1 . Coastal communities around the world are using coir, material from coconuts (a kind of large fruit), to reduce shoreline erosion (侵蚀). People use coir to build barriers, protecting beaches from getting washed away by the force of waves. The material is common and costs a lot less than barriers made of other materials, like wood, steel or concrete.

One project is being built along part of an eroded riverbank in Neptune, New Jersey. The effort has already greatly improved areas that were badly damaged by erosion during Superstorm Sandy in 2012. “We’re always trying to reduce wave energy while protecting the shoreline,” said Tim Dillingham, the director of the group who runs the project. “And whenever we can, we like to use nature-based solutions.”

The coconut-based material is designed to break down over time. But before it does, it is sometimes pre-seeded with shoreline plants and grasses. The coir material holds the plants in place as they grow, finally breaking down and leaving the established plants in place to keep the shoreline from eroding.

In Boston, Julia Hopkins from Northeastern University is also using coir, wood chips and other material to create barriers to slow the force of waves. A test project has four coconut-based barriers in waterways around Boston. Hopkins is pleased with the results she has seen so far. She said the coconut material is not costly and is actually being recycled rather than thrown away.

The method does not always work, however. In 2016, the Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary (a wildlife protection area) in Edgartown, Massachusetts, built barriers around a salt marsh, an area of coastal grassland, that had eroded in the past. While the effort did help reduce erosion for a while, the material did not last long because of strong waves.

“It got blown out many times,” said Suzan Bellincampi, the sanctuary’s director.“ We had it in place for a few years and we decided not to fix it again. The project was really interesting in terms of what we wanted to do and how we changed it. It works in some places; it doesn’t work in all places.”

1. What are communities near the coast doing?

A．They are making use of wave energy.

B．They are building barriers to prepare for storms.

C．They are fighting to stop shoreline erosion.

D．They are developing new materials from coconuts.

2. What might the underlined word “established” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Well developed.

B．Ready to plant.

C．Newly planted.

D．Hard to find.

3. What is Hopkins’ attitude towards coconut-based barriers?

A．Carefree.

B．Favorable.

C．Unclear.

D．Doubtful.

4. Why is the project in a sanctuary mentioned in the last but one paragraph?

A．To encourage more places to follow the method.

B．To stress the importance of using the method to protect nature.

C．To show that the method is not a one-size-fits-all solution.

D．To explain how to change the method according to local conditions.

2 . We often see that some of our friends always appear relaxed.     1     This is because they are better organized than us. If we want to lead a well-organized life, some habits have to be cultivated purposefully.

A place for everything and everything in its place

When we are lazy or in a hurry, we keep our things in the wrong place.    2     To lead an organized life, we should make sure to put things back in their proper place.

Avoid multitasking

When we are trying to do more than one thing at a time, we cannot concentrate on our work properly, resulting in poor performance.    3     For example, while doing our homework, if we keep our mobile phone within our reach and keep on replying to friends’ messages, our quality of work will suffer.

Plan ahead

Planning ahead is an important characteristic of an organized personality. But we should be realistic in our plans.    4     Practically, planning our daily, weekly and even monthly goals and trying our best to achieve them will make life more organized and tasks more manageable for us.

Value your time

Another key to leading a well-organized life is to manage your time in the most fruitful way. Giving in to temptation usually results in wasted hours which we regret later on. The famous columnist Harvey MacKay said, ”Time is free, but it’s priceless.    5    “

A．Then we have to waste lots of precious time and energy searching for them.

B．They are not nervous during examinations and seem to enjoy life better than us.

C．Once you’ve lost it, you can never get it back.

D．The fewer things we have, the easier it will be to manage them.

E．They follow some rules which lead to a more successful life.

F．There are times when we find a big part of what we aimed to do is left undone.

G．We should be clear about what has to be done and what is just wasting time.

4 . 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。

Marcus was really excited to watch a solar eclipse(日食) in Bloomfield on a sunny Saturday afternoon. He set up the telescope he’d borrowed from his teacher on an open area near the baseball field, where the school baseball team was practicing. Marcus didn’t like baseball; he was more interested in the stars. A solar eclipse was a special event, and he didn’t want to miss it.

While the baseball team practiced, Marcus paid no attention to them. As he looked through his telescope at the sun, the moon started covering it, creating a cool crescent shape (月牙形). Marcus was amazed by it. He wished he could share this moment with someone who loved it as much as he did.

Then, the baseball coach, Bernardi, announced over the loud speaker that the baseball game was put off for 30 minutes because of the solar eclipse. Coach Bernardi’s announcement brought Mareus back. to reality. He realized he was alone near the baseball field, holding his telescope. He had been so into the eclipse that he didn’t notice a baseball flying toward him. It hit the telescope and broke the lens(镜片).

Marcus was angry, and he shouted, wondering who had thrown the baseball at him. He picked up the ball and headed toward the baseball field. He was worried about telling his teacher, Mr. Baker, about the broken telescope. Sure, it wasn’t his fault, but he had positioned the telescope near the baseball field, and he still felt he should take responsibility.

As Marcus stepped onto the baseball field, he realized some fans and players were watching the eclipse. Each person was trying to get a chance to look through the telescopes that some fans had brought to watch the eclipse. Marcus noticed a boy running toward him. ”I’m really sorry about what happened with your telescope. I didn’t mean to break it. I should have been more careful," said the boy, with a sincere expression.

注意：1.续写词数应为150 左右;
2.请按如下格式在相应位置作答。

Marcus understood that it was just an accident.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

After a while, it was Marcus’s turn to look through the telescope.

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5 . Disagreements have arisen in Northern France after many ancient standing stones were damaged to make way for a new hardware chain(五金连锁店).

About 39 stones, dating back at least 7,000 years, were removed from the site, which sits on one of Europe’s most famous prehistoric attractions, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported. “The site has been damaged,” local archaeologist Christian Obeltz told AFP.

Carnac, often described as “French Stonehenge”， is famous for its spreading fields of large tall stones. The stones are arranged in long, straight lines and, according to the Carnac Tourist Office, it is the largest collection of this type of standing stone in the world. The two main sites alone, at Menec and Kermarjo, house nearly 3,000 standing monuments covering over 4 miles.

The purpose of this ancient curiosity is still unknown. Many believe it may have had something to do with religion, while others think it could have served as a farming calendar. One idea even suggests that the stones are connected to a sad event that happened to a Roman army.

The Regional Office of Cultural Affairs for Brittany, which is responsible for protecting the cultural monument, made a statement on disagreements over building the store on Wednesday. “Given the uncertain and non-major character of the remains, damage to a site of historical value has not been established,” the statement said. However, Obeltz mentioned that there hasn’t been enough research in the area to decide whether the stones were historically important.

News of building the store has caused a storm of angry comments on social media, with many expressing their thoughts on the loss of the ancient stones. “Poor Carnac! The commodification(商品化) of the world prepares the man without memories,” said Philippe de Villiers, France’s former Secretary of State for Culture.

“In Carnac,39 standing stone monuments survived Julius Caesar, World War I and World War II. But not Mr. DIY!” the Twitter account Dom Revolution wrote.

1. What happened to the 39 stones?

A．They were sold to a store.	B．They were worn with time.
C．They were moved away.	D．They were used to build a building.

2. What makes Carnac stand out as a site of stone monuments?

A．Its unique shape.	B．Its large size.
C．Its long rich history.	D．Its connection with an army.

3. What may the Regional Office agree with?

A．The site has low historical value.	B．The site needs government protection.
C．The site is not very well-known.	D．The site should have been studied more.

4. Why does the author mention opinions on the Internet?

A．To share people’s last memories of Carnac.

B．To stress the importance of protecting Carnac.

C．To show public anger at Carnac’s situation.

D．To give more information about Carnac’s history.

6 . 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。

As with any other cuisine, appearance, smell and taste are extremely important in enjoying Chinese food. Besides these basic elements, however, there is something unique     1     Chinese cuisine. One of them is the importance of texture (口感). The Chinese appreciate a far     2    (wide) range of textures in their food than most Westerners,     3    (include), for example, slippery, chewy and bouncy textures. Chinese people enjoy using their teeth and tongue to feel food, such as chicken feet and duck tongues. If you want to deepen your     4    (appreciate) of Chinese food, it     5    (recommend) that you order some chicken feet to appreciate what your teeth and tongue are doing while you eat them.

Another element of Chinese cuisine is the art of cutting. So you might like to consider the way that the ingredients are cut     6     how this affects the way they look on the plate. If your meal has been ordered by a Chinese person or someone else who is knowledgeable about the food, you might also notice that there is     7    (probable) a soup that is intended to provide     8     pleasing contrast to the more strongly flavoured dishes. You might also notice that there is at least one lightly flavoured vegetable dish,     9     will help to create a balance d meal that will leave you     10    (relax) afterwards.

7 . An elderly woman using a hairdryer as a radar gun (雷达枪) has become the talk of the town in Montana.

Patti, a grandmother living near the busy Glacier National Park, observed that _________ often happened on her road due to the heavy tourist traffic. _________ about the safety of her community, she decided to take matters into her own _________. With a chair, a drink, and a hairdryer, Patti _________ herself by the road, mimicking the actions of a traffic officer making a speed _________.

Her creative approach to road safety didn’t go _________. Drivers began to slow down, _________ and curious about the sight of a grandmother with a hairdryer. Patti’s _________ even attracted the attention of local law enforcement. A Montana trooper (州警) expressed his _________ for her creative attempt to make the roads safer. He __________ her with the title of “honorable trooper”, complete with a hat and badge.

Patti shared her story on The Kelly Clarkson Show, explaining, “We’re very __________ to Glacier National Park, so we get a lot of tourists going around on our road. And they __________. So, my son suggested I place myself on the road and use a hairdryer, pretending it was a radar gun.”

Her story serves as a __________ that sometimes, a little __________ and a lot of care for one’s community can go a long way towards making a __________.

1.

A．parking

B．speeding

C．accident

D．fight

2.

A．Curious

B．Surprised

C．Afraid

D．Concerned

3.

A．hands

B．head

C．plan

D．pockets

4.

A．enjoyed

B．protected

C．stationed

D．cleaned

5.

A．record

B．check

C．limit

D．mark

6.

A．unpunished

B．unsolved

C．unnoticed

D．undoubted

7.

A．confused

B．frightened

C．satisfied

D．amused

8.

A．hobbies

B．experiences

C．approaches

D．efforts

9.

A．congratulation

B．appreciation

C．expectation

D．satisfaction

10.

A．trusted

B．memorized

C．presented

D．comforted

11.

A．close

B．blessed

C．beneficial

D．unique

12.

A．break in

B．show up

C．pull over

D．flashed by

13.

A．test

B．reminder

C．lesson

D．symbol

14.

A．encouragement

B．improvement

C．creativity

D．generosity

15.

A．promise

B．decision

C．profit

D．difference

9 . In September 2021, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service declared 23 species to be newly extinct. Where traditional conservation methods have stopped, there may be another option, one that’s highly debatable, to pull a species back from extinction: cloning.

“Cloning is one type of genetic rescue. Personally, it is a necessary approach used to restore genetic diversity in a population and lower the risk of extinction. Today, we can clone some mammals, fish and amphibians,” says Ben Novak, working to boost biodiversity through genetic rescue of endangered animals. Often, when a species’ population crashes to very low levels, it undergoes a genetic bottleneck, where only a few individuals remain to pass on genes to future generations. That reduces the overall genetic diversity of the population.

In December 2020, a team of researchers cloned the first black-footed ferret named Elizabeth Ann. Today, all black-footed ferrets breed (繁殖) from only seven individuals, so every ferret is related in some way. Elizabeth Ann is a clone from a different population and has three times more genetic diversity than other ferrets alive. If she breeds successfully, she will contribute new genetic diversity.

Cloning can’t happen unless tissues samples are biobanked, which means they’re frozen for preservation and stored in a biorepository (生物库). As a species descends, it loses genetic diversity within the populations. That’s why it’s important for researchers to collect tissue samples to leave options open for the future.

“To stop extinction, what we can do right now is saving as many tissue samples as possible. I believe through this effort cloning will be possible and save many endangered species,” says the Wildlife Alliance’s Ryder. However, an animal can only be cloned if the technology already exists to breed it, because researchers need to know how to handle it and how it reproduces.

1. Why is cloning needed according to Ben Novak?

A．It changes multiple genes in animals.

B．It helps to rescue endangered animals.

C．It helps understand how normal genes work.

D．It lowers the risk of the sudden change of genes.

2. What do we know about Elizabeth Ann?

A．She lives longer than any other ferret alive.

B．She has brought challenges to gene editing.

C．She owns more genetic diversity.

D．She has produced young ferrets.

3. What does the underlined word “descends” in Paragraph 4 mean?

A．Evolves.

B．Drops.

C．Booms.

D．Breeds.

4. How does Ryder find cloning?

A．Adventurous.

B．Debatable

C．Uncertain.

D．Promising.

10 . Mayan civilization was a Central American (Mesoamerican) civilization that covered one third of Central America. Mayan civilization is famous for its fully developed written language, striking art, huge architecture, and advanced mathematical and astronomical knowledge. These features came out of the Preclassic Period but reached their highest development in the Classic Period (250 to 900 AD). When it prospered (繁荣), it was one of the most densely populated and culturally active societies in the world.

Mayan civilization was not one single empire, but rather many separate city-states which had a common cultural background. Strangely, after the Classic Period, these cities stopped to be centers of importance. Mayan culture continued and still exists today but in a rural setting. One question that interests scholars is why these cities just disappeared. They were swallowed up by the tropical jungles. Travelers and scholars rediscovered them and have studied them only in the last two hundred years or so. In fact, scholars have debates about what happened, but some factors seem to be part of the explanation of why they disappeared.

Toward the end there was large-scale, continuous warfare among the city-states. The rulers were highly competitive and made fierce wars on one another. Another factor considered is overpopulation. Scholars indicate that the Mayan population reached up to 200 people per square kilometer, among the highest in the pre-industrial world. Overpopulation led to overuse of the tropical forest, the source of their food.

Research from the pollen (花粉) indicates that there was almost no tropical forest left. This led to damage to the environment of the area, further resulting in a lack of water and then drought. Thus warfare, overpopulation, overuse of resources, and destruction of the environment appear to be active factors involved in the disappearance of Mayan cities.

1. What is the function of the first paragraph?

A．To present a different view.	B．To provide the main topic.
C．To lead to the main topic.	D．To provide the text’s road-map.

2. Which of the following has puzzled Mayan scholars?

A．The disappearance of Mayan cities.	B．The continuation of Mayan culture.
C．The city-states’ cultural background.	D．The creation of Mayan civilization.

3. What was the consequence of overuse of the tropical forest?

A．Serious flood.

B．Overpopulation.

C．Continuous wars.

D．Food shortage.

4. What is the best title for this passage?

A．The Fall of Mayan Cities

B．The Golden Age of Mayan Cities

C．Tropical Jungles and Mayan Civilization

D．Mayan Civilization in the Classic Period