The National Parks Service has confirmed the discovery of an ancient crab (螃蟹) fossil (化石) found along the shores of Assateague Island National Seashore.
Sharon Conn, a visitor to the area, found the fossil in early October on the shore of Assateague Island. “It is very uncommon to find fossils of this nature. We have a very small number in our museum collection. That is what makes this discovery very exciting,” Liz Davis chief of Assateague Island National Seashore said.
The parks service identified the rare blue crab fossil with the help of the Department of Paleobiology. Matthew Mille, museum specialist at the National Museum of Natural History, tested the fossil to find out how it is. He concluded it was likely from the Pleistocene age, about 2 million years ago. “The extra rock around it is such a well tough ground that it can’t be easily eroded (腐蚀),” he said. “The claw did erode a bit though — which is why it isn’t immediately recognized as a claw. Gone are the tips and parts of the infilled area where the original flesh would have been through, making the whole fossil looks a bit strange.”
The fossil was found on public land and is protected by law. Davis told the Daily Times it was currently at the National Parks Service Toms Cove Visitor Center in Virginia. “We hope to have a small collection of fossils on display at the NPS Assateague Island Vistior Center in Maryland later in 2022,” said Davis.
1. What does Liz Davis think of the ancient crab fossil?A.It is invaluable. | B.It is very old. | C.It is imperfect. | D.It is rare. |
A.Around 2 million years old. |
B.2 million years old. |
C.3 million years old. |
D.Less than 2 million years old. |
A.Sharon Conn. | B.The country. | C.Liz Davis. | D.The National Parks Service. |
A.A Lucky Visitor. | B.Assateague Island. |
C.An Ancient Blue Fossil. | D.An Important Discovery. |
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【推荐1】Typhoons (台风) in the northern part of the world have girls’ names. Sometimes they have very beautiful names. Rose is a pretty name but there was nothing pretty about Typhoon Rose. It was the worst typhoon to hit Hong Kong in ten years.
It began to rain in the morning of Monday, August 16th, 1971. At ten o'clock in the morning, Typhoon Rose was still 130 miles away but already the wind was blowing people’s umbrella away. The wind became stronger and stronger. The typhoon shelters (避风港) were soon full of boats. Ships that were too big to go inside the shelters put down more anchors (锚). Some very big ships went out to sea. It is safer for a big ship to be at sea in a typhoon because it cannot be blown onto rocks. Kai Tak Airport closed. No planes were able to take off or land. At 9:00 in the evening, all the lights went out.
No one slept well that night. It is difficult to sleep in such bad weather.
In Typhoon Rose, more than one hundred people died. 229 people were hurt and 66 of these had to go to hospital. 1500 lost their homes. The people of Hong Kong will not quickly forget Typhoon Rose!
1. What’s true according to the passage?A.Typhoons all over the world have girls’ names. |
B.Typhoons with pretty names are usually beautiful. |
C.Typhoon Rose only hit Hong Kong. |
D.For ten years, people in Hong Kong haven’t seen a worse typhoon than Typhoon Rose. |
A.Lots of big shops were blown onto rocks. |
B.More than two hundred people lost their lives and many more lost their homes. |
C.People didn’t sleep well in such bad weather. |
D.People turned off the lights at 9:00 in the evening. |
A.it caused the terrible losses (损失) |
B.they didn’t sleep well that night |
C.Typhoon Rose wasn’t as pretty as its name |
D.they couldn’t find their ships after the typhoon |
A.they had more anchors |
B.it is safer outside |
C.they were out at sea and they weren’t fast enough to reach the shelters when Typhoon Rose came |
D.it was too expensive for big ships to go inside the shelters |
A.the names of typhoons |
B.typhoons in Hong King |
C.Typhoon Rose |
D.the typhoons |
【推荐2】Good health is the most valuable possession a person can have, but one can not regard good health as certain to happen. It's important to remember that our body needs proper care in order to be healthy. There are three things that a person can do to stay in good shape: one should eat the right foods, get enough sleep, and exercise regularly.
Proper nutrition is important for good health, Your body can not function(起作用)well unless it receives the proper kind of “fuel”. Avoid foods with lots of sugar and fat. Eat plenty of foods high in protein, like meat, fish, beans and nuts. Vegetables and fruits are especially important because they provide necessary vitamins and minerals. However, don't overeat. It's not helpful to be overweight.
Getting the proper amount of sleep is also important. If you don't get enough sleep, You’ll feel tired and irritable(急躁的). You have no energy. Over a long period of time a little amount of sleep may even result in a change of personality. Be sure to allow yourself for seven to nine hours of sleep each night. If you do so, your body will feel strong and refreshed, and your mind will be sharp.
Finally, get plenty of exercise. Exercise firms the body, strengthens the muscles, and prevents you from gaining weight. It also improves your heart and lungs. If you follow a regular exercise program, you will probably increase your lifespan(寿命). Any kind of exercise is good. Most sports are excellent for keeping the body in good shape: basketball, swimming, bicycling, gymnastics and running are good examples. Sports are not only good for your body, but they are enjoyable and interesting, too.
If everybody were to eat the right foods, get plenty of sleep and exercise regularly, the world would be a happier and healthier place. We would all live to be much older and wiser.
1. According to the passage,_________.A.we should eat right food, get enough sleep, and exercise regularly |
B.if we were healthy, we could spend our days in doing things with less sleep |
C.one can eat a lot to stay in good shape |
D.one needn’t take any exercise if he is healthy |
A.we should eat a lot of sweets | B.one needs a large amount of fat |
C.people should eat according to the foods’ nutrition | D.we must try to sleep now and then |
A.can keep healthy | B.are not good for you |
C.get you more energy | D.will keep your personality |
A.Eating and Exercising | B.How Vitamins Work in Man's Body |
C.How to Stay Healthy | D.Sleeping Well |
【推荐3】This summer, Guinness World Records chose a big cherry as the heaviest ever recorded. A Carmen cherry, harvested by brothers Giuseppe and Alberto Rosso, clocked up 33 grams with a circumference (周长) of around 5 inches. At their farm, Cascina Canape, in the Piedmont region of northern Italy, the Rosso brothers claim to have grown many cherries of similar size over the last few years. But it was only in 2021 that they decided to “get serious” in seeking official recognition for their fruit.
However, this is the second time the world record has been broken for the heaviest cherry in 2021. Another grower, from Ferrara, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, harvested a cherry this year weighing 26.45 grams. Perhaps it shouldn’t be surprising that the record was broken twice in Italy, since the country is Europe’s largest cherry producer. Yet Piedmont, where the latest record was set, is not one of the many Italian regions that grow the most cherries, such as Puglia, Emilia-Romagna, Veneto, Campania, and Lazio.
Though their farm is only 15 acres, the Rosso brothers grow over 70 types of cherries. Consumers today tend to buy the larger, sweeter fruits, and the winning Carmen variety has both of these characteristics. But to achieve the record size, nothing can be left to chance, “Pruning (修剪) is very important,” explains Alberto. “The main purpose is not to overload the plant with fruits: if there are too many, they may all ripen. But then we would have cherries of smaller dimensions with less sugar in them, because the plant would not be able to feed everyone in the same way.”
Also, one may think that large cherries must grow on very large trees. It’s actually the opposite: many new cherry tree types are only about 13 feet high, yet they are the ones that produce the largest fruits.
1. What can we learn about the winning cherry?A.It is 5 inches in height. |
B.It is 26.45 grams in weight. |
C.It was brought in by two Italian brothers. |
D.It was from the region growing the most cherries. |
A.timed | B.grew | C.equalled | D.weighed |
A.Those growing in Piedmont. | B.Those small trees pruned properly. |
C.Those extremely tall trees. | D.Those with cherries ripening fast. |
A.A journal. | B.An advertisement. | C.A textbook. | D.A brochure. |
【推荐1】China formally announced its first batch of five national parks. Are any of them from your hometown?
·The Sanjiangyuan National Park
The Sanjiangyuan Natonal Park, which is the source of three major rivers — the Yangtze, the Yellow, and the Lancang Rivers — is an important source of fresh water supply in China maintaining the lifeline of water security of the country. It is also home to hundreds of species of wild animals, such as wild yaks (牦牛), snow leopards and Tibetan antelopes.
·The Giant Panda National Park
The Giant Panda National Park connects three provinces — Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu. The park holds more than 70 percent of China’s wild giant pandas. Aside from the “national treasure” of China, the park is also the habitat of highly protected animals, including the snub-nosed monkey.
·The Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park
In the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park in Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces the high-tech monitoring system was launched to provide real-time protection for plants and animals. Thanks to the establishment of the national park, at least 12 Siberian tiger cubs and 11 Amur leopard cubs have been born so far.
·The Wuyi Mountain National Park
The Wuyi Mountain National Park is the only national park in China which is both a biosphere reserve and heritage site. The park has the most complete, most typical, and largest area of the central subtropical (中亚热带的) native forest ecosystem at the same latitude on Earth. It is known as a birds’ paradise, the kingdom of snakes and the world of insects.
·The Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park
In the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park, the protection of Hainan gibbons (长臂猿) has become a success story for animal preservation worldwide. Being the animals native to the South China island, Hainan gibbons are the world’s rarest primate (灵长类动物). Under the effective protection, its population has increased from as few as 7 to 9 in the 1980s to 35 today.
1. What does the Sanjiangyuan National Park influence most?A.Land resources. |
B.Water resources. |
C.Forest resources. |
D.Living resources. |
A.The Sanjiangyuan National Park. |
B.The Wuyi Mountain National Park. |
C.The Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park. |
D.The Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park. |
A.In a novel. |
B.In a research report. |
C.In a travel handbook. |
D.In a nature magazine. |
【推荐2】John “Charlie” Veron-widely known as “the Godfather of Coral Reef (珊瑚礁)”-is a celebrated expert who has personally discovered nearly a quarter of the world’s coral species and has spent the past 45 years diving Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. But now the 73-year-old is raising the alarm about its future. The Great Barrier Reef, one of the natural wonders, is 2, 300 kilometers long and is the only living organism that can be seen from space. It is considered a World Treasure Site due to its biodiversity (生物多样性)with 30 species of whales, dolphins and sharks. Within the reef itself, there are also a number of tiny organisms and fishes.
However, its health is threatened. After the recent mass bleaching (白化)events, Veron dived in many areas of the Great Barrier Reef to see the damage for himself. “I was seeing and feeling it and it was absolutely shocking, ” he says.
Veron says the mass bleaching events in the past few years-and the possibility of losing one of nature’s greatest treasures-were a wake-up call for the world in the wider battle against climate change, which, together with the rising sea temperature, is considered the greatest threats to the reef.
Fortunately, earlier this year, the Australian government announced nearly 400 million dollars in new funding towards scientific projects designed to help the reef.
There has been criticism in Australia about the slow process for the funding. “It won’t be wasted, though,”Veron says. “As scientists will be able to create a sort of seed bank to protect the species until the climate is good enough to rebuild the reef. What the scientists hope to do is to help nature along a bit after the big carbon dioxide increase is over and it starts to come down.”
1. Why is the Great Barrier Reef considered a treasure site?A.It is a natural wonder. |
B.It can be seen from space. |
C.It has a rich variety of species. |
D.It is home to a great many fishes. |
A.Climate change is threatening biodiversity. |
B.The Great Barrier Reef is in danger of extinction. |
C.Scientists have found major factors in the reef’s blenching. |
D.Veron has made great contributions to environmental protection. |
A.Uncaring. | B.Doubtful. | C.Uncertain. | D.Positive. |
A.A news report. | B.A travel guide. |
C.A research plan. | D.A journal entry. |
【推荐3】WHY SHENNONGJIA?
As we know, in 2016, Shennongjia made it on to the UNESCO World Heritage List. But there are so many important places not yet on this list. So you might ask: why Shennongjia?
UNESCO awarded Shennongjia this status because it meets two criteria required by the list. It contains a naturally-balanced environment that allows the many and various species to live and prosper. It is also one of the rare locations in the world where scientists can observe in real time the ecological and biological processes that occur as the plants and animals develop and evolve.
For the first criterion, Shennongjia is apparently one of the most “complete” natural areas in the world. The region rises from about 400 metres to over 3, 000 metres above sealevel, giving it the name the “Roof of Central China”.
For the second criterion, we can see that Shennongjia has incredible biodiversity. Look at this slide. According to official statistics, over 3, 000 plant species have been recorded there. This represents more than ten percent of China’s total floral richness.
It is a challenge to look after so many species. In winter, scientists brave heavy snow and freezing temperatures to supply food to the Golden Snub-nosed Monkey. Thanks to their efforts, the monkey’s population has doubled since the 1980s.Their number reached over 1, 300 in 2015 and continues to grow.
But the most impressive aspect of Shennongjia is the local people, who take things from nature without causing damage. I visited a local village which is known for its home-made honey. What is special about the honey is that it is produced by the earliest species of Chinese bee. All of this explains why Shennongjia earned—and deserves—its place on the UNESCO World Heritage List, as well as highlighting how understanding, awareness and hard work have contributed towards protecting a unique and wonderful part of our natural world.
1. Why is Shennongjia included in the UNESCO World Heritage List?A.Because its forests stretch on and on like great green seas. |
B.Because it is the legendary father of Chinese herbal medicine. |
C.Because it satisfies the two requirements for the status. |
D.Because it has the mysterious creature called “Yeren”. |
A.Roof of Central China | B.Roof of Northern China |
C.Roof of Eastern China | D.Roof of Southern China |
A.Patient. | B.Careful. | C.Confident. | D.Hard-working. |
A.A local village. | B.The local people. |
C.Some special monkeys. | D.The wild bees. |