1 . Having studied more than 400 groups of honeybees in Brazil for two years, a group of biologists led by Viviana Di Pietro report that, like humans, honeybees are capable of learning new traditions which are then handed down over generations.
“The most obvious example is that honeybees can build their homes according to different architectural traditions which are then handed down over generations,” they write. “We found that around 95% of the honeybees built their homes in a horizontal (与地面平行的) style, while 5% of them preferred a spiral (螺旋形的) structure. In each case, the tradition was passed down to the next generations.”
Since honeybees showed a strong preference for a horizontal structure, it was surprising that spiral structures occurred at all. “With the help of video cameras, we found that there was a noticeable difference in average building rate between the two styles.” the researchers add.
In order to rule out a genetic (遗传的) explanation for the different styles, the researchers took honeybees from the groups that built in spiral tradition close to the groups that built in horizontal tradition. The imported honeybees soon learned to build their homes in the local style, which was then passed down to their children as they eventually grew up. “It is very likely that the imported honeybees might have changed the style as a way of correcting the construction errors made by their ancestors.” the researchers suggest.
The findings have surprised observers of animal culture, as they suggest that honeybees can learn and hand down different building traditions over generations. This has changed the way of thinking about culture, which is often strictly defined as behaviour directly handed down from human parents to their children until it becomes a tradition in a group.
“Insect culture was thought impossible. Less than a century ago, culture was thought to be uniquely human,” says biologist Andrew Whiten of the University of St Andrews, who was not involved in the research. “But the new research has offered strong evidence pointing to the opposite.”
1. Why do most honeybees prefer a horizontal structure according to the research?| A．It is easier to be copied. | B．It is a bit stronger. |
| C．It is more comfortable. | D．It is faster to build. |
| A．Scientists. | B．Traditions. | C．Findings. | D．Parents. |
| A．Favorable. | B．Disapproving. | C．Doubtful. | D．Unclear. |
| A．Researchers Have Different Views on Animal Culture |
| B．Honeybees May Learn and Preserve Cultural Traditions |
| C．Honeybees Can Learn Building Skills From Their Neighbors |
| D．Researchers Have Misunderstood Honeybees for a Long Time |
2 . The ocean depths contain the metals needed for the widespread use of battery-dependent technologies like electric vehicles, which will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Interested parties see this as a solution to our technological demands and the pressing need for a “green transition”. However, it raises a crucial question: should we mine the deepest stretches of the world’s oceans?
Some scientists and activists warn that seabed mining could cause an irreversible (不可逆的) chain reaction, severely harming the ocean and threatening entire ecosystems on the ocean floor. There are also potential risks to our health, including toxic metals entering the human food chain, and affecting climate change. The most significant direct impact of mining in remote ecosystems is the probable loss of habitat and biodiversity.
Dr Chong Chen is a deep sea biologist at the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC). “There are undoubtedly many undiscovered species with abilities and functions that we cannot even imagine exist,” he says, “and we could lose them without knowing they ever existed.”
The mining process also disturbs seabed sediments (沉积物) and releases them back into the sea, raising additional concerns among scientists. Mining is for metals, whose stability of the construction are unchecked. “Some of those may be broken down and be directly into the water column,” says Jeffrey Drazen, professor of Oceanography with the University of Hawaii at Manoa. “Some of these metals are toxic to life.” says Professor Drazen. At the same time, he acknowledges the core challenge is ensuring whether the benefits of extracting (提取) deep-sea mineral resources outweigh the potential harm to our ecosystem. He notes that it’s a tough choice.
The positive development is that, for the first time, companies, governments, and civil society are actively participating in international discussions to create rules and regulations for the deep-sea mining industry before it begins.
1. What’s the purpose of the last sentence in Paragraph 1?| A．To introduce the topic. | B．To give some evidence. |
| C．To define the phenomenon. | D．To reveal the conception. |
| A．Sediments. | B．Seabed. | C．Metals. | D．Mineral resources. |
| A．The deep-sea mining will not do more harm than good to the people. |
| B．The deep-sea mining has a big impact on ecosystem and human beings. |
| C．A regulatory framework for the deep-sea mining industry has been established. |
| D．Many undiscovered species are bound to extinct according to Dr Chong Chen. |
| A．Skeptical. | B．Objective. | C．Indifferent. | D．Positive. |
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
4 . Tiny, black-capped chickadees (北美山雀) have big memories. They store food in hundreds to thousands of different locations in the wild—and then come back to these places when other food sources are low.
Scientists have known that chickadees have incredible memory skills. That memory can be a matter of life or death for these birds when there are no enough food resources in colder months.
Some researchers thought that neurons called place cells (细胞) would explain these birds’ ability to remember where their food is stored. These cells are known to include information about where things are in space. But recently, Selmaan Chettih and his team found that each time a chickadee hides a seed (种子) in a specific location, a unique brain pattern appears—separate from place cells.
To observe this, Chettih and his team created special areas with lots of feeders filled with sunflower seeds. They put small flaps (片状下垂物) where birds could hide seeds.
The scientists tracked the activity in their brains. Each time a bird hid a seed under a flap, researchers saw a brief unique brain pattern appear—what they called the bar code. Different patterns appeared even if the birds hid many seeds in the same location. When the birds revisited these sites and retrieved the hidden seeds, the same bar code-like pattern appeared again, as though all the information about each location and seed were related to a unique brain pattern.
The researchers compared these memories to episodic memories in humans, which are memories of specific events or personal experiences. They’re important to how humans connect time, people, places and sensory information together.
Chettih says that this seed-hiding behavior has a clear pattern of activity, which may help researchers build a structure for how the brain creates and stores memories.
1. Why are memory skills necessary for chickadees?| A．Memory skills show their intelligence and learning abilities. |
| B．Memory skills can help them survive in colder months. |
| C．They need memory skills to identify different types of food. |
| D．They use memory skills to avoid being attacked by other animals. |
| A．Unique brain patterns appeared when chickadees hid seeds. |
| B．Chickadees’ memories were controlled by place cells. |
| C．Chickadees preferred hiding sunflower seeds. |
| D．Chickadees often hid many seeds in the same location. |
| A．Got back. | B．Gave up. | C．Repaired. | D．Designed |
| A．To compare chickadees and human memory skills. |
| B．To present a detailed description of chickadees. |
| C．To introduce a study on chickadees’ memory. |
| D．To provide readers with a way to improve memory skills. |
5 . As the weather warms up, turtles (乌龟) are on the move, especially females, who may be looking for a place to nest.
Large turtles should be touched as little as possible. They can be gently encouraged into a cat or dog carrier.
Never assume that a turtle who has been hit by a car is dead. As PETA explains, turtles can suffer for weeks before dying.
So you’ve got an injured animal? Head to the website Animal Help Now and type in your location and type of wildlife emergency, and they will direct you to the nearest wildlife rehabilitator (康复员).
| A．Find the nearest wildlife help |
| B．Pull over safely to a safe location |
| C．But turtles may not survive humankind |
| D．Smaller turtles can be picked up with both hands |
| E．Even if the shell is broken, the turtle may still need your help |
| F．Unfortunately, that place may very well be on the other side of a road |
| G．They can also be encouraged onto a flat surface that can be moved a short distance |
6 . My family went to London for visiting specialists. The day before we
Six weeks later, a
Finally, we made a
One cold morning eight months after, my father had a call from an old lady who said she was putting food out “for a very old dog”. My father’s eyes were lighted up with
| A．sailed | B．parked | C．boarded | D．camped |
| A．alive | B．away | C．accompanied | D．apart |
| A．letter | B．story | C．service | D．test |
| A．fallen ill | B．got stuck | C．lost life | D．run away |
| A．confusing | B．shocking | C．moving | D．touching |
| A．announced | B．advertised | C．posted | D．blogged |
| A．Unfortunately | B．Luckily | C．Hopefully | D．Eventually |
| A．attend to | B．take over | C．look around | D．search for |
| A．decision | B．discussion | C．advice | D．plan |
| A．as to | B．except for | C．instead of | D．due to |
| A．lead | B．place | C．risk | D．pace |
| A．silence | B．dissatisfaction | C．excitement | D．praise |
| A．pulled up | B．drove off | C．stepped in | D．calmed down |
| A．special | B．familiar | C．painful | D．empty |
| A．expectation | B．creativity | C．generosity | D．determination |
7 . Scientists say there has been a major drop in the population of leatherback sea turtles (乌龟) off the U.S. West Coast.
One recent study found a 5.6 percent yearly decrease in the population. Leatherbacks are massive sea turtles dating back to the time of the dinosaurs. The animals can grow up to 1.5 meters in length and weigh as much as 680 kilograms.
The leatherback sea turtles found along the U.S. Pacific Coast are actually born thousands of kilometers away, on beaches in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands. The animals migrate (迁徙) 11,000 kilometers across the Pacific Ocean to mainly feed on jellyfish in waters off the U.S. West Coast. Then, they swim back.
Scott Benson is an ecologist with the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries. “There are birds that go farther, but they fly. There’s a whale shark that might swim a little further, but it doesn’t have to come up for air,” he said.
Scientists say that if nothing changes, the leatherbacks could completely disappear from the U.S. West Coast within 30 years. The population drops are mainly blamed on international fishing activities, the destruction (破坏) of nesting grounds and climate change.
The animals can be killed when they get trapped in fishing equipment. Scientists say the population is also harmed because a lot of turtle eggs are removed from beaches.
Researchers say that while all the world’s leatherbacks are under pressure, the group that migrates for months across the Pacific faces the greatest threats.
NOAA launched an aggressive plan to save leatherbacks in 2015 and is set to release a new action plan this month. The plan is meant to persuade governments and international organizations to join efforts to save the turtles.
1. Which word best describes the present situation of the leatherbacks?| A．Promising. | B．Worrying. | C．Complex. | D．Unstable. |
| A．Sea weed. | B．Other turtles’ eggs. | C．Little sharks. | D．Jellyfish. |
| A．The period of migration. | B．The period of fishing activities. |
| C．The period of being on a beach. | D．The period of laying eggs. |
| A．Entertainment. | B．Health. | C．Nature. | D．Education. |
1. Why did Miriam’s uncle give her some money?
| A．To pay for her school tuition. |
| B．To celebrate her birthday. |
| C．To reward her for her kindness. |
| A．It inspired Miriam and her mother to visit Africa. |
| B．It tells the abuse of elephants in Thailand. |
| C．It is about a boy’s campaign to save elephants. |
| A．By teaching people to make clay elephants. |
| B．By drawing pictures about elephants. |
| C．By making and selling baked goods. |
| A．She’s a teacher. |
| B．She’s an animal doctor. |
| C．She’s an artist. |
9 . As a child, Cruz Avila walked through the forest every day in central Mexico’s Amanalco-Vall de Bravo Basin. She would pick wood and medicinal plants. She also learned to find birds and identify the different trees near her home. Avila learned that listening to a waterfall is a good medicine for the soul and the body.
Several months ago, she and other residents decided to make these walks an attraction for tourists. Their goal is to create a source of income, preserve the forest and support responsible medicine for the soul tourism. In 2021, Avila and other community members attended training as nature guides.
In recent years, residents of the forest communities have suffered from tourism that’s not environmentally sustainable (可持续的). In early April 2022, the communities officially presented their alliance (联盟). One of the people presenting it was Avila, and her voice echoed (附和) the feelings shared by many who are part of this project. “To us, forests are our home,” she said. “We want to take care of them as we take care of our home. We invite hikers and tourists to come to see our house, to get to know and enjoy this place with respect and care.”
Avila said her community has developed a sustainable tourism plan based on hiking and workshops. They also plan to have a viewing platform ready by 2023.
Avila said she plans to start promoting her hiking project, “I’m going to take visitors to a place called El Caballero, and halfway through, with the other neighbors, we’ll offer them a workshop on making pulque and bread,” she said. Pulque is a drink made from a plant that grows in the region.
She believes the tourism project will receive support from visitors. She thinks it will be especially popular with those who are eager to help protect the forests and want to learn about forest communities.
1. Why does the author describe Avila’s childhood in paragraph 1?| A．To explain the source of medicine. |
| B．To prove the importance of the forest. |
| C．To introduce the lifestyle of local teens. |
| D．To memorize the good days of children. |
| A．Sustainable rural tourism. |
| B．Respect for the local culture. |
| C．The restoration of destroyed forests. |
| D．The end of some tourism companies. |
| A．An experience of identifying trees |
| B．A chance to swim in a lake |
| C．A permission to pick medicinal plants. |
| D．A workshop to make pulque and bread. |
| A．Memorizing the Good Days in the Forests |
| B．Showing Respect for the Traveling Routes |
| C．Promoting Sustainable tourism to Protect the Forests |
| D．Developing the Local Traveling Business |
10 . 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. |
