1 . In habitats across the planet, animals periodically drop everything to walk, fly or swim to a new place. Some animals such as whales and geese learn migration paths by following their parents. Others, including small songbirds, gain the distance and direction of their migration within their genetic code. And some animals use a combination of genetics and culture to guide their migration.

Another group of migrators does not quite fit either model, and researchers have only recently started to figure out how they find their way. The Cory’s shearwater is an oceangoing seabird that migrates over the Atlantic every year. The young do not migrate with their parents, so culture cannot explain their journeys. And the exact paths vary wildly from individual to individual, making genetics equally unlikely.

Cory’s shearwaters are long-lived, rarely producing young successfully before age nine. This leaves an opening for learning and practice to develop their migration patterns. Researchers call this the “exploration-refinement”, and until now it has been hypothetical (假设的) because of difficulties in tracking migratory animals’ movements.

But a team of researchers has done that by attaching small geolocators to more than 150 of the birds aged four to nine. They found that younger birds traveled longer distances, for longer periods, and had more diverse paths than older birds. “We finally have evidence of the ‘exploration-refinement’ for migratory birds,” says Letizia Campioni, who led the study. Younger Cory’s shearwaters are able to fly just as fast as the adults——but they do not, suggesting that the young do more exploring, which gradually fades as they mature and settle into a preferred course.

“Although it may seem less efficient than other strategies, exploration refinement could be beneficial to birds and other organisms in a rapidly changing world due to unpredictable man-made changes,” says Barbara Frei. “It might be safer to repeat a behavior that was recently successful than to rely on patterns that were perfected long ago but might no longer be safe.”

1. What is the first paragraph mainly about?

A．It describes animals’ habitats.	B．It compares different species.
C．It talks about migration models.	D．It introduces a tracking technology.

2. What does the underlined word “this” in Paragraph 3 refer to?

A．The opening for learning and practice.

B．The unique living habit of Cory’s shearwaters.

C．The process scientists track Cory’s shearwaters’ movements.

D．The way Cory’s shearwaters form their migration patterns.

3. What does Letizia’s study find about the younger Cory’s shearwaters?

A．They travel as much as adult birds.	B．They lower the speed for exploration.
C．They move in a predictable manner.	D．They look for a course with their parents.

4. What can we conclude from the last paragraph?

A．Exploration refinement contributes to birds’ adaptability.

B．Man-made changes make migration easier.

C．Animals make a safer journey via a fixed track.

D．A combination of strategies assures migration success

3 . 72 hours in Beijing

Traveling to China is no longer a luxury for many foreign passport holders. The Chinese government has permitted a 72-hour visa free policy that offers access to visitors from 53 countries including the US, France and Austria. Let’s start with the capital of China, Beijing. Here’s a pick of the best in Beijing.

Mutianyu Great Wall

Your trip to Beijing isn’t really complete without seeing one of the “New Seven Wonders of the World” — the Great Wall of China. The Mutianyu section of the Great Wall is by far the most well-preserved of all. Taking a one-hour bus ride, Mutianyu would be your ideal location for a half-day of hiking away from the large crowds in the city. Also, the authorities have allowed tourists to paint graffiti on a specific section of the Great Wall since 2014. The Great Wall was designated (把……定名为) a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987.

Summer Palace

Located in northwestern Beijing, the Summer Palace is by far the city’s most well-preserved royal park. With its huge lake and hilltop views, the palace offers you a pastoral escape into the landscape of traditional Chinese paintings. The Summer Palace was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1998.

798 Art Zone

This would be on the top of my list! Named after the 798 factory that was built in the 1950s, the art zone is home to various galleries, design studios, art exhibition spaces, fashionable shops and bars. You could easily spend half your day wandering around the complex, feeling the contrast of the present and the past.

Sichuan Provincial Restaurant

While in Beijing, apart from trying the city’s best-known Peking duck, the Sichuan provincial restaurant is one of places where you can enjoy regional delicious food. It offers one of China’s eight great cuisines, Sichuan Cuisine, which ranges from Mapo tofu to spicy chicken.

1. When was the Summer Palace added to the UNESCO World Heritage List?

A．In 1950.	B．In 1987.
C．In 1998.	D．In 2014.

2. Which place is the author’s first choice when visiting Beijing?

A．Mutianyu Great Wall.	B．798 Art Zone.
C．Summer Palace.	D．Sichuan Provincial Restaurant.

3. Who is the passage intended for?

A．The tourists who prefer to travel for free.

B．The foreigners to stay in Beijing for 4 days.

C．The visitors coming from every corner of China.

D．The foreigners coming to Beijing for the first time.

4 . The endangered pandas in the Qinling Mountains might face a new threat: the loss of their food, bamboo, which makes up 99% of their meals.

Adult pandas spend most part of the day eating bamboo and have to take in at least 40 pounds a day to stay healthy. However, a new study published in Nature Climate Change warned that they may soon find their food gone because most of the bamboo in the Qinling Mountains might disappear by the end of the century as a result of rising temperature worldwide.

A team made up of researchers from Michigan State University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences has studied the effects of climate change on the bamboo in the Qinling Mountains. They have found that bamboo is very sensitive to climate changes. “80% to 100% of the bamboo would be gone if the average temperature rises 3.5 degrees worldwide by the end of the century,” said Liu Jianguo, one of the report’s authors.

He added, “This is how much the temperature would rise by 2100 even if all countries will keep their promises in the Paris Agreement. But you know what is happening all around the world.”

In recent years, China has been trying its best to protect the endangered pandas by setting up more and bigger natural reserves.

“But it is far from enough and the endangered pandas need cooperation from the rest of the world, because their future is not just in the hands of the Chinese,” said Shirley Martin from the World Wildlife Fund but not a member of the team.

The Qinling Mountains, in the southwest of China, are home to about 260 pandas. That is about 13% of China’s wild panda population. In addition, about 375 are living in research centers and zoos in China.

1. How many wild pandas are there in China?

A．About 260.	B．About 635.
C．About 2,635.	D．About 2,000.

2. What does Liu Jianguo mean in Paragraph 4?

A．China needs more help from the World Wildlife Fund.

B．It is difficult to control the temperature rise within 3.5℃.

C．Bamboo is sensitive to the changes of temperature.

D．China is making great efforts to protect the pandas.

3. What can we learn from the first paragraph?

A．The Qinling Mountains can provide enough bamboo for the pandas.

B．Pandas in the Qinling Mountains are only threatened by the loss of food.

C．Lots of the bamboo in the Qinling Mountains will probably disappear.

D．Pandas have already eaten 99% of the bamboo in the Qinling Mountains.

4. Which can be the best title for the text?

A．The Disappearance of Bamboo

B．Necessity to Change Pandas’ Food

C．A New Threat Faced by the Pandas

D．Efforts Made to Save Pandas

5 . Unbelievable Stories of Animals Acting Just Like Humans

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.

2. What do the whale and the cat have in common according to the passage?

A．They are clever.

B．They have a grateful heart.

C．They are active and lovely.

D．They have a good sense of smell.

3. Which of the following acts like a human baby according to the passage?

A．The whale

B．The cat.

C．The horse.

D．The panda.

6 . China is showing the world its great resolve in the global climate campaign with concrete and self-motivated efforts as well as serious commitment.

At the opening ceremony of the Paris climate summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping restated China’s plan made in June to cut its carbon emissions per unit of GDP by 60—65 per cent from 2005 levels by 2030, and increase non-fossil fuel sources in primary energy consumption to about 20 per cent.

With a large population, China is facing increasing resource limits, severe environmental pollution and a worsening ecosystem, and its citizens are also becoming increasingly aware of environmental problems. Suffering environmental problems and considering the efforts important in order to transform its economic growth pattern, the country will have much at risk if climate change is left unattended.

Actually, climate change efforts have already been included in China’s medium-and long-term program of economic and social development, and ecological efforts are the clear characteristics in China’s 13th Five-Year Plan(2016—2020).

Although it is and will be a developing country for a long time, China has been actively involved in the global campaign against climate change, now topping the world in terms of energy conservation and the use of new and renewable energy.

However, China’s development rights need to be respected. It is unfair to overstress China’s status as one of the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitters and regard it as the major part of responsibilities in the global fight against climate change.

It is worthy of notice that China’s emissions of greenhouse gases per person are far lower than those of developed countries, especially the United States, although rapid economic expansion and its population base have made it one of the biggest producers of the greenhouse gas.

To show its great resolve, China also announced the establishment of an independent South-South cooperation in September, investing RMB 20 billion to help developing countries affected by global warming.

While China is eagerly accomplishing its policy commitment, developed countries should stop questioning China’s commitment to fighting climate change and pointing fingers, and start shouldering their due responsibilities instead.

1. China is self-motivated to fight against climate change in order to 　　　.

A．top the world

B．transform its economic growth pattern

C．solve its population problem

D．respond to pressure from developed countries

2. The underlined word “it” in Paragraph 7 refers to 　　　.

A．China	B．the United States
C．economic expansion	D．the population base

3. It can be inferred from the text that 　　　.

A．China will completely use non-fossil fuels by 2030

B．China will carry out its plan by stopping its development

C．Chinese emit more greenhouse gases than Americans on average

D．some developed countries are not taking on their responsibilities

4. Which of the following is a sign of China’s self-motivated fight against climate change?

A．Expanding its economy.

B．Using non-renewable energy.

C．Making the fight against climate change part of China’s 13th Five-Year Plan.

D．Donating money to developing countries.

7 . Urban Wildlife

Cities are diverse ecosystems. In addition to visitors, a large number of species share our urban areas. As our cities spread, we need to think about what it is like for other species to have human neighbors.

Cities are built for humans.     1     For example, most city parks are kept neat and tidy so that humans will find them beautiful. But when we cut grass or plants, we destroy natural habitats, which leads to the imbalance of ecology.  

    2     When a bridge in Austin, Texas was repaired, engineers added small gaps running the length of its bottom. This made a good home for bats, and soon the bridge was home to thousands of bats.     3     Now, they have come to value their winged neighbors. The bats become an attraction, and they eat lots of bugs every night.  

There are also structures built with the aim of bringing wildlife into the city. The Olympic Forest Park in Beijing is a good example. The park used native plants, and created open and natural spaces for wildlife. The result is a zone in Beijing with over 160 species of birds. In many ways, the park is the opposite of a zoo.     4    

If we learn to share our space, we can become better neighbors of the wildlife around us.     5     Our own future will be endangered too.

A．They are built to protect birds.

B．Our actions sometimes help other species.

C．If we do not, more species will become extinct.

D．They do not always provide suitable habitats for wildlife.

E．Instead of being kept in cages, wildlife can move more freely.

F．At first, people were afraid of the bats and tried to get rid of them.

G．They would sit on it and their droppings would fall into the water.

9 . When does the rainy season start?

A．In November.

B．In February.

C．In January.