Tracee Herbaugh lives in the Boston area of Massachusetts. She thought she was alone in her backyard recently when she used the Merlin Bird ID app. She learned by listening that she was surrounded by more than 12 kinds of birds.
“Two birds identified by the app, veery (画眉鸟) and great homed owl, even had a red dot next to their names. The red dot means it is an unusual sighting.” Herbaugh wrote, “Who knew these birds could be in one yard?”
Cornell Lab of Ornithology is the maker of Merlin Bird ID. The app was released in 2014. At first, the app only identified birds by their photos through Photo ID. The user answered a series of questions about the photo to help identify the bird, such as date, area, color, and size. The app became popular during the pandemic, when people increasingly wanted to be outdoors.
In 2021, Cornell Lab added Sound ID to identify birds by their sound. In the United States alone, Merlin’s Sound ID can identify over 700 kinds of birds. More than 7 million people now use the Merlin Bird ID worldwide.
Alli Smith works on the Merlin project at Cornell Lab. Smith said bird watching by sound “opens up a whole new world” “Even if you cannot see the birds,” he added, “you can hear their beautiful songs and know they’re sharing your neighborhood.”
More than birds, Herbaugh said the app also helped her reconnect with people across the country. When Herbaugh shared her bird list on social media, two childhood friends who also used the app messaged her about it. Her relative in Montana shared a list of birds. And even her young children now quickly go for the app when they hear an unfamiliar bird call.
Herbaugh has identified 45 birds on her list so far. She said now her children are the ones driving her to get more on the bird list.
1. What does a red dot next to a bird’s name mean?| A．The bird is rarely seen. | B．The bird is endangered. |
| C．This bird is a new species. | D．The bird is beneficial to crops. |
| A．By recording bird sounds. | B．By recognizing images of birds. |
| C．By asking experts online. | D．By tracking movements of birds. |
| A．Another way of protecting birds. | B．The popularity of recording bird calls. |
| C．The enjoyment of listening to birds. | D．Another benefit of the Merlin Bird ID app. |
| A．App Identifies Birds by Sound | B．App Gets Kids Interested in Birds |
| C．Old App Gains New Reputation | D．Birds May Hide in Your Yard |
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【推荐1】When rescuers were called to rescue a “little owl”, they did not expect to find one that was too fat to fly. A concerned citizen first spotted the poor bird lying helplessly. Even Rufus Samkin, whose team then took the team in on Jan.3, believed the bird to be injured. There were no wounds to be found, however, causing experts to believe the female owl was simply too wet to fly.
But it was only after a thorough drying-off and complete checkup that they noted the real issue. The rescuers weighed the owl and concluded that she was “simply extremely obese” and couldn’t take off. This additional weight left her unable to fly, though experts began to wonder how she got so fat in the first place. Because it’s rather unusual for wild birds to reach such a state, they decided to keep her a few weeks and monitor her.
In the end, the rescuers assessed that it was simply a case of “natural obesity”. December 2019 was quite warm, which meant that there were many insects for the bird to feast upon. Indeed, the owl was discovered in a field that was “filled with field mice” due to the usual climate. “It’s been very mild here, and the owl is able to find foods easily,” Samkin explained. With the sudden food, “she absolutely ate much and got very fat. She had a lovely time, but went too far.”
The researchers consequently put the owl on a “strict diet” so she could shrink to a more “natural weight”. She was even put on a bit of exercise and encouraged to fly around. In the end, the bird was sent flying gracefully off into the British countryside at a much healthier and happier weight. Hopefully, this owl won’t come upon another feast of field mice—unless she wants another few weeks at the fat camp.
1. What did people think happened to the owl at first?| A．She was hurt. | B．She was trapped. |
| C．She was hungry. | D．She was wet. |
| A．She needed a thorough checkup. | B．She should be given a drying-off. |
| C．She was completed overweight. | D．She was simply extremely strong. |
| A．The especially warm weather. | B．The reducing number of insects. |
| C．The rich fields growing crops. | D．The lovely time the bird enjoyed. |
| A．Going on a diet and exercising. | B．Flying in the British countryside. |
| C．Visiting that fat camp again. | D．Enjoying her wonderful feast freely. |
But despite this, our children are growing up nature deprived(剥夺). I spent my boyhood climbing trees. These days, children are robbed of these ancient freedoms, due to problems like crime, traffic, the loss of the open spaces and strange new ideas about what is best for children, that is to say, things that can be bought, rather than things that can be found.
The truth is to be found elsewhere. A study in the US: families had moved to better housing and the children were assessed for ADHD—attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (多动症). Those whose accommodation had more natural views showed an improvement of 19%; those who had the same improvement in material surroundings but no nice view improved just 4%.
ADHD is one of the great problems of modern childhood. One study after another indicates that contact with nature gives huge benefits to ADHD children. However, we spend money on drugs rather than on green places.
The life of old people is measurably better when they have access to nature. The increasing concern for the growing population of old people is in quality rather than quantity of years. And study after study finds that a garden is the single most important thing in finding that quality. Even problems with crime and aggressive behaviour are reduced when there is contact with the natural world.
We need the wild world. It is essential to our well-being, our health and our happiness.
1. According to the author, people enjoy _______ to seek nature.
| A．jogging on the street |
| B．sitting in the garden |
| C．shopping in the supermarket |
| D．running in the gym |
| A．adults deprive the children of their rights to approach nature |
| B．climbing trees will certainly do good to the children |
| C．children probably spend less time in nature nowadays |
| D．children tend to be happier as a result of their material satisfaction |
| A．Children with ADHD can be cured. |
| B．A garden nearby improves the quality of old people’s life. |
| C．Problems with crime and violent behavior will easily be solved. |
| D．Children’s performance at school is greatly improved. |
| A．Access to nature improves our life. |
| B．Nature treats children with ADHD. |
| C．Getting close to nature reduces crime. |
| D．Man can’t live without natural areas. |
【推荐3】When did you last stop to look at a tree? Really look at it , not merely notice it. Trees play such an important role in our lives and yet day to day we often don’t even notice them; we often take them for granted. Yet if you are looking to strengthen your grounds , reduce pollution around your school , improve your children’s health and wellbeing and develop your science subject , then planting trees is certainly the way forward.
The first and most obvious benefit of starting a tree-planting program is the environmental impact. Children are enthusiastic,and often highly knowledgeable about climate change and the main causes of it. They are also interested in projects that can make a difference to their community’s carbon footprints. Planting trees is an easy and long-lasting way to involve pupils and to have a positive impact on the climate.
A tree-planting program also offers teachers the opportunity to discuss biodiversity (生物多样性) and gives pupils the chance to get involved in an actual example. It’s a real-life science experiment and will provide children with amazing habitats to study in science lessons for years to come.
Planting trees can also have a positive impact on children’ s mental health. One in four people in the UK will experience mental health issues at some point in their lives and one in 10 children aged 5-16 have a diagnosable (可诊断的) mental health condition , according to The Children’s Society. Mental health is a complex issue with many causal factors and no simple solutions. However , according to the Mental Health Foundation , the opportunity to play and learn in outdoor environments has been quoted in research studies as a significantly positive influence.
Being active will also improve children’s general health and wellbeing, as well as increasing engagement more generally by providing an enjoyable context for learning. Parents and the community, too, will enjoy the improved beauty of the school grounds.
1. What can children do to contribute to the community’s efforts to cut carbon footprints?| A．Reduce their daily activities. | B．Attend tree-planting projects. |
| C．Learn more about climate change. | D．Encourage more people to take action. |
| A．By making their classes livelier. |
| B．By supplying them with habitats to study. |
| C．By providing them with real examples of biodiversity. |
| D．By giving them chances to communicate with students. |
| A．Outdoor activities can benefit children' s mental health. |
| B．Children’s playtime is reducing gradually in recent years. |
| C．Planting trees is a perfect way to improve the environment. |
| D．Few people in the UK pay much attention to mental health. |
| A．How can schools get involved in tree-planting projects? |
| B．Children need more care from their teachers. |
| C．Why should schools be planting trees? |
| D．Schools should set up new classes. |
【推荐1】Picture this: you’re between video meetings, and scrolling through your social media newsfeed. Headlines like “Death toll continues to rise”“COVID-19 may cause long-term health implications” and “Health-care systems overwhelmed” flash across your screen. Your mood takes a dive, but you can’t stop scrolling.
If this scenario rings true for you, you’re not alone. Research shows people have a tendency to seek out information during uncertain times—it’s a natural coping mechanism. But is persistent information-seeking on social media, sometimes called doomscrolling, helpful during a pandemic, or any time?
Research on the effects of bad news on mood suggests exposure to negative COVID news is likely to be detrimental to our emotional wellbeing. For instance, one study conducted in March 2020 involving more than 6,000 Americans found that the more time participants spent consuming COVID news in a day, the unhappier they felt. These findings are striking and suggest that spending as little as two to four minutes consuming negative news about COVID-19 can have a detrimental impact on our mood.
So what can we do to look after ourselves, and make our time on social media more pleasurable?
One option is to delete our social media accounts altogether. But how realistic is it to distance ourselves from platforms that connect nearly half of the world’s population, particularly when these platforms offer social interactions at a time when face-to-face interactions can be risky, or impossible? Given that avoidance might not be practical, here are some other ways to make your experience on social media more positive.
Be mindful of what you consume on social media. Focus on the personal news and photos shared instead of the latest headlines.
Seek out content that makes you happy to balance out your newsfeed. This may be images of cute kittens, beautiful landscapes, drool-worthy food videos or something else. You could even follow a social media account dedicated to sharing only happy and positive news.
Use social media to promote positivity and kindness. Sharing good things that are happening in your life can improve your mood, and your positive mood can spread to others. You may also like to compliment others on social media. While this might sound awkward, people will appreciate it more than you think.
As the pandemic continues to alter our lives and newsfeeds, the study highlight the importance of being aware of the emotional toll negative news takes on us. But there are steps we can take to mitigate this toll and make our social media a happier place.
1. The underlined word “doomscrolling” in Paragraph 2 refers to__________.| A．browsing through bad news insistently | B．seeking information on social media occasionally |
| C．a natural coping mechanism | D．checking helpful news during uncertain times |
| A．To find out if the death toll of COVID-19 continues to rise. |
| B．To find out the effects of information-seeking on mood. |
| C．To find out the impacts of negative news on mood. |
| D．To find out whether people feel happy when exposed to COVID-19. |
| A．Deleting our social media accounts altogether. |
| B．Only focusing on personal information and ignoring social news. |
| C．Checking positive content like cute animals to make ourselves happy. |
| D．Sharing positive energy with others and praising others. |
| A．show the profound influence of the pandemic on our lives and social media newsfeed |
| B．demonstrate the significance of the measures we can take to eliminate the harmful effects of social media |
| C．reveal the relationship between the news-seeking behaviour and the mood of the surfers |
| D．arouse our awareness of the effects of negative information on feelings and offer feasible solutions beneficial to our emotional wellbeing |
【推荐2】E-mail systems at thousands of companies and government offices around the world were attacked by a virus(病毒)called “Melissa” that disguises(伪装)itself as an “important message”from a friend. In spite of a weekend of warnings，more than 50 000 computers at about 100 places around the world have been attacked by the virus，computer security experts said on Monday.
The virus began to show up last Friday and spread rapidly on Monday by making computers fire off dozens of infected(被传染的)e-mails. Although the virus causes no serious damage to a computer，its effect was far reaching.
To make matters worse，a similar virus called “Papa” was discovered on Monday. Papa is programmed to send out even more infected e-mails than Melissa.
The Melissa virus comes in the form of an e-mail，usually containing the subject line“Important Message”. It appears to be from a friend. The body of the e-mail message says，“Here is that document you asked for...,don’t show it to anyone else.” Attached(附)to the message is a document file.
Once the user opens that file，the virus digs into the user’s address book and sends infected documents to the first 50 addresses. E-mails from the Papa virus include an attached spreadsheet(电子数据文件)file. When the user opens that file，the virus sends 60 infected e-mails.
The reason why this is spreading so fast is that you are getting it from people you know. You should never open documents or attachments from people you don’t know. People who get an unexpected e-mail with the “important message” subject line should delete it immediately and not open the message.
1. Thousands of computers were attacked by the Melissa virus _______________.| A．covered with an important message |
| B．under cover of a message needing immediate attention |
| C．under the clothes of an important e-mail |
| D．with a beautiful coat |
| A．receive tens of bad e-mails |
| B．fire at many sick e-mail messages |
| C．send out scores of infected messages |
| D．burn with a fire because of many infected e-mails |
| A．was slightly damaged |
| B．became entirely out of order |
| C．could not send out any e-mail any longer |
| D．would have to be thrown away |
| A．damage the user’s address book at once |
| B．soon spread through the user’s list of address |
| C．let the first 50 addresses go out of the computer |
| D．change the user’s address book in the computer |
【推荐3】If you live in a city, then it's easy to take internet connectivity for granted, but in more rural areas，it is a different story. Connectivity is uneven. As of 2018, the last time figures were published, seven per cent of rural households could not access broadband faster than lOmbps，despite the average speed in cities being 52mbps. Around the wcrld, there are still huge areas of territory, from deserts to oceans, that the internet is still yet to reach.
But the urban/rural divide could be set to disappear over the next few years thanks to rocket company Spacex and an astonishingly ambitious project called Starlink. The aim is to use thousands of satellites in orbit above our heads to deliver broadband-comparable internet speeds to literally everywhere on Earth, with no need for expensive wires, transmitters or other infrastructure on the ground. Claims have been made that it could reach speeds of up to lGbps, which is 20 times faster than what most British homes receive today.
Spacex will need to launch thousands of satellites to fully complete the network over the Earth. At present, there are only around 2,000 or so other satellites in Lower Earth Orbit in total. So if Starlink's ambitions are realised, it could double or triple the number of satellites in orbit. So far, just over 700 have been successfully launched by the company and the first internet connections using the system are already being tested.
It is likely that over the next few years, Starlink could begin to offer ground-station satellite receivers that will connect to' the satellites and then, in turn. you could connect your computer or phone to that However, not everyone loves Starlink. There is one drawback to having so many satellites in orbit around the Earth : they risk making life a lot more difficult for astronomers
Ultimately though, for all of the protestations, it is surely unavoidable that Starlink, will become an essential part of Earth's telecommunications backbone. The obvious usefulness of such a network 'would be just too exciting for governments, businesses ,and individuals to resist. The urban/rural digital divide will no longer exist.
1. The word "uneven" in Para. 1 is closest in meaning to .| A．various | B．slow |
| C．accessible | D．unbalanced |
| A．To launch satellites in orbit over our head. |
| B．To use satellites to deliver internet connection to almost the whole world. |
| C．To reach speeds of up to 1Gbps. |
| D．To offer ground-station satellite receivers. |
| A．Skeptical. | B．Favorable. |
| C．Disapproving. | D．Ambiguous. |
| A．Spacex has launched l,400 satellites in orbit. |
| B．We can have phones directly connect to the satellites now |
| C．All people don't love Starlink. |
| D．Governments, businesses and individuals resist such a network. |
【推荐1】Robots have always imitated life. Social androids powered by artificial intelligence have now reached a level where they may be ready to work in shops, airports, and care homes. But an entirely new class of robots is being developed that can grow, evolve, and even reproduce.
Growth is a new frontier in robotics. Scientists are using plant biology and mechanics to design robots that grow like roots or vines to move around obstacles and carry objects.
Stanford University’s vine robot is a simple yet complicated plastic tubular (管状的) robot that grows by unfolding from the inside as air is pumped into it. The soft body can move over rough or sticky surfaces littered with sharp objects, grow to 100 times its original length, and squeeze through gaps one-quarter of its size.
Vine robots can twist and turn in any direction to move through tight spaces. Its designers say the flexible robot could be used to detect people and deliver equipment inside collapsed buildings or be shrunk down to work as an instrument in medical procedures.
Robots that reproduce to make exact copies of themselves are ready to take that progress up a level. Reproduction and evolution were actually used in an earlier experiment in 2015. European scientists built a computerized ‘mother’ robotic arm that assembled smaller robots. Each generation that the system built became progressively better at moving.
It was a major milestone in robot learning and was used as inspiration for robotic evolution projects at the UK York Robotics Laboratory.
Designs are tested in a model of a nuclear reactor, where robots must clear radioactive waste. Each robot is scored on its success at the task, and the computer then chooses which robots are allowed to reproduce. What form that robot life takes depends entirely on its success.
Researchers say their system could operate entirely by itself. But future evolutionary robot systems would likely need a kill switch to stop the system from running out of control and harming humans or the environment.
1. What does the underlined word most probably mean in the second paragraph?| A．Boundary. | B．Field. | C．Question. | D．Technology. |
| A．It can squeeze through gaps one fifth of its size. |
| B．It can operate on patients in medical procedures. |
| C．It can move over smooth surfaces littered with sharp objects. |
| D．It can spot people and take equipment inside destroyed buildings. |
| A．By choosing the robots to reproduce. |
| B．By operating entirely by itself. |
| C．By clearing radioactive waste successfully. |
| D．By stopping the system running out of control. |
| A．Robots Imitate Life to Create Better Versions of Themselves |
| B．Artificial Intelligence Have Now Reached a High Level |
| C．Vine Robot can be Used in Many Different Situations |
| D．Scientists are Using Plant Biology and Mechanics to Design Robots. |
【推荐2】Instead of going on a trip or buying herself new clothes, Xiao Tong from Wuhan, Hubei province, chose to celebrate her senior high school graduation in a different way. She went to a beauty clinic to undergo plastic surgery on her nose. “I want to make a good impression and start my university life with a brand new look,” the 18-year-old told Changjiang Daily.
Like Xiao Tong, many young Chinese are anxious about their looks, and face themselves with cosmetic surgery. A medical beauty industry white paper by iResearch Global said 19 percent of Chinese medical beauty consumers in 2020 were aged 18 or under. Young people have cosmetic surgery for different reasons, and improving self-confidence is one of them.
Wang Fang, 18, from Beijing, felt that her eyes were too small. In 2019, after she got in university, Wang had a minor operation done on her eyelids. “Before I had the surgery, I had a negative perception of myself. Therefore, I had low self-esteem and no confidence,” Wang told Beijing Youth Daily. “The cosmetic surgery changed the situation.”
But Jiang Wenxiu of the Department of Psychiatry, Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University in Jiangsu, held a different view. “Medical beauty apps only show how great plastic surgery can be,” Jiang told China Daily. “They leave out all the negative stuff.”
Today beauty clinics that see students as lucrative (有利可图的) plastic surgery clients are well aware that these young people are mostly short of money, so they use summer discounts, installment plans and other ways to attract their attention.
Xiao Zhen, 17 from Chengdu, Sichuan province, is one of the victims. She took out a loan of about 20,000 yuan to get cosmetic surgery. But the large sum of money became a big burden. She had to drop out of school and go to work to pay off the loan.
Besides the financial burden, some other factors also need to be considered. “Even though you have big problems with your look, you should think twice before going under the knife.” Jiang said.
1. The writer gives an example of Xiao Tong at the beginning of the passage to ________.| A．stimulate the readers’ interest |
| B．draw the readers’ attention to the topic |
| C．show the importance of plastic surgery |
| D．invite students to have cosmetic surgery |
| A．To celebrate high school graduation in a different way. |
| B．To follow the rising popularity of plastic surgery in China. |
| C．To avoid others’ negative perception of them in life. |
| D．To make them feel better and believe in themselves. |
| A．Young people are mostly short of money for plastic surgery. |
| B．Students have to take out a loan to get cosmetic surgery. |
| C．Promotions of cosmetic surgery don’t give a full picture. |
| D．A student should wait until he becomes a full adult. |
| A．potential health risks of plastic surgery |
| B．a choice between inner and outer beauty |
| C．what kind of plastic surgery suits you |
| D．how to have cosmetic surgery appropriately |
A new study says the warm feeling in a hug is more than just skin deep . Researchers from the University of California , Berkeley believe that this loving feeling could have anti-aging benefits .
Oxytocin , sometimes referred to as the “ love hormone（荷尔蒙）” or the “ trust hormone , ” is responsible for those indescribable feelings we get when we’re bonding with a lover or a loved one .
Levels of the hormone drop as we age , and evidence suggests that could be a contributing factor to the deterioration of our bodies as we age . Muscle loss in particular is one of the major side effects of aging , with our bodies losing up to 5 percent of our muscle mass each decade past our 30s .
In the study , published in the journal Nature Communications , researchers injected oxytocin into older mice with muscle damage . The older mice had lower levels of the homeone than younger mice initially . But after nine days , the older mice who were given the hormone healed better than those who did not . In fact , their ability to repair muscle damage was up to 80 percent that of the younger mice .
The results were not only fast-acting , but provide hope for future uses of the hormone in a variety of anti-aging capacities . “ This is good because it demonstrates that extra oxytocin improves aged tissue stem cells（组织干细胞）without making muscle stem cells divide uncontrollably , ” study co-author Wendy Cousins said in a statement .
Previous uses of anti-aging molecules have also been associated with higher cancer risk , but researchers are hopeful that oxytocin can be useful in humans without this risk . In the future , researchers of Berkeley say oxytocin could be used to fight other age-related health issues by improving bone health and even being used as an alternative to hormone replacement therapy .
Now go out and give someone a hug .
1. According to the passage , oxytocin __________ .
| A．decreases when people get older |
| B．creates loving feeling on the skin |
| C．leads to the great loss of muscles |
| D．can be used in humans without any risk |
| A．getting fatter | B．becoming worse or less |
| C．growing stronger | D．dividing uncontrollably |
| A．All the older mice healed faster in the research . |
| B．Older mice healed better than younger ones after 9 days . |
| C．Extra oxytocin in older mice controlled muscle cell division . |
| D．Mice with oxytocin injection improved the ability to repair muscle damage . |
| A．When Do We Need A Hug ? |
| B．A New Anti-aging Product |
| C．Hugs Having Healing Power |
| D．How Can We Grow Muscles ? |
