1 . Recently a report was made public by NatureServe, a Virginia-based environmental group, which said 40 percent of animals and 34 percent of plants in the United States are at risk of disappearing.
The group examined data from over 1,000 scientists in the United States and Canada, using 50 years of information on the health of animals, plants and ecosystems. The report provided pictures and maps of areas that are unprotected and where animals and plants are most threatened.
Sean O’Brien, president of NatureServe, said what the report showed was dreadful. For example, among the species (物种) at risk of extinction is the Venus flytrap, a plant that “eats” insects. The report said it is only found in the wild in a few places in the states of North and South Carolina. The report also said 200 species of trees might die out and that America’s large northern grasslands are among the ecosystems most threatened. The main threats to plants, animals and ecosystems include environmental destruction (破坏), land-use change, river pollution, and climate change, according to the report.
California, Texas and the southeastern United States are where the highest percentages of plants, animals and ecosystems are at risk. Those areas have many different forms of life. Wesley Knapp, head plant scientist at NatureServe, said those parts of America haven’t seen much population growth in recent years. Knapp said lawmakers usually do not provide as much money for protecting plants as they do for animals. He hoped the data could guide state and area officials in creating effective State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) to protect endangered species.
Now $50 million nationwide is shared among all states to carry out their SWAP. If the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act was passed, it would increase that amount to $ 1.4 billion. Knapp said the bill would have better served the protection of plants and animals.
1. What can we infer about the environmental group?| A．It has been running for 50 years. | B．It has saved 40 kinds of animals. |
| C．It put much effort into the report. | D．It just protects threatened plants. |
| A．Pleasant. | B．Similar. | C．Common. | D．Terrible. |
| A．It could play an active role. | B．It may cover all the species. |
| C．It might help reduce the cost. | D．It will take the place of SWAP. |
| A．The Protection by Law Making Sense | B．Many US Animals and Plants at Risk |
| C．State Wildlife Action Plan on the Way | D．NatureServe Working for a Green World |
2 . A four-year-old dog named Kob became a hero in its neighborhood by discovering a possibly life-threatening gas leak (泄漏) in its owner’s front yard.
This dog’s actions not only
The story began when Kob,
After
Finding gas coming out of the hole, Bell
“If it wasn’t found, the
During the repairs, workers
Throughout the repairs, the workers
| A．matched | B．beautified | C．saved | D．explored |
| A．admitted | B．owned | C．trained | D．cured |
| A．behavior | B．effort | C．appearance | D．responsibility |
| A．disappointed | B．encouraged | C．confident | D．concerned |
| A．fearing | B．avoiding | C．recording | D．experiencing |
| A．bought | B．repaired | C．shared | D．researched |
| A．decorate | B．mark | C．fill | D．examine |
| A．secretly | B．obviously | C．immediately | D．regularly |
| A．oil | B．gas | C．air | D．water |
| A．serious | B．extra | C．special | D．similar |
| A．injury | B．trouble | C．death | D．failure |
| A．looking into | B．turning on | C．fixing up | D．breaking down |
| A．missed | B．changed | C．doubted | D．discovered |
| A．services | B．design | C．equipment | D．places |
| A．praised | B．inspired | C．held | D．protected |
3 . Built in 1990, the Moriyama City Firefly Forest Museum has been trying to recover the number of the Genji firefly (源氏萤火虫), whose population was near extinction in the first half of the 20th century.
In Japan, fireflies have long been the sign of summer. Moriyama’s Genji fireflies were especially prized for their vivid, yellow-green glow. However, from 1868 to 1912, a commercial firefly industry developed. In just one night, a single hunter could catch about as many as 3,000 fireflies, sweeping the earth with brushes to frighten just egg-laying fireflies from riverbanks. It was easiest to catch female fireflies when they laid their eggs. Thus, there were fewer and fewer left to produce the next generation. At the same time, a fast-urbanizing Japan was turning Moriyama’s once ideal habitats into places where few fireflies could survive. Concrete was laid on the banks where there was once grass. Wastewater ran into the waters where the larvae (幼虫) grew.
The founders set its museum in the kind of habitat that Genji fireflies would find attractive. They created an artificial river and planted its banks with grass. Inside the museum, they mate and reproduce Genji fireflies; it is still the only organization to do so in a large size. Fireflies lay thousands of eggs. When the larvae come out, they are moved to boxes with flowing water. They grow there until February when the larvae are moved to the man-made river. Then, the fireflies leave the water and take flight in June.
The museum also has educational purpose. Throughout the year, it lectures on the insect’s history and ecology in schools. They also lead museum activities and other training and awareness campaigns, including the museum’s magazine, From the Firefly Forest. Cleanup activities around waters are also organized.
The action is reasonable but, despite their efforts, the number of Genji fireflies hasn’t increased so much in Moriyama. Most other habitats continue to become worse due to urbanization. Unless people preserve them, fireflies will continue to suffer. “The only chance at recovering Genji firefly populations is to act now,” ecologist Kato warns. “We’re running out of time to provide the environmental education to save Japan’s beloved insect.”
1. Why did the number of the Genji fireflies decrease?| A．Because the banks where they once lived disappeared. |
| B．Because the waters where the larvae grew were polluted. |
| C．Because over 3,000 female fireflies were caught every night. |
| D．Because a commercial firefly industry developed their habitats. |
| A．It has organized various educational activities. |
| B．It has helped Genji fireflies lay thousands of eggs. |
| C．It has helped Genji fireflies leave the water and take flight in June. |
| D．It has created the kind of habitat that the Genji fireflies would find attractive. |
| A．It is reasonable. | B．It makes no sense. |
| C．It wastes lots of time. | D．It needs immediate action. |
| A．The extinction of Genji fireflies in Japan. |
| B．The reappearance of Genji fireflies in Japan. |
| C．Efforts made to recover Genji fireflies by a Japanese museum. |
| D．The effect of urbanization on Japan’s favorite glowing insect. |
On a sunny day with no clouds, Sally sat on a chair in the garden, hemming (缝边) a handkerchief. All of a sudden, there came a little ant. It was in such a hurry. Finally it ran across the small stone table and stopped by her side. The sewing was not done, for Sally easily got a little bit distracted by this little ant. Suddenly, she dropped her thimble (顶针) over the little ant by accident while she was looking at it.“Can it mind? But it is only such a little tiny thing,”said Sally in doubt.
Then Sally ran away, for her mother called her to have lunch, and she forgot all about the ant under the thimble and the handkerchief outside. There the little ant was, running round and round in the dark place, with little horns on its head quivering, little perfect legs bending as beautifully as those of a racehorse, and it was very scared.
If Sally had remembered the ant, she would have heard this little ant say, “I can’t get out! I can’t get out! Is there anyone out there? Can someone help me out?” But unfortunately, till the bedtime, Sally failed to hear the little ant's silent calling and just went to sleep. In the midnight, there was thunder, lightning and heavy rain. The next day, when Sally woke up, she came to the garden, only to find the handkerchief was soaked (湿透的) as if somebody had been crying very much. When she was about to fetch it as soon as the sun shone, it suddenly came to her who was under the thimble. “Oh, how could I forget that little ant? I hope the little ant is doing fine,”said Sally, running with her worried face.
But when she lifted up the thimble, what came to her sight was the little tiny an t lay stiff and still. It seemed like this little poor thing was away from this world. “Oh, did it die of being under the thimble?”Sally said aloud with her trembling voice. “Why did you do that, Sally?”said her father, who was close by and looked unsatisfied.
注意：1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
“Dad, I didn’t mean to,” said Sally.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
“Where is the ant in such a hurry to go, Sally?” said her father.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Alice sat in the car while palm trees seemed to speed by the car window. Eight-year-old Alice began to get nervous, the way she always did in new surroundings. She felt a thin shine of sweat above her lip in spite of the car’s cool air. “The aquarium (水族馆) won’t be crowded, I bet, and people are going to notice me. I hate wearing this prosthesis leg (假肢).” She felt tears coming from behind her eyes. “Not being normal is the worst,” she thought to herself.
Entering the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, around a corner of a tank, she noticed an animal that looked unusual. “Is that a dolphin with a a prosthetic tail instead of a real tail?” she asked an aquarium staff member. He nodded and replied, “Yes, that’s Betty. She’s a very special dolphin.” “What happened to her?” “This girl dolphin was found off the coast of Florida, caught in a crab trap. The ropes from the trap cut off the blood circulation to her tail. So she lost her tail,” Alice caught her breath. “She’s just like me.” “But she struggled to survive. Now she wears a prosthetic tail to help her swim like a dolphin’s supposed to swim,” the staff member continued. “Every day, Betty shows us anything is possible if we believe.”
Alice felt her heart was touched. She waved at Betty. Looking at Alice, Betty raised her flippers(鰭), came to her and lifted her head. “She’s swimming right into my arms,” Alice said tearfully. They made eye contact. She seemed to be speaking to Alice: We’re the same.
Back home, all Alice talked about was Betty. For two weeks, she cried and begged her mother to take her back to Clearwater.
Unfortunately, another blow hit Alice. She fell on the hardwood floor at home and broke her other leg. Alice suffered the pain in her leg. After a through examination, the doctor explained bad news to them that she would need some surgery on her leg. Years of a living hell (地狱) came back to her.
She started fearing surgery again and refused to go to hospital for treatment.
注意：1.续写词数应为150左右；2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
“How can I persuade Alice to undergo the surgery?” Alice’s mom said to herself.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Encouraged by Betty, Alice changed her mind and did what her mother and doctor had told her to.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________1. Where does the conversation take place?
| A．At home. | B．In a bookstore. | C．At school. |
| A．Her pet got lost. | B．Her work is difficult. | C．Her parents have problems. |
| A．Get a cat. | B．Read a book. | C．Focus on her lessons. |
7 . Have you always dreamed of having a garden,but thought you didn’t have enough space (空间)?
Plan your layout (布局) carefully.
Make use of vertical (垂直的) space. One of the best ways to make the most of your small garden is to use vertical gardening skills. Vertical gardening is an excellent way to add more greenery to your small garden without taking up too much space.
Include the eatable into your garden. Growing your own food is not only satisfying,but it can also save you money on groceries Even if you only have a small garden. you can still consider growing various fruits,vegetables, which can be grown ta containers like boxes and pots.
With these tips in mind,you can create a beautiful and productive garden in even the smallest space. Happy gardening!
| A．Follow design rules. |
| B．It’s time to think again. |
| C．Choose suitable plants. |
| D．First,owning a garden is important. |
| E．You can grow plants on walls or ladders. |
| F．Before planting. think about how to use your garden. |
| G．They can provide fresh and delicious food throughout the season. |
8 . When I was a boy, we lived right next to a forest. I spent a lot of time
That was why it was so hard for me
One afternoon after a long day’s work, I was feeling particularly
In this life we all start out as an acorn, but whether we
| A．working | B．playing | C．studying | D．watching |
| A．mountain | B．yard | C．forest | D．park |
| A．when | B．until | C．if | D．unless |
| A．unfair | B．tiring | C．poor | D．dangerous |
| A．thrown away | B．carried off | C．cut down | D．turned over |
| A．available | B．promising | C．lovely | D．concrete |
| A．depressed | B．amazed | C．ashamed | D．frightened |
| A．walk | B．picture | C．lesson | D．risk |
| A．school | B．team | C．childhood | D．farm |
| A．survived | B．attracted | C．surprised | D．convinced |
| A．message | B．sentence | C．letter | D．story |
| A．uncovered | B．pocketed | C．planted | D．swallowed |
| A．discover | B．protect | C．search | D．become |
| A．reason | B．ability | C．courage | D．chance |
| A．Leave | B．Explain | C．Introduce | D．Apply |
9 . Animal populations across the world have been reduced by 69% in less than 50 years, according to a new scientific report. The report’s authors are calling for urgent action to restore the natural world.
The Living Planet Report (LPR) is produced every two years by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the Zoological Society of London. The most recent report, released on October 13, 2022, shows that almost 70% of the world’s monitored wildlife was lost between 1970 and 2018. The report is based on research from 195 countries around the world. Data was collected from almost 32,000 populations of 5,230 species.
Although the average global loss of wildlife is 69%, the rate is greater in the global south. Latin America and the Caribbean in particular have seen the sharpest fall, having lost 94% of their wildlife since 1970. Across the world, the biggest drop was in freshwater populations of wildlife — including almost 1,400 species of mammals, birds, fish, amphibians and reptiles — which have decreased by 83%.
The report identifies several causes for wildlife loss, including hunting, farming, the loss of forests, pollution and climate change. However, the report also promotes solutions, such as designing less destructive food production systems, urgently protecting the Amazon rainforest, limiting the use of fossil fuels, and creating new laws to protect our natural environment.
Commenting on the report, Marco Lambertini, director general of WWF International, called the figures “terrifying”, and said “we need to help nature recover and not simply halt its loss.” In December 2022, world leaders are meeting in Montreal for the 15th UN Biodiversity Conference, also known as COP 15. The authors of the LPR say that this is an opportunity for a global plan to deal with wildlife loss and restore nature. “Government leaders must step up at COP 15,” said Lambertini. “The world is watching.”
1. What does the author mainly want to show by listing the numbers in the first three paragraphs?| A．The causes of the urgent situation. | B．The seriousness of wildlife loss worldwide. |
| C．The detailed process of the research. | D．The drop in freshwater populations of wildlife. |
| A．Stop hunting and farming. | B．Not permit the production of wildlife food. |
| C．Replace the fossil fuels with renewable energy. | D．Offer legal protection of natural environment. |
| A．Accept. | B．Fear. | C．Stop. | D．Suffer. |
| A．Concerned. | B．Indifferent. | C．Positive. | D．Satisfied. |
10 . We adopted Franny, our crazy and lovable Boston puppy, from a local rescue at the start summer in 2022. However, two weeks later she was nowhere to be found.
We often leave our yard doors open to allow Franny and our another dog, Olive, to visit enclosed backyard and lie on the deck (甲板). My heart sank severely when I failed to find any. No sooner had I sensed that than my wife and I charged to our car to comb for this missing dog swiftly. I was scanning the yards a few blocks over when my phone rang all of a sudden: A woman and her daughter had our dog. Franny had been jogging down the alley (小巷) behind their lawn when they grabbed her and called the number on her tag (标牌).
I located and blocked off the gap in the fence that Franny had squeezed through in case she went out secretly and got lost again. However, she was on the run again one month later.
This time she made it much farther — all the way to a high school, where a man found it eating lunch in the sun with some students. Franny was returned to us, her big brown eyes looking ashamed as the man handed her over to me.
These days, our backyard is secured like a maximum-security prison. We love this crazy dog more than ever, and Franny finally seems content to stay put now.
Mostly, I’m thankful for the kind folks who took the time to grab our adorable runaway and return her to us. All of them refused any recompense, regardless of how much I pushed. These minded our family that the world is filled with those who will go out of their way to lend others a hand.
1. Where did the woman first find the dog?| A．In the alley. | B．In the gap of the fence. |
| C．On her lawn. | D．On the deck of her backyard. |
| A．He tied a tag to her. | B．He kept track of her. |
| C．He bridged the fence’s crack. | D．He rebuilt a firm new fence. |
| A．Criticism. | B．Request. | C．Proposal. | D．Payment. |
| A．To show off his puppy. |
| B．To extend his gratitude. |
| C．To call on us to care for the homeless animals. |
| D．To demonstrate the solutions to adopting dogs. |
