注意:
1. 词数80左右(信的格式和开头已为你写好, 不计入词数)；
2. 参考词汇: throwaway chopsticks一次性筷子； ecological value 生态价值。
Dear Editor.
I’m more than delighted to express my view about environmental protection.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours sincerely.
Li Hua
2 . A small group of paleontologists (古生物学家) recently discovered 10 species of ancient mammals previously unknown to science with the help of an enormous number of helpers at their dig site: ants.
The study of ancient mammals sheds new light on the diversity of mammals that existed in North America around 33 million to 35 million years ago, when the climate was changing drastically. It also pays attention to the harvester ants, with which researchers have long had a love-hate relationship. “The ants are not fantastic when they’re biting you,” said Samantha Hopkins, a professor of Earth Sciences at the University of Oregon. “But I’ve got to appreciate them because they make my job a whole lot easier.”
Most species of harvester ants live in subterranean caves that sit beneath a small hill of dirt. They strengthen the dirt by covering it with bits of rock and other tough materials. The ants have been known to travel over a hundred feet from their caves and to dig six feet deep in pursuit of materials that help secure their caves. The materials include fossils. Harvester ants can carry materials 10 times to 50 times the weight of their body, although they do not weigh very much, so the heaviest fossil they can collect weighs less than the average pill.
Given the size, harvester ant hills are hot spots for what scientists call microvertebrate (微型脊椎动物) fossils, which are animal fossils too small to see without a microscope. For over a century, scientists like Dr. Hopkins have found sediment (沉积物) off the sides of harvester ant hills in search of these fossils, making it easier to find large numbers of fossilized mammal teeth without spending hours in the field sifting through sand and dirt.
1. What is the purpose of the passage?| A．To compare two different species. |
| B．To provide evidence for discoveries. |
| C．To introduce a kind of ant as a helper. |
| D．To promote awareness of mammal protection. |
| A．Climate change. | B．Ant numbers. |
| C．Cave materials. | D．Dirt locations. |
| A．Coastal. | B．Suburban. | C．Mountainous. | D．Underground. |
| A．Their caves are miles deep. | B．Materials with fossils are their food. |
| C．They can carry pills around. | D．Fossils may be found around their hills. |
3 . Environmental restoration projects in Shaanxi province! Qinling Mountains were not conducted in a timely manner, a central government inspection team has revealed, urging provincial government departments to better shoulder their environmental protection responsibilities.
The Qinling Mountains are a geographically important north-south boundary in China and home to more than 2, 600 plant species and 300 animal species including giant pandas. In the last couple of decades, the Qinling Mountains have attracted many investment projects due to their rich natural and historical resources, dotting the area with hundreds of small coal and mineral mines, which led to serious damage to the local environment.
In December 2019, the provincial government banned all exploring and mining activities in key protected areas of the mountains and told enterprises already established there to gradually leave. “After 169 mining companies departed, environmental restoration was conducted slowly, “the inspection team told the provincial government. “The target of restoring 1,000 hectares of abandoned mines by 2020 has yet to be achieved.”
It said 64 tailings ponds in the area have not been closed as required, while the soil and rocks removed from some abandoned mines are illegally occupying nearby forests or grassland. The inspection team also noted other environmental problems in Shaanxi, such as the illegal us of underground water and pollution along the Yellow River due to the improper treatment of pollutant discharges from nearby mines and factories.
“The provincial government should maintain a firm attitude to safeguard Qinling, the bio-safety barrier in northern China, and put environmental protection work into practice, “the team said. It also stressed the important role environmental protection along the Yellow River plays in the country’s high-quality development and urged the provincial government to better perform its duties in protecting water resources.
1. What is a major cause of the environmental problem in Qinling Mountain?| A．Massive mining activities. | B．Poor geographical conditions. |
| C．Illegal discharge of pollutants. | D．Improper use of underground water. |
| A．Removing soil and rocks. | B．Banning investment projects. |
| C．Departing mining companies. | D．Limiting pollutant discharges. |
| A．Effective but slow. | B．Timely and efficient. |
| C．Illegal and unreliable. | D．Costly but successful. |
| A．The importance of wildlife conservation. | B．An introduction to an eco-friendly policy. |
| C．An expectation for local economic development. | D．The measures on provincial mountain restoration. |
4 . How and Where to See Aurora in 2022
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has made many potential travel plans change constantly. but catching sight of the wonderful cosmic (宇宙的) display could be possible this year. Here’s our guide on how and where to see the aurora (极光) this winter.
Where is the best place to see the northern lights?
Spots like Fairbanks in Alaska, Whitehorse, Yellowknife and Churchill in Canada, and Iceland and northern Norway are all safe bets. The NOAA website has additional tips on where to view the aurora with links to maps that show where the light show can be seen. The best time to see the lights differs slightly by country, but, in general, the peak season is between November and March.
Which countries are allowing tourists to enter?
Arguably the biggest barrier to your chances of enjoying the aurora this winter is not atmospheric, but the COVID-19 restrictions by some of the countries where the northern lights are most visible. Please check official sources and the resources below for the latest restrictions.
·Iceland: Lonely Planet’s webpage.
·Norway: Norway’s government website.
·Alaska: CDC’s international travel guidelines.
·Canada: Lonely Planet’s webpage.
How to see the southern lights?
The southern lights are the same phenomenon on the other side of the Earth. With less land in the south, the southern lights are perhaps less talked about as they mostly occur over water, but they can be seen over parts of New Zealand, and Australia and Tasmania. In contrast to the northern lights, the southern lights are usually most obvious from March to September.
1. Which month is better for enjoying the northern lights?| A．January. | B．April. | C．July. | D．October. |
| A．The NOAA website. | B．Lonely Planet’s webpage. |
| C．Norway’s government website. | D．CDC’s international travel guidelines. |
| A．They last all through the year. | B．They rarely appear over the land. |
| C．They are popular among travelers. | D．They are different from the northern lights. |
5 . Sea stars can grow new arms. Crayfish can grow new claws. There are interesting creatures that can grow back body parts if accidents happen. However, that is child’s play after what researchers saw a sea slug do.
According to a new discovery by Sayaka Mitoh and her colleagues of Nara Women’s University in Japan, two species of sea slugs managed to lose their heads and then began crawling around. Eventually, they grew an entirely new body. “We were surprised to see the head moving just after it was removed,” said Sayaka Mitoh. “We thought that it would die soon without a heart and other important organs, but we were surprised again to find that it regenerated the whole body.”
After the initial discovery, the researchers found that for younger slugs, the detached heads began eating algae within hours. The wound typically closed at the back of the head within days. They started regrowing a heart within a week and the regeneration of the entire body was finished after around three weeks. Older slugs weren’t as fortunate. Often the heads didn’t feed, so they died in about 10 days. Young or old, the headless bodies never generated a new head. But they did move around and respond to being touched for several days and sometimes months after losing their heads.
The researchers aren’t sure why the sea slugs dropped their heads or how they’re able to grow new bodies. They may have parasites (寄生虫) that can hurt reproduction so they are removing their heads in order to also remove the parasites. But the researchers aren’t sure what prompts them to know when to cast off the body when they do it. Sayaka Mitoh says they believe there must be cells located in the neck that are similar to stem cells. These are able to regenerate a new body.
How the heads can survive without a heart and other vital organs is another puzzle. The researchers say these sea slugs fuel their bodies by photosynthesis (光合作用). They rely on chloroplasts from algae in their own bodies when other food isn’t available, a process known as kleptoplasty (盗食质体). They think this might help them survive long enough to regenerate a body.
“As the separated body is often active for months, we may be able to study the mechanism and functions of kleptoplasty using living organs, tissues, or even cells,” Sayaka Mitoh said. “Such studies are almost completely lacking, as most studies on kleptoplasty in these animals are done either at the genetic or individual levels.”
1. What surprised Sayaka Mitoh and her colleagues?| A．The sea slug could survive without organs. |
| B．The sea slug could regrow a new body. |
| C．The sea slug could remove its own head. |
| D．The headless sea slug could grow a new head. |
| A．Their bodies kept moving around for some time. |
| B．They healed the wound within ten days. |
| C．They lost their sense of touch and died soon. |
| D．Their heads survived by eating algae. |
| A．To get rid of parasites. |
| B．To end their reproductive cycle. |
| C．To generate new stem cells. |
| D．To get away from predators. |
| A．The process of sea slugs hunting for food. |
| B．The importance of studying functions of kleptoplasty. |
| C．The condition for sea slugs to perform photosynthesis. |
| D．The reason for sea slugs to survive the loss of their bodies. |
6 . Animal keepers use the term enrichment to describe the introduction of environmental stimuli into the surroundings of caged animals. In recent years, “environmental enrichment” also known as behavioral enrichment, providing animals with challenges, opportunities, and stimulation that are species-appropriate, has grown more popular in zoos and aquariums. A latest study does, however, identify potential to “diversify the enrichment types being supplied and the species being examined.”
The study conducted by the University of Exeter and Sparsholt College, Hampshire, looked into whether zoo enrichment is based on evidence of what each species requires. It was discovered that this was true for specific animals as well as certain forms of enrichment, but the quantities of both could be larger, especially the samples of certain species of animals. “Based on our findings, we would encourage zoos to continue enrichment, but with a stronger emphasis on using available knowledge on what works for each species. Keepers should also consider what behaviors are being taught and whether there is evidence that this behavior is normal and good in the long run.” stated University of Exeter’s Dr. Paul Rose.
The research looked at a database of peer-reviewed works as well as two magazines for zoo workers. Almost 77 percent of the enrichment articles identified focused on mammals, with 11 percent on birds, 6 percent on considerable species, 4 percent on reptiles, and only a few on some other species. This emphasis on popular species may result in greater and higher-quality enrichment for some species than others. What’s more, in the case of mammals, the application of biological evidence to inform this enrichment was inconsistent.
There are many ways to enrich an animal’s surroundings such as adjusting animal care, forming social groups, and enhancing sensory stimulation. The purpose of any enrichment program should be to generate ideas for providing a species-appropriate stimulating environment that encourages positive behaviors while keeping in mind that both species and individuals will have varied demands.
1. What does the latest study mentioned in the passage want to figure out?| A．The real situation of zoo enrichment. | B．The final evidence of zoo enrichment. |
| C．The possible future of zoo enrichment. | D．The original purpose of zoo enrichment. |
| A．By giving a database. | B．By doing persuasion. |
| C．By discussing the data. | D．By presenting an example. |
| A．The lasting challenges and opportunities. |
| B．The space of the zoos and the keepers’ knowledge. |
| C．The enrichment types, the animal species and numbers. |
| D．The stimuli the keepers give and the articles the keepers write. |
| A．More Zoo Keepers Should Be Developed | B．Enrichment of Zoos Could Be Expanded |
| C．Articles on Enrichment Could Be Published | D．Environmental Enrichment Should Be Encouraged |
7 . A new study has found that water in the air, not just heat, is important in measuring global warming. The researchers say, when considering humidity and heat, the temperature increase is two times greater than earlier estimates.
The researchers also note, temperature by itself is not the best way to measure the effects of climate change and using temperature underestimates conditions in the tropical areas of the world.
The study was published on January 31 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The researchers team show that the energy created in extreme weather, such as storms, is related to the amount of water in the air. For this reason, they decided to use a special atmospheric measurement to show the amount of heat in an area of air. It is expressed in a scientific measurement for temperature known as degrees Kelvin.
Ramanathan is one of the writers of the study. He is a climate scientist at the University of California San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography. “There are two factors of climate change: temperature and humidity. And so far, we have measured global warming just in terms of temperature,” he says. “Warm air can hold more water than cold air. For every degree Celsius that air temperature increases, it can hold seven percent more water. When the water vapor in the air becomes liquid, it releases heat or energy. That’s why when it rains, now it pours.”
Ramanathan added that water vapor is a powerful heat-trapping gas in the atmosphere that increases climate change. From 1980 to 2019, the average world surface air temperature increased by 0.79 degrees Celsius. But when they considered energy from humidity, their temperature measurement had increased by 1.48 degrees Celsius. In the tropics, the warming was as much as 4 degrees Celsius.
Wuebbles is a climate scientist at the University of Illinois. He was not part of the study. But Wuebbles said the idea makes sense because water vapor is important in extreme rainfall. He said, “Both heat and humidity are important.”
1. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?| A．The combination of water and heat decreases average surface temperature. |
| B．The reason why it pours is that cold air can hold more water than warm air. |
| C．Scientists adopt temperature degrees Kelvin as a special atmospheric measurement. |
| D．Scientists used both temperature and humidity to measure global warming in the past. |
| A．By making comparisons. | B．By taking examples. |
| C．By analyzing reasons. | D．By giving definitions. |
| A．Critical. | B．Objective. | C．Skeptical. | D．Appreciative. |
| A．Extreme Weathers Are Closely Related to Air Heat Amount |
| B．A New Study Focuses on Global Warming Solutions |
| C．Humidity Is Also Important in Measuring Climate Changes |
| D．Two Climate Scientists Develop a Scientific Method |
8 . Ever wondered how many Tyrannosaurus rex (霸王龙) ever walked around the Earth? The answer is 2.5 billion over the two million or so years in which the species existed, according to a calculation published today in Science. The figure has allowed researchers to estimate just how rare it is for animals to fossilize.
Researchers led by Charles Marshall used a method employed by ecologists studying contemporary creatures to estimate the population of T. rex during the late Cretaceous period.
The team used their estimates of the total range of T. rex across modern North America, combined with their estimates of the dinosaur’s weight, to calculate that, at one time, around 20,000 T. rex would have been alive on the planet. That translates to around 3,800 T. rex in an area the size of California, or just 2 T. rex moving around Washington DC. Calculating that T. rex survived for about 127,000 generations before disappearing, the researchers came up with a figure of 2.5 billion individuals over the species’ entire existence. Only 32 adult T. rex have been discovered as fossils, so the fossil record accounts for just 1 in about every 80 million T. rex. This means that the chances of being fossilized were small.
These numbers suggest that fossils in general are rare, and that many species that were less widespread than T. rex were probably never preserved, says Marshall, who adds, “The fossil record is our only direct knowledge of these past histories of our planet.”
Thomas Holtz, a researcher, says that “we always knew that the chance of any individual becoming a fossil was rare, but we lacked the calculation to figure out how rare”.
But he says it would be good “to see someone ground-truth these kinds of estimates against living species to get a better sense of accuracy”. He’d also like to see comparable studies made on disappearing species with more abundant fossils, which might allow us to better understand historic ecosystems.
1. Which of the following was used to figure out the population of T. rex?| A．The method used by researchers to study fossils. |
| B．The approach to calculate kinds of wildlife. |
| C．The way applied by ecologists to study modern creatures. |
| D．The system to compare various studies on disappearing species. |
| A．By making a comparison. | B．By listing the figures. |
| C．By giving an explanation. | D．By presenting examples. |
| A．T. rex owns quite a few fossils. |
| B．The fossils record all the past of our planet. |
| C．Many species lived together in their whole life. |
| D．Fossils of some species may never be stored. |
| A．The Figure of T. rex Helps Calculate How Rare Their Fossils Are |
| B．Scientists Applied Fossils to Understand Past Ecosystems |
| C．A New Method to Figure out the Number of T. rex |
| D．The Fossil Record to Uncover the History of Our Planet |
9 . At an interview that marked her 18th birthday, Greta Thunberg discussed her lifestyle and some new and interesting choices she has made for herself. The environmental activist (积极分子）said she has stopped buying new clothes, yet she added she would not judge others who make less environmentally-friendly lifestyle choices than her own.
Greta’s interesting lifestyle choices include traveling by boat instead of flying. When asked about what she thought of people who talk about acting on climate change but fly around the world despite that, the teenager refused to criticize them, saying that others may feel that way, but not her. She said she is not telling anyone what they should do but pointed out that people who do not practice what they persuade others to do would be open to criticism themselves and would not be taken seriously.
Greta Thunberg said that while statistics show the best way for individuals to reduce their carbon emissions is to avoid long flights or not have children, she would not tell people not to produce children. According to her, it is not the people who are the problem but their behavior. Greta also pointed out that she does not believe it is selfish to have kids.
Although her lifestyle is quite different than that of most western teenagers, Greta Thunberg said she did not feel like she was missing out. She said that while she might buy second-hand clothes, she does not need new ones, and flying to a far-away place would not make her happier. According to her, because these are things she didn’t need, missing them didn’t feel like a sacrifice.
The young environmental activist said her perfect birthday present would be a promise from everyone that they would do everything they can for the planet. As a more tangible (可触摸的）gift, she pointed out that because in Sweden it gets very dark in the winter, she would like replacement headlights for her bike.
1. What kind of life does Greta Thunberg prefer to live?| A．A lonely and quiet life. | B．An easy and luxury life. |
| C．A new life different from others’ | D．An environmentally-friendly life. |
| A．She makes straight forward judgement. | B．She shows her respect to their choices. |
| C．She criticizes them in front of the public. | D．She never takes them seriously at all. |
| A．She feels quite worthwhile. | B．She wants spiritual satisfaction. |
| C．She doesn’t feel regretful. | D．She doesn’t need anything at all. |
| A．Because she needs them. | B．Because they save electricity. |
| C．Because she wants to save money. | D．Because they beautify her bike. |
10 . If there’s one thing the UK is really good at, it’s saving its butterflies. The Butterfly Conservation program in the UK is the world’s largest conservation organization dedicated to saving rare and endangered insects. And recently, thanks to the efforts of UK farmers, the country’s rarest butterfly, the Duke of Burgundy butterfly, has been saved.
Ten years ago, if you were in the UK, you could only find this species in the North York Moors and the southern Lake District. The population of this butterfly experienced a significant drop of nearly 46% in the 90s and 00s which made it the rarest species in the UK at the time. However, thanks to the Butterfly Conservation organization and the efforts of many landowners, things are looking up.
Back in 2011, the Butterfly Conservation launched the Dukes on the Edge program that focused on restoring 23 hectares of habitat, providing management advice for more than 147 sites where the Duke butterflies are found, and getting over 1, 000 volunteers to help carry the conservation effort. Both local citizens and land owners joined the program, and as a result, the population of this species has grown by 25% in the last decade.
The recovery of the Duke was solidified when a butterfly enthusiast found the largest single colony in the UK. Located quietly on the hills of a dairy farm, the colony was the result of the efforts of a farmer who has proudly been supporting the habitat for over two decades. The good news is that the Duke butterfly is no longer the UK’s rarest, and the Butterfly Conservation organization continues to save dying species at maximum speed. They even convinced the UK government to include butterflies and moths as formal biodiversity indicators.
1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?| A．To give background information. | B．To summarize the main idea. |
| C．To provide strong supporting proof. | D．To attract readers’ attention. |
| A．By listing statistics. | B．By giving examples. |
| C．By providing comments. | D．By making a comparison. |
| A．Interrupted. | B．Changed. |
| C．Noticed. | D．Strengthened. |
| A．The UK Butterfly Conservation Program Works |
| B．UK Butterflies Welcome a New Species |
| C．UK Farmers Save a Butterfly from Extinction |
| D．UK Government Cooperates to Save Butterflies |
