In India, a lot of elephants aren’t wild. Instead, they are domesticated (驯养的). They aren’t kept as pets,
Another animal
Tu Youyou was born in Ningbo, China,
Sarek National Park is in the remote far north of Sweden. In summer the sun
3 . There was no need to consult my smart-watch to know that we had climbed to an altitude of more than 4,500 meters.
After a four-hour journey, our coach
As the air pressure
I
Cracks could be seen meandering across the walls of the room, a warning sign of the quake’s destruction and a
It certainly hadn’t. At about midnight, a magnitude 4.8 quake
We scrambled for our clothes and shoes and argued about whether we had enough time to run outside. Before we had reached agreement, the shaking had stopped. The street our room overlooked was quickly
The older man and I stared at each other and then decided to creep back to our beds, but we kept our pants on, just
| A．Bodily | B．Heart | C．Verbal | D．Eye |
| A．pulled out | B．stopped by | C．pulled over | D．pulled into |
| A．lengthened | B．worsened | C．lessened | D．weakened |
| A．fell | B．rose | C．increased | D．applied |
| A．pressure | B．contents | C．water | D．cap |
| A．sight | B．type | C．style | D．scene |
| A．signed up | B．walked into | C．checked up | D．checked into |
| A．several | B．flights | C．few | D．steps |
| A．survive | B．save | C．use | D．waste |
| A．note | B．reminder | C．view | D．site |
| A．came | B．broke | C．struck | D．scared |
| A．awake | B．sleepy | C．quiet | D．ill |
| A．credited | B．accompanied | C．flooded | D．covered |
| A．danger | B．discomfort | C．disbelief | D．destruction |
| A．in comfort | B．in relief | C．in case | D．in vain |
4 . Malaysia, in Southeast Asia, is a great combination of history and modernization, and is a great tourist spot. The place is a cultural mixing bowl of Malay, Chinese, Indian and indigenous customs and heritage, and while for most people, the name Malaysia only brings pictures of Kuala Lumpur, there is a lot more to it. Let us take a look at some best places to visit in Malaysia.
Kuala Lumpur
The capital of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, is a common favourite. Unlike most of the cities in the world, it is more than where the visitor lands and then goes off to other places, because Kuala Lumpur itself offers a lot. The beautiful skyline, adorned by Menara KL Tower and Petronas Tower, is a must-see. The Perdana Lake Gardens is another great sight. Excellent transport system is ready to help explore the city sights. The cuisine is a must-try, what with the mix of Malay, Chinese and Indian influence.
Penang
Penang is one of the best places to visit in Malaysia. This big island on the west coast of Malaysia is one that the country is proud of, and for valid reasons. For one, its historic capital city, George Town, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, what with its landmark homes, fort, temples and museums. Penang offers an excellent spread, including some incredible street food. Some of the best treats and tastes are available at the food joints lining the waterfront esplanade named Gurney Drive.
Selangor
Selangor defines the most developed and populated states of Malaysia, closely following the urban sprawl of Kuala Lumpur. It has the National Zoo of Malaysia and a Formula One racetrack. There are theme parks including indoor snow parks frequented by hordes of travelers. It is a hot shopping zone, and the country's gambling capital, Gentling Highlands. Contrarily, there are the Batu Caves with Hindu shrines. Along the river in Kuala Selangor, one can see the exotic abundance of fireflies.
Malaysian Borneo
In contrast to the bright lights and concrete of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian Borneo offers an abundance of green rain-forests and wildlife. It is the third largest island in the world and definitely one of the best places to visit in Malaysia. It often goes forgotten by those who stay fascinated by the mainland. But one must not miss Borneo's repertoire of natural wonders. Only a short, cheap flight away lies the options of scuba diving in Sabah, caving in Sarawak, and the many other adventures.
1. What will most people think of when hearing the word Malaysia?| A．Pictures about Malaysia capital | B．Cultural combination |
| C．Various customs and heritages | D．History plus modernization |
| A．Visitors might stay longer there. |
| B．Visitors might go away after a brief stay. |
| C．It has much more to offer to its visitors. |
| D．It is commonly favored by visitors. |
| A．Malaysian Borneo | B．Selangor | C．Penang | D．Malaysia |
5 . In 1960 the Aral Sea was one of the world’s largest inland water bodies, covering an area of approximately 68,000 square kilometers (26,000 square miles). By the year 2000 the area covered by the Aral Sea had become less than half its 1960 size, its volume reduced by 80 percent. By about 2010 all that will remain will be three shallow remnants.
What caused the Aral Sea to evaporate over the past 40 years? As recently as 1965, the Aral Sea received about 50 cubic kilometers (12 cubic miles) of fresh water per year. By the early 1980s this number had declined to nearly zero. The reason was that the waters of the Amu Darya and Syr Darya had been diverted to supply a major expansion of irrigated agriculture in this dry realm.
The intensive irrigation has greatly increased agricultural productivity, but not without significant costs. The deltas of the two major rivers have lost their wetlands, and wildlife has disappeared. The once thriving fishing industry has been eliminated, and the 24 species of fish that once inhabited the Aral Sea are no longer there. The shoreline is now tens of kilometers from the towns that were once fishing centers.
The shrinking sea has exposed millions of acres of former seabed to sun and wind. The surface is covered with salt and agrochemicals brought by the rivers. Strong winds routinely pick up thousands of tons of newly exposed materials every year and deposit them throughout the region. This process has not only contributed to a significant reduction in air quality for the region’s population, but has also appreciably reduced crop yields due to the deposits of salt-rich sediments on farmable land.
The shrinking Aral Sea has had a noticeable impact on climate. Without the moderating effect of a large water body, there are greater extremes of temperature, a shorter growing season, and reduced local precipitation. These changes have caused many farms to switch from growing cotton to growing rice, which demands even more diverted water.
1. Why have crop yields been reduced on the land surrounding the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya?| A．The Aral Sea no longer provides the land with fresh water for irrigation. |
| B．The farmers have stopped using chemical fertilizers. |
| C．The salt content of the soil has increased. |
| D．Erosion due to wind has increased. |
| A．forcefully |
| B．necessarily |
| C．unfortunately |
| D．regularly |
| A．Rice requires less water. |
| B．Rice is cheaper to grow. |
| C．Rice needs a shorter growing season. |
| D．Rice has less impact on climate. |
6 . Predator-Prey Interactions Shape Evolutionary Adaptations
To survive, predators must eat and prey must avoid becoming food. Therefore, predator and prey populations exert intense environmental pressure on one another, resulting in coevolution. As prey become more difficult to catch, predators must become more adept at hunting. Coevolution has given the mountain lion sharp claws, and it has given the fawn the mountain lion hunts the behavior of lying still as it awaits its mother. It has produced the keen eyesight of the hawk and the earthy camouflage coloration of its small mammal prey. Coevolution of predators and prey has also given rise to the bright colors of the poison arrow frog and the coral snake. In the next section, we examine an example of the evolutionary results of predator-prey interactions.
Some Predators and Prey Have Evolved Counteracting Behaviors
Bat and moth adaptations provide an excellent example of how both physical structures and behaviors are molded by coevolution. Both bats and moths are nocturnal (they are quiet during the day and active at night), and bats hunt moths as prey. Bats have evolved a system for sensing their surroundings at night, called echolocation. In echolocation, bats emit very high-pitched and high-frequency sound pulses that only they can hear. The bats navigate and hunt by listening to the sound as it reflects off surrounding surfaces and then by interpreting the returning echoes as a mental image. In response, some species of moths have evolved simple ears (most insects do not have ears) that are able to detect the sounds that bats use in echolocation. When they hear a bat, these moths change their flying patterns, flying erratically or dropping to the ground. The bats, in turn, have evolved the ability to change their sound pulses to a range that the moths cannot hear. Some moths have evolved a way to interfere with the bats’ echolocation by producing their own high frequency clicks. In response, when hunting a clicking moth, a bat may turn off its own sound pulses temporarily and locate the moth by following the moth’s clicks.
1. According to paragraph 2, echolocation is the use of sound to ________.| A．confuse or stun prey |
| B．imitate other animals |
| C．find objects in space |
| D．warn prey that a predator is near |
| A．the ability to locate other types of prey |
| B．the ability to hunt during the day |
| C．the ability to imitate the moth’s sound pulses |
| D．the ability to change the frequency of the sound pulses they emit |
| A．listen to | B．disturb |
| C．control | D．find |
7 . National Bird Day
National Bird Day is a holiday which has been celebrated on January 5th. The purpose of this holiday is to bring attention to the situation of our friends—birds. This holiday is also a good day to appreciate the beauty and the diversity of these creatures.
However, National Bird Day shouldn't be confused with Bird Day—one of the oldest bird holidays. Bird Day is a holiday that is celebrated annually in the United States on May 4th since the late 19th century.
History
National Bird Day is a holiday which has been celebrated for over a decade now. Bird Day, on the other hand, goes back a lot further. According to the Library of Congress, Bird Day was established by Charles Almanzo Babcock in 1894.
Facts About Birds
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, there are almost 10,000 different species of birds. But almost 900 of them are on the verge of extinction(濒临灭绝).
Customs, Traditions, and Celebrations
National Bird Day can be celebrated in many different ways. Participants can watch birds, and they can take part in one of the activities for the protection of birds. In schools across the US, children often are given the task of researching into birds on this day or drawing a nice picture of birds for the classroom.
1. What can we learn about National Bird Day?| A．It is celebrated earlier than Bird Day every year. |
| B．It is celebrated all over the world. |
| C．It is one of the oldest bird holidays. |
| D．It is set up earlier than Bird Day. |
| A．0.8%. | B．0.9%. |
| C．8%. | D．9%. |
| A．Buy some birds. | B．Feed some birds. |
| C．Study some birds. | D．Set some birds free. |
8 . The green movement is catching on in many pockets of the world. This is especially true in the construction industry. Today's buzz words, which include global warming and zero emissions（排放）, are causing everyday people to look for ways to reduce their carbon footprint. Purchasing an environmentally-friendly home is a good investment for those who care about their own health and the well-being of our planet. Based on this trend, entire districts, known as eco-communities, are being designed with the concept of green in mind. One of these communities is Dockside Green in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Its goal is to become the world's first zero-emission neighborhood.
Dockside Green is a mostly self-sufficient community along the harbor front of Victoria, the capital city of British Columbia. The community is home to around 2,500 people and it includes a variety of environmental features, some of which can't be found anywhere else.
The planners and builders of Dockside Green have the environment in mind with every choice they make. They ensure proper ventilation （通风） and guarantee residents clean air indoors. Building materials, such as paints and wood, are natural and green.
Energy efficiency is attached great importance to in eco-communities like Dockside Green. Not only do energy-efficient appliances reduce the environmental impact of heating, cooking and lighting, they also save residents money. Dockside Green claims that home owners use 55% less energy than the average Canadian.
Eco-communities also take the future into account by recycling waste and reducing carbon emissions. At Dockside Green, waste water is treated and reused on-site for flushing toilets, and a gas plant changes waste wood into a renewable form of gas for hot water systems, stoves and gas heaters. The community also reduces carbon emissions by using local suppliers for all their transport and maintenance（维修） needs, and residents are encouraged to join the community's car share program.
1. Who are likely to buy an environmentally-friendly home?| A．People interested in investment. | B．Those looking for carbon footprint. |
| C．Those concerned about their health. | D．People caring about their community. |
| A．an eco- community with over 2,500 people | B．a good investment for planners and builders |
| C．the world’s first zero-emission neighborhood | D．a self-sufficient community in British Columbia |
| A．Recycling waste and reducing carbon emissions | B．Encouraging people to join the car share program |
| C．Calling on people to reduce their carbon footprint | D．Equipping people with energy-efficient appliances |
| A．Climate scientists. | B．Natural gas companies. |
| C．Coal mining investors. | D．Architects and interior designers. |
9 . A new survey method is invented to count wild species. African elephants are the first animals to be successfully counted from space while moving through a complicated landscape that range from open grasses to forests.
Typically, conservationists do this from low-flying planes in order to count and monitor African elephants, a method that takes many hours. With the new technique that combines satellite imagery with artificial intelligence, up to 3,100 square miles can be surveyed on a single blue-sky day in minutes. Then, the deep-learning computer analyzes those images and pick out individual elephants.
The new technique is a key part of ensuring the survival of the endangered species. Due to illegal hunting and habitat destruction, just 415,000 African elephants are living in the wild. “Accurate monitoring is essential if we’re to save the species,” said Olga Isupova, a computer scientist at the University of Bath in the UK. “We need to know where the animals are and how many there are.”
What really makes this study stand apart from other satellite-tracking projects is how successful the computer program is at picking out the elephants from their complex backgrounds, including grasslands and partially tree-covered landscapes. Satellite imagery is also a much more efficient survey method than the current flyover surveys carried out, which is faster and avoids double-counting the same elephants. The remote survey also reduces the impact researchers have on the animals and allows them to count individuals moving between countries.
“Although this is a proof of concept, it’s ready to go,” said professor Duporge, a zoologist at the Oxford University. “And conservation organizations are already interested in using this to replace surveys using aircraft. As satellite imaging improves, other smaller species may soon be able to be counted in greater detail from space too. ”
1. What are used in the new study method?| A．AI and surveys. | B．Satellites and aircraft. |
| C．Planes and computers. | D．Satellites and computers. |
| A．Climate change. | B．Human activities. |
| C．Environment threat. | D．Social improvement. |
| A．Less money. | B．More accurate. | C．Less workers. | D．More complex. |
| A．Worried. | B．Objective. | C．Doubtful. | D．Optimistic. |
10 . When an animal species is considered endangered, it means that the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has evaluated it as nearly extinct, which means that a majority of its population has already died off and the rate of birth is lower than the species’death rate. Today, more and more animal and plant species are on the way to extinction because of a variety of major factors that cause a species to become endangered, and as you might expect, humans play a role in quite a few of them — in fact, the biggest threat to endangered animals is human encroachment (侵入) on their habitats.
Every species needs a habitat, where an animal finds food, raises its young. Unfortunately, humans destroy animal habitats in a number of different ways: building houses, clearing forests to get lumber and to plant crops, draining rivers to bring water to those crops, and making streets and parking lots.
In addition, human development pollutes the environment with all kinds of chemicals, which destroys food sources and shelters for the creatures and plants of that area. As a result, some species die out while others are pushed into areas where they can’t find food and shelters — to make matters worse, when one animal population suffers, it affects many other species in its food web, so more than one species’population is likely to decrease.
Habitat destruction is the number one reason for animal endangerment, which is why conservation groups work hard to repair the effects of human developments — many non-profit groups like the Nature Conservancy are taking measures to clean up coastlines and establish nature preserves to prevent further harm to native environments and species around the world.
1. A species is considered endangered________.| A．when the IUCN has noticed its population change | B．when most of its population has died off |
| C．when the species’ birth rate is close to its death rate | D．when the species is losing its habitat |
| A．Gas. | B．Food. | C．Chemicals. | D．Wood. |
| A．Calling for human development. | B．Raising money. |
| C．Establishing nature preserves. | D．Educating people. |
| A．Habitat destruction causes animal endangerment. | B．Animals die out due to environment pollution. |
| C．Measures need to be taken to increase species. | D．Non-profit groups are making great contributions. |
