1 . The world is a vast and beautiful place, full of natural wonders and man-made marvels. From the ancient ruins of Rome to the Great Wall of China, there are countless places that make us proud of our ancestors.     1     They are also essential for future generations.

Heritage is our legacy. It is what we pass down to our children and grandchildren. Heritage helps us to understand the past. It can teach us about our ancestors and their culture. Heritage can inspire us.     2     Heritage can unite us. It can bring people together from different backgrounds and cultures.

    3     The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef system, and it is at risk from natural forces, including climate change and pollution. The Amazon rainforest is the world’s largest tropical rainforest, regulating the Earth’s climate. It is at risk from human activities, like deforestation, mining, and agriculture.

We can all do our part to help preserve these sites. Learn more about the sites that are on the List of World Heritage in Danger.     4     Support organizations that are working to protect these sites. You can donate money, volunteer your time, or spread the word about their work.

Together, we can make a difference.     5    

A．It can give us hope for the future.

B．Choose sustainable lifestyles every day.

C．Future generations can be more responsible.

D．Unfortunately, many of them are under threat.

E．Let’s work together to preserve these incredible sites.

F．The more you know, the better you do in the preservation.

G．But these places are not just important for our own enjoyment.

2 . WHY SHENNONGJIA?

As we know, in 2016, Shennongjia made it on to the UNESCO World Heritage List. But there are so many important places not yet on this list. So you might ask: why Shennongjia?

UNESCO awarded Shennongjia this status because it meets two criteria required by the list. It contains a naturally-balanced environment that allows the many and various species to live and prosper. It is also one of the rare locations in the world where scientists can observe in real time the ecological and biological processes that occur as the plants and animals develop and evolve.

For the first criterion, Shennongjia is apparently one of the most “complete” natural areas in the world. The region rises from about 400 metres to over 3, 000 metres above sealevel, giving it the name the “Roof of Central China”.

For the second criterion, we can see that Shennongjia has incredible biodiversity. Look at this slide. According to official statistics, over 3, 000 plant species have been recorded there. This represents more than ten percent of China’s total floral richness.

It is a challenge to look after so many species. In winter, scientists brave heavy snow and freezing temperatures to supply food to the Golden Snub-nosed Monkey. Thanks to their efforts, the monkey’s population has doubled since the 1980s.Their number reached over 1, 300 in 2015 and continues to grow.

But the most impressive aspect of Shennongjia is the local people, who take things from nature without causing damage. I visited a local village which is known for its home-made honey. What is special about the honey is that it is produced by the earliest species of Chinese bee. All of this explains why Shennongjia earned—and deserves—its place on the UNESCO World Heritage List, as well as highlighting how understanding, awareness and hard work have contributed towards protecting a unique and wonderful part of our natural world.

1. Why is Shennongjia included in the UNESCO World Heritage List?

A．Because its forests stretch on and on like great green seas.

B．Because it is the legendary father of Chinese herbal medicine.

C．Because it satisfies the two requirements for the status.

D．Because it has the mysterious creature called “Yeren”.

2. Shennongjia is also called the“          ”.

A．Roof of Central China	B．Roof of Northern China
C．Roof of Eastern China	D．Roof of Southern China

3. How does the author think of the scientists in Shennongjia?

A．Patient.

B．Careful.

C．Confident.

D．Hard-working.

4. According to the text, what impressed the author most?

A．A local village.	B．The local people.
C．Some special monkeys.	D．The wild bees.

3 . 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。

Though once secluded (与世隔绝的), even inaccessible, Kazakhstan today welcomes intrepid travelers with open arms.

Kazakhstan is the world’s largest landlocked (内陆的) country, and the     1     (nine) largest in the world. The country is one of the most economically advanced in Central Asia, thanks to     2     (it) abundant oil reserves and other valuable minerals.

Even for some     3     (experience) travelers, Kazakhstan is still     4     unfamiliar state. While home to the raw beauty of the steppe (草原) and mountain scenery, there are no yurts (蒙古包) like in Kyrgyzstan     5     Mongolia. The country also has a fascinating history of medieval (中世纪的) Islamic architecture.

But for those     6     have stepped foot in the country, its most     7     (attract) features are its unique landscapes and freedom.

Panfilov Park in the eastern-center of Almaty has plenty     8     places of interest that offer a whistle-stop tour of the city’s history. Not far behind the     9     (large) of them is the yellow, green and red Tsaristera Ascension Cathedral (大教堂), a visually attractive structure that is claimed to be one of the tallest wooden     10     (build) in the world.

4 . 阅读下面短文, 根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写1个适当的单词。在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。

National parks are places to be treasured—places     1     the country locks away the very best it has to offer for everyone to enjoy. Not all famous national parks are on land. One good example is the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park in Australia.     2     (stretch)over 2,300 kilometers, the Great Barrier Reef is considered one of the natural     3     (wonder)of the world. The park was created in 1975 to protect the reef from overdevelopment and fishing. Unfortunately, the biggest danger to it is global warming,     4     park management cannot stop.

5 . The Vjosa River, one of the last wild rivers in Europe, has been declared a national park by the Albanian government, making it become the first wild river park on the continent.

Home to more than 1,000 animal and plant species, the river flows for 270 kilometers, from Greece, through Albania and into the Adriatic Sea. Giving the credit to no dams or other artificial barriers, it is rich in aquatic species and supports a large number of wildlife species, including otters, the endangered Egyptian vulture and the critically endangered Balkan lynx.

The wild river national park will include almost 13,000 acres of land, crossing most of the body of the country, with thousands of people living in its surroundings. The decision to establish the park is more important than people may realize. For years, the Vjosa’s fragile ecosystem has been under threat: at one point as many as 45 hydropower plants (水 电 站) were planned to build across the region. But thanks to the campaigning by environmental NGOs, the tiny Balkan nation was placed at the forefront of river protection.

Albania’s prime minister, Edi Rama, described the creation of the national park as a “truly historic moment” for nature as well as social and economic development. “Today we protect the only wild river in Europe once and for all,” he said. “This is about to change a mindset. Protecting an area does not mean that you make it in isolation from the economy.” He said national parks attract 20% more   tourists   compared with non-protected areas.

The park will cover the 118 miles of the Vjosa in Albania, three main tributaries (支流), and some land, including areas at risk of flooding. Phase II will add other tributaries. Unlike the IUCN's Wilderness Protected Areas, which limit the number of visitors, it will allow recreational tourism and some   other activities such as local fishing, particularly for 60,000 residents in the catchment.

“We hope it will inspire others to come together to protect the wild places we have left, in a meaningful way,” said Ryan Gellert, Patagonia’s CEO, adding that the park was proof that the “destruction of nature did not have to be the price of progress”.

1. What makes the Vjosa River rich in wild species?

A．Sufficient water.

B．The government's policies.

C．The large area of fertile land.

D．The absence of human disturbance.

2. Why is the decision to build the park extremely important?

A．It helps to establish hydropower plants.

B．It relieves the power shortage in Albania.

C．It strengthens the protection of Vjosa's ecosystem.

D．It promotes the development of the local wild land.

3. What can we infer from Edi Rama?

A．Building the park is beneficial to the economy.

B．More wild rivers need to be protected in Europe.

C．Non-protected areas will inspire a boom in tourism.

D．Social progress comes at the cost of the natural environment.

4. How is the park different from IUCN's Wilderness Protected Areas?

A．It includes more tributaries.

B．It limits the number of visitors.

C．It covers areas at high risk of flooding.

D．It combines leisure activities with tourism.

6 . Set 40 kilometers northeast of the city of Ambatondrazaka, the Zahamena National Park's landscape consists of (……组成) valleys surrounded by a flowing mountain range.

It has an overall land coverage of 64, 300 hectares, but only 42, 000 hectares is open to the public due to strict conservation (环境保护) reasons. It receives an average yearly rainfall level of about 6 feet and experiences frequent rain showers even during the dry season between April and October.

One really interesting thing about the Zahamena National Park is that the unique territory of its highland has paved the way for the development of several ecosystems that exist at the same time in this park. This is the reason why the types of wildlife living in one area are different in another, which makes it quite exciting to explore.

This protected area is divided into two parts, with a separate piece of land in the middle where many small villages are situated. These villages are inhabited (居住) by the members of the Sihanaka and Betsimisaraka ethnic groups.

The Zahamena National Park gets its name from the local Zahana Mena tree, an uncommon type of hardwood that grows in the lower regions of this protected area. It is characterized by its resilient (坚韧的) wood that can be rather challenging to cut, join, shape and carve even with modern tools.

Established as a strict natural highland reserve in 1927 (and one of the first of its kind in all of Madagascar), the Zahamena National Park was officially given its national park status (地位) in 1997 and was eventually opened to the public. Due to its remarkable territory and unique biodiversity, this national park was later listed as a key part of the collective UNESCO World Heritage Site called the Rainforests of the Atsinanana in 2007.

1. What can we learn about the Zahamena National Park?

A．It is surrounded by the city of Ambatondrazaka.

B．It receives little rainfall during the dry season.

C．It is partially open to the public.

D．It is divided into three parts.

2. What has contributed to several ecosystems in the Zahamena National Park?

A．The strict conservation rules.	B．The unique weather conditions.
C．The special territory of its highland.	D．The influence of several local villages.

3. What is the Zahamena National Park named after?

A．An ethnic group.	B．A type of local tree.
C．A traditional tool.	D．A nearby city.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．A brief introduction to the Zahamena National Park.

B．A complete guide to visiting the Zahamena National Park.

C．Details of Zahamena National Park's great efforts in conservation.

D．Reasons for Zahamena National Park becoming a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

7 . The National Parks Service has confirmed the discovery of an ancient crab (螃蟹) fossil (化石) found along the shores of Assateague Island National Seashore.

Sharon Conn, a visitor to the area, found the fossil in early October on the shore of Assateague Island. “It is very uncommon to find fossils of this nature. We have a very small number in our museum collection. That is what makes this discovery very exciting,” Liz Davis chief of Assateague Island National Seashore said.

The parks service identified the rare blue crab fossil with the help of the Department of Paleobiology. Matthew Mille, museum specialist at the National Museum of Natural History, tested the fossil to find out how it is. He concluded it was likely from the Pleistocene age, about 2 million years ago. “The extra rock around it is such a well tough ground that it can’t be easily eroded (腐蚀),” he said. “The claw did erode a bit though — which is why it isn’t immediately recognized as a claw. Gone are the tips and parts of the infilled area where the original flesh would have been through, making the whole fossil looks a bit strange.”

The fossil was found on public land and is protected by law. Davis told the Daily Times it was currently at the National Parks Service Toms Cove Visitor Center in Virginia. “We hope to have a small collection of fossils on display at the NPS Assateague Island Vistior Center in Maryland later in 2022,” said Davis.

1. What does Liz Davis think of the ancient crab fossil?

A．It is invaluable.

B．It is very old.

C．It is imperfect.

D．It is rare.

2. How old is the fossil according to the text?

A．Around 2 million years old.

B．2 million years old.

C．3 million years old.

D．Less than 2 million years old.

3. Whom do you think the fossil should belong to?

A．Sharon Conn.

B．The country.

C．Liz Davis.

D．The National Parks Service.

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A．A Lucky Visitor.	B．Assateague Island.
C．An Ancient Blue Fossil.	D．An Important Discovery.

8 . 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 the north bank of Fuxian Lake in Chengjiang County, Yunnan Province sits a straw-hat-shaped mountain     1     (call) Maotian Mountain,     2     a 512-hectare site is praised as a “world-class treasure trove of fossils” by the international scientific community. On July 1,1984, young paleontologists in China discovered a fossil of the arthropod (节肢动物化石) with a long tail in Maotian Mountain. “    3     we had studied in China were just shell of fossils. The arthropods, lifelike fossils with legs, which belonged to fossils of soft-bodied animals, are     4     game changer in the research of China’s paleontology (古生物学)”, Hou Xianguang, a paleontologist said.

Scientists have obtained a large number of research results on Chengjiang Fossil Site. The reason why Chengjiang fauna (动物群) is     5     great significance is that it is closely related to the emergence of the animal tree of life.

Up to now, more than 20 phyla and more than 280 species     6     (record)in the Chengjiang Fossil Site, of which, 80% are new species. On July 1, 2012, the Chengjiang Fossil Site     7     (be) inscribed on the World Heritage List by UNESCO,     8     (become) China’ s first World Heritage Site for paleontological fossils.

The UNESCO evaluation says the Chengjiang Fossil Site is one of the     9     (early) records of a complex marine ecosystem of the early Cambrian communities. The property displays excellent quality of fossil     10     (preserve). It presents an exceptional record of the rapid diversification of life on Earth during the early Cambrian period.

9 . The Great Barrier Reef in Queensland has suffered several mass bleaching events due to the impacts of climate change. The Australian government turned down a proposal for a new open-cut coal mine near the Great Barrier Reef, considering environmental laws and the risk of “irreversible damage”. It was the first time the government had used its powers under environmental laws to reject a mine.

In turning down the project, Tanya Plibersek, the minister for the environment and water, cited significant potential environmental dangers to the reef, which is already heavily threatened by climate change.” The risk of pollution is real and the damage to the reef, once done, will never be repaired. “The project would have had unacceptable impacts on freshwater in the area and potentially on fragile seagrass meadows,” Plibersek said in a video posted on social media. She said that during the public consultation period, her department had received 9,000 public comments about the mine in just 10 business days.

The government has been under pressure from UNESCO to better protect the reef and in 2022, it pledged one billion Australian dollars for efforts to protect the fragile ecosystem, including climate adaptation measures and water quality programs. Last year, the Great Barrier Reef, which stretches for more than 2,300 kilometers, experienced its sixth mass bleaching event, due to warming waters caused by climate change.

The government, elected in 2022, came to power promising stronger action on the climate in a country still heavily depending on fossil fuels. But its climate policies are rated “insufficient” by Climate Action Tracker, which found Australia is not on course to meet targets to limit warming to 1. 5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The government has rejected calls from the country’s Green Party to turn down all new fossil fuel projects.

1. Which of the following can replace “irreversible” in paragraph 1?

A．Permanent.

B．Gradual.

C．Severe.

D．Significant.

2. Which statement would Plibersek probably agree with?

A．The reef is in good condition now.

B．9,000 people made good comments on the mining project.

C．The mining project has drawn the attention of the public.

D．The mining project has had bad effects on freshwater in the area.

3. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A．Fossil fuels are not in demand in Australia.

B．The government has made effective climate policies.

C．The government failed to carry out its previous promises.

D．The Green Party reached an agreement with the government.

4. What’s the main idea of the passage?

A．The Great Barrier Reef is faced with mass bleaching events.

B．Australia is on the way to protecting the Great Barrier Reef.

C．The Great Barrier Reef calls for help due to climate change.

D．Australia says “No” to a mine near the Great Barrier Reef.

10 . China formally announced its first batch of five national parks. Are any of them from your hometown?

·The Sanjiangyuan National Park

The Sanjiangyuan Natonal Park, which is the source of three major rivers — the Yangtze, the Yellow, and the Lancang Rivers — is an important source of fresh water supply in China maintaining the lifeline of water security of the country. It is also home to hundreds of species of wild animals, such as wild yaks (牦牛), snow leopards and Tibetan antelopes.

·The Giant Panda National Park

The Giant Panda National Park connects three provinces — Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu. The park holds more than 70 percent of China’s wild giant pandas. Aside from the “national treasure” of China, the park is also the habitat of highly protected animals, including the snub-nosed monkey.

·The Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park

In the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park in Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces the high-tech monitoring system was launched to provide real-time protection for plants and animals. Thanks to the establishment of the national park, at least 12 Siberian tiger cubs and 11 Amur leopard cubs have been born so far.

·The Wuyi Mountain National Park

The Wuyi Mountain National Park is the only national park in China which is both a biosphere reserve and heritage site. The park has the most complete, most typical, and largest area of the central subtropical (中亚热带的) native forest ecosystem at the same latitude on Earth. It is known as a birds’ paradise, the kingdom of snakes and the world of insects.

·The Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park

In the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park, the protection of Hainan gibbons (长臂猿) has become a success story for animal preservation worldwide. Being the animals native to the South China island, Hainan gibbons are the world’s rarest primate (灵长类动物). Under the effective protection, its population has increased from as few as 7 to 9 in the 1980s to 35 today.

1. What does the Sanjiangyuan National Park influence most?

A．Land resources.

B．Water resources.

C．Forest resources.

D．Living resources.

2. Which park adopts high-tech devices to protect nature?

A．The Sanjiangyuan National Park.

B．The Wuyi Mountain National Park.

C．The Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park.

D．The Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park.

3. Where can the text be found?

A．In a novel.

B．In a research report.

C．In a travel handbook.

D．In a nature magazine.