1 . Scientists have recently discovered the world’s largest known field of sea grass. They did it using videos shot by some extraordinary helpers. The work should help protect the sea grass, and also shows off a powerful way to explore the ocean.
As a shelter for many sea creatures, sea grasses are flowering plants that normally grow in shallow waters near coasts. They grow in thick fields, known as seagrass meadows (海草床), which help clean the ocean water. More importantly, they are called “ocean lung”. They help in the fight against the climate crisis. That’s because they store huge amounts of carbon — the major source of global warming.
Considering the urgent need to protect seagrass meadows and the challenges to spot them, scientists decided to have tiger sharks help the research.
Tiger sharks are inborn fast swimmers, and spend a lot of time in seagrass meadows. Between 2016 and 2020, the researchers attached cameras and other trackers to the fins of seven tiger sharks, and then let them go again. The cameras were designed to fall off after hours and float to the surface. Tracking signals helped find the floating cameras and collect the videos the sharks had taken while traveling for miles. Moreover, other tools were used, including satellite images, as well as images taken by divers and boats.
Putting all this information together, the scientists learned that the waters around the Bahamas are home to the largest seagrass meadow ever discovered. Different from previous studies, the program discovers how useful large underwater animals can be in helping to learn more about life under the sea. Oliver Shipley, a scientist from the team, says animals like tiger sharks are going to take us to new places that we didn’t know existed.
1. Why do seagrass meadows urgently need protection?A.Damaging them will worsen climate crisis. |
B.They determine the cleanliness of ocean water. |
C.Sea creatures can’t survive without their shelter. |
D.Their existence balances the underwater ecosystem. |
A.By tracking signals scientists sent. |
B.By bringing back cameras with videos. |
C.By carrying the recording equipment around. |
D.By spending a lot of time in seagrass meadows. |
A.Leading scientists. | B.Unusual research assistants. |
C.Multiple experimental tools. | D.Advanced theories. |
A.The Cooperation between Man and Animals |
B.The key to protecting the Sea—Tiger Sharks |
C.Sea Grass: An Undervalued Plant |
D.Ocean Lung Monitored in a New Way |
1. 专刊的意义;
2. 专刊的内容;
3. 寄予的希望。
注意:
1.写作词数应为80左右;
2. 请按如下格式在答题卷的相应位置作答。
Dear Readers,
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Warm regards,
Li Hua
Editor-in-chief
Live video provided by the plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) showed that
Under scorching heat, hundreds of Japanese from all across the country
Taeko Fujimura with Japan's National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations, also known as Zen-Noh,said the ocean discharge "cannot be forgiven" and was "
I had ordered many gifts online for the upcoming Christmas. One day,when the doorbell rang, I was sure some of the packages arrived. I opened the door,but only to find a beautiful little dog sitting on the floor. It looked up at me with her big,cute eyes. I looked around, but there was no one in sight. It was obvious that someone had found the puppy somewhere and intentionally left her outside the door.
The lovely dog was a timely Christmas gift for me,indeed. The year marked a turning point in my life. In September,my husband was offered a new job in Africa. Feeling that I had hit a career bottleneck as a photographer journalist,I decided to relocate with him. While my husband was busy with his work,I didn’t know what to do anyway. I felt isolated,homesick and lacking purpose. We lived in a house near a river that cut across an expansive grassland. With few people around,I would take my camera and wander around,photographing aimlessly every day.
So we adopted the abandoned dog. My husband called her“our little angel”and I named it accordingly. Angel seemed to be very happy with us and she turned out to be a perfect companion for me. Always by my side,she enjoyed exploring the shady bushes and mysterious tunnels all over the grassland. Encouraged by her curiosity,I decided to explore,too.
There was a deep cave near our house and I had been eager to explore it. The only way in was narrow and slippery. I had promised my husband that I wouldn’t do it unless he was around. But he was always busy. With Angel as my companion,I figured that it was time to stretch the rule a little bit.
One day, I equipped myself with a good flashlight and carefully walked down the dark cave. Suddenly, Angel,who had been following me closely,rushed ahead and disappeared into the darkness.
注意:
1. 续写词数应为150个左右;
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
A few seconds later, it brought back a little bird.
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During the recovering process, I took many photographs of the little bird.
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5 . A sheep in Scotland, known as the “loneliest sheep”, was stuck at the bottom of a cliff for over two years. A group of farmers made it their
Wilson explained that it was too
The Scottish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was present to
Wilson
A.obligation | B.ambition | C.purpose | D.mission |
A.discovered | B.witnessed | C.employed | D.followed |
A.base | B.form | C.spot | D.extent |
A.enthusiastic | B.sympathetic | C.optimistic | D.urgent |
A.accounts | B.identities | C.benefits | D.updates |
A.illegal | B.expensive | C.risky | D.complex |
A.reaching | B.finding | C.defending | D.caring |
A.identifying | B.planning | C.disguising | D.defining |
A.substance | B.material | C.equipment | D.machine |
A.frequently | B.physically | C.openly | D.safely |
A.provide | B.ensure | C.guide | D.promote |
A.condition | B.potential | C.mood | D.fashion |
A.charity | B.protection | C.rescue | D.cheering |
A.called up | B.brought in | C.broke down | D.reflected on |
A.outcome | B.scene | C.barrier | D.incident |
6 . At first glance the sea turtles look as if they were dead because they hardly move. But if you look closely enough, they show a slow glimpse of life. These turtles are all washed up in Massachusetts every December, on the windy beaches of Cape Cod Bay.
Shaver, chief of the Division of Sea Turtle Science and Recovery at Padre Island National Seashore in Texas, said, “If we don’t help save this species, we will lose a piece that enriches us. There’s a whole variety of things that can harm them: oil spills, boat strikes, red tides, and so on.” That is why all the urgent care they’re getting back up North is more important than ever.
Saving could never happen unless hundreds of pilots were willing to volunteer their time, their planes, and their fuel to rush the rescued turtles to willing rehab facilities (康复中心) all around the country.
On this particular mission, Andrews, vice president of a unique nonprofit called Turtles Fly Too, with his dad as a co-pilot, will fly more than 2,000 miles, from Boston, to Atlanta, then on to Gulfport and finally Dallas, dropping off 44 sick sea turtles along the way, in hopes that one day they’ll be well enough to be released. It is worth mentioning that the pilots that are flying these missions are pulling $1 million out of their pocket to fly these missions every year.
With good care and the help of volunteers, these turtles were finally ready to go home again. According to Andrews, “90% of the turtles that we’ve moved to the rehab facilities have ended up back in the ocean.”
“We humans have not always been kind to the sea and those that live in it. But on this day, it was humans-not me, but the hundreds of veterinarians, biologists, volunteers, and pilots—who all came together to give these critically-endangered sea turtles a second chance that they rarely got, ”Andrews added.
1. What happens to the turtles on the beaches of Cape Cod Bay?A.They are dying out. | B.They are in danger. |
C.They adapt to living onshore. | D.They are caught by humans. |
A.Thrilled. | B.Annoyed. | C.Concerned. | D.Moved. |
A.The pilots’ generous devotion. |
B.The division’s urgent care. |
C.The rehab facilities’ willingness to help. |
D.The improvement of the turtles’ habitats. |
A.It is unsatisfactory. | B.It costs too much. |
C.It is controversial. | D.It quite pays off. |
7 . Little was road testing his mountain bike outside of Columbus, when his
“He was really bony, and had a
An idea hit Little. He
“He was injured, so he wasn’t trying to
Today, Columbo is living a
A.hiking | B.riding | C.skipping | D.hunting |
A.air | B.center | C.distance | D.open |
A.burst | B.set | C.turned | D.left |
A.weak | B.broken | C.hairy | D.artificial |
A.poor | B.aggressive | C.fierce | D.stubborn |
A.finding | B.idea | C.suspicion | D.assumption |
A.punish | B.follow | C.forget | D.leave |
A.refer to | B.end up | C.die out | D.tear apart |
A.powerfully | B.desperately | C.casually | D.carefully |
A.long | B.short | C.back | D.front |
A.shoulders | B.head | C.arms | D.back |
A.fight | B.witness | C.wonder | D.remove |
A.urging | B.identifying | C.comforting | D.separating |
A.submitted | B.attached | C.accustomed | D.happened |
A.thankful to | B.cautious about | C.sympathetic to | D.keen on |
A.touched | B.annoyed | C.convinced | D.terrified |
A.keeping | B.training | C.walking | D.calming |
A.canceled | B.performed | C.scheduled | D.observed |
A.noisy | B.disturbing | C.specific | D.merry |
A.leader | B.company | C.defender | D.inspector |
8 . Humans have sailed the oceans’ surfaces for thousands of years, but their depths remain effectively uncharted. Only about a quarter of the seafloor has been mapped at high resolution (清晰度). Maps of most regions display only estimated depths and often miss entire underwater mountains or canyons (峡谷). So a group of researchers have turned to some deep-diving experts: Elephant Seals and Weddell Seals. Scientists have been placing trackers on these blubber y marine mammals around Antarctica for years, gathering data on ocean temperature and salinity (盐度).
For a new study, the researchers compared these dives’ location and depth data with some of the less detailed seafloor maps. They spotted places where the seals dove deeper than should have been possible according to the maps.
In eastern Antarctica’s Vincennes Bay, the diving seals helped the scientists find a large, hidden underwater canyon suddenly descending (下降) to depths of more than a mile. “The seals discovered the canyon, and the ship confirmed it,” says Clive McMahon, a researcher at the Integrated Marine Observing System in Australia and a co-author of the new study.
But seals can’t map the entire ocean floor. The trackers used in the study could pinpoint (为……准确定位) a seal’s geographical location only within about 1.5 miles, which allows for useful but not exactly high-resolution data. Plus, because the seals don’t always dive to the bottom of the ocean, they can reveal only where the bottom is deeper than in existing maps — not shallower. McMahon notes that scientists could improve on these data by using more precise GPS trackers and analyzing the seals’ diving patterns to determine whether they have reached the seafloor or simply stopped descending.
The current seal-dive data can still be valuable for an important task, says Anna Wåhlin, an oceanographer at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden. The deep ocean around Antarctica is warmer than the extremely cold waters at the surface, and seafloor canyons can allow that warmer water to flow to the ice along the continent’s coast, Wåhlin explains. To predict how Antarctica’s ice will melt, scientists will need to know where those canyons are and how deep they go.
1. What’s the initial function of the device carried by the seals?A.Collecting data about seawater. |
B.Filming the images of the seafloor. |
C.Recording the seals’ travelling routes. |
D.Leading researchers to some remote areas. |
A.It is impossible to fully uncover the secrets of the sea. |
B.The existing depth estimates for the sea are inaccurate. |
C.Seals’ ability to dive is worth further scientific studies. |
D.It is urgent for scientists to map detailed seafloor maps. |
A.The creative methods adopted in the study. |
B.Major technical challenges faced by scientists. |
C.New research directions inspired by the study. |
D.The shortcomings of the approaches to the study. |
A.The new study is potentially beneficial to other scientific fields. |
B.The deep waters of Antarctica are colder than the surface waters. |
C.Seafloor canyons slow down the speed of ice melting in Antarctica. |
D.The seal-dive practice is valuable for mapping the entire ocean floor. |
9 . Johannes Fritz, a biologist, needed to come up with a plan, again, if he was going to prevent his rare and beloved birds from going extinct.
To survive the European winter, the northern bald ibis — which had once disappeared entirely from the wild on the continent—needs to migrate (迁徙) south for the winter, over the Alps, before the mountains become impassable. But shifting climate patterns have delayed when the birds begin to migrate, and they are now reaching the mountains too late to make it over the peaks, locking them in an icy death trap. Determined to save them, Mr. Fritz decided he would teach the birds a new, safer migration route by guiding them himself in a tiny aircraft. And he was confident he could succeed in this daring, unconventional plan—because he had done it before.
Mr. Fritz learned to fly, modifying a light aircraft so it would fly at speeds slow enough for his winged students to keep up. In 2004, Mr. Fritz led the first flock from Austria to Italy, and has since led 15 such migrations. Over that time, he has rewilded 277 young ibises, many of which then started to pass the route onto their own young. For now, however, the main worry is getting the birds to follow the aircraft. “While they have a strong bond with their ‘mothers’ and follow them around on the ground, flying is more difficult,” Fritz said.
“Fly Away Home was a huge hit with us biologists,” Mr. Fritz said, recalling the 1996 movie in which characters lead the migration of orphaned Canada geese in a hang glider. When Mr. Fritz declared he’d do the same with the ibises, he was initially laughed at. But through years of trial and error, he succeeded. He even learned to fly like a bird, he said. Mr. Fritz’s two sons, both now teenagers, followed their flying father and the migrating birds on the ground, and his family and colleagues witnessed the risks he was taking. But the inevitable risks are “necessary”, Mr. Fritz said. “It’s not so much a job,” he added, “but my life’s purpose.”
1. Why did Mr. Fritz guide the birds himself in a tiny aircraft?A.He wanted to learn from them. | B.He showed them a safer flyway. |
C.They needed to be fed in the air. | D.They were often lost on the way. |
A.By listing concrete numbers. | B.By conducting a survey. |
C.By performing experiments. | D.By making a comparison. |
A.Imaginative and honest. | B.Generous and easy-going. |
C.Energetic and open-minded. | D.Strong-willed and brave. |
A.Fritz once starred in a film in 1996. | B.Fritz had no difficulty with his work. |
C.Fritz thought what he did was rewarding. | D.Fritz was challenged by those around him. |
10 . Between 20 and 40 per cent of planet Earth is covered in grasslands, across every continent except for Antarctica. Grass is a low-growing, flowering plant with groups of narrow leaves growing from its base. Strong roots typically hold this plant’s leaves firmly to the ground.
One of the most common sights along stretches of grass is grass-eating animals. This is because many large animals rely on extensive grasslands to survive, and grass grows well with this regular trimming (修剪). The plants gain their energy from sunlight and require healthy cells to do so. If the leaves aren’t cut, the tips die and start to rot. When they are damaged with a clean cut, however, the cells are caused to grow quicker and produce new, healthy tissue. This is also why cutting your garden’s grassland regularly can make your grass look thicker and healthier.
Humans rely on grass for food, too. Many grasses, such as w heat or corn, are harvested as a main part of some diets. Meanwhile, grass is used indirectly to produce food in the form of livestock (牲畜). Cattle farmers require grass in their fields to feed cows and sheep before they are turned into meat for human consumption.
One of the most debated questions is how long ago grass evolved. Because grass doesn’t preserve well as a fossil, a definitive answer is hard to come by. Until recently, many scientists estimated that grass began to grow on Earth between 50 and 65 million years ago.
However, within the last decade, a piece of 100-million-year-old amber (琥珀) was found that appeared to contain the oldest grass fossil to date. Studies of fossilized dinosaur faces (粪便) also suggest that some dinosaurs lived at the same time that grass grew on the planet, incorporating it into their diets.
1. What is the function of the roots mentioned in Paragraph 1?A.To fix the leaves to the soil. | B.To store water and nutrients. |
C.To support the growth of the plant. | D.To protect the plant from animals. |
A.By improving soil quality. | B.By encouraging cell growth. |
C.By preventing the tips from dying. | D.By attracting more animals to eat them. |
A.Grass doesn’t preserve well as a fossil. | B.There are no fossils of grass available. |
C.There is no solid evidence of its evolution. | D.Scientists can’t agree on its origin. |
A.The Variety of Grass | B.The Development of Grass |
C.How Grass Change Life | D.How to Make Grass Grow Well |