1 . Coral reefs(珊瑚礁) are a unique ocean ecosystem consisting of rocky structures mainly formed by coral animals and some other ocean life. Despite only covering 0. 2 percent of the ocean floor, coral reefs support at least 25 percent of marine species, as well as providing food and economic security for hundreds of millions of people.

However, coral reefs across the world are under threat. Warmer oceans can cause the coral bleaching(漂白). It happens when the corals lose colored algae(海藻) living in their bodies and turn completely white. Without the algae, the corals lose their main food source and can die. In addition, as oceans become more acidic(酸性的) from absorbing CO₂, corals in acidic conditions become weak in forming reefs.

In 2021, the United Nations reported a 14 percent loss of corals across the world largely from rising sea temperatures in the previous 13 years. Australia declared mass bleaching events in 2022 across large parts of the Great Barrier Reef, four times since 2016. Data from the Philippines showed higher than usual ocean temperatures between 2015 and 2017 had caused a serious three-year bleaching events in reefs across the planet.

Scientists have been cooperating to see how coral reefs can be protected. Thankfully, they find those coral reefs in the hot parts of the globe are the worst affected. They contain corals with better heat resistance. So their research focus on finding genes(基因) for heat tolerance so that they can be passed on to future generations. Biologists also mix corals that are more resilient to higher temperatures with those that are not and the resulting generation has a better chance of survival.

Ultimately, scientists add that without a serious decline in greenhouse gas, 99 percent of the world’s coral reefs will be gone by the end of the century. There is a limit to how quickly corals can adapt warm climate, but if temperatures rise rapidly, then extinction is certain.

1. Which is the main threat to coral reefs?

A．Declining ocean acidification.	B．Loss of colored algae.
C．Increasing sea temperatures.	D．Lack of food source.

2. What do we know from paragraph 3?

A．No actions are taken to protect coral reefs.

B．Coral bleaching is the worst in Australia.

C．Coral reefs have grown rapidly for years.

D．Coral reefs receive impacts globally.

3. What can be the basic way to protect coral reefs?

A．Reducing greenhouse gas emission.	B．Transplanting them to the hot parts.
C．Relying on genes science.	D．Limiting their spread.

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

A．Where Are Coral Reefs Spread?

B．How Can Coral Reefs Survive?

C．Coral Reefs, A New Threat To Ocean Life

D．Coral Reefs, A Busy Underwater Community

2 . New lives for old phones

When a new mobile phone starts to be sold in stores, many people rush out to buy one. We all want the newest, latest thing.     1    

Mike Townsend works at Total Recall, a mobile phone recycling company. “Don’t throw your old phone away.     2     If you throw it away, it goes with other rubbish to become landfill. In other words, it is put in a big hole in the ground — and it becomes a big problem,” he says.

Mobile phones contain some poisonous (有毒的) materials. If your phone goes to a landfill, these poisonous materials can get out and get into the water under the ground. That’s the water we need to drink or water that goes into rivers or the ocean.     3     That’s a lot of landfill and a lot of poisonous materials.

“At Total Recall, we separate the old phones into pieces. Most of the materials in a mobile phone can be recycled and used again.     4     For example, phone batteries (电池) contain nickel and cadmium. The nickel is used to make steel (钢), and the cadmium can be used to make new batteries,” explains Mike.

“    5     You can usually just take it into a mobile phone shop and they’ll send it to us,” says Mike.

So, before you throw that old mobile phone away, use it one last time: search for a recycler near you and give them a call.

A．Send it to us and we’ll recycle it.

B．Recycling your old phone is easy.

C．How much is our old mobile phone worth?

D．But what should we do with our old mobile phones?

E．Millions of mobile phones are thrown away every year.

F．We sell the parts and they are used to make new products.

G．Recycling materials helps keep the environment greener and cleaner.

3 . New international research reveals the far-reaching impacts of forest cover loss on global biodiversity (生物多样性). The study, led by the University of Edinburgh and the University of St Andrews, investigated the impacts of forest loss on species and biodiversity over time and around the world, revealing both losses and gains in species.

Focusing on biodiversity data spanning 150 years and over 6,000 locations, the study, published in Science, reveals that as tree cover is lost, plants and animals are responding to the transformation of their natural habitats.

Bringing together over 5 million records of the numbers of different plants and animals with information on both historic and contemporary peaks in forest loss, the researchers discovered both immediate and delayed effects of forest loss on ecosystems.

The pace at which biodiversity responds to forest loss varies from a few years, as is the case for light-loving plants and insects, to decades for long-living trees and larger birds and mammals.

Gergana Daskalova, a Ph.D. student in the School of GeoSciences at the University of Edinburgh and lead author of the study, said: “Changes in the biodiversity of the planet’s forests matter because they will echo through how these landscapes look, the types of species they support and the benefits that forests provide for society like clean air and water.”

Maria Dornelas, a co-senior author from the School of Biology at the University of St Andrews, continued: “Humans are undoubtedly changing the planet. Yet, global analyses (分析) of how biodiversity is changing over time are revealing biodiversity changes are slightly different and variable (可变的).”

She added, “With a better understanding of the different ways, both positive and negative, in which forest loss influences biodiversity, we can improve future conservation and restoration of global ecosystems.”

1. What did the international research find?

A．Species suffer losses as tree cover is lost.

B．Historic and contemporary peaks in forest loss vary.

C．Forest loss cannot impact ecosystems immediately.

D．Plant and animal species are reacting to forest cover loss.

2. Why are there immediate and delayed effects of forest loss on ecosystems?

A．Species respond to forest loss at different paces.

B．Insects adapt to forest loss quite slowly.

C．Effects of forest loss are difficult to notice.

D．There are different degrees of forest loss in history.

3. What do we know about changes in forests’ biodiversity?

A．They are hardly significant.	B．They impact society.
C．They are not influential.	D．They worsen the landscapes.

4. What can we do with a better understanding of effects of forest loss?

A．Find ways to produce accurate analyses of biodiversity.

B．Figure out the varying, distinct changes in biodiversity.

C．Draw people’s attention to what they do to nature.

D．Improve protection and restoration of global ecosystems.

4 . There are some things only adults can do to prevent and stop fires, such as using smoke detectors (探测器) and fire extinguishers (灭火设备), but there are also many fire safety rules everyone should learn to help prevent fires and to know what to do if one does start. Here are some safety rules for kids.

A

If a child notices that an electrical equipment is giving off a strange smell, they should ask an adult to turn it off, and it should be fixed before it’s used again.

B

Children should have an adult with them if they cook food. They should never leave food by itself and make sure handles of pots and pans on the stove (炉灶) are turned inward. They should also be aware that anything made of metal should never be put in a microwave.

C

The family should work together to plan an escape route in case there’s a fire, including finding at least two ways out of every room. Kids should practice this with their parents two to three times a year and learn to test doors with their hands before opening them.

D

If your clothing catches fire, running will make the flames bigger. Kids should practice the proper technique of stopping where they are, dropping to the ground and rolling to put out the flames.

E

Burns should be treated by an adult — the injured area should be put in cold water for 10—15 minutes to relieve the pain. Ice should never be used, as it can cause further injury. If a child has a serious burn that blisters (起水泡), they should be taken to a doctor or the emergency room.

1. How often should parents practice a fire escape route with their children?

A．Once every two weeks.	B．Once every month.
C．Three times every six months.	D．Twice every year.

2. What should people do if their clothes are on fire, according to the text?

A．Run as fast as they can.	B．Roll on the ground.
C．Try to take off their clothes.	D．Use a fire extinguisher immediately.

3. What is the first thing to do with a burn which is not that serious?

A．Put it in cool water.	B．Put an ice pack on it.
C．Use anti-burn cream.	D．Call a doctor for help.