1 . Animals help lift my spirits in the darkest of times.
“You should get a cat,” my therapist (治疗师) said. “A cat?” I couldn’t even look after myself. I took a deep
When Elaine came home, it became increasingly
Elaine used my bed as a litter box, and after visiting a vet (兽医), she concluded that she just wanted my
She stole my heart with her bravery and kept me busier.
I decided to start taking Elaine for
And following her journey of adventures every day, I got the same
Elaine
Our time is often cut unpredictably, unmistakably
| A．look | B．rest | C．chance | D．breath |
| A．welcoming | B．carrying | C．purchasing | D．dragging |
| A．cute | B．interesting | C．obvious | D．vivid |
| A．follow | B．doubt | C．like | D．seek |
| A．training | B．food | C．attention | D．punishment |
| A．reward | B．bite | C．prediction | D．advice |
| A．fearlessly | B．calmly | C．rarely | D．carelessly |
| A．bowl | B．meal | C．bed | D．floor |
| A．walks | B．cares | C．granted | D．example |
| A．goodbye | B．no | C．hello | D．thanks |
| A．decision | B．bravery | C．interest | D．mystery |
| A．find | B．predict | C．consider | D．accept |
| A．rapidly | B．partly | C．naturally | D．simply |
| A．it | B．me | C．the cat-house | D．the vet |
| A．appear | B．land | C．locate | D．play |
| A．prides | B．problems | C．joys | D．worries |
| A．got injured | B．passed away | C．got recovered | D．fell ill |
| A．tiredness | B．boredom | C．terror | D．sadness |
| A．short | B．magic | C．permanent | D．remote |
| A．waiting | B．paying | C．begging | D．applying |
2 . A nickname is a shortened form of a person’s name. A nickname can also be a descriptive name for a person, place or thing. Many American cities have nicknames. These can help establish an identity, spread pride among citizens and build unity. Nicknames can also be funny.
Los Angeles, California is the second largest city in population, after New York City. Los Angeles has several nicknames. One is simply the city’s initials, L.A. It is also called the City of Angels because Los Angeles means “the angels” in Spanish.
Los Angeles often has warm, sunny weather. So another nickname is City of Flowers and Sunshine. New York is called The Big Apple. So Los Angeles is sometimes called The Big Orange because of the fruit that grows in that city’s warm climate.
The American motion picture and television industries are based in Los Angeles. So it is not surprising that it is called The Entertainment Capital of the World. Many films are made in the area of Los Angeles called Hollywood. Millions of people visit the area. No trip to Los Angeles is complete without seeing the word “Hollywood” spelled out in huge letters on a hillside.
Many movie stars live in Los Angeles. The city is sometimes called Tinseltown. This nickname comes from the shiny, bright and often unreal nature of Hollywood and the movie industry.
Another nickname for Los Angeles is La-La Land, using the first letters of Los and Angeles. This means a place that is fun and not serious, and maybe even out of touch with reality.
The city of Los Angeles is part of Los Angeles County. There are many smaller cities in the county. Beverly Hills, with its rich people, is one of them. So is Pasadena, with its Rose Parade each New Year’s Day. So are the coastal cities of Santa Monica and Malibu, where people like to ride surfboards on the Pacific Ocean waves.
A good place for watching unusual-looking people is Venice, an area on the west side of Los Angeles. A system of waterways designed after the Italian city of Venice has been built there.
Many people love Los Angeles for its warm sunny weather, beautiful mountains and beaches, and movie stars. That includes Randy Newman, who sings about his hometown.
1. Which of the following is not the nickname of L.A.?| A．The City of Angels | B．City of Flowers and Sunshine |
| C．The Big Orange | D．The Entertainment Capital of American |
| A．Weather | B．Politics | C．People | D．Industry |
| A．To introduce the characteristics of an area near L.A. |
| B．To compare the Italian city of Venice with L.A. |
| C．To introduce its system of waterways. |
| D．To give a place for watching unusual-looking people. |
| A．Director | B．Musician | C．Writer | D．Sportsman |
3 . An underwater volcano eruption in Tongaon Saturday (Jan. 15, 2022) was captured as it happened in shocking images from an Earth — watching satellite, showing the great power for the explosive event in the South Pacific. The volcano eruption on the island of Hunga Tonga — Hunga Ha’apai is visible as a spectacular explosion in views from the GOES West Earth — observing satellite operated by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
A video of the eruption shows a vast mass of material from the volcano rising high into the atmosphere like a giant mushroom during the eruption as a shockwave extends outward from Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haapai, one of the 170 islands that make up the South Pacific kingdom of Tonga. The eruption spawned a 4-foot tsunami that hit Tonga’s capital of Nuku’alofa, which is about 40 miles south of the volcano. A deafening noise from the eruption was heard across the Pacific Ocean, reaching as far away as Alaska, according to the Associated Press (AP).
Nuku’alofa was covered in a film of volcanic dust, according to the AP. There have been no official reports of injuries or damage from Tonga’s capital on Jan. 15, 2022, but its Internet access was interrupted by the event, the volcano on Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai first erupted on Dec, 20, 2021 and then exploded with a massive eruption on Jan, 13, which was also spotted by GOES West, NOAA officials said in a statement. That eruption on Jan. 13 was seven times more powerful than the December event and sent a huge mass of ash and gas over 12 miles into Earth’s atmosphere.
Saturday’s eruption also sent an ash mass to an altitude of nearly 12 miles, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told the AP. New Zealand officials hoped to send military flights over the volcano to assess its status, followed by aid and supplies for Tonga, where water supplies may be polluted, Ardern added.
1. Which word can be used to describe the eruption in Tonga on Jan, 15?| A．Invisible. | B．Powerful. | C．Common. | D．Beautiful. |
| A．Spread. | B．Captured. | C．Caused. | D．Showed |
| A．The dirty atmosphere of Nuku’alofa. |
| B．The terrible damage in Tonga’s capital. |
| C．Large numbers of injuries in Tonga. |
| D．Other volcanic eruptions in Tonga. |
| A．To remove the polluted atmosphere. |
| B．To provide aid and supplies. |
| C．To stop the ash and gas erupting out. |
| D．To learn more details about the volcano. |
Space Station Rice Tests Show Promise
Chinese astronauts have successfully grown rice seedlings (幼苗) onboard the Tiangong space station.
There have been other rice
China launched the Wentian space laboratory into orbit on July 24. The space lab, which weighs 23 metric tons and is 17.9 meters tall, is the country’s
“We want to investigate how microgravity affects the plant flowering time on the molecular (分子的) level
“If we want to land on and explore Mars, food
Tom was a fishing amateur. He once came to a wet place in the roadless forest to fish with his friends William and Tony. They put up their tent upon the top of a pine-clothed mountain and then began fishing. However, none of them was successful fisherman. They were either made lazy by the sun or wet by the rain. After two days of fishing, they got nothing. Finally they ate the last bit of bacon and smoked and burned the last fearful corncake. If they didn’t get anything to eat, they would have to starve.
Immediately Tom volunteered to stay and hold the camp while the remaining two should go miles away to a farmhouse for supplies. Hearing Tom’s suggestion, the two friends gazed at him jokingly. “ There is only one of you-be careful, for bears may appear and keep you company!” Tom didn’t take what they said seriously. Then the two men disappeared down the hill in the known direction of a distant wooden house.
Night came, but the two men did not return. Tom sat close to his companion, the campfire. He lit a cigarette and felt a thousand shadows were about to come towards him. Suddenly he heard the approach of something unknown, rackling the small branches and rustling (使沙沙作响) the dead leaves. Feeling a bit scared, Tom rose slowly to his feet. His cigarette dropped from his mouth and his knees shook with fear. “Hah!” he shouted in a loud voice in the hope of scaring his opponent away. A roar (咆哮) replied and a bear paced into the light of the fire.
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。
Paragraph 1:
Tom supported himself upon a tree and observed his unexpected visitor.
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Paragraph 2:
Tom breathed a sigh of relief
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6 . Imagine being able to pop to your local park and pick some tomatoes, potatoes or even bananas to take home for dinner. Sounds too good to be true, right? For residents of Andernach, German, it’s not just a dream—it’s their reality.
In 2010, Andernach began its edible(可食用的)city project, planting 101 varieties of tomatoes in public green spaces around the city centre. Its 30,000 residents are free to help themselves to whatever grows, as are any other visitors. The town’s motto of sorts is “Picking is encouraged—help yourself!” Every year a new type of plant is highlighted. In 2011, 100 types of beans were planted, while 2012saw the introduction of 20 onion varieties.
It’s a community effort, as local citizens are encouraged to help plant and maintain the gardens. This offers an opportunity to socialise as well as to learn about planting, cultivating and harvesting food.
An Andernach resident spoke to DW,“I often drop by to pick some herbs that I’m missing at home. Everything is easily accessible. There aren’t any fences. You just take what you need. The only thing is that you have to be quick once the fruits are ripe or they’ll all be gone!”
Andernach may have been the first in German, but it isn’t the only edible city. It’s part of the Edible Cities Network, a project funded by European Union to connect green urban foot initiatives around the world. Other cities include Carthage in Tunisia, Havana in Cuba and Sempeter-Vrtojba in Slovenia. In February 2022, the first Edible Cities Network Conference took place. Dr Ina Saumel, principal investigator of the Edible Cities Network, called it “a unique opportunity to invite researchers of edible city solutions and practitioners to the same table.”
Ultimately, the Edible Cities Network aims to give people “greener, more edible and, above all, more livable cities.” It is a response to the pressures of global climate change, and a significant cause full of hope.
1. What can residents do in public green spaces according to the edible city project?| A．Sell the produce they grow there. |
| B．Learn knowledge about planting. |
| C．Grow whatever plant as they like. |
| D．Pay to pick some vegetables there. |
| A．Novel and popular. | B．Creative and costly. |
| C．Common and fundamental. | D．Rare and unacceptable. |
| A．Andernach is the only city to carry it out. |
| B．European Union originally established it. |
| C．It helps combine theories with practices. |
| D．It invites people to share meals together. |
| A．To help residents relieve their pressure. |
| B．To involve residents in urban planting. |
| C．To increase the produce supply in cities. |
| D．To create environmentally friendly cities. |
7 . When ivory hunters target elephants, the hunters can affect more than just animal numbers. In Mozambique, past hunting pressure led to an increase of naturally tuskless (无长牙的) elephants in one park, a study finds.
During 1977 to 1992, people hunted elephants and other wildlife for food and ivory. This caused the number of these large animals to drop more than 90 percent in the country’s Gorongosa National Park. Records show that as elephant numbers plummeted, the proportion of tuskless female African savanna elephants rose from about 18 percent to 51 percent.
Decades of poaching appear to have made tusklessness more beneficial from an evolutionary perspective in Gorongosa, encouraging the rapid increase of tuskless females with mutations (变异) in two tooth genes, researchers report in Science.
“The rapid killing of tusked individuals changed the makeup of features in the elephant population in only two decades, leaving behind more tuskless individuals,” say evolutionary biologist Shane Campbell-Staton and his colleagues. “The tuskless feature is heritable (可继承的), and the evolutionary change in the population may stick around for several generations at least, even as poaching eases.”
The team also analyzed the genetic instruction books of 18 tusked and tuskless females, zeroing in on two genes with mutations in tuskless females. “In humans, the influence of one of those genes can cause tooth fragility and the absence of a pair of upper teeth at the front of their mouth,” Campbell-Staton says, “Abnormalities in the other gene’s protein product can cause incorrect formation of the tooth root and tooth loss.”
Hunting “changing the course of evolution” in Gorongosa’s elephants, Campbell-Staton says, can have profound effects through the ecosystem given elephants’ dramatic impact on their surroundings. “Tusks are not just decorative. They serve a purpose,” he says, detailing how elephants use tusks to dig for water and strip tree bark for food. “If an elephant doesn’t have the tool to do those things, then what happens?”
1. Which of the following is true according to the study?| A．Ivory hunters killed elephants for their tusks. |
| B．Elephants lost their tusks due to natural evolution. |
| C．Hunting affects the number and appearance of elephants. |
| D．Human activities brought about great changes to the ecosystem. |
| A．Decreased. | B．Increased. |
| C．Remained stable. | D．Became Unpredictable. |
| A．They have the same genes as the tusked. |
| B．Their tuskless feature can be passed down. |
| C．Their tuskless feature doesn’t exist in males. |
| D．They have a biological advantage over the tusked. |
| A．To explain the cause of gene mutations. |
| B．To show the impact of mutated tooth genes. |
| C．To raise humans’ awareness of protecting teeth. |
| D．To call for actions to protect tuskless elephants. |
8 . In a series of studies, researchers found highly trained dogs may be more successful than untrained pets in independently solving newly-presented problems.
Researchers have discovered that one of the factors underlying this process may be persistence (坚持). It involves reinforcement, the principle that behaviors that are rewarded become stronger and more frequent. The other side of this is extinction, which refers to the fact that behaviors that are not rewarded grow weaker and become less likely to appear. When extinction sets in, the animal will simply quit before the problem is solved. It is possible that highly trained dogs have learned to persist and thus have developed resistance to extinction, which would make them better problem solvers.
In this recent study, the researchers looked at 26 adult dogs divided into two groups, “trained dogs” and “pet dogs”. There were two tasks that the dogs were tested on. One was a social learning task where the dog had to learn to look directly into the experimenter’s eyes. Every time the dog stared at the experimenter’s face, they received a treat (reinforcement). Once the dogs were performing this task, the extinction stage began, and the staring behavior was no longer rewarded in order to see how persistent the newly learned behavior was.
The second task focused on problem-solving. It involved a flat disk that had bone-shaped plastic bones. The dogs had to learn to remove the plastic bones to obtain the treat hiding under each one. After the series of rewarded trials, the extinction stage began, and no more reinforcements were provided for removing the bones.
In the social learning task, the trained dogs gazed at the experimenters more than the pet dogs during extinction. While in the problem-solving task, the trained dogs picked up a larger number of bones during extinction. In other words, for dogs who had been trained, their newly learned behaviors persisted longer and were stronger than the behaviors of the pet dogs who received no training in any area.
1. How does the author introduce the topic?| A．By stating a fact. | B．By raising a doubt. |
| C．By making an assumption. | D．By presenting a conclusion. |
| A．Chaining a dog up while walking it every day. |
| B．Giving a goat some grass every time it stands up. |
| C．Putting a fish back into the pool every time it jumps out. |
| D．Yelling at a cat every time it fails to catch a mouse. |
| A．Their newly learned behaviors last longer. |
| B．They can grow stronger than untrained dogs. |
| C．They are more likely to live longer. |
| D．They are better at helping their friends. |
| A．How researchers carry out animal experiments |
| B．Why trained dogs don’t give up easily |
| C．Why persistent dogs make better pets |
| D．How to pick out a suitable pet dog |
On one late-autumn day, Wang Ting,
“Autumn is usually the best season for Taiyuan,” Wang said. “But that was not necessarily true in the past for the city,
A change for the better, not only in Taiyuan but the entire Shanxi Province,
Statistics from the Shanxi Department of Ecology and Environment show that
During a recent news conference, Wang Yanfeng, head of the department, said that Shanxi has been holding the idea that green mountains and clear waters are
“Our initiatives include upgrading local industries to clean production,
After the industrial upgrades, Shanxi,
10 . Urban gardens are valuable property to communities. They provide green spaces to grow sustainable food, build community cohesion (凝聚力) make new friends, connect with the earth, and much no re. So, let’s check out our list of four inspiring urban gardens in the US.
Got ham Greens
Where: New York & Chicago
What: Got ham Greens first started in Brooklyn and now has four locations in New York City and Chicago. Their flagship farm in Brooklyn produced over 100,000 pounds of greens per year. But it doesn’t just produce healthy local vegetables. It is using high-teach green houses with solar panels to make sure the food grown is healthy and sustainable.
Baltimore Urban Gardening with Students
Where: Baltimore, Mary land
What: The Baltimore Urban Gardening with Students (BUGS) program encouraged students to get their hands dirty and plant vegetables through their after-school and summer programs. Many of these kids don’t have access to green spaces, and have never had the opportunity to grow food.
ReVision Urban Farm
Where: Boston, Massachusetts
What: ReVision Urban Farm in Boston works in partnership with the ReVision Family Home——a shelter for 22 homeless parents and their kids. The farm provided these families with information on healthy eating, and access to the farm’s fresh vegetables. The organization also provided job training to help families escape the cycle of poverty.
Swale
Where: New York
What: scale, a floating food forest located on a large boat, is an innovative project meant to inspire citizens to rethink the relationship between our cities and our food. This urban garden serves as both a living art exhibit and an educational farm, Food forests are sustainable gardens that include vegetables, fruit, nut trees, bushes, herbs, and vine——each one complementing the other in a symbiotic (共生的) relationship.
1. What is special about Got ham Greens?| A．It provides job training for students. |
| B．It offers homeless families formation on healthy eating |
| C．It creates a sustainable garden on a large boat. |
| D．It uses high-tech green houses to grow healthy food. |
| A．Got ham Greens. | B．Revision Urban Farm. |
| C．Baltimore Urban Gardening with Students | D．Scale. |
| A．They are inspirational multinational project. | B．They have educational and entertaining purpose. |
| C．They create job opportunities for farmers. | D．They are important for citizens. |
