It’s been a hard time for rhinos (犀牛) lately. Recently the International Union for Conservation announced the western black rhinos had died out in the wild. It was last seen in western Africa in 2006. Now, those who work to protect the animals are trying to make sure that won’t happen to other rhinos.
19 south-central black rhinos in South Africa were driven to an area nearly 1,000 miles away, which was said to be the gentlest and quickest way to transport the animals. They were taken to a new home that would keep them safe from hunters.
Though it is not allowed to hunt rhinos, many are still killed for their horns, which can sell for as much as $30,000 each. Most of them are used to make drugs as traditional medicines in Asian countries. Some people believe that the horns work well in treating pain, fever and even cancer. However, there is no medical evidence yet.
Black rhino population began falling rapidly in the second half of the 1900s because of poaching. In fact, some people still hunt the animals at the risk of being put into prison. And many of the places where the animals used to live in were destroyed when people started building farms on the grasslands. Until the 1960s, about 65,000 black rhinos lived throughout most of Africa. Today, fewer than 5,000 are left — most of them in zoos and wildlife reserves.
South Africa has the largest population of rhinos in the world. Poaching is an especially big problem in that country. So far, more than 340 rhinos have been killed there. Since 2003, the Black Rhino Expansion Project has been helping the south-central black rhinos in South Africa. The group works with landowners to find areas where rhinos can live safely away from hunters.
So far, the group has successfully saved about 120 rhinos. Leaders of the project say the south-central black rhinos have seen a rise in numbers. It is hoped that, with continued support, these rhinos can escape the unfortunate result of the western black rhinos.
1. According to the text, the western black rhinos .A.cannot be seen in the wild at present |
B.once lived in most parts of Africa |
C.were killed in a natural disaster |
D.disappeared in the early 1990s |
A.they often come to attack people |
B.they take up too much farmland |
C.their horns can be made into drugs |
D.their blood helps people prevent disease |
A.lost the places where they lived |
B.were hunted without permission |
C.were killed without control |
D.died of a strange disease |
A.The rhinos in South Africa |
B.The habits of black rhinos |
C.The death of rhinos |
D.Saving black rhinos |
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【推荐1】Which are the better pets, cats or dogs? Staff from New Horizon network team have carried out a study which lasted a fortnight and they published their conclusion on their home page last Friday — dogs are better pets than cats by a whisker.
Staff from New Horizon first listed the areas where cats fared better. These included having bigger brains compared to their body size, which is said to make them do better in complex functions such as memory and attention than dogs. Cats’second point was given for being more popular, with 204 million living in the top ten cat-owning nations compared to 173 million dogs in the ten countries where dogs are favored. Cats also get more attention from humans, with purrs (呼噜声) and miaows easily to be noticed. Although dogs can vary their barks, they cannot match the attention-seeking of cats. Additionally, cats can see in lower light than dogs and have a far wider hearing range and a sharper sense of smell. They are also said to be “greener” pets because their smaller appetites mean less area of land required to farm the food.
But in the other six categories examined — many of which related to getting on with humans — dogs had the edge.
Dogs have a longer shared history with humans, maybe as long as 135,000 years. Cats are relative newcomers to our homes. Similarly, dogs have a greater ability to bond with the 订masters. Even four-month-old puppies choose a human companion over another dog. Dogs scored a third point for their better powers of understanding and following human gestures. One study found that a dog called Rico had mastered the meaning of more than 200 words. The ab 山 ty to perform roles such as being a guide dog for the blind meant dogs were rated better than cats when it came to their problem-solving abilities. And they are easier to train.
With the scores tied at five-all, the deciding point fell on usefulness — with dogs coming out on top.
Dogs, studies show, help cut human stress, while taking them for walks keeps their owners fit and helps them meet new people. New Horizon says: “Dogs can hunt and guard. They can sniff out drugs and bombs; they guide blind and deaf people, find someone buried in ruins, and possibly even predict earthquakes.”
The study conducted by the staff and their conclusion went viral the moment it was released and has caused a heated discussion among pet owners. Some frowned at it, arguing that it had only involved character, intelligence and usefulness.
1. Which of the following is cats’advantage?A.They are better at grasping their owners’ instructions. |
B.They have larger brains than dogs. |
C.They have a sharper sense of taste. |
D.They affect the environment less. |
A.considerably | B.in some aspects |
C.a little bit | D.exactly the same |
A.the study lasted a week |
B.four-month-old puppies are more capable of picking a human companion |
C.all the pet owners didn’t agree with the conclusion |
D.people pet dogs to predict earthquakes |
A.Cats beat dogs | B.Fight like cat and dog |
C.Befriend with cats and dogs | D.Cats versus dogs |
【推荐2】Animals have developed a circadian clock—an internal body clock that runs in 24-hour cycles. It is regulated by cues (提示) from their environment. But they may suffer from a “jet lag (时差反应)” when the cues animals are exposed to do not match the ones of their natural environment.
Kristine Gandia, a PhD student at the University of Stirling in Scotland, and a team of observers set out to understand how the “jet lag” of living in latitudes (纬度) that animals were not used to can affect them. Giant pandas were chosen as the focus for the study partly because they live highly seasonal lives.”
“Giant pandas are very good animals to focus on,” Gandia said. “They are very popular in zoos and there are a lot that have cameras so we can see how their behavior changes across different latitudes. These cameras enabled us to monitor the giant pandas’ behavior across a 24-hour period.”
Gandia explained that the latitudinal range for giant pandas is between 26 and 42 degrees north. Matching latitudes could also be considered between 26 and 42 degrees south, as these mirror the temperature and lighting conditions.
The team monitored 11 giant pandas in six different zoos. Some zoos were within the animals’ natural latitudes but in other countries and the others were outside that range.
Gandia explained, “We recorded giant panda behavior, trying to account for behaviors that are positive, neutral (中性的) and negative indicators for welfare. So, this would include behaviors like play and grooming as positive behaviors, drinking and defecating as neutral maintenance behaviors, and several abnormal behaviors as negative behaviors, with pacing being the most common.”
Those living in zoos outside of their home latitude were found to be less active and display more negative behaviors.
“Giant pandas living in zoos could be suffering from a ‘jet lag’ if their body clocks don’t match their environments,” Gandia said.
1. What does Gandia and her team’s study focus on?A.Animal behavior. | B.Animal body clock. | C.Animal popularity. | D.Animal distribution. |
A.Wide latitude of their natural habitat. | B.Their strong adaptability. |
C.The existing findings about them. | D.The convenience of observation. |
A.By analyzing reasons. | B.By comparing recordings. |
C.By conducting interviews. | D.By listing examples. |
A.Will “Jet Lag” Be Able to Be Avoided? |
B.Could Animals Suffer from a “Jet Lag”? |
C.Is Panda a Proper Subject to Study “Jet Lag”? |
D.Does Season Have Anything to Do with “Jet Lag”? |
【推荐3】Scientists recently conducted a study that involved giving pet parrots (鹦鹉) a tablet. They could use the tablets to make video calls to other parrots. It turned out that the birds showed signs of feeling less isolated (孤独的). They also began to engage in more social behaviors, including cleaning their feathers, as well as singing and playing.
Ilyena Hirskyj-Douglas, a co-author of the study, works at the University of Glasgow, Scotland. She said that video calls had helped many people feel less isolated. “There are 20 million parrots living in people’s homes in the U. S., and we wanted to explore whether those birds might benefit from video calling, too,” Hirskyj-Douglas saíd. “If we gave them the opportunity to call other parrots, would they choose to do so, and would the experience benefit the parrots?”
In order for the parrots to use their tablets, the birds first had to learn to ring a bell. They could then touch a photo of another bird on the screen to call that bird. The birds were also given a choice of which “friend” to call. In total the birds made 147 deliberate calls to each other during the study. Scientists took detailed notes on the birds’ behavior and later reviewed the video footage (片段).
Their analysis suggested that there were, indeed, benefits for the birds. In the wild, many parrots live in large groups. As pets, they tend to be kept alone or in a small group. Isolation and boredom can cause birds to develop psychological problems. These are problems related to the mind and behavior. These problems can look like rocking, pacing back and forth, or self-harming behaviors such as feather-plucking.
Rébecca Kleinberger, who works at Northeastern University in Massachusetts, also helped with the study. She said video calling could reproduce some of the social benefits of living in a larger group.
1. Why did scientists conduct the research?A.To see if parrots can use tablets. |
B.To see if video calls benefit parrots. |
C.To evaluate the mental health of parrots. |
D.To study the living conditions of parrots. |
A.Its process. | B.Its findings. | C.Its application. | D.Its influences. |
A.It helps with their reproduction. | B.It contributes to their misbehavior. |
C.It improves their physical health. | D.It widens their social circle. |
A.Parrots living in the wild tend to be socially active. |
B.Parrots living alone may develop mental problems. |
C.Parrots taught to make video calls become less lonely. |
D.Parrots learn to behave properly by calling each other. |
【推荐1】Most of the sandstorms that had swept China last year originated from foreign land, a Chinese official in charge of desertification control said Monday. And the invasions (入侵) could partly explain the frequent sandstorms in the country in recent years despite its achievements in desertification control.
Since the start of last spring, the north and northwestern Chinese regions had been hit by 17 sandstorms, of which, a dozen came from foreign land.
Situated in the central-Asia sandstorm region, one of the world’s four largest sandstorm sources, China also suffers from sandstorms from outside the country while being blamed as a sand source to northeast Asia. The other three major sources are in Africa, North America and Australia.
The land suffering from desertification has been decreasing by 7,585 sq.km annually in China, and the area of sandy land has also been falling by 1,284 sq.km a year.
The shrinkage (收缩) forms a clear contrast to the fact that the land suffering from desertification and sandy feature was added by 10,400 sq.km and 3,436 sq.km late last century, respectively.
Currently, the desertification land in China makes up 2.64 million sq.km, accounting for 27.46 percent of the nation’s land, and its sandy land totals 1.74 million sq.km, accounting for 18.1 percent of the country’s total.
1. What does the underlined word “decreasing” mean in Paragraph 4?A.Going up. | B.Going down. |
C.Coming from. | D.Taking up. |
A.The northern Chinese regions. |
B.The northwestern Chinese regions. |
C.Foreign countries. |
D.The western part of China. |
A.China. | B.Africa. |
C.Mongolia. | D.Australia. |
A.entertainment | B.health |
C.education | D.environment |
【推荐2】As people travelling by air become increasingly aware of their carbon footprint, flying has become not only one of the most polluting industries, but also one with the most potential to turn things around.
After Solar Impulse 2 completed the world’s first flight by a solar-powered aircraft in 2016, airlines and aircraft producers looked to become the first to provide a commercial plane. Bertrand Piccard, one of the pilots responsible for Solar Impulse 2’s journey said, “All the clean technologies we’ve already had can be used everywhere. We have to use them, not only for the environment, but also because they are profitable and able to create jobs.”
The following year saw many projects in the aviation (航空) field as the airline industry acknowledged the future of low- carbon transportation methods. In 2017, Zunum Aero, a small aviation company which focused on delivering a range of hybrid-electric (混合电动的) planes received financial aid from JetBlue and Boeing, whilst EasyJet teamed up with Wright Electric to develop battery-powered aircraft and NASA also announced its plans to develop its own electric aircraft.
Orkney Islands, lying about 20 miles north of the Scottish mainland, are rich in renewable resources, especially the wind energy. Loganair, a Scottish airline, is cooperating with aviation companies to make Orkney the world’s first fully electric airline routes. However, this is never easy. Due to the limited size and weight of a battery that an airplane can carry, airplane producers are faced with a bottleneck — the continued power supply for electric airplanes. They believe the abundant wind energy in Orkney could be the key to solving it.
The benefits of electric air travel transcend its low-carbon emissions. Aviation experts believe these aircraft’s power source will also mean they will be less noisy, smaller, require less maintenance costs, and need a shorter runway to take off and land — this could lead to more airports in small cities and more rural areas being connected to the world at large.
1. What did Bertrand want to convey in his words?A.The future of aircraft pilots. |
B.The success of Solar Impulse 2. |
C.The convenience of commercial planes. |
D.The significance of using renewable energy. |
A.By asking for financial support from banks. |
B.By working together with another company. |
C.By purchasing patents from other countries. |
D.By improving the technology on its own. |
A.Use natural resources to charge airplanes. |
B.Build more coal-fired power stations. |
C.Develop shorter airline routes. |
D.Increase the size of battery. |
A.Go beyond. | B.Rely on. | C.Differ from. | D.Refer to. |
A.Making plane tickets cheaper. |
B.Making the flying time shorter. |
C.Making the world more connected. |
D.Making the plane maintenance easier. |
【推荐3】Rainbow-coloured rubbish is the colourful waste created by a Swedish city with a unique recycling system. Like many cities in Sweden, Eskilstuna has an impressive recycling record. It met the EU's 2020 target of recycling 50% of waste many years ago. But almost everyone who lives here follows a strict recycling policy at home. People are expected to sort their household waste into seven separate categories, including food, textiles, cartons and metal. But what really makes the system stand out is the bright colour code.
The reason for this becomes clear at the city's recycling plant. The bags arrive all jumbled up (混乱) because they're collected altogether, once a fortnight from outside people's houses. But thanks to those bright colours, scanners can select the bags and separate them efficiently. The foodwaste in green bags is processed on site into slurry (浆) to make biogas, which powers city's buses. One of the benefits of this method of recycling is that there is less cross-pollution, so more of the recycled waste can actually be used to make new things.
Like the rest of Sweden, Eskilstuna is committed to sending zero waste from its citizens to landfill (垃圾堆). Waste that cannot be recycled is incinerated at a local plant to generate electricity. This reduces reliance on fossil fuels, but does create greenhouse gases. As countries around the world try to improve their recycling rates, some may look to Eskilstuna as an example to follow—as long as they think they can persuade their citizens to get busy sorting at home.
1. How do people in Eskilstuna follow a strict recycling policy?A.They recycle waste at their homes. |
B.They send waste to recycling plants. |
C.They spray waste with colorful paints. |
D.They pack sorted waste with color bags. |
A.It avoids cross-pollution entirely. |
B.The waste can be stored in a fixed site. |
C.The bags take on a colorful look. |
D.The bags can be easily classified. |
A.Burnt. | B.Broken. | C.Buried. | D.Wrapped. |
A.Tips on how to sort household waste |
B.A Swedish city's recycling efforts |
C.Measures to collect messy waste bags |
D.A new policy for conservation |
【推荐1】Most of the flowers in nature are red, orange and yellow. If we have seen a black flower, it’s a chance in million. People have made a census (普查) to colors of more than four thousand kinds of flowers and discovered that only eight of them are black. As we know, sunlight is formed by seven different colored lights. The wave length of each light is different, so the quantity of heat in each light is also different. Flowers, especially their petals (花瓣), are easy to be harmed by high temperature. Black flowers can take in all the light waves which cause the flowers to dry up in a high temperature. So black flowers can rarely survive sunlight. But red flowers, orange flowers and yellow flowers can protect themselves from sunlight by reflecting the red light, orange light and yellow light, each of which has a large quantity of heat.
1. It is _________ to see a black flower.A.impossible | B.seldom |
C.common | D.no chance |
A.black flowers are so weak that it is difficult for them to grow up. |
B.there is only eight black flowers in nature. |
C.sunlight is formed by seven different colored lights, so the wave length of each light is different. |
D.black flowers can take in the light of all the wave lengths which make them dry up because of high temperature. |
A.People have found that only a few kinds of flowers are black. |
B.Flowers are easy to be harmed by very high temperature. |
C.Red, orange and yellow flowers can also absorb the light of all wave lengths. |
D.The black flowers cannot protect themselves from sunlight. |
In our first sentence we suggested that fear should be properly used. If, for example, you never go out of your house because of the danger of being knocked down and killed in the street by a car, you are letting fear rule you too much. Even in your house you are not absolutely safe an aeroplane may crash on your house, or ants may eat away some of the beams in your roof so that the latter falls on you, or you may get cancer!
The important thing is not to let fear rule you, but instead to use fear as your servant and guide. Fear will warn you of dangers; then you have to decide what action to take.
In many cases, you can take quick and successful action to avoid the danger. For example, you see a car coming straight towards you. Fear warns you, you jump out of the way, and all is well.
In some cases, however, you decide that there is nothing that you can do to avoid the danger. For example, you can’t prevent an aeroplane crashing onto your house. In this case, fear has given you its warning; you have examined it and decided on your course of action, so fear of this particular danger is no longer of any use to you, and you have to try to overcome it.
1. Children would play with fire until their hands were burnt away if _________.
A.they were given no warning beforehand |
B.they had never burnt themselves |
C.they had no sense of pain |
D.they were fearful of the fire |
A.is of great use to the army |
B.is not a real soldier |
C.is nothing but a dead soldier |
D.easily gets killed in a battle |
A.they have gained experience |
B.they jump out of the way in time |
C.they are calm in the face of danger |
D.they are warned of the danger by fear and take quick action |
A.You have to try to overcome it. |
B.Fear can really help you to run away. |
C.Fear always helps you stay safe. |
D.Fear is of great use to you. |
【推荐3】Breathing dirty air can cost someone's life span(寿命) months—even years, a new study finds.Worldwide, air pollution lowers average life spans by a year. Scientists shared their new findings in Environmental Science & Technology Letters.
Air pollution has been linked to many health problems.Most earlier studies has looked at how tiny air pollutants affected rates of illness or death. But now an environmental scientist, Joshua Apte, is going even further. He works at the University of Texas, Austin. He together with his team is looking at life expectancy, hoping to make the threat easier to understand.
PM 2.5 is what scientists call tiny particles of pollution in the air. Higher levels of PM 2. 5 can cause health problems and cut months, if not years, from the average life span. This analysis show show pollution affects life expectancy in different parts of the world.
The World Health Organization(WHO) recommends limiting PM 2.5 to 10 micrograms(微克) per cubic (立方)meter of air. Apte's group used data to try to find how this low level would help people. But meeting the WHO standard won't get rid of health damage from dirty air.That's because even below 10 micrograms per cubic meter pollution still causes huge risks.
Reducing air pollution could increase life expectancy. The scientists also compared how other threats shorten life spans across the globe. These risk factors included smoking and cancer.
These results show that in poor countries, cleaning up dirty air could greatly increase life spans. It could have as big an effect as cleaning up drinking water, or curing lung cancer. However, in wealthier countries air pollution shortens life expectancy by less than half a year. All forms of cancer, in fact, shorten the average life expectancy by more than 3.5 years.“Knowing this can really help people, or policymakers, decide where to spend their money,” says Kirk Smith.
1. What is Joshua Apte's team trying to do?A.Let people understand air pollution better. | B.Know how small air pollutants are. |
C.Study the life expectancy of different people. | D.Study many different healthy problems. |
A.Its people will live a healthy life. | B.Its air is very clean. |
C.It will get a prize from WHO. | D.It still has pollution risks. |
A.Cancer is the leading killer in all kinds of diseases. |
B.It's very hard to clean up dirty air in a short time. |
C.The study will help different countries take different policies. |
D.Reducing air pollution can increase all people's lifespans much. |
A.The Effect of Cancer Is Worse than Dirty Air |
B.Air Pollution Is Shortening Lives Worldwide |
C.Many Factors Are Affecting People's Health |
D.Governments Are Trying to Make Life Span Long |