2 . In the summer of 2020, a wildfire caused by lightning tore through 43,000 acres of Cima Dome in the Mojave National Preserve in California, which is home to the world’s largest Joshua tree forest, and destroyed 1.3 million Joshua trees-that’s about a quarter of the trees. Repairing the forest would not be easy. But a special solution was adopted: using camels to help restore the unique desert trees.

During the ice age, giant sloths (巨型树懒) used to feed on the trees and this helped spread the seeds. But these sloths are extinct and now small mammals (哺乳动物) that are less effective have taken up the role. “Joshua tree seeds don’t spread very quickly,” said Debra Hughson, who worked at the Mojave National Preserve. “They don’t move very fast or they don’t move very far with just small mammals around.”

The plan was to restore the Cima Dome area first because its higher elevation allows the trees to survive the effects of climate change. Hughson and her professional volunteer team began to plant seedlings (幼苗) in the burned area. However, what had been considered effective in theory didn’t really work. The area is a wilderness and even the hike to it takes several hours.

That’s where Herbie, Sully and Chico came to the rescue.

The idea of using the three camels came from Nance Fite, a 70-year-old volunteer at the reserve. When she heard about the restoration project, she made efforts to convince the Park Service to let the camels help. She also eventually persuaded her friend, Jennifer Lagusker, who owns the camels to bring them to the reserve. The three camels have been helping in the restoration process since 2021 and around 3,500 young Joshua trees have been planted. The camels helped to carry water and the seedlings on the long trips through the desert reserve.

After this work is finished, the Park Service will focus on a different area that was destroyed by the wildfire. The camels will be ready to help out wherever they are needed.

1. What happened to the Mojave National Preserve in 2020?

A．Joshua trees in this area went extinct.

B．Lightning caused damage to its camels.

C．A wildfire swept across the whole reserve.

D．Its desert trees encountered a natural disaster.

2. What do the underlined words “the role” in paragraph 2 refer to?

A．Spreading the seeds.	B．Restoring the trees.
C．Helping giant sloths.	D．Working for a reserve.

3. Why did the volunteer team’s first attempt turn out ineffective?

A．Hiking was legally forbidden in the wilderness.

B．They had trouble traveling to the Cima Dome area.

C．Few people in the team were willing to plant seedlings.

D．The trees couldn’t survive the effects of climate change.

4. What can we learn from the text?

A．The idea of using camels was initially adopted easily.

B．The Park Service is satisfied with the camels’ work.

C．Nance Fite is responsible for raising the three camels.

D．The restoration project has been followed in many areas.

3 . We are unavoidably linked to the ocean. Collectively, it covers about 71% of our world and is instrumental in the processes that keep us alive. While the rainforests may be referred to as “the lungs of the planet”, scientists say it’s actually the ocean that provides 50% — 80% of the oxygen we breathe. Besides, through a “conveyor belt” action, it helps regulate Earth’s climate by transporting heat away from the equator, towards the poles to cool. The ocean also proves itself essential in the fight against climate change too. It absorbs 50 times more carbon dioxide than our atmosphere-or rather, it’s not the ocean itself but what lives in it. And perhaps one of the most incredible forms is the humble seagrass.

Across the globe, there are more than 70 species of seagrass, growing in shallow and sheltered coastal areas and covering 300,000 square kilometres, which absorbs 10% of the ocean’s carbon each year and captures carbon up to 35 times faster than tropical rainforests. Seagrass builds its leaves and roots using carbon, which it extracts from water through the process of photosynthesis (光合作用) — and it holds on to it, even after death. Dead plant material decomposes (分解) slowly on the ocean floor, and this means that the carbon stored within is eventually buried under the seabed.

Significant as it is, seagrass is critically endangered. According to the U. N. Environment Programme, a seagrass area the size of a football pitch is destroyed every 30 minutes around the world. Fortunately, restoration missions are already underway, in places as far afield as Kenya, Mozambique, and the UK. But rising temperatures remain a twofold threat: an increase in storms that tear the shallow-rooted seagrass from its beds, and rising sea-levels that block out the sunlight.

However, seagrass is known to adapt to survive-and gene sequencing of the Zostera marina seagrass has shown it has done so on three separate occasions already. Could it be one of Earth’s great survivors that will save us all? Only time will tell.

1. How does the seagrass help regulate Earth’s climate?

A．It blocks out the sunlight.	B．It absorbs carbon dioxide.
C．It provides most of the oxygen.	D．It transports heat towards the poles.

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

A．Obtains.

B．Replaces.

C．Consumes.

D．Delivers.

3. What can be inferred about the seagrass from the last two paragraphs?

A．It is no longer endangered after restoration.

B．It has saved the planet from climate change.

C．It hasn’t been affected by rising temperatures.

D．It is able to adapt to changes in its environment.

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

A．The Fantastic World of Seagrass	B．The Uncertain Future of the Ocean
C．Seagrass: The Ocean’s Unsung Hero	D．The Battle to Save Seagrass from Extinction

4 . A woman in a cap wanders calmly along. Except for the lava (熔岩) erupting behind her, she could be walking in the park. The woman turns to watch the molten rock flow for a moment then walks calmly toward the camera. The footage(镜头) is from Werner Herzog’s book to volcanoes and volcano hunters, Into the Inferno, and the woman pictured is perhaps one of the most important volcanologists of all time, Katia Krafft.

Born in France, in 1942, Katia developed an interest in volcanoes at an early age. Later, she met Maurice Krafft. The pair bonded over their shared love of volcanoes before marrying in 1970. The Kraffts wrote about 20 books on volcanoes across the globe.

Katia and her husband made great progress in educating the general public in volcanology. Their footage had more than scientific value. For instance, when Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines began to show signs of an eruption in 1991, the Kraffts were able to present Philippine President Cory Aquino with video footage of the effects of the 1985 eruption of Nevado del Ruiz in Colombia, asking him to call for an evacuation of those in the danger zone.

In 1969, Katia was awarded the prize of the Vocation Foundation for her work on active volcanic sites.

The couple lost their lives, along with more than 40 others during the eruption of Mount Unzen in Japan on June 3.1991. when they were caught in a flow of rock, gas and ash moving at speeds of over 100 miles per hour, with temperatures of more than 800 degrees Fahrenheit. Katia was 49; Maurice, 45.

Katia’s impact on volcanology has reached far beyond her death and has encouraged many young women to study our restless planet. “Katia Krafft is definitely the reason why I’m doing this job,” says Carla Tiraboschi, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Minster, Germany. Carla first saw Katia in a documentary when she was just six or seven years old and has been crazy about volcanoes ever since.

1. What can we infer from the book Into the Inferno?

A．Its author is Katia Krafft.	B．It’s a biography of Katia Krafft.
C．It calls on protecting the environment.	D．It focuses on volcanoes and their explorers.

2. What do we know about the couple?

A．They prevented a natural disaster.

B．They served as a warning in Japan.

C．They helped spread volcano science.

D．They covered Mount Pinatubo’s eruption.

3. Which can replace the underlined word “evacuation” in paragraph 3?

A．Substance.

B．Departure.

C．Occupation.

D．Intervention.

4. How did Katia influence Carla Tiraboschi?

A．Katia’s death made her restless.	B．Katia helped her with her research.
C．Katia taught her to make a documentary.	D．Katia’s deeds inspired her career choice.

7 . Coastal Clean-ups Program

General Introduction

Our program aims to develop appreciation for our environment in our participants by including fun into environmental education. Our program places great emphasis on experiential learning, which offers our participants the opportunity to get close to nature, enjoy and value it while learning issue of litter pollution, and the importance of individual ownership in ensuring environmental sustainability. Our program is well-suited in supporting the objectives of Values-in-Action ( VIA) programs for schools. Ever wondered how our beaches look without the care of the cleaners? So please explore yourself through the Coastal Clean-ups Program and join us in taking care of our beaches. Gain insightful discovery on the consequences of ocean pollution, and its implications on our marine environment, wildlife, and even us, humans.

Details
Location:

This program is subjected to weather and tidal （潮汐的） conditions. Please email us for the available dates and more information on the location.

Duration: 2 hours

Group Size: Maximum—60 participants
Equipment/Items needed:
·All materials needed for the program will be provided by our program.
·Participants should bring their own personal water bottles and writing materials.
·Participants should wear comfortable outdoor clothes with covered shoes.
Price: $10/per person. For more information, please consult via the official website of our program.
Important Note:
●Available dates for this program are subjected to tidal conditions.
·The program cannot be conducted in the event of bad weather.
·There is no wet-weather program. Please email us for further enquiries.
1. What do we know about Coastal Clean-ups Program?

A．It is specially designed for scholars.

B．It is interesting as well as instructive.

C．It is part of schools’ VIA programs.

D．It contributes to participants’ independence.

2. What can cause the cancellation of the program?

A．Terrible weather.	B．Shortage of cleaning tools.
C．No comfortable outdoor shoes.	D．Limited number of participants.

3. Where is the text probably taken from?

A．An advertisement.	B．A natural science magazine.
C．A research report.	D．A school-tour website.

8 . Rogues (疯狗浪), called “extreme storm waves” by scientists, are large, unexpected, and dangerous waves that are at least twice as high as the other waves around them, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). These abnormal waves, which happen every day and all over the world, are highly unpredictable and can destroy ships that meet with them.

Rogue waves appear to form when large rough waves pass through one another, combining to form huge walls of water, according to NOAA. However, why and where they appear is unclear. But using 700 years’ worth of ocean data including historical records and data from buoys (浮标) in 158 locations around the world, researchers have now created a system for predicting these “huge beasts”.

“They are caused by a combination of many factors that, until now, have not been combined into a single risk assessment,” said lead author Dion Häfner. Häfner and his co-workers mapped the factors that may lead to rogue waves and used AI to make a single model that could determine the likelihood that a rogue wave will form.

The team trained a neural network using historical wave data. This generated a system that learned the causes of rogue waves by itself and could work to predict them. But the AI’s methods were hid in a black box. This means scientists couldn’t know how the AI did its workings. So Häfner’s team applied another form of machine learning, which produced an equation (综合体) when fed data, rather than just a single prediction, helping the researchers to understand how the AI reached its predictions.

“Our analysis demonstrates that abnormal waves occur all the time. In fact, we registered 100,000 waves in our data set that can be defined as rogue waves,” Häfner said. This system effectively shows the sign of a rogue wave, Häfner added, and can better protect ships from being destroyed as the sail around the world. Ship companies can use the device with the system to predict when and where rogue waves might arise to seek an alternative course.

1. How does the author introduce the topic?

A．By using an example.	B．By giving a definition.
C．By drawing a comparison.	D．By making an assumption.

2. What can the system do according to paragraph 2?

A．Monitor huge sea creatures.	B．Guide ships around in the sea.
C．Prevent rouge waves from occurring.	D．Forecast the hitting of rogue waves.

3. What is the disadvantage of the AI’s methods?

A．They aren’t visually available.	B．They depend on too many factors.
C．They make inaccurate predictions.	D．They don’t process data systematically.

4. How does Häfner find the system?

A．It requires more field tests.	B．It has been widely used.
C．It needs further improvement.	D．It has a promising future.

9 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What did Harry Nuriev do in 2019?

A．He displayed a special sofa.

B．He designed a sofa using bags.

C．He searched a fair for old items.

2. What does Katie Treggiden think furniture companies should do?

A．Improve product quality.

B．Use sustainable material.

C．Lengthen furniture’s life.

3. What is the main focus of the speaker?

A．A designer’s green sofa.

B．Problems in the furniture industry.

C．The change in the fashion industry.

10 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What do the public pay more attention to according to the recent survey?

A．News media.

B．Political issues.

C．Living conditions.

2. How many people responded to the survey?

A．500.

B．1,500.

C．15,000.

3. What did most respondents think everyone should do?

A．Join in environmental protection campaigns.

B．Develop a sense of environmental protection.

C．Donate money to the environmental department.

4. Which one has become the main volunteer activity?

A．Driving less.

B．Planting trees.

C．Picking rubbish.