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. |
2 . 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. |
3 . 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. |
4 . 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. |
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
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
提示:1. How was the weather?
2. How did you get to the park?
3. What did you do in the park?
4. How did you feel?
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8 . Tian Wangui and his wife Lu Min are villagers in Qiantian Village, Liaoning Province. They began planting trees over forty years ago. With their hard work, the two barren (贫瘠的) mountains are covered by trees now.
After leaving the army in the 1980s, Tian got back home and began planting fruit trees on the hills. In 1982, the couple got the contract rights (承包经营权) of two mountains. At first, they planted some young fruit trees on part of the land. In order to water them, they had to carry water up to the top of the mountains many times a day by themselves.
Now, the two mountains are covered by more than 50,000 trees of over 20 kinds. More than 2,000 birds live in the trees in the mountains.
“We cared for the mountains and trees as we cared for our children,” said Lu. “Even as we grow old, our children will protect the woods, watch over the birds and keep our dream alive.”
1. What did Tian Wangui do before he began planting trees?A.He served in the army. |
B.He watched over the birds. |
C.He cared for the children. |
D.He carried water up to the mountains. |
A.Determined. | B.Friendly. | C.Curious. | D.Brave. |
A.A couple got the contract rights by planting trees. |
B.A couple taught their children to plant trees for over forty years. |
C.A couple kept planting trees on the mountains for over forty years. |
D.A couple helped the villagers plant trees on the mountains for over forty years. |
9 . While they can’t pick out precise numbers, animals can comprehend that more is, well, more. From birds to bees and wolves to frogs, animals use numbers to hunt, find a mate, return to their home, and more. Researchers believe that this ability, known as numerical competence, plays an important role in how animals make these decisions. Andreas Nieder, a biologist at the University of Tübingen, explores the current literature on how different animals comprehend numbers.
Honeybees, for instance, can remember the number of landmarks they pass when searching for food in order to find their way back home. This ability can also be seen in animals choosing a larger amount of food over a smaller amount or in animals forming hunting groups. Wolves are more likely to hunt successfully if they have the right number of wolves in their pack for their prey (猎物) with prey like elk (驼鹿), only around six to eight wolves are needed, while hunting wild pigs requires a pack of nine to thirteen. Their prey also uses this concept to protect themselves—elk tend to live in small groups, which rarely have encounters with wolves, or gather in large groups to reduce the chance of any individual becoming prey. “They are assessing the number of individuals in their groups for their everyday life situations,” Nieder says.
Furthermore, numerical competence also plays a role in attracting a mate. For example, male frogs sing “advertisement” calls to attract females. The females, listening to their complicated calls, choose the males that sing the most “chucks” in their calls.
Now researchers do have some sense of the rules that govern numerical competence in animals. For example, they count approximately (大概) rather than specifically and two numbers need to be more different for them to tell them apart as those numbers get bigger. However, Nieder argues that more research needs to be done. “I hope I can encourage behavioral ecologists to specifically explore numerical competence in the wild, and, in doing so, also open new research fields,” he says.
1. What do the examples of wolves and elk suggest about numerical competence?A.It gives animals a reproduction benefit. | B.It affects animals’ chances of survival. |
C.It is decided by animals’ hunting ability. | D.It develops well in social animals. |
A.By listing figures. | B.By asking questions. |
C.By giving examples. | D.By making comparisons. |
A.Its fundamental rules. | B.Its appeal to behavioral ecologists. |
C.Researchers in new study fields. | D.Expectations for further studies. |
A.Animals’ understanding of numbers gives them an advantage |
B.Numerical competence research achieves a breakthrough |
C.Animals develop numerical competence? Never |
D.Can many animals count? Better than you |
10 . Astronomers have discovered an unusual solar system near Earth. It’s made up of six planets orbiting a star. What makes this system special is that the six planets’ orbits appear to be matched. Scientists compare their movement to a perfectly timed symphony.
“It’s precise and very orderly,” says Enric Pallé, an astronomer in the Canary Islands.
The discovery was announced on November 29. It’s based on data from two orbiting satellites, NASA’s TESS and the European Space Agency’s Cheops. The newly discovered system is 100 light-years from Earth, or about 600 trillion (万亿) miles. That’s close, in space terms. Astronomers are calling the system a “golden target” for further study. It could offer an example of how systems across the Milky Way were formed.
All solar systems are thought to have started out like this one. But they rarely keep their perfect timing. Giant planets can throw off the orbits of other planets. So can meteor (流星) impact. These things have happened in our solar system.
Hugh Osborn, of the University of Bern, in Switzerland, says his team was “shocked and delighted” by the discovery. “My jaw was on the floor,” he says. “That was a really nice moment.”
1. What is special about the solar system recently discovered?A.It is made up of six orbiting planets. |
B.The planets’ orbits are perfectly matched. |
C.It is located 100 light-years away from Earth. |
D.The discovery was made using satellite data. |
A.It is the closest solar system to Earth in the Milky Way. |
B.It is a clear target for future exploration tasks in space. |
C.It challenges the common thought about solar system. |
D.It offers an example of the formation of other systems. |
A.The impact of meteors. |
B.The researches of astronomers. |
C.The formation of the Milky Way. |
D.The influence of orbiting satellites. |
A.They were very doubtful and critical. |
B.They were quite surprised and excited. |
C.They were confused and disappointed. |
D.They were indifferent and uninterested. |