1 . Nature has the power to alter an element’s identity with time and space. This is evident by the transformative effect Britain’s deep coal mines have been showing after decades of being one of the biggest reasons for pollution. Now, they’re being employed to supply green energy to the town of Gateshead. The town is the first place to experience something like this in the country, but the success of the phenomenon has encouraged the authorities to apply it to other towns.

In 2021, coal was just producing 2% of electricity in the UK. Most of the electricity in the country is being supplied through oil and gas. This has resulted in massive abandoned coal mines all across the country. As years went by, these mines were flooded with water, making it a source of geothermal（地热的） energy, which is used to generate heat and electricity. Gateshead hosts such a mine in its town, whose council, therefore, launched a mine water project in March 2023.

The authorities put in a large central heat pump in the mine. Mine water can often sit with a temperature of 45℃. The water is then pumped using appliances to home heat pumps. The process increases the temperature further. The water then goes ahead and warms up the interior space and home water supply. After the heat from the water has been used, it’s sent back to the mine where it again goes through the same process. The project has been successful in supplying low-carbon heating to 350 high-rise buildings, a college and several office buildings.

“Recovering heat from mine water below the ground within abandoned coal mines provides an exciting opportunity to generate a low-carbon secure supply of heat, benefitting people living or working in buildings on the coalfields,” said Gareth Farr, head of heat and by-product innovation at the Coal Authority.

The water resources through the mines are estimated to be two billion cubic meters or half the amount of water in Loch Ness. Farr added, “With many millions of people living upon abandoned coalfields in Great Britain, the potential for mine water heat could be significant.”

1. What does the town of Gateshead feature?

A．It’s been one of the most heavily polluted areas.	B．It has the most deep coal mines nationally.
C．It mainly relies on geothermal energy.	D．It is the first one to reuse abandoned coal mines.

2. Why were many coal mines abandoned in the UK?

A．They were quite remote.	B．Prices of coal declined a lot.
C．There weren’t enough miners.	D．The UK prioritizes cleaner energy.

3. What is implied in the last paragraph?

A．The number of abandoned coal mines is stably increasing.

B．The future of sourcing energy from coal mines is promising.

C．The dependence on water resources in the UK is decreasing.

D．The technique to take advantage of mine water is impressive.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．An innovative way to obtain green energy.	B．A method of living in harmony with nature.
C．A national project for abandoned facilities.	D．A discussion on the future of coal mines.

2 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Nanjing, the capital city of China’s Jiangsu Province and located ( 位于) along the Yangtze River Delta (三角洲),     1     (be) once the capital of the Ming Dynasty and is recognized as one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China alongside Beijing, Xi’an     2     Luoyang.

But if you’ll only be visiting for 72 hours, there are a few     3     (experience) that you shouldn’t miss out on.

Any trip to Nanjing, no matter     4     short it is, wouldn’t be complete without some excellent food. Nanjing cuisine is a part of Jiangsu cuisine and often shows the area’s     5     (local) grown produce and fresh seafood.

The city is also considered the birthplace of Peking Duck, but it also prepares a local favorite: Nanjing salted duck,     6     is served cold after being cooked in very salty water.

The area’s close     7     (connect) to the river delta ensures that travelers will have a taste of seafood, such as hairy crab.

Nanjing is known for     8     (it) cultural and political importance. Today, travelers can visit numerous temples (寺庙) within the city and walk along Stone City, the remains of the city’s ancient fortifications (防御工事), at a local park.

Nanjing is also home     9     one UNESCO World Heritage Site — the Xiaoling Mausoleum of the Ming Dynasty, located in the Zhongshan Mountain National Park, where many other    10     (importance) sites, such as Dr. Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum, are also located.

3 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What’s the woman?

A．An animal keeper.

B．A tour guide.

C．A forecaster.

2. What is the possible temperature at 2:00 p.m. in the Grand Canyon these days?

A．25℃.

B．39℃.

C．45℃.

3. Which of the following should the man do according to the woman?

A．Put off his plan till next week.

B．Buy some water on the way.

C．Keep a safe distance from wild animals.

4. What are the speakers mainly talking about?

A．How to be safe in the Grand canyon.

B．How to make a plan for the following five days.

C．How to get along well with wild animals.

4 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What does the man say about hot deserts?

A．They are hot all the time.

B．They are dangerous to live in.

C．The temperature is changeable.

2. What do deserts have in common?

A．They’re dry.

B．They’re sandy.

C．They’re large.

3. What do we know about the desert animals?

A．Many of them live in groups.

B．Many of them live at the edges of deserts.

C．Many of them sleep in the day and come out at night.

5 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What did the girls learn during the hike?

A．How to climb rocks.

B．How to read a map.

C．How to make friends.

2. What does Girls on Rock consider when choosing participants?

A．Their academic performance.

B．Their former outdoor experiences.

C．Their intention of participating in the programme.

3. What is the aim of Girls on Rock?

A．To offer girls more opportunities.

B．To help girls challenge themselves.

C．To encourage girls to study hard.

6 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. Where did the speaker take the course?

A．In the mountains.

B．In the office.

C．In the forest.

2. How many people took the course with the speaker?

A．8.

B．9.

C．10.

3. What did the speaker learn from the course?

A．How to solve emergencies.

B．How to be an expert climber.

C．How to be more brave and confident.

7 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. Where will the speakers take a trip?

A．To a popular scenic spot.

B．To a wild place.

C．To a wildlife zoo.

2. What advice does the man give to the woman?

A．Staying far away from the fire at night.

B．Not leaving garbage in the forest.

C．Leaving some food for the animals.

3. What will the speakers do today?

A．Climb a mountain.

B．Rest at home.

C．Go fishing.

8 . 假设你生活的地方有个污染严重的工厂，请说一说它给环境以及周围人带来的影响。
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9 . Find out some key words in Activity 2 of the book and guess what they will be talking about.

Ben Drake, an expert on air pollution, is being interviewed on the radio. He said that smog was a severe problem in the early 20th century in Britain. At that time, Britain was experiencing a boom in industry. Factories and homes used lots of coal, which created smog. He also mentioned the heavy smog in London was particularly bad and caused over 4000 deaths in 1952. Later the UK government restricted burning coal   in homes and forced factories to move away from city centers. As smog is harmful to everyone, the expert advised us to replace coal with cleaner forms of energy, use new energy-efficient vehicles and further develop green technology.

1. The expression “    1    ” originated in Britain and means a     2    of “smoke” and “fog”.
2. Smog became a severe problem in Britain because people at that time burnt lots of    3    .
3. The worst smog in British history happened in London in 1942.
4. The Great Smog of London claimed 5,000 lives.
5. Later, the UK government ordered people not to burn     4    in their homes.
    5    

10 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. Why does the factories dump waste to the river?

A．To follow the trend.

B．To cut down on cost.

C．To avoid being punished.

2. What does air pollution have caused to people nearby?

A．They are sent to the hospital.

B．They have sore eyes.

C．They cough a lot these days.

3. How will the speakers react to the unlawful act?

A．They will talk with the factory director.

B．They will report it to the police.

C．They will go to buy masks.