A collection of tombs dating from the Han Dynasty to the Six Dynasties period were discovered in Wulong District of Southwest China’s Chongqing. The tomb dating back
What is exciting about this
The tomb
2 . When trash sculptor Stephanie Hongo meets friends for drinks or dinner, it’s not unusual for one of them to hand her shopping bags full of lids, empty soap bottles, and even a Barbie leg or two. By now, she’s used to neighbors, friends and even strangers giving her their recyclable rejects.
But Hongo doesn’t need any more garbage. She has a large collection of her own at home. “You don’t need to be a trash picker to do this,” she says. “Trash is everywhere.” And for Hongo, where there is trash, there is art. Since 2017, Hongo has crafted complex sea creatures, realistic-looking jungle animals and other creatures out of everything from plastic forks to plastic tubing as well as a hair dryer, a purse, a tooth brush, and even a hair straightener.
Starting with her first piece—a blue deer named Yandoo that she fashioned out of odds and ends laying around her flat, which she screwed together and spray painted in a makeshift basement art studio—she’s gone on to create more than 160 trash sculptures.
“I feel very fortunate,” says Hongo, who loves making a living as an artist. “I care about our environment. The upcycling aspect of it is a lovely byproduct.” Though she doesn’t consider herself a true eco-artist, she hopes she’s inspiring others to reuse items that usually end up in landfills. But for her, she says, “The art comes first.”
Before starting each project, Hongo figures out exactly what pieces of scrap (废旧的) metal, tubing and plastics she’ll need to transform the pile of junk on her worktable into something fantastic, like a majestic octopus (章鱼) rocketing through the coral or a cute koala hugging a tree.
Since her funky creations sell on line at prices starting at $400, she’s been fortunate enough to make trash sculpting her full-time career. “It’s so much more than I ever expected,” she says.
1. Why does Hongo say “You don’t need to be a trash picker to do this”?| A．Because it is hard to pick trash. |
| B．Because there is trash everywhere. |
| C．Because her friends give her enough. |
| D．Because she has a large collection of trash. |
| A．To enjoy art. | B．To collect trash. |
| C．To trash sculptures. | D．To recycle waste. |
| A．Find enough fantastic shapes to copy. |
| B．Put away the things on her works. |
| C．Make out what materials suit her works. |
| D．Figure out what her pile of junk is made of. |
| A．Creative and inspiring. | B．Diligent and practical. |
| C．Helpful and generous. | D．Humorous and determined. |
3 . Successful wildlife conservation goes hand in hand with community education and engagement. Volunteers work with community leaders and schools to share their passion for conservation and the environment.
Rhino Conservation in Zimbabwe
The project is home to an internationally renowned Black Rhino Breeding and Release Programme which has supported Zimbabwe’s rhino population since the mid 1980s. To date, 20 rhinos have been born at the conservancy, with 12 rhinos successfully released back into the wild. Volunteers play a role in securing the future of this once-again endangered animal, working alongside anti-poaching rangers (反偷猎护林员), working on rhino research projects and getting involved in the daily care of both black and white rhino.
Our Rhino Conservation Programme is a unique hands-on opportunity to get behind the scenes and experience day-to-day life on a private conservancy, and be involved with the protection and conservation of Zimbabwe’s endangered black rhino.
The aim of the programme is to assist the reserve’s established Black Rhino Breeding and Release Programme, collect meaningful data and information relating to rhino and wildlife conservation and animal behaviour, and engage with the local community about wildlife conservation.
Cheetah (猎豹) Conservation
In 2021, two captive-born male cheetah were introduced to the conservancy as part of an international rewilding programme. The cheetah are now free-wandering in the reserve, and volunteers play an important role in monitoring and observing their behaviour, tracking their movements and recording their hunting rate.
Volunteer Work
Volunteers contribute to a long-term conservation project and get involved with a variety of conservation activities:
·Work alongside rhinos, cheetah and elephants
·Conservancy management
·Wildlife monitoring
·Anti-poaching patrols and snare sweeps
·Educate school-children about conservation, wildlife and the environment
·Learn about what is involved in running a conservancy
1. What can we say about Black Rhino Breeding and Release Programme?| A．Its work pays off. | B．It is limited to Zimbabwe. |
| C．It is home to two cheetah. | D．It has a history of 50 years. |
| A．Their birth rate. | B．Their hunting rate. |
| C．Their area of activity. | D．Their sleep schedule. |
| A．Those who live outside Zimbabwe. |
| B．Those who prefer to work at home. |
| C．Those who like engaging with animals. |
| D．Those who would like to make a fortune. |
As The Jungle Book song Bear Necessities goes, “forget about your worries and your conflict” can be a little bit difficult when you find yourself face to face with a real bear.
Bears are common in the Northern Hemisphere. As human habitats stretch toward the wilderness, more and more animals cross their paths with those of humans. This can lead to dangerous encounters especially when precautions are not in place. In these situations, keeping your distance is still the best advice.
According to the National Park Service, one should also remain calm as bears, more often than not, are not really willing to attack you. Once in a standoff (对峙), avoid making sudden moves or loud noises as these can trigger aggression. 7-year-old Huxley did exactly what he was told when he encountered a massive bear.
It was a Sunny morning. Huxley was wandering on his way home when a big hulking (笨重的) figure emerges from behind him. A hurried glance backward, he knew it was a black bear. The bear approached cautiously at first, probably sizing up the figure in front of him. A second later, perhaps judging that Huxley was no match for it, the bear burst into a full sprint (冲刺) and ran its way toward the boy.
At first, Huxley was really frightened. However, he knew it was impossible to run or fight with the big beast. In the moment of crisis, he remembered his mother reminds him regularly about these possible encounters. She tells him that if Huxley finds himself face to face with a bear and there are no adults around, he should remain calm.
Huxley calmed down at thinking of this. He stared at the bear down without any movement. This might have been the reason why the young bear stopped dead in its tracks. They faced each other motionless, and there was only a foot distance between them.
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。
From around the corner, a neighbor hurriedly walked to the scene.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The neighbor continued to pressure the bear while the animal tried its best to find an escape route.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________5 . Humans have made the world less friendly to birds in many ways. One obvious example of this can be found in metal spikes (尖刺), or anti-bird spikes in buildings to prevent birds from landing and even nesting. However, a handful of birds have struck back.
Auke-Florian Hiemstra, a biologist researching animal architecture at the Naturalis Biodiversity Center in Leiden, Netherlands, studies how wild animals use materials made by humans. He has seen nests that include some unusual materials—things like plastic flowers and sunglasses. But he was surprised when seeing a picture of a magpie (喜鹊) nest, the top of which had anti-bird spikes.
Researchers had learned that the smart species, magpies and crows (乌鸦), were stealing anti-bird spikes as a nest-building material. The two species appeared to use the anti-bird spikes in slightly different ways. For the crows, the spikes seemed purely structural, a material used to fashion a solid foundation. But for the magpies, there was an additional layer of intention: They appeared to use the spikes like humans do-rounded covering over their nests to keep other birds from landing.
One recent study reported that nests with man-made materials have been found all over the world and that the man-made materials include all kinds of man-made materials, including knitting needles, candy wrappers, spiky wires, and cigarette ends. Although magpies and crows haven’t been documented doing this, other birds have. Scientists aren’t sure if birds are using artificial materials because they’re better, or simply because they’re easy to find. What is noteworthy is that human-made materials in bird nests can cause injuries. For example, anti- bird netting, often placed over garden plots, is known to be dangerous for birds, which often end up being entangled in it.
For Hiemstra, while the new discoveries are fascinating, he also highlights a broader issue: the unfortunate popularity of anti-bird spikes. “It’s kind of sad to keep fighting against nature instead of accepting it as part of the city,” he said.
1. Why was Hiemstra surprised when seeing the photo of a magpie nest?| A．A magpie decorated its nest with plastic flowers. |
| B．Magpies and crows are as intelligent as humans. |
| C．Magpies and crows cooperated to build the nests. |
| D．The magpie nest was equipped with metal spikes. |
| A．Crows use them for fashion. |
| B．Magpies use them for defence. |
| C．Crows use them to keep off other species. |
| D．Magpies use them to strengthen the nests. |
| A．Discovered. | B．Frightened. | C．Released. | D．Trapped. |
| A．Support birds’ using man-made materials. |
| B．Accept anti-bird spikes as part of the city. |
| C．Disapprove of humans’ using anti-bird spikes. |
| D．Stress the popularity of anti-bird spikes in birds. |
6 . Animals being extinct from the Earth is a serious issue. When this happens in order to use their fur or skin for fashion, it is even worse, since it’s not even for a matter of human survival. That’s why a London zoo decided to make a powerful statement at the Siamese crocodile enclosure (鳄鱼围栏).
When visitors come in expecting to see a crocodile, they’re greeted with the handbag instead, making a very effective and powerful point about illegal wildlife trade and the harm it takes on the species involved.
A sign by the enclosure reads, “This bag used to be found swimming in slow-moving rivers and streams across Southeast Asia and Indonesia. Over the last 75 years, more than 80% of Siamese crocodiles have disappeared. Many, like this one, were hunted for their skins as part of the illegal wildlife trade.”.
Native to parts of Southeast Asia, Siamese crocodiles are critically endangered and have become virtually extinct in the wild. Due to hunting as well as habitat loss, they are now absent from nearly 99% of their original range. A huge part of the decline of population is due to humans using their wetland habitat for rice farming, and things only took a turn for the worse when large-scale hunting for their skin for commercial purposes began in the 1950s.
The particular handbag that is on display at the zoo was confiscated at a UK airport, according to Benjamin Tapley, leader of reptiles and amphibians at ZSL London Zoo.
Tapley told The Huffington Post, “We made this exhibit, within ZSL London Zoo’s Reptile House, to draw visitors’ attention to the destructive impact the Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) is having on species around the world. At ZSL, we are working globally with governments and local communities to protect wildlife, support law enforcement (执法) that targets illegal trade networks, empower local communities affected by IWT and reduce demand for threatened wildlife.”
1. Why does the sign say this handbag used to swim?| A．It is made of a crocodile’s skin. |
| B．It is made into a crocodile shape. |
| C．It is light enough to float on water. |
| D．It was kept in flowing river at first. |
| A．Wildly hunting of Siamese crocodiles. |
| B．Destruction of Siamese crocodiles’ habitats. |
| C．Commercial value of Siamese crocodiles. |
| D．Causes to make Siamese crocodiles endangered. |
| A．Seized. | B．Sold. | C．Found. | D．Stolen. |
| A．The importance of wildlife protection. |
| B．The crisis endangered animals are facing. |
| C．The purpose to show the handbag. |
| D．The harm IWT caused. |
1. What are the speakers mainly discussing at first?
| A．The weather. | B．Travel plans. | C．Inventions. |
| A．Winter. | B．Summer. | C．Spring. |
| A．Swimming. | B．Playing volleyball. | C．Reading. |
8 . Most environmental pollution on Earth comes from humans and their inventions, such as cars or plastic. Today, car emissions(排放物) area major source of air pollution leading to climate change, and plastics fill our ocean, creating a significant health issue to marine(海洋的) animals.
And what about the electric light, thought to be one of the greatest human inventions of all time? Electric light can be a beautiful thing, guiding us home when the sun goes down，keeping us safe and making our homes bright. However, like carbon dioxide emissions and plastic, too much of a good thing has started to impact the environment. Light pollution, the inappropriate use of outdoor light, is affecting human health, wildlife behavior and our ability to observe stars.
Light pollution is a global issue. This became obvious when the World Atlas of Artificial Night Sky Brightness, a computer-generated map based on thousands of satellite photos, was published in 2016. Available online for viewing, the map shows how and where our globe is lit up at night. Vast areas of North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia are glowing(发光) with light, while only the most remote regions on Earth(Greenland, Central African Republic and Niue) are in total darkness. Some of the most light-polluted countries in the world are Singapore, Qatar, and Kuwait.
Sky glow is the brightening of the night sky, mostly over cities, due to the electric lights of cars, street lamps, offices, factories, outdoor advertising, and buildings, turning night into day for people who work and play long after sunset.
People living in cities with high levels of sky glow have a hard time seeing more than a handful of stars at night. Astronomers are particularly concerned with sky glow pollution as it reduces their ability to view stars.
More than 80 percent of the world’s population, and 99 percent of Americans and Europeans, live under sky glow.
1. What can we learn from paragraph 2?| A．The use of outdoor light must be forbidden. |
| B．Electric light has both advantages and disadvantages. |
| C．Electric light is the main factor to keep us safe. |
| D．Electric light is the greatest human invention. |
| A．Qatar. | B．Singapore. | C．Kuwait. | D．Niue. |
| A．Sky glow costs too much. |
| B．Sky glow has a bad effect on their sleep. |
| C．Sky glow affects their viewing stars. |
| D．Sky glow wastes too much electricity. |
| A．Light pollution | B．Plastic pollution |
| C．Different kinds of pollution | D．Air pollution |
9 . Tenzing Bodosa was awoken at midnight by a sound outside. He got up and saw several wild
The Asian elephants has been listed as a(n)
“Sadly, in India,
To create an elephant-friendly area for elephants, Bodosa planted organic grass, fruits and tea. He also provided them with easy
Gradually, his tea farm
| A．strains | B．elephants | C．fields | D．plants |
| A．entertaining | B．satisfying | C．alarming | D．embarrassing |
| A．as usual | B．by contrast | C．after all | D．in advance |
| A．primitive | B．representative | C．privileged | D．endangered |
| A．dropped | B．risen | C．doubled | D．changed |
| A．adapted | B．connected | C．compared | D．exposed |
| A．ranges | B．differences | C．encounters | D．adventures |
| A．awkward | B．tragic | C．humorous | D．controversial |
| A．publicly | B．privately | C．significantly | D．harmoniously |
| A．passages | B．solutions | C．assignments | D．calculations |
| A．criteria | B．associations | C．regulations | D．barriers |
| A．lived off | B．resulted from | C．appealed to | D．turned down |
| A．misread | B．diagnosed | C．imagined | D．credited |
| A．extend | B．secure | C．involve | D．threaten |
| A．ecological | B．religious | C．cultural | D．negative |
1. Which road will stay closed?
| A．M16. | B．M30. | C．M43. |
| A．It is under repair. | B．There is an accident. | C．There is much snow. |
| A．By visiting a website. | B．By reading a magazine. | C．By making a call. |
| A．Snowy. | B．Windy. | C．Sunny. |
