1 . In all of the Jurassic Park movies, dinosaurs (恐龙) are the stars of the show. The way the dinosaurs look and move is amazing — they seem so real. But dinosaurs haven’t lived on our planet for the last 65 million years. So how do filmmakers bring them to life? They ask paleontologists (古生物学家) for help.
Paleontologist Tyler Lyson has been interested in dinosaurs since he was a child. He grew up in the countryside in the western United States and found his first dinosaur fossil (化石) when he was only six years old. Lyson says the best way to learn about dinosaurs is to look at fossils. Fossils and footprints help scientists understand how dinosaurs looked, moved, and lived.
Filmmakers use fossils and other research from paleontologists to build dinosaurs for their movies. But they also have to imagine. The dinosaur builders have to decide what color the dinosaurs are, what patterns (图案) the dinosaurs have, how long their tails are...
Another very important thing that helps bring dinosaurs to life is the computer. After dinosaur builders make dinosaur models, they put pictures of them into a computer, and then use CGI — computer-generated imagery (计算机生成影像) to make them move. Filmmakers have used CGI for all the dinosaurs in the Jurassic Park movies.
Paleontologists still have a lot of questions about dinosaurs. What did they sound like? How did they look for food? What did they eat? The answers to these questions will help filmmakers create even more realistic dinosaurs than ever before.
1. What does the underlined word “them” in Paragraph 1 refer to?| A．The Jurassic Park movies. | B．Paleontologists. |
| C．The last 65 million years. | D．Dinosaurs. |
| A．Reading books. | B．Looking at fossils. |
| C．Watching movies. | D．Going to the countryside. |
| A．Why CGI is popular. | B．Why filmmakers build dinosaurs. |
| C．How dinosaur models are brought to life. | D．What questions paleontologists still have. |
| A．Lyson’s interesting dinosaurs started young. |
| B．Some paleontologists also make dinosaur movies. |
| C．Dinosaurs appeared on our planet 65 million years ago. |
| D．Paleontologists already know what dinosaurs sounded like. |
情景介绍：角色：你是Ella。
任务：(1)与朋友Andy谈论关于大象的话题;
(2)根据对话内容，回答问题。
生词：continent大陆
下面请用英语提出三个问题。每个问题有20秒的准备时间。当你听见“滴”声时，开始提问。
Now please ask the speaker three questions. You have twenty seconds to prepare the question. When you hear a beep, begin to ask the question.
1. 你之前在哪里研究过大象?2. 你关于大象的书什么时候出版?
3. 关于大象你还能教我什么?
下面听录音提问，用英语回答五个问题。
Now please get ready to answer five questions in English.
4. What are the two types of elephants on Earth?
5. What emotions have scientists seen elephants show?
6. Where do the majority of the world’s elephants live?
7. How long has Andy been studying elephants?
8. How much food do elephant seat per day?
A group of big elephants rush down a river and towards a man.
This scene is from
The scene in the video took place because Thomson
4 . Although a few recreational snowmobilers (驾驶摩托雪橇者) destroy ecosystems as they ride through the wilderness, most snowmobilers love and respect America’s natural heritage. That’s why they brave the cold to explore what is left of wild America — including Yellowstone National Park. Unfortunately these snowmobilers are unconsciously damaging what they love. Because snowmobiles in the park not only create both air and noise pollution but also strains (使紧张) the already tight budget of the park service, recreational snowmobiles should be banned from Yellowstone National Park.
It may be hard to imagine that about 1,000 snowmobiles a day could lead to air pollution in a park half the size of Connecticut, but in fact they can. In addition to polluting the air, snowmobiles are noisy, disturbing the peace and silence that park visitors have a right to expect. One study reports that twelve snowmobiles traveling together could be heard as far as two miles away. Such noise affects the park’s wildlife.
Funds that should be used to preserve Yellowstone National Park and its wildlife have been used to deal with the snowmobile issue. Also, park rangers are spending an increasing amount of their valuable time policing snowmobilers, which takes away from park rangers’ primary responsibility—preserving this country’s treasured natural resources.
Opponents of a ban argue that a central mission of the park service is to provide access to national parks. Admittedly, winter access is important, but ordinary people can enjoy the park by means other than snowmobiles. Also, the park service’s mission is not just to provide access to the parks; no less important is its mission to preserve the parks’ pristine natural resources for future generations.
Even with a ban on snowmobiling in the park itself, the Yellowstone area would still earn the title of Snowmobiling Capital of America. All of the streets of West Yellowstone, the area’s major town, are open to snowmobilers, and many trails run out of the town. As to Yellowstone National Park, a ban on snowmobiles would allow the park service to devote more of its limited resources to one of its primary missions: the protection of natural resources. Visitors would still be able to appreciate Yellowstone’s beauty— its geysers, its wildlife, and its snow-covered vistas —throughout the park’s long winter.
1. What can we learn about most snowmobilers from paragraph 1?| A．They enjoy winter adventures. | B．They try to reduce water pollution. |
| C．They make a lot of money by snowmobiling. | D．They have destroyed the hottest snowmobling spot. |
| A．Effects of air pollution. | B．Measures of wildlife protection. |
| C．Rights expected by visitors. | D．Problems caused by snowmobiles. |
| A．Solving snowmobile issues. | B．Providing access to the park. |
| C．Protecting natural resources. | D．Collecting funds for the park. |
| A．Preserving Yellowstone’s winter wilderness |
| B．Solving financial problems of national parks |
| C．Improving the service of Yellowstone National Park |
| D．Exploring popular snowmobile destinations this winter |
5 . This fall, students at the University of Massachusetts found a new menu at their dining commons: the “diet for a cooler planet” menu. This meant herb-roasted lamb, raised with a carbon-friendly approach. It included sweet potatoes that had been picked from a local farm’s field post-harvest. The options were plant-heavy, locally grown, and involved little to no packaging.
“We wanted to let students participate in climate action by making choices about their food,” says Kathy Wicks, sustainability director for UMass Dining. The university is not alone in this effort. Increasingly, American consumers and institutions are thinking about how their food choices factor into climate change. For many, small choices at the grocery store, dining hall, and restaurant can feel more accessible than big-ticket options like buying a fuel-efficient car or installing home solar panels.
Small changes in dietary habits may make a big difference. Climate activists often target fossil fuels and transportation systems, but studies point to the food system as a significant contributor to global warming. According to Project Drawdown, a research organization that evaluates climate solutions, the way food is grown, transported, and consumed accounts for about a quarter of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. Beef is a regular target. “If, on average, Americans cut a quarter pound of beef per week from their diet, it’s like taking 10 million cars off the road a year,” says Sujatha Bergen, director of health campaigns for the Natural Resources Defense Council. Food waste ranks third among climate solutions. While much waste occurs before consumers are involved — food left on the field or “chucked” because it does not fit appearance standards, Americans also throw out a lot of food they have purchased: about $ 1,600 worth a year per family of four.
“People are beginning to understand that their food choices make a big impact on climate,” says Megan Larmer, director of regional food at the Glynwood Center for Regional Food and Farming in New York. But, she cautions substantial change will need to come from the whole food system.
1. What is the purpose of the new menu at the University of Massachusetts?| A．To market the cold dishes. | B．To reduce the cost of packaging. |
| C．To popularize the plant-heavy diet. | D．To promote low carbon awareness. |
| A．Food is a decisive factor for climate change. |
| B．Food choices matter much to global warming. |
| C．Universities are working together in climate action. |
| D．Fuel-efficient cars are not affordable for consumers. |
| A．It has great influence on carbon reduction. | B．It is popular among millions of car drivers. |
| C．It has a close relationship with gas emission. | D．It plays a significant role in American’s diet. |
| A．Food System Reform: A Successful Trial | B．Global Warming: An Approaching Danger |
| C．Carbon Emission: A Killer, or Healer? | D．Low Carbon Diet: A Craze, or More? |
6 . A couple has completed a tiring 4,500-mile bike ride around Europe in the shape of an enormous bicycle, in a creative attempt to promote sustainable travel.
Accompanied by their dog Zola, David Smith, 35, and Arianna Saraghi, 40, rode through seven countries to create the striking image, motivated by their desire to raise awareness about climate change. After completing their 7237-kilometer journey earlier this week, the pair said they had narrowly beaten the Guinness World Record for the largest GPS drawing made by any mode of transport.
They are also, unsurprisingly, confident that they have traced the biggest ever GPS bicycle, estimating that theirs is roughly 600 miles wide. “Being able to see it on^ the map is mainly a relief,” Ms Saraghi said after recounting the problems they had along the way.
They initially set off in the summer of 2019, armed with a computer-designed route which they had followed to avoid cycling through Paris’Charles de Gaulle Airport. However, they were forced to stop after Ms Saraghi sustained a knee injury.
The Anglo-Italian couple tried again that winter, before giving up because it was too cold to camp. The Covid-19 pandemic then delayed the trip’s completion by another two years. “We had so many obstacles. When we started this time we were thinking—what can go wrong this time? We felt we had let people down by not completing it, and our life felt kind of stuck. So we’re very happy,” Ms Saraghi said.
The pair said they want people who see the GPS image to consider cycling shorter journeys rather than choosing to drive. “Cycling is cheaper, it’s healthy, it’s fun, and it’s often pretty fast. Please give it a second and consider if there is an alternative to the car- there may not be, but often there is,” Mr Smith told The Independent. The 35-year-old added that they also hope politicians, who come across their GPS bicycle are motivated to improve cycling infrastructure (基础设施) to encourage the public to travel sustainably where possible.
1. What was the purpose of the couple’s bike ride?| A．To enjoy a journey with their dog. |
| B．To encourage green travel on bikes. |
| C．To give warnings on climate change. |
| D．To create a striking means of transport. |
| A．Long and comfortable. | B．Creative and inspiring. |
| C．Relaxing and relieving. | D．Challenging and profitable. |
| A．They successfully improved public facilities. |
| B．They let people down due to many obstacles. |
| C．They realized the dream of changing their life. |
| D．They finally meet the expectation of the public. |
| A．In many cases cycling can be an alternative to driving. |
| B．The GPS bicycle can inspire people to give up driving. |
| C．Better urban infrastructure prevents sustainable travel. |
| D．Cycling is cheaper, funnier and faster than driving a car. |
7 . Most of the efforts aimed at reducing climate change concentrate on reducing the use of fossil fuels. But a new study warms that pollution from the worlds food production system is also a major cause of rising temperatures on the earth.
The study finds that if the world food system grows at the current speed, it will produce nearly 1.4 trillion metric tons(公吨)of greenhouse gases over the next 80 years. That pollution is expected to come from fertilizers used in agriculture, mismanaged soil, food waste and methane gas released from cows and other animals. Other causes include land-clearing operations and deforestation(乱砍乱伐).
Researchers from the University of Minnesota and the University of Oxford in Britain led the study. They predict that even if fossil fuel emissions (排放) were stopped now, emissions from the world food system would make it impossible to reach the international climate change targets. They say emissions from food production alone could push world temperatures over 1.5degrees Celsius by the middle of this century and above 2 degrees Celsius by the end of the century.
The new study calls for immediate improvements in farming practice, as well as what we eat and how much food we waste.
Jason Hill is a professor of biosystems engineering at the University of Minnesota and he helped lead the study. He says that the research clearly shows that food has a much greater effect climate change than widely known. Fixing the problem would not require the world’s population to completely stop eating meat. We can eat better, healthier foods. We can improve how we grow foods. And we can waste less food, he adds.
Besides, the researchers say such efforts are achievable and can also lead to many other improvements beyond controlling climate change. These include making humans healthier, reducing water pollution, improving air quality, preventing animal extinctions and improving farm profitability(盈利能力).
1. What did the new study find about the world’s food production system?| A．It produces many poisonous gases. |
| B．It causes a rise in global temperature. |
| C．It helps to reduce the use of fossil fuels. |
| D．It tries to solve the world hunger problem. |
| A．Fossil fuel emissions will gradually stop. |
| B．The temperature will have an unexpected rise. |
| C．The climate change target will be eventually achieved. |
| D．Emission from food production will cause serious effects. |
| A．Reducing food waste. | B．Growing more crop. |
| C．Stopping eating any meat. | D．Producing less junk food. |
| A．Reducing water pollution. | B．Improving farming methods. |
| C．Protecting endangered animals. | D．Increasing farming productivity. |
8 . About 400 pounds of food is wasted per day from 5 pm to 8 pm in Douglass Dining Hall. “We scrape(刮掉) the food from the conveyor belt into the buckets by hand. Working for Dining Team Green, I don’t expect to basically become a garbage girl,” Roll said. “We do the work because we care much about it. We all have a responsibility to take care of the environment.”
To have more approachable composting(把……制成堆肥) machines on campus, Roll now has a new sustainable project investing in Lomi, an automated compost machine. “I learned about Lomi through an ad,” Roll said. “Funny enough, I just saw it and thought it perfect. It really interested me how the mechanism worked. ”
Lomi is a new technology that can break down food waste into natural compost. According to Roll, it breaks down waste in the way: grinding(碾碎) the food into plant fertilizer. Unlike most composting machines, Omi can compost animal products, such as small bones. Another huge benefit is that it doesn’t have smell and can convert waste to compost in a shorter time.
Roll plans on using the compost in the Gilbert community garden so that Dining Team Green can give back to the community. “It’s very exciting to see our food waste that would otherwise have gone in the trash and pollute the environment go to our community,” she said.
Roll is excited to introduce a new form of composting to the residents. She hopes that this machine will inspire other composting machines in all residential buildings. “I want Lomi not only to be a way to reduce food waste on the floor, but an educational tool to make people compost in a real way and not just talk about it in a theoretical sense,” Roll said.
1. Which of the following can best describe Lomi?| A．Elegant. | B．Widespread. |
| C．Low-powered. | D．Environmentally friendly. |
| A．The reasons for designing Lomi. | B．The impact of wasting food. |
| C．The solution to food waste. | D．The advantages of Lomi. |
| A．More people will get involved in composting initiatives. |
| B．Dining Team Green will become an educational tool. |
| C．More developed composting machines will be invented. |
| D．Dining Team Green will build community gardens. |
| A．She lives in the Gilbert community. |
| B．She is a member of Dining Team Green. |
| C．She knows a lot about residential buildings. |
| D．She plans to design more composting machines. |
CHINA DAILY Oct. 20, 2022 Two giant pandas arrived in Doha,
According to the CCRC for the Giant Panda in Sichuan province, the two pandas—3-year-old female Si Hai and 4-year-old male Jing Jing—left the research center’s Ya’an base in Chengdu, Sichuan,
Mohamed, Qatar’s ambassador to China, said via video link during the farewell ceremony in Chengdu for the giant pandas that he appreciated the bilateral relations between Qatar and China, adding that the gift shows
The ambassador said that the event was a milestone in cultural diplomacy,
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10 . Since I was born and brought up in a rural town, I have a great interest in nature. Using the chance of studying abroad in my second year at college, I decided to go to Canada just because I wanted to see the beautiful phenomena there. So after I finished the study, I went to Yellowknife in the Northwest. I clearly remember the sixth night in Yellowknife. Suddenly my host mother came to my room around 8 p. m. and told me to change clothes and go outside quickly carrying her camera.
The northern lights were flickering (闪烁)in the sky! I was amazed and just stood there with my mouth open. I forgot to take pictures of the mysterious lights.
Since that night, whenever it was sunny, I went outside at night and looked at the sky. It was so cold that my hands and feet were numb with cold. Actually, the time of my being able to be out was limited. I had to bring her camera back to the house in one hour at the most, for the camera was going to be broken because of the cold temperature.
As I took pictures of the northern lights, I came to find a characteristic movement of the lights. They first appear in the north part of the sky and then they gradually come down to the south. After that, suddenly, they come in the middle of the north and south only for a while, which is the time when the best northern lights can be seen. Since it is only a few seconds for the northern lights to come down to the middle of the sky, it is very hard to get good pictures.
The stronger the sun acts, the better and stronger northern lights flicker in the sky. That’s because they occur from the collision(碰撞)between atmospheric gases and solar wind. Much more solar wind comes to the earth when the sun is active, leading to the best northern lights.
1. Why did the author forget to take pictures?| A．It was freezing cold outside. |
| B．He was shocked by the wonderful sights. |
| C．The lights were flickering in the sky. |
| D．He lost all his feeling in his hands and feet. |
| A．The northern lights came out every night. |
| B．The author took lots of pictures with his camera. |
| C．The author could stay as long as he liked outdoors. |
| D．Cameras will be damaged if exposed too long to coldness. |
| A．They appear in the north part of the sky. |
| B．They rise in the east and set in the west. |
| C．They are between the north and south. |
| D．They come down to the south part of the sky. |
| A．The lights stay in the middle for a very short time. |
| B．The lights of the sun affect the northern lights. |
| C．The lights are caused by the collisions of gases. |
| D．The colours of the lights are determined by the height. |
