1 . In the global effort to protect biodiversity, Mexico has been at the forefront. In particular, for more than 30 years. Mexico’s National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity (CONABIO) has promoted research, compiled information on the biodiversity of Mexico and elsewhere, and connected academia, government, and society to guide decision-making. Unfortunately, last month, the Mexican government announced its intention to reduce CONABIO from a multi-ministry federal government agency to a branch within the environment ministry. This will rid CONABIO of its independent voice, credibility, and influence on national and international policy.
CONABIO was created in 1992, which aimed to promote international cooperation on environmental issues of the 21st century. Since then, CONAB1O has digitized tens of millions of records in national and foreign collections and has processed satellite data on vegetation cover and wildfires. It is not only a data base but a model for best practices in biodiversity management. All information is publicly available online, and contributors decide when the information they provide will be made public. In the past 5 years, CONABIO had an average of 1000 users per week, and it was consulted at least once per day by health, agriculture, environment, foreign affairs, and government agencies from Mexico and other countries. CONABIO has become a world-sought reference on how to effectively compile useful information and make specific policy for the benefit of the population and biodiversity.
The proposed change for CONABIO will likely eliminate the support it provides for the sustainable management, use, and conservation of biodiversity for Mexico and the world. Given that Mexico is home to 10% to 12%of the world’s species, there is much at risk. CONABIO is already very cost-efficient, and its capacity to influence political decisions depends directly on its multi-ministerial character. Burying the agency is a path to put it to an end.
Should this move become effective, it would be the end of the many essential benefits that CONABIO provides to address the environmental crises that threaten the future of all life on Earth. It is time for Mexico’s scientists, Mexico’s population, and the world to speak out against destroying this valuable institution.
1. What may happen to CONABIO according to paragraph 1?| A．It may be charged. | B．It may be dismissed. |
| C．It may be investigated. | D．It may be downgraded. |
| A．Its original purpose. | B．Its bright prospect. |
| C．Its great contributions. | D．Its awkward situation. |
| A．Remove. | B．Improve. | C．Obtain, | D．Ignore. |
| A．Promote Mexico’s Biodiversity | B．Stand Up for CONABIO |
| C．Stick to Sustainable Biodiversity | D．Improve the Fame of CONABIO |
Now, you can travel back 3,000 years to see what life was like in a capital city of the Shang Dynasty at the new building of the Yinxu Museum in Anyang, Henan province.
Nearly 4,000 items or sets of cultural relics are on display in the museum, about three-fourths of which have never been publicly exhibited before. The Yinxu Ruins, listed
3 . At age four, I found a garden behind the kitchen. My eyes became glued to the patterns of roses across my childhood landscape. I saw them and felt a sense of joy and adventure.
When spring arrived, I ran so fast through the house, speeding ahead of my mother’s voice. I dashed out of the front door and threw myself on a fresh carpet of grass. Excited, I bounced to my feet and had three more cartwheels before landing by her side.
Gardening has taught me that planting and growing a garden is the same process as creating our lives. It begins in the spring, when you break up the soil and start anew.
| A．My life was completely transformed. |
| B．Mother dear was in the garden busy breaking up the soil. |
| C．My mother cooked with the colors and textures of her garden. |
| D．The workman was busy when the garden caught my attention. |
| E．Then it’s time to clear out the dead leaves and roots of the winter. |
| F．My passion and connection to garden started at that exact moment. |
| G．Gardens are a mirror that cast their own reflection into our real lives. |
| A．It’s very warm. | B．It’s super cold. | C．It’s rather hot. |
5 . Human voices cause considerably more fear in wild animals than the sound of lions, a study in South Africa has found.
The Kruger National Park is a popular safari (观兽旅行) destination and is known for its diverse wildlife. Scientists played recordings of people talking normally through speakers hidden at water holes in the Kruger National Park. About 95% of animals were extremely frightened and quickly ran away. Surprisingly, recordings of growling lions brought about significantly less alarm. Some elephants, in response to the big catcalls, even attempted to face the source of the sound.
The human speech they chose to play included local languages commonly spoken in the country. The study’s findings suggest that the animals, which include antelopes, elephants, giraffes, leopards and wild pigs, have learnt that contact with humans is extremely dangerous, due to hunting, gun use and the use of dogs to catch them.
Over the years, the encroachment (入侵) of human settlements into wildlife habitats and hunting have led to a deep-seated fear of humans among wildlife. The fear goes beyond the Kruger National Park, showing a global pattern where wildlife tends to fear humans more than any other enemies, according to the study. This fear of humans is a challenge for areas that rely on wildlife tourism, as the human visitors they want to attract are scaring off the animals they have come to see.
The study opens up the potential to protect weak species in these ecosystems. Human sounds, when used appropriately, could help protect wildlife against illegal hunting. This research also highlights the great importance of respectful and responsible wildlife tourism. One thing is clear: the need for a balanced approach to wildlife conservation and tourism has never been greater. As we step into their world, we must remember that we are visitors and that they are rightful inhabitants.
1. How was the study conducted in paragraph 2?| A．By making comparison. | B．By raising questions. |
| C．By studying the recordings. | D．By presenting previous researches. |
| A．The voice of human is scary. | B．Human presence threatens them. |
| C．Human beings are stronger than them. | D．They are sensitive to the sounds in nature. |
| A．Human visitors will be safer. | B．Animal species will be reduced. |
| C．Wildlife tourism will suffer loss. | D．Wild animals will be more dangerous. |
| A．Illegal hunting can be prevented. | B．Wildlife habitats will get enlarged. |
| C．A new way to protect wildlife is inspired. | D．The balance between human and nature is strengthened. |
| A．Rainy. | B．Windy. | C．Sunny. |
7 . Amphibians (两栖动物) act as an important indicator species for healthy environments and are a vital part of the food chain, making up the diet of many other species. However, amphibian species are disappearing at an alarming rate across the globe due to habitat loss, pollution, and disease. Become a citizen scientist with FrogWatch USA, and help save our frogs!
Training instruction:
FrogWatch training covers the importance of amphibians in the environment. The instruction focuses on how to:
1. monitor our local frog population to protect the species;
2. determine factors in choosing a site to monitor frogs;
3. recognize frog species by their calls;
4. report findings to FrogWatch USA.
After passing a test on identifying frog calls at the end of the training, certified volunteers then commit themselves to monitoring a local amphibian habitat (such as a pond or lake) approximately once a week for about 15 minutes, and submitting data to FrogWatch USA. Data will be added to the national FrogWatch USA database. In 2020, Rhode Island FrogWatch citizen scientists followed 80 sites almost 900 times! In those almost 900 observations, FrogWatchers heard more than 1,220 frog choruses.
Please note: FrogWatch training will cover a large amount of information and agreements. While watching frogs is a great after-dark family activity for all ages, the training is designed for interested older children and adults.
Date: Saturday, June 4, 1:00 p.m. — 3:00 p.m.
Price: $10 per household (including up to 2 adults and 2 children over the age of 8)
Questions: Contact programs@rwpzoo.org or call (401)785-3510 ext. 358.
1. How can you tell frog species apart according to the text?| A．By their colors. | B．By their shapes. |
| C．By their voices. | D．By their sizes. |
| A．Collect data about frogs. | B．Set up a database for frogs. |
| C．Take a test on frog knowledge. | D．Guard frog habitats once a week. |
| A．Frogs need to be watched by a family. |
| B．It is dangerous to watch frogs at night. |
| C．People have to take notes of frog information. |
| D．Preschool children aren’t suitable for the training. |
8 . Seen any unseasonably early daffodils (水仙花) showing their faces yet? UK spring flowers are opening nearly a month earlier than before the mid-1980s, due to climate change.
That is the conclusion of a study of nearly 420,000 observations of the first flowering date of 406 plants from a UK citizen science project called Nature's Calendar. It has records dating back to 1753 from gardeners and naturalists, as well as bodies such as the Royal Meteorological Society.
Ulf Büntgen at the University of Cambridge and his team found that plants were opening their flowers 26 days earlier on average in the years after 1986. They picked that year as it was the midpoint in the data set — where they had about the same number of observations before and after.The analysis included records of all plants, whatever time of year they flower, but most of them (like the daffodils) bloom in spring. "It is likely that the influence of climate change will be greater for spring-flowering plants, for in spring the usual beginning of warmer temperatures that can cause flowering starts earlier," says a spokesperson for the Royal Horticultural Society. There was a bigger advance in the dates of the first blooms of smaller plants, with those less than 20 centimeters high flowering an average of 32 days earlier in the years after 1986.
In any year, flower opening times are closely connected with the average temperature of the months from January to April. "If it's warmer, it's an earlier beginning. If it's cooler, it's a later one," says Büntgen. The average maximum temperature across those four months rose by 1.1℃, a conclusion from comparing the period from 1950 to 1986 with the years after 1986.
“The change could hurt insects, birds and other wildlife that have evolved to synchronize (同步) with the flowering of certain plants,” says Büntgen.
1. What can we know about the study?| A．It can date back to 1753. |
| B．It was based on plentiful data. |
| C．It only covered spring flowers. |
| D．It was conducted by naturalists. |
| A．It was in the middle of the data set. | B．It was a memorable year for Ulf Büntgen. |
| C．Flowering was first recorded in 1986. | D．Flowers began to bloom earlier in this year. |
| A．Measures to be taken to stop climate change. |
| B．The influences of flowers' early blooming. |
| C．Creatures' adaptation to climate change. |
| D．The reasons for flowers' early blooming. |
| A．In a guidebook. | B．In science fiction. |
| C．In a geography textbook. | D．In a science magazine. |
9 . While artificial intelligence (AI) technology continues to promote many aspects of human life, it’s now being applied to aiding the protection of giant pandas.
A nature reserve in Northwest China’s Gansu province has built an AI-enabled video monitoring system to better protect giant pandas. Installed with 300 infrared (红外线的) cameras, the monitoring system helps ensure the health and safety of 110 wild giant pandas there. It was put into operation more than two years ago, and has captured numerous photos and videos of pandas engaging in activities such as eating, resting and fighting for mates. It provides scientific data to help us grasp pandas’living conditions and establish conservation strategies. More importantly, it achieves real-time monitoring of the reserve so that we can discern the threats to the wildlife as early as possible. After all, the earlier the problems are found, the easier they may be solved.
A recent study found the monitoring system can automatically recognize various wild animals caught in the infrared cameras, allowing researchers to collect data on giant pandas while staying indoors. It’s shown that by using the AI-aided system to retain the filed photos of giant pandas, researchers obtain a 98% success rate of species recognition. Its success rate of recognizing other wild animals can top 80%. In 2021, this monitoring system captured 2,896 photos of giant pandas and other rare animals and filmed nearly an hour of footage, showcasing the reserve’s sound ecological environment as well as a gradual rise in the panda population there.
Liu Xingming, the head of the reserve’s administration, said researchers used the system not only to observe the dynamics and health of the giant panda population but also to learn about changes in the natural surroundings of their habitat. “The monitoring system has enabled systematic, scientific, and intelligent conservation of wildlife,” he added. “However, it is expected to be further improved and optimized in the near future.”
1. What does the underlined word “discern” mean in paragraph 2?| A．Detect. | B．Pose. | C．Analyse. | D．Solve. |
| A．It does well in identifying. |
| B．It helps protect the environment. |
| C．It can precisely recognize any species. |
| D．It is often used to discover new species. |
| A．Indifferent. | B．Objective. | C．Ambiguous. | D．Pessimistic. |
| A．A Breakthrough in Monitoring Systems |
| B．Achievements of Wildlife Protection |
| C．AI Technology for Panda Protection |
| D．Advances in AI Technology |
I was eight years old and wasn’t aware of all the arrangements being made for our journey as a family to London in 1950. My mother was in great pain and wished to visit specialists in London. My father reluctantly had to sell our property in Queensland. The day before we boarded the ship, Father unwillingly said goodbye to his five-year-old cattle dog, Spider, who was loved by us all. Father’s friend Sandy was to be his guardian while we were overseas, as he had been getting to know Spider for many weeks.
Six weeks later, an airletter arrived from Sandy, giving my father the news that Spider had run away just two weeks after we had sailed. Sandy had advertised constantly on ABC and other regional newspapers. Despite many “sightings”, the dog was never found. It seems Spider just kept running and searching for us. As he was cattle dog, my father thought he would shoe or dingo-trapped, because of his appearance. But our family thought that Father held a secrets hope that Spider was still alive.
We sailed back to Australia two years later and re-established our home. My father immediately began his own search for Spider. One cold winter’s Saturday morning eight months after our return, my father had a call from an elderly lady living on her own on the outskirts of the town. As she told my father on the telephone, it was “just glimpses of a dingo-type dog in the shadows” of her disused tennis court. That was enough for my father to interrupt my homework.
We set off in his blue and black Jensen car which he had brought back from England. It was hardly the right vehicle for the rough roads we travelled that day. Five and a half hours later, we found the run-down old property. Sadly, she told my father that the “dingo dog” hadn’t been around for a few days. My father had a strange look in his eye. He put two fingers to his lips and did his special whistle for Spider.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150个左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Suddenly there was a sound in the bush.
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Once home we had the task of getting all the prickles (刺) off him.
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