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。

Bird-watching is one of the activities offered by the public benefit program “Park Classes”, which     1     (launch) in the city of Wuhan in 2016.

The program aims to help raise the awareness of environmental     2     (protect) among primary and middle school students, and to help     3     (child) get close to nature through a variety of outdoor activities developing their ability to explore and take action.

Among the courses on offer     4     (be) the restoration of small and micro wetlands,     5     requires a considerable amount of hands-on practice. Under the guidance of tutors, students are required     6     (conduct) research on a 500-square-meter wetland in a city park, and then take action to promote     7     (it) restoration.

Last summer, a team of 15 students conducted a physical examination of the biodiversity of     8     micro-wetland in Wuhan’s Houxianghe park. During their field research, the team found that there were few fish in the micro-wetland. After further study, they concluded that the problem is     9     (large) due to the lack of submerged (水下的) and floating plants, which kept fish and amphibians     10     reproducing in large groups.

The activity was meaningful and the students learned a lot and they are expecting to take more chances like this.

2 . Researchers have just completed the first worldwide record of lake color. Roughly one-third of them are blue but that number may drop if global temperatures rise. If average air temperatures in summer rose just a few degrees warmer, some of those crystal blue waters could turn green or brown.

Lake color offers clues to the stability of lake ecosystems. Factors such as water depth and how the nearby land is used also matter. Lake color depends in part, too, on what’s in the water. Compared with blue lakes, green or brown lakes have more algae (水藻) and organic matter. That’s according to Xiao Yang, a hydrologist who works at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. Changing lake colors, he says, could also change how people use those waters.

Yang was part of a team that analyzed the color of more than 85,000 lakes around the world. They used satellite photos from 2013 to 2020. Storms and seasons can temporarily affect a lake’s color. So the researchers focused on the most frequent color observed for each lake over the seven-year period. The scientists then looked at local climates during the same time period. They wanted to see how climate might be linked to lake color.

Average summer air temperatures and lake color were linked, the researchers found. Lakes were more likely to be blue in places where summer temperatures averaged less than 19℃. Up to 14 percent of lakes that are blue were near that threshold (门槛), though. That means just a bit more warming might tip them away from blue. Scientists think the planet could average 3 degrees Celsius warmer by 2100. If so, that could turn another 3,800 lakes green or brown.

Green or brown waters could be unappealing for play or it might cost more to clean it for drinking. But in fact, the color changes might not mean the lakes are any less healthy. If you were a certain type of fish species, you might think this is great.

1. What is a feature of green or brown lakes?

A．Weak ecosystem.	B．High mineral content.
C．Increased organic matter.	D．Decreased water temperature.

2. What does the research intend to find?

A．Why the color of most lakes is blue.

B．The consequences of lake color change.

C．How climate change affect creatures living in water.

D．The relationship between air temperature and lake color.

3. What can be inferred from paragraph 4?

A．14 percent of the world’s lakes are blue.

B．3,800 lakes worldwide are green or brown.

C．Many lakes may experience severe ecological damage.

D．Some lakes are close to the critical point of color change.

4. In which section of a website can this text be found?

A．Lifestyle.	B．Environment.
C．Technology.	D．Business.

3 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. Who was the pig named after?

A．A lawyer.

B．A famous artist.

C．An animal rights activist.

2. When was the first exhibition of the pig’s work held?

A．In 2018.

B．In 2017.

C．In 2016.

3. What does Lefson mean in the end?

A．Art is priceless.

B．Pigs all have artistic talent.

C．Animals should be protected.

4 . 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.

5 . 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

6 . Scientists believe they have found a new use for facial recognition technology: saving large ocean animals known as seals. Researchers at Colgate University in the U. S. state of New York have developed SealNet. The system is a database of seal faces created by taking pictures of many harbor seals in Maine’s Casco Bay.

The research team found the tool’s accuracy in identifying the mammals was close to 100 percent. The researchers are working on increasing the size of their database to make it available to other scientists, said Krista Ingram. She is a biology professor at Colgate and a team member.

Increasing the database to include rare species such as the Mediterranean monk seal and Hawaiian monk seal could help efforts to save those species, she said. Creating a list of seal faces and using machine learning to identify them can also help scientists know where in the ocean seals are, Ingram said. She said, “For marine mammals that move around a lot and are hard to photograph in the water, we need to be able to identify individuals. ”

SealNet is designed to identify the face in a picture. It recognizes the seal’s face based on information related to the eyes and nose shape, as it would a human. A similar tool called PrimNet, which is for use on primates(灵长类), had been used on seals earlier, but SealNet performed better, the Colgate researchers said. Seals and other ocean mammals have long been studied using satellite technology. Using artificial intelligence to study them is a way to bring conservation into the 21st century.

Facial recognition technology could provide valuable data, said Michelle Berger, an associate scientist at the Shaw Institute in Maine. Berger was not involved in the SealNet research. “Once the system is perfected I can picture lots of interesting environmental uses for it”, Berger said. “If they could recognize seals, and recognize them from year to year, that would give us lots of information about movement, how much they move from site to site. ”

1. How can the researchers benefit other scientists from the database?

A．By expanding their database.	B．By improving its accuracy.
C．By getting closer to seals.	D．By using more machines.

2. Why is taking photos of ocean mammals difficult?

A．They always live in large groups.	B．They can’t adapt to new equipment.
C．They all have similar eyes and noses.	D．They often change their locations.

3. What does Berger think of the new technology?

A．It’s really perfect.

B．It’s unreliable.

C．It’s of great benefit.

D．It’s very interesting.

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

A．New Technology to Protect Ocean Animals

B．Scientists Use Facial Recognition to Study Seals

C．A New System Taking More Pictures of Seals

D．Facial Recognition is Used to Preserve Ocean

7 . She can’t vole, but she has the volte of confidence of young climate activists across the globe. Meet Greta Thunberg, the 16-year-old architect of “School Strike for the Climate” .

At age 12, the Swede gave up meat and flying to reduce her carbon footprint. But the real trigger came when Sweden was hit by heat waves in 2018. Thunberg started skipping classes on Fridays to strike outside the Swedish parliament. Thanks to social media, her actions have spread and influenced millions of young people all over the world to organize and protest.

And look! Thunberg became the poster child of climate action. She addressed the 2018 UN climate conference and this year’s World Economic Forum. Encouraged by Thunberg, 1. 4 million students across 125 countries took to the streets in the first Global Climate Strike for Future on March 15. Thunberg was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in March 2019, and a few months later she became the youngest individual ever to be honored as Time’s Person of the Year.

Then she entered the spotlight again. Invited to speak at the UN Climate Action Summit in New York City, which took place in September 2019, Thunberg traveled across the Atlantic on a zero-carbon sailing boat, accompanied by her father and a supporting crew.

She said at the UN Climate Action Summit:“For more than 30 years, the science has been crystal clear. How dare you continue to look away and come here saying that you’re doing enough, when the politics and solutions needed are still nowhere in sight …You are failing us. But the young people are starting to understand your betrayal. The eyes of all future generations are upon you. And if you choose to fail us, I say: We will never forgive you. ”

Nevertheless, Thunberg has her share of critics too. The objectors attack her for what she has done, calling her a “weirdo” and regard the Greta Thunberg effect as a useless fantasy.

1. What does the underlined word “trigger” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Breakthrough.

B．Cause.

C．Intention.

D．Solution.

2. What does Paragraph 3 mainly tell us about Thunberg?

A．Her popularity.	B．Her future plan.
C．Her speeches.	D．Her achievements.

3. What can you infer from Thunberg’s words in Paragraph 5?

A．The science is still not clear about climate.

B．Great progress has been made in politics and solutions.

C．She is not satisfied with the measures that the government took.

D．Future generations haven’t achieved much and failed the government.

4. Which of the following can best describe Thunberg?

A．Responsible and ambitious.	B．Selfless and generous.
C．Easy-going and creative.	D．Considerate and cautious.

8 . I’d been telling Sandy about my children, Emma and Tucker, aged seven and four. Sandy, in turn, was telling me about her four children: Jane, Joe, Christopher and eighteen-month-old Kim. She seemed so pleased to have kids move into the neighborhood. That was, until the door opened and out ran Emma and Sam.

Sam was our shiny black dog we had adopted three years earlier. Sam loved to hang with the kids, serving as both playmate and protector. But Sandy began to back up as Sam approached, I had never met anyone who feared dogs. As I saw her reaction, I quickly grabbed Sam by the collar and made him sit.

“I have to get the kids ready to go to their grandmother’s,” Sandy said as she backed away from me, graciously trying to remove herself from the situation.

Suddenly her door opened, and out ran her kids. “Don’t go near it!” she screamed. The kids were circled around their mom, closely watching Sam. Emma showed Joe the proper way to slowly approach a dog. Sam accepted Joe’s affection. The kids were won over, but I knew it would take some time before Sandy would change.

From that time forward, we were careful not to let Sam cross the street to our neighbors without my company. One day, the kids were across the street playing together. Then I noticed the eighteen-month-old heading toward a little hill. Seeing a car approaching, I screamed, “Watch the baby!”

Sam stormed out the door and ran across the street toward the baby. He ran up the hill, stopping just short of knocking into her. He gently pushed her away from the approaching car. The kids, too involved in play to realize the seriousness of the situation a few minutes ago, ran toward her and Sam. The kids all cheered that Sam had come to play.

Within a year, Sam made friends with all the neighbors, and almost every family on our street had a dog. Even Sandy would occasionally come and give Sam a hug.

1. How did Sandy feel at the coming of the new neighbors?

A．Excited that her kids could have friends.	B．Curious why they had adopted a dog.
C．Fearful that the dog might hurt her kids.	D．Unsure whether the kids could fit in well.

2. What did Sandy’s kids do at the sight of Sam?

A．They held him by the collar to make him sit.	B．They formed a circle to protect their mom.
C．They prepared to withdraw from the dog.	D．They looked at Sam with watchful eyes.

3. How did Sam save Kim out of danger?

A．By running behind and barking to warn.	B．By rushing to Sandy’s house to get help.
C．By rushing around to her front to push her.	D．By jumping to the front of the coming car.

4. Which can be a suitable title for the text?

A．A Considerate Act Helps Fit in Well	B．A Doggy Push Reaches Far Beyond
C．Dogs Work Magic in Crucial Moments	D．Dogs Are Children’s Best Safety Guards

9 . 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 sea creature renowned as the sunflower sea star was once     1     (abundance) in the Pacific Ocean along the coast of North America. But in the last 10 years, about 90 percent of them     2     (die).

Scientists at the University of Washington are trying to understand     3     the sea stars died.     4     (do) so, they are growing them in a lab.

The sickness that killed them is known as sea star wasting syndrome. Jason Hodin, the top     5     (research) at the Friday Harbor Marine Lab, said the sickness might have happened because of warmer water caused by climate change.

    6    lab is on San Juan Island, northwest of Seattle. Hodin called his lab the world’s only “captive breeding program for the world’s only     7    (endanger) sea star.”

The university’s neuroscience department is also working on the study,     8     (try) to find out if warmer water changes the way the stars move. The group is using special cameras to see how the stars move     9     to create 3-dimensional pictures that can show differences. The pictures would show differences even with small changes to their environments - such as a small water temperature change.

So far, researchers think the sea stars are able to survive in     10     (warm) water.

10 . Steven Strauss was skeptical when he first heard about a poplar tree (杨树) bio-engineered to suck more carbon dioxide out of the air. So when two entrepreneur — Maddie Hall and Patrick Mellor — asked him to help test out the idea, Strauss was interested but hesitant. “If it works, it would be a wonderful thing”, he said, “But typically in research on agriculture or forestry, it works in the lab or the greenhouse, but tells you nothing.”

Four years later, these two entrepreneurs have raised $30 million for Living Carbon, a company that aims to plant between 4 million and 5 million poplar trees by the spring of 2024, using photo-synthesis enhanced seeds. Eventually, the company hopes to enter the carbon offset market, selling credits to companies that need to reach net-zero emission goals to help fight global warming.

One of the field trials will be conducted in a forest at Oregon State University, where Strauss is a distinguished professor of forest biotechnology. Other locations are throughout the United States, including the site of an abandoned mine in Pennsylvania with degraded soils.

Co-founders Hall and Mellor hope the trials will prove that the taller poplar trees can store as much as 27 percent more CO₂ than ordinary trees. The company’s next step will be to show that the CO₂ can be stored in wood, outlasting the poplar’s lifespan, which can reach up to 200 years.

The Department of Energy, which provided Living Carbon with a $500,000 grant in 2021, predicted that the company’s approach could remove billions of tons of CO₂ from the atmosphere if successfully scaled up. Investors have since lined up, including Toyota Ventures and Singapore’s state-owned Temasek.

Hall, the CEO of Living Carbon, has described high hopes for the project. “Today Earth no longer has the ability to avoid carbon as quickly,” she wrote in a blog post,“And now it’s time for the big suck.”

1. What is Strauss’s first attitude towards Hall and Mellor’s idea?

A．Favorable.

B．Critical.

C．Suspicious.

D．Neutral.

2. Why did the two entrepreneurs set up the Living Carbon company?

A．To bio-engineer poplar trees to help fight global warming.

B．To sell carbon credits to make a big fortune in the market.

C．To complete the task of planting poplar trees by the spring of 2024.

D．To conduct some field trials for fundraising in an abandoned mine.

3. Which is the possible vision for the Living Carbon project?

A．Over 27 percent CO₂ can be stored in ordinary trees.

B．Much CO₂ will be removed if successfully scaled up.

C．Most CO₂ in the atmosphere can reach up to 200 years.

D．No CO₂ will be produced or gathered on the earth today.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Scientists Are Searching for Ways to Bioengineer Poplar Trees

B．A Start-up Hopes Super Poplar Trees will Suck up More CO₂

C．Two Entrepreneurs Succeed in Co-working with Foreign Investors

D．Authorities Predict the Company will Have a Promising Future