The manta ray is one of the largest fishes in the world, reaching up to 29 feet in width. And manta rays are some of the friendliest creatures. They allow divers to swim right up to them. Unfortunately, these gentle animals are in big trouble. Since 2011, manta rays have been listed as a threatened species worldwide.
Overfishing is considered the biggest threat to giant manta numbers, both intentional and accidental. People catch manta rays for their gill plates — the parts through which they filter their food from seawater — are sold in China for medical purposes. Driven by the huge demand, fishermen have hunted them mercilessly. From 2010 to 2013, the number of rays killed annually to supply the gill plate market tripled to 150,000. Clearly, overfishing is bad for any sea creature, but it’s even worse for giant manta rays. Female mantas usually have only one baby, every two to five years. So every manta ray that was caught hurts the population in a big way.
To protect giant manta population, Peru, a country in South America, recently took a big step to protect giant manta rays. It banned fishing for them. People who break the law can be fined or have their fishing licenses taken away. Even manta rays caught accidentally in fishing nets must be released. Although other countries have passed laws to protect manta rays, Peru’s may be the most important one yet, because there are more giant manta rays in the Pacific Ocean near Peru than in any other place in the world.
Scientists working in the Manta Trust, an organization that researches manta rays, are also trying to protect manta rays by learning more about them. Earlier this year, the organization attached video cameras, called Crittercams, to manta rays off the west coast of Mexico. The photos the cameras collect could help researchers predict where and when manta rays swim. The scientist could use the information to warn fishing boats to avoid these areas, helping reduce the number of accidentally caught manta rays.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Which is more environmentally friendly, paper or plastic? There was a time when a trip to the supermarket in the United States often ended with a simple question from the cashier:"Paper or plastic?"The customers knew it means "Which type of bag would you choose?"
While all types of bags have some influence on the environment, it has long been supposed that paper bags are kinder. They are made from a renewable source, break down easily, burn without giving off thick smoke and can be recycled. However, the producing process behind paper bags uses more energy than that of plastic ones.
Studies show that paper bag production requires four times as much energy as plastic bag production. And the amount of water used to make them is twenty times higher. Besides, the influence on forests is very serious. It takes about fourteen million trees to produce ten billion paper bags, which happens to be the number of bags used in the United States yearly. In terms of recycling, the idea that paper bags are more environmentally friendly than plastic ones can be quickly discarded. Research shows it requires about98%less energy to recycle plastic than it does paper.
Even though paper bags might be more harmful than plastic ones, plastic still seems to be considered by governments as the more harmful of the two. In Ireland, for example, a tax has been introduced to discourage the use of plastic bags. People have to pay 22 cents for every plastic bag, and as a result, their use has dropped quickly. There’s no doubt that it makes more sense to reuse these bags. However, we don’t seem to be doing that at present. That may be because they fall apart quickly. If so, cloth bags are a better choice, but still, their production also has a bad influence on the environment. So what to do? How should we answer the question of "Paper or plastic?"It seems that we first need to ask ourselves one more general question: "What can I do to help the environment?"
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
With all her big brothers and sisters off to school, our farm became a lonely place for our three-year-old daughter, Becky. She longed for playmates. We promised to buy her a puppy but in the meantime, “pretend” puppies popped up nearly every day.
I had just finished washing the lunch dishes when the door slammed and Becky rushed in, cheeks flushed with excitement. “Mama!” she cried, “Come see my new doggy! I gave him water two times already. He’s so thirsty!”
I sighed, another of Becky’s dogs.
“Please come, Mama.” She pulled my jeans, her brown eyes begging, “He’s crying — and he can’t walk!” “Can’t walk?” An unexpected change! All her previous imaginary dogs could do amazing things such as balancing a ball on the end of its nose and dancing on a tightrope. Why suddenly a dog that couldn’t walk? “All right, honey,” I said. By the time I tried to follow her, Becky had already disappeared into the bushes. “Where are you?” I called.
“Over here by the oak stump (橡树桩). Hurry, Mama!”
I parted the branches and raised my hand against the glare of the sun. A numbing chill ( 寒 战 ) gripped me. There she was, sitting on her heels, cradled (抱着) in her lap was the unmistakable head of a wolf!
“Becky,” My mouth felt dry. “Don’t move.” I stepped closer. Pale-yellow eyes narrowed. Black lips tightened. Double sets of two-inch sharp teeth were exposed. Suddenly the wolf trembled. Its teeth clacked, and a painful cry rose from its throat.
“It’s all right, boy,” Becky comforted lovingly. “Don’t be afraid. That’s my mama, and she loves you, too.”
注意：
1. 所续写短文的词数应为 150 左右;
2. 至少使用 5 个短文中标有下划线的关键词语;
3. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；
4. 续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。
Paragraph 1:
Taking a closer look, I found the wolf stuck deep inside the stump.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:
With Becky safe in my arms, I ran to our doctor Brian for help.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Once there was a slave named Androcles, who was so badly treated by his master that he resolved to run away from him. He therefore secretly left his master’s house and hid himself in a forest, some miles distant from the city.
After wandering about for some time, he came to a large cave, and overcome by hunger and tiredness, he lay down in it, and soon fell fast asleep.
He was suddenly awakened by the roar of a wild beast; a great lion stood right at the mouth of the cave. There was no way he could escape!
Androcles expected nothing else than to be at once torn to pieces, but to his great surprise, the lion came gently towards him, without showing any signs of anger. It gave forth a low and mournful (悲哀的) sound, as if it were begging for his assistance. As the lion approached him, he noticed that one of its feet was swollen.
He then went up to the lion, took hold of the wounded paw (爪子)，and examined it as a surgeon would examine a patient. He was not long in finding out the cause of the swelling; for he saw in the ball of the foot a very large thorn (刺). The slave pulled out the thorn, and pressed out of the wound a quantity of matter, which gave the lion immediate relief.
Then, the lion began to show his gratitude by every means in his power. He jumped about like a playful spaniel (西班牙猎犬), wagged his great tail, and licked the hands and feet of his physician. From that moment Androcles became his guest; the lion always shared his prey.
The slave continued to live like this for several months. At length, wandering carelessly through the woods, he was seized by a company of soldiers who were sent by the master to search for him.
注意：
1. 所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2. 至少使用5个短文中标有下划线的关键词语；
3. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；
4. 续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。
Paragraph1:
He was sentenced to be torn by a lion in the public arena (竞技场).
Paragraph2:
However, the lion didn’t act as most had imagined.
We already know that the underwater world is anything but silent. It is full of natural sounds produced by animals and by the motion of the atmosphere and water. But today’s researchers are increasingly concerned about the man-made noises under the water. They are confusing whales and other marine animals
Although hearing is important to all animals, the special qualities of the undersea world emphasize the use of sound. Underwater sound allows marine animals to gather information and communicate at great distances and from all directions. Loud underwater noises can cause damage to their hearing. And nowadays it's becoming too much for marine wildlife. Evidence shows that whales will swim hundreds of miles, rapidly change their depth, and even beach themselves to get away from the sounds of sonar.
You might think lower noises, typically caused by shipping or construction, do not pose a threat to marine animals. In fact, while they may not kill the animals directly, they can disturb their ability to locate food, find mates and avoid predators (掠食动物)).Scientists looked at the effects of noise from small motorboats on coral-reef fish at the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. In the lab, the fish had been trained to recognize the smell of three common predators as a threat. Some fish were trained in the presence of boat noise, while the others had training with the natural sounds of the ocean. It turned out that the first group showed no fright reactions when exposed to the predator. However, the other group was scared. And under the influence of underwater noise on this group, only 20 percent of fish survived, compared to almost 70 percent of unexposed fish.
Humans rely on the ocean for its natural resources and biodiversity. The ocean also plays an important role in regulating( 调节)temperatures, As Cousteau said, "For most of history, man has had to fight nature to survive; in this century he is beginning to realize that, in order to survive, he must protect it.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
It was the hottest time of the year in southern California. Steve, a star basketball player at the University of California, with his cousin Zach, had planned a camping trip in the Great National Forest for their summer vacation.
The boys packed clothes and supplies into a bag, and began their great adventure with the dog Brady early in the morning. Upon arrival, Steve pulled over to the side of the road along the bank of the river. “A wonderful place for fishing,” Steve exclaimed in delight. Zach nodded in agreement.
At high noon, the sun was scorching hot. With a good harvest of fish, the boys marched into the forest with Brady following them. After a long walk, they found a clearing that was ideal for a campsite (野营地). The camp was set up immediately as Steve knew all the tricks of an experienced wilderness camper. An afternoon nap was absolutely a special treat in mid-summer. However, the boys were waken up by the fierce barks of Brady. Outside, heavy smoke filled the air and wind-blown flame was skipping from the top of one tree to another. The long dry summer turned the forest into a tinderbox. In a little while, Steve and Zach were inside their tent packing their belongings.
“Let’s go! We can make it back to the river!” They headed down against the fire-wind in the direction of the river. But Brady barked a sharp warning. Ahead of them lay a thick curtain of smoke across the track. They would never make it through that. Steve was uneasy for it was hard to find a safe way to escape in the heavy smoke.
Brady lifted his head and sniffed the smoke-laden wind. Next moment, the dog bounded away and disappeared down a sharp slope. The boys shouted for him, but he didn’t come back. Steve couldn’t blame Brady for panicking. He himself wanted to run even though he didn’t have a clue which way.
注意：1. 所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2. 至少使用5个以上的短文中标有下划线的关键词语
3. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；
4. 续写完成后，请用下划线标出所使用的关键词语。
Paragraph 1:
Steve and Zach hadn’t gone far when there was a familiar bark.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:
Brady pulled again, in spite of the boy’s disbelief, urgently.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
You might think that whether you choose a blue shirt or a yellow one to wear to work or college makes no difference to your day and those around you. However, an increasing number of experts argue that the colors we choose affect our mood, our career prospects (前景) and even our health.
The power of color has been used for centuries and we should be making the most of it in our lives. Color affects us to a greater degree than most of us realize. It is used increasingly by psychologists and therapists for influencing mood and state of mind, and for various types of treatments when we are ill. Some people ever believe that the blind can benefit from, the “vibrations” (震动) that color gives off.
Companies use color to great effect to encourage us to buy their product. For example, purple is seen as creative and mixes well with red, to show that a company has ideas and the power to make them happen. Orange and blue are also recommended colors for companies to use, because orange is the color of communication and blue suggests safety and security. So this could be a particularly good combination. Companies have found certain colors ‘speak’ to specific age groups. They often use red to attract younger people to their products, for example, as it is vibrant and more youthful than colors like gold and navy, which older customers seem to prefer.
Wearing different colors can affect how you feel and how others react to you, so it is important to consider this when deciding what to wear in the morning. If you want people to take you seriously, then wearing navy blue or black is good. Blue would also be helpful for an interview or oral examination because it relaxes you and makes you feel calm. Red gets you noticed by everyone and makes you, the wearer, feel energetic, but be careful, as it can raise your pulse rate and not everyone wants this effect.
So think carefully before you leave the house. The colors you choose are a wonderful tool. Are you making the right impression—on yourself and on others?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
In 2000, when I was around seven years old, all my family were coming back from a T-ball game, which was our usual weekend adventure, but unlike every other weekend, a surprise was waiting for us in our driveway – two adult geese and a small goose. Obviously startled by our return, the adults flew away in panic, with their baby, too young to fly, left in place, tiny and delicate.
Hours passed one after another, and night eventually fell. However, with it also came a deep chill and a fear of watchful animals. It was apparent that the gosling needed protection, warmth, and food to make it to the morning, so we had to help it, and we brought him onto our back yard.
We all pretty much slept with one eye open till morning came. And then another morning. And still another. Each morning, we would try to drive the goose away to his parents, who kept coming back to our yard. He wouldn’t go to them, though, and neither would they come close enough to claim him. We kept this up for five days, but no luck. Realizing the young goose had clearly decided we were his family by then, we had to give him a name, calling the little guy Peeper, because he would often follow us around the yard making a peeping (唧唧叫) noise, nonstop. Besides, we decided that Peeper was a boy. I don’t know why; it just felt right.
A year passed and we settled into a routine. Peeper slept on our back yard each night and, in typical goose fashion, used it as a latrine (公共厕所). My dad would spray off all the goose droppings daily. Part of this ceremony included Dad throwing Peeper up into the air so he could flap its wings and flew a loop （圈）around the house, and then came back again once the porch was clean.
Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months.
注意：
1. 所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2. 应使用5个以上短文中标有下划线的关键词语；
3. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；
4. 续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。
Paragraph 1：
Before we knew it, the little thing had grown into a big bird with two powerful wings.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:
It came as a total surprise to me when, in 2019, an adult goose made his way back to my family home.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Fishing is probably the world’s most popular sport. People spend many dollars each year on items like boats and four-wheel-drive vehicles. In addition, they spend money on fishing equipment, bait, fuel and boat repairs. And you can see that fishing can be an expensive pastime. Fishing lovers believe that their hobby is worth it. Others say that fishing is spoiling the environment and that it is a cruel hobby.
Supporters of fishing say that it is a nice hobby. Firstly, of the millions of people who fish for fun, most only catch enough fish to feed their families. They catch fish that are found in large numbers, so there is little danger to the species.
Secondly, recreational fishermen contribute to the economy. They spend money on equipment and other items, and they also spend it indirectly by paying taxes on their equipment and fuel. Those who travel to fishing spots pay for accommodation and airfares. This money keeps people in work and provides new jobs each year.
Thirdly, fishing is relaxing and fun so it lessens stress. Instead of turning to drugs or alcohol, it is far better to go fishing. People who are relaxed are generally healthier and much nicer to be near –except for the smell of the bait!
Those who disagree with fishing say that there are too many fish thoughtlessly taken from rivers, lakes, streams and oceans. This could lead to the dying out of some species. Modern cars and boats mean that people can fish in remote areas of the world, so no place is safe from greedy fishermen who take both males and females, leaving few fish to produce young.
Those against fishing also say that it is a blood sport, which means that an animal must die so that a human can have fun. Many of the fish caught for sport are not suitable for eating, so they are thrown away. Once hooked, fish have no chance of escape.
The Theobroma Cacao tree, to use its scientific name, provides us with one of the world's most delicious foods—chocolate! Theobroma is a Greek word meaning 4food of the gods. The tree originally comes from the Amazon region of South America. Hand-sized pods that grow on the tree contain cacao seeds—often called ‘cocoa beans’. These seeds，or beans，are used to make chocolate.
The earliest use and consumption of cacao beans dates back to around 1000 B.C. Later, the Mayan and Aztec civilizations consumed cacao as a drink. They often flavored it with ingredients such as chili peppers, and other spices. It is believed that drinking cups of chocolate was important in Mayan rituals such as wedding ceremonies. Consuming cacao was also believed to have positive effects on health. In Peru, eating or drinking a mixture of chocolate and chili was said to be good for the stomach. The Aztecs thought it could even cure sicknesses!
Christopher Columbus, along with Spanish explorers, made his fourth voyage across the Atlantic in the early 1500s, and arrived on the coast of Honduras. It was at this time that he first discovered the value of cocoa beans，which were used as currency in many parts of Central America.
In the sixteenth century, chocolate was taken back to Spain by Hernando Cortez, another explorer. The Spanish people added ingredients such as sugar and vanilla to make it sweet. It later spread to France in the seventeenth century. The popularity of chocolate continued to spread further across Europe and the Americas. The only Asian country to adopt it at that time, though, was the Philippines, which the Spanish invaded in the sixteenth century.
As chocolate became more popular, the demand for people to work on the cocoa plantations increased. Slaves were brought to the Americas from Africa to farm the cocoa. Eventually, the cacao tree was taken to
Africa and cultivation(m) began there. Today, the African plantations provide almost seventy percent of the world's cacao, compared with one and a half percent from Mexico.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
