1 . Cities, often seen as ecological wastelands, actually have the potential to produce exceptional biologists. While traditional biologists typically come from rural backgrounds, urban residents possess diverse skill sets that make them better ones.
Take myself as an example. Growing up in Philadelphia provided me with a unique angle to look at urban ecology. The city’s distinct seasons, plentiful squirrels, row homes, and festivals served as my first ecological classroom. It was there that I witnessed wild cats eating birds and rats, people driving bats from their homes, and snakes being killed by lawn mowers (割草机). This was ecology in action, as real as any observation in fields and forests.
The unique environment of urban areas encourages wildlife there to develop distinct feature s and behaviors that set them apart from their rural counterparts: they may be larger in size, be active at different times of the day, move differently, and even display different personalities. Some biologists argue they are even “smarter” because they balance more risks, such as exposure to roads, poisonous chemicals and diseases from domestic animals — with rewards, of course, like inhabitable parks and human-provided food.
As human residents of cities, we too adapt to the risks and challenges of urban living. This adaptation sharpens our intuition (直觉) — we learn which streets to avoid and lock our doors for safety. Our ability to assess threats and our awareness regarding safety influence our behaviors and choices, much as they do for urban wildlife. Shared experiences such as these enable us to better understand and appreciate urban wildlife.
Most of the world’s population now accesses green and blue spaces, as well as wildlife, within urban neighborhoods. Nature is no longer only untouched wilderness; it includes sounds of human laughter, trash trucks and fire alarms. We urban residents are resourceful and imaginative. We need more capacity, more participation, more energy and more innovation in science to create solutions to fight environmental degradation and reduce biodiversity loss. Identifying this talent across cities presents a practical approach.
1. What did growing up in Philadelphia teach the author?| A．Philadelphia is uniquely rich in wildlife. |
| B．Studying biology at school helps greatly. |
| C．Urban wild creatures need protection too. |
| D．Cities are far from ecological wastelands. |
| A．Similar species. | B．Potential enemies. |
| C．Natural resources. | D．Qualified biologists. |
| A．Eco-friendly habits. | B．Risk-aware behaviors. |
| C．Ill-informed choices. | D．Fast-paced urban life. |
| A．Cities Build Better Biologists | B．What Makes Smarter Residents? |
| C．Urban Areas Encourage Wildlife | D．Who Saves Ecological Wastelands? |
2 . Dad had been a lumberjack (伐木工). As the years passed on, he became angry whenever he couldn’t do something he had done as a(n)
My husband, Dick, and I invited Dad to live with us on our small farm. We hoped the fresh
I drove to the animal shelter that afternoon and back home with a dog.
When I reached the house, I helped my
Dad just ignored me, when suddenly the dog
It was the
| A．older | B．younger | C．happier | D．luckier |
| A．rushed | B．forced | C．kept | D．transformed |
| A．consistent | B．fresh | C．gone | D．troublesome |
| A．town | B．countryside | C．city | D．state |
| A．cried | B．smiled | C．regretted | D．opposed |
| A．depression | B．disappointment | C．fitness | D．confusion |
| A．devotion | B．commitment | C．treatment | D．responsibility |
| A．prize | B．company | C．burden | D．reward |
| A．nearby | B．along | C．on | D．inside |
| A．closed | B．barked | C．annoyed | D．neared |
| A．anxiously | B．delightedly | C．patiently | D．bitterly |
| A．bringing up | B．picking up | C．pulling up | D．catching up |
| A．beginning | B．resolution | C．addition | D．display |
| A．undisturbed | B．incredible | C．inseparable | D．unattended |
| A．arose | B．decreased | C．restored | D．faded |
3 . It was in the cold midwinter, and the homeless couple struggled through the night snow, seeking shelter. The father-to-be
That December night, Gus Kiebel, a county wildlife officer, was driving home from work when he
“You cannot put them
The Kiebels prepared a bed for the dogs on their warm home, where the
It’s a simple story, but it speaks to the
| A．looked | B．headed | C．searched | D．figured |
| A．companion | B．company | C．friend | D．effort |
| A．scared | B．attracted | C．appealed | D．spotted |
| A．scared | B．approached | C．attracted | D．appealed |
| A．put | B．laid | C．made | D．stretched |
| A．brought up | B．took out | C．warmed up | D．put down |
| A．down | B．up | C．back | D．aside |
| A．disappointed | B．lovely | C．unparalleled | D．exhausted |
| A．afford | B．offend | C．intend | D．succeed |
| A．turning | B．driving | C．signing | D．giving |
| A．welcomed | B．received | C．adopted | D．presented |
| A．pet | B．pair | C．family | D．reward |
| A．bottom | B．basis | C．fundamental | D．best |
| A．kindness | B．curiosity | C．generosity | D．patience |
| A．achievement | B．miracle | C．career | D．job |
4 . Sentry Mead, Isle of Wight
Sentry Mead is an ideal destination with nine beautifully decorated bedrooms. The attention to detail is exceptional. Hence, each room enjoys its own uniqueness. And guests delight in features such as piles of books, homemade cupcakes, chocolates and a pillow menu. Dogs are welcomed and are allowed everywhere except the dining room. Besides walks and treats, there are blankets for them too.
The Halfway Bridge, West Sussex
The Halfway Bridge, a welcoming village pub-with-rooms, is oriented (指向的) towards rural life, famous for its delicious local and fresh food —their burgers are particularly popular. Rooms are in a single-story block behind the pub, and offer contemporary rural style. Dogs can stay in select rooms with garden access. Treats for four-legged friends are available in the lounge (大厅) and bar and there’s always a water bowl to hand.
The Falcondale, Wales
The Falcondale is a romantic destination. Stay in a valley-view room and enjoy the teapot. coffeepot and shortbread available in all rooms. Dogs not only enjoy the landscape, but can sit with you in part of the restaurant. There’s a luxury Canine Retreat package available. Bowls, blankets, towels, mess bags, leads, a torch and an outdoor tap are provided, as well as treats, a temperature-controlled dog bat h and a dog dining menu.
The Traddock, Austwick
The place to go for walking, especially if you choose to bring the dog with you. The Traddock is a welcome country house in the Yorkshire Dales national park. Homely and warm, rooms are decorated in comforting style but with a clear sense of luxury too. Locally sourced food always takes center stage. The personal welcome extends to four-legged friends who will love the many surrounding walks and the peaceful garden. After a day outdoors, they can relax in the lounge and bar.
1. What is special about Sentry Mead?| A．It welcomes dogs. | B．It is detail-focused. |
| C．It has luxury rooms. | D．It has fine decorations. |
| A．To have dogs examined. | B．To create a database of dogs. |
| C．To take good care of dogs. | D．To promote some dog food. |
| A．They are dog-friendly. | B．They are in the downtown. |
| C．They have rural scenery. | D．They have dog shelters. |
5 . Nicole Graham from Melbourne, Australia owns 10 horses. One afternoon, she and her
Speaking of the
Stacey Sullivan, the vet who
| A．daughter | B．friend | C．vet | D．husband |
| A．absorbed | B．trapped | C．buried | D．engaged |
| A．rescue | B．raise | C．wash | D．drive |
| A．Fortunately | B．Sadly | C．Apparently | D．Quickly |
| A．awake | B．informed | C．calm | D．quiet |
| A．Immediately | B．Incredibly | C．Subsequently | D．Ultimately |
| A．awkward | B．frightened | C．relieved | D．impressed |
| A．safety | B．normal | C．life | D．justice |
| A．send out | B．pull out | C．bring up | D．clean up |
| A．terrible | B．urgent | C．confusing | D．successful |
| A．crash | B．disaster | C．incident | D．event |
| A．breathtaking | B．heartbreaking | C．awesome | D．troublesome |
| A．posters | B．traps | C．tracks | D．signs |
| A．treated | B．discovered | C．kept | D．comforted |
| A．rescuer | B．owner | C．reporter | D．fighter |
My parents were always against me owning my own pet, afraid of the mess it would make or that I would quickly lose interest in taking care of it, but we made a compromise: I could volunteer at a local pet shelter on the weekends to test my sense of responsibility and dedication. That was how I first came to volunteer at the Avondale pet shelter and—more importantly—where I met my future best friend, Chocolate.
One hot August afternoon, my boss Charlie told me that they were bringing in a young black Labrador Retriever and that I’d be its primary caretaker. An hour after our conversation and in came Chocolate—a beautiful dog with shining brown fur and amazing blue eyes. At about 3 months old, I expected him to be a lot more energetic and playful, but he immediately backed and lay down at the back of his pen (围栏).
I asked Charlie what was the matter with him. He replied that Chocolate had a genetic problem which caused him to be born with a short tail, leading potential owners to think there was something wrong with him; so the breeder felt that they had no choice but to give up the puppy to the shelter.
He was overlooked and underappreciated. I felt very angry at the thought that an otherwise healthy dog could be thrown away so easily. At the same time, I felt a deep sympathy for this dog who had been cheated out of the love and attention he deserved. It was at this moment that I resolved to give Chocolate as much love and attention as I could while working as a volunteer.
Although Chocolate was reluctant and shy at first. eventually through enough treats and play he slowly came around and warmed up to me. Soon enough, whenever I came around his pen to let him out for his turn of walks and play, Chocolate was always excited and jumping with joy.
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。
Paragraph 1:
As time passed by, the connection between Chocolate and I grew stronger and stronger.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2:
One day, Charlie said Chocolate must find a home soon or he would be removed.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Josie and I wanted a dog more than anything else. Whenever we had time, we’d sit together and talk about dogs. “You’re so silly, Jake,” Josie would say. “Bulldogs (斗牛犬) are scary.” “Hah. Golden retrievers (金毛猎犬) are scary,” I’d say. We had this ongoing argument about what our ideal dog would be. But it made no difference—any dog would do, as long as it had a tail to wag and a friendly face.
One summer night, as we sat together beside the window, Josie saw something. “What’s that?” she said, pointing to a dark shadow on our driveway. The moon was up and everything looked either black or milky. At first all I saw was darkness. Then the shadow moved and I heard the sound of metal. Then the shadow flowed out onto the silvery driveway. With a little fright, we found ourselves stepping down to the front door. There in our yard stood a dog—a big, black dog with long, shaggy (蓬松的) hair.
Josie made a little kissing noise and held out her hand. “Here, boy!” I said. And the dog came to us slowly, taking a few steps forward, and then a step back, not sure whether to trust us. When close enough, it had a doggy smell that always made me think of dirt and grass and piles of leaves. “Don’t say ‘Here, boy’,” said Josie. “She’s a female.” Pulling back and looking, I said, “I wonder what her name is.” I felt for her collar while she sat patiently. I found no tags, but just a chain with a small old bell on it.
“I bet she’s hungry,” said Josie. “I can feel her ribs.” I ran my hand through her fur. The dog was so skinny that you could feel every bone, and her coat was twisted and full of dirt. If she belonged to someone, they weren’t taking good care of her.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150个左右；
2. 请按如下格式在相应位置作答。
“What can we give her?” Josie asked me.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The dog did something completely unexpected.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________8 . In 1999, Giuliana Furci, founder and founding director of the Fungi (真菌) Foundation, developed a deep interest in fungi. They were everywhere, and the 20-year-old took particular joy in the variety of mushrooms: small and button-shaped; tall and umbrella-like; round with red caps topped with white flakes. Some were commonly found in people’s diets, for they were rich in nutrients such as vitamin, fiber, minerals and protein.
But Furci also quickly realized that these fungi went largely ignored in Chile, where there were few guidebooks and an almost total lack of policies and resources to protect them from over-harvesting and other human activities. Determined to correct this, Furci wrote a field guide and set up the Fungi Foundation—a nonprofit dedicated to fungi conservation. In her guide, special attention went to the role of fungi in the ecosystem.
“Life on the planet wouldn’t exist without fungi,” said Greg Mueller, a mushroom conservation expert. “Because of their relationship with forests and trees, we can’t survive without fungi. In terms of the health of the planet, they’re incredibly important to humans and the overall ecosystem.” Fungi can break down plants and animals, thus cycling nutrients and increasing their availability in the soil. They are also important contributors to the soil carbon stock through the same process. What’s more, fungi have been found to help degrade (降解) various pollutants, such as plastic. And mycelium (菌丝体), which is the root structure of mushrooms, is now being used to replace unsustainable materials, such as plastic and animal-based products.
Because of these, exploration of fungi was expanded at a faster pace. However, some were already listed as critically endangered. In 2010, Furci took an even bigger step—with other environmental nonprofits, she put forward a proposal for the government to systematically assess how large new developments such as housing, dams, and highways affect fungi. In 2012, a law was passed and Chile became the first country in the world to protect fungi by law.
1. What can we learn about Furci from the first two paragraphs?| A．She enjoyed collecting mushrooms. |
| B．She was fond of cooking mushrooms. |
| C．She worried about the situation of fungi. |
| D．She had a habit of writing field guidebooks. |
| A．The life on earth without fungi. |
| B．The importance of fungi on earth. |
| C．The relations between trees and fungi. |
| D．The practical uses of fungi in the future. |
| A．By writing free instructions on plants. |
| B．By starting a non-profit ecotourism company. |
| C．By raising awareness of the importance of fungi. |
| D．By passing laws to ban over-harvesting mushrooms. |
| A．Ground-breaking. | B．Debatable. |
| C．Romantic. | D．Unmatched. |
In a very cold January, a puppy wandered around Mr. Lacey’s house, where he lived with his wife Mamie and their daughter Doris. Icicles (冰锥) hung three feet or more from the roofs of houses and snow swallowed up cars.
The puppy had been abandoned, and it made its way down the road toward the Laceys’ small house, with its ears down and trembling from shyness and cold. Doris, whose school had been called off because of the snow, was clearing the steps when she spotted the puppy on the road.
“Come on, little dog!” she called it over. The puppy shyly wagged its tail when Doris approached. As soon as Doris put the dog down in the kitchen, her mom, Mrs. Lacey, asked where the dog came from. Mr. Lacey, who was cleaning his fingernails with his pocketknife at the table, said, “I don’t know where it came from, but I know for sure where it’s going.” Doris hugged the puppy hard against her. She said nothing.
Because of the snowy weather, Mr. Lacey couldn’t take the puppy to the shelter right away. So, it stayed in the basement, and Doris fed it leftovers, even though her mom didn’t want to waste food. Doris thought the puppy was around six months old and would be quite noisy sometimes. Surprisingly, the puppy behaved well, didn’t cry or make trouble in the basement, and only followed Doris upstairs when she invited it. Doris often found it on the basement steps listening to the kitchen talk and smelling the food. She felt the puppy wanted company.
Even after a week, Doris didn’t name the dog, knowing her parents wouldn’t let her keep it. Her father made so little money that any pets were out of the question. Desperate to keep the dog, Doris tried to convince her parents by praising the dog’s good behavior and expressing her love for it, but her parents didn’t give a definite answer.
Despite her efforts, Doris secretly wished the bad weather would never go away, fearing the puppy’s unavoidable trip to the shelter. However, nine days after the dog had arrived, the sun was shining.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150个左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Doris knew it was time to say goodbye to the dog and felt rather worried.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Doris put her hand to her mouth and couldn’t believe what she had heard.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________10 . As an only child, Nicole Renae often felt lonely in her youth. But that all changed when she turned ten. For her birthday, Renae’s grandmother
From the very start, the two were
But when Renae was 14, her father
“Chloe was very noisy,” Renae said. “I was just a kid, so I didn’t have any
When she met Chloe, the dog seemed so familiar. And Chloe appeared to feel the same
| A．offered | B．showed | C．surprised | D．treated |
| A．cat | B．pig | C．chicken | D．puppy |
| A．unfriendly | B．inseparable | C．disharmonious | D．impolite |
| A．got | B．quit | C．assigned | D．approved |
| A．be free of | B．be available for | C．be suitable for | D．be tired of |
| A．idea | B．choice | C．alternative | D．suggestion |
| A．make up for | B．break away from | C．give in to | D．get rid of |
| A．delighted | B．sad | C．confused | D．embarrassed |
| A．Over time | B．On time | C．At times | D．At a time |
| A．sorrow | B．satisfaction | C．confusion | D．joy |
| A．experience | B．assume | C．wonder | D．observe |
| A．decorate | B．adopt | C．purchase | D．borrow |
| A．junior | B．prior | C．senior | D．young |
| A．decided | B．responded | C．recovered | D．attached |
| A．direction | B．appearance | C．way | D．phenomenon |
