2 . Cities, covering less than 2% of the earth ’s surface, greatly influence climate change, consuming almost 80% of the world’s energy and producing more than 60% of greenhouse gas emissions. Fortunately, net zero emissions (净零排放) by 2050, a target set at the COP26 conference, could be achieved faster using digital twins cities, according to a recent research.

Looking and behaving identically in their real—world physical environments, digital twins can help track, manage and reduce environmental damage rapidly. These replicas (复制品) link to networks of sensors that collect data from buildings, transport, air quality, and energy use, to see where emissions can be cut and efficiency improved. Similar technologies have been in use since NASA ’s Apollo moon mission in 1969, where computers and machine replicas were used to test and monitor spacecraft.

Research shows that digital twins can save cities more than $ 280 billion globally by 2030 through more efficient urban planning. Digital twin provider Cityzenith believes that net zero deadlines could be achieved 15 years earlier if the world ’s 100 biggest cities use the technology to decarbonize. “They are the perfect tool for managing and speeding up the energy transformation,” said CEO Michael Jansen. “We could get to net zero globally by 2035. ”

Over the past decades, big tech companies around the world, including GE Digital and Siemens, have developed software for replicating cities, including a district of Berlin, the island nation of Singapore, and the entire city of Shanghai in China. In the US, the Digital Twin Consortium is working to standardize how digital twins are built and share data. Technology company MX3D built the world ’s first 3D-printed stainless steel bridge and co-created its digital twin. CEO Gijs van der Velden believes twins will give us precise control over the built environment.

Recently, OpenAI also made advances in this field. On February 15, the company revealed its latest groundbreaking tech—Sora to the world. Sora is a text -to -video generative AI model. It can generate videos that matches the text prompt (文本提示) given to it in a few seconds. Experts believe Sora is likely to be applied in science and national defence in the future.

1. How does the author show the influence of cities on climate change?

A．By listing data.	B．By giving examples.
C．By comparing opinions.	D．By quoting research findings.

2. What ’s Michael Jansen ’s attitude towards digital twins?

A．Optimistic.

B．Doubtful.

C．Indifferent.

D．Objective.

3. Which statement is true according to the passage?

A．Sora has been used in scientific research and military.

B．Gijs van der Velden has little faith in digital twins ’future.

C．Digital twins technology is developing rapidly around the world.

D．Few tech companies are involved in the study of replicating cities.

4. Which is the best title of this passage?

A．Big Cities Are to Blame for the Severe Environment Pollution

B．Digital Twins Can Save Cities Much Money Globally by 2030

C．Digital Twin Cities Can Reduce the Pollution Impact of Large Cities

D．The Target of Net Zero Emissions Could Be Reached 15 Years Earlier

3 . It has been more than 40 years since anyone spotted a Japanese river otter (水獭). And the once common Yangtze River dolphins have either disappeared or are very rarely seen. These are just a few of the species that have been listed as extinct or locally extinct in recent years. But the advancement of technology could mean the extinction of other species is not a given (假定事实).

A huge challenge scientists and conservationists encounter is tracking species facing extinction to help them. This is where artificial intelligence (AI) has brought about a revolution in the way data on these species is collected and analyzed. One example is the Maui dolphin, one of the rarest and most threatened dolphins in the ocean. Familia r with their summer behavior, researchers knew there were just 54 living off the coast of New Zealand. However, because of weather conditions, researchers knew next to nothing about their winter behavior. After four years of developing, testing and fundraising, these scientists received permission to use a drone (无人机) with Al that tracked the dolphins no matter the season.

In parts of Australia, koalas were declared endangered in 2022 due to bushfires, habitat destruction and road accidents. Saving them was challenging because their locations and numbers were relatively unknown. So Grant Hamilton, an associate professor at Queensland University of Technology, began using drones with infrared imaging to locate them. An Al algorithm analyzes images to determine if a sighting is a koala. That information is then used to monitor and protect the species by restoring their habitats and providing health protection.

In Zambia’s Kafue National Park, home to more than 6,000 elephants, AI is being used to prevent illegal hunting. Cameras record any boats that try to illegally enter the park. Al immediately detects this activity and sends signals to the park rangers to deal with the illegal hunters.

The use of AI has helped to speed up action and increase conservationists’ ability to protect the natural world for generations to come.

1. What's the major problem scientists face to help the endangered animals?

A．Lack of funds.	B．Tracking their behavior.
C．Being forbidden to use drones.	D．Limited knowledge about their habitat.

2. What can we say about Maui dolphins?

A．Researchers spent 4 years tracking them.

B．They have already grown in large numbers.

C．They bring about a technical and data revolution.

D．Researchers can observe them in any season with drones.

3. How are koalas tracked in Australia?

A．By depending on drones with AI.

B．By using AI algorithm to analyze data.

C．By applying drones with infrared imaging.

D．By monitoring their behavior with cameras.

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A．Drones with AI Help us Save Nature

B．The Extinction of Endangered Species

C．Saving Nature with Technology's Help

D．Saving Endangered Animals Has a Long Way

4 . Every year about 40,000 people attempt to climb Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa. They ______ with them lots of waste. The ______ might damage the beauty of the place. The glaciers (冰川) are disappearing, changing the face of Kilimanjaro.

Hearing these stories, I’m ______ about the place — other destinations are described as “purer” natural experiences.

However, I soon ______ that much has changed since the days of disturbing reports of ______ among tons of rubbish. I find a ______ mountain, with toilets at camps and along the paths. The environmental challenges are ______ but the efforts made by the Tanzania National Park Authority seem to be ______.

The best of a Kilimanjaro ______, in my opinion, isn’t reaching the top. Mountains are ______ as spiritual places by many cultures. This view is especially evident on Kilimanjaro as ______ go through five ecosystems within a few kilometers. At the base is a rainforest. It ends suddenly at 3, 000 meters, ______ lands of low growing plants. Further up, the weather ______ — low clouds envelop the mountainsides, which are covered with thick grass. I counted twelve shades of green from where I stand. Above 4, 000 meters is the highland desert: gravel (砾石), stones and rocks. ______ you climb into an arctic-like zone with permanent (永久的) snow and the glaciers that may soon disappear.

Does Kilimanjaro deserve its reputation as a crowded mountain with lines of tourists ______ the atmosphere of peace? I found the opposite to be true.

1.

A．keep

B．leave

C．connect

D．bring

2.

A．stories

B．buildings

C．crowds

D．reporters

3.

A．silent

B．doubtful

C．serious

D．crazy

4.

A．discover

B．argue

C．decide

D．admit

5.

A．equipment

B．grass

C．camps

D．stones

6.

A．clean

B．quiet

C．tall

D．faraway

7.

A．new

B．special

C．significant

D．necessary

8.

A．taking over

B．spreading out

C．carrying on

D．paying off

9.

A．atmosphere

B．experience

C．experiment

D．sight

10.

A．regarded

B．observed

C．explored

D．studied

11.

A．adventurers

B．climbers

C．natives

D．officials

12.

A．holding on to

B．going back to

C．setting out to

D．giving way to

13.

A．changes

B．clears

C．improves

D．permits

14.

A．Obviously

B．Seemingly

C．Absolutely

D．Finally

15.

A．keeping

B．ruining

C．replacing

D．creating

6 . In an effort to help out important insects like bees and butterflies, bus stops across the United Kingdom (UK) are getting living roofs. Small gardens on bus shelter roofs are being planted with flowers chosen to help support the struggling insects. The gardens provide much-needed islands of nature in a man-made environment of a city.

Humans count on bees and other “pollinators (授粉者)” like butterflies to help grow plants, such as flowers and trees. But with humans taking over more and more land for cities, roads and farms, more natural areas have disappeared. The Wildlife Trusts, a group which works to protect wildlife in the UK, says that 97% of England’s wildflower fields have been lost since World War II and the insect numbers there have dropped by 50% since 1970. Bee bus stops are a small step toward supporting these important insects.

The advertising company Clear Channel is working with The Wildlife Trusts and city governments to set up bee bus stops in cities across the UK. Bee bus stops are like ordinary bus shelters, but small gardens have been added to the roofs. The gardens are filled with flowers and plants chosen to attract bees and butterflies. The company plans to set up 1,000 bee bus stops in the UK.

Clear Channel already has bee bus stop programs in several countries in Europe. In the Netherlands, the city of Utrecht has 300 bee bus stops. Research shows that these bus stops—along with many other steps taken to support pollinators—may be helping. After decades of dropping numbers, bee populations in the Netherlands seem to have become more stable over the last few years.

The little gardens can also help to slightly lower city temperatures. Even though the bus shelter gardens are small, together they add up to a much larger area. Thirzah McSherry, who works for The Wildlife Trusts, says, “We’re living through a nature and climate crisis and we need to use every tool we’ve got to deal with it.”

1. Why are bee bus stop gardens being built in the UK?

A．To beautify the city.	B．To improve urban farming.
C．To solve the environmental pollution.	D．To provide shelters for pollinating insects.

2. What leads to the insect numbers dropping sharply in England?

A．Losses of forests.	B．Climate changes.
C．Human activities.	D．Natural disasters.

3. How does the author prove the effect of the bee bus stop programs?

A．By analyzing the data.	B．By making a comparison.
C．By showing similar examples.	D．By presenting its bright future.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．The urban environment is getting worse.

B．The United Kingdom is building bee bus stops.

C．City should build larger gardens for the insects.

D．The bee bus stop is the best way to save the city.

9 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内的单词的正确形式。

Global climate change is not a future problem. Effects that scientists had long predicted would result     1     global climate change are now occurring. Some changes (such as droughts, wildfires, and extreme rainfall) are happening faster than scientists previously     2    (assess). In fact, modern humans have never before seen the observed changes in our global climate, some of     3     are so serious that they are unable to recover over the next hundreds to thousands of years.

Scientists are     4     (high) confident that global temperatures will rise continuously for many decades, mainly due to greenhouse gases    5     (produce) by human activities. It     6     (report) that human emissions of heat-trapping gases have warmed the climate by nearly 1.1 ℃ since the pre-industrial period (between 1850 and 1900). To make matters     7     (bad), half of the world’s population are likely to be exposed to extreme weather events by 2030.

The     8     (severe) of effects caused by climate change will depend on     9     path of future human activities. More greenhouse gas emissions will lead to more climate extremes and widespread damaging effects across our planet.     10     we reduce emissions, we may not avoid some of their worst effects.

10 . 假定你是李华，你校即将举行一场以“环境保护”为主题的英语演讲比赛。请你代表班级写一篇演讲稿，内容包括：
1. 阐述环境保护的重要性；
2. 分享班级在环境保护方面的做法和成果；
3. 呼吁全校师生参与环境保护行动。
注意：
1. 词数100左右；
2. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear teachers, boys and girls,
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thank you!