China’s Liangzhu Archaeological Site
The site,
The World Heritage Committee added Liangzhu to the UNESCO list
Sara Savick remembers one special Easter when she was nine years old. Her parents gave her a baby duckling in a yellow basket.
“Mom said later that she bought the little duck because she felt sorry for it,” recalled Sara. The people at the pet store colored the feathers pink for Easter. Sara named the duck Pinky.
Sara’s mother really didn’t think the baby duck would survive very long. But to her surprise, Pinky grew and got stronger and stronger. Soon, the little duckling was a healthy, hungry duck with white feathers.
“We fed Pinky oatmeal, cooked and uncooked, and small pieces of vegetables,” said Sara. Pinky lived inside the house with Sara and her family. She specially fancied taking baths with Sara. Everyone treated Pinky as a family member.
But just when everything appeared to be perfect, the night of the “talk” came. Sara’s Mom and Dad sat her down, explaining that the best thing for Pinky was to live a normal duck life, with other ducks. It was not natural for ducks to live indoors with a family, her father told her. He added Pinky needed to swim in ponds and do all the same things that ducks in the wild do.
Sara started to cry, knowing what was going to happen. Sara’s parents decided to take Pinky to a park, which was two miles away. There was a pond with a lot of other ducks. Pinky would have the chance to live a natural life and Sara could still visit her.
The big day came, Sara and her parents put Pinky in a box and drove to the park. Sara said that Pinky did not look happy; maybe Pinky was convinced that she was a human, not a duck.
注意:
所续写短文的词数应为 l50 左右;
续写部分分为两段,每段的开头语已为你写好;
Paragraph 1
Everyone was sad when they left Pinky at the pond, even Sara’s father.
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Paragraph 2
The next morning, when looking out of the kitchen window, Sara couldn’t believe her eyes!
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Horses are picky eaters
Horses have an even better sense of smell than humans do. When horses raise their noses and open their nostrils (鼻孔), their nervous system allows them to sense smells we can’t sense. This might explain why they refuse dirty water and carefully move around meadows, eating only the tastiest grasses, experts say.
Whale says thanks
In 2018, a whale expert spotted a humpback whale trapped in a fishing net and spent an hour freeing it. Afterward, in an hour-long display of thanks, the whale swam near their boat and leaped into the air about 40 times.
Pandas like to be naughty
Is there anything more lovely than a baby panda, except maybe a human baby? In fact, baby pandas sometimes behave like human babies. They sleep in the same positions and value their thumbs. Pandas are shy by nature for its shy behaviors such as covering its face with a paw or ducking its head when confronted by a stranger.
A cat honors its owner
Paper towels, and a plastic cup are just a few of the gifts that Toldo, a devoted three-year-old gray-and-white cat, has placed on his former owner Iozzelli Renzo’s grave every day since the man died in September 2018. Renzo adopted Toldo from a shelter when the cat was three months old, and the two formed an inseparable bond. After Renzo passed away, Toldo followed the coffin to the cemetery, and now “stands guard” the grave for hours at a time.
1. What can horses do to pick delicious grasses?| A．Feel them. |
| B．Taste them. |
| C．Smell them. |
| D．Observe them. |
| A．They are clever. |
| B．They have a grateful heart. |
| C．They are active and lovely. |
| D．They have a good sense of smell. |
| A．The whale |
| B．The cat. |
| C．The horse. |
| D．The panda. |
4 . Passenger pigeons (旅鸽) were the most common birds in all of North America in the 1800s. It was common to see large groups of passenger pigeons — groups that made a sound like a storm. But today, they are extinct because of human behavior. Now, some scientists want to bring passenger pigeons back to life by using new technology and scientific ideas. They call this process deextinction.
Deextinction has not happened yet. It is still just an idea. The process of deextinction is not easy. First, scientists must collect DNA from the bodies of extinct animals. Then they will put it in the eggs of similar animal species. When these animals become adults, they will have babies. And these baby animals will have the DNA of the extinct animals.
Scientists believe it is possible to bring back passenger pigeons and many other animals. However, not everyone thinks this is a good idea.
Stuart Primm is the world's leading expert on modern animal extinction. He believes that bringing extinct animals back to life is bad for the earth. On one hand, these animals no longer have a safe place to live. On the other hand, they could cause other animals to die.
Many other scientists do not agree with Stuart Primm. Stuart Brand, a writer and scientist, is one of them. He believes deextinction is good for many reasons.
"The current generation (当代) of children will experience the return of some unusual animals in their lifetime. It may be part of what defines their generation and their attitude to the natural world. They will take their parents to zoos to see the growing populations of passenger pigeons, and maybe even dodo birds. This will provide a good deal of money for zoos busy with extinct species restoration (恢复). Humans killed off a lot of species over the last 10,000 years. So, it's right to bring some back to life," he said.
1. In the 19th century, passenger pigeons ________.| A．were common sightings |
| B．suffered a lot from storms |
| C．lived mainly in North America |
| D．were the largest in American history |
| A．It will change the DNA of the extinct animals. |
| B．It was first used in passenger pigeons. |
| C．It is difficult to carry out. |
| D．It proved to be useful. |
| A．They will die very soon. | B．They will create other problems. |
| C．They will do great harm to humans. | D．They will replace the similar species. |
| A．Wrong. | B．Difficult. | C．Important. | D．Wasteful. |
5 . When we see a person in trouble, the first idea that comes to our mind is to lend a hand. But what if we see an animal in trouble, does the same rule apply?
This question was raised after a group of penguins (企鹅) were saved from an icy gully (峡谷) in Antarctica. It was filmed for the BBC wildlife series Dynasties. The film crew were anxious when they saw that a group of penguins had fallen into a gully and been trapped with their young. They built a slope (斜坡) so that a few of the penguins could save themselves.
The case has taken the international media by storm. Viewers watching this film sighed in relief. “I’m so glad. I understand not taking action directly, but a helping hand isn’t bothering, right?” viewer Kathryn Shaw said on her Facebook.
However, others think human interference (干涉) is unnatural. “You can’t have sunshine throughout your life. To have done anything else would only make matters worse.” said the show’s creator David Attenborough, according to TheTimes.
In this case, however, Mike Gunton, the executive producer of the series, said that this was a one-off situation. “There were no animals going to suffer by interfering. You weren’t touching the animals and it was just felt by doing this …They had the chance not to have to keep slipping down the slope.” he told the BBC.
Such cases are familiar to Paul Nicklen, wildlife photographer for National Geographic. He told Metro, “If it’s ever a predator (捕食者) situation, no matter how gut-wrenching, you stay out of the way. Even when you’re watching a male polar bear eat a baby bear.”
“There’s no rule book in those situations. You can only respond to the facts that are right there in front of you.” Will Lawson, the show’s director, told Daily Mail.
1. What has led to a heated media discussion?| A．The rescue of penguins from a gully. |
| B．People’s various opinions on penguins. |
| C．Some penguins’ sufferings in a gully. |
| D．Ways of filming the series Dynasties. |
| A．David Attenborough. | B．Will Lawson. |
| C．Paul Nicklen. | D．Kathryn Shaw. |
| A．Making one confused. | B．Making one heartbroken. |
| C．Putting one in danger. | D．Making one amazed. |
| A．Necessity of Lending a Hand to Animals |
| B．Protect Animals From Dying Out |
| C．Human Interference on Dangerous Animals |
| D．Help Animals in Trouble or Not |
6 . Earthquakes strike suddenly at any time of the day or night, but there's no way to tell when. If an earthquake happens, it may cause many deaths, injuries and damage. So you need a good preparation ahead of time. Decide how and where your family will get together if separated. Choose an out-of-state friend or relative that the family members can call after the quake to report where they are and how they are. Know the safe places in each room: under the strong tables, desks, or against inside walls. Keep enough food, water and other things, including a flashlight, a radio, medicines and clothing.
During the earthquake, you should keep a clear head and never be too nervous to know what to do. Protect your head and neck with your arms. If possible, take a book, a pillow or any other things to protect yourself from falling glass and ruins. If you are indoors, you must immediately lie under any strong furniture. If outdoors, move to an open area away from trees, buildings, walls or power-poles. If you are in a narrow valley, move to the centre of it and look up for falling stones. If you are in a car, move to the side of the road and stop the car. Do not stop near buildings, power lines or on or under bridges. Stay in your car until the shaking stops.
Do not move a badly injured person unless he is in great danger after the earthquake. Do not use the telephone immediately unless there is a serious injury or fire. Turn on your radio for instructions and news reports. Be prepared for aftershocks. If you want to leave your home, post a message inside your home telling your family members where you can be found.
1. To prepare for an earthquake, we should make sure of ________.| A．when an earthquake may happen |
| B．the place where we can find our family |
| C．how to receive instructions and news reports |
| D．the money with which we can buy food and water |
| A．find a strong building to hide in |
| B．leave the car as soon as possible |
| C．go on driving quickly to leave the area |
| D．move to the side of the road and stop there |
| A．we should keep calm and know what to do clearly |
| B．the trees and walls can protect us if we are outdoors |
| C．we should protect our necks with a pillow or a book |
| D．falling glass can be used to help us |
| A．move an injured person quickly |
| B．use the telephone immediately |
| C．turn on the TV to get news reports |
| D．leave a message before leaving home |
“In wilderness(荒野) is the preservation of the world.” This is a famous saying from a writer regarded as one of the fathers of environmentalism. The frequency with which it is borrowed mirrors a heated debate on environmental protection: whether to place wilderness at the heart of what is to be preserved.
As John Sauven of Greenpeace UK points out, there is a strong appeal in images of the wild, the untouched; more than anything else, they speak of the nature that many people value most dearly. The urge to leave the subject of such images untouched is strong, and the danger exploitation(开发) brings to such landscapes(景观) is real. Some of these wildernesses also perform functions that humans need—the rainforests, for example, store carbon in vast quantities. To Mr.Sauven, these ”ecosystem services” far outweigh the gains from exploitation.
Lee Lane, a visiting fellow at the Hudson Institute, takes the opposing view. He acknowledges that wildernesses do provide useful services, such as water conservation. But that is not, he argues, a reason to avoid all human presence, or indeed commercial and industrial exploitation. There are ever more people on the Earth, and they reasonably and rightfully want to have better lives, rather than merely struggle for survival. While the ways of using resources have improved, there is still a growing need for raw materials, and some wildernesses contain them in abundance. If they can be tapped without reducing the services those wildernesses provide, the argument goes, there is no further reason not to do so. Being untouched is not, in itself, a characteristic worth valuing above all others.
I look forwards to seeing these views taken further, and to their being challenged by the other participants. One challenge that suggests itself to me is that both cases need to take on the question of spiritual value a little more directly. And there is a practical question as to whether wildernesses can be exploited without harm.
This is a topic that calls for not only free expression of feelings, but also the guidance of reason. What position wilderness should enjoy in the preservation of the world obviously deserves much more serious thinking.
1. John Sauven holds that_____.
| A．many people value nature too much |
| B．exploitation of wildernesses is harmful |
| C．wildernesses provide humans with necessities |
| D．the urge to develop the ecosystem services is strong |
| A．The exploitation is necessary for the poor people. |
| B．Wildernesses cannot guarantee better use of raw materials. |
| C．Useful services of wildernesses are not the reason for no exploitation. |
| D．All the characteristics concerning the exploitation should be treated equally. |
| A．Objective. | B．Disapproving. | C．Sceptical. | D．Optimistic. |
CP: Central Point P: Point Sp: Sub-point(次要点) : Conclusion
A． | B． | C． | D． |
I don't photograph wild animals very often,
We spent a day there
Having been out with the horses several times now, I hope to visit them again—as often as possible! They're magnificent and
9 . Would you know what to do if a fire started in your home? Take the time now to review the following safety tips, and your family will be prepared in time of a fire in your home:
An escape plan can help every member of a family get out of a burning house. The idea is to get outside quickly and safely.
Stay low
If you can see smoke in the house, stay low to the ground as you make your way to the exit.
What if you can’t get out right away?
If you can’t get out fast because fire or smoke is stopping an escape route, you will want to yell for help. You can do this from an open window or call 911 if you have a phone with you.
If your clothes catch fire, what should you do?
Your clothes could catch fire during a fire or by accident if you step too close to a candle. If this happens, don’t run! Instead, stop, drop to the ground, cover your face with your hands, and roll. This will cut off the air and put out the flames.
| A．An easy way to remember this is: Stop, Drop, and Roll! |
| B．Smoke from a fire can make it hard to see where things are. |
| C．Preventing fires is in the first place! |
| D．Know your way out |
| E．They will help prepare you for what you need to do in case of a fire. |
| F．Even if you are scared, never hide under the bed or in a closet. |
| G．In a fire, smoke and poisonous (有毒的) air hurt more people, than the actual flames (火焰) do. |
10 . The idea of turning recycled plastic bottles into clothing is not new. During the last five years, a large number of clothing companies, businesses and environmental organizations have started turning plastics into fabric to deal with plastic pollution. But there’s a problem with this method. Research now shows that microfibers could be the biggest source of plastic in the sea.
Dr. Mark Browne in Santa Barbara, California, has been studying plastic pollution and microfibers for 10 years now. He explains that every time synthetic clothes go into a washing machine, a large number of plastic fibers fall off. Most washing machines can’t collect these microfibers. So every time the water gets out of a washing machine, microfibers are entering the sewers and finally end up in the sea.
In 2011, Browne wrote a paper stating that a single piece of synthetic(合成的) clothing can produce more than 1, 900 fibers per wash. Browne collected samples from seawater and freshwater sites around the world, and used a special way to examine each sample. He discovered that every single water sample contained microfibers.
This is bad news for a number of reasons. Plastic can cause harm to sea life when eaten. Studies have also shown that plastic can absorb other pollutants.
Based on this evidence, it may seem surprising that companies and organizations have chosen to turn plastic waste into clothing as an environmental “solution.” Even though the science has been around for a while, Browne explains that he's had a difficult time getting companies to listen. When he asked well-known clothing companies to support Benign by Design-his research project that seeks to get clothes that have a bad effect on humans and the environment out of the market, Browne didn’t get a satisfying answer. Only one women’s clothing company, Eileen Fisher, offered Browne funding.
1. What has happened during the past five years?| A．Fabric has become much stronger. | B．Plastic pollution has been less serious. |
| C．Many plastic bottles have been reused. | D．Microfibers have been greatly improved. |
| A．It is adding microfibers to the clothes. |
| B．It is worsening environmental problems. |
| C．It is making synthetic clothes last longer. |
| D．It is doing great damage to washing machines. |
| A．It has achieved great success. | B．It hasn’t got anything done. |
| C．It is known to very few people. | D．It is facing some difficulties. |
| A．It’s important to learn to recycle |
| B．It’s never easy to solve pollution problems |
| C．Recycled plastic clothing: solution or pollution? |
| D．Are human beings moving forward or backward? |
