资源简介

10.保护海洋生物
一、阅读理解
1
Scientists have recently discovered the world’s largest known field of sea grass. They did it using videos shot by some extraordinary helpers. The work should help protect the sea grass, and also shows off a powerful way to explore the ocean.
As a shelter for many sea creatures, sea grasses are flowering plants that normally grow in shallow waters near coasts. They grow in thick fields, known as seagrass meadows (海草床), which help clean the ocean water. More importantly, they are called “ocean lung”. They help in the fight against the climate crisis. That’s because they store huge amounts of carbon — the major source of global warming.
Considering the urgent need to protect seagrass meadows and the challenges to spot them, scientists decided to have tiger sharks help the research.
Tiger sharks are inborn fast swimmers, and spend a lot of time in seagrass meadows. Between 2016 and 2020, the researchers attached cameras and other trackers to the fins of seven tiger sharks, and then let them go again. The cameras were designed to fall off after hours and float to the surface. Tracking signals helped find the floating cameras and collect the videos the sharks had taken while traveling for miles. Moreover, other tools were used, including satellite images, as well as images taken by divers and boats.
Putting all this information together, the scientists learned that the waters around the Bahamas are home to the largest seagrass meadow ever discovered. Different from previous studies, the program discovers how useful large underwater animals can be in helping to learn more about life under the sea. Oliver Shipley, a scientist from the team, says animals like tiger sharks are going to take us to new places that we didn’t know existed.
1. Why do seagrass meadows urgently need protection
A. Damaging them will worsen climate crisis.
B. They determine the cleanliness of ocean water.
C. Sea creatures can’t survive without their shelter.
D. Their existence balances the underwater ecosystem.
2. How did tiger sharks help the scientific research
A. By tracking signals scientists sent.
B. By bringing back cameras with videos.
C. By carrying the recording equipment around.
D. By spending a lot of time in seagrass meadows.
3. What is the highlight about the research according to the text
A. Leading scientists. B. Unusual research assistants.
C. Multiple experimental tools. D. Advanced theories.
4. Which is the most suitable title for the text
A. The Cooperation between Man and Animals
B. The key to protecting the Sea—Tiger Sharks
C. Sea Grass: An Undervalued Plant
D. Ocean Lung Monitored in a New Way
【答案】1. A 2. C 3. B 4. D
【解析】这是一篇说明文。主要介绍了科学家们发现了世界上已知的最大的海草场。他们使用一些不寻常的助手拍摄的视频来做到这一点：虎鲨。这项工作应该有助于保护海草，同时也展示了一种探索海洋的强大方式。
1. 细节理解题。根据第二段中“They help in the fight against the climate crisis. That’s because they store huge amounts of carbon—the major source of global warming. Damaging these seagrass meadows can release this pollutant again, making things worse. (它们有助于对抗气候危机。这是因为它们储存了大量的碳——全球变暖的主要来源。破坏这些海草草甸会再次释放这种污染物，使情况变得更糟。)”可知，海草草场迫切需要保护是因为破坏它们将加剧气候危机。故选A项。
2. 细节理解题。根据第四段中“Between 2016 and 2020, the researchers attached cameras and other trackers to the fins of seven tiger sharks, and then let them go again. The cameras were designed to fall of after hours and float to the surface. Tracking signals helped find the floating cameras and collect the videos the sharks had taken while traveling for miles. Moreover, other tools were used, including satellite images, as well as images taken by divers and boats. (在2016年至2020年期间，研究人员在七只虎鲨的鳍上安装了摄像头和其他追踪器，然后又放了它们。这些相机被设计成在几小时后脱落并漂浮到水面上。跟踪信号帮助找到了漂浮的摄像头，并收集了鲨鱼在几英里外旅行时拍摄的视频。此外，还使用了其他工具，包括卫星图像以及潜水员和船只拍摄的图像。)”可知，虎鲨是通过随身携带记录设备帮助科学研究的。故选C项。
3. 推理判断题。根据最后一段中“Different from previous studies, the program discovers how useful large underwater animals can be in helping to lean more about life under the sea. Oliver Shipley, a scientist from the team, says animals like tiger sharks are going to take us to new places that we didn’t know existed. (与之前的研究不同，该项目发现了大型水下动物在帮助了解更多海底生命方面的有用性，该团队的科学家奥利弗·希普利说，像虎鲨这样的动物将把我们带到我们不知道存在的新地方。)”可推知，根据文章，研究的亮点是不同寻常的研究辅助助手——即虎鲨，故选B项。
4. 主旨大意题。通读全文，尤其是根据文章第一段“Scientists have recently discovered the world’s largest known field of sea grass. They did it using videos shot by some extraordinary helpers. The work should help protect the sea grass, and also shows of a powerful way to explore the ocean. (科学家最近发现了世界上已知的最大的海草田。他们使用了一些非凡的帮手拍摄的视频。这项工作应该有助于保护海草，也展示了一种探索海洋的有力方式。)”和第二段中“As a shelter for many sea creatures, sea grasses are flowering plants that normally grow in shallow waters near coasts They grow in thick fields, known as seagrass meadows (海草床), which help clean the ocean water. More importantly, they are called “ocean lung”. (作为许多海洋生物的避难所，海草是一种开花植物，通常生长在靠近海岸的浅水区。它们生长在厚厚的田野里，被称为海草草地，这有助于清洁海水，更重要的是，它们被称为“海洋肺”。)”可知，科学家们通过虎鲨，这个不寻常的帮手，发现了世界上已知的最大的海草场，这项工作应该有助于环境保护。然后后面几段，讲述是怎样利用虎鲨进行监控海草的，整篇文章重点讲的是虎鲨发现海草场。故文章最好的标题是选项D. “Ocean Lung Monitored in a New Way (海洋肺监测的新方法)”即以新方式（即虎鲨）测量的海洋肺（即海草场）。故选D项。
2
The polar research vessel (船舰) RRS Sir David Attenborough, which will always be thought of by some as Boaty McBoatface, is currently on an Antarctic task to find out how sea ice influences the cycle of nutrients and carbon in the world’s oceans.
The 12 researchers on board are using autonomous underwater vehicles to explore huge areas of free-floating sea ice. This will help us better understand how climate change is impacting organisms from microscopic plankton (浮游生物) to penguins and orcas. .
Last week, the vessel collected samples from around the A23a mega iceberg (a scientific term) . The largest iceberg in existence is almost 4, 000 sq km, equal to an area twice the size of Greater London, weighing close to a trillion metric tonnes and towering up to 1, 312 feet above the sea.
It originally broke away from a main ice shelf connected to Antarctica in 1986, but had remained stuck against the seabed ever since. Until last month. Now, A23a is drifting into the Southern Ocean.
Of course, one iceberg floating into warmer waters and melting is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the climate crisis. At COP28, billions and billions were promised to fund global I climate solutions, especially in developing nations. More than 130 countries agreed to deal with emissions in agriculture, with 118 promising to triple renewables too.
But more needs to be done. Forget the A23a iceberg being a threat to shipping, it’s a sign we may be all sunk.
5. What is the purpose of RRS Sir David Attenborough’s exploration
A. To be thought highly of as Boaty McBoatface.
B. To study the impact of the sea ice in circulation.
C. To record the cycle of nutrients and carbon globally.
D. To stand out as one of the best research vessels in the world.
6. What was this exploration most concerned about
A. The width of warm waters.
B. The shape of main ice shelf.
C. The size of remaining iceberg.
D. The weight of free-floating iceberg.
7. What is the main idea of Paragraph 5
A. Joint efforts was made to fix the climate crisis.
B. COP 28 made a difference to the climate crisis.
C. The climate crisis will be solved in the near future.
D. The melting of iceberg is just the start of the climate crisis.
8. How can we describe the author’s attitude according to the text
A. It never rains but it pours.
B. Facts speak louder than words.
C. Where there is global community, there is a way.
D. When the exploring stops, the destroying can too.
【答案】5. B 6. C 7. A 8. A
【解析】本文是一篇新闻报道。文章主要报道了RRS Sir David Attenborough号极地科考船在南极的任务，即探索海冰如何影响全球海洋中营养物和碳的循环，以及研究人员使用自主水下航行器进行探索的情况。同时，文章还提到了A23a巨型冰山的漂移情况，以及冰山融化与气候危机之间的关系。
5. 细节理解题。根据文章第一段“The polar research vessel (船舰) RRS Sir David Attenborough, which will always be thought of by some as Boaty McBoatface, is currently on an Antarctic task to find out how sea ice influences the cycle of nutrients and carbon in the world’s oceans.(极地科考船RRS Sir David Attenborough号，被一些人称为Boaty McBoatface号，目前正在南极执行任务，以发现海冰如何影响世界海洋中营养物质和碳的循环。)”可知，极地科考船RRS Sir David Attenborough号在南极执行任务是为了研究海冰如何影响世界海洋中营养物质和碳的循环。故选B。
6. 推理判断题。根据文章第三段“Last week, the vessel collected samples from around the A23a mega iceberg (a scientific term) . The largest iceberg in existence is almost 4, 000 sq km, equal to an area twice the size of Greater London, weighing close to a trillion metric tonnes and towering up to 1, 312 feet above the sea.(上周，这艘船从A23a巨型冰山(一个科学术语)周围采集了样本。现存最大的冰山面积近4000平方公里，相当于大伦敦的两倍，重达近一万亿公吨，高出海面1312英尺。)”可推测，本次探险科学家们最关心的是剩下的冰山还有多大。故选C。
7. 主旨大意题。根据文章第五段“Of course, one iceberg floating into warmer waters and melting is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the climate crisis. At COP28, billions and billions were promised to fund global I climate solutions, especially in developing nations. More than 130 countries agreed to deal with emissions in agriculture, with 118 promising to triple renewables too. (当然，当涉及到气候危机时，一座冰山漂浮到温暖的水域并融化只是冰山一角。在第28届联合国气候变化大会上，各国承诺为全球气候解决方案提供数十亿美元的资金，尤其是在发展中国家。130多个国家同意解决农业排放问题，其中118个国家承诺将可再生能源也增加两倍。)”可知，第五段讲述的是各个国家都承诺为全球气候解决方案提供数十亿美元的资金，也就是全世界人民都愿意共同努力以解决气候危机。故选A。
8. 推理判断题。根据文章第五段“Of course, one iceberg floating into warmer waters and melting is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the climate crisis.(当然，当涉及到气候危机时，一座冰山漂浮到温暖的水域并融化只是冰山一角。)”以及第六段“But more needs to be done. Forget the A23a iceberg being a threat to shipping, it’s a sign we may be all sunk.(但需要做的还有很多。忘掉A23a冰山对航运的威胁吧，这是一个信号，表明我们可能都要沉没了。)”都暗示了作者认为威胁人类的危机还很多，冰山消融只是其中一个而已。所以“不雨则已，雨则倾盆”能说明作者的态度。故选A。
3
Life at the bottom of the ocean is extreme. It’s dark; the temperature remains right above freezing and the pressure is huge. Only around a couple of dozen people have actually been to the deepest part of the ocean floor, a place known as Challenger Deep.
In July 2022, Marine geographer Dawn Wright and pilot and ocean explorer Victor Vescovo went down in a small underwater vehicle. Once the pair went down about 800 meters, they lost sunlight. “Worms, jellyfish, anglerfish are able to create their own light,” Wright says. “They use the light to find mates, hunt, and—apparently—attempt to communicate with our underwater vehicle. Victor noticed flashes of light as we reached that zone in the ocean. And then he started flashing the lights of the underwater vehicle at them. And we saw them flash back.”
Most tsunamis are a result of earthquakes on the seafloor. Wright explains that “when you have that disruption on the ocean floor, the water above the ocean floor gets severely disrupted as well,” which can generate large waves that can turn into tsunamis. By mapping the seafloor, scientists can identify and monitor underwater areas where earthquakes may take place. That could give coastal areas more warning time in the event of a tsunami.
The basic principle of mapping is a ship or instrument sends pulses of sound from the ocean surface down toward the seafloor and waits for it to come back up. Based on the amount of time it takes for the sound to return and factors like temperature and salt content, scientists can get a specific depth. Scanning a whole area of the seafloor, then, will give you a depth—or bathymetry—map.
If the entire ocean floor has not been mapped by 2030, Wright says the work will continue. But, she adds, “The longer it takes us to get too close to 100 percent, for all the reasons that we’ve talked about, the more it looks like we are playing with fire, so to speak.”
9. Why did Victor flash the lights
A. To offer light to the ocean floor. B. To guide the underwater vehicle.
C. To communicate with deep-sea species. D. To frighten the sea animals away.
10. What is the purpose of mapping the seafloor
A. To explore the cause of earthquakes. B. To monitor and predict tsunamis.
C. To identify various ocean creatures. D. To avoid the disruption of the seafloor.
11. What does a bathymetry map show about the ocean
A. Rising temperature. B. Depth changes. C. Current directions. D. Salt contents.
12. What does Wright stress about mapping the seafloor in the last paragraph
A. It is greatly urgent. B. It is very dangerous. C. It is time-consuming. D. It will be done soon.
【答案】9. C 10. B 11. B 12. A
【解析】本文是一篇说明文。本文介绍了深海的生物环境和探索以及海底地形的测绘工作。作者通过深海探险和海底地形测绘的经历，揭示了深海生物和海底地形的奇特之处。同时，作者也强调了海底地形测绘对于预测海啸和保护沿海地区的重要性。
9. 细节理解题。根据第二段中“ “They use the light to find mates, hunt, and—apparently—attempt to communicate with our underwater vehicle. Victor noticed flashes of light as we reached that zone in the ocean. And then he started flashing the lights of the underwater vehicle at them. And we saw them flash back.”(“它们利用光线寻找配偶、捕猎，显然还试图与我们的水下航行器交流。当我们到达海洋的那个区域时，维克多注意到闪光。然后他开始用水下航行器的灯对着他们闪烁。我们看到他们闪回来了。”)”可知，维克多开始向那些海洋生物闪烁潜水器的灯光，目的是与海底动物进行交流。故选C。
10. 推理判断题。根据第三段中“By mapping the seafloor, scientists can identify and monitor underwater areas where earthquakes may take place. That could give coastal areas more warning time in the event of a tsunami.(通过绘制海底地图，科学家可以识别和监测可能发生地震的水下区域。这可以给沿海地区更多的海啸预警时间。)”可推知，绘制海底地图是为了了解海啸发生的相关情况。故选B。
11. 细节理解题。根据第四段中“Scanning a whole area of the seafloor, then, will give you a depth—or bathymetry—map.(扫描整个海底区域，你就会得到一张深度的地图。)”可知，这种地图反映的是海洋深度的变化。故选B。
12. 推理判断题。根据最后一段中“But, she adds, “The longer it takes us to get too close to 100 percent, for all the reasons that we’ve talked about, the more it looks like we are playing with fire, so to speak.”(但是，她补充道：“对于我们接近100%的完成海底地图的时间越久，出于我们所讨论过的所有原因，看起来我们就像在玩火一样。”)”可知，人类如果不能及时绘制海底地图的话，就好像是玩火一样。由此可推知，最后一段强调的是绘制海底地图的紧迫性。故选A。
4
In 2014, an art student from university went to Beijing Zoo. Little did he know that a chance encounter with corals (珊瑚) there would start a lifelong passion. Until today, Xu Yitang, a Beijing native, has settled in Hainan province, where he serves as a coral conservationist. For Xu, who had been studying Peking Opera since childhood, becoming a coral conservationist was an unexpected turn of events.
After he first saw corals at the zoo, he began to frequent the local market to learn about coral farming from sellers of coral products. He also learned diving and underwater photography to get a closer look at corals for research purposes. Each day, he spends several hours diving deep under the waves to observe and document the growth and development of the creatures and shares photos and videos of corals on social media platforms. His goal was to raise awareness and knowledge about corals, so that people can learn how to protect them effectively.
As he studied deeper into the creature, he learned that corals are known as “underwater gardens” of the ocean, providing a home for a quarter of all ocean life. Unfortunately, with the strengthening of the greenhouse effect, rising sea temperatures have led to coral bleaching (白化). Xu felt an increasing sense of urgency and responsibility to protect them.
While pursuing his passion to protect corals, he met his life partner, Liu Xiwen, through their shared hobby of diving in Hainan. “Unlike many young people who care about their dress and appearance, he is simply focused on protecting corals,” says Liu about Xu.“Despite his skin injury from spending long hours in the seawater, his attitude is different from what I’ve seen in most young people in Beijing, and it’s attractive to me.”
13. What can we learn about Xu Yitang from the first paragraph
A. He majored in coral protection.
B. He was born in Hainan province.
C. He worked in Beijing as a coral expert.
D. He found his love for corals by chance.
14. Why does Xu Yitang share photos and videos of corals on social media
A. To record his exploring process.
B. To spread knowledge about corals.
C. To introduce his diving experience.
D. To show off his photography ability.
15. What contributed to the coral bleaching
A. The pollution of ocean environment.
B. The development of ocean farming.
C. The damage to underwater gardens.
D. The increase in ocean temperatures.
16. Which of the following best describes Xu Yitang
A. Emotional. B. Devoted.
C. Public-spirited. D. Curiosity-driven.
【答案】13. D 14. B 15. D 16. B
【解析】这是一篇应用文。文章主要介绍了徐益堂对于保护珊瑚所做出的努力。
13. 推理判断题。由文章第一段“In 2014, an art student from university went to Beijing Zoo. Little did he know that a chance encounter with corals (珊瑚) there would start a lifelong passion. Until today, Xu Yitang, a Beijing native, has settled in Hainan province, where he serves as a coral conservationist. For Xu, who had been studying Peking Opera since childhood, becoming a coral conservationist was an unexpected turn of events. (2014年，一名艺术系大学生去了北京动物园。他一点也不知道，在那里与珊瑚的偶然相遇会开启他一生的热情。直到今天，北京人徐益堂一直定居在海南省，在那里他是一名珊瑚保护主义者。对于从小就学习京剧的徐来说，成为一名珊瑚保护主义者是一个意想不到的转折。)”可知，徐益堂偶然发现了对珊瑚的喜爱。故选D。
14. 细节理解题。由文章第二段中“Each day, he spends several hours diving deep under the waves to observe and document the growth and development of the creatures and shares photos and videos of corals on social media platforms. His goal was to raise awareness and knowledge about corals, so that people can learn how to protect them effectively. (每天，他都会花几个小时潜入海浪深处，观察和记录这些生物的生长和发育，并在社交媒体平台上分享珊瑚的照片和视频。他的目标是提高人们对珊瑚的认识和知识，这样人们就可以学习如何有效地保护它们。)”可知，徐益堂在社交媒体上分享珊瑚的照片和视频是为了传播有关珊瑚的知识。故选B。
15. 细节理解题。由文章第三段中“Unfortunately, with the strengthening of the greenhouse effect, rising sea temperatures have led to coral bleaching. (不幸的是，随着温室效应的加强，海洋温度的上升导致了珊瑚白化。)”可知，海洋温度的升高导致了珊瑚白化。故选D。
16. 推理判断题。由文章最后一段中““Unlike many young people who care about their dress and appearance, he is simply focused on protecting corals,” says Liu about Xu. “Despite his skin injury from spending long hours in the seawater, his attitude is different from what I’ve seen in most young people in Beijing, and it’s attractive to me.” (“不像许多年轻人在意自己的穿着和外表，他只是专注于保护珊瑚，”刘说。“尽管他的皮肤因长时间泡在海水里而受伤，但他的态度与我在北京大多数年轻人身上看到的不同，这对我很有吸引力。”)”可知，徐益堂全心全意的专注于保护珊瑚。故选B。
5
At first glance the sea turtles look as if they were dead because they hardly move. But if you look closely enough, they show a slow glimpse of life. These turtles are all washed up in Massachusetts every December, on the windy beaches of Cape Cod Bay.
Shaver, chief of the Division of Sea Turtle Science and Recovery at Padre Island National Seashore in Texas, said, “If we don’t help save this species, we will lose a piece that enriches us. There’s a whole variety of things that can harm them: oil spills, boat strikes, red tides, and so on.” That is why all the urgent care they’re getting back up North is more important than ever.
Saving could never happen unless hundreds of pilots were willing to volunteer their time, their planes, and their fuel to rush the rescued turtles to willing rehab facilities (康复中心) all around the country.
On this particular mission, Andrews, vice president of a unique nonprofit called Turtles Fly Too, with his dad as a co-pilot, will fly more than 2,000 miles, from Boston, to Atlanta, then on to Gulfport and finally Dallas, dropping off 44 sick sea turtles along the way, in hopes that one day they’ll be well enough to be released. It is worth mentioning that the pilots that are flying these missions are pulling $1 million out of their pocket to fly these missions every year.
With good care and the help of volunteers, these turtles were finally ready to go home again. According to Andrews, “90% of the turtles that we’ve moved to the rehab facilities have ended up back in the ocean.”
“We humans have not always been kind to the sea and those that live in it. But on this day, it was humans-not me, but the hundreds of veterinarians, biologists, volunteers, and pilots—who all came together to give these critically-endangered sea turtles a second chance that they rarely got, ”Andrews added.
17. What happens to the turtles on the beaches of Cape Cod Bay
A. They are dying out. B. They are in danger.
C. They adapt to living onshore. D. They are caught by humans.
18. How did Shaver sound when speaking of the turtle rescue
A. Thrilled. B. Annoyed. C. Concerned. D. Moved.
19. What contributes most to the turtles’ returning home
A. The pilots’ generous devotion.
B. The division’s urgent care.
C. The rehab facilities’ willingness to help.
D. The improvement of the turtles’ habitats.
20. What can we say about the rescuing result
A. It is unsatisfactory. B. It costs too much.
C. It is controversial. D. It quite pays off.
【答案】17. B 18. C 19. A 20. D
【解析】本文是一篇说明文。每年十二月，一些海龟都会被冲到马萨诸塞州科德角湾多风的海滩上，为了营救这些海龟，数百名飞行员自愿贡献自己的时间、飞机和燃料，将获救的海龟送往全国各地自愿的康复中心，之后并将它们送回海洋。
17. 细节理解题。根据第一段中“These turtles are all washed up in Massachusetts every December, on the windy beaches of Cape Cod Bay.(每年十二月，这些海龟都会被冲到马萨诸塞州科德角湾多风的海滩上。)”和第二段中“Shaver, chief of the Division of Sea Turtle Science and Recovery at Padre Island National Seashore in Texas, said, “If we don’t help save this species, we will lose a piece that enriches us. There’s a whole variety of things that can harm them: oil spills, boat strikes, red tides, and so on.” (得克萨斯州帕德里岛国家海岸海龟科学与恢复部门负责人谢弗说：“如果我们不帮助拯救这个物种，我们就会失去一个让我们富裕起来的部分。有各种各样的因素会伤害它们：漏油、船只撞击、赤潮等等。”)”可知，科德角湾海滩上的海龟处于危险之中。故选B。
18. 推理判断题。根据第二段中Shaver所说的话“If we don’t help save this species, we will lose a piece that enriches us. There’s a whole variety of things that can harm them: oil spills, boat strikes, red tides, and so on. (如果我们不帮助拯救这个物种，我们就会失去一个让我们富裕起来的部分。有各种各样的因素会伤害它们：漏油、船只撞击、赤潮等等。)”可知，人类的一些行为对海龟有害，如果人类不帮助它们，这些海龟就会灭绝，由此可推知，当谈到海龟救援时，Shaver表示很担忧，故选C。
19. 细节理解题。根据倒数第二段中“With good care and the help of volunteers, these turtles were finally ready to go home again. (在志愿者的悉心照顾和帮助下，这些海龟终于准备好再次回家了。)”和倒数第三段中“It is worth mentioning that the pilots that are flying these missions are pulling $1 million out of their pocket to fly these missions every year.(值得一提的是，执行这些任务的飞行员每年要从口袋里掏出100万美元来执行这些任务。)”以及倒数第四段“Saving could never happen unless hundreds of pilots were willing to volunteer their time, their planes, and their fuel to rush the rescued turtles to willing rehab facilities (康复中心) all around the country.(除非数百名飞行员愿意自愿贡献自己的时间、飞机和燃料，将获救的海龟送往全国各地自愿的康复中心，否则救援永远不可能发生。)”可知，飞行员的慷慨奉献对海龟回家贡献最大，故选A。
20. 推理判断题。根据倒数第二段“With good care and the help of volunteers, these turtles were finally ready to go home again. According to Andrews, “90% of the turtles that we’ve moved to the rehab facilities have ended up back in the ocean.”(在志愿者的悉心照顾和帮助下，这些海龟终于准备好再次回家了。安德鲁斯表示，“我们转移到康复设施的海龟中有 90% 最终都回到了海洋。”)”可推知，营救海龟行动获得了很好的效果，90%的海龟都回到了海洋，所以说营救行动得到了回报，故选D。
6
Humans have sailed the oceans’ surfaces for thousands of years, but their depths remain effectively uncharted. Only about a quarter of the seafloor has been mapped at high resolution (清晰度). Maps of most regions display only estimated depths and often miss entire underwater mountains or canyons (峡谷). So a group of researchers have turned to some deep-diving experts: Elephant Seals and Weddell Seals. Scientists have been placing trackers on these blubber y marine mammals around Antarctica for years, gathering data on ocean temperature and salinity (盐度).
For a new study, the researchers compared these dives’ location and depth data with some of the less detailed seafloor maps. They spotted places where the seals dove deeper than should have been possible according to the maps.
In eastern Antarctica’s Vincennes Bay, the diving seals helped the scientists find a large, hidden underwater canyon suddenly descending (下降) to depths of more than a mile. “The seals discovered the canyon, and the ship confirmed it,” says Clive McMahon, a researcher at the Integrated Marine Observing System in Australia and a co-author of the new study.
But seals can’t map the entire ocean floor. The trackers used in the study could pinpoint (为……准确定位) a seal’s geographical location only within about 1.5 miles, which allows for useful but not exactly high-resolution data. Plus, because the seals don’t always dive to the bottom of the ocean, they can reveal only where the bottom is deeper than in existing maps — not shallower. McMahon notes that scientists could improve on these data by using more precise GPS trackers and analyzing the seals’ diving patterns to determine whether they have reached the seafloor or simply stopped descending.
The current seal-dive data can still be valuable for an important task, says Anna W hlin, an oceanographer at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden. The deep ocean around Antarctica is warmer than the extremely cold waters at the surface, and seafloor canyons can allow that warmer water to flow to the ice along the continent’s coast, W hlin explains. To predict how Antarctica’s ice will melt, scientists will need to know where those canyons are and how deep they go.
21. What’s the initial function of the device carried by the seals
A. Collecting data about seawater.
B. Filming the images of the seafloor.
C. Recording the seals’ travelling routes.
D. Leading researchers to some remote areas.
22. What does the new study’s discovery prove
A. It is impossible to fully uncover the secrets of the sea.
B. The existing depth estimates for the sea are inaccurate.
C. Seals’ ability to dive is worth further scientific studies.
D. It is urgent for scientists to map detailed seafloor maps.
23. What does paragraph 4 mainly talk about
A. The creative methods adopted in the study.
B. Major technical challenges faced by scientists.
C. New research directions inspired by the study.
D. The shortcomings of the approaches to the study.
24. Which of the following will Anna W hlin most probably agree with
A. The new study is potentially beneficial to other scientific fields.
B. The deep waters of Antarctica are colder than the surface waters.
C. Seafloor canyons slow down the speed of ice melting in Antarctica.
D. The seal-dive practice is valuable for mapping the entire ocean floor.
【答案】21. A 22. B 23. D 24. A
【解析】本文是一篇说明文。文章介绍了科学家利用带有追踪器的海豹的潜水数据来进行海洋探测，了解海底山脉或峡谷的位置和深度。
21. 细节理解题。根据第一段中的“So a group of researchers have turned to some deep-diving experts: Elephant Seals and Weddell Seals. Scientists have been placing trackers on these blubber y marine mammals around Antarctica for years, gathering data on ocean temperature and salinity (盐度).(因此，一组研究人员求助于一些深潜专家：象海豹和威德尔海豹。多年来，科学家们一直在南极洲周围的这些海洋哺乳动物身上放置追踪器，收集海洋温度和盐度的数据。)”可知，科学家多年来一直在南极海域的海豹身上安装追踪器，以收集有关海洋温度和盐度的数据，即海豹携带的设备最初的功能收集有关海水的数据。故选A项。
22. 推理判断题。根据第二段“For a new study, the researchers compared these dives’ location and depth data with some of the less detailed seafloor maps. They spotted places where the seals dove deeper than should have been possible according to the maps.(在一项新的研究中，研究人员将这些潜水的位置和深度数据与一些不太详细的海底地图进行了比较。他们发现了海豹潜得比地图上可能更深的地方。)”可知，在这项新研究中，研究人员将海豹潜水的位置和深度与一些粗略的海床地图进行了对比。他们发现了海豹能下潜到的比地图上所标注的深度更深的地方。由此可推知，目前人们对海洋深度的估算是不准确的。故选B项。
23. 主旨大意题。根据第四段“But seals can’t map the entire ocean floor. The trackers used in the study could pinpoint (为……准确定位) a seal’s geographical location only within about 1.5 miles, which allows for useful but not exactly high-resolution data. Plus, because the seals don’t always dive to the bottom of the ocean, they can reveal only where the bottom is deeper than in existing maps — not shallower. McMahon notes that scientists could improve on these data by using more precise GPS trackers and analyzing the seals’ diving patterns to determine whether they have reached the seafloor or simply stopped descending.(但海豹无法绘制整个海底的地图。研究中使用的追踪器可以精确定位一只海豹的地理位置，仅在1.5英里以内，这可以提供有用但不完全高分辨率的数据。另外，由于海豹并不总是潜入海底，它们只能显示海底比现有地图上更深的地方，而不是更浅的地方。麦克马洪指出，科学家可以通过使用更精确的GPS追踪器和分析海豹的潜水模式来改进这些数据，以确定它们是已经到达海底还是只是停止下降。)”可知，海豹无法提供整个海床的信息，研究中使用的追踪器只能在大约1.5英里的范围内准确定位海豹的地理位置，这些数据虽然有用，但精度不高。此外，由于海豹并不总是潜到海底，它们只能展示出比现有地图更深的海床位置，却无法揭示更浅的位置。由此可推知，本段主要介绍了利用海豹进行海洋探测的缺陷。故选D项。
24. 推理判断题。根据最后一段“The current seal-dive data can still be valuable for an important task, says Anna W hlin, an oceanographer at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden. The deep ocean around Antarctica is warmer than the extremely cold waters at the surface, and seafloor canyons can allow that warmer water to flow to the ice along the continent’s coast, W hlin explains. To predict how Antarctica’s ice will melt, scientists will need to know where those canyons are and how deep they go.(瑞典哥德堡大学的海洋学家Anna wamathlin说，目前的海豹潜水数据对于一项重要任务仍然很有价值。W hlin解释说，南极洲周围的深海比表面极冷的海水要温暖，海底峡谷可以让温暖的海水沿着大陆海岸流向冰面。为了预测南极洲的冰将如何融化，科学家们需要知道这些峡谷的位置和深度。)”可知，在南极洲附近，知道海底峡谷的位置和深度可以帮助科学家预测南极洲的冰将如何融化，Anna Wahlin认为海豹潜水数据对此很有价值；由此可推知，Anna W hlin最可能赞同A选项“The new study is potentially beneficial to other scientific fields.(这项新研究可能对其他科学领域有益)”的观点。故选A项。
7
Facial recognition technology is mostly associated with uses such as the authentication of human faces, but scientists believe they’ve found a new use for it—saving seals.
Researchers 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 the mammals was close to 100 percent.
The researchers are working on increasing the size of their database to make it available to other scientists. Increasing the database to include rare species could help efforts to save them. The Mediterranean monk seal is thought to be the world’s most at-risk seal with only a few hundred animals remaining.
Creating a list of seal faces and using machine learning to identify them can also help scientists know where in the ocean seals are. Marine mammals move around a lot and are hard to photograph in the water. Scientists need to be able 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 a human. A similar tool called PrimNet, which is for use on primates, had been used on seals earlier, but SealNet performed better.
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.
“Once the system is perfected I can picture lots of interesting environmental uses for it,” said Michelle Berger, a scientist. “If they could recognize seals, and recognize them from year to year, that would give us lots of information about movement, how much they move from site to site.” He added that harbor seals give important information about the environment around them.
25. What can we learn about SealNet from the passage
A. It increases the size of the database.
B. It identifies the mammals accurately.
C. It performs more poorly than PrimNet.
D. It includes rare species movement.
26. In what aspect does SealNet help us protect seals
A. It identifies which seal is at risk in the ocean.
B. It recognizes the shape of a seal in a picture.
C. It helps scientists know the location of the seals.
D. It gives information about the animals around seals.
27. According to Michelle Berger, what can the system do when it is perfected
A. It can provide information of the surroundings.
B. It can recognize the seals for a year.
C. It can increase the number of seals.
D. It can provide information about migration.
28. What is the main purpose of the passage
A. To present a high-tech method to protect seals
B. To introduce the species of seals
C. To explain why seals are in danger
D. To propose new methods to recognize seals
【答案】25. B 26. C 27. A 28. A
【解析】本文是一篇说明文。文章介绍科学家们发现了面部识别技术的新用途一拯救海豹，并具体介绍了这项研究及意义。
25. 推理判断题。根据文章第二段“Researchers 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 the mammals was close to 100 percent. (研究人员开发了 SealNet。该系统是通过拍摄缅因州卡斯柯湾的许多斑海豹照片创建的海豹面孔数据库。研究小组发现该工具识别哺乳动物的准确率接近100%。)”可知，我们知道SealNet能准确识别哺乳动物。故选B。
26. 细节理解题。根据文章第四段“Creating a list of seal faces and using machine learning to identify them can also help scientists know where in the ocean seals are. (创建一个海豹面部列表并使用机器学习来识别它们也可以帮助科学家知道海豹在海洋中的位置。)”可知，SealNet帮助科学家知道海豹的位置。故选C。
27. 细节理解题。根据文章最后一段““Once the system is perfected I can picture lots of interesting environmental uses for it,” said Michelle Berger, a scientist. “If they could recognize seals, and recognize them from year to year, that would give us lots of information about movement, how much they move from site to site.”(科学家米歇尔 伯杰说：“一旦系统完善，我可以想象它在环境方面的许多有趣用途。”“如果它们能够识别海豹，并且年复一年地识别它们，这将为我们提供大量关于运动的信息，以及它们在不同地点之间的移动量。”)”可知，该系统完善后可以提供周围环境的信息。故选A。
28. 推理判断题。根据文章第一段“Facial recognition technology is mostly associated with uses such as the authentication of human faces, but scientists believe they’ve found a new use for it—saving seals. (面部识别技术大多与人脸认证等用途有关，但科学家认为他们已经发现了它的新用途——拯救海豹。)”可知，这篇文章的主要目的是介绍一种保护海豹的高科技方法。故选A。
8
Geologists have long been fascinated by a missing piece of Earth’s history — a lost continent called Argoland. Around 155 million years ago, the 5,000-kilometer continent broke off from Western Australia and began drifting(漂移), leaving behind a basin deep below the ocean known as the Argo Abyssal Plain. But where did Argoland actually go
The seabed structure suggests that the continent drifted northwestward and ended up Southeast Asia. But surprisingly, there is no large continent hidden beneath those islands, only small continental fragments(碎片) surrounded by ancient oceanic basins. Using this theory, geologists at Utrecht University discovered that Argoland hadn’t really disappeared but survived as a “very extended and fragmented collection” under the islands to the east of Indonesia.
Unlike other continents like Africa and South America, which broke neatly into two pieces, Argoland split into many smaller fragments that were dispersed, which made it difficult for scientists to locate and study the continent’s geological features. However, with advanced technology and the discovery, scientists can now piece them together.
Tracing the continents is vital for understanding processes like the evolution of biodiversity. It could help explain something known as the mysterious Wallace line, which is an imaginary boundary that separates mammals, birds, and even early human species in Southeast Asian islands. The boundary has puzzled scientists because of how clearly it separates the island’s wildlife. To the west of the line are placental mammals like apes and elephants. But these are almost completely absent to the east, where you can find marsupials and cockatoos — animals typically associated with Australia. Researchers have theorized that this may be because Argoland carried its own wildlife away from Australia before it crashed into Southeast Asia, which helps explain why different species are found in different nations.
The story of Argoland is not one of complete disappearance but of transformation. As the world continues to evolve, this lost continent serves as a powerful symbol of the fragility of life on this planet, and a reminder of the importance of respecting and protecting the world that we live in.
29. What do we know about Argoland
A. It split into two pieces many years ago.
B. It broke away from the continent of Africa.
C. It sank to the bottom of the Argo Abyssal Plain.
D. It exists as fragments under the eastern islands of Indonesia.
30. What does the underlined word “dispersed” in paragraph 3 probably mean
A. Crashed. B. Connected. C. Distributed. D. Disappeared.
31. Why does the author mention the “Wallace line” in paragraph 4
A. To introduce the early history of Argoland.
B. To stress the significance of tracing Argoland.
C. To prove the biodiversity of Southeast Asian islands.
D. To explain the evolutionary process of Australian species.
32. Which of the following is the best title for the text
A. The Discovery of a Lost Continent B. The Boundaries of Wildlife Habitats
C. The Geological Features of Argoland D. The Formation of the Argo Abyssal Plain
【答案】29. D 30. C 31. B 32. A
【解析】这是一篇说明文。本篇文章主要围绕科学家发现了1.55亿年前“消失的”阿尔戈大陆而展开。文章解释了阿尔戈大陆早年从澳大利亚大陆分离，往西北方向漂移，最终在印度尼西亚岛屿的东部以广泛分散的碎片形式被发现。这一发现对于科学家们研究生物多样性以及东南亚岛屿上神秘的华莱士线都有着重要的意义。
29. 细节理解题。根据第二段“Using this theory, geologists at Utrecht University discovered that Argoland hadn’t really disappeared but survived as a “very extended and fragmented collection” under the islands to the east of Indonesia.(利用这一理论，乌特勒支大学的地质学家发现，阿尔戈大陆并没有真正消失，而是作为一个“非常广泛并分散的集合体”存在于印度尼西亚东部的岛屿下方)”可知，阿尔戈大陆是以碎片的形式存在于印度尼西亚东部岛屿之下。故选D项。
30. 词句猜测题。根据画线词上文“Unlike other continents like Africa and South America, which broke neatly into two pieces, Argoland split into many smaller fragments”可知，阿尔戈大陆不像非洲和南美洲那样是整齐地分裂成两部分，阿尔戈兰大陆分裂成许多较小的碎片，再结合画线词下文“which made it difficult for scientists to locate and study the continent’s geological features”可知，这使得科学家很难确定它的位置并研究它的地质特征。然而，利用先进的技术和这项新发现，科学家们现在能够将它们拼凑起来。故画线词所在句应表示阿尔戈大陆分裂成许多“分散的”小碎片。“Distributed”意为“分散的”，符合语境，故选C项。
31. 推理判断题。根据第四段“Tracing the continents is vital for understanding processes like the evolution of biodiversity. It could help explain something known as the mysterious Wallace line, which is an imaginary boundary that separates mammals, birds, and even early human species in Southeast Asian islands. The boundary has puzzled scientists because of how clearly it separates the island’s wildlife. To the west of the line are placental mammals like apes and elephants. But these are almost completely absent to the east, where you can find marsupials and cockatoos — animals typically associated with Australia. Researchers have theorized that this may be because Argoland carried its own wildlife away from Australia before it crashed into Southeast Asia, which helps explain why different species are found in different nations.(追溯大陆的变迁对于我们理解生物多样性的发展过程至关重要。这有助于解释神秘的华莱士线，它是一条虚构的边界，将东南亚岛屿上的哺乳动物、鸟类甚至早期人类物种分隔开来。这条边界之所以令科学家困惑，是因为它清晰地划分了岛屿上的野生动物。在这条线的西侧是类似猿和大象的胎盘哺乳动物，但这些动物在该线的东侧几乎完全不存在，取而代之的是有袋类动物和凤头鹦鹉等通常与澳大利亚相关联的动物。研究人员推测，这可能是因为阿尔戈大陆带着自己的野生动物从澳大利亚漂移至东南亚，这有助于解释为什么不同的物种分布在不同的国家)”可推知，第四段提及“华莱士线”旨在强调追溯阿尔戈大陆的意义。故选B项。
32. 主旨大意题。根据第一段“Geologists have long been fascinated by a missing piece of Earth’s history — a lost continent called Argoland. Around 155 million years ago, the 5,000-kilometer continent broke off from Western Australia and began drifting(漂移), leaving behind a basin deep below the ocean known as the Argo Abyssal Plain. But where did Argoland actually go (长期以来，地质学家一直对地球历史上缺失的一段历史着迷——一块名为阿尔戈兰的失落大陆。大约1.55亿年前，这块5000公里长的大陆从西澳大利亚分离出来，开始漂流，在海洋深处留下了一个盆地，被称为阿尔戈深海平原。但阿尔戈兰到底去了哪里？)”结合本篇文章主要围绕科学家发现了1.55亿年前“消失的”阿尔戈大陆而展开。文章解释了阿尔戈大陆早年从澳大利亚大陆分离，往西北方向漂移，最终在印度尼西亚岛屿的东部以广泛分散的碎片形式被发现。这一发现对于科学家们研究生物多样性以及东南亚岛屿上神秘的华莱士线都有着重要的意义。结合选项，A项“失落大陆的发现”能够概括文章主旨，故选A项。
9
Called ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC), the idea is to use surface water warmed by the sun to heat a fluid such as ammonia or water, which then runs a heat engine to produce energy, just like a power plant driven by steam. Cold water from deeper layers of the ocean would then be piped up to cool the fluid and repeat the cycle. Theoretically, oceans could provide vast amounts of electricity like this. Researchers have estimated that there is enough ocean heat to supply 7,000 gigawatt s a year without affecting ocean circulation, enough to supply the world’s electricity demand— if we can access it.
The idea was first put forward in 1881, but went largely unexplored until the 1970s oil. crisis drove a search for new sources of energy. In the years since, demonstration projects have been built, but progress has been “disappointing”, says AI Binger at SIDS DOCK, an organisation that promotes clean energy development in small island countries. In recent years, a fresh urgency to transition away from fossil fuels has brought a suggestion of an OTEC return. “It’s the most promising it’s been in many decades,” says Andrea Copping at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Washington state.
Tropical (热带的) islands are good candidates for OTEC because of their high energy costs— diesel (柴油) generators are common there—and the presence of deep cold water not far from shore, says James Van Zwieten at Florida Atlantic University. Islands also have less space for other types of renewables. A barrier for past projects was the cost of fixing kilometres of large pipes to reach deep water. Global OTEC aims to avoid that by extending a shorter pipe from a platform floating in deep water 10 kilometres offshore, then transmitting electricity back via a cable (电缆), and making use of advances made in offshore wind technology.
“OTEC will be part of providing a reasonable energy transition so these places aren’t depending on diesel imports from the richest petrol states in the world,” says Dan Grech, Global OTEC’s CEO.
33. What can we learn about OTEC technology from paragraph 1
A. It mainly uses offshore wind to generate electricity.
B. It has been widely applied to the oceans all over the world.
C. It can clean the water in the deeper layers of the ocean.
D. It depends strongly on the temperature difference in the ocean.
34. What does paragraph 2 mainly talk about
A. The advantages of OTEC. B. The development of OTEC.
C. Successful projects of OTEC. D. Different opinions on OTEC.
35. What difficulty did the past projects have with OTEC on islands
A. Lacking technology for generating electricity.
B. Being far away from the shore.
C. Enormous investment in the pipe equipment.
D. Great demand for the space.
36. What is Dan Grech’s attitude towards OTEC
A. Opposed. B. Supportive. C. Doubtful. D. Uncaring.
【答案】33. D 34. B 35. C 36. B
【解析】这是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了海洋热能转换的想法的原理、发展过程、意义、前景等。
33. 推理判断题。由文章第一段中“Called ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC), the idea is to use surface water warmed by the sun to heat a fluid such as ammonia or water, which then runs a heat engine to produce energy, just like a power plant driven by steam. Cold water from deeper layers of the ocean would then be piped up to cool the fluid and repeat the cycle. Theoretically, oceans could provide vast amounts of electricity like this. (这个被称为海洋热能转换（OTEC）的想法是利用被太阳加热的地表水加热氨或水等流体，然后运行热机产生能量，就像由蒸汽驱动的发电厂一样。然后，来自海洋较深层的冷水将被输送上来冷却液体，并重复这个循环。理论上，海洋可以像这样提供大量的电力。)”可知，OTEC技术很大程度上取决于海洋中的温差。故选D。
34. 主旨大意题。由文章第二段中“The idea was first put forward in 1881, but went largely unexplored until the 1970s oil. crisis drove a search for new sources of energy. In the years since, demonstration projects have been built, but progress has been “disappointing”, says AI Binger at SIDS DOCK, an organisation that promotes clean energy development in small island countries. In recent years, a fresh urgency to transition away from fossil fuels has brought a suggestion of an OTEC return. “It’s the most promising it’s been in many decades,” says Andrea Copping at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Washington state. (这个想法最早是在1881年提出的，但直到20世纪70年代石油才得到了广泛的探索。危机促使人们寻找新能源。SIDS DOCK是一个促进小岛屿国家清洁能源发展的组织，它的AI Binger说，在那之后的几年里，示范项目已经建成，但是进展“令人失望”。近年来，从化石燃料转型的新紧迫性带来了OTEC回归的建议。“这是几十年来最有希望的，”华盛顿州太平洋西北国家实验室的安德里亚·科平说。)”可知，第2段主要讲OTEC的发展。故选B。
35. 细节理解题。由文章第三段中“A barrier for past projects was the cost of fixing kilometres of large pipes to reach deep water. (过去项目的一个障碍是，为深水铺设长达数公里的大型管道的成本。)”可知，过去项目的一个困难是对管道设备的巨大投资。故选C。
36. 推理判断题。由文章最后一段中““OTEC will be part of providing a reasonable energy transition so these places aren’t depending on diesel imports from the richest petrol states in the world,” says Dan Grech, Global OTEC’s CEO. (“OTEC将提供合理的能源转型，使这些地方不再依赖于从世界上最富有的石油国家进口柴油，”全球OTEC首席执行官Dan Grech表示。)”可知，Dan Grech对于OTEC是支持的。故选B。
10
How do oceans affect you If you live far from the coast, you might think they don’t. But life on this planet depends on the ocean. It covers almost three-quarters of the planet and holds 97% of Earth’s water. The phytoplankton (浮游植物) that live on the oceans’ surface produce half of the oxygen in the atmosphere. Oceans are a vital source of food and other resources and an economic engine for many communities.
For all the ocean provides us, we haven’t always been so responsible in our stewardship (管理). “The ocean was considered as a dumping ground for so long,” says Caitlyn Toropova of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). “There was a sense that there was no way we could harm it because it is so vast.”
But human activities are having a negative impact on many of the world’s oceans, jeopardizing marine life, habitats, and ecosystems. These threats include overfishing or destructive fishing, coastal development, pollution and water runoff, and the introduction of non-native species. Climate change is also having a big effect by causing warming seas and ocean acidification.
Realizing that something needs to be done to stem or reverse the damage has led to the creation of marine protected areas (MPAs). There are approximately 5,000 designated (指定) MPAs around the world but many more that are not officially recognized. That may sound like a lot, but less than 1% of the world’s oceans is protected. “Countries around the world have committed to protecting 10%. But even though there’s been an increase in the past ten years, at the current rate, it would take 100 years to reach that goal,” Toropova says.
37. What does paragraph 1 intend to show us
A. The human impact on ocean species.
B. The importance of oceans to humans.
C. The urgency of protecting our oceans.
D. The great success in ocean exploration.
38. What was the common view about the ocean according to Toropova
A. It was too vast to be fully explored.
B. Ocean pollution was not very serious.
C. Human activities had little effect on it.
D. It provided us with abundant resources.
39. What does the underlined word “jeopardizing” in paragraph 3 probably mean
A. Rescuing.
B. Classifying.
C. Discovering.
D. Endangering.
40. What can be inferred from Toropova’s words in the last paragraph
A. More efforts are needed to protect oceans.
B. MPAs contribute little to ocean protection.
C. People’s goals are too unrealistic to be achieved.
D. Every country has the duty to save marine wildlife.
【答案】37. B 38. C 39. D 40. A
【解析】本文是一篇说明文。介绍了海洋对于人类的重要意义，海洋面临的问题，并呼吁人们为海洋的发展做出更大的努力。
37. 推理判断题。根据第一段最后四句“But life on this planet depends on the ocean. It covers almost three-quarters of the planet and holds 97 percent of Earth’s water. The phytoplankton (浮游植物) that live on the oceans’ surface produce half of the oxygen in the atmosphere. Oceans are a vital source of food and other resources and an economic engine for many communities. (但地球上的生命依赖海洋。它几乎覆盖了地球的四分之三，拥有地球上97%的水。生活在海洋表面的浮游植物产生了大气中一半的氧气。海洋是食物和其他资源的重要来源，也是许多社区的经济引擎。)”可推断，作者强调了海洋对人类的生存至关重要。故选B。
38. 细节理解题。根据第二段最后两句““The ocean was considered as a dumping ground for so long,” says Caitlyn Toropova of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). “There was a sense that there was no way we could harm it because it is so vast.” (国际自然保护联盟的Caitlyn Toropova说：“长期以来，海洋一直被视为垃圾场。”“有一种感觉是，我们无法伤害它，因为它太大了。”)”可知，人们把认为海洋是垃圾场，是因为他们觉得海洋太大了，人们的活动影响不了海洋。故选C。
39. 词义猜测题。根据第三段首句“But human activities are having a negative impact on many of the world’s oceans, jeopardizing marine life, habitats, and ecosystems. (但人类活动正在对世界上许多海洋产生负面影响， 海洋生物、栖息地和生态系统。)”以及末句“Climate change is also having a big effect by causing warming seas and ocean acidification. (气候变化也造成了海洋变暖和海洋酸化的巨大影响。)”可知，人类的行为伤害了海洋生物。所以划线词jeopardizing为“危害，伤害”之意。故选D。
40. 推理判断题。根据末段末句““But even though there’s been an increase in the past ten years, at the current rate, it would take 100 years to reach that goal,” Toropova says. (“但是，即使在过去十年中有所增加，以目前的速度，也需要100年才能达到这个目标，”Toropova说。)”可知，她觉得目前我们所做的是远远不够的，我们仍需做出更多的努力。故选A。
二、完形填空
On 20 December, in Newdale, a series of huge waves caused by an undersea earthquake raced across the ocean near Goldshore. Worse still, it 41 thousands dead. Goldshore Beach was the only local beach to 42 the disaster without any loss of life. A 10-year-old girl, Sabrina Andron, helped around 100 people escape 43 with her knowledge of tsunamis.
The day began like any other on Goldshore Beach. People were walking, running or simply sitting on the sandy beach, 44 the warm sea air and enjoying the soft 45 that brushed their hair. Sabrina was one of the happy tourists until she noticed something 46 . “The water was like the bubbles (气泡) on the top of a beer,” she later explained. “It wasn’t 47 and it wasn’t going in and then out. It was just coming in and in and in.” It struck her that these were the 48 of an upcoming tsunami, which Sabrina had just learnt about in a Geography lesson.
Sabrina was 49 , but she soon kept her head. She 50 her parents of the danger though at first they just thought she was joking. However, Sabrina was certain that a terrible 51 was on its way and kept asking her parents to talk to a safety 52 . To her great relief, the officer 53 realized the coming danger. The beach was rapidly 54 of people, just before the huge waves 55 into the coast.
41. A. left B. brought C. affected D. led
42. A. recognize B. survive C. challenge D. quit
43. A. stress B. reality C. danger D. failure
44. A. making up B. taking in C. focusing on D. checking out
45. A. wave B. sunshine C. whistle D. wind
46. A. unique B. powerful C. strange D. attractive
47. A. narrow B. adventurous C. distant D. calm
48. A. signs B. damages C. effects D. results
49. A. embarrassed B. confused C. annoyed D. frightened
50. A. warned B. cheated C. helped D. debated
51. A. disease B. disaster C. accident D. drought
52. A. officer B. designer C. partner D. inventor
53. A. actually B. anxiously C. immediately D. curiously
54. A. informed B. robbed C. reminded D. cleared
55. A. slid B. crashed C. divided D. tapped
【答案】
41. A 42. B 43. C 44. B 45. D 46. C 47. D 48. A 49. D 50. A 51. B 52. A 53. C 54. D 55. B
【解析】本文是一篇记叙文。文章主要讲述了一个小女孩Sabrina Andron用自己的海啸知识帮助100多人逃离危险。
41. 考查动词词义辨析。句意：更糟糕的是，它造成数千人死亡。 A. left遗留，造成；B. brought带来；C. affected影响；D. led导致。根据下文“thousands dead.”可知，地震带来的海啸造成了数千人死亡。故选A。
42. 考查动词词义辨析。句意：Goldshore Beach是当地唯一一个没有人员伤亡的海滩。A. recognize认识；B. survive幸存；C. challenge挑战；D. quit停止。根据下文“without any loss of life.”可知，Goldshore Beach是在这场灾难中唯一幸存下来的海滩。故选B。
43. 考查名词词义辨析。句意：一个10岁的女孩，Sabrina Andron，用她对海啸的了解帮助了大约100人逃离危险。A. stress压力；B. reality现实；C. danger危险；D. failure失败。根据上文“a series of huge waves caused by an undersea earthquake raced across the ocean near Goldshore”可知，海啸来袭，她用自己的知识帮助人们脱离危险，故选C。
44. 考查动词短语辨析。句意：人们在沙滩上散步、跑步，或者只是坐在沙滩上，呼吸着温暖的海风，享受着轻柔的微风拂过头发。A. making up组成；B. taking in吸入；C. focusing on集中；D. checking out核查。根据下文“the warm sea air”可知，人们在沙滩上呼吸着温暖的海风。故选B。
45. 考查名词词义辨析。句意：人们在沙滩上散步、跑步，或者只是坐在沙滩上，呼吸着温暖的海风，享受着轻柔的微风拂过头发。A. wave海浪；B. sunshine阳光；C. whistle口哨；D. wind风。根据下文“that brushed their hair.”可知，沙滩上轻柔的微风拂这头发。故选D。
46. 考查形容词词义辨析。句意：Sabrina是其中一个快乐的游客，直到她注意到一些奇怪的事情。A. unique独特的；B. powerful强有力的；C. strange奇怪的；D. attractive有吸引力的。根据下文““The water was like the bubbles (气泡) on the top of a beer,” she later explained. “It wasn’t ___7___ and it wasn’t going in and then out. It was just coming in and in and in.””可知，Sabrina在海滩上注意到一些奇怪的事情。故选C。
47. 考查形容词词义辨析。句意：它并不平静，也没有进进出出。A. narrow狭窄的；B. adventurous冒险的；C. distant疏远的；D. calm平静的。根据下文“and it wasn’t going in and then out. It was just coming in and in and in.”可知，海水并不平静。故选D。
48. 考查名词词义辨析。句意：她突然意识到，这些都是即将到来的海啸的迹象，这是Sabrina刚刚在地理课上学到的。A. signs迹象；B. damages损害；C. effects影响；D. results结果。根据下文“which Sabrina had just learnt about in a Geography lesson”可知，Sabrina意识到奇怪的事情是海啸即将到来的迹象。故选A。
49. 考查形容词词义辨析。句意：Sabrina很害怕，但她很快就保持了冷静。A. embarrassed尴尬的；B. confused困惑的；C. annoyed恼怒的；D. frightened害怕的。根据“but she soon kept her head.”可知，Sabrina见到海啸很害怕，但是又很快保持冷静。故选D。
50. 考查动词词义辨析。句意：她警告她的父母有危险，虽然起初他们以为她只是在开玩笑。A. warned警告；B. cheated欺骗；C. helped帮助；D. debated辩论。根据“of the danger”可知，她警告父母有危险。故选A。
51. 考查名词词义辨析。句意：然而，Sabrina确信一场可怕的灾难即将来临，并不断要求她的父母与安全官员交谈。A. disease疾病；B. disaster灾难；C. accident事故；D. drought干旱。根据第8空后“upcoming tsunami”可知，一场可怕的灾难即将来临。故选B。
52. 考查名词词义辨析。句意：然而，Sabrina确信一场可怕的灾难即将来临，并不断要求她的父母与安全官员交谈。A. officer官员；B. designer设计师；C. partner搭档；D. inventor发明家。根据下文“the officer”可知，她要求父母和安全官员谈话。故选A。
53. 考查副词词义辨析。句意：令她大为宽慰的是，官员立刻意识到即将来临的危险。 A. actually实际上；B. anxiously焦虑地；C. immediately立即；D. curiously好奇地。根据上文“To her great relief”和下文“realized the coming danger.”可知，安全官员立刻意识到即将来临的海啸的危险。故选C。
54. 考查动词词义辨析。句意：就在巨浪冲击海岸之前，海滩上的人很快就被疏散了。A. informed通知；B. robbed抢劫；C. reminded提醒；D. cleared清空。根据上文“To her great relief, the officer ___13___ realized the coming danger.”和常识可知，海啸即将来临，尽快清空海滩上的人们。故选D。
55. 考查动词词义辨析。句意：就在巨浪冲击海岸之前，海滩上的人很快就被疏散了。A. slid滑动；B. crashed撞击；C. divided划分；D. tapped轻拍。根据上文“the huge waves”可知，因为是海啸，所以是巨浪撞击海岸。故选B。
三、语法填空
阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。将答案填写在答题卡的相应位置。
World Ocean Day is an international day that takes place annually on 8 June. It is observed as a 56 (remind) every year of the destruction 57 (cause) by human activities like garbage and waste water treatment and oil leaks. This year the main purpose of the Day is to inform a 58 (wide) public of the impact of human actions 59 the ocean, expecting more people 60 (care) about the worsening situation.
The Day is now celebrated in over 100 countries with hundreds of special events broadcast across the globe. It 61 (mark) in a variety of ways, including launching new campaigns and holding special events, to advance ocean conservation and education.
Young people are an important part. The Day provides them with a platform 62 they can express their concerns and share their ideas. Each year, the Day has a theme for the campaigns and events. For example, in 2016 and 2017 the themes were “Healthy oceans, healthy planet” and “Our oceans, our future”, 63 (respective). “Collective Action for the Ocean” is the theme in 2022, 64 (throw) light on the communities, ideas, and solutions that are working together to protect 65 recover the ocean.
【答案】
56. reminder 57. caused 58. wider 59. on/upon 60. to care 61. is marked 62. where 63. respectively 64. throwing 65. and
【解析】这是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了世界海洋日，每年的这一天都会提醒人们注意人类活动造成的破坏，比如垃圾和废水处理以及石油泄漏。今年世界海洋日的主要目的是向更广泛的公众宣传人类活动对海洋的影响，期望更多的人关心日益恶化的海洋状况。
56. 考查名词。句意：每年的这一天都会提醒人们注意人类活动造成的破坏，比如垃圾和废水处理以及石油泄漏。作介词的宾语，结合不定冠词可知应用单数名词reminder。故填reminder。
57. 考查非谓语动词。句意：每年的这一天都会提醒人们注意人类活动造成的破坏，比如垃圾和废水处理以及石油泄漏。分析句子结构可知cause与逻辑主语destruction构成被动关系，故用过去分词作定语。故填caused。
58. 考查比较级。句意：今年世界海洋日的主要目的是向更广泛的公众宣传人类活动对海洋的影响，期望更多的人关心日益恶化的海洋状况。此处为比较关系，句意为“更广泛的”应用wider。故填wider。
59. 考查介词。句意：今年世界海洋日的主要目的是向更广泛的公众宣传人类活动对海洋的影响，期望更多的人关心日益恶化的海洋状况。短语impact on/upon表示“对……影响”。故填on/upon。
60. 考查非谓语动词。句意：今年世界海洋日的主要目的是向更广泛的公众宣传人类活动对海洋的影响，期望更多的人关心日益恶化的海洋状况。表示“期望某人做某事”短语为expect sb. to do sth.。故填to care。
61. 考查时态语态。句意：世界海洋日的庆祝方式多种多样，包括发起新的运动和举办特别活动，以推进海洋保护和教育。主语与谓语构成被动关系，且陈述事实用一般现在时，主语为it，谓语用单数。故填is marked。
62. 考查定语从句。句意：国际日为他们提供了一个表达关切和分享想法的平台。定语从句修饰先行词platform，在从句作地点状语，用关系副词where。故填where。
63. 考查副词。句意：例如，2016年和2017年的主题分别是“健康的海洋，健康的地球”和“我们的海洋，我们的未来”。修饰动词作状语，应用副词respectively。故填respectively。
64. 考查非谓语动词。句意：“集体行动保护海洋”是2022年世界海洋日的主题，展示了共同努力保护和恢复海洋的社区、想法和解决方案。分析句子结构可知throw与逻辑主语Collective Action for the Ocean构成主动关系，故用现在分词作状语。故填throwing。
65. 考查连词。句意：“集体行动保护海洋”是2022年世界海洋日的主题，展示了共同努力保护和恢复海洋的社区、想法和解决方案。此处protect与recover为并列关系，应用连词and。故填and。
四、书信写作
66. 假定你是高三学生李华，一名海洋爱好者。学校英语读书社邀请你作一个主题为“Be An Ocean Lover”的演讲。请你写一份英文演讲稿，内容包括：
1. 海洋的重要性；
2. 保护海洋的倡议。
注意：
1. 写作词数应为100左右；
2. 短文的题目已为你写好。
Be An Ocean Lover
Hello, everyone! I’m Li Hua, an enthusiastic ocean lover.
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That’s all. Thank you
【参考范文】
Be An Ocean Lover
Hello, everyone! I’m Li Hua, an enthusiastic ocean lover.
When it comes to ocean, its pollution is becoming more and more serious. World Ocean Day, falling on June 8th, is aimed at raising awareness of ocean conservation.
Ocean plays a key role in our world. Not only does ocean offer us sufficient food, but also it maintains the balance of nature. Thus, it is imperative to protect ocean. First of all, what we can do is to place importance on our daily actions. For example, garbage can’t be thrown into ocean. What’s more, we can als10.保护海洋生物
一、阅读理解
1
Scientists have recently discovered the world’s largest known field of sea grass. They did it using videos shot by some extraordinary helpers. The work should help protect the sea grass, and also shows off a powerful way to explore the ocean.
As a shelter for many sea creatures, sea grasses are flowering plants that normally grow in shallow waters near coasts. They grow in thick fields, known as seagrass meadows (海草床), which help clean the ocean water. More importantly, they are called “ocean lung”. They help in the fight against the climate crisis. That’s because they store huge amounts of carbon — the major source of global warming.
Considering the urgent need to protect seagrass meadows and the challenges to spot them, scientists decided to have tiger sharks help the research.
Tiger sharks are inborn fast swimmers, and spend a lot of time in seagrass meadows. Between 2016 and 2020, the researchers attached cameras and other trackers to the fins of seven tiger sharks, and then let them go again. The cameras were designed to fall off after hours and float to the surface. Tracking signals helped find the floating cameras and collect the videos the sharks had taken while traveling for miles. Moreover, other tools were used, including satellite images, as well as images taken by divers and boats.
Putting all this information together, the scientists learned that the waters around the Bahamas are home to the largest seagrass meadow ever discovered. Different from previous studies, the program discovers how useful large underwater animals can be in helping to learn more about life under the sea. Oliver Shipley, a scientist from the team, says animals like tiger sharks are going to take us to new places that we didn’t know existed.
1. Why do seagrass meadows urgently need protection
A. Damaging them will worsen climate crisis.
B. They determine the cleanliness of ocean water.
C. Sea creatures can’t survive without their shelter.
D. Their existence balances the underwater ecosystem.
2. How did tiger sharks help the scientific research
A. By tracking signals scientists sent.
B. By bringing back cameras with videos.
C. By carrying the recording equipment around.
D. By spending a lot of time in seagrass meadows.
3. What is the highlight about the research according to the text
A. Leading scientists. B. Unusual research assistants.
C. Multiple experimental tools. D. Advanced theories.
4. Which is the most suitable title for the text
A. The Cooperation between Man and Animals
B. The key to protecting the Sea—Tiger Sharks
C. Sea Grass: An Undervalued Plant
D. Ocean Lung Monitored in a New Way
2
The polar research vessel (船舰) RRS Sir David Attenborough, which will always be thought of by some as Boaty McBoatface, is currently on an Antarctic task to find out how sea ice influences the cycle of nutrients and carbon in the world’s oceans.
The 12 researchers on board are using autonomous underwater vehicles to explore huge areas of free-floating sea ice. This will help us better understand how climate change is impacting organisms from microscopic plankton (浮游生物) to penguins and orcas. .
Last week, the vessel collected samples from around the A23a mega iceberg (a scientific term) . The largest iceberg in existence is almost 4, 000 sq km, equal to an area twice the size of Greater London, weighing close to a trillion metric tonnes and towering up to 1, 312 feet above the sea.
It originally broke away from a main ice shelf connected to Antarctica in 1986, but had remained stuck against the seabed ever since. Until last month. Now, A23a is drifting into the Southern Ocean.
Of course, one iceberg floating into warmer waters and melting is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the climate crisis. At COP28, billions and billions were promised to fund global I climate solutions, especially in developing nations. More than 130 countries agreed to deal with emissions in agriculture, with 118 promising to triple renewables too.
But more needs to be done. Forget the A23a iceberg being a threat to shipping, it’s a sign we may be all sunk.
5. What is the purpose of RRS Sir David Attenborough’s exploration
A. To be thought highly of as Boaty McBoatface.
B. To study the impact of the sea ice in circulation.
C. To record the cycle of nutrients and carbon globally.
D. To stand out as one of the best research vessels in the world.
6. What was this exploration most concerned about
A. The width of warm waters.
B. The shape of main ice shelf.
C. The size of remaining iceberg.
D. The weight of free-floating iceberg.
7. What is the main idea of Paragraph 5
A. Joint efforts was made to fix the climate crisis.
B. COP 28 made a difference to the climate crisis.
C. The climate crisis will be solved in the near future.
D. The melting of iceberg is just the start of the climate crisis.
8. How can we describe the author’s attitude according to the text
A. It never rains but it pours.
B. Facts speak louder than words.
C. Where there is global community, there is a way.
D. When the exploring stops, the destroying can too.
3
Life at the bottom of the ocean is extreme. It’s dark; the temperature remains right above freezing and the pressure is huge. Only around a couple of dozen people have actually been to the deepest part of the ocean floor, a place known as Challenger Deep.
In July 2022, Marine geographer Dawn Wright and pilot and ocean explorer Victor Vescovo went down in a small underwater vehicle. Once the pair went down about 800 meters, they lost sunlight. “Worms, jellyfish, anglerfish are able to create their own light,” Wright says. “They use the light to find mates, hunt, and—apparently—attempt to communicate with our underwater vehicle. Victor noticed flashes of light as we reached that zone in the ocean. And then he started flashing the lights of the underwater vehicle at them. And we saw them flash back.”
Most tsunamis are a result of earthquakes on the seafloor. Wright explains that “when you have that disruption on the ocean floor, the water above the ocean floor gets severely disrupted as well,” which can generate large waves that can turn into tsunamis. By mapping the seafloor, scientists can identify and monitor underwater areas where earthquakes may take place. That could give coastal areas more warning time in the event of a tsunami.
The basic principle of mapping is a ship or instrument sends pulses of sound from the ocean surface down toward the seafloor and waits for it to come back up. Based on the amount of time it takes for the sound to return and factors like temperature and salt content, scientists can get a specific depth. Scanning a whole area of the seafloor, then, will give you a depth—or bathymetry—map.
If the entire ocean floor has not been mapped by 2030, Wright says the work will continue. But, she adds, “The longer it takes us to get too close to 100 percent, for all the reasons that we’ve talked about, the more it looks like we are playing with fire, so to speak.”
9. Why did Victor flash the lights
A. To offer light to the ocean floor. B. To guide the underwater vehicle.
C. To communicate with deep-sea species. D. To frighten the sea animals away.
10. What is the purpose of mapping the seafloor
A. To explore the cause of earthquakes. B. To monitor and predict tsunamis.
C. To identify various ocean creatures. D. To avoid the disruption of the seafloor.
11. What does a bathymetry map show about the ocean
A. Rising temperature. B. Depth changes. C. Current directions. D. Salt contents.
12. What does Wright stress about mapping the seafloor in the last paragraph
A. It is greatly urgent. B. It is very dangerous. C. It is time-consuming. D. It will be done soon.
4
In 2014, an art student from university went to Beijing Zoo. Little did he know that a chance encounter with corals (珊瑚) there would start a lifelong passion. Until today, Xu Yitang, a Beijing native, has settled in Hainan province, where he serves as a coral conservationist. For Xu, who had been studying Peking Opera since childhood, becoming a coral conservationist was an unexpected turn of events.
After he first saw corals at the zoo, he began to frequent the local market to learn about coral farming from sellers of coral products. He also learned diving and underwater photography to get a closer look at corals for research purposes. Each day, he spends several hours diving deep under the waves to observe and document the growth and development of the creatures and shares photos and videos of corals on social media platforms. His goal was to raise awareness and knowledge about corals, so that people can learn how to protect them effectively.
As he studied deeper into the creature, he learned that corals are known as “underwater gardens” of the ocean, providing a home for a quarter of all ocean life. Unfortunately, with the strengthening of the greenhouse effect, rising sea temperatures have led to coral bleaching (白化). Xu felt an increasing sense of urgency and responsibility to protect them.
While pursuing his passion to protect corals, he met his life partner, Liu Xiwen, through their shared hobby of diving in Hainan. “Unlike many young people who care about their dress and appearance, he is simply focused on protecting corals,” says Liu about Xu.“Despite his skin injury from spending long hours in the seawater, his attitude is different from what I’ve seen in most young people in Beijing, and it’s attractive to me.”
13. What can we learn about Xu Yitang from the first paragraph
A. He majored in coral protection.
B. He was born in Hainan province.
C. He worked in Beijing as a coral expert.
D. He found his love for corals by chance.
14. Why does Xu Yitang share photos and videos of corals on social media
A. To record his exploring process.
B. To spread knowledge about corals.
C. To introduce his diving experience.
D. To show off his photography ability.
15. What contributed to the coral bleaching
A. The pollution of ocean environment.
B. The development of ocean farming.
C. The damage to underwater gardens.
D. The increase in ocean temperatures.
16. Which of the following best describes Xu Yitang
A. Emotional. B. Devoted.
C. Public-spirited. D. Curiosity-driven.
5
At first glance the sea turtles look as if they were dead because they hardly move. But if you look closely enough, they show a slow glimpse of life. These turtles are all washed up in Massachusetts every December, on the windy beaches of Cape Cod Bay.
Shaver, chief of the Division of Sea Turtle Science and Recovery at Padre Island National Seashore in Texas, said, “If we don’t help save this species, we will lose a piece that enriches us. There’s a whole variety of things that can harm them: oil spills, boat strikes, red tides, and so on.” That is why all the urgent care they’re getting back up North is more important than ever.
Saving could never happen unless hundreds of pilots were willing to volunteer their time, their planes, and their fuel to rush the rescued turtles to willing rehab facilities (康复中心) all around the country.
On this particular mission, Andrews, vice president of a unique nonprofit called Turtles Fly Too, with his dad as a co-pilot, will fly more than 2,000 miles, from Boston, to Atlanta, then on to Gulfport and finally Dallas, dropping off 44 sick sea turtles along the way, in hopes that one day they’ll be well enough to be released. It is worth mentioning that the pilots that are flying these missions are pulling $1 million out of their pocket to fly these missions every year.
With good care and the help of volunteers, these turtles were finally ready to go home again. According to Andrews, “90% of the turtles that we’ve moved to the rehab facilities have ended up back in the ocean.”
“We humans have not always been kind to the sea and those that live in it. But on this day, it was humans-not me, but the hundreds of veterinarians, biologists, volunteers, and pilots—who all came together to give these critically-endangered sea turtles a second chance that they rarely got, ”Andrews added.
17. What happens to the turtles on the beaches of Cape Cod Bay
A. They are dying out. B. They are in danger.
C. They adapt to living onshore. D. They are caught by humans.
18. How did Shaver sound when speaking of the turtle rescue
A. Thrilled. B. Annoyed. C. Concerned. D. Moved.
19. What contributes most to the turtles’ returning home
A. The pilots’ generous devotion.
B. The division’s urgent care.
C. The rehab facilities’ willingness to help.
D. The improvement of the turtles’ habitats.
20. What can we say about the rescuing result
A. It is unsatisfactory. B. It costs too much.
C. It is controversial. D. It quite pays off.
6
Humans have sailed the oceans’ surfaces for thousands of years, but their depths remain effectively uncharted. Only about a quarter of the seafloor has been mapped at high resolution (清晰度). Maps of most regions display only estimated depths and often miss entire underwater mountains or canyons (峡谷). So a group of researchers have turned to some deep-diving experts: Elephant Seals and Weddell Seals. Scientists have been placing trackers on these blubber y marine mammals around Antarctica for years, gathering data on ocean temperature and salinity (盐度).
For a new study, the researchers compared these dives’ location and depth data with some of the less detailed seafloor maps. They spotted places where the seals dove deeper than should have been possible according to the maps.
In eastern Antarctica’s Vincennes Bay, the diving seals helped the scientists find a large, hidden underwater canyon suddenly descending (下降) to depths of more than a mile. “The seals discovered the canyon, and the ship confirmed it,” says Clive McMahon, a researcher at the Integrated Marine Observing System in Australia and a co-author of the new study.
But seals can’t map the entire ocean floor. The trackers used in the study could pinpoint (为……准确定位) a seal’s geographical location only within about 1.5 miles, which allows for useful but not exactly high-resolution data. Plus, because the seals don’t always dive to the bottom of the ocean, they can reveal only where the bottom is deeper than in existing maps — not shallower. McMahon notes that scientists could improve on these data by using more precise GPS trackers and analyzing the seals’ diving patterns to determine whether they have reached the seafloor or simply stopped descending.
The current seal-dive data can still be valuable for an important task, says Anna W hlin, an oceanographer at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden. The deep ocean around Antarctica is warmer than the extremely cold waters at the surface, and seafloor canyons can allow that warmer water to flow to the ice along the continent’s coast, W hlin explains. To predict how Antarctica’s ice will melt, scientists will need to know where those canyons are and how deep they go.
21. What’s the initial function of the device carried by the seals
A. Collecting data about seawater.
B. Filming the images of the seafloor.
C. Recording the seals’ travelling routes.
D. Leading researchers to some remote areas.
22. What does the new study’s discovery prove
A. It is impossible to fully uncover the secrets of the sea.
B. The existing depth estimates for the sea are inaccurate.
C. Seals’ ability to dive is worth further scientific studies.
D. It is urgent for scientists to map detailed seafloor maps.
23. What does paragraph 4 mainly talk about
A. The creative methods adopted in the study.
B. Major technical challenges faced by scientists.
C. New research directions inspired by the study.
D. The shortcomings of the approaches to the study.
24. Which of the following will Anna W hlin most probably agree with
A. The new study is potentially beneficial to other scientific fields.
B. The deep waters of Antarctica are colder than the surface waters.
C. Seafloor canyons slow down the speed of ice melting in Antarctica.
D. The seal-dive practice is valuable for mapping the entire ocean floor.
7
Facial recognition technology is mostly associated with uses such as the authentication of human faces, but scientists believe they’ve found a new use for it—saving seals.
Researchers 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 the mammals was close to 100 percent.
The researchers are working on increasing the size of their database to make it available to other scientists. Increasing the database to include rare species could help efforts to save them. The Mediterranean monk seal is thought to be the world’s most at-risk seal with only a few hundred animals remaining.
Creating a list of seal faces and using machine learning to identify them can also help scientists know where in the ocean seals are. Marine mammals move around a lot and are hard to photograph in the water. Scientists need to be able 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 a human. A similar tool called PrimNet, which is for use on primates, had been used on seals earlier, but SealNet performed better.
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.
“Once the system is perfected I can picture lots of interesting environmental uses for it,” said Michelle Berger, a scientist. “If they could recognize seals, and recognize them from year to year, that would give us lots of information about movement, how much they move from site to site.” He added that harbor seals give important information about the environment around them.
25. What can we learn about SealNet from the passage
A. It increases the size of the database.
B. It identifies the mammals accurately.
C. It performs more poorly than PrimNet.
D. It includes rare species movement.
26. In what aspect does SealNet help us protect seals
A. It identifies which seal is at risk in the ocean.
B. It recognizes the shape of a seal in a picture.
C. It helps scientists know the location of the seals.
D. It gives information about the animals around seals.
27. According to Michelle Berger, what can the system do when it is perfected
A. It can provide information of the surroundings.
B. It can recognize the seals for a year.
C. It can increase the number of seals.
D. It can provide information about migration.
28. What is the main purpose of the passage
A. To present a high-tech method to protect seals
B. To introduce the species of seals
C. To explain why seals are in danger
D. To propose new methods to recognize seals
8
Geologists have long been fascinated by a missing piece of Earth’s history — a lost continent called Argoland. Around 155 million years ago, the 5,000-kilometer continent broke off from Western Australia and began drifting(漂移), leaving behind a basin deep below the ocean known as the Argo Abyssal Plain. But where did Argoland actually go
The seabed structure suggests that the continent drifted northwestward and ended up Southeast Asia. But surprisingly, there is no large continent hidden beneath those islands, only small continental fragments(碎片) surrounded by ancient oceanic basins. Using this theory, geologists at Utrecht University discovered that Argoland hadn’t really disappeared but survived as a “very extended and fragmented collection” under the islands to the east of Indonesia.
Unlike other continents like Africa and South America, which broke neatly into two pieces, Argoland split into many smaller fragments that were dispersed, which made it difficult for scientists to locate and study the continent’s geological features. However, with advanced technology and the discovery, scientists can now piece them together.
Tracing the continents is vital for understanding processes like the evolution of biodiversity. It could help explain something known as the mysterious Wallace line, which is an imaginary boundary that separates mammals, birds, and even early human species in Southeast Asian islands. The boundary has puzzled scientists because of how clearly it separates the island’s wildlife. To the west of the line are placental mammals like apes and elephants. But these are almost completely absent to the east, where you can find marsupials and cockatoos — animals typically associated with Australia. Researchers have theorized that this may be because Argoland carried its own wildlife away from Australia before it crashed into Southeast Asia, which helps explain why different species are found in different nations.
The story of Argoland is not one of complete disappearance but of transformation. As the world continues to evolve, this lost continent serves as a powerful symbol of the fragility of life on this planet, and a reminder of the importance of respecting and protecting the world that we live in.
29. What do we know about Argoland
A. It split into two pieces many years ago.
B. It broke away from the continent of Africa.
C. It sank to the bottom of the Argo Abyssal Plain.
D. It exists as fragments under the eastern islands of Indonesia.
30. What does the underlined word “dispersed” in paragraph 3 probably mean
A. Crashed. B. Connected. C. Distributed. D. Disappeared.
31. Why does the author mention the “Wallace line” in paragraph 4
A. To introduce the early history of Argoland.
B. To stress the significance of tracing Argoland.
C. To prove the biodiversity of Southeast Asian islands.
D. To explain the evolutionary process of Australian species.
32. Which of the following is the best title for the text
A. The Discovery of a Lost Continent B. The Boundaries of Wildlife Habitats
C. The Geological Features of Argoland D. The Formation of the Argo Abyssal Plain
9
Called ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC), the idea is to use surface water warmed by the sun to heat a fluid such as ammonia or water, which then runs a heat engine to produce energy, just like a power plant driven by steam. Cold water from deeper layers of the ocean would then be piped up to cool the fluid and repeat the cycle. Theoretically, oceans could provide vast amounts of electricity like this. Researchers have estimated that there is enough ocean heat to supply 7,000 gigawatt s a year without affecting ocean circulation, enough to supply the world’s electricity demand— if we can access it.
The idea was first put forward in 1881, but went largely unexplored until the 1970s oil. crisis drove a search for new sources of energy. In the years since, demonstration projects have been built, but progress has been “disappointing”, says AI Binger at SIDS DOCK, an organisation that promotes clean energy development in small island countries. In recent years, a fresh urgency to transition away from fossil fuels has brought a suggestion of an OTEC return. “It’s the most promising it’s been in many decades,” says Andrea Copping at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Washington state.
Tropical (热带的) islands are good candidates for OTEC because of their high energy costs— diesel (柴油) generators are common there—and the presence of deep cold water not far from shore, says James Van Zwieten at Florida Atlantic University. Islands also have less space for other types of renewables. A barrier for past projects was the cost of fixing kilometres of large pipes to reach deep water. Global OTEC aims to avoid that by extending a shorter pipe from a platform floating in deep water 10 kilometres offshore, then transmitting electricity back via a cable (电缆), and making use of advances made in offshore wind technology.
“OTEC will be part of providing a reasonable energy transition so these places aren’t depending on diesel imports from the richest petrol states in the world,” says Dan Grech, Global OTEC’s CEO.
33. What can we learn about OTEC technology from paragraph 1
A. It mainly uses offshore wind to generate electricity.
B. It has been widely applied to the oceans all over the world.
C. It can clean the water in the deeper layers of the ocean.
D. It depends strongly on the temperature difference in the ocean.
34. What does paragraph 2 mainly talk about
A. The advantages of OTEC. B. The development of OTEC.
C. Successful projects of OTEC. D. Different opinions on OTEC.
35. What difficulty did the past projects have with OTEC on islands
A. Lacking technology for generating electricity.
B. Being far away from the shore.
C. Enormous investment in the pipe equipment.
D. Great demand for the space.
36. What is Dan Grech’s attitude towards OTEC
A. Opposed. B. Supportive. C. Doubtful. D. Uncaring.
10
How do oceans affect you If you live far from the coast, you might think they don’t. But life on this planet depends on the ocean. It covers almost three-quarters of the planet and holds 97% of Earth’s water. The phytoplankton (浮游植物) that live on the oceans’ surface produce half of the oxygen in the atmosphere. Oceans are a vital source of food and other resources and an economic engine for many communities.
For all the ocean provides us, we haven’t always been so responsible in our stewardship (管理). “The ocean was considered as a dumping ground for so long,” says Caitlyn Toropova of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). “There was a sense that there was no way we could harm it because it is so vast.”
But human activities are having a negative impact on many of the world’s oceans, jeopardizing marine life, habitats, and ecosystems. These threats include overfishing or destructive fishing, coastal development, pollution and water runoff, and the introduction of non-native species. Climate change is also having a big effect by causing warming seas and ocean acidification.
Realizing that something needs to be done to stem or reverse the damage has led to the creation of marine protected areas (MPAs). There are approximately 5,000 designated (指定) MPAs around the world but many more that are not officially recognized. That may sound like a lot, but less than 1% of the world’s oceans is protected. “Countries around the world have committed to protecting 10%. But even though there’s been an increase in the past ten years, at the current rate, it would take 100 years to reach that goal,” Toropova says.
37. What does paragraph 1 intend to show us
A. The human impact on ocean species.
B. The importance of oceans to humans.
C. The urgency of protecting our oceans.
D. The great success in ocean exploration.
38. What was the common view about the ocean according to Toropova
A. It was too vast to be fully explored.
B. Ocean pollution was not very serious.
C. Human activities had little effect on it.
D. It provided us with abundant resources.
39. What does the underlined word “jeopardizing” in paragraph 3 probably mean
A. Rescuing.
B. Classifying.
C. Discovering.
D. Endangering.
40. What can be inferred from Toropova’s words in the last paragraph
A. More efforts are needed to protect oceans.
B. MPAs contribute little to ocean protection.
C. People’s goals are too unrealistic to be achieved.
D. Every country has the duty to save marine wildlife.
二、完形填空
On 20 December, in Newdale, a series of huge waves caused by an undersea earthquake raced across the ocean near Goldshore. Worse still, it 41 thousands dead. Goldshore Beach was the only local beach to 42 the disaster without any loss of life. A 10-year-old girl, Sabrina Andron, helped around 100 people escape 43 with her knowledge of tsunamis.
The day began like any other on Goldshore Beach. People were walking, running or simply sitting on the sandy beach, 44 the warm sea air and enjoying the soft 45 that brushed their hair. Sabrina was one of the happy tourists until she noticed something 46 . “The water was like the bubbles (气泡) on the top of a beer,” she later explained. “It wasn’t 47 and it wasn’t going in and then out. It was just coming in and in and in.” It struck her that these were the 48 of an upcoming tsunami, which Sabrina had just learnt about in a Geography lesson.
Sabrina was 49 , but she soon kept her head. She 50 her parents of the danger though at first they just thought she was joking. However, Sabrina was certain that a terrible 51 was on its way and kept asking her parents to talk to a safety 52 . To her great relief, the officer 53 realized the coming danger. The beach was rapidly 54 of people, just before the huge waves 55 into the coast.
41. A. left B. brought C. affected D. led
42. A. recognize B. survive C. challenge D. quit
43. A. stress B. reality C. danger D. failure
44. A. making up B. taking in C. focusing on D. checking out
45. A. wave B. sunshine C. whistle D. wind
46. A. unique B. powerful C. strange D. attractive
47. A. narrow B. adventurous C. distant D. calm
48. A. signs B. damages C. effects D. results
49. A. embarrassed B. confused C. annoyed D. frightened
50. A. warned B. cheated C. helped D. debated
51. A. disease B. disaster C. accident D. drought
52. A. officer B. designer C. partner D. inventor
53. A. actually B. anxiously C. immediately D. curiously
54. A. informed B. robbed C. reminded D. cleared
55. A. slid B. crashed C. divided D. tapped
三、语法填空
阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。将答案填写在答题卡的相应位置。
World Ocean Day is an international day that takes place annually on 8 June. It is observed as a 56 (remind) every year of the destruction 57 (cause) by human activities like garbage and waste water treatment and oil leaks. This year the main purpose of the Day is to inform a 58 (wide) public of the impact of human actions 59 the ocean, expecting more people 60 (care) about the worsening situation.
The Day is now celebrated in over 100 countries with hundreds of special events broadcast across the globe. It 61 (mark) in a variety of ways, including launching new campaigns and holding special events, to advance ocean conservation and education.
Young people are an important part. The Day provides them with a platform 62 they can express their concerns and share their ideas. Each year, the Day has a theme for the campaigns and events. For example, in 2016 and 2017 the themes were “Healthy oceans, healthy planet” and “Our oceans, our future”, 63 (respective). “Collective Action for the Ocean” is the theme in 2022, 64 (throw) light on the communities, ideas, and solutions that are working together to protect 65 recover the ocean.
四、书信写作
66. 假定你是高三学生李华，一名海洋爱好者。学校英语读书社邀请你作一个主题为“Be An Ocean Lover”的演讲。请你写一份英文演讲稿，内容包括：
1. 海洋的重要性；
2. 保护海洋的倡议。
注意：
1. 写作词数应为100左右；
2. 短文的题目已为你写好。
Be An Ocean Lover
Hello, everyone! I’m Li Hua, an enthusiastic ocean lover.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
That’s all. Thank you

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