1 .
| Weight: 5—9 kg Length: 45—65 cm Average lifespan (寿命) in the world: 8 years Diet: bamboo, acorns, insects, fruit, eggs |
In September, besides the red leaves, there are also red pandas in the forests. Every year, the third Saturday in September marks International Red Panda Day. The red panda is tiny compared to (与……相比) the black and white giant panda. These pandas usually grow to the size of a house cat. The pandas use their tails as blankets in the mountains. They live alone, mainly active at night, and are mostly inactive during the day. Why are they in danger? 1. Hunting 2. Loss of living areas 3. Limited food supply 4. Predators (天敌) | |
1. When is the International Red Panda Day?
| A．The second Saturday in September. | B．The third Saturday in September. |
| C．The second Sunday in September. | D．The third Sunday in September. |
| A．Two. | B．Three. | C．Four. | D．Five. |
| A．In a diary. | B．In a science magazine. |
| C．In a health report. | D．In a history book. |
2 . How many fish are there in the sea? We always seem to think that there are an endless number of them. Is this true? Will we run out of fish one day?
Humans began overfishing (过度捕捞) in the 19th century. Today, there are many fishing ships in the world to catch fish. In other words, we are taking away too many fish from the world’s oceans (海洋) . Fish can’t grow fast enough, so the number of species (物种) of fish is dropping quickly. Some species will soon disappear (消失) .
To save these fish species, many countries have started to take actions. Along some rivers and lakes, you can see “No fishing” signs. The fish in these areas are probably under protection.
Besides, different areas have closed fishing periods at different times. When the fish in a certain area start to lay eggs, the closed season for that area begins. People can’t catch fish until (直到) the young fish grow up. This is also an important way to stop overfishing. Fish are very important to the health of the sea. Let’s work together to protect our friends in the water!
1. When did humans begin overfishing?| A．In the 1900s. | B．In the 1800s. | C．In 1900. | D．In1800. |
| A．Fish grow too fast. |
| B．There are too many fish in the world. |
| C．Some species of fish will become impossible to see. |
| D．People can’t take away any fish from the world’s oceans. |
| A．When the fish begin to lay eggs. |
| B．When there are too many fish. |
| C．When the young fish grow up. |
| D．When there isn’t any “No fishing” sign. |
| A．Many countries did something to save fish. |
| B．”No fishing”means there is no fish in the river. |
| C．The closed fishing areas are all along farmlands. |
| D．The closed season for one area isn’t good for the health of the sea. |
| A．www.chinatourist.com | B．www.storyhouse.com |
| C．www.movies123.com | D．www.animalworld.com |
3 . Beloved Fu Bao, the first giant panda born in South Korea, left South Korea for China on Wednesday. Thousands of panda lovers waited at Everland, the country’s largest theme park in Yongin, to say goodbye to the country’s top panda superstar. The panda fans kept silent when a specially-made vehicle (车辆) carrying Fu Bao passed through the crowd in order to prevent her from being surprised by any noise.
Zookeepers held a farewell (告别) event for the fans inside the theme park. And the vehicle with a message of “It’s a miracle (奇迹) to meet you. Thanks, Fu Bao” was unable to show the panda because she should spend a month in quarantine (隔离期) to prepare for her return to China.
Fu Bao has been loved by South Koreans for her lovely appearance and special attractiveness. Around 5.5 million people had visited the Panda World in the Yongin park since Fu Bao was made open to the public in January 2021. It is required that Fu Bao should return to China before reaching the age of four, according to some agreements. Kang Cheol-won, the zookeeper known as the “grandpa of Fu Bao”, went with the giant panda on her flight to China.
Fu Bao will be moved to the Shenshuping giant panda base in Wolong National Nature Reserve (卧龙国家级自然保护区) in Sichuan for quarantine. The base is fully prepared to welcome Fu Bao and the base will decide when to make Fu Bao meet the public based on its adaptation (适应). Judging from past experiences, the adaptation period can last from one month to eight months, or even longer.
1. What did the panda fans do when the specially-made vehicle carrying Fu Bao passed by?| A．They stayed quiet. | B．They cheered happily. |
| C．They stopped the vehicle. | D．They sang to Fu Bao. |
| A．She had left for China. | B．She was in a month-long quarantine. |
| C．She needed a rest. | D．She was not in the theme park. |
| A．Before the farewell event. | B．Before she turns 4 years old. |
| C．After living in South Korea for 5 years. | D．After Kang Cheol-won arrived in China. |
| A．Fu Bao will live in the wild soon. | B．Quarantine will last exactly one month. |
| C．Public may not see Fu Bao at once. | D．Fu Bao doesn’t need adaptation. |
| A．Fu Bao’s life in South Korea. | B．Farewell for Fu Bao. |
| C．Preparing for Fu Bao’s arrival. | D．Fu Bao’s popularity and return to China.. |
4 . World Animal Day falls on Oct 4 every year. It was started in 1931 to remind everyone on our planet to care about animals. Unluckily, many wild animals are facing great danger. Some even became extinct and cannot be seen forever. Recently, China has done much to improve the living condition of endangered wild animals.
The protection of Asian elephants is a good example. Asian elephants in China are mostly found in Yunnan Province. These animals have become endangered because some people are killing for their teeth. The government (政府) has been trying to protect them. For example, elephants teeth business is not allowed. This can greatly prevent elephants hunting.
Another example is the protection of the Yangtze finless porpoise (江豚). Because of lots of over-fishing and water pollution, the population of the Yangtze finless porpoise was just 1, 012 in 2018. That number was lower than the number of giant pandas. In 2020, the government once put a 10-year fishing ban (禁令). This action is very useful and now people can see a group of Yangtze finless porpoises jump and play in the Yangtze River.
With World Animal Day around the corner, we all can think of more ways to better protect our wild friends. As we share this Earth with all living things, we can truly make a difference for all animals.
1. Why was World Animal Day started?| A．To introduce wild animals to the public. |
| B．To encourage us to care about wild animals. |
| C．To collect information about wild animals. |
| D．To count the population of wild animals. |
| A．Rise in number. | B．Drop in number. | C．Appear. | D．Disappear. |
| A．Stop elephants teeth business. | B．Provide elephants with food. |
| C．Protect elephants in a zoo. | D．Grow more trees for elephants. |
| A．Their population was 1,012 in 2020. |
| B．Their population is larger than that of giant pandas in 2018. |
| C．They were in danger because of over-fishing and air pollution. |
| D．Their number is higher because the government put a fishing ban. |
The top-selling album (唱片), Songs of the Humpback Whale, was made public in 1970. This collection of nature recordings changed the way many people thought about whales, and it helped save thousands of whales.
The album might never have been made without a sound engineer named Frank Watlington. In the 1960s, Watlington was making underwater recordings when he noticed some strange, deep sounds. He realized they were coming from whales. Watlington played the recordings for a pair of scientists named Roger Payne and Katy Payne. When they listened, they fell in love with these beautiful voices at once.
Katy Payne studied music as well as animals, and she was greatly surprised by how the whales communicated using sounds like an opera singer. She also noticed another interesting fact: the sounds had clear patterns. According to scientists, an animal sound with a repeating pattern is called a song. Some scientists even compared these singing animals to musicians.
The Payne thought that other people should also hear the beauty of the whales’ songs. So Roger made the recordings into an album. The time when the album came out, whales were often caught, killed and traded for money. Some kinds were even in danger of dying out. Most people had never thought that whales could communicate through songs. But after hearing the album, they began to think differently.
The album led people to take action to save whales. Musicians began using whale songs in their music, and whales were included in movies and television shows. In 1982, a ban to stop deep-sea whaling was made. Before it, in the 1950s and 1960s, more than fifty thousand whales per year were killed. After it, the number went down below two thousand.
It might seem impossible that just one album could help save the lives of so many whales. But this album told people secrets about whales that had long been hidden under the sea. It allowed whales to finally share their songs with the human world.
1. Who first found the special voices of the whales?| A．A song recorder. | B．A sound engineer. |
| C．An animal scientist. | D．An opera singer. |
| A．They could sing operas. |
| B．They could repeat interesting sounds. |
| C．They could communicate through clear sound patterns. |
| D．They could exchange information with an opera singer. |
| A．save the whales | B．help musicians learn how to sing |
| C．make other people think deeply | D．make whales’ songs heard by more people |
| A．It successfully helped to cut down deep-sea whaling. |
| B．It encouraged musicians to work with scientists. |
| C．It made some music and movie stars popular. |
| D．It helped whales become more popular with movie directors. |
| A．To tell people to communicate with whales. | B．To tell how a good album was made. |
| C．To show that whales are born singers. | D．To introduce an album and its stories. |
What animal is black and white, cute and endangered?
Scientists are not sure what’s behind their colour, but think it has to do with a way of keeping safe. The panda’s white body colour helps it hide in the snow.
Scientists say their round faces and way of walking remind us of human babies.
Many people like visiting pandas in the zoo. It’s important for pandas to have a quiet environment.
| A．I am not afraid of them any more. |
| B．Usually babies who have big eyes look cute. |
| C．It can only be the giant panda. |
| D．So don’t make noises or sudden movements that might scare them. |
| E．The black part helps it hide in the shade. |
| F．Researchers have spent years studying giant pandas in the wild. |
| G．They often feed giant pandas bamboo. |
The Chinese crested tern is a type of seabird. The bird is about 30-40 cm long, with a black crown, gray wings and a white body. They live mainly on small fish.
The first record of the bird was in Indonesia in 1861.
Scientists working in a nature reserve in Zhejiang wanted those birds to stay there. They built some artificial nests (人工鸟巢). They even put some hand-made birds of the same size as Chinese crested terns there.
Chinese crested terns lay eggs as the weather gets warmer, usually between April and August.
Not only the government but also bird lovers are taking action to protect the valuable birds. You’re welcome to join them. Hope there will be more and more Chinese crested terns flying in the sky.
| A．Everything went well. |
| B．Birds lovers come here. |
| C．It lives in a very special way. |
| D．The number of the birds is very small. |
| E．However, after the 1940s, people couldn’t find them. |
| F．When it gets cold, they fly to southern areas to spend the winter. |
| G．Also, they drive away some dangerous animals like snakes and mice. |
8 . On January 3, 2024, a North Atlantic right whale (露脊鲸) in South Carolina was seen with serious injuries on its head and mouth from a boat hitting. It was dying from the injuries. Now, experts are also worried about the survival of this whole population. Because of whale hunting in the 19th century, there are only 356 North Atlantic right whales left. Could boat hitting and overfishing make them disappear forever?
In the 1851 novel Moby Dick, right whales were described as the most respectable large animals being hunted by man. When protections were started in the 1930s, the population—once around 21,000—nearly died out. It was thought that the North Atlantic specie (物种) was down to just two dozen. By 2010, the population had got better, reaching nearly 500 before going down again by around 2017. This most recent fall has not changed much, but the specie is still in great danger.
Boat hitting is one of the main dangers to right whales. Research shows that staying within boat speed limits (限制) can protect different whale species. Slowing down is the only practical way now to protect these whales from being hit. As well as shipping and fishing, changes in weather patterns make it more difficult for right whales to find food.
“It is possible to lose North Atlantic right whales forever,” says a biologist. Whales are important to the world because they help to move nutrients (营养) around the ocean—feeding in deep waters then pooping (排便) at the surface. What would happen to the ocean if right whales were lost?
1. What parts of the right whale were hurt?| A．Its back and tail. | B．Its eyes and ears. | C．Its hands and mouth. | D．Its head and mouth. |
| A．In 1851. | B．In 1930. | C．In 2010. | D．In 2017. |
| A．To slow down boat speed. | B．To cut down fishing activities. |
| C．To make shipping safer. | D．To fight against weather changes. |
| A．Right whales will all disappear one day. | B．Right whales get lost easily in the ocean. |
| C．Right whales are important to the ocean. | D．Right whales move nutrients to ocean surface. |
| A．In a news report. | B．In a book review. | C．In a travel guide. | D．In an art magazine. |
9 . 
This spring, two beautiful snow leopards will be welcomed into their specially designed new home at Chester Zoo—and guess what? Your art work could be on show there with them.
Snow leopards in the wild are in trouble. One of the biggest problems that they will face is climate (气候) change. Sadly, the snowy Himalayan mountains, where snow leopards live, are warming at three times the global average (全球平均值). But Chester Zoo wants to give these snow leopards a brighter future. Right now, they’re busy creating the big cats mountainous home at the zoo.
The Competition
We want you to create an amazing snow leopard poster that encourages people to take action on climate change! Draw a snow leopard and choose only one of the promises below to add to your poster.
| The Promises There is something we can keep telling ourselves to help fight climate change. Which will you choose to include on your poster? REDUCE FOOD WASTE Make a recipe (食谱) with leftover ingredients (食材). WALK OR CYCLE Leave the car at home on short journeys. AVOID FLYING Find a different type of transport next time you plan to take a flight. | Poster Design Tips! ①Plan your design on paper before making your final poster. ②Think about what materials you’d like to use to make your poster. Will you use paints, coloured pencils or pens? ③Make sure the promise you choose is clear and easy to read! ④The snow leopard should be in the centre of the poster. ⑤Keep your design simple. | The Prizes The winning poster will be shown in the snow leopard home of Chester Zoo. You and your family can go on a free trip to see it and the snow leopards! You’ll even get £ 50 to spend on food and drink at the zoo. |
1. Snow Leopard Poster Competition is organized to ________.
| A．welcome two beautiful snow leopards | B．ask people to protect the environment |
| C．increase children's knowledge on leopards | D．improve animals’ living conditions |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
| A．The way to enter for the competition. | B．The location of Chester Zoo. |
| C．The fun facts of snow leopards. | D．The doctors who take care of snow leopards. |
10 . About 38,500 kinds of animals in the world are in danger. Now, you can learn about them and help them by playing a card game.
Jackson Mann is 15 years old. He is the starter of the card game called “SOS: Save Our Species (物种)”. He hopes that people can do something for endangered (濒危的) species after playing the game.
In the game, players need to collect endangered species and match (匹配) them with their right habitats (栖息地). The more endangered the species are, the more points (得分) players can get. The game finishes when there are no more cards. And the player with the most points wins the game.
Jackson had the idea for the game on a family trip to Central America three years ago. “We saw lots of wildlife and played lots of card games,” said Jackson. “I thought that it would be great if people could play cards and learn about endangered species at the same time.”
Jackson’s card games began to sell from July 8, 2022. So far, he has made over £11,700 to help save animals in danger.
1. What’s the third paragraph about?| A．How to play the game. | B．Where to find right habitats. |
| C．Why people want to win the game. | D．What people can learn from the game. |
| A．Dan, who enjoys traveling a lot. | B．Ben, who lives in Central America. |
| C．Via, who keeps a dog in her family. | D．Gina, who knows a lot about animals. |
| A．At the age of 3. | B．At the age of 9. | C．At the age of 12. | D．At the age of 15. |
| A．To learn about species. | B．To make more money. |
| C．To have fun with his family. | D．To help endangered animals. |
