1 . I stared out the window,
I made myself dinner, which wasn’t anything
Arthur stayed by my side a majority of the time. My friend called him ‘mama’s boy’ or something silly like that. I didn’t
| A．enjoying | B．cursing | C．monitoring | D．envying |
| A．depression | B．surprise | C．alarm | D．tiredness |
| A．dramatic | B．fancy | C．solid | D．justified |
| A．called | B．made | C．put | D．took |
| A．handled | B．drilled | C．fixed | D．grabbed |
| A．committed | B．outgoing | C．innocent | D．dangerous |
| A．glare | B．laugh | C．smile | D．shout |
| A．blouse | B．fire | C．friend | D．towel |
| A．fighting | B．interfering | C．sticking | D．combining |
| A．part | B．number | C．sort | D．bit |
| A．engaging | B．stuffing | C．digesting | D．loading |
| A．possible | B．accessible | C．appropriate | D．essential |
| A．forgive | B．demand | C．mind | D．accept |
| A．time | B．opportunity | C．access | D．gift |
| A．sincerely | B．elegantly | C．practically | D．distinctly |
1. What does the man ask the woman to do?
| A．Bring him a snack. | B．Walk the dog. | C．Stay quiet. |
| A．The dog is sleeping on his legs. |
| B．He has injured himself. |
| C．He is very tired. |
| A．5km. | B．10km. | C．15km. |
3 . It has been more than 40 years since anyone spotted a Japanese river otter (水獭). And the once common Tangtze River dolphins have either disappeared or are very rarely seen.
A huge challenge scientists and conservationists encounter is tracking species facing extinction in order to help them.
In Brazil, AI quickly analyzed over 150, 000 satellite images, revealing that the world’s largest tropical wetlands lost 74 percent of its surface water.
The use of AI has helped to accelerate action and increase conservationists’ ability to protect the natural world for generations to come.
| A．Give animals on the edge of extinction a fighting chance to survive |
| B．In Zambia’s Kafue National Park, home to more than 6, 000 elephants |
| C．Not until that revelation (揭露) were authorities aware of how desperate the situation was |
| D．Saving them was challenging because their whereabouts (行踪) were relatively unknown |
| E．These are just a few of the species that have been listed as extinct or locally extinct in recent years |
| F．However, because of weather conditions, researchers knew next to nothing about their winter behavior |
| G．This is where AI has brought about a revolution in the way data on these species is collected and analyzed |
The ancient Chinese built two great engineering wonders: the Great Wall and the Grand Canal (运河). The Great Wall’s function in military defense
The Grand Canal,
Now, it has inspired the name of Chenchen, one of the three mascots of the Hangzhou Asian Games. Chenchen,
The Hangzhou section stretches a total
5 . In times of intense stress, people sometimes let it out with a scream and a new study suggests that plants might do the same. Researchers at Tel Aviv University in Israel has found that plants let out ultrasonic (超声的) screams when damaged or stressed by drought.
The noises, falling within a range of 20 to 100 kilohertz, are too high-frequency for humans to hear, but other plants and some animals perceive them. Insects might be listening for sounds from stressed plants to assess their condition before laying eggs on their leaves. A moth (蛾) may decide against laying eggs on a plant that sounds water-stressed.
Researchers attached recording devices directly to plants to listen for secret sounds inside their stems (茎). In drought, air bubbles formed, burst and caused vibrations (振动) within the tissue that normally carries water up the plants’ stems. The process was picked up by the attached recording devices, but researchers wanted to know if any plant sounds could travel through the air.
So the team placed microphones 10 centimetres from stressed-out tomato and tobacco plants. They subjected one set of crops to drought and another to physical damage. A third group was untouched.
The microphones did pick up distinct sounds. On average, drought-stressed tomato plants let out about 35 ultrasonic screams per hour, while those with cut stems made about 25. Drought-stressed tobacco plants let out about 11 screams per hour, and cut crops made about 15 sounds in the same time. The average number of sounds from untouched plants fell below one per hour.
The researchers also attempted to identify each plant group just based on its screams. Using a type of artificial intelligence calculations, the team picked out distinct features in each set of sounds and successfully sorted their plants into three kinds: “dry, cut or untouched.”
If it is not too costly to set up the recording in a field situation, farmers might be able to hear these stress signals too. In future, enabling farmers to listen for water-stressed plants could “open a new direction”, which will be increasingly important as climate change exposes more areas to drought.
1. The moth is mentioned in paragraph 2 to show __________.| A．moths need enough water when laying eggs |
| B．some animals are able to hear plants scream |
| C．some insects are picky about their surroundings |
| D．wildlife species depend on each other when stressed |
| A．Plants’ sounds couldn’t be detected by humans. |
| B．Plants can be grouped according to their features. |
| C．Plants’ screams are related to stress types in a way. |
| D．Air bubbles contribute to the lack of water in plants. |
| A．Supporting evidence for the research result. |
| B．Potential application of the research findings. |
| C．A further explanation of the research methods. |
| D．A reasonable doubt about the research process. |
| A．Plants’ Vibrations: Way to React to Stress |
| B．Stress Signals: Secret Newly Found in Plants |
| C．Green Screams: Plants Make Noises When Stressed |
| D．Ultrasonic Screams: Discovery Opens a New Chapter |
6 . “Tick, tick, pzzzz…” the song of the Florida grasshopper sparrow is unusual and surprisingly insect-like. But it almost fell silent forever. In 2012, Joel Sartore, National Geographic Explorer and Photo Ark founder, received a call from the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service: The songbird, an important ecological link in Florida’s dry grasslands, was struggling on extinction. With only a few dozen males in sight, it was among North America’s most endangered bird species.
Funded by the National Geographic Society, Sartore flew to Florida to photograph the bird and work with conservationists to raise awareness of the species’ situation. The story went viral on social media, helping boost government funding for a protecting program. Thanks to these steps, there are now as many as 180 adult birds in the wild, and researchers are working hard to bring the species back from the brink of extinction.
This journey reveals the Society’s mission to illuminate and protect the wonder of the world. Over the past 136 years, it has developed a unique explorer-led model, combining science, exploration, education and storytelling to drive impact. The society also supports explorers in more than 140 countries, including Sartore and others whose work relates to this issue: biologist André Green II, photographer Jasper Doest and education advocate Ara Kusuma.
Sartore is now 17 years into his efforts to create an “Ark” of animal photos. Portraits of more than 15,000 species invite audiences to connect and care. With the Society’s support, the images have appeared on the landmarks and postage stamps in the U. S., contributing to on-the-ground conservation efforts.
As Sartore says, “The sounds of birds are the sounds of a health y planet. When we save a bird or another species, we’re actually saving ourselves.”
1. What do we know about the Florida grasshopper sparrow?| A．It died out entirely in 2012. | B．It has lost its singing voice. |
| C．It is crucial to the ecology. | D．Only a few females were left. |
| A．Adventurous. | B．Dangerous. | C．Eventful. | D．Fruitful. |
| A．It is a costly but unproductive project. | B．It centered on creating a unique model. |
| C．It aims to control the species’ population. | D．It involves multi-field’s strength and efforts. |
| A．Demanding and generous. | B．Responsible and devoted. |
| C．Talented and considerate. | D．Determined and sensitive. |
7 . Lying in the Mexican state of Oaxaca, the fishing village Huatulco is home to nine bays, 36 beaches and thousands of baby turtles that apparently needed me. I had three open days on my calendar, and a desire to save some turtles. And so, away I went to Huatulco with Wildcoast, a group of champions-for-change who were protecting coastal and marine ecosystem in the U. S. and Mexico.
I was taken to La Escobilla to experience Wildcoast in action. Just one hour north of Huatulco, this protected beach is where mass turtle nesting happens. This natural phenomenon lasts just four days during rainy season, hundreds of thousands of female sea turtles swinging their way ashore to lay their eggs.
Between threats of dogs, crabs, development and oil spills, the little creatures have the whole world against them. As recently as 2002, turtles hunting was not only a common practice, but an important part of the culture and diet in the Oaxaca communities. Luckily, Wildcoast rescues turtle eggs and recreates habitats by monitoring temperatures and humidity. Thanks to their efforts, the sea turtles have made a major comeback, with now over 72 million turtles being born on the beaches that Wildcoast protects.
I got to hold 50 of the tiny creatures in a bowl. Despite an average laying of 100 eggs, just one in 1, 000 baby turtles will make it to adulthood. Gazing into the bowl, I so badly wanted them to taste the sea and find shelter somewhere deep in the ocean. Finally, it was time to liberate those little creatures. Out spilled the creatures, some moving full steam ahead while others barely paddled in place. Literally, hundreds of them began to spread out across the beach.
With each set of waves, we witnessed the survival of the fittest, some pushing past the whitewash while others crashed back to shore. Their fight for life made my eyes wet. A flock of birds were ready to dive into the sea for their moving targets. “One in 1, 000.” Nature was cruel and compassionate at the same time. After 30 long minutes, the last creature made his way to the sea.
1. The baby turtles are threatened by various factors except ________.| A．the cruel hunters | B．the rapid development |
| C．the extreme weather | D．the oil-polluted ocean |
| A．With slow pace and fear. | B．With all energy and enthusiasm. |
| C．With full caution and curiosity. | D．With great satisfaction and responsibility. |
| A．One baby turtle in 1,000 can make his way to the sea. |
| B．Thousands of baby turtles were crashed back to shore. |
| C．The struggle of baby turtles for life touched the author. |
| D．Baby turtles can hardly survive the harsh living conditions. |
| A．Think twice before you leap. | B．God helps those who help themselves. |
| C．Cease to struggle and you cease to live. | D．When the buying stops, the killing can too. |
8 . If you think of a game of fetch, you might picture a dog running back and forth, eagerly recovering a ball. But a new study shows that they’re not the only pets that like the game: Cats play fetch, too, just on their own unique terms.
The researchers discovered almost 1,000 owners of 1,154 cats to find out if and why. According to their findings, nearly 95% of the cat owners reported that their cats fetched items naturally. One respondent said his cat returned the toy completely for no reason.
Fetching was mainly first noticed when cats were under I year old. What’s more, “cats who fetch largely determine when they engage in fetching activities and actively influence the play behavior of their owners,” according to the study. “So, it can say a bit about cats being in control of their interactions and being in control of their environments, even being in control of us. You might even go so far to say,” says Jemma Forman, the co-author of the study.
But the motivation for cats to fetch objects seems to be different from that for dogs. Cats are more likely to play on their own with objects similar to prey (猎物). For dogs, play is more social, involving either another dog or human.
In general, play has major advantages for both the pet and the owner, as it not only helps to prevent attack towards, the owner, but also models the act of preying on real animals, an important kind of play behavior. “So even if your cat doesn’t play fetch, obviously it’s a really good idea to try and engage them in any sort of play. Play does have a lot of benefits,” says Forman. “It’s about owner acceptance to your fur baby,” she says.
1. Why does the author mention dogs in Paragraph 1?| A．To offer basic information of dogs. |
| B．To make an outline for the passage. |
| C．To introduce the topic of the passage. |
| D．To conclude the meaning of the topic. |
| A．By raising questions. | B．By listing data. |
| C．By making a comparison. | D．By offering an example. |
| A．A social action. | B．A learning process. |
| C．A serious task. | D．A preying activity. |
| A．Cats Play Fetch, Too | B．Train Cats to Fetch |
| C．New Findings on Dogs | D．Dogs Play Fetch, Too |
9 . It is believed that it’s dangerous to have plants in the bedroom. Plants take in carbon dioxide (CO₂) and produce oxygen (氧气) in the day.
Firstly, how much CO₂ do plants produce at night compared with what they take in during the day?
Thankfully, in 2015, researchers at Turkey’s Kastamonu University found that large houseplants take in between six and eight times as much CO2 in the day as they produce at night.
Finally, we don’t live in the sealed (密封的) boxes in which these studies are carried out.
Let’s enjoy houseplants whenever we like, because if sleeping near plants were bad for our health, camping in a forest would be deadly.
| A．This is hard to answer. |
| B．So, they are quite necessary. |
| C．The question has more than one answer. |
| D．Besides, we often share a room with someone else. |
| E．Indoor air is being exchanged through doors and windows. |
| F．At night they compete with us for the air we breathe while asleep. |
| G．Secondly, compare the influence of a plant with that of a person sharing a room. |
10 . Mobile Bay in Alabama is home to a strange and unique occurrence. During the summer months, hundreds of fish and crustaceans (甲壳纲动物) from the deep waters of the bay move to the shallow waters. The free seafood is so plentiful and easy to catch with nets or bare hands that locals gather to fill their buckets with it. This natural phenomenon has existed for centuries.
Sarah Van Winkle, a student at the Alabama School of Math & Science, is no stranger to the scene. Growing up there, the rich plants and animals never stop to amaze her.
As the world’s oceans face numerous issues such as pollution, overfishing, and habitat destruction, she intended to figure out whether Mobile Bay was experiencing similar environmental threats in her most recent science project. Sarah studied the environment of Mobile Bay and she even extended the range of the research to the Mobile Tensaw-Delta, and the canals of a living district in Fairhope, Alabama. She analyzed key nutrient and metal levels in the ocean ecosystem.
Through the project, Sarah found that turbidity, an important indicator of water quality, increased sharply. This result showed, clearly that the area is filled with tiny pieces of matter, making the water there quite opaque.
For the project. Sarah was chosen as one of this year’s 24 Society for Science & the Public Community Innovation Award winners. “To me, this honor symbolizes that the ten months of late night readings, weekend field trips, and after-school sessions in the laboratory have truly come to fruition and impacted lives,” Sarah noted.
“Our local ocean ecosystem is in danger of chemical pollution from a variety of sources,” Sarah explained in an interview. “The bay plays a vital role in our community and every local should value what the bay offers. It’s our responsibility to work together to preserve it.”
1. What’s the unusual scene in Mobile Bay in summer months?| A．The water’s becoming shallow and clear. | B．The decline of the natural environment. |
| C．The flood of seafood into shallow waters. | D．The locals’ growing interest in fishing with buckets. |
| A．Fresh. | B．Cloudy. | C．Clear. | D．Shallow. |
| A．Hard work pays off. | B．Time waits for no man. |
| C．Practice makes perfect. | D．Failure is the mother of success. |
| A．The focus of her future work. | B．Her concern for the local people. |
| C．The complexity of the local ocean system. | D．Her expectation of protecting the bay. |
