【推荐2】Every tropical (热带的) forest looks different, particularly in the eyes of an ecologist, and Peter Ellis has been lucky enough to visit a fair few. One in particular holds a special place in his heart: the rain forests of Gabon. He first visited as a Peace Corps volunteer. “It completely changed the way I think about conservation and our relationship with nature,” he says.

These days, Ellis is the global director of natural climate solutions science at the US-based conservation organization — The Nature Conservancy, where he’s presently investigating the role that logging (cutting down trees) can play in tropical forests. Logging for forest conservation may sound contradictory, and it often is. But logging in a tropical forest looks different to the practices we might expect to see. “We might imagine it as a wasteland of stumps (树桩) after a clear cut,” says Ellis. Instead, only a few trees are actually removed. A sustainably logged forest is the one that remains a breathing, rich, tropical rain forest full of trees and wildlife, thus helping keep a large part of the biodiversity while ensuring that more damaging industries don’t take its place. It can also provide a means of basic livelihood for the local people.

The two years that Ellis spent in the Gabon rain forests opened his eyes to a different method of land management. “The locals took me out into the forest and taught me the names, usages and spiritual significance of all the trees and other plants in the forest,” he says. “Science is about exact, designed experiments, but it’s also about asking the right questions. And the people who live in those places and protect the ecosystem are more likely to help us learn what the right questions to ask are.”

Tropical forests are essential to our planet’s future as they support high levels of biodiversity and act as crucial carbon sinks (碳储存器). “We need to honour, and protect them so that they can do their job to help save us all” says Ellis.

1. What does Peter Ellis think of his first visit to the rain forests of Gabon?

A．It was poorly arranged.	B．It made little difference to his life.
C．It brought him far-reaching influence.	D．It was physically challenging for him.

2. What does Peter Ellis realize after his investigation in tropical rain forests?

A．Logging balances the rain forests.

B．Logging means a complete clear-out.

C．Logging brings huge profits to the locals.

D．Logging encourages the local damaging industries.

3. What does Ellis suggest scientists do in protecting the rain forests?

A．Conduct many experiments.	B．Consult experienced local people.
C．Get involved in designing procedures.	D．Spread more knowledge about wildlife.

4. What is the purpose of the last paragraph?

A．To stress the importance of biodiversity.

B．To introduce Ellis’s ideas about the future.

C．To provide further information about Ellis.

D．To call on people to preserve tropical rain forests.

【推荐1】NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

Last year, the National Park Service (NPS) marked its 100th anniversary with a year-long celebration.

    1    . It recognized the preservation and protection of the 417 park service units. Now that those festivities have wrapped up, it’s time to look toward what the next 100 years might look like for the nation’s parks. Here’s a look at some of the major issues facing the nation s parks now and over the next century.

    2    . For example, at Shenandoah National Park, park officials note that rising temperatures in streams have already impacted native fish. They are also concerned that climate change will lead to more droughts, floods and wildfires. At Golden Gate National Recreation Area in California, park officials are predicting heat waves, coastal flooding and habitat destruction in response to climate change.

Visitors behave badly. Today, visitors still aim to make their mark on the natural and cultural resources.

    3    . But the NPS now has its own branch of law enforcement (执法) officials who are tasked with protecting those resources for and often from park visitors.

There is maintenance backlog (积压).    4    . But the donations may drop sharply and raise the possibility of handing the parks over to private corporations. With budget shortfalls and maintenance at all-time highs, it’s likely that these sorts of partnerships will only become more likely in the future.

Despite some major concerns, the future of the NPS looks promising. With a renewed level of interest, and the help of some corporate donations, the parks will be protected for the next century.    5    .

A．Climate change will affect all parks

B．Yellowstone National Park deserves a visit

C．The NPS took a look back at the last century

D．The maintenance burden will be removed soon

E．And they may look different in the next 100 years

F．Those are protected by the National Park Service as they did years ago

G．At the moment, donations from private corporations are limited to signs and certain exhibits

【推荐2】A Bridge Linking Art and the Audience

According to a 2018 report, people aged between 16 and 24 make up about 15 percent of the population but only 10 percent of museum-goers. Similarly, people aged over 35 go half as much as you would expect from their population size. We have reached the point of recognising the disconnection between art and the audience but haven’t yet determined how to bridge the gap. Two answers to tackling this challenge lie in telling a greater diversity of art histories and communicating these stories in more accessible ways.

In 2018, a radio program called Art Matters was started with the aim of discussing art from a pop-culture viewpoint with topics that would engage younger and more diverse audience. It offers an accessible pathway to art history with conversations on different topics. Art history is about storytelling; art content shines when there is an effort to bring audience along for the discussion.

More traditional institutions are paying attention. Recently the Getty Museum issued a social-media challenge for people to recreate paintings using items they had at home. Users displayed incredible creativity, and the museum was flooded with submissions. This reaction proves that there is a potential desire for the audience to engage with art topics if the format is appealing. Since many people feel intimidated and think that there’s a base level of understanding required to join the conversation, the Getty initiative serves as a reminder that there are many pathways to engaging with it.

Another result of the Getty challenge was the exposure given to a diversity of artworks. The famous opera singer Peter Brathwaite, for example, made scores of attractive recreations highlighting centuries of black paintings. His efforts opposed the idea that there were not many historical paintings of black figures. It is extremely important that we do a better job of showing the complex and diverse stories that are represented in art.

Social media have offered a platform for people who have not traditionally had a seat at the table. Anyone can recognise a gap in the field and address it. Accounts have gathered tens of thousands of followers. They are the proof that there is hunger to hear these art histories, and these themes work brilliantly for museum programming.

But there is only so much that can be done without the museums and galleries changing meaningfully from within. We need to see a better balance of these stories represented in permanent collections. We also need a much wider diversity of people and interests represented on board. Ensuring that art-and writing and talking about art-is able to continue on the rising generation of storytellers, inside and outside of institutions, getting the funding and support they need to paint a brighter picture for the part.

1. What challenge is the author trying to tackle?

A．People doubt a great diversity of artworks.

B．Fewer and fewer young people go to museums.

C．Art appears too distant from common audience.

D．Adult audience has a different understanding of art.

2. What does the underlined word “intimidated” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Tired.

B．Worried.

C．Annoyed.

D．Surprised.

3. In the author’s opinion, the museums and galleries should ________.

A．make the art history stories accessible in a traditional way.

B．change meaningfully for activities like the Getty challenge.

C．limit the number of storytellers both in and out of institutions.

D．improve the permanent collections by adding famous artworks.

4. We can conclude from the passage that common audience ________.

A．lacks the channels to understand and talk about art history.

B．prefers to view artworks and hear art stories on social media.

C．feels satisfied with people and interests represented on board.

D．refuses to engage with diverse art topics and art history stories.

【推荐3】Researchers questioned 1,117 American adults across the country between December 3 and December 7. Just 22 percent said they felt very or extremely happy this year. That is down from 49 percent one year ago.

The 69-year-old Smith said he usually spends Christmas alone, but the pandemic has been especially difficult. He cannot go to local coffee shops and visit friends and neighbors as he usually does. His usual January vacation on the Caribbean Sea was cancelled because of the pandemic.

So Smith has been staying home mostly, fearing what could happen if he caught the virus. Five years ago, he spent a month in a hospital under treatment for the lung disease, "I'm stressed that I can't just get in my car and go someplace," said Smith.

Karestan Koenen is a professor at the Harvard School of Public Health. Holidays are always a stressful time, but now people are feeling really, really worn down because this has been going on for so long." she said. She noted that some were also suffering severe monetary difficulties because of the pandemic.

About 40 percent of Americans are still worried that they or a family member will be infected. About 75 percent say they are at least somewhat concerned about the possibility. The Covid-9 vaccine progress has brought some hopefulness, but the study found that only half of Americans are ready to get vaccinated immediately. The other half said they were unsure about or uninterested in the treatment.

Adults under 30 are more likely than those older to say they feel very sad or lonely—and more feel these emotions this year than they did last year. Koenen said this is a time when young adult normally would be starting their independent lives. But now, school completion ceremonies may have been canceled. Adult children may have to live with their families, and it could be difficult to find a job because of the slowed economy.

1. What is Smith worried about?

A．Being alone.	B．Going to hospital.
C．Missing his vacation.	D．Being infected by the virus.

2. Which of the following is good for fighting the pandemic?

A．Stress from the holidays.	B．Getting vaccinated immediately.
C．Sufferings from lacking money.	D．People's concern about losing work

3. What is the last paragraph mainly about?

A．The hard situation of young people.	B．The pressure of adult children on parents.
C．The need of independence for young people.	D．Young people s disappointment with Christmas.

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A．Staying at Home Too Long Bores Americans

B．Christmas Is Cancelled Because of the Pandemic

C．Americans Feel Less Happy This Holiday Season

D．Young Americans Are No Longer Interested in Christmas

【推荐1】To adapt to climate change, some flowers are darkening their color to protect themselves from the sun’s radiation, new research shows.

The study suggests that over the past 75 years, the ultraviolet (UV) pigments (紫外线色素) in flowers have increased in response to rising temperatures and a thinning ozone layer (臭氧层). The flowers won’t look any different to humans, but insects consider the higher levels of UV pigments as a darker color, which could be confusing when they try to find out colorful flowers to land on.

The UV-absorbing pigments in flowers work like sunscreen and protect sensitive cells from harmful radiation, Matthew Koski, a plant ecologist at Clemson University, says. He and his team hoped to determine if changes in pigments were a result of environmental change — and if so, what are the plants responding to?

The team collected dried, pressed plants across North America, Australia, and Europe. In total, they studied 1,238 samples from 42 different species dating back to 1941. Then, using a UV-sensitive camera, they photographed flower petals from each species to see how the pigment level changed over time. Next, they paired the photographs with historic local temperature and ozone level data from the time the plant was picked.

The researchers found that the changes in pigments differ by species, a result of the flower’s structure. Flowers with open, exposed pollen (花粉) had more UV-absorbing pigments when ozone levels were low and radiation was high. But flowers with pollen surrounded by the petal responded to temperature, not ozone levels.

As climate change continues to intensify, these changes in flowers’ color can affect plant-insect interactions. When the whole flowers get darker, insects might miss the flowers entirely. “This has a negative influence on plant reproduction.” Koski says.

1. What is the cause of flowers’ color changing according to the research?

A．The impact of climate crisis.	B．The loss of natural habitats.
C．The harm of nuclear radiation.	D．The thickening of ozone layer.

2. What arc Koski’s findings based on?

A．Photographs of flowers from different species.

B．Analysis of how levels of UV pigments change over time.

C．Collection of abundant samples from various species.

D．Historic local temperature and ozone level database.

3. What can we learn about the change in pigments?

A．It exists in flowers with exposed pollen only.

B．It responds to temperature and sea levels.

C．It remains the same regardless of species.

D．It varies depending on the flower’s structure.

4. What is Koski’s attitude towards the change in flowers’ color?

A．Concerned.

B．Indifferent.

C．Unclear.

D．Optimistic.

【推荐2】Google is getting further into the business of saving lives. The internet giant announces that users of its Android phones in New Zealand will receive warnings of damaging earthquakes about to strike their locations. And those earthquakes will be detected not by the usual seismometers, but by the phones themselves.

Traditional warnings, even if they only come seconds before a quake hits, can buy people enough time to survive the quake. These systems are practical, but they are difficult and expensive to develop. One system, known as ShakeAlert, cost $60 million to build and needs more than $30 million annually to operate. Such an earthquake warning system as developed by Google can cut down this expense and has great potential globally.

A phone-based network makes earthquake detection possible because modern devices are equipped with motion sensors that monitor movement, such as when a user picks up or rotates the phone. Those sensors can also be programmed to detect the distinctive shaking caused by the pressure and waves of earthquakes.

Google has built quake-sensing capabilities directly into its more than 2 billion active Android phones. When a Android phone detects an earthquake signal, it sends word, along with a rough location, to a central server and more than 100 phones need to sound the alarm before Google believes it. Android phones have been publicly detecting earthquakes worldwide since last year and have detected more than 1000 quakes. The warnings have performed well in terms of speed and accuracy when compared with ShakeAlert. Regardless of it, false alarms haven’t been too hard to weed out.

The Android system still has a lot to prove, including its ability to detect quakes that start in less populated regions. New Zealand will pose a particular challenge, because much of its population is gathered in a few cities. That means phones might not warn of a quake that starts far from downtown until after the trembling has already begun. Until the system’s performance is clear, Google should be cautious of promising too much.

1. What can we learn from the text?

A．Traditional earthquake warnings are ineffective.

B．Residents in New Zealand have benefited from the new warning system.

C．Motion sensors are built in Android cellphones.

D．ShakeAlert system cost $90 million in total.

2. Compared to traditional warnings, which is NOT the advantage of Android warning system?

A．Speedier

B．Cheaper

C．More accurate

D．More practical

3. What can we infer from the underlined sentence in Paragraph 4?

A．It is too hard to identify false alarms.	B．Some false warnings are easy to get rid of.
C．False warnings happen frequently.	D．It is impossible to avoid issuing false warnings.

4. What’s the best title of the article?

A．Google’s Effort to Detect Earthquakes	B．Google’s Promise to Save More Lives
C．Google’s New Challenge in New Zealand	D．Google’s Announcement about New Zealand