Every day in the United States animals are beaten, ignored, or forced to struggle for survival. Left in poor conditions with no food or water, they have little hope as they live out their days without the mercy they deserve. Some are found and rescued, given the chance to experience how great life and humans can be; others aren't so lucky. To grow as a nation, we must fight for these abused(受虐待的) animals’ rights and seriously punish heartless owners.
One of the first steps in protecting animals and creating effective cruelty laws is to know what animal cruelty actually is. There are two categories: passive cruelty and active cruelty. The first involves acts of omission, meaning the abuse happens as a result of ignorance or lack of action. Passive cruelty might seem less serious, but that is not the case; it can lead to terrible pain and suffering, and finally death. Examples include starvation, inadequate shelter in extreme weather conditions, and the failure to get medical care. Passive cruelty is sometimes due to the owner's ignorance, so many animal control officers will first try to educate ignorant owners on how to properly care for animals before giving them a citation(传票) or putting them in prison.
Active cruelty, on the other hand, is more well-known and disturbing. Sometimes referred to as non-accidental injury, this type of abuse involves purposeful harm on an animal in order to feel more powerful or gain control. Active cruelty against animals should be taken very seriously, since it can be a sign that a person has serious psychological issues and may commit more acts of violence---possibly against humans.
It is hard to tell just what drives people to harm innocent animals. Most animal abusers find some sort of achievement or power in torturing a victim that they know can't fight back. While not all animal abusers become serial killers, it is important to take every case seriously.
As a nation we need to make it our right to come together and ensure the safety of our beloved pets. As Margaret Mead once said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
1. What is the first step to do with the passive cruelty abusers?| A．To throw them into prison. | B．To bring the case to the court. |
| C．To teach them how to treat animals. | D．To give them a strong warning. |
| A．is actually a sign of power or control |
| B．has been taken seriously in the nation |
| C．may lead to serious psychological problems |
| D．may cause acts of violence against humans |
| A．Uncertain. | B．Doubtful. |
| C．Concerned. | D．Pessimistic. |
| A．warn those heartless pet owners |
| B．tell people the harm of animal cruelty |
| C．explain the reasons why people harm animals |
| D．call on people to fight for the abused animals |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Almost a decade ago, researchers at Yale University launched a global database called Map of Life to track biodiversity distributions across the planet. Now, the team added a new feature to the database that predicts where species currently unknown to scientists may be hiding.
In 2018, ecologist Mario Moura of the Federal University of Paraiba in Brazil teamed up with Yale ecologist Walter Jetz, who took the lead in the initial creation of the Map of Life. The pair set out to identify where 85 percent of Earth’s undiscovered species may be. For two years, the team collected information about 32,000 vertebrate (脊椎动物)species. Data on population size, geographical range, historical discovery dates and other biological characteristics were used to create a computer model that estimated where undescribed species might exist today.
The model found tropical environments in countries including Brazil, Indonesia, Madagascar, and Colombia house the most undiscovered species. Smaller animals have limited ranges that may be inaccessible, making their detection more difficult. In contrast, larger animals that occupy greater geographic ranges are more likely to be discovered, the researchers explain.
“It is striking to see the importance of tropical forests as the birthplace of discoveries, stressing the urgent need to protect tropical forests and address the need of controlling deforestation rate if we want a chance to truly discover our biodiversity,” said Moura.
The map comes at a crucial time when Earth is facing a biodiversity crisis. It was reported that there was a 68 percent decrease in vertebrate species populations between 1970 and 2006 and a 94 percent decline in animal populations in the America’s tropical subregions. “At the current pace of global environmental change, there is no doubt that many species will go extinct before we have ever learned about their existence and had the chance to consider their fate,”Jetz said.
1. What can be learned about the Map of Life?| A．It only tracks biodiversity distributions. |
| B．It was initially created by Mario Moura |
| C．It predicts where undiscovered species minht |
| D．It managed to locate 85% of the undiscovered specties. |
| A．Location. | B．Species. | C．Size. | D．Population. |
| A．Tackle. | B．Ignore. | C．Maintain. | D．Postpone. |
| A．Tropical animal populations have slightly declined. |
| B．The Map of life is significant to protecting biodiversity. |
| C．Tropical forests are the birthplace of many extinct species. |
| D．Many species will undoubtedly go extinct even if discovered. |
【推荐2】Every year millions of breeding monarch butterflies in the US and southern Canada search for milkweed plants on which to lay their eggs. Concern over decreasing habitat has urged conservationists to create monarch-friendly spaces along roadsides, which are more than enough—within the butterflies’ range and usually publicly owned. But traffic noise stresses monarch caterpillars out, a new study finds. They eventually do become desensitized (使不再敏感) to it —but that might cause trouble to them later on, too.
Noise pollution is known to affect the lives of birds, whales and other creatures. But until recently, scientists have never tested whether it leads to a stress response in insects. When Andy Davis, a conservation physiologist at the University of Georgia, noticed online videos of roadside monarch caterpillars apparently moving with short quick movements from side to side or up and down as cars came by, he wondered how the constant noise might affect them. Davis built a special caterpillar heart monitor, fitting a small sensor into microscope to precisely measure monarch caterpillars’ heart rates as they listened to recordings of traffic sounds in the laboratory.
The hearts of caterpillars exposed to highway noise for two hours beat 17 percent faster than those of caterpillars in a silent room. But the heart rates of the noise—exposed group returned to baseline levels after hearing the traffic sounds nonstop for their entire 12-day development period, Davis and his colleagues reported in May in Biology Letters. “This desensitization could be problematic when the caterpillars become adults,” says Davis. A rapid stress response is vital for monarch butterflies on their two-month journey to spend winters in Mexico, as they narrowly escape predators and fight wind currents.
Whether a noisy developmental period reduces monarchs’ survival rates remains unknown, notes Ryan Norris, an ecologist at the University of Guelph in Ontario, who was not involved in the study. But in any case, he believes roadside habitats almost certainly drive up the butterflies’ death rates as a result of crashes with cars. “There are so many potential road habitats for monarchs and other insects—it would be such a nice thing to take advantage of,” Norris says. “But you just can’t get around the traffic. I think roads and monarchs just don’t mix.”
1. Why did conservationists create monarch-friendly spaces along roadsides?| A．Because they concerned over decreasing monarch habitat. |
| B．Because it was vital for the monarch to grow quickly. |
| C．Because they were urged to make an experiment. |
| D．Because it was good for the monarch to migrate. |
| A．There had been little research on monarch caterpillars. |
| B．Videos showed cars crashed into monarch caterpillars. |
| C．There was no such record of monarch caterpillars’ heart rates. |
| D．He found that monarch caterpillars shook with cars moving by. |
| A．They are likely to need more time to develop. |
| B．They are likely to lose their way on their journey. |
| C．They are more likely to die before they become adults. |
| D．They are more likely to be killed and eaten in their migration. |
| A．Monarchs’ survival rates are decreasing each year. |
| B．People should avoid building roadside habitats for insects. |
| C．More capital is needed to study monarchs’ developmental periods. |
| D．Butterflies’ rising death rates have nothing to do with moving cars. |
| A．The Relationships Between Monarch Butterflies and Highway |
| B．The Effects of Highway Noise on Monarch Butterflies |
| C．The Changes of Monarch Butterflies Along Highway |
| D．The Benefits of Protecting Monarch Butterflies |
【推荐3】“It’s a windy day in Laguna San Ignacio, and the waves seem to come from all directions,” said Sara Clemence in Bloomberg Businessweek. My children and I are riding on an 18-foot boat — small enough that we can reach down into the water if a gray whale swims up alongside. And then we see what we’ve come for: a heart-shaped shower of water and a dark mass rushing below it. As instructed, we splash (溅泼) the water strongly to signal the huge whale, which turns out to be a mother with her weeks-old baby. The baby soon swims beneath our boat, emerges to blow mist in my face, then “lies onto its side like a 2-ton puppy.” Leaning down, I touched its skin gently. “It feels electric. Also, a bit like petting a hard-boiled egg.”
San Ignacio is one of very few places where a person can pet a whale. The whales come each year to the coast of Baja California to give birth and to mate. If you’re lucky, you can “shake hands with a leathery fin (鳍)” or even “plant a kiss on a cold, salty cheek.” I usually worry about such interactions, because wild creatures can become deeply stressed by human contact. But boat numbers are strictly limited in these protected waters. And any whale that approaches a boat does so on its own terms. Like that baby whale: “We see him a few times, and he seems to like being petted and splashed.”
So we are two species, connecting through touch, but also through eye contact: “More than once, after nosing around our boat, a young gray whale turns on its side so one dark, baseball-size eye is looking up at us.” Whalers used to call gray whales “devil fish” because these magnificent creatures turn violent when threatened — “or, say, when their babies are harmed.” That makes it feel even more of a blessing when, on our third day there, a large mama whale approaches the boat. “I’m splashing when I feel her nose press up into my hand.” Though she’s “wiser and apparently more alert” than her child, “she still decides to trust us.”
1. According to the passage, people can NOT interact with a whale by ________.| A．splashing water to it | B．gently touching its skin |
| C．swimming alongside it | D．looking at it in the eye |
| A．is mad with too many visitors |
| B．is willing to be petted by people on the boat |
| C．can interact with people based on its likes |
| D．can decide its preferred swimming route |
| A．Because she is smarter than her child and better at interacting with people. |
| B．Because she believes in people and will not turn violent if her baby is harmed. |
| C．Because a whale as large as this one is rare to see. |
| D．Because she trusts people despite her concerns about her child’s safety. |
| A．Preserving the Devil Fish in Laguna San Ignacio |
| B．A Beautiful Encounter with Gray Whales |
| C．A Risky but Exciting Whale-Watching Journey |
| D．Appropriate Ways to Interact with Gray Whales |
【推荐1】Beauty has always been regarded as something praiseworthy. Almost everyone thinks attractive people are happier and healthier, have better marriages and have more respectable jobs. Personal advisors give them better advice for finding jobs. Even judges are softer on attractive defendants. But in the executive circle, beauty can become a liability.
While attractiveness is a positive factor for a man on his way up the executive ladder, it is harmful to a woman. Handsome male executives were considered as having more honesty than plainer men; effort and ability were thought to lead to their success. Attractive female executives were considered to have less honesty than unattractive ones; their success was connected not with ability but with factors such as luck. All unattractive women executives were thought to have more honesty and to be more capable than the attractive female executives. Interestingly, though, the rise of the unattractive overnight successes was connected more to personal relationships and less to ability.
Why are attractive women not thought to be able? An attractive woman is considered to be more feminine and an attractive man more manly than the less attractive ones. Thus, an attractive woman has an advantage in traditionally female jobs, but an attractive woman in a traditionally manly position appears to lack the “manly” qualities required.
This is true even in politics. “When the only clue is how he or she looks, people treat men and women differently,” says Anne Bowman, who recently published a study on the effects of attractiveness on political candidates. She asked 125 undergraduate students to rank two groups of photographs, one of men and one of women, in order of attractiveness. The students were told the photographs were of candidates for political offices. They were asked to rank them again, in the order they would vote for them.
The results showed that attractive males completely defeated unattractive men, but the women who had ranked most attractive unchangeably received the fewest votes.
1. The underlined word “liability” most probably means “________”.| A．disadvantage | B．advantage | C．misfortune | D．trouble |
| A．makes women look more honest and capable | B．strengthens the feminine qualities required |
| C．is of no importance to women | D．often enables women to succeed quickly |
| A．turns out to be a disadvantage to men | B．is more of a disadvantage than an advantage to women |
| C．affects men and women alike | D．has as little effect on men as on women |
| A．give advice to job-seekers who are attractive | B．discuss the disadvantages of being attractive |
| C．demand equal rights for women | D．state the importance of appearance |
【推荐2】Mental Health Crisis Among Teens Demands a New Approach
Since a survey showing alarmingly high rates of sadness and depressive thoughts among teens was released by the CDC last month, fingers have been pointed from two sides at the causes of this crisis.
According to the CDC’s findings, more than one in five of the 17,000 high school students surveyed reported mental breakdown.
Parents as well as teachers and others who have direct contact with children must accept this preventive approach. It is crucial that they not be afraid to ask direct questions about depressive thoughts.
| A．It’s time for those who have the power to amplify (放大) their voices and drive changes to focus on helping teenagers and families access the help they need. |
| B．And they should resist the false idea that raising a question creates a risk that was not there before. |
| C．This means that we must put aside our disagreements and approach this issue as a matter of life and death. |
| D．At the macro (宏观的) level, our country can do so much more to help people struggling with mental health problems and their families. |
| E．Their rates of sadness and hopelessness are the highest in a decade, reflecting an increasing trend worsened by society’s isolation and stress. |
| F．Some have argued that the climate issue has created an existential threat and accompanying anxiety. |
| G．Hospitalization may also be appropriate when the person in question shows an immediate danger to themselves. |
【推荐3】If you are reading this, you were probably born in the 2000s.The oh-ohs.The 21st century.That would make you young, creative, connected, global, and no doubt smart.Maybe good-looking, too.Right? But what do other people think about your generation?
Some adults worry that you’re more interested in the screen in front of you than the world around you.They think of you as the “face-down generation” because you use your phone so much and they wonder how you will deal with school, friends, and family.Are today’s teenagers too busy texting and taking selfies to become successful in real life - or “IRL”, as you would say?
Other adults worry that today’s youth are spoilt and don’t want to face the challenges of adult life.Many children born in the 1990s and 2000s were raised by “helicopter parents”, who were always there to guide and help their children with a busy schedule filled with homework and after-class activities such as dancing, drawing, or sports.With parents who do everything for them, today’s youth seem to prefer to live like teenagers even when they are in their 20s or 30s.
With these taken into account, does the face-down generation need a warning? Well, probably not.The fact is that many of today’s teenagers are better educated and more creative than past generations.They seem to be enthusiastic and willing to become leaders.More young people than ever volunteer to help their communities.There are also brave young people such as Malala Yousafzai, the teenager who won the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize for pushing girls’ rights to go to school.
So if you’re one of the oh-ohs, there are reasons to be hopeful about the future.Things are looking up for the face-down generation.Chances are that you will do GR8 (great) and LOL (laugh out loud.
1. All of the following words EXCEPT can be used to describe the oh-ohs.| A．creative | B．caring | C．independent | D．smart |
| A．Parents who are rich and travel by helicopter. |
| B．Parents who always watch over their children. |
| C．Parents who have a very busy schedule. |
| D．Parents who only turn up when necessary. |
| A．The writer is a member of the face-down generation. |
| B．The writer is positive about the future of the oh-ohs. |
| C．The oh-ohs are better-looking than their parents. |
| D．The oh-ohs care about nothing other than their phones. |
【推荐1】Many say artificial intelligence is the biggest invention since the Internet. The sudden rise of large language models like ChatGPT has fueled the publication to a higher level—AI will be the common language the world speaks and humans can build the Tower of Babel again. With the technology in hand, it seems spending thousands of hours to master a different tongue is simply a waste of time.
Duolingo’s co-founder and CEO Luis von Ahn has a different opinion. He said it’s still worthwhile for people to learn a new language despite the rapid advancement of AI powered translation technology in the past decade. “Computers are better than humans playing chess. And there are more people playing chess now than there’s ever been,” said von Ahn. “People just want to do certain things even if computers are good at it.
According to Duolingo’s research, the majority of new language learners agreed learning a new language could make travelling a better experience and more fun; and 80 percent think learning new languages will inspire them to be travelers with an adventurous spirit.
Luis von Ahn co-founded Duolingo in 2011, which offers customized learning exercises, immediate feedback and gamification(游戏化). The platform provides equal access with over 40 languages to everyone who wants to learn. Last year, the company even rolled out sessions for its first dialect language——Cantonese. The app attracted many Mandarin learners as well. Their primary motivation to try the language was for “intellectual development,” according to the company.
Duolingo has applied AI technology to the language learning platform since day one. With a powerful AI tool, it can provide conversations based on previous exchanges with the user to make language learning more natural. The AI can understand the sentences and react to the input from learners to keep the conversation going.
The goal for the language learning app for von Ahn himself, is to operate on par with a human tutor. He said Duolingo is already as effective as study in a classroom. “I think with AI, we’re getting closer and closer to being as good as a one-to-one human tutor,” he said.
1. The italic(斜体) part in paragraph 1 is to show that many people believe _______.| A．learning a second language is significant to humans |
| B．AI should not be used as a common language for humans |
| C．it is unnecessary for humans to learn different languages |
| D．humans are powerful enough to master different languages |
| A．Out of human nature. | B．Thanks to the advancement of AI technology. |
| C．Out of pressure of travelling. | D．Thanks to human’s increasing intelligence. |
| A．in aid of | B．instead of | C．specially for | D．as well as |
| A．People learn languages to enrich their life, not ruin it. |
| B．Duolingo uses AI to help language learning, not kill it. |
| C．With Duolingo, learning a second language is time-consuming. |
| D．Helped by Duolingo, more people are learning a new language. |
【推荐2】The most obvious dog fetish (迷恋) today is the longing for cuteness. Almost every day you can see adorable pictures of dogs and other animals that will make you smile and say, "How cute!"
It is a cultural phenomenon that the media scholar James Meese calls the "cute economy" which exists primarily on social media, is user-generated, and is heavily dominated by pictures of animals, especially pets. The goal is to generate a positive response, probably followed by a tap on the screen to "like" and "share". We can click through image after image of cute animals doing cute things, feeling a little boost of good cheer.
The marketing researchers have identified some of the most common categories of cuteness in online pet content: animals doing silly things; animals of extreme size; animals with unusual looks; and animals behaving in ways that seem human-like. Dogs and other animals in the "cute economy" are often further humanized by being dressed in clothing and accessorized (装饰) with hats, jewellery, nail polish and fur dyed a rainbow of colors. Users who post successfully and with some strategies can make money by doing so. Thus, certain dogs have become cuteness celebrities, with millions of devoted followers and paid content from advertisers.
Unfortunately, the price of the "cute economy" comes at a serious cost. The cutest and most popular breeds tend to be those with the most significant risk of health and behavioral problems. Cuteness is often coupled with their discomfort. People are drawn to the cuteness of dogs with extremely foreshortened skulls and extremely short legs and awkwardly long bodies, such as the French bulldog and the corgi
Actually, there are well-established health issues. We should treat the "cute economy" with caution, like resisting the commodification (商品化) of appearance by opting out of social media channels promoting the "cute economy". We can also choose not to "like" or "share" images of dogs whose cuteness is linked with discomfort. Although we are biologically attracted to dogs that are super cute, we should be mindful in our "impulses".
1. What is the key to the "cute economy" according to the text?| A．Taking photos of different animals. |
| B．Cute animals' attractive appearance. |
| C．Pets' owners' liking adorable pictures. |
| D．Posting cute animals' pictures on social media. |
| A．A normal-sized dog is eating bones. |
| B．A white cat is quietly lying next to its owner. |
| C．A parrot dressed in a suit is singing and dancing. |
| D．A monkey is attentively taking care of its baby. |
| A．It will change the animals' nature. |
| B．It may make the animals not so cute. |
| C．It will result in a decline in animal population. |
| D．It may cause health problems to the animals. |
| A．Attractive Pictures of Animals | B．Happiness From Pets |
| C．The "Cute Economy" and Its Price | D．Marketing Strategy — Cuteness |
【推荐3】Four apps for students to learn English
Quizlet
Quizlet is a learning app — a computer program you use on your mobile device. It can help users build and test their knowledge of English words and terms. Quizlet has word sets for millions of subjects. And, it is quickly becoming a useful mobile tool for language learners.
Socrative
In Socrative, teachers can create timed learning games. In class, students compete individually or as part of a team against classmates. One game students love is called space Race. In this game, if a team answers a question correctly, their rocket moves forward. This team whose rocket gets to the end first wins. Also, teachers can use Socrative as an “exit ticket,” a question they can ask students about what they learned in that day’s class. Students write their answers on their mobile devices. Then, the teacher can show the answers on a shared video screen.
QR Codes
A QR Code is a kind of sign that a smartphone can read with its camera. When your phone camera reads a QR code, it takes you to a website, image, video or anything you want to share. For example, one will take you to the VOA Learning English website.
Evernote
Evernote lets users store and share notes, images and recordings in one place. Teachers can also use Evernote to give homework.
1. Which is the best for students to build up vocabulary?| A．Quizlet. |
| B．QR Codes. |
| C．Evernote. |
| D．Socrative. |
| A．Give homework. |
| B．Carry out a classroom test. |
| C．Look up new words. |
| D．Visit an English-learning website. |
| A．To make an advertisement. |
| B．To encourage using mobile phones. |
| C．To improve English learning. |
| D．To introduce some learning apps. |
