1 . From the moon to Mars, scientists have been looking for water —the key to life —in the solar system for decades. Recently, they have turned to Jupiter (木星)!
On April 14, the European Space Agency’s (ESA) JUICE spacecraft successfully lifted off from French Guiana in South America. JUICE, short for “Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer”, will collect data from Jupiter and its three moons, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto.
The three moons are believed to have big oceans of liquid water under their icy shells. According to ESA, the water on these moons could be as much as six times the amount in Earth’s oceans. The mission “will change our understanding of the solar system”, wrote Scientific American.
In 1998, NASA’s Galileo spacecraft found that Europa might send water as far as 160 kilometers into space. That gave scientists the idea of studying the icy moons of Jupiter.
The oceans under these moons are likely to be tens of kilometers deep. But they are also trapped under tens of kilometers of ice, making it very difficult to study them. Although JUICE cannot land on the surface, it has lots of high-tech equipment to study the moon’s environment, including spectral imaging (光谱成像) tools and radar. They could give more data on things like the thickness of the oceans, their salt content, and their distance from the icy shells above, reported Phys.org.
“The main goal is to understand whether there are habitable (可居住的) environments among those icy moons and around a giant planet like Jupiter,” JUICE team member Olivier Witasse said during a press conference on April 6.
1. What do we know about JUICE?| A．It left for Jupiter from the US. | B．It got its name from how it looks. |
| C．It will become one of Jupiter’s moons. | D．It will collect data from Jupiter and its moons. |
| A．cover a small part of its surface |
| B．all come from its icy shell |
| C．have been thrown into space |
| D．be as much as six times the amount in Earth’s oceans |
| A．wandered | B．wept | C．kept | D．declined |
| A．find a possible way to solve the water shortage on Earth |
| B．find out if it is possible for life to live on Jupiter’s moons |
| C．explore if Jupiter has living things similar to human beings |
| D．test ways of keeping water on Europa, Ganymede and Callisto |
| A．Mother. | B．Mr. White. | C．Uncle James. |
3 . Four Places Named After Scientists in Antarctica
There are many scientific breakthroughs made by women in Antarctic. Here are four landmarks in Antarctica and the female pioneers they’re named for.
Jones Terrace (梯田)
The ice-free terrace in eastern Antarctica’s Victoria Land bears Jones’ name. In 1969, geochemist Lois M. Jones led the first all-female research team from the U.S. to work in Antarctica. Jones and her team studied chemical weathering in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, an ice-free area of Antarctica. Through chemical analyses of rocks they had collected, Jones and her team discovered many geochemical characteristics of the valley’s ice-covered lakes.
Mount Fiennes
8,202-foot-high Mount Fiennes, located on Antarctica’s largest island — Alexander Island — is named for Ginny Fiennes. She established and maintained 80-foot-tall radio towers in the Antarctic. In 1985, Fiennes became the first female who was invited to join the Antarctic Club, a British supper club open to individuals who have spent extended time in the Antarctic region.
Francis Peak
The 3,727-foot-tall peak on Antarctica’s Adelaide Island is named after Dame Jane Francis, who is the first female director of the British Antarctic Survey, the national polar research institute of the UK. Her collection of fossils on Seymour Island helped conclude in a 2021 paper that Antarctica’s abundant plant fossils indicate the continent once had a much warmer climate than it currently does.
Peden Cliffs
Peden Cliffs near Antarctica’s Marie Byrd Land are proof of the labor of Irene Peden. She was the first American female scientist to both live and work in the Antarctic, where she used radio waves to study ice sheets. Peden and her team determined how very low frequency radio waves spread over long polar distances by measuring pathways in the ice. They also used varying radio wave frequencies to measure the thickness of Antarctica’s ice sheets.
1. Which place is named after a builder of radio towers in the Antarctic?| A．Jones Terrace. | B．Mount Fiennes. |
| C．Francis Peak. | D．Peden Cliffs. |
| A．Lois M. Jones. | B．Ginny Fiennes. |
| C．Dame Jane Francis. | D．Irene Peden. |
| A．She could judge the thickness of Antarctica’s ice sheets. |
| B．She discovered a lot of ice-covered lakes in the Antarctic. |
| C．She was the first female American to explore the Antarctic. |
| D．She correctly measured the spreading speed of radio waves. |
4 . National Geographic Explorer Malaika Vaz knew from early on that she was destined for adventure. “I was someone who spent a lot of time outdoors,” Vaz says. Among her childhood experiences, she recalls expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic, climbing mountains, scuba diving, and windsurfing.
“In my late teens,” Vaz says, “I began to feel like adventure didn’t really mean anything if there wasn’t an intent to protect the natural spaces we were exploring in.” She began to seek an outlet that would both satisfy her desire for adventure and allow her to support the protection of the species and ecosystems.
Vaz had an interest in the medium of film, and decided to pursue a career in wildlife filmmaking. Today Vaz wears many hats in the filmmaking world, as a documentary director, producer, writer, and presenter.
After falling in love with mantas off the coast of her home, she discovered they were being hunted illegally and she dressed herself as a seafood trader to get as close as possible to the issue. She traced traffickers back to many parts of the world to figure out why mantas were being killed. She shares the challenges of going undercover to produce Peng Yu Sai, her Green Oscar-nominated film on the matter.
The subjects that grab her attention, Vaz admits, cover a wide range. And while she’s been asked to define her focus, she prefers variety, and argues that issues she pinpoints are more interrelated than they may appear.
Her work doesn’t stop at recording important stories-she’s also on top of follow-through, ensuring the message is heard. Vaz and her team work with scientists and policy makers to amplify the message of the films they work on.
From Vaz’s perspective, real improvement in the way the planet is cared for lies in the capable hands of many from various backgrounds. “The truth is that we don’t need ten really passionate, committed environmentalists. We need one hundred or one million people who can do a little bit in that field and change things within their ability.”
1. Which of the following helped Vaz combine adventure with nature protection?| A．Wildlife film-making. | B．Free lifestyle. |
| C．Childhood experience. | D．Outdoor activities. |
| A．Vaz’s home on the coast. | B．Vaz’s experience of mountain climbing. |
| C．The history of Green Oscar. | D．The illegal hunting of mantas. |
| A．The backgrounds of policy makers. | B．The influence of films. |
| C．The guidance from environmentalists. | D．The combined efforts of people. |
| A．Enthusiastic but careless. | B．Adventurous and insightful. |
| C．Knowledgeable but proud. | D．Humorous and patient. |
5 . Most popular wildlife parks in India often have long queues and are expensive. Namrata Dadwal lists four lesser-known sanctuaries (保护区) that you can explore at a more reasonable price.
Kumbalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary
Spread over 578 acres in the Aravallirange, the sanctuary is near the Famous Kumbalgarh Fort. The sanctuary makes home to many endangered species of wildlife like wolf, leopard, and jungle cat.
Best way to explore: By boat
Best time to explore: March to December
National Chambal Sanctuary
The 5400 sq km sanctuary extends into Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh and is the only one in India with three keystone species — Ganges river dolphin, ghariyal and red-crowned roof turtle along with eight rare turtle species and about 300 species of birds.
Best way to explore: By boat
Best time to explore: November to March
Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary
While the Sunderbans in West Bengal is India’s most popular mangrove (红树林) forest, an equally wonderful one is Coringa, which is the second largest one in the country. It is a birder’s heaven and is also home to otters, jackals, fishing cats and estuarine crocodiles. Endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles nest here from January to March.
Best way to explore: By boat or on foot
Best time to explore: November to February
Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park
The park has 21 islands and three distinct coastal ecosystems — coral reef, seagrass bed and mangroves — with over 4,200 species of plants and animals. It is home to the largest endangered marine mammal Dugong and is also the last shelter of Balanoglossus.
Best way to explore: By boat or on foot
Best time to explore: October to March
1. Which is the best choice for a visit in July?| A．Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary. |
| B．National Chambal Sanctuary. |
| C．Kumbalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary. |
| D．Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park. |
| A．Dugong. | B．Jungle cat. |
| C．Ganges river dolphin. | D．Olive Ridley sea turtle. |
| A．In a diary. | B．In a biography. |
| C．In a biology book. | D．In a travel brochure. |
6 . In the past several months, Apple, Google and Samsung have all launched their newest smartphones and other products. But in the process, this may also be adding to a growing problem: electronic waste.
The limited lifespan of many tech gadgets(设备)has caused the issue of e-waste to increase over the years. “People tend not to realize that all these seemingly insignificant things have a lot of value, especially in large amounts, ”Pascal Leroy, director general of the WEEE Forum, said in a statement
How to solve the problems of e-waste is much more than just cleaning out space in your junk drawers. Actually, large amounts of e-waste are shipped to developing countries that lack the power to refuse and safely recycle these imports. The WHO warned that children, with their smaller hands, are often used to deal with mountains of e-waste in developing nations in search of valuable elements such as copper, silver, palladium and so on. The WHO said the health of more than 18 million children are being affected negatively as they are employed in this informal e-waste processing industry.
Personally, what can you do to reduce the e-waste burden? Find an e-waste disposal(处理) service. The impact of recycling e-waste can be staggering. For every 1 million cellphones that are recycled, 35, 000 pounds of copper, 772 pounds of silver, 75 pounds of gold and 33 pounds of palladium can be recovered. Meanwhile, environmental advocates say the most important step to deal with the mounting e-waste problem is simply to try to use your electronics for as long as possible
1. What might come along with companies launching new e-products?| A．More electronic waste. |
| B．Few optional tech gadgets. |
| C．Limited lifespan of the devices. |
| D．Important things for consumers. |
| A．Developed countries can’t recycle e-waste safely. |
| B．E-waste mountains are places for children to play. |
| C．Many valuable elements can be found on e-waste mountains. |
| D．Children are hired in the informal e-waste processing industry. |
| A．Interesting. | B．Surprising. | C．Annoying. | D．Challenging. |
| A．What is the source of e-waste? | B．E-waste—a serious problem? |
| C．E-waste—a processing industry? | D．What to do with your e-waste? |
7 . Coral reefs(珊瑚礁)as underwater walls can help reduce the effects of hurricanes on coastal communities. This seems unbelievable. It is reported that scientists have discovered that coral reefs are even more effective than man-made sea walls under the water. However, coral reefs are especially easy to be influenced by climate change. Overfishing and pollution have also proved very dangerous to them. Since 1950, half of the world’s coral reefs have already been lost. To protect our communities and keep sea ecosystems alive, we need to protect coral reefs right away.
Let’s take a closer look at how coral reefs protect us from floods, and how scientists are restoring (修复) reefs.
The roles that coral reefs play as underwater walls have long been recorded by scientists. During a Category 3 hurricane in 2015 in Australia, the coral reefs effectively protected the eastern shoreline from flooding. In contrast, the western coasts without coral reefs suffered serious damage. The researchers observed that the shape of coral reefs can break the approaching waves. More recently, researchers at the University of Miami have reached the same conclusion. They used a special lab simulator to recreate ocean conditions during a Category 5 hurricane. They found that coral reefs could reduce the impact of waves by up to 95 percent!
Because of higher ocean acidity (酸 性) and temperature, coral reefs are disappearing and dying out. At the same time, climate change puts weakened coral reefs under more stress. The University of Miami researchers are testing to plant new coral reefs while others are actively looking for effective methods to reduce the acidity of sea water. The governments have also paid more attention to these actions and provided enough money for reef restoration. With these efforts, we may address climate threats to coral reefs and they can carry on protecting our communities.
1. What can we know about coral reefs?| A．They can reduce hurricanes. |
| B．They are faced with danger now. |
| C．They can’t effectively prevent floods. |
| D．They aren’t influenced by overfishing. |
| A．A terrible hurricane attacked Australia in 2015. |
| B．Scientists paid little attention to coral reefs before. |
| C．Coral reefs could reduce the impact of waves to 95%. |
| D．The eastern coasts of Australia were damaged seriously. |
| A．Coral reefs may disappear. | B．Coral reefs will be ignored. |
| C．More coral reefs may appear | D．Few coral reefs will be planted. |
| A．To introduce the growth of coral reefs. |
| B．To explain the functions of coral reefs. |
| C．To encourage people to plant more coral reefs. |
| D．To stress the importance of protecting coral reefs. |
8 . Going green is good for business. Consumers are often willing to pay more for eco-friendly products than other comparable products on the market. But not all environmental claims are created equally. “Greenwashing” is a form of misinformation often used to entice a green consumer. Companies promising to be environmentally conscious sometimes fail to meet the promises they make to consumers.
For example, a large retailer might launch a new line of products, such as jeans, that uses less water and therefore theoretically has less of an environmental impact than the other clothes the company sells. But that same company might ignore water usage in the rest of their products lines or do nothing to address their other products that might be harming the environment.
Is it possible to avoid falling victim to greenwashing? Learning about greenwashing and how it works is the most effective way for consumers to avoid giving their money to companies making false claims, according to a recent study. The researchers found people who received information on greenwashing ahead of time were more likely to question whether what the company did in fact benefited the environment.
In the meantime, experts have tips for how consumers can spot potential greenwashing. “You see a lot of products that use words like ‘sustainable’, and ‘better for the planet’ with pictures that make it look like it’s green,” says Todd Larsen, the director of Green America, a nonprofit aimed at helping consumers identify greenwashing. He recommends looking for descriptions that outline specifically how a product is green.
Another tip he offers is to shop small. “When in doubt, go smaller,” says Larsen. “Rethink shopping habits. The most sustainable thing you can do as a consumer is wear the things you have more.”
1. What does the underlined word “entice” probably mean in paragraph 1?| A．Trick. | B．Inspire. | C．Restrict. | D．Protect. |
| A．Using less water is a required standard of producing jeans. |
| B．Large retailers are more aware of environmental protection. |
| C．Companies with environmental consciousness run smoothly. |
| D．Businesses claiming to be sustainable may mislead consumers. |
| A．Greenwashing is a new way to cheat people. |
| B．People are getting fed up with greenwashing. |
| C．Knowing about greenwashing helps identify the truth. |
| D．Consumers have the ability to distinguish false claims. |
| A．Develop sensible shopping habits. | B．Look for pictures which look green. |
| C．Buy more clothes green for the planet. | D．Provide specific descriptions of products. |
| A．August. | B．September. | C．October. |
10 . Fort Smith National Historic Site
At the Fort Smith National Historic Site you can walk where the Mexican-American War and the Civil War soldiers drilled, pause along the Trail of Tears, and stand where justice was served to some of the most horrible outlaws (歹徒) of the Wild West. The park includes:
Trail of Tears Overlook
Walk along the great Arkansas River and enjoy exhibit panels that tell the story of the Five Civilized Tribes that were forcibly remove to Indian Territory. The walking path begins from the parking lot and follows along the Arkansas River to Belle Point.
Belle Point (Site of First Fort Smith)
Established in 1817 at an area overlooking the meeting point of the Arkansas River and the Poteau River, it had been named Belle Point, French for “beautiful place,” by 18th-century French fur trappers. Visitors will enjoy a scenic view of the two rivers and are able to walk the foundation remains of the First Fort Smith.
Commissary (杂货店) (Site of Second Fort Smith)
The oldest building still standing in Fort Smith is the Commissary, the site of the Second Fort Smith. During the Federal Court period, Judge Parker’s private office was located upstairs. Today, you can visit the Commissary as it looked in the 1850s when it supplied the army with food items. You can also see the reconstruction of the Fort Smith Gallows where a surprisingly large number of outlaws met their fate at the end of a rope.
Visitor Center
The Visitor Center is located in the historic barracks (兵营) / courthouse / jail (监狱) building. The barracks was built in 1851 and was changed into a courthouse and jail in 1872. In 1888 a new jail building was built next to it. Here visitors can see Judge Parker’s restored courtroom, the “Hell on the Border” jail, as well as exhibits and videos on the operation of the Federal Court and its impact on Indian Territory.
Price: $10 (Adults 16+), FREE (Ages 0-15), $35 Annual Pass
1. Where can visitors learn about the history of the forced removals?| A．At the site of the Second Fort Smith. |
| B．On the way to Belle Point from the car park. |
| C．In the historic barracks / courthouse / jail building. |
| D．At the meeting point of the Arkansas and Poteau rivers. |
| A．Tour the oldest grocery store in Fort Smith. |
| B．See the restored Fort Smith Gallows. |
| C．Explore Judge Parker’s bedroom. |
| D．Visit the courtroom and the jail. |
| A．$10. | B．$20. | C．$35. | D．$70. |
