According to the World Meteorological (气候的) Organization, El Nino is a naturally occurring climate phenomenon. It starts with unusually warm surface water in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean,
The center said the combination of El Nino and global warming would increase the chances of meteorological disasters
Research
Speaking of the effect
Jia Xiaolong, vice director of the center, said at
2 . For many people, visiting a wildlife park is a must-have bucket-list item. Few travel experiences can compare with watching wild animals wandering freely in wildlife reserves, enjoying their natural habitat. Here are some of the very best wildlife parks from all around the world.
1. Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya
The Masai Marais located in the southwest of Kenya and is one of the most important and well-known wildlife conservation areas in the world. Covering an area of 1,510square kilometers, the Masai Mara National Reserve consists of the grasslands, mountain highlands, lakelands and valley.
Those looking for an unforgettable traditional wildlife park experience should look no further than the Masai Mara National Reserve. Famous for its natural diversity of animals, you can expect to see vast numbers of leopards, elephants and lions. The wildlife park is also home to over 450 bird species.
2. The Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Serengeti National Park is a land of beauty that is one of the last naturalistic wonders left on this planet. This wildlife park is the symbol of Africa, and also one of the world’s oldest ecosystems to ever exist. Located in the northern area of Tanzania, the Serengeti National Park has also been famous for the annual migration (迁徙) of wildlife to permanent waterholes.
During this phenomenon, you’ll get to see vast herds of zebras, buffaloes and elephants migrating to the waterholes due to the change of season, followed by predators(捕食者) on the hunt for them.
3. Tierra del Fuego National Park, Argentina
The Tierra del Fuego National Park, located at the southern tip of Argentina, is nestled between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, thus featuring a dynamic weather ecosystem with beech forests, mountains, waterfalls and glaciers (冰川). Not quite the image you may have in mind of a wildlife park being muddy, brownish and all dry landscapes.
It is a most breathtaking wildlife park, home to beautiful species such as eagles, rabbits and North American beavers. Aside from basking in the sightings of these wild animals, visitors to Tierra del Fuego often go hiking and fishing there.
1. Which park would you recommend to someone who is looking for a traditional wildlife tour?| A．Masai Mara National Reserve. | B．The Serengeti National Park. |
| C．Tierra del Fuego National Park. | D．None of them. |
| A．Hiking and fishing in the park. | B．Creating a must-have bucket-list. |
| C．Exploring numbers of different landscapes. | D．Watching the annual migration of many animals. |
| A．It is naturalistic. | B．It is the most famous one. |
| C．It has the oldest ecosystem. | D．It has waterfalls and glaciers. |
3 . Thousands of emperor penguin chicks across four colonies in Antarctica are believed to have died because of record-low sea ice levels that caused a catastrophic breeding (繁殖) failure in late 2022, according to new research.
Analysis of satellite images showed the break-up of the stable sea ice and the disappearance of the colonies at a time when chicks had not yet grow n their waterproof feathers. Scientists have said emperor penguins face an uncertain future under global heating because they are so dependent on sea ice.
The research said that the breeding failures in the Bellingshausen Sea never happened before, as it was the first time multiple colonies across a large region had all failed in a single season. “It’s a worrying story,” said Dr. Peter Fretwell, a researcher with the British Antarctic Survey and the lead author of the research. “The sea ice loss has been far quicker than we imagined.” Many parts of the region had near-total loss of sea ice. Fretwell estimated as many as 7,000 chicks may have perished. “In some cases it’s possible the sea broke up into smaller floes (浮冰) or under the feet of the penguins,” he said. “If immersed, the chicks will drown. If they get back on to the ice floes, they will freeze because of lack of their waterproof feathers.”
Dr. Barbara Wienecke, a senior research scientist at the Australian Antarctic Division, said“They still have their down y plumage (全身茸毛). If the ice breaks out before they can safely enter the water, the plumage becomes so wet that the chicks die of exposure. It’s extraordinarily upsetting to think of this happening.”
Both Wienecke and Fretwell said predictions of the future for the penguin species may have to be revised, with the risk potentially greater than previously feared. Fretwell said: “It’s only by changing our behaviour and the amounts of fossil fuels we use will we completely change the situation for these emperor penguins, and many other species. How bad it gets is still up to us.”
1. Which can describe the situation of the emperor penguin chicks?| A．Promising. | B．Alarming. | C．Hopeless. | D．Inspiring. |
| A．They are dying of food shortages. |
| B．They are finding new habitats for breeding. |
| C．They have learned how to swim in the ice water. |
| D．They don’t have the kind of feathers protecting them. |
| A．Appeared. | B．Adapted. | C．Escaped. | D．Died. |
| A．Fossil fuels are to blame for the destruction. |
| B．We should change our behaviour to save the penguins. |
| C．We should not fear the potential risk as it can be removed. |
| D．More research should be done to ensure the positive changes. |
4 . How many plastic carrier bags have you got in your house? I seem to have cupboards full of them and it feels like they’re taking over my home! The shopping bag is just one example of the milion things we use made from this useful material, plastic. But unfortunately, it’s not the easiest thing to recycle and this is causing an environmental problem.
Most of our everyday plastic items end up in landfill, left to rot away for many years. But some of it blows away, causing damage to the natural environment and harming wildlife. The problem is most serious in our oceans.
The study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, described how remote islands act as a “sink” for the world’s rubbish. They become collecting points for fishing items and everyday things including toothbrushes, cigarette lighters and razors (剃须刀); things that we throw away. Dr Jennifer Lavers from the University of Tasmania says, “Almost every island in the world and almost every species in the ocean is now being shown to be impacted one way or another by our waste.”
This highlights the potentially deadly effect of our disposable culture. When we throw something away, it doesn’t just disappear, it goes somewhere and because of the long-lasting nature of plastic, it takes a lot time to decompose (分解) and stays there causing great damage to the ocean’s ecology.
Some other recent worldwide research estimates that 90% of all seabirds have swallowed plastic. And worse still, this plastic is broken down into tiny particles (颗粒) over a long period by the wind and the waves, then sea creatures at the bottom of the food chain ingest (咽下) them. These creatures are eaten by the fish that we eventually consume.
The solution to this problem would be to use less plastic. So next time you pick up a carrier bag, or buy a plastic bottle of water, spare a thought for the birds and animals on the remote islands. What do you do to help the environment?
1. What’s the function of the first paragraph of the text?| A．To explain an idea. | B．To create a suspense. |
| C．To introduce the topic. | D．To summarize the text. |
| A．Because of its lasting nature. |
| B．Because we use so much of it. |
| C．Because of our disposable culture. |
| D．Because it causes damage to the ocean’s ecology. |
| A．Seabirds. | B．Sea creatures. | C．Fish. | D．Human beings. |
| A．To consume less plastic. |
| B．To pick up a carrier bag. |
| C．To buy a plastic bottle of water. |
| D．To see birds and animals on the remote islands. |
| A．Rainy. | B．Sunny. | C．Snowy. |
6 . Two years ago, enormous fires swept through some 46 million acres of forest in Russia, the country’s worst fire season on record. Now, researchers have a clearer sense of just how significant the 2021 boreal (北方的) forest fires were in terms of emissions. The fires produced more planet-heating carbon dioxide than any other extreme fire event that has occurred since the turn of the 21st century, according to a study.
Boreal forests grow where it is very cold. The trees that live in this type of forest grow slowly and seal (封存) carbon in their trunks and roots for hundreds of years, including a collection of trapped emissions that researchers call a carbon sink. But rising temperatures and related drought in these historically cool regions have led to an increase in extreme wildfire activity and threaten to release the carbon stored in the trees that grow there, transforming a carbon sink into a carbon source.
In all, fires in boreal forests released the carbon sink and produced nearly half a billion tons of carbon in 2021. That’s more carbon than the entire continent of Australia produced the same year, though some of the emissions produced by the fires will be reabsorbed as forests regrow.
The researchers got the data for their study by tracking concentrations of emissions in the atmosphere using satellites, and then they put that information into a computer model to determine where, geographically, those emissions came from. They found that boreal forests, which typically produce about 10 percent of the globe’s annual wildfire emissions, accounted for 23 percent of the world’s wildfire emissions in 2021—more than twice as much as normal.
Canadell, who led the study, is most concerned about the study’s main point;Boreal forests have served an important and underappreciated role in preventing carbon emissions, but climate change threatens to release that carbon. “We need to be very careful with these systems in terms of their future development,” he said.
1. What is the function of paragraph 2?| A．To explain the source of carbon. | B．To illustrate two scientific concepts. |
| C．To indicate the seriousness of the fire. | D．To show the importance of boreal forests. |
| A．By making use of technology. | B．By searching on the website. |
| C．By analyzing previous data. | D．By turning to the firefighters. |
| A．Pessimistic. | B．Optimistic. | C．Indifferent. | D．Cautious. |
| A．The reasons for the forest fires in the north. |
| B．The impact of the 2021 boreal forest fires. |
| C．The link between fires and carbon dioxide. |
| D．The increasingly growing carbon emissions. |
7 . The Amazon rainforest is now alarmingly close to dying by 2030 due to climate change and forest loss, a WWF report warns.
The world’s largest rainforest is now close to a “tipping point” (临界点) that could mean it changes forever, no longer benefiting humanity in dealing with climate change by soaking up greenhouse gases, the report says.
Deforestation (森林砍伐) in the Amazon reached a record high this year, as illegal trees cutting increased to the highest levels in 15 years. Between 13 to 17 percent of the Amazon rainforest area has already been lost in the past 50 years. The WWF report said an area of 1.4 million square miles of the Amazon has experienced a lack of rain, a constant dry season and deforestation, which could lead it to become degraded, turning to a dry land.
What’s worse, the “tipping points” could lead to irreversible (不可逆的) loss, including receiving less than 1500mm annual rainfall, a dry season of more than 7 months and deforestation of the area to reduce to just 20 percent of the original cover. The loss of the Amazon would further reduce the chances of alleviating (减轻) global warming as the areas’ trees take in enormous amounts of carbon dioxide.
“This paper sounds an alarm bell for humanity, revealing the threats of climate change and forest loss are pushing the world’s largest rainforest at risk,” Professor Gagen, lead author of the WWF report, added. “The evidence gives a serious warning that we need to take the tipping point risk seriously and act immediately to cut emissions (排放), saving natural resources, and, most importantly, change the indifferent attitude to forest loss which are sending people and our planet down a path to disaster.”
“Only by listening to the voices of Amazonia’s peoples and by preserving nature can we bring our world back to life,” Gagen said.
1. What does the underlined phrase “soaking up” in paragraph 2 mean?| A．Absorbing. | B．Adapting. | C．Abandoning. | D．Applying. |
| A．To show why deforestation happens. | B．To show how big the Amazon rainforest is. |
| C．To explain how bad the current situation is. | D．To suggest what to do to stop global warming. |
| A．Cutting down emissions right away. | B．Saving the Amazon from deforestation. |
| C．Preventing natural resources going to waste. | D．Change the unconcerned attitude to the problem. |
| A．Environment. | B．Health. | C．Technology. | D．Entertainment. |
8 . As the weather turns colder in some parts of the world, signs of autumn begin to appear. At this time of the year depending on your location, you may also see a familiar flower: chrysanthemums ( 菊花). We often call them “mums,” for short.
In parts of the United States, many people use chrysanthemums as decorations. The flowers sit next to pumpkins for Halloween, October’s famous holiday. But then the mums are thrown away along with rotting jack o’lanterns.
This yearly tradition bothered plant expert Jessica Damiano. In a recent article, she wanted to know why people simply threw away their mums. So, she asked some of her neighbors in Long Island, New York.
Everyone had the same answer: They thought the flowers were annuals — flowers that only last for one season.
Damiano explained that there are annual and perennial (多年生的) mums. Perennials come back for several growing seasons. Garden chrysanthemums, she adds, are actually perennials. Annual chrysanthemums are often sold in stores as potted gift plants. Special plant stores usually sell perennial mums.
If the plants are not labeled at a store, Damiano said to look at the leaves. The large, flat leaves of perennial mums have deep cuts around the edges. The narrow leaves of annuals do not.
Perennial mums are hardy flowers. But they cannot survive freezing temperatures. They also cannot survive extreme summer heat. So, that means about half of the United States is good for growing mums.
Perennial chrysanthemums come from China. Kaifeng, a city in China’s Henan province, is famous for its mums. Each year, the city holds a popular festival to celebrate the flowers. Chrysanthemum festivals are also held in other countries — like Pakistan, Germany, South Korea, Japan, and the United States, to name a few.
Chrysanthemums come in shades of orange, red, rust, pink, purple, yellow, cream, and white. Some can grow to nearly one meter in height. They reach their mature size in about three years. In warmer climates, they bloom again in spring.
1. Why did people throw away their chrysanthemums?| A．They don’t like the mums. |
| B．They don’t think the mums can flower again. |
| C．They mistake the mums as lanterns. |
| D．They throw away the mums by accident. |
| A．By observing the leaves. | B．By looking at the pot. |
| C．By asking others. | D．By referring to books. |
| A．Freezing. | B．Extremely hot. | C．Warm. | D．Wet. |
| A．Pakistan. | B．Germany. | C．Japan. | D．China. |
9 . When students from Lithgow visited wetlands near their primary school, they quickly picked up on a problem: there was nowhere for turtles.
“A bunch of students said there are no logs or rocks here, so where are they going to bask (晒太阳)?” says Associate Professor Ricky Spencer from Western Sydney University. The question was raised as part of a project in which year 5 and 6 students were attempting to understand their local environment and what it needed to thrive (兴旺). The students had just learned that in spring, turtles have to bask on a rock or log to create eggs.
The students are now conducting research and developing a proposal to present to their local council for the introduction of new basking areas, such as logs or human-made platforms. “That is pretty powerful, for year 5 and year 6 students to actually know how to make change,” Spencer says. “We want kids to understand why conservation measures are important.”
Led by Western Sydney University, the Turtles in Schools program aims to encourage an informed future generation that will take care of the environment. It is currently in a trial phase, with select New South Wales schools hosting turtles in classrooms and visiting nearby wetlands. By 2023, up to 10 turtle tanks will be installed (安装) in schools. By 2024, the program will be available to all year 5 and 6 classrooms across Australia.
By guiding experiments on topics such as growth rates and behavioural observations, and introducing schools to activities in their local wetlands, Spencer says this program could encourage students to actually carry their education forward to their day-to-day life.
Presbyterian Ladies’ College has been investing in facilities including a turtle pond for six years. They will be available for nearby schools involved in the Turtles in Schools program. “We want to connect students to the real world, to develop values to look after the environment. Our students become familiar with understanding our relationship to the natural world. We are connected to it. We rely upon it. It isn’t something dispensable,” the principal, Dr Paul Bergis, says.
1. What did students from Lithgow notice when they visited wetlands?| A．Wetlands are shaded from sunlight. |
| B．Turtles lack areas to get sunlight. |
| C．Turtles create eggs on logs or rocks. |
| D．Artificial platforms are introduced to wetlands. |
| A．It informs students of turtles’ future generation. |
| B．It sets up many turtle tanks in wetlands. |
| C．It selects year 5 and 6 students across Australia. |
| D．It helps students relate education to daily life. |
| A．Unnecessary. | B．Impossible. |
| C．Mysterious. | D．Powerful. |
| A．Rocks or Logs Help Turtles to Thrive in Wetlands |
| B．Humans Build a Close Bond with the Natural World |
| C．Teaching with Turtles Turns Students into Conservationists |
| D．Hands-on Programs Arouse Students’ Interest in Education |
10 . There has been a very serious decline(下降) in the numbers of shallow-water fish as a result of overfishing. People still want to eat fish, so the fishing industry must look at other sources, especially the deep waters of the Atlantic. This has resulted in a sharp decline in the numbers of many of the species caught.
Protective measures will have to be put into effect if these deep-sea fish are to survive. Research on five such species shows that numbers have reduced by between 87 percent and 98 percent. This puts them on the list of “extremely endangered”. Many species could well disappear completely if the present trend continues. These are species that have been swimming in our oceans for hundreds of millions of years.
The problem is stressed by the fact that the decline in numbers happened in less than twenty years. Deep-sea fish take a long time to reproduce and normally live for many years. Unfortunately, their reproduction rate is very low. The average size of such fish also declined, with one species showing a 57 percent decline in average size. This is of typical concern, as large fish tend to produce more descendants than small ones.
None of these facts has been taken into consideration by the fishing industry. The deep-sea species have been caught as if they were the fast-breeding(快速繁殖) fish like sardine and herring. It is like killing elephants as if they reproduced at the same rate as rabbits.
The damage done by overfishing goes beyond the sea environment. Millions of people make a living in the fishing industry. Billions of people rely on fish for protein. Measures must be taken to not only preserve ecosystems, but also sustain livelihoods and ensure food security.
1. Why did people start fishing for deep-sea fish?| A．Because deep sea fish tastes better. |
| B．Because there are not enough fish to eat in the shallow sea. |
| C．Because technological development makes it easier to catch deep-sea fish. |
| D．Because water pollution in shallow sea areas is serious. |
| A．There are deep-sea fish species that are completely extinct. |
| B．Deep-sea fish have lost their ability to reproduce. |
| C．Deep-sea fish reproduce more slowly. |
| D．The size of deep-sea fish has decreased. |
| A．The fishing industry catches deep-sea fish in a ruinous way. |
| B．Elephants reproduce at the same rate as rabbits. |
| C．Sardine and herring are also endangered like deep-sea fish. |
| D．Elephants are being killed in large numbers. |
| A．Fast-breeding fish do not need protection. |
| B．The decline in deep-sea fish has occurred in the last 20 years. |
| C．The results of overfishing should be taken seriously. |
| D．The destruction of the deep-sea environment does not affect human life. |
