1 . Chimps use loud calls and gestures to make their feelings known but until now, the exact meaning for individual movements has remained a mystery. Now researchers believe they have translated the key gestures used in the chimp community and identified their intentions for the first time.
From 4,351 gestures, experts were able to identify 66 that are used for 19 specific message meanings, including showing a foot to tell a child they can climb on their back. The researchers were able to narrow down these 66 gestures to 36 that are used intentionally to achieve 15 purposes. The translations were made by Dr Catherine Hobaiter and her colleagues at St Andrews University in Scotland.
Dr Hobaiter used behavior sampling and filmed all recorded cases of gestural communication. Other gestures include stomping their feet to ask another chimp to stop what they are doing, and slapping objects together to ask another to follow them. Of the 19 meanings,17 encouraged interactions to start, or to develop, such as “move closer,” and “change play”. Some of the gestures were found to have more than one meaning. and only 10 of the 66 gestures were used for only a single meaning.
Researchers collected a total of 471 video clips from two social groups of chimps at a shelter near Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. As well as identifying what the gesture means, they also discovered the technique needed to increase the chances of success.
“Human children use gestures to communicate before they produce their first words, and their earliest gestures typically appear around 10 months of age,” explained the researchers. “In great apes, there is good evidence that language-trained individuals are capable of acquiring and understanding signals, but this is far less clear in their natural communication. ”
1. Chimps slap the objects to____________.| A．tell others to stop what they are doing | B．ask others chimps to join them |
| C．gather other chimps to move closer | D．encourage interactions to start |
| A．Chimps trained in language are good at understanding signals. |
| B．Two social groups of chimps live at a shelter near Kinshasa. |
| C．Language-trained individuals do well in natural communication. |
| D．Chimps’earliest gestures appear around 10 months of age. |
| A．By analyzing causes. | B．By examining differences. |
| C．By making comparisons. | D．By following time order. |
| A．A New Research on Chimps | B．Human Children and Chimps |
| C．Getting the Chimps Trained for Language | D．Translating the Sign Language of Chimps |
2 . My husband Mike waved a stick in my face, pulling my attention back to the very important task at hand. As I looked up, I saw our dog Bagel's
From our first encounter, Bagel's stare has said everything that she could not
We
As I watched my aging dog walk around like a puppy, I knew we had made our decision
As she ages, it is becoming increasingly difficult to
| A．eyes | B．head | C．heart | D．figure |
| A．jump | B．kick | C．speak | D．turn |
| A．examining | B．seizing | C．adoring | D．adopting |
| A．equip | B．celebrate | C．decorate | D．provide |
| A．adapted | B．abandoned | C．found | D．exposed |
| A．home | B．destination | C．hotel | D．exit |
| A．level | B．fun | C．preference | D．movement |
| A．update | B．lose | C．change | D．continue |
| A．bark | B．whisper | C．silence | D．tune |
| A．teaching | B．sitting | C．playing | D．hiding |
| A．panel | B．stick | C．ball | D．bone |
| A．guided | B．rolled | C．pushed | D．threw |
| A．returned | B．hesitated | C．appeared | D．passed |
| A．No | B．Sure | C．Again | D．Fine |
| A．patiently | B．wisely | C．directly | D．hopelessly |
| A．party | B．match | C．visit | D．trip |
| A．rob her of | B．warn her of | C．show interest in | D．give way to |
| A．ensure | B．ignore | C．forget | D．suspect |
| A．bitterly | B．simply | C．certainly | D．hardly |
| A．face | B．treasure | C．witness | D．mourn |
3 . Wearing a caveman mask, Dr. John Marzluff walks across the campus at the University of Washington in Seattle. Crows (乌鸦) circle and squawk (尖叫), diving at him and away.
Beneath the mask, he smiles. Days before, he and his students, wearing caveman masks, trapped them and placed colored plastic bands on their legs. Then they released the unhappy birds. When the researchers wandered around campus without the masks, the crows they had caught and banded did not react to them. But when the same humans walked by while wearing the masks, the crows scolded loudly and dived at their “enemies”.
At first, only the banded birds reacted aggressively to the people in masks. But in later tests, more and more crows joined in, and even when the banded birds were not around. “Crows think and dream, fight and play, reason and take risks,” he says. “Their antics confuse us.”
This led him to study how crows’ brains work. He and his students wore one type of mask as they captured crows and brought them into the lab, training them to link that face with danger. Then a different kind of mask for more positive activities, such as feeding and caring. Then he worked with scientists at the university who scan animal brains to see which parts of a crow's brain do certain tasks. Surprisingly, the scientists found that when the crow saw the “danger” mask, one part of its brain became active. When the crow saw the “care and feeding” mask, a different part of its brain lit up. The team has shown that crows use the same parts of their brains for recognition that humans do — something that was not known before!
More than 10 years after the first mask experiment, campus crows still scold the “cavemen”. Crows also recognize people who are kind to them. Crows are always watching us... and they remember.
1. Why does Dr. John Marzluff smile?| A．He intends to show his kindness. |
| B．He realizes his trick has worked. |
| C．He is amused by the happy crows. |
| D．He is embarrassed at the crows’ response. |
| A．Ways of behaving. | B．Hunting types. |
| C．Flying models. | D．Chances of survival. |
| A．Sociable, intelligent and observant. |
| B．Noisy, dangerous and annoying. |
| C．Reasonable, cautious and aggressive. |
| D．Strong-headed, proud and popular. |
| A．They share the same wisdom as humans do. |
| B．They never forgive those who once hurt them. |
| C．They only recognize the people who are bad to them. |
| D．They perform tasks with different parts of their brains. |
In Africa, the honeyguide birds can respond to human calls to lead people to honey—what scientists describe as a mutualistic interaction, or one that benefits both creatures. The birds tweet and fly from tree to tree to guide honey seekers to hidden bee nests, typically inside trees. Then, humans open the trees to find honey, and the birds can dine on beeswax, their favorite food. |  |
Dogs have an excellent sense of smell, which is why the folks at Penn Vet Working Dog Center are training dogs to identify the smell of cancer using tissue and blood samples from people who suffer. The scientists hope to develop a way for dogs to screen samples first, then perform follow-up testing on the samples the dogs flagged—a system for spotting cancer in its early stages. |  |
Having a snake wrapped around your neck isn’t necessarily what you usually expect. But Monty, a 13-year-old snake has been helping customers relax with neck massages(按摩). It’s unlikely he was trained to do the job and is just pulsating like any other snake would when around a person’s neck. Regardless, this special snake books out a few weeks in advance. |  |
The Guide Horse Foundation has been training miniature horses (those standing 34 inches or less) as assistance animals for the visually damaged since 1999. Miniature horses are ideal service animals for people who feel uncomfortable with dogs or who want a guide animal with a longer life span. The horses typically live from 30 to 40 years. |  |
1. According to the text, which animal can help you relax?
| A．A snake. | B．A dog. |
| C．A honeyguide bird. | D．A miniature horse. |
| A．blind people who dislike dogs | B．blind people who can live longer |
| C．animal lovers who search for honey | D．animal lovers who suffer from cancer |
| A．special training | B．great potentials |
| C．unique jobs | D．high intelligence |
5 . In times of stress, particularly when the water gets too warm, the coral(珊瑚)erupts the algae(海藻), and the coral turns white, causing a state called coral bleaching(漂白). Just a few degrees of heat can lead to coral bleaching, putting the coral on a path to starvation and death.
Driven by climate change, marine heat waves are becoming one of the greatest threats to the existence of coral, which is important to the ocean ecology. But in some rare good news researchers have discovered coral can recover from bleaching even before a heat wave ends, suggesting it has the potential to survive long heat waves. Coral was thought to survive only if a heat wave lasted just a few weeks.
But no one had studied this process during a longer heat wave. Then in 2015, Julia Baum, a marine ecologist at the University of Victoria, began a survey of two common species: brain and star coral around Kiritimati in the central Pacific Ocean. They checked the condition of the coral as the heat wave struck and disappeared.
Starting in May 2015, the temperature rose about 1 ℃ within 2 months. As expected, coral that housed heat-sensitive algae bleached sooner than those housing the heat-tolerant kind of algae. As the water continued to warm, even heat-tolerant algae erupted.
Many brain and star coral on Kiritimati recovered from bleaching while the water was still unusually warm. Baum said, "The unexpected recovery provides new hope, because it means that even under lasting heat waves, there's a path forward for some of them."
An unusual feature of the recovery is that brain coral that started out with heat-sensitive algae had a higher survival rate(82%)than coral that began with heat-tolerant algae(25%). "That finding is surprising," said Baum, expecting that heat-tolerant algae would be better suited for helping coral survive a heat wave. But during a longer heat wave, it might be more advantageous to start with a heat-sensitive algae.
1. What results in coral bleaching?| A．The white algae. | B．The coral's death. |
| C．An attack of waves. | D．A rise in ocean temperature. |
| A．To prove that coral can stop climate change. |
| B．To study how coral bleaching comes about. |
| C．To figure out whether coral survives long heat waves |
| D．To explain why coral bleaching is a big threat to coral |
| A．Ashamed. | B．Confused |
| C．Worried. | D．Astonished. |
| A．Protect the ocean environment. | B．Reduce coral bleaching. |
| C．Grow more different algae. | D．Regulate the heat wave. |
6 . Sunflowers are something most of us usually think about in August, but with the arrival of the seed catalogs(分类), winter is a good time to start thinking about which ones you might want to grow this coming year. Most gardeners are familiar with the tall giant sunflowers. But there are three or four dozen other varieties.
First, you need to understand that sunflowers don’t all bloom at the same time. In my trials I grouped. them according to bloom time. Early means they bloom in late July or early August. The mid-season ones bloom in mid-August. The late season sunflowers usually flower from late August to early September.
For the early sunflowers, in my trials Pacino was one of the best one year, but was not as striking this past year. It has yellow flowers, about four inches across, and is about two fee high. Other low-growing, early choices are the yellow Sunspot, Del Sol, or Dwarf Yellow Spray. The latter has a lot of branches as its name indicates. Double Dandy is an early, low, red and yellow combination.
For the mid-season choices, this past year my best performers included three varieties that attain heights of five feet—the red-orange Claret, the strikingly dark red Moulin Rouge, and the gold Sunny. Two four-foot sunflowers that I’d recommend for home gardens are the red-yellow combination Ring of Fire, an All-America Selections Award winner, Lemonade, with its interesting mix of light and yellow petals(花瓣).
If you are looking for a late season variety, my favorite is Titanic, a double gold, four-foot tall variety that bloomed much of September and into October in my trials this past year. Other good choices include the light yellow Valentine, the gold Soraya, and the double gold Giant Sungold. This winter, as you leaf through(翻阅) the seed catalogs as the the snow gently falls outside your window, think about summer sunflowers. Thoughts of these flowers are sure to warm the coldest of winter days.
1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?| A．There are many different varieties of sunflowers. |
| B．The writer likes the tall giant sunflowers best. |
| C．You can try to grow sunflowers in winter. |
| D．Sunflowers only bloom in August. |
| A．Sunny. | B．Claret. |
| C．Moulin Rouge. | D．Dwarf Yellow Spray. |
| A．It is two feet high and about four inches across. |
| B．The color of it is a combination of red and yellow. |
| C．It can only be planted in the southern areas of America. |
| D．It usually blooms much of September and into October. |
| A．Two. | B．Three. | C．Four. | D．Five. |
7 . Open an app at your smart phone and scan the code bar on the garbage can. When you throw garbage into the garbage can, it will show the weight of the garbage and the points you can get from doing so.
In some cities, a variety of multifunctional smart garbage cans are being put into use. In Beijing, for example, a smart garbage can is equipped with an LED screen, which not only shows national policies on garbage classification but also shows the correct steps for garbage sorting. It can also calculate the weight of the garbage and the accumulated points one can get. They can be traded for some articles of daily use.
Garbage disposal is a small issue that involves everybody each day. However, it is also a big issue.
| A．Garbage sorting has been a new fashion. |
| B．Another kind of garbage can is even smarter. |
| C．It is no wonder that residents cheered for their presence. |
| D．Such a way of handling garbage has appeared in some cities. |
| E．It will affect China’s transformation towards green development. |
| F．Over 200 million tons of garbage is produced each year in some cities. |
| G．The good habit of garbage classification can improve the living environment. |
8 . While it's not impossible for birds to fly in the rain, they usually choose not to. You may see birds fly for a few seconds in poor weather, but most of them prefer to stay put on rainy days.
Why does rain make it harder for birds to fly? You might imagine that moving through the air while being pelted by raindrops would be pretty unpleasant. However, it's not the rain itself that makes flying difficult. Instead, birds are influenced by the drop in the air pressure that comes with most rainstorms. When pressure drops, the air is less thick, which makes it harder for birds to fly. Moving through the sky in areas of low air pressure takes a lot of energy.
Most birds need to eat several times a day—rain or no rain. Luckily, most birds' feathers（羽毛）are highly waterproof（防水的）, protecting the skin beneath. Many birds can also make oil that they can spread over their feathers to further protect themselves from the rain. Most birds don't like rain. In fact, in a 2010 study, a team of researchers studied birds living in a Costa Rican rainforest. They found that the birds had higher levels of stress hormone（应激激素）on rainy days. That may not surprise you. After all, many animals feel stressed out during storms. Pet owners often find that rain and thunder make their animals nervous. Some animals are so strongly influenced by nature that they almost seem to forecast the future.
No one really knows how many birds die during a storm or series of storms. But the number is certainly higher than usual. They fly into trees or windows; they get lost over the ocean or a large lake; their food sources are made more difficult to get but, at the same time, they need more food to get warm. However, if rain continues for some time, birds will have to challenge the storm.
1. What makes it harder for birds to fly in the rain?| A．The wet air. | B．Food shortage. |
| C．Raindrops. | D．The low air pressure. |
| A．Cleaned. | B．Hit. |
| C．Frightened. | D．Protected. |
| A．Why birds can fly in the rain |
| B．How birds are influenced by rain. |
| C．How birds survive long rainy days. |
| D．Why birds' feathers are waterproof. |
| A．Birds will develop the ability to fly in the rain |
| B．Birds fly only when necessary on rainy days. |
| C．Birds have nowhere to hide in rainstorms. |
| D．Birds need less food on rainy days. |
9 . “The world’s loneliest elephant” Kaavan, has reached Cambodia—on a flight of over 4,000km from Pakistan—and will spend his days at the Cambodia Wildlife Sanctuary in the country’s northwest.
Animal experts began the task of airlifting Kaavan on November 29. His departure from Pakistan marks the end of a campaign led by local activists and American singer and actress Cher, who has been campaigning for the elephant’s freedom since 2016. She is the co-founder of the NGO Free The Wild, which has played an important role in Kaavan’s relocation. Earlier in October, a veterinarian(兽医) from Four Paws, Dr Amir Khalil, took the responsibility of moving Kaavan, whose rescue has been described as “the heaviest one” the organisation has undertaken. Cher tweeted to thank Pakistan’s prime minister for making the rescue possible.
A special crate(板条箱) was especially built for the elephant, who weighs more than five tons and is more than three metres high. Kaavan was also trained by an elephant expert for several weeks to make sure that he could enter the crate safely. On the journey, Kaavan was accompanied by wildlife veterinarians and over 200kg of food. Kaavan is also Pakistan’s last Asian elephant and with his departure, the zoo where he was housed for over three decades may close soon, because many animals have been reported missing or dead in recent years. The zoo has repeatedly made headlines for its increasingly awful conditions.
According to the animal welfare organisation Four Paws, Kaavan came to the Pakistan zoo 35 years ago and shared his room with Saheli. After his “only companion” Saheli died in 2012, Kaavan was reported to be listless and even started showing signs of mental illness.
Luckily, Kaavan has found his relocation. Cambodian deputy environment minister Neth Pheaktra said, “Our zoo is pleased to welcome Kaavan. No longer will he be the world’s loneliest elephant. We expect to breed Kaavan with local elephants. This is an effort to save the gene.”
1. What can we learn from paragraph 2?| A．Kaavan is the heaviest elephant in the world. |
| B．Joint efforts have been made to rescue Kaavan. |
| C．Veterinarians tried to cure Kaavan of its diseases. |
| D．Experts helped Kaavan to adapt to his new home. |
| A．Because Cambodia had more experienced experts. |
| B．Because his living conditions went from bad to worse. |
| C．Because it served as the bond between the two countries. |
| D．Because the Pakistan zoo he stayed in was to shut down. |
| A．Depressed. | B．Useless. | C．Dependent. | D．Missing. |
| A．He will get freedom. |
| B．He will be well trained. |
| C．He may live a long life. |
| D．He may have the next generation. |
10 . Forty-nine years ago, on April 22,1970, twenty million Americans took to the streets to voice their concern about the deteriorating environment. The movement led to Earth Day.
Unfortunately, our planet is in worse shape now than it was when Earth Day was first celebrated. The good news is that it’s still not too late to reverse (转变) climate change if we all do our part. This Earth Day, take the first step towards helping our planet by participating in one of these fun activities.
NASA is putting our planet up for adoption so you and your friend can claim a portion of the planet as your own. The space agency has divided the globe into 64,000 sections, each about 55 miles wide. All you have to do is type your name into NASA’s “Adopt the Planet” site to claim a certificate that will give you the location of your slice of paradise (天堂) complete with details of its environment. NASA hopes that this exercise will stimulate interest and care in our planet.
Search giant Google is also trying to engage the public with an updated Google Earth focused around Earth Day events. Through a new Voyager feature, users will be able to discover stories from around the world, learn about new places by reading “Knowledge Cards” and send postcards.
If you happen to be anywhere near the nation’s capital on April 22, join the millions that are expected to participate in the Earth Day March at the National Mall. The mission of the event that will feature guest speakers and musical performances is to mobilize (动员) citizens into taking action by promoting this year’s Earth Day theme: climate and environmental science literacy.
While participating in the above-mentioned activities is a great idea, it is just the beginning. All that is required are small lifestyle changes. Planting a tree or two, going meatless just one day a week, or switching your plastic water bottle for a reusable one will go a long way to help reverse the damage we have caused.
1. The underlined word “deteriorating” is the closest in meaning to ________.| A．cleaner | B．better |
| C．worse | D．colder |
| A．air quality | B．ancient history |
| C．local customs | D．tourist attractions |
| A．They can create “Knowledge Cards” online. |
| B．They can discover stories from around the world. |
| C．They can receive postcards coming from Google. |
| D．They can adopt a slice of paradise in the world. |
| A．dream big | B．fly high |
| C．go meatless | D．start small |
