The San Diego Zoo is celebrating an extreme rare event: the arrival of 41 Indian narrow-headed softshell turtles. This is the first time the species, which is native to South Asia, has been successfully bred (繁殖) in North America.
The turtles typically live at the bottom of deep rivers and streams in northern India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal. Adults can grow up to 3.6 feet long and weigh as much as 440 pounds. During monsoon (季风) months in central India and dry months in other regions, the turtles lay up to 190 eggs in a nest on the beach and cover it with dirt to protect the eggs. When the babies hatch, they can fit in a person’s palm, at 1.5 inches long.
The San Diego Zoo got its first two Indian narrow-headed softshell turtles in 1997. The zoo planned to breed them and hoped to learn more about the species, whose numbers had begun to drop due to pollution, destruction of their habitats, and capture by humans for their eggs, meat, or use as pets. The species is listed as endangered, and researchers don’t know how many remain in the wild.
After learning that it only had female turtles, the zoo added a male to the habitat in 2001. Staff have been waiting for over 20 years to see if the turtles would breed. This summer, zookeepers found four nests in the enclosure. They hatched 11 turtles in August. Then, in September, staff members found 30 more tiny turtles in a nest they hadn’t noticed. “They are kind of cute,” said Kim Gray, head of the zoo.
The babies were moved to an indoor habitat where they can be protected and studied. The zoo plans to give about a half of the baby turtles to other zoos and aquariums that want to help protect the species. “This is a thrilling moment for us,” Gray said, “and a big step forward in the preservation of this species.”
1. What is the main purpose of paragraph 2?| A．To highlight the importance of protecting the turtles. |
| B．To investigate the living environment of the turtles. |
| C．To show the major stages of the turtles’ growth. |
| D．To give a general description of the turtles. |
| A．The serious lack of food. | B．The slow process of growth. |
| C．The heavy loss of habitats. | D．The illegal trade for profits. |
| A．Positive. | B．Concerned. | C．Dissatisfied. | D．Doubtful. |
| A．Zoo Celebrates A Rare Event |
| B．Turtles Make Successful Return |
| C．Summer Witnesses An Amazing Step |
| D．Zookeepers Preserve Endangered Species |
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【推荐1】Bees play an essential role in the ecosystem. They not only collect nectar (花蜜) to make honey but also help with pollinating (授粉) your plants. Sadly, bees are slowly becoming an endangered species on earth, with their numbers dwindling significantly. You, however, can help increase the populations of bees, too.
While bees may be attracted to flowers in your garden, using chemicals such as herbicides and pesticides can adversely impact a bee colony (群). Unknown to many, most of these pesticides will affect or kill both good and harmful insects. In addition, bees might not know if you have already used such chemicals on your plants.
Bees are always on the hunt for good nectar; hence they won’t pass a good opportunity. In addition to practicing organic farming, introducing plants that bees find naturally attractive, such as catmint and scabious, can help attract them to your garden. The bees will thus feed on both their favorites and other flowers in the garden, too. Moreover, bees tend to fly over long distances, searching for nectar, a new hive, or even a favorite flower during summer and in spring. Long flights can be particularly exhausting and famishing. According to Bee Conservation Trust, giving the bees a drink will go a long way in saving the colony. The trust recommends mixing equal volumes of water and white sugar, then place the mixture in an open bowl, upturned bottle caps, or a bird drinker.
Beekeeping is such an honorable job, with many people taking it up as a hobby and at last a full-time job. One of the benefits of this hobby is that you get your own freshly produced honey, free from nasty chemicals. Almost everyone can become a beekeeper. All you need is a little training from the local beekeeping associations for tips on how to do it safely.
1. What does the underlined word “dwindling” in paragraph 1 mean?| A．Keeping stable. | B．Setting down. |
| C．Changing quickly. | D．Becoming less. |
| A．To help bees find gardens. |
| B．To help rescue the bees. |
| C．To help bees search for nectar. |
| D．To help ease the dryness of bees. |
| A．Boring. | B．Dangerous. | C．Rewarding. | D．Well-paid. |
| A．Plants like catmint and scabious have no appeal to bees. |
| B．Using pesticides can have a negative effect on a bee colony. |
| C．Bees are becoming endangered mainly because of nectar shortage. |
| D．Bees fly over long distances just to pollinate their favorite flowers. |
【推荐2】The Chinese television reality show called “Wonderful Friends”, where entertainers hug whale sharks, kiss lions, feed pandas and dress up baby chimpanzees, has come under fire from wildlife protectors who want it to be stopped, saying such activities are cruel and are dangerous for both the humans and animals.
The show is the latest hit from Hunan TV, which has attracted more than 196,000 followers. In each show, popular stars are given zoo-keeping tasks that allow them to interact with wild animals in order to bring humans and animals closer together.
Animal welfare advocates（倡导者）say that is exactly what should be avoided. Dave Neale of Animals Asia (an advocacy group) said, “It is hugely misleading to the public about the needs and welfare of captive animals（圈养动物）and putting the animals’ welfare and health at risk.”
“What they don’t realize is that wild animals need space,” said Xie Yan, a zoologist and China director of the Wildlife Conservation Society. “Putting clothes on chimpanzees is not as adorable as you may think from the animals’ point of view, I guess their idea was to get their viewers to love and protect the animals,” Ms. Xie added, “but we do not agree with his approach for entertainment.”
Using famous people do focus public attention on wildlife is a common practice in conservation campaigns. The Chinese basketball legend Yao Ming went to Africa and highlighted the problem of elephant and rhinoceros poaching（偷猎）in the documentary “The End of the Wild”. “But differently, he, as a human observer, kept his distance and was there to see the hard truth of poaching, and that is different from a show created to attract viewers.” Ms. Xie said.
Critics（评论家）also argue that the show violates（违反）Chinese wildlife protection laws.
1. Which of the following statements is TRUE?| A．Many people like the show because of its dangerous activities. |
| B．Xie Yan is against persuading the public to love and protect animals. |
| C．The reality show makes no difference to wildlife at all. |
| D．Some think the show is against wildlife protection laws of China. |
| A．they both invite different popular stars to show up |
| B．they shoot（拍摄）different numbers and kinds of species |
| C．their filming locations are different |
| D．their purposes and ways to approach animals are different |
| A．Worried. |
| B．Disappointed. |
| C．Uninterested. |
| D．Not mentioned. |
| A．on a notice board |
| B．in a newspaper |
| C．in a fashion magazine |
| D．in an ad of wildlife protection |
【推荐3】On January 1, the Canadian city of Montreal is set to ban（禁止） the horse-drawn carriages on the street. Jean-Francois Parenteau, a spokesman for the city of Montreal, said "It is a tradition that has long been appreciated. But today, I think it is time to move on." He added that it is important for the city to "care about animals".
His speech was welcomed by Galahad, an organization that seeks to protect horses and had cam paigned（发起……运动） for the ban. Its founder, Chamie Angie Cadorette, said the horses faced hard working conditions.
"It is not just an hour a day. It is eight hours a day to go up and down the roads in traffic. The carriage owners are treating their animals very badly," she said.
"They say the animals are being abused. Prove it," said carriage business operator Luc Desparois. His company, which has 15 horses and employs 15 carriage drivers, recently led a legal battle against the ban and failed.
Nathalie Matte, another carriage operator in the city, said that the carriages had become an important part of Montreal's culture over the years. "They have been around since Montreal started and many people are clearly drawn to the beauty of the horses," he said.
Mujtaba Ali was visiting Montreal while traveling through Canada. "It's a special way to see the city rather than just taking the bus or the subway," he said.
After being pressured by animal rights groups for years, at first the city government had tried to satisfy the animal activists by banning the horses from the streets when summer temperatures rose. But they kept pushing for a total ban. A turning point happened in 2018 when a horse died on the street while pulling a carriage. The incident forced Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante to support the removal of horse-drawn carriages from the city. The ban is expected to put about 50 carriage operators and their horses out of work.
1. The latest law requires that| A．the horses be taken better care of |
| B．the carriage operators work shorter hours |
| C．the horses can only pull the carriages on cool days |
| D．the horse-drawn carriages shouldn't be allowed in the streets |
| A．Well trained. | B．Nicely fed. |
| C．Unfairly punished. | D．Cruelly treated. |
| A．The bad treatment of the horses by the tourists. |
| B．The government's support to remove the horses. |
| C．The sudden death of a working horse on the street. |
| D．The traffic problems caused by the horses in the city. |
| A．It is the best attraction. | B．It is a long-time tradition. |
| C．It is an important industry for the city. | D．It is the only way to see the city. |
【推荐1】If you see the Rolling Stones in concert this summer and go get a drink, there may be no single-use plastic cup for you. The band and its promoter are working with Michael Martin - he's produced a bunch of big Earth Day concerts. The Stones approached Martin and asked for help in eliminating plastic waste. He came up with a simple solution.
"When you come up to get your first drink, you put down a $3 deposit, you get a really high-quality Rolling Stones-branded cup," says Martin. "You use it throughout the night, and at the end of the event you can turn your cup in and get your $3 back or you can keep your cup."
If you return the heavier plastic cup at the end of the show, it gets washed and used again. Or recycled. At some concert venues, there will still be disposable cups available as well. Martin, whose new company is called r. Cup, has been working with other artists, including U2, Bon Jovi, and Radiohead. "The live-event industry goes through more than 4 billion single-use cups a year. At a typical stadium event, you could see 100,000 or 200,000 cups thrown out," says Martin.
But this idea - returning and reusing a cup - this isn't exactly rocket science. So, why is this just being tried now?
"That's a really good question," says Martin. "In America, we're a throwaway society, and what's happening is that people are now seeing the consequences of that. And so, we're hoping we'll be able to wake people up and rearrange things."
Throwaway cups do serve a few purposes: They're cheap and easy, and it's a way for vendors to keep track of sales and make sure their employees aren't giving away free beer. Still, Martin says we can get past that. He'd like to introduce reusable cups at sporting events, zoos, universities, and festivals.
He's starting with rock concerts because artists have a pretty powerful platform. I mean, if Mick Jagger tells his fans to stop abusing the planet, who's going to say no to that?
1. Why did the Stones talk to Martin?| A．Martin could work with artists harmoniously. |
| B．Martin could run a new company successfully. |
| C．Martin could offer assistance to reduce waste. |
| D．Martin could provide recycled cups for audiences. |
| A．It introduces a heavier plastic cup that can be both recycled and reused. |
| B．It is well received among artists and customers in the live-event industry. |
| C．It requires $3 deposit and customers can get a branded cup of good quality. |
| D．It succeeds in preventing 4 billion single-use cups from going to the dump. |
| A．Throwaway cups do serve few practical purposes. |
| B．People are aware of the bad effect from throwaway cups. |
| C．Artists play a significant role in stopping plastic pollution. |
| D．A live concert consumes over 4 billion single-use cups a year. |
| A．Martin Produces Earth Day Concerts | B．Environmental Rules Take Effect |
| C．Single-use Plastic Cups Disappear | D．The Rolling Stones Go Green |
【推荐2】A city in Netherlands will become the first in the world to ban meat advertisements from public spaces in an effort to reduce consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The ban also covers holiday flights, fossil fuels and cars that run on fossil fuels. The ban is delayed until 2024 due to existing contracts with companies that sell the products.
Haarlem, which lies to the west of Amsterdam and has a population of about 160,000, will bring the ban into effect from 2024 after meat was added to a list of products deemed to contribute to the climate crisis. Advertisements will not be allowed on Haarlem’s buses, shelters and screens in public spaces, prompting complaints from the meat sector that the government is “going too far in telling people what’s best for them”.
Recent studies suggest global food production is responsible for one-third of all planet-heating emissions, with the use of animals for meat accounting for twice the pollution of producing plant-based foods. Forests that absorb carbon dioxide are cut down for the food of animals while fertilisers used for growing their feed are rich in nitrogen (氮), which can contribute to air pollution, water pollution and climate change. Livestock also produces large quantities of methane (甲烷), a powerful greenhouse gas.
Zlggy Klazes, a councillor from the GroenLinks party, said she had not known the city would be the world’s first to enforce such a policy when she proposed it. She told the Haarlem105 radio channel: “We are not about what people are baking and roasting in their own kitchen; if people want to continue eating meat, it’s fine. We can’t tell people there’s a climate crisis and meanwhile, encourage them to buy products that are part of the cause. Of course, there are a lot of people who find the decision shocking and unreasonable, but there are also a lot of people who think it’s fine.”
1. What does the meat sector think of the ban?| A．Neutral. | B．Disapproving. |
| C．Indifferent. | D．Positive. |
| A．Meat consumption causes more pollution. |
| B．Methane mainly comes from livestock. |
| C．Nitrogen is harmful to the environment. |
| D．People cut down trees for human habitation. |
| A．She is the first to ban meat advertisement. |
| B．She emphasizes the advantage of eating meat. |
| C．She is in favor of banning meat advertising. |
| D．She cares about what people cook in the kitchen. |
| A．Fossil fuels are banned in Dutch city. |
| B．A city in Netherlands decreases meat production. |
| C．Greenhouse gas emissions are limited in Dutch city. |
| D．A city in Netherlands bans meat advertisements in public. |
【推荐3】The UK government has promised to cut the country's greenhouse gas emissions（排放）by at least 68% by 2030 compared with 1990 levels, marking a significant increase from its current goal.
The new goal comes nine days ahead of the UK hosting a “climate action summit（峰会）” to encourage other countries to declare tougher climate plans, known as Nationally Determined Contributions（NDCs）, under the Paris Agreement. Current NDCs will raise temperatures by 3℃. And stronger plans are needed to meet the Paris deal's goal of limiting global warming to 1.5℃.
“This is the most significant NDCs announcement so far from any major economy,” said Richard Black at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, a UK-based think tank, in a statement.
The new goal is exactly in line with what the government's official climate adviser, the Climate Change Committee, called for in a letter published earlier today. The group said 68% would be “world-leading” compared with existing plans of governments.
The UK had previously promised a 53% cut in emissions as part of a joint（共同的）effort with the rest of the European Union, but the UK is determined to produce a new NDCs. Separately, the UK had also promised a 57% cut by 2032 domestically.
It is clear that far more action will be needed if the UK is to meet the new goal. The government's own analysis last week showed that recent major methods, such as banning new oil-fueled car sales by 2030, had failed to do enough to put the UK on track even for the old goal of 57% by 2032. The new goal obviously widens that gap further.
1. Why did the UK declare its new goal before "climate action summit”?| A．To show its former plans are based on facts. |
| B．To blame other countries for their low goals. |
| C．To call on other countries to take bigger steps. |
| D．To take the lead in controlling greenhouse gas emissions. |
| A．15%. | B．68%. | C．57%. | D．53%. |
| A．Opposed. | B．Subjective. |
| C．Indifferent. | D．Doubtful. |
| A．A new goal will be put forward on “climate action summit”. |
| B．UK came up with a common goal under the Paris Agreement. |
| C．UK's recent major policies are far from its pre-determined goal. |
| D．UK sets an ambitious climate goal of 68% emissions cut by 2030. |
【推荐1】This story is part of Nature’s 10, an annual list produced by the world’s leading science journal Nature, exploring individuals who contributed to the key developments in science. On the 2023 list published, the journal included a non-human entity — ChatGPT, for the first time.
ChatGPT and related software can help to brainstorm ideas, enhance scientific search engines and identify research gaps in the literature, says Marinka Zitnik, who works on AI for medical research at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts. Models trained in similar ways on scientific data could help to build AI systems that can guide research, perhaps by designing new molecules or simulating cell behaviour, Zitnik adds.
But why include a computer program in a list of people who have shaped science in 2023? ChatGPT is not a person. But actually, it and other generative artificial-intelligence (AI) programs are changing how scientists work. They have also rekindled debates about the limits of AI, the nature of human intelligence and how best to regulate the interaction between the two. That’s why this year’s Nature’s 10 has a non-human addition.
Interestingly, Nature’s list also includes one of its creators. Ilya Sutskever, the chief scientist and cofounder of OpenAI, the organization that created ChatGPT, is one of the minds at the forefront of generative artificial intelligence. He saw this company as an opportunity to develop general artificial intelligence that could outperform humans and develop its own consciousness.
Sutskever believes that artificial intelligence’s potential is too great for models to be available to anyone who wants to use them, and he was among the first to realize that the systems that scientists like his mentor, Geoffrey Hinton, had begun to develop would begin to show their actual capabilities as computing power increased. In recent months, he devoted his efforts toward creating a method to direct and control artificial intelligence systems that are more intelligent than humans.
1. Which of the following is true about Nature’s 10 according to the passage?| A．Nature’s 10 is celebrating the development of science technology. |
| B．Only human beings were elected as Nature’s 10 before. |
| C．Nature’s 10 was started in 2023 for the first time. |
| D．It was awarded by the local government yearly. |
| A．Experts’ opinions on ChatGPT. |
| B．How ChatGPT functions. |
| C．The application of ChatGPT in science research. |
| D．The promotion of ChatGPT. |
| A．Settled. | B．Restarted. | C．Participated. | D．Launched. |
| A．Confident and cautious. | B．Proud and concerned. |
| C．Objective and doubtful. | D．Enthusiastic and warning. |
【推荐2】Should Elizabeth II be the last queen? And should police officers be banned from using guns? Pupils at Redden Court School, a state high school in London’s eastern suburb, compete with interesting topics when they give up their lunch breaks for debate club.
The school is one of many public ones to have taken up debating in recent years. Last year the English- Speaking Union (ESU), Britain’s main debating organization, began to provide free help to 100 schools with lots of poor pupils. It hopes to change the view that debating is for rich kids.
Advocates propose a range of benefits. Duncan Partridge of the ESU argues that the confidence and fluency debating inspires will help children in future university applications and job interviews. Teachers at Redden Court say it has improved pupils’ ability to set out their arguments logically, in writing and in class, and they believe debating can be of wider use still.
Yet, despite these organisations’ best efforts, success in debating competitions is not just becoming more concentrated in private schools, but in a few of them that take it most seriously. Some hire international debating superstars to tutor their pupils. In 2015 Eton College, one of Britain’s grandest schools, opened a debating club that cost £18 million. In the past decade just two state schools have won the ESU’s annual debating competition in England.
Joseph Spence, master of another top private school, says another problem is that “there is something quite white, middle class and male about the debating form.” Some worry that school debating promotes skillful rhetoric (虚华辞藻) but not critical thinking.
To respond to such criticism, the ESU is designing a new debating format that encourages teams to shift their position in response to their opponent’s arguments. It has also introduced a policy that from this year, at least 30% of its competition members must come from state schools. However, is affirmative (积极的) action a just response to continuing inequality?
1. Why did ESU aid 100 schools free of charge?| A．To involve students in debating clubs. | B．To promote debating for rich students. |
| C．To introduce debating to poor students. | D．To change a popular opinion on debating. |
| A．Eton College doesn’t lay much emphasis on debating. |
| B．Private schools take the lead in debating competitions. |
| C．Some debating experts are invited to be the judges of the competitions. |
| D．The debating organizations only value the performance of private schools. |
| A．Student ability. | B．Political influence. |
| C．School preference. | D．Economic inequality. |
| A．Critical. | B．Favorable. | C．Hopeful. | D．Unconcerned. |
1 July 2021
On June 29 this year, Zhang Guimei was awarded CPC’s top honor July 1 Medal at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. At the ceremony. she said she did all this out of her gratefulness and love for the country, as well as the original aspiration and mission of a CPC member.
Zhang Guimei, who has dedicated her 40 years to education at China’s southwestern border, is a principal motivating young girls from impoverished families in mountainous areas.
Zhang was born in Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang province in 1957. At 17, she came to Dali in Yunnan province to support the development of border areas, where she stumbled into teaching and started a career as an educator. After her husband’s death in 1996, she went to teach in Huaping county, Yunnan’s Lijiang. Five years later, she established a chilren’s home and worked as a part-time president of it. The organization adopted a total of over 170 children, who call Zhang mom though she has never given birth to a child..
While teaching there,she saw many girls drop out of school due to poverty. To change the destiny of the girls in the mountain, Zhang started her preparation to build a free all-girls high school in 2002. In 2007, Zhang went to Beijing for the 17th CPC National Congress as a deputy. Her report titled “I have a dream” delivered at the meeting made her dream of building a free all-girls high school known to all. Later, both the Lijiang and Huaping governments sponsored her with a million yuan. A year later, Zhang’s school was completed, becoming the first free all-girls high school in China. During the past 13 years, the school has nurtured over I,800 students who have made it to universities.
With no offspring and property, Zhang lives in a dormitory building with her students. She has donated all her cash awards, donations from others, and most of her salaries, more than a million yuan, to the children and other people in need. She suffers from 23 diseases, but she is still working selflessly.
Her story has moved millions of Chinese people and is now written into a newly published Brief History of the People’s Republic of China.
1. What’s the writing style of this passage?| A．A biography. | B．An argumentation. |
| C．A news report. | D．A narration. |
| A．To change the destiny of the girls in the mountain. |
| B．To lift girls in the mountain out of poverty. |
| C．To establish a children’s home. |
| D．To found a free high school for girls only. |
| A．She has committed herself to education in urban areas |
| B．She is a moral model burning herself to light others. |
| C．She has been teaching in Huaping county since she came to Yunnan. |
| D．She was awarded the Medal on 1 July. |
