2 . Science may never know the secrets to memories of the California sea hare, a foot-long sea snail. But a research team claim to have made progress in _______ the simplest kind of memory a mollusk (软体动物) might form, and, with a swift injection, managed to _______ one sea snail’s memory to another.

The kinds of memories that start a defensive reaction in the snails are encoded not in the _______between brain cells, but in RNA molecules (分子), according to David Glanzman, a biologist at UCLA. To _______ the idea, Glanzman implanted wires into the tails of California sea hares and gave them a series of electric shocks. The procedure made the animals so _______ that when they were touched, they contracted parts of their bodies intensely. Glanzman compares the reaction to being nervous after an earthquake: the memory of the event causes a(n) _______ response to any loud noise. After sensitizing the sea snails, Glanzman took RNA out from them and _______ it into new sea snails to see what would happen. He then found the new ones are _______ sensitized, suggesting the “memory” of the electrical shocks had been transplanted. According to Glanzman and his research team, the experiment shows that _______ parts of the memory trace are held in RNA, rather than in the connectivity of brain cells.

However, the work has not yet found widespread ________. “Further work needs to be carried out to determine whether these phenomena are obvious and what is the ________ of such phenomena,” said Prof Vann at Cardiff University. “While a sea snail is a fantastic model, we must be very ________ in drawing comparisons to human memory processes, which are much more complex.”

Tomás Ryan at Trinity College Dublin, is ________. “This work takes us down an interesting road, but I have doubt about it and I don’t think they’ve transplanted a memory,” he said. “This work tells me that maybe the most basic behavioral responses involve some kind of change in the animal.”

________, Ryan added that such creative thinking about memory was in great need: “In a field full of acceptance but lacking ________, we need as many new ideas as possible.”1.

A．deleting

B．disturbing

C．refreshing

D．understanding

2.

A．transfer

B．adjust

C．compare

D．relate

3.

A．connections

B．conflicts

C．secrets

D．distances

4.

A．promote

B．test

C．eliminate

D．impose

5.

A．sensitive

B．adaptable

C．strong

D．relaxed

6.

A．necessary

B．peaceful

C．unconscious

D．impossible

7.

A．plunged

B．invested

C．translated

D．injected

8.

A．crazily

B．dangerously

C．scarcely

D．equally

9.

A．optional

B．essential

C．memorial

D．virtual

10.

A．association

B．recognition

C．innovation

D．publication

11.

A．depth

B．application

C．basis

D．description

12.

A．imaginative

B．careful

C．ambitious

D．speedy

13.

A．supported

B．persuaded

C．unappreciated

D．unconvinced

14.

A．Nevertheless

B．Eventually

C．For example

D．As a result

15.

A．expression

B．likelihood

C．suspicion

D．disturbance

3 . One summer midnight several years ago, standing outside a wooden cabin in Michigan River, I looked up. The sky was filled with thousands of stars, the sight of which was almost enough to make me, a non-believer, offer a word of ___________ up into the star-filled sky. But to whom? Perhaps to Johan Eklof, author of The Darkness Manifesto.

As a bat scientist, Eklof’s work on bats requires a specific kind of darkness—the ___________kind, unpolluted by light. But this category of darkness is ___________. In the 1980s, Eklof tells readers, two-thirds of the churches in Sweden’s southwest housed bat colonies. Not any longer. “Today, forty years later, research I’ve done with my colleagues shows that this number has been reduced by a third, ___________ light pollution and other factors. Because the churches are all ___________ like carnivals(嘉年华) in the night,” he writes. “We are surrounding ourselves with light.”

Excess light is incredibly ___________ to the complex eco-systems nocturnal (夜间活动的) animals inhabit. It ___________ away the bats that Eklof studies. It frightens light-sensitive moths, leaving them easily ___________ to predation(捕食) or flying endlessly into lights that will never return their love. Baby turtles crawl away from the shoreline toward the lights of distant coastal cities and reef fish eggs go unhatched. Birds do not migrate ___________ and even they forget to sing. Modern advancements such as LED lights could significantly reduce some of the worst impacts, but they have not. At least, not yet.

It is worth mentioning that middle-aged writer like Eklof can ____________ for a darker world — for darkened campuses and unlit parking lots. But darkness is not safe for everyone. We need to address the social issues that make lighted places so ____________ in the first place.

The bottom line: We can change if we want to. Some of the solutions to light pollution— motion-detecting lights, shielded lights that do not ____________ light upward, artificial light with wavelengths that is similar to natural light—are already within our grasp, if we just ____________ them. “We could just turn it all off, but I guess we don’t want to,” said Eklof in a recent interview. “____________, it’s vital we find a middle way.”

Right now it is hard to know what that middle way might look like. In 50 years, every city could be equipped with an array of programmed and ____________ low-impact LED lights. Or we might have completely forgotten what darkness is—the sky filled with little moons.

1.

A．honour

B．gratitude

C．optimism

D．determination

2.

A．artificial

B．brilliant

C．faint

D．absolute

3.

A．achieved

B．distracted

C．enhanced

D．threatened

4.

A．resulting from

B．bringing about

C．judging by

D．contributing to

5.

A．decorated

B．restored

C．lit

D．faded

6.

A．effective

B．sensitive

C．positive

D．destructive

7.

A．scares

B．blows

C．pulls

D．turns

8.

A．accustomed

B．subject

C．available

D．restricted

9.

A．on duty

B．in turn

C．on time

D．in public

10.

A．stimulate

B．advocate

C．negotiate

D．account

11.

A．challenging

B．appealing

C．demanding

D．outstanding

12.

A．absorb

B．stretch

C．transform

D．reflect

13.

A．reach for

B．apply to

C．long for

D．adapt to

14.

A．Therefore

B．Furthermore

C．However

D．Instead

15.

A．fundamentally

B．scientifically

C．environmentally

D．economically

5 . COVID-19 lockdowns had strange effects on air pollution across the globe

Ever since the covid-19 spread, many changes have come with the _____________ unstoppable virus. China has shown the first sign. Rightly after a strict nationwide lockdown was _____________ in late January, most people were restricted from leaving their homes at all for as long as 3 weeks. As a result, the authority ___________ a sharp decline in the direct emissions of air pollution on a scale never observed before. “Changes in emissions would be significant and ___________ studying for it may bring us new solutions to greenhouse effect,” says Jiset Deew, a chemist at the Harvard University, “The pandemic has caused lots of tragedies, but the lesson we can learn is important.”

Researchers found it a strange but ___________ chance to capture how human economic activity—particularly car traffic—dropped rapidly and thus to seek for the answer to the influence of ___________ traffic on air quality. “Running atmospheric chemistry experiments is often a ___________ task based on the lack of experimental conditions, so we have to _________ really complex reaction chambers and computer models,” says Tg, who now works on the project _____________ organic aerosols at MIT. “But in this unprecedented year, we finally get the chance to __________ our ideas and we hope the new findings will further our understanding of the mechanisms that rule atmospheric chemistry but also offer guidance for policy makers who seek to improve air quality and ____________ climate change.”

During the lockdown, passenger traffic plumbed, and traffic-related emissions—particularly CO₂ and NO₂—__________ accordingly. Vehicles powered by gas directly release huge amounts of CO₂ and NO₂. CO₂, a greenhouse gas, plays a major role in global warming. Besides, NO₂ plays a __________ part in atmospheric reactions that produce ozone which helps __________ UV light (紫外线). Now, experts are still working to __________ how the two gases changed during pandemic.

1.

A．seemingly

B．absolutely

C．relatively

D．theoretically

2.

A．criticized

B．issued

C．imposed

D．publicized

3.

A．suffered

B．witnessed

C．reformed

D．respected

4.

A．worth

B．busy

C．demand

D．symbolic

5.

A．rare

B．precious

C．applicable

D．respective

6.

A．halved

B．growing

C．increasing

D．double

7.

A．meaningful

B．honorable

C．tough

D．rough

8.

A．adapt

B．acknowledge

C．accomplish

D．adopt

9.

A．exchanging

B．reminding

C．persisting

D．concerning

10.

A．expect

B．treasure

C．test

D．appreciate

11.

A．relieve

B．settle

C．comfort

D．signal

12.

A．turned

B．kicked

C．fell

D．crushed

13.

A．key

B．indirect

C．wide

D．negative

14.

A．leak

B．collapse

C．lift

D．resist

15.

A．strike

B．take

C．investigate

D．analyze

8 . The misery of my bike commute in Calgary, Alberta, is the river valley hill. It’s not particularly steep, but at about a mile long, I rarely climbed up without arriving with sweat. Studies have shown the prospect of arriving at work sweaty is one of the biggest _________ to getting would-be bike commuters out of their cars. That’s especially true in a city like Los Angeles, where _________ may face long routes , hills or hot streets with a lack of shade.

“Pedelec”, or pedal electric-assisted bikes like the one I rode, can end that worry. They look and act like traditional bicycles, but their motors make pedaling much easier when required. Sometimes called the most energy-efficient motorized mode of transportation ever built, they’re also incredibly green. The biggest barrier may be the outdated attitude that sees bikes only as a recreational athletic opportunity rather than a practical _________ option.

At a time when cities across North America are struggling to combat crippling traffic and reduce climate emissions, e-bikes have the _________ to ease the both problems. And yet ridership has yet to truly _______.About 152,000 e-bikes were sold last year in the U.S., a figure that would be more than 5 million if Americans used them at the same rate as western Europeans.   

Many of the barriers to e-bike _________in North America are legislative. Patchwork rules treat e-bikes more like mopeds than traditional pedal bikes in some jurisdictions,meaning they are _______from bike lanes and from boarding public transportation.

Few places on the continent, _________, are better poised to break through barriers than California. Legislation was approved last year to encourage e-bike use, by legally differentiating the cycles from mopeds. In an attempt to head off worries about turbocharged machines flying down sidewalks and bike lanes at unsafe speeds, the law classifies bikes into different tiers to _______ lower-speed e-bikes, which top out at 20 mph, from faster-moving “speed pedelecs”, which are restricted from protected bike paths.

Amid these legislative ________, e-bikes have become more accessible to consumer. Finding them in bike shops isn’t as __________ as it once was, and their cost has fallen as the price of lithium-ion batteries has dropped. Today, a decent e-bike, while still __________, is comparable in price to a high-end mountain bike. After years of ____________over mixing pedal and motor power, cycling advocacy organizations also are finally throwing their support behind e-bikes. Dave Snyder, the executive director of the California Bicycle Coalition, __________ the state’s new legislation based partly on the __________that e-bikes help out those who“just can’t ride as far or as fast as they need to”.

1.

A．advantages

B．processes

C．barriers

D．complements

2.

A．riders

B．builders

C．customers

D．volunteers

3.

A．production

B．communication

C．facilities

D．transportation

4.

A．routine

B．potential

C．temporary

D．major

5.

A．make of

B．carry on

C．bring up

D．take off

6.

A．adaptation

B．adoption

C．adjustment

D．justification

7.

A．proved

B．alerted

C．banned

D．authorized

8.

A．however

B．unless

C．meanwhile

D．anyway

9.

A．originate

B．combine

C．separate

D．satisfy

10.

A．factors

B．benefits

C．limits

D．damages

11.

A．proper

B．critical

C．sensational

D．difficult

12.

A．expensive

B．distinctive

C．sensitive

D．intensive

13.

A．trouble

B．concern

C．power

D．scale

14.

A．favored

B．folded

C．referred

D．gifted

15.

A．appeal

B．address

C．amount

D．advocate

9 . What is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch?

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) is the largest of the five offshore plastic accumulation zones in the world’s oceans. It is located halfway between Hawaii and California.

PLASTIC __________

It is estimated that 1.15 to 2.41 million tonnes of plastic are entering the ocean each year from rivers. More than half of this plastic is less __________than the water, meaning that it will not sink once it encounters the sea.

The strong and floating plastics show resiliency(韧性) in the marine environment, allowing them to be transported over __________distances. They persist at the sea surface as they make their way off shore, transported by converging (汇聚的) currents and finally accumulating in the patch.

Once these plastics enter the gyre（环流）, they are unlikely to leave the area until they __________into smaller microplastics under the effects of sun, waves and marine life. As more and more plastics are discarded into the environment, microplastic __________in the GPGP will only continue to increase.

LOCATION

Due to seasonal and interannual variabilities of winds and currents, the GPGP’s location and shape are constantly changing. Only floating objects that are __________influenced by currents were likely to remain within the patch.

By simulating concentration levels in the North Pacific, the researchers were able to follow the location of the patch and found on average it orbits around 32°N and 145°W. However, the team observed seasonal __________from west to east and substantial variations in latitude（纬度）depending on the year.

IMPACT ON WILDLIFE

Plastic has increasingly become a very common substance in the ocean. Due to its size and color, animals __________the plastic for food, causing malnutrition; it poses entanglement（缠绕）risks and threatens their overall behavior, health, and existence.

Studies have shown that about 700 species have encountered marine debris, and 92% of these __________are with plastic. 17% of the species affected by plastic are on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species.

IMPACT ON HUMANS AND SOCIETY

Once plastic enters the marine food web, there is a possibility that it will contaminate the human food chain as well. Through a process called bioaccumulation, chemicals in plastics will enter the body of the animal __________on the plastic, and as the feeder becomes prey, the chemicals will pass to the __________—making their way up the food web that includes humans. These chemicals that affected the plastic feeders could then be __________within the human as well.

__________, yearly economic costs due to marine plastic are estimated to be between $6-19billion USD. The costs __________its impact on tourism, fisheries and aquaculture, and governmental cleanups. These costs do not include the impact on human health and the marine ecosystem due to __________research available.

1.

A．ACCUMULATION

B．DRIFT

C．FLOATING

D．PROMOTION

2.

A．light

B．thick

C．tiny

D．dense

3.

A．adjusted

B．overdone

C．deposited

D．extended

4.

A．upgrade

B．degrade

C．assemble

D．disassemble

5.

A．transportation

B．estimation

C．concentration

D．location

6.

A．predominantly

B．rarely

C．previously

D．slightly

7.

A．similarity

B．shift

C．boost

D．figure

8.

A．exchange

B．substitute

C．leave

D．confuse

9.

A．implications

B．interactions

C．interferences

D．influences

10.

A．resting

B．feeding

C．risking

D．waiting

11.

A．mariner

B．prey

C．tracker

D．predator

12.

A．present

B．absent

C．current

D．reliable

13.

A．Likewise

B．However

C．Moreover

D．Therefore

14.

A．result in

B．remove from

C．stem from

D．bring about

15.

A．insufficient

B．adequate

C．insignificant

D．substantial

10 . Goodish News of Climate Change

Emissions of carbon dioxide (related to energy production) have stabilized, for now.

Is it a peak, a stutter or just a brief pause? Time will tell. But whatever it is, on February 11th the International Energy Agency (IEA), an intergovernmental _________ which collects such data, announced that emissions of carbon dioxide in 2019 which were _________ energy had remained the same (33.3bn tonnes) as the previous year’s.

Energy-related emissions, which include those (produced by electricity generation), heating and transport, _________ for more than 70% of the world’s industrial CO pollution. The stall seems to have been caused by a(n) _________ in coal use, particularly in rich countries, combined with an increase in the use of renewable power.

As a result of this the CO2-intensity of electricity generation — a(n) _________ of how much of the gas is emitted per kilowatt hour of juice produced — fell by nearly 6.5%, to 340 grams of CO2 per kilowatt hour. It had already been _________, but this is three times the average for the past decade. Such declines more than offset the _________ of increased electricity production. The average emission-intensity of power generation in 2019 was “lower than all but the most efficient gas-power plants”, according to the IEA.

This is not the first time energy related emissions have plateaued (保持稳定). Between 2013 and 2016 they hovered around 32.2 bn tonnes a year, before _________ again in 2017 as the use of coal to fuel developing economies increased.This _________ plateau was accompanied by excited declarations that such emissions had peaked. Similar __________ have been made this week, perhaps also prematurely. __________ changes in coal use, a sluggish economy may have played a part and the data show that milder than usual weather caused a perceptible drop in emissions from several countries with large, carbon-hungry economies.

The news is also __________ by the latest data from the Amazon rainforest. This, one of the world’s largest woodlands, has acted __________ as an absorbing sponge (海绵)for CO2 by removing it from the atmosphere through photo-synthesis. Researchers at Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research have shown that a vast part of the south-east of the Amazon, about one fifth of its area, has lost its __________ to soak up the gas and is now a net source of emissions into the atmosphere instead. This land has been widely deforested, so the result is little __________. But it is disappointing.

1.

A．circumstances

B．environments

C．contributions

D．organization

2.

A．available to

B．similar to

C．related to

D．owing to

3.

A．regard

B．account

C．desire

D．evolve

4.

A．decline

B．increase

C．promotion

D．recovery

5.

A．product

B．idea

C．measure

D．result

6.

A．floating

B．falling

C．disappearing

D．remaining

7.

A．solution

B．change

C．effect

D．achievement

8.

A．rising

B．creating

C．raising

D．demanding

9.

A．frequent

B．previous

C．natural

D．disastrous

10.

A．tips

B．plans

C．warnings

D．comments

11.

A．In place of

B．In spite of

C．Thanks to

D．In addition to

12.

A．tempered

B．sensed

C．attracted

D．explained

13.

A．accidentally

B．absolutely

C．historically

D．accordingly

14.

A．prospect

B．ability

C．need

D．decision

15.

A．anger

B．hope

C．devotion

D．surprise