On Christmas Eve, two little ducks were found frozen on a pond in Smithville, Ohio. They flapped their wings, fruitlessly struggling to free themselves on the ice until two locals spotted them and helped set the animals free. The two ducks were later named Olaf and Elsa, characters from Disney’s Frozen, and sent to an animal rescue organization.
“Every year in springtime, particularly at Easter, many people buy ducklings on impulse as gifts, often for their kids. People associate baby animals like ducklings, chicks, and bunnies with springtime,” says John Di Leonardo, an anthrozoologist. “But months later, animal rescuers routinely see a rise in abandoned ducks in local parks and ponds.”
Elsa and Olaf’s tough situation highlights the reason why domestic ducks always show up in local parks and ponds. Assuming they can live, their case is pretty similar to going to Yellowstone National Park and seeing a wolf and such like. “Oh, if this wolf can live well, my dog can do too,” says Adison Smith, president of Wasatch Wanderers Animal Rescue. “Those ducks lack hunting instincts, and many quickly starve to death or fall sick. A majority cannot fly because of small wings. They don’t migrate, so they can’t survive winter. They’re literally sitting ducks for predators (捕食者),” John Di Leonardo adds.
Since the issue is largely due to a lack of awareness, Adison Smith has started a campaign and hung more than 50 signs in a dozen cities to remind parkgoers that getting rid of pet ducks tends to be disastrous to them and can be illegal by the state law, “Our goal is to get the problem at its source,” Adison says. Most people tend to buy ducklings at stores for less than a dollar each, or kids take them home from school hatching projects.
“Though most abandoned ducks live short, miserable lives, Olaf and Elsa are an exception — they’ll spend their remaining days at Lasa Sanctuary in Wooster, Ohio, in a shelter with other ducks, clean hay, and protection against predators,” John Di Leonardo says.
1. Why did Olaf and Elsa appear on a frozen pond on Christmas Eve?A.They starred in the film Frozen. | B.They practised their hunting skills. |
C.They escaped from an animal shelter. | D.They were abandoned by their master. |
A.Animals share a lot in living habits. | B.Pet ducks are less adaptable in the wild. |
C.Yellowstone is a great place for wildlife. | D.Animals can get along well with each other. |
A.Increasing the selling prices of ducks. |
B.Reminding people to save our resources. |
C.Educating people about the animal protection. |
D.Appealing for the establishment of new animal laws. |
A.Dangerous. | B.Easeful. | C.Restricted. | D.Exhausted. |
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【推荐1】The first animal Tracey Parsons rescued was a baby bird she found jumping in and out of the road. It had lost its mother. Parsons was seven. She kept it in her bedroom, where it flew around the room. She went to the library to learn how to feed it. The bird started following her around. In the morning it would fly up to her bed and sing beautiful songs. “I’ll never forget it,” she says.
Parsons, who is now 35 and runs a clothes shop in Blackheath, London, doesn’t know how many animals she’s saved since then. Thousands, she estimates. “I like animals,” she says, “because they’re pure and reflect the beauty of nature. And they don’t have their own voices, so someone has to be their voice.”
Any time an injured bird or animal is found in the area, odds are it will find its way to Parsons’ home. People bring them to her front door all the time. Around Blackheath, people know Parsons as “the bird lady”. The local farmers’ market donates scraps (剩饭) for her to feed the ducklings.
She spends thousands of pounds a year on feed and medication. Once the animals are rehabilitated (康复), Parsons releases them into the wild or takes them to wildlife sanctuaries (保护区) if they’re not able to live independently.
“I’ve known Tracey for more than 10 years,” says her friend Diane Blackwell. “She paddles (划船) into freezing pond water to rescue ducklings. She’s rushed to my place to rescue a badly injured fox at 10 pm. She doesn’t have an off switch for her rescue work.”
When asked which animals stand out in her three-decade-long career as a wildlife rehabber, Parsons tells a seemingly unbelievable story. One day in 2019, Parsons was at her shop. When she opened the curtain she saw an injured fox. It ran away, but returned the next day, and every day after that. He’d jump in her lap, and follow her around. People think foxes are aggressive (富于攻击性的), but that’s not true, she says. “They’re adorable, loving creatures.”
1. What can we learn about Parsons’ rescue attempt at age seven?A.She found it challenging and dangerous. |
B.She found a dying duckling outside her room. |
C.She regarded it as a memorable experience. |
D.She brought a baby bird to a wildlife sanctuary. |
A.She wants to protect animals. |
B.Animals can recognize human voices. |
C.Every animal has its own unique voice. |
D.She thinks wild animals may threaten humans. |
A.She has devoted herself to saving animals. | B.She is supported by local people. |
C.She feels tired from her work. | D.She cares little about her friends. |
A.It was badly injured. | B.It was a rare species. |
C.It was friendly to her. | D.It was found in her shop. |
【推荐2】A new survey method is invented to count wild species. African elephants are the first animals to be successfully counted from space while moving through a complicated landscape that range from open grasses to forests.
Typically, conservationists do this from low-flying planes in order to count and monitor African elephants, a method that takes many hours. With the new technique that combines satellite imagery with artificial intelligence, up to 3,100 square miles can be surveyed on a single blue-sky day in minutes. Then, the deep-learning computer analyzes those images and pick out individual elephants.
The new technique is a key part of ensuring the survival of the endangered species. Due to illegal hunting and habitat destruction, just 415,000 African elephants are living in the wild. “Accurate monitoring is essential if we’re to save the species,” said Olga Isupova, a computer scientist at the University of Bath in the UK. “We need to know where the animals are and how many there are.”
What really makes this study stand apart from other satellite-tracking projects is how successful the computer program is at picking out the elephants from their complex backgrounds, including grasslands and partially tree-covered landscapes. Satellite imagery is also a much more efficient survey method than the current flyover surveys carried out, which is faster and avoids double-counting the same elephants. The remote survey also reduces the impact researchers have on the animals and allows them to count individuals moving between countries.
“Although this is a proof of concept, it’s ready to go,” said professor Duporge, a zoologist at the Oxford University. “And conservation organizations are already interested in using this to replace surveys using aircraft. As satellite imaging improves, other smaller species may soon be able to be counted in greater detail from space too. ”
1. What are used in the new study method?A.AI and surveys. | B.Satellites and aircraft. |
C.Planes and computers. | D.Satellites and computers. |
A.Climate change. | B.Human activities. |
C.Environment threat. | D.Social improvement. |
A.Less money. | B.More accurate. | C.Less workers. | D.More complex. |
A.Worried. | B.Objective. | C.Doubtful. | D.Optimistic. |
【推荐3】WHY SHENNONGJIA?
As we know, in 2016, Shennongjia made it on to the UNESCO World Heritage List. But there are so many important places not yet on this list. So you might ask: why Shennongjia?
UNESCO awarded Shennongjia this status because it meets two criteria required by the list. It contains a naturally-balanced environment that allows the many and various species to live and prosper. It is also one of the rare locations in the world where scientists can observe in real time the ecological and biological processes that occur as the plants and animals develop and evolve.
For the first criterion, Shennongjia is apparently one of the most “complete” natural areas in the world. The region rises from about 400 metres to over 3, 000 metres above sealevel, giving it the name the “Roof of Central China”.
For the second criterion, we can see that Shennongjia has incredible biodiversity. Look at this slide. According to official statistics, over 3, 000 plant species have been recorded there. This represents more than ten percent of China’s total floral richness.
It is a challenge to look after so many species. In winter, scientists brave heavy snow and freezing temperatures to supply food to the Golden Snub-nosed Monkey. Thanks to their efforts, the monkey’s population has doubled since the 1980s.Their number reached over 1, 300 in 2015 and continues to grow.
But the most impressive aspect of Shennongjia is the local people, who take things from nature without causing damage. I visited a local village which is known for its home-made honey. What is special about the honey is that it is produced by the earliest species of Chinese bee. All of this explains why Shennongjia earned—and deserves—its place on the UNESCO World Heritage List, as well as highlighting how understanding, awareness and hard work have contributed towards protecting a unique and wonderful part of our natural world.
1. Why is Shennongjia included in the UNESCO World Heritage List?A.Because its forests stretch on and on like great green seas. |
B.Because it is the legendary father of Chinese herbal medicine. |
C.Because it satisfies the two requirements for the status. |
D.Because it has the mysterious creature called “Yeren”. |
A.Roof of Central China | B.Roof of Northern China |
C.Roof of Eastern China | D.Roof of Southern China |
A.Patient. | B.Careful. | C.Confident. | D.Hard-working. |
A.A local village. | B.The local people. |
C.Some special monkeys. | D.The wild bees. |
【推荐1】Here's the nine o'clock news.
Prime Minister Abdul Krim of Syria (叙利亚) has said that the danger of war in the Middle East is greater now than in the past two years. His country does not want war, he says, but the Syrian people have waited too long for an end to the troubles with their neighbours. If war comes, says Mr Krim, Syria will be ready.
Ben Kitson, the writer of stories and plays for children, died at his home in California. Mr Kitson was 82. His most famous book of stories, The Gentleman’s House, sold all over the world, in more than twenty-five languages.
Policemen in New York have stopped work. Their leader, Mr Paulo Angeli, says that they will return to work only when they receive more money for working long hours and doing what Mr Angeli calls “the most dangerous job in the city”.
It has been a good year on the farm. The warm, wet spring and the fine summer have been very good for all kinds of food plants. This means that fruit and vegetables will cost less in the shops this year.And now it's time for“Morning Music”.
1. Abdul Krim has said that ______.A.there is no danger of war in the Middle East. |
B.it is more possible for war to happen now. |
C.the danger of war passed two years ago. |
D.there has been a danger of war for the past two years. |
A.a book Mr Kitson wrote in many languages. |
B.the name of Mr Kitson’s house in California. |
C.the name of Mr Kitson’s most famous book. |
D.a play that Mr Kitson wrote for children. |
A.the most dangerous policeman in New York. |
B.a policeman who receives more money for working longer hours. |
C.the head of the police in New York. |
D.a policeman who leads the strike. |
【推荐2】What object has the mystical ability to provide you with access to a whole new world, where you can read books, send messages or go online chatting, post pictures on social media platforms or watch TV Dramas anytime? What can entertain you day and night? Yes, you know the answer-your handphone.
Clearly, the handphone satisfies all our wants and needs, leaving us craving more. And over time as our days with this amazing pearl from technology melt into months and years, we become so intimate with our phones that the nature of our relationship morphs from one of functional to that of parasitic. According to a survey report by ConnectedLife, Singaporean youths spend an average of 3.4 hours a day on their phones. This may not seem like a big number to you, but think: what could you do in three hours? Cycling at the park with your family; revising your work; helping a friend with his work. Time wasted is life wasted.
Our phones now take on the antagonist’s role. When we try to engage in other activities, they blink their neon flashing lights non-stop, tempting us to give them one more click. We then watch our grades at school sink, our social skills plummet, our concern for others around us drop, sliced away from the real world, sliding into the digital one. Is the sacrifice worth it? No, phone addiction must come to a full stop today. How?
One way to stop addiction is to install applications to monitor the time you spend on your phone daily. You will find many mobile applications that help track the exact length of time you spend on your phone, notifying you if you exceed your targeted timing. A wake-up call, these alert you to become more self-aware of how long the daily phone usage is, and if you have already exceeded the limit. Each day you can start afresh with a new target, with a new sense of what you need to do (and what you do not).
Another method is to keep your phone switched off and to place it out of sight. Just as the common saying goes, “Out of sight, out of mind,” when you do not see that black screen, you will be less inclined to twitch and itch and check what is on the screen. Why shut it down? Well, when your phone is switched off, you would be unable to check it for updates so frequently, and hence less likely to keep pressing the ‘on’ button to read the message your friend just sent you, or the update on who just liked your post on social media. When switched off and kept away, the chances of you succeeding in what you need to focus on are higher. Although there may be a yearning for your phone, keep in mind the many different tasks you need to do instead and work on them. Procrastinate only on using your handphone; when you feel like turning it on and pulling down the notifications bar, smack your hand and tell yourself firmly, “Later!” These seeds of discipline, if grown into habits, will mature into a tree bearing much fruit.
There is one takeaway from the above two methods that effectively cuts the Gordian knot-busy yourself with other activities and push the complaints of the loss of bonding time with Mr. Smartphone out of your mind. After all, these joys are only short-term, and will be your regret in the long run. Now is the time to live your life like a human being. Be alive in this world, full of hopes and dreams, beauty and wonders. Taste the sweetness and bitterness of being human, and watch yourself grow into that tree. Cherish your youth while you can. You do not want to regret.
Oscar Wilde once said, “To live, is the rarest thing in the world. Most people just exist, that’s all.”
1. What does the word underlined in paragraph 2 mean ?A.Develop. | B.Transfer. | C.Enlarge. | D.Decrease. |
A.Helper. | B.Tempter. | C.Guidance. | D.Enemy. |
A.Monitor the time you spend on your phone daily. | B.Turn off your phone and place it out of sight. |
C.Install applications. | D.Busy yourself with other activities. |
A.What subject can provide you with access to a whole new world? Your handphone. |
B.How to make a full stop to phone addiction. |
C.Unlock your life. |
D.Live your life like a human being with Mr. Smartphone. |
【推荐3】London—A few hundred regular customers and pedestrians(行人)offered to help October Books of Southampton in England move books along the street last Friday. The shop had been struggling to afford the rising rent prices of the building that they had occupied since 1977 and decided to move to an old bank building down the block.
But how would they be able to move their books to the new location without having to pay for expensive moving services? October Books put out a call for volunteers to form a “human conveyor belt” between their old store and the new location 500 feet down the street.
They expected maybe a few dozen people to show up, but to their surprise, over 200 people lined up on the sidewalk to pass each of the store's 2,000 books to their new home. Amy Brown, one of the store's employees, said that she was astonished at so many people. “I was handing books to people without actually seeing the entire of it,” said Brown. “So it was only after about 20minutes that I actually went out into the road and saw the extent of the people.” When passing pedestrians asked what people were doing, they would join in to give a hand. Nearby restaurants even brought hot teas and coffees for the volunteers.
“It was really sort of surprising and positive, and just a really moving experience to see people joining in because they wanted to help. And they wanted to be part of something bigger,” Brown said. Now this small independent book store in England isn't just surviving—it is growing thanks to the city that adores its literary services.
1. What led to October Books moving to a new location?A.Financial difficulty. | B.Government policy. |
C.Cultural difference. | D.Business condition. |
A.They contributed their little bit to help. |
B.They stopped and took some pictures. |
C.They bought hot teas for the volunteers. |
D.They felt astonished and called the local TV. |
A.Booklovers Gather for Moving Books in England. |
B.Human Chain of People Help Move a Bookstore. |
C.Bookstore Gets Crowdfunding for Future Survival. |
D.People Feel Positive by Helping out a Bookstore. |
“More and more sellers were telling us that people wanted our magazine but weren’t carrying cash,” says Pia Stolt, the magazine’s publisher. “So with the help of a local computer company, we came up with a way to accept payment electronically.
“We didn’t know how it would turn out, or whether people would be unwilling to give the credit card information to a stranger on the street,” says Stolt, “but the results have been great—sales are up 59%.” “Swedes are pretty trusting and we’re used to taking up new technology so this was the perfect solution,” adds Stolt. “The cashless society campaign we’re seeing in Sweden is definitely a good move as far as we are concerned—it’s unstoppable.”
Banks and stores invested heavily in card payment systems in the 1990s and now local consumers are using them in huge numbers. Today, four out of five purchases are made electronically in Sweden and going totally cash-free is the next step.
Sweden’s public transport system has already been cashless for several years, after local public transport workers complained that handling cash had become dangerous. “Bus drivers were getting attacked for their money so Sweden banned cash on public transport,” says Arn Arvidsson, the president of Cashless, an organization supporting the move to a cash-free society. “There were also a number of bank robberies, so four years ago, the banks began to move away from cash. Now, all of Sweden’s big banks operate cash free wherever possible, and the number of bank robberies is at a 30-year low.”
There is, however, concern about how well Sweden’s 1.8 million pensioners—out of a total population of 10 million—will adapt. “A lot of elderly people feel excluded,” says Johanna Hallen of the Swedish National Pensioners’ Organization. “Only 50% of older people use cash cards regularly and 7% never use cash cards. So we want the government to take things slowly.”
The digital payment revolution is also a challenge for tourists, who need pre-paid tickets or a Swedish mobile to catch a bus in the capital. “There’s a worry about crime and theft as well,” says Arvidsson. “Figures show that computer-related credit card crime has almost doubled in the last decade.”
1. The demand for a cashless public transport system first came from _______.
A.transport companies to reduce their costs |
B.banks so they could increase their profits |
C.transport workers to protect their safety |
D.the government to improve transport times |
A.No new banknotes will be produced in the future |
B.There has been a huge reduction in bank robberies. |
C.Local people don’t feel comfortable carrying cash. |
D.It is the first country to have cash-free buses. |
A.She worries that computer-related crime will increase. |
B.She is concerned about the inconvenience to foreign travellers. |
C.She believes that it’s not easy for older people to get used to it. |
D.She feels it is everyone’s right to be able to use cash if they wish. |
A.Some possible solutions to the problems of a cashless society. |
B.The reasons for the change in customers’ attitudes to cards. |
C.Some benefits a cashless society will bring to banks |
D.The difficulties people face in a cashless society. |
【推荐2】When we are little we do all kinds of foolish things, sometimes unwillingly and sometimes on purpose. And parents' next behavior is to punish us and make sure that we won't repeat foolish things.
At an early age parents punish their children as it follows: firstly, they don't allow children to watch TV for a couple of days; secondly, parents don't permit their children to go out and play with their friends; thirdly, children are given different tasks to do—they have to write something several times or they have to stay in the corner of the room, until parents decide to "free" them.
When in their teens, children can receive other types of punishment Most parents punish children by not giving them pocket money, which is the best from of punishment for them. Then, they forbid children to go out on weekends or return home after a certain hour. Besides, parents also refuse to give them food. It means that children have to prepare meals alone as they have no other choice.
Sometimes, these forms of punishment have positive(积极的) results and children won't repeat the bad things they have done. However, if a child is used to doing bad things then all these punishments will be of no importance to him or her. He or she will carry out the punishment and after a short period of time will do another one.
1. Parents punish the children to ________ according to the passage.A.stop them doing the foolish things |
B.help them get good grades |
C.do something by themselves |
D.help them make good friends |
A.He isn't allowed to watch TV for a few days. |
B.He can't be permitted to go out and play with friends. |
C.He has to do all kinds of tasks. |
D.He has to cook meals by himself. |
A.He can't get the pocket money. |
B.He can't go out on weekends. |
C.He has to return home after a certain hour. |
D.He can't eat the meals prepared by parents. |
【推荐3】Many centuries ago, all people had to gather seeds and plants to eat. They did not know how to farm or raise animals for food. We call them the Stone Age people because they used stone tools and arms.
You may feel surprised in the world today there are still people who live like the Stone Age people. They live in the places that are hard to reach. Because they have met few people from the outside world, they rarely hear of modern inventions. They have not gained ways of doing things from others.
For 25, 000 years, groups of people have lived alone in the middle of Australia. One of thesegroups is the Arunta tribe (部落) . They do not know how to farm and how to raise sheep or cattle.
The Aruntas spend most of their time searching for food and water. The men hunt animals with stone-tipped spears. The women and children look for roots, seeds and nuts. They use sticks to dig up the roots. Several Arunta families live together. They have no house. At night, they sleep around small fires.
Now other people are moving into the center of Australia. Soon the Aruntas will no longer be a Stone Age people. Maybe that’s a piece of exciting news for them.
1. The Stone Age people are called so because they _________.A.gathered seeds and plants to eat | B.didn’t know how to farm |
C.used stone tools and arms | D.didn’t raise animals for food |
A.Because they haven’t yet learned new ways from other people. |
B.Because they do not want to change their way of living. |
C.Because other people are moving in and living with the Aruntas. |
D.Because each family live alone without knowing others. |
A.people in old Australia didn’t use stone tools |
B.the Aruntas do not like to hunt |
C.everyone in Australia lives in large cities |
D.the Aruntas don’t know much about modern inventions |
A.positive | B.negative | C.neutral | D.indifferent |