1 . Warming seas across the globe are endangering coral reefs (珊瑚礁), a key ecosystem that supports marine life to live and thrive. As a possible way to save them from extinction, scientists have recently frozen and revived groups of adult corals for the first time, according to a recent study.

Freezing biological materials, or “cryopreserving” them, refers to keeping them in a deep freeze for long periods without affecting the cell’s viability (活性), according to the Science Times website.

This method usually cools them to very low temperatures, commonly to -196℃. Since cells would normally die at such a low temperature due to the formation of ice inside, scientists need to monitor the freezing rate and choose the freezing medium carefully.       

Researchers in the US experimented with freezing pea-sized pieces of a common coral in Hawaii. After removing the microbes on the corals, they sealed the corals in metal containers filled with a chemical solution that partially dehydrated (脱水) them and helped control ice growth.

When the corals reached a temperature of around -200℃, the remaining water in the corals solidified into a glassy form. The corals were still alive, with their life-driving functions becoming extremely slow. After being cryopreserved for a few minutes, the researchers pulled the corals out and placed them in warm water. In two minutes, they started consuming oxygen — a sign of them staying alive.

Previously, researchers had already successfully cryopreserved coral larvae (幼虫), according to a study in 2018. However, the larvae can only be collected when corals lay eggs, which happens just a few nights each year. “That’s putting a lot of eggs in one basket,” US marine scientist Liza Roger told Science News.

This breakthrough offers more hope to the world’s corals, said Roger. However, there’s more work to be done. A few days after thawing (解冻), the corals became “stressed out” from the process and were killed by the bacteria they normally live in harmony with. The researchers are working on using antibiotics to help them survive for a longer period of time.

1. What is the purpose of the recent study?

A．To bring dead corals back to life.	B．To freeze and revive coral larvae.
C．To find a way to preserve corals.	D．To study the conditions of coral growth.

2. What happened to the corals when they were cryopreserved?

A．They died for the time being.	B．Their life functions slowed down.
C．They remained alive and unchanged.	D．They fed on microbes in the containers.

3. What does Roger think about cryopreserving coral larvae?

A．It is not a reliable solution.	B．It needs a large number of eggs.
C．It holds promise for restoring corals.	D．It requires overly expensive technology.

4. What issue do the researchers still need to approach?

A．Finding a suitable freezing medium.	B．Identifying the bacteria on the corals.
C．Expanding the collection of coral larvae.	D．Maintaining the corals’ health after thawing.

2 . Four of the World’s Natural Disasters

The following four natural disasters destroyed cities and communities around the world. By flood, typhoon, or earthquake, these events have collectively taken millions of human lives.

Yangtze River Flood

The major flood of 1931 covered tens of thousands of square miles, flooding rice fields and many cities, including Nanjing and Wuhan. The flood affected more than 50 million people. Government organizations, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, estimated (估计) that about 3.7 million people died in this disaster.

Typhoon Nina

Typhoon Nina struck Henan province of China in August 1975. The typhoon caused a serious dam (水坝) failure, and more than 150,000 people were dead or injured. According to reports, at least 26,000 people died in the floods. About 145,000 people died from diseases caused by water pollution and famine (饥荒). The number of people affected by the disaster was more than 10,000,000.

Kashmir Earthquake

On October 8, 2005, a disastrous earthquake struck the Kashmir region. The earthquake registered a magnitude of 7.6, followed by many aftershocks, landslides, and falling rocks. The seriousness of the damage and the high number of deaths were worsened by poor construction (建筑) in the affected areas. In Kashmir at least 79,000 people were killed, and more than 32,000 buildings broke down.

Haitian Earthquake

At the beginning of 2010, an earthquake hit Haiti. The earthquake registered a magnitude of 7.0 and was followed by aftershocks that registered magnitudes of 5.9 and 5.5. Another aftershock of magnitude 5.9 struck on January 20. There has been debate about the total number of deaths caused by this earthquake, but estimates suggest that about 200,000-300,000 people died. Hundreds of thousands more were forced to leave their homes.

1. Which natural disaster caused the most deaths?

A．Yangtze River Flood.	B．Typhoon Nina.
C．Kashmir Earthquake.	D．Haitian Earthquake.

2. What made the situation in Kashmir more serious?

A．The serious aftershocks.	B．The diseases after earthquake.
C．The continuous falling rocks.	D．The low construction quality.

3. What can we learn about the earthquake that hit Haiti?

A．It had many secondary disasters.	B．It happened in the hottest season.
C．It had a debatable death number.	D．It happened only once and for all.

4 . Lufinha has crossed the Atlantic Ocean in a small boat powered only by the sun and wind. He used kites to move the boat and solar power to use lights and equipment on the boat. He expects his trip will earn him a Guinness World Record for Fastest Solo Atlantic Crossing by Kite Boat. He also hopes to help people understand the need to protect the oceans.

The kite-powered boat reached top speeds of over 30 kilometers per hour. Lufinha traveled 6,400 kilometers in 25 days. The 38-year-old set out from Cascais, near Lisbon, Portugal on November 3, 2022, and arrived in Martinique on December 20, Lufinha was not at sea for all that time, however. He made a planned stop at the Canary Islands on November 8. But he had to stay longer than planned because of the powerful storm and he remained there until November 30.

Lufinha made the crossing completely alone in a 7.2-meter-long and 5.6-meter-wide trimaran, a boat which has three long, thin parts, with a small room for sleeping and shelter. Lufinha used a hand pump (抽水机) to produce water for drinking and cooking. He said, “I have two such water makers, which I can pump and every hour I can make around four liters of water.” The water pump has a special filter (过滤器) to remove salt from the sea water. Lufinha used the water to add to dried food he carried with him on the boat.

He called his trip “a big learning experience”. It was a big test of his adaptability. He learned most of all to look at his problems relatively. He had so many problems all of the time, such as kites getting torn and kites exploding (爆炸). And the only way not to suffer was to think, “It could be worse.” He said his way of thinking during the difficult crossing helped him get through it hour by hour, day by day, week by week until he finished this Atlantic crossing.

1. What’s one of the purposes of Lufinha’s trip?

A．To set a new world record.

B．To map out a new sailing route.

C．To check his boat’s performance.

D．To collect money for the local charity.

2. Why did Lufinha stay longer than expected at the Canary Islands?

A．His boat broke down halfway.

B．He took the wrong sailing direction.

C．His water pumps required replacing.

D．He was overtaken by terrible weather.

3. What was Lufinha’s biggest gain from the trip?

A．He developed his own independence.

B．He discovered how to obtain drinkable water.

C．He learned to view problems more positively.

D．He mastered more advanced sailing techniques.

4. Which of the following can best describe Lufinha?

A．Strict and honest.	B．Calm and curious.
C．Determined and brave.	D．Outgoing and generous.

5 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What does the woman want to prepare for her mother?

A．A clean house.

B．Some nice food.

C．A comfortable chair.

2. What does the man suggest the woman do?

A．Feed the mouse with peanuts.

B．Prepare a trap with glue on it.

C．Go to a field to find a mouse.

3. What kind of mouse does the woman think is in her house?

A．A small mouse.

B．A fat mouse.

C．A friendly mouse.

7 . Years ago, many Mexican gray wolves lived in the United States. In the 1800s, cattle farmers were worried that these wolves would hunt and eat their farm animals. During the 1800s and 1900s, farmers killed many of these wolves to try to protect their animals. These wolves almost went extinct.

In 1976, the U. S. government passed the Endangered Species Act. These wolves were finally protected! And with help, the species continues to survive today.

The White Mountain Apache Tribe (部落)has played an important role in keeping this species alive. They live on a large area of land in Arizona called the Fort Apache Indian Reservation. This area is also a wolf habitat.

Krista Beazley is a wolf biologist on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation. She tracks the movements of Mexican gray wolves that live on the land. Scientists have put special radio collars on wolves. These collars send out beeping signals (蜂鸣信号)to a special hand-held antenna (手持天线). Biologists like Beazley use these antennas to track the wolves. She also follows their footprints and droppings. Wolf droppings tell biologists what the wolf ate, where it spends much of its time, and if it is sick. Beazley makes sure the wolves are alive and healthy.

The number of Mexican gray wolves living on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation is growing. Despite this remarkable progress, the species is still endangered. The White Mountain Apache Tribe continues to try to protect these wolves.

The White Mountain Apache Tribe also works to protect many other rare plant and animal species. For example, they saved the Apache trout from extinction by closing certain areas to fishing and by building trout habitats. They also protect habitats for animals like the Mexican spotted owl. The White Mountain Apache Tribe has a close connect ion with all of nature. Tribe members believe humans must honor the animals and nature around them.

1. Why did Mexican gray wolves almost die out during the 1800s and 1900s?

A．They were eaten by farm animals.	B．They were killed by cattle farmers.
C．Government passed laws to hunt them.	D．They hardly survived in the extreme climates.

2. What was the result of the Endangered Species Act being passed?

A．The Mexican gray wolf was protected.

B．The Mexican gray wolf disappeared completely.

C．The White Mountain Apache Tribe settled in Arizona.

D．The Fort Apache Indian Reservation became a wolf habitat.

3. What may best describe Krista Beazley?

A．Kind and courageous.	B．Careful and confident.
C．Hardworking and caring.	D．Responsible and humorous.

4. What do we know about the White Mountain Apache Tribe?

A．They care about animals and nature around them.

B．They work hard to build habitats for all animals.

C．Their unique task is to protect Mexican gray wolves.

D．They try to keep Mexican gray wolves from increasing.

8 . High-resolution (高分辨率) satellite imagery has been used to map every single tree in Africa, showing a technique that could help improve the monitoring of deforestation (森林砍伐) across the world. Florian Reiner at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, and his colleagues used images from sate lies to map canopy (树冠) across the entire African continent.

Modern sate lies usually catch tree canopies at a resolution of 30 meters — fine for measuring the size of forests, but less good at mapping individual trees. The satellite data Reiner and his colleagues used had a resolution of 3 meters, enabling the study to map all trees, including those not part of a forest.

The results suggest that 30 percent of all trees in Africa aren’t in a forest and instead are across farmland, savannah and urban areas. “Many countries in Africa lack thick forests, but have a lot of trees.” says Reiner. “These trees are extremely important to the local ecosystems, the people and the economy. By tracking every single tree, researchers can start to monitor how these trees are coping with climate change or whether they are sensitive to deforestation.” It could also improve the monitoring of reforestation efforts, which are growing in popularity as a way of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

“At a local level, being able to consistently monitor when and where trees are disappearing or reappearing can lead to more actionable insights,” says John Francis at the Alan Turing Institute in London.

“The study is a proof of concept rather than a map ready for immediate commercial use,” says Reiner. “It’s research work. It’s showing what could be done,” he says. But he is already working with colleagues to scale up the tracking approach to cover the entire global canopy: “We’re hoping that this will be seen as a way forward in monitoring tree resources.”

1. Why is high-resolution satellite imagery used to map every single tree?

A．To know the exact height of the tree.

B．To have a clear picture of the canopy.

C．To help monitor the deforestation.

D．To improve the satellite technology.

2. What is John Francis’ attitude towards the map?

A．Doubtful.

B．Disapproving.

C．Indifferent.

D．Favorable.

3. What do Reiner and his colleagues expect to do?

A．Protect the trees only in Africa.

B．Put the map into commercial use.

C．Track the entire global canopy.

D．Improve the imagery technology.

4. What is probably the best title?

A．Ways to Measure the Size of Forests in Africa

B．Coping with Climate Change by Tracking Every Single Tree

C．A Map from the Satellite Ready for Immediate Commercial Use

D．High-resolution Satellite Imagery Used in Monitoring Deforestation

9 . While many animal populations seem to dwindle, one species that is moving in the opposite direction of such loss is America’s native wildlife — wood stork.

The wood stork is the only stork that breeds in North America. In 1984, it was declared an endangered species after its population decreased sharply to just 5,000 mating pairs. At the time, scientists predicted that the bird would become completely extinct by 2000. Today, it numbers 10,000 mating pairs, and the Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing a delisting of the wood stork as an endangered species. So how did the population bounce back?

The success is in part down to the resourcefulness of the wood stork. The wood stork’s native home was in the Everglades in Florida, but it migrated north as the Everglades were being destroyed by development of mankind. Wetland preservation and restoration, protection of nesting areas, and management of water flows began with the approval of the wood stork’s first recovery plan in 1986. In the following year, former Savannah Coastal Refuges biologist John Robinette noticed stork nests in Georgia as stork populations moved to safer wetlands.

According to Stephanie Kurose, a senior policy specialist at the Centre for Biological Diversity, the Endangered Species Act is also to thank for this recovery. She said, “The act saved the wood stork and it helped preserve and rebuild vital habitats throughout the southeast, which has improved water quality and benefited countless other species who call the area home.” “The Endangered Species Act has saved 99 per cent of the species that were on the list since 1973. A hundred types of plants and animals have been delisted as their populations become stable again.

If the wood stork is delisted, it will remain protected by other laws and a monitoring plan will be put in place to ensure the population remains stable.

1. What does the underlined word dwindle probably mean?

A．Boost.

B．Change.

C．Decline.

D．Explode.

2. What can we learn about the wood stork in paragraph two?

A．Its population shows a rising trend.	B．It has become completely extinct.
C．It is widely distributed worldwide.	D．It is the most endangered species.

3. What threatened the population of the wood stock?

A．Climate change of Earth.	B．Popularity of water sports.
C．Impact of human activities.	D．Arrival of other wild animals.

4. What is a direct result of the Endangered Species Act?

A．People have safer water to drink.	B．A list of species have been saved.
C．The local economy has boomed.	D．The wood stock has flown away.

10 . 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。
       Gulao, a water town in China’s Jiangmen City, was built on tidal flats (潮坪地貌) where farmers and fishermen pushed the dirt around     1     (form) ponds. In this area, land parts were often connected by wooden bridges. Now, it is being turned into     2     eco-cultural tourism resort by LUO Studio. The press release states that it “maintains the form of the basic local water system, and     3     (successful) integrates nature education, parent-child recreation, and fishing activities.”
     “During the fishing civilization period, roads     4     (construct) poorly, so water systems became key routes of transportation,” states LUO Studio. “Bridges needed to be walkable, while also     5     (ensure) more space for boats to pass through, so traditional bridge construction techniques in China adopted arches (拱形) to create space.”
       Arched bridges, sometimes     6     (call) moon bridges, are high enough in the middle for boats to get under. But these     7     (model) often have rising stairs up each side not to extend very far into the surrounding fields.
       LUO Studio has designed this covered arch bridge out of wood,     8     is evidently common in the area. The initial intention is to strengthen the bridge structure,     9     keep the wood dry. This project also inherits (继承) the construction wisdom of ancient covered bridges. The covered passage enhances the overall structural     10     (stable) and protects the arched wooden structure from exposure to sun and rain.