環境保護與災害防范

閱讀理解

Passage 1

Well-known Volcanoes in the World

While it would be impossible to list all of the Earth’s volcanoes， here are some of the most notable.

Fagradalsfjall， Iceland

Fagradalsfjall， located around 40 kilometers from Reykjavik， had not erupted for many many years before it then erupted in 2021 and 2022. Its last eruption began just several months after the previous one ended. While Iceland has many volcanoes like this， deaths caused by them are relatively few.

Kilauea， the United States

Kilauea—lying on the southern part of the island of Hawaii—is one of the Earth’s most active volcanoes. It last erupted in January 2023. Kilauea is estimated to have caused around 400 deaths in total. It is worthy of note that it tops the list of “very high threat” volcanoes across the United States.

Stromboli， Italy

Stromboli has been erupting almost continuously since 1932. Its last notable eruption was in October 2022. Thankfully， nobody was killed. Because its eruptions are visible a long distance away at night， it is known as the “Lighthouse of the Mediterranean”. Located off the coast of southern Italy， it is among the world’s most visited volcanoes.

Villarrica， Chile

Villarrica， some 750 kilometers south of Santiago， is one of Chile’s most active volcanoes. It serves as a popular spot for hiking and sightseeing， and the surrounding area has been made into a park. Chile has a fairly good network of volcano monitoring stations： Hazard （危險） maps have been produced for many volcanoes （including Villarrica）.

1. Which of the following volcanoes is the most dangerous？

A. Fagradalsfjall. B. Kilauea. C. Stromboli. D. Villarrica.

2. What can we learn about Stromboli？

A. It’s destructive. B. It lies in northern Italy.

C. It’s the most visited. D. It erupts frequently.

3. From which section of a website may the text probably come？

A. Nature. B. History. C. Entertainment. D. Culture.

Passage 2

Silalahi， 46， heads a nonprofit focused on forest protection on the island of Sumatra in Western Indonesia—home to carbon-storing peatland （泥炭地） and critically endangered tigers and rhinos （犀牛）. With her efforts， she has made full use of nearly 18，000 acres of tropical forest from a paper company.

“I grew up in a rural area surrounded by the forest. I used to play in the river. It was such a beautiful place. But I have seen the forest being destroyed by the big paper company and people’s lives turned upside down. I wanted to bring back the area to the way I remembered it，” says Silalahi， and this is also the reason that inspired her to do this work.

“In recent years， we have seen a lot of conflicts and we appreciate what the government says through their political statements about stopping deforestation. Forests are locals’ livelihood. They have this way of protecting their land that has been passed through generations. They know how to preserve and manage the lands. But the presence of the paper company has replaced this forest with eucalyptus trees， which is harmful to the ecosystem. That occasions ecological disasters that affect food production. That’s why we’re fighting so hard to keep what is ours.”

“We live on one planet， and this planet is going through a lot of changes. We need a lot of support from the international community， and we need to build cooperation and partnerships. By working together， we can develop solutions to environmental challenges and create a more resilient and sustainable future for all.”

1. What motivated Silalahi to work on forest protection？

A. Her love for tigers and rhinos. B. Her desire to live in a beautiful place.

C. Her study on ecological disasters. D. Her determination to restore her hometown.

2. What does the underlined word “occasions” in Paragraph 3 mean？

A. Explains. B. Causes. C. Includes. D. Matters.

3. What is the last paragraph mainly about？

A. The importance of global cooperation.

B. The ways to deal with environmental changes.

C. The needs of protecting the ecological environment.

D. The necessity of responding to the ecological threats.

4. What can we infer about Silalahi from the text？

A. She is a government official. B. She is an environmental activist.

C. She is the owner of the paper company. D. She is an expert in forest preservation.

Passage 3

Tropical cyclones start as tropical storms that form in warm ocean waters near the Earth’s equator. The warm air and water at the equator rise into the atmosphere， cool off， and then sink back down. As this cycle repeats itself over and over again， the storm begins to grow and the wind around the storm begins to move faster. Once wind speeds reach 74 miles per hour， the tropical storm becomes a tropical cyclone.

If a tropical cyclone moves over the northwestern Pacific Ocean， it is called a typhoon; if that storm is to move over the northeastern Pacific or the Atlantic Oceans， it is called a hurricane; and if that storm moves over the South Pacific or the Indian Oceans， it is called a cyclone.

The center of a tropical cyclone is called the “eye”. The rest of the storm moves in a circle around the eye at incredibly high speeds. Most of the strong winds do not reach the eye of the storm， so the eye is the calmest part of the storm. While tropical cyclone winds can be incredibly strong and destructive， the winds are not the only reason that these storms are the strongest on the planet. They can also cause heavy rain， a rise in sea levels， heavy flooding， and tornadoes.

Once these storms come onto land， they no longer have the warm ocean water they need to grow larger. This means that they begin to grow weaker once they no longer spin over the water. This， however， doesn’t stop them from causing a lot of damage before they go away. They still may produce strong rain and tornadoes.

Tropical cyclones are an amazing natural phenomenon. It’s important to respect how powerful and destructive they are. If you live in an area that experiences tropical cyclones， you should pay attention to the official notices if your governor asks you to evacuate， you and your family should seek shelter immediately or go to a designated storm shelter.

1. What does Paragraph 1 mainly tell us about tropical cyclones？

A. Their formation. B. Their location. C. Their character. D. Their shape.

2. What can we learn about tropical cyclones from Paragraph 2？

A. They fall into three styles. B. They form over Pacific Ocean.

C. Their centers have the strongest winds. D. Their names vary from region to region.

3. Why do these storms weaken after they come onto land？

A. The land blocks their advance. B. The rain takes away their energy.

C. They lose support from the ocean water. D. They break up into small tornadoes.

4. What does the underlined word “evacuate” in the last paragraph mean？

A. Take it easy. B. Leave a place. C. Hide at home. D. Evaluate something.

Passage 4

Scientists believe they have found a new use for facial recognition technology： saving large ocean animals known as seals. Researchers at Colgate University in the State of New York， the US have developed SealNet. The system is a database of seal faces created by taking pictures of many harbor seals in Maine’s Casco Bay.

The research team found the tool’s accuracy in identifying seals was close to 100 percent. “The researchers are working on increasing the size of their database to make it available to other scientists，” said Krista Ingram. She is a biology professor at Colgate University and a team member.

Increasing the database to include rare species such as the Mediterranean monk seal and Hawaiian monk seal can help efforts to save those species. Creating a list of seal faces and using machine learning to identify them can also help scientists know where in the ocean seals are. Ingram said， “For marine mammals （哺乳動物） that move around a lot and are hard to photograph in the water， we need to identify individuals.”

SealNet is designed to identify the face in a picture. It recognizes the seal’s face based on information related to the eyes and nose shape， as it would be a human. A similar tool called PrimNet had been used on seals earlier， but SealNet performed better， the Colgate University researchers said. Seals and other ocean mammals have long been studied using satellite technology. Using artificial intelligence to study them is a way to bring conservation into the 21st century.

Facial recognition technology could provide valuable data， said Michelle Berger， an associate scientist at the Shaw Institute in Maine. Berger was not involved in the SealNet research. “Once the system is perfect， I can picture lots of interesting environmental uses for it，” Berger said. “If they can recognize seals， and recognize them from year to year， that will give us lots of information about seals’ movement， how much they move from site to site.”

1. How can the researchers make the system useful to other scientists？

A. By expanding their database. B. By improving its accuracy.

C. By sorting the data. D. By using more machines.

2. What can we learn about SealNet？

A. It’s a database of ocean animals. B. It’s the first tool used for studying seals.

C. It’s mainly intended to protect seals better. D. It’s also called PrimNet used on mammals.

3. What does Berger think of the new technology？

A. Perfect. B. Unreliable. C. Beneficial. D. Interesting.

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

A. New Technology Protecting Ocean Animals

B. A New System Helping Take Pictures of Seals

C. Saving Ocean Animals by Increasing the Database

D. Using Facial Recognition Technology to Study Seals

閱讀七選五

Passage 1

When we think of Antarctica， the first thing that comes to our mind is a picture of penguins and large areas covered with snow. Large amounts of white snow spreading over thousands of kilometers is a pretty good description of Antarctica. 1

Research and observations conducted over the past few years have led to the conclusion that the Antarctic Peninsula’s snow is turning green. 2 These algae （藻）， even though they are individually incapable of being seen by eyes， are visible from space. These algae produce colonies called algal blooms， which spread over large areas.

3 As a result， the colonies are visible as many patches of green on white from space. Algae are green because of the presence of the pigment chlorophyll （葉綠素）， which helps in photosynthesis （光合作用）. Red algae have also been found on Antarctica’s snow， leaving the snow painted red. These green and red algae are not just present on the surface of the snow. 4 When the upper layer of snow melts， the algal bloom remains visible in the layers below.

Scientists fear that such profound growth of algae can set off more global warming， causing even more snow to melt. To better understand that， we must consider that white snow reflects most of the sunlight that falls on it. However， as the surface of the snow darkens， it absorbs more and reflects less of the sunlight. 5 This will cause warming of the surrounding area at a faster rate， melting more snow day by day.

A. This is due to algal growth.

B. Sometimes， they can be present below the surface of the snow.

C. However， that legendary snow is not completely white any more.

D. The algae grow so quickly that they occupy great areas of the snow.

E. More sunlight implies more heat trapped on the surface of the Earth.

F. Scientists are estimating the area covered by these green snow algae.

G. The Antarctic Peninsula is the area of the continent with the most vegetation.

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Passage 2

The weather forecast calls for a slight chance of thunderstorm， but you can only see a few white clouds overhead. 1 You spend a few minutes warming up and then wait！ Is that thunder you hear？ Was that a lightning flash？

What do you do？ Keep playing until the thunder and lightning get closer？ Go sit on the metal bench （長椅） under the trees to see what happens？ Or get in your car and drive home？ Correct answer： If no substantial （結實的） shelter is nearby， get in your car and wait out the storm. Why？

2 Although the odds of being struck by lightning in a given year are less than 1 in a million， some factors can put you at greater risk. Lightning most often strikes people who work outside or engage in outdoor recreational activities. 3 Florida is considered the “lightning capital” of the country， with more than 2，000 lightning injuries over the past 50 years. 4

●If the weather forecast calls for thunderstorms， postpone your trip or activity.

●When thunder rolls， go indoors. Find a safe， enclosed shelter. Safe shelters include homes， offices， shopping centers， and hard-top vehicles with the windows rolled up.

● 5 After you see lightning， start counting to 30. If you hear thunder before you reach 30， go indoors. Suspend activities for at least 30 minutes after the last clap of thunder.

●If you are caught outside with no safe shelter nearby， crouch down in a ball-like position with your head tucked （收攏） and hands over your ears.

A. Don’t forget the 30-30 rule.

B. Avoid using electronic equipment of all types.

C. So you and your tennis partner head for the tennis court.

D. Here are some tips to reduce your risk of being struck by lightning.

E. Regional differences can also affect your risk of being injured by lightning.

F. Perform the following actions if you are accidentally caught in an open area.

G. Because being outside when lightning is present is not something to take lightly.

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完形填空

Passage 1

Natalie and Callie， both 13 years old， started raising monarch butterflies for fun in 2020. But after realizing monarch butterflies were an endangered species， their 1 soon turned into a serious mission.

They learned that the population of monarch butterflies had 2 since the early 1990s， due to habitat 3 and widespread use of chemicals， which made the milkweeds monarch butterflies 4 for their main diet dangerous to eat.

So the girls teamed up with a national nonprofit group to plant a native garden 5 for the monarch butterflies. The garden grew organic milkweeds that 6 and kept the butterflies. To help 7 the locals to sustain the monarch butterfly’s population， they created an exhibition about monarch butterflies in the local library. They also wanted to put up an educational sign in town，

but it 8 a lot. To cover the expense， they set up a stand at the Farmers Market to sell their

9 milkweeds for people to plant. Although the fundraising days were 10 ， they finally succeeded in earning enough money with their hard work and people’s support.

The team has won the Silver Award for their 11 of taking care of these butterflies， but they are not 12 with their work. “Our next step is to cut down on the use of 13 to guarantee a safe environment for the monarch butterflies，” said Natalie. In the award ceremony， their teacher Brian 14 ， “I am so proud of them for their constant 15 . They deserve the award.”

1. A. dream B. hobby C. career D. decision

2. A. doubled B. existed C. declined D. exploded

3. A. management B. assessment C. selection D. destruction

4. A. relied on B. kept off C. broke down D. gave out

5. A. partly B. secretly C. rarely D. specially

6. A. attracted B. protected C. monitored D. trapped

7. A. employ B. educate C. regulate D. limit

8. A. meant B. cost C. changed D. hurt

9. A. dry B. medical C. healthy D. wild

10. A. past B. pleasant C. long D. amazing

11. A. project B. concept C. schedule D. duty

12. A. concerned B. connected C. finished D. occupied

13. A. chemicals B. time C. funds D. energy

14. A. quoted B. continued C. replied D. commented

15. A. donations B. support C. patience D. efforts

Passage 2

As leaves make their annual autumn journey from the treetops to the ground， lawn and wildlife experts say it’s better to leave them around than to 1 them， which means we don’t have to move them away.

First， because it keeps leaves out of 2 . Every year， about 8 million tons of leaves end up in landfills. Second， because leaves 3 the grass. They are full of nutrients. “Those nutrients are being returned to the 4 ，” Susan Barton， a professor from the University of Delaware said. “But probably even more 5 than that， it’s the organic matter. It’s the fact that you’ve got this tissue that then finally decomposes （分解） and 6 the soil health.” They also provide shelter， warmth and food for the small animals， which helps them to live 7 .

Some 8 are recommended to make full use of the fallen leaves. It’s best to run over a 9 layer （層） of leaves with a lawn mower （割草機） or cut them up so that they will 10 more quickly. Thick layers of leaves are 11 bad for the grass as well. “If you just leave the leaves on the grass， it will 12 the light. And then the grass won’t be able to photosynthesize. Eventually， it would 13 under a thick layer of leaves，” Barton said. Some cities actually 14 leaves for composting （堆肥） at a central facility.

“We want to think about those leaves as being a 15 ， not a problem，” Barton said. “We need to let natural processes happen.”

1. A. sweep B. ruin C. bury D. bag

2. A. forests B. hills C. landfills D. farms

3. A. help B. hide C. protect D. soften

4. A. water B. soil C. food D. tree

5. A. important B. discouraging C. abstract D. confusing

6. A. maintains B. restores C. improves D. checks

7. A. quietly B. comfortably C. differently D. freely

8. A. conclusions B. chances C. tools D. methods

9. A. thin B. colorful C. large D. fresh

10. A. pile up B. break down C. blow away D. move on

11. A. uncontrollably B. equally C. rarely D. actually

12. A. absorb B. change C. prevent D. reflect

13. A. root B. die C. grow D. breathe

14. A. burn B. clean C. collect D. trade

15. A. substance B. resource C. business D. property

語法填空

Passage 1

Imagine a smart roof garden that knows when to store water for drought conditions， and when to let out extra water 1 （prevent） flooding. Now these smart roofs are becoming a 2 （real） in Amsterdam.

Up to the present， a company 3 （build） smart blue-green roofs in Amsterdam neighborhoods that are in danger of flood damage.

The roofs are similar to the concept of green roofs but a lot 4 （smart） because the roofs are made of many layers. The most important layer is the water retention （保持） layer， 5 serves a double purpose. In times of heavy rainfall， it collects rainwater， while in drought the roof 6 （water） the garden. Blue-green roofs can keep 97% of rainfall， as opposed 7 the 12% that regular green roofs can keep.

What makes the roofs unique are their smart systems. Each roof has a valve （閥門） that is connected to a computer system 8 （call） the Decision Support System （DSS）. The DSS networks with local weather forecasts to decide whether the valve on a particular roof should open， letting out water safely， 9 whether it should remain closed.

Blue-green roofs show that the 10 （solve） to climate change need to be creative， and must work on various levels.

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Passage 2

How much carbon dioxide do you send into the atmosphere？ Anytime you do something that 1 （require） fossil fuels—like riding in a car， flying in a plane 2 even just watching TV—you emit （排放） carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. According to 3 report， each person produces about 16 tons of carbon dioxide each year. Because carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas， 4 （add） more of it to the atmosphere causes our climate to warm.

A carbon footprint is the total amount of carbon dioxide 5 （release） into the atmosphere as a result of human activities. Your carbon footprint is the total carbon dioxide sent out due 6 your individual activities.

Once you have calculated your carbon footprint， think about how you could make it smaller" than it 7 （be） before. We add greenhouse gases to the atmosphere as we go about our daily lives， but often we can make 8 （choose） that reduce these emissions 9 （dramatic） and greatly. For example， you might choose to ride a bike to the store rather than drive a car. By reducing your carbon dioxide emissions， you will shrink your carbon footprint 10 （protect） the environment and keep the climate liveable.

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應用文寫作

假定你是李華，你從互聯網上得知一個要來中國參加“垃圾分類，節約資源”活動的國際中學生組織正在招募志愿者。請你寫一封自薦郵件應聘，內容包括：

1. 寫郵件的目的；

2. 自己的條件（英語能力、相關知識等）；

3. 希望被錄用。

注意：

1. 寫作詞數應為80左右；

2. 可以適當增加細節，以使行文連貫。

參考詞匯：垃圾分類 garbage sorting

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