1 . Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is ONE WORD MORE than you need.

A. voyaged     B. barely     C. renowned     D. abnormality     E. discipline     F. navigable G. unprecedented     H. eyed     I. Fortunately     J. accessible     K. degradation

For voyager and green promoter Zhai Mo, the 504-day non-stop voyage to the Arctic Ocean has stimulated his concern about the climate and awareness of his responsibilities.

Navigating more than 28,000 nautical miles (51,856 kilometers) in harsh conditions, Zhai, a (n)     1     Chinese explorer, returned to Shanghai on his aluminum sailboat on Nov 17, along with two crew members, becoming the first man to successfully circle, both ways, the Arctic Ocean without stop. “This non-stop Arctic Ocean circle route can be said to be     2    . We     3     both the northeast and northwest routes while previous explorers only chose one route. This is a self-challenge and transcendence in the history of human navigation,” the 54-year-old says.

Zhai undertook this task as an ambassador of the Chinese navigation science and marine public welfare, and also the ForNature Campaign of the United Nations Development Program. He set sail on June 30 last year to raise public awareness of global warming, climate change and land     4    . During the trip, he crossed the East China Sea, the Western Pacific, the Bering Strait, the Chukchi Sea, the East Siberian Sea and the Beaufort Sea. He saw dolphins, whales, walruses, sea lions and seals, as well as shoals of cod and wolf fishes.

“When we passed through the Northwest Pacific Ocean on our way back, we encountered three typhoons within a week, which     5     happened in the past,” Zhai recalls.

Zhai didn’t see any floating ice during his one-week voyage in the Kara Sea while the previous meteorological data showed ice there.

“My own experience tells me that climate     6     is obvious now,” Zhai says.

The voyage, to enter the Arctic Ocean from the Bering Strait before making a round trip returning to Shanghai, was planned to take four months, but the return schedule was delayed for more than a year. “As soon as we entered the Bering Strait, we encountered a polar cyclone. A large number of ice floes and icebergs were blown to the coast. However, the Arctic Ocean can only be     7     near land, so we had been carefully crossing between ice floes and icebergs for a long time and the speed was only 1 to 3 knots,” Zhai says. But for Zhai, the most difficult part of the whole voyage was around 75 degrees north. The Arctic Ocean is known as the “dead channel”, Zhai says, adding that the location where the Titanic went down was on his route and dotted with countless icebergs. After entering the iceberg region, Zhai navigated the sailboat while the two crew members went on watch to report on the menacing ice. Despite the precaution, the boat hit an iceberg near Greenland, causing water seepage below the waterline that had to be dealt with. Meanwhile, compasses and electronic goods on the boat failed because of the magnetic field. “I had never encountered this situation in sailing before,” says Zhai.     8    , he took a fiber optic compass specially used for high latitude navigation, and managed to leave this area with visual aids. In addition to ice floes and icebergs, Zhai and his team also faced severe tests such as heavy fog, strong winds and huge waves. When sailing through the Chukchi Sea, the boat navigated around a large area of ice floes and heavy fog resulting in visibility of no more than 10 meters. They spent nearly 11 hours to get just 50 nautical miles. “We tried to leave as soon as possible during our voyage in the Arctic Ocean,” he says, adding that there was a constant danger of being trapped by the ice.

Zhai was attracted by sailing when holding an art exhibition abroad in 2000. In 2007, he got a second-hand sailboat with simple supplies, such as instant noodles, pancakes and potatoes, and started his voyage trip around the world.

After that 35,000-nautical-mile voyage, Zhai     9     an Arctic Ocean journey. “Navigation is a comprehensive     10    . You should know not only astronomy but also geography. You also need to be a carpenter, fitter, hammerer and painter, and should be able to survive in a harsh, outdoor environment,” Zhai says.

He adds that he hopes more young people would participate in navigation, to promote and publicize the ocean awareness and navigation spirit. He is preparing for the third voyage trip around the world next year or the year after that. “Antarctica is also a very big challenge. I hope to explore more unknowns, and I also want to launch a transoceanic sailing competition.”

2 . Directions: Complete the following passage by using the words in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. technical     B. attributed     C. confined     D. observations     E. sensation     F. totaling     G. anticipatory H. consistent     I. precisely     J. suspicious     K. attached

For centuries, people have described unusual animal behavior just ahead of seismic (地震的) events: dogs barking endlessly, cows halting their milk, toads leaping from ponds. A few researchers have tried to prove a link, but most such attempts have relied largely on anecdotes and single     1    .

Now researchers at the University of Konstanz, along with a multinational team of colleagues, say they have managed to     2     measure increased activity in a group of farm animals prior to seismic activity. During separate periods     3     about four months in 2016 and 2017, the researchers     4     these highly sensitive biologgers and GPS sensors, which can record accelerated movements in any direction, to six cows, five sheep and two dogs living on a farm in an earthquake-prone area of northern Italy to keep track of the activities and the nervousness of animals. “Only now can we do continuous biologging,” says study co-author Martin Wikelski. “Because the     5     possibilities are finally there.”

The paper’s statistical analysis showed animals’ activity significantly increased before magnitude 3.8 or greater earthquakes when they were housed together in a stable — but not when they were out to pasture (吃草). Wikelski says this difference could be linked to the increased stress some animals feel in     6     spaces. Analyzing the increased movements as a whole, the researchers claim, showed a clear signal of     7     behavior hours ahead of tremors.

Besides, it showed that the farm animals appeared to anticipate quakes anywhere from one to 20 hours ahead, reacting earlier when they were closer to the origin and later when they were farther away. This finding is     8     with a hypothesis that animals somehow sense a signal that spreads outward. It holds that in the days before an earthquake, shifting tectonic plates (地壳板块) squeeze rocks along a fault line, causing the rocks to release minerals that force ions into the air, and then the animals react to this novel     9    .

Not involved with the new study, Wendy Bohon, a geologist from Washington, D.C., is     10     of the air ionization idea. Heiko Woith, a geologist at GFZ German Research Center for Geosciences, says the time frame was still too short and points out that limited data collection in many studies makes it impossible to determine whether a measured signal was related to a quake or was simply noise.

3 . Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in each blank with a proper word given in the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one more word than you need.

A. appearances B. imitating C. distinguish D. isolate E. advantageous F. diverse G. identical H. criterion I. markings J. poisonous K. threatening

Why different species start looking exactly the same

Is it better to stand out from the crowd or be similar to the background? For birds, the answer is complicated. While peacocks(孔雀) show off their brightly colored feathers to attract mates and ward off predators(捕食者), other birds find it     1     to hide themselves by imitating the looks of other birds.

Groups of birds flying together often come from the same species, making it hard to     2     one from another. However, some groups of birds including two or more species take on similar     3    , which is an uncommon phenomenon. “They all share random features, like feathers on head or yellow bellies(腹部), which makes them almost     4    . You can’t really tell them apart without looking at their     5    .” says Scott Robinson, a famous scholar. His new study suggests     6     another bird’s appearance is not a coincidence(巧合) but rather an evolutionary method to increase their chances of survival. Looking like a bird from a dominant species helps reduce attack from other members and appear more     7     to potential predators.

“In imitation, you often want to look like something because there’s an advantage to being that other thing. You want species to think you’re     8     or low-profitable target.” says Rebecca Kimball, a professor of biology. “In grouping birds, one idea is that this has more to do with a predator’s ability to     9     a target. When there are a group of birds moving around, it may be easier for predators to identify an individual that has a distinct color pattern.”

While it may not seem like it at first, imitating other birds is helping to create more     10     species. Not only do birds imitate more than one species as they grow up, but their appearance varies over time.

4 . 选词填空

A. poisoned     B. destruction     C. survived     D. increased     E. especially F. chemicals     G. concern     H. decline     I. occasionally     J. sensitive     K.extinction

More recent research has shown that many kinds of amphibians(两栖动物) are declining or have become extinct. Amphibians are animals, such as frogs, that live partly in water and partly on land. And they have been around for over 350 million years. They have     1     three mass extinctions, including the     2     of the dinosaurs. Why are they dying out now?

The most serious aspect of amphibian loss, however, goes beyond the amphibians themselves. Scientists are beginning to think about what amphibian     3     means for the planet as a whole. If the earth is becoming unlivable for amphibians, is it also becoming unlivable for other kinds of animals and human beings as well?

Scientists now believe that amphibian decline is due to several environmental factors. One of these factors is the     4     of habitat, the natural area where an animal lives. Amphibians are very     5     to changes in their habitat. If they cannot find the right conditions, they will not lay their eggs. These days, as wild areas are covered with houses, roads, farms, or factories, many kinds of amphibians are no longer laying eggs.

There are a number of other factors in amphibian decline. Pollution is one of them. In many industrial areas, air pollution has     6     the rain, which then falls on ponds and kills the frogs that live there. In farming areas, the heavy use of     7     on crops has also killed off amphibians. Another factor is that air pollution has led to    8     levels of ultraviolet (UV) light. This endangers amphibians, which seem to be     9     sensitive to UV light.

All these reasons for the disappearance of amphibians are also good reasons for more general     10     . These factors affect human beings, too.

5 . Directions: Complete the following passage by using the words in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A.catches B.combined C. contributors D. demand E. driver F.mere G.pressing H.prosperity I. speeds J.thirstiest K. trends

Feeding nine billion

When we think about threats to the environment, we tend to picture cars-not dinner. But the truth is, our     1    for food causes one of the biggest dangers to the planet.

Agriculture is among the greatest     2     to global warming. It emits more greenhouse gases than all our cars, trucks, trains, and airplane     3    —largely from methane released by cattle and rice farms, nitrous oxide from fertilized fields and carbon dioxide from the cutting of rain forests to grow crops or raise livestock. Farming is the     4     user of our precious water supplies and a major polluter, as runoff from fertilizers and manure pollute lakes, rivers, and coastal ecosystems across the globe. Agriculture also     5    up the loss of biodiversity: As we’ve cleared areas of grassland and forest for farms, we’ve lost crucial habitat making agriculture a major     6     of wildlife extinction

The environmental challenges caused by agriculture are huge, and they’ll only become more     7     as we try to meet the growing need for food worldwide. We’ll likely have 2 billion more mouths to feed by mid-century-more than 9 billion people. But population growth isn’t the     8     reason we’ll need more food. The spread of     9     across the world is driving an increased need for meat, eggs, and dairy, boosting pressure to grow more corn and soybeans to feed more cattle, pigs, and chickens. If these     10     continue, the population growth and meat-and-dairy-intensive diets will require us to roughly double the amount of crops we grow by 2050.

6 . Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. respectively       B. vision                 C. rebounded       D. decoupling       E. respectably F. promoting          G. commitments       H. emitters          I. peak                 J. remaining            K. urgent

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the Asean (东盟) region are estimated to increase in the same period, based on the latest Nationally determined contributions (NDC) targets up to 2030.

To keep the Paris Agreement temperature goal within reach, Dr Beni Suryadi, Centre for Energy Manager at the Asean Secretariat, stated that ASEAN needs to achieve     1    emissions as soon as possible after 2030 and net-zero GHG emissions as soon as possible after 2050.

However,     2    of the growth in GDP and energy-related CO2 emissions is observed only in a handful of the Asean member states.

“It is vital to reduce energy intensity through lower energy demand and further energy savings and to reduce emission intensity by     3    renewable energy expansion,” he said.

“Current policies need to be enhanced to achieve the NDC targets. The     4    under the NDCs will provide Asean with a better perspective of the need for a more ambitious course of action on mitigation（缓解） in the future. Ambitious energy policies can significantly reduce GHG emission and helps our     5    towards low carbon economies and climate resilient nations.”

Earlier in his presentation, Dr Beni highlighted, “a brief record-breaking drop in climate change – causing carbon emissions during the height of the coronavirus pandemic. However, nowadays we continue to hear the news and read reports that say that global emissions have already     6    to near pre-pandemic levels”.

“While we are grateful to learn that the economy is reviving and we see economic activities taking place everywhere, there is a(n)     7    need for us to limit the growth of emissions. Global GHG emissions continue to rise, at a time when they need to be rapidly falling.”

At the global level, he said, “It is recorded that almost three-quarters of the GHG emissions come from energy use; almost one-fifth from agriculture and land use; and the     8    eight per cent from industry and waste”.

He also noted that the electricity and transport sectors start out as and remain the biggest     9    of GHGs and air pollution in Asean.

“If the Asean member states do what is needed to fully achieve their own national energy efficiency and renewable energy targets, as well as their climate commitments, Asean’s total energy- related GHG emissions in 2040 will be 3,002 MtCO2-eq, 28 per cent lower than in the baseline scenario.

“Power generation remains the largest sectoral contributor, accounting for about 40 per cent and 46 per cent of total GHG emissions from energy in 2025 and 2040,     10    .

“Furthermore, if Asean fulfilled its regional aspirational targets on the energy efficiency and renewable energy, Asean will be able to reduce GHG emissions more sharply to only 2,264 Mt CO2-eq in 2040,” he said.

7 . Directions: Fill in each blanks with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. alternatives   B. behavioural   C. completion   D. consideration   E. met F. modernizing   G. occupied   H. powering   I. schemes   J. specify   K. thorough

Carbon Impact

De-carboning existing housing will require households to stop burning fossil fuels and wood to power and heat their homes. If the UK’s current energy demand could be     1     by renewable, carbon-free energy, then there would be no problem. However, the infrastructure (基础建设) is not yet in place to do so and will not be by 2050.

The smart solution is to reduce the energy demand of homes. This energy demand includes the energy needed to heat (or cool) a home and that required for a home to run, such as     2     appliances.

Architects can have a big impact on energy demand through improving the performance of the building envelope by increasing insulation (绝缘) and airtightness. We can also work with building services engineers to     3     renewable energy generation (生成) technology and ensure that building services and appliances are running efficiently. Smart technologies can also help households control energy use. Gas boilers and cookers will need to be replaced with electric     4     such as heat pumps and conduction hobs. Some community renewable generation     5     will be needed. Household     6     changes will be useful too, for example not having windows open while the heating is on. Rebuilding houses will not be a one-size-fits-all approach. Strategies for individual homes or building types will be required and     7     analysis of a home’s performance and its occupant’s habits will be needed. This was the first step of our R20 project, a rebuilding of 9/10 Stock Orchard Street reducing the energy demand of the building, 20 years after its     8    

The rebuilding works took place while the building was     9    . For all existing housing, careful     10     will be needed regarding health and safety and people’s wellbeing. Furthermore, households will need to learn how their rebuilt home works to use it successfully.

8 . 阅读下面的短文，掌握其大意，从方框中选择适当的词填空。

A. has negatively affected       B. restore the habitats       C. dying out D. significantly                      E. take steps                  F. be at risk of

Species are     1     at an high rate due to human activity. It is clear that human activity     2     all other species on Earth. As we humans depend so much on so many species for our survival, we would also     3     extinction. Thus, we should    4     to improve the situation. For example, we should     5     of endangered animals. Moreover, we should     6     change the way we live. In this way, we might be able to avoid THE SIXTH EXTINCTION.

9 . 选词填空

sorry; better; lived; looking; friendly; cats; dead; because; but; dangerous

Alice likes cats     1     than any other animal. Although she is still young, she has experience of     2     after cats.

When she was a child, she     3     with her grandparents. At that time, her grandparents already had an old cat, about 11 years old,     4     she was only 4 years old. It was a good friend for her in her childhood. It was very     5     to her and never hurt her. One day, however, it left home and never came back again. It must be     6    . She was so sad that she was     7     for it for a long time.

Now Alice has four     8    . She takes good care of them and makes them live comfortable. But she is afraid to take her cats out of the house. She says it is too     9     for animals to go outside     10     she thinks that they must be hurt.

10 . 阅读下面短文，从以下方框内的韵语或短语中，选出合适的单词或短语，并将其正确形式填入空白处。每个单词或短语只能使用一次，有两个是多余的。

affect       effect       environment       float             negative             extremely produce       recycle       shocking             solution       take action       thick

A Plastic Ocean a film to make you think. Think, and then act. We need to     1     on plastic. We've been     2     plastic in huge quantities since the 1940s. We live in a world full of plastic, and only a small part is     3     . What happens to all the rest? This is the question the film A Plastic Ocean answers. It is a documentary that looks at the impact that plastic waste has on the     4     .

The film begins as a journey to film the largest animal on the planet, the blue whale. But during the journey the filmmakers make the     5     discovery of a huge,     6     layer（层）of plastic floating in the middle of the Indian Ocean. This causes them to travel around the world to look at other areas that have been     7    . We see how marine species are being killed by all the plastic we are dumping in the ocean. The message about our use of plastic is     8     obvious.

But the film doesn't only present the     9     side. In the second half, the filmmakers look at what we can do to reverse the tide of plastic flowing around the world. They present short-term and long-term     10    . These include avoiding plastic containers and * single-use5 plastic products as much as possible.