Global warming is pushing the population on polar bears to
Polar bears live by hunting seals in the Arctic Ocean, but as more and more ice
Studies show that
“What we’ve shown is that, first, we’ll lose the
The study comes
2 . I couldn’t believe it when Ron said, “Honey, I bought us two camels!” I’d always been an animal
They were babies when bought and I
Last fall, Sybil was believed to be in a deadly
In 2016, Ron was diagnosed with cancer. We were both
Yet it wasn’t until I watched Nadia and Sybil live through
| A．feeder | B．lover | C．doubter | D．guardian |
| A．train | B．raise | C．describe | D．observe |
| A．returned | B．showed | C．brought | D．named |
| A．gave birth to | B．got close to | C．got out of | D．gave rise to |
| A．sky | B．earth | C．incident | D．loss |
| A．as usual | B．in particular | C．by coincidence | D．in practice |
| A．beauty | B．strength | C．ambition | D．awareness |
| A．behavior | B．mistake | C．panic | D．condition |
| A．made sense | B．tried out | C．held on | D．built up |
| A．liberty | B．survival | C．application | D．shelter |
| A．amazed | B．helped | C．convinced | D．promoted |
| A．secretly | B．nearly | C．temporarily | D．extremely |
| A．busy | B．weak | C．serious | D．nervous |
| A．independent | B．existing | C．running | D．practical |
| A．exhausted | B．disabled | C．treated | D．balanced |
| A．warned | B．reminded | C．surprised | D．recommended |
| A．absurdness | B．annoyance | C．adaptation | D．darkness |
| A．fruitless | B．wonderful | C．scary | D．remote |
| A．contently | B．aimlessly | C．elegantly | D．anxiously |
| A．figure | B．possession | C．blessing | D．burden |
3 . Nashville-based helicopter pilot Joel Boyers had just finished his job on Saturday morning and was heading home when he received a call for help from a woman in Pennsylvania. Her brother Johnson’s home in Waverly, Tennessee, was underwater and he was trapped on a roof with his daughters. Could Boyers help?“I thought how I would feel if I told her I was not even going to try?” he said in a Thursday interview. “She just so happened to call the right person, because I’m the only person crazy enough to even try to do that.”
The weather was terrible and Boyers had to deal with hills and power lines on the way to Waverly, a small city about 60 miles west of Nashville. Just before reaching the town, he found the Internet was down, making it impossible to locate the house he was looking for. He flew on anyway.
“When I arrived, it was nothing but raging water below me,” he said. A few people were out in boats, rescuing the trapped. Boyers was alone in the sky. He started flying up and down the flooded area, grabbing anyone he could.
Boyers said he ended up rescuing 17 people that day. He was proud of that, but said he was the one who should be thanking them. “I literally prayed just days before this that I would be given some meaning in my life, and then I end up getting this call,” he said. He had flown over disasters before including floods, but “The police are usually there, and my hands are tied. This time there isn’t any,” he said.
To perform the rescues, Boyers had to carefully avoid power lines, balance his skids (打滑) on sloped rooftops, and fly over flood waters. It took all the skills learned over 16 years of flying, including for a television news station, for documentaries and for country music stars. “I don’t want to lie,” he said. “It was almost a little fun for me.”
1. Why did Boyers fly to Waverly？| A．Because he had to do his routine tasks. |
| B．Because his brother was caught in the flood. |
| C．Because he was going to have an interview. |
| D．Because he received an emergency call. |
| A．A long distance. | B．The Internet failure. |
| C．High mountains. | D．Fallen power lines. |
| A．Caring and courageous. | B．Ambitious and demanding. |
| C．Modest and creative. | D．Humorous and cooperative. |
| A．Surviving a Crisis | B．Performing a Task |
| C．Braving a Flood | D．Testing Flight Skills |
As that heat rises, some of it is
Several gases in the atmosphere
5 . The destruction of our natural resources and contamination of our food supply continue to occur, largely because of the extreme difficulty in attaching legal responsibility to those who continue to treat our environment with careless abandon(放任). Attempts to prevent pollution by legislation, economic encouragement and friendly persuasion have been met by lawsuits, personal and industrial denial and long delays--not only in accepting responsibility, but more importantly, in doing something about it.
It seems that only when government decides it can afford tax encouragement or production sacrifices is there any initiative for change. Where is industry’s and our recognition that protecting mankind’s great treasure is the single most important responsibility? If ever there will be time for environmental health professionals to come to the frontlines and provide leadership to solve environmental problems, that time is now.
We are being asked, and, in fact, the public is demanding that we take positive action. It is our responsibility as professionals in environmental health to make the difference. Yes, the ecologists, the environmental activists and the conservationists serve to communicate, stimulate thinking and promote behavioral change. However, it is those of us who are paid to make the decisions to develop, improve and enforce environmental standards, I submit, who must lead the charge.
We must recognize that environmental health issues do not stop at city limits, county lines, state or even federal boundaries. We can no longer afford to be tunnel-visioned in our approach. We must visualize issues from every perspective to make the objective decisions. We must express our views clearly to prevent media distortion and public confusion.
I believe we have a three-part mission for the present. First, we must continue to press for improvements in the quality of life that people can make for themselves. Second, we must investigate and understand the link between environment and health. Third, we must be able to communicate technical information in a form that citizens can understand. If we can accomplish these three goals in this decade, maybe we can finally stop environmental degradation, and not merely hold it back. We will then be able to spend pollution dollars truly on prevention rather than on bandages.
1. We can infer from the first two paragraphs that the industrialists disregard environmental protection chiefly because _________.| A．they are unaware of the consequences of what they are doing |
| B．they are reluctant to sacrifice their own economic interests |
| C．time has not yet come for them to put due emphasis on it |
| D．it is difficult for them to take effective measures |
| A．Legislation and government intervention. |
| B．The industry’s understanding and support. |
| C．The efforts of environmental health professionals. |
| D．The cooperation of ecologists, environmental activists and conservationists. |
| A．narrow-minded |
| B．blind to the facts |
| C．short-sighted |
| D．able to see only one aspect |
| A．Efforts should be exerted on remedial measures on pollution. |
| B．More money should be spent in order to stop pollution. |
| C．Ordinary citizens hardly have any idea of technical information on pollution. |
| D．Environmental degradation will be stopped by the end of this decade. |
6 . For the first time, a rat has won a British aid group’s top award for animal bravery. The animal is being honored for its work searching out unexploded landmines (地雷) in Cambodia. The award winner is an African giant rat named Magawa.
The group, APOPO, which aims to help clear landmines left behind from wars and conflicts says that more than 60 million people in 59 countries continue to be threatened by landmines and unexploded weapons. In 2018, landmines and other remains of war killed or injured 6,897 people.
Magawa was trained by a Belgian organization that has been teaching rats to find landmines for more than 20 years, and he is the group’s most successful rat. Magawa has cleared more than 141,000 square meters of land over the past four years. Many animals including brave dogs, birds and cats can be trained to search things out with their noses and perform work for food. But the giant African rats were best equipped to help clear landmines because of their African roots and lifespan of up to eight years. The rats’ size permits them to walk across mine fields without setting off explosives. Magawa was from Tanzania, but is now based in the Cambodian city of Siem Reap. British charity PDSA gave its Gold Medal to Magawa for his lifesaving bravery and devotion to duty. He is the first rat to receive a PDSA medal in the 77-year history of the awards.
APOPO’s chief Christophe Cox said Magawa’s medal was a huge honor for the group's animal trainers. But also, it is big for the people in Cambodia, and all the people around the world who are suffering from landmines. He hopes the Gold Medal award can bring more worldwide attention to the problem of landmines.
1. What can be learned from paragraph 2?| A．Landmines still threaten people’s life. |
| B．APOPO left many landmines in Africa. |
| C．Rats set off the most landmines in 59 countries. |
| D．Wars and conflicts are still threatening 59 countries. |
| A．Britain. | B．Tanzania. | C．Belgium. | D．Cambodia. |
| A．For his giant body. |
| B．For his long lifespan. |
| C．For his saving life. |
| D．For his twenty years’ training. |
| A．To change people’s attitudes to rats. |
| B．To advertise the British charity PDSA. |
| C．To praise animal trainers around the world. |
| D．To arouse people’s attention to the remains of wars. |
Now a group of students at Glen Hills Middle School in Glendale, Wisconsin, are working to reduce their ecological footprint.
Glen Hills is
Due to the pandemic (疫情), the Green Team now conducts their Tuesday and Thursday meetings online. At
“We volunteer in the community for river cleanup and compost (堆肥) efforts with Kompost Kids,” Clark says. The Green Team is invited to help sort and recycle waste with Kompost Kids, a local nonprofit organization run
Kompost Kids
8 . Scientists have discovered a tiny chameleon (变色龙) from Madagascar that may be the world’s smallest reptile (爬行动物). The chameleon is small enough to easily sit on a fingertip. The tiny animals are being called “nano-chameleons” (very small chameleons), and are officially known as Brookesia nana, or B. nana. Only two have ever been spotted—one male and one female.
Reptiles are egg-laying animals with backbones, and include animals like snakes, lizards, and crocodiles. Reptiles are cold-blooded, which means their bodies have the same temperature as the area around them.
The female example of B. nana was about 2.9 centimeters (1.14 inches) long. But the male B. nana that the scientists found was much tinier—2.2 centimeters (0.87 inches) from head to tail. This is unusual for chameleons. Usually the male is larger. But the scientists believe that B. nana is so small that the female may need to be larger in order to carry eggs.
Unlike some other chameleons, B. nana doesn’t have the ability to change its colors greatly. But the skin of the B. nana is a mixture of brown colors which blends (融合) in well with the leaves and grasses on the forest floor where they live. The chameleons have a long tongue which can stick out quickly to grab small insects for food. But B. nana needs to be wary. Since it’s so small, it could easily become food for a larger insect or spider.
The scientists are also worried that the tiny chameleons could face other threats. Luckily, since B. nana was first spotted in 2012, the mountain area where it was found has been protected by the government. In other efforts to protect B. nana, it may soon be listed as critically endangered with extinction. “It’s all good and well to say, ‘Oh, I really hope that people stop deforesting this forest, ” says Scherz, an evolutionary biologist. “But until the economic future of Madagascar changes, there’s no hope for any of its wildlife because the people have to eat.”
1. What is the reason for the female B. nana being larger than the male one according to scientists?| A．Taking care of her children. | B．Showing her strength. |
| C．Defending against enemies. | D．Carrying eggs. |
| A．Their blood is very cold. | B．Scientists have only found one. |
| C．They are not good at changing colors. | D．They are as small as a fingertip. |
| A．Careful. | B．Helpful. |
| C．Hopeful | D．Useful. |
| A．There is little hope that tiny chameleons survive. |
| B．To achieve it the economic change is vital. |
| C．Measures must be taken to prohibit deforestation. |
| D．It's unnecessary to talk about it. |
9 . The human race shares this planet with millions of other species and forms of life. In recognizing that, it is always important to remember that our rapid rise of the urban civilization(城市文明) has unavoidably impacted the planet and life on it.
In the long run, however, the civilization risks destroying well balanced ecosystems, which could potentially have serious results for humanity itself. As such,we must eventually find a balance between development and nature which can maintain the ecology, beauty and harmony(和谐) of the earth.
The word “harmony” is an important concept in China. Chinese society and culture are built on the idea that relationships between people should be harmonious, which means avoiding conflict, highlighting a common good and balancing uncontrollable desires with the needs of society as a whole. However, this idea does not just apply to people, it also applies to our relationships with the world and nature. Never has this been more meaningful than the view of how China handles its rapid development, which has lastingly changed the country’s landscape and created new challenges regarding nature and the environment.
Actually, over the past few years China has been working hard to protect biodiversity and has drawn “red lines” for ecological protection, established a national park system, and undertaken major projects for biodiversity protection.
One example of China’s success in this area is in its reversing(逆转) of the decrease of its giant panda population to the point that it is no longer endangered. This effort included creating a giant panda national park in 2016 and doubling the number of births. Pandas have become “a global symbol of conservation success”—something in which China has played a key part.
Likewise, China is also taking its efforts overseas. It recently announced a $232 million fund to promote biodiversity protection in developing countries. The effort is a part of its “community of shared future for mankind”, meaning that we share one world, one planet and one future, and so we human beings must work together. Now it is the time to act.
1. Which potential risk along with the urban civilization is mentioned?| A．Loss of the natural scenery. |
| B．Breaking the ecosystem balance. |
| C．The disappearance of all species. |
| D．Ruining our human health. |
| A．The word “harmony” refers to good interpersonal relationship. |
| B．Human’s uncontrolled desires aren’t connected with harmony. |
| C．Keeping in harmony makes a difference to China’s development. |
| D．Balancing development and nature isn’t complicated as imagined. |
| A．China has completed the task of protecting biodiversity. |
| B．China has made some achievements of protecting biodiversity. |
| C．The population of giant panda is gradually decreasing recently. |
| D．Pandas have become the most successful representative of China。 |
| A．Fundamental. | B．Unique. | C．Indirect. | D．Mysterious. |
10 . “How many of us as children have stared up at a church-like top of a giant tree and climbed it in wonder, which is a rally special part of our lives?” asks Bill Laurance, a tropical ecologist at James Cook University. “The leaves of big trees in forests are spreading out in all directions. We’re faced with organisms that have evolved for long periods of ecological stability.”
“There’s a lot to discuss on the issue,” says David Lindenmayer, a conservation ecologist at the Australian National University. “Climate change will mean that, in some forests, big trees won’t reach the same sizes they used to.” The effects of climate change, including long droughts, more invasive species and so on increase the simple physical challenges that big trees face in pulling water from their roots to their leaves and withstanding windstorms.
Lindenmayer and Laurance define “large, old trees” as the largest five percent mature trees within a species. The flexible definition means that in some forests, the large, old trees might be only 20 meters tall and 100 years old.
These large, old trees control the surrounding plant communities, affect water and nutrient distribution, and provide food and shelter for wildlife. “They’re really the breadbaskets of the forest,” says Laurance. “This is a very environmentally and ecologically important group of organisms, and they need special care and handling.” Determining the distribution and habitat requirements for large, old trees in the landscape is the first step towards ensuring their survival, “We have to ensure that what we’re thinking is long-term, to match the way these trees have existed for hundreds or even thousands of years,” says Laurance. “It’s going to be a real challenge to keep some places where there is still wildlife and the big church-like trees that we all really care about.”
1. How does the author lead in the topic of the text?| A．By definition. | B．By comparison. |
| C．By quoting someone’s words. | D．By drawing some conclusions. |
| A．They are affected by various factors. |
| B．They have become shorter but thicker. |
| C．They easily pull water from their roots. |
| D．They grow taller because of climate change. |
| A．The plants around control trees’ survival. |
| B．It is necessary to take good care of big trees. |
| C．Big trees mainly depend on wildlife for survival. |
| D．Planting big trees is the first step in forest protection. |
| A．Protect Forest Giants |
| B．Keep Ecological Stability |
| C．Deal with Forest Organisms |
| D．Fight Against Climate Change |
