1 . When John Todd was a child, he loved to explore the woods around his house, observing how nature solved problems. A dirty stream, for example, often became clear after flowing through plants and along rocks where tiny creatures lived. When he got older, John started to wonder if this process could be used to clean up the messes people were making.
After studying agriculture, medicine, and fisheries in college, John went back to observing nature and asking questions. Why can certain plants trap harmful bacteria (细菌)? Which kinds of fish can eat cancer-causing chemicals? With the right combination of animals and plants, he figured, maybe he could clean up waste the way nature did. He decided to build what he would later call an eco-machine.
The task John set for himself was to remove harmful substances from some sludge (污泥). First, he constructed a series of clear fiberglass tanks connected to each other. Then he went around to local ponds and streams and brought back some plants and animals. He placed them in the tanks and waited. Little by little, these different kinds of life got used to one another and formed their own ecosystem. After a few weeks, John added the sludge.
He was amazed at the results. The plants and animals in the eco-machine took the sludge as food and began to eat it! Within weeks, it had all been digested, and all that was left was pure water.
Over the years, John has taken on many big jobs. He developed a greenhouse — like facility that treated sewage (污水) from 1,600 homes in South Burlington. He also designed an eco-machine to clean canal water in Fuzhou, a city in southeast China.
“Ecological design” is the name John gives to what he does. “Life on Earth is kind of a box of spare parts for the inventor,” he says. “You put organisms in new relationships and observe what’s happening. Then you let these new systems develop their own ways to self-repair.”
1. What can we learn about John from the first two paragraphs?| A．He was fond of traveling. | B．He enjoyed being alone. |
| C．He had an inquiring mind. | D．He longed to be a doctor. |
| A．To feed the animals. | B．To build an ecosystem. |
| C．To protect the plants. | D．To test the eco-machine. |
| A．To review John’s research plans. | B．To show an application of John’s idea. |
| C．To compare John’s different jobs. | D．To erase doubts about John’s invention. |
| A．Nature can repair itself. | B．Organisms need water to survive. |
| C．Life on Earth is diverse. | D．Most tiny creatures live in groups. |
2 . When the explorers first set foot upon the continent of North America, the skies and lands were alive with an astonishing variety of wildlife. Native Americans had taken care of these precious natural resources wisely. Unfortunately, it took the explorers and the settlers who followed only a few decades to decimate a large part of these resources. Millions of waterfowl (水禽) were killed at the hands of market hunters and a handful of overly ambitious sportsmen. Millions of acres of wetlands were dried to feed and house the ever-increasing populations, greatly reducing waterfowl habitat.
In 1934, with the passage of the Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act (Act), an increasingly concerned nation took firm action to stop the destruction of migratory (迁徙的) waterfowl and the wetlands so vital to their survival. Under this Act, all waterfowl hunters 16 years of age and over must annually purchase and carry a Federal Duck Stamp. The very first Federal Duck Stamp was designed by J.N. “Ding” Darling, a political cartoonist from Des Moines, lowa, who at that time was appointed by President Franklin Roosevelt as Director of the Bureau of Biological Survey. Hunters willingly pay the stamp price to ensure the survival of our natural resources.
About 98 cents of every duck stamp dollar goes directly into the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund to purchase wetlands and wildlife habitat for inclusion into the National Wildlife Refuge System — a fact that ensures this land will be protected and available for all generations to come. Since 1934, better than half a billion dollars has gone into that Fund to purchase more than 5 million acres of habitat. Little wonder the Federal Duck Stamp Program has been called one of the most successful conservation programs ever initiated.
1. What was a cause of the waterfowl population decline in North America?| A．Loss of wetlands. | B．Popularity of water sports. |
| C．Pollution of rivers. | D．Arrival of other wild animals. |
| A．Acquire. | B．Export. |
| C．Destroy. | D．Distribute. |
| A．The stamp price has gone down. | B．The migratory birds have flown away. |
| C．The hunters have stopped hunting. | D．The government has collected money. |
| A．The Federal Duck Stamp Story | B．The National Wildlife Refuge System |
| C．The Benefits of Saving Waterfowl | D．The History of Migratory Bird Hunting |
3 . Port Lympne Reserve, which runs a breeding (繁育) programme, has welcomed the arrival of a rare black rhino calf (犀牛幼崽). When the tiny creature arrived on January 31, she became the 40th black rhino to be born at the reserve. And officials at Port Lympne were delighted with the new arrival, especially as black rhinos are known for being difficult to breed in captivity (圈养).
Paul Beer, head of rhino section at Port Lympne, said: “Obviously we’re all absolutely delighted to welcome another calf to our black rhino family. She’s healthy, strong and already eager to play and explore. Her mother, Solio, is a first-time mum and she is doing a fantastic job. It’s still a little too cold for them to go out into the open, but as soon as the weather warms up, I have no doubt that the little one will be out and about exploring and playing every day.”
The adorable female calf is the second black rhino born this year at the reserve, but it is too early to tell if the calves will make good candidates to be returned to protected areas of the wild. The first rhino to be born at Port Lympne arrived on January 5 to first-time mother Kisima and weighed about 32kg. His mother, grandmother and great grandmother were all born at the reserve and still live there.
According to the World Wildlife Fund, the global black rhino population has dropped as low as 5500, giving the rhinos a “critically endangered” status.
1. Which of the following best describes the breeding programme?| A．Costly. | B．Controversial. | C．Ambitious. | D．Successful. |
| A．She loves staying with her mother. | B．She dislikes outdoor activities. |
| C．She is in good condition | D．She is sensitive to heat. |
| A．They had their first born in January. | B．They enjoyed exploring new places |
| C．They lived with their grandmothers. | D．They were brought to the reserve young |
| A．The rhino section will be open to the public. |
| B．It aims to control the number of the animals. |
| C．It will continue to work with the World Wildlife Fund. |
| D．Some of its rhinos may be sent to the protected wild areas. |
(1)该地方的基本情况(如名称、地理位置等)；
(2)该地方的特色(如文化、景点等)；
(3)你对该地方的印象和感受。
注意：(1)词数不少于100；
(2)可适当加入细节，使内容充实、行文连贯。
A Beautiful Place in China
March 19, 2021By Li Jin
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5 . In shallow coastal waters of the Indian ocean, Dugong, a kind of sea cow, is in trouble. Environmental problems pose such a major threat to its survival that the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) upgraded the species’ extinction risk status(地位)to vulnerable (脆弱的).
Much worse, Dugongs are at risk of losing the protection of the Torres Strait Islanders, who have looked after them historically, hunting them for food sustainably and monitoring their numbers. These native people keep their biodiversity, and have deep knowledge about their environment. But these people are also threatened, in part because rising sea levels are making it difficult for them to live there.
This situation isn’t unique to Dugongs. A global analysis of 385 culturally important plant and animal species found 68 percent were both biologically vulnerable and at risk of losing their cultural protection.
The findings clearly illustrate that biology shouldn’t be the primary factor in shaping conservation policy,says anthropologist Victoria Reyes-García.When a culture declines,the species that are important to that culture are also threatened.“Lots of conservationists think we need to separate people from nature,” says Reyes-García. “But that strategy misses the caring relationship many cultural groups have with nature.”
One way to help shift conservation efforts is to give species a “bio-cultural status,”which would provide a fuller picture of their vulnerability. In the study, the team used a new way to determine a species’ risk of disappearing: the more a cultural group’s language use declines, the more that culture is threatened.The more a culture is threatened, the more culturally vulnerable its important species are. Researchers then combined a species’ cultural and biological vulnerability to arrive at its bio-cultural status. In the Dugong’s case, its bio-cultural status is endangered, meaning it is more at risk than its IUCN categorization suggests.
This new approach to conservation involves people that have historically cared for them. It can highlight when communities need support to continue their care. Scientists hope it will bring more efforts that recognize local communities’ rights and encourage their participation-taking advantage of humans’ connection with nature instead of creating more separation.
1. What is the relationship between the native people and Dugongs?| A．The native people help conserve Dugongs. |
| B．The native people train Dugongs to survive. |
| C．Dugongs ruin the native people’s environment. |
| D．Dugongs force the native people to leave home. |
| A．The protection policy is used incorrectly. |
| B．Culture is connected to species’ existence. |
| C．Many groups take good care of each other. |
| D．Conservationists prefer nature over people. |
| A．It involves more preservation efforts. |
| B．It relies on the IUCN’s classification. |
| C．It highlights the effect of human languages. |
| D．It assesses the biological influence of a species. |
| A．Conservative. |
| B．Favourable. |
| C．Critical. |
| D．Ambiguous. |
6 . The suburb I live in backs on to a large nature reserve. One morning I saw a koala (考拉) sitting in a palm tree in my front yard. I phoned around to ask what I could
I’ve always been befriending animals. As a young kid I used to pick up lizard eggs and
Once I had accreditation (合格证), I volunteered with the RSPCA in 2014, rehabilitating (使康复) wildlife. I was an ambulance driver,
One day, I thought why not
I cut the leaves of the eucalyptus trees for the koalas to eat and look after the
As a kid I would never have imagined doing this. I feel like I’m the
| A．learn from | B．do about | C．require of | D．save for |
| A．kicking | B．shooting | C．coaching | D．blowing |
| A．together | B．illegally | C．angrily | D．guiltily |
| A．roll | B．sell | C．break | D．hatch |
| A．rescue | B．admire | C．purchase | D．identify |
| A．courses | B．races | C．fairs | D．shows |
| A．watching | B．attending | C．recording | D．assessing |
| A．made out | B．ran across | C．gave up | D．cared for |
| A．leave | B．start | C．dismiss | D．advertise |
| A．house | B．hunt | C．train | D．amuse |
| A．confuse | B．direct | C．feed | D．test |
| A．aggressive | B．hungry | C．deserted | D．injured |
| A．sold | B．released | C．thrown | D．dragged |
| A．quietest | B．greediest | C．noisiest | D．luckiest |
| A．guess | B．calling | C．treat | D．fault |
Allen was playing in his room. He heard a familiar chirping and rustling from the cage in the bedroom corner. It was his beloved Blue Finch, named Mary. The boy had cared for the bird since he was six, a gift from his mother for graduating from kindergarten and entering primary school. Now, at 12 years old, Allen had just recently celebrated his primary school graduation and was about to take another step in his life journey toward junior high school. For the past six years, Mary was his constant companion and closest friend.
As he grew up, Allen found it difficult to make friends or be close to others. Having had to move around many times and transfer schools due to his father’s work in the military, Allen never felt like he truly belonged in any one place. He always knew it wouldn’t be long before he would have to move yet again. The stress and pressure of a constantly mobile life also led to strain and pressure at home, leading to loud arguments and fights between his mother and father which he could hear from behind closed doors.
But, throughout all of this. Allen’s closest friend and companion-the true source of stability in his life — was Mary, his finch. But Mary was more than just a simple, calm pet: whenever Allen felt sad, the bird would always be singing and chirping, almost as if she sensed how he felt and wanted to lift his spirits. And when Allen fed the bird, Mary always moved across her branch to rest against his finger, never failing to bring a smile to Allen’s face. Yet, one summer day after Allen had come home after a walk at the park he found the window of his bedroom open and the door of Mary’s cage open-the-bird was gone. Suddenly, Allen realized that he must have left the cage open after cleaning it and forgot about the window being open on such a hot day. Upset, Allen fell down to the floor sobbing.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150词左右；
2. 请按如下格式在相应位置作答。
Upon hearing the noise, Allen’s mother rushed upstairs and asked what had happened.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Filled with anticipation, Allen and his mother went outside to look for Mary.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________8 . Baby seabirds that have not yet hatched communicate with their siblings (兄弟姐妹) in neighbouring eggs by vibrating (震动) their shells, scientists have discovered.
A study of yellow-legged gul s revealed one of the known examples of embryonic (胚胎期的) communication. When exposed to the alarm calls of an adult bird responding to a predator (捕食者) , developing chicks apparently were able to convey the presence of danger to their nest mates by vibrating inside their eggs.
The team collected 90 yellow-legged gull eggs from Sálvora Island and sorted them into nests of three. When the eggs were six days off hatching, two of the three eggs in each nest were temporarily removed from the nest and exposed to either a recording of a predator alarm call or white noise each day until the chicks hatched. The noise was delivered four times a day at random for three minutes at a time. The third egg from each group remained in the nest.
It was found that the embryos responded to the external alarm calls by vibrating or and vocalizing (发声) less — and that this in or matin appear d to be passed on to the third nestmate. It was seen to copy the vibrations. It also underwent genetic changes and had an increase in the production of stress hormones (荷尔蒙).
“This kind of communication — embryo to embryo — can generate developmental changes that can have potential benefits to the birds after hatching,” said Noguera, the lead author of the study.
A rise in stress hormones makes birds more aware of their surroundings after hatching. When hatched chicks were exposed to alarm sounds, it was found that those who had listened to the noises previously in the egg were quicker to run away and hide.
Noguera said the phenomenon was likely to occur in other bid species. His team now plans to investigate whether the chicks are able to pick up other clues about their external environment before hatching, such a show many other eggs are in the nest.
1. What do the un hatched birds mean to do by vibrating shells?| A．Fight with a predator. | B．Warn others of danger. |
| C．Play with their nest mates. | D．Seek care from adult birds. |
| A．The findings of the experiment. | B．The process of the experiment. |
| C．The subjects of the experiment. | D．The theoretical base of the experiment. |
| A．It makes them mature earlier. |
| B．It allows them to develop physically. |
| C．It strengthens bonds with their siblings. |
| D．It helps them adapt to life after hatching. |
| A．Its appeal to the public. |
| B．Its practical application. |
| C．Expectations for future studies. |
| D．Scientists with new perspectives. |
9 . The streets of Cotonou, Benin’s largest city, have been Domingo Soule’s workplace for 35 years. The 50-year-old motorcycle taxi driver spends his days driving for miles on roads blanketed in exhaust fumes (尾气), picking up customers and taking them to where they want to go. But Soule has developed a cough from breathing in air pollution, he believes, and at the end of each day his eyes hurt.
Things maybe about to change, however. In recent months, he’s seen more and more electric motorbikes on the streets of Cotonou. The Indian manufacturer (制造商) M Auto introduced its electric bikes in Benin in July 2022 and there are already 2,000 on the roads; an additional 2,000 people have paid deposits (定金) and are waiting for delivery.
Shegun Bakari, M Auto’s chief executive, has ambitions to get all moto-taxi drivers in Benin to switch to electric. This month he plans to launch a campaign to encourage them to swap (交换) their old bikes for new electric models.
The only sticking point is the battery. M Auto’s business model relies on “swap stations” throughout the city. When the battery runs out after about 60 miles, drivers must visit a station and pay to exchange the empty battery for a full one. Concerns about the battery are also preventing Soule form buying an electric bike. It could cost him 4,000 CFA ￡(5.40) a day to replace batteries, Soule says, whereas at the moment he can buy five litres of petrol (enough for one day) for 3,000CFA.
Bakari understands his concerns. In Beni, close to 40% of the population live under the poverty line, earning less than US$2 a day. “If I’m living with $2 a day, I can’t afford to pay more just because I want to save the planet,” he says.
He and his team are working to persuade governments in Africa to reduce taxes on electric vehicles, as well as putting plans in place to produce the electric bikes in Benin. They are also in talks with the government to build a solar plant to provide the extra energy that will be needed.
1. What does the author want to show by telling Soule’s story?| A．Air pollution becomes a health issue. |
| B．Road conditions badly need improving. |
| C．Taxi drivers find it hard to make a living. |
| D．Motorbikes area major means of transport. |
| A．Riding old bikes. | B．Building more roads. |
| C．Banning them on road. | D．Moving to electric bikes. |
| A．Short battery life. | B．Battery safety. |
| C．Insufficient charging points. | D．High battery replacement cost. |
| A．Create more job opportunities. | B．Make electric bikes affordable. |
| C．Cutback on fuel supplies. | D．Improve taxi drivers’ welfare. |
Featuring a winding route, heavily-wooded mountains and red, yellow and blue lines, Liyang No. 1 Road in Liyang City, east China’s Jiangsu Province, is one of the most well-known scenic roads in China.
The 365-kilometer road connects 98 villages, over 220 rural tourist attractions, and seven
Nestled near mountains and Taihu Lake, Liyang
Therefore, Liyang No. 1 Road is not only a local landmark, but a gateway
Liyang No. 1 Road is also called “Rainbow Highway” because of the red, yellow and blue lines
