1 . The dog Pooch Chi Chi managed to open the door and let a fire crew in after his owner collapsed on the kitchen floor.
Responders were searching for another entrance when they heard a “click” as the dog managed to unlock the door to let them in. They found the man, named only as Mr Green, collapsed on the floor in the kitchen as the fire took hold on the hob. Firefighters then swiftly put out the fire and carried out first aid until paramedics (急救医士) arrived.
Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said “a potential disaster” was avoided with help from the dog. They said they were called to the scene after a smoke detector was activated and a Careline alarm was sounded.
Mr Green initially answered the call but operator at Careline lost communication. Within six minutes, the crew was on scene and investigating. They could hear the alarm but were unable to establish contact with the man inside. With curtains drawn, the crew could not see inside but could hear a dog barking. They tried the front door, but it wouldn’t open. As the crew looked for another entrance, they heard a “click” and the front door opened. The crew went inside to find a man collapsed on the floor in the kitchen when a fire was beginning to take hold on the cooker. They contacted the ambulance service, put out the fire and allowed fresh air in. Firefighters then carried out first aid and established the man until paramedics arrived. It wasn’t until later in the incident that they discovered that Chi Chi had managed to open the front door and let the crew inside.
Ian Bolton, Crew Manager for Home and Partnerships at Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service added: “Having monitored diction in people’s homes means the fire service are only minutes away from providing lifesaving assistance. This is a real success story and highlights the importance of Careline and the fire service. Careline’s system, combined with the speed of our crews getting to the incident, saved Mr Green’s life. The cherry on the cake, however, was Chi Chi letting the crews in before they had to force entry to the property.”
1. How did the firefighters get into the kitchen?| A．They broke the door. | B．They unlocked the door. |
| C．The dog opened the door. | D．They found another entrance. |
| A．The operator lost his senses. | B．The system broke down accidentally. |
| C．The man fell down and couldn’t move. | D．The crew couldn’t see inside. |
| A．The dog unlocking the door. |
| B．The use of the smoke detector. |
| C．The swift reaction of Mr. Green. |
| D．The joint work of Careline and the fire service. |
| A．Discouraging. | B．Competent. |
| C．Considerate. | D．Energetic. |
1. What does the man like about his hometown?
| A．It’s really very small. |
| B．It has colorful nightlife. |
| C．It’s not expensive to live there. |
| A．Wet. | B．Cold. | C．Sunny. |
3 . A crowd cheered Kunle Adeyanju as he turned off his motorbike engine after completing a tiring 41-day trip. The 44-year-old left London on April 19 and arrived in Nigeria’s commercial center Lagos on Sunday after travelling more than 8, 000 miles across 13 countries. He started the impressive journey to raise funds for Rotary International to deal with polio(小儿麻痹症）in his native Nigeria.
Accompanied by a dozen bikers for the last stretch of the journey from the Republic of Benin , Adeyanju was welcomed by supporters in Ikeja, in central Lagos. Adeyanju, called “Lion Heart” by fans won popularity among the public by posting daily pictures with comments about his journey on social media. At every stop along the way, he was greeted by enthusiastic supporters.
He did face some challenges, like the one in Mali where one of his wheels broke. “I was standing in the middle of the night, alone in a bush, not knowing what to do,without speaking the language,”he said, explaining he had to walk to the nearest village.“Fortunately, the locals helped me. ”Not all of the challenges he faced were solved smoothly.“Mauritania, a country in northwest Africa, was ‘terrible’, ” he said, after he got robbed of hundreds of euros. “The worst experience,” he added.
The former Shell employee self-funded his trip with $ 20, 400 in savings,hoping to raise up to $ 48million for Rotary International. “I have been suffering from a lack of sleep lately because I slept only three to four hours per night. But I feel proud because I finished this challenge,” Adeyanju said just after he arrived, wiping the sweat off his face. Adeyanju added that he is now planning to have a possible cycling trip to Ghana or a bike ride to Israel to help raise more funds. And he has another dream: to climb Mount Qomolangma.
1. Why did Adeyanju go on the 41-day trip?| A．To challenge himself. | B．To help fight polio. |
| C．To connect with more people. | D．To advertise Rotary International. |
| A．By using the title “Lion Heart”. | B．By commenting on other bikers’ journeys. |
| C．By sharing his experiences online. | D．By showing his deep love for his hometown. |
| A．His getting lost in the bush. | B．His failing to understand the locals. |
| C．His meeting with crime. | D．His motorbike’s breaking down. |
| A．Caring and determined. | B．Generous and sensitive. |
| C．Reliable and enthusiastic. | D．Adventurous and confident. |
4 . Washing machines and fridges will be labelled with their carbon footprint as part of efforts to promote greener products and bring down carbon emissions (排放).
UK government want to introduce a system in which products would be labelled to show how much greenhouse gases had been given off while making the product. Officials favour a system in which labels describe the product’s emission figure along with a ranking, such as from A to G. A rating of A would represent a “zero emission” product.
In consultation papers published earlier, the government said: “The combination of the emissions figure and ranking system could give a simple way to find out the best products, as well as the raw data needed to make more detailed comparisons.” Officials hope the labelling would encourage people to buy greener products, helping to bring down carbon emissions.
The government has not set out which products the emission figures would apply to, but it is likely to eventually apply to products whose production process involves significant emissions, such as heavy goods involving steel or plastic.
The proposal is among several steps by the government to encourage UK companies to cut their emissions, alongside wider measures to boost clean energy supplies.
Officials are also considering introducing new import taxes to protect UK factories from being affected by cheap imports from competitors. Under the proposals, imported goods without costs for going green would face extra taxes. The potential so-called carbon border taxes are aimed at protecting areas such as steel and chemicals.
Matthew Germain, an expert in British Environmental Law, said the measures would mean the UK was “at least keeping step with the European Union (EU)”. The EU reached a deal in December of 2022 to charge carbon taxes on imports of iron and steel, and electricity. Countries will not be affected if they have same climate change policies to the EU.
1. What new information will be added to labels of products?| A．Their raw materials. | B．Consumers’ ratings. |
| C．Amount of carbon emission. | D．Advantages and disadvantages. |
| A．Help consumers save money. | B．Promote eco-friendly choices. |
| C．Improve production efficiency. | D．Develop the country’s industry. |
| A．They bring the country a step ahead of the EU. |
| B．They have no influence on countries of the EU. |
| C．They make British companies more competitive. |
| D．They increase the costs of imported green goods. |
5 . Ever since the 1960s, seismologist（地震学家）on multiple continents have detected a mysterious pulse that every 26 seconds. But in the last 60 years no one has been able to figure out what this sound actually is.
The “heartbeat of the Earth” was first recorded in 1962, by John Oliver, a researcher at the Lamont-Doherty Geological Observatory, Columbia University. Then, in 1980, Gary Holcomb a geologist with the U. S. Geological Survey, also discovered the mysterious pulse. But for some reason, the two researchers' discoveries remained virtually unknown for over two decades, until a graduate student at the University of Colorado Boulder once again detected the "heartbeat" and decided to look into it.
Mike Ritzwoller, a seismologist at the University of Colorado, did a lot of work with his colleague, but they were never able to explain what it actually was.
One theory claims that it's caused by waves, while another states that it's due to volcanic activity. The wave theory dates back to 2011, when Garrett Euler, a graduate student at Washington University in St. Louis, tied the origin of the pulse to a part of the Gulf of Guinea called the Bight of Bonny. According to him, when waves hit the continental shelf, the pressure deforms the ocean floor, causing pulses that reflect the wave pattern. Euler's theory was believable, but not everyone was convinced by it. In 2013, Yingjie Xia, a researcher from the Institute of Geodesy and Geophysics in Wuhan, China, suggested that the source of the 26-second pulse was volcanic activity. His theory made sense as well. But neither of the two theories fully explain the pulse.
Why does the 26-second pulse only occur in the Bight of Bonny? Waves hit coastlines all over the world, and there are plenty of other regions with seismic activity, so what is so special about this place? Well, that's one question that no one has ever answered. And it's not just that it's a tough puzzle to solve, but also that seismologists don't really seem interested in it.
1. What can be inferred about the “heartbeat of the Earth” from the passage?| A．Researchers have found out exactly what it is. |
| B．It was first detected in 1962 by Gary Holcomb. |
| C．It can only be felt when you are in the Bight of Bonny. |
| D．It wasn't until the 2000s that it caught people's attention. |
| A．How these two theories came about. |
| B．An explanation of Euler's wave theory. |
| C．Two theories about what causes the pulse. |
| D．Why these two theories are not convincing enough. |
| A．Indifferent. | B．Curious. | C．Anxious. | D．Amused. |
| A．Earth's Heartbeat—A Mysterious Sound |
| B．Two Theories Related to Earth's Heartbeat |
| C．Bight of Bonny—Home to Earth’s Heartbeat |
| D．The Reason Why Earth's Heartbeat Happens |
6 . The forest was full of shadows as Sylvie hurried through it one summer evening in June. The child hurried the cow through the dark forest to her grandmother’s home.
Suddenly the air was cut by a sharp whistle not far away. Sylvie knew it wasn’t a friendly bird’s whistle. She hid in some bushes. But she was too late.
“Hello, little girl,” a young man called out cheerfully. “I’ve lost my way. Can I spend the night at your house?” he asked.
Sylvie didn’t answer. The stranger began walking with Sylvie as she followed her cow through the forest. She was glad when she could see her grandmother standing near the farm house. The stranger explained his problem to Sylvie’s grandmother.
“Of course you can stay with us.” she said. The young man explained he was a scientist, who collected birds.
“Do you put them in a cage?” Sylvie asked.
“No,” he answered slowly, “I shoot them and preserve them with special chemicals.”
“I’ve been looking for a white heron(苍鹭),” he said, “It’s a very rare white bird.”
But Sylvie’s heart began to beat fast. She knew that strange white bird! Early the next morning, she quietly hurried through the forest. She finally reached a huge pine tree, and climbed to the top. Sylvie’s bare feet and tiny fingers grabbed the tree’s rough trunk. Sharp dry branches scratched her like cat’s claws.
Suddenly, a bird with broad white wings landed on a pine branch next to her. The white heron smoothed its feathers and called to its mate. She knew the wild bird’s secret now.
Were the birds better friends than their hunters? Who can know?
1. What made Sylvie hide in some bushes?| A．A young man. | B．A missing cow. | C．A sharp whistle. | D．An unfriendly bird. |
| A．She was scared by the young man. |
| B．The white heron might be in danger. |
| C．She was familiar with that white heron. |
| D．The man would spend a night with them. |
| A．The young man killed the white heron. |
| B．Sylvie kept the secret of the white heron. |
| C．Sylvie and the scientist became good friends. |
| D．The young man knew where the white heron was. |
7 . It was around 3 p.m. I was lined up at the train ticket counter to reserve a trip to Nagoya to
I
| A．shoot | B．recommend | C．post | D．appreciate |
| A．ignored | B．noticed | C．missed | D．felt |
| A．mild | B．violent | C．forecast | D．anticipated |
| A．nervously | B．calmly | C．broadly | D．delightfully |
| A．reached | B．made | C．looked | D．rushed |
| A．compulsory | B．effortless | C．challenging | D．entertaining |
| A．unless | B．if | C．though | D．once |
| A．undoubted | B．impossible | C．easy | D．available |
| A．park | B．building | C．subway | D．train |
| A．change | B．crack | C．fall | D．shake |
| A．put forward | B．put down | C．figure out | D．make out |
| A．laughing | B．crying | C．escaping | D．surviving |
| A．yet | B．and | C．hence | D．so |
| A．covered | B．adored | C．thanked | D．admired |
| A．disaster | B．reaction | C．rescue | D．assistance |
8 . To create “Washed Up: Transforming a Trashed Landscape”. Alejandro Duran gathers plastic trash that is washed up on the beaches of Sian Karan, Mexico’s largest federally-protected reserve. The site is also a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Yet every day, plastic pollution from around the world is washed up onto its shores. These materials inspired Duran to create a series of environmental art pieces, which he re-cords with photos and videos.
Duran was born in Mexico City and is now based in Brooklyn. He said that he had been collecting materials and creating photographs for the past five years, and the work was ongoing. “The project will tell me when to stop.”
Each piece can convey a vastly different mood, from the calm greens of soda bottles to the playful rainbows of toothbrushes. “I’m making art,” said Duran. “It comes from the context and my moods. You can’t say only something dark.” The work reflects and plays with natural forms, exploring how humans influence the environment. The colorful and playful images can be much attention-grabbing. “Beauty is a hook (钩子) to attract people’s attention,” said Duran.
In addition to promoting awareness of the plastic pollution problem, Duran is also involved in educational programs and helps to organize beach clean-ups. He has also made a study of the types of products that are washed ashore in Sian Ka’an, and has identified objects from 50 different countries. Although there’s no way to know where or how these objects were dropped into the sea, their labels show the global nature of the problem.
1. What does Alejandro Duran do with the trash?| A．He moves it away. | B．He collects and burns it. |
| C．He turns it into a form of art. | D．He puts it together for people to see. |
| A．He will stop the project soon. | B．It’s hard to carry on the project. |
| C．He will go on with the project. | D．The project is important to him. |
| A．recycle the trash | B．change his career |
| C．clean up the beach | D．raise public awareness of pollution |
| A．Plastic pollution in the ocean. |
| B．An artist creating environmental art. |
| C．The global nature of the pollution problem. |
| D．Mexico’s largest federally-protected reserve. |
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