The average temperature of the Earth’s surface has increase by 0.85°C in the last hundred years. It’s too late to reverse the changes. Now we have to find ways
However, we can reduce greenhouse gas missions or make
emissions from animals are
And rich countries have the resources to adapt to
And countries where lack of water is a problem like Australia, China, and Spain, have built plants,
2 . Manta rays (魔鬼鱼)are some of the creatures in the ocean who allow divers to swim right up to and interact (互动) with them. Unfortunately, these gentle animals are in big trouble. Since 2011, manta rays have been listed as a threatened species worldwide.
Peru, a country in South America, recently took a big step to protect giant manta rays: It banned fishing for them. Although 12 other countries have passed laws to protect rays, Peru's may be the most important one yet. That's because there are more manta rays in the Pacific Ocean near Peru than in any other place in the world.
Giant manta rays are unusual — looking creatures. The giant, flat rays are typically about 4.5 meters wide and can grow up to 8 meters wide! "They're" sort of like giant flying carpets underwater, says Joshua Stewart of the Manta Trust, an organization that researches manta rays.
People catch rays for their meal. Overfishing is bad for any sea creature, but it's even worse for manta rays. Female manta rays usually have only one baby every two to five years. So every ray that's caught hurts the population in a big way. People who break Peru's new law can be fined or have their fishing licenses taken away. Even rays caught accidentally in fishing nets must be set free.
Earlier this year, the Manta Trust attached video cameras, called Crittercams, to manta rays off the west coast of Mexico. The footage(连续镜头)the cameras collect could help researchers predict where rays swim and when. The scientists could use the information to warn fishing boats to avoid these areas, helping reduce the number of accidentally caught rays.
Stewart says it's important to protect these unique creatures. "There's really no other animal that compares in size and that you can have interactions with in the wild.
1. What's a characteristic of manta rays?| A．They can fly like a bird. |
| B．They are usually of small size. |
| C．They are very friendly to people |
| D．They like swimming up and down. |
| A．They haven't their own home. |
| B．They only live in the Pacific Ocean. |
| C．Their number has dropped greatly. |
| D．Almost no female rays give birth. |
| A．protect them | B．look for more rays |
| C．make films about them | D．reduce their population |
| A．It makes no sense. | B．It is hard to follow. |
| C．It is really essential, | D．It needs improvement. |
3 . 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。
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