1 . Tiny, Modest Ponds Are a Wonder of Nature

You may appreciate the mighty sea and those deep, dark lakes when it comes to waters.     1     However, ponds are an important body of water as they fight climate change, improve biodiversity, and help conservation. They are the unsung heroes of the natural world and are in the front line of climate action.

    2     In Switzerland, less than ten percent of the ponds of the last 200 years remain. And in the UK, less than a quarter of the ponds that existed at the start of the 20th century are still around.

The good news is that a European organization called PONDERFUL is trying to give ponds power by increasing people’s awareness of their importance. With help now on the way, Switzerland has made hundreds of new ponds, thus increasing the population of toads (蟾蜍) and frogs, including the endangered European tree frog.     3    

If you are thinking about creating a beautiful and enriching element to your garden this spring, consider a pond. Adding even a tiny pond to your garden can achieve natural wonders and will actually improve all other ecosystems. A pond becomes home to many plants and animals, as well as endangered species. It also offers a space for birds to bathe, cool off and drink.     4     Birds help with pollination (授粉), spread seeds, and control insects. Bats can eat hundreds of thousands of insects each night.

    5     You will create an island in an urban sea, a small home for birds, and will help protect many endangered species.

A．Your pond can make a difference.

B．Tiny ponds are usually ignored.

C．In turn, these creatures can benefit your garden.

D．People can have a great time by creating the ponds.

E．Small, shallow ponds are being rebuilt on former golf courses in the UK.

F．They are a shelter for frogs that eat insects and keep the ecosystem balanced.

G．However, despite their importance to the environment, ponds are simply disappearing.

2 . Magazines make great reading materials for kids. Libraries often have a large selection of periodicals (期刊) for every age group and reading level, and for many areas of interest. And some magazines may even have issues going back years and even decades! Below is a list of some of them!

Military Kids Life

It is about finding the bright side of life as a military kid! Inside each quarterly issue, your child will encounter inspiring stories, articles, and photographs! (8 to 16 years)

Faces

With articles, folk tales, and hands-on projects, Faces magazine takes young readers around the world for an honest and objective view of how children in other regions live. (9 to 14 years)

Make

Make magazine published posted projects, skill-building tutorials (辅导课), in-depth reviews and inspirational stories, accessible by all ages and skill ranges. (9 to 18 years)

Brio

Brio magazine for teen girls has a fresh new look that includes more pages filled with inspiring profiles, cultural insights, health & beauty tips, faith-filled features and added fun! (13 to 18 years)

Please note: Though all the magazines on this list are written for children, some issues may contain content that you may feel inappropriate for your child. As always, please review all reading materials before giving them to your child to read.

1. Which magazine can help develop kids’ international awareness?

A．Faces.	B．Make.
C．Brio.	D．Military Kids Life.

2. What can be learned from the text?

A．All the magazines are proper for children.

B．Some magazines have back issues in libraries.

C．Magazines are usually published for children.

D．Only magazines for kids are accessible in libraries.

3. What is the purpose of this passage?

A．To argue.

B．To entertain

C．To persuade.

D．To inform.

4 . Rising temperatures driven by the climate crisis are cutting the sleep of people across the world, the largest study to date has found.

The researchers used data from sleep-tracking wristbands used by 47,000 people over seven months and across 68 countries. The analysis revealed that because of increasing night-time temperatures, the average global citizen is losing 44 hours of sleep a year.

However, lost sleep affects some groups much more than others. The sleep loss per degree of warming is about a quarter higher for women than men, twice as high for those over 65years old and three times higher for those in less wealthy nations, where people have less access to cooling equipment.

Previous studies have shown that rising temperatures damage health, including increasing heart attacks, mental health crises, and accidents and injuries. Poor sleep has also been shown to have these effects, and the researchers say their new study suggests that disturbed sleep may be a key mechanism (体内机制) by which heat causes these health impacts. The researchers say their data shows no signs of people being able to adapt to hotter nights.

“In this study, we provide the first planetary-scale (世界范围的) evidence that warmer than average temperatures cut human sleep,” said Kelton Minor, who led the research. “It’s very likely the effect is more serious.” Minor added that the research had important implications for policymakers, who need to ensure cities, towns and buildings are well adapted to heat in order to reduce the health impacts.

The data used in the study came mainly from richer nations. The wristbands also tended to be worn by people less prone (易于遭受) to sleep disturbance by warmer temperatures. “Lower-income people are underrepresented in the data and we’re well aware of that,” said Minor. He said more research was needed, particularly in places that are already among the hottest in the world.

1. In Paragraph 2, the author expresses his idea mainly by ______.

A．telling a story	B．giving examples
C．using quotes	D．listing figures

2. How do increasing temperatures affect people?

A．They limit people’s income.

B．They improve people’s health.

C．They reduce people’s sleep time.

D．They lead to poor relationship between people.

3. What can be learned from Kelton Minor’s words in Paragraph 5?

A．Heat’s impacts may be worse than expected.

B．Policymakers have doubts about the study.

C．The study adopted a new research method.

D．Some cities have taken further action to fight the heat.

4. It can be inferred from the last paragraph that ______.

A．the study is widely applied in the world

B．the study is significant in sleeping research

C．the study has its limitation in some aspects

D．the study can represent the low-income people

5 . Discovering the beauty of the science and maths that shape our everyday lives, an experience in Wonder Lab will fuel your imagination and inspire you to see the world around you in new and exciting ways. Come and enjoy yourself!

What to see

Spread across seven different zones, there’re loads of opportunities to get hands on with real scientific phenomena. Observe live experiments at our Chemistry Bar, see lightning strike before your eyes, play with forces on giant slides or travel through space under a canopy (苍穹) of stars. You can also take part in explosive (爆炸) science demonstrations led by our talented team of explainers. With 50 mind-blowing wonders of science to enjoy, Wonder Lab is an experience unlike any other. Besides, a selection of shows will be performed daily in Wonder Lab’s beautiful new show space. They are free of charge and last 20 minutes.

Tickets

Day pass: £ 6 per person.

This ticket gives you day-long access to Wonder Lab, perfect whether you’re planning a special trip to the Museum or simply passing through London and want to feed your curiosity.

There is a ten percent discount for groups of twelve or more, and £ 2 off for students.

Annual pass: £ 10 per person.

For less than the price of two visits, give yourself a year packed full of wonder, curiosity and breathtaking experiences.

Opening times

Open seven days a week, 10:00 — 18:00 (last entry 17:15). Wonder Lab will be closed on December 24, 25and 26 and will be open as usual from December 27. During school holidays our opening hours are 10:00 — 19:00 (last entry 18:15).

1. What can you do in Wonder lab?

A．Explore stars.

B．Produce lightning.

C．Join in explosion shows.

D．Conduct chemistry experiments.

2. Visitors can enter Wonder Lab at ______.

A．18:30 on December 27	B．14:00 on November 15
C．18:30 on November 15	D．14:00 on December 25

3. What is the purpose of the text?

A．To attract people to Wonder Lab.

B．To raise money for Wonder Lab.

C．To guide students to do experiments.

D．To call on volunteers for Wonder Lab.

6 . 阅读下面短文，根据题目要求用英语回答问题。请在答题卡指定区域作答。

I work with Volunteers for Wildlife, a rescue and education organization at Bailey Arboretum in Locust Valley. Trying to help injured, displaced or sick creatures can be heartbreaking; survival is never certain. The effort made in vain is unavoidable in some rescue work. However, when it works, it is simply beautiful.

I got a rescue call from a woman in Muttontown. She had found a young owl (猫头鹰) on the ground. When I arrived, I saw a 2-to 3-week-old owl. It had already been placed in a carrier for safety.

I examined the chick (雏鸟) and it seemed fine. If I could locate the nest, I might have been able to put it back, but no luck. My next work was to construct a nest and anchor it in a tree. The homeowner was very helpful. A wire basket was found. I put some pine branches into the basket to make this nest safe and comfortable. I placed the chick in the nest, and it quickly calmed down.

Now all that was needed were the parents, but they were absent. I gave the homeowner a recording of the hunger screams of owl chicks. These advertise the presence of chicks to adults; they might also encourage our chick to start calling as well. I gave the owner as much information as possible and headed home to see what news the night might bring.

A nervous night to be sure, but sometimes the spirits of nature smile on us all! The homeowner called to say that the parents had responded to the recordings. I drove over and saw the chick in the nest looking healthy and active. And it was accompanied in the nest by the greatest sight of all—LUNCH! The parents had done their duty and would probably continue to do so.

1. Why does the author think that the effort is in vain in some rescue work?
______________________________________________________________________________
2. What did the author do to make the chick calm down?
______________________________________________________________________________
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
The young owl in the nest looked healthy and active, and the homeowner’s parents prepared some lunch for the chick.
______________________________________________________________________________
4. What can you do to help animals in need?（in about 40 words）
______________________________________________________________________________

7 . Art is a wonderful thing that can enrich our spiritual life. It comes in two main types: realistic and abstract (抽象的). Realistic art aims to show real-life scenes, people, and objects exactly as they appear. It involves paying close attention to details, making things look like photographs.     1     It’s more about expressing feelings, emotions, and ideas.

Realistic art is easy to understand.     2     Take the Mona Lisa, for example—it’s a realistic painting of a lady with a mysterious smile. Artworks like this tell stories about history and everyday life, helping us to learn about the past.

Unlike realistic art, abstract art is more about being creative.     3     They use shapes, colors and patterns to express feelings and ideas. Abstract art means different things to different people. Some people enjoy trying to figure out what the artwork expresses.

    4     Realistic art needs drawing or sculpting exactly to make things look real. Abstract art requires imagination to use shapes and colors in new ways. Many artists are skilled in both. They create realistic pieces to show their technical skills and abstract ones to display their creativity.

As for personal preference, some people prefer the clear stories of realistic art while others are attracted to the mystery of abstract art, interpreting meanings in the shapes and forms. Together, the two kinds of art make the art world various and engaging.     5    

A．Both types of art take skills to make.

B．Viewers can easily recognize what is pictured.

C．Mastering abstract art needs more artistic training.

D．Photographs show imaginary life of people from long ago.

E．Both ways of creating art have their own value and beauty.

F．In contrast, abstract art focuses less on realistic appearances.

G．Artists have the freedom to go beyond real-life representations.

8 . As we all know, our oceans are filled with garbage. Broken objects, used plastic bottles and so on fill our beaches and cover the ocean floor, doing huge damage to ocean creatures. Many individuals and organizations are working to remove this garbage, and recent technological developments have given them a new tool to do so: the trash-eating robot.

Robots of various shapes have been designed to collect garbage that they find floating in the ocean. For example, the French company IADMEEYS has developed what it calls the jellyfishbot. This small robot gathers up everything it meets, including liquid hydrocarbons (碳氢化合物) such as gasoline and oil. The jellyfishbot is remotely controlled and can clean up to 1,000 square meters per hour. The jellyfishbots’ small size and ability to be easily controlled make them ideal for cleaning up crowded areas such as ports.

For larger, more open areas, a much larger robot called the Interceptor has a similar function. Designed for use on rivers, the Interceptor looks like a boat with a conveyor belt (传送带) that picks up trash. Once a sensor indicates that the rubbish bins are full, the Interceptor automatically sends a text message to onshore operators. These operators collect and empty the rubbish bins, sending the garbage to local waste management facilities.

The Interceptor’s name comes from the verb intercept because its purpose is to prevent trash from getting to the ocean. Most of the garbage in the oceans comes down rivers. Cleaning up trash that litters the ocean is good, but to keep the oceans clean, new garbage must be kept from getting there. Therefore, the Interceptor is used to prevent pollution before it enters the ocean.

The Interceptor is completely solar-powered and operates on its own, which minimizes the need for human involvement.

Robots are able to clean up large amounts of garbage without humans struggling through beach cleanup by hand. Hopefully, they can be a big part of the solution to ocean pollution.

1. The author writes the first paragraph mainly to ______.

A．make a definition	B．explain the argument
C．lead in the topic	D．make a comparison

2. What do the jellyfishbot and the Interceptor have in common?

A．They are both solar-powered.

B．They need no human operation.

C．They can only clean up the crowded ports.

D．They can play a role in solving ocean pollution.

3. What does the underlined word “intercept” in Paragraph 4 most probably mean?

A．Check.

B．Stop.

C．Sort.

D．Collect.

4. Which would be the best title for the passage?

A．The Severe Ocean Pollution

B．The Development of the Robot

C．The Hug e Damage to Ocean Creatures

D．The Promising Tool to Ocean Pollution

9 . During summer vacations, I often went to the Outrigger Canoe Club on Waikiki Beach to swim, because the club was usually empty at that hour. There was one other club member who would turn up early on summer mornings, though.

One morning when I’d arrived at the club earlier than usual, he walked past me on his way to the water. Then he stopped. “How would you like to swim against me? Just for fun, I mean.” he asked. “Now? Against you?” I looked at him in surprise. “It’s just about 200 yards.” He pointed in that direction and smiled at me. “Okay.” I said.

Teenagers are often very competitive, and I was no different. Though I was confident of winning, I started out as fast as I could go. When we reached the beach wall, I was already about three quarters exhausted. But he didn’t look tired at all. By the end of this game, my legs were in knots. My arms and shoulders were numb. I wanted very badly to quit and walk the rest of the way. But I struggled and made it.

Ten minutes later my friend, Sammy Kauua, arrived. I told him some of what had happened. Sammy laughed. “Are you kidding? That’s Matthew Biondi. He won gold medals at the Olympics. I guess he’s pretty good for sure!”

Several days later when I saw Matthew Biondi on the beach, I talked to him and asked how an athlete could become good enough to win in the Olympics. He told me he did most of his swimming at the beach and then added, “I swam because I liked it. It was always fun, and I was pretty good at it. We trained all right, but mostly we just swam. It was natural. I always enjoyed doing it.”

I was disappointed at the time because there was no easy answer there, no secret for success as an athlete. Thinking back on it now, though, I find the answer he gave me very appealing.

1. How did the author feel about beating Matthew Biondi at first?

A．A little afraid.

B．Quite sure.

C．Nervous.

D．Doubtful.

2. From the text we can know that Matthew Biondi _______.

A．was an Olympic champion

B．was Sammy Kauua’s good friend

C．did not spend much time swimming

D．did not defeat the author in the competition

3. According to what Matthew Biondi said in Paragraph 5, what matters most in winning in the Olympics?

A．Swimming at the beach.	B．Support from his family.
C．A natural swimming ability.	D．Interest in swimming.