1 . 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。

Illegal ivory (象牙) hunting once posed a significant threat to Kenya’s elephants. But now the giants of the animal kingdom     1    (face) an even bigger risk: climate change.

In the past years, Kenyan     2    (official) have cracked down on hunting,     3     has targeted giraffes for their meat, bones and hair and elephants for their ivory tusks. But as Kenya battles its worst drought in four decades, the crisis is killing 20 times more elephants     4     hunting. In Tsavo National Park much wildlife     5    (flee) in recent years in search of water. To survive, elephants require vast landscapes for food. Adults can consume 300 pounds of food and more than 50 gallons of water     6     day. But rivers, soil and grassland are drying up,     7    (result) in poor and deadly environment.

In the last year, at least 179 elephants have died of thirst, while hunting has claimed the lives of fewer than 10, Kenyan Tourism and Wildlife Secretary Najib Balala told the BBC. “It is a red alarm.” he said of the crisis. Balala suggested that     8     much time and effort has been spent tackling illegal hunting that     9    (environment) issues have been ignored. “We have forgotten to invest into biodiversity     10    (manage) and ecosystems,” he said. “Something must be done to deal with climate change.”

2 . The latest data shows the population of wild Asian elephants in southwest China’s Yunnan Province has increased from around 150 to more than 300 from the 1980s to the end of 2021, according to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.

With the growth in the elephant population, conflicts between humans and elephants have become frequent. In order to fundamentally and peacefully solve the issue and protect the elephant’s habitat at the same time, construction of the Asian elephant National Park is picking up speed. Experts suggest that national parks are not meant to be entirely free of people. Instead, they should offer a method for coexistence.

Asian elephants play an important role as engineers of the rainforest, said the expert. Their migration(迁徙) can speed up the replacement of forest ecosystems along the way. Elephant waste remains not only a delicacy for insects, but also attracts insectivorous birds, allowing plant seeds to spread. Therefore, protecting the elephants and their habitats guarantees the shelter to other wildlife in forest ecosystems.

To cope with human-elephant conflicts, Yunnan took the lead in introducing a commercial insurance model into its compensation(补偿) system: local residents will be paid with the amount of money for the crops destroyed by the elephants by the insurance company. In the past 10 years, Yunnan has paid a total of 173 million yuan for losses caused by Asian elephants.

“The standard of compensation is constantly being adjusted, and the amount of insurance coverage for compensation is also increasing,” said Yang Hua from the Forestry and Grass Bureau of Yunnan Province. “At present, the insured amount in Pu’er City and Xishuangbanna Prefecture alone has already gone beyond 50 million.”

1. Why does the author mention the growing population of wild Asian elephants?

A．To promote a better environment.

B．To introduce a possible crisis.

C．To applaud the efforts of the government.

D．To stress the importance of the elephants.

2. What does the underlined word “insectivorous” mean in paragraph 3?

A．Feeding on insects.	B．Driving away insects.
C．Letting go of insects.	D．Keeping track of insects.

3. What has been done to tackle conflicts between elephants and humans?

A．Construction of undisturbed national parks.

B．Support of Asian elephants’ migration.

C．Constant adjustment of insurance policies.

D．Guarantee of the shelter to other wildlife.

4. What might be the best title?

A．Asian elephants, engineers of the rainforest

B．Insurance adjusted, compensation increased

C．Population of wild Asian elephants shoots up in China

D．China explores solutions to achieve human-elephant harmony

3 . 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 area of the Yellow River Wetland Park in Yinchuan was once a place local people avoided. Now, the park has not only become a popular destination for     1    (local) to take a walk, but also a habitat     2    (frequent) visited by migratory birds.

As secretary­general of Ningxia’s bird observation     3    (associate), Li Zhijun witnessed the huge changes. According to him, the Yinchuan Wetland Park has become a famous spot for bird photographers. More habitats for migratory birds     4    (appear) as the environment improves, added Li in     5     interview with China Daily.

The Yinchuan Wetland Park is a microcosm(缩影) of China’s achievements in wetland protection. On Nov 10, seven Chinese cities     6    (award) “international wetland cities” at the 14th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties. So far, there are 13 wetland cities in China,     7    (show) a great variety of patterns and styles.

Liangping district(区) in Chongqing, however, is totally different from     8       natural wetland is like. People built small wetlands in rural areas. What’s more, they have combined these wetlands     9     organic farms, homestays, and healthcare centers,     10     has resulted in an income increase of 52，000 yuan per household.

5 . It has become common knowledge that our oceans are filled with garbage. Broken objects, used plastic bottles and so on fill our beaches and cover the ocean floor, doing huge damage to ocean creatures. Many individuals and organizations are working to remove this garbage, and recent technological developments have given them a new tool to do so: the trash-eating robot.

Robots of various shapes have been designed to collect garbage that they find floating in the ocean. For example, the French company IADMEEYS has developed what it calls the jellyfishbot. This small robot gathers up everything it meets, including liquid hydrocarbons (碳氢化合物) such as gasoline and oil. The jellyfishbot is remotely controlled and can clean up to 1,000 square meters per hour. The jellyfishbots’ small size and ability to be easily controlled make them ideal for cleaning up crowded areas such as ports.

For larger, more open areas, a much larger robot called the Interceptor has a similar function. Designed for use on rivers, the Interceptor looks like a boat with a conveyor belt (传送带) that picks up trash. Once a sensor indicates that the rubbish bins are full, the Interceptor automatically sends a text message to onshore operators. These operators collect and empty the rubbish bins, sending the garbage to local waste management facilities.

The Interceptor’s name comes from the verb intercept because its purpose is to prevent trash from getting to the ocean. Most of the garbage in the oceans comes down rivers. Cleaning up trash that litters the ocean is good, but to keep the oceans clean, new garbage must be stopped from getting there. Therefore the Interceptor is used to stop pollution before it enters the ocean.

The Interceptor is completely solar-powered and operates on its own, which minimizes the need for human involvement.

Robots are able to clean up large amounts of garbage without humans struggling through beach cleanup by hand. Hopefully, they can be a big part of the solution to ocean pollution.

1. What’s the purpose of the first paragraph?

A．To introduce the background.

B．To set the readers reflecting.

C．To state the writer ‘s intention.

D．To give supporting details.

2. What do the jellyfishbot and the Interceptor have in common?

A．They need no human operation.

B．They can clean up crowded ports.

C．They are both solar-powered.

D．They are controlled in the distance.

3. Which of the following has the same meaning as “intercept” in paragraph 4?

A．Stop.

B．Check.

C．Sort.

D．Collect.

4. What is an advantage of trash-eating robots?

A．They collect all the garbage.

B．They save much human labor.

C．They get rid of water pollution.

D．They empty the rubbish bins.

9 . Humans have always assumed that there is a huge gulf between animal behavior and human development. However, recent research into animals shows that animals are continuously designing innovative methods to finish their tasks. Examining the nature and results of their creativity can help us understand evolution.

Research shows that animals too can be creative. By inventing new behavioral patterns and adjusting their behavior to new contexts, as well as to changes in social and ecological environments, researchers show that animal innovation too can be diverse. For instance, chimpanzees (猩猩) use tools such as sharp spines and stalks to remove the hearts of palm vegetables from trees. Herring gulls (鲜鱼海鸥) found out quite a cruel way of killing rabbits-drowning them in the sea.

Innovative species tend to survive when they enter new places, but novel behavior cannot be recognized unless “normal” behavior is studied. Researchers can now count and document the innovations that have been created by species, which would help them to quantify their creativity. Studies also show us that all animals are not equally inventive, with primates (灵长目动物) tending to be more innovative due to their bigger brains.

The greatest scientific significance has been the innovation shown by animals such as apes, capuchins and macaques among primates. These species of primates possess the biggest brains in proportion to their body sizes. They are also heavy tool users. Their broad diets and complex forms of learning are also insightful. They indicate an evolutionary strategy that gave them new solutions to life’s challenges.

However, even if these animals show innovativeness, they do not have the ability to improve upon solutions of others. Unless they share information accurately and copy each other’s inventions. their creative inventions are likely to vanish before they can be innovated further. This ability can be managed only by humans, for we are able to build on shared knowledge.

1. What does the underlined word “gulf” in the first paragraph mean?

A．Difference.

B．Conflict.

C．Balance.

D．Connection.

2. Why does the author mention “chimpanzees” and “Herring gulls” in Paragraph 2?

A．They are both creative.

B．They are both heavy tool users.

C．They create innovations in different ways.

D．They kill other animals in the same cruel way.

3. What can we learn about animal creativity?

A．It is equally distributed among animals.

B．It helps animals adapt to the environment.

C．Animals’ innovations are easy to be identified.

D．Animals’ innovations are facing huge challenges.

4. What aspect of animals does the last paragraph mainly talk about?

A．Their ability to share information accurately.

B．Their willingness to learn from each other.

C．Their inability to take creativity forward.

D．Their unwillingness to cooperate effectively.

10 . Going green is good for business. Consumers are often willing to pay more for eco-friendly products than other comparable products on the market. But not all environmental claims are created equally. “Greenwashing” is a form of misinformation often used to entice a green consumer. Companies promising to be environmentally conscious sometimes fail to meet the promises they make to consumers.

For example, a large retailer might launch a new line of products, such as jeans, that uses less water and therefore theoretically has less of an environmental impact than the other clothes the company sells. But that same company might ignore water usage in the rest of their products lines or do nothing to address their other products that might be harming the environment.

Is it possible to avoid falling victim to greenwashing? Learning about greenwashing and how it works is the most effective way for consumers to avoid giving their money to companies making false claims, according to a recent study. The researchers found people who received information on greenwashing ahead of time were more likely to question whether what the company did in fact benefited the environment.

In the meantime, experts have tips for how consumers can spot potential greenwashing. “You see a lot of products that use words like ‘sustainable’, and ‘better for the planet’ with pictures that make it look like it’s green,” says Todd Larsen, the director of Green America, a nonprofit aimed at helping consumers identify greenwashing. He recommends looking for descriptions that outline specifically how a product is green.

Another tip he offers is to shop small. “When in doubt, go smaller,” says Larsen. “Rethink shopping habits. The most sustainable thing you can do as a consumer is wear the things you have more.”

1. What does the underlined word “entice” probably mean in paragraph 1?

A．Trick.

B．Inspire.

C．Restrict.

D．Protect.

2. What can we learn from the example in paragraph 2?

A．Using less water is a required standard of producing jeans.

B．Large retailers are more aware of environmental protection.

C．Companies with environmental consciousness run smoothly.

D．Businesses claiming to be sustainable may mislead consumers.

3. What can be inferred from the research findings?

A．Greenwashing is a new way to cheat people.

B．People are getting fed up with greenwashing.

C．Knowing about greenwashing helps identify the truth.

D．Consumers have the ability to distinguish false claims.

4. What does Todd Larsen suggest people do?

A．Develop sensible shopping habits.	B．Look for pictures which look green.
C．Buy more clothes green for the planet.	D．Provide specific descriptions of products.