used in a variety of applications, “Infrastructure materials for roads and bridges are often composed of epoxy resins mixed with compounds such as concrete and carbon,” said Ando. “By using the new plastic, these would be easier to maintain as they would be stronger and healable using heat. Unlike conventional epoxy resins, this new material is hard but stretchable, so it could also be expected to strongly bond materials of different hardness and stretch.”

1. What is the author’s purpose in writing paragraph 1?

A．To introduce the topic of the text.	B．To show the disadvantages of plastic.
C．To highlight the importance of plastic.	D．To indicate his views on previous plastic.

2. What do the underlined words “patch itself up” mean in paragraph 2?

A．Change itself.

B．Shape itself.

C．Repair itself.

D．Burn itself.

3. What do we know about the new plastic?

A．It is safe for animals in the ocean.	B．It can provide nutrition for animals.
C．It can change its shape when frozen.	D．It is more brittle than previous plastic.

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A．Research Of New Molecules	B．An Interesting Scientific Study
C．The Widespread Application Of Plastic	D．A New Environmentally Friendly Plastic

6 . Landscape architect Kotchakorn Voraakhom has designed a new green roof on the Rangsit Campus of Thammasat University, about 25 miles north of central Bangkok, Thailand. Her imaginative work challenges the common thinking that urbanization has a negative impact on the planet, whether flooding, excess (过度的) energy use, disrupted (扰乱) biodiversity or the heat island effect.

The 236, 806-square-foot structure, which opened in December 2019, includes a flood water management system and Asia’s largest rooftop organic farm. It combines modern landscape architecture with traditional agricultural knowledge, creating a green and friendly environment.

The green roof, containing an H-shaped landscape, looks like a futuristic hill with a brick building beneath it. The hill features a complex pattern of zigzagging terraces (之字形梯田) of planted beds, leading all the way down to the bottom. When rainwater hits the roof, it flows down the zigzags while being absorbed by the soil in the beds, The excess water is directed into four storage ponds — with a capacity of up to 3 million gallons. The process slows down the flow speed of rainwater runoff compared to a normal concrete rooftop. This keeps the area from flooding during heavy rains.

The roof’s terraces are filled with organically grown crops, including a drought tolerant variety of rice, many local vegetables and herbs. The farm can supply the canteens on campus with a large amount of rice, herbs and vegetables a year. The food waste is composted (把……制成堆肥) to fertilize the farm, and water from the storage ponds is used to water plants, creating an entirely localized and circular system.

The farm serves as an outdoor classroom and a source of local jobs, too. Farmers offer workshops on sustainable agriculture and nutrition as part of the university’s sustainability curriculum. “Students and community members are invited to participate in seasonal seeding, harvesting, and so on,” says Voraakhom. “The urban farm is training a new generation of organic farmers with real-world skills. It also promotes a sense of community.”

1. What can we say about Voraakhom’s work?

A．It’s short-lived.	B．It’s creative.
C．It’s demanding.	D．It’s time-consuming.

2. Why is the rooftop designed to be zigzag?

A．To store more water.

B．To plant diverse vegetables.

C．To slow the speed of water flow.

D．To make it look more attractive than other buildings.

3. What can be inferred about the farm from paragraph 4?

A．It uses food as fertilizer.	B．It benefits the environment.
C．It improves students’ lifestyle.	D．It produces vegetables and fruits.

4. What does the author want to show by mentioning the outdoor classroom?

A．Students can learn hands-on knowledge on the farm.

B．Farmers working on the farm can become professors.

C．The farm prevents government from offering people jobs.

D．The farm harms the relationship between university and community.

8 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What is the speaker talking about?

A．His major．

B．His hobby．

C．His job．

2. Where did the speaker watch birds last year?

A．Near the lake．

B．In the forest．

C．In the mountains．

3. Which of the following helps the speaker in bird watching?

A．A tent．

B．A flashlight．

C．A guide book．

4. Why does the speaker like bird watching?

A．It helps him exercise and relax mind．

B．It lets him enjoy natural scenery．

C．It teaches him to protect birds．

9 . Dressed in a kachhad, a traditional Nepalese clothes, Umesh Balal walked into his meetings at the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) on climate change in Dubai with a sense of determination.

Balal, who has physical disability, was there to publicly _________ inclusion of disability rights in the climate change conference, an aspect that he said has long been _________ by organizers of the world’s largest annual meeting on climate issues.

As a student, Balal was _________ about science and involved himself in research on environmental science. Those were his first few interactions that _________ the climate related issues to him. Being from a mountainous region, Balal _________ more about how climate change had _________ people there, which led him to develop climate anxiety.

The more Balan _________ himself to climate science, the more he learned about the impact of climate change. People with more resources have better chances of _________ the climate crisis. But the less developed countries, for the _________ communities, usually don’t have the same opportunities, which will push them further into the __________

And it is even harder for people with __________. Many people with disabilities in Nepal don’t have __________ to proper education or opportunities for growth. As a result, they aren’t able to advocate for their rights.   

In an interview, Balan said, “__________, I am honored that I come from a supportive family, where I had a chance of good education which __________ me to grow in life. This is what I __________for others, to change the way they live their lives.”

1.

A．control

B．achieve

C．support

D．measure

2.

A．ignored

B．studied

C．respected

D．issued

3.

A．anxious

B．particular

C．worried

D．curious

4.

A．sold

B．lent

C．introduced

D．awarded

5.

A．brought

B．knew

C．complained

D．quarreled

6.

A．affected

B．prepared

C．organized

D．admitted

7.

A．devoted

B．changed

C．limited

D．helped

8.

A．comparing with

B．coping with

C．differing from

D．resulting from

9.

A．warmer

B．cleaner

C．poorer

D．quieter

10.

A．confidence

B．calmness

C．honesty

D．crisis

11.

A．rights

B．disabilities

C．degrees

D．advertisements

12.

A．objection

B．attention

C．access

D．gratitude

13.

A．Fortunately

B．Secretly

C．Similarly

D．Naturally

14.

A．forced

B．ordered

C．warned

D．allowed

15.

A．occupy

B．want

C．cheer

D．blame

10 . 阅读下列材料，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

There is a well-known Chinese saying written on the Great Wall, “He     1     Has Not Climbed the Great Wall Is Not a Real Man”. It is a senic spot with a lot of tourists.

The great wall     2     (average) 7.8 meters in height. It is 6.5 meters wide at the base and 5.7 meters at the top. The     3     (wide) is enough for five horses to go side by side.

The Great Wall has     4     history of more than 2,000 years. As early as the Warring States Period, in order to self-protect, kingdoms built walls around     5     (they) territories (领地). This is the earliest Great Wall.

When Qin Shihuang, the first emperor in Chinese history, unified the whole country in 221 B.C., he ordered     6     (build) another new wall on the base of the original walls of the Countries Qin, Zhao, and Yan in effort to guard     7     the invasion (入侵) of the northern nomadic tribes.

Looking from the space, you will find a construction. This is the Great Wall in China.

The Great Wall of China is the     8     (long) defense wall in the world. From the     9     (aspect) of culture and history, the wall is an ancient masterpiece that you can     10     (full) enjoy.