1 . For thousands of years, humans have used names to communicate with one another. We also give names to animals, especially ones we love, such as pets. Until now there has been little evidence of animals naming one another, but a new study suggests that elephants use specific noises to identify other elephants.
A few animals, including parrots and dolphins, have been known to use sounds that are similar to names. Each dolphin invents a signature whistle that is unique to it, and other members of its species communicate with it by simulating this special call. The new study, led by Michael Pardo of Colorado State University, shows that wild African elephants use names in a way that is not just copying sounds and is much closer to the way humans use names.
For the study, the researchers recorded 625 sounds made by wild African elephants in Kenya that they called "rumbles (隆隆声)”. This is the most common type of call produced by elephants, and it can travel long distances-as far as 3. 7 miles. It takes place at a very low frequency, which means humans can't hear it.
The researchers analyzed the sounds using computers and found that certain rumbles were directed at specific elephants to get their attention They found that all the elephants in the herd used the identical call to get a particular elephant's attention -these calls were not just nicknames used by one of the elephant's friends. Also. unlike the way dolphins communicate. the rumbles were not just imitations of the elephant they were trying to communicate with.
The researchers then played back some of the recorded rumbles to the elephants. They found that elephants responded more to their own name than to other calls. coming toward it more quickly or calling back faster. Cartlin O'Connell-Rodwell, an elephant expert, said, "The study shows that elephants can still keep in touch with one another even across a large area. "She told Live Science, "The rumbles ere magical, which allow them to spread out much further and still have very close tabs（密切关注） on individuals. "
1. What does the underlined word "simulating" in paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．Copying. | B．Inventing | C．Transforming. | D．Receiving. |
| A．By making certain rumbles heard by people. |
| B．By using specific languages like people’s. |
| C．By making specific noises with a high frequency |
| D．By using names in a way closer to people’s. |
| A．It records 625 sounds from several species. |
| B．It is subjective in the analysis of sounds. |
| C．It is carried out with the help of computers. |
| D．It shows dolphins' calls travel long distances. |
| A．Elephants communicate with noses across a large area. |
| B．Rumbles are important in elephants’ communication |
| C．Elephants may be last on the way to their habitats |
| D．Rumbles enable elephants to stand nr play closer. |
2 . David Willard has been checking the grounds of Chicago’s lakefront exhibition center for dead birds for 40 years. One morning this year he found something horrible; Hundreds of dead songbirds, so thick they looked like a carpet. Nearly 1,000 songbirds died during the night after crashing into the center’s windows. According to bird experts, the result was caused by a combination of migration conditions, rain, and the exhibition hall's low lights and walls with windows.
Birds don’t see clear glass and don’t understand it’s a deadly barrier. When they see plants or bushes through windows, they head for them, killing themselves in the process. Birds that migrate at night, like sparrows, rely on the stars to navigate. Bright lights from buildings both attract and confuse them, leading to window strikes or birds flying around the lights until they die from tiredness—a phenomenon known as deadly light attraction.
But even in the best of circumstances, spring and fall are dangerous times for migrating birds. When they migrate over major cities, the risks increase. Hundreds or thousands of dead birds may appear on city streets after a wave of migrants has passed through. In all, about 100 million to 1 billion birds die each year in North America from crashing buildings.
The good news is that people can greatly reduce the danger with some simple methods. Window strikes are easily preventable, said Anna Pidgeon, an expert at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Architects can design windows with markings in the glass that birds can easily recognize, she said. People can paint their windows as well.
1. What caused songbirds to die according to Paragraph 1?| A．Bad migration conditions. | B．Human behaviors. |
| C．Crashing into plants. | D．A combination of external factors. |
| A．Birds dying due to being attracted by strong lights. |
| B．Birds getting attracted to bright lights and then getting lost. |
| C．Birds getting attracted to lights and then attacking each other. |
| D．Birds flying around the dim lights until they die from exhaustion. |
| A．Puzzled and unbiased. | B．Negative and suspicious. |
| C．Approving and supportive. | D．Compromising and critical. |
| A．To promote the use of dim lights in buildings. |
| B．To inform readers about bird migration patterns. |
| C．To explain the dangers birds face during migration. |
| D．To discuss the work of David Willard at the exhibition center. |
3 . I’m an ecologist studying the cultural value and sustainability of wildlife use by traders and traditional healers in South Africa. I am also a traditional healer myself and work with conservationists to protect wildlife.
In southern Africa, traditional healers use plant and animal materials, known as umuthi (means medicine), that might come from endangered species such as lions and pangolins (穿山甲). This can create tension between umuthi traders and conservation professionals. I think a lot about the balance to be struck between cultural identity, healing traditions and the urgent need for wildlife preservation. I meet with traditional healers and umuthi traders in markets in Johannesburg. Behind me, dried umuthi lines the walls in glass jars and my hands are arranged to form one of the greetings of a traditional healer.
Being a healer as well as a PhD candidate at the University of Cape Town brings me unique insights/opinions. Often, conservation objectives clash with deeply rooted cultural practices. I try to bridge those two fields and build trust between healers, tribal authorities, traders and conservationists — a challenging endeavour in the light of historical research practices.
Practices that bring these groups together, such as ones that promote home-grown medicinal plants, have had promising outcomes. I talk to communities about our conservation laws and how they could be changed to allow sustainable harvesting of natural products. I want to make communities become administrators of their environment. After all, if plants and animals go extinct, then that threatens the lives of traders and healers alike.
My double role as a healer and researcher creates its own complexities (复杂性). Yet, I remain optimistic that harmonious coexistence is achievable. My purpose is to enlarge the voices of traditional healers, respect their wisdom, and preserve the balance between culture and conservation for generations to come.
1. What can we know about umuthi?| A．It must be very expensive. | B．It can cure many kinds of diseases. |
| C．It’s made from several materials. | D．It’s been accepted by conservation professionals. |
| A．Conflict. | B．Combine. | C．Compete. | D．Challenge. |
| A．By combining different groups together. | B．By suggesting growing medical plants. |
| C．By advising government to make laws. | D．By making healers help traders. |
| A．Easy. | B．Convenient. | C．Encouraging. | D．Worthwhile. |
4 . Since the 1950s, some 9.2 billion tonnes of plastic have been produced globally, of which only about 10% has ever been recycled. Yet environmentally conscious companies and consumers continue to look to recycling as a way to ease the plastic problem. Manufacturing giants claim to be committed to making more of their products and packaging from recycled materials. However, this confidence masks (掩饰) a complex web of issues around plastic recycling. Recycling rates remain extremely low and critics argue that we should look at alternative ways to tackle plastic pollution.
While many plastics have the potential to be recycled, most are not because the process is costly, complicated and the resulting product of a lower quality than the original. Despite rising demand for recycled plastic, few waste companies turn a profit. Part of this is because virgin plastic-linked to oil prices - is often cheaper than recycled plastic, meaning there is little economic incentive to use it. Worse yet, much of our plastic waste is difficult to recycle. Lightweight food packaging, like a mozzarella packet, contains different plastics, dyes and toxic additives (添加剂). This dirty mix means plastic recycled through mechanical methods- the most common form- can only be melted down and moulded (浇铸,塑造) again a couple of times before it becomes too fragile to be reused. And the nature of the process means plastic recycling has a carbon footprint of its own.
Given all of these difficulties, environmental critics say recycling is not the solution-and argue that creating more products from recycled material to attract environmental consciousness merely worsens the problem. “The solution is to use less plastic and to stop misleading the public about the recyclability,” says Enck, president of Beyond Plastics, a US campaign group with a mission to end single-use plastic. “They should stop making false claims about the recyclability of plastics since they know most will either be littered (乱扔) or burned or landfilled (填埋). Using less plastics means shifting to reusable products and relying more on paper, cardboard, glass and metal- -all of which should be made from recycled content.”
1. What is an environmentally conscious customer’s attitude towards recycling plastics?| A．Suspicious. | B．Favorable. | C．Indifferent. | D．Disapproving. |
| A．motive. | B．issue. | C．crisis. | D．policy. |
| A．The recycling process of plastics. | B．Pollutants contained in recycled plastics. |
| C．Reasons why users dislike recycled plastics. | D．Contributing factors to low plastic recycling rates. |
| A．Using metal or glass food containers. | B．Littering recycled plastics in a landfill. |
| C．Processing plastics in a mechanical way. | D．Launching campaigns to promote recyclability. |
Looking for Snow in Summer
“Brooke’s life is coming to an end,” the vet told Andy. “Maybe she can only live for two weeks.” Hearing this, Andy was very sad. He took Brooke, the old dog with black fur, home and hoped to make her happy as much as he could.
However, her health was weakened at an alarming rate. After two days, she had no energy to do anything. Realizing that Brooke was dying, Andy began to think about what she liked most in her life.
It was snow. Lying on the snow in winter was Brooke’s favorite thing to do.
But it was hot summer now, and even in winter, it did not snow often in Andy’s city. How could he get Brooke some snow in August? None of his family members, neighbors or his friends could figure out a solution. Therefore, Andy turned to the Internet for help. He made a post on a local forum:
“Our 11-year-old Brooke, a Berner (伯纳犬), has only a couple of days left. She loves snow, but it is not going to make it to winter. Does anyone know of any rinks (溜冰场) or any place with snow where she can go and lie on the snow one last time?”
Several minutes later, Andy got the first reply. “Reach out to the staff at Win Sports Centre. Maybe they can pile some snow for you.” Then seconds later, another person suggested, “Call some of the rinks. As far as I know, they sometimes dump (丢弃) the shaved ice outside after they finish the ice surface. Any community rink should be able to help.” One woman shared her story to Andy and said that as a former Berner parent, her heart went out to Andy.
Dozens of people expressed their sympathy to Andy under his post. Andy felt very grateful for the replies and suggestions he received. It did not take long for his post to spread all over the rinks and sports centers in his city, and it was seen by the staff at Power Sport.
注意：1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
On the same day, a staff member contacted Andy.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
A few hours later, Brooke died.
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6 . Research has revealed many benefits to being in the presence of nature, whether that’s walking in a forest, having a small garden or keeping a few household plants.
Houseplant collections have become a popular social media trend. Jamie Keaton Jones,PhD, a psychotherapist in Washington, D.C, gives the reason for that: “You know for people,plants enable them to experience greater comfort and beauty from the presence of living things.”
“One study showed that patients at a hospital who had plants in their rooms reported less pain, lower blood pressure, less tiredness and less anxiety than patients without plants in their rooms,” says Jenny Seham, PhD, founder and director of AIM (Arts and Integrated Medicine) at Montefiore Health Systems in Bronx, New York. She explains: “Cortisol (皮质醇), the stress hormone, has been shown to lower with plant interaction, lowering tiredness, anger and blood pressure. Gardening and caring for plants can help turn people away from negative thoughts or emotions.”
“Plants and exposure to greenery have been found to have many mental health benefits, such as lowering stress, decreasing feelings of depression, increasing sociability, restoring focus, improving cognitive performance, improving mood and increasing self-esteem,” says Jones.
Studies have also shown that plants and gardening increase productivity and levels of serotonin(5-羟色胺), the neurotransmitter (神经传递素) responsible for uplifting mood. “Rather than looking back on the past or worrying about the future, plant care helps one focus on the present moment and provides a feeling of accomplishment,” says Gayle Weill, a doctor in New York and Connecticut.
“Just one plant can make a difference; it can engage you by its smell or colour that creates a positive mood response with every interaction. Remember that while indoor gardening can be good for your mental well-being and can help with stress and relaxation, it’s not a cure-all,” says Seham.
“Having a plant doesn’t immediately or directly impact mental health processes,” says Keith. But caring for plants can be a useful and enjoyable part of an overall wellness routine.
1. Why have houseplant collections become a social media trend?| A．They can produce Cortisol to lower tiredness and blood pressure. |
| B．They enable people to experience greater comfort and beauty. |
| C．They can impact mental health processes immediately. |
| D．They help you look back on the past. |
| A．Objective. | B．Unconcerned. | C．Doubtful. | D．Passive. |
| A．Cortisol can lower without plant interaction. |
| B．Gardening leads to negative emotions. |
| C．Plants have bad effect on serotonin. |
| D．Patients feel less pain in a room with plants. |
| A．Plants can cure all. | B．Plants need to be cared for. |
| C．Plants take care of us. | D．Plants enable a good future. |
7 . The long-awaited return journey of female giant panda Ya Ya, who has lived in the Memphis Zoo in the US state of Tennessee for 20 years, finally started on Wednesday local time, according to media reports. The news resulted in heated cheers of Chinese netizens as they had been closely watching and looking forward to Ya Ya’s return for months over concerns about the giant panda’s health.
Ya Ya had left the Memphis Zoo in Tennessee, the US, starting her journey back to China on Wednesday morning, the Xinhua News Agency reported. When asked about the latest progress on Ya Ya’s return journey, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at the Wednesday press conference that Ya Ya would soon return to China as arranged. “Related parties in China and the US are actively promoting related preparations and arrangements,” Mao said.
According to information released by Chinese flight tracking platform Feichangzhun, FedEx special flight FX9759 would take off at 12:05 p. m. on Wednesday US time from the Memphis airport for the Shanghai Pudong International Airport. The flight duration is estimated to be nearly 16 hours. Many netizens volunteered to go to the Shanghai Pudong Airport to welcome Ya Ya and Le Le. “I am sure there will be a crowd of people there for them! We all want to see them land in the motherland safely!” said a Weibo user.
Ya Ya was born in the Beijing Zoo in August 2000. In April 2003, as part of a cooperation program on the protection and research of giant pandas between China and the US, Ya Ya and Le Le, a male panda from the Shanghai Zoo, were flown to Memphis.
Since the beginning of 2021, there have been continuous reports about the poor health conditions of Ya Ya and Le Le, with heart-wrenching photos surfacing online. After passing away of Le Le in February, pictures of the weak Ya Ya caused a stronger impact on the Chinese social media, leading many netizens to call for the early return of Ya Ya.
1. What can we infer from the text?| A．Ya Ya is twenty years old now. |
| B．Related parties care little about Ya Ya. |
| C．Many netizens are very concerned about Ya Ya’s health. |
| D．Ya Ya will reach Shanghai at about 4:00 a. m. on Thursday Beijing time. |
| A．Changed. | B．Announced. | C．Developed. | D．Achieved. |
| A．Le Le’s death. | B．Missing her motherland. |
| C．Too many people’s concern. | D．No clear reason mentioned. |
| A．A news report. | B．A travel journal. |
| C．A science fiction. | D．A popular magazine. |
8 . A 9-year-old girl from Maryland has made an important discovery: a 15 million-year-old megalodon (巨齿鲨) tooth.
Molly Sampson, along with her sister Natalie, 17, and her dad, Bruce Sampson, went out to hunt “treasure” in a bay near Calvert Cliffs on Christmas morning. At around 10:30, Molly saw her Christmas miracle: a 5-inch-long megalodon tooth. Her sister and father went over to see what Molly was so excited about. Bruce said he was shocked by his daughter’s “once-in-a-lifetime find.” “This is the kind of find every fossil hunter dreams of,” he said. They were amazed by the discovery.
“I was so excited because of the size and rarity of the find, and I kept thinking I was dreaming,” Molly said. “It was something I have always wanted to find, and I couldn’t believe it.” This is not the first time she’s found a megalodon tooth during her fossil hunts — but she’s never found one that large. “I have found five other megalodon teeth, but they are only an inch or two in size,” she said.
“Molly’s tooth would have come from a teenager shark between 45-50 feet long. The largest megalodons could have grown to be 65 feet long. Based on the tooth, the creature was about 15 million years old,” said Dr. Stephen Godfrey, a famous paleontologist (古生物学家).
Megalodons lived from about 25 million years ago to about 2.5 million years ago. They were one of the—if not the largest marine predators (海洋捕食性动物) the world has ever known. “They shaped the global marine ecosystem, and global marine food-webs,” said Godfrey.
Molly Sampson has been fossil hunting with her dad ever since she was little. “I will never stop!” she said. “When I grow up, I want to collect fossils and study them like a paleontologist.”
1. Which aspect of the shark tooth shocked Bruce?| A．Its age. | B．Its size. | C．Its quality. | D．Its owner. |
| A．She received a Christmas gift from his dad. |
| B．She disliked staying at home at Christmas. |
| C．She came across a teenager shark. |
| D．She has found at least 6 megalodon teeth. |
| A．Megalodons shouldn’t be hunted. |
| B．The tooth belonged to the largest megalodon. |
| C．The tooth dates back to 25 million years ago. |
| D．Megalodons once played a critical role in the ocean. |
| A．To introduce megalodons to readers. | B．To report a little girl’s unusual discovery. |
| C．To excite readers’ interest in fossil hunting. | D．To promote the public’s awareness of animal protection. |
9 . As an only child, Nicole Renae often felt lonely. But that all
From the very start, the two close friends were
But when Renae was 14, her father got a new job that came with a
With no easier option, the family
In time, Renae had a child of her own. Remembering the joy that having a dog had brought her as a/an
When she met Chloe, Renae was struck with a /an
Renae remembered Chloe had been micro chipped as a puppy and she had kept its ID number. She found her new Chloe also had a
“Fortunately, the numbers were a
| A．changed | B．happened | C．remained | D．went |
| A．grateful | B．inseparable | C．generous | D．emotional |
| A．required | B．gained | C．spared | D．returned |
| A．tiresome | B．silly | C．sweet | D．capable |
| A．request | B．suggestion | C．promise | D．fact |
| A．quiet | B．noisy | C．weak | D．calm |
| A．means | B．job | C．house | D．choice |
| A．get down to | B．get ahead of | C．get rid of | D．get used to |
| A．abandoned | B．welcomed | C．accepted | D．preserved |
| A．market | B．zoo | C．hospital | D．shelter |
| A．helper | B．kid | C．giver | D．fan |
| A．witness | B．explore | C．experience | D．acquire |
| A．look | B．coat | C．picture | D．home |
| A．In that case | B．In an instant | C．By the way | D．By all means |
| A．adopt | B．accompany | C．check | D．cure |
| A．strange | B．uncomfortable | C．familiar | D．simple |
| A．licking | B．rubbing | C．touching | D．scraping |
| A．friend | B．microchip | C．photograph | D．puppy |
| A．match | B．miracle | C．surprise | D．success |
| A．scared | B．determined | C．overjoyed | D．amazed |
10 . Some animals enjoy playing just like humans do although researchers used to think that applied mostly to birds and mammals. An animal plays when it does something that doesn’t seem to be constructive to its survival so it’s not about food or shelter, for instance. The behavior is also often done again and again.
However, scientists have now conducted experiments that seems to prove bees play too. As far as the experts know, bees are the only insect to do so.
Researchers from Queen Mary University in London earned out an experiment in which bumble bees were taught to roll little balls with the aim of being rewarded with food. They then discovered the insects kept rolling balls even when they weren’t rewarded. They then did another experiment: a path was built from the beehive to a section containing food. Balls were placed on each side of the path leading to the food. The balls on one side were glued down and couldn’t move and the balls on the other side were free and capable of moving. The bees could stay on the path to get to their food, but they always went to the side of the moveable balls and rolled them along. One bee even rolled the balls 44 times in one day.
Researchers say the experiments may well show insects are more evolved than we think.
1. Which of the following best describes the animals’ behavior?| A．Recovered. | B．Repeated. | C．Responded. | D．Recommended. |
| A．The bees kept playing without reward. |
| B．The bees taught each other to roll balls. |
| C．The bees rolled little balls to get food. |
| D．The bees rewarded each other. |
| A．To show the balls were movable. |
| B．To show the bees enjoy food. |
| C．To show the bees enjoy playing. |
| D．To show the balls were important. |
| A．Insects’ evolution is out of control. |
| B．Insects’ behaviors are beyond imagination. |
| C．Insects’ behaviors are out of control. |
| D．Insects’ evolution is beyond imagination. |
