The sixth mass extinction is not a worry for the future. It’s happening now，much faster than previously expected，and it's entirely our fault，according to a study puhlished Mooday.
Humans have already wiped out hundreds of species and pushed many more to the brink of extinction through wildlife trade，pollution，habitat loss and the use of toxic substances. The findings published in the scientific Journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences( PNAS)show that the rate at which species are dying out has accelerated in recent decades.
Gerardo Ceballos González，a professor of ecology at the National Autonomous University of Mexico and one of the authors of the study，said approximately 173 species went extinct between 2001 and 2014. “173 species is 25 times more extinct species than you would expect under the normal extinction rate. ”he told CNN in an email. He and his team found that in the past 100 years，more than 400 vertebrate(脊椎动物的)species went extinct. In the normal course of evolution，such extinctions would have taken up to 10，000 years，they said.
Mass extinctions are just as severe as their name suggests. There have been five mass extinction events in the Earth’s history，each wiping out between 70％and 95％of the species of plants，animals and microorganisms. The most recent，66 million years ago，saw dinosaurs disappear. The past events were caused by catastrophic changes of the environment，including massive volcanic eruptions or collision with an asteroid.
The sixth mass extinction the one happening now—is different：scientists say it’s caused by humans. The researchers also said the current coronavirus(冠状病毒)crisis shows people’s recklessness(鲁莽)towards nature can seriously hurt themselves. Many endangered species are dying in large numbers due to the trade in wild animals and plants.
1. What does the underlined word“toxic”in Para. 2 mean?| A．Poisonous | B．Useful |
| C．Alternative | D．Environment-friendly |
2. How does the writer convince readers of the seriousness of the mass extinctions?
| A．By listing reliable statistics. |
| B．By imagining a picture of the extinctions. |
| C．By mentioning some news from CNN. |
| D．By explaining the history of the extinctions. |
| A．To tell the difference between the fifth and sixth extinction. |
| B．To explain the cause of the coronavirus crisis. |
| C．To warn humans to get rid of their wrong actions. |
| D．To show the writer’s concern about the endangered species. |
| A．The changes of the environment do harm to wildlife. |
| B．The sixth mass extinction is much faster than expected. |
| C．Mass extinctions are just as severe as their name suggests. |
| D．The current coronavirus has arisen from the illegal trade. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Everglades National Park (大沼泽地国家公园) is located in the state of Florida. It is the largest wilderness in the entire country and makes up 25% of the wetlands in the state. The park is home to several rare and endangered species. It is also the third largest national park in the US, after Death Valley and Yellowstone. Each year, about 1 million tourists visit the park. On a global level, it has been announced as a World Heritage Site.
Unlike most other national parks, Everglades National Park was created to protect an ecosystem (生态系统) from damage. In 1947, President Harry Truman spoke at the official opening of Everglades National Park, saying the goal of creating the park was to protect forever a wild area that could never be replaced.
10,000 different islands make up Everglades National Park. Each of these islands is lived by natural wildlife. The Everglades is home to about 15 species that are endangered. In addition, more than 350 bird species and 300 species of fresh and saltwater fish live within the park. The Everglades is also home to 40 species of mammals and 50 reptile species.
There are many ways to explore the Everglades. Visitors can see alligators (短吻鳄) while hiking the Anhinga Trail. The Everglades is one of the only places on Earth where freshwater alligators and saltwater crocodiles live in the same area. Visitors using airboats are likely to see large groups of birds. Some visitors might enjoy riding bicycles through Shark Valley. Others may want to move slowly through waters where they can see insects and wildlife closely.
According to experts, changes to the Everglades are becoming a danger to several different kinds of wildlife. They say it is a result of actions the US government began more than 50 years ago, and settlers began even earlier.
1. In the first paragraph, we’re mainly told that ________.| A．Florida is famous for its wetlands | B．the US has three important national parks |
| C．Everglades National Park is of great value | D．Everglades National Park is popular with visitors |
| A．By listing figures. | B．By personally experiencing. |
| C．By making a comparison. | D．By carrying on a study. |
| A．in fact Everglades National Park is a big island |
| B．visitors are not allowed to stay in the water in the park. |
| C．President Harry Truman first suggested setting up the park |
| D．the park is among the few places where alligators and crocodiles live together |
| A．What the government has done to protect the park. |
| B．How the park’s environment was badly changed. |
| C．What readers can do to help to save the wetlands. |
| D．How important endangered wildlife is to the world. |
【推荐2】In the past five years, about 2.8 billion of school textbooks were sold per year, with total spending of 20 billion yuan ($3 billion), news magazine Outlook Weekly reported, citing data released recently by the National Press and Publication Administration.
If these textbooks are reused for one year, the costs saved can be used to help build around 40,000 Hope Schools in impoverished regions.
The figures show that in 2018, the number of retailed textbooks for primary and secondary schools was 2.93 billion copies, totaling 25.99 billion yuan. If all of them are reused, a total of over 20 billion yuan will be saved per year.
Zhao Dehua, in charge of a company recycling resources, said many college graduates sell the textbooks they have accumulated over the years at an average price of 1 yuan per kilogram. As these textbooks are mostly used to produce recycled paper, the cost is even higher than that of raw paper as the processing procedure of recycled paper is complicated.
At present, free textbooks related to music, art and P.E for the nine-year compulsory education have been reused, but account for less than a fraction of the total number of textbooks. Because of the supply chain obstruction, which increases the costs to match supply with demand, the lack of sound platform and service supporting system for the second-hand textbook trade, most of the textbooks used for compulsory education and higher education end up as waste.
“Every year, second-hand booksellers collect textbooks at a price of about 4,000 yuan a ton, which is more than twice the price of ordinary waste paper, but the number of people who come to collect second-hand books is still few,” Zhao Dehua said.
Besides, the incomplete policies and regulations might bring second-hand book sales platforms and sellers to legal risks.
“Establishing the system of textbook recycling can not only save resources, but also help to cultivate students’ consciousness and sense of responsibility,” said Zhu Pin, deputy head of a school of nine-year compulsory education in Jiangxi province. The school has set up a system for reusing the textbooks and the books are disinfected every week.
1. What can we learn from paragraph 4?| A．College students sell textbooks in order to make profits. |
| B．Recycled paper is mainly used for environmental considerations. |
| C．The cost of recycled paper is greater than that of raw paper. |
| D．Certain groups of collectors tend to choose second-hand textbooks. |
| A．It is blocked because of lack of funds. |
| B．The supply of recycled textbooks is not adequate to meet the demand. |
| C．The regulation of second-hand textbooks has not been carried out yet. |
| D．A large number of second-hand textbooks are not used properly. |
| A．The school frees recycled textbooks from bacteria regularly. |
| B．The school proposes regulations for wasting second-hand textbooks. |
| C．The school calls on students to participate in the system of textbook recycling. |
| D．The school requests the government’s support. |
| A．Textbooks recycled for less waste |
| B．Recycled textbooks used for compulsory education |
| C．Reusing textbooks good for environment and wallet |
| D．Reusing textbooks good for collection |
【推荐3】Even with an injured leg, a tall, grey-crowned crane (灰冠鹤) walks proudly through a bird shelter in the Rwandan capital Kigali. The shelter—called Umusambi Village—has rescued more than 200 cranes from captivity (囚禁). Olivier Nsengimana founded the Umusambi Village in 2015, and runs it together with the government. Umusambi means “grey-crowned bird” in the Kinyarwanda language. In just four years, the organization has helped to increase the population of these endangered birds from 487 to 881.
Before this work began, local neighborhoods were hunting or catching the birds to sell, said Nsengimana. Nsengimana recently explained why this was possibly happening. In Rwanda, the bird is often a symbol of high social position and wealth. So, they are often raised in private homes or hotels.
In fact, six years ago, he said there were more cranes living in captivity in hotels and homes than in the wild. Nsengimana added that poverty and a lack of awareness (意识) of animal protection in the local neighborhoods also led them to catch and sell the birds illegally. He said raising awareness of their endangered position is helping to protect the birds.
For Nsengimana, his own love of the bird goes back to his childhood. He grew up in a village filled with grey crowned cranes. They not only woke up people in the morning, but they also provided entertainment.
Some of the rescued birds are brought to the village after being injured by illegal hunters. Others come from homes where their owners broke their legs or cut their wings to prevent them from flying away.
At Umusambi Village, the cranes are able to recover. When they are healthy enough to survive in their natural environment, Nsengimana sets them free in a protected forest. However, the cranes are still endangered by illegal hunting and by the destruction of their natural environment. This is happening not only in Rwanda, he said. Cranes are endangered in many other parts of the world, including North America.
1. What is a reason for the illegal selling of the birds?| A．Local people knew little about protecting them. |
| B．The government didn’t take measures. |
| C．Their population was too large. |
| D．They could bring good luck. |
| A．They lost their homes. | B．Many of them got hurt. |
| C．They were used to tell time | D．They were hunted for meat |
| A．Staying in the Village forever. | B．Being kept with kind people. |
| C．Moving to public parks. | D．Living in the wild. |
| A．Man Reminds People to Protect Endangered Birds. |
| B．Birds Become a Symbol of Wealth in Rwanda |
| C．Man Saves Endangered Birds in Rwanda |
| D．Birds Are Part of People’s Life in Rwanda |
【推荐1】With the improvement of privacy protection awareness, everyone has questions about the telephone address, ID card information and so on. This visible privacy has been particularly concerned, but for chat photos and original pictures, it has not attracted enough attention. The topic “How much privacy can a photo reveal” has been trending on Sina Weibo, sparking concern and heated discussion about privacy awareness. In group chats, some people may post their original photos. But that may give away your home address and other information.
Images often contain a lot of information and various traces left by digital cameras or photo manipulation (处理) software. This data, called Exchangeable Image File Format (EXIF), is a key tool for many professionals. It can detail whether the photographer used a flash, which digital effects were applied to a picture and when the photo was taken. EXIF can also contain the precise GPS coordinates (坐标) of the location where a photo was taken, according to CNN. If you take a landscape picture from your window and send the original picture to a group chat, it means that you are releasing your location data to all strangers in the group. They may even accurately infer your house number by analyzing the shooting time and angle.
Not just in a group chat, sending an image in a text message, email, or other delivery tools will also include the accompanying information. So how do we protect our privacy when sending photos? The most effective way is to avoid sending original photos in group chats. If it’s necessary, try not to tap the “original picture”. However, photos sent by WeChat Moments are automatically pressed by the system, and they travel without location and other information. To solve the problem at its root, we can delete and remove a picture’s EXIF data on a computer. If you are using an iOS smartphone, you can turn off location services for the camera in the privacy settings. If you’re using an Android, the settings vary. Typically, you can go to the setting menu and switch the services off for the camera, according to CTV News. There is one more thing you can do—photoshop your photos before you share it. What comes with your edited images is photos without stored location data.
1. What is the function of the first paragraph?| A．To explain the meaning of privacy protection. |
| B．To lead to the topic of privacy protection. |
| C．To describe people’s concern about privacy. |
| D．To tell the readers the importance of privacy. |
| A．It can be used as a flash for the photographer. |
| B．It may apply digital effects to a picture. |
| C．It includes the home address of the viewers. |
| D．It provides a photo’s shooting time and place. |
| A．By switching off location services for Wechat. |
| B．By sending out their EXIF data on our phone. |
| C．By editing the photos with photo editing apps. |
| D．By turning off Internet connection when taking photos. |
| A．Securing Social Media | B．The Importance of Protecting Photos |
| C．The Privacy a Photo Reveals | D．Getting Information from Photos |
【推荐2】When people find out that I am a journalist, they often ask me: What do you think about the future of newspapers?
I tell them that I think the future of communications is moving online. People expect me to be fearful for the future of print. After all, in some people’s minds I wouldn’t be able to build a career in journalism(新闻业) if it all moves online. However, strangely enough, I’m actually comforted by the fact that online journalism is becoming usual. I am a blogger who has always been able to find a home for my writing online.
Since I began writing blogs, I have become aware of how many people you can reach with online writing. Compare this to the newspaper’s circulation base(发行基地), and you will have a strong reason for online journalism.
In her successful blog post titled The Job I Have Spent the Last Year Learning Is Not the One I Will Have，author Jenny Surane states, “Print is an expensive product to love. And general managers, publishers and editors must now figure out a profitable way to get their news into readers’ heads.” She goes on to state that people don’t feel like picking up a newspaper now and would rather scroll(滚屏) through their Twitter feed, and get news from many different sources.
If print is dying, then a new form of communicating information is being born. The need for information has not died. If anything, it has increased. What has died, rather, is the way in which information is presented.
Now more than ever, in this age of information, there is a desire for stories on the same topic from different points of view. The printing industry can keep pace with the need of providing a variety of sources, if it chooses to.
Is the future of print grim?Maybe. But is the future of journalism of communicating information to people grim as well?Definitely not.
1. According to Paragraph 2, the author feels ________.| A．confident about the future of his career |
| B．worried about the future of print |
| C．tired of being a newspaper journalist |
| D．embarrassed about online writing |
| A．Twitter is not very popular. |
| B．It is hard to manage online journalism. |
| C．Print still has its own advantages. |
| D．People have more options(选择) to get information. |
| A．Promising. | B．Worrying. |
| C．Unforgiving. | D．Encouraging. |
【推荐3】Kelly McKernan, a 37-year-old artist from Tennessee, is known for her striking paintings featuring energetic female figures. However, McKerman now faces a threat: artificial intelligence (Al). About a year ago, she noticed online images that were remarkably similar to her own work. She discovered that some companies were using AI systems to generate similar images by training software programs with artists’ original works.
McKernan expressed her dissatisfaction, stating, “I did not give permission for my name or artwork to be used in this way.” Despite trying to contact these companies and requesting that they shouldn’t use her work without permission, she received no response.
In January, McKernan, along with two other artists named Karla Ortiz and Sarah Andersen, filed a lawsuit against three image-generating companies, including Stability AI and the online gallery DeviantArt. They seek to protect their copyrighted (有版权的) works and their careers, claiming that AI-generated images violate (侵犯) the rights of millions of artists.
They are seeking compensation (赔偿金) and a court order to prevent AI companies from using their works without permission. McKeman expressed financial concerns, highlighting that she was short of $200 for her rent payment, saying, “It doesn’t feel right.”
Stability AI declined to comment when approached by the Associated Press. In a court filing, the company argued that their program generates new and unique images using simple words and does not violate copyrights.
Karla Ortiz, who works in the entertainment industry and had her works featured in movies such as Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and Jurassic World, worries that companies may view artists as costly. She questions why they would hire artists when they can pay $30 per month for AI-generated artwork.
McKernan shares the concern, wondering if she will have work in the future, stating, “Maybe in a year, I won’t have a job anymore.”
The case will be decided in San Francisco. In a recent ruling, a federal judge supported the U. S. Copyright Office’s decision — not to grant (承认) copyright on AI-generated artwork.
1. What is the challenge faced by artist McKerman according to paragraph 1?| A．AI producing works similar to hers. |
| B．Declining art market all over the world. |
| C．Financial concerns during the hard time. |
| D．Difficulty finding inspiration for her paintings. |
| A．They promised to make an apology on their website. |
| B．They claimed that artists were compensated for their artwork. |
| C．They argued that they did not use artists’ works without permission. |
| D．They admitted using AI to generate images but denied violation of copyright. |
| A．It represents the progress in art creation. |
| B．Copyright should not be granted to it. |
| C．It should be monitored by the government. |
| D．The decision on its copyright hasn’t been reached. |
| A．Artists Disapprove the Use of AI in Art Creation |
| B．Artists Promise to Compete with AI in Creation |
| C．Artists Fight Back Against AI Using Their Works |
| D．Artists Say No to AI-Generated Artwork |
【推荐1】There was a time when the word “surgery” used to scare people, and they would try their best to avoid a surgical procedure. The feeling is understandable, as the idea of a large cut on your body is discomforting in many ways. However, thanks to the advances in medical science, surgical techniques have improved considerably.
Compared with the traditional open surgery, minimally invasive surgery (微创手术)has several benefits to offer. Not only is the procedure quick and less painful, but also ensures rapid recovery. Now, surgical procedures, either big or small, are done within a few minutes to a few hours. The best part about the minimally invasive surgery is the painless procedure. The advanced techniques are helping with quality treatments to patients who have to undergo (进行) surgical procedures.
Unlike the traditional open surgery that requires a large cut, a surgeon makes multiple tiny cuts of less than an inch. For the process, the surgeon uses small surgical instruments, such as a tiny tube with a mini camera at one end. Once the surgeon marks the cuts, he then passes the tiny tube through one of the cuts. The doctor monitors the images taken by the mini camera on the screen and uses them as a reference. These images give the surgeon a clear picture of the area undergoing the surgery. After the surgery, the surgeon cleans the cuts and sometimes places a bandage for additional support.
Minimally invasive surgery has become the first choice of patients with multiple medical conditions. In fact, it would not be wrong to say that these surgeries are now the standard surgical procedures for many routine operations. Whether you have a minor issue or want a surgical intervention for a major health condition, it is the best option.
1. What makes people afraid of surgery?| A．The large cut. | B．The great risk. |
| C．The high expense. | D．The slow recovery. |
| A．The previous treatment plan. |
| B．The images by the mini camera. |
| C．The standard surgical procedures. |
| D．The advice from other surgeons. |
| A．Patients in need of additional support. |
| B．Patients lack of regular checkups. |
| C．Patients with several medical conditions. |
| D．Patients scared of surgical instruments. |
| A．Disapproving. | B．Objective. |
| C．Doubtful. | D．Supportive. |
| A．A medical magazine. |
| B．An online medical forum. |
| C．A technique discovery. |
| D．An advertisement for a medical product. |
【推荐2】Researchers have recently discovered that gut microbiome (肠道微生物群)—bacteria that grow within our body-helps the brain build important social skills.
According to a paper published in PLOS Biology in November, zebra fish were used to research subjects to test how a lack of microbiome could alter social skills. Zebra fish are social animals as even 2-week-old fish starts to hang out in groups of 4 to 12.
The experiment started with making a group of fish “germ-free” through their diet. The other group were injected with a healthy mix of gut bacteria after they were hatched (孵化出来). About 15 days later, the second group began swimming in groups while the “germ-free” group “shockingly, didn’t,” Judith Eisen, a co-author of the new research, said to Quanta Magazine.
The team then examined the fish’s brains, discovering obvious differences between the two groups. The ones who lacked the gut microbiome had more interconnections among the neurons (神经元) in their brains in charge of social behavior. It also led to fewer microglia, the neural immune cells (神经免疫细胞) that help clean the brain’s unwanted neurons. With less microglia to clear the brain’s neurons, social neurons were seen to have overgrown. This made the fish more cautious in social situations.
Scientists supposed that the bacteria could release a special chemical that crosses the blood-brain barrier to reach the brain directly. Or, the immune cells might move between the gut and the brain, sending messages. Although the experiments were only on fish, the findings can theoretically be applied to humans. The team wishes to explore how gut microbiome affects the human brain in the future, which may lead to solutions to mental health problems.
Perhaps many people who claim that they have “social phobia” (社交恐惧症) can blame their guts. However, social phobia, or social anxiety disorder, can be a serious illness if overlooked. According to the National Health Service in the UK, it is more than shyness but instead a constant fear of social situations. Patients may experience panic attacks which are an overwhelming fear and anxiety that last for a few minutes.
1. What did the research aim to find out?| A．The causes of social phobia. | B．The way zebra fish build social skills. |
| C．The influencing factors of social behavior. | D．The link between gut bacteria and social behavior. |
| A．By examining the fish’s guts. | B．By collecting and analyzing data. |
| C．By observing the fish’s appearance. | D．By comparing different groups of fish. |
| A．They tend to behave less socially. | B．They have more neural immune cells. |
| C．Their brains have fewer unwanted neurons. | D．Their social neurons are loosely connected. |
| A．It is often overlooked. | B．It is caused by inactive neurons. |
| C．It should be taken seriously. | D．It affects the amount of gut microbiome. |
【推荐3】More than half the world’s population live in cities, and by 2050 the UN expects that proportion to reach 68%. This means more homes, roads and other infrastructure. In India alone, a city the size of Chicago will have to be developed every year to meet demand for housing. Such a construction increase is a bad sign for dealing with climate change, because making steel and concrete, two of the most common building materials, generates around 8% of the world’s CO2 emissions (排放). If cities are to expand and become greener at the same time, they will have to be made from something else.
Wood is one of the most promising sustainable (可持续的) alternatives to steel and concrete. It is not, however, everyday wood that is attracting the interest of architects.
Rather, it is a material called engineered timber. This is a combination of different layers, each designed to meet the requirements of specific parts such as floors, panels and beams (横梁). Designers can use it to provide levels of strength like steel, in a product that is up to 80% lighter. In addition, engineered timber is usually made into large sections in a factory for future use, which reduces the number of deliveries to a construction site.
According to Michael Ramage of the University of Cambridge, a wooden building produces 75% less CO2 than a steel and concrete one of the same size. However, if building with wood takes off, it does raise concern about there being enough trees to go round. But with sustainably managed forests that should not be a problem, says Dr Ramage. A family-sized apartment requires about 30 cubic metres of timber, and he estimates Europe’s sustainable forests alone grow that amount every seven seconds. Nor is fire a risk, for engineered timber does not burn easily. Besides, fireproofing layers can be added to the timber. All in all, then, it looks as if wood as a building material may get a new lease of life.
1. Why is India mentioned in paragraph 1?| A．To point out the severe pollution. |
| B．To predict the population increase. |
| C．To indicate the high degree of urbanization. |
| D．To show the great need for building materials. |
| A．It is produced at a low cost. |
| B．It hardly appeals to architects. |
| C．It helps save energy in transportation. |
| D．It possesses greater strength than steel. |
| A．Becomes cheaper. | B．Gains popularity. |
| C．Requires less work. | D．Proves sustainable. |
| A．Making Future Cities More Attractive |
| B．Living in a World with Less Emission |
| C．Building Sustainable Cities with Woods |
| D．Growing More Trees for Future Building |
【推荐1】In many developed countries, people who have high degrees begin to work longer than those who don’t. About 65% of American men aged 62－74 with a professional degree are in the workforce (劳动人口), compared with 32% of men who only finish high school. This gap is part of a deepening divide between the well-educated wealthy and the unskilled poor. Rapid technological advance has raised the incomes of the highly skilled while squeezing those of the unskilled. The consequences, for individuals and society, are profound .
The world is facing an astonishing rise in the number of old people, and they will live longer than ever before. Over the next 20 years the global population of those aged 65 or more will almost double, from 600 million to 1.1 billion. The experience of the 20th century, when greater longevity (长寿) translated into more years in retirement rather than more years at work, has persuaded many observers that this shift (变化) will lead to slower economic growth, while the swelling (渐增的) ranks of pensioners will create government budget problems.
Policies are partly responsible. Many European governments have abandoned policies that used to encourage people to retire early. Even the better-off must work longer to have a comfortable retirement. But the changing nature of work also plays a big role. Pay has risen sharply for the highly educated, and those people continue to reap (获得) rich rewards into old age because these days the educated elderly are more productive than the preceding (先前的) generation. Technological change may well reinforce (强化) that shift: the skills that complement (补充) computers, from management know-how to creativity, do not necessarily decline with age.
1. What is the common phenomenon in the workforce in rich countries?| A．Younger people are replacing the elderly. |
| B．People with no college degree cannot find any job. |
| C．Well-educated people tend to work longer. |
| D．Unemployment rates are decreasing year after year. |
| A．there will be more competition in the job market |
| B．government budgets will decrease |
| C．more people will try to receive higher education |
| D．economic growth will slow down |
| A．Unskilled workers may choose to retire early. |
| B．Even wealthy people must work longer to live comfortably in retirement. |
| C．People may be able to use computers to do more complicated work. |
| D．More and more people have to go abroad to hunt for jobs. |
【推荐2】"Like a monster, it destroys everything. " That's how one school girl described a tsunami（海啸）.
On Dec. 26, 2004, a magnitude-9. 1 earthquake in Indonesia set off a massive tsunami. It killed more than 230,000 people across four countries and cost an estimated $ 10 billion in damage.
Nov. 5 is World Tsunami Awareness Day and at the United Nations Wednesday, disaster risk reduction was high on the agenda.
"What I can tell you is that the tsunami wave cannot be stopped," said Bulgarians U. N. Ambassador Georgi Velikov Panayotov. He was on vacation in Thailand in 2004 and survived the tsunami. "What we can do is build early warning systems and, of course, educate the population about the damaging power of the tsunami wave," he said.
On March 11, 2011, a magnitude-9 earthquake rocked northeastern Japan triggering a fierce tsunami that also damaged the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, south of Sendai.
"When the big earthquake hit Japan in 2011, people thought that we were prepared for it," said Japan's U. N. Ambassador Koro Bessho. "It caused severe damage. We had dams； we had drills. However, we had been counting on something that hits every 100 years and the earthquake was of the size of possibly every 500 years or thousand years, he said.
These two events sent the countries of the region into overdrive to review and improve disaster preparedness. In 2015 the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction was born. It aims to help create a better understanding of disaster risk and improve preparedness for an effective response.
Indonesia is made up of thousands of islands which are disaster-prone（易受灾地区）. Willem Rampangilei, head of the Disaster Management Agency of Indonesia, said his government now has plans for every disaster-prone city.
Countries at risk are also expanding their education programs. Children from an early age are taught how to react in case of a tsunami and then go with their classmates to higher ground away from coastal areas to avoid the walls of water the tsunami triggers.
1. What does Georgi Velikov Panayotov mainly talk about?| A．The general features of a tsunami. | B．Ways for humans to face a tsunami. |
| C．His suffering in the 2004 tsunami. | D．The loss caused by the 2004 tsunami. |
| A．It caused a fierce tsunami. | B．It destroyed a nuclear plant. |
| C．The size was beyond expectation. | D．There was no effective defense system. |
| A．Children should be protected by all means. |
| B．The improvement of preparedness can reduce damage. |
| C．Proper response in case of a tsunami can save one's life. |
| D．Stronger measures should be taken in disaster-prone areas. |
| A．World Tsunami Awareness Day |
| B．Nations Attacked by Massive Tsunami |
| C．The Unpredictable and Destructive Disaster |
| D．Learn from Disasters to Prevent Future Ones |
【推荐3】If you asked people to name a famous psychology study, the “marshmallow (棉花糖) test” would probably come out near the top of the list. In this task, young children are told they can immediately get one marshmallow or wait to get two marshmallows. Researchers have shown that the ability to wait is associated with a range of positive life outcomes more than a decade later.
A new study published recently expands on this earlier research and shows that young children will wait nearly twice as long for a reward if they are told their teacher will find out how long they wait.
For their study, Heyman, the lead author on the study, and her colleagues conducted two experiments with a total of 273 children aged 3-4 years old. The researchers told the children that they could earn a small reward immediately or wait for a bigger one. Children were assigned to one of three conditions: a “teacher” condition, in which they were told that their teacher would find out how long they wait; a “peer” condition, in which they were told that a classmate would find out how long they wait; or a “standard” condition that had no special instructions.
Children waited longer in the teacher and peer condition than in the standard condition, and they waited about twice as long in the teacher condition as in the peer condition. The researchers were surprised at that because the traditional view is that 3- and 4-year-olds are too young to care about what other people think of them.
“The children waited longer even though no one directly told them that it’s good to wait longer,” said Heyman. “We believe that children are good at making these kinds of inferences because they pay close attention to what people around them value. This may take the form of carefully listening to the evaluative (评价性的) comments that parents and teachers make, or noticing what kinds of people and topics are getting attention in the media.”
1. Why does the writer mention the “classic marshmallow test” in the beginning?| A．Because it is the basis of the new study. |
| B．Because it is the most famous psychology test. |
| C．Because it influences children’s life outcomes. |
| D．Because it reveals the link between wait and lifestyles. |
| A．The process. | B．The purpose. | C．The preparations. | D．The results. |
| A．Unexpected. | B．Disappointed. | C．Overjoyed. | D．Doubtful. |
| A．Bigger rewards motivate human behavior. |
| B．The awareness of comments from others starts earlier. |
| C．Young children have a stronger desire to impress others. |
| D．The older children are, the better they control themselves. |
