You’re out on a hike, snacking on an apple, a banana, or some nuts. When you’re finished, all that’s left is a core, a peel, or a shell. “It’s natural,” you tell yourself, throwing it into the woods.
After all, food waste is biodegradable (可生物降解的). It’s not like you’re littering by throwing away a plastic bottle.
Food waste doesn’t break down as fast as you think
Most people know food waste is biodegradable. But fewer people are aware that orange and banana peels can take up to two years to break down in the wild, meaning they’re going to be staying in nature for a lot longer than you might think. And even if they eventually biodegrade, they can lead to a lot of serious problems.
“ Animals have a super advanced sense of smell compared to us,” says biologist Jeff Marion. All human food can attract animals. This can then cause “attraction behavior”, which refers to human actions that cause animals to overcome their natural wariness(警惕)of people.
Attraction can mean aggression
When animals are routinely attracted to humans and their food, they often become habituated to human presence. “Once an animal reaches that point, it’s essentially game over,” Marion says. That’s the origin of the phrase: A fed bear is a dead bear.
| A．Food waste can appeal to animals. |
| B．Human actions result from attraction behavior. |
| C．Keeping your food to yourself is the best solution. |
| D．However, food left outdoors can have unexpected impacts. |
| E．Here are the measures we should take to prevent food waste. |
| F．This sort of attraction behavior can quickly become dangerous. |
| G．Because when it comes to human-animal encounters; animals are often the losers. |
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【推荐1】After years of heated debate, gray wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park in 1995. Fourteen wolves were caught in Canada and transported to the park. By 2007, the Yellowstone wolf population had grown to more than 170.
Gray wolves once roamed throughout the Yellowstone area. But they were gradually displaced by human development and hunted by farmers for killing livestock (牲畜). By the 1920s, wolves had practically disappeared from the Yellowstone area. They moved farther north into the deep forests of Canada, where there was less contact with humans.
The disappearance of the wolves had many consequences. Deer populations — a major food source for the wolf — grew rapidly without their usual enemy. These animals consumed large amounts of vegetation, which reduced plant diversity in the park. In the absence of wolves, coyote (小野狼) populations also grew quickly. The coyotes killed a large percentage of the park’s red foxes.
As early as 1966, biologists asked the government to consider reintroducing wolves into Yellowstone, hoping that they would be able to control the deer and coyote problems. Many farmers opposed the plan, worrying that wolves would kill their livestock or pets. Other people feared that the wolves would not be well-protected in Yellowstone.
The government spent nearly 30 years coming up with a plan to reintroduce the wolves. They included many compromises to help people accept the wolves’ presence. For example, they promised to pay farmers for livestock killed by wolves.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service carefully monitors and manages the wolves in Yellowstone. Certain wolves wear special collars to help biologists gather information about how the wolves live, hunt, and reproduce. Each year the wolf population is counted.
Today, the debate continues over how well the gray wolf is fitting in at Yellowstone. Deer and coyote populations are down, while red foxes have made a comeback. The Yellowstone wolf project has been a valuable experiment to help biologists decide whether to reintroduce wolves to other parts of the country as well.
1. What is Paragraph 2 mainly about?| A．Why gray wolves became a danger to farmers. |
| B．What gray wolves preferred about living in Canada. |
| C．How gray wolves were forced out of their original homes. |
| D．When gray wolves were gradually reintroduced to Yellowstone. |
| A．By making comparisons. |
| B．By explaining cause and effect. |
| C．By listing events in time order. |
| D．By using statistics and examples. |
| A．To reduce the park’s plant diversity. |
| B．To protect the wolves from dying out. |
| C．To control the local livestock problem. |
| D．To limit the deer and coyote populations. |
| A．Wolves are an important part of American national parks. |
| B．Yellowstone’s wolf reintroduction program was a mistake. |
| C．The government should be responsible for reintroducing wolves. |
| D．Yellowstone’s wolf program has benefited the wolves and the park. |
【推荐2】Sports can help you keep fit and get in touch with nature. However, whether you are on the mountains, in the waves, or on the grassland, you should be aware that your sport of choice might have great influence on the environment.
Some sports are resource-hungry. Golf. as you may know, eats up not only large areas of countryside, but also tons of water. Besides, all sorts of chemicals and huge amounts of energy are used to keep its courses (球场) in good condition. This causes major environmental effects. For example, in the dry regions of Portugal and Spain, golf is often held responsible for serious water shortage in some local areas.
There are many environment-friendly sports, Power walking is one of them that you could take up today. You don't need any special equipment except a good pair of shoes; and you don’t have to worry about resources and your purse. Simple and free, power walking can also keep you fit. If you walk regularly, it will be good for your heart and bones. Experts say that 20 minutes of power walking daily can make you feel less anxious, sleep well and have better weight control.
Whatever sport you take up, you can make it greener by using environment-friendly equipment and buying products made from recycled materials. But the final goal should be “green gyms”. They are better replacements (代替物) for traditional health clubs and modern sports centers. Members of green gyms play sports outdoors, in the countryside or other open spaces. There is no special requirement for you to start your membership. And best of all, it’s free.
1. Which of the following is the author most probably in favor of?| A．Playing basketball in a gym. | B．Motor racing in the desert. |
| C．Cycling around a lake. | D．Swimming in a sports center. |
| A．It is popular in Portugal and Spain. |
| B．It needs water and electricity to keep its courses green. |
| C．It pollutes the earth with chemicals and wastes. |
| D．It causes water shortages around the world |
| A．it uses fewer resources | B．it improves our health |
| C．it is an outdoors sport | D．it is recommended by experts |
【推荐3】Growing up, my grandparents bought a second home among a small forest in Arkansas and would bring me there every single summer. I would spend a lot of time outside there following my grandfather around while he did yard work. We would collect cool-looking rocks and refill the hummingbird feeders.
I always remember my grandparents calling me over to the window when a deer family was in the yard or a few hummingbirds were at the feeders so that I could watch them. I would explore around in the yard by myself sometimes to look for interesting rocks and if I was lucky I would find a turtle. If I did find a turtle, my grandfather would put it in the kiddy pool for me to observe for a few minutes. I was always amazed by these creatures. After I finished observing the turtle, my grandfather would pick it back up and return it to the bush I found it in. I would watch in amazement as it slowly stuck its legs out and crawled back under.
I always felt very at peace at my grandparents’ home. It was quiet and full of interesting natural things I never got to see in Illinois. They disturbed the land around them as little as possible and didn’t see it as nuisance (令人讨厌的东西), rather a beautiful view.
As Aldo Leopold, an American scientist, puts it, we should take the time to appreciate and observe the natural world around us. When we do this, we find it brings us happiness and has a great value beyond just that of resources. Conservation(n.保护) of the natural world is important because we are dependent upon it for life. We cannot worsen such a bountiful provider at such a rate in which it will never return to anything like what it once was. Our experiences with nature are what will drive us to reach this conclusion, if only everyone took the time to really involve themselves in it.
1. What does the writer mainly talk about in Paragraph 2?| A．His interest in rocks and animals. |
| B．His connection with natural world. |
| C．His daily routine in summer vacation. |
| D．His close relationship with Grandparents. |
| A．Nature. | B．Illinois. | C．The small forest. | D．Grandparents’ home. |
| A．Past experiences should be treasured. |
| B．Nature offers man a journey of discovery. |
| C．Quality time with family is of great value. |
| D．Into the nature, you will know how precious it is. |
| A．Family Matters | B．On the Road | C．At One with Nature | D．The Economist |
