1 . Dogs wag (摇摆) their tails in different directions depending on whether they are excited and wanting to move forward or threatened and thinking of moving back, a study has found.
Researchers in Italy examined the tail wagging behavior of 30 dogs, catching their responses to a range of stimuli (刺激物) with video cameras. To conduct the study they chose 15 male dogs and 15 female ones aged between one and six years. The dogs were all family pets whose owners had allowed them to take part in the experiment at Bari University. The dogs were placed in a large wooden box with an opening at the front to allow for them to view various stimuli. They were tested one at a time.
The researchers led by Professor Giorgio Vallortigara of the University of Trieste found that when the dogs were shown their owners—a positive experience—their tails wagged energetically to the right side. When they were shown an unfamiliar human they wagged to the right, but with somewhat less enthusiasm. The appearance of a cat again caused a right-hand side wag, although with less intensity again. The appearance of a large unfamiliar dog, similar to a German shepherd, changed the direction of tail wagging to the left. Researchers thought the dog was thinking of moving back. When the dogs were not shown any stimuli they tended to wag their tails to the left, suggesting they preferred company. While the changes in the tail wagging were not easily noticed without the aid of video, it was thought that the findings could help people judge the mood of dogs. Computer and video systems, for example, could be used by professional dog trainers to determine the mood of dogs that they were required to approach.
1. The video cameras were used to catch the dogs’ responses because________.| A．it was easier to catch the dogs’ response changes in the tail wagging |
| B．the dogs were put in the wooden boxes and tested one at a time |
| C．they enabled the dogs’ owners to know about their dogs’ habit |
| D．the dogs wagged their tails in different directions when they were in different moods |
| A．surprise | B．worry | C．excitement | D．interest |
| A．wag to the left | B．wag to the right |
| C．not wag at all | D．wag to the left and then to the right |
| A．to train dogs for their owners | B．to help people judge the mood of dogs |
| C．to help dogs find company | D．to help people choose their pet dogs |
In late April 2014, a
It's the first time that the birds which normally migrate with the seasons
3 . The worst outbreak of desert locusts (蝗虫) in decades is presently underway in the Horn of Africa. It is the biggest of its kind in 25 years for Ethiopia and Somalia — and the worst Kenya has seen for 70 years.
What we are seeing in East Africa today is unlike anything we’ve seen in a very long time. Its destructive potential is enormous, and it’s taking place in a region where farmers need every gram of food to feed themselves and their families. Most of the countries hardest hit are those where millions of people are already vulnerable (脆弱的) or in serious humanitarian need, as they endure the impact of violence, drought, and floods.
We have acted quickly to respond to this outbreak. The primary method of battling locusts is the aerial spraying of pesticides (杀虫剂). FAO’s “Locust Watch” service explains that “although giant nets, flamethrowers, lasers, and huge vacuums have been proposed in the past, these are not useful for locust control. People and birds often eat locusts but usually not enough to significantly reduce population levels in large areas.”
The UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has released $10 million from its Central Emergency Relief Fund to support a huge scale-up in aerial operations (空中作业) to manage the outbreak.
But the window to contain this crisis is closing fast. Before the beginning of March we must bring this infestation (虫害) under control as that is when the rain and planting season begins. If left unchecked (未受制止的) — and with expected additional rains — the number of locusts in East Africa could increase 500 times by June.
We must act now to avoid a full-blown catastrophe. And we will. At the same time, we need to pay attention to a bigger picture. This is not the first time the Greater Horn of Africa has seen locust outbreak approach this scale, but the current situation is the worst in decades. This is linked to climate change. Warmer seas mean more tropical storms, generating the perfect breeding conditions for locusts.
1. What is implied in paragraph 2?| A．People in East Africa are suffering droughts. |
| B．People in East Africa are going through floods. |
| C．The locust outbreak will cause crop failure. |
| D．The locust outbreak is worsening locals’ life. |
| A．We need a bigger picture to study the disaster. |
| B．It is the second outbreak of locusts in East Africa. |
| C．It is the largest outbreak of locusts ever in history. |
| D．The outbreak of locusts is fueled by global warming. |
| A．To analyze and compare. |
| B．To inform and call for action. |
| C．To argue and discuss. |
| D．To introduce and assess. |
| A．A guidebook. | B．A health magazine. |
| C．A news report. | D．A chemistry paper. |
4 . Honey from the African forest is not only a kind of natural sugar, it is also delicious. Most people, and many animals, like eating it. However, the only way for them to get that honey is to find a wild bees' nest and take the honey from it. Often, these nests are high up in trees, and it is difficult to find them. In parts of Africa, though, people and animals looking for honey have a strange and unexpected helper—a little bird called a honey guide.
The honey guide does not actually like honey, but it does like the wax in the beehives. The little bird cannot reach this wax, which is deep inside the bees' nest. So, when it finds a suitable nest, it looks for someone to help it. The honey guide gives a loud cry that attracts the attention of both passing animals and people. Once it has their attention, it flies through the forest, waiting from time to time for the curious animal or person as it leads them to the nest. When they finally arrive at the nest, the follower reaches in to get at the delicious honey as the bird patiently waits and watches. Some of the honey, and the wax, always falls to the ground, and this is when the honey guide takes its share.
Scientists do not know why the honey guide likes eating the wax, but it is very distance away. They will quickly arrive whenever a beekeeper is taking honey from his beehives, and will even enter churches when beeswax candles are being lit.
1. Why is it difficult to find a wild bees' nest?| A．It's small in size. | B．It's hidden in trees. |
| C．It's covered with wax. | D．It's hard to recognize. |
| A．A bee. | B．A bird. | C．A honey seeker. | D．A beekeeper. |
| A．it gets its food | B．it goes to church |
| C．it sings in the forest | D．it reaches into bees' nests |
| A．Wild Bees | B．Wax and Honey |
| C．Beekeeping in Africa | D．Honey-Lover's Helper |
5 . Bad news for banana lovers: A fungus (真菌) that’s particularly good at killing the fruit has finally reached Latin America — a major supplier of the world’s bananas.
Recently, officials in Colombia announced a national emergency after confirming the presence of this fatal fungus, known as Fusarium oxysporum Tropical Race 4 (TR4), in the country. This is the first time the fungus has been found in Latin America. However, the fungus isn’t new. Over the past years, it has been destroying banana plantations in Asia, Australia and East Africa.
Although this fungus isn’t harmful to humans, it is a “serious threat” to banana production. The fungus attacks the plants’ roots and blocks their vascular (维管的) system — the network used to transport water and nutrients (营养物) and finally kills the plants. Once the fungus finds its way into soil, it can’t be treated with fungicides, and it’s very difficult to remove.
What’s more, the fungus attacks the most commonly exported banana — the Cavendish banana. “For Western countries, the vast majority of the bananas we eat are from the same Cavendish subgroup,” said Nicolas Roux, a senior scientist.
Sarah Gurr, Exeter University’s chair in food security, continued to explained to Wired, “Cavendish bananas are in effect clones of their parents. So the similarity in their genes makes them easy targets of the disease. Actually, we are likely to lose the Cavendish banana.”
Officials reported that the TR4 fungus was found in a l75-hectare area in the La Guajira region of northern Colombia. The country has separated affected areas and destroyed some of them in an effort to fight the fungus. A number of ideas have come up to help save the Cavendish banana, including genetically engineering plants that will not be affected by TR4.
1. Why did Colombia announce a national emergency?| A．Because the TR4 fungus stops banana trees producing fruits. |
| B．Because there was TR4 fungus in Colombia. |
| C．Because a fearful fungus was spreading quickly. |
| D．Because Colombia had no bananas to transport to Europe. |
| A．It causes the death of banana plants. | B．It is dangerous for human beings. |
| C．It competes with banana trees for water. | D．It exists in the air to attack plants. |
| A．Their importance in global fruit supply. | B．Their poor ability to gain nutrients. |
| C．Their lack of genetic diversity. | D．Their wide planting in Latin America. |
| A．Bananas crisis in Latin America | B．The best bananas in the world |
| C．Fungus harms plants | D．Banana-killing fungus reached Latin America |
6 . The weather symbol shown for each day in the five day forecast represents the main weather expected on the day in question. The maximum temperature is the highest temperature forecast between dawn and dusk, whereas the minimum temperature is the lowest temperature expected from dusk on the day to dawn the following day. The wind speed and direction are the expected conditions at midday.
each day in the five day forecast represents the main weather expected on the day in question. The maximum temperature is the highest temperature forecast between dawn and dusk, whereas the minimum temperature is the lowest temperature expected from dusk on the day to dawn the following day. The wind speed and direction are the expected conditions at midday.
| London, United Kingdom 28,11, 2018 (Wed.) | ||||||
| Day | Summary | Max day; Min night (℃) | Wind (mph) | Visibility | Pressure | Pollution |
| Mon. Sunrise 08:06 Sunset 15:59 |  | 9-10 |  | very poor | 1030 | low |
| Tue. Sunrise 08:06 Sunset 16:00 |  | 3-8 |  | good | 1023 | low |
| Wed. Sunrise 08:06 Sunset 16:01 |  | -1-5 |  | good | 1023 | low |
| Thur. Sunrise 08:06 Sunset 16:02 |  | 0-2 |  | good | 999 | low |
| Fri. Sunrise 08:06 Sunset 16:03 |  | 0-2 |  | good | 1012 | low |
| A．Friday | B．Tuesday |
| C．Thursday | D．Wednesday |
| A．8 | B．15 |
| C．12 | D．16 |
| A．The pollution in London will be more serious on Saturday. |
| B．We cannot see things clearly on Monday because of rain. |
| C．On both Wednesday and Thursday we will have east wind. |
| D．From Monday to Friday the pressure will be lower and lower. |
1.创建绿色校园的意义
2.一些校园浪费的现象
3.建绿色校园的建议并发出倡议
注意：1.词数120左右；
2.可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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8 . A baby giraffe born with a leg abnormality has been fitted with special leg braces (支架) to help her walk.
The giraffe is named Msituni. She
Zoo officials called in experts to treat the giraffe. The medical team had a lot of
The team
Mirzaian said he planned to
| A．heard | B．recovered | C．suffered | D．graduated |
| A．dangerous | B．urgent | C．extinct | D．natural |
| A．energy | B．equipment | C．medicine | D．pressure |
| A．promised | B．complained | C．feared | D．suggested |
| A．condition | B．mistake | C．habit | D．judgement |
| A．separate | B．protect | C．save | D．prevent |
| A．expectation | B．reaction | C．experience | D．preference |
| A．often | B．never | C．only | D．almost |
| A．immediately | B．gradually | C．luckily | D．actually |
| A．created | B．purchased | C．measured | D．displayed |
| A．discovered | B．fixed | C．raised | D．hidden |
| A．screamed | B．jogged | C．performed | D．stayed |
| A．put up | B．give way to | C．pick out | D．stir up |
| A．allowed | B．forced | C．inspired | D．invited |
| A．fortunate | B．great | C．enthusiastic | D．regretful |
9 . Salad is good for you, generally speaking, so growing fresh greens in orbit seems like a winning way for space workers to stay healthy. New research suggests that as nutritious as space salad might be, it could pose something of a risk to astronauts.
The problem is growing leafy plants like lettuce (生菜) in space can come with a side dish of bacteria (细菌), according to a new study from a team at the University of Delaware. In tests on plants grown in modeled micro-gravity, they were shown to actually be more sensitive than normal to the Salmonella enterica (SE) (沙门氏菌).
We know that the International Space Station (ISS) is home to a lot of aggressive bacteria, and if these space virus were to cause widespread sickness in an astronaut crew, it would mean lives were at risk. “You don’t want the whole mission to fail just because of a food safety outbreak,” says plant biologist Harsh Bais from the University of Delaware.
Bais and his colleagues used a device to perform some clever rotation tricks in the lab, putting lettuce plants into a similar state as they would be in micro-gravity. They then added SE bacteria to the leaves. What was interesting — and surprising — was that the tiny stomata (气孔) in the lettuce opened up to allow the bacteria to get in. Ordinarily, the job of the stomata is to keep dangerous attackers out, while at the same time helping the plant to breathe.
The researchers then added a more helpful species of bacteria, one that typically protects plants from external stressors. Again, the defense didn’t work in micro-gravity — suggesting there’s something about this state that disables the chemical reactions that the lettuce would normally use to keep itself safe.
Add in what we know about space bacteria being particularly tricky, and this is a potential problem. The team behind the study wants to see a lot more research into making sure our foodstuffs are safe outside of orbit.
1. Why can’t lettuce be grown in ISS?| A．Its leaves takes up too much space. | B．It brings in illness-causing bacteria. |
| C．It is only a side dish to astronauts. | D．It can’t grow well in micro-gravity. |
| A．Negative. | B．Sensitive. | C．Enthusiastic. | D．Unconcerned. |
| A．They kept lettuce from breathing. | B．They ensure the safety of lettuce. |
| C．They failed to function as expected. | D．They stopped all bacteria coming in. |
| A．SE, the Worst Bacteria in Space | B．Greens for Salad, a Risk in Space |
| C．Lettuce, Plant Samples Used in Space | D．Food Safety, a Key Problem in Space |
10 . At just a few inches long and living on an affordable diet of flakes, goldfish are often viewed as the world’s most unnoticeable pet — a kind of gateway animal to prepare new caregivers for cats and dogs to come. But their blank stare and expression cover up a little-known and somewhat horrifying fact: Released into the wild and upping their caloric count goldfish can develop into massive fish, damaging local ecosystems.
According to The New York Times, the Great Lakes are currently suffering from an inflow of goldfish. They eat everything from algae (海藻) to plants to animals without backbones and can reach 16 inches to 19 inches in length, weighing in at 4 pounds. And all that consumption is destructive. The goldfish swallow plants that native fish eat. They also consume algae, which promotes further algae growth. Because they’re resistant to changing water temperatures, they can be lasting trouble. They are also forcing native fish out of their natural habitat.
Researchers have observed a significant increase in the goldfish population over the past few decades, a likely consequence of people releasing pets that then reproduce. It’s possible that tens of millions of goldfish now live in the Great Lakes; similar goldfish problems have also been observed in Australia.
Possible interventions include electrical currents that would kill the fish and netting to capture them and control the population in breeding grounds identified by tracking.
Goldfish grew popular in the U.S. in the late 19th century,when the U.S. Commission on Fisheries gave away thousands of them in Washington D.C They’re fairly crafty fish with the capacity to learn some simple tricks. Advocates say the typical fishbowl is too small for them and recommend a tank of at least 20 gallons per fish so they have room to move.
With the right environment, goldfish can reproduce fast and live for decades. But if you’re not interested in keeping them, experts at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service suggest donating them to a school, pet store, or interested party — not a local pond.
1. How can goldfish grow super big?| A．By growing uninterruptedly in a tank. | B．By staying together with other fish. |
| C．By living with considerate caregivers. | D．By eating enough food in a big lake. |
| A．They eat up local fish. | B．They help keep biodiversity. |
| C．They occupy the habitat of native fish. | D．They promote the spread of algae. |
| A．Goldfish population is increasing fast. | B．Capturing goldfish becomes very difficult. |
| C．Goldfish are growing too big to live in a tank . | D．Tracking goldfish’s breeding grounds is impossible. |
| A．Pitiable. | B．Foxy. | C．Cute. | D．Popular. |
