Matt is a primary school student who loves playing with little animals. One day, when he was on
The longer Matt played with
After Matt entered the class, he told some
To Matt’s surprise, the teacher came up to him
Amundsen was the first
Even Amundsen was moved by Scott’s death saying “Captain Scott left a record, for honesty, for sincerity, for
The reason
Reeve became a
With a sense of energy and commitment, Reeve undertook an intense exercise programme to help him achieve this goal. He
In a small community located at a suburb of Exeter, a disheartening issue had been troubling the neighborhood for years. The once pleasant surroundings were ruined by piles of waste that seemed to multiply with each passing day. Residents were growing tired of the worsening environment, leading many to abandon their homes in search of cleaner neighborhoods. It was in this terrible situation that two young students, Emma and Mia, decided to take matters into their own hands.
Emma and Mia were classmates and best friends from Phillips Exeter Academy, both passionate about environmental preservation and deeply concerned about the pollution crisis their community was facing. Witnessing more and more neighbors’ leaving, they knew they couldn’t stand by any longer. Determined to bring about a change, they undertook a mission that would soon catch the attention of the entire community.
Their journey began with thorough research and planning. The two girls searched carefully on the Internet for information on environmental initiatives and connected with local environmentalists. They organized meetings with residents to understand the issues at hand, collecting data on the types of waste, the sources, and the areas most affected. Armed with this knowledge, Emma and Mia worked out a comprehensive plan and announced it to ask for opinions from the residents. Surprisingly it was strongly supported.
Their strategy was twofold. First, they initiated a waste classification and recycling program. They distributed recycling bins(回收箱) to every household and educated the community about the importance of responsible waste management. Soon, the streets began to show signs of improvement as the volume of garbage inappropriately thrown away decreased gradually.
The second part of their plan was more ambitious. Emma and Mia gathered volunteers from their school and the neighborhood to take part in a massive clean-up campaign. Armed with gloves and trash(垃圾)bags, they began systematically clearing the waste from the streets, parks, and even the local bodies of water. Their firm commitment and hard work inspired others to join the cause.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右;
2. 请按如下格式作答。
Half a year later, the changes were significant.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Emma and Mia received recognition and honors for their work.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________4 . “In high school, I decided to stop eating meat. I love animals. I couldn’t see them suffering.” Babulski says, who is a biologist at Monroe Community College in New York. Teenage Babulski initially lived on starches (淀粉食物) and salads. Eventually she learned to eat a more balanced vegetarian (素食者的) diet. But, Babulski remembers, her mom still wished she’d give up the madness. Mom thought she was going to straight up die.
The decision by Babulski and others to go vegetarian can be threatening to those who view eating animals as typically American. Eating meat is the norm in the United States, even though medical experts have long encouraged people to eat less processed and red meat for health reasons. What is becoming clear is that a meat-heavy diet is also terrible for the planet.
Shifting demand from meat to beans, whole grains, fruits, vegetables and nuts could have many benefits for the climate. A more recent April report from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the IPCC, suggests that the world’s wealthiest individuals could greatly decrease emissions (排放) through lifestyle changes. That’s because households with incomes in the top 10 percent produce roughly 36 to 45 percent of global emissions, while households with incomes in the bottom 50 percent contribute just 13 to 15 percent. Therefore, wealthier individuals, who adopt a low-carbon lifestyle, can help establish new, more sustainable social norms.
Babulski learned about the environmental impacts of meat production. She now shares her personal journey with students in her environmental science course. Many of her students come to realize the power of their individual choices. The little things they do actually do add up and make a difference.
1. Why did Babulski’s mother object to her becoming a vegetarian?| A．She felt threatened. | B．She was a meat lover. |
| C．She misunderstood her. | D．She was worried about her health. |
| A．It is a personal lifestyle. | B．It can cause health problems. |
| C．It is harmful to the environment. | D．It is an essential part of their life. |
| A．The factories. | B．The government. |
| C．The low-income families. | D．The wealthy people. |
| A．Neutral. | B．Supportive. | C．Critical. | D．Uninterested. |
5 . Bred to be more sweeter, today’s cherries, bananas and apples taste different than they used — to but not necessarily better. Among fruit farmers, the word “quality” is now routinely used as a standard for “high in sugar”, though firmness, color and size are also considerations. In a recent study about ways to enhance the sweetness of fruit using “molecular (分子的) approaches”, a group of plant scientists wrote that, in general, the sugar content of many fruits are now higher than before owing to continuous selection and breeding. Modern apple varieties, the scientists stressed, were on average sweeter than older ones.
The sweetness of fruit depends not just on how it is bred but also on growing conditions, yield and harvest. The lead researcher, Sugiura, said, “If you could taste an apple harvested 30 years ago, you would feel the difference.” He believed that modern apples are picked so early that even if they are bred for sweetness, they often don’t develop their full character. The fragrance (香味) never develops in fruit that is harvested too early.
Jim Cooper, an apple farmer in England, is regretful to admit the fact that many people will never taste the “strawberry hint” in a really ripe Pearmain, a type of heritage apple. In a way, the rise of consistently sweeter fruit in our lifetimes has been a victory of plant breeding. After all, it’s a rare person who would seek out bitter grapes if they could have sweet ones instead.
But the sweetness of modern fruit is not without its problems, especially for people with diabetes (糖尿病), who have to reduce their intake of higher-sugar fruits. Fruit that is bred sweeter also tends to be lower in the chemicals that make it healthy. Considering health, maybe the real problem with modern fruit is that it has become yet another sweet thing in a world with sugar. Even grapefruits, which used to be quite bitter, are sometimes now as sweet as oranges. If you’ve never tasted a sour cherry, how can you fully appreciate a sweet one?
1. In what aspect is many fruits different from before?| A．Sugar content. | B．Soft skin. | C．Bright color. | D．High yield. |
| A．They are bred too early. | B．They taste so sweet. |
| C．They are losing a good flavor. | D．They need a higher yield. |
| A．Favorable. | B．Critical. | C．Ambiguous. | D．Indifferent. |
| A．It’s a wise choice to breed fruits for sweetness. |
| B．Breeding sweet fruits improves the quality of fruits. |
| C．Some fruits like grapes and cherries taste the same. |
| D．The sweetness of fruits will cause health issues. |
6 . My son Timmy was born with several rare developmental disabilities. By age 13, he had had at least 10 surgeries on his legs and feet. Balancing and walking was very
Meeting Janice, who
Larry has changed Timmy, s life so much for the better. Not only does Larry give my son
Larry slows to Timmy’s pace and watches every
| A．suitable | B．difficult | C．easy | D．perfect |
| A．used to | B．seemed to | C．had to | D．failed to |
| A．motivated | B．pushed | C．anticipated | D．formed |
| A．disappointed | B．strict | C．careful | D．familiar |
| A．judgement | B．day | C．match | D．task |
| A．dressed | B．stuck | C．pulled | D．invited |
| A．support | B．message | C．highlight | D．news |
| A．bleeding | B．falling | C．following | D．screaming |
| A．take | B．come | C．leave | D．see |
| A．sad | B．excited | C．angry | D．well |
| A．eat | B．drive | C．read | D．laugh |
| A．plan | B．decision | C．move | D．conclusion |
| A．amazing | B．shocking | C．boring | D．annoying |
| A．exercise | B．security | C．account | D．tension |
| A．doctor | B．journey | C．school | D．friend |
7 . For many young Canadians, planting trees is more than just a job. It’s a way of
Planting trees is not easy work, according to Leslie. Not only is it
So far, Leslie has planted a total of 372,290 trees in the past few years.
“I think every parent in Canada should
| A．appointment | B．impression | C．recreation | D．life |
| A．investment | B．liberation | C．video | D．story |
| A．negative | B．speedy | C．respective | D．influential |
| A．rewarding | B．massive | C．original | D．diverse |
| A．barely | B．permanently | C．gradually | D．physically |
| A．heavy | B．sunny | C．severe | D．obvious |
| A．expect | B．organize | C．prefer | D．recover |
| A．scream | B．action | C．push | D．wave |
| A．potential | B．sudden | C．tough | D．flexible |
| A．Moreover | B．However | C．Besides | D．Therefore |
| A．turns to | B．relates to | C．belongs to | D．subscribes to |
| A．admit | B．warn | C．whisper | D．recommend |
| A．send | B．celebrate | C．understand | D．decide |
| A．imagined | B．argued | C．explained | D．responded |
| A．version | B．concept | C．responsibility | D．qualification |
8 . Global warming is causing problems for birds in Sweden and elsewhere. Warmer springs mean that caterpillars (毛毛虫) hatch and grow earlier compared with just a few decades ago. This has consequences for birds that cannot eat proper caterpillars. Therefore, when the food supply runs out at an ever earlier time in the spring, more and more baby birds starve during the breeding (繁殖) season. This is a big problem for migratory birds that spend winters in Africa, as they do not know how early spring arrives in Sweden.
“We thought that perhaps the migratory birds could fly further north until they find a place with suitable well-developed caterpillars,” says Nilsson, biology researcher at Lund University in Sweden.
To test this in practice, the researchers decided to help some pied flycatchers (斑背鹟) along the way. The biologists caught pied flycatchers that had arrived prior to breeding in the Netherlands. The birds were then driven during the night to Vombs Fure, an area of pine forest outside Lund in Skane, where they were released. The peak of caterpillar availability in Skane is about two weeks later than in the Netherlands — a distance of around 600 kilometres that a pied flycatcher could cover in just two nights.
“The birds that were given a lift from the Netherlands to Skane synchronized (同步) very well with the food peak! As they started to breed about 10 days earlier the Swedish pied flycatchers, they had a dramatically better breeding success than the Swedish ones as well as a better success than the pied flycatchers that remained in the Netherlands,” says Nilsson. In addition, it was shown that the baby birds of the pied flycatchers that had received migration assistance arrived earlier during the migration season to find Skane.
“The number of small birds, particularly migratory birds, has decreased drastically throughout Europe. By flying a little further north, these birds, at least in principle, could synchronise with their food resources and there is hope that populations of small birds can be maintained, even though springs are arriving ever earlier,” adds Nilsson.
1. What’s the problem for migratory birds spending winters in Africa?| A．Global warming affects their natural habitats. |
| B．Their babies suffer a lot from food shortage. |
| C．They return to Sweden earlier compared with decades ago. |
| D．Only a few of them can return to the northern habitat as usual. |
| A．They were so timed that they can’t tally anymore. |
| B．They preferred to the warmer climate there. |
| C．They could be provided with sufficient food resources. |
| D．They were misled by the researchers during the night. |
| A．Positive. | B．Critical. | C．Unclear. | D．Neutral. |
| A．Migratory Birds Are at the Great Risk of Global Warming |
| B．Scientists Are Using High-Tech Tools to Study Migratory Birds |
| C．Human Beings Can Live in Harmony with Migratory Birds |
| D．Migratory Birds Can Be Taught to Adjust to Climate Change |
9 . How crowded your neighborhood is can affect the health of our planet, a new study finds. Scientists measured the effect that people have on the environment using a carbon footprint. That footprint reflects the amount of carbon dioxide (二氧化碳)—a greenhouse gas—that is sent into the atmosphere because of people’s daily activities.
Carbon footprints tend to be low for citizens. Living in a suburb (郊区) outside a city, however, can be opposite.
People living in the city centers have low carbon footprints, the researchers found. “It is much easier to have a low carbon effect if your home is close to where you work, shop and play,” explains Jones. Living within walking or biking distance cuts back on the amount of carbon dioxide compared with moving people by cars. And cities with bus and subway networks allow people to travel great distances while keeping the amount of greenhouse gases low.
Not everyone can afford to live in the city, however. Suburbs offer more space, allowing people to build larger homes. Suburbs may offer better schools to kids. But those homes are usually far away from where owners work, play or learn. So people who live in suburbs often drive long distances.
The average household in a large city sends out about 40 tons of carbon dioxide per year. The average suburban household, however, sends out close to 50 tons of carbon dioxide per year.
The new findings are an important contribution to climate research. They would give scientists a better understanding of how culture might mix with locations to influence our carbon footprints.
You may not have any control over the location of your home. Still, everyone can take steps to reduce their carbon footprints. That’s because how much we pollute is influenced not just by where we live, but also by how we live.
To reduce your footprints, start small. Turn off lights when they’re not in use. Recycle or reuse things instead of throwing them away. And as people get used to making small changes, the leap to bigger ones will get easier.
1. Why do people living in suburbs have higher carbon footprints?| A．Because they often drive to work, play or do other things. |
| B．Because their homes take up too much space. |
| C．Because they often use buses and subways to travel great distances. |
| D．Because they have to send their kids to schools by car. |
| A．By giving examples. | B．By making comparisons. |
| C．By following time order. | D．By explaining processes. |
| A．People living in big cities produce more carbon dioxide. |
| B．Culture plays the most important role in influencing the environment. |
| C．Any process of making new products may pollute the environment. |
| D．One’s small step can make a big difference to the environment. |
| A．Health. | B．Sports. | C．Culture. | D．Environment. |
10 . Animals, including humans, feel sound as well as hear it, and some of the most meaningful communication happens at frequencies (频率) that people can’t hear. Elephants, for example, use these low-frequency sounds to, among other things, find family or a mate across long distances. Whales do it, too.
But you don’t have to weigh a ton to make a sound. In fact, you don’t have to be bigger than a pea. Consider, for example, the tree-hopper, a curious little animal that lives on the stems (茎) of the leaves. University of Missouri biologist Rex Cocroft has spent much of his time listening closely to tree-hoppers with his team.
The team discovers that all the sounds being heard from tree-hoppers are produced by males. They do it by vibrating (振动) their abdomens (腹部) to make a wide variety of strange sounds. There is almost no airborne sound produced with these vibrational sounds. Cocroft explained, “If a tree-hopper were to stand on your finger and produce a sound, you would feel the vibration but hear no sound.”
They showed that some sounds, not surprisingly, seem to be aimed at attracting females. And some are aimed at other males.
Cocroft explained, “When two males meet each other, or when they are mate-searching on a branch, we’re hearing ‘purring, bdddddrrrr…’ sounds that males give.” Normally, a person couldn’t hear any of this, because the sound travels along the stem, inside it. And that’s how other tree-hoppers detect it.
Cocroft said tree-hoppers have very sensitive legs. And they stand around on stems, which are good at spreading vibrations. So they just use what nature gives them to communicate with each other.
“They have so many different forms of social behavior and grouping,” Cocroft explained. “And once there are animals living in groups, then there will be all sorts of interesting possibilities for communication.”
1. What does Cocroft’s research focus on about tree-hoppers?| A．Their variety. | B．Their communication. |
| C．Their living areas. | D．Their numbers. |
| A．They sense sounds by legs. |
| B．They knock the stems to make sounds. |
| C．Their sounds can be easily heard by humans. |
| D．Females make sounds to meet each other |
| A．It is key to their survival. |
| B．It drives an increase in their numbers. |
| C．It often leads to communication. |
| D．It contributes much to the division of animal types. |
| A．A Magic Moment in Nature | B．A Journey to the Wildlife |
| C．Learning From Nature | D．Communication Sounds Among Animals |
