【推荐2】The huge Florida wetland known as the Everglades is a slow-moving river 80 kilometres wide but only a few centimeters deep. People call the Everglades a “river of grass” because sawgrass covers most of it. Sawgrass is not really grass. It is a plant that has leaves edged with tiny sharp teeth that can easily cut through clothes—and skin!
Travel in the Everglades is difficult. You cannot walk through shallow water because the sawgrass will cut you. The water is too shallow for regular boats. So, we use an airboat. An airboat is a flat, open boat. Like an airplane, it has a big propeller to move it. The propeller is fixed on the rear of the boat. It makes a tremendous noise, but it does the job. The boat skims along the water’s surface. Although we can still get lost in an airboat, at least we are above the alligators(短吻鳄).
While hundreds of different kinds of animals live in the Everglades, the most famous is surely the alligator. Once endangered, alligators are now protected within Everglades National Park. Visitors are likely to see them both on land and in water.
For a long time, dangers have threatened the Everglades. Around 1900, some people felt this precious wetland should be drained (排干). They said it was just a big swamp and not good for anything. In the 1920s, there was a land boom in Florida. People wanted to build homes everywhere, including in the Everglades. They built canals, levees (防洪堤), and other water systems that stopped the rivers flowing into the Everglades. Factories were built near rivers that flowed into the wetland. These factories dumped poisonous waste that damaged the Everglades ecosystem.
People are now working to preserve the Everglades National Park for the future. Right now, one big problem is the paperbark tree. This tree is an invader from Australia.
Paperbark trees soak up a lot of water. In the early 1900s, people brought them to Florida because they thought they would help drain the Everglades. However, the invaders adapted too well. Paperbark trees have taken over hundreds of thousands of acres of the Everglades and killed other trees. Scientists are cutting down these invaders or spraying them with herbicides (除草剂) to kill them.
1. Which helps to explain why it is difficult to travel in Everglades?

A．Airboats may make a very big noise.

B．You may get lost when passing through.

C．Paperbark trees soak up too much water there.

D．Many different kinds of animals are to be protected.

2. Why do people use airboats instead of normal boats?

A．They have big propellers to move them faster than alligators.

B．The propeller makes loud noise so as to scare alligators.

C．Their flat bottom can skim along the water surface.

D．They can watch alligators without hurting them.

3. The following measures were taken to drain the Everglades except that people______.

A．built canals and levees to stop the rivers flowing into Everglades

B．built factories near rivers that flowed into the wetland

C．brought Paperbark to soak up water in Everglades

D．are cutting down these Paperbark trees

4. The underlined word "invader" probably means something______.

A．that moves in from another place

B．that enters and takes control

C．that has been brought in

D．that is in danger

【推荐1】During the outbreak of novel coronavirus, wearing masks is widely believed to be a simple but effective method to protect oneself from a variety of harmful things. In fact, masks have been helping mankind for centuries. Let’s take a look at some mask-related history.

1st century

In that era, many people in Roman Empire worked underground in mines to support their families. But most of them suffered from and even eventually died of respiratory (呼吸的) illnesses. To handle this problem, Pliny the Elder (23 — 79 AD), a Roman philosopher and naturalist, recommended the use of animal bladder (膀胱) skins to stop dust from being inhaled (吸入). Although primitive, his idea was considered the very first recorded mask invention.

16th century

Early inventions did not stop with Pliny. Many centuries later, Italian artist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci (1452 — 1519), suggested using a woven cloth dipped in water over the face to protect against the toxic (有毒的) chemicals.

19th century

The design of the mask took a big step forward in the 19th century. In 1848, American Lewis Hassley became the first person to patent (注册专利) a protective mask for miners, which was a milestone in face mask history. Masks at this stage were similar to gas masks. Later, in 1897, Polish-Austrian doctor Johann von Mikulicz-Radecki designed a simple mask made up of one layer of gauze (纱布), recommending medical workers to wear it to prevent infection. That was the first recorded use of a surgical mask.

20th century

In 1910, an epidemic broke out in Northeast China. Chinese doctor Wu Liande designed a cheap face mask called “Wu’s mask”. Made of two layers of surgical gauze, it could be wrapped around the back of the head and tied in a knot. This mask was praised by many experts around the world, as it was simple to make and had a low production cost.

Modern exploration

With several outbreaks of infectious diseases and the flu, and the rise of pollution caused by industrial waste, the materials in masks have continued to evolve to better protect its wearer. For example, in 2012 when China suffered from smog, mask models such as N95 and KN90, which can filter out (过滤掉) this fine particulate (微粒) matter, became highly popular.

1. According to the text, why were masks invented?

A．To reduce the risk of infection.

B．To protect miners from dust.

C．To indicate patients with respiratory illnesses.

D．To protect workers from harmful chemicals.

2. What was considered a milestone in face mask history?

A．Using a woven cloth instead of animal skins.

B．Getting a patent on protective masks for miners.

C．The invention of surgical masks in 1897.

D．Using more than one layer of surgical gauze.

3. “Wu’s mask” grew popular around the world because ________.

A．it could be used multiple times

B．it was simple for people to wear

C．it was cheap and easy to produce

D．it could better protect people from smog

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．The development of masks.

B．The benefits of using masks.

C．A comparison of different masks.

D．The roles masks played in ancient times.

【推荐2】Everybody hates rats. But in the earthquake capitals of the world — Japan, Los Angeles, Turkey — rats will soon be man’s new best friends.

What happens after an earthquake? We send in rescue dogs. Why? Because they can smell people. Dogs save lives. They help rescue workers to find living people. But dogs are big and they can’t get into small spaces. So now a new research project is using a smaller animal to save lives: the rat.

How does it work? First, the rat is trained to smell people. When this happens, the rat’s brain gives a signal. This is sent to a small radio on its back, and then the rescuers follow the radio signals. When the rat’s brain activity jumps, the rescuers know that someone is alive. The rat has smelt that person.

Although there are already robots which can do this job, rats are better. Christian Linster at Cornell University, New York, says, “Robots’ noses don’t work well when there are other smells around. Rats are good at that.” Rats can also see in the dark. They are cheaper and quicker to train than dogs, and unlike robots, they don’t need electricity!

The “rat project” is not finished, but Julie Ryan of International Rescue Corps in Scotland says, “It would be fantastic. A rat could get into spaces we couldn’t get to, and a rat would get out if it wasn’t safe.” Perhaps for the first time in history, people will be happy to see a rat in a building (but only after an earthquake, of course).

1. In the world earthquake capitals, rats will become popular because they can ________.

A．get into small spaces

B．take the place of rescue workers

C．find food for survivors trapped in buildings

D．find the position of survivors trapped in buildings

2. From the third paragraph we know rescuers can judge a person is alive by ________.

A．the noise made by the rat

B．the rat’s unusual behavior

C．the signal sent by the radio on the rat

D．the smell given off by the person trapped

3. After reading the passage we know that now ________.

A．people still use dogs and robots in rescue work

B．the “rat project” has been completed already

C．rats have replaced dogs in searching for people

D．people are happy to see a rat in a building

4. The main idea of the passage is about ________ in an earthquake.

A．the importance of training rats

B．the role rats will play

C．ways of rescuing people

D．the reason for not using dogs