Beijing No 4 Intermediate People’s Court said on Thursday that it concluded 77 cases of smuggling (走私) precious animal products from the beginning of 2015 to June this year, with about 40 percent of defendants (被告) given prison terms of three or more years. The products were found to be frequently made of body parts of some endangered wild animals such as elephants, turtles, bears and wolves, Wang Jing, vice-president of the court, told a news conference.
“Most of the defendants were migrant workers, students and tourists coming back to China, “Wang said. “Some aimed to sell the products for profits or send to friends and family members as gifts, while they wanted to use them to help with diseases.”
Wang explained that some of the defendants received heavier penalties (惩罚), such as a long-term imprisonment and a high fine, because the animal parts they smuggled were from animals listed on the national key protection of wildlife or related to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). For example, a defendant surnamed Yan was sentenced to 10 years in prison, along with 200,000 yuan ($27, 968) in fines, for smuggling 393 fish bladder products, the court said. Yan was caught while arriving at the Beijing Capital International Airport from Mexico on March 21, 2018, and the suspected products were discovered by the customs staff members in Yan’s luggage. The products were later identified as being made of drum fish in Gulf of California, and the fish is listed on the CITES, the court said, adding that the products were worth of about 2.51 million yuan ($351,000).
To effectively fight the crime, the court has issued a guideline on the smuggling of precious animal products to help judges accurately apply laws and unify (统一) the standards of relevant case hearings.
On Thursday, the court also disclosed four other smuggling cases, showing its determination and effort to protect precious animals by rule of law.
1. What does Wang Jing mainly express in paragraph 2?| A．The diseases that the animal products can be used to cure people of. |
| B．The way the defendants managed to get the animal products abroad. |
| C．The reasons why the defendants brought the animal products from abroad. |
| D．The people who the defendants were supposed to sell the animal products to. |
| A．Yan was sentenced to one decade in prison without any fines. |
| B．Yan was caught when trying to make a deal with someone. |
| C．Yan’s products were made of a kind of endangered fish. |
| D．Yan was a migrant worker, who came from Europe. |
| A．Have some doubts about. | B．Feel a little upset about. |
| C．Try to hide the truth about. | D．Give people information about. |
| A．Beijing court handles 77 cases of smuggling animal products |
| B．Beijing court makes an effort to recognize wild animals products |
| C．Beijing court helps judges apply laws about smuggling animal products |
| D．Beijing court issues guideline on smuggling of precious animal products |
相似题推荐
Why Cats Scratch TingsIn has long been assumed that when cats scratch objects with their front paws (爪子) that they are sharpening their claws.
| A．It turns out that this is only a secondary reason. |
| B．This is why the tree next door looks so scratched up. |
| C．Cats use other parts of their bodies to communicate as well. |
| D．Small pieces of bark have accumulated on the ground underneath. |
| E．Scratching can result in considerable damage, owner dissatisfaction. |
| F．Declawed cats may still be leaving scent marks on objects they scratch. |
| G．It could be a defensive warning or just a marker that announces its existence. |
【推荐2】As pet ownership booms, a troubling question raises its head: who owns whom?
There is a range of theories about how human came to rule the planet. Opposable thumbs, brain size, altruism(利他主义) and cooking all played a part, but central to the man's success was its ability to dominate other species.
As humanity has got richer, animals' roles have changed. People need their services less than before. Fewer wolves and burglars meant less demand for dogs for protection; the gasoline engine made horses redundant; modern health systems kept rats in check and made cats less useful. No longer necessities, domestic animals became luxuries. Pet-keeping seems to become common when household incomes rise above roughly ﹩5, 000. It is booming.
The pet business is growing even faster than pet numbers, because people are spending more and more money on them. No longer are they food-waste-recyclers, fed with the leftovers that fall from their masters' tables. Pet-food shelves are filled with delicacies, including ice cream for dogs and foods for pets that are old, diabetic or suffer from sensitive digestion.
In the business this is called “pet humanization(人类化)”—the tendency of pet owners to treat their pets as part of the family. This is evident in the names given to dogs, which have evolved from Fido, Rex and Spot to﹣in America﹣Bella, Lucy and Max. It is evident in the growing market for pet clothing, pet grooming(美容) and pet hotels.
People still assume that pets must be working for humanity in some way, perhaps making people healthier or less anxious. But the evidence for that is weak. Rather, new research suggests that dogs have evolved those irresistible “puppy-dog eyes” precisely to dominate human emotions. It has worked. Sentimental Americans often refer to themselves not as cat﹣owners but as the cat's “mommy” or “daddy”. South Koreans go one further, describing themselves as cat “housekeeper”, catering to every cute action. Watch a dog-walker trailing “his” dog, plastic bag in hand to pick up its mess, and you have to wonder: who's in charge now?
1. What is the main cause for human being to become the ruler of the planet?| A．having opposable thumbs | B．getting wealthier |
| C．possessing altruism and cooking skills | D．taking hold of other species |
| A．unnecessary | B．unavailable | C．uncertain | D．unfavorable |
| A．feed ice cream to their dogs | B．prepare foods for pets that are diabetic |
| C．feed the pets on what remained | D．spend much money on pets |
| A．Wolves used to be in great demand. | B．Pets can be beneficial to people's health. |
| C．Pet owners tend to give their pets new names. | D．People become subject to pets emotionally. |
【推荐3】Connie Thanasoulis-Cerrachio says everyone in her home has been happier and healthier since getting their dog, Sophie. “We all started to get physical exercise,” she told CBS News. “We walk her four to six times a day.”
Connie and her husband welcomed Sophie into their home five years ago at a difficult time in their lives—Connie's parents had died just a few months before. She says Sophie helped her feel better.
“It just brought me out of that sadness,” she said. “It's added a lot of happiness to our home and we couldn't imagine life without her here.”
The family may be onto something when it comes to getting a pet to improve health and well-being (幸福).
A new report from Harvard Medical School found that having a dog can reduce a person's blood pressure and help people lose weight and keep healthy. Research shows dog owners are more likely to get the two and a half hours of exercise each week that experts recommend.
Report author, Dr. Elizabeth Frates, says owning a dog can also have many other benefits, such as reducing loneliness and stress. “When a dog owner looks into a dog's eyes and pets the dog, the owner will feel good,” she told CBS News.
The new report supports past research that found pet ownership, particularly dog ownership, associated with a lower risk of heart disease. The American Heart Association once reviewed previous research on how pets affect human health and found that owning a pet was good for people's health. The study was published in the journal, Circulation.
Dr. Frates said if you are not currently very active and are thinking about getting a dog, it’s best to work up to it slowly. She suggests walking for 10 minutes a day a few times a week to start and then build up to more walking time.
1. Why was Connie not very happy before getting the dog?| A．She had nobody to talk to. |
| B．She didn't have a pet dog. |
| C．She was in a poor state of health. |
| D．Her parents had died not long before. |
| A．helping a person lose weight |
| B．reducing a person's loneliness |
| C．helping a person feel less angry |
| D．reducing a person's blood pressure |
| A．It was reported by CBS News. |
| B．It had nothing in common with the new report. |
| C．It lacked evidence that pets could affect human health. |
| D．It found that owning a dog can help reduce the risk of heart disease. |
| A．If you don't have a dog, you should get one. |
| B．The amount of exercise should be increased gradually. |
| C．To keep health, you should run quickly every day. |
| D．It is best to walk for 10 minutes a few times every day. |
【推荐1】The sudden death of the 23-year-old female emplovee of Pinduoduo has sparked a heated debate, with many criticizing the overwork culture. Three experis share their views. Excerpis (节选) follow:
Labor laws compatible (兼容的) with digital era needed
This case should inspire society to reflect on how to better protect employees’ rights in the digital era. The relevant clauses in the Labor Law cannot be specifically applied to charge internet companies suspected of violating laborers' rights and interests.
The blurring (模糊) of the line between social and economic activities in the digital era makes it difficult to define fixed working hours.
Lawmakers should find out the new factors affecting labor relations due to the rapid development of internet and communications technology. This can pave the way for law-making on working hours in the digital era. “996” working schedule is against labor laws.
More than one year ago, it was shocking to hear e-commerce tycoons (巨头) Liu Qiangdong and Jack Ma publicly support the "996" working schedule to push their employees to work harder. A growing number of companies have been using different methods to exercise ever-increasing control over their employees.
To correct the situation, it is vital that the country bring in specific law on internet enterprises, especially in terms of labor contracts and work schedules, and make it clear that the “996” working schedule is illegal.
Death due to overwork needs legally definition
Work pressure and long working hours can seriously affect workers' physical and mental health, making. them more easily hurt by occupational and stress-related diseases.
But it is difficult to prove that a person dies of overwork. Only a person who dies at the workplace or of a sudden illness within 48 hours of getting off work is considered a victim of work.
China should issue guidelines explaining in detail what leads to death due to overwork.
1. What do the three experts agree on?| A．The Labor Law in China is non-effective. |
| B．It is difficult to define fixed working hours. |
| C．Supervision on companies should be tightened. |
| D．Improvement should be made to the current laws. |
| A．To highlight the models of e-commerce. |
| B．To introduce tycoons' attitudes to overwork. |
| C．To confirm their efforts to protect employees. |
| D．To express disagreement on “996” working schedule. |
| A．To make somebody anxious. | B．To do sports or other physical activities. |
| C．To use your power to achieve something. | D．To test or make experimental use of something. |
| A．Someone dies on his way to office. | B．Someone dies of a heart attack in his office. |
| C．Someone dies three days after work. | D．Someone dies after work without symptoms. |
【推荐2】Sociologists indicate that people obey the law because they see it as a legitimate (合法) authority. But McAdams, the Bernard D. Meltzer Professor of Law and Aaron Director Research Scholar, shared his two different theories of how the law works specifically: by allowing people to coordinate (配合) and by signaling new information and beliefs. McAdams explains them in depth in The Expressive Powers of Law: Theories and Limits.
The coordination theory is that law works as a focus to help people avoid conflict or other undesirable situations, “One example is a one-way traffic sign. We could imagine working without sanctions (制裁) or legitimacy, because you would be a fool to ignore it,” McAdams said, “Seeing the one-way sign, you know other people will see it too, and you expect that you’ll have a head-on crash if you go the wrong way. Your reason to follow the one-way lines is independent of sanctions or legitimacy, which is simply to coordinate with people.”
But law also works specifically by signaling information about risk or public attitudes that causes people to update their behavior. “People take the beliefs of others as input into their own beliefs and changing their beliefs can cause them to change their behavior,” McAdams said. For example: A new smoking ban might reveal a rising disapproval of cigarette smoking, and it might also reveal that lawmakers now believe it’s harmful.
Either of these could change behavior. “If I’m a nonsmoker, I might be willing to bear more of a cost to avoid secondhand smoke, and that might include resisting smokers. And if I’m a smoker, and I think that secondhand smoke is more harmful than I used to, then I might expect more resistance if I don’t give in,” McAdams said.
1. What does the author intend to do in the first paragraph?| A．To introduce the topic of the text. | B．To tell readers who are McAdams. |
| C．To offer some advice on obeying laws. | D．To explain what are McAdams’ theories. |
| A．Public attitudes need updating all the time. |
| B．People’s beliefs will decide their behaviors. |
| C．Lawmakers’ beliefs are of importance to public behaviors. |
| D．Others’ beliefs will have a bad effect on people’s own decision. |
| A．Why the law is important. | B．How the law affects the public. |
| C．Why people obey the law. | D．How people learn more about the law. |
【推荐3】The local government killed more than 34,000 stray dogs (流浪狗) several months ago because those officials were afraid that the dogs would spread rabies (狂犬病).
This caused a debate across the country. Some people said that it was very cruel to dogs. There might be a better way to prevent the disease.
In the future, killing stray dogs might be seen as a crime. Last month, the Chinese government published a draft of animal rights laws. It says that a person who kills a stray dog without one good reason will be put in prison.
The draft also says that animal abuse and abandoning animals will be considered crimes under the criminal law.
The government published the draft so that the public could read it and discuss their thoughts. People have different reactions. Some think the law is good. They say other countries like Britain and Japan have similar laws. They say we will do better at protecting animals if there is one. But others say it’s not crucial to fight animal abuse with a new law. Criticism and fines can do the job.
Some people also say that the draft doesn’t deal with the biggest issues facing the country’s development. The country should make progress to give all people equal rights, they say, before turning attention to animals.
Another part of the draft is causing discussion. It says that people should not force animals to do something dangerous, like jumping through a ring of fire. But many people enjoy watching this kind of performance at the circus, especially kids. They say that if the animal does it properly, it will not get hurt.
1. Why did the local government kill many dogs?| A．The dogs were dirty. | B．Those officials wanted to prevent rabies. |
| C．The dogs were homeless. | D．Those officials wanted to eat the dogs. |
| A．Killing a dog with rabies. | B．Beating an animal for fun. |
| C．Abandoning a blind pet dog. | D．Forcing a cat to jump through a ring of fire. |
| A．All people agree with the law. |
| B．Criticism and fines can protect animals. |
| C．Protecting animals is the biggest issue in China. |
| D．People have different opinions on the law. |
| A．People can’t kill stray dogs any longer. |
| B．The country won’t have human right problems. |
| C．Kids may not be able to watch animals’ performances in a circus. |
| D．Animals will not be killed. |
【推荐1】Many people may not find the idea of visiting Beijing's Forbidden City just to see its cultural relics(遗迹)very exciting. But what if you got to see deer there too? That certainly sounds like a better day out.
Nine deer were introduced into the Forbidden City, also known as the Palace Museum, on Sept. 26 and would make it their home until February. The beautiful animals are part of an exhibition on deer-related relics, including furniture, clothes and artworks. In ancient China, deer patterns(图案)could be seen on lots of items since lu—deer—were considered to be a lucky animal because the Chinese word shares the pronunciation(发音)of the character that means “official salary(俸禄)”.
The deer in the Palace Museum are not only to be part of the exhibition, but also to act as ambassadors(大使)to attract visitors. “It’s a better way to bring cultural relics closer to the people,”explained Wang Yamin, a deputy director at the Museum, according to ChinaDaily.
Turning itself into a zoo is the latest effort that the museum has made at introducing academic(学术的)art to ordinary people.
In 2014, for example, the museum’s online store started to offer products such as T-shirts featuring the pattern of an emperor's coat, and earphones looking like the necklaces worn by ancient officials. These products soon gained popularity on social media because they allowed people to wear a piece of history.
Two years later, the TV series MastersintheForbiddenCity(《我在故宫修文物》)lifted the mysterious veil(面纱)on the experts who work in the museum—people whose job is to repair the relics within it. And while many of us may have imagined these workers to be old and boring, they're actually quite young and interesting. Some are even in their 20s. They lead a peaceful career, although it can sometimes be dull. Workers aren't allowed to wear any make-up or do their nails(指甲)because the chemicals(化学物质)may damage the relics they're working on, for example.
Little by little, the Palace Museum is shaking off the stereotypes(刻板印象)of being an old-fashioned academic institution. As Shan Jixiang, the museum’s director, once said, “Academic research is not alien from the public’s interest. We’d like to make visiting the museum a part of people's daily lives. ”
It looks like the Forbidden City isn’t so forbidden after all.
1. What can be concluded about the deer in the Forbidden City?| A．They would stay in the museum for a whole year. |
| B．They are part of an exhibition as lucky animals. |
| C．They have been introduced to help attract visitors. |
| D．They were brought to the museum for an artwork study. |
| A．They were cheap and of high quality. |
| B．They combined culture with everyday items. |
| C．They featured mysterious patterns. |
| D．They were advertised on social media a lot. |
| A．think their job is boring | B．are mostly old but experienced |
| C．must be careful with their work | D．enjoy working on their own |
| A．An interesting exhibition on animal-related relics. |
| B．Popular products related to ancient Chinese culture. |
| C．What the Palace Museum does to protect cultural relics. |
| D．The Palace Museum’s efforts to change its image. |
【推荐2】What could be perfect for the partner, who embarrasses you on the dance floor? Smart socks, which can teach people to dance, may be the answer for anyone with two left feet.
At first, the socks have been developed as a running tool to help runners improve their skills. Thanks to the socks, users can accurately record not only how far and fast they run but also how well. It means the user maximizes their performance, and reduces damage to body and prevents hurt. The hi-tech socks are made of special fibers (纤维) that watch the movements of your feet. They look, feel and can be washed like normal clothes.
Sensors record each movement and send it by an ankle transmitter (脚踝发射器) to a smart phone. Then a “virtual coach” application shows the information and can tell the user what they are doing wrong, and help to improve skill in any task with feet.
The socks should be useful to athletes and weekend joggers. “People think running is so easy and of course everybody can do it but not necessarily safely and well,” Dr Davide Vigano said. A recent study showed that between 60 and 80 percent of runners got hurt per year. This is petty much more than any other human activity. Researchers say the technology can also be developed to teach people how to dance, play sports such as golf, or even to help to teach women to walk better in high heels.
Mr. Vigano said, “People could all benefit from the idea. We have had interest from all sorts of sports, like skiing, football, cycling and golf. Anything where you have to use your feet can use it. It could even be put in high heels to help women walk in them safely.”
Socks are just the start, and the technology could be used in gloves, hats and bots. The socks, anklet and software package, are expected to be sold for around £120, which will go on sale in March.
1. What does the underlined part “anyone with two left feet” refer to in paragraph 1?| A．People who are disabled. | B．People who do not like dancing. |
| C．People who are good at dancing. | D．People who are poor at dancing. |
| A．To help women walk safely. | B．To teach people to dance. |
| C．To improve runners’ performance | D．To record dance movement. |
| A．They are expensive to produce. |
| B．They can monitor the movement of feet. |
| C．They feel much softer than normal clothes. |
| D．They should be washed in a special washing machine |
| A．The technology could bring a potential market. |
| B．All people can run safely and well thanks to the socks. |
| C．The technology has been widely used in all sorts of sports. |
| D．Only professional athletes can benefit from the technology. |
【推荐3】Chinese scientists have created the world’s first light-based quantum (量子) computer named Jiuzhang. It is a milestone in which a quantum machine can solve a problem no classical supercomputer can tackle within a reasonable amount of time.
Experts recognized the Chinese machine as a “state-of-the-art experiment”. Fabio Sciarrino, a quantum physicist at Sapienza University of Rome, told Science News that his first impression of the Chinese quantum computer was, simply, “wow”. Anton Zeilinger, another famous quantum physicist, said that, following this experiment, he predicts there is a very good chance that quantum computers may be used very broadly someday.
Quantum computers stand out at running simulations (模拟) that are impossible for conventional computers. Quantum machines can take computational shortcuts when simulating extremely complex situations, while conventional computers have to force their way to a solution, taking significantly more time in the process. Moreover, it can perform an extreme calculation, called Gaussian boson sampling (玻色子取样), in 200 seconds. The same task would take the world’s fastest classical supercomputer, Fugaku, around 600 million years.
Pan Jianwei, who is recognized as China’s top quantum scientist and one of the key researchers behind Jiuzhang, said the calculations they carried out can not only showcase the machine’s computing power but also demonstrate potential practical applications in machine learning and quantum chemistry.
“Quantum computing has already become a fierce competition area among the United States, Europe and other developed regions,” Pan said, adding that China’s quantum computational advantage took about 7 to 10 years to achieve, since the team first decided to tackle the problem around 2013.
However, Pan stressed that the quantum computer is a highly specialized machine, and is currently only programmed to do boson sampling. “It is not a general-purpose quantum computer, ” he said. In the near future, scientists may increase Jiuzhang’s possible output states — a key indicator of computing power — from 10 to the 30th power to 10 to the 40th power.
1. Why are two quantum physicists mentioned in Paragraph 2?| A．To introduce different comments on Jiuzhang. |
| B．To present recognition of experts for Jiuzhang. |
| C．To praise the great influence of Jiuzhang on the world. |
| D．To describe experts’ prediction of the future of Jiuzhang. |
| A．By making contrasts. | B．By presenting reasons. |
| C．By analyzing figures. | D．By conducting experiments. |
| A．Its application and central technology. |
| B．Its main function and input programme. |
| C．Its limitation and future development. |
| D．Its calculating capacity and storage space. |
| A．Great reputation of Chinese quantum experts in the world. |
| B．Fierce competition in quantum computer all over the world. |
| C．Appearance of the world’s first light-based quantum computer. |
| D．Distinctions between quantum computer and conventional computer. |
