1 . Born in Wales in 1950, Martin Lockley was a pioneer in the study of the dinosaur tracks and footprints preserved in rocks around the world. His work helped his fellow paleontologists (古生物学家) understand what the footprints can tell us about dinosaurs and the world that they lived in.
The footprints and tracks left behind by dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals are called trace fossils (痕迹化石). They can offer clues to how quickly an animal walked or ran and even what their skin may have looked like. Compared with the body fossils of bones and teeth, trace fossils contain evidence of the interactions that the animals had with their environment and can describe what the physical environment may have looked like. They offer a more reliable way to imagine the speed of a dinosaur than analyzing the bones.
Lockley’s mother and father were nature lovers. Lockley loved to observe nature. His father inspired him to “just go out and observe and trust your observations”, which proved important in Lockley’s launching his future career in dinosaur research. He took that advice with him to Gunnison, southwest of Denver, the United States. While North America is home to some of the largest number of fossil footprints in the world, Lockley’s work with prints and his father’s words took him far and wide. He explored fossil and track sites in China, South Korea, Spain and the United Kingdom.
In addition to finding the tracks, Lockley devoted time and energy to preserving these important parts of the fossil record. This includes guiding the politics needed to create UNESCO world heritage sites so that future generations wouldn’t lose out on these precious relics of the past.
1. What can we know about trace fossils?| A．They can reflect the then environment. |
| B．They are mainly left by some larger animals. |
| C．They can be easier to preserve than teeth fossils. |
| D．They are as accurate as bone fossils in analyzing animals’ speed. |
| A．His family’s tradition. |
| B．His father’s encouragement. |
| C．His love for dinosaurs and their footprints. |
| D．His desire to find the largest dinosaur track site. |
| A．He explored places of interest around the world. |
| B．He guided fellow paleontologists in their work. |
| C．He conserved and promoted dinosaur track sites. |
| D．He educated the next generation of track hunters. |
| A．Dangerous. | B．Time-consuming. | C．Far-reaching. | D．Demanding. |
2 . Thanks to the $10bn James Webb Space Telescope, we are beginning to “see” the radiant heat of the early universe like never before. On Monday night, to the excitement of professional astronomers and amateurs the world over, the telescope’s first full-colour image of deep space was released. The striking image, taken at minimally explored wavelengths and never-before-seen resolution, reveals a large number of universal objects.
The image is yet to be fully analysed but some objects are relics (遗迹) dating to within 0.7bn years of the Big Bang, the explosion that created our universe 13.8bn years ago. A new era (时代) of astronomy, in which we can finally see the oldest objects in the universe and gain a fuller understanding of its origins, has officially begun.
Tuesday saw four more important results emerge from the Webb’s first week of observations. Chris Lintott, professor of astrophysics at Oxford University and a researcher on galaxy (星系) formation, said he was blown away by the quality and beauty of the images. “It knocked my socks off,” Lintott said on Tuesday. “I was sitting in a roomful of galaxy experts when the Stephan’s Quintet image was shown, and jaws hit the floor. The Webb is going to produce some of the most amazing pictures of the space age.”
Webb’s “first deep field”, as the image of deep space released on Monday is known, is a picture taken over 12. 5 hours. It shows the cotton-wool-like galaxy cluster (团) SMACS 0723 centrally in the foreground, plus bright white stars.
As Lintott points out, bigger light-collecting mirrors result in sharper images, of the type that Webb is now delivering. The investment in the James Webb Space Telescope’s large foldable mirror has paid off. It is hard to believe that the Earth-orbiting telescope, regarded as one of the most complex engineering projects ever attempted and nearly cancelled a decade ago, has begun operating successfully.
1. What may be most probably talked about before paragraph 1?| A．The radiant heat. | B．Some astronomers. |
| C．Some universal objects. | D．The history of mankind. |
| A．He was humble. | B．He was tolerant. |
| C．He was surprised. | D．He was prejudiced. |
| A．It is a complex project. |
| B．It is regarded useless. |
| C．It was put into use a decade ago. |
| D．It was innovated by Chris Lintott. |
| A．The story of an inventor |
| B．Chris Lintott made a breakthrough |
| C．The image of relics of the Big Bang |
| D．A new era of astronomy has begun |
3 . Two teams of scientists—one in Denmark and the other in the UK—came up with the same question at about the same time: Could they identify the animals in an area from DNA that was simply floating in the air?
Testing for “environmental” DNA, or eDNA, isn’t a new idea, but most of the time, scientists look for eDNA in the water. DNA in the air is usually so small that it would take a microscope to see it. “We did not think that vacuuming (用真空吸尘器吸) animal DNA from the air would work at first, but the result is pleasantly surprising,” said Dr. Kristine Bohmann, one of the scientists on the Copenhagen team.
Neither team knew the other group was working on a similar experiment. One collected samples from different places at Denmark’s Copenhagen Zoo, and the other at Hamerton Zoo Park in the UK. The scientists used slightly different methods to collect their samples. But basically, both teams used vacuums and fans to collect extremely tiny bits of DNA onto very high-quality filters (过滤器) .
In the laboratory, they got the DNA from the filters and made copies of it to study. By comparing their samples with examples of DNA from different animals, the scientists were able to identify many different animals at the zoos. The scientists chose to test in zoos because they had scarce animals which are not naturally and easily found in the area. As Dr. Elizabeth Clare who led the UK team said, “There’s no other way I would detect DNA from a tiger, except for the zoo’s tiger.”
Each team only discovered the other experiment after they’d written a paper about their own results. Instead of competing, the two decided to combine their results and publish a paper together.
“We are excited that this new method could be used in the wild. Scientists have been looking for better ways to track endangered animals without affecting them. If researchers know where animals live, they can do a better job of protecting them. The next step is to figure out how to take this method into nature,” says Dr. Bohmann.
1. Which is the feature of DNA in the air?| A．It is usually preserved shortly. |
| B．It was thought difficult to collect. |
| C．It is too small to be found and classified. |
| D．It was collected for other researches before. |
| A．By equipping the zoos with filters. |
| B．With the help of vacuums and fans. |
| C．By keeping animals in the laboratory. |
| D．With the help of advanced microscopes. |
| A．Characteristic. | B．Dangerous. | C．Various. | D．Rare |
| A．Special. | B．Perfect. | C．Meaningful. | D．Complex. |
4 . Living in a city, you may face fewer parking spaces, more pollution, less personal space, and more traffic and noise, all of which contribute to higher stress levels, often translating to aggression (攻击行为). And now, researchers have found evidence that this behavior applies to song sparrows (歌雀) too. But it comes with a surprising benefit to the youngest generation of city sparrows.
There are fewer city-living song sparrows than in the countryside. However, the increased aggression observed in the males can be connected to a more pressing need to defend territories in urban settings. But that increased aggression doesn’t mean the males fail in their duties as fathers. In fact, the researchers were surprised to find that the opposite may be true.
“Male songbirds are thought to reduce parental care when they are more aggressive. Yet this study showed that urban male song sparrows provided more care for their young,” says Dr Samuel Lane, lead author of the study. “Against our expectations, we found that they visited nests more often and were more successful parents than the males in the countryside.”
The researchers carried out their studies at six sites across southwest Virginia, USA, across four breeding (繁殖) seasons. They found that the high survival rate of their chicks was subject to many factors. Not only did male sparrows visit their nests more often, but they also began feeding chicks earlier in the day. Despite the challenges of being a city bird, hatching success was observed to be higher in urban habitats. And even though brood parasitism, one species laying eggs in the nest of another, is typically higher in urban areas, the researchers observed that rates of nest predation, the act of other animals eating eggs or young birds, were lower, further contributing to the overall nesting success of these sparrows.
Lane said, “Our study adds to growing evidence that certain species of songbirds even benefit from living in urban environments when there is enough green space for them to find food and nest locations.”
The team hope ongoing research in this area will contribute to the establishment of urban environments aimed at offering improved support for wildlife.
1. What causes the increased aggression of male city sparrows?| A．The stress of protecting their territories. |
| B．The worsening of urban noise pollution. |
| C．The challenges of building their nests. |
| D．The growing needs of younger generations. |
| A．They lived shorter lives. | B．They had a higher population. |
| C．They had lower nest attendance. | D．They woke up earlier in the morning. |
| A．Higher nest locations. | B．Reduced brood parasitism. |
| C．Limited breeding seasons. | D．Lower nest predation rates. |
| A．City Male Birds Do It All | B．Aggressive Birds Surprise Scientists |
| C．Big City Life Makes Birds Better Dads | D．The Future of City Birds Lies in Our Hands |
5 . The government of Singapore has created a highly developed system that turns wastewater into drinking water. The system involves a network of tunnels and high-technology treatment centers.
Reused wastewater can now meet 40 percent of Singapore’s water demand. The country’s water agency says it expects to meet 55 percent of Singapore’s water demand by the year 2060.
Most of the water is used for microchip manufacturing centers and cooling systems in buildings. But some of it is added to the country’s drinking water supplies. The system helps reduce ocean pollution, as only a small amount of the treated water is sent into the sea.
Singapore has few natural water sources. The island nation has long had to depend mostly on supplies from neighboring Malaysia. Low Pei Chin, chief engineer of the water reclamation department of the Public Utilities Board, told reporters with Independent, “Singapore lacks natural resources, and it is limited in space, which is why we are always looking for ways to explore water sources and stretch our water supply.”
The Changi Water Reclamation Plant on Singapore’s eastern coast is the main part of the country’s recycling system. Parts of the water treatment center are underground. Wastewater enters the center through a 48-kilometer tunnel that is linked to sewers(下水道). The center contains a large system of steel pipes, tubes, tanks, cleaning systems and other machinery. It can treat up to 900 million liters of wastewater a day.
Waste that arrives at the plant goes through a cleaning process before powerful pumps send it flowing to areas above ground for more treatment. There, the treated water receives additional cleaning. Bacteria and viruses are removed through highly developed cleaning processes.
Singapore is also in the process of expanding its recycling system. The country will add another underground tunnel and a major water treatment center to serve the western half of the island. Officials expect work on the center to be completed by 2025. By the time the expansion is finished, Singapore will have spent about $7.4 billion on its water treatment systems.
1. What can we know about the treated water?| A．Most of it is sent into the sea. |
| B．It can only be used by factories. |
| C．Some of it is used as drinking water. |
| D．It can meet the whole country’s water demand. |
| A．It has a friendly neighbor. |
| B．It is short of water resources. |
| C．Its people dislike using recycled water. |
| D．Its water consumption is particularly high. |
| A．The history of a water treatment center. |
| B．The reasons for cleaning wastewater. |
| C．Introduction to groundwater networks. |
| D．The process of recycling the wastewater. |
| A．Singapore Turns Wastewater into Drinking Water |
| B．Singapore Builds a Strong Water-saving Culture |
| C．What Are Singapore’s Water Success and Lessons? |
| D．How Singapore Is Putting a Stop to Water Running out? |
Longmen Grottoes
Set on the banks of the Yi River, 12km south of the current Luoyang City, the Longmen Grottoes are ranked first of the Four Great Grotioes in China, together with Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, Yungang Grottoes in Datong and Mount Maiji Grottoes in Tianshui. They were also listed in the World Cultural Heritages and Relics by UNESCO in 2000.
Longmen Gate also houses
Wandering in the Longmen Grottoes, one is amazed by the delicate carving skills, deep Buddhist culture and great art achievements of Chinese people.
China Mobile, the world’s largest telecom carrier by mobile subscribers, has successfully launched the world’s first satellite
The low-earth orbit test satellite is
The 6G test satellite hosts a distributed autonomous architecture for 6G,
Set at an orbit
Positioned
8 . In a Parisian old shoe factory on the city’s outskirts, a new kind of life is taking root. Neoplants, a startup from Paris, has developed a special houseplant that could potentially help improve indoor air quality by removing harmful pollutants.
The plant is a modified variety of one of the most popular and low-maintenance houseplants. Its DNA has been altered to enhance its capacity to absorb volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the air we breathe inside our homes. These VOCs include substances like formaldehyde, benzene. toluene. ethylbenzene, and xylene, which are commonly found indoors and can be harmful in large quantities.
The genetic tweaking also allows the plant to convert the absorbed VOCs into substances it can use. such as sugars and carbon dioxide, which then fuel its growth. While Neoplants’concept is quite promising, proving its effectiveness is a challenge.
Plant shops often claim their greenery can purify the air, but much of this belief stems from research conducted by NASA back in 1989. They found that houseplants could indeed absorb certain toxins. However, achieving the same level of toxin removal as simply opening a window would require an impractical number of plants — anywhere from 10 to 1,000 per square meter.
So, does Neoplants’genetically modified houseplant offer a better solution? Field tests haven’t yielded definitive results yet, but there is hope for more conclusive testing in the future with the help of a new lab equipped with unique non-absorbent rooms that mimic real-life conditions . Additionally, the company is exploring potential applications for its gene-editing technology in areas such as carbon capture and phytoremediation, where plants are used to clean up contaminated environments
Neoplants is relying on patience and a bit of faith. It takes time for innovations to mature. “This will be the first time such a product exists.” says the company’s CEO. drawing a parallel to the early days of computers, which were not very powerful initially but still represented a significant breakthrough.
With Neoplants’ vision, the old shoe factory on the edge of Paris isn’t just a place where shoes were made; it’s where a novel approach to cleaning our indoor air is being cultivated — one that could someday make our homes healthier and more environmentally friendly.
1. What does Neoplants’genetically modified houseplant aim to do?| A．maintain its capacity easily | B．absorb VOC’s massively |
| C．alter its DNA completely | D．fuel its growth quickly |
| A．The absorbed VOCs can enhance the growth of the plant. |
| B．Opening a window can remove the same level of toxins as the Neoplants. |
| C．Neoplants will need powerful computers to make a significant breakthrough. |
| D．Conclusive testing needs conducting to achieve definite results. |
| A．The process of using plants to absorb nutrients. | B．The process of using plants to purify the air. |
| C．The process of using plants to explore applications. | D．The process of using plants to edit certain genes. |
| A．Science fiction. | B．A scientific textbook. | C．A news article. | D．An art magazine. |
9 . If you think about World Heritage Sites, you probably think of places associated with ancient art and culture and historical buildings. And of course, many of these are on the World Heritage List (WHL). These include remains of ancient cultures like Cuzco in Peru or the rock city of Petra in Jordan as well as old city centers such as Rome in Italy. Also common are places of artistic or cultural significance, like the Stonehenge stone circle in England. But the WHL contains a lot of sites that are not so obvious. Let’s look at a few of the more unusual sites on the WHL and why it is important to preserve them.
Citadel of Haiti
These monuments were built at the end of the 19th century when Haiti became independent and the many thousands of black slaves in Haiti were free for the first time. These ex-slaves built the monuments, which the WHL describes as “a universal symbol of liberty”.
Borders of France and Spain
This is an area of great natural beauty and the mountains have many interesting geological formations.
But it is also an area of small farms. The WHL has listed the site because it shows us about past European society through its landscape of villages, farms, fields, up land pastures and mountain roads.
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway
This railway in India was opened in 1881 and is still operating today. It crosses a difficult area of mountain landscape and it is a great example of railway engineering. The WHL says that it is “the first, and still the most outstanding, example of a hill passenger railway.”
The city of Brasilia
Brasilia is a capital city that was created from nothing in 1956. The WHL calls it “a land mark in the history of town planning”. The different areas of the city and the buildings themselves were all designed at the same time so that they would harmonize with each other.
1. What’s the function of the examples of World Heritage Sites in paragraph 1?| A．To highlight the importance of WHL. |
| B．To exemplify sites of artistic and cultural value. |
| C．To compare the differences between various sites. |
| D．To draw readers’ attention to more unique sites on the WHL. |
| A．Former slaves. | B．Citizens in Haiti. |
| C．Active revolutionaries. | D．Haiti government. |
| A．Citadel of Haiti. | B．Borders of France and Spain. |
| C．The city of Brasilia. | D．The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. |
10 . People have always believed that nature is good for health and happiness. According to scientific studies, being in nature makes people less stressed. In a recent experiment in Japan, one group of people were asked to walk through a forest while another group had to walk through a busy city.
Gregory Bratman from Stanford University in the United States found in experiments that a walk in nature could have important cognitive (认知) benefits, improving a person’s memory and creativity.
Why does being in nature bring so many benefits for us?
Scientists also think that being in nature helps our brain recover from a lot of activities that we usually do during the day such as working on math problems or using our cell phone.
| A．The walks were equally long and hard |
| B．Regular workouts are surprisingly helpful |
| C．One idea is that human beings come from nature |
| D．Nature’s benefits have been scientifically confirmed |
| E．In these activities, we use a lot of directed attention |
| F．Being in nature increases people’s mental health as well |
| G．We can see this in schools where outdoor learning has been introduced |
