1 . Researchers are worried about the fishing equipment floating around the Pacific Ocean. These ghost nets threaten sea animals and pollute coastal areas.
A ghost net study led by biologist Jennifer Lynch found it difficult in many cases to identify the source of the ghost equipment. Lynch said she is not interested in blaming anyone. Instead, she hopes the study will find new ways to prevent damage to the environment.
Drew, a graduate student and one of the study’s lead researchers, said his biggest concern is that the equipment keeps killing fish and other wildlife long after it’s lost, leaving a path of ecological damage.
The ghost nets pollute oceans around the world, but the Hawaiian Islands are in the middle of two large areas of ocean pollution. It’s difficult to know where they came from. Experts believe many nets are lost accidentally. But some illegal fishing boats leave nets in the water to avoid being caught. Other fishermen cut away pieces of damaged nets instead of recovering them.
The research team gets some ghost nets from the Papahanaumokuakea National Marine Monument, the largest protected environment in the United States, also recognized as a United Nations World Heritage Site. Researchers look at about 70 different features of each piece of net, including the kinds of material used, and find nets from all parts of the Pacific.
Brian, a fisherman now working for a net manufacturer in Washington, said nets from poor countries are usually weaker.
Jonathan Moore, one of the researchers, said illegal and unreported fishing is sometimes associated with ghost nets and is among the greatest threats to oceans. Fishing net markings and rules, he added, should be "a central part of responsible fishing management operations".
1. What is difficult for researchers in many cases of ghost nets?| A．Finding out the source of the nets. | B．Checking the harm done by the nets. |
| C．What fish and other wildlife are killed. | D．The length of the ecological damage. |
| A．The research experts. | B．The ghost nets. |
| C．The areas of pollution. | D．The Hawaiian Islands. |
| A．Helping poor countries make strong nets. | B．Trying different materials for fishing nets. |
| C．Making rules about marking fishing nets. | D．Recovering the ghost nets after they’re lost. |
| A．Strict Ocean Fishing Management Is Needed |
| B．Ghost Nets Should Be Recovered from the Sea |
| C．A UN World Heritage Site in the US Is in Danger |
| D．Lost Fishing Equipment Threatens Ocean Life |
2 . On March 18, 34-year-old Lance Karlson was walking on the beach and looking for somewhere to swim in Geographe Bay when he saw what he thought was a stingray (黄貂鱼) leap from the water.
Realizing the creature was, in fact, an octopus (章鱼), he started filming it — just in time for the angry octopus to launch itself at him. He immediately felt a sharp pain across his left arm, followed by a second strike across his neck and upper back. His goggles (护目镜) fogged and the water around him turned dark with what he thought might have been octopus ink as he struggled back toward the shore.
"I was confused — it was more of a shock than a fright," said Karlson, "I might have hit on its home." Within a minute, a perfect imprint of an octopus tentacle (触手) appeared on Karlson's neck and back.
A former volunteer lifeguard, Karlson rushed back to his hotel room to find something acidic to put on the wound. All his family could grab was Coca-Cola, which his wife poured over his back and the pain disappeared.
"The pain went away and more than anything since then, it's been more the physical hit that was painful.... The imprint on my neck is more from the physical hit, and I guess it makes complete sense when you look at the video I took," he said.
Karlson said he'd never seen an octopus that close before and watched Netflix documentary "My Octopus Teacher" after the incident to learn more about the species.
"They are beautiful creatures and I really hope this promotes more interest in octopuses as opposed to fear of them. I think this is a fascinating creature with clearly some very strong emotions just like we do as humans," he added.
1. When did the octopus attack Karlson?| A．When he was swimming in the bay. |
| B．When he was shooting the octopus. |
| C．When he was looking for some fish. |
| D．When he was fighting against the octopus. |
| A．The lifeguard's timely help. |
| B．Karson's wife's quick action. |
| C．The family members' efforts. |
| D．Karlson’s knowledge of first aid. |
| A．The octopus is dangerous. |
| B．People should get away from the octopus. |
| C．People need know more about the octopus. |
| D．The physical hit from the octopus is painful. |
| A．Pain from Strong Attack |
| B．First Aid for Octopus' Strike |
| C．Face to Face with Angry Octopus |
| D．Under Sea with Dangerous Creature |
3 . While space travel still gets lot of attention, not enough attention has been paid to the exploration of oceans, about which we know much less than the dark side of the moon.
Ninety percent of the ocean floor has not even been recorded and while we have been to the moon, the technology to explore the ocean's floors is still being developed. For example, a permanent partially-underwater sea exploration station, called the Sea Orbiter, is currently in development.
The oceans play a major role in controlling our climate. But we have not learned yet how to use them to cool us off rather than contribute to our overheating. Ocean organisms are said to hold the promise of cures for a wide of the unique eyes of skate (ray fish) led to advances in conquering blindness, the horseshoe crab was important in developing a test for bacterial pollution, and sea urchins helped in the development of test-tube fertilization(人工授精). The toadfish's' ability to regenerate its central nervous system is of much interest to neuroscientists. A recent Japanese study concluded that the drug Eribulin, which was taken from sea sponges, is effective in fighting with breast, colon, and Urinary cancer.
Given the approaching crisis of water insufficiency, we badly need to improve current methods, of desalinating(淡化) ocean water and make them more efficient and less costly. By 2025, 1.8 billion people are expected to suffer from severe water shortage, with that number jumping to 3. 9 billion by 2050-well over a third of the entire global population.
If the oceans do not make your heart go beating faster, how about engineering a bacterium that eats carbon dioxide — and thus helps protect the world from overheating — and produces fuel which will allow us to drive our cars and machines, without oil? I cannot find any evidence that people young or old, Americans or citizens of other nations would be less impressed or less inspired with such a breakthrough than with one more set of photos of a faraway galaxy or a whole Milky Way full of stars.
1. What does the author think about the ocean exploration?| A．It is equal to the space exploration. | B．It is well developed. |
| C．It deserves more attention and devotion. | D．It is beyond our knowledge. |
| A．Curing human diseases with ocean organisms. |
| B．Preventing the world getting warmer. |
| C．Mapping the global ocean floor. |
| D．Removing salt from sea water. |
| A．The temperature rise will be overcome by a bacterium. |
| B．Solving the existing problems is more significant. |
| C．The space exploration is worth the efforts. |
| D．The ocean exploration is not inspiring. |
| A．Oceans, the Last Hope. | B．Oceans, the Hidden Treasure. |
| C．Space, the Final Frontier. | D．Space, the Faraway Dream. |
4 . Britain's brilliant bridges have supported trade, brought communities together and are always the most exciting part of the journey. These must-see bridges are now tourist attractions in their own right.
Clifton Suspension Bridge, Bristol
Described by its legendary engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel as “my first love, my darling", it was originally designed for horse-drawn traffic. Now, more than four million vehicles a year cross the 1,352ft-long toll （通行费）bridge over the Avon Gorge. The £ 1 toll for every journey pays for its maintenance. The history of the bridge, dating back to 1864, is kept alive through a programme of tours, events and exhibitions.
Infinity Bridge, Stockton-On-Tees
A pedestrian（行人）and cycle footbridge across the River Tees, its working title was the North Shore Footbridge, before it was given its grander name when opened in 2009. It is particularly incredible at night. The arches（拱形）of the bridge are also lit white and, on calm nights, their reflection in the water appears as an infinity（无穷大）symbol, thus inspiring the name which was chosen by the public.
Tower Bridge, London
An engineering wonder built from thousands of tons of Portland stone and steel, it took construction workers eight years to complete. More than 120 years old, it's a popular tourist attraction, as well as a functional bridge. Visitors can take in the views over the capital, experience seeing London life through the Glass Floor, and visit the Victorian Engine Rooms.
Iron Bridge, Shropshire
Opened in 1781 , this is the first arch bridge in the world made out of cast iron. Recognised as one of the great symbols of the industrial revolution, it transformed the craft of bridge building and was a crucial factor in the development of the iron trade in Shropshire.
1. Which bridge has the longest history?| A．Clifton Suspension Bridge. | B．Infinity Bridge. |
| C．Tower Bridge. | D．Iron Bridge. |
| A．It was originally meant for pedestrains. | B．The public give it two names. |
| C．Ifs well worth visiting at night. | D．Its arch is bigger than any other bridge's. |
| A．It charges drivers for each passing. | B．It offers walkers a good view at night. |
| C．It was made from thousands of stones. | D．It's a symbol of the industrial revolution. |
5 . Six Solar Terms in Summer
Lixia
Lixia is the first solar term in summer, signifying the beginning of the hot summer.
Xiaoman and Mangzhong
During Xiaoman, summer harvest crops such as wheat already bear fruits, and their seeds are full though they are not ripe yet. Thus, the solar term is named Xiaoman. The solar term Xiaoman is in late May. Summer begins to reach all parts of the country. Rainfall begins to increase further. Mangzhong means, "wheat with awn（芒）should be harvested soon, and rice seeds with awn can be sown".
Xiazhi
On the day of Xiazhi, the daytime in the Northern Hemisphere（半球）reaches its maxi-mum length.
Xiaoshu and Dashu
| A．The character shu means heat. |
| B．It predicts the busy farming activities of farmers. |
| C．The temperatures rise and summer drought begins. |
| D．The more northern a place is, the longer its daytime is. |
| E．People need to prepare for heat prevention and cooling. |
| F．It means the end of spring, and the beginning of summer. |
| G．It marks the hottest period with the highest temperatures in a year. |
6 . One of the greatest challenges in caring for such intelligent animals as chimpanzees (猩猩) is providing them with enriching experiences. Every day, the chimpanzees at Project Chimps receive morning and evening food-based enrichment devices, but caregivers are always looking for more ways to keep the chimps mentally engaged. With 79 chimpanzees, each with their distinctive personality, care staff often find that different chimps react differently to new enrichment.
Last year, we began inviting musicians to perform for chimps to see what they may respond. A violin performance received quite the response. Additional musicians were lined up to visit but the coronavirus has stopped the activities, which we hope to resume in the near future.
This past week, we brought an electric piano for the chimps to investigate. Some chimps, like twins Buttercup and Clarisse, were immediately interested and could not wait to tap out a few notes. Others, like Emma, were more interested in trying to take it apart.
29-year-old Precious has very little tolerance for the piano. She sat off to the side for a few minutes, but eventually she decided that was enough. She called an end to the enrichment session by throwing a handful of waste at the piano. Receiving her message loud and clear, we removed the piano.
We could never have guessed how 33-year-old Luke would react to it. As with many retired lab chimpanzees, Luke has some anxiety issues. He seems particularly distrustful of anything new, including people, food, and enrichment. But when we presented the chimps with the piano, Luke was the first to investigate. We could not believe our eyes—this usually anxious chimpanzee bravely chose to explore something new!
To us at Project Chimps, this is what it is all about: giving chimpanzees the freedom to choose. We are honored to be part of their journey.
1. Why do chimpanzees respond differently to new enrichment?| A．They are of different genders. |
| B．They have natural curiosities. |
| C．They are as intelligent as humans. |
| D．They have their unique characters. |
| A．Buttercup and Clarisse. | B．Emma. | C．Precious. | D．Luke. |
| A．Continue. | B．Suspend. | C．Monitor. | D．Regulate. |
| A．How caregivers care for the retired chimpanzees. |
| B．What care staff do to enrich chimpanzees’ daily life. |
| C．How chimpanzees are trained through various enrichment. |
| D．What Project Chimps does to observe and study wild chimps. |
7 . Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (麻省理工学院) have turned spider webs into music——creating an strange soundtrack that could help them better understand how the spiders output their complex creations and even how they communicate.
The MIT team worked with Berlin-based artist Tomas Saraceno to take 2D (two- dimensional) laser (激光) scans of a spider web, which were linked together and made into a mathematical model that could recreate the web in 3D in VR (virtual reality). They also worked with MIT’s music department to create the virtual instrument.
“Even though the web looks really random (随机)，there actually are a lot of inside structures and you can visualize (可视化) them and you can look at them, but it’s really hard to grasp for the human imagination or human brain to understand all these structural details,” said MIT engineering professor Markus Buehler, who presented the work on Monday at a virtual meeting of the American Chemical Society.
Listening to the music while moving through the VR spider web lets you see and hear these structural changes and gives a better idea of how spiders see the world, he told CNN. “Spiders use vibrations (振动) as a way to locate themselves, to communicate with other spiders and so the idea of thinking really like a spider would experience the world was something that was very important to us as spider material scientists,” Buehler said.
Spiders are able to build their webs without shelves or supports, so having a better idea of how they work could lead to the development of advanced new 3D printing techniques. “The reason why I did that is I wanted to be able to get information really from the spider world, which is very weird and mysterious,” Buehler explained. In addition to the scientific value, Buehler said the webs are musically interesting and that you can hear the sounds the spider creates during construction. “It’s unusual and eerie and scary, but finally beautiful.” he described.
1. What have MIT scientists done according to the passage?| A．They have translated spider webs into sounds. |
| B．They have made a mathematical model to produce webs. |
| C．They have created a soundtrack to catch spiders. |
| D．They have known how spiders communicate. |
| A．Their structures are beautiful and clear. |
| B．Professor Markus Buehler knows them well. |
| C．The American Chemical Society presents the result. |
| D．They are complex for people to figure it out. |
| A．virtual reality | B．printing |
| C．painting | D．film-making |
| A．It tells us that the music created by spiders is scary. |
| B．It shows how the researchers carry out the experiment. |
| C．It presents a new and creative way to study spiders. |
| D．It explains why scientists did the experiment. |
8 . The annual 3-to-4-millimeter rise in sea levels is expected to impact many coastal communities in the coming decades. However, few are as defenceless as the Republic of the Maldives, a collection of more than a thousand picturesque islands in the Indian Ocean. NASA researchers believe that parts of what is “arguably the lowest-lying country in the world” will become uninhabitable by 2050, due to wave-driven flooding and limited freshwater. To fight the unavoidable, the government recently revealed plans for the world's first 'true' floating island city.
The aptly-named Maldives Floating City (MFC) is the brainchild of Dutch Docklands, a global leader in floating infrastructure ( 基建). According to the March 13, 2021, announcement, the new city will be constructed on a 200-hectare lagoon (环礁湖) located just 10 minutes by boat from the Maldivian capital, Male. It will initially consist of a thousand waterfront residences, arranged in a series of honeycomb-like maze rows. The developers plan to add hotels, restaurants, shops, and even a school and a hospital in the near future. The floating structures. will be attached to the surrounding islands, which will form a base and provide protection from high tides.
Maldive officials aim to make MFC as self-sufficient as possible. Freshwater storage will provide drinking water for residents, while floating solar blankets and agriculture fields will take care of their energy and food needs.
“This Maldives Floating City does not require any land rehabilitation, therefore has a minimal impact on the coral reefs,” explains Mohamed Nasheed, Speaker of Parliament. “What's more, giant, new reefs will be grown to act as water breakers. In the Maldives, we cannot stop the waves, but we can rise with them.”
Construction of the revolutionary city is expected to begin in 2022 and be completed in phases over the next five years. If successful, it will provide a blueprint for other countries facing a similar situation.
1. Why does Maldives decide to build MFC?| A．It is the lowest-lying country. | B．It will be flooded soon. |
| C．It is running out of fresh water. | D．It will be unsuitable for living. |
| A．The prospect of MFC. |
| B．The developers of the plan. |
| C．The location of the residences. |
| D．The barriers to the construction. |
| A．MFC will keep waves away. |
| B．MFC will make use of waves. |
| C．MFC will adjust to the waves. |
| D．MFC will work as water breakers. |
| A．To introduce a construction program. |
| B．To appeal to people to protect nature. |
| C．To seek international help for Maldives. |
| D．To report the achievement of a city plan, |
9 . British sculptor Jason Taylor has made it his mission to use his talent to conserve our ecosystems by creating underwater museums. Over the years, the environmentalist has put over 850 massive artworks underwater worldwide. On February 1, 2021, Taylor launched his latest work---The Underwater Museum of Cannes.
“The main goal was to bring attention to the fact that our oceans need our help,” Taylor told Dezeen. “Ocean ecologies have been destroyed by human activity in the Mediterranean over the past few decades, and it is not obvious what is taking place when observing the sea from afar.”
The Underwater Museum of Cannes contains 6 sculptures featuring local residents of various ages. They range from Maurice, an 80-year-old fisherman, to Anouk, a 9-year-old student. Towering over 6-feet-tall and weighing 10 tons, the faces are sectioned into two parts, with the outer part like a mask. The mask indicates that the world’s oceans appear powerful and unbeatable from the surface but house an ecosystem that is extremely fragile to careless human activities.
Though the waters surrounding the sculptures now appear a pristine blue, the seabed was filled with old boat engines, pipes, and other human-made trash when the project began about four years ago. Besides removing the trash, Taylor also restored the area’s seagrass. Just one square meter of the seagrass can generate up to 10 liters of oxygen daily. The seagrass also helps prevent coastal erosion and provides habitats for many ocean creatures.
“The idea of creating an underwater museum was to draw more people underwater and develop a sense of care and protection,” Taylor told Dezeen. “If we threw unwanted waste near a forest, there would be a public outcry. But this is happening every day in our surrounding waters and it largely goes unnoticed.”
1. What are the underwater museums intended to do?| A．To make huge profits. | B．To raise awareness of protecting the ocean. |
| C．To show Jason Taylor’s talent. | D．To draw attention to endangered sea animals. |
| A．To popularize the features of the locals. |
| B．To remind people to protect themselves. |
| C．To reflect people’s protection of the ocean. |
| D．To stress the sensitiveness of the ecosystem. |
| A．How the project was started. | B．How the seagrass was restored. |
| C．What recovery effort the project made. | D．Why the surroundings were improved. |
| A．The situation of the ocean is easily ignored. |
| B．The destruction caused to the ocean is noticeable. |
| C．Forests play a more important role in ecosystems. |
| D．People have zero tolerance to damage done to nature. |
10 . For millions of years, Arctic sea ice has expanded and shrunk in a rhythmic dance with the summer sun. Humans evolved in this icy world, and civilization relied on it for climatic, ecological and political stability. But now the world comes ever closer to a future without ice. The National Snow and Ice Data Center reported that 2019’s minimum arctic sea ice extent was the second lowest on record. Arctic summers could become mostly ice-free in 30 years, and possibly sooner if current trends continue. As the northern sea ice declines, the world must unite to preserve what remains of the Arctic.
Although most people have never seen the sea ice, its effects are never far away. By reflecting sunlight, Arctic ice acts as Earth’s air conditioner. Once dark water replaces brilliant ice, Earth could warm substantially, equivalent to the warming caused by the additional release of a trillion tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere and declining sea ice threatens wildlife, from the polar bear to algae that grow beneath the sea ice, supporting the large amount of marine life.
To avoid the consequences the scientific community should advocate not just for lowering greenhouse gas emissions, but also for protecting the Arctic from exploitation. The Antarctic shows the way. In the 1950s, countries raced to claim the Antarctic continent for resources and military installations. Enter the scientists. The 1957-1958 International Geophysical Year brought together scientists from competing countries to study Antarctica, and countries temporarily suspended their territorial disputes (争议). In 1959, 12 countries signed the Antarctic Treaty to preserve the continent for peaceful scientific discovery rather than territorial and military gain.
Sixty years later, we must now save the Arctic. A new Marine Arctic Peace Sanctuary (MAPS) Treaty would protect the Arctic Ocean as a scientific preserve for peaceful purposes only. Similar to Antarctica, MAPS would prohibit resource exploitation, commercial fishing and shipping, and military exercises. So far, only 2 non-Arctic countries have signed MAPS; 97 more need to sign on to enact it into law. Scientists can help—just as they did for the Antarctic—by giving statements of support, asking scientific organizations to endorse (支持) the treaty, communicating the importance of protecting the arctic to the public and policy-makers, and above all, by convincing national leaders to sign the treaty. In particular, Arctic nations must agree that recognizing the arctic as an international preserve is better than fighting over it. In 2018, these countries successfully negotiated a 16-year moratorium on commercial fishing in the Arctic high seas, demonstrating that such agreements are possible.
Humans have only ever lived in a world topped by ice. Can we now work together to protect Arctic ecosystems, keep the northern peace, and allow the sea ice to return?
1. What can be inferred from the passage?| A．wildlife relies on sea ice for food and water. |
| B．The Arctic would be ice-free in 30 years. |
| C．Sea ice slows down the global warming. |
| D．The melting of sea ice releases CO2. |
| A．remind readers of the past of the Antarctic |
| B．propose a feasible approach for the Arctic |
| C．stress the importance of preserving sea ice |
| D．recall how the Antarctic Treaty came into being |
| A．battle | B．ban |
| C．memo | D．protection |
| A．Antarctic: a Successful Comeback? | B．Sea Ice and Global Warming |
| C．Arctic: the Earth’s Future | D．Life Without Ice? |
