1 . Roadkill is a worldwide problem. Every year: About 340 million birds are killed on roads in the United States; around 9 million mammals (哺乳动物) of average size are killed on Brazilian roads; and China is no exception.
To deal with this, a study of “roadkill” has been conducted by Professor Li Zhongqiu and his team from Nanjing University. The study was conducted in Nanjing, which has more than 9,700 km of well-built roads. Li and his teammates ran 26 roadkill monitoring (监测) activities over 224.27 km of roads, totaling 5,831 km during the research period. The nine roads chosen for the team’s research were monitored every two weeks over the course of a year.
The team recorded a total of 293 dead bodies. Among them, birds made up nearly half the total. As a main bird species in East China, blackbirds are usually attracted by flies or other insects to dead bodies of roadkill along the roads. “Specifically, cats, dogs and blackbirds were the three most commonly killed animals,” Li said. “This may be due to the large number of homeless cats and dogs in city areas. Pets thrown out of their homes are more likely to run into traffic.”
According to the report, roadkill happened a lot from May to September. The animal’ increased reproductive (生殖) activity in summer and autumn is a possible reason. Besides, roadkill issues also topped in November and January. This may be due to the need to search for food during winter when food resources are few, Li said.
“There is no doubt that roadkill has contributed to the decrease of animal populations and must be taken seriously,” Li said. “We call on related departments to take measures such as speed limits and necessary traffic controls during top periods of animal activities. For animals such as cats and dogs that usually use the roads, fences can prevent them from entering traffic.”
1. What is paragraph 1 of the text mainly about?| A．The purpose of the study. | B．The method of the study. |
| C．The result of the study. | D．The background of the study. |
| A．Once every two weeks. | B．Once a week. |
| C．Three times every two weeks. | D．Twice a week. |
| A．Large animal birth rate. | B．Busier traffic. |
| C．Few traffic controls. | D．Animals’ demand for food. |
| A．Having speed limits. | B．Taking traffic controls. |
| C．Building fences. | D．Setting warning signs. |
For nearly 20 years, natural disasters yearly affected about 300 million people and destroyed more than 3 million buildings, causing great damage to China’s economy. Therefore, the disaster prevention and reduction is an important issue for China. To save lives and reduce losses, the Chinese government has taken the following effective measures.
As an important part, the management on disaster information has been strengthened. So far, China has realized the 24-hour monitoring (监控) of disasters all over the country and established an early warning system. These are particularly important to save lives, especially in the case of an earthquake. According to Chengdu High-tech Disaster Reduction Institute, even a three-second early warning can reduce deaths and injuries by 14 percent.
Besides, the Chinese government has been raising the public’s awareness of disaster prevention and reduction in an all-round way. Disaster-related knowledge has been included in school textbooks, and general education about disaster prevention and reduction has been given to the public. For example, in the wake of Wenchuan earthquake, the Chinese government decided to make May 12th “Disaster Prevention and Reduction Day”. Every year, a series of publicity activities is organized with rich content and different forms.
Apart from that, the Chinese government has improved social disaster relief system. Concerning relief efforts, the Chinese government has set up a social donation system. This encourages all industries of society to make donations. In addition, related volunteer service has been developed. Under the guidance of the Chinese government, non-governmental organizations, volunteers and social workers all actively join in the cause. They cooperate well with the government in rescue work, such as medical work and supply delivery.
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3 . When Johannes Fritz, an Austrian biologist, was born 56 years ago, the northern bald ibis had disappeared completely from the wild and could only be found in zoos. But Mr. Fritz has spent his working life reintroducing the birds into the wild, and an extremely important part has been teaching the young the migration (迁徙) path.
When Mr. Friz decided to lead the migration in a plane, he was laughed at. But in 2004, three years after some experiments, Mr. Fritz flew an ultralight plane slowly enough for his winged students to catch up, and led the first group from Austria to Italy. He has since led 15 such migrations. Over that time, he has rewilded 277 young ibises, many of which then started to pass the path on to their own young.
But the path he taught the ibises before is no longer workable. With climate change warming the lakes where the birds summer, they now delay (推迟) their migration to November, one month later than they did just a decade ago. And they are now reaching the Alps too late to make it over the peaks (山峰) because the rising warm air flows were too weak by November to allow the birds to fly over the mountains.
Determined to save them, Mr. Fritz decided he would teach the birds a new, safer migration path. The new path is about three times as long as their former 800 miles one directly south to Tuscany, Italy. Flying at a highest speed of 25 miles per hour, the trip is expected to take about six weeks, instead of the two to reach Tuscany.
At Lake Constance this summer, humans and birds were practicing for their long journey. Soon, they’ll fly to Andalusia in Spain, dealing with unpredictable weather along the way. But the risks are “necessary,” Mr. Fritz said. “It’s not so much a job,” he added, “but my life’s purpose.”
1. What happened to the ibises when Mr. Fritz was born?| A．They had been trained to fly. | B．They had been rewilded in Italy. |
| C．They were migrating naturally. | D．They were no longer seen in the wild. |
| A．They have forgotten the old path. |
| B．The path they took before is longer. |
| C．The Alps is impassable for the delayed migration. |
| D．The changing climate has warmed the mountains. |
| A．It is higher than before. | B．It takes about two weeks. |
| C．It leads directly to Tuscany. | D．It is about 2,400 miles long. |
| A．Inspiring but inexperienced. | B．Responsible but emotional. |
| C．Determined and creative. | D．Observant and outgoing. |
1. What does the man plan to do for a few days?
| A．Help the woman walk a dog. | B．Visit the woman. | C．Go on a business trip. |
| A．At around 6:00 a.m. | B．At around 8:00 a.m. | C．At around 8:00 p.m. |
| A．Go for a walk. | B．Make dinner. | C．Play with her friends. |
5 . For long, Preifer Fall Trail (路线) was a most popular attraction in Big Sur. Annually, thousands of people hiked the trail. Unfortunately, the trail, along with stairs, signs, railings, an observation station and wooden bridges, was destroyed in the 2008 Basin Complex Fire. But now a new trail has risen from the burned land.
With its amazing rocky coastline and mountains, Big Sur, the writer Henry Miller once said, is “the face of the earth as the creator intended it to look.” But the landscape always suffers natural disasters. There have been three major wildfires in Big Sur in the past years. “You can still see the impacts there,” said John Hiles, a state parks repair team leader, pointing to black marks 30 feet up a huge redwood.
Parks planners designed a new track, moving the trail out of the river to reduce its impact on the environment. People from the California protection group, state parks department and the nonprofit organization put in 66,000 hours of work over the past four years. They built 160 redwood stairs and dragged hundreds of 16-foot-long redwood sticks by hand to build railings. They removed 4,150 square feet of old building stuff, enough to cover a basketball court. They used iron cables and pulleys (缆线和滑轮) to build a 70-foot long wooden bridge over the hills. “Nature is probably the best place to learn,” Hiles said. “More than any college or school, you learn so many life lessons out here.”
However, the huge Soberanes Fire s wept through the area in 2016, putting a stop to the work. When they began again in 2017, great river storms flooded the area and damaged part of Highway 1. Everybody gathered around this project. They saw the loss. They missed it. They wanted it to come back. They kept combining efforts. It’s been a long journey, but worth the wait.
1. What can we learn about Preifer Fall Trail?| A．It is an attraction rebuilt in 2008. | B．It met with many natural disasters. |
| C．It features man-made landscape. | D．It is an addition to a previous track. |
| A．By moving the trail off watercourse. | B．By using huge redwood sticks. |
| C．By recycling the old building stuff. | D．By applying iron cables and pulleys. |
| A．Limiting and typical. | B．Adventurous but smooth. |
| C．Mysterious and attractive. | D．Tough but rewarding. |
| A．The rise and fall of a hiking trail. | B．California protection projects. |
| C．The recovery of a lost attraction. | D．Journeys into wilderness. |
6 . It was December 27th, 2004 in Malaysia. People were in a holiday mood for various reasons. It was the day after Christmas, a Sunday. On Penang Island, hotels were fully-booked by holiday-makers from home and abroad. The Dillon family had come all the way from Europe to shelter from the coldness of winter. They were up early to swim in the sea and eat a late breakfast in the Crystal Restaurant on Fisherman’s Pier.
While enjoying their Asian breakfast in a room facing the water, Mr. and Mrs. Dillon saw a strange sight through the glass windows. People on the beach were pointing at the sea which was crashing quickly into the horizon. Some were excitedly picking up shells and fish that had been exposed (暴露) when a Japanese man at the next table shouting “Tsunami! Tsunami!”. He jumped from his seat, waving wildly to everyone else, and rushed for the exit. The couple sensed that they were in danger.
Suddenly a huge wall of water came crashing through the restaurant windows, knocking over everyone. The couple held their son’s hands. However, the boy’s little hand slid out of his parents and the waves tossed him forcefully, leaving him in danger. Luckily, when his head was seen rising above the water, he was pulled up in time. Just as forcefully, the waves pulled back, breaking whatever it could. Fortunately, everyone had run onto drier ground. They rushed out to the street, shaken by the tsunami. The shocked boy burst into tears. Everyone shook with fear.
The deadly tsunami of 27th December 2004 killed more than 60 people in Malaysia. Its force was most destructive in northern Sumatra, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and India. There were also deaths in Somalia, the Maldives, and Myanmar. Altogether, about a quarter of a million people were killed, thousands went missing, and more than half a million lost their homes. Never has a natural disaster traumatized so many nations.
1. Why did the Dillon family come to Malaysia?| A．To avoid winter coldness in Europe. |
| B．To taste food in the Crystal Restaurant. |
| C．To swim in the sea on Fisherman’s Pier. |
| D．To celebrate Christmas with Malaysians. |
| A．The crashing sea waves. |
| B．The exposed shells and fish. |
| C．The sea view through windows. |
| D．The Japanese’s unusual behavior. |
| A．Left alone. | B．Threw upward. |
| C．Moved up and down. | D．Wetted all over. |
| A．Warning signs of the tsunami. |
| B．Terrible effects of the tsunami. |
| C．Great efforts to fight the tsunami. |
| D．Surviving countries after the tsunami. |
7 . From beehives (蜂箱) on rooftops to mini-forests, creative ideas are bringing nature into cities, all around the world. Here are some examples.
Liverpool, England
A living wall is how Liverpool has made room for nature in its busy city center. Built in 2020, Liverpool’s living wall has been planted with 14,000 evergreens to help trap some of the pollution produced by the city’s nearby bus station. In 2021, another measure was taken. Two rooftop beehives were fixed for 40,000 bees to live in. There has been a great increase in the bee population and improvement of the community’s ecology (生态) in the following years.
Singapore, Southeast Asia
Singapore is determined to be “a city in nature”. In February 2021 the city-state announced its “Green Plan 2030” — to make the city as continual and nature-inclusive as possible. Singapore already has over 400 parks and four nature reserves and by 2026 this will increase to 300 hectares (公顷). They promise by 2030 no family should be more than a ten-minute walk from a green space.
Seoul, South Korea and Izmir, Turkey
In South Korea, Seoul has planted a forest to lower city temperatures by 3 to 7℃. The Turkish city of Izmir is hoping to reduce pollution with the Mavisehir Peynircioglu Stream Ecological Corridor (河流生态走廊),
Curitiba, Brazil
Curitiba, Brazil, has been working towards an eco-friendly model since the 1970s and city planners made the well-being of people their main concern. In the face of an increasing population, adding natural relaxation spaces and encouraging recycling practices has become a key part of city planning. The government’s forestation plan has seen the planting of many trees in public areas. Ten “mini-forests” have also been established, making use of smaller areas where larger plantations are impossible.
1. What is the purpose of a living wall?| A．To reduce pollution. | B．To fix beehives. |
| C．To trap bee population. | D．To plant evergreens. |
| A．Increased space for parks. | B．Easier reach of green areas. |
| C．Continual growth of the city. | D．Greater area of nature reserves. |
| A．Singapore. | B．Curitiba. | C．Seoul. | D．Izmir. |
| A．To reduce local pollution. | B．To provide relaxation spaces. |
| C．To lower city temperatures. | D．To improve living environment. |
| A．Creative Ideas: Working Together | B．Promises Coming True |
| C．Nature Reserves: More Coming | D．Cities Turning Green |
Natural disasters are one of the major
2023 has broken temperature records
People in the poorest areas are often
Fighting inequality for a resilient (韧性) future is the theme of 2023 International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction. UN Secretary-General António Guterres made a proposal that countries should work together
9 . At Marine Mammal Laboratory, laboratory director Herman put a dolphin through its paces. Using hand signals, Herman asked, “Is the ball in the pool?” The dolphin correctly pressed a lever for “YES”. Herman asked it to push the ball to a basket. It did. Then he signaled his pupil to do it again, but he removed the basket. Herman expected the dolphin to be confused. Instead, it carried the ball to the NO lever and stopped there. Herman was astonished. “This is a totally untrained, invented response,” he said, “We never dreamed the animal would ‘think’ the problem through like that.”
To get a closer look at these amazing creatures, Herman and his team spent a week on board the Jennifer Marie. Whenever they heard the cry “Dolphins!” they slipped into the water. The dolphins approached, curious about them, observing them with dark, liquid eyes. Dolphins love to imitate. If they swam on their backs, Dolphins did too. If they dived, Dolphins followed. This talent can be carried to extraordinary lengths. In one instance, a trainer blew a puff of cigarette smoke against the window of an observation tank. A young dolphin rushed to its mother, nursed briefly, and spat out a cloud of milk against the glass.
Herman said “We’re still in the early stages of learning about the intelligence of these animals and our ability to communicate with them.” Scientists are amazed at dolphins’ intelligence, but fear for the future of these trusting ocean creatures.
Dolphins’ trouble could be sharks, killer whales or, worse yet, a fishing vessel. Indeed, in the past three decades, commercial fishing, especially the biggest threat—the drift net fishing, has greatly decreased the world’s dolphin population. Every night in the North Pacific, hundreds of Asian fishing vessels put out these “curtains of death,” each up to 50 miles long. Floating with the currents, they sweep up all sea life in their path. People wonder what the world would be without dolphins.
1. Why did the dolphin stop at the NO lever?| A．It was confused. | B．It was unable to do the task. |
| C．It refused to listen to the order. | D．It found the basket wasn’t there. |
| A．To copy human behavior. | B．To threaten its playmate. |
| C．To show off its talent. | D．To drive the trainer away. |
| A．Further research on dolphins is essential. |
| B．Intelligent Dolphins could tackle their troubles. |
| C．Some measures should be taken to protect dolphins. |
| D．Drift nets are the biggest trouble for marine animals. |
| A．Dolphins: clever, naughty | B．Dolphins: intelligent, threatened |
| C．Dolphins: humans’ best friends | D．Dolphins: smartest marine animals |
10 . Wetlands occur wherever water meets land. Wetlands exist in every country and in every climatic zone. Healthy wetlands store carbon, regulate the water cycle, and support 40% of the world’s biodiversity.
Jiangxi Poyang Lake Nanji Wetlands
Nanji Wetlands is located in the southern part of the main lake area of Poyang Lake, covering a total area of 33,300 hectares. It is an incredibly valuable ecosystem and serves as a vital habitat for various wetland bird species, including many national first-class and second-class protected animals.
Anhui Shengjin Lake National Nature Reserve
The Anhui Shengjin Lake National Nature Reserve is a freshwater lake wetland, with an area of 33,333 hectares. It is primarily set up as the wintering grounds of rare birds. Within the reserve, there are a total of 142 bird species, including 66 species of migratory (迁徙的) birds. This reserve holds the distinction of being the largest natural wintering ground for the hooded crane (丹顶鹤) population worldwide.
Gansu Yellow River Shouqu Wetlands
The Gansu Yellow River Shouqu National Nature Reserve is located within Maqu county. It covers a total area of 203,401 hectares, with 132,067 hectares intended for wetland conservation. The primary objective of this reserve is to protect the highland wetland ecosystem, as well as the habitat of migratory birds, particularly the black-necked crane. In February 2020, it was officially approved as a Wetland of International Importance.
Guangdong Nanpeng Islands Reserve
Established in 2003, Guangdong Nanpeng Islands Reserve covers a total area of 35,679 hectares. In 2015, it was recognized and included in the International Important Wetlands Directory. The main focus of the reserve is to protect the unique underwater natural landscape, the ecosystems of the nearby coastal waters, the important rare and endangered marine (海洋的) animals.
1. Which wetland covers the largest area?| A．Nanji Wetlands. |
| B．Shengjin Lake National Nature Reserve. |
| C．Shouqu Wetlands. |
| D．Guangdong Nanpeng Islands Reserve. |
| A．To preserve natural landscapes. |
| B．To house rare birds in winter. |
| C．To reproduce hooded cranes. |
| D．To store freshwater. |
| A．Highland wetland ecosystem. | B．Marine ecosystems. |
| C．Underwater animals. | D．Bird habitats. |
