1 . Batman may not have any superpowers, but his inspiration certainly does.
More than 1,400 bat species live around the world, except in Antarctica and a few remote islands. Over their 50 million years of evolution, bats have developed clever solutions to life’s challenges, from a built-in sonar (声呐) system for finding food to fast, flexible wings that produce the fastest level-flight speed of any animal on Earth.
“There is still a lot to learn, but it is clear that bats really do have superpowers,” says Rodrigo Medellín, an ecologist. “Bats are showing us how to live a better life, for instance, by serving as models for healthy living and long lives.”
As a general rule in biology, smaller animals have shorter lives than larger ones. But bats are rule breakers: they’re the longest-lived mammals (哺乳动物) relative to their body size. Recently, scientists looked inside bats’ cells for the secrets to their exceptionally long lives. They focused on telomeres (端粒), which are the protective structures found at the ends of chromosomes (染色体). In most animals, telomeres tend to get shorter with age. But the telomeres of the longest-lived group of bats, Myotis, do not appear to shrink (收缩) with age. Understanding why bats live so long may help humans live longer one day.
In addition to living longer, bats remain healthy throughout their lives, with very low risk of developing cancer. Furthermore, bats can carry deadly viruses without getting sick. So further research into their unique immune (免疫的) systems may actually give insight into how people can live with viruses and not get sick.
Beyond their own abilities, bats also support many other parts of their ecosystems. Three out of every four bat species eat insects. Many are pests that cause damage to important agricultural crops, such as cotton. Scientists estimate that insect-eating bats may save U.S. farmers about 1 billion per year. In addition, many bat species help improve plant health and diversity.
“Bats are unsung heroes of biodiversity,” says Medellín. “It’s about time we appreciated them.”
1. What can be learned about bats from the text?| A．They fly the fastest of all land animals. |
| B．They are at low risk of falling sick with a virus. |
| C．They live mainly on the islands of Antarctica. |
| D．They are the longest-lived animals given their size. |
| A．Animals’ telomeres rarely shrink with age. |
| B．Myotis’s telomeres do not shorten as they age. |
| C．Smaller animals usually live shorter lives than larger ones. |
| D．More research into bat telomeres could help people live more healthily. |
| A．To show what bats feed on. |
| B．To call on people to protect bats. |
| C．To explain how bats benefit the farmers. |
| D．To highlight the importance of bats to the ecosystem. |
| A．Bats Offer Clues to Treating Diseases |
| B．How Bats Deal with Life’s Challenges |
| C．Scientists Unlock the Secrets to Long Lives |
| D．Why Bats Are Superheroes of the Animal World |
2 . Vast lands of America are dominated by corn, nearly 100macres of it, stretching from Ohio to the Dakotas. What once was forest today produces the corn that feeds people, cattle and, when made into ethanol (乙醇), cars.
Now, the nation’s airlines want to power their planes with corn, too. United Airlines signed a deal with a Nebraska ethanol company to buy enough sustainable fuel, to power 50,000 flights a year. The government could decide on its tax incentives (税收激励) for the industry as soon as December. “Mark my words, the next 20 years, corn farmers are going to provide 95% of all the sustainable airline fuel,” President Biden said in July.
The airlines’ ambitious goal would likely require nearly doubling ethanol production, which airlines say, with great expectation, would decrease their greenhouse gas emissions. If they succeed, it could transform America’s Corn Belt, stimulating farmers and ethanol producers, but potentially further damaging one of the nation’s most important resources: groundwater.
Corn requires a lot of water to grow and it can take hundreds of gallons to produce a single gallon of ethanol. But as airlines take the idea of ethanol, the vital groundwater faces serious risks. “We’re on track to massively increase water usage without any real sense of how sensitive our groundwater is,” said Jeffrey Broberg, who is concerned about groundwater in Minnesota, a major corn state.
The Department of Energy said in a statement that “water use is a critical part of the conversation surrounding bio-energy sustainability”. It pointed to a 2022 department study that concluded that the United States could significantly reduce pressure on groundwater by shifting fuel production away from water-intensive crops like corn, instead growing more crops that don’t require irrigation (灌溉), like various types of straw, grasses and trees. Hopefully, a better approach will be soon studied and adopted.
1. What can we learn from the first two paragraphs?| A．Farmers will increase 95% of their ethanol production. |
| B．The sustainable fuel will not be popular in the future. |
| C．Corn will be an influential source in the fuel industry. |
| D．The government stops the new fuel for the groundwater. |
| A．Preventing. | B．Motivating. | C．Destroying. | D．Impressing. |
| A．The shortage of corn production. |
| B．The increase in global warming. |
| C．A rise in clean-energy tax credits. |
| D．Higher stress on the groundwater. |
| A．Expand the corn planting area. |
| B．Use some alternative materials. |
| C．Cut down the daily water usage. |
| D．Turn to the government for help. |
3 . One night, as I was driving down the road, I found something was sitting in the middle of the road. A few seconds later, I realized I was looking at a large turtle (海龟). Afraid of it being crashed by cars, so I pulled over, ran across the road and dragged the turtle to safety. But I’d made one big mistake.
I had heard that the best way to pick up a turtle without hurting it was picking it by the tail in order not to get bitten. So I’d made that big mistake. While the turtle turned out OK generally, I was determined to figure out how to move a turtle properly. I needed to find someone who dealt with turtles. I found the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre. I talked to Dr. Sue, its Executive and Medical Director.
Dr. Sue told me that the organization dealt with a number of aspects of turtle conservation, including rescue, settlement, birth programs, research, and education. Sue explained that southern Ontario is home to a vast majority of turtles in Canada, but is also one of the vastest road networks of the country.
“Ninety percent of injured turtles brought in are caused by cars. These turtles spend a lot of time on land. And they do travel many kilometers on land for a variety of reasons, to find a nesting spot, or to hang out for the summer or winter. Turtles know where they want to go. So, just keep them going in the direction they want to go and you may have saved a turtle’s life,” Dr. Sue said.
Once an injured turtle arrives at the center, there are medical facilities (设备) ready to go, including an X-ray machine. That’s when the team gets to work with healing injuries, and help their patient.
1. Why did the author stop the car?| A．To help the turtle. | B．To see the thing clearly. |
| C．To prevent a car accident. | D．To find something good. |
| A．It got hurt by people before. | B．It was injured a little bit. |
| C．It was run over by a car. | D．It lost its direction. |
| A．Leaving the turtles alone. |
| B．Making Ontario home to turtles. |
| C．Changing the road conditions. |
| D．Helping turtles find nesting spots. |
| A．The director. | B．The driver. |
| C．The author. | D．The turtle. |
4 . As humanity has got richer, animal’s roles have changed. People need their services less than before. Fewer wolves and thieves meant less demand for dogs for protection; the internal combustion engine (内燃机) made horses unneeded; modern sanitation (卫生设备) kept rats in check and made cats less useful. Domestic animals are no longer necessities, but commonly seen companions. Pet-keeping seems to become more and more popular, as a recent survey found that 69% of American households keep at least one pet.
The pet business is growing even faster than pet numbers, because people are spending more and more money on them. No longer are they food-waste-recyclers, fed with the remains that fall from their masters’ tables. Pet food shelves are full of cuisines tailored to satisfy a range of appetites, including ice cream for dogs and foods for pets that are old, diabetic, or suffer from sensitive digestion.
In the business, this is called “pet humanization” — the tendency of pet owners to treat their pets as part of the family. This is obvious in the names given to dogs, which have evolved from Fido, Rex, and Spot to Bella, Lucy, and Max.
People still hold the false assumption that pets must be working for humanity in some way, perhaps making people healthier or less anxious. But the evidence for that is weak. New research suggests that dogs have evolved those “cute eyes” to affect human emotions and control them, which works very well. Humans now work very hard to pay for the care of their pets. For example, Americans often refer to themselves not as cat owners but as the cat’s “mommy” or “daddy”. South Koreans go one step further, describing themselves as cat “butlers (管家)”. Watch an unlucky man walking his dog, plastic bag in hand to pick up its mess, and we have to doubt: who’s in charge now? Is this relationship what we really want?
1. What can we learn about the animal-keeping trend?| A．People’s needs for animal services are increasing. |
| B．The price for purchasing a domestic pet is on the rise. |
| C．Pet foods are less various and customized than before. |
| D．Both the pet number and the pet business are growing. |
| A．Pets’ ability to make their owners less anxious. |
| B．Human’s increasing investment in pet-keeping. |
| C．Pet’s roles as both working staff and companions. |
| D．The owners’ preference to give pets human names. |
| A．Skeptical. | B．Conservative. | C．Unclear. | D．Approving. |
| A．The Changing Roles of Pets |
| B．The Growing Trend of Pet Business |
| C．The Craze for Pet-keeping |
| D．The Pros and Cons of Keeping Pets |
At the Shishou Milu National Nature Reserve in Hubei Province, about 2,000 creatures wander freely. Their numbers include 460 deer born this year, showing that the species,
Often
In the
6 . Buying furniture is easier than ever. You can even order a new table and chairs online without ever leaving home. But did you ever think about how furniture is made? The process begins with trees but now researchers have found a better way: growing it in a lab instead of a forest. Instead of cutting down trees and adding to deforestation, Velasquez-Garcia said, “If you want a table, then you should just grow a table.”
The research group found a way to actually grow plant tissue (组织) — wood and fiber — in a lab that is similar to the way cultured meat is grown. While there is still a long way to go to actually grow a table, the team was able to grow structures from cells from zinnia leaves.
Making furniture and other items from biomaterials could eliminate cutting down trees in forests. “The way we get these materials hasn’t changed in centuries and is very inefficient,” said Velasquez-Garcia. “This is a real chance to avoid all that inefficiency.”
There are other benefits to using lab wood too. Lab grown wood can be handled to take on any shape — like 3 D printing — so it may be possible to build a table without glue or screwing parts together.
Beckwith, a mechanical engineering PhD student, was inspired by a visit to a farm to try to make land-use more efficient and environmentally sound. “That got me thinking: Can we be more strategic (战略上的) about what we’re getting out of our process? Can we get more yield for our inputs?” she told MIT News. “I wanted to find a more efficient way to use land and resources so that we could let more farmlands remain wild, or to remain lower production but allow for greater biodiversity.”
Today, the two largest uses of trees are to make wood products and paper. When new biomaterials become readily available, forests will lose their economic value and will be preserved for their environmental, health, and recreational value. These researchers, like Velasquez-Garcia, are speaking for the trees.
1. What does the author think of growing furniture according to Paragraph 1?| A．It turns out to be convenient. |
| B．It’ll cut down daily expense. |
| C．It might have a bright future. |
| D．It’s as important as making furniture. |
| A．Risk. | B．Fancy. | C．Remove. | D．Delay. |
| A．To make large profits. |
| B．To keep biodiversity. |
| C．To increase production. |
| D．To use wild resources. |
| A．Wide use of new biomaterials. |
| B．Less use of wood products and paper. |
| C．Making effective forest laws. |
| D．Caring more for the environment. |
7 . My community and state are still recovering from the disaster that hit the area recently. A wall of storms with hurricane force winds
The most
Life’s disasters strike all of us from time to time. No one is
| A．drew | B．arose | C．struck | D．faded |
| A．closing | B．wiping | C．narrowing | D．blocking |
| A．devoted | B．found | C．pictured | D．patted |
| A．cut off | B．called off | C．torn down | D．taken off |
| A．where | B．why | C．how | D．when |
| A．decent | B．terrible | C．amazing | D．accidental |
| A．distance | B．enthusiasm | C．prejudice | D．selfishness |
| A．hatred | B．love | C．respect | D．belief |
| A．confidence | B．power | C．guidance | D．virtue |
| A．destroy | B．move | C．clear | D．build |
| A．restore | B．remove | C．return | D．reduce |
| A．saved | B．spared | C．punished | D．forgiven |
| A．cheated | B．removed | C．challenged | D．arranged |
| A．weigh on | B．react to | C．take in | D．care for |
| A．throw | B．shoot | C．aim | D．glance |
8 . The Chinese manned submersible(潜水器) Fendouzhe, over 96.5 percent of whose core components have been independently developed by China, reached one of the deepest spots on the planet, a dizzying and dark depth of 10,909 meters.
Extreme water pressure is the first challenge that requires dealing with during the exploration. At 10,000 meters down in the ocean, the submersible has to stand about 1,100 atmospheres of pressure, equal to 2,000 elephants stepping on a person’s back. As the solid “armour (盔甲)”，the manned cabin is a safety guarantee for humans to reach down to 10,000 meters deep in the ocean. To overcome the technical bottleneck, the Chinese researchers developed a new material-Ti62A, successfully solving problems of the strength and toughness of the manned cabin.
To avoid risks of crashes in the dark deep sea with complex terrain(地形)，Fendouzhe requires its control system, a smart “brain” to give the exact instructions. Researchers designed a neural network algorithm(神经网络算法), which enables Fendouzhe to travel automatically according to the seabed terrain and locate fixed points. Its control system has reached the international frontier level.
The submersible is equipped with two flexible and strong “arms”. Each 7-joint arm with 6 degrees - of - freedom control and a weight-carrying ability of more than 60 kilograms can cover the sampling basket and its front areas. With the arms, Fendouzhe collected samples of ocean rocks, deep-sea living things and seabed sediments(沉淀物).
The ocean, especially the deep sea, is widely regarded as Earth's final frontier. Deep down in the ocean are unusual creatures, strange environments and impressive geological wonders, yet humanity knows less about the ocean floor than about the far side of the moon. These samples and data collected from the deep ocean can be used for geological and biological research, as well as study the human impact on the planet.
1. Why is “2000 elephants” mentioned in paragraph 2?| A．To make the numbers accurate. |
| B．To provide a biological explanation. |
| C．To emphasize the importance of the task. |
| D．To describe the degree of the pressure vividly. |
| A．Collect ocean samples. |
| B．Land the submersible. |
| C．Provide safety guarantee. |
| D．Prevent crashes intelligently. |
| A．The toughness of the cabin. |
| B．The ability of weight-carrying. |
| C．The method of data-collection. |
| D．The technology of control system. |
| A．It is more complex than the moon. |
| B．It is seriously affected by humans. |
| C．To make sure of the depth of the ocean. |
| D．To explore the less-known field of the planet. |
9 . Every year, millions of birds fly between Mexico’s Sierra Madre Oriental mountains and the Gulf of Mexico from August to November to escape cold temperatures, giving rise to an event known as the “River of Raptors”, which brings hundreds of foreign birdwatchers to the coastal area of Veracruz.
“Many of my customers have been at other famous bird migration sites but say they have never seen anything as grand as the ‘River of Raptors’ in Veracruz,” said Steven Koevoet, a birdwatching guide who has shown visitors places in Yucatan and Veracruz for over 25 years.
Yet the yearly event has not led to a large increase in ecotourism. Critics suggest the lack of increased ecotourism is mainly caused by Mexico’s failure to encourage tourism away from its beach resorts. Environmentalists believe high levels of violence and environmentally unfriendly practices are also problems for developing ecotourism in the states of Chiapas and Veracruz. Violence has stopped birdwatching for years in some places, where the activity was an important source of income for local communities.
But, environmental groups, universities and farmers in Veracruz are trying to change this. Angel Viveros, a rancher (大农场主), uses land owned by his family for activities including birdwatching, horse riding, skydiving and hiking. Supported by the non-profit group Pronatura Veracruz, which studies and counts the birds in the yearly migration, he is now receiving hundreds of visitors yearly. Local coffee producers organize coffee tastings and educational talks about the importance of birds in spreading seeds. A green, bird-friendly stamp for those producers could be the next step. One retiree who has been visiting Veracruz since 2002 had this to say, “Apart from feeling the physical relaxation, it is like something spiritual ... there are no words to describe what it feels like to see the river of birds.”
1. What is the “River of Raptors” known for?| A．The rich diversity of birds. | B．The size of birds’ migrating. |
| C．The number of birdwatchers. | D．The long distance of migration. |
| A．To stress the popularity of the event. | B．To explain his intention to be a guide. |
| C．To show his devotion to local tourism. | D．To prove the impressiveness of the event. |
| A．The lack of government support. |
| B．High levels and frequency of violence. |
| C．Disagreement among local communities. |
| D．The adoption of not eco-friendly methods. |
| A．People hold different attitudes to it. |
| B．Joint efforts are made to develop it. |
| C．It is a major source of income for the locals. |
| D．It has an uncertain future in Veracruz. |
10 . Cheap and even free volunteering programs are everywhere. Don’t worry about a budget that may stop you from volunteering abroad! Kindred Spirit Elephant Sanctuary (保护区) is the right place for you.
Highlights
Volunteer with elephants and bring them back into their natural habitat.
Make a difference in the conservation efforts to save elephants living under awful conditions.
Help teach English to the communities and raise awareness about the captive (圈养的) elephant situation.
Wander the forests and observe elephant’s natural behaviours in their home environment.
Our Sanctuary
Our sanctuary has rescued 5 elephants from the tourism industry and we have now brought them home to live out their lives in the forest, in semi-wild conditions. We need volunteers to help us keep these elephants happy and healthy in their natural habitat. With volunteer support. we hope to return more elephants to the forest soon.
Your tasks
Performing research on the natural elephant behaviours and the surrounding forest.
Taking part in community projects such as teaching English at the school and to other locals.
Carrying out litter pick-ups with the kids to educate on waste management.
Your Rough Schedule:
Day 1: Pickup from Chiang Mai at 9 am. Travel through a national park and stunning mountains until you arrive in our unique village. Meet your homestay family and the other volunteers, and immerse yourself in hill tribe culture.
Day 2: Wake up early to hike in the forest and find our elephants. Spend the morning recording and learning about these amazing animals and their natural behaviours. Return to the village in the late afternoon and take part in our community & teaching projects.
Day 3: Another early start to like to observe our elephants one last time. Return to Chiang Mai in the afternoon.
1. Which of the following highlights the volunteer work at the sanctuary?| A．Looking after captive elephants. |
| B．Seeking elephants in natural forests. |
| C．Learning local communities’ folk arts. |
| D．Saving elephants in poor environment. |
| A．Establish experimental bases. |
| B．Promote educational programs. |
| C．Enhance cultural exchange. |
| D．Start anti-poverty projects. |
| A．You should have good ability of hiking. |
| B．You can choose your own transportation. |
| C．You may camp on the mountain for days. |
| D．You must be familiar with local languages. |
