1 . When you were trying to figure out what to buy for the environmentalist on your holiday list, fur probably didn’t cross your mind. But some ecologists and fashion (时装)enthusiasts are trying to bring back the market for fur made from nutria(海狸鼠).
Unusual fashion shows in New Orleans and Brooklyn have showcased nutria fur made into clothes in different styles. “It sounds crazy to talk about guilt-free fur-unless you understand that the nutria are destroying vast wetlands every year”, says Cree McCree, project director of Righteous Fur.
Scientists in Louisiana were so concerned that they decided to pay hunters $5 a tail. Some of the fur ends up in the fashion shows like the one in Brooklyn last month.
Nutria were brought there from Argentina by fur farmers and let go into the wild. “The ecosystem down there can’t handle this non-native species(物种).It’s destroying the environment. It’s them or us.” says Michael Massimi, an expert in this field.
The fur trade kept nutria in check for decades,but when the market for nutria collapsed in the late 1980s,the cat-sized animals multiplied like crazy.
Biologist Edmond Mouton runs the nutria control program for Louisiana. He says it’s not easy to convince people that nutria fur is green, but he has no doubt about it. Hunters bring in more than 300,000 nutria tails a year, so part of Mouton’s job these days is trying to promote fur.
Then there’s Righteous Fur and its unusual fashion. Model Paige Morgan says,”To give people a guilt-free option that they can wear without someone throwing paint on them-I think that’s going to be a massive thing, at least here in New York.” Designer Jennifer Anderson admits it took her a while to come around to the opinion that using nutria fur for her creations is morally acceptable. She is trying to come up with a label to attach to nutria fashions to show it is eco-friendly.
1. What is the purpose of the fashion shows in New Orleans and Brooklyn?A.To promote guilt-free fur. |
B.To expand the fashion market. |
C.To introduce a new brand. |
D.To celebrate a winter holiday. |
A.Nutria damage the ecosystem seriously. |
B.Nutria are an endangered species. |
C.Nutria hurt local cat-sized animals. |
D.Nutria are illegally hunted. |
A.Boomed. | B.Became mature. | C.Remained stable. | D.Crashed. |
A.It’s formal. | B.It’s risky. | C.It’s harmful. | D.It’s traditional. |
2 . If you ever get the impression that your dog can “tell” whether you look content or annoyed, you may be onto something. Dogs may indeed be able to distinguish between happy and angry human faces, according to a new study.
Researchers trained a group of 11 dogs to distinguish between images (图像) of the same person making either a happy or an angry face. During the training stage, each dog was shown only the upper half or the lower half of the person’s face. The researchers then tested the dogs’ ability to distinguish between human facial expressions by showing them the other half of the person’s face on images totally different from the ones used in training. The researchers found that the dogs were able to pick the angry or happy face by touching a picture of it with their noses more often than one would expect by random chance.
The study showed the animals had figured out how to apply what they learned about human faces during training to new faces in the testing stage. “We can rule out that the dogs simply distinguish between the pictures based on a simple cue, such as the sight of teeth,” said study author Corsin Muller. “Instead, our results suggest that the successful dogs realized that a smiling mouth means the same thing as smiling eyes, and the same rule applies to an angry mouth having the same meaning as angry eyes.”
“With our study, we think we can now confidently conclude that at least some dogs can distinguish human facial expressions,” Muller told Live Science.
At this point, it is not clear why dogs seem to be equipped with the ability to recognize different facial expressions in humans. “To us, the most likely explanation appears to be that the basis lies in their living with humans, which gives them a lot of exposure to human facial expressions, and this exposure has provided them with many chances to learn to distinguish between them,” Muller said.
1. The new study focused on whether dogs can_________.A.distinguish shapes | B.make sense of human faces |
C.feel happy or angry | D.communicate with each other |
A.Researchers tested the dogs in random order. |
B.Diverse methods were adopted during training. |
C.Pictures used in the two stages were different |
D.The dogs were photographed before the lest. |
A.A suggestion for future studies. | B.A possible reason for the study findings. |
C.A major limitation of the study | D.An explanation of the research method. |
3 . I was halfway across Indiana headed home to Kentucky when my car broke down. My phone was
I sat alongside my car for several hours trying to
Right then and there, this total
A.busy | B.loud | C.dead | D.secure |
A.mechanic | B.policeman | C.manager | D.guide |
A.washing | B.parking | C.purchasing | D.maintaining |
A.feel | B.beat | C.absorb | D.produce |
A.promised | B.refused | C.stopped | D.volunteered |
A.solved | B.noticed | C.escaped | D.explained |
A.surprise | B.regret | C.amusement | D.disappointment |
A.called up | B.pulled out | C.put down | D.threw away |
A.liar | B.beginner | C.stranger | D.loser |
A.free | B.ready | C.uncertain | D.unable |
A.pronounced | B.agreed | C.discovered | D.doubted |
A.Tiredness | B.Kindness | C.Loneliness | D.Carefulness |
A.Folding | B.Drying | C.Soiling | D.Mending |
A.saved | B.called | C.judged | D.banned |
A.friend | B.daughter | C.coworker | D.customer |
4 . For Western designers, China and its rich culture have long been an inspiration for Western creative.
“It’s no secret that China has always been a source(来源) of inspiration for designers,” says Amanda Hill, chief creative officer at A+E Networks, a global media company and home to some of the biggest fashion(时尚) shows.
Earlier this year, the China Through A Looking Glass exhibition in New York exhibited 140 pieces of China-inspired fashionable clothing alongside Chinese works of art, with the aim of exploring the influence of Chinese aesthetics(美学) on Western fashion and how China has fueled the fashionable imagination for centuries. The exhibition had record attendance, showing that there is huge interest in Chinese influences.
“China is impossible to overlook,” says Hill. “Chinese models are the faces of beauty and fashion campaigns that sell dreams to women all over the world, which means Chinese women are not just consumers of fashion — they are central to its movement.” Of course, not only are today’s top Western designers being influenced by China—some of the best designers of contemporary fashion are themselves Chinese. “Vera Wang, Alexander Wang, Jason Wu are taking on Galliano, Albaz, Marc Jacobs—and beating them hands down in design and sales,” adds Hill.
For Hill, it is impossible not to talk about China as the leading player when discussing fashion. “The most famous designers are Chinese, so are the models, and so are the consumers,” she says. “China is no longer just another market; in many senses it has become the market. If you talk about fashion today, you are talking about China—its influences, its direction, its breathtaking clothes, and how young designers and models are finally acknowledging that in many ways.”
1. What can we learn about the exhibition in New York?A.It promoted the sales of artworks. | B.It attracted a large number of visitors. |
C.It showed ancient Chinese clothes. | D.It aimed to introduce Chinese models. |
A.They are setting the fashion. | B.They start many fashion campaigns. |
C.They admire super models. | D.They do business all over the world. |
A.learning from | B.looking down on | C.working with | D.competing against |
A.Young Models Selling Dreams to the World |
B.A Chinese Art Exhibition Held in New York |
C.Differences Between Eastern and Western Aesthetics |
D.Chinese Culture Fueling International Fashion Trends |
5 . Peer ( 同伴 ) Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) is a peer-facilitated learning programme available to students enrolled ( 注册 ) in most core units of study in our business school.
PASS involves weekly sessions where you work in groups to tackle specially prepared problem sets, based around a unit of study you’re enrolled in.
PASS doesn’t re-teach or deliver new content. It’s an opportunity to deepen your understanding of the key points from lecture materials while you are applying your skills to solve problems.
You work interactively with your peers. As a peer group, you decide what is covered in each session. That way, PASS directly responds to your needs and feedback.
Registration in Term 2 will open at 9 am, 21 September 2022.
Waiting lists
If a session is full, you can register for the waiting list. We will email you if a place becomes available or if a new session is to be held.
When you are placed on a waiting list, we will email you a number which tells you where you are on the list. If you are close to the front of the list, you have a good chance of gaining a place in the programme in the near future.
Deregistering
If you miss two PASS sessions in a row, you will be deregistered and your place will be given to someone on the waiting list. Make sure you fill in the attendance sheet at each session to record your attendance.
You’ll be informed by email if you are being deregistered as a result of missing sessions. If you believe you have received the email in error, email the PASS office at passoffice@umbs. edu..
1. In PASS, students ________.A.attend new lectures | B.decide their own schedules |
C.prepare problem sets in groups | D.use their skills to solve problems |
A.Fill in the attendance sheet. | B.Sign up for the waiting list. |
C.Report their needs and feedback. | D.Email the office their numbers on the list. |
A.they send emails in error | B.they fail to work interactively |
C.they give their places to others | D.they miss two sessions in a row |
6 . Parrots are prey animals, which means that other predators (捕食者) in the wild, such as hawks or snakes, are looking to make them into a meal. This one factor influences parrots’ behavior in your house more than any other.
Parrots are most easily hurt when feeding on the ground. Membership in a group plays an important function in ensuring their safety and improving their chances of survival from attacks by predators. The most common predators of parrots include hawks, snakes, cats, monkeys, and bats. Some predators make attacks only during the day while others hunt in the night.
As prey animals, parrots are constantly watching out for danger and they instinctively (本能地) react to risks. Their first choice is to take flight. However, if this is not possible, they will fight with their powerful beaks to defend themselves.
Because their biggest enemy is the hawk, parrots are especially reactive to quick movements from above and behind. For this reason, it is wise to avoid quick, sudden movements near your bird. This is a built-in reaction not subject to logic or reason. Simple and relatively harmless household objects can draw extreme fear responses from a bird. For example, a balloon may represent a hawk or a vacuum hose (吸尘器软管) may be the same as a snake in your bird’s mind.
As prey animals, parrots are often frightened by exposure to new household items or strangers. It is important to expose your bird to safe experiences and changes starting at a very young age to build flexibility and improve their adaptability. Variety in diet and toys, travel, and exposure to new people and places all help to make your bird more flexible and adaptable to change.
1. What is important for parrots to better survive from attacks in the wild?A.Living in a group. | B.Growing beautiful feathers. |
C.Feeding on the ground. | D.Avoiding coming out at night. |
A.To attack back. | B.To get away. |
C.To protect the young. | D.To play dead. |
A.It may explode suddenly. | B.It may be in a strange shape. |
C.It may have a strong color. | D.It may move around quickly. |
A.To explain wild parrots’ behavior. | B.To give advice on raising a parrot. |
C.To call for action to protect animals. | D.To introduce a study on bird ecology. |
7 . Yellowstone Poster Exhibition to Be on View at UW’s Coe Library
A first-of-its-kind exhibition that focuses on the history of Yellowstone National Park posters will be on display at the University of Wyoming’s Coe Library beginning Tuesday, February 1.
“Wonderland Illustrated” will present posters and poster-style illustrations of the park spanning from the 1870s through 2022. The exhibition will be located on Level 3 of Coe Library. It will be on view through Tuesday, May 31.
The exhibition takes place at the same time as this year’s 150th anniversary of the creation of Yellowstone National Park. The posters in the exhibition serve the purpose of both advertising and art.
“We’re thrilled to be working with Yellowstone collectors Jack and Susan Davís, and Larry and Thea Lancaster to bring this exhibition to the University of Wyoming as part of year-long celebrations recognizing Yellowstone’s 150th anniversary,” says Tamsen Hert, head of UW Libraries’ Emmett D. Chisum Special Collections. “This exhibition involves the history of printing, art, photography and advertising over 16 decades. The images reproduced are found on travel brochures, postcards and maps—many of which are held in our collections.”
One poster from the exhibition—Henry Wellge’s “Yellowstone National Park” from1904—was recently purchased with donated funds and is now part of UW Libraries’ Emmett D. Chisum Special Collections. Wellge, a productive bird’s-eye-view artist, designed the piece for the Northern Pacific Railroad, which used it to advertise the park. This is a unique piece, as posters such as this one were printed on soft paper and very few have survived.
1. How long will the exhibition “Wonderland Illustrated” last?A.Two weeks. | B.Three months. | C.Four months. | D.One year. |
A.To remember a famous artist. | B.To raise fund for Coe Library. |
C.To mark the anniversary of a national park. | D.To tell the history of the University of Wyoming. |
A.It is rare in the world. | B.It is in black and white. |
C.It is printed on cloth. | D.It is owned by a professor. |
8 . Languages have been coming and going for thousands of years, but in recent times there has been less coming and a lot more going. When the world was still populated by hunter-gatherers, small, tightly knit(联系) groups developed their own patterns of speech independent of each other. Some language experts believe that 10,000 years ago, when the world had just five to ten million people, they spoke perhaps 12,000 languages between them.
Soon afterwards, many of those people started settling down to become farmers, and their languages too became more settled and fewer in number. In recent centuries, trade, industrialization, the development of the nation-state and the spread of universal compulsory education, especially globalisation and better communications in the past few decades, all have caused many languages to disappear, and dominant languages such as English, Spanish and Chinese are increasingly taking over.
At present, the world has about 6,800 languages. The distribution of these languages is hugely uneven. The general rule is that mild zones have relatively few languages. Often spoken by many people while hot, wet zones have lots, often spoken by small numbers. Europe has only around 200 Languages: the Americas about 1,000, Africa 2,400; and Asia and the Pacific perhaps 3,200, of which Papua New Guinea alone accounts for well over 800. The median number(中位数) of speakers is a mere 6,000, which means that half the worlds languages are spoken by fewer people than that.
Already well over 400 of the total of 6,800 languages are close to extinction(消亡), with only a few elderly speakers left. Pick, at random, Busuu in Cameroon (eight remaining speakers), Chiapaneco in Mexico(150). Lipan Apache in the United States(two or three) or Wadjigu in Australia (one, with a question-mark): none of these seems to have much chance of survival.
1. What can we infer about languages in hunter-gatherer times?A.They developed very fast. | B.They were large in number. |
C.They had similar patters. | D.They were closely connected |
A.Complex. | B.Advanced. |
C.Powerful. | D.Modern. |
A.About 6,800 . | B.About 3,400 |
C.About 2,400 | D.About 1,200. |
A.New languages will be created. |
B.Peoples lifestyles are reflected in languages. |
C.Human development results in fewer languages. |
D.Geography determines language evolution. |
9 . For the past 18 years, my daughter has been around me all the time. Now that she is in college, the
A week ago, my daughter wanted to
Research shows that parents are
We may have to
A.problem | B.progress | C.goal | D.context |
A.cold | B.special | C.different | D.casual |
A.normal | B.idea | C.approach | D.solution |
A.catch up | B.take over | C.check out | D.break away |
A.visited | B.touched | C.tried | D.emailed |
A.by taxi | B.by text | C.in private | D.in person |
A.stupid | B.angry | C.excited | D.asleep |
A.available | B.interested | C.ready | D.guilty |
A.saddest | B.busiest | C.happiest | D.best |
A.decide | B.wonder | C.investigate | D.distinguish |
A.kind | B.appreciative | C.sensitive | D.relevant |
A.voice | B.ignore | C.shift | D.continue |
A.human | B.virtual | C.physical | D.permanent |
A.widened | B.formed | C.broken | D.bridged |
A.college | B.relationship | C.change | D.communication |
10 . With the young unable to afford to leave home and the old at risk of isolation(孤独), more families are choosing to live together.
The doorway to peace and quiet, for Nick Bright at least, leads straight to his mother-in-law, she lives on the ground floor, while he lives upstairs with his wife and their two daughters.
Four years ago they all moved into a three-storey Victorian house in Bristol - one of a growing number of multigenerational families in the UK living together under the same roof. They share a front door and a washing machine, but Rita Whitehead has her own kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and living room on the ground floor.
“We floated the idea to my mum of sharing at a house,” says Kathryn Whitehead. Rita cuts in: “We spoke more with Nick because I think it’s a big thing for Nick to live with his mother-in-law.”
And what does Nick think? “From my standpoint, it all seems to work very well. Would I recommend it? Yes, I think I would.”
It’s hard to tell exactly how many people agree with him, but research indicates that the numbers have been rising for some time. Official reports suggest that the number of households with three generations living together had risen from 325,000 in 2001to 419,000 in 2013.
Other varieties of multigenerational family are more common. Some people live with their elderly parents; many more adult children are returning to the family home, if they ever left. It is said that about 20% of 25-34-year-olds live with their parents, compared with 16% in 1991.The total number of all multigenerational households in Britain is thought to be about 1.8 million.
Stories like that are more common in parts of the world where multigenerational living is more firmly rooted. In India, particularly outside cities, young women are expected to move in with their husband’s family when they get married.
1. Who mainly uses the ground floor in the Victorian house in Bristol?A.Nick. | B.Rita. | C.Kathryn | D.The daughters. |
A.Positive. | B.Carefree. | C.Tolerant. | D.Unwilling. |
A.Family traditions. | B.Financial reports. | C.Published statistics. | D.Public opinions. |
A.Lifestyles in different countries. | B.Conflicts between generations. |
C.A housing problem in Britain. | D.A rising trend of living in the UK. |