1 . “If the world ends one day, these collections will bring hope of a new beginning to life on Earth,” said Li Pei, a staff member at the Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, or GBOWS, in Yunnan province.

Founded in 2007, GBOWS is a research and preservation facility for rare and endangered plants and animals. It is the largest in Asia in terms of species.

According to China Daily, GBOWS has preserved 85,046 seed types from 10,601 species and 60,262 biosamples of 2,203 wild animal species and domestic animal breeds.

“The number of seed accessions is close to that of the world’s biggest seed bank — the Millennium Seed Bank in the United Kingdom,” Li said.

With two in five plant species at risk of extinction, she said it is a race against time to protect the nation’s incredible plant life.

So how does the bank work? Scientists collect endangered and useful wild species and send them to the seed bank. For future study, collectors have to record details of the plant, including where it was found, its size and the number of individual plants in the habitat.

Once the seeds arrive at GBOWS, they’re dried and preserved in a room with 15 percent humidity. Next, they’re cleaned and separated from pieces. After that, X-rays confirm that the seeds are undamaged and no insects are hidden inside. The seeds are then frozen, stored in glass bottles and placed in huge freezers at -20℃ for long-term storage. Each container has a barcode that can be scanned to enable scientists to view information about the seeds inside.

The bank in Yunnan works with international partners on collecting backup (备份) samples, exchanges and research. It holds 2,176 sets of seeds from 45 countries and regions, with each set containing thousands of individual seeds.

“As China has rich and unique biological resources, we aim to further enhance our collections and conduct deeper research, in expectation of contributing more to biodiversity conservation, not only in China but the world,” Li Pei said.

1. What does the underlined word “extinction” mean in Paragraph 4?

A．Disappearance.

B．Collection.

C．Movement.

D．Development.

2. How does GBOWS work for the seeds?

A．The seeds are kept in containers made of plastic.

B．The seeds are put under very hot and wet condition.

C．The seeds are dried before being cleaned and separated.

D．The seeds are confirmed just by human eyes to ensure their healthy condition.

3. Which of the following statements is an accurate description of GBOWS?

A．2176 seeds are held in it.

B．All the seeds held in it are from China.

C．Only endangered wild species are collected in it.

D．Its number of seeds is close to the Millennium Seed Bank’s.

4. According to the passage, what is Li Pei’s attitude about GBOWS?

A．Indifferent.

B．Disappointed.

C．Hopeful.

D．Critical.

2 . Growing up, Danielle Belleny was always outdoors, picking up insects and investigating the animal world on her own. She hadn’t yet heard of wildlife biology, but that’s what she was learning about. She wanted to be a vet, a person who can treat sick or injured animals, at first. She said, “I always knew I wanted to work with animals, and as a kid，that was the only job I knew where I could do that.” But when Belleny was in college, her dad advised her to learn wildlife biology instead of veterinary.

Later, Belleny started working on research projects. One project involved placing trackers on a bird called the northern bobwhite. For another, she spent time herding goats, as a way to protect a grass habitat for endangered box turtles (龟) without hurting them.

Belleny’s working at Plateau Land &. Wildlife Management. “In the mornings, I’m usually out the door before sunrise,” she says. She surveys birds, keeping track of different species. And she searches for signs of what other animals in the area are doing. Around lunchtime, she’ll return home and write up a report. In the afternoon, she leaves for another site visit. Landowners can request her services. She advises people on how to protect the wildlife that lives on their farm. Her work takes her all around Texas.

Outside of work, young Belleny has been bird-watching for seven years. Her first book This Is a Book for People Who Love Birds was published in May, 2022. Now she’s working on a children’s book about birding, which is scheduled to come out in fall 2023. Belleny has some advice for young people thinking about careers. “Try everything you’re interested in through books and libraries. If you’re into wildlife biology, go to a library and find some field guides. After learning much information, you can do research work more easily.

1. What did Belleny want to do at the very beginning?

A．Working as a vet.	B．Protecting wildlife.
C．Watching birds daily.	D．Looking after goats.

2. What does Paragraph 3 mainly talk about concerning Belleny?

A．Her field work.	B．Her link with animals.
C．Her research reports.	D．Her services to farmers.

3. What does Belleny advise the young to do?

A．Love nature and animals.	B．Make good use of libraries.
C．Write more animal books.	D．Go into biological research.

4. What can we learn from the Belleny’s story?

A．Curious minds never feel satisfied.	B．It pays off to put theory into practice.
C．Interest is the best teacher in your life.	D．Career choices should be made earlier.

3 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下对话。
1. What is the first cause of fires mentioned?

A．Wars.

B．Terrorism.

C．Carelessness.

2. What does the speaker say about wet hay?

A．It is easy to store.

B．It is more likely to start fires.

C．It gives off harmful gases.

3. When did the big fire happen in London?

A．In the 1600s.

B．In the 1700s.

C．In the 1800s.

4. Which city burned in 64 AD?

A．Rome.

B．Moscow.

C．Munich.

4 . Imagine being able to pop to your local park and pick some tomatoes, potatoes or even bananas to take home for dinner. Sounds too good to be true, right? For residents of Andernach, German, it’s not just a dream—it’s their reality.

In 2010, Andernach began its edible(可食用的)city project, planting 101 varieties of tomatoes in public green spaces around the city centre. Its 30,000 residents are free to help themselves to whatever grows, as are any other visitors.   The town’s motto of sorts is “Picking is encouraged—help yourself!” Every year a new type of plant is highlighted. In 2011, 100 types of beans were planted, while 2012saw the introduction of 20 onion varieties.

It’s a community effort, as local citizens are encouraged to help plant and maintain the gardens. This offers an opportunity to socialise as well as to learn about planting, cultivating and harvesting food.

An Andernach resident spoke to DW,“I often drop by to pick some herbs that I’m missing at home. Everything is easily accessible. There aren’t any fences. You just take what you need. The only thing is that you have to be quick once the fruits are ripe or they’ll all be gone!”

Andernach may have been the first in German, but it isn’t the only edible city. It’s part of the Edible Cities Network, a project funded by European Union to connect green urban foot initiatives around the world. Other cities include Carthage in Tunisia, Havana in Cuba and Sempeter-Vrtojba in Slovenia. In February 2022, the first Edible Cities Network Conference took place. Dr Ina Saumel, principal investigator of the Edible Cities Network, called it “a unique opportunity to invite researchers of edible city solutions and practitioners to the same table.”

Ultimately, the Edible Cities Network aims to give people “greener, more edible and, above all, more livable cities.” It is a response to the pressures of global climate change, and a significant cause full of hope.

1. What can residents do in public green spaces according to the edible city project?

A．Sell the produce they grow there.

B．Learn knowledge about planting.

C．Grow whatever plant as they like.

D．Pay to pick some vegetables there.

2. Which words can best describe the edible city project in Andernach?

A．Novel and popular.	B．Creative and costly.
C．Common and fundamental.	D．Rare and unacceptable.

3. What can we know about the Edible Cities Network from Dr Ina Saumel’s words?

A．Andernach is the only city to carry it out.

B．European Union originally established it.

C．It helps combine theories with practices.

D．It invites people to share meals together.

4. What is the purpose of the Edible Cities Network?

A．To help residents relieve their pressure.

B．To involve residents in urban planting.

C．To increase the produce supply in cities.

D．To create environmentally friendly cities.

5 . In 1960 Jane Goodall, a British primatologist (灵长类动物学家), observed chimpanzees in Gombe National Park in Tanzania. At that point, it was thought only humans had the capacity to create and use tools, but the chimpanzees were using thin leaves of grass to fish termites (白蚁) from their mounds (土堆).

Since then the distinction between animals and humans has become less obvious. In addition to tool making, chimpanzees — and many other animals besides — display emotion and self-awareness. Studies show that elephants feel sad and rats have empathy. In “The Creative Life of Animals” Carol Gigliotti, a professor in Vancouver, has compiled (汇编) research that examines such behaviour through the lens of creativity.

This requires a more generous definition of creativity. Ms Gigliotti suggests considering creativity from the animal’s point of view instead of human’s. “If animals in their own cultures can solve problems or create products of value to them, it seems accurate to consider these as creative,” she writes.

Beaver lodges (海狸窝) are a case in point: there is no single model for their construction. Each river or lake has its unique features and beavers create a custom-made structure to adapt to the given habitat — so, in Ms Gigliotti’s opinion, lodges deserve to be considered a creative activity.

Though seemingly a book about creativity, the author frequently turns to discuss animal emotion and intelligence. She argues that animal personality is not limited to primate, dogs or cats, but also many other animals including ants, fish and mice.

The book makes its strongest case when advocating a revision of how to think about, and act towards, animals. Ms Gigliotti points out that humans are only one of millions of species on Earth. She suggests that animals are individuals with complicated and creative lives of their own.

1. What did Jane Goodall find during her observation?

A．Chimpanzees liked to play with termites.

B．Only humans had the capacity to use tools.

C．The animal could use simple tools to get food.

D．There was no distinction between humans and animals.

2. What do we know about “The Creative Life of Animals”?

A．It is a fiction book.

B．It is written by Jane Goodall.

C．It is about the life of chimpanzees.

D．It offers a new insight into animals.

3. What does the author intend to do in paragraph 4?

A．Add some background information.

B．Summarize the previous paragraphs.

C．Provide an example to support ideas.

D．Introduce a new topic for discussion.

4. What might Ms Gigliotti agree with?

A．Creativity is unique to human beings.

B．Animals deserve human’s recognition.

C．Humans are the master of the universe.

D．Small animals don’t possess personalities.

6 . 选词填空

A. poisoned     B. destruction     C. survived     D. increased     E. especially F. chemicals     G. concern     H. decline     I. occasionally     J. sensitive     K.extinction

More recent research has shown that many kinds of amphibians(两栖动物) are declining or have become extinct. Amphibians are animals, such as frogs, that live partly in water and partly on land. And they have been around for over 350 million years. They have     1     three mass extinctions, including the     2     of the dinosaurs. Why are they dying out now?

The most serious aspect of amphibian loss, however, goes beyond the amphibians themselves. Scientists are beginning to think about what amphibian     3     means for the planet as a whole. If the earth is becoming unlivable for amphibians, is it also becoming unlivable for other kinds of animals and human beings as well?

Scientists now believe that amphibian decline is due to several environmental factors. One of these factors is the     4     of habitat, the natural area where an animal lives. Amphibians are very     5     to changes in their habitat. If they cannot find the right conditions, they will not lay their eggs. These days, as wild areas are covered with houses, roads, farms, or factories, many kinds of amphibians are no longer laying eggs.

There are a number of other factors in amphibian decline. Pollution is one of them. In many industrial areas, air pollution has     6     the rain, which then falls on ponds and kills the frogs that live there. In farming areas, the heavy use of     7     on crops has also killed off amphibians. Another factor is that air pollution has led to    8     levels of ultraviolet (UV) light. This endangers amphibians, which seem to be     9     sensitive to UV light.

All these reasons for the disappearance of amphibians are also good reasons for more general     10     . These factors affect human beings, too.

7 . An exhibition of vivid photographs and a restored documentary give fresh insight into the Antarctic explorer, who died a century ago.

One hundred years ago, the leader of the last great expedition of the heroic age of polar exploration died from a heart attack as his ship, Quest, headed for Antarctica. The announcement of the death of Ernest Shackleton on 30 January 1922 was greeted with an outpouring of national grief.

This was the man, after all, who had saved the entire crew of his ship Endurance — which had been crushed and sunk by ice in 1915 — by making a daring trip in a tiny open boat over 750 miles of polar sea to raise the alarm at a whaling station in South Georgia.

It remains one of the greatest rescue stories of modern history and led to the idolising of Shackleton in the United Kingdom, a reputation that survived undamaged for the rest of the century. As his contemporary Raymond Priestley, the geologist and Antarctic explorer, later put it: “When disaster strikes and all hope is gone, get down on your knees and pray for Shackleton.”

And here and now in 2022, his death is being marked with an elaborately illustrated exhibition — Shackleton’s legacy and the power of early Antarctic photography — which opens at the Royal Geographical Society (RGS), and which includes a range of images and artefacts from his expeditions. Additionally, a digitally remade version of South, a documentary film of Shackleton’s 1914-16 Endurance expedition, is being screened at the British Film Institute.

The film and most of the exhibition’s finest images are the handiwork of Frank Hurley, who sailed with Shackleton and who was one of the 20th century’s greatest photographers and film-makers. Both film and exhibition feature striking camera work and provide vivid accounts of the hardships that Shackleton and his men endured as they headed off to explore Antarctica.

Even after he survived the great expedition, he still longed for another trip to Antarctica, and after long negotiations set sail in Quest, from England, with the aim of circumnavigating (环航) Antarctica, Shackleton was by now very ill and had suffered at least one heart attack. On 2 January 1922, he wrote in his diary: “I grow old and tired but must always lead on.” Three days later he had a major heart attack and died a few hours later. He is buried on South Georgia, scene of his greatest triumph.

“Shackleton was an inspirational leader. He had an innate sense of what was possible and achievable. He also had a huge personality but led by example. At the same time, he was sensitive to the needs of the individuals he was leading. For example, after Endurance broke up, his men had lost their protection and shelter. Their social fabric had been destroyed. There would have been disagreement. Yet Shackleton succeeded in keeping them together and made sure they survived.”

1. People were overcome with grief when Ernest Shackleton died because          .

A．it was a huge pity that such a brave explorer should have died from a heart attack

B．he was the man that wrote about one of the greatest rescue stories of modern history

C．he came to his entire crew’s rescue and symbolised hope in extreme circumstances

D．there was no one to pray to anymore when disaster came and there was no hope

2. What can we learn about the exhibition?

A．It presents Shackleton’s 1914-16 Endurance expedition with powerful Antarctic photos.

B．It celebrates the 100th anniversary of the great explorer Ernest Shackleton’s birth.

C．It consists of vivid photographs, artefacts, and documentaries of Ernest Shackleton.

D．It is created by Frank Hurley, who witnessed Shackleton’s heroic acts with his own eyes.

3. Which of the following is NOT true about Ernest Shackleton according to the passage?

A．He was the leader of a heroic exploration to the South pole, who died from a heart attack off shore.

B．He saved the crew members of the sunken Endurance by travelling to raise the alarm in a tiny boat.

C．He is universally recognised as the greatest Antarctic explorer who has enjoyed enduring fame.

D．He was inspirational, practical, responsible, sensitive towards his men, but had a strong character.

4. What does “Their social fabric had been destroyed. ” in the last paragraph most probably mean?

A．What they wore would not be accepted by others upon returning.

B．They could no longer socialise with others even if they went back.

C．The ship could not keep them together even if they survived.

D．They could not function socially as they had when there was shelter.

8 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。续写的词数应为150左右。

One day my dad came back home in his truck and there was a cage in the back. Naturally I was curious, so I went towards the truck when I noticed that there was a small little goat that wasn’t even an adult yet.

I asked my dad and he said that he bought the goat from his friend and he was going to kill it twenty minutes after he brought it home so that we would have a big meal.

My sister was there too and she was strongly for my view. We found out we got really mad at my dad and told him not to kill it. After about 10 minutes of complaining we finally convinced my dad not to kill it because we told him that there was no reason for him to kill the goat himself when he could just buy goat meat at a store.

My parents know some friends that we visit sometimes and their family really likes animals so we decided to give it to them. For about a month, they had the goat as a pet and they also had the same problems as we had because the dad wanted to kill it and eat it but the rest of the family didn’t want it to die.They also were able to persuade him not to do so. They ended up sending the goat to a family member’s farm where it would grow up happily.

Another thing that has happened to influence my belief is that I have a neighbor that really likes hunting.   One day he hunted a deer and brought the body home, but he decided to leave it outside his house for everyone to see. He just left it there as if it were some kind of award that he just won. Sadly little kids started to make fun of the body and pretended to ride on it. They laughed at it and felt no problem with there being a dead deer just laying.

Paragraph 1：

I felt sick by what was happening and left because of what I had just witnessed._

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2：

It amazes me how we have changed from hunting to survive to hunting for sport._

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What does Brian Kane do?

A．A truck driver.

B．A rubbish collector.

C．A professional climber.

2. Why did he ask for leave on his 30th birthday?

A．To visit Nepal.

B．To volunteer on Mount Qomolangma.

C．To go to the top of Mount Qomolangma.

3. How did Brian feel when he saw the rubbish pile at Camp Four?

A．Extremely upset.

B．Indifferent.

C．Very excited.

4. Which can accurately describe Brian Kane’s behaviour?

A．Brave and hardworking.

B．Unwise and pointless.

C．Without common sense.

10 . The world’s most breathtaking clifftop hotels

Angama Mara, Kenya

Perched 1, 000 feet above the Maasai Mara, Angama Mara is on the edge of the Great Rift Valley. The site served as a location for the 1985 film “Out of Africa. “ Guests can expect top-quality game viewing, including Africa’s Big Five, every month of the year, both on game drives and on walking safaris. Amenities include a photography studio, fitness center, an art gallery, a 40-foot-long swimming pool and a studio.

Angama Mara: Suswa Mara Triangle, Kenya; +254 730 630630

Monastero Santa Rosa Hotel & Spa, Amalfi Coast, Italy

Formerly a monastery dating back to the 17th century, the family-run Monastero Santa Rosa clings to the side of a cliff overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea and Gulf of Salerno. With 20 rooms, it has an infinity pool, five tiers of landscaped gardens and a Michelin-starred restaurant. The spa is the best on the Amalfi Coast and features treatments using local herbs and plants.

Monastero Santa Rosa Hote1& Spa: Via Roma, 2, 84010 Conca dei Marini SA, Italy; +39 089 832 1199

Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort, AI Jabal Al Akhdar, Nizwa, Oman

Towering 6, 000 feet above sea level on the curving rim of a canyon, Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar overlooks Oman’s mountainous landscape. It’s an area that Prince Charles and the late Diana, Princess of Wales, visited in 1986. The resort has 115 rooms, a cliff-edge infinity pool, six restaurants and lounges and a spa. Guests can hike through valleys, mountain bike or visit ancient mountainside villages and nearby historic sites.

Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort: No 110, Al Jabal Al Akhdar, Nizwa 621, Oman; +968 25 218000

1. Where will you go if you are interested in walking safaris?

A．Suswa Mara Triangle, Kenya.

B．Tyrrhenian Sea and Gulf of Salerno.

C．No 110, Al Jabal Al Akhdar, Nizwa 621, Oman.

D．Via Roma, 2, 84010 Conca dei Marini SA, Italy.

2. What do the three hotels have in common?

A．Each of the three hotels has a large pool.

B．Each of the three hotels has an art gallery.

C．All of the three hotels are visited by Prince and Princess.

D．All of the three hotels are famous for the spa using herbs.

3. Where does the passage most likely come from?

A．A fiction.

B．A textbook.

C．A history book.

D．A tourist guidebook.