1 . An ancient Latin proverb says “Aquila non capit muscas” —cagles don’t hunt flies—meaning that important ones shouldn’t concern themselves with small, insignificant matters.But the lions in East Africa should concern themselves with the seemingly insignificant ants, because these ants are changing their lifestyles.
The story starts with the acacia trees(金合欢树)in an African wildlife area in central KenyaSome of these acacia trees provide food and shelter for specific ant species, which in turn defend the tree against herbivores(食草动物).The ants are actively attacking and driving away herbivores that attempt to feed on the tree’s leavesThis is highly effective; the ants not only physically harm the herbivores but also release chemicals that can deter other potential attackers.
But these ants are in trouble.Another species called the “big-headed” ant is destroying entire groups of tree-protecting ants.This, in turn, sets off an entire chain of events that ends up influencing when and how lions can hunt.
This ant invasion(入侵)affects one thing after the other.It leaves the acacia trees defenseless against herbivores especially elephants.The elephants come in and eat the acacias at five to seven times the rate observed in uninvaded areas.The lions, while hunting for food, have no more trees to use for hiding.This reduced tree cover makes lions less successful at hunting and pushes them to find different areas to hunt in．
“These tiny invaders are pulling on the ties that put an African ecosystem together, determining who is eaten andwhere,” said Todd Palmer, an ecologist from Florida.
The lions, which are already endangered, are managing to cope with this by no longer focusing their attention on zebras.The zebras, of course, can see them much better on the approach given the lack of cover.Instead, they are targeting water buffalo.But this also isn’t the end of the story.Who knows what the lions’ changing strategy will mean for the ecosystem down the line?
1. What does the underlined word “deter” in paragraph 2mean?| A．Direct. | B．Discourage. | C．Identify. | D．Seek. |
| A．Cooperating with “big-headed” ants. | B．Damaging the hiding place for lions. |
| C．Protecting the acacias from herbivores. | D．Starting off the disturbance of the chain. |
| A．animals fall victim to bigger ones | B．the ecology is on the road to recovery |
| C．animals are corelated in the ecosystem | D．species are firmly positioned in the food chain |
| A．What ecologists find about animals. | B．Why African lions are endangered. |
| C．How tiny ants affect the way lions hunt. | D．How the law of the jungle works in Africa. |
2 . Whether due to genuine concern for the environment or the widespread criticism of plastic among consumers, many companies have invested heavily in reducing their use of plastic packaging, which may indeed have a positive environmental impact. But another trend that’s grown out of the anti-plastic movement is a lot less positive: overpackaging. More and more brands have begun adding unnecessary paper packaging on top of plastic packaging in order to make their products look more environmentally friendly, without actually reducing plastic waste.
Unfortunately, there’s a very good reason companies are adopting this clearly problematic approach. Through a series of eight studies with more than 4,000 participants, we found that consumers will accept a product’s packaging as more environmentally friendly if it’s plastic with an additional layer of paper than if the product is visibly packaged in identical plastic packaging but without the paper. These perceptions (认知) in turn make consumers both more likely to buy a product, and willing to pay more for it.
Part of what makes this overpackaging trend particularly harmful is that it is much valued by consumers who reported engaging in more eco-friendly behaviors. They were more likely to view overpackaged products as environmentally friendly. As a result, the very consumers who are most interested in pushing companies to make sustainable choices are likely unintentionally encouraging the environmentally harmful practice of overpackaging.
The good news is, overpackaging isn’t the only way to signal sustainability and attract such consumers. In our studies, we found that instead of additional paper packaging, simply adding a minimal packaging sticker to plastic packaging could clarify the misperception that overpackaged products are more sustainable, Especially for products for which plastic is necessary to ensure safe transportation and lengthen shelf life, this kind of clear messaging can help reduce consumers, discrimination against the responsible use of plastic packaging.
Of course, minimal packaging stickers certainly should only be used if a brand has actually ensured that it is using the minimal possible packaging, ideally under the supervision of a trade organization or regulatory body that maintains clear, consistent standards.
1. What can we learn about overpackaging according to paragraph 1?| A．It calls for less investment. |
| B．It involves the proper use of paper. |
| C．It has a positive environmental impact. |
| D．It causes over-consumption of materials. |
| A．They care about the environment. |
| B．They are always following the trend. |
| C．They like comparing products’ qualities. |
| D．They prefer beautifully-decorated products. |
| A．To help products stay fresh longer. |
| B．To improve the brand’s popularity. |
| C．To correct consumers’ misunderstanding. |
| D．To present more information about products. |
| A．Minimal packaging stickers have been widely used. |
| B．Advantages of minimal packaging stickers are overestimated. |
| C．The use of minimal packaging stickers should be strictly regulated. |
| D．The use of minimal packaging stickers is a solution to over-packaging. |
Timmy was a boy aged twelve. One day, while he was walking home from school, he found a stray (流浪的) dog wandering aimlessly on the street. The poor creature looked dirty and hungry. It looked up at Timmy with big, pleading eyes, as if to say, “Please take me home.” Timmy couldn’t resist the sad face of the small dog. Without hesitation, Timmy decided to take the dog home with him. He knew that his parents would be surprised because they had never kept a pet, but he couldn’t bear the thought of leaving the animal alone. When he arrived home, he introduced the dog to his family. To his surprise, his parents agreed to let it stay.
Timmy named the dog Max, and the two quickly became inseparable. They spent their days playing together in the park and exploring the countryside. Max was always by Timmy’s side, whether he was riding his bike or playing soccer with his friends. When Timmy returned home from school, Max would run to him and jump up into his arms, licking his face with joy.
One sunny day, Timmy and Max were playing in the park when they came across a beautiful pond. Max couldn’t resist the temptation (诱惑) to take a swim in the cool water, so it ra n towards the pond. Timmy followed it, but as soon as they reached the edge of the pond, Max jumped right in without any hesitation.
Timmy watched as Max swam around in the water, having the time of its life. He wanted to join in the fun, but he didn’t know how to swim. As he peered into the water, he noticed that it was much deeper than he had thought. Suddenly, he lost his balance and fell into the pond. He tried to stand up, but the water was too deep, and he started to panic.
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。
Max quickly realized that something was wrong.
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Word spread that a stray dog had saved a boy’s life.
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4 . Soaring to 29, 035 feet, the famous Mount Everest had long been considered unclimbable due to the freezing weather, the obvious potential fall from cliffs and the effects of the extreme high altitude, often called “mountain sickness.” But that was to be changed by Edmund Hillary.
When he was invited to join the British Everest expedition in 1953, Edmund Hillary was a highly capable climber. The glacier-covered peaks in his hometown in New Zealand proved a perfect training ground for the Himalaya. It was his fourth Himalayan expedition in just over two years and he was at the peak of fitness.
On May 28, 1953, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, an experienced Sherpa (夏尔巴人) set out and reached the South Summit by 9 a. m. next day. But after that, the ridge (山脊) slightly fell before rising suddenly in a rocky spur (尖坡) about 17 meters high just before the true summit. The formation is difficult to climb due to its extreme pitch because a mistake would be deadly. Scratching at the snow with his ax, Hillary managed to overcome this enormous obstacle, later to be known as the Hillary Step.
At 11:30 a. m, the two men found themselves standing at the top of the world. “Not until we were about 50 feet of the top was I ever completely convinced that we were actually going to reach the summit.” Hillary later recounted, “Of course I was very, very pleased to be on the summit, but my first thought was a little bit of surprise. After all, this is the ambition of all mountaineers.”
Emerging as the first to summit Mount Everest, Hillary Hillary continued by helping explore Antarctica, and establishing the Himalayan Trust (信托基金), through which he provided a number of beneficial services to the Himalayan peoples. He also a sizeable legacy that mountain climbers have chased ever since. As a young climber said, “It was not just Hillary and Tenzing that reached the summit of Mount Everest. It was all of humanity. Suddenly, all of us could go.”
1. What made Edmund Hillary a capable climber on the 1953 expedition?| A．His undisputed reputation. | B．His remarkable physical condition. |
| C．His previous training on Mount Everest. | D．His exceptional ability to adapt to the cold. |
| A．A mistake Hillary avoided making. | B．A steep spur of rock Hillary conquered. |
| C．An ax Hillary used to scratch snow. | D．A sudden fall of a ridge Hillary skipped. |
| A．Overwhelming joy. | B．Enormous pride. |
| C．Complete disbelief. | D．A touch of astonishment. |
| A．It opens up possibilities for other climbers. |
| B．It enabled him to give back to his hometown. |
| C．It left financial benefits for climbers to pursue. |
| D．It led to friendly regulations for mountaineering. |
5 . Discover how you can help endangered species! Volunteer to help conserve endangered species around the world with GoEco.
Sea turtles, Sri Lanka
The species is threatened by human hunters. The Sri Lankan government has approved the creation of hatcheries (孵化场) in order to protect this species. Volunteers on this program spend 60% of their time working in the hatchery and the other 40% is spent on activities such as beach cleanups and creating awareness within the local community.
Program Fees: $1,280 for 2 weeks and $1,680 per month for volunteers.
Wildlife Rescue, Western Australia
Adult kangaroos and wallabies are hunted for food, leaving thousands of their babies without parents. Many are killed or injured in road accidents. At the wildlife rescue center in Perth, Western Australia, volunteers live and help in the bushland caring for sick, injured, and displaced animals.
Program Fee: $2,095 for four weeks. Volunteers stay on-site in a small room. Due to very limited space, applications must be sent at least 9-12 months in advance.
Endangered Species Reserve, South Africa
The project will give you an incredible wildlife experience while learning about conservation efforts. For the rest of the time between monitoring sessions, volunteers are required to enter all the data that they have collected into our databases. At times, volunteers need to operate on night shifts. We also give lectures and presentations over the lunch period.
Program Fee: $1,750 for 2 weeks
Big Cat Refuge, South Africa
As a volunteer on this project, you will be involved in a wide variety of activities. Volunteer’s work ranges from enrichment activities, such as toy-making and farm work, to educating the visitors. Volunteers will also directly care for the cats by preparing food or feeding them as well as maintaining their living space.
Program Fee: $1,450 for 2 weeks
1. What is the monthly project fee for volunteers in Sri Lanka?| A．$1,280. | B．$1,680. | C．$2,560. | D．$2,960. |
| A．Having previous experience. |
| B．Working night shifts sometimes. |
| C．Applying for the project in advance. |
| D．Having a good knowledge of wildlife. |
| A．Study the habits of big cats. |
| B．Help to sell some toys about cats. |
| C．Guide visitors to the habitat of the cats. |
| D．Do daily routines in the cats’ living space. |
6 . The power of “seeing”
A spoon-billed sandpiper (勺嘴鹬) steps into the frame, heading straight for a small bug placed there. It swallows its food with its spoon-shaped beak.
The performance is for Joel Sartore, founder of Photo Ark, a personal effort to document animals around the world.
The critically endangered bird, of which there are fewer than 1,000 individuals in the wild, is the 13,000th species Sartore has photographed in 16 years. His goal is 20,000.
Before he started Photo Ark, Sartore spent more than a decade working as a photographer for National Geographic, mainly covering conservation stories in the field. He had seen wildlife decreasing firsthand, but felt like the public wasn’t interested.
Sartore thought of a new way to inspire people. He picked up his camera and set about taking shots of wildlife-but rather than recording animals in the wild, he wanted to photograph them outside their natural habitat. He visited zoos, aquariums and rehabilitation (康复) centers and photographed portraits of individual animals against a white or black backdrop (背景幕).
“This allows you to look them in the eye and see that there’s great beauty there and that they are worth saving,” he said. “We are primates and we respond to eye contact above all else.”
The response has indeed been huge. Sartore has more than 1.6 million followers on Instagram and a best-selling series of Photo Ark books. Part of the proceeds (收益) from his books goes to fund on-the-ground conservation efforts.
Gary Ward who works at London Zoo where Sartore has shot before, said, “Seeing is the first step to caring, and caring is the first step to conservation action.”
By choosing animals outside their natural habitat, Sartore admits he will only show a small part of the world’s wildlife. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, there are more than 2 million described species on the planet, and he plans to photograph just 1% of them. But doing so allows him to spotlight species that are already extinct in the wild, and those that would be difficult to take portraits of in their natural habitat. It also enables him to shoot in a controlled environment, meaning the animal can be kept safe and comfortable, with zookeepers or carers on hand to advise on its behavior.
1. What is Sartore doing at the beginning of the text?| A．He is feeding a bird. | B．He is training a bird. |
| C．He is photographing a bird. | D．He is studying a bird’s behavior. |
| A．Make a record of conservation stories. |
| B．Broaden his experience in saving animals. |
| C．Gather information on endangered species. |
| D．Raise people’s awareness of protecting wildlife. |
| A．Unclear. | B．Approving. | C．Doubtful. | D．Objective. |
| A．Why Sartore focuses on animals in human care. |
| B．Why Sartore can’t cover all animals in the world. |
| C．The benefits of working with zookeepers or carers. |
| D．The difficulties of photographing animals in the wild. |
7 . Tree-planting, intended to help draw down carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, has become a synonym (同义词) for climate action. In our constant focus on trees, we’ve developed a fixed understanding: Trees absorb carbon dioxide, end of story. The reality is that trees don’t grow well alone. They exist within complex communities, helped along by each other as well as the animals they coexist with. The woodland isn’t nature’s only carbon sink: Grasslands and oceans also help reduce the carbon level and rely on a healthy amount of biodiversity.
That’s what the paper, published in Nature, wants to get across. Co-author Oswald J. Schmitz, a professor of ecology at Yale University, said trees might not be able to do their carbon-uptake job efficiently without the right animals in their ecosystem. That’s because animals animate the carbon cycle through their behavior and roles in the ecosystem. He added that the very presence of wild animals could cause feedback effects that change the ecosystem’s capacity to absorb, release, or transport carbon.
In Serengeti, for instance, the sharp decline in wildebeest (角马) population s during the mid-20th century allowed grass to grow wildly, eventually promoting wildfires that consumed 80 percent of the ecosystem annually and led to a net release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. When disease management and bans on illegal hunting helped animal populations recover, a greater share of the carbon stored in plants was consumed by wildebeest and released as waste, keeping it in the system and restoring the grassland as a carbon sink.
Researchers rarely consider wildlife conservation as a strategy to increase an ecosystem’s carbon storage capacity, said Schmitz. “They think that animals either aren’t important enough or that you can’t take up carbon and conserve animals at the same time,” he said. “Our message is that you can and should. It can be a win-win for both biodiversity conservation and carbon uptake.” We need a full picture-with both trees and animals-to explore nature’s full potential.
1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?| A．Actions are needed to reduce carbon dioxide. | B．Trees are a quick solution to the climate crisis. |
| C．People are not thinking through trees properly. | D．Grasslands and oceans help maintain biodiversity. |
| A．Activate. | B．Restart. | C．Disturb. | D．Break. |
| A．The conservation of animals is still a serious issue. |
| B．Animals can swing the ecosystem’s capacity to store carbon. |
| C．Human impacts bring about the reduction in wildlife populations. |
| D．The increase in animal species causes a decrease in carbon uptake. |
| A．Animals Adjust Themselves to Climate Change |
| B．Woodland Isn’t the Only Carbon Sink on the Earth |
| C．The Serengeti Ecosystem Needs Urgent Improvement |
| D．Trees May Fail to Fulfil Their Duties without Animals |
8 . Earth Day falls on April 22 each year to inform people about environmental problems and inspire them to act. It first came into being in 1970, followed in 1972 by World Environment Day. It has been celebrated ever since, slowly but surely picking up steam. Interestingly, it remained a grassroots affair for 20 years before spreading out to 140 countries in 1990. Now, it is celebrated around the world. Humans still face many challenges, such as climate change and plastic pollution. But we can all make a difference.
When Claire was in the seventh grade, she learned about plans to expand and modernize her middle school. As a follower of Earth Day, she wanted to help. Claire asked the school board to add solar panels to the project because, she explained, clean energy would contribute to a truly modern school, and help her school pursue sustainable development.
The board liked the idea but said it could contribute just $25,000, one-fifth of the cost. So Clarie turned to the community, looking for a solution. Her friends and neighbors shared her enthusiasm. Soon Claire organized a group of kids and adults, who set to work raising the rest. They wrote grant (拨款) requests, put on a talent show and asked for donations, even going door-to-door for them at Halloween. And they appealed to charitable foundations too. One donated more than half the cost!
After two years of hard work, the group paid for the solar panels, which now supply one-fourth of the school’s electricity needs, saving the district thousands of dollars. “My favorite part about this project was that one person could start something small and then the project could grow and have a big impact on the community,” Claire said “There are always going to be barriers and hard parts. When there’s a challenge presented to you, use it as a learning moment and an opportunity to overcome it.”
You can be a hero for the environment, so find out what can be recycled where you live.
1. What can we learn about Earth Day from the first paragraph?| A．It was first celebrated on April 22, 1972. | B．It gained instant popularity worldwide. |
| C．It aims to raise environmental awareness. | D．It promotes solutions to human challenges. |
| A．To sell the solar panels. | B．To make her school greener. |
| C．To improve academic grades. | D．To beautify the school campus. |
| A．The vital role of charities. | B．Difficulties in raising money. |
| C．Constant efforts on the project. | D．Financial support from the public. |
| A．Responsible and determined. | B．Generous and creative. |
| C．Energetic and reliable. | D．Curious and adventurous. |
For people interested in learning more about the ethnic (少数民族) Miao culture, an ideal place to experience it is an ethnic Miao community, called Qianhu, in Guizhou Province.
This world’s largest Miao community consists
The Miao people are also known for making fine embroidery (刺绣). Different from other parts of China, the themes
Another fine element of the Miao culture is wearing silver ornaments (装饰). For most of their history, the Miao people
The Miao songs, embroidery, and silver ornaments all convey the rich, profound history of the Miao people and
Colors are important to Chinese culture. The three main colors
Famously popular in relation to anything Chinese, red is the national color representing happiness, good luck, success and good fortune, which is
Yellow — corresponding to earth — symbolized royalty in ancient China
Green is the color of wealth, hope and growth, commonly believed to represent purity and cleanness. Many buildings
The color legacy (遗产) that our ancestor left us can be seen in society today. What’s more, some TV dramas over the past few years
