3 . Most people hate mosquitoes — but scientists are about to build a “mosquito factory” to release modified (改良的) mosquitoes.

The modified mosquitoes carry a bacterium called Wolbachia pipientis (沃尔巴克氏菌), which can be naturally found in most insect species. However, it’s rarely discovered in mosquitoes. “We actually grow these mosquitoes that contain the bacterium,” Scott O’Neill, an Australian scientist involved in the project, told CBC News. When the modified mosquitoes are released, they slowly spread the bacterium to the population.

Several studies have demonstrated the insects’ success. For example, a controlled experiment in Indonesia showed that the modified insect helped reduce the cases of the disease dengue (登革热) by 77 percent, according to a study paper published in 2021.

The World Mosquito Program has announced that it will release modified mosquitoes in many of Brazil’s urban areas over the next 10 years. The aim is to protect up to 70 million people from diseases such as dengue, an infectious disease mainly spread by mosquitoes.

Brazil has one of the highest rates of dengue infection in the world, according to the Nature website. “More than 1,000 people died of dengue in 2022 because of the spread of mosquitoes. It’s going everywhere,” Luciano Moreira, a scientist in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, told CBC News.

Another way to prevent mosquitoes from spreading diseases is by producing genetically modified mosquitoes (GM). In 2022, the US Environmental Protection Agency approved the release of 2.4 billion GM mosquitoes in California and Florida.

According to the agency, GM mosquitoes carry two types of genes: a self-limiting gene that prevents female offspring (后代) from surviving to adulthood; and a marker gene that allows researchers to identify GM ones in the wild. After being released, GM mosquitoes lay eggs, so the genes are passed on to offspring. In this way, the number of female mosquitoes is reduced, therefore reducing the chance of spreading disease.

5 . Elephants have a good memory and they can recall the smell of a relative even after a decade apart.

When Franziska Horner and her team _______ planned reunions (团聚) between two mother-daughter pairs at zoos in Germany, they took advantage of the chance to test the elephants’ _______. One pair had been _______ for two years, _______ the other had spent 12 years apart.

Franziska _______ faecal (排泄物的) samples from these African elephants and others at German zoos, carrying the smelly 10-to-15-kilogram faeces around in her tiny car. Her team _______ these samples one at a time to the four elephants _______ their reunions.

When they encountered faeces from _______ elephants, either those in the same zoo or unfamiliar animals, they sniffed (闻) the faeces piles and walked away. But when presented with a _______ from the mother or daughter they were due to be reunited with, the female elephants ________ sniffed the samples and showed a variety of ________ , from making deep sounds to swinging their ears.

Such reactions may be linked to positive emotions, the researchers say. “That was amazing and intense,” says Franziska. “We were sure they did ________ , and they knew exactly what they were ________ there. The sample size was small, but it would be ________ to do similar tests on elephants that weren’t being reunited. ”

“I am not surprised that elephants have memories, especially in social contexts, that ________ a long time,” says another scientist.

Starting a wildlife conservation center is a necessary     1     important job, but it hardly brings money to its founder and so it is for Jane Thomas. She spent several years     2     (build) the Motley Zoo, and devoted herself to wildlife to protect in Redmond, Washington, but all money she made was spent straight back on the zoo. She was determined     3     (continue) to do her work, even though there was little money to reward her.

But things changed this year. “As crazy as it sounded, because     4     my efforts, I received a secret donation: $9,000,” said Thomas. She decided to use the money     5     was donated by a stranger this year to rescue more animals. She advertised the animal rescue in the street and received much support from     6     public.

Thomas said, “Ever since I advertised the animal rescue in the street, I     7     (attract) many people. Now when I walk in the street, many     8     (stranger) wave and even shout to me ‘I adopted (收养) my dog from you!’ I feel     9     (surprise) that people treat me     10    (well) than ever.”

8 . Plants are very important living things. Life could not go on if there were no plants. This is because plants can make food from air, water and sunlight. Animals and man cannot make food from air, water and sunlight. Animals get their food by eating plants and other animals. Therefore animals and man need plants in order to live. This is why we find that there are so many plants around us.

If you look carefully at the plants around you, you will find that there are two kinds of plants: flowering plants and non-flowering plants. Flowering plants can make seeds. The seeds are protected by the fruits. Some fruits have one seed, some have two, three or four, and some have many seeds. But a few fruits have no seeds at all. An example of a fruit without seeds is the banana fruit. Most non-flowering plants do not grow from seeds. They grow from spores (胚芽). Spores are very small. Some spores are so small and light that they can float in the air. We may say that spores are quite the same as seeds. When these spores are all on wet and shady places, they usually grow into new plants.

9 . Last month, Koch went to make breakfast and found a(n) ________ guest using his pool. A large moose (驼鹿) was swimming in the deep end, ________ in the solar cover (太阳能覆盖膜).

“I looked out in the backyard and there’s the moose absolutely panicked and ________,” Koch told The Dodo. “She stepped on the solar cover and put her ________ through it and she was ________ trying to get free.”

Koch has noticed more wildlife around his home in Ottawa, ________ he had never seen an animal________impressive before. He rushed outside and pulled the solar cover off the ________ moose, who continued paddling ________ the pool, proving to be a surprisingly skilled swimmer.

The wild moose seemed to be having trouble finding her way out of the pool, so Koch called the police and wildlife services to see if they could ________ a hand. “She looked so pitifully sad out there that my wife said, ‘I want to give her a ________.’”

Workers from wildlife services intended that they would get her to a safer spot, but they couldn’t ________ it until she was out of the water. “The best thing that happened was that after 3.5 hours she climbed out of the shallow end and ________ the fence,” Koch said.

The moose ________ unscratched, but the same can’t be said for Koch’s pool — which now has two hoof-sized ________in the bottom.