1 . “A moth (飞蛾) to a flame” is often used to indicate an inescapable attraction, yet it is a strange example of animal behavior that continues to confuse people today. Scientists have raised a number of theories over the years to explain why. One holds that insects flying at night are following their nature to fly toward the brightest spot in their field of vision, which they mistake for the sky. Another suggests that insects are trying to warm themselves with the heat produced by the light. The most popular theory, though, is that insects are confusing lights with the moon or other celestial bodies (天体) that they normally use to navigate (导航).
To find out the real reason, the team carried out a first set of experiments in an insect flight area. The researchers used eight high-speed infrared (红外线) cameras equipped with motion-capture technologies to track 30 insects from three moth and two dragonfly species. They also flew lab-raised insects from six different insect orders that were too small for motion-capture technology, including fruit flies and honeybees, to make sure different insects all showed similar responses to light. Working with co-author Pablo Allen of the Council on International Educational Exchange in Monteverde, Costa Rica, the researchers put heavy cameras, lights and tripods in two field sites to gather behavioral data from insects in the wild.
The team was able to confirm that insects were not beelining to the light but rather circling it as they tilted (倾斜) in an attempt to turn their backs toward it. This behavior, known as a “dorsal light response”, normally helps insects to remain in an unchanging path of flight that is properly lined to the horizon (地平线). Artificial light that arrives from a point source causes them to fly in unpredictable patterns as they try to turn their backs to what they are mistaking for the sky.
Now research might have finally solved the mystery mentioned first: artificial light confuses insects’ ability to turn themselves to the horizon, confusing their sense of what is up and down and causing them to fly in circles.
1. Which theory about a moth to a flame is accepted by most people?A.They follow their nature to fly. | B.They are blind to artificial light. |
C.They mistake artificial light for celestial bodies. | D.They are attracted by the warmth of artificial light. |
A.To show the study is comprehensive. | B.To introduce the purpose of the study. |
C.To estimate the cost of the research. | D.To stress the challenge faced by the researchers. |
A.Flying slowly. | B.Sticking. | C.Responding. | D.Going straight. |
A.They can fly beyond the horizon. | B.They can follow a steady flight path. |
C.They can turn their backs toward lights. | D.They can circle the light source upside down. |
Through travelling you can enjoy beautiful views and
3 . The Chinese paddlefish (白鲟) living in the Yangtze River was declared extinct (灭绝的), according to a paper from Chinese experts at the Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute. Wei Qiwei, an author of the paper, says that the fish has not been seen in the wild since 2003, nor do artificially bred (人工繁殖) individuals exist.
The Chinese paddlefish is one of the world’s largest freshwater fishes, which can grow up to 7 metres long. People call it “the Giant Panda of Rivers” because it is rare and native to China under first-level national protection, and its ancestors date back to more than 100 million years ago.
From the middle of last century, the population of the Chinese paddlefish declined rapidly due to overfishing, habitat degradation (毁坏) and pollution. The construction of Gezhou Dam in 198l on the Yangtze River also created a barrier to the migrating (迁徙) fish, contributing to the sharp decline of it.
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People’s Republic of China announced a 10-year fishing ban along key areas of the Yangtze River to protect biodiversity in the country’s longest waterway. It started to come into effect this year.
1. What does the author intend to do in the first paragraph?A.To draw our attention to a ban. | B.To introduce some Chinese experts. |
C.To share his experiences in China. | D.To inform us of the Chinese paddlefish. |
A.neither wild nor artificial Chinese paddlefish have been seen |
B.it is one of the world’s largest freshwater fishes |
C.it is rare and native only to China |
D.its ancestors lived as long as the giant panda |
A.Overfishing. | B.The Chinese paddlefish. |
C.Water pollution | D.The construction of Gezhou Dam. |
A.A newspaper article. | B.A public advertisement. |
C.A Chinese student’s paper. | D.An expert’s book. |
4 . Hundreds of dead migrating (迁徙) songbirds covered the ground like a carpet on Thursday in Chicago.
Nearly 1,000 songbirds died throughout the night after crashing into the glass of the McCormick Place Lakeside Center due to a deadly combination of excellent migratory conditions, rain, and the low building’s lighting and window-lined walls, according to bird experts.
Window hits are a problem in almost every major city in the United States. Birds cannot see transparent (透明的) or reflecting glass and are unaware that it is a dangerous block. They rush for plants or bushes they see through windows or reflected in them, killing themselves in the process.
Night-migrating birds depend on the stars for direction. Building lights both attract and confuse them, resulting in window hits or birds flying around the lights until they die of exhaustion, a phenomenon known as deadly light attraction.
According to Stan Temple, a retired bird expert from University of Wisconsin-Madison, conditions were ideal for a big wave of songbird southern migration over Chicago on Wednesday evening. “You had all these birds that were just eager to set out, but they’ve been held up with this unusual September and October with temperatures way above normal,” Temple said.
To avoid irregular air movements and predators (捕食者), little songbirds graze to absorb energy during the day and travel at night. They’ve been waiting for north winds to push them south, but September’s unusually warm south winds left the birds in a holding position here, according to Temple. A wind moved south on Wednesday evening, offering a good chance, and millions of birds took to the air.
“Pre-dawn rain forced the birds to fly low, and they found McCormick Place’s lights on,” said David Willard, a manager at the Chicago Field Museum.
According to Ann a Pidgeon, a bird biologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, window hits and deadly light attraction are simply avoidable. Building managers can simply decrease their lights, and building designers can create windows with bird-friendly marks in the glass. People can also add screens, paint their windows, or put stickers on the glass.
1. Which of the following probably caused the songbirds’ death in Chicago?A.Window hits. | B.Hunger. | C.Diseases. | D.Bird hunts. |
A.Play. | B.Eat. | C.Grow. | D.Wait. |
A.The importance of protecting birds. | B.The prediction of the songbirds’ future. |
C.The further study of the songbird event. | D.The ways to avoid the disaster for birds. |
A.Human activities have affected wild life. | B.Climate change is challenging the world. |
C.Technology helps the protection of nature. | D.Animals learn to adapt to the environment. |
5 . A houseplant is pretty to look at and brings fresh air to your home. Besides, looking after a plant will give you something more to do and care about. Let’s look at the four best houseplants you can grow.
Australian Pine A perfect “living decoration” to add in your house, it is good to look at and has a comforting feel. It can also serve as the perfect Christmas tree. It grows around 10 feet tall indoors. Remember that it requires plenty of light and fresh air. Otherwise, it becomes weak and an easy target for mites (螨虫). | Dracaena The green and yellow pattern on its leaves looks great. It can grow to be around 10 feet tall. Just make sure you keep the soil surface dry between your watering periods because it gets influenced by too much water. Also, having this plant around a dog can be dangerous. It can be poisonous to dogs if they eat it. |
Grape Ivy If you want something off the ceiling (天花板), this houseplant is the one for you. It’s a climbing plant, and it will make for a beautiful hanging basket decoration. The plant is full of life wherever it is hung. It needs to be kept wet in all its parts for good growth. | Peperomia It is little in size, with long leaves. It adds energy to your living room and creates a comforting environment. As it’s not a very tall plant, you needn’t worry about how much space it will take up. The plant likes a dry surface of the soil. |
So what are you for? Choose the one that attracts you most, and give your home a wonderful addition.
1. Which of the following can serve as a Christmas tree?A.Australian pine. | B.Dracaena. | C.Grape ivy. | D.Peperomia. |
A.be careful with mites | B.hang it from the celling |
C.keep dogs away from it | D.leave the surface of the soil wet |
A.Its leaves are short. | B.It is small in size. |
C.It likes much water. | D.It is a climbing plant. |
A.Politics. | B.Business. | C.Travel. | D.Life. |
1. 简述活动情况;
2. 询问对方学校生态保护情况。
注意:
1. 写作词数应为80个左右;
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
参考词汇:生态保护ecological protection
Dear Caroline,
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours sincerely,
Li Hua
Man did not have to think about the protection of his environment in the past. There were not many people on the Earth, and natural resources seemed to be unlimited.
Today, things are different.
Everyone realizes today that if too many fish are taken from the sea, there will soon be none left.
We realize that if rivers are polluted with waste products from factories, we will die. However, in most countries, waste products are still put into rivers or into the sea, and there are few laws to stop this.
We know, too, that if the population of the world continues to rise at the present rate, in a few years, there will not be enough food.
If we eat more vegetables and less meat, we will easily get more food. Land that is used to grow crops can feed five times more people than land where animals are kept.
The world population will not rise so quickly if people use modern methods of birth control.
Last weekend, I took part in a forest clean-up activity. It was organized by Green Hope, an organization devoted to protecting forests.起初,我不想参加,
Our team leader, Joe, took us to a forest outside the city. I was sad to find rubbish everywhere.
There will be another clean-up activity in the greenbelt next Saturday. You can call Joe and sign up
9 . “Where I grew up, there were not a lot of plants outside,” said Yolanda Palmer. “Some people had them; some people didn’t.”
Palmer, who is from Southwest Philadelphia, discovered her love for plants at the age of ten. Growing up, she developed great skills in growing plants and learned more about nature day by day.
Palmer had wanted to share her love of plants with her community. But the dream remained just a seed while she worked an ordinary day job. Sitting in the company she often thoughts he had to do something else. Palmer then planted the seed. She started small, selling at a local outdoor market in the Southwest Philadelphia and then coming to shows and festivals in Chestcut Hill.
By December 2021, she had her store on Germantown Avenue, “Foliage”. There, she sells common plants, rare plants, small plants, and large plants. “The goal is to sell them to homeowners to beautify their home and also clean the air,” she said.
Palmer’s home is in Chestnut Hill, a central gardening in the city. She hopes her message will be able to reach other communities in the Philadelphia area. “Everyone should buy houseplants. Everyone should want cleaner air,” she said. “And that way, in the future when our children grow up, we can make it better.”
Palmer plans on continuing to work hard to support not only her store, but her boys, four dogs, one cat and 128 plants at home.
1. When Palmer was young, she found .A.people knew little about plants | B.plants were seen everywhere |
C.her neighbors didn’t like plants | D.there were not many plants outside |
A.Teaching communities about plants. | B.Managing a gardening center. |
C.Running her own plant store. | D.Beautifying her block with plants. |
A.Children can learn more about plants | B.Everyone can protect the plants. |
C.She’ll have an outdoor market for plants. | D.More locals will have houseplants |
A.From village to city: Palmer is on the road | B.From seed to flower: Palmer’s future dream |
C.From hobby to job: Palmer has made it | D.From class to work: Palmer’s happy habit |
Earthquakes are one of the most destructive natural disasters. They can happen just about anywhere. Earthquakes cannot be stopped,
If you are in
Remember that aftershocks are possible at any time and are