1 . Birders get nervous when they see landscapes covered in wind turbines (涡轮机). When the wind gets going, their blades (叶片) can turn around at well over 200km per hour. It is easy to imagine careless birds getting cut into pieces and wind turbines do indeed kill at least some birds. But a new analysis of American data suggests the numbers are negligible, and have little impact on bird populations.
Erik Katovich, an economist at the University of Geneva, made use of the Christmas BirdCount, a citizen-science project run by the National Audubon Society. Volunteers count birds they spot over Christmas, and the society gathers the numbers. He assumed, reasonably, that if wind turbines harmed bird populations, the numbers seen in the Christmas Bird Count would drop in places where new turbines had been built. Combining bird population and species maps with the locations and construction dates of all wind turbines, he found building turbines had no noticeable effect on bird populations.
Instead of limiting his analysis to wind power alone, he also examined oil-and-gas extraction (开采), which has boomed in America over the past couple of decades. Comparing bird populations to the locations of new gas wells revealed an average 15% drop in bird numbers when new wells were drilled, probably due to a combination of noise, air pollution and the disturbance of rivers and ponds that many birds rely upon. When drilling happened in migration centers, feeding grounds or breeding locations, bird numbers instead dropped by 25%.
Wind power, in other words, not only produces far less planet-heating carbon dioxide and methane than do fossil fuels. It appears to be significantly less damaging to wildlife, too. Yet that is not the impression you would get from reading the news. Dr Katovich found 173 stories in major American news media reporting the supposed negative effects that wind turbines had on birds in 2020, compared with only 46 stories discussing the effects of oil-and-gas wells.
1. What does the underlined word“negligible”in paragraph 1 mean?A.Insignificant. | B.Inaccurate. | C.Inconsistent. | D.Indefinite. |
A.Previous studies. | B.Relevant data. |
C.Reasonable prediction. | D.Experiment results. |
A.Oil-and-gas extraction has expanded in America. |
B.Birds are heavily dependent on rivers and ponds. |
C.Many factors lead to the decline of bird populations. |
D.Well drilling poses a serious threat to birds' survival. |
A.Wind turbines could share the sky with wildlife. |
B.More evidence is needed to confirm the finding. |
C.Wind power will be substituted for fossil fuels. |
D.Wind turbines deserve wider media coverage. |
2 . People have always believed that nature is good for health and happiness. According to scientific studies, being in nature makes people less stressed. In a recent experiment in Japan, one group of people were asked to walk through a forest while another group had to walk through a busy city.
Gregory Bratman from Stanford University in the United States found in experiments that a walk in nature could have important cognitive (认知) benefits, improving a person’s memory and creativity.
Why does being in nature bring so many benefits for us?
Scientists also think that being in nature helps our brain recover from a lot of activities that we usually do during the day such as working on math problems or using our cell phone.
A.The walks were equally long and hard |
B.Regular workouts are surprisingly helpful |
C.One idea is that human beings come from nature |
D.Nature’s benefits have been scientifically confirmed |
E.In these activities, we use a lot of directed attention |
F.Being in nature increases people’s mental health as well |
G.We can see this in schools where outdoor learning has been introduced |
3 . Four reasons to adopt a dog
If you haven’t already experienced the unbelievable joy of adopting (收养) a dog, this year is a great time to feel the love.
Even your closest friends and family members trouble and are troubled by you occasionally.
Each year, 2.7 million dogs die in shelters because there just aren’t enough people to adopt them. When you adopt from a shelter or rescue group, not only are you saving that dog, but you’re clearing up space for another animal that might need it.
You’ll never be lonelyThere are all sorts of studies that show links between dog ownership and health benefits from lowering the risk of heart diseases to living longer lives.
A.You’ll save a life |
B.Do you need some reasons |
C.But your dog wouldn’t trouble you |
D.Would you like to go to walk a dog |
E.Other studies show that dogs help relieve stress |
F.Unlike cats that often are quite happy doing their own thing |
G.Your friends are tired of seeing your face from social media |
On March 31, the Eiffel Tower celebrated its 130th anniversary since it opened.
The tower was created by the French engineer Gustave Eiffel and was first intended as the main entrance
Visitors today can choose to climb 1,665 steps or take one of the original elevator cars
Today, the Eiffel Tower is a symbol of France, representing a feeling of pride and thankfulness. It is a global icon that can bring together people from different
5 . In 2014, a second year student at the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts went to Beijing Zoo with friends. Little did he know that an encounter at the aquarium there would
Today, Xu, a Beijing native, has
Each day, he spends several hours diving deep under the waves to observe and
Xu is actively engaged on social media platforms like Sina Weibo, where he regularly shares
While pursuing his passion to protect corals, he met his life partner, Liu Xiwen, through their
A.celebrate | B.change | C.excite | D.strengthen |
A.watched over | B.gazed on | C.spied on | D.looked into |
A.mystery | B.vitality | C.prosperity | D.nobility |
A.decided on | B.settled in | C.flown to | D.adapted to |
A.collector | B.gardener | C.enthusiast | D.conservationist |
A.analyze | B.trace | C.document | D.boost |
A.attracted | B.ruled | C.broke | D.cured |
A.fundamental | B.educational | C.environmental | D.biological |
A.status | B.standard | C.awareness | D.fondness |
A.positively | B.effectively | C.actively | D.comprehensively |
A.actually | B.naturally | C.scientifically | D.visually |
A.take time | B.take charge | C.take side | D.take action |
A.destructive | B.aggressive | C.passive | D.active |
A.widespread | B.cultivated | C.shared | D.agreed |
A.in-charge | B.in-depth | C.in-width | D.in-store |
Lǎozìhào refers to the old and famous shops, which have always been reliable and trustworthy and still enjoy
These famous and time-honored shops, eg, Quanjude and Tongrentang,
But these shops are more about businesses; they are also a historical and cultural phenomenon. He
Nowadays, with the rapid development of economy and fierce competition in modern society, some Lǎozìhào shops have been keeping pace
My best friend, Cocoa, and I live in a senior-citizen apartment complex in a lovely small town. Cocoa is a ten-year-old poodle(卷毛狗) and I am a sixty-nine-year-old lady, so you can see we both qualify as senior citizens.
Years ago, I promised myself that when I retired I would get a chocolate poodle to share my golden years. From the very beginning, Cocoa has always been exceptionally well-behaved. I never have to tell him anything more than once. He is extremely neat—when taking toys from his box to play, he always puts them back when he is finished. I have been accused of being obsessively neat, and sometimes I wonder if he mimics me or if he was born that way, too.
He is a wonderful companion. When I throw a ball for him, he picks it up in his mouth and gives it back to me. He does many amusing things that make me laugh, and when that happens, he is so delighted that he just keeps it up. I enjoy his company very much.
But almost two years ago, Cocoa did something that challenged comprehension. Was it a miracle or a coincidence? It is certainly a mystery.
One afternoon, Cocoa started acting strangely. I was sitting on the floor playing with him when he started pawing and sniffing at the right side of my chest. He had never done anything like this before, and I told him, “No.” Usually, one “no” is sufficient, but not that day. He stopped briefly, then suddenly ran toward me from the other side of the room, throwing his entire weight—eighteen pounds—at the right side of my chest. He crashed into me and I yelled in pain. It hurt more than I thought it would have.
Soon after this, I felt a lump (肿瘤). I went to the doctors, and after X-rays, tests and lab work were done, they told me I had cancer.
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。
When cancer starts, a wall of calcium(钙) builds to which the lump or cancer attaches itself.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Was Cocoa just aware of what he was doing?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________8 . Dogs have a different way of seeing the world compared to human beings. As a result of this, they heavily rely on their body language to pass their messages to people.
If you pay close attention to your dog, you will notice that at some point it will curl up just like a fox. In such cases, the paws will be curled up underneath their bodies and their tail will be well wrapped around them. This shows that the dog is probably feeling cold. Curling up helps them keep more body heat.
A.Dogs may sometimes be grass-eating animals |
B.Eating grass is not the most uncommon thing for a dog |
C.Read the text to find out more on what your dog is trying to tell you |
D.It’s a sign that they want to play or simply need something from you |
E.You may feel the joy of your dog or feel it cute to see such baby-like gesture |
F.If this happens a lot, take your dog to the vet to ensure their safety |
G.If you see your dog doing this, throw a blanket over them to help them feel warmer |
9 . Architects often spend months or even years perfecting a design to express their ideas more clearly, convey additional information, or outline the right proportions for a building. However, the urgent issue of climate change is placing new demands on their work. For example, in July, Super Typhoon Doksuri battered China, affecting more than 2.66 million people in Fujian Province alone.
Green architecture that conserves energy and reduces carbon dioxide emissions offers a solution, and concerted efforts have been made in diverse research fields over the past three decades to minimize heat loss. In addition, new buildings have to be tailored to the needs of people’s lifestyles.
Ren Jun, a professor at Tianjin University’s School of Architecture, who designed the first near-zero energy house in China in December 2019, said, “You can construct low-energy, environmentally-friendly houses, but if the interior design and environmental quality don’t meet residents’ requirements, these properties won’t be suitable to live in.”
The near-zero energy house, located-in Banbidian village in Beijing’s southern district of Daxing, won the International Design Award in the United States in January last year. The 400-square-meter property, which stands at the entrance to the village, runs on solar power gathered from rooftop panels, with the addition of a small amount of power from the grid (电网).
Ren said the first obstacle to conserving energy in the property was heat retention, which he attempted to achieve by keeping the indoor temperature at a certain level. The property is divided into five areas: a solar garden in the front yard, a central lounge, a water courtyard, a sponge zone, and a back room. For the exterior walls, Ren used three types of insulation (隔热层), including plastic foam, each about 25 centimeters thick.
Ren also looked for ways to deal with emissions at the house. He decided to install a ventilator, which pipes air that is polluted and replaces it with fresh air from outside in every room at the property.
Ren said it would take three to five years before more ultralow or near-zero energy buildings appeared in Chinese cities.
1. Which is not an important factor for designing green houses?A.Energy consumption. | B.Carbon emission. |
C.People’s lifestyle. | D.Architecture style. |
A.The house consumes little electricity. |
B.The house is deliberately designed to keep heat. |
C.The house is equipped with many intelligent facilities. |
D.The house is the first International Design Award-winning building in China. |
A.He designed the house in five stories to trap heat in it. |
B.He applied 75 centimeters of plastic foam to exterior walls. |
C.He tailored the interior design to the demand of local people. |
D.He installed a ventilator to cut down carbon dioxide emissions. |
A.Green Homes Offer Hope amid Climate Change |
B.Green Houses Feature Near-Zero Energy Consumption |
C.Ren Jun Won the International Design Award |
D.China Strives for Low Carbon Strategy with Green Houses |
1. Why does the man choose to bike to work?
A.He works in a park near his home. |
B.He has no train to take near his home. |
C.He wants to do his part for the environment. |
A.One hour. | B.Two hours. | C.Three hours. |