1 . Bees play an essential role in the ecosystem. They not only collect nectar (花蜜) to make honey but also help with pollinating (授粉) your plants. Sadly, bees are slowly becoming an endangered species on earth, with their numbers dwindling significantly. You, however, can help increase the populations of bees, too.
While bees may be attracted to flowers in your garden, using chemicals such as herbicides and pesticides can adversely impact a bee colony (群). Unknown to many, most of these pesticides will affect or kill both good and harmful insects. In addition, bees might not know if you have already used such chemicals on your plants.
Bees are always on the hunt for good nectar; hence they won’t pass a good opportunity. In addition to practicing organic farming, introducing plants that bees find naturally attractive, such as catmint and scabious, can help attract them to your garden. The bees will thus feed on both their favorites and other flowers in the garden, too. Moreover, bees tend to fly over long distances, searching for nectar, a new hive, or even a favorite flower during summer and in spring. Long flights can be particularly exhausting and famishing. According to Bee Conservation Trust, giving the bees a drink will go a long way in saving the colony. The trust recommends mixing equal volumes of water and white sugar, then place the mixture in an open bowl, upturned bottle caps, or a bird drinker.
Beekeeping is such an honorable job, with many people taking it up as a hobby and at last a full-time job. One of the benefits of this hobby is that you get your own freshly produced honey, free from nasty chemicals. Almost everyone can become a beekeeper. All you need is a little training from the local beekeeping associations for tips on how to do it safely.
1. What does the underlined word “dwindling” in paragraph 1 mean?| A．Keeping stable. | B．Setting down. |
| C．Changing quickly. | D．Becoming less. |
| A．To help bees find gardens. |
| B．To help rescue the bees. |
| C．To help bees search for nectar. |
| D．To help ease the dryness of bees. |
| A．Boring. | B．Dangerous. | C．Rewarding. | D．Well-paid. |
| A．Plants like catmint and scabious have no appeal to bees. |
| B．Using pesticides can have a negative effect on a bee colony. |
| C．Bees are becoming endangered mainly because of nectar shortage. |
| D．Bees fly over long distances just to pollinate their favorite flowers. |
2 . The most relaxing colors are generally believed to be cool shades such as green and blue.
Home designers note that people often describe rooms painted blue and green as relaxing and comfortable. As a result, architects often use colors from the cool part of the color circle in bedrooms and bathrooms.
Driving down a highway. you’ll notice that some signs consist of white letters on a dark green background.
| A．There was research into colors in ancient times. |
| B．In contrast, hot colors cause these to rise. |
| C．Different colors can cause different psychological reactions. |
| D．Engineers determine such signs won’t get people’s eyes tired. |
| E．And painters often use blues and greens on walls and ceilings. |
| F．Scientists have found some evidence for the magic power of green. |
| G．It is agreed that the two can make us feel calm, balanced and less emotional. |
3 . The fossil (化石)discovery in Victoria now shows that monk seals were widespread in Australasia in the past.
“Monk seals are one of the rarest and most endangered marine mammals (海洋哺乳动物)alive today, but this wasn’t always the case,” according to lead study author Dr. James Rule from Monash University. “Our paper shows that the very endangered monk seals once called Australia home about five million years ago(specifically in Victoria),” he said.
The discovery was made by studying two fossils again from Melbourne Museum’s collections, the identity of which had been a mystery for 40 years. “When we studied them, they turned out to be the oldest evidence of monk seals,” Dr. Rule said. “These fossils, along with the extinct New Zealand species that was discovered last year, double the known diversity of the monk seals,” he said.
According to Dr. Rule, monk seals disappeared in Australasia three million years ago, and they only lived in the tropics (热带地区)and the Mediterranean after temperatures fell during the Ice Ages. This left monk seals on the edge of disappearance after being overhunted by humans, with about 2,000 members left.
The discovery of New Zealand species and Australian monk seals led the researchers to restudy the origin of the group. “Our research shows that monk seals began in Australia,” Dr. Rule said. “This is different from every theory previously put forward by scientists.”
Previous research has theorized climate change led to the disappearance of many ancient seals in the Southern Hemisphere. This would have included New Zealand’s and Australian monk seals. “This suggests the world’s last two species of monk seal are also at risk from climate change,” Dr. Rule said. If sea level continues to rise, the beaches monk seals rely on for resting and raising young ones may disappear.
1. What does the new discovery show about monk seals?| A．Their living habits. | B．Their growth process. |
| C．Their early appearance. | D．Their ways of getting food. |
| A．Researcher found it hard to keep them in good condition. |
| B．Researchers manged to identify them after many years. |
| C．They were once thought to be fossils of birds. |
| D．They were first discovered last year. |
| A．Fighting water pollution. | B．Suffering from a lack of food. |
| C．Having limited living places. | D．Facing increasing natural enemies. |
| A．Climate change always threatens monk seals’ survival. |
| B．Scientists can now measure the rate of global warming. |
| C．Human activity in Australia should be strictly limited. |
| D．People need to help raise young monk seals. |
4 . Pay a visit to the Chicago River and you’ll find that it has a wonderful new addition to the local wildlife. Among the birds and fish, visitors may spot a small robot moving up and down the busy waterway. This is Trashbot, the creation of a startup called Urban Rivers, using cutting-edge technology to clean up trash in the area.
In some ways, Trashbot is like the vacuum cleaners (真空吸收器) found in American homes. But it isn’t. While its free movement and lack of onsite handlers may give the impression that this is a self-driving machine, this could not be further from the truth. At any point in time, Trashbot might be controlled by one of the Internet users.
Anyone with a web connection can get into Urban River’s website and take a two-minute turn at piloting Trashbot. The company’s goal is to use this time to direct Trashbot to pick up trash, and then carry this to a collection point on the river bank, where it can be later removed.
The idea for Trashbot started a few years ago when Urban Rivers’ project the “floating gardens” on the Chicago River got clogged up (被堵塞) with trash. To solve this, they started employing old-fashioned human litter pickers to collect trash from the river. However, this turned out to be ineffective.
The idea of a robot boat was born then, but the team wasn’t sure how to pilot it. Teaching a computer to understand what trash is isn’t easy, Trash is a somewhat abstract concept (概念) . We know it when we see it. At this point they decided to turn to the Internet for help.
“We figured that we could put out a call so that this boat could be controlled by people around the world,” says Nick Wesley, one of the brains behind the project. “Letting people take control of a robot to clean up trash makes for a really cool experience.”
1. What do we know about Trashbot?| A．It is a vacuum cleaner | B．It is harmful to local wildlife. |
| C．It is a trash clearing machine. | D．It has been widely used in homes. |
| A．It is operated by Internet users. |
| B．It works for two hours at a time. |
| C．It is handled by human litter pickers. |
| D．It recognizes trash and reports it to users. |
| A．In Paragraph 3. | B．In Paragraph 4. | C．In Paragraph 5. | D．In Paragraph 6. |
| A．It is a risky practice. |
| B．It may cause a network crash. |
| C．It fails to meet online users needs. |
| D．It offers online users a special experience. |
5 . The European Commission has recently proposed classifying nuclear and natural gas as sustainable sources of energy. The proposal will place the sources on the EU’s “green” list. However, the proposal has already divided member countries.
France, Hungary, Poland, and Romania have supported the proposal as a stepping stone to clean energy. Much of Eastern and Central Europe still depends on fossil fuels like coal for energy. While renewable energy sources like the wind and sun have become more affordable, technology has not advanced enough to store power for long periods of time. Therefore, an immediate transition (转变) might not be possible for Europe.
Proponents of the proposal agree that natural gas is still a fossil fuel. Nevertheless, it emits less carbon dioxide than coal and could serve as a more sustainable alternative during the transition to greener energy sources. Nuclear energy plants are another promising energy source and release water vapor instead of carbon dioxide as a by-product. Because of this, proponents view nuclear and natural gas as “bridge” sources that can pave the way to a low-carbon future.
Other European member states are opposing the proposal for a number of reasons. Under the proposal, gas power plants labeled “sustainable” could emit 270g worth of CO2 for each kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity they produce. A panel of experts has criticized these guidelines, recommending that only 100g of CO2 per kWh could be considered sustainable.
Spain, Denmark, and Luxembourg have charged that the proposal would distract from renewable energy goals. Germany, a long-time opponent, has questioned about including nuclear power in the list. Nuclear power plants may be low-carbon, but the storage of nuclear waste continues to be an issue. It is also costly to construct them and would use up financial resources that could be invested in other renewable energies.
1. What can we know about the proposal put forward by the European Commission recently?| A．It divides sustainable sources of energy into two categories. |
| B．It has been copied by many other international organizations. |
| C．It aims to put nuclear and natural gas on the EU’s “green” list. |
| D．It is supported by all the countries in Eastern and Central Europe. |
| A．Objectors. | B．Advocates. | C．Competitors. | D．Representatives. |
| A．Because nuclear waste is harmful to people. |
| B．Because nuclear energy is not sustainable energy. |
| C．Because the proposal will distract from other goals. |
| D．Because it is expensive to build nuclear power plants. |
| A．The transition from wind and sun power. |
| B．The advances in the technology of storing power. |
| C．The debate over a proposal on renewable energy. |
| D．The regulations of the European commission. |
6 . This is the incredible moment: a crafty penguin escaped a group of hungry killer whales by LEAPING into a Zodiac boat (橡皮艇) full of tourists—to joyful applause.
The witty creature was caught on camera repeatedly jumping out of the water in a dramatic chase that circled the tour boat before it managed to flung itself aboard and stood proudly surrounded by the beaming holidaymakers.
Travel blogger Matt Karsten and his wife Anna were taking a tour through icebergs in the Gerlache Strait, Antarctica, when a large group of orcas (虎鲸) swam up to their Zodiac boat.
The apex predators (顶级掠食者) spotted a Gentoo penguin swimming nearby and, sensing a quick snack, gave chase after the lonely bird, darting between the tourist boats as their would-be-victim tried to give them the slip.
Heart-stopping footage shows the penguin repeatedly jumping out of the icy water with the killer whales in close pursuit as the hunt does loops around the boats.
Suddenly the penguin makes a bid to get into one of the boats but lands just short and instead bounces off the side of the vessel and back into the sea.
Mere seconds later, the penguin successfully makes it over the rim of the boat and is helped aboard by the tourists—to cheers from the crowd.
Matt, 40, said: “It was crazy to see in person. It was like watching a National Geographic episode on location. I imagine the penguin was very relieved to get away.”
“The orcas did follow the Zodiac boat for a while. They did give up in the end leaving the penguin safe with his new friends.”
“After cruising for a little bit, the penguin said goodbye to the boat and hopped back into the icy water.”
1. Which of the following can best describe this penguin?| A．Cute and kind. | B．Lovely and friendly. |
| C．Clever and brave. | D．Aggressive and fierce. |
| A．The orcas. | B．The boat. | C．The tourists. | D．The penguin. |
| A．Killer whales are a group of fierce animals. |
| B．Human beings should live in harmony with animals. |
| C．Penguins are always playing chasing games with humans. |
| D．Matt was impressed with the penguin’s incredible survival. |
| A．A Penguin and Killer Whales. |
| B．A National Geographic Episode. |
| C．Penguin Jumps into Boat to Escape Killer Whales. |
| D．A Game between Penguin and Tourists on a Boat. |
7 . One day, Ruslan was fishing with his friends when they noticed something wrong. A mother bear was swimming confidently toward an island but her cubs (幼熊) were
As the mother bear
When the cubs closed up aside the boat and tended to
Though the mother never
| A．struggling | B．playing | C．jumping | D．flying |
| A．firmly | B．hardly | C．almost | D．always |
| A．forgot | B．stopped | C．began | D．continued |
| A．face | B．front | C．fear | D．place |
| A．following | B．attacking | C．helping | D．watching |
| A．move | B．cry | C．answer | D．change |
| A．walk | B．run | C．climb | D．rush |
| A．Strangely | B．Usually | C．Particularly | D．Immediately |
| A．boat | B．net | C．water | D．forest |
| A．disappointed | B．worried | C．angry | D．sad |
| A．satisfied | B．excited | C．tired | D．surprised |
| A．returned | B．asked | C．hoped | D．refused |
| A．slowly | B．proudly | C．carefully | D．curiously |
| A．secretly | B．suddenly | C．quietly | D．widely |
| A．turn | B．risk | C．rest | D．look |
1. What kind of plant can you start with according to the speaker?
| A．Something big. | B．Something easy. | C．Something safe. |
| A．At least six hours. | B．About five hours. | C．Less than four hours. |
| A．To keep it safe from thieves. |
| B．To keep it safe from hungry animals. |
| C．To prevent kids from entering. |
| A．A radio program. | B．A newspaper. | C．A scientific research. |
World leaders at the 5th meeting of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) agreed that by 2024, they would create and sign a new treaty on plastics. The new treaty would create international laws
Because plastic is useful for so many purposes, it has become a part of nearly all areas of our lives. It’s hard to look anywhere without finding dozens of
The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) reports that
Plastic gives off dangerous gases when it’s made and also when it’s burned or buried in the ground. Scientists say plastics are responsible
Plastic doesn’t “decompose (腐烂)” like natural materials. Instead, it just breaks into smaller and smaller pieces. And as the plastics
Microplastics are so tiny that
10 . In a paper published in Nature Communications, a team led by scientists from the University of California, using climate models and satellite data, reveal for the first time how protecting tropical forests can yield climate benefits that enhance carbon storage in nearby areas.
Many climate scientists use computer simulations (模拟) to mimic the planet's climate as it exists today and how it may exist in the future as humanity keeps emitting greenhouse gases. Such models rely on accurate measurements of all the moving parts of the climate system, from how much sunlight hits and warms the climate, to the response of forest biomass (生物量) to changes in temperature, rainfall and atmospheric carbon dioxide levels.
Jim Randerson, UCI professor of Earth system science, said, “This paper shows that avoiding deforestation yields carbon benefits in nearby regions as a consequence of climate feedbacks.”
He explained that for a new patch of deforestation in the Amazon, the regional climate changes that happen as a result led to an additional 5.1 percent more loss of total biomass in the entire Amazon basin. In the Congo, the additional biomass loss from the climate effects of deforestation is about 3.8 percent. Tropical forests store about 200 petagrams of carbon in their aboveground biomass. Since 2010, deforestation has been removing about 1 petagram of that carbon every year. (One petagram is equal to 1 trillion kilograms.)
Until now, climate modelers have, for lack of data, not considered tree mortality (死亡率) in their climate simulations. But by combining satellite data with climate variables, they obtained information about how sensitive carbon stored in vegetation is to climatic changes that result from tree mortality and fire.
1. What determines the results of the models?| A．Accuracy of computer simulators. |
| B．Precise calculations by researchers. |
| C．Precise measurement of the climate system. |
| D．Accurate measurement of global temperature. |
| A．By simulating climate changes. | B．By giving warnings. |
| C．By analyzing reasons. | D．By listing figures. |
| A．Because it is of little value. |
| B．Because of data shortage. |
| C．Because of lack of enough trees. |
| D．Because it is up to his expectation. |
| A．Protecting Tropical Trees Is Beneficial To Humans |
| B．Tropical Trees Are Experiencing Severe Damages |
| C．Computer Simulations Can Predict Climate Change |
| D．Protecting Tropical Trees Makes For Carbon Storage |
