1 . 100-year-old Alfred Larson has been through a lot in his lifetime, but one thing that keeps him going is bluebirds.

When Alfred retired in 1978, he wanted to find a hobby or something to do that would keep him busy and provide him with a sense of purpose. When he read a National Geographic article about crafting wooden nest boxes for bluebirds to help improve their populations, he decided to give it a try. Alfred explained that he started building nest boxes on his ranch (大牧场) using left-over pieces of wood.

More than four decades later, Alfred is still going strong and promoting bluebird conservation efforts. Alfred is now monitoring nearly 350 nest boxes on six different trails (小路) in Southwest Idaho. He said, “I settled on a simple design that was easy to build and easy to monitor. I kept adding more boxes on these trails, and these birds responded.” Alfred’s boxes give bluebirds a lot of help in survival. “Without his work, we can’t see so many bluebirds now,” said Pearman, the author of Mountain Bluebird Trail Monitoring Guide.

To celebrate his achievements, filmmaker Matthew Podolsky worked with Alfred for weeks to create a 30-minute documentary—Bluebird Man. The film explores how everything led him to the work he does today and his efforts in bluebird protection. “I remember the first trip I took to the bluebird trail with Alfred, and I was very surprised by the speed with which he moved from box to box,” said Podolsky. “He was hiking across difficult and uneven terrain (地形). I often struggled to keep up with him. Sometimes we’d check more than 100 boxes and be driving home in the dark.”

The impact he’s had on the populations of bluebirds in North America will continue.

1. How did Alfred help save bluebirds?

A．By feeding them personally.	B．By preventing illegal hunting.
C．By making wooden nests for them.	D．By writing articles about them.

2. What can we infer from paragraph 3?

A．The number of bluebirds in Southwest Idaho decreases.

B．Alfred makes a big difference to bluebird conservation.

C．Climate change is threatening the survival of bluebirds now.

D．Alfred’s efforts have greatly inspired others to protect bluebirds.

3. What might be the documentary mainly about?

A．How the natural habitat of bluebirds disappeared.

B．How bluebirds have survived in the past four decades.

C．What influence humans have on bluebirds.

D．What Alfred does every day to protect bluebirds.

4. What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?

A．To praise Alfred’s contribution.	B．To help people learn more about birds.
C．To advise people to protect the environment.	D．To show the living conditions of bluebirds.

2 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. Why is the mother unwilling to keep a young dog?

A．It costs money.

B．It needs extra care.

C．It affects her sleep.

2. How does the son feel about the pet dog?

A．Easy to teach.

B．Bright and friendly.

C．A good companion.

3 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. Why are some African countries criticized?

A．They ban killing animals.

B．Lions are allowed to be killed.

C．Animals there are endangered.

2. What do we know about the white-tailed deer in America?

A．They are underpopulated.

B．They are protected well.

C．They are out of control.

3. Who are to blame for the deer-related accidents according to animal rights groups?

A．Hunters.

B．Drivers.

C．Road workers.

4. What does the speaker want to say?

A．Humans should live in harmony with animals.

B．Hunting will continue in the short run.

C．Animals should not be killed for dinner.

4 . In an awe-inspiring incident, a young killer whale recently demonstrated remarkable intelligence by seeking assistance from a group of humans to save its trapped mother, which challenged our conventional understanding of wild predators (食肉动物).

The online viral video, shared by Alvin Foo, began with a young killer whale emitting distressing cries towards a group of people on a boat. Recognizing the urgency of the situation, the concerned individuals promptly responded by contacting a rescue team. The young whale’s desperate request for help touched more people’s hearts and set a truly extraordinary chain of events in motion.

As the rescue team arrived, they were amazed to witness the young killer whale’s playful interaction with the humans. The whale appeared elated, seemingly understanding that assistance had finally arrived. This interaction between the mother killer whale and rescuers underlined the potential for mutual understanding beyond the boundary of traditional predator-prey relationships.

The young whale took on the role of a guide, leading the rescue team to its mother trapped in a fishing net. It navigated the water with purpose, as if fully aware that the humans possessed the means to save its mother. This display of intelligence left the rescuers in awe, highlighting the complex cognitive abilities of these magnificent marine creatures. With its guidance, the rescue team swiftly initiated the liberation process, carefully cutting the net to free the trapped whale. Astonishingly, they seemed to understand that the humans were there to help and did as asked.

The instant the mother whale was finally freed, an eruption of joyous cries filled the air. The emotional outpouring conveyed the immense gratitude of both the mother whale and the young whale to the humans who had intervened. As the rescue team made their way back to shore, the two whales swam alongside them. This heart-warming sight emphasized the lasting impact of the rescue. The bond formed through this extraordinary rescue operation was well obvious, proving that the profound connections can be established between various species. The journey back to safety symbolized the victory of compassion over adversity.

1. What can we learn about the video from paragraph 2?

A．It spread widely.

B．It went unnoticed.

C．It documented humans’ requesting help.

D．It recorded passive response to the rescue.

2. What does the underlined word “elated” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Tired.

B．Excited.

C．Frightened.

D．Confused.

3. What is the young whale like?

A．Wise and cooperative.	B．Complex and mysterious.
C．Curious and careful.	D．Wild and rude.

4. What does the author mainly want to convey in the last paragraph?

A．Adversity is a good discipline.

B．It is urgent to protect wildlife.

C．Different species can coexist in harmony.

D．Human intervention poses a threat to whales.

5 . Time is running out for coral reefs as the climate gets hotter. So scientists are searching the globe for corals that are better at enduring heat, Now, new research shows how those “super corals” can survive: less roommate drama.

Reefs depend on a crucial partnership between the corals and the algae (海藻) that live in the corals’ tissue, The algae make food for the corals using sunlight and in exchange, get a nice spot to live. But when oceans heat up, that relationship goes bad, and the corals kick the algae out, Without their roommates, corals can die, turning a ghostly white, bleached (白化) color.

Still, some corals seem to resist bleaching better than others, A new study shows that those corals depend on algae that are better at tolerating heat. Researchers hope that pinpointing these abilities will help develop new conservation tools to preserve the world’s reefs as temperatures rise. About 1/4 of all marine life rely on coral reefs in some way, along with half 1 billion people around the world also depend on reefs for their food and livelihoods.

“Heat stress can kill a lot of corals really fast,” says Kate Quigley, a research scientist at James Cook University and the Minderoo Foundation in Australia. “I hope that nature does have some mechanisms to get us through the next few years while we get our act together.”

While the hope is that those algae could also aid in reef conservation in the future, researcher Patrick Buerger says it’s likely that it wouldn’t help all coral species. And even the toughest corals can only endure so much. Currently, the world is on track for just under 3degrees Celsius of warming by 2100, a level that would wipe out nearly all coral reefs.

“The action has to be on climate change,” he says. “This is a short-term solution that might buy some time for corals to adapt. But the main focus has to be on climate. There’s not a silver bullet to the problem.”

1. What is the feature of super corals?

A．Sun-loving.

B．Long-living.

C．Good-looking.

D．Heat-bearing.

2. What can algae get from the corals?

A．Habitat.

B．Food.

C．Sunlight.

D．Friendship.

3. What do the figures in paragraph 3 indicate?

A．The population of marine life.	B．The importance of coral reefs.
C．The seriousness of global warming.	D．The living conditions of coral reefs.

4. What does Patrick think of using heat-resistant algae in reef conservation?

A．It is useless

B．It is the last hope.

C．It is temporary.

D．It is the silver bullet.

6 . Humans have always been working Earth’s land, and they also have always been studying and hoping to work the land of Mars one day.

Planetary scientist Abhilash Ramachandran at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference reported that Martian dirt may have all the necessary nutrients for growing rice, one of humankind’s most important foods. However, he emphasizes that the plant may need a bit of help to survive in perchlorate (高氯酸盐), a chemical that can be harmful to plants and has been detected on the surface of Mars.

Ramachandran says they want to send humans to Mars, but they cannot take everything there, especially food. He thinks it’s going to be expensive, but growing rice there would be ideal.

Ramachandran and his colleagues grew rice plants in a Martian soil simulant (模拟物). They also grew rice in pure potting mix as well as several mixtures of the potting mix and soil simulant. All pots were watered once or twice a day. The team found rice plants did grow in the artistic dirt of Mars. However, the plants developed slighter shoots and thinner roots than the plants that grew from the potting mix and hybrid soils. The researchers also tried growing rice in soil with added perchlorate. They sourced some rice varieties—modified to stand environmental stressors like drought—and grew them in Mars-like dirt with and without perchlorate. No rice plants grew in a concentration of 3 g of perchlorate per kilogram of soil. But when the concentration was just I g per kilogram, one of the rice varieties grew both a shoot and a root, while another managed to grow a root.

The findings are encouraging, suggesting that by changing to improve with one successful modified gene, humans might eventually be able to develop a rice cultivar suitable for Mars.

1. What does Ramachandran stress about growing rice on Mars in paragraph 2?

A．The challenge.

B．The reason.

C．The benefit.

D．The purpose.

2. Why do the scientists want to plant rice on Mars?

A．To purify the Martian air.	B．To feed Martian explorers.
C．To test the Martian soil simulant.	D．To improve the Martian soil environment.

3. What can we learn about rice plants from the experiments?

A．Their weight ranged from 1 g to 3 g.

B．They stopped growing in Mars-like dirt.

C．They never developed roots in soil with perchlorate.

D．Their growth was affected by perchlorate’s concentration.

4. What is the author’s attitude to the research findings?

A．Suspicious.

B．Critical.

C．Positive.

D．Curious.

7 . Wildlife conservation is the practice of protecting plant and animal species and their habitats. As part of the world’s ecosystems, wildlife provides balance and stability to nature’s processes. Wildlife conservation is aimed to ensure the survival of these species and educate people on living sustainably with other species.

The number of people has grown to more than eight billion today, and it continues to rapidly grow. The economic growth endangers the habitats and existence of various types of wildlife around the world, particularly animals and plants that may be displaced for land development, or used for food or other human purposes. This threat is at top of the list and means natural resources are being consumed faster than ever by the billions of people on the planet. The introduction of invasive species from other parts of the world is another threat to wildlife. Other threats include climate change, pollution, fishing and hunting.

International organizations like the World Wildlife Fund, Conservation International, Wildlife Conservation Society and the United Nations work to support global animal and habitat conservation on many different fronts. They work with the government to establish and protect public lands, like national parks and wildlife protection areas. They help write legislation(法规), such as the Endangered Species Act(ESA)of 1973 in the United States, to protect various species. They work with law enforcement to charge those with wildlife crimes. They also promote biodiversity to support the growing human population while preserving existing species and habitats.

National Geographic Explorers, like conservation biologists Camille Coudrat and Titus Adhola, are working to slow the extinction of global species and protect global biodiversity and habitats. Environmental filmmakers and photographers, like Thomas P. Peschak, are essential to conservation efforts as well, documenting and bringing attention to endangered wildlife all over the world.

1. Which is a goal of wildlife conservation according to the text?

A．To stop introducing invasive species.	B．To encourage harmonious coexistence.
C．To control the number of world people.	D．To increase the use of natural resources.

2. What is the biggest threat to wildlife?

A．Hunting.

B．Human activity.

C．Pollution.

D．Climate change.

3. What is paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．The activities of protection areas.

B．The importance of biodiversity promotion.

C．The relevant efforts of international organizations.

D．The great impact of wildlife crimes on ecosystems.

4. What does the author want to present in the last paragraph?

A．The necessity of legislation.

B．The wildlife conservation’s achievements.

C．The individuals’ contributions to the environment.

D．The statistics about the wildlife conservation efforts.

8 . For the past four years I had been having up to 30 seizures (癫痫发作) a day. It made me _________ a lot.

Despite _________ visits to hospitals, no doctor could tell me the cause of it. At night, my family had to check on me just in case I wasn’t _________. So I could never be in a room alone and as a 21-year-old young man, I was finding the lack of _________ getting me down.

One day, my friend Kerri asked if I wanted an assistance dog. I knew there were guide dogs for the _________, but I wasn’t sure how a dog could help me. A few days later, Kerri told me she’d done some search and found a company “Dogs For Life”. From the website of the company, I _________ that they teach dogs to smell a chemical change in the body and _________ people when a seizure is about to _________.

Soon after, I _________ Baloo, a dog trained by Dogs For Life. It sat silently in the corner. As I sat down, Baloo suddenly __________ and jumped on me. Minutes later, I had a seizure. It had __________ the chemical changes in my body and tried to warn me. It was by my side until the __________ came. Instantly, I knew it was a good __________ for me, and I took her back home.

It’s __________ my life more than a handful of times and I couldn’t be more __________ for it.

1.

A．think

B．hide

C．suffer

D．learn

2.

A．personal

B．countless

C．formal

D．impressive

3.

A．sleeping

B．working

C．replying

D．breathing

4.

A．warmth

B．fun

C．safety

D．independence

5.

A．deaf

B．blind

C．injured

D．elderly

6.

A．wrote

B．learnt

C．overheard

D．planned

7.

A．warn

B．attract

C．follow

D．hit

8.

A．burn out

B．break in

C．come on

D．drop by

9.

A．saved

B．addressed

C．met

D．invited

10.

A．rose

B．lay

C．struggled

D．played

11.

A．sensed

B．caused

C．touched

D．cried

12.

A．action

B．attack

C．guide

D．help

13.

A．boss

B．teacher

C．partner

D．listener

14.

A．risked

B．stopped

C．kept

D．saved

15.

A．thankful

B．anxious

C．excited

D．patient

9 . The idea that humans are facing a global extinction of experience of nature is popular, but is it true? To give more light on this issue, the scientists measured how the average distance from an individual’s home to the nearest area with low human impact changed in the last decade.

The scientists found that humans currently live 9.7 kilometers away from a natural area on average, which is 7% further away than in the year 2000. Europe and East Asia have the highest average distance to natural areas, such as 22 kilometers in Germany and 16 kilometers in France. The scientists also showed that tree cover within cities has declined worldwide since 2000, suggesting that the possibility for the urban population to access green spaces is reducing as well.

The scientists also systematically searched for scientific publications assessing a trend in experiences of nature, finding that the number of studies assessing these trends was very low (the number is 18), most of which are about the US, Europe and Japan. This shows that more studies should investigate the claim about the extinction of nature experience, especially in Africa and Latin America. The 18 studies found by the scientists show a decline in visits to nature parks in the US and Japan, a decrease in camping activities in the US, and a decrease in the number of flower species observed by Japanese children. They also find signs of decline in the use of natural elements in novels, songs and cartoons.

Despite these examples of decline, other interactions are increasing. Watching wildlife documentaries or interacting with wild animals in videogames is, for example, more common than a few years ago. “New ways of digitally interacting with nature have certainly emerged or increased in recent years,” says Dr Gladys Barragan-Jason. “But several former studies show that these vicarious interactions have a lesser effect on our sense of connection with nature than exposure to nature, such as visiting nature parks.”

1. How does the author mainly develop the text?

A．By giving examples and making contrast.

B．By listing data and classifying them.

C．By giving examples and definitions.

D．By analyzing data and making comparison.

2. The scientists showed several signs of decline in        .

A．the distance between humans and nature

B．the connection between humans and wild animals

C．reading novels, singing songs and watching cartoons

D．tree cover, visits to nature parks and nature presence in the arts

3. What does the underlined word “vicarious” in the last paragraph mean?

A．Positive.

B．Novel.

C．Indirect.

D．Complex.

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

A．Global Extinction of Green Spaces.	B．Decline in Experiences of Nature.
C．The Lost Joy in the Natural World.	D．A New Way of Connecting With Nature.

10 . Tina often discussed with her parents whether they should get a pet dog. However, they always ________ that training a dog would be too distracting for Tina, and they couldn’t ________ the vet (兽医) and food bills with their low income.

One day, when they were walking along a narrow path to look for mushroom, a painfilled howl (嗥叫) rang through the trees. Tina and her parents got ________.

“That’s a dog.” Tina headed off in the ________ of the wolf.

“Wait, Tina!” Her dad reached for her arm but ________. “It could be a wolf.”

“Even if it is, it’s still hurt,” Tina said as she headed deep into the forest. “We’ve got to help it.”

Tina’s parents ________ her, but Tina was soon out of ________. When they caught up with her, she was kneeing down beside a hunting dog. It was obvious that he was ________ in a trap. Tina’s dad bent forward to ________ the dog and found the trap closed over the dog’s paw (爪). Later, Tina’s dad took out his knife to ________ the trap. ________ the trap didn’t break any bones.

Tina’s mother had grown up in a family of hunters and was well ________ that the dog was well-trained.

They took the dog home, and Tina’s dad treated his ________. Although Tina’s parents initially intended to send the dog to a ________ where there would be kind people taking care of him, the family quickly grew to love him, so they ________ their idea. Tina named the dog Rocky and he became a family member.

1.

A．dreamed

B．concluded

C．guaranteed

D．regretted

2.

A．anticipate

B．investigate

C．distribute

D．afford

3.

A．disappointed

B．energetic

C．defensive

D．delighted

4.

A．core

B．direction

C．means

D．schedule

5.

A．missed

B．ignored

C．forgot

D．dropped

6.

A．conflicted with

B．interacted with

C．went after

D．called on

7.

A．balance

B．sight

C．danger

D．condition

8.

A．blamed

B．purchased

C．separated

D．caught

9.

A．examine

B．protect

C．emphasize

D．applaud

10.

A．explore

B．polish

C．connect

D．free

11.

A．Suddenly

B．Fortunately

C．Gradually

D．Secretly

12.

A．afraid

B．proud

C．aware

D．anxious

13.

A．wound

B．head

C．illness

D．tail

14.

A．shelter

B．forest

C．market

D．kitchen

15.

A．assessed

B．challenged

C．changed

D．invested