Wildfires are common nowadays. Lightning, campfires, power lines or other sources may lead to big wildfires.
Still, wildfires have always been a part of some forest ecosystems.
Fires can prevent trees from overcrowding each other, which allows smaller plants and animals that need sunlight to grow below. Plus, wildfires burn up a lot of leaf litter, pine needles and other dead matter on the ground. This clears out junk that may stop new plants from growing and releases nutrition back into the soil.
There are also species that have evolved (进化) to depend on regular wildfires. Banksia trees in Australia, for instance, only release their seeds in the heat of a wildfire.
A.The leaf litter can fuel more dangerous wildfires. |
B.These trees need fires if they are to produce more trees. |
C.They might cause more fires that could threaten wildlife. |
D.As a result, fire experts start fires in certain places regularly. |
E.They mainly destroy natural areas, such as forests and grasslands. |
F.And regular burns can be vital for keeping those ecosystems healthy. |
G.Importantly, it also prevents the buildup of dead matter that catches fire easily. |
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【推荐1】Dolphins are not fish; they’re mammals. They are warm-blooded like man and give birth to one baby called a calf at a time. At birth a calf is about 90—130cm long and grows to about 4m. They live up to 40 years. They are highly sociable animals.
Their teeth are interlocking rows of hooks, suitable for holding slippery fish. They eat fish whole starting with head first. When they go wild they keep their mouth open and sometimes keep it nodding to express their aggression. Greater aggression is shown by violent jaw clapping. Dolphins breathe through their blowhole(呼吸孔) located at the top of their head. The dolphin’s eyes produce a special slippery secretion(分泌物) which protects the eyes from foreign objects and water friction.
Dolphins use their powerful tail to move through the water. They also use their tail while hunting. They slap their tail rapidly when they get annoyed or when they want to indicate the sign of danger to alert other dolphins.
The dolphin’s skin is completely smooth allowing the dolphin to move easily through the water, and also reduce heat loss. Their skin may bear rake marks from other dolphin’s teeth during play or mating, and can easily become badly sunburned if they strand(搁浅).
Their bodies are very streamlined so they may swim at high speed through the water, and an example of this is their ears. Dolphin’s ears are barely noticeable marked only by a small hole just behind the eyes.
While sleeping, it shuts down only half of its brain, as its breathing is under voluntary control. Dolphins take short catnaps, floating just below the surface, and then slowly rising to breathe. Often dolphins are very active during night time, for some this is their main feeding time. Dolphins are able to dive to great depths, and also leap to great heights. They may leap to avoid predators or to show how powerful they are to females at mating time.
Title: DolphinsⅠ. Characteristicsmammals : warm-blooded animals and one baby at a birthlength : |
【推荐2】Crossing your legs is an extremely common habit; most people don’t even notice that they’re doing it when they sit down. While you may find it comfortable to sit with one knee crossed over the other, it might be causing health problems that you are not aware of.
A study published in Blood Pressure Monitoring stated that sitting with your legs crossed can increase your blood pressure. The reason this happens is because the blood in your legs has to work against gravity to be pumped back to your heart, crossing one leg over the other increases resistance, making it even harder for the blood to circulate. This causes your body to increase your blood pressure to push the blood back to the heart.
Crossing your legs can also lead to neck and back pain. When you sit with your legs crossed, your hips are in a twisted position, which can cause one of your pelvic (骨盆的) bones to rotate. Since your pelvic bone supports your neck and spine, this can cause pressure on your lower and middle back and neck.
You also might notice that when you sit with your legs crossed for long periods of time, your feet and legs get tingly or have the feeling of being asleep. This is because when one leg sits on top of the other, it causes pressure on the veins (血管) and nerves in your legs and feet. It can cause numbness and/or temporary paralysis in the legs, ankles, or feet.
So next time you sit down, try to get yourself in the habit of sitting with both of your feet on the floor. Not only will it help your posture and stability, but it will also save your health in the long run.
1. Crossing legs may lead to the following health problems except ________.A.It can increase your blood pressure |
B.It can cause pressure on your lower and middle back and neck |
C.It will make your neck and spine twisted |
D.It can cause paralysis for the time being |
A.Because the blood in your legs has to work against being pumped back to your heart. |
B.Because it will prevent the blood circulating. |
C.Because crossing legs results in less resistance for the blood to circulate. |
D.Because higher blood pressure contributes to pushing the blood back to the heart. |
A.To persuade us not to cross our legs any longer. |
B.To make us aware of the health problems caused by crossing legs. |
C.To tell us the benefits of sitting with our feet on the floor. |
D.To show that crossing legs is an extremely common habit. |
【推荐3】Windows are hard. They are particularly hard in northern countries like Sweden, where during winter the days are short and the sun is very low in the sky. Window design in cold climate is a technical balancing act. You want it big to get the light, but you want it small to minimize the heat loss. But there is so much more that windows have to do for our social and emotional well-being.
A recent study published in Buildings and Cities looks at the many roles that windows play and the way people use them, exploring daylight, the visual connection to the outside and the role of windows in the home during the day and night. Windows do much more than just provide light and air: “Windows represent an enjoyment of the home and fulfil much more than physical needs. They must allow sufficient personal control over fresh and cool air, sound, sunlight, street lighting and privacy.”
The study authors, Kiran Maini Gerhardsson and Thorbjorn Laike, interviewed occupants living in multi-family dwellings. Windows turned out to be very important for occupant comfort, for visual connection to the outside. But they also had to be able to be screened for privacy; sometimes these conflicted. Sometimes the sill height was important. One occupant, Dmitry was going to add some frosted film to the bottom of his window. “I don’t want to see the faces of others when I’m sitting down, but when I’m standing and see their faces, I can wave to them,” he said.
Interviewees preferred daylight to artificial light for many reasons, including as a time indicator, and “because it varies, increases room brightness and improves mood”. Our bodies need the change from red to blue and back to red.
The authors conclude windows serve many functions that go beyond just light and air and should be designed accordingly. “There is much more to such experiences than the satisfaction of physical needs. Perceiving a room to be enough daylight, adequately pleasant and spacious seems to be equally essential, and a view of the world outside brings information to inhabit-ants. However, windows also need to prevent people outside from peering in moderate bright sunlight during the day.”
1. Which is the most difficult part of window design for cold climate?A.The size. | B.The material. | C.The sill height. | D.The shape. |
A.Social contact and staying alone. |
B.Allowing fresh air to enter and preventing heat loss. |
C.Receiving more daylight and using artificial light. |
D.Getting connected with the outside and not letting out privacy. |
A.To keep the room warm. | B.To block the noise out. |
C.To have his own private space. | D.To make the window attractive. |
A.More space and more sunlight? | B.The visual connection to the outside |
C.Windows deliver more than light and air | D.Do changes in houses affect well-being? |