1 . Elephants are truly incredible (难以置信的) animals. August 12 is World Elephant Day, which means to help save elephants. What do you know about elephants? Here are some facts you may not know.
We know that elephants are large. But do you know that elephants often avoid eating a type of acacia tree (金合欢树)? Because it is home to ants and an elephant doesn’t want to get the ants inside its trunk. Its trunk is full of sensitive endings.
Female elephants live in groups of about 15 elephants. The oldest in the group is the leader. She not only decides when and where they move but also determines when they rest all the year. Male elephants leave the female group between the age of 12 and 15. But they aren’t loners (孤独者). They live in all-male groups.
Asian elephants don’t run. Running requires lifting all four feet at once. But elephants filmed in Thailand always keep at least two on the ground at all times.
Elephants have passed the mirror test. They recognize themselves in a mirror. According to tests, great apes, and dolphins also have this ability.
Elephants can get sunburned so they can take care to protect themselves. “Elephants will throw sand on their backs and on their heads to keep them from getting sunburned and to keep off bugs off.” said Tony Barthel, working at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo. How do elephants protect their young? Adult elephants will put them in sand and then they will stand over the little ones as they sleep.
Some farmers in Kenya protect their fields from elephants by lining the borders with beehives (蜂箱). Not only are their crops saved, but the farmers also get some more money from the honey.
1. For what purpose is World Elephant Day designed?| A．To show some facts about elephants. |
| B．To introduce Asian elephants’ features. |
| C．To call on people to protect elephants. |
| D．To tell people some animals are in danger. |
| A．Because acacia trees are too tall to reach |
| B．Because fruit on acacia trees is hard to eat. |
| C．Because elephants are sensitive to acacia trees. |
| D．Because elephants’ trunks are easily hurt by ants in the trees. |
| A．They can run faster than female ones. |
| B．They live with female elephants at an early age. |
| C．They decide where and when their groups move. |
| D．The strongest male elephant is chosen as their leader. |
| A．By guarding kids when kids sleep. |
| B．By putting some sand on kids’ heads. |
| C．By using their trunks to keep bugs off. |
| D．By patting kids’ backs from time to time. |
2 . It's our galactic(银河系的) home, but the Milky Way contains many mysteries scientists are working to uncover. Now, as The Guardian reports, astronomers at the European Space Agency (ESA) have built a 3D map that provides the most detailed look at our galaxy yet.
The -data has been seven years in the making. In 2013, the ESA launched its Gaia Space .Observatory from Kourou in French Guiana. Since then, two high-powered telescopes aboard the spacecraft have been sweeping the skies, recording the locations, movements, and changes in brightness of more than a billion stars in the Milky Way and beyond.
Using Gaia's findings, astronomers put together a 3D map that allows scientists to study the galaxy in greater depth than ever before. The data has made it possible to measure the acceleration (加速度) of the solar system. By comparing the solar system's movements to those of more faraway objects in space, researchers have determined that the solar system is slowly falling toward the center of the galaxy at an acceleration of 7 millimeters per second per year, The Guardian reports. Additionally, the map shows how matter is distributed (使分配)throughout the Milky Way. With this information, scientists should be able to measure the mass of the Milky Way.
Gaia's observations may also hold clues to the Milky Way's past and future. The data holds small remaining parts of the 10-billion-year-old round flat object that made up the edge of the star system. By comparing it to the shape of the Milky Way today, astronomers have determined that the flat object will continue to increase in size as new stars are created.
The Gaia observatory was launched with the mission of carrying out an updated star census. The previous one was conducted in 1957, and Gaia's new data reaches four times farther and accounts for 100 times more stars.
1. According to the findings, what is happening to the solar system?| A．It is becoming larger and larger slowly. |
| B．It is attracting more new stars to its edge. |
| C．It is losing a 10-billion-year-old round flat star. |
| D．It is slightly accelerating toward the galactic center. |
| A．The size of the galaxy. |
| B．The origin of the galaxy. |
| C．The features of matter in the galaxy. |
| D．The speeds of new stars in the galaxy. |
| A．Filming. · | B．Locating. |
| C．Counting. | D．Comparing. |
| A．How the Gaia Space Observatory works |
| B．The solar system has changed since 2013 |
| C．Why the galaxy is also called “Milky Way” |
| D．3D map shows the galaxy in more exact detail |
3 . Scientists have discovered a new behaviour among bumblebees that tricks plants into flowering early.
When lack of pollen, bumblebees will bite little by little on the leaves of flower-less plants. The damage seems to fool the plant into flowering, sometimes up to 30 days earlier than normal.
With their hairy appearance and special sounds, bumblebees are hard to miss in gardens all over the world. Their hairy bodies make them excellent pollinators for crops like tomatoes and blueberries. They are among the first bees to appear each year and work a long season.
But despite their key role, bumblebees, like many other pollinators have seen their numbers decline suddenly in recent decades. One recent study pointed to climate change, reporting that an increasing number of hot days in Europe and North America was raising local bumblebees extinction rates.
But researchers have now made a discovery about bumblebees that could have something to do with their long term survival. Scientists in Switzerland found that when the bumblebees were out of pollen, they started to bite on the leaves of plants that hadn't yet flowered. They used their mouths to cut clearly-shaped holes in the leaves. But the creatures didn't eat the material or use it in their nests.
The damaged plants responded by flowering earlier than normal- -in some cases up to 30 days ahead of schedule. Researchers also found that the bee damaged plants flowered 30 days earlier than undamaged plants and 25 days earlier than ones damaged by the scientists.
“I think everything that we've found is consistent with the idea that the bumblebees are damaging the plants and that that's an adaptation that brings flowers earlier and that benefits the bees,” said Dr Mark Mescher, one of the authors from ETH Zurich.
1. How do bumblebees fool plants into flowering earlier?| A．By making use of the hot weather. | B．By putting the false flowers on the leaves. |
| C．By attacking the leaves of flowerless plants. | D．By taking away the pollen from the other flowers. |
| A．Making plants flower early. | B．Spreading pollen to flowers and plants. |
| C．Sending information about weather change. | D．Finding out whether the plant has flowers. |
| A．They are becoming homesick. | B．They are not as friendly as before. |
| C．There is a sharp decrease in number. | D．They have been busy year by year. |
| A．Uncaring. | B．Skeptical. | C．Tolerant. | D．Objective. |
4 . Every year the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and the New York Botanical Garden open their doors to thousands of visitors. They go there for the world-famous orchid (兰花) shows. But these organizations are not just protecting living plants but also recording the culture connected with them.
Working with the Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Beijing, Kew has developed a collection of plants--including orchids. The plants are collected in the forms they are used in traditional Chinese medicine. This is a storehouse of medical knowledge and a tool for cultural research.
Dr. Barnabas Seyler, assistant researcher in the department of environment at Sichuan University, believes in the key role of botanical gardens. As an ethnobotanist (民族植物学家), Seyler is looking at the relationship between orchids and local culture of Liangshan. “They can help the culture continue to exist through providing protection, educating the general public, and supporting traditional knowledge, stories, and cultural traditions connected with these plants,” he says.
In China, orchids are more than just wild plants. “If you walk into any Chinese-restaurant around the world, or into any teahouse in China, you will likely find paintings, place settings, or other cultural things showing orchids,” he says. “Many people, especially in the west, do not fully understand the weight that the plant has held throughout history in traditional Han Chinese culture.
The researchers have noticed that orchid species native to Sichuan are disappearing rapidly. Their beauty is killing them. Wild-collected rare forms could be sold for thousands of dollars. In his study, Seyler asked locals of Yiand Han communities whether they could recognize different orchid species. They also asked them about how to find and grow orchids, and knowledge about orchids in arts and language. They found that when species were locally dying out, knowledge about them would be forgotten.
Culture doesn't soon disappear because of the loss of one plant or group of plants. But what happens if species loss continues?
1. Why does the author mention the collection of plants?| A．To explain why the two orchid shows are so popular. |
| B．To explain how Kew saves living plants across the world. |
| C．To show the importance of working with foreign countries. |
| D．To show how botanical gardens are protecting the environment. |
| A．They can help keep orchid culture alive. |
| B．They will win more support from the public. |
| C．They should pay more attention to local cultures. |
| D．They can play a key role in environmental protection. |
| A．The long history of orchids in China. |
| B．The many uses of orchids in the world. |
| C．The importance of orchids in Chinese culture. |
| D．The great influence of orchids on Western people. |
| A．How to prevent orchids from dying out. |
| B．What will happen to orchids in Sichuan. |
| C．How to increase knowledge about orchids. |
| D．What the loss of orchids will bring about. |
5 . As we "happen to be" the best creature in the world, it's our duty to look after other species. Here are some points which might help to protect wildlife.
Join organizations like Greenpeace and World Wildlife Fund. They have devoted themselves to protecting the earth and its animals. Many volunteers join organizations like these and work for the environment.
Recycle and reuse. It will reduce the need to have more raw materials to produce something like paper or tissue.
Governments should create more safe zones and national parks for wild animals.
I hope you find this post helpful. Share your views about this issue and let your voice be heard.
| A．Stop hunting for pleasure. |
| B．Feedback to the government. |
| C．As a result, fewer trees will be cut down. |
| D．You can build a bird house and feed local birds. |
| E．Refuse fur coats and medicines made from rare animals. |
| F．You can find some organizations like these and join them. |
| G．There they will be able to move freely without worrying about hunters. |
6 . Around three years ago, I was at a stop sign when I heard slightly barking coming from in a car parked on the street near me. It was very
There was no way to
When the police officer helped open the door, the dog
Obviously the man had a condition that caused him to have a(n)
I cannot
| A．quite | B．dark | C．hot | D．dry |
| A．drove | B．parked | C．took | D．looked |
| A．save | B．find | C．walk | D．touch |
| A．sad | B．bored | C．puzzled | D．angry |
| A．open | B．break | C．clean | D．replace |
| A．hit | B．called | C．noticed | D．stopped |
| A．disappointed | B．frightened | C．excited | D．surprised |
| A．looked after | B．went after | C．shouted at | D．pointed at |
| A．why | B．how | C．when | D．where |
| A．working | B．sleeping | C．standing | D．lying |
| A．attack | B．rest | C．opportunity | D．fight |
| A．important | B．strange | C．bad | D．clear |
| A．known | B．continued | C．stayed | D．helped |
| A．uncertainty | B．anxiety | C．exhaustion | D．emotion |
| A．risky | B．hard | C．right | D．big |
| A．judge | B．act | C．blame | D．agree |
| A．address | B．note | C．mark | D．number |
| A．believe | B．face | C．imagine | D．remember |
| A．quickly | B．differently | C．perfectly | D．smoothly |
| A．seem | B．happen | C．expect | D．prefer |
1. What can visitors do in the sea park?
| A．Feed sharks. | B．Swim with whales. | C．Take part in family activities. |
| A．Having fun. | B．Staying with their parents. | C．Sharing experience. |
| A．By providing useful information. |
| B．By giving sea creature models. |
| C．By offering free school trips. |
| A．In the sea parks. | B．In zoos all over the world. | C．In their natural homes. |
8 . An Ontario teen is making waves by turning old fishing gear into new treasures. Since last year, Natalie, 15, has been taking lost or thrown — away fishing nets and rope and transforming them into bracelets, rope art, mats, baskets and necklaces.
Last year, Natalie was working on an assignment for her science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) class. As part of the assignment, she learned about “ghost nets”, which are fishing nets that have been left or lost in the ocean by people who fish.
“They have huge effects on our environment. They can kill coral reefs and many animals,” said Natalie. “46 percent of the Pacific garbage is ghost gear.” The Great Pacific Garbage is a huge collection of trash floating in the Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and California.
Natalie told her mom she wanted to do something to help. She got in touch with a handful of charities, including the Sea Protection Society and Coastal Action.
After getting some shipments of ghost nets and rope from those organizations, Natalie, with the help of her family, started turning the discarded gear into new artworks. “We've made bracelets, rope art, mats, baskets, and we've made necklaces, which also use beach glass in them,” she said. Natalie then started selling the artworks online, the crafty buying and selling website.
She donated all her profits-minus a small sum of change to cover supplies — to the charities that donated fishing supplies to her. She's also been donating all the income from her non-profit business, called Nautical Waters, to charity. Natalie said she hoped to continue her passion for ocean life, with plans to study marine biology in university.
1. How did Natalie help with ghost nets?| A．By turning them into artworks. | B．By asking support from her mother. |
| C．By collecting money from charities. | D．By selling ghost nets at a good price. |
| A．To collect supplies for the artworks. | B．To prepare for her study in university. |
| C．To protect coral reefs and marine animals. | D．To complete an assignment for her STEM class. |
| A．Polluted. | B．Rare. | C．Waste. | D．Discovered. |
| A．Ghost Nets Ready for Sale | B．Charities Make a Big Difference |
| C．Natalie's Passion for Ocean Treasures | D．Teen Turns Old Fishing Nets into Artworks |
9 . Rain is vital to life on Earth. However, rain isn’t just made of water anymore—it’s partly made of plastic.
Millions of tiny pieces of plastic, called microplastics, are wandering around Earth’s atmosphere and traveling across entire continents according to a study published in one journal on April 12.
Microplastics are plastic particles less than 5 millimeters in diameter and come from a number of sources. Plastic bags and bottles released into the environment break down into smaller and smaller bits. Some microplastics are produced deliberately to provide abrasion(研磨)in products, such as toothpaste and cleansers. Another major source is your washing machine. When you wash clothing, tiny microfibers get washed away with the wastewater. Even though the water is treated by a wastewater plant, the microplastics remain, and they are released into the sea.
Plastic rain may remind people of acid rain, but the former is far more widespread and harder to deal with. The tiny particles, too small to be seen with the naked eye, are collected by the wind from the ground. They are so light that they stay in the air to be blown around the globe. As they climb into the atmosphere, they are thought to act as nuclei (核心) around which water vapor (水蒸气) combines to form clouds. Some of the dust falls back to land in dry conditions, while the rest comes down as rain.
Microplastics have been found everywhere you can imagine. From fish and frogs to mice and mosquitoes, their bodies have been found on average to contain 40 pieces of microplastic. As the top of the food chain, humans are exposed to microplastics, too. “We live on a ball inside a bubble,” microplastic researcher Steve Allen said. “There are no borders, there are no edges. It rains on the land and then gets blown back up into the air again to move somewhere else. There’s no stopping it once it’s out.”
1. What do we know about microplastics?| A．They have a diameter of over 5 millimeters. |
| B．They have become a threat to humans. |
| C．They are light and can be easily dealt with. |
| D．They cause acid rain and plastic rain. |
| A．Ways to deal with microplastics. | B．The wide use of microplastics. |
| C．Where microplastics come from. | D．How microplastics pollute water. |
| A．No place can be safe from microplastic pollution. |
| B．The atmosphere possesses the ability to self-cleanse. |
| C．Countries should work together to fight pollution. |
| D．Wind causes microplastics to move somewhere else. |
| A．call on people to use fewer plastic products |
| B．warn people of the danger of microplastics |
| C．introduce the sources and effects of microplastics |
| D．make a comparison between acid rain and plastic rain |
10 . Can you imagine a world where more than half of our common plant species and a third of our known animals disappear from sight? That's the prediction suggested by new research on the impact of climate change.
An international team of researchers looked at the impact of rising temperatures on nearly 50,000 species of plants and animals. They came to the conclusion that these are to decline due to changes in their habitat. They looked at temperature and rainfall records for the habitats in which these species now live, and mapped the areas that would remain suitable for them under different weather conditions.
The scientists projected that if no significant efforts were made to limit greenhouse gas emissionss, by the year 2100 global temperatures would be 4C above pre-industrial levels. In this scenario, some 34% of animal species and 57% of plants would lose more than half of their current habitat ranges. The impact on species will be felt more heavily in some parts of the world such as the Amazon region.
Our society would be affected too, according to Dr. Rachel Warren, from the University of East Anglia in Britain. She says: "There'll be a knock-on effect for humans because these species are important for things like water and air purification, flood control and nutrients cycling, and eco-tourism."
In spite of the conclusions to this paper, published in the journal Nature Climate Change, it is not all doom and gloom. Dr Warren says: "Swift action to reduce CO2 and other greenhouse gases can prevent the biodiversity loss by reducing the amount of global warming to 2C rather than 4 degrees." The researcher believes that this would buy time for plants and animals to adapt to the change.
If nothing is changed and the predictions of this study are confirmed, the world might look very different in a few generations.
1. What made animals and plants decrease?| A．Temperature and rainfall. | B．The transition in their living surroundings. |
| C．Weather condition | D．The change of nature. |
| A．Assumption. | B．Theory . | C．Expectation . | D．Truth . |
| A．The temperature will not increase. | B．The biodiversity loss can be totally prevented. |
| C．Animals and plants have more time to fit. | D．Current habitat will not be affected. |
| A．The impact of climate change. | B．Massive species may die from climate change. |
| C．Plant and animals are in danger. | D．Global warming are threatening us. |
