A new scientific study has found sharp declines in insect populations in some areas in Germany, which researchers say could have far-reaching consequences for the world’s crop production and natural ecosystems.
The long-term study was carried out in 63 German nature protection areas over the course of 27 years. According to the study, flying insect populations in German nature reserves have declined by more than 75% over the last 27 years.
Tanya Latty, a researcher at Sydney University, says the decline is particularly worrying. “If you see these sorts of rapid declines in protected areas, it makes me worry that this (trend) could be everywhere,” she said. “There’s no reason to think this isn’t happening everywhere.”
“It’s unlikely that there’s one smoking gun that is responsible for insect decline. Climate change, loss of insect habitats and the use of pesticides have been suggested as potential causes,” says Latty.
Latty says insects, which make up around 70% of all animal species, are indeed important. “It is the insects that keep the world running. Some 80%of wild plants rely on insects for pollination (授粉); 60%of birds rely on insects as a food source. Insects are vital to biodiversity (生物多样性), and we exist because of biodiversity. They’re even vital to waste control-most of the waste in urban areas is taken care of by ants and cockroaches.”
Latty says she hopes the decline can be stopped. “The first step is acknowledging that we have a problem, and working to correct that.” She says we also need to improve people’s education about insect populations—“that insects are important, absolutely vital to our survival”.
1. What has been found in the scientific study?| A．Lots of insects have died as a result of human activities. |
| B．Many insects have died out before we can even name them. |
| C．The decline of flying insect populations is happening everywhere. |
| D．There has been a sharp decline in insect populations in German nature reserves. |
| A．Insect decline might have far-reaching consequences. |
| B．A combination of factors leads to the insect decline. |
| C．It is not easy to work out what has resulted in the insect decline. |
| D．Climate change is to blame for the decline of insect populations. |
| A．They help make the world cleaner. | B．They provide food for human beings. |
| C．They contribute to climate change. | D．They allow farmers to develop new farming methods. |
| A．To stop people from hunting insects. | B．To set up more nature reserves for insects. |
| C．To convince people of the importance of insects. | D．To protect insect habitats from being destroyed. |
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【推荐1】On a boat near Costa Rica, a team of marine biologist is helping a turtle. The animal is having trouble breathing, and the team discovers why—there is something inside its nose. A scientist tries to extract the object, but the turtle cries in pain. Finally after eight long minutes, a long object is pulled out. It is a 10-centimeter plastic straw.
The video of the turtle's rescue has been viewed millions of times on YouTube. It has helped raise awareness of a growing problem: The world's seas are full of plastic. Since 2000, there has been a huge increase worldwide plastic production, but we recycle less than one-fifth of it. A lot of this plastic waste' ends up in the ocean. Today, scientists think about 8.1 billion kilograms goes into the sea every year from costal regions. Most of this plastic will never break into little pieces.
This ocean plastic hurts millions of sea animals every year. Some fish eat plastic because it is covered with sea plants, and it looks and smells like food. “In some cases, eating sharp pieces of plastic can seriously hurt sea animals and even result in death,” says marine biologist Matthew Savoca.
Plastic is useful to people because it is strong and lasts a long time, but this is bad news for sea creatures who eat or get stuck in it. According to Savoca, Single-use plastics are the worst.” These are items that are used only once before we throw them away. Some common examples include straws, water bottles, and plastic bags. About 700 sea species have been caught in or have eaten this kind of plastic. Luckily, the turtle survived and was released back into the ocean. How will plastic affect sea animals in the long term? “I think we’ll know the answers in 5 to 10 years’ time,” says an expert from Columbia University. But by then, another 25 million tons of plastic will already be in the ocean.
1. Which of these questions is answered in Paragraph 1?| A．Where was the scientist from? |
| B．When did the incident take place? |
| C．What was the cause of the turtle's pain? |
| D．How did the scientists remove the object? |
| A．The video. | B．The turtle. | C．YouTube. | D．The Plastic. |
| A．Because sea animals consume plastic. |
| B．Because more plastic is produced than recycled. |
| C．Because plastic can be dissolved in the sea quickly. |
| D．Because other places are already full of plastic waste. |
| A．Single-use plastics are people's favorite. |
| B．Plastic waste can cause deadly damage to sea animals. |
| C．More than 700 sea species can survive the ocean plastic. |
| D．The ocean’s plastic problem will be solved in a decade. |
【推荐2】Elephants are often seen comforting upset individual elephants with a gentle touch of their trunks reportedly. It’s one thing to witness something that looks like comforting behavior, but another thing to prove that this is what elephants are doing. Now, scientists have shown that Asian elephants do indeed get upset when they see others in trouble, and they reach out to comfort them. Elephants, thus, join the list of other animals, including dogs, wolves and some birds, which have been shown to do so.
Elephants’ responses to stress are difficult to explore because one has to wait for opportunities for these arising naturally in the wild. However, Joshua Plotnik, a scientist at Mahidol University in Thailand got around this problem. He compared Asian elephants’ behaviors during times of stress to those during periods when little upsets them. For 1 to 2 weeks every month for nearly a year, Plotnik spent 30 to 180 minutes daily watching and recording the behavior of 26 Asian elephants living in Elephant Natural Park in northern Thailand.
Other researchers have previously shown that when upset, an elephant moves its ears and raises its tail; it may also make a low sound to show its stress. “When elephants in the park see an elephant behaving in this manner, they typically respond by feeling the same emotion,” Plotnik said, “just as we do when watching a scary movie together. If an actor is frightened, our hearts race and we reach for each other’s hands — a reaction known as ‘emotional contagion’ .”
“But more studies are needed, preferably in wild populations,” Plotnik said. “What is unclear is whether these responses primarily benefit the upset animals, or the res-ponders,” Shermin de Silva, a behavioral ecologist, said. However, the study “provides a very interesting first exploration into the behavior of elephants suffering from stress,” said Graeme Shannon, a scientist at Colorado State University.
1. What does the underlined phrase “got around” in paragraph 2 mean?| A．Overcame. | B．Faced. | C．Found. | D．Raised. |
| A．To explain a rule. | B．To present a fact. |
| C．To clarify a concept. | D．To support a conclusion. |
| A．It has some limitations. | B．It confirms a prediction. |
| C．It benefits future studies. | D．It is thought worthless. |
| A．Elephants copy comforting behavior | B．Elephants ask for comfort when in trouble |
| C．Elephants are easily in low spirits | D．Elephants understand their companions’ feelings |
【推荐3】Alpacas(羊驼) are members of the camel family, having lived in South America for thousands of years. Their fur gives the animals a teddy bear_like appearance. Alpacas are too small to be used as animals of burden but are valued only for their fur. Generally, their lifespan is around 15 to 20 years.
Alpacas are social animals that live in family groups made up of a male, females and their young. They are gentle, elegant, curious, intelligent and observant. They are safe and pleasant to be around, moving gracefully and slowly around the field, and are therefore unlikely to run into or over anyone, even small children. Occasionally, an alpaca will spit snd kick, but the soft padded(有爪垫的) feet usually do little more than just“get your attention”.
Because these animals are environmentally friendly and need so little grass and food, you can usually raise from two to eight alpacas on an acre of land with grass or hay. A single, 60 pound bale(大捆) of hay can generally feed a group of about 20 alpacas for one day. Alpacas also require access to plenty of fresh water to drink.
Alpaca fur is used for making knittedd and woven(编织) items, just as sheep’s wool is.These items include blankets, sweaters, hats, gloves, scarves, a wide variety of textiles(针织品) in South America, and sweaters, socks, coats and bedding in other parts of the world. The fur comes in more than 52 natural colors as classified in Peru, 12 as classified in Australia and 16 as classified in the United States.
1. According to the text, alpacas can be best used_______.| A．for long distance rides |
| B．to protect home |
| C．for children to play with |
| D．to carry heavy goods |
| A．Alpaca’s kick can’t hurt you. |
| B．Alpacas want to draw your attention. |
| C．You must look out for Alpacas’ attack. |
| D．You should pay more attention to Alpaca |
| A．60 pounds. |
| B．120 pounds. |
| C．100 pounds. |
| D．180 pounds. |
| A．Alpaca fur is a kind of sheep’s wool. |
| B．Alpaca fur is only used for making sweaters in Australia. |
| C．The US produces the most Alpaca fur in the world. |
| D．Alpaca fur produced in Peru comes in the most natural colors. |
【推荐1】Psychologists tell us that there are four basic stages that human beings pass through when they enter and live in a new culture. This process, which helps us to deal with culture shock, is the way our brain and our personality react to the strange new things we meet when we move from one culture to another. If our culture involves bowing when we greet someone, we may feel very uncomfortable in a culture that does not involve bowing.
Culture shock begins with the “honeymoon stage”. This is the period of time when we first arrive in a new culture where everything is strange and exciting. We may be suffering from “jet lag” but we are thrilled to be in the new environment, seeing new sights, hearing new sounds and eating new kinds of food.
Unfortunately, the second stage of culture shock can be more difficult. After we have settled down into our new life, working or studying, buying groceries, doing laundry, or living with a home-stay family, we can become very tired and begin to miss our homeland. All the little problems in life seem to be much bigger when you face them in a foreign culture. This period of cultural adjustment can be very difficult and lead to the new arrival rejecting or pulling away from the new culture.
The third stage of culture shock happens when you begin to realize that things are not so bad in the host culture. Your sense of humor usually becomes stronger and you realize that you are becoming stronger by learning to take care of yourself in the new place. Things are still difficult, but you are now a survivor!
The fourth stage can be called “at ease at last”. Now you feel quite comfortable in your new surroundings. You can deal with most problems that occur. You may still have problems with the language, but you know you are strong enough to deal with them. If you meet someone from your country who has just arrived, you can be the expert on life in the new culture and help them to deal with their culture shock.
1. The example in Paragraph 1 is intended to________.| A．help explain culture shock |
| B．compare different cultures |
| C．show how to live in a new culture |
| D．draw attention to cultural differences |
| A．Overcoming unusual problems. |
| B．Getting used to the new daily life. |
| C．Learning more about the new culture. |
| D．Finding the right place to settle down. |
| A．You have survived without any difficulty. |
| B．You have fit in with your new life completely. |
| C．You hold a positive attitude and begin to adjust. |
| D．You come to realize how difficult culture shock is. |
| A．Tense but positive. | B．Afraid but comfortable. |
| C．Negative and stressed. | D．Relaxed and confident. |
【推荐2】In Amsterdam, the capital of Holland, there is a unique Children Restaurant. It is run wholly by the children. From the manager to the cooks, cashiers, waiters or waitresses and other staff members are all children from 6 to 12 years old. They themselves do all the necessary work such as cooking and cleaning. These children are selected in Amsterdam. After training, they may serve in the Restaurant for four weeks. All of them are willing to work there and they are very proud of the work.
This Restaurant was founded in 1983 by a woman cook, who wanted to give the children chances to learn to be useful to the society. And now she is the only adult there, but her job is just to take care of the children.
The Restaurant is welcomed almost by everyone. Since there are only 20 seats in the restaurant, it is always very crowded.
So you should make a reservation months in advance. The cost of a meal differs according to the customers. Usually US $ 4 for each adult, but much cheaper for the children. And its business hours are only on Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons.
1. The children in this restaurant __________________.| A．can earn only four dollars a day. |
| B．are fond of working there. |
| C．will have to work there for over a month. |
| D．do all the work except cooking. |
| A．a person who cooks food. |
| B．a person who does cleaning. |
| C．a person who receives and pays out money in a restaurant etc. |
| D．a person who serves food to customers. |
| A．All the children in the restaurant form Amsterdam. |
| B．If you don’t order a meal a month ahead of time, you will get no food in the city. |
| C．Everybody likes the Restaurant , so it is often filled with customers. |
| D．In Amsterdam, any child between 6 and 12 can work in this Restaurant if he likes. |
| A．This Restaurant has a history of about 30 years. |
| B．For the same meal a child will pay less while an adults pay more. |
| C．The woman who set up this Restaurant used to be a cook. |
| D．There are more than a score of seats. |
【推荐3】Robots in the art world are nothing new. In fact, for centuries, people have built robots as art objects. However, what’s different now is that artists and engineers are building robots that actually create art.
In 1973, British-born painter Harold Cohen wrote a computer program and called it AARON. At first, AARON only made simple outlines whose color and details Cohen would later add. Fifty years later, AARON is able to paint anything a human could paint. So can AARON be called an artist or creative? In 2010, Cohen explained, “Although he wrote the initial computer code that AARON follows, AARON can generate unlimited numbers of images.” So according to Cohen, the simple answer is yes-AARON is creative.
It’s not just paintings that robots are creating, though. Last year, a robot called Shimon released is first album (唱片) on Spotify. Shimon began life as a simple robot marimba (木琴) player. Over the years, however, it’s learned how to perform with other musicians, write original songs. Shimon does this by analyzing huge amounts of music—roughly 50,000 rock, jazz and hip-hop songs-to identify patterns and then uses that information to create original works.
It may be cool to hear a song created by a robot, but is there any other reason to build robots that can play music? According to Gil Weinberg, one of Shimon’s creators, because the robot is capable of doing things that a real musician might not think of, he and his team “hope and believe that these new abilities would lead to new directions that could not be achieved in human-to-human cooperation.”
While questions about robots creating art are fun to think about, there are many other ways that robots can help artists in the way they create their works. For example, advancements in 3D-printing technology will allow artists to build more complex pieces for their sculptures. Therefore, robots in the art world are here to stay.
1. What was AARON able to do at first?| A．Paint people and landscapes. | B．Prepare basic outlines for Cohen. |
| C．Draw pictures of itself and Cohen. | D．Color paintings under Cohen’s instructions. |
| A．It is both a marimba and guitar player. |
| B．It has created about 50,000 original songs. |
| C．It is expected to push humans to achieve more. |
| D．Its creators hope that it can outperform humans. |
| A．Positive. | B．Worried. | C．Neutral. | D．Doubtful. |
| A．AARON and Shimon | B．Robots in the Real World |
| C．Programmed Creativity | D．Advancements in Technology |
