1 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. Who first made the nickname “The Big Easy” popular in the early 1970s?

A．A newspaper writer.

B．A crime novel writer.

C．A politician.

2. What is the way of life in New York City?

A．Gentle and slow.

B．Easy-going.

C．Quick and busy.

3. Why is New Orleans called “Mardi Gras City”?

A．For its yearly music festival.

B．For its wild celebrations each year.

C．For its shape.

4. Which of the following is not a nickname of New Orleans?

A．NOLA.

B．The Crescent City.

C．The Birthplace of Rock and Roll.

2 . Human voices cause considerably more fear in wild animals than the sound of lions, a study in South Africa has found.

The Kruger National Park is a popular safari (观兽旅行) destination and is known for its diverse wildlife. Scientists played recordings of people talking normally through speakers hidden at water holes in the Kruger National Park. About 95% of animals were extremely frightened and quickly ran away. Surprisingly, recordings of growling lions brought about significantly less alarm. Some elephants, in response to the big catcalls, even attempted to face the source of the sound.

The human speech they chose to play included local languages commonly spoken in the country. The study’s findings suggest that the animals, which include antelopes, elephants, giraffes, leopards and wild pigs, have learnt that contact with humans is extremely dangerous, due to hunting, gun use and the use of dogs to catch them.

Over the years, the encroachment (入侵) of human settlements into wildlife habitats and hunting have led to a deep-seated fear of humans among wildlife. The fear goes beyond the Kruger National Park, showing a global pattern where wildlife tends to fear humans more than any other enemies, according to the study. This fear of humans is a challenge for areas that rely on wildlife tourism, as the human visitors they want to attract are scaring off the animals they have come to see.

The study opens up the potential to protect weak species in these ecosystems. Human sounds, when used appropriately, could help protect wildlife against illegal hunting. This research also highlights the great importance of respectful and responsible wildlife tourism. One thing is clear: the need for a balanced approach to wildlife conservation and tourism has never been greater. As we step into their world, we must remember that we are visitors and that they are rightful inhabitants.

1. How was the study conducted in paragraph 2?

A．By making comparison.	B．By raising questions.
C．By studying the recordings.	D．By presenting previous researches.

2. Why are the animals alarmed about human voice?

A．The voice of human is scary.	B．Human presence threatens them.
C．Human beings are stronger than them.	D．They are sensitive to the sounds in nature.

3. What will the animal’s fear of humans lead to according to paragraph 4?

A．Human visitors will be safer.	B．Animal species will be reduced.
C．Wildlife tourism will suffer loss.	D．Wild animals will be more dangerous.

4. What is the significance of the study?

A．Illegal hunting can be prevented.	B．Wildlife habitats will get enlarged.
C．A new way to protect wildlife is inspired.	D．The balance between human and nature is strengthened.

3 . My name is Maria Helena Corrcia, and I studied biology at college. After ________, I first worked as a laboratory researcher. Since February, however, I’ve been a volunteer of WWF Greece(World Wide Fund for Nature). I made the ________ because I’m interested in animal ________ and nature.

Working on the Egyptian Vulture New LIFE project, I ________ to protect vultures (秃鹫) from danger. Livestock (牲畜) keepers sometimes use poison (毒药) to keep their livestock from being ________ by wild animals. But the poison and the poisoned animals are often eaten by the vultures, who end up ________.

To save the vultures, we have to show the livestock keepers that there are other ways of ________ wild animals. For example, I’ve been helping ________ electric fences (栅栏) which can put wildlife off. Now they have ________ their ideas of using poison to deal with wildlife attacks and accepted that fences can be a better ________.

Until now, I have had nothing but _______   memories of working here. For example, the livestock keepers and their families were especially ________ when we gave them new electric fences and dogs. They appreciated our help so much that they ________ us the best food from their farms.

As I mentioned before, I used to work as a researcher in a laboratory. But my experience here in Greece has changed my life ________. Now I want to ________ this work in the future and help more people and animals in need.

1.

A．graduation

B．marriage

C．birth

D．class

2.

A．difference

B．cut

C．decision

D．mistake

3.

A．testing

B．protection

C．behavior

D．disease

4.

A．try

B．remember

C．happen

D．refuse

5.

A．watched

B．loved

C．raised

D．attacked

6.

A．crying

B．running

C．dying

D．sitting

7.

A．finding

B．helping

C．stopping

D．feeding

8.

A．put away

B．break down

C．pull up

D．set up

9.

A．repeated

B．changed

C．shared

D．expressed

10.

A．goal

B．reason

C．chance

D．choice

11.

A．early

B．painful

C．wonderful

D．sad

12.

A．proud

B．lonely

C．strict

D．thankful

13.

A．offered

B．asked

C．lent

D．showed

14.

A．legally

B．completely

C．unluckily

D．uncertainly

15.

A．continue

B．describe

C．discuss

D．finish

4 . If you look at the dynamic “Global Temperatures” map on NASA’s website, you can see the historic temperature change over time across the planet as the timeline goes from 1880 to the modern day. By 2019, the entire planet is in red, orange, and yellow colors, indicating temperatures much higher than the historical average in every country and human inhabitance.

If the timeline went to 2023, the map would look even worse. That’s because the summer of 2023 was the hottest ever, according to ocean monitors. July was the hottest month in recorded history. Next July could be worse. Unless we do something quickly, we face dealing with more and more dangerous and expensive natural disasters in the future.

Forest fires sent smoke from Canada across the North American continent, causing New York City to have the worst air quality in its recorded history. Heavy rainstorms fell on Vermont and the Northeastern United States in just a couple of days in the middle of July, which exceeded the amount that area would usually receive in two months and caused extreme damage to homes and businesses. Around the same time, flash flooding in Bucks County, Pennsylvania — north of Philadelphia — killed nearly a dozen people.

Erich Fischer, a researcher specializing in climate studies at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, is concerned that natural disasters could get much worse in the future—and in ways we cannot predict. He called for a “strike for climate justice,” which actually took place on Sept. 15, 2023. “The strategy needs to be twofold (双重的) . We need to decrease carbon emissions as much as realistically possible. That is already happening with people using electric cars and other green technologies. At the same time, we also need to find ways to predict the risk of natural disasters ahead of time,” said Erich Fischer.

1. Why does the writer mention the data on NASA’s website in paragraph 1?

A．To explain a concept.	B．To introduce a topic.
C．To provide a solution.	D．To make a prediction.

2. What does the third paragraph mainly tell us?

A．The severity of natural disasters.	B．The worst air quality in New York City.
C．The extreme damage by flash flooding.	D．The cause of the forests fires in Canada.

3. What did Erich Fischer suggest to deal with the current situation?

A．He advocated a twofold strategy.

B．He suggested forbidding carbon emissions.

C．He required people to use more electric cars.

D．He emphasized the awareness of climate changes.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．The Hottest Month in History	B．Natural Disasters in the World
C．Extreme Weather Could Get Worse	D．Green Technology Would be Needed

5 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. Why does Greg ask the woman to keep quiet?

A．To find birds.

B．To avoid scaring birds.

C．To listen to his words.

2. How often does Greg go birdwatching?

A．Once a week.

B．Once a month.

C．Twice a month.

6 . The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s longest reef, measuring 2,027 km. Running parallel (平行的) to the coast of Queensland, Australia, the reef is home to many species of fish.

The Great Barrier Reef took thousands of years to form, and has existed for thousands of years, but in just a few short decades we humans have made remarkable progress in killing it. The balance of this ecosystem is being destroyed. Poisonous coastal pollution, overfishing and unsustainable tourism all contribute to the damage done. However, the biggest threat of all is climate change, which causes coral bleaching (珊瑚白化) and other problems.

Coral bleaching is a process that causes coral to turn white in color when exposed to certain stressors, such as changes in temperature or light. As water temperatures rise due to climate change, the algae (海藻) living inside coral becomes poisonous and is expelled from the coral, causing it to lose its color and a major source of food. Not only do the algae produce coral’s color, they also provide 90%of the coral’s energy. Thus, without the algae, most corals will die.

Unfortunately, coral bleaching events are now occurring at an alarming rate. Mass coral bleaching events in the Great Barrier Reef have been recorded in 1998, 2002, 2006, 2016, 2017 and 2020, and they are now expected to become an annual occurrence. The Great Barrier Reef is believed to have lost over 50% of its corals since 1995 and as global warming continues, this number will continue to increase rapidly.

In 2015, the Australian government formed a plan for the protection and preservation of the Great Barrier Reef until 2050. While the plan contains many great aims to improve water quality and restore the reef, there are no measures to deal with the root cause of the issue-climate change.

Solving the most important problem of our generation will require many solutions, such as supporting the use of renewable energy, keeping fossil fuels in the ground, protecting forests, reducing plastic production and preventing unsustainable business practices.

Repairing the damage done to the Great Barrier Reef — and other ecosystems around the world — will be no easy job, but we believe that individuals, businesses and governments will make a change and then there will be hope in the future.

1. What can we know about the Great Barrier Reef?

A．It is a lifeless coral reef structure.

B．It has the most preserved ecosystem.

C．It is a threat to the survival of human.

D．It has been affected by various factors.

2. What does the underlined word “expelled” in paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Taken out.

B．Given away.

C．Driven out.

D．Washed away.

3. What can be inferred from paragraph 4?

A．Coral reefs are experiencing growth.

B．The loss of corals is expected to decrease.

C．Coral bleaching takes place more frequently.

D．The government has taken steps to stop coral bleaching.

4. What is the author’s attitude to the future of the Great Barrier Reef?

A．Positive.

B．Negative.

C．Doubtful.

D．Indifferent.

7 . International ShakeOut Day This Year

This year’s International ShakeOut Day is October 17, when millions of people worldwide will take part in earthquake drills (演习) at work, school, or home! It is a great way for your family or organization to become better prepared to survive and recover quickly from big earthquakes.

At 10:17 am (local time) on 10/17, you can join millions of people across the world in practicing earthquake safety. While we encourage everyone to take part, you can sign up for your ShakeOut drill for any day of the year, and drill at a time of your choice. You can also include people in different locations through videos.

FIND YOUR REGION

· Most participants (参与者) are in one of the official ShakeOut Regions listed below the page (with current sign-up totals). People and organizations in other countries can also sign up.

· All regions take part in it on October 17, 2024, unless specified.

(As of Today)	Global Totals	US Totals
Oct.17, 2024 Drills	Over 270,000	Over 260,000
All 2024 Drills	Over 1.10 million	Over 950,000
All 2023 Drills	Over 57.3 million	Over 19.3 million

ShakeOut began in California and has also been organized in many other states and countries. Official ShakeOut Regions require special local or regional cooperation, typically by an emergency (紧急情况) management agency or a union of many organizations. If you are interested in establishing ShakeOut for your region, please contact us at https://www.shakeout.org. If your state, province, or country is not yet taking part, you can sign up for yourself or your organization as part of the global participation total.

1. What is the purpose of the activity?

A．To raise people’s safety awareness.

B．To stress the challenges of earthquakes.

C．To help people get ready for an earthquake.

D．To warn people of the danger of earthquakes.

2. How many people worldwide took part in the drills in 2023?

A．Over 270,000.	B．Over 950,000.
C．Over 57.3 million.	D．Over 19.3 million.

3. Where is the text from?

A．A website.	B．A book review.
C．A guidebook.	D．A diary entry.

8 . A new study suggests that the climate change diet might not be good for polar bears. With Arctic (北极) sea ice reducing, many polar bears have to go to land for their diets during parts of the summer.

A study looking at Hudson Bay polar bears tried to figure out if the creatures can keep their healthy weight levels on such a diet. Researchers found that the majority of the creatures are losing weight no matter what they do to try to increase it.

Some bears find a lot of food — berries, eggs, sea birds and so on. But to get such foods takes a lot of effort. The bears use so many calories trying to eat that they end up losing weight and burning more energy than they take in. Other bears go into a time of semi-hibernation (半冬眠). But they also lose weight. So either way — eating different foods or sleeping a lot — does not work.

Researchers found that 19 of the 20 bears studied dropped an average of 21 kilograms over three weeks of being studied. The research observed their calorie intake, energy use and breathing in the wild. The bears lost about 7 percent of their body mass on average in just 21 days.

Polar bears try to keep up their weight in the summer after a spring when they eat a lot and gain weight. In the area of the Hudson Bay where researchers studied, lack of sea ice has meant polar bears are on land three weeks longer than in the 1980s.

Last September, when Arctic sea ice hit its yearly low, there was about 2.6 million square kilometers less sea ice than the same time in 1979. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service lists the polar bear as a threatened species due to the loss of its sea ice habitat.

Overall, the research shows that it is unlikely that polar bears can adapt to living on land.

1. Why do polar bears lose weight even if they find much food?

A．They live a rather inactive life.

B．They use more energy than they take in.

C．They no longer have enough sea ice to rest on.

D．They have a hard time in keeping their body temperature.

2. What is the problem with polar bears?

A．They find no sea ice in summer.	B．They have to live on land longer.
C．They lose too much weight in spring.	D．They compete with other land animals.

3. What made the polar bear listed as a threatened species?

A．Its living environment.	B．Human activity.
C．The changing temperature of sea water.	D．A drop in sea animals’ population.

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．Polar Bears Becoming Smaller and Smaller

B．Polar Bears Having to Adapt to Living on Land

C．The Arctic Ocean Losing Ice Faster than Ever

D．Climate Change Diet Not Good for Polar Bears

9 . Begus is a linguist at the University of California, Berkeley. He got the chance, last summer, to observe sperm whales in their wild Caribbean habitat. With him were marine (海洋的) biologists and roboticists. There were also cryptographers and experts in other fields. All have been working together to listen to sperm whales and figure out what they might be saying. They call this Project CETI. Project CETI’s team is not the only group turning to AI for help decoding animal talk. Researchers have trained AI models to sort through the sounds of prairie dogs, dolphins, naked mole rats and many other creatures.

Long before AI came into the picture, scientists and others have worked toward understanding animal communication. Some learned that vervet monkeys have different calls when warning of leopards, eagles or pythons. Others discovered that elephants communicate in rumbles too low for human ears to hear. Bats chatter in squeaks too high for our hearing. Still other groups have explored how bees communicate through dance.

“It took us a long time to measure all these things,” says researcher Karen Bakker. AI, she notes, has the potential to greatly speed up this type of research. Perhaps one day we’ll be able to use AI to build a futuristic chat box that translates animal sounds into human language, or vice versa (反之亦然).

“Al could eventually get us to the point where we understand animals,” says Bakker. What’s interesting to her is what we can learn from how bats and other creatures talk among each other. We should listen to animals for better protection, she argues. For example, a system set up to record whales or elephants can also track their locations. This can help us avoid whales with our boats or prevent elephants from illegal hunters.

1. What is Project CETI aimed at?

A．Applying AI to animal research.

B．Improving the living conditions of sperm whales.

C．Preventing all marine life from extinction.

D．Analysing talks of sperm whales.

2. How is the second paragraph developed?

A．By listing figures.	B．By giving examples.
C．By making comparisons.	D．By analyzing causes.

3. What is NOT true according to Karen Bakker?

A．Animal researches used to be time-consuming.

B．Animals may one day understand human language.

C．We can already well figure out animal talk with AI.

D．We apply AI to eventually assist us protect animals.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．AI: A Potential Threat to Human Future

B．AI: A Technology Beneficial to the Earth

C．AI: A Tool to Understand and Protect Animals

D．AI: A Field of Fierce Major-country Competition

10 . Louie, a pet parrot, saved a whole family. He ______ the sleeping Klein family in the middle of the night as flames swept through their home.

“Louie is a true ______,” Barbara Klein recently told news agency South West News Service(SWNS). “If it hadn’t been for him, I probably wouldn’t have been ______ at that time. He started shouting ‘Fire’. He had never said that word before in my ______. When I woke up, the fire was starting to spread across the living room floor.” Unluckily for the family, Louie didn’t ______. Barbara said, “He was like our babies, so it’s ______.”

Barbara took her five-year-old granddaughter ______ and ran out of the house. Her husband Larry also made it out, but was severely wounded when escaping from the burning building. “He ran to the kitchen and tried to ______ the fire out with water,” Barbara told SWNS. “After we left, he ran back into the house and insisted on ______ the pet but with no ______.” The Kleins suffered great ______ in the fire. Their house was in ______ along with its contents and the parrot Louie passed away.

“People have ______ with clothing and someone donated an apartment for three months,” Barbara said. “The man who donated the apartment also ______ us with a baby parrot. We call him Louie Jr to _____   Louie.”

1.

A．annoyed

B．alarmed

C．impressed

D．noticed

2.

A．model

B．genius

C．hero

D．pioneer

3.

A．awake

B．asleep

C．alone

D．afraid

4.

A．opinion

B．way

C．memory

D．sight

5.

A．survive

B．resist

C．arrive

D．respond

6.

A．frightening

B．shocking

C．sorrowful

D．grateful

7.

A．angrily

B．gently

C．secretly

D．immediately

8.

A．turn

B．blow

C．keep

D．put

9.

A．accompanying

B．saving

C．comforting

D．adopting

10.

A．luck

B．doubt

C．evidence

D．barrier

11.

A．injuries

B．losses

C．pressures

D．failures

12.

A．detail

B．place

C．ruins

D．rows

13.

A．rushed out

B．come back

C．run away

D．reached out

14.

A．presented

B．equipped

C．linked

D．compared

15.

A．replace

B．honor

C．forget

D．reward