1 . Why do farmers grow crops outside in fields when we can arrange them vertically (垂直地)? The idea of vertical farming was first proposed in 1999. It was seen as a way to save space, reduce air miles and transform old and abandoned buildings, like warehouses. In 2021, Fortune Business Insights valued the global vertical farming market at 3.47 billion dollars. Now, however, this industry is under threat, partly due to rising energy costs.

According to the magazine Science Focus, vertical farming gives ten times the yield (产量) of conventional outdoor farming. However, in order for crops to grow using this method, plants are placed in a controlled environment, grown not under the Sun, but under LED lights and watered with recycled water pumped on a closed-loop system (闭环系统).

Unfortunately, energy prices have risen across the globe. Therefore, this reliance on electricity has meant the last few years have not been easy for the industry. Cindy van Rijswick, from the Dutch research firm RaboResearch, has estimated that operational costs for a vertical farm are around 15% higher now compared to 18 months ago. Infarm, Europe’s largest vertical farming company, made around500 employees redundant (被裁员的) in November 2022 because they needed to downsize. They blamed higher operating costs due to energy increases as one reason for the layoffs.

Another issue related to the cost-of -living crisis and affecting vertical farming is the type of produce grown. This includes herbs such as basil, as well as salad leaves and leafy greens. Compared to traditionally farmed plants, like onions and carrots, these products tend to be more expensive, which could lead to reduced demand as consumers become more cautious about their spending.

So, it seems that a future with food grown under LED lights is looking less and less bright.

1. What is the feature of vertical farming?

A．Saving urban land and achieving zero emissions.

B．Demanding highly technical and complex control.

C．High energy consumption and low output value.

D．Making full use of sunlight and water resources.

2. How does the author develop his idea in Paragraph 3?

A．By making assumptions.

B．By criticizing a typical behaviour.

C．By listing specific data and facts.

D．By referring to a social phenomenon.

3. What can we infer from the text?

A．Vertical farming avoids climate and disaster impacts.

B．Vertical farming costs jumped due to higher energy prices.

C．Vertical farming grows high-value, cost-effective produce.

D．High yield protects vertical farming from market competition.

4. Which of the following is the best title for the text?

A．Is This the End of Vertical Farming?	B．Is Vertical Farming Highly Efficient?
C．Challenges Industrial Agriculture Faces	D．New Trends in Vertical Agriculture

2 . Hawaii lawmakers are considering legislation (立法) that would require visitors to pay for a year-long license or pass to visit state parks. Josh Green is the state’s governor. He said, “We get between 9 and 10 million visitors a year, but we only have 1.4 million people living here.” He added, “Those 10 million travellers should be helping us sustain our environment.” Lawmakers still debating how much they would charge.

The governor campaigned in 2022 on the idea of having all tourists pay a $50 fee to enter the state. Legislators think this would violate US constitutional protections for free travel. They instead think visitors should pay to enter parks and trails. Either policy would be a first of its kind for any US state. Hawaii’s leaders are following the example of other popular tourist areas with similar fees or taxes. They include Venice, Italy, and Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands.

Hawaii State Representative Sean Quinlan is the leader of the House Tourism Committee. He said changes in the activities of travellers are part of Hawaii’s push. He said golf rounds per visitor per day have dropped 30 percent over the past 10 years while hiking has increased50 percent. People are also seeking out isolated places they have seen on social media. The state does not have the money to oversee and protect all these places, he said.

Most state parks and trails are currently free. Some of the most popular ones already charge, like Diamond Head State Monument. That trail leads hikers from the floor of a 300,000-year-old volcano up to the top. It gets 1 million visitors each year and costs $5for each traveller.

A bill currently before the legislature would require visitors over the age of 15to buy a yearly pass to visit forests, parks, trails or “other natural area on state land”. People who live in Hawaii would not need to pay.

1. What does the underlined word “violate” mean in Paragraph 2?

A．Break.

B．Establish.

C．Uphold.

D．Perfect.

2. What is Paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．The decreasing number of tourists to Hawaii.

B．Advantages of Hawaii’s tourism resources.

C．The increasing financial burden of Hawaii.

D．One reason for wanting to charge tourists.

3. What can be concluded from the text?

A．None of the attractions in Hawaii charge fees currently.

B．The goal to charge fees is to limit the number of tourists.

C．Lawmakers are arguing about whether charging fees is legal.

D．Charging fees is beneficial for Hawaii’s natural environment.

4. What is the text?

A．A news report.	B．A travel guide.
C．A law textbook.	D．A promotional brochure.

3 . 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。

It is well-known that the Great Wall is a symbol of China and enjoys great popularity. In c. 220 B. C., under Qin Shi Huang, sections of earlier fortifications (防御工事) were joined together     1     (form) a united defence system against invasions from the north. Construction continued up to the Ming dynasty (1368-1644),     2     the Great Wall became the world’s largest military structure. Its historic and strategic importance is matched only by its architectural significance.

The Great Wall was     3     (continuous) built from the 3rd century BC to the 17th century AD on the northern border of the country as the great military defence project of successive (连续的) Chinese Empires, with a total     4     (long) of more than 20, 000 kilometers. The Great Wall begins in the east at Shanhaiguan in Hebei province and     5     (end) at Jiayuguan in Gansu province to the west. Its main body consists     6     walls, horse tracks, watch towers, and shelters on the wall, and includes fortresses (要塞) and passes along the Wall.

The Great Wall reflects conflicts and exchanges between     7     (agriculture) civilizations and nomadic (游牧的) civilizations in ancient China. It is one of the significant physical     8     (proof) of the far-sighted political strategic thinking and mighty military and national defence forces of central empires in ancient China, and is     9     outstanding example of the superb military architecture, technology and art of ancient China. It embodies incomparable significance as the national symbol for     10     (safeguard) the security of the country and its people.

4 . The first time I had a roommate was during my freshman year of college. Lucky for me, she was great. She was clean and organized. I, on the other hand, was a horrible roommate.     1    . Soon that put an end to our friendship. “Rooming together requires mutual (相互的) respect,” says friendship coach Bayard Jackson. If I had known this back then, maybe I would have saved our friendship. Here are other tips from Bayard on how roommates can set themselves up for success.

    2    

Discuss the rules of your living arrangement. How are we splitting (分摊) rent? What’s our guest policy? Should we create a cleaning schedule? Make your expectations clear. If your roommates say they’re good about “paying rent on time”, for example, what does “on time” mean to them?

Deal with small things directly

If your roommate does something that annoys you, get it solved immediately, says Bayard.     3    , but he adds solving problems, like asking your roommate to put away their shoes, before it gets worse, can help prevent further conflict (冲突).

Invite more play into your home

    4    . Host events together, like a themed watch party for a movie or sports game. Keep a guestbook for your apartment and have guests sign it. You could even throw a Powerpoint party.

Learn from them

Living with a roommate is a good opportunity to meet someone with a very different background from yours.     5    .

A．Set clear rules

B．It might feel awkward

C．I left my dirty clothes everywhere

D．We can develop friendships in many ways

E．Don’t forget to have fun with your roommate

F．In this case, you can learn something new from your roommate

G．Traditional ways of communication can be limiting and take time

5 . Two and a half months before the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season officially begins, and almost six months before it enters its peak (高峰), weathermen are already predicting (预测) that it could be particularly active.

Officially, hurricane season begins from June 1 and runs through November. One reason is that sea surface temperatures in the tropical (热带的) Atlantic are already at record highs.

Meanwhile, another significant potential factor in this year’s hurricane season is taking shape thousands of miles away in the Pacific. Over periods ranging from three to seven years, the waters of the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean warm and cool in turn as a result of a repeating climate pattern called the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). El Niño makes Atlantic hurricanes less likely to form but La Niña does.

During the 2023 season, ENSO was in an El Niño period. However, by the time the 2024 season starts, it will have changed into a “neutral(中立)” period, but that by the peak months, it is likely to have changed fully into a La Niña.

“How quickly that change occurs can affect everything as well,” says DaSilva, a lead hurricane weatherman. “There’s a lag time. So, while we expect the change to occur in mid-summer, it may not be until late summer or fall where we really see those effects across the Atlantic basin.” As a result, he says, this year’s hurricane season could remain particularly active deep into November.

Of course, no report can predict when individual storms will come or the paths they will take, but DaSilva warns that those who live in areas likely to suffer hurricanes, especially around the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, should prepare. “If a tropical storm system comes into this area, it could rapidly strengthen, potentially close to land,” he also warns. “And that’s why people need to be careful and have their hurricane plans ready. Because any system with these kinds of conditions can explode very quickly. That’s what we’re concerned about.”

1. What is the function of Paragraph 1?

A．To give advice.	B．To explain the season.
C．To introduce the topic.	D．To inform a weather report.

2. What is a reason for this year’s hurricane season?

A．The hurricane season has entered its peak.

B．A repeating climate has changed weather in summer.

C．The sea surface temperatures are the highest of all time.

D．El Niño makes Atlantic hurricanes more likely to form.

3. What do the underlined words “a lag time” in Paragraph 5 probably mean?

A．A time delay.	B．A time in a zone.
C．A time waste.	D．A time in advance.

4. What does DaSilva agree with about this year’s hurricane season?

A．It can be exactly predicted ahead of time.

B．People needn’t worry about hurricane season.

C．It may be eventually controlled by weathermen.

D．People can’t be more careful about hurricane season.

6 . 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。

A boy called Mike Duncan came into my school one morning in oversized hand-me-down clothes and worn-out shoes. He was a black-letter sight, standing at the front of our second-grade class. He shifted (转换) from foot to foot as our teacher, Mrs. Lydia wrote his name in the roll book. We weren’t sure what to make of the newcomer in worn-out clothes.

“Attention! This is Mike Duncan,” Mrs. Lydia said with as much enthusiasm (热情) as possible. Looking around and smiling, Mike hoped somebody would smile back. Although nobody did, he kept on laughing from ear to ear anyway.

Unfortunately, Mike had found a firm footing at the bottom of our school’s social ladder (阶梯) by the end of his first week. In fact he was pleasant to be around and was by far the most energetic boy I knew. After lunch each day, we joined forces to conquer (征服) the playground, moving from monkey bars to swing set to sandbox. As we lined up behind Mrs. Lydia for the march back to class, I made up my mind that Mike would remain friendless no longer.

I said one night as Mother pushed me into bed, “Mum, tomorrow is his birthday; and he’s not going to get anything. Mike’s mother worked all day in the orchards (果园) . His special day would go unnoticed.” “Don’t worry,” Mum said as she kissed me good night.

I wished Mike a happy birthday in the next morning; and his smile showed me that he was glad I had remembered. Maybe it wouldn’t be such a terrible day after all. By mid-afternoon I had almost decided that birthdays weren’t that big a deal. Then, as Mrs. Lydia was writing on the blackboard, I heard a familiar sound coming from the hallway.

注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右;
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
A voice I knew was singing the birthday song.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Mike generously shared his cake with the class.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7 . 4 Reasons Why Wild Animals Are So Important

As we know, the earth gives us food, medicines and materials, often through wild animals. These wild animals are important to our existence. Sadly, they are becoming extinct at an alarming rate. We need to change this loss of nature and create a future where wildlife and people thrive (蓬勃发展) again.     1     Here are some reasons why wild animals are so important to the world at large.

Wild animals keep balance in ecosystems.

    2     If any part is threatened or becomes extinct, this has a knock-on effect on the whole ecosystem. sending shock waves through the environment. For ecosystems to survive and perhaps even thrive, we must protect all of our wildlife.

Diversity (多样性) means healthier ecosystems and healthier wild animals.

When there is a wildlife issue, you’ll often hear the term biodiversity, which refers to the number of species in an ecosystem.     3     Why do we consider this important? A wide variety of animals means greater productivity and better health. If there are fewer animal species, a disease that affects any species spreads faster and more effectively.

    4    

All of the food that we eat comes from an animal or plant. Living without various food sources causes our nutrition (营养) to suffer. Protecting wildlife and its natural habitats strengthens food safety for humans around the world.

Wildlife helps medical research.

Wild animals have helped us find important medicines that help with many diseases.     5     Many medical systems like Chinese traditional medicines still rely on herbs and spices, but even Western medicine have made great progress with wildlife research.

A．All living things are interconnected.

B．Healthy ecosystems mean a lot of diversity.

C．Or we will lose these animals to future generations.

D．People worldwide depend on wildlife for their snack.

E．Wildlife provides important nutrients for the human race.

F．The human race has always turned to nature for medicine.

G．We should notice the influence caused by wildlife on culture.

8 . 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。

Layue falls on the     1     (twelve) month of the traditional Chinese calendar. The Chinese character “La” holds historical significance,     2     (appear) in ancient texts such as Book of Changes and Rites of Zhou.     3     (original), “La” meant “cured meat”. Layue is also the month with the richest traditional customs in one year.

The eighth day of Layue marks the Laba Festival, whose custom on this day is to enjoy Laba porridge. It is a delightful     4     (mix) of grains, peanuts, chestnuts, red dates, lotus seeds, and other ingredients (配料), all of     5     are mixed together to make it a main course of the Laba Festival. In the northern part of China, there is a saying, “Children, don’t be too eager; right after Laba, the new year is     6     its way.” Celebrating Laba means the approach of the Chinese New Year.

The Kitchen God Festival is a widespread custom     7     (observe) across the country. On this day, people would hang images of the Kitchen God     8     his wife around the kitchen stove (炉子). Today, many rural areas still uphold this tradition.

Layue     9     (regard) as preparation for the upcoming Spring Festival. If the Spring Festival is considered the most joyful celebration of the year, many would agree that the joy, noise and expectation of Layue are no     10     (little) significant than the main event.

9 . The African continent has seen its average monthly temperatures rise by 0.5 — 2 degrees Celsius over the past century, with up to another two degrees of warming projected for the next 100 years. The changing climate will break historical rainfall patterns, but which of these, temperature or rainfall, will have the most impact on a species, like rhinos (犀牛) ?

“Generally speaking, most, if not all, species will. in one way or another, be affected by the changing climate,” says lead author Hlelowenkhosi S. Mamba, who completed this research. It is therefore important to catch tendency (趋势) and model futures for some of the world’s weakest species. It can help prepare to reduce climate change’s effects, hence reducing global biodiversity losses.

To understand how our changing climate will affect rhino populations, Mamba and Timothy Randhir, professor of environmental protection, focused their efforts on the five large national parks that are home to most of the rhinos.

Mamba and Randhir then modeled two scenes for each of the parks: the IPCC’s high-emissions (排放) scenes and a more moderate (适度的) emissions scenes. They projected temperature and rainfall for each of the scenes out to 2055 and 2085 to arrive at a possibility that each park would remain suitable for the rhinos.

Nearly every park will become increasingly drier as emissions increase. This is all very bad news for the rhinos, because the team also found that, though the change in rainfall will not be most suitable for the rhinos, the changes in temperature are greater than what the species can bear.

“The temperature conditions in all study parks will become increasingly unsuitable for the species. And under the high-emissions scenes, the possibility of occurrence of the species falls to zero by 2085,” the authors write.

But to be forewarned is to be prepared in advance. “We propose that park managers think now about increasing water supplies, tree cover, watching for stress and planning to allow rhinos to move from one place to another place as the world warms,” says Randhir.

1. Why does the author ask a question in Paragraph 1?

A．To show an evidence.	B．To stress the main idea.
C．To lead in the topic.	D．To offer some background.

2. What does the second paragraph mainly focus on?

A．The means of the research.	B．The content of the research.
C．The process of the research.	D．The significance of the research.

3. What can we know about the research from the text?

A．Changes in rainfall have a greater effect on rhinos.	B．Each park will have no rhinos in 2055.
C．Changes in temperature affect rhinos more.	D．Each park will be warmer by 4. 5℃ in 2085.

4. What does Randhir mean in the last paragraph?

A．Rhinos are better suited to natural growth.	B．Rhinos are in great danger in the five parks.
C．Park managers should plan to protect rhinos.	D．Park managers must pay more attention to nature.

10 . Shakespeare described sleep as “the main course in life’s feast, and the most nourishing”. New research suggests it may also be a key nutrient in defend us against Alzheimer’s disease.

Poor sleep has long been linked to Alzheimer’s, but the relationship is similar to the chicken-and-egg puzzle. It isn’t clear which came first. During deep sleep, the brain produces slow electrical waves and flushes out neurotoxins (神经毒素) including amyloid (淀粉样蛋白) and tau (微管蛋白) , two indicators of the disease.

Studies have shown that even one night of terrible deep sleep can lead to an increase of amyloid. A week of disrupted sleep can raise the amount of tau, which is especially insidious because over time it can strangle neurons from the inside out.

A study in the Annals of Neurology found that a sleep pill called suvorexant could reduce amyloid and tau in middle-aged adults with no cognitive problems. The two-night trial showed that amyloid dropped 10%to 20%, and a key form of tau 10%to 15%in people who received a high dose compared to a placebo (安慰剂) group. But these effects need to be studied over longer periods of time—including in older adults at higher risk of Alzheimers. But the study suggests that improving sleep quality among middle-aged adults could help reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s later in life.

What has puzzled neurologists, however, is that some people with high levels of amyloid who may appear to have Alzheimer’s based on brain scans nonetheless function normally. Neurologists assume that this is because some people have higher levels of “cognitive reserve.” which enables them to function normally despite neurological damage. But there’s another X factor, which scientists have struggled to identify. A new study suggests it may be sleep, and in particular deep sleep.

“Think of deep sleep almost like a life raft that keeps memory afloat, rather than memory getting dragged down by the weight of Alzheimer’s disease,” says Matthew Walker, a neuroscience professor at UC Berkeley.

1. What is the relationship between sleep and Alzheimer’s disease according to the new research?

A．Inadequate sleep will indicate Alzheimer’s disease.

B．The disease may be prevented if we can sleep well.

C．Neurotoxins produced during sleep cause the disease.

D．A good sleep will raise the indicators of the disease.

2. What can we infer from paragraph four?

A．It’s too early to use the sleeping pill to treat Alzheimer’s.

B．It’s advisable that adults turn to suvorexant to sleep well.

C．Suvorexant is a desirable pill to improve our sleep quality.

D．The amount of Amyloid and tau decreased due to placebo.

3. What is the main idea of paragraph five?

A．Researchers’ great confusion about the high levels of amyloid.

B．Low level cognitive reserve resulting in abnormal brain function.

C．Potential determinants related to the possibility of Alzheimer’s.

D．Neurologists’ assumption about our brain function and damage.

4. Why dose Matthew Walker make the comparison in his remarks?

A．To advocate a healthy lifestyle among adults.

B．To emphasize the significance of sleep quality.

C．To demonstrate the crucial role of our memory.

D．To detail the damage brought by Alzheimer’s.