Monitoring groups of animals in the wild is a tricky business. Fixing radio transmitters to them is invasive, and can alter their behaviour in unexpected ways. Hidden cameras is an alternative, but individual beasts are hard to tell apart. And nocturnal (夜行的) creatures are difficult to see in the first place. Fortunately, there is another less obvious way to monitor animals recently: by eavesdropping (窃听) on them.
A network of underwater microphones has already been used to count and track migrating whales by identifying their individual calls. At a meeting of the Acoustical Society of America in Columbus, Ohio, earlier this month, researchers from Ohio State University explained how they have now applied a similar technique to bats.
Working in the university’s Bat Lab, Stephen Burnett and Mitchell Masters recorded a total of 1, 449 echo-location calls — the high-pitched sounds that bats use to probe their surroundings — from 24 big brown bats. They then used signal-analysis software to analyse each call according to ten numerical parameters describing length, time, frequency and so on. Cluster analysis, a statistical technique that groups things together on the basis of similarity, found 29 distinct clusters of calls, which was reasonably close to the actual number of bats.
Indeed, even when presented with just two calls from each bat, rather than several dozen, the software provided a fairly accurate estimate of numbers. This suggests that, by recording bat sounds in one place over the course of a few nights, it should be possible to estimate the size of the local bat population.
Similar bio-acoustic(生物声学的) techniques are being tried on other animals. Christopher Clark of Cornell University, who pioneered the acoustic monitoring of whales, is now involved in a project to monitor elephant populations in the Central Africa. Unlike their tropical cousins in eastern and southern Africa, these animals are mostly resident in forests. That makes them difficult to count by such conventional means as flying over them with a pair of field-glasses.
Using microphones, Dr. Clark hopes to identify both the elephant making each call and the place the call was made from. It should then be possible to determine the population, track the migration of different groups of animals, and monitor their health — merely by listening.
1. How many ways of monitoring animals are mentioned in Para 1?| A．One. | B．Two. | C．Three. | D．Four. |
| A．Supportive. | B．Skeptical. | C．Indifferent. | D．Neutral. |
| A．They live separately. | B．They live mainly in forests. |
| C．The microphones are not available. | D．The technique fails to analyse signals. |
| A．How to Monitor Wild Animals | B．Wild Animals Being Protected |
| C．How to Count the Number of Bats | D．A New Animal Monitoring Technique |
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【推荐1】The Qatar 2022 World Cup on Nov. 20, 2022 is the first winter edition in the history of World Cup and the first World Cup played in the Arab world. Qatar was the country of barely three million people, one of the world’s biggest producers of natural gas, having spent tens of billions of dollars on building stadiums and infrastructure. It has built eight stadiums for the World Cup as well as a new airport, series of roads and about 100 new hotels. New stadiums cost more than $6.5bn and a driverless metro rail system with a price tag of $36 bn serves five of the eight venues.
From motion tracking balls to AI assisted offside detector, Qatar’s first Wold Cup is filled with new tech. Earlier this year Adidas revealed ‘Al Rihla’, the official match ball of the 2022 World Cup. Al Rihla translates as ‘the journey’ in Arabic and it is designed to support the highest game speeds as it travels faster in flight than any FIFA World Cup ball created before it in the tournament’s 92-year history. The new ball features the latest Adidas Suspension System at its core, containing a motion sensor that tracks every touch of the game at a rate of 500 times per second. The motion sensor inside the ball will enable the collection of incredibly accurate ball movement data, which will then be transmitted to Video Match Officials within seconds throughout the tournament.
In addition, this year FIFA has announced a new semi-automated offside technology (SAOT) which is used at the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar. The new technology uses 12 dedicated tracking cameras mounted underneath the roof of the stadiums to track the ball, as well as up to 29 data points on each individual player, which are tracked 50 times per second, calculating their exact position on the pitch (场地). The 29 collected data points include all limbs and extremities (手足) that are relevant for making offside calls. This data is used in conjunction with artificial intelligence, to provide an automated offside alert to the video match officials inside the video operation room whenever the ball is received by an attacker who was in an offside position.
1. What can we learn about the Qatar 2022 World Cup?| A．It is the first AI World Cup in history. |
| B．It is the first competition in the Arab world. |
| C．It is the first winter World Cup in history. |
| D．It is the first World Cup with 8 stadiums. |
| A．It can translate what football players talk about. |
| B．It collects and transmit accurate ball movement data. |
| C．It helps the players move faster than before. |
| D．It calculates the players’ exact position. |
| A．The function of motion tracking balls. |
| B．The total-automated offside technology. |
| C．The AI Assisted offside detect technology. |
| D．The modern and intelligent stadiums. |
| A．Accurate. | B．Inconvenient. | C．Puzzling. | D．Luxurious. |
【推荐2】Popping food into the microwave for a couple of minutes may seem utterly harmless, and Europe’s stock of these quick-cooking ovens emit as much carbon as nearly 7 million cars, a new study has found, and the problem is growing. With costs falling and kitchen appliances becoming “ status ” users, owners are throwing many microwaves after an average of eight years. This is pushing sales of new microwave which are expected to reach 135 million annually in the EU by the end of the decade.
A study by the University of Manchester worked out the emissions of carbon dioxide — the main greenhouse gas responsible for climate change — at every stage of microwaves, from manufacture to waste disposal. “ It is electricity consumption by microwaves that has the biggest impact on the environment, ” say the authors, who also calculate that the emissions from using 19 microwaves over a year are the same as those from using a car. According to the same study, efforts to reduce consumption should focus on improving consumer awareness and behaviour. For example, consumers should use appliances in a more efficient way by adjusting the time of cooking to the type of food.
However, David Reay, professor of carbon management argues that, although microwaves use a great deal of energy, their emissions are minor compared to those from cars. In the UK alone, there are around 30 million cars. These cars emit more than all the microwaves in the EU. Backing this up, recent data show that passenger cars in the UK emitted 69 million tons of CO2 in 2015. This is 10 times the amount this new microwave oven study estimates for annual emissions for all the microwave ovens in the whole of the EU. Further, the energy used by microwaves is lower than any other form of coking. Among common kitchen appliances used for cooking, microwaves are the most energy efficient, followed by a stove and finally a standard oven. Thus, rising microwave sales could be seen as a positive thing.
1. What is the finding of the new study?| A．Quick-cooking microwave ovens have become more popular. |
| B．CO2 emissions are considered to be a major threat to the environment. |
| C．The frequent use of microwaves may do harm to our health. |
| D．The use of microwaves emits more CO2 than people think. |
| A．They are getting much easier to operate. | B．They have a shorter life cycle than other appliances. |
| C．They are becoming more affordable. | D．They take less time to cook than other appliances. |
| A．Eating less to cut energy consumption. | B．Using microwave ovens less frequently. |
| C．Improving microwave users’ habits. | D．Cooking food of different varieties. |
| A．It rarely plays a negative role in the environmental protection. |
| B．It makes everyday cooking much more convenient. |
| C．It will become less popular in the coming decades. |
| D．It consumes more power than conventional cooking. |
【推荐3】A local grocery store here has been remodelled and not a single one of the changes is good for those of us who shop there. The grocery aisles have been rearranged with some going in one direction and others going in another. The aisles have been pushed closer together, making it harder to get through them. It seems like all of these changes have been for the purpose of slowing the shoppers down so they will make more impulse buys. As I walked through the store today, no one was smiling and everyone was unhappy about it.
The change that bothered me the most, however, was in the check-out aisles. Only a few cashiers were left working with huge sections changed into self-scanning check-outs. It saddened me to see this. I knew that people were probably going to lose their jobs because of this change. I got in a cashier aisle and patiently waited while I saw some other people struggling to figure out how the self-scanning machines worked. I swore at that moment never to use one myself even if I had to wait longer every time I shopped there.
When I finally arrived at the front of the aisle, I saw the cashier was someone I knew. I greeted her with a smile. She smiled back with warmth and kindness that touched my soul. We chatted happily while she scanned and bagged up my groceries. I felt a friendship and a connection with her that warmed my heart. I wished her well before I left.
Machines can do a lot for us, but there are many things they can't do. They can't smile or love. Only we can do that. It is time that we should realize that profits aren't more important than people and that machines aren't more important than us. It is time that we should learn that loving each other and this world is what life is all about.
1. What may account for the store's changes?| A．To make more profits. | B．To satisfy the shoppers. |
| C．To offer more products. | D．To make shopping easier. |
| A．It will attract more customers. | B．It has reduced the cashiers' burden. |
| C．It has brought shopper more convenience. | D．It will make many people unemployed. |
| A．Calm. | B．Glad. | C．Angry. | D．Surprised. |
| A．Machines or Us? | B．Why Use Machines? |
| C．Are Changes Necessary? | D．How Does the World Change? |
【推荐1】Most people buy a lot of gifts just before Christmas. But some people think we buy too much. They have started a special day called Buy Nothing Day. They don’t want anyone to go shopping on that day.
Buy Nothing Day is November 29. It’s 25 days before Christmas. It’s after Thanksgiving Day and often the first day of Christmas shopping. At this time, we see ads in Newspapers and on TV telling us to “buy, buy, buy!”
The idea for Buy Nothing Day started in Vancouver, British Columbia. Now people all over the world celebrate Buy Nothing Day. In California, parents and children get together to read stories, sing songs, and paint pictures. The children talk about why they don’t need a lot of toys. This year, in Manchester, England, people dressed up in costumes (统一服装) to tell people that we buy too much.
In Albuquerque, New Mexico, high school students wanted to tell other students about Buy Nothing Day. They organized a spaghetti dinner to give people information about Buy Nothing Day. They asked restaurants in the neighborhood to donate (捐赠) the food. They made posters and talked to other students about it. The dinner was a big success, and many students agreed not to buy anything on November 29. The students at high schools liked the idea of this new tradition. Next year, they want to have another dinner to tell more people about Buy Nothing Day!
1. Which of the following is NOT the day for people to celebrate Buy Nothing Day?| A．November 29. | B．25 days before Christmas. |
| C．After Thanksgiving. | D．The first day after Christmas. |
| A．before Thanksgiving | B．on Christmas |
| C．before Christmas | D．anytime |
| A．In California, parents and children get together to play games. |
| B．In England, people celebrate by performing plays. |
| C．In Mexico, high school students dress up. |
| D．They buy nothing and persuade others not to buy things. |
| A．They donated the food of their own. |
| B．They talked to others about it. |
| C．They made some slogans (标语口号) for it. |
| D．They organized a luxurious (奢华的) dinner. |
【推荐2】Families should reduce exposure to synthetic chemicals found in food colorings, preservatives and packaging materials as a growing body of research shows they may harm children's health, according to a policy statement and technical report from the American Academy of Pediatrics released online.
The statement also suggests improvements to the food additives regulatory system, including updating the scientific foundation of the U. S. Food and Drug Administration safety assessment program and retesting all previously approved chemicals.
Q&A with the lead author
We asked Leonardo Trasande, Council on Environmental Health member and lead author of the policy statement, to tell us more about these concerns.
Q: What are the growing number of studies showing us?
A: Over the past two decades, an accumulating body of science suggests some food additives can interfere with a child's hormones, growth and development.
Potentially harmful effects of food additives are of special concern for children because they are more sensitive to chemical exposures because they eat and drink more, relative to body weight, than adults do and are still growing and developing. An early injury to their organ systems can have lifelong and permanent consequences.
Q: What additives does the statement highlight?
A: The additives of most concern, based on rising research evidence cited in the report, include: Bisphenols, such as BPA, used to harden plastic containers and line metal cans, can act like estrogen in the body which may potentially change the timing of puberty, decrease, fertility, increase body fat and affect the nervous and immune systems. BPA is now banned in baby bottles.
Phthalates, which make plastic and vinyl tubes used in industrial food production flexible, may affect male genital development, increase childhood obesity and contribute to cardiovascular disease. In 2017, the Consumer Product Safety Commission banned the use or some phthalates in child-care products such as teething rings.
1. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics' report, people should _______to cope with the problem of food additives.| A．reduce the usage of food additives and establish new food protection system |
| B．update the food safety assessment program and check the approved chemicals again |
| C．improve the food additives regulatory system and retest all approved chemicals |
| D．try to avoid food additives in daily life and revise relevant rules on food additives |
| A．children are more sensitive to what they eat and drink than adults |
| B．children usually eat and drink more unhealthy food than adults |
| C．children are just too young and weak to protect themselves |
| D．children's organs are easier to be damaged and hard to recover |
| A．2. | B．7. | C．8. | D．1. |
【推荐3】“There’s a bird in the house!” is not a phrase generally spoken in a tranquil voice. More often, it usually leads to a frightened cry. Here’s what you need to know about handling this situation calmly and effectively.
The first thing to do is relax. Your nervous cries are only going to scare the poor thing, probably making it much more alarmed. Drive out any pets or keep any additional family members away that may add to the confusion. Turn off any ceiling fans and put lids over hot pots.
Since the bird is going to head for light, it’s important to close the curtains on all windows except one—the one you will now open as widely as possible to provide a larger opening for the bird. Close the extra doors to prevent the bird from heading elsewhere in the house. If there’s no door, you may have to do this by standing in the doorway holding up something to close it off.
Turn off any lights to darken the room and neighboring rooms as much as possible, which will allow the light of the open window or door to guide the bird out. The brighter the exit is, the better it becomes. The little guy should find its way out and leave the room within seconds. If a large amount of time has passed and the bird remains inside, you can hold up a piece of sheet or cloth to try to direct the bird toward the window or door. Some suggest throwing a towel on the bird, but this should only be done as a last effort.
You can also calmly chase the bird around the room to tire it out. Eventually, it will stop flying and rest on a place, at which point you might be able to put it gently into a box using a towel. Cover the box with the towel and carry it outdoors to release. Never strike a bird with a broom.
If all else fails, ask a wildlife removal professional for help.
1. What does the underlined word “tranquil” mean in the first paragraph?| A．nervous. | B．calm. | C．excited. | D．cheerful. |
| A．Throwing something on the bird. | B．Asking your brother to help you. |
| C．Closing the curtains on all windows. | D．Chasing the bird around to tire it out. |
| A．Different Attitudes to a Trapped Bird. |
| B．How to Get a Bird out of Your House. |
| C．How to Protect the Birds in Your House. |
| D．Different Ways to Catch a Bird in Your House. |
| A．A scientific journal. | B．A history textbook. |
| C．A travel magazine. | D．A design handbook. |
