1 . A heatwave has hit many countries in Europe, pushing temperatures over 40℃. A heatwave is along period of unusually hot weather. The heat is expected to continue until the end of July.
The Italian Island of Sardinia reached 46℃ on 18 July. The Italy government has asked people to dress in linen (a thin, light material) and to stay indoors between 10 am and 6 pm. The government has asked people to drink plenty of water but avoid alcohol, fizzy drinks and coffee, which can make you feel thirstier. In Rome, the country’s capital, people aged over 70 can go to swimming pools for free to help them keep cool.
Wildfires have broken out in many places. In Greece, which recorded 41℃ on 18 July, fires near the capital, Athens, have destroyed huge areas of forest and thousands of people have been moved to safety. Heatwaves can make fires worse because hot weather dries plants, which fuel the fires.
In the US, temperatures in Death Valley, California, hit 53’℃ on 18 July, close to the hottest ever recorded on Earth. On 16 July, the US National Weather Service issued warnings in parts of the country, affecting more than 80 million people.
Despite the high temperatures in many European countries, the UK is not experiencing a heatwave. This is because a different weather pattern has brought rain and lower temperatures to the UK.
The heatwave in Europe is being caused by a weather pattern that has stopped the air from moving very much. That means the hot, dry weather has got stuck and temperatures have kept rising. Earth is also experiencing a natural climate pattern called El Nino (厄尔尼诺), which causes the water in the eastern Pacific Ocean to warm up more than usual. This can lead to hot weather around the world. Temperatures in some parts of Europe were expected to fall on 20 July.
1. Which place was the hottest on 18 July according to the text?| A．Rome. | B．Athens. | C．Death Valley. | D．Sardinia. |
| A．Because drinking coffee is unhealthy. |
| B．Because drinking coffee makes it hard to fall asleep. |
| C．Because you may feel thirstier after drinking coffee. |
| D．Because drinking coffee may cause your body temperature to rise. |
| A．To list an example. | B．To provide a figure. |
| C．To draw a conclusion. | D．To introduce an exception. |
| A．Wildfire Broke Out | B．Heatwave Sweeps Europe and the US |
| C．El Nino Causes Hot Weather | D．UK Experienced High Temperatures |
2 . Gently holding a baby hummingbird (蜂鸟) between her hands, Lattouf says, “Hello, cute little guy. Are you very hungry?” It’s the newest patient at Lattouf apartment in Mexico City where she has nursed hundreds of the tiny birds back to health over the past decade. Under Lattouf’s caress (爱抚), the bird relaxes little by little.
This is often how Lattouf’s days have gone since she turned her apartment into a clinic (诊所) for sick, injured or baby hummingbirds. Most of the hummingbirds are in the bedroom where Lattouf sleeps. They stay there until they are strong enough to fly and feed themselves. Then she moves them to a neighboring room to prepare them to finally be freed.
With dozens of the tiny birds buzzing overhead, Lattouf explained that she began caring for them a year after surviving colon (结肠) cancer in 2011. It started with one hummingbird that had an eye injured by another bird. A veterinarian (兽医) friend encouraged her to try to help it. The bird became her close partner, staying on her computer screen while she worked. “It wrote me a new life,” she said of the nine months when the bird lived with her. It helped pull Lattouf out of the sadness and loneliness she had experienced after her husband’s 2009 death followed by her cancer. Later, friends began bringing her more hummingbirds.
Lattouf says she never turns away a bird. “Most come to me as babies. Many come to me broken,” she said. Some have injuries to wings after running into things or falling from nests. Some get sick because of drinking polluted water from hummingbird feeders, which are popular in the city. Now the demand for her services has jumped because someone put a video about her work on the social platform TikTok that has been viewed more than 1.5 million times.
The city is filled with threats to hummingbirds like constant construction projects that replace flower gardens with concrete. But Lattouf remains optimistic. “We do everything possible,” she said.
1. What do we know about Lattouf?| A．She tried to save hummingbirds. | B．She wanted to be a nurse. |
| C．She liked to live in Mexico. | D．She used to be a doctor. |
| A．Her love for hummingbirds. | B．Her needs for a partner. |
| C．Her encounter with an injured one. | D．Her friend’s encouragement. |
| A．She has worked hard. |
| B．She has shared videos about the tiny bird. |
| C．More people get to know her services by TikTok. |
| D．She has accepted every injured hummingbird. |
| A．Brave and realistic. | B．Outgoing and active. |
| C．Generous and optimistic. | D．Humorous and energetic. |
3 . Growing up in the “City of Lakes”, Udaipur, India, my passion and love for animals grew with each passing day. I often
As I matured, I could no longer stand idle, resigned (屈服的) to a passive role. I decided to
I sought inspiration from others who had experience
Each time we rescue a sick or injured animal, there is a celebration in our hearts. When you save a life, your soul feels so
| A．imagined | B．believed | C．witnessed | D．considered |
| A．ached | B．sank | C．beat | D．moved |
| A．apparent | B．various | C．ridiculous | D．limited |
| A．model | B．difference | C．decision | D．list |
| A．describe | B．design | C．establish | D．find |
| A．in need | B．at hand | C．within reach | D．on end |
| A．product | B．focus | C．care | D．rescue |
| A．way | B．lack | C．style | D．topic |
| A．assistance | B．arrangement | C．destination | D．comment |
| A．looked | B．brought | C．continued | D．pated |
| A．appearing | B．surviving | C．living | D．parking |
| A．mass | B．invaluable | C．worthless | D．legal |
| A．take effect | B．catch on | C．take shape | D．make sense |
| A．strength | B．authority | C．profit | D．harmony |
| A．motionlessly | B．speechlessly | C．carelessly | D．tirelessly |
| A．existence | B．reality | C．chance | D．battle |
| A．eager | B．generous | C．complete | D．ordinary |
| A．respect | B．relief | C．impact | D．smile |
| A．gratitude | B．connection | C．approach | D．reaction |
| A．widen | B．narrow | C．shorten | D．deepen |
4 . Elephants eat plants. That’s common knowledge to biologists and animal-loving, schoolchildren alike. Yet figuring out exactly what kind of plants they eat is more complicated.
A new study from a global team that included Brown University conservation biologists used innovative methods to efficiently and precisely analyze the dietary habits of elephants in Kenya. Their findings on the habits of individual elephants help answer important questions about group food searching behaviors, and aid biologists in understanding the conservation approaches that best keep elephants not only sated (饱的) but satisfied.
“When I talk to non-ecologists, they are surprised to learn that we have never really had a clear picture of what all of these large animals actually eat in nature,” Kartzinel, an expert botanist who has conducted field research in Kenya, said. “The reason is that these animals are difficult and dangerous to observe from up-close, they move long distances, they feed at night and in thick bush and a lot of the plants they feed on are quite small.”
Then the team compared the diets of individual elephants through time. In their analysis, they showed that dietary differences among individuals were often far greater than what had been previously assumed, even among family members that ate together on a given day.
This study helps address a classic paradox (悖论) in wildlife ecology. Kartzinel said: “How do social bonds hold family groups together in a world of limited resources?” In other words, given that elephants all seemingly eat the same plants, it's not obvious why competition for food doesn't push them apart and force them to search for food independently.
“The simple answer is that elephants vary their diets based not only on what’s available but also their preferences and physiological needs,” said Kartzinel. These findings help inform theories of why a group of elephants may search for food together: The individual elephants don't always eat exactly the same plants at the same time, so there will usually be enough plants to go around.
These findings may offer valuable insights for conservation biologists. To protect elephants and create environments in which they can successfully grow their populations, they need a variety of plants to eat.
1. What did the new study focus on?| A．The results of conservation approaches. | B．The eating habits of elephants. |
| C．Ways to protect elephants from starving. | D．Elephants’ social behavior and needs. |
| A．Elephants are hard to monitor. | B．Elephants only live in thick bush. |
| C．Elephants are kind and friendly animals. | D．Elephants seldom eat with humans around. |
| A．It is necessary for elephants to live together. |
| B．It is possible to observe elephants up-close. |
| C．It is social bonds that hold elephants together. |
| D．It is important to protect the variety of plants. |
| A．Inaccurate. | B．Shocking. | C．Beneficial. | D．Subjective. |
5 . Discover how you can help endangered species! Volunteer to help conserve endangered species around the world with GoEco.
Sea turtles, Sri Lanka
The species is threatened by human hunters. The Sri Lankan government has approved the creation of hatcheries (孵化场) in order to protect this species. Volunteers on this program spend 60% of their time working in the hatchery and the other 40% is spent on activities such as beach cleanups and creating awareness within the local community.
Program Fees: $1,280 for 2 weeks and $1,680 per month for volunteers.
Wildlife Rescue, Western Australia
Adult kangaroos and wallabies are hunted for food, leaving thousands of their babies without parents. Many are killed or injured in road accidents. At the wildlife rescue center in Perth, Western Australia, volunteers live and help in the bushland caring for sick, injured, and displaced animals.
Program Fee: $2,095 for four weeks. Volunteers stay on-site in a small room. Due to very limited space, applications must be sent at least 9-12 months in advance.
Endangered Species Reserve, South Africa
The project will give you an incredible wildlife experience while learning about conservation efforts. For the rest of the time between monitoring sessions, volunteers are required to enter all the data that they have collected into our databases. At times, volunteers need to operate on night shifts. We also give lectures and presentations over the lunch period.
Program Fee: $1,750 for 2 weeks
Big Cat Refuge, South Africa
As a volunteer on this project, you will be involved in a wide variety of activities. Volunteer’s work ranges from enrichment activities, such as toy-making and farm work, to educating the visitors. Volunteers will also directly care for the cats by preparing food or feeding them as well as maintaining their living space.
Program Fee: $1,450 for 2 weeks
1. What is the monthly project fee for volunteers in Sri Lanka?| A．$1,280. | B．$1,680. | C．$2,560. | D．$2,960. |
| A．Having previous experience. |
| B．Working night shifts sometimes. |
| C．Applying for the project in advance. |
| D．Having a good knowledge of wildlife. |
| A．Study the habits of big cats. |
| B．Help to sell some toys about cats. |
| C．Guide visitors to the habitat of the cats. |
| D．Do daily routines in the cats’ living space. |
6 . Pollution of the world’s rivers from medicines and pharmaceutical (制药的) products poses a “threat to environmental and global health”, a report says.
Various drugs were widely detected in a University of York study. The research is among the most extensive conducted on a global scale. Rivers in Pakistan, Bolivia and Ethiopia were among the most polluted. Rivers in Iceland, Norway and Amazon Rainforest were the least polluted.
The impact of many of the most common pharmaceutical substances in rivers is still largely unknown. But it is already well established that dissolved human contraceptives (避孕药) can impact the development and reproduction of fish, and scientists fear the increased presence of antibiotics (抗生素) in rivers could limit their effectiveness as medicines.
The study took samples from more than 1,000 test sites in more than 100 countries. Overall, more than a quarter of the 258 rivers sampled had what are known as “active pharmaceutical ingredients” present at a level considered unsafe for life in water.
“Typically, what happens is, we take these chemicals, they have some desired effects on us and then they leave our bodies,” Dr. John Wilkinson, who led the research, said. “What we know now is that even the most modern efficient wastewater treatment plants aren’t completely capable of removing these substances before they end up in rivers or lakes.”
The report said the increased presence of antibiotics in rivers could also lead to the development of resistant bacteria, damaging the effectiveness of medicines and finally posing “a global threat to environmental and global health”.
The most polluted sites were largely in low-income to middle-income countries, and in areas where there was poor wastewater management and pharmaceutical production. “This is most concerning because you have the weakest populations with the least access to healthcare exposed to this,” said Dr. Mohamed Abdallah from the UK’s Birmingham University.
On the question of what can be done, Dr. Wilkinson suggested, “One of the few things that could have an effect right now is the proper use of medicines.” That would mean making it harder to get hold of medicines like antibiotics, and tougher restrictions on doses (剂量).
1. In which county were rivers the least polluted?| A．Pakistan. | B．Bolivia. | C．Ethiopia. | D．Iceland. |
| A．By listing figures. | B．By giving examples. |
| C．By comparing different facts. | D．By debating and concluding. |
| A．Positive. | B．Hateful. | C．Worried. | D．Unconcerned. |
| A．How to Deal with the Pollution in the Rivers |
| B．The Proper Use of Medicines such as Antibiotics |
| C．Most Rivers in the World Have Been Polluted Seriously |
| D．Pharmaceutical Products Left in Rivers Threaten Creatures and People’s Health |
7 . When gardeners grow varieties of plants in their beautiful gardens, they are happy to see beneficial insects like bees and butterflies surrounding the flowers. But as they take a closer look, they may find some plants are covered in black dots and filled with harmful insects or pests. Some gardeners may immediately reach for chemicals.
If you are wise gardeners, you should first take preventive measures to control the harmful insects.
Prevention
As a rule, prevention is the best treatment. Inspect plants closely, including their leaves, before buying them from the store.
When planting, space plants out to permit them to grow to their full size. Plants too close together can breed harmful organisms, like bacteria.
Pesticides
If you decide a pesticide is necessary, choose it carefully and follow the directions and warnings on the product. Avoid using pesticides in extreme heat, on windy days, or when the plants are wet.
| A．But this is not wise. |
| B．In most cases, chemicals don’t help. |
| C．Treat the plants early in the morning or at night. |
| D．Also do remember the plants need nutrition and care. |
| E．Keep your garden free of fallen leaves, fruits and other wastes. |
| F．Do not bring any plants home that show signs of disease or pests. |
| G．The process starts with the idea that having some pests is acceptable. |
8 . When micro-plastics end up in farm fields, the pollution can damage plant growth. But two young researchers now report that combining fungi (真菌) with certain farm wastes can partly overcome that problem.
May Shin, 20, and Jiwon Choi, 18, met in a research design class at the Fryeburg Academy, a high school in Maine. May had desired to explore how micro-plastics might affect the ecosystem. Jiwon was crazy about plants and fungi. The young scientists cooperated to test how long-lived plastics might affect farm crops.
Scientists have shown certain fungi can aid root growth and a plant’s nutrient uptake. Those organisms are named arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). Certain farm wastes, like straw, can provide nutrients to plants and help stabilize their roots. Such wastes are also known as mushroom substrate (基质) and people often grow mushrooms in them.
May and Jiwon planted over 2,000 scallion (大葱) seeds in pots of soil. Half the seeds got soil polluted with micro-plastics. The rest grew in plastic-free soil. The plants then were further divided into four groups. The young scientists added AMF to the soil in one group. Another group had a top layer of mushroom substrate. A third group got both treatments. The last group got none. For three weeks, the pair tracked how many scallions sprouted (发芽) in each group and measured the plants’ height once each week.
About twice as many scallions sprouted in clean soil compared to that containing plastic bits. But among plants surviving in the polluted soil, a combination of AMF and mushroom substrate helped them out. Those getting both treatments grew 5.4 centimeters per week. That was faster than either of the treatments alone or those getting none.
Jiwon and May then looked at the plant roots with a microscope. Where AMF had been added, it grew into those roots. That increased the scallion roots’ surface area, May said, which should promote their uptake of nutrients. So “I see this project as coming up with a sustainable solution for plant growth in polluted soils,” said May.
1. Why did May and Jiwon work together?| A．To see the effects of long-lived plastics on farm crops. |
| B．To find the relationship between plants and fungi. |
| C．To design a research on the growth of plants. |
| D．To explore the way that the ecosystem works. |
| A．To prove the existence of micro-plastics. | B．To compare fungi with farm wastes. |
| C．To tell the advantages of farm wastes. | D．To provide some related information. |
| A．Its purpose. | B．Its design. | C．Its findings. | D．Its reasons. |
| A．By keeping the plants more resistant to pollution. | B．By allowing the plants’ deep area more freedom. |
| C．By making nutrients more available to the plants. | D．By exposing the roots to a larger surface area. |
9 . Madagascar’s extremely improbable wildlife may be thanks to dozens of dramatic oceanic journeys that would put Robinson Crusoe to shame, says a new research.
“It seems like a far-fetched idea that animals could survive moving across the sea,” says Matthew Borths, a researcher at Duke University. But a comparison of genetic data from modern Malagasy species with the fossil (化石) record of their ancestors from the African mainland has revealed that this is likely what happened for most land animals, according to the research, published in May in the journal Biological Reviews.
Animals from mainland Africa would have been trapped on large rafts (木筏) of vegetation and floated to Madagascar, where they eventually evolved (进化) into the wildlife we know today. Some 95 percent of wildlife are endemic to the country, which means they live nowhere else in the world.
Scientists have three major theories to explain how land animals got to Madagascar: The species were there before Madagascar divided and became an island, they swam and/or rafted across from mainland Africa when currents flowed that way, or they crossed land bridges that might have existed at different periods.
In their study, Jason Ali, the study co-author, and Blair Hedges, a biologist at Temple University, pulled together a large amount of previously published research to test each of these possible origin stories.
The team compared the genes of 28 groups of land animals, including animals from modern-day Madagascar, with the genes of species on mainland Africa that are the closest, relatives. Based on this information, they calculated the likely time when the ancestor of each species group likely arrived in Madagascar, then evolved into something new.
1. What does the research find about the animals in Madagascar?| A．They come from mainland Africa. | B．They are good at swimming. |
| C．They are the same as those in Asia. | D．They tend to live on the coast. |
| A．Friendly. | B．Native. | C．Unknown. | D．Useful. |
| A．By collecting origin stories in the field. | B．By observing wildlife in the forest. |
| C．By comparing the published data. | D．By teaming up with the locals. |
| A．Why Is Madagascar’s Wildlife So Unique? | B．When Did Animals Arrive in Madagascar? |
| C．How Did Scientists Study Fossils in Africa? | D．What Makes Animals in Africa Evolve Slowly? |
10 . While tearing yellow flowers blanketing hillsides in Los Angeles, Max Kingery has been questioned about his purpose for killing flowers.
But the clothing designer who used the plants to dye (染色) his spring and summer lines said he is not accused of stealing the wildflowers in California. Instead, he sees it as an opportunity to raise awareness about a destructive flower that grew rapidly in the state following an unusually wet winter: wild black mustard (芥末). The plant from Eurasia was first brought to California in the 1700s.
Mustard was among the most noticeable of wild flowering plants that appeared unexpectedly everywhere in California this spring. As temperatures warm it is starting to die, making it easy to cause wildfires. Mustard is also a threat to native plants, transforming the landscape. Its leaves and roots prevent the growth of other species.
Kingery is part of a growing group of artists, designers and chefs who are tackling the problem by harvesting the plant to use in everything from dyes to foods.
Kingery’s line features sweatshirts, pants, and other items dyed naturally using mustard. Artist Erin Berkowitz of Berbo Studio makes dyes from the species, including the dye for Kingery’s clothing line. She has offered classes along with a chef who makes food out of the mustard greens and flowers. Berkowitz said her work with Kingery showed the possibilities of what can happen if more people become aware of its uses.
To that end, artist Nadine Allan made a digital magazine, about the uses of black mustard, including to make paper and a face mask.
Allan said she was motivated to act in part because she has friends who lost nearly everything to wildfires. “The species just look so pretty. If you don’t really know what’s happening on a larger scale, you might say they’re just a sea of yellow flowers,” she said.
1. What can we learn about Max Kingery?| A．He brought mustard to California. | B．He was accused of unlawful acts. |
| C．He used mustard to dye clothes. | D．He was ashamed to pick flowers. |
| A．The rising temperature. | B．The history of mustard. | C．The amazing landscape. | D．The harm of mustard. |
| A．Stressful. | B．Long-expected. | C．Creative. | D．Short-sighted. |
| A．To check the spreading of mustard. | B．To protect the endangered plant. |
| C．To make her art available online. | D．To promote a greener lifestyle. |
