1 . Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.

The Last Generation

Rising sea levels threaten the very existence of the Pacific island nations. And young people     1     families have deep roots on the islands are starting to wonder if they will be the last generation. But the islanders’ determination is as strong as their connection to their home.

The nations of the Pacific Islands recognize that     2     it comes to climate change, they are all in the same boat. Working together, they set about     3     (look) for ways to take charge and address the problem. There’s one feature of island life that gives these small nations an opportunity to make a big difference. People on islands rely on most of the things     4     (deliver) by ships, and the environmental impact     5     the marine transportation is enormous.

    6     (realize) it was up to them to come up with solutions in their own backyards (bays and harbors), Pacific islanders came up with a plan. At the United Nations Climate Action Summit in 2019, the governments of Fiji and the Marshall Islands announced the Pacific Blue Shipping Partnership, which promises a 40 percent reduction in carbon emissions from shipping by 2030     7     wants to achieve zero-carbon shipping by 2050.

They plan to adopt some really cool, environmentally friendly, carbon-free technologies, including solar-powered ships and hydrogen fuel cells. Through the partnership and their efforts     8     (assemble) a fleet (舰队) of these greener ships, Pacific island nations are leading the world by example. They’re hoping their move     9     start a wave of change in the shipping industry.

Sea levels are rising, but hopes aren’t sinking in the Pacific islands, where people are fighting for life and land. The citizens of these island nations     10     (inspire) to work together so they all can survive and develop in their homelands for generations to come.

3 . How do you teach a monkey new tricks? Labs have proved difficult places to train monkeys to respond to different sounds, but in the forests of Senegal’s Niokolo-Koba National Park, researchers were astonished how quickly one species of monkey adapted its behavior to a new sound.

Julia Fischer at the German Primate Center in Gottingen and her team flew drones over a community of green monkeys in the area, to see what they made of a new flying object in their environment. They responded instantly, making alarm calls to warn one another of the potential new threat.

The vocalizations were distant from the ones they made in response to models of leopards and snakes, but almost identical to calls made by a related species of monkey about eagles. The results suggest a hardwired response to the perception of an aerial threat and the use of that specific call.

They monkeys adapted so quickly to the mechanical noise that they began scanning the skies and making the calls even when the sound of the drone was played from the ground. The monkeys were never seen issuing alarm calls in response to birds of prey in the area, suggesting that the birds they usually see aren’t considered a threat. The drones, however, seemed to be perceived as dangerous. “It’s certainly disconnecting, unpredictable, something they’ve not seen before, so it makes sense to alert everybody,” say Fischer. She says she was “blown away” by how rapidly the monkeys appeared to learn. “The listeners are smart. It’s almost impossible to get a monkey in a lab to do an audio task. It isn’t clear why such learning is harder in a lab environment,” she says.

The study involved a year’s worth of fieldwork by a team of eight, who flew the drone about 60 meters above the monkeys. The research wasn’t without incident. Fisher had to duck inside a shelter made of palm leaves at one point, after a baboon ran to attack the leopard model she was holding.

Vervet monkeys in East Africa are related to green monkeys. They have been closely studied for the different calls they make in response to a variety of predators, including pythons, leopards, baboons and martial eagles.

The expectation for the green monkey study was that they would stay silent. come up with a new alarm call or produce one similar to the velvet monkeys’ eagle call. Fischer’s bet was on the eagle call option, and she was proved right. The vocalization appears to be highly conserved by evolution. “It teaches us about how different their vocal communication system is from ours,” says Fischer. “There is a very limited level of flexibility.”

1. What can be learned about green monkeys’ behavioral adaptability to a new sound?

A．They made sounds similar to a new flying object.

B．They alerted each other to possible danger.

C．They responded as though they had seen eagles.

D．They scanned the sky for the source of the sound.

2. In paragraph 4, the writer mentions “birds of prey in the area” in order to ______.

A．compare the different sounds made by the monkeys

B．specify the monkeys’ extraordinary adaptability

C．illustrate these birds pose no threat to the monkeys

D．prove drones are more appealing to the monkeys

3. What can be inferred from the passage?

A．The study conducted by Fischer and her team was painstaking.

B．Monkeys differ greatly in their ability to adapt to a new sound.

C．Researchers have unlocked why monkeys learn quickly in nature.

D．Monkeys turn out to be quite flexible in their vocal communication.

4. Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?

A．Unbelievable—Monkeys Should Make Different Sound!

B．How Do Monkeys Get New Tricks?

C．Monkeys See Drones...

D．Vervet Monkeys vs Green Monkeys

4 . Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point (s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.

Life On Venus?

Cats Make for Ideal Human Companions

Cats have a reputation for being colder and less cuddly (令人想拥抱的) than their counterparts—dogs. In reality, they form close bonds with their owners and provide a sense of companionship, particularly for women. In fact, the findings of one Austrian study show that owning a cat is the emotional equivalent of being in a romantic relationship.

Some people feel silly talking to their pets, since, of course, they can’t respond. But interacting with your feline (猫科的) companions has proven health benefits. Not only does talking to your cat improve your bond, but it’s also said to be beneficial to your mental health by helping to improve your mood, lower your stress levels, and reduce our feelings of loneliness.

Cats are experts at sleeping, so it’s perhaps no surprise that they can help improve your sleep, too. A Mayo Clinic study found that people who slept with their pets in the same room were almost twice as likely to get a good night’s rest, with only 20 percent saying that they found their pets’ presence destructive.

Cats may not be able to help with the housekeeping, but they can assist in keeping your house free of mice. It turns out there’s some truth behind the cartoon cat-and-mouse chase. When mice smell certain proteins in cat saliva (唾液), they become tearful and therefore avoid the area.

It’s important for children to learn to care for and look after a living thing, just as their parents take care of them. Cats can help children develop social skills as they learn to approach the feline carefully and gently. Looking after a cat also encourages a sense of responsibility.

In addition to filling your heart with love, cats can contribute to keeping your heart healthy. Numerous studies have shown that owning a cat can help reduce your blood pressure and heart rate, as well as lowering your triglyceride (甘油三酸酯) and cholesterol levels, thereby reducing your risk of having a heart attack or stroke.

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7 . What is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch?

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) is the largest of the five offshore plastic accumulation zones in the world’s oceans. It is located halfway between Hawaii and California.

PLASTIC __________

It is estimated that 1.15 to 2.41 million tonnes of plastic are entering the ocean each year from rivers. More than half of this plastic is less __________than the water, meaning that it will not sink once it encounters the sea.

The strong and floating plastics show resiliency(韧性) in the marine environment, allowing them to be transported over __________distances. They persist at the sea surface as they make their way off shore, transported by converging (汇聚的) currents and finally accumulating in the patch.

Once these plastics enter the gyre（环流）, they are unlikely to leave the area until they __________into smaller microplastics under the effects of sun, waves and marine life. As more and more plastics are discarded into the environment, microplastic __________in the GPGP will only continue to increase.

LOCATION

Due to seasonal and interannual variabilities of winds and currents, the GPGP’s location and shape are constantly changing. Only floating objects that are __________influenced by currents were likely to remain within the patch.

By simulating concentration levels in the North Pacific, the researchers were able to follow the location of the patch and found on average it orbits around 32°N and 145°W. However, the team observed seasonal __________from west to east and substantial variations in latitude（纬度）depending on the year.

IMPACT ON WILDLIFE

Plastic has increasingly become a very common substance in the ocean. Due to its size and color, animals __________the plastic for food, causing malnutrition; it poses entanglement（缠绕）risks and threatens their overall behavior, health, and existence.

Studies have shown that about 700 species have encountered marine debris, and 92% of these __________are with plastic. 17% of the species affected by plastic are on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species.

IMPACT ON HUMANS AND SOCIETY

Once plastic enters the marine food web, there is a possibility that it will contaminate the human food chain as well. Through a process called bioaccumulation, chemicals in plastics will enter the body of the animal __________on the plastic, and as the feeder becomes prey, the chemicals will pass to the __________—making their way up the food web that includes humans. These chemicals that affected the plastic feeders could then be __________within the human as well.

__________, yearly economic costs due to marine plastic are estimated to be between $6-19billion USD. The costs __________its impact on tourism, fisheries and aquaculture, and governmental cleanups. These costs do not include the impact on human health and the marine ecosystem due to __________research available.

1.

A．ACCUMULATION

B．DRIFT

C．FLOATING

D．PROMOTION

2.

A．light

B．thick

C．tiny

D．dense

3.

A．adjusted

B．overdone

C．deposited

D．extended

4.

A．upgrade

B．degrade

C．assemble

D．disassemble

5.

A．transportation

B．estimation

C．concentration

D．location

6.

A．predominantly

B．rarely

C．previously

D．slightly

7.

A．similarity

B．shift

C．boost

D．figure

8.

A．exchange

B．substitute

C．leave

D．confuse

9.

A．implications

B．interactions

C．interferences

D．influences

10.

A．resting

B．feeding

C．risking

D．waiting

11.

A．mariner

B．prey

C．tracker

D．predator

12.

A．present

B．absent

C．current

D．reliable

13.

A．Likewise

B．However

C．Moreover

D．Therefore

14.

A．result in

B．remove from

C．stem from

D．bring about

15.

A．insufficient

B．adequate

C．insignificant

D．substantial

8 . Goodish News of Climate Change

Emissions of carbon dioxide (related to energy production) have stabilized, for now.

Is it a peak, a stutter or just a brief pause? Time will tell. But whatever it is, on February 11th the International Energy Agency (IEA), an intergovernmental _________ which collects such data, announced that emissions of carbon dioxide in 2019 which were _________ energy had remained the same (33.3bn tonnes) as the previous year’s.

Energy-related emissions, which include those (produced by electricity generation), heating and transport, _________ for more than 70% of the world’s industrial CO pollution. The stall seems to have been caused by a(n) _________ in coal use, particularly in rich countries, combined with an increase in the use of renewable power.

As a result of this the CO2-intensity of electricity generation — a(n) _________ of how much of the gas is emitted per kilowatt hour of juice produced — fell by nearly 6.5%, to 340 grams of CO2 per kilowatt hour. It had already been _________, but this is three times the average for the past decade. Such declines more than offset the _________ of increased electricity production. The average emission-intensity of power generation in 2019 was “lower than all but the most efficient gas-power plants”, according to the IEA.

This is not the first time energy related emissions have plateaued (保持稳定). Between 2013 and 2016 they hovered around 32.2 bn tonnes a year, before _________ again in 2017 as the use of coal to fuel developing economies increased.This _________ plateau was accompanied by excited declarations that such emissions had peaked. Similar __________ have been made this week, perhaps also prematurely. __________ changes in coal use, a sluggish economy may have played a part and the data show that milder than usual weather caused a perceptible drop in emissions from several countries with large, carbon-hungry economies.

The news is also __________ by the latest data from the Amazon rainforest. This, one of the world’s largest woodlands, has acted __________ as an absorbing sponge (海绵)for CO2 by removing it from the atmosphere through photo-synthesis. Researchers at Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research have shown that a vast part of the south-east of the Amazon, about one fifth of its area, has lost its __________ to soak up the gas and is now a net source of emissions into the atmosphere instead. This land has been widely deforested, so the result is little __________. But it is disappointing.

1.

A．circumstances

B．environments

C．contributions

D．organization

2.

A．available to

B．similar to

C．related to

D．owing to

3.

A．regard

B．account

C．desire

D．evolve

4.

A．decline

B．increase

C．promotion

D．recovery

5.

A．product

B．idea

C．measure

D．result

6.

A．floating

B．falling

C．disappearing

D．remaining

7.

A．solution

B．change

C．effect

D．achievement

8.

A．rising

B．creating

C．raising

D．demanding

9.

A．frequent

B．previous

C．natural

D．disastrous

10.

A．tips

B．plans

C．warnings

D．comments

11.

A．In place of

B．In spite of

C．Thanks to

D．In addition to

12.

A．tempered

B．sensed

C．attracted

D．explained

13.

A．accidentally

B．absolutely

C．historically

D．accordingly

14.

A．prospect

B．ability

C．need

D．decision

15.

A．anger

B．hope

C．devotion

D．surprise

9 . 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. double          B. intense          C. pressures       D. stock          E. agriculture       F. trapped G. withdrawal     H. availability   I. drive             J. expanding     K. rising

Throughout history, people have fought bitter wars over political ideology, national sovereignty and religious expression. How much more     1     will these conflicts be when people fight over the Earth’s most indispensable resource water? We may find out in the not-too-distant future if projections about the     2     of water in the Middle East and other regions prove correct.

Less than three percent of the planet’s     3     is fresh water, and almost two-thirds of this amount is     4     in ice caps, glaciers, and underground aquifers too deep or too remote to access. In her book, Pillars of Sand-Can the Irrigation Miracle Last, Sandra Postel outlines three forces that     5     tension and conflict over freshwater. Using up the water “resource pie”. In India, the world’s second-most populous nation, with over 1 billion inhabitants, the rate of groundwater     6     is twice that of recharge, a deficit higher than in any other country. Although water is a renewable resource, it is not a(n)     7     one. The freshwater available today for more than 6 billion people is no greater than it was 2,000 years ago, when global population was approximately 200 million. (The current U.S. population is 287 million.)

Global     8     accounts for about 70% of all freshwater use. In five of the world’s most water-stressed, controversial areas the Aral Sea region, the Ganges, the Jordan, the Nileland and Tigris-Euphrates population increases of up to 75% are projected by 2025. With the fastest rate of growth in the world, the population of Palestinian territory will more than     9     over the next generation. Most experts agree that, because of geography, population     10     and politics, water wars are most likely to break out in the Middle East, a region where the amount of available freshwater per capita will decrease by about 50% over the next generation.

10 . 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. cause   B. cover   C. crises     D. edged   E. hammered   F. left G. rages   H. reason   I. response   J. spill     K. warnings

The Wilsons river broke its banks on the night of February 27^th while Lismore, a town of around 30,000 in New South Wales, was sleeping. Its residents snoozed through early-hours emergency     1     that “risk to life was approaching”. Within hours the town was submerged. Residents scrambled into their attics. Mothers carried children onto rooftops. An army of locals launched tin boats into the floods to save them. Four people died.

Eastern Australia has been     2     by what politicians call “once-in-1,000-year” flooding. It has already had a rainy summer because of La Niña, a phenomenon which triggers downpours there. Brisbane, Queensland’s capital, received almost 80% of its annual rainfall in less than a week in February, flooding 15,000 homes. As the rain     3     into northern New South Wales, it ripped up roads and drowned herds of cattle. Storms lashed Sydney on March 8 th , causing a dam to     4     over. Some 50,000 people in the state have been forced to evacuate.

Scientists are careful when blaming floods on global warming because everything from rainfall to urban development contributes to them. They disagree, too, about whether climate change is a factor in this kind of never-ending downpour. No matter the     5    , extreme weather is now a regular occurrence in Australia. In 2019 and 2020 vast lands of the country were torched in bushfires which destroyed more than 3,000 homes and killed 33 people. Unlucky towns such as Lismore have in recent years been hit by both fire and floods.

It does not help that the state and federal governments’     6     has been disorganized. When disaster strikes, official aid is often slow to come. In 2019 the federal government set aside almost A$4bn for a fund that would help it respond to     7     and prevent future ones. But it has spent hardly any of that money. It has now deployed the army and is dishing out cash to victims, but locals fume that they were     8     for days without power or fuel as supplies of food and water dwindled.

A debate now     9     about how or even whether places like Lismore should rebuild. Analysts think the floods might trigger insurance claims worth more than A$3bn. Expenses are already so high in disaster-prone towns that many locals can no longer afford     10    . “If we are going to start thinking every time there’s a natural disaster that we have to give up and leave because it’s too hard, then where are we going to live?” asks Lismore’s mayor, Steve Krieg. That is becoming a question for ever more Australians.