2 . Tracking wildlife is a tough job. Take the case of a one-eared leopard named Pavarotti.

Kasim Rafiq, a wildlife biologist at Liverpool John Moores University. “So I used to get up at the crack of dawn, follow his tracks and try and find him. So one day, I went out, and I was looking for him. And his tracks took me off road through this woodland area...and...”

Before he knew it, the wheel of his Land Rover was stuck in a deep hole. He wasted several hours getting it out. And then, on the way back to camp, he came across some local tour guides and their safari (观赏野兽的旅行) guests, who’d had way better luck spotting Pavarotti. “Basically, they laughed and they talked to me that they’d seen him that morning.”

Rafiq then realized that tourist wildlife sightings might be an untapped source of information about wild animals.

So he and his team worked with a safari lodge in Botswana to analyze 25,000 tourist photographs of wildlife. They compared those data to the estimates they made with traditional wildlife biology methods.

It turned out that the estimates from tourists’ photos were just as good as those gleaned (四处搜集) from traditional methods. And the tourists were actually the only ones to see elusive (难以捉摸的) leopards — the researchers would have missed the cats without the citizen science data. The results are in the journal Current Biology.

The idea is not to put wildlife researchers out of a job. “The reality is there are so many interesting things we still have to find out about these large carnivores (食肉动物) and so many conservation (保护) projects that need to be carried out that we don’t have the time or resources to do them all.” And tourist photos might help make sure that all the local carnivores are spotted.

Thanks for listening for Scientific American-60-Second Science. I’m Christopher Intagliata.

1. What happened to Rafiq when he tracked Pavarotti?

A．He was lost in the woods.

B．He was trapped in a deep hole.

C．He found Pavarotti with tourists’ help.

D．He met Pavarotti on the way back to camp.

2. Why can biologists track animals from tourists’ photographs?

A．The photos are sources of information about wildlife.

B．The photos are mirrors of the wildlife researchers’ life.

C．The photos taken by tourists are of high quality.

D．The photos taken by tourists are especially beautiful.

3. What can we infer from paragraph 6?

A．The researchers have missed the data of cats.

B．The information from tourists’ photos was equally good.

C．The value of tourist photos hasn’t been proven.

D．Only the traditional methods can track wildlife.

4. Where can we find the article?

A．On TV.

B．In a magazine.

C．On a radio.

D．In a book.

3 . With paper flowers and music hanging around in the air, Lyu Jun was hosting a small farewell ceremony at an industrial zone in Shenzhen, Guangdong province. It was a funeral for a pet dog. Lyu came up with the idea of becoming a pet mortician (殡葬师) four years ago when he was preparing to start a business.

“At that time, there was only one brick-and-mortar(实体的) business that provided funeral services for pets in Shenzhen, but hundreds of pets die every day in this city,” he said. According to Lyu, many pet owners used to bury the remains of their beloved animals near their homes , which had a harmful impact on the environment and created the risk of spreading disease.

He saw a gap in the market for someone able to properly handle the death of pets. “A pet funeral service provides treatment of the bodies that is harm-free, and it is the greatest comfort to pet owners,” Lyu said.

He takes good care of the remains of the pets and tidies up their appearance before the funeral. In addition, he prepares funeral addresses and selects suitable tombs for the pets. He also films funerals for owners who cannot attend the ceremonies, and provides paper and pens for those who want to write down their blessings and hang the notes on the wishing tree.

Over the past four years, Lyu has bid farewell to more than 2,000 dogs, cats and other kinds of animals. He also does volunteer work in his spare time to promote responsible dog raising. “The pet funeral service industry is still in its babyhood, and I hope there will be a set of strict standards for people who take on this job and a belter environment for the industry,” Lyu said.

1. Why did Lyu start the business on pet funeral service?

A．Because he could earn a lot of money from it.

B．Because he thought it met the market requirement.

C．Because he thought it would be a unique and challenging business.

D．Because he could help owners bury their dead pets near their homes.

2. What does Lyu often do as a pet mortician?

A．He delivers speeches to mourn the pets.

B．He gives best wishes to the pets' owners.

C．He makes films of the pets for their birth.

D．He nurses and cares for the pets carefully.

3. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A．Lyu volunteers to raise pets on his own.

B．The pet funeral service has got a big success.

C．More strict standards should be set for pets' owners.

D．There remains a potential in the pet funeral industry.

4. From which is the text probably taken?

A．A research report.	B．An advertisement.
C．A novel.	D．A magazine.

4 . Nola （August 21, 1974 -November 22, 2015） was a northern white rhino who lived at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park near Escondido, California. At her death, she was one of only four remaining northern white rhinos in the world. The other three lived in Kenya. World Rhino Day, held on September 22, is to raise awareness（意识）of the less than 30,000 other rhinos left on Earth.

“Rhinos need our help today, not tomorrow. "Nola's lead keeper Jane Kennedy said. "Last year we lost over 1,200 rhinos just in South Africa. If we continue to lose more than 1,000 rhinos a year, in 10 to 20 years all the rhinos on the earth will be gone."

Unfortunately, most animals are in danger of dying out because of humans. Kennedy says, “Humans have either poached （偷猎）animals, or because there are over seven billion of us, we've taken up too much of the world's resources." Poachers illegally hunt rhinos for their horns （角）.They sell the horns for thousands of dollars per pound, to be used for art, jewelry, and decorations. Experts believe that one rhino is poached every eight hours.

In 1975, the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research started the Frozen Zoo, a program through which researchers have collected cell samples（细胞样品）from more than 8,000 different types of animals, including the northern white rhino. Scientists hope that by studying the rhino cells, they will get greater understanding of it, and will find ways to increase its numbers.

At the San Diego Zoo, children and adults are welcome to visit and speak with zookeepers to learn about rhinos. For more information, go to www.worldrhinoday.org.

1. What is the purpose of setting up a World Rhino Day?

A．To honor a rhino named Nola.

B．To draw people's attention to rhino protection.

C．To let people know the importance of wildlife protection.

D．To tell people there are still a great number of rhinos left on Earth.

2. What can we infer from paragraph 2?

A．Rhinos will die out soon.

B．The number of rhinos is increasing.

C．Rhinos are under good protection.

D．Immediate action should be taken to protect rhinos.

3. What's the main cause for the decrease of rhinos, according to Kennedy?

A．Human beings' technology.	B．The limited natural resources.
C．The pollution of the environment.	D．Diseases found on their horns.

4. In which part of a newspaper can you read such a passage?

A．Science.

B．Sports.

C．Education.

D．Business

5 . It may sound a bit ^“Dr. Doolittle,” but it turns out kangaroos can communicate with humans. Researchers found that kangaroos communicated with humans “on purpose”--a behavior that was thought to only belong to domesticated(驯养的)animals, like dogs, horses or goats.

Experts from London's University of Roehampton and the University of Sydney set up a task. This task was known as “the unsolvable problem task”・ During the task, they presented kangaroos with food trapped inside a plastic container.

After trying, and failing, to open the boxes, the kangaroos turned their gaze(注视)on a nearby human - and sometimes even pushed or scratched(抓) them to ask for help, researchers said.

“Their gaze was pretty powerful, co-author Alexandra Green said. "We've previously thought only domesticated animals try to ask for help with a problem. But kangaroos do it too. If they can't open the box, they look at the human and back to the container. Some of them use their nose to push the human and some get close to the human and start scratching at him asking for assistance.^,,

Based on these new findings, the team believe kangaroos - considered social animals, like dogs and goats --may be able to change their behavior to interact with humans.

“Through this study, we are able to see that communication between animals can be learnt and that the behaviour of gazing at humans to get food is not related to domestication lead author Alan McElligott said.

^“Indeed, kangaroos showed a very similar pattern of behaviour we have seen in dogs, horses and even goats when put to the same test,“ McElligott added.

1. What have the researchers found about kangaroos?

A．Kangaroos can become domestic animals.

B．Kangaroos can communicate with humans.

C．Kangaroos can learn from domestic animals.

D．Kangaroos have the same habits as domestic animals.

2. What does the underlined word “trapped“ mean in Paragraph 2?

A．Removed.

B．Hidden.

C．Kept.

D．Saved.

3. What are the researchers’ findings based on?

A．Observations.	B．Previous data.
C．Making comparison.	D．Making a survey.

4. In which part of a newspaper is this text most probably taken from?

A．Travel.

B．Education.

C．Technology.

D．Science.

6 . Shenzhen is an ideal shopping place for visitors. The following is a list of the most popular shopping areas in the city.

North Huaqiang Area

The most prosperous shopping area in Shenzhen, it is home to dozens of market places for electronic products, clothing and jewelry. Some market places each house hundreds of shops, from flagship stores selling big brands to small shops where you can bargain.

It is also a great place to dine, with plenty of restaurants offering various Chinese dishes and foreign brands like Pizza Hut, Hagen Dazs and AijiSen.

Dongmen Area

One of the oldest commercial centers in Shenzhen, this area highlights a walking street flanked by humming stores. It is a good place to buy clothes, handbags, fashion accessories, jewelry, handicrafts, toys and small electronic gadgets.

MixC Shopping Mall

It is the city’s largest shopping mall and one of the most luxurious, selling clothes, cosmetics and fashion accessories. There is a large indoor ice skating rink, a movie theater and a supermarket selling many imported goods. You can also find quite a few foreign restaurant brands here, including Pizza Hut, Starbucks and a Japanese noodle house.

Shekou

Sitting by a beautiful cove in Western Nanshan District, this quiet place is frequented by many expatriates living in Shenzhen. There are stores selling antiques, collectibles, handicrafts and souvenirs, as well as bars and restaurants offering western food.

1. What can you do at North Huaqiang Area？

A．Skate.	B．Enjoy Chinese food.
C．Watch a film.	D．Buy antiques.

2. Where can you find a large indoor place to skate？

A．In North Huaqiang Area.	B．In Dongmen Area.
C．In MixC Shopping Mall.	D．In Shekou.

3. Where does this passage probably come from？

A．A text book.	B．A museum guide.
C．A news report.	D．A travel magazine.

7 . Shanghai residents （居民） passing through the city’s eastern Huangpu district earlier this month might have discovered an unusual sight a “walking” building.

An 85-year-old primary school has been lifted off the ground in its entirety and relocated using new technology named the “walking” machine.

In the city’s latest effort to protect historic structures, engineers used nearly 200 mobile supports under the five-story building, according to Lan Wuji, chief technical supervisor of the project.

The supports act like robotic legs. They’re split into two groups which in turns rise up and down, like the human step. The sensors （感应器）help control how the building moves forward, said Lan.

In recent years, China’s rapid modernization has seen many historic buildings destroyed to clear land for skyscrapers and office buildings. But there has been growing concern about the architectural heritage （遗产）loss as a result of destruction across the country.

It is true Shanghai has been China’s most progressive city when it comes to heritage preservation. The survival of a number of 1930s buildings in the famous bund district and 19th-century “shikumen”（or “stone gate”） houses in the repaired Xintiandi neighborhood has offered examples of how to give old buildings new life.

The city also has a track record of relocating old buildings. In 2018, the city relocated a 90-year-old building in Hongkou district, which was then considered to be Shanghai’s most complex relocation project to date.

The Lagena Primary School, which weighs 7, 600 tons, faced a new challenge-it’s T-shaped, while previously relocated structures were square or rectangular（长方形的）, according to Xinhua.

Experts and technicians met to discuss possibilities and test a number of different technologies before deciding on the “walking machine”, Xinhua said.

1. Why did the 85-year-old primary school have to be moved?

A．To make room for modern buildings without destroying it.

B．To meet the new requirements of the school.

C．To protect it better as it is a cultural heritage.

D．To give the old building a new life…

2. How did the primary school get moved?

A．By reducing the weight of it.	B．By using movable supports.
C．By dividing it into several parts.	D．By using robotic legs.

3. Which of the following statements may the author agree with?

A．China’s rapid modernization leads to the architectural heritage loss.

B．The move of the primary school is the first example of heritage protection.

C．The different shape of the primary school adds difficulty to its move.

D．The move of the primary school is Shanghai’s most complex relocation project.

4. Where does the passage probably come from?

A．A news report.	B．A science review.
C．A travel magazine.	D．A geography book.

8 . Salad seeds（生菜种子）that went on a round trip to outer space and back grew at a slightly slower rate than the ones on earth, scientists have found, thanks to thousands of young people who helped conduct an out-of-this-world experiment.

The project started in 2015, when British astronaut （宇航员）Tim Peake took a million rocket seeds with him on his journey to the International Space Station （ISS）. The seeds spent six months there before they were sent back to Earth in 2016. In a message sent from the ISS, Peake said the science experiment was to find out if the conditions in space affected the seeds' ability to grow.

Around 600,000 pupils at 8,600 schools in the UK were then asked to grow the rocket seeds that had been to space, along with regular seeds that had never left the planet. Peake described the experiment as "one of the largest and most inspirational experiments of its kind".

The results of the study, which have just been published, found that the space seeds grew more slowly than the ones that had stayed on Earth. Researchers on the experiment said this was due to the stresses of space travel, such as the zero-gravity （零重力）atmosphere and high levels of cosmic rays（宇宙射线）,which slowed the growth of the plants.

Now researchers are hopeful that if the seeds are properly protected, it might be possible to grow plants during future space tasks to other planets. Dr Jake Chandler, from University of London, who led the study, said,“ The possibility of eating home-grown salad on Mars may be one small step closer.

1. Why did Tim Peake take seeds to ISS?

A．To explore the secret to gravity.

B．To have astronauts grow salad in ISS.

C．To promote young kids，interest in salad.

D．To test the space's influence on seeds growth.

2. How did Tim Peake feel about the experiment?

A．Encouraged.

B．Disappointed.

C．Confused.

D．Concerned.

3. From which part of a website is the text probably taken?

A．Health.

B．Science.

C．Educatn.

D．Business.

4. What could be the best title of the text?

A．Space study, a hot topic

B．Salad growing, a hit among students

C．Your salad, grown on Mars, may soon be a reality

D．Man's exploration to Mars, a big step forward

9 . Optimism (乐观) doesn’t mean paying no attention to things that cause stress. But when bad things happen, optimistic people are less likely to be unhappy about themselves and more likely to see the bad things as something that lasts a short time.

A new research has found a direct connection between optimism and healthier diet and exercise behaviors, as well as better heart health, a stronger immune system (免疫系统), better lung function, and lower death risk. “Optimistic people, regardless of sex, often have goals and the confidence to reach them,” Lee said. “Those goals could include healthy habits that contribute to a longer life.”

Studies find only about 25% of our optimism is controlled by our genes (基因), and the rest is up to us. It turns out we can actually train our brain to be more positive. Researchers studied the brains of monks (僧侣) and found surprising results: Tens of thousands of hours of meditation(冥思) had changed the function (机能) of their brains, which support positive qualities. And that may be key in producing the effect on the body.

There are simple mental exercises to develop an optimistic attitude. One of the most effective ways to increase optimism is called the “Best Possible Self” method. That is to imagine ourselves in a future in which we have achieved all our life goals. And keeping a diary in which we list the positive experiences we had can also help shape our attitude. Taking a few minutes each day to write down what makes us thankful can improve our view on life, too.

1. What is the meaning of Lee’s words?

A．Goals can lead to confidence.

B．Better lung function lowers death risk.

C．Optimism is connected with length of life.

D．Sex should be taken into consideration when studying optimism.

2. Why are the brains of monks studied?

A．To lengthen their life.

B．To improve their brains’ function.

C．To prove optimism can be learned.

D．To show genes’ connection with optimism.

3. What is the last paragraph mainly about?

A．How to be a positive person.	B．How to make people thankful.
C．What to write about in a diary.	D．What to do to achieve the goals.

4. Where is this text most likely from?

A．A science magazine.	B．A guidebook.
C．A novel.	D．A diary.

10 . Mankind’s most famous “eye in the sky” turned 30 this year, taking a beautiful image of “space clouds” to celebrate.

The Hubble Space Telescope, known to most simply as “Hubble”, was sent into space on April 24, 1990. The telescope, one of our best space exploration tools, uses a large mirror to collect light and direct it into a powerful digital camera. This allows it to see parts of outer space that are located 10 to 15 billion light-years away.

Each year on its birthday, the telescope takes a new image to celebrate. On its 30^th birthday, Hubble took an image titled “Cosmic Reef”. The picture shows two big clouds of cosmic dust and gas: the giant red nebula NGC 2014 and a smaller blue nebula called NGC 2020, according to Space. The title of the image comes from NGC 2014’s appearance, as it looks like a large reef of red coral.

Hubble has made many important discoveries over the last 30 years. For example, the telescope helped us discover four of Pluto’s five moons. This discovery made it possible to plan a mission for the New Horizons probe, which took never-before-seen images of Pluto in 2015. The telescope has also taken photos of pulsating stars. The regular pulses of light that come from these stars allow us to calculate the age of the universe, which is currently believed to be 13.7 billion years old.

But Hubble’s work is not done yet. It is expected to continue working through the 2020s, when it will be joined by its successor, the James Webb Space Telescope, according to CNET.

1. What is the text mainly about?

A．How the Hubble Space Telescope works.

B．The Hubble telescope’s 30th anniversary.

C．How the Hubble Space Telescope has helped us explore space.

D．How scientists chose the follower of the Hubble telescope.

2. What can we learn from the passage about the Hubble Space Telescope?

A．It was the best space exploration tool.

B．It was designed to be in service for about 40 years.

C．It can see the whole outer space.

D．The James Webb Space Telescope will take place of it soon.

3. How is the telescope’s birthday celebrated each year?

A．By titling a new space picture.	B．By naming a new nebula.
C．By taking a new image of space.	D．By taking a new image of itself.

4. Where is the passage most likely to be found?

A．A magazine.	B．A novel.
C．A report.	D．An advertisement.