【推荐1】Globally, about 192.1 million animals are used annually for experimental purposes. Iran has conducted animal-based research dating back to the time of Ibn Sina. Although, like many countries, Iran regulates the use and treatment of laboratory animals, it lacks sufficient enforcement. To ensure ethical treatment of research animals, Iran needs better data about their use, and institutions and individuals need to take responsibility for their care.

Iran’s Ministry of Health, which oversees animal testing, requires all animals are treated according to international ethical standards. However, some institutions that produce or use animals provide substandard treatment, disregarding the ministry’s guidelines. To facilitate better enforcement of established regulations, Iran needs clear, accurate and reliable information about the quantity of animals used in research. All Iranian research institutions that use animals should be required to collect and report annual data on the number of animals they use, the conditions in which the animals are kept, and the animals’ research purpose. Such data would allow Iran to track each institution’s adherence (遵守) to the “3Rs”of animal research: Replacing animal-based experiments with alternative strategies, reducing the number of animals used, and refining techniques to minimize the pain and discomfort research animals experience.

In addition to government enforcement, individual institutions should prioritize the replacement, reduction, and refinement of animal use. Iran’s medical schools and research institutions should establish an accessible database with comprehensive experimental details to prevent excessive animal studies. Ethics committees shouldn’t approve experiments that use more animals than necessary or methods that require animals when alternative methods are available. In some cases, technical sampling (using a small sample size) can replace experimental sampling (using a relatively large sample size).

Individuals should also take an active role. All researchers must be trained to adhere to ethical principles and understand unnecessary pain or discomfort in animals could affect the interpretation of data.

Maintaining international ethical standards for animal treatment is vital for Iran to establish its global standing in the field of medical sciences. Iran’s government, institutions, individual scientists, and public can work together to ensure ethical animal research.

1. What is the main idea of paragraph 1?

A．The origin of Iran’s animal-based research.

B．The regulations of Iran’s research into animals.

C．The development of Iran’s animal-based research.

D．Moral concerns for Iran’s research animals’ welfare.

2. Why does Iran need better data about the use of research animals?

A．To follow the ministry’s guidelines.

B．To be in control of animal-based research.

C．To ensure the adherence to the “3Rs” in animal-based research.

D．To replace animal-based experiments with alternative strategies.

3. Why should a database with overall experimental details be established?

A．To follow government regulations.

B．To reduce unnecessary animal-based studies.

C．To make research more visible to the public.

D．To ensure the accuracy of experimental results.

4. What is the main purpose of the text?

A．To encourage cooperation for ethical animal-based research in Iran.

B．To promote the use of an accessible experimental database in Iran.

C．To highlight ethics committees’ role in animal-based research in Iran.

D．To stress international ethical standards in animal-based research in Iran.

【推荐2】Away from the bright lights of the city, if you look up at the night sky you will see an ocean of bright stars. But in the illuminated (灯火通明的) concrete (混凝土) jungles we humans have built ourselves, it’s a different story.

This year, Earth Hour was observed on March 26. The annual tradition, started by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in 2007 in Sydney, Australia, was created to raise awareness for climate change. Those celebrating turn off all their electrical appliances (家用电器) for one hour. It also draws attention to another serious problem that the world is currently facing — the threat of light pollution.

Light pollution happens when too much man-made light harms nature. Scientists have found that it is especially harmful to nocturnal (夜间的) animals. These creatures rely on the natural light cycle provided by the movement of the sun to help coordinate (协调) their sleep cycles. When this is disturbed by constant bright lights from man-made structures, it can seriously disorientate (使……失去方向感) the animals and harm their physical health. “Wildlife species have evolved on this planet with biological rhythms — changing that has profound effects,” said Travis Longcore, a biogeographer with the Urban Wildlands Group in Los Angeles, US. A lack of darkness at night can also cause difficulties for animals in other ways.

Newly hatched (孵化) baby sea turtles rely on the brighter horizon over the ocean to guide them from the beach to the sea. However, with artificial lights next to the oceans, the small animals are easily led away from the right path. “Hatchlings are attracted to lights and crawl (爬行) inland, or crawl aimlessly down the beach, sometimes until dawn (黎明), when predators (天敌) or birds get them,” said Michael Salmon, a biologist at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida.

Artificial light has caused a “drastic (激烈的) change” to the natural environment of animals, research scientist Christopher Kyba told the International Dark-Sky Association. “Predators use light to hunt, and prey (猎物) species use darkness as cover,” Kyba explained. If a predator has such an extra advantage in hunting its prey, this can lead to an imbalance in the ecosystem as the hunted species are no longer able to maintain their population when they become over-hunted.

1. Why was Earth Hour created?

A．To raise awareness of air pollution.

B．To call on people to get closer to nature.

C．To draw public attention to environmental issues.

D．To reconsider the necessity of electrical appliances.

2. How does light pollution affect nocturnal animals?

A．It slows their evolution.

B．It changes their sleep cycles.

C．It lessens their dependence on the sun.

D．It reduces their difficulties caused by darkness.

3. What does them refer to in the paragraph 4?

A．baby sea turtles

B．predators

C．birds

D．artificial lights

4. What is the last paragraph mainly about?

A．The controversy over artificial lights.

B．Animals that benefit from artificial lights.

C．The impact of artificial lights on ecosystems.

D．The dangers of an imbalance in the ecosystem.

【推荐2】Last night, I had the misfortune of eating at The BurgerShack. What I had hoped to be a romantic anniversary dinner for my wife Gladys and me turned out to be a very disappointing dining experience. I began to have my doubts the moment we walked inside. The dining room itself was clean, but the decoration was far too gaudy (花哨的) for my tastes. Multicolored images of clowns and large cartoon animals were stuck on almost every single wall. The tables were a bright lime green (橙绿色). It certainly did not look like the romantic restaurant that I was hoping for, but I am not one to judge a book by its cover.

Gladys and I stood for what seemed like an hour waiting to be seated, but not a single employee even glanced at our way. Finally, we decided to just locate a table on our own. Although the restaurant was fairly crowded, we were able to find a table in the back. We took our seats and waited for a member of the wait staff to bring us menus.

An unbearable amount of time passed and there was still no sign of a waiter or waitress. Perhaps having noticed our frustration, a customer sitting at the table next to us informed us that there were no waiters. Instead, we had to place our orders at the front of the restaurant and then bring our own food back to the table.

No waiters? Who came up with this concept? What is the purpose of dining out if you have to get up and serve yourself? I was about to storm out, but my wife calmed me down.

Eventually, Gladys volunteered to get the food for us. Somehow, I did manage to eat six of the hamburgers, but the seventh proved far too greasy (油腻的) for my liking. The chocolate milk shake that they offered as dessert was acceptable, but the cup it came in was very small.

Overall, The BurgerShack’s combination of dreadful decoration, non-existence service, and disappointing food makes it a place to avoid. I certainly hope we will find a better place to celebrate our 51st anniversary next year!

1. What does the author think of the decoration in The BurgerShack?

A．Unattractive.

B．Plain.

C．Creative.

D．Unique.

2. Why did the author and his wife wait a long time to be seated?

A．There was no seat available.

B．There were not enough waiters.

C．They expected to be led to a table.

D．The decoration caught their attention.

3. What was the author dissatisfied with about the shake?

A．Its taste.

B．Its color.

C．Its shape.

D．Its amount.

4. What do we know about The BurgerShack?

A．It is a self-service restaurant.

B．It is well known for its quality service.

C．The food there is better than elsewhere.

D．It is a great place to celebrate anniversaries.

【推荐3】Born in Wales in 1950, Martin Lockley was a pioneer in the study of the dinosaur tracks and footprints preserved in rocks around the world. His work helped his fellow paleontologists (古生物学家) understand what the footprints can tell us about dinosaurs and the world that they lived in.

The footprints and tracks left behind by dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals are called trace fossils (痕迹化石). They can offer clues to how quickly an animal walked or ran and even what their skin may have looked like. Compared with the body fossils of bones and teeth, trace fossils contain evidence of the interactions that the animals had with their environment and can describe what the physical environment may have looked like. They offer a more reliable way to imagine the speed of a dinosaur than analyzing the bones.

Lockley’s mother and father were nature lovers. Lockley loved to observe nature. His father inspired him to “just go out and observe and trust your observations”, which proved important in Lockley’s launching his future career in dinosaur research. He took that advice with him to Gunnison, southwest of Denver, the United States. While North America is home to some of the largest number of fossil footprints in the world, Lockley’s work with prints and his father’s words took him far and wide. He explored fossil and track sites in China, South Korea, Spain and the United Kingdom.

In addition to finding the tracks, Lockley devoted time and energy to preserving these important parts of the fossil record. This includes guiding the politics needed to create UNESCO world heritage sites so that future generations wouldn’t lose out on these precious relics of the past.

1. What can we know about trace fossils?

A．They can reflect the then environment.

B．They are mainly left by some larger animals.

C．They can be easier to preserve than teeth fossils.

D．They are as accurate as bone fossils in analyzing animals’ speed.

2. What contributes to Lockley’s beginning his career in dinosaur tracks?

A．His family’s tradition.

B．His father’s encouragement.

C．His love for dinosaurs and their footprints.

D．His desire to find the largest dinosaur track site.

3. What did Lockley do besides his professional research?

A．He explored places of interest around the world.

B．He guided fellow paleontologists in their work.

C．He conserved and promoted dinosaur track sites.

D．He educated the next generation of track hunters.

4. Which can best describe Lockley’s work?

A．Dangerous.

B．Time-consuming.

C．Far-reaching.

D．Demanding.

【推荐1】I loved sports and I dreamed of being a star athlete in high school. However, something happened on one winter morning when I was playing a basketball game for my rural league team.

I was having a pretty good game. But then I remembered falling and screaming for help. I didn’t know what was wrong with me. I looked at my leg and it seemed as if I broke it. I was taken to the hospital immediately in an ambulance and then was diagnosed with a dislocated patella (膝盖骨脱臼).

My patella was not put back into place for a few hours because the doctors needed to make sure nothing else was damaged. For a 16-year-old boy, it was a lot to take in. I kept asking different questions, like “How does this heal?” “Will I need surgery?”. I headed home later with some medicine to relieve my pain and an appointment to see a doctor.

Through my doctor’s visit, I learned that it was the way my own body was built that caused my patella to dislocate. A combination of things like the angles of my body, ligaments (韧带) that were too tight in some places and too loose in others, and the fact there was no groove (凹槽) for my patella to sit in. I needed a series of surgeries and 6-month physical treatment to recover. I kept going and eventually I went back to playing sports with a brace (支架) on.

Today, I am feeling much better and both of my knees have remained healthy. I have to continue to keep them strong, though, in order for the surgeries to continue working properly. I can’t say that my confidence is totally back because I will always have the fear of something happening. But I am ready to face difficulties or challenges in the future.

1. What happened to the author when he was playing basketball?

A．He broke his left leg.	B．His patella was out of place.
C．His teammate fell to the ground.	D．He heard a scream from his teammates.

2. What is the real reason for the author’s injury?

A．His intense sports activity.	B．His physical disadvantage.
C．His careless behavior.	D．His tight ligaments.

3. What is the author’s attitude toward his present situation?

A．Careful.

B．Hopeful.

C．Curious.

D．Satisfied.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．An adventurous sporting career	B．Enthusiasm for playing sports.
C．A lesson from playing sports.	D．An incident of playing sports.

【推荐2】Mike White wasn’t too concerned when his five-year-old dog, BuzzMan, hadn’t returned last February. Si, it had been a few hours, so using his cell phone, White followed the sound from the GPS on the dog to a narrow cave entrance just large enough for a dog like BuzzMan. There were fresh dog prints outside. Now White was much more concerned.

Brewington and Mirza were called in for help. They arrived at once and set about enlarging the entranceway by hand. The passageway was just three feet high, forcing the two men to slowly crawl(爬行), the only light coming from headlamps attached to their helmets(头盔). They stopped when they hit a tight space and returned to the outside world.

When BuzzMan hadn’t appeared by Sunday afternoon, smaller volunteers were called in. At 5:00 p.m., four new cavers, two men and two women, moved through the entrance. What added to their difficulty was the dangerous cave floods. “If it rains,” Mirza says, “the cave will kill people.” That night’s weather forecast: rain.

After an hour or so, they reached a difficult situation and could go no farther. Still, one of them, Romanak, decided to push a bit farther before quitting. He crawled 30 feet more, and the passage gave way to a large room. And there was BuzzMan, standing on a narrow rock. Romanak gently attached a chain to his collar, helping him off the rock and out.

At 9:30 p.m.—30 hours later, BuzzMan got out of the cave, running straight to Mike White and licking him by wet kisses.

In total, eight cavers answered the request to rescue Buzz Man on a volunteer basis and were thought highly of by the community. Mirza laughed off the praise. After all, going into tight spaces was their hobby. “What we consider fun,” he said, “often makes most people frightened.”

1. Why did Mike White feel much more concerned?

A．He had difficult yin following the dog’s GPS.

B．His dog might be stuck in a dangerous situation.

C．The cave entrance was large enough for his dog.

D．The rescuers failed to arrive at the scene in time.

2. What increased the difficulty for the cavers?

A．The dark light of the headlamp.

B．The shortage of the manpower.

C．The coming floods of the cave.

D．The length of the passageway.

3. What can we know from the article?

A．The size of the passageway was suitable for the cavers.

B．White and Buzz Man were very attached to each other.

C．It was Mirza who helped Buzz Man off the rock and out.

D．Eight cavers participating in the rescue were well paid.

4. What message does Mirza express in the last paragraph?

A．Many hands make light work.

B．Actions speak louder than words.

C．When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

D．One man’s meat is another man’s poison.

【推荐3】阅读表达

One day I decided to plant a garden in our backyard, and my husband began to paint our fence. We’re renters, not owners, and were growing tired of waiting for the day when we would be able to buy something, so we began turning our house into a place we could call home.

We’ve also taken on new responsibilities: I started volunteering at the city’s animal shelter, and my husband has been volunteering for a nonprofit art gallery. Being involved in this way has given each of us an increased sense of purpose and strengthened our ties to the place we live in.

But it’s not just the things that you can add to your restart that matter. I’m happy to be able to help out an elderly woman I see struggling with her bag. I know I’ve done something good when I knock on a neighbor’s door and let her know her car lights are still on. I feel I’ve done my part when I find a lost dog wandering in the neighborhood and return him to his relieved owner.

No doubt it works the other way, too. As we come to care about the place we live in, the people here grow to know and care about us. It feels good to know that when we’re out of town, our neighbors are picking up our mail and keeping an eye on our house for us. We’re delighted when a neighbor congratulates us on my pregnancy.

This symbiotic (共生的) relationship we’re building with our community is exciting and inspiring. As I watch new life sprouting up in my garden, I think about all the possibilities for laying down more roots to this place and growing along with it. And as I think about the baby growing, I am knowing we will be bringing a new person --- a new participant --- into this community, a community he’ll call his hometown.

1. What new responsibility has the author’s husband been taking on? (No more than 10 words)
2. Why are the writer and her husband rewarded in return? (No more than 10 words)
3. What does the underlined phrase “sprouting up” most probably mean? (No more than 3 words)
4. What is the best title of the text? (No more than 8 words)
5. After reading the text, if you want to have a life with your neighbors, what should you do? (No more than 20 words)