2 . 听下面一段长对话，回答小题。
1. What does the woman do for Mrs. Thompson sometimes?

A．She gives her yoga classes.

B．She looks after her baby.

C．She cleans her house.

2. Where did the woman work last summer?

A．At a gym.

B．At a neighbor’s house.

C．At an animal hospital.

3. What is the man’s attitude towards dogs?

A．He is afraid of them.

B．He doesn’t like them.

C．He thinks they are fun to play with.

4 . New research led by scientists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst has revealed that the spiny pollen (带刺花粉) of plants in the sunflower family can reduce infection of a common bee parasite (寄生生物) by up to 94 percent. The sunflowers'spiny pollen can destroy a parasite called C. bombi (熊蜂短膜虫), which has been significantly reducing bumblebee populations.

To investigate how sunflowers help bumblebees resist C. bombi, the researchers separated the spiny outer shell of the pollen from the chemical metabolites (代谢物) in the pollen’s core. They then mixed the spiny pollen shells of sunflowers, with the chemistry removed, into the pollen fed to one group of bees.

Another group was fed wildflower pollen with sunflower metabolites and no sunflower shells. The researchers discovered that the bees that ate the spiny sunflower pollen shells had the same response as bees feeding on whole sunflower pollen. These bees had a markedly reduced risk of C. bombi infection compared to those fed sunflower metabolites.

Bumblebees, which are vital pollinators of crops and wildflowers, are experiencing a rapid decline in their populations worldwide. Habitat loss due to urbanization and agricultural intensification is the greatest threat to bumblebees. Climate change is also taking a toll on bumblebees. As temperatures rise, bumblebees are forced to move further north to cooler climates, which can affect their ability to find food and nesting sites. Pesticide use is another significant threat to bumblebees. These chemicals are harmful to them and can damage their navigation and immune systems, leading to reduced reproductive success. Bumblebees play a vital role in maintaining healthy and diverse ecosystems. Understanding how sunflowers protect bees from disease could help us identify other flowers that have similar protective properties. Through this, researchers can work towards developing new strategies to help conserve bumblebees.

1. How does the spiny pollen of sunflowers benefit bees?

A．It protects them from predators.	B．It improves their sense of smell.
C．It can be used for their nest building.	D．It helps them resist parasite infections.

2. How did researchers explore the function of spiny pollen shells?

A．By collecting data.	B．By making comparisons.
C．By referring to previous studies.	D．By surveying experienced farmers.

3. What is the biggest threat to the survival of bumblebees?

A．Habitat loss.

B．Climate change.

C．The use of pesticides.

D．Environmental pollution.

4. What is the significance of the study?

A．It offers a way to increase sunflower yield.

B．It draws public attention to the role of ecosystems.

C．It provides a new idea for protecting bumblebees.

D．It allows people to distinguish between different plants species.

6 . Humans are pretty unique among life on Earth. As far as we know, we’re the only living species to evolve the higher intelligence, wear clothes, cook our food, and even invent smartphones. But what if humans suddenly went extinct? What other animals might evolve to have the smarts and skills to create large,complex societies as we have?

With modern genetic technology and our understanding of evolution, “we’re pretty good at making short-term predictions. “Martha Reiskind, an ecologist, told Live Science. For example, we can predict that if humans were to disappear tomorrow, climate change would continue to drive many species to adapt to drought. And species living in cold areas would continue to struggle to live as well.

“A big thing will be the concept of convergence.” Dougal Dixon, a geologist, told Live Science Convergence is an evolutionary process by which two unrelated creatures develop similar features in order to succeed in a particular environment. For example, with their sleek (光滑的) bodies and fins, fish are suitable for living in water. However, dolphins have evolved a very similar body plan—and unlike fish, they are warm-blooded, air-breathing animals with a totally different evolutionary background.

One feature that makes humans uniquely good at building is our skillful hands. In order to fill the same role as humans—that is, building cities and heavily modifying our environment—another species would need to develop a similar ability to control objects. Other primates (灵长目动物), like chimpanzees. our closest living relatives, already can make tools in the wild. It’s possible that if humans disappeared, they might replace us.

But any disaster terrible enough to destroy humans is also likely to destroy chimpanzees, which leaves another tool-using candidate to fill humans place: birds. Birds are very brainy. Some birds can use their feet to form wire into hooks. And trained African grey parrots can learn upwards of 100 words and do simple math, including understanding the concept of zero. Birds can also gather in large groups, and some even build group nesting sites.

Of course, all of these are predictions. Scientists have said it’s almost impossible to truly predict how evolution will unfold. As we go further and further out, the prediction is less accurate. And it’s even more difficult to predict whether another species will develop human-level intelligence, Some think that it could happen. Others, however, are less optimistic because they don’t think nature will make mistakes twice.

1. Why does the author mention fish and dolphins in Para. 3?

A．To show how dolphins evolved

B．To explain what convergence is.

C．To show the advantage of the fish shape

D．To explain the feature of animals living in water.

2. What do chimpanzees and some birds have in common?

A．The ability to make tools	B．The habit of group living
C．The ability to do simple math	D．The close relationship with humans

3. Which animals might replace humans if a worst disaster happened?

A．Sea animals.	B．Chimpanzees
C．Birds.	D．Dogs.

4. Which of the following best describes the future of other species filling the same role as humans?

A．Hopeless.	B．Challenging.
C．Promising.	D．Uncertain.

7 . 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。

For protecting endangered neighbors, pandas make unreliable umbrellas.

Like many undergraduate biology students, Wang Fang was taught that pandas are a prime example of     1     umbrella species—a well-known and usually endangered animal     2     protection benefits an entire ecosystem.

In fact, the story is much     3     (complex), according to findings that Dr. Wang, now an ecologist at Fudan University in Shanghai, published last month in Biological Conservation. Refuting (反驳) years of     4     (assume) about the universal benefits of panda conservation, Dr. Wang and his colleagues report that a number of other     5     (threaten) species are not being protected by the panda umbrella.

Panda conservation, on its own,     6     (be) a success up to now. In the 1980s, pandas had very little protection in the wild and were thought to add up to around just 1,100 individuals. In the 1990s, China began to     7     (active) conserve wild populations. Eventually sixty-seven panda-specific protected areas     8     (represent) 70 percent of the species’ range were established.

All of those efforts focused simply not on other species,     9     on China’s national animal. Dr. Wang began to question the umbrella species narrative and carried out research, only     10     (find) that panda conservation had not helped large carnivores in China.

8 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. Which of the following is a feature of a hit song?

A．Being easy to remember.

B．Having an unpleasant tune.

C．Being released in an album.

2. How long do most pop songs last?

A．2-3 minutes.

B．2-5 minutes.

C．5-7 minutes.

3. Who is a country music singer?

A．Taylor Swift.

B．Skrillex.

C．Bob Dylan.

4. What is the speaker mainly talking about?

A．Lyrics.

B．Artists.

C．Pop music.