1 . Each one of us shares this planet with seven billion other individuals. And we all need transportation. The majority of cars, motorcycles, boats and planes cause pollution. They are also noisy. This is a serious problem in many cities. So inventors are coming up with innovative ideas to try to reduce the pollution and noise.
By LandIn many cities around the world, motorcycles are becoming increasingly popular. Currently, Vietnam has around 33 million motorcycles. China has almost 120 million. The convenience of these motorcycles comes at a cost. Air pollution is a growing problem. In large cities, people often complain it is difficult to breathe. They also complain about the noise.
To solve these problems, a U.S. company designed an environmentally friendly motorcycle. It uses electricity as fuel. You can drive it for 40 miles (64 kilometers) before recharging the battery.
It is also quiet and fast-60 miles (96 kilometers) per hour. This makes it a good choice for getting around a city.
By WaterThe Italian city of Venice is a city with only a few roads. There are no cars in the city center. Instead of cars, water taxis and buses carry people along the city’s canals. The engines of these boats are simple and cheap. However, they cause pollution, particularly to the water. This causes damage to the city’s buildings.
English mechanics Dick Strawbridge and Jem Stans designed a solar-powered water taxi. The solar panels charge three electric batteries. These, in turn, provide power to the engine. The water taxi can carry six passengers. It can run for a day. In the future, solar taxis could be an alternative to Venice’s current taxis.
By AirDesigning an environmentally friendly airplane is a real challenge. Planes use an enormous amount of jet fuel. This means they cause significant air pollution, and they are very noisy. Some major airplane manufacturers have started to address the problems. They are using cleaner fuels, for example. However, Swiss engineers have gone one step further. They developed a solar airplane — the Solar Impulse. Solar panels cover its wings. These panels provide power to four electric motors and batteries. The batteries allow the plane to fly at night. This plane holds the world record for the longest solar-powered flight — 985 miles (1541 kilometers) from Arizona to Texas in the United States.
1. What do the three innovative ideas proposed have in common?A.They aim to solve traffic problems in big cities. |
B.They use cleaner energy and cause less pollution. |
C.They aim to change traditional way of transporting goods. |
D.They are good will of developed countries to help developing countries. |
A.China owns the largest number of motorcycles. |
B.There are no cars in the center of Venice city. |
C.Solar-powered water taxi can run for a day with one battery at work. |
D.The newly designed motorcycle can drive 60 miles after being charged. |
A.lighter wings | B.less noise |
C.powerful batteries | D.longest solar panels |
2 . What do ants, bees, pigeons, and herrings have in common? All these animals swarm. Swarming occurs when large numbers of individual animals move, work, or cooperate as a group. They appear to know where they are going and what they are doing. Why are they doing this?
Ants are a good example of swarming animals. Swarms of ants can do many difficult tasks. For example, they can find the shortest path to the best food source. It may appear that individual ants build nests and defend their homes, but ants aren’t clever architects or soldiers—at least not as individuals. If you watch an ant try to accomplish something, you will be impressed by how inept it is. Although individual ants don’t appear to be very intelligent, as colonies they are, thanks to swarm intelligence.
Swarm intelligence is the collective behavior of large groups. The key feature of swarm intelligence seems to be that no one is in charge. In the case of ants, there appear to be no leaders. No ant seems to be telling any other ants what to do. There is a queen ant, but her only role is to lay eggs. Yet, a colony of half a million ants functions perfectly without any managers at all. Furthermore, no single ant seems to have any knowledge about the big picture—the main goals or objectives. The swarm relies on lots of interaction between individuals who all follow the rules. One of these rules is to stay close together. When individuals stay close together, they communicate and share a lot of information.
Different animals have different methods of interaction. For example, ants leave a trail of pheromones for other ants to follow. A key component of bee interaction is movement. When bees need to move their hive, scout bees go out in search of a suitable place to live. When they return, they each do a type of dance. The “happier” the bee is about the new location, the faster the dance is. In addition, the dance includes a code with directions to the new location. The excited dancers excite other scout bees. These bees then fly out to check. They come back, get close together, and dance with the other excited bees. The bees will not move until they are all “excited”, or in agreement about the best location. Once a large enough group of bees all agree, they convince the thousands of other bees. Then they all fly together to the new site.
Some scientists are applying the wisdom of animals to solve human problems. Thomas Seeley, a biologist at Cornell University, uses swarm intelligence in his meeting. Seeley doesn’t tell his staff what to do or make all decisions. Instead, he asks his staff to identify all the possibilities, discuss their ideas, and then vote by ballot. Seeley wants his staff, like the bees, to focus on the group’s needs, not on the individual ideas. “It gives a group time to let the best idea emerge and win.” Seeley says that running meetings using swarm intelligence ideas can lead to better decisions. It can also reduce conflict among the staff.
In nature, animals use swarm intelligence for survival. For these animals, working together is a matter of life or death. For humans, there is much to learn from swarm intelligence to make our lives more efficient.
1. According to paragraph 2, “inept” means ________.A.awkward | B.appealing | C.isolated | D.smart |
A.There should be a leader although he may not be in charge. |
B.It won’t work if individuals don’t understand the collective goals. |
C.Every individual should be very familiar with the rules and with each other. |
D.Team member should stick together and communicate what they know. |
A.They communicate within their group through pheromones. |
B.Failure in reaching agreements seldom occurs in an intimate team. |
C.They head towards the new location when majority of bees agree. |
D.The way they dance reflects how satisfied they are with the location. |
A.boosting team spirit | B.eliminating conflicts |
C.encouraging best ideas | D.solving interpersonal problems |
3 . COVID-19 lockdowns had strange effects on air pollution across the globe
Ever since the covid-19 spread, many changes have come with the
Researchers found it a strange but
During the lockdown, passenger traffic plumbed, and traffic-related emissions—particularly CO2 and NO2—
A.seemingly | B.absolutely | C.relatively | D.theoretically |
A.criticized | B.issued | C.imposed | D.publicized |
A.suffered | B.witnessed | C.reformed | D.respected |
A.worth | B.busy | C.demand | D.symbolic |
A.rare | B.precious | C.applicable | D.respective |
A.halved | B.growing | C.increasing | D.double |
A.meaningful | B.honorable | C.tough | D.rough |
A.adapt | B.acknowledge | C.accomplish | D.adopt |
A.exchanging | B.reminding | C.persisting | D.concerning |
A.expect | B.treasure | C.test | D.appreciate |
A.relieve | B.settle | C.comfort | D.signal |
A.turned | B.kicked | C.fell | D.crushed |
A.key | B.indirect | C.wide | D.negative |
A.leak | B.collapse | C.lift | D.resist |
A.strike | B.take | C.investigate | D.analyze |
4 . Animal Rights
Every conscious being has interests that should be respected. No being who is conscious of being alive should be devalued to thinghood, dominated, and used as a resource or
Animal rights is about letting animals live on their own terms. It can be written into our laws, but is not an actual list or bill of rights as we have for human society. It begins with our promises not to act like
Why is animal rights
As we do, animals protect their children; they feel fear; they warn each other of dangers; they play. We might differ from other animals in some ways, but that doesn’t give us the right to
Whether we admit it or not, it’s a prejudice to think we are
A.companies | B.goods | C.insects | D.providers |
A.active | B.conscious | C.intelligent | D.strange |
A.Indeed | B.Moreover | C.Nevertheless | D.Otherwise |
A.followers | B.friends | C.masters | D.tutors |
A.necessary | B.neglected | C.respected | D.revolutionary |
A.distinguish | B.eliminate | C.exploit | D.raise |
A.animal-free | B.eco-friendly | C.low-salt | D.well-balanced |
A.conflict | B.confusion | C.isolation | D.misery |
A.calm | B.chase | C.pull | D.tear |
A.signs | B.symbols | C.symptoms | D.performances |
A.differently | B.enthusiastically | C.gently | D.unfairly |
A.abandoned | B.chosen | C.oppressed | D.spoiled |
A.accessible | B.appealing | C.reasonable | D.superior |
A.change | B.dominate | C.persist | D.proceed |
A.contrary to | B.more than | C.owing to | D.rather than |
A. alarming B. carbon-intensive C. durability D. glued E. labels F. man-made G. manufacturing H. recycle I. redefine J. samples K. share |
How sustainable are your sneakers?
Over the last five years the sneaker industry has grown rapidly and shows no sign of slowing down. The global athletic footwear market is expected to exceed 95 billion (USD) by 2025. According to the World Footwear Yearbook, over 24 billion pairs of shoes are produced annually. Among them sneakers account for the largest
Sneaker production is very
These emissions mainly come from
Then why don’t we move away from the use of plastic? Since sneakers have to endure much more than a regular pair of shoes, the aspect of their
The footwear industry is at least 10 years behind the rest of fashion in terms of environmental standards. Seven out of ten brands are having discussions on sustainability, yet only 40% of companies have a sustainability program in place. Big industry players (such as Adidas and Nike) and some smaller
Considering that close to 25 billion pairs of shoes were produced worldwide in the last year, it is clear that immediate action is very important. It is my hope that we consumers will
6 . What is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch?
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) is the largest of the five offshore plastic accumulation zones in the world’s oceans. It is located halfway between Hawaii and California.
PLASTIC
It is estimated that 1.15 to 2.41 million tonnes of plastic are entering the ocean each year from rivers. More than half of this plastic is less
The strong and floating plastics show resiliency(韧性) in the marine environment, allowing them to be transported over
Once these plastics enter the gyre(环流), they are unlikely to leave the area until they
LOCATION
Due to seasonal and interannual variabilities of winds and currents, the GPGP’s location and shape are constantly changing. Only floating objects that are
By simulating concentration levels in the North Pacific, the researchers were able to follow the location of the patch and found on average it orbits around 32°N and 145°W. However, the team observed seasonal
IMPACT ON WILDLIFE
Plastic has increasingly become a very common substance in the ocean. Due to its size and color, animals
Studies have shown that about 700 species have encountered marine debris, and 92% of these
IMPACT ON HUMANS AND SOCIETY
Once plastic enters the marine food web, there is a possibility that it will contaminate the human food chain as well. Through a process called bioaccumulation, chemicals in plastics will enter the body of the animal
A.ACCUMULATION | B.DRIFT | C.FLOATING | D.PROMOTION |
A.light | B.thick | C.tiny | D.dense |
A.adjusted | B.overdone | C.deposited | D.extended |
A.upgrade | B.degrade | C.assemble | D.disassemble |
A.transportation | B.estimation | C.concentration | D.location |
A.predominantly | B.rarely | C.previously | D.slightly |
A.similarity | B.shift | C.boost | D.figure |
A.exchange | B.substitute | C.leave | D.confuse |
A.implications | B.interactions | C.interferences | D.influences |
A.resting | B.feeding | C.risking | D.waiting |
A.mariner | B.prey | C.tracker | D.predator |
A.present | B.absent | C.current | D.reliable |
A.Likewise | B.However | C.Moreover | D.Therefore |
A.result in | B.remove from | C.stem from | D.bring about |
A.insufficient | B.adequate | C.insignificant | D.substantial |
7 . Marmoset monkeys exist on a branch of the evolutionary tree that is distinct from the one that led to humans. But they constantly
A new study further
One possibility is that an individual practices
The other explanation for charitable behavior
Scientists call this the “pay to stay” model. Importantly, for both of these models to work, acts of kindness must have a(n)
Anthropologists (人类学家) from the University of Zurich carefully documented how often, in groups and in conditions that found caregiver and baby separated from the crowd, an adult would share his or her cricket. When alone with a baby
A.comfort | B.astonish | C.alarm | D.convince |
A.evolving | B.communicating | C.organizing | D.parenting |
A.extended | B.extensive | C.exclusive | D.enlarged |
A.shines | B.damages | C.affects | D.protests |
A.at play | B.in private | C.on schedule | D.by accident |
A.selfish | B.reluctant | C.selfless | D.negative |
A.generosity | B.wisdom | C.independence | D.governance |
A.count on | B.go after | C.appeal to | D.benefit from |
A.confirms | B.ensures | C.complains | D.assumes |
A.Effort | B.Temptation | C.Failure | D.Promise |
A.atmosphere | B.audience | C.feedback | D.judge |
A.statistics | B.expectation | C.result | D.opposite |
A.stretching | B.fighting | C.begging | D.striving |
A.prize | B.fortune | C.award | D.reputation |
A.motivation | B.consideration | C.invitation | D.creation |
8 . The beauty, majesty, and timelessness of a primary rainforest are indescribable. It is impossible to
Rainforests have
The scale of human
In 1950, about 15 percent of the Earth’s land surface was covered by rainforest. Today, more than half has already gone up in
A.establish | B.claim | C.capture | D.prove |
A.extended | B.evolved | C.expanded | D.resolved |
A.energizing | B.healing | C.isolating | D.breathing |
A.destroyed | B.contributed | C.reduced | D.affected |
A.However | B.Furthermore | C.Therefore | D.Otherwise |
A.active | B.positive | C.interdependent | D.dominant |
A.restore | B.support | C.relieve | D.last |
A.pressure | B.resources | C.concern | D.strengths |
A.existence | B.ecosystem | C.species | D.survival |
A.unfortunately | B.consequently | C.naturally | D.similarly |
A.store | B.food | C.smoke | D.wealth |
A.subject | B.down | C.apart | D.victim |
A.running out | B.going up | C.holding back | D.falling down |
A.released | B.revealed | C.threatened | D.boosted |
A.trend | B.practice | C.intention | D.attitude |
9 . The World Needs Zoos
ZOOS play an important role in the world for conservation and education. They are particularly important for endangered species. Many animals are critically endangered and may go extinct in the wild, but in zoos, they are going strong. Many others are already extinct in the wild and only survive thanks to populations kept in captivity (圈养). Even those critical of zoos often recognize that it is better to have species preserved somewhere than lose them altogether.
Take the ring-tailed lemur (环尾狐猴) of Madagascar for example. This animal is almost ubiquitous in zoos as they breed well in captivity and the public are fond of them. However, despite their high numbers in collections around the world, they are the most threatened mammalian group on the planet. A recent survey suggests that up to 95 percent of the wild populations have been lost since 2000.
Such trends are not isolated. The giraffe is another very common species in zoos. Unlike the lemurs, giraffes are widespread in the countries across much of sub-Saharan Africa. Yet giraffe populations have gone down by a third in the last thirty years. While less dramatic than the drop in lemur numbers, this is obviously a major loss and again, whole populations (which some scientists think are of unique subspecies) are on the verge of extinction.
There will, I suspect, always be resistance to the argument for keeping animals in captivity and I will not defend the zoos that are bad and in desperate need of improvement or closure.
A.So we can see many endangered animals living in zoos. |
B.This is a trend that is only likely to continue. |
C.This means that the remaining individuals are at serious risk. |
D.In fact, species that are common can also come under serious threat before people realize it. |
E.But unfortunately that is not always the case. |
F.But if we wish to keep any real measure of biodiversity on the planet, we may have to lean on zoos far more than many realize. |
10 . Female penguins get stranded
Every year, thousands of Magellanic penguins (麦哲伦企鹅) get stranded along the coast of South America, but,
Magellanic penguins finish breeding in Patagonia in February, and, during the
Writing in the journal Current Biology, researchers in Japan and Argentina report how they
Previously it was unknown whether male and female’s took different paths or not. “Although some
The results from the study offer a clearer picture.
The authors offer a number of reasons why males and females may head to different areas— including to avoid
While researchers are still trying to understand why penguins end up stranded, Yamamoto and colleague’s suggest those that end up further north may have used more energy swimming or catching
“
While the findings may not help prevent strandings, Yamamoto said it could help with
A.desperately | B.puzzlingly | C.obviously | D.undoubtedly |
A.combination | B.frustration | C.conflict | D.imbalance |
A.following | B.previous | C.starting | D.finished |
A.dismissed | B.withdrawn | C.airlifted | D.extended |
A.attached | B.equipped | C.lifted | D.injected |
A.evaluations | B.assumptions | C.descriptions | D.conclusions |
A.deep-rooted | B.ice-covered | C.storm-stricken | D.female-biased |
A.Because | B.While | C.After | D.When |
A.legally | B.physically | C.typically | D.simply |
A.searching | B.competing | C.asking | D.defending |
A.widths | B.levels | C.depths | D.rates |
A.lighter | B.heavier | C.rougher | D.smoother |
A.fixed | B.scared | C.deposited | D.scattered |
A.After all | B.In addition | C.However | D.For example |
A.perseverance | B.conversation | C.conservation | D.reservation |