1 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或活号内单词的正确形式。

Air pollution has largely gone under-reported by the media, yet despite     1     (it) silent nature, it’s a killer. According to the Royal Colleges of Physicians and Pediatrics and Child Health, air pollution leads to 40,000 early     2     (death) a year. The trouble is that it’s an indirect killer, which makes the issue hard to examine — meaning the actual figure could be much     3     (high).

Then how can we measure and end such a problem? The answer is     4     (surprising) simple. Diesel (柴油) is the largest contributor of nitrogen oxides (氮氧化合物) and around 40 million people in the UK live in areas     5     (pollute) by diesel. We need to stop the production of diesel vehicles as soon as possible, and replace older diesel models     6     eco-friendly alternatives, such as electric vehicles. Apart from ammonia (氨) farming, pollution is actually decreasing globally — except for cities     7     it’s on the rise. In London, nearly 10,000 people died due to the capital’s harmful air, so     8     (create) clean air zones where high-polluting vehicles     9     (ban) would decrease these harmful gases. By moving towards more greenery on rooftops, parks and city centers, big cities could easily remove     10     problem. The answers are there; we just have to start.

3 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

A new book for children     1     (call) Climate Change is co-written by Charles Ⅲ, Tony Juniper and Emily Shuckburgh. Charles Ⅲ, well-known as the king of the United Kingdom,     2     (be) also an environmentalist and has spoken about the environment for many years. In     3     (he) new book, he hopes children will learn more about the problems our planet is facing. Juniper, who is the chairperson of an organization, told reporters that he hoped     4     (write) a book for children aged 7 to 11 and bring the facts to those children who will benefit a lot by finding better     5     (solution) to the environmental problems.

Last Friday, Juniper went to     6     event at Buckingham Palace in London, which     7     (host) by King Charles. Many business leaders were also invited to the event. At the palace get-together, Juniper said he was excited to see so many children willing to help Earth and that he would try his best to put something into their hands     8     is about basic ideas of protecting the environment. King Charles said, “Ever since I was a young teenager, I have been     9     (deep) worried about the way we have shaped our world. I hope that more children across the world can take part     10     the activities of protecting our Earth.”

4 . In a world-record effort to help save a valuable sea creature, Australian scientists have released hundreds of baby seahorses into the wild. The tiny seahorses are endangered, and the scientists hope the new seahorses will help their numbers grow.

Seahorses get their name because they look a bit like horses. They aren’t great swimmers, even though they’re fish. They often use their tails to hold onto something in the water. They mostly live in warm, shallow waters around the world. They are often found in coral reefs, in beds of seagrass, and areas where rivers empty into the sea. Seahorses form an important part of the ocean’s food chain. They eat tiny sea creatures and are eaten by bigger sea animals.

Many kinds of seahorses are often threatened by the human actions. Sometimes they’re caught and sold as pets. They are also caught by accident when people are trying to catch other fish.

To begin the project, scientists collected three pregnant seahorses in January. Those seahorses were brought back to the aquarium (水族馆) in Sydney. After the babies were born, the scientists kept them there for five months, feeding the baby seahorses shrimps (小虾) to help them grow strong. Scientist Mitchell Brennan says, “They don’t have a stomach, so they have to eat constantly.”

About a month before the young seahorses were released, the scientists created eight underwater “hotels” for them. The hotels look like cages, providing a safe place for the seahorses to develop. Putting the hotels into the sea early allowed the cages to be covered with small sea life that can help provide food for the seahorses.

This is the fifth time the scientists have released seahorses into the area, and this time was a record. Around 380 seahorses were released. The researchers put tiny tags (标记) under the skin of many of the seahorses to help track them in the future.

1. What can be learned about seahorses from paragraph 2?

A．They look exactly like horses.	B．They have a gift for swimming.
C．They mostly live in the deep sea.	D．They feed on small sea creatures.

2. What does paragraph 3 mainly talk about?

A．The types of the seahorses.	B．Living conditions the seahorses need.
C．Areas the seahorses live in.	D．Dangers the seahorses face.

3. Why are the eight “hotels” put into the sea early?

A．To differ the project from the former ones.

B．To avoid danger the seahorses may face.

C．To offer food to the seahorses.

D．To help track the seahorses in the future.

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A．A New Study on Endangered Seahorses

B．Underwater “Hotels” for Baby Seahorses

C．A Record Number of Baby Seahorses Were Released

D．New Methods of Finding Endangered Seahorses

5 . When the patient arrives, it can barely move its body. The parrot tries to spread its green wings — and fails — to fly. It is just one of dozens of rainbow lorikeets (彩虹鹦鹉) being treated for a mysterious paralyzing (瘫痪) illness. Cases of what is called lorikeet paralysis syndrome (LPS) have been increasing over the past decade, says vet Claude Lacasse.   But scientists are puzzled as to what is causing it.

Lacasse has partnered with several researchers to try solving the mystery. So far, they’ve ruled out hundreds of human-made chemicals as well as various infectious diseases. Their current theory is that LPS is caused by a plant the birds are eating, something that flowers or fruits between late spring and early fall — when cases always rise.

But researchers have no idea which plant or plants might be involved, why the disease is getting worse or whether climate change is playing a role. For now, the main concern is figuring out everything the sick lorikeets are eating.

Ecologist Rachele Wilson used a technique involving testing DNA in sick birds’ droppings to match it to specific plant DNA. These data suggest the birds are feeding on more than 130 plant species, at least 30 of which are potentially poisonous. Other researchers are not just looking at plant DNA but also at bacterial and animal DNA to allow for the possibility that the birds are swallowing a poisonous insect in fruit, or a poison produced by bacteria found on a plant.

It’s possible climate change plays a role by driving rainbow lorikeets to seek out unusual food sources. Animals are broadening their hunting range and going into more traditionally uninviting areas to find food, including fruit, seeds and, strangely, even meat.

With climate change causing more extreme weather events and intensely hot summers, the need to find what’s paralyzing rainbow lorikeets — and potentially other species — is of urgent concern.

“They’re amazing birds,” Phalen says. “It’s hard to see them as sick as they are.”

1. What are researchers trying to find out first ?

A．Why LPS is getting worse.	B．Where rainbow lorikeets usually gather.
C．How human-made chemicals led to LPS.	D．What lorikeets are feeding on at present.

2. What does Wilson focus on in her study?

A．Collecting DNA data from specific animals.

B．Analyzing DNA in the waste of sick lorikeets.

C．Identifying DNA hidden in different plants.

D．Looking at plant, bacterial and animal DNA.

3. How does climate change possibly influence rainbow lorikeets?

A．Increasing the variety of their diets.

B．Enlarging the habitats of these birds.

C．Adapting themselves to extreme weather events.

D．Forcing them to swallow a poisonous insect in fruit.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Endangered rare species in Australia

B．Strange diseases striking Australian birds

C．The mystery of Australia’s paralyzed parrots

D．The influence of climate change on animals

6 . Almost a quarter of the UK’s sea swimmers may not swim in the ocean this year because of sewage (污水) dumping by water companies, according to a poll (民意调查). Sewage was dumped into waters near England’s most celebrated beaches for nearly 8,500 hours last year. And there were 1,504 discharges (排出) in 2022 on beaches supposed to be free from such pollution.

The poll spoke to 2,272 UK adults between 21 and 23 on July. Just over 30% said they typically went sea swimming during the summer, and of these 23% said they would not this year because of sewage dumping by water companies. More than two in five of the regular beachgoers also said they were less likely to visit the British seaside this summer because of sewage discharges.

The Department for Environment says government should allow the Environment Agency to charge unlimited fines on rule-breaking water companies. Fines are currently capped (上限) at £250,000. The Department for Environment has been calling for a sewage tax on annual profits and a ban on bonuses of water company managers. “Coastal communities are at the mercy of water companies who unapologetically discharge raw sewage into popular swimming spots,” Tim Farron, the Department for Environment’s spokesperson said. “The government needs to stop letting water companies off the hook and finally ban these terrible sewage discharges and defend our tourism sector.”

A Water UK spokesperson said standards at beaches had greatly improved since the 1990s but that the industry recognized it had been slow to deal with the harm to our seas caused by sewage overflows. “Over the next seven years, water and sewerage companies plan to spend £10bn—doubling current levels of investment—on sewage treatment,” they said. “As part of this, bathing waters will be among the first to receive funding.”

1. What does the poll show?

A．Water companies dumped the most sewage into waters last year.

B．Many swimmers avoid the water over fears of sewage on UK beaches.

C．Waters near England’s most celebrated beaches are not seriously polluted.

D．Over two fifths of the regular beachgoers in UK are between 21 and 23.

2. What suggestion does the Department for Environment make to the government?

A．Reducing bonuses of water company managers.

B．Shutting down those rule-breaking water companies.

C．Fining rule-breaking water companies at least £250,000.

D．Introducing a sewage tax on water companies’ yearly profits.

3. What does the underlined part “off the hook” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Develop slowly.	B．Improve too fast.
C．Free of responsibility.	D．Attract public attention.

4. In which section of the website can you probably read the text?

A．Environment.

B．Lifestyle.

C．Fitness.

D．Business.

7 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

In ancient times, Zhenjiang City, Jiangsu Province, in Eastern China was called Jing kou.    1     (locate) at the golden cross of the Yangtze River and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, it is a place of     2     (strategy) importance.

The upper reaches of the Yangtze River deposit a lot of silt (淤泥) here,     3    has gradually built up into a small island in the river.

There are three beautiful mountains here—Jinshan Mountain, Beigu Mountain and Jiaoshan Mountain, which are     4     (close) connected with the Yangtze River and are called the Three Mountains of Jingkou.

Jinshan mountain is only 42 meters above sealevel.    5    Jinshan mountain is said to be on the Yangtze River, because the rivers course has moved to the north, JinShan is now some distance away from the Yangtze.

Beigu Mountain, 10 meters     6     (high) than Jinshan Mountain, is just beside the Yangtze River. From here, Jinshan Mountain can     7     (see) in the west and Jiaoshan Mountain in the east. Around the foot of the mountain     8     (flow) the mighty river.

Jiaoshan, the highest of the three,     9    an altitude of 70.7 meters and an area of 38 hectares, is located in the Yangtze River, surrounded by water. Encircled by the green waves, the green mountain looks like a piece of jade     10     (float) on the river.

8 . The Elephant Project is a purpose-driven company which tries to protect and recover the world’s elephant population.

This all-female organization began when founder Kristian McKean saw the inhumane(不人道的)treatment of elephants in Thailand, and again back in the United States with circus animals. Determined to find a way to support elephant causes, Kristina used her product development background to design adorable, huggable elephant dolls she named Kiki and Tembo.

Children and many adults are drawn to the stuffed animals. These elephants come with fun educational materials to spread the word about the dangerous world elephants live in.

Meanwhile, the company’s mission is clear and supported by its donations to organizations that care for elephants in need. In fact, 100% of the profit from each sail of Kiki and Tembo goes to supplies and aid for abused and injured elephants through The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Kenya and The Elephant Nature Park in Thailand. The Elephant Project also contributes to efforts to end illegal elephant hunting.

Of course, even without the notable mission of the company, these little dolls are gift able to children. Kiki, whose name means “new life”, wears a little pink outfit(套装). Meanwhile, Tembo, meaning “elephant” in Swahili, wears a green outfit.

A new release features Baby Chaba, a baby elephant named after a real baby who was rescued alongside her mother by Lek Chailert, the founder of the The Elephant Nature Park, in August 2021.The purchase comes with Baby Chaba and a book that explains her story.

The Elephant Project website shows a list of elephants that have already benefited from the company, with a bit of history about each elephant’s situation and progress. The mission has now also spread to support g the rescue and rehabilitation (修复) of big cats who like elephants and other wildlife, suffer from n humane treatment, competition for resources and loss of habitat.

1. What drove Kristian to found The Elephant Project?

A．Her deep love and empathy for the abused animals.

B．Her witness to the abused elephants in Thailand and America.

C．Her intention to protect and recover the world’s wild animals.

D．Her company’s making profit from the sail of Kiki and Tembo.

2. What do you know about Kiki and Tembo?

A．Only children show some adoration on Kiki and Tembo.

B．Kiki and Tembo was not easy to hug in when being designed.

C．Kiki and Tembo are designed only to make some money.

D．Many adults also show some interest in Kiki and Tembo.

3. Where does the profit from the sail of Kiki and Tembo go?

A．To protect the environment in the developing countries.

B．To supply and aid abused elephants in Kenya and Thailand.

C．To protect wild animals from being illegally hunted in Kenya.

D．Mainly to support the operation of The Elephant Project.

4. What might be the best title of the article?

A．An Abused Elephant was Rescued by a Company

B．Everyone should Try to Protect the Abused Elephant

C．A Company Sets out to Save Abused Elephants

D．Kiki and Tembo have Found a Way into the Market.

9 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What causes the party to be put off?

A．An unexpected meeting.

B．The terrible weather.

C．A changed plan.

2. When was the party supposed to be held at first?

A．This Saturday.

B．This Sunday.

C．Next weekend.