1 . I have worked as a keeper at the National Zoo, Paris for 11 years. Spot and Stripe are the first tiger cubs that have ever been born here. Globally, a third of Sumatran cubs in zoos don't make it to adulthood, so I decided to give them round-the-clock care at home.
I've got two children—the younger one, Kynan, was extremely happy about the tigers arriving - but all of us really looked forward to being part of their lives and watching them grow. I wasn't worried about bringing them into my home with my wife and kids. These were cubs. They weighed about 2.5 kg and were so small that there was absolutely no risk.
As they grew more mobile, we let them move freely around the house during the day, but when we were asleep we had to contain them in a large room, otherwise they'd get up to mischief. We'd come down in the morning to find they'd turned the room upside down, and left it looking like a zoo.
Things quickly got very intense due to the huge amount of energy required to look after them. There were some tough times and I just felt extremely tired. I was grateful that my family was there to help. We had to have a bit of a production line going, making up “tiger milk”, washing baby bottles, and cleaning the floors.
When Spot and Stripe were four months old, they were learning how to open doors and jump fences, and we knew it really was time for them to go. It was hard for us to finally part with them. For the first few days, Kynan was always a bit disappointed that the cubs weren't there.
I'm not sad about it. I'm hands-on with them every day at the zoo, and I do look back very fondly on the time that we had them.
1. Why did the author bring the tiger cubs home?| A．To ensure their survival. | B．To observe their differences. |
| C．To teach them life skills. | D．To let them play with his kids. |
| A．Behave badly. | B．Lose their way. | C．Sleep soundly. | D．Miss their mom. |
| A．Boring. | B．Tiring. | C．Costly. | D．Risky. |
| A．They frightened the children. | B．They became difficult to contain. |
| C．They annoyed the neighbours. | D．They started fighting each other. |
The first-ever online marketplace for allotments(菜地), AllotMe, has unveiled plans for rapid
Known as the “Airbnb for Gardens”, AllotMe has grown in popularity, with more than 100 hosts
“AllotMe
Conor adds that AllotMents 2.0 will focus on encouraging hosts to think about how the platform can enable
3 . The world produces around 359 million tons of plastics each year. Plastics are certainly a big problem, but they don’t necessarily have to be. There are many ways we could set plastics on a different lifecycle. One that I have been working on is turning plastics into a hardy, reliable and sustainable building material.
Most people believe that plastics recycling is severely limited: only a few types can be recycled at all. This is unsurprising. The proportion(比例)of plastics that are recycled is minimal. But all polymers(聚合物)are, technologically, recyclable. Some of them can be used again and again to produce the same goods. Some can technically be reprocessed into new materials for different applications.
The problem is that recycling much of this plastic waste is currently unprofitable. But the amount of these materials all over the world is large and keeps on growing. What if this plastic waste could be used to produce something useful to the society? Many universities and business people are attempting to do this. Most solutions target mixed plastic waste and suggest applications different from the original ones. For example, several groups have developed building materials made of plastic waste. Plastics are strong, durable, waterproof, lightweight and recyclable—all key properties for construction materials. So what if all of this plastic waste could be turned into building materials for low-income populations? Existing initiatives are promising, but not yet reproducible on an industrial scale.
I study plastic waste with the aim of finding interesting ways to remove it from the environment. From agricultural waste to concrete waste, mixed with recycled plastics, there are many ways to obtain materials to produce bricks and other useful elements for buildings. So perhaps plastics are not necessarily the problem. They can be part of a pathway towards a more sustainable way of living.
1. What’s people’s common belief about plastic recycling?| A．Almost all plastic waste can be reused. | B．The methods are quite limited. |
| C．Not many kinds of plastics are recyclable. | D．The amount is unbelievably large. |
| A．Plastic waste is on the decline globally. |
| B．Recycling plastics doesn’t make money now. |
| C．Plastic buildings have been largely constructed. |
| D．New applications of plastics haven’t been found. |
| A．They can resist water and won’t last long. |
| B．They can be reproduced in large quantity. |
| C．They satisfy the needs of low-income people. |
| D．They meet most demands of building materials. |
| A．Positive. | B．Anxious. |
| C．Doubtful. | D．Critical. |
4 . In December, an adult day center nurse in New York came to the rescue of her patient after deciding to adopt the dog he could no longer look after.
John Burley, 60, was a daily
Jennifer Smith knew
Now John Burley is a rehabilitation patient at the center. He is able to
“Once John was
“When he saw Jennifer and Boomer come around the corner, he just burst into tears and
| A．patient | B．victim | C．prisoner | D．shopper |
| A．studies | B．works | C．recovers | D．hides |
| A．terrifed | B．arrested | C．accused | D．hospitalized |
| A．unclearly | B．publicly | C．exactly | D．hurriedly |
| A．assessed | B．charged | C．received | D．paid |
| A．grabbing | B．shopping | C．searching | D．begging |
| A．spoiled | B．lazy | C．comfortable | D．frightened |
| A．make | B．receive | C．deny | D．pay |
| A．designed | B．shaped | C．become | D．considered |
| A．trapped | B．stationed | C．settled | D．recorded |
| A．harm | B．sight | C．service | D．touch |
| A．up to | B．far from | C．back to | D．up against |
| A．worked | B．looked | C．voted | D．reached |
| A．sharp | B．big | C．dry | D．teary |
| A．apologetic | B．sympathetic | C．loyal | D．grateful |
5 . British sculptor Jason Taylor has made it his mission to use his talent to conserve our ecosystems by creating underwater museums. Over the years, the environmentalist has put over 850 massive artworks underwater worldwide. On February 1, 2021, Taylor launched his latest work---The Underwater Museum of Cannes.
“The main goal was to bring attention to the fact that our oceans need our help,” Taylor told Dezeen. “Ocean ecologies have been destroyed by human activity in the Mediterranean over the past few decades, and it is not obvious what is taking place when observing the sea from afar.”
The Underwater Museum of Cannes contains 6 sculptures featuring local residents of various ages. They range from Maurice, an 80-year-old fisherman, to Anouk, a 9-year-old student. Towering over 6-feet-tall and weighing 10 tons, the faces are sectioned into two parts, with the outer part like a mask. The mask indicates that the world’s oceans appear powerful and unbeatable from the surface but house an ecosystem that is extremely fragile to careless human activities.
Though the waters surrounding the sculptures now appear a pristine blue, the seabed was filled with old boat engines, pipes, and other human-made trash when the project began about four years ago. Besides removing the trash, Taylor also restored the area’s seagrass. Just one square meter of the seagrass can generate up to 10 liters of oxygen daily. The seagrass also helps prevent coastal erosion and provides habitats for many ocean creatures.
“The idea of creating an underwater museum was to draw more people underwater and develop a sense of care and protection,” Taylor told Dezeen. “If we threw unwanted waste near a forest, there would be a public outcry. But this is happening every day in our surrounding waters and it largely goes unnoticed.”
1. What are the underwater museums intended to do?| A．To make huge profits. | B．To raise awareness of protecting the ocean. |
| C．To show Jason Taylor’s talent. | D．To draw attention to endangered sea animals. |
| A．To popularize the features of the locals. |
| B．To remind people to protect themselves. |
| C．To reflect people’s protection of the ocean. |
| D．To stress the sensitiveness of the ecosystem. |
| A．How the project was started. | B．How the seagrass was restored. |
| C．What recovery effort the project made. | D．Why the surroundings were improved. |
| A．The situation of the ocean is easily ignored. |
| B．The destruction caused to the ocean is noticeable. |
| C．Forests play a more important role in ecosystems. |
| D．People have zero tolerance to damage done to nature. |
6 . A Swedish company training crows to pick up litter in exchange for food, claims that its program could save communities a fortune in cleaning costs.
Teaching humans not to throw cigarette butts on the street has so far proven impossible, but a Swedish company claims it can teach crows to pick up after us and save local communities millions of dollars in cleaning fees every year. It teaches wild crows to do our dirty work through a step-by-step learning process by rewarding the birds with food for every cigarette butt they collect.
“They are easier to teach and there is also a higher chance of them learning from each other. At the same time, there’s a lower risk of them mistakenly eating any rubbish,” company founder, Hanssen, said. “They’re wild birds taking part in on a voluntary basis.”
Crows are among the smartest birds on Earth, and such training programs have proven successful several times in recent years. In fact, the company is so confident it can pull it off that it has expressed interest in testing it in on a larger scale, in the town of Södertälje.
Hanssen believes that the initiative could save the municipality(自治市)at least 75% of the costs involved with picking up cigarette butts, depending on how hard the crows work. If it proves successful, the company hopes that it will provide a permanent cleaning solution that can be used in other parts of the country and eventually nationwide.
The approach to litter cleaning has gotten positive feedback online, but there are those who think the fact that we can train crows to pick up cigarette bults, but we can’t get humans not to throw them away is hard to accept. Plus, there are the health problems of constantly exposing the birds to the cigarette butts.
1. What is the advantage of the program?| A．It can save food. | B．It can save money. |
| C．It helps protect birds. | D．It helps change people’s bad behavior. |
| A．They have a strong ability to learn. | B．They have a strong sense of smell. |
| C．They are good at collecting rubbish. | D．They are in large numbers in Sweden. |
| A．Only a few people support the program. |
| B．The program can do harm to the crows. |
| C．The company can get a fortune from the program. |
| D．The program has served as a cleaning solution nationwide. |
| A．Crows Learn to Exchange Food | B．Crows Are Good at Collecting Litter |
| C．Crows Are Trained to Pick Up Litter | D．Crows Begin to Feed on Cigarette Butts |
7 . The entire country struggled with the unprecedented heat of the July 2022 heatwave, but for the disabled, the heat hit even harder. The climate crisis is a threat to everyone’s health, but according toa report in 2021, people with disabilities are more vulnerable to the extreme weather events and natural disasters that result from the climate crisis.
Professor Kristie Ebi of the Centre for Health and the Global at the University of Washington, described the topic of heatwaves and disabled people as being an important issue. “Groups at higher risk during periods of high temperature include people with chronic(慢性的) medical conditions, people who take certain medications that can reduce the ability of the body to sweat, and the “disabled”, notes Ebi, going on to describe the different threats that heatwaves pose for different types of disabilities. Ebi notes the difficulty people with mobility issues or blindness may have with accessing services, such as cooling shelters, Ebi also comments on the importance of making messaging on the dangers of high temperatures accessible to those with learning disabilities or to deaf people,“ Some studies suggest higher rates of suicide and other mental health issues during heatwaves, requiring targeted help for those with mental disabilities,” she added.
Ailsa Speak, a disability and lifestyle blogger, experiences uncontrollable movements in the heat due to her cerebral palsy (脑瘫) “As you can imagine, when my involuntary movements increase, I get even hotter. It’s just a painful circle really.
In the absence of a concrete set of plans for people with disabilities during the climate crisis and extreme weather events, people with disabilities continue to be at increased risk of heat-related disease.
To prevent future death and destruction, the Climate Change Committee CCC), an independent organization tackling climate change, advocates for adaptation planning, as the temperature is set torise further due to the climate crisis and global warming. The CCC’s 2022 report on the health risks of overheating offers adaptation options to the government to ensure that buildings are fit for future climate change. Nevertheless, the publication does not offer specific advice about people with disabilities and overheating, which thus remains to be discussed promptly and thoroughly.
1. The underlined word “vulnerable” in Paragraph 1 possibly means| A．defensive | B．delicate | C．experienced | D．adaptable |
| A．Heatwaves make people with chronic diseases suffer most. |
| B．The mentally disabled have no access to cooling shelter. |
| C．Some disabled people are ill-informed about the risks of heatwaves. |
| D．Mobility disability contributes to higher risk of suicide in the heatwaves. |
| A．To share a disabled blogger’s painful life. |
| B．To show what a terrible disease cerebral palsy is. |
| C．To illustrate the trouble the disabled have in the heat. |
| D．To prove the never-before-seen highs in temperature. |
| A．stress the urgent need to care for the disabled in the heat |
| B．suggest methods of helping the disabled in heatwaves |
| C．tell readers how severe the July 2022 heatwave was |
| D．introduce adaptation alternatives for future buildings |
8 . A little knowledge and a few measures can enormously increase your chances of surviving an earthquake. The keys are education and preparing in advance. The earthquake safety tips below will not make you an expert.
During the earthquake
If you are indoors, quickly move to a safe location in the room such as in the bathroom or along an inner wall.
If you are cooking, turn off the stove and take cover.
After the earthquake
Check for injuries, attend to injuries if needed, and help ensure the safety of people around you.
If the power is out, unplug（拔掉插头）major appliances to prevent possible damage when the power is turned back on.
| A．If not, turn off electricity at the breaker. |
| B．Then you will be ready for the fast action needed. |
| C．If you are driving, slow down smoothly and stop on the side of the road. |
| D．Make sure that you are located near the structural strong points of the room. |
| E．Most earthquakes are over in seconds, so try to escape as quickly as possible. |
| F．However, they could make a life-saving difference in an earthquake situation. |
| G．If you are outdoors, move to an open area where falling objects are unlikely to strike you. |
Every year, Tia Vargas and her dad go hiking: this summer’s trip was up Table Rock in the Grand Tetons in early July. Vargas was just below the 11, 000-foot peak with her dad waiting about a mile down the trail (路线) when she ran into a family of hikers who had found an injured English springer spaniel (斯宾格猎犬).
They couldn’t find the limping (跛的) pup’s owner and, because the family were hiking with kids, Vargas figured it would be easier for her to carry the pup to safety.
“I had to crawl under him to get him up on my shoulders,” Vargas, a single mother of three from Idaho Falls, Idaho, tells MNN. “I felt the difficulty of it right away. I never felt 55 pounds like that before.” Vargas soon ran into her dad, Ted Kasper, who snapped some photos when he saw his daughter coming down the trail with a dog on her shoulders. “Dad laughed and said. ‘Isn’t this hike hard enough? You have to carry a dog too?’” Vargas recalls. “My dad makes me laugh. He is such a great man.”
That sense of humor helped Vargas get through the hard journey of carrying the heavy dog down the steep trail, she says. The trip was hard and nearly unbearable at times. “Every time I put him down to rest, it was difficult. And every time I got down on my knees to put my head under his belly and try to use neck and body strength to lift him it was painful and difficult. I thought we would see people on the trail on the way down to help. But that wasn’t the case.” she says.
Paragraph 1:
The group of three got lost once because of the fallen trees that made the trail disappear.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:
Finally hiking six miles and reaching the bottom of the trail, Vargas found a very small note that said, “Lost dog named Boomer, call this number.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
1. What damage have the dirt and rocks done?
| A．They have buried houses. |
| B．They have covered up cars. |
| C．They have knocked over people. |
| A．By Friday afternoon. |
| B．By Saturday evening. |
| C．By Sunday evening. |
| A．By going to the police station. |
| B．By telling the weather reporter. |
| C．By calling a special phone number. |
| A．The government. | B．Their neighbors. | C．The news reporters. |
