1 . Off Australia’s northern coast, the remains of ancient coral reefs (珊瑚礁) form the bedrock of wooded islands, which are home to diverse animals and plants, including mangrove (红树林) forests that blanket their coasts and serve as vital habitats and carbon storers. A recent survey shows that expanding seas might have led to a massive mangrove increase, researchers report November 1 in Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

Mangroves absorb carbon dioxide and store it as “blue carbon”, a term for carbon that is hidden away in ocean environments. “There’s a lot of interest in using mangrove blue carbon to lessen climate change,” says Kerrylee Rogers, an environmental scientist at the University of Wollongong in Australia. But there remain a lot of questions around their capacity to adapt to sea level rise.

In 2021,a team led by Wollongong environmental scientist Sarah Hamylton visited the Howick Islands to do a related research. They walked through the seawater to assess the plant diversity and measure individual trees. Using the measured widths and heights of several mangroves, the team calculated tree widths for the rest of the forest from the data to estimate the total mangrove quantity. The islands host nearly 54,000 metric tons of mangroves, the team estimates, which is roughly 10,000 more metric tons than there was in 1973.

The Howick Islands are uniquely suited to supporting mangroves as the ocean rises. At the end of the Last   Glacial Maximum, around 12,000 years ago, water levels rose around northern Australia, and coral reefs grew   upward to fill the space that had opened for them.

When sea levels fell thousands of years later, the exposed reefs became sediment (沉积物). With sea levels now rising again, the mixture of saltwater and sediment makes a perfect home for the salt-tolerant mangroves.

Rogers and Hamylton are now working on a bigger effort to study mangoves around Australia. “If we’re going to invest in mangroves to provide us blue carbon and to protect shorelines, we need to understand how dynamic they are,” Rogers says.

1. What can be known about blue carbon?

A．It is produced by ocean water.	B．It is massively present in the air.
C．It is friendly environment.	D．It is nutritious for mangroves.

2. What is the purpose of Hamylton’s research?

A．To measure the size of mangroves.

B．To figure out where to plant mangroves.

C．To confirm whether local natural environment is polluted.

D．To see how the mangroves respond to sea level rise.

3. What makes the Howick Islands the suitable habitats for mangroves?

A．The diversity of ocean life.

B．The increase of coral reefs.

C．The combination of salt water and sediment.

D．The formation of the bedrock of wooded islands.

4. What is the suitable title of the text?

A．Climate Change Causes Sea Level Rise

B．Sea Level Rise Helps Mangroves Boost

C．Environment on Australia Islands Is Improving

D．Climate Warming Poses Dangers To Mangroves

2 . Floods can come from multiple sources. It can be a hurricane, failed dam, or overflowing river. The disasters can move quickly.     1     It’s important to know how to keep your family and belongings safe during such an event. Full preparation can put you at ease for its coming.

A flood is simply an event where water overflows a natural area and covers normally dry places. In general, there are two types.     2     The soil in these areas can’t absorb a lot of moisture. The water then rapidly runs off the surface resulting in a torrent (激流) of rapidly moving water. River flooding is when a river overflows its banks due to excessive (过分的) water and the situation can get worse if barriers such as a dam or levee (防洪堤) break as well.

A flood can be caused by many things.     3     Living next to a river, dam, on the coast, or in a low-lying area puts you at risk for flooding.

There is no specific flood season.     4     Any time there is a large amount of rain in a short period, flooding can occur. Man-made and natural disasters can also cause flooding outside of those months. For example, the collapse of a dam can cause a flood. A natural disaster, such as a tsunami, can also cause flooding on a massive scale.

    5     Using existing maps and examining low-lying areas can determine high risk areas for flooding. Moreover, flood warnings are sent out to areas that could experience flooding when there is a large amount of rainfall over a short time.

A．The rising river threatens people’s lives.

B．Floods can be preventable and predictable.

C．Flash floods are more common in dry areas.

D．And sometimes they come with little warning.

E．The weather forecast accurately predicts all disasters.

F．They include severe weather, geography, and other man-made factors.

G．Generally, the period from spring to fall is considered a heightened risk for floods.

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。

Butter arguably makes everything better — even tea. Yak (牦牛) butter tea, a traditional drink of China’s Tibetan ethnic group, is catching on with its     1     (salt) and unexpected flavor.

For Jason, who works at Café Himalaya in New York City,     2     butter in the cup of tea before him ideally comes from a yak.     3    , in New York yak butter is pretty hard to come by, so Jason, as well as anyone who orders it at Café Himalaya, has to make do with butter     4     a cow. Back in Tibet, yak butter is plentiful, yet no one knows exactly when yak butter     5     (add) to hot tea for the first time.

The     6     (introduce) of this hot butter tea to Tibet provided Tibetans with warmth and supplemented their meager (贫乏的) diet. Also known as Tibetan medicine, it is believed to be able to     7     (sharp) one’s mind and body. Today it is part of Tibetan hospitality to offer guests butter tea and refill the bowl again and again until it’s time for goodbyes — at which point a polite guest will drink up     8     is left.

To non-Tibetans, yak butter may taste strange at first as it makes for a very different taste than the sweet butter     9     (produce) by corn-fed cows. Some of them find it helpful     10     (think) of it as a sort of light soup rather than as tea.

4 . In early October, Travis Gienger transported an enormous pumpkin (南瓜) from his home in Minnesota to the World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off in California. His pumpkin set the record for the biggest one ever grown in North America. How do competitive growers get their pumpkins to grow to massive sizes?     1    

Gienger, who teaches horticulture (园艺学) at Anoka Technical College, begins growing his pumpkins in mid-April, starting with seeds that he grows indoors for the first few weeks, when Minnesota’s soil is too frosty.     2     They can absorb sunlight, nutrients from the soil, and water there. “At their peak, you’re watering them with at least 600 liters a day, ” he says.

Depending on the variety, pumpkin plants can grow up to a dozen fruits on a single vine (藤曼) . But to maximize size, growers remove all but one or two of these pumpkins in order to decrease each individual fruit’s competition for resources.     3    

But what exactly happens inside a pumpkin as it grows? Two factors drive natural growth: cell division and cell expansion. Cell division accounts for most of the growth at the beginning of a fruit’s life. This period lasts for about 20 days in pumpkin plants.     4     Pumpkin cells will expand until around 50 or 60 days after pollination (授粉).

    5     Some varieties of pumpkins have been bred specifically to maximize their size. Still, there is genetic variation even among pumpkins of the same variety. This has led to competition for the best seeds. Following each harvest, many growers auction off (拍卖掉) the seeds from their biggest pumpkins, which will then be used for the following year’s plantings.

A．Biology has the answers.

B．Genetics also influences pumpkin growth.

C．The following tips will give you a head start.

D．Once it warms up, the plants are transferred outside.

E．When it stops, cell expansion will then come into play.

F．Growers extend the growth period for as long as possible.

G．Growers also remove the weeds in the area for the same reason.

5 . They thought it was going to be easy. A piece of cake. The band, Suenalo, were excited that they would present their skills to a group of troubled youth at a detention center (少管所).   

They arrived at the invitation of a friend, who was an adviser at the center. He had mentioned a career day where members of the community came to speak to the teens about their jobs. Usually the speakers were bankers or lawyers, so he thought it would be interesting for the kids to meet some musicians and maybe even hear some music. “They need something cool to get their attention” was the pitch from the friend.

The kids, about 40, were brought in, looking distant, some even angry. Chad Bernstein, the trombone player, started telling the career of a musician from touring to copyright to the business aspects, trying to draw their interest. However, it didn’t. Sensing that they couldn’t win, the band, a little thrown, decided to play one song. With music going, the kids seemed to respond, their heads nodding to the beat. One of them sang a lyric (歌词). The band sang it back. Then, one by one, the musicians began picking up the beat. Chad started free styling a rap, going back and forth with the kid, and in no time, other kids jumped in. Suddenly the band and the kids were creating a song from scratch and all of them were in musical heaven.

For Chad, that moment inspired him to found Guitars Over Guns, an organization that pairs at-risk middle-schoolers with professional musicians. As both music teachers and life coaches, the musicians give the kids a way to find their creative voices and get through dark times. Over time, the kids have dropped their tough fronts and shared personal stories, from family tragedies to ordinary struggles at school with friends.

“So far we’ve helped over 2,700 students. Our work is highly satisfying because it shows us that a music career is more than a job, it can have more impact,” says Chad Bernstein.

1. Why did the band come to the detention center?

A．To get attention.

B．To display skills.

C．To plan their careers.

D．To chat about music.

2. What can we learn about the song created on the spot?

A．Its lyrics were from the kids.	B．Chad owned its copyright.
C．It was composed cooperatively.	D．The kids picked up its beat.

3. What does Guitars Over Guns do to help at-risk teens?

A．Offer guidance on life.	B．Give full school instruction.
C．Relate personal stories.	D．Promote awareness of risks.

4. What kind of person is Chad Bernstein?

A．Disciplined.

B．Purposeful.

C．Humorous.

D．Traditional.

6 . My mother has always been one of those rare people that sees the good in everyone and does good things. She’s had her ups and downs but has always_______a positive, sunny outlook on life and been very_______to people.

One day, my little sister fell and hurt her ankle, desperately needing a_______to the hospital emergency room. My mother immediately_______into crisis mode, packed my sister into the car, and drove to our local hospital. In such a_______, my mother didn’t call to tell my father. When she got to the hospital, she realized she needed to_______with my father immediately.

While waiting for my sister to be examined, my mother_______her way to the pay phone to place her call. She put her coin in, called my father and told him everything. After she hung up, the phone_______several additional coins that Mom wasn’t owed.

Realizing that the phone was_______, my mother decided to leave the________coins by the phone. She told us that in a crisis, people might not remember to bring________with them to make that emergency call.

I’ve often thought about her________from an adult’s perspective. I realize that someone seeing the money by he phone may have________taken it because not everyone was as________as my mother. But I like to believe that my mother’s faith was ________and that someone who needed them found the coins waiting there.

1.

A．tolerated

B．anticipated

C．maintained

D．expressed

2.

A．patient

B．helpful

C．honest

D．polite

3.

A．rest

B．stay

C．lift

D．visit

4.

A．cut

B．shifted

C．looked

D．stuck

5.

A．rush

B．way

C．relief

D．process

6.

A．come along

B．keep in line

C．make up

D．get in touch

7.

A．made

B．felt

C．picked

D．gave

8.

A．found

B．returned

C．collected

D．charged

9.

A．smart

B．ready

C．convenient

D．broken

10.

A．different

B．ancient

C．extra

D．rare

11.

A．luck

B．phones

C．change

D．chances

12.

A．opportunity

B．decision

C．appointment

D．encounter

13.

A．simply

B．suddenly

C．obviously

D．gradually

14.

A．thoughtful

B．grateful

C．hopeful

D．successful

15.

A．hard-won

B．newly-built

C．well-placed

D．deeply-rooted

7 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What is the talk mainly about?

A．An introduction to a voluntary job.

B．An appeal for blood donation.

C．Safety rules of driving motorbikes.

2. How many advanced qualified riders does the Association have?

A．262.

B．1,400.

C．35,000.

3. What caused Angela Brown to start the volunteering?

A．Her coach’s influence.

B．Suggestions from her nephew.

C．Her community’s encouragement.

8 . Glen Edwards became a hero when he rescued a construction worker trapped on top of a 160-meter-high building.

As a crane (吊车) _______ working on a construction site, Edwards _______ found himself in a life-saving mission when a fire broke out. He recalled how he _______ the trapped worker from his crane’s cabin (驾驶舱), and how he came up with the idea of saving the man by lowerin a cage to him to let him _______.

However, his attempt to _______ the cage before the man was by no means an easy job, as each post (弹) of wind prevented to throw his crane off balance. Besides, the smoke and flames also added to the difficulty. _______ the great challenges, Edwards refused to give up and fought to _______ control. Luckily, someone on the ground offered _______ on where to land the cage through a radio. Edwards _______ the crane’s movements, inch by inch, until the cage hanged (盘旋) just inches from the edge of the _______. With determination, Edwards successfully landed the cage.

Eventually, Edwards watched the cage _______ the man away from the horrible fire below and lowering him to safety. The crowd _______ a big round of applause, a tribute (致敬) to the courage and skill _______ by Edwards. He knew that his quick thinking and strong _______ had made all the difference between life and death in the face of disaster.

A GoFundMe page has now been set up to raise money for him —— with organizers _______ people to “buy Glen a beer” for his life-saving efforts.

1.

A．engineer

B．operator

C．cleaner

D．salesman

2.

A．regularly

B．unfortunately

C．intentionally

D．unexpectedly

3.

A．helped

B．spotted

C．realized

D．guided

4.

A．escape

B．hide

C．walk

D．slide

5.

A．clean

B．cover

C．position

D．open

6.

A．Despite

B．Without

C．For

D．From

7.

A．switch

B．maintain

C．lose

D．give

8.

A．instructions

B．problems

C．explanations

D．courses

9.

A．quickened

B．described

C．adjusted

D．repeated

10.

A．door

B．garden

C．crane

D．roof

11.

A．persuading

B．lifting

C．warning

D．dragging

12.

A．went through

B．put on

C．asked for

D．broke into

13.

A．displayed

B．admitted

C．exchanged

D．required

14.

A．preference

B．response

C．emotion

D．determination

15.

A．choosing

B．encouraging

C．ordering

D．teaching

9 . As a writer, I miss rejection slips. Not that I enjoyed receiving those pre-printed slips of paper, but at least when I got one, I was pretty sure that a flesh-and-blood _______ had put it in the envelope. And there was always the chance I might see a handwritten sentence on the bottom, _______ the piece almost made it. When an editor at McCall’s wrote, “I’m afraid I have to say no on this _______ piece, but try me again on another, would you?” It was almost as _______ to me as if she had said, “We’ll _______ it and here is an advance for you”.

Nowadays, rejection slips seem to have disappeared with the use of online submissions. Most editors don’t feel it a must to _______ they have received, read, or considered your work because they receive so many _______ each day.

For me, there are three _______ of rejection slip pain. The first is _______ brought on by finding a flat “no” on a ________ piece of paper, then followed by anger (how could they ________ a piece that is obviously so much ________ than most of the stuff they print), and, finally, rebirth: I will live to ________ a new piece another day.

Learning to ________ rejection seems like part of growing up as a writer. Despite the many letters of acceptance I have received, my folder of “Noteworthy Rejection Slips” is far ________ than that of “Noteworthy Acceptances”, which indicates to me the fact: I still have some growing up to do.

1.

A．writer

B．reader

C．mailman

D．editor

2.

A．demanding

B．indicating

C．suspecting

D．arguing

3.

A．boring

B．novel

C．lengthy

D．particular

4.

A．thrilling

B．upsetting

C．embarrassing

D．amusing

5.

A．buy

B．reject

C．check

D．substitute

6.

A．prove

B．determine

C．explain

D．acknowledge

7.

A．proposals

B．drafts

C．contributions

D．instructions

8.

A．meanings

B．stages

C．wonders

D．rewards

9.

A．relief

B．frustration

C．anger

D．hesitation

10.

A．valueless

B．expensive

C．characterless

D．shiny

11.

A．make up

B．put away

C．turn down

D．insist on

12.

A．easier

B．better

C．shorter

D．longer

13.

A．print

B．revise

C．download

D．submit

14.

A．accept

B．criticize

C．judge

D．evaluate

15.

A．thinner

B．fatter

C．older

D．newer

10 . Urban agriculture, the practice of farming within the restrictions of a city, is becoming increasingly popular and is viewed as a sustainable alternative to big industrial farms. By some estimates, between 20% and 30% of the global urban population engages in some form of urban agriculture. But until recently, its carbon footprint remains understudied.

Using data from 73 low-tech city farms, community gardens and personal plots of land, Newell and his team compared the average carbon emissions of food produced at low-tech urban agriculture sites to those of conventionally grown crops. The team found that because of urban gardens’ relatively low yields, along with the energy used in constructing the planting beds, big-city spuds (马铃薯) were significantly more carbon-intensive than commercially grown ones. This held true even when the researchers factored in emissions from transporting commercially grown produce to often distant grocery stores. That doesn’t mean that growing vegetables in big cities is totally bad, however. “Urban farming is great, ” if imperfect, says Carola Grebitus, a food choice expert. It can be a powerful tool for job creation and education, she says, and a good way to introduce fresh produce to urban “food deserts” where healthy fruits and vegetables are hard to come by. Community gardens can also provide a place to connect with nature, and the added green space can reduce the risks of heat and flooding.

Conscious of these benefits, Newell’s team highlighted several ways to make urban agriculture more sustainable. One option is to be selective about what crops are grown. For instance, tomatoes grown in the soil of open-air urban plots had a lower carbon intensity than tomatoes grown in conventional greenhouses. Another strategy is to rely on existing constructions. Include old structures into a new garden’s design instead of taking down old buildings. Finally, take the local climate, water quality and soil into account. Growing plants that are ill-suited to an area requires more water, energy and pesticides (杀虫剂), all of which affect the environment.

1. What can we know about urban agriculture from paragraph 1?

A．It is thoroughly researched.	B．It is welcomed by city people.
C．It is environmentally friendly.	D．It is limited to industrial farms.

2. How does the author explain the reason for urban agriculture’s higher carbon intensity?

A．By making a comparison.	B．By telling a story.
C．By giving a definition.	D．By using a quote.

3. According to Carola, what is a benefit of urban agriculture?

A．It adds variety to urban people’s diet.	B．It provides recreational opportunities.
C．It strengthens the bonds of community.	D．It helps to contain drought and flooding.

4. What is recommended to make urban agriculture more sustainable?

A．Reconstructing gardens.	B．Developing greenhouse crops.
C．Selecting pesticide-free vegetables.	D．Growing plants suited to local conditions.