1 . British sculptor Jason Taylor has made it his mission to use his talent to conserve our ecosystems by creating underwater museums. Over the years, the environmentalist has put over 850 massive artworks underwater worldwide. On February 1, 2021, Taylor launched his latest work---The Underwater Museum of Cannes.

“The main goal was to bring attention to the fact that our oceans need our help,” Taylor told Dezeen. “Ocean ecologies have been destroyed by human activity in the Mediterranean over the past few decades, and it is not obvious what is taking place when observing the sea from afar.”

The Underwater Museum of Cannes contains 6 sculptures featuring local residents of various ages. They range from Maurice, an 80-year-old fisherman, to Anouk, a 9-year-old student. Towering over 6-feet-tall and weighing 10 tons, the faces are sectioned into two parts, with the outer part like a mask. The mask indicates that the world’s oceans appear powerful and unbeatable from the surface but house an ecosystem that is extremely fragile to careless human activities.

Though the waters surrounding the sculptures now appear a pristine blue, the seabed was filled with old boat engines, pipes, and other human-made trash when the project began about four years ago. Besides removing the trash, Taylor also restored the area’s seagrass. Just one square meter of the seagrass can generate up to 10 liters of oxygen daily. The seagrass also helps prevent coastal erosion and provides habitats for many ocean creatures.

“The idea of creating an underwater museum was to draw more people underwater and develop a sense of care and protection,” Taylor told Dezeen. “If we threw unwanted waste near a forest, there would be a public outcry. But this is happening every day in our surrounding waters and it largely goes unnoticed.”

1. What are the underwater museums intended to do?

A．To make huge profits.	B．To raise awareness of protecting the ocean.
C．To show Jason Taylor’s talent.	D．To draw attention to endangered sea animals.

2. Why does the outer part of the sculptures look like a mask?

A．To popularize the features of the locals.

B．To remind people to protect themselves.

C．To reflect people’s protection of the ocean.

D．To stress the sensitiveness of the ecosystem.

3. What’s Paragraph 4 mainly about?

A．How the project was started.	B．How the seagrass was restored.
C．What recovery effort the project made.	D．Why the surroundings were improved.

4. What can we infer from what Jason Taylor said in the last paragraph?

A．The situation of the ocean is easily ignored.

B．The destruction caused to the ocean is noticeable.

C．Forests play a more important role in ecosystems.

D．People have zero tolerance to damage done to nature.

2 . The UN this week launched a report urging companies to stop issuing false net-zero targets that amount to greenwashing.

Greenwashing is a term used to describe situations where companies mislead consumers by claiming to be eco-friendly or sustainable as a marketing plan rather than as a core principle of their business model. Often, these industries spend more money making themselves appear sustainable than they do taking actual sustainable measures into their company.

Cities, financial institutions, and scores of companies have announced plans to reduce their emissions to zero, which, in principle, should help the fight against climate change.

“The problem is that the criteria for these net-zero commitments have varying levels of precision and loopholes (漏洞),” said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during the launch of the report.

Many net-zero plans contain far-away or unclear targets and often call for the use of unproved technologies like carbon capture and tree planting, which effectively allow companies to continue polluting the atmosphere. Studies show that most of these net-zero plans will do little to stop temperatures from rising. For example, many oil majors have announced plans to reduce emissions from their operations to zero by 2050 that do not take into account the carbon emitted by the fossil fuels they sell, which would allow them to increase production. Far from decreasing, fossil fuel production is going strong.

To close these net-zero loopholes, the UN this week released a report that includes 10 recommendations to ensure that companies, cities, regions, and other non-state actors issue credible and accountable net zero commitments. “Their plans cannot rely on cheap carbon credits instead of immediately cutting their own emissions,” Guterres said.

Financial institutions need to cut down emissions from all their investments and businesses need to bring down the carbon footprint of their supply chain, the report said. The report’s lead author, Catherine McKenna, urged companies to release new net-zero targets within a year. The updated targets must contain concrete actionable details.

1. What does “greenwashing” refer to?

A．A green technology.	B．A misleading statement.
C．A business model.	D．A spending target.

2. Why does the author mention the oil majors?

A．To prove oil majors are really responsible.

B．To set some good examples for other companies.

C．To show some net- zero commitments make no sense.

D．To indicate the benefit of net zero plans to climate change.

3. How does Guterres feel about the issued net-zero plans?

A．Dissatisfied.

B．Guilty.

C．Shocked.

D．Confused.

4. What is advised to do to fix net-zero loopholes?

A．Plant more trees.	B．Share more supply chains.
C．Depend on cheap carbon credits.	D．Make concrete actionable targets.

3 . Hurricane season can be wild and unpredictable.    1    Here are some ways you can beef up your home security in hurricane weather, even if you need to move out.

    2    That actually does nothing to ensure your safety in the powerful winds. Sticking to hurricane shelters or plywood (胶合板) is the only way to go when it comes to protecting those points of entry in hurricane conditions. Buy sheets of plywood,measure your windows and use brackets (支架) to hold the plywood in place.

Sandbags are very useful. While sandbags won’t be able to help in the extreme storm, many people will be able to prevent flooding and extensive damage to their belongings by placing sandbags.     3    Any storm water that is kept out of your home is storm water that won’t be able to damage the belongings inside your home, so sandbags are well worth having at your doorways during a hurricane.

It’s important to prepare the inside of your home for strong winds and rain. But you should also keep an eye on the outside of your house, too. Trim (修剪) trees, especially dead branches, to prevent anything else that could fly through a window and cause damage during a hurricane.       4    

You should also take pictures of expensive items like electronics and keep notes of their serial numbers.     5    Also, there are always bad people out right after a storm. If the worst happens and your home is broken into right after a bad storm, having pictures and detailed notes about what was in your home prior to the hurricane will make it easier for police to track down stolen items.

A．You should have a camera at home.

B．It can be strong enough to resist the forceful winds.

C．Making sure nothing is loose in your yard is important.

D．You may see people taping windows before a hurricane comes.

E．They will be able to effectively keep storm water out in many cases.

F．It will aid with your insurance company if anything needs to be replaced.

G．These dangerous storms can bring damage to your home and belongings.

4 . Before the year has even come to a close, climate experts are certain that 2023 will be the hottest year in recorded history.

On Dec. 6, the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) — part of the European Union's space program — revealed that this year's average global temperatures have been 2.6℉ (1.46°C ) higher than temperatures in preindustrial times and 0.2°F (0.13°C) higher than January to November in 2016. These “extraordinary” temperatures mean that 2023will be “the warmest year in recorded history,” C3S deputy director Samantha Burgess said in a statement.

The researchers note that this year's record heat was partly caused by the latest El Nino event — a phenomenon where warmer water near the equator triggers warmer global air temperatures — that began in June. Some other experts have suggested that the January2022 eruption of Tonga's underwater volcano, which pumped record levels of water vapor into the atmosphere, may also be partly responsible.

Despite these factors, the major cause of climbing temperatures is global warming caused by runaway greenhouse gas emissions, which, noted in a C3S statement, have trapped more than 25 billion atomic bombs' worth of energy in our atmosphere over the last 50 years. And still worse, the global carbon emissions have reached a new high this year, according to scientists at the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP28) On Dec 4.

The effects of global warming are becoming more obvious. In 2023, research revealed that climate change is causing major US cities to sink and more than half of the world's largest lakes and reservoirs to shrink. Studies also predicted that the Gulf Stream, which plays a vital role in ocean circulation, could collapse by as early as 2025, and that rising sea levels could swamp the U S coastline by 2050.

However, scientists say that we still have time to prevent further disaster. Leading climate change expert Michael Mann, from the University of Pennsylvania, recently wrote that “we can still stop the worst effects of climate change” if we stop emitting greenhouse gases as soon as possible.

1. What's the purpose of the text?

A．To report the recorded hottest year.

B．To present findings of a research.

C．To analyze the causes of climate change.

D．To warn of the coming natural disaster.

2. Which is the main factor in causing the warmest weather in 2023?

A．Eruption of an underwater volcano.

B．Greenhouse gas emissions.

C．Collapse of the Gulf Stream.

D．The latest El Nino event.

3. What is Paragraph 5 mainly about?

A．Scientists' predictions of the future.

B．The threat of rising sea levels to the U.S.

C．The effects of climate change.

D．Different opinions on global warming.

4. How does Michael Mann feel about the present situation?

A．Confused.

B．Worried.

C．Pessimistic.

D．Hopeful.

5 . The students stand on a pier (码头) over the Harlem River in New York City. They stare down into the brown water. Their teacher, Mr. Rodman, pulls a long rope out of the river. Fastened to the end of the rope is a metal cage and inside are oysters (牡蛎). Taking turns, the students measure all the oysters, and then compare notes. The biggest oyster is over 2 inches long, much bigger than a healthy size for its age! They also measure the level of oxygen. As more oysters grow, the water should become clearer and hold more oxygen. Also, other animals should move in.

Oysters are soft-bodied animals, and share the underwater community with plants, fish, and other life. They are food for crabs and other animals. As new oysters grow, they attach their shells to older ones，forming big reefs with many small spaces where other animals live. Oysters eat algae (藻类). If algae grow too fast，they can decrease oxygen from the water-and even fish need oxygen to breathe!

But what happened to the oysters 100years ago in New York Harbor? Before then, lots of oysters lived in these waters. They were shipped to restaurants around the world. By the early 1900s, people were eating them faster than they could grow. Pollution was pouring into the waters. The harbor became seriously polluted. Since the 1970s, new laws have helped reduce poisonous waste. Some fish started to swim through again. But oysters were still missing-until recently.

The Billion Oyster Project began in 2014 to help bring oysters back to New York Harbor. The project has recruited (招募) more than 6,500 students at more than 100 middle schools and high schools to help grow, distribute, and study the oysters.

Finally, the students put the oysters back in the cage. Mr. Rodman lowers the cage into the river. In a few months, they will check the cage again. When the oysters are big enough, they will be moved to join a healthy reef in the middle of the harbor.

1. Why do students come to the pier over the Harlem River?

A．To do research.	B．To go fishing.
C．To buy oysters.	D．To clean up the river.

2. What is the second paragraph mainly about?

A．What oysters are like.	B．How oysters get fed.
C．Why algae grow fast.	D．What role oysters play.

3. What can we learn about oysters in New York Harbor?

A．People’s love of eating oysters boosted their numbers.

B．More oysters than before lived in waters in the 1900s.

C．Polluted water was partly to blame for the missing of oysters.

D．New laws in the 1970s were crucial to oysters’ recovery.

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

A．Oysters Raised in New York Harbor

B．The Harlem River Polluted Heavily

C．Nature’s Helpful Crew Brought Back

D．Teacher Devoted to Wildlife Protection

7 . Leave-No-Trace Camping

For those of us who love spending time in the great outdoors, wild spaces are very special. These are places we visit to recharge, or to fill our hearts with natural beauty.    1    If you feel this way, then you’re the perfect person to promote and practice Leave-No-Trace camping.

Its principles are to treat the wilderness the way a decent visitor would and leave everything just as you found it, with no evidence that you passed through.    2    That’s because your visit makes a minimal impact on the environment.

You can carry out these ideals in a number of ways. Begin by packing out all your litter. Whenever you go camping, take an empty trash bag with you and put all garbage into the bag. In addition, try not to damage vegetation.    3    Wherever you go, think about what your heavy shoes or boots are doing to the plants underneath and try to keep damage to a minimum.

It’s also important that you should not take things away from the wilderness. Rocks, plants, flowers and seashells are all part of the natural landscape.    4    Plus, many animals find homes and food in abandoned shells and flower-heads, and these are things they would miss if you collected them.

Leave-No-Trace camping is about being respectful and thoughtful. It’s about honoring the natural world and the creatures that live in it. If you love seeing an untouched mountain stream or a lovely field of wildflowers, then you’ve already taken the first step.    5    

A．This means not stepping into a wild animal’s space.

B．This is also called “low impact” or “no impact” camping.

C．Once taken away, they won’t be there for others to enjoy.

D．An increasing number of people take up camping in the wilderness.

E．When you put up your tent, try to find a place that’s already bare of plants.

F．We hate to see them littered with rubbish or any reminders of previous visitors.

G．Follow these basic practices and you can be models of the Leave-No-Trace philosophy.

8 . Introduced species have a bad reputation. It has been believed that the species mix in a particular place should remain as unchanged as possible. But this is just an opinion. Other opinions are possible. A study published recently by Dov Sax of Brown University, thus asks how the benefits of introduced species might be better assessed, so that opinions can be more informed. Specifically, he identifies several aspects for that.

Initially, whether introduced species provide direct human advantage is taken into account. Dr. Sax and his colleagues ignored crops, since their benefits are obvious. But they included transplanted grass species that have gone wild，yet provide grazing(牧草)for domestic animals, and introduced forest trees that produce wood for construction.

Another factor is their possible benefit to the ecosystem into which the introduction has happened. Such introduction is sometimes made to reduce the risk of a localised species becoming extinct. Pyne’s ground plum(李子)，native to a handful of sites in the central basins of Tennessee but now transplanted to others, falls into this category.

The last value is experienced on an emotional rather than a practical level. Lots of people feel good about native wildlife, which is generally the main motive for its conservation. But that feel-good factor can extend to introduced species as well. Such value can cut both ways, however. For example, ring-necked parakeets, an Asian and African species, have been spreading through Britain for several decades. Some find them a colourful addition to the local wildlife, others a noisy competitor for native birds.

In light of their analysis, Dr. Sax and his team therefore suggest that researchers studying introduced species should in future create a clear distinction in their studies between changes that have happened and judgments about the value of those changes. In addition, when making those judgments, they should acknowledge all types of values, rather than focusing narrowly on one or two of them.

That done, many species will surely still be accused of possible damage. But others, badly thought of in the past, may not.

1. What is Dr. Sax’s study aimed to do?

A．Kecp track of introduced species.

B．Get introduced species fully understood.

C．Compare opinions on introduced species.

D．Identify consequences of introducing species.

2. Why was Pyne’s ground plum transplanted to other places?

A．To provide graze for local animals.

B．To produce wood for construction.

C．To build a new local ecosystem.

D．To save local species from dying out.

3. How do local people react to the introduction of ring-necked parakeets?

A．They don’t care about it.

B．They consider it acceptable.

C．They can’t put up with it.

D．They hold divided opinions on it.

4. What does Dr. Sax suggest to the future researchers?

A．Focusing on main values.

B．Evaluating evident changes.

C．Analyzing previous researches.

D．Presenting all-round assessments.