1 . Death is a part of life and it’s natural to grieve (悲伤) when an animal you love dies. Grieving is the emotional response to death.     1    

A pet is part of the family, so when they die it can be very difficult and upsetting for everyone who love them. It’s OK to feel sad, angry, numb or to feel hard to believe they’re no longer alive. You may have lots of feelings but there’s no right way to feel or to grieve. As people are all different, the length of time it takes for you to feel less sad may not be the same as for someone else.     2     Dipti Solanki, who helps people with their grief, says, “Your feelings matter and are normal after you lose a pet. They can feel really big and overwhelming.”

    3     Solanki says, “It’s really important that you talk about feeling sad, afraid or if you have any questions, because once you do you will start to feel calmer and less alone.     4    ” Talking about your pet helps to keep their memory alive as you remember the time you spent together. It also lets other people know that you want to talk about your pet.

Remembering the funny things your pet did and the happy times you shared can be of great help.     5    . Print out photos of your pet and frame them or make them into a collage (拼贴画) to display. You can draw or paint a picture of them. Or write a story about something you did together or how they made you feel.

A．It doesn’t mean pets are not important.

B．There’s no rush and you can take your time.

C．It is an important part of the healing process.

D．As well as talking about them, you can get creative.

E．After you share your feelings they become easier to deal with.

F．It’s better to talk than keep your thoughts and feelings bottled up.

G．They have been a part of your life so it’s a big change to get used to

2 . It is a well-known fact that plastic bottles, which take hundreds of years to rot, are harmful to our environment. However, efforts by environmentalists to encourage consumers to switch to alternatives, like water fountains or reusable bottles, have not been very effective. The U.S. alone uses over 50 million plastic bottles annually, 80% of which end up in landfills.

To try to stop that, Rodrigo García González, Pierre Paslier and Guillaume Couche from the Imperial College London have been working on a revolutionary solution — water wrapped inside an eatable container made mostly from seaweed. All the customer has to do to relieve his/her thirst is pop the entire drop into the mouth.

The inventors, who have been working on the Ooho bubble since 2014, use a simple two-step cooking process called spherification (球化) to create the delicate container. They begin by dipping a frozen ball of water or juice into a chemical solution (溶液). This helps form a layer around the liquid. The ball is then absorbed in a solution made from seaweed extract. This creates a second layer, helping strengthen the structure so that the water or juice does not leak. In addition to saving our environment, the biodegradable (可降解的) packaging costs just two cents each, making it cheaper to produce than plastic.

After three years of perfecting the design, the inventors, who recently raised over 1 million USD from a financial activity, are ready to bring the Ooho bubble to local market. However, there are a few challenges that still need to be overcome before the product’s launch. In addition to getting accustomed to the taste of the covering, each eatable container contains just a mouthful of water, requiring consumers to drink multiple bubbles to relieve their thirst. There is also the issue of finding an eco-friendly packaging to transport the bubbles so that they remain clean and do not burst. Hopefully, the inventors will find ways to handle the issues so that we can reduce, or perhaps even remove, plastic bottles.

1. Why was the Ooho bubble created?

A．To test a newly-designed material.	B．To change consumers’ drinking habit.
C．To reduce pollution caused by plastic.	D．To take a share of drinking water industry.

2. What will the inventors probably do next?

A．Solve some specific problems of the product.	B．Collect more money to expand production.
C．Distribute the Ooho bubble to global market.	D．Advertise the advantages of the Ooho bubble.

3. What is the author’s attitude towards the Ooho bubble’s launch?

A．Uncaring.

B．Doubtful.

C．Confident.

D．Opposed.

4. Which of the following could be the best title for the text?

A．Scientists Work out a New Kind of Water

B．Plastic Bottles Will Be Replaced by the Ooho Bubble

C．Environmental Pollution is Expected to Be Solved

D．The Ooho Bubble Aims to Remove Plastic Bottles

3 . Thor Vikstrom bought his island in the 1960s for $5,000. His goal was to protect and preserve its 7 acres. He could see the island, Ile Ronde, across a narrow river from his home near Montreal. He and his family explored it often — at one point they even built a cable ferry across. But the rules were clear: Leave the environment as untouched as possible.

“My dad would get mad at us because we left a Coke bottle on the island,” son Hans Vikstrom told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.

Over the years the surrounding area became built-up and expensive. Developers came calling,offering increasingly high bids for lle Ronde. Mr. Vikström rebuffed them all, saying nature was more valuable than money in his pocket. In December he donated the island to the Nature Conservancy of Canada so the urban area would have a guaranteed spot of green.

In the spring, flocks of wood ducks and other waterfowl land near the island and raise chicks in its cover, Mr. Vikström said when announcing his gift. Turtles sun themselves on the shore. The forests are full of shagbark hickories, an impressive tree whose bark appears to be falling off like old clothes. Moreover, the Ile Ronde is also home to a unique tree species called the shagbark hickory, as well as to a number of migratory birds and other game bird species such as the gadwall,widgeon, and wood ducks.

According to project manager for the Montreal Greenbelt at the Nature Conservancy of Canada, Annie Ferland, “The Vikström family has taken great care of it, and with this very meaningful act we are protecting the natural diversity of this unique habitat for the benefit of the animal and plant species that live there, but also for future generations.”

1. What can we learn about Ile Ronde?

A．It is worth $5,000 at present.	B．It goes up increasingly in value.
C．It is filled with Coke bottles.	D．It is far from Vikström’s home.

2. What does the underlined word “rebuffed” probably mean in paragraph 3?

A．Doubted.

B．Recommended.

C．Accepted.

D．Refused.

3. According to the text, the wildlife on lle Ronde________.

A．decline sharply

B．are dying out

C．live in harmony

D．are native to the island

4. What does Annie Ferland seem to convey in the text?

A．Eco-diversity is based on animal and plant species.

B．The Vikström family live far away from crowds.

C．The Vikströms contribute greatly to the environment.

D．Kind acts will be passed down to future generations.

4 . Chimps design and use tools. That is well-known. But is it possible that they also use medicines to treat their own and others’ injuries? A new report suggests they do.

Since 2005, researchers have been studying a community of 45 chimps in the Loango National Parkin Gabon, on the west coast of Africa. Over a period of 15 months, from November 2019 to February2021, the researchers saw 76 open wounds on 22 different chimps. In 19 instances they watched a chimp performing what looked like self-treatment of the wound using an insect as a salve.

The procedure was similar each time. First, the chimps caught a flying insect; then they immobilized it by squeezing it between their lips. They placed the insect on the wound, moving it around with their fingertips. Finally, they took the insect out, using either their mouths or their fingers. Often, they put the insect in the wound and took it out several times.

Aaron Sandel, an anthropologist at the University of Texas, Austin, found the work valuable, but at the same time expressed some doubts. “They don’t offer an alternative explanation for the behavior, and they make no connection to what insect it might be,” he said. “The jump to a potential medical function? That’s a stretch at this point.”

In some forms of ape social behavior, it is clear that there is an exchange of value. For example, grooming another chimp provides relief from parasites for the groomed animal, but also an insect snack for the groomer. But in the instances she observed, Dr. Pika said, the chimp gets nothing practical in return. To her, this shows the apes are engaging in an act that increases "the welfare of another being,” and teaches us more about the primates’ social relationships.

1. How did the researchers draw their conclusions?

A．They interviewed some chimp experts.	B．They carried out continuous observations.
C．They compared chimps with other animals.	D．They came up with doubts and solved them.

2. What is the fourth step of chimps’ treatment for injures?

A．Removing medicine.	B．Obtaining a salve.
C．Squeezing their lips.	D．Catching an insect.

3. What does Dr. Pika highlight about apes?

A．An exchange of interest.	B．Their behavior of less value.
C．A need of insect snack.	D．Their concern for social relationships.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Chimps’ Life Habits Remain a Puzzle	B．Researchers Got New Evidence about Apes
C．Chimps Put Insects on Wounds as Cures	D．Apes Are Expert at Exploring the Unknown

5 . Researchers from The University of Queensland(UQ)have helped design a new app to protect birds at risk of extinction across the world by eliminating language barriers among scientists. The Bird Language Diversity web app will help provide a “birds eye view”, ensuring vital information is shared to improve worldwide conservation.

UQ’s Dr Pablo Negret said the research team analysed more than 10,000 bird species, and found that 1,587 species have 10 languages or more spoken within their distributions. “Scientific information on species can be spread across different languages, but valuable information can go missing or get lost in translation,” Dr Negret said. “Without enough sharing of information, this can affect the effectiveness of conservation measures.”

Take the common bird Pochard for example. It is classified as vulnerable species(易危种)and crosses 108 countries in Europe, Asia and north Africa, where a total of 75 official languages are spoken. The survival of the common Pochard, and so many other species, depends on effective cooperation and policy agreements among people with diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds.

This app reveals where threatened and migratory birds exist geographically, in relation to the language spoken in those regions. ”We hope the app will encourage researchers and conservation organisations to interact with their peers in other regions, especially if they speak different languages, and be a starting point to allow everyone to work together to protect threatened species,” Dr Negret said.

Dr Tatsuya Amano, a researcher and the co-author of the paper, said this work could extend further than bird species. “Any species, whether they’re mammals, amphibians(两栖动物), or plants, with a range crossing multiple countries will be impacted by language barriers, as well as species that migrate across different countries, such as marine species and butterflies,” he said. ”The significance of the impact of poor communication on such an important issue is evident, and is the reason why we’re working hard to improve science communication across languages.”

1. What does the underlined word “eliminating“ in paragraph 1 mean?

A．Giving in to.

B．Coming across.

C．Putting up with.

D．Breaking down.

2. What is the function of adequate sharing of information?

A．Ensuring the effectiveness of protective measures.

B．Helping people know more about scientists’ efforts.

C．Spreading knowledge of the diversity of birds worldwide.

D．Compromising the effectiveness of conservation measures.

3. What is shown on the app?

A．The producer of the app.	B．The organizations involved.
C．The location of endangered birds.	D．The information of new geographers.

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A．Birds Protection Is an Urgency	B．A New Bird App Spreads Its Wings
C．A New Bird App Helps Learn Languages	D．Poor Communication Impacts Cooperation

6 . Some intelligent African giant rats are helping humans save lives through search and rescue missions while wearing tiny backpacks.

A British research scientist, Dr. Kean is training 170 rats to be sent into earthquake ruins to do vital work in finding earthquake survivors. These rescue rats are equipped with tiny backpacks that contain microphones, video cameras, and location trackers. These tools will allow the rescue teams to communicate with earthquake survivors in real-time.

Dr. Kean expressed how the rescue rats are ideal for this type of work, saying, “Rats would be able to get into small spaces to get victims buried in the ruins.” The highly clever rats are skillful at surviving in different environments and their natural agility (敏捷) makes them ideal for use in hard-to-navigate disaster zones. The rescue rats are even being trained to respond to the sound that call them back.

Dr. Kean’s team work together with the non-profit organization APOPO for their “Hero Rats” project. These “Hero Rats” are set to start working with a search and rescue team in Turkey, joining earthquake rescue efforts in the high-risk area, The group of 170 rats is being trained for additional projects involving landmines, tuberculosis (结核病), and even smelling out Brucellosis, an infectious disease that impacts farm animals. Dr. Kean feels hopeful about her project’s promising results and is excited that her team is the only organization in this field working with this species.

1. What can the rescue rats do?

A．Give response to victims.	B．Operate devices and tools.
C．Seek those trapped in ruins.	D．Communicate with survivors.

2. What is the third paragraph mainly about?

A．The wide use of the rescue rats.	B．The advantages of the rescue rats.
C．The danger that the rescue rats face.	D．The living environments of the rescue rats.

3. What is Dr. Kean’s attitude to the “Hero Rats” project?

A．Uncaring.

B．Positive.

C．Cautious.

D．Doubtful.

4. What is the purpose of the project?

A．To train hero rats for rescue tasks.	B．To present the nature of giant rats.
C．To prove the intelligence of African rats.	D．To try out new equipment on specific rats.

7 . Batik is a traditional Indonesian coloring method used to make designs and drawings, usually on cloth and finished textiles. Batik makers use dyes(染料)—colors added to cloth and other materials—to create the colorful designs.

In central Indonesia, many batik makers are using natural dyes instead of manufactured ones. The natural dyes used come from mangrove (红树林) forests that grow along the coast. The trees grow in salty water on a complex system of tall roots.

Mangrove forests serve an important purpose. They provide a barrier against destructive ocean waves called tsunamis. They also are important to water life like fish and crabs. And the forests are more effective in taking in carbon dioxide gas, a gas linked to climate change, than rainforests or similar environments.

Erwin Ardli is a mangrove ecologist at Indonesia’s Jenderal Soedirman University. He says the natural dyes may not be as bright as manufactured ones. But they are better for the environment.

Ardli said, “We’ve seen the interest for natural dyes increasing, and especially for middle-to upper-class people, they seem proud to wear clothes using these natural dyes rather than synthetic (合成的) ones.”

Iiting Budiarti, who owns an art gallery that shows Batik designs, agreed with Ardli, adding that objects with natural dyes can cost two or three times more than the synthetic ones.

Forty-eight-year-old Sodikin is a batik maker. Over the past four years, he and his group of batik makers have changed from using chemical materials for dyes to mangrove-based products. The change has reduced their costs and helped the environment. Harvesting involves gathering a handful of what looks like string beans—seeds within a covering. Sodikin then takes the mangrove fruit home to make natural dye from them.

“We use natural materials so as to preserve the mangrove forest at the same time,” Sodikin said, “We do not cut down the trees,” he added, “and we only take fruits or leaves that have fallen.”

1. What does “batik” in paragraph 1 refer to?

A．A traditional Indonesian color.	B．A way of coloring.
C．A kind of cloth.	D．A material for designs.

2. Why does the author introduce the mangrove forests in Paragraph 3?

A．To research the source of the natural dyes.

B．To explain why mangrove are there.

C．To show the importance of mangrove.

D．To compare mangrove with other trees.

3. What can we say about the natural dyes in Indonesia?

A．They are bright enough.	B．They are expensive.
C．They are hard to get.	D．They are environmental-friendly.

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．Natural Colors for Cloth Design Help Coastal Forests

B．The Mangrove Forest in Indonesia

C．A New Dyeing Method

D．The Natural Dyes and Synthetic ones

8 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

With    1    area of more than 397 square kilometers, Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area sits in Central China’s Hunan Province. It    2    (include) three sections: the Zhangjiajie National Forest Reserve, the Suoxi Brook area and the Tianzi Mountain area. The major topography (地形) consists of sandstone hills, gradually    3    (develop) into more than 3,103 amazing peaks, many of    4    are over 400 meters high. Between the peaks lie valleys with streams, pools and waterfalls, and some 40 caves, as well as two large natural bridges. Remote    5    the modern cities, the site is 85 percent covered with trees. The Wulingyuan is known for five    6    (wonder): splendid peaks, unique rocks, quiet valleys, still waters and deep caves. It    7    (list) as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site in 1992. The entire area is covered with towering cliffs of sandstone and many forests which cover fantastic caves. The sandstone hills in Wulingyuan are unique in their large number. With the change of seasons and the weather, they     8     (constant) present different views to visitors. One of the     9    (high) mountains in this area is Tuerwangyue Feng or Rabbit Watching the Moon Peak, and Tianzi Mountain is particularly recommended for    10    (it) good view.

9 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. Which country is Mount Kilimanjaro in?

A．Tanzania.

B．Kenya.

C．South Africa.

2. What is the lowest peak?

A．Mawenzi.

B．Kibo.

C．Shira.

3. What has been the focus of the scientific studies?

A．The ice at the top of the mountain.

B．The eruption of the volcano.

C．The age of the mountain.

4. When were a couple married on the mountain?

A．In 1953.

B．In 2011.

C．In 2014.

10 . For many people, catching a smell of freshly cut grass is a pleasant sign that warmer weather is here to stay. For the grass, however, this scent signals an entirely different story.

The smell we associate with freshly cut grass is actually a chemical SOS, one used by plants to beg nearby creatures to save them from attack. After all, when danger strikes —whether it's gardening equipment or a hungry caterpillar — plants can't lift their roots and run. They must fight where they stand. To protect themselves, plants employ a string of molecular (分子) responses. These chemical communications can be used to poison an enemy, warn surrounding plants of dangers or attract helpful insects to perform needed services.

Clearly, plants can communicate. But does that mean they can feel pain? According to some researchers, plants release gases that are the equivalent of crying out in pain. Using a laser-powered microphone, researchers have picked up sound waves produced by plants releasing gases when cut or injured. Although not audible to the human ear, the secret voices of plants have revealed that cucumbers scream when they are sick, and flowers cry when their leaves are cut.

There's also evidence that plants can hear themselves being eaten. Researches show that plants understand and respond to chewing sounds made by caterpillars dining on them. As soon as the plants hear the noises, they respond with several defense mechanisms.

For some researchers, evidence of these complex communication systems — giving out noises via gas when in pain — signals that plants feel pain. Others argue that there cannot be pain without a brain to register the feeling. Still more scientists infer that plants can exhibit intelligent behavior without possessing a brain or conscious awareness.

As they grow, plants can change their paths to avoid obstacles or reach for support with their tendrils (卷须). This activity comes from a complex biological network distributed through the plants' roots, leaves and stems. This network helps plants reproduce, grow and survive.

1. What does the smell of freshly cut grass signal?

A．Warmer weather.	B．Being poisonous.
C．Cry for help.	D．The need of services.

2. How do plants convey their pain?

A．By giving out gases.	B．By changing the color of their leaves.
C．By producing audible sound waves.	D．By sharing it through the root systems.

3. What makes plants' intelligent behavior possible?

A．Their tendrils.	B．Their biological network.
C．Their communication systems.	D．Their conscious awareness.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Do plants feel pain?	B．How plants protect themselves?
C．Do plants communicate?	D．How plants grow and reproduce?