1 . Endangered polar bears are breeding (繁殖) with grizzly bears (灰熊), creating “pizzly” bears, which is being driven by climate change, scientists say.
As the world warms and Arctic sea ice thins, starving polar bears are being forced ever further south, where they meet grizzlies, whose ranges are expanding northwards. And with that growing contact between the two come increasing hybrids (杂交种).
With characteristics that could give the hybrids an advantage in warming northern habitats, some scientists guess that they could be here to stay. “Usually, hybrids aren’t better suited to their environments than their parents, but these hybrids are able to search for a broader range of food sources,” Larisa DeSantis, an associate professor of biological sciences at Vanderbilt University, told Live Science.
The rise of “pizzly” bears appears with polar bears’ decline: their numbers are estimated to decrease by more than 30% in the next 30 years. This sudden fall is linked partly to “pizzly” bears taking up polar bears’ ranges, where they outcompete them, but also to polar bears’ highly specialized diets.
“Polar bears mainly consumed soft foods even during the Medieval Warm Period, a previous period of rapid warming,” DeSantis said, referring to fat meals such as seals. “Although all of these starving polar bears are trying to find alternative food sources, like seabird eggs, it could be a tipping point for their survival.” Actually, the calories they gain from these sources do not balance out those they burn from searching for them. This could result in a habitat ready for the hybrids to move in and take over, leading to a loss in biodiversity if polar bears are replaced.
“We’re having massive impacts with climate change on species,” DeSantis said. “The polar bear is telling us how bad things are. In some sense, “pizzly” bears could be a sad but necessary compromise given current warming trends.”
1. Why do polar bears move further south?| A．To create hybrids. | B．To expand territory. |
| C．To relieve hunger. | D．To contact grizzlies. |
| A．Broader habitats. | B．More food options. |
| C．Climate preference. | D．Improved breeding ability. |
| A．A rare chance. | B．A critical stage. |
| C．A positive factor. | D．A constant change. |
| A．Polar bears are changing diets for climate change. |
| B．Polar bears have already adjusted to climate change. |
| C．“Pizzly” bears are on the rise because of global warming. |
| D．“Pizzly”bears have replaced polar bears for global warming. |
2 . At eleven, I decided to learn to swim. There was a pool at the YMCA offering exactly the opportunity. My mother continually warned against it, and kept fresh in my mind the details of each drowning in the river. But the YMCA pool was safe.
I had a childhood fear of water. This started when I was three years old and my father took me to the beach.The huge waves knocked me down and swept over me.
The pool was quiet. I was afraid of going in all alone, so I sat on one side of the pool to wait for others. Then came a big boy. He yelled, “Hi, how’d you like to be ducked?” With that he picked me up and threw me into the deep end.I landed in a sitting position, and swallowed water. But I was not frightened out of my wits—when my feet hit the bottom, I would make a big jump to come out of the surface. It seemed a long way down. I gathered all my strength when I landed and made what I thought was a great spring upwards. Then I opened my eyes and saw nothing but water. I tried to yell but no sound came out. I went down, down, endlessly.
When I came to consciousness, I found myself lying on the bed in the hospital.
I never went back to the pool. I avoided water whenever I could. This misadventure stayed with me as the years rolled by.It deprived(剥夺) me of the joy of boating and swimming. Finally, I decided to get an instructor. Piece by piece, he built a swimmer. Several months later, the instructor was finished, but I was not .Sometimes the terror would return.
This went on until July. I swam across the Lake Went worth.Only once did the terror return. When I was in the middle of the lake, I put my face under and saw nothing but bottomless water. I laughed and said, “Well, Mr Terror, what do you think you can do to me?” I had conquered my fear of water.
1. What was the author’s original fear of water caused by?| A．His poor skill in swimming. |
| B．His mother’s warning of drowning. |
| C．An outing to the beach with his father. |
| D．An unpleasant memory of the pool. |
| A．He knew how to swim in the pool. |
| B．He felt that the YMCA pool was safe. |
| C．He was waiting for others to save him. |
| D．He came up with an idea to go upwards. |
| A．He was still a poor swimmer. |
| B．He had not overcome the fear yet. |
| C．He was not afraid of drowning any more. |
| D．He was not satisfied with the swimming training. |
| A．Goodbye,Mr Terror |
| B．Hello,Childhood Fear |
| C．A Swimming Adventure |
| D．My Passion for Swimming |
3 . Wang Shuang was just five when her parents divorced, dropped her at her uncle’s and left. Football, as it often is, became an escape.
At seven, she was spotted by coach Xu Yilong, who found Wang quick in her playful behaviour. As the only girl in the boys’ team, Wang’s performances were impressive, earning her the nickname “Iron Girl.” And soon, she sensed the sport’s power. Football allowed her to “release herself” and realize “whatever happens, football never leaves you alone.”
However, life was never smooth sailing. The constant jibes (嘲讽) from some people, who always tried to push her down and destroy her hopes, affected her so deeply that she lost confidence.” They were saying I had no talent at all. Gradually, I felt really so. “Wang once wrote. But never did she stop playing. When she was called up to the national team, aged 17,Wang thought, “Me? Are you sure?” When a world-famous club wanted to sign her, she was “excited that an excellent coach thought I was good.” It was only then that she felt confident in her abilities. “I felt recognized. Perhaps I had a bit of talent after all.”
Not any “bit of talent”; the genius is praised as China’s once-in-a-generation player.
China is a pioneer of women’s football in Asia and has won the continental championship eight times, including seven straight titles between 1986 and 1999.That was their golden age. Gradually, though, the dynasty declined. It is hoped that Wang will inspire the women’s football of the country to its former height.
Coaches are almost always hesitant to speak about individual players. But when coach Shui was asked about Wang before the match against Vietnam, she couldn’t stop mentioning her influence on the team. Unfailingly performing on the big stage, Wang did not let her team down. When they lacked a quality ball, she delivered two high assists that finally led her team into the last-four clash (交锋).
“Nobody knows how hard it was,“ declared Wang after the match. “We overcame difficulties. We also showed our strong spiritual power. I am proud of my team.”
1. What can we infer about Wang from the second paragraph?| A．She earned a living on her own. | B．She felt the power of sports. |
| C．She was laughed at by the boys. | D．She found a sense of belonging |
| A．By winning recognition. | B．By getting encouragement. |
| C．By playing in the national team. | D．By ignoring other people’s jibes. |
| A．Caring. | B．Unwilling. | C．Favorable. | D．Demanding |
| A．Wang Shuang: A Steel Rose | B．Wang Shuang: A Child Genius |
| C．Wang Shuang: A Football Pioneer | D．Wang Shuang: A Golden Age Successor· |
4 . A lot of people like movies and films. They can add thrill and imaginations to our lives. Find the latest movie reviews here.
Family Romance
Love is a business at Family Romance-a company that offers the rental service. Founder Yuichi Ishii helps fulfill the dreams of his clients. Mahiro’s mother will hire Ishii to play as her missing father. And reality will begin to be unclear.
Critics Consensus (共识): It is a fascinating exploration of human connection and follows an unconventional path.
Mulan
The fearless and spirited eldest daughter of an honoured warrior, Mulan is the apple of her father’s eye. To save her aging father from serving in the Imperial Army, clever Mulan disguises (乔装) herself as a man soldier named “Ping” to bravely take her father’s place in the Imperial Army to battle northern invaders in China.
Critics Consensus: It could have told its classic story with greater depth, but the live-action Mulan is a visual improvement.
Greenland
A family fights for survival as a planet-killing comet (彗星) races to Earth. John Garrity (Gerard Butler), his wife Allison and young son Nathan make a dangerous journey to their only hope for refuge (避难). Among terrifying news, the Garritys experience the best and worst in humanity while they battle the increasing panic and lawlessness surrounding them.
Critics Consensus: Beware, comets of Greenland: Gerard Butler, is here to protect Earth and show audiences an improbably entertaining time.
Black Box
Having lost his wife and his memory in a tragic car accident, the news photographer Nolan Wright is desperate. After losing his wife and memory, Nolan Wright, a single father undergoes an experimental treatment that causes him to question who he really is.
Critics Consensus: An interesting work of writer-director Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour, Black Box makes up for a lack of surprises with strong performances and an emotionally rewarding story.
1. Which movie should have presented a better story according to critics?| A．Family Romance. | B．Mulan. | C．Greenland. | D．Black Box. |
| A．Family Romance. | B．Mulan. | C．Greenland. | D．Black Box. |
| A．Advertisement. | B．Science. | C．News Report. | D．Entertainment. |
5 . Toronto is a city of neighborhoods, so wherever you are in Toronto, you’re bound to find yourself surrounded by shopping, dining and culture experiences unique to that specific area.
Toronto’s CN Tower
It’s one of the world’s tallest structures at 1,815 feet and the glassed-in elevators offer visitors a sense of just how high that is. In the tower’s 360 Restaurant, diners sit on a floor that performs a full cycle every 72 minutes, guaranteeing different views of the city with each bite of meal. Plus, if you order dishes at the restaurant, your entry to the CN Tower is free.
The Fairmont Royal York Hotel
It is one of Toronto’s oldest and most storied hotels. Since opening in 1929, it’s stood as one of the largest hotels in the British Commonwealth with 1,600 rooms. It’s also home to more than 300,000 bees, who live on the hotel’s rooftop and produce honey for the Fairmont Royal York’s dining facilities.
The Toronto Islands
North America’s largest urban car-free community offers plenty of green space and beaches for visitors of all ages. Those looking for exercise can explore the islands by bike while checking out the breathtaking views of Toronto’s skyline; visit the rental facility near the Centre Island ferry dock.
St. Lawrence Market
Voted the world’s best food market in 2012, the St. Lawrence Market complex consists of two buildings. The north building plays host to weekly Saturday fanner’s markets, while in the south building, open every day except Sunday and Monday, meat, baked goods, jewelry…are on offer. One of Toronto’s most iconic (标志性的) breakfasts —the pea-meal bacon sandwich is considered a signature dish.
1. Where can you have a bird’s eye-view of Toronto while dining?| A．The Toronto Islands. | B．Toronto’s CN Tower. |
| C．The Fairmont Royal York Hotel. | D．St. Lawrence Market. |
| A．Fantastic dishes. | B．Unique things. |
| C．Breathtaking scenery. | D．Diverse cultures. |
| A．A news report. | B．A popular novel. |
| C．A travel guide. | D．An advertisement. |
6 . “Baby signing” classes established to improve language skills actually make little difference to children’s development, according to new research. Scholars claimed there was no evidence that the lessons—in which babies are taught simple gestures to communicate their everyday needs—enable children to talk quicker than others.
In a threeyear study, it was claimed that the method could make mothers more responsive to their children’s behaviors but failed to actually increase babies’ vocabulary. An active home environment in which parents regularly talk to their children was much more effective, researchers warned. The findings will cast doubt on the movement—born in the United States—which has proved hugely popular among middleclass parents.
Baby signing is now a multimillion pound industry, with thousands of mothers and fathers paying for classes, books and DVDs. Young children are taught simple gestures for words and phrases to communicate their everyday needs, such as “milk” “more” “all gone” “food” and “tired”. It is claimed that the technique brings great benefits, including improving the relationship between mother and child, helping language development and even increasing a child’s intelligence.
But research from Hertfordshire University has found no evidence that using baby signing helps to improve their language development. The scholars added, “Baby signing has become big business and mothers, particularly firsttime mums or less confident parents, feel the pressure to do it. Some even think ‘if I don’t do it and everyone else does, I must be a bad mother’.”
However, baby signing experts hardly sustained the findings. Wendy Moat, 45, who has been running baby signing classes for three years, said that the classes encouraged speech development, and may help develop a higher IQ. She said, “So many mums say that their children talk so well because they did baby signing when they were babies. Parents wouldn’t say it if they didn’t believe it.”
1. Which of the following may help improve children’s language skills?| A．Using simple words and phrases. | B．Talking to them as much as possible. |
| C．Buying them more books and DVDs. | D．Creating a serious home environment. |
| A．they are influenced by others | B．they are sure of the effects of them |
| C．they don't want to be looked down upon | D．they don't know how to teach their children |
| A．found | B．got rid of | C．supported | D．quit |
| A．How to teach children to communicate effectively. |
| B．Baby signing classes increase children’s intelligence. |
| C．How to improve the relationship between mother and child. |
| D．Baby signing classes fail to improve children’s language skills. |
China’s Space Day,
Three Chinese astronauts
China’s outreach to other parts of the world was partly exhibited by Wang Yaping, the first Chinese woman
Looking back at the period from November 2020 to November 2021, it can be seen that China did emerge
Any of these achievements would be
8 . As race season approaches, many runners have the same goal: go faster. But in a study published in the journal Current Biology, researchers show that speeding up might require us to resist our natural biology. By combining data from runners monitored in a lab along with 37,000 runs recorded on wearable fitness trackers, scientists have found that humans’ natural tendency is to run at a speed that conserves caloric loss—something that racers seeking to shave time off their miles will have to get over.
The research group have been studying the mechanics of running in labs for 15 years but hadn’t gotten a chance to study running in the wild before. “We joined the two datasets to gain new insights and combine the more messy wearable data with the gold standard lab experiments to learn about how people run out,” says co-author Jennifer Hicks.
What surprised the team was the consistency they found across the combined datasets. “We had assumed earlier that people ran faster for shorter distances and then would slow their pace for longer distances,” says first author Jessica Selinger. But this wasn’t the case. Most of the runners analyzed stuck with the same speed, whether they were going for a short run or a long one over ten kilometers.
From an evolutionary (进化) standpoint, it makes sense that people would run at the speed that uses the least amount of energy. This caloric conservation is something that has been observed across the animal kingdom. But humans’ reasons for running have changed, and if the goal is speed, there are some tricks runners can use.
Listening to music with a faster pace has been shown to help speed up stride (步伐) frequency, which increases running speed. In addition, picking faster running partners can give you a boost.
Hicks hopes that having large pools of fitness data from wearables will help researchers gain insights about populations. “You can look at connections with the built environment and access to leisure resources and start to layer all of that data to really understand how to improve physical activity and health more broadly,” says Hicks.
1. What do the racers have to overcome during the race?| A．Energy consumption. | B．Muscle loss. |
| C．Weakness of humanity. | D．Lack of nutrients. |
| A．People would run in the wild rather than in labs. |
| B．People adjust their speeds to different distances. |
| C．People run at a constant speed regardless of distance. |
| D．People possess enormous potential for running faster. |
| A．To offer tips on speed increase. |
| B．To evaluate the advantages of running. |
| C．To explain the importance of fast running. |
| D．To reveal the change in human running goals. |
| A．Unclear. | B．Critical. | C．Doubtful. | D．Favorable. |
9 . Recently, a team of young researchers in Panama has found a special ant species that rapidly repairs any damage to its host tree.
The events leading to the discovery began in mid-2020, when Alex and his friends would kill time by shooting clay balls at trees with a slingshot. They targeted the thin Cecropia trees to make the task more challenging. Things went well until one clay ball accidentally hit a tree trunk, leaving a clean exit and entry wound.
Concerned that he had caused permanent damage, Alex went back to examine the tree the following morning, accompanied by his father William, an entomologist at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI). To their surprise, the hole had been completely mended! Curious to find out what was going on, Alex and his friends enlisted in the STRI’s volunteer program.
The teens, as instructed, drilled holes in the Cecropia trees and then carefully documented what followed. The young scientists found that in 14 of the 22 cases, groups of Azteca alfari ants immediately gathered in the damaged area and instantly got to work without a break. The industrious insects, using material from the trees, significantly reduced the size of the hole soon. In most cases, the gap was completely filled up within 24 hours.
The sand-colored insects’ harmonious relationship with the Cecropia trees has been known for many years. The trees provide the ants with food and shelter. In return, the insects protect their leaves from plant-eating animals. However, their repair skills — which researchers suspect have been developed fixing damage caused by the sharp nails of the sloths that frequent the trees — had never been seen before.
“This project allowed us to experience first-hand all the complicated details behind a scientific study. It was really a great learning experience,” said Alex.
Alex and his team, who recently published their findings, still have one riddle to solve. They aren’t sure why the insects didn’t repair all the holes. Understanding this selective behavior is something they hope to explore in the future — stay tuned!
1. What is paragraph 2 mainly about?| A．The fun of playing outdoors. | B．The cause of the new findings. |
| C．The intention of using a slingshot. | D．The reason for targeting the Cecropia trees. |
| A．Curiosity. | B．Optimism. | C．Confusion. | D．Uneasiness. |
| A．Grateful. | B．Sorrowful. | C．Hardworking. | D．Impatient. |
| A．Whether ants are expert at tree repair. | B．How ants fix damage to their host trees. |
| C．Why ants merely repair certain tree holes. | D．What relationship ants keep with the Cecropia trees. |
10 . David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (DSWF) is delighted to welcome faithful supporters and new friends to join us at our annual Wildlife Ball to celebrate the natural world and conservation. Hosted by the grand Dorchester Hotel in London, the DSWF Wildlife Ball will take place on the 27th July 2022 where we’ll bring the wilderness to life with our very own Sundown Safari (观赏之旅).
Join a black-tie gastronomical (美食) safari
As part of a black-tie gastronomical safari, guests will be treated to a mouth-watering three-course meal, enjoy world-class entertainment and listen to insightful and inspiring speeches about DSWF’s conservation work to turn the tables on extinction.
The DSWF Wildlife Ball helps raise vital funds and awareness for our essential work, protecting endangered species and their habitats across the world. After a year away we are excited to be welcoming you back and look forward to being your guides at what promises to be a night to remember in support of wildlife.
Last year, the virtual Wildlife Ball raised over £800,000 for DSWF’s vital conservation efforts across Africa and Asia, despite not being able to celebrate in person. We are really excited to invite you back to the Dorchester Hotel, who are our generous hosts, and together aim to celebrate wildlife and the wilderness in style and to raise vital funds to help in the fight for a greener future.
Book tickets to the Wildlife Ball 2022
Book tickets or register your interest today to avoid disappointment. Either by emailing the team at wildlifeball@davidshepherd.org or by calling the DSWF office on 01483 272323.
Individual Tickets: £200 (Children under 12 get 40% off)
VIP packages are available on request.
1. What do we learn about Wildlife Ball 2022?| A．It’ll be held in the wild. | B．It’ll offer guests a delicious meal. |
| C．It’ll allow guests to watch ball games. | D．It’ll be followed by a guided tour of London. |
| A．To entertain sponsors. | B．To establish reputation. |
| C．To obtain financial support. | D．To interact with wild animals. |
| A．£440. | B．£520. | C．£560. | D．£640. |
