1 . Artificial Intelligence (AI) has greatly sped up how long it takes to sort, label and analyze(分析) animal sounds—as well as to figure out which aspects of those sounds might carry meaning. One day we’ll be able to use AI to build a chat box that translates complex(复杂的) animal sounds into human language. Project CETI is just one organization working toward this goal.

“AI could eventually get us to the point where we understand animals, but that’s hard to deal with and long-term,” says Karen Bakker, a researcher at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. “Some species have been on the planet longer than humans. Some species could go extinct before we figure out their language,” Bakker adds. “Besides, the idea of walking around with an animal translator may seem cool, but many animals might not be interested in chatting.”

“Why would a bat want to speak to you?” she asks. What interests her is what we can learn from how bats and other creatures talk amongst each other.“We should listen to nature and ask the animals’ requirements in order to better protect them,” she argues. For example, a system set up to record whales or elephants can also track their locations. This can help our boats avoid whales or protect elephants from poachers (偷猎者).

Protection is one goal driving Project CETI. “If we understand sperm whales better, we will be better at understanding what’s troubling them,” says Gašper Beguš, a linguist at the University of California, Berkeley. Learning that a species has something very similar to language or culture could also inspire people to work harder to protect it.

When we protect an animal that has some version of language or culture, we’re not simply protecting nature and we’re also saving a way of life. Marine biologist Denise Herzing says that animals are supposed to have a healthy environment so that their cultures can develop well.

1. What can we infer from Paragraph 1?

A．We can tell the complex animal behavior.

B．We will find ways to talk with animals.

C．We can share our language with animals.

D．We need conduct more research on animals.

2. Bakker thinks that understanding animals’ language fully is ______.

A．difficult.

B．costly.

C．harmful.

D．worthless.

3. How can we protect the animals effectively according to Paragraph 3?

A．By learning about their needs.	B．By setting up shelters for them.
C．By mapping out their locations.	D．By living peacefully with them.

4. Which statement does Herzing probably agree with?

A．Animals’ culture should be given up.

B．Saving nature means saving ourselves.

C．Short-term and long-term goals need to be set.

D．Animals should be in a healthy natural world.

2 . Are you a fan of birds? If so, you may have admired their beautiful colors and sweet songs. But do you know these feathered friends can actually do more than that?

A new study published in the journal Scientific Reports finds that exposure to birds, either in the home or outdoors, can boost people’s moods.

Researchers at King’s College London used a smartphone app built by the school’s Urban Mind project to collect the real-time feelings of study participants upon seeing or hearing a bird. A total of 1,292 people living in the United Kingdom, Europe, and the United States participated in the study which was conducted between April 2018 and October 2021.

The app asked participants three times a day whether they could see or hear a bird followed by a series of questions on their mental well-being. Participants were also asked questions about whether they could see trees, plants or hear any water to see if people were experiencing better mental well-being due to being in or seeing nature, and not just because of exposure to birds.

According to the study, the mental well-being of study participants with and without depression was significantly improved after seeing a bird or hearing birdsong compared to not seeing or hearing a bird.

There is a growing number of studies that link spending time outdoors (either in green leafy places or next to bodies of water) to improved mental health. But there are few studies that look at how different aspects of nature can play into humans’ mental well-being.

And while the study adds to the small pile of research on birds and mental health, the report marks the first time researchers have studied the responses to birds and mental well-being in real-time, according to Ryan Hammoud, lead author of the study.

“They kind of examine nature as a single object when nature includes many different characteristics and features like trees, plants, water, birds,” said Hammoud, “We choose to focus on bird life to try and understand which specific characteristics of nature benefit mental well-being.”

1. What is the purpose of paragraph 1?

A．To introduce a phenomenon.	B．To bring in the topic.
C．To ask an interesting question.	D．To provide background information.

2. How did the researchers conduct the study?

A．By analyzing previous studies.	B．By observing the behavior of birds.
C．By gathering feelings of participants.	D．By studying people’s effect on birds.

3. What does Hammoud think of the new study?

A．Pioneering.

B．Interesting.

C．Conventional.

D．Practical.

4. What is the main idea of the text?

A．Bird watching has become a popular hobby.

B．Exposure to birds can improve mental well-being.

C．Nature is the best medicine for mental health issues.

D．Spending time outdoors can impact mental health positively.

3 . Daniel Hove spent years serving his community in Wisconsin as the Assistant Fire Chief for the Burnsville Fire Department. In 2012, he _________ from the job he loved after doctors diagnosed him with pancreatic (胰腺的) cancer.

Daniel spent years fighting the _________ disease. And he had tons of _________ from friends and family. But his beloved 11-year-old Labrador (拉布拉多猎犬), Gunner, _________ by his side every step of the way.

As Daniel’s _________ grew more difficult, Gunner became ill, too. And he _________ highs and lows right along with his favorite human.

“When my dad would get restless, the dog would be _________,” Daniel’s daughter Heather explained. “So once we   _______ how the dog was doing—he wasn’t moving much anymore and not doing well—we knew, it was coming.”

As Gunner’s suffering hit its peak, Heather _________ knew the dog’s time on Earth was done. Gunner was __________ an animal hospital where the veterinarian put him to __________ forever. And soon after Gunner passed away, Daniel found his __________ was close. About an hour and a half later, Daniel was gone too. __________ in life, the dog and his beloved owner also remained that way in death.

Special friends are placed in our lives. And the story of this dog and his owner is a beautiful __________ that sometimes those furry friends offer lifelong __________ without words.

1.

A．came

B．retired

C．returned

D．suffered

2.

A．common

B．impressive

C．terrible

D．addictive

3.

A．support

B．praise

C．criticism

D．popularity

4.

A．moved

B．swung

C．stopped

D．remained

5.

A．devotion

B．decision

C．battle

D．work

6.

A．experienced

B．enhanced

C．conveyed

D．explored

7.

A．unsatisfied

B．uneasy

C．selfless

D．careless

8.

A．proved

B．inferred

C．guessed

D．saw

9.

A．exactly

B．frequently

C．instantly

D．originally

10.

A．rushed to

B．sent for

C．thrown into

D．dropped by

11.

A．play

B．sleep

C．live

D．wake

12.

A．place

B．healing

C．time

D．liking

13.

A．Inseparable

B．Suitable

C．Countable

D．Unbelievable

14.

A．fashion

B．reminder

C．form

D．encounter

15.

A．process

B．education

C．learning

D．company

5 . Polar bears are icons of the Arctic. Detailed monitoring of their populations is crucial for their conservation—but because polar bears are so difficult to find, we are missing critical data about population size. Scientists have now developed a new tool to help: DNA analysis using skin cells left in the bears’ footprints in the snow.

The scientists were inspired by the techniques that can be applied to tiny, degraded DNA samples. With these techniques, it isn’t necessary to physically capture bears, which can be stressful and dangerous for both bears and humans. Instead, the researchers can turn to the snow tracks of polar bears and look at sources of DNA left in passing—environmental DNA. "The tracks usually contain fresh cells, and the DNA is intact because of the cold’ storage’ temperature, "said Dr. Melanie Lancaster of the World Wide Fund, lead author.

The scientists collected snow from individual tracks made by Alaskan polar bears in the wild. Additional materials like hair and saliva(唾液)were sampled, confirming that the tracks provided accurate genotype(基因型) 24 wild polar bear tracks were sampled. The researchers melted and filtered the snow to collect environmental DNA, then carried out micro-satellite analysis. Although the concentrations (浓度)of DNA taken from trucks sampled in the wild were very low, 13 of the wild polar bear samples could be genotype, identifying 12 different individuals.

This technique has huge potential to inform conservation of these animals, to better understand their populations and behavior. Although the sampling has a lower success rate, ease of collection means that it can significantly expand sample sizes.

"We hope this method will be taken up by the polar bear research community, with the involvement of hunters, volunteers, and local communities, as a new way to collect information on polar bears, "said Lancaster. "We also hope the method will be expanded to other animals living in snowy environments. "

1. Why do scientists develop the new method?

A．To improve the environment in the Arctic.

B．To protect humans from the polar bears attack.

C．To find solutions to global climate change.

D．To gather essential data for monitoring polar bears.

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

A．Unknown.

B．Undamaged.

C．Unusual.

D．Unstable.

3. What did the scientists do in the study?

A．They tracked and caught polar bears in the wild.

B．They recorded the bears’ behaviors with cameras.

C．They analyzed DNA from polar bears’ snowy footprints.

D．They compared the polar bears’ genotype with other animals?

4. What is Lancaster’s attitude toward the method?

A．Disapproving.

B．Favorable.

C．Uncertain.

D．Suspicious.

6 . The first animal Tracey Parsons rescued was a baby bird she found jumping in and out of the road. It had lost its mother. Parsons was seven. She kept it in her bedroom, where it flew around the room. She went to the library to learn how to feed it. The bird started following her around. In the morning it would fly up to her bed and sing beautiful songs. “I’ll never forget it,” she says.

Parsons, who is now 35 and runs a clothes shop in Blackheath, London, doesn’t know how many animals she’s saved since then. Thousands, she estimates. “I like animals,” she says, “because they’re pure and reflect the beauty of nature. And they don’t have their own voices, so someone has to be their voice.”

Any time an injured bird or animal is found in the area, odds are it will find its way to Parsons’ home. People bring them to her front door all the time. Around Blackheath, people know Parsons as “the bird lady”. The local farmers’ market donates scraps (剩饭) for her to feed the ducklings.

She spends thousands of pounds a year on feed and medication. Once the animals are rehabilitated (康复), Parsons releases them into the wild or takes them to wildlife sanctuaries (保护区) if they’re not able to live independently.

“I’ve known Tracey for more than 10 years,” says her friend Diane Blackwell. “She paddles (划船) into freezing pond water to rescue ducklings. She’s rushed to my place to rescue a badly injured fox at 10 pm. She doesn’t have an off switch for her rescue work.”

When asked which animals stand out in her three-decade-long career as a wildlife rehabber, Parsons tells a seemingly unbelievable story. One day in 2019, Parsons was at her shop. When she opened the curtain she saw an injured fox. It ran away, but returned the next day, and every day after that. He’d jump in her lap, and follow her around. People think foxes are aggressive (富于攻击性的), but that’s not true, she says. “They’re adorable, loving creatures.”

1. What can we learn about Parsons’ rescue attempt at age seven?

A．She found it challenging and dangerous.

B．She found a dying duckling outside her room.

C．She regarded it as a memorable experience.

D．She brought a baby bird to a wildlife sanctuary.

2. What do Parsons’ words in paragraph 2 show?

A．She wants to protect animals.

B．Animals can recognize human voices.

C．Every animal has its own unique voice.

D．She thinks wild animals may threaten humans.

3. What does Blackwell say about Parsons?

A．She has devoted herself to saving animals.	B．She is supported by local people.
C．She feels tired from her work.	D．She cares little about her friends.

4. What made the fox unique in Parsons’ animal rescue career?

A．It was badly injured.	B．It was a rare species.
C．It was friendly to her.	D．It was found in her shop.

7 . 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.

8 . When our first son Brendan was born in Sydney in 1966, we planted a golden elm tree in our front yard.It and Brendan _________ together and when we _________ the house, eight years later, the tree branched (长出枝条) out over our heads. We were _________ we had to leave it behind when we moved to New South Wales.

A young couple bought our home and were _________ it.Over the next 37 years, when travelling to Sydney, my family _________ couldn’t help stopping to see the tree. With time, the golden elm grew more beautiful.The owners still loved the home and seemed not to _________ at all that we didn't completely leave them alone.

Recently on the way to Sydney, my husband _________ to see how the house and the owners were getting on. It had been about ten years since we had last _________ and the tree had been removed some years earlier._________, the owner, Gillian, suggested she would contact (联系) us some time in the future, so my husband gave her our ____________.

When I heard about her ____________ message, I wondered what she meant. One day in December, we had a phone call from Gillian. She wanted to drop something in to us for our ____________. I told Brendan that there was a mysterious gift being ____________ for him that day, so it was indeed ____________ when Gillian handed him a package containing two carved wooden bowls. Gillian had asked a local woodworking company to make the ____________ from a piece of the trunk of the golden elm, which she had ____________ several years earlier. My husband’s ____________ had driven her to follow through with her idea.

What a pleasure it was to ____________ that package. We were ____________ by her thoughtfulness (体贴), and amazed that her long­term plan actually did ____________.

1.

A．watched

B．grew

C．played

D．worked

2.

A．built

B．sold

C．found

D．entered

3.

A．sorry

B．afraid

C．angry

D．nervous

4.

A．proud of

B．polite to

C．worried to

D．delighted with

5.

A．never

B．seldom

C．always

D．still

6.

A．forget

B．believe

C．mind

D．remember

7.

A．feared

B．decided

C．agreed

D．refused

8.

A．failed

B．finished

C．lost

D．stopped

9.

A．Instead

B．Besides

C．However

D．Therefore

10.

A．tree

B．address

C．key

D．message

11.

A．encouraging

B．personal

C．important

D．secret

12.

A．son

B．friend

C．parent

D．neighbour

13.

A．ordered

B．bought

C．made

D．sent

14.

A．strange

B．funny

C．exciting

D．heartbreaking

15.

A．phone

B．.       bowls

C．branches

D．package

16.

A．picked

B．planted

C．stored

D．covered

17.

A．dream

B．mistake

C．visit

D．suggestion

18.

A．post

B．receive

C．offer

D．use

19.

A．shocked

B．confused

C．amused

D．touched

20.

A．end

B．fall through

C．form

D．come true

9 . A wild African bird that will lead people to trees with honeycomb (蜂巢) seems to somehow learn the distinct whistles and calls of the human foragers (觅食者) who live near them.

This bird species has far more information about what the bees are doing than humans ever could. In Tanzania, Hadza foragers can use a special whistle to attract this bird, which will then fly down and start leading them to honey. With its noisy chattering sound, the bird is very conspicuous. Once the bird arrives at a tree with honey inside, it will rest near the beehive silently, seemingly not to disturb the bees. “That’s the signal to the Hadza to really start searching,” says Brian Wood, an anthropologist at University of California, Los Angeles. Pretty soon, the foragers will locate the hive and cut open the tree trunk.

It is found that the birds are more likely to show up when the familiar signal used by the locals is being broadcast. According to the research, the birds appear 82% of the time when Hadza whistles are being played. But they appear only 24% of the time when the researchers play the whistles traditionally used in a different country.

This makes it clear that the birds have learned what their human neighbors do when they want to partner up and go honey-hunting. “This is a very strong result which supports the idea that there’s a learning process involved,” says Wood.

But how do the birds learn? It’s still unclear. What is clear is that this human-animal communication seems to benefit both parties, and it may go back many thousands of years. When the honeycomb is out, the birds get some of the beeswax, which they love to eat. And the human foragers get the honey—which is an enormously important food for the Hadza. Wood has calculated that the Hadza get about 10% of the calories in their annual diet with the help of the birds.

1. What does the underlined word “conspicuous” in Para.2mean?

A．Eye-catching.

B．Care-free.

C．Naughty.

D．Attractive.

2. What can we know about the birds?

A．They are raised by humans.	B．They help cut open the tree trunk.
C．They feed on honey as their annual diet.	D．They can distinguish different whistles.

3. Which of the following can best describe the honey gathering?

A．A complex dilemma.	B．An unfair trade.
C．A double-edged sword.	D．A win-win cooperation.

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

A．The familiar signal in the forest.

B．A talented expert in hunting the bees.

C．A wonderful guide to collecting honey.

D．The human-animal communication in Tanzania.