1 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. Which pet may an outgoing person prefer?

A．A bird.

B．A dog.

C．A cat.

2. What may a cat owner be like?

A．Clever

B．Sociable.

C．Careful.

3. What does the speech mainly talk about?

A．Pet people’s personalities.

B．More outgoing dog people.

C．Less sociable cat people.

2 . Four reasons to adopt a dog

If you haven’t already experienced the unbelievable joy of adopting (收养) a dog, this year is a great time to feel the love.     1    ? Here are some great reasons.

Unconditional love

Even your closest friends and family members trouble and are troubled by you occasionally.     2     . You just take him to take a walk or just check out that wagging (摇摆) tail and happy bark when you return from work. Your dog loves you unconditionally!

    3    

Each year, 2.7 million dogs die in shelters because there just aren’t enough people to adopt them. When you adopt from a shelter or rescue group, not only are you saving that dog, but you’re clearing up space for another animal that might need it.

You’ll never be lonely

    4    , dogs are typically more social animals, wanting to hang with their people. Whether you’re reading, or working on the computer, your dog will likely be at your side or curled up at your feet, enjoying your company. A study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that dog owners are less lonely, less depressed, and are happier and have higher self-esteem than those without dogs.

It’s good for your health physically and mentally

There are all sorts of studies that show links between dog ownership and health benefits from lowering the risk of heart diseases to living longer lives.     5    , and children born into a home with a dog have a reduced risk of development all diseases.

A．You’ll save a life

B．Do you need some reasons

C．But your dog wouldn’t trouble you

D．Would you like to go to walk a dog

E．Other studies show that dogs help relieve stress

F．Unlike cats that often are quite happy doing their own thing

G．Your friends are tired of seeing your face from social media

3 . A planet that suffers 475 C beneath a thick acid atmosphere may be the last place you'd expect alien (外星的) life in our solar system. But one NASA scientist claims that extraterrestrials (天外来客) are most likely hiding on Venus amid conditions that are unbearable for humans. The new theory was put forward by the research scientist Dr Michelle Thaller. She says that possible signs of life have already been seen within the carbon-dioxide filled atmosphere, adding that she was absolutely certain that life exists somewhere.

Venus is often described as Earth's twin due to its similar size and structure. But their conditions couldn't be further apart, as astronomers believe it would be impossible for humans to exist on Venus. Positioned 67 million miles from the Sun, Venus is the hottest planet in our solar system, suffering temperatures that can even melt lead. Its atmosphere also adds to the uninhabitable situation.

Despite this, scientists have long debated whether Venus' clouds may host microbial (微生物的) life forms that can survive. Many scientists think that photosynthesis (光合作用) is possible on the planet's surface as Venus receives enough solar energy to pass through its thick clouds.

However, Professor Dominic Papineau, a biologist at the University College of London, believes Dr Thaller's views are “difficult to realistically assume”. He explained, “For life-related chemical reactions to take place, liquid water is necessary. Hence, to find extraterrestrial life, we need to find liquid water, and to find extraterrestrial fossils requires looking for special rocks that were associated with liquid water in the past.”

This makes life on Venus today difficult to realistically assume, because its surface is too hot, although Venus might have had liquid water in its past. Even still, both Professor Papineau and Dr Thaller agree that the icy moons of our solar system could also be sites of potential microbial life. NASA suggests there are 290 “traditional moons” in our solar system-excluding 462 smaller minor planets.

1. What can we know about Venus?

A．Its atmosphere is thin acidic.

B．It is much bigger than Earth.

C．It is 77 million miles from the Sun.

D．Venus and Earth are considered as twins.

2. Which statement would Papineau agree with?

A．Photosynthesis can happen on Venus's surface.

B．Thick clouds make photosynthesis in Venus hard.

C．Liquid water is important for the extraterrestrials.

D．Some rocks can prove life exists on Venus.

3. What can we know from the last paragraph?

A．The surface temperature of Venus is high.

B．It's very easy to confirm life on Venus.

C．Venus might have liquid water now.

D．Many icy moons go around Venus.

4. In which section of a newspaper can you find this text?

A．Education.

B．Science.

C．Culture.

D．Sports.

4 . A recent study conducted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has discovered that river erosion (侵蚀) can lead to increased biodiversity in areas with minimal tectonic (地壳构造的) activity. The researchers focused their attention on the Tennessee River Basin and examined how the erosion of various rock types by the river had led to the separation and diversification of a type of fish called the greenfin darter. As time passed, these separate fish populations evolved into distinct families with genetic differences.

Scientist Thomas Near observed that the greenfin darter was exclusively found in the southern half of the Tennessee River Basin. The researchers analyzed the genes of each fish in Near’s data set and constructed an evolutionary tree. This tree helped them comprehend the evolution and differences of the greenfin darter species. They discovered that the fish within the same branch of the river were more closely related to each other than to the fish in other branches.

This study provides evidence that river erosion significantly impacts biodiversity in regions with low tectonic activity. It illustrates how changes in the landscape caused by river erosion can lead to the division and diversification of species over time, even in peaceful environments. These findings enhance our understanding of the mechanisms (机制) that drive biodiversity and evolution, even in areas that are not typically associated with intense tectonic activity.

Subsequently, the team discovered a strong correlation between the habitats of the greenfin darter and the type of rocks present. The southern half of the Tennessee River Basin consists of hard, tightly packed rocks, resulting in turbulent (湍急的) waves in the rivers that flow through it. This characteristic may be favored by the greenfin darter. As a result, the team assumed whether the distribution of greenfin darter habitats had been influenced by the changing rock types, as the rivers eroded the land over time. To test this assumption, the researchers developed a simulation model. Remarkably, the results confirmed their assumption.

1. What is new about the MIT study?

A．It finds river erosion can enhance biodiversity.

B．It further proves the mechanisms of river erosion.

C．It proves the geographical features of biodiversity.

D．It classifies a type of fish called the greenfin darter.

2. What can we learn about the greenfin darter?

A．Their appearances vary between families.	B．Their genetic constitutions have diversified.
C．They prefer the deep and slow-flowing river.	D．They go extinct in the changing landscape of rivers.

3. How did Near help the researchers reach their conclusion?

A．By creating an evolutionary tree of the fish.

B．By offering the fish’s genetic data.

C．By reasoning out the time the fish evolve and separate.

D．By analyzing the genetic similarity between different fish.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．River Erosion Can Shape Fish Evolution	B．Genetic Change in the Greenfin Darter
C．Evolutionary Tree Analysis of the Greenfin Darter	D．The Impact of Climate Change on Fish Diversity

5 . People have always believed that nature is good for health and happiness. According to scientific studies, being in nature makes people less stressed. In a recent experiment in Japan, one group of people were asked to walk through a forest while another group had to walk through a busy city.     1    . However, researchers found that after the walks, the people who had walked in the forest had better moods, less anxiety and even lower blood pressure. So the experiment showed that it was being in nature that helped people feel less stressed, not just the walk.

Gregory Bratman from Stanford University in the United States found in experiments that a walk in nature could have important cognitive (认知) benefits, improving a person’s memory and creativity.     2    . Teachers find that when children are enjoying the natural world, their awareness and creativity are improved, along with their reasoning and observational skills.

Why does being in nature bring so many benefits for us?     3    , so we have an instinctive (本能的) love for it. Even just looking out of the window at a beautiful tree can help us feel less stressed.

Scientists also think that being in nature helps our brain recover from a lot of activities that we usually do during the day such as working on math problems or using our cell phone.     4     — putting all our attention into one thing, which can make us feel tired. But when we are outside, we use undirected attention. We see an interesting cloud or a beautiful flower, and our attention moves quickly and easily from one thing to another. So being in nature gives our brains the chance to rest.

    5    . For many of us, nature is something we can enjoy just by walking out of our door. So enjoy the nature around you!

A．The walks were equally long and hard

B．Regular workouts are surprisingly helpful

C．One idea is that human beings come from nature

D．Nature’s benefits have been scientifically confirmed

E．In these activities, we use a lot of directed attention

F．Being in nature increases people’s mental health as well

G．We can see this in schools where outdoor learning has been introduced

6 . Birders get nervous when they see landscapes covered in wind turbines (涡轮机). When the wind gets going, their blades (叶片) can turn around at well over 200km per hour. It is easy to imagine careless birds getting cut into pieces and wind turbines do indeed kill at least some birds. But a new analysis of American data suggests the numbers are negligible, and have little impact on bird populations.

Erik Katovich, an economist at the University of Geneva, made use of the Christmas BirdCount, a citizen-science project run by the National Audubon Society. Volunteers count birds they spot over Christmas, and the society gathers the numbers. He assumed, reasonably, that if wind turbines harmed bird populations, the numbers seen in the Christmas Bird Count would drop in places where new turbines had been built. Combining bird population and species maps with the locations and construction dates of all wind turbines, he found building turbines had no noticeable effect on bird populations.

Instead of limiting his analysis to wind power alone, he also examined oil-and-gas extraction (开采), which has boomed in America over the past couple of decades. Comparing bird populations to the locations of new gas wells revealed an average 15% drop in bird numbers when new wells were drilled, probably due to a combination of noise, air pollution and the disturbance of rivers and ponds that many birds rely upon. When drilling happened in migration centers, feeding grounds or breeding locations, bird numbers instead dropped by 25%.

Wind power, in other words, not only produces far less planet-heating carbon dioxide and methane than do fossil fuels. It appears to be significantly less damaging to wildlife, too. Yet that is not the impression you would get from reading the news. Dr Katovich found 173 stories in major American news media reporting the supposed negative effects that wind turbines had on birds in 2020, compared with only 46 stories discussing the effects of oil-and-gas wells.

1. What does the underlined word“negligible”in paragraph 1 mean?

A．Insignificant.

B．Inaccurate.

C．Inconsistent.

D．Indefinite.

2. What is Dr Katovich's conclusion based on?

A．Previous studies.	B．Relevant data.
C．Reasonable prediction.	D．Experiment results.

3. What message does paragraph 3 mainly try to convey?

A．Oil-and-gas extraction has expanded in America.

B．Birds are heavily dependent on rivers and ponds.

C．Many factors lead to the decline of bird populations.

D．Well drilling poses a serious threat to birds' survival.

4. Which of the following may Dr Katovich agree with?

A．Wind turbines could share the sky with wildlife.

B．More evidence is needed to confirm the finding.

C．Wind power will be substituted for fossil fuels.

D．Wind turbines deserve wider media coverage.

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。

On March 31, the Eiffel Tower celebrated its 130th anniversary since it opened.     1    (original) planned to last only 20 years, the people of Paris wisely decided to keep it standing,    2     (recognize) its importance. Millions of people     3     (visit) the tower so far, according to its official website.

The tower was created by the French engineer Gustave Eiffel and was first intended as the main entrance     4     the 1889 World’s Fair. It was built in a little over two years and faced criticism from some locals initially. However, it quickly captured the attention of fair visitors, attracting more than two million people. It also had a     5     (practice) use as a radio antenna during World War I.

Visitors today can choose to climb 1,665 steps or take one of the original elevator cars    6     (reach) the top. At the top of the tower,     7     the tower’s administrative office is located, guests can enjoy a drink at the champagne bar on the top floor.

Today, the Eiffel Tower is a symbol of France, representing a feeling of pride and thankfulness. It is a global icon that can bring together people from different     8    (background). The tower is not only     9     popular tourist destination but also a widely recognized symbol, a     10     (believe) held by many who appreciate its enduring charm.

8 . In today’s world, where the consequences of climate change are becoming increasingly evident, the need for energy conservation has never been more pressing.     1    .

Use your laptop more than your desktop

Laptops use an average of 20 to 50 watts of electricity to run, whereas desktop computers use an average of 60 to 200 watts of electricity to run. The reason for this is that laptops run off of battery power and desktops are continuously plugged into a power source that drains energy.

    2    . Not only does this help reduce your energy usage, but it also optimizes your laptop’s battery life to last longer.

Charge your phone in airplane mode and before bedtime

While charging, switch your phone to airplane mode, so that the phone does not slow down the charging process by continually burning energy trying to connect with cell phone towers and plot your location with its GPS function. When you switch to airplane mode your phone charges more quickly.

The brighter the screen setting, the more power it uses and vibration uses more energy than a ringtone.     3    , therefore less energy consumption. And remember-unplug your charger if not in use!

Unplug mobile phone and laptop chargers

Always unplug electronics and appliances when not in use.     4    . When the power strip is left on, the devices plugged into it continue to use energy and actually increase your energy usage. The Northern Resources Defense Council found that devices in sleep or standby mode account for about one- quarter of all residential energy consumption.

    5    

Reduce your carbon footprint by organizing your files and eliminating unnecessary data from cloud storage! Companies offering cloud data storage need warehouses filled with servers running nonstop. These data centers consume massive amounts of energy since they require AC systems to avoid overheating.

A．Low Power Mode also saves battery life

B．Delete unwanted files from cloud storage

C．Saving energy is now easier with these tips from UNICEF

D．Therefore, energy conservation has never been more pressing

E．Unused electronic appliances may produce harm to the environment

F．Deenergization will save you energy, money, and can prevent electrical fires

G．Make sure to unplug your laptop from the power source once it’s fully charged

9 . In 2014, a second year student at the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts went to Beijing Zoo with friends. Little did he know that an encounter at the aquarium there would ________ a lifelong passion. As Xu Yitang ________ corals of complex shapes in the glow of the tank’s light, a sense of wonder washed over him. Lost in the beauty and ________ of the creatures, he spent the entire afternoon in front of the tank.

Today, Xu, a Beijing native, has ________ Hainan Province, where he serves as a coral ________ for a Sanya-based tropical biological laboratory.

Each day, he spends several hours diving deep under the waves to observe and ________ the growth of the creatures that ________ him all those years ago. In the laboratory, he would film ________ videos of the artificial coral breeding system to explain the relationship between corals and reefs. His goal was to raise ________ and knowledge about corals, so that people can learn how to protect them ________.

Xu is actively engaged on social media platforms like Sina Weibo, where he regularly shares ________ amazing photos and entertaining videos of corals. He aims to encourage individuals to ________ to protecting coral: reefs and the oceans as a whole from the ________ impact of climate change and human activities.

While pursuing his passion to protect corals, he met his life partner, Liu Xiwen, through their ________ hobby of diving in Hainan. The couple have been invited to share their stories in the recently released online program Burning Youth that aims to use documentary shorts and ________ studio interviews to present the inspiring stories of young Chinese people from various walks of life.

1.

A．celebrate

B．change

C．excite

D．strengthen

2.

A．watched over

B．gazed on

C．spied on

D．looked into

3.

A．mystery

B．vitality

C．prosperity

D．nobility

4.

A．decided on

B．settled in

C．flown to

D．adapted to

5.

A．collector

B．gardener

C．enthusiast

D．conservationist

6.

A．analyze

B．trace

C．document

D．boost

7.

A．attracted

B．ruled

C．broke

D．cured

8.

A．fundamental

B．educational

C．environmental

D．biological

9.

A．status

B．standard

C．awareness

D．fondness

10.

A．positively

B．effectively

C．actively

D．comprehensively

11.

A．actually

B．naturally

C．scientifically

D．visually

12.

A．take time

B．take charge

C．take side

D．take action

13.

A．destructive

B．aggressive

C．passive

D．active

14.

A．widespread

B．cultivated

C．shared

D．agreed

15.

A．in-charge

B．in-depth

C．in-width

D．in-store

10 . The Maasai people are the most easily identifiable in Kenya with their very colorful clothing and ornaments on the body. They live a nomadic life, raising and hunting animals near some of Kenya’s most visited wildlife parks.     1    

It is a tradition for a young Maasai man, called a moran in the Maasai language, to kill a lion alone with a spear to show that he is a man. With the kill, a moran would be able to win a “lion name” and admiration among young women.     2     Instead, the young Maasai will take part in a javelin (标枪) throwing competition at an event called the Maasai Olympics.

Mingati Samanya, at the age of 69, is one of the Maasai elders. During his youth, Samanya killed two lions to show he was a man.     3     Samanya is now among the elders who are trying to push the young Maasai to do something different to prove themselves, which includes participating in javelin throwing, jumping and other activities in the community Olympics.

    4     In the past, they killed lions and didn’t get any benefit from it. Right now, when the morans throw a javelin, run or jump, they get not just medals, but also some money.     5     Thanks to the Maasai Olympics and its appealing practice in particular, the lion population in parts of the Kimana Sanctuary (保护区) near Mount Kilimanjaro has increased 10 times over the last 20 years.

A．It can help provide for their families.

B．Quite often women also join in the events.

C．That is how he had the “lion name” Mingati.

D．Here comes how they protect the rights of the Maasai.

E．But the Maasai seem to be ending the tradition.

F．However, their hunting has often been taken as a threat to the lions.

G．On a Saturday, the morans near Kimana will compete for rewards.