1. Which of the following is not part of the eco-car?
| A．The air tank. | B．The fuel pump. | C．The luggage trunk. |
| A．His interest in light fiberglass. |
| B．His experience at a design fair. |
| C．His concern about the environment. |
| A．It’s quiet and safe. | B．It runs on regular fuel. | C．Its body is made of steel. |
Nike was a wheel dog who was directly in front of the sled (雪橇) and take most of the force. Whether little Nike had been named after the athletic shoe or the Greek goddess of victory, I would never know. He came into my life due to an injury in one of his legs which prevented him from making the team for the Trail Sled Dog Race.
My lifelong dream was to become a mountain man. So this winter, my wife Cheryl and I headed into the mountains with supplies to live for five months. In January, we had begun pushing east toward an untraveled area of the Yukon River. The trapping prospects there looked promising. We returned to our main cabin and made plans for me to use Cheryl’s dogs, hooking (钩) them together to form a large team. The idea was to bring supplies several miles down the river and establish a permanent camp.
That meant I’d be traveling alone and driving a sled loaded with around 300 pounds of goods, which meant extra hard work for my wheeler, Nike. The first serious challenge in our trip came where the path went down a steep valley that led to the river. As we started down, I stood on the brake with all of my weight in an attempt to keep balance. But the heavy sled began overtaking the dogs, and they picked up their pace to stay ahead of it. The sled became faster and faster until we came to a sharp turn at the bottom of the hill.
Eventually, the dogs got entangled (缠结) with each other and the sled got stuck in a crack in the river ice. I emerged from a large snowdrift and assessed the damage. I expected to find my dogs and a broken sled. But the sled was fine, and the dogs had jumped over each other, freeing themselves from the tangled ropes. Nike emerged from’ the snow, shook himself off, looked at me with encouraging eyes and made me smile.
注意：1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Now I have to save myself from the icy river.
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I had begun to accept that this was how I was going to die, but Nike wouldn’t have it.
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As our cities spread, we need
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4 . Some ways to help and protect wildlife
There are more than 7 billion people on Earth. Imagine what will happen if every one of us is willing to do one thing — no matter how small — to protect wildlife every day.
Take a walk and see and enjoy the wildlife all around you — the birds, reptiles and small and large mammals (哺乳动物). Spend more time outside appreciating, enjoying and learning about wildlife.
Speak up for wildlife
Pick up litter
Picking up litter can save the life of an animal. Litter isn’t just ugly, it’s harmful. Birds and other animals can trap their heads in plastic rings. Fish can get stuck in nets. Plus, trash pollutes everyone’s natural resources.
Donate or volunteer
When you visit your local zoos and nature reserves, pay the recommended entry fee. Your donations help maintain these conservation areas.
| A．Go outside and connect with wildlife |
| B．Do your part by putting trash in its place |
| C．Become a voice for wildlife on social media |
| D．Find new ways to use things you already own |
| E．If you don’t have money to give, donate your time |
| F．Learn more about our planet’s species from experts |
| G．Even minor actions can have a difference when we all work together |
5 . Improved air quality to reduce ozone (臭氧) pollution may have avoided the loss of 1.5 billion birds during the past 40 years, a study found. That’s nearly 20% of bird life in the United States today.
Ozone, a gas that appears in nature, is also produced by human activities, including by power plants and cars. The ozone in the upper atmosphere protects the Earth from the harmful ultraviolet rays (紫外线) of the sun. But ground-level ozone is harmful and pollutes the air we breathe.
To examine the relationship between bird populations and air pollution, the researchers used models that connected bird observations from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s eBird program with ground-level pollution data. They tracked monthly changes in bird populations, air quality, and regulation status (治理现状) for 3,214 US counties over a period of 15 years. The findings suggest that ozone pollution is most harmful to the small birds — such as sparrows, warblers and finches — that make up 86% of all North American land-bird species. Ozone pollution directly harms birds by damaging their breathing systems, and indirectly harms their food sources.
“Not only can ozone cause direct physical damage to birds, but it also can harm plant health and reduce numbers of the insects that birds eat,” said co-author Amanda Rodewald. “Not surprisingly, birds that cannot get high-quality habitat or food resources are less likely to survive or reproduce successfully. The good news here is that environmental policies intended to protect human health and return important benefits to birds too.”
This work contributes to our ever increasing understanding of the connection of environmental health and human health.
1. How many birds are there in the United States now?| A．0.75 billion. | B．1.5 billion. |
| C．3 billion. | D．7.5 billion. |
| A．Ozone pollution harms birds’ food sources indirectly. |
| B．86% of North American land-bird species are extinct. |
| C．3,214 counties in America have effective regulations. |
| D．The researchers have observed birds for many years. |
| A．Worried. | B．Positive. |
| C．Uncaring. | D．Doubtful. |
| A．Ground-Level Ozone Makes up Most of the Air We Breathe |
| B．Environmental Policies Intend to Protect Human Health |
| C．Reduced Ozone Pollution May Have Avoided Bird Deaths |
| D．Regulations Bring Important Protection Benefits to Birds |
6 . When thinking about intelligence, we often place humans at the top of the ranks. However, there is a species whose intelligence is far more advanced and perhaps more similar to humans than we’d thought — crows (乌鸦).
In 2002, a crow named Betty wowed Oxford University scientists by picking up a piece of wire in her cage and bending it at one end to make a hooked (钩状的) tool. Then the crow used the hooked tool to lift a pig’s heart from a small container to eat. Many years later, researchers found that bending tools was in fact not that unusual for New Caledonian crows.
As part of the Corvid family of birds, the brains of New Caledonian crows and others within the family have been studied more closely. Corvids have shown amazing cognitive (认知的) abilities. Unlike humans, corvids do not have a neocortex — a brain structure that allows for advanced cognitive development. Instead, their brains are filled with neurons (神经元) which have enabled the bird to have similar mental capacities like humans.
According to a paper published earlier this year, New Caledonians are particular about the plant stem (茎) which they use to make their hooked tools and are able find out the best plant stem. They are also capable of looking for that plant stem even when it is disguised (伪装) with leaves from a different plant species. Crows are also able to use their abilities to solve advanced problems. Crows also seem to use their cleverness for fun, much like humans do, as young birds love to play.
New Caledonian crows have emotions and memories and are cognitively skilled animals. They just might not be so different from us humans after all!
1. How did Betty surprise the scientists?| A．She made a hooked tool. | B．She escaped from her cage. |
| C．She managed to lift a heavy container. | D．She showed great interest in pig’s heart. |
| A．They remain unknown to humans. |
| B．They are quite different from other corvids. |
| C．Their brain structure is similar to that of humans. |
| D．Their cognitive abilities are decided by neurons. |
| A．Anxious. | B．Happy. | C．Picky. | D．Curious. |
| A．The intelligence of crows. | B．The survival skills of crows. |
| C．The development of the crow family. | D．The memories of crows. |
7 . In 1985, Tommy Burrell inherited(继承) a piece of land in West Sussex, England, which is 3500 acres. It had been in his family for more than 200 years. As it was a failing farm, he and his wife Isabella Tree, were all set to run a traditional farm, but soon realized the costs far outweighed the profits. The land wasn't suitable for growing crops anymore.
So, in 2001, the couple decided to try something else--an experiment in “rewilding”, or restoring environments to their natural state. They reintroduced native species, including Tamworth pigs, Exmoor ponies, longhorn cattle, and deer. Then they took out all the fences and let the animals wander freely.
In the following years, the land went through an incredible change. The once neat fields were covered with bushes, creating habitats where new plant and animal species could grow.
Now it's home to many different creatures, including two rare species of bats, nightingales, peregrine falcons, white storks, and even turtle doves, whose numbers have dropped by 98 percent in the U. K. over the last few decades!
“We were living in a biological desert. Now, ecologists are blown away all the time by just the amount of life here," Isabella said. "It shows the potential that this kind of project has for changing trends of biodiversity decline.
What's more, the land is now profitable! Tommy and Isabella offer multiple services there, including walking tours, safaris, photography classes, and rewilding workshops. They also sell meat to control their large animal populations, and even allow visitors to spend a night outside in the tents they set up.
What a promising outcome! This is amazing news for conservationists and shows that our planet can be returned to its natural glory, if only we let it. Now, it's a beautiful reminder of how ecosystems can be restored by letting Mother Nature take the control.
1. What did the couple do with the land?| A．They planted trees on it. | B．They raised animals on it. |
| C．They restored it to its natural state. | D．They transformed it into a traditional farm. |
| A．Amused. | B．Impressed. | C．Disappointed. | D．Confused. |
| A．Selling tents to tourists. | B．Selling what they grow on the land. |
| C．Killing animals and selling the meat. | D．Drawing rare animals and selling the pictures. |
| A．They have creative ideas. | B．They succeeded through hard labor. |
| C．They are too lazy to manage a farm. | D．They care more about money than the ecosystem. |
Today, we buy more clothing
Fast fashion clothing is designed to fall apart fast,
Businesses can be environmental-friendly, too. For example, an online clothing store promises
9 . Jake Oldershaw and his daughter Mollie from Birmingham, Britain have asthma (哮喘). Mollie, 11, has required hospital treatment several times while Jake Says he always finds breathing more difficult when there is heavy traffic. Air quality has an enormous impact on their lives and both noticed a marked improvement during the spring lockdown because of the epidemic (疫情). Jake said, “During lockdown there was a noticeable difference in air quality. I didn't suffer any asthmatic attacks during that period. These days you can feel the effects.”
However, under current COVID-19 restrictions in the UK this winter, many people probably will have to work from home. The Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) says while emissions (排放) have dropped this year because we've been travelling less and doing less, the expected use of gas boilers to provide heating and hot water could rise by more than half.
Heating accounts for nearly 37% of the UK's total carbon emissions. Modelling by the ECIU suggests a 56% increase in boiler usage this winter resulting in a 12% increase in emissions of carbon. The ECIU says that's enough to offset the last two years' worth of progress on reducing traffic emissions.
Jess Ralston, author of the analysis for the ECIU, said, “Working from home and having increased gas use in the home could be really critical for air pollution and also climate change. The way we heat our homes needs to change if we are to get to net zero by 2050.”
Jess Ralston said, “The increase in pollution from gas boilers expected this winter provides a graphic illustration (图解) of their forgotten role in air pollution. And it is a role set to continue without practical policies to decarbonize home heating. ”
The government is set to publish its Heat and Buildings Decarbonisation Strategy in a few weeks which is expected to give details on plans to try to switch British homes to cleaner sources of heat.
1. How did the spring lockdown in the UK affect Jake?| A．He was cured of his asthma. |
| B．He had to go to hospital for retreatment. |
| C．He suffered a noticeable difficulty in study. |
| D．He didn't suffer any asthmatic attacks during that period. |
| A．The epidemic will become worse. |
| B．Air pollution will get worse this winter. |
| C．People may have to work from home longer. |
| D．There is less energy for gas boilers in winter. |
| A．People prefer to work from home in winter. |
| B．The government failed to protect the environment. |
| C．People tend to ignore the harmful effect of home heating. |
| D．The climate has suffered a lot from the epidemic this year. |
| A．A warmer winter season. |
| B．Less and less gas boilers. |
| C．Practical plans from the government. |
| D．Improved awareness of cutting down pollution. |
10 . A visit to Cheshire isn’t complete without a trip to the UK’s number one zoo. Chester Zoo is home to over 27,000 endangered animals based in beautiful, award-winning zoological gardens. With over 500 different animal species in the 125 acres (英亩), you’re sure to have a great day out full of adventure — discovering and learning more about the unbelievable animals and plants.
There’s a huge variety of special events and playful experiences throughout the year, as well as daily animal talks to make sure that your day is full of excitement! There’s always something new at Chester Zoo and this summer is no exception. Get ready to come face to face with the most fearsome creatures of the prehistoric (史前的) world! Explore the new Madagascar habitat that is home to impressive wildlife found nowhere else on Earth. Discover and get closer to uncommon animals in the unbelievable walkthrough habitat.
Make a meal of your visit and stop for a bite at one of the many restaurants, cafes located throughout the zoo or let the kids run wild in one of the play areas. For a truly unique dining experience, the Oakfield is not to be missed. The newly refurbished (再装修的) award-winning pub serves freshly prepared and locally sourced food and drink every day.
Plus if you book online and more than seven days in advance of your trip, you’ll save up to £4 per ticket compared with the price you’ll pay at the zoo on the day. So what are you waiting for? Book your tickets today at www.chesterzoo.org.
1. What do we know about Chester Zoo from the first paragraph?| A．It owns many endangered animals. | B．It is dangerous for visitors. |
| C．It is freshly decorated. | D．It is the largest zoo in the UK. |
| A．Unique plants. | B．Uncommon wildlife. |
| C．Animal talks. | D．Special events. |
| A．Get close to wild animals. | B．Play wild with your kids. |
| C．Enjoy drinking for free. | D．Have a good taste of food. |
| A．To list some unique animals. | B．To show her own experience. |
| C．To attract people to the zoo. | D．To ask people to protect wildlife. |
