1 . Stress often occurs when humans have too much work or are in immediate danger. We communicate our stress to others through our behavior and physiological changes. Thus, stress can communicate information and even be useful for survival in certain situations. On the other hand, the massive spread of stress frequently leads to dangerous situations in groups, such as mass panic.
However, not only humans, but also animals can experience and spread stress. This is the present research focus of Dr Hanja Brand l from the University of Konstanz.
“It has been repeatedly shown that stress can be spread from one human to another,” Brand l says. “Often, a similarly strong physiological response is triggered, even though you have never experienced the stress yourself.” But what is known about stress among animals? Brand l concludes other animals in the group can be just as stressed as the friend who experienced something bad. Stress is evolutionarily deeply rooted and the process is similar in all vertebrates (脊椎动物).
When are animals stressed? To be mentioned primarily are naturally occurring threats to which they are exposed, such as natural enemies. Human influences raise the level of stress. “Increasing changes in the habitat or noise and light pollution also have an impact as these massively influence the environment of the animals.” Brand l explains. “Animals are flexible and can adapt to situations. But at some point, the stress response—the adaptations that otherwise help animals better escape stressors like enemies—no longer gives them a survival advantage,” she adds.
This not only endangers the animals’ health, but also changes the social structure of groups. “If we know how the underlying mechanisms (机制) work, we can better protect animals,” says Brandl.
For humans, too, insights from the animal world are useful, she says. “With humans, we can’t measure the functionality of groups under stress well in natural scenes.” Therefore, Brandl is now continuing her studies. In the future, this will make it easier to respond to and help with the spread of stress in groups of people.
1. What can we learn about stress from paragraph 1?| A．Stress is both good and bad. |
| B．Group living. can easily cause stress. |
| C．Each individual reacts differently to stressful situations. |
| D．Poor communication is one of the biggest causes of stress. |
| A．Ignored. | B．Eased. | C．Caused. | D．Transformed. |
| A．Supply food to them. |
| B．Make them live in groups. |
| C．Protect their habitat from being destroyed. |
| D．Provide opportunities for them to practice their survival skills. |
| A．A pet magazine. | B．A news website. |
| C．A book review. | D．A technical forum. |
Leo and Matt, both aged 16, are best friends who shared a passion for environmental sustainability. They were both students at a bustling high school in the heart of the city, a school that was infamous for its morning and afternoon traffic jams. The narrow streets leading to the school were always clogged (堵塞) with cars, buses, and bicycles, causing a great deal of inconvenience and pollution.
“Look what we are suffering every day!” complained Leo. “Isn’t there a solution to the problem?” Matt sighed.
They decided to take matters into their own hands and find a solution to the sticky problem. Initially, they made some speeches, distributed leaflets and volunteered to relieve the traffic congestion (拥堵), trying to persuade some parents to park their cars a little farther away the school and not to use cars too often. But two weeks passed, there was nothing better. Then they realized it was no easy work to deal with the trouble. They needed more hands for help and a well-thought-out plan for it.
They first gathered ten schoolmates who shared the same ambition. Then they started to conduct a thorough survey to understand the root causes of the traffic congestion. They interviewed students, teachers, and parents, as well as observed the traffic patterns during different times of the day. They learned that the majority of the congestion was caused by parents dropping off and picking up their children, as well as the lack of sufficient parking spaces.
Armed with this information, the team designed a detailed plan. They proposed the creation of a carpool system for students, encouraging them to share rides to reduce the number of vehicles on the road. They also suggested dedicated drop-off and pick-up zones, clearly marked with signage, to help streamline the process.
To further reduce congestion, they advocated for the construction of bike racks (架子) and encourage students to cycle to school. They even proposed a rewards system for those who chose sustainable modes of transportation.
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。
With their plan in hand, Leo and Matt presented it to the school authorities.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________A few months passing by, the school traffic congestion had significantly improved.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________3 . More than 30 years ago, Jadav Payeng started planting trees on a barren sandbar (贫瘠的沙洲) near his birthplace in India’s Assam region. That day, the then-16-year-old noticed many snakes washed up on the sandbar after a flood. They were dying due to heat exposure at a rapid rate. “How can I help them?” Then he had an idea: Trees can provide shade for them!
Jadav lives on an island, Majuli, which is in the middle of the Brahmaputra River. It begins at the base of the Himalayas, at the meeting of a fan of rivers that drain (流走) snowmelt. At one time, villages upstream had redirected the river, creating more forceful currents around the island and carrying away the soil, thus damaging the natural habitats of its wildlife. As a consequence, much of the island became barren sand, and an entire community was at risk of being displaced.
Jadav also noticed that nobody was doing anything about it besides watching their part of the world disappear. So, he started to put his idea into action — every day, one or two or three at a time. He took notes of how they grew, harvested their seeds, grew saplings (树苗) in his hut and planted before going off to work.
Now that once-barren sandbar is a 1,360-acre forest, home to many animals: deer, Bengal tigers, Indian rhinoceros and even a group of 100 elephants that visit every year. There are now native grasses that have taken root in the shade and varieties of native trees grown from seeds that have washed ashore. But most importantly, the island that is also home to a few hundred people is holding its own against the bad weather. Standing beside one of the first trees he planted 30 years ago, Jadav tells us: “It’s a little thing, something anyone can do.”
1. What was Jadav’s original aim to plant trees?| A．To save the snakes from heat exposure. | B．To protect the snakes from extinction. |
| C．To produce materials to stop flooding. | D．To use the leaves to create more shades. |
| A．Villagers’ ignorance of ecology. | B．Villagers’ redirecting the river. |
| C．The extreme weather conditions. | D．Loss of wildlife’s natural habitats. |
| A．Frank and learned. | B．Subjective yet reliable. |
| C．Determined and careful. | D．Smart but hot-tempered. |
| A．What the forest means to the wildlife. | B．How ecology benefits the human kind. |
| C．How Jadav feels about his simple deeds. | D．What difference Jadav’s efforts have made. |
4 . Nicole Graham from Melbourne, Australia owns 10 horses. One afternoon, she and her
Speaking of the
Stacey Sullivan, the vet who
| A．daughter | B．friend | C．vet | D．husband |
| A．absorbed | B．trapped | C．buried | D．engaged |
| A．rescue | B．raise | C．wash | D．drive |
| A．Fortunately | B．Sadly | C．Apparently | D．Quickly |
| A．awake | B．informed | C．calm | D．quiet |
| A．Immediately | B．Incredibly | C．Subsequently | D．Ultimately |
| A．awkward | B．frightened | C．relieved | D．impressed |
| A．safety | B．normal | C．life | D．justice |
| A．send out | B．pull out | C．bring up | D．clean up |
| A．terrible | B．urgent | C．confusing | D．successful |
| A．crash | B．disaster | C．incident | D．event |
| A．breathtaking | B．heartbreaking | C．awesome | D．troublesome |
| A．posters | B．traps | C．tracks | D．signs |
| A．treated | B．discovered | C．kept | D．comforted |
| A．rescuer | B．owner | C．reporter | D．fighter |
The Zhenfeng Pagoda, located in Yingjiang Temple, is a renowned landmark in Anqing.
Standing at an impressive
6 . Cities, often seen as ecological wastelands, actually have the potential to produce exceptional biologists. While traditional biologists typically come from rural backgrounds, urban residents possess diverse skill sets that make them better ones.
Take myself as an example. Growing up in Philadelphia provided me with a unique angle to look at urban ecology. The city’s distinct seasons, plentiful squirrels, row homes, and festivals served as my first ecological classroom. It was there that I witnessed wild cats eating birds and rats, people driving bats from their homes, and snakes being killed by lawn mowers(割草机). This was ecology in action, as real as any observation in fields and forests.
The unique environment of urban areas encourages wildlife there to develop distinct feature s and behaviors that set them apart from their rural counterparts: they may be larger in size, be active at different times of the day, move differently, and even display different personalities. Some biologists argue they are even “smarter” because they balance more risks, such as exposure to roads, poisonous chemicals and diseases from domestic animals—with rewards, of course, like inhabitable parks and human-provided food.
As human residents of cities, we too adapt to the risks and challenges of urban living. This adaptation sharpens our intuition(直觉)—we learn which streets to avoid and lock our doors for safety. Our ability to assess threats and our awareness regarding safety influence our behaviors and choices, much as they do for urban wildlife. Shared experiences such as these enable us to better understand and appreciate urban wildlife.
Most of the world’s population now accesses green and blue spaces, as well as wildlife, within urban neighborhoods. Nature is no longer only untouched wilderness; it includes sounds of human laughter, trash trucks and fire alarms. We urban residents are resourceful and imaginative. We need more capacity, more participation, more energy and more innovation in science to create solutions to fight environmental degradation and reduce biodiversity loss. Identifying this talent across cities presents a practical approach.
1. What did growing up in Philadelphia teach the author?| A．Philadelphia is uniquely rich in wildlife. |
| B．Studying biology at school helps greatly. |
| C．Urban wild creatures need protection too. |
| D．Cities are far from ecological wastelands. |
| A．Similar species. | B．Potential enemies. |
| C．Natural resources. | D．Qualified biologists. |
| A．Eco-friendly habits. | B．Risk-aware behaviors. |
| C．Ill-informed choices. | D．Fast-paced urban life. |
| A．Cities Build Better Biologists | B．What Makes Smarter Residents? |
| C．Urban Areas Encourage Wildlife | D．Who Saves Ecological Wastelands? |
In late January, a pod of Chinese white dolphins was seen jumping, swimming and generally frolicking near Huoshaoyu Island on the coast of Xiamen in Southeast China.
“In the cold months from December through February, dolphins are likely
The Chinese white dolphin, inhabiting shallow coastal waters from Southeast China
“With years of
8 . My family went to London for visiting specialists. The day before we
Six weeks later, a
Finally, we made a
One cold morning eight months after, my father had a call from an old lady who said she was putting food out “for a very old dog”. My father’s eyes were lighted up with
| A．sailed | B．parked | C．boarded | D．camped |
| A．alive | B．away | C．accompanied | D．apart |
| A．letter | B．story | C．service | D．test |
| A．fallen ill | B．got stuck | C．lost life | D．run away |
| A．confusing | B．shocking | C．moving | D．touching |
| A．announced | B．advertised | C．posted | D．blogged |
| A．Unfortunately | B．Luckily | C．Hopefully | D．Eventually |
| A．attend to | B．take over | C．look around | D．search for |
| A．decision | B．discussion | C．advice | D．plan |
| A．as to | B．except for | C．instead of | D．due to |
| A．lead | B．place | C．risk | D．pace |
| A．silence | B．dissatisfaction | C．excitement | D．praise |
| A．pulled up | B．drove off | C．stepped in | D．calmed down |
| A．special | B．familiar | C．painful | D．empty |
| A．expectation | B．creativity | C．generosity | D．determination |
9 . Louie, a pet parrot, saved a whole family. He
“Louie is a true
Barbara took her five-year-old granddaughter
“People have
| A．annoyed | B．alarmed | C．impressed | D．noticed |
| A．model | B．genius | C．hero | D．pioneer |
| A．awake | B．asleep | C．alone | D．afraid |
| A．opinion | B．way | C．memory | D．sight |
| A．survive | B．resist | C．arrive | D．respond |
| A．frightening | B．shocking | C．sorrowful | D．grateful |
| A．angrily | B．gently | C．secretly | D．immediately |
| A．turn | B．blow | C．keep | D．put |
| A．accompanying | B．saving | C．comforting | D．adopting |
| A．luck | B．doubt | C．evidence | D．barrier |
| A．injuries | B．losses | C．pressures | D．failures |
| A．detail | B．place | C．ruins | D．rows |
| A．rushed out | B．come back | C．run away | D．reached out |
| A．presented | B．equipped | C．linked | D．compared |
| A．replace | B．honor | C．forget | D．reward |
10 . Not much happens in the sleepy village of Colaton Raleigh, where almost half of the residents are retired, so local walkers were horrified when they discovered 100 ancient beech trees were cut down.
Residents in the east Devon community are saddened by the loss of the beloved trees, which were cut down by a government agency without consulting the community or council. They were located in a special conservation area and site of special scientific interest, and were home to lots of local plants and animals.
An application was made by a local landowner to the Forestry Commission, a branch of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. It would not comment on individual cases, but said all decisions were taken in line with its standards. Alan Pearce, a local tree manager, said, “It certainly ought to be a fairly wide consultation because it’s part of our heritage. Once they’re gone you’re talking about 200 years to regrow. The stumps (树桩) look, nearly all of them, perfectly sound and solid. I can’t see they can say they were diseased or dying. We’re meant to be planting trees, not felling (砍) them.”
He said people were “absolutely horrified”, with one walker in tears over the felling, which he suggested may have been taken to improve grassland in the nearby field.
Resident Fiona Carroll said, “Many people walk in this area as it is part of a large expanse of heathland and they are at a loss as to why this has been allowed to happen. These were valuable landscape and wildlife trees situated along an extensive ancient Devon bank. The roots had grown into large supporting structures giving many a distinctive look.”
Ewan Macdonald, a research fellow at the University of Oxford, who studies how people engage with the environment, said he was not surprised the felling had caused such an emotional reaction because of the way people connected with trees. He said, “It highlights how intrinsically (内在地) bound up things like trees, the environment and conservation are with our culture.”
1. What happened in Colaton Raleigh?| A．Half of its residents retired from their jobs. |
| B．A government agency felled 100 ancient beech trees. |
| C．The Forestry Commission made an application to cut down trees. |
| D．The felling of the trees was done to improve their living conditions. |
| A．The trees were cut down because of disease. |
| B．The local council didn’t approve of the application. |
| C．The local residents are eager to protect the environment. |
| D．The trees were cut down without consulting local villagers. |
| A．Supportive. | B．Opposed. | C．Indifferent. | D．Doubtful. |
| A．Protecting trees is protecting our culture. |
| B．The felling of trees doesn’t cause emotional reactions. |
| C．The environment, conservation, and trees are closely linked to our culture. |
| D．People’s engagement with the environment has no influence on their emotions. |
