1. 举出人类活动引发的灾害的实例；
2. 提出一些必要的防范措施；
3. 发出倡议，号召大家行动起来拯救地球。
注意:
1. 词数100左右；
2. 开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
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2 . Would you know what to do during a big earthquake? Scientists have some advice for us.
If the ground begins shaking while you are driving stop your car on the roadside and stay in it. If you are in a tall building, don’t use the lift and never jump out of the windows. When you are in a living room, find a strong table or rush into a smaller room like washroom. Then lie down your body. Take care of your head. When you are in a public place, like supermarket or cinema don’t crowding jam (拥挤), or you may fall over and get hurt. Cross your arms to protect yourself . You can also find a place to hide.
After the main shake quickly run out of the dangerous building for there will be small earthquakes. If you are safe, remember not to engage the phone line, keep it free for rescue (援救) using. Don’t go to the hospital if you are not badly hurt, others will really need help. Take part in the rescue action if you can.
1. What should people do if they are driving when an earthquake happens?| A．Drive on quickly. | B．Take care of the car. |
| C．Stop the car on the roadside. | D．Jump out of the windows. |
| A．Because people can lie down easily. |
| B．Because people may get help quickly. |
| C．Because it can help avoid falling over. |
| D．Because it can help find a place to hide. |
| A．占用 | B．触摸 | C．接通 | D．修理 |
| A．Try to help the others if you can. |
| B．Stay in the dangerous building after the main shake |
| C．Go to a doctor even though you are not badly hurt. |
| D．Keep making phone calls to tell your family that you are safe. |
| A．after the main shake | B．while the main shake |
| C．before the main shake | D．before the small shake |
3 . One day when Jack was walking in the park, he saw a woman, who lived a few miles away, sitting on a bench (凳子) with a dog beside her. The dog was looking up at the woman.
Jack walked up to the woman and said, “Hello, Sue how are you? May I sit and talk with you for a while?” “Of course, please sit down,” Sue said. Jack sat down next to Sue on the bench, and they talked quietly together. The dog continued to look up at Sue as if waiting to be fed.
“That’s a nice dog, isn’t he?” Jack said pointing at the animal.
“Yes, he is. He’s handsome. He’s a bit of a mixture but that’s not a bad thing. He’s strong and healthy.”
“And hungry,” Jack said.
“He hasn’t taken his eyes off you. He thinks you’ve got some food for him.”
“That’s true.” Sue said.
“But I haven’t.”
They both laughed and then Jack said, “Does your dog bite (咬人)?”
“No,” Sue said. “He’s never bitten anyone. He’s always gentle and friendly.”
Hearing this, Jack decided to hold out his hand and touched the animals head. Suddenly it jumped up and bit him.
“Hey!” Jack shouted. “ You said your dog didn’t bite.”
Sue replied in surprise, “Yeah, I did. But this is not my dog. My dog’s at home.”
1. The dog looked at the woman because ________.| A．the woman wanted to feed him | B．the woman was friendly |
| C．he was strong and healthy | D．he was hungry |
| A．friends | B．next-door neighbors |
| C．strangers | D．in the same family |
| A．the dog was handsome | B．Sue’s dog was unfriendly |
| C．the dog was Sue’s | D．Sue’s dog was at home |
| A．Sue gave a wrong answer | B．Jack made a mistake |
| C．Jack known the dog well | D．The dog waited for the food |
| A．he didn’t took food | B．he didn’t know him |
| C．he didn’t take his dog | D．the dog didn’t find his master |
4 . Gorillas (大猩猩) in films such as King Kong and Tarzan are wildly beating their chests when under threat. Researchers have tried to find out what the behavior might mean, and they doubt that the gorillas exhibit this behavior not to start fights, but to prevent themselves — and chest-beating could be used to advertise (展示) their body size to other gorillas.
Scientists observed 25 wild male mountain gorillas for over 3,000 hours. The research team used audio (音频) equipment to record the sound frequency (频率), rate, duration, and amount of chest beats. To determine each gorilla’s size, the researchers used cameras to photogragh and measure each gorilla’s back.
Although the rate, duration, and amount of beats did not correlate (相关) with the size of the gorillas, sound frequency did , the researchers report. The team also noticed that larger gorillas produced deeper-tone chest drumming. Previous research has shown that a gorilla’s larger body size is linked to reproductive success and social rank (地位). The chest-beating could be a way for the gorillas to advertise their size to others and, in turn, avoid fights that could result in serious injury or death.
Though gorillas can obviously observe size just by getting a good look at others, the researchers suggest chest beating is copper-bottomed when trying to communicate through a thick forest. The sounds gorillas created by beating their chests are powerful enough to travel long distance through thick forests and signal others their size and fighting ability.
Animal expert Anna Nekaris says it would be interesting to see if smaller gorillas can imitate the deep tones of larger ones in future studies. Nekaris says, “For now, the researchers will continue to study chest-beating to see if the action can pass on other information, such as dominance rank (优势等级), sex, and individual identity, to nearby gorillas.”
1. What is the second paragraph mainly about according to the research?| A．Its fingdings. | B．Its method. | C．Its samples. | D．Its purpose. |
| A．To declare war on other gorillas. | B．To celebrate their victory in a fight. |
| C．To welcome their companions. | D．To frighten other gorillas away. |
| A．Scientific. | B．Interesting. | C．Reliable. | D．Skillful. |
| A．If smaller gorillas can make deep-toned chest drumming. |
| B．If gorillas’ chest-beating contains other information. |
| C．If larger gorillas are better at using their body influence. |
| D．If gorilas have other communication skills. |
| A．Health. | B．Entertainment. | C．Science. | D．Sports. |
5 . Getting rid of(丢弃) old tyres(轮胎) has long been a problem. Every year many tyres are thrown. Some of the ways might be better than getting rid of them, but they are not especially green.
Energy recovery(回收利用) is one common way. This includes burning tyres to produce electricity, or as a way to provide heat for other industrial processes. But that produces planet-warming pollution. Tyres can be whole or broken in construction projects, such as repairing roads. There are, however, worries about chemicals from the tyres coming out and polluting the ground.
So some companies have begun exploring another pleasing idea. Since tyres are mostly made from hydrocarbons(碳氢化合物), it should be possible in principle to turn old tyres into environmentally friendly materials which can be used to run some cars they came from. One of the most thoughtful companies is based in Oslo, Norway. Later this year the company will start building a huge tyre-reused factory in Sunderland in northeastern England. In a couple of years, when the factory is fully operational, it will be able to turn 8 million old tyres into new products.
The process works by dividing a tyre into its three main parts. One is steel, which is used to support the structure of a tyre and which can be easily reused. The second is powder used to improve the continuous use of the tyre. The third is rubber. Some of that will be natural rubber from the rubber trees. The carbon black can be reused to make new tyres. That is of interest to tyre makers because it helps efforts to become carbon neutral(碳中和).
1. What is the disadvantage of energy recovery of tyres mentioned in the text?| A．It is unpractical. | B．It produces pollution. |
| C．It costs a lot. | D．It produces less electricity. |
| A．By giving an example. | B．By making questions. |
| C．By following time order. | D．By comparing differences. |
| A．Costly. | B．Useful. | C．Dangerous. | D．Short-lived. |
| A．Tyres can be divided into three parts |
| B．A company built a tyre-reused factory |
| C．Energy recovery can deal with old tyres |
| D．Old tyres can become environmentally friendly materials |
6 . Wildlife biologist Purnima Devi Barman remembers the first time she ever saw the nest of a greater adjutant stork (秃鹳) in a tree near her grandmother’s home. Her grandmother would tell her stories about birds and animals under the tree. The love for the natural world developed in those years led Barman to devote her life to saving the endangered greater adjutant stork.
Known as the Hargila in Assam, the greater adjutant stork is the second-rarest stork in the world. Unlike pandas or lions, whose attractive appearances help gain widespread support for their protection, these tall, bald, clumsy birds meet with bias in conservation campaigns.
“Hargilas also bear a reputation of bringing bad luck,” says Barman. “What was the point of writing my paper on them if there was no way of actually saving these birds? I had to start with changing the misconception.”
Not one to shy away from a challenge, Barman put her PhD on hold and set to work. “I started engaging with the women in the village. In our experience, educating and securing the participation of women ensures that the learning passes on to the next generation,” Barman says.
Today, around 400 women have been trained to work on conserving this rare bird. The group’s activities include awareness-building in schools and plantation drives in which 45,000 trees were planted to support the stork’s future populations.
A key component allowing Barman to successfully integrate conservation efforts into the village cultural life was her idea of building related livelihoods. Weaving (纺织) is a long-standing craft in Assam, so Barman created a self-help group employing women to weave stork patterns on textiles. This innovative idea was highlighted at the UN Champion of the Earth Awards she won in 2022.
Currently the number of greater adjutant nests in Assam’s Kamrup district has grown from 28 in 2010 to more than 250. The once unlucky stork is now a symbol of community pride, its pictures appearing on bags, blankets and celebration decorations.
1. What motivated Barman to save the greater adjutant stork?| A．Her interest in observing nests. | B．Her passion for doing research. |
| C．Her love for nature from childhood. | D．Her grandmother’s encouragement. |
| A．Prejudice. | B．Support. | C．Danger. | D．Success. |
| A．The stork is common in appearance. | B．The stork was believed to be unlucky. |
| C．She had not finished her paper for PhD. | D．She lacked experience in wildlife conservation. |
| A．By creating related jobs. | B．By teaching women to weave. |
| C．By planting trees in the village. | D．By advertising local products. |
It is not every day that scientists explore a beautifully protected ancient forest deep inside a sinkhole (落水洞).
Such a
The sinkhole also had other plants
Apart from being deep, the sinkhole is 306 metres long
The scientists said the forest was an ancient woodland and it had probably never been disturbed (打扰) by human activity. These types
China is home to the world’s deepest sinkhole, Xiaozhai Tiankeng, which is 662 metres deep and was
In the Bahamas, Dean’s Blue Hole is another sinkhole famous for
8 . The levees (防洪堤) that protect New Orleans held up against Hurricane Ida’s fury (猛烈), passing their first big test since Hurricane Katrina that struck 16 years ago. The government spent billions of dollars to upgrade the city’s levee system which had failed before Katrina. But the effort couldn’t spare some neighboring communities from Ida’s terrible storm surge (风暴潮).
Many people living in LaPlace, located 25 miles west of New Orleans, had to be rescued from rising floodwaters. Marcie Jacob Hebert ran away before Ida. But she has no doubt that the storm flooded her LaPlace home. Her house didn’t flood during Katrina. But it took on nearly two feet of water during Hurricane Isaac in 2012. “We didn’t have these problems until everybody else’s levees worked,” said Hebert, 46. “It may not be the only cause, but I sure do think it makes a difference.”
Gov. John Bel Edwards said a recent survey of levees across Louisiana showed they did exactly what they were for and held the water out. “We don’t believe there is a single levee anywhere now that actually broke or failed. There were only a few smaller levees in New Orleans that failed,” Edwards said.
After Katrina, the government spent $14.5 billion on projects designed to improve protection from storm surge and flooding in New Orleans and nearby areas. The system is a 130-mile ring built to hold out storm surge of about 30 feet. In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina produced a storm surge that flooded about four-fifths of the city, causing over 1,800 deaths.
Work recently began on a levee project to protect LaPlace and other communities outside New Orleans’ levee system. That project will be completed in 2024.
“I’m glad they’re building us a levee, but I worry about what happens to the next group further to the west,” Hebert said. “The water has got to go somewhere no matter how many levee systems are built. We can’t just keep moving it from person to person, place to place.”
1. What is the reason for the flooding in LaPlace according to Hebert?| A．Heavy rainfall. | B．Weather change. | C．Levees breaking. | D．Nearby levees. |
| A．It costs too much. | B．It may cause danger. |
| C．It is generally satisfying. | D．It badly needs improvements. |
| A．Provide some helpful suggestions. | B．Offer some background information. |
| C．Introduce a new topic for discussion. | D．Discuss the causes of the problem. |
| A．Levees cannot completely solve the problem. |
| B．Some locals had better move away from LaPlace. |
| C．The levee project in LaPlace won’t be finished on time. |
| D．It is a mistake to build a levee system for locals in LaPlace. |
9 . The distinctive smell of wet dogs was a reminder of the Christmas vacation when I was twelve. My cousins from Ohio were
On the third day of our festivities, we were so
We all
| A．working | B．travelling | C．visiting | D．coming |
| A．air | B．snow | C．water | D．sun |
| A．pond | B．sea | C．beach | D．well |
| A．change | B．ruin | C．attempt | D．lengthen |
| A．gifted | B．nervous | C．frustrated | D．eager |
| A．warmth | B．freeze | C．temperature | D．freedom |
| A．excitement | B．fear | C．courage | D．anxiety |
| A．surfing | B．struggling | C．performing | D．swimming |
| A．normally | B．actually | C．especially | D．generally |
| A．laughed | B．screamed | C．watched | D．escaped |
| A．guard | B．friend | C．dog | D．cousin |
| A．cover | B．hide | C．bury | D．equip |
| A．curious | B．clean | C．wet | D．lost |
| A．break away | B．dry out | C．calm down | D．get up |
| A．informing | B．warning | C．convincing | D．reminding |
10 . For some ant queens, the secret to long life might be a self-produced insulin (胰岛素) blocker. Ant queens are famously long-lived even though they shouldn’t be. Generally, animals that put lots of energy into reproduction sacrifice some time off their life. But ant queens produce millions of eggs and live an extraordinarily long time compared with worker ants that don’t reproduce.
Now, researchers have shown how one ant species pulls off this anti-aging great work. When queens of the species, Harpegnathos saltator (跳跃蚁), are prepared to reproduce, a part of what is called the insulin signaling pathway gets blocked, slowing aging. In a rare behavior for ants, when a queen H. saltator dies, some female workers begin competing in fights for the chance to replace her. These hopeful royals start laying eggs and then change into queen-like forms called gamergates (雌工虫). When a worker changes to a gamergate, her life length becomes five times as long as it was. But if she doesn’t end up becoming a queen and goes back to a worker, her lifetime shortens again.
The researchers researched this behavior in these ants. It turns out that H. saltator gamergates extend their lifetime by taking advantage of a split in the insulin signaling pathway, the chain of chemical reactions that drive insulin’s effects on the body. One branch of this pathway is involved with reproduction, while the other is linked to aging.
Examining patterns of gene activity, expert Yan and his colleagues found that gamergates have more active insulin genes than regular worker ants and, as a result, have increased metabolic (新陈代谢的) activity and physical development. But the secret sauce protecting the ants from the insulin’s aging effects appears to be what is called Imp-L2, which blocks the branch of the insulin pathway linked to aging. The branch involved in reproduction, however, remains active.
These results represent a leap forward in our understanding of extreme social insect lifetime, while also showing an anti-aging evolutionary adaptation that hasn’t been seen in the wild before.
1. How does the author begin the text?| A．By listing data. | B．By quoting a saying. |
| C．By asking a question. | D．By describing a phenomenon. |
| A．They live longer than before. |
| B．They rarely fight with each other. |
| C．They are resistant to become queens. |
| D．They are five times shorter than worker ants. |
| A．It may prevent ants from aging. |
| B．It may reduce ants’ metabolic activity. |
| C．It may regulate ants’ physical development. |
| D．It may protect ants’ reproductive capability. |
| A．Complicated. | B．Controversial. | C．Instructive. | D．Invalid. |
