A new report warns that Australia’s native wildlife could see extremely unfortunate effects from nonnative plants and animals.
Experts at the national science agency, the CSIRO, are predicting much of the country’s native plants and animals are in danger. They believe they could disappear by 2050 unless immediate action is taken.
Nonnative species have invaded(侵略)Australia and threaten to overrun(侵占)native plants and animals. Introduced species are endangering more than 80 percent of Australia’s threatened species.
Andy Sheppard, the CSIRO’s research director, said Australia’s colonization(殖民)by the British more than 200 years ago has left harmful environmental effects. He added that there were groups set up to introduce plants and animals by design so the Europeans felt more at home. Australia just like New Zealand has suffered as a result. “Australia unfortunately has the worst record internationally for mammalian(哺乳动物)disappearance,” he said and noted that this has much to do with the activities of introduced cats and foxes.
The report estimated(估计)the cost of the damage caused by invasive species in Australia at about $18 billion each year and growing. The study said that immediate action was needed to stop the spread of invasive species and protect Australia’s “irreplaceable native animals and plants”.
Traditionally, chemical and biological controls have been used to manage wild pest populations.
There are debates about these methods and some supporters of animals are against them as inhumane.
Scientists in Australia are working on genetic pest control methods. Testing is under way on small laboratory animals, but a so-called “working system” could be up to five years away. One possible biocontrol(生物防治)includes limiting their ability to reproduce.
1. What are threatened in Australia because of the introduced species now?| A．Local people. | B．Animals’ habitats. |
| C．Native animals and plants. | D．Unique mammalian. |
| A．Because Europeans brought them to Australia. | B．Because Australians love European wildlife. |
| C．Because of the activities of cats and foxes. | D．Because of the disappearance of mammalian. |
| A．Scientists have limited the populations of invasive species successfully. |
| B．Those traditional measures have no effect on introduced species at all. |
| C．Some people don’t consider the ways to deal with invasive species right. |
| D．Genetic methods have proven perfect in controlling invasive species. |
| A．Danger from Nonnative Wildlife in Australia | B．Australian Native Wildlife in Great Danger |
| C．New Ways to Control Nonnative Wildlife | D．The New finding by Scientists in Australia |
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【推荐1】Every year, people from every corner of the world travel to Australia to meet the kangaroo—the lovely, unusual and special Australian animal that jumps all over this sunburnt continent. There is a young kangaroo that is lucky to be alive today, thanks to meeting a pair of New South Wales teenagers.
Nick Heath and Jack Donnelly were riding their motorbikes in the bush outside Sydney on Sunday when they came across a kangaroo stuck in the mud. The boys were lucky enough to see the head of the animal sticking out of the mud at Agnes Banks near the Nepean River in southwest Sydney.
The animal was clearly in pain but the boys couldn’t reach it so they raced home to get a rope. When they returned, Mr Donnelly tied the rope around his waist(腰) and walked into the thick mud to get hold of the kangaroo while his friend then pulled them about 30 m to safety.
Appearing on Today this morning, the young men retold their story.
“The kangaroo’s life was important to us, so we pulled out all the stops to rescue it,” Mr Heath said.
“We’re proud of what we did. If we see something like that again, we’ll do it all over,” Mr Heath added.
The animal, which was not in great health after being saved, was handed to Wildlife Rescue Organisation. It’s believed that it was very hot and that the kangaroo was likely searching for water in the dry conditions when it got stuck in the mud.
As for the heroes of the story, they’re glad to have been in the right place at the right time to help the animal and don’t care about the attention it’s brought.
“Yeah, we liked it, something different,” Mr Donnelly told the reporters.
1. Why was the kangaroo in pain when the teenagers found it?| A．It got lost in the bush. |
| B．It was stuck in the mud. |
| C．It was hurt by other animals. |
| D．It was in poor health because of the weather. |
| A．they tried their best to help the animal out |
| B．they walked out of the mud without difficulty |
| C．they stopped to think twice before taking action |
| D．they were not sure if they should save the animal |
| A．Meet Kangaroos in Sydney |
| B．Endangered Animals in Sydney |
| C．Two Teenagers Saved a Kangaroo |
| D．A Special Interview with Two Heroes |
【推荐2】While facial recognition technology continues to promote many aspects of human life, it’s now being applied to aid the protection of giant pandas, Xinhua News Agency reported on 6 January, 2022.
A nature reserve has built an AI-enabled video monitoring system to better protect giant pandas. Equipped with some 300 infrared (红外线的) cameras, the monitoring system helps ensure the health and safety of 110 wild giant pandas there. It was put into operation more than two years ago and has since captured (拍摄) numerous photos and videos of pandas engaged in activities such as eating, resting and fighting for mates. It provides scientific data to help us grasp pandas’ living conditions and establish conservation strategies. More importantly, it achieves real-time monitoring of the reserve so that we can discern the threats to the wildlife as early as possible.
A recent study found the facial recognition system can automatically recognize various wild animals caught in infrared cameras, allowing researchers to collect data on giant pandas while staying indoors. “By equipping the reserve with the AI-aided system to store the archived photos of giant pandas, we obtain a 98% success rate for species recognition. Its success rate of recognizing other wild animals can top 80%,” said Liu Xingming, head of the reserve’s administration. In 2021 alone, this monitoring system captured 2, 896 photos of giant pandas and other rare animals and filmed 3,218 seconds of footage, showing the reserve’s sound ecological environment as well as a gradual rise in panda population there.
Liu said researchers used the system not only to observe the dynamics and health of the giant panda population but also to learn about changes in the natural surroundings of their habitat. “The monitoring system has enabled the systematic, scientific, and intelligent conservation of wildlife,” he added. “However, it is expected to be further improved in the near future.”
1. What does the underlined word “discern” mean in paragraph 2?| A．Solve. | B．Pose. | C．Attach. | D．Detect. |
| A．It precisely recognizes any species. | B．It makes panda population rise rapidly. |
| C．It contributes to species data collection. | D．It understands pandas’ facial appearance. |
| A．Critical. | B．Objective. | C．Tolerant. | D．Conservative. |
| A．Panda Facial Recognition Using the Database |
| B．Functions of Facial Recognition Technology |
| C．AI Technology for Better Panda Protection |
| D．A Breakthrough in the Video Monitoring System |
【推荐3】A new rule has been passed that will protect more than 50 of the world’s shark species, many of which are endangered. The deal was signed by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which manages how people deal in plants and animals. Most of the world’s countries are members of CITES. The deal puts 60 shark species under the protection of CITES.
One of the reasons sharks are endangered is that they are hunted for their fins (鳍), which are used in shark fin soup. The sharks that are hunted most for their fins include blue and tiger sharks. Thanks to this agreement, around 95% of sharks that people catch for their fins are now protected. This means that anyone trying to buy or sell these types of sharks must show an official document. These official documents will only be given to people or companies who have proved to scientists that their business doesn’t endanger wildlife or damage the ocean.
Conservationists hope the deal will protect biodiversity in the sea. Sharks are very important for this because they are usually apex animals that hunt, kill and eat other animals. That means they are at the highest point of the “food chain” — in other words, nothing else eats them. If sharks were to disappear, it would seriously affect sea life lower down the food chain, as some species’ numbers would increase fast. This could affect the delicate balance of all sea life.
Some biologists have criticised the new rule. They think that making it harder to fish for sharks will make their fins even more expensive, which would encourage illegal fishing. However, Shawn Heinichs from Only One, a group that campaigns to protect the ocean, called it “The biggest win in the history of ocean species”.
1. Why is the new deal made?| A．To control the trade in sharks. | B．To preserve biodiversity in the sea. |
| C．To ban people from fishing for sharks. | D．To protect endangered plants and animals. |
| A．Frightening. | B．Major. | C．Dangerous. | D．Top. |
| A．It can prevent illegal fishing. | B．It is a debatable deal. |
| C．It does wonders for ocean species. | D．It is questioned by most biologists. |
| A．Nations Sign Up to Save Sharks | B．New Rules Benefit Life in the Ocean |
| C．Sharks Are Vital to Ocean Biodiversity | D．CITES Aims to Protect Ocean Species |
【推荐1】America’s trucking industry employs roughly 3.5 million people, carries 10.6 billion tons of goods back and forth across the country per year, and brings in $738.9 billion in taxes annually. It is, in some way, a logistical (物流的) wonder.
Though America’s trucking industry may one day be replaced by new trains, or giant trucks piloted by AI systems, for now we need to deal with the system we have, instead of daydreaming about a new one. Truck driving used to be a desirable profession for Americans, but almost no one wants to be a truck driver anymore. The industry is already short of 50,000 tractor-trailer drivers, and that number could expand to 174,000 by 2026.
The solution is simple: raising drivers’ wages (薪水). While trucking is generally considered a high-quality blue-collar job, average pay for truckers is only around $42,000. That’s more than $10,000 below the average household income in America.
Bear in mind too, that the economically essential function served by the trucking industry creates a very tough quality of life for truckers themselves. Being far away from home for days or weeks at a time causes all sorts of personal issues. Therefore, drivers really deserve to be paid more.
The good news is that last week’s jobs report did show an increase in wages. In trucking specifically, compensation finally jumped 10 to 12 percent over the last year. It’s not enough, but it’s a step in the right direction.
And to encourage the American trucking industry, there are regulations too. A federal rule from 2004 limits truckers to driving 11 hours in any 14-hour period.
Of course, this rule was put in place to make truck driving a more humane (人道的), and less demanding industry. But it also lowered the amount of driving any trucker could do, increasing the number of drivers needed to cover the same number of routes. And it couldn’t avoid the long hours on the road, lonely nights in hotels, and etc. The effective way to fix the problem is obvious: If your industry can’t find enough workers, you need to pay them more.
1. What do the figures in paragraph 1 show?| A．The convenience of trucking in America. |
| B．The significance of trucking industry for America. |
| C．The big burden on America’s trucking industry. |
| D．The quick development of America’s trucking industry. |
① suffering from health issues caused by driving
② having a small salary
③ having a low-quality blue-collar job
④ working outside for long
⑤ lacking respect from others
| A．①②③ | B．②③④ |
| C．②④⑤ | D．①②④ |
| A．It aimed at promoting the efficiency of truck drivers. |
| B．It didn’t make much difference to the trucking industry. |
| C．It effectively relieved the truck drivers’ burdens. |
| D．It tended to get resisted by numerous truck drivers. |
| A．The ways to fix America’s trucking industry. |
| B．The decline of America’s trucking industry. |
| C．The problems troubling America’s truck drivers. |
| D．The regulations governing America’s truck drivers |
【推荐2】A new study suggests that some homemade soups — made of chicken, beef or vegetables — might help fight malaria.
Jake Baum of the Imperial College London led the research. He asked children at a London school to bring in homemade clear soups that their families would make to treat a fever. The soups were then exposed to the parasite (寄生虫) that creates 99.7 percent of malaria cases in Africa, the World Health Organization explained.
Of the 56 soups tested, five were more than 50 percent effective in containing the growth of the parasite. Two were as effective as one drug now used to treat malaria. And four soups were more than 50 percent effective at preventing parasites from aging to the point that they could infect mosquitoes that spread the disease. Baum also noted that it was unclear which foods made the soups effective against malaria.
The soups came from families from different ethnic histories, including Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. They had several main ingredients, including chicken, beef and green vegetables. Baum said the vegetarian soups showed similar results to the soups with meat.
Baum said his aim was in part to show children that scientific research can turn a herbal (草本的) cure into a man-made medicine. He noted the research of Dr. Tu Youyou from China. In the 1970s, she found that the herb qinghao was an effective antimalarial (抗疟疾的) treatment. The herb has been used in Eastern medicine for two thousand years. Tu’s research led to the man-made drug artemisinin (青蒿素), a drug now widely used to treat malaria.
More and more people are becoming resistant (耐受的) to the drugs that treat the disease, which kills nearly 400,000 people a year. That means scientists will have to “look beyond chemistry” and find new drugs, Baum adds.
1. Why did children at a London school bring in homemade soups?| A．To taste its favour. | B．To have for lunch. |
| C．To compete with others. | D．To take part in an experiment. |
| A．All the soups are not effective in killing the parasite. |
| B．What in the soups works is still unknown. |
| C．The soups have no effect on mosquitoes from spreading malaria. |
| D．The vegetarian soups are more delicious than the soups with meat. |
| A．To emphasize her great achievement in treating malaria. |
| B．To express his respect for Dr. Tu Youyou. |
| C．To note a herbal cure can come into a man-made medicine. |
| D．To show qinghao has been discovered for a long time. |
| A．To expand their studies to find new medicines. | B．To collect more soups for scientific study. |
| C．To improve the taste of the soups. | D．To find out why malaria exists in many countries. |
【推荐3】When you are waiting to pay for your groceries at your local supermarket, do you ever notice the items in the checkout lanes (通道)? Are you ever attracted to buy the chocolate bar or bottle of coke you see? If you are like most people, you will cave to the pressure to add the candy or soft drink to your cart.
Now the city of Berkeley is going to become the first city in the US to stop allowing the sale of unhealthy food in the checkout lanes according to CNN.
The “Healthy Checkout Ordinance (法规)” was approved by Berkeley's city council (议会) at a meeting in September and requires that all food stores over 2,500 square feet sell only healthy food items near the checkout lanes. This will affect over 25 stores in Berkeley including Whole Foods, Safeway and Walgreens.
“Placement of unhealthy food near a checkout lane increases the likelihood that customers will purchase these foods and drinks when willpower is weak at the end of a long shopping trip,” City Council member Kate Harrison said at the city council meeting.
“It's not a ban; it's a motivation,” Harrison said “Stores can still sell candy and soda, just not at your child's eye level in the checkout.”
The new ordinance Harrison said at the city council meeting “is really good behavioral economics, which facilitates better choices for consumers but does not limit what they can buy”.
Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a national consumer advocacy organization based in Washington D.C., began working with the city in 2017 and has six similar campaigns across the country but Berkeley is the first to adopt the unhealthy food restrictions. The city already started a soda tax in 2014. “Berkeley has been a leader in progressive health policies for a long time,” Ashley Hickson from CSPI said.
1. What will happen if unhealthy food items are placed near the checkout lanes?| A．It will motivate shoppers to purchase less. |
| B．Shoppers will be easily attracted to buy them. |
| C．It will prevent shoppers buying desired items. |
| D．Shoppers will be willing to wait at the checkout. |
| A．Limits. | B．Promotes. |
| C．Bans. | D．Assesses. |
| A．It bans unhealthy food in local large supermarkets. |
| B．It always follows other cities' local food campaigns. |
| C．It has trouble conducting unhealthy food restrictions. |
| D．It tends to actively adopt progressive health policies. |
| A．You Should Keep Clam While Walking Along Checkout Lanes |
| B．Berkeley Relieves Your Pressure to Buy Unnecessary Items |
| C．Berkeley Keeps Unhealthy Food Away From Checkout Lanes |
| D．Be Cautious Enough to Make Reasonable Shopping Choices |
