1 . A Michigan farmer Bristle was digging with a backhoe (反铲挖土机) in one of his wheat fields when — bang — it struck a large bone.
Bristle contacted Fisher, a paleontology (古生物学家) professor at the University of Michigan. Fisher rushed to the farm and identified the bone as a fossil of an Ice Age mammoth (猛犸象). Since it was harvest season, Bristle gave Fisher and his students only one day to remove the rest of the fossils from the ground. The team found 20 percent of the animal’s bones, including its skull, tusks, pelvis, and shoulder blades as well as some teeth, ribs, and other bones.
The age of a mammoth can be determined by counting the rings in one of its tusks. Like the rings in a tree trunk, each ring stands for one year of a mammoth’s life. Fisher thinks that the bones are supposed to belong to male mammoth around forty years old. It was probably a rare hybrid of a woolly mammoth and a Colombian mammoth that lived between 11,700 and 15,000 years ago during the Pleistocene lee Age, when ice sheets covered much of Earth’s land.
The bones appeared to have been cut up and some of them were missing, leading Fisher to conclude that early humans must have killed the animal and stored its meat so they could return to it at a later time. Some other indications of human activity include a stone flake (薄片) that might have been from a cutting tool and the arrangement of the neck bones in order. If the mammoth had died naturally, its bones would have scattered randomly.
In the US, fossils found on private property belong to the owner of the land. However, Bristle donated the fossils to the University of Michigan for further study. Fisher hopes to display the bones at the University of Michigan Museum of Natural History, possibly combined with fiberglass models of bones from other Michigan mammoths to form a complete Mammoth skeleton (骨架).
1. Why was Fisher’s time limited to one day?| A．Because the mammoth was a small one. | B．Because it was easy to remove the bones. |
| C．Because it was the time of gathering crops. | D．Because Bristle was busy planting in the field. |
| A．By counting the bones. | B．By judging the living age. |
| C．By measuring the ice sheets. | D．By numbering the tusk rings. |
| A．How the mammoth died. | B．Where the missing meat was. |
| C．How the stone flake was made. | D．Whether the neck bones scattered. |
| A．To own the fossils. | B．To study the mammoth. |
| C．To complete the skeleton. | D．To promote the university. |
2 . For generations, Nafisa Bayniyazova and her family have made a living growing melons, pumpkins and tomatoes on farms around the Aral Sea. Bayniyazova, 50, has spent most of her life near Muynak, in northwestern Uzbekistan, tending the land. Farm life was sometimes difficult but generally reliable and productive.
Now, Bayniyazova and other residents say they’re facing a disaster they can’t beat: climate change, which is speeding up the decades-long disappearance of the Aral, once the lifeblood for the thousands living around it.
Decades ago, deep blue and filled with fish, the Aral was one of the world’s largest inland bodies of water. Thousands of migrants from across Asia and Europe moved to the Aral’s shores for jobs popping up everywhere from canning factories to luxury vacation resorts. Today, the few remaining towns sit quiet along the former seabed of the Aral—technically classified as a lake, due to its lack of a direct outlet to the ocean, though residents and officials call it a sea.
Much of its early disappearance is due to human engineering and agricultural projects gone wrong, now paired with climate change. Summers are hotter and longer; winters, shorter and bitterly cold.
Without the moderating influence of a large body of water to regulate the climate, dust storms began to blow through towns. Strong winds caused dunes (沙丘) to swallow entire towns, and abandoned buildings were filled with sand. A dozen fish species went extinct, and businesses closed down. “The fish factories closed, the ships were stuck in the harbor, and the workers all left,” said Madi Zhasekenov, former director of the Aral Sea Fisherman Museum in Aralsk, Kazakhstan. “It became only us locals.”
On her Uzbekistan farm, Bayniyazova’s family has dug an earthen well, hoping to hold on to the precious little water that’s left. “If there is no water, it will be very difficult for people to live,” Bayniyazova said. “Now people are barely surviving.” She doesn’t plan to leave her farm but yet knows more hardships are likely ahead.
1. How is paragraph 3 developed?| A．By reasoning. | B．By making comparison. |
| C．By experimenting. | D．By analyzing data. |
| A．The number of fish in the Aral Sea is increasing. |
| B．Madi Zhasekenov feels hopeful about his future. |
| C．Local people around the Aral have lost their livelihoods. |
| D．Madi Zhasekenov has adapted to the changing climate. |
| A．Ashamed. | B．Worried. | C．Relieved. | D．Embarrassed. |
| A．The Importance of the Aral Sea |
| B．How to Deal With the Aral Sea Disaster |
| C．We Will Face the Challenge of Adapting to Climate Change |
| D．Climate Change Is Quickening the Disappearance of the Aral Sea |
3 . Blue whales have made themselves at home in a part of the Indian Ocean where they hadn’t been seen for many years, according to a study published late last year. The blue whale, an endangered species, is the largest animal on Earth. These whales can grow to about 100 feet long and the animal’s heart alone can be the size of a small car.
Blue whales were filmed in the waters around the Seychelles in 2020 and 2021. The Seychelles area group of islands that make up the smallest African country. Hunters almost completely wiped out blue whales in the area in the 1960s.
During this recent exploration, however, scientists spotted several of the creatures. Research suggests that these whales are not just passing through — they are staying in the region for months. The discovery was made with the help of a “sound trap”, an object that was fitted with recording equipment and batteries and placed on the seafloor in November 2021. It was left there for a year, recording 15 minutes every hour. When scientists studied the recordings, they discovered the blue whales’ recognizable song, which is so deep that it can’t be heard naturally by human ears.
The whale songs were found between December and April, a common time for blue whales to breed (繁殖) and nurse their young. Kathleen Stafford, one of the researchers, told BBC News that the scientists think the noise was the singing of male whales. “They sing during the breeding season to attract the females,” she explained. This could mean that the Seychelles is an important breeding area or nursery site for the species.
The government of the Seychelles has been making major efforts to protect the oceans around the islands since 2015. The appearance of these whales shows that its work seems to have made a big difference. Stafford said that the Seychelles, which doesn’t have ma my big ships sailing nearby, could be “a nice, quiet, safe place for blue whales”.
1. What does the underlined phrase “wiped out” in Paragraph 2 mean?| A．Killed. | B．Washed. | C．Removed. | D．Approached. |
| A．To track sounds. | B．To video whales， |
| C．To study the seafloor. | D．To play songs every hour， |
| A．It is seasonal. | B．It is annoying. |
| C．It can be heard by humans. | D．It can drive away other animals. |
| A．Local hunters. | B．Foreign sailors. |
| C．The government. | D．Kathleen Stafford. |
Every Lunar New Year, China introduces a zodiac(生肖) sign from a cycle of 12 lucky animals. This year, it’s the Year of the Dragon, or more
The Western
Therefore, some culture experts have been calling for a switch to ”loong”
1. Why does Sarah feel sad?
| A．She has lost her cat. |
| B．She has quarreled with her friend. |
| C．The schoolwork is so hard for her. |
| A．Get a new cat. | B．Look for Tony. | C．Read a book. |
| A．Get home early. | B．Focus on her lessons. | C．Talk to Miss Lennon. |
Lijiang Old Town, also known as Day an Old Town, was a former trading town and as top for traders carrying goods on the Ancient Tea and Horse Road. It
In Lijiang Old Town, you’ll find a mix of architectural style influenced by several
The Mufu is one of Lijiang’s famous attractions. It was the residence of the Naxi People’s Mu clan (宗族) who were in charge
What are you waiting for? Come to explore Lijiang right now!
7 . Ships are among the world’s biggest polluters. To replace them means finding alternatives to traditional diesel (柴油) engines. With climate change at the front of the industry’s mind, companies are testing the waters with game-changing solutions.
You might think a cargo (货物) sailboat is something out of a history book, but in fact, they are actually the result of years of cutting-edge research and development. French company Grain de Sail claims to have created the first modern sailboat that meets the merchant fleet (商船队) requirements.“Before steam engines and fuel engines existed, all transportation was by sail. But we used modern methods when designing this ship to make it much more efficient,” says Xavier Demeulenaere, regional director of Grain de Sail ahead of the crew’s transatlantic journey.
The company that makes chocolate and coffee from Latin American beans built its sailboats with the environment in mind — like its specially designed 50-tonne cargo hold with climate control powered by solar and wind energy. François Le Naourès, a sailor and crew member says: “We showed our methods to be economically workable, and we are ready to go even further into the future, with perhaps a much larger fleet of boats, we hope.”
Relying on the wind to reduce emissions is a growing trend in the shipping industry. Other projects for the shipping industry are in the pipeline. The transport company Alizés is building a ship equipped with mechanical wing sails to transport “Ariane 6” rocket parts from Europe to its launch site in French Guiana.Another developer, Airseas, has put forward an automated kite system aiming to reduce fuel consumption and emissions of the ship by 10% to 40%.
Passenger boats however need to go fast and can’t rely on wind energy alone. In Stavanger, Norway’s “capital of oil”, passenger boat services are saying goodbye to fossil fuels.
Celebrated as the “Ship of the year”, the Medstraum is the world’s first 100% electric high-speed ship. The batteries are safely arranged on top, powering two electric motors. This technology is going to be really helpful for meeting Norway’s increasingly strict environmental regulations, which require all future ferries to be zero and / or low-emission.
1. What goal is Grain de Sail trying to reach?| A．To make multi-purpose sailboats. |
| B．To build sailboats based on history books. |
| C．To increase the speed of fuel-powered boats. |
| D．To reduce the pollution of merchant shipping. |
| A．It’s ambitious. | B．It’s conservative. |
| C．It’s highly profitable. | D．It’s commercially sensitive. |
| A．Kept secret. | B．Being developed. |
| C．Brought to a stop. | D．Being highly spoken of. |
| A．It’s a belated (迟来的) gift to people in Stavanger. |
| B．It’s bringing down the cost of ferry services. |
| C．It’s an active response to Norway’s regulations. |
| D．It’s changing the decisions of the Norwegian government. |
Like many nature reserves in Kenya, Borana used to be a cattle ranch (牧场). For thousands of years, cows were
Borana now aims
Borana put all profits (收益) into efforts like this one, and it has made a
9 . It is generally assumed that humans are the only species that deal with the persistence (持续存在) of memory and the ability to remember friends and loved ones even if one has not seen then fora long period of time. But humans may not be alone. New research has shown that apes (类人猿) also recognize their friends even when they have not seen them in years.
Lead researcher Dr. Christopher Krupenye created this research due to his sense over the many years when he worked with apes that individual chimpanzees or bonobos recognized him even if they hadn’t seen him for some time.
“You have the impression that they’re responding like they recognize you and that to them you’re really different from the average zoo guest,” Krupenye said. “They’re excited to see you again. So our goal with this study was to ask: Do they really have a lasting memory for familiar social partners?”
In order to test whether apes remember their friends, the researchers printed photos of chimpanzees and bonobos who had died or left zoos in Edinburgh, Scotland, Belgium and Japan. Then they showed those photos of the participating animals’ former group mates alongside photos of strange apes to the participating animals at the zoos. Using eye-tracking technology, the researchers were able to confirm that the apes spent more time looking at their friends than they did at the apes they were not familiar with.
The research team believes that apes’ long-term social memory can stretch back at least 26 years. Additionally, they believe that this may indicate that like humans, chimpanzees and bonobos can miss their friends and families.
Whatever the case, it is clear that this study shows that apes are more similar to humans than previously thought. So the next time you visit the zoo, take some time to befriend your local chimpanzees and bonobos. They may just remember you for many years to come.
1. What led Krupenye to do the research?| A．His years of work with apes. |
| B．His experience of visiting zoos. |
| C．His impression of a dying ape. |
| D．His relationship with zoo guests. |
| A．They had them look at photos of other apes. |
| B．They used technology to improve their eyesight. |
| C．They allowed them to play with their former mates. |
| D．They asked them to live with strange apes for some time. |
| A．Some similarities between humans and apes. |
| B．The research team’s expectations of the study. |
| C．Some tips on interacting with apes in the zoo. |
| D．The researchers’ conclusions from the research. |
| A．Apes Tend to Prefer Their Old Friends |
| B．Humans Can Make Friends With Apes |
| C．Apes Remember Their Friends As Well |
| D．Humans Are Quite Different From Apes |
10 . Staten Island’s Fresh-kills, once a dumping ground (垃圾倾倒场) for New Yorkers, is now a breathtaking park. The first part was opened to the public in October. With its grassland, hills and waterways offering hiking and superb bird-watching, this is a great example of urban habitat restoration.
Fresh-kills, known for its stench, was in operation for 53 years. Locals used to avoid the place and had to hold their breath when they passed by. It was the world’s largest dumping ground and was so huge that it could be seen from outer space. Fresh-kills was closed 22 years ago, and 21 acres of it were opened in mid-October.
“I’m happy to see that this area has become a new green space. It is a home for local plants and animals and gives the residents of Staten Island a place to be outdoors, exercise and breathe fresh air. The newly opened park features walking paths, hiking trails, seven acres of native seed plots, a bird-observation tower, and a deck that overlooks the hills, grassland and waterways,” says a local called Adams. “I used to avoid approaching the place, but now I’m looking forward to exploring it.”
This project is entirely focused on environmental management. Solar panels provide lighting in the parking lot and restrooms, while the toilets are composting (堆肥), returning waste to soil. A complex system was used to decompose the landfill waste and to protect the new topsoil. There are also plans to reuse the gas and liquid byproducts of the decomposing waste. There was once 29,000 tons of trash dumped daily at Fresh-kills. Today, the site is totally transformed, home to 1,000 acres of grassland habitat that was seeded with native grass mix. This is attracting many birds that have not been seen for years. Locals will come to Freshkills to relax and connect with nature.
1. What does the underlined word “stench” in paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．Fresh air. |
| B．Breathtaking scenery. |
| C．Abandoned grassland. |
| D．Unpleasant smell. |
| A．Unapproachable. |
| B．Attractive. |
| C．Crowded. |
| D．Dirty. |
| A．It is simple and easy. |
| B．It has caused much waste. |
| C．It is environment-friendly. |
| D．It is strongly opposed by the locals. |
| A．To introduce a transformed place. |
| B．To tell the history of a dumping ground. |
| C．To promote the local tourism. |
| D．To encourage readers to get close to nature. |
