1 . In the Seychelles archipelago (塞舌尔群岛) in East Africa, flooding and erosion (侵蚀) caused by rising sea level pose an incoming threat to the country’s many low-lying islands. At the same time its mangrove forests (红树林), which serve as a vital aspect against these impacts, are disappearing: Approximately 70% of Seychelles mangroves have been destroyed since the late 1700s due to human-driven development and agriculture as well as soil erosion from sea-level rise.

Today the Seychelles Government is working with local community leaders to restore the mangroves, and not just for protection against rising sealevel. Research shows that these forests can store about 2.5 million tonnes of CO₂ (equal to taking 500,000 cars off the road for a year), directly helping to fight climate change. They also provide a breeding ground for fisheries, a sector that contributes one-fifth of the country’s GDP, benefiting local communities’ livelihood and helping to protect the islands’ lively biodiversity (多样性).

While the concept of using nature to benefit both lives and lands is by no means new, global interest in “nature-based solutions” has skyrocketed in recent years. Many now see nature-based solutions as a key approach for addressing not only climate change but a range of social, environmental and economic challenges — from biodiversity loss, food security and air pollution to disease control and declining local economies.

Yet there remains widespread debate about what exactly constitutes a nature-based solution as well as how to best include these strategies into broader climate and conservation efforts. This indetermination has contributed to significant under-investment: It’s estimated that to limit temperature rise to below 1.5 degrees C (degrees F), hold back biodiversity loss and control land degradation (恶化), annual investments in nature-based approaches must be three times by 2030.

As nature-based solutions continue to rise on the global agenda, building a more consistent understanding around the concept and its implications will be key to raising support for effective, extensive solutions that benefit both people and the planet.

1. What do the first two paragraphs focus on?

A．The diversity of economy in East African.

B．The environmental protection in East Africa.

C．The disappearance of mangroves in East Africa.

D．The operation of nature-based solutions in East Africa.

2. Which of the following words can best describe nature-based solutions?

A．Novel.

B．Effective.

C．Ruinous.

D．Uncertain.

3. What is the aim of the nature-based solutions in 2030?

A．500,000 cars are taken off the road.

B．Yearly investment increases by double.

C．The temperature rise is limited to below 2.7℃.

D．A conference on nature-based solutions is held.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．What Exactly Are Nature-based Solutions?

B．Why Are Nature-based Solutions on the Rise?

C．How Can Nature-based Solutions Help Fight Climate Change?

D．What Are the Potential Weaknesses of Nature-based Solutions?

2 . A mere four months ago, a black cat named Bounty had no idea just how adventurous his life was about to become. Although the cat was _______ destined for a cat shelter, Doina adopted him just in time. To some, Doina being an avid (酷爱的) traveler seemed like a potential issue, but it _______ , these two were made for each other.

_______ for their journey to begin, Doina gathered all of the equipment, treats, and other _______ that the two of them would need. Though, when it came to carriers for Bounty, Doina had to get a bit _______ . “I made a special pouch (小袋) for him, because cat carriers are not adapted to certain _______ ,” she said.

One of their first adventures included a _______ tour of Italy, the first test that helped them discover how _______ he was to an adventurous lifestyle. “At the start, Bounty was a little anxious and nervous, but after the first few days, he started to _______ himself,” Doina said. “While I pedalled, he ________ in the pouch.”

Since that first cycling tour, Bounty and Doina have ________ several more adventures in their short time together, including mountaineering and camping. In fact, this adorable ________ has already managed to become a record breaker! He is considered to be the first house cat to summit La Grignetta, a 7,100-foot mountain in the Italian Alps. Best of all, he did so “without even a meow of ________ ”.

The two of them have cycled the entire length of the Italian peninsula! If you’d like to ________ this adorable duo, you can visit their website where Doina ________ their travels with lots of updates, photos, and videos for their 800 followers to enjoy.

1.

A．originally

B．temporarily

C．eventually

D．actually

2.

A．gave out

B．broke out

C．turned out

D．found out

3.

A．Shocked

B．Frightened

C．Embarrassed

D．Excited

4.

A．necessities

B．products

C．presents

D．fruits

5.

A．generous

B．creative

C．efficient

D．ambitious

6.

A．hotels

B．journeys

C．problems

D．vehicles

7.

A．skiing

B．hiking

C．flying

D．cycling

8.

A．accustomed

B．opposed

C．blind

D．sensitive

9.

A．cure

B．enjoy

C．protect

D．feed

10.

A．cried

B．ran

C．sang

D．slept

11.

A．offered

B．expected

C．finished

D．discovered

12.

A．bicycle

B．cat

C．tour

D．carrier

13.

A．protest

B．agreement

C．challenge

D．trust

14.

A．have fun with

B．put up with

C．keep up with

D．get along with

15.

A．helps

B．plans

C．orders

D．documents

3 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. Which pet may an outgoing person prefer?

A．A bird.

B．A dog.

C．A cat.

2. What may a cat owner be like?

A．Clever.

B．Sociable.

C．Careful.

3. What does the speech mainly talk about?

A．Pet people’s personalities.

B．More outgoing dog people.

C．Less sociable cat people.

4 . Both ants and human beings respond to isolation in similar ways. In isolated individuals of both species, researchers have observed that the immune system is less efficient.

Humans and other social mammals will experience high levels of stress when they are isolated from the group, which has a negative effect on both well-being and physical health. Isolated people tend to become anxious, depressed, lonely, and more subject to addictions. They will also have a weaker immune system, and the isolation will impact their health negatively overall. While these effects have been well studied in humans and mice, relatively little is known about how isolation affects social insects.

Ants are extremely social. They will live their entire lives as part of the same colony (群体) and their survival will be entirely dependent on their nest mates. This social function is so important to them that worker ants will abandon their reproductive capacity and devote themselves to tending to the needs of the queen and the colony.

Researchers paid attention to ants of the Temnothorax nylanderi, which is a European species that will create colonies inside acorns (橡实) and sticks. These colonies consist of a few dozen workers, and the researchers took individual members and isolated them for various periods of time, from an hour to 28 days. The study revealed three key aspects of the effects of isolation.

When the isolated workers were returned to the colony, they showed less interest in other adult ants, and instead chose to spend more time with the brood (幼雏). They were also less interested in cleaning themselves, which is a behavior noticed in most social animals that are isolated. This behavior increased the risk of parasite (寄生虫) infections. The third observation was related to the gene activity of the isolated individuals — genes that were responsible for stress response and immune system function were less active. Once again, this is something observed across all social animals. What this research tells us is that social behavior is something extremely ancient and it could be traced back to a very old common ancestor between animal and insect species.

1. How are humans influenced by isolation according to the researchers?

A．Their social circles shrinks quickly.

B．They are more likely to get into addictions.

C．Their immune system has been strengthened.

D．They are quicker to respond to stressful situations.

2. What characterizes the life of ants in a colony?

A．They remain devoted to their nest mates.

B．They are in a constant state of mental stress.

C．They are equally responsible for their colony.

D．They rely much on each other in order to survive.

3. What did the worker ants turn their attention to after isolation?

A．The queen ant.	B．Their nest mates.
C．The baby ants.	D．Their whole colony.

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

A．Social isolation affects animals negatively.

B．Isolation changes the immune system of ants.

C．Ants react to social isolation similar to humans.

D．Animal and insect species share the same ancestor.

5 . 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.

6 . 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.

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。

With about half of the vast country covered in wilderness, China is the world’s third most species-rich country. Therefore, China’s     1    (achieve) in biodiversity conservation and wilderness protection are important to the future of global biodiversity conservation.

The vital biodiversity,     2    (combine) with a large population, has led the government to reconsider its protected area system and transform some wilderness areas such as the rainforest in Hainan     3    formal national parks. The new national park system will make it more practical     4    (preserve) habitats and species. The aim is to preserve biodiversity and ensure a     5    (harmony) relation between humans and nature.

The national parks cross China’s vast ecosystems, from the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park in the south     6    the Hainan gibbon—a critically endangered species lives, the Giant Panda National Park, the Northeast Tiger and Leopard National Park, the Wuyi Mountain National Park to the Sanjiangyuan National Park on the Qinghai-Tibet Platau—    7    source of the Yellow River, the Yangtze River and the Lancang River. The diversity of species and habitats under protection     8    (reflect) in these parks’ names.

The national parks are open to all. Visitors can make reservations online in advance     9    book on the spot. They should acquire a little local knowledge to get     10     (they) ready for the amazing trip and maximize their enjoyment.

8 . Laundry day isn’t exactly fun for most people, but it can be quite unpleasant for the Earth. Washing clothes can release microplastics that are accumulating in the world’s waterways at alarming rates.     1     . Here are some expert-backed strategies to turn laundry day greener.

·Choose efficient machines

The machines you use have a significant effect on the amount of energy and water you save or waste.     2     , while newer, high-efficiency washers use less water and energy with lower temperatures and higher spin speeds. Therefore, it makes more sense economically and environmentally to upgrade machines.

·     3    

Avoid small loads, but don’t crowd a machine, which can make it work harder. And take a look at the amount of detergent(洗涤剂)you’re using. The extra detergent will be harder to clean out, extending washing and drying times.     4    

·Read up on green products

Companies large and small have met consumer demand for products with no harsh chemicals.     5     . Don’t buy products with lots of chemicals you can’t identify or pronounce. And don’t forget the packaging. Powdered or solid products are easier to package and ship than liquids.

A．Wash clothes by hand

B．Rethink your laundry habits

C．They use less energy than standard models

D．Older appliances can waste many resources

E．But not all products are what they claim to be

F．Two to three tablespoons for detergents are enough

G．Luckily it’s getting easier to clean your clothes while staying green

9 . During COVID’s first wave, the streets of New York and other major cities became empty. The sound of cars decreased, but urban citizens heard something new: an abundance of birdsong. During walks outside, they breathed cleaner air. Lockdowns had meant fewer cars on the roads, and the effects were unmissable. Levels of nitrogen dioxide-a by-product of fossil fuels burned in cars and in electricity generation—were 30 percent lower along the road from Washington D. C. to Boston in March 2020 compared with previous years. Summer coming, people sat at outdoor extensions of restaurants built in parking zones and moved around on newly added bike lanes. These incidental adaptations to the pandemic allowed citizens to experience the benefits of moving away from the “car is king“ situation in a way that policies for climate-friendly equipment never could, explains Christian Brand, an environmental scientist with the Transport Studies Unit at the University of Oxford. Now, he says, “they know what’s possible.”

Some fought to keep it that way. Paris has been a leader of this conversion. The French capital already had plans to press down car use and encourage cycling before COVID appeared, but in late spring 2020 some 50 kilometers of pop-up bike lanes, called coronapistes, were added almost overnight. They are now a permanent part of Paris’s cycling network, with more in the works.

These measures, Brand says, came in no small part because of political will. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo made climate change a focus of her reelection campaign. Besides providing subsidies(补贴)for purchasing and repairing bicycles, she emphasized the health benefits of reducing car emissions. In other cities, like New York, changes were more modest or temporary. Shutdowns may have presented the possibility of safer, healthier streets-but it was often a fleeting(飞逝的)vision.

1. What happened during COVID’s first wave?

A．Most people were infected with the virus:

B．City environment became better.

C．People drove cars instead of walking outside.

D．People no longer went to restaurants.

2. What does the underlined word “conversion” in Paragraph 2 mean?

A．Condition.	B．Competition.
C．Change.	D．Struggle.

3. What did Anne Hidalgo pay special attention to?

A．Protecting citizens’ safety.	B．Fighting the pandemic.
C．Measuring people’s political will.	D．Dealing with climate issues.

4. What can be a suitable title for this text?

A．The Pandemic Led to Greener Cities Unexpectedly

B．More and More Bicycles Ended ”Car Is King“ Time

C．Political Leaders Took Measures to Reduce Pollution

D．Covid-19 Brought Benefits to People’s Health

10 . Seven out of the eight planets in our solar system were named after Greek or Roman Gods. You’re living on the only exception to that rule.

The word “earth” has roots in the Old English term “eorþe”. Eorþe had multiple meanings like “soil”, “dirt”, “ground”, “dry land” and “country”. Yet the story didn’t begin there. Old English is the earliest known stage of what became our modern English tongue. Used until about 1150 C.E., it evolved from a parent language that scholars call “Proto-Germanic”. The German that’s spoken today is part of the same linguistic family. “Earth” and “eorþe” are therefore related to the modern German word “Erde”. Not only is this the German language’s name fox our home planet, but it can also be used to refer to dirt and soil.

Our dear Each has relatives in some other languages, too, For example, there’s the Old Saxon “ertha”, the Old Frisian “erthre” and the Dutch word “aarde”. All these likely originate from a Proto-Germanic term that was never recorded. Nevertheless, linguists have been able to go back and reconstruct this mystery word. Spelled “ertho” in scholarly texts, it’s always marked by an asterisk (星号). This asterisk acknowledges the lack of written confirmation that the word was really used.

Nobody knows when people started using words like “Earth” or “Erde” to refer to the planet as a whole and not just the ground they walked on. Back in 1783, German astronomer Johann Elert Bode named the seventh planet from our sun “Uranus” (after a Greek god). And though Pluto is no longer considered a planet, we know that 11-year-old Venetia Burney named it in 1930. But if a single person gave planet Earth its English name, his or her identity has been lost to the sands of time.

Still, it’s clear that while Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune all started out as the proper names of ancient gods, “Earth” did not. That’s why our planet is sometimes called “the earth” with a lowercase (小写字母) “e”.

1. Which language does the word “Erde” belong to?

A．Old English.	B．Old Saxon.
C．Modern German.	D．Proto-Germanic.

2. Why is the word “ertho” usually seen with an asterisk?

A．To stress its importance.	B．To indicate its unconfirmed source.
C．To remind readers of its spelling.	D．To challenge its academic value.

3. Who named our planet “Earth”?

A．Johann Elert Bode.	B．Venetia Burney.
C．A Greek god.	D．Nobody knows.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．The ways of naming the “earth”.	B．The origin of the name “earth”.
C．The meanings of the word “Earth”.	D．The uniqueness of the name “Earth”.