1. What does the speaker usually do?
| A．She cares for wildlife. |
| B．She trains animals for fun. |
| C．She does research on wildlife. |
| A．A lion. | B．A giraffe. | C．An elephant. |
| A．They are friendly to visitors. |
| B．They can’t adapt to the environment. |
| C．None of them are open to the public. |
1. What does the man say about the winter in New Work?
| A．It’s cold and wet. | B．The wind is strong. | C．The air is heavy. |
| A．He is leaving New York. |
| B．He doesn’t know New York well. |
| C．He likes the autumn in New York. |
| A．It’s hot in summer. | B．It’s very changeable. | C．It rains all year round. |
3 . What foods do you use to celebrate with your family? Do you eat something special on your birthday or holidays? Among the Hopi people, many foods for special celebrations are made from corn.
The Hopi people are Native Americans who live in Black Mesa, Arizona, USA. They grow special types of corn with long roots (根), which help the corn reach water in the ground in the hot and dry desert (沙漠).
The Hopi use each color of corn for something different. For example, blue corn is used to make some traditional Hopi foods. Piki is one Hopi food made with blue com. It is like a paper-thin, rolled pancake.
| A．The Hopi people have a long history. |
| B．Corn is also used in Hopi ceremonies. |
| C．There are different types of corn as well. |
| D．Corn plays an important role in the Hopi diet. |
| E．Some Hopi today still live as they did hundreds of years ago. |
| F．White corn is used to wish a baby good health and long life. |
| G．But both groups still practice Hopi spirituality and other traditions. |
4 . Two and a half months before the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season officially begins, forecasters have already predicted and warned that warm sea surface temperatures in the Atlantic and the development of a La Niña in the Pacific may create a “perfect storm” of the conditions needed for major hurricanes.
Key to the formation of any tropical cyclone (气旋) is the combination of warm ocean temperatures and the absence of what is known as wind shear. Alex DaSilva, a forecaster, explains that wind shear occurs when wind changes direction and speed at different heights in the atmosphere. When there’s much wind shear, it essentially knocks over those clouds and prevents tropical systems from really becoming stronger. Besides, hurricanes also need surface water to be at a temperature of 26 degrees Celsius or higher. That warm water, and the warm air just above it, provides fuel for the storm. The record data for February are 1.2 degrees Celsius above normal.
Over periods ranging from three to seven years, the waters of the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean alternately (交替地) warm and cool as a result of a repeatedly occurring climate pattern called the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). During an El Niño, sea surface temperatures in the eastern Pacific increase, and those warmer temperatures affect the path of the Pacific jet stream, which in turn brings drier, warmer weather to the northern United States and Canada, and wetter conditions to the Gulf Coast and southeast. El Niño reduces the possibility of Atlantic hurricane formation because it lowers hurricane activity and increases wind shear. La Niña has just the opposite effect of El Niño. During the 2023 season, ENSO was in an El Niño phase. By the time the 2024 season starts, it is likely to have shifted fully into a La Niña.
“If a tropical storm system comes into this area, it could rapidly intensify, potentially close to land,” DaSilva cautions. “And that’s why people need to be on alert and have their hurricane plans ready. Because any system with these kinds of conditions can explode very quickly. That’s what we’re concerned about.”
1. Where can you probably read this article?| A．www.huffpost.com/entertainment/ |
| B．www.bbc.com/innovation/science |
| C．www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/ |
| D．www.nytimes.com/spotlight/global-culture-sports |
| A．The explanation of wind shear. |
| B．The timing of the hurricane season. |
| C．The process of hurricane formation. |
| D．The reason for warmer surface water. |
| A．Generate less wind shear. |
| B．More rainfall in the Gulf Coast. |
| C．Block the path of the Pacific jet stream. |
| D．Higher temperature in the northern America. |
| A．To report the hurricane-struck areas. |
| B．To remind people of getting prepared. |
| C．To introduce some geographic knowledge. |
| D．To explain the features of El Niño and La Niña. |
5 . Tracee Herbaugh lives in the Boston area of Massachusetts. She thought she was alone in her backyard recently when she used the Merlin Bird ID app. She learned by listening that she was surrounded by more than 12 kinds of birds.
“Two birds identified by the app, veery (画眉鸟) and great homed owl, even had a red dot next to their names. The red dot means it is an unusual sighting.” Herbaugh wrote, “Who knew these birds could be in one yard?”
Cornell Lab of Ornithology is the maker of Merlin Bird ID. The app was released in 2014. At first, the app only identified birds by their photos through Photo ID. The user answered a series of questions about the photo to help identify the bird, such as date, area, color, and size. The app became popular during the pandemic, when people increasingly wanted to be outdoors.
In 2021, Cornell Lab added Sound ID to identify birds by their sound. In the United States alone, Merlin’s Sound ID can identify over 700 kinds of birds. More than 7 million people now use the Merlin Bird ID worldwide.
Alli Smith works on the Merlin project at Cornell Lab. Smith said bird watching by sound “opens up a whole new world” “Even if you cannot see the birds,” he added, “you can hear their beautiful songs and know they’re sharing your neighborhood.”
More than birds, Herbaugh said the app also helped her reconnect with people across the country. When Herbaugh shared her bird list on social media, two childhood friends who also used the app messaged her about it. Her relative in Montana shared a list of birds. And even her young children now quickly go for the app when they hear an unfamiliar bird call.
Herbaugh has identified 45 birds on her list so far. She said now her children are the ones driving her to get more on the bird list.
1. What does a red dot next to a bird’s name mean?| A．The bird is rarely seen. | B．The bird is endangered. |
| C．This bird is a new species. | D．The bird is beneficial to crops. |
| A．By recording bird sounds. | B．By recognizing images of birds. |
| C．By asking experts online. | D．By tracking movements of birds. |
| A．Another way of protecting birds. | B．The popularity of recording bird calls. |
| C．The enjoyment of listening to birds. | D．Another benefit of the Merlin Bird ID app. |
| A．App Identifies Birds by Sound | B．App Gets Kids Interested in Birds |
| C．Old App Gains New Reputation | D．Birds May Hide in Your Yard |
6 . How Gardeners Can Reduce Risk of Fire
If you are selecting plants for your garden, knowing which plants offer some fire resistance and which are more flammable (易燃的) can serve you well.
Quicker to catch fire
Plants like bamboo that produce flammable substances such as aromatic oils, resins (树脂), wax, or sap, are among the quickest to catch fire.
Trees with thin bark (树皮) that falls off are usually more flammable than those without. And fine-needled plants like pine, juniper, and spruce contain resins.
Many kinds of grasses are highly flammable. Their ability to catch fire increases when they are left to stand dry over winter or during periods without rain. Additionally, too much heat dries out the soil and under such conditions, many kinds of plants turn into a fire starter.
Native vs. non-native
As a group, native plants aren’t necessarily less flammable than introduced kinds of plants.
For the best fire resistance, choose trees that lose their leaves every year, like ash, and maple, rather than fine-needled trees.
What to look for in plants
The Washington State University Extension Service has published advice for choosing plants that are fire-resistant.
•High water content in leaves.
•Little or no seasonal gain of dead plant material.
•Open branching (they provide less fuel for fires).
•Fewer total branches and leaves.
| A．Some plants are more flammable than others. |
| B．Plants with water-filled leaves are slow to burn. |
| C．But non-native plants often are a greater fire risk. |
| D．Many plants have qualities that do not burn easily. |
| E．All plants might catch fire under the right conditions. |
| F．Their needle-like leaves increase the risk of fire when left on the ground. |
| G．They will often catch fire even if they have been well-watered and cared for. |
7 . Many of the foods we regularly eat in our daily lives come from plants, which are essential for our survival on the “blue planet.” But what about the few people who live — although for a short span of time — in space? Is it possible for them to grow plants on board the spaceship and be self-sufficient for weeks on end? Yes, it is.
In fact, astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) ate the first space-grown salad (red romaine lettuce) on August 10, 2015. Even in a well-controlled environment like on the ISS, growing a plant in space is not an easy task. Traditionally, roots grow and spread downwards due to gravity. Still, in space, where the effect of gravity is negligible (忽略不计的), things change.
Roots grow in all directions in space. Other nutrients and water, which are essential for the growth of a plant, float all over the place! Can you imagine a plant floating in a spaceship, with its roots sticking out in every direction like the tentacles of a slimy sea creature surrounded by water and other nutrients?
Therefore, keeping this entire system going is very important. To achieve this, NASA astronauts Rick Mastracchio and Steve Swanson set up a special container named “Veggie” a few years ago, specifically designed for “space gardening” on the ISS.
Veggie contains “plant pillows”, which are essentially bags of fertilizer and dirt released in a controlled manner to facilitate plant growth. In the bags, small wicks (棉芯) are installed that absorb water. Seeds are glued to the wicks and arranged in the correct position so that their roots grow unidirectionally (downward) and ‘push out’ of the bag. For the plants to grow properly (i. e. , upward), LED lights shine above the plants, provide light for the shoots and support photosynthesis (the process by which plants prepare their food) for proper plant growth.
Space agencies worldwide are striving to develop more advanced methods and procedures to enable astronauts to safely grow and eat vegetables from space-grown vegetables.
1. What does paragraph 2 mainly suggest?| A．Astronauts want to live a sustainable life. |
| B．Space-grown plants might take more efforts. |
| C．Plants have been successfully grown in space. |
| D．ISS makes it possible for plants to grow at will. |
| A．To honor someone. |
| B．To keep a system going. |
| C．To start up an enterprise. |
| D．To solve nutrient problem. |
| A．By turning to LED lights. |
| B．By positioning wicks upward. |
| C．By absorbing nutrition from dirt. |
| D．By providing necessary facilities. |
| A．ISS have astronauts work to grow food in space |
| B．NASA strives to make space gardening possible |
| C．Space agencies commit themselves to food safety |
| D．Food growth enables spaceships to be self-reliable |
8 . The green, natural forest absorbs carbon dioxide from the air through photo- synthesis (光合作用). There is another way of dealing with the climate crisis. That is setting up fields of dark-colored solar panels (太阳能电池板), also known as “solar forests”, which replace power stations that use fossil fuels such as coal and gas to make electricity, thus mitigating harmful emissions (排放) of greenhouse gases.
But since they are both relatively dark, they absorb a lot of solar radiation. Some of the energy is used for photosynthesis in natural forests or to produce electricity in “solar forests”, but most returns to the atmosphere, heating it up. Then what would be the more effective land use option in terms of the climate crisis: planting a forest, or building solar panels? This issue has long been debated by decision-makers around the world. Now, we may have an answer, thanks to a new study.
First, the researchers compared the impact of a forest on the climate crisis in a dry area to that of a solar farm in a similar environment. The researchers found that the albedo effect (反射效应) of both of these “forests” was similar, but that the absorption or prevention of carbon emissions was very different. It turns out that it takes 2.5 years for the heat emitted by solar farms to be balanced by the carbon emissions that are avoided, thanks to the energy they produce. In the case of a natural forest of similar size, it would take more than 100 years of photosynthesis to balance its heating effect.
The researchers also studied how the heating-cooling relationship changed in other climates and found that in more humid environments, the heating effect of planting large numbers of trees is smaller. And the break-even point is reached within 15 to 18 years.
“In dry places, building solar forests seems far more effective in addressing the climate crisis. Meanwhile, forests absorb about a third of annual carbon emissions and play a vital role in the global rain cycle, in maintaining biodiversity and in many other environmental and social contexts. Preventing them from being cut down and planting more trees in humid areas are of great significance,” explains one of the researchers in the study.
1. What does the underlined word “mitigating” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?| A．Releasing. | B．Decreasing. | C．Generating. | D．Stabilizing. |
| A．They cause much damage to the land. |
| B．They result in a serious loss of farmland. |
| C．They contribute to the warming of the atmosphere. |
| D．They lose energy during the absorption of solar radiation. |
| A．The natural forest exhibits a stronger albedo effect. |
| B．The solar forest can generate more energy in dry areas. |
| C．The solar forest is superior in balancing the heating effect. |
| D．The natural forest is more effective in solving the climate crisis. |
| A．More trees should be planted in dry regions. |
| B．More methods should be adopted to address the climate crisis. |
| C．Fields of solar panels should be set up everywhere on the earth. |
| D．Building solar panels and planting trees should be effectively combined. |
A couple of years ago, I had the pleasure of teaching a young couple to dive (潜水) in Thailand on one of my favorite reefs (礁). The weather conditions were perfect, with mild currents and excellent sight of the beautiful ocean and the bright, vivid corals. Even with their masks on, I could see the smiles on my students’ faces.
The dive couldn’t have gone better. However, things changed as we made our way back to the boat. As we swam back along the reef, I noticed the current (水流) changing. As it did, huge quantities of trash and plastic began to flood the area. I saw small reef fish swimming amongst the straws, plastic bags and other bits of rubbish. I noticed that some of the fish were pecking away (啄) at the plastic. By the time we got back onboard the boat, there were bits of plastic floating all around us. It looked more like a trash site than the ocean.
When I got home, the first thing I did was to go online and research plastic pollution in the ocean. I was surprised to find out that over the past decade, divers and beach lovers have seen a lot of changes in the oceans. Even very remote locations were suddenly filled with plastic and other chemicals. Plastics were entering our oceans at an alarming rate—up to 12 million tons each year. This huge amount of plastic was wreaking havoc (破坏) not only on the environment, but also on the marine animals that lived in the ocean, such as sea turtles and sea birds. Some of them were sadly mistaking the pieces of plastic for food. Pollution has brought our oceans to the point of disaster, and unless we make a great change, then our oceans and all of its living things, will be at risk.
Since that unforgettable plastic-polluted dive, I have become an ocean supporter and spend my days trying to get the message out there about just how harmful ocean pollution is, not only to marine life, but also to mankind.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Then the idea came to me: I could appeal to my fellow divers to take action.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I decided to take it a step further to try and stop those companies producing single-use plastics.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________10 . Stress often occurs when humans have too much work or are in immediate danger. We communicate our stress to others through our behavior and physiological changes. Thus, stress can communicate information and even be useful for survival in certain situations. On the other hand, the massive spread of stress frequently leads to dangerous situations in groups, such as mass panic.
However, not only humans, but also animals can experience and spread stress. This is the present research focus of Dr Hanja Brand l from the University of Konstanz.
“It has been repeatedly shown that stress can be spread from one human to another,” Brand l says. “Often, a similarly strong physiological response is triggered, even though you have never experienced the stress yourself.” But what is known about stress among animals? Brand l concludes other animals in the group can be just as stressed as the friend who experienced something bad. Stress is evolutionarily deeply rooted and the process is similar in all vertebrates (脊椎动物).
When are animals stressed? To be mentioned primarily are naturally occurring threats to which they are exposed, such as natural enemies. Human influences raise the level of stress. “Increasing changes in the habitat or noise and light pollution also have an impact as these massively influence the environment of the animals.” Brand l explains. “Animals are flexible and can adapt to situations. But at some point, the stress response—the adaptations that otherwise help animals better escape stressors like enemies—no longer gives them a survival advantage,” she adds.
This not only endangers the animals’ health, but also changes the social structure of groups. “If we know how the underlying mechanisms (机制) work, we can better protect animals,” says Brandl.
For humans, too, insights from the animal world are useful, she says. “With humans, we can’t measure the functionality of groups under stress well in natural scenes.” Therefore, Brandl is now continuing her studies. In the future, this will make it easier to respond to and help with the spread of stress in groups of people.
1. What can we learn about stress from paragraph 1?| A．Stress is both good and bad. |
| B．Group living. can easily cause stress. |
| C．Each individual reacts differently to stressful situations. |
| D．Poor communication is one of the biggest causes of stress. |
| A．Ignored. | B．Eased. | C．Caused. | D．Transformed. |
| A．Supply food to them. |
| B．Make them live in groups. |
| C．Protect their habitat from being destroyed. |
| D．Provide opportunities for them to practice their survival skills. |
| A．A pet magazine. | B．A news website. |
| C．A book review. | D．A technical forum. |
