1 . U.N. Report Warns Nature Crisis
A new U.N. report focuses on the negative effects of human activity on nature. It says one million plant and animal species on land, in the seas and in the sky are now in danger of extinction.
The 1,800-page report took three years to finish.
The problem can be fixed, the report says.
Professor Eduardo Brondizio of Indiana University is an author of the report. He says, “We all know what needs to be done. The knowledge is there.
| A．However, this requires many changes. |
| B．Over 120 wildlife species are facing extinction. |
| C．Only experts know how to address the problem. |
| D．The report listed several causes for the situation. |
| E．There just needs to be a greater will to take action. |
| F．It draws on the work of 450 scientists from dozens of countries. |
| G．Between 1980 and 2000, one million square kilometers of tropical (热带的) forest were lost. |
2 . Imagine walking into your local grocery store on a freezing January day to pick up freshly harvested cabbage, juicy sweet strawberries, and ripe red tomatoes — all of which were harvested at a local farm only hours before you’d arrived. You might be imagining buying that fresh produce from vertical farms where farmers can grow indoors year-round by controlling light, temperature, water, and carbon dioxide levels as well. Generally, fresh produce grown in vertical farms travels only a few miles to reach grocery store shelves compared to conventional produce, which can travel thousands of miles by truck or plane.
Beyond providing fresh local produce, vertical agriculture could help increase food production and expand agricultural operations as the world’s population is projected to go beyond 9 billion by 2050. And by that same year, two out of every three people are expected to live in urban areas. Producing fresh greens and vegetables close to these growing urban populations could help meet growing global food demands in an environment ally responsible and sustainable way by reducing distribution chains to offer lower emissions, providing higher-nutrient produce, and completely reducing water usage and run off.
Recently, the US Department of Agriculture and Energy held a workshop focusing on vertical agriculture and sustainable urban ecosystems. At this workshop, field experts were responsible for thought-provoking presentations followed by small group discussions focusing on areas such as plant breeding, pest management, and engineering. Workshop team-workers from public and private departments worked together to identify the challenge, needs, and opportunities for vertical farming. A report on this workshop will be produced by research secretaries to help inform depart mental strategic planning efforts for research focus and funding opportunities.
Experts are excited about the potential opportunities vertical agriculture presents to address food security. The National Institute for Food and Agriculture also has funding opportunities that could support future vertical agriculture conference and research. Similarly, the Agricultural Research Service is working on a project to increase U. S. Tomato production and quality in green houses and other protected-environments.
1. What is the common characteristic of produced from the vertical agriculture?| A．Natural. | B．Ego-friendly. | C．Inexpensive. | D．Low-nutrient. |
| A．To explain a rule. | B．To clarify a definition. |
| C．To present a reason. | D．To make a comparison. |
| A．In order of time. | B．Via the division of labour. |
| C．In order of importance. | D．Via the discussion of problems. |
| A．Favorable. | B．Doubtful. | C．Curious. | D．Worried. |
Every year, at the end of October, tens of thousands of people flock to a Buddhist temple in China to see a huge gingko biloba tree (银杏树) drop its foliage (枝叶) and turn
Due to the increasing
4 . “PLEASE DON’T KILL HIM” said Mrs. Reid with tears in her eyes. “I’m really sorry,” I said, hardly able to look at her. A nurse held her hand and tried to comfort her.
“He’s been my entire world for 14 years, I don’t know what I’ll do without him,” she said with tears in her eyes. She wasn’t talking about a person. She was talking about Toby, her King Charles spaniel. Mrs. Reid had come into hospital after she’d fallen. She had Parkinson’s disease, meaning her ability to move was worsening. It was the second time she’d fallen in just a few weeks, and this time she’d broken her hip. While the hip had now been fixed, it was clear that she was too frail (脆弱的) to go home, and the social workers had arranged for her to go into a care home. A neighbor had been looking after Toby, but with Mrs. Reid no longer going home and as she had no family who could take him, it looked likely that he’d have to be killed. She was begging me to allow her home, but it was simply too dangerous.
This situation is far from unique. Research has found that each year thousands of dogs are put down because their owners go into care homes. Over 100,000 have to be rehomed. Thankfully I spoke to a kindly social worker who eventually found a care home for Mrs. Reid that would allow her to take Toby with her. But these places are few. I think we need to seriously re-examine what’s happening here. It seems completely wrong. There is no doubt that we are a nation of animal lovers. Many of us consider our pets to be part of the family and there’s a fair few of us, I guess, that actually prefer our pets to a good number of people. Humans have a great ability to draw comfort and support from animals. For older people like Mrs. Reid, they are often the important source of companionship (陪伴) and about a quarter of old people have a pet. Yet when they come into hospital or a care home, they are denied this relationship.
While the US, France, Norway and Switzerland all have laws forcing housing providers to accept pets belonging to elderly people, studies have shown that around 70 per cent of care homes in the UK forbid elderly people from bringing pets. This figure has risen in recent years and is likely to be due to increasing concerns around “health and safety”. However, research has concluded that they are “necessary to elderly people’s quality of life” and that having to move to care homes without their pets was psychologically similar to losing their family. It seems outrageous (可耻的) that care homes—whose purpose is to ensure the elderly people’s welfare (福利)—are able to deny them something which has proven clinical benefits for their health.
1. Who is Toby according to the passage?| A．Mrs. Reid’s friend. | B．Mrs. Reid’s son. | C．Mrs. Reid’s dog. | D．Mrs. Reid’s cat. |
| A．Toby was killed by the government. |
| B．Toby was taken back home by Mrs. Reid’s neighbor. |
| C．Toby was sent away to somewhere far from Mrs. Reid. |
| D．Toby was still staying with Mrs. Reid thanks to the author. |
| A．The relationship can last forever. | B．They are provided with the relationship. |
| C．The relationship is taken away from them. | D．They are ensured of the relationship. |
| A．To tell a story about Mrs. Reid. |
| B．To stress the importance of keeping pets. |
| C．To draw readers’ attention to a social problem. |
| D．To show the relationship between animals and humans. |
| A．Negative. | B．Doubtful. | C．Supportive. | D．Unclear. |
Do you know human-wildlife conflict?
Human-wildlife conflict,
6 . As Covid-19 spread through the United States in the spring of 2020, previously busy cities fell silent. A new study shows that the dip in noise in the early months of the pandemic (大流行病) led to an increased abundance of birds in cities.
The flock to cities ranged “from birds like hawks and eagles all the way down to small songbirds and even hummingbirds” says Michael Schrimpf, study co-author and postdoctoral flow at the University of Manitoba's Natural Resources Institute
To see if and how birds were using now-quiet cities differently, the team of researchers analyzed more than 4.3 million bird observations of more than 80 bird species recorded on the community science app eBird. They looked at more than three years of observations taken by experienced birders before and through the first few months of the pandemic.
Scientists found significant changes in birds' migration patterns and use of urban habitats (栖息地)，like bravely getting closer to usually-noisy areas like roads and airports. It was also revealed that white-crowned sparrows adapted their tune when San Francisco streets fell quiet. Bird abundance increased in cities overall, especially during spring and fall migration.
North America has lost almost a third of its birds in recent decades due to a combination of factors, including climate change, predation (捕食) by stray cats, and habitat loss, so any information scientists can obtain about how to make urban environments more bird-friendly is significant. The study's authors note that one of the most remarkable findings is that many different birds benefited from a reduction in noise, which doesn't have to be limited to pandemic lockdowns.
“There is an opportunity to adjust how we live, to slow down,” says Schrimpf. “We hope that it might be a lesson for us that we can take away in a post-pandemic world.”
1. What does the underlined word “dip” in Paragraph 1 mean?| A．Decrease. | B．Increase. | C．Effect. | D．Change. |
| A．By observing varieties of birds in nature. |
| B．By doing an experiment on different kinds of birds. |
| C．By analyzing bird observations recorded by birders. |
| D．By studying past researches on bird behavior. |
| A．All birds benefited from the reduction in noise. |
| B．Some birds sang differently in a quieter environment. |
| C．Birds would often go to noisy areas like roads and airports. |
| D．The overall bird population increased worldwide during the pandemic |
| A．People should slow down to appreciate birds in nature. |
| B．People should be banned from any activities harmful to nature |
| C．People should adjust their lifestyle to stay safe during the pandemic. |
| D．People should reduce noise to create a better environment for birds. |
7 . Diving below the waves can be like entering another world, but for Hong Kong-based National Geographic Explorer Jonathan, it is also like travelling back in time. Jonathan discovered the stories of how underwater ecosystems (生态) have changed through time, and what can be done to stop their decline (数量骤减).
“I look at coral reefs (珊瑚礁),” says Jonathan. “What were they like in the past? How have they changed? And what has caused that change? How can we look at that ecosystem today and use my data to better protect it for the future?”
As Jonathan explains, Hong Kong’s coral has declined in the past few decades due to factors such as pollution and human activities. Without greater protection measures, some coral species (物种) could disappear from Hong Kong waters forever.
“Hong Kong gives us amazing underwater biodiversity (生物多样性),” says Shea — another National Geographic Explorer, “However, populations of many species have been killed in large numbers by decades of overfishing and other human activities.”
Faced with such great challenges, Jonathan and Shea insist that swift action is needed to protect Hong Kong’s ocean ecosystem, and that better education is a key. “The first step is to understand what we have,” says Jonathan. “Because once you understand, you’ll start to care. And once you care, you’ll start to protect it.”
Shea adds that, “Through becoming educated, each person can begin to see why it’s important to protect our ocean environment, and rebuild that sense of connection between our oceans and our culture, history, and identity. We need to make effort every day into putting ocean protection in the first place. It’s a long way to go.”
1. What’s the purpose of Jonathan’s looking at the coral reefs?| A．To experience the delights of travelling back in time. |
| B．To discover the mysteries of underwater ecosystem. |
| C．To find ways of protecting coral reefs for the future. |
| D．To appreciate the amazing underwater biodiversity. |
| A．Human activities. | B．Climate change. |
| C．Underwater ecosystem. | D．Amazing biodiversity. |
| A．By listing data. | B．By telling ecosystem’s stories. |
| C．By making comparisons. | D．By providing experts’ opinions. |
| A．Better education. | B．Stopping Fishing. |
| C．Government support. | D．Controlling pollution. |
8 . A lot of people are afraid of spiders — even the small ones. But a big tarantula (狼蛛) is much more terrible for many. Now, scientists in Sri Lanka have discovered a huge species (物种) of tarantula that’s about the size of a person’s face.
Although it is very big, is there a real reason to be afraid of one? Maybe. This tarantula has enough poisonous fluid (液体) to kill mice and small birds and snakes — but its bite wouldn’t cause the death of most humans.
Tarantula was first seen in 2009, when a villager in Sri Lanka found the body of a male Tarantula and brought it to a Sri Lanka research organization.
An examination of the body proved that it was a type of tarantula scientists hadn’t seen before. So the scientists carefully looked through the Sri Lankan forests to try to find more of the spiders.
It’s still too early to know whether this species is in danger. But researchers fear that the Tarantulas’ natural habitat (栖息地) is slowly being destroyed.
“They prefer old trees, but due to the widespread removal of trees, the number has dropped,” the scientists said in an interview.
Tarantulas have eight legs and two body parts. They are different from insects, which have only six legs but three body parts. Tarantulas have hairy bodies and are usually larger than other types of spiders. Some species of tarantulas can live up to 25 years.
While Tarantula is very big, the largest one is the Goliath bird-eater. Found in the rainforests of South America, its legs can be up to 10 inches long. But don’t worry if you ever see one. Its poisonous fluid isn’t really dangerous to humans.
1. Which of the following is most likely to survive a bite from tarantula?| A．A small bird. | B．A little child. | C．A small snake. | D．A small frog. |
| A．They have too many natural enemies. | B．Some people are killing them illegally. |
| C．More and more forests are disappearing. | D．The global climate has changed. |
| A．Tarantula was first seen by a scientist in Sri Lanka. |
| B．None of the insects are bigger than tarantulas. |
| C．Scientists have discovered that all of the tarantulas live in the Sri Lanka forest. |
| D．People knew little about tarantulas until the body of a male tarantula was discovered. |
| A．Life. | B．Sports. | C．Nature. | D．Business. |
| A．To inform the readers of a huge species of Tarantula. |
| B．To entertain the readers with a discovery. |
| C．To educate people to protect the environment. |
| D．To remind people to keep away from spiders. |
9 . 1 A few cookies in the afternoon might seem like a harmless pleasure, but they could have lasting influence on global biodiversity (生物多样性). Cookies often contain palm oil, the production of which is one of the fastest growing causes of deforestation. That in turn leads to reduced biodiversity according to a recently published study in Nature Ecology & Evolution.
2 Looking at data from 2000 to 2011, we found the number of bird species that became endangered due to land use activities increased by seven percent. We also studied the degree to which agriculture and forestry prevented carbon sequestration (封存) over the same period. We estimated (估计) that the opportunity costs, in terms of prevented carbon dioxide absorption on used lands, increased by six percent.
3 For both biodiversity influences and lost carbon sequestration, growth in international trade between world regions was a major driver, contributing 82% and 53% to the overall increases.
4 We found that global consumption (消费) trends are shifting from North America and Western Europe to Asia, the Middle East and Eastern Europe.
5 Another factor at play was that developed nations often effectively reduced the environmental damage caused by land-use activities through the purchase of raw materials from abroad.
6 Just as certain choices carry negative consequences, unintended though they may be, other choices carry positive ones. The public can make a difference — they can change the world with their choices. For example, we know that cattle farming is one of the largest drivers of biodiversity loss, and so reducing meat consumption will have a positive effect. Similarly, reducing the use of short-lived forestry products can reduce the growth of industrial wood farms, which often replace diverse forests with more homogeneous (同类的) plantations.
7 The findings will also help inform policy makers, particularly those involved in international environmental talks. Our paper shows clearly that this is a global phenomenon, and we need to treat it as such.
1. Why does the author mention cookies in the beginning?| A．To prove its effect on biodiversity. |
| B．To introduce the topic of the passage. |
| C．To present the causes of deforestation. |
| D．To arouse readers' sympathy about the pleasure. |
| A．By listing data. | B．By giving examples. |
| C．By making comparisons. | D．By using sayings. |
| A．promote the change of consuming habits |
| B．introduce the findings of certain researches |
| C．analyze the reasons behind the phenomenon |
| D．expose the relationship between cookies and biodiversity |
| A．Cookies and food consumption |
| B．International efforts to save species |
| C．Food consumption and biodiversity |
| D．Rise in consumption to answer for species loss |
10 . In 1982, when just 22 California condors(秃鹫) were left in the world, scientists caught the remaining population to breed the birds.
Chris Parish, director of conservation at the Peregrine Fund, a partner in the official rescue program, said, “We have put lot of efforts into this --- lot of dollars and a lot of years of research behind the present success.
Researchers began studying the birds in the 1940s. By the 1980s, experts began the slow process of catching, breeding and reintroducing the birds back into the wild. The population has since grown to more than 500.
It was the research that made the California government order that hunters shouldn’t use lead ammunition when shooting any wildlife anywhere in the state.
| A．The population was small. |
| B．But the birds remain in danger of dying out. |
| C．Parish pointed to a pilot program in Northern Arizona. |
| D．Our final goal is a population that is able to continue by itself. |
| E．They are now found mainly in California, Arizona and southern Utah. |
| F．The fight for the California condor is bigger than just the one species. |
| G．Nearly forty years later, 1000 California condor chicks had been born. |
