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。

Whales have been facing serious danger for a long time.

First, due     1     the greenhouse effect, glaciers are melting, and some living creatures in the Antarctic and the Arctic are in danger of     2     (extinct). Besides, with global warming becoming worse, life in other parts of the ocean has also been     3     (constant) affected, including whales.

Secondly, whaling activity is another killer. Historically, whaling has been popular in some overseas countries, such as England, Japan and Norway.     4     (regard) whales as a money-making machine is the reason why some people’s whaling can’t     5     (stop) easily. A kilogram of whale meat can fetch about $100 in Japan. Besides, advanced technology has increased the efficiency of whaling,     6     greatly reduced the number of whales. What’s more, some countries are still on whaling in     7     name of science.

The fact that whales have become endangered animals is alarming us. Some     8     (organization) have realized the importance of saving them and have begun working hard to do something for them. The international community     9     (make) a strategy against commercial whaling. In my opinion, governments should also make laws     10     (protect) whales.

4 . 阅读下面短文, 在空白处填入适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式

Plastic has polluted the countryside and been     1     threat to wildlife for decades. In the last century or so, environmentalists have urged us     2     (cut) the amount of plastic we use or recycle the plastic bags. However, with only less than 14 percent of the total amount recycled, people are still struggling with plastic pollution     3     (global).

There may be a solution. Recently scientists have made a biodegradable (可降解的) plastic,     4     means the billions of plastic bags, cups, straws, etc. that we throw away each day could be recycled.     5     (compare) with ordinary plastics, they could break down as naturally as organic waste. They could do it within a few weeks,     6     (use) just heat and water. The new, biodegradable plastic has polyester-eating enzymes (酶) inside it, When these enzymes are exposed     7     heat and water, they eat away at the plastic and turn it into “food” for the soil. Professor Ting Xu said up to 98 per cent of the plastic her team made reduced into tiny pieces: She said: “The study gives us a belief that this continuing problem of single-use plastics can     8     (solve) in the near future.” She added: “Look at all the     9     (waste) stuff we throw away—clothing, shoes, electronics.... We are taking things from the earth at a     10     (fast) rate than we can return them.”

5 . On September 29, 2021, the US Fish and Wildlife Service declared it would be removing 23 species from its Endangered Species Act, including the ivory-billed woodpecker, various Hawaiian birds and freshwater fish, not because they had pulled back from the edge of extinction, but because the USFWS believed these species would never recover, and were most likely extinct, therefore not requiring protection.

In April, 195 countries are getting together in China for a UN conference to discuss global agreements to protect nature and biodiversity, with the hope of finalizing an agreement to safeguard plants, animals, and ecosystems. However, the new strain(毒株)of Covid-19, Omicron, has potentially thrown the plans into a mess, and negotiators may switch to online talks if travel restrictions to China are put in place again.

“We can’t go another four months without any progress” said Georgina Chandler, senior international policy officer at the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Conservationists are urging the talks to go ahead—online if necessary—as the biodiversity crisis shows no sign of slowing up.

“Nature loss has not gone away and threatens both human lives and the global economy,” said Lin Li, director of global policy at the organization. “With one million species currently in danger of extinction, delaying action is not an option.”

Improving conservation and management of natural areas, such as oceans, forests, and wildernesses is crucial to safeguarding the ecosystems on which humans depend. However, forests are still being devastated, often for farming or commercial use. As trees absorb about a third of planet-warming emissions produced worldwide, stopping deforestation is key. At COP26 in Glasgow last November, world leaders plan to invest $19 billion in public and private funds to protect and restore global forests.

It’s easy to feel disheartened by the disappointing news, but the only way to stop more species suffering the same fate is to pay attention and take actions.

1. Why would the 23 species be removed from the Act?

A．Because they are less endangered.	B．Because they have already died out.
C．Because more fund is in need to protect them.	D．Because nothing can save them from extinction.

2. What do Georgina Chandler and Lin Li urge to do?

A．Take immediate actions.	B．Put off the conference.
C．Have online talks.	D．Improve global economy.

3. What does the author intend to do by writing the text?

A．To explain why some species have disappeared.

B．To recommend ways to protect and restore forests.

C．To describe the present situation of global ecosystem.

D．To call for attention and action against biodiversity crisis.

6 . For years scientists have been worried about the effects of air pollution on the earth’s natural conditions. Some believe the air inside many houses may be more dangerous than the air outside.

Most scientists agree that every modern house has some kind of indoor pollution. People began to notice the problem in the early 1970s. When builders began making houses and offices, they did not want to waste energy. To do this they built buildings that limited the flow of air between inside and outside. They also used man — made building materials which are now known to let out harmful gases.

As the problem became more serious, scientists began searching for a way to deal with it. They discovered a natural pollution control system for building green plants.

Scientists believe that a plant’s leaves absorb the pollutants (污染物). In exchange the plant lets out oxygen through its leaves. Studies of different plants show that each absorbs different chemicals. So the most effective way to clean the air is to use different kinds of plants.

1. Indoor air pollution may be more dangerous than the air outside mainly because _________.

A．the flow of air indoor is limited	B．the building are too high
C．people don’t want to waste energy	D．the building materials are harmful

2. In the last paragraph the word “absorb” may mean _________.

A．give out

B．bring up

C．take in

D．turn into

3. Scientists believe that plants can_________.

A．absorb pollutions and let out oxygen	B．make your houses more prettier
C．absorb all the pollutants	D．change pollutants into oxygen

4. According to the last paragraph, we should _________ to clean the air.

A．plant all kinds of plants	B．have different kinds of plants
C．have the same kind of plant	D．plant more trees

7 . Soot (煤) pollution is speeding up climate-driven melting in Antarctica, a new study suggests, raising questions about how to protect the delicate continent from the increasing number of humans who want to visit.

“It really makes us question, is our presence really needed?” says Alia Khan, one of the authors of the new study. “We have quite a large black carbon footprint in Antarctica, which is enhancing snow and ice melt.”

Black carbon is the leftover thing from burning plants or fossil fuels. Soot in Antarctica comes primarily from waste gases of cruise ships (游轮), vehicles and airplanes, although some pollution travels on the wind from other parts of the globe. The dark particles (微粒) coat white snow and absorb heat from the sun the way a black T-shirt does on a warm day. The blanket of dark bits speeds up melting that was already happening more quickly because of global warming.

When snow and ice are uncovered, they reflect an enormous amount of sunlight before it can turn into heat. “These are the mirrors on our planet,” says Sonia Nagorski, a scientist at the University of Alaska Southeast. “When those mirrors are covered in a film of dark bits, they don’t send back that much light and heat. That means more heat is trapped on Earth, speeding up melting and contributing to global warming.”

As a scientist who personally visits Antarctica every year, Khan says she is troubled by her own research results. On the one hand, she goes to Antarctica to collect crucial data about how quickly the snow and ice there are disappearing. “But then when we come to conclusions like this it really does make us think twice about how frequently we need to visit the continent,” she says, “and what kind of regulations should be placed on tourism as well.” That could mean requiring that cruise ships and vehicles be electric, for example, or limiting the number of visitors each year.

1. What is Khan’s attitude towards human actions in Antarctica according to paragraph 2?

A．Angry and abusive.	B．Cold and uninterested.
C．Doubtful and anxious.	D．Admiring and delighted.

2. What is the main cause of soot pollution in Antarctica?

A．The quick melting of ice and snow.	B．The emission from virous transport.
C．The remaining parts of burning plants.	D．The floating gases from other continents.

3. What do we know from Nagorski?

A．The covered ice is less reflective.

B．The melting speed of ice is slower than before.

C．The dark blanket serves as a big mirror.

D．The sunlight gets increasingly stronger recently.

4. Which is the most suitable title for the text?

A．What made our planet so polluted?	B．Who is to blame for air pollution?
C．Can electric vehicles save tourism?	D．Are we welcome to the South Pole?

9 . A team led by researchers from the UK examined waterbird data from 1506 protected areas and analyzed more than 27, 000 bird populations across the world. They compared waterbird populations before and after the establishment of protected areas and also compared trends of similar populations within and outside of protected areas.

“Our study shows that, while many protected areas are working well, many others are failing to have a positive effect, ” lead author Hannah Wauchope says in a statement. “In the majority of places we looked, bird populations were stable or were increasing, but some of them weren’t doing any better than in unprotected areas, “ she adds. “That’s disappointing, but not surprising. There seems to be the disconnection between people talking about how much land is protected and whether those areas are actually doing anything positive. ”

This study comes ahead of a United Nations meeting in China to discuss biodiversity goals for the next decade. Several countries have already committed to protecting 30 percent of the planet by 2030, yet the researchers say this alone does not necessarily guarantee positive out- comes for species.

“An obsession(迷恋)with reaching a certain area-based target-such as 30 percent by 2030-without focus on managing existing protected areas appropriately will achieve little, ” co-author Julia Jones says. “When world leaders gather in China later this year to set targets for the next decade, I really hope to see a change of their focus, rather than simply saying how much surface area they are going to protect. ”

According to Thomas Brooks, chief scientist at the International Union for Conservation of Nature, who was not involved in the study, waterbirds are a good example of a group facing the consequences of human behaviors that cause biodiversity loss. These animals respond quickly to changes in site quality and are broadly distributed, clearly reflecting the impact of protected areas.

1. What can be learned about protected areas from the study?

A．They have a negative effect on wildlife.

B．Their bird populations are increasing.

C．Their problems went unnoticed at all.

D．They don’t always help waterbirds.

2. What does the underlined word “this“ in paragraph 3 refer to?

A．Expanding protected areas.

B．Organizing the meeting.

C．Talking about biodiversity.

D．Making a big promise.

3. What does Julia Jones call on world leaders to do?

A．Try to set targets for the next ten years.

B．Focus on the effectiveness of protected areas.

C．Face the consequences of human behaviors.

D．Have a deep understanding of biodiversity.

4. What might Thomas Brooks think of the study?

A．Pioneering.	B．Disappointing.
C．Convincing.	D．Unsatisfying.