1 . 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. |
| 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. |
| A．Species. | B．Place. | C．Time. | D．Climate. |
| A．Climate Impact on Animals |
| B．Changes of Prehistoric Environment |
| C．Evolution of Large Mammal Populations |
| D．Human Influence on Giant Mammals |
2 . 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
3 . 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. |
| A．Loving and charitable. | B．Cat-addicted and strange. |
| C．Creative and modest. | D．Moody and generous. |
| A．Stupid. | B．Lovely. | C．Unlucky. | D．Lazy. |
| 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. |
4 . 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. |
| A．Forest fires and farmers’ burning. | B．Low temperature and forest fires. |
| C．Global warming and low temperature. | D．Low temperature and farmers’ burning. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
5 . 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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 |
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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7 . On Christmas Eve morning I awoke with a mission: to find my lost cat, Baby-Girl. As I got ready, I could hear icy rain pelting the windows. Baby-Girl was somewhere in the storm, I could just feel it. Sure, it had been months since she’d disappeared, but I still had faith. This was the season for miracles, after all.
My dad and I spent the last holiday searching for her in the park nearby. Dad was the family’s “realist,” which meant he spent time trying to prepare me for the worst. “She’s either been hit by a car or been taken in by someone,” he said. I rolled my eyes. He could do with a little more faith!
Though I couldn’t explain it, I knew I’d see Baby-Girl again. She could survive all on her own. Even after I lived without her and the weeks stretched into months, deep down I had this feeling that we’d be reunited one day.
Now, again for the holidays, I made up my mind to pick up my search. I grabbed Baby-Girl’s cat carrier and loaded it into the car, then asked my dad to drive me to the shelter.
“Sharon, be realistic!” my dad said as we headed to the garage. “She’s been gone too long. You’re not going to find her.”
“Well, I just have a feeling,” I said. “Don’t you believe in Christmas miracle?”
At the shelter, a staff member took us to see the cats. We walked through rows of cages. My eyes scanned cats of all colors and sizes. None of them was my Baby-Girl. Then I noticed a room farther back. I pushed ahead. “Sweetheart, that’s where they keep the cats that just came in,” Dad said.
I insisted on stepping into the room. Suddenly, there came a familiar meow (猫叫). I followed it and my eyes fell on a little cat with big green eyes. Skinnier than I remembered, it was Baby-Girl! My eyes welled up with tears. I opened the cage door. Baby-Girl practically jumped into my arms.
1. What did the author’s father think about the lost cat?| A．It could be stolen. | B．It wasn’t lovely at all. |
| C．It could be seen again. | D．It was impossible to be found. |
| A．Ambitious. | B．Indifferent. | C．Determined. | D．Considerate. |
| A．The shelter. | B．The garage. | C．The park. | D．The car. |
| A．The lost cat came home on her own. |
| B．The father decided to retake the pet. |
| C．The lost cat and the author reunited. |
| D．The father got together with the author. |
8 . Research shows that with 2℃ of global warming we will have more disasters like droughts, floods, wildfires and storms. Unless we act immediately to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, we won’t be able to escape the worst consequences of climate change. This can seem depressing.
●Transform your transport
●
To reduce your food’s carbon footprint, buy local and seasonal foods. You’ll be helping small businesses and farms in your area and reducing fossil fuel emissions associated with transport and cold chain storage. Go one step further and try growing your own fruit, vegetables and herbs.
●Don’t waste food
One-third of all food produced is either lost or wasted. People waste 1 billion tons of food each year, which accounts for around 8-10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Avoid waste by only buying what you need. Take advantage of every edible (可食用的) part of the foods you buy. Be creative with leftovers, share extras with your friends and neighbours.
| A．Grow your own food |
| B．Shop local and buy sustainable |
| C．Transport is a typical example of human activities |
| D．But the good news is that there’s a lot we can still do as individuals |
| E．Traffic accounts for around a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions |
| F．You can plant them in a garden, on a balcony or even on a window sill |
| G．Make compost (堆肥) out of inedible parts and use it to fertilize (使肥沃) your garden |
9 . The thought of a natural disaster can be frightening, but you can prepare yourself and your family with a few simple steps.
Fill out an emergency plan.
Create an emergency plan for your family in case of a natural disaster. Include household information, out-of-town contacts, and school, workplace, and childcare contact information and emergency contingencies (应急预案).
Consider the disasters for the events that are most likely to happen in your area. Make sure everyone in your family knows how to react to different disasters, including tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, fires, winter storms, and power failures. Make sure the safest spots in your home for each type of disaster.
For example, the highest level in your home is the safest place during a flood, while the lowest level is safest during a tornado, for instance.
Identify 3 ways to get warnings.
Alarms are generally enough warnings for natural disasters. However, in case of a power failure, you cannot rely only on your television or landline phone for warnings, either.
Determine the best evacuation (撤离) routes.
Identify all the entries and exits in your home and plan how you will evacuate your home(by car or by foot, for instance). Determine where you will go if you cannot remain in your home or even in your region. Then, map out several routes for getting out of your city.
| A．Decide what not to do in different situations |
| B．Discuss how to respond to most likely disasters |
| C．Add your evacuation routes and shelter plans as well |
| D．Since you know what you should do when a disaster strikes |
| E．Though you may not know what kind of disaster will strike or when |
| F．Be sure to tell all your family members about evacuation routes and exit plans |
| G．Sign up to receive warnings from your local government by text message or email |
10 . Last week at the start of the COP28 climate conference in Dubai,134 countries signed an agreement aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (排放) from processes related to producing and consuming food.
For the first time in nearly three decades of climate conferences, which were established to handle climate change, the importance of food systems has been recognized in this way. Also, for the first time, on 10 December, COP28 will devote a day to discussing ways to reduce emissions from food and agriculture.
Many have welcomed the moves. “It’s great to finally have food on the COP menu,” says Clement Metivier, a climate expert, who is attending COP28.” There is really a growing momentum (势头) around food systems transformation to handle both the biodiversity and climate crisis.” But equally, researchers say not enough is being done to reduce emissions in one of the world’s biggest, largely untackled sources and that will involve some tough political decisions.
Making food systems more sustainable plays an important part in keeping alive the dream of limiting global warming to 1.5℃ above pre-industrial levels, agreed at COP21 in Paris in 2015. Getting food from farm to food-table accounts for around a third of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to a 2021 study in Ispra, Italy. The researchers estimated that in 2015, some 70% of these emissions came just from agriculture and land-use changes-such as cutting down trees to clear land for crops.
There are also obvious approaches to reducing some of these impacts, for example by limiting the use of fossil-fuel-hungry fertilizers (肥料), or by reducing food waste. Roughly half of food systems emissions come from food that is lost in the supply chain-before reaching the consumer-or wasted, according to a study published in March in Nature Food. Therefore, halving food loss and waste could help remove some greenhouse gas emissions from the food system.
1. What was done at the COP28 climate conference?| A．It recognized the role of making food systems more sustainable. |
| B．It agreed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from food systems. |
| C．It decided to set the world’s direction in handling climate change. |
| D．It spent a day finding ways to reduce emissions from food systems. |
| A．Positive | B．Negative | C．Neutral | D．Uninterested |
| A．Decreasing | B．Causing | C．Comparing | D．Combining |
| A．The causes leading to global warming |
| B．The dream of stopping global warming. |
| C．The food loss and waste from farm to food table. |
| D．The ways to reduce effects of food systems on global warming |
