Bees are more than just honey-makers, They are essential pollinators (传粉者) that help maintain the balance of our ecosystems and the diversity of our crops. Bees are among the most diverse and plentiful insects on Earth, with over 20,000 species worldwide. They belong to the order Hymenoptera (膜翅目昆虫), which also includes wasps, ants, and sawflies.
Bees have evolved to feed on nectar (花蜜) and pollen from flowers, and in doing so, they transfer pollen from one flower to another, enabling fertilization (受精) and reproduction. This process, called pollination, is essential for the survival of many plants, especially those that produce fruits, nuts, seeds, and vegetables that we eat.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), bees and other pollinators affect 35% of global agricultural land, supporting the production of 87% of the leading food crops worldwide.
Pollination also enhances the quality and quantity of the crops, as well as their resistance to pests and diseases. Without bees and other pollinators, our food supply and our biodiversity would be at risk.
Unfortunately, bees are facing many threats, such as habitat loss, pesticide use, climate change, diseases, and invasive species. The FAO estimates that 16.5％ of vertebrate (脊椎动物) pollinators and 40% of invertebrate pollinators, such as bees, are facing extinction. This could have serious consequences for our food security, our livelihoods, and our environment.
Therefore, it is important to protect the bees and their habitats, and to raise awareness about their role and value.
One way to appreciate and support the bees is to learn how to identify them and observe their behavior. You might be surprised by the diversity and beauty of the bees that visit your backyard, garden, or balcony.
1. Why are pollinators important?| A．They help the bees fertilize. | B．They keep the crops diverse. |
| C．They support the bees to make honey. | D．They protect insects such as wasps. |
| A．How pollination works. | B．How the flowers attract bees. |
| C．How the bees reproduce. | D．How the plants produce fruits. |
| A．Climate change. | B．Pesticide use. |
| C．Pollinators’ survival crisis. | D．Bees’ habitat loss. |
| A．A duty: Protect Bees’ Habitat | B．A Means: Observe Bees’ Behaviour |
| C．Bees: Maintainers of the Ecosystem | D．Bees: Consumers at the Top of the Food Chain |
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【推荐1】A man in Germany may not have been in danger when he called the police on a baby squirrel chasing him, but it all worked out for the best for the furry suspect.
Emergency services in the city of Karistruhe got a call on Thursday from a man afraid that the tiny animal wouldn't stop following him around, The Guardian reported. Police arrived at the scene, where the squirrel finally stopped running after him by lying down and going to sleep.
It turned out that the squirrel actually needed help, the police said, “It often happens that squirrels which have lost their mothers look for a replacement and then focus their efforts on one person,” the police spokesman Christian Krenz told The Guardian.
The squirrel, now named Karl-Friedrich, is in the care of an animal rescue center. Karlstruhe police posted a statement on Facebook about the animal, including several lovely photos. The department wished Karl-Friedrich the best.
The baby squirrel chase is the second police-involved squirrel incident to make international headlines this summer. Last month, a London woman called the police after she heard loud noises in her home and suspected a thief. The unwanted visitor turned out to be a “rogue squirrel”, according to the police who came for help.
Although authorities in the German case said the squirrel did need assistance, wildlife experts generally warn that before dealing with the case where you suspect a squirrel is orphaned, you should do your best to make sure the creature truly requires help. The Wildlife Center of Virginia, which gets hundreds of calls annually about supposedly orphaned squirrels, published this handy guide to help determine whether such an animal really needs help and what to do if so. When in doubt, contact a local wildlife rescuer, a rehab center on animal control.
1. Why did the man in Germany call the police?| A．A baby squirrel was asleep there. | B．A baby squirrel tried to bite him. |
| C．A baby squirrel was lying down there. | D．A baby squirrel kept running after him. |
| A．A woman from London. | B．A lovely little squirrel. |
| C．An unwanted visitor. | D．A local policewoman. |
| A．They are very active in animal protection. |
| B．They are very eager to help disabled squirrels. |
| C．They think squirrels are endangered animals. |
| D．They think squirrels are in a hungry state. |
| A．People should try to give first aid to injured or sick squirrels. |
| B．People should figure out whether squirrels actually need assistance. |
| C．People should help squirrels who are left alone as soon as possible. |
| D．People should contact a local wildlife rescuer when seeing orphaned squirrels, |
【推荐2】Herman Melvile, the writer of the famous whale story Moby Dick, once wrote that humpback whales were “the most lighthearted of all the whales.” Known to be intelligent animals and can be seen working together to hunt schools of small fish, humpbacks are a favorite of whale watchers everywhere. And, if you listen closely, you might even hear one singing.
Marine （海洋） biologist Jim Darling has studied the songs of humpback whales for more than 25 years. While recording whale songs on a boat near Hawaii, he invited author Douglas Chadwick to experience diving with a humpback. In the water, Chadwick heard the whale’s songs in a way he never heard them before. “Suddenly, I no longer heard the whale’s voice in my ears,” he said. “I felt it inside my head and bones.”When swimming with the whale, Chadwick could see that the whale was aware of him, but not alarmed by his presence. Up in the boat, Darling recorded the whale’s song, which can be long and complex, sometimes lasting for 30 minutes or more. Actually, they are perhaps the longest songs sung by any animal.
Darling says that only male humpbacks sing, but for unknown reasons, it was previously thought that they sang to attract females, but scientists showed this was incorrect when they played recordings of whale songs in the ocean and the female whales did not respond. Another idea is that male humpbacks compete with each other using songs, just as other male animals on land do using their horns or sharp teeth.
Researchers have also found that humpback whale songs are different in different parts of the world, perhaps like whale national songs. They may also be like hit tunes on the radio, changing over time—from one year to the next, or even over a single breeding season when they produce young.
Another member of the research team, photographer Flip Nicklin, recalls a special moment he had while interacting with a humpback. While he was snorkeling(潜水) some distance from the huge animal, it approached him until it was just a few metres away. It then gently carried Nicklin towards its eye with a flipper(鳍肢), as if examine him. Obviously, the urge to understand a different species goes both ways.
1. What is this passage mainly about?| A．How to record the humpbacks in the ocean. |
| B．How humpbacks communicate with people. |
| C．Humpback songs and what they might mean. |
| D．the career of a man who is interested in humpbacks. |
| A．the songs attracted fish | B．no female whales came |
| C．male whales became angry | D．male and female whales came together |
| A．Their songs are short and simple. | B．Only male humpback whales sing. |
| C．Humpback whales are very friendly. | D．They are popular with whale watchers. |
| A．They were afraid of whales. | B．They swam with the whales. |
| C．Their jobs are to take photos of the whales. | D．They are marine biologists studying whales. |
【推荐3】Giant pandas are no longer endangered, Chinese officials have said, decades of work to save the creatures helped drive their population in the wild up to 1, 800. The species will be listed as vulnerable（易危物种）, Cui Shuhong, director of the Department of Natural Ecological Protection of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, said at a press conference on Wednesday.
China has spent half a century attempting to boost the population of its famous animals, creating panda reserves across several mountain ranges in an effort to save them from extinction. They were taken off the endangered list by the International Union for Conservation of Nature（IUCN）in 2016, but that decision was not released by Chinese officials.
Since the 1970s, Chinese officials have worked on a campaign to drive up their numbers. To prevent habitat loss, officials created specially designed nature reserves in areas where their main food source, bamboo, is plentiful. In 2017, China announced plans for a 10,476- square-mile reserve, which is three times the size of Yellowstone National Park.
"China has established a relatively complete nature reserves system," Cui said on Wednesday as he announced the move. "Large areas of natural ecosystems have been systematically and completely protected, and wildlife habitats have been effectively improved."
Pandas are known in China as an umbrella species, which means experts believe measures to protect them would help protect other species, as well as the larger ecosystem. Cui added that the populations of some other rare and endangered species are gradually recovering as well. "The number of species such as Siberian tigers, Amur leopards, and Asian elephants has increased significantly." he said.
1. What have happened to giant pandas?| A．They will never be protected in future. | B．Their reserves will be decreasing sharply. |
| C．They were not listed as endangered species. | D．They have to face the worsening situations. |
| A．Increase. | B．Maintain. | C．Cancel. | D．Reduce. |
| A．3,492 square meters. | B．3,492 square miles. | C．5,238 square miles. | D．5,238 square meters. |
| A．They can improve the production of umbrellas. | B．Protecting it means endangering other species. |
| C．They are not at the top of food chain in nature. | D．Protecting it is beneficial to a larger ecosystem. |
【推荐1】With fifteen years Britain and other nations should be well on with the building of huge industrial complexes for the recycling of waste. The word “rubbish” could lose its meaning because everything which goes into the dumps would be made into something useful. Even the most dangerous and unpleasant wastes would provide energy if nothing else.
The latest project is to take a city of around half a million inhabitants and discover exactly what raw materials go into it and what go out. The aim is to find out how much of these raw materials could be provided if a plant for recycling waste were built just outside the city. This plant would recycle not only metal such as steel, lead and copper, but also paper and rubber as well.
Another new project is being set up to discover the best ways of sorting and separating the rubbish. When this project is complete, the rubbish will be processed like this: First, it will pass through sharp metal bars (金属条) which will tear open the plastic bags in which rubbish is usually packed; then it will pass through a powerful fan to separate the lightest elements from the heavy solids; after that founders and rollers will break up everything that can be broken. Finally, the rubbish will pass under magnets (磁铁), which will remove the bits of iron and steel; the rubber and plastic will then be sorted out in the final stage.
The first full-scale giant recycling plants are perhaps fifteen years away. Indeed, with the growing cost of transporting rubbish to more distant dumps (垃圾场), some big cities will be forced to build their own recycling plants before long.
1. What is NOT mentioned as a part of the recycling process described in Paragraph 3?| A．Sharpening metal bars. |
| B．Sorting out small pieces of metal. |
| C．Breaking up whatever is breakable. |
| D．Separating light elements from the heavy ones. |
| A．To protect the environment. | B．To reduce transportation expense. |
| C．To get raw materials locally. | D．To get big profits from those plants. |
| A．Dangerous wastes can’t be recycled. |
| B．Recycling plant only recycle metal and paper. |
| C．Rubbish will be dealt with in a better way later. |
| D．The first full-scale giant recycling plants will begin operation in less than 15 years. |
| A．Scientific Ways to Get Energy | B．The Location of Recycling Plants |
| C．Some Methods to Protect the Environment | D．New Ways of Recycling Wastes |
【推荐2】1970 was “World Conservation Year”. The United Nations wanted everyone to know that the world was in danger. They hoped that the governments would act quickly in order to conserve(保护)nature. Here is one example of the problem. At one time there were 1300 different plants, trees and flowers in Holland, but now only 860 remain. The others have been destroyed by modern man and his technology. We are changing the earth, the air and the water, and everything that grows and lives. We can’t live without these things. If we continue like this, we shall destroy ourselves.
What will happen in the future? Perhaps it is more important to ask “What must we do now?” The people who will be living in the world of tomorrow are the young of today. A lot of them know that conservation is necessary. Many are hoping to save our world. They plant trees, build bridges across rivers in forests and so on. In a small town in the United States a large group of girls cleaned the banks of eleven kilometers of their river. Young people may hear about conservation through a record called “No One’s Going to Change our World!” It was made by Seatles, Cliff Richard and other singers. The money from it will help to conserve wild animals.
1. We shall destroy ourselves if we don’t ________.| A．improve our technology in planting trees |
| B．try our best to save the world |
| C．change the earth |
| D．hear about the record called “No One’s Going to Change our World!” |
| A．a record calling on people to conserve nature |
| B．an important book published in 1970 |
| C．an idea that nobody would accept |
| D．a rule worked out by the United States |
| A．We should clean the banks of our rivers. |
| B．We should know what we should do and do it now. |
| C．We should know what will happen in the future. |
| D．We should plant more trees and flowers. |
| A．1970 was ”World Conservation Year". |
| B．The United Nations wanted everybody to know that the world is in danger. |
| C．It is the young people who are helping to save our world. |
| D．Conservation is necessary. |
【推荐3】China is known for its long history, rich culture, and cute pandas. It’s also known for some of the worst air quality in the world. But the Asian country is now using a natural weapon against air pollution – trees.
In February, China’s government announced plans to cover at least 32,400 square miles with forest. That is about the size of Ireland. Some 60,000 soldiers will take charge of the tree-planting program. Most of the trees will be planted in Hebei Province. That is an area surrounding China’s capital, Beijing.
Huang Wei is an environmentalist who works for Greenpeace East Asia. She is optimistic about the plan. “Trees act as a sink to absorb carbon dioxide and other pollutants,” she said. Carbon dioxide is a gas that traps the Earth’s heat. It contributes to global warming.
Why is China’s air filled with harmful chemicals? It’s because the country relies on coal-fired power plants. When coal is burned, PM2.5 is produced, PM2.5 is a pollutant. It can cause shortness of breath, heart attacks, and even death.
Just two years ago, pollution levels were so high in Beijing that schools and factories had to close. Huang hopes China’s tree-planting plan will reduce the nation’s suffering from air pollution.
The Chinese government is getting help from others in its drive to make the nation greener. Stefano Boeri is an Italian architect and urban planner. He is leading an effort to plant vertical（垂直的）forests in China.
Boeri’s designs have already taken root in the city of Nanjing, China. That’s where the Nanjing Green Towers are under construction. The building has two towers. Thousands of trees and hanging plants will grow on the balconies and rooftops.
Boeri says his goal is to design buildings that help the environment and improve air quality. He also hopes to encourage a new generation of green architects.
1. What’s China’s solution to the air pollution problem?| A．Closing the factories. | B．Planting more tress. |
| C．Using natural gas. | D．Making more rules. |
| A．Puzzled. | B．Confident. |
| C．Uncertain. | D．Unconcerned. |
| A．leads to | B．attaches to |
| C．gets close to | D．looks forward to |
| A．It is environmentally friendly. |
| B．It is based on classical buildings. |
| C．It often features two towers. |
| D．It aims to save public space. |
【推荐1】True, people remember what you wear. After a social event, we all remember the woman in red, or the man with the top hat. On the red carpet, Hollywood hopefuls take advantage of this reality by wearing outfits designed to be discussed and displayed on the front pages of newspapers. But in terms of making a good impression, being memorable is not just about novelty or fashion, but attraction, both physical and emotional, often in opposite order of importance.
In a 2020 study, Andre Ndobo found people tended to remember the extremes: both attractive and unattractive faces. He acknowledged that one suggested explanation was that both are characterized by distinctive features that promote facial recognition when compared with faces of average attractiveness. But while distinctiveness is memorable, beauty is skin deep. Accordingly, the way you are remembered by others is often not about what you wear and how you look but about the way you make people feel.
Professional interaction can create positive personal memories. Adrie A. Koehler, in a piece entitled “In the Eye of the Beholder” (2017), found that when asked to recall their best learning experience, many students discussed a memorable teacher. What made the teachers memorable? According to the students, memorable qualities included not only teaching styles, but also interpersonal skills and positive qualities such as a sense of humor.
We can relate to the results of this study when recalling people who are memorable in our own lives. They are not always people who we believed to be the smartest or most believed, but often those who made us feel the most comfortable, and who were most interested in us. Sincere interest is uniquely attractive. Not only will you remember what someone said, but they will also remember you, fondly.
Regardless of what we wear or how we look, we are always naturally more appealing and approachable when we focus on others and when we are genuine rather than simply sociable. Remember that, and others will remember you.
1. The Hollywood hopefuls are mentioned to show ________.| A．the competition on the red carpet | B．people’s attempt to be remembered |
| C．people’s wrong belief about impression | D．the importance of clothing in one’s success |
| A．It creates positive memories. | B．There’s something special with it. |
| C．It makes people feel uncomfortable. | D．People often try hard to avoid seeing it. |
| A．Smart people are especially attractive. |
| B．Teaching styles impress students most. |
| C．The best learning experience is hard to gain. |
| D．Sincere attention is useful in communication. |
| A．You Are What You Wear | B．Mind the Impression You Make |
| C．How Can We Improve Our Self-image? | D．What do People Remember about You? |
【推荐2】Children are often exposed to diet culture from a young age and its negative impacts can be long-lasting, according to Virginia Smith, author of a new book titled Fat Talk, Parenting in the Age of Diet Culture.
“Kids, at a very young age, start to become aware of body shaming,” Smith said. “The main factors of children’s future eating disorder (饮食失调) are kids’ being ashamed of their weight and their history of dieting in childhood.”
In Fat Talk, Smith argues that one way parents can fight back against this is to take a fresh look at the word “fat”. “We can understand ‘fat’ as just a neutral body descriptor, just like saying tall or short or brown hair, black hair…” Smith said. “If your child in a bigger body comes to you, and he says, ‘Am I fat?’ you should be honest with him and say, ‘You’re fat. And there’s definitely nothing wrong with that. We love your body just the way it is.’”
Another suggestion from Smith is for parents to change conversations with and in front of children at home. “We can say I’m not going to shame my body in front of my kids and I’m going to celebrate bodies in all shapes and sizes,” Smith recommended. David Anderson, a parenting expert, added, “So if you have a child who’s in a bigger body, talk about their strengths.” David continued, “Helping our children concentrate on how our bodies work, how they allow us to achieve our goals… these are things we can remind our kids about every single day.”
Often, diet conversations about size can be unavoidable for children, but David said parents can act as a shield between children and some of the most harmful messages behind diet culture. But as children grow older, David encourages parents to be honest with kids about their own struggles and not to pretend they know everything and that kids know nothing about diet culture.
1. What might contribute to children’s future eating disorder?| A．Body shape and peer pressure. | B．Body image and parenting style. |
| C．Body change and food preference. | D．Body shame and dieting experience. |
| A．Kids should make peace with their body image. |
| B．Kids should take pride in being overweight. |
| C．Parents should teach their kids honesty. |
| D．Parents should give “fat” a positive definition. |
| A．Their body functions. | B．Their individual characters. |
| C．Their physical appearance. | D．Their career achievements. |
| A．Editor. | B．Supporter. | C．Protector. | D．Connector. |
【推荐3】Lonely? You’re hardly alone. That’s the finding of a new study. And that appears throughout industrial nations across the globe. The study linked rising loneliness to a greater use of smartphones and the Internet over the same years.
Jean Twenge, a psychologist, took part in the study. Her team has found that since 2012, US teens have been spending less time together face to face.
“Smartphones can help keep us connected with friends,” says Twenge. “But they can also make people feel excluded (隔离).” Girls, especially, may feel this way. One reason may be that they like to post more photos and selfies than boys. Studies have shown that if those images don’t get a lot of “likes”, it can affect a teen’s mental health.
And there’s “phubbing”, a mixture of “phone” and “snubbing (冷落)”. It’s that moment in which a friend or family member takes out a phone and keeps looking at it，paying no attention to everybody else, including you. Phubbing is one way that technology can affect you, even when you’re not the one using it.
The new study pulled its data from a survey. Some 1 million 15-and 16-year-old students from 37 countries took this survey in 2000, 2003, 2012, 2015 and 2018. Its questions mostly dealt with education. But they also included six statements about loneliness, such as “I feel awkward and out of place in my school”. Students could strongly disagree, disagree, agree or strongly agree with each statement.
If technology causes loneliness, should we stop using it? “No, not at all,” argues Twenge. “Everybody of all ages is trying to figure out how we can best use these technologies and stay mentally healthy.” Her advice is to “use your smartphone for what it’s good for. Then put it away.” That includes putting it away overnight—ideally in another room.
1. How do girls differ from boys in smartphone use?| A．They prefer to post pictures with it. | B．They depend on it to keep in touch. |
| C．They use it as a learning tool. | D．They need it to stay in style. |
| A．To introduce a new term of the smartphone. |
| B．To give an example of communication. |
| C．To introduce an embarrassing situation. |
| D．To show the harm of the smartphone. |
| A．Smart phones only do harm to teenagers. |
| B．Parents should buy phones for their kids. |
| C．Boys are in greater need of phones than girls. |
| D．We can use our smartphones to benefit ourselves. |
| A．The Smartphone—the Focus of a Study |
| B．The Smartphone—a Friend of Teenagers |
| C．The Smartphone—a Source of Loneliness |
| D．The Smartphone—a Communication Tool |
