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。

Space scientists say they have identified the most distant star ever recorded. Astronomers made the discovery with the Hubble Space Telescope     1     (operate) by the American space agency NASA. Researchers estimated the star was 50 to 100 times the mass of the sun, and     2     (million) of times brighter than the sun.

It takes billions of years for the light from distant stars     3     (reach) Earth. The team says the star’s light     4    (believe) to have traveled for 12.9 billion years before arriving in the planet. This means the star would have existed when the universe was about seven percent of     5     (it) current age. A member of the research team, Brian Welch, called the     6     (extreme) hot and bright star Earendel,     7     means the morning star or the rising light.

“We definitely just got lucky. Although scientists on Earth can now see its light, Earendel itself surely no longer exists. This is     8     such huge stars have short lives. The star probably existed for a few hundred million years before     9     (die) in an explosion,” Welch said. “Hubble has observed the light from the galaxy that dates back     10     about 400 years after the Big Bang,” he added.

2 . Karen Osborn, a marine biologist at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, and her colleagues came across the ultra-black fangtooth fish while netting crabs just off California’s Monterey Bay. Before releasing the specimen（样本）back in the ocean, Osborn decided to take a photo. However, despite shining light directly at the fish, she was unable to obtain a clear image of the creature.

“I was trying to take pictures of it, and I just got these silhouettes（轮廓）,” says Osborn. “They were terrible.” The expert soon realized that the blurry images weren’t a result of operator error. The tiny fish, with a mouth full of pointy teeth and a teardrop-shaped body, was somehow absorbing all the light.

Curious to see if there were other ultra-black fish hiding in the ocean, the scientists collected specimens of 18 species of deep-sea fish and used some equipment to observe how much of the light being directed towards the skin of the fish was reflected. To be classified as “ultra-black”, the fish had to absorb over 99% of the light. The team was surprised to find that 16 species, including the fangtooth fish, met the criterion（标准）.

The scientists believe that the ultra-black fish’s tissue’s unique shape and arrangement cause the light that strikes the skin’s surface to be absorbed by both the cell it hits and the neighboring cells. Given that the fish species live in the darkest part of the ocean, their need to develop such a survival skill may appear a little unnecessary. However, the researchers say the oceans are lit up by large numbers of bioluminescent（生物性发光的）animals, many of which are out seeking a meal.

The researchers, who published their findings in the journal Current Biology, believe their discovery could help with the development of coatings for submarines and other ships, or perhaps even be used to create equipment for night operations.

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

A．Seemingly beautiful.	B．Difficult to discover.
C．Extremely disappointing.	D．Unable to be seen clearly.

2. Which of the following is true about ultra-black fish?

A．They absorb most of the light.	B．They have an ultra-black skin.
C．They are only active at night.	D．They are good at reflecting light.

3. How do ultra-black fish benefit from the survival skill?

A．They can easily find food.	B．They can avoid getting lost.
C．They can escape being hunted.	D．They can quickly adapt to the deep sea.

4. What is the last paragraph mainly about?

A．The researchers’ opinions about the fish.

B．The significance of the scientific findings.

C．The existing applications of the fish’s ability.

D．The development of coatings for various ships.

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。

Many people may ask why we spend so much time and money on space technologies that will send us into space and help us explore planets in the     1     (distant) while, at home on Earth, we already have so many challenges in need of solutions.

Actually, the development of space technologies has already benefited Earth in     2     (many) ways than one. For example, the GPS system has helped us to reduce energy use on sea, land and in the air by up to 35%. Other technologies     3     (adapt) from space use have also helped us to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (排放),     4     affect environments across the globe. One of the best examples is solar power. It     5     (create) by NASA in the 1950s for its space labs. Nowadays, it has been widely used in the world     6     (replace) coal and oil in order to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Not only can space technologies protect society     7     climate change, but they can also help     8     extremely wide range of Earth-based services and industries. And in the next 5 to 20 years, we will see more advanced space technologies make     9     (they) marks in our daily lives.

In short, space technologies are a very important part of our society. As we further explore the space, the new technologies needed to do so will     10     (great) benefit our lives down on Earth and help us to improve our society and safeguard our planet, too.

4 . A homeowner in Massachusetts had a surprise visitor that came down the chimney (烟囱)... and it wasn’t Santa. A barred owl (横斑林鸮) was sitting in the fireplace in a home in the city of Bolton, staring at the homeowner. Not sure how to deal with the bird, the homeowner called Mass Wildlife.

“This individual was very calm and we simply reached in, gently grabbed it, and placed it in the animal carrier,” Mass Wildlife Central District Manager Todd Olanyk says. Before releasing the owl, Olanyk examined the bird for injuries and found none. “It was released just outside the house where it was found,” he says.

Wildlife experts say barred owls may find chimneys enticing during this time of year because they begin laying eggs from February through May. Since they don’t build their own nests, they look for holes. Mass Wildlife has also received similar reports of this happening with other birds. To help prevent wild animals like birds and bats from entering your home, Mass Wildlife suggests placing a metal cap with a screen on your chimney. Chimneys aren’t the only places that pose a danger to birds and other wildlife.

According to a 2014 study, 27% of the more than 100 uncapped bollards (路桩) had dead birds inside them. Bollards are used for traffic control or building security. They’re usually capped but in this case, many of these posts were left open. They also looked at 88 open pipes used as gate posts and 11% contained dead birds. In another study on a nearby highway, 14% of the open pipes had dead birds. “The birds likely investigate the open pipe as a potential nesting site, and once inside they cannot climb the smooth metal or extend their wings to fly out. Alternatively, birds may attempt to land on the upright open pipes and then fall in,” the researchers wrote.

1. What did Olanyk find about the owl?

A．It looked anxious.	B．It was looking for a baby.
C．It was in good shape.	D．It missed its owner.

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

A．Narrow.

B．Attractive.

C．Choking.

D．Confusing.

3. Which measure would Mass Wildlife agree with to protect birds?

A．Making large carriers.	B．Cleaning chimneys regularly.
C．Fixing cameras on bollards.	D．Placing caps on open pipes.

4. What is the purpose of this text?

A．To tell a story.	B．To introduce a bird.
C．To analyze a phenomenon.	D．To advertise an organization.

5 . It’s safe to say Yellowstone National Park is still looking good at the ripe old age of 150. The park, which stretches into Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho, is known for its unique natural scenery, bountiful wildlife, and deep history. It also helped usher (引领) in the broader national park movement in the U.S., according to Chuck Sams, the director of the National Park Service.

“We now celebrate something much bigger than the park itself —the beginning of the national park idea, an idea that spread through the country and around the world, inspiring governments to protect natural and cultural treasures ‘for the benefit and enjoyment of the people,’” he said in a statement.

Yellowstone is home to the largest concentration of mammals in the lower 48 states. Bears, wolves, coyotes, moose, and a large population of small animals can be found in the park. It’s also the only place in the U.S. where bison (野牛) have lived continuously since prehistoric limes. It was looking risky for a period in the 1900s, when die animal was hunted down from a previous high of tens of thousands to less than two dozen. This bison conservation effort continues to this day.

Yellowstone shut its gates in March 2020 due to coronavirus concerns and remained closed for nearly two months. But the park broke attendance records after it reopened. The park reported 4.9 million recreation visits in 2021 — up 28% from 2020 and making it the busiest year on record, July 2021 was die most-visited month in Yellowstone’s history and the first lime visitation exceeded l million visits in a single month. It’s Yellowstone’s natural beauty and deep history that brings millions of visitors each year.

“Yellowstone’s 150th anniversary will be an important moment in time for the world,” said Yellowstone Superintendent Cam Sholly. “It’s an opportunity for us to reflect on the lessons of the old days while focusing our efforts to strengthen Yellowstone and our many partnerships for the future.”

1. What does Paragraph 1 mainly tell us about Yellowstone National Park?

A．Its vast area.	B．Its long history.
C．Its significant role.	D．Its fantastic views.

2. What is a direct result of the bison conservation effort?

A．An increase in the park’s income.	B．A growth in bison population.
C．Damage to local ecology.	D．Improvement of species richness.

3. What is the author’s attitude towards increasing tourists?

A．Positive.

B．Unclear.

C．Disapproving.

D．Concerned.

4. What does Sholly say about Yellowstone’s 150th anniversary?

A．It reminds participants to strive for a shared future.

B．It leads people to rethink the idea of the park.

C．Its celebration mil take place as scheduled.

D．Its past shows long-term conservation efforts count.

6 . In February of 1942, Mexican farmer Dionisio Pulido thought he heard thunder coming from his cornfield. However, the sound wasn’t coming from the sky. The source was a large smoking break sending out gas and pushing out rocks. This opening would come to be known as the volcano Paricutin, and over the next 9 years, its lava and ash would cover over 200 square km. But where did this new volcano come from, and what caused its unpredictable eruption?

One of the most common causes of an eruption is an increase in magmastatic (静磁) pressure. Magma (岩浆) contains various elements and compounds. At high enough concentrations,compounds like water or sulfur (硫) form high-pressure gas bubbles. When these balls of gas reach the surface, they can burst with the force of a gunshot. And when millions of bubbles explode, the energy can send ash into the air. But before they pop or burst, they act like bubbles of CO2 in a shaken soda.

Not all eruptions are due to rising magmastatic pressure- sometimes the weight of the rock above can become dangerously low. Landslides can remove massive quantities of rock from atop a magma chamber or room, dropping the pressure and instantly touching off an eruption. This process is known as “unloading” and it’s been responsible for numerous eruptions, including the sudden explosion of Mount St. Helens in 1980. But unloading can also happen over longer periods of time due heating ice or melting glaciers. In fact, many geologists are worried that glacial melt caused by climate change could increase volcanic activity.

Unfortunately, knowing what causes eruptions doesn’t make them easy to predict. While scientists can roughly determine the strength and weight of the Earth’s crust (地壳), the depth and heat of magma chambers makes measuring changes in magmastatic pressure very difficult. But volcanologists are constantly exploring new technology to overcome this rocky field. Advances in thermal imaging (热成像) have allowed scientists to detect underground hotspots. Spectrometers can analyze gases escaping mag ma. Hopefully, these tools will help us better understand these gas breaks and their explosive eruptions.

1. Why does the author mention the story of a farmer in the first paragraph?

A．To show the power of volcano eruption.

B．To introduce the topic.

C．To introduce the volcano Paricutin.

D．To explain the reason.

2. What does the underlined word “they” in paragraph 2 refer to?

A．The bubbles of CO2.	B．The ash of the volcano.
C．Gas bubbles of compounds.	D．The elements of a soda.

3. Which of the following is true about the eruption of Mount St. Helens?

A．Landslides should be responsible for its eruption.

B．It began to explode over a long period of time.

C．The process of “unloading” occurred after its explosion.

D．The weight of the rock above it increased as to cause its eruption.

4. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A．Scientists can determine the eruption of volcano in advance.

B．It is quite difficult to measure the weight of the Earth’s crust.

C．Spectrometers can help scientists to detect underground hotspots.

D．Scientists are positive about further study of volcano eruption.

7 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What does the Gentoo usually do when climbing over some rocky landscapes?

A．They always hesitate.

B．They jump quickly.

C．They give up easily.

2. What does the woman think of the Rockhopper?

A．Dignified.

B．Determined.

C．Awkward.

3. What do the Magellanic and the King penguins have in common?

A．They like moving around at night.

B．They usually stand when sleeping.

C．They lean backwards when standing.

8 . A 168-pound American black bear rushed out of the open end of the opening cage and ran away from it into the woods off a logging road. His sister, weighing in at 135 pounds, took a little more time to overcome her fear and confusion before she, too, ran for the trees and away from the humans who had driven more than 100 miles to witness the bears’ return to the wild.

The baby bears were the 106th and 107th orphaned (孤儿的) or injured bears to be raised or treated at the Progressive Animal Welfare Society(PAWS) Wildlife Center in Washington state, then released more than a year later in the same general area where they were originally found.

They were only two weeks old when a forest worker and his dog accidentally disturbed their den (兽穴) in February 2020, scaring away their mother. She never returned. The worker got in touch with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), which for years has partnered with PAWS to return sick, injured and orphaned wild animals to a good condition before releasing them back into their natural habitats. In any given year, PAWS staff cares for 150 to 175 species.

“Their eyes and ears weren’t open, and their teeth hadn’t even erupted,” Jennifer Convy, PAWS senior director of wildlife, said of the baby bears, which each weighed less than 2 pounds when they arrived and were the youngest ever to be raised at the center.

After more than a year, the two bears returned to the wild. “Not a lot of agencies have the funding to do this kind of work. We hope to leave the state of Washington with better bear management than when we arrived,” said Rich Beausoleil, WDFW biologist. “We’ve found our public here in Washington appreciate that we go the extra miles and give these orphaned bears a second shot at life.”

1. How did the bear’s sister feel when running into the woods?

A．Curious.

B．Relieved.

C．Nervous.

D．Excited.

2. What can be learned about the two orphaned bears?

A．Their past den was destroyed.

B．They were found when they were two weeks old.

C．Their mother was killed accidentally.

D．They were raised and treated in the WDFW.

3. What is the public’s attitude to freeing the two orphaned bears?

A．Unclear.

B．Doubtful.

C．Intolerant.

D．Favorable.

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

A．How to Protect Black Bears	B．Two Orphaned Bears in Trouble
C．How to Raise Wild Baby Bears	D．Saved Baby Bears Back to the Wild

9 . The great increase of waste that you find around the world is hard to ignore. Depending on where they live, people produce between 0.11 and 4.54 kilograms of waste every day. Even more alarming, that number is expected to increase by 70 percent by 2050.

Is there anything specific you can do to help the situation? One thing is to shop smart. Buy from companies that promote sustainable (可持续的) business practices and use recycled materials in their products.

Here are some products and companies that hit the mark for being environmentally-friendly.

Wool Runners by Allbirds

These light and comfortable tennis shoes are made from natural wool. The laces (鞋带) are made from recycled water bottles. Other shoe parts are made from bean oil, and the shoeboxes are made with recycled materials.

Women’s 711 Skinny Jeans by Levi’s

It usually takes hundreds of gallons of water to make one pair of blue jeans. However, Levis Water < Less collection uses up to 96 percent less water.

Reactive Drawstring Family Tote by Vera Bradley

These pretty bags put recycled water bottles to good use, using 23 of them per bag.

The Sunrise Reborn^TM Pack by ASICS

ASICS’s new shoes were created with sustainability in mind. The material is dyed (染色), using a special method. The technique uses up to 80 percent less water than regular dyeing methods. The process also uses fewer chemicals and less energy.

Regarding their future footwear lines, ASICS has made a promise. Over 95 percent of their new running shoes will be made from recycled materials. The technology behind Sunrise Reborn puts ASICS one step closer to reaching their sustainability goals. The company has promised to leave a lighter environmental footprint for future generations.

1. What do the data in Paragraph 1 show?

A．The danger caused by waste materials.	B．The existing problem ignored by people.
C．The serious problem of increasing waste.	D．The growing amount of poisonous waste.

2. What do the four products have in common?

A．They only use recycled materials.	B．They’re made from natural materials.
C．The techniques behind them are very special.	D．Their companies share the sustainability goals.

3. Where may the text be found?

A．In a life magazine.	B．In a fantasy book.
C．In a research paper.	D．In a business report.

10 . A new species of pygmy seahorse (豆丁海马) has been discovered off the coast of South Africa in Sodwana Bay, attracting scientists with its tiny size—only 2.7 centimeters.

An international research team studied the tiny pygmy seahorse in 2019, after it was spotted by chance by diving instructor Savannah Nalu Olivier who was exploring algae (海藻) on the seafloor of the bay. But it wasn’t easy to see it at all, according to a press release from the University of Leeds in Australia. That’s because these sea creatures are camouflaged by their stony golden-brown look.

This is the first time that a pygmy seahorse has ever been discovered in the Indian Ocean. In fact, the closest known pygmy seahorse species live 8,000 kilometers away in a region of the Pacific Ocean called Coral Triangle. Until now, all but one of the seven pygmy seahorse species have been found in the triangle, making this discovery particularly puzzling.

The study was led by Graham Short from the California Academy of Sciences. It discovers a number of detailed features that differentiate this species from other seahorses. While larger seahorses have gills (鳃) on each side of their head, the Sodwana Bay pygmy seahorse has only one gill slit on its back. “That would be like having a nose on the back of your neck,” Short said in an interview. The tiny seahorse also has a set of sharp spines (刺毛) on its back while other pygmy seahorses have flat—tipped spines. The researchers haven’t figured out what they are used for yet.

The tiny pygmy seahorse reminds us that when we open our eyes, the natural world becomes an endless mystery. Unknown species and even entire ecosystems are awaiting to be discovered in places we never thought possible.

1. Which of the following can replace the underlined word “camouflaged” in paragraph 2?

A．destroyed

B．cheated

C．identified

D．hidden

2. Where were most pygmy seahorse species found?

A．In Coral Triangle.	B．In Australia.
C．In Sodwana Bay.	D．In California.

3. What makes the new species of pygmy seahorse different from other seahorses?

A．Their color.	B．Their food.
C．Their gills and spines.	D．Their necks and eyes.

4. What does the author want to express in the last paragraph?

A．The world is full of uncertainties.

B．We should keep exploring the world.

C．Discovering unknown species is difficult.

D．The tiny pygmy seahorse opens our eyes.