Elephants are able to know the difference between a man and a woman, and can tell an adult (成年人) from a child—all from the sound of a human voice. This is according to a study in which researchers played voice recordings to wild African elephants.
The animals showed more fear when they heard the voices of adult Masai men. Usually Masai people hunt elephants, and this suggests that animals have grown to listen for and avoid them.
Prof. Karen McComb and Dr Graeme Shannon from the University of Sussex led the study. They explained that in former research they had used similar experiments to show that elephants could tell—from the sound of a lion—whether the animal was a female (雌性) or a more dangerous male (雄性).
Prof. McComb wanted to find out if the animals used their very sharp sense of hearing to recognize danger from humans.
The scientists recorded Masai men, women and children saying, in their own language, “Look, look over there, a group of elephants are coming.” They also recorded Kamba men saying this phrase.
Masai people often come across elephants, which can result in violent (暴力的) hunting. Kamba people, however, mainly feed on agriculture, which does not generally bring them into violent touch with the animals.
When the team played recordings of these different voices through a hidden speaker, they found that elephant family groups showed more fear in response to the voice of a Masai man, than to a Kamba man’s voice. And the adult male Masai voices caused far more violent response than the voices of women or boys.
1. An elephant can tell a man from a woman by sense of ________.| A．touch | B．sight | C．smell | D．hearing |
| A．By watching the elephants in the zoo. | B．By playing voice recordings to them. |
| C．By recording the behaviors of elephants. | D．By communicating with them in a special way. |
| A．Masai men | B．Masai women | C．Kamba men | D．Kamba women |
| A．Elephants and Human Beings | B．Differences Between Human Voices |
| C．Elephants Recognize Human Voices | D．Elephants at War with Human Beings |
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【推荐1】Protecting wildlife has become a tough problem in today’s world. As one of the efforts, many countries formulate (公布) relative laws to protect wildlife. The need for such protection was realized centuries ago in India.
About 300 BC an Indian writer described forests that were somewhat like national parks today. The game of killing animals was carefully controlled. Some animals were fully protected. Animals that became dangerous to human visitors were trapped (捕捉) or killed outside the park.
The need for wildlife protection is greater now than ever before. About a thousand sorts of animals are in danger of extinction(存在), and the speed at which they are being destroyed has been increasing. With mammals (哺乳动物), for example, the speed of extinction is now about one sort every year. From AD 1 to 1800, the speed was about one sort every fifty years. Everywhere, men are trying to solve the problem of saving wildlife while caring for the world’s growing population.
1. This report says that the need for protecting wildlife____________.| A．was understood in India centuries ago |
| B．was described by an Indian writer about 3,300 years ago |
| C．is not met in many countries today |
| D．is not carried out in forests as well as in national parks |
| A．hunters were given permits to hunt game |
| B．all animals were to be killed |
| C．the game of killing animals was controlled |
| D．no killing of animals was allowed |
| A．the animals in national parks |
| B．stricter laws against hunting |
| C．the trees in the forests |
| D．the growth of the population |
| A．the growth of the world’s population has meant greater danger to the wildlife |
| B．about a thousand sorts of mammals are in danger of extinction |
| C．the mammals’ extinction speed is lower now than that of AD 1 to 1800 |
| D．hunters who kill endangered sorts of animals will not be punished by law |
【推荐2】Every summer, three billion birds migrate (迁徙) from southern Africa to Europe. In winter, they return to Africa’s warmer shores. Both large and small birds travel thousands of kilometers, often stopping at locations along the way to rest. The migration is long and difficult, and some of the animals die during each trip. However, it is not this twice-a-year journey that poses the greatest risk to these animals. The main threat to the birds’ survival comes from people. All over Mediterranean, millions of birds are killed for food, profit, and sport every year. Consequently, bird populations are dropping all over the region.
Countries over the Mediterranean are aware of this, and are taking action. In many European countries, hunting migratory birds is strictly banned. Across the Mediterranean, Nature Conservation Egypt is working to increase protection of its country’s wildlife, including migratory birds. As part of a current project, the group is trying to promote activities such as eco-tourism along the coasts. The hope is that, as more tourists come to visit protected natural areas, there will be an incentive for local people to care for the birds and their habitats.
Wildlife organizations around the Mediterranean are helping to bring about change. " Hunting bans are working,“ says Martin Jacoby, a bird expert. But there is still more to do. Environmentalists hope to stop hunting and restore bird habitats all over the Mediterranean. If this can be done, the birds’ number will increase. “There is a long way to go,” Jacoby says, “but just like after a long journey in the desert, there will be an oasis(绿洲).”
1. What’s the biggest danger to migrating birds?| A．Long distance. | B．Human hunters. |
| C．Severe weather. | D．Lack of food. |
| A．Opportunity. | B．Bargain. | C．Drive. | D．Condition. |
| A．Approving. | B．Reserved. | C．Ambiguous. | D．Critical. |
| A．By giving examples. | B．By presenting problem and solution. |
| C．By making comparison. | D．By analyzing cause and effect. |
【推荐3】Ellen Kalish runs a center for rescued wild animals in New York. When a woman asked if she could treat an owl, she was happy to help. Then, the caller told her exactly where the tiny owl was hiding out. It was the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center in New York City! Kalish said she has been helping wild animals for 20 years, but she has never heard a story like that. The rescued owl has been nicknamed “Rockefeller”.
When workers were unwrapping the tree which just arrived, one of them spotted the creature. It was buried in the base of the tree, Kalish said. At first the worker thought the owl might be injured. It would not let go of the tree’s base. One of the workers called his wife, telling her he was bringing the owl home. He asked if she could find a place that helps wildlife animals. She called Kalish.
The owl is the smallest of its kind living in the Northeast. So how did Rockefeller end up stuck in the tree in the first place? Kalish offered a few ideas. He could have gone to the tree to hide and got trapped later, she said. Maybe once the tree was loaded onto a truck, the branches squished (挤压) him into the trunk. He might have been too scared to move.
Kalish met the woman who first called her at a gas station. The woman handed her a cardboard box with the owl inside. “He looked up at me, and I was relieved to see that he was looking in relatively good shape,” Kalish said of their first meeting. She was impressed that he didn’t look worse.
Kalish brought Rockefeller back to the wildlife center. She said she gave him plenty of water and left two mice in the plastic pet carrier. They were gone by the next morning. Rockefeller spent most of his time at the wildlife center eating or sleeping. On Monday, he went to the vet (兽医) to get some X-rays taken. He has no broken bones, Kalish added.
Rockefeller will not spend much time at the center, she said. She is preparing to release him soon. He will fly away at dusk. That’s the time when owls normally wake up. The release will be quick and quiet, she said, and she will bring a camera to take pictures of him flying away.
“I will wish him a very long and happy life,” Kalish said. “For me, it’s the Christmas miracle of 2020.”
1. What can we learn about Ellen Kalish in Paragraph 1?| A．She is a vet in a wildlife center. |
| B．She is an employee in a nature reserve. |
| C．She was surprised hearing the owl’s story. |
| D．She had little experience in treating animals. |
| A．It appeared suddenly as the tree was loaded onto a truck. |
| B．It might have been too scared to move when trapped. |
| C．It settled into the tree branches as home. |
| D．It was locked into the trunk of a car. |
| A．She rescued him from a damaged Christmas tree. |
| B．She drove him back to his home in the Northeast. |
| C．She gave him water and food at her wildlife center. |
| D．She performed X-rays on the owl before releasing him. |
| A．Unpleasant. | B．Comfortable. |
| C．Stressful. | D．Disappointing. |
【推荐1】Many of our memory systems are driven by one single, powerful urge:to survive. We seem to be hard-wired to remember routes, so we can navigate our local environments safely. We’re also naturally talented at recognizing faces. Ever since we lived in groups? we humans have needed to know who’s “part of the pack”, and who isn’t, as a vital part of staying safe.
And we’re excellent at remembering things that might put our well-being at risk. A recent research study showed that we’re remarkably accurate at recalling anything connected with infection. Even imaginary dangers can sharpen our memory skills.
In the study, volunteers were shown a set of objects that they would be tested on later. But there was a twist. Some of the items were held by a researcher who was said to have COVID. And guess what? Those “contaminated” objects proved to be significantly easier to recall. None of the volunteers would ever have to touch those things themselves. But their minds still prioritized them, locking in the information for later—just in case it could keep them safe.
And it’s a reflex that you can use to your advantage. When you’ve got something important to remember, why not “tag” it with one of those unpleasant feelings that your brain can’t help holding on to? For example, are you constantly worried about forgetting the milk from your shopping list? Then picture the bottle and imagine opening it only to discover that it’s weeks out of date. Think about how it would look一and smell! Thanks to the power of disgust, you’ll have a much better chance of remembering the fresh milk you need.
Don’t try this technique too often, though, or you’ll end up always feeling on edge! But, in those moments when your memory needs a boost, a small bit of revulsion can be very healthy for your recall.
1. What does the underlined word “hard-wired” in the first paragraph mean?| A．Having a strong desire for something. |
| B．Having a poor ability to do something. |
| C．Having a natural talent for something. |
| D．Having a terrible feeling on something. |
| A．Items shown to the volunteers first. |
| B．Items volunteers later would be tested on. |
| C．Items which may carry infectious viruses. |
| D．Items volunteers would have to touch themselves. |
| A．Ask your friends to remind you. |
| B．Draw a picture of the library in your notebook. |
| C．Recall a happy memory that is related to the library. |
| D．Imagine the library tables piled with disgusting rubbish. |
| A．Having a good memory is of vital importance. |
| B．The desire to stay safe may boost our memory. |
| C．Our memories are influenced by many factors. |
| D．Healthy eating habit is significant to our health. |
【推荐2】How Room Designs Affect Our Work and Feelings
Architects have long had the feeling that the places we live in can affect our thoughts, feelings and behaviors. But now scientists are giving this feeling an empirical（经验的，实证的） basis. They are discovering how to design spaces that promote creativity, keep people focused and lead to relaxation.
Researches show that aspects of the physical environment can influence creativity. In 2007, Joan Meyers-Levy at the University of Minnesota, reported that the height of a room's ceiling affects how people think. Her research indicates that higher ceilings encourage people to think more freely, which may lead them to make more abstract connections. Low ceilings, on the other hand, may inspire a more detailed outlook.
In additions to ceiling height, the view afforded by a building may influence an occupant's ability to concentrate. Nancy Wells and her colleagues at Cornell University found in their study that kids who experienced the greatest increase in greenness as a result of a family move made the most gains on a standard test of attention.
Using nature to improve focus of attention ought to pay off academically, and it seems to, according to a study led by C. Kenneth Tanner, head of the School Design & Planning Laboratory at the University of Georgia. Tanner and his team found that students in classrooms with unblocked views of at least 50 feet outside the window had higher scores on tests of vocabulary, language arts and maths than did students whose classrooms primarily overlooked roads and parking lots.
Recent study on room lighting design suggests than dim（暗淡的） light helps people to loosen up. If that is true generally, keeping the light low during dinner or at parties could increase relaxation. Researchers of Harvard Medical School also discovered that furniture with rounded edges could help visitors relax.
So far scientists have focused mainly on public buildings. "We have a very limited number of studies, so we're almost looking at the problem through a straw（吸管）," architect David Allison says. "How do you take answers to very specific questions and make broad, generalized use of them? That's what we're all struggling with."
1. What does Joan Meyers-Levy focus on in her research?| A．Light. | B．Ceilings. | C．Windows. | D．Furniture. |
| A．the shape of furniture may affect people's feelings |
| B．lower ceilings may help improve students' creativity |
| C．children in a dim classroom may improve their grades |
| D．students in rooms with unblocked views may feel relaxed |
| A．the problem is not approached step by step |
| B．the researches so far have faults in themselves |
| C．the problem is too difficult for researchers to detect |
| D．research in this area is not enough to make generalized patterns |
CP: Central Point P: Point SP: Sub-point（次要点） C: Conclusion
A． | B． | C． | D． |
【推荐3】Many women write to me perplexed(困惑的)about why they can’t form close friendships. They try new approaches, put themselves in all the right places, see therapists, and read relevant self-help books. They consider themselves interesting, loyal, kind and friend-worthy people. But for reasons unknown to them, they have a tough time forming intimate relationships. Many admit to not having even one close friend.
A recent study published in the Journal of personality and Social Psychology offers some clues as to how both nature (personality) and nurture (experience) impact our friendships. Researchers at the University of Virginia and University of Toronto, Mississauga studied more than 7,000 American adults between the ages of 20 and 75 over a period of ten years, looking at the number of times these adults moved during childhood. Their study, like prior ones, showed a link between residential mobility and adult well-being: The more times participants moved as children, the poorer the quality of their adult social relationships.
But digging deeper, the researchers found that personality—specifically being introverted (内向的) or extroverted (外向的)—could either intensify of buffer (缓冲) the effect of moving to a new town or neighborhood during childhood. The negative impact of more moves during childhood was far greater for introverts compared to extroverts.
“Moving a lot makes it difficult for people to maintain long-term close relationships,” stated Dr. Shigehiro Oishi, the first author of the study, in a press release from the American Psychological Association, “This might not be a serious problem for outgoing people who can make friends quickly and easily. Less outgoing people have a harder time making new friends.”
Families often have to relocate—across town, across the country, or across the globe. Yet, in many cases, their kids and young adolescents haven’t yet built up a bank of friendships. So the conventional wisdom is to try to minimize moves for the sake of your child, whenever possible , and to move at the end of the academic year.
1. The passage is written mainly to .| A．offer advice to women on how to form intimate relationships . |
| B．explain how nature and nurture impact our friendships. |
| C．explain how moves during childhood affect children. |
| D．tell us how to help children make friends. |
| A．People who moved less during childhood have better social relationships. |
| B．The more people moved during childhood, the more friends they have. |
| C．The more people moved during childhood, the better they adjust to society. |
| D．There is no link between residential mobility and adult well-being. |
| A．should not relocate their homes |
| B．should relocate their homes within the town |
| C．had better move at the end of school year |
| D．had better move when their children couldn’t build up a bank of friendships |
| A．have a bigger impact on an introverted person compared to extroverts. |
| B．have no impact on an outgoing person |
| C．are a big problem for both introverts and extroverts |
| D．help children better adapt to new environment |
| A．our friendships are mainly affected by our nurture |
| B．we can move when children have made a lot of friends |
| C．the impact of moves will disappear when one reaches adulthood |
| D．there is some way to minimize the impact of moves during childhood on children |
【推荐1】Away from the bright lights of the city, if you look up at the night sky you will see an ocean of bright stars. But in the illuminated (灯火通明的) concrete (混凝土) jungles we humans have built ourselves, it’s a different story.
This year, Earth Hour was observed on March 26. The annual tradition, started by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in 2007 in Sydney, Australia, was created to raise awareness for climate change. Those celebrating turn off all their electrical appliances (家用电器) for one hour. It also draws attention to another serious problem that the world is currently facing — the threat of light pollution.
Light pollution happens when too much man-made light harms nature. Scientists have found that it is especially harmful to nocturnal (夜间的) animals. These creatures rely on the natural light cycle provided by the movement of the sun to help coordinate (协调) their sleep cycles. When this is disturbed by constant bright lights from man-made structures, it can seriously disorientate (使……失去方向感) the animals and harm their physical health. “Wildlife species have evolved on this planet with biological rhythms — changing that has profound effects,” said Travis Longcore, a biogeographer with the Urban Wildlands Group in Los Angeles, US. A lack of darkness at night can also cause difficulties for animals in other ways.
Newly hatched (孵化) baby sea turtles rely on the brighter horizon over the ocean to guide them from the beach to the sea. However, with artificial lights next to the oceans, the small animals are easily led away from the right path. “Hatchlings are attracted to lights and crawl (爬行) inland, or crawl aimlessly down the beach, sometimes until dawn (黎明), when predators (天敌) or birds get them,” said Michael Salmon, a biologist at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida.
Artificial light has caused a “drastic (激烈的) change” to the natural environment of animals, research scientist Christopher Kyba told the International Dark-Sky Association. “Predators use light to hunt, and prey (猎物) species use darkness as cover,” Kyba explained. If a predator has such an extra advantage in hunting its prey, this can lead to an imbalance in the ecosystem as the hunted species are no longer able to maintain their population when they become over-hunted.
1. Why was Earth Hour created?| A．To raise awareness of air pollution. |
| B．To call on people to get closer to nature. |
| C．To draw public attention to environmental issues. |
| D．To reconsider the necessity of electrical appliances. |
| A．It slows their evolution. |
| B．It changes their sleep cycles. |
| C．It lessens their dependence on the sun. |
| D．It reduces their difficulties caused by darkness. |
| A．baby sea turtles | B．predators | C．birds | D．artificial lights |
| A．The controversy over artificial lights. |
| B．Animals that benefit from artificial lights. |
| C．The impact of artificial lights on ecosystems. |
| D．The dangers of an imbalance in the ecosystem. |
【推荐2】Disney’s live-action remake of Mulan tells the story of a young Chinese woman, Hua Mulan (Yifei Liu), who disguises herself as a man and takes her father’s place in the army. The new movie is a more realistic take than the previous 1998 animated film-causing it to receive the first PG-13 rating given to a Disney live-action reboot. The movie won’t be released in theaters until March 27, but critics got a first look at the film Monday night at the Hollywood premiere and took to social media to post their initial reactions.
The responses from journalists are relatively positive so far. Slash Film’s Peter Scretta tweeted on Monday, “It’s so majestic, the action is thrilling, it aims for a level of sophistication (复杂) and beauty you don’t expect.” “Mulan is exciting, vibrant, emotional, and different from the animated version,” Fandango’s Erk Davis tweeted. “It’s definitely its own thing, which I dug-a more mature Disney film, featuring stunning production design and fight choreography (战斗编排). Director Niki Caro and star Liu Yifei are the big stand-outs.” Mashable’s Alison Foreman wrote, “Disney’s Mulan remake leaves a lot behind, but offers much more in its absence. Plenty of 1998 throwbacks pepper a story full of incredible action, humor, and heart.”
Not all the reviews were positive. Screen Rant’s Mansoor Mithaiwala tweeted, “There’s a great film yearning to break out in Mulan, but it’s surprisingly stuck by adapting the animation. It has its moments, but the poor villains and inconsistent action quality results in an ordinary movie.”
1. What can we know about the new movie Mulan according to the text?| A．It tells the story of a woman soldier who fought heroically in the war. |
| B．It will be on show in theaters before March. |
| C．It is the second time that Hua Mulan’s story have been made into a movie. |
| D．The comments on the movie are definitely positive. |
| A．Peter Sciretta | B．Mansoor Mithaiwala |
| C．Erk Davis | D．Alison Foreman |
| A．Critical. | B．Negative. |
| C．Indifferent. | D．Positive. |
| A．To criticize the new movie Mulan. |
| B．To show some reviews about the new movie Mulan. |
| C．To attract more people to watch the movie. |
| D．To defend for the new movie Mulan. |
【推荐3】Have you ever thought about why malls, restaurants, and even theaters have music? Well, to understand this, you simply just look back at how you felt when you heard music in these places. Music is known to improve the mood of people. Often music helps us pay attention to what we are doing. Music helps patients feel good and better.
Depression (沮丧) is a state of mind that most of us experience at some point of time. There are some periods in our life when everything seems difficult. It seems that everything is getting worse and we have no control over our life. Studies have shown that music can be an important mood lifter in such situations. Music also plays a great role in making us feel less nervous or worried. Anxiety can often cause loss of sleep and other illnesses.
Music is often known as an international language. We may not know the language another person is speaking, but most of us respond to music in the same. Music can often be the best way to connect with someone.
Music is one of the best ways to improve your moods, but this can depend largely on the kind of music you listen to. While happy music can certainly make you feel better, sad music can further lower your spirits. Listening to classical music can often make you feel a lot more powerful, while soft music can be the perfect way to relax at the end of a long day. If you want to use music to change the way how you are feeling, you need to understand the role of it, learn to recognize the kind of music that lifts your mood and helps you feel better. Once you realize the kind of music you can use, you can use it to change the way you feel. The right kind of music can be the perfect way to help us feel happier.
1. According to the passage, what’s the purpose of playing music in restaurants?| A．To welcome the customers |
| B．To make customers feel good |
| C．To make customers dance |
| D．To make customers feel depressed |
| A．most of us suffer depression all the time |
| B．most of us respond to music in different ways |
| C．music can be a good way to connect with others |
| D．any kind of music will help us improve our moods |
| A．What meanings music has |
| B．How we control our moods |
| C．How music affects our moods |
| D．What kind of music we listen to |
| A．Soft music. |
| B．Classical.music. |
| C．Sad music. |
| D．Rock music. |
