1 . When the explorers first set foot upon the continent of North America, the skies and lands were alive with an astonishing variety of wildlife. Native Americans had taken care of these precious natural resources wisely. Unfortunately, it took the explorers and the settlers who followed only a few decades to decimate a large part of these resources. Millions of waterfowl (水禽) were killed at the hands of market hunters and a handful of overly ambitious sportsmen. Millions of acres of wetlands were dried to feed and house the ever-increasing populations, greatly reducing waterfowl habitat.
In 1934, with the passage of the Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act (Act), an increasingly concerned nation took firm action to stop the destruction of migratory (迁徙的) waterfowl and the wetlands so vital to their survival. Under this Act, all waterfowl hunters 16 years of age and over must annually purchase and carry a Federal Duck Stamp. The very first Federal Duck Stamp was designed by J.N. “Ding” Darling, a political cartoonist from Des Moines, Iowa, who at that time was appointed by President Franklin Roosevelt as Director of the Bureau of Biological Survey. Hunters willingly pay the stamp price to ensure the survival of our natural resources.
About 98 cents of every duck stamp dollar goes directly into the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund to purchase wetlands and wildlife habitat for inclusion into the National Wildlife Refuge System—a fact that ensures this land will be protected and available for all generations to come. Since 1934, better than half a billion dollars has gone into that Fund to purchase more than 5 million acres of habitat. Little wonder the Federal Duck Stamp Program has been called one of the most successful conservation programs ever initiated.
1. What was a cause of the waterfowl population decline in North America?| A．Loss of wetlands. | B．Popularity of water sports. |
| C．Pollution of rivers. | D．Arrival of other wild animals. |
| A．Acquire. | B．Export. |
| C．Destroy. | D．Distribute. |
| A．The stamp price has gone down. |
| B．The migratory birds have flown away. |
| C．The hunters have stopped hunting. |
| D．The government has collected money. |
| A．Negative. | B．Positive. |
| C．Indifferent. | D．Unknown. |
2 . Many of the most striking beasts on the planet come in only two colors: black and white. These high-contrast markings represent some of the nature's most diverse evolutionary choices. For some animals, black -and- white coloring is a way to warn off natural enemies. For others, to keep insects away. For still others, it creates a clever cover. Spend some time exploring what science has discovered about these animals’ appearances, and you will see that basic black and white isn't so basic after all.
Skunk(臭鼬)
Depending on the species, black skunks may wear white spots that act as a cover or white stripes that signal enemies to watch out for their smelly spray.
Giant Panda
Recent insights into panda coloring have come from studying each body part separately. Black ears indicate fierceness, and distinct eye patches aid in individual recognition. The panda in white body hides it against snow, while its dark limbs keep it from being spotted in forests, a compromise developed from its poor bamboo diet: Bamboo doesn’t let pandas build up enough fat to hibernate, forcing them to spend winters in the snow.
Badger
Even when a badger is in its cave, its facial stripes can be seen, Zoologists say the warning coloration helps the small animal prevent natural enemies.
Blackbuck(male)
In bright sun, the buck’s white stomach reduces the effect of the shadow cast by his back, allowing him to appear one color and two dimensional—especially hiding from natural enemies in his own shadow.
1. Which animals can use their color to warn off natural enemies?| A．Skunk and Badger. | B．Giant panda and Zebra. |
| C．Badger and Blackbuck. | D．Zebra and Blackbuck. |
| A．show fierceness | B．store fat | C．recognize individuals | D．take cover |
| A．Social Life. | B．Nutritious Diets. | C．Animal Facts. | D．Fashion Trend. |
3 . My husband and I just spent a week in Paris. Our aim was to see if we could live, in some way, like real Parisians. So the first thing we did was
The place wasn’t
Parisians are different from you and me. They never look lazy or untidy. As someone once
In France,
| A．rent | B．purchase | C．let | D．visit |
| A．shape | B．length | C．price | D．size |
| A．slightly | B．entirely | C．absolutely | D．extremely |
| A．regular | B．popular | C．normal | D．famed |
| A．wooden | B．huge | C．comfortable | D．strange |
| A．community | B．neighborhood | C．apartment | D．building |
| A．thought | B．noted | C．discussed | D．debated |
| A．confidence | B．weight | C．reputation | D．trouble |
| A．explode | B．settle | C．jog | D．expand |
| A．pack up | B．pass on | C．pick up | D．deal with |
| A．quality | B．style | C．choice | D．location |
| A．disturbed | B．surrounded | C．interrupted | D．crowded |
| A．rest | B．work | C．relax | D．leave |
| A．struck | B．ruined | C．expected | D．appreciated |
| A．increasing | B．adding | C．limiting | D．reducing |
4 . Evidence of a worm-like creature about the size of a grain of rice has been uncovered in South Australia, and researchers believe it is the oldest ancestor on the family tree that includes humans and most animals. The creature lived about 535 million years ago. It is considered to be an evolutionary step forward for early life on Earth.
Researchers have been trying to find evidence of the common ancestor of most animals. Developing its body structure and organization successfully allowed life to move in specific, purposeful directions. This includes everything from worms and dinosaurs to amphibians(两栖动物) and humans. But for our common ancestor, they knew that fossils(化石) of the tiny , simple creatures they imagined would be nearly impossible to find because of its size and soft body. Then, they turned to fossilized burrows, dated to the Ediacaran Period, found in South Australia.
For 15 years, scientists knew the burrows were created by the creature. There was no evidence of what made the burrows and lived in them until researchers decided to take a closer look at the burrows. Geology professor Mary Droser spotted impressions shaped like ovals near the burrows.
A 3-D laser scan revealed the impressions containing evidence of a body shaped and sized like a rice grain, with a noticeable head and tail which suggested it had muscles. The muscles would have enabled the creature to move and create the burrows, like the way a worm moves. And the size of the creature matched with the size of the burrows they found.
The researchers involved in the study named the creature Ikaria wariootia. The first name translates as “meeting place” in the Adnyamathanha language. Adnyamathanha is the name of Australian people that live in the area where the fossil was found.
1. What does the underlined word “It” mean in the first paragraph?| A．A worm-like creature. |
| B．A grain of rice. |
| C．A family tree. |
| D．An evolutionary step. |
| A．They developed the creature in the expected way. |
| B．They studied a large number of worms and dinosaurs. |
| C．They observed the burrows close up. |
| D．They went back to the Ediacaran Period some years ago. |
| A．A 3-D laser scan. | B．The impressions. |
| C．Some good ovals. | D．More burrows. |
| A．The researchers worked very hard in the burrow. |
| B．The worm-like creature may be animals' ancestor. |
| C．It is very difficult to name a new kind of creature. |
| D．Australian people like fossils of many creatures. |
5 . When you walk on a sandy beach, it takes more energy than striding down a sidewalk — because the weight of your body pushes into the sand. Turns out, the same thing is true for vehicles driving on roads. The weight of the vehicles creates a very shallow indentation (凹陷) in the pavement (路面) — and it makes it such that it’s continuously driving up a very shallow hill.
Jeremy Gregory, a sustainability scientist at M.I.T. and his team modeled how much energy could be saved — and green-house gases avoided — by simply stiffening (硬化) the nation’s roads and highways. And they found that stiffening 10 percent of the nation’s roads every year could prevent 440 megatons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions over the next five decades — enough to offset half a percent of projected transportation sector emissions over that time period. To put those emissions savings into context — that amount is equivalent to how much CO2 you’d spare the planet by keeping a billion barrels of oil in the ground — or by growing seven billion trees — for a decade.
The results are in the Transportation Research Record.
As for how to stiffen roads? Gregory says you could mix small amounts of synthetic fibers or carbon nanotubes into paving materials. Or you could pave with cement-based concrete, which is stiffer than asphalt (沥青).
This system could also be a way to shave carbon emissions without some of the usual hurdles. Usually, when it comes to reducing emissions in the transportation sector, you’re talking about changing policies related to vehicles and also driver behavior, which involves millions and millions of people — as opposed to changing the way we design and maintain our pavements. That’s just on the order of thousands of people who are working in transportation agencies. And when it comes to retrofitting (翻新) our streets and highways — those agencies are where the rubber meets the road.
1. Why does the author mention “walk on a sandy beach” in paragraph 1?| A．To present a fact. | B．To make a contrast. |
| C．To explain a rule. | D．To share an experience. |
| A．Hardening the road. | B．Keeping oil in the ground. |
| C．Growing trees for decades. | D．Improving the transportation. |
| A．Gaining more support. | B．Consuming less money. |
| C．Involving more people. | D．Facing fewer usual obstacles. |
| A．Those agencies are likely to make more rules. |
| B．Those agencies will change some related policies. |
| C．Those agencies might put more rubber tires on the roads. |
| D．Those agencies will play a key role in making this happen. |
6 . 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 |
7 . At the World Economic Forum last month, President Trump drew claps when he announced the United States would respond to the forum's proposal to plant one trillion(万亿) trees to fight climate change. The trillion-tree idea won wide attention last summer after a study published in the journal Science concluded that planting so many trees was “the most effective climate change solution to date”.
If only it were true. But it isn't. Planting trees would slow down the planet's warming, but the only thing that will save us and future generations from paying a huge price in dollars, lives and damage to nature is rapid and considerable reductions in carbon release from fossil fuels, to net zero by 2050.
Focusing on trees as the big solution to climate change is a dangerous diversion(偏离). Worse still, it takes attention away from those responsible for the carbon release that are pushing us toward disaster. For example, in the Netherlands, you can pay Shell an additional 1 euro cent for each liter of regular gasoline you put in your tank, to plant trees to balance the carbon release from your driving. That's clearly no more than disaster slightly delayed. The only way to stop this planet from overheating is through political, economic, technological and social solutions that end the use of fossil fuels.
There is no way that planting trees, even across a global area the size of the United States, can absorb the huge amounts of fossil carbon released from industrial societies. Trees do take up carbon from the atmosphere as they grow. But this uptake merely replaces carbon lost when forests were cleared in the first place, usually long ago. Regrowing forests where they once grew can undo some damage done in the past, but even a trillion trees can't store enough carbon to head off dramatic climate changes this century.
In a sharp counter argument to last summer's Paper in Science, Justin Gillis wrote in the same journal in October that the study's findings were inconsistent with the dynamics of the global carbon cycle. He warned that “the claim that global tree restoration(复原) is our most effective climate solution is simply scientifically incorrect and dangerously misleading”.
1. What do we know about the trillion-tree idea?| A．It was published in a journal. |
| B．It was proposed last summer. |
| C．It was put forward by Trump. |
| D．It drew lots of public attention. |
| A．A drawback of the tree planting strategy. |
| B．An example of balancing carbon release. |
| C．An anecdote of making a purchase at Shell. |
| D．A responsibility for politicians and economists. |
| A．Indifferent. | B．Opposed. |
| C．Hesitant. | D．Supportive. |
| A．Contradictory Ideas on Tree Planting. |
| B．A Trillion Trees Come to the Rescue. |
| C．Planting Trees Won't Save the World. |
| D．The Best Solution to Climate Change. |
China’s Liangzhu Archaeological Site
The site,
The World Heritage Committee added Liangzhu to the UNESCO list
9 . As humanity has got richer, animal’s roles have changed. People need their services less than before. Fewer wolves and thieves meant less demand for dogs for protection; the internal combustion engine（内燃机）made horses unneeded; modern sanitation（卫生设备）kept rats in check and made cats less useful. No longer necessities, domestic animals became luxuries. Pet-keeping seems to kick in when household incomes rise above roughly $5,000. It is booming.
The trend is not a new one. Archaeologists（考古学家）have found 10,000-year-old graves in which dogs and people are buried together. Some cultures -- such as in Scandinavia, where dogs have long been both working dogs and companions -- have kept pets for thousands of years. But these days the pet-keeping urge has spread even to parts of the world which have no tradition of sinking into a comfortable chair with a furry creature.
The pet business is growing even faster than pet numbers, because people are spending more and more money on them. No longer are they food - waste - recyclers, fed with the remains that fall from their masters’ tables. Pet - food shelves are full of delicacies crafted to satisfy a range of appetites, including ice cream for dogs and foods for pets that are old, diabetic or suffer from sensitive digestion; a number of internet services offer food, tailored to the pet’s individual tastes.
In the business this is called “pet humanisation” -- the tendency of pet owners to treat their pets as part of the family. This is evident in the names given to dogs, which have evolved from Fido, Rex and Spot to -- in America -- Bella, Lucy and Max. It is evident in the growing market for pet clothing, pet grooming and pet hotels.
People still assume that pets must be working for humanity in some way, perhaps making people healthier or less anxious. But the evidence for that is weak. Rather, new research suggests that dogs have evolved those irresistible “puppy - dog eyes” precisely to affect human emotions. It has worked. The species that once enslaved others now works very hard to pay for the care of its pets. Sentimental（多愁善感的）Americans often refer to themselves not as cat-owners but as the cat’s “mommy” or “daddy”. South Koreans go one further, describing themselves as cat “butlers”. Watch an unlucky dog-walker trailing “his” hound（猎犬）, plastic bag in hand to pick up its mess, and you have to wonder: who’s in charge now?
1. Which of the following trends is NOT TRUE according to the passage?| A．People’s needs for animal services are decreasing. |
| B．Both the pet number and the pet business are growing. |
| C．Pets are increasingly making their owners less anxious. |
| D．Pet foods are more various and customized than before. |
| A．The names given to pets in American families nowadays. |
| B．Pet’s inbuilt ability to affect emotions of their owners. |
| C．Human beings ever rising urge for pet-keeping. |
| D．Pet’s roles as both working staff and companions. |
| A．Pets should be treated as equals of their human masters. |
| B．Human beings are getting much benefit from their pets. |
| C．Pet-keeping is still restricted within certain parts of the world. |
| D．Some pet owners spend too much money on their pets. |
| A．The Changing Roles of Animals | B．The Urge for Pet-keeping |
| C．Who Owns Whom | D．Love Me, Love My Dog |
When I was in the middle school, I founded a student club
Since then, we’re worked together
Such is Joy,
