1 . The national parks of Russia are attracting many tourists. To make the selection of the popular parks easy for you, we prepared a few national parks worth visiting.
◎ Elk Island, Moscow
Elk (麋鹿) Island is the very first national park of Russia. It was established in the year 1983. The park is located to the north of the Capital City. If you are a true love of nature, then here you can enjoy riding a bicycle in the park. The entrance of this park is near the Belokamennaya station and no entry fee is there. If you are willing to visit the elks, then you need to take a bus directly from the metro station.
◎ Pleshcheyevo Lake, Yaroslavl
It is located on the golden rule tourist route, and here you will get the feeling of ancient Rus. Travelers here love the picturesque view of the Sunset. The ancient city Pereslavl-Zalessky is surrounded by this park. You can get a bus directly from the Moscow Central Station.
◎ Sochi National Park, Moscow
This park was also started in the year 1983. This park is situated 1000 miles south of Moscow. It is quite impressive to notice that since 2007, Caucasian leopards have been introduced again in this park. Waterfalls, caves, and canyons altogether make the atmosphere really enjoyable and you can also take pleasure swimming in the warm black sea.
◎ Land of the Leopard, Vladivostok
If you are desirous to watch leopards, then Vladivostok is definitely the best place to visit. This place is situated 5600 miles away from east Moscow and here you will be able to get a glimpse of the wild cats — leopards. This region is spread from the Amur Bay. There is one single tourist route to enter the park.
1. What is special about Elk Island?| A．It has an entry fee for visitors. |
| B．It is located to the center of Moscow. |
| C．It offers chance to visit the elks by metro. |
| D．It is one of the first national parks of Russia. |
| A．The culture of ancient Rus. | B．A picturesque view of the Sunset. |
| C．Riding a bicycle to the ancient city. | D．Swimming in the Pleshcheyevo Lake. |
| A．They allow visitors to observe leopards. |
| B．They were established in the year 1983. |
| C．They give visitors a good place to swim in. |
| D．They are located in the southern part of Russia. |
The Leshan Giant Buddha is a statue of Maitreya(弥勒) in sitting posture
The construction of the statue began in the year 713 in the Tang Dynasty,
3 . After years of heated debate, gray wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park in 1995. Fourteen wolves were caught in Canada and transported to the park. By 2007, the Yellowstone wolf population had grown to more than 170.
Gray wolves once roamed throughout the Yellowstone area. But they were gradually displaced by human development and hunted by farmers for killing livestock (牲畜). By the 1920s, wolves had practically disappeared from the Yellowstone area. They moved farther north into the deep forests of Canada, where there was less contact with humans.
The disappearance of the wolves had many consequences. Deer populations — a major food source for the wolf — grew rapidly without their usual enemy. These animals consumed large amounts of vegetation, which reduced plant diversity in the park. In the absence of wolves, coyote (小野狼) populations also grew quickly. The coyotes killed a large percentage of the park’s red foxes.
As early as 1966, biologists asked the government to consider reintroducing wolves into Yellowstone, hoping that they would be able to control the deer and coyote problems. Many farmers opposed the plan, worrying that wolves would kill their livestock or pets. Other people feared that the wolves would not be well-protected in Yellowstone.
The government spent nearly 30 years coming up with a plan to reintroduce the wolves. They included many compromises to help people accept the wolves’ presence. For example, they promised to pay farmers for livestock killed by wolves.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service carefully monitors and manages the wolves in Yellowstone. Certain wolves wear special collars to help biologists gather information about how the wolves live, hunt, and reproduce. Each year the wolf population is counted.
Today, the debate continues over how well the gray wolf is fitting in at Yellowstone. Deer and coyote populations are down, while red foxes have made a comeback. The Yellowstone wolf project has been a valuable experiment to help biologists decide whether to reintroduce wolves to other parts of the country as well.
1. What is Paragraph 2 mainly about?| A．Why gray wolves became a danger to farmers. |
| B．What gray wolves preferred about living in Canada. |
| C．How gray wolves were forced out of their original homes. |
| D．When gray wolves were gradually reintroduced to Yellowstone. |
| A．By making comparisons. |
| B．By explaining cause and effect. |
| C．By listing events in time order. |
| D．By using statistics and examples. |
| A．To reduce the park’s plant diversity. |
| B．To protect the wolves from dying out. |
| C．To control the local livestock problem. |
| D．To limit the deer and coyote populations. |
| A．Wolves are an important part of American national parks. |
| B．Yellowstone’s wolf reintroduction program was a mistake. |
| C．The government should be responsible for reintroducing wolves. |
| D．Yellowstone’s wolf program has benefited the wolves and the park. |
NASA announced that it would make 366 precious images of the universe available to the public in April
NASA launched the Hubble Space Telescope
In the past three decades, scientists
5 . Recently, I pulled a jacket from my wardrobe, paired it with my red trousers and earrings, and hit the town for a book signing event. That night, I found myself unexpectedly satisfied. I got more praise over this jacket than I had got in years. But what made me feel way better was to respond, “Thank you. I bought it at a second-hand shop.”
Not only did I spend minimal amount on a clearly unbelievable find, but I also joined the ranks of consumers turning to circular fashion”-a growing trend in refreshing our wardrobe and producing new clothes in more planet-friendly ways.
As for the clothing industry; it produces close to 10% of the world's carbon dioxide emissions (碳排放) and is a massive consumer of the world's water supplies. To create a single pair of jeans, for example, requires nearly 2,000 gallons of water. And each year, around 8 billion barrels of oil are used to produce artificial materials.
Consumers also contribute to the problem. They buy cheap new clothes, wear them a few times, and then throw them out. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that Americans threw away 16 million tons of clothing in 2018, with only 15 percent recycled--the rest ended up in landfills or being exported abroad.
Something’s got to give. Scientists are working to develop less harmful carbon-negative fabrics, while some leading brands are shifting from linear take-make-waste economies to circular ones in which fewer clothes are made, waste and pollution are vastly reduced, and the used clothing is given new life.
But there’s also a role for the individual in addressing the problem. “Following the circular fashion, you’ll build an affordable cupboard that's better for the planet,” says Gama, co-founder of a company that helps brands scare their recycling and resale programs.
According to ThredUP, the world’s largest fashion resale platform, the U.S. second-hand market is expected to more than double by 2026. “Our resale report data found that over half of the consumers are more opposed to waste, both financially and environmentally, says ThredUP president Anthony Marino.
1. What amazed the author at the book signing event?| A．People thought highly of her books. |
| B．People got attracted by “circular fashion” |
| C．She got others’ recognition for her dressing |
| D．She had the chance to buy second-hand goods. |
| A．The high costs of artificial materials. |
| B．The seriousness of environmental pollution. |
| C．The necessity of producing artificial materials. |
| D．The high environmental costs of the clothing industry. |
| A．Improving the quality of their clothes. |
| B．Researching recyclable clothing materials. |
| C．Promoting a sustainable clothing industry. |
| D．Making their clothes affordable to consumers. |
| A．Uncertain. | B．Confident. | C．Objective. | D．Curious. |
6 . Saving the environment might seem like a tall order, but living an environmentally friendly life is actually quite easy.
Recycle
Recycling is a simplest lifestyle to lower the amount of environmental waste. Every resident can get involved by taking advantage of nearby recycling services.
Buy locally-sourced foods
Eating fresh, local food consumes less fuel and packaging materials. Shipping products by truck, rail, flight, or boat creates pollution and goes against an environmentally friendly lifestyle. Instead, shop at local farmers’ markets and grocery stores stocking locally-sourced products.
Cut back on driving
Applying alternate forms of transportation consumes less gasoline.
Advocacy allows more people to create a positive impact. Spread the word about environmental conservation by sharing some of the lifestyle changes you’ve made on social media and in conversations with people around, calling on everybody to play a role.
| A．Cut back your carbon footprint |
| B．Walk or ride a bike whenever possible |
| C．Encourage others to help save the environment |
| D．Check the regulations to ensure you use them properly |
| E．The topic of preserving natural resources entertains everyone |
| F．With just a few small lifestyle changes, you can make a difference |
| G．Alternatively, use community-supported services to get fresh produce regularly |
1.受灾情况：如人员伤亡（多达1,500人死亡，成百上千人受伤，约500人下落不明）；数万建筑物损毁；供水、供电中断等；
2.救援情况：如军队，医务人员等；
3.赈灾措施：运送生活物资；人们捐款；
4.希望和决心。
A Terrible Flood
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
8 . In Florida’s Everglades, few species are more closely tied to this place’s health than an endangered bird, the snail kite, which eats just one thing: snails. Over the last century, due to changing environments, these local snails have become hard to find, and the birds are dying out. But the number of snail kites has increased recently thanks to an unusual invasive (入侵的) snail, which is a pretty uncommon event.
Snail kites got their name from their amazing flying ability. They were one of the last bird species discovered in the U. S. because of where they live, often hidden in the Everglades. Over the past century, as many of their living places became pretty dry and water stopped running through parts of the Everglades, the snail kite population fell rapidly. It was one of the first birds put on the endangered species list in the 1960s. And by 2007, fewer than 800 had remained.
Right shortly after that, this invasive snail came in, and just started flourishing and getting into every wetland. Since then, the snail kite population has been slowly increasing. By last year’s count, there are now more than 3,000 snail kites. And, although it’s early in the season, researchers are finding lots of nests with eggs and young birds.
Efforts to restore (恢复) Florida’s Everglades have also helped the snail kite, bringing back local plants and the flow of water. The restoration work has been in place for more than 30 years with a cost of more than $20 billion. But progress is slow.
Though some scientists say the invasive snail may have saved the snail kite, Professor Robert Fletcher is feeling uneasy about the possible influence the species will have on the Everglades over the long term. He says, “What we should be thinking about is how to restore local snails to get those benefits rather than depending on this invasive species that can harm the ecosystem. The snails may already have a bad effect on some local plants, and a sign trouble may be showing soon.”
1. What does the uncommon event in the first paragraph refer to?| A．The snail kite’s population keeps changing. |
| B．The local snail kite has found a new food source. |
| C．An invasive snail positively influences a local species. |
| D．A local snail has lost its living places to an invasive snail. |
| A．Their losing good flying ability. | B．The absence of a protection list. |
| C．The appearance of an invasive snail. | D．Their long-lasting dry living conditions. |
| A．Falling slowly. | B．Growing rapidly. | C．Changing quickly. | D．Disappearing largely. |
| A．The restoration work in the Everglades has stopped. |
| B．Bringing the Everglades to its normal condition is difficult. |
| C．The Everglades is facing different kinds of natural disasters. |
| D．Protecting the Everglades’ water is key to snail kites’ survival. |
9 . In the middle of the night in India, a herd (群) of elephants wandered out of the forest and into a farm looking for food. The elephants came to a deep, muddy ditch (沟).
In the morning, farmers
The forest workers tried to find the
| A．Happily | B．Hopefully | C．Suddenly | D．Stupidly |
| A．faithfully | B．possibly | C．unfortunately | D．difficultly |
| A．win | B．fight | C．scream | D．escape |
| A．fear | B．surprise | C．anger | D．doubt |
| A．tried | B．continued | C．managed | D．happened |
| A．search | B．reach | C．protect | D．drop |
| A．rushed | B．dug | C．stayed | D．kicked |
| A．beat | B．raised | C．discovered | D．helped |
| A．puzzled | B．dissatisfied | C．disappointed | D．frightened |
| A．ditch | B．night | C．forest | D．middle |
| A．arrived | B．passed | C．stopped | D．agreed |
| A．raced | B．struggled | C．rolled | D．pulled |
| A．noticed | B．checked | C．saved | D．hugged |
| A．if | B．unless | C．so | D．but |
| A．sticks | B．farmers | C．food | D．herd |
| A．worried | B．tired | C．gone | D．done |
| A．walk | B．survive | C．change | D．move |
| A．allowed | B．loaded | C．forced | D．rushed |
| A．feeding | B．inviting | C．leaving | D．touching |
| A．dark | B．centre | C．department | D．wild |
10 . COVID-19 is just one example of a disease that has jumped from a wild animal to people. In hopes of preventing future outbreaks, scientists are working to understand what led to the jump, also known as a spillover event. A group working in Australia thinks it may have one answer: Keep wildlife well-fed.
All animals carry germs. Some viruses don’t harm the animals in which they are typically found. That’s because the host species has encountered this virus so often that its immune system(免疫系统) has developed a way to keep the germ under control. But if this virus later finds its way into a new species, it may cause serious disease.
From 1996 to 2020, Peel and her group tracked where bats spent their time. For the first six years, there were no spillover events. But starting in 2003, the team noticed the bats’ ecosystem was changing. Soon after, spillovers started to show up. Peel’s group linked these events to periods when the bats couldn’t find enough food.
This happened in years that followed strong El Niño events. This climate event causes trees that normally flower in spring may now fail to do so. Hungry bats will then leave their forests in search of food. Some may end up near farms where they can infect horses and they may stay there until the following winter.
But some spillovers happened even during non-El Niño years. The researchers suspect this might be due to changes in tree cover. Over the course of the study, large sections of forest were cut down for farming and housing. This reduced the number of trees that flower in winter. Without their main food source, hungry flying foxes shifted their behavior. Just as they did after El Niño years, they now spent more time near farms in search of food. It was after this shift that spillover events occurred.
1. What makes the viruses relatively safe to the host animals?| A．They are not affected by all viruses. | B．They are more experienced. |
| C．They are able to control the viruses. | D．They always have enough food. |
| A．Widespread forest clearing. | B．Serious pollution in the air. |
| C．Increase in food and water. | D．Genetic changes in animals. |
| A．Ignored | B．Experienced | C．Avoided | D．Changed |
| A．Relationship between spillovers and El Niño. |
| B．Impact of climate change on bat behavior. |
| C．How to ensure enough food supply for wildlife. |
| D．The history of spillover events in Australia. |
