1 . Biologists Slagsvold and Wiebe have spent years studying tits, flycatchers, and other birds that lay their eggs into holes in trees, walls and even human-made boxes. “Holes are rare, so there’s great competition,” Wiebe said. Birds will sometimes get into fights. Even after a bird gets a hole, it has to watch out: There’s always a chance that a passerby tries to possess it. Owners don’t have many options to wait for and stop thieves. Some police their nest’s entrance hole, but preparing for parenthood is hungry work, and eventually the birds have to leave to get food. So Slagsvold and Wiebe started to look for alternative home-defense systems the birds might be using.
They noticed feathers, usually helping animals keep warm, but that doesn’t seem to be how these particular birds are using them. Blue tits, for instance, get feathers on top of the nest, rather than putting them in. Some other birds dump feathers into holes before gathering other materials. “They’re white, and often noticeable,” Wiebe said, “as if the birds want to send a message.”
To find out, they built nest boxes — some feathery, some not — in Europe and America, and recorded how tits, flycatchers and swallows reacted. The birds entered feather-free boxes quickly. But they froze at the sight of white feathers, sometimes hesitating outside for an hour. Black feathers scared them less, perhaps because they were harder to see. The feathers didn’t stop the birds as most eventually went inside. But even a brief delay can make a huge difference, Wiebe said. “Even 20 minutes can give the owner enough time to circle back, and fight off their competitors.”
The birds’ behavior shows their high-risk lifestyle. They have to think twice as the holes may be hiding danger. The feathers represent possible violence, showing a predator might be inside.
The experiment reflects the lies animals tell where nest sites are rare. They build a scene so horrible to discourage nest stealers. Birds are terrified of death. And they can exploit that reality to safeguard what’s theirs.
1. What inspired Slagsvold and Wiebe to seek birds’ other possible ways to protect homes?| A．Birds have to fight to get the limited holes. | B．Birds get tired from watching out in nests. |
| C．Birds face many nest stealers on their own. | D．Birds leave their nests unattended sometimes. |
| A．To show a friendly welcome. | B．To help stealers avoid danger. |
| C．To buy time for the nest owners. | D．To confirm this place is occupied. |
| A．Understandable. | B．Confusing. | C．Possible. | D．Worrying. |
| A．Some birds refuse to build their nests | B．It’s important for birds to have feathers |
| C．High risks of life lead birds to turn to lies | D．Birds create a false scene to protect their nests |
2 . A new kind of hybrid wheat now available to American farmers may help reduce fears over genetically engineered crops. The new hybrid wheat is being introduced as seed companies worldwide seek to increase production because of reducing grain supplies. The hybrid wheat was developed by a Chinese-owned agriculture company. The product was created without genetic engineering. The first seeds to grow the wheat will be released on 2, 000 to 2, 800 hectares of American farmland next year, according to Reuters reports.
Developers or breeders create hybrid wheat by taking away the natural ability of plants to pollinate (授粉) themselves. Instead, female wheat plants in a field are pollinated by male plants of a different line. The goal of the process is to create seeds that can produce bigger crops and better resist harmful environments. The fertilized female plants produce a new kind of hybrid. Using this hybrid technology permits breeders to choose the best elements from two parent seeds to produce new seeds containing the best characteristics of both.
Producers say when seed companies produce hybrid wheat seeds, some female plants often fail to become fertilized because they depend on unpredictable winds to carry pollen (花粉). Pollen is a substance produced by plants when they reproduce. During some seasons, pollen is released into the air and carried to other plants to be fertilized. Producers say the fertilization of each plant is more certain during wheat’s natural process of self-pollination.
Researchers say the new hybrid wheat has to take long to come to market because the development process is more costly and complex. It could be important in increasing wheat yields and avoiding being linked to GMO development. GMO stands for genetically modified (改进的) organism. Genetically modified wheat has never been grown for industry purposes because of fears that allergens or poisons might be created. Wheat is used to make numerous major foods worldwide.
Dave Hankey owns a seed company in Park River, North Dakota. He told Reuters, “Because of the resistance to genetically modified stuff, the hybrid wheat would be considered better and safer.” He added it would certainly be the public view.
1. Which of the following leads the new hybrid wheat to be developed?| A．The existing unsafe grain. |
| B．The decreasing output of food. |
| C．The application from American farmers. |
| D．The Chinese agriculture company’s proposal. |
| A．Requiring less fertilizer. |
| B．Producing more but smaller crops. |
| C．Improving their natural ability of self-pollination. |
| D．Having better adaptability to the environment. |
| A．It is simple and fruitful. | B．It is complex but low-cost. |
| C．It is challenging but worthwhile. | D．It is temporary and limited. |
| A．Critical. | B．Tolerant. |
| C．Supportive. | D．Cautious. |
1. Where is the bearded dragon the speaker mentioned raised?
| A．In Australia. | B．In the United Kingdom. | C．In the United States. |
| A．A UV bulb. | B．Constant shade. | C．A regular light bulb. |
| A．Once a week. | B．Three times a week. | C．Three times a month. |
| A．By getting water from rivers. |
| B．By drinking the dew on plants. |
| C．By getting water from their food. |
Horses are picky eaters
Horses have an even better sense of smell than humans do. When horses raise their noses and open their nostrils (鼻孔), their nervous system allows them to sense smells we can’t sense. This might explain why they refuse dirty water and carefully move around meadows, eating only the tastiest grasses, experts say.
Whale says thanks
In 2018, a whale expert spotted a humpback whale trapped in a fishing net and spent an hour freeing it. Afterward, in an hour-long display of thanks, the whale swam near their boat and leaped into the air about 40 times.
Pandas like to be naughty
Is there anything more lovely than a baby panda, except maybe a human baby? In fact, baby pandas sometimes behave like human babies. They sleep in the same positions and value their thumbs. Pandas are shy by nature for its shy behaviors such as covering its face with a paw or ducking its head when confronted by a stranger.
A cat honors its owner
Paper towels, and a plastic cup are just a few of the gifts that Toldo, a devoted three-year-old gray-and-white cat, has placed on his former owner Iozzelli Renzo’s grave every day since the man died in September 2018. Renzo adopted Toldo from a shelter when the cat was three months old, and the two formed an inseparable bond. After Renzo passed away, Toldo followed the coffin to the cemetery, and now “stands guard” the grave for hours at a time.
1. What can horses do to pick delicious grasses?| A．Feel them. |
| B．Taste them. |
| C．Smell them. |
| D．Observe them. |
| A．They are clever. |
| B．They have a grateful heart. |
| C．They are active and lovely. |
| D．They have a good sense of smell. |
| A．The whale |
| B．The cat. |
| C．The horse. |
| D．The panda. |
5 . Antarctica is the highest, driest, and coldest place on Earth. It is also the remotest, a fact which demystifies its unspoiled environment. It is difficult for people to get there, and not a comfortable place for people to stay once they arrive.
Once completely inaccessible,
For centuries, Europeans wondered about the existence of a South-pole continent, but no one actually knew for certain Antarctica was there until 1820 when European explorers “discover” it. Since then, men have gone to Antarctica in search of adventure, testing their abilities.
| A．The cold climate is responsible for maintaining the continent’s year-round ice fields. |
| B．It is widely described as the last true wilderness on our planet. |
| C．Measures are being taken to protect Antarctica. |
| D．Yet, Antarctica’s fragile and complicated ecosystem is threatened by its human visitors. |
| E．In the icy covering are buried few precious resources, |
| F．Antarctica has more recently been playing host to adventurers seeking excitement and companies looking to exploit this wild zone for profit, |
| G．Several teams of explorers set out in 1911 to be the first men to stand at the South Pole. |
6 . On the way to his home the child turned many times and beat the dog, declaring with childish gestures that he held him in contempt as an unimportant dog. The dog apologized for being this quality of animal and expressed regret in fine form, but he continued stealthily to follow the child.
When the child reached his door-step, the dog was a few yards behind, moving slowly toward him. He became so anxious with shame when he again faced the child that he forgot the dragging rope. He tripped (绊倒) upon it and fell forward.
The child sat down on the step and the two had another interview. During it the dog greatly exerted himself to please the child. He performed a few playful jumps with such abandon (尽情地) that the child suddenly saw him to be a valuable thing. He made a swift, greedy charge (猛冲) and seized the rope.
He dragged his captive (俘虏) into a hall and up many long stairways in a dark building. The dog made willing efforts but he could not walk very skillfully up the stairs because he was very small and soft, and at last the pace of the child grew so energetic that the dog became panic-stricken. In his mind he was being dragged toward somewhere unknown. His eyes grew wild with the terror of it. He began to wiggle his head wildly and to brace his legs.
The child redoubled his efforts.They had a battle on the stairs.The child was victorious because he was completely absorbed in his purpose, and because the dog was very small. He dragged his acquirement to the door of his home, and finally with victory across the doorway.
No family member was in.The child sat down on the floor and made overtures to (向……示好) the dog. The dog instantly accepted. He smiled with affection upon his new friend. In a short time they were firm and abiding (矢志不渝的) comrades.
1. What might have happened before the first paragraph?| A．The child had wanted to own the dog for a long time. |
| B．The dog had been someone else’ s pet but lost his way. |
| C．The child had been looking for the lost dog for a long time. |
| D．The dog had been driven out of home by the child’s family. |
| A．The dog’s apology. |
| B．His first interview with the dog. |
| C．His pity on the dog. |
| D．The dog’s pleasing performance. |
| A．neglect | B．random | C．nervous | D．hard |
| A．Frightened-relieved-anxious-happy. |
| B．Worried-angry-scared-delighted. |
| C．Guilty-anxious-nervous-pleased. |
| D．Angry-regretted-scared-puzzled. |
7 . Soot (煤) pollution is speeding up climate-driven melting in Antarctica, a new study suggests, raising questions about how to protect the delicate continent from the increasing number of humans who want to visit.
“It really makes us question, is our presence really needed?” says Alia Khan, one of the authors of the new study. “We have quite a large black carbon footprint in Antarctica, which is enhancing snow and ice melt.”
Black carbon is the leftover thing from burning plants or fossil fuels. Soot in Antarctica comes primarily from waste gases of cruise ships (游轮), vehicles and airplanes, although some pollution travels on the wind from other parts of the globe. The dark particles (微粒) coat white snow and absorb heat from the sun the way a black T-shirt does on a warm day. The blanket of dark bits speeds up melting that was already happening more quickly because of global warming.
When snow and ice are uncovered, they reflect an enormous amount of sunlight before it can turn into heat. “These are the mirrors on our planet,” says Sonia Nagorski, a scientist at the University of Alaska Southeast. “When those mirrors are covered in a film of dark bits, they don’t send back that much light and heat. That means more heat is trapped on Earth, speeding up melting and contributing to global warming.”
As a scientist who personally visits Antarctica every year, Khan says she is troubled by her own research results. On the one hand, she goes to Antarctica to collect crucial data about how quickly the snow and ice there are disappearing. “But then when we come to conclusions like this it really does make us think twice about how frequently we need to visit the continent,” she says, “and what kind of regulations should be placed on tourism as well.” That could mean requiring that cruise ships and vehicles be electric, for example, or limiting the number of visitors each year.
1. What is Khan’s attitude towards human actions in Antarctica according to paragraph 2?| A．Angry and abusive. | B．Cold and uninterested. |
| C．Doubtful and anxious. | D．Admiring and delighted. |
| A．The quick melting of ice and snow. | B．The emission from virous transport. |
| C．The remaining parts of burning plants. | D．The floating gases from other continents. |
| A．The covered ice is less reflective. |
| B．The melting speed of ice is slower than before. |
| C．The dark blanket serves as a big mirror. |
| D．The sunlight gets increasingly stronger recently. |
| A．What made our planet so polluted? | B．Who is to blame for air pollution? |
| C．Can electric vehicles save tourism? | D．Are we welcome to the South Pole? |
8 . Early spring can be a tough time in the Midwest. It can
Every spring, migratory(迁徙的) birds camp out in a large pond near my house on the way to their summer
The next morning, I was shocked to see that all birds had
However, as the temperature dropped, the open water got smaller, and her movements slowed. I watched with
And then it happened: Two more ducks appeared,
This little duck wouldn’t have
| A．scare | B．move | C．surprise | D．beat |
| A．camp | B．vacations | C．courses | D．habitat |
| A．regardless of | B．in search of | C．in addition to | D．as for |
| A．dark | B．starry | C．peaceful | D．freezing |
| A．gathered | B．disappeared | C．panicked | D．fainted |
| A．energetically | B．patiently | C．calmly | D．cautiously |
| A．ice | B．house | C．snowstorm | D．water |
| A．tended | B．followed | C．watched | D．recorded |
| A．relief | B．doubt | C．anxiety | D．pleasure |
| A．rowing | B．landing | C．circling | D．feeding |
| A．increased | B．decreased | C．transformed | D．formed |
| A．spared | B．wasted | C．spent | D．lasted |
| A．still | B．open | C．clean | D．steady |
| A．motivate | B．remind | C．judge | D．refresh |
| A．presence | B．appreciation | C．attitude | D．request |
9 . A tree-planting initiative in Kenya has seen over 30,000 trees being planted. The Green Generation Initiative is a Kenyan charity that has been planting trees to counter climate change and the reduction in forest in the East African nation since 2016.
Founded by climate activist Elizabeth Wathuti when she was fifteen years old, the initiative’s primary focus is on developing young climate activists through environmental education in schools and addressing food insecurity in the region through planting fruit trees. Since its foundation, over 30,000 trees have been planted in Kenya, while thousands of school children have not just planted trees but adopted them to ensure that young people learn the importance of acting as a guardian over the health of the environment. The trees have recorded a survival rate of over 98 percent, as they remain tended to from young trees to maturity.
Speaking to world leaders at the recent United Nations Climate Conference in Glasgow (COP26), Elizabeth issued a serious warning on the threat of climate change. Over two million of Kenyans are facing climate related starvation. In 2025, half of the world’s population will be facing water shortage. The climate crisis will displace 80 million people in sub-Saharan Africa alone.
Elizabeth said, “I have been doing what I can. Inspired by the great Wangari Maathai, I founded a tree growing initiative that enhances food security for young Kenyans.” So far, they have grown 30,000 fruit trees to maturity, providing desperately needed nutrition for thousands of children. “Every day we see that when we look after the trees, they look after us. We are the adults on this Earth right now, and it is our responsibility to ensure that the children have food and water,” she added.
1. What is the initiative intended for?| A．Making policies. | B．Raising money. |
| C．Educating adults. | D．Fighting climate change. |
| A．Hunger. | B．Sickness | C．Water shortage. | D．Economic risks. |
| A．3,000 trees have been planted. |
| B．Green awareness has been raised. |
| C．80 million people have been saved. |
| D．School education has been guaranteed. |
| A．Friendly and talented. | B．Caring and responsible. |
| C．Honest and determined. | D．Ambitious and humorous. |
10 . Eradajere Oleita thinks she may have a partial solution to two of our country’s persistent problems: garbage and poverty. It’s called the Chip Bag Project. The 26-year-old student and environmentalist from Detroit is asking a favor of local snack lovers: Rather than toss your empty chip bags into the trash, donate them so she can turn them into sleeping bags for the homeless.
Chip caters drop off their empty bags from Doritos, Lay’s, and other favorites at two locations in Detroit: a print shop and a clothing store, where Oleita and her volunteer helpers collect them. After they sanitize (消毒) the chip bags in soapy hot water, they slice them open, lay them flat, and iron them together. They use padding and liners from old coats to line the insides.
It takes about four hours to sew a sleeping bag, and each takes around 150 to 300 chip bags, depending on whether they’re single-serve or family size. The result is a sleeping bag that is “waterproof, lightweight, and easy to carry around,” Oleita told the Detroit News. Since its start in 2020, the Chip Bag Project has collected more than 800,000 chip bags and, as of last December, created 110 sleeping bags.
Sure, it would be simpler to raise the money to buy new sleeping bags. But that’s only half the goal for Oleita — whose family moved to the United States from Nigeria a decade ago with the hope of attaining a better life — and her fellow volunteers. “We are devoted to making an impact not only socially, but environmentally,” she said.
And, of course, there’s the symbolism of recycling bags that would otherwise land in the trash and using them to help the homeless. It’s a powerful reminder that environmental injustice and poverty often go hand in hand. As Oleita said, “I think it’s time to show connections between all of these issues.”
1. What is the main idea of paragraph 2?| A．How they make the sleeping bags. | B．Why they sanitize the chip bags. |
| C．Where they collect the chip bags. | D．What they use to line the insides. |
| A．The new sleeping bags have many benefits. |
| B．A lot of effort is put into making the sleeping bags. |
| C．People consume a large quantity of chips every day. |
| D．People are aware of the importance of environmental protection. |
| A．They wish they could earn better life. |
| B．They think it is difficult to raise a lot of money. |
| C．They aim to help the homeless by recycling waste. |
| D．They want to find a simpler way to help the homeless. |
| A．Recycling chip bags can remove poverty. |
| B．The new sleeping bags have been put into wide use. |
| C．Few chip bags will end up in the trash in the country. |
| D．Environmental injustice and poverty are usually closely connected. |
