The rainforests are alive with the sound of animals. If you want to measure the biodiversity of a land, listen for animal calls rather than dig for tracks. But such “bioacoustic (生物声音) analysis” is time-consuming and requires an expert pair of ears.
A group of researchers led by Jorg Muller, an ecologist at the University of Wurzburg in Germany, describe a better way: have a computer do the job. Smartphone apps already exist that identify birds, bats or mammals simply by listening to their sounds. Their idea was to apply the principle to conservation work. The researchers took recordings from 43 sites in the Ecuadorean rainforest. Sound recordings were taken four times every hour, over two weeks. The various calls were identified by an expert, and then used to construct a list of the species present. As expected, the longer the land had been free from agricultural activity, the greater the biodiversity it hosted.
Then it was the computer’s turn. The researchers put their recordings into artificial-inteligence models that had been trained, using sound samples from elsewhere in Ecuador, to identify 75 bird species from their calls. “We found that the AI tools could identify the sounds as well as the experts,” says Dr. Muller.
Since not everything in a rainforest makes a noise, Dr. Muller and his colleagues used light- traps to capture night-flying insects, and DNA analysis to identify them. Reassuringly, they found that the diversity of noisy animals was a reliable replacement for the diversity of the quieter ones, too.
The results may have relevance outside ecology departments, too. Under pressure from their customers, firms such as L’Oreal, a make-up company, and Shell, an oil firm, have been spending money on forest restoration projects. Dr. Muller hopes that an automated approach to checking the results could help monitor such efforts, and give a standardised way to measure whether they are working as well as their sponsors say.
1. What’s the disadvantage of bioacoustic analysis?| A．It calls for some digging work. | B．It takes an expert a lot of time. |
| C．It can only be performed on land. | D．It can’t be done on a large scale. |
| A．They fed the recordings to AI models for identification. |
| B．They strengthened the reservation of the rainforest species. |
| C．They limited agricultural activities to allow for biodiversity. |
| D．They built up a list of endangered species for protection. |
| A．The AI model can be used in research on automation. |
| B．Customers have realized the importance of the research. |
| C．Large companies have taken action to protect the environment. |
| D．The research can help measure the effect of forest restoration. |
| A．Promote Rainforest Biodiversity Through AI |
| B．Protect a Forest’s Inhabitants by Listening |
| C．Identify the Calls of the Wild With AI Aid |
| D．Find a Way to Monitor Deforestation Situation |
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【推荐1】A team of scientists was surprised recently when they spotted an unusual creature near the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. They were wondering if it was a new species.
The scientists were aboard a ship used by the Ocean Exploration Trust to make new discoveries in the world’s seas.The team had released a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) named Hercules to explore the sea bed. Equipped with a camera, Hercules can be controlled from the ship and show the team what is happening deep below the surface.
Hercules led the scientists to an unusual sight—a mysterious creature about the same size as the ROV. It seemed like a sea pen, a creature that is related to jellyfish (水母) and coral (珊瑚) and named for its looking similar to an old-fashioned quill, but the team knew that sea pens had never been spotted in the Pacific before.The only previous sightings of this species had been in the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean. This led the scientists to believe that it could be a newly discovered species.
The new creature was observed nearly two miles below the surface in an area of the Pacific Ocean west of Hawaii, which had not previously been explored by scientists. Steve Auscavitch,a biologist at Boston University in Massachusetts, was the lead scientist of the team.“From time to time, we come across some things that we never expect to see, and those are often the most powerful observations,” Auscavitch said.
In February, another group of scientists in Spain officially recognized and named two new types of sea pens.The team led by Auscavitch will need to do further research to determine whether the unusual creature they spotted is the first known sea pen in the Pacific Ocean or an entirely new species. Either way, the discovery is exciting.“It really does expand our knowledge about where animals can live and exist,” Auscavitch said.
1. How did the scientists explore the deep ocean?| A．By applying a remote-controlled vehicle. |
| B．By tying machines to deep sea creatures. |
| C．By diving into the ocean themselves. |
| D．By setting a camera on the seabed. |
| A．A camera. | B．A vehicle. | C．A writing tool. | D．A diving robot. |
| A．To find out more new species. | B．To identify the new discovery. |
| C．To confirm the types of sea pens. | D．To know about sea animals’ living habits. |
| A．A new ROV to explore the oceans |
| B．Sea pens in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans |
| C．An unknown species spotted in the Pacific Ocean |
| D．Undersea exploration conducted by Boston University |
【推荐2】Horses are really useful animals; therefore there is one thing that you should need to know about these animals. It sleeps while it's standing. Yes, this is very true and proven; in fact there are several persons who are wondering why these animals are sleeping while they are standing.
Well, you must be wondering as well. One main reason is that horses are in danger for their killers once they lie down. The reason is for the animal to be able to immediately run once attacked by their killers. In a point of fact, there are also other animals that can sleep while they are on a standing position.
Another main reason why horses sleep standing up is their very big body. Once they lie down for hours, particularly the large horses, their weight can crush （压）their lungs. This is also the reason why surgeries（外科手术）in horses is too unsafe even though there can be a lot of reasons and problems.
Horses' legs can lock in a certain place that enables them to fall asleep while they are standing. Besides that, horses can feel that comfortable lying down while they sleep. Most of the sleeping hours of a horse is during daytime, once the night falls, horses are usually awake because they are extra careful for fear that killers can attack them anytime.
Horses have straight back, so they cannot quickly get up. This is also one of the reasons why they are not that comfortable lying down, not even when they are sleeping. If by chance you see a horse lying down, it is sick.
1. What does the underlined word "this" in Paragraph 1 refer to?| A．Horses sleep while standing. |
| B．Horses are really useful animals. |
| C．People need to know about these animals. |
| D．Several persons are wondering why these animals are sleeping. |
| A．They are used to doing so. | B．They can run away if attacked. |
| C．They learn from other animals. | D．They can't sleep when lying down. |
| A．Horses will lie down for hours when they are tired. |
| B．Horses, large bodies do good to their sleep. |
| C．Large horses' lungs suffer from their heavy weight. |
| D．Surgeries in horses are generally too dangerous. |
| A．Why do horses sleep standing up? | B．How do horses sleep standing up? |
| C．What uses do horses have? | D．When will horses he sick? |
【推荐3】The replacement of fossil and nuclear energy sources for electricity production by renewables such as wind, sun, water and biomass is a cornerstone of Germany’s energy policy. Amongst these, wind energy production is the most important component. However, energy production from wind is not necessarily ecologically sustainable. It requires relatively large spaces for installation and operation of turbines, and bats and birds die after collisions with rotors in significant numbers. For these reasons, the location and operation of wind energy plants are often in direct conflict with the legal protection of endangered species. A recent survey on this green-green dilemma among over 500 representatives by the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW) concludes that the current mechanisms for the protection of bats in wind power projects are insufficient.
“We found broad consensus among participants,” states Christian Voigt, first author of the survey. “The overwhelming majority of respondents considered the protection of biodiversity to be just as important as the contribution to protect the global climate through renewable energy production.” Most stakeholders agreed that small to moderate losses in the yield of wind power plants in terms of electricity production caused by the consistent application of conservation laws must become acceptable. However, significant discrepancies also existed. For example, representatives of the wind energy industry considered compliance with climate protection targets as more important than measures to protect species.
The conflict between wind power projects and the objectives of biological conservation intensified in recent years because the rapidly rising number of wind plants – there are now around 30,000 on mainland Germany – has made suitable locations scarce. “Besides, only about 25% of wind turbines are operated under mitigation schemes such as temporary halt of wind turbine operation during periods of high bat activity even though the legal framework would require the enforcement of such measures,” adds author Marcus Fritze of Leibniz-IZW.
For the purpose of this survey, the authors selected bats as a representative group of species for all wildlife affected by wind turbines, as large numbers of bats die at turbines and they enjoy a high level of protection both nationally and internationally, and therefore play an important role in planning and approval procedures for wind turbines. The results of years of research led by Voigt at the Leibniz-IZW show that fatalities at wind turbines in Germany affect bat populations in Germany as well as populations in other European regions from where these bats originate.
On the basis of the survey results, the authors argue in favour of a stronger consideration of nature conservation objectives in the wind energy industry. They suggest ways in which the cooperation of those involved in wind power projects can be improved so that both wind energy production and the goals of biological conservation can be satisfied.
1. What does the first paragraph mainly talk about?| A．The real cornerstone of Germany’s energy policy. |
| B．Problems with poor installation and operation of turbines. |
| C．Germany’s impressive achievements to promote renewable energy. |
| D．The conflict between wind plants and insufficient wildlife protection. |
| A．assumptions | B．disagreements | C．diversities | D．adjustments |
| A．more bats have been killed than any other species |
| B．bats play an important role in keeping natural balance |
| C．they can greatly affect the planning and approval of wind projects |
| D．they will die out quickly in Germany if not protected immediately |
| A．Building fewer number of wind plants and selecting more suitable locations. |
| B．Negotiating severe laws and strictly carrying them out in wind energy plants. |
| C．Focusing on protecting biodiversity and slightly reducing wind plant production. |
| D．Stressing natural protection and improving cooperation in wind power industry. |
【推荐1】Radar（雷达） is an electronic device that detects planes, ships, coastlines, landmarks, and even storm clouds. The name radar comes from the first letters of the words radio direction and ranging. As the human eye uses light waves to see, radar “sees” with radio waves. Without radar, planes could not land safely in bad weather and ships could not move safely in thick fog.
In the 1800s it was discovered that radio waves could be reflected from objects. But scientists did not make great advances in radar research until the 1930s, when the world was threatened by war.
Echoes make it possible for radar to work. When a beam of radio waves is sent out, it strikes on an object and returns an echo. This echo is picked up by radar and recorded on a screen similar to television screen. On the screen an observer sees a flash, or a blip, that shows the direction and distance of the object.
Airport control towers use radar to guide planes in for safe landings. Almost all large ships depend on radar to prevent collisions with icebergs or other ships.
| A．Police track speeders in radar-equipped cars. |
| B．These measurements are now highly accurate. |
| C．The device can be used in a wide range of fields. |
| D．During World War II many countries used radar effectively. |
| E．It is therefore especially valuable to shippers and travelers. |
| F．Today radar is used by commercial airliners and weather forecasters. |
| G．Strengthening national defense is one of radar’s most important functions. |
【推荐2】One of the many difficulties to humans freely exploring and inhabiting (居住) Mars is the planet's lack of oxygen. Luckily NASA's Perseverance Rover (“毅力”号火星探测器)can help. Using an instrument called MOXIE (short for Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utillzation Experiment, the rover successfully took carbon dioxide from the Martian atmosphere and turned it into oxygen. NASA said it plans to conduct more MOXIE tests.
MOXIE ran its first test for roughly an hour, producing just under six grams of oxygen. That's enough to keep an astronaut going for about 10 minutes. It won't keep someone alive for long, but it's a key step forward in exploring Mars. Not only could that oxygen be used to allow people to breathe, but it would also lighten the load for return missions to Earth, or for trips to other parts of the solar system. Rockets need oxygen to burn fuel during liftoff. Being able to create it on Mars would mean spacecraft can bring less of it from Earth, significantly cutting down their weight. Less weight means less overall fuel needed to launch rockets.
Oxygen is the heavier part of rocket fuel. If NASA wanted to get four astronauts of Mars, the spacecraft would need 27.5 tons of oxygen to do it Keeping those four breathing for a year would require about one ton. At the rate MOXIE is going, producing 27.5 tons would take more than 475 years. But future devices (设备) could be larger and more efficient than the 38-pound MOXIE. One day, we will come up with a bigger plan for humans when we finally send them there to make enough oxygen.
1. What's the function of MOXIE?| A．To conduct tests on Mars. | B．To help send oxygen to Mars. |
| C．To find new habitats for humans. | D．To turn carbon dioxide into oxygen. |
| A．Using less fuel to launch rockets. | B．Sending more astronauts to space. |
| C．Cutting down the weight of rockets. | D．Producing enough oxygen for the mission. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Positive. | C．Indifferent. | D．Unclear. |
| A．Argumentative. | B．Narrative. | C．Expository. | D．Descriptive. |
【推荐3】Officials of Detroit, Michigan, have equipped a piece of road with new technology designed to charge electric vehicles (EVs) on the path. The roadway is meant to serve as a demonstration project for the technology, which could be expanded to larger road systems.
The system uses a series of copper wires placed underneath the road. These wires have the ability to send electricity through a magnetic field to charge an EV’s battery. Charging can happen while the car is driving or sitting above the equipment. Electreon says the electric road system is safe for people and animals walking over it and does not harm drivers.
The technology was created by Electreon, a developer of wireless charging solutions for EVs. Stefan Tongur, Electreon’s vice president of business development, told The Associated Press EVs require special equipment to receive the wireless signal. “The technology is smart,” Tongur said, and “knows who you are...”
The electrified road stretches about one half-kilometer. It will be used to test and improve the technology in preparation for wider releases. Tongur said the project aims to “demonstrate how wireless charging unlocks widespread EV adoption, addressing limited range, grid (电网) limitations, and battery size and costs.” He looks forward to a future in which, in his words, “EVs are the norm, not the exception.”
Michigan’s Department of Transportation (DOT) signed a five-year agreement with Electreon to develop the roadway charging system. Officials have said they plan to build another electrified stretch of road in another part of the city. Michigan transportation officials say the wireless-charging roadway project has helped position the state and city of Detroit as national leaders in EV technology. “In Michigan, we want to stay ahead of the curve,” Michigan DOT Director Bradley C.Wieferich told the AP.
1. What is the new technology intended to do?| A．Improve EVs’ batteries. | B．Demonstrate a project. |
| C．Expand road systems. | D．Supply power to EVs. |
| A．People and animals may get an electric shock near it. |
| B．EVs are charged through contact with its copper wires. |
| C．It charges EVs only if they stay still on the equipment. |
| D．A special device is needed to pick up its wireless signals. |
| A．Develop more smoothly. | B．Make progress in the industry. |
| C．Take the lead in the field. | D．Achieve a goal ahead of time. |
| A．Positive. | B．Negative. | C．Objective. | D．Skeptical. |
【推荐1】If you think that running marathons will help you live a long and healthy life, new research may come as a shock. According to a recent scientific study, people who do a very strenuous workout are as likely to die as people who do not exercise at all.
Scientists in Denmark have been studying over 1,000 joggers and non-joggers for 12 years. The death rates from the sample group indicate that people who jog at a moderate pace two or three times a week for less than two and a half hours in total are least likely to die. The best speed to jog at was found to be about 5 miles per hour. The research suggests that people who jog more than three times a week or at higher speeds of over 7 mph die at the same rate as non-joggers. The scientists think that this is because strenuous exercise causes structural changes to the heart and arteries (动脉). Over time, this can cause serious injuries.
Peter Schnohr, a researcher in Copenhagen, said, “If your goal is to decrease risk of death and improve life expectancy, jogging a few times a week at a moderate pace is a good strategy. Anything more is just unnecessary, and it may be harmful.”
The implications of this are that moderate forms of exercise such as tai chi, yoga and brisk walking may be better for us than “iron man” events, triathlons and long distance running and cycling. According to Jacob Louis Marott, another researcher involved in the study, “You don't actually have to do that much to have a good impact on your health. And perhaps you shouldn't actually do too much.”
1. The underlined word “strenuous” in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to “________”．| A．hard | B．regular | C．practical | D．flexible |
| A．To suggest giving up jogging |
| B．To show risks of doing sports |
| C．To provide supportive evidence |
| D．To introduce the research process |
| A．Jogging is the best exercise. |
| B．More exercise means a healthier life. |
| C．Marathons runners are least likely to die. |
| D．Proper exercise contributes to good health. |
【推荐2】I left a job in higher education in 1987 to begin work full time as a futurist. Actually, there are three ways to this career.
First is the informal or self-taught path (途径) taken by many people. People in different fields often discover their personal interest in the future. And then they begin to read things about futures studies, forecasting, science and technology, and so on. They begin to attend meetings as they can find them. Gradually they begin to call themselves futurists. Of the 40,000 members of the World Future Society (WFS), most have taken that path. But only about 1,200 are “professional (职业的) members” who try to make a living as futurists. If this path sounds right for you, it can be successfully followed. The best place to start is with a membership in the WFS.
A second path is through the more traditional colleges. There are college programs in futures studies. Among those we suggest is the master’s degree program in futures studies at the University of Houston, Clear Lake, Texas. Another program in futures studies is the Hawaii Research Center for Futures Studies, at the University of Hawaii.
Finally, a third path is the one that I took, or rather was given. That is the mentor (导师) path. An early futurist and founding member of the WFS took me under his wing while I was an undergraduate student. He began to feed me things to read and to attend, nurturing (培养) my own interest in the future through what became more than a ten-year-long relationship. His name was Ed Lindaman, at one time director of program planning for building Apollo, later a college president when I knew him. If you are lucky enough to find that kind of relationship, it can have some of the features of the first two paths, though without the formal degree.
1. What do we know about the author?| A．He founded the WFS. | B．He got his first job as a futurist. |
| C．He makes a living as a futurist now. | D．Being a futurist was his childhood dream. |
| A．Self-study. | B．Full-time education. |
| C．Being a WFS member. | D．Being guided by professionals. |
| A．Regret. | B．Worry. | C．Excitement. | D．Thankfulness. |
| A．How to join the WFS. | B．How to become a futurist. |
| C．How to choose your career. | D．How to take a degree in the future. |
【推荐3】Worldwide, millions of tons of fruits and vegetables are thrown away each year because of their less than perfect appearance. Intermarché, the third largest supermarket chain in France, decided to tackle such waste by changing how we view “ugly” produce.
Challenging the “business-as-usual” model, Intermarché decided to change the system and bought imperfect produce from growers that they normally would have thrown away, because it wasn’t pretty enough.
How did Intermarché celebrate such imperfect produce they called “inglorious fruits and vegetables”? By creating a special print, radio and film campaign designed.to particularly promote the produce, launching in-store branding and providing special labeling, and discounting “ugly” produce cost by 30 percent. Stores also offered samples to hesitant shoppers, tastefully proving that the produce was no different from standard fruits and vegetables.
It worked. Sales skyrocketed and Intermarché expanded the program by offering a special line of “inglorious” vegetable soups and fruit juices for purchase. On average, each stores old 1.2 tons during the first two days of the launch. Intermarché also experienced a 24 percent increase in foot traffic. Moreover, there was a big impact in the media. Journalists jumped onboard, suggesting every supermarket should be doing the same as Intermarché. Incredibly, 21 million people overall were introduced to the campaign via media sources.
Why was the campaign so shareable? Not only was there branding campaign socially and environmentally responsible, it was also comedic and visually eye-catching. The inglorious fruits and vegetables were shown in a way that reminded people of cartoon or movie characters. Each “character” was given its own special name, personality, and tagline(宣传语). “The Ridiculous Potato”, “The Ugly Carrot”, and “The Failed Lemon” were uniquely shaped, but were under the spotlight and showcased as if they were perfect celebrities. The campaign was a success and it changed how people thought about imperfect produce.
1. What can be inferred from the “business-as-usual” model?| A．Stores usually reject imperfect produce. |
| B．Growers sell imperfect produce themselves. |
| C．Fruits and vegetables are mostly thrown away. |
| D．Customers are advised to accept imperfect produce. |
| A．The cost almost the same. | B．They equally tasted good. |
| C．They were similar in size. | D．They were similar in appearance. |
| A．To receive more media attention. |
| B．To make imperfect produce more tasty. |
| C．To reduce the cost of imperfect produce. |
| D．To increase the sales of imperfect produce. |
| A．A measure, to make fruits and vegetables affordable. |
| B．A combination of art, humor and social responsibility. |
| C．An effort to combine food consumption with the media. |
| D．A strategy to make cartoon or movie characters well known. |
