Jeremi was doing homework when he heard a thump (重击声). A bird had flown into the window and fallen onto the balcony. Jeremi rushed to check. Just when he was about to open the door, it flew away.
Not all birds are so lucky. According to a study , between 365 million and a billion birds are killed each year in the United States by flying into glass.
“Birds don’t mean to fly into buildings. It’s the reflectivity of the windows that tricks them,” says Christine Sheppard, director of the glass-collisions program at the American Bird Conservancy. “When birds see reflections of trees — to them, they are just more trees that they can fly into.”
Sheppard and others, including environmentalists and building designers, work to make buildings bird-friendly to lower the number of bird collisions. One method is to use less glass. Another is to cover a glass building with some kind of screen. A third method is to use special glass.
Officials agreed to use patterned glass to take the place of some glass in 2009. Building designer Piselli worked on the project. “We need to consider what humans need and what birds need,” Piselli says. He notes that with glass, “ the main thing is to put something on it that birds can see, so they are not tricked by reflections and people can still enjoy daylight through the glass.”
Work on the Javits Center project was completed in 2014. “We ended up bringing down collisions by more than 90%,” Piselli says.
1. Why did the author think the bird was lucky?| A．It wasn’t hurt by an enemy. | B．It could fly freely in the sky. |
| C．It wasn’t killed after hitting the window. | D．It received good care from its owner. |
| A．They need to stop to have a rest. |
| B．They want to play tricks on humans. |
| C．They’re trying to get inside the buildings. |
| D．They’re confused by reflections in the windows. |
| A．Reasons for making friends with birds. | B．Ways to make buildings safer for birds. |
| C．The disadvantages of glass windows. | D．Great examples of new high buildings. |
| A．It was very successful. |
| B．It was unacceptable to bird lovers. |
| C．It took longer to complete than expected. |
| D．It played a big role in stopping air pollution. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】You're never too old to pick up a book and read with a child. All you should do is grabbing a book and a few loved ones, and sharing in the joy of reading. A good habit of reading is very important for you.
Always carry a book.
Reduce television/the Internet. If you really want to read more, try cutting back on time on TV or the Internet.
| A．Find a quiet place to read. |
| B．Find a library to read alone. |
| C．There are some ways to develop it. |
| D．Set time to read books for yourself. |
| E．It means you will read no matter how busy you are. |
| F．This may be difficult for some people. |
| G．Wherever you go, take a book with you. |
【推荐2】Have you wanted to try an ebook? Has the cost of ebooks stopped you? Well, there are ebooks that you can download.
There are several reasons some ebooks are free. In some cases, the book’s copyright has come to an end. In other cases, writers offer books for free to grow a readership.
When you find a free ebook you want to read, get it right away.
Some free ebook sites offer referral links to other websites. Therefore, you can download free ebooks there.
| A．Be careful of some websites. |
| B．So visit Amazon’s list quickly. |
| C．Several websites offer free ebooks. |
| D．Referral links provide lists of best sellers. |
| E．Often the offer is open only for a short time. |
| F．Often a free book will be the first in a series. |
| G．These referral sites help you find free ebooks of interest to you. |
【推荐3】People know the dangers of fires. It’s good for a family to learn how to prepare for afire.
Put a smoke alarm in the house. Smoke from a fire causes the alarm to go off.
Practice for a fire at home now and then because it can teach children about fire safety. Everyone in the family should know the following fire rules:
▲Don’t open a hot door! The fire can grow more quickly if you open the door.
▲Stay close to the floor! Everyone should follow your plan.
| A．Make escape plans. |
| B．Here are some suggestions. |
| C．The alarm makes a loud sound. |
| D．If there is a fire, don’t forget to call 119 for help. |
| E．The best air is near the floor because smoke rises. |
【推荐1】An endangered deer with vampire-like sharp teeth was spotted for the first time in nearly 60 years, in a remote forest in northeastern Afghanistan. The creature is known as the Kashmir musk deer, and it is native to the Himalayas of northern India, Pakistan’s Kashmir region and northern Afghanistan.
Only the male deer have sharp teeth, and they use them during mating season to compete for females. A team of researchers searched Afghanistan’s Nuristan province during 2008 and 2009, and recorded five sightings of the animal. This was the first time the species had been spotted since 1948. During the survey, the researchers spotted a single male Kashmir musk deer near the same area three separate times. The researchers also recorded one female and her baby, and saw a second single female that they think may have been the same deer, without her baby. These musk deer are classified as an endangered species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List. Musk-deer meat is a local delicacy, but the species is mostly hunted for its scent glands(香腺) that are more valuable by weight than gold---some believe the glands have pharmaceutical (药学的) properties, and they sell for nearly $20,455 per pound ($45,000 per kilogram) on the black market, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Three decades of war have ravaged Nuristan province, and the continued violence and political instability make the black-market trade of scent glands uncontrollable. Furthermore, the species is quickly losing suitable habitat. All of the musk deer were spotted on sheltered rocky outcrops around 9,843 feet (3,000 meters) high. In the summer, they regularly trek (跋涉) along steep slopes that make them almost impossible to approach and keep them relatively safe from hunters. However, heavy snowfall in the winter drives the species farther down, to more human-accessible slopes, and hunters come from all over the country to track the deer for their valuable scent glands.
Due to violence and unrest, nongovernmental organizations like the Wildlife Conservation Society have not been able to operate in the Nuristan province since 2010. The WCS maintains contact with locals they have trained to survey and search for the musk deer. Once the situation in Nuristan improves, the WCS intends to return to the area to continue research and to formulate a conservation plan.
1. Why does male deer use sharp teeth in mating season?| A．To fight for their land. | B．To beat for females. | C．To hunt for food. | D．To frighten their enemies. |
| A．All of the Kashmir musk deer in the mountainous area have sharp teeth. |
| B．People hunt for the deer mainly because their meat is delicious. |
| C．It is relatively easier for hunters to hunt the rare species in winter. |
| D．The Kashmir musk deer are fierce animals because of their sharp teeth. |
| A．Government control. | B．Continued violence. | C．Political instability. | D．Years of war. |
| A．It has been doing research on the musk deer in this area since 2010. |
| B．It has sent a small group of people to search for the musk deer. |
| C．It is one of the organizations sponsored by governments worldwide. |
| D．It is making efforts to help and protect this rare species in the area . |
【推荐2】The diversity of Australian animals in NSW national parks is extraordinary. Some common species can be found across a range of parks, while others are endemic (特有的) to a specific area. Our national parks are also important shelters for threatened animals, many found nowhere else in the world. The following are some examples.
Albert’s lyrebird
The Albert’s lyrebird is much rarer than the superb lyrebird. Distinguished by its richer brown feather and less delicate tail feathers, it’s protected as a threatened species in NSW.
Cumberland Plain land snail
The endangered Cumberland Plain land snail is only found on the Cumberland Plain, west of Sydney. During drought it digs deep into the soil to escape severe conditions. Its brown shell is thin and fragile (脆弱的).
Australian fur seal The largest fur seal, Australian fur seals are found in isolated rocky outcrops and islands along the NSW coast. They come ashore to form breeding colonies (繁殖地) and can often be seen at Barunguba Montague Island Nature Reserve.
Australian brush turkey
The Australian brush turkey, also known as bush or scrub turkey, can be found in rainforests along eastern NSW. With a striking red head, blue-black feather and booming call, these distinctive Australian birds are easy to spot while bird watching in several NSW national parks.
1. What do Albert’s lyrebird and Cumberland Plain land snail have in common?| A．They live in the soil. | B．They hate dry conditions. |
| C．They have long feathers. | D．They are species in danger. |
| A．They breed on the sea shore. | B．They are red from head to tail. |
| C．They adapt to rainforest climate. | D．They are only seen on isolated islands. |
| A．In a science report. | B．In a personal diary. |
| C．In a tourist brochure. | D．In an educational magazine. |
【推荐3】Scientists have recently discovered a major habitat where live more than 1.5 million Adelie penguins(企鹅）near the Antarctic Peninsula. Based on direct ground counts and computer counts, the researchers found a total of 751,527 pairs of Adelie penguins on the Danger Islands in the Weddell Sea on the east side of the Antarctic Peninsula. The Adelie penguins discovered here is more than the rest in the other places of Antarctic Peninsula, which was published in the journal Scientific Reports.
Moreover, the number represents the first complete census of Adelie penguins in the Danger Islands, the researchers added. “Until recently, the Danger Islands wasn't known to be an important penguin habitat.” Heather Lynch, an ecologist from Stony Brook University who led the study, said, “These super habitats have gone undiscovered for decades partly because the islands themselves are distant and the dangerous waters that surround them.” The Danger Islands appears to have avoided recent loss in penguin population documented on other parts of the Antarctic Peninsula.
Another study published earlier suggested that more than 70 percent of king penguins may disappear by the end of the century as a result of global warming and overfishing. As the Danger Islands is likely to remain important islands for many penguins under climate change, scientists believe it deserves special consideration in the design of Marine Protected Areas in this area. “Now that we know how important this area is for penguin, we can better move forward designing Marine Protected Areas and managing the fishery,” said Lynch.
The idea of building the Marine Protected Areas, which covers 1.8 million square km of the Weddell Sea and around the Antarctic Peninsula, was first put forward by the European Union and supported by nongovernmental organization Greenpeace. In January, a global campaign has been started in the vast fishing-free zone to better protect wildlife.
1. What can we learn from paragraph 1?| A．Researchers knew the number of penguins only by computers. |
| B．There are 751,527 pairs of penguins on the Antarctic Peninsula. |
| C．Researcher may have never been to the Antarctic Peninsula. |
| D．The Danger Islands may be fit for penguins to live on. |
| A．Population count. | B．Living condition. |
| C．Birth. | D．Desert. |
| A．The Danger Islands is unknown for humans. |
| B．There is little climate change there. |
| C．Many people are protecting penguins. |
| D．The Danger Islands is free from being disturbed by humans. |
| A．Half of king penguins will die out in the future. |
| B．The Antarctic Peninsula needn't become Protected Areas. |
| C．Because the Danger Islands is dangerous, it becomes a super habitat. |
| D．The number of penguins discovered here is the largest in the Antarctic Peninsula. |
【推荐1】New Year’s celebrations take many forms, but most cultures have one thing in common—have a good time after a long, hard year. For much of the globe this involves drinking with friends until the sun comes up, singing together. But others have rather more curious habits, often filled with superstition (迷信).
In Denmark, people stand on chairs and jump off together as the clock strikes midnight, really leaping into the new year. The Danes also throw plates at their friends’ homes during the night-the more pieces you find outside your door in the morning the more popular you are said to be.
In Finland, say tour guides, people pour melted (熔化的) lead into cold water to predict the year ahead from the shape the metal forms. If the shape represents a ship it is said to predict travel, if it’s a ball, good luck.
The Dutch build massive bonfires with their Christmas trees and cat sugary donuts—one of many cultures to consume round New Year’s foods traditionally believed to represent good fortune.
Spaniards, in turn, cat a dozen grapes before the strike of midnight, each fruit representing a month that will either be sweet or sour.
In the Philippines, people wear polka dots (带圆点的服装) for good luck, while in some countries of South America people put on brightly coloured underwear to attract fortune—red for love and yellow for financial success.
Despite regional and cultural differences, for most the New Year’s festivities are a chance to let off steam before the annual cycle starts all over again. “This is a holiday that is about celebration and letting go,” explained George Washington University sociologist Amitai Etzioni.
1. In which country is the festival related to metal?| A．Denmark. | B．Spain. | C．Finland. | D．The Netherlands. |
| A．The Danes throw grapes at their friends’ homes during the night. |
| B．Spaniards eat many donuts before the strike of midnight. |
| C．The Dutch build massive walls with their Christmas trees. |
| D．Some people in South America wear red underwear for love. |
| A．Get married. | B．Get relaxed. | C．Make money. | D．Make friends. |
【推荐2】Very often, we have small medical problems that aren't serious enough to require a visit to the doctor’s office. Problems, such as a sore throat or a stomachache, can often be taken care of with medicines available on drug stores. However, many people prefer to treat slight medical problems at home instead of going to a doctor. For a sore throat, it’s certainly easy to stop by a local drug store and pick up a pack of lozenges (含片). But some people prefer to make special drinks, such as warm milk with honey, or lemon juice and honey. Other people like to wash out their mouths with warm, salty water.
Stomachaches can be treated with medicines that are available at local drug stores, but many people first try drinking soda (苏打水) to settle their stomachs. Another more natural treatment is peppermint (薄荷) tea.
Besides the various cold medicines available, many people treat their colds by having a bowl of homemade chicken soup. Others like to drink hot water with lemon and honey before they go to bed.
Many books offer helpful suggestions for the treatment of small medical problems at home and provide useful information about first-aid. In case of a bee sting (蜇伤), for example, they advise that you put mud or a piece of potato directly on the sting or a little vinegar on the skin so the sting will disappear.
Modern medicine has progressed greatly in the past few years, but there are still times when it’s very convenient to rely on good old home treatment.
1. What does the underlined word “available” in the first paragraph mean?| A．Cautious. | B．Obtainable. |
| C．Delighted. | D．Previous. |
| A．Drink warm, salty water. |
| B．Pick up a piece of potato. |
| C．Drink hot water with lemon. |
| D．Drink warm milk with honey. |
| A．Soda. | B．Peppermint tea. |
| C．Chicken soup. | D．A little vinegar. |
| A．If you feel uncomfortable, you don’t need to see a doctor. |
| B．Once you are ill, please see some famous doctors at once. |
| C．Modern medicine should be taken on time, if you are ill. |
| D．We can rely on good old home treatment if we aren’t seriously ill. |
【推荐3】
The UK doesn’t have the best reputation regarding food waste. Luckily, it’s easy to learn how to change these unsustainable habits, so that you can easily reduce unnecessary waste and save a pretty penny.
1. Plan your meals
When you don’t have a clear idea of what you want to eat, it’s easy to pick up more than you need, especially when items are on offer. It might seem like a great short-term option, but it can cause you to spend much more money in the long term, resulting in unnecessary food waste.
Planning your meals for the week in advance can be a great way to avoid this issue altogether. Work out what you plan to eat and when, and how much. Whether you’re shopping online or in- person, you can get only what you need — both saving your money and reducing the potential for food waste.
2. Store your products correctly
There are many tips that can help to keep produce fresh. For example, potatoes, carrots and other root vegetables last longest if they are kept in the dark. Fresh fruit and vegetables, like grapes, shouldn’t be kept with ethylene-producing products (including bananas and apples) as they make other fresh produce ripen and rot more quickly.
You can also find many ways to keep food by using water. For example, store half cut vegetables, such as carrots, potatoes, in water in the fridge, to help them last longer than if they were stored dry.
3. ____________________
Almost three quarters of food wasted could still be eaten, meaning that the food is not spoiled, and is fine for consumption.
Many people aren’t aware “best before” dates are suggestions, rather than rules. In contrast, however, the “use by” date refers to the last date a food is fit for consumption, and should be watched carefully for safety. When it comes to consuming food, use your senses: look at and smell the food. If it smells good and looks fine, the produce is more than likely completely fit to be eaten and enjoyed.
1. The passage is intended to _________.| A．instruct the public to preserve food |
| B．offer tips on planning meals in advance |
| C．help people develop some sustainable habits |
| D．change the UK’s reputation as a big food waster |
| A．To avoid food waste, shopping online and in person. |
| B．To make fresh food ripen more quickly, keep them with bananas. |
| C．To avoid waste, don’t throw away any food after the “use by” date. |
| D．To keep potatoes longer, cut them into halves and store them in dark. |
| A．Save your money | B．Enhance your food consumption |
| C．Use your sense | D．Follow your “best before” date |
