1 . If you’ve ever been on a fishing boat, you’ve probably seen crowds of birds following it, hoping to catch a snack. Now scientists use those birds’ behavior to track illegal fishing boats.
Researchers attached data loggers to the backs of 169 albatrosses (信天翁) in Indian oceans. Weighing only 42 grams, the devices included a GPS, which enabled them to detect the presence and intensity of radar signals emitting from boats. That information was then sent by satellite, so the researchers could track the location of the birds—and thus the radar-emitting boats—in real time.
The scientists then cross-checked that data against the known locations of boats, collected from a system boats use to declare themselves, called the Automatic Identification System (AIS). And noticeable differences appeared frequently.
More than a third of the times the birds “loggers” detected radar signals, and therefore a boat, but no such boat appeared in the official log—meaning that the vehicles had likely switched off their AIS—something that probably happens in illegal fishing operations.
The work suggests birds could be an effective boat-monitoring tool as long as illegal fishing operations don’t target the birds.
Fortunately, such a task would be difficult. Around fishing boats, you can find hundreds of birds at any one time that are flying around. And the birds with loggers are not marked in any way. So it’s not really possible for fishermen to pick out a specific bird.
But what concerns researchers is that albatrosses often get caught by some fishing boats. Though regulations have been established to protect against that happening—with success—illegal boats don’t necessarily obey. So scientists might be underestimating the risk posed to albatross populations.
1. What characteristic of albatrosses do scientists take advantage of in their research?| A．Their feeding patterns. |
| B．Their sense of direction. |
| C．Their greedy behaviors. |
| D．Their habit of following fishing boats. |
| A．To seek more fishes. |
| B．To have it mistaken for another. |
| C．To avoid being detected. |
| D．To save the trouble of declaring itself. |
| A．Identifying birds with loggers. |
| B．Monitoring illegal boats. |
| C．Tracking radar signals automatically. |
| D．Fishing illegally. |
| A．AIS: an Effective System to Locate Boats |
| B．Humans Are Good at Discovering Birds’ Nature |
| C．Data Loggers Help Fishermen Get a Good Harvest |
| D．Scientists Use Birds to Track Illegal Fishing Operations |
2 . People as far away as South Africa have called Melody Pugh in Washington D. C. to help them find a beloved family member. The country’s only licensed and bonded “pet detective”, this 58- year-old former police officer is an expert on thinking like a dog or cat.
It all started in April 1998 when her beloved kitty, Norman, was stolen from the car after arriving at the vet’s office. Pugh searched for Norman for 95 days, quitting her job because the search became all-consuming, and during that time she found 27 other lost pets. That's when she discovered she had a nose for finding clues --- a paw print here, a broken spider web there.
While there are other pet finders, Pugh is the only person in the U. S. registered as a licensed pet detective 一 and there's a big difference. "Pet finders may make posters and phone calls, but they won't actively track your pet or get personally involved because they aren’t bonded and can’t afford to get sued（起诉）,” says Pugh, who has never been sued. She was able to obtain a Private investigator's license from the State of Washington in 2001 because of her background in law enforcement.
Pugh has returned more than 1,000 dogs and cats to their homes in almost every state nationwide. Nearly two million companion animals are stolen each year, often right from their owner's yard, and then sold to research laboratories, dog-fighting rings, or puppy mills.
1. What do we know about Melody Pugh from paragraph 1?| A．She is a caring vet. | B．She is good at finding pets. |
| C．She comes from South Africa. | D．She works as a police officer. |
| A．After she lost 27 pets. | B．The time she arrived at the vets. |
| C．95 days before she found Norman. | D．When she was searching for her cat. |
| A．She tracks the lost pets. | B．She makes posters and phone calls. |
| C．She has never been accused. | D．She is a licensed pet investigator. |
| A．Demanding. | B．Devoted. |
| C．Stubborn. | D．Tough. |
Whatsonstage.com is the UK’s biggest and best online guide to the performing arts including theatre, opera, classical music, dance and so on.
◆ The Lion King
Musical: The stage adaptation of the Disney film taken from an original African story. A young lion grows up and learns that taking over the pride requires wisdom and maturity(成熟).
Place: Lyceum Theatre, Wellington Street, London
Telephone: 0870 243 9000
Date: Friday, 18 Nov. 2015
Ticket price: ￡37.5
◆ Oliver
Musical: Dickens’ story of a boy in a London workhouse and his adventures on the way to his family. The songs include “Food glorious food”, “You’ve got to pick a pocket or two”, “Who will buy this wonderful morning”, “I am reviewing the situation” and “Consider yourself at home.”
Place: Theatre Royal, Catherine Street, London
Telephone: 020 7494 5061
Date: Thursday, 17 Nov. 2015
Ticket price: ￡25, but now save 20%
◆ Jersey Boys
Musical: It tells the story of Frankie Valli and the Four seasons: the blue-collar kids from New Jersey formed a singing group and became famous. The musical features many of the group’s popular songs such as “Big girls don’t cry”, “Oh, what a night” and “Can’t take my eyes off you”.
Place: Prince Edward Theatre, Old Compton Street, London
Telephone: 0870 850 9191
Date: Saturday, 19 Nov. 2015
Ticket price: ￡22.5
◆ Alls Well That Ends Well
Play: A romantic story. Helena, daughter of a poor physician, loves Bertram, son of a Countess(女伯爵).
Place: Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, Park Street, London
Telephone: 020 7401 9919
Date: Sunday, 20 Nov, 2015
Ticket price: ￡40.5
1. If Mary is available on Friday, which of the following should she call to buy a ticket?
| A．0870 850 9191 | B．020 7494 5061 |
| C．0870 243 9000 | D．020 7401 9919 |
| A．Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre |
| B．Lyceum Theatre |
| C．Prince Edward Theatre |
| D．Theatre Royal |
| A．To show the importance of Whatsonstage.com |
| B．To give some information about the performing arts. |
| C．To introduce some famous English theatres. |
| D．To teach readers how to use the online guide. |
4 . Activities in Connecticut
Northeast Camping Show
Northeast Camping Show is the ideal place for camping families who are wanting to purchase their first camper, or wanting to update their present camper to explore new camping adventures. Representatives from the Connecticut Campground Owners Association will teach attendees to make their camping trips more enjoyable.
Location: Connecticut Convention Center
Stay with Penguins
Enjoy beautiful underwater views as you visit one of Mystic Aquarium’s most popular animals. Held in the Aquarium’s Main Gallery, the activity will offer you the chance to enjoy the peaceful surroundings. Take a moment to meet an African penguin between 7 pm and 8 pm to learn about this great animal from an aquarium trainer.
Location: Mystic Aquarium
Family Ice Fishing Day
Families are welcome to attend this unique event which is a part of the CARE (Connecticut Aquatic Resources Education) program. The program is taught by certified volunteer instructors and it’s fun. All fishing equipment and course materials are provided for free. Bring a lunch. Program：9:30 am~11:30 am, ice fishing (weather permitting): noon~3 pm. Pre-registration is required.
Location: Memorial Conservation Center
Acorn Adventure: Eagle Eyes
Families are invited to come to The Last Green Valley to experience how big a bald eagle’s wings and eyes are compared to the size of their heads and other fun facts. The group will also search for eagles at this popular spot for these incredible birds of prey. Enthusiasm and a desire to learn about these beautiful birds are essential.
Location: The Last Green Valley
1. What can you do in Northeast Camping Show?| A．Help design a new camper. | B．Learn some camping knowledge. |
| C．Explore an outside adventure. | D．Drive a camper with the representatives. |
| A．Northeast Camping Show. | B．Stay with Penguins. |
| C．Family Ice Fishing Day. | D．Acorn Adventure: Eagle Eyes. |
| A．In Connecticut Convention Center. | B．In Mystic Aquarium. |
| C．In Memorial Conservation Center. | D．In The Last Green Valley. |
5 . Having an older brother comes with plenty of benefits. Big brothers tend to look out for their younger siblings(兄弟姐妹）,and despite the occasional rocky moment here and there, many siblings enjoy life-long close relationships. However, a new study finds an interesting downside: children with older brothers take longer when it comes to developing language skills.
The study, conducted by a group of researchers in Paris, France, builds upon earlier research that had already established that having older siblings is associated with poor linguistic(语言的）development. Now, researchers say they have come to a more specific conclusion: only children with an older brother exhibit these linguistic difficulties.
One would assume that children with older brothers would grow up around more conversation on a daily basis, thus speeding up their language development. Yet researchers say such children actually take longer than their older brothers to begin developing these skills.
Researchers studied more than 1,000 children from birth to the age of five-and-a-half years old. Each child’s language skills were tested at ages 2,3,and 5.5,using tests specially designed to measure numerous aspects of language development such as vocabulary, syntax, and verbal reasoning.
What the research team discovered was significant: children with an older brother had, on average, a two-month delay in their language development compared to those with an older sister.
As far as explaining this phenomenon, researchers have proposed two hypotheses(假设).The first is that older sisters tend to talk more often than older brothers, which would compensate for parents potentially being less present than they were for their first child. The second hypothesis is that older sisters usually compete with their siblings less than older brothers for their parents’ attention.
As of now, the study’s authors say they can’t say for certain why children with older brothers have a harder time developing language skills. In the future they would like to investigate if culture or location affects the results of these studies.
1. What does the underlined word“downside”in paragraph 1 mean?| A．difficulty | B．drawback | C．mistake | D．burden |
| A．Having older siblings will affect the younger one’s language development. |
| B．Many children prefer having brothers and sisters. |
| C．Older brothers may have something to do with the linguistic difficulties. |
| D．Children with older siblings would grow up around more conversation. |
| A．Parents tend to focus more on the first child. |
| B．Older sisters are more caring than older brothers. |
| C．Older brothers always seek to get more attention from their parents. |
| D．Younger children are always ignored by their older brothers. |
| A．The reasons for children’s delay in language development. |
| B．Other aspects that may influence the outcomes of the study. |
| C．More assumptions to explain the phenomenon. |
| D．The effect of culture on children’s language learning. |
6 . In one of my favorite photographs of my mother, she's about 18 and very tall, with long, blond hair. It's the 1970s and my dad is there, too, hugging her from behind．
I haven't seen this photo for years. I have no idea where it is now, but I still think of it and, specifically, my mom is in it. She looks so young and innocent. At that time she hasn't yet dropped out of college, or got married. The young woman in this photo has no idea that life will bring her five children and five grandchildren, one divorce, two marriages and a move across the country．
For me, as for many daughters, the time before my mother became a mother is a string of stories, told and retold: the time she sold her childhood Barbie doll to buy a ticket to Woodstock; the time she worked as a waitress at Howard Johnson's, struggling to pay her way through her first year at Rutgers. The old photos of her are even more appealing than the stories because they're a historical record, carrying the weight of fact．
It is always a comfort from those photos to know that time, aging and motherhood cannot take away a woman's essential identity. For daughters who closely resemble their moms, it must be an even bigger comfort: these mothers and daughters are twins, separated by a generation ,and an old photo serves as a kind of mirror．
For daughters, these old photos of our mothers feel like both a chasm(巨大差异)and a bridge. The woman in the picture is someone other than the woman we know. She is also exactly the person in the photo-still, right now. Finally, we see that the woman we've come to think of as Mom-whether she's nurturing(养育), or disapproving, or thoughtful, or supportive, or sentimental--is also a mysterious, fun, brave babe．
She's been here all this time.
1. What can we know about the author's mother from paragraphs 2&3?| A．She divorced twice all her life |
| B．Life was tough for her during her first year at college |
| C．She traveled across the country in her youth |
| D．She was good at storytelling |
| A．The photo reminds her of her mother |
| B．Her mother looks young and happy in the photo |
| C．She wonders why her mother dropped out of college |
| D．The photo tells a lot about her mother in her youth |
| A．the photos are kept well even after generations |
| B．the photos record the life of the mothers faithfully |
| C．the photos help daughters to learn more about their mothers |
| D．the photos show the essential part of the mothers remains unchanged |
| A．The Pictures of Our Mothers |
| B．Our Mothers as We Never Saw Them |
| C．My Favorite Picture of My Mother |
| D．The Way to Learn About Our Mothers |
7 . Enter the 17th Annual Kids’ Fish Art Contest
Each fall, Ontario students are invited to enter the Kids’ Fish Art Contest．This free annual contest lets you show off your artistic talents and learn about Ontario’s native fish and their habitats．
The contest is open to all students：
●who are residents of Ontario
●currently attending elementary or secondary school(or homeschooled)
●between the grades of 4-12
Children of Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry’s Fish and Wildlife Services Branch employees are not permitted．
Prizes
There is 1 winner for each of the 3 categories：
●grades of 4-6 ●grades of 7-9 ●grades of 10-12
This year’s prizes include：
●a fishing trip at Brennan Harbour Resort
●a day of fishing with Canadian Sport fishing Television Show Host, Italo Labignan
●the winning designs advance to an international competition
Key dates
Opens: September 30,2019
Closes: December 6,2019
Announcement of winners: March 2020
How to enter
1.Prepare your entry：
●original artwork ●a short essay
2.Download and complete the entry form．
3.Mail your entry, postmarked no later than December 6,2019
To: Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry
Kids’Fish Art Contest
Peter borough ON K9J 3C7
Do：
●provide your artistic interpretation of the fish in its habitat
●submit your original, hand-done creation
Do not：
●use photographs, tracings, computer-generated artwork
●submit freehand copies of other people’s work
●put any lettering, signatures or initials on the front of the design
Essay
Write a 1-page essay about：
●your fish ●its habitat ●how to protect it for future generations
Include your name and address on your essay．
1. Who can sigh up for the contest?
| A．Julie, a 3 grader from Ontario | B．Ian, whose father works with the contest |
| C．Brian, a 6-grade homeschooler | D．Olivia, who lives outside of Ontario |
| A．September 30,2019 | B．December 6,2019． |
| C．March 2020 | D．December 31,2019． |
| A．mail the entry form to the contest holder |
| B．put their names on their artworks |
| C．ensure their entries are received by December 6,2019 |
| D．create their artworks by hand |
8 . Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are compounds(化合物;复合物) that are set to solve some tough challenges: producing water in the desert, removing greenhouse gases from the air and storing dangerous gases more safely.
The Arizona desert is really dry. Anyone stuck in it without water would die from dehydration (脱水) within three days, unless he had one of Omar Yaghi's next-generation water harvesters, who is a chemist at the University of California, Berkeley. Although daytime wetness is only about 10 percent, this rises to 40 percent at night, which means there's enough water in the atmosphere to support life - if it can be transformed into liquid form.
That's exactly what Yaghi's invention does. It's about the size of a small microwave oven, designed to suck the water from the air at night and turn it into drinking water the next day using only the heat of the sun as its power source. What makes it work is a special material called a MOF, which at normal temperatures attracts water molecules (分子) onto the surface of its internal small holes. Warm it up and get the water, each harvest producing one-third of a cup of pure drinking water. "A device the size of a washing machine could produce enough water for the basic needs of a household," says Yaghi.
These crystalline (结晶的) groups of metals linked by organic molecules can be made into materials with an extremely high absorption ability, attracting specific molecules to their surfaces. In this way, MOFscling toa variety of liquids and gases.
MOFs work thanks to their distinctive structure. In fact, one MOF the size of a sugar cube has so many small holes that they would cover an area as large as six football fields. MOFs are also extremely stable, light and have many different uses: their molecular structure can be varied to attract specific molecules. Adding a small amount of heat or pressure causes the MOF to give what it's holding. More than 70,000 different MOFs have been produced to date for various applications.
1. Why is the Arizona desert mentioned in the second paragraph?| A．To introduce water harvesters. |
| B．To stress the importance of water. |
| C．To show the severity of its condition. |
| D．To express the urgent need for water there. |
| A．Solar energy. |
| B．Water molecules. |
| C．Metal-organic frameworks. |
| D．MOFs' internal small holes. |
| A．Give off. |
| B．Tum into. |
| C．Hold onto. |
| D．Break down. |
| A．The future of the MOF technology. |
| B．Other uses of the MOF technology. |
| C．The improvement to the MOF technology. |
| D．Possible limitations of the MOF technology. |
Nike
In the Greek myth, Nike is the goddess of victory and the source of inspiration for soldiers. This logo represents the wing in the famous statue of the Greek goddess. Nike’s logo was designed by Carolyn Davidson in 1971 for $35, and was registered as a trademark in 1995.
McDonald’s
The logo was designed in 1962 by Jim Schindler to resemble the archshaped(拱形的) signs on the side of the company’s then walk-up hamburger stand. Later on, the two golden arches were combined together to form the M. The McDonald’s name was added to the logo in 1968.
Apple
There are different stories behind Apple’s logo. The first logo was a reference to the religious story of Adam and Eve, in which the apple represented the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. One year later, the second logo was designed in 1977 by Steve Jobs and Ronald Wayne, and it described Sir Isaac Newton sitting under an apple tree. This logo didn’t stay long. One year later it was replaced almost immediately by graphic designer Rob Janoff’s “rainbow apple”, a rainbow-colored silhouette(轮廓) of an apple with a bite taken out of it. And then the rainbow-colored apple was replaced by the one-colored logo in 1998. It has not been changed so far.
Mercedes Benz
The Mercedes Benz logo, which was originally created by Gottlieb Daimler in 1909, consists of a simple description of a three-pointed star that represents its rule of the land, the sea and the air. The company was founded by Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach. Mercedes is the name of Maybach’s elder daughter, while Benz came as a result of a combination with Benz, Cie and DMG in 1926.
Adidas
The Adidas logo, which was created by the founder of the company Adi Dassler, represents mountains, pointing towards the challenges that are seen ahead and goals that can be achieved. The logo was used for the first time in 1967.
1. What does the author think of the stories of the great logos?
| A．They are boring. | B．They are out of date. |
| C．They are attractive. | D．They are practical. |
| A．The goddess of victory. |
| B．The source of inspiration for soldiers. |
| C．The statue of the Greek goddess. |
| D．The wing of the Greek goddess. |
| A．the religious story of Adam and Eve |
| B．a bitten apple with only one color |
| C．Newton’s sitting under an apple tree |
| D．the rainbow-colored bitten apple |
| A．Nike’s logo | B．Apple’s logo |
| C．The Mercedes logo | D．The Adidas logo |
| A．Mercedes Benz –McDonald’s – Nike – Apple. |
| B．Nike – McDonald’s – Apple – Mercedes Benz. |
| C．McDonald’s – Apple – Nike – Mercedes Benz. |
| D．Nike – Mercedes Benz – McDonald’s – Apple. |
10 . Reducing plastic waste isn't easy because the cheap material is found in almost every household item. Now, a delicious and nutritious solution has come up to help reduce our dependence on this environmental hazard.
David Christian, the co-founder of Evoware, says the idea of creating the biodegradable (生物降解的) products came from concern at the country’s high pollution rate. Indonesia is home to four of the world's worst polluted rivers. Since single-use packaging is a large contributor to the problem, Evoware decided to deal with that first.
After investigating various materials, the company settled on seaweed. Unlike corn, commonly used for biodegradable containers, seaweed does not require resources like water or large amounts of space. Since Indonesian farmers already harvest more seaweed than they can sell, it's easy for the company to find the material.
Though they will not reveal their production process, Evoware says the seaweed packaging contains no chemicals and is safe to consume. The company has also invented single-use cups, which can break down 30 days after they're thrown away.
While replacing plastic with the seaweed products may seem appealing to most of us, it is a hard-sell in Indonesia. According to Christian, ''The awareness to reduce single-use plastic is still very low. This makes our bioplastic unnecessary.” Also a factor is the cost, which is higher than using plastic. Hopefully, Evoware will succeed in convincing Indonesians and people worldwide that switching to their products will be helpful to protecting our beautiful planet.
1. What problem did Evoware decide to deal with first?| A．Ways to clean the four worst polluted rivers. |
| B．What nutritious materials for people to use. |
| C．How to deal with single-use packaging. |
| D．Means to contribute to the country's economy. |
| A．It didn't require much space and was easy to get. |
| B．It could be found everywhere in his country. |
| C．It was most commonly used for packaging. |
| D．It grew thickly in most of the polluted rivers. |
| A．Their seaweed products have won government support. |
| B．Sometimes it's hard to get people to reduce the use of plastics. |
| C．Their new products have received worldwide popularity. |
| D．The cost of making seaweed products will be lowered soon. |
| A．Something lasting long. | B．Something hard to accept. |
| C．Something easy to get. | D．Something commonly seen. |
