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。

South Koreans have enjoyed their first close-up look of new baby giant pandas at a name-revealing ceremony that is also     1     early celebration of the 100 days since the twins’ birth.

What to name the twin sisters was widely discussed among netizens after they were born on July 7 in theme park Everland. The names were     2     (ultimate) decided on through two public voting     3     (procedure). One is named Rui Bao, which means wise treasure, and the other is Hui Bao or shining treasure. Half a million panda lovers helped choose their names with a handful of lucky fans     4     (invite) to the ceremony. “They are even     5     (cute) in real life than they appear on screen,” said a college student in attendance.

The baby pandas,     6     have just begun teething and crawling, are very healthy. Everland has shared videos documenting the pandas’ growth online. The twins’ birth has gained 640,000 views since it     7     (upload). “This feels like a great opportunity to call for better     8     (preserve) of pandas,” said Donghee Chung, head of the park’s zoo. Chung noted that between 40% and 50% of panda births result     9     twins.

Everland said it would monitor the twins’ health     10     (determine) when the twins are ready to be open to the public.

2 . Scientists have been experimenting with playing sounds to plants since at least the 1960s, during which time they have been exposed to everything from Beethoven to Michael Jackson. Over the years, evidence that this sort of thing can have an effect has been growing. One paper, published in 2018, claimed that an Asian shrub known as the telegraph plant grew substantially larger leaves when exposed to 56 days of Buddhist music — but not if it was exposed to Western pop music or silence. Another, published last year, found that marigolds and sage plants exposed to the noise of traffic from a busy motorway suffered growth difficulty.

Plants have been evolving (进化) alongside the insects that eat them for hundreds of millions of years. With that in mind, Heidi Appel, a botanist now at the University of Houston, and Reginald Cocroft, a biologist at the University of Missouri, wondered if plants might be sensitive to the sounds made by the animals with which they most often interact. They recorded the vibrations made by certain species of caterpillars (毛毛虫) as they chewed on leaves. These vibrations are not powerful enough to produce sound waves in the air. But they are able to travel across leaves and branches, and even to neighbouring plants if their leaves touch.

They then exposed tobacco plant — the plant biologist’s version of the laboratory mouse — to the recorded vibrations while no caterpillars were actually present. Later, they put real caterpillars on the plants to see if exposure had led them to prepare for an insect attack. The results were striking. Leaves that had been exposed had significantly higher levels of defensive chemicals, making them much harder for the caterpillars to eat. Leaves that had not been exposed to vibrations showed no such response. Other sorts of vibration — caused by the wind, for instance, or other insects that do not eat leaves — had no effect.

“Now speakers with the right audio files are more often being used to warn crops to act when insects are detected but not yet widespread,” says Dr. Cocroft. “Unlike chemical pesticides, sound waves leave no dangerous chemicals.”

1. What can we learn about plants from the first paragraph?

A．They may enjoy Western music.	B．They can’t stand Buddhist music.
C．They can react to different sounds.	D．They can make different sounds.

2. What’s the basis for Appel and Cocroft’s research?

A．Plants can make a cry for help.	B．Plants evolve alongside insects.
C．Plants are sensitive to the sounds.	D．Plants have been studied for years.

3. What can we infer about plants from Paragraph 3?

A．They can recongnize harmful vibrations.	B．They look like laboratory mice.
C．They can threaten the caterpillars.	D．They can release poisonous chemicals.

4. What does the last paragraph mainly talk about?

A．Disadvantages of chemical pesticides.	B．Application of the experimental results.
C．Interaction between plants and insects.	D．Warning system of widespread insects.

3 . New research from the University of Portsmouth has shown a marked increase in shipping in the North East Atlantic. Scientists now warn that more monitoring is required to help protect sea life.

Researchers at the University of Ponsmouth have discovered that rates (率) of shipping in the North East Atlantic area rose by 34 per cent in a five-year period. The research is the first detailed survey of shipping activity in the North East Atlantic. Researchers used data from over 530 million vessel (船) positions recorded by Automatic Identification System(AIS). They looked at the change in shipping between 2013 and 2017 across ten different vessel types. In total the study area covered 1.1 million km², including waters off Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany,Iceland, Ireland, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal. Spain, and the UK.

Lead author, James Robbins said: “This change is likely to put more pressure on the marine (海洋的) environment, and may influence the protection of at-risk species. Renewed monitoring effort is needed to make sure that protective measures are enough to save species under threat in a changing environment.”

Some of the greatest shipping increases were found in areas close to the Spanish coast. The Espacio Marino de la Costa da Morte saw a rise of 413 percent in vessel activity. It is an area used to protect seabirds.

Dr. Sarah Marley, Visiting Researcher at the University of Portsmouth, said: “Shipping is the most widespread human activity in our oceans, carrying a set of threats-from unnoticeable effects like underwater noise pollution to serious results when ships hit whales.”

Professor Alex Ford. from the University’s Institute of Marine Sciences, said: “Given the well-documented effects that shipping can have on the marine environment, it is necessary that this situation continues to be monitored-particularly in areas used to protect vulnerable (脆弱的) species which may already be under pressure.”

1. What can we say about the new research?

A．It started in 2013.	B．It is the first of its kind.
C．It was carried out by AIS.	D．It covers the whole Atlantic.

2. What do the underlined words “This change” in paragraph 3 refer to ?

A．Rapid population growth.

B．Rising global temperatures.

C．The huge increase in shipping.

D．The disappearance of marine life.

3. What does Dr. Sarah Marley want to tell us in paragraph 5?

A．Shipping plays an important role in the local economy.

B．Shipping can be a danger to the marine environment.

C．Noise pollution is closely related to human activity.

D．Marine areas should be monitored more carefully.

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

A．New waterways across the Atlantic

B．The shipping industry in the North East Atlantic

C．New research opens windows into life under the water

D．Sea life needs better protection from an increase in shipping

4 . 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。

When she was just three years old, Alyssa Carson from the USA took an interest     1    the planet Mars. From that time on, her lifelong passion for and     2    (curious) about space began! Then, Alyssa     3    (start) to do all the things related to space!

Alyssa’s goal is to help others understand the potential for human life in outer space. She also wants to be one of the first humans     4    (walk) on the planet Mars. She even imagines     5    (live) on Mars! And while doing so, Alyssa wants to inspire lots of other kids to learn more about space and science.

She is studying astrobiology (天体生物学) at the Florida Institute of Technology. It is     6    only program in the USA focused on the potential for life on other planets. Whether you want to study the effects of space travel on humans, discover past or present life on Mars, or help develop     7    (way) to sustain (维持) life on the moon, you will be prepared at the Florida Institute of Technology.

Alyssa is a(n)     8    (impress) example of a young person     9    focuses on her passion and becomes the best version of     10    (she). Her example also inspires other kids to do the same.

5 . Antarctica

Weather

Antarctica lies in the most southern part of the world. It is the coldest area on Earth. There isn’t much rain, but there is a lot of snow and wind. The lowest temperature was on 21 July in 1983 at -89.2℃!

Population

Nobody lives in Antarctica all the time! The first people to stay there for a while were fishermen in 1786. Now there are about 5,000 scientists and researchers there in the summer.

History of exploration (探险)

During 1907-1909, British explorer Earnest Shackleton explored Antarctica on foot. In 1911, two explorers — a British man named Scott and a Norwegian named Amundsen — raced 1,400 kilometers to the South Pole (南极). Amundsen arrived first.

Animals and birds

There aren’t any large animals in Antarctica. Polar bears live at the North Pole. But there are a lot of penguins and seabirds. Every spring there are over 100 million seabirds in Antarctica.

1. When did the lowest temperature appear in Antarctica?

A．In 1786.

B．In 1907.

C．In 1911.

D．In 1983.

2. Who first stayed in Antarctica for some time?

A．Fishermen.

B．Scientists.

C．Researchers.

D．Explorers.

3. Where is Earnest Shackleton from?

A．Britain.

B．Norway.

C．The South Pole.

D．The North Pole.

6 . A new study says the Amazon rainforest is nearing a tipping point(临界点) in its decline that could see the biologically rich and diverse ecosystem turned into a savannah(热带草原).

“The Amazon is losing its ability to recover from disturbances like drought and extreme weather. Deforestation and climate change are likely the main drivers of this decline,” study co-author Niklas Boers said in a statement. The researchers say they’ve found evidence of this decline across 75 percent of the Amazon.

“It’s worth reminding ourselves that if it gets to that tipping point and we commit to losing the Amazon rainforest, we will get significant feedback on global climate change,” said Timothy Lenton, a scientist and co-author of the study.

The research team looked at three decades’ worth of satellite data, paying close attention to trees and other plants after extreme events. The researchers concluded that the forest, which is essential for oxygen production and carbon sequestration(碳封存), has been losing its resilience for the last two decades.

The researchers say the forest is nearing a tipping point, but the arrival date is unclear as a number of factors can push it closer to or farther from that edge. It’s just too challenging to estimate when the change may occur. But the scientists warn that once the tipping point has been crossed, the change could happen quickly.

The news comes after the Amazon recorded record levels of deforestation in Brazil in January. Animal agriculture is causing deforestation in the Amazon, as Brazil is now the world’s top beef exporter. Last November, the EU took steps to ban beef linked to deforestation. “What we propose is a pioneering initiative,” Virginijus Sinkevicius, the EU environment commissioner, said. “The EU action alone will not solve the problem. We also need major markets like the US to clean up their supply chain.”

1. What can we learn from the study?

A．The Amazon rainforest is in danger of changing into grassland.

B．The Amazon rainforest has reached the point of no return.

C．Scientists are convinced that the change could happen quickly.

D．Scientists are unclear about what is responsible for the decline.

2. What does the underlined word “resilience” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?

A．The ability to predict the future.	B．The ability to rise to challenges.
C．The ability to remain unchanged.	D．The ability to go back to normal.

3. What does the EU environment commissioner expect?

A．Deforestation will become easy to deal with.	B．The export of beef should be banned.
C．More countries should join hands.	D．The EU should adopt strict measures.

4. What is the text likely to be?

A．An adventure diary.	B．A biology textbook.
C．An official proposal.	D．A scientific report.

7 . Green is the new gold. As China is transitioning(转变)towards a greener development mode, low-carbon industries in the country have been boosting in recent years, which has led to more business opportunities for companies worldwide.

The new energy vehicle (NEV) industry is a fine illustration. Last year alone, China sold about 6.89 million NEVs, up 93.4 percent year on year. The market share of NEVs in China’s auto market reached 25.6 percent in 2022, up 12.1percentage points from 2021.

Domestically, China’s green transition is bringing a real change. Globally, it is also helping other countries to sustain green growth. “China is the largest supplier of solar energy equipment across the world and in Africa in particular,” said Ajay Mathur, director general of the International Solar Alliance. While noting that many solar panels and batteries being used in Africa are of Chinese origin, Mathur stressed China’s involvement and huge potential in terms of realizing Africa’s seeking for solar energy development. “There is the greatest link that exists between the Chinese manufacturers of solar energy technology and the African users of that technology,” he said.

Apart from African countries, China is also sharing its green development philosophy with many more countries across the globe. The Chilean capital of Santiago has been tapping electric vehicles from China as part of plans to improve its public transport system and advance clean travel.

While boosting development, maintaining biological diversity(生物多样性)is also important. For example, many tunnels were extended and roads are replaced by bridges to protect elephant habitats in the construction of the China-Laos Railway.

“The contribution of China’s green development to global sustainable development cannot be ignored, and it also sets an example for other countries’ green development,” said Abdulrahman Aldakhil, director of Corporate Communication of Saudi National Center for Vegetation Cover Development Combating Desertification. “China’s promotion of international cooperation to protect the environment is a reflection of its sense of responsibility,” he said, “China’s experience in green development is worth learning from.”

1. What message does the author convey in the first two paragraphs?

A．Most new energy vehicles have been made.

B．New energy vehicles sell well at home and abroad.

C．China is trying to move to a green development mode.

D．Green habits should be developed to protect the environment.

2. What does China do in helping African according to the text?

A．Supply food.	B．Promote green development.
C．Sell solar energy skills.	D．Build railways.

3. Why does the author give the example in the fifth paragraph?

A．To praise Chinese for their taking care of animals.

B．To thank China for its contribution to other countries.

C．To acknowledge China’s efforts in protecting biodiversity.

D．To show that Chinese people are good at road construction.

4. What can we learn from Abdulrahman Aldakhil’s words?

A．Countries should strengthen cooperation.

B．Human beings should protect the environment.

C．China is a model for other countries to follow.

D．Green development can make the country stronger.

8 . What to See in Dujiangyan City

Dujiangyan Irrigation (灌溉) System

Dujiangyan water conservancy (保护) project makes full use of local geographical conditions of high northwest and low southeast, according to the special natural feature of mountains and rivers and according to water potential to draw water without dam to irrigate by gravity. What is great is that it exists for more than 2,250 years, and it produces more and more benefits. After the completion of Dujiangyan Irrigation System, the Chengdu plain became a vast rich land.

Two Kings Temple

Two Kings Temple is located in the Minjiang River right bank slope (斜坡) and it closes to Dujiangyan in the front. It was Emperor Temple originally in memory of the king of Shu and later, it was offered sacrifices to Li Bing and his son, renamed the “Chongde Temple”. In the main hall, there is the statue of Li Bing and his son and there was water conservancy quotes, poet inscriptions (题词) and so on.

Fulong Temple

Fulong Temple is located in the Lidui Park. It is said that Li Bing and his son were here to prevent floods by water control. So in the early years of the Northern Song Dynasty, in order to honor Li Bing, it was named “Fulong Temple”. In the middle of front hall there is Li Bing stone figure carved in the Eastern Han.

Anlan Suspension Bridge

Anlan Suspension Bridge is also known as “Anlan Bridge” and “Couple Bridge”. It is located in Dujiangyan Fish Mouth, known as the one of the five bridges of ancient China and is the most typical landscape of Dujiangyan. It was built before the Song Dynasty. The original bridge used wood block as base, hanging a thick bamboo cable cross the river.

1. By what was Dujiangyan water conservancy project mainly built?

A．Wide plains.	B．High dams.
C．Artificial rivers.	D．Geographical conditions.

2. What do Two Kings Temple and Fulong Temple have in common?

A．They were built in parks.

B．They have statues of Li Bing.

C．They were located on the left bank of the Minjiang River.

D．They were the most typical landscape of Dujiangyan.

3. What do we know about Anlan Suspension Bridge?

A．It was built in the Ming Dynasty.	B．It is the earliest bridge in China.
C．It was originally built on stones.	D．It is one of the five bridges in ancient China.

9 . Over the past three decades, an 81-year-old Chinese man has been operating a small zoo. The zoo in Enshi, Hubei Province, is called the “world’s loneliest zoo” because few people visit it. Most of the animals there are unhealthy.

Luo Yingjiu began keeping animals at home in the 1980s. After seeing wild animals kept in cages for sale at a market, Luo bought them and took them home to give them medical treatment. He released (释放) those able to live on their own into the wild and continued to raise those that could not live independently. There were so many animals in his house that the local government suggested he open a zoo. With the government’s financial aid, the zoo was opened in 1989, the only one in the city at that time. During its peak time, the zoo had some big animals, including a tiger and a lion. The business later became worse because visitors were not interested in the zoo’s “old, weak, sick and disabled” animals.

Using his pension (退休金) to operate the zoo, Mr. Luo refused to listen to other people’s advice to close it. “It is not just a zoo; it provides the habitat for the animals,” he explained. “If the zoo is closed, where can these animals go? They cannot even survive in the wild.”

As he operates the zoo, he keeps on rescuing animals. A black bear with one paw injured was saved 17 years ago. A dog named Dianzi was saved when its former owner planned to abandon (遗弃) it. A monkey that has been at the zoo for nearly 30 years is almost blind because of camera flashes from visitors who took photos. For those animals that died, Luo buried them on the nearby mountain.

Luo said he remembers every animal’s name. “Animals and humans are born equal,”he said. “We should respect their right to survive.”

1. Why is the zoo called the “world’s loneliest zoo”?

A．There are few animals in the zoo.

B．Few people know the old man.

C．There aren’t many people visiting the zoo.

D．The gatekeeper lost family members.

2. How did Luo get the animals originally?

A．By buying some animals locked in cages.

B．By stealing or hunting some big animals.

C．By finding animals released from other zoos.

D．By picking up dying animals in the wild.

3. What was the reason why Luo’s business went worse?

A．Visitors took no interest in the unhealthy animals.

B．Local government refused to offer financial support.

C．He used up all of his pension so that the zoo was closed.

D．Children were frightened by the wild tiger and lion.

4. Which of the following best describes Luo Yingjiu?

A．Adventurous and humorous.	B．Warm-hearted and determined.
C．Creative and outgoing.	D．Generous and funny.

10 . A new study suggests that smoke from wildfires can change how clouds store water and could lead to less rainfall. The research comes as western parts of the United States are currently experiencing drought conditions after several years of intense wildfire activity.

Clouds contain a collection of water droplets (微滴) that form from vapor in the atmosphere. When these droplets condense (凝结) onto each other within a cloud，they become heavier and eventually fall as rain. But the water condensation process requires a solid substance for the vapor to attach to. Different kinds of particles rising up from the Earth’s surface can reach clouds and make this process possible.

The new study found that smoke from wildfires contains small particles that affect the way droplets form in clouds. The main effect was the number of water droplets formed. The team reported that smoky clouds contained about five times the number of droplets as non-smoky clouds. But data also showed that the droplets in smoky clouds were much smaller, about half the size of those in the clouds without wildfire smoke.

It is that size difference, the researchers say, that could reduce the amount of rainfall. This is because small droplets are less likely to grow and eventually fall to the ground as rain. “Because of their small droplet sizes, these smoky clouds are expected to reflect more light and produce less rain than clouds in clean air,” the study states.

The findings could mean that active wildfire seasons in the western U. S. may in fact lead to less rain and more drought, the researchers said. “We were surprised at how effective these primarily organic particles were at forming cloud droplets and what large impacts they had on the microphysics (微观物理) of the clouds,” said Cynthia Twohy, leader of the new study.

Twohy also noted that different kinds of clouds behave differently. The current study examined changes in small cumulus clouds. Other kinds that sit much higher in the atmosphere can cause heavy storms, she said. Twohy added, “I am hoping these results will lead to detailed regional modeling studies that will help us understand the actual impact of smoke on clouds and climate.”

1. Why did the researchers conduct the study?

A．They aren’t sure how water droplets form from vapor.

B．There is a great climate change in America.

C．The US has serious drought after wildfires.

D．They wonder how smoky clouds appear.

2. What is a characteristic of smoky clouds?

A．They tend to reflect more light.

B．They often have lower temperatures than others.

C．They contain more droplets which are larger in size.

D．They have fewer particles for the vapor to attach to.

3. What could smoky clouds lead to according to the text?

A．Less rainfall.

B．Much cooler weather.

C．Fewer windy days.

D．More storms.

4. What is the main idea of the text?

A．There are many reasons for the US drought.

B．Wildfire smoke can make clouds produce less rain.

C．Organic particles play an important role in forming clouds.

D．Humans have to face the serious consequences of wildfires.