1 . The connection between people and plants has long been the subject of scientific research. Recent studies have found positive effects. A study conducted in Youngstown, Ohio, for example, discovered that greener areas of the city experienced less crime. In another, employees were shown to be 15% more productive when their workplaces were decorated with houseplants.
The engineers at MIT have taken it a step further – changing the actual composition of plants in order to get them to perform diverse, even unusual functions. These include plants that have sensors printed onto their leaves to show when they're short of water and a plant that can detect harmful chemicals in groundwater. "We're thinking about how we can engineer plants to replace functions of the things that we use every day," explained Michael Strano, a professor of chemical engineering at MIT.
One of his latest projects has been to make plants glow in experiments using some common vegetables. Strano's team found that they could create a faint light for three-and-a-half hours. The light, about one-thousandth of the amount needed to read by, is just a start. The technology, Strano said, could one day be used to light the rooms or even to turn trees into self-powered street lamps.
In the future, the team hopes to develop a version of the technology that can be sprayed onto plant leaves in a one-off treatment that would last the plant's lifetime. The engineers are also trying to develop an on and off "switch" where the glow would fade when exposed to daylight.
Lighting accounts for about 7% of the total electricity consumed in the US. Since lighting is often far removed from the power source – such as the distance from a power plant to street lamps on a remote highway - a lot of energy is lost during transmission. Glowing plants could reduce this distance and therefore help save energy.
1. The first paragraph is mainly about _____.| A．A new study of different plants | B．A big fall in crime rates |
| C．Employees from various workplaces | D．Benefits from green plants |
| A．to detect plants' lack of water | B．to change compositions of plants |
| C．to make the life of plants longer | D．to test chemicals in plants |
| A．They will speed up energy production. | B．They may transmit electricity to the home. |
| C．They might help reduce energy consumption. | D．They could take the place of power plants. |
| A．The more plants, the less crime in the city. |
| B．The composition of plants will be changed to perform unusual functions. |
| C．The vegetables are expected to be used to light the room in the future. |
| D．The engineers will switch off the plants when they are exposed to daylight. |
2 . Country diary: a chainsaw massacre in the alder woods
On an overcast, drizzly afternoon at Durham Wildlife Trust’s low Barns nature
A tree had been felled and sawn into
When this reserve was established half a century ago, around old gravel pits (采沙场), some moisture-loving alders were planted to help
There is also an important natural alder wood here, created by a cataclysm almost two and a half centuries ago, which led to the designation of the reserve as a site of special scientific interest.
The Great Flood of 1771
When it sometimes floods, this tangle of gnarled（苍劲嶙峋的） trees has a
Sadly, since the mid-1990s, another
| A．reserve | B．preserve | C．conserve | D．deserve |
| A．scene | B．view | C．scope | D．landscape |
| A．logs | B．materials | C．resources | D．sources |
| A．Everlastingly | B．Eventually | C．Continually | D．Sustainably |
| A．assemble | B．present | C．overcast | D．resemble |
| A．rejuvenate | B．revenge | C．reform | D．remain |
| A．gone through | B．got through | C．swept through | D．cut through |
| A．changed | B．shifted | C．reversed | D．revised |
| A．clue | B．plot | C．evidence | D．hint |
| A．opportunities | B．possibilities | C．alternatives | D．probabilities |
| A．schemed | B．crawled | C．bounced | D．scattered |
| A．misfortune | B．catastrophe | C．setback | D．adversity |
| A．unique | B．peculiar | C．especial | D．particular |
| A．frontier | B．territory | C．habitat | D．boundary |
| A．various | B．versatile | C．multiple | D．diverse |
1.
| A．On the grass in the garden. |
| B．On the fence of the garden. |
| C．In the trees around the garden. |
| D．Beyond the fence of the garden. |
| A．Newton was barking at pigeons. |
| B．Newton was enjoying the food in the grass. |
| C．Newton was playing with the pigeons. |
| D．Newton was lying in grass, leaving the pigeons alone. |
| A．To show his courage. | B．To drive the birds away. |
| C．To attract his master’s attention. | D．To scare the birds for fun. |
4 . Science may never know what memories play on the mind of the California sea hare, a foot-long marine snail, when it eats algae — a sea plant — in the tide pools of the Pacific coast.
But in a new study, researchers claim to have made headway in understanding the simplest kind of memory a creature might form.
David Glanzman, a neurobiologist at the University of California, believes the kinds of memories that trigger a defensive reaction in the snail are encoded not in the connections between brain cells, as many scientists would argue, but in RNA molecules (分子) that form part of an organism’s genetic machinery.
In an experiment to test the idea, Glanzman implanted wire into the tails of California sea hares, and gave them a series of electrical shocks. The procedure sensitized the animals so that when they were prodded (戳) in a fleshy spout called a siphon, they contracted their gills (鳃状呼吸器官) in a strong defensive action.
After sensitizing the sea snails, Glanzman extracted RNA from the animals and injected it into other sea snails to see what happened. He found the recipient sea snails became sensitized, suggesting the “memory” of the electrical shocks had been transplanted. When Glanzman repeated the experiment with RNA from sea snails that had been hooked up to wires but not shocked, the reaction behavior did not transfer.
Despite the result, the work has not found widespread acceptance. “Obviously further work needs to be carried out to determine whether these changes can happen without failure in a wide range of conditions,” said Prof Sherilynn Vann, who studies memory at Cardiff University. “While the sea hare is a fantastic model for studying basic neuroscience, we must be very cautious in drawing comparisons to human memory processes.”
Tomas Ryan, who studies memory at Trinity College Dublin, is firmly unconvinced. “It’s interesting, but I don’t think they’ve transferred a memory,” he said. “This work tells me that maybe the most basic behavioral responses involve some kind of switch in the animal and there is something in the liquid that Glanzman extracts that is hitting that switch.”
But Ryan added that different thinking about memory was badly needed: “In a field like this which is so full of accepted beliefs, we need as many new ideas as possible. This work takes us down an interesting road, but I have a huge amount of skepticism about it.”
1. Why were the sea hares given electrical shocks?| A．To rob them of their memory. |
| B．To see how they defend themselves. |
| C．To break the connection between nerves. |
| D．To make them sensitive to external stimulations. |
| A．Memory can be encoded and changed by people. |
| B．Only with strong stimulation can sea snails form reaction. |
| C．The memory giving rise to sea snail’s sensitization is held in RNA. |
| D．The sea snail’s defense is probably enabled by connectivity of brain cells. |
| A．The recipient sea snail’s response may require further confirmation. |
| B．Variables (变量) in the experiments may not have remained the same. |
| C．Something else other than RNA in the extract may lead to the recipient’s reaction. |
| D．The sea snail “memory transplant” may not apply to more complex memory process. |
| A．criticism | B．doubt | C．relief | D．optimism |
5 . Care for a zoom-in observation of animals with no bars between you and the observed opposed to ordinary zoos? Where to have close-up encounters with some of the world’s most rare animals? We are revealing for you.
Right whales, Bay of Fundy, Canada
Northern right whales are on the brink of extinction, but survivors arrive in the Bay of Fundy each summer (May through October) to feed east of Grand Manan Island. They are recognized by a broad back and no dorsal fin, which distinguish them from other whales entering the bay.
Planning: Whale-watching tours operate out of Digby Neck peninsula on Nova Scotia and nearby islands, such as Brier Island, St. Andrews, Grand Manan Island, and Deer Island.
Grizzly bears, Alaska, USA
Grizzlies like salmon. In mid-July and again in mid-August, grizzlies make for Alaskan rivers to hook out the fish with their formidable claws. The bears gather in large numbers at rapids and pools, sometimes fighting for the best sites. Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park, and Fish Creek, near Hyder, have viewing platforms.
Planning: Most fishing sites are accessed by chartered light aircraft and a hike. Hyder is off the Stewart-Cassiar Highway.
Monarch butterflies, Sierra Chincua, Mexico
Each fall, millions of North American monarch butterflies migrate thousands of miles to the oyamel fir forests of the Transvolcanic Mountain Range, in the state of Michoacán. They flock intimately on tree trunks, bushes, and on the ground, fully showing their gregarious nature and occupy Sierra Chincua and four neighboring hills that make up the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve.
Planning: Chincua is one of two hills in the reserve open to the public from November through March.
Komodo dragons, Komodo Island, Indonesia
Landing on Komodo, you would feel like stepping back to a time when dinosaurs ruled the Earth, as park maps reported, “Here be dragons!” This mountainous volcanic island is home to the world’s largest living lizard – the Komodo dragon. Weighing 79 to 91kg, the Komodo dragon has a tail as long as its body. You can hike to a viewpoint at Banugulung and watch as park rangers feed food to the lizards, some of which are more than 10ft long.
Planning: Komodo is reached solely by boat from Bima (on eastern Sumbawa) or Labuan Bajo (on western Flores).
Wildebeest migration, Serengeti, Tanzania
Undoubtedly the world’s most spectacular wildlife sight is the annual wildebeest migration, when 1.4 million wildebeest and 200,000 zebras and gazelles are on the move across the Serengeti plains. The animals are trekking to chase the clean water and fresh grass. Along the way, lions and hyenas stalk them, and crocodiles lie in wait.
Planning: The herds migrate across Tanzania from December through July, and then pass through the Masai Mara in Kenya in August and September.
1. In which place can a variety of types of animals be viewed?| A．Alaska. | B．Sierra Chincua. | C．Komodo Island. | D．Serengeti. |
| A．being able to climb | B．preferring group living |
| C．migrating in huge numbers | D．moderate in temper |
| A．Right whales are distinguished from other whales by unique appearance features. |
| B．Viewing spots for grizzly bears can be reached through air and on foot. |
| C．Komodo dragons are similar to dinosaurs in living period. |
| D．Wildebeest herds travel to pursue favorable food conditions. |
A walk along Shanghai’s Suzhou Creek was, for much of the 20th century, best undertaken with a handkerchief covered firmly over the nose. Liquid waste from factories poured directly into its waters. For the multi-generational families who lived in the small boats that crowded its waters from bank to bank, it had long doubled as a source of public drinking water and a sewer. Infectious diseases
Suzhou Creek has taken on an entirely new look in recent years. The once-smelly and disease-ridden riverside
The restoration of Suzhou Creek dates back to 1993,
Research from the U.N. Environment Program reveals that half of the world’s 500 largest rivers have been seriously depleted or polluted. The comprehensive cleanup project for the 125-kilometer-long Suzhou Creek is an example the world
Stage Four of the Suzhou Creek restoration project is in full swing. Its aim is to make the creek’s waterfront
That means visitors will still be able to stroll Suzhou Creek from the 1911 Garden Bridge to the 1924 Post Office,
7 . Climate change disproportionately affects the world’s most vulnerable people, particularly poor rural communities that depend on the land for their livelihoods and coastal populations throughout the tropics. We have already seen a chain of tough suffering that results from extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, floods, droughts, wildfires, and more.
For remedies, advocates and politicians have tended to look toward cuts in fossil-fuel use or technologies to capture carbon before it enters the atmosphere—both of which are crucial. But this focus has overshadowed the most powerful and cost-efficient carbon capture technology in the world. Recent research confirms that forests are absolutely essential in reducing climate change, thanks to their ability to absorb and isolate carbon. In fact, natural climate solutions such as conservation and restoration of forests, along with improvements in land management, can help us achieve 37 percent of our climate target of limiting warming to a maximum of two degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels, even though they currently receive only 2.5 percent of public climate financing.
Forests’ power to store carbon dioxide is staggering: one tree can store an average of about 48 pounds in one year. Intact(完整的)forests could take in the CO2 emissions of some entire countries.
For this reason, policymakers and business leaders must create and enforce policies to prevent deforestation, foster, reforestation of degraded land, and promote the sustainable management of standing forests in the fight against climate change. Protecting the world’s forests ensures they can keep performing essential functions such as producing oxygen, filtering water and supporting biodiversity. Not only does the world’s entire population depend on forests to provide clean air, clean water, oxygen and medicines, but 1.6 billion people also rely on them directly for their livelihoods.
Unfortunately, a huge amount of forest continues to be converted into agricultural land to produce a handful of resource-intensive commodities - despite zero-deforestation commitments from companies and governments. So now is the time to increase forest protection and restoration. This action will also address a number of other pressing global issues. For example, in less developed, rural areas - especially in the tropics - community-based forest-management programs can forge pathways out of poverty. In the Peten region of Guatemala, for instance, community-managed forests boasted a near-zero deforestation rate from 2000 through 2013, as compared with 12 percent in nearby protected areas and buffer(缓冲)zones. These communities have built low-impact, sustainable forest-based businesses that have stimulated the economy of the region enough to fund the creation of local schools and health services. Their success is especially noticeable in a location where, outside these community-managed zones, deforestation rates have increased 20-fold.
1. Which of the following statements about natural climate solutions is true according to the passage?| A．They are the only effective strategies available to address the climate change. |
| B．They pale in comparison with the reduction in fossil-fuel use or technologies. |
| C．They can and should play a more important role in cutting carbon emissions. |
| D．They manage to limit warming to two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. |
| A．documented | B．incredible |
| C．unsteady | D．negligible |
| A．The policies to prevent deforestation have borne fruit. |
| B．Developed countries are hit the hardest by climate change. |
| C．Economic growth contributes a lot to reducing deforestation. |
| D．Some governments fail to keep their promises to preserve forests. |
| A．Keeping forests undamaged can go a long way toward saving the planet. |
| B．A high-tech climate fix is required to dramatically lessen global warming. |
| C．Governments should work together with businesses to stop deforestation. |
| D．Sustainable management of forests is crucial in powering regional development. |
8 . For the longest time, the predominant description about renewable energy featured awkward technologies, high costs, and burdensome allowance. In the
But now that these technologies have come of age, a new story is being written. Around the world, businesses, governments, and households are taking advantage of more cost-effective low-carbon technologies.
As in any rapid transition, a full understanding of what is happening has
To be sure,
As the green transition comes of age, it will offer solutions to all of humanity’s energy needs, placing a clean, prosperous and secure low-carbon future well within reach. Yet even as we hug
| A．license | B．absence | C．application | D．promotion |
| A．invisible | B．unbelievable | C．inevitable | D．unaffordable |
| A．Instead of | B．Owing to | C．In case of | D．According to |
| A．resources | B．revolutions | C．prospects | D．priorities |
| A．caught up with | B．compared with | C．taken place of | D．fallen behind |
| A．relevant | B．inferior | C．synthetic | D．experimental |
| A．mixture | B．caution | C．conflict | D．approval |
| A．in case | B．so that | C．even though | D．the moment |
| A．significance | B．invention | C．happiness | D．progress |
| A．dramatically | B．economically | C．independently | D．equivalently |
| A．interaction | B．modernization | C．motivation | D．transformation |
| A．natural | B．potential | C．positive | D．original |
| A．influence | B．optimism | C．estimation | D．extension |
| A．starting | B．failing | C．emerging | D．continuing |
| A．sustainable | B．traditional | C．available | D．industrial |
9 . Cuckoos don’t bother building their own nests—they just lay eggs that perfectly imitate those of other birds and take over their nests. But other birds are wishing up, evolving some seriously impressive tricks to spot the cuckoo eggs.
Cuckoos are often know as parasites, meaning that they hide their eggs in the nest of other species. To avoid detection, the cuckoos have evolved so that eggs seem reproduction of those of their preferred targets. If the host bird doesn’t notice the strange egg in its nest, the little cuckoo will actually take the entire nest for itself after it comes out, taking the other eggs on its back and dropping them out of the nest.
To avoid this unpleasant fate for their young, the other birds have evolved a few smart ways to spot the fakes, which we’re only now beginning to fully understand. One of the most amazing finds is that birds have an extra colour-sensitive cell in their eyes, which makes them far more sensitive to ultraviolet wavelengths and allows them to see a far greater range of colours than humans can. This allows cautious birds to detect a fake egg which might be exactly the same to our eyes.
Fascinatingly, we’re actually able to observe different bird species at very different points in their evolutionary war with the cuckoos. For instance, some cuckoos lay their eggs in the nests of the redstarts. The blue eggs these cuckoos lay are practically alike to those of the redstarts, and yet they are still sometimes rejected. Compare that with cuckoos who target dunnocks. While those birds lay perfectly blue eggs, their cuckoo invaders just lay white eggs with brown irregular shaped spots. And yet dunnocks barely ever seem to notice the obvious trick.
Biologists suspect these more easily fooled species like the dunnocks are on the same evolutionary path as the redstarts, but they have a long way to go until they evolve the same levels of suspicion. What’s remarkable is that the dunnocks fakes are so bad and the redstart ones so good, and yet cuckoos are still more successful with the former than the latter.
It speaks to just how thoroughly a species’ behavior can be changed by the pressures of natural selection, or it might just be a bit of strategic cooperation on the part of the dunnocks. Biologists have suggested that these birds are willing to tolerate a parasite every so often because they don’t want to risk accidentally getting rid of one of their own eggs.
1. This passage can be most likely found in a ________.| A．science survey | B．nature magazine |
| C．zoo advertisement | D．travel journal |
| A．Animals that work together to raise young. |
| B．Small harmful animals such as worms or mice. |
| C．Animals that can adapt to changing environments. |
| D．Animals which live on or inside other host animals. |
| A．It is colour-blind and therefore cannot identify foreign eggs in the nest. |
| B．It can easily remove cuckoo eggs from the nest because fakes are so bad. |
| C．It is a host bird that is more likely to raise a cuckoo chick than the redstart. |
| D．It is unable to evolve and hence accepts cuckoo eggs that appear in the nest. |
| A．Dunnocks may eventually learn to recognise foreign eggs. |
| B．Redstarts seem to be less suspicious compared to dunnocks. |
| C．Cuckoo birds are good at taking responsibility for their own young. |
| D．It is very easy for cuckoos to imitate the colouring of the dunnock’s egg. |
California has long attracted visitors seeking fortune, fame or both. Way back in 1849, hundreds of thousands started digging
Nowadays, the state is the most diverse(多元化的）in the entire mainland US--both in terms of the races of its people and the languages
But why is it
But it’s not just electronic innovation that inspires people to move to California. Another major reason is one of
