1 . Every year about 40,000 people attempt to climb Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa. They ______ with them lots of waste. The ______ might damage the beauty of the place. The glaciers (冰川) are disappearing, changing the face of Kilimanjaro.

Hearing these stories, I’m ______ about the place — other destinations are described as “purer” natural experiences.

However, I soon ______ that much has changed since the days of disturbing reports of ______ among tons of rubbish. I find a ______ mountain, with toilets at camps and along the paths. The environmental challenges are ______ but the efforts made by the Tanzania National Park Authority seem to be ______.

The best of a Kilimanjaro ______, in my opinion, isn’t reaching the top. Mountains are ______ as spiritual places by many cultures. This view is especially evident on Kilimanjaro as ______ go through five ecosystems within a few kilometers. At the base is a rainforest. It ends suddenly at 3, 000 meters, ______ lands of low growing plants. Further up, the weather ______ — low clouds envelop the mountainsides, which are covered with thick grass. I counted twelve shades of green from where I stand. Above 4, 000 meters is the highland desert: gravel (砾石), stones and rocks. ______ you climb into an arctic-like zone with permanent (永久的) snow and the glaciers that may soon disappear.

Does Kilimanjaro deserve its reputation as a crowded mountain with lines of tourists ______ the atmosphere of peace? I found the opposite to be true.

1.

A．keep

B．leave

C．connect

D．bring

2.

A．stories

B．buildings

C．crowds

D．reporters

3.

A．silent

B．doubtful

C．serious

D．crazy

4.

A．discover

B．argue

C．decide

D．admit

5.

A．equipment

B．grass

C．camps

D．stones

6.

A．clean

B．quiet

C．tall

D．faraway

7.

A．new

B．special

C．significant

D．necessary

8.

A．taking over

B．spreading out

C．carrying on

D．paying off

9.

A．atmosphere

B．experience

C．experiment

D．sight

10.

A．regarded

B．observed

C．explored

D．studied

11.

A．adventurers

B．climbers

C．natives

D．officials

12.

A．holding on to

B．going back to

C．setting out to

D．giving way to

13.

A．changes

B．clears

C．improves

D．permits

14.

A．Obviously

B．Seemingly

C．Absolutely

D．Finally

15.

A．keeping

B．ruining

C．replacing

D．creating

2 . “Eco-mermaid” Merle Liivand wove a remarkable story with her attachment to the ocean. On March 7, she ________ her own world record by swimming a full marathon’s distance with a single fin (鳍) in Biscayne Bay, Florida. When Merle Liivand was a child, she had health problems, and began swimming to help her lungs get ________ . In one training session, she nearly ended up swallowing (吞下) some ________that was floating (漂浮) in the sea.

That ________ made her think of all the sea animals who faced ________ pollution every day. She decided to work to make people more aware of plastic pollution. Inspired by sea creatures, she began swimming with a special single swimming fin ________ both of her feet. This single fin allows her to swim by ________ both of her legs together. She believes swimming with it ________“a bigger message”.

Since 2022, she’s broken records, swimming vast distances — first in California, then in Florida, and this time swimming the________of a full marathon. Despite challenges like jellyfish (水母) stings, she ________ collecting trash along her route. Her dedication extends beyond records; it’s about community and global ________.

During her ________, a friend kayaked (划皮划艇) alongside, providing food and water and collecting the trash she ________. By the end of her marathon, the kayak held three bags full of trash. Liivand’s actions aim to ________a bigger goal: it’s not just about achievements, but about making a ________ impact on the world.

1.

A．planned

B．kept

C．broke

D．prepared

2.

A．stronger

B．cleaner

C．lighter

D．cooler

3.

A．water

B．plastic

C．sand

D．metal

4.

A．situation

B．cleanup

C．disaster

D．experience

5.

A．different

B．visible

C．similar

D．challenging

6.

A．attached to

B．referred to

C．applied to

D．devoted to

7.

A．connecting

B．removing

C．kicking

D．wiping

8.

A．hides

B．marks

C．finds

D．carries

9.

A．depth

B．length

C．width

D．height

10.

A．continued

B．relaxed

C．faced

D．paused

11.

A．accomplishment

B．betterment

C．management

D．agreement

12.

A．training

B．adventure

C．travel

D．marathon

13.

A．gathered

B．shared

C．sorted

D．pushed

14.

A．miss

B．review

C．break

D．reach

15.

A．various

B．lasting

C．positive

D．side

3 . The suburb I live in backs on to a large nature reserve. One morning I saw a koala (考拉) sitting in a palm tree in my front yard. I phoned around to ask what I could _________ this koala, but no one wanted to know. I ended up _________ the koala out of my tree and we crossed the road _________ for him to return to the nature reserve.

I’ve always been befriending animals. As a young kid I used to pick up lizard eggs and _________ them. It stimulated my interest as to why there wasn’t anyone wanting to come and _________this koala in my tree. After that, I signed up for all the _________I could find.

Once I had accreditation (合格证 ), I volunteered with the RSPCA in 2019, rehabilitating (使康复) wildlife. I was an ambulance driver, _________ overnight rescues. We rescued hundreds of animals and _________ more.

One day, I thought why not _________ my own rescue group focusing on my backyard? I purchased a two-acre property and built enclosures on it to __________ injured animals. Last year, I planted 300 eucalyptus trees (桉树), with seven varieties to __________ the koalas.

I cut the leaves of the eucalyptus trees for the koalas to eat and look after the __________ wildlife at our centre. If they recover, they are __________ back to where they come from.

As a kid I would never have imagined doing this. I feel like I’m the __________ girl on the planet that I get to do what I love. I believe it’s my __________.

After Japan discharged nuclear wastewater, people are terribly worried about more animals, especially marine animals. Any animal has the right to survive and the Earth is our common home. Please care for our animal friends.

1.

A．learn from

B．do about

C．require of

D．save for

2.

A．kicking

B．shooting

C．coaching

D．blowing

3.

A．together

B．illegally

C．angrily

D．guiltily

4.

A．roll

B．sell

C．break

D．hatch

5.

A．rescue

B．admire

C．purchase

D．identify

6.

A．courses

B．races

C．fairs

D．shows

7.

A．watching

B．recording

C．attending

D．assessing

8.

A．made out

B．ran across

C．gave up

D．cared for

9.

A．leave

B．start

C．dismiss

D．advertise

10.

A．house

B．hunt

C．train

D．amuse

11.

A．confuse

B．direct

C．feed

D．test

12.

A．aggressive

B．hungry

C．deserted

D．injured

13.

A．sold

B．released

C．thrown

D．dragged

14.

A．quietest

B．greediest

C．noisiest

D．luckiest

15.

A．guess

B．calling

C．treat

D．fault

4 . The East African country of Kenya has been at the forefront of the global war on plastic since 2017, when officials banned plastic bags. In June 2020, the government intensified the efforts with a ban on single-use plastics in protected areas. Unfortunately, the measures have _________ made any impact. Hundreds of tons of industrial and consumer polymer (聚合物) waste continue to get _________ into landfills daily. However, if 29-year-old Nzambi Matee has her way, the unpleasant plastic heaps will soon be transformed into colourful bricks.

The material engineer’s search to find a(n) _________ solution to control plastic pollution began in 2017. She quit her job as a data analyst at a local chemical factory and set up a small lab in her mother’s backyard. It took her nine months to produce the first brick and even longer to _________ a partner to help build the machinery to make them. But the determined eco-entrepreneur was confident in her idea and did not give up.

She says, “I wanted to use my education in applied physics and material engineering to do something about the problem of plastic waste pollution. But I was very _________ that the solution had to be practical, sustainable, and affordable. The best way to do this was by _________ the waste into the construction and finding the most efficient and affordable material to build homes.”

Her company, Gjenge Makers, now hires 112 people and produces over 1,500 bricks a day. The pavers (铺路材料) are made using a mix of plastic products that cannot be reprocessed or recycled. The polymer is obtained _________ from factories or picked by hired locals from Nairobi’s largest landfill, Dandora.

The collected plastic is _________ with sand, heated at very high temperatures, and compressed into bricks that vary in colour and thickness. The resulting product is stronger, lighter, and about 30 percent cheaper than concrete bricks.

Matee, who was recently recognized as one of the Young Champions of the Earth 2020 — the United Nations’ highest environmental _________ — is far from done. Her dream is to reduce the mountain of trash in Dandora to just a hill by increasing production and expanding her offerings. She says, “The more we recycle the plastic, the more we produce affordable housing, and the more we create __________ for the youth.”

1.

A．barely

B．nearly

C．mildly

D．equally

2.

A．leaked

B．turned

C．loaded

D．dumped

3.

A．personal

B．orderly

C．feasible

D．adjustable

4.

A．remind

B．convince

C．assure

D．direct

5.

A．clear

B．fair

C．bold

D．mature

6.

A．enclosing

B．distributing

C．channelling

D．reversing

7.

A．distantly

B．openly

C．secretly

D．directly

8.

A．replaced

B．mixed

C．equipped

D．fixed

9.

A．level

B．grant

C．diploma

D．honour

10.

A．employment

B．experiment

C．entertainment

D．investment

5 . It was 1:20 a. m. I had just gone to bed, a bit _________ after celebrating my 31st birthday. Before dinner, I’d placed _________ outside my garden door and prepared the cell phone just _________. After all, it had been _________ that week, resulting in flood warnings.

I was awakened by the _________ of rushing water. When I swung my legs off the bed, I was shocked to feel cold water already up to my knees and _________ fast.

Shaking in darkness, I _________ my phone and turned on its flashlight. Then by the light I could _________ water was from the garden door. It must have breached (在……上) the sandbags. The river, usually such a quiet, slow moving river in my region, had _________ burst its banks. And now I had to __________!

I took __________ action. Any effects of the alcohol before sleep were gone;__________ sobers (使清醒) one up. After I went outside, I learned the river had flooded the neighbourhood. Therefore, if I had woken up just a few minutes later, I would have drowned.

In the end, I think the experience made me __________ and determined to live each day to its fullest. I came very close to drowning that day. But rather than dwell on (沉湎于)what happened, I prefer to __________ what my mother told me afterwards, “Don’t remember the day when you lost everything. Remember the day you __________. That day marked the beginning of a new chapter in your life.”

1.

A．relieved

B．drunk

C．excited

D．satisfied

2.

A．stones

B．sandbags

C．wood

D．boxes

3.

A．in doubt

B．in return

C．in turn

D．in case

4.

A．thundering

B．snowing

C．pouring

D．blowing

5.

A．roar

B．taste

C．rhythm

D．smell

6.

A．appearing

B．spreading

C．freezing

D．rising

7.

A．grabbed

B．adjusted

C．dropped

D．studied

8.

A．realize

B．guess

C．see

D．check

9.

A．extremely

B．violently

C．narrowly

D．certainly

10.

A．get out

B．check out

C．calm down

D．help out

11.

A．brave

B．immediate

C．determined

D．calculated

12.

A．fear

B．annoyance

C．stress

D．responsibility

13.

A．active

B．proud

C．grateful

D．amazed

14.

A．ask

B．ensure

C．hear

D．follow

15.

A．loved

B．forgave

C．survived

D．graduated

6 . I was driving on the freeway when I noticed heavy clouds roll in. A storm was coming. The rain began beating ______ against my car windows, making driving impossible. I ______ onto the shoulder of the road and stopped. The rain ______ me of Hurricane Katrina.

Hurricane Katrina struck when I was nine years old. I had worried it would strike us in Houston. It missed us, but other cities were not so lucky. I remembered watching the ______. A reporter stood inside the Houston stadium, ______ people. Many wore dirty and ______ clothes, and some had no shoes on their feet. I noticed a little boy behind the reporter ______ an old teddy bear. Watching him, I knew I had to do something.

The next day, my friends ______ me for our volunteer club and we came up with a plan. We wanted to ______ toys and give them to the kids at the stadium, which would bring some ______ into the lives of these families. We ______ the word to the school and other organizations. Three days later, the donation boxes were overflowing with new toys! When we ______ the stadium with our gifts, children ______ toward us from all directions, smiles lighting up their faces.

Suddenly, a phone call brought me back to the present. To my joy, the storm had ______. “Hector, we have more ______ of yesterday’s tornado.” “Well, I’ve brought clothes I’d like to donate to them. The storm stopped me, but I’ll be there soon!”

1.

A．creatively

B．lazily

C．merrily

D．heavily

2.

A．looked out

B．set out

C．pulled off

D．got off

3.

A．warned

B．informed

C．reminded

D．cured

4.

A．news

B．disaster

C．game

D．performance

5.

A．observing

B．greeting

C．challenging

D．interviewing

6.

A．cheap

B．worn

C．fascinating

D．funny

7.

A．hugging

B．pressing

C．selling

D．throwing

8.

A．left

B．joined

C．asked

D．annoyed

9.

A．invent

B．deliver

C．collect

D．produce

10.

A．freedom

B．happiness

C．struggle

D．belief

11.

A．gathered

B．processed

C．donated

D．spread

12.

A．left

B．decorated

C．entered

D．measured

13.

A．flew

B．drove

C．marched

D．surfed

14.

A．struck

B．passed

C．strengthened

D．approached

15.

A．reports

B．clues

C．victims

D．photos

7 . Few people knew about online food delivery apps ten years ago, but today, many would find it hard to live without them. In China alone, over 400 million people use such apps. ________ online food delivery services have changed the way we eat, and they are also having a huge impact on our society.

These services have ________ brought us many benefits. They provide jobs for millions of people and help restaurants find more customers. Since the apps are very convenient, they also benefit consumers: we can now have meals delivered at any time of a day, ________ bad weather or busy schedules. This is especially true for people who work long hours, since they might not have time to cook. Not only do these apps _________ time, they also provide us with a wide variety of restaurants to choose from. They have proved to be useful for retired people as well: ________ who live far away from restaurants and supermarkets can now get hold of meals and groceries more easily.

However, we must not forget the ________ of online food delivery services. For one thing, they make it even easier to order unhealthy food, ________ in sugar, fat and salt. Food safety is another problem: it can be hard to ________ where the food actually comes from, and whether the owner is legally permitted to run a restaurant. As couriers (外卖员) need to deliver the orders as quickly as possible, some ________ traffic rules. In recent years, there have been a number of terrible traffic accidents because of this. ________, the industry is creating unbelievable amounts of packaging waste: over a million tonnes of online food delivery boxes are thrown away every year. Experts assume that this number will continue to ________ in the future, and this will have an increasingly negative impact on the environment.

There are many advantages of these services, but we need to make sure that we make the right choices ________. We should do our best to limit waste, especially when it comes to ________, so as to contribute to sustainable development. We also need to think about what we eat and the impact on our health. Next time you are thinking about ________, you should ask yourself whether you really need to. In most cases, it's better to walk over to the supermarket, buy the ________ you need, and then cook them yourself.

1.

A．No wonder

B．Sooner or later

C．More often than not

D．For better or for worse

2.

A．in part

B．by far

C．no doubt

D．as well

3.

A．without

B．considering

C．despite

D．including

4.

A．consume

B．save

C．take

D．waste

5.

A．minors

B．majors

C．seniors

D．inferiors

6.

A．strengths

B．drawbacks

C．significance

D．feedbacks

7.

A．high

B．full

C．low

D．sufficient

8.

A．identify

B．modify

C．establish

D．maintain

9.

A．give way to

B．set foot in

C．have no access to

D．pay little regard to

10.

A．However

B．Moreover

C．Instead

D．Comparatively

11.

A．drop

B．shrink

C．balloon

D．double

12.

A．in the long run

B．on a large scale

C．for our reference

D．at our convenience

13.

A．eating

B．pollution

C．transportation

D．packaging

14.

A．online shopping

B．ordering in

C．garbage recycling

D．taking away food

15.

A．ingredients

B．sauces

C．vegetables

D．groceries

9 . I live in a town, about half a mile from the banks of a river, It had been raining buckets that week and there were _________ warnings for nearby areas, but not where I was.

As a precaution (预防), I’d _________ sandbags outside my garden door just in case water managed to flow through. As I fell asleep, I was _________ by the sound of rushing water.When I swung my legs off the bed, I was _________ to feel cold water already up to my kneesand rising fast. Trembling, I _______ my phone on the table and _________ the flashlight. Water was coming from the garden door. The river must have _________ burst its banks and broke the sandbags. And now I had to get out--fast!

With the water up to my waist, in bare feet I started to paddle (蹚水) to my only _________ the door leading to outdoors. Finally, I made it to that door and _________ to pull it open, but the water’s __________ was high. Anyhow, with great efforts, I made a __________ of about 30 centimeters, enough for me to get through. Rushing down outside, I __________ that if I hadn’t woken up in time, I would have drowned. Many houses around us were __________ , including a home for the disabled.

I learned to be grateful through the experience and determined to live each day to its __________ .I will remember a famous saying: “Don’t remember the day when you lost everything. Remember the day you__________ .”

1.

A．flood

B．earthquake

C．drought

D．sandstorm

2.

A．cleaned

B．lifted

C．discovered

D．placed

3.

A．deafened

B．awakened

C．impressed

D．amused

4.

A．annoyed

B．shocked

C．embarrassed

D．relieved

5.

A．grabbed

B．examined

C．recognized

D．dropped

6.

A．showed off

B．threw   away

C．switched on

D．set aside

7.

A．accidentally

B．violently

C．temporarily

D．originally

8.

A．stage

B．partner

C．shelter

D．escape

9.

A．happened

B．agreed

C．attempted

D．hesitated

10.

A．quality

B．pressure

C．standard

D．surface

11.

A．gap

B．depth

C．height

D．mark

12.

A．regretted

B．promised

C．predicted

D．realized

13.

A．restored

B．established

C．preserved

D．destroyed

14.

A．fullest

B．easiest

C．fastest

D．coolest

15.

A．recovered

B．mattered

C． survived

D．matured

10 . I fell in love with Yosemite National Park the first time I saw it. I went there for camping with my parents. On the way out, I asked them to wait while I ran up to EI Capitan, a huge rock of 3, 300 feet straight up. I touched that ________ rock and knew immediately I wanted to ________ it. That has been my life’s ________ ever since—climbing the rocks and mountains of Yosemite. I’ve long made Yosemite my home.

About 7 years ago I started seeing a lot of waste,________ beer cans, empty boxes, around the area. It’s beyond me why visitors started respecting the place less and treated such a beautiful ________ place this way.

I made an attempt to clean the place myself, but the job was too ________. I would spend an hour or two on the job, only to find the area trashed all over again weeks later. Finally, I got so tired of it that I had to ________ an idea to change the situation.

In 2018, together with some climbers, I set a ________ for a cleanup. On that day, more than 300 people appeared there. Over three days we ________ about 6,000 pounds of trash. It was ________ how much we were able to achieve. I couldn’t believe the difference we made—the ________ looked clean!

Each year these climbers come for the ________ from everywhere. In 2022 alone, 2,945 people picked up 42,330 pounds of trash.

There are many people around us who are ________ with their surroundings. If you are one of them, I would say the only way to change things is by ________ rather than complaining. We need to teach by example. After all, everybody has his ________ to protect the environment.

1.

A．deep

B．mysterious

C．giant

D．slim

2.

A．perform

B．signal

C．climb

D．compose

3.

A．failure

B．passion

C．contest

D．admiration

4.

A．like

B．as

C．except

D．with

5.

A．homelike

B．lifelike

C．industrial

D．firm

6.

A．professional

B．minor

C．small

D．big

7.

A．put up with

B．come up with

C．keep up with

D．team up with

8.

A．place

B．date

C．figure

D．plot

9.

A．required

B．received

C．shot

D．collected

10.

A．complex

B．visual

C．tense

D．unbelievable

11.

A．park

B．lake

C．garden

D．campus

12.

A．cleanup

B．stage

C．ceremony

D．party

13.

A．content

B．dissatisfied

C．busy

D．confident

14.

A．working through

B．working out

C．taking action

D．taking off

15.

A．request

B．cause

C．balance

D．duty