1 . Best friends Anna and Betty were at camp. Suddenly Anna let out a scream, _________ by a spider in their room. Just then, camp instructor Clare entered the girls’ room. _________, Anna pointed to a dusty comer of the ceiling, whispering, “Spider!”

“I bet it is _________ of you, too!” Clare joked. _________, both the girls were too nervous to laugh.

Anna grasped Betty’s sweaty palm, _________ hard, saying, “it is so big!”

“Will it bite us?” Betty asked hesitantly.

Clare answered confidently, “No, it won’t. It’s probably here because of the weather. Look outside! It’s _________ out there while your room is warm and dry.” Betty breathed a sigh of _________. Clare continued to explain that the spider Anna saw was a common harmless house spider.

Suddenly, Anna screamed again, “There it is! I see it!” She _________ up so fast that she bumped into the wall a few meters behind her. There, just behind the door, was their unwanted _________.

Out of __________, Betty appeared with a broom in her hand, ready to attack the spider. Clare __________her back and took the broom away, gently placing the spider in a pot. She __________ the girls to follow her. “Since the rain has stopped, let’s __________ it into the garden,” suggested Clare.

The girls nodded in agreement as they observed Clare in __________. They developed a newfound appreciation for the delicate balance of nature, turning their __________ fright into an adventure of learning and respect.

1.

A．terrified

B．amazed

C．fascinated

D．impressed

2.

A．Struggling

B．Bending

C．Trembling

D．Smiling

3.

A．fond

B．scared

C．tired

D．shy

4.

A．Unfortunately

B．Particularly

C．Similarly

D．Generally

5.

A．thinking

B．pushing

C．beating

D．breathing

6.

A．pouring

B．brightening

C．clearing

D．clouding

7.

A．fear

B．relief

C．regret

D．contentment

8.

A．lined

B．jumped

C．sped

D．backed

9.

A．instructor

B．reward

C．visitor

D．result

10.

A．something

B．nowhere

C．nobody

D．everywhere

11.

A．led

B．held

C．paid

D．sent

12.

A．persuaded

B．bothered

C．signaled

D．informed

13.

A．return

B．trap

C．attract

D．release

14.

A．admiration

B．alarm

C．disbelief

D．haste

15.

A．typical

B．temporary

C．uncertain

D．initial

2 . 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。

Jiuzhaigou Valley,     1     (know) as a “fairyland on the earth”, is a nature reserve and national park located in the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Region in Sichuan Province. It is so named because the scenic area     2     (consist) of nine Tibetan villages. With an altitude of 2,000-3,100 meters above sea level, the scenic area enjoys pleasant climate and beautiful colors all the year round,     3     (be) one of the world’s famous attractions with the best tourist environment.

Jiuzhaigou Valley National Park combines with green lakes, over flying waterfalls,     4    (color) forests as well as the custom and culture of the Tibetan and Qiang nationalities, characterized by     5     (it) primitive and natural features. The scenic area has an area of 1,320 square kilometers including 30,000 hectares of primitive forest     6     exists many state-protected animals and plants such as the giant panda, golden monkey and mono-leaf grass.

Water is     7     soul of Jiuzhaigou Valley. As it is purely and fairly clear and rich in color, there goes the saying that no water is worth your attention after your visit    8     Jiuzhaigou. The water, the reflections on the lake, the Tibetan villages, and the songs and dances of the Tibetan and Qiang people form the unique tourist culture of Jiuzhaigou. The beauty of Jiuzhaigou is beyond     9    (describe). Come to Jiuzhaigou and you will have a(n)     10     (forget) experience in this fairyland.

3 . As I look out of the window, an icy wind blows oak leaves across the yard. The stove in the living room has been maintaining a temperature that keeps my family comfortable through this winter’s temperature swings.     1    

Plants naturally lose water from leaves through a process called transpiration (蒸腾作用). As a result, the plant’s roots take up water from the soil to replace what was lost.    2     The flow of warm air over the plant’s leaves causes it to transpire at a faster rate. This means plants should be moved so that they are not in the path of airflow from the stove. It also means the soil should be checked for dryness more often during winter months.

    3     Plants are commonly used in entryways to welcome guests. However, a wintry chill of 50 degrees or less every time a door is opened can have an adverse effect on some of the more sensitive plants. Secondly, we generally locate our plants where they will receive the best amount of sunlight for their needs. However, as seasons change, so does the sun’s location. In fall/winter months, the sun moves southward to a lower position in the sky.     4    You may need to move the plant so that the light it receives is suitable for its needs.

Since light levels are lower in winter and plant growth slows, houseplants typically have little need for fertilizer during winter months.     5     A general rule of thumb when using houseplant fertilizers is to apply the fertilizer at one-half the rate recommended on the label.

A．It is not recommended to fertilize.

B．Eventually, the soil will become dry.

C．Wait until late winter/early spring to fertilize.

D．It may change the amount of light reaching your plant.

E．There are two additional considerations for where to place houseplants.

F．You should water when the soil feels dry to the touch one-half-inch deep.

G．While this may be good for the family, it may not be so for my houseplants.

4 . Scientists in Australia thought they had developed a new tracking device to help them monitor magpies, but these intelligent birds had other ideas.

Initially, researchers planned a pilot study to learn more about the movements and social dynamics of magpie. The study was also designed to test the effectiveness of a new tracking device that would fit on small birds. “Instead, the birds outsmarted us,” explained Dominique Potvin, a zoologist at the University of the Sunshine Coast.

Most trackers are too big to fit on small sized birds, and small trackers tend to be limited when it comes to data storage, battery life, and reusability. The new trackers, which weighed less than one gram, would charge and send data wirelessly without needing to recapture the birds. They were attached to a rigid belt that could only be released with a magnet. The design was meant to be durable, except for a weak point where the magnet needed to function. Once the trackers were on, researchers could attract the previously trained birds back to an outdoor ground “feeding station” where the trackers could charge, and the team could download the data.

The team placed trackers on five magpies using their special belt. However, just ten minutes after setting up the last magpie, they noticed something unusual: an adult female without a tracker was busy trying to remove the device from a younger bird, eventually succeeding. This pattern was repeated in the following hour, and by the third day all trackers had been removed.

Researchers are unsure if the same female magpie removed all the devices or if multiple birds cooperated. However, “what we have observed is the first documented case of rescue behaviour in magpies”, according to the paper — something the researchers hadn’t considered going into the project.

But that’s how science works sometimes. The team didn’t get the data they wanted, but their experiment still produced interesting results.

1. Which is one of the purposes of the research?

A．To test magpie’s intelligence.	B．To design a creative device.
C．To compare different magpies.	D．To try out a new tracker.

2. What do we know about the new device?

A．It is for single use.	B．It is powered by the sun.
C．It is very convenient.	D．It is attached to a magnet.

3. How did the five magpies get rid of the trackers?

A．By rubbing them on the ground.	B．By getting help from other magpies.
C．By waiting for the belt to loosen.	D．By going back to the feeding station.

4. Which word best describes the research outcome?

A．Unexpected.

B．Misleading.

C．Unreliable.

D．Misunderstood.

5 . It sounds impossible for a 500-pound bear to break into a house through a small window. But the animal known as Hank the Tank is no ordinary bear: He has used his extraordinary strength to force into at least 28 garages in South Lake Tahoe and is responsible for 152 reports of conflict behavior with the local people over the past seven months.

“This smart bear does not break into a garage where trash is kept,” the police department said in a statement. “He hangs out in the neighborhood quite often because he has been continuously rewarded with food stored in garages.”

The most recent incident occurred late last week, when local police officers were called to a home on Catalina Drive when Hank broke into another garage and the police department has planned a special trapping effort to remove Hank the Tank from the neighborhood. After he’s caught, it will decide whether he can be placed in a controlled habitat or whether he should be killed. “We hope that Hank can avoid the sad ending of another famous bear from the Tahoe area,” it said.

Like Hank the Tank, the 500-pound bear named the Safeway Bear had lost its fear of people. It was known for driving away Kings Beach get-togethers, helping itself to a birthday cake and other treats. In 2020, it was caught on camera stealing food from a grocery store at Lake Tahoe’s northern shore.

The bear was eventually trapped and sent to a remote wild habitat in El Dorado County. Its tracking collar was found in the woods in the spring of 2021, leading biologists to hope that it had successfully gotten used to a natural diet and lost weight, allowing the collar to slip off.

But the truth was very heart-breaking. The big bear was reduced to a shell of its former self and was killed at a campground where a family gathering included small children.

“The action of the shooter was the most humane outcome for this bear,” said one of the biologists.

1. What do the police officers probably suggest the public do?

A．Avoid mixing food leftovers with garbage.

B．Replace small windows with bigger ones.

C．Call the police once they see Hank the Tank.

D．Put food outside to help the trapping effort.

2. Where was the Safeway Bear sent?

A．El Dorado County.	B．Kings Beach.
C．Catalina Drive.	D．Lake Tahoe.

3. What can be learned about the Safeway Bear?

A．It had a hard life in the Tahoe area.

B．It lost its ability to live in the wild.

C．It successfully got used to a natural diet.

D．It stole food and killed people on the beach.

4. What is the biologist’s attitude to the action of the shooter?

A．Opposed.

B．Skeptical.

C．Supportive.

D．Unconcerned.