1 . Finding a California condor in the wild would be the most unusual treat. perhaps even more unusual than finding a wolf in Yellowstone National Park. In fact, the wolf was what opened my eyes to the fact that humans could bring an animal back to the place where it had disappeared.

In 1987, there were only 27 California condors left, none of which were in the wild, only in captive breeding programs, It was those breeding programs that contributed to their population rise, enough that by 1991 some of them could be freed into the wild.

Still, the hope of seeing a California condor, which remains an endangered species, is very low, let alone getting a photo of one. California condor population dropped mostly due to human factors, such as poaching and living areas destruction-these are challenges California condors still face today.

Although this is just a bird’s-eye view of the challenges California condors face and there are many others, it is part of why the opportunity to work with the US Fish and Wildlife Service team and their partners helping their recovery is so special to me as a photographer. I am not only able to photograph the birds in their wild living areas, but also understand and record how difficult the work is of those people on the front lines of the protection.

I am grateful for the work of the team, and my hope is that California condor population will continue to rise allowing future generations an opportunity I never had when I first got here-to look to the sky and see one flying around.

1. What helped the increase of the California condor population in 1987?

A．Rules for hunters.	B．Captive breeding programs.
C．The improved natural environment.	D．The enlargement of wild living areas.

2. What does the author say about taking photos of a California condor in the wild?

A．It is difficult.

B．It is easy.

C．It is boring.

D．It is dangerous.

3. What did the author do when working with the US Fish and Wildlife Service team?

A．He guided ways for them.	B．He made records by photos.
C．He helped the birds to recover.	D．He rebuilt the birds’ living areas.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．New Way, New Hope	B．Wolves and California Condors
C．A Photo of a California Condor	D．The California Condor’s Coming Back

2 . I wasn’t raised to be a fan of snails (蜗牛). I was always taught that if we see a snail on a plant, we should pick it off and_________on it. This brought us the kind of giggly (咯咯傻笑的) _________that only children experience. We loved it. However, my_________on snails has changed, as I’ve grown older. They bring me a different kind of happiness.

The first time I thought of snails as more than a_________was when I saw something that_________ me in my garden. A small snail, _________a hard shell, moved slowly toward one_________bud and explored it. The exploration lasted for quite a while and, _________enough, the bud turned into a full bloom. Watching the snail carefully touching the flower_________me of the lyric: “Snails see the beauty in every inch.” I realized that the snail is probably a best representation of__________and taking life slowly.

Then, I__________the snail in my palm. It was scared by the sudden move and immediately__________back into its shell. I thought it would__________inside for several minutes, but shortly after gutting used to the takeaway, the snail poked its head out again. It was not just hiding but__________.

Giving ourselves time to nourish (滋养) inside and out, and waiting for the right__________to reenter the exciting life, is extremely restorative and worthwhile.

1.

A．knock

B．stamp

C．lean

D．click

2.

A．relief

B．satisfaction

C．sympathy

D．scare

3.

A．view

B．focus

C．debate

D．article

4.

A．pet

B．toy

C．pest

D．mascot

5.

A．puzzles

B．interests

C．comforts

D．distracts

6.

A．dragging

B．using

C．lifting

D．pushing

7.

A．eye-catching

B．breathtaking

C．familiar-looking

D．half-blooming

8.

A．magically

B．secretly

C．swiftly

D．silently

9.

A．cured

B．reminded

C．warned

D．informed

10.

A．curiosity

B．excitement

C．calmness

D．eagerness

11.

A．placed

B．covered

C．stuck

D．wrapped

12.

A．stepped

B．drew

C．crawled

D．walked

13.

A．wander

B．sleep

C．hide

D．struggle

14.

A．competing

B．resisting

C．exploring

D．adjusting

15.

A．reason

B．position

C．moment

D．choice

3 . Most of us have heard of the 3Rs: reduce, reuse and recycle. It is the core principle of a sustainable (可持续的) life, but few of us can apply it in our own lives. Now, there’s a “lab” you can explore and discover a way toward living sustainably.

3R Lab is located in Xuhui district, Shanghai. It offers exhibitions, activities and goods that showcase the 3R principle. The key to a sustainable life, according to Vincent T. M. Fong, the 32-year-old from Hong Kong who created the lab, is to make it a long-term promise. “A sustainable life should be sustainable itself in the first place. You can’t lead a sustainable life on a whim. Small and comfortable changes are exactly what you need,” Fong said.

The lab regularly hosts ugly fruit markets, offering these strange fruits which are often thrown away by traditional markets and consumers at a quite attractive price. “They’re thrown away simply because of their appearance. Buying fruit regardless of how they look reduces food waste significantly in our daily life,” Fong commented.

A water tank with two types of straws is another equipment in the lab. “One type is made from normal plastics widely used in our daily life while the other is from PHA, a new replacement for plastics, and the water is sourced from the Suzhou River,” explained Ni Li, an employee of the lab. Visitors can see how the PHA straws degrade (降解) into a thin layer in just one month, while the others remain unchanged.

“Leading a sustainable life does not necessarily mean sacrifice,” said Fong. Consuming ugly fruit and using degradable plastics are small changes that are good for the environment and easy to stick to. Only in this way can the 3R principle become part of our lives, he added.

After working there for six months, Ni, who wasn’t mindful of the 3R principle before arriving at the lab, now uses her cup every time she buys a coffee. “The job has reshaped my life,” Ni said.

1. What does the-underlined phrase “on a whim” in the second paragraph probably mean?

A．In a rush.	B．On a regular basis.
C．Without any reason.	D．As a common practice.

2. What is the purpose of the ugly fruit market at 3R Lab?

A．To reduce food waste.	B．To promote healthy eating.
C．To sell new kinds of fruit.	D．To provide more affordable fruit,

3. What can the water tank at 3R Lab show to its visitors?

A．The water pollution caused by plastics.	B．The degradation of PHA straws.
C．The interaction between two types of straws.	D．The disappearance of normal plastic straws.

4. What can we infer from the last paragraph about Ni?

A．She avoids going to traditional markets.	B．She has devoted less time to her hobbies.
C．She has got rid of a few bad habits.	D．She is leading a low carbon life now.

4 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. Where does Mark usually read news now?

A．In a newspaper.

B．In a magazine.

C．On the Internet.

2. What makes the woman surprised about the machine?

A．It has a small glass window.

B．It can make a pizza in a short time.

C．It offers four types of pizzas at a time.

3. What does the woman think of the machine?

A．It is quite necessary.

B．It might not be popular.

C．It will certainly succeed.

4. What is an advantage of the machine?

A．The 24-hour service.

B．Tasty pizza made by it.

C．The low production cost.

5 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. When will the man go to the restaurant?

A．On Tuesday.

B．On Wednesday.

C．On Thursday.

2. Who will have dinner with the man?

A．A couple.

B．Some friends.

C．His family.

3. What will the man do next?

A．Provide personal information.

B．Tell the waitress his arriving time.

C．Ask for a table at the non-smoking area.

6 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. How did the speakers feel about visiting the park?

A．Tired.

B．Happy.

C．Disappointed.

2. What does Amy plan to do tomorrow?

A．Study for an exam.

B．Attend a party.

C．Go to the movies.

3. What kind of movie will the speakers watch?

A．A romantic movie.

B．A comedy.

C．A horror movie.

7 . Confessions of an annoying Mosquito

If you’re reading my confessions (自白), congratulations! You’ll have a safe and healthy summer.

We love when you work up a sweat. It’s really the carbon dioxide you breathe out that makes us beeline to ward you, not the fragrance of your “sweet blood.”

Love beer? So do some of us. They can tell when you’ve been drinking because your skin chemistry changes, and it attracts them

Pregnant? Yum. If you’re having a baby, you emit more carbon dioxide and your belly has a higher temperature, drawing some of us right to you. Sorry, baby.

Hate getting bitten up? Blame the ladies. Males do not eat human blood: They get all their nutrition from plants. After we have a blood meal, we can lay anywhere from 100 to 400 eggs

Smelly feet are simply delicious. Scientists have shown we find your toes ten times more inviting than Limburger cheese.

If your home’s landscaping is well tended, we won’t like it as much. We like to hang out in thick, overgrown vegetation. The darker and more damp, the better. And puddles (水沟) of smelly water is where we like to lay our eggs.

Got those CO₂-emitting traps in your yard? Great! You may think you’re outsmarting us with these devices, which emit carbon dioxide to lure (引诱) us into a trap. But they may attract more of us than they are able to trap, increasing our presence in your yard.

When it comes to West Nile, end-of-summer bites may do more harm. It’s simple logic: We bite birds with West Nile virus; then we bite humans and spread it. By summer’s end, we’ve had more chances to bite infected birds.

1. What can we know from the confessions?

A．Mosquitoes love smelly toes most.

B．All the mosquitoes suck drinking people.

C．The mosquito making the confessions is female.

D．Mosquito bites in early summer are more harmful.

2. Which of the following is least likely to attract “WE” according to the text?

A．A woman who is expecting.	B．A yard with traps emitting oxygen.
C．A man who has just finished jogging.	D．A house surrounded with smelly puddles.

3. What is the tone of the text?

A．Amusing.

B．Serious.

C．Sad.

D．Proud.

8 . Like any other child growing up, Nicole LaMont was an outgoing, adventurous and free-spirited child with the dream of becoming a scientist. “My childhood was filled with imagination of adventure and curiosity, ”Nicole said. She experienced a normal childhood, but when she was 12 years old, a terrible illness led her to lose her hearing in both ears.

“My world was turned upside down,” said Nicole. “I went from being a talkative, joyous child to being quiet and depressed. ”However, she came to realize she had to fight when it was determined that her hearing would not return. With her family’s help, Nicole began to learn American Sign Language(ASL).

A year later, she received an operation where she was implanted (植入) a hearing device, which brought back some light to her life and she also learned how to adapt to the new life. It wasn’t until she attended Gallaudet, a school for the deaf, that she fully devoted herself to ASL and the deaf community. “Becoming fluent in ASL and having total communication allowed me to feel a sense of acceptance again,” said Nicole. “I found my confidence and ‘visual (视觉的) voice’ in the performing arts.”

It was then that she made her first request, demanding subtitles (字幕) for movie theatres in Alabama. After much struggle, Nicole’s efforts proved successful, and today nearly all movie theatres in Montgomery and Birmingham offer subtitles for the deaf. After graduating from Gallaudet University, Nicole continued to use her new found “visual voice” through taking part in several activities, becoming Miss Black Deaf D.C. “By doing this, I want to show that deaf people can achieve much. It’s very important to educate and support hearing families that struggle with making the best decisions for their deaf children’s education.” said Nicole.

1. Which of the following best describes Nicole’s childhood?

A．Fruitful.

B．Colorful

C．Lonely

D．Poor.

2. What did Nicole get after she mastered ASL?

A．A sense of belonging.	B．A hearing device.
C．A chance of going to college.	D．A totally new treatment.

3. What can we know from the last paragraph?

A．Nicole called on all US cinemas to offer subtitles.

B．Nicole was going to donate her invention-visual voice.

C．Nicole was determined to train more deaf kids to go to school.

D．Nicole hoped to promote deaf education in hearing families.

4. What’s the best title for the text?

A．More Self-Control, More Success

B．Keep Going, and You Can Make It

C．Illness Makes One More Confident

D．He Who Laughs Last Laughs Longest

9 . 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。

On October 18, world leaders came together in Beijing for an eye-catching forum (论坛) to celebrate     1     tenth anniversary (周年) of the Belt and Road Initiative (“一带一路”倡议). The forum was considered     2     (extreme) important in building the Belt and Road.

Chinese President Xi Jinping     3     (give) a speech at the opening. He said that over the past 10 years, plans of Belt and Road cooperation had been turned into real projects. He also said that China would take eight major steps     4     (support) high-quality Belt and Road cooperation,     5     (include) green development and the advance of science and technology.

So far, the Belt and Road Initiative has become the world’s     6     (large) platform (平台) for international cooperation. By June 2023, China had worked together with 152 countries and 32 international     7     (organisation) to build the Belt and Road. Over 3,000 cooperation projects have been started in the past 10 years, one of which is the China-Laos Railway.     8     was put into use in December 2021, helping Laos become a country with easy transport in Southeast Asia.

“Belt and Road cooperation was suggested by China,     9     its fruits are for the world to share,” President Xi Jinping said. There is no doubt     10     the Belt and Road Initiative will continue to make a great difference to the world in the future.

10 . Without three key players, including the former captain, how did 55-year-old Jenny Lang Ping and her girls spent the 20 days before winning against Japan with 3-1? Getting the world title at the 2015 FIVB Women’s World Cup is _______. The three players, namely, former captain Hui Ruoqi, Yang Fangxu and Xu Yunli, all _______ a lot to Chinese national women’s volleyball team. Hui Ruoqi and Yang Fangxu helped the country win the silver _______ in last year’s World Championship, while Xu Yunli helped China win the third _______ at Beijing 2008 Olympics.

Facing this, Jenny Lang Ping, who is called “Iron Hammer”, never _______ in her weak team and prepared for the coming competitions at the 2015 FIVB Women’s World Cup by _______ the confidence of her girls. Head coach Lang Ping and her girls met their first _______ after failing to beat US women’s volleyball team on Aug 24, 2015, two days after the start of the 2015 FIVB Women’s World Cup. The girls couldn’t help crying in the face of the _______, but Lang Ping _______ them around and said: “Calm down, girls, it’s still too ________ to see who will win, since we can learn lessons from this failure”, after analyzing Chinese team’s problems during the game and thinking about the ________.

________ encouraging words and smiles, the head coach watched the video of that game until late night and just had a two-hour light sleep. But the 55-year-old did not fight ________. Her girls returned with ________ to fight until the end. And finally, they ________ it.

1.

A．possible

B．unbelievable

C．confusing

D．unique

2.

A．mean

B．explain

C．admire

D．master

3.

A．honour

B．source

C．medal

D．glory

4.

A．place

B．number

C．detail

D．arrangement

5.

A．worked out

B．lost heart

C．checked out

D．gave up

6.

A．sweating

B．tracking

C．increasing

D．encouraging

7.

A．challenge

B．survival

C．match

D．tour

8.

A．success

B．fitness

C．failure

D．strategy

9.

A．narrowed

B．gathered

C．showed

D．focused

10.

A．short

B．flat

C．slim

D．far

11.

A．flight

B．end

C．fight

D．solution

12.

A．Below

B．Behind

C．Between

D．Beside

13.

A．gracefully

B．alone

C．bravely

D．still

14.

A．stress

B．agreement

C．determination

D．legend

15.

A．made

B．played

C．decided

D．realized