1 . A new study suggests that pollution of all kinds kills nearly 9 million people worldwide each year. Air pollution from industrial processes and the expansion of cities accounted for about 75% of the deaths, researchers found. The study was based on examinations of worldwide death rates and pollution levels.

The study separated traditional pollutants from modern pollutants. Examples of traditional pollutants are indoor smoke or wastewater. Modern pollutants include air pollution from vehicles or industrial activities and poisonous chemicals. The researchers found that deaths from traditional pollutants are dropping worldwide. But they remain a major problem in Africa and some other developing countries. In some countries, state programs to cut indoor air pollution and improvements in sanitation (卫生) have helped reduce death rates. In Ethiopia and Nigeria, for example, such efforts cut deaths by two-thirds between 2000 and 2019, the study found.

Modern kinds of pollution are rising in most countries, especially developing ones, the researchers said. Deaths caused by modern pollutants — heavy metals, agricultural chemicals and carbon emissions—are “skyrocketing,” said study co-writer Rachael Kupka. She heads the New York-based Global Alliance on Health and Pollution. Kupka said deaths linked to modern pollutants had risen 66% since 2000.

“Nine million deaths is a lot of deaths,” Philip Landrigan told The Associated Press about the study’s results. He is director of the Global Public Health Program at Boston College in Massachusetts. “The bad news is that it’s not decreasing,” Landrigan added. “We’re making gains in the easy stuff, and we’re seeing the more difficult stuff, outdoor industrial air pollution and chemical pollution, still going up.”

The study makes several suggestions for ways to cut the number of deaths. These include creating better recording and reporting methods and stronger government policies to reduce pollution linked to industrial activities and vehicle emissions.

“We absolutely know how to solve pollution problems,” said the study co-author Richard Fuller. “What’s missing is political will.”

1. What can be learned from the study about pollution?

A．Air pollution killed 9 million people last year.

B．Cutting indoor air pollution is the best policy.

C．Traditional pollution is very serious in Nigeria.

D．Traditional pollutants cause less death than before.

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

A．Improving.

B．Increasing.

C．Reducing.

D．Worsening.

3. What can be inferred from Philip Landrign’s words?

A．It is easy to fight modern pollution.	B．Outdoor air pollution is decreasing.
C．Modern pollution still concerns people.	D．It is hard to tell the reasons for pollution.

4. What might be talked about in the paragraph that follows?

A．Methods to reduce pollution.	B．Government’s response to pollution.
C．Suggestions for industrial activities.	D．The damage caused by vehicle emissions.

2 . Tom Hanks was searching for shells on the island when the strong ocean waves washed a large part of the sand reef (沙洲) away. There was nothing between him and the shore leading to the village, but ________ and sharks. “How could I return home?”

He moved about, looking at the calm water before him, ________ and green. However, far off, he could hear the ________ of splashing water made by the sharks. He saw red areas on the water, knowing the sharks were killing and eating the ________ . Thinking of himself being ________ by a shark upset him. “No, I want to live. ”

An idea ________ his mind, ”Sharks can smell blood. “He put the knife ________ his arm and cut deep into the ________ , which made his shirt red and wet. He tied some cloth around his arm to ________ the blood, attached a long piece of cloth to the shirt and ________ the shirt into the water. When the sharks smelt the blood, they came.________ toward the shirt. He ran and pulled the shirt to lead them away from the shore. ________ , he dropped the cloth, turned toward the shore, ________ the water and swam as fast as he could. A smart shark nearly caught up with him and ________ him, which almost rolled him over in the water, but he struggled to pull himself up to the shore. The shark was so ________ by the smell of blood and the chase after him that it ________ against the rocks. It rolled and turned as it ________ back into the water. The shark’s blood turned the water red. The injured shark was eaten ________ by other sharks.

He looked down at the sharks still ________ . Tom slowly got to his ________ and walked toward the village. “You did not get me!”he said to himself.

1.

A．sands

B．shells

C．water

D．wind

2.

A．vague

B．clear

C．tough

D．soft

3.

A．shout

B．noise

C．cry

D．burst

4.

A．fish

B．coral

C．shark

D．human being

5.

A．abused

B．supported

C．surrounded

D．attacked

6.

A．flashed through

B．came by

C．cleared up

D．called for

7.

A．under

B．by

C．over

D．against

8.

A．flesh

B．bone

C．blood

D．cell

9.

A．decrease

B．draw

C．free

D．stop

10.

A．turned

B．cut

C．threw

D．broke

11.

A．pushing

B．walking

C．chasing

D．fleeing

12.

A．Naturally

B．Suddenly

C．Gradually

D．Constantly

13.

A．jumped into

B．skipped over

C．dug into

D．looked over

14.

A．crossed

B．met

C．hit

D．defended

15.

A．astonished

B．excited

C．scared

D．impressed

16.

A．blew

B．leaned

C．fought

D．crashed

17.

A．dropped

B．rushed

C．swam

D．escaped

18.

A．hard

B．dead

C．safe

D．alive

19.

A．playing

B．eating

C．hunting

D．smelling

20.

A．head

B．waist

C．feet

D．legs

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。

    1     (work) on building sites for over 20 years, Hua Shankui, 59, had never imagined he’d become an expert on planting grass. But this was     2     happened on a construction site he’s working on in Wuhan, Hubei Province.

The 18-hectare construction site of the Huashan section of Wuhan Metro Line 19 is situated near an ecological reserve. Efforts had to be made     3     (ensure) that the local environment would not be compromised. To reduce pollution, using dust nets to cover bare soil is a normal practice on construction sites. However, a     4     (decide) was made at the Huashan site to plant grass on the soil, a more eco-friendly method.

When Hua     5     (give) the task of leading a grass planting team, he knew nothing about gardening. The first question facing     6     team was what kind of grass they should plant. Hua turned to local gardeners,     7     recommended carpet grass, a species     8     (common) planted in urban landscaping.

However, months     9     planting the grass, few seeds of carpet grass grew roots as the soil at the site contains too many small stones. He tried different varieties of grass. After conducting     10     (repeat) experiments on a small piece of land, Hua found rye grass (黑麦草) to be the right species. Hua and his colleagues started to plant rye grass. Four months later, the piece of brown soil was covered in green grass, adding life to the construction site while cleaning the air.

4 . My dog, Nala, loves rolling around in a patch of grass any chance she gets. And it always cracks me up to watch her have the time of her life.     1    . 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, who explained that dogs can roll in the grass for several reasons! Here are some of the most common explanations behind this behavior

She’s enjoying a smell.     2    . “They are picking up on hundreds of nuanced scents that we can’t even comprehend!” Dr. Austin told The Dodo. “Sometimes they want to enjoy a scent they’ve found in the grass and will roll around in it to do just that.”

She’s covering up her own scent. According to Dr. Austin, there is another theory that dogs may roll in grass to cover their own scent, as more of an inherited predatory instinct.     3    .

    4    . “It’s good to rule out 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 he’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. I’m not sure about you,     5    .

A．In other words, they want to smell like the environment so they don’t scare off prey

B．but that grass may look extra appealing to your dog

C．I’ve always wondered why she actually does it

D．She’s scratching an itch

E．It’s important to remember how incredibly powerful your dog’s nose is

F．but now I’m even thinking about joining mine next time

G．She’s cooling off

5 . Rabbits are a courageous little species able to live on every continent, except Antarctica. Alongside the beginning of 2023, the new Year of the Rabbit has started!     1    

Cultural image of rabbits in China

Rabbits are instinctively quiet but agile (敏捷),which suits traditional Chinese aesthetic values of being gentle and cultivated. There is a view of rabbits in Chinese culture as being smart and gentle.     2     , a Chinese idiom praising people who are smart and agile like a rabbit.

Legend has it that there is a Jade Rabbit living on the moon which is the pet of Chang’e, a goddess widely known in China. This can explain why rabbits are regarded as an auspicious sign.

Also, in ancient China, it was common sense that the more children you had, the luckier and happier you would be. This belief made the rabbit a popular sign of good fortune.     3    

Cultural image of rabbits in the West

Similarly in the West, rabbits are full of vitality and fertile in nature, with populations growing to enormous sizes in short amounts of time. Rabbits are also considered to be incredibly lucky in the West, with several traditions illustrating how to gain the animal’s good luck for yourself.

A hunter being able to catch a rabbit in the first place is also a sign of good luck. Another tradition for good luck found in North America and the UKKis to say the word “rabbit” on the first morning of every month.

    4     It is a rabbit that Alice follows in the story of Alice in Wonderland to escape the normal world and helps to begin her adventure. Rabbits are also related to Easter, with the Easter bunny being thought to be in some way related to the chocolate eggs eaten at this time of year: While the animal appears in many different places, it is always seen as an animal to be welcomed.

So, now it is the lucky animal’s turn on the Chinese zodiac.     5    

A．This is shown by the phrase “dong ru tuo tu”

B．We are all familiar with the phrase “shou zhu dai tu”

C．Maybe now is the best time to talk about this adorable animal in the eyes of different cultures

D．May the Year of the Rabbit bring you some good fortune, too!

E．Rabbits also pop up in other areas of Western culture

F．A stuffed rabbit’s foot is supposed to bring good fortune

G．They are well-known to be able to reproduce and thrive in sometimes difficult and surprising conditions

6 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

Melati and Isabel deeply love their home on the island, surrounded by tropical rain forests, green fields, and a vast ocean. Enjoying a swim at their local beach was once a daily pleasure for them. But when Melati was fifteen, and Isabel just ten, the sisters started to lose their enthusiasm for swimming in the waters near their borne. More often than not, plastic bags would be around them as they swam and some were scattered on the beach. They got really upset about that.

Melati didn’t think much about it until one day her teacher gave a lesson on some world heroes. Each of those people had sparked movements of positive changes in the world. They believed in the impact they could have and they did inspire more people to do something meaningful. After school, Melati walked home slowly in silence, concerned about the vast amount of plastic rubbish on the beach. The heroes crossed her mind. If they could do it, we could do it too, she thought. The idea lit her up. She couldn’t wait to share what she thought with Isabel and quickened her pace.

“So many plastic bags around! The beach is dirty and messy! It’s so terrible! We have lost the clean and beautiful beach. Can’t we do something to get it back?” Melati said heartily. Isabel felt a bit puzzled at what to do, but she also had a strong desire to do something. Picturing a beach as fascinating as before in mind, the pair jumped with joy.

They talked a lot, anxious to know how Dad and Mom would respond to their ideas. That night when the family sat by the dinner table, the sisters eagerly got their ideas across. While Mom and Dad listened to the girls carefully, their eyes shone. “How amazing that would be! We are so proud of you!” Dad exclaimed. Mom came up, gave them a thumb up and hugged the sisters.

注意：
1．续写词数应为150左右；
2．请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

Melati and Isabel decided to make a positive impact straight away.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

One month later, Melati received a call from the local newspaper.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7 . 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。

China has been pushing space exploration boundaries on its own over the past three decades. It embarked on (开始)a “three-step” strategy     1     (boost) its human space program in 1992 when     2     (construct) a manned orbiting laboratory was still a flight of fancy for the Chinese people.

The first step was to send astronauts into space     3     ensure their safe return. The second step was to develop advanced space flight techniques and technologies,     4     included extravehicular(舱外的)activity and orbital docking(轨道对接).The     5     (three) step was to assemble and operate a permanent manned space station.

In April 2021, the country     6     (official) kicked off the in-orbit construction of its space station by launching the core module Tianhe. “In the past 30 years, many technical difficulties     7     (overcome), such as the technologies of shuttling     8     space and Earth, extravehicular activity, rendezvous, and docking,” said Yang Liwei, the country’s first taikonaut in orbit since he     9     (enter) space with Shenzhou-5 in October 2003.

So far, a total of 12     10     (astronaut) on four missions. Shenzhou-12, Shenzhou-13, Shenzhou-14,and Shenzhou-15, have participated in the in-orbit construction of the space station.

8 . Science reporting on climate change does lead Americans to adopt more accurate beliefs and support government action on the issue, but these gains are fragile, a new study suggests. Researchers found that these accurate beliefs fade quickly when people are exposed to coverage skeptical of climate change.

“It is not the case that the American public does not respond to scientifically informed reporting when they are exposed to it,” said Thomas Wood, associate professor of political science at the Ohio State University. “But even truly accurate science reporting recedes from people’s frame of reference very quickly.”

Results showed that accurate science reporting didn’t persuade only politicians and people who initially rejected human-caused climate change also had their opinions shifted by reading accurate articles. The study involved 2,898 online participants who participated in four waves of the experiment during the fall of 2020.

In the first wave, they all read authentic articles in the popular media that provided information reflecting the seientifie views on climate change. In the second and third waves, they read either another scientific article, an opinion article that was skeptical of climate science, or an article on an unrelated subjeet. In the fourth wave, the participants simply were asked their beliefs about the science of climate change and their policy attitudes.

To rate participants’ scientific understanding. the researchers asked after each wave if they believed that climate change is happening and has a human cause. To measure their attitudes, researchers asked participants if they favored government action on climate change and if they favored renewable energy.

“What we found suggests that people need to hear the same accurate messages about climate change again and again. If they only hear it once, it recedes very quickly,” Wood said. It was significant that accurate reporting had positive effects on all groups, including those who originally rejected climate change. But it was even more encouraging that it affected attitudes.

1. What does the underlined word “recedes” in paragraph 2 mean?

A．Increases.

B．Graduates.

C．Disappears.

D．Strikes.

2. What does paragraph 4 mainly tell us?

A．The research object.	B．The research result.
C．The research purpose.	D．The research procedure.

3. Why did researchers ask participants the second question?

A．To survey the government’s satisfaction rate.

B．To make an assessment on their attitudes.

C．To teach them scientific understanding.

D．To measure action on climate change.

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

A．Science Report Of Climate Change Can Affect Minds

B．Online Participants Joined In A Four-Wave Experiment

C．Accurate Science Reporting Don’t Persuade Only Politicians

D．People Should Hear Accurate Messages About Climate Change

9 . King Canute couldn’t stop the ocean’s tide from rolling in — can Africa hold back the desert?That’s certainly what the continent is tying to do with its proposed “Great Green Wall”, 800km (almost 500 miles) worth of trees that officials hope will stop the advancement of the Sahara Desert, which has been rapidly expanding southward.

The idea was introduced in the 1970s when the once-rich region turned barren (贫瘠的) due to climate change and intensive land use. But it’s not a new idea; China has its own desert vegetation project to hold back the Gobi Desert! Thanks to the Chinese plan, the African project aims to plant 100 million hectares of trees by 2030 across the entire Africa. The initiative is a decade in, and around 15% completed, and there have already been benefits for many communities and wildlife. It’s bringing life back to the continent’s degraded landscapes at an unprecedented scale, providing not only food security and jobs but a reason to stay for the millions who live along its path.

The creators of the wall hope it will bring an urgently needed solution to the threats facing the African continent, creating 10 million jobs in rural areas, as well as preventing 250 million tons of carbon. The initiative is Africa-driven, which for those on the continent, is vital, and may hold the key to success. “The Great Green Wall…is about ownership, and that has been the failure of development aid because people were never identified with it,” said Elvis Paul Tangam, African Union Commissioner for the Sahara and Sahel Great Green Wall Initiative.“But this time they identify. This is the very thing of us!”

The wall may seem like a moonshot, but all the best ideas usually are. As Thomas Sankara, former president of Burkina Faso said in 1985, “You can not carry out fundamental change without a certain degree of madness. The courage to turn your back on the old formulas, the courage to invent the future.”

1. What does Africa’s “Great Green Wall” aim for?

A．Offering more jobs for locals.	B．Stopping the expansion of desert.
C．Creating a harmonious society.	D．Improving African landscapes.

2. Where did Africa got the inspiration?

A．From their practices of planting trees.	B．From the process of stopping flooding.
C．From China’s success in desert control.	D．From Africans’ wisdom and hard work.

3. What does “us” underlined in Paragraph 3 refer to?

A．African Unions.

B．All advocates.

C．Land owners.

D．All Africans.

4. How does Thomas Sankara feel about the initiative?

A．Daring.

B．Effortless.

C．Critical.

D．Doubtful.

10 . Some people love a great thunderstorm; others are frightened by the first flash of lightning or sound of thunder.     1     But there are easy steps you can take to protect your home and your life from lightning.

Protect Electronics from Severe Weather

    2     It can follow the wires or phone lines into your room—ruining computers, TVs and other electronics. One protection against electronics being “fried” by lightning is simply to unplug them whenever a rain or a storm is coming. Disconnect Internet and satellite dish connections no matter where they are.

Reduce the Risk of Fire

Lightning rods (避雷针) can protect a building from catching fire.     3     They just provide a path for the electricity to reach the ground more safely. The rods at the top of the building are only the first part of a good system. When lightning strikes, the electricity needs to move to the ground. Wires conduct electricity from the lightning rods to metal rods buried in the ground.     4    

Understand Lightning

When lightning hits the ground, a tree, a tower or even a building, it may also spreads along the ground, so being near something that’s struck by lightning is almost as dangerous as being hit directly by lightning.     5     The Empire State Building gets struck by lightning around 20 times every year. Its lightning rod protects the structure, as well as the people inside.

A．It can even strike the same spot more than once.

B．You might want to consider protecting an entire building.

C．When this happens, anything in its path could be in danger.

D．But the chance of lightning striking your house doesn’t change.

E．Each connection must be secure so lightning doesn’t jump to the building.

F．Lightning hitting your roof or nearby power lines is terrible but not worst.

G．Whether you love or hate them, thunderstorms produce dangerous lightning.