Cork is a light brown material harvested from the cork oak tree. Cork is lightweight, strong and resistant to water.
The cork oak tree is native to the western Mediterranean coast of Europe.
Because cork oak trees are not killed during harvest, they can live for as long as 200 years. Also, used cork products can be recycled and used again. This makes cork a valuable renewable resource.
| A．After drying, the cork is ready to be cut. |
| B．Harvests only happen once every nine years. |
| C．Cork has even found a use in making rockets. |
| D．It is best known for keeping liquids from spilling. |
| E．Cork can be shined and used to cover floors and walls. |
| F．The largest cork oak forests in the world are in Portugal. |
| G．The wine industry has been a major supporter of cork production. |
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【推荐1】People have been dreaming up horrible monsters and scary spirits for centuries. The vampire, an “undead” creature thirsty for blood, is one of the most inventive and attractive creatures of all. It’s also one of the most lasting: Vampire-like creatures date back thousands of years, and pop up in dozens of different cultures.
In this article, we’ll see where the various elements of the vampire legend come from. We’ll also look at the psychological significance of these creatures and find out about some real-life people or things that are remarkably similar to the supernatural vampire.
The vampires in today’s books, movies and television shows are incredibly complicated creatures. According to the mythology (神话), every vampire was once a human, who, after being bitten by a vampire, died and rose from the grave as a monster. Vampires desire the blood of the living, whom they hunt during the night. They bite their victims’ necks with their two sharp front teeth.
Since they’re back-to-life corpses — the living remains of a dead person — vampires are often referred to as “the undead”. They can still pass as healthy humans, however, and will walk undetected among the living. In fact, vampires may be attractive, highly sexual beings, seducing their prey (猎物) before feeding. A vampire may also take the form of an animal, usually a bat or wolf, in order to launch a sudden attack on a victim before being detected.
Vampires are potentially immortal (不死的), but they do have a few weaknesses. They can be destroyed by a stake through the heart, fire, beheading and direct sunlight, and they are afraid of holy water and garlic. Vampires don’t cast a reflection, and they have superhuman strength.
This vampire figure, with its particular combination of characteristics and governing rules, is actually a fairly recent invention. Bram Stoker made it up in his 1897 novel Dracula. Other authors reinterpreted Dracula in a number of plays, movies and books.
But while the many details are new, most of the individual elements of the legend have deep roots, extending across many regions and cultures. In the next few sections, we’ll look at some of the more famous vampire ancestors.
1. What can be inferred from the first two paragraphs?| A．Vampire stories only exist in European cultures. |
| B．Vampires will die in 3 days without drinking blood. |
| C．Vampire stories have existed since a long time ago. |
| D．Vampires actually exist in real life. |
| A．A wolf standing still by the lake staring at its own reflection in the water. |
| B．A strong man with sunglasses sunbathing on the beach. |
| C．A lonely old man sitting by the campfire crushing garlic. |
| D．A sexy young woman dressed in a long skirt sipping wine in a night club. |
| A．Getting to Know Vampires | B．The History of Vampires |
| C．Where did Vampires Come From? | D．The Hometown of Vampires |
| A．Moving. | B．Attracting. |
| C．Confusing. | D．Educating. |
【推荐2】These days, ice is easy to get. You can walk to your ice maker and have ice fall into your glass. Hundreds or thousands of years ago, ice wasn’t this easy to be made or to get. In the past, it involved harvesting ice from frozen bodies of water.
People throughout history have known the value of ice. People in ancient China would wait till the winter to make ice blocks from frozen rivers and then they would use ice blocks to keep food cool through warmer months. In ancient cultures, ice was luxury (奢侈的). Royalty would ship ice and then use it for juice drinks and other treats. In an age where there were no ice makers, ice was truly short-in-time and a sign of power.
Sometimes its translucence (半透明) made it perfect for decorative purposes. Centuries ago, some Chinese villagers would freeze buckets and water, cut a hole in the top and pour out the unfrozen water. Then they’d put a candle into the center. And that are what we call ice lanterns (冰灯) now.
And there are now a lot of big events around the world, some of which result in entire multi-story buildings made from ice, with colored lights that make them look like a frozen fairy tale land.
In 1990, Alaska became the host of the annual World Ice Art Championships, which is now a month-long event that attracts dozens of teams and tens of thousands of visitors. Canada is home to several large ice-based events, including the Ice Magic Festival near Lake Louise and the Deep Freeze Festival in Edmonton.
But the biggest and most mind-blowing event is the Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival, in Harbin, Heilongjiang, China. When complete, the grounds turn into a real ice world, full of huge buildings and beautiful art with the best visual effect. The village includes many features like the Great Wall of China and the Egyptian pyramids, all quite at home in this city that has a lower temperature in January.
1. What is the function of paragraph 1?| A．To bring in the topic. | B．To show the main idea. |
| C．To give the background. | D．To introduce the way of making ice. |
| A．The ice would only be used in winters. | B．The ice was transported by ships. |
| C．The ice would be made for juice drinks. | D．The ice was hard to get in warmer months. |
| A．They are not big enough to be host. | B．They are only to be seen in Canada. |
| C．They are all festivals about ice. | D．They are likely to happen in summer. |
| A．The Usage of Ice | B．The Icy Games’ Host |
| C．The Ice Was Not Cheap in the Past | D．The Art and Value of Ice |
【推荐3】New study shows rapid decline in insect populations. A growing number of the Earth's insect population now can be seen only in collections on exhibitions. Nobody's seen those for 400 years. A new review of over 70 studies of insect populations suggests that human pressures are causing insect populations to plummet by as much as a quarter every decade. The loss of species is inevitably concerning because often we don’t know what those species are doing or we don’t know what other species are depending on them.
Insects make up the largest class of animals on earth and represent more than half of all known living creatures. They are incredibly diverse, and in many ways make life on Earth possible. But when we decrease the number of species, we're destroying ecosystem function. Why does that matter? It is because that it's ecosystems that support humans. But those life-support systems that keep us alive, even if we live in a city, are produced by healthy ecosystems. And none of these ecosystems will run well without insects. Bees and butterflies pollinate(授粉) our food, flowers and trees. They feed all kinds of larger animals, including humans. A large number of crops we eat and rely on are pollinated by insects, so we can’t imagine a world where that pollination process is not taking place.
And there are some cases already around the world where we are having to pollinate by hand, at huge cost, a huge economic cost, simply because the insects aren’t there to do the work that we would normally ask them to do for free. And in some cases, if you’re talking about food crops, just try to imagine the scale of what the world would look like if insects weren't doing that for us. One big warning, all of the studies come from industrialized countries in Europe and North America. In some areas, the decline is even more rapid. According to one recent study, the number of ground insects in Puerto Rico has fallen by 98% over the last 35 years. A growing body of research shows that insects are declining about twice as fast as vertebrates.
The researchers predict that all insect species could be gone in a century in these industrialized countries.
1. What does the underlined word “plummet” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?| A．Reduce. | B．Increase. |
| C．Disappear. | D．Raise. |
| A．we can make a big profit by pollinating by hand |
| B．insects have no impact on industrial development |
| C．pollinating by hand can replace pollinating by insects |
| D．insects account for the largest composition in the entire animal kingdom |
| A．Unclear. | B．Concerned. |
| C．Suspicious. | D．Critical. |
| A．using research results | B．making comparisons |
| C．giving some examples | D．telling personal stories |
【推荐1】The Greenwood fire took its name from the nearby lake where lightning struck on Aug.15, causing a wildfire that burned for weeks. Fueled by drought and wind, its persistence dominated headlines for much of late summer and early fall in Minnesota. When the last flames were finally put out, the northern Minnesota fire had consumed nearly 27,000 acres, countless firefighting resources, and at its worst, the lives that some had built around nearby McDougal Lake. Vast areas of forest were left burned-out, with the black and bare remains of what were once massive pines.
But, despite the destruction left behind, Mother Nature is set to a comeback. When organic matter is burned from the forest floor, seeds dropped by plants and trees begin to take hold, with the sprouting species emerging first. The trees above have died, which sends a chemical signal to the root system that is actually more expansive than just under that tree, and that chemical response encourages those root systems to re-grow. Ten years ago, a fire ripped through 93,000 acres of Minnesota forest in and around the BWCA. Today, that burnt area's rebirth is well underway.
"Here in the Pagami Creek wildfire scar, we have Jack Pine, Red Pine, Black Spruce, Aspen and paper birch-those are our main species, those are the ones that are growing quickly. It's 10 years on, and these trees are 10 to 15 feet tall in many areas," said Kyle Stover from the U.S. Forest Service.
A wildfire kills most things in its path, but despite the flames and intense temperatures, rarely is everything reduced to ashes -and that plays a key role in a forest's regeneration. Just one year after the fire, the survivors dominate the forest, and grasses replace the burnt ground. Wildflowers are abundant bushes and small trees have started to grow, and Jack Pine returned. So, it's an amazing ecological system of creating new forest life when it appears that all is lost, one that has evolved throughout the ages, where fire has always played a vital role.
1. What can we learn about the Greenwood fire?| A．It was a natural occurrence | B．It was caused by drought. |
| C．it gained half-year fame. | D．It took many people's lives. |
| A．Seeding growth is held up. | B．Burnt organic matter hardly functions. |
| C．Root systems spread further and wider | D．Chemicals in the soil are in greater demand. |
| A．They are flammable | B．They are fire-resistant |
| C．They are fire-adapted. | D．They are overgrown. |
| A．A fire. | B．A life | C．A time. | D．A system |
【推荐2】In order to get rid of goldenrod from the city, the government of Wuhan is encouraging residents to report any findings of the plant, which is classified as a harmful alien species.
Goldenrod is one of the most successful and widespread alien plant species. It is often referred to as “the flower of the devil”, as it spreads extremely fast and causes other plants to die.
Besides Hubei province, the plant has also been found expanding in other provinces such as Jiangxi and Zhejiang. Although local authorities have tried to get rid of the plant, it is proving to be a difficult task. Goldenrod represents just one of the alien species that are aggressive towards the country’s native species. Statistics show that by 2020, nearly 800 kinds of alien species had invaded the country, among which 638 species have invaded the country’s agricultural and forestry ecosystems, causing direct economic losses of about 200 billion yuan ($31.36 billion).
At the United Nations Biodiversity Conference held in Kunming, Yunnan province, the invasion of alien species was the subject of discussions, as it was regarded as one of the two most important factors leading to the loss of biodiversity, the other being human-caused ecological damage.
China passed its Biosecurity Law on April 15, 2021, which provides the legal basis for preventing the invasion of alien species and protecting biodiversity in the country. The relevant departments also strictly carry out port inspections and quarantines so as to keep harmful organisms out of the country, and they strengthen early warning and monitoring systems so as to address the invasion as early as possible.
However, while government departments are making every effort to prevent and control the situation, the participation of the people should not be ignored. It is also necessary, as Wuhan is doing, to encourage people to pay attention to invasive species and actively play a role in keeping them at bay. Preventing any invasion by an alien species and protecting biodiversity should not just be the government departments fighting alone, but also a people’s war.
1. What can we learn about goldenrod from the text?| A．It originates in Wuhan. |
| B．It does harm to people’s health. |
| C．It is a great threat to the surrounding plants. |
| D．It causes an economic loss of about $31.36 billion. |
| A．China’s efforts to stop the invasion of alien species. |
| B．Relevant departments’ warning of goldenrod. |
| C．The legal basis to protect biodiversity. |
| D．The importance of port inspections and quarantines. |
| A．Keeping the invasive species out of the country. |
| B．Building some barriers for the species. |
| C．Preventing the flowers from growing fast. |
| D．Keeping the alien species safe at the port. |
| A．Business. | B．Culture. | C．Environment. | D．Opinion. |
【推荐3】Imagine if your houseplant was thirsty and it could tell you so. Chances are, it can—you just can’t hear it. According to the findings from researchers in Israel, tomato and tobacco plants stressed from lack of water or having their stems (茎) cut make sounds comparable in volume to normal human conversation.
The sound is kind of a snap (咔嚓声) and pop. While the frequency of the plant outcry is too high for our ears, they can likely be heard by insects, other animals and other plants.
The team started with healthy and stressed tomato and tobacco plants—the stressed ones were either unwatered for several days or had their stems cut. They recorded the group in an acoustic chamber (隔音箱) and then in a noisier greenhouse. They also used a machine-learning algorithm (算法) to distinguish between happy plants, thirsty plants, and cut plants.
The team found that stressed plants make more sounds than unstressed plants, with a stressed plant making 30 to 50 clicks per hour at seemingly random intervals. Unstressed plants were much less active.
“Water-stressed plants began making noises, and the frequency of sounds peaked after five days with no water before decreasing again as the plants dried up completely. The types of sound differed with the cause of stress,” according to a press release for the research. “The machine-learning algorithm could accurately distinguish between lack of water and stress from cutting and could also tell whether the sounds came from tomato or tobacco plants.”
The researchers explain that it’s unclear whether the sounds result from an effort to communicate—yet they note that the sounds have ecological and evolutionary meaning. “It’s possible that other organisms could have evolved to hear and respond to these sounds,” says Hadany. “For example, an insect that intends to lay eggs on a plant or an animal that intends to eat a plant could use the sounds to help guide their decision.”
1. What did the Israel researchers find?| A．Plants cry loudly when they are cut | B．Certain plants like to help each other. |
| C．Plants communicate as humans do. | D．Certain stressed plants make sounds. |
| A．Why a noisier greenhouse was used. | B．How the researchers did the research. |
| C．The importance of recording the plants. | D．The varieties of plants for the study. |
| A．The moment they were lack of water. | B．When the experiment began. |
| C．After five days of water shortage. | D．After drying up completely. |
| A．They are of much significance, | B．They help animals escape danger. |
| C．They affect the ecological balance. | D．They are mainly for communication. |
