【推荐1】The number of giraffes is becoming smaller across Africa, according to the Giraffe Conservation Foundation. The total population has dropped by 40 percent in the last 15 years. People care little about it. Surprisingly, even scientists haven't given much attention to giraffes. "We are learning more about their ecology, but what we know is still way behind what we know about other species. It's a silent extinction (濒临灭绝)", said Dr. Julian Hennessy, a wildlife scientist.

"The main reason for the smaller number of giraffes is their loss of living places," said Hennessy, "as an increasing part of land is used for farming. But hunting also has a big influence." You might wonder why hunters like giraffes. First of all, once a giraffe is brought down, there is lots of meat with a small amount of effort. Besides, there is another thing encouraging the hunting. In Tanzania, Hennessy says, the latest word on the street is that eating giraffe meat could cure AIDS. Fresh giraffe heads and bones can be sold at prices of up to $140 per piece.

Another widespread misconception about giraffes is that they are everywhere. Look at kids' books which are full of giraffes. They are always in zoo collections. They can be seen easily, so you don't think we have to worry about them. But the truth is that they are in danger of extinction. There is a lack of right and true data.

Hennessy and other researchers are now pulling together the data needed to improve the situation of the entire giraffe species. He hopes that the world will finally start to realize how endangered these beloved animals have become.

1. It can be inferred from the first Paragraph that.

A．giraffes are unpopular in Africa

B．the giraffe is always silent in daily life

C．Scientist don't want to learn the ecology of Africa.

D．the extinction occurs without enough attention

2. What has caused the high price of giraffe meat in Tanzania?

A．The country's custom.	B．The illegal international trade.
C．The fun of hunting a giraffe.	D．The idea that it's a cure for AIDS.

3. The underlined word "misconception" in Para. 3 is closest in meaning to________.

A．Protection

B．expression

C．misunderstanding

D．impression

4. The final purpose of Hennessy's great effort is to________.

A．collect more information about giraffes

B．raise public awareness of protecting giraffes

C．prove giraffe will disappear in the next few years

D．work with the International Union for Conservation of Nature

【推荐2】Farmed fish should have the same legal protection as other farmed animals, according to an animal welfare group. The Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation, which has Carrie Johnson as a supporter, says fish deserve to be treated with the same care as cows, pigs, sheep and other livestock because they experience stress and pain.

The foundation is focusing on improving fish welfare during slaughter (屠宰) because that is where the biggest differences in protection lie.

Slaughterhouses for land animals are required to have a vet on site and must have closed-circuit television in all areas where animals are handled, stunned and killed, with footage stored for independent inspection. Such legal requirements do not apply to fish slaughter facilities, which are not subject to routine welfare inspections by public bodies.

The UK industry, which rears up to 80 million fish a year, has instead adopted voluntary codes of practice. A report by the foundation cites evidence of abuses of fish revealed last year by The Times. A stunning machine at the firm’s plant at Arnish on the Isle of Lewis failed to make them unconscious and workers used their fingers to tear the gills (鳃) and struggled to keep up with the volume of fish wriggling on the unit. Fish were thrown and kicked as they struggled on the ground in 2020 at Test Valley Trout Farming in Hampshire, which supplied the Ritz and Harrods. Fish considered unprofitable were dropped on the floor and left to die. The company said the treatment of the fish was unacceptable and it operated under “the best industry standards available”.

The foundation’s report refers to the findings of the government’s Farm Animal Welfare committee, which said in a 2014 opinion on fish welfare that “at least some species, including trout, have a sensory experience of pain” as well as “a degree of sense”.

Studies have shown that fish feel pain and change their behaviour to avoid it. In one study, goldfish were given an electric shock in an area of a tank where they received food. They avoided that area for three days before hunger overcame their fear.

The foundation report states that the UK government is failing aquatic animals dismally and calls for unannounced welfare inspections of fish slaughterhouses and says they should be required to install closed-circuit television, with footage reviewed by public bodies.

1. What can we provide for the farmed fish?

A．Comfortable place.	B．Less pain.
C．Enough food.	D．Gentle love.

2. As for the situation of the farmed fish, the foundation is ______.

A．concerned	B．puzzled
C．surprised	D．scared

3. What’s the purpose of this article?

A．To encourage people to treat fish kindly.

B．To reveal the evidence of abuses of fish.

C．To appeal for the improvement of fish welfare.

D．To explain how fish experience pain during slaughter.

【推荐3】With the warmth of the sun on your skin and the sounds of the birds in the trees, stepping outside can help anyone feel instantly better. People who have been suffering from stress and sickness can spend quiet time in gardens. You may be surprised to learn that one of the best steps you can take to protect your health is to step outside and spend some time in the grass, dirt and water.

Our ancestors enjoyed the healing power of nature, and now scientists are starting to catch up, according to research in recent years, just having a view of nature has been shown to improve hospital patients’ recovery and reduce illness rates among office workers. Also, exposure to wildlife, horseback riding, hiking, camping and farms can be helpful for a variety of health conditions in adults and children.

Much of this type of research is focusing on children, and in fact an entire movement has quickly developed to connect kids with the healing power of nature.

Obesity (肥胖). Rates of childhood obesity have grown sharply in recent years, and this is partly because of reduced outdoor activity time. Increasing the time students spend learning about nature, both in and outside the classroom, would help solve this problem. Such lessons are often more attractive for students and often lead them to become more active outside.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (多动症). Exposure to ordinary natural settings in the course of common after-school and weekend activities may be effective in reducing attention deficit symptoms in children. According to a study, participation in green activities, such as nature walks, helped ADHD patients from a wide range of backgrounds to stay focused and complete tasks.

Stress. Access to nature, even house plants, can help children cope with stress.

Depression and seasonal emotional disorder. Major depression requires medical treatment, but physical activity, especially outdoors, can help ease symptoms. For your average case of winter blues, experts suggest spending time outside every day and, if possible, taking the family to a sunny vacation spot in mid-winter.

Experts emphasize that you needn’t go to wilderness preserves to enjoy nature’s benefit! Simply walking in a city park or growing in a rooftop garden can go a long way.

1. What can be inferred from the first paragraph?

A．Enjoying the sounds of birds makes people feel instantly better.

B．Modern people pay little attention to the benefit of stepping outside to their health.

C．Stepping outside is one of the best steps you can take to protect your health.

D．People suffering from stress and sickness can spend quiet time in gardens.

2. According to the passage, lessons about nature       .

A．should involve parents in them	B．should take place outdoors
C．are used widely at schools	D．are liked by students

3. Which of the following can take place of the underlined words “go a long way”?

A．walk a long way	B．go far away
C．make a difference	D．increase stress

4. Which is the best title of the passage?

A．Healing Power of Nature	B．Access to the Nature
C．Problems with Children	D．Solutions to Obesity

【推荐3】As warming continues, scientists warn the oxygen content of oceans across the planet could be more and more reduced, with serious consequences for the future of fish and other sea life.

    1    One is the simple fact that as water gets warmer, it can hold less dissolved (溶解的) oxygen. The other reason is less obvious. The entire ocean gets its oxygen from the surface — either from the atmosphere, or from photosynthesizing algae floating at the top of the sea.     2    

Global warming is expected to reduce the mixing of the ocean by making surface seawater lighter. That’s because in a warmer world we can expect more rainfall and more melting (融化) of glaciers, icebergs, and ice sheets.     3    The extra heat from the warming atmosphere will also make surface water expand and thus make it lighter still.     4    Instead, more of the oxygen will remain near the surface, where it will be used up by oxygen-breathing organisms.

A low-oxygen ocean may become an inescapable feature of our planet. A team of Danish researchers wondered how long oxygen levels would drop if we could somehow reduce our carbon dioxide emissions to zero by 2100. They determined that over the next few thousand years oxygen levels would continue to fall, until they declined by 30 percent. The oxygen would slowly return to the oceans, but even 100,000 years from now they will not have fully recovered.     5    

A．It’s not known why the oxygen level of oceans has reduced.

B．Scientists point to two reasons to expect a drop in ocean oxygen.

C．Fresh water’s inpouring will make the water at the ocean’s surface lighter.

D．The oxygen then spreads to the deep ocean as the surface water slowly sinks.

E．Global warming has caused the reduction of the oxygen content of oceans worldwide.

F．The light surface water will be less likely to sink so the deep ocean will get less oxygen.

G．If they are right, we have every reason to worry about the major effect it has on sea life.

【推荐1】Sit still. It's the rule of every classroom. But that is changing as evidence builds that taking brief activity breaks during the day helps children learn and be more attentive in class, and a   growing number of programs designed to promote movement are being adopted in schools. "We need to recognize that children are movement-based," said Brian Gatens, the superintendent of schools in Emerson, N.J." In schools, we sometimes are pushing against human nature in asking them to sit still and be quiet all the time.We fall into this trap that if kids are at their desks with their heads down and are silent and writing, we think they are learning," Mr. Gatens added. "But   what we have found is that the active time used to energize your brain makes all those still moments better, or more productive."

A 2013 report from the Institute of Medicine concluded that children who are more active show greater attention, have faster cognitive processing speed and perform better on standardized academic tests than children who are less active. And a study released in January by Lund University in Sweden shows that students, especially boys, who had daily physical education, did better in school.

＂Daily physical activity is an opportunity for the average school to become a high-performing school," said Jesper Fritz, a doctoral student at Lund University and physician at the Skane University Hospital in Malmo who was the study's lead author.

＂Activity helps the brain in so many ways," said James F.Sallis, a professor of family medicine and public health at the University of California, San Diego, who has done research on the association between activity breaks and classroom behavior."Activity stimulates more blood vessels in the brain to support more brain cells.And there is evidence that active kids do better on standardized tests and pay attention more in school." "Plus," he added," it makes kids want to come to school more-it's fun to do these activities."

But not all districts are embracing the trend of movement breaks. "The bottom line is that with only six and a half hours during the day, our priority is academics," said Tom Hernandez, the director of community relations for the Plainfield School District in Illinois, about 40 miles southwest of Chicago. He said that under state law, the schools provide daily physical education classes and that teachers in the district find ways to give students time during the day to refresh and recharge.

＂Kids aren't meant to sit still all day and take in information," said Steve Boyle, one of the co-founders of the National Association of Physical Literacy, which aims to bring movement into schools." Adults aren't either."

1. Brain Gatens is likely to agree that

A．all of the students should sit still

B．sitting still often means studying well

C．being quite is actually human nature

D．always sitting doesn't have good effects

2. According to Jesper Fritz, we can infer that _____

A．activity helps the brain in only one way

B．activities can make children physically and mentally healthy

C．activities have nothing to do with children's academic performances

D．Daily activity is a chance for the average school to become a high one

3. According to James F. Sallis, the reasons why activities make students clever is that _____

A．they stimulate more blood vessels in the body

B．they activate all the brain cells but are tough on bodies

C．they give children fun and motivate all the brains to work

D．they give students time during the day to refresh and recharge

4. Which column are you likely to read the passage in the newspaper?

A．Discovery

B．Sports

C．Education

D．Science

【推荐2】If English means endless new words, difficult grammar and sometimes strange pronunciation, you are wrong. Haven't you noticed that you have become smarter since you started to learn a language?
According to a new study by a British university, learning a second language can lead to an increase in your brain power. Researchers found that learning other languages changes grey matter. This is the area of the brain which processes information.             It is similar to the way that exercise builds muscles.
The study also found the effect is greater, the younger people learn a second language.
A team led by Dr Andrea Mechelli, from University College London, took a group of Britons who only spoke English. They were compared with a group of "early bilinguals" who had learnt a second language before the age of five, as well as a number of later learners.
Scans showed that grey matter density (密度) in the brain was greater in bilinguals than in people without a second language. But the longer a person waited before mastering a new language, the smaller the difference.
"Our findings suggest that the structure of the brain is changed by the experience of learning a second language," said the scientists.
It means that the change itself increases the ability to learn.
Professor Dylan Vaughan Jones of the University of Wales, has researched the link between bilingualism and maths skills. "Having two languages gives you two windows on the world and makes the brain more flexible (灵活的),"he said. "You are actually going             beyond language and have a better understanding of different ideas."
The findings were matched in a study of native Italian speakers who had learned English as a second language between the ages of two and 34. Reading, writing, and comprehension were all tested. The results showed that the younger they started to learn,             the better. "Studying a language means you get an entrance to another world," explained the scientists.
1. The main subject talked about in this passage is ______.

A．science on learning a second language

B．man’s ability of learning a second language

C．1anguage can help brain power

D．1anguage learning and maths study

2. In the second paragraph, the writer mentions “exercise” in order to ______.

A．say language is also a kind of physical labor

B．prove that one needs more practice when he (she) is learning a language

C．to show the importance of using the language when you learn the language

D．make people believe language learning helps grey matter work well

3. We may know from the scientific findings that ______.

A．the earlier you start to learn a second language, the higher the grey matter density is

B．there is no difference between a later second language learner and one who doesn't know a second language

C．the experience of learning a second language has bad effect on people's brain

D．the ability of learning a second language is changing all the time

4. The underlined word “bilinguals'’ probably means ______.

A．a researcher on language learning

B．a person who is good at learning foreign languages

C．a person who can speak two languages

D．an active language learner

【推荐3】One recent night， while I was leafing through its pages of an old journal， my eyes met a quote by the British writer Graham Greene that I had marked， “A prejudice had something in common with an ideal.”In other words， ideals—general descriptions of people's expectations of themselves and others—can often lead us to unreasonable ideas.It got me thinking about how we often allow ourselves to generalize about groups of people.We like to stereotype people by the color of their skin， the year of their birth or any other related factors.

I grew up in a multi-racial corner of America.The different groups were often subject to narrow stereotypes：Jewish people were“greedy”， Mexicans were“poorly educated”， and Asians were“good at math”.These labels were taught to us from a young age.They wormed their way into our belief systems， harming how we came to see others.It made me sad growing up to see people repeat these stereotypes as if they were true.The rush-to judgment of people breeds a culture of discrimination.

You can also see these over-generalized descriptions being made against today's Chinese people.Whether it be a lack of interest or worry among mile millennial being described as “monkish”， or“dad-fashion”which has given the“greasy middle-aged men”tag.stereotypes always seem to gain a foothold in the consciousness of our society.But these generalizations do real harm as these myths may become part of the wider population.

It's about time that we， as a society， walked away from generalizations and stereotypes.I leave you with the words of Martin Luther King Jr.from his famous“I Have a Dream”speech：“T look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin， but by the content of their character.”By reserving judgment and really getting to know the individual you might just find your irrational ideas have no foundation.

1. According to the passage， how do people tend to judge others?

A．By describing people's personalities.

B．By truly getting to know those around.

C．By observing their noticeable features.

D．By following Martin Luther King's speech.

2. Examples of“millennial”and dad-fashion”are mentioned in Paragraph 3   to reveal             .

A．generalizations have unfavorable position in society

B．generalizations have a negative influence on our society

C．generalizations are found peculiar to the middle-age Chinese

D．generalizations make today's Chinese people lack interest or worry

3. The passage is mainly concerned with        .

A．the common prejudice

B．people's expectation of themselves

C．the groundless worries

D．the famous speech of Martin Luther King Jr.

【推荐1】A new study says one part of the human brain may become smaller as the result of a condition known as jet lag which results from flying long distances in an airplane. People with jet lag feel extremely tired for several days. They may also have problems in thinking clearly and remembering.

Recently a researcher at the University of Bristol in Britain reported the findings of his jet lag study, which involved twenty women who worked for international airlines. They had served passengers on airplanes for five years. These flight attendants flew across many countries and at least seven time zones. In the study, the flight attendants had different amounts of time to recover from jet lag. Half the women spent five days or fewer in their home areas between long flights. The other half spent more than fourteen days in their home areas.

The researcher took some saliva from the women’s mouths to measure levels of a hormone (荷尔蒙) that increases during stress. He tested them to see if they could remember where black spots appeared on a computer screen. And he took pictures of their brains to measure the size of the brain’s temporal lobes (脑叶).

It was found that the women who had less time between flights had smaller right temporal lobes. This area of the brain deals with recognizing and remembering what is seen. The same group performed worse and had slower reaction times on the visual memory test. And their saliva samples showed higher levels of stress hormones.

The researcher believes the brain needs at least ten days to recover after a long trip. He says airline workers told him their ability to remember got worse after working on planes for about four years. Other studies have shown that increased feelings of stress can cause a loss of cells in the part of the brain that controls memory.

Scientists say more tests are needed to study the effects of jet lag on the brain. They want to find out if too much jet lag could permanently affect memory.

1. What causes jet lag according to the passage?

A．Having a long trip.	B．Flying across many countries.
C．Making lengthy flight journeys.	D．Traveling across several time zones.

2. What are the second and third paragraphs about?

A．The process of the study.	B．The result of the study.
C．The meaning of the study.	D．The preparation of the study.

3. What did the researcher find about his jet lag study?

A．The women who have longer flights fail the memory test.

B．The women who have longer rest at home show better memory.

C．The women who rest more than 14 days produce more hormones.

D．The women who have less time in flight have smaller right temporal lobes.

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A．Solution to Jet Lag	B．Influences of Jet Lag on the Brain
C．Jet Lag PermanentlyAffects Memory	D．FlightAttendants’BrainsAre in Danger

【推荐2】"Did you hear what happened to Adam last Friday?" Lindsey whispers to Tori.

With her eyes shining, Tori brags, "You bet I did, Sean told me two days ago."

Who are Lindsey and Tori talking about? It just happened to be yours truly, Adam Freedman, I can tell you that what they are saying is （a） not nice and （b） not even true. Still, Lindsey and Tori aren't very different from most students here at Linton High School, including me. Many of our conversations are gossip （闲话）.I have noticed three effects of gossip: it can hurt people, it can give gossipers a strange kind of satisfaction, and it can cause social pressures in a group.

An important negative effect of gossip is that it can hurt the person being talked about. Usually, gossip spreads information about a topic—breakups, trouble at home, even dropping out—that a person would rather keep secret. The more embarrassing or shameful the secret is, the juicier the gossip it makes. Probably the worst type of gossip is the absolute lie. People often think of gossipers as harmless, but cruel lies can cause pain.

If we know that gossip can be harmful, then why do so many of us do it? The answer lies in another effect of gossip: the satisfaction it gives us. Sharing the latest rumor （传言）can make a person feel important because he or she knows something that others don't. Similarly, hearing the latest rumor can make a person feel like part of the "in group". In other words, gossip is satisfying because it gives people a sense of belonging or even superiority （优越感）.

Gossip also can have a third effect: it strengthens unwritten, unspoken rules about how people should act. Professor David Wilson explains that gossip is important in policing behaviors in a group. Translated into high school terms, this means that if everybody you hang around with is laughing at what John wore or what Jane said, then you can bet that wearing or saying something similar will get you the same kind of negative attention. The do's and don'ts conveyed through gossip will never show up in any student handbook.

The effects of gossip vary depending on the situation. The next time you feel the urge to spread the latest news, think about why you want to gossip and what effects your "juicy story" might have.

1. The author uses a conversation at the beginning of the passage to _________.

A．introduce a topic	B．present an argument
C．describe the characters	D．clarify his writing purpose

2. An important negative effect of gossip is that it ___________.

A．breaks up relationships	B．embarrasses the listener
C．spreads information around	D．causes unpleasant experiences

3. Professor David Wilson thinks that gossip can ____________.

A．provide students with written rules

B．help people watch their own behaviors

C．force school to improve student handbooks

D．attract the police's attention to group behaviors

4. What advice does the author give in the passage?

A．Never become a gossiper	B．Stay away from gossipers
C．Don't let gossip turn into lies	D．Think twice before you gossip

【推荐3】Living in an urban area with green spaces has a long-lasting positive impact on people’s mental well-being, a study has suggested. UK researchers found moving to a green space had a sustained positive effect, unlike pay rises or promotions, which only provided a short-term boost.

Co-author Mathew White, from the University of Exeter, UK, explained that the study showed people living in greener urban areas were displaying fewer signs of depression or anxiety. “There could be a number of reason,” he said, “for example, people do many things to make themselves happier: they strive of promotion or pay rises, or they get married. But the trouble with those thins is that with those things is that within six months to a year, people are back to their original baseline levels of well-being. So, these things are not sustainable; they don’t make us happy in the long term. We found that for some lottery winners who had won more than ￡500,000 the positive effect was definitely there, but after six months to a year, they were back to the baseline.”

Dr. White said his team wanted to see whether living in greener urban areas had a lasting positive effect on people’s sense of well-being or whether the effect also disappeared after a period of time. To do this, the team used data from the British Household Panel Survey compiled by the University of Essex.

Explaining what the data revealed, he said: “What you see is that even after three years, mental health is still better, which is unlike many other things that we think will make us happy.” He observed that people living in green spaces were less stressed, and less stressed people made more sensible decisions and communicated better.

With a growing body of evidence establishing a link between urban green spaces and a positive impact on human well-being, Dr. White said, “There’s growing interest among public policy officials, but the trouble is who funds it. What we really need at a policy level is to decide where the money will come from to help support good quality local green spaces.”

1. According to one study, what do green spaces do to people?

A．Improve their work efficiency.

B．Add to their sustained happiness.

C．Help them build a positive attitude towards life.

D．Lessen their concerns about material well-being.

2. What does Dr. White try to find out about living in a greener urban area?

A．How it affects different people.

B．How strong its positive effect is.

C．How long its positive effect lasts.

D．How it benefits people physically.

3. What did Dr. White’s research reveal about people living in a green environment?

A．Their stress was more apparent than real.

B．Their decisions required less deliberation.

C．Their memories were greatly strengthened.

D．Their communication with others improved.

4. According to Dr. White, what should the government do to build more green spaces in cities?

A．Find financial support.

B．Improve urban planning.

C．Involve local residents in the effort.

D．Raise public awareness of the issue.