1 . A world in which extinct creatures could be brought back to life came a step closer yesterday. Australian scientists have managed to extract a gene from a preserved sample of a Tasmanian tiger and make it active. The breakthrough has left them dreaming that one day they will be able to recreate the animal, which died out more than 70 years ago. And if it can be done with the Tasmanian tiger, it may also be possible to resurrect(复活) creatures that have been extinct for far longer.
“There used to be a time when extinction meant forever, but no more,” said Professor Mike Archer. “We are now able to seriously challenge whether those animals that have gone have gone for ever. What has been achieved is a very important step in bringing back those animals that are extinct. And while I think that technically it is still pretty difficult at the moment, we can now see the possibilities. I’m personally convinced that the Tasmanian tiger will be brought back to life in my lifetime.”
The breakthrough came after nine years of experiments by scientists at the University of Melbourne, who extracted a gene from one of several tigers preserved in alcohol in a Melbourne museum. They removed the equivalent gene from a mouse embryo (胚胎), implanted the tiger gene and then watched as the mouse continued to grow normally, suggesting the tiger gene had been activated.
Team leader Dr. Andrew Pask said it was the first time DNA from an extinct species had been used to” induce (引起) a functional response in another living organism”.
However, the animal’s entire gene structure would have to be revived in the same way to even begin the possibility of bringing the Tasmanian tiger back from the dead. Mick Mooney, a wildlife officer of the Tasmanian Government, was worried that such developments could encourage people’s indifference to the protection of endangered species.
“If people think that we can bring animals back to life after they’ve gone, they will start saying that there is nothing to worry about because we can fix it up later.”
1. What does the underlined word “breakthrough” in the first paragraph refer to?| A．A tiger gene has been extracted successfully and activated. |
| B．Scientists have recreated new animals. |
| C．Scientists have resurrected endangered animal. |
| D．It has turned out that some creatures would not go extinct. |
| A．transplant the genes of tigers into other animals |
| B．find out what factors lead to the animals’ extinction |
| C．find a new way to extract animals’ DNA |
| D．bring extinct animals back to life |
| A．scientists now have no technological difficulty reconnecting extinct animals |
| B．it’ll be a century or so before a Tasmanian tiger walks on the earth again |
| C．reconnecting extinct animals is impossible |
| D．humans have come closer in reconnecting extinct animals |
| A．he thought it unnecessary to worry about endangered animals |
| B．he is concerned that bringing extinct animals back to life may have a negative effect |
| C．his opinion is in contrast with that of the Tasmanian Government |
| D．he thought people should be encouraged to protect endangered animals |
When it comes to animals in China, one iconic creature (动物) comes to mind: the black and white giant panda. This national animal is
Chengdu Panda Base
Try to visit in the morning
As well as living, breathing pandas, there are some
There’s just a 1-in-3,700,000 chance that a person will be killed by
A team of biologists
“Usually, great white sharks
“They eat seals every day and bites on people are
I was eating breakfast at home in Hampshire in March this year, scrolling through social media on my phone, when a story caught my eye. It was about a nine-year-old dog, Charlie, dubbed (称为) the loneliest in Britain. He had been in a rescue centre in Somerset for more than 500 days.
For some reason, nobody wanted to adopt him. I clicked on the link and straight away these huge, sad eyes stared back at me. I was emotional. I turned to my husband, Sam, and said: "We’ve got to have him.” He read the article over my shoulder and felt exactly the same way. We wanted to give Charlie a happy home and a new lease of life.
Over the past few years we have tried to adopt a few different dogs, but we haven’ had any luck — we were never top of the list. Sam and I got used to filling in forms and not hearing anything. We’d almost given up hope.
But Charlie is an older dog and we felt we’d be suited — even older dogs have a lot of love left to offer. So we took our time with the application, sent photographs of our house and garden. We explained why Charlie would be happy with us, and then forgot all about it.
A few days later we received an email from Brent Knoll animal centre, saying we’d been shortlisted. We were thrilled. They asked us to visit Charlie to be interviewed and to see if he liked us.
When we arrived we were taken to the staff room. We didn’t know what to expect. We hadn’t been told much about Charlie’s circumstances, but as he had been given up for adoption and hadn’t been placed with a new owner for so long, we thought there might be issues. But the dog that bounded (蹦跳) in was full of joy and charisma.
注意:1. 续写词数应为 150左右:
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
He came straight over to us.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________We feel proud that we’ve given Charlie a new home and a second chance.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________5 . It was a Sunday and the heavy storm had lasted all night. The morning after the storm, though, was beautiful: blue skies, warm air and a calm, inviting sea touching the shore gently.
My father realized it was a good day for fishing and invited my sister and me to go with him. I was only 14 and fishing had never been my thing, but I decided to go all the same. I’m so glad I did.
On the road to the harbor, we could see the terrible destruction on the coast, but the harbour itself was in fairly good shape. After all, it was protected by the arms of a bay that had only one tiny channel to the sea. As we got on board, we noticed two big humps (脊背) in the distance.
On approaching them, we saw it was a mother whale with her baby. We couldn’t believe it—there aren’t any whales along the coast here. The storm must have driven them across the ocean into the bay, in which the still water was so badly polluted that nothing could survive.
The little baby whale—actually as big as our boat—was obviously stuck and could not move. The mother dived under the water and came up suddenly, making big whirlpools (漩涡) and waves. “She’s trying to help her baby, but on the wrong side,” my father said. At this point, my father moved our boat in a semicircle to the other side and, heading the boat towards the baby whale, pushed it gently. With our several gentle pushes the big hump turned over and disappeared under water. Then it swam up right beside its mum. They struggled in their desperate attempts to escape but missed the exit and started heading in the wrong direction. We hurried up to the whales and tried to lead them towards the bay channel. Slowly, they let us lead them, sometimes rising from the water right beside us to breathe, and to give us a trusting look with those huge eyes. Once they hit their first part of clean water flowing straight from the sea, the mum gave us a wave with her tail and off they swam into the distance.
In the excitement it had felt like only a few minutes, but we had been with those wonderful animals for almost an hour and a half. That was the simple and lasting beauty of the day. Nearly four decades later, I still look back fondly to that golden day at sea.
1. The author says “I’m so glad I did.” in Para.2 because __________.| A．he witnessed the whole process of fishing | B．he enjoyed the beauty of the calm sea |
| C．he experienced the rescue of the whales | D．he spent the weekend with his family |
| A．the shape of the harbour | B．the arms of the bay |
| C．the still water in the channel | D．the long coastline |
| A．she had stayed in the polluted water for too long |
| B．the whirlpools she had made were not big enough |
| C．she had no other whales around to turn to for help |
| D．the waves pushed her baby in the wrong direction |
| A．Saving lives brings people a sense of happiness. |
| B．Fishing provides excitement for children. |
| C．It’s necessary to live in harmony with animals. |
| D．It’s vital to protect the environment. |
6 . The Grey’s Anatomy doctors are navigating the patients that have kept them on our screens for some 400 episodes of the show. But in this episode, for the first time, the
But can seeing the realities of climate change affecting characters on the screen help us relate
Non-profit storytelling consultancy Good Energy believes it can. It is among a small but growing number of organizations
The Good Energy Playbook’s suggestions are appropriately wide-ranging: characters with climate anxiety and those fighting against injustice; utopian (乌托邦的) narratives that explore climate solutions; storylines that quietly
The playbook was created by Good Energy founder Anna Jane Joyner, “It started as a personal
Many research studies looked at the impact introducing climate stories had on viewers, and found it prompted greater concern about climate change. It also
Climate stories, then, seem like a pretty good idea. But these sorts of narratives have been few and far between. Julie Doyle, professor of media at the University of Brighton in the UK, says climate change has
It’s time to break the climate silence, says Doyle. “Mainstream media has tended to follow rather than lead, and it would be great if mainstream media could lead this.” Day-to-day mentions of climate change in media are especially important because, while blockbuster climate films can have a positive impact on awareness and action, the effect is sadly
| A．resistance | B．background | C．response | D．application |
| A．fictional | B．scientific | C．educational | D．theoretical |
| A．logical | B．moral | C．occasional | D．spiritual |
| A．differently | B．effortlessly | C．reluctantly | D．systematically |
| A．depending on | B．referring to | C．identifying with | D．calling for |
| A．restore | B．feature | C．demonstrate | D．sponsor |
| A．reflect | B．maintain | C．eliminate | D．strengthen |
| A．integrate | B．reverse | C．initiate | D．publish |
| A．transition | B．campaign | C．achievement | D．association |
| A．transferred | B．promoted | C．shifted | D．underestimated |
| A．For example | B．As a result | C．On the contrary | D．In addition |
| A．narrative | B．character | C．plot | D．memory |
| A．explored | B．competed | C．struggled | D．appealed |
| A．narrow-minded | B．ever-changing | C．short-lived | D．far-sighted |
| A．resumes | B．fades | C．deepens | D．increases |
7 . Humans have many unique behaviors among animals. For example, we have a formal language that permits communication about things that exist in the past, present, and future. Yet we share at least one emotion with many other species fear.
To really understand our fears we have to go further to study how animals long before humans came into being assessed (评估) and managed predation (捕食) risk in the wild. All animals, past and present, must assess life-threatening predation risks (风险) and make decisions to avoid or otherwise manage those risks. It is a proper balance: being too fearful is costly if fear means that you miss out on getting food, mates, or other important resources. However, being too brazen could end very poorly indeed. It is the context that influences all decisions. If they’re hungry, it’s wise to take more risks or they will go hungry. And, if they’re powerful and can steal food from others at will, perhaps it’s OK to be a bit more careful. Successful individuals are those that make right assessment, and because of this, leave more descendants.
Natural expressions of fear influence the structure of ecological communities, and the removal of predators changes entire ecosystems. To manage predation risks, animals modify(调整) their activity patterns, habitat selection, and their diet. Fear of predators can also reduce an individual’s reproductive(繁殖)success. All of these fear-driven modifications can have a great influence on both the environment and the diversity of many species. Fear, as it turns out, is an essential part of healthy ecosystems and helps keep biodiversity.
Fear is a natural emotion, and that it’s impossible to completely avoid it. It is comforting to know that fear comes from a long line of ancestors, both human and nonhuman. It is a compass(指南针)that, when used I properly, guides us away from danger and toward opportunity.
1. What do we know about animals’ risk assessment and management according to paragraph 2?| A．Animals are too fearful to make right assessments. |
| B．Animals will fail to get food when they are fearful. |
| C．Animals have to make proper decisions based on different situations. |
| D．Animals which arc more fearful are more likely to make right assessment. |
| A．brave | B．afraid | C．hungry | D．strong |
| A．The ways animals manage fear |
| B．The influence fear has on ecosystem |
| C．The approaches to keeping a healthy ecosystem |
| D．The problems fear brings about to the ecosystem |
| A．Fear from Our Deep Past | B．Survival of the bravest |
| C．Emotion from human and nonhuman. | D．Path to risk management |
8 . Farmers and hunters are calling for an extension (延期) to the Victorian duck hunting season, saying certain species are doing great harm to crops and waterways and need to be controlled. This season runs from 8:00 am today and will end in 20 days, down from the usual 12 weeks, with a bag limit of five listed game ducks per day.
Wayne Shields grows leafy greens on the Mornington Peninsula and he said the decision to reduce the duck hunting season would take its toll on farmers. “The wood ducks are the ones causing all of the damage; the black ducks are no problem around here. The wood ducks come in at night and they just clean me out completely and they’ve done it a number of times over a number of years,” he said.
Mr. Shields and his wife, Natasha, run Peninsula Fresh Organics and he said there was nothing he could do to stop the invasion (入侵). “I nearly went broke a few years ago. Back then I was planting 10,000 lettuce (生菜) a week and they would quite happily eat 10,000 lettuce a week.” Due to the damage caused by the wood ducks, Mr. Shields said there should be a year-round open season on the wood ducks and farmers should be allowed to shoot birds.
Professor Richard Kingsford, Director of the Centre for Ecosystem Science at UNSW, said although the wood ducks ate crops, extending the duck season may not achieve what farmers wanted. He is calling on the government to invest more in research to address the threat certain species of waterbirds caused for some farmers, so other nonlethal (非致命的) ways to destroy the birds can be found.
1. How is this year’s duck hunting season different?| A．It is put off. | B．It is cut short. |
| C．It is about five species. | D．It takes place mainly on farms. |
| A．Make way for. | B．Keep an eye on. |
| C．Cause damage to. | D．Take control of. |
| A．The invasion of the black ducks. |
| B．The difficulty of keeping business. |
| C．The negative influence of the hunting season. |
| D．The daytime trouble caused by the wood ducks. |
| A．Scientifically managing them. |
| B．Encouraging hunters to catch them. |
| C．Extending the duck hunting season. |
| D．Using deadly ways to drive them away. |
9 . Have you seen bees at work and stopped to wonder how smart they are? Results of a recent experiment prove that bees are clever enough to
Behavior
Nigel Raine, PhD, from Royal Holloway, University of London, has always been interested in finding out why animals behave as they do. He is also interested in bees. Therefore, it turned out to be not a
A(n)
Flowers make pollen (花粉), and when bees visit them, they
They completed the experiment on the roof of Queen Mary, using
Travelling salesman
The problem that the bee solved is similar to a math puzzle called the “travelling salesman problem”. A salesman who goes to
Scientists are very interested in how they do this. It would help us to understand how pollen is moved around.
| A．waste | B．save | C．devote | D．have |
| A．disappointment | B．specialty | C．joy | D．surprise |
| A．takes | B．operates | C．installs | D．purchases |
| A．easier | B．harder | C．shorter | D．smoother |
| A．gather | B．produce | C．draw | D．carry |
| A．make | B．start | C．examine | D．continue |
| A．artificial | B．brightly-coloured | C．scented | D．fresh |
| A．pollen | B．nectar | C．seed | D．food |
| A．convenient | B．secret | C．new | D．specific |
| A．surprise | B．embarrassment | C．delight | D．regret |
| A．various | B．distant | C．interesting | D．business |
| A．get over | B．figure out | C．count down | D．round off |
| A．trick | B．deal | C．calculation | D．experiment |
| A．However | B．In addition | C．Therefore | D．After all |
| A．cause | B．hate | C．reduce | D．suffer |
10 . Libraries are places to preserve cultural heritage, develop information resources and carry out social education. Let’s look at some of the most beautiful libraries in the world.
Vennesla Library and Culture House, Norway
The library is one of the most beautiful libraries in the world. Opened in 2011, this library is an important site for concerts, theatrical performances and film screenings. The design of the library is unique. The building is supported by 27 laminated (层压的) wood arches that hold the roof up.
Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana, Italy
The library is one of the largest and most important libraries in Italy. It preserves one of the most important collections of Greek, Latin and Asian manuscripts (手稿) in the entire world. Some of them are the most precious pieces. The library specializes in Venetian history and classic philology. Its collection of antique maps is also very significant.
Stacja Kultura, Poland
Thanks to a recent restoration, a station that was once in ruins underwent an architectural change. The library might seem unremarkable from the outside, but the innovative project and its division into a train station, public library and cultural center have certainly made this building worth a visit.
Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, United States
The library is the main source of literary archives (档案), ancient manuscripts and rare books at Yale University, and it’s visited by students and researchers from around the world. Completed in 1963, the library is home to the Bollingen Prize for Poetry which is awarded biennially, and the Windham-Campbell Prizes which are awarded annually for fiction, literary essays, poetry, and theater.
1. Which library will attract people interested in the stage?| A．Vennesla Library and Culture House. | B．Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana. |
| C．Stacja Kultura. | D．Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library. |
| A．Its architecture. | B．Its collection. | C．Its location. | D．Its original owner. |
| A．They have a long history. | B．They are favored by movie lovers. |
| C．They hold some precious treasures. | D．They are the most important libraries. |
