1 . This year saw the publication, in stages, of the sixth report by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)—a report which was depressing reading for many climate scientists, and in some ways offered a ray of hope.

Why depressing? Because the report confirmed what scientists have been saying for years: that human activity, particularly in the form of emissions (排放) of greenhouse gases, is responsible for the warming in the past few centuries, and that unless such emissions are greatly reduced, we will soon bring about our entire ecosystem’s destruction.

The report concluded that 1.5°C of global warming over the next couple of hundred years is already “baked in”. This makes the goals outlined in the 2015 Paris Agreement—that nations agreed to keep warming below 2°C, and hopefully below 1.5°C-much harder to meet. Worse still, the IPCC report was followed later in the year by the COP27 summit (峰会), described by Prof Dann Mitchell, as “a complete failure, other than some commitment to loss and damage.”

And the ray of hope? The IPCC’s sixth report was broader in approach than previous studies—looking in-depth for the first time at the role played in warming by short-term greenhouse gases such as methane(甲烷), for instance.

“Reducing carbon emissions is always the best approach: stop the problem at its source,” said Mitchell. “But we also need other approaches to help with this. Methane is important, but it’s so short-lived-that’s why we haven’t been so bothered when compared with CO,.”

The IPCC working groups showed potential adaptation paths, and they are the other things we can do in terms of fighting climate change and relieving its worst effects, rather than simply reducing carbon emissions. This would include taking measures such as switching to a more plant-based diet (to reduce methane emissions), controlling population growth, reducing financial inequality and developing means by which we might remove CO, that’s already in our atmosphere, rather than simply preventing it being released.

1. Which of the following can best describe the sixth report by IPCC?

A．Seemingly contradictory.	B．Wholly promising.
C．Particularly hopeless.	D．Exceptionally new.

2. What does the underlined phrase “baked in” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．out of date.	B．to the full.
C．under discussion.	D．in progress

3. According to the passage, what can we learn about methane?

A．It has been long regarded as a major source of global warming.

B．Its role in global warming had been overlooked before the report.

C．Its boost to global warming is as much as other greenhouse gases.

D．It is considered as a new approach to reducing global warming.

4. How many aspects do the adaptation paths involve in the last paragraph?

A．2.

B．3.

C．4.

D．5.

2 . The latest data shows the population of wild Asian elephants in southwest China’s Yunnan Province has increased from around 150 to more than 300 from the 1980s to the end of 2021, according to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.

With the growth in the elephant population, conflicts between humans and elephants have become frequent. In order to fundamentally and peacefully solve the issue and protect the elephant’s habitat at the same time, construction of the Asian elephant National Park is picking up speed. Experts suggest that national parks are not meant to be entirely free of people. Instead, they should offer a method for coexistence.

Asian elephants play an important role as engineers of the rainforest, said the expert. Their migration(迁徙) can speed up the replacement of forest ecosystems along the way. Elephant waste remains not only a delicacy for insects, but also attracts insectivorous birds, allowing plant seeds to spread. Therefore, protecting the elephants and their habitats guarantees the shelter to other wildlife in forest ecosystems.

To cope with human-elephant conflicts, Yunnan took the lead in introducing a commercial insurance model into its compensation(补偿) system: local residents will be paid with the amount of money for the crops destroyed by the elephants by the insurance company. In the past 10 years, Yunnan has paid a total of 173 million yuan for losses caused by Asian elephants.

“The standard of compensation is constantly being adjusted, and the amount of insurance coverage for compensation is also increasing,” said Yang Hua from the Forestry and Grass Bureau of Yunnan Province. “At present, the insured amount in Pu’er City and Xishuangbanna Prefecture alone has already gone beyond 50 million.”

1. Why does the author mention the growing population of wild Asian elephants?

A．To promote a better environment.

B．To introduce a possible crisis.

C．To applaud the efforts of the government.

D．To stress the importance of the elephants.

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

A．Feeding on insects.	B．Driving away insects.
C．Letting go of insects.	D．Keeping track of insects.

3. What has been done to tackle conflicts between elephants and humans?

A．Construction of undisturbed national parks.

B．Support of Asian elephants’ migration.

C．Constant adjustment of insurance policies.

D．Guarantee of the shelter to other wildlife.

4. What might be the best title?

A．Asian elephants, engineers of the rainforest

B．Insurance adjusted, compensation increased

C．Population of wild Asian elephants shoots up in China

D．China explores solutions to achieve human-elephant harmony

3 . It has become common knowledge that our oceans are filled with garbage. Broken objects, used plastic bottles and so on fill our beaches and cover the ocean floor, doing huge damage to ocean creatures. Many individuals and organizations are working to remove this garbage, and recent technological developments have given them a new tool to do so: the trash-eating robot.

Robots of various shapes have been designed to collect garbage that they find floating in the ocean. For example, the French company IADMEEYS has developed what it calls the jellyfishbot. This small robot gathers up everything it meets, including liquid hydrocarbons (碳氢化合物) such as gasoline and oil. The jellyfishbot is remotely controlled and can clean up to 1,000 square meters per hour. The jellyfishbots’ small size and ability to be easily controlled make them ideal for cleaning up crowded areas such as ports.

For larger, more open areas, a much larger robot called the Interceptor has a similar function. Designed for use on rivers, the Interceptor looks like a boat with a conveyor belt (传送带) that picks up trash. Once a sensor indicates that the rubbish bins are full, the Interceptor automatically sends a text message to onshore operators. These operators collect and empty the rubbish bins, sending the garbage to local waste management facilities.

The Interceptor’s name comes from the verb intercept because its purpose is to prevent trash from getting to the ocean. Most of the garbage in the oceans comes down rivers. Cleaning up trash that litters the ocean is good, but to keep the oceans clean, new garbage must be stopped from getting there. Therefore the Interceptor is used to stop pollution before it enters the ocean.

The Interceptor is completely solar-powered and operates on its own, which minimizes the need for human involvement.

Robots are able to clean up large amounts of garbage without humans struggling through beach cleanup by hand. Hopefully, they can be a big part of the solution to ocean pollution.

1. What’s the purpose of the first paragraph?

A．To introduce the background.

B．To set the readers reflecting.

C．To state the writer ‘s intention.

D．To give supporting details.

2. What do the jellyfishbot and the Interceptor have in common?

A．They need no human operation.

B．They can clean up crowded ports.

C．They are both solar-powered.

D．They are controlled in the distance.

3. Which of the following has the same meaning as “intercept” in paragraph 4?

A．Stop.

B．Check.

C．Sort.

D．Collect.

4. What is an advantage of trash-eating robots?

A．They collect all the garbage.

B．They save much human labor.

C．They get rid of water pollution.

D．They empty the rubbish bins.

4 . Humans have always assumed that there is a huge gulf between animal behavior and human development. However, recent research into animals shows that animals are continuously designing innovative methods to finish their tasks. Examining the nature and results of their creativity can help us understand evolution.

Research shows that animals too can be creative. By inventing new behavioral patterns and adjusting their behavior to new contexts, as well as to changes in social and ecological environments, researchers show that animal innovation too can be diverse. For instance, chimpanzees (猩猩) use tools such as sharp spines and stalks to remove the hearts of palm vegetables from trees. Herring gulls (鲜鱼海鸥) found out quite a cruel way of killing rabbits-drowning them in the sea.

Innovative species tend to survive when they enter new places, but novel behavior cannot be recognized unless “normal” behavior is studied. Researchers can now count and document the innovations that have been created by species, which would help them to quantify their creativity. Studies also show us that all animals are not equally inventive, with primates (灵长目动物) tending to be more innovative due to their bigger brains.

The greatest scientific significance has been the innovation shown by animals such as apes, capuchins and macaques among primates. These species of primates possess the biggest brains in proportion to their body sizes. They are also heavy tool users. Their broad diets and complex forms of learning are also insightful. They indicate an evolutionary strategy that gave them new solutions to life’s challenges.

However, even if these animals show innovativeness, they do not have the ability to improve upon solutions of others. Unless they share information accurately and copy each other’s inventions. their creative inventions are likely to vanish before they can be innovated further. This ability can be managed only by humans, for we are able to build on shared knowledge.

1. What does the underlined word “gulf” in the first paragraph mean?

A．Difference.

B．Conflict.

C．Balance.

D．Connection.

2. Why does the author mention “chimpanzees” and “Herring gulls” in Paragraph 2?

A．They are both creative.

B．They are both heavy tool users.

C．They create innovations in different ways.

D．They kill other animals in the same cruel way.

3. What can we learn about animal creativity?

A．It is equally distributed among animals.

B．It helps animals adapt to the environment.

C．Animals’ innovations are easy to be identified.

D．Animals’ innovations are facing huge challenges.

4. What aspect of animals does the last paragraph mainly talk about?

A．Their ability to share information accurately.

B．Their willingness to learn from each other.

C．Their inability to take creativity forward.

D．Their unwillingness to cooperate effectively.

5 . Going green is good for business. Consumers are often willing to pay more for eco-friendly products than other comparable products on the market. But not all environmental claims are created equally. “Greenwashing” is a form of misinformation often used to entice a green consumer. Companies promising to be environmentally conscious sometimes fail to meet the promises they make to consumers.

For example, a large retailer might launch a new line of products, such as jeans, that uses less water and therefore theoretically has less of an environmental impact than the other clothes the company sells. But that same company might ignore water usage in the rest of their products lines or do nothing to address their other products that might be harming the environment.

Is it possible to avoid falling victim to greenwashing? Learning about greenwashing and how it works is the most effective way for consumers to avoid giving their money to companies making false claims, according to a recent study. The researchers found people who received information on greenwashing ahead of time were more likely to question whether what the company did in fact benefited the environment.

In the meantime, experts have tips for how consumers can spot potential greenwashing. “You see a lot of products that use words like ‘sustainable’, and ‘better for the planet’ with pictures that make it look like it’s green,” says Todd Larsen, the director of Green America, a nonprofit aimed at helping consumers identify greenwashing. He recommends looking for descriptions that outline specifically how a product is green.

Another tip he offers is to shop small. “When in doubt, go smaller,” says Larsen. “Rethink shopping habits. The most sustainable thing you can do as a consumer is wear the things you have more.”

1. What does the underlined word “entice” probably mean in paragraph 1?

A．Trick.

B．Inspire.

C．Restrict.

D．Protect.

2. What can we learn from the example in paragraph 2?

A．Using less water is a required standard of producing jeans.

B．Large retailers are more aware of environmental protection.

C．Companies with environmental consciousness run smoothly.

D．Businesses claiming to be sustainable may mislead consumers.

3. What can be inferred from the research findings?

A．Greenwashing is a new way to cheat people.

B．People are getting fed up with greenwashing.

C．Knowing about greenwashing helps identify the truth.

D．Consumers have the ability to distinguish false claims.

4. What does Todd Larsen suggest people do?

A．Develop sensible shopping habits.	B．Look for pictures which look green.
C．Buy more clothes green for the planet.	D．Provide specific descriptions of products.

6 . Over the past months, terrible things have occurred around the world: the ground under the German town of Erftstadt is torn apart by flood waters; Lytton in British Columbia is burned from the map just a day after setting an extremely high temperature record; cars float like dead fish through the streets-turned-canals in the Chinese city of Zhengzhou. All the world feels at risk and there seem no safe places to hide. Research has found that all these have something to do with greenhouse-gas emission (排放), which has produced a planet more than 1℃ (1.8°F) warmer than the 18^th century.

With emissions continuing, it will get worse. If temperatures rise by 3℃ in the coming decades, large parts of the tropics (热带地区) risk becoming too hot for outdoor work. Coral reefs and the sea life depending on them will disappear and so will the Amazon rainforest. Severe harvest failures will be common. Ice sheets in Antarctica and Greenland will shrink (收缩) past the point of no return, promising sea rises measured not in millimetres, as today’s are, but in metres.

Some cautious adaptations have been put into effect. However, cutting emissions alone is far from enough. it’s also wise to study the most amazing form of adaptation: solar geoengineering.

Research over the past 15 years has suggested that solar geoengineering might significantly reduce some of the harms from greenhouse warming. It seeks to make clouds or particle layers (粒子层) in the atmosphere a bit more mirror-like. reflecting away some sunlight. It cannot provide a straightforward equal and opposite response to greenhouse gas warming; it will tend, for example. to reduce precipitation (降水) more than temperature, potentially changing rainfall patterns to ease the problem of global warming.

1. What does the underlined “these” refer to in Paragraph 1?

A．The severe risks the world is facing.

B．The terrible floods the earth is experiencing.

C．The extreme weather the planet is undergoing.

D．The unsafe places the emission has created.

2. How does the author explain the consequences of the emission in Paragraph 2?

A．By listing examples.	B．By using figures.
C．By asking questions.	D．By making comparisons.

3. What do we know about solar geoengineering?

A．It will change the global temperature patterns.

B．It may cut greenhouse gas emissions significantly.

C．It will provide a direct response to global temperature.

D．It may prevent sunlight from reaching the earth directly.

4. Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?

A．Global warming—bad news for the world.

B．Cautious Adaptations—good news for the world.

C．Solar Geoengineering—new solutions to global warming.

D．Greenhouse gas emission—familiar problems with global warming.

8 . People living in some northern Italian towns face fines for wasting water as mayors ration(定量供应) supplies amid a severe drought.

Italy has had one of its driest winters in the last 65 years, with rainfall 80% lower than the seasonal average. The situation has been more acute in northern regions, where some areas have been deprived(剥夺) of significant rainfall for three months or more. The Po, the county’s longest river, is at its lowest level recorded in winter since 1972.

Mayors of towns in regions including Piedmont, Liguria, Lombardy and Trentino have introduced water-rationing measures, ranging from fountains being switched off and nightly restrictions on tap water to bans on using water for gardens and allotments(小块菜地), for washing cars and filling swimming pools.

“I don’t ever recall a situation of this kind in winter. We haven’t had any rain since 8 December,” said Francesco Pietrasanta, the mayor of Quarona, a town in Piedmont. “The rule is to only use water for real necessity, such as for hygiene(卫生) or food reasons.”

The winter drought followed an intense, protected heatwave across Italy last summer. In August, Siracusa in Sicily is believed to have broken the European record for the highest temperature when it recorded a figure of 48.8℃. Snowfall has also been below average this winter. Scientists have long predicted that the climate crisis and global heating would lead to more frequent extreme weather.

Rain is forecast in the north and the rest of Italy from Wednesday, although Pietrasanta said it would need to be significant to resolve the water shortage. “We might get some rain on Friday but I’m not sure it will be enough,” he said. “This situation ought to make us think about changing policy to manage water in a different way, especially with climate change.”

1. Why are the statistics listed in paragraph 2?

A．To stress the severity of drought.

B．To show climate differences in regions.

C．To present the consequence of low temperature.

D．To discuss the possibility of rainfall

2. Which of the following actions will be fined?

A．Turning off foundations.	B．Swimming in public pools.
C．Watering gardens in the morning.	D．Using modest tap water at night.

3. What may lead to the winter drought according to paragraph 5?

A．The ongoing climate change.	B．The heatwave last summer.
C．The absence of snowfall.	D．The overconsumption of water.

4. What can we infer from Pietrasanta’s words in the last paragraph?

A．Similar situations have appeared before in northern Italy

B．Measures should be adopted to tackle water shortage

C．The coming rain will be sufficient to solve problems

D．Proper policies have been put in place since the crisis

9 . More people are watching birds today than ever before; its popularity as a hobby has been growing rapidly over the past few years. But why do people take up bird-watching?     1    

It’s year-round. Unlike many hobbies, birding is non-seasonal.     2     Spring is the best season for birds to migrate and nest; in summer, you can see and hear young birds and observe local breeding birds before they’re gone again; fall migration brings its own excitement and changes in bird populations; in winter, you can enjoy feeding birds and watching the birds that over-winter in the area.

It’s economical. The degree of your involvement is up to you.

    3     No expensive equipment is necessary to enjoy watching birds. All you need may be a good field guide and a proper binocular (双筒望远镜). Anything more is optional.

    4    The more you learn about birds, their needs, and the challenges many species face, the more concerned and involved you’re likely to become in supporting wildlife habitat conservation and restoration efforts. This involvement can be on many levels, from making sure your own property poet birds and other wildlife to educating others about the needs of bird populations.

It often leads down other paths. Watching birds in many cases causes involvement in other interests.     5     Many people also develop an interest in wildflowers or dragonflies(蜻蜓). An increasing number of bird watchers travel to see birds. There are bird and nature festivals and bird-watching tours to birding hotspots all over the world. Birding, therefore, could turn you into a world traveler!

A．It involves walking in nature.

B．It might change with the seasons.

C．It promotes habitat conservation.

D．And so is the cost of being involved.

E．Bird watchers these days are often butterfly watchers, too.

F．You may start watching birds or feeding them in your yard.

G．The following are some reasons for becoming a bird watcher.

10 . Most birds, in particular, exhibit some degree of patterns and colours. Australia’s zebra finch (斑胸草雀), for example, was so named because of the zebra-like black and white bars on its tail. But it also has many other colours and patterns, from a bright orange bill to fine white spotting along its reddish-brown sides.

The zebra finch is Australia’s widely distributed grass-finch species, occurring throughout most of mainland Australia. It’s a common and familiar bird in the drier parts of the country.

When we see such a highly patterned bird we presume all individuals of that species have their spots and bars in the same places. But look closer and we’ll see that the quantity and design of these patterns varies between individuals. And every now and then a bird exhibits a more obvious feather variation. Occasionally, we see one that has larger than usual pale areas of feathers or, more rarely, has lost its normal patterning altogether.

Colouration and patterning in all animals is caused by a range of pigments (色素). Melanin (黑色素) is responsible for blacks and browns, and a lack of this pigment can cause a partial or total loss of an individual’s dark patterning. The two main terms that describe these abnormalities are albinism (白化病) and leucism (白色亚种). Both conditions are genetic and both can lead to a very similar physical appearance. Leucism, however, causes a lack of the pigment cells that produce melanin. But albinism causes the production of melanin pigment to be reduced or absent.

Can we distinguish between the two conditions without the help of a cellular biologist? Yes. Albino animals have fully unpigmented red eyes. Leucistic animals, on the other hand, never completely lose pigment from the eye, although they can have blue eyes due to a partial loss of pigment.

Why don’t we see more albino or leucistic birds? Because the lack of melanin reduces the strength and lastingness of the affected birds’ feathers, making them more easily broken. Additionally, the birds’ vision and hearing is negatively affected, making them less able to hunt. The brighter feathers and lack of patterning also make them easier for attackers to see.

1. What can be learned about Australia’s zebra finch?

A．It is one of the rarest birds in Australia.

B．It is mostly covered with bright orange feathers.

C．It acquires its name from its tail colours and patterns.

D．It has the same spots and bars in the same places.

2. What does the underlined word “presume” mean in paragraph three?

A．Recall.

B．Suppose.

C．Deny.

D．Recommend.

3. How is paragraph four developed?

A．By setting assumptions.	B．By presenting opinions.
C．By giving explanations.	D．By drawing conclusions.

4. Which of the following correctly describes albino or leucistic birds?

A．They have quite good hearing.	B．They have completely red eyes.
C．They have easily broken feathers.	D．They have excellent hunting skills.