The Australian Koala Foundation says Australia has lost about 30 percent of its koalas over the past three years. The non-profit (非营利) group says droughts (干旱), wildfires and development projects played a part in the drop in the koala population. They are strongly advising the government to do more to protect the animal’s environment.
The group guesses the koala population has dropped to less than 58,000 now from more than 80,000 in 2018. The biggest decrease is in the state of New South Wales, where the number of koalas has dropped by 41 percent. Deborah Tabart, leader of the Australian Koala Foundation, called the drop “quite dramatic”. Only one area in the study is thought to have more than 5,000 koalas. Some areas are believed to have as few as five or ten.
Tabart said the country needs a koala protection law. She added, “What we worry about is places like western New South Wales where droughts have lasted for over ten years. Now, the effect is beginning to show up—river systems completely dry and red gum trees (红桉树), which are the lifeblood of koalas, are dead.”
The loss in New South Wales likely sped up after large forest areas were destroyed (毁坏) by wildfires in late 2019 and early 2020. Some of those areas already had no koalas. Land clearing by building developers and road builders has also destroyed the koala’s environment.
“I think everyone gets it, and we’ve got to change. But if those building-machines keep working, then I really fear for the koalas,” Tabart said.
1. What did the group advise the government to do?| A．Save koalas from dying out. |
| B．Stop all development projects. |
| C．Put out the wildfire immediately. |
| D．Provide enough water for koalas. |
| A．Exciting. | B．Surprising. | C．Relaxing. | D．Interesting. |
| A．By listing numbers. | B．By giving examples. |
| C．By asking questions. | D．By analyzing facts. |
| A．New South Wales is the only place they care about. |
| B．The rivers and red gum trees are influenced by the koalas. |
| C．Australia needs to make a law to protect the koalas. |
| D．Everyone understands that building-machines should stop working. |
| A．Some are hunting koalas in Australia. |
| B．Koalas in Australia are in great danger. |
| C．Development has put koalas in danger. |
| D．Everyone should take actions to protect Koalas. |
相似题推荐
| A. Chihuahuas | This little dog needs its master’s attention. Maybe you need their company (陪伴), too. Besides, these masters are more likely to be smart and creative. |
| B. German Shepherds | This dog has a brave and strong personality. Energetic and outgoing people like them most. |
| C. Bulldog | Bulldogs are gentle and love to just relax. People with bulldogs come out on top for being conscientious (认真的). Just don’t forget about yourself when you’re always caring for others. |
| D. Poodle | These dogs are beautiful and very smart. People with poodles enjoy the challenge of keeping up with their dogs and are ready for any exciting activity. |
1. What can we know about chihuahuas from the chart?
| A．They don’t need their masters’ attention. |
| B．Their masters may also need their company. |
| C．They are more likely to be smart and creative. |
| A．German Shepherds are the top choice for energetic and outgoing people. |
| B．People with German Shepherds come out on top for being conscientious. |
| C．People with poodles enjoy the challenge of keeping up with their cats. |
| A．In a novel. | B．In a notice. | C．In a magazine. |
【推荐2】Last year, a group of elephants made a decision（决定）: go north! After months of traveling, they made it 500 kilometers away from their home in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan. And it seems that they are not going to stop their trip anytime soon.
“Asian elephants often stay in one place. We seldom see them travel such a long way,”said Chen Mingyong, a teacher at Yunnan University.
Scientists are still not sure why they are doing this. Some believe it’s because they are looking for better food. According to Zhao Huaidong from the International Fund for Animal Welfare, the number of Asian elephants is going up because of human protection efforts（努力）. So their old homes may not have enough food for them. At the same time, the crops（庄稼）, vegetables and fruit that people grow also make elephants more interested.
Another reason（原因）, according to Chen, is that they have lost their way.
1. Where does the group of elephants come from?| A．Guangxi. | B．Yunnan. | C．Sichuan. | D．Fujian. |
| A．reporter | B．traveller | C．teacher | D．scientist |
| A．they are looking for better food | B．they like vegetables and fruit |
| C．humans are protecting the elephants | D．the number of Asian elephants is falling |
| A．Humans. | B．Crops. | C．Travel. | D．Home. |
【推荐3】Josh lived in a small town in Italy. He had a little white pig. Every day he tied it to a tree in the morning. One day, the pig was missing. “Someone stole my pig”, said Josh. Josh was angry. He told himself he must find the thief (贼). He knew it would not be difficult because the town was very small. Then, someone told him that his neighbour, Richard, suddenly got a new pig. He went to Richard’s house.
“Richard, the pig is my pig. You had better return it to me. If you don’t, I’ll call the police,” Josh said. “That’s going a bit too far! I just bought one. And, you see, my pig is black,” said Richard, pointing at a black pig under a tree. “Richard, I’m sorry. This is not my pig. My pig is white.”
As they were talking, it started to rain. Josh was shocked! The rain was washing it into white! The little black pig was almost white.
1. What colour is Josh’s pig?| A．White. | B．Black and white. | C．Black. | D．Brown. |
| A．Because there was only one pig in the town. |
| B．Because the police would help him. |
| C．Because the thief left some clues (线索). |
| D．Because the town was very small. |
| A．A Small Town. | B．A Poor Man. |
| C．A Kind Neighbour. | D．A “Black” Pig. |
【推荐1】Traditional Chinese Festivals
Yuanxiao, the Lantern Festival, is on the 15th day of the first month in the Chinese calendar. People watch lanterns and eat sweet dumplings.
Qingming, the Tomb Sweeping Day, is around April 5. People go to the graves (墓) in memory of (纪念) the dead.
Duanwu, the Dragon Boat Festival, is on the fifth day of the fifth month in the Chinese calendar. People eat rice dumplings and have dragon boat races in memory of the poet Qu Yuan.
Qixi, the Night of Sevens, is on the seventh day of the seventh month in the Chinese calendar. It’s the Chinese version (版本) of Valentine’s Day.
Zhongqiu, the Mid-Autumn Festival, is on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Chinese calendar. Families enjoy mooncakes and tell the story of Chang’e.
Chongyang, the Double Ninth Festival, is on the ninth day of the ninth month in the Chinese calendar. It’s the date to pay respect (尊敬) to the old.
1. The Mid-Autumn Festival is ________ in the Chinese calendar.| A．on August 15th | B．on July 7th |
| C．on January 15th | D．on May 15th |
| A．dumplings | B．mooncakes |
| C．rice dumplings | D．sweet dumplings |
| A．the Lantern Festival | B．the Night of Sevens |
| C．the Spring Festival | D．the TombSweeping Day |
| A．Qu Yuan | B．the elderly | C．Chang’e | D．the dead |
| A．watch lanterns | B．pay respect to old people |
| C．visit their relatives | D．get together to tell stories |
【推荐2】Every month, there are different kinds of activities in our school. We are excited about them. Here are three of them.
There is a football game on October 12th at our school. Playing football is a good way for children to relax themselves. Almost kids of all ages like it very much. All the boys and girls can join in the games. But they must work together if they want to win the game.
We have an English speech contest (演讲比赛) on November 27th. This is a good opportunity (机会) to practice speaking. My sister Rose wants to join in the contest, so she gets up early and keeps practicing English with her friend every morning.
On December 8th, students have a school market to sell their old things and give the money to the Children’s Home. We can bring some useful and interesting books, some old clothes, some toys there. And then we go to the Children’s Home. We sometimes teach children to sing and paint.
These activities are wonderful and interesting. We students all like them very much.
1. When is the football game?| A．On November 27th. | B．On October 12th. |
| C．On December 8th. | D．On December l0th. |
| A．To buy some old books. |
| B．To buy some toys. |
| C．To teach children to sing and paint. |
| D．To help the children at the Children’s Home. |
| A．In a film magazine. | B．In a school magazine. |
| C．In a history book. | D．In a health magazine. |
【推荐3】There are all kinds of clubs in our school, such as the music club, the sports club, the chess club and the swimming club…But do you know the homework club? It is a popular club in our school. More and more students spend their afternoons at homework clubs.
Middle school students need a quiet place to study. But games, computers and TVs are all around kids at home. So the homework club is just for them to do their homework. The club is quiet and it’s good for students to study. Some teachers are there, too. They can answer students’ questions and help with their homework. After the students finish their homework, they can go home. Then they can play games or watch TV happily.
1. The students in the middle school can go to the homework club ________.| A．in the morning | B．in the afternoon | C．at noon | D．at night |
| A．公共的 | B．特有的 | C．受欢迎的 | D．舒适的 |
| A．Learn to swim. | B．Play the guitar. |
| C．Watch TV. | D．Do their homework. |
| A．Yes, there are. | B．No, there aren’t. |
| C．There are some. | D．We don’t know. |
| A．Clubs in The Middle Schools | B．Students and Homework |
| C．Study and Hobbies | D．The Homework Club |
