2 . For years, scientists have debated whether humans or the climate have caused the population of large mammals to decline dramatically over the past several thousand years. A new study from Aarhus University confirms that climate cannot be the explanation.

About 100,000 years ago, the first modern humans migrated out of Africa in large numbers. They were very good at adapting to new habitats, and they settled in almost every kind of landscape — from deserts to jungles to the icy taiga in the far north.

Part of the success was human’s ability to hunt large animals. With clever hunting techniques and specially built weapons, they perfected the art of killing even the most dangerous mammals.

But unfortunately, the great success of our ancestors came at the expense of the other large mammals.

It is well-known that numerous large species went extinct during the time of worldwide colonization by modern humans. Now, new research from Aarhus University reveals that those large mammals that survived also experienced a dramatic decline.

By studying the DNA of 139 living species of large mammals, scientists have been able to show that the abundances of almost all species fell dramatically about 50,000 years ago. This is according to Jens-Christian Svenning, a professor and head of the Danish National Research Foundation’s Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO) at Aarhus University and the initiator of the study.

“We’ve studied the evolution of large mammalian populations over the past 750,000 years. For the first 700,000 years, the populations were fairly stable. But 50,000 years ago, the populations fell dramatically and never recovered,” he says, and continues: “For the past 800,000 years, the globe has fluctuated (波动) between ice ages and interglacial periods about every 100,000 years. If the climate was the cause, we should see greater fluctuations when the climate changed 50,000 years earlier.But we don’t. Humans are, therefore, the most likely explanation.”

1. What do the underlined words “the success” mean in Paragraph 3?

A．The evolution of large mammals.

B．The prosperity of various habitats.

C．The achievement of human migration.

D．The progress in hunting techniques.

2. According to Svenning, what happened 50,000 years ago?

A．Populations of large mammals significantly dropped.

B．Living conditions of large mammals remained stable.

C．Global climate dramatically changed.

D．A large number of glaciers suddenly melt.

3. What’s used as a clue of the research according to the last two paragraphs?

A．Species.

B．Place.

C．Time.

D．Climate.

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

A．Climate Impact on Animals

B．Changes of Prehistoric Environment

C．Evolution of Large Mammal Populations

D．Human Influence on Giant Mammals

4 . Five months ago, a new species of box jellyfish was discovered in Hong Kong. It is a relative of the deadly Australian box jellyfish, one of the most venomous (有毒的) animals on Earth. One sting (刺伤) from it can kill a person in minutes.

A university team in Hong Kong, led by Qiu Jianwen from the Hong Kong Baptist University, discovered it at the Mai Po Nature Reserve, a local wetland area. It was the first discovery of a new box jellyfish species in Chinese waters.

But it’s not the first time biology professor Qiu has discovered a new creature. He’s made more than 30 discoveries in about 20 years spent exploring new marine (海洋的) animals.

Qiu doesn’t go looking for new species on purpose. In 2014, he did research on the health of coral in Hong Kong waters. To learn more, Qiu and his team needed to find all of the coral species involved. And in doing so, they discovered four new coral species.

Finding new species reminds Qiu of how biologically diverse Hong Kong’s waters are. Hong Kong takes up just 0.03 percent of China’s total marine area, yet it is home to more than 25 percent of all marine species recorded in China, a report by the University of Hong Kong showed.

However, Hong Kong’s marine animals face threats, due to factors including habitat loss, climate change and overuse of natural resources.

Although action is being taken, it focuses more on bigger creatures, like dolphins and birds. “Many marine species are small and they are often overlooked. If these species were to become extinct, few people would notice or care. But for me, each one has its rightful place,” said Qiu.

He hopes everyone can recognize the importance of the ocean. “When more people show concern for the ocean, we are, in fact, acting for our own benefit,” he said.

1. Where was the new species of box jellyfish found?

A．In a university lab of HK.	B．In the ocean of Australia.
C．In a nature reserve of HK.	D．In a wetland of Australia.

2. What was Qiu’s task in 2014?

A．To find new species of coral for the study.

B．To study the health condition of coral.

C．To study the living environment of coral.

D．To find all coral species in the world.

3. What can we know about the marine animals in HK?

A．All of them are dying out.

B．No action is being taken to protect them.

C．Habitat loss is the biggest threat to them.

D．Some of them were discovered by chance.

4. What can be inferred according to the last two paragraphs?

A．Small marine species aren’t protected as they deserve.

B．Bigger creatures like dolphins and birds should be better protected.

C．People are now taking action to better protect small marine species.

D．More and more people are aware of the extinction of small marine species.

5 . There are two ways to forget about troubles in life: music and cats.

At the Hey Cat Cafe in Wuhan, Hubei Province, you can have both. About 30 furry creatures, each wearing a red burp cloth with its name on it, welcome and “serve” the guests. The “employees” are all stray (流浪的) black cats, most of whom were rescued by caring people after being abandoned by their owners.

Opened in September 2021, the cafe is one of the first nonprofit cat cafes in China. Manager Du Fan told China Daily that all the profits are used to help homeless animals.

The 41-year-old said he opened the black cat cafe to dispel (消除) the myth that such cats are “inauspicious”, as described in some movies and TV dramas. Over the past 17 years, a lot of people have come to Du to adopt cats, but many said they didn’t want black cats. “Actually, in traditional Chinese culture, black cats can drive away evil spirits and bring luck. They should be mascots (吉祥物),” he said. So are black cats as reserved and mysterious as folk tales suggest? Well, perhaps not.

Hearing two young women open the door, six or so passionate “cafe workers” waited and greeted them. When the visitors sat down, one cat rubbed against the bottom of one woman’s pants, while another climbed onto her knee. Some of the cats simply fell asleep against the guests’ legs.

While these cats are rescued, they also help people with developmental or social anxiety disorders learn to open their hearts. “Cats possess certain qualities that humans don’t have,” Du added. “Many people with psychological problems can find comfort in cats.”

1. How do the cats “serve” guests at the Hey Cat Cafe?

A．They can bring coffee to customers.

B．They can really serve the guests.

C．They can help reduce people’s anxiety.

D．They can wear a red burp cloth.

2. Which of the following words can best describe Du Fan, the owner of the cafe?

A．Loving and charitable.	B．Cat-addicted and strange.
C．Creative and modest.	D．Moody and generous.

3. What does the underlined word “inauspicious” most probably mean?

A．Stupid.

B．Lovely.

C．Unlucky.

D．Lazy.

4. What’s the purpose of the passage?

A．To make an introduction to a cat cafe.

B．To call on people to protect homeless animals.

C．To inform people that black cats can be mascots.

D．To introduce what people can do with homeless cats.

7 . Beginning construction in 1632, the Taj Mahal is located in this city of Agra. It is considered one of the most beautiful sites in the world. In fact, it was named one of the new seven wonders of the world.

But it could become more difficult to see and to glimpse this glorious site because of pollution. It’s an unhealthy, even hazardous (危险的) problem for parts of India. Delhi, Kolkata, and Mumbai were among the 10 most polluted cities on earth this week, according to a Swiss company called IQAir.

CNN’s Michael Holmes explains what it all means. India’s iconic monument almost lost in the smog in the city of Agra. We are facing difficulty in taking pictures of Taj Mahal due to pollution. The Taj Mahal is not clearly visible. Every year, when the temperatures drop and farmers burn their fields, the air turns toxic (有毒的) in many Indian cities.

Delhi is notoriously (声名狼藉) ranked among the world’s most polluted cities. And the current air quality there has once again reached hazardous conditions, forcing primary schools to temporarily close and many people to work from home or just stay indoors altogether. The problem is so serious. A recent air quality life index report says poor air quality could shorten an average Indian’s life expectancy by more than five years, if World Health Organization guidelines on controlling pollution aren’t met. And it’s even affecting one of the country’s favorite pastimes.

India is currently hosting the Cricket World Cup with Bangladesh set to play Sri Lanka in a match in Delhi. But the air quality is so poor. Some players are wearing masks and both teams have canceled training sessions. The coach of Bangladesh’s team says the conditions have not been ideal.

1. Which is the least polluted city according to the text?

A．Agra.

B．Mumbai.

C．Delhi.

D．Kolkata.

2. What caused the air pollution in many Indian cities?

A．Forest fires and farmers’ burning.	B．Low temperature and forest fires.
C．Global warming and low temperature.	D．Low temperature and farmers’ burning.

3. What can be inferred from the passage?

A．Taj Mahal is one of the most beautiful scenic spots.

B．All schools were forced to close in many Indian cities.

C．Indians may have a shorter lifespan if no measures are taken.

D．In the Cricket World Cup, India is set to play Bangladesh in a match.

4. What does the author want to convey in the passage?

A．To reveal the real cause for air pollution.

B．To express concern for the athletes in the match.

C．To prove the Taj Mahal has lost its charm in smog.

D．To show the impact of air pollution in India on all sides.

9 . As the world struggles to deal with climate change, some companies are working to capture(捕捉) polluting carbon dioxide(CO₂) from the air.

The heavy use of fossil fuels(化石燃料) over the last 150 years has released massive amounts of greenhouse gases, like CO₂, which have caused the Earth to warm up.

Scientists say large amounts of CO₂must be removed from the atmosphere and stored. Plants and trees do this naturally. But there’s so much CO₂in the atmosphere that just planting trees and protecting forests won’t solve the problem. And, when plants and trees die, the carbon they’ve stored gets released again. That means humans need to come up with ways of removing carbon from the air and storing it. This is called Direct Air Capture(DAC).

A company called Heirloom has just opened the first DAC plant in the United States. Heirloom’s process uses limestone, a common rock, to capture CO₂. The company heats up the limestone to separate out the CO₂, which is then locked away in concrete. Heirloom uses renewable electricity to produce the heat, so the process, though expensive, doesn’t produce more CO₂. The new plant can remove 1, 000 tons of CO₂a year. That’s a tiny amount compared to how much carbon needs to be removed from the atmosphere. But the company says it hopes to remove a billion tons per year by 2035. Graphyte, another US company working on DAC, collects unwanted plants and wood products and dries them completely so they can’t break down. Graphyte then smashes them into small bricks and buries them deep underground.

Not everyone is excited about carbon removal. Some experts worry that it will take too long for DAC technology to become powerful enough to make a difference. Others worry that focusing on removing carbon could take attention away from more important climate actions, like switching from fossil fuels to renewable energy.

1. What does the author try to say in paragraph 3?

A．Protecting forests is necessary.	B．The climate crisis is unavoidable.
C．Why DAC has come into being.	D．Why there’s much CO₂in the air.

2. What’s the weakness of Heirloom’s carbon removal?

A．It’s hard to find proper limestone.	B．The process produces more CO₂.
C．It needs an amount of electricity.	D．It doesn’t capture enough CO₂ now.

3. Which do some experts agree with about DAC?

A．It promotes renewable energy.	B．It has a long way to go.
C．It can beat climate change.	D．It is so cost-effective.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Exploring Methods of Removing CO₂

B．Building Two Plants to Capture CO₂

C．Planting Trees to Fight Climate Crisis

D．Replacing Fossil Fuels by Using DAC

10 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

One day two years ago, my mother came home from work and announced that she had found a pet for the family. My father, little sister, and I eyed her in doubt.

My sister asked what kind of dog it was. My mother said it was a poodle (贵宾犬) named Pepe. I couldn’t believe she wanted a poodle — especially one with such an ordinary name. But she had made up her mind. “Actually, I’m doing a co-worker a favor,” she said. “The woman who owns Pepe says he hates to be alone and needs children to play with him.”

Pepe arrived the next night. His short tail shook happily. I didn’t get very close to him, thinking he should have stayed with his previous owner. My little sister played with him until bedtime, and he would come to me and begged for more attention. I always ignored him. But no matter how I treated him, he’d always like to be with me. He has always been waiting for me at the front door at the end of the day, smiling happily. He seems to know that I will be coming home from school at that time. Every day, he asks me with his eyes to play with him or take him somewhere. At night, he will wait until I fall asleep, leave his bed by the wall heater, walk down the hall and jump onto the end of my bed.

One night, while everyone was sleeping, I was in a half dream state. My throat hurt, my eyes pained, and some animal was crying in my ear. I opened my eyes and saw fog in my room. I wondered who left the window open. Pepe cried and bit my pajama sleeve (睡衣袖). Then I woke up and realized that it wasn’t fog in my room — it was smoke.

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。
Standing up, I couldn’t breathe.
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I turned off the burner with Pepe around me.
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