1. What has the highest temperature been in Argentina?
| A．About 45 degrees Celsius. |
| B．About 42 degrees Celsius. |
| C．About 31 degrees Celsius. |
| A．By turning on an air conditioning for them. |
| B．By asking them to drink much water. |
| C．By taking them to do a water sport. |
| A．A weather expert. | B．A local leader. | C．A weatherman. |
2 . Asian short-clawed otters (水獭) can teach each other how to solve puzzles to get food, according to a new study that took place in England. The research also showed that these cute animals have a good long-term memory —they could remember how to solve the puzzles even after several months.
Scientists from University of Exeter observed groups of Asian short-clawed otters in different places. They gave each group a selection of transparent (透明的) containers with meatball treats inside. Each box could be opened by twisting or pulling a particular lid or handle.
To get the food, the otters had to solve the puzzle of how to open the containers. The otters had two attempts at the puzzle several months apart. The researchers found that if one otter cracked the puzzle, its closest friends quickly solved it, too. The findings provide evidence of “social learning”—animals can learn from each other.
The scientists also found that on average the otters solved puzzles 69% faster the second time. It means that they can remember the details of how each puzzle works. “Our study is the first to show evidence of social learning and long-term memory in Asian short-clawed otters, which may be good news in terms of their adaptability and future survival,” said Alex Saliveros, lead author of the Centre for Ecology and Conservation on Penryn Campus in Cornwall.
Saliveros says the findings are important, because Asian short-clawed otters are declining in the wild, partly due to overfishing and pollution affecting the crustaceans and small fish they feed on. The discovery that the otters are able to find food in new ways and to pass on that knowledge toothers could be significant to their long-term survival.
1. What task did the scientists set for the otters?| A．Separating one container from another. | B．Finding ways to break the containers. |
| C．Opening the containers to get the food. | D．Picking out meatballs from different containers. |
| A．They had to remember the puzzles. | B．They learned from human society. |
| C．They solved unfamiliar puzzles faster. | D．They passed on knowledge to others. |
| A．Asian otters solve puzzles faster. |
| B．Findings reveal decline in otter population. |
| C．Otters have strong physical strength and hunting skills. |
| D．Social learning and good memory is good for otters’ survival. |
| A．Asian short-clawed otters love puzzles | B．Puzzled otters learn from each other |
| C．Pollution reduces otters’ food | D．Animals can pass knowledge |
3 . Unless you’ve been faithfully bringing reusable shopping bags to the store, you probably grab the plastic bags waiting for customers at the checkout. You’re not alone.
About 100 billion plastic bags are used in the U. S. each year. Unfortunately, single-use plastic bags have serious consequences once our trip to the store is over. Less than 10% of plastic bags used in the U. S. are recycled, leaving the rest to end up in landfills (垃圾填埋场), and polluting soil, oceans and other natural habitats.
To fight pollution and other environmental problems, major companies are taking steps to get rid of the use of plastic shopping bags. If you’re a frequent customer at Walmart, don’t be surprised if you notice the plastic bags disappearing over the next few months. Last summer, Walmart announced its goal to be a zero-waste company — meaning no more plastic bags.
But Walmart has announced its Beyond the Bag, an initiative (倡议) working to explore reusable options and “reimagine” the plastic bag. Target and CVS are also on board as founding partners of Beyond the Bag, and so far, the three brands have invested $15 million to come up with a brand-new bag design.
The initiative also started the Beyond the Bag challenge, giving innovators (创新者) a chance to share their ideas. The challenge ran throughout the summer of 2020, and nine winners from over 450 submissions were selected. From a station supplying reusable bag in-store to a new and improved paper bag, the winning designs cover a lot of bases. Each product now has the chance to be tested with funding from the initiative.
While a final replacement for plastic bags at Walmart has yet to be decided, there’s a more sustainable future on the horizon. And if you want to start reducing your use of plastic bags right now, check out our list of reusable bags to bring on your next shopping trip.
1. What does the author mean by saying “You’re not alone” in the first paragraph?| A．Reusable shopping bags are becoming more popular. |
| B．Customers need to wait for long at the checkout. |
| C．Some people are waiting in the line with you. |
| D．Many people use plastic bags when shopping. |
| A．Single-use plastic bags cause severe environmental problems. |
| B．Supermarkets should stop providing single-use plastic bags. |
| C．Single-use plastic bags should be more widely recycled. |
| D．More landfills should be built to deal with plastic bags. |
| A．To attract more customers. | B．To provide more plastic bags. |
| C．To set a good example to Target and CVS. | D．To make shopping more environmentally friendly. |
| A．People pay more attention to environmental protection. |
| B．Walmart is getting rid of single-use plastic bags. |
| C．Reusable paper bags are becoming more popular. |
| D．Free plastic bags have become a thing of the past. |
4 . A teenager encountered a helpless bumblebee (大黄蜂) and
It all started two weeks ago when Lacey Shillinglaw, 13, found the large bumblebee
She tried to put it in a
Despite repeated
“I’m so happy and I just
Though Lacey’s story is very touching, female bumblebees may attack if they feel they are
| A．trained | B．released | C．fed | D．saved |
| A．helper | B．pet | C．supporter | D．guardian |
| A．struggling | B．flying | C．resting | D．dancing |
| A．followed | B．hunted | C．passed | D．approached |
| A．wider | B．farther | C．safer | D．deeper |
| A．failed | B．refused | C．tried | D．learned |
| A．gave up | B．showed off | C．ran away | D．went off |
| A．requests | B．suggestions | C．attempts | D．warnings |
| A．in | B．up | C．out | D．down |
| A．school | B．street | C．kitchen | D．garden |
| A．left | B．knocked | C．landed | D．returned |
| A．mind | B．enjoy | C．imagine | D．avoid |
| A．friendship | B．dream | C．growth | D．choice |
| A．in order | B．in need | C．in danger | D．in charge |
| A．wild | B．unusual | C．native | D．injured |
5 . We hear a lot about plastic polluting our ocean waters. Some of us have even made it a habit to avoid using plastic straws for the sake of turtles and other sea animals. Although these small acts of consideration go a long way, ocean waters still remain a threatening experience for sea life.
A helpless dolphin in Bali, Indonesia, experienced the unkindness of human negligence (疏忽) but luckily came across a few good people who saved it. The clean-up workers of 4ocean was cleaning up plastic from ocean garbage patches (垃圾带) when their boat touched a do lphin stuck in a ghost net — a fishing line left in the ocean. The workers immediately stopped their clean-up and carefully brought the dolphin onto the boat. The net was tied around the dolphin’s mouth and tail, causing it serious injuries. The workers cut through the line. The dolphin was then set free, but it paused for a few seconds as a kind of possible appreciation before swimming away. The video of the amazing rescue was uploaded on their social media and has been viewed 1. 1m illion times within a month.
The workers were Risallah, NurWahyudi, Mujtahidin and Husnan Sidik. “I was shaking when I touched the dolphin. I was afraid we hurt it more when we cut the fishing line,” said Mujtahidin. “It was a shocking moment,” continued Nur Wahyudi. Cameraman Husnan Sidik added, “As the cameraman, this is one of the greatest moments. We won’t experience this every day. We have the chance to free the dolphin and I’m sure the d lphin is also happy.”
The sea life needs as much help as we can offer. 4ocean is a task-driven company whose members aims to end the ocean plastic crisis (危机). It has removed 30 million pounds of rubbish from the world’s waterways, setting a new record. It hires locals from the worst affected areas of the ocean plastic disaster and gives them a full-time income and many benefits. The team is known to help both animals and humans.
1. Which word can best describe the workers’ rescue?| A．Awkward. | B．Complex. | C．Worrying. | D．Touching. |
| A．Their thoughts about the experience. | B．Their personal opinions on dolphins. |
| C．Their brief descriptions of the dolphin. | D．Their feelings about threats to the dolphin. |
| A．To film sea life for social media. | B．To clean up garbage from ocean. |
| C．To rescue dolphins from ghost nets. | D．To find out the causes of ocean pollution. |
| A．The four workers should be given prizes. |
| B．More efforts should be taken to stop fishing. |
| C．More measures should be taken to fight plastic pollution. |
| D．The government should focus on dolphins’ living conditions. |
6 . 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. |
7 . Bees are responsible for one in every three bites of food: from almonds (杏仁) to berries and the alfalfa (苜蓿) that feeds dairy cows. Our diets and agricultural economy hinge on a healthy bee population.
However, rapid declines in bee population around the world put additional stress on an already unstable food supply by depressing yields and agricultural efficiency. While bee biologists do not foresee upcoming food system collapse without honey bees, we do know that agriculture would quickly become unrecognizable—and much more limited.
Farmers are on the frontlines of the economic impacts of bee decline. For example, the cost of almond pollination (授粉) has nearly tripled since colonies began collapsing in 2004, costing that industry over $83 million per year.
The causes behind recent bee declines are not a “mystery”. Independent scientists now largely agree that bee declines are caused by a combination of several factors, including: poor nutrition, habitat loss and pesticide (杀虫剂) exposure.
In the last several years, pesticides — both alone and in combination with other pesticides — have emerged as a key catalyst (催化剂) behind this disturbing phenomenon, both because of their direct toxicity to bees and their indirect and cascading effects.
Scientists know that individual bees can be acutely poisoned while flying through pesticide-contaminated planter dust in a recently planted corn field. More commonly, they are chronically poisoned at sublethal (亚致死) levels by eating and drinking contaminated pollen, nectar and water over time. Bees are then more likely to get sick.
As an indicator species, honey bees are sounding an alarm that we ignore at our peril. Among their lessons: industrial agriculture has gone off the rails. The pesticide treadmill has kicked into high gear with a class of dangerous systemic pesticides—while regulators were asleep at the switch. So let’s keep the heat on decision makers to take meaningful action.
1. What does the underlined phrase in paragraph 1 mean?| A．Cut down. | B．Contribute to. | C．Depend on. | D．Go against. |
| A．The impact of rapid declines in bee population. | B．The role of farmers in agriculture. |
| C．The ignorance of the effect on food system. | D．The cost of almond pollination. |
| A．Poor in nutrition. | B．Economic impacts. |
| C．Loss of habitat. | D．Exposure to pesticides. |
| A．To express sympathy for the affected farmers. | B．To show the factors resulting in the bees’ crisis. |
| C．To explain a key catalyst to the bees’ problem. | D．To urge decision makers to take action for bees. |
8 . Lightning can strike anyplace on Earth. In fact, there are about 6,000 lightning strikes every minute, which is more than 8 million strikes every day. The risk of being struck by lightning is low, but the consequences of lightning strike injuries are serious. Even though your home is a safe shelter during a lightning storm, you might still be at risk. About one-third of lightning-strike injuries occur indoors.
Avoid water.
Do NOT bathe, shower, wash dishes, or have any other contact with water during a thunderstorm.
Do NOT use anything connected to an electrical outlet (电源插座), such as computers, game systems, washers, or stoves. Lightning can travel through electrical systems, radio and television reception systems, and any metal wires or bars in concrete walls or flooring.
Avoid windows, doors, porches, and concrete.
Don’t use corded (有线的) phones.
Corded phones are NOT safe to use during a thunderstorm. Do NOT use them.
Follow the safety measures above can minimize your risk of being injured indoors on lighting days. Don’t take it for granted that only outdoor activities can put you in a dangerous place. Keep it in mind that inappropriate indoor activities can also be disastrous.
| A．Here are some tips to keep safe and reduce your risk of being struck while indoors. |
| B．In addition, follow up on the latest information about the storm. |
| C．However, it is safe to use cordless or mobile phones during a storm. |
| D．Stay away from windows and doors, and stay off porches. |
| E．Some outdoors measures can keep you safe and prevent you from being attacked. |
| F．Lightning can travel through a building’s water pipe system. |
| G．Don’t touch electronic equipment. |
9 . Improper disposal of electronic devices can lead to negative impacts on the environment. So if you are in possession of an “old electronics” box or merely an old iPhone, consider recycling as an option. Here are some organizations worth checking out.
EcoATM
EcoATM is an automated kiosk that collects your unwanted cellphones and tablets and gives you cash for them. You'll find them by the checkout lines at various grocery store chains. It accepts devices from any era or in any condition, and offers anywhere between a few bucks to a few hundred dollars in return.
Best Buy
Best Buy offers a simple, straightforward recycling program. You can take your old phone to any of its retail stores and it'll take care of the entire recycling process for you. Best Buy will even give you a gift card for the value of the device you give them.
Call2Recycle
Call2Recycle is one of the largest recycling programs in the United States. The company collects used smartphones and batteries and has them either recycled or refurbished (翻新) for future use. It partners with various retailers to provide recycling services in stores like Lowe’s, The Home Depot and other smaller businesses.
Eco Cell
Eco Cell takes a unique approach to recycling phones. The program collects used smartphones and other gadgets for recycling through local zoos and other wildlife organizations. It then gives what it makes from recycling or refurbishing the devices back to those organizations in order to continue their work.
1. What do EcoATM and Best Buy have in common?| A．They are based in grocery stores. |
| B．They offer a reward for recycling. |
| C．They collect various kinds of devices. |
| D．They refurbish recycled items. |
| A．Call2Recycle | B．Eco Cell | C．Best Buy | D．EcoATM |
| A．The variety of items it recycles. |
| B．Its marketing strategies. |
| C．Its pricing policies and structures. |
| D．Its dedication to preserving wildlife. |
10 . Cooler, higher places may not be very welcoming to some hummingbirds trying to escape rising temperatures and other effects of climate change. Anna's hummingbirds live no higher than about 2,600 meters above sea level. If the birds attempt to expand their range to include higher altitudes, they may struggle to fly well in the thinner air, researchers reported in the Journal of Experimental Biology.
These hummingbirds have expanded their range in the past. Once only found in Southern California, the birds now live as far north as Vancouver, says Austin Spence, an ecologist at the University of California, Davis. That expansion is probably due to climate change and people using feeders to attract hummingbirds, he says.
Spence and colleagues collected 26 Anna’s hummingbirds from different elevations (海拔) in the bird’s natural range in California. The team transported the birds to a habitat about 1,200 meters above sea level and measured their metabolic (新陈代谢的) rate when hovering (盘旋). After relocating the hummingbirds to a field station at an altitude of 3,800 meters, the researchers let the birds rest for at least 12 hours and then measured that rate again.
The rate was 37 percent lower, on average, at the higher elevation than the aviary, even though the birds should have been working harder to fly in the thinner air. At higher altitudes, hovering, which takes a lot of energy compared with other forms of flight, is more challenging and requires even more energy, Spence says. The decrease in metabolic rate shows that the birds’ hovering performance was suffering, he says “Low oxygen and low air pressure may be holding them back as they try to move upward.”
Additional work is needed to see whether the birds might be able to better adjust if given weeks or months to get used to the conditions at gradually higher altitudes.
1. What factor may have contributed to the expansion of Anna's Hummingbirds' range?| A．A shift in migration patterns. | B．A lack of food sources. |
| C．A decrease in temperature. | D．Human use of feeders. |
| A．By monitoring their feeding behaviors. |
| B．By comparing their different forms of flight. |
| C．By measuring their metabolic rate while hovering. |
| D．By observing their adaptability to a new environment. |
| A．Weakened | B．Enhanced. | C．Unaffected. | D．Dynamic. |
| A．Studying the changes in their hunting methods. |
| B．Recording their numbers over an extended period. |
| C．Examining their ability to accommodate to higher altitudes. |
| D．Investigating the impact of other bird species on their range. |
