It was a lifesaving task as thrilling as any in the months-long battle against the wildfires that have torn through the Australian bush. But instead of a race to save humans or animals, a specialized team of Australian firefighters was bent on saving invaluable plant life: hidden groves (树林) of the Wollemi pine, a prehistoric tree species.
Wollemi pines peaked in abundance 34 million to 65 million years ago, before a steady decline. Today, only 200 of the trees exist in their natural environment. The trees are so rare that they were thought to die out until 1994. That’s the year when David Noble, an officer with the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service, came across a grove of large trees he didn’t recognize.
Noble brought back a few branches and showed them to other biologists and botanists. A month later, Noble returned to the grove with some scientists. It was then that they realized what they had found: “a prehistoric tree species that has outlived the dinosaurs.” the American Scientist explains. So when Australia’s wildfires started burning toward Wollemi National Park in recent weeks, firefighters from the parks and wildlife service put a carefully planned operation into action.
Large air tankers dropped fire retardant (阻燃剂) around the pines. Firefighters set up an irrigation (灌溉) system around the trees to keep them wet. “If the fire did go through, we wanted it to be a cool burn as opposed to a hot burn to give them the best chance of survival,” Kean said. The fire did sweep through the groves where these trees have somehow survived for millions of years. For a few days, the smoke was so thick that it wasn’t clear whether the plan had worked. At last the smoke eased off. A few trees had been burned by the flames, and two died. But the efforts had paid off. “Finally,” Kean said, “we were able to get in there and see that, thank goodness, the trees were saved.”
1. What do we know about Wollemi pines?| A．Scientists searched for them in the wild. |
| B．They used to grow in parts of Australia. |
| C．There were a considerable number of them long ago. |
| D．Firefighters and biologists cooperated to keep them alive. |
| A．been superior to. | B．been related to. |
| C．died earlier than. | D．existed longer than. |
| A．It was cool to drop retardant over the fire. |
| B．It wasn’t clear whether the trees were saved. |
| C．It helped the trees survive to keep them wet. |
| D．It worked best for the trees to keep a hot burn. |
| A．An investigation into Wollemi pines. |
| B．A hard-won battle against the wildfires. |
| C．Constructing a firefighting system for the trees. |
| D．Saving world’s rare pine species from wildfires. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】The day had started out as usual for Mrs. Ito until the late afternoon, when the news of the destructive tsunami waves came over the radio.
At last, 12:30 a.m. came as the radio warning had said and nothing happened. She could hear passing people say the tsunami waves must have missed the islands and they laughed as they were returning to their homes. Mrs. Ito went into her living room and looked down the street. It was calm.
Then, a sudden flash-like lighting lit the sky over Hilo Bay and a deafening explosion broke the night’s silence. The first large wave of the tsunami had burst Hilo’s electric power plant. Suddenly, all the lights in Hilo went out.
Next thing Mrs. Ito heard was a rumbling sound. Before she knew it, the wave roared into her house. She was knocked to the floor as her house began to spin (旋转) and finally tore apart. Terrible yelling and crying sounds came from her neighbors’ homes. Desperately, Mrs. Ito grasped for anything to stay above water. Suddenly, something heavy fell on her. The floorboards opened up and she became trapped. She used every bit of strength in her body to struggle out of the boards and managed to squeeze free. Then she blacked out.
When she woke up, she found herself being washed back and fourth as the water rose. She couldn’t see anyone else and listened for the sound of ocean waves. There were no waves, so she figured she had to be floating over flooded land. Mrs. Ito carefully tried to stretch her foot to touch bottom but it was too deep. Not knowing how to swim, she hung on tight to her tiny makeshift (临时的) raft.
At sunrise, she spotted two boats on the horizon. She saw in the distance a radio station tower light. She remained at peace and kept her head down. She thought that death was just a matter of time away. She thought the people on the boats hadn’t seen her. Then the boats came closer and closer. Mrs. Ito was seen and saved.
1. Which word can describe people’s reaction to the radio warning according to paragraph 2?| A．Shocked. | B．Anxious. | C．Disappointed. | D．Relaxed. |
| A．It struck the islands as expected. |
| B．It destroyed a radio station tower. |
| C．It attacked Hilo’s electric power plant. |
| D．It occurred at noon without any warning. |
| A．She got stuck in the flooded land for days. |
| B．She was rescued by people on the boats luckily. |
| C．She attempted to float on the ocean with a board. |
| D．She was hit by a heavy object and lost memories. |
| A．Mrs. Ito’s story of surviving the tsunami. |
| B．The recovery of the islands after the tsunami. |
| C．The damage caused by a destructive tsunami. |
| D．The effects of the tsunami on local people’s life. |
【推荐2】Earthquakes are caused by the breaking and shifting of rock beneath the earth’s surface.
★Talk to your children about earthquakes.
★Find safe spots.
Identify and discuss the safest place in your home and tell your children to go there immediately if they feel an earthquake.
★Practice earthquake drills.
Once you’ve created your evacuation plan and talked with your children about it, it’s time to practice. Practicing earthquake drills will help your children understand what to do and how to stay safe during an earthquake.
★Learn your children’s school or daycare disaster plans.
If your children’s school or childcare centre is in an area at risk from earthquakes, find out how their emergency plan deals with earthquakes. Learn their procedures for evacuation.
★
Sometimes, phone numbers and addresses change. Keep your children’s schedule up to date, so that if an earthquake strikes, you’ll know where your children are and who can pick them up.
| A．Keep contact information current. |
| B．They can strike without warning and can occur at any time. |
| C．Explain to your children what could happen using simple words. |
| D．After an earthquake, it is most important to get to a safe location. |
| E．Stay indoors until the shaking stops and you’re sure it’s safe to exit. |
| F．After an earthquake, encourage your children to express feelings of fear or anxiety. |
| G．A room without any windows, such as a bathroom or closet, should be the best choice. |
【推荐3】Several southwestern provinces in China are now experiencing the worst drought(旱灾) since the 1950s. The drought has left 18 million people and 11 million farm animals in Yunnan, Guangxi, Sichuan and Chongqing without enough water supplies. And it has affected 5 million hectares of crops in the provinces.
According to China’s Meteorological Administration (中国气象局), the average daily temperature in Yunnan over the past six months has been two degrees higher than normal. And the province has had only half the rainfall of an ordinary year. In Qinglong county, Guizhou, there had been no rain for 268 days until March 25, when it finally rained for three hours.
To ensure the safety of drinking water, local governments have taken emergency action. Workers in parts of Yunnan are drilling (钻空) daily in the hope of digging 1035 wells by mid-May. Among them, 52 have already started working and 288 are under way, providing 20 percent of the required drinking water. Meanwhile, Yunnan province intends to send more migrants (农民工) to work outside the province as the drought worsens. This will not only help to deal with the drinking water shortages, but also increase those farmers’ income. The government will offer free skill training and organize job fairs.
1. The word “This” in paragraph 3 refers to______.| A．the worsening drought |
| B．the shortage of drinking water |
| C．sending more migrants to work outside |
| D．providing 20 percent of the required drinking water |
| A．The drought in southwestern provinces has been the worst ever in China. |
| B．Guizhou province has had only half the rainfall of an ordinary year. |
| C．The average temperature in Yunnan is two degrees lower than normal. |
| D．1035 wells are expected to be drilled by mid-May in parts of Yunnan. |
| A．Local governments have taken action to deal with drought. |
| B．Serious drought hits southwestern provinces in China. |
| C．More migrants work outside the southwestern provinces. |
| D．Yunnan government offers free skill training and organizes job fairs. |
【推荐1】There’s no end of dangerous sports to try out in Southern Africa-bungee jumping, skydiving, water rafting. But for a new rush, how about swimming face to face with a killer shark?
The public seems interested in finding danger in this activity. Cape Town’s aquarium has been filled with divers who want to swim with the sharks since it opened its tanks to paying visitors last month. Around 70 tourists aged between 12 and 40 have paid 275 rand (US $55) each to spend up to an hour with Maxine, Dee and Floyd, the aquarium’s three sharks.
And conservationists say the project should help change the damage done to the shark’s image by the popular movie Jaws.
“People will always pay money to be a bit daring,” said Paul Loetter, an aquarium diver. “Most people think every shark is dangerous, but they’ve got the wrong idea.”
Each visitor can swim with the sharks and other fish that share their tank, guarded by aquarium divers armed only with a stick to keep off any over-friendly sharks.
“This is part of a communication and education programme to show sharks are not as bad as everyone makes out,” said Tony McGyre, operations manager at the aquarium.
Len Compagno, head of the South African shark research center, agreed. “It’s no joke to play around with a big dog. In the same way, a three-metre-long shark could put a few holes in you.” he said.
1. We may infer that in the movie Jaws________.| A．sharks are hunted everywhere | B．sharks kill other sea animals |
| C．sharks are disappearing in the sea | D．sharks are man eaters |
| A．you had better be careful when you get close to sharks |
| B．you needn’t be too serious about sharks |
| C．sharks are more dangerous than big dogs |
| D．sharks are as friendly to people as dogs |
| A．sharks are not as bad as everyone makes out |
| B．people will always pay money to be a bit daring |
| C．there’s no end of dangerous sports in Southern Africa |
| D．the public seems interested in finding danger in swimming with a killer shark |
| A．workers in the aquarium | B．the aquarium’s three sharks |
| C．conservationists | D．divers in the aquarium |
【推荐2】Kiwis are unique in a lot of interesting ways. They have many characteristics that are not found in any other bird.
It is assumed that the kiwi’s ancestor was able to fly and reached New Zealand. Once on the island, it lost its ability to fly and eventually became the kiwi known today. Kiwis have feathers that look like hair and very strong and muscular legs. They rule the ground instead of the air. They can smell very well. Kiwis are quite shy and usually only come out at night. Kiwis can live a long time, between 25 and 50 years.
A female kiwi carries a huge egg about its body size. The kiwi is about the same size as a chicken but its egg is actually six times as large as a chicken’s egg. The reason for this is that the kiwi doesn’t have to fly, so there aren’t any limits on its weight. The female has to eat three times as much as usual to help the egg develop. Right before the egg is laid she can’t eat anything because the egg presses against her stomach, leaving no room for food.
All kiwi species are endangered. On average, twenty-seven die each week. They have been affected most by deforestation and invasive mammals. Before humans came to New Zealand, the only mammals on the island were bats and seals. The kiwi never had to worry about predators before, but now since it cannot fly, and lays its eggs on the ground, it is pretty defenceless against invasive mammals such as rats and stoats. Stoats kill a lot of the chicks, while dogs kill a lot of adult birds, usually by accident, because they are quite delicate (脆弱的) .
1. Which is kiwis’ unique characteristic?| A．They can’t fly with no wings. |
| B．They can live more than 50 years. |
| C．They rule the air instead of the ground. |
| D．They seldom or never come out in the daytime. |
| A．It eats three limes as much as usual. |
| B．It focuses too much on developing its egg. |
| C．Its body weight will increase without limit. |
| D．The egg presses against her stomach. |
| A．The bat. | B．The rat. |
| C．The stoat. | D．The dog. |
| A．Endangered Kiwi Species | B．Kiwis- Unique Birds |
| C．Get Close to the Bird World | D．Why Can’t Kiwis Fly? |
【推荐3】Fifty years ago I had a young family of three boys. My husband Johnny and I left them with a friend while we made a rare trip to the cinema in Liverpool.
It was dark and pouring with rain but with the headlights shining on the road, we saw something ahead of us. Johnny pulled to a stop and I jumped out, ran to the grass edge and grabbed a small, wet, and frightened creature. I wrapped it safely in my woollen hat and insisted that my husband turn back and head for home. We thought it was a baby rabbit because it had long ears and was grayish-brown in colour. Once home, we filled a box with torn-up newspaper and a warm towel. We named our new animal Bobsy as we had no idea of its sex.
Sadly though, on the third day with us, it caught its back foot in a door and we quickly realised it was broken. We rushed to the vet(兽医), who said, “It’s only a rabbit, I’ll put it to sleep.” Our response was a very determined, “No way !”We found anther vet and told that she was a baby hare. We were told we should continue to keep her in her box for a week and her foot would heal.
After her recovery, Bobsy learnt to use the kitty litter tray. She would comb her long ears with her front paws. The local paper heard about this and came to our house to take her photo and write a story about her. We had her for seven wonderful years before we moved to New Zealand and we will never forget her.
1. Why did Johnny stop his car suddenly?| A．He came across a friend. |
| B．The headlights went out. |
| C．His car broke down on the road. |
| D．He noticed something in front of him. |
| A．It slept on a door. |
| B．It was stuck in a door. |
| C．Its foot got seriously injured. |
| D．It fell off from the top of a door. |
| A．Considerate. | B．Cruel. | C．Hopeless. | D．Indifferent. |
| A．To tell the importance of protecting small animals. |
| B．To remember unusual experiences with a small rabbit. |
| C．To persuade people to give generously and receive thankfully. |
| D．To make the rabbit widely known to local people by paper. |
【推荐1】John was part of my childhood growing up in the 1970s and a link to sunny, fun-filled days spent on the beach at Bangor in Northern Ireland where we went for our summer holidays. To many, he was a mystery. Every afternoon John would wander to the end of the pier (码头) where he fed the seagulls and delighted in the sound of their excited cries as they flew around his head.
Often I asked my family questions regarding John. Eventually I gave up as no one could tell me anything about him. As I grew up, my visits to the beach became less frequent, and my memories of John buried in a child's imagination.
Last year memories came flooding back as I walked along the coastline, where I noticed a lady feeding the seagulls on the pier, and I decided to introduce myself. Then I came to know that the lady was John's daughter, and after John left this world she carried out the ritual, which had held such importance for her father.
In some strange way I felt we shared a bond, each needing to remember. In return, Lucy told me of John's life, his days in the British Navy during World War I and how he almost lost hope when his ship was attacked by a German U-boat in the North Sea and he found himself in a lifeboat with five others.
Close to death, he thought he heard the sound of wings. He put up his hands, only to catch a seagull that had landed on the side of the boat. The seagull saved the lives of the six men as it was used to catch fish, which kept them alive until they reach land. This period of John's life was one he never talked about. But the ritual he first performed as a young man remained a part of him until he died.
Now I visit Lucy as often as I can, just to chat or very often walk along the beach to the pier end. We enjoy the comfortable silence, each lost in special memories.
1. Seeing John feeding the seagulls, the author might feel ______.| A．proud | B．worried |
| C．curious | D．guilty |
| A．law | B．tradition |
| C．interest | D．procedure |
| A．once served in both World Wars | B．was a man with a grateful heart |
| C．spent his childhood in Bangor | D．joined the navy in the 1970s |
| A．Her thanks to a seagull that saved her life. |
| B．The story of how she made friends with a lady. |
| C．Her childhood spent on the beach at Bangor. |
| D．Her memories of a man who fed seagulls. |
【推荐2】Have you heard a story about Oliver Wendell Holmes and got what he meant? He once attended a meeting in which he was the shortest man present. "Doctor Holmes," joked a friend. "I should think you would feel rather small among us big fellows." "I do," smiled Holmes. "I feel like a dime（一角硬币）among a lot of pennies."
I ever believed only such a person like Holmes could think that way. But I was proven wrong.
Yesterday I watched a huge flight of geese winging their way south through one of those beautiful sunsets that colored the entire sky for a few moments. I saw them as I rested against the lion statue in front of the Chicago Art Institute, where I was watching the Christmas shoppers hurry along Michigan Avenue.
When I looked sideways, I noticed that a bag lady, standing a few feet away, had also been watching the geese with great attention. Sensing someone was looking at her, she cast a sideways look. Our eyes met and we smiled silently acknowledging the fact that we had shared an amazing sight, a symbol of the secret of the struggle to survive. I overheard the lady talking to herself as she walked away. Her words, "Life treats me kindly", nearly made my jaw drop.
Was the lady, this homeless street beggar, being kidding or even mindless? No. I believed the sight of the geese had reminded her of, however briefly, the difficult and unpleasant reality of her own struggle. I realized later that moments such as this one provided her with great comfort and encouragement; it was the way she survived the hardness of the street. Her smile was real.
The sight of the geese was her Christmas present. It was proof that hard work mattered. It was all she needed. I envy her.
1. From the story in paragraph 1, we can know that Holmes was .| A．patient | B．rude | C．wise | D．awkward |
| A．The bag lady's remarks on her life. |
| B．The secret of the survival of the geese. |
| C．People's enthusiasm for Christmas gifts. |
| D．The beautiful sunset and the colorful sky. |
| A．Her unusual experiences as a street beggar. |
| B．Her great pride in what she worked hard at. |
| C．Her friendly ways of getting on with strangers. |
| D．Her positive attitude towards her own struggle. |
【推荐3】Well, your questions have taken me back to the past and inspired me to reflect on my current work.
I became interested in plants when I was about six years old. I grew up in Hubei Province in central China, which is well-known for medicinal plants. My grandfather was a local herbal doctor, and had much knowledge about plant diversity. He went to the mountains to pick plants, and I helped him. So I’ve always had that appreciation for green diversity.
But because I was his granddaughter, I was not allowed to inherit his medicinal knowledge — he was supposed to pass that knowledge on to his son or his grandson. But I was guided and attracted by the plant diversity I saw every day in the forests. In college, I was studying forestry, and a professor would take us on field trips. In the mountains near my college, there must be 300 species of trees. So I asked him, “How can these plants come together in this place so well?” He looked at me, saying, “That’s a good question. You can devote yourself to studying that question.” That was the moment when I knew I wanted to be a plant biologist.
So today I’m a plant biologist who’s focused on studying plant diversity. Now I work on describing new species — I’m working on describing a new ginseng (人参) species from Thailand and have also begun to describe a new grape species from Yunnan Province in southwest China.
I am a lucky scientist. Plants hybridize (杂交) like crazy in the wild. These kinds of processes, without proper tools, are impossible to figure out. Now we actually have various advanced tools to test our hypotheses (假设), to understand the patterns and the processes of plant evolution.
Some people may think my work is boring. But for me, it’s not. We’re trying to understand how humans can benefit from this vast plant diversity. Our science can teach us to conserve that plant diversity, so it can benefit not only us, but future generations. Also, our research encourages the new generation to carry on the torch.
1. What made the author decide to be a plant biologist?| A．Her early school life. | B．Her grandfather’s guidance. |
| C．A teacher’s encouragement. | D．A wonderful childhood adventure. |
| A．She is good at hybridizing various plants. |
| B．She has lots of opportunities to work in labs. |
| C．She is allowed to propose hypotheses in public. |
| D．She has many good tools to study plant evolution. |
| A．Boring. | B．Simple. |
| C．Impractical. | D．Meaningful. |
| A．A journal entry. | B．An interview. |
| C．A biography. | D．A science report. |
【推荐1】What's On?
Electric Underground
7:30 p.m-1:00 a. m. Free at the Cyclops Theatre
Do you know who's playing in your area? We're bringing you an evening of live rock and pop music from the best local hands. Are you interested in becoming a musician and getting a recording contract(合同)? If so, come early to the talk at 7:30 p.m. by Jules Skye, a successful record producer. He's going to talk about how you can find the right person to produce your music.
Gee Whizz
8:30 p.m-10:30 p.m. Comedy at Kaleidoscope
Come and see Gee Whizz perform. He's the funniest stand-up comedian on the comedy scene. This joyful show will please everyone, from the youngest to the oldest. Gee Whizz really knows how to make you laugh! Our bar is open from 7:00 p.m. for drinks and snacks.
Simon's Workshop
5:00 p.m.-7:30 p.m. Wednesdays at Victoria Stage
This is a good chance for anyone who wants to learn how to do comedy. The workshop looks at every kind of comedy, and practices many different ways of making people laugh. Simon is a comedian and actor who has 10 years' experience of teaching comedy. His workshops are exciting and fun. An evening with Simon will give you the confidence to be funny.
1. Who can help you if you want to have your music produced?| A．Charlotte Stone. | B．James Pickering. |
| C．Jules Skye. | D．Gee Whizz. |
| A．Pizza World. | B．The Cyclops Theatre. |
| C．Victoria Stage. | D．Kaleidoscope. |
| A．It is held every Wednesday. | B．It is run by a comedy club. |
| C．It requires membership identity. | D．It lasts three hours each time. |
【推荐2】Tokyo: Three snakes, whose poison could kill a person in ten minutes, are guarding a blue star sapphire (蓝宝石) worth nearly six hundred thousand dollars at a Japanese exhibition of jewels sent from an Indian museum.
“Normally it would be forbidden to let these poisonous snakes guard exhibition objects, but it's different this time because the jewels are being exhibited at a hotel,” a police official said.
Exhibition officials said that a person bitten(咬)by one of these snakes would need at least 80 ml of an anti-poison medicine to be saved. Medicine was being kept ready at a nearby hospital.
Star sapphires and other valuable jewels worth a total of one million dollars are on show behind glass. Hundreds of visitors came to see the special blue star sapphire and were surprised when they saw the sixty-centimetre long brown guards.
1. Using snakes at exhibitions of valuable objects is ___________ .| A．quite normal | B．never allowed |
| C．often necessary | D．usually forbidden |
| A．an Indian hotel | B．an Indian museum |
| C．a Japanese hotel | D．a Japanese museum |
| A．They were both special things from India. |
| B．The snakes were there to keep the jewels safe. |
| C．The organizers wanted to do something unusual. |
| D．People liked to visit an exhibition guarded by snakes. |
| A．the snakes were on show |
| B．so many jewels were being exhibited |
| C．exhibition officials said it was special |
| D．they were interested in seeing a famous jewel |
【推荐3】If you’re a design enthusiast, you’re sure to feel dizzy over these jaw-dropping pools.
Sky Park Infinity Pool, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore
Located on the Sky Park above Singapore’s most famous hotel, Marina Bay Sands, this is the world’s largest rooftop pool. Offering amazing views of the city’s skyline, the pool is at least three times the length of an Olympic swimming pool. As visitors swim toward the edge, they face an illusion that they’ll float into the sky-line. It’s quite a heart-beaten rush!
The Red Pool, The Library Koh Samui, Thailand
This blood-red pool is perhaps one of the most special hotel pools on the list. Set against the backdrop of Koh Samui’s Chaweng Beach, the fascinating colour isn’t the result of using artificial dye. Rather, the mosaic tiles (马赛克瓷砖) of orange, yellow and red make the brilliant sight that is set among trees and an open-air library.
San Alfonso del Mar Resort Pool, Region de valparaiso, Chile
The world’s largest outdoor swimming pool gets its water directly from the sea. The pool uses a computer-controlled pump and filtration system. Located at Chile’s San Alfonso del Mar Resort, this huge man-made pool is larger than 20 Olympic-size pools and holds approximately 250 million litres of water. It is also one of the deepest pools in the world.
Y-40 Deep Joy, Hotel Millepini Terme in Montegrotto Terme, Italy
The deepest hotel swimming pool in the world will make you feel like you’re jumping into the sea! The Y-40 Deep Joy is a round-shaped pool that reaches a depth of an impressive 130 feet. The pool, which has special caves, ledges (壁架) and underwater viewing glass, was designed by well-known architect Emanuele Boaretto. It’s meant for leisure dives, dive training and photo shoots.
1. What is special about the Red Pool in Thailand?| A．The water is artificially dyed red. |
| B．The swimming pool is painted red. |
| C．The colorful mosaic tiles make it bright. |
| D．The mosaic tiles contribute to its brilliant color. |
| A．Sky Park Infinity Pool | B．The Red Pool |
| C．San Alfonso del Mar Resort Pool | D．Y-40 Deep Joy |
| A．They are both very deep. |
| B．They are both round-shaped. |
| C．They both make you feel like swimming in the sea. |
| D．They are top 2 largest swimming pool in the world. |
