What would you think if someone suggested knocking down St Paul’s Cathedral to widen the road? Or pulling down Big Ben to make way for a car park? It would be ridiculous, right? But when it comes to devastation (毁灭) of the natural world, we aren’t so easily shocked. But we should be...or we’ll be in a lot of trouble.
Nature is shrinking by the day. Ancient forests are destroyed. Wetlands are becoming dry. Woodland is disappearing, and all in the name of progress. This is bad in itself, but it’s devastating for biodiversity.
Biodiversity refers to the variety of plants, animals and other living things that are all interconnected. The ecological services provided by biodiversity are vital to everyday life. The air we breathe is a product of photosynthesis (光合作用) by green plants. Insects, worms and bacteria break down waste and make soils rich. And tiny organisms clean the water in rivers and sea. In fact, all life on the earth exists thanks to the benefits of biodiversity. More than 90 percent of the calories consumed by people worldwide are produced from 80 plant species. And 30 percent of medicines are developed from plants and animals. Maintaining a wide diversity of species in each ecosystem is necessary to preserve all living things.
The loss of biodiversity could be devastating. “It is wrong to think that biodiversity can be reduced indefinitely without threatening humans,” said Harvard University biologist Edward O. Wilson, known as the “father of biodiversity”. He warned, “We are about to reach a critical point beyond which biodiversity loss will become irreversible (不可挽回的).”
But what can we do? The present problem is that the concept of biodiversity is so vague (含糊的). People might care about giant pandas, but it is much harder to excite them about the fate of tiny sea creatures which are being boiled to death in the cooling systems of power stations along coastlines. The Guardian newspaper is trying to help. It has launched the Biodiversity 100 campaign to try to convince governments around the world to take action to deal with the widespread concerns about biodiversity. This includes persuading the UK government to create a series of marine reserves to reserve the decrease in the sea-life caused by industrial fishing, stopping fishing sharks by the Japanese fishermen and banning the killing of dingoes (wild dogs) in Australia, among many other things.
There is a lot to do. And we’d better act quickly if we don’t want to end up with a planet that can’t sustain life!
1. The writer thinks it ________ to pull down Big Ben to make way for a car park.| A．unreasonable | B．necessary | C．difficult | D．essential |
| A．nature is badly polluted by humans | B．species are becoming fewer and fewer day by day |
| C．rainforests are being cut down every day | D．nature is full of mysteries |
| A．it doesn’t matter to reduce biodiversity | B．people have done enough to preserve biodiversity |
| C．the situation of biodiversity is very serious | D．biodiversity loss has become irreversible |
| A．people might not clearly know what is biodiversity and what should be protected |
| B．people are not aware that giant pandas are endangered |
| C．people don’t realize that biodiversity is vital to everyday life |
| D．people hunt sea creatures for food |
| A．The UK government. | B．The concept of biodiversity. |
| C．The action to deal with the problem. | D．The Guardian newspaper. |
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【推荐1】Every autumn and winter, a large number of migratory(迁徙的)birds look for shelter in the area around Fan Yunting’s home village of Daxinzhuang in Kaifeng, Henan province. It is always the busiest time of the year for the 66-year-old farmer.
Braving bitterly cold winds and occasional heavy snow, he often patrols(巡逻)more than 10 kilometers a day by bike along the banks of the Yellow River. Fan has been doing this unpaid work for more than 20 years. To date, he has helped over 500 wild birds that have been trapped, injured or even poisoned(中毒的), and prevented illegal(非法的)hunting more than 200 times. His devotion has seen him wear out five bikes.
His love for birds dates back to his childhood. As a small boy, he often fed wild birds with whatever food he could get. In early adulthood, he not only kept the habit, but also sold crops for money to treat any injured or sick birds he came across. He even sometimes bought meat to feed wild eagles.
At then, when few people were aware of the need to protect birds, his actions won him the nickname “Idiot”. However, he just smiled when he was called the name and continued his protection work without complaint(抱怨).
Later, the officials invited him to work as a volunteer for wildlife protection. He accepted it with pleasure. Since then, from October to March, when many migratory birds arrive to overwinter, Fan usually gets up at about 5 am to patrol the shores of the Yellow River near his village.
The freezing temperatures are not the only challenge he has had to face. In 2001, he even argued with hunters. “I tried to persuade a group to stop hunting. But they refused and together they started to beat me,” he recalled.
Fan’s strong will has brought him many honorary titles. He became a model worker of China in 2020. In 2021, he was selected as one of the country’s top 100 model volunteers in the field of environmental protection.
1. What makes every autumn and winter the busiest time for Fan Yunting?| A．Protecting migratory birds. | B．Doing a lot of paid work. |
| C．Hunting migratory birds. | D．Building shelters for migratory birds. |
| A．His neighbors’ encouragement. | B．Receiving many honorary titles. |
| C．His deep love for birds. | D．Getting much money |
| A．A hero. | B．A fool. | C．A guide. | D．A fan. |
| A．Boring. | B．Dangerous. | C．Meaningful. | D．Relaxing. |
【推荐2】Man’s relation with animals is very old. They can be traced back to the beginning of civilization. Man is the best creation and measure of all things. However, his kinship with animals is well established. Darwin believed that man has evolved from monkeys. Thus, they are our ancestors.
The friendship between man and animals is more reliable and lasting. Man’s friendship with man may not last long, but it is of permanent nature with the domesticated and pet animals. Domesticated creatures are never ungrateful. They will never turn hostile. That’s why they have been so useful to mankind and live in perfect harmony with us.
In western countries cats are very popular as pets, for they kill rats and other rodents and make a good constant company. Dogs are kept for protection and safety. They are matchless in faithfulness and loyalty. They help in hunting, in rearing sheep and in protecting properties. They also help in detecting and tracking thieves and criminals. They are trained for many other purposes as well, including being good guides and rescuing services.
Horses are domesticated, for they’re well-known for their speed, strength, faithfulness and an unerring road sense. They are dependable friends both in war and peace. Similarly, elephants have been great and reliable friends of mankind from immemorial times. An elephant is very intelligent, brave, faithful and hardworking animal. Being an intelligent animal, it never forgets both the acts of kindness and acts of wrongdoing.
Donkeys, camels, yaks, bullocks are the beasts of burden. They serve us in a way that none can do. Similarly, the cow is raised for its milk, dung and hide. In western countries cow-meat is also eaten with relish(风味佐料). But in India cow is worshipped by the Hindu as mother and a symbol of holiness, care, affection and innocence. Monkeys are widely used in the discovery of medicines. Whenever a new medicine is discovered, it is first tried on them.
Really, these animals are great and reliable friends of ours, without which life would have lost half of its charm and usefulness. We should always be kind to them.
1. Why the author mentions Darwin in paragraph one?| A．To illustrate humans have evolved from monkeys. |
| B．To suggest Darwin was a highly accomplished biologist. |
| C．To imply the relation between man and animals is close. |
| D．To show the human civilization has a long history. |
| A．Hospitable. | B．Grateful. | C．Agreeable. | D．Aggressive. |
| A．Dogs are domesticated simply to be pets for people. |
| B．Elephants are so intelligent that they can’t be domesticated. |
| C．Horses can find its way home because of their sound sense of direction. |
| D．Cows are worshiped in India as well as in western countries. |
| A．A science fiction | B．A textbook | C．A magazine | D．The Internet |
Now, a new study has provided the best evidence of how the polar ice sheets are responding to our warming world. In the study, an international team of scientists looked at 20 years of' data in the ice sheets collected by 10 satellite missions. The team's conclusion: The Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets both are losing ice overall. The researchers also found that between 1992 and 2011, melt water from those shrinking ice sheets caused sea levels to rise by about 11 millimeters.
Over the 19 years studied, the Greenland ice sheet lost 2.7 trillion metric tons of ice. The Antarctic ice sheet also shrank by about l.3 trillion metric tons. Previously, some scientists disagreed whether the Antarctic sheet, the largest mass of ice in the world, was shrinking or growing or neither.
While the Earth is warming overall, the effect of climate change varies from region to region. Over the last 15 years, for example, scientists have something disagreed over how climate change has affected the polar ice sheets. Many studies found that the sheets lost a lot of ice and that not enough snow fell on the sheets to compensate for the loss. But other studies found that the loss of ice was balanced by the gain in snowfall.
Richard Alley, a glacier scientist at Penn State University, said that many of those studies looked at different areas, and over different time periods. In addition, the studies didn't all use the satellite data in the same way. Those differences made, it difficult to compare the results.
The data in the new study matched time periods and areas. The study also combined measurements from kinds of satellites.
1. Why does the author use a common-sense phenomenon as the beginning?
| A．To present the reason for ice sheet melting. |
| B．To show us the result of a scientific experiment. |
| C．To give a simple example to introduce the topic. |
| D．To present a common daily finding obvious to the readers. |
| A．analyzing the findings of former studies |
| B．observing the Antarctic and Greenland |
| C．referring to the data from satellites |
| D．making measurements in the Antarctic and Greenland |
| A．Cut down. |
| B．Lead to． |
| C．Bring about. |
| D．Make up for. |
| A．Ice sheets are shrinking due to global warming. |
| B．People are suffering from climate change. |
| C．Rising sea levels makes people live in danger. |
| D．Shrinking ice has nothing to do with sea levels. |
【推荐1】We all know at least one person who loves their food insanely hot. They insist that their hot wings “aren’t spicy enough unless I’m dripping with sweat.” From Latin America to Sichuan province, chili peppers and their famous burning taste have become a worldwide sensation. But how could something that burns so hot possibly be any good for people?
In a study by researchers at Marshall University in the US, scientists made the first complete description of capsaicin (辣椒素) — a chemical found in spicy chilis — and its anti-cancer properties. Although capsaicin is not normally a good medicine due to some negative properties such as its spicy flavor, the study found that there are ways to bring out its anti-cancer benefits while overcoming these negatives.
In nature, capsaicin evolved as a defense mechanism (机制) in plants to drive away unwanted animals while attracting those that could spread the seeds, such as birds which cannot taste or feel the spice. From a scientific point of view, capsaicin works by triggering (触发) a pain receptor called TRPV1, causing the body to react as if it had actually touched something hot and dangerous. Yet, this natural repellent (驱虫剂) for most animals has instead become a favorite food for many people, often called “chiliheads”.
So, what is it that attracts humans to capsaicin, chili peppers and spicy food in general? Besides its many health benefits — such as pain relief, weight loss, and body heat regulation — people love eating chili peppers precisely because it hits the pain receptors in just the right way.
As an article published by Scientific American noted: “People seem to enjoy — and actively seek out — many other sensations ... the sensation of falling provided by roller coasters or skydiving, the feelings of fear and anxiety while watching horror movies, the physical pain experienced upon jumping into icy water, or even the feelings of sadness that come while watching a tearjerker.”
So, the next time you bite into a hot chili pepper, remember: it’s not just healthy, but fun too!
1. What does the underlined word “property” mean in Paragraph 2?| A．Tissue. | B．Benefit. | C．Possession. | D．Quality. |
| A．The study describes capsaicin for the first time. |
| B．Capsaicin contributes to the prevention of cancer. |
| C．There is a chemical called capsaicin in spicy chilis. |
| D．The negative features of capsaicin cannot be overcome. |
| A．It prevents birds from eating plants. |
| B．It causes more seeds to be produced. |
| C．It attracts some animals to distribute seeds. |
| D．It helps plants survive in hot or dangerous situations. |
| A．By giving an example. | B．By making a comparison. |
| C．By analyzing causes. | D．By conducting research. |
【推荐2】If you stand in front of a group of kids, and start stating facts and ideas about a particular topic, like common trees found in a forest, their eyes will probably become dull because they’ll get bored. There might be a few people with a particular interest in trees who remain attentive, but it’s likely that most will lose interest fairly quickly. But if you stand up in front of that same group of people and tell them a story, something different will happen.
Researchers have now quantified (量化) the emotional benefits of a well-told tale. “We know that stories can transport us to another world,” says Guilherme Brockington, the lead author of the new paper. Earlier research suggests that stories help children process and regulate their emotions — but it was mostly conducted in a laboratory, with subjects answering questions while lying inside MRI (核磁共振) machines. There are few studies on psychological effects of storytelling in more commonplace scenes, such as hospitals.
So investigators working in several hospitals split a total of 81 patients aged between four and eleven into two groups, matching them with storytellers who had a decade of hospital experience. In one group, the storyteller led each child in playing a riddle game. In the other, youngsters chose books and listened as the storyteller read them aloud. Before and after these sessions, the researchers let each child spit into a tube, then asked them to report their pain levels and conducted a free-association word quiz.
Based on the analysis of each tube of saliva (唾液), the researchers found children in both groups showed lower levels of the stress-related hormone (荷尔蒙) called cortisol and higher levels of oxytocin, a feel-good hormone. However, the cortisol levels of kids in the storytelling group were a quarter of those in the riddle group, and their oxytocin levels were nearly twice as high. Those who heard stories reported pain levels dropping almost twice as much as those in the riddle group, and they used more positive words.
Next, the investigators plan to study how long these effects last. For now, Brockington says the results indicate storytelling is a low-cost and extremely efficient way to help improve health outcomes.
1. What does the author intend to do in paragraph 1?| A．To state people’s different reactions to some ideas. |
| B．To stress the magic of storytelling in grabbing attention. |
| C．To explain the importance of eye contact in storytelling. |
| D．To show the difficulty in making common topics interesting. |
| A．The new study was undertaken in real-life situations. |
| B．The new study was aimed to make hospital stays entertaining. |
| C．The researchers made full use of high-end laboratory equipment. |
| D．The researchers highlighted the link between cortisol levels and emotions. |
| A．They made the children report their delighted experiences in hospital. |
| B．They asked children to retell the newly learned stories. |
| C．They solved some riddle games for the children. |
| D．They collected and tested some saliva samples. |
| A．Children should be forced to develop various interests. |
| B．Reading stories to kids can change their character greatly. |
| C．Listening to stories helps kids in hospital reduce their pain. |
| D．Compared with storytelling, children can feel better when playing riddle games. |
【推荐3】Frances Stevens Reese Wooldland Trail Guide
The Woodland Trail was opened to the public on October 21, 1997. Boscobel’s Board of Directors adopted a formal decision of naming the Woodland Trail in honor of former Boscobel board member, Fances Stevens Reese (1917-2003), one year after his death.
The trail(小径) is approximately 10 miles in length, leading down to Constitution Forest. When the West Point Glass Factory was operating during the Civil War, trees for miles around were cleared to provide firewood. Walking out of the forest, you will find a large mass of native hard rock about three billion years old.
Throughout this country path, you will find picture boards identifying birds and plants local to this region. You will also find signs with historic and environmental information written by area specialists.
When you take a walk through this “undiscovered” forest land, please be a considerate guest.
Before walking the trail, please purchase a pass in the Carriage House. Plan ahead, so you will be back by closing time.
Follow the trail markers and remain on the trail. Besides protecting the fragile forest ecosystem, you will reduce the risk of poison plants and snakes.
Leave rocks, plants, animals and art works where you see them so that the person behind you can have the same experience.
Carry out whatever you carry in because there are no rubbish containers on the trail. If you happen to see a piece of litter, be a good guest and pick it up.
1. When was the trail named to honor Frances Stevens Reese?| A．In 1997. | B．In 1917 |
| C．In 2003 | D．In 2004 |
| A．An old battle field. | B．A glass factory. |
| C．Information signs. | D．Rock houses. |
| A．Leave the wildlife undisturbed. |
| B．Throw the rubbish into the dustbins. |
| C．Make reservations in the Carriage House. |
| D．Protect the markers of the Woodland Trail. |
