On September 29, 2021, the US Fish and Wildlife Service declared it would be removing 23 species from its Endangered Species Act, including the ivory-billed woodpecker, various Hawaiian birds and freshwater fish, not because they had pulled back from the edge of extinction, but because the USFWS believed these species would never recover, and were most likely extinct, therefore not requiring protection.
In April, 195 countries are getting together in China for a UN conference to discuss global agreements to protect nature and biodiversity, with the hope of finalizing an agreement to safeguard plants, animals, and ecosystems. However, the new strain(毒株)of Covid-19, Omicron, has potentially thrown the plans into a mess, and negotiators may switch to online talks if travel restrictions to China are put in place again.
“We can’t go another four months without any progress” said Georgina Chandler, senior international policy officer at the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Conservationists are urging the talks to go ahead—online if necessary—as the biodiversity crisis shows no sign of slowing up.
“Nature loss has not gone away and threatens both human lives and the global economy,” said Lin Li, director of global policy at the organization. “With one million species currently in danger of extinction, delaying action is not an option.”
Improving conservation and management of natural areas, such as oceans, forests, and wildernesses is crucial to safeguarding the ecosystems on which humans depend. However, forests are still being devastated, often for farming or commercial use. As trees absorb about a third of planet-warming emissions produced worldwide, stopping deforestation is key. At COP26 in Glasgow last November, world leaders plan to invest $19 billion in public and private funds to protect and restore global forests.
It’s easy to feel disheartened by the disappointing news, but the only way to stop more species suffering the same fate is to pay attention and take actions.
1. Why would the 23 species be removed from the Act?| A．Because they are less endangered. | B．Because they have already died out. |
| C．Because more fund is in need to protect them. | D．Because nothing can save them from extinction. |
| A．Take immediate actions. | B．Put off the conference. |
| C．Have online talks. | D．Improve global economy. |
| A．To explain why some species have disappeared. |
| B．To recommend ways to protect and restore forests. |
| C．To describe the present situation of global ecosystem. |
| D．To call for attention and action against biodiversity crisis. |
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【推荐1】A mother goat can pick out her own baby from its voice alone by the time the kid is just five days old.
Researchers from University of London played kids’ voices to female goats and studied their responses. They were surprised to find that the animals were able to pick out their own kids’ voices.
“During the first week of their lives, the mother and the kid depend a lot on smell to recognize one another and the animals hide in grass and don’t call much in the wild. It’s a strategy they use to avoid enemies,” Dr. Elodie Briefer explained to BBC News, who led the research. “The mother calls to the kids when she wants them to come and be fed, so we expected that kids would recognize the mother’s voice.” In fact, this was the case for deer, which also use this hiding strategy, although they do not belong to the same family of species as goats.
She and her team recorded and played the young kids’ calls to the female goats and recorded their responses. She explained, “Even when the calls came from kids that are five to six days old, we could see the mothers responding more to the voices of their own babies.” Hearing the voices of their own kids, the females would look towards the speaker that the sound was coming from, moving around and calling in response.
The scientists say that understanding how goats behave is of great importance. “This helps us understand just how smart these animals are,” said Dr. Briefer. “Farmers might be able to change their way to raise goats considering this natural behavior.”
1. How do mother goats recognize their kids during the first week?| A．They depend on their touch. | B．They depend on their smell. |
| C．They depend on their voice. | D．They depend on their sight. |
| A．Hide herself somewhere. | B．Jump over and over. |
| C．Make voices in response. | D．Behave just as usual. |
| A．Meaningless. | B．Important. | C．Uninteresting. | D．Puzzling. |
| A．A mother goat can pick out her baby from its voice. |
| B．Scientists can help mother goats to find their babies. |
| C．Farmers have changed their way to raise their goats. |
| D．People have got the ability to communicate with goats. |
【推荐2】There are 54 different species of seahorses which are named after their horse-like shape. Due to a shortage of evidence, little information is known about the reproductive rates, population and preserving state of these animals. However, judging from the ever-changing climate, there is a higher possibility that their population has reduced because of the smaller habitats. Millions of seahorses are killed yearly for the traditional medicine trade. Another big threat is that many seahorses are caught together with the starfish which are dried and sold to tourists as souvenirs(纪念品).
Seahorses have an appearance of horse-like heads and necks. They also show the unique skill of swimming upright and use their fins to control themselves. Unlike most other fishes, a seahorse has a bent tail like a fishing hook. So they are poor swimmers and one of the slowest swimming fish in the world. They often circle their tails around something to rest.
Seahorses are mainly found in sheltered areas such as seagrass beds and river-mouths to ocean. Males stay within an 11 square feet of habitat while females live over large areas, hundred times this size.
During mating, the male seahorse uses its central, front-facing bag on the side of the tail to hold over 1,500 eggs for a period of 9 to 45 days. Once the young seahorses mature(成熟), they are let out into the water to live for themselves. Seahorses do not take care of the young ones after birth. Therefore, a variety of animals and strong waves can kill babies.
The seahorses use excellent cheating skills and patience as tools to kill little animals such as some shrimps, small fish and other creatures. During feeding, they produce a special click. Similar sounds can also be heard during social activities.
1. What might cause the drop of the seahorse population?| A．Low reproductive rate. |
| B．Being caught by starfish. |
| C．Bad cheating skills. |
| D．Being killed for medicine. |
| A．Physical description. | B．Swimming skills. |
| C．Horse-like tails. | D．Unique life. |
| A．People have known a lot about seahorses. |
| B．Seahorses mainly feed on various sea grasses. |
| C．The baby seahorses face many threats in growth. |
| D．Female seahorses take up a smaller habitat than males. |
| A．Lifestyle. | B．Nature. | C．Economy. | D．Culture. |
【推荐3】When you’re bored, you might start playing with a ball or other objects. Such behavior is common in people. Other animals like it too—that’s why a dog fetches a stick, or a cat bats at toys. Play is an enjoyable way to pass the time. A new study finds that it’s not just mammals that like to play. Bumblebees (大黄蜂) do it too, making them the first insects known to play.
In the study, Hiruni Samadi Galpayage Dona, an insect expert, did an experiment using 200 untrained bumblebees to see if they might play. Of those, 45 would be marked with a number when they emerged as adults.
A pathway was set up from the bumblebees’ nest to a feeding area. One side contained small wooden balls that rolled. The other side had the same number of balls, but they were stuck to the floor. Half balls on each side were colored balls. The rest were left unpainted.
For three hours a day over 18 days, Galpayage Dona found bumblebees weren’t so interested in the side where the balls didn’t move, but they explored the side areas and interacted with the balls. Once they managed to roll a ball, they strongly preferred that side. They returned, climbing on the balls and rolling them around. She also found bumblebees preferred certain colors of balls.
“There’s something about the mobility that is more interesting for the bumblebees than just colored objects,” Galpayage Dona says. In another experiment, she sometimes left the balls out overnight. “When I came in the next day, I would always find some bumblebees rolling the balls.” As with mammals, the bumblebees who played the most were the younger ones. Their play tapered off as they got older.
The scientists say it’s not clear why the bumblebees roll the balls or whether they enjoy it. But the experiment raises important questions about how the insects’ minds work and whether they have feelings.
1. How does the author introduce the topic?| A．By describing the fun of play. | B．By analyzing reasons for boredom. |
| C．By introducing similar phenomena. | D．By presenting animals’ cute images. |
| A．She trained bumblebees to play balls. |
| B．She put small balls along the pathway. |
| C．She set up a pathway in bumblebees’ nest. |
| D．She rewarded the bumblebees with rolled balls. |
| A．Mattered. | B．Helped. | C．Decreased. | D．Emerged. |
| A．Bumblebees Prefer Shape to Color |
| B．Balls Are Bumblebees’ Favorite Toys |
| C．Playing with Objects Is Animals’ Second Nature |
| D．Bumblebees Are the First Insects Known to Play |
【推荐1】In between all the measures to battle the severe air pollution in Delhi, India, there’s one more option----a bar that has “pure air”.
Founded by Aryavir Kumar, Oxy Pure, Delhi’s first-ever oxygen bar, offers 15 minutes of 80-90 percent pure oxygen, costing Rs 299 ($4.2). Customers are given a lightweight tube for oxygen intake. The device (装置) is placed near the customers’ noses through which they are advised to breathe in the oxygen.
The bar also offers its customers several aromas (气味) to go with oxygen, including lemongrass, cherry and more. According to the aroma people choose, each session promises to improve sleep patterns and digestion, cure headaches, and even work as a treatment for depression (抑郁).
Bonny Irengbam, a senior sales assistant at the bar, said, “Some people, who try it for the first time, will feel relaxed and fresh. But only people who do this regularly will get real benefits. By regularly, I mean once or twice a month. We don’t encourage back-to-back sessions, as increased levels of oxygen in the body can make a person dizzy.”
Dr. Rajesh Chawla, a senior doctor at the Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, said, “Even if you breathe in the so-called pure oxygen for two hours in a day, you will go back to breathing the polluted air for the rest of the 22 hours. The concept is purely money-driven.”
Recalling the first few months of the bar, Irengbam admitted that people were skeptical. “Many people criticized, saying we were selling air. Others were simply scared to breathe through the tube.”
Irengbam said the bar saw a significant rise in the number of customers two to three days after Diwali, an Indian festival mainly celebrated by fireworks and lights, as the pollution levels were high.
1. What do we know about the oxygen intake?| A．It was not well-received at first. | B．It will always cause side effects. |
| C．It surely has a promising future. | D．It can cure people of depression. |
| A．Once — a — month. | B．Once — in — a — while. |
| C．Once — and — for — all. | D．One — after — another. |
| A．Unconcerned. | B．Positive. |
| C．Doubtful. | D．Ambiguous. |
| A．To explain how to breathe in the oxygen. | B．To show people’s responses to the bar. |
| C．To advertise for Aryavir Kumar’s business. | D．To introduce the first oxygen bar in India. |
【推荐2】Homes are usually warmed with radiators (暖气片). Some homes are warmed by floor heating. Now, a new way of heating is being developed by using the “wallpaper” on your walls. This wallpaper is not decorative. It actually goes under and not over the wall-electrically heats a room. And this type of heating technology heats objects, even people, instead of the air and this helps you feel warmer.
The electric heating panels (嵌板) which are hidden in the wall are connected to the main electrical panels of your home. Each room can be heated independently through an app, so you do not have to heat unused rooms. It takes around 20 minutes to heat a room.
With rising prices for home heating, the panels seen like the right way to go. “It makes me happy that I don’t depend on gas,” Kris Bilski, an early user, said. About 23 million homes in the UK are connected to the gas grid (网) but the government wants to phase out gas-fired pots by 2035. Home heating is responsible for 17 percent of greenhouse gas materials, so removing fossil fuel-based heating will help the environment.
The new electric heating systems are easy to get for private homes and the company is currently testing the new technology in public housing in some cities. The types being tested can be fitted while people are still living in the apartment so it makes installation a lot easier.
Heating your home with this type of technology does not heat your water, so an additional heating system is required, but an energy efficient heater can be used.
While the wallpaper is greener, electricity in the UK is very costly so it is not an economic way to heat homes unless there is a renewable energy source like solar panels used. Still, reducing the dependence on fossil fuels will go a long way to green the UK and help the country meet its climate targets.
1. What can we infer about a room with this “wallpaper” heater?| A．Special radiators are needed in in. | B．It’s connected to solar panels. |
| C．The temperature in it varies less. | D．It’s warmer than a normal room. |
| A．Slop using. | B．Improve greatly. |
| C．Restore gradually. | D．Finish developing. |
| A．It looks beautiful. | B．It’s easy to set up. |
| C．It heats up instantly. | D．It fits all buildings. |
| A．Doubting. | B．Optimistic. |
| C．Enthusiastic. | D．Unfavorable. |
【推荐3】When things around the house stop working, what do you usually do with them? You probably just throw them away. This has led to the modern nickname: the throwaway culture. There are many reasons for this. In some areas, it’s difficult to find people who can make repairs, and fixing things can be quite expensive. And sometimes it s often easier to just buy a new one.
In 2009 Martine Postma from the Netherlands decided there must be a better way. Her solution was Repair Cafes: places where people can take damaged items (物品). There they will find tools and volunteer experts who are willing to help with repairs.
Postma’s first Repair Cafe opened on Oct.18, 2009, in Amsterdam, and was a huge success. News of the cafe spread, and people began asking how they could start their own. In 2011, Postma set up the Repair Cafe Foundation. This organization guides those hoping to begin their own neighborhood repair group. Today, there are about 2,000 Repair Cafes around the world with meetings held once a month. Everything is free, but donations are thankfully accepted.
The cafes not only provide help with repairs, but they also strengthen community ties. Neighbors get to know one another as they work together on projects. In addition, valuable knowledge is passed along and remembered. Items are kept rather than thrown away. If a broken item weighs a kilo, it’s been estimated (估计) that 2,000 Repair Cafes prevent 35,000 kilos of trash every month. That adds up to about 420,000 kilos per year!
Ginko Lee is the organizer for a repair group in Pasadena, California. In an interview, she described how exciting it is watching people who really want to help one another. She has often heard visitors say,“This is the kind of world I want to live in!” Ms. Lee said,“Everyone is a giver and a receiver in Repair Cafes.”
1. Why did the author mention the throwaway culture?| A．To list an example. | B．To make a summary. |
| C．To bring up the topic. | D．To give some suggestions. |
| A．Running a place to repair items. | B．Buying some tools for the public. |
| C．Starting a school to teach repairing. | D．Volunteering to collect damaged things. |
| A．It got support from an organization. | B．It destroyed the throwaway culture. |
| C．It was considered to be useless. | D．It drew a lot of attention. |
| A．They are easy to manage. |
| B．They make people stay close to nature. |
| C．They are helpful in protecting the environment. |
| D．They encourage people to start their own business. |
Reports have surfaced from many Chinese media outlets that Wong Kar-wai has scripted a sequel to his beloved 1994 romance Chungking Express. Titled Chungking Express 2020 and set in Chongqing in 2036, the China Film Administration approved the script back in April, which means it can move ahead. Here’s a brief synopsis:
In 1990s Hong Kong, the lovelorn Policeman No. 223 encounters a blonde female assassin. They only spend a short time together overnight. The Policeman No. 663, getting over a failed relationship, has his life gradually changed by a “dreamer” who broke into his apartment. In Chongqing in 2036, young Xiaoqian and May are unwilling to be matched with their genetically-assigned partner, and are determined to find their own “destiny.”
While Wong Kar-wai has already technically expanded the story of Chungking Express with Fallen Angels––which was the planned third story of Chungking but ended up spinning off into its own feature––he’s clearly taking a different route than a direct follow-up. From that brief synopsis, it sounds like it’ll be a loose sequel, rather finding thematic connections similar to those that bond Days of Being Wild, In the Mood for Love, and 2046. He’s currently only on board as the screenwriter, so if a different director hops on, perhaps it could get made sometime in the near future. If the meticulous Wong Kar-wai wants to make it himself, then we’ll patiently wait to see if it ever comes to fruition, since the quest for perfection consumes time and patience. Just don’t expect cinematographer Christopher Doyle to return.
“To me Chungking Express and Fallen Angels are one film that should be three hours long,” Wong Kar-wai said in 1998. “I always think these two films should be seen together as a double bill. In fact, people asked me during an interview for Chungking Express: “You’ve made these two stories which have no relationship at all to each other, how can you connect them?” And I said, “The main characters of Chungking Express are not Fay Wang or Takashi Kaneshiro, but the city itself, the night and day of Hong Kong. Chungking Express and Fallen Angels together are the bright and dark of Hong Kong.” I see the films as inter-reversible, the character of Fay Wang could be the character of Takashi in Fallen Angels; Brigitte Lin in Chungking Express could be Leon Lai in Fallen Angels. All of their characters are inter-reversible. Also, in Chungking Express we were shooting from a very long distance with long lenses, but the characters seem close to us.”
1. Which film does the underlined part “one of his most beloved films” refer to?| A．In the Mood for Love. | B．Chunking Express. |
| C．Fallen Angels. | D．Days of Being Wild. |
| A．The story of Chungking Express 2020 will directly follow that of Chungking Express. |
| B．It has been announced that Wong Kar-wai will direct Chungking Express 2020. |
| C．Currently, the script of Chungking Express 2020 has not been finished yet. |
| D．Wong Kar-wai intends to adapt Blossoms for both the small and the big screen. |
| A．attentive to small details | B．curious about surroundings |
| C．indifferent to others’ feelings | D．indecisive about contents |
| A．what the film Chungking Express really intends to emphasize is the city Chongqing itself |
| B．Chungking Express and Fallen Angels must be viewed as two separate cinematic works |
| C．the seemingly-unrelated films Chungking Express and Fallen Angels tell the same story |
| D．long lenses were employed during the shooting to highlight the actors and actresses |
【推荐2】The World Health Organization (WHO) reports Parkinson’s disease (帕金森病) is currently the fastest growing neurological condition worldwide. It harms the brain and often causes patients to lose the ability to control their movements. Researchers note that what is challenging to cure such patients is that early signs of Parkinson’s disease are not easy to identify. Many signs only appear years after the disease sets in. Researchers have investigated existing methods for detecting the disease before it has a chance to develop. These included examinations of brain images. But these methods are costly and require specialized medical centers.
Dina Katabi is a professor of electrical engineering and computer science at MIT. She helped lead the research. She said the act of breathing has always been connected to Parkinson’s disease. This connection led the research team to consider the potential of detecting the disease from one’s breathing without looking at movements. Previous studies have shown that breathing patterns linked to Parkinson’s disease can appear years before other signs.
Based on the above, American researchers have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) method to identify Parkinson’s disease. This means the AI system can be an early predictor of the disease. The system works by measuring a person’s breathing patterns during sleep. It can also measure the severity of disease and record its progression. The collected data is then processed through what the researchers call a neural (神经的) network, which is a computer system built to act like the human brain.
Experiments showed that with just one night of sleep, the AI system was able to detect Parkinson’s disease with up to 86 percent accuracy. With 12 nights of data, the rate went up to 95 percent.
The researchers say the simplicity of the tool will enable many more people to be tested for the disease in their homes. They said this can especially help people in traditionally underserved communities, as well as individuals living in rural areas or with limited abilities to visit hospitals.
1. What is a barrier to treat Parkinson’s disease?| A．The patients can’t move. |
| B．It’s hard to discover its early signs. |
| C．Brain images are difficult to examine. |
| D．No testing equipment has been invented. |
| A．By detecting more nights of sleep. |
| B．By calculating the data more carefully. |
| C．By examining more aspects of the patient. |
| D．By measuring sleeping patterns the whole day. |
| A．It can reach more patients. |
| B．It’s more expensive. |
| C．It only measures patients breathing. |
| D．It requires specialists with better skills. |
| A．Significance of advanced technology. |
| B．The new cure for Parkinson’s disease. |
| C．Identification of Parkinson’s disease by AI. |
| D．An effective method to improve breathing. |
【推荐3】During the work week, the city of Bogotá, Colombia, has 1,600,000 cars, 50,000 taxis, 9,000 buses, and 500,000 motorcycles. But every Sunday, the city closes 75 miles of roads to motor vehicles, so the Bogotanos (citizens of Bogotá) have to leave their cars at home. Instead, they go on their bicycles, roller skates, scooters, wheelchairs, and skateboards. And they walk!
During “Ciclovía” (meaning “Bicycle Way” in English) every Sunday, people bike around the city streets, and, as they bike, there are “Fun Stops.” At one fun stop, you can listen to musicians playing salsa music. At another, there is an aerobics class with a fitness instructor. And there is always cheap, delicious food for sale—“I come for the food!” says one young woman.
This year, Ciclovía in Bogotá is 25 years old and it’s still very popular. Bibiana Sarmiento is the manager of Ciclovía and she explains why it’s a good idea: “The Ciclovía is the moment when motor vehicles make way for human beings … citizens take over the city’s public space.” Now other cities have days like Ciclovía all over the world—from New Zealand to Europe to China.
Maybe your town or city already has a special day when people—not cars—control the streets. If it doesn’t, maybe it’s time to start one.
1. How many cars does the city of Bogotá, Colombia have?| A．1.6 million | B．16 million | C．1.6 billion | D．16 billion |
| A．By cars and buses |
| B．By taxis and cars |
| C．By motor cars and taxis |
| D．On foot |
| A．You can listen to rock and roll music. |
| B．You can have an aerobics class. |
| C．You can have expensive, delicious food. |
| D．You can meet many interesting people there. |
| A．How local people have fun at Ciclovía |
| B．Transportation in Bogotá |
| C．A City that Bans Cars on Sundays |
| D．Why Ciclovía is popular |
