1 . Coral reefs in Florida have lost an estimated 90% of their corals in the last 40 years. This summer, a marine heat wave hit Florida’s coral reefs. The record high temperatures created an extremely stressful environment for the coral reefs, which are currently also experiencing intense coral bleaching (白化).
A coral is an animal, which has a symbiotic relationship with a microscopic algae (藻类). The algae gets energy from the sun and shares it with the coral internally. The coral builds a rock-like structure, which makes up most of the reef, providing homes and food for many organisms that live there. Coral bleaching is when the symbiotic relationship breaks down. Without the algae, the corals appear white because the rock skeleton becomes visible. If the bleaching continues for an extended period, the corals can starve to death without the energy.
Florida is on the front lines of climate change. It is also on the cutting edge of restoration science. Many labs, institutions and other organizations are working nonstop to protect and maintain the coral reefs. This includes efforts to understand what is troubling the reef, from disease outbreaks to coastal development impacts. It also includes harvesting coral spawn (卵), or growing and planting coral parts. Scientists moved many coral nurseries into deeper water and shore-based facilities during this marine heat wave. They are digging into the DNA of the coral to discover which species will survive best in future.
There are some bright spots in the story, however. Some corals have recovered from the bleaching, and many did not bleach at all. In addition, researchers recorded coral spawning. Although it’s not clear yet whether the larvae (幼虫) will be successful in the wild, it’s a sign of recovery potential. If the baby corals survive, they will be able to regrow the reef. They just have to avoid one big boss: human-induced climate change.
1. What does the underlined word “symbiotic” in paragraph 2 mean?| A．Reliable. | B．Opposite. | C．Harmonious. | D．Contradictory. |
| A．The rock skeleton. | B．The microscopic algae. |
| C．The high temperatures. | D．The symbiotic relationship. |
| A．Transferring coral nurseries. | B．Growing and planting coral spawn. |
| C．Researching the DNA of the coral. | D．Figuring out the reasons for problems. |
| A．Identifiable. | B．Predictable. | C．Far-reaching. | D．Effective. |
2 . They say once you learn to ride a bike, you never forget. Most of us learned to ride when we were kids, and many still wear our helmets, put our feet on the pedals, and shoot off for a ride on the streets. In recent times, cycling has seen an increase in popularity, so many people raise a question:
First, let’s look at the health benefits. Cycling can improve your cardiovascular (心血管的) health and burn extra body fat. Strengthening your muscles in your legs helps increase your potential torque (扭矩) and cadence (节奏).
Cycling can be a great way to go to work or get about town.
So, whether people want to cycle for their health, their wallet, the environment, or a combination of all of them —the popularity of cycling is on the rise.
| A．What makes cycling so convenient? |
| B．But cyclists face neither of these issues. |
| C．And people will choose to go to work by cycling. |
| D．This can save you a lot of money on fuel or public transportation. |
| E．Finally, cycling can also be good for the environment. |
| F．And the benefits from cycling aren’t just physical, but mental as well. |
| G．What makes it so attractive for people to take their bikes once again? |
“This Saturday, we’ll be visiting cats at the animal shelter. If you’d like to join us, here’s an application form”, said Ms. Delgado, the school librarian who had held the reading engagement event for students.
Ben loved cats and he had always wanted one, so he hurried to take an application form. Then Ms. Delgado added, “We’ll be reading to the cats and award readers who make most progress.” Ben stopped. Reading al oud can be a challenging task. Ben might feel his heart racing, his palms sweating, and his voice shaking as he read. He might stumble over words or lose his place in the text. He might feel like everyone was watching him and judging him. Still, he really wanted to visit the cats, so he took an application form anyway.
On Saturday, Ben arrived at the shelter with some of his classmates. “This is Max,” the shelter worker told Ben as she handed him a gray cat. Ben carried Max to a beanbag chair and sat down. Max settled onto his lap. He took a book he’d been working on and started reading. Max, very different from other cats walking around the room while the kids read, purred (发出呼噜声) on his lap as if he had understood what Ben read.
“I’m glad Max is staying and listening to my reading and he is the best cat ever,” Ben told Dad excitedly. “I’m glad you two are friends,” Dad said. All week, Ben’s heart was filled with anxiety as he waited for Saturday to arrive. He was eager to read to Max and the anticipation of spending time with his feline (猫咪的) friend made him restless and nervous. When it arrived, Ben got to read to Max again.
“What if someone adopts Max?” Ben asked Dad later. “I guess you’d read to a different cat,” Dad said. “But I don’t want a different cat. I wish we could adopt Max,” Ben said to Dad. He knew they couldn’t because Mom had allergies (过敏). Ben loved the cat so much that he even told his next-door neighbor, Mrs. Patel, about Max. “Max sounds like a special cat,” said Mrs. Patel.
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。
Week by week, Ben realized that reading seemed easier with Max’s company.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________But on Saturday, Ben couldn’t find Max at the shelter.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________4 . In nature, octopuses (章鱼) hunt mainly with their sense of touch, using their eight arms to feel out their environment for hidden creatures. Researchers at the University of Minnesota recently studied a different way octopuses hunt—when they identify prey (猎物) based on sight. The study findings show that the marine creatures are quite consistent and methodical in how they approach prey.
Lead researcher Trevor Wardill and his team placed California two-spot octopuses into water tanks, hiding them in caves where they would have one eye looking out. They then placed either fiddler crabs or white shrimp in the tanks to see how the octopuses would try to catch them, capturing the interactions on video. The crabs and shrimp behave differently when trying to escape from predators (捕猎者), so using both species gave the researchers an opportunity to see whether this led the octopuses to use a different arm for hunting depending on the prey.
Wardill’s team found that the octopuses almost always used the same arm to grab their prey. Specifically, the second arm from the middle of the octopuses’ body, on the same side of their body as the eye, caught the prey. If they needed more arms to grab prey, they would use the ones next to the second arm.
The octopuses also attacked differently depending on the prey. When faced with crabs, an octopus would move suddenly on top of the crab with its whole body. However, when catching shrimp, the octopuses would take one arm and reach out very slowly toward the shrimp, then grab it and latch (缠住) onto it with its other arms to pull it in.
Wardill and his team hope to do more research. They want to study the octopus’s brain as it attacks pre y to develop a better understanding of what role the creature’s nervous system plays in selecting the arms it uses.
1. What is the recent study mainly about?| A．Octopuses’ ability to hide itself. | B．Octopuses’ way to track prey. |
| C．Octopuses’ hunting mode via eyes. | D．Octopuses’ method of perceiving the environment. |
| A．They adopt different strategies to hunt. | B．They stretch arms slowly to catch crabs. |
| C．They move suddenly to prey on shrimps. | D．They use the second arm to catch prey anytime. |
| A．Whether they’re nervous in hunting. | B．How their nerves work during hunting. |
| C．How they choose their arms in hunting. | D．Whether they use their brain during hunting. |
| A．Octopuses: Skillful Hunters | B．Octopuses: One-armed Predators |
| C．Octopuses: A Sharp-eyed Species | D．Octopuses: A Mysterious Creature |
5 . Scott Poore is an animal lover. He moves into an animal shelter’s kennel (犬舍) with the
Since Poore is a (n)
So to raise awareness of Queen’s situation, Poore packed a suitcase and moved into the kennel to keep it
Delightfully, this dog has eventually been given a loving home after his path
| A．registration | B．aim | C．exception | D．issue |
| A．organized | B．devoted | C．talented | D．educated |
| A．patient | B．confident | C．lovely | D．regular |
| A．survivors | B．partners | C．animals | D．kennels |
| A．broken | B．lost | C．understood | D．attracted |
| A．hope | B．freedom | C．happiness | D．energy |
| A．obviously | B．adventurously | C．curiously | D．accidentally |
| A．annoyed | B．shocked | C．excited | D．disappointed |
| A．organization | B．company | C．campus | D．experiment |
| A．content | B．important | C．individual | D．challenging |
| A．inspired | B．determined | C．honored | D．satisfied |
| A．settled into | B．cleaned up | C．cared for | D．met with |
| A．debating | B．hearing | C．encouraging | D．hitting |
| A．visitors | B．adopters | C．customers | D．volunteers |
| A．made | B．reviewed | C．crossed | D．explored |
6 . Species (物种) can actually go extinct (灭绝的) more than once. In a biological sense, species become extinct when the last animal of a species stops breathing. But when the species disappears from our shared memory and cultural knowledge, it becomes extinct in a different way — society (与社会有关的) extinction.
The researchers looked at dozens of previous studies to look into how societal extinction happens, finding out contributing factors such as symbolic or cultural importance, how long ago a species was last alive, and how much of a connection it had to humans.
Societal extinction usually but not always happens after biological extinction. Sometimes, both extinctions can happen at the same time, depending on how well and widely known a particular species is.
Most species — such as those far removed from culture, or those too small to be noticed except through a microscope (显微镜) — never have a societal presence to begin with. Meanwhile, for other species, the societal presence can break with reality after a biological extinction.
“Species can remain widely known after they become extinct, or even become more popular,” says conservation biologist Uri Roll. “However, our awareness and memory of such species gradually becomes transformed, and often becomes incorrect, or disassociated from the actual species.”
Take the Spix’s macaw(金刚鹦鹉) for example, currently extinct in the wild: A 2013 conservation report from Brazil surveyed 242 children from the bird’s former habitat, and almost all of them incorrectly believed the species originated from Rio de Janeiro, because of its appearance in the 2011 cartoon movie Rio.
Finally, the researchers found various links between societal extinction and a lack of support for biodiversity protection. So, ifs important to keep the memories and the records of extinct species in order to realize what’s been lost.
1. When does a species most probably become societal extinct?| A．When it has difficulty in breathing. |
| B．When it faces some biological changes. |
| C．When it disappears unexpectedly in nature. |
| D．When it no longer exists in our memory and culture. |
| A．Relationship with humans. | B．Average length of life. |
| C．Biological importance. | D．Shape of the body. |
| A．They are not big enough to be seen. |
| B．They are closely linked to a specific culture. |
| C．They are in the process of societal extinction. |
| D．They are cleared away from scientific studies. |
| A．To draw a conclusion. | B．To prove an opinion. |
| C．To introduce a topic. | D．To make a prediction. |
7 . The green and red watermelon is a sweet, refreshing summer snack. But it wasn’t always so sugary or brightly colored. So what did watermelons originally taste and look like, and from where did they come?
The fruit isn’t from the Fertile Crescent of ancient Mesopotamia, as so many other domesticated (家养的) crops are, research shows. Susanne Renner, a scientist, and her colleagues carried out comprehensive genetic sequencing (基因测序) of the domesticated watermelons — the kind you might find on supermarket shelves — along with six wild watermelon species.
“We found the modern genomes (基因组) of the domesticated watermelon are more closely related to the Sudanese wild type than any other that we analyzed,” she said. The Sudanese wild watermelon has some obvious differences from the domesticated version. “The flesh is white and not very sweet, and it’s mainly used as animal feed,” Renner said. Nevertheless, the genetic similarity between the two species led the researchers to conclude that the Sudanese fruit is probably a precursor (前身) to the red and sweet domesticated watermelon.
It’s likely that ancient farmers grew non-bitter varieties of the wild watermelon and thus increased its sweetness over many generations through the domestication process. The red color is probably also thanks to artificial selection, in which farmers likely favored and selectively bred red fruit.
We already knew that the ancient Egyptian king Tutankhamun was buried with watermelon seeds 3,300 years ago, yet that isn’t sufficient proof of a domesticated, sweet watermelon. But then, Renner found an image of a watermelon-like fruit on an ancient Egyptian tomb painting, thought to be more than 4,300 years old. In a separate tomb, another image showed the watermelon cut up in a dish alongside other sweet fruits. This realization, coupled with Renner’s genetic findings, suggests that the watermelon was most likely domesticated around that time either in Egypt or within trading distance of the ancient empire.
“Historically speaking, that’s a very significant finding,” said Hanno Schaefer, a professor of plant biodiversity. “It’s becoming clearer that we’ve greatly neglected the North African region. We’ve focused too much on the Fertile Crescent and we need to invest more resources into studying the agriculture of North Africa.”
1. What can we learn about the Sudanese wild watermelon?| A．It is brightly colored and sugary. |
| B．It is consumed mainly by animals. |
| C．It has no connection with the domesticated type. |
| D．It has more differences than similarities to the domesticated type. |
| A．More resources will be devoted to agriculture research in South Africa. |
| B．The domesticated watermelon has a history of at least four thousand years. |
| C．The domesticated watermelon probably developed from the Sudanese type. |
| D．Few domesticated crops are from the Fertile Crescent of ancient Mesopotamia. |
| A．The history of the Sudanese wild watermelon. |
| B．Where wild watermelons actually come from. |
| C．The characteristics of domesticated watermelons. |
| D．How domesticated watermelons came into being. |
| A．Favorable. | B．Doubtful. | C．Critical. | D．Tolerant. |
8 . Like people, dogs tend to have unique personalities. Some of a dog’s personality traits (特点) are completely individual, but many traits are predictable based on the breed (品种). Knowing the common traits of certain dog breeds enables you to choose a dog whose personality matches well with your lifestyle.
| Siberian Husky You may already know that Siberian Huskies have a historical role as sled dogs. This breeding makes them get along well with other animals, but you have to ensure that they have enough space to run safely. Unlike some of the other working dogs, Siberian Huskies tend to be too friendly to be very good guard dogs. |
| Bulldog The Bulldog is friendly and loyal. They tend to be calm by nature, but they still enjoy getting out for walks. A small amount of exercise is important for weight-management given the fact that their calm nature can make them come off as lazy. Bulldogs are great companions for the old and are courageous and steady. |
| Cocker Spaniel The Cocker Spaniel’s long ears and curly hair are a major outward sign of their sweet, friendly personalities. As sporting dogs, they were raised to help hunters and play with kids. If they don’t get enough energy out, though, they can become down and destructive. |
| Dachshund The Dachshund’s small physical size is no match for their big personality. Their short legs do not make Dachshunds great running or hiking buddies, but that does not mean they are low-energy. They are great guard dogs-brave, loyal, and a bit stubborn. |
| A．A Siberian Husky. | B．A Bulldog. |
| C．A Cocker Spaniel. | D．A Dachshund. |
| A．Every dog has its day. | B．If you want a dog, get a dog. |
| C．A good dog deserves a good bone. | D．An old dog won’t learn new tricks. |
| A．A pet clinic brochure. | B．A personality test book. |
| C．A biological research. | D．A dog breeding website. |
9 . When Abdus Salam looks across the garbage-filled river near his home in one of the major clothing producing districts in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, he remembers a time before the factories moved in. “When I was young there were no clothing factories here. We used to catch fish in the river,” he said. The river beside him is now black like ink. Waste from nearby clothing factories has polluted the water.
Fashion is responsible for up to one-fifth of industrial water pollution, thanks in part to weak management in producer countries like Bangladesh, the world’s second biggest clothing producing country, where wastewater is commonly differed directly into rivers and streams. The wastewater not only hurts the environment, but pollutes drinking water sources.
Once in waterways, poisonous chemicals from dye (染料) build up to the point where light is prevented from coming through the surface, reducing plants’ ability to photosynthesize (进行光合作用). This lowers oxygen levels in the water, killing plants and animals. These chemicals and heavy metals can also build up in the body, increasing the risk of serious illnesses and skin problems. What’s worse, chemical-rich water is also used to water crops, with one recent study finding that dyes were present in vegetables and fruit grown around Savar, just north of Dhaka.
Luckily, change is coming. In Bangladesh, there are signs clothing producers are taking environmental responsibility more seriously, with brands committing to initiatives, such as the Partnership for Cleaner Textile, that title water, energy and chemical use in the industry. Shahab Uddin of Bangladesh’s Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change said a range of measures were being taken to address pollution, including updating conservation and environmental laws, giving fines to polluters, setting up centralized treatment plants, and working with international development partners to improve wastewater treatment. And under a new environmental policy called Zero Liquid Discharge, dyeing, finishing and washing industries must submit a time-bound plan to reduce, recycle and reuse wastewater.
“There is definitely from for further improvement. These challenges cannot be solved overnight,” Uddin added.
1. What is the main purpose of the first paragraph?| A．To blame clothing factories for river pollution. | B．To introduce Bangladesh’s clothing industry. |
| C．To call for the closure of clothing factories. | D．To recall the good old days in Dhaka. |
| A．It is the biggest clothing producing country. | B．It causes 20%of the world’s water pollution. |
| C．It has poor control over wastewater discharge. | D．It suffers from serious drinking water shortages. |
| A．The difficulty of dealing with poisonous chemicals in waterways. |
| B．The damaging effects of wastewater from the fashion industry. |
| C．The chemicals from dyes negatively affecting photosynthesis. |
| D．The way to remove harmful chemicals from the food chain. |
| A．Hand in a plan to treat wastewater. | B．Establish centralized treatment plants. |
| C．Pay high fines for discharging wastewater. | D．Join international groups to deal with wastewater. |
10 . Birds that are literally half-asleep — with one brain hemisphere alert (警惕的) and the other sleeping — control which side of the brain remains awake, according to a new study of sleeping ducks.
Earlier studies have documented half brain sleep in a wide range of birds. The brain hemispheres take turns sinking into the sleep stage characterized by slow brain waves. The eye controlled by the sleeping hemisphere keeps shut, while the wakeful hemisphere’s eye stays open and alert. Birds also can sleep with both hemispheres resting at once.
Decades of studies of bird flocks led researchers to predict extra alertness in the more vulnerable, end of the row sleepers.
Sure enough, in the end birds tended to watch carefully on the side away from their companions. Ducks in the inner spots showed no preference for gaze direction.
Also, birds dozing at the end of the line resorted to single hemisphere sleep, rather than total relaxation, more often than inner ducks did. Rotating (轮换位置) 16 birds through the positions in a four duck row, the researchers found outer birds half asleep during some 32 percent of dozing time versus about 12 percent for birds in internal spots.
“We believe this is the first evidence for an animal behaviorally controlling sleep and wakefulness simultaneously in different regions of the brain,” the researchers say.
The results provide the best evidence for a long-standing guess that single-hemisphere sleep evolved as creatures scanned for enemies. The preference for opening an eye on the lookout side could be widespread, he predicts. He’s seen it in a pair of birds dozing side-by-side in the zoo and in a single pet bird sleeping by a mirror. The mirror side eye closed as if the reflection were a companion and the other eye stayed open.
Useful as half sleeping might be, it’s only been found in birds and such water mammals (哺乳动物) as dolphins, whales, and seals. Perhaps keeping one side of the brain awake allows a sleeping animal to come up occasionally to avoid drowning (溺死).
Studies of birds may offer unique insights into sleep. Jerome M. Siegel of the UCLA says he wonders if birds’ half brain sleep is “just the tip of the iceberg”. He guesses that more examples may turn up when we take a closer look at other species.
1. A new study on birds’ sleep has revealed that ______.| A．half brain sleep is found in a wide variety of birds |
| B．half brain sleep is characterized by slow brain waves |
| C．birds can control their half brain sleep consciously |
| D．birds seldom sleep with the whole of their brain at rest |
| A．they have to watch out for possible attacks |
| B．their brain hemispheres take turns to rest |
| C．the two halves of their brain are differently structured |
| D．they have to constantly keep an eye on their companions |
| A．the phenomenon of birds dozing in pairs is widespread |
| B．birds prefer to sleep in pairs for the sake of security |
| C．even an imagined companion gives the bird a sense of security |
| D．a single pet bird enjoys seeing its own reflection in the mirror |
| A．alert themselves to the approaching enemy |
| B．emerge from water now and then to breathe |
| C．be sensitive to the ever-changing environment |
| D．avoid being swept away by rapid currents |
| A．half-brain sleep has something to do with icy weather |
| B．the mystery of half-brain sleep is close to being solved |
| C．most birds living in cold regions tend to be half sleepers |
| D．half-brain sleep may exist among other species |
