The ocean is not a quiet place. This is partly caused by sea animals. They use sound to find what they eat, whom they play with, or which place they move towards. But noise from human activities is increasingly troubling the lives of ocean animals.
According to scientists, loud noise may increase mass strandings (大规模搁浅)of sea animals. Researchers recorded only five of these events in the first half of the 20th century. From 1950 to 2004, they recorded more than 1,200 mass strandings. This is perhaps because of the use of sonar (声呐) underwater. Another main reason of loud underwater noise is pile driving (打桩). Piles are supports for bridges, oil and gas producing areas. They’re driven deep into the floor of the ocean. Driving in a single pile can take several hours and as many as 5,000 hits. This process creates a lot of noise.
To restrain (抑制) that noise, some companies are making use of tiny bubbles (气泡). A single bubble is easily broken. However, the bubble wall can make pile driving quieter. The bubble wall is usually created in this way: A tube (管) is placed in a ring around a pile. Air is then let out through closely spaced openings on the tube. When the bubbles rise, they act as walls and take in some of the noise. Some more of the sound comes back and becomes stuck inside the wall. Such bubble walls are really helpful.
Other changes to pile driving can help as well. For example, people can take breaks in pile driving and let animals travel through.
Our noise in the ocean is causing big problems. But small changes in our behavior can make a big difference to animals’ lives in the world’s oceans.
1. What is troubling the lives of ocean animals according to the text?| A．The gas produced in the sea. | B．The food polluted by humans. |
| C．The noise from human activities. | D．The bubble walls made by some companies. |
| A．①② | B．③④ | C．①③ | D．②④ |
| A．Culture. | B．Health. | C．Education. | D．Nature. |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
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【推荐1】①It’s the tallest peak (峰) on earth (地球). Here, you can see snowy mountains shining under the blue sky. You can take a breath of the freshest air. Welcome to Qomolangma!
② The top of the earth
The name Qomolangma means mother of the earth. It’s also called Mount Everest in the West. It stands on the border between Nepal and China. Qomolangma is part of the Himalaya Mountains. It’s about 8844 meters tall, as high as airplanes can fly.
③ Climbing Qomolangma
Every September and October, hundreds of climbers from all over the world come here. They wear warm clothes, sunglasses, tents and get together in groups.
④ How’s the Weather?
It’s always very cold and windy here. There is snow everywhere. The wind blows all year long. In winter the lowest temperature (温度) can be -60℃.
⑤Yaks
It’s very cold, and there is very little oxygen here. Not many animals can live. Yaks may be the only kind of animals you can find here. Yaks have long hair to keep them warm. They are very strong and able to keep their feet on narrow ways. People keep them for milk, meat and riding. They call yaks “the ships of the highland”.
1. Which is the right picture of Qomolangma?A． | B． | C． | D． |
| A．①②/③④⑤ | B．①②③/④/⑤ | C．①/②③④⑤ | D．①/②/③④⑤ |
| A．It’s windy in spring, summer, fall and winter in Qomolangma. |
| B．Qomolangma is much bigger than the Himalaya Mountains. |
| C．September is the best time for climbers to climb Qomolangma. |
| D．Yaks are the only kind of animals living in this highland. |
| A．In a storybook. | B．In a weather report. | C．In a tourist book. | D．In a traffic report. |
【推荐2】Do you remember where you were when you heard about a traffic accident involving a close friend? The answer is probably yes. Do you remember what you were doing on your birthday that year? You may have to think a little harder.
People remember bad memories more easily and in greater detail than good ones. Why is that? A new study found that people do this because of evolutionary (进化的) reasons.
Elizabeth Kensinger and her partners at Boston College, US, did a study looking at this. They found negative feelings like fear and sadness cause an increase in brain activity. This activity happens in the part of the brain that controls memories. So memories caused by negative feelings are kept in greater detail than other kinds of memories.
For example, after seeing a man on a street holding a knife, people remember the knife clearly, but they forget the details of the street.
According to Kensinger, it is easy to understand this from an evolutionary point of view. She said that people pay attention to dangerous information so they can use that information to guide their actions and save their lives. They can also use it to plan for similar events in the future.
The scientists say more studies are needed on how we remember bad memories. This line of research could help solve stress disorders.
1. According to the passage, good memories are remembered _________ than bad ones.| A．more in detail | B．shorter | C．longer | D．more easily |
| A．简单的 | B．负面的 | C．难忘的 | D．相似的 |
| A．she is probably under great pressure |
| B．she can control her memories well |
| C．she will forget this in a short time |
| D．her brain activity will increase |
| A．People pay more attention to dangerous information. |
| B．People can learn from bad memories. |
| C．People can plan for similar events in the future. |
| D．People have the ability to save themselves from danger. |
| A．Brain activity controls memories. |
| B．How we remember bad memories. |
| C．Bad memories are easier to remember. |
| D．Bad memories can cause stress disorders. |
【推荐3】People often say, “You can’t live only on air.” But Chinese scientists can now tell you: Maybe you can.
Scientists from Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have made great progress. They have changed carbon dioxide, the “infamous” greenhouse gas, into starch (淀粉).
Starch is the main part of the flour, rice and corn that we eat every day. It’s created by plants through photosynthesis (光合作用). But according to the team’s director Ma Yanhe, plants do this in a complex (复杂的) and inefficient (低效的) way, which takes about 60 steps. The new study, after six years of hard work, has found a simpler way to do this, with only 11 steps.
“Our study shows that creating complex compounds (化合物) like starch is possible in a lab, and there are many areas that can benefit (受益) from this technology,” Ma told China Daily.
The scientists first turned CO2 and H2 gas into methanol (甲醇). Then they pieced (组合) these methanol molecules (分子) into bigger and more complex molecules. Finally the starch came out.
This method makes it possible to produce food in factories, instead of traditional farming. This will not only help make plenty of starchy crops (农作物) such as potatoes, but also save water, fertilizer (肥料) and land. It may also help recycle CO2 to deal with climate change, according to China Daily.
The study can benefit space exploration too. Astronauts no longer need to worry about their food as they travel in space. They may simply turn the CO2 they breathe into the food they eat!
1. What is starch?| A．Carbon dioxide. | B．Flour, rice and corn. |
| C．The main part of rice. | D．Methanol. |
| A．6. | B．11. | C．24. | D．60. |
①Created by plants through photosynthesis.
②Changed CO2 and H2 gas into methanol.
③Turn the CO2 human beings breathe into the food.
④Pieced the methanol molecules into bigger and more complex molecules.
| A．①② | B．②③ | C．③④ | D．②④ |
| A．space exploration | B．farming | C．photosynthesis | D．climate change |
| A．Astronauts still need to worry about their food as they travel in space. |
| B．It’s possible to produce food without traditional farming. |
| C．It must take 60 steps to create starch. |
| D．We can’t live only on air. |
【推荐1】A study said that an 11-minute fast walk every day could prevent (阻止) one-tenth deaths. Sports can raise the heart rate (比率) and make people breathe faster, but not too fast to speak. Fast walking, dancing, riding a bike, playing tennis and hiking are all good choices.
The study mainly studied people who had done at least 150 minutes of exercise every week, or 22 minutes every day. People who had done 150 minutes of sports every week had a 31% lower risk of death, and a 15% lower risk of dying from cancer (癌症). Besides, an 11-minute activity every day also meant a 23% lower risk of early death. Doing sports for 75 minutes every week was also enough to reduce (减少) the risk of developing cancer by 7%.
Dr. Leandro Garcia said that activities did not just mean what people usually thought of as exercise, such as sports or running. “Sometimes, we only need to break some habits. For example, try to walk or ride a bike to your work or study place instead of using a car, or play with your kids,” he said.
1. An 11-minute brisk walk every day could prevent ________ deaths worldwide.| A．1 | B．10 | C．1/10 |
| A．Sports can raise the heart rate. |
| B．Sports can make people breathe slowly. |
| C．Riding a bike and hiking are good choices. |
| A．sadder | B．healthier | C．unhealthier |
| A．打破 | B．违反 | C．休息 |
| A．Walking. | B．Riding a bike. | C．Using a car. |
【推荐2】Thanks to the ancient Silk Road, the lands of Italy and China have been connected for more than 2,000 years. Tourists from China and every corner of the world come to visit Italy every year. Here are four famous cities of Italy.
| Rome is the birthplace of science, culture and of course, art in Europe. It is the perfect combination (结合) of the modern and the classical. When one walks around the city, one can see many museums. Of course, Rome is also regarded as the fashion (时尚) centre of the world now. The Rome Coliseum is today considered one wonder (奇迹) of the modern world. |
| Pisa is a small city. It is famous for the leaning tower of Pisa. If you think that Pisa has only one leaning tower, you may just be wrong. This city has three leaning towers. Home of the famous scientist Galilec, Pisa is also known for its universities because the city is home of some of the most important universities in Europe. |
| Florence is one of the most important provinces around Italy. Shopping here, you’ll find David, the most famous statue (雕像) of Michelangelo. If you are planning to spend a couple of days in Florence, you likely will not want to lose the opportunity to see and enjoy Arnolfo Tower, it will be open on Sunday and Monday from 9 to 6 p.m. (closed in case of rain). |
| Venice is a city over a hundred islands. You can visit most interesting places of the city by walks or by the famous gondolas. Art exhibitions, film festivals and famous carnival (狂欢节) make Venice a place that can be visited any time of the year. |
Rome Coliseum
Leaning Tower
gondolas1. According to the passage, ________ is regarded as a fashion center of the world now.
| A．Rome | B．Pisa | C．Florence |
| A．science | B．universities | C．museums |
| A．at 8 a.m. on Sunday | B．at 10 a.m. on Monday | C．at 9 p.m. on Saturday |
| A．Pisa has three leaning towers. |
| B．Every year, thousands of tourists all over the world come to visit Italy. |
| C．You can visit most interesting places of Venice by walks or by bus. |
| A．Italy and China. | B．The ancient Silk Road. | C．Four famous cities of Italy. |
【推荐3】Different cultures have different ideas about why people catch colds. For example, in the United States, some people think that you can catch a cold if your feet get cold. So, mothers tell small children to wear warm shoes in winter. In other places, including parts of the Middle East, some people believe that strong winds cause colds. So, on buses, people don’t like to sit next to windows. In parts of Europe, some people think that wearing wet clothes will give you a cold. They say that after you go swimming, you should quickly put on dry clothes. Today, scientists know that colds are caused by a virus (病毒). But the old ideas are still very strong and many people still follow them to avoid (避免) getting ill.
1. In the United States, people think you can catch a cold if ________.| A．you wear wet clothes |
| B．you sit next to the window |
| C．your feet get cold |
| D．you go swimming in summer |
| A．Bad food. | B．Wet clothes. | C．A virus. | D．Strong winds. |
| A．scientists | B．old ideas | C．colds | D．dry clothes |
| A．You should keep healthy in winter. |
| B．Colds are serious problems in the world. |
| C．Strong winds cause colds. |
| D．Old ideas about why people catch colds. |
