The Matschie’s tree kangaroo is one of 10 species of tree kangaroos, all of which are endangered or threatened. A tree kangaroo is typically about the size of a raccoon (浣熊) and weighs around 19 pounds. They live in the high canopy (树冠) of the rainforest, about 100 to 150 feet in the air. The Matschie’s tree kangaroo is orange and brown with a face that looks like a teddy bear. They can leap 60 feet to the ground from trees without getting hurt.
In 1996, Dr. Lisa Dabek helped found the Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program (TKCP). Now, 16 years later, though still endangered, the population of the Matschie’s tree kangaroo is stabilizing. Much of the success is due to the work of Dabek, Senior Conservation Scientist at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, Washington, and Director of the TKCP.
According to Dabek, the TKCP needed to cooperate with the local clans (部落), some of whom kill them for food and ceremonial clothing. Dabek said, “We and the clans made a compromise. The clans would dedicate a part of their land as a ‘no hunting area’. But they could continue to hunt on their other land. Together they set aside 180,000 acres of land. They called this a ‘Wildlife Bank’.”
Animal behavior has always been interesting to Dr. Dabek. She said, “When I was 8 years old, a friend and I wrote down what we wanted to be when we grew up and sealed it inside an envelope to open when we were teenagers. When I opened it I was reminded that I wanted to be an animal trainer. And that is kind of what I am today.”
1. We know that Matschie’s tree kangaroo .| A．live at the bottom of trees in the rainforest |
| B．are orange from head to foot |
| C．are the only species of tree kangaroos |
| D．face the possibility of extinction |
| A．disappointing | B．amazing |
| C．ridiculous | D．meaningful |
| A．stop hunting the Matschie’s tree kangaroo completely |
| B．leave all their land to the Matschie’s tree kangaroos |
| C．set aside a “no hunting area” |
| D．hunt the Matschie’s tree kangaroos for special events |
| A．Dr. Dabek, a Famous Naturalist |
| B．The Protection of the Matschie’s Tree Kangaroo |
| C．The Living Habits of the Matschie’s Tree Kangaroo |
| D．How Dabek Became an Animal Lover |
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【推荐1】Babies are surrounded by human language, always listening and processing. Eventually, they put sounds together to produce a “Daddy” or a “Mama”. But what still confuses neuroscientists is exactly how the brain works to put them all together.
To figure it out, a team of researchers turned to a frequent stand-in(代替)for babies when it comes to language learning: the song-learning zebra finch(斑胸草雀). “We’ve known songbirds learn their song by first forming a memory of their father’s song or another adult’s song. Then they use that memory to guide their song learning,” said Neuroscientist Todd Roberts. “It's been a long-term goal of the field to figure out how or where in the brain this memory is. This type of imitative learning that birds do is very similar to the type of learning that we engage in regularly—particularly when we’re young, we use it to guide our speech learning.”
Roberts and his team had a feeling that the interface(交叉区域)between sensory areas and motor areas in the brain was critical for this process, and they focused on a group of brain cells called the NIF.
“In order to prove that we could identify these circuits, we thought if we could implant a false memory.” First, they used a virus to cause the neurons(神经元)in the birds’ NIf to become sensitive to light. Then, using a tiny electrode as a flashlight, which activated(激活)the neurons. The length of each pulse of light corresponded with the amount of time the neurons would fire. And the birds’ brains took that time period as the length of each note.
Soon enough, the birds began to practice the notes they had learned, even though they never really heard the sounds. Amazingly, the birds produced them in the correct social situations. The researchers say this is the first time anybody has found exactly a part of the brain necessary for generating the sorts of memories needed to copy sounds.
“This line of research is going to help us make out where in the brain we encode memories of relevant social experiences that we use to guide learning. We know that there are several neurodevelopmental disorders in people that have really far-reaching effects on this type of learning.”
1. The zebra finch is researched because its song-learning mode ______.| A．is like the way babies learn speed |
| B．decides whether it will sing songs |
| C．helps it to say “Daddy” or “Mama” |
| D．reflects its talent for imitating its father’s song. |
| A．The interface in the brain. |
| B．Imitative learning type like birds. |
| C．Guidance from adults. |
| D．The way of regular learning. |
| A．a bird only sings what it heard before |
| B．The brain produces tiny electrodes. |
| C．Birds are sensitive to flashlights. |
| D．Scientists activated some neurons by using an electrode. |
| A．A change in our way of listening and processing. |
| B．A chance to have relevant social experiences. |
| C．A better knowledge of the secrets of learning. |
| D．Identification of neurodevelopmental disorders. |
【推荐2】In a remote corner of Brazil's Amazon tropical（热带的）rainforest, researchers have spent decades catching and measuring birds. Over 40 years, dozens of Amazonian bird species have declined in mass（质量）. Many species have lost nearly 2% of their average body weight each decade, researchers report November 12 in Science Advances. Some species have grown longer wings. The changes could help birds stay cool in a hotter, more changeable climate, the researchers say.
"Climate change isn't something of the future. It has been happening and has effects we haven't thought of," says Ben Winger, an ornithologist（鸟类专家）at the University of Michigan, who wasn't involved in the research but has documented similar shrinkage（缩水）in migratory birds.
To see if non-migratory birds have also been shrinking, Jirinec and colleagues analyzed data collected from 1979 to 2019 in a remote region in the Amazon that spans 43km. The data include over 11,000 individual birds of 77 species as well as climate for the region.
All species declined in mass over this period, the researchers found. Species lost from about 0.1% to nearly 2% of their average body weight each decade. The motmot, for example, shrunk from 133g to about 127g over the study period.
These changes coincided with an overall increase in the average temperature of 1℃ in the wet season and 1.65%℃ in the dry season. Birds' mass decreased the most in a year or two after especially hot and dry seasons, which tracks with the idea that birds are getting smaller to deal with heat stress.
Wing length also grew for 61 species, with a maximum increase of 1% per decade. Jirinec thinks longer wings make for more efficient, and thus cooler, fliers.
"The Amazon rainforest is mysterious, remote and full of biodiversity," Jirined says. "This study suggests that even in places like this, far removed from civilization, you can see signatures of climate change."
1. What changes have happened to Amazonian birds over 40 years?| A．They have lost weight. | B．They have grown prettier. |
| C．They have become fewer. un | D．They have become larger. |
| A．Contrasted with. | B．Compared with. | C．Corresponded to | D．Contributed to. |
| A．Climate change | B．Food shortage. | C．Massive hunting | D．Scientific research |
| A．Researchers measuring birds in Amazon | B．Climate change shrinking tropical birds |
| C．Longer wings improving flying efficiency | D．Human activities damaging Amazon rainforest |
【推荐3】When prehistoric man arrived in new parts of the world, something strange happened to the large animals. They suddenly became extinct. Smaller species survived. The large, slow-growing animals were easy game, and were quickly hunted to extinction. Now something similar could be happening in the oceans.
That the seas are being overfished has been known for years. What researchers such as Ransom Myers and Boris Worm have shown is just how fast things are changing. They have looked at half a century of data from fisheries around the world. Their methods do not attempt to estimate the actual biomass (the amount of living biological matter) of fish species in particular parts of the ocean, but rather changes in that biomass over time. According to their latest paper published in Nature, the biomass of large predators (animals that kill and eat other animals) in a new fishery is reduced on average by 80% within 15 years of the start of exploitation. In some long-fished areas, it has halved again since then.
Dr. Worm acknowledges that the figures are conservative. One reason for this is that fishing technology has improved. Today's vessels (船)can find their prey using satellites and sonar, which were not available 50 years ago. That means a higher proportion of what is in the sea is being caught, so the real difference between present and past is likely to be worse than the one recorded by changes in catch sizes. In the early days, too, longlines (多钩长线) would have been more filled with fish. Some individuals would therefore not have been caught, since no baited hooks (带饵钩)would have been available to trap them, leading to an underestimate of fish stocks in the past. Furthermore, in the early days of longline fishing, a lot of fish were lost to sharks after they had been hooked. That is no longer a problem, because there are fewer sharks around now。
Dr. Myers and Dr. Worm argue that their work gives a correct baseline, which future management efforts must take into account. They believe the data support an idea current among marine biologists, that of the “shifting baseline". The idea is that people have failed to detect the massive changes which have happened in the ocean because they have been looking back only a relatively short time into the past. That matters because theory suggests that the maximum sustainable yield （产量）that can be cropped from a fishery comes when the biomass of a target species is about 50% of its original levels。. Most fisheries are well below that, which is a bad way to do business.
1. The extinction of large prehistoric animals is noted to suggest that____.| A．large animals were easily hurt in the changing environment |
| B．small species survived as large animals disappeared |
| C．large sea animals may face the same threat today |
| D．slow-growing fish outlive fast-growing ones |
| A．fishing technology has improved rapidly |
| B．the catch-sizes are actually smaller than recorded |
| C．the marine biomass has suffered a greater loss |
| D．the data collected so far are out of date |
| A．people should look for a baseline that can't work for a longer time |
| B．fisheries should keep the yield below 50% of the biomass |
| C．the ocean biomass should restore its original level |
| D．people should adjust the fishing baseline to changing situation |
| A．biomass level | B．management efficiency |
| C．catch-size limits | D．technological application |
【推荐1】TUVALU, a tiny country in the Pacific Ocean, has asked for help as it fears it will be swallowed up by the sea. Storms and huge waves are a constant threat and none of Tuvalu’s nine little islands is more than five meters above sea level, Salt water is already entering the country’s drinking water supply, as well as damaging plants that produce fruit and vegetable.
Through burning coal, oil and gas, people have been increasing the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, such as CO2. This adds to the power of the greenhouse effect, making the planet even warmer. Many scientists believe that, if the warming is not stopped, there will be huge climate changes.
| A．The main cause of global warming is human pollution |
| B．Should this come true |
| C．Without urgent help, the country’s days are numbered. |
| D．But Tuvalu is not the first place to face sinking into the sea |
| E．The sea level could rise by one meter this century. |
| F．people face a lot of pollution. |
| G．much has been done about our planet . |
【推荐2】Glacier National Park in Montana shares boundaries with Canada, an American Indian reservation, and a national forest. Along the North Fork of the Flathead River the park also borders about 17 000 acres of private lands that are currently used for ranching timber(木材)and agriculture. This land is a crucial part of the habitat and migratory routes for several endangered species that frequent the park. These private lands are essentially the only ones available for development in the region.
With encouragement from the park, local landowners launched a land use planning effort to guide the future of the North Fork. The park is a partner in an interlocal agreement that appeals to resource managing agencies to work together with more than 400 private owners in the area. A draft plan has been prepared with the objective of maintaining traditional economic uses but limiting new development that would damage park resources. Voluntary action by landowners, teaming up with the park and the county, is helping to restrict small lot subdivisions, maintain wildlife corridors, and minimize any harmful impact on the environment.
The willingness of local landowners to participate in this protection effort may have been stimulated by concerns that congress would impose(强制实行)a legislative solution. Nevertheless，many local residents want to retain the existing character of the area. Meetings between park officials and landowners have led to a dramatically improved understanding of all concerns.
1. Why are the private lands surrounding Glacier National Park so important?| A．They are heavily populated. |
| B．They function as a hunting preserve. |
| C．They are restricted to government use. |
| D．They contain natural habitats of several threatened species. |
| A．indifferent | B．favourable | C．cooperative | D．disappointing |
| A．limit land development around the park |
| B．establish a new park in Montana |
| C．influence national legislation |
| D．settle border disputes with Canada |
| A．The endangered species in Glacier National Park. |
| B．The protection of lands surrounding Glacier National Park. |
| C．Conservation laws imposed by the state of Montana. |
| D．Conservation laws imposed by Congress. |
【推荐3】Slowness has been a sweeping trend in sustainability. Slow food celebrates local produce and traditional cooking methods; slow fashion is made with a focus on people and the planet. You may have even heard of the slow city, a campaign to restore local cultures and turn cities back to their natural environments.
Slow design developed from the larger slow movement. Although the term was only recently introduced, the idea of thoughtful design looks back to a time when buildings and furniture were made with great craftsmanship (手艺) and by hand-before the mass-produced throwaway furniture took over. You can think of the term “slow” as a celebration of timelessness: both the timelessness of a piece and the timelessness of the relationship between that piece and its owner.
One example of slow design today is what’s been dubbed the brown furniture revival (复兴). Brown furniture refers to the heavy wooden furnishings that were popular in your grandparents’ day but suddenly fell out of style at the turn of the century. Brown furniture is often associated with dark woods, such as trees like mahogany, walnut, and teak, that take decades to reach maturity and true craftsmanship to transform into functional pieces.
Today’s furniture industry is dominated by the $13.1 billion-and-growing global ready-to-assemble(RTA) furniture market. RTA furniture is usually constructed from low-quality fiberboard, which lasts a small part of traditional furniture’s lifespan (寿命).The weight of furniture landfilled in 2018 was 9. 7 million tons, 4. 5 times what was landfilled in 1960.
In a less direct way, the idea of timelessness also lends itself to a lower environmental impact. Besides their demonstrated physical durability, slow materials and design are meant to outlive trends and never be thrown out simply because they’re out of style.
As second-hand shopping becomes more appealing to today’s young generation-because of its low environmental impact and affordability-the brown furniture of yesteryear is making a comeback.
1. Why is the first paragraph written?| A．To explain a new term. |
| B．To present the topic of the text. |
| C．To provide background information. |
| D．To highlight the importance of slowness. |
| A．Known as. |
| B．Mistaken for. |
| C．Compared to. |
| D．Connected with. |
| A．It is out of date. |
| B．It has a long lifespan. |
| C．It is heavy and expensive. |
| D．It has bad effects on the environment. |
| A．Grandparents are buying new furniture. |
| B．The brown furniture will soon be mass-produced. |
| C．The young generation favors second-hand shopping. |
| D．Materials for slow design furniture are more available. |
【推荐1】Michael Yellow-lees set off to complete a 5,000-mile walk across Canada in the spring of 2021, wearing a kilt(短褶裙)and carrying a few items in a handcart, including a guitar. The 32-year-old musician from Dunked, Scotland, walked from the shores of the Pacific Occam to the cast coast of Newfoundland on the edge of the North Atlantic with his pet dog, Luna, an Alaskan husky, by his side.
Speaking about the Scottish Highlands, Mr.Yellow-lees said,“It is a beautiful landscape, but with a strong sense of sadness because of the absence of woodland,wildlife and people. So I decided to walk across the great wildernesses of Canada to raise funds for Trees for Life, a Scottish rewinding charity, and its work to restore(恢复)Scotland’s Caledonian Forest.”
The enthusiastic walker shared some of his experiences, including meeting black bears and hearing wolves cry loudly at night. He also mentioned a moment when he lost Luna after she jumped out of a little boat during a trip in the waterway section of the Trans Canada Trail in Nor-them Ontario.
Yet Mr Yellow-lees was deeply touched by the warmth of the people along the way. In every town and village,people offered him food, shelter and donations. And he was accompanied into towns and cities by marching pipe bands and interviewed by newspapers, the radio and TV.
Steve Mickie wright,chief executive officer of Trees for Life,said, “We followed Michael’s journey across Canada with respect and admiration. Restoring native habitats and wildlife to the Highlands is a big task that no one can do alone. But Michael’s extraordinary journey is proof that an individual can really make a difference.”
Bob Davidson, one of Michael Yellow-lees’ friends, said, “This is not a slow walk in the park, but a long march with heavy equipment on the rough road at an incredible pace. He’s an amazing guy.”
1. What do we know about Scottish Highlands from the passage?| A．It is located in the east coast of Britain. |
| B．It is a beautiful landscape but full of sorrows. |
| C．It may be once the site of extensive forests. |
| D．It is closely related to a charity in Canada |
| A．involved great excitement and fun |
| B．was a challenging experience |
| C．was troubled by his companion Luna |
| D．once made him regret his decision |
| A．Neutral | B．Supportive | C．Doubtful | D．Indifferent |
| A．We need to respect those who protect the environment. |
| B．It is not wise to take a long journey alone in the wild. |
| C．Ordinary people who aim high can work wonders. |
| D．People needs great survival skills in daily life. |
On the outside was a dark-skinned young man in his early twenties．His expressive brown eyes met and held mine, and in the next instant a beautiful, bright smile covered his face．I gave in immediately．The power of that broad smile dissolved all bitterness within me, and I felt the muscles in my own face happily responding．
“Beautiful day, isn’t it?” I remarked, in passing．Then I turned back． “I really owe you a debt of thanks,” I said softly．
His smile deepened, but he made no attempt to answer．A Mexican woman and two men were standing nearby．The woman stepped forward and volunteered, “Sir, but he doesn't speak English．Do you want me to tell him something?” In that moment I felt transformed．The young man's smile had made a big person of me．My friendliness and good will toward all mankind stand ten feet tall．
“Yes,” my reply was enthusiastic and sincere, “tell him I said, ‘Thank you’!”
“Thank you?” The woman seemed slightly puzzled．
I gave her arm a friendly pat as I turned to leave． “Just tell him that,” I insisted. “He'll understand．I am sure!”.
Oh, what a smile can do! Although I have never seen that young man again, I shall never forget the lesson he taught me that morning．From that day on, I became smile-conscious, and I practice the art diligently anywhere and everywhere, with everybody．
1. Why did the author leave the store angrily?
| A．He couldn't buy what he wanted. |
| B．The clerk treated him unkindly. |
| C．The clerk didn't speak English. |
| D．The store's goods were too dear. |
| A．he smiled back at the young man |
| B．he did not want to smile |
| C．he would thank the young man |
| D．he was still in a bad mood |
| A．had helped the author before |
| B．taught the author how to smile |
| C．taught the author a valuable lesson |
| D．was a kind employee of the store |
| A．be generous to strangers |
| B．practice smiling every day |
| C．help people in trouble |
| D．smile at other people |
【推荐3】Aunt Fannie was Blueberry Jam Woman of course she wasn't really my aunt and out of fear, I never cl hat to her face The name always made my father chuckle (轻笑) and my mother look seriously at both of us -at me for being disrespectful, and at my father for encouraging my bad behavior. I enjoyed both reactions, so I looked for every opportunity to work for the name into conversation.
As a young woman, my mother had worked in the kitchen of a large Victorian farm house owned by Fannie Catty Fannie was the last of the Cratty line; she had never married, and had no living heirs (继承人). My father once told me that it was because she was too mean to share her family wealth or pass it on. Aunt Fannie was noted for her jam, and for never sharing the recipe (食谱) with another living soul. Even though my mother knew it by hear, as long as Aunt Fannie was alive, she never made the jam without Miss Cratty in our kitchen to direct the process and preserve the secret.
One year, after I had been particularly helpful with the jam-making process. Aunt Fannie gave me a quarter and then made me promise I would never spend it. “Hold onto this quarter,” she said, “and some day you will be rich. I still have my first very quarter.” It had obviously worked for her, so I put that 1938 quarter in a small box, put it in my dresser drawer, and waited to become rich.
I now have the blueberry-jam recipe and the quarter from Aunt Fannie. Neither has significantly contributed to my wealth, but I keep them to remind myself to hold onto the valuable things in life. Money can make you feel rich for a while, but it is your relationships, and your memories of time spent with friends and family that truly leave you wealthy. And that is a fortune that anyone can build.
1. What can we infer from "fear" mentioned in the first paragraph?| A．It was too difficult for the author to learn to make jam. |
| B．The author hesitated to talk with Aunt Fannie because of shyness. |
| C．The author knew it was impolite to call Aunt Fannie Blueberry Jam Woman. |
| D．Aunt Fannie was too strict and serious to get along well with the author's family. |
| A．Aunt Fannie was willing to share her recipe. |
| B．The author often helped Aunt Fannie make jam. |
| C．The author's mother always made the jam alone. |
| D．The author's mother knew how to make the jam. |
| A．Respectful. | B．Disappointed. |
| C．Dependable. | D．Frightened. |
| A．Not to put a price on generosity. |
| B．To put ourselves into others' shoes. |
| C．Not to think of kindness as a burden. |
| D．To cherish time with family and friends. |
