By Tan Bowen/ People's Daily app
11:37, December 09,2019
Adorable baby giant pandas are always curious about the world and love to play around. Recently, in southwest China’s Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, a baby panda was caught on camera getting his head stuck behind a log.
The panda tried to pull his head through the gap at first but couldn't manage to pass through it. Later, the breeder came to rescue him by pushing his bottom instead and nagged this little cutie constantly like a mother, but the baby panda continued to act cute, melting all panda lovers’ heart!
Click on this video to see the warm and sweet interaction between the breeder and the naughty baby panda!
Video source: panda
1. What was wrong with the baby giant panda?
| A．The panda was sleeping in a tree. | B．The panda was hit by another. |
| C．The panda got itself stuck behind a log. | D．The panda was dying. |
| A．The passage was written by Tan Boweng. |
| B．The baby panda mentioned in the passage is a female one. |
| C．The baby panda mentioned in the passage is a male one. |
| D．The baby panda pulled his head through the gap successfully. |
| A．Click on the video. | B．Click the Button of“Say something”. |
| C．Find a note book. | D．Buy a computer first. |
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The government has recorded 72, 843 fires. The fire is just one of
Environmental
3 . Noise pollution has a long-term effect on tree populations that may persist even after the sources of noise are removed, according to research published Wednesday.
Man-made noise from industry and the building of infrastructure such as roads and pipelines has increased greatly since the middle of last century. While previous research has documented the short-term effect noise has on tree populations as it scares off pollinators (传粉者) such as insects and animals, few studies have covered the long-term effect.
Researchers in the United States looked at tree populations in New Mexico that had been “hearing”a high level of man-made noise for 15 years. They found 75 percent fewer pinyon pine seedlings (矮松苗) in noisy places than quiet ones.
Then they looked at other places in New Mexico, where sources of noise had recently been added and then removed, and examined how populations recovered. The team assumed that populations of the trees — in this case pinyon seedlings — would recover as the pollinators would return to the places once the noise had disappeared. Instead, they found a long-term drop in seedling numbers as the birds refused to revisit the places.
“The effects of human noise pollution are growing into these woodland communities,” said Clinton Francis, lead researcher from California Polytechnic State University. “What we’re seeing is that removal of the noise doesn’t necessarily immediately result in a recovery of ecological function.”
Jennifer Phillips, co-author of the research, said the findings showed how the effect of noise pollution could put pollinators off even after the noise is removed. “Animals like the birds that are sensitive to noise learn to avoid particular areas.” said Phillips. “It may take time for animals to come back to pollinate trees in these previously noisy areas, and we don’t know how long that might take.”
As governments continue to face growing evidence of the damage to nature caused by urbanization (城市化), Phillips held that the influence of noise pollution should also be factored into planning decisions.
1. What does the underlined word “persist” mean in paragraph 1?| A．Recover. | B．Decrease. | C．Last. | D．Disappear. |
| A．By studying cases in New Mexico. |
| B．By challenging the previous research. |
| C．By recording the routines of pollinators. |
| D．By following the sources of noise pollution. |
| A．Noise pollution kills large numbers of birds. |
| B．Governments should take measures to remove noise. |
| C．Ecological recovery contributes to the removal of noise. |
| D．It’s hard to tell when birds will revisit previously noisy places. |
| A．Removing noise enables plants to grow better. |
| B．Pollinators play a role in increasing plant population. |
| C．Noise pollution has long-term effects on plant populations. |
| D．Man-made noise does great harm to woodland communities. |
4 . As many as 10 of the 17 kinds of penguins may be in danger of disappearing. The number of penguins has decreased by 30% since 1987.
Penguins are black and white birds that live in the southern part of the world. They are common in South America, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. Many live near cold waters. But some live near warm waters in Galapagos Islands. Penguins cannot fly, but they are fine swimmers. Penguins eat fish and krill(磷虾). The warming of the earth is the reason for the decrease in the number of penguins. The heating of the air has caused ocean waters to become warmer. Higher water temperatures have reduced the supply of fish and krill. Some years later these birds are completely unable to reproduce(繁殖). Besides, many adult penguins die of hunger.
Widespread(广泛的)fishing, exploration for oil and oil leaks(漏)also make penguins in danger. Poisonous things in ocean waters are another danger. Penguins also have their enemies, including wild dogs, sharks, seals and sea lions.
News about penguins is not all bad, however. Several years ago, oil leaking from a ship hurt 40% of the penguins in South Africa. The penguins became covered with oil. But thousands of people helped clean and treat the birds well. Then they returned the penguins to the wild. Now these South African penguins are reproducing in higher numbers than before the oil leaking.
1. The first paragraph tells us that________.| A．some new kinds of penguins appear |
| B．all the penguins are in danger of disappearing |
| C．there are twenty-seven kinds of penguins in all |
| D．for more than 30 years, the number of penguins has decreased by 30％ |
| A．Oil leaking. |
| B．Widespread fishing. |
| C．Human's killing. |
| D．Warming of the oceans. |
| A．Protecting our environment |
| B．Ocean waters are polluted |
| C．The decrease in the number of penguins |
| D．Ocean is important for penguins |
5 . A newly discovered planet looks just right for life as we know it, according to an international group of astronomers. Orbiting a star about 500 light-years away, the planet called Kepler-186f is about the same size as Earth. It orbits its star at the right distance for liquid water on the surface. That is a necessary condition for life as we know it.
But it is not exactly like Earth, NASA planetary scientist Elisa Quintana said. "It's more of an Earth's cousin. It's not an Earth's twin. It shares the same characteristics as Earth, but their parent stars are very different," said Quintana.
Kepler-186f orbits a star that is smaller and cooler than our sun. But, writing in the journal Science, the astronomers say the planet appears to be a closer relative than most of the hundreds of others discovered so far. Some are massive gas-covered giants with thick, crushing atmospheres. Others orbit too close to their stars and are too hot for life.
Two planets discovered last year are in the right orbit and might be good candidates for life, Quintana says, but they are a bit bigger than Earth. "For the first time, we can actually say we now have a planet that is both Earth-sized and orbits in its star's habitable zone," she said.
It may be the first time, but it probably is not the last, says Massachusetts Institute of Technology astrophysicist Sara Seager. "We've been waiting decades to understand how common habitable planets might be, and it's looking like they're really common. And this gives us excitement and motivation to take the next step," said Seager.
The next step would be to look for signs of life in the atmospheres of these distant worlds. That would take a more sophisticated (高端的；复杂的) space telescope. But budget cuts threaten that mission, says University of California at Los Angeles astrophysicist Ben Zuckerman, "In principle, we could do this in the next few decades. But in practice, because there's no money, it's not gonna happen. It's not gonna happen in my lifetime, for example."
Leaving earthbound concerns behind, NASA's Elisa Quintana believes that when the next-generation space telescope is launched, it will find that we are not alone in the universe.
1. What does the underlined word "That" (Paragraph 1) refer to________| A．The right distance. | B．Liquid water. |
| C．The right size. | D．A star. |
| A．is more of an Earth's cousin than an Earth's twin |
| B．has a lot in common with Earth, including their parent stars |
| C．is a lot bigger than Earth |
| D．is smaller and cooler than our sun |
| A．Where there is water, there is life |
| B．A planet exactly like Earth found |
| C．Life discovered on Kepler-186f |
| D．New Earth-size planet found |
6 . They Consider Rats Lifesavers
When people hear the word “rat”, they may think of dirty animals that spread diseases. And if you are an English learner, you may also connect the word rat with bad expressions. For example, calling someone a rat is a big insult (侮辱) and “rat race” describes a joyless, hurried way of living.
However, the rat trainers at the nonprofit organization, APOPO, see these animals very differently.
Based in Tanzania, APOPO trains a kind of rats to find landmines (地雷). And the rats with their extraordinary sense of smell are very good at the job. APOPO calls their animal team Hero Rats.
Ellie Cutright is an APOPO trainer from Charleston, South Carolina. The researcher shared her very high opinions of rats in a discussion with VOA.
Human beings have used metal-searching devices to do this work for years. But rats — it turns out — do it better. And they also cost less money.
| A．So, rats generally are not beloved animals either in life or in the English language. |
| B．Worldwide there are 110 million hidden landmines left over from wars. |
| C．A rat is an animal that looks like a large mouse with a long tail. |
| D．She wants everyone to know how useful these animals are. |
| E．This kind of rats are large compared to other kinds of rats. |
| F．Cutright explains how the search process (过程) works. |
| G．They consider rats “lifesavers” |
Most people agree that honesty is a good thing. But does Mother Nature agree? Animals can't talk, but can they lie in other ways? Can they lie with their bodies and behavior? Animal experts may not call it lying, but they do agree that many animals, from birds to chimpanzees, behave dishonestly to fool other animals. Why? Dishonesty often helps them survive.
Many kinds of birds are very successful at fooling other animals. For example, a bird called the plover sometimes pretends to be hurt in order to protect its young. When a predator(猎食动物)gets close to its nest, the plover leads the predator away from the nest. How? It pretends to have a broken wing. The predator follows the "hurt" adult, leaving the baby birds safe in the nest.
Another kind of bird, the scrub jay, buries its food so it always has something to eat. Scrub jays are also thieves. They watch where others bury their food and steal it. But clever scrub jays seem to know when a thief is watching them. So they go back later, unbury the food, and bury it again somewhere else. Birds called cuckoos have found a way to have babies without doing much work. How? They don't make nests. Instead, they get into other birds' nests secretly. Then they lay their eggs and fly away. When the baby birds come out, their adoptive parents feed them.
Chimpanzees, or chimps, can also be sneaky. After a fight, the losing chimp will give its hand to the other. When the winning chimp puts out its hand, too, the chimps are friendly again. But an animal expert once saw a losing chimp take the winner's hand and start fighting again.
Chimps are dishonest in other ways, too. When chimps find food that they love, such as bananas, it is natural for them to cry out. Then other chimps come running. But some clever chimps learn to cry very softly when they find food. That way, other chimps don't hear them, and they don't need to share their food.
As children, many of us learn the saying "You can't fool Mother Nature." But maybe you can't trust her, either.
1. According to the passage, why do many animals behave dishonestly to fool others? (no more than 10 words)2. How does a plover deal with it when a predator approaches its nest? (no more than 15 words)
3. Who often feed cuckoos' baby birds? (no more than 3 words)
4. What does the underlined word in paragraph 4 mean? (no more than 1 word)
5. What kind of animal do you like best? And why? (no more than 20 words)
8 . China published its official document on biodiversity conservation on Oct 8,2021. It said that China has achieved great results in biodiversity conservation.
In 2010, the China National Biodiversity Conservation Strategy and Action Plan (2011-2030) was published. Since then, China has been working for a better ecological environment through establishing and improving policies and laws, carrying out nationwide biodiversity surveys, and putting into place various programs and action plans for biodiversity conservation.
Protected areas
There are about 10,000 protected natural areas, covering 18 percent of total land area. The well-planned protected areas system has brought 90 percent of terrestrial (陆地的) ecosystem types and 71 percent of key state-protected wildlife species under effective protection.
Plants
China has contributed up to 10 percent of the new plant varieties identified worldwide in the past decade. In this period, the country identified about 200 new varieties of plants per year.
Wild animals
The habitats for wild animals in China have been expanding and their populations are growing. The population of giant pandas in the wild has grown from 1,114 to 1,864 over the past four decades. The crested ibis (朱鹮) population has increased from only seven to over 5,000.
Greenness
China was the largest contributor to the world’s gain in greenness between 2000 and 2017. The country contributed about 25 percent of global vegetation growth in the period and China’s forest coverage and forest reserve areas have both continued to expand for the last 30 years. The country has realized the largest growth in forest resources among all countries in the world.
1. In China’s efforts to protect biodiversity, the following elements are mentioned EXCEPT ________?| A．the habitats for wild animals |
| B．the accessible water resources |
| C．forest reserve areas and coverage |
| D．the well-planned protected areas system |
| A．China’s contribution to the world |
| B．Increasing protection for animals |
| C．China’s contribution to greenness |
| D．China’s efforts on biodiversity conservation |
| A．an academic paper | B．a student diary |
| C．China Daily | D．fashion magazine |
9 . When I was six, Dad brought home a dog one day, who was called "Brownie". My brothers and I all loved Brownie and did different things with her. One of us would walk her, another would feed her, then there were baths, playing catch and many other games. Brownie, in return, loved each and every one of us. One thing that most touched my heart was that she would go to whoever was sick and just be with them. We always felt better when she was around.
One day, as I was getting her food, she chewed up (咬破) one of my Dad's shoes, which had to be thrown away in the end. I knew Dad would be mad and I had to let her know what she did was wrong. When I looked at her and said, “Bad girl,” she looked down at the ground and then went and hid. I saw a tear in her eyes.
Brownie turned out to be more than just our family pet. She went everywhere with us. People would stop and ask if they could pet her. Of course she'd let anyone pet her. She was just the most lovable dog. There were many times when we'd be out walking and a small child would come over and pull on her hair. She never barked (吠) or tried to get away. Funny thing is that she would smile. This frightened people because they thought she was showing her teeth. Far from the truth, she loved everyone.
Now many years have passed since Brownie died of old age. I still miss the days when she was with us.
1. What would Brownie do when someone was ill in the family?| A．Look at them sadly. | B．Stay with them. |
| C．Play games with them. | D．Touch them gently. |
| A．would eat anything when hungry | B．felt sorry for her mistake |
| C．loved playing hide-and-seek | D．disliked the author's dad |
| A．smiled | B．barked |
| C．rushed to them | D．tried to be funny |
| A．Shy | B．Polite | C．Brave | D．Caring |
10 . In the struggle to survive the ever hotter deserts of California, there are winners and losers. Among the losers are desert birds, whose populations have fallen among the heat stress of climate change. The winners, it turns out, are small burrowing mammals（穴居哺乳动物）, which take refuge from the sun underground. Researchers noted that the stable mammals populations formed a striking contrast to the extremely bad condition of birds.
But why? Birds had a higher evaporative（蒸发）heat loss. Birds were more exposed to the effects of warming, so they had higher energy costs to maintain their body temperature. However, mammals were able to reduce their body temperature by using burrows during the day.
Temperatures have risen about 4 degrees Fahrenheit on average across the area studied, but the heat affects birds and small mammals differently. As part of the study, scientists modeled each species' body temperature and cooling needs under different desert conditions. To calculate that, they measured the conductivity（传导率）of the animals' fur or feathers, and used information on their heat reducing behaviors.
The models showed that in the fight against climate change, there was not a level playing field for furred and feathered desert animals. Cooling costs—or the resources needed to maintain stable body temperature—were about 3. 3 times higher for birds than they were for small mammals, the study reported.
Small mammals have shown this remarkable stability. It's really quite interesting that, in the same region, with the same level of climate change, these two species have responded very differently to the changes taking place. Insights into the status of different species can help scientists take steps to protect them, such as increasing fire prevention in high desert areas, and enhancing water sources in those areas. The study also demonstrates that climate change is already reshaping the California desert
1. Why can desert burrowing mammals survive better than desert birds?| A．Burrowing mammals prefer to live in deserts. |
| B．Burrowing mammals eat less during the day. |
| C．Burrowing mammals' caves are natural shelters. |
| D．Burrowing mammals live in the same community. |
| A．Birds and small mammals respond differently to climate changes. |
| B．Birds in the desert were defeated by climate changes. |
| C．Animals living underground have higher cooling costs. |
| D．Temperature rise affects the burrowing mammals little. |
| A．Burrowing mammals may help birds during the day. |
| B．Governments will improve water quality. |
| C．Man will reshape the deserts to save themselves. |
| D．Scientists can save species with scientific means. |
| A．It's time to change the deserts into green fields. |
| B．Desert birds are more likely to survive in deserts. |
| C．Burrowing mammals' habitat needs improving greatly. |
| D．Burrowing mammals survive climate change underground. |
