1 . The cotton harvest is about to get underway in the Texas High Plains, the windswept region that grows most of the crop in the nation’s top cotton-producing state. But Barry Evans, a third-generation cotton grower, has already walked away from more than 2,000 acres (英亩) of his bone-dry fields. “It just didn’t come up. We hardly had anything,” said Evans.

Extreme heat and a lack of rainfall have severely damaged much of this year’s cotton harvest in the U.S., which produces about 35% of the world’s crop. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) forecast that more than 40% of what U.S. farmers planted in the spring would be abandoned because of drought. Nowhere is this more apparent than the flat, dry stretch of Texas. The USDA says Texas cotton farmers are likely to abandon nearly 70% of their spring planting. That has been the worst harvest since 2009.

The region normally receives around 18 to 20 inches of rain per year, but saw less than three inches of rain from August through the summer, as nearly all of Texas baked under drought. Much of the cotton grown in the region needs rain. Even those with irrigated (灌溉的) fields are expecting low yields (产量) this year.

The losses in cotton could cost the Texas High Plains $1.2 billion after farmers receive federal (联邦的) crop insurance payments, estimates Darren Hudson, director of the International Center for Agricultural Competitiveness at Texas Tech University. That leaves out others who depend on the crop, such as cotton gins (轧棉机) and storehouses. “Any time you have a bad year in cotton, it has a role to play in the overall economy,” Hudson said.

Fortunately, most cotton farmers in this part of Texas plan to use cotton seed varieties that can resist drought. Varieties are continuously developed and will be adjusted to generate high yields if dry conditions continue. “Even though it’s drought resistant,” Hudson added, “we still have to have a little bit of help from Mother Nature.”

1. What are the statistics in paragraph 2 mainly about?

A．The impact of extreme weather on U.S. farmers.

B．The world’s cotton distribution.

C．USDA’s measures to address drought.

D．The amount of U.S. cotton harvest in 2009.

2. What does Hudson stress in paragraph 4?

A．Texas is unfriendly to cotton farmers.	B．Cotton is vital to the American economy.
C．Farmers depend much on Mother Nature.	D．Cotton gins are unaffected by cotton losses.

3. What will cotton farmers most likely do next?

A．Build effective irrigation systems.	B．Apply for federal crop insurance.
C．Switch to growing a different crop.	D．Use further improved cotton seeds.

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

A．Drought pushes cotton prices to a new high.	B．The world’s cotton supply keeps falling.
C．Texas cotton takes a hit during drought.	D．Drought impacts the quality of cotton.

2 . Take a period of limited rainfall. Add heat. And you have what scientists call a ‘hot drought’ — dry conditions made more intense by the evaporative power of hotter temperatures.

A new study, published in the journal Science Advances, Wednesday, finds that hot droughts have become more common and severe across the western U.S. as a result of human-caused climate change. “The frequency of compound warm and dry summers particularly in the last 20 years is unprecedented,” said Karen King, lead author of the study and an assistant professor at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

For much of the last 20 years, western North America has been under the control of a huge drought that has strained crop producers, city planners and water managers. Scientists believe it to be the driest period in the region in at least 1,200 years. They reached that determination, in part, by studying the rings of trees collected from thousands of sites across the Western U.S..

Cross-sections or cores of trees, both living and dead, can offer scientists windows into climate conditions of the past. Dark scars can show where fires have burned. Pale rings can indicate insect outbreaks. “Narrow rings mean less water,” said King, a dendrochronologist, who specialized in tree ring dating. “Fatter rings, more water.” Scientists have looked at tree ring widths to understand how much water was in the soil at a given time. King and fellow researchers did something different. They wanted to investigate the density (密度) of individual rings to get a picture of historical temperatures. In hotter years, trees build thick walls to protect their water.

By combining that temperature data with another tree-ring-sourced dataset looking at soil moisture (湿度), the researchers showed that today’s hotter temperatures have made the current western huge drought different from its past ones.

It also suggests that future droughts will be worsened by higher temperatures, particularly in the Great Plains, home to one of the world’s largest aquifers, and the Colorado River Basin, the source of water for some 40 million people.

1. What led to hot droughts?

A．Abundant rainfall.	B．Climate change.
C．Appropriate temperatures.	D．Dry summers.

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

A．Protected.

B．Surprised.

C．Stressed.

D．Helped.

3. What do the researchers find about hot droughts?

A．They will not happen in the future.	B．They are affected by those tree rings.
C．They are similar in intensity to past droughts.	D．They have become more frequent and severe.

4. What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?

A．To entertain readers with a fictional story.	B．To persuade readers to protect environment.
C．To inform readers of severity of hot droughts.	D．To share personal experiences and reflections.

3 . Earth Hour is an annual event, asking you to switch off all your lights for one hour in positive change for our planet. It is organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature and it’s a big event usually at the end of March every year.     1    , which means switching off all lights everywhere at the same time for one hour.

Earth Hour started in Australia in 2007, when 2.2 million people in Sydney turned off all unnecessary lights for an hour.     2    , and many countries around the world have taken part.

It’s true that switching off the lights for just one hour saves only a little power.     3    . Joining in Earth Hour makes people think about the problem of climate change and how to protect nature so that people can enjoy healthy and sustainable lives. Besides, many people acting together pushes governments and companies to consider green issues when making big decisions.

    4    . The number 60 is for the 60 minutes of Earth Hour, and the plus invites people to keep on taking action even after Earth Hour is finished. In fact, people joining in Earth Hour say that taking part in it inspires them to do more for the environment. The climate activist Greta Thunberg says, “Earth Hour is every hour of every day.”

Why is it in March? At the end of March in the northern and southern hemispheres (半球), the days and the nights are almost of the same length.     5    , so it is dark in the evening in each country for the Earth Hour switch-off.

A．But this is only the beginning

B．The logo of Earth Hour is “60+”

C．On this evening, people “go dark”

D．There are many events people can join in

E．Since then it has grown into an international event

F．The idea is to raise the awareness of environmental issues

G．At this time, the sunset time is similar in both hemispheres

4 . A NASA climate research scientist, Cynthia Rosenzweig, who has spent much of her career explaining how global food production must adapt to a changing climate, was awarded the World Food Prize on Thursday.

“We basically cannot solve climate change unless we address the issues of the greenhouse gas emissions from the food system, and we cannot provide food security for all unless we work really hard to develop adaptable agricultural systems,” she told The Associated Press in an interview.

Rosenzweig, who describes herself as a climate impact scientist, grew up in Scarsdale, New York, a suburban area that she said led her to seek out life in the country. Later, she moved to Italy, and developed a passion for agriculture. After returning to the United States, she focused her education on agronomy (农学).

She worked as a graduate student at the Goddard Institute for Space Studies in the early 1980s, when global climate models were beginning to show the effects of human-generated carbon dioxide on the global climate. As the only team member studying agronomy, she researched the impact on food production and has been working since then to answer those questions.

Rosenzweig’s work led to the Environmental Protection Agency’s first prediction of the effects of climate change on the nation’s agricultural regions in the agency’s assessment of the potential effects of climate change on the United States in 1988. She was the first to bring climate change to the attention of the American Society of Agronomy and she organized the first sessions on the issue in the 1980s. The research organization she founded, AgMIP, develops adaptation packages, which could include the use of more drought-tolerant seeds and improved water management practices.

Even the largest agribusiness corporations have shown a willingness to listen. Some models her colleagues have developed show how businesses could be effected by climate change and how they have a role to play in reducing the impact on climate.

“It’s really a global partnership of all the global food systems to come together to restrain climate change and maintain the food security for the planet,” she said.

1. What can we learn from paragraph 2?

A．Plants can hardly cause greenhouse gas emissions.

B．Issues of food security will result in climate change.

C．Improving food systems will help address climate change.

D．Some adaptable agricultural systems have been put into use.

2. Which of the following can best describe Rosenzweig?

A．Modest.

B．Devoted.

C．Adaptable.

D．Warm-hearted.

3. What is paragraph 5 mainly about?

A．Rosenzweig’s contributions.	B．Rosenzweig’s challenges.
C．Rosenzweig’s expectations.	D．Rosenzweig’s backgrounds.

4. What does the underlined word “they” in paragraph 6 refer to?

A．The models.	B．The practices.
C．The colleagues.	D．The businesses.

5 . 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 ecological environment in the Sanjiangyuan National Park in northwest China’s Qinghai Province         1     (continue) to improve since the establishment of the national park in 2021, with water conservation capacity increasing by more than 6 percent annually, according to a newly    2    (release) report on the park’s development.

The park delivers over 60 billion cubic meters of high-quality freshwater downstream every year,    3     the grassland coverage and grass yield in the park have increased by over 11 percent and 30 percent    4     (respective), according to the report.

    5    (locate) on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the Sanjiangyuan region serves as the headwaters for the Yangtze, Yellow and Lancang rivers, and is known as the “Water Tower of Asia”. In 2021, the Sanjiangyuan National Park, along with other four parks,     6     (list) as China’s first batch of national parks. The park has a total area of 190,700 square km, with an average altitude (海拔) of 4,700 meters.

According to Losang Tsering,     7    is an engineer of the Sanjiangyuan National Park Administration, the park has prioritized ecological restoration over the years,     8     (focus) on ecosystems such as glaciers and snow-capped mountains, high-altitude grasslands and meadows.

The Sanjiangyuan region is a typical    9    (represent) of the alpine (高山的) ecosystem and serves    10    an alpine biological germplasm bank, making it a crucial ecological security barrier in China.

6 . Must-See Destinations in 2024

Are you ready to explore the world in 2024? Whether you dream of sailing down famous European rivers or exploring unique places, our list of must-see destinations is here to inspire your travels.

Spain

Throw yourself into the rich culture and history of Spain. From the sunny beaches of Tenerife to the Moorish architecture (建筑物) of Andalucía, there’s so much to explore in this lively country. Discover the UNESCO World Heritage (遗产) city of La Laguna and become amazed at the beauty of Cordoba, Seville, and La Alhambra, or relax on a beach holiday to Majorca or Tenerife.

Montenegro

Despite its size, Montenegro has beautiful beaches, rich history, and a breathtaking channel. Experience the beauty of the Montenegrin coast — Dalmatia’s jewel (宝石) is the UNESCO World Heritage listed oasis of Dubrovnik, famously praised by Lord Bryon as The Pearl of the Adriatic.

Croatia

Discover the beauty that is Dubrovnik. Explore the 16th-century city’s defensive walls and red-roofed buildings. Sail along Croatia’s Adriatic Coast, where attractive villages and beautiful towns like Pula, Rovinj, and Poreč are just waiting to be explored...

South Africa

Explore the wonders of South Africa, from the Garden Route’s nature reserves to the thrill of a Safari drive in the Kariega Game Reserve. Discover the different plants and animals while searching for the “Big Five” on an unforgettable South Africa holiday.

With over 25 years of experience creating holidays for the curious, Travel Department ensures that your journey is in good hands. Plus as a trusted Reader’s Digest Travel partner, you can get special deals when you travel with them across lots of different 2024 holidays. If you want to know more information, please click here.

1. What do Spain and Montenegro have in common?

A．They are both praised by tourists.

B．They both have world heritage cities.

C．They are known for their architectures.

D．They both own beaches and rich history.

2. Which destination will attract people who are interested in creatures?

A．Spain.	B．South Africa.
C．Montenegro.	D．Croatia.

3. Where is this text most likely from?

A．A website.	B．A guidebook.
C．A novel.	D．A magazine.

7 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. How many people died in a landslide in 2003?

A．About two hundred.

B．Over one thousand.

C．About two thousand.

2. What has the Philippines banned for several years?

A．Growing grass.

B．Cutting down trees.

C．Growing population.

3. What does the speaker advise to protect our environment?

A．Growing more forests.

B．Chopping down the old forests.

C．Getting busy in protecting our country.

8 . 阅读下面短文,在空白处填入一个适当的词或使用括号中词语的正确形式填空。

With the tourism    1    (develop), people are becoming increasingly concerned    2    the environment. Here in our city, there is a heated discussion about whether a hotel should    3    (build) at White Beach. The owner of the company thinks the hotel would attract more tourists,     4    will help the local economy.    5    , the local people worry that constructing the hotel is not eco-friendly,     6    (particular) the turtles. Admitting the various    7    (benefit) from the hotel, they still have many concerns about the surroundings     8     they have been living for many years. It is    9    unavoidable problem that increased tourist numbers will consume more natural resources, at the same time, more waste and pollution    10    ( release).

9 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What is the talk mainly about?

A．What to do to protect animals.

B．Whether to keep animals in zoos.

C．How to improve zoos’ environment.

2. What do scientists of Group A suggest?

A．Allowing wild animals to be killed.

B．Protecting animals in a well-founded area.

C．Teaching people more about wild animals.

3. What do scientists of Group B say about modern zoos?

A．They do harm to animals.

B．They are poorly founded.

C．They can give animals protection.

4. What is the speaker?

A．A scientist.

B．A teacher.

C．A zookeeper.

10 . After taking a few steps back, Hadj Benhalima rushed toward the building, pushed himself upward with his foot against the wall and stretched out his arm. At the peak of his jump, he flipped off a light switch, and the bright lights of a nearby barbershop went off immediately.

This is what Hadj and his friends have been doing for the past two years: swinging around Paris and switching off wasteful shop signs at night, in an effort to fight against light pollution and save energy. And they are all enthusiastic about Parkour — a sport that consists of running and jumping over urban obstacles.

While climbing other people’s property to turn off their lights may strike some as a form of trespassing (非法入侵), the Parkour athletes insist their activities are only about enforcing seldom-respected rules.

More than a decade ago, Paris City Hall issued orders requiring stores to turn off all signs and window displays from 1 am to 6 am, but they are widely ignored with little consequence. “for 10 years there has been no follow-up, no control, no punishment,” said Anne-Marie Ducroux, the head of the National Association for the Protection of the Sky and the Night Environment.

That is why Hadj and his friends have taken matters into their own hands. The group often gathers in the so-called Golden Triangle neighborhood, in western Paris, which is the center of French luxury.

Enforcing the orders in place of the authorities certainly enters a legal grey area. But the Parkour athletes say all the police officers they have met during their rounds have allowed their action — as long as it causes no damage.

And it seems that their efforts have produced the desired result, because Hadj says he has noticed that in recent months, several shops have stopped leaving their lights on after his group targeted them. He hopes others will follow suit. “At least, I’ll sleep better,” he said.

1. What are Hadj Benhalima and his friends trying to do at night?

A．To practice their Parkour skills.

B．To remove possible urban obstacles.

C．To turn off unnecessary store lights.

D．To ensure the safety of their neighborhood.

2. What can we learn about the rules set by the government?

A．They are too strict to follow.

B．They have achieved the desired effect.

C．They put great pressure on stores.

D．They are not carried out effectively.

3. What is the government’s attitude towards the Parkour athletes’ act?

A．Worried.

B．Supportive.

C．Doubtful.

D．Unconcerned.

4. What does the text mainly talk about?

A．Why Parkour is so popular among young people in Paris.

B．Why it is difficult to fight against light pollution in Paris.

C．How the lighting of shop signs affects the night view of Paris.

D．How young people in Paris help save energy through Parkour.