1 . I was talking to my friend Sandy about our children. Sandy had recently moved into the neighborhood with her four kids: Jane, Joe, Christopher, and her youngest, eighteen-month-old Kim. She seemed happy to have kids nearby, until she saw our dog, Sam.
Sam, our shiny black dog, loved to play with the kids and protect them. But Sandy had a fear of dogs, and she started to back away as Sam approached. I grabbed Sam’s collar and made him sit, trying to ease Sandy’s discomfort.
Sandy mentioned that she needed to get her kids ready to go to their grandmother’s house. Just then, her door opened and her kids rushed out. Sandy shouted at them to stay away from Sam.
The kids huddled (蜷缩) around their mom, looking at Sam cautiously (谨慎地). Emma, my daughter, showed the kids how to approach a dog slowly and properly. The kids were won over by Sam’s friendly nature, but I knew it would take some time for Sandy to change her viewpoint.
After that incident, we made sure that Sam didn’t go near our neighbors without me present. One day, when the kids were playing across the street, I noticed the eighteen-month-old baby heading towards a small hill. I saw a car approaching and shouted to everyone to watch the baby. Without hesitation, Sam rushed out the door and ran across the street towards the baby. He ran to the boy in time to gently push the baby away from the oncoming car. The kids cheered, completely unaware of the danger. They thought Sam had come to play.
Within a year, Sam had made friends with all the neighbors. Even Sandy started to warm up to Sam and would occasionally come over to give him a hug.
1. How did Sandy feel when she first saw Sam?| A．Excited. | B．Curious. | C．Fearful. | D．Awkward. |
| A．They looked at Sam with watchful eyes. |
| B．They formed a circle to protect their mom. |
| C．They held him by the collar to make him sit. |
| D．They prepared to escape from the dog. |
| A．Curious. | B．Brave. | C．Funny. | D．Sensitive. |
2 . A large flood caused by heavy rains and melting mountain snow recently hit America’s Yellowstone National Park. It caused widespread damage and resulted in many changes.
It changed the path of a river popular for fishing and also devastated hundreds of homes, bridges and roadways in nearby communities. It drove more than 10, 000 visitors out of the park. Luckily, no one was reported hurt. However, the park could remain closed for up to one week. The water also washed away camp structures, flooded small towns and cut power to parts of southern Montana and northern Wyoming.
The Yellowstone River was running at a historically high level of 4. 9 meters as it flowed past Billings, Montana’s largest city. The city got its water from the river and was forced to close its treatment plant (工厂) because it couldn’t operate effectively with water levels that high. Billings officials said the city only had a 24-hour supply of water. They were asking people to save water until the river could drop and the plant could restart operations.
Yellowstone officials said, “The northern half of the park is likely to remain closed over the summer. This will greatly affect local economies that depend on summer tourists. But we have faith in the park repairs and economic recovery.”
1. What does the underlined word “devastated” mean in Paragraph 2?| A．Ruined. | B．Promoted. | C．Challenged. | D．Demanded. |
| A．The flood lasted quite long. | B．The flood left bad effects. |
| C．The flood was caused for some reasons. | D．The flood killed 10, 000 visitors. |
| A．It needed new equipment to supply water. | B．It cut down the city’s water supply for 24 hours. |
| C．It was forced to operate in 24 hours. | D．It stopped working. |
| A．Positive. | B．Doubtful. | C．Uncertain. | D．Curious. |
3 . Ruby was a police dog with the Rhode Island State Police, but she didn’t always work with them. Ruby was once a handful who was in and out of the sheller. She was returned five times by different families. She was considered unadoptable because of her high energy and she was just unmanageable
The shelter workers thought her energy may be put to work. They reached the state police, who wanted to give Ruby a second chance and decided to try her out as a rescue dog. O’Neil was picked to be her handler (驯犬员) .
“We have something in common. When I was younger, I couldn’t focus and I wasn’t good at school. But no one really ever gave up on me,” O’Neil said. “I think that’s why we were bound to be together.” A normal dog could be trained in months. For Ruby, it took a year and a half, but O’Neil didn’t want to give up on her. Finally, she was a certified police dog. Six years later, she became even more than that -a hero.
“We got a call stating there was a missing boy, and we just went out and started searching. After eight hours, Ruby ran down a hill. I looked over the hill and saw the injured boy,” ONeil recalled.
O’Neil went to tell the mother that the boy was found alive and told her a police dog helped save her son. Then they realised a surprising connection: the boy’s mum once worked at an animal shelter. “There was a dog that I heard became a state trooper (兵) a few years ago. The dog was named Ruby. She was the sweetest thing,” she told him.
“Are you kidding?” O’Neil said. “That dog that you helped for all those times to get adopted just saved your son’s life.”
1. Which of the following can best replace the underlined word “handful” in paragraph 1?| A．Popular dog. | B．Good helper. | C．Troublemaker | D．Intelligent dog |
| A．A shelter dog. | B．A rescue dog. | C．A guard dog. | D．A pet dog. |
| A．ONeil’s guidance. | B．Ruby’s high energy |
| C．Ruby’s determination. | D．ONeil’s perseverance |
| A．The mother once helped Ruby in the shelter. | B．The mother was Ruby’s former handler |
| C．Ruby was once adopted by the mother. | D．Ruby saved the mother before. |
4 . 
Panda Ya Ya returns home
Ya Ya the giant panda has just arrived in Shanghai, east China on Thursday after 20 years of stay at the Memphis Zoo in the U.S. The flight was around 15.5 hours. Both Chinese and American vets are with Ya Ya.
Ya Ya was born at Beijing Zoo on August 3, 2000. She arrived at Memphis Zoo in April, 2003. Ya Ya has become a bridge of friendship between Chinese and foreign people. She will spend a month in Shanghai before returning to her birthplace, Beijing Zoo.
We do hope all pandas that are in foreign countries can be healthy and happy.
Did you know…?
Baby pandas are born pink and measure about 15cm-that’s about the size of a pencil
Giant pandas spend up to 12 hours a day eating bamboo.
Pandas live for about 20 years in the wild, but in the zoos they can live for up to 35 years.
1. Ya Ya was born in _______.| A．Beijing | B．Chengdu | C．Shanghai ` | D．Guangzhou |
| A．Black and white. | B．Pink. | C．Yellow. | D．Gray. |
| A．Ya Ya spend up to 10 hours a day eating bamboo. | B．Shanghai Zoo is Ya Ya’s final home. |
| C．Ya Ya had a short flight coming back home. | D．Ya Ya helps foreigners know more about China. |
| A．a piece of news | B．an ad | C．a diary | D．a letter |
5 . A man named Randy liked to look for big trees and old trees. He made maps to show where these trees were. He did not want to cut them down. He wanted people to take care of them.
Randy was told that there was a very tall tree on Vancouver Island. The tree was said to be 314 feet tall. That would make it the tallest tree in Canada. Randy started to find the tree.
But someone else found it first. It was found by a logger (伐木工). Loggers wanted to cut down Canada’s tallest tree and all the trees around it.
Randy made a path in the forest so people could see the tallest tree. The tree was so big and beautiful that it would bring them enjoyment. More and more people wanted to save that forest. Thanks to these people, that forest is now a park. Canada’s tallest tree is still there.
1. Why did Randy make maps of big trees and old trees?| A．To carry out his duty carefully. | B．To avoid getting lost in forests. |
| C．To show where these trees were. | D．To get information for selling them. |
| A．Take care of it. | B．Cut it down. |
| C．Take pictures of it. | D．Make it famous. |
| A．To help people cut it. | B．To help people see it. |
| C．To help people water it. | D．To help people move it. |
| A．It is now a park. | B．People burned it down. |
| C．It will disappear soon. | D．People lost interest in it. |
6 . Blowing Up Balloons with CO₂
Chemical reactions (化学反应) make for some great experiments. You can make use of the CO₂(carbon dioxide) given off by a baking soda (小苏打) and lemon juice reaction to blow up your balloon!
What you’ll need:
●Balloon ●About 40ml of water ●Soft drink bottle
●Juice from a lemon ●I teaspoon of baking soda
Instructions:
●Before you begin, make sure that you pull the balloon long to make it as easy as possible to blow up.
●Put the 40ml of water into the soft drink bottle.
●Add the baking soda and mix it with water.
●Put the lemon juice in and quickly put the balloon over the mouth of the bottle.
What’s happening?
If all goes well, then your balloon should inflate! Adding the lemon juice to the baking soda creates a chemical reaction and produces CO₂. The gas rises up and escapes (逸出) through the soft drink bottle. It doesn’t, however, escape the balloon, pushing it outwards and blowing it up.
1. Which of the following do you need for the experiment?| A．Two cups. | B．Apple juice. |
| C．250 ml water. | D．A teaspoon of baking soda. |
| A．Heat the water. | B．Drink some juice. |
| C．Blow up the balloon. | D．Pull the balloon long. |
| A．To describe an experiment. | B．To introduce a game. |
| C．To produce soft drinks. | D．To save some chemicals. |
7 . Pet-friendly train rides
Why not consider a great pet-friendly train ride on your next trip? You can enjoy the local landscapes while making wonderful memories with your pet.
Skunk Train—California
Located in Northern California’s Mendocino County, the 131-year-old Skunk Train travels through grasslands and mountains. It offers two route choices.
Noyo River Canyon—Leaving from Fort Bragg, this trip runs along the Pudding Creek Estuary and then snakes along the Noyo River.
Coastal Range and Redwoods—Leaving from Willits and traveling to Northspur, this mountainous route travels 8.5 miles of track.
Pet Policy: Dogs are the only pets allowed on the plane, and you need to pay $10 for your dog to ride the train.
Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad-Oregon
The Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad runs daily coastal trips between Garibaldi and Rockaway Beach from mid-June to early September. Weekend service lasts from late May to the end of September.
Pet Policy: Well-behaved dogs are welcome. The staff asks that families with dogs sit in the open cars, which offer more space to them.
Monticello Railway Museum—Illinois
The Monticello Railway Museum is open for train rides on Saturdays and Sundays from May through October as part of the museum’s educational mission. Visitors can get on the train at two stations. You’re welcome to visit the the museum gift shop.
Pet Policy: pets can ride the train for free. All types of pets are welcome.
Oil & Creek Titusville Railroad—Pennsylvania
This train ride leaves from Perry Street Station in Titusville, Pennsylvania. On this 3-hour round-trip ride, you’ll learn about the history of Pennsylvania’s oil industry while you watch for ducks, deer, and possibly a black bear.
Pet Policy: Dogs can ride the train at a cost of $5. Someone must stay with the dog at your seat; you cannot walk around the train with your dog.
1. What is special about Skunk Train?| A．It is free for pets. | B．It has two routes available. |
| C．It features educational trips. | D．It is a newly-started train ride. |
| A．Skunk Train | B．Monticello Railway Museum |
| C．Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad | D．Oil Crock & Titusville Railroad |
| A．Watch wild animals along the trip. |
| B．Visit the gift shop at either station. |
| C．Walk around the train with their dog. |
| D．Learn about the history of Illinois’ oil industry. |
8 . It is late autumn—millions of gardeners across the northern hemisphere, pulled on their thickest sweaters, spent hours clearing large piles of leaves and packed them into plastic bags at the end of driveways.
In the US alone, nearly 10 million tonnes of garden waste go to landfill every year. That is a large amount of effort, not just from an environmental viewpoint but from that of our aching backs, too. So where does this advice come from? Well, it largely comes from the belief that thick fallen leaves can make plants under them unable to breathe, especially shorter grass. They shut down important photosynthesis (光合作用) and get in the way of the growth of the shorter grass. However, this received wisdom has recently been questioned by researchers at Wisconsin University.
The key finding of their new research was that although clearing fallen leaves is one of the most common gardening practices, it makes very little sense. In natural ecosystems, fallen leaves help return nutrients necessary for healthy plant growth to the soil, which greatly improves soil condition. Removing leaves year after year breaks this ecological (生态的) balance. Letting some leaves stick around to cover your garden is a great way to help your grass and the local ecosystem.
They further explained that if up to 50percent of your grass lawn (草坪) is covered by fallen leaves, you might as well go back indoors and put your feet up. The advantages of this light leaf coverage far outweigh the disadvantages—the leaves will quickly break down and help next year’s lawn grow far better than if you had cleared them. Only at over 50 percent coverage do the Wisconsin researchers recommend clearing.
So why not consider leaving the leaves? Save time, carbon and effort, and in exchange get a healthier lawn from this garden waste—that seems like a pretty good deal. And how many plastic bags could be saved by simply not binning fallen leaves every year? In the US alone, about 700 million.
1. What does the author describe in paragraph 1?| A．An amazing autumn game. | B．A common sight in gardens. |
| C．A hot attraction in the north. | D．An extreme weather event. |
| A．Fallen leaves need not be cleared. |
| B．Fallen leaves protect shorter grass. |
| C．Fallen leaves block photosynthesis. |
| D．Fallen leaves are hard to break down. |
| A．it ruins city image | B．it breaks gardening rules |
| C．it affects local economy | D．it causes ecological damage |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Positive. | C．Unclear. | D．Worried. |
9 . After years of debate, gray wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park. Fourteen wolves were caught in Canada and moved to the park. By 2016, the Yellowstone wolf population had grown to more than 170.
Gray wolves once were seen here and there in the Yellowstone area and other parts of United States, but they were gradually displaced by human development. By the 1920s, wolves had disappeared from the Yellowstone area. They went farther north into the deep forests of Canada, where there were fewer humans around. The disappearance of the wolves had many unexpected results. Deer and elk populations—major food sources(来源)for the wolf—grew rapidly. These animals ate large amounts of plants, which reduced plant diversity(多样性)in the park. With the disappearance of gray wolves, coyote(草原狼)populations also grew quickly. The coyotes killed a great number of red foxes in the park, and completely drove away the park’s beavers(河狸).
As early as 1966, biologists asked the government to consider reintroducing wolves to Yellowstone Park. They hoped that wolves would be able to control the elk and coyote problems. Many farmers were against the plan because they feared that wolves would kill their farm animals or pets.
The government spent nearly 30 years thinking up a plan to reintroduce the wolves. The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service carefully monitors and manages the wolf packs in Yellowstone. Today, the debate continues over how well the gray wolf is fitting in at Yellowstone. Elk, deer, and coyote populations are down, while beavers and red foxes have made a comeback. The Yellowstone wolf project has been a valuable experiment to help biologists decide whether to reintroduce wolves to other parts of the country as well.
1. What does the underlined word “displaced” in paragraph 2 mean?| A．Killed one by one. | B．Separated from relatives. |
| C．Forced to move out. | D．Followed secretly. |
| A．The number of deer increased fast. | B．More people moved into the park. |
| C．Red foxes ate too many plants. | D．Beavers in the park were all killed. |
| A．they believed it could keep the park back to normal |
| B．they knew the government was considering that too |
| C．they were sure it would solve the elk and coyote problems. |
| D．they thought farmers needn’t worry about animals and pets |
| A．Wildlife research in the United States. |
| B．Plant diversity in the Yellowstone area. |
| C．A war between American farmers and gray wolves. |
| D．The reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone Park. |
10 . EO Photography Competition 2024
Thank you to everyone who participated in the Climate Crisis Photography Competition 2023. The winners will be announced on our website and be notified (通知) via email by September 23, 2023.
The Winner of the Earth. Org “Overall Best Environmental Photo” 2023 will be awarded US $500. The winners of the two sub-categories “Wildlife in Peril” 2023 and “Climate Action” 2023 will be awarded US $250 each.
Our Nature and Wildlife Photo Competition 2024 is now open for submissions (提交), where you will have the opportunity to show your work to the world, and win one of three cash prizes. All entries must be received by April 26th, 2024.
EO Photography Competition 2024: Categories
1.Wildlife in Peril
Document or highlight the biodiversity and wildlife struggles caused by climate change and human activities. For example: trapped or endangered animals.
2.Climate Action
Photographs that capture (拍摄) environmental protests, climate solutions in practice, or actions promoting change.
Note:
Don’t submit: photographs of pets, images that are blurry (模糊的) or beautiful landscape works that do not show the theme of the categories.
How To Enter
To enter the EO Climate Crisis Photography Competition 2024, participants must submit their best 3 photographs for each category (max 6 altogether).
Please use the following format (格式) for submitting your photos: “Category_Name”. If you don’t submit your photos using the format, they will not be considered.
2024 Prizes
All winners will be invited to take over the Earth. Org Instagram page for a week each.
All winners will be interviewed for articles on Earth. Org and given the chance to show their work in our articles.
Winners will be announced on our website and notified via email by June 21st, 2024.
The 20 best photos selected from all participants will also be invited to join our network of EO Photographers.
2024 Photography Competition Judges
They will be announced on September 29th, 2023.
1. What is the final date for competition entries to be submitted?
| A．September 23rd, 2023. | B．September 29th, 2023. |
| C．April 26th, 2024. | D．June 21st, 2024. |
| A．Submitting photographs of wildlife. |
| B．Using the “Category_Name” format. |
| C．Showing the theme of protecting nature. |
| D．Submitting 6 photographs for each category. |
| A．US $500 in prize money. |
| B．Their works shown in Earth. Org’ s articles. |
| C．Becoming Earth. Org’s full-time photographers. |
| D．Taking over the Earth. Org Instagram page for a month. |
