1 . 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。

A recent research shows that 86% of the world’s rivers have been damaged by human activities. The research     1     (conduct) by experts from a university in Toulouse, France,     2     examined data on over 2,500 rivers around the world.     3     (look) into changes in biodiversity (多样性) over the past 200 years, the scientists discovered that biodiversity in over half of the rivers has been seriously damaged by humans. The researchers said there were many reasons     4     this damage. A big reason is the     5     (introduce) of new species of fish into rivers. Other reasons include pollution, dams, overfishing, farming     6     climate change.

Unsurprisingly, the worst-hit rivers are in western Europe and North America. This is because these regions have large and rich     7     (city) crowded with people. The lead researcher Brosse said: “Rivers which have the most economic development around them, like the Mississippi River, are the most     8     (strong) affected.” The River Thames in London was one of the worst-affected rivers in the study. The least-affected rivers are in Africa and Australia. This is probably due to a     9     (slow) rate of industrialization in Africa and smaller population around rivers in Australia. Brosse added that rivers in many rich nations are unrecognizable compared with how they     10     (be) 200 years ago.

2 . New Zealand plans to put a price on sheep and cow burps (打嗝) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (排放). If the plan is passed, New Zealand will become the first country to tax (征税) farmers on each burp of their cattle, since the burps give out methane (甲烷) into the atmosphere.

“There is no question that we need to cut the amount of methane we are putting into the atmosphere, and an effective emissions pricing system for agriculture will play a key part in how we achieve that,” Climate Change Minister James Shaw said.

Animal agriculture is one of the leading causes of global warming. It is reportedly responsible for at least 14.5% of the world’s emissions. Moreover, cows are by far the biggest contributors. This is so because they produce 40% of global methane when they burp, fart (放屁) and produce waste. Also, methane is 80 times more warming than CO₂ although it’s shorter-lived in the atmosphere.

New Zealand, which has a population of five million people, has around 10 million cattle and 26 million sheep. “Almost half the country’s total greenhouse gas emissions come from agriculture, mainly methane,” the draft plan explained.

The “burp tax” is expected to take effect in 2025. Mr. Shaw wants farming to be more environmentally friendly. He also wants farmers to change the way they farm. He wants them to feed their animals on seaweed instead of grass. This will produce fewer emissions. Mr. Shaw also said farmers can reduce the tax they pay by planting more trees. Another suggestion is for cows to wear special masks.

New Zealand’s farmers support the government. They want to do their bit to help the environment.

1. Why will cattle’s burps be taxed?

A．To raise more money.	B．To feed more cattle.
C．To limit cattle’s price.	D．To better the environment.

2. Which is a fact about New Zealand according to the text?

A．Its cows produce 40% of global methane.

B．Its agriculture affects greenhouse gas emissions.

C．It is responsible for at least 14.5% of the world’s emissions.

D．There is 80 times more methane than CO2.

3. What can farmers do to pay less tax according to Mr. Shaw?

A．Plant more trees.	B．Correct their way to farm.
C．Feed their animals on grass.	D．Wear special masks when farming.

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

A．New Zealand reducing greenhouse gas emissions

B．New Zealand’s greenhouse emissions and animal farming

C．New Zealand introducing a new tax to help the environment

D．New Zealand’s farmers joining in the fight against climate change

3 . 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。

The world is in a climate crisis. We need to change how we get our power, which     1     (mean) we need to end the use of fossil fuels, like oil and gas. The European Space Agency (ESA) has started on work that could provide     2     (million) of homes with clean and reliable energy. It has approved     3     three-year project to test huge solar farms in space. These solar farms are expected     4     (send) energy wirelessly from space into peopled homes. An ESA spokesperson said one solar-farm satellite could create the same amount of electricity     5     a power station on Earth. She added that the satellites will be around 1.7 km in     6     (long) and their aim is to have many of these giant satellites     7     (place) in low-Earth orbits. They could cut our use of fossil fuels and reduce energy shortages.

The ESA project     8     (call) Solaris. Josef Aschbacher,     9     is currently the director-general of the ESA, said that Solaris could be of great significance. “We humans are consuming large quantities of fossil fuels. We need to change the way we produce energy. We especially need to reduce the fossil fuel part of our energy production,” said Josef. “It would be     10     (absolute) fantastic if we could do it from space. It would be a solution to lots of problems.”

4 . The Okapi Wildlife Reserve, located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to one-sixth of the remaining wild okapi in the world. It protects many other wildlife species as well as one-fifth of the Ituri forest. But despite its status, the reserve is under threat from human activities.

Mining, deforestation (森林破坏), and illegal hunting are all threatening the reserve, and criminals have murdered several people, including forest guards, since 2012. Forest loss is expanding rapidly. In 2020, the most deforestation in the Okapi Wildlife Reserve since records began in 2002 was recorded via satellite data. Since 2002, the area has lost about 7% of its total forest cover. Most recently, satellite data shows deforestation along the Ituri River in late 2021, likely from illegal gold mining.

“Miners are actually eating the reserve out of its wildlife by hunting animals for food. There is almost no wildlife left around the mine itself, and wildlife numbers are greatly reduced around mining towns,” said John Lukas, co-founder of the Okapi Conservation Project.

Protecting the reserve is important for the endangered okapi and other wildlife that call the region home, but preserving the area’s forests is of particular significance in dealing with climate change.

“The forests of Congo, more than forests in the Amazon and in Asia, store carbon even in times of drought and rising temperatures,” explained Lukas. “Preserving the forests not only provides habitats for okapi, elephants and chimpanzees but gives humans time to adjust our source of energy to be more sustainable and carbon neutral (碳中和). Hopefully the Western world will financially support the countries of the Congo basin to value their forests as sources of life and not just a kind of goods to be sold.”

1. What happened to the forests in the Okapi Wildlife Reserve?

A．Forest guards hunting.

B．Mining via satellites.

C．About 7% forest loss in 21 years.

D．One-fifth of wild animals leaving.

2. Why has so much wildlife disappeared around the mines?

A．Because of being killed for food.

B．Because of the high temperature.

C．Because of no habitat.

D．Because of the deadly diseases.

3. Why is it particularly important to protect the forests in the reserve?

A．Gold mines are in the forests.

B．The forests affect climate.

C．The forests are home to wild species.

D．A good life can be led by selling trees.

4. Which of the following might be the best title of the text?

A．Current situation of the Okapi Wildlife Reserve

B．Gold mines found in the Okapi Wildlife Reserve

C．Protecting the wildlife in the Okapi Wildlife Reserve

D．Endangered Okapi reserve threatened by human activities