1 . Time is running out for coral reefs as the climate gets hotter. So scientists are searching the globe for corals that are better at enduring heat, Now, new research shows how those “super corals” can survive: less roommate drama.
Reefs depend on a crucial partnership between the corals and the algae (海藻) that live in the corals’ tissue, The algae make food for the corals using sunlight and in exchange, get a nice spot to live. But when oceans heat up, that relationship goes bad, and the corals kick the algae out, Without their roommates, corals can die, turning a ghostly white, bleached (白化) color.
Still, some corals seem to resist bleaching better than others, A new study shows that those corals depend on algae that are better at tolerating heat. Researchers hope that pinpointing these abilities will help develop new conservation tools to preserve the world’s reefs as temperatures rise. About 1/4 of all marine life rely on coral reefs in some way, along with half 1 billion people around the world also depend on reefs for their food and livelihoods.
“Heat stress can kill a lot of corals really fast,” says Kate Quigley, a research scientist at James Cook University and the Minderoo Foundation in Australia. “I hope that nature does have some mechanisms to get us through the next few years while we get our act together.”
While the hope is that those algae could also aid in reef conservation in the future, researcher Patrick Buerger says it’s likely that it wouldn’t help all coral species. And even the toughest corals can only endure so much. Currently, the world is on track for just under 3degrees Celsius of warming by 2100, a level that would wipe out nearly all coral reefs.
“The action has to be on climate change,” he says. “This is a short-term solution that might buy some time for corals to adapt. But the main focus has to be on climate. There’s not a silver bullet to the problem.”
1. What is the feature of super corals?A.Sun-loving. | B.Long-living. | C.Good-looking. | D.Heat-bearing. |
A.Habitat. | B.Food. | C.Sunlight. | D.Friendship. |
A.The population of marine life. | B.The importance of coral reefs. |
C.The seriousness of global warming. | D.The living conditions of coral reefs. |
A.It is useless | B.It is the last hope. | C.It is temporary. | D.It is the silver bullet. |
2 . The combined quantity of water on Earth has varied over the course of our planet’s geological history, and it still does.
Today, Earth includes some 1,386 million cubic kilometres of water, a volume that includes water in oceans, lakes and rivers, plus ground water, vapour in the atmosphere, and the frozen water of glaciers and ice caps. On the young Earth — some four billion years ago — vast quantities of water were added to the planet by ice-containing comets (a mass of ice and dust that moves around the sun and looks like a bright star with a tail) that struck us, eventually making our world a “blue planet”. But such events became increasingly rare in Earth’s more recent history, and today we are in an age during which Earth is losing water.
The water loss is due to the fact that particles (微粒) sometimes escape Earth’s gravity to travel into space. This is particularly true of the light hydrogen atoms that form part of water molecules (分子) together with oxygen. Every time the atmosphere loses hydrogen, we lose one of the building blocks of water. Scientists estimate that Earth loses about 3kg of hydrogen per second. At this pace, Earth would run out of water in three billion years — but that assumes that we don’t get any new water supplies.
New water need not come from space — it might come from the inside of the Earth. At depths below 50km, minerals contain water that is not reckoned within the water cycle. Some of it dates back to Earth’s formation; the rest is part of slow geological exchange between the planet’s layers. When Earth’s plates sink and melt, deep minerals can release these bound water molecules so that they can subsequently rise to the surface via volcanic eruptions, adding to the planet’s overall water resources.
1. How did Earth become a “blue planet” in geological time?A.By getting water from comets | B.By making use of glaciers. |
C.By releasing its inside water. | D.By storing water in the ocean. |
A.Serious. | B.Regretful. | C.Uncertain. | D.Unworried. |
A.locked | B.displayed | C.counted | D.marked |
A.Where Can Water Be Stored? | B.Could Earth Run Out of Water? |
C.How Can New Water Be Found? | D.Will There Be More Water on Earth? |
3 . I was mostly based in Samburu National Reserve, recording details of the population and leading collar (颈圈) operations. We put trackers (跟踪仪) around wild elephants’necks, so we can learn about their activities.
In May 2009, in the middle of the wet season, Rommel appeared again. And it was histurn to be placed a collar. We sent three cars out to search for him. There’s a river running through the park where many elephants gather in the mornings. At 10:30 am, one of my partners clocked Rommel.
A tranquillizer (镇静剂) was carefully shot into his body so we could safely place a collaron him, but for a bull of Rommel’s size it could take longer. After that, he turned away, heading in an unexpected direction and seemed to be near danger by killing himself in thewater. It would be a bad accident. Only by pulling his trunk (象鼻) from the river, could weensure his survival. The problem was that the river was a little bit changeable. Immediately, I decided to act. I jumped in and lifted his heavy, twitching trunk from the water with the help of lifeguards. The team tried to fit him with a collar, but we discovered that we didn’t have one big enough.
We couldn’t risk keeping him there while we created a bigger collar. So I struggled on, holding his trunk high with all my strength. And medicine that took away the efforts of the tranquillizer was delivered.
As soon as his ears started to move, a sign of coming to life, I dropped his trunk and moved to safety. Within a couple of minutes, he was back to life. That was one of my proudest moments
1. What is the purpose of putting trackers around wild elephants’necks?A.To record their sizes. | B.To know their activities. |
C.To control and train them. | D.To save them from danger. |
A.To sent him to a zoo. | B.To treat his wounds. |
C.To place a collar on him safely. | D.To check his health. |
A.He gave him certain medicine. | B.He lifted his trunk out of water. |
C.He performed an operation on him. | D.He called other members for help. |
A.Pride. | B.Surprise. | C.Anger. | D.Worry. |
4 . Super Typhoon Rai (known as “Odette” in the Philippines) made landfall on Siargao Island in southeastern Philippines at 1:30 pm local time on Thursday, December 16. The typhoon was the 15th storm to hit the country in 2021 and was the strongest storm of 2021. Almost 16 million Filipinos were facing threats including strong winds, heavy rains, flooding, landslides, displacement and risking loss of life, home, livelihood and agriculture. Around 700,000 of them were children.
UNICEF (United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund) expressed deep concern for children and families at risk and announced its commitment to providing support to the Philippine government. Reyn Ambag was one of the children who were rescued during the typhoon.
12-year-old Reyn Ambag is a grade 7 student living on the island of Siargao. He goes to school in San Isidro National High School which is located in the Municipality of San Isidro. With Values Education as his favorite subject in school, Reyn is always ready to help others.
Reyn is raised by his mother who is a single parent and runs a retail store alone. Aside from his mother, his cousin has also been living with them to help out in the absence of Reyn’s father. Reyn’s mother provides for all three of them. She is able to support their daily needs and Reyn’s schooling by the income she gets from the small retail store.
During Typhoon Odette, Reyn’s family stayed inside the comfort room of the school where they were evacuated (疏散) to. There, he witnessed through the window how the strong winds of the typhoon destroyed the area. They stayed there until the storm subsided and it was safe for them to go out. Upon returning to their home, they were astonished to find that their house was damaged due to the fallen trees.
After observing the delays in restoring the electricity in their community, Reyn wanted to pursue a related job in the future. “I want to be an electrician someday so that if a power cut would happen because of a typhoon, I would be able to help in restoring it for free,” said Reyn.
1. What is the first paragraph mainly about?A.Different types of natural disasters. |
B.The introduction of a typhoon and its threats. |
C.Historical data of the strongest typhoons. |
D.The government’s reaction to Super Typhoon Rai. |
A.His father. | B.His cousin. | C.His family store. | D.His part-time job. |
A.Broke into. | B.Fell apart. | C.Went over. | D.Died down. |
A.To make money to support his family. |
B.To reward the community with his work. |
C.To restore power in time after typhoons. |
D.To meet his mother’s expectations of him. |
5 . For many people, retirement is a chance to take a break. Not so for Victorin Laboudallon from the Seychelles who spends his days planting forests to fight climate change. Wherever there’s a forest fire in the Seychelles, you can be sure you’ll find Laboudallon ready to fight back, armed with seeds and shovels.
Laboudallon is widely known across the Seychelles for his decades of environmental action and his big personality. While planting trees in the wet dirt, barefoot and laughing, he says his surname means “friend of the mud” in his local Creole language. “I’m not somebody who lives under the big concrete. I live under the beautiful trees,” he says, pointing above at the iconic coco de mer palm.
The Seychelles is a nation of 115 islands—known for beautiful beaches and biodiversity—off the east coast of Africa. Here climate change is not a distant prospect, but a daily reality. “We’ve got the sea rising,” says Laboudallon. “You can see places where there used to be houses. Now there are none. There is something on this planet going wrong.”
Nature enthusiasts like Laboudallon have taken matters into their own hands. While giving a tour of his tree nursery, he explains how different types of trees offer different services when adapting to climate change. For the Seychellois, mangroves (红树林) are fundamental.
Mangroves defend against the impacts of rising seas and coastal erosion (腐蚀) by reducing the height and force of the waves before they hit the shoreline.
This strategy of using nature—and the services it provides—to adapt to climate change is known as ecosystem-based adaptation. It’s often cheaper than concrete infrastructure (设施). Not to mention that it creates a space for nature. Communities can adapt to climate change while protecting biodiversity. It is no longer a choice between people and nature. Considering the Seychelles’ economy is highly dependent on ecotourism, ecosystem-based adaptation is seen as a promising approach.
1. What does Victorin Laboudallon do in his retirement?A.He travels around the world. | B.He enjoys his free time at home. |
C.He plants trees in different countries. | D.He fights climate change in the Seychelles. |
A.He prefers to live in big cities. | B.He is afraid of mud and dirt. |
C.He enjoys the beauty of trees and nature. | D.He feels safe when surrounded by concrete. |
A.Uncertain and potentially dangerous. | B.Hopeful and optimistic. |
C.Challenging but manageable. | D.Insignificant and not worth worrying about. |
A.It’s more costly than concrete infrastructure. |
B.It met with indifference among local communities. |
C.It’s a win-win strategy for local economy and ecosystem. |
D.It has no effect on the local environmental protection. |
6 . In southeastern Brazil, local fishers walk into dark waters in search of mullet (鲻鱼). On their own, it would be tricky to find the silvery fish. But the humans get help from an unusual partner—wild bottle-nose dolphins.
With nets in hand, the fishers patiently wait as their cetacean (鲸类的) partners drive the fish toward the shore. A signal from the dolphins—usually a deep dive—indicates when they should cast their nets. This fishing partnership has passed down through the generations, lasting for more than a century.
While researchers knew humans profited from this pairing, they couldn’t confirm whether it benefited the dolphins. Now, in a new study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers suggest cetaceans that hunt with humans have more chances to live than those that don’t.
“Human-wildlife cooperation in general is an uncommon phenomenon (现象) at a global scale,” says Mauricio Cantor, a biologist at Oregon State University and leader of the study. “Usually humans gain the benefit, and nature pays the cost. But this interaction (互动) has been happening for over 150 years.”
Fishers were more successful when they worked with the dolphins. When dolphins were present, the fishers were 17 times more likely to catch prey (猎物) and netted nearly four times more mullet when they timed their casting with the cetaceans signals. Eighty-six percent of all 4,955 mullet caught during the study period came from their interactions at the same time—when the allies organized their actions perfectly with one another.
The study also revealed dolphins hunting with humans had a 13 percent increase in survival rate over other dolphins. These cooperative (合作的) dolphins are more likely to stay near the shore reducing their chance of being caught in illegal fishing equipment. Besides, the dolphins can take some fish directly from the fishers harvest.
1. What do the first two paragraphs talk about concerning Brazilian fishers?A.They trick dolphins into fishing for them. |
B.They have been training dolphins over a century. |
C.They harvest more fish with dolphins’ help. |
D.They throw the fishing nets when dolphins are on the top of water. |
A.Nature supports human beings at no cost. |
B.Fishers benefiting from cooperation with cetaceans is common. |
C.Human-wildlife interaction is a new global trend. |
D.Dolphins working with man have higher survival rate. |
A.partners | B.preys | C.dolphins | D.researchers |
A.To call on the protection of sea creatures. |
B.To support development in fishing research. |
C.To show a unique human-dolphin relationship. |
D.To encourage fishers to better draw on dolphins. |
7 . As days are getting shorter and colder, people can often find themselves feeling sad or lacking the motivation to do anything. One possible reason for those feelings is seasonal affective disorder (SAD), which is common during the cold months.
Pay close attention to your dog’s behaviour.
Analyzing your dog’s behaviour will help you get a better understanding of whether they may be feeling sad.
Even when you’re inside, make sure to spend time playing or training your dog. Try to come up with new games that require you to interact with your dog. This is a great way to get your pet excited and boost their mood, and yours, too.
Provide them with as much sunlight as possible.
As with humans, the lack of sunlight during the winter can cause lower mood levels, so it is very important for your dog to get as much sunlight exposure as possible.
Ensure your dogs get exercise during the day.
The winter months are colder and darker, and it might be inviting to skip an exercise or a walk outside, but much like humans, this can have a significant effect on your dog’s mood.
A.Spend time interacting with your dog. |
B.Calm your dog down with relaxing activities. |
C.Whenever possible, take your dog outside for a walk. |
D.Observe their behaviour for a while and speak to a vet if needed. |
E.While we know people can suffer from SAD, can dogs get SAD too? |
F.Changes in routine or environment can cause your dog to feel unwell. |
G.Even a short walk can help improve your dog’s mood and also your own. |
8 . Our two-year investigation into caged (关在笼中) tigers in America sent us through 32 US states—with some truly shocking experiences. But as the deadline neared, I still needed a powerful and hopeful image.
When we began our reporting in 2017—Sharon, writing; me taking photos; and our son, NickRuggia, filming—more tigers likely lived in cages in the US than remained in the wild. The number ranged from 5,000 to 10,000, but without strict government oversight, no one knew for sure.
Roadside zoos that allowed tourists to take pictures of young tigers were the main cause of what’s been called a US tiger crisis (危机). Caged cats often ended up in the illegal wildlife trade. Young tigers, parted from their mothers at birth, were fed poorly and touched by hundreds of people. When they grew too big and dangerous to pet at around 12 weeks, young tigers were put on show, or simply disappeared.
While we documented the unpleasant part of this industry, we also wanted to show the good life these impressive animals could have. With two weeks left before my deadline, I headed to the Wild Animal Sanctuary near Denver, where well-cared cats walked freely in their habitat.
There I met Clay, Daniel, and Enzo, three of 39 tigers rescued from an animal park in Oklahoma. These nearly grown cats raced beside our car, which I’d seen only in the wild. It was a hot July day and soon two of the cats jumped into a pool to cool off. The third rested beside them on the ground. I crossed the road to take a picture of them. Then quietly, I came up close, trying not to disturb (打扰) them. I had the shot.
1. Why did the author start her reporting?A.To dig out the dark truth of caged tigers. | B.To explore the amazing land in the country. |
C.To tell people that baby tigers are harmless. | D.To share the happy moment during the trip. |
A.Forest fires. | B.Climate change. | C.Roadside zoos. | D.Water pollution. |
A.They prefer to stay indoors. | B.They are badly treated. |
C.They get used to the changes. | D.They are traded legally. |
A.To praise her family for their effort. | B.To explain what the animals suffered. |
C.To introduce a special kind of tigers. | D.To show some tigers lead an easy life. |
9 . As children, we used to listen to a song called “Sharing is Fun”, which was all about how we can enjoy things better when we share them. I was not always sure I agreed, particularly when it came to sharing my snacks with my two brothers.
But later, I come to be aware that the old German children’s song seems to be true — at least for humans. We altruistically (利他地,无私地) share food: in both hunter-gatherer and industrialized societies; there are customs and institutions to provide needy people with food, even when it is scarce and the donator needs the food themselves.
In a study in Leipzig, three-year-old children were presented with a task in which they had to pull a board with an unequal amount of sweets on either end. If there were five jellybeans on one side of the board and only one on the other side, the children would divide the treats so that everyone got the same amount.
In a very recent study, the 19-month-old infants tested witnessed an experimenter pick up a desirable fruit, “accidentally” dropping it out of reach. When the experimenter tried to reach for the dropped fruit with his outstretched arm, these little kids handed over the fruit, surprisingly even if they were hungry themselves.
It is well known that wolves provide their children with food, but this is probably an inborn action that can be explained by kin selection. Chimpanzees do share food with each other. But there is a difference in terms of with whom, why, and how chimpanzees share. Chimpanzees share independently of the effort each individual invested in the cooperative hunt — in contrast to the above-mentioned children who worked together to pull a board.
Evolutionary scientists have explained human food sharing like this: by giving away food to strangers, individuals may promote partnership and group cohesion (凝聚力), thereby helping the species succeed within the dynamic environment of evolutionary adaptation.
1. Why does the author mention the song “Sharing is Fun”?A.To express his opinion on sharing. | B.To explain the pleasure of sharing. |
C.To share his memory of childhood. | D.To introduce an old children’s song. |
A.The stages of sharing. | B.The benefits of sharing. |
C.The purposes of sharing. | D.The behaviors of sharing. |
A.Children and zookeepers. | B.Hunters and gatherers. |
C.Families and relatives. | D.Searchers and participants. |
A.By analyzing causes. | B.By making comparisons. |
C.By following time order. | D.By making classifications. |
10 . In 2022, campaign group Fashion Revolution Chelsea dye a garden for its Chelsea Flower Show presentation. An ancient craft, natural dyeing is a practice whose time has come again, with hand tie-dyed fashion also making a comeback in recent years.
The revival has been encouraged by Covid lockdowns, “which allowed people to explore the craft at home, says natural-dyeing enthusiast and teacher Susan Dye. It’s unlikely, though, that the practice would have caught on in quite the same way if not for a continually growing discomfort about fashion’s heavy footprint. From carbon emissions to animal cruelty, fashion is under considerable inspection. “Put it this way, 97% of dyes used in the industry are petrochemically (石油化学产品) based,” says sustainable fashion consultant Jackie Andrews, who helped advise the UN Ethical Fashion Initiative. We’ve got net zero targets which mean we’re going to have to remove all those petrochemicals from the manufacturing cycle.
Fashion is a huge polluter. According to the UN Environment Program, the industry is responsible for up to one-fifth of all industrial water pollution—due to the fact that most clothes today are produced in poorer countries where regulation is weak and enforcement weaker. Waste water is dumped directly into rivers and streams, poisoning the land as well as the water sources of people and animals who rely on them.
It’s easy to see why someone who cares about people, planet and animals, as well as clothes, might turn to natural plant dyeing. From the beauty of the raw materials—often wild plants-to the property of only bonding with natural fiber like cotton and linen (亚麻布) from the minor footprint of recycling old clothing that has grayed or faded over time to the vibrant and long-lasting dyeing results, plant dyeing feels like a quiet act of rebellion. This is why, while beginners start with simply changing their clothes’ color, new worlds open. Many of today’s natural dyers grow their own dye plants, run local community workshops, and advocate for change in industrialized fashion systems and beyond.
1. What is the main reason for the growing discomfort mentioned in paragraph 2?A.The adoption of petrochemical-based dyes |
B.The disturbing consequences of the fashion industry. |
C.The fashion industry’s focus on luxurious designs. |
D.The challenging net zero targets to be achieved. |
A.By making a comparison. | B.By listing numbers |
C.By giving examples. | D.By introducing a new topic |
A.A protest against turning to natural fiber. |
B.An objection to recycling old clothing |
C.A resistance to vibrant colors in natural dyeing |
D.A struggle for a sustainable fashion industry |
A.The Environmental Impact of Natural Dyeing |
B.The Return of Natural Dyeing with Ethical Appeal |
C.Fashion Revolution’s Dye Garden Presentation |
D.The Petrochemical Dye Industry and Its Challenges |