1 . Like dogs, wolves can recognize and respond to the voices of familiar humans more than those of strangers, according to a recent study. The research challenges the belief that dogs ability to differentiate human voices is due to selective breeding (选择性繁殖).
Holly Root Gutteridge and colleagues carried out experiments across five zoos and wildlife parks in Spain, involving a total of 24 gray wolves. The team set up speakers and first played the animals the voice of a number of strangers. Then, they played the wolves the voice of their keeper who would say familiar things to them in Spanish, such as “Hey, what’s up, wolves?” The wolves raised their heads, pricked their ears up, and turned toward the speaker. To test that the effect wasn’t accidental, the researchers went back to playing the wolves recordings of strangers and found that they once more lost interest. Finally, to make sure that the wolves truly knew their keepers’ voices, the team mixed things up and had the keepers say a series of unfamiliar phrases. Once more, the results held up.
Root Gutteridge pointed out the significance of wolves being able to differentiate between humans, despite the fact that our species went our separate evolutionary (进化的) ways tens of millions of years ago.
Before this, there had been a limited number of studies on the topic of how animals differentiate between the vocalizations (发声) of other species. Research has shown that our close cousins, gorillas, listen to people, but that was expected.
Given the new finding, “chances are that lots of species are listening to us and getting to know us as individuals,” Root Gutteridge said. “And it’s not all about us. Dogs could be listening to the neighbors’ cats and understanding the difference between one meow or the other. If the abilities are that general, it means that animals might be having a lot more cross- species interactions than we had thought about before.”
1. What established viewpoint does the recent research call into question?| A．Dogs are the only animals that can differentiate human voices. |
| B．Wolves recognize the voices of humans better than dogs. |
| C．Wolves cannot understand human languages. |
| D．Selective breeding enables dogs to differentiate human voices. |
| A．By letting the keepers say unfamiliar phrases in Spanish. |
| B．By asking strangers to reproduce the keepers’ voices. |
| C．By playing recordings of strangers speaking familiar phrases. |
| D．By changing the playback speed of the keepers’ recordings. |
| A．To stress their close relationship with humans. |
| B．To offer additional evidence for the recent study. |
| C．To point out another species that can differentiate voices. |
| D．To explain how animals’ ability to differentiate humans’ voices developed. |
| A．The focus of the future studies. |
| B．The limitations of the research. |
| C．The significance of the research. |
| D．The uniqueness of the experiments. |
2 . Around 40 million tonnes of electronic waste, known as e-waste, is produced every year. This includes electrical or electronic equipment that has been discarded. But where does it all go? In the US alone, 100 million mobile phones, 41 million computers and over 20 million televisions are thrown into landfills in a year. Even for standard waste this is a big headache, because any materials that are buried in the ground can’t be easily recovered and recycled. Recycling electronics can save energy and means that less of Earth’s natural resources need to be mined.
Failing to recycle e-waste is extremely damaging the environment due to the nature of the materials used in modern devices. While heavy metals and chemicals improve a device’s safety and user experience, these components become poisonous if they’re not dealt with properly. Your old phones, Gameboys, kettles, microwaves and more can end up in landfills, leaking their harmful contents into the soil, water and air. Not only does this kill wildlife and destroy ecosystems, but the accumulation of poison can impact human health too. As heavy metals and chemicals flow into lakes and rivers, drinking water becomes polluted. These poisons spread through the soil, impacting the health of crops and animals that people also rely on.
In some western countries, e-waste isn’t hidden out of sight in landfills but is burnt in giant, open junkyards. They even ship waste electronics to other countries to deal with, and this often ends up in dumps across Africa and Asia. Workers in these places are exposed to polluted lands and chemical gas.
It is urgent that we should reduce the damaging and unsustainable side of e-waste production. Rare earth metals, some plastics and chemicals can be fed into the next generation of electronics. The steps to proper recycling of e-waste are extensive and need large investment, but more and more countries around the world are turning to e-waste recycling.
1. What does the underlined word “discarded” in Paragraph 1 mean?| A．Repaired. | B．Protected. | C．Used. | D．Abandoned. |
| A．E-waste has a permanent effect on the environment. |
| B．E-waste may do harm to both ecosystems and humans. |
| C．Heavy metals and chemicals are poisonous to the users. |
| D．Burying e-waste into landfills is an effective way to recycle. |
| A．supportive | B．objective | C．concerned | D．uncertain |
| A．Solutions to destroying e-waste. | B．Ways to recycle e-waste properly. |
| C．Applications of recycled materials. | D．Investments in restoring ecosystems. |
3 . When Kyle D’Costa and his wife met Rio, a nine-month-old shih tzu (西施犬), in 2021, “it was love at first sight. “The new couple soon added a Lhasa Apso (拉萨犬) and rented a bigger flat to give the animals ”more space“.
The D’Costas and millions of other middle-class Indians, no longer pleased with new cars and other Western fancy decorations, they are rapidly acquiring pets. According to Statista, a research company, India had 19.4 million pet dogs in 2018 and may now have 31m. In 2021, Market Decipher, another research organization, valued India’s pet industry at 890’hillion dollars and said that it would continue to grow by 3 times over the next 10 years.
Actually, the pet industry is growing at a fast rate throughout the world. With rising incomes comes increased pet-ownership, especially among young professionals who tend 10 put off marriage and parenthood and to be extremely willing to enjoy the company of a dog. It is only a matter of time before marriage websites include a ”pet-friendly“ option.
As keeping pets becomes increasingly popular, so do those working in the industry. “Being in this trade was despised just five years ago,” says Chinmay, a 30-ycar-old dog trainer in Thane, Mumbai. “How will you find a girlfriend?” he recalls his relatives asking him. But dog trainers in Mumbai can these days cam 2, 400 rupees (S30) an hour —more than twice as much as piano teachers. Chinmay is now happily married to one of his customers.
Current pet-industry players are prepared and new ones stepping in. Nestle, the world’s biggest food company, Inst year bought into Purina Petcare, an Indian pet-food business. Emami, an Indian company, targeting daily goods, offers medicines for pets. Euromonitor International, a market-research company, thinks India’s pet-food industry is worth 480 million dollars and will grow to $1. 2 billion by 2025.
1. Why are the figures listed in Paragraph 2?| A．To present the benefits of raising pets. |
| B．To show the popularity of keeping pets. |
| C．To stress the significance of pet industry. |
| D．To express dissatisfaction with the situation. |
| A．Get married early. | B．Earn higher income. |
| C．Choose friendly pets. | D．Draw comfort from pets |
| A．Looked down on. | B．Done justice to. |
| C．Shown respect for. | D．Taken advantage of |
| A．India’s pet-food industry is worth $1.2 billion. |
| B．Pet-industry is changing people’s career options. |
| C．Nestlé has earned a lot in Indian pet-food business. |
| D．More companies will have a hand in the pet industry. |
4 . My grandma passed away last week. My mum began the painful yet necessary task of sorting through her belongings.
“Is there anything you want from grandma’s flat?” Mum texted me.
“Her aloe (芦荟), please.” I required zero thinking time.
Sometime around 1975, Grandma, always believing good things would happen in the future, received this plant as a gift, which she appreciated and placed in her doorway. It came from the local butcher. Five years later, my mum married the butcher’s son and had me. Grandma revealed to me this particular plant was a living relationship between the two families. And so was I.
Recently, whenever we visited Grandma’s flat, I attempted to fix this concept in my children’s minds. “That was a gift your great-grandma bought your other great-grandma! It’s older than me!” Then my kids would nod and ask Grandma for a sweet.
Numerous times, Grandma gave me cuttings or clippings of the plant, hoping I might raise my own and continue the legend. Yet, every time, my new branch died with my awful gardening skills. But that didn’t used to matter, because I could turn to Grandma, who would wait and accept my disturbance without becoming upset. Then I got another clipping and tried again. But now I can’t. So, I decided that the plant will go and live with Ann, my mother-in-law, who is a genius with a greenhouse.
The plan is for Ann to keep hold of the original plant. In time, she can teach me how to deal with its cuttings properly, and then maybe one day I can settle the plant in my place.
In the meantime, Ann will allocate (分配) clippings among my relatives, as Grandma used to do. My wife’s two sisters, for example, are both better at tending plants than I am, so it is quite imaginable they, too, will offer cuttings of the plant to their partners, spreading this loving plant across my entire extended family.
1. Why did the author want his grandma’s aloe?| A．He wanted to pass it down to others. | B．He showed a preference for gardening. |
| C．He had a pleasant memory of the plant. | D．He received it as a gift from his grandma. |
| A．Optimistic and patient. | B．Generous and helpful. | C．Honest and fashionable. | D．Humorous and skillful. |
| A．display his skills in gardening | B．have the plant better cared for |
| C．announce his grandma’s death | D．protect the plant from dying out |
| A．Aloe: my family bond | B．Aloe: a mysterious plant |
| C．Grandma: my life coach | D．Grandma: a lovely gardener |
5 . Caring for plants is a fantastic skill for kids to have. There are so many benefits of gardening for kids, yet the importance of gardening in early childhood is often undervalued. Here are some reasons why to teach your kids to garden.
Gardening makes kids stronger.
Gardening is good for kids’ well-being. Studies find that kids who garden have reduced large amounts of anxiety, stress and tend to be in a better mood.
Gardening is beneficial for picky eaters.
Gardening strengthens connection. Through gardening activities, kids grow closer to their parents and make many new friends.
| A．Gardening helps build teamwork skills. |
| B．Gardening activates kids’ sensory skills. |
| C．It is the perfect activity for growing bodies. |
| D．Learning to garden can be very tiring for children. |
| E．Spending time outdoors in nature can bring a sense of well-being. |
| F．Kids are more likely to eat the vegetables and fruit they’ve helped grow. |
| G．They also develop a connection to the earth and a need to care for our planet. |
6 . Cackles was my favorite goose. I was proud of her. Few people I knew had geese. It was
I was most
I remember being scared of them before I learned to stand my ground. As they
One day, I came home to find that Cackles was being
My dad said Cackles had to
My dad
| A．normal | B．important | C．unusual | D．unacceptable |
| A．acquired | B．sold | C．found | D．kept |
| A．nervous | B．proud | C．worried | D．thankful |
| A．choices | B．memories | C．celebrations | D．impressions |
| A．feed | B．train | C．catch | D．study |
| A．surprised | B．scared | C．excited | D．curious |
| A．reason | B．purpose | C．excuse | D．idea |
| A．watched | B．called | C．attacked | D．chased |
| A．face | B．comfort | C．direct | D．greet |
| A．brought back | B．left behind | C．taken away | D．cared for |
| A．afraid | B．anxious | C．disappointed | D．angry |
| A．jump | B．run | C．hide | D．fall |
| A．go | B．stay | C．wait | D．return |
| A．satisfied | B．heartbroken | C．confused | D．touched |
| A．reminded | B．advised | C．promised | D．taught |
7 . How Weather Affects Our Mood
The weather supplies many metaphors (隐喻) for our changeable minds. Moods can brighten and darken, futures can be under a cloud, and relationships can be stormy.
Of the many aspects of weather, sunshine is the most closely tied to mood. Although the link is weaker than many people imagine, sunlight has repeatedly been found to increase positive moods and reduce tiredness.
Indeed, the effects of weather on mood depend on our behavior and on how we think.
| A．Similarly, grey weather may encourage serious and calm thinking |
| B．Aspects of weather beyond heat and sunshine have also been shown to affect mood |
| C．Weather provides a vivid language for describing our emotional atmosphere |
| D．Temperature can also affect our mind and behavior |
| E．But the effects of weather on mood are not entirely biological |
| F．Anything that changes our moods can affect our behavior |
| G．Basically, weather will only influence us if we are outdoors experiencing it |
8 . 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? |
9 . 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 |
10 . It could be said that trees naturally call for attention as they climb toward the sky with their arms outstretched. Yet, it’s still easy for us to ignore them. As we rush through our own day-to-day lives, trees seem to play the role of an insignificant backdrop.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Rooted to a single spot, trees appear sill.But that stillness is not associated with laziness. In fact, trees are guards of the planet as the impact of their hard work carries miles farther than the ground in which they stand.
Globally, trees are the most cost-effective tool in promoting biodiversity. They support the survival of a significant number of animals. For example, a big reason why ring-tailed lemurs (狐猴) are endangered is that half of the forests they depend on in Madagascar off the East coast of Africa were cut down.
Not only do animals depend on trees for shelter, trees are significant to the health of humans as well. In fact, doctors in Canada are so convinced of trees’ benefits for the mind and body that they recommend patients visit national parks. Trees help a lot in tackling climate change too. They absorb and store carbon dioxide(CO2) — the key greenhouse gas emitted by our cars and power plants — before it has a chance to reach the upper atmosphere and trap heat around the Earth’s surface.
So it’s time to put trees in the spotlight. The Arbor Day Foundation, the world’s largest nonprofit, is devoted to this exact mission: inspiring people to plant,protect, and honor trees. We know there’s never been a more important time for trees. And we know there’s never been a more important time for mankind to engage in its role as environmental guards. This isn’t a one-sided relationship. What we give to nature we will receive in return, tenfold (十倍地). So as springtime arrives once again, take a moment and appreciate what a tree can be.
1. What does the author mainly want to tell us by giving the example of ring-tailed lemurs?| A．Trees are insignificant for their stillness. |
| B．Trees play a vital role in cleaning the air. |
| C．Trees provide critical habitats for creatures. |
| D．Half of the forests in Madagascar were cut down. |
| A．To provide advice on planting trees. |
| B．To call for human attention to trees. |
| C．To show the best time of planting trees. |
| D．To stress the impact of trees on humans. |
1=Paragraph One 2= Paragraph Two 3= Paragraph Three 4= Paragraph Four 5=Paragraph Five
A． | B． | C． | D． |
| A．Trees: Cleaners of the Environment | B．Trees: Shelters for Creatures |
| C．Trees: Defenders of Human Health | D．Trees: Guards of the Planet |
