1 . “Red tide” is a natural phenomenon that frequently occurs in many places around the world. The phenomenon is the result of extreme growth of tiny algae (海藻) called K. Brevis, which has a red color, giving the water surface a very noticeable red color. K. Brevis will give off chemicals that can attack the nervous systems of animals, which often leads to deadly results.
Florida citizens are no stranger to “red tide”, which occurs along the state’s Gulf Coast annually. However, the most recent outbreak of red tide has so far lasted much longer and spread across nearly 145 miles of the coastline in southwestern Florida.
The long season has caused the death of tons of fish and other animals which were washed up on the beaches all the way from Tampa to Naples. The smell of the dead animals has kept away thousands of locals and tourists that frequent the area’s long beaches. In view of that, in August, Florida declared a state of emergency for the seven places where K. Brevis has been growing quickly, providing $ 3 million to help with research, cleanup, and wildlife rescue.
Recently, the situation of red tide in Florida may be exacerbated due to an outbreak of algae Trichodesmium in the waters offshore of Manatee County. Trichodesmium floats on the water’s surface sucking nitrogen (氮) from the air while K. Brevis lives below the surface obtaining nitrogen from the water. If these two masses of algae mix, the dying Trichodesmium may end up providing nitrogen for K. Brevis, lengthening its stay in the area.
Researchers recently are exploring the idea of introducing other algal species to Florida. Among the possibilities is the Diatom. It’s a kind of algae that can grow quickly in the water. Its growth will consume a large amount of nitrogen from the water. So it competes with K. Brevis for nitrogen. Another possibility is algae known to give off chemicals that stop the growth of red tide.
The 10-month-long red tide outbreak in Florida may be the result of a combination of heavy rainfall, warmer ocean temperatures, and pollution. Now it’s time for us to do something.
1. What can we learn about K. Brevis?| A．It’s caused by red tide. | B．It can harm ocean life. |
| C．It’s facing dying out. | D．It exists mainly on land. |
| A．The researchers’ study of algae. | B．The tourism potential in Florida. |
| C．The possible ways to deal with red tide. | D．The consequences of red tide in Florida. |
| A．Worsened. | B．Studied. | C．Handled. | D．Ignored. |
| A．To change the color of K. Brevis. |
| B．To help reduce K. Brevis’ food supply. |
| C．To damage K. Brevis using some chemicals. |
| D．To increase fishes’ resistance to K. Brevis’ attack. |
2 . In San Francisco, a large group of sea lions move themselves out of the bay waters and hang out on PIER 39, which is a popular tourist destination. According to dock (码头) officials, this is the most sea lions seen in the region in 15 years.
“Over 1,000 sea lions have been counted this week,” PIER 39 harbormaster Sheila Chandor told many different media. “The surge in sea lions is usually a good sign of their strong population and healthy living environment,” said Adam Ratner, Director of Conservation Engagement at the Marine Mammal (海洋哺乳动物) Center in Sausalito, California.
“California sea lions are sentinels (哨兵) of the ocean,” Ratner said. Their population to some extent reflects the health of the ocean. Therefore, seeing a large number of California sea lions is clearly a good thing.
For nearly 35 years, the slippery (滑的) residents have been a star attraction for tourists. That autumn in 1989, PIER 39 had just been repaired, but the ships had not yet been moved back. At that moment, the sea lions unexpected arrival not only attracted fans but also created enemies. According to a website, some dock residents and workers were scared away by the strong and very unpleasant smell and noise of their new neighbors, while others saw these animals as a bright spot after the destructive Loma Prieta earthquake.
The officials sought help from the Marine Mammal Center to find a way to deal with sea lions. Ratner said that the final decision is to let the sea lions stay and coexist with humans. “The fact proves that this is really a good thing,” he said. “This is just a proof of how we can truly work together and think about how we can share our coasts with marine mammals and other wildlife in a way that benefits all the parties involved.”
1. How does the author start the text?| A．By describing a situation. |
| B．By answering a question. |
| C．By holding a conversation. |
| D．By comparing different opinions. |
| A．Sharp increase. | B．Tight control. |
| C．Slow development. | D．Sudden movement. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Uninterested. |
| C．Supportive. | D．Unclear. |
| A．Sea lions are pretty cool animals. |
| B．Animals and humans can live in harmony. |
| C．Watching sea lions might not be a proper action. |
| D．Sea lions should be driven out of PIER 39. |
3 . The hottest year on record is coming to a close, emissions of planet-warming gases are still rising globally, and the most ambitious climate goal set by world leaders is all but impossible to meet, according to a new analysis by the United Nations.
Between 2021 and 2022, global greenhouse gas emissions grew about 1%, the analysis finds. Emissions need to fall as quickly as possible to avoid catastrophic climate impacts such as uncontrollable sea level rise, unsurvivable heat in some areas and mass extinction of plants and animals.
Right now, the world is headed for at least 4.5℉ of warming this century compared to global temperatures in the late 1800s. It is assumed that countries will do everything they have currently promised under the Paris Agreement, including things that some governments have said they’ll only do if wealthy countries follow through on promises to help foot the bill, for example, helping to pay for renewable energy infrastructure in less wealthy nations. If such conditions aren’t met, the planet is headed for more than 5°F of warming, the analysis finds.
The new range is ever so slightly lower than predicted in last year’s analysis, which reflects the very slow progress that humanity is making on slowing emissions and controlling future warming. Even the lower end of the current projected temperature range — 4.5°F of warming — is extremely high. And the lower target is likely out of reach entirely at this point — a finding that is backed up by another recent study.
The new analysis emphasizes once again that controlling oil, gas and coal operations is key to controlling global warming. It finds that, if humans extract (提取) and burn all the oil, gas and coal currently in development worldwide, countries would collectively emit enough greenhouse gases to basically hit the higher temperature target under the Paris Agreement. That means all new oil, gas and coal extraction is essentially incompatible (对立的) with avoiding harmful warming later this century. Right now, many countries including the United States are still allowing new fossil fuel extraction.
1. What does the underlined word “catastrophic” in paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．Limited. | B．Invisible. | C．Ruinous. | D．Controllable. |
| A．Solutions to global warming aren’t clear. |
| B．The world is heading to a warmer future. |
| C．Countries are unwilling to make promises. |
| D．The temperature target is unrealistically high. |
| A．Indifferent. | B．Optimistic. | C．Cautious. | D．Critical. |
| A．A new analysis is calling for all the countries to reach an agreement. |
| B．Fossil fuel extraction control is far from a solution to pollution. |
| C．The huge impacts of global warming are predictable but uncontrollable. |
| D．The world is far behind on controlling planet-warming pollution. |
4 . Cats are often considered to be colder especially when compared with dogs. But if you find your cat friend is a little hard to get close to, maybe you’re just not speaking their language.
Research shows that it’s actually not so difficult. You just need to smile at them more. Not smile in the human’s way, by showing your teeth, but the cat’s way: by narrowing your eyes and blinking (眨眼睛) slowly. It’s similar to how human eyes narrow when they are smiling, and usually occurs when cats are relaxed and content. The expression is explained as a kind of cat smile.
Jackson Galaxy, a cat behavior expert, says there are some pretty strong feelings behind the cat’s slow blink. He calls it “I Love You Blink”. Galaxy says the cat will blink slowly when cats and people are completely opening up to one another in sharing affection.
Researchers carried out two experiments. In the first experiment, owners slow-blinked at 21 cats from 14 different families. Once the cat was settled and comfortable in one spot in their home environment, the owners were asked to sit about a meter away and slow-blink when the cat was looking at them. The second experiment included 24 cats from 8 different families. This time, it wasn’t the owners doing the blinking but the researchers, who’d had no earlier contact with the cats. They found that not only were the cats more likely to blink back, but that they were more likely to reach the human’s hand after the human had blinked.
Dr Tasmin Humphrey, the first author of the study from the University of Sussex, said: “Understanding positive ways in which cats and humans interact can increase public understanding of cats, improve its welfare, and tell us more about the socio-cognitive (社会认知) abilities of this species.”
1. What is “a kind of cat smile”?| A．Showing teeth. | B．Narrowing eyes. |
| C．Narrowing eyes and blinking slowly. | D．Smiling like a human. |
| A．45 | B．24 | C．21 | D．14 |
| A．To help cats live well. | B．To explain cats are clever. |
| C．To provide a way in which humans can touch cats. | D．To show how humans can communicate with cats. |
| A．Cats and their “I Love You Blink” | B．Love your cats more |
| C．Ways to get close to your cats | D．Cats and their owners |
5 . Earthquakes occur when the slabs of slow-moving rocks just under Earth’s surface — known as tectonic plates — suddenly slide past one another. This releases a wave of energy that triggers shaking on the surface, which can vary from tiny rumbles to massive quakes. For decades, scientists have tried to find a pattern that precedes (在……前面) major earthquakes so that people have time to prepare, but so far these efforts have come up short.
However, GPS satellites may be able to help researchers identify a precursor (先兆) for powerful earthquakes two hours before they occur by tracking small “slips” in the tectonic plates as they grind against each other.
The researchers analyzed GPS data from more than 90 earthquakes with magnitudes greater than 7, which was pulled from Nevada Geodetic Laboratory, a University of Nevada, Reno research lab that works on global GPS data. GPS satellites are able to detect ground movement by measuring the position of sensors planted around the Earth and recording how much they are displaced over time.
The scientists tracked how ground movements shifted in the 48 hours leading up to each event, specifically targeting the amount and direction of shaking. They discovered that two hours before the earthquakes ruptured, horizontal ground movement increased drastically in a pattern consistent with something called a “slow fault slip,” which is when the ground moves without producing any seismic waves or tremors.
Then the researchers repeated this analysis on 100,000 random 48-hour time windows that did not occur before an earthquake to act as a control group, and saw a similar pattern in just 0.03% of samples. This supports the idea that the “slow fault slip” pattern occurs only before earthquakes the vast majority of the time.
Identifying this pattern of subtle movements could help scientists warn people of earthquakes hours in advance — but only if we develop more advanced GPS systems, study co-author Quentin Bletery noted. The new study required a massive dataset — pulled from more than 3,000 sensors around the world — to reveal the pattern preceding the earthquake. But identifying the slow fault slip pattern at an individual location would require sensors that are at least 100 times more sensitive than existing technology, Bletery told Scientific American.
There are already a few early warning systems — such as ShakeAlert, an app built by the U.S. Geological Survey and several universities — that warn people of earthquakes a few seconds before they occur. If the patterns observed in this study can be confirmed and better tracked, the data “could possibly be integrated into automated earthquake early-warning systems,” Roland Bürgmann, a professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Science at University of California, Berkeley, who was not involved in the research, wrote in an accompanying perspective piece for Science. “This precursor warning could eventually give people time to let go of sharp utensils and get ready to ‘Drop, Cover, and Hold On,’ before the Big One strikes,” he added.
1. What is true about earthquakes according to the article?| A．They cause tectonic plates to suddenly slide past each other. |
| B．They are impossible to predict. |
| C．They are proceeded by a sudden increase of ground movement. |
| D．They are caused by seismic waves or tremors. |
| A．“Slow fault slip” usually signals a potential earthquake. |
| B．There are not enough GPS satellites. |
| C．The samples of the two groups show great similarity. |
| D．An earthquake can be predicted 48 hours before it occurs. |
| A．By comparing data collected by GPS satellites. |
| B．By measuring the magnitudes of the earthquakes. |
| C．By identifying the precursors of earthquakes. |
| D．By installing more sensitive sensors. |
| A．They can track the ground movements more precisely. |
| B．They can give people more time to prepare. |
| C．They can tell the amount and direction of the moving. |
| D．They can prevent major earthquakes from occurring. |
6 . By now, we all know that the planet is facing more environmental disasters, with quick-to-disintegrate (快速瓦解的) fast fashion clothing and the industry that creates it a major reason. Need proof? Just look at the 60,000 tonne-mountain of poisonous and thrown-away clothing that is visible from space.
Now, France is taking steps to resist the supercharged way we consume clothes, with the country recently announcing it will pay all citizens a “repair bonus” for taking their clothes in to get fixed rather than throwing them in the bin.
Beginning in October, citizens who bring their clothes in for repairs will be able to claim back a € 6 to € 25 bonus, with the total payment depending on the complexity of the repair. All bonuses will be paid from a € 154 million sustainability fund the government has set aside for the next five years.
By calling on people to take their items to get fixed, the government hopes to cut fast fashion waste throughout the country and encourage customers to purchase more “virtuous” products. In other words: the government is begging you to fix your clothes, rather than continuously over-consuming the products of fast fashion sites like Shein or Boohoo.
“It could encourage exactly the people who have bought, for example, shoes from a brand that makes good-quality shoes or likewise good-quality ready-to-wear clothes to want to have them fixed instead of getting rid of them,” explained France’s junior ecology minister Bérangère Couillard, who announced the programme in Paris. “That is exactly the objective, to create a recycling economy for shoes and clothes so that products last longer, because in government we believe in the second life of a product.”
She also shared hopes that the programme will increase employment for French tailors and shoemakers. “The goal is to support those who carry out repairs,” she explained, while inviting all repair shops to join in the campaign for free.
1. What do people usually do with old clothes according to the text?| A．Throw them in the dustbins. | B．Mend them in the repair shops. |
| C．Donate them to those in need. | D．Put them away in the cupboard. |
| A．Fashionable. | B．Convenient. | C．Sustainable. | D．Comfortable. |
| A．Reducing taxes on clothing repairs. | B．Encouraging the community economy. |
| C．Increasing sales for fast fashion brands. | D．Creating jobs for tailors and shoemakers. |
| A．French repair shops serve people for free |
| B．France leads a new trend in fashion industry |
| C．France encourages citizens to mend clothes themselves |
| D．French repairing program pays people to reduce waste |
7 . As the world faces extinction crisis and severe climate change, a growing body of scientific research has found that we should set aside more protected areas and manage them well.
Protected areas are extremely important for conservation and can help protect against habitat loss and other human activities. In many areas they may be the only places that can support the survival of some species.
Globally we’ve protected nearly 17% of our lands and 7% of the ocean, but a study published in Nature found that current protected areas on their own are too small or poorly connected to ensure the long-term survival of about half of all mammals studied — between 1,700 and 2,500 species.
If current protected areas don’t do enough, how do we do it better? The researchers suggest that first we need to increase the size and number of protected areas and improve the connectivity between them. But above all, they need to be managed with a clear understanding of the animals’ habitat needs.
In a recent research, after studying 1,500 protected areas with 27,000 waterbird populations in 68 countries, researchers found that areas that were actively managed for waterbirds — such as by preventing hunting or restoring wetlands — were more successful, and often those that were larger had better results, too.
If protected areas are well taken care of, we can not only protect biodiversity (生物多样性) but also achieve other benefits. One of those benefits is to avoid runaway climate change. As we know, the earth is becoming warmer and warmer. Protecting 30% of lands could provide one-third of the reductions needed to limit global warming emissions to under 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Of course, this work won’t be easy. The next step, according to researchers, is to promote understanding and communicating the multiple benefits of increasing protected areas, and drive more support from government and local communities.
1. Why are protected areas of great importance?| A．They contribute to conserving wildlife. |
| B．They can influence the researches of scientists. |
| C．They are the only places for species to survive. |
| D．They strengthen the animal-human relationship. |
| A．Increasing animal species. |
| B．Connecting with nearby areas. |
| C．Enlarging the size of protected areas. |
| D．Knowing the animals’ habitat needs well. |
| A．Protected areas helped avoid severe climate. |
| B．Suitable measures brought about better results. |
| C．Waterbirds were protected well in protected areas. |
| D．Restoring wetland was the best protection for waterbirds. |
| A．Measures to be taken. |
| B．Responsibilities of governments. |
| C．Benefits to be gained. |
| D．Support from local communities. |
8 . Chinese material scientists have found the soil on the moon may potentially be able to generate oxygen and fuel, a finding that means more possibilities of humans to use lunar resources to further exploration of the moon and beyond.
The researchers at Nanjing University showed that the lunar sample brought back by China’s Chang’e-5 contains active compounds (化合物) that can change carbon dioxide into oxygen and fuel. Initially, they hoped to design a system that took advantage of lunar soil and solar radiation, the two rich resources on the moon, according to a study published on Thursday in the journal Joule.
After analyzing the Chang’e-5’s lunar soil, the team found the sample contained metal-rich substances, which could work as a catalyst (催化剂) to make oxygen using sunlight and carbon dioxide. The team proposed a strategy using lunar soil to electrolyze water from the moon and the astronauts’ life support system into oxygen and hydrogen. The process was powered by sunlight. The carbon dioxide breathed out by moon inhabitants can be collected and combined with hydrogen to produce the fuel, also catalyzed by the lunar soil, according to the study. The researchers said with this method, no external energy apart from sunlight would be used to produce oxygen and fuel to support life on a moon base.
“We use the environmental resources to minimize rocket payload, and our strategy provides a scenario for a sustainable and affordable living environment for life out of the Earth,” said the paper’s first author Yao Yingfang from Nanjing University, expressing his assumption.
“The challenge lies in the fact that catalytic efficiency of lunar soil is lower than catalysts on the Earth,” said the researchers. They are testing different approaches in order to improve the design. The team is looking for an opportunity to test the system in space with China’s future manned lunar missions.
1. What is the main implication of Chinese scientists’ discovery of the moon’s soil?| A．The moon is rich in rare elements. | B．Lunar soil can be used for exploring space. |
| C．The moon can be lived on by human beings. | D．Lunar soil is a new renewable energy source. |
| A．The process of the sun producing light. |
| B．The analysis of China’s Chang’e-5’s work. |
| C．The supportive method producing metal-rich substances. |
| D．The sustainable living strategy employing lunar resources. |
| A．Profession. | B．Contract. | C．Vision. | D．Sponsor. |
| A．The discovery of active compounds on the moon. |
| B．The testing approaches to improving the lunar soil. |
| C．The research on the environmental system of the moon. |
| D．The study of using lunar soil for oxygen and fuel production. |
9 . More than 100 dolphins were found dead in the Amazon River during a severe drought and record-high water temperatures. The conditions in which the animals were found have caused fears that the rising global temperatures may be passing the tolerance level for vulnerable (易受伤害的) species.
The dead bodies of animals appeared at Lake Tefé, a branch of the Amazon River, alongside thousands of dead fish. Experts believe that the low river levels, added to the unbearable water temperatures, contributed to the dolphins’ death.
The Amazon River dolphin is native to South America. It is also known by the locals as boto, and can be pink or gray. Scientists noted that roughly eight of every 10 deaths are pink dolphins, which could represent 10% of their estimated population in Lake Tefé.
“The past month in Tefé has seemed like a science-fiction climate-change description,” Daniel Tregidgo, a British researcher living in the area, told The Guardian. “To know that one has died is sad, but to see lots of dead bodies, knowing that this drought has killed over 100 dolphins, is a tragedy.” The International Union for the Conservation of Nature classifies botos as endangered, and there are only six existing freshwater dolphin species left in the world.
The effects of the drought are also felt by the populations living on the edges of the river. The level of the Amazon River has fallen by 30 centimeters each day over the past two weeks. Since most food and fuel supplies are transported by boat, there are concerns that this could drive up prices and cause food insecurity. The drought has also impacted fishing, an activity that provides food and income for many families in the region.
The Amazon has historically been known for its biodiversity, as it is home to 10% of all the wildlife species we know about. Sadly, it now seems to be front row to the effects of global warming, affecting both endangered species and vulnerable communities. Now, the community is preparing for more droughts over the next couple of weeks, which could result in more animal deaths and further hardships for the region.
1. What’s the function of the figures in paragraph 3?| A．To call for urgent rescue. |
| B．To present the research result. |
| C．To show the severe situation. |
| D．To analyze the types of dolphins. |
| A．The disaster was really a shock to him. |
| B．The locals took no measures to tackle the drought. |
| C．Removing dead dolphins put researchers in trouble. |
| D．The massive deaths mainly resulted from high temperatures. |
| A．Food shortage. | B．Dolphins’ sickness. |
| C．Rising demand for food. | D．Work-family conflict. |
| A．Dolphins Are in Danger of Extinction |
| B．Dolphins Can’t Survive High Temperatures |
| C．The Death of Dolphins Alarms the Public |
| D．A Severe Drought Kills over 100 Dolphins |
10 . There is nothing like a coast redwood. It is the planet’s tallest tree, soaring to heights of more than 320 feet into the sky. They have trunks that are more than 27 feet wide and can live for over 2,000 years. Some of the gentle giants living today were alive during the time of the Roman Empire.
Before the mid-19th century, coast redwoods spread throughout a range of some 2 million acres along the California coast. People had been peacefully co-existing with the forests forever. But with the gold rush came the logging (伐木作业); and today only 5 percent of the original old-growth coast redwood forest remains along a 450-mile strip of coast. And as the planet warms up, the specific conditions required by the redwoods change; their future doesn’t look so great. Animals can migrate north to escape the south’s warming temperatures; trees, not so much.
But with David Milarch on the case, maybe they can. In 1991, Milarch literally died from a life-threatening illness, before being revived and springing back to life. There’s nothing like a near-death experience to inspire a new course in life, as was the case with Milarch. His new quest? To harvest the genes of the coast redwoods and give them an assist in migration.
“I feel sorrow that 95 percent of them were killed and we didn’t even know what they do to strengthen our ability as human beings to live on this planet,” says Milarch. “We killed them. That’s the bad news. To put back every single tree that was cut down and killed. And I’m going to do it. ” By cloning and replanting them in places where they once thrived (繁荣) but were lost, he is not only increasing their numbers but planting them in locations where they have a better chance of longevity. And the result is two-fold: Save the trees and save the planet for humankind. Redwood trees are among the most effective carbon sequestration (碳封存) tools in the world.
1. What is the first paragraph mainly about?| A．A brief introduction of redwoods. | B．The information about our planet. |
| C．The history of the Roman Empire. | D．The special height of the redwood. |
| A．The warming climate. | B．The overcutting. |
| C．The ocean disaster. | D．The worsening soil condition. |
| A．His love for plants. | B．His concern on global warming. |
| C．His surviving experience. | D．His study on the genetics of the redwood. |
| A．The animals which live nearby. | B．The effective tool used to plant trees. |
| C．The places where the trees grow. | D．The amounts of water trees need. |
