National Geographic Explorer Malaika Vaz knew from early on that she was destined for adventure. “I was someone who spent a lot of time outdoors,” Vaz says. Among her childhood experiences, she recalls expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic, climbing mountains, scuba diving, and windsurfing.
“In my late teens,” Vaz says, “I began to feel like adventure didn’t really mean anything if there wasn’t an intent to protect the natural spaces we were exploring in.” She began to seek an outlet that would both satisfy her desire for adventure and allow her to support the protection of the species and ecosystems.
Vaz had an interest in the medium of film, and decided to pursue a career in wildlife filmmaking. Today Vaz wears many hats in the filmmaking world, as a documentary director, producer, writer, and presenter.
After falling in love with mantas off the coast of her home, she discovered they were being hunted illegally and she dressed herself as a seafood trader to get as close as possible to the issue. She traced traffickers back to many parts of the world to figure out why mantas were being killed. She shares the challenges of going undercover to produce Peng Yu Sai, her Green Oscar-nominated film on the matter.
The subjects that grab her attention, Vaz admits, cover a wide range. And while she’s been asked to define her focus, she prefers variety, and argues that issues she pinpoints are more interrelated than they may appear.
Her work doesn’t stop at recording important stories-she’s also on top of follow-through, ensuring the message is heard. Vaz and her team work with scientists and policy makers to amplify the message of the films they work on.
From Vaz’s perspective, real improvement in the way the planet is cared for lies in the capable hands of many from various backgrounds. “The truth is that we don’t need ten really passionate, committed environmentalists. We need one hundred or one million people who can do a little bit in that field and change things within their ability.”
1. Which of the following helped Vaz combine adventure with nature protection?| A．Wildlife film-making. | B．Free lifestyle. |
| C．Childhood experience. | D．Outdoor activities. |
| A．Vaz’s home on the coast. | B．Vaz’s experience of mountain climbing. |
| C．The history of Green Oscar. | D．The illegal hunting of mantas. |
| A．The backgrounds of policy makers. | B．The influence of films. |
| C．The guidance from environmentalists. | D．The combined efforts of people. |
| A．Enthusiastic but careless. | B．Adventurous and insightful. |
| C．Knowledgeable but proud. | D．Humorous and patient. |
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【推荐1】PREVIEWS AND OPENINGS
Queen of the Mist
Charing Cross Theater
Previews from Saturday, 15 August. Opening Wednesday, 19 August.
Queen of the Mist, directed by Elizabeth Margolius, will have its first showing at the Charing Cross Theater. The musical is based on the true story of Anna Edson Taylor, who in 1901 set out to be the first person to survive a trip over Niagara Falls in a barrel (桶) of her own design.
The Son
Duke of York’s Theater
Previews from Monday, 24 August. Opening Wednesday, 2 September.
Written by internationally known Florian Zeller who is praised by The Guardian as “the most exciting dramatist of our time”, The Son, which focuses on intergenerational relationships, family relationships and teenage depression, is directed by Michael Longhurst.
The Fishermen
Trafalgar Theatre Studio Two
Previews from Thursday, 3 September. Opening Saturday, 5 September.
In a small town in Nigeria, Ben and his three older brothers go to fish at a magical river. Unnoticed and carefree, they continued until the predictions of a mad man change the course of their lives forever. The Fishermen is based on the Man Booker Prize novel by Chigozie Obioma, who appears as an original new voice of west African literature. The play is directed by Jack McNamara.
Groan Ups
Vaudeville Theater
Previews from Sunday, 20 September. Opening Saturday, 10 October.
Directed by Kirsty Patrick Ward, Groan Ups is a completely new play which looks at how people grow up and develop. Are we the same at 30 as we were 13?
1. What is the play directed by Elizabeth Margolius probably about?| A．A risk-taking trip. | B．A birthday party. |
| C．A career as a designer. | D．A person’s entire life. |
| A．Michael Longhurst. | B．Chigozie Obioma. |
| C．Jack McNamara. | D．Kirsty Patrick Ward. |
| A．On Wednesday, 19 August. | B．On Wednesday, 2 September. |
| C．On Saturday, 5 September. | D．On Saturday, 10 October. |
【推荐2】If you are a sci-fi movie fan, there are some sci-fi films that are worth seeing.
Stowaway
Stowaway is the story of a mission to Mars and a spaceship that has too many passengers. With the journey planned for only a certain number of people, well, you can see where this is headed. This sci-fi movie directed by Joe Penna takes us on a journey we will be able to risk.
Robopocalypse
David H. Wilson, author of 2011’s Robopocalypse, has been compared to sci-fi writers like Michael Crichton and Robert A. Heinlein. The film tells the story of a robot named AIX in the near future. It has the face of a pure (纯真的) child, but its heart is not pure. One day, he took control of the global network and directed the machines and weapons (武器) made by human beings to fight against human beings. Steven Spielberg was in charge of this film for years until it changed hands in 2017 to director Michael Bay.
Voyagers
The biggest problem with space travel is the long distance. In Voyagers, 30 men and women go on a multi-generational voyage in search of a new home. The mission gradually gets into madness. The people don’t know if the real threat they face is what’s outside the ship or who they’re becoming inside it. The film’s director Neil Burger describes the film as Lord of the Flies for a new generation.
After Yang
Based on Alexander Weinstein’s short story Saying Goodbye to Yang, this film is set in the future where robotic children help raise human children as live-in help. But when one robotic family member, Yang, becomes non-responsive, a father and daughter will do everything they can to save its life. Starring Collin Ferrell and directed by Kogonada (director of Columbus), this could be one of the smartest sci-fi films.
1. Which movie is your best choice if you like Joe Penna?| A．Stowaway. | B．Robopocalypse. |
| C．Voyagers. | D．After Yang. |
| A．Safe. | B．Boring | C．Unpleasant. | D．Tiring. |
| A．They both tell a story about a robot. |
| B．They both mention a mission in space. |
| C．They are both smart sci-fi films of the year. |
| D．They are both based on a full-length novel. |
【推荐3】A Year with Frog and Toad’ at San Diego Junior Theatre
Recommended for All Ages!
Runs from Sept. 21 through Oct. 17, 2022
Performances on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 8 p.m.. Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m.. and Saturdays at both 2:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. from Sept. 21 through Oct. 17. Sunday performances are at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on October 2, 9, and 16.
$14.00-$20.00
Entrance is included with the price of admission. Admission for one adult is $20, and there is a 20% discount for seniors and active military. $14 is for children (age 6 to 17). Free for children under 6 with an adult.
From the theatre: Based on Arnold Lobel’s beloved children’s books, A Year with Frog and Toad is a musical tale of two unlikely friends: the cheerful Frog, and bad-tempered Toad. Frog and Toad take a musical journey through four colourful seasons along with their friends Snail, Turtle, and the Birds, as they experience many adventures, from rushing down a hill in a runaway sled (雪橇) in the winter to taking a picnic and a quiet moment in the summer. Frog and Toad discover that the differences that make them unique are also what make their friendship so special.
1. At what time will the performance start on Friday in October 2022?| A．At 2:30 p.m. | B．At 7 p.m. | C．At 7:30 p.m. | D．At 8 p.m. |
| A．$20. | B．$24. | C．$30. | D．$34. |
| A．Friendship. | B．Happiness. | C．Building confidence. | D．Staying optimistic. |
【推荐1】William Lindesay, a famous Great Wall expert and conservationist, and his wife Wu Qi have traveled the globe, providing their sons with a unique growing environment. Sun hats, backpacks and sneakers (运动鞋) — these are the day-to-day must-haves for the family.
Most of their trips seem far from relaxing—cultural study in the hot and dry desert, a 53-kilometer hiking tour of New Zealand, a one-day climb to three English mountaintops and a six-day train ride from Beijing to Moscow.
Many assume the family must be wealthy and can afford their global travel, but they are not. Lindesay says they just choose to spend money on travel and eschew pricey hotels and restaurants when possible. Lindesay mentions the trip to Moscow as an example. Instead of taking a taxi from the railway station to the hotel, they took the subway. “We crossed the city for saving money, communicated with local people, and saw they were people just like us. We arrived at our destination feeling comfortable.”
However, their journeys, which can last weeks or months, have sometimes been inconsistent with their children's schooling. Wu remembers once Lindesay let their elder son ask for leave so that they could go to New York for a 45-day lecture tour. Therefore the son missed his final exam. Things like that bother the family all the time.
Lindesay attaches great importance to learning out of the classroom, saying that children might score well on school tests, but traveling outside, in distant lands with different languages, cultures and political structures, is the real test. “You can only get streetwise on the street. You can only get worldly-wise when seeing the world,” he says.
1. How can we describe the Lindesays'trips?| A．Pleasant. | B．Challenging. | C．Conventional. | D．Dangerous. |
| A．Avoid. | B．Visit. | C．Compare. | D．Evaluate. |
| A．They suffer from a tight budget. | B．They have scheduling conflicts. |
| C．They are faced with language barriers. | D．They hold different educational ideas. |
| A．Toughness is the best assistant of will. | B．There is no royal road to learning. |
| C．Actions speak louder than words. | D．Man who travels far knows more. |
【推荐2】There are almost 58,500 tree species in the world. But a new international study has warned that between a third and half of those are at risk of extinction in the wild - posing a risk of wider ecosystem collapse. The comprehensive report by Botanic Gardens Conservation International found that twice as many tree species are threatened as mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles combined. More than 440 tree species have fewer than 50 individuals left in natural environments. Worse, even abundant trees that survive in many cases are greatly reduced. In Brazil, deforestation (滥伐森林) in the Amazon has hit the highest annual level in a decade.
The key factor for tree loss is the destruction of habitat by farming, grazing and logging. Global heating and its consequences, from extreme weather to rising sea levels, are increasingly damaging wild forests. Tropical island states are particularly affected, but the problems lie closer too. Just 30 Menai whitebeams remain in north Wales, the only place on earth where they are found.
Protecting such habitats must be the priority. One study suggests that global tree cover has actually increased over recent decades, but 420m hectares (公顷) of forest were lost between 1990 and 2020. Despite how important those recent tree-planting projects may be, new plantations (种植园) are by no means substitute for original, complex and biodiverse environments that have evolved over centuries.
Where forests have been erased, natural regeneration is often best. Failing that, planting a variety of species is better than simply relying on a few fast-growing kinds of saplings (树苗). Considering human interests is important: including harvestable trees will encourage more actions to protect the land (and the Amazon of today was shaped by humans over centuries). Only by working with communities can protection be sustainable. Preserving seeds in the hope that species can be brought back to life is necessary too. But it is a final resolve. A seed bank cannot replace the rich life of a forest.
1. According to the passage, which of the following factors does NOT lead to the loss of forests?| A．Expanding cities. |
| B．Rising sea levels. |
| C．Keeping animals that eat grass. |
| D．Cutting down trees for their wood. |
| A．To set up seed banks. |
| B．To plant a variety of tree species. |
| C．To plant a few fast-growing tree species. |
| D．To let the erased forests restore themselves. |
| A．Nearly five hundred tree species have disappeared. |
| B．Global tree cover decreased between 1990 and 2020. |
| C．Planting fruit trees may encourage people to protect forests. |
| D．Man-made plantations could totally replace the original natural forests. |
| A．Pro-Con. | B．Problem-Solution. |
| C．Problem-Cause. | D．Cause-Effect. |
【推荐3】 Downing the last drop of an expensive famous brand H2O as well as remembering to throw the empty bottle in the recycling bin, makes you feel pretty good about yourself, right? It shouldn’t. Even when the bottles are recycled, there are all kinds of other consequences of swallowing bottled water, says Melissa Peffers, the air-quality program manager for Environmental Defense.
The containers are often filled in faraway lands, then shipped from abroad, and stored in refrigerators at your local store. Compare that with the influence on environment of turning on your tap, filling a glass, and drinking up!
Anyone who is choosing bottled water for health reasons is misguided, says Peffers, “Most bottled water is just tap water.” And what comes out of your tap is carefully monitored to follow the strict rules. Consider another fact that bottled water is surprisingly expensive, especially when compared with the alternative, which is almost free, and it is astonishing that America’s desire for bottled water seems impossible to satisfy, reaching nearly 30 billion bottles a year.
“My parents’ generation never had bottled water,” says Isabelle Silverman, an Environmental Defense legal adviser. She has made a commitment to going bottle free. “You don’t need to fetch it home from the store, and it’s cheaper,” she adds.
Bottled water’s role as a status symbol needs to change, Peffers points out. So when a waiter at an expensive restaurant offers “And what’s your drink?” that’s no reason to forget your conviction(信念). “Don’t be afraid to say, ‘I’ll have tap.’ Say it loud enough that the other tables nearby can hear you,” Peffers says. “And then spend that money on a dessert.”
1. In the first paragraph, the underlined sentence “It shouldn’t.” suggest that people _______.| A．shouldn’t feel pleased with finishing the water in the bottle |
| B．shouldn’t feel good about drinking an expensive brand H2O |
| C．shouldn’t be content with just recycling empty bottles |
| D．shouldn’t be satisfied with drinking only bottled water |
| A．as safe as bottled water |
| B．morel likely to be polluted |
| C．healthier than bottle water |
| D．less convenient than bottled water |
| A．making bottled water free |
| B．abandoning bottled water |
| C．recycling use water bottles |
| D．providing free water containers |
| A．To encourage them to set an example for others to follow. |
| B．To advise them to save the money for one more dessert. |
| C．To remind them to be aware of their social status. |
| D．To persuade them to speak confidently in public. |
【推荐1】Did you ever want to see Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey in 15 minutes? Then BA London Eye is the one for you.
British Airways London Eye, formerly called as the Millennium Wheel, is situated on the south bank of the River Thames on the Jubilee Gardens. It is situated between Westminster Bridge and Hungerford Footbridge in Lambeth and adjacent to (比邻) Old Country Building. It stands opposite to Houses of Parliament.
It started with a vision of Architect couple David Marks and Julia Barfields, who had competed for millennium ideas contest conducted by Sunday Times, a British newspaper in 1993 to welcome year 2000 splendidly. Regrettably, the contest was scrapped, but the couple persisted with their dream project by forming a company for this undertaking, eventually grabbing the attention of Evening Standard, another British newspaper. British Airways, after noticing this widely publicized article, agreed to fund, foreseeing the vital contribution of this project to London’s skyline and its tourism, giving a spectacular view of this fascinating city that was otherwise not visible to the Londoners.
The entire construction resembles a giant cycle wheel, with a diameter of 135m (443ft) and weighing 1,700 tons of steel and 2,000 tons at the foundation reaching almost 30m deep! It is the largest observation wheel built so far, making even Statue of Liberty, Big Ben, St. Paul’s Cathedral, look up to it. It is the 4th highest structure in London. Canary Wharf Towers, BT Tower and Tower 42 are the higher three.
The whole structure was designed in parts in various countries, later fully assembled on Thames bank. With the dedication of 1,700 workers, this structure was realized in 16 months, just in time to welcome the millennium. Tony Blair inaugurated (为……举行开幕式) it on December 31st, 1999 and a minor safety concern regarding clutching delayed its opening to public, which finally happened 3 months behind the schedule in March 2000.
1. Opposite British Airways London Eye is .| A．Westminster Bridge | B．Hungerford Footbridge |
| C．Old Country Building | D．Houses of Parliament |
| A．Evening Standard | B．Sunday Times |
| C．David Marks and Julia Barfields | D．British Airways |
| A．Big Ben | B．Canary Wharf Towers | C．BT Tower | D．Tower 42 |
| A．asked for another newspaper for help |
| B．won the first prize in millennium ideas contest |
| C．had wanted to complete their dream project on their own |
| D．would have given up their idea without British Airways |
| A．The structure wasn’t completed in time. |
| B．The structure was designed in different countries. |
| C．Something wrong happened at the last moment. |
| D．People were not completely sure about its safety. |
【推荐2】Many college students turn to ADHD (注意缺陷障碍) medicine during the exam week, which is regarded as “smart drugs” that will help their academic performance. The thinking is that if the drugs help students with ADHD improve their focus, they should provide the same benefit for people who don’t have the disorder.
But a new study shows that drugs can actually damage brain function of healthy students who take the drug hoping to boost their intelligence. “It’s not a smart drug which will suddenly improve their ability to understand information they read,” said Lisa Weyandt, a professor at the University of Rhode Island.
To test whether this effect is real or not, researchers organized 13 students to take part in two five-hour study sessions (一段时间) in the lab. The students took the standard 30mg ADHD drugs before one session, and a sugar pill before the other. Students on ADHD drugs did experience an increase in their blood pressure and heart rates. “The medicine was having an effect on their brain,” Weyandt said. The students also showed an improvement in their ability to focus, the researchers found.
However, students on ADHD drugs experienced no improvement in reading comprehension, reading fluency or knowledge reviews, compared to when they’d taken a sugar pill. “We read aloud stories to them and asked them to recall information from the stories, ”she said. “That didn’t improve.”
Worse, the ADHD drug actually harms students’ memory. It’s often misused because people pull all-nighters and they’re tired, and they think it’s going to keep them awake. Maybe it does, but it’s certainly not going to help their academic work. The brain is still developing until the mid to late 20s. It’s important to keep it healthy. There’s also a chance that ADHD drugs could endanger a student’s heart health.
1. Why do many college students turn to ADHD medicine during exam week?| A．To improve their focus and academic performance. |
| B．To boost their intelligence and understanding of information. |
| C．To stay awake during all-night study sessions. |
| D．To improve their memory and reading comprehension. |
| A．stabilize | B．make good use of | C．better | D．understand |
| A．The drugs significantly improved their reading comprehension. |
| B．The drugs enhanced their memory and knowledge recall. |
| C．The drugs increased their heart rate and blood pressure. |
| D．The drugs had no impact on their ability to focus. |
| A．Neither reading comprehension nor memory improved. |
| B．Reading comprehension improved but memory declined. |
| C．Reading comprehension and memory significantly improved. |
| D．Reading comprehension declined but memory improved. |
【推荐3】 
Take a good look at the American burying beetle. Once found in 35 states, the insect is assessed by the International Union for Conservation of. Nature as critically endangered. Like the tiger, the American burying beetle has orange and black stripes, like the tiger, the beetle is declining in number. The, tiger is an instantly recognizable symbol of species preservation, but most people aren’t familiar with the beetle.
This difference is an example of the domination of the so-called celebrity species — the fascinating creatures that nonprofits and government agencies use to raise public interest in conservation. Most nonprofit funds for animal protection go to species such as apes, elephants, big cats, rhinoceroses, and giant pandas. Tigers are often rated the most popular animal — and India, ho me to the majority of these big cats, spent more than $49 million on tiger conservation alone in 2019. Meanwhile, many lesser-known species of fish, reptiles, amphibians, and birds weaken in namelessness. Worldwide, more than 35,500 plant and animal species are on the edge of disappearing forever.
This leaves us with a tough situation. Conservation is underfunded, so how do we decide which species to save?
One potential solution, the debatable idea of conservation triage, holds that experts need to quickly decide which species can be saved while realizing that others can’t be saved. Conservationists have developed analytical tools to approach the question in a less emotional, but more practical way. Fish and Wildlife Service now uses this knapsack method — inspired by a hiker’s need to fit the most valuable items into a small space — to get the “most bang for their buck” in saving species. The method calculates the most efficient conservation strategies using factors such as costs to recover a species and its likelihood of going extinct.
1. Why is the burying beetle mentioned in the first paragraph?| A．To propose a definition. | B．To introduce the topic. |
| C．To reach a conclusion. | D．To present an argument. |
| A．Concerned. | B．Unclear. | C．Optimistic. | D．Indifferent. |
| A．To make the best efforts. | B．To take the strictest measures. |
| C．To maximize the benefits. | D．To avoid the worst dangers. |
| A．Causes of some animals’ endangerment. |
| B．Other methods of deciding which species to save. |
| C．The authorities’ role in reasonable use of funds. |
| D．An appeal for saving the American burying beetle. |
