I was twenty when living away from home alone. I kept a gentle dog named Beaufort who weighed more than me and had a mouthful of sharp teeth. I felt safe going anywhere with Beaufort. In order to be free to walk Beaufort in the park during daytime, I worked the four-to-midnight shift in downtown. The only disadvantage was that I had to ride the last subway home late at night. As time passed, I developed a way to keep to myself like other passengers—avoiding eye contact and keeping reading while I rode.
One night, the station was quiet as usual. I walked over to the collector’s booth (售票亭) and pulled out a dollar. “One token (乘车币), please.” As the collector slid the token and my change under the window, he spoke, “Would you like a dog?” I looked at him in surprise, not sure whether I had heard him correctly. “Would you like a dog?” he repeated.
He picked up a little dog and set it on the counter. I bent over and it was only then that I saw the subject of his inquiry. The dog appeared to be trembling (颤抖). I was surprised. “Where’d it come from?” I asked. “She showed up this morning and has been here ever since. No one has come for her. I’ve asked everyone coming here if he wanted her. Nobody would take her.” “What about you?” He smiled, “Me? No. My wife would be angry.” I couldn’t take my eyes off the dog. The collector continued: “If you don’t take her, I’ll have to let her go when I leave.” I couldn’t believe it! He explained that it was almost closing time, he couldn’t leave her in the booth, neither could he bring her home. I, in other words, was the dog’s last hope.
“Okay, I will take her. I’d name her Phyllis”. With excitement, the collector walked out of the booth and handed me my new pet. “Thank you so much.”
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
When we stepped into the train all the passengers turned to look at us.
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Arriving home, we found Beaufort at the regular corner.
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Owing to global warming, sea levels are rising and rain forests are dying. It’s clear that humans
Global warming is causing a set of changes to the earth’s climate
Climate change includes not only rising average temperatures but also extreme weather events and a range of other
What shall we do and what can we do
I have always loved libraries ever since I was a boy. Over the years I have read more books than I can count and I have visited the local libraries more times than I can remember. Now in the age of the Internet and with so many faces in screens instead of books, I am concerned that places like these will begin to fade away and we will lose all the joy they bring.
I stopped at the library nearest my home just the other day. It was right off from the local grade school and had been my home since I was young. I opened the door and walked inside. The librarian, David, greeted me warmly, “Good afternoon, Jane. Welcome to the library again.” On the desk next to him sat a beautiful, black cat. “Good afternoon, Mr David. What a cute cat!” I patted the cat gently on the head and smiled.
I gave David a book I wanted to donate and then wandered into the back room to look at the books for sale. The black cat had returned to the room. She stretched. She sharpened her claws for a moment on the furniture. Then she jumped up on the shelf. She meowed (喵喵叫) and let her head up against my hand hoping that I would start petting her again. I smiled and petted her head, and spoke sweetly to her while she rolled on her back.
I thought that if only we could let our guard down as easily and openly as this cat then this world would be a lot more beautiful. I gave my new furry friend some food and then walked out. Then I picked out a book about animal protection, where I learned a lot. The world is full of life, wisdom and love. Let’s benefit from people, nature, books and libraries, and occasionally friendly cats.
注意：
1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
After that, I brought food for the cat every time I went to the library.
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One day, when I came to the library, the cat greeted me with five little cats.
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4 . I was on vacation in Cuba and during an afternoon, I went to a dolphin cove (小海湾) where you could have a close look at dolphins and even swim with them. At first, my expectations were quite
There were about 6 cages underwater surrounding the dock where the
As the tour started,
The dolphins are there by their own free will because it
| A．normal | B．low | C．unrealistic | D．positive |
| A．observer | B．victim | C．fan | D．owner |
| A．dolphins | B．fishermen | C．tourists | D．boats |
| A．strong | B．top | C．flat | D．large |
| A．roof | B．house | C．dock | D．water |
| A．luckily | B．amazingly | C．obviously | D．eventually |
| A．explaining | B．exploring | C．testing | D．admiring |
| A．local | B．primitive | C．brave | D．tough |
| A．research | B．experiment | C．adventure | D．process |
| A．reliable | B．wild | C．stress-free | D．self-willed |
| A．fun | B．land | C．help | D．food |
| A．hide | B．hunt | C．dive | D．perform |
| A．island | B．ocean | C．park | D．cage |
| A．relaxes | B．benefits | C．inspires | D．cures |
| A．standard | B．relationship | C．program | D．regulation |
5 . Plastic particles (微粒) have been found in even the most remote and seemingly-clean regions of the planet. These tiny particles have been discovered inside fish in the deepest parts of the ocean, peppering Arctic sea ice and blanketing the snows on the mountains between France and Spain.
“Households in Europe and North America are flooding the oceans with plastic pollution simply by washing their clothes,” scientists said after they did some research on microplastic found in Arctic seawater.
In the new study by the Ocean Wise conservation group and Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans, researchers sampled seawater from across the Arctic. They found synthetic (合成的) fibres made up around 92 percent of microplastic pollution. Of this, around 73 percent was found to be polyester, a strong material used to make clothes.
“The striking conclusion here is that we now have strong evidence that homes in Europe and North America are directly polluting the Arctic with fibres from clothes by simply washing them,” said lead author Peter Ross. He said the mechanisms for this remain unclear, but added that ocean currents appear to play a major role in transporting the fibres northwards, and atmospheric systems may also contribute.
Researchers collected near-surface seawater samples from a large area. They also analyzed some samples up to a depth of around 1,000 meters. “We found microplastic in all but one sample, showing the widespread distribution of this emerging pollutant,” said Ross.
“The clothing industry can do much to design more sustainable clothing, including designing clothes that shed less, ” said Ross, “while governments could make sure wastewater treatment plants have new technologies to remove microplastic and encourage innovation. Households can also play their part by choosing products made with more environmentally friendly fabrics and improving their washing machines. ”
1. What did the new research find?| A．The majority of pollutants in Arctic are microplastic. |
| B．Plastic particles can be found everywhere on the earth. |
| C．Fish in the deepest oceans are dying out due to pollution. |
| D．Washing clothes may contribute to plastic pollution in the ocean. |
| A．People in Europe like to live near the sea. |
| B．Near-surface seawater contains more microplastic. |
| C．Microplastic found in Arctic was mainly polyester. |
| D．North Americans use more water to wash clothes than others. |
| A．To show what evidence the researchers got. |
| B．To show how to stop the pollution in Arctic. |
| C．To show what role Arctic plays in the world. |
| D．To show how polyester fibres get to the north. |
| A．Clothing designing needs to be upgraded. |
| B．We should buy less clothes to protect the ocean. |
| C．More wastewater treatment plants need to be built. |
| D．Washing clothes by hand is better than by machines. |
6 . Many strawberry farmers prefer to remove natural habitat around their farms to keep wild birds, and any bacteria they carry, away from their fields and crops. However a new study published in 2022 shows that farms with surrounding natural habitat experience the most benefits from birds, including less crop damage and lower food-safety risks.
The study was conducted at 21 strawberry fields along California’s Central Coast. It found that birds were more likely to carry bacteria and eat berries without surrounding natural habitat.
For the study scientists looked at the analysis of 1,000 fecal (排泄物) samples from 55 bird species, combined with data from more than 300 bird surveys. They used the information to figure out what each bird was eating - be it pests, beneficial insects or crops-as well as which birds were carrying bacteria. Using this data, the scientists then ranked wild birds to see which were more likely to bring most benefits or costs to farmlands. Barn swallows, for example, were ranked beneficial to farmland.
But the results were more than creating a list of “good” and “bad” birds. The study found that most bird species brought both costs and benefits to farms, depending on how the surrounding land was managed. The presence of natural habitat was the single most important factor differentiating a farm where wild birds brought more benefits than harm. And farms with surrounding natural habitat for birds constantly saw less damage and fewer bacteria problems than others.
The study was part of a series of research conducted in Daniel Karp’s lab at University of California, Davis, all focusing on the impact and importance of maintaining natural habitat for wildlife surrounding farmland. A related study in 2020 also found that farms with natural habitat attracted more insect-eating birds and fewer strawberry-eating birds so that farmers experience less berry damage on farms with more habitat nearby.
1. What is the finding of the new study in 2022?| A．Wild birds in farms decrease food-safety risks. |
| B．Natural habitat near farms reduces crop damage |
| C．Birds in natural habitat carry more bacteria to farms. |
| D．Farms neighboring natural habitat benefit most from birds. |
| A．Analyzing 55 bird species. |
| B．Conducting 300 bird surveys. |
| C．Finding out what wild birds eat. |
| D．Ranking birds according to how they eat. |
| A．Presence of neighboring farmlands. |
| B．Management of the surrounding land. |
| C．Location of natural habitat for wildlife. |
| D．Species of wild birds that lived near farms. |
| A．To draw a conclusion. | B．To make a comparison. |
| C．To support the research finding. | D．To give background information. |
7 . For his first few days at sea on the MS Porrima, Gunter Pauli was amazed by the silence aboard his solar-powered ship.
Using limited resources effectively is the central philosophy behind the Porrima, a concept boat centered on environmental research, which aims to show how sustainable (可持续的) technology could completely change the shipping industry.
Sea transport drives over 80% of global trade, but it has disastrous effects on the ocean and accounts for more CO2 emissions (排放) than air transport each year.
The ship is a case study in sustainability. A small farm in the boat allows Pauli to grow vegetables, while air bubble nets prevent overfishing by separating fish by weight and then releasing the reproductive females, which tend to be heavier due to their eggs. As well as being largely powered by solar panels, the ship will soon be equipped with a device that separates and concentrates nanoplastics (纳米塑料) from seawater and transforms them into fuel.
Pauli’s design is based on famous painter and theorist Michelangelo Pistoletto’s theory, which proposes a balanced combination of nature and technology. The 88-year-old Italian artist believes that the ship offers “the possibility” of making his concept a reality.
For Pauli, this sense of responsibility for the environment and communities was the driving force behind the project. “We have done too much analysis on environmental issues, and too much analysis on the problem often leads to inaction. I knew that whatever we’re doing is far from what is needed, and it’s also far from what is possible.”
The ship set sail from Osaka, Japan on December 18 in 2021, and is expected to make dozens of stops on five continents. It will complete a three-year voyage before returning to Japan in time for the 2025 World Expo.
1. What is the major task of the Porrima?| A．Explore the nature of modern materials. | B．Put sustainable technology into practice. |
| C．Stress the importance of ocean protection. | D．Show the advantages of solar-powered ships. |
| A．People lack awareness of it. | B．People have done nothing about it. |
| C．People should and can do more about it. | D．People should do more analysis about it. |
| A．Gunter Pauli: An Ambitious Boat Designer |
| B．MS Porrima: Technology to Preserve Nature |
| C．Sea Transport: A Sustainable Form of Transport |
| D．Technology: An Inspiration for Designing Ships |
8 . The world has undoubtedly changed in many ways due to the changing climate. Humanity has seen wildfires burn through the rolling hills of California and across Australian forests. Weather patterns have changed, and species of all kinds have had to adapt as well as they can.
A study out of the New England Aquarium in Boston, Massachusetts, focuses on the Epaulette shark and their newly born pups. Native to the warm waters near Australia and New Guinea, this small species of shark is very interesting and adaptive. But all the evolutionary adaptive behaviors don’t take these sharks out of harm’s way.
Lauren Benoit, a marine scientist, weighed in on this issue, “Studies have found that warmer waters caused sharks to give birth faster and as a result the premature pups were smaller and lacked energy.” Lauren continued discussing the real impact of climate change on all sharks. “The problem is that the water is warming so rapidly that these sharks may not have enough time to adapt. The same goes for their prey (猎物), who are also trying to deal with the changing environment. Some species may be able to change their migration patterns to follow the colder water.”
The danger is clear and present. Lauren explains: “If these animals are born too soon, then the conditions they need to survive may not be present. Overtime, if some of the babies survive and are able to adapt to these temperatures, then future generations will be able to withstand the warmer environment.”
The warming conditions of the planet will be likely to influence everything living on Earth. Lauren helps us understand why we need to try and stop and change the impact of global warming from a shark’s perspective: “Overall, most sharks are cold-blooded and are very sensitive to temperature. As global ocean temperatures warm, it will become dangerous for shark populations.”
1. What can we know about the sharks in the second paragraph?| A．Warmer waters help them grow better. | B．They have adapted to global warming. |
| C．Their new born babies are very lovely. | D．Their adaptation fails to keep them safe. |
| A．They are challenging their babies’ growth. | B．They are making sharks more sensitive. |
| C．They are weakening their ability to swim. | D．They are causing sharks to die of coldness. |
| A．Ignore. | B．Survive. | C．Create. | D．Change. |
| A．Sharks’ prey tries to deal with warmer environment. |
| B．Baby sharks have adapted to higher temperatures. |
| C．Climate change has posed a threat to baby sharks. |
| D．Undeniable climate change causes global disasters. |
9 . The story started from a popular video, in which a tourist pulled a flower out of the ground in Tibet and boiled it with other food.
He might not know what he dug up was not an ordinary one but snow lotus, an extremely rare species. The exact number existing in the wild is unknown, but scientists believe that the species is dying out and people are not allowed to collect them for private or even scientific use since 2000.
The snow lotus generally only grows above the snowline of the Tibetan Himalayas or Heaven Mountain in Central Asia. In order to survive the harsh environment and strong wind, it grows thick hair on the outside, which keeps the plant from the cold. And it often has to grow around six to eight years before its only flowering time in life.
Only very few plants and animals survive in such an environment. Therefore, each snow lotus is key part of fragile (脆弱的) ecosystem around it. When someone digs one out of the ground, he/she not only wastes the plant’s own years of efforts, but also threatens the ecological (生态的) balance of about one square kilometer around it.
For a long time, many people collect the lotus flowers to sell as herbal (药草的) plants to others, even though their herbal effects are not proved. Regardless of the fact, some traders do misleading advertising about them and illegally sell them at high prices. As a result, the species is in danger. The snow lotus is not the only plant that suffers from the illegal sale of certain people because they carry a sense of mystery. It is time the law offered stricter protection of these rare plants for the ecological environment.
1. What did the author intend to tell us about the tourist?| A．He destroyed an endangered plant. | B．He has good outdoor survival skills. |
| C．He discovered a special kind of flowers. | D．He has made many popular short videos. |
| A．To fight for enough living space. | B．To make the flower less obvious. |
| C．To protect it from extreme conditions. | D．To prevent it from being dug out easily. |
| A．It is hard for people to find a snow lotus. |
| B．It takes many years for a snow lotus to fully grow. |
| C．Some rare plants usually grow in weak environments. |
| D．The snow lotus is very important to the local ecosystem. |
| A．We should call on the public to protect rare plants. |
| B．We should learn to recognize different plants. |
| C．We should follow all the laws in our country. |
| D．We should avoid taking wild plants as food. |
10 . FUR, FINS & FEATHERS
Wildlife-watching can turn a day outdoors into a wide-eyed family adventure. Here are four of the best UK experiences this spring.
Ponies on Exmoor
Exmoor National Park is a haven for wildlife, with the area’s native ponies a highlight. Some animals wander around the park, and you will likely see them on four-wheel-drive vehicle adventures. For very young children, don’t miss the Exmoor Pony Center, near Dulverton, home to around 20 native ponies.
Puffins on Skomer Island
Skomer might be less than a mile off the Pembrokeshire coast but arriving on this rocky, dramatic island still feels like landing on a distant shore. During breeding season (April to early July), you can expect to spot puffins, but there’s plenty more for families to enjoy, too. However, visitor numbers are capped each day, so book your boat trip well ahead of time.
Eagles and Otters on Mull
The inner Hebridean Island of Mull has superb birdwatching certificates and a rich marine life, too. Keep your eyes on the sky for golden and white-tailed eagles — the former a Highland icon, the latter the UK’s largest bird of prey. The coast, meanwhile, is home to shy but spellbinding otters (水獭). Mull Magic offers themed wildlife tours, including the Otter Detective Walk, the Eagle Walk and Birds, Beaches & Butterflies.
Seals in Norfolk
The county’s coastline is famous for its seals, with three key locations allowing you to admire colonies from a responsible distance. Hunstanton is a good bet in the summer months, and Horsey Beach is an excellent option for seeing baby seals during the winter breeding seasons, but Blakeney Points is the best year-round choice, with both harbor and grey seals seen in large numbers. Various operators run family-friendly bout trips from nearby Morston Quay, with departures throughout the year.
1. Which tour is strongly recommended for little kids?| A．Ponies on Exmoor. | B．Puffins on Skomer Island. | C．Eagles and Otters on Mull. | D．Seals in Norfolk. |
| A．You can see puffins in August. | B．It’s quite far away from the shore. |
| C．You can enjoy themed wildlife tours. | D．It puts limits on the number of visitors. |
| A．Hunstanton. | B．Hebridean Island. | C．Blakeney Points. | D．Horsey Beach. |
