1 . When 62-year-old fisherman Kpana Charlie finished the day’s catch, he liked to settle into a wooden chair, thinking about his childhood. Back then, his life on Sierra Leone’s Nyangai Island seemed excellent. He spent endless hours playing with his friends on the island’s white beaches. Whenever he wanted to avoid having to do his housework, he could simply disappear into the forest that covered much of the island. He remembers as recently as ten years ago, it still measured some 2, 300 feet from end to end.

Today, Nyangai is disappearing before his very eyes, covered by the endless sea. The forests are gone. And the land on which Charlie’s family home once stood, has long since disappeared beneath the waves.

In fact, the local government has responded to the sharp increase of sea level by building a concrete (混凝土制的) seawall along the length of the town. But in the many smaller coastal towns and villages in the area, there simply aren’t the resources. Then, the government made a project to protect some of the settlements by planting trees, but this has had limited success. With the population relying on woods for building and smoking-fish, few trees lived longer than the project, which ended in 2021.

Sierra Leone has been identified as one of the world’s most weak countries to the effects of climate change, despite having little influence on global CO₂ emissions (排放). “Weak countries should be getting some support from wealthy nations to strengthen their climate defenses (防御),” says Gabriel Kpaka, the head of the country’s Meteorological Agency. “But we’re not really seeing that.”

With global sea level expected to rise by anywhere between 1 and 3 feet by the end of the century, along with an increase in extreme weather events, the experience of this West African island offers an understanding of the possible future of countless other low-lying areas around the world.

1. Why does the author tell Charlie’s story in paragraph 1?

A．To describe his wonderful life at present.	B．To offer-readers-background information
C．To call on local people to protect the seen	D．To attract more visitors to Nyangai Island.

2. What is paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．The reasons for the changes on the island.	B．The rich natural species in coastal areas.
C．The measures taken to deal with rising sea level.	D．The way to build a concrete seawall on the island.

3. What can be done to help Nyangai Island according to Kpaka?

A．Local government should build a stronger seawall.

B．Local people on the island limit their CO2 emissions.

C．Countries in low-lying areas work together for their rights.

D．Rich countries should offer support about climate defenses.

4. What is the author’s attitude towards the future of other low-lying areas?

A．Concerned.

B．Doubtful.

C．Uncertain.

D．Positive.

2 . What is the woman’s advice?

A．Improving the judgment.	B．Avoiding judging by appearances.
C．Carrying out the real-name system.

3 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What is the woman doing?

A．She is buying a house.

B．She is checking a house.

C．She is repainting the walls.

2. What is the man’s requirement?

A．Keeping the walls clean.

B．Signing the agreement now.

C．Paying three years’ rent in advance.

3. How much will the woman pay?

A．$900.

B．$600.

C．$300.

4 . Not all birds sing, but those that do—some several thousand species—do it a lot.

Iris Adam, a scientist at the University of Southern Denmark says, birds have “a drive to sing”. This means hours every day for some species, and that takes a lot of energy. However, singing can be dangerous. “As soon as you sing, you show yourself, for example, where you are and that you even exist—all of that immediately is out in the open for predators (捕食性动物) , for everybody,” she says.

In a new study published in the journal Nature Communications, Adam and her colleagues offer a new explanation for why birds take that risk and whether the muscles (肌肉) that produce birdsong require daily exercise. Adam designed an experiment on zebra finches—little Australian songbirds. Her experiment included keeping male birds in the dark to sever the connection between their brains and-their singing muscles, which prevented them from singing.

After a week, the birds’ singing muscles lost half of their strength. Three weeks later, they were back to the same level when they were juveniles (幼鸟) and never had sung before. When Adam played one of the male’s songs for: a group of female birds, six out of nine preferred the song that came from a male who had been using his singing muscles daily.

Adam’s conclusion (结论) is that songbirds need to exercise their singing muscles to produce top-performance song. If they don’t sing, they lose performance, and their songs get less attractive to females, which is bad.

“What they stress is that you need a lot of practice to improve what you’re doing,” says Ana Amador, a scientist at the University of Buenos Aires. It’s a good rule to live by, whether you’re a bird or a human—practice makes perfect, at least when it comes to singing one’s heart out.

1. Why can singing be dangerous for birds?

A．They can drive predators to sing.	B．They never protect their areas.
C．Their singing can attract predators.	D．Singing does damage to their muscles.

2. What does the underlined word “sever” probably mean in paragraph 3?

A．Remember.

B．End.

C．Risk.

D．Keep.

3. What do we know about Adam’s experiment?

A．It mainly focused on male birds and juveniles.

B．It aimed to protect zebra finches from possible risks.

C．It strengthened birds’ singing muscles in four weeks.

D．It proved exercising singing muscles matters to birds.

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

A．Iris Adam’s work is a big success	B．Singing can be dangerous for birds
C．Birds sing to keep muscles in shape	D．Birds and human beings need practice

5 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. How much snow can people see this morning?

A．A lot.

B．A little.

C．None.

2. What will the temperature be on Mount Raven at noon?

A．About five degrees.

B．About two degrees.

C．About zero degree.

3. When does the speaker recommend taking the family out?

A．Tomorrow.

B．This weekend.

C．Next Monday.

4. What can listeners hear today at 5: 00 pm?

A．A sports report.

B．Another weather report.

C．A speech by the president.

6 . Pat Patterson, a pilot for 25 years, had never met anyone like the handsome young man in the wheelchair who faced him at the Medford, Oregon, airport on July 28, 1976. Mike Henderson, a quadriplegic (四肢瘫痪者), wanted flying lessons.

As a 22­-year-­old Coast Guardsman eight years before, Henderson had fallen off a dock and landed on a floating log, breaking two of his bones. Doctors said that he would probably never walk again, let alone fly. “Here was this doctor telling me how it was going to be,” he says, “but no one was going to limit my freedom to try.”

Henderson parked his wheelchair next to the airplane and began to climb up onto the wing. He injured his elbow on the way, and after a great struggle, finally managed to pull himself into the airplane’s pilot’s seat. In the flight office, Pat Patterson watched in disbelief. “He crawled his way up that wing!” he says. “It took him 45 minutes. When I went out, he was sitting in the pilot’s seat, bleeding from his injured elbow all over the place. When I saw him go through that much pain, I knew nothing could stop him.”

Now everything was up to the instructor and the student, and together they set about solving each problem as it arose. A small piece of carpet gave Henderson traction (摩擦力) to climb the slippery wing. A headset freed his hands from the radio microphone, and the two men developed a moving bar that enabled Henderson to operate the airplane more easily.

Three weeks and eight flying hours after the first lesson, Henderson and Patterson happily phoned Dr. Stoddard — Henderson’s physician. At the airport, as the physician looked on, Henderson quickly wheeled himself around the airplane, doing a thorough, professional ground check. With Patterson and Dr. Stoddard on board, he went through his preflight instrument check. Minutes later, engine starting, the plane rolled down the runway and took off into the gray sky.

1. When did Mike Henderson become disabled?

A．At the age of 25.	B．In 1968.
C．At the age of 30.	D．In 1976.

2. What did Pat Patterson think of Mike Henderson when they met first?

A．Depressed.	B．Experienced.
C．Determined.	D．Delighted.

3. What is Paragraph 4 mainly about?

A．How Patterson and Henderson overcame the difficulties together.

B．How Patterson helped Henderson overcome the difficulties.

C．How Patterson taught Henderson to fly with difficulty.

D．The difficulties Henderson faced before flying.

4. What do we know from the text?

A．Patterson didn’t want to teach Henderson at first.

B．Henderson finally succeeded in flying alone.

C．Patterson was very strict with Henderson.

D．Henderson went through a lot of difficulties.

7 . 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。

Zu Ti of the Jin Dynasty was a man who had with great ambition. When he was young, he had a good friend     1     (name) Liu Kun. They had such a deep friendship     2     they stayed together every day and got up at the same time every morning.

One day, when they were sleeping. Zu Ti heard the rooster crowing (鸡鸣) . He woke up Liu Kun and said, “How about     3     (get) up to play swords (剑) as soon as we heard the rooster crowing from now on?” Liu Kun was still     4     (sleep) . But he agreed with him     5     (joyful) . From then on, they got up and played swords once the rooster began crowing. They kept their word and never gave up no matter     6     cold in winter or hot in summer. Hard work     7     (pay) off. After a long period of hard study and training, they finally became the all-rounder. And they both did excellent jobs to their country.

The idiom “to rise with the rooster” teaches us that with ambition and hard work,     8     (succeed) is possible. When we can discover our shortcomings     9     time, it is not too late to try. But if you are not willing     10     (work) hard, you will not be able to achieve a career after all.

8 . It was the first day of high school for Emily. As she walked to school, Emily felt nervous. She had heard _______ from her older brothers about how worrying high school could be, and she was afraid she wouldn’t _______. But as soon as she arrived on campus, her _______ were put to rest. She saw _______ faces from her middle school and soon made new friends with students in her classes.

Her first class of the day was English, and Emily was excited to _______ her new teacher, Mr. Johnson. As Mr. Johnson entered the classroom, Emily could see the enthusiasm (热情) in his eyes. He began to _______ himself and then asked each student to stand up and share something about themselves. Emily listened as her classmates _______ their hobbies and interests, and was inspired by their diversity. When it was her turn, Emily stood up and _______ introduced herself. But as she spoke, she gradually gain _______. She was happy to be in this new ________.

The rest of the day flew by. Emily went from class to class, learning about history, science, and math. She was ________ by her teachers’ knowledge, and she found herself ________ the rest of the school year.

That day, she ________ that high school wasn’t as scary as she thought it would be. She was excited about what the ________ held. She knew that she had a lot to learn, but she was ________ for the challenges.

1.

A．adventures

B．stories

C．lessons

D．footsteps

2.

A．change.

B．escape

C．prove

D．adapt

3.

A．views

B．dreams

C．fears

D．goals

4.

A．honest

B．helpless

C．hopeful

D．familiar

5.

A．persuade

B．meet

C．thank

D．urge

6.

A．encourage

B．educate

C．comfort

D．introduce

7.

A．shared

B．managed

C．planned

D．admired

8.

A．gladly

B．exactly

C．nervously

D．secretly

9.

A．success

B．experience

C．confidence

D．strength

10.

A．career

B．environment

C．charity

D．village

11.

A．frightened

B．disappointed

C．confused

D．impressed

12.

A．going through

B．making up

C．longing for

D．giving up

13.

A．realized

B．remembered

C．doubted

D．explained

14.

A．decision

B．future

C．habit

D．rule

15.

A．ready

B．anxious

C．responsible

D．happy

9 . Benefits Of Cold Weather

There’s no doubt about it—cold weather can be pretty unpleasant.     1     So if you’re feeling down about the cold temperatures outside, read on for a few reasons to be happy about them!

It boosts your brain. Cold temperatures can excite your brain, allowing improved focus and greater clarity of thought. The cold climate increases oxygen flow to the brain.     2    

It increases brown fat content. Cold weather has the unique ability to increase the number of brown fat cells.     3     . Not only do they help us stay comfortably warm in cold temperatures, but they may also even promote weight loss over time.

    4     In cold weather, an even body temperature can be beneficial for a good night’s rest. As our bodies try to keep warm when it’s cold out, blood vessels get narrower and help control your sleep temperature for a more relaxed and restful sleep. People sleeping in colder environments generally wake up feeling more refreshed than those sleeping in warmer temperatures.

It improves skin health.     5     Low temperatures force us to dress warmly against the cold, leading to protection against environmental aspects that would otherwise remove water from our skin.

All in all, there are many benefits to spending time outside in cold weather! Next time you want to stay inside and avoid the cold, keep these benefits in mind and consider getting outside for a few minutes!

A．It helps you sleep.

B．It raises health awareness.

C．Thus, the central nervous system can perform at increased levels.

D．Cold weather exposure is a helpful contribution to our well-being.

E．They are important for controlling body temperature by producing heat.

F．Cold weather can be good for keeping our skin looking and feeling healthy.

G．While it makes us want to stay indoors, cold weather has some major benefits.

10 . Paris, the capital of France, has some attractive bridges. These are four of the most beautiful bridges in Paris: some in iconic (标志性的) places you’ve seen in the movies, and others in quiet places that you’ll delight in discovering.

Pont des Arts

Connecting the Louvre Museum to the Institut de France, the Pont des Arts, first built by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1804 and reconstructed in the 1970s, is a bridge only for people walking that is beloved by tourists and locals alike. In the spring and summer months, Parisians and visitors come here for lazy picnics overlooking the Seine.

Pont Marle

This lovely but little-known bridge is a gateway between the Marais district on the right bank and a natural island on the Seine River. The current stone structure dates to around 1670, following a fire on its wooden structure that destroyed much of the original bridge and the houses that once stood on it. It has remained much the same since the 18th century, making it one of Paris’ oldest bridges.

Pont Alexandre Ⅲ

The Pont Alexandre Ⅲ is probably the most attractive of Paris’ many bridges. Built between 1896 and 1900, it connects the des Invalides with the gardens of the Petit Palais. It’s after dark that you can best appreciate its delicate statues and other decorative elements.

Pont Neuf

First built in 1578 by King Henry Ⅲ, Pont Neuf has seen numerous reconstructions and changes over the centuries. But it conserves its Roman-inspired arch (拱形) structures. This is a lovely bridge that offers easy and picturesque access to the left and right bank. Have some ice cream, explore the lovely riverside paths and enjoy views of Notre Dame Cathedral.

1. What is special about the Pont des Arts?

A．It has been rebuilt many times.	B．It is one of Paris’ oldest bridges.
C．It is a bridge only for people walking.	D．It is the most attractive bridge in Paris.

2. Which is the oldest among the four bridges?

A．Pont des Arts.	B．Pont Marie.
C． Pont Alexandre Ⅲ	D．Pont Neuf.

3. Where is the text probably from?

A．A guidebook.	B．A health magazine.
C．A news report.	D．A book review.