1 . 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。

Under the influence of the recent EL Nino,     1     is reported that the average global temperature in 2023 has set the record, making it the warmest year since 1850. The temperatures in most     2     (region) of China from this winter to next spring will be above the long-term average. This winter the     3     (combine) of EL Nino and global warming raised the chances of natural disasters     4     (cause) by extreme weather. The EL Nino is predicted to cause the sea surface temperature to reach its     5     (high) point between November 2023 and January 2024. EL Nino is     6     naturally occurring climate phenomenon that starts with unusually warm surface water in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, which then goes on to affect the weather worldwide. On average, it     7     (occur) every two to seven years, and one episode     8     (typical) lasts nine to twelve months. Since May, an EL Nino system has heated the atmosphere in the tropical Pacific,     9     (lead) to a rise in global temperatures. Research indicates that a mild EL Nino event can increase the global annual average surface temperature     10     about 0. 1℃, even 0. 22℃.

2 . Humans have moved species of plants and animals around, introducing them to new habitats, for as long as we’ve been on Earth. Many of these introduced species have been beneficial, such as European honeybees that have proved to be excellent pollinators (传粉者) in the US. But that’s not the case for European beachgrass introduced to sand dunes (堆) on the coast of California. Beachgrass was planted to stabilize the ever-shifting dunes and it worked well. But the beachgrass is usually the only species living on dunes where there once were a large variety of native grasses and wildflowers.

It’s true that not all non-native species become invasive, but those that do adapt to the local environment, spread rapidly and outcompete native wildlife, often due to the absence of natural enemies that can keep their population in check. The spread of invasive species leads to the extinction and biodiversity loss on Earth, causing financial and ecological damage, according to the leading scientists.

Some campaigns have been launched to eradicate invasive species, including pesticides spray, manual removal and biological controls. Interestingly, a growing number of chefs and conservationists even have a far simpler idea: Eat them to beat them. Apart from providing favorable habitats for local species, perhaps the best way to fight invasive species is to prevent them from occurring in the first place. When boating, clean the boat thoroughly before transporting it to a different body of water. Don’t “pack a pest” when travelling, for fruit and vegetables, plants, insects and animals can carry pests or become invasive themselves. If you plan to own an alien pet, do your research and plan ahead to make sure you can commit to looking after it instead of releasing it into the wild. When you transfer an organism, you can also transfer its neighbors. Think before you move an animal or plant around!

1. What phenomenon does the author describe in paragraph 1?

A．Introduced species may cause unexpected results.

B．The beachgrass led to the biodiversity on the dunes.

C．Humans have a long history of working with nature.

D．The honeybees were forced out of Europe by humans.

2. What helps non-native species spread quickly?

A．The balanced ecosystem.	B．The competitive native wildlife.
C．The absence of natural enemies.	D．The extinction of invasive species.

3. What does the underlined word “eradicate” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Increase.

B．Introduce.

C．Wipe out.

D．Take over.

4. What can people do to solve the problem of invasive species?

A．Release organisms into the wild.	B．Provide favorable habitats for them.
C．Mind the acts of transferring species.	D．Keep the wildlife population in check.

4 . There was one minute left on Suzanne Horsley’s watch and the atmosphere remained thick with carbon dioxide, despite the efforts of her third graders to clear the air. Horsley, a wellness teacher, had directed the kids to throw balls representing carbon dioxide molecules to their classmates representing forests. “That was hard,” said Horsley after the round ended. “In this time period versus the 1700s, the way is more challenging, right?” “Yeah.” “In 2022, we got a lot of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere,” said Horsley. “What’s the problem with it? What is it causing?” “Global warming,” volunteered one girl.

Two years ago, New Jersey became the first state in the country to adopt learning standards requiring teachers to instruct kids about climate change across grade levels and subjects. “There’s no way we can expect our children to have the solutions to these challenges if we’re not giving them the tools and resources needed here and now,” said Tammy Marphy. Kids need to understand the basics of climate change—the vocabulary, the logic behind it—before they can handle the climate crisis.

On a recent weekday, Cari Gallagher was reading to her students from No Sand in the House, which tells the story of a grandfather whose home is destroyed by Hurricane Sandy. Later, the students sat down to write about what they’d heard, drawing connections between the book and their own lives, world events or other books they’d read. Then, they built structures—carports, walls and other barriers made of Legos, blocks and straws—that might protect against climate change calamities(灾难).

At Horsley’s class, students reflected on the lesson. Wes said adults could have done more to protect the environment. Abby said it was up to humans to drive less and recycle and protect other species from climate disasters. “When I first found out we were going to learn about climate change in the gym, I was like, that’s surprising, because normally we learn that in class,” Abby added. “But I’m glad we did it in the gym,” she continued. “It was really fun.”

1. What does Horsley’s class suggest?

A．Less carbon dioxide is absorbed by forests.

B．The air at the playing ground is polluted.

C．The amount of CO₂ is increasing sharply.

D．Playing games is challenging for some kids.

2. What’s Tammy’s attitude to learning standards?

A．Doubtful.

B．Tolerant.

C．Critical.

D．Supportive.

3. What does the author want to prove by mentioning Cari’s class?

A．Education has a positive effect on our dealing with climate change.

B．Hurricanes usually have a destroying power.

C．Reading is a way to learn about natural disasters.

D．Any materials can be used to fight against climate change.

4. What can we infer from the reflections of students?

A．Their disappointment at learning climate change in the gym.

B．Their expectation to adopt environmentally friendly practices.

C．Their puzzlement about the behaviors of adults.

D．Their sympathy for severely endangered species.

5 . 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。

Helen and her family moved to a new location in the city. Helen was excited because most of her friends lived in the same street.

It was the first morning in their new house. She woke up early that day and went out on her balcony (阳台). She was expecting wonderful, lovely birds and beautiful greenery with fresh air, but instead it was the complete opposite. There was garbage right outside their front gate. There were no trees and instead of the sweet chirping (鸟叫声) of birds, there were annoying g traffic noises. Helen was angry. “What is this? Why can’t someone do anything about it?” she thought. She went inside the living room. She sat at the dining table, thinking about what she could do about the pollution in her locality.

The next day at school, she went into her class and asked loudly, “Who’s fed up with stinking garbage?” This caught many students’ attention. “Who’s fed up with air pollution and the diseases spread by it?” This time many students answered, “Me!” Helen smiled and then said, “We must clean our surroundings. So help me get rid of the garbage. Help me pick it up! That’s the best thing we can do. We will all go to other classes and ask if they want to join us. I am sure as long as we work together, our community will become a better place!”

In the break time, they all went to other classes, and by the end of the school day, Helen had gathered almost 25 students ready to help her. The day before cleaning, the students took out their pocket money and bought garbage bags, masks and gloves.

注意：
1. 续写词数应为120左右;
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

The big day came and the students gathered at the school gate.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Soon the headmaster knew what the students did.

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7 . This summer has brought extreme heat and droughts to places around the world. The droughts are leading to serious problems and the effects of the droughts are likely to be felt for years. Droughts aren’t new, but Earth’s rising temperatures because of global warming are making them much harder to avoid.

The drought in the Horn of Africa may be the most serious situation. For several years, the area has had very little rain during the rainy seasons. The dry conditions have killed millions of farm animals and destroyed the crops of farmers.

The drought is causing energy problems in Europe, too. The low water levels have cut the amount of hydroelectric power that can be produced. Some rivers are so low that the heavy boats that carry coal can’t travel on them.

Farmers in California and Arizona have been hit particularly hard. California has put limits on water use across the state. Now water is being limited in other places. When there are water limits, farmers aren’t able to grow as many crops. That can drive up food prices, and that affects everyone.

China is facing similar problems. The drought has dried up much of the water in the Yangtze, China’s longest river. That has cut the amount of energy produced by the world’s largest dam by 40%.

China hasn’t been able to produce enough energy, since millions of people are using electricity to keep cool. The government is calling on the public to turn off the air conditioner when it is not too hot. The country is trying to make it rain by shooting chemicals into clouds. But this is an uncertain and temporary response.

There are no easy solutions to any of these droughts. It took years to create the climate crisis, and it will take a long time to get it under control. For now, governments and people will need to carefully manage water supplies and other resources to limit the damage as much as possible.

1. What has been affected by droughts according to the passage?

A．Technology.

B．Transportation.

C．Education.

D．Tourism.

2. What measures have been taken to deal with droughts in China?

A．Bringing water from other countries.

B．Finding replacement for rain water.

C．Limiting the use of drinking water.

D．Controlling the use of electricity.

3. How might the author feel about the fight against drought?

A．Concerned.

B．Satisfied.

C．Disappointed.

D．Optimistic.

4. What can be the best title for the passage?

A．Worldwide Droughts Appeared as New Problems

B．China Is also Facing the Serious Drought Problem

C．Droughts Cause Problems Around the World

D．Many Reasons Lead to the Drought Problem

8 . Around the world, people are realizing the significant problems caused by plastic waste. In the last 65 years, we have become increasingly dependent on plastic. It’s easy to understand why: it’s cheap to produce, light — therefore easy and cheap to transport — and incredibly strong and durable.     1    

One popular solution to the problem is to prohibit single use plastics. In the British supermarkets, shoppers are encouraged to make more environmentally-friendly choices in packing and transporting their food.     2     Some governments have even promised to ban the use of single-use plastic altogether by the not-too-distant future.

However, such plans may not be beneficial to eliminate (消除) the use of single-use plastic altogether.     3     This is not just because of its low cost. It’s also because infection and cross-contamination (交叉感染) are minimized. Plastic packaging is also crucial in the food industry. It ensures that food is safe for consumers.

Another issue is that alternative materials to plastic are often more environmentally harmful than plastic. Take paper bags, for example.     4     The process requires cutting trees, the emission of greenhouse gases and the production of poisonous chemical waste. Even more pollution is created when paper bags break down.

Clearly there is a need to reduce plastic waste and its impact on the environment.     5     Industries that rely on single-use plastics for people’s health and safety must be considered. Moreover, alternative materials must be evaluated strictly regarding their own environmental impact.

A．But it’s these advantages that also make it so harmful.

B．They are very fragile and rarely reusable, unlike plastic.

C．One of the fields where single-use plastic has a vital role is medicine.

D．However, simply banning their single use may not be the best option.

E．It also boosts the local economy and save costs in managing littering and waste.

F．Bans on single-use plastic items like drinking straws are also coming into place.

G．According to a research, they require four times more energy when produced than a plastic bag.

9 . Landslides of ash, gas and rock that flow out downhill during volcanic eruptions may be even more dangerous than scientists had realized.

Laboratory and field measurements show pulses of high pressure form within these slides, known as pyroclastic (火山碎屑的) flows. Those pressures can be far stronger, and more destructive, than disaster evaluations typically assume. “It’s not a small difference,” says Cert Lube, a volcanologist at Massey University in Palmerston North, New Zealand. Conventional disaster evaluations might suggest a certain flow will only burst windows, but he says, “When actually, the pressures are so strong, they knock down the walls of the building.”

Pyroclastic flows are the deadliest volcanic disaster, in part because of the pressures they cause. Due to their violent nature, researchers often have to evaluate average pressures in the flows using computer simulations (模拟) based on measurements of geologic deposits left by past flows.

At Massey University in Palmerston North, New Zealand, researchers freed mixtures of hot rock, ash and gas down a channel to copy volcanic landslides known as pyroclastic flows. These pyroclastic flows have an inner rhythm (节奏) that makes them especially destructive. To directly study the inner workings of these forces of nature, Lube and colleagues reproduced smaller versions of the flows in experiments, measuring the destructive power. That let the team calculate the pressures inside the flows. The researchers also analyzed the first measurements of pressures in natural flows, collected in 2019, when pyroclastic flows burst from the Whakaari volcano and swallowed a set of sensors.

To the researchers’ surprise, pressures in the flows shook rhythmically. These pressure pulses would successively damage barriers like blows from an electric drill, Lube says. The pulses sometimes smashed more than three times as hard as the average pressure evaluates typically suggested by conventional simulations.

1. Why do researchers use computers to simulate pyroclastic flows?

A．To find out their inner rhythm.	B．To evaluate their violent nature.
C．To figure out their average pressures.	D．To copy the scene of volcanic landslides.

2. What does the fourth paragraph focus on?

A．How to prepare simulation experiment.

B．How to carry out the simulation experiment.

C．Why to conduct the simulation experiment.

D．Why to measure the inner rhythm of pyroclastic flows.

3. What does the underlined word “smashed” in Paragraph 5 mean?

A．Crashed.

B．Bombed.

C．Conflicted.

D．Increased.

4. What’s the most suitable title for the text?

A．A Well-known Landslide	B．The Deadliest Volcanic Disaster
C．More Destructive Pyroclastic Flows	D．A Pyroclastic Flows Simulation Experiment