Coral Refugees
As the planet and oceans continue to heat up, sites where coral (珊瑚) has recently boomed are becoming less and less habitable. For instance, thanks to extreme ocean temperatures, much of Australia's Great Barrier Reef suffered mass bleaching in 2016 and 2017 that turned parades of colorful coral into dull, white masses.
"We showed that the higher-latitude reefs up around China did grow during earlier warm periods," says Tara Clark, a paleontologist at the University of Wollongong in Australia.
Although the fossil evidence suggests that Daya Bay could one day provide a heaven for corals, there are some hurdles in the way of making the refuge an inviting place, Clark says.
| A．This trend suggests that some of today's reefs may be able to set up shop in places such as Daya Bay in the decades to come, as temperatures climb. |
| B．Such change often occurs on broader time scales than those of humans. |
| C．In 2015 Clark led a group of scientists on an expedition to Daya Bay. |
| D．It's absolutely fundamental to understanding the dynamics of ecological communities and their responses to ecological change. |
| E．Not all corals, for instance, are equally fit to journey across the ocean to a new home. |
| F．But paleontologist (古生物学家) have now discovered a haven (港口) to which one region's reefs might relocate to escape overheating. |
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【推荐1】The “swim-with-dolphins” tourist industry is becoming more popular every year with the increase of people’s income. After all, it can cost a large amount of money to have this kind of holiday experience. So tour operators try to place eager swimmers as near as possible to the dolphins by trying to predict where the dolphins will be.
Research has shown that while dolphins can move away if they do not want to interact (交流） with human swimmers, they do not like it at all if the swimmers slip into the water directly on top of them or if humans are in their path of travel. However, if swimmers enter the water to one side of them, the dolphins do not avoid the swimmers to the same extent.
In all cases, the dolphins seem to have become more sensitive to the presence of the swimmers. For dolphins, swimming among or with humans is not necessarily a high priority. This research has shown that only 19% of any group of dolphins will participate in interaction. Young dolphins are the most likely to interact; they do seem curious about being with humans. It is believed that they see humans as “entertainment” and that the interaction is a new and unusual experience for them.
It is frequently asked whether “swim-with-dolphins” tourism should be discontinued. The advice is that dolphins should be given enough periods of time throughout the day when they are not exposed to tourism. Permitted interactions should not be too disturbing to the dolphins since there could be mothers and calves (幼崽） present in dolphin groups. There should also be educational campaigns about the creatures and what is likely to cause danger to them.
It is not easy to explain to someone that they cannot fulfill their lifelong dreams because the dolphins are resting, or that a mother dolphin and calf are in the area. But if we are to enjoy these remarkable animals and not just use them for our entertainment, then we must carefully monitor the “swim-with-dolphins” industry worldwide.
1. What makes “swim-with-dolphins” tourism popular?| A．The local government’s encouragement. |
| B．The improvement of people’s living standard. |
| C．The increasing number of tourists. |
| D．The high profits of the industry. |
| A．They do this out of curiosity. |
| B．They like humans better. |
| C．They are less sensitive. |
| D．They prefer new things by nature. |
| A．Make people know the hidden threat to dolphins. |
| B．Strictly limit the expansion of the industry. |
| C．Avoid interaction with young dolphins. |
| D．Expose dolphins to tourists only in the daytime. |
| A．Negative. |
| B．Cautious. |
| C．Supportive. |
| D．Optimistic. |
【推荐2】We are interested in the preservation of the biodiversity on Earth. What I’ve been working on is rats. Just looking at rats, you can understand continental drift and climate change. We’ve actually rediscovered rats that were thought to be extinct. Darwin was the last one to document them on the Galapagos Islands. People have gone there for hundreds of years and not seen one. In 1997, I went there with my mentor(导师) and another graduate student. Everyone thought I was crazy, why look for something that doesn’t exist? They wouldn’t even give us permits. Our plan was to stop on a beach for a day and then hike up to the top of an extinct volcano where very few people had been:We were on a picturesque, isolated beach. We set out the traps just to see what we might find. The next morning, I checked my traps! I immediately ran back to my mentor. When he looked in the mental trap—I will never forget his face--- It looked like he’d seen a ghost.
I certainly understand the argument: “ Who cares about an extinct rat?” but you have no idea what role that rat plays in that functioning ecosystem. People can appreciate beauty, so that’s why people love pandas and want to keep them around. You never hear, “What good is panda?” Ecologically, these rats are much more important to their ecosystem than those pandas--- not that I don’t love pandas but we have to look beyond the big and beautiful.
I teach conservation biology and evolution. In both you have to appeal to people asking “ Why is this important to me?” Some scientists refuse to do that. That’s my entire approach. I’ll ask “How many of you had a family member who was in a tornado, hurricane or flood?” .And almost every hand goes up. Climate change is suddenly very personal, and now they want to hear what you are saying. You are not looking for sympathy for the rats but for a greater understanding of the system.
1. When the author went to the Galapagos Island with his team in 1997,________.| A．they were led to an extinct volcano. |
| B．they were driven away from the islands |
| C．they were offered some useful information |
| D．they couldn’t be understood by other people |
| A．delighted | B．astonished |
| C．satisfied | D．frightened. |
| A．it is no use protecting pandas |
| B．it’s important to research on rats |
| C．it’s time we cared about ecosystems |
| D．it’s worthwhile to bring extinct rats back to life. |
| A．By letting them know the courses are closely related to them. |
| B．By informing them of the harm of climate change. |
| C．By telling them the influence of natural disasters. |
| D．By making them feel sorry for the rats. |
【推荐3】George, once known as “Midnight Memory Maker,” had been given away after his original owner, Todd Mathieson, died and his wife, Diane, could no longer care for him. She found a new home for George so that he could continue to race for a number of years.
In September, 2018, George was turned over to the Animal Rescue League (ARL) of Boston. When he arrived at the league’s adoption center in Dedham, he was slightly underweight, and in need of medical care. But, over all, he was in good health, the league said.
George recuperated (休养) for a few months in Dedham before being put into foster care. “He was highly intelligent, elegant, well-trained and had clearly known love. He was very engaged with humans,” Cordula Robinson, George’s foster parent, said in the statement.
Robinson wanted to help George go home. She contacted animal rescue agencies up and down the East Coast to see if anyone recognized him. To her surprise, someone from New Jersey recognized George as once belonging to Todd Mathieson. He was well known and owned a stable in Connecticut, said Michael DeFina, a spokesman for the ARL. George is notable for his distinctive colors, such as white patches on his hooves (蹄子) that look “like socks,” DeFina said. They went through show photos to confirm George’s identity and contacted his original hostess.
Diane Mathieson was “overwhelmed and ecstatic (欣喜若狂)” about the possibility of reuniting with George.
After 13 years apart, George was transported to his family in Ocala, Florida, where he will enjoy his retirement. “He seems to be walking taller,” Diane said.
1. Why was George given away by his original family?| A．He was a trouble-maker in the community. | B．He often got lost for his poor memory. |
| C．The family couldn’t provide enough care. | D．His wife had found him a new home. |
| A．Bring him to the adoption center. | B．Help his reunion with the family. |
| C．Take some show photos for him. | D．Build an elegant stable for him. |
| A．Todd Mathieson. | B．Cordula Robinson. |
| C．Michael DeFina. | D．Diane Mathieson. |
| A．He used to be a race horse. | B．He enjoyed his retirement. |
| C．He lost both of his parents. | D．He was hard to recognize. |
【推荐1】Most Americans would probably be thrilled to learn extraterrestrials(外星生物) exist. Other nationalities beg to differ.
When Oumuamua, a mysterious interstellar object, swept through our solar system last October, it elicited breathless news stories all asking the obvious question: Is it a spaceship? There were no signs it was. although many people seemed to hope otherwise.
Throughout history most strange new cosmic (宇宙的) phenomena have made us wonder: Could this be the moment we first face alien life? The expectation isn’t necessarily strange—many scientist can and do make specific, evidence-based arguments that we will eventually discover life beyond the bounds of our planet. To true believers, what may be more uncertain is whether or not such news would cause global panic, which depends on how our minds, so greatly influenced by our earthly environment and society, would realize the potential threat of something absolutely outside our familiar environment.
"There's this feeling the public that the discovery of intelligent life at least would be kept secret by the government because otherwise everybody would just go bonkers,” says Seth Shostak, an astronomer at the Search For Extra Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute, who was not involved with the study. Perhaps it might make sense for our brains to freak out (抓狂) over immensely powerful alien beings arriving on our cosmic doorstep from parts unknown.
But let's say the situation hasn't gone full "alien invasion" yet and dangerous warships aren't sailing toward Earth, but rather we have read news of extraterrestrial life. How might we react then? Psychologists at Arizona State University (ASU) used language-analyzing software to gauge feelings relate to 15 news articles about past discoveries about extraterrestrial life, such as newfound earth-like planets, mysterious phenomena and possible life found on Mars. The articles used more positive and reward-oriented words than negative and risk-oriented ones, which is reported in a study published in January in Frontiers in Psychology.
"I think we're generally sort of partial to novelty, unless we have strong reason to suspect it could harm us, "says Michael Varnum, a psychologist at A.S.U. Tempe and the study's senior author. "Of course, I'm not saying if we got news that there were a bunch of large alien warships on their way towards Earth that we would be happy about it."
Questions 1 to 5. Judge if the following statements agree with the information given in the passage. Choose A for TRUE if the statements agree with it, choose B for FALSE if the statements don't agree with it, choose C for NOT GIVEN if the information the statements carry is not mentioned anywhere in the passage.
Questions 6 to 10. Match the following words with their meanings in the passage. Note that there are four choices more than you need.
2. The discovery of alien life would be kept secret by the government.
3. Aliens are preparing for invading the Earth.
4. Words in reports about past discoveries of newfound earth-like planets are quite positive.
5. People are happy about the news that alien warships are on their way to Earth.
6. elicit
7. bonkers
8. gauge
9. novelty
10. What might be the best title for the passage?
| A．Are aliens really coming? |
| B．Are alien warships harmful? |
| C．Are humans happy to see alien warships? |
| D．Are humans ready for the discovery of alien life? |
【推荐2】Searching for a way to be happier? Seeking deeper connections with friends or looking for more friends? Want to relate better to other people?
Compassion, as one scholar describes it, is “experiencing feelings of loving kindness toward another person’s suffering”. The compassionate often have deeper connections with others and more friends. They are more forgiving and have stronger sense of life purpose.
Even short-term exercises like this broaden your attention, your thinking and your overall sense of well-being in a way that lasts.
This practice is beneficial to physical health and can help reduce physical signs of stress. And the happiness that can come from compassion training is the kind that lasts.
| A．But studies have shown this simple exercise really strengthens your sense of compassion. |
| B．Practicing compassion doesn’t have to cost you money. |
| C．That’s in part because it changes your brain. |
| D．Compassion means a lot in our daily life. |
| E．Try a little compassion. |
| F．Your brain is one of the most important parts in your body. |
| G．Compassion also has direct personal benefit. |
【推荐3】Whether they know it or not, your students do a lot of critical reading on their own already. For example, many of them could be into young adult fiction. While they’ re reading these books for fun, they are constantly questioning what the author wanted to say with this character or that plot point. They also form unique opinions about the books they read. These are all critical reading activities.
Students can also employ critical reading in their other hobbies. Even if your students are not bookworms—yet——they most certainly like to listen to music. Getting hooked on a song means they’re thinking about the lyrics (歌词) and analyzing them in their heads, even if they’re doing it unconsciously.
To stimulate your students to take up active reading, you should tell them to bring their favorite reading material to class. Whether it’s the young adult fiction or the lyrics to the newest Billie Eilish song, encourage your students to join debates with one another about the subject of the material. That way, you are teaching students critical reading using their respective hobbies. When the activity is over, tell your students they have just done a critical reading exercise. Since they weren’t made to read critically but encouraged to do so through their hobbies , they will engage with the next task much more willingly.
Whether you want your students to start doing a critical reading exercise with a specific piece of classic literature or a novel of their choice, you will probably find a critical analysis on it on YouTube. Why not show it to your students and make them see just how much the community of book lovers has grown in the last couple of years? If they aren’t already a member of that community, the activity will make them feel like they’ re missing out. If they are, it can only heighten their desire to develop some reading skills of their own and be able to express clearly why they loved or otherwise hated the last book they read. When you get your students motivated to learn critical reading skills , plan and carry out activities that will help them do that.
1. What can we learn about critical reading?| A．It has to go with specific characters. | B．It applies more to young adult fiction. |
| C．It usually includes complex plot points. | D．It happens unconsciously among students. |
| A．It’ s an effective way to develop the students’ reading habits. |
| B．It’s better when conducted with the students’ hobbies. |
| C．It's better to focus on the theme of the reading materials. |
| D．It shouldn’ t be separated from the lyrics of popular songs. |
| A．Book reviews. | B．Reading exercises. |
| C．Charity options. | D．Debating contests. |
| A．The ways to help students who don’ t like reading. |
| B．Why critical reading is necessary for the students. |
| C．The methods of choosing proper reading materials. |
| D．How to help the students gain critical reading skills. |
