1 . When Hurricane Ian hit Florida, Karen Lauder refused to leave her home because she was wrong about the intensity(强度) of the storm. Karen is 84 years old and depends on a wheelchair to get around because she is missing a leg. Her son, Johnny Lauder, tried repeatedly to get her to leave, but she refused.

Johnny and his whole family live within a few blocks of one another. They kept in touch with Karen as the storm continued violently(猛烈地) outside, watching the water rising dangerously all around them. When Karen reported that the water in her house had reached her bottom, Johnny knew he had to take action.

First, Johnny ensured his sons and their pets were taken care of. Then, he jumped out of a window and began to swim. Johnny used to work as a rescue swimmer. He is obviously a strong swimmer, but the flood water was filled with dangerous materials. There was also a strong current (水流), and he had to swim against it for most of his trip to Karen’s. As he made his way through the water, Johnny stopped periodically to snap selfies(自拍) to show his worried family that he was okay.

Johnny was racing against the clock. He knew he only had a short period of time to get there before the water rose above Karen’s head. It took him 40 minutes to swim four blocks. The sound of Karen shouting inside was music to his ears!

“If it would’ve been 20 minutes later, she wouldn’t be here,” Johnny said.“She’s never been happier to see me.”

Karen is now safe, although she is in the hospital being treated for infections(感染) she got in the water. The family have all lost everything they owned, including their houses, but they’re grateful just to be here.

1. Why did Karen decide to stay in her house when Hurricane Ian came?

A．She had nowhere to go.

B．She was too old to move.

C．She thought the storm was not violent.

D．She lost her wheelchair and was unable to leave.

2. Why did Johnny take selfies along the way to Karen’s home?

A．To record his swimming trip.	B．To show off his swimming skills.
C．To warn other rescuers of danger.	D．To report his safety to his family.

3. How did Johnny’s family keep in touch in the storm?

A．By shouting.	B．Over the phone.
C．Through e-mail.	D．With other’s help.

4. How did Johnny feel when he heard Karen shouting?

A．Curious.

B．Frightened.

C．Confused.

D．Relieved.

3 . When a severe heat wave covered California in July 2006, it killed an estimated 650 people. But it may be tough to recall because heat waves don’t typically have names. They are already the deadliest weather-related danger, yet they remain invisible killers that few people take seriously. What if the most life-threatening heat waves did have names?

This summer, as many experience high temperatures fueled by greenhouse gas pollution and El Niño, there has been new openness to the idea of naming heat waves. People in Southern Europe have dubbed the July heat wave Cerberus. The results of a survey of more than 2,000 people found that people who knew the heat wave was named Cerberus were also more likely to take actions to stay safe, including drinking more water, spending more time indoors and warning others about the risk.

Though more research is needed, this suggests that naming heat waves, combined with stronger messaging, can not only help change people’s perception of the risk, but prompt them to take protective action. It would be more effective to broadcast that Heat Wave Zoe, a dangerous Category 3 event, will start tomorrow and here’s what you can do to protect yourself, your neighbors and co-workers. Names, after all, are easier to remember than numbers or weather forecasts.

But the World Meteorological (气象学的) Organization opposes naming heat waves on the grounds that it would confuse and distract the public. And the National Weather Service has no plans to rank or name heat waves either, saying that heat and its health impacts vary so dramatically across different regions and seasons that even coming up with a standard definition of a heat wave is impossible.

There’s nothing to lose by trying out a pilot program to name the most dangerous heat waves. It’s pretty clear the current approach to these disasters is falling far short of what’s necessary to protect lives. We need other ways to call attention to it and warn the public of the danger. It’s hard to make progress fighting an enemy with no name.

1. Why does the author mention the severe heat wave that covered California in July 2006?

A．To clarify the severity of heat waves.	B．To remind people of the tough heat wave.
C．To introduce the topic of naming heat waves.	D．To show people’s ignorance of the heat wave.

2. What can we learn from paragraph 2 and 3?

A．Due to its effectiveness, naming waves is a must.

B．There exist benefits of categorizing and naming heat waves.

C．Naming heat waves can change people’s perception of the risk.

D．Naming heat waves can urge people to take prompt action to protect themselves.

3. Why does the National Weather Service have no plans to name heat waves?

A．It will confuse and distract the public.

B．It is inappropriate for naming heat waves.

C．It is difficult to distinguish and predict heat waves.

D．It is unlikely to put forward a standard definition for heat waves.

4. What is the author’s attitude to naming heat waves?

A．Approving.

B．Indifferent.

C．Doubtful.

D．Opposed.

4 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

One of my favourite things about spring is the arrival of different species of birds. My grandfather was a bird lover, and I picked up the birdwatching hobby at a young age, thanks to his influence. My husband John and I found it a relaxing way to enjoy nature; we like birdwatching when we go camping or hiking. Plus, I have a great love of nature photography, so when we sit out in the backyard of our home, I always have my digital camera with me. John is an artist, and he often paints the birds I photograph.

Usually when the yellow warblers (莺) come back from the south in springtime, they pass us by; we don’t typically see them hanging around our home. But not on this particular sunny day in spring. As soon as I finished my workday, I put on a light jacket and went out to the backyard to relax in my favourite way: by watching the birds.

While taking some pictures of cardinals (红衣凤头鸟) and chickadees (北美山雀) at one of our feeders, I looked up and noticed this yellow warbler in our maple tree. The tree had recently begun to bud, and the bird’s yellow feathers looked striking against the yellow blooms, so I took this photo. Our backyard has a variety of trees and between my husband and me, we’ve documented almost 40 different species of birds. I’ve photographed most of them, but some can be a bit camera shy so I also keep a written list of what we see. Our more common visitors are cardinals, chickadees, hummingbirds and various sparrows.

注意：
1.续写词数应为150左右;
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
One day, I was watching the yellow warbler jumping among trees when a snake crawled towards it.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
At this time, I saw many small stones in the backyard.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5 . As an ordinary man, I have a special habit to confess. Whenever I walk down the street, I offer to pour a bottle of water from the nearby river into the dirt of a street tree. It’s just my personal habit, and I think it doesn’t make a difference, but I’d like to do it. I mention this in light of a campaign launched by the Arboricultural Association to call on the public to water new street trees.

The UK government has committed to planting millions of trees to help meet climate targets and aims to increase tree cover from 14.5% to 16.5% by 2050. However, as John Parker, chief executive of the Arboricultural Association, says, “Planting a tree is just the start of the story. The health and survival of new urban trees is threatened by increasingly dry weather. It is recommended that the newly planted trees be given about 50 litres of water per week for the first three years.” While in rural settings, the newly planted trees and woods can take care of themselves and adapt, the challenging conditions mean trees in the urban areas need a bit more care.

Long ago, I assumed that the good of street trees was to soften the hard edges of urban environments. But, what an underestimation of tree power that was! A study from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities illustrates they can provide inspiration or a calming atmosphere in an otherwise crowded city. Trees are responsible for easing urban heat island effects and air and pollutant filtration. And I think they provide the habitat for wildlife, especially birds.

Trees can’t run away. Unfortunately for them and fortunately for urban residents, city trees are stuck with us. If we want to continue enjoying all the good they do, we should try to understand their needs and do all that we can to support them. A bottle of water won’t do much, but next time you all together have a bucket of water to pour, you know what big effect will happen.

1. What does the author think of his personal habit?

A．It is of little effect.	B．It is enforced.
C．It is of much significance.	D．It is common.

2. What does John Parker say about urban trees?

A．They have started to be watered regularly.

B．More work needs to be done for their living.

C．They are threatened by the increasing flood.

D．The newly planted ones can’t look after themselves.

3. What can we learn about street trees from paragraph 3?

A．Their usage is overrated.

B．Their value is thought highly of by the public.

C．They benefit residents physically and mentally.

D．They can thoroughly solve environmental problems.

4. What can be concluded from the last paragraph?

A．When in need, ask for it.	B．Tall trees catch much wind.
C．Many hands make light work.	D．Misfortunes seldom come alone.

6 . For the past two months, Mandy Chen, a second-year student at Beijing University of Technology, has been posting photos of herself to Taobao, posing with a reusable cup, climbing stairs and switching off lights.     1     Taobao’s Al algorithm (算法) calculates that Chen’s use of a reusable cup reduced 15.7 grams of carbon emissions (排放), while her choice to take the stairs instead of the lift resulted in a reduction of 19.5 grams.     2    

After seven days of posting her photos, Chen exchanged the points for a dozen of biodegradable rubbish bags from Taobao. Everyone can get an endless supply of free trash bags if they keep going, according to Chen.     3    

Chen uses Carbon88, a platform launched last August by Alibaba Group Holding, to help the more than 800 million users on Taobao adopt a sustainable lifestyle. The platform rewards users for over 70 low-carbon behaviours.     4     It also recommends products that it considers environmentally sustainable, and gives users points for buying them.

    5     “I didn’t know that my actions could produce such carbon reduction,” Chen said, “Now I feel good for what I’m doing to make this world a tiny bit better. We as a part of society can call for more systemic changes.”

A．It encourages them to reduce their carbon footprint.

B．And her efforts to save electricity prevented 65.50 grams.

C．It’s a valuable addition to current carbon-reduction policies.

D．Carbon reduction has helped increase Chen’s environmental awareness.

E．Within minutes, she receives a dozen points from the app as a reward.

F．They range from taking public transport to shopping of second-hand items.

G．She is now saving points for something better, like snacks and water bottles.

8 . In the U. S., people eat more protein than they need to, which might not be bad for human health, but does pose a problem for the country’s waterways. The nation’s wastewater is loaded with the leftovers from protein digestion: nitrogen compounds(氯化合物) that can feed harmful algal blooms(藻华) and pollute the air and drinking water.

Maya Almaraz, a biogeochemist at the University of California, Davis, and her team wanted to see how much of this nitrogen entered into the U. S. wastewater system because of a protein-heavy diet. The researchers found that the majority of nitrogen pollution present in wastewater—some 67 to 100 precent—is a by-product of water people consume.

Once it enters the environment, the nitrogen can have a series of ecological impacts. It helps algae grow much faster than they would normally, which is harmful to humans, other animals and plants. And when the algae eventually die, the problem is not over. Microorganisms(微生物) that feed on dead algae use up the oxygen in the water, leading to “dead zones,” where many species simply cannot survive, in rivers, lakes and oceans.

Although it is possible to treat algal blooms, many of the current methods are not always effective at getting rid of all of the harmful growth. Some of these methods can even lead to additional pollution. So the best strategy for dealing with the effects of nitrogen pollution is prevention, says Patricia Glibert, an ocean scientist at the University of Maryland. Almaraz and her team suggest that controlling nitrogen pollution could be approached more quickly with a change in eating habits that could save billions of dollars in the long term.

1. Which aspect of Americans’ diet does Almaraz’s research focus on ?

A．Its variety.

B．Its effect.

C．Its make-up.

D．Its amount.

2. What causes “dead zones” in the water?

A．No oxygen for many species.	B．Death of lots of healthy algae.
C．Microorganisms’overconsumption of nutrients.	D．Poisonous chemicals released by harmful algae.

3. What is the problem with current algal bloom treatment methods?

A．They are costly.	B．They may kill all algae.
C．They are slow to take effect.	D．They may cause secondary pollution.

4. What does the text mainly tell us?

A．It is high time to treat wild algae growth.	B．Eating too much protein harms the planet.
C．Prevention is better than cure in treating air pollution.	D．Researchers find solutions to the wastewater problem.

9 . Jace Tunnell, the founder of Nurdle I troll and Reserve Director at the University of Texas Marine Science Institute, is listening to the same question often.

“I hear every day, somebody says, ‘What is a nurdle?’” he said.

Tunnell explained nurdles are tiny balls of plastic that are typically used to make almost every plastic item we use, so they’re everywhere! He said nurdles are usually spilled (溢出) during transport from cargo ships or railroad cars. “These things would be out here for hundreds of years if we’re not picking them up,” Tunnell said while on a recent Nurdle Patrol cleanup along Galveston Bay.

Since 2018, Nurdle Patrol has grown to thousands of volunteers worldwide. Many people -volunteer with Nurdle Patrol and work for the Galveston Bay Foundation. Nurdle Patrol groups upload their findings to the nonprofit’s website map. It’s marked in colors to show where the highest concentration of nurdles is found.

“They look natural, and birds think that they’re food,” Tunnell said, “Birds, fish, sea turtles and other sea animals can eat nurdles and finally die from hunger because of a false sensation of fullness and lack of nutrition.”

I ended up finding 123 nurdles in 10 minutes. That’s high concentration,” Tunnell said about a recent cleanup. “I plan to take those to an elected official and say, ‘Look, these are what I found on our beaches here. We need to do something about this.’ So, it kind of puts in motion change that can happen.”

Nurdle Patrol has sent out hundreds of kits (工具包) globally, many to schools and volunteer organizations, with information about gathering nurdles and reporting the findings safely. Anyone can request a kit through their website.

1. What do we know about the nurdle?

A．It is easily broken down.	B．It is a small piece of plastic.
C．It was invented by Tunnell.	D．It is mainly used to make ships.

2. What do Tunnell’s words in paragraph 5 mainly stress?

A．The unique look of nurdles.	B．The number of nurdles in the sea.
C．Nurdles’ harm to sea animals’ food.	D．Nurdles’ impact on sea animals.

3. What does Tunnell want to do?

A．Draw a map of nurdles’ concentration.	B．Call the government’s attention to nurdles.
C．Organize more cleanups along the beaches.	D．Share his findings on Nurdle Patrol’s website.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Group surveys the level of pollution in the sea	B．Group takes action to reduce the use of plastics
C．Group tries to deal with pollutant harming wildlife	D．Group looks for volunteers for its beach cleanups

10 . Every week, Angela looked at her recycling bin, filled with shampoo bottles and plastic containers, with mixed feelings. Sure, it was a lot of plastic, but it was going to be recycled. Or so she thought. Then, her husband sent her some articles revealing that less than 6% of the country’s plastic gets recycled. She was shocked.

Determined to cut back on her plastic consumption, Angela got a starter kit from a company selling refillable household cleaners (家用清洁器). In it were tablets, containing concentrated hand soap as well as glass and bathroom cleaners, and four empty containers. She filled each one with tap water, then dropped in a tablet and watched it dissolve. If she was happy with the cleaners, she would order more tablets but reuse the containers. No new plastic required.

Given plastic’s harmful effects on the environment, nearly three quarters of Americans say they are trying to reduce their reliance on single-use plastic, according to Pew Research Center. Since plastic is everywhere and avoiding it altogether is extraordinarily difficult, some, like Angela, have revived a once-customary practice: refilling containers. Household cleaners seem particularly prepared for a refill revolution, for many can be easily concentrated and reconstituted (with water. If just 10% to 20% of plastic packaging are reused, a report from the World Economic Forum estimates, the amount of plastic waste entering the ocean will be cut in half.

Not everyone is as enthusiastic, though. Jan Dell, a chemical engineer, noted that many cleaning products are packaged in PET or HDPE, two types of plastic with relatively high recycling rates. So she is less concerned about them but far more concerned about the packaging of other products. “What companies should be focusing on is everything else that isn’t recyclable, that is single use and that often becomes plastic pollution,” she said, pointing to plastic bags and cups. “This is just a classic example of big corporations doing something to attract people’s attention over here on something that’s not the main issue to distract from all the single-use plastic they’re pushing out.”

1. Why is Angela mentioned?

A．To promote a tablet.	B．To lead in the topic.
C．To clarify a concept.	D．To recommend a kit.

2. What does the underlined word “dissolve” in paragraph 2 mean?

A．Float over water.	B．Turn over in water.
C．Change color in water.	D．Mix with water.

3. What’s Jan Dell’s attitude towards the deeds of big corporations?

A．Critical.	B．Favourable.
C．Conservative.	D．Unconcerned.

4. Where is the text probably taken from?

A．A chemistry paper.	B．An academic report.
C．A lifestyle magazine.	D．A cleaner advertisement.