1 . In 2019, Air Company gained public attention when it produced vodka (伏特加) from carbon in the air, in order to reduce the amount of the harmful greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. Today, the company has begun using the same process to make fuel (燃料) for airplanes.

Air Company’s clean aircraft fuel, which was recently tested, could some day help the airline industry achieve its goal of net zero carbon emissions (排放) by 2050. Currently, the airline industry accounts for about 3% of total global carbon emissions each year, and mainly uses traditional, fossil-based fuels.

A number of producers of clean aircraft fuel have come out in recent years, many of whom use something like plant material and cooking oil. But Air Company’s production process starts by pulling harmful carbon emissions out of the air.

The company first harvests carbon, mostly from industrial settings. It then takes water, separates the hydrogen from the oxygen, and puts the carbon together with the hydrogen and other mixtures. After that, it distills (蒸馏) that solution down. The final products are ethyl alcohol (乙醇) to make the company’s vodka and other products such as perfume, as well as paraffin, which forms the basis of its aircraft fuel.

By the time a plane has flown using Air Company’s fuel, it will have given off the same amount of carbon dioxide (CO₂) back into the atmosphere as was acquired to make the fuel.

“Already, some of the world’s biggest airlines are supporting Air Company’s dream. They have agreed to buy millions of gallons of its fuel in the coming years.” The company manager says, “However, to get to those large industrial markets like aircraft fuel, traditionally known as the hottest industry to get green, is a long way to go. It’s going to take time, money and effort.”

1. What can we learn from the first two paragraphs?

A．Air Company is famous for producing vodka.

B．Air Company no longer uses traditional fuels.

C．Air Company’s fuel is likely to be environmentally friendly.

D．Air Company accounts for 3% of total global carbon emissions.

2. What does the underlined part “that solution” refer to in Paragraph 4?

A．Ethyl alcohol forming the aircraft fuel.

B．Hydrogen that is separated from water.

C．Oxygen, hydrogen, carbon and ethyl alcohol.

D．Mix of carbon, hydrogen and other mixtures.

3. What can be inferred from the manager’s words in the last paragraph?

A．Major Airlines have already put Air Company’s fuel into use.

B．It takes time for Air Company’s fuel to be used on regular flights.

C．The fuel produced by Air Company is sure to be very expensive.

D．Air company alone will be able to occupy the aircraft fuel markets.

4. Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?

A．Air Company: Make Air Travel Green

B．Air Company’s Carbon Production Dream

C．Air Company’s Environmental Supporters

D．Air Company: Make Traditional Fuels Available

2 . In the forest of New Mexico, scientists are carrying two ten-day-old Mexican wolf pups (幼崽) riding in a backpack, searching for a Mexican wolf pair that has just given birth to six pups.    1    

Mexican wolves were extinct in the USA by the 1970s, but there was a plan to bring them back. The first step was to trap five wild Mexican wolves and breed them with two caged ones. In 1998, the first caged-born adult Mexican wolves were released into forests.     2    If animals have to pair up with family members, then their pups will have unhealthy genes, making them sick.

    3     Let wild wolves adopt caged-born pups-that’s how these two pups end up in backpacks. While the adult wolves are out hunting, the scientists gently place the pups with their new brothers and sisters. They rub the caged-born and wild pups together, ever letting them pee (小便) on each other to mix their smells!     4     This result makes the scientists optimistic about the plan.

The idea is that the caged pups will grow up and breed with wild wolves.     5     Thanks to this ongoing work, 250 wild Mexican wolves wander Arizona and New Mexico today.

A．The scientists were content with it.

B．So the experts came up with a new plan.

C．The wolf parents only care for their own pups.

D．In this way their healthy genes will be passed down.

E．The population slowly grew, but scientists were still worried.

F．After that, the wolf parents won’t mind taking care of the new pups.

G．The wolf mum and dad don’t know it, but they’re about to adopt two more!

3 . Sometimes called “Earth’s twin,” Venus is similar to our world in size and composition. The two rocky planets are also roughly the same distance from the sun, and both have an atmosphere. While Venus’s cold and unpleasant landscape does make it seem far less like Earth, scientists recently detected another striking similarity between the two, the presence of active volcanoes.

When NASA’s Magellan mission mapped much of the planet with radar in the 1990sit revealed an unexpectedly youthful surface-there were surprisingly a few craters (火山口)which suggested active geologic (地质的) processes. Although few missions have visited Venus since then, researchers have continued to mine the collection of data from.

Using this decades-old data, planetary scientist Robert Herrick discovered that a Magellan. volcano called Maat Mons is alive with volcanic activity. In this case, lava(岩浆)flows that moved for eight months during an imaging cycle from 1990 to 1992, according to a study published in Science in 2023. The findings are the first real evidence that volcanoes have erupted on Venus during modern times.

What’s more, volcanic activity on Venus could be even more common and dramatic than on Earth. A study published in JGR Planets in 2023 mapped out enormous potential volcanic features on Venus’ surface, and there’s a good chance that some of them could be active today. On top of that, another 2023 study, also in JGR Planets, found that the very high surface temperature on Venus, over 900 degrees Fahrenheit, allows lava flows to slowly leak out.

A list of new missions are headed to Venus over the next decade, including NASA’s Veritas mission, which aims to map the planet’s surface to better understand its geologic history. These projects should settle the question of how the paths of Venus and Earth divided so sharply, with one becoming a hell and the other able to harbor life, and confirm whether volcanoes are still erupting on the planet today.

1. Why does the writer mention Venus is Earth’s twin in Paragraph 1?

A．To prove a theory.	B．To introduce the topic.
C．To clarify a concept.	D．To make predictions.

2. What can we learn from Paragraphs 3 and 4?

A．Robert Herrick’s discovery was based on previous data.

B．The findings are the first evidence of volcanoes on Venus.

C．There are more huge volcanoes on Venus than on Earth.

D．Volcanic activities on Venus are as common as on Earth.

3. What is the significance of NASA’s future study of Venus?

A．Mapping the surface of Venus with accuracy.

B．Analyzing how volcanoes came into existence.

C．Understanding how the two planets evolved differently.

D．Confirming whether Venus is suitable for humans to live.

4. Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?

A．Venus Is Earth’s Twin.	B．Venus Is an Awful Hell.
C．Venus Is a Youthful Planet.	D．Venus Is Volcanically Active.

4 . 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

5 . 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。

A farewell party for 22-year-old Ya Ya at Memphis Zoo took place last Saturday. Ya Ya, a giant panda, was surrounded by bamboo and given a special ice cake made of grapes, sugar cane (甘蔗), and cookies,     1     (take) on a harmonious scene, according to pictures and videos shared online.

In 2006, Ya Ya began to lightly shed fur,     2     skin issue leading to fur loss, which worsened in 2014. Ya Ya’s health     3     (weigh) on a majority of Chinese people. And online, people started pressing for Ya Ya’s return to China.

Since the Chinese Association of Zoological Gardens received reports of Ya Ya’s poor health condition, Chinese experts have swung     4     action to assist in the care of Ya Ya to ensure her health and well-being. “Contrary to     5     most netizens might assume, Ya Ya is in a relatively stable (稳定的) health condition other than the fur loss, having a good appetite and stable weight. China will get Ya Ya home     6     (safe) at the fastest speed,” spokesperson of China’s ministry of foreign affairs, Wang Wenbin, said on Tuesday.

On April 27t, Ya Ya returned to Shanghai, safe and sound. One of the local     7     (resident) said, “The number of people waving at Ya Ya’s aircraft before it lands in Shanghai     8     (be) beyond our imagination. Having anticipated Ya Ya’s return for a longtime, we, at this moment, are so     9     (excite)! It is crucial that Ya Ya be exposed to a familiar circumstance     10     is of great benefit to her health recovery.” To our shock, Chinese people’s affection for Ya Ya hasn’t reduced despite the elapse (流逝) of 20 years.

6 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. How old is Jays a now?

A．8.

B．12.

C．14.

2. Why did Jays a give the speech?

A．To encourage people to do research.

B．To urge the coal plant to shut down.

C．To raise money for her health problems.

8 . Wilson’s dog, Jack, was an energetic, six-year-old collie(柯利犬)that would greet him every day at the bus station when he returned from work. This was a(n) _______ that had begun when Jack was young. The dog was quite _______ with the route to and from the station. So when Wilson _______ his job and had to move to California, he thought it best to leave Jack with a relative. He told him they both would have to _______ to new homes.

But Jack didn’t want a new home. He returned to Wilson’s old house, even though the door was _______. Every evening, he ran to the bus station. But evening after evening, there was no _______ of the devoted dog’s master. _______ and sad, he would return alone to the _______ house.

The dog’s depression grew. He _______ food, becoming thinner and thinner. But every evening, ever hopeful, he’d go to the station to meet the bus. And every evening, he’d return more ________.

Jack’s worsening condition did not go unnoticed. A friend who lived nearby was so upset that he ________ Wilson, informing him of the dog’s situation.

Wilson bought a return train ticket ________. Upon arriving, he waited several hours so that he could take the same bus that he always did. When it arrived at the station, sure enough, there was Jack, waiting and ________ as the passengers got off. And then suddenly there he was, his beloved owner.

Wilson later recalled, “Jack was ________ like a child, trembling all over. Tears welled up in my eyes too.”

Wilson took Jack back with him. They were never ________ again.

1.

A．task

B．routine

C．option

D．responsibility

2.

A．satisfied

B．sensitive

C．curious

D．familiar

3.

A．balanced

B．reflected

C．changed

D．narrowed

4.

A．belong

B．adapt

C．tend

D．stick

5.

A．chained

B．replaced

C．repaired

D．maintained

6.

A．possibility

B．symbol

C．association

D．sign

7.

A．Unhappy

B．Patient

C．Odd

D．Calm

8.

A．ignored

B．damaged

C．deserted

D．decorated

9.

A．postponed

B．lacked

C．digested

D．refused

10.

A．hesitant

B．disappointed

C．unfortunate

D．hopeful

11.

A．contacted

B．challenged

C．caught

D．found

12.

A．directly

B．independently

C．immediately

D．briefly

13.

A．biting

B．marching

C．stretching

D．watching

14.

A．crying

B．jumping

C．shouting

D．twisting

15.

A．seen

B．lost

C．separated

D．mentioned

9 . Between July and December 2021, more than 11 million young oysters (牡蛎) were put into the Hudson River. They are part of a plan to create a healthier ecosystem in the river by increasing the oyster population.

The waters used to be full of oysters, which were collected for food and shells too much. Weather got warmer and New York City also dumped waste water and harmful chemicals into the river. By 1927, most of the oysters had died. Now, oysters may help to restore the waters and bring back marine life. How do oysters do it?

Oysters help clean water. They are filter feeders, taking in water through their gills (鳃) and filter out the food they eat, such as plankton (浮游生物) and algae (海藻). A single adult oyster can filter up to 189 litres of water in a day. They also filter other harmful things out of the water, one of which is nitrogen, a chemical often found in fertilizers (肥料). Sometimes nitrogen gets washed into rivers and oceans when it rains. Too much nitrogen in the water causes large amounts of algae to grow. The algae use up the oxygen in the water, harming other marine life. Oysters filter nitrogen out of the water and use it to grow their shells.

Oysters also build reefs, benefiting the whole ecosystem. Oysters attach themselves to hard surfaces underwater like rocks. Then more oysters attach themselves on top of those, and more on top of those. As the oysters grow, their shells combine together to form a reef. Oyster reefs provide homes for plants and animals, thus creating more biodiversity. Reefs also serve to protect the shoreline. Large reefs weaken the shock of waves coming in from the ocean, and help lessen flood disaster and prevent gradual destruction of the coast.

It will take decades before the new reefs grow as big as the reefs destroyed long ago, but signs show up that the ecosystem is getting healthier.

1. The following factors contributed to the decrease of oysters in the Hudson River EXCEPT ________.

A．global warming	B．biological diseases
C．water pollution	D．human overfishing

2. What can we learn from Paragraph 3?

A．Oysters usually feed on plankton and algae.

B．There are large amounts of nitrogen in the rain.

C．Algae produce oxygen for other water plants.

D．Harmful chemicals help oyster shells to grow.

3. How do oyster reefs protect coastal areas?

A．They promote biodiversity and benefit the environment.

B．They can soften the impact of waves and reduce flooding.

C．They form solid seawall and then prevent the sea storms.

D．They keep the algae in the water from spreading too fast.

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

A．New York: a rescue on the Hudson River

B．Oyster reefs: opportunities for coastal defense

C．New York launches environmental movements

D．The oyster helps to improve river ecosystem

10 . Imagine a plate holding two strawberries, similar in appearance. One came out of a supermarket box, meaning it was probably harvested before it is fully grown, immediately placed in a forced-air cooling unit, loaded onto a refrigerated truck and driven hundreds of miles. By the time it reached the plate two weeks may have passed. The other strawberry was picked from a garden minutes before being eaten.

The first one will probably not taste good as expected. The second is likely to be sweet; the flavor will remain in the mouth. Supermarket strawberries are not entirely without advantages: they are convenient and available even in winter. But the two berries differ from each other in the same way that hearing music in a concert hall differs from listening to an MP3. The home-grown fruit is an eatable case for planting a home garden.

Planting cool-weather greens can seem meaningless as well-stocked supermarket shelves are available all week. But the same could be said of cooking: cheap and good restaurants everywhere, so why bother to make your own meals?

That attitude fails to understand the basic appeal of gardening: it mistakes the product for the purpose. It is true that a garden can produce tomatoes and carrots that taste like themselves rather than the plastic they are usually packaged in. Finding some favorite vegetables in the shops can take some time, effort and expense; growing your own vegetables, rare or routine, ensures a reliable supply.

On the other hand, a garden, especially in the early years, can also produce frustration. Creative gardeners may plant the wrong crops for their soil. Little animals may have the habit of taking single bites of cucumbers, beans and tomatoes. And even expert gardeners can lose a season’s harvest to uncooperative weather.

No matter. The real joy of gardening is the time spent doing it. The deepest pleasure- -as with cooking, writing, bringing up children or almost anything worthwhile- -is in the work itself. A gardener’s memories center not around the food produced, but around long summer afternoons with hands in the dirt of a home garden, surrounded by family. To garden is to patiently and lovingly help life grow, in the ground and above it.

1. What might have caused the strawberries to taste different in paragraph 1?

A．Temperature.

B．Freshness.

C．Appearance.

D．Soil.

2. Why does the writer compare the two strawberries?

A．To promote supermarket strawberries.

B．To highlight the value of a home garden.

C．To stress the differences between them.

D．To provide suggestions on fruit shopping.

3. What does “That attitude” in paragraph 4 refer to?

A．Regarding planting a garden as worthless.

B．Favoring what is grown in a home garden.

C．Enjoying food made by yourself at home.

D．Understanding what a garden is intended for.

4. What can we learn from paragraphs 4-5?

A．Stores can never take the place of a garden.

B．Garden products are not for sale in the stores.

C．Gardens may fail to produce what you want.

D．Training is required for productive gardens.

5. How do we find the real joy of gardening?

A．Observe patiently how plants grow all summer.

B．Spend time taking care of a garden with family.

C．Make friends with gardeners in the neighborhood.

D．Labor lovingly to clean the dirt out of the garden.