1 . Back in 1973, out of concern that many of American native plants and animals were in danger of extinction, Congress passed the Endangered Species Act. The law allows the government to decide species as either “endangered” or “threatened”. Once plants and animals are on the list, they can’t be harmed or harvested, and their living places can’t be changed or damaged in a way that kills, injures or weakens their ability to breed (繁殖), feed or perform other functions necessary for existence.

While environmentalists have thought the law is of great importance in history, mining and the agribusiness (农业综合企业) interests don’t think so. They argue that when an endangered animal is found on public land, the use of the land is strictly controlled, which can prevent farming, and other business use of the land. So, the recent US government has sought to change the way that the law is applied to reduce what it considers overprotection for threatened species.

But a study published in the journal PLOS ONE in January revealed that researchers looked at 31 different populations of ocean animals, and that they found that 78 percent of the mammals (哺乳动物) and 75 percent of the turtles increased their population size after receiving protection under the Act. What was even more impressive was that the number of Hawaiian humpback whales increased from just 800 in 1979 to more than 10,000 in 2005.

“We should celebrate the Act’s track record of reducing the harm from water pollution, overfishing, beach habitat loss and killing. Humans often destroy ocean ecosystems(生态系统), but our study shows that with strong laws and careful administration, we can also help them make a comeback.” said Shaye Wolf, a researcher of the Center for Biological Diversity in Tucson, Arizona.

1. What can we know about the Endangered Species Act in Paragraph 1?

A．It mainly focuses on protecting ocean species.

B．It covers almost all the details of wildlife protection.

C．It encourages people to raise wildlife in a careful way.

D．It asks the whole world to work together to protect wildlife.

2. Why does the recent US government try to change the way of carrying out the Act?

A．The Act has limited the economic benefits of land.

B．Some land has got polluted due to the Act.

C．Some states refuse to follow the Act.

D．The Act fails to save enough endangered species.

3. What does Paragraph 3 mainly intend to show us?

A．Quite a lot of ocean animals’ population is still worrying.

B．The government failed to put some rare species on the list.

C．The Act turned out to be effective for ocean animal protection.

D．Whales benefit most from the Act after receiving protection.

4. What do Shaye Wolf’s words in the last paragraph imply?

A．More strict rules should be added to the Act.

B．Overfishing is the main threat to ocean animals.

C．The damage caused by human activities to the ecosystem is unavoidable.

D．Proper laws play a powerful role in environmental protection.

2 . 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，并将答案填写在答题卡上。

Climate protection strategy is fascinating the globe during the 19th Asian Games, not just athletic talent .    1     (boost) climate cooperation, China, with the centuries old history and unique culture, is using green measures. Hangzhou city has adopted a     2     (practice) eco approach. The emphasis of the Asian Games     3     (be) on “green, intellectual, frugal, and civilized” contests, reflecting a trend toward more ecologically friendly and sustainable practices in major events.

Avoiding fireworks during the opening ceremony promotes environmental awareness. Traditional fireworks displays are fun     4     pollute the air. The Asian Games intend to exhibit a     5     (commit) to sustainability while providing an engaging and memorable experience     6     all guests by replacing this event with digitally powered visual effects and sound presentations. The Asian Games’ eco friendly licensed items include backpacks     7     (make) from recycled bottles and frisbees from rice husks (谷壳). As all Asian Games venues and facilities employ green energy, the event’s green elements demonstrate China’s recent green transformation and     8     (it) responsibility and promise to meet the dual carbon goals.

The Games Village gave residents a “Low Carbon Account” as part of the green measures. Carbon points     9     (use) in promoting low carbon habits including p late recycling, green commuting, and plastic-free purchasing. Points could be traded for low-carbon Olympic mascots and other prizes. China continues to carry out a climate change policy, develop     10     better carbon market, and participate in global climate governance. China aims to peak and neutralize carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and 2060.

3 . A couple has recently placed their garbage can out for collection for the first time in 14 months, all thanks to their recycling skills. Richard and Louise Arnold have established such an effective routine that they only need to put their garbage can on the side of the street once a year.

Louise explained that making small monthly changes in her life has resulted in her family producing very little waste. She said, “It’s not as difficult as you might think if you start with small steps. We began with soap, switching from bath cream to natural soap without packaging. These bars are large enough that we cut them in half, using one for the sink and the other half for the shower. It’s both cost-effective and environmentally friendly.”

“So it’s actually quite easy. Just go around your house and think of little things you can do gradually, and you’ll start noticing the difference,” Louise added. Currently, the couple takes recyclable waste to the tip, donates clothes to charity shops, and brings soft plastics and batteries to a shop that accepts them.

In 2017, the couple established No Waste Living, which initially started as a weekend stall at the local market and has since developed into a website. Louise regularly writes a newsletter for her hundreds of subscribers. They also started selling eco-friendly products, ranging from non-chemical household cleaning and washing solutions for a “less toxic home” to bamboo washing-up brushes. Louise mentioned, “I started No Waste Living because I wanted to show our achievement s and lead by example.”

Although the family occasionally faces criticism, Louise remains determined. She said, “The main point of contention(争论) for people regarding new waste rules is having to drive their waste to a recycling center, which adds to their already busy lives. However, in the long run, you will create more space in your home, save money, and spend less time dealing with garbage cans.”

1. How did the couple start their waste reduction journey?

A．By replacing small soaps with large ones.	B．By using a small amount of bath cream.
C．By using unpackaged soap bars.	D．By recycling soft plastics and batteries.

2. Why did the couple found No Waste Living?

A．To bring eco-products to market.	B．To inspire others to follow in their footsteps.
C．To treat recyclable waste from the neighborhood.	D．To answer the call of their subscribers.

3. Why do some people dislike new waste rules?

A．They mean more work to deal with garbage.

B．They increase the cost of garbage collection.

C．They establish a set time for waste management.

D．They limit the daily amount of garbage for collection.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．A business - minded couple.	B．The “less poisonous home” concept.
C．The global trend in recycling.	D．A planet- friendly lifestyle.

5 . Lightning (闪电) is a beautiful and inspiring phenomenon, but it can be deadly. Over the past 30 years, lightning has killed an average of 67 people per year in the United States alone.     1     . Follow these steps to safety the next time there’s fire in the sky.

Find shelter immediately

If you find yourself caught in a lightning storm, never stand under a tree, and avoid being close to power lines as they’re both excellent conductors (导体) of electricity and could potentially cause death, if not serious injury.     2     . It’s the key to minimizing danger.

Watch out for dangers

Windows provide a direct path for the lightning to travel. Keep windows closed, stay away from them and try to stay within inner rooms of the structure.     3     Using a landline phone is the main cause of lightning-related injuries. Lightning can travel into the home from through any material that conducts electricity. This includes landlines, electrical wiring, and plumbing.

    4    

Being near water is extremely dangerous during a lightning storm, so move away from the body of water. If you are fishing, swimming or on a boat, get out of the water immediately and hurry back to the bank.

Stay inside

Stay inside at least 30 minutes after the last strike. Don’t go out just because the rain is starting to let up. There is still a significant risk of lightning strikes from a departing storm.     5     .

Lightning is dangerous but you can minimize your risk. The advice is simple: increase the awareness of avoiding danger and master proper knowledge to protect yourself from a thunderstorm.

A．Get away from the water

B．Prepare enough water

C．Go to hospital quickly

D．Don’t touch anything metal or electrical

E．Find shelter near or under a stony shelter

F．Wait for news that the danger has passed

G．Fortunately, most lightning-related deaths are preventable

8 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。

The 6.2-magnitude earthquake    1    hit an ethnic county lying    2     Northwest China’s Gansu province midnight Monday has killed 111 people in Gansu and neighboring Qinghai province, according to local earthquake relief headquarters.

According to China Earthquake Networks Center, the quake    3     (strike) at 11:59 pm Monday and has a focal depth of 10 km. The epicenter, Liugou township, is about 8 km from the county seat of Jishishan Bao’an, Dongxiang, Sala autonomous county in Linxia Hui autonomous prefecture, Gansu.

Witnesses told Xinhua the earthquake caused damages on houses, roads and other infrastructures. Several villages have suffered power failures and shortage of water.

According to local meteorological authorities, the    4     (day) low temperature in Jishishan is reported    5     (reach) minus 10 degrees Celsius on Wednesday.

The provincial fire and rescue department has sent 580 rescuers    6     (aid) with 88 fire engines, 12 search and rescue dogs, more than 10,000 sets of equipment to the disaster area.

The railway authority has suspended passenger and cargo trains     7     (pass) through the quake zone and ordered a safety check of railway tracks.

Hu Changsheng, Party chief of Gansu, and Ren Zhenhe, governor of Gansu, rushed to the disaster area to command rescue and    8     (relieve) effort.

It was reported that every effort    9     (make) to provide assistance to    10    were affected and to restore normality to the region as quickly as possible.

10 . 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。

Bhutan’s snow leopard (雪豹) population     1     (increase) by 39.5% since 2016, according to a new survey. Findings from over 10,000 camera trap images confirmed the presence of 134 snow leopards in the country, an     2     (impress) jump from the baseline of 96 snow leopards in 2016.

    3     survey showed promising evidence that Bhutan’s conservation efforts impact snow leopard populations     4     (positive). It involved 310 camera traps across 2.2 million acres of the big cat’s habitat.

“With less than 3% of the habitat surveyed, there are serious knowledge gaps in the population status of snow leopards,” said Dechen Dorji, Senior Director for Asia, Wildlife Conservation. “A 39.5% increase in Bhutan’s snow leopard population is remarkable and calls for the urgent need to     5     (strength) the population assessment efforts. These amazing     6     (creature) deserve our continued care and protection from illegal hunting, habitat destruction, and conflicts with people. Finding effective co-existence measures between local communities     7     snow leopards must continue to be at the top of the list.”

Although the news is uplifting, the species is still listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. It     8     (threaten) globally by habitat losses, food shortage, conflicts with humans, and the climate crisis,     9     (request) continued protection to address these threats,     10     also affect the other wildlife in their habitat.