1 . Not too long ago, 41-year-old Garrett Fisher flew a small airplane close to the surface of the largest glacier in Norway. In that environment, the plane carrying a man who pursues glaciers seemed almost like a toy. Fisher is trying to photograph every glacier on Earth before some of them disappear.
Scientists say many glaciers are getting smaller because Earth’s average temperature is increasing. Information from the European Environment Agency, or EEA, says glaciers in the Alps have lost about half of their volume since 1900 and that by 2100, the size of European glaciers could decrease by between 22 percent and 84 percent. Historical records of the size of glaciers in Europe also show that glaciers are now shrinking faster. This has pushed Fisher to combine his love of flying and photography to photograph Earth’s remaining glaciers before it’s too late.
Fisher believes his photographs can be of great value to future generations. So, he has launched the Global Glacier Initiative, a non-profit group to support and show his work. He plans to open his photos to the public for research.
Fisher flew a small plane that has a smell of oil and feels like an old car. It was his choice to have the dangerous flying. “The weather is bad and the flying is technically challenging, ”Fisher said. Some people would ask, “Why risk flying over glaciers when satellites have already given pictures of them?” Fisher said that satellite images don’t catch the beauty of glaciers the way his photos can. His photos show the colors, shapes, and shadows as the light from the sun hits the glaciers.
Fisher has paid for his glacier photography with his own money. But it is costly. Money is running out and Fisher is looking for people who will help support his work. He hopes his photos will be a reminder to people. He is trying to obtain the perfect image, which is so beautiful that it can make people and policymakers act.
1. What caused Fisher to combine flying and photography?| A．The request from the EEA. |
| B．The beauty of Earth’s glaciers. |
| C．The crisis of disappearing glaciers. |
| D．The need to enrich glacier records. |
| A．To carry out research on glaciers. |
| B．To make his photos publicly available. |
| C．To record the size of European glaciers. |
| D．To attract more glacier enthusiasts. |
| A．Adventurous and determined. | B．Optimistic and generous. |
| C．Creative and thoughtful. | D．Brave and patient. |
| A．Bringing him some financial support. |
| B．Being recognized by policymakers. |
| C．Strengthening the human-nature bond. |
| D．Raising people’s concern for glaciers. |
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. |
| 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 |
3 . A kindhearted family put themselves in a risky situation to rescue an aggressive owl that had become trapped in a soccer net. One morning, the Larsons discovered a trapped owl on the football field. They immediately wanted to rescue the poor owl, but they found that the owl was very aggressive. Fearful of the owl’s sharp claws and beak, Dave Larson approached with caution when he discovered the bird in his family’s soccer goal in Oak Creek, Wisconsin.
In the dramatic footage, the distressed owl can be seen tangled in the netting while Dave slowly but surely attempts to cut the bird free. During the proceedings, Dave’s wife, Sue, filmed the rescue, which saw the startled bird snap at Dave on numerous occasions, stretching out its claws every time he got close. Fortunately, the family was able to free the distressed bird, with their son Travis sharing the clip online where they were showered with praise for assisting the animal on September 27.
Sue said: “We were very nervous knowing how strong and sharp his beak was, which he kept snapping to scare us. He also kept stretching his claws out every time we got close to him. We were able to feel a little more at ease when the owl eventually realized we weren’t trying to hurt him, and he seemed to relax and let us cut him free. As soon as he flew away, there was instant relief of the situation. But it was more happiness at knowing he was alright and being able to see him fly and move without injury.”
This beautiful story warms people’s hearts and also tells us that man and nature need to coexist in harmony. When we take care to protect Nature, Nature rewards us generously; when we exploit Nature ruthlessly, it punishes us without mercy. We need to have deep reverence for Nature, respect Nature, follow Nature’s laws and protect Nature, so as to build a homeland of harmonious coexistence between man and Nature.
1. Who uploaded the video of freeing the owl online ?| A．Dave Larson. | B．Travis Larson. | C．Sue Larson. | D．Kyle Larson. |
| A．Mean and unfeeling. | B．Objective and impartial. |
| C．Enthusiastic and impractical. | D．Kind and friendly. |
| A．The owl realized they were trying to help him instead of hurting him. |
| B．The owl was severely injured and couldn’t move anymore. |
| C．The owl called the traffic police and the insurance company. |
| D．The owl didn’t sleep well yesterday morning and was tired. |
| A．Protecting the Environment Right Now | B．Keeping Up with the Larsons |
| C．Kindhearted Couple Free Aggressive Owl | D．A Natural Art Museum In the Larsons’ House |
4 . While you’re hiding away the Christmas presents, animals are storing food for the winter! Many animals “cache” (贮藏) or hide food for time to come, similar to how we stock our pantries with food. In the winter months, caching allows animals to survive when food is scarce.
Some animals, such as bobcats and mountain lions, leave dead animals’ bodies for short periods of time buried beneath surrounding vegetation. Other animals, such as rodents and birds, store seeds for long periods of time in places they’ll return to weeks or even months later.
Hiding food throughout an animal’s home range is known as scatter hoarding. This keeps the caches low and less enticing to any potential thieves. However, this technique requires a good memory, as the food is often in dozens, if not hundreds, of different locations.
Another caching technique involves animals collecting food in only a couple of places, referred to as larder hoarding. These caches are often found in cavities such as a hollow tree or a hole in the ground. They are easier to find but require lots of defensive measures.
Here are some of the animals that cache in the Peach State:
Birds such as chickadees, nuthatches, titmice and jays can store hundreds of seeds in a single day. Each seed is placed in a different location, and they usually remember where each is, even months later. Flying squirrels store a variety of seeds, nuts and acorns in their nests and in trees. These nocturnal squirrels will even bury seeds in the ground. It is believed that a single lying squirrel can store over 15,000 seeds in a year! Moles trap live earthworms underground. The mole bites the earthworm’s head off, and colder temperatures slow the earthworm down. If the weather warms up before the mole has a chance to consume its prey, however, earthworms can regrow their heads and tunnel their way to freedom.
1. In what respect are the first two paragraphs similar?| A．Using comparison as a method of exposition. |
| B．Stressing the importance of storing to animals. |
| C．Revealing differences in food storage among different animals. |
| D．Discussing the threat seasonal change brings to animals’ survival. |
| A．Familiar. | B．Harmful. | C．Appealing. | D．Suffient. |
| A．It is a test for animals’ memory. |
| B．It is time-saving and eco-friendly. |
| C．It can easily ensure caches’ safety. |
| D．It bring animals convenience as well as risk. |
| A．Moles take earthworms as their only food resource. |
| B．Chickadees adopt scatter hoarding to store their seeds. |
| C．A flying squirrel is better at storing seeds than any bird. |
| D．Earthworms have no chance of survival once bitten by moles. |
5 . Why do Dogs Roll in the Grass?
If your dog is anything like mine, she loves rolling around in a patch of grass any chance she gets. And it always makes me happy to watch my dog, Nala, have the time of her life.
To find out why Nala and so many other dogs like to stop, drop and roll, I reached out to Dr. Stephanie Austin, a veterinarian at Bond Vetin New York City, who explained that dogs can roll in the grass for several reasons!
She’s enjoying a smell.
She’s covering up her own scent. According to Dr. Austin, there’s another smelly reason why your pup may be rolling around in that patch of grass. “They want to smell like the environment so they don’t scare off their prey,” Dr. Austin said.
She’s cooling off.
She’s scratching an itch. “It’s good to exclude any allergies and make sure your dog isn’t rolling a ton to scratch a constantly itchy back or side, but otherwise, it’s probably normal that she’s having a good time,” Dr. Austin said.
If you notice your dog rolling around in the grass, it’s probably just her having the best time ever.
| A．She is stretching |
| B．She’s having fun |
| C．If it’s boring for your dog |
| D．If it’s a particularly hot day |
| E．But I’ve always wondered why she actually does it |
| F．Here are some common explanations behind this behavior |
| G．It’s important to remember how powerful your dog’s nose is |
Foshan, a city rich in cultural heritage, celebrates the arrival of autumn with a grand event known as the Foshan Autumn Parade (佛山秋色巡游). This traditional cultural festival holds a special place in the hearts of the
The Foshan Autumn Parade is more than just a cultural festival. It is a remarkable event
1. What do we know about the woman?
| A．She likes watching movies. |
| B．She enjoys outdoor activities. |
| C．She is pleased with the rainy weather. |
| A．He did some gardening. |
| B．He did weekend shopping. |
| C．He went to a restaurant. |
8 . Eradajere Oleita thinks she may have a solution to two of our country’s long-lasting problems: garbage and poverty. It’s called the Chip Bag Project. The 26-year-old student and environmentalist from Detroit is asking a favor of local snack lovers: Rather than throw your empty chip bags into the trash, donate them so she can turn them into sleeping bags for the homeless.
Chip eaters drop off their empty bags from Doritos, Lay’s, and other favorites at two locations in Detroit: a print shop and a clothing store, where Oleita and her volunteer helpers collect them. After they sanitize the chip bags in soapy hot water, they slice them open, lay them flat, and iron them together. They use padding and liners from old coats to line the insides.
It takes about four hours to sew a sleeping bag, and each takes around 150 to 300 chip bags, depending on whether they’ re single-serve or family size. The result is a sleeping bag that is “waterproof, lightweight, and easy to carry around,” Oleita told the Detroit News.
Since its start in 2020, the Chip Bag Project has collected more than 800,000 chip bags and, as of last December, created 110 sleeping bags.
Sure, it would be simpler to raise the money to buy new sleeping bags. But that’s only half the goal for Oleita-whose family moved to the United States from Nigeria a decade ago with the hope of attaining a better life-and her fellow volunteers. “We are dedicated to making an impact not only socially, but environmentally,” she says.
1. What does the underlined word “sanitize” mean?| A．Clean. | B．Burn. | C．Color. | D．Dry. |
| A．It helps to shake off poverty. |
| B．It has gathered over 900,000 bags. |
| C．It was put forward by chip lovers. |
| D．It helps the poor and environment. |
| A．Because they are forbidden to litter them. |
| B．Because they happen to print things there. |
| C．Because they want to help Eradajere Oleita. |
| D．Because they can use them to trade clothes. |
| A．Chipping Away at Poverty | B．Chip Eaters Do a Big Favor |
| C．A Story about Eradajere Oleita | D．Good Ways to Save Environment |
9 . I stared out the window,
I made myself dinner, which wasn’t anything
Arthur stayed by my side a majority of the time. My friend called him ‘mama’s boy’ or something silly like that. I didn’t
| A．enjoying | B．cursing | C．monitoring | D．envying |
| A．depression | B．surprise | C．alarm | D．tiredness |
| A．dramatic | B．fancy | C．solid | D．justified |
| A．called | B．made | C．put | D．took |
| A．handled | B．drilled | C．fixed | D．grabbed |
| A．committed | B．outgoing | C．innocent | D．dangerous |
| A．glare | B．laugh | C．smile | D．shout |
| A．blouse | B．fire | C．friend | D．towel |
| A．fighting | B．interfering | C．sticking | D．combining |
| A．part | B．number | C．sort | D．bit |
| A．engaging | B．stuffing | C．digesting | D．loading |
| A．possible | B．accessible | C．appropriate | D．essential |
| A．forgive | B．demand | C．mind | D．accept |
| A．time | B．opportunity | C．access | D．gift |
| A．sincerely | B．elegantly | C．practically | D．distinctly |
1. What does the man ask the woman to do?
| A．Bring him a snack. | B．Walk the dog. | C．Stay quiet. |
| A．The dog is sleeping on his legs. |
| B．He has injured himself. |
| C．He is very tired. |
| A．5km. | B．10km. | C．15km. |
