【推荐1】The only known white giraffe in the world has been fitted with a GPS tracking device in an effort to protect him from poachers (偷猎者) in Kenya. The unique male giraffe now stands alone after a female and her calf were killed by poachers in March, 2020.

The GPS tracking device, secured to one of the animal’s horns, will give hourly updates of his location, said the Ishaqbini Hirola Community Conservancy. Rangers will be able to monitor the giraffe’s movements in the conservancy located in Garissa County, eastern Kenya.

“The giraffe’s living range has been blessed with good rains in the recent past and the abundant vegetation is a good sign for the future of the white male,” said Ahmed Noor, manager of the Ishaqbini Hirola Community Conservancy.

Noor thanked the Kenya Wildlife Service, Save Giraffes Now and the Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT) for their help in safeguarding wildlife species.

“Our mission is to work with communities, secure their livelihoods as well as protect the unique wildlife like the only known white giraffe,” said Antony Wandera, the senior wildlife monitoring officer at the NRT.

The male giraffe has a rare genetic trait called leucism (变白), which results in the partial loss of pigmentation (肤色) in an animal and makes it easy to spot for poachers. Unlike albinism (白化), animals with leucism continue to produce a dark pigment in their soft tissue, meaning the giraffe’s eyes are dark.

In March, 2020, the remains of two of the stunning white giraffes that lived at the Kenyan wildlife reserve were found dead, killed by poachers.

The world’s tallest land animal has lost 40％ of its population in just 30 years, the African Wildlife Foundation estimates.

1. Why do people fit the white giraffe with a GPS tracking device?

A．To entertain the white giraffe.

B．To find a better way to feed him.

C．To prevent him from being killed.

D．To learn more about the white giraffe.

2. How often will the GPS tracking device update its information?

A．Every day.	B．Every hour.
C．Every week.	D．Every two hours.

3. Which of the following can best replace the underlined word “mission” in Paragraph 5?

A．Job.

B．Dream.

C．Interest.

D．Suggestion.

4. What can we learn from the passage?

A．The population of white giraffes is increasing.

B．The white giraffe has become extinct in the world.

C．Few organizations show interest in protecting wild animals.

D．The population of giraffes in the world has been decreasing.

【推荐2】Feeding bread to the ducks is a fond pastime for many of us, reminding us of happy childhood trips to the local park.    1    Eating it can cause our feathered friends to develop a condition called Angel Wing, which is when too much bread makes birds’ feathers grow too quickly. This additional weight puts a strain on their muscles, causing their wings to twist and drop open, and if not treated fast, they can lose the ability to fly.

“Angel Wing can be cured if we reach birds before it has developed too severely,” says Caroline Simpson, a trustee of UK charity Swan Lifeline. “    2    ” Over the last 20 years UK charity Swan Lifeline has rescued and treated more than 30,000 birds. Adult birds can develop heart disease by eating much bread, so it’s important that we do our best to prevent this by feeding then with the right kind of food.

    3    Rotten (腐烂的) bread at the bottom of rivers and lakes allows bacteria to produce, spreading disease and attracting rats and other pests to our waterways, which can result in the presence of a mould (霉菌) called Aspergillus. It has the potential to kill waterfowl (水禽) and other wildlife if it gets into their lungs.

    4    Giving birds the right food — like frozen peas, sweetcorn and some other plants — is good for both them and the environment. They can float on the water surface, and birds can enjoy them.    5    

A．So we must stop feeding the ducks.

B．But did you know that bread actually puts birds in danger?

C．This doesn’t mean we have to stop fun trips to feed the ducks.

D．Bread can also cause harmful changes to the natural ecosystem (生态系统).

E．What a scene it is to watch ducks eating bread loating on the river.

F．Otherwise the results can be serious — such as the loss of the wing.

G．So next time take a healthier alternative and do your bit to protect our precious wildlife.

【推荐3】Have you experienced surfing on the shore? Have you ever seen a dog surfing on the shore? Visitors to Waikiki Beach may do a double-take at the four-legged surfer boarding on shore, but the regulars aren’t amazed at all. They know the eight-year-old dog is Bugsy, a local legend, whose owner, David Yew, taught the dog to surf.

Yew, 39, got the idea while he and Bugsy were out walking on the beach and came upon a statue of a surfer. Yew put the dog down on the surfboard to take a photo, and the scene looked so natural that Yew was inspired to take the next step. Soon enough, the two were surfing together. Bugsy ran right to the front of the board with his paws.

The two ride an 11-foot, rubber-padded longboard. He loves the water and dog-paddles. However, Bugsy wasn’t always so active. Two days after Yew, a doctor of emergency medicine, adopted the 12-week-old puppy from shelter, Bugsy came down with cough, which progressed to pneumonia（肺炎）. Yew rushed the dog to the ICU of a vet hospital where he stayed until Yew could no longer afford to keep him there. Bugsy needed further treatment, so Yew built his own ICU in his apartment. He covered an empty fish tank with plastic to use it for treatments. Finally, Bugsy pulled through.

Since then, the doctor and the dog have been inseparable. "Saving Bugsy’s life created unconditional trust between us,” Yew says. “He knows I’ll take care of him no matter what.” That may be what fuels Bugsy’s spirit. The pair surf together every week and have shared other adventures, including skydiving.

1. What does the underlined words in Paragraph I probably mean?

A．To have a try to surf with	B．To take two pictures with
C．To give double tips to	D．To be surprised to stare at

2. The reason why Yew built his own ICU is that ____.

A．Bugsy preferred to lie in a fish tank	B．he knew how to cure Bugsy of its illness
C．the vet hospital abandoned treating Bugsy	D．he couldn’t pay for the further medical cost

3. Which of the following can best describe Yew?

A．Competent and honest.	B．Diligent and well-off.
C．Good-natured and adventurous.	D．Modest and thoughtful.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．Inseparable pair surfers.	B．The whole life of a pet dog.
C．Animals’ love for humans.	D．Adventures of a surfing dog.

【推荐1】In America when people say “man’s best friend” they don’t mean another person. Instead they are talking about a lovely animal: A dog! These words show the friendship between people and animals. Dogs and other pets can give happiness to people’s lives. Some people think of their pets as their children. A few even leave all their money to their pets when they die!

Animals can help people too. Dogs can be taught to become the "eyes" for a blind person or “ears” for a deaf people. Scientists have found that pets help people live longer! They make people happier too. Because of that animals are brought into hospitals for “visit”.

Americans hold “Be—Kind-to—Animals Week” in the first week of May.

Pets shows are held during the week. Even if you don’t live in America you can do this too. How? First think about how animals make your life richer. If you have a pet take more time this week to play with it. Remember to give it delicious food. Also be sure to keep your pet from those unwanted babies.

If you don’t have a pet, be kind to animals around you. For example if you see a street dog don't kick it or throw things at it. Instead just leave it alone or better yet make friends with it.   If others around you do bad things to an animal try to stop them. As people we must protect animals who can’t speak for themselves.

1. "A few even leave all their money to their pets when they die!" means that__________

A．pets have the right to inherit(继续)money.	B．money can give pets happiness.
C．it’s the best way to spend money.	D．some pets are taken as children.

2. Why are dogs brought to hospitals?

A．Because they are ill and need to see doctors.	B．Because they can make the patients happier.
C．Because they can find out the problems of the patients.	D．Because doctors can do experiments on them.

3. The words "man’s best friends" shows____________.

A．the friendship between people.	B．the friendship between people and animals.
C．the friendship between animals.	D．the friendship between men and women

【推荐3】The State-Of-The-Art-Tech Behind Fighting Fires

How are today’s firefighters dealing with massive wildfires? They’re doing it by using the most advanced technology. Whether it’s with a modified jumbo jet or innovative thermal(热的) imaging cameras, we take a look at the tech behind fighting some of the world’s most overwhelming fires.

Teams fighting against the California wildfires used the Global SuperTanker – a modified jumbo jet that carries almost 73,000 liters (19,200 gallons) of fire retardant(阻燃剂) – alongside the S-64 Aircrane heavy-lifting helicopter, which carries 10,000 liters (2,200 gallons) of water.

These air tankers are used to put out flames and monitor fire spread through sensors and video feeds coupled to GPS data. Fed into hi-tech computer modelling software, they can help predict the fire’s behavior and possible spread patterns. Computer models are able to provide small area coverage only meters wide, mapping territory and airflow. Fires are especially responsive to wind conditions and these tools allow firefighters to determine the passage of flames at ground level.

But manned aircrafts need a large investment in maintenance and crew training. Command and control centers are turning to unmanned aircraft to keep costs down and provide additional capabilities. Small quadcopters(四旋翼机) and larger fixed-wing aircraft can fly over fires for much longer periods.

Smoke can cover the ground for days at a time or pose a severe breathing risk to air crews – However, this is not a problem for drones. Onboard high definition, infrared(红外辐射的) and thermal imaging cameras can provide direction to ground teams, spot vital infrastructure (including power or water lines), and identify dangerous or flammable objects.

Infrared and thermal cameras can see through smoke to monitor ground teams and let them know when conditions change. Unmanned aircraft can provide aerial images, heat maps, and temperature scales of fire zones. Specialist drones can even carry hoses to less accessible areas. In the future, swarms of autonomous drones could be used to track wildfires and spot fire spread.

Thermal imaging technology has become widespread and less expensive to use. Handheld cameras and devices that attach to smartphones allow firefighters to see through smoke and find active fire hotspots, or undergrowth that is burning without producing smoke.

Identifying these hotspots allows crews to target the most active and dangerous parts of a wildfire and divert manpower to tackle it more effectively.

Augmented reality helmets that include breathing appliance alongside computer vision-aided displays are adding to the ground team’s capabilities. Thermal cameras inside the helmets mean that firefighters can operate in environments completely obscured by smoke. At the same time, they can wirelessly transmit information on what is happening at the frontline to command and control points.

Robots are also making a difference. The Smokebot was developed by a Swedish university to assist fire and rescue services. It collects data in environments with reduced visibility using radar, a laser scanner, a thermal camera and gas sensors. Smokebot can help in forest fire situations mapping large areas filled with dust or smoke, where it is too risky to send in rescue personnel.

Earth-observing satellites commonly detect wildfires in wilderness areas. Their cameras and remote sensors are used to estimate the fire’s evolution and provide situational awareness that saves lives.

The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) onboard the Suomi NPP satellite gives near real-time data to NASA’s Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS) on active fires across the world.

Finally, to get the bigger picture on fire tracking and monitoring, the US Forest Service and US Geological Survey uses data from the Landsat Earth-observing satellites. Data gathered from every major fire in the country since 1984 has been fed into computer models to help predict and prevent wildfires.

1. What does the underlined “they”, in the third paragraph, refer to?

A．Current firefighters tackling massive wildfires.

B．The modified jumbo jets and art thermal imaging cameras.

C．The data gained from sensors and video feeds, plus GPS information.

D．The air tankers used to put out flames and monitor fire spread.

2. Which of the following is not the advantages of drones over manned aircrafts in tackling massive wildfires?

A．Drones don’t need much fuel when putting out wildfires and identifying the causes of fires.

B．Less money is needed in training crews when drones are available.

C．Drones won’t come across any breathing problems when in work.

D．Drones needs much less investment in maintenance.

3. Which of the following advanced technologies is not mentioned in the passage?

A．Swarms of autonomous drones used to extinguish wildfires from air.

B．AR helmets with breathing appliance alongside computer vision-aided.

C．Drones with high definition, infrared and thermal imaging cameras onboard.

D．Earth-observing satellites equipped with cameras and remote sensors.

4. Which of the following statements about Smokebot is true?

A．It was created by a Swiss university to assist fire and rescue services.

B．It can help to send rescue personnel to a fire spot.

C．It can help draw a map of large areas and fill the regions with dust or smoke.

D．It collects data using advanced technology where visibility is reduced due to fires.