1. Which areas are most at risk in the storm?
| A．Downtown areas. | B．Coastal neighborhoods. | C．Suburban towns. |
| A．Protect window glass. | B．Avoid driving cars. | C．Leave the city. |
| A．An emergency rescuer. | B．A weather reporter. | C．A traffic reporter. |
| A．The Bahama Island. |
| B．A big fire. |
| C．The effects of Hurricane Dorian. |
3 . It has been more than 40 years since anyone spotted a Japanese river otter (水獭). And the once common Yangtze River dolphins have either disappeared or are very rarely seen. These are just a few of the species that have been listed as extinct or locally extinct in recent years. But the advancement of technology could mean the extinction of other species is not a given (假定事实).
A huge challenge scientists and conservationists encounter is tracking species facing extinction to help them. This is where artificial intelligence (AI) has brought about a revolution in the way data on these species is collected and analyzed. One example is the Maui dolphin, one of the rarest and most threatened dolphins in the ocean. Familia r with their summer behavior, researchers knew there were just 54 living off the coast of New Zealand. However, because of weather conditions, researchers knew next to nothing about their winter behavior. After four years of developing, testing and fundraising, these scientists received permission to use a drone (无人机) with Al that tracked the dolphins no matter the season.
In parts of Australia, koalas were declared endangered in 2022 due to bushfires, habitat destruction and road accidents. Saving them was challenging because their locations and numbers were relatively unknown. So Grant Hamilton, an associate professor at Queensland University of Technology, began using drones with infrared imaging to locate them. An Al algorithm analyzes images to determine if a sighting is a koala. That information is then used to monitor and protect the species by restoring their habitats and providing health protection.
In Zambia’s Kafue National Park, home to more than 6,000 elephants, AI is being used to prevent illegal hunting. Cameras record any boats that try to illegally enter the park. Al immediately detects this activity and sends signals to the park rangers to deal with the illegal hunters.
The use of AI has helped to speed up action and increase conservationists’ ability to protect the natural world for generations to come.
1. What's the major problem scientists face to help the endangered animals?| A．Lack of funds. | B．Tracking their behavior. |
| C．Being forbidden to use drones. | D．Limited knowledge about their habitat. |
| A．Researchers spent 4 years tracking them. |
| B．They have already grown in large numbers. |
| C．They bring about a technical and data revolution. |
| D．Researchers can observe them in any season with drones. |
| A．By depending on drones with AI. |
| B．By using AI algorithm to analyze data. |
| C．By applying drones with infrared imaging. |
| D．By monitoring their behavior with cameras. |
| A．Drones with AI Help us Save Nature |
| B．The Extinction of Endangered Species |
| C．Saving Nature with Technology's Help |
| D．Saving Endangered Animals Has a Long Way |
4 . Every year about 40,000 people attempt to climb Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa. They
Hearing these stories, I’m
However, I soon
The best of a Kilimanjaro
Does Kilimanjaro deserve its reputation as a crowded mountain with lines of tourists
| A．keep | B．leave | C．connect | D．bring |
| A．stories | B．buildings | C．crowds | D．reporters |
| A．silent | B．doubtful | C．serious | D．crazy |
| A．discover | B．argue | C．decide | D．admit |
| A．equipment | B．grass | C．camps | D．stones |
| A．clean | B．quiet | C．tall | D．faraway |
| A．new | B．special | C．significant | D．necessary |
| A．taking over | B．spreading out | C．carrying on | D．paying off |
| A．atmosphere | B．experience | C．experiment | D．sight |
| A．regarded | B．observed | C．explored | D．studied |
| A．adventurers | B．climbers | C．natives | D．officials |
| A．holding on to | B．going back to | C．setting out to | D．giving way to |
| A．changes | B．clears | C．improves | D．permits |
| A．Obviously | B．Seemingly | C．Absolutely | D．Finally |
| A．keeping | B．ruining | C．replacing | D．creating |
5 . A high school teacher and his students have discovered that an asteroid (小行星) hit by a NASA spacecraft, in a test run for saving the Earth from an impact, is behaving unexpectedly. The find could have effects on future planetary defense missions.
The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) is a project designed to launch and crash a fridge-sized spacecraft into an asteroid called Dimorphos, orbiting a larger asteroid Didymos. The purpose of the exercise was to see how significantly the previous path of Dimorphos could be changed by the impact. Before DART’s impact, it would take Dimorphos 11 hours and 55 minutes to complete a lap around Didymos. NASA was hoping the DART crash could change the cycle by about 73 seconds, but observations made in the weeks following the impact determined that the results were much more significant, reducing Dimorphos’ orbital period by some 33 minutes.
But California high school teacher Jonathan Swift and his students discovered that Dimorphos’ orbital period was a full minute longer than the time reported by NASA last year. They used the school’s observatory to track Dimorphos and Didymos for several months last fall. Swift presented his class’ findings at the American Astronomical Society conference in June. The DART team has since confirmed that Dimorphos did indeed continue slowing in its orbit up to a month after the impact.
Scientists aren’t sure exactly what is behind the slowdown of Dimorphos. But recent observations of the asteroid have revealed a vast field of large rocks were kicked up by the impact. It’s possible that some of the larger space rocks fell back onto Dimorphos within that first month, slowing its orbit further, DART team member Harrison Agrusa said.
The DART team plans to release its own report on the unexpected findings in the coming weeks. However, complete answers may have to wait until 2026, when the European Space Ageney’s Hera spacecraft is scheduled to investigate the crash site up closely.
1. What was the purpose of launching the NASA spacecraft?| A．To change Dimorphos’ orbital cycle. |
| B．To stop Dimorphos hitting the Earth. |
| C．To reduce Didymos’ path around the sun. |
| D．To make Didymos move in a bigger orbit. |
| A．1 full minute. | B．2 minutes or so. |
| C．Nearly 33 minutes. | D．About 32 minutes. |
| A．How seriously Dimorphos was damaged. |
| B．What happened to the rocks on Dimorphos. |
| C．Why Dimorphos slowed down for a month. |
| D．What Dimorphos looked like after the impact. |
| A．To crash into another asteroid nearby. |
| B．To measure the previous impact results. |
| C．To affect the motion of the twin asteroids. |
| D．To identify the asteroids threatening the Earth. |
6 . It takes almost two years to grow a pineapple before it’s ripe and ready for harvest. For rubber trees, it can take at least six years before latex (橡胶) can be collected. So you could imagine the frustration and heartbreak of seeing the fruits of a farmer’s patience and dedication destroyed in a matter of minutes. This has been the cruel reality for those living around Kui Buri National Park, where some of Thailand’s largest populations of Asian elephants hang out.
For years, these farmers have worked hard to make a living from their crops, only to witness it all damaged under the footsteps of the wild giants. But the elephants are not to blame; with their usual feeding spots now changed into farmland, there is little left for them to eat — except the massive fields of tempting, easily accessible juicy fruits, all lined up like a continental breakfast buffet.
While she felt angry about her damaged crops, farmer Nichakan Pongsarikit saw an opportunity that the mighty creatures offered. Embarking on a journey to become a local guide, she began learning more about the animals and their behavior, movement, and habitat, along with foreign language skills, with the support of the Kui Buri Conservation Association and WWF-Thailand.
“I used to never want to encounter the elephants,” she said, now entering her seventh year as a guide. “Now I want to see them every day.”
Like her, other affected farmers have also found innovative ways to embrace the situation. Some are now making handmade souvenirs from elephant-related products, such as natural dye (染料) and ‘poo poo’ paper from elephant dung (粪便), and selling them to tourists who come to visit the elephants in their natural habitat. While it does not come without challenges, this transformation demonstrates the economic benefits that conservation could bring to communities, and the vital role communities play in conservation.
1. What problem do the farmers face?| A．Asian elephants ruin their crops. |
| B．Domesticating elephants is challenging. |
| C．Kui Buri National Park gets damaged. |
| D．Thailand farmers have lost their land. |
| A．They are forced out of the park by the locals. |
| B．They have developed an appetite for crops. |
| C．They are fed by some local farmers. |
| D．They are losing their natural feeding grounds. |
| A．The farmers need to improve profits of their business. |
| B．No new elephant-related products will be launched. |
| C．Tourist-elephant conflicts will arise soon. |
| D．Economy goes hand in hand with ecological protection. |
| A．Many hands make light work. | B．Misfortunes may be an actual blessing. |
| C．The early bird catches the worm. | D．Actions speak louder than words. |
7 . Like other penguins, African penguins have white feathers covering their chests and black feathers covering their backs. They have lifelong mates, and they live in huge numbers —so, scientists wondered how the birds were able to identify their partners among a sea of black-and-white birds. To find it out, they studied 12 African penguins at a marine park called Zoomarine Italia.
In one test, they hung two life-size photographs of the African penguins. One is selected randomly(随机选择地), while the other is the test subject’s mate. The scientists recorded their interactions with the photos: How long did they spend looking at each photo, as well as how much time did they spend standing near each one? The penguins spent more time looking at the photo of their partners—about 23 seconds longer, on average —than looking at the other photo. They also stood next to the mate’s photo for twice as long. Then, the researchers covered up the heads of the birds in the photographs, and the penguins still stayed near their partners’ photos.
In another experiment, the researchers hung up two photos of a bird’s mate —but, in one, they had digitally removed its spots(点). In this case, the penguin again spent more time looking at the photo with the spots. In the third experiment, the researchers hung two penguin photos with digitally removed spots—one of the test subject’s mate and the other: a random penguin. In this case, the penguins did not appear to recognize their partners—they spent almost the same time looking at or standing near both photos.
Together, the research results suggest African penguins are zeroing in on their partners’ spots and using them like name tags. Scientists say: “Our results prove birds recognize their mates by specific visual patterns and all sensory modalities(模态)should be considered in the study of animal communication.”
1. What can we learn from Paragraph 1?| A．African penguins live independently. |
| B．African penguins have special ability to recognize partners. |
| C．African penguins have when feathers covering their backs. |
| D．Scientists studied 12 African penguins from the wild. |
| A．Their partners’ voice. | B．Their partners’ heads. |
| C．Their partners’ back feathers. | D．Their partners’ spotted bodies. |
| A．Losing sight of. | B．Taking delight in. |
| C．Paying attention to. | D．Speaking highly of. |
| A．In a science report. | B．In a travel brochure. |
| C．In a biology textbook. | D．In a fashion magazine. |
8 . Beach cleanup efforts around the world are common and well worth praising. However, we
The story of Ocean Sole
“Ocean Sole was founded with the aim of cleaning our oceans and waterways while
The
| A．never | B．rarely | C．often | D．sometimes |
| A．deserted | B．buried | C．bought | D．collected |
| A．tools | B．toys | C．art | D．energy |
| A．trash | B．fish | C．sand | D．plastic |
| A．explanation | B．try | C．test | D．life |
| A．communities | B．schools | C．banks | D．hospitals |
| A．began | B．spread | C．continued | D．changed |
| A．Wondering | B．Ignoring | C．Imagining | D．Realizing |
| A．required | B．encouraged | C．begged | D．allowed |
| A．add to | B．mix with | C．turn into | D．exchange for |
| A．exhibited | B．donated | C．rented | D．sold |
| A．geographic | B．additional | C．original | D．official |
| A．admiring | B．investigating | C．employing | D．introducing |
| A．benefits | B．educates | C．hires | D．awards |
| A．free | B．wise | C．greedy | D．poor |
| A．willing | B．able | C．dreaming | D．hesitant |
| A．occupy | B．purchase | C．clear | D．distribute |
| A．decisive | B．modest | C．positive | D．temporary |
| A．environment | B．industry | C．fashion | D．technology |
| A．gain | B．owe | C．contribute | D．lend |
When it comes to animals in China, one iconic creature springs to mind: the black and white giant panda. This national animal is
Chengdu Panda Base
Try to visit in the morning
As well as living, breathing pandas, there are some
Facial recognition technology,
At a digital monitoring center of the Yellow River Delta national nature reserve in Dongying, Shandong province, a variety of data is on display on a large screen, showing the real-time situations of
The monitoring platform takes advantage of information technologies such as big data, remote sensing and artificial intelligence
The use of science and technology plays
