1 . Light pollution is a significant but overlooked driver of the rapid decline of insect populations, according to the most comprehensive review of the scientific evidence to date.
Artificial light at night can affect every aspect of insects' lives, the researchers said. "We strongly believe artificial light at night — in combination with habitat loss, chemical pollution.invasive (入侵的) species, and climate change — is driving insect declines, " the scientists concluded after assessing more than 150 studies.
Insect population collapses have been reported around the world, and the first global scientific review published in February, said widespread declines threatened to cause a "catastrophic collapse of nature's ecosystems".
There are thought to be millions of insect species, most still unknown to science, and about half are active at night. Those active in the day may also be disturbed by light at night when they are at rest.
The most familiar impact of light pollution is moths (飞蛾) flapping around a bulb, mistaking it for the moon. Some insects use the polarisation of light to find the water they need to breed, as light waves line up after reflecting from a smooth surface. But artificial light can scupper (使泡汤) this. Insects are important prey (猎物) for many species, but light pollution can tip the balance in favour of the predator if it traps insects around lights. Such increases in predation risk were likely to cause the rapid extinction of affected species, the researchers said.
The researchers said most human-caused threats to insects have analogues in nature, such as climate change and invasive species. But light pollution is particularly hard for insects to deal with.
However, unlike other drivers of decline, light pollution is relatively easy to prevent. Simply turning off lights that are not needed is the most obvious action, he said, while making lights motion-activated also cuts light pollution. Shading lights so only the area needed is lit up is important. It is the same with avoiding blue-white lights, which interfere with daily rhythms. LED lights also offer hope as they can be easily tuned to avoid harmful colours and flicker rates.
1. What is discussed in the passage?| A．Causes of declining insect populations. |
| B．Consequences of insect population collapses. |
| C．Light pollution: the key bringer of insect declines. |
| D．Insect declines: the driver of the collapsed ecosystem. |
| A．How light travels in space. |
| B．How light helps insects find food. |
| C．How the food chain is interrelated. |
| D．How light pollution affects insects. |
| A．Selective things. | B．Similar things. | C．Variations. | D．Limitations. |
| A．To offer solutions. |
| B．To give examples. |
| C．To make comparisons. |
| D．To present arguments. |
2 . When you think of the Himalayas, you may picture tall, rocky, snow-covered peaks. But that’s not true.
The subnival (亚冰雪的) region is the zone between the treeline and the snowline. It is 5 to 5 times as large as the areas of glaciers and permanent snow, which means studying it is vital to understanding the Himalayas as a whole.
The treeline is the edge of an ecosystem where trees are able to grow, and beyond the treeline environmental conditions become too tough to allow tree growth. Meanwhile, snowlines are the boundaries on mountains that separate areas with permanent snow (where snow is present for the majority of the year) from areas with seasonal or no snow.
Researchers used satellite data from 1993 to 2018 to measure plant cover between 4,150 meters and 6,000 meters above sea level. The scientists discovered that the greatest increase in plant cover was between an altitude of 5,000 meters and 5,500 meters. Subnival plants mostly include small shrubs and grasses.
Even areas once completely occupied by glaciers now hold rocks covered with mosses, lichen, and sometimes even flowers. In addition, the snowline seems to be retreating, while the treeline is expanding. This shows that the region is becoming warmer, causing more melting of snow and allowing vegetation to move up in height.
In the past 40 years, 25% of all Himalayan ice has been lost due to global warming. Himalayan glaciers are reducing by about 0.5 meters each year. The rate of glacier melting has doubled in this decade. The melting of glaciers increases water in the region, making it wetter. Receding snow also forces the snowline to move up, providing a greater amount of area for the warm and moist conditions, which are perfect for vegetation growth.
As of now, we do not know whether vegetation will accelerate or slow down the rate of glacier melting.
1. How does the writer develop the third paragraph?| A．By explaining concepts. | B．By providing some examples. |
| C．By analyzing causes and effects. | D．By listing specific data. |
| A．Disappearing. | B．Lengthening. | C．Withdrawing. | D．Widening. |
| A．The snowline moves up. | B．Glaciers are melting faster. |
| C．The subnival area is wetter. | D．Plants grow much better. |
| A．The climate of the Himalayas is changing. | B．Icebergs in the Himalayas have disappeared. |
| C．Plants are diverse in the Himalayas. | D．Plant life spreads in the Himalayas. |
3 . Albert Einstein’s 1915 masterpiece “The Foundation of the General Theory of Relativity” is the first and still the best introduction to the subject, and I recommend it as such to students. But it probably wouldn’t be publishable in a scientific journal today.
Why not? After all, it would pass with flying colours the tests of correctness and significance. And while popular belief holds that the paper was incomprehensible to its first readers, in fact many papers in theoretical physics are much more difficult.
As the physicist Richard Feynman wrote, “There was a time when the newspapers said that only 12 men understood the theory of relativity. I do believe there might have been a time when only one man did, because he was the only guy who caught on, before he wrote his paper. But after people read the paper a lot understood the theory of relativity in some way or other, certainly more than 12.”
No, the problem is its style. It starts with a leisurely philosophical discussion of space and time and then continues with an exposition of known mathematics. Those two sections, which would be considered extraneous today, take up half the paper. Worse, there are zero citations of previous scientists’ work, nor are there any graphics. Those features might make a paper not even get past the first editors.
A similar process of professionalization has transformed other parts of the scientific landscape. Requests for research time at major observatories or national laboratories are more rigidly structured. And anything involving work with human subjects, or putting instruments in space, involves piles of paperwork.
We see it also in the Regeneron Science Talent Search, the Nobel Prize of high school science competitions. In the early decades of its 78-year history, the winning projects were usually the sort of clever but naive, amateurish efforts one might expect of talented beginners working on their own. Today, polished work coming out of internships(实习) at established laboratories is the norm.
These professionalizing tendencies are a natural consequence of the explosive growth of modern science. Standardization and system make it easier to manage the rapid flow of papers, applications and people. But there are serious downsides. A lot of unproductive effort goes into jumping through bureaucratic hoops(繁文缛节), and outsiders face entry barriers at every turn.
Of course, Einstein would have found his way to meeting modern standards and publishing his results. Its scientific core wouldn’t have changed, but the paper might not be the same taste to read.
1. According to Richard Feynman, Einstein’s 1915 paper ________.| A．was a classic in theoretical physics |
| B．turned out to be comprehensible |
| C．needed further improvement |
| D．attracted few professionals |
| A．Unrealistic. | B．Irrelevant. |
| C．Unattractive. | D．Imprecise. |
| A．The application of research findings. |
| B．The principle of scientific research. |
| C．The selection of young talents. |
| D．The evaluation of laboratories. |
| A．What makes Einstein great? |
| B．Will science be professionalized? |
| C．Could Einstein get published today? |
| D．How will modern science make advances? |
4 . In the Hollywood movie The Martian, actor Matt Damon plays an astronaut who grows food on Mars（火星）to survive alone on the red planet.
After seeing the movie, Washington State University physicist Michael Allen and University of Idaho food scientist Helen Joyner decided to carry out a case study helping students figure out how to farm on Mars. In the case study, students have to imagine they are mining（采矿）on Mars and decide how to feed themselves there before starting on the journey. They get a proposal from Allen and Joyner on how to select crops and take the challenges of growing crops over long periods on Mars. Students use a scoring system to select three foods to plant on Mars.
Allen found the results impressive: among 30students, “no two people have ever gotten the same answer”, he said.
Human travelers to Mars will likely have to make use of resources on the planet rather than take everything they need with them on a spaceship. This means farming their own food on another planet, one that has a very different ecosystem（生态系统）from Earth’s.
One challenge for those who would like to live on Mars is the fact that there can be no farming tools. Like real astronauts, students taking part in the study cannot take a lot of farming tools with them. As Joyner put it to his student astronauts, “You are starting with nothing.”
Besides, students also have to deal with a very limited choice of diet. “If I had to eat a single food for the rest of my life, could I do it?” Joyner asked.
But Allen believes the case study is about more than farming and eating on the Red Planet.
“I’m not teaching about growing food on Mars,” Allen said. “I’m teaching about living with choices. I’m teaching about problem solving.”
1. In the case study, students have to _______.| A．watch the movie to know the conditions on Mars |
| B．decide which crop to grow on Mars with the help of the teachers |
| C．design different types of diets on Mars for them to choose |
| D．understand how to farm on Mars with their favorite farming tools |
| A．exploration | B．recommendation |
| C．adventure | D．movement |
| A．increases students’ knowledge about farming |
| B．helps student know more about Mars |
| C．develops students’ skills of solving problems |
| D．teaches students how to make proper choices |
| A．to describe a research on how to farm on Mars |
| B．to prepare us to deal with problems on Mars |
| C．to teach us how to survive on Mars alone |
| D．to introduce a Hollywood movie, The Martian |
5 . Papa, as a son of a dirt-poor farmer, left school early and went to work in a factory,for education was for the rich then.So, the world became his school.With great interest, he read everything he could lay his hands on, listened to the town elders and learned about the world beyond his tiny hometown."There's so much to learn," he'd say.“Though we're born stupid, only the stupid remain that way.”He was determined that none of his children would be denied(拒绝)an education.
Thus, Papa insisted that we learn at least one new thing each day.And dinner time seemed perfect for sharing what we had learned.We would talk about the news of the day;no matter how insignificant, it was never taken lightly.Papa would listen carefully and was ready with some comment,always to the point.
Then came the moment-the time to share the day's new learning.
Papa, at the head of the table, would push back his chair and pour a glass of red wine,ready to listen.
Felice, “he'd say,”tell me what you learned today.“learned that the population of Nepal is...”
Silence.
Papa was thinking about what was said, as if the salvation(拯救)of the world would depend upon it.“The population of Nepal.Hmm.Well...”he'd say.“Get the map; let's see where Nepal is.” And the whole family went on a search for Nepal.
This same experience was repeated until each family member had a turn.Dinner ended only after we had a clear understanding of at least half a dozen such facts.
As children, we thought very.little about these educational wonders.Our family,however,was growing together,sharing experiences and participating in one another’s education And by looking at us,listening to us, respecting our input, affirming(肯定)our value; giving us a sense of dignity, Papa -was unquestionably our most influential teacher.
Later during my training as a future teacher studied with some of the most famous educators.They were imparting(传授)what Papa had known all along-the value of continual learning.His technique has served me well all my life.Not a single day has been wasted, though I can never tell when knowing the population,of Nepal might prove useful.
1. What do we know from the first paragraph?| A．Those born stupid could not change their life. |
| B．The poor could hardly afford school education. |
| C．The town elders wanted to learn about the world. |
| D．The author's father was born in a worker's family. |
| A．the news | B．the request | C．the comment | D．the point |
| A．enjoyed talking about news |
| B．knew very well about Nepal |
| C．felt regret about those wasted days |
| D．appreciated his father's educational technique |
| A．Showing talents. | B．Continual learning. |
| C．Family get-together. | D．Winning Papa's approval. |
| A．a wiseman willing to share his knowledge |
| B．a parent insistent on his children's education |
| C．an educator expert at training future teachers |
| D．a teacher strict about everything his students did |
6 . During the ongoing battle against the Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia (NCP)(新型冠状肺炎), you may have read news that garlic can quickly kill the virus but it proved to be misinformation. While the nation continues to fight against the NCP, it’s also stepping up efforts to fight the spread of misinformation.
In the Internet era, the nature of how information spreads has changed largely. Information and misinformation can spread to thousands of people in seconds.
For most people, fact-checking is an afterthought — if it is a thought at all. Therefore, misinformation spreads, said The Washington Post. People simply prefer passing on information that will lead to an emotional response(反应) from readers. Whether or not it is factual is not always important.
Misinformation could be a greater danger than the virus itself. Misinformation is “making the work of our heroic workers even harder”, World Health Organization(WHO) Director-General Tedros told China Daily. He said misinformation “causes confusion and spreads fear”.
During the fight against the NCP, Ghebreyesus said that “at the WHO we’re not just fighting against the virus, we’re also battling conspiracy(阴谋) theories that undermine our response. ”
It is true that as China races to contain the NCP and minimize(减少到最低限度) its spread across countries, fears and rumors(谣言) surrounding the virus are creating their own problems on social media. “Ironically(讽刺地), speed is important on those things,” US professor Gabriel Kahn told The Los Angeles Times. “But.... those are the ones you have to be most certain about verifying (验证) before you share.”
As ordinary people, we may not be able to devote ourselves like those medical staff. But we could think twice about what we read. If you can be careful about sharing information, it’s your contribution to the fight against the outbreak.
1. According to the article, what is the main cause of the spread of misinformation?| A．The lack of fact-checking. |
| B．An increase in viruses. |
| C．People’s desire to trick others. |
| D．Changes in the way people view information. |
| A．Test. | B．Harm. | C．Guide. | D．Explain. |
| A．People have fears caused by misinformation. |
| B．It is hard to deal with misinformation across countries. |
| C．Rumors about the virus travel too fast to be controlled. |
| D．Social media creates problems for people to verify misinformation. |
| A．To share tips on how to fight against misinformation. |
| B．To introduce some misinformation about the NCP. |
| C．To call on people to watch out for misinformation. |
| D．To tell people what China has done to deal with misinformation. |
7 . Recently, as I watched my son Nathan play basketball for his school team, I was feeling sorry for myself and for him. His team was facing adversity (困境) on the court and he was playing in a hostile environment — it was the opponent’s home gym filled with their supporters, and Nathan’s team was trailing (落后) for three quarters of the game. As for me, I had just been dismissed (解雇) from my job earlier in that day.
During the drive home, I kept telling myself that I would find work again in a short time — I was always confident in my experience and abilities, but self-doubt was still sticking its foot in the door.
The basketball game entered the fourth quarter with Nathan’s team still trailing. I saw the determination on his face as well as his teammates’ as they fought back to not only tie the game, but then go ahead by three points. Then, a player from the other team made an unbelievable shot to make the game tied again. With the tied scores and seconds on the clock, Nathan found himself with the ball and with skill and confidence, he made the basket with a defender hanging all over him. The other player was called for a foul (犯规).
As Nathan stood preparing for a shot that would put his team up by three points, I saw the focus and determination on his face, with no room for self-doubt. Nathan was able to tune out all the distractions and nail the free throw with such skill, as if he had done it a thousand times.
As I sat there, my heart bursting with pride, it dawned on me that I had taught him perseverance (毅力) in the face of adversity, and he had just taught me the same lesson. That brief moment of self-doubt and feeling sorry for myself was blown away by the actions of my son on the basketball court. He will play in the finals, but it doesn’t matter if he wins or loses. At this moment, we both won.
1. What did the author estimate his son’s team would be like at first?| A．The team would finally win. |
| B．The team would lose at away court. |
| C．The team would lose at home court. |
| D．The team would tie with the opponents. |
| A．Avoid. | B．Focus. | C．Create. | D．Receive. |
| A．My son would win in the finals and I would find a job soon. |
| B．I had once taught my son face to face that we should never give up. |
| C．It was my encouragement and help that made my son win the game. |
| D．I would become more confident about my future after this experience. |
| A．Life Goes Just Like Playing Basketball |
| B．It Matters Whether to Win or Lose |
| C．A Lesson in Life and Basketball |
| D．A Moment of Self-doubt |
8 . Three very strong women-my mother, my grandmother, and Melinda-deserve big credit(赞扬) for helping me become the man I am today. But Blanche Caffiere, a very kind librarian and teacher I've never written about publicly before, also had a huge influence on me.
When I first met Mrs. Caffiere, she was the elegant and engaging school librarian at Seattle's View Ridge Elementary, and I was a shy fourth grader. I was desperately trying to go unnoticed, because I had some big deficits, like terrible handwriting and a killingly messy desk. And I was trying to hide the fact that I liked to read something that was cool for girls but not for boys.
Mrs. Caffiere took me under her wing and helped make it okay for me to be a messy, nerdy boy who was reading lots of books
She pulled me out of my shell by sharing her love of books. She started by asking questions like, "What do you like to read?" and "What are you interested in?" Then she found me a lot of books-ones that were more complex and challenging than the Tom Swift Jr. science fiction books I was reading at the time. For example, she gave me great biographies she had read. Once I'd read them, she would make the time to discuss them with me. She sincerely listened to what had to say. Through those conversations about books in the library and in the classroom we became good friends.
Looking back on it now, there's no question that my time with Mrs. Caffiere helped spark my interest in libraries (Melinda's and my first large-scale effort in philanthropy(慈善)) and my focus on helping every child in America get the benefit of great teachers. It's remarkable how much power one good person can have in shaping the life of a child.
1. We can learn from the passage that the author was_______ before he met Mrs. Caffiere.| A．an average student. | B．not able to read and write. |
| C．hated by other boys | D．not self-confident |
| A．Accidents. | B．Strengths. |
| C．Problems. | D．Concerns. |
| A．sharing reading reflections with him. |
| B．telling him he was mot messy boy. |
| C．hiding him in the library. |
| D．listening to his complaint. |
| A．The author's interest in libraries. |
| B．Mrs. Caffiere's influence on the author's life. |
| C．The author's achievements later in his life. |
| D．The importance of a good person in society. |
9 . High speeds, cool looks, and unusual names are what a typical American looks for when buying a car. This is a wasteful method because the cars we buy don’t fit our lifestyles of thriftiness（节俭）. But we feel powerful when we drive huge cars, so that’s why we buy them.
More people should drive hybrids, which are powered by a gas engine but also keeps a charge in a bank of batteries. As a result, they burn less gas and save more energy. You may complain, “They are not cool.” But what are you going to say when your planet gets so fouled up（弄乱）that you need a gas mask just to go outside? Well, that’s what’s going to happen if we don’t act soon. Hybrids may cost more, but they will end up saving our life one day.
Gasoline cars are inefficient ones that chew up cash. The best ones get only around 40 miles per gallon. We need to change our habits or we are going to run out of fossil fuel, and then no cars will be traveling down the street. Gasoline cars also pollute the air and create breathing problems.
Some problems we will have in the future if we continue using gasoline cars are high levels of air pollution and groundwater toxicity. We will also use up our supply of fossil fuels. We may cause a large increase in the speed of global warming, which will result in a rise in temperature and in turn bake our planet and all its living things.
Cars should be bought not based on looks, but because they work well and help save the environment. Hybrids fulfill this. If enough people used them, we wouldn’t be as worried about global warming. We are at a point where we can only do one thing: reduce the amount of fossil fuels we use. If we don’t, we may spell our own doom and end up creating natural disasters that we cannot control.
1. According to the passage, hybrids ______.| A．make the air smell bad | B．pollute the groundwater |
| C．increase the speed of global warming | D．are more costly |
| A．a bad fortune | B．a strong wish |
| C．a happy moment | D．a normal need |
| A．runs faster | B．looks beautiful |
| C．is environmentally friendly | D．costs a fortune |
| A．introduce what kind of car uses less gas |
| B．give people advice on how to buy a cool car |
| C．remind people of some problems they will have in the future |
| D．expect people to consider the environmental problems when buying a car |
10 . More than £5,500 has been raised after a plea last Monday by a vet Dr. Scott Miller. Scott said, “I would like to say a massive thank-you to express readers from myself, from Australia and from the koalas. It's amazing that people from across the world can see how significant the catastrophe has been. I do appreciate that people are being very supportive and reaching into their pockets.” An area, a third of the size of Britain is estimated to have been destroyed since the fire began in September.
On Friday a state of emergency was declared in the capital Canberra, with residents told to prepare to leave the area as fires on the suburb threatened to spread. And so far, a billion animals are feared to have died, including 25,000 koalas.
Last week Scott told how he had visited his homeland, helping to save wildlife on Kangaroo Island off the coast of Adelaide. While there he rescued a mother and a baby koala who were stuck in a tree. The pair were rushed to a field hospital on the island to be treated.The mum had severe burns to her paws and was badly dehydrated, while her baby son had an eye injury and was underweight.
According to Scott, who has appeared on ITV's This Morning and BBC's Blue Peter, the mother is showing "great signs of improvement" and her wounds are starting to heal. The baby has undergone surgery on his eye and is "recovering from the anesthetic and doing well". But the mother remains dehydrated so isn't producing enough milk to feed the baby. At the moment they're being housed severally but there is the hope that when the baby is a little stronger he will be able to be returned to his mother.
Even after they recover, the pair will probably spend their lives in an enclosure while the bush takes years to recover. Even more sadly, patients are still coming in thick and fast. Each of these animals is requiring to be housed and fed, and regular medical treatment to their injuries.
1. What can be inferred from the first two paragraphs?| A．Dr. Scott donated more than £5,500. | B．Residents were asked to return to Canberra. |
| C．A large area of Britain has been destroyed. | D．Numerous animals may have lost their lives. |
| A．He worked hard in a field hospital on the island. |
| B．He tried to rescue the wildlife on Kangaroo Island. |
| C．He hosted the ITV's This Morning and BBC's Blue Peter. |
| D．He carefully looked after the mother and the baby koalas. |
| A．Separately. | B．Seriously. | C．Successfully. | D．Sympathetically. |
| A．An unexpected fire | B．Generous donation | C．Koalas' recovery | D．Koala rescue |
