1 . Though you may not know it, about half a billion people worldwide depend on the ecosystems created and supported by corals. And with climate change threatening their survival, marine scientist Enric Sala had an idea that might have seemed impossible.
“We wanted to get into a time machine, go back hundreds of years and actually see a coral reef like they used to be everywhere, before we started exploiting (开发) them, polluting them and killing them all over the world,” Sala said.
The idea was made possible during an expedition that Sala led in 2009. The team travelled to a corner of the South Pacific Ocean and found some untouched reefs.
His team presented their findings to officials in the island country of Kiribati. Then the Kiribati government took steps to protect the waters from fishing and other human activities, but between 2015 and 2016, record levels of ocean warming killed half the coral reefs the team had found.
After hearing that news, they lost hope for the health of coral reefs. But the study continued, and last year, they went in for another dive. Despite the reported conditions, Sala and his team found that the reefs had somehow restored themselves, filled with life and color once more. This resurrection is something that Sala says can be traced to two key factors.
The first is, thankfully, half of the corals had not died, as was previously thought. Despite the rise in temperatures, there were enough surviving corals left behind to help reproduce the reefs.
The second factor is the Kiribati government’s decision to fully protect those waters. “There’s abundant fish species. They eat all the algae (海藻) that would smother (窒息) the corals, making it possible for the corals to come back,” Sala explained.
For him and his team, the rebirth if the coral reefs in Kiribati is a beacon of hope among so much pessimism (悲观主义) surrounding the future of reefs.
1. What made Sala’s idea possible?| A．Sala led an expedition in 2009. |
| B．Sala took a time machine back to the past. |
| C．The government decided to protect the environment. |
| D．The team found some untouched reefs during an expedition. |
| A．Half of the corals survived the rising temperatures. |
| B．Sara and her team called on people to protect the corals. |
| C．The government took effective measures to protect the waters. |
| D．The abundant fish species eat the algae that smothering the corals. |
| A．report | B．research | C．restoration | D．review |
| A．Coral reefs is of great importance to the ecosystems. |
| B．The coral reefs restore themselves despite the ocean warming. |
| C．The government took effective measures to protect the coral reefs. |
| D．Marine scientist Enric Sala made every effort to protect the coral reefs. |
2 . We usually divide a year into four seasons. However, in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory, there are five seasons — spring, summer, late summer, fall, and winter. Each of the five has many features which guide us to change our habits to keep the balance between our body and the external environment.
Winter in TCM
The ancient Chinese believed that winter is the Yin “阴” season in nature.
In TCM theory, winter is a season to feed ourselves both spiritually and physically. Activities in the season have a turn inwards. For example, we can do more writing, reading and other soul-nourishing (滋养灵魂的) activities. Although energetic exercise should be avoided, it’s important to keep our body healthy with gentle exercise, especially outdoor activities, in which we can get fresh air and sunlight. In addition, we should also go to bed earlier to save more energy.
Foods for winter
The principle of harmony between what we eat and the season is based on hundreds of years of experience in TCM. It suggests that we embrace locally-grown and seasonable foods, which is the way nature intends us to eat. During the winter, there are many foods beneficial to us.
Moods in winter
According to TCM theory, stress, depression and unresolved anger can also weaken our immune system, allowing external factors to affect our body in winter.
| A．Activities in winter |
| B．Exercises in winter |
| C．Most of them naturally grow in this season |
| D．It is inactive, cold and dark, which makes us slow down. |
| E．If you exercise properly in winter, you can enjoy yourself. |
| F．Everyone can enjoy winter if they live and exercise appropriately. |
| G．So, keeping a good mood is especially important in this cold season. |
3 . Wildlife biologist Purnima Devi Barman remembers the first time she ever saw the nest of a greater adjutant stork (秃鹳) in a tree near her grandmother’s home. Her grandmother would tell her stories about birds and animals under the tree. The love for the natural world developed in those years led Barman to devote her life to saving the endangered greater adjutant stork.
Known as the Hargila in Assam, the greater adjutant stork is the second-rarest stork in the world. Unlike pandas or lions, whose attractive appearances help gain widespread support for their protection, these tall, bald, clumsy birds meet with bias in conservation campaigns.
“Hargilas also bear a reputation of bringing bad luck,” says Barman. “What was the point of writing my paper on them if there was no way of actually saving these birds? I had to start with changing the misconception.”
Not one to shy away from a challenge, Barman put her PhD on hold and set to work. “I started engaging with the women in the village. In our experience, educating and securing the participation of women ensures that the learning passes on to the next generation,” Barman says.
Today, around 400 women have been trained to work on conserving this rare bird. The group’s activities include awareness-building in schools and plantation drives in which 45,000 trees were planted to support the stork’s future populations.
A key component allowing Barman to successfully integrate conservation efforts into the village cultural life was her idea of building related livelihoods. Weaving (纺织) is a long-standing craft in Assam, so Barman created a self-help group employing women to weave stork patterns on textiles. This innovative idea was highlighted at the UN Champion of the Earth Awards she won in 2022.
Currently the number of greater adjutant nests in Assam’s Kamrup district has grown from 28 in 2010 to more than 250. The once unlucky stork is now a symbol of community pride, its pictures appearing on bags, blankets and celebration decorations.
1. What motivated Barman to save the greater adjutant stork?| A．Her interest in observing nests. | B．Her passion for doing research. |
| C．Her love for nature from childhood. | D．Her grandmother’s encouragement. |
| A．Prejudice. | B．Support. | C．Danger. | D．Success. |
| A．The stork is common in appearance. | B．The stork was believed to be unlucky. |
| C．She had not finished her paper for PhD. | D．She lacked experience in wildlife conservation. |
| A．By creating related jobs. | B．By teaching women to weave. |
| C．By planting trees in the village. | D．By advertising local products. |
4 . As founder of the Global Water Policy Project and lead expert for National Geographic’s Freshwater Initiative, Sandra’s goal is to promote the conservation and sustainable use of the Earth’s freshwater resources.
Sandra says she grew up in New York as a Long Island beach kid. She was always a ware of the “comfort, peace, and balance” offered by the natural world, especially the environments of wetlands and rivers. Before starting work on a project, Sandra considers an area’s “geography of water”: the amount of water in the area’s basin, the population, and the agricultural use of water. The geography of water helps Sandra determine an area’s water stress. Water stress is the situation where a community is using more water than nature made available.
Sandra first became aware of the concept of water stress after reading Swedish hydrologist Malin Falkenmark’s book Water for a Starving World. This groundbreaking work linked water use, food and population. As Sandra began to understand water stress, she realized it affects everything, from a community’s development to its political security. “So many great civilizations developed alongside rivers and lakes,” she says, pointing to the ancient civilizations of Ur (between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers), Egypt (which developed on the Nile), and the Indus River Valley.
Today, Sandra points out, more than 200 rivers are shared between two or more nations. Dams and other river management techniques implemented (实施) by nations upstream have a huge impact on nations downstream. The Tigris and Euphrates rivers have their sources in Turkey, for example, but their basins are in Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Syria. River management from Turkey would impact the freshwater available to these countries for drinking, hygiene (卫生), industry, and transportation.
Water management has become part of many nations’ foreign policy. Sandra points to the Mekong River Commission. The headwaters of the Mekong River are in China, although the basin is nearly 800,000 square kilometers and includes the nations of Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam. Many governments are members of the Mekong River Commission, which promotes sustainable development of the water supply.
1. What did water mean to Sandra as a child?| A．It represented a kind of spirit. |
| B．It caused stress to her life. |
| C．It brought many obstacles to her. |
| D．It offered a way for transportation. |
| A．Water stress was perfectly settled. |
| B．Water contributed much to the world culture. |
| C．Water had no impact on the steadiness of a nation. |
| D．Water crisis was recognized before Malin’s book. |
| A．Upstream countries have priorities. |
| B．Every country has its policy for rivers. |
| C．Rivers across countries are decreasing. |
| D．Source governance of rivers is critical. |
| A．To show its importance to the locals. |
| B．To emphasize its great volume of flow. |
| C．To show the power of cooperation. |
| D．To tell its challenges to related nations. |
5 . A five-year-old dog named Kelsey has been praised as a hero for helping to save the life of her owner who slipped in the snow and broke his neck.
The man, Bob, was alone when he left his farmhouse on New Year’s Eve to collect firewood.Expecting a journey of only several meters, Bob was wearing just long johns (衬裤), a shirt and slippers when he went outside, although the temperature was around －4℃.
After the accident, he was unable to move in the snow. Fortunately, Kelsey came to his assistance.
“I was shouting for help, but my nearest neighbor is about 400 meters away, and it was 10:30 p. m.,” Bob explained. “By the next morning, my voice was gone and I couldn’t yell for help, but Kelsey didn’t stop barking.”
Kelsey’s companion kept him warm by lying on top of him. She licked his face and hands to keep him awake. “Kelsey kept barking but never left my side,” Bob recalled. “I knew I couldn’t give up and that it was my choice to stay alive.”
Bob spent 20 hours in the freezing cold. When he finally lost consciousness, his dog kept barking. Finally, hearing the barking, Bob’s neighbor discovered him at 6:30 p. m. on New Year’s Day and called the emergency services at once. When Bob arrived in hospital, his body temperature was below 21℃. However, doctors were surprised to find that he didn’t have any frostbite (冻疮). They believed it was because of Kelsey’s determination to keep him warm. Dr. Chaim Colen, the doctor who treated Bob, said, “His dog really saved him.He was very fortunate.”
Bob said he was very grateful to both Dr. Colen and his Kelsey. “They saved my life. They are truly heroes!”
1. What happened to Bob on New Year’s Eve?| A．He left his dog alone in his farmhouse. |
| B．He was praised for saving a dog owner. |
| C．He broke his neck and couldn’t move. |
| D．He heard his neighbor’s shouting for help. |
| A．To keep warm. |
| B．To stay alive. |
| C．To keep Bob awake. |
| D．To seek help from others. |
| A．Helpful. | B．Fortunate. |
| C．Grateful. | D．Friendly. |
| A．A Neckbreaking Accident |
| B．The Magic Night |
| C．Warmth on a Winter’s Night |
| D．Determination to Keep Alive |
6 . The Seychelles — that remote island chain off the coast of northern Africa is heaven for scuba divers (水肺潜水). With more than 100 islands, most of which are uninhabited, and a relatively small amount of tourists impacting the oceans and beaches, the Seychelles has some truly best scuba diving.
Fisherman’s Cove Reef
If you’re a beginner diver who loves gentle drop-offs and sea turtles, make sure Fisherman’s Cove Reef is on your scuba diving radar. The site is very popular as there’s rarely a current, it’s very shallow, and has a colorful reef with everything from eagle rays to small leaf fish, which can be very difficult to find against the seagrass and coral.
Ennerdale Wreck
If you love wreck diving, head right for the Ennerdale, a British oil tanker that accidentally sunk in 1970. Because of the medium-to-strong current and depth, it’s for divers with advanced open water cert. They’ll be able to swim around the wreck’s propellers, penetrate the frame, and likely see reef sharks and the occasional bull shark.
Baie Ternay Marine Park
The shallow, protected area of ocean has healthy and varied coral, and a lively reef. Both snorkelers and beginner divers are likely to see sea turtles grazing on the seagrass, coaching reef fish, and small eels poking out of the sandy ocean floor.
Aldabra Atoll
It doesn’t get much more remote than the Aldabra Atoll, a UNESCO site. The coral reef continues underwater, which makes all the island’s dive sites stunning. Advanced divers can do drift dives in a channel with a chance of seeing sharks, while beginners can stay closer to the reefs, checking the various species of marine life in the Indian Ocean off their must-see list. The island is home to nearly 100,000 giant tortoises, as well as several other rare species
1. Why is the Seychelles known as heaven for scuba divers?| A．Its close distance to northern Africa. | B．The high chance to spot the fish in the region. |
| C．Its relatively small number of inhabited islands. | D．The effect of the oceans and beaches on tourism. |
| A．The chance to see a sunken ship under the ocean. | B．The numerous sharks and large marine creatures. |
| C．Its remote location away from the main islands. | D．Its attraction to both snorkelers and divers. |
| A．Aldabra Atoll. | B．Ennerdale Wreck. |
| C．Fisherman’s Cove Reef. | D．Baie Ternay Marine Park. |
7 . Nzou is one of the quiet stars of the Rhino& Elephant Conservation(保护) Programme at Imire in Zimbabwe(津巴布韦). The oldest elephant in the protected area, Nzou is around 55 years old, and has been there since she was two years old.
It is said that elephants never forget, but this special animal seems to have forgotten she is an elephant，and now thinks of herself as one of the buffaloes(水牛).
Nzou was brought to the area in the 1970s, when she lost her parents. She was encouraged to stay with the elephants. But she was happy with the buffaloes and has lived with them ever since. They could understand each other. Their relationship is amazing but not easy. Buffalo leaders are usually male(雄性的). Over the 40+ years that Nzou has been the leader, she has killed 14 young male buffalo who challenged her.
Nzou has never lost her elephant's instinct(本能) for loyalty(忠诚). One day, one of her keepers was attacked by a young male buffalo. Nzou stood over him as he waited for help to arrive, protecting him against more attacks from the buffalo.
Nzou no longer communicates with the other elephants at Imire perhaps she has forgotten how and no longer understands what they are saying. She is happy with the buffalo, and as long as they don't step out of line, she is happy and pleased to be their leader.
1. How long has Nzou been at Imire?| A．70 years. | B．55 years. | C．2 years. | D．53 years. |
| A．Friends | B．Enemies | C．Leader and followers | D．Mother and children |
| A．powerful and loyal | B．loyal and honest |
| C．honest and brave | D．powerful and unfriendly |
| A．An elephant living with buffaloes | B．An elephant showing loyalty to her keepers |
| C．An elephant star in Zimbabwe | D．An elephant challenging buffaloes |
8 . Boston Marathon runners in recent years may have seen a smiling furry face around the two-mile mark. It’s Spencer, the therapy (治疗) dog, who became known as an unofficial mascot (吉祥物) for the marathon, He’s shown up on the sidelines every year since 2015—rain or shine.
One particularly rainy marathon catapulted Spencer’s fame, In 2018, his owner, Richard Powers, decided to put a bright yellow rain coat on the dog, making him stand out even more than he usually does. Photos of Spencer, who holds a “Boston Strong” flag in his mouth, went viral, and he became an inspiration to runners and onlookers alike, During the marathon, some runners stop in their tracks to take selfies with the dog-the line sometimes growing to 20 runners long.
But in 2020, Spencer was diagnosed with a tumor (肿瘤). His owner was worried, but Spencer is a fighter. He got the care he needed and survived. In 2021, he was back on the course and it was really kind of a miracle and that really hit home to a lot of people.
Unfortunately, Spencer caught another tumor—this one cancerous—and Spencer began chemotherapy. Powers didn’t think his beloved dog would make it out to the marathon of 2022. “Miraculously, he’s still here with us and an even bigger miracle, he was strong enough to go to the marathon,” he said.
After recovering, Spencer was back to work—not just at the marathon—but as a therapy dog, alongside his companion, Penny, who is also a golden therapy dog. Powers takes his two therapy dogs around to schools, hospitals and senior living centers.
“He’s a gift to us and we’re very lucky to have him. He’s too good so we want to share him with as many people as we possibly can. He does make a difference,” Powers said.
1. Why is Spencer referred to as a mascot for Boston Marathon?| A．He has a smiling furry face. | B．He appears at the event annually. |
| C．He is not recognized officially. | D．He works as a therapy dog for runners. |
| A．Motivation. | B．Satisfaction. | C．Fantasy. | D．Barrier. |
| A．A failure in the marathon. | B．Caring for his owner. | C．Fighting against a disease. | D．Going viral. |
| A．Confident, | B．Supportive. | C．Objective. | D．Negative. |
9 . Humans have always been working Earth’s land, and they also have always been studying and hoping to work the land of Mars one day.
Planetary scientist Abhilash Ramachandran at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference reported that Martian dirt may have all the necessary nutrients for growing rice, one of humankind’s most important foods. However, he emphasizes that the plant may need a bit of help to survive in perchlorate (高氯酸盐), a chemical that can be harmful to plants and has been detected on the surface of Mars.
Ramachandran says they want to send humans to Mars, but they cannot take everything there, especially food. He thinks it’s going to be expensive, but growing rice there would be ideal.
Ramachandran and his colleagues grew rice plants in a Martian soil simulant (模拟物). They also grew rice in pure potting mix as well as several mixtures of the potting mix and soil simulant. All pots were watered once or twice a day. The team found rice plants did grow in the artistic dirt of Mars. However, the plants developed slighter shoots and thinner roots than the plants that grew from the potting mix and hybrid soils. The researchers also tried growing rice in soil with added perchlorate. They sourced some rice varieties—modified to stand environmental stressors like drought—and grew them in Mars-like dirt with and without perchlorate. No rice plants grew in a concentration of 3 g of perchlorate per kilogram of soil. But when the concentration was just I g per kilogram, one of the rice varieties grew both a shoot and a root, while another managed to grow a root.
The findings are encouraging, suggesting that by changing to improve with one successful modified gene, humans might eventually be able to develop a rice cultivar suitable for Mars.
1. What does Ramachandran stress about growing rice on Mars in paragraph 2?| A．The challenge. | B．The reason. | C．The benefit. | D．The purpose. |
| A．To purify the Martian air. | B．To feed Martian explorers. |
| C．To test the Martian soil simulant. | D．To improve the Martian soil environment. |
| A．Their weight ranged from 1 g to 3 g. |
| B．They stopped growing in Mars-like dirt. |
| C．They never developed roots in soil with perchlorate. |
| D．Their growth was affected by perchlorate’s concentration. |
| A．Suspicious. | B．Critical. | C．Positive. | D．Curious. |
10 . According to a new research, flowers are listening. Researchers found that plants can actually hear the sound of passing bees and produce sweeter nectar (花蜜) to attract them.The team discovered that within minutes of sensing the sound waves of bee wings, the concentration of the sugar in the plant’s nectar was increased by 20 percent.
Also, flowers can remove the wind noise coming from the background. These capabilities can give plant advantages for their spreading pollen (花粉). The researchers showed that plants can rapidly respond to pollinator (传粉者) sounds.
Before the experiments, researchers made the assumption that plants can pick up the sound waves and that this might be part of the reason why many plants’ flowers are bowl-shaped, to better trap the sounds. However, after performing various experiments on 650evening primrose flowers, the nectar production was measured both in silence and at three different frequency levels. Also, a recording of the noise made by bees was played. In just three minutes, the nectar changes have been noticed and it has been release d that silence and the high and mid-frequency sounds had no effect. The team has also performed an experiment with plants that had some flower petals removed and no change in nectar production was noted. Hence, it is proved that the flowers petals have the job of the ears.
The more sweet nectar comes out, the more will be the chances for pollen to be spread and also makes it more likely that the insects will return to flowers of the same species in the future. However, more work needs to be carried out on how the sounds are turned into a trigger for sweeter nectar production.
1. Why do plants produce sweeter nectar?.| A．To attract bees. | B．To be more beautiful. |
| C．To avoid enemies. | D．To drive insects away. |
| A．Why researchers did the experiments. | B．How researchers made the discovery. |
| C．What use can be made of the discovery. | D．What the importance of the discovery is. |
| A．High sound increases sugar in the nectar. |
| B．Many plants’ flowers are bowl-shaped to catch light. |
| C．Flowers petals have no effect on nectar production. |
| D．More research is needed to fully understand the process. |
| A．A diary. | B．A novel. | C．A newspaper. | D．A notebook. |
