Some people say that the planet is getting smaller, that there are few places left to explore, and that the age of exploration will be over soon.
I would argue instead that there has never been a greater need to explore. That’s because the stage for all exploration is the natural world, and nature is experiencing a rapid decline. It is by exploring that we understand and when we understand we develop an appreciation for what is found. Ultimately, only the things we appreciate are worth protecting.
As the golden age of exploration weakens, so does the richness of life on Earth. It isn’t just that there are fewer blank areas on the map; it is that wild places and spaces have been progressively carved up (瓜分). Visiting the Okavango Delta or Kalahari Desert, for example, no longer implies a self-supported expedition. Field stations pop up in important national parks and remote sensing by satellite becomes commonplace.
In the next century, I believe we will need larger and wilder areas. We will need the wilderness, not just for the protection of it, but because it is an important part of the ecosystems from which we gain our necessities like clean water, food and materials. If we succeed, then expeditions — brief travels into the wild that seek to answer questions, monitor populations, and inspire action — will have a renewed sense of purpose. More importantly, they greatly help the public experience, understand and appreciate nature.
Based on my own research expedition which aims to understand “edge effects” — how the changes in temperature at forest edges impact animals, I find it important that today’s scientists continue to spend time in the field. It is here that they begin to understand how seemingly unrelated environmental interactions influence their study system. Sometimes, it’s difficult to know which is important to measure until you stand out there on the forest edge.
It is the young generation that is the main force to lead the next wave of expeditions. The measure of their success will be whether there are still well-preserved wild places for expeditions in the future. Their leadership is needed now, more than ever.
1. What’s the purpose of this text?| A．To suggest understanding nature by keeping exploring. |
| B．To advise people not to travel to unknown places. |
| C．To inform us about the reduced biodiversity. |
| D．To call on the public to support the study. |
| A．It is difficult for explorers to make progress. |
| B．It is more accessible with the help of technology. |
| C．It promotes the development of satellite technology. |
| D．It requires explorers to take sufficient heavy equipment. |
| A．Appear unexpectedly. | B．Close temporarily. |
| C．Develop quickly. | D．Differ greatly. |
| A．The significance of scientists’ field trip. |
| B．The difficulty of carrying out fieldwork. |
| C．The need to expand the edges of forests. |
| D．The influence of his study on the environment. |
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【推荐1】Heavy space suits, limited electricity and water, no communication with the outside world, or no fresh fruits and vegetables, you wouldn’t be mistaken if you’re picturing a space mission to Mars. And that’s exactly what NASA wanted with their copied Mar’s training programming.
For four months, Kate Green and five others lived in isolation(隔离)at the top of the Hawaiian volcano of Mauna Loa. Though not real astronauts, they lived, worked, and slept inside of a specially built circular house in order to understand what life on Mars could be like. In her new book, Once Upon a Time I Lived on Mars: Space, Exploration, and Life on Earth, Kate writes about her experiences and what human exploration really means.
Here’s some of what she wrote: "As expected, while I was away on Mars my home changed as well. When an astronaut comes back, Earth isn’t where it was. The whole system has changed from under and all around. It’s like anything, though. You leave and come back, and home isn’t what it was. But sometimes leaving is the only way to know it was ever home in the first place."
In the days and weeks after returning to Earth, my partners and I ate fresh fruits and vegetables and we shared some of our more personal observations during the mission, all in service, we believed, of a better imagined future trip to Mars. Those early days back home are something of being unclear, though I do recall the strength of certain sensations(知觉). Loud noises easily frightened me. It took days for me to not actively notice even the slightest wind on my skin.
Although tough and unknown, we must believe that we humans can better explore space through our on-going efforts.
1. Why did Kate and her partners live in the circular house?| A．To train an astronaut. | B．To earn a lot of money. |
| C．To experience virtual life on Mars. | D．To collect writing materials for a book. |
| A．The home on Mars has changed. |
| B．The earth system has been damaged. |
| C．Only leaving makes you know the meaning of home. |
| D．Kate has to adapt to two different living conditions. |
| A．Unconcerned. | B．Doubtful. | C．Positive. | D．Unclear. |
| A．A biology textbook. | B．A science magazine. |
| C．A fitness paper. | D．A travel brochure. |
【推荐2】The vaccine (疫苗) news continues to seem very encouraging. Britain started its mass vaccination effort and the U. S. isn’t far behind. But there is still one dark cloud hanging over the vaccines that many people don’t yet understand. The vaccines will be much less effective at preventing death and illness if they are introduced into a population where the coronavirus is still severe-as is now the case in the U.S.
A vaccine is like a fire hose (消防龙头). A vaccine that is 95 percent effective, as Moderna’s and Pfizer’s versions appear to be, is a powerful fire hose. But the size of a fire is still a bigger determinant of how much destruction occurs.
At the current level of infection in the U. S.(about 160,000 confirmed new infections per day), a vaccine that is 95 percent effective — distributed at the expected pace — would still leave a terrible toll (伤亡人数) after it was introduced. Almost 36 million or so Americans have caught the virus, and more than 600,000 have died. This is far worse than the toll in a different situation where the vaccine was only 50 percent effective. However, it’s worth pausing for a moment on this comparison. If the U.S. maintained its current infection rate and Moderna and Pfizer announced that their vaccines were only 50 percent effective, a lot of people would panic.
But the reality we have is actually worse. How could this be? No vaccine can get rid of a pandemic immediately, just as no fire hose can put out a forest fire. While the vaccine is being distributed, the virus continues to do damage.
There is one positive way to look at this: Measures that reduce the virus’s spread — like mask-wearing, social distancing and rapid-result testing — can still have great consequences. They will save many lives in coming months.
1. According to the passage,what is the public’s attitude to the effects of the vaccine?| A．Critical. |
| B．Optimistic. |
| C．Worred. |
| D．Neutral. |
| A．By giving definitions. |
| B．By classifying facts. |
| C．By drawing comparisons. |
| D．By appealing to emotions. |
| A．fewer people will die if the infection rate is lower |
| B．the US have controlled the spread of the coronavirus |
| C．the death toll in the next months will be reduced a lot |
| D．the vaccines are less effective than expected |
| A．Improving the effectiveness of the vaccines. |
| B．Producing a greater variety of vaccines. |
| C．Looking at the situation in a positive way. |
| D．Wearing masks and practicing social distancing. |
【推荐3】Many large plant eaters have been wiped out in the past 50,000 years. Now a study has found that the continents that lost the most of these animals had the biggest increases in wildfires in grasslands.
“There’s evidence today that herbivores (食草动物) can limit wildfires by reducing fuel load,” says Allison Karp at Yale University. “In fact, some advocates of rewilding argue that restoring large herbivores can help reduce wildfires.”
A few studies have already found that there have been more fires in specific regions after the loss of large herbivores during the past 50, 000 years. Karp and her colleagues decided to look at the global picture by analyzing two databases from official websites. One, called HerbiTraits, has information on all herbivores larger than 10 kilograms that have lived in the past 130, 000 years. The other, called the Global Paleofire Database, has records of charcoal (木炭) deposited in lakes from 160 sites worldwide, which show changes in fire activity nearby.
The team found that the biggest increases in fire activity were in the continents, such as South America, which lost the most large herbivores, with lower increases where there were fewer extinctions, such as in Africa.
“The relation between herbivore extinctions and changes in fire activity is really strong,” Karp says.
Karp says her study cannot tell us anything about the effects of this increased fire activity. But other studies suggest that they were dramatic. After humans wiped out Australia’s large herbivores, for instance, increased fire activity led to a great loss of the continent s vegetation.
The reasons for the loss of so many large herbivores around the world during this period are still debated. It’s clear that many were hard hit by climate changes related to the last ice age, but human hunting may have been the killer factors in most cases.
1. What does Allison Karp mainly convey in paragraph 2?| A．Herbivores help to reduce wildfires. | B．Most large herbivores are in danger. |
| C．Rewilding has met many challenges. | D．Wildfires are very common worldwide. |
| A．By doing experiments in labs. | B．By comparing previous studies. |
| C．By analyzing two existing databases. | D．By collecting online questionnaires. |
| A．Beneficial. | B．Tiny. | C．Confusing. | D．Shocking. |
| A．Travel. | B．Environment. | C．Technology. | D．Agriculture. |
【推荐1】Last week after my motorcycle crashed on the freeway, I wanted only two simple things from technology: to call 911 and tell loved ones where I could be found.
For years, tech companies have offered different ways for people to tell one another where they are.
When you make plans to meet friends somewhere like a movie theater, get in the habit of sharing your location for a short duration, like an hour. This way you can skip saying things like “I’m on my way” or “I’m running a few minutes behind” because people can simply follow you on the map.
Next time you plan an event at a large outdoor space, do your friends a favor:
| A．Here are my suggestions for the best times to use it. |
| B．For safety reasons, avoid sharing your location publicly. |
| C．Use an app to share your current location so they can find you. |
| D．Consider sharing your location occasionally with your partner. |
| E．There are many ways for third parties to find out where we were. |
| F．Yet location tracking has caused disagreement for the last decade. |
| G．Before calling 911, I texted my partner who was already tracking my location with an app. |
【推荐2】Most stars are invisible against the overhead glare from city lights. At best, there is only a bit of the Milky Way to see: the combined radiance of a hundred billion stars dims (暗淡) to near-nothingness by bright streetlamps and storefronts.
This is light pollution-human-generated light cast up into the heavens-causing the sky itself to glow and washing out the stars. Astronomers have known for years the situation is bad for observing stars, but it also has real and negative effects on the well-being of many living things-plants, animals and even human beings. More than 80 percent of humanity is affected by light pollution, their view of the skies being stolen away.
All this extra light at night has a large effect on the life under it. Researchers have shown that it has negative impacts on many animals and plants; light pollution disturbs the great migrations of birds, the delicate blossoming of flowers, and even the courtship (求偶) of fireflies, etc. It affects humans as well, possibly causing insomnia (失眠) among many other health problems.
So what can we do about our brightening skies? There is a lot already happening. Groups like the International Dark Sky Association, or IDA, advocate not for more lighting but for more intelligent lighting; smarter street lights that concentrate their light downward is one example. Because these lights offer more efficient light, they save energy, too, eventually paying for themselves. The IDA offers advice on how to contact local authorities to fix better equipment and create ordinances to lower pollution. Many cities in the United States and other countries are certified Dark Sky Communities (DSC), ones that have shown “exceptional devotion to the preservation of the night sky” by discouraging wasteful lighting practices.
Many people don’t even know that they-and their children-are losing this cosmic (宇宙的) experience just over their heads. We need the dark night sky, and it’s up to all of us to make sure it’s still there every time the sun goes down.
1. How does the author organise Paragraph 3?| A．By listing figures. | B．By giving examples. |
| C．By following the order of time. | D．By analyzing cause and effect. |
| A．Surveys. | B．Jobs. | C．Wonders. | D．Regulations. |
| A．The importance of the dark night sky. |
| B．The urgency of having cosmic experience. |
| C．The necessity of solving the problem of light pollution. |
| D．Our children’s responsibility to fight light pollution. |
| A．Light Pollution Is Dimming Our View of the Sky |
| B．IDA Is Advocating Much Smarter Street Lights |
| C．DSC Has Shown Devotion to Preserving the Night Sky |
| D．The Applications of Intelligent Lighting Are Worldwide |
【推荐3】Cutlery (餐具) including chopsticks, knives, forks and spoons which delivers an electric shock to change the taste of food could help cut down salt in fast food. Scientists have developed a pair of chopsticks, which can make food taste saltier, sour or bitter without the need for extra seasoning (调味). They are also working on a spoon and fork that could make food taste spicier or sweeter. This “digital seasoning” technology could help food manufacturers and restaurants to reduce the amount of salt they put into food without relinquishing taste.
They work by delivering pulses of electricity to the tip of the tongue to stimulate the tastebuds(味蕾). Dr Nimesha Ranasinghe, an assistant professor who led the work on the electric cutlery, said, “This technology is aimed at creating a virtual taste sensation.”
Some Chinese takeaway food and ready meals were recently found to contain up to 11 times more salt than a bag of crisps — more than half of an adult’s daily allowance. Salt is known to be linked to serious health problems like heart disease and stroke.
But using a pair of electric chopsticks could help cut salt levels without influencing the taste, said Dr Ranasinghe. The technology, which Dr Ranasinghe initially developed while at the University of Singapore, works by installing two electrodes (电极) into each chopstick or the end of a spoon. These electrodes send a weak current through the tip of the tongue when they touch it to stimulate the taste buds.
By controlling the frequency and strength of the electric current, the researchers can stimulate either sourness, saltiness or bitterness. They say up to 80% of people experience changes in saltiness and sourness with the devices and 70% can sense changes in bitterness.
Dr Ranasinghe said he was also working on ways of imitating sweetness and spiciness by rapidly heating and cooling the tongue. It could lead to a spoon that allows desserts to taste sweet while having lower sugar levels or a fork that can give a curry extra heat without the need for extra chilies (辣椒). Dr Ranasinghe said: “We have some early findings of imitating sweetness, a mint-cool sensation and hot or spicy sensations.”
1. What seasoning cutlery has been developed?| A．Chopsticks. | B．Knives. | C．Forks. | D．Spoons. |
| A．It cuts down salt in food. |
| B．It adds extra seasoning in food. |
| C．It delivers an electric shock to the tongue. |
| D．It weakens our taste sensation in our mind. |
| A．Removing. | B．Attracting. | C．Acquiring. | D．Compromising. |
| A．Give yourself an electric shock to make takeaways healthy. |
| B．Try to eat at home instead of having take-out food to stay healthy. |
| C．Make your food taste saltier by using a pair of electric chopsticks. |
| D．Reduce the amount of salt in your food to avoid health problems. |
【推荐1】The HISTORY Channel series Alone drops contestants into some of the planet’s most punishing environments, with a bare minimum of clothing, safety and survival gear. In their battle against the elements, contestants are forced to use their fitness, their courage and their creativity to become true survivalists.
Few people choose to be thrown into such extreme situations, but those who do have usually stumbled into some immense bad luck. Just check out one of the famous real-life survival stories:
Mauro Prosperi is an Italian police officer who gained worldwide fame after getting lost in the Sahara Desert in 1994. A keen athlete and long-distance runner, Mauro took part in the 1994 Marathon of the Sands in Morocco, a six-day-long endurance race in one of the driest and barren environments on the planet.
During the race, a sandstorm caused Prosperi, then 39 years old, married and father to three children, to become disoriented. One day after going off track, he found himself in an abandoned Muslim temple in Algeria. In order to survive, he killed and ate bats. For liquid, he was forced to drink his own waste, lick dew off of rocks and suck moisture out of his wet wipes.
Assuming he would never be found, he cut his wrists with a pen knife from his supplies. However, it was such a dry heat that the wounds thickened and concreted, and he was forced to go back into the desert and attempt to find help.
For nine days he walked through the desert and ate insects and cold-blooded animals. Finally, he found a small village. From there he was flown to a hospital, where doctors said his liver had almost completely failed.
Having traveled 180 miles in all, Prosperi lost 35 pounds in body weight during his severe suffering in the desert; it took several months before he could eat solid food again. But he has remained an enthusiastic runner and even returned and completed the race in 2012.
1. Prosperi have to discontinue the Marathon of the Sands because ______.| A．his supplies were running out |
| B．his children didn’t want to lose him |
| C．he lost his way for the bad weather |
| D．he couldn’t tolerate the extreme heat |
| A．His intention to heal the wound. | B．His failure to take away his own life. |
| C．His decreasing interest in food sources. | D．His discomfort with the temple environment. |
| A．He found an alternative source of water in a traditional way. |
| B．He demonstrated the determination to survive all the way through. |
| C．His story was a proof of the worsening relationship between man and nature. |
| D．His eventual return to the race signified his persistence. |
| A．To entertain readers with an awe-inspiring fictional adventure story. |
| B．To educate readers about the possible dangers of punishing environments. |
| C．To inspire readers with human’s ability to survive the extreme challenges. |
| D．To remind readers of the value of essential survival skills and preparedness. |
【推荐2】 Exploring the North Pole
People have always had the desire to explore new places. Explorers throughout history have been motivated by the prospect of fame and fortune.
There were occasional North Pole expeditions in the 18th century. In 1755, the British Parliament offered a reward to the first ship to go to the Pole.
| A．The North Pole isn’t the coldest place on Earth |
| B．Most expeditions of the era took months — at least |
| C．But there’s still some argument attached to the claim |
| D．However, it was until the early 1900s that things really got going |
| E．When these explorers came back with tales of diamonds and coal near the Pole |
| F．North Pole exploration is no exception |
| G．There continue to be many North Pole “firsts” |
【推荐3】Helen Thayer, one of the greatest explorers of the 20th century, loves challenges. She says, “I like to see what’s on the other side of the hill.” She has gone almost everywhere to do that.
In 1988, at the age of 50, she became the first woman to travel alone to the North Pole. She pulled her own sled piled with 160 pounds of supplies, and during her trip no one brought her fresh supplies. Accompanied only by her dog Charlie, she survived cold weather and meetings with polar bears. In fact, Charlie saved her life when one of them attacked her. Near the end of her trip, a forceful wind blew away the majority of her supplies. The last week of the trip, she survived on a handful of nuts and a little water each day.
Helen goes to challenging places not only for adventure, but also for education. Before her Arctic journey, she started a website called Adventure Classroom. On the site, she shares her adventures in order to motivate (激发) students. She explains, “Although kids often see the world in a negative way, without hope for their future, we work to inspire them to set goals, plan for success and never give up.”
Helen grew up in New Zealand. Her parents were athletes and mountain climbers. Following her parents’ example, she climbed her first mountain at 9. Later, she climbed the highest mountains in North and South America, the former USSR and New Zealand.
In 1996, she took on another challenge — the Sahara Desert. She and her husband, Bill, walked 2,400 miles across it! In 2001, she and Bill traveled on foot from west to east through the Gobi Desert in Mongolia. They hope to travel to Sichuan and Tibet in China to study pandas this year.
Helen plans to continue taking trips. She’ll use her explorations, writing, photography and environmental work to create programs for her Adventure Classroom website. She wants to inspire her students never to stop facing challenges!
1. What can we learn from paragraph 2?| A．Helen Thayer is the first person to reach the North Pole. |
| B．Helen Thayer ate nothing during the last week of her trip. |
| C．Charlie prevented Helen from being attacked by a polar bear. |
| D．Helen Thayer traveled to the North Pole together with her husband. |
| A．For education. | B．For fun. | C．For money. | D．For fame. |
| A．The North Pole. | B．The Sahara Desert. |
| C．The Gobi Desert. | D．Sichuan and Tibet. |
| A．The Owner of Adventure Classroom | B．A Famous Woman |
| C．A Woman Mountain Climber | D．A Woman Who Loves Adventure |
