1 . New research led by scientists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst has revealed that the spiny pollen (带刺花粉) of plants in the sunflower family can reduce infection of a common bee parasite (寄生生物) by up to 94 percent. The sunflowers'spiny pollen can destroy a parasite called C. bombi (熊蜂短膜虫), which has been significantly reducing bumblebee populations.
To investigate how sunflowers help bumblebees resist C. bombi, the researchers separated the spiny outer shell of the pollen from the chemical metabolites (代谢物) in the pollen’s core. They then mixed the spiny pollen shells of sunflowers, with the chemistry removed, into the pollen fed to one group of bees.
Another group was fed wildflower pollen with sunflower metabolites and no sunflower shells. The researchers discovered that the bees that ate the spiny sunflower pollen shells had the same response as bees feeding on whole sunflower pollen. These bees had a markedly reduced risk of C. bombi infection compared to those fed sunflower metabolites.
Bumblebees, which are vital pollinators of crops and wildflowers, are experiencing a rapid decline in their populations worldwide. Habitat loss due to urbanization and agricultural intensification is the greatest threat to bumblebees. Climate change is also taking a toll on bumblebees. As temperatures rise, bumblebees are forced to move further north to cooler climates, which can affect their ability to find food and nesting sites. Pesticide use is another significant threat to bumblebees. These chemicals are harmful to them and can damage their navigation and immune systems, leading to reduced reproductive success. Bumblebees play a vital role in maintaining healthy and diverse ecosystems. Understanding how sunflowers protect bees from disease could help us identify other flowers that have similar protective properties. Through this, researchers can work towards developing new strategies to help conserve bumblebees.
1. How does the spiny pollen of sunflowers benefit bees?| A．It protects them from predators. | B．It improves their sense of smell. |
| C．It can be used for their nest building. | D．It helps them resist parasite infections. |
| A．By collecting data. | B．By making comparisons. |
| C．By referring to previous studies. | D．By surveying experienced farmers. |
| A．Habitat loss. | B．Climate change. | C．The use of pesticides. | D．Environmental pollution. |
| A．It offers a way to increase sunflower yield. |
| B．It draws public attention to the role of ecosystems. |
| C．It provides a new idea for protecting bumblebees. |
| D．It allows people to distinguish between different plants species. |
2 . Throughout the world, there are about one thousand kinds of bats (蝙蝠), which are usually divided into two groups: Megachiroptere and Mricochiroptera. Their body lengths vary (变化) rather widely from 1.5 inches to 16.7 inches.
Bats are the only little mammal (哺乳动物) that can actually fly in the world, and it is safe to say they are very good at this skill using echolocation (回声定位) to find their way in the sky. Using echolocation bats are able to take sound waves to create a detailed map of the area around them.
Bats use the ability not only to know what may be in their way but also to hunt for food. Bats are active during the night, and they use nighttime to look for food. In fact, they can eat so many bugs (小虫) in one night as to make them flightless for a period of time. Bats not only eat bugs, but also feed on fruit and small birds. Many places have brought in bats to help as a choice instead of using pesticides (杀虫剂).
Anyone can build or buy a bat house to put up in the backyard. Building a bat house is easy and just a little care is needed to keep it. It could help deal with bugs each year. Bats stay together in these bat houses along with inside houses, buildings, trees and other places, and usually stay together in large numbers.
As you can see, bats are far from the scaring creatures. So, next time you see them, stop and think of the bugs and flies you will miss.
1. According to the passage, bats can’t fly for a period of time when they are ________.| A．too full | B．too tired | C．very hungry | D．very sleepy |
| A．Living habits | B．Physical features. | C．Diet. | D．Growth. |
| A．Scaring. | B．Clever. | C．Helpful. | D．Strange. |
| A．bats have sharp eyes at night |
| B．many people may be afraid of bats |
| C．a bat house in the backyard needs no care |
| D．bats send out sound waves to find their way |
3 . Once upon a time, there was a tortoise (乌龟) on a ship, but the ship sank. Some time later the tortoise made it to a desert land surrounded by water on all sides except for one. The side led up to a big mountain. To avoid starving (挨饿) to death, the tortoise decided to climb to the top of the mountain, hoping that he would be able to cross to the other side.
When he got to the mountain, he felt very cold. He just managed to make out a small pathway leading down the other side of the mountain, but there was a big monster on the way.
Such a strong animal almost killed the tortoise with fright, and all he wanted to do was hide his head inside his shell. Then he saw that many other animals were lying frozen to death, and with looks of horror on their faces. So the tortoise didn’t go into his shell.
He gathered up all his courage to move down the path towards the monster. The closer the tortoise got, the more the monster changed its shape. Then, when he was almost upon it, the tortoise realized that what he had thought was a monster was only a great pile of rocks, which formed a shape just like a monster.
The tortoise carried on and eventually came to a beautiful village. The tortoise lived very happily there, and became known as the brave little tortoise.
1. When travelling by ship, the tortoise ________.| A．saw a mountain ahead | B．met with an accident |
| C．passed by a desert land | D．heard a voice of a monster |
| A．Because he was too frightened to do so. |
| B．Because the monster ordered him to do so. |
| C．Because he saw many dead animals around him. |
| D．Because he found a safer place on the mountain. |
| A．Its size. | B．Its colour. | C．Its height. | D．Its appearance. |
| A．great courage | B．good luck | C．swimming skills | D．rich experience |
4 . When it comes to planning a student trip, there are few better choices than our nation’s capital. There are many places of interest in Washington, DC, with sites that will attract students who are interested in everything from history, art, to STEM. Don’t miss these must-see sites on your trip to Washington, DC.
Smithsonian Museums
Managed by the Smithsonian Institution, admission (入场券) is free, and all locations are open every day except December 25. Students will love the exhibitions of the National Air and Space Museum, and everyone can enjoy the National Zoo, which is home to giant pandas, Sumatran tigers, and much more.
National Gallery (画廊) of Art
This is an amazing place for students interested in art. It includes the East Building and the West Building and houses the gallery’s more modern works and a collection of older works. The museum welcomes visitors from 10 am to 5 pm from Monday to Saturday and 11 am to 6 pm on Sundays. There is a variety of free self-guided and audio (音频) tours available.
Newseum
The Newseum aims to increase public awareness of the importance of a free press. Visitors can experience the story of news, the role of a free press in major events in history and how freedom of speech is applied to their lives.
Mount Vernon
Only 16 miles south of Washington, DC lies Mount Vernon, George Washington’s home. This historic place features beautiful gardens and wonderfully kept grounds. The outbuildings surrounding the main house still run today. Visitors can tour these structures in addition to the inside of the main house and go there by subway.
1. In Smithsonian Museums, students _________| A．are allowed to drive space ships |
| B．can get in close contact with nature |
| C．can watch animals and learn space knowledge |
| D．are free to visit the National Zoo at Christmas |
| A．Students can enjoy famous artworks of different times there. |
| B．Some artists offer to teach visitors to draw for free |
| C．It just opens to the public from Monday to Saturday. |
| D．It helps visitors choose their favorite guide. |
| A．Newseum. | B．Mount Vernon. |
| C．Smithsonian Museums. | D．National Gallery of Art. |
5 . Chimney swift (烟囱雨燕) numbers have fallen by more than 70 percent since the 1960s, scientists believe, and by more than one-third over the past 16 years. That large drop have made the International Union for the Conversation of Nature regard chimney swifts as“vulnerable(脆弱的)”. That is the last step before they are considered “endangered”.
Chimney swift numbers are becoming smaller as the shape and design of the nation’s buildings change. People are tearing down old factory buildings and schools. Many of these buildings have chimneys. Today, most American homes do not have chimneys. And many homeowners who do have chimneys cover up the top to keep out.
People across the United States are putting up tall, narrow buildings to help chimney swifts. They hope they will use these buildings as nesting areas and resting places.
Bird lovers, Georgean and Paul Kyle, are often praised for starting the present interest in building towers. “It does give us hope that if we put them up, they will use them,” the Kyles said. They have put up more than 100 towers in Central Texas. Eighty percent of those buildings before the birds’ March arrival get nests in their first year. Hundreds of migrating swifts make use of the towers.
But the link between the drop in chimney swift numbers and chimney loss is not clear. The flying insects that swifts eat also appear to be dropping.
Professor Rubega thinks the cause of the birds’ drop could be in South America. “Chimney swifts are basically a South American bird that stays in North America for four months, ” she said. Rubega said a big problem is that scientists have only a few reports of small numbers of chimney swifts in the upper Amazon Basin. So, they do not really know where the little birds spend the winter, let alone what may be happening to them there.
1. Where are chimney swifts used to living?| A．In rooms with humans. | B．In useless old buildings. |
| C．In the woods near villages. | D．In chimneys of buildings. |
| A．Give them much food. | B．Build homes for them. |
| C．Add chimneys to new houses. | D．Open chimneys for them to get in. |
| A．Chimney swifts suffer a lot in South America. |
| B．It’s necessary to build homes for chimney swifts. |
| C．Scientists know only a little about chimney swifts. |
| D．Chimney loss has nothing to do with the birds. |
| A．Chimney Swifts Numbers Are Dropping |
| B．Chimney Swifts Will Change Their Lifestyle |
| C．Chimney Swifts Prefer Their New Homes |
| D．Chimney Swifts Live in Peace with Humans |
6 . The South American nation of Chile has been experiencing bad droughts for the last 13 years. This serious lack of water has led to fewer flowers and, as a result, fewer honeybees. Some chemicals used to kill insects harmful to crops called pesticides (杀虫剂), also hurt bees.
Beekeepers in Chile are concerned. Carlos Peralta and his brother Marco are beekeepers. Carlos has seen the number of his honeybees dropping sharply. He said he had lost about 300 hives (蜂巢) since the start of November 2021. A hive can hold tens of thousands of bees. Losing so many bees left Peralta with a difficult choice. He could keep his remaining 900 hives alive with man-made honey, or he could move the hives to a place where there are more flowers. “If the bees die, we all die… The bee is life,” Carlos said. He was describing the important job that bees have to pollinate (授粉) plants in the wild and for food growers.
So Carlos decided to move his beehives about 1, 000 kilometers to the south, to a place called Puerto Montt. However, his brother Marco chose to stay in Colina with his bees rather than join Carlos in the south. Marco said he feared losing bees to pesticides if he moved.
An FAO study in 2018 found that Chile’s introduction of pesticides had grown by 460 percent over the previous 20 years. Beekeepers blame (责备) this increase for their losses. Chile’s honey exports (出口) have dropped over the past four to five years.
Carlos Peralta said, “You enter a fruit garden with your bees and you don’t know if you'll come out with living bees or dead ones.”
His brother Marco has been feeding his bees with sugar water. However, this food leaves the bees unable to produce honey. “The bees grow weak with sugar water,” said Mario Flores.
Before the drought, beekeepers would use the sugar food during the winter months. But now they use it almost all year.
1. What does Carlos think of the survival of bees according to paragraph 2?| A．It is related to beekeepers’ skill. | B．It is a matter of life and death for him. |
| C．It is important to the water system. | D．It is a must for his country’s exports. |
| A．To save the cost of moving. | B．To benefit the plants nearby. |
| C．To avoid harmful chemicals. | D．To leave the chance to his brother. |
| A．Their health can be harmed. | B．They gather more honey. |
| C．They are too full to work. | D．Their honey is of poor quality. |
| A．Dry Conditions and Poisonous Chemicals Are Killing Bees |
| B．Nature Balance of Chile Is Being Destroyed by Beekeepers |
| C．Harmful Chemicals Are Bringing Danger to Living Things |
| D．Two Brothers’ Different Ways to Keep Bees Have Different Results |
7 . In the United States，many teachers keep fish，hamsters(仓鼠)，and other animals in their classrooms.Teachers say students learn important lessons from the animals.More than 70 percent of teachers who have classroom pets say the animals help students learn responsibility.Research also shows that classroom pets can reduce stress.
“Pets can comfort kids who are having a bad day,”says Lisa Robbins，who works fora group called Pets in the Classroom.
But others think pets should be expelled from classrooms. In January，the Durango School District in Colorado began following a no-pet policy(政策).Now animals can be brought into Durango schools for certain lessons，but they can't stay.Officials were worried that animals might create problems for kids with allergies(过敏症).They were also concerned about the animals getting proper care.
Here's what two of our readers think.
Having classroom pets gives students a fun way to learn about animals. In my class last year，we had a class pet named Elliot.Our teacher also used him to teach us about different subjects.For example，in math，we calculated (计算)how much it costs to feed Elliot for a year.
Pets also help kids learn how to work as a team. My classmates and I took turns feeding Elliot and cleaning his tank,
If teachers are worried about students with allergies，they could get pets that don't have fur.
—D' Lasia Mays，Texas
Classroom pets can take away valuable class time.Some students might have a hard time focusing on the teacher when there are animals in the room.
Plus，having a classroom pet can cause safety problems. You never know how an animal will react to students.Even a cute little hamster might hurt a kid who sticks his or her hand in its cage.
—Patrick McKinney，Ohio
1. What does the underlined word " expelled”in Paragraph 3 probably mean?| A．Allowed. | B．Removed. |
| C．Protected. | D．Educated. |
| A．Classroom pets are not allowed at schools. |
| B．Animals are not allowed at schools. |
| C．Many teachers have pets without fur. |
| D．Many students are allergic to animals. |
| A．He needs special training. | B．He needs more proper care. |
| C．He has educational value for kids. | D．He is not only lovely but very smart. |
| A．The author. | B．Lisa Robbins. |
| C．Patrick McKinney. | D．D' Lasia Mays’ teacher. |
8 . A nation-wide honeybee crisis is under way in the United States. Lately bees have begun to rapidly disappear in24 states across the country. For reasons unknown, bees are flying off in search of nectar and pollen and simply never returning to their colonies.
Bees are extremely social insects; they never desert their young or bee queens. Researchers argue that bees are most probably dying during their search for nectar. A range of theories is also investigated, including a virus and poor bee nutrition. Researchers are looking into a group of pesticides that were banned in European countries to find out whether the chemical preparations(still used in the U. S.) are somehow causing damage to bees' born ability to find their way back home. According to yet another theory, the losses may have resulted from a massive attack by mites, which have repeatedly damaged bee colonies in the past.
The bees disappear as pressure has been building on the U. S. bee industry. The costs to maintain hives are continuously rising. The bee business becomes less profitable as a result. According to estimates by the Agriculture Department, the number of hives has dropped by a quarter over the last twenty years, and the number of beekeepers decreased by half. Beekeepers also have to deal with the problem of suburban spread as they search for areas where bees can hunt for nectar to stay healthy and feel good during the pollination season.
A terrible epidemic breaks out in The Plague, a novel by Albert Camus, shortly after hundreds of dead rats are discovered all over the town. The recent bee mystery, already nicknamed a "colony collapse disorder" by U. S researchers, seems to somewhat resemble the situation described in the novel. We can only hope that the "bee plague" will not take shape of a problem of global proportions.
1. What does the text mainly tell us?| A．terrible epidemic breaks out in America. |
| B．The reason for honeybees' disappearance. |
| C．Measures should be taken to solve the problem. |
| D．The tragedy of mysterious disappearance of America's honeybees. |
| A．Bees are not fond of living together. |
| B．The scientists have found out the reason for bees disappearance. |
| C．Probably, the losses may result from their colonies being damaged. |
| D．It is likely that the bees die while looking for nectar. |
| A．240. | B．200. | C．120. | D．60. |
| A．Because they think the bee plague will kill them. |
| B．Because they believe man will be defeated in the end. |
| C．Because they think the US bee industry is going to come to an end. |
| D．Because they fear the coming of the disaster described in the novel. |
The Xi’an City Wall is the most complete city wall that has survived China’s long history. It
We accessed the wall through the South Gate. The wall is 12 meters high and from here you can see streams of people moving inside and outside the City Wall.
After
We
注意：
1. 要列举极端气候或自然灾害及其造成的影响；
2. 分析原因；
3. 呼吁人们关爱地球，保护环境。
词数：100—120个左右。
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
