1 . Pandas are not only a national streasure, but are loved around the world. Recently, a giant panda cub born in August at the Smithsnian’s National Zoo, US, was given the name Xiao Qi Ji, which is translated into English as “little miracle”. Interestingly, National Public Radio said that in a nod to Chinese tradition, the name was not chosen until 100 days after the birth.

This cub’s birth proved to be quite inspiring — and at a time when inspiration was truly needed. “Xiao Qi Ji’s birth is a true miracle that has been so up-lifting to all of us during the pandemic (瘟疫), ” Chinese Ambassador (大使) to the US Cui Tiankai said in a video congratulatory message. “     1     ”

The furry black-and-white animals have played an important role in the country’s diplomacy, known as “panda diplomacy”. According to the Japanese Royal Annual, the practice dates back to the Tang Dynasty, when Empress Wu Zetian sent a pair of pandas to the Japanese emperor. China revived panda diplomacy in the 1950s when China sent two pandas to the Moscow Zoo. By 1982, China and given 23 pandas to nine different countries. However, most of them have died. China stopped giving away pandas in the early 1980s.     2    

But why do these cute “diplomats” find it hard to survive in other countries? According to Xinhua, their dietary habit is one significant reason. Their nutrition mostly comes from bamboo shoots.     3     They refuse to eat bamboo shoots after they have bloossomed.

It takes 10 years for a new crop of bamboo to mature, and many countries do not have an environment suitable for bamboo growth. This means that food has to be imported. In August, Calgary Zoo in Canada announced that due to pandemic-related changes in its impart laws and quarantine methods, they couldn’t provide enough fresh bamboo for pandas. This meant that they had to send two giant pandas back to China.

    4     “We don’t own the pandas, but the whole world wants to help save the panda, and we do that through our knowledge exchange, ” Steven Monfort, director of the smithsonian’s National Zoo, told China daily.

A．People are connected again in the growth of our little ambassador, and in our shared joy and friendship.

B．The giant pandas will smell their bamboo repeatedly after grabbing a stalk.

C．Adult giant pandas consume about 40 kilograms of bamboo daily, and they can also be quite picky.

D．The choice was the result of a five-day online vote that drew nearly 135,000 voters in the US.

E．But countries are still trying their best to facilitate (促进) this special type of diplomacy.

F．Instead, the animals are loaned to other countries and generally they are to be returned to China after 10 years.

2 . Plastic pollution has long been a problem, but now it’s gotten to a new height - literally.

Microplastics, referring to plastic fragments and particles less than 5 millimeters in diameter, have been found on Mount Qomolangma as high as 8,440 meters above sea level, just 408.86 meters below the peak of the mountain, according to a recent study published in the journal One Earth.

“These are the highest microplastics (ever) discovered so far; ” lead author Imogen Napper from the University of Plymouth, UK, said in a statement.

Scientists collected snow and water samples from 19 different locations from 4,200 meters above sea level all the way up to the summit of Mount Qomolangma. They found microplastics in all the water samples and part of the snow samples. The most polluted samples was from the Base Camp in Nepal, where most human activity on the mountain is concentrated. It had 79 particles of microplastics per liter of snow.

The harsh fact is that plastic pollution has reached even the most remote places on Earth. Researchers even found a plastic bag at the deepest point in the world’s oceans - in the Mariana Trench, located in the Pacific Ocean. The bag is the same as the ones commonly used in grocery stores.

Even covered in ice, the Arctic is still a victim of plastic pollution. A 2020 report published in Nature suggests that there are 2,000 to 17,000 plastic particles per cubic meter in Aretic ice cores, and between 0 to 18 microplastic particles per cubic meter from the water beneath ice floes. Expats think microplastics may be transported by air and then reach the North Pole in snowfall.

“What we don’t yet fully know is the potential problems these tiny pieces of plastic could be having to ecosystems, to organisms and even to our own health as well, ” said Christian Dunn of Bangor University, UK.

Then what can we do? “We need to start focusing on deeper technological solutions that focus on microplastics, like changing fabric (织物) design and incorporating natural fibers instead of plastic when possible, ” Napper said.

1. Why does the writer say plastic pollution has got to a new height?

A．The global plastic pollution problem can never by any worse.

B．The consumption of plastic products has peaked at an incredible level.

C．A significant breakthrough has been made in the research on plastic pollution.

D．Microplastics are found about 400 meters below the peak of the highest mountain.

2. The researchers carried our their research mainly by ________.

A．documenting the human activities in the Base Camp in Nepal

B．interviewing scientists from famous universities all over the world

C．testing the snow and water samples collected from different places

D．comparing the plastics found in remote areas with those in daily life

3. Which of the following statements is FALSE?

A．Human activities speed up the spread of plastic pollution.

B．The impact of microplastics on ecosystems is quite obvious.

C．Microplastics are available in the air, water, snow and earth.

D．Using natural materials is one of the ways to reduce plastic pollution.

3 . Until relatively recently, the vast majority of human beings lived and died without ever seeing a city. The first city was probably founded no more than 5,500 years ago.     1    . In fact, nearly everyone lived on farms or in tiny rural villages. It was not until the 20^th century that Great Britain became the first urban society in history – a society in which the majority of people live in cities and do not farm for a living.

Britain was only the beginning.     2    . The process of urbanization----the migration of people from the countryside to the city----was the result of modernization, which has rapidly transformed how people live and where they live.

In 1990, fewer than 40% of Americans lived in urban areas. Today, over 82% of Americans live in cities. Only about 2% live on farms. The rest live in small towns.

Large cities were impossible until agriculture became industrialized. Even in advanced agricultural societies, it took about ninety-five people on farms to feed five people in cities.     3    . Until modern times, those living in cities were mainly the ruling elite and the servant, laborers and professionals who served them. Cities survived by taxing farmers and were limited in size by the amount of surplus food that the rural population produced and by the ability to move this surplus from farm to city.

Over the past two centuries, the Industrial Revolution has broken this balance between the city and the country.     4    . Today, instead of needing ninety-five farmers to feed five city people, one American farmer is able to feed more than a hundred non-farmers.

A．That kept cities very small.

B．Modern cities have destroyed social relations and the health of human beings.

C．The effects of urban living on people should be considered.

D．Soon many other industrial nations became urban societies.

E．But even 200 years ago, only a few people could live in cities.

F．Modernization drew people to the cities and made farmers more productive

4 . 假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文, 请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10 处语言错误, 每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在漏字符号（/\）下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改：在划横线的词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；2. 不得改变原文意思。

Yesterday I visit the Hong'en Temple Park with my friends. The park was full of beauty flowers. When I were enjoying the wonderful scenery, something unpleasant caught my eye. A young couple on the grass were eating, talking and laughing loud as if they were the only people in the world. What's worse, they even threw rubbish onto the grass, without see the sign "No littering” nearby. What a shame!

Such behavior left me in thought. If all visitors do as the young couples did, the park will be severely polluting and soon turned into a huge dustbin. I think both of us should mind our behavior in the public places. Only in this way can we live more comfortable and beautiful surroundings.

5 . Cities are diverse ecosystems. In addition to visitors from the wild, such as coyotes (丛林狼) in Los Angeles or boars (野猪) in Berlin, a large number of species share our urban areas. As our cities spread, we need to think about what it is like for other species to have human neighbors.

Because cities are built for humans, they do not always provide suitable habitats for wildlife. For example, most city parks are kept neat and tidy so that humans will find them beautiful. But when we cut grass or plant flowers, we destroy natural habitats.

Our actions sometimes help other species. When a bridge in Austin, Texas was repaired, engineers added small gaps running along the length of its bottom. This made a good home for bats, and soon the bridge was the home of thousands of bats. At first, people were afraid of the bats and tried to get rid of them. Now, they have come to value their winged neighbors. The bats are a tourist attraction, and they eat lots of bugs every night.

There are also structures built with the aim of bringing wildlife into the city. The Beijing Olympic Forest Park is a good example. The park used native plants and created open, natural spaces for wildlife. The result is a zone in Beijing with over 160 species of birds. In many ways, the park is the opposite of a zoo. Instead of being kept in cages, wildlife can move about freely.

Another example is a 2011 proposal for a tall “Birdscraper” building in New York. The building is intended to protect birds and fight pollution at the same time. It would be in the middle of a lake, birds would sit on it, and their droppings would fall into the water. The droppings would help water plants grow well and then create oxygen through photosynthesis (光合作用). If we learn to share our space, we can become better neighbors to the wildlife around us. If we do not, more species will become extinct and our own future will be endangered.

1. What can we infer from the first paragraph?

A．Other species like to have human neighbors.

B．There are many kinds of wildlife living in city areas.

C．Coyotes or boars always attack cities like Los Angeles or Berlin.

D．People should think about their neighbors when having visitors.

2. Why did engineers design small gaps under the Austin bridge?

A．To get rid of the bats.

B．To make it an attraction.

C．To help other species to live conveniently.

D．To make it convenient for bugs to go through.

3. What is the 4th paragraph mainly about?

A．The structure of wildlife zoo in Beijing.

B．The parks built to grow native plants.

C．The wildlife of Beijing Olympic Forest Park,

D．The structures built to attract wildlife into city.

4. Which word can replace the underlined word “droppings” in the 5th paragraph?

A．waste	B．voice
C．rubbish	D．appearance

6 . Researchers believe they have found an unknown kind of whale in waters off Mexico's western coast. If others prove the finding, the new whale will be an important discovery among giant animals.

The team of researchers came upon three unusual whales while following a rare group of beaked whales（突吻鲸）. The whales were near Mexico's distant San Benito Islands, about 500 km south of the U.S. border. Beaked whales usually avoid meeting humans.

Jay Barlow studies sea animals. He noted that it was a very unusual meeting. "It's very rare to even see a beaked whale, and to find a group of friendly beaked whales, it's even rarer," he said.

Barlow said he and other researchers did not realize they were seeing a possible new kind of whale until later. The group saw something different about the whales' teeth when they studied the photos they took of the animals. The underwater recordings of the whales' calls also suggested they were different from all the others.

The researchers are now waiting for test results on water they collected near the whales. There could be skin cells in the water from the whales. If so, they will examine the DNA to make sure whether the whales are a new species.

Though up to 5 meters long, the whales can be hard for scientists to see. That is because they usually swim and eat at depths of around 914 meters. They only come up at times for air. In the deep water, the animals can stay away from their main enemy-killer whales.

Barlow said that finding a new species is a rare event. His team has proof about the whales that looks like a new discovery. He said the DNA testing would help determine it and he hoped the whales could be determined as a new species. That would bring the number of known beaked whale species to 24.

1. What do the scientists say about the possible new species?

A．They are very fierce sea animals.

B．They frequently come up for air.

C．They belong to the beaked whale species.

D．They only live near Mexico's distant San Benito Islands.

2. Which part of the unusual whale differs from that of others?

A．Its ears.	B．Its teeth.
C．Its eyes.	D．Its mouth.

3. Why did the scientists study water they collected near the whales?

A．To get the whales' skin cells.

B．To study the quality of the water.

C．To learn about the whales' living habit.

D．To know what kind of food the whales eat.

4. What were the scientists eager to know?

A．The reliability of the DNA testing.	B．The aim of the DNA testing.
C．The process of the DNA testing.	D．The result of the DNA testing.

8 . I don’t think I can recall a time when I wasn’t aware of the beauty of the ocean. Growing up in Australia, I had the good fortune of having the sea at my side. The first time I went to Halfmoon Bay, I suddenly had the feeling of not being able to feel the ground with my feet anymore.

For my 10th birthday, my sister and I were taken out to the Great Barrier Reef. There were fish in different colors, caves and layers of coral (珊瑚). They made such an impression on me. When I learned that only one percent of Australia’s Coral Sea was protected, I was shocked. Australian marine (海洋的) life is particularly important because the reefs (暗礁) have more marine species than any other country on earth. But sadly, only 45% of the world’s reefs are considered healthy.

This statistic (数据) is depressing, so it’s important for us to do everything to protect them. The hope that the Coral Sea remains a complete ecosystem has led me to take action. I’ve become involved with the Protect Our Coral Sea activity, which aims to create the largest marine park in the world. It would serve as a place where the ocean’s species will all have a safe place forever.

Together, Angus and I created a little video and we hope it will inspire people to be part of the movement. Angus also shares many beautiful childhood memories of the ocean as a young boy, who grew up sailing, admiring the beauty of the ocean, and trying to find the secrets of ocean species.

1. What can we learn about the author from the underlined sentence in Paragraph 1?

A．He seldom went sailing at the sea.

B．He forgot his experiences about the ocean.

C．He never went back to his hometown.

D．He had a wonderful impression of Halfmoon Bay.

2. What is Australian marine life like according to the second paragraph?

A．It is escaping from the Coral Sea gradually.

B．It depends on reefs for living greatly.

C．It may be faced with danger.

D．It is protected better than that in other oceans.

3. What is the aim of the Protect Our Coral Sea activity?

A．To contribute to a complete ecosystem.

B．To prevent more marine species being endangered.

C．To set up a large nature reserve for reefs.

D．To raise more teenagers’ environmental awareness.

4. Why do Angus and the author create a little video?

A．To ask more people to take action to protect the marine species.

B．To inspire more people to study the secret of the ocean.

C．To share their childhood experiences about the ocean.

D．To bring back to people their memory of ocean species.

9 . How is the weather this weekend according to the weatherman?

A．Warm.

B．Cool.

C．Cold.