1 . Honeybees can’t swim, and when their wings are wet, they can’t fly, either. But Chris Roh and other researchers at the California Institute of Technology found that when bees drop into bodies of water, they can use their wings to produce little waves and slide toward land-like surfers who create and then ride their own waves.
As with many scientific advances-Isaac Newton’s apple or Benjamin Franklin’s lightning bolt-Dr. Roh’s experiment began with a walk. Passing Caltech’s Millikan Pond in 2016, he observed a bee on the water’s surface producing waves. He wondered how an insect known for flight could push itself through water.
Dr. Roh and his co-worker, Morteza Gharib, used butterfly nets to collect local Pasadena honeybees and observed their surf-like movements. The researchers used a wire to restrict each bee’s bodily movement, allowing close examination of their wings. They found that the bee bends its wings at a 30-degree angle, pulling up water and producing a forward force. Bees get trapped on the surface because water is roughly three times heavier than air. But that weight helps to push the bee forward when its wings move quickly up and down. It’s a tough exercise for the bees, which the researchers guess could handle about 10 minutes of the activity.
The researchers said the surf-like movement hasn’t been documented in other insects and most semiaquatic insects use their legs for propulsion, which is known as water-walking. It may have evolved in bees, they-predicted.
Dr. Roh and Dr. Gharib have imagined many practical applications for bees’ surfing. One plan is to use their observations to design robots able to travel across sky and sea. “This could be useful for search and rescues, or for getting samples of the surface of the ocean, if you can’t send a boat or helicopter,” Dr. Gharib said.
1. What does the author intend to show by mentioning Newton and Franklin?| A．Roh’s admiration for them. | B．Roh’s chance discovery about bees. |
| C．Their outstanding talent for science. | D．Their similar achievements in discovery. |
| A．The air weight. | B．Its leg extension. |
| C．The water movement. | D．Its continuous wingbeat. |
| A．Fast flight | B．Driving force. | C．Pulling speed. | D．Explosive power. |
| A．Honeybees can surf to safety. | B．Bees help scientists make inventions. |
| C．Insects can adapt to the environment. | D．Nature is a helpful guide for discovery. |
With the rapid extinction of many wild species, more and more people come to realize the great importance of wildlife protection.
We have to understand the problem in
It is necessary for us to protect wildlife
3 . A shocking 53.6 million tons of electronic waste were discarded（丢弃）last year, a new UN-backed report has revealed. The report shows that e-waste is up 21%from five years ago. This isn't surprising, considering how many more people are adopting new technology and updating devices regularly to have the latest versions, but the report also shows that national collection and recycling strategies are nowhere close to matching consumption rates.
E-waste contains materials including copper（铜）, iron, gold and silver, which the report gives a conservative value of $ 57 billion. But most are thrown away or burned rather than being collected for recycling. Precious metals in waste are estimated to be worth $ 14 billion, but only $4 billion-worth is recovered at the moment.
While the number of countries with national e-waste policies has grown from 61 to 78 since 2014, there is little encouragement to obey and a mere 17% of collected items are recycled. If recycling does occur, it's often under dangerous conditions, such as burning circuit boards to recover copper, which "releases highly poisonous metals" and harms the health of workers.
The report found that Asia has the highest amounts of waste overall, producing 24.9 million metric tons (MMT), followed by Europe at 12 MMT, Africa at 2.9 MMT, and Oceania at 0.7 MMT.
But whose responsibility is it? Are governments in charge of setting up collection and recycling points, or should companies be responsible for recycling the goods they produce? It goes both ways. Companies do need to be held accountable by government regulations and have incentives to design products that are easily repaired. At the same time, governments need to make it easy for citizens to access collection points and deal with their broken electronics in a convenient way. Otherwise, they may turn to the easiest option-the landfill.
1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?| A．What e-waste refers to. |
| B．Where e-waste is collected. |
| C．Why e-waste is increasing rapidly. |
| D．How many kinds e-waste includes. |
| A．The functions of policies. |
| B．The great damage to environment. |
| C．The change of consumption rates. |
| D．The urgency of recovering e-waste. |
| A．It does harm to the workers' health. |
| B．It lacks national policy support. |
| C．It hardly makes profits. |
| D．It takes too much time. |
| A．New technology should be used to update old devices. |
| B．Governments and companies should take responsibilities. |
| C．Non-poisonous metals had better be used in e-device. |
| D．Citizens must play a key role in recycling e-waste. |
4 . Some termite (白蚁) species have figured out how to enjoy the shelter of the huge complex nests that the insects build without contributing to their construction. They avoid the full anger of their builder hosts by being extremely easy-going.
Animals that live in the nests of another species without affecting them are known as inquilines. Inquiline termites are unique among termites in being unable to make their own nests. Instead, they live in the hallways built by another termite, Constrictotermes cyphergaster. Until now, it has been unclear how the two parties kept peaceful in such tight quarters because termites are typically very aggressive towards outsiders.
Helder Hugo at the University of Konstanz in Germany and his colleagues collected Constrictotermes cyphergaster’s nests in the Brazilian Cerrado and brought them into the laboratory. They then placed host and tenant (房客) termites in either open or narrow areas and used video to track and record the ways in which the two species reacted to each other.
Right from the start, the inquiline’ termites moved around less than their hosts and interacted little with them, even in the much narrower area. “Many times,” says Hugo, “when two unrelated groups are put together in a limited space—such as an experimental area—the outcome is conflict with losses from both sides.” But that didn’t happen here. Despite attacks from host termites, the tenant termites were obedient. Hosts would bite or attack the inquilines with strong chemicals, but their targets never responded in the same way, choosing to flee. Some ignored the hosts completely.
“We did not expect that they would never fight back,” says Hugo, noting that the inquilines are capable of protecting their own place with mouths. “By preventing conflict going worse, inquiline termites may considerably improve their chances of living together with their host termites peacefully.”
“Passiveness does not necessarily lead to defeat, but can be a very useful strategy, saving energy and resources,” she adds. “Nature may not always be red in tooth and claw, and aggression is not any more successful a strategy than ‘cowardice’ (儒弱).”
1. What is the feature of the inquiline termites?| A．They live in another termite species’ nests. |
| B．They are aggressive towards outsiders. |
| C．They like to build their own nests. |
| D．They are communicative tenants. |
| A．The differences between the two species. |
| B．The findings of the observation. |
| C．The living habits of termites. |
| D．The process of the research. |
| A．Aggressive. | B．Unacceptable. | C．Effective. | D．Dangerous. |
| A．The Characteristics of Termites |
| B．Passiveness Doesn’t Necessarily Lead to Defeat |
| C．The Relationship Between Host and Tenant Termites |
| D．Termites Use Cowardice to Avoid Their Hosts’ Anger |
5 . Like humans, pets need a special diet for them to grow and develop properly. Nothing can replace a fresh, healthy diet when it comes to improving health and guarding your pets away from diseases.
Byproducts (副产品) are widely criticized and often misunderstood in pet food. Organ meats such as liver and kidneys are considered disgusting to eat for humans, but this byproduct doesn’t mean it’s poor quality. It may be unpalatable for you, but they provide proteins, minerals, vitamins, and so on. So don’t avoid and try to incorporate pet food that contains byproducts.
Many brands have been providing quality diets for years that have been scientifically proven. When it comes to pet food, expensive food doesn’t always mean higher quality. You should research what you’re feeding your pet. It will be a lot better to choose a top rated cat food than a new expensive brand. Trusting and reading reviews and ratings of other pet owners may come in handy for you.
Home-cooked meal for your pet is fine, as long as you do it correctly and properly. You can consult with your veterinarian, or nutritionist to make sure that you are preparing a pet appropriate and nutritionally balanced meal. This will also help your pets avoid health problems caused by eating foods that have low amounts of vitamins and minerals. If cooking is not an easy task for you, then you can buy prepared meals from a pet kitchen. These will ensure you are feeding them a balanced meal fit for their specific nutritional needs.
Finding the right nutritional diet for your pet will come down to a balance between your trust in a brand, your beliefs, cost, and most importantly, whether your pet likes it. Speaking to your veterinarian or experts about your pet s dietary needs before selecting a diet will be beneficial.
1. What is the function of the first paragraph?| A．To imply pets are similar to human beings. |
| B．To stress pets should get more attention. |
| C．To show healthy pet food is essential. |
| D．To warn readers to take care of their pets. |
| A．You should take the brands seriously. |
| B．You shouldn’t consider saving money. |
| C．You should choose food of higher price. |
| D．You should refer to the good comments. |
| A．Nutrition-rich food. | B．Balanced Food. |
| C．Food low of minerals. | D．Raw diets. |
| A．Tips on Keeping Your Pet’s Diet Healthy |
| B．Ways of Taking Better Care of Your Pet |
| C．Tips on Ensuring Your Pet to Be Healthy |
| D．Advice From Veterinarian or Experts |
6 . The River Thames has some of the highest recorded levels of microplastics for any river in the world.
Scientists have estimated that 94,000 microplastics per second flow down the river in places. The quantity is larger than that measured in other European rivers, such as the Danube and Rhine. Tiny bits of plastic have been found inside the bodies of crabs living in the Thames.
Researchers at Royal Holloway, University of London, are calling for stricter regulations on the labelling and disposal of plastic products. They warn that careless disposal of plastic gloves and masks during the coronavirus pandemic might make the problem of plastic pollution worse.
“Taken together, these studies show how many different types of plastic, from microplastics in the water through to larger items of debris physically altering the foreshore, can potentially affect a wide range of organisms in the River Thames,” said Prof Dave Morritt from Royal Holloway, “The increased use of single- use plastic items, and the inappropriate disposal of such items, including masks and gloves, along with plastic- containing cleaning products, during the current COVID-19 pandemic, may well make this problem even worse.”
Many forms of microplastics were found in the Thames, including glitter, microbeads from cosmetics and plastic debris from larger items. Most of the microplastics came from the break-down of large plastics, with food packaging thought to be a significant source. “Flushable” wet wipes were found in high abundance on the shoreline forming “wet wipe reefs”.
Study researcher, Katherine McCoy, said, “Our study shows that stricter regulations are needed for the labelling and disposal of these products. There is great range to further research the impacts of microplastics and indeed microfibres on Thames organisms.”
1. What did the researchers mainly suggest?| A．Stricter regulations should be made. | B．People shouldn't eat crabs for a while. |
| C．People should cut the use of plastic gloves | D．Plastic masks shouldn't be thrown away carelessly. |
| A．Wet wipes. | B．Food packaging. |
| C．Cleaning products. | D．Single-use plastic masks. |
| A．Wildlife Being Threatened by Microplastics. | B．Forms of Microplastics Found in the Thames. |
| C．River Thames Severely Polluted with Plastic. | D．Inappropriate Disposal of Single-use Plastics. |
| A．Science. | B．Environment. | C．Health. | D．Education. |
7 . On a farm in England, Gavin and Alice Munro are taking sustainability to the next level: they harvest trees which they grow into chairs.
The couple have a furniture（家具）farm in Derbyshire where they are growing 250 chairs, 100 lamps and 550 tables. It is their answer to what they see as the inefficient（无效率的）process of cutting down mature trees to create furniture.
"Instead of force-growing a tree for 50 years and then cutting it down and making it into smaller and smaller bits…the idea is to grow the tree into the shape that you want directly. It’s like a kind of 3D printing, "said Gavin.
Part of the inspiration for the idea came when Gavin was a young boy. He spotted an overgrown bonsai tree（盆栽） which looked like chair.
The 44-year-old began experimenting in 2006. In 2012, Gavin and Alice set up the company Full Grown. Within several years, the couple developed the most effective way to shape a tree without limiting its growth. They guided shoots（嫩枝）already heading in the right direction, rather than force them the wrong way against their natural growth.
The average chair takes six to nine years to grow-and another year to dry out. The labor and time involved in producing the organic pieces means they do not come cheap. Chairs sell for ￡10,000 each, lamps for ￡900 to ￡2,300 and tables for ￡2,500 to ￡12,500.
1. How could the couple grow trees into a shape they needed?| A．They used 3D printing. |
| B．They limited their growth. |
| C．They forced trees into different shapes. |
| D．They guided their shoots in the right direction. |
| A．When he was a child. | B．When they got married. |
| C．When they bought the farm. | D．When they began experimenting in 2006. |
| A．Big and eco-friendly. | B．Natural but expensive. |
| C．Hand-made and creative. | D．Traditional but organic. |
| A．A Couple Grow Furniture | B．Expensive Grown Chairs |
| C．It’s A Good Try Of Sustainability | D．Grown Trees Gain Popularity |
8 . The twilight zone (朦胧地带) contains the largest and least explored fish stocks (储备) of the world’s oceans. Ranging from just below 200 metres to 1,000 metres deep, it is an interface between the well-studied sea life in the sunlit zone above and the ecosystems of the darkest territory below. It has a major role in removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing it for centuries or longer. The twilight zone is also known to the largest migration on Earth. Huge numbers of fishes and zooplankton (浮游动物) move hundreds of metres towards the surface each night to feed, before withdrawing back down at dawn.
Yet the zone is poorly understood — physically, biogeochemically and ecologically. Even the number of organisms that live there remains a mystery, let alone their diversity and function.
It is alarming, then, that this vast ocean domain is at risk in three ways-even before any of the potential consequences are understood. First, the world’s growing population has an increasing need for food. Second, sea-floor mining for minerals and metals could release waste into the region. And third, climate change is varying temperature, acidification and oxygen levels in ways that are likely to affect life there.
The twilight zone is hard Io study. Its organisms are difficult to sample and analyse, being thinly distributed, almost invisible and often fragile. They also live at pressures of up to 100 atmospheres, which poses problems for laboratory-based investigations.
Critics might argue that walers near coasts and above shelves are more deserving of study, given the huge environmental pressures there, as well as their importance to societies. And, of course, they need attention. Sadly, however, it is too late to avoid widespread environmental damage to these inshore regions. Instead, research efforts and local policies must aim at minimizing the worst effects.
By contrast, the twilight zone is almost left in its original condition. Moreover, the majority of it lies beyond national administration. This makes it of common interest and responsibility, and means that global agreement is necessary to manage it.
1. What can we learn about the twilight zone?| A．It has the least fish stocks. |
| B．It reduces atmosphere’s carbon dioxide. |
| C．It lies at the bottom of sea. |
| D．Il is located above the sunlit zone. |
| A．Where global warming leads us. |
| B．Why high food consumption arises. |
| C．How the twilight zone is threatened. |
| D．What impacts pollution has on ocean. |
| A．The twilight zone. | B．The inshore area. |
| C．Its original condition. | D．National administration. |
| A．International cooperation is essential. |
| B．Inshore regions deserve more attention. |
| C．Global agreement has been reached. |
| D．Study on the twilight zone is out of the question. |
9 . Dolphins have been known to show many human-like behavioral characteristics. These include forming complex relationships to accomplish common goals, teaching one another survival skills, and “babysitting” each other’s kids. Now, some researchers at Largo, Florida have discovered another thing the intelligent animals share with humans — a love for the television!
For their research, Kelly A. Winship and Holli C, Eskelinen observed 11 bottlenose and five rough-toothed dolphins. The animals were treated to two TV shows — Planet Earth and the popular kids’ series, SpongeBob SquarePants. The researchers say the dolphins did not seem to care what was being played. They were equally attracted by both — the realistic imagery of Planet Earth and the cartoon in SpongeBob SquarePants.
Interestingly, however, the male dolphins spent more time staring at the screen than the females. They also responded more strongly to the programming by either showing aggression (indicated by head moves), or interest (shown by raising their heads or pressing their foreheads against the TV), or even blowing bubbles (indicating interest or aggression). Winship and Eskelinen, who published their findings in the journal Zoo Biology, believe the display of aggression was most likely a result of the failure to physically interact with, or manipulate, the TV.
Though there is a lot more to learn about the animals’ television preferences, the scientists believe suitable programming could be used as part of enrichment programs for dolphins unfit to be released in the wild. The researchers also think monitoring their response to different kinds of shows could provide scientists with some insight into the dolphins’ thinking process.
1. What have researchers newly discovered about dolphins?| A．They somewhat behave like humans. | B．They offer help to each other |
| C．They are highly intelligent. | D．They enjoy watching TV shows. |
| A．The time of body moments. | B．Program preferences. |
| C．The strength of response. | D．Interacting methods. |
| A．Have control over. | B．React to. | C．Catch sight of. | D．Turn on. |
| A．Learning about their TV preference. | B．Enriching their life in the wild. |
| C．Monitoring their daily behaviors. | D．Studying how they think. |
10 . When Simon Cane was in the second grade, he began learning about all the ways humans have an impact on the environment and really took those classroom lessons to heart in a way that set him apart from his schoolmates at his elementary school, P. S. 81, in the Bronx. “He told me we drove too much and made too much pollution,” his dad, Jonathan Cane, told Runner’s World. So Simon convinced his parents to start hanging their clothes to dry, taking the stairs instead of elevators, and other “green” measures.
“For much of kindergarten and first grade I rode my bike to Simon’s school with him on the back,” Jonathan said. “We had a lot of fun being outdoors. We’d stop to give our dog treats and generally enjoyed it.” As Simon got bigger, though, it wasn’t practical for him to ride on his father’s back, but it also didn’t make sense to ride together — both because of safety concerns and because there was no place to put away Simon’s bike. So, most of the time they drove the 1. 5 miles to school.
But in 2019, when Simon was going into third grade, the 8-year-old came up with a new way to help the planet: running the 1. 5 miles to P. S. 81. And Jonathan promised his son he’d join him for as long as he wanted.
“We did a test run one day in August, and decided to give it a go. To be honest, I thought he’d blink (眨眼)after it got really cold or rainy, but he never did,” Jonathan said. He recalled one day when the weather was particularly bad. “It’s really raining out there today,” he told Simon. “And Simon said, ‘Well then we’re going to get wet!’ He took pride in toughing it out, and it became a really fun family routine.”
Since the start, Simon has run with his dad and their black dog, Lola, and has even inspired his mom, Nicole Sin Quee, to join in. They soon became known as “the family that runs to school”.
1. What makes Simon different from his classmates?| A．Washing his clothes by himself. | B．Taking many classes after school. |
| C．Raising strange questions in class. | D．Taking green measures to protect the environment. |
| A．By car. | B．By cycling. | C．By running. | D．By school bus. |
| A．Simon has trouble with his eyesight. | B．Simon is really stubborn and inflexible. |
| C．Simon is much tougher than expected. | D．Simon didn’t get support from his father. |
| A．The Best Way to Go to School |
| B．Father and Son Run for the Environment |
| C．A Teenager Keeps Running to Inspire Father |
| D．Three Inspiring Running Athletes to Protect the Environment |
