With huge golden eyes and a distinctive call, a species of owl (猫头鹰) was finally spotted from Príncipe Island, just off Africa’s western coast. Officially named the Principe scops-owl, it is the eighth known bird species found only on that island.
“I was studying the grey parrot population of Príncipe Island with Bikegila, a local parrot harvester, who was one of the first people to spot the owl while searching for baby parrots in the early 1990s. He told me two instances where instead of finding baby parrots inside the parrot’s nests, they found a frightening-looking bird with big eyes. I immediately thought about owls,” says lead researcher Martim Melo.
Melo points out that the most interesting part of the new species is how they had hidden for so long. Their genetic (基因的) analysis shows that they are related to the very first owl that lived on one of the Gulf of Guinea islands. They arrived in Príncipe before any owl on neighboring islands but they were still the last to be discovered. “From my first conjecture about their existence, in 1998, it took me nearly 20 years to first set eyes on them!” Melo says.
While there are thought to be nearly 1,000 to 1,500 individuals of the newly described species, the researchers suggest that they are critically endangered. The main threat is that the species is found only in a single population in an area of about 34 square kilometers but they use only about half of that or less. “Although inside this area they are relatively common, they are also highly sensitive to any changes that may occur here,” Melo says. “Our results have shown that the species is very sensitive to human disturbance. A particular threat that worries us is the plan to build a hydroelectric dam. This will require construction work inside the park in an area where the owl is present.”
1. What can be learned about the Príncipe scops-owl?| A．It was mistaken for a parrot initially. | B．It was discovered purely by accident. |
| C．It was the only bird unique to the island. | D．It was first seen and studied by Martim Melo. |
| A．Guess. | B．Opinion. | C．Knowledge. | D．Concern |
| A．Their numbers are decreasing. | B．They suffer from much human disturbance. |
| C．They just live in a limited area. | D．Their living places are occupied by humans. |
| A．To show the critical role of owls in African ecosystems. |
| B．To uncover long-hidden secrets of Príncipe scops-owls. |
| C．To present growing threats to new owl species in Africa. |
| D．To introduce a new owl species found on Príncipe Island. |
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【推荐1】People realize that，although animals may not have the same intelligence as human beings，they are smart enough to learn certain things.
Dogs are extremely useful as companions for blind people.When a dog has been properly trained，he will always lead his blind master in the right direction and keep him out of danger.For example，seeingeye dogs learn never to cross a busy road when cars are coming，even if their master ordered them to do so.
Horses are also able to learn many things.Horses that are used for guard or police duty must learn never to be frightened of noises，traffic，and other disturbances.Racing horses are able to run much faster than other horses，but they are also quite high stung(易紧张的)．Therefore，it is necessary for those people who train them to be very patient and understanding.
The moving pictures and television can use trained animals too.Some animals，such as monkeys and foxes，are easy to film.All you have to do is make_a_trail in front of the camera by dragging something that smells good to the animals over the ground，big animals，such as lions and tigers，can be photographed as they bound happily back their families and dinner，if a movie actor is nearby，the welltrained animal will pay no attention to him.However，the audience may imagine that the actor escaped a terrible death by the skin of his teeth.
1. Dogs which help blind people must learn ________.| A．to obey all orders |
| B．to obey only safe orders |
| C．never to cross roads |
| D．to cross roads when ordered to do so |
| A．faster than other horses |
| B．smaller than other horses |
| C．cleverer than other horses |
| D．more nervous than other horses |
| A．Place something to attract the animal. |
| B．Give the animal a certain task. |
| C．Order the animal to do things. |
| D．Follow the animal to hunt. |
| A．they are following a trail of something that smells good to them |
| B．they are returning to their families |
| C．they have been trained to work with other animals |
| D．they do not know a movieactor is nearby |
| A．Animals can be useful. |
| B．Dangerous wild animals can be trained. |
| C．The welltrained animals can learn the difference between the unwanted people and friends. |
| D．Animals can become interested in their tricks. |
【推荐2】Farmers might think the idea of growing food for fun sounds strange． But there are some people who do it all the time． They grow some vegetables because their natural color or shape is pleasing to see． They grow others because scientists have developed new colors or different sizes for traditional vegetables．
One example is the bell pepper． Seed companies sell seeds for several different kinds of bell peppers． One pepper is a weak yellow color when it begins to grow． Then its color changes to white． As it grows， it changes color two more times ﹣ to orange， then red． If you are not interested in peppers that change colors as they grow， you can grow some that remain on color． Each kind of pepper has its own special taste．
Another unusual plant is known as the yard﹣long bean or snake bean． It grows up to one meter in length． It is an important part of the food supply in areas of Asia． American farmers like it because it is different， yet tastes very much like the green beans they traditionally grow． Each bean has from ten to twenty seeds． The outside or pod can be eaten． Some of the very long beans are green outside but have black﹣and﹣white or red seeds．
Gourds （葫芦） are plants that people like to grow because of their many different shapes． They also have many uses． Some round gourds are dried， painted and made into containers． Others have long necks and big bodies． These are dried， cut and made into containers to pour drinking water．
1. Which of the following statements is TRUE ．| A．The new kinds of vegetables can sell better than the traditional ones． |
| B．Asian are fond of snake bean because of its different colors． |
| C．American farmers like bell pepper because of its different tastes． |
| D．People are willing to grow gourds due to their various shapes and functions． |
| A．shapes |
| B．colors |
| C．flavors |
| D．vitamins |
| A．Growing Unusual Vegetables for Fun |
| B．Growing Food with Different Purposes |
| C．Growing different vegetables has different purposes |
| D．Farmers' Strange Ideas of Growing Food |
【推荐3】Birds’ bodies are becoming smaller in size in response to climate change, even in places like the Amazon rainforest that are relatively untouched by human hands, according to a new study published in the journal Science Advances.
Researchers found that nearly all of the birds’ bodies have become lighter since the 1980s, losing on average about 2% of their body weight every decade. For an average bird species that weighed about 30 grams in the 1980s, the population now averages about 27.6 grams. The study also revealed that wingspan was getting bigger in the Amazon bird species studied.
These birds don’t vary that much in size. When everyone in the population is a couple of grams smaller, it’s significant. This is undoubtedly happening all over and probably not just with birds.
A lower body weight and increasing wing length means that birds use energy more efficiently, the researchers noted. For example, compared with a fighter jet with short wings that needs lots of fuel to fly, a glider plane with a thin body and long wings flies up into the air with much less energy.
The study concluded that a warmer climate was the driving force of these changes. The climate in Brazilian Amazonia, where the birds lived, had gotten hotter and wetter over the study period. Since 1966, rainfall increased by 13% in the wet season and fell by 15% in the dry, with temperatures increasing by 1 degree Celsius in the wet season and 1.65 degrees Celsius in the dry season. The change in climate might have made food or other resources insufficient.
Together, body proportions moved in the direction of more efficient flight and lower metabolic heat production and are consistent with a plastic or genetic adaptation to resource or thermal stress under climate change.
Animals are dealing with climate change in different ways.
1. What is the direct cause of birds’ changes?| A．A warmer climate. | B．A scientific advance. | C．A lack of sufficient food. | D．A lack of drinking water |
| A．To show planes fly with much less fuel. | B．To prove birds need much energy to fly. |
| C．To demonstrate birds’ efficient energy use. | D．To illustrate planes need lots of fuel to fly. |
| A．Animals’ other body part changes. | B．People’s attempts to protect animals. |
| C．Birds’ adaptation to climate change. | D．Animals’ ways to tackle climate change |
| A．Birds Nowadays Also Have to Adapt to Climate Change |
| B．The Climate Crisis Is Influencing Birds’ Body Shapes |
| C．It’s Our Duty to Take Measures to Protect Birds on the Planet |
| D．It’s Time to Raise Human Beings’ Awareness of Climate Crisis |
【推荐1】I took a job as a receptionist for a vet almost five decades ago. As an animal lover, I accepted the position on the condition that I wouldn’t have to assist with any wounded animals.
I could not bear to see any creature in pain. At the end of my first week, we were closing the office for the day when a young man ran up to us holding a severely injured Doberman puppy in his arms and begging us to save its life.
The four-month-old puppy had been hit by a car. The vet and I ran back into the operating room. The only place the skin was still attached to this poor little animal’s body was around one shoulder. The vet worked tirelessly for what seemed like hours, stitching it back together again. That was the easy part. The puppy had broken multiple bones, including its spine. If it survived the next few days, we were quite sure it would never walk again.
That day forever changed my life. The veterinarian trusted me a lot and I became his assistant in all things medical. One of my first jobs was to give that Doberman puppy daily physical therapy (治疗). I remember moving its tiny legs to try to keep its muscles from withering. Weeks went by until one day, I felt this little fighter push back ever so slightly. And it continued to push back till it could finally use its legs.
One year later, I walked into the clinic’s crowded waiting room and called the name of the next client. Suddenly, a huge Doberman who had been standing quietly with its owner on the opposite side of the room broke loose and bolted (脱缰) toward me. I found myself pinned against the wall with this magnificent dog standing on its hind legs, its front paws on my shoulders, washing my face with abundant and joyful kisses!
I still tear up in amazement at the display of love and gratitude the dog had for me that day all those years ago. Since retirement, I’ve volunteered at a no-kill animal shelter. In all the time that has passed and all the experiences I have had, I have never met such a grateful dog.
1. What happened when the author was about to finish his first week’s job?| A．A young man was injured. |
| B．A bus hit a four-month-old puppy. |
| C．A dog rushed into his shop with its owner. |
| D．A young man brought a seriously-injured dog to the office. |
| A．Its skin was severely injured. | B．It had just one shoulder left. |
| C．All its bones broke except spine. | D．It could only survive for a couple of days. |
| A．Because the dog went mad. |
| B．Because the dog was excited to see him. |
| C．Because the dog wanted to bite him. |
| D．Because the dog’s name was called by him. |
| A．A Caring Vet. | B．An Interesting Job. |
| C．A Grateful Patient. | D．A Life-saving Surgery. |
【推荐2】Next time your plane lands, listen to the sound of the tyres hitting the ground. The reason why the tyres don’t explode is that they are made of natural rubber. The tyres of cars, motorbikes and trucks are also often made of the same material.
Natural rubber comes from trees. Workers cut the trunks of the trees and collect a white liquid called latex(胶乳). In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, huge numbers of rubber tyres were planted in countries including Malaysia, Burma and Brazil. More than a century ago, scientists discovered how to make man-made rubber, but natural rubber is much stronger and can last much longer. Nearly half the rubber which is produced each year is natural rubber and there is always a need for more.
Rubber trees are not easy to grow. They are affected by changes in temperature, too much or not enough rain, high winds and disease. Some trees survive while others die and it’s all down to their genes. Two British organizations, the Tun Abdul Razak Research Centre(TARRC) and The Genome Analysis Centre(TGAC), have been working together to look at rubber trees. They have now discovered the ‘genome’ of the rubber tree. This is the way genes fit together in very long chains of DNA. The genome contains all the information the plant or animal needs to grow. The genome for a plant, such as a rubber tree, is smaller than a human genome but it is still very long, which is why it has been so difficult to find. As Ewan Mollison of TARRC says, the work has been like putting a picture puzzle together where all the pieces show blue sea and blue sky.
Now scientists can use the rubber tree genome to produce stronger trees. In the future, it will be possible to grow trees which survive climate change and disease.
1. Where were the first rubber trees planted?| A．In Europe and South Africa. |
| B．In Africa and Northeast Asia. |
| C．In Southeast Asia and South America. |
| D．In North America and Europe. |
| A．Disease and soil condition. | B．Climate change and disease. |
| C．Soil condition and geographic location. | D．Geographic location and climate change. |
| A．To develop stronger rubber trees. | B．To change the DNA in rubber trees. |
| C．To grow rubber trees in more countries. | D．To improve the quality of man-made rubber. |
【推荐3】In the Brazilian Amazon, a species of monkey called the pied tamarin（绢毛猴）is fighting for survival, threatened by habitat loss and urban development. But the severely endangered animals faces another enemy： the red - handed tamarin, a monkey that lives in the same region.
They compete for the same resources, and the red - handed tamarinds habitat range is expanding into that of the pied tamarins'. Their conflicts sometimes end in violent argument.
But in a recent study, scientists have discovered that the red - handed tamarin is changing its vocal calls to better communicate with the pied tamarin. Tainara Sobroza, an ecology Ph. D. student who worked on the study, says these calls are used to warn other species that they are invading their territory, or coming too close to a crucial survival resource. "When this happens? the two species usually engage in vocal battles," she says, which sometimes prevent the violent physical battles between the two species.
Researchers compared the change in calls to speaking with an accent, "They might need to say 'tomahto' instead of 'tomato — that's the kind of delicate difference in the accent, so that they can really understand each other," Jacob Dunn, a professor of evolutionary biology who worked on the study, told The Guardian.
When analyzing the vocal call of both species, the scientists discovered that the red - handed tamarins, new call has a narrower bandwidth （带宽）and an increased amplitude （振幅）,making the sound clearer and the duration of the call longer. The result is a call that travels better through the thick forest.
The hope is that this work will help conservationists to better design reserves and other survival chances for the pied tamarins. And because these two species are so rarely seen physically in the same space, listening is one way to do that work. "We don't have to actually see," Sabroza says. "We can hear the ecological interaction. "
1. What do we know about the pied tamarins?| A．They are in danger of dying out. |
| B．They live in the urban areas. |
| C．They are competing with each other for survival. |
| D．They are invading the red - handed tamarin's habitat. |
| A．To engage in physical battles. | B．To better communicate with each other. |
| C．To make the sound louder. | D．To survive in the thick forest. |
| A．Monkeys change their calls to communicate with their enemy. |
| B．Listening plays an important role in protecting ecology. |
| C．The pied tamarins, habitat is occupied by their enemy. |
| D．Habitat loss and urban development influence tamarins' survival . |
| A．Entertainment. | B．Science. | C．Education. | D．Health. |
【推荐1】What is big data exactly? Good question. After all, we've always had large amounts of data. As Laurie Miles, head, of analytics for big data specialist SAS, says, “The term big data has been around for decades and we've been, doing analytics all the time. It's not big; it's just bigger. "Most traditional data was structured, or neatly organized in databases. Then the world went digital and the Internet came along. Most of what we do could be translated into data capable of being recorded, stored, searched, and analyzed. There was also so-called unstructured data generated by all our digital interactions (互动), from emails to online’ shopping, text messages to tweets, and Facebook updates to YouTube video's.
Some say that about 90% of all the data in the world today has been created in the past few years. “About 75% of data is unstructured, coming from sources such as text voice and video,” says Mr Miles.
“Big data is not just historic business intelligence,’' says Mr, Miles. “It's the addition of real-time data and the ability to combine together several data sets that makes it so valuable.” Practically, anyone who makes, grows and sells anything Can use big data analytics to make their manufacturing and production processes more efficient arid their marketing more targeted and cost-effective.
And many businesses are only just beginning to realize that data is something that they need to protect and use. “Banks only use a third of their available data because it often sits in databases that are hard to access,” says Mr Miles, “We need to find ways to make this data more easily accessible.”
Who owns it all? Social media platforms will often, say that their users own their own content, but then lay claim to how that content is used, reserving the right to share it with third parties! So when you tweet you effectively give up any control over how that tweet is used in future, even though Twitter terms and conditions say, “What's yours is yours.” Privacy (隐私) and intellectual property1 laws have not kept up with the pace of technological change.
1. According to the first paragraph, big data ______.| A．is also called modern data | B．means we don't have enough data |
| C．gets its name from a research institute | D．has been researched for many years |
| A．The increasing number of databases. | B．Our increasing exposure to digital activities. |
| C．A great decrease in structured data. | D．The lack of people who can translate data. |
| A．The future of big data. | B．The value of big data. |
| C．The protection of big data. | D．The problems of big data. |
| A．Because it has different resources. | B．Because the speed is too slow. |
| C．Because the cost is very high. | D．Because it is difficult to obtain. |
【推荐2】The Chinese fashion icon, qipao, was born a century ago in Shanghai. However, the dress made its way through history from the hands of old craftsmen and is deep-rooted in Chinese culture.
“Qipao used to be so popular,” Leung Long-kong, 89, a well-known qipao craftsman, says, adding that the dress was an everyday outfit among women, from the less well-off to women at the highest levels of society. “Now, nobody is wearing them except on grand and happy occasions.”
To carry on the tradition, fashion designer Mary Yu, 41, who has been attending classes teaching knot button-making techniques, is trying to renew the design of qipao by taking symbols from Chinese history and literature.
“I feel I should look into Chinese culture and learn more about the past. People should have an in-depth understanding of their culture in order to move on,” Yu says. “Fashion design requires a profound knowledge of one’s culture before visualizing it.”
“After a period of wearing foreign brands all the time, there will be a day when one looks back to traditional Chinese culture. It is about finding the stuff that exists in your genes and suits you best.”
Yu set up her own qipao brand in 2016. Most of the clothes were made by tailors based in Shenzhen and Hangzhou, for their lower cost and more traditional work.
In the constantly evolving fashion industry, qipao is catching up with the times. Zippers, digital print patterns and new materials such as lace and denim have been introduced to a new generation. More daring ideas like 3D printed qipao have also become a reality. Yu believed that with the help of these new technologies, qipao will find its way back to the daily life of Chinese people in the near future.
1. Which of the following best describes Mary Yu?| A．Conservative. | B．Creative. | C．Devoted. | D．Determined. |
| A．To introduce the development of qipao in China. |
| B．To call on Chinese women to wear qipao in everyday life. |
| C．To emphasize the importance of qipao in China nowadays. |
| D．To show that qipao is no longer as popular as it was. |
| A．She borrowed some symbolic designs from foreign brands. |
| B．She devoted herself to using new technologies to make qipao. |
| C．She added some elements from Chinese culture to the design. |
| D．She learned the tailor techniques in Shenzhen and Hangzhou. |
| A．Qipao enjoys a good reputation in the world. |
| B．Qipao is an iconic sign in the fashion industry. |
| C．Qipao is on its way back to the daily life of Chinese. |
| D．Qipao is seen as a symbol of wealth in modern China. |
【推荐3】We’re all familiar with migration: wildebeests dash across Africa, monarch butterflies fly across the Americas... but did you know that forests migrate, too?
In his new book The Journeys of Trees, science writer Zach St. George explores an extremely slow migration, as forests move bit by bit to more pleasant places.
“The migration of a forest is just many trees sprouting (发芽) in the same direction,” St. George writes. “Through the fossils (化石) that ancient forests left behind, scientists can track their movement over thousands of years. They move back and forth across continents, sometimes following the same route more than once, like migrating birds or whales.” This has happened over thousands of years, and climate change tends to be the driving force.
Of course, today, climate change is speeding up, and trees can’t keep pace. Take California: it’s getting hotter and dryer and scientists estimate that before too long, Sequoia National Park may not be able to keep giant sequoias (巨杉).
“The scientists there had never seen anything like it,” St. George says. “They are worried, and I think at some point we will lose these ancient trees and we will have to think about what we do with the places, and do we plant new trees where they are easy to grow?”
This is known as “assisted migration”— humans planting trees in other places where they’re more likely to grow. But this process carries risks — people can accidentally introduce insects and diseases to new places, where they may wipe out entire native populations. So, St. George writes, there’s a heated debate today: Should humans help the trees escape?
“There may be cases where people are probably going to step in and help species move to places where they’ll be more suitable in the future,” St. George says. “So far, there are no huge movements of citizen groups moving trees north. But that is kind of one vision of the future that the people I interview hope to see.”
1. What can be learned about the migration of a forest?| A．It is mainly the result of climate change. | B．It takes thousands of years to complete. |
| C．It often follows certain migrating species. | D．It is very difficult to track the migration. |
| A．To prove the assisted migration carries risks. |
| B．To stress the Park are facing a serious situation. |
| C．To show trees fail to adapt to the climate change. |
| D．To state scientists’ confidence about the environment. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Supportive. | C．Objective. | D．Opposed. |
| A．Animal Migration | B．Trees on the Move |
| C．Human Effect on Trees | D．Modern Risks of Trees |
