Why Do Mockingbirds Copy?
Mockingbirds live in North and South America. They are good copycats. They imitate other birds. But they can also imitate other animals. They can even make sounds like a piano or car alarm. Mockingbirds learn to sing many songs. Some learn more than 200 different songs. They can often trick people! But mockingbirds can’t trick other birds. If they can’t trick other birds, why do they copy sounds? They do it to attract and avoid other birds!
Males are loud singers, and they sing many songs. They always sing when they want to meet females. A male bird can sing most of the day and night. The singing attracts females. But it also keeps away other males. The longer a mockingbird lives, the more songs it knows. To show this characteristic, the male mockingbird sings all the songs it knows. A female mockingbird is attracted to a male who has lived a long time.
Mockingbirds usually sing short songs. They sing each sound several times. Then they move to the next sound. Female mockingbirds sing softly and less often than males. They usually sing at their nests in the winter to keep away other birds. When another bird comes near, the mockingbird makes a loud noise to frighten it. It’s amazing that the mockingbird can copy so many songs of other birds. Some songs are not easy to learn. The mockingbird must listen well to imitate the sounds. But a mockingbird also has good eyes and a good memory. When a person comes near its nest, the mockingbird remembers that person. It knows that person’s face after many years!
1. Mockingbirds are special because they can .| A．create songs | B．copy sounds |
| C．remember other birds | D．understand human’s words |
| A．size | B．eyesight | C．memory | D．voice |
| A．To recommend a course on birdlife. | B．To call on people to protect birds. |
| C．To give advice on feeding birds. | D．To introduce an interesting bird. |
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【推荐1】While facial recognition technology continues to promote many aspects of human life, it’s now being applied to aid the protection of giant pandas, Xinhua News Agency reported on 6 January 2022.
A nature reserve has built an AI-enabled video monitoring system to better protect giant pandas. Installed with 300 infrared (红外线) cameras, the monitoring system helps ensure the health and safety of 110 wild giant pandas there. It was put into operation two years ago, and has captured numerous photos and videos of pandas engaged in activities such as eating, resting and fighting for mates. It provides scientific data to help us grasp pandas’ living conditions and establish conservation strategies. More importantly, it achieves real-time monitoring of the reserve so that we can discern the threats to the wildlife as early as possible.
A recent study found the facial recognition system can automatically recognize various wild animals caught in infrared cameras, allowing researchers to collect data on giant pandas while staying indoors. It’s shown that by equipping the AI-aided system to retain the filed photos of giant pandas, we obtain a 98% success rate for species recognition. Its success rate of recognizing other wild animals can top 80%. In 2021 alone, this monitoring system captured 2, 896 photos of giant pandas and other rare animals and filmed 3,218 seconds of footage, showcasing the reserve’s sound ecological environment as well as a gradual rise in panda population there.
Head of the reserve’s administration, Liu Xingming, said researchers used the system not only to observe the dynamics and health of the giant panda population but also to learn about changes in the natural surroundings of their habitat. “The monitoring system has enabled systematic, scientific, and intelligent conservation of wildlife,” he added. “However, it is expected to be further improved and optimized in the near future.”
1. What does the underlined word “discern” mean in paragraph 2?| A．Solve. | B．Affect. | C．Detect. | D．Attach. |
| A．It contributes to species data collection. | B．It makes panda population rise rapidly. |
| C．It precisely recognizes any species. | D．It understands pandas’ facial appearance. |
| A．Critical. | B．Ambiguous. |
| C．Objective. | D．Conservative. |
| A．Panda Facial Recognition Using Database |
| B．AI Technology for Better Panda Protection |
| C．Functions of Facial Recognition Technology |
| D．A Breakthrough in Video Monitoring System |
【推荐2】People have long watched moths (飞蛾) and other flying insects flock to streetlamps, lights and flames. These insects appear attracted by the light. But a new study suggests they may just lose track of which way is up.
Previous theories say light probably blinds flying insects so that they get trapped by the light, or maybe they interpret light at night as a place to fly for a quick escape. Now the new study suggests flying insects instead turn their backs to the sky’s light to keep their feet pointing toward the ground. Insects naturally turn their backs toward light. But when that light is from an artificial source, it may affect their sense of direction, leading to them flying in circles or diving toward the ground.
At a field station in Costa Rica, Samuel Fabian, an entomologist from Imperial College London in England and his teammates set up hanging and standing lights, and then used high-speed cameras to track wild, flying insects including moths and flies. Some circled the lights endlessly, and others flew sharply upward, losing speed until they couldn’t fly any higher. When the light source pointed up, some insects turned around and headed for the ground. During the flight, the insects always kept the lights at their back even if they’d end up crashing. Crash landings were common when the team lit up a white sheet on the floor. But not when a white sheet — stretched into a height above the floor—was bathed in diffuse (漫射) light, much as the sky would be, insects flew through the area without getting trapped by the light.
The team also observed some species in a lab. Moths and dragonflies generally behaved like the wild insects, and they kept the light at their backs. However, in the lab, fruit flies, like oleander hawk moths — which can fly in the dark — could fly over LED lights without being thrown off course. In the wild, though, the moths still crashed. Maybe this is because, Fabian says, the insects can sometimes control their response to light, or over time, they might learn to avoid artificial light.
1. Why do insects naturally turn their backs toward light?| A．To get close to the light. | B．To escape being caught quickly. |
| C．To protect their feet better. | D．To track where the ground is. |
| A．Artificial light at night could put insects on a crash course. |
| B．Artificial light signaled an escape route for the insects. |
| C．The insects had a better sense of direction. |
| D．The insects were flying toward the light. |
| A．To stress the importance of the study. | B．To prove the previous theory. |
| C．To tell the existence of the exception. | D．To explain the flight pattern. |
| A．Artificial Light Makes Insects More Adaptable | B．Insects May Lose Track near Artificial Light |
| C．The Ways to Get Rid of Light Pollution | D．Insects Learn to Fly for a Quick Escape |
【推荐3】The birth of Britain’s first cloned dog has been considered “a ridiculous waste of money” and scientists said the process raised serious ethical (伦理的) concerns.
Sooam Biotech, a company in Seoul, said it had cloned the puppy, named Mini-Winnie, from a 12-year-old dog belonging to Rebecca Smith, who lives in the west London. She had won a contest run by the company which hoped to sell the service to pet owners for 60,000 pounds a time.
Mini-Winnie was born after scientists took skin cells from Mr Smith’s pet and dropped them into donor eggs to make embryos (胚胎). The puppy must remain in Korea for six months to satisfy British quarantine (检疫) laws.
But researchers warned that while a cloned dog might look similar to its biological parent, it would be a very different animal. “You would have many chances of replicating (复制) your favourite pet by choosing one from Battersea Dogs Home,” said Robin Lovell-Badge, a geneticist at the National Institute for Medical Research in London. Dusko Ilic, a stem cell scientist at King’s College London, said, “It is extremely unlikely that a puppy cloned from a favourite pet will behave in the same way. As time passes by, the differences will be more and more pronounced, especially personality traits. It is an absolute waste of money.”
The cloning process is controversial (有争论的) because the animals are often born with diseases or die soon after birth.
I think it’s unnecessary to try to clone pets for pet owners. First, it’s really costly. Second, the cloned pet is actually another dog. Third, there are many homeless dogs for people to adopt in shelters. So why not just adopt a dog instead?
1. What is “the service” underlined in paragraph 2?| A．Cloning puppies. | B．The contest. | C．Buying houses. | D．Pet treatment. |
| A．Its skin was taken off by scientists. |
| B．It is planned to be sent to Britain. |
| C．It’s going to be cloned by Korean scientists. |
| D．It is a 12-year-old dog belonging to Smith. |
| A．Humans should spend more cloning them. |
| B．Cloned pets are exact copies of pets. |
| C．Personality traits can’t be cloned. |
| D．It is ridiculous for scientists to clone animals. |
| A．Ethical concerns of cloning a pet. | B．Process of cloning a pet. |
| C．A warning of a pet cloning. | D．Making embryos of a pet. |
Every year, tourists from all over the world go to Liverpool, most of whom head straight for the stadium to catch the city's two football teams in action. Liverpool and Everton are both world－famous clubs with fans from all corners of the World, as well as a good number of home grown supporters.
Another big draw to the city is the four local boys. Paul, John, George and Ringo, collectively famous as The Beatles. The pop quartet (四重唱表演小组) first put Liverpool on the world map in the 1960s. The Beatles Story, situated at the Albert Dock, is a huge draw for fans, and you'll find the Beatles shop and ever－popular Cavern Club, the “birthplace of the perfect Four”, in the Cavern Quarter of the city. Fans can also join one of the coach trips around the sights associated with the band, from the houses they grew up in, to the places including Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields.
But Liverpool is about more than music and sport. It is rich in history, with some of the most shocking architecture in the UK. The city has two great cathedrals(教堂): Anglican－the largest of its kind in Europe; and the more modern－styled Metropolitan. The famous waterfront, with the Pierhead and the Albert Docks, is also worth a visit. Many of the city's great museums are situated here, including the Walker Art Gallery, the Liverpool Maritime Museum, and the Tate Gallery, which is home to the largest modern art collection in the North. The nightlife in the city also has a lot to offer. With more than 250 bars, pubs and restaurants, there is always something for everyone to do in Liverpool. Music, museums, shopping, history, pubs and bars——it's all there. It is the world in one city, a place truly deserving of the Capital of Culture title.
1. Liverpool and Everton are___________clubs.
| A．architecture | B．music |
| C．tourist | D．football |
| A．The Beatles. | B．Cavern Club. |
| C．The Beatles Story. | D．The Beatles shop. |
| A．better－known | B．more shocking |
| C．more traditional | D．smaller |
| A．Liverpool belongs to the world. |
| B．Liverpool is a lively city with various cultures. |
| C．Liverpool owns lots of museums well－known in the world. |
| D．Liverpool is world famous now. |
【推荐2】Shanghai, the first Chinese mainland city to carry out a compulsory garbage classification regulation in July, is using intellectual platforms that can count the amount of garbage residents dump（倒）to promote recycling.
A residential area in Shanghai's Baoshan district is using 10 sets of such smart bins. Through data shown on the screen, staff of the platform will know the amount of garbage collected and when and who dumped them. The smart bin can also help social workers. For example, for elderly people living alone, a social worker will go to their home to check if the elderly people failed to dump garbage.
The "green fortune can!'' issued in 2016 by Shanghai environmental authorities is the base of the big data platform. The card is meant to encourage daily garbage sorting and to build an eco-friendly way of life in the city, according to the city government's website. Residents can swipe （刷）the card after selecting the waste type on a screen above the smart bins, and the bin will open automatically. After the trash is dumped, residents will receive corresponding points which they could exchange for small gifts.
The city government said more than 7.28 million Shanghai families have joined the project, and 6.31 million cards have been distributed. Residents and experts welcomed the use of high-tech equipment in garbage recycling, saying it is more convenient than expected.
But proper garbage handling and necessary construction should catch up to avoid such a good idea from becoming a formalism project, Luo Yameng, a Beijing-based urban-planning and eco-city expert, told the Global Times on Thursday.
In the future, the community's management company would also issue garbage bags attached with QR codes, which would make it convenient for management departments to track residents who break garbage recycling regulations.
The Global Times reporter found that similar measures have been applied in some areas in Beijing, which is drafting its own garbage recycling regulations.
1. How does the smart bin help social workers?| A．By signaling when garbage is dumped. |
| B．By offering data about where garbage is put. |
| C．By tracing the people who dumped garbage. |
| D．By showing how much garbage is collected. |
| A．Swiping the card. |
| B．Dumping the garbage. |
| C．Selecting the waste type. |
| D．The bin opens automatically. |
| A．More and more families will be likely to join the project. |
| B．Garbage classification needs to be open to further discussion. |
| C．The use of high-tech equipment is much better than expected. |
| D．Follow-up measures should be taken to guarantee the success. |
| A．Green fortune card一a card for your family |
| B．Shanghai gets tough with incorrect trash sorting |
| C．Big data, smart devices help Shanghai sort garbage |
| D．Compulsory garbage classification regulation in Shanghai |
【推荐3】When we’re in trouble, we always turn to our parents for help. But would you like them to hear the conversations you have with your friends on the school playground or lunch queue? Social networking sites have become extensions (延伸) of the school hallways, so would you add your parents as “friends” and allow them to view your online activities and conversations with friends?
In the past the generation gap included a technology gap, where children were up to date with the latest technology and parents were left behind, content to continue their day-to-day lives as they always had because they had no need to know more about technology. However, more and more parents are beginning to realize just how important social networks are in their lives. This realization has given many parents the motivation (动机) to educate themselves about social networking sites.
These days many people are attracted to social networking sites because they can choose who they have around them, there’s also a certain amount of control over privacy (隐私) that we don’t get in real life. Sometimes we feel that privacy is violated (违背) when we must accept a “friend” request from a parent or family member.
It’s a difficult choice whether or not to allow a parent to become a part of our online lives. On the one hand we don’t want to “refuse” their request because that might hurt their feelings or make them feel you have something to hide. On the other hand if you do accept, then you could have a sense of being watched and no longer feel free to comment or communicate the way you did before.
A recent survey suggested that parents shouldn’t take it personally if their children overlook (忽略) their requests. When a teenager overlooks a parent’s friend request, it doesn’t necessarily mean that he is hiding something, but it could mean that this is one part of his life where he wants to be independent.
Perhaps talking with parents and explaining would help soften the blow if you do choose not to add them to your friend list.
1. What can we infer from Paragraph 2?| A．Parents feel se cure about their privacy online. |
| B．Parents have realized the importance of social networks. |
| C．Social networks successfully fill the generation gap. |
| D．Social networks offer a chance for parents to communicate. |
| A．Their parents make negative comments on them. |
| B．They hide something from their parents. |
| C．Their parents tend to fall behind in technology. |
| D．They are unwilling to be watched by parents. |
| A．The teenager is hiding something from his parents. |
| B．The teenager does not respect his parents’ requests. |
| C．The teenager wants to be independent in certain aspects of his life. |
| D．The teenager is unfamiliar with the use of social media. |
| A．Parents’ friend requests. | B．Privacy online. |
| C．The generation gap. | D．Social networks. |
