1 . Early spring can be a tough time in the Midwest. It can ________ both people and animals with its unexpected snowstorms.

Every spring, migratory(迁徙的) birds camp out in a large pond near my house on the way to their summer ________. This year, besides geese, scaups, a type of diving duck spent days hanging out ________ eats. Then a snowstorm hit, followed by a very ________ night.

The next morning, I was shocked to see that all birds had ________ overnight — except one lone female, who was diving ________ and dynamically in the circle of open water. Her movement and body heat had kept the ________ from coming close as I ________ her from my warm house.

However, as the temperature dropped, the open water got smaller, and her movements slowed. I watched with ________ as she eventually stopped moving, fearing that something might happen.

And then it happened: Two more ducks appeared, ________ next to her still body. More ducks came and the circle of water came alive with their splashing and diving. Slowly, the circle of water ________ in size. Within minutes, the lone female was revived by her friends’ presence.

This little duck wouldn’t have ________ another night without her friends. She, in turn, had kept that area of water ________, so her friends had a place to stop and ________ themselves. Sometimes, a tiny action — even our mere ________ — might brighten one’s day, and even save one’s life.

1.

A．scare

B．move

C．surprise

D．beat

2.

A．camp

B．vacations

C．courses

D．habitat

3.

A．regardless of

B．in search of

C．in addition to

D．as for

4.

A．dark

B．starry

C．peaceful

D．freezing

5.

A．gathered

B．disappeared

C．panicked

D．fainted

6.

A．energetically

B．patiently

C．calmly

D．cautiously

7.

A．ice

B．house

C．snowstorm

D．water

8.

A．tended

B．followed

C．watched

D．recorded

9.

A．relief

B．doubt

C．anxiety

D．pleasure

10.

A．rowing

B．landing

C．circling

D．feeding

11.

A．increased

B．decreased

C．transformed

D．formed

12.

A．spared

B．wasted

C．spent

D．lasted

13.

A．still

B．open

C．clean

D．steady

14.

A．motivate

B．remind

C．judge

D．refresh

15.

A．presence

B．appreciation

C．attitude

D．request

2 . A tree-planting initiative in Kenya has seen over 30,000 trees being planted. The Green Generation Initiative is a Kenyan charity that has been planting trees to counter climate change and the reduction in forest in the East African nation since 2016.

Founded by climate activist Elizabeth Wathuti when she was fifteen years old, the initiative’s primary focus is on developing young climate activists through environmental education in schools and addressing food insecurity in the region through planting fruit trees. Since its foundation, over 30,000 trees have been planted in Kenya, while thousands of school children have not just planted trees but adopted them to ensure that young people learn the importance of acting as a guardian over the health of the environment. The trees have recorded a survival rate of over 98 percent, as they remain tended to from young trees to maturity.

Speaking to world leaders at the recent United Nations Climate Conference in Glasgow (COP26), Elizabeth issued a serious warning on the threat of climate change. Over two million of Kenyans are facing climate related starvation. In 2025, half of the world’s population will be facing water shortage. The climate crisis will displace 80 million people in sub-Saharan Africa alone.

Elizabeth said, “I have been doing what I can. Inspired by the great Wangari Maathai, I founded a tree growing initiative that enhances food security for young Kenyans.” So far, they have grown 30,000 fruit trees to maturity, providing desperately needed nutrition for thousands of children. “Every day we see that when we look after the trees, they look after us. We are the adults on this Earth right now, and it is our responsibility to ensure that the children have food and water,” she added.

1. What is the initiative intended for?

A．Making policies.	B．Raising money.
C．Educating adults.	D．Fighting climate change.

2. What crisis are Kenyans encountering at present?

A．Hunger.

B．Sickness

C．Water shortage.

D．Economic risks.

3. What has been achieved since 2016?

A．3,000 trees have been planted.

B．Green awareness has been raised.

C．80 million people have been saved.

D．School education has been guaranteed.

4. Which of the following can best describe Elizabeth Wathuti?

A．Friendly and talented.	B．Caring and responsible.
C．Honest and determined.	D．Ambitious and humorous.

3 . The debate over which is the true ocean top predator (捕食者) has finally been put to bed，after scientists released the first-ever video study of killer whales hunting and killing great white sharks off the coast of South Africa.

This week scientists from Rhodes and Stellenbosch universities in South Africa released extended drone (无人机) and helicopter videos shot during the summer that provides unanswerable proof that killer whales use their famous pack hunting skills to catch and feed on the largest shark species.The videos shows three killer whales encircling and eventually killing a great white shark. Study authors say at least three sharks were killed by the small group during an hour-long hunt.

Killer whales have been recorded catching and feeding on other shark species and in 2019 videos appeared of a group killing a healthy adult blue whale estimated to measure between 18 and 22 meters in length.

“Their group hunting methods make them unbelievably effectivepredators,” said marine mammal specialist Simon Elwen,who co-authored the study.Weighing up to 9 tons and armed with large conical (圆锥形的) teeth，the killer whales’ impressive organ structure aids in battles against dangerous and oversized enemies.But it is intelligence and cooperative behavior that gives the species its real edge over the competitionThe so-called karate chop (空手道) is a favored technique in shark hunting,by which the whale will give powerful tail strikes to the head of the fish.Killer whales then turn over the shark onto its back，making the prey (猎物) inactive and defenseless.

Killer whales in different regions show preference for different prey animals, suggesting that some hunting techniques are learned behaviors passed down through the generations. Some communities prefer feeding on schools of salmon and herring while others might mainly target seals.

1. Which of the following was previously thought to be the real ocean top predators?

A．The seal.

B．The blue shark.

C．The killer whale.

D．The white shark.

2. Why does the author mention the videos in 2019?

A．To make comparisons.

B．To provide further proof.

C．To introduce the topic.

D．To explain the argument.

3. What does paragraph 4 mainly tell us?

A．The wisdom of killer whales.

B．The advantages killer whales have.

C．The body structure of killer whales.

D．The hunting techniques killer whales have.

4. What can we learn about killer whales from the last paragraph?

A．They live in groups.

B．They have the same taste.

C．They pass on habitats to their young.

D．They are born with great hunting skills.

4 . When 15-year-old Amy began working on her family’s farm in the early morning, she was greeted by a rare sight — an extremely large eagle with a broken leg. “He was _________ and trying to fly, which panicked me a little because he was the _________ of my sheepdog,” she said. “I’m seriously not a bird person. I can _________ cows that weigh nearly a ton but won’t go near a bird, I won’t even go near chickens.”

Seeing the bird _________ in trouble, Amy quickly called for help. _________ her own fear of birds, she was sad to see a local eagle hurt. “I rang my mum immediately. I couldn’t _________ him there. I felt really bad for him because he was all wet and cold,” Amy said.

Since the eagle was living in a nest on Amy’s farm, he has _________ the teenager. But _________ the rescuers from Wildlife Rescue South Coast arrived he gathered all of his _________ to give them a good chase, alert (警惕的) to the new people. Rescuer Amara Mohan immediately noticed the eagle had broken his leg, and after three hours of struggling he was finally __________ and eventually taken to Sydney’s Small Animal Specialist Hospital for a (an) __________. A pin and plate were put in his left __________, a delicate operation on such a small bone.

Ms. Mohan said that after the operation, the eagle was __________ well at Raptor Recovery Australia. “He is really bright; he’s using his right leg and putting more __________ on it now,” Ms. Mohan said. Amy hopes all is going well and the eagle can be returned to her family’s farm. “I’ve done a lot of __________ things on the farm—saving the eagle is one of them.” She said.

1.

A．defending

B．attacking

C．struggling

D．jumping

2.

A．size

B．name

C．shape

D．scent

3.

A．look into

B．look through

C．look after

D．look around

4.

A．exceptionally

B．obviously

C．absolutely

D．additionally

5.

A．Besides

B．Except

C．Despite

D．Beneath

6.

A．make

B．cure

C．treat

D．leave

7.

A．loved

B．trusted

C．attracted

D．threatened

8.

A．as far as

B．as long as

C．as soon as

D．as much as

9.

A．courage

B．power

C．force

D．energy

10.

A．caught

B．killed

C．hurt

D．injured

11.

A．relief

B．campaign

C．mission

D．operation

12.

A．arm

B．wing

C．leg

D．feather

13.

A．recovering

B．turning

C．controlling

D．arranging

14.

A．gravity

B．pressure

C．treatment

D．weight

15.

A．core

B．amusing

C．fantastic

D．unfortunate

5 . 每年的6月5日是“世界环境日”。你校拟举办“禁止瓶装水”活动，假定你是学生会主席李华，请写一封劝说信，呼吁同学们少买瓶装水，爱护环境。信的内容包括：
1.塑料瓶对环境的危害
2.建议同学们少买瓶装水
3.号召大家参加活动
注意：1.词数80左右；
2.开头和结尾已写好，不计入总词数。
Dear Friends,

We are writing this letter to raise your awareness of protecting our planet. You can help simply by participating in the No Bottled Water campaign.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Let's start now

Yours faithfully,

Li Hua

6 . The story of the most sustainable pair of jeans is also the story of a family whose members have dedicated their lives to denim innovation. It is the great-great-grandson of the family business founder who has brought Candiani and whole fashion industry to new heights by creating the first fully biodegradable stretch denim.

Alberto Candiani, the current owner of Candiani, created the first fully biodegradable jeans using a plant-based yarn obtained from natural rubber. Once the innovative denim came to life, a brand new pair of jeans was put to the test by being buried in forest land for six months. At the end of that period, Candiani’s team discovered the fibers had almost fully broken down. The new technology is called Coreva. “These garments are extremely durable, but at the end of their life, you could send them back to us and we recycle them, or you could fertilize your vegetables with them,” Alberto Candiani said.

Jeans generate an environmental impact that has become a real global challenge. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, it takes around 2000 gallons of water to make a typical pair of jeans. And during production, around 71 pounds of carbon dioxide are released. What’s more, most jeans are manufactured with stretch denim made with plastic, which can take hundreds of years to degrade.

But by creating a circular model in which fabrics are biodegradable at the end of their lifecycle, tons of garments can be prevented from ending up in landfills. Candiani has not only achieved this by going plastic-free, but the manufacturer has also reduced water use by 75 percent and the use of chemicals by 65 percent. Although Candiani creates a product that is about double the price of traditional denim due to the higher labor and more manufacturing costs involved, business is booming. Not only has the company tripled its production, but its motto of “the greenest mill in the blue world” is credible.

1. What is highlighted about Candiani in paragraph 1?

A．It is dedicated to clothing innovation.

B．It has the most sustainable pair of jeans.

C．It enters a new phase by creating greener fabrics.

D．Its founder’s taken the fashion industry to a new level.

2. What do we know about the innovative denim?

A．It can be reused to nourish plants.	B．It is made of recycled materials.
C．It uses Coreva to make it extremely durable.	D．It can last for six months under the forest land.

3. What’s the function of paragraph 3 in the passage?

A．To explain the possible reasons for global warming.

B．To show the bad effects of jeans on the environment.

C．To raise people’s awareness of environmental protection.

D．To emphasize the value of the new denim by contrast.

4. Which of the following can best describe Candiani’s innovation?

A．Doing a hard but thankless job.	B．Killing two birds with one stone.
C．Putting the cart before the horse.	D．Solving the problem one and for all.

7 . It’s a cold night, and strong winds are blowing atop a hill in southwest Uganda. The wind rattles the giant metal insect trap. A 400-watt bulb is fixed at its center. The light is blinding to human eyes, but it’s a magnet for local bush crickets.

Protein dense and full of iron, zinc, and other essential minerals, bush crickets, and edible insects in general, have been praised by the UNFAO as a “food source of the future”, key to establishing food security. That’s important in countries such as Uganda, where nearly half of the children and a third of women suffer greatly from poor nutrition due to food shortage.

The visitors, as they’re called locally, come together to mate and feed in huge swarms after each rainy season in the autumn and pring, when hundreds of people across the country set aside their day jobs to catch then. Salted and fried, the crickets are a delicacy in Uganda, sold for two dollars a bag at open-air markets, taxi parks, and roadsides. Now what once was a small-scale and personal harvest in Uganda has become an increasingly commercialized undertaking, with giant traps taking tons of the insects at a time to meet the growing demand. “You see how you enjoy a movie with popcorn? Me, it’s movie with crickets,” says one fan.

However, this month, it should be the middle of the autumn harvest in Uganda. Legend has it that the insects come from the moon, and tonight it’s full. Yet “we’ve got nothing,” says a cricket catcher and wholesaler. “Where are they?”

Decreasing catches suggest the problem is not just overharvesting. Logging to clear land for cash crops has destroyed much bush cricket habitat. And climate change is making the rainy seasons unpredictable, affecting the crickets’ swarming patterns. With so many problems accumulating, there is still a long way to go. Thus, scientists have to start from scratch.

1. What does paragraph 1 present to us?

A．A scene.

B．A view.

C．A plot.

D．A lifestyle.

2. Why are bush crickets considered so important in countries such as Uganda?

A．Because they are rich in essential minerals.

B．Because they can cure many different diseases.

C．Because they’re considered a symbol in local culture.

D．Because they can relieve hunger and ensure nutrition.

3. What does the underlined word “visitors” refer to in the third paragraph?

A．Tourists.	B．Crickets.
C．Local people	D．Cricket catchers

4. Why do scientists have to start from scratch?

A．Because the weather is unpredictable.

B．Because it’s a tricky problem to deal with.

C．Because it’s too late to save the bush crickets.

D．Because people’s awareness should be raised.

8 . There is new hope for the future of a population of endangered butterflies in the American state of California. Last year, a count of the orange-and-black Western monarchs reached a record low of about 1, 900. But this year, butterfly counters are reporting tens of thousands more Western monarchs. The insects live along California's central coast in winter.

The non-profit science group Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation carries out the official study every year. It just opened the first period of this year's count on November 13. But it says early reports are positive.

Sarina Jepsen is director of Endangered Species at Xerces Society. She says volunteer counters have reported the presence of as many as 50,000 monarchs in the last few weeks. Jepsen says the finding is "... not a recovery, but we're really optimistic and just really glad that there are monarchs here and that gives us a bit of time to work toward recovery of the Western monarch migration."

In the 1980s, millions of Western monarchs gathered in trees from northern California down to western Mexico. Now, their wintering sites are mostly on California's central coast.

Western monarch butterflies travel south from the Pacific Northwest to California each winter. They return to the same places and even the same trees, where they gather. The monarchs usually arrive in California' t the beginning of November. They spread across the country once warmer weather arrives in March.

The Western monarch-butterfly population has decreased by more than 99 percent since the 1980s. Scientists do not know why the population increased this year. But Jepsen said it is likely a combination of reasons, including better conditions on their breeding grounds (繁殖地). Pacific Grove, California, known as "Butterfly Town, USA"，has worked for years to help the decreasing monarch population. The city holds a parade to celebrate the butterflies every October. It also bans human interference with the monarchs. The crime carries a $ 1,000 fine.

Monarch butterflies lack state and federal legal protection that could keep their grounds from being destroyed. Last year, the butterflies failed to gain federal protection. But the insects are now among the candidates for listing under the federal Endangered Species Act.

1. What is probably the main idea of the passage?

A．Monarch butterflies migrated to western Mexico in the winter.

B．An official study was carried out to protect Monarch butterflies.

C．The population of Monarch butterflies is rising in California.

D．People have raised awareness of protecting Monarch butterflies.

2. Where do the Monarch butterflies live in winter now?

A．Northern California.	B．Central coast in California.
C．Western Mexico.	D．Across the country.

3. What can we learn from the passage?

A．Celebrations are held to promote the protection.

B．Humans should help Monarch with their migration.

C．Better conditions along the migration route have been provided.

D．Scientists have known the reasons for Monarch's increasing population.

4. What needs to be done according to the passage?

A．More human activities need to be involved.

B．Relative state and federal laws need to be passed.

C．Federal Endangered Species Act needs to be improved.

D．The grounds of Monarch butterflies need to be enlarged.