1 . A British man is excited but exhausted after becoming the tenth Briton to reach the summit (顶点) of K2, the world’s second-highest mountain.
Jake Meyer 34, a mountaineer and army reserve officer, reached the 28,251 ft (8.611 m) summit at 8 am local time on Saturday after a five-day climb from base camp. He had to spend two nights at a camp on the way to the summit to allow a snowstorm to pass.
“This has been a journey more than ten years in the making, and my third attempt at this extraordinary mountain,” he told The Times. “While we were lucky with a weather window for our summit day, the conditions were still incredibly challenging at times, I’m happy to be back at base camp and I know my family and friends will be relieved that K2 is in the bag.
Mr Meyer, from Gloucestershire, who reached the summit of Qomolangma at the age of 21. has been chronicling (按时序记载) his climb on social media, sending out a picture from the summit. After a two-day journey to base camp, he said,“I’m just looking forward to getting home to my incredibly supportive wife.”
K2 was first summitted in 1954 by two Italian climbers, Lino Lacedelli and Achille Compagnoni. It is the tallest mountain in the Karakoram range on the border of China and Pakistan. And it is the second most dangerous mountain in the world, killing every one climber out of four. Climbs are generally attempted in the summer due to the mountain’s severe weather.
This was Mr Meyer’s third attempt, after journeys in 2009 and 2016 were abandoned due to bad weather. Poor conditions also forced him to turn back last week in his attempt to reach the summit of Broad Peak, the 12th highest mountain in the world and another of the “eight thousanders” — the 14 mountains in the world above 8,000 meters. He came within 150 meters of the top, which he was attempting to reach alone in preparation for his K2 climb.
1. What does the underlined phrase “a weather window” in paragraph 3 probably mean?| A．A piece of equipment for forecasting weather. | B．A window through which people look out. |
| C．A machine to protect against bad weather. | D．A period of suitable weather conditions. |
| A．The first attempt to climb it was made in 1954. |
| B．Climbing it is dangerous with a high death rate. |
| C．It is the most difficult to climb due to its poor weather. |
| D．None of the attempts to climb it were made in winter. |
| A．He spent five days climbing K2. | B．He was the third man to reach the top of K2. |
| C．He failed twice in his attempt to climb K2. | D．He reached the summit of Broad Peak last week. |
| A．A story collection. | B．A newspaper report. |
| C．A research paper. | D．A personal diary. |
2 . It was dark and I was standing in front of a stranger’s house. Rescue box in hand, leather gloves under arm, my head was full of
After being shown in, I lifted the edge of the shoebox
Back home, I couldn’t see any obvious
Half an hour later, I was back to where I’d rescued it. I
My first rescue had ended in a
| A．enthusiasm | B．instructions | C．opinions | D．explanations |
| A．hunter | B．scholar | C．researcher | D．rescuer |
| A．unknown | B．endangered | C．common | D．extinct |
| A．enemy | B．companion | C．relative | D．victim |
| A．casually | B．accidentally | C．slightly | D．suddenly |
| A．aimless | B．tireless | C．restless | D．harmless |
| A．transferred | B．delivered | C．distributed | D．released |
| A．cause | B．sign | C．solution | D．message |
| A．copy | B．alternative | C．match | D．entry |
| A．feeds | B．wraps | C．traps | D．hunts |
| A．held | B．caught | C．brought | D．took |
| A．carried off | B．flew off | C．broke off | D．set off |
| A．lucky | B．strong | C．delicate | D．kind |
| A．doubt | B．order | C．notice | D．delay |
| A．legal | B．generous | C．successful | D．creative |
3 . Do Animals Have Friends?
When you see little animals playing together around a tree, or a cat and dog sleeping together in the living room, do you ever think — are they friends? One expert, Mike, believes that many animals do have friends. If they’re in the same group, they greet one another, travel together, play together and even share food with each other.
Playing together helps animals keep them close to the group. Wild dogs who don’t play much are more likely to leave the group on their own.
Sharing is another important part of friendship. For all animals, finding food is a matter of life and death. For some bats in Central and South America, if they don’t get a blood meal every three days, they die of hunger.
But sometimes members of a group also compete for food and mates, which can lead to fights. So making up after fights is a key skill. Sometimes after two male monkeys have a fight, they will sit apart, avoiding each other.
| A．Each wants the other to make the first move. |
| B．Young animals often team up for protection. |
| C．But hungry bats don’t need to worry if they have friends. |
| D．And leaving the protection of the group can be dangerous. |
| E．These friendly behaviors can be important for an animal to survive. |
| F．The friend helps to find food and water, and avoid dangerous animals. |
| G．Bats take blood from sleeping animals, but they are surprisingly good friends. |
4 . While many people adventure to the tops of mountains, there is a lot to be found underground as well. Here, we’ve found four secret caves that are worth knowing about.
1. Hidden Cave at Grimes Point, Nevada
Hidden Cave was formed about 21,000 years ago. Native Americans used it to store tools. The cave was discovered by four kids out looking for treasure in 1927. When they found the cave, they were the first humans in the 20th century to see it. Today, Hidden Cave is a free public tourist attraction.
2. Ice Caves, North Dakota
Ice Caves, located in the northwest part of North Dakota, were first discovered by Joe Quinion in the early 1900s. These caves get their name from their cool temperatures. People have reported seeing ice and snow from the previous winter in the caves well into July. The caves ’ thick sandstone and limited air flow help keep ice from melting.
3. The Ramble Cave, New York
Unlike other secret caves that are located in remote (偏远的) areas, the Ramble Cave is located right in the middle of America’s biggest city — in New York’s Central Park. However, it wasn’t originally part of the designer’s plan for the park. Instead, it was discovered by accident by workers in the 1850s. The cave was a popular attraction for children in its early days but was closed in 1934 after a man was shot and killed in this cave.
4. Tears of the Turtle, Montana
This cave wasn’t found until 2006. It is located in Montana’s Bob Marshall Wilderness, a vast area with no roads. That means to reach this cave, you have to hike or ride a horse 33.7 kilometers into the wilderness area from Meadow Creek. Also, with a depth of 496.5 meters, the cave is definitely not for inexperienced explorers.
1. What is the reason why Ice Caves get their name?| A．Snow will not melt in the caves. |
| B．It is quite cool inside the caves. |
| C．They were formed in winter season. |
| D．They are located in the coldest place in the world. |
| A．Its location is far away from the city center. |
| B．It was included in the designer’s original plan. |
| C．It is not accessible to the public because a crime (犯罪活动) happened there. |
| D．It was discovered later than Hidden Cave. |
| A．Hidden Cave | B．Ice Caves |
| C．the Ramble Cave | D．Tears of the Turtle Cave |
5 . Rescue Dog Frida played an important role in many natural disasters. She saved many people during her working life. Now she has moved on to a more peaceful life after her huge contribution.
Frida is a 10-year-old yellow dog. She spent her life helping rescue survivors around the world after natural disasters. And now she’s finally exchanging her working equipment for something else: a dog toy.
After a long career saving people’s lives, Frida has retired from rescue work, according to Mexico’s government. While she has found at least 41 bodies and a dozen people alive over her career, the dog became well-known after a deadly earthquake in Mexico in 2017.
Frida and her trainer were called in after the 7.1-magnitude earthquake that rocked Mexico City in 2017. The dog worked with other rescue dogs and became a symbol of hope for many in the area during the time. Fifteen dogs were called in during the search, but Frida was the most popular on social media.
Last summer, a statue of her was shown at a park in Puebla City. Next to her statue (雕像) is a statue of her trainer, Israel Arauz. A plaque (牌匾) in front of the two reads: “Memorable symbols of the strength Mexicans can have when we decide to come together for great causes.”
In addition to her famous work after the 2017 earthquake, she also worked on two international groups after earthquakes in Haiti and Ecuador. Frida’s retirement was part of the navy’s “International Day of the Rescuer”. She was given a toy at the ceremony to celebrate her retirement. Frida stole the heart of all Mexico and thousands more abroad. Her bark (犬吠声) always gave hope.
1. What will Frida do for the rest of her life?| A．Save people after natural disasters strike. |
| B．Enjoy her life after retirement. |
| C．Help people deal with earthquakes. |
| D．Find more animals that are lost. |
| A．She found at least 41 bodies. |
| B．She became interested in dog toys. |
| C．She became very famous on social media. |
| D．She moved to a peaceful place. |
| A．It was built by her trainer. |
| B．It was built in the city where she was born. |
| C．It is beside the statue of her trainer. |
| D．It has a plaque behind it. |
| A．She was given a toy. |
| B．She travelled abroad with her trainer. |
| C．Her bark was recorded. |
| D．She took a vacation in Haiti. |
6 . Around a third of human-generated greenhouse gas emissions come from the global food system, and lost or wasted food is known to contribute to some amount — but it has never been clear to exactly what degree. Now, by following specific foods through their entire life cycle, researchers have determined just how much this wasted food adds to emissions during harvest, transportation and disposal.
For a study in Nature Food, Xunchang Fei and his teammates used 164 countries’ food supply data from 2001 to 2017 to estimate emissions across 54 food products and four categories: cereals (谷物) and beans; meat and animal products; vegetables and fruits; and root and oil crops.
About a third of food is lost during harvest, storage and transportation or wasted by consumers. The team found this food was responsible for about half of total emissions from the global food system. And four countries, including China, the US, India and Brazil, contributed to 44.3 percent, mainly owing to their dietary habits and large populations. Of the four food categories, meat and animal products were the source of almost three quarters of emissions that occurred throughout the supply-chain stage involving food loss.
The study also found that emissions varied from countries to countries. For instance, developed countries’ advanced waste-treatment technologies could create fewer emissions. Such details showed how “different countries should set different goals for the reductions of food loss and waste,” Fei said, “such as reducing meat production in some areas, and switching from landfills to composting (堆肥) processes in others.”
Prajal Pradhan, an expert in food system, noted that the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals aimed to halve food waste in the coming years. Based on this study, he said emissions could decrease if high-income countries could focus on saving food thrown away by consumers, and low-and-middle-income countries could prioritize avoiding food loss during harvest, processing, storage and transport.
1. What problem can lost or wasted food lead to according to paragraph 1?| A．Soil pollution. | B．Worldwide starvation. |
| C．Energy shortage. | D．Greenhouse gas emissions. |
| A．By giving examples. | B．By analyzing statistical data. |
| C．By stating arguments. | D．By explaining theoretical knowledge. |
| A．Cereals and beans. | B．Root and oil crops. |
| C．Meat and animal products. | D．Vegetables and fruits. |
| A．The United Nations should cut food waste in half. |
| B．Middle-income countries could focus on food waste. |
| C．High-income countries could prioritize avoiding food loss. |
| D．Different countries should have different priorities to reduce emissions. |
7 . My parents had purchased an Island Packet 445 ten months prior, and the day to board this boat had finally come. I was 11 years old and knew absolutely nothing about this cruising (海上航游) lifestyle my father had been speaking so highly of for the previous five years. The only thing I knew for sure was that I didn’t want to leave my home. My father was excited, my mother nervous, my brother disinterested, and I sullen. I was not at all eager about this change in my lifestyle.
The first three months on the boat had not been very easy. What my dad called an adjustment period I called a nightmare. But, after three months of traveling, we had a lucky break. In La Paz, there was another cruising boat with a 13-year-old boy aboard. Two weeks later, Glen and I could be seen endlessly boogie boarding (趴板冲浪) the crashing waves to the beach. After meeting Glen, cruising for me began to get better and better. At some point during these months, I decided to give this cruising idea a chance.
One year later, we continued touring through the South Pacific. I was learning new skills and learning how to work independently. I often took a five-hour watch during the dark hours of long passages. This was quite a bit of responsibility to hand over to a 13-year-old, especially considering I was in charge of adjusting sails as the conditions changed, and keeping an eye and ear out for any problems. Almost everybody in the cruising community treated me as an adult while still understanding I was a child, thereby giving me the flexibility to make childish mistakes.
As of this writing, my family has now been aboard for three years. We have plans to return to Canada in 12 months and, similar to how I opposed moving onto the boat, I am now completely opposed to moving off it. I have so much fun and learn so many things on this boat that I can’t imagine ever returning “home”, a place I hardly even remember.
1. What does the underlined word “sullen” in the first paragraph probably mean?| A．Upset. | B．Calm. | C．Confused. | D．Astonished. |
| A．Overcoming the fear of nightmares. |
| B．Having fun with someone of his age. |
| C．Learning how to work independently. |
| D．Making a breakthrough in boarding skills. |
| A．Stubborn but reliable. | B．Childish but adaptable. |
| C．Inconsiderate but flexible. | D．Dependent but responsible. |
| A．Benefits of the Cruising Lifestyle |
| B．First Day aboard Island Packet 445 |
| C．What Motivates a Teenager to Change His Lifestyle |
| D．How a Young Sailor Learns to Love the Cruising Life |
8 . An ancient, interdependent relationship that contributes to food systems and ecosystem stability across the globe could be changing.
Many flowering plants can self-pollinate (自花传粉), or transfer pollen between their own blossoms for seed generation and reproduction, but most of these plants have relied on pollinators such as butterflies and bees to reproduce. Now — during declines reported in many pollinator populations — a new study on the evolution of one flower species’ mating system has revealed a remarkable change that could worsen the challenges faced by the plants’ insect partners.
The flowers reproductive evolution may be linked to environmental changes such as habitat destruction and rapid ongoing decreases in pollinator biodiversity, according to Samson Acoca-Pidolle, who led the study published December 19 in the journal New Phytologist.
Comparing seeds of wild field pansies (三色堇) collected decades ago in France with the plants’ modern descendants. Acoca-Pidolle and his colleagues discovered that today’s flowers are smaller and produce less nectar (花蜜) as a result of increased self-pollination, which has direct impacts on pollinator behavior.The pansies of the past self-fertilized less and attracted far more pollinators than those of the present, according to the study.
“It seems that it’s only traits (特性) that are involved in plant-pollinator interaction that are evolving, ” said Acoca-Pidolle. The changes could restrict the plants’ ability to adapt to future environmental changes and have implications for “all of floral biodiversity” — potentially decreasing flowering plants’ genetic, species and ecosystem variation.
“This may increase the pollinator decline and cause a negative feedback cycle,” study coauthor Pierre-Olivier Cheptou told CNN.” If plants produce less nectar, there will be less food available to pollinators, which will in turn accelerate the rate at which the animals’ numbers decrease“, he explained.
“The major message is that we are currently seeing the evolutionary breakdown of plant pollinators in the wild,” said Cheptou, an evolutionary ecologist at the French National Centre for Scientific Research and professor at the University of Montpellier.
1. Which of the following may contribute to the flowers’ reproductive evolution?| A．Changed behaviour of pollinators. | B．Severe pollution to the habitats. |
| C．Continuing decline in pollinator biodiversity. | D．Increased plant-pollinator interaction. |
| A．They self-pollinated less. | B．They had a better mating system. |
| C．They attracted less pollinators. | D．They were fertilized by themselves. |
| A．The flowering plants may have more variations. |
| B．The evolution of wild plant pollinators is collapsing. |
| C．The numbers of the animals will increase more rapidly. |
| D．The plants will adapt to the environmental changes better. |
| A．Pollinator Populations: Declining. | B．Flowering Plants: Selfing. |
| C．Interdependent Relationship: Maintaining. | D．Floral Diversity: Increasing. |
The Great Wall of China with a total length of over 5,000 kilometers is one of the greatest
The Great Wall is not only a brick wall, but also one of the world’s greatest historical architectural works. It played a significant role
10 . Researchers in Israel have found that tomato and tobacco plants that are dealing with stress factors make a popping sound that can be detected over 3 feet away, a reaction that seems similar to a human yelling in pain.
Plants were previously known to produce ultrasonic vibrations (超声波振动), but the new work notes that the sounds produced by at least two plants are airborne. The team’s work is published in Cell. “We know that there’s a lot of ultrasound out there—every time you use a microphone, you find that a lot of materials produce sounds that we humans cannot hear-but the fact that plants are making these sounds opens a brand new access of opportunities for us to eavesdrop (窃听)and use these sounds,” said Yossi Yovel, a neuro-ecologist and a co-author of the paper.
The researchers recorded tomato and tobacco plants in a soundproof room and in an ordinary greenhouse. They troubled the plants by not watering them for a few days and by stem cutting; both approaches caused pop- or click-like sounds from the plants. Unstressed plants also made sounds, but far fewer; the stressed plants sent out between 30 and 50 clicks per hour.
The team thinks the sounds may be caused by air bubbles in the plants’ vascular systems. It’s not clear whether the sounds serve any purpose, such as an attempt to communicate with other organisms. The pop sounds are beyond human ear frequencies but fall within the range that other mammals, insects, and perhaps other plants could pick them up.
“For example, a moth that intends to lay eggs on a plant or an animal that intends to eat a plant could use the sounds to help guide their decision.”
Besides tomato and tobacco plants, the corn, wheat, grape and cactus plants were also found to make sounds.
The researchers are still out on plant intelligence, but some experts do think that plants are conscious in their own way. Plenty more work will need to be done to understand the exact nature of these sounds.
1. What is the significance of the plants’ ability to produce airborne sounds?| A．It enables the plants to attract beneficial insects. |
| B．It helps the plants send messages to humans. |
| C．It inspires the application of ultrasound on microphone. |
| D．It creates new chances for researches on the sound of plants. |
| A．They eavesdropped the plants in the greenhouse. |
| B．They deprived the plants of water and harmed their stems. |
| C．They troubled the plants by pop- or click-like sounds. |
| D．They provided the plants with artificial lighting conditions. |
| A．The sounds could be used by plants to warn each other of threats. |
| B．The sounds could be used as a form of renewable energy. |
| C．The sounds could be used to monitor the stress levels of plants. |
| D．The sounds could be used as a guidance for other creatures. |
| A．The Surprising Sounds of Stressed Plants |
| B．The Musical Melodies of the Green World |
| C．Plants’ New Language: The Popping Sound |
| D．Tomato and Tobacco Plants: The Secret Sound |
