Eating insects is one of those ideas that never quite seem to catch on. The United Nations spread the idea a decade ago, but, in the West at least, insects remain mostly absent from supermarket shelves. Faced with an unsatisfied public, scientists have been exploring other options. One is to feed the insects instead to farm animals, which are not so picky.
Of course, the insects need to eat, too. To date, they have mostly reared (饲养) on leftover chicken feed. But the supply of that is limited, and if insect-reared meat is to take off, new sources will be needed. Niels Eriksen, a biochemist at Aalborg University, suggests feeding them on the waste products of the beer industry.
The world knocks back around 185bn litres of beer every year. Each litre produces between three and ten litres of wastewater full of thrown-away grains. The mix is rich in protein but lacking in carbohydrates (碳水化合物), especially compared with chicken feed.
Most insects grown for feed depend, in the wild, on the carbohydrates found in bad fruit. Whether insects would actually consider beer waste a square meal was, therefore, unclear.
The researchers used the baby insects of the black soldier fly. The young insects were divided into three groups, which were offered beer waste, chicken feed or a mixture of both. The researchers monitored both their weight gain and the amount of CO, they produced. They found the baby insects happily consumed both beer waste and chicken feed, and grew equally well on either food source. Dr Eriksen found few differences in how nutritious the insects would be to farm animals.
The experiment may have implications beyond the beer business, too. Bone meal from farms, and waste from other food industries are all likewise plentiful and protein-rich.
All now look to be reasonable targets for nutrient recycling by insects. Whether consumers will be willing to eat insect-reared beef, though, remains to be seen.
1. What is the purpose of Niels Eriksen’s research?| A．To find alternatives to chicken feed. |
| B．To recycle the wastewater in beer industry. |
| C．To change public’s attitude toward insects. |
| D．To reduce the consumption of waste products. |
| A．The future application of the research. | B．The importance of protein in the cycle. |
| C．The extended influence of the research. | D．The contribution of the beer industry. |
| A．chickens-insects-cows-humans | B．humans-beer waste-insects-cows |
| C．beer waste-insects-cows-humans | D．cows-chickens-insects-beer waste |
| A．Waste recycling will be taking off soon |
| B．Eating insects is the new option for people |
| C．Insects could help turn beer waste into beef |
| D．Insects could gain popularity in supermarket |
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【推荐1】The populations of common animals are just as likely to rise or fall in number in a time of accelerating global warming as those of rare species, a study suggests.
Until recently, scientists were still accumulating data on how animal populations were shifting over time globally across the different regions of the planet.
Making use of the newly available data, a team of University of Edinburgh researchers studied nearly 10000 animal populations recorded in the Living Planet Database between 1970 and 2014 to provide a new perspective on animal population change. These include records of mammals, reptiles, sharks, fish, birds and amphibians.
The team found that 15 percent of all populations declined during the period, while 18 percent increased and 67 percent showed no significant change. Amphibians were the only group in which population sizes declined, while birds, mammals and reptiles experienced increases. The overall decline in amphibians makes them a priority for conservation efforts, researchers say, as their loss could have knock-on effects in food chains and wider ecosystems.
Gergana Daskalova, of the University of Edinburgh’s School of GeoSciences, who led the study, said, “We often assume that declines in animal numbers are prevalent everywhere. But we found that there are also many species which have increased over the last half of a century, such as those which do well in human-transformed landscapes or those which are the focus of conservation actions.”
Dr. Isla Myers-Smith, also of the School of GeoSciences, who co-authored the study, said, “Only as we bring together data from around the world, can we begin to really understand how global change is influencing the biodiversity of our planet.”
1. With the global temperature rising, what happens to the animals?| A．Rare animal species tend to decline. |
| B．Common animal species tend to increase. |
| C．Global wanning is accelerating with the loss of animal species. |
| D．The population of common animals changes just like rare ones. |
| A．By analyzing existing information. | B．By studying animals，behavior. |
| C．By comparing different studies. | D．By recording the data of animals. |
| A．Sharp. | B．Common. | C．Steady. | D．Relative. |
| A．Objective. | B．Optimistic. | C．Subjective. | D．Pessimistic. |
【推荐2】It’s mid-February and along Britain’s south coast gilt-head bream (鲷鱼) are swimming from the open sea into the river mouths. And this summer, countryside visitors throughout southern England will catch sight of blue flashes as small red-eyed damselflies fly across starry ponds. Both events are happening much further north than they would have 20 years ago.
Fingers point at climate change. As areas become too hot or dry, many wildlife populations are declining, while some species are showing up in places that were historically too cold or wet.
Our team, led by Alba Estrada, wanted to explain this phenomenon. If we could predict which species can and can’t colonise (移居于) new locations, we could decide which are most in need of conservation.
How far individual animals or plant seeds can move was long thought to be the most important factor. But according to our findings, other characteristics also turned out to be highly important. For example, how quickly plants and animals can produce, how well they can compete with other species for resources, and what kinds of food they can eat or habitat they can live in.
The result of this is that we might be able to predict which animals will survive under climate change. The wood mouse is found throughout continental Europe. As climate changes, we think the mouse will move north because it can breed quickly, live in lots of habitats, has a broad diet, and individuals can travel a long way. On the other hand, consider the European ground squirrel. We think it might stay just in southeast Europe because it can only live in grasslands — and climate change won’t suddenly turn farms and forests into meadows (草坪).
It’s encouraging to know that some species are doing well under climate change. There are some headaches, however. Those gilt-head bream are feeding on the local shellfish, which might be taking food away from the native fish. Small red-eyed damselflies look great, but they could become all too common around British ponds and outcompete native species. Climate change is once again posing us some tricky conservation questions.
1. We can learn from paragraphs 1 &2 that ______ .| A．people hold events to observe different species |
| B．visitors have damaged the homes of many species |
| C．species preferred extremely cold and wet environment |
| D．climate change makes some species move to new areas |
| A．What factors can influence colonisation. |
| B．How far individual animals can travel. |
| C．Why some species are declining. |
| D．Where most species tend to live. |
| A．Gilt-head bream. | B．Red-eyed damselflies. |
| C．Wood mice. | D．Ground squirrels. |
| A．Ambiguous. | B．Doubtful. | C．Objective. | D．Optimistic. |
【推荐3】Researchers at the University of Birmingham have found that bats living in a city are less likely to move from tree to tree in brightly lit areas.
Wildlife must be able to move between patches of habitat (小块栖息地), which are often separated by buildings and road. The bats studied in this experiment come out in the evening, often within housing areas, to find food in gardens and other green spaces. Therefore, they often fly along lines of trees, which can protect them from strong winds and animals that catch them for food.
The researchers, along with those from Lancaster University, were studying the effect of man-made light on the bats, especially on the pipistrelle, a common bat which could be found in many parts of UK cities. They wanted to find out whether the bats’ flying was affected by the distance between trees and the brightness of lighting within the gap (间隔). They found that the bats crossed through the darker parts of the gaps, but with lots of lighting these gaps became barriers. Importantly, this barrier effect changes with the width of the gap in the tree line — bats would stand strong lighting in small gaps, but even a low level of lighting in larger gaps was enough to stop them crossing. James Hale who led the study said: “That might explain why this common species of bats is not easily found in highly developed areas. Understanding what may affect the movement between patches of habitat is important for the protection of species in the city centre.”
1. Bats fly along lines of trees to ________.| A．stop and have a rest at times |
| B．protect themselves from strong lights |
| C．get protection against enemies and strong winds |
| D．make sure they keep flying in the right directions |
| A．kill the bats | B．help the bats fly |
| C．stop the bats | D．keep the bats warm |
| A．food supply | B．the distance between streetlights |
| C．the number of trees | D．the development of an area |
| A．It found that bats would just move in the evening. |
| B．It was done to find ways to protect bats in UK cities. |
| C．It found the reason why bats preferred to live in a city. |
| D．It was led by researchers from Lancaster University alone. |
The next time there is a social event you feel nervous about attending, you may want to try this exercise: Spend some time with your eyes closed and breathe deeply. When you feel ready, create your own zone of comfort by visualizing yourself surrounded in a warm white light that is protective yet accepting of others. Imagine people at the event being drawn to you because of the open and warm feelings that you are showing. When you arrive at the event, take a moment to spread this same light of loving acceptance to everyone around you.
Smile and greet people warmly. Try going up to someone who is standing alone and introduce yourself. When you show acceptance and openness, people can't help but respond to you in kind.
Focusing on how we can make other people at a social gathering feel at ease can help us forget about our own insecurities. The next time you attend a social gathering, invite people to join you in your zone of comfort that you have so lovingly and intentionally created. Let yourself enjoy being encircled in the warmth of their friendships.
1. In the author's opinion, people feel awkward at a social gathering because ________.
| A．the atmosphere is unpleasant |
| B．they don't like the people there |
| C．they are too proud to talk with others |
| D．they may feel they are different from others |
| A．introducing | B．persuading | C．imagining | D．forcing |
| A．invite some friends |
| B．arrive ahead of time |
| C．talk with others nonstop |
| D．be open and warm to others |
| A．How to make a good impression on others. |
| B．How to feel at ease at a social gathering. |
| C．How to prepare for a social gathering. |
| D．How to make friends with others. |
【推荐2】Take a look at the question below and see whether you can figure out the answer: If you’re running a race and you pass the person in second place, what place are you in?
The quiz is deceivingly simple, but there is a little twist. The reason for this question design is not to cheat people, but to figure out natural differences in their thinking styles. More specifically, the test aims to establish whether the quizzer is more of a fast, intuitive thinker or a slow, reflective thinker.
After reading the question, an intuitive answer is likely to be: Since only one place is better than second place, if passing the person in second place, surely you’d be first. In comparison, a slower, more reflective thinker might realize that by passing the person in second place, one person is still in front of you, making you the runner-up.
System 1 is a fast and intuitive approach, which is often ruled by emotional responses, habits or instincts. It has the advantage of creating fast solutions but typically tends to make common reasoning errors. System 2 describes a slow and careful approach, which includes more measured reflection on different choices. It has the advantage of leading to more purposeful results but is also connected with the cost of higher mental effort.
The test question intended to measure people’s preferences of one thinking style over the other. However, in fact, most people use a mixture of System 1 and System 2 approaches, with the context determining which system is more influential. The relative importance of a task and the amount of time available to make a choice can both influence how you think.
With this in mind, we may have to look back on our first question. Rather than trying to identify the better thinking style, the challenge appears to be one of finding balance. Knowing when to think fast and when to think slow might be the real game changer for lifting productivity and success.
1. What does the underlined word “deceivingly” in paragraph 2 mean?| A．Seemingly. | B．Extremely. |
| C．Heavily. | D．Strangely. |
| A．They are worse at running races. |
| B．They are more likely to make mistakes. |
| C．They are easily influenced by emotions. |
| D．They often think twice about everything. |
| A．It’s difficult to change one’s thinking style. |
| B．Reflective thinking outweighs intuitive thinking. |
| C．One’s thinking style is determined by certain factors. |
| D．People usually prefer one thinking style to the other. |
| A．Figuring out the better thinking style. |
| B．Changing the game rules to your advantage. |
| C．Striking a balance between work and play. |
| D．Adapting the thinking style to the situation. |
【推荐3】With the improvement of privacy protection awareness, everyone has questions about the telephone address, ID card information and so on. This visible privacy has been particularly concerned, but for chat photos and original pictures, it has not attracted enough attention. The topic “How much privacy can a photo reveal” has been trending on Sina Weibo, sparking concern and heated discussion about privacy awareness. In group chats, some people may post their original photos. But that may give away their home address and other information.
Images often contain a lot of information and various traces left by digital cameras or photo manipulation (处理) software. This data, called Exchangeable Image File Format (EXIF), is a key tool for many professionals. It can detail whether the photographer used a flash, which digital effects were applied to a picture and when the photo was taken. EXIF can also contain the precise GPS coordinates (坐标) of the location where a photo was taken, according to CNN. If you take a landscape picture from your window and send the original picture to a group chat, it means that you are releasing your location data to all strangers in the group. They may even accurately infer your house number by analyzing the shooting time and angle.
Not just in a group chat,sending an image in a text message, email, or other delivery tools will also include the accompanying information. So how do we protect our privacy when sending photos? The most effective way is to avoid sending original photos in group chats. If it’s necessary, try not to tap the “original picture”. However, photos sent by WeChat Moments are automatically pressed by the system, and they travel without location and other information. To solve the problem at its root, we can delete and remove a picture’s EXIF data on a computer. If you are using an iOS smartphone, you can turn off location services for the camera in the privacy settings. If you’re using an Android device, the settings vary. Typically, you can go to the setting menu and switch the services off for the camera, according to CTV News. There is one more thing you can do — photoshop your photos before you share them. What comes with your edited images is photos without stored location data.
1. What is the function of the first paragraph?| A．To explain the meaning of privacy protection. |
| B．To lead to the topic of privacy protection. |
| C．To describe people’s concern about privacy. |
| D．To tell the readers the importance of privacy. |
| A．It can be used as a flash for the photographer. |
| B．It may apply digital effects to a picture. |
| C．It includes the home address of the viewers. |
| D．It provides a photo’s shooting time and place. |
| A．By switching off location services for Wechat. |
| B．By sending out their EXIF data on our phone. |
| C．By editing the photos with photo editing apps. |
| D．By turning off Internet connection when taking photos. |
| A．Photo Privacy Protection |
| B．The Importance of Protecting Photos |
| C．The Privacy a Photo Reveals |
| D．Getting Information from Photos |
【推荐1】Imagine looking for your lost dog. You step into a cave. But instead of the dog, you find beautiful cave paintings. You see paintings of horses, deer, and bison that were drawn in black, brown, red and yellow. Your first question would probably be “Who did this?”
This is what happened to four French boys in 1940. They found the Lascaux caves. The paintings the boys discovered in those caves are about 17,000 years old. They were drawn by the ancient people called Cro-Magnons.
Cro-Magnons looked much like people of today. They used tools, such as fishing nets. But their art was extremely good. The main cave at Lascaux is called Great Hall of Bulls, which has a picture of bulls and horses in many colours. The largest animal is 18 feet long. There are smaller animals, such as bison, stags and a bear. There is also a strange spotted two-horned (两只角的) animal.
To the left of the main cave are the most famous paintings that are the drawings of animals in many different colours. One painting is called Little Horses. On the ceiling are horses and cows. The most unusual sight may be in The Shaft of the Dead Man where there is a rhinoceros, a carefully drawn dead man, an injured bison and a bird.
Why did Cro-Magnon artists do these beautiful drawings on cave walls? Did the drawings call upon some magic power? Did the Cro-Magnon people hope that the drawings would bring good luck? There is one thing the paintings seem to tell us. The CroMagnons were interested in the world. They looked at beauty and they understood it.
1. The author uses the word “You” in Paragraph 1 to .| A．attract readers’ attention |
| B．make it clear that this is a true story |
| C．give readers good directions to find the caves |
| D．compare modern people with Cro-Magnon people |
| A．boys | B．tools | C．humans | D．animals |
| A．The cave paintings are beautiful. |
| B．Who found the beautiful cave paintings. |
| C．The Lascaux caves hold colourful ancient paintings. |
| D．Drawings of horses are on the walls of the Lascaux caves. |
| A．a research paper | B．a cultural magazine |
| C．a science newspaper | D．a travel guide |
【推荐2】NASA’s Ingenuity Mars helicopter has completed its first test flight, marking a major milestone for the agency’s efforts to explore the red planet. The 4-pound helicopter took off from the Martian surface on Monday, hovering (盘旋) for about 30 seconds before landing back down.
The flight was powered by four lithium—ion (锂离子) batteries, which were recharged using solar panels on the helicopter. Because of the distance between Earth and Mars, engineers had to program the flight ahead of time and wait for the results to come back, making the entire process autonomous.
“This is a Wright brothers moment,” said MiMi Aung, project manager for Ingenuity at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. “I can’t imagine what it took for Orville and Wilbur Wright to do their first flight, but I sure can tell you that the helicopter team poured their heart and soul into this and did everything they could imagine to make this successful.”
The helicopter was transported to Mars attached to NASA’s Perseverance rover (探月车), which arrived on the planet in February. Over the next few weeks, the team will test different sides of the helicopter’s capabilities, including up-and-down flights and flying longer distances.
The final goal of the mission is not only to show new technologies and gather more data on Mars, but also to pave the way for “searching missions” that can explore terrain that is inaccessible to rovers.
“This really sets the stage for us to introduce an aerial dimension (空中维度) to our exploration of planets in the solar system in the future,” said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate.
1. What can we learn from the text?| A．The helicopter flew from the Earth to Mars. |
| B．The helicopter can deal with data on Mars. |
| C．NASA may draw a more exact Mars map in the future. |
| D．Wright brothers did their first flight effortlessly. |
| A．By remote control from Earth. | B．By four lithium-ion batteries. |
| C．By programming it in advance. | D．By the perseverance rover. |
| A．A highlight in aviation (航空) history. |
| B．An ordinary moment in aviation history. |
| C．A magic in aviation history. |
| D．A tough moment in aviation history. |
| A．A Demanding Mission |
| B．A Major Milestone In History |
| C．NASA’s Mars Helicopter Shows New Technologies |
| D．NASA’s Mars Helicopter Completes First Test Flight |
【推荐3】Many sugar-sweetened beverages (饮料) have little to offer—no nutritional value and lots of calories, and their harmful health effects have been well-documented. Now, a study links drinking too many sugary beverages—and even 100% natural fruit juices—to an increased risk of early death. Specifically, drinking too much fruit juice could lead to an increased risk of early death ranging from 9% to 42%, according to a study.
Overall, the sugars found in orange juice, although naturally occurring, are pretty similar to the sugars added to soda and other sweetened beverages, the study suggests. “Sugary beverages, whether soft drinks or fruit juices, should be limited,” Jean Welsh, a co-author of the study said.
Seven US cities, including New York and most recently Philadelphia, have levied (征收) taxes on sweetened drinks with added sugar in an effort to reduce consumption. The new study defined “sugary beverages” as both sugar-sweetened drinks, like soda and fruit-flavored drinks, and 100% natural fruit juices that have no added sugar. So how does fruit juice compare to soda? “Previous research has shown that high consumption of sugars like those in soft drinks and fruit juices is linked to several cardiovascular (心血管的) disease risk factors,” Welsh explained.
People who consumed 10% or more of their daily calories as sugary beverages had a 44% greater risk of dying due to a heart disease and a 14% greater risk of an early death from any cause compared with people who consumed less than 5% of their daily calories as sugary beverages, the study showed. Each additional 12-ounce (盎司) serving of fruit juice per day was associated with a 24% higher risk of death from any cause, and each additional 12-ounce serving of sugary beverages per day was associated with an 11% higher risk.
This is one of the first studies to examine the relationship between sugary drinks, including 100% fruit juices, and early death, wrote Marta Guasch-Fere and Dr. Frank B.Hu in an editorial published alongside the new study. “Although fruit juices may not be as harmful as sugar-sweetened beverages, their consumption should be moderated in children and adults, especially for individuals who wish to control their body weight,” Guasch-Fere and Hu wrote.
Welsh said we need to consider both fruit juices and sugar-sweetened beverages when we think about how much sugar we consume each day. Between the two, she was in favor of fruit juices: “Given its vitamin and mineral content, fruit juice in small amounts may have a beneficial effect that isn’t seen with sodas and other sugar-sweetened beverages.”
1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?| A．Sugar-free drinks basically have no nutritional value. |
| B．Natural fruit juices are usually healthier than sugary beverages. |
| C．Drinking too much fruit juice may not be a healthy option. |
| D．The negative effect of drinking too many beverages remains unknown. |
| A．To increase the government’s income. |
| B．To increase the consumption of natural juice. |
| C．To urge people to turn to sugar-free drinks. |
| D．To let people buy less sweetened beverages. |
| A．By giving examples. | B．By making comparisons. |
| C．By giving advice. | D．By stating the facts. |
| A．sugar is a major cause of cardiovascular disease |
| B．fruit juices are only recommended when consumed in small amounts |
| C．the sugar in juice is different from the sugar in sweetened beverages |
| D．the amount of sugar we consume mainly lies in drinks with added sugar |
