By Tan Bowen/ People's Daily app
11:37, December 09,2019
Adorable baby giant pandas are always curious about the world and love to play around. Recently, in southwest China’s Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, a baby panda was caught on camera getting his head stuck behind a log.
The panda tried to pull his head through the gap at first but couldn't manage to pass through it. Later, the breeder came to rescue him by pushing his bottom instead and nagged this little cutie constantly like a mother, but the baby panda continued to act cute, melting all panda lovers’ heart!
Click on this video to see the warm and sweet interaction between the breeder and the naughty baby panda!
Video source: panda
1. What was wrong with the baby giant panda?
| A．The panda was sleeping in a tree. | B．The panda was hit by another. |
| C．The panda got itself stuck behind a log. | D．The panda was dying. |
| A．The passage was written by Tan Boweng. |
| B．The baby panda mentioned in the passage is a female one. |
| C．The baby panda mentioned in the passage is a male one. |
| D．The baby panda pulled his head through the gap successfully. |
| A．Click on the video. | B．Click the Button of“Say something”. |
| C．Find a note book. | D．Buy a computer first. |
2 . Courage takes many forms and, consequently, can be difficult to define. But it would be impossible to describe Xia Boyu's heroic acts without using that word.
On May 14, 2018, he reached the world's highest summit from the south side in Nepal, at an age when most people are taking life easy. He blinked on the summit, wondering whether it really happened or if it was just a dream. He then realized that his years of effort had paid off, and he instantly called his wife with the news, bursting into tears.
That could be considered an achievement in itself, but this was his fifth attempt. About four decades, he lost his lower legs to frostbite trying to conquer the 8,848.86-meter-high peak on his first attempt. He is the first Chinese climber without legs to conquer the mountain. He reached the summit at the age of 69.
"When I finally made it to the peak, I was not as excited as I imagined. I was absolutely knackered, both cold and lacking oxygen, sitting in the snow. I was too tired to speak or move," Xia says with an lovely touch of modesty.
As well as the physical challenge of any attempt on the summit, there are also financial considerations. It costs about 500,000 yuan to climb Qomolangma. When he resolved to challenge the summit again in 2008, he sold his apartment in Beijing to cover the expenses.
He is grateful for the unconditional support from his wife and son, "My wife always understood my dream. All these years, I've devoted myself to my dream and had less time to deal with family affairs." Xia says.
His wife, Ma Yi, says in an interview: "His thought process is a simple one, and he has a preoccupation (执着) with climbing. He's doing his best to fulfill an ideal. How could I prevent him from doing it?"
1. How did Xia Boyu feel as he finally reached the summit?| A．Shocked. | B．Relieved. | C．Curious. | D．Incredible. |
| A．Disappointed. | B．Exhausted. | C．Depressed. | D．Frightened. |
| A．His physical disabilities. | B．His financial conditions. |
| C．His family's support. | D．His climbing experience |
| A．A Couple in Love | B．The Height of Courage |
| C．The Unconquerable Summit | D．An Adventure to Qomolangma |
3 . Noise pollution has a long-term effect on tree populations that may persist even after the sources of noise are removed, according to research published Wednesday.
Man-made noise from industry and the building of infrastructure such as roads and pipelines has increased greatly since the middle of last century. While previous research has documented the short-term effect noise has on tree populations as it scares off pollinators (传粉者) such as insects and animals, few studies have covered the long-term effect.
Researchers in the United States looked at tree populations in New Mexico that had been “hearing”a high level of man-made noise for 15 years. They found 75 percent fewer pinyon pine seedlings (矮松苗) in noisy places than quiet ones.
Then they looked at other places in New Mexico, where sources of noise had recently been added and then removed, and examined how populations recovered. The team assumed that populations of the trees — in this case pinyon seedlings — would recover as the pollinators would return to the places once the noise had disappeared. Instead, they found a long-term drop in seedling numbers as the birds refused to revisit the places.
“The effects of human noise pollution are growing into these woodland communities,” said Clinton Francis, lead researcher from California Polytechnic State University. “What we’re seeing is that removal of the noise doesn’t necessarily immediately result in a recovery of ecological function.”
Jennifer Phillips, co-author of the research, said the findings showed how the effect of noise pollution could put pollinators off even after the noise is removed. “Animals like the birds that are sensitive to noise learn to avoid particular areas.” said Phillips. “It may take time for animals to come back to pollinate trees in these previously noisy areas, and we don’t know how long that might take.”
As governments continue to face growing evidence of the damage to nature caused by urbanization (城市化), Phillips held that the influence of noise pollution should also be factored into planning decisions.
1. What does the underlined word “persist” mean in paragraph 1?| A．Recover. | B．Decrease. | C．Last. | D．Disappear. |
| A．By studying cases in New Mexico. |
| B．By challenging the previous research. |
| C．By recording the routines of pollinators. |
| D．By following the sources of noise pollution. |
| A．Noise pollution kills large numbers of birds. |
| B．Governments should take measures to remove noise. |
| C．Ecological recovery contributes to the removal of noise. |
| D．It’s hard to tell when birds will revisit previously noisy places. |
| A．Removing noise enables plants to grow better. |
| B．Pollinators play a role in increasing plant population. |
| C．Noise pollution has long-term effects on plant populations. |
| D．Man-made noise does great harm to woodland communities. |
4 . As many as 10 of the 17 kinds of penguins may be in danger of disappearing. The number of penguins has decreased by 30% since 1987.
Penguins are black and white birds that live in the southern part of the world. They are common in South America, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. Many live near cold waters. But some live near warm waters in Galapagos Islands. Penguins cannot fly, but they are fine swimmers. Penguins eat fish and krill(磷虾). The warming of the earth is the reason for the decrease in the number of penguins. The heating of the air has caused ocean waters to become warmer. Higher water temperatures have reduced the supply of fish and krill. Some years later these birds are completely unable to reproduce(繁殖). Besides, many adult penguins die of hunger.
Widespread(广泛的)fishing, exploration for oil and oil leaks(漏)also make penguins in danger. Poisonous things in ocean waters are another danger. Penguins also have their enemies, including wild dogs, sharks, seals and sea lions.
News about penguins is not all bad, however. Several years ago, oil leaking from a ship hurt 40% of the penguins in South Africa. The penguins became covered with oil. But thousands of people helped clean and treat the birds well. Then they returned the penguins to the wild. Now these South African penguins are reproducing in higher numbers than before the oil leaking.
1. The first paragraph tells us that________.| A．some new kinds of penguins appear |
| B．all the penguins are in danger of disappearing |
| C．there are twenty-seven kinds of penguins in all |
| D．for more than 30 years, the number of penguins has decreased by 30％ |
| A．Oil leaking. |
| B．Widespread fishing. |
| C．Human's killing. |
| D．Warming of the oceans. |
| A．Protecting our environment |
| B．Ocean waters are polluted |
| C．The decrease in the number of penguins |
| D．Ocean is important for penguins |
5 . A newly discovered planet looks just right for life as we know it, according to an international group of astronomers. Orbiting a star about 500 light-years away, the planet called Kepler-186f is about the same size as Earth. It orbits its star at the right distance for liquid water on the surface. That is a necessary condition for life as we know it.
But it is not exactly like Earth, NASA planetary scientist Elisa Quintana said. "It's more of an Earth's cousin. It's not an Earth's twin. It shares the same characteristics as Earth, but their parent stars are very different," said Quintana.
Kepler-186f orbits a star that is smaller and cooler than our sun. But, writing in the journal Science, the astronomers say the planet appears to be a closer relative than most of the hundreds of others discovered so far. Some are massive gas-covered giants with thick, crushing atmospheres. Others orbit too close to their stars and are too hot for life.
Two planets discovered last year are in the right orbit and might be good candidates for life, Quintana says, but they are a bit bigger than Earth. "For the first time, we can actually say we now have a planet that is both Earth-sized and orbits in its star's habitable zone," she said.
It may be the first time, but it probably is not the last, says Massachusetts Institute of Technology astrophysicist Sara Seager. "We've been waiting decades to understand how common habitable planets might be, and it's looking like they're really common. And this gives us excitement and motivation to take the next step," said Seager.
The next step would be to look for signs of life in the atmospheres of these distant worlds. That would take a more sophisticated (高端的；复杂的) space telescope. But budget cuts threaten that mission, says University of California at Los Angeles astrophysicist Ben Zuckerman, "In principle, we could do this in the next few decades. But in practice, because there's no money, it's not gonna happen. It's not gonna happen in my lifetime, for example."
Leaving earthbound concerns behind, NASA's Elisa Quintana believes that when the next-generation space telescope is launched, it will find that we are not alone in the universe.
1. What does the underlined word "That" (Paragraph 1) refer to________| A．The right distance. | B．Liquid water. |
| C．The right size. | D．A star. |
| A．is more of an Earth's cousin than an Earth's twin |
| B．has a lot in common with Earth, including their parent stars |
| C．is a lot bigger than Earth |
| D．is smaller and cooler than our sun |
| A．Where there is water, there is life |
| B．A planet exactly like Earth found |
| C．Life discovered on Kepler-186f |
| D．New Earth-size planet found |
6 . They Consider Rats Lifesavers
When people hear the word “rat”, they may think of dirty animals that spread diseases. And if you are an English learner, you may also connect the word rat with bad expressions. For example, calling someone a rat is a big insult (侮辱) and “rat race” describes a joyless, hurried way of living.
However, the rat trainers at the nonprofit organization, APOPO, see these animals very differently.
Based in Tanzania, APOPO trains a kind of rats to find landmines (地雷). And the rats with their extraordinary sense of smell are very good at the job. APOPO calls their animal team Hero Rats.
Ellie Cutright is an APOPO trainer from Charleston, South Carolina. The researcher shared her very high opinions of rats in a discussion with VOA.
Human beings have used metal-searching devices to do this work for years. But rats — it turns out — do it better. And they also cost less money.
| A．So, rats generally are not beloved animals either in life or in the English language. |
| B．Worldwide there are 110 million hidden landmines left over from wars. |
| C．A rat is an animal that looks like a large mouse with a long tail. |
| D．She wants everyone to know how useful these animals are. |
| E．This kind of rats are large compared to other kinds of rats. |
| F．Cutright explains how the search process (过程) works. |
| G．They consider rats “lifesavers” |
7 . Bosses trying to quickly increase productivity should give up brainstorming meetings and instead invest in office plant, a study has found.
Green plants in offices increase work output by 15 percent, and challenges the “lean philosophy”(极简哲学)which holds that tidy buildings are best for concentration.
In experiments at two large commercial offices in the UK and The Netherlands, it was found that plants significantly increased workplace satisfaction, levels of focus, and air quality. “Simply decorating an office space with plants help to increase productivity by 15 percent,” said lead researcher Marlon Nieuwenhuis.
“This conclusion doesn't agree with the modern ‘lean’ management techniques, yet it points out a path to a more enjoyable, more comfortable and a more profitable form of office-based workings.” She added, “Our research suggests that investing in decorating the office with plants will pay off through an increase in workers’ quality of life and productivity. It directly challenges the widely accepted business philosophy that a lean office with clean desks is more productive.”
Previous studies have shown that the presence of plants can reduce physiological(生理上的) stress, increase the attention span and improve health and well-being.
Researchers studied offices over several months during which plants were removed and added. Professor Alex Haslam, who also worked on the study, added, “The lean philosophy has been influential across a wide range of organizational fields. Our research questions this widespread belief that less is more. Sometimes less is just less.”
Plants are beneficial because a green office makes employees more physically and emotionally involved in their work.
Another researcher Dr. Craig Knight said: “Psychologically manipulating(处理，操纵)real workplaces and real jobs adds new depth to our understanding of what is right and what is wrong with existing workspace design and management. We are now providing a model of a really smart office.”
1. According to the “lean philosophy”, ________.| A．green plants can increase productivity. |
| B．green plants may disturb people’s concentration. |
| C．a beautiful environment is beneficial to productivity. |
| D．green plants will help bosses come up with new ideas. |
| A．it may create a new way of management. |
| B．it will lead to less investment in offices. |
| C．it may lead to a better form of office-based workings. |
| D．it challenges the widely accepted brainstorming meetings. |
| A．The “lean philosophy” is widely adopted nowadays. |
| B．A green office helps employees focus on their work. |
| C．Green plants will make office workers more efficient. |
| D．When it comes to decorating offices, the less the better. |
| A．blame the “lean philosophy”. |
| B．show how to increase productivity. |
| C．Persuade bosses to remove plants from offices. |
| D．indicate the effects of green plants on works’ efficiency. |
Most people agree that honesty is a good thing. But does Mother Nature agree? Animals can't talk, but can they lie in other ways? Can they lie with their bodies and behavior? Animal experts may not call it lying, but they do agree that many animals, from birds to chimpanzees, behave dishonestly to fool other animals. Why? Dishonesty often helps them survive.
Many kinds of birds are very successful at fooling other animals. For example, a bird called the plover sometimes pretends to be hurt in order to protect its young. When a predator(猎食动物)gets close to its nest, the plover leads the predator away from the nest. How? It pretends to have a broken wing. The predator follows the "hurt" adult, leaving the baby birds safe in the nest.
Another kind of bird, the scrub jay, buries its food so it always has something to eat. Scrub jays are also thieves. They watch where others bury their food and steal it. But clever scrub jays seem to know when a thief is watching them. So they go back later, unbury the food, and bury it again somewhere else. Birds called cuckoos have found a way to have babies without doing much work. How? They don't make nests. Instead, they get into other birds' nests secretly. Then they lay their eggs and fly away. When the baby birds come out, their adoptive parents feed them.
Chimpanzees, or chimps, can also be sneaky. After a fight, the losing chimp will give its hand to the other. When the winning chimp puts out its hand, too, the chimps are friendly again. But an animal expert once saw a losing chimp take the winner's hand and start fighting again.
Chimps are dishonest in other ways, too. When chimps find food that they love, such as bananas, it is natural for them to cry out. Then other chimps come running. But some clever chimps learn to cry very softly when they find food. That way, other chimps don't hear them, and they don't need to share their food.
As children, many of us learn the saying "You can't fool Mother Nature." But maybe you can't trust her, either.
1. According to the passage, why do many animals behave dishonestly to fool others? (no more than 10 words)2. How does a plover deal with it when a predator approaches its nest? (no more than 15 words)
3. Who often feed cuckoos' baby birds? (no more than 3 words)
4. What does the underlined word in paragraph 4 mean? (no more than 1 word)
5. What kind of animal do you like best? And why? (no more than 20 words)
9 . People representing over 100 countries met virtually in Kunming, China, last week to discuss how to protect Earth’s biodiversity(生物多样性). This CBD Meeting（also known as COP15）ran from October 11 to 15, 2021.
There are so many different species. Sadly, species are disappearing all the time. One recent study suggested that around a million species are in danger of extinction. Like the climate crisis, the world’s loss of biodiversity is caused mainly by humans, who don’t always cooperate. Climate change is playing a part. The biggest way humans are causing biodiversity loss is by taking over the homes that all kinds of plants and animals depend on and using them for things like farming, mining, or cutting down trees for wood. Humans are also harming the oceans by fishing too much, and by severely polluting the seas with plastic, oil, and other chemicals.
In 1992, the world’s countries began signing an agreement called the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The meeting is being held in two parts. Last week's meeting discussed plans and goals for protecting biodiversity through the year 2030, which led to a plan called the “Kunming Declaration”. An in-person meeting will be held in Kunming next May to formally agree to the plan. One of its big goals announced in Kunming is to cut dangerous chemical pollution from farming. The plan also includes asking governments to cut up to $500 billion of their support for activities that hurt biodiversity, like some methods of farming, and producing fossil fuels.
CBD organizers hope the world's countries are really ready to work on biodiversity problems this time. In 2010, over 100 countries agreed to a 20-Part Plan to protect biodiversity by 2020. But none of the plan's 20 goals had been consummated by 2020. Solving the problem doesn't depend on what countries say they'll do. It depends on what they actually do.
1. What mainly leads to the world's biodiversity loss?| A．The disappearance of wild areas. | B．Worldwide climate change. |
| C．The serious ocean pollution. | D．Lack of international cooperation. |
| A．It belongs to the 1992 CBD agreement. | B．It’ll raise $500 billion to protect nature. |
| C．It advises stopping using chemicals. | D．It’ll be approved officially in 2022. |
| A．Explained | B．Ignored. | C．Reached. | D．Assessed. |
| A．The new trend of biodiversity. | B．The Kunming CBD Meeting. |
| C．The challenges living things face. | D．The different species on the Earth. |
10 . Researchers believe they have found an unknown kind of whale in waters off Mexico's western coast. If others prove the finding, the new whale will be an important discovery among giant animals.
The team of researchers came upon three unusual whales while following a rare group of beaked whales（突吻鲸）. The whales were near Mexico's distant San Benito Islands, about 500 km south of the U.S. border. Beaked whales usually avoid meeting humans.
Jay Barlow studies sea animals. He noted that it was a very unusual meeting. "It's very rare to even see a beaked whale, and to find a group of friendly beaked whales, it's even rarer," he said.
Barlow said he and other researchers did not realize they were seeing a possible new kind of whale until later. The group saw something different about the whales' teeth when they studied the photos they took of the animals. The underwater recordings of the whales' calls also suggested they were different from all the others.
The researchers are now waiting for test results on water they collected near the whales. There could be skin cells in the water from the whales. If so, they will examine the DNA to make sure whether the whales are a new species.
Though up to 5 meters long, the whales can be hard for scientists to see. That is because they usually swim and eat at depths of around 914 meters. They only come up at times for air. In the deep water, the animals can stay away from their main enemy-killer whales.
Barlow said that finding a new species is a rare event. His team has proof about the whales that looks like a new discovery. He said the DNA testing would help determine it and he hoped the whales could be determined as a new species. That would bring the number of known beaked whale species to 24.
1. What do the scientists say about the possible new species?| A．They are very fierce sea animals. |
| B．They frequently come up for air. |
| C．They belong to the beaked whale species. |
| D．They only live near Mexico's distant San Benito Islands. |
| A．Its ears. | B．Its teeth. |
| C．Its eyes. | D．Its mouth. |
| A．To get the whales' skin cells. |
| B．To study the quality of the water. |
| C．To learn about the whales' living habit. |
| D．To know what kind of food the whales eat. |
| A．The reliability of the DNA testing. | B．The aim of the DNA testing. |
| C．The process of the DNA testing. | D．The result of the DNA testing. |
