1.海洋的重要性；
2.保护海洋的具体措施(不少于两条);
3.保护海洋的倡议。
注意：词数不少于100词；
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2 . Conservationists go to war over whether humans are the measure of nature’s value. New Conservationists argue such trade-offs are necessary in this human dominated epoch. And they support “re-wilding”, a concept originally proposed by Soule where people curtail economic growth and withdraw from landscapes, which then return to nature.
New Conservationists believe the withdrawal could happen together with economic growth. The California-based Breakthrough Institute believes in a future where most people live in cities and rely less on natural resources for economic growth.
They would get food from industrial agriculture, including genetically modified foods, desalination intensified meat production and aquaculture, all of which have a smaller land footprint. And they would get their energy from renewables and natural gas.
Driving these profound shifts would be greater efficiency of production, where more products could be manufactured from fewer inputs. And some unsustainable commodities would be replaced in the market by other, greener ones — natural gas for coal, for instance, explained Michael Heisenberg, president of the Breakthrough Institute. Nature would, in essence, be decoupled from the economy.
And then he added a caveat: We are not suggesting decoupling as the paradigm to save the world, or that it solves all the problems or eliminates all the trade-offs.
Cynics (悲观者) may say all this sounds too utopian, but Breakthrough maintains the world is already on this path toward decoupling. Nowhere is this more evident than in the United Sates, according to Iddo Wernick, a research scholar at the Rockefeller University, who has examined the nation’s use of 100 main commodities.
Wenick and his colleagues looked at data carefully from the U.S. Geological Survey National Minerals Information Center, which keeps a record of commodities used from 1900 through the present day. They found that the use of 36 commodities (sand, iron ore, cotton etc.) in the U. S. Economy had peaked.
Another 53 commodities (nitrogen, timber, beef, etc.) are being used more efficiently per dollar value of gross domestic product than in the pre-1970s era. Their use would peak soon, Wernick said.
Only 11 commodities (industrial diamond, indium, chicken, etc.) are increasing in use (Greenwire, Nov.6), and most of these are employed by industries in small quantities to improve systems processes. Chicken use is rising because people are eating less beef, a desirable development since poultry cultivation has a smaller environmental footprint.
The numbers show the United States has not intensified resource consumption since the 1970s even while increasing its GDP and population, said Jesse Ausubel of the Rockefeller University.
“It seems like the 20th-century expectation we had, we were always assuming the future entailed greater consumption of resources,” Ausubel said. “But what we are seeing in the developed countries is, of course, peaks.”
1. What does the underlined word “trade-offs” refer to in the first paragraph?| A．The balance between human development and natural ecology. |
| B．The profitability of import and export trade. |
| C．The consumption of natural resources by industrial development. |
| D．The difficult plight of economies growth. |
| A．They believe that mankind should live in forests with rich vegetation. |
| B．They believe that mankind will need more natural resources in the future. |
| C．They believe that mankind is the master of the whole universe. |
| D．They believe that mankind should limit economic growth. |
| A．Natural resources cannot support economic development. |
| B．More resource consumption will not occur in a certain period of time. |
| C．Excessive resource consumption will not affect the ecological environment. |
| D．All resource consumption in developed countries has reached a peak. |
| A．Urbanization and re-wildness. |
| B．Human existence and industrial development. |
| C．Socioeconomic development and resource consumption. |
| D．Commodity trading and raw material development. |
| A．The Cat House. | B．The Lizard Lounge. | C．The Monkey House. |
内容包括：
1. 该地方的基本情况（如名称、地理位置等）
2. 该地方的特色（如文化、景点等）
3. 你对该地方的印象和感受。
注意：
1.词数不少于100；
2.可适当加入细节，使内容充实、行文连贯
A Beautiful Place in China
November 13th, 2023By Li Jin
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5 . The last decade saw the rise of the field of “plant neurobiology (植物神经生物学)”. That debatable field is based on the idea that plants — which do not possess brains — handle information in ways similar to complicated animal nervous systems. This thinking implies that plants could feel happiness or sorrow or pain, make intentional decisions and even possess consciousness. But the chances of that are “effectively zero”. “There’s nothing in the plant comparable to the complexity of the animal brain,” says Taiz, from the University of California, Santa Cruz.
Some plants are capable of complicated behaviors. For example, wounded leaves can send warning signals to other parts of the plant. But plants perform these with equipment that’s very different from the nervous systems of animals, no brain required, Taiz argues. He and colleagues point out methodological faults in some of the studies that claim plants have brain-like command centers and animal-like nerve cells. But beyond the debate over how these studies are conducted, Taiz’s team argues that plant consciousness doesn’t even make sense from an evolutionary point of view.
“Complicated animal brains advanced in part to help a living being catch a meal and avoid becoming one,” Taiz says. “But plants are rooted to the ground and rely on sunlight for energy, an inactive lifestyle that doesn’t require quick thinking or outsmarting a predator (捕食者) — or the energetically expensive nervous systems that enable those behaviors.” “What use would consciousness be to a plant?” Taiz asks. “If a plant worried and suffered when faced with a threat, it would be wasting so much energy that it wouldn’t have any left to do anything about that threat,” Taiz says. “Furthermore, plants have plenty to do without having to be conscious, too. With sunlight, carbon dioxide and water, plants create the compounds that sustain much of the rest of life on Earth,” Taiz points out. “Isn’t that enough?”
1. The rise of “plant neurobiology” indicates that ________.| A．It is widely recognized that plants have brains and nervous systems. |
| B．Scientists proved that plants can handle information like animals. |
| C．Certain scientists believe that plants may possess consciousness. |
| D．The science community believes in the promising future of studying it. |
| A．Plants possess animal-like nervous systems. |
| B．Plants perform complicated behaviors with brains. |
| C．It is not understandable that plants have consciousness. |
| D．It is necessary for plants to develop brains for survival. |
| A．A predator. | B．A living being. | C．An inactive plant. | D．A meal. |
| A．To explain a rule. | B．To clarify a concept. |
| C．To support an argument. | D．To present a fact. |
| A．Entertainment. | B．Life. | C．Education. | D．Science. |
6 . Steven Stein likes to track garbage trucks. He says, “It’s hard to resist.” Stein’s strange habit makes sense when you consider that he’s an environmental scientist who studies how to reduce litter, including stuff that falls off garbage trucks as they run down the road. What is even more interesting is that one of Stein’s current plans is defending an industry behind a source of trash: plastic shopping bags.
Americans use more than 100 million plastic bags every year. So many end up in tree branches or along highways that a growing number of cities are banishing (排除) them from checkout lines. The bags are outlawed in some places in the USA.
Facing these situations, plastic-bag manufacturers are hiring scientists like Stein to make the case that their products are not as bad for the planet as most people assume. “It’s important to base your decisions on facts,” says Stan Bikulege, CEO of Hilex Poly, which has hired Stein.
Among the bag makers’ argument: many cities with bans still allow shoppers to purchase paper bags, which are easily recycled but require more energy to produce and transport. And while plastic bags may be ugly to look at, they represent a small percentage of all garbage on the ground today.
The industry has also taken aim at the product that can take the place of plastic bags: reusable shopping bags. The sturdier a reusable bag is, the longer its life and the more plastic-bag use it cancels out. But this plan has another side. Longer-lasting reusable bags often require more energy to make.
Environmentalists don’t agree with these points. They hope paper bags will be banned someday too and want shoppers to use the same reusable bags for years. So are reusables our destiny? The answer is probably yes. And Andy Keller, inventor of reusable polyester (聚酯纤维) bags, says, ”If you can carry it out in your hands or put it back in your car, you don’t need a bag.”
1. The first paragraph serves as___________.| A．an explanation | B．an introduction | C．a comment | D．a background |
| A．To collect facts about shopping bags. |
| B．To show plastic bags are eco-friendly. |
| C．To research on people’s consuming habits. |
| D．To prove plastic bags are better than people thought. |
| A．They look a bit ugly. | B．They are easy to break. |
| C．Their prices are comparatively high. | D．Their production is energy-consuming. |
| A．Stronger. | B．Lighter. | C．Heavier. | D．Softer. |
| A．Forget about plastic bags. | B．Paper bags are coming. |
| C．Paper, plastic or neither. | D．A strange scientist. |
7 . The African grey parrot’s ability to talk and mimic sounds makes it a charming companion. African grey owners often report that their greys oftentimes talk in context and can understand their people’s emotions. The African grey parrot is not just a top talker — this bird is also known for its extreme intelligence, which gives it the name “The Einstein s of the bird world”.
The bird is medium-sized, dusty-looking and almost pigeon-like. It has a bright red tail, intelligent orange eyes, and a stunning scalloped (扇形的) pattern to its feathers. Its diet in the wild consists mostly of nuts, seeds, fruits, and leafy matter.
At home, African greys need plenty of toys that challenge their intelligence, such as food searching and puzzle toys. Nutri-Berries by Lafeber Company are a perfect choice, which, with a balance of grains, seeds and other nutrients in the shape of a berry, encourages African greys to hold, bite off, and even do other things, just as they do in the wild.
African greys seem especially affected by stress and disturbing noise in their environment and can be put more at ease by placing one corner of the cage against a wall compared to in the middle of a room.
African grey parrots are more likely to suffer from lack of vitamin A/beta-carotene, and therefore benefit from eating vegetables high in beta-carotene, such as cooked sweet potato and fresh kale. Lack of vitamin D is another concern, especially for greys on a poor diet. Offering a balanced, pill-shaped diet,such as Nutri-Berries, helps prevent vitamin and mineral shortage.
1. Why are African grey parrots called “The Einstein s of the bird world”?| A．Due to their talking ability. | B．Because of their brain size. |
| C．Owing to their rich emotions. | D．On account of their intelligence. |
| A．A type of round fruit. | B．Puzzle toys for birds. |
| C．A brand of bird food. | D．Wild intelligence games. |
| A．They are smart and love to have fun. | B．They are dusty-looking with blue eyes. |
| C．They seldom get ill despite the lack of vitamin. | D．They prefer to stay in the middle of a room. |
| A．In a travel guide. | B．In science fiction. |
| C．On a shopping website. | D．In a wildlife magazine. |
(1)野生动物的现状
(2)保护野生动物的建议
(3)保护野生动物意义
注意：
(1)词数不少于100词；
(2)可以适当增加细节以使行文连贯。
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9 . Everybody hates rats. But in the areas where there are many earthquakes, rats will soon be man’s friends.
What happens after an earthquake? We send in rescue (营救) dogs. Why? Because they can smell people. Dogs save lives. They help rescuers to find living people. But dogs are big and they can’t get into small spaces. So now a new research project is using a smaller animal to save lives: the rat.
How does it work? First, the rat is trained to smell people. When this happens, the rat’s brain gives a signal (信号). This is sent to a small radio on its back, and then the rescuers follow the radio signals. When the rat’s brain activity jumps, the rescuers know that someone is alive. Although there are already robots which can do this job, rats are better. Christian Linster at Cornel University, New York says, “Robots’ noses don’t work well when there are other smells around. Rats are good at that.” Rats can also see in the dark. They are cheaper and quicker to train than dogs, and unlike robots, they don’t need electricity!
The “rat project” is not finished, but Julie Ryan of International Rescue Corps in Scotland says, “It would be fantastic. A rat could get into spaces we couldn’t get to and a rat would get out if it wasn’t safe.” Perhaps for the first time in history, people will be happy to see a rat in a building (but only after an earthquake, of course).
1. Why are rats used in the new research project?| A．They are smarter than dogs. | B．They are more curious. |
| C．They can reach smaller spaces. | D．They are more popular than dogs. |
| A．To make a comparison. | B．To help rescue people. |
| C．To reduce the work of rescuers. | D．To charge robots. |
| A．Rats have a better sense of smell to find survivors. |
| B．Robots can’t judge the smell of living survivors. |
| C．Rats have natural ability to find survivors. |
| D．Rats can get to spaces unreachable for robots. |
| A．Negative | B．Neutral | C．Positive | D．Opposed |
| A．The ways to rescue survivors. |
| B．Rats are man’s new best friends. |
| C．Rats can be trained to help find survivors after the earthquake. |
| D．Man will be happy to see a rat in the building. |
10 . On November 7, Lewis Pugh completed a one-kilometer swim in the freezing waters of King Edward Cove, off South Georgia in Antarctica. He was wearing only his swimming glasses, cap and Speedos!
Pugh is an advocate for our oceans and seas, working to protect these ecosystems with their large diversity of marine (海洋的) life. When asked why he doesn’t wear a wetsuit (防寒泳衣), Lewis says, “I ask world leaders to do everything they can to protect our oceans. Sometimes the steps they need to take are difficult and unpopular. If I’m asking them to be courageous, I must also be. Swimming in a wetsuit would not send the right message.”
It took Pugh about 19 minutes to complete the one-kilometer swim in Antarctica where the water averaged about 1. 6℃. He says that his body can only tolerate about 20 minutes in the freezing waters before it starts shutting down. As he swims, his body temperature steadily drops, which in turn causes his muscle control to drop, slowing him down. When he is done with his swim, his support team rushes him to a hot shower and it takes almost an hour for his body temperature to return to normal.
Doctors and Pugh caution that one must receive months of training to swim in such cold waters. Even expert swimmers who are unused to freezing water can drown within minutes because of the physical shock experienced by the body. Pugh says he trained for six months before this swim.
This is not the first time that Lewis has swum in dangerous conditions. In 2007, he swam one kilometer in the North Pole to draw attention to the melting Arctic ice due to climate change. In 2015, he swam in the Bay of Whales in Antarctica’s Ross Sea as part of his successful campaign to help set up a marine reserve there.
1. Why did Lewis Pugh swim without a wetsuit?| A．To swim faster. | B．To show his bravery. |
| C．To build up his body. | D．To win public attention. |
| A．His body. | B．The water. |
| C．His body temperature. | D．The water temperature. |
| A．One must be fully prepared. | B．One should be expert at swimming. |
| C．One should be ready to take on challenges. | D．One must be used to long-distance swimming. |
| A．Ambitious and self-centered. | B．Hardworking and single-minded. |
| C．Optimistic and environmentally friendly. | D．Determined and environmentally conscious. |
| A．Lewis Pugh: swimming for a cause | B．How to survive a swim in cold waters |
| C．How to prepare for extreme swimming | D．Lewis Pugh: achieving the impossible |
