One day, off the coast of a small Brazilian island, Joao Pereira de Souza headed out fishing. He was disheartened to find that an oil leak had polluted the waters. Staring at the waves with oil, he decided it was not a good day to fish. But walking the beach that day, he found a struggling penguin(企鹅) ,covered in oil and starving. Pereira took the penguin home, gently cleaned it and spent the next week nursing it back to health. He named it Dindim.
Dindim is a Magellanic penguin, a species known for living in the seas of South America. In order to breed(繁殖) ,they must return to Patagonia,8,000 kilometers from Pereira’s home. Pereira patiently took Dindim back to the ocean and taught him how to swim again. Soon enough, it was time for Dindim to return to life in the wild. Pereira watched Dindim swim away, believing it would be the last time he saw him.
But the next June, Dindim returned and stayed for a month, walking around the fisherman’s house The time to leave arrived, and Pereira thought this surely would be the last time he would see Dindim. Bu 11 months later, the penguin with a long memory returned again
It is a common belief among scientists that animals have short memories. So a couple of them put tracking equipment on Dindim to see if it was indeed the same penguin that returned year after year. To their surprise, but not Pereira’s, Dindim returned, year after year, for more than a decade.
Love and nurture create a bond so deep that we can’t always explain it. It’s just something we feel, something we long to provide. And when we do, it lasts much longer than we ever expected. Pereira and Dindim share a bond that bridges human life and the natural world. Their friendship is the embodiment(化身)of hope
1. Why was Dindim in bad shape?A.It traveled too far. | B.Oil covered its body. |
C.The waves attacked it. | D.It was trapped in a net. |
A.He wished it healthy growth. | B.He was going to travel with it. |
C.He would never see it any more. | D.He should have made it stay with him. |
A.It had a long life of more than a decade. |
B.It was not the same penguin coming back every year. |
C.It found its home with the help of tracking equipment. |
D.It had a long memory of the location of Pereira’s home. |
A.Anxious. | B.Confident. |
C.Uncertain. | D.Astonished. |
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【推荐1】The Canada goose is the largest species of true goose. Its scientific name, Branta canadensis, means “black or burnt goose from Canada”. While Canada goose is the bird’s official and preferred name, it is also known colloquially (通俗地) as the Canadian goose.
The Canada goose has a black head and neck and a white “chinstrap (下巴)” that distinguish it from other geese. Its body is brown. The average Canada goose ranges from 75 to 110 cm in length and has a wingspan of 1.27 to 1.85 m. Adult females are slightly smaller and lighter than males, but they are visually indistinguishable. An average male weighs from 2.6 to 6.5 kg, while an average female weighs from 2.4 to 5.5 kg.
Canada geese are mostly herbivores (食草动物). They eat grass, beans, corn, and aquatic plants. They sometimes also eat small insects and fish. In urban areas, Canada geese will pick food from garbage bins or accept it from humans.
Fresh water is a primary need for these geese, and they seek it nearby wherever they happen to be. They will flock to lakes, ponds, streams, rivers and even swimming pools! This is the perfect habitat for Canada geese, and they take advantage of these areas commonly.
Originally, the Canada goose was native to North America, breeding in Canada and the northern U.S. and migrating further south in the winter. Some geese still follow the usual migration pattern, but large flocks have established permanent residences as far south as Florida.
Where you can find Canada geese varies based on what time of year it is. In some areas, the geese are becoming permanent residents, when they used to migrate south for the winter. The southern United States is their home during the winter, the northern United States has a year-round population, and Canada has a summer population.
1. What is characteristic of the Canada goose?A.Its black head and neck and white chinstrap. |
B.Its length and weight. |
C.Its average wingspan. |
D.Its brown body. |
A.Its scientific name is the Canadian goose. |
B.Its length varies based on where they live. |
C.Adult females are usually larger and heavier than males. |
D.It is hard to distinguish a female from a male in appearance. |
A.Fish. | B.Food. | C.Corn. | D.Garbage. |
A.Habitat and distribution. | B.Diet. |
C.Migration. | D.Life Cycle. |
【推荐2】Wildlife crossings don’t just protect animals. They can also mitigate problems related to wildlife-vehicle collisions (碰撞) and save significant money for a community.
Wildlife crossings are man-made structures that help animals move safely around their habitat. They are often paths under or over another existing road or railway, or underground passages for animals to get past for food or avoiding attacks.
Some animals are unable to migrate to survive. People still rely on highways for business and travel, and animals continue to have mobility needs for survival, though. When new roads are built, animals living in a part of their habitat can greatly increase the number of wildlife vehicle collisions while trying to cross the new barriers.
In a new study, Wisnu Sugiarto, a Washington State University economics doctoral student, examined data for 13 of the 22 wildlife crossings, including bridges and underpasses, in the Washington State. He compared the number of wildlife-vehicle collisions each year before and after the construction of a wildlife crossing. He considered the area within 10 miles of a crossing.
Then he compared his analysis to a separate area in the state with no crossings at all. “The findings reported that wildlife crossing structures reduced the number of wildlife-vehicle collisions by one to three accidents on average per mile per year,” Sugiarto said. “Therefore, building wildlife crossing structures is typically an essential and effective strategy to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions.”
“Trior to working on this research, I wasn’t aware of any strategies to reduce wildlife vehicle collisions. I also thought we couldn’t do much about it, partly because we wouldn’t be able to communicate with wildlife and control their movement,” Sugiarto added. “However, it turns out that there are multiple strategies to deal with issues related to wildlife-vehicle collisions and we can do something about them. ”
It is reported that the government has invested $ 350 million over five years for the construction of wildlife crossings. Every wildlife crossing offers a mean benefit of between $235,000 and $443,000 each year.
1. What does the underlined word “mitigate” in paragraph 1 mean?A.Analyze. | B.Reduce. | C.Study. | D.Discover. |
A.How the wildlife crossings are built. |
B.Why wildlife crossings are necessary. |
C.What should be done to cross the roads. |
D.When wildlife-vehicle collisions happen. |
A.Tolerant. | B.Skeptical. |
C.Favorable. | D.Conservative. |
A.Wildlife crossings save wild animals and money |
B.The size of wildlife crossings affects animals greatly |
C.Every wildlife crossing has a great effect on road safety |
D.Wildlife crossings manage to help animals move safely |
【推荐3】With pet ownership becoming more popular, being saddened by the loss of a beloved pet is becoming a terrible headache. Li Peng, a woolen felt (织物) craftswoman, has found a unique way to preserve the memory of dead pets by creating realistic woolen images.
Li’s journey into this craft is accidental. During her college years, she majored in e-commerce and worked part time at a pet store. One day, while visiting a website, she came upon a small fox made entirely of wool. Astonished at its delicacy, she set off on a self-taught journey in this art form. In late 2019, Li Peng made the firm decision to start her own business and pursue wool felting as a full-time profession.
While a video showcasing the work may only take a few minutes to watch, the actual process is far more intricate. The three-dimensional creations feature genuine fur, lifelike glass eyes and tiny whiskers (胡须), each one individually secured by hand. To achieve a vivid effect, she repeatedly sticks layers of wool with a needle, winding the loose fibers together to create solid felted shapes. The key is massive patience.
The handcrafted creations satisfy her desire to convey love. The majority of her customers are pet owners who have experienced the loss of their beloved companions. They send Li photographs and even their pets’ hair, hoping to freeze the appearance of their furry friends through her wool felting models. Fascinated by the deep bond between people and their pets, she is committed to grabbing and investing these emotions in her artworks. And it turns out that the career is a success. Orders are often scheduled for one year later, and she has gained substantial attention through social media.
Reflecting on her work, Li expresses her desire to create meaningful pieces using the warm material, offering a heartfelt gift of warmth to the beautiful souls of this world.
1. What inspired Li Peng to take up wool felting as a career?A.A temporary job at a pet shop. | B.Her self-study art course. |
C.A discovery of an alternative to fiber. | D.A woolen creation online. |
A.Confusing. | B.Efficient. | C.Complicated. | D.Effortless. |
A.Conservationists of animal rights. | B.Individuals fond of furry toys. |
C.Distributors providing personalized service. | D.People suffering from pet loss. |
A.Fair product pricing. | B.Human-pet attachment. |
C.Smart network marketing. | D.Hunger for a fine reputation. |
【推荐1】Caleb Arnold loves birds, especially hummingbirds. The 7-year-old boy knows a lot about his favorite animal. “They pollinate(授粉) plants, and they’re pretty and small,” he says. But there’s one thing Caleb didn’t know: hummingbirds see a wider range of colors than we do.
It makes sense that Caleb didn’t know this. Few people did for sure, until June 15, 2020, when researchers published a report in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. It confirmed the fact that scientists have long suspected. Birds are experiencing a more colorful world that is above our own. A team of scientists conducted a three-year experiment to find out if hummingbirds are able to tell apart colors that look the same to humans.
To understand the experiment, it’s important to know how color vision works. There are three types of tiny color-sensitive cones(锥细胞) in the human eye. Birds, and some other animals, have a fourth. This means they can also see ultraviolet(紫外线) colors. The ultraviolet cone type allows birds to see combination colors that humans can’t, like ultraviolet green and ultraviolet red. Biologists studying birds have supposed that birds can see these, but it’s been challenging to test this idea.
That’s exactly what the team did. They put two bird feeders in the wild. One contained ordinary water. The other contained sugar water. Both feeders held a specially designed LED light stick — sort of a bird-vision light tube that changed colors. If we are shown the ultraviolet green tube and the green tube, they’d both just look green to us. But the hummingbirds saw the difference. They could even tell apart two shades of ultraviolet red. The scientists observed that the birds were able to use the colors of the lights to find the sweet water.
Caleb is glad scientists want to better understand birds. “Good” he said, after hearing the news. “They’re part of nature.”
1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?A.To introduce hummingbirds. | B.To explain a natural law. |
C.To lead in the topic of the text. | D.To describe a boy who loves birds. |
A.They look very beautiful. | B.They are of a small size. |
C.They are helpful to plants. | D.They see more colors than humans. |
A.The reason for birds’ better color vision. |
B.The challenges biologists face. |
C.Combination colors unseen by humans. |
D.The experiment to test ultraviolet colors. |
A.By tasting the water in the two containers. |
B.By recognizing the light colors on the feeders. |
C.By smelling the water in different tubes. |
D.By telling apart the depth of water in different feeders. |
【推荐2】Monkeypox(猴痘)Response and Recommendations Scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC)are tracking multiple cases of monkeypox.For more information on exposure risk,click Monitoring Persons Exposed.
CDC is working with health officials to identify people who may have been in contact with individuals who have tested positive for monkeypox,so they can monitor their health.
Recommendations for Individuals
People should contact their healthcare provider if they:
◆traveled to African counties,or parts of Europe where monkeypox cases have been reported.
◆traveled to other areas with confirmed cases of monkeypox during the month before their symploms(症状)began.
◆contacted with a person with confirmed monkeypox.
Recommendations for Healthcare Providers
Presenting symptoms typically include fever,headache,back pain,and the characteristic rash(皮疹);however,cases in the absence of fever has been reported.If healthcare providers identify patients with a rash that could be consistent with monkeypox,monkeypox should be considered as a possible cause,regardless of whether they have other risk factors for monkeypox.
◆Information on infection control in healthcare settings is provided on our CDC website.For more information,click Infection Control:Healthcare Settings.
◆Healthcare providers should first consult state health department or CDC through the CDC Emergency Operations Center(770-488-7100)as soon as monkeypox is suspected.
◆All samples should be sent through the state public health department.
Recommendations for Health Departments
◆If monkeypox is suspected,consult through the CDC Emergency Operations Center.
◆Collected samples can be sent to CDC or a Laboratory Response Network laboratory for testing.
1. What should you do if you contacted with a confirmed monkeypox case?A.Report to your healthcare provider. | B.Consult the state health department. |
C.Call the Emergency Operations Center. | D.Contact Laboratory Response Network. |
A.The severe back pain. | B.The sudden high fever. |
C.The constant headache. | D.The characteristic rash. |
A.In a travel brochure. | B.In a medical journal. |
C.On the CDC’s website. | D.On the news broadcast. |
The Tall Persons Club Great Britain (TPCGB), which was formed six months ago to campaign for the needs of the tall, has turned its attention to hotels and restaurants. Beds that are too small, shower heads that are too low, and restaurant tables with hardly any leg-room all make life difficult for those of above average height, it says.
But it is not just the extra-tall whose needs are not being met. The average height of the population has been increasing yet the standard size of beds, doorways, and chairs has remained unchanged.
“The bedding industry says a bed should be six inches larger than the person using it, so even a king-size bed at 6′6″ (6 feet and 6 inches) is falling short for 25% of men, while the standard 6′3″ bed caters for less than half of the male population.” Said TPCGB president Phil Heinricy, “seven-foot beds would work fine.”
Similarly, restaurant tables can cause no end of problems. Small tables, which mean the long-legged have to sit a foot or so away from them, are enough to make tall customers go elsewhere.
Some have already taken note, however. At Queens Moat Houses′ Caledoman Hotel in Edinburgh, 6′6″beds are now put in as standard after requests for longer beds from taller visitors, particularly Americans.
1. What is the purpose of the TPCGB campaign?
A.To provide better services. |
B.To rebuild hotels and restaurants. |
C.To draw public attention to the needs of the tall. |
D.To attract more people to become its members. |
A.7′2″. | B.7′ | C.6′6″ | D.6′3″ |
A.They may lose some customers. |
B.They may start businesses elsewhere. |
C.They have to find easy chairs to match the tables. |
D.They have to provide enough space for the long-legged. |
A.Tall people pay more for larger beds. |
B.6′6″beds have taken the place of 6′3″beds. |
C.Special rooms are kept for Americans. |
D.Guest rooms are standardized. |