1 . While orcas are known for their well-designed joint attacks on unsuspecting oceanic animals, they have never posed a threat to humans. However, since July 2020, the normally social animals have been intentionally attacking sailboats off the coasts of Spain. The unusual hostility is puzzling scientists worldwide.
The strange behavior first surfaced on July 29, when Victoria Morris, a biology graduate, noticed nine orcas circling the 46 foot boat she was crewing near the shores of the Strait of Gibraltar. She was initially cheerful to see the friendly animals, with which she had numerous encounters while teaching sailing in New Zealand. However, that changed when the orcas started striking the boat repeatedly for almost an hour. “They almost turned the boat over and the deafening noise was terrifying,” she said.
The continuous attacks broke the boat's automatic rudder, leaving the boat disabled. Spanish biologist Rocio Espada says, “It is crazy. I've seen these whales grow from babies. I know their life stories. I've never seen or heard of attacks.”
Since then, over 30 more similar incidents have been reported. Some researchers believe the orcas' unusual behavior could be a result of the overfishing of tuna—orcas' primary food source—which has left the area's orcas starving and unable to feed their babies. “I saw orcas look at boats carrying fish. The intelligent animals may know humans are somehow related to food shortages,” says Ken Balcomb, an American scientist.
However, Alfredo Lopez a Spanish biology professor, thinks the attacks were preventative measures the orcas adopted to protect themselves against boat injuries. The researcher came to this conclusion after looking at the footage of a few incidents filmed on the scene and noticing that two of the young orcas involved had serious injuries. The scientist wasn't sure if the orcas were hurt during or before the recent boat encounters. Lopez said, “Our interpretation is that they don't have the slightest intention of attacking people.” Hopefully, the experts will find a way to restore the harmony between the animals and humans soon.
1. What does the underlined word “hostility” in paragraph 1 mean?| A．Unfriendliness. | B．Defence. | C．Cooperation. | D．Impatience. |
| A．Her major led her to anticipate orcas' intense attacks. |
| B．She rarely spotted orcas when working as a sailing coach. |
| C．Her joy gave way to fear after the orcas began attacking the boat. |
| D．She was doing research on the shore when she caught sight of nine orcas. |
| A．Predictable. | B．Abnormal. | C．Unavoidable. | D．Natural. |
| A．Orcas frequently get hurt by boats. | B．Orcas enjoy playing tricks on humans. |
| C．Orcas are punishing humans for overfishing. | D．Orcas attack boats to safeguard against dangers. |
2 . One day, Amanda was diagnosed (诊断) with cancer of an early stage. During this time, she was admitted to a college. She planned to save money to meet the college expense and then seek medical treatment for the cancer.
Her father, Clint and her friends didn’t want her to put off her treatment due to the expense. They took matters into their own hands and started a GoFundMe campaign. A longtime friend of the family was cofounder of a group named Praynksters, known for random acts of kindness. The friend decided to use their own group to help the family. The group came up with the creative idea to spread the word and invite families, friends, and strangers who wanted to help to take part in a donation activity. The event induced the enormous assistance from the local community.
Clint and Amanda were moved as the crowd passed by and the donations poured in. The event brought the family over $13, 000 in donations to go towards her medical treatments. The generous act of kindness gave the family a comforting, and optimistic feeling during a time when all hope seemed lost. Clint said that Amanda struggled with the idea of asking for help. She felt guilty and undeserving compared to others who are also struggling. She is still humbled by it all.
After several months of treatment, life for the family has started getting back to their normal routine. Once Amanda got her strength back, she returned to school and completed her bachelor's degree. The family is now inspired to volunteer in their local neighborhood and contribute to crowdfunding (众筹) efforts. They are grateful for the opportunity to give back and help others as many have helped them.
1. Why did Amanda postpone her treatment of cancer?| A．She didn't care about her disease. |
| B．She had to take care of her family. |
| C．She was in a bad economic situation. |
| D．She couldn’t find an effective treatment. |
| A．Brought about. | B．Made up. |
| C．Gave away. | D．Set about. |
| A．Shameful but caring. |
| B．Kind-hearted and grateful. |
| C．Curious and warm-hearted. |
| D．Hard- working and humorous. |
| A．It's quite easy to cure Amanda’s cancer. |
| B．Praynksters is a nonprofit organization funded by Clint. |
| C．Volunteering is very popular in Amanda's community. |
| D．A GoFundMe campaign is actually a crowdfunding activity. |
3 . Envelope Budget
From McDonald’s to Sonic, fast food had a bad effect on my waistline and my budget. It was nothing to run to a drive-through to pick up a cold drink or a quick bite to eat. It was so easy to use my card for a small purchase. For me, I got a lot of satisfaction from fast food.
One day I sat down and calculated that I was spending a surprising $40 a week on fast food. This was a lot of iced coffee and hamburgers! Instead of reducing my guilty pleasures, I decided to give myself a strong budget to reduce my consumption. Every Monday I placed an envelope with$20 in my purse. That was my fast food budget for the entire week. If there was anything left over at the end of the week, it was mine to save or spend. If I spent all of the money during the week, there were no more fast food stops that week.
The budget made me more mindful of my purchases. Instead of purchasing a large drink from Sonic, I would purchase a small. It was still satisfying but not nearly as pricey. Instead of eating a whole meal, I would pick the part that I actually wanted. Many days, the thought of hanging onto the money for a special purpose meant more to me than the instant satisfaction of fast food. I never really felt unhappy because it was a conscious choice to spend or save with each purchase.
Envelope budget kept me honest. I had a clear idea how much money was spent each week on fast food purchases. I started to bring my lunches more often to save more money for the week. It was a fun challenge to see how much I could save every week.
Changing the way I spent on fast food not only helped my budget, but improved my weight. In the first month I was able to get rid of 5 pounds by simply changing the way I approached spending on fast food. Now I am more likely to bring my lunch than to buy it. I am not upset, but empowered to make positive choices to improve my life.
1. According to Paragraph 1, the author ______.| A．had no time to cook for herself | B．was fond of fast food very much |
| C．lived with a small amount of money | D．got some benefits from using her card |
| A．envelope budget is good for health | B．the budget means a pressure on life |
| C．it is unusual to make some changes | D．it is hard to enjoy a healthy lifestyle |
| A．Why the author became addicted to fast food. | B．Why the author took envelope budget seriously. |
| C．How fast food controlled the author’s behavior. | D．How envelope budget changed the author’s life. |
4 . Best Tours in Auckland
Waiheke Island
With the best of the island’s two selling points — nature and wine — this tour will have you cross through the island’s bushland, and drink award-winning wines. You’ll see New Zealand’s famously shy wildlife and native plants.
Tour: Waiheke Island Vineyards and Bush Walk
Money: $ 130 for a family of three
Coromandel
This day tour allows you to get to some of the area’s places far away. Your guide will drop you off at Stony Bay where you will begin the 10-kilometre hike to Fletcher Bay, where you will be collected. You can enjoy its natural beauty, with the shining ocean alongside you. Don’t forget your bathing suit to make the most of the place at the end of the route.
Tour: Coromandel Coastal Walkway Day Tour
Money: $ 45 per person
Hamilton
Explore endangered species of flora and fauna at Sanctuary Mountain. It’s a place where at-risk species can grow without human nearing them. Your guide will explain the species and the reasons they’re endangered to you.
Tour: Guided Forest Tour of Sanctuary Mountain
Money: $ 42 per person
Waitomo
Put on your boots and helmet, and prepare to go down underground, hiking among rocks and streams. The tour is limited to six people, allowing you a much more comfortable and personalized experience.
Tour: Glow-worm Caving Adventure
Money: $55 per adult &. $ 25 per child
1. Where can a person go for swimming according to the passage?| A．Waiheke Island. | B．Coromandel. |
| C．Hamilton. | D．Waitomo. |
| A．Waiheke Island Vineyards and Bush Walk. |
| B．Coromandel Coastal Walkway Day Tour. |
| C．Guided Forest Tour of Sanctuary Mountain. |
| D．Glow-worm Caving Adventure. |
| A．People can hike a long distance. |
| B．Endangered animals can be seen. |
| C．The number of tourists is limited. |
| D．Tourists can drink award winning wines. |
5 . Bears eat human food when they can get some.But in a new study, the more human food 30 female black bears ate, the less time those bears were likely to spend hibernating(冬眠）．In turn,bears that hibernated less were likely to score worse in a test for aging.
The new research grew out of an earlier project to see what wild black bears across Colorado were eating, says Jonathan Pauli, a researcher from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Another researcher Rebecca Kirby checked diets of hundreds of bears across the state when she was a Ph.D.student. She found that hunters there were not allowed to set out bear bait（诱饵）。That means the animals' way to get human food is mostly through finding human food themselves.
When bears eat more human food, their bodies pick up higher levels of a form of carbon known as carbon-13.It comes from plants such as corn. The researcher found the telltale(报警的） form of carbon in an earlier study. They found bears in some places ate a large share of people's leftovers(剩饭）．Sometimes,these leftovers could make up more than 30 percent of a bear's diets,Pauli note.
In the new study,Kirby looked at the effect of diet on hibernation. Bears usually sleep for four to six months,during which female bears give birth. Kirby and her colleagues focused on 30 female bears around Durango, Colo. These bears were watched over by the state's parks and wildlife department. The team first tested bears for carbon-13.They found the ones that ate more human-related food tended to hibernate for shorter periods.
Studies on smaller animals show that hibernation may slow the aging process. If true, shortening the seasonal sleep may have an ill effect on bears. To test it, the researchers tested for relative changes in the length of telomeres(染色体端粒）。In the new study,bears that hibernated for shorter periods tended to have telomeres that shortened more quickly than those of other bears. This suggests the animals were aging faster,the team says.
The bears didn't always meet Kirby's needs for several kinds of data, so she can't say there is a direct and "certain" connection between what bears eat and aging. So far,Kirby calls the evidence "suggestive".
1. What does the new study show about bears?| A．They have much difficulty in getting food. |
| B．Hibernating is their best way to stay young. |
| C．Eating human food might cause fast aging. |
| D．They hibernate for shorter periods than before. |
| A．Hunters usually use human food as bear bait. |
| B．Carbon-13 levels will fall if bears eat human food. |
| C．Bears seem to be able to find human food on their own. |
| D．Many bears only eat people's leftovers as their diets. |
| A．Hibernating for enough time. |
| B．Being weak with hunger. |
| C．Eating much human food. |
| D．Slowing the aging process. |
6 . NATURE has many ways of reminding us who is in charge. Her most deadly weapons — bacteria, viruses, and parasites (寄生虫) —claim millions of lives every year.
But thanks to the hard work of great scientists, mankind could turn nature against itself. And it is for exactly this sort of work that the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine on Oct 5.
Half of the prize was awarded to the Irish William Campbell and the Japanese Satoshi Ōmura for discovering avermectin (阿维菌素), a drug that kills the parasitic worms that cause river blindness and lymphatic filariasis (象皮病). Chinese scientist Tu Youyou shared the other half of the prize for developing Artemisinin, a drug that helps kill the parasite that causes malaria.
Ōmura is a microbiologist by training. He studied Streptomyces bacteria to find compounds (化合物) that work against harmful microbes (微生物). Campbell, working in the US, took bacteria found by Ōmura and took out avermectin, which is effective against parasites in farm animals. An improved type of avermectin was later produced for humans, which greatly reduced the cases of river blindness and lymphatic filariasis.
Avermectin comes from bacteria, but artemisinin comes from plants. Its discovery was the result of Project 523, a Chinese government project to find a new malaria drug in the late 1960s.
Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease caused by parasites, which attack red blood cells, causing fever, and sometimes, brain damage and death. Tu and her team made 380 herbal extracts from 2,000 recipes from traditional Chinese medical books. In 1971, after more than 190 failures, Tu’s team finally found an extract that was 100 percent effective against malaria parasites. It was called qinghaosu, later renamed artemisinin. In 2001, the World Health Organization named artemisinin the first choice in the treatment of malaria.
Millions of people are still troubled by infections caused by parasites. But the WHO said that by 2013, malaria deaths had fallen by 47 percent compared with 2000. Similarly, river blindness used to be one of the leading causes of preventable blindness. These days, doctors are talking about chances of wiping the disease off Earth. All of these achievements would not be possible at all without the drugs that Campbell, Ōmura and Tu helped to discover.
1. The drug Tu Youyou developed, artemisinin, has proven effective in treating ______.| A．river blindness |
| B．malaria |
| C．lymphatic filariasis |
| D．infections caused by Streptomyces bacteria |
| A．bacteria | B．plants | C．farm animals | D．ocean animals |
| A．It took Tu and her team about 10 years to discover artemisinin. |
| B．Tu and her team achieved success after about 380 failures. |
| C．Artemisinin has saved millions of people’s lives since its discovery. |
| D．Artemisinin was discovered thanks to the efforts of scientists from at home and abroad. |
7 . Volunteering abroad is a great way to help others，improve your skills and become a more confident，independent person. If you are interested in volunteering abroad，here are some places to go.
Australia
If you seek a life on the beach，in a great climate with friendly people，Australia might be your best bet. With thousands of volunteers already signing up to leave for Australia during the holidays，it will be a very popular option.
Brazil
This vast country has some great opportunities on offer and is especially popular this year. A lot of volunteer work is available in Brazil centers on conservation and ecological projects. With the world's largest rainforest in Brazil，of which huge part is in danger，there are lots of different jobs you can do.
Kenya
Kenya is the destination for those seeking an African experience. Generally volunteers in Kenya work in orphanages (孤儿院) or with local children living in slums. There is a great demand for volunteers in Africa because many people live in poverty，so if you truly feel like making a difference to a community，Kenya should be at the top of your list.
Costa Rica
Golden sandy beaches，clear coastlines and beautiful cities are what Costa Rica is all about. Because of its small size，you can see a lot of the country in just a short time. You can really make the most of your time as a volunteer. A lot of work is needed with wildlife and ecological work，so if you want to look after turtles on the beach，Costa Rica could be just the place for you.
1. If you are interested in protecting the environment，you will probably go to .| A．Australia | B．Brazil | C．Kenya | D．Costa Rica |
| A．animals | B．plants | C．the elderly | D．children |
| A．take care of trees in the forests | B．surf with children in the water |
| C．work with animals on the beach | D．look after children who have lost their parents |
8 . Chicken is America’s most popular meat. Many people assume chicken follows a simple rule-of-thumb: Pink chicken turned white means “done.” It’s similar to how we cook other meats. But is this true? To study how cooks at home follow safety recommendations, researchers filmed 75 households in five European countries. From a random but nonrepresentative sample, they also conducted an online survey of nearly 4,000 households in the same countries that say they cook chicken.
Worried that chicken would dry out, most home cooks determined doneness by color and texture (口感) inside the meat, they found. Few bothered with thermometers (温度计), claiming they took too much time, were too complicated to use, didn’t fit in the chicken or weren’t necessary (although easy-to-use thermometers are inexpensive and widely available).
In additional lab experiments, the scientists injected raw chicken breast with bacteria (细菌), which cause millions of sicknesses, thousands of hospitalizations and hundreds of deaths each year in the United States. They cooked the breasts until they reached core temperatures ranging from 122 to 158 Fahrenheit, and they discovered something surprising. At 158 degrees, but not lower, bacteria inside the chickens’ cores was reduced to safe levels, and when cut open its flesh appeared dull and fibrous, not shiny like raw chicken. But meat began changing from pink to white far below this, and most color change occurred below 131 degrees Fahrenheit. Sometimes, the chicken’s core would be safely cooked, but unsafe levels of bacteria still existed on surfaces that hadn’t touched the grill plate.
So what are you supposed to do?
Dr. Bruno Goussault, a scientist and chef, recommends buying and cooking breasts and legs separately. Bring the breast’s core to 165 degrees Fahrenheit, he said, and the leg to between 168.8 and 172.4 Fahrenheit. If you really want to safely measure temperature for a whole chicken, insert a pop-up thermometer into the thickest part of the leg before roasting it, Dr. Goussault suggests. By the time it pops, the breasts will have long cooked. They will likely be dry and far from his standards of culinary (烹饪的) perfection. But you’ll be sure to, as Dr. Goussault says in French, “dormir sur ses deux oreilles,” or, figuratively, “sleep peacefully.”
1. Why didn’t home cooks measure temperature with a thermometer?| A．They could not afford it. | B．It affected the taste of the meat. |
| C．It was not available in supermarkets. | D．They thought it was too much trouble. |
| A．was free of bacteria | B．still remained pink |
| C．appeared to dry out | D．was reduced in size |
| A．The meat does not taste best when bacteria free. |
| B．The leg becomes fully cooked before the breast. |
| C．A whole chicken requires a higher temperature. |
| D．The thermometer should be placed inside the breast. |
| A．Food safety. | B．Simple lifestyle. |
| C．Cooking skills. | D．Kitchen equipment. |
9 . Pamela Simpson is 53,“not sporty” and has suffered from asthma(哮喘) all her life. Two years ago her son Jay-Teale, now 10, took up BMX(自行车越野赛).“I enjoyed watching him and thought I'd like to try it,” Simpson recalls. “But I didn't want to embarrass myself. I hadn't ridden for over 40 years.”
Then she noticed a session for women and girls at Burgess Park BMX Track in Peckham, south-east London, where Jay-Teale trained. This season Simpson raced at the London BMX series and finished third in her category.
“It was the most worrying experience of my life. But it was also exhilarating,” she says cheerfully. “My son is proud of me. We now share a real love for the sport. It has brought us closer together.”
Since becoming part of the Olympic Games in 2008, the popularity of BMX has risen. A program introduced in London in 2011 by the sports development charity Access Sport has seen tracks built in several London regions, backed up with investment in coaching, and the program is being rolled out to Bristol.
Mavolwane Wright's children Skye,11 and Xander,10 are sponsored riders who have represented Great Britain in every world championship since 2014. Mavolwane Wright says she was motivated to start BMX herself out of an interest aroused by watching so much of it. “It's an eye-opener to share your children's interests,” she explains. “You comprehend what they go through in a much more direct way. It adds another dimension to your relationship.”
It is also a high-impact sport and the risks are fairly obvious. “I totally get the fear,” says Emma Budgens, 51, a BMX exercise coach and cycling instructor. “It's the fear of doing something new, of getting hurt. But I say, ‘Come and give it a try.’ The chance of having an accident is slim, and you can spend time on the flat to improve your confidence.”
1. What can we learn about Pamela Simpson from the first two paragraphs?| A．She tended to be inactive. | B．She performed poorly in the race. |
| C．She used to feel awkward in public. | D．She trained at Burgess Park BMX Track. |
| A．Annoying. | B．Inspiring. |
| C．Thrilling. | D．Challenging. |
| A．More life skills. | B．Stronger will. |
| C．More confidence in themselves. | D．Better parent-child relationships. |
| A．Risky but actually secure. | B．Demanding but open to all. |
| C．Competitive but instructive. | D．Pleasant but time-consuming. |
10 . Nasr Majid started hunting this fall at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge (保护区)on the Eastern Shore of Maryland in USA, He’s one of the relatively few new hunters who officials hope will help stop a nearly four-decade decline nationally in what has become a hobby for fewer than 5 percent of Americans.
Natural resources and wildlife, officials in Maryland are encouraging hunting of deer, turkeys and some other wild animals, which is believed to be good for the environment. Without hunting, they say, sika deer will overpopulate the wildlife refuge and they’ll overeat the bushes and other plants that provide important habitat for birds. On the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay, hunting is also important to prevent the spread of diseases such as Lyme.
In many families, the hunting tradition has been handed down for generations^ But as longtime sportsmen age and children lose interest, the number of hunters in the United States fell by 2 million, from 2011 to 2018, to about 11 million.
“Everything is changing. Kids are growing up in front of video games and computers instead of going hunting.” said Chris Markin, a hunting specialist for the state natural resources department. “Adults usually focus on working and providing for their families. Those pressures are preventing many other potential hunters from going out, and from raising the next generation of hunters.”
To avoid such a decline, a new approach is needed. Government agencies and nonprofit groups are now launching mentoring (指导) programs to train more hunters, which not only helps preserve an industry and a culture but also means more protection for wildlife and their habitats through deer population control and investment.
Luckily, there are those still eager to learn, like Majid. He was just looking for an outdoor hobby he could share with his children when he came across the mentors-hip program. Now, he feels capable of hunting on his own, but also has someone he can text with questions that pop up. His new pastime has already paid off for him—on his second hunt with his mentor, in the last minutes of daylight, he bagged his first deer.
1. What can be inferred from Chris Markin’s words?| A．No one is interested in hunting any more. |
| B．Hunting adds to many adults’ life pressures. |
| C．Parents fail to spend enough time with kids. |
| D．The hunting tradition is facing challenges. |
| A．bravery | B．hope |
| C．enthusiasm | D．devotion |
| A．Learning to hunt. | B．Raising questions. |
| C．Looking for hunters. | D．Sharing a new hobby. |
| A．Teach hunters new skills. | B．Preserve a great tradition. |
| C．Make hunting more popular. | D．Reduce the pressure of life. |
