1 . Volunteer at the EcoTarium! We simply could not offer the programs and special events that make the EcoTarium a unique resource to our community without our diverse and dedicated corps of volunteers. To be considered for a more specific position, look through the volunteer listings below, and submit an application.

Zoo Ambassador Volunteer

Our zoo ambassador volunteers will assist the Zoology Department to connect with guests through engaging educational experiences about our animal residents. We are looking for volunteers who are passionate about animals and excited to interact with guests of all ages. Volunteers may also complete behavioral studies on numerous animals within the care of the EcoTarium to help enhance the welfare for our animals!

Animal Care Volunteer

Animal care volunteers will aid in all areas of husbandry (农牧业), including feeding, cleaning, record keeping, training animals, and behavioral observations. They will work with a variety of animals under our care, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and insects. The position is physically demanding and requires working in all weather conditions.

Education Program Volunteer

Through conversations and hands-on activities, education program volunteers help visitors make meaningful connections to our exhibits, encourage curiosity and scientific inquiry, and challenge visitors to dive deeper into the concepts explored at our museum.

Collections Volunteer

The EcoTarium seeks volunteers who are interested in making a contribution to science by uncovering lost specimens (标本) in the EcoTarium collection! Photograph, measure, and take notes on birds, eggs, seashells, or pressed flowers. This is an excellent position for a high school or college student considering a career in biology or lab science. It is also appropriate for citizen scientists of any age. It offers an opportunity to see examples of rare or extinct plants and animals.

1. What can an animal care volunteer do?

A．Collect lost specimens.

B．Learn to feed and clean animals.

C．Finish some studies on the exhibits.

D．Help elderly visitors interact with animals.

2. Which position most suits a biology major?

A．Collections Volunteer.	B．Animal Care Volunteer.
C．Education Program Volunteer.	D．Zoo Ambassador Volunteer.

3. What is the main purpose of the text?

A．To list the advantages of volunteers.

B．To spread knowledge about volunteers.

C．To train more people to become volunteers.

D．To introduce some positions about volunteers.

2 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. Where do huge storms form every year?

A．In Northern Africa.

B．In the United States.

C．In the Atlantic Ocean.

2. What is the reason for more severe storms?

A．Dust carried by winds.

B．No rainfall for long.

C．Changeable wind.

3. What is the probable influence of the dust?

A．It pollutes the whole country.

B．It does harm to people’s health.

C．It is a threat to the Sahara Desert.

3 . Foxes in southern England have apparently developed a taste for automobiles. Instead of wanting to drive them, though, they’re eating vital components. The damage hasn’t just cost U.K. drivers thousands in repair bills. The foxes have also caused dangerous accidents when people have taken to the roads without realizing their brakes no longer work.

Already in 2009, police in the southern county of Kent warned drivers to check their cars’ wires and test their brakes before driving. Indeed, for some reason, the foxes seem to find brake lines particularly attractive. With their cars’ cables broken, drivers have had to get their vehicles fixed. That has resulted in occasionally sky-high bills. The damage has also resulted in accidents. Fortunately, we didn’t find any casualties linked to the foxes, but faulty brakes and cables connected to the animals have been behind crashes and stranded (抛锚) vehicles.

To stop the greedy beasts, motorists have tried all manners of techniques. Yet, the most effective way to keep the foxes away they’ve discovered is wrapping their cars in chicken wire. It’s a trouble to constantly have to take the wire off and put it back on, not to mention the potential scrapes and scratches on the paint. But suppose it’s better than having to get your brake lines repaired — again.

But why are the foxes so crazy about biting car cables? Nobody can say for sure, but it’s most likely a sum of multiple causes. First of all, the insulation materials (绝缘材料) on car cables in the U.K. were changed from petroleum-based materials to soy-derived substances some 15 years ago. Rodents (啮齿动物), from rats to squirrels, have been attracted to the vegetable-based coatings and it could be that foxes find them delicious as well. Another reason probably lies in England’s disappearing woodlands. With fewer wild places left, the foxes are increasingly driven towards cities to find food. And then there’s the issue of people feeding them.

“Foolish people have been feeding foxes and treating them as pets,” said animal psychologist Dr. Roger Mugford. “They normally avoid humans and anything’s been touched by humans but if they are getting food given to them, that’s changed.” If some drivers have been feeding foxes. they’ve brought this problem on themselves. Unfortunately, those same foxes will then proceed to haunt the entire neighborhood

1. What have the foxes in southern England done?

A．They have developed a good taste.

B．They have eaten drivers’ repair bills.

C．They have damaged some parts of the vehicles.

D．They have hit cars and caused some accidents.

2. What could be inferred from Paragraph 2?

A．The cost of each car repair is very high.

B．Police in Kent are helping drivers chase away foxes.

C．Foxes biting car cables have caused a number of rollover accidents and deaths.

D．Drivers in some areas were warned years ago about the damage caused by foxes.

3. What can we learn about chicken wire from Paragraph 3?

A．It may cause damage to the car.

B．It may trap the drivers sometimes.

C．It’s easy to be removed and put back on.

D．It can be used to repair the brake lines.

4. Which of the following might NOT be a cause foxes like to chew on car cables?

A．Changes in car cable insulation materials.

B．The area of forestland continues to decrease.

C．Some people like to feed foxes

D．Foxes and rodents are similar in appearance.

5. What is the author’s attitude towards feeding foxes?

A．Praising.

B．Supportive.

C．Grateful.

D．Opposed.

4 .

A．The summer this year is terribly hot.	B．Last summer was even hotter.
C．Hot weather helps people lose weight.	D．Light was stronger this morning.

5 . 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1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Live video provided by the plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) showed that    1    staff member turned on a seawater pump    2    around 1:00 pm local time (0400 GMT),    3    (mark)the beginning of the controversial ocean discharge, while concerns and opposition persisted among local    4    (fisherman)as well as in neighboring countries and Pacific island countries.

Under scorching heat, hundreds of Japanese from all across the country    5    (gather)in

front of the TEPCO headquarters in     6    (center)Tokyo on Thursday morning, demanding the Japanese government and TEPCO    7    (stop)the ocean release.

Taeko Fujimura with Japan's National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations, also known as Zen-Noh,said the ocean discharge "cannot be forgiven" and was "     8     (extreme) unreasonable."Fujimura stressed that the ocean discharge,    9    is to continue for at least 30 years, will cause    10    (significance)environmental damage." It will pollute the sea, the marine life within it, the environment, and the Earth."

9 . The beauty industry produces many units of one-time use containers every year. More and more consumers are asking how they can keep themselves clean and beautiful without trashing the planet.

It’s a question Women of the Future winner, Natassia Nicolao, considered during her years working in product development for beauty and wellness companies. Raised by a strong and supportive mother, Natassia used her skills and passion to make a difference. In 2021, she created her waterless beauty brand.

She said, “Water is involved in every stage of a product life cycle. Everything we use, buy, sell and make has a huge water footprint. On top of that, the beauty industry adds water as the main ingredients in its products, despite it having no direct benefit to our skin.”

Having lived through water restrictions in drought-ridden Australia, Natassia felt it necessary to stop the overuse of water in the beauty industry. Natassia has always loved beauty. Her company tries to be sustainable in every step of the way, but at its core, it is about removing water from our beauty routines.

“It’s really rooted in water conservation first, and then managing your water footprint, your carbon footprint and your waste footprint,” Natassia said. “We create waterless beauty products to help conserve water.” The glass bottles and jars of her products can be recycled. The oils and wipes are formulated without any water, requiring no water to use. The company also has a piece of game-changing beauty technology: face-wipes and masks that completely dissolve in water.

“The company is still in its beginning,” Natassia said. With the prize money from Women of the Future, she plans to purchase a machine to simplify the creation of the wipes and masks. The publicity, meanwhile, will help her spread the message central to the company’s existence that beauty must do better. Natassia believes that, with a little courage and innovation, it can do.

1. What does the underlined word “trashing” in paragraph 1 mean?

A．Studying.

B．Damaging.

C．Exploding.

D．Supporting.

2. What mainly led to the birth of Natassia’s company?

A．Her pursuit of profit.	B．Her best beauty skills.
C．Her growth environment.	D．Her love of extreme beauty.

3. Which can best describe the products of Natassia’s company?

A．Environmentally friendly.	B．Relatively cheap.
C．Elegant.	D．World-famous.

4. How does Natassia feel about the beauty industry?

A．It has died out.

B．It’s promising.

C．It develops well.

D．It’s worth analysis.

10 . Catherine Krestyn furnished (布置家具)her home mainly with hard rubbish, such as the chairs, doors and lamps, which have been collected from the street where she lives. And it’s a way of life she’s sharing with her community in the hope of making a difference.

Catherine leads a 6,000-strong online group called Boroondara Hard Rubbish Rehome, where members upload pictures of their hard rubbish piles for eager locals to find. She started the group in 2022 with her childhood friend Jennie Irving, hoping to build a community of thrift (节俭)where they lived. The pair have stopped more than 7,000 kg of hard rubbish going to landfill since they founded the group.

Some items are ready as they are, like chairs and lamps, and others take a bit of effort to clean up, like the old, wooden doors.

Local teacher Ruth Polgar discovered the group while surfing the Internet and has since decorated her classroom with second-hand items, including artwork she has rehomed from a neighbour. “We regularly take unneeded items from the group and use them for our school projects,” she says.

Running the group can be really challenging for Catherine. But she doesn’t resent those who have to let go of their possessions because of stressful circumstances. “If you’re downsizing or if you’re clearing an old house, quite often you’re desperate for access to easy options,” she says. “Hard rubbish piles are often that option.”

All Catherine wants to do is give her community a way to reduce their waste, and to send a message to those in charge that things need to urgently change.

“The government has big targets around sustainable development leading into 2030. We want to start speeding that up even sooner,” she says. “We’re suffering from our own waste really, so anything that we can all do on a practical level helps. We should first make lifestyle choices and be prepared to go second-hand.”

1. Why did Catherine set up Boroondara Hard Rubbish Rehome?

A．To create a community of thrift.	B．To donate her collection to charity.
C．To collect hard rubbish for locals.	D．To decorate the houses for the homeless.

2. What can we infer about Ruth Polgar?

A．She prefers second-hand items.	B．She buys items on the Internet.
C．She supports Catherine’s cause.	D．She teaches art at a local school.

3. What does the underlined word “resent” in paragraph 5 probably mean?

A．Feel angry about.	B．Feel pleased with.
C．Show sympathy for.	D．Show interest in.

4. What does Catherine advocate in the last paragraph?

A．Setting ourselves a big goal.	B．Giving throwaways a second life.
C．Meeting the government’s requirements.	D．Replacing old furniture regularly.