1 . My kitchen may be the best kitchen on the planet. That is because when I look out of its window can see the west side of Grandeur Peak. Grandeur Peak is one of the most attractive mountains in central Wasatch, with its animals, trees, morning clouds, evening sunset, and the mountain’s paragliders (滑翔伞运动员).
The number of paragliders flying above Grandeur Peak has grown over the past 15 years, so much so that they have become part of the mountain. But during the past year they have largely disappeared. Some paragliders told me that the wind became too strong to fly in. The wind is too strong! Is this another character of our changing climate (气候)? Will paragliding be a sport affected by a warming planet? Utah has been much windier in the past few years. For me, a scientist who studies living things, it is easy to believe that our future will be windier. This year it’s getting super-hot, and the planet is warming faster than scientists expected. I can’t help but worry that the future of paragliding in Utah is not bright.
I’m writing to the brave people who fly from Grandeur Peak with beautiful wings. I want you to join Clean The Dam Air, a group that’ s working hard to fight climate change and air pollution — I’m part of it too. We are introducing a measure, which aims to remove the state sales tax (税) on grocery store food and put a carbon tax on fossil fuels (化石燃料) in its place: gas, electricity produced from fossil fuels, and natural gas. The goal isn’t to make taxes higher. The idea is to encourage everyone to reduce their use of fossil fuels. So, paragliders, join us. Now is the time to take care of our planet. If we succeed, then Utah can be an example to others in fighting climate change.
1. Why does the author mention his kitchen?A.To share his love of cooking dishes. |
B.To bring back his memories of paragliding. |
C.To introduce Grandeur Peak’s paragliding. |
D.To describe his adventures around Grandeur Peak. |
A.The author saw less paragliding. | B.Few people visited Grandeur Peak. |
C.Air pollution became serious in Utah. | D.Strong winds stopped people going outside. |
A.Uncaring. | B.Supportive. | C.Positive. | D.Worried. |
A.Buy those foods that are taxed less. |
B.Reduce flying with wings in Grandeur Peak. |
C.Join him to support a program about taxing. |
D.Join a group to improve their paragliding skills. |
2 . Yang He, a 64-year-old man from Yichang, Hubei, has observed the changes in finless porpoises (江豚) population with his camera for six years. As a(n)
Every day, Yang wakes up early and drives to the
The Yangtze finless porpoise is so
However, the situation has changed as
Thanks to his camera, he once discovered and
A.leader | B.admirer | C.hunter | D.advisor |
A.banks | B.waves | C.beaches | D.sights |
A.suddenly | B.patiently | C.formally | D.strangely |
A.imagination | B.anxiety | C.strength | D.beauty |
A.follows | B.listens | C.knows | D.exchanges |
A.belongs to | B.focuses on | C.applies for | D.adapts to |
A.addicted | B.connected | C.convenient | D.important |
A.threaten | B.balance | C.conduct | D.promote |
A.crashing | B.trapping | C.tracking | D.preventing |
A.in addition to | B.due to | C.in spite of | D.apart from |
A.global | B.possible | C.effective | D.historic |
A.creative | B.lucky | C.magic | D.valuable |
A.catching | B.striking | C.kicking | D.drawing |
A.inspired | B.approached | C.reserved | D.rescued |
A.confirm | B.remind | C.document | D.identify |
3 . Slobodchikoff, a biologist who has spent years working to better understand the calls of dogs, used that knowledge to help people who were having trouble with their pets.
A man reported his dog wanted to bite him. So Slobodchikoff went to the man’s house. He watched as the owner walked over to the dog, towered over the pet and then said, “Good dog!” in a low-pitched(音高) voice. “The dog ran into a corner,” Slobodchikoff recalled. The owner had scared the dog. Slobodchikoff recommended that the man should do the opposite. The owner took that advice—and ended up developing a great relationship with his pet.
Not everyone has the time to study dog communications or the money to bring in an expert. Slobodchikoff thinks tech could help. He thinks a cell phone app or device that you could point at a dog. This would record video and audio(音频) of a dog’s behavior and then upload it.An artificial intelligence(AI)system would later analyze it.
The AI “ would translate this for you into English or any other language,” says Slobodchikoff. The result, he explains, may be something like “‘I’m hungry’ or ‘I need to go outside to pee’ or ‘I want to go for a walk.’”
To train the AI system, Slobodchikoff planned to get data directly from pet dogs, but for some reason, he hasn’t yet restarted the project to date, but hopes to soon.
Search an app store for a pet translator and you’ll find plenty. Some are completely unscientific and silly. MeowTalk, however, is a cat-translation app based on an AI model. In 2021, its creators reported that the AI model achieved 90 percent accuracy at identifying nine different emotional states in meows. These included angry, happy, hunting, pain and rest. The app picks conversational phrases based on these emotions, like “nice to see you,” or “let me rest.”
People who have tried the app say it doesn’t always work well. But better translations of barks and meows may be just around the corner.
1. What might the man do to calm the dog?A.Tower over the pet dog. | B.Follow the dog to the corner. |
C.Give the dog delicious food. | D.Speak in a high-pitched voice. |
A.To analyze data. | B.To train a dog. |
C.To record a dog’s behavior. | D.To collect data from a dog. |
A.It can communicate with cats. | B.It can judge cats’ state of mood. |
C.It can store 90 conversational phrases. | D.It can be used to track pet cats. |
A.A biologist’s puzzle. | B.Slobodchikoff’s achievements. |
C.Trials of animal translator technology. | D.The invention of Slobodchikoff. |
4 . An owl (猫头鹰) named Flaco escaped New York’s Central Park Zoo last week after his cage was broken. This set off a bird-hunt of police officers and park rangers (护林员). Zoo officials worried that Flaco, who had been kept in his zoo cage for 13 years, may have lost the survival abilities he needed in the wild. They placed some of his favorite treats in the open air to attempt to trap him.
Flaco was not fooled. Instead, he was sighted flying over5th Avenue, and Central Park’s skating rink. A number of New Yorkers came into Central Park to try to catch a glimpse of Flaco, taking photos with excitement.
But this week, zoo officials announced they accepted that Flaco remained in Central Park because he had been seen bringing up bones and fur from the park’s community of rats. “He has been very successful at hunting and consuming lots of rats in the park.” zoo officials told the New York Post.“ And that’s amazing. He’s hunting on his own. He’s flying better. Flaceo really seems to be enjoying himself out there.”
There is a caution attached to this story of an owl who is making it on his own in the city that never sleeps. Owls are nocturnal. They go around searching for food at night. They sleep during the day, or try to, like lots of people who work the overnight shift. Yet some New Yorkers who don’t know proper bird-watching behavior reportedly see Flaco sleep in a tree during the day, and begin to shout at him. It interrupts his sleep. Flaco can’t try to say “shh, shh” with the traditional New York reply. After all, a bird can’t give someone the bird.
1. Why were zoo officials concerned about Flaco’s ability to survive?A.Because his favourite food was too little. | B.Because he might be attacked by police. |
C.Because his cage was severely damaged. | D.Because he was kept in his cage for long. |
A.He has adapted to the wild. | B.He has found his previous home. |
C.He still faces great challenges. | D.He dislikes the rats in the park. |
A.Scary-looking. | B.Shy and quiet. |
C.Active at night. | D.Badly-behaved. |
A.Cautious. | B.Favorable. | C.Unclear. | D.Disapproving. |
5 . Yang He, a 64-year-old man from Yichang, Hubei, has observed the changes in finless porpoises (江豚) population with his camera for six years. As a(n)
Every day, Yang wakes up early and drives to the
The Yangtze finless porpoise is so
However, the situation has changed as
Thanks to his camera, he once discovered and
A.leader | B.admirer | C.hunter | D.advisor |
A.banks | B.waves | C.beaches | D.sights |
A.suddenly | B.patiently | C.formally | D.strangely |
A.imagination | B.anxiety | C.strength | D.beauty |
A.follows | B.listens | C.knows | D.exchanges |
A.belongs to | B.focuses on | C.applies for | D.adapts to |
A.addicted | B.connected | C.convenient | D.important |
A.threaten | B.balance | C.protect | D.promote |
A.crashing | B.trapping | C.tracking | D.preventing |
A.in addition to | B.due to | C.in spite of | D.apart from |
A.global | B.possible | C.effective | D.historic |
A.creative | B.lucky | C.magic | D.valuable |
A.catching | B.striking | C.kicking | D.drawing |
A.inspired | B.approached | C.reserved | D.rescued |
A.conquer | B.remind | C.document | D.identify |
6 . A 36-year-old man is attempting to set a new record by rowing 5,000 miles solo from Hawaii to Australia while dedicating his journey to saving the planet.
Tez Steinberg, of Boulder, Colorado, plans to leave Hawaii on December 20 on his solo trip across the Pacific Ocean. Actually, it’s the second leg of an adventure that began in 2020 when he rowed solo for 71 days from Monterey, California, to Oahu, Hawaii.
Steinberg began to experience depression while he was in college. At the time, he found a solution by participating in endurance sports. “It helped me feel better,” he said. “But as I went farther and farther, pushing myself through marathons and triathlons, I discovered this belief in myself that I’m so much stronger than I thought I was.”
However, in 2016, his life took a big turn after the sudden death of his dad. The blow caused him to challenge himself even more by solo rowing across an ocean. After successfully completing the task without any prior professional experience, Steinberg realized he could use his story to inspire other people to believe in themselves and their potential to change and grow.
Recalling the first journey at sea, he said, “I was so surprised by how beautiful the ocean was, and also how much plastic I saw. So it was that realization at sea that led me to want to go back out again.” Inspired by his first expedition, Steinberg’s new mission is to focus on ocean conservation, and specifically ocean plastics. “All the plastic I saw at sea was just heartbreaking,” he said.
The upcoming voyage will be part of an attempt to break a Guinness World Record. Nevertheless, breaking records isn’t his priority. “Personally, although a world record is exciting, that’s not why I’m in it. The world record is fun for media attention, but through it we can get more donations, support and action for ocean plastics,” Steinberg said.
1. What can we learn about Steinberg from paragraphs 3 and 4?A.He suffered academically. |
B.He was expert in extreme sports. |
C.He gained confidence from motivating others. |
D.He turned to challenging tasks in face of difficulties. |
A.To recover from the state of depression. |
B.To relieve the pain of his father’s passing. |
C.To inspire other people to fulfil their dreams. |
D.To challenge himself to achieve the impossible. |
A.To break a world record. | B.To establish a good reputation. |
C.To contribute to ocean protection. | D.To urge governments to take action. |
A.Stubborn and ambitious. | B.Self-centered and sympathetic. |
C.Determined and knowledgeable. | D.Responsible and courageous. |
7 . The spotlight shines brightly on the dancers as they gracefully leap across the stage. But what sets this performance apart from others is not just the skill and grace of the dancers but the unique and meaningful use of recycled materials in their costumes and set design.
The famous Japanese ballet company, K-Ballet, recently showed their new production “Plastic”, which aims to raise awareness about the global plastic pollution crisis. The costumes worn by the dancers are made from used bubble wrap, the stage is surrounded by four massive walls constructed from recycled plastic bottles, and even the 100 umbrellas used in the performance were found abandoned in the streets of Tokyo.
The dancers, including guest star Julian MacKay, look like space-age creatures with hand-cleaned plastic bottles tied to their bodies as they dance on stage. MacKay, from the United States, notes that the issue of plastic waste “really hasn’t gotten that spotlight” in the dance world and believes that the performing arts can inspire people to take action.
The problem of plastic waste is a pressing one. According to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), plastic waste has doubled globally in the past 20 years, and only 9 percent of it is successfully recycled. The United Nations predicts that the volume of plastic entering the oceans will nearly triple (成为三倍) by 2040.
K-Ballet plans to keep its costumes and set design for at least a year with the hope of restaging the show and after that, the bottles will be recycled by Shirai, a waste management company. The chow’s experience and message moved audience members who attended the performance. Ayumi Kisaki, a 30-year-old actor, said, “It’s an issue I don’t usually think about. But these dancers highlighting the issue of plastic call me and all of us to find ways to recycle and reuse the plastic.”
1. How did K-Ballet draw the public’s attention to its “Plastic”?A.By applying new equipment and set design. | B.By exhibiting new plastic products on the stage. |
C.By creatively using recycled materials in dance. | D.y inviting American dance star Julian MacKay. |
A.It is the best art in the dance world. | B.It is a pressing show to the audience. |
C.It will inspire more people to take up dancing. | D.It integrates art with environmental protection. |
A.Introduce another topic of the text. | B.Add some background information. |
C.Provide some advice for the readers. | D.Summarize the previous paragraphs. |
A.Impressive. | B.Entertaining. | C.Depressing. | D.Logical. |
The Forbidden City, also known as the Palace Museum, and Gu Gong in Chinese, lies at the city center of Beijing, and once served
The Palace Museum is becoming waste-free as the 720,000-square-meter structure has managed to reduce
While
“By launching the campaign, the Palace Museum is taking a science-based and meticulous approach to waste. The target is to minimize the generation of waste that needs
So far, approximately 3,000 museum staff members, 40,000 tourist guides, and 21 million visitors
9 . Growing plants at home is a fun and enjoyable activity to do and can be developed as a new hobby.
Gardening reduces stress. Gardening is one of the most effective, and fun ways to free yourself from the physical, mental, and emotional stress you have been carrying since the beginning of the week. If you are overworking yourself during the weekdays or seeing yourself drowning in stressful thoughts, try to spend your weekends gardening at home.
Gardening is good for your heart. Gardening requires our body to move around by doing simple tasks such as digging the ground, planting seeds, pulling out weeds, and carrying a water container’s load.
By spending our free time gardening and monitoring our plants’ growth, we are also taking care of ourselves as we gain lots of health and emotional benefits. It is a worthwhile activity because we get to see the results of our hard work when our plants start growing fonder and healthier. The way we take care of our plants reflects the way we take care of ourselves.
A.Gardening is an act of self-love. |
B.Gardening is good for your bones. |
C.Gardening helps your body against diseases. |
D.You will see a significant change in your mind. |
E.These simple gardening tasks can be considered a low-level exercise. |
F.It also has several positive health and emotional benefits that you can enjoy. |
G.Returning home to a place full of beautiful plants helps us enjoy the freshness of the air. |
Earthquakes are quite common. In fact, thousands of earthquakes are happening almost at every moment.
As one of the most deadly
Besides the great damage and deaths