1 . Clementine seemed to be missing apiece from her life’s puzzle for most of her life. Dropped off as a 3-year-old homeless dog near New Orleans, the dog stayed in the shelter for four months before being moved to Texas.

While living at an adoption center in Texas, the dog was adopted out twice to different families. Sadly, neither of those adoptions were successful. It turned out Clementine didn’t get along with smaller pets, and she had too much energy for the second family.

Meanwhile, Captain Robert Moree wanted to add a fire dog to the station. He’d just read a study about how dogs help firefighter scope with the pressure of their jobs, and he was eager to give the study a real life trial run! With the permission of the chief and other firefighters, he and a few colleagues visited the shelter. As soon as they met Clementine, they were smitten!

“They introduced us to Clementine,” Captain Moree recalled. “She started to like us, and we liked her instantly. Later that day, my driver, Bryan Wallen, and I decided to get her.”

Captain Moree officially adopted Clementine, but she definitely belonged to every person in the firehouse. She loved to hug the firefighters in between calls, and she was always nearby whenever anyone was preparing food. “She rides on the truck when we go out on calls” said Captain Moree. “She not only makes the station feel more like home during our 24-hour shifts but also keeps us excited to come to the station.”

Clementine has made such an amazing journey from a homeless dog to a hero dog. She was named Dog of the Year at the 2022 ASPCA Humane Awards!

1. Why did Clementine fail to stay in the second family?

A．She liked fire.

B．She was too active.

C．She ate too much.

D．She hated other pets.

2. What does the underlined word “smitten” probably mean?

A．moved

B．puzzled

C．attracted

D．surprised

3. What did Captain Moree expect a fire dog to do?

A．Help put out fires.	B．Guard the firehouse.
C．Stay excited day and night	D．Reduce stress of firefighters.

4. What can be inferred about Clementine from the last two paragraphs?

A．She risked her life as a fire dog.

B．She has got many important awards.

C．She did an excellent job as a fire dog.

D．She remained homeless in her whole life.

2 . Directions: Complete the following passages by-using the words in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. typically          B. limited            C. markings             D. items            E. treated F. fenced             G. fear               H. packs                    I. gently            J. present          K.pair

Red foxes exist throughout much of the United States, with the exception of the southwest. In Chicago, they are not common in high numbers, but are still     1    in certain areas of the city. Coyotes(丛林狼) usually compete with red foxes, and the large coyote population and     2    living space in Chicago maybe related to the small number of red foxes.

Red foxes are     3    smaller than coyotes, weighing 7-15 pounds on average and standing up to 20 inches. Easily recognizable by their striking redcoats, red foxes also have black     4    on their feet, black-tipped ears, as well as along tail.

Generally living alone, red foxes do not form     5    like other dog-like animals. Adults    6    during the breeding(繁殖) season to raise their young in hidden places, such as fallen trees, or other natural or artificial structures. As omnivores(杂食动物), red foxes eat a variety of foods including rabbits, birds, insects and fruits. Red foxes may store food in buried locations where they pile up     7    to eat later. Sometimes they are killed by coyotes and humans. They are also easily affected by harmful skin diseases that can lead to death if not     8    .

When digging homes under buildings, red foxes may come into conflict with people. Sometimes foxes may hunt outdoor cats or chickens. Keep cats indoors and get these areas     9    to prevent foxes entering. As with any wild animal, it is important to never feed red foxes, as this may cause them to lose their natural     10    of humans and exhibit unusual behaviors.

3 . Directions: After reading the passage below. fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word;for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.

Wildlife Report Calls for Action

The World Wide Fund for Nature released its Living Planet Report, which found that the Earth’s wildlife populations have fallen by 69% in the past 50 years.

The report is produced every two years to show how the natural world is changing, so governments, businesses, and conservationists understand     1     needs to be done to protect the Earth. The team looks at several factors. One is the Living Planet Index (LPI),     2     examines how wildlife populations have changed over time. A total of 5, 268 species across the world have been tracked, including birds, fish, insects, and mammals.

The change in wildlife varies around the world. South America and the Caribbean are the most affected. In these areas, the average wildlife populations have dropped by 94% over 50 years. Central Asia and Europe have     3     (small) decline, with an 18% drop. The WWF says the changes are caused by human activity. One of the biggest threats     4     (face) wildlife is a number of acres of forest that are being chopped down     5     that theland can be used for farming instead. To find the best way to protect animals worldwide, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is studying how easy or hard     6     will be to help different species. It has so far found that the populations of several animals, including the pink pigeon and the Sumatran rhino,     7     be boosted.

While some news from the Living Planet Report is worrisome, there is good news, too. Up to now the numbers of many species     8     (rise) around the world because of people’s efforts to protect them. In India, the number of tigers has nearly doubled since 2009. And in 2020,   there were more than 50 sightings of the critically     9     (endanger) Antarctic blue whale.

In the US, conservation efforts in recent decades have helped to save several species, including the bald eagle, which     10     (remove) from the threatened species list in 2007.

4 . The cultivation of plants by ants is more widespread than previously realized, and has evolved on at least 15 separate occasions.

There are more than 200 species of ant in the Americas that farm fungi (真菌) for food, but this trait evolved just once sometime between 45 million and 65 million years ago. Biologists regard the cultivation of fungi by ants as true agriculture appearing earlier than human agriculture because it meets four criteria: the ants plant the fungus, care for it, harvest it and depend on it for food.

By contrast, while thousands of ant species are known to have a wide variety of interdependent relationships with plants, none were regarded as true agriculture. But in 2016, Guillaume Chomicki and Susanne Renner at the University of Munich, Germany, discovered that an ant in Fungi cultivates several plants in a way that meets the four criteria for true agriculture.

The ants collect the seeds of the plants and place them in cracks in the bark of trees. As the plants grow, they form hollow structures called domain that the ants nest in. The ants defecate (排便) at designated absorptive places in these domain, providing nutrients for the plant. In return, as well as shelter, the plant provides food in the form of fruit juice.

This discovery prompted Chomicki and others to review the literature on ant-plant relationships to see if there are other examples of plant cultivation that have been overlooked. “They have never really been looked at in the framework of agriculture,” says Chomicki, who is now at the University of Sheffield in the UK. “It’s definitely widespread.”

The team identified 37 examples of tree-living ants that cultivate plants that grow on trees, known as epiphytes (附生植物). By looking at the family trees of the ant species, the team was able to determine on how many occasions plant cultivation evolved and roughly when. Fifteen is a conservative estimate, says Campbell. All the systems evolved relatively recently, around 1million to 3 million years ago, she says.

Whether the 37 examples of plant cultivation identified by the team count as true agriculture depends on the definitions used. Not all of the species get food from the plants, but they do rely on them for shelter, which is crucial for ants living in trees, says Campbell. So the team thinks the definition of true agriculture should include shelter as well as food.

1. According to biologists, why is ant-fungus cultivation considered as a form of true agriculture?

A．Because it occurred earlier than human agriculture.

B．Because it fulfills the standards typical of agricultural practices.

C．Because it redefines the four criteria for true human agriculture.

D．Because it is less common than previously thought.

2. What motivated Chomicki and others to review the literature on ant-plant relationships?

A．They determined on new family trees of the ant species.

B．They overlooked some tree-living ants that provided nutrients for the plants.

C．They never studied the ant-plant relationships within the context of agriculture.

D．They never identified any an t species that engaged in cultivation of fungi.

3. Which of the following statements is supported by the team's findings according to the passage?

A．Ants’ cultivation of plants is limited to a few specific species.

B．The cultivation of fungi by ants is considered the earliest form of agriculture.

C．True agriculture in ants involves only food-related interactions with plants.

D．Ants have independently cultivated plants on at least 15 distinct occasions.

4. What is the passage mainly about?

A．The evolution of ants in the plant kingdom.

B．The widespread occurrence of ant-plant cultivation.

C．The discovery of a new ant species engaging in agriculture.

D．The contrast between ant agriculture and human agriculture.

5 . Reducing the workweek to four days could have a climate benefit. In addition to improving the well-being of workers, cutting working hours may reduce carbon emissions. But those benefits would depend on a number of factors, experts emphasize, including how people choose to spend nonworking time.

Commuting and travel

Transportation is the biggest contributor to greenhouse emissions. A November 2021 survey of 2,000 employees and 500 business leaders in the United Kingdom found that if all organizations introduced a four-day week, the reduced trips to work would decrease travel overall by more than 691 million miles a week.

But the climate benefits of less commuting could be eliminated, experts said, if people choose to spend their extra time off traveling, particularly if they do so by car or plane.

Energy usage

Shorter working hours could lead to reductions in energy usage, experts said. According to a 2006 paper, if the United States adopted European work standards, the country would consume about 20 percent less energy.

Energy could also be conserved if fewer resources are needed to heat and cool large office buildings, reducing demands on electricity. For example, if an entire workplace shuts down on the fifth day, that would help lower consumption — less so if the office stays open to accommodate employees taking different days off.

Lifestyle changes

It’s possible that fewer working hours may lead some people to have a larger carbon footprint, but experts say research suggests that most people are likely to shift toward more sustainable lifestyles.

One theory is that people who work more and have less free time tend to do things in more carbon-intensive ways, such as choosing faster modes of transportation or buying prepared foods. Convenience is often carbon-intensive and people tend to choose convenience when they're time-stressed. Meanwhile, some research suggests that those who work less are more likely to engage in traditionally low-carbon activities, such as spending time with family or sleeping.

“When we talk about the four-day workweek and the environment, we focus on the tangible, but actually, in a way, the biggest potential benefit here is in the intangible,” experts said.

1. What is identified as the leading cause of greenhouse emissions according to the passage?

A．The well-being of employees.

B．The conservation of energy.

C．Commuting and travel.

D．The European work standard.

2. What can be inferred from the underlined sentence “the biggest potential benefit here is in the intangible” in the last paragraph?

A．People will have big potential in achieving intangible benefits while working.

B．People are more likely to engage in carbon-intensive activities due to time constraints.

C．People may shift toward more sustainable lifestyles and lower carbon footprints.

D．People may travel more frequently by car or plane during their extra time off.

3. The passage is mainly written to       .

A．highlight the importance of shortening working time in the context of well-being

B．provide an overview of transportation emissions worldwide

C．analyze the impact of reduced working hours on mode of business

D．illustrate factors affecting the climate benefits of a shorter workweek

6 . Global surface temperatures last month were 2.25 degrees warmer than the 20th century average of 60.1 degrees, breaking previous records, from August 2016, by more than half a degree, according to NOAA researchers. “That to me is a really huge _______ from one record to the next,” said Ellen Bartow, a physical scientist with NOAA’S National Centers for Environmental Information.

The report _______ what millions of people have experienced in recent months, including record-breaking heatwaves that have touched almost every corner of the globe. Asia, Africa, North America and South America had their warmest August on record, as did the Arctic, Europe and Oceania — a region that _______ Australia - had their second-warmest August on record, the report said.

It wasn’t just the land that _______ : August set a record for the highest monthly sea surface temperature abnormally—1.85 degrees above average. The warming oceans _______experiencing its fourth continuous month with the _______ shrinking sea ice, with Antarctica sea ice extent on record. Globally, sea ice extent in August was about 550,000 square miles less than the previous record low, set in August 2019.

“We’ve seen unheard-of warmth in the global ocean, and that’s definitely alarming because its effects _______ beyond just the scope of the ocean,” Bartow-Gillies said. “Not only are you _______ marine habitats, but you’re affecting storm creation, you’re creating more instability in some areas, and you’re creating flooding events in other areas. There’s a whole host of _______ that come along with these warmer ocean surface temperatures that we’re seeing.”

In fact, the report comes after a series of severe natural ________ that span the globe. This week, a Mediterranean storm caused serious flooding in Libya, killing more than 11,000 people. In Canada, wildfires burned through more than 42 million acres of forests this summer, and several are still burning. ________ global warming was not the singular cause of any of these disasters, heating of the Earth continues to ________ the likelihood of extreme weather events and wildfire worldwide.

“The scientific evidence is ________ —we will continue to see more climate records and more intense and frequent extreme weather events impacting society and ecosystems, until we stop ________ greenhouse gases,” read a statement from Samantha Burgess, deputy director of the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, which also ________ that this summer was the hottest on record.

1.

A．distance

B．jump

C．travel

D．flight

2.

A．confirms

B．emerges

C．quotes

D．argues

3.

A．holds

B．touches

C．surrounds

D．includes

4.

A．boiled

B．cooled

C．stricken

D．disappeared

5.

A．contributed to

B．suffered from

C．resulted from

D．devoted to

6.

A．slowest

B．lowest

C．highest

D．fastest

7.

A．enlarge

B．discharge

C．extend

D．undertake

8.

A．creating

B．saving

C．remaining

D．disturbing

9.

A．issues

B．debates

C．events

D．proposals

10.

A．floods

B．disasters

C．storms

D．earthquakes

11.

A．Though

B．Because

C．Unless

D．When

12.

A．damage

B．destroy

C．decrease

D．increase

13.

A．irresistible

B．unchangeable

C．inaccessible

D．unbearable

14.

A．conveying

B．releasing

C．relieving

D．dismissing

15.

A．predicted

B．expected

C．doubted

D．determined

7 . What do ants, bees, pigeons, and herrings have in common? All these animals swarm. Swarming occurs when large numbers of individual animals move, work, or cooperate as a group. They appear to know where they are going and what they are doing. Why are they doing this?

Ants are a good example of swarming animals. Swarms of ants can do many difficult tasks. For example, they can find the shortest path to the best food source. It may appear that individual ants build nests and defend their homes, but ants aren’t clever architects or soldiers—at least not as individuals. If you watch an ant try to accomplish something, you will be impressed by how inept it is. Although individual ants don’t appear to be very intelligent, as colonies they are, thanks to swarm intelligence.

Swarm intelligence is the collective behavior of large groups. The key feature of swarm intelligence seems to be that no one is in charge. In the case of ants, there appear to be no leaders. No ant seems to be telling any other ants what to do. There is a queen ant, but her only role is to lay eggs. Yet, a colony of half a million ants functions perfectly without any managers at all. Furthermore, no single ant seems to have any knowledge about the big picture—the main goals or objectives. The swarm relies on lots of interaction between individuals who all follow the rules. One of these rules is to stay close together. When individuals stay close together, they communicate and share a lot of information.

Different animals have different methods of interaction. For example, ants leave a trail of pheromones for other ants to follow. A key component of bee interaction is movement. When bees need to move their hive, scout bees go out in search of a suitable place to live. When they return, they each do a type of dance. The “happier” the bee is about the new location, the faster the dance is. In addition, the dance includes a code with directions to the new location. The excited dancers excite other scout bees. These bees then fly out to check. They come back, get close together, and dance with the other excited bees. The bees will not move until they are all “excited”, or in agreement about the best location. Once a large enough group of bees all agree, they convince the thousands of other bees. Then they all fly together to the new site.

Some scientists are applying the wisdom of animals to solve human problems. Thomas Seeley, a biologist at Cornell University, uses swarm intelligence in his meeting. Seeley doesn’t tell his staff what to do or make all decisions. Instead, he asks his staff to identify all the possibilities, discuss their ideas, and then vote by ballot. Seeley wants his staff, like the bees, to focus on the group’s needs, not on the individual ideas. “It gives a group time to let the best idea emerge and win.” Seeley says that running meetings using swarm intelligence ideas can lead to better decisions. It can also reduce conflict among the staff.

In nature, animals use swarm intelligence for survival. For these animals, working together is a matter of life or death. For humans, there is much to learn from swarm intelligence to make our lives more efficient.

1. According to paragraph 2, “inept” means ________.

A．awkward

B．appealing

C．isolated

D．smart

2. In the case of ants, which of the following statements about swarm intelligence is TRUE?

A．There should be a leader although he may not be in charge.

B．It won’t work if individuals don’t understand the collective goals.

C．Every individual should be very familiar with the rules and with each other.

D．Team member should stick together and communicate what they know.

3. According to paragraph 4, what can be inferred about bees?

A．They communicate within their group through pheromones.

B．Failure in reaching agreements seldom occurs in an intimate team.

C．They head towards the new location when majority of bees agree.

D．The way they dance reflects how satisfied they are with the location.

4. According to Thomas Seeley, swarm intelligence is useful for us in ________.

A．boosting team spirit	B．eliminating conflicts
C．encouraging best ideas	D．solving interpersonal problems

8 . Each one of us shares this planet with seven billion other individuals. And we all need transportation. The majority of cars, motorcycles, boats and planes cause pollution. They are also noisy. This is a serious problem in many cities. So inventors are coming up with innovative ideas to try to reduce the pollution and noise.

By Land

In many cities around the world, motorcycles are becoming increasingly popular. Currently, Vietnam has around 33 million motorcycles. China has almost 120 million. The convenience of these motorcycles comes at a cost. Air pollution is a growing problem. In large cities, people often complain it is difficult to breathe. They also complain about the noise.

To solve these problems, a U.S. company designed an environmentally friendly motorcycle. It uses electricity as fuel. You can drive it for 40 miles (64 kilometers) before recharging the battery.

It is also quiet and fast-60 miles (96 kilometers) per hour. This makes it a good choice for getting around a city.

By Water

The Italian city of Venice is a city with only a few roads. There are no cars in the city center. Instead of cars, water taxis and buses carry people along the city’s canals. The engines of these boats are simple and cheap. However, they cause pollution, particularly to the water. This causes damage to the city’s buildings.

English mechanics Dick Strawbridge and Jem Stans designed a solar-powered water taxi. The solar panels charge three electric batteries. These, in turn, provide power to the engine. The water taxi can carry six passengers. It can run for a day. In the future, solar taxis could be an alternative to Venice’s current taxis.

By Air

Designing an environmentally friendly airplane is a real challenge. Planes use an enormous amount of jet fuel. This means they cause significant air pollution, and they are very noisy. Some major airplane manufacturers have started to address the problems. They are using cleaner fuels, for example. However, Swiss engineers have gone one step further. They developed a solar airplane — the Solar Impulse. Solar panels cover its wings. These panels provide power to four electric motors and batteries. The batteries allow the plane to fly at night. This plane holds the world record for the longest solar-powered flight — 985 miles (1541 kilometers) from Arizona to Texas in the United States.

1. What do the three innovative ideas proposed have in common?

A．They aim to solve traffic problems in big cities.

B．They use cleaner energy and cause less pollution.

C．They aim to change traditional way of transporting goods.

D．They are good will of developed countries to help developing countries.

2. Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．China owns the largest number of motorcycles.

B．There are no cars in the center of Venice city.

C．Solar-powered water taxi can run for a day with one battery at work.

D．The newly designed motorcycle can drive 60 miles after being charged.

3. According to the passage, the distinguished merit of Solar Impulse is ________.

A．lighter wings	B．less noise
C．powerful batteries	D．longest solar panels

9 . Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. alarming B. carbon-intensive C. durability D. glued E. labels F. man-made G. manufacturing H. recycle I. redefine J. samples K. share

How sustainable are your sneakers?

Over the last five years the sneaker industry has grown rapidly and shows no sign of slowing down. The global athletic footwear market is expected to exceed 95 billion (USD) by 2025. According to the World Footwear Yearbook, over 24 billion pairs of shoes are produced annually. Among them sneakers account for the largest     1    . What are the environmental impacts of the rapidly growing sneaker industry?

Sneaker production is very     2    . A typical pair of running shoes produces about 13.6 kilograms of CO₂ emissions which is unusually high for a product that does not use electricity or require power-driving components.

These emissions mainly come from     3    . The majority of sneakers are made from plastic and/or plastic-like materials. All these petroleum-derived plastics produce a(n)     4     number of carbon dioxide.

Then why don’t we move away from the use of plastic? Since sneakers have to endure much more than a regular pair of shoes, the aspect of their     5     is very important when it comes to their overall performance. Unfortunately,     6     materials hold up better than natural ones. Plastic has made shoes better, lighter, faster, more comfortable, and more accessible to everyone worldwide. Another issue with sneakers today is that most of them are made by using a combination of different plastics     7     in a very complicated way, making them very hard to     8    .

The footwear industry is at least 10 years behind the rest of fashion in terms of environmental standards. Seven out of ten brands are having discussions on sustainability, yet only 40% of companies have a sustainability program in place. Big industry players (such as Adidas and Nike) and some smaller     9     are trying to reduce their carbon footprint in different ways.

Considering that close to 25 billion pairs of shoes were produced worldwide in the last year, it is clear that immediate action is very important. It is my hope that we consumers will     10     our relationship with fashion and think about the environmental impact of our shopping habits.

10 .
1. According to the poster above, which groups of items will be the best for the Pearson family (father with chronic disease, mother, a 10-month-old infant, and a pet dog) to pack into their limited-size emergency supplies kit besides necessities such as food, water and clothes?

A．passport, paper cups, whistle, rain gear, flashlights

B．formula, blanket, medication, diapers, pet food

C．pet food, cottont-shirt, plastic sheeting, books

D．medication, bank account records, diaper, can opener, formula

2. According to the poster, why is it advisable for children to have a personal pack?

A．To provide more appropriate protection.

B．To create a sense of security and familiarity.

C．To make them feel more physically comfortable.

D．To simulate a seemingly school-like environment.

3. Which is TRUE about suggestions given in the poster?

A．Families should adjust the contents of the emergency supplies kit every other year based on needs.

B．There are no specific items in the poster that address the needs in different natural disasters.

C．All of the supplies in the emergency kit should not be stored in waterproof and portable containers.

D．Children should not be allowed to include their favorites books and stuffed animals in the kit.