讲座目的：提高同学们处理突发事件的能力和自救的能力；
讲座内容：了解地震的一般知识以及地震中逃生的知识；
讲座时间：共两个小时，包括1小时30分钟的讲座和30分钟的问答环节
注意：
1.词数100左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3.参考词汇：互动:interaction
Dear Professor Zhang,
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours faithfully,
Li Hua
2 . 
pine cone
In the past many studies placed too much emphasis on how animals are trained to learn. But recently more and more studies have focused on how animals equip themselves to learn.
One study started with a school field trip to a pine forest where many pine cones were discovered, stripped (剥壳) to the central core. So the investigation was directed at finding out what was eating the pine seeds and how they managed to get them out of the cones. The culprit proved to be the black rat, and the technique was to bite each cone from base to top, following the growth pattern of the cone.
Urban black rats were found to lack the skill. However, babies of urban mothers cross-fostered by stripper mothers acquired the skill, whereas babies of stripper mothers fostered by an urban mother could not. Clearly the skill had to be learned from the mother. In the case of rats, the youngsters take cones away from the mother when she is still eating them, allowing them to acquire the stripping skill.
Another study, Bird Behaviour, provides a different view of the adaptiveness of social learning. It concerns the seed caching (hiding) behaviour of Clark’s Nutcracker and the Mexican Jay. The former is a specialist, caching about 30,000 seeds in scattered locations that it will recover over the months of winter; the Mexican Jay will also cache food but is much less dependent on this than the Nutcracker. The two species also differ in their social structure: the Nutcracker prefers living alone while, the Jay, in social groups.
The experiment is to discover if a bird can remember where it hid a seed but also if it can remember where it saw another bird hide a seed. The design is funny with a cacher bird hiding food in a room, while watched by a caged observer bird. Two days later, cachers and observers are tested for their discovery rate against estimated random performance (预估随机表现). Both cachers performed above chance. More surprisingly, jay observers were as successful as jay cachers, whereas nutcracker observers did no better than chance. It seems that, whereas the Nutcracker is highly skilled at remembering where it hid its own seeds, the social living Mexican Jay is more adept at remembering, and so making use of, the caches of others.
1. Urban black rats were able to learn to strip when ________.| A．living with stripper babies | B．fostered by urban mothers |
| C．fed by stripper mothers | D．eating cones by themselves |
| A．the Mexican Jay benefits from social living |
| B．the Clark’s Nutcraker has better learning skills |
| C．Nutcraker observers perform well in remembering |
| D．Jay cachers are only good at hiding food |
| A．skills are equipped in childhood | B．skills improve by practice |
| C．animals study through playing | D．animals learn by examples |
Natural disasters take many different forms and can happen
4 . Looking for a way to reconnect with nature but you're not sure how to when you live in the city? Here are a few ways to live in harmony (融洽相处) with nature and reduce your stress.
Go on a wildlife walk.
Nothing will make you feel as closely connected with earth as walking without shoes on grass for a couple of minutes. This very direct connection with nature will make you realize that you're part of the huge world, helping you to relax and feel calmer.
Attract nature yourself.
One of the best ways to connect with nature is to make it come to you.
Create a small garden.
Plants and flowers are part of nature as well and even the tiniest amount of space can be turned into a beautiful garden. If you've got a balcony (阳台), fill it with pots full of flowers.
Use these tips for connecting with nature and living a more comfortable lifestyle in a big city.
| A．Have a walk in a park |
| B．Put off your shoes and walk barefoot (赤脚地) |
| C．You can grow your own vegetables on it as well |
| D．There's lots of urban wildlife for you to discover |
| E．You can put a bird feeder on your balcony or by your window |
| F．Meantime, this is the best method for improving your health and wellbeing |
| G．It's a different way of experiencing nature helping you to enjoy it from a different viewpoint |
5 . FORTY-EIGHT HOURS after the Brazilian government banned the burning of the Amazon rainforest, almost 4,000 new fires were spotted by the satellites of the National Space Research Institute. The burning of the Amazon seemed terrifying enough. It is even more painful to learn that most of these fires are deliberately set.
The situation in the Amazon has occasionally been brought up over the past few years as we have seen a gradual increase in forest fires worldwide. Recently, it has become a much more hotly contested topic as mainstream news outlets and social media users alike have begun taking up the cause. The phenomenon has even escalated (升级) to the point where certain social media users are posting questionable photos to draw attention. However, it does not change the fact that the crisis is very real and very serious.
Wildfires in regions with dry forests like California and Australia have increased due to climate change, which some world leaders still deny is a man-made problem. The fires in the Amazon rainforest, however, are undeniably caused by people. The rainforest is a wet place and does not catch fire easily, so natural forest fires are uncommon. This means that the 70,000 plus fires in the Amazon this year are mostly the result of human activity. They are started by farmers looking to expand farmland, or companies looking to develop natural resources from the forest. Why do they do this? Money.
Since the new Brazilian President, Jair Bolsonaro, took office in January of this year, there has been an 84 percent increase in the number of fires in the Amazon, and the year is not even over yet. While the world was mourning (感到痛心), the president didn't take any immediate action to prevent the destruction from expanding. It was only weeks later, when public angry reaction forced him to act; that he finally sent in firefighters to try to put out the fires.
To quote Alanis Obomsawin, a firm environmentalist,“When the last tree is cut, the last fish is caught, and the last river is polluted; when to breathe the air is sickening, you will realize, too late, that wealth is not in bank accounts and that you cannot eat money.”
1. What is happening to the Amazon rainforest?| A．It is being preserved by global media. |
| B．It is being damaged by human activity. |
| C．It is being explored for green purposes. |
| D．It is being threatened by climate change. |
| A．Skeptical. | B．Reserved. | C．Critical. | D．Favorable. |
| A．The author thinks it urgent to conserve the Amazon rainforest. |
| B．The burning of the rainforest has drawn the attention of experts. |
| C．It is never too late to take measures to protect natural forests. |
| D．Money in bank accounts is no guarantee of our fulfilling life. |
6 . Almost all animals need to sleep to stay healthy. But sleeping can also be dangerous because other animals may hurt those who are sleeping. This leads to many different ways of sleeping that help them stay safe. Some of these ways may surprise you!
Almost all bats sleep upside down. They hang from a branch of a tree or the ceiling of a cave. Up high, bats are safe from most other animals. If they are in danger, they just fly away.
A dolphin sleeps with just half its brain at a time. It must stay awake to breathe and to watch for danger. Dolphin mothers and babies can go without sleep for as long as two months to stay safe.
Some ducks sleep with just half their brains, too. These ducks often sleep in a line. The ducks at both ends help to keep the group safe. They keep one eye open to watch for danger. The ducks in the middle sleep deeply with both eyes closed.
Seals breathe air, but that doesn't stop some of them from sleeping underwater. They hold their breath and dive deep to sleep for up to twenty minutes at a time. Sleeping deep underwater helps these seals stay safe from animals that hunt them near the surface.
Horses often sleep standing up. Their legs lock in place so they don't fall over. If a horse is lying down, it needs a long time to get up. A horse can run from danger more quickly if it is already standing.
A flamingo (火烈鸟) can sleep while standing on one leg. The standing leg locks so it stays straight. The other leg remains close to the flamingo's body. Its head rests on its back. A flamingo lives (and sleeps) near many other birds to stay safe.
Some seabirds can sleep while they fly. These large birds spend most of their lives over the ocean. They are in danger on the water, but they are safe in the air. They fly for many hours without flapping (拍打) their wings. Sometimes they sleep while they are flying.
Would you like to sleep how they sleep?
1. The animals that sleep with half their brains are ___________.| A．ducks and seals | B．dolphins and ducks | C．bats and dolphins | D．flamingos and seabirds |
| A．To run from danger quickly. | B．To avoid falling over. |
| C．To help them to seep deeply. | D．To shorten the time to go to sleep. |
| A．offer to help | B．come to teach | C．refuse to protect | D．want to kill |
| A．How Animals Sleep | B．Sleep To Stay Healthy |
| C．Sleep As Animals Do | D．What Sleeping Animals Are Like |
Considering our limited knowledge, it's not surprising that exploration of the oceans constantly brings about discoveries in various
First, many archaeological finds are made in shallow waters, including whole cities
Amazing biological discoveries are also being made, like the barreleye living 6,000 meters below the ocean's surface. Such discoveries enable us
Additionally, so far more new natural resources such as fire ice
Humankind is entering a new age of oceanic discovery. Oceans will be as familiar
8 . How can having a childlike view of the world help the environment? Danish eco-artist Thomas Dambo combines a talent for recycling with a fairy-tale imagination to bring people worldwide closer to nature.
For the “Guardians of the Seeds” exhibition, Danish eco-artist Thomas Dambo built five trolls from discarded wood materials, which were appointed by Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens (CMBG) for its splendid riverside woodland.
The exhibition composed of the five trolls aims to give visitors an emotional connection with nature that will encourage them to become keepers of it. For the exhibition, Thomas came up with a story that a family of trolls hid 10 golden seeds to protect the old forest. Using a map that's provided, visitors follow clues to find where the seeds are hidden.
Besides using carefully selected recycling materials to produce his works, to challenge himself creatively, the artist allowed for a degree of production on-site. He gave a skinny troll named Birk a beard made from the roots of fallen trees. The fur of another troll Roskva is made from bark. Also, Gro, sitting with her eyes closed in a yoga pose, has a tongue made out of a nearby deserted planter.
“Thomas wants people to interact with them,” says Gretchen, president of CMBG. “He wants it to be a journey of discovery where you're walking along and all of a sudden this big magical being appears in front of you. These are friendly, happy trolls. They're not scary, mean trolls.”
Thomas hopes that “Guardians of the Seeds” gives viewers the same joy he gets from an occupation that he compares to a hobby. He says too many people lose their playfulness in their adult life. The key quality of his work is just its playfulness. One of his trolls sits on a real car on a hillside, appearing to cheerfully ride it. He wants to reactivate a childlike imagination in adults so they begin to see trash as objects that can be repurposed in practical and even picturesque ways. And he loves to entertain kids, too.
Nowadays, Mr. Dambo gets a kick out of seeking waste everywhere, hoping to find more stuff he could refashion into something amazing.
1. What does the underlined word “discarded” mean in paragraph 2?| A．Given-out. | B．Thrown-away. | C．High-priced. | D．Randomly-chosen. |
| A．To set off visitors' curiosity. | B．To get back the 10 golden seeds. |
| C．To promote the popularity of CMBG. | D．To boost the bond between visitors and nature. |
| A．His environmental awareness. | B．His creativity and artistic gift. |
| C．His working efficiency and skill. | D．His sense of social responsibility. |
| A．Thomas' Massive Troll Sculptures |
| B．Let Us Turn Trashed Wood into Elegant Art |
| C．Artist Preserves Imagination and Nature with Huge Trolls |
| D．Welcome to the Magic “Guardians of the Seeds” Exhibition |
9 . Organic foods are produced according to certain production standards, meaning they are grown without the use of conventional pesticides, or chemical fertilizers and that they were processed without food additives. Livestock are raised without the routine use of antibiotics or growth hormones. In most countries, organic produced foods must not be genetically modified. They may also be required to be produced using energy-saving technologies and packaged using recyclable materials when possible.
Early consumers interested in organic food would look for non-chemically treated, fresh or minimally processed food. They mostly had to buy directly from growers: “Know your farmer, know your food” was the motto. Personal definitions of what constituted “organic” were developed through firsthand experience: by talking to farmers, seeing farm conditions, and farming activities. Historically, organic farms were relatively small family run farms—which is why organic food was once only available in small stores or farmers’ markets. However, since the early 1990s organic food has had growth rates of around 20% a year. As of April 2008, organic food accounts for 12% of food sales worldwide. Currently organic food production is legally regulated. Many countries require producers to obtain organic certification in order to mark food as organic.
Several studies have attempted to examine and compare conventional and organic systems of farming. The general consensus is that, in the short term, organic farming is less damaging for the following reasons:
●Organic farms do not release synthetic pesticides into the environment—some of which have the potential to harm soil, water and local wildlife.
●Organic farms are better than conventional farms at sustaining diverse ecosystems, i.e., populations of plants and insects, as well as animals.
●Organic farms are more energy efficient and produce less waste.
Another report published in March 2008 by The Organic Centre claims that organic food is on average 25% more nutritious than conventional food.
However, many critics believe that the increased land needed to farm organic food could potentially destroy the rainforests and wipe out many ecosystems. And organic products cost 10 to 40% more than similar conventionally produced products. Processed organic foods in supermarkets are 65% more expensive.
1. Early consumers knew what food was “organic” by________.| A．the “certified organic” label tag | B．firsthand experience |
| C．its packaging | D．examining its organic certification |
| A．in America, organic food can only be bought in small stores or farmers’ markets |
| B．organic food is produced by large-scale farms |
| C．organic food is also available in large supermarkets at present |
| D．organic food is often beautifully packaged |
| A．junk food | B．delicious snacks | C．conventional food | D．green food |
| A．The disadvantages of organic food. | B．The cost of organic food |
| C．The benefits of organic food | D．Organic food and conventional food |
| A．Organic farms are more energy efficient and produce less waste. |
| B．Organic food is generally thought to be more nutritious. |
| C．Organic farms are better than conventional farms at maintaining varieties of plants, insects and animals |
| D．Organic farms do not release synthetic pesticides into the environment. |
10 . The good news is that more people bought electric vehicles （EVs） in 2020. The bad news is that sport utility （多用途的）vehicles （SUVs） continued to grow in popularity, too. “The fall in oil consumption due to the first trend was completely canceled out by the second," said Laura Cozzi, an officer at the International Energy Agency （JEA）,
Between 2010 and 2020, global carbon dioxide emissions （排放）from conventional cars fell by nearly 35 billion Lons, due to reasons such as fuel efficiency improvements as well as the switch to electric cars. Emissions from SUVs rose by more than 50 billion tons. "While the growth in EVs is encouraging, the boom in SUVs is heart-breaking," says Peters at the Cicero Climate Research Centre in Norway.
There are many reasons for the growing popularity of SUVs. For example, rising economic boom in many countries means more people are able to afford them. Some people see them as status symbols. Also, SUVs are heavily advertised by car-makers, whose profit is higher on these vehicles. Some countries, including France, have introduced plans under which more taxes are paid on heavier cars. But Peters thinks that people who are rich enough to afford SUVs won't be deterred by slightly higher taxes. "There are now some electric SUVs available, but 1 hope one day you will see more electric vehicles brought to the SUV market," says Peters.
Even if it happens, switching to electric SUVs isn't a good solution. Due to their size and bigger batteries, it takes more resources to build electric SUVs, and they consume around 15 percent more electricity. That means higher emissions unless the electricity comes entirely from renewable sources, and higher electricity demand makes it harder to green the electricity supply.
1. What can we infer from Paragraph 2?| A．Scientists should devote themselves to improving fuel efficiency. |
| B．The emission of carbon dioxide of motor vehicles has hit a new low. |
| C．Electric vehicles will certainly take the place of sport utility vehicles. |
| D．The popularity of SUVs destroys some efforts at environmental protection. |
| A．Blocked. | B．Encouraged. | C．Removed. | D．Involved. |
| A．SUVs are discounted heavily. |
| B．SUVs are often advertised by car producers. |
| C．SUVs are taxed at a lower rate in some countries. |
| D．SUVs consume fewer resources than other vehicles. |
| A．The electric SUVs should be made smaller and lighter. |
| B．The electric SUVs are a good guarantee for less pollution. |
| C．More electric SUVs don’t necessarily mean "environment-friendly". |
| D．Future electric SUVs will be powered with completely green energy. |
