1 . Ruby was a police dog with the Rhode Island State Police, but she didn’t always work with them. Ruby was once a handful who was in and out of the sheller. She was returned five times by different families. She was considered unadoptable because of her high energy and she was just unmanageable

The shelter workers thought her energy may be put to work. They reached the state police, who wanted to give Ruby a second chance and decided to try her out as a rescue dog. O’Neil was picked to be her handler (驯犬员) .

“We have something in common. When I was younger, I couldn’t focus and I wasn’t good at school. But no one really ever gave up on me,” O’Neil said. “I think that’s why we were bound to be together.” A normal dog could be trained in months. For Ruby, it took a year and a half, but O’Neil didn’t want to give up on her. Finally, she was a certified police dog. Six years later, she became even more than that -a hero.

“We got a call stating there was a missing boy, and we just went out and started searching. After eight hours, Ruby ran down a hill. I looked over the hill and saw the injured boy,” ONeil recalled.

O’Neil went to tell the mother that the boy was found alive and told her a police dog helped save her son. Then they realised a surprising connection: the boy’s mum once worked at an animal shelter. “There was a dog that I heard became a state trooper (兵) a few years ago. The dog was named Ruby. She was the sweetest thing,” she told him.

“Are you kidding?” O’Neil said. “That dog that you helped for all those times to get adopted just saved your son’s life.”

1. Which of the following can best replace the underlined word “handful” in paragraph 1?

A．Popular dog.

B．Good helper.

C．Troublemaker

D．Intelligent dog

2. What was Ruby before she became a trooper?

A．A shelter dog.

B．A rescue dog.

C．A guard dog.

D．A pet dog.

3. What was the main factor that made Ruby a successful rescue dog?

A．ONeil’s guidance.	B．Ruby’s high energy
C．Ruby’s determination.	D．ONeil’s perseverance

4. What was the connection between Ruby and the boy’s mother?

A．The mother once helped Ruby in the shelter.	B．The mother was Ruby’s former handler
C．Ruby was once adopted by the mother.	D．Ruby saved the mother before.

2 . A songbird jumps around in the woods near Washington, D. C. On its back it carries a very small, lightweight electronic device called a tag (标签). Ecologist Emily Williams watches from behind a bush. On this clear spring day, she says, “Now I’m watching to see whether he’s found a mate.” The bird has moved to a nearby tree where there is another robin. When the bird leaves, this new device it carries will send data about its position to a special satellite, then back to Williams’ computer.

The Georgetown University researchers have been attaching tracking (跟踪) tags on birds and animals for many years. But, the International Space Station and the involved satellite now provide new ways to receive the information sent by the tags. The new system permits scientists to watch songbird movements from a faraway place in much greater detail than before.

“We’re in a sort of golden age for bird research,” said Adriaan Dokter, an ecologist at Cornell University, adding that the technology is improving as the tags are made smaller and smaller. “We can track a robin by satellite with smaller and smaller chips. The device that the robin wears can report its immediate place on Earth, within about 10 meters. Ten years ago, that was unthinkable,” said the scientist, who is not involved in Williams’ study.

A second new device, for only the heaviest robins, provides more information about the bird’s movements; future versions may also measure the humidity and barometric pressure of the space the bird occupies. The devices are known as ICARUS tags.

Martin Wikelski is director of the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior. His scientific team is working to improve the ICARUS technology. He hopes that more and better devices could help develop what he called “an Internet of animals”—a collection of sensors around the world giving us a better picture of the movement of life on the planet.

1. What is Emily Williams doing in the woods?

A．Trying to catch a songbird.

B．Observing a bird with a new device.

C．Playing a bird game on the computer.

D．Taking an adventure trip in the nature.

2. How does the electronic device help the researchers?

A．Find the exact place of the robins quickly.

B．Take control of the robins easily.

C．Collect all the information from the satellite.

D．Communicate with the robin in a faraway place.

3. How does the text mainly develop?

A．By explaining the reasons.	B．By making a comparison.
C．By listing two new devices.	D．By analyzing the data.

4. Which is the expectation of Martin Wikelski?

A．People can use more devices to keep healthy.

B．Technology can give better ways to track animals.

C．Human beings and animals can live in harmony.

D．People will know more about animals from the Internet.

3 . Like many others, Animal Lovers League (ALL) all started with a love for animals. ALL is a charity and home to over 500 dogs and cats. It encourages the public to adopt (领养) instead of buying animals and tries to help the animals at ALL find loving families.

Tasks that the founders, Cathy and Mohan, as well as volunteers carry out to care for the animals include feeding them, taking sick animals to hospital and bringing them for checkups.

The adoption process at ALL:

STEP 1 Contact us

Learn more details about our animals for adoption, or view them on our website www.animalloversleague.com .

For dog adoptions, please WhatsApp Catheryn at 9753 3320.

For cat adoptions, please WhatsApp Mohan at 9670 8052.

STEP 2 Meet our furry kids

Get a chance to play with our furry kids, one-on-one, to find your perfect match!

All adoption visits are by appointment (预约) only. No walk-ins are allowed.

STEP 3 Homestay

We will interview you and do a home visit to ensure you are able to take care of our kids.

After that, you will go through the adoption initiation (开始) process with a 2-week homestay to see if our furry baby is able to get used to the environment of your home and if you can follow the lifestyle of having a furry kid to care for.

STEP 4 Successful adoption

You will be asked to fill in an adoption form upon the completion of this process.

We will keep in contact with you to check up on your progress.

No adoption fees are required as we do not put a price on the lives of our furry kids.

1. What do we know about Animal Lovers League?

A．It focuses on taking care of animals.

B．It offers professional medical treatment to animals.

C．It is home to many animals including dogs and cats.

D．It was set up to stop the buying and selling of animals.

2. What is the purpose of STEP 2?

A．To give people some detailed information about the animals at ALL.

B．To ask people to provide a home for the animals at ALL.

C．To teach people how to get along with animals at ALL.

D．To invite people to get close to the animals at ALL.

3. What should people do at the end of the adoption process?

A．Give some money to ALL.	B．Complete an adoption form.
C．Attend an adoption interview.	D．Do some volunteer work for ALL.

4 . A team of researchers from the University College London (UCL) has recently found that humans transmit viruses to domestic and wild animals more frequently than they contract them from these animals. This major analysis of viral genomes offers new insights into the dynamics of disease transmission across species.

Through an exhaustive examination of all publicly available viral genome sequences, the experts aimed to trace the cross-species transmission—or host jumps—of viruses.

The team sought to challenge the prevailing view that humans are primarily at the receiving end of zoonotic diseases, which are infections that jump from animals to humans. These diseases have been responsible for outbreaks such as Ebola, flu, and COVID-19.

The research team developed and applied methodological tools to analyze the nearly 12 million viral genomes that have been published on public databases to date, outlining the scale of their investigation into the evolutionary paths and mutations of viruses as they adapt to new hosts.

Contrary to the common perception of humans as mere recipients of animal viruses, the study’s findings suggest a more bidirectional exchange of pathogens (病原体). “We should consider humans just as one node in a vast network of hosts endlessly exchanging pathogens, rather than a sink for zoonotic bugs,” said co-author Francois Balloux, a professor at the UCL Genetics Institute.

“By surveying and monitoring transmission of viruses between animals and humans, in either direction, we can better understand viral evolution and hopefully be more prepared for future outbreaks and epidemics of novel illnesses, while also aiding conservation efforts. ” Study lead author Cedric Tan, a PhD student at the UCL Genetics Institute and Francis Crick Institute, pointed out the broader implications of their findings, especially concerning conservation and food security. “When animals catch viruses from humans, this can not only harm the animal and potentially pose a conservation threat to the species, but it may also cause new problems for humans by impacting food security if large numbers of livestock need to be killed to prevent an epidemic, as has been happening over recent years with the H5N1 bird flu strain.”

1. What is the prevailing view mentioned in paragraph 3?

A．Humans are passive recipients of zoonotic diseases.

B．Zoonotic diseases are preventable with proper measures.

C．Animals are the sole source of all infectious diseases.

D．Ebola, flu, and COVID-19 are the most severe zoonotic diseases.

2. Regarding the analysis of virus genomes in the UCL study, which of the following statements is incorrect?

A．The study involved a deep analysis of over ten million virus genomes.

B．The analysis revealed evolutionary patterns of viruses as they adapt to new hosts.

C．The study found that all virus genomes exhibit similar mutation patterns.

D．The analysis results contribute to our understanding of virus transmission and mutation mechanisms.

3. What does “broader implications” primarily refer to in Cedric Tan’s article?

A．New discoveries about the mechanisms of virus transmission.

B．Improvements in the treatment of zoonotic diseases.

C．Reflections on the impact of human lifestyles and the environment.

D．Potential effects on global public health policies.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Humans transmit more viruses to animals than we catch from them

B．Zoonotic Diseases: The Leading Cause of Human Ailments

C．Revolutionary Breakthroughs in Viral Genomics

D．Cross-Species Viral Transmission: A Complex Web of Relationships

5 . Photographer Joe Sartore began making studio portraits (肖像) of________in 2006. The purpose is to________for future generations species that someday might be extinct. Sartore expects to have portraits of nearly 1,000 animals. Here are some________of his project, which is featured in this special issue on________wildlife.

In Sartore’s opinion, the Rabbs’ fringe-limbed tree frog (巴拿马树蛙) is one of the most________species he has photographed that have since gone________. A few years ago there was one left________, a male, at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. He had________it there times before it passed away. At those moments he thought to himself________, “Don’t mess this up.” It might be this animal’s only________to have its story told well.

Another memorable species Sartore photographed is the Florida grasshopper sparrow (草蜢沙鹀). It is endangered, but seems to be________back. It’s a small brown bird, and some people________it enough to try to save it. There are many________stories, such as the California condor, the Mexican gray wolf, sand so on. They all got down to perhaps two dozen or fewer individuals, but they’re all________now due to human efforts.

The situation is still________as a recent report says that as many as one million species are already on their ________to extinction. It’s foolish to think that we can throw away so much________and not have it affect humanity in a(n)________way. Sartore’s goal is to get the________to care about the extinction crisis while there’s still________to save the planet.

1.

A．people

B．plants

C．animals

D．insects

2.

A．collect

B．record

C．paint

D．identify

3.

A．examples

B．methods

C．goals

D．versions

4.

A．urban

B．national

C．best

D．endangered

5.

A．impressive

B．dangerous

C．interesting

D．powerful

6.

A．missing

B．wild

C．extinct

D．popular

7.

A．awake

B．unchanged

C．alive

D．untouched

8.

A．seen

B．studied

C．treated

D．photographed

9.

A．naturally

B．nervously

C．carelessly

D．excitedly

10.

A．duty

B．response

C．chance

D．promise

11.

A．bouncing

B．stepping

C．locking

D．calling

12.

A．looked after

B．cared about

C．searched for

D．depended on

13.

A．unique

B．similar

C．amusing

D．personal

14.

A．dying

B．booming

C．suffering

D．recovering

15.

A．pleasant

B．ongoing

C．unclear

D．serious

16.

A．decision

B．way

C．trip

D．access

17.

A．money

B．food

C．trash

D．life

18.

A．negative

B．objective

C．difficult

D．effective

19.

A．police

B．children

C．public

D．artists

20.

A．time

B．space

C．value

D．concern

6 . No FIFA World Cup would be complete without “psychic(通灵的)” animals predicting the winners, and Qatar 2022 was the same. A range of animals—big and small—have tried to predict the scoreline.

It all started with Paul, the ”psychic“ octopus(章鱼). He put TV experts to shame with an unbelievable group of correct World Cup winner predictions at the Aquarium Sea Life Center in Oberhausen, Germany. He correctly predicted eight World Cup matches at South Africa’s tournament in 2010, including Spain beating the Netherlands in the World Cup final.

Paul’s successor, Rubio the octopus, did not end well. It became a star in Japan for its 100%success in predicting group-stage matches, including Japan’s win against Colombia in the 2018 World Cup held in Russia. Rubio did not get the chance to make its prediction for the Round-of-16 after it was cut into pieces and turned into seafood.

Taiyo the otter had good news for Japanese fans at the 2022 World cup in Qatar, correctly predicting Japan’s group-stage win over Germany. From his home at the Maxell Aqua Park Shinagawa in Japan, Taiyo was given three buckets(桶)to choose from—Japan(blue), draw (yellow)and Germany(red)—and did not hesitate about picking up his tiny football and placing his bet on Japan. He was widely praised online for his action.   

And let’s not forget another star—Marcus, the “mystic pig”. In the 2018 World Cup, Marcus predicted a World Cup victory for England after selecting apples with the England flag on British morning television. However, Marcus’ fortune-telling record was shattered when England was knocked out in the semi-final.

Nelly the elephant from Serengeti Park in Hodenhagen, Germany, also meant business when she had a group of 30 out of 33 matches correct predictions in the 2006 World Cup, the 2010 World Cup and the 2012 Euro.

Camilla the ”mystic“ camel from Melton Mowbray in England did have good news for England, however. She correctly predicted the Three Lions’ group-stage win over Iran at the Qatar World Cup. Her owners said that their camel was ”never wrong“.

1. What can we learn about Rubio?

A．It ended up being eaten.	B．It missed the 2018 World Cup.
C．It performed much better than Paul.	D．It became famous after the Round-of-16.

2. What quality of Taiyo was stressed in Paragraph 4?

A．It knew Japanese players well.	B．It could recognize many colors.
C．It was quick at decision-making.	D．It was good at catching a football.

3. What does the underlined word ”shattered“ in paragraph 5 probably mean?

A．Updated.

B．Shared.

C．Removed.

D．Broken.

4. What is the author’s attitude towards psychic animals?

A．He doesn’t give his opinion.	B．He is doubtful about them.
C．He thinks them interesting.	D．He is supportive to them.

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。

The Hainan Tropical Wildlife Park and Botanical Carden in Haikou, South China’s Hainan Province,     1     (prepare) toys, bamboo shoots, and fruits for the pandas     2     (celebrate) the fifth anniversary

(周年) of the arrival of the giant pandas Conggong and Shunshun on Saturday. It also held a variety of activities and games,     3     attracted a lot of visitors.

At     4     celebration event, citizens and tourists offered their     5     (wish) for the pandas’ arrival on the island with     6     (write) greeting cards, and the pandas’ fans from across the world including China, Belgium, Japan, and New Zealand also sent their honest greetings in short videos.

Ma Xuefeng, director of the Hainan Tropical Wildlife Park and Botanical Garden, said the garden     7     the two giant paonlas have established a strong emotional bond (纽带).

Shang Xiao, chairman of the Hainan Tropical Wildlife Park and Botanical Garden, thanked the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda     8     its professional guidance and strong support over the last five years.

Gonggong, born on August 18, 2013, and Shunshun, born a few days later on August 27, at the Sichuan Ya’an Bifengxia base of the China Conservation and Research Center,     9     (send) to the garden in Haikou on November 10, 2018. They started to meet visitors on November 25 that year, making up for the     10     (absent) of giant pandas on the island.

8 . This is a story about a heart-warming rescue. A lucky cat was ______ by a team of brave firefighters in Cornwall, thanks to a clever and friendly dog.

Mowgli, a lovely cat, had been ______ for six long days, leaving his owner, Michele Rose, filled with ______ and nearly admitting the fact that she would never see her pet again. However, ______ appeared again when she noticed her dog, Daisy, “going ______ ” , running crazily in and out of the nearby woods around her home in Harrow.

Daisy guided her master along a footpath ______ the old mine. She came to a sudden stop next to a ______ well at a depth of 100 feet.

“Daisy is a hero; she’s an amazing dog,” Rose said. “Without Daisy’s behaviors, Mowgli might still be ______ down there. She was exactly leading me to that ______ ; it was truly amazing.”

Following the exciting ______ , the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals(RSPCA)and Cornwall Fire and Rescue ______ a call for help. The team found Mowgli about 100 feet down and he was pulled to safety. The cat was ______ not injured.

Rose said Daisy shares a ______ tie with both of her cats, Mowgli and Baloo. “Daisy was already a year old when the little cats ______ , and they have been together ever since,” she said. “She is like their ______ , looking out for them, and they also love her.”

1.

A．raised

B．fed

C．saved

D．bought

2.

A．playing

B．missing

C．travelling

D．hunting

3.

A．determination

B．worry

C．anger

D．confusion

4.

A．hope

B．doubt

C．problems

D．signs

5.

A．hungry

B．wrong

C．quiet

D．mad

6.

A．leading to

B．cutting off

C．making up

D．breaking through

7.

A．new

B．smooth

C．deep

D．wet

8.

A．attacked

B．beaten

C．found

D．trapped

9.

A．moment

B．place

C．goal

D．level

10.

A．discovery

B．change

C．process

D．rescue

11.

A．expected

B．made

C．paid

D．received

12.

A．surprisingly

B．obviously

C．absolutely

D．actually

13.

A．limited

B．strong

C．common

D．strange

14.

A．grew

B．gathered

C．arrived

D．disappeared

15.

A．master

B．partner

C．observer

D．mother

9 . People who keep chickens as pets or barnyard animals tend to be quite passionate about them. Similar to those who keep cats and dogs as animal friends, chicken owners love to spoil their little ones. If that means building tiny amusement parks to keep them happy, then that’s exactly what they will do.

Chickens have more personality than many people give them credit for. Like humans, chickens love to have fun, explore, and just kind of check stuff out.

What happens if chickens get bored?

Bored chickens tend to engage in bad behaviors. These can include pecking at and fighting with one another and pulling out each other’s feathers.

Part of keeping and caring for chickens (or any animal for that matter) includes making sure they have everything they need to be happy. That includes entertainment and things to keep their days interesting.

One method is to hang up a piece of cabbage. Not only does this keep the chickens entertained, but it also gives them a healthy source of nourishment.

There is another fun toy you can build for your chickens, and all you need is some old bicycle tires. Chicken merry-go-rounds are about to become all the rage (风靡一时) in chicken society. To do this, all you need to do is remove the wheel from a bike. Then lay the wheel out over top something so the chickens are able to spin and ride on top. The chickens seem to know how to jump right on and go for a ride. They might not react like a human on a rollercoaster (过山车), but their behavior tends to show it is an enjoyable experience for them. The wheels can be spread out through your garden, backyard, or wherever your chickens like to roam. They help make their days more interesting, fun, and unique!

1. What’s the purpose of hanging up a piece of cabbage?

A．To feed chickens.	B．To train chickens.
C．To amuse chickens.	D．To punish chickens.

2. What does the word underlined in the last paragraph mean?

A．Hatch.	B．Rest.
C．Gather.	D．Wander.

3. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．A New Pet	B．Chickens’ Beautiful Life
C．People’s Friends	D．Harmonious Coexistence

4. Where is the text probably from?

A．A magazine.	B．A biography.
C．A diary.	D．A novel.

10 . Research found gophers (囊地鼠) might improve conditions for root growth inside their underground tunnels. This could help the root-eating gophers get enough food in areas that don’t naturally contain lots of roots. If gophers aid the growth of food in this way, it might be counted as a type of farming.

Gophers spend a lot of energy digging their tunnels. Two researchers, Jack Putz and Veronica Selden from the University of Florida, got curious about where they got all this energy. So in 2021, the two investigated some gophers in Florida. They studied roots near 12 gopher tunnels to estimate how much root mass a gopher would encounter as it dug a meter of tunnel. Then the researchers calculated how much energy those roots would provide. They found digging cost the gophers about as much energy as the roots provided.

They also examined gopher tunnels. Poop (粪便) was spread along the tunnels. Gophers also seemed to have taken a few bites out of the roots. All suggested the gophers bad provided conditions conducing to root growth. Their poop served as fertilizer. And biting also encouraged root growth. They now think this amounts to a form of farming.

But the idea meets doubts. “I don’t think you could call it farming,” biologist Pynne says, “Biting roots and pooping mightn’t be signs of farming. Gophers could just be doing what all animals do,” Biologist Ulrich Mueller says. “If gophers could be regarded as farmers, then most animals are farmers. These animals also create good growing conditions for the plants they feed on. Take cows, for example. Their poop fertilizes the grass. But farmers don’t consider cows as their colleagues.” Selden understands the doubts but thinks what qualifies the gophers as farmers and sets them apart from other animals is that they develop and maintain this ideal growing environment.

Putz hopes their research makes people kinder to gophers. “If you put in ‘gopher’ online, you’ll see many ways to kill them,” he says. If people see gophers as useful animals, they might treat them better.

1. What did the researchers find about gophers?

A．They dug holes on the farm.	B．They bedded roots in the tunnel.
C．They helped improve farming methods.	D．They acquired energy from roots.

2. What do the underlined words “conducing to” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Belonging to.

B．Pointing to.

C．Favouring.

D．Balancing.

3. Why does Mueller mention cows in paragraph 4?

A．To show farmers depend on them.	B．To present they benefit root growth.
C．To deny gophers are viewed as farmers.	D．To prove their poop can serve as fertilizer.

4. What does Putz expect people to do about gophers?

A．Treat them as explorers.	B．Avoid hurting them.
C．Publicize them online.	D．Protect their habitats.