1 . When Mexican scientist of the evolution of animal behavior, Laura Cuaya, moved to Hungary for her postdoctoral studies in Budapest, she brought her pet dog, Kun-kun, along for the ride. Cuaya couldn't help noticing how locals warmed to dogs. This prompted her naturally curious scientific mind to start asking questions. “Here people are talking all the time to Kun-kun, but I always wonder if Kun-kun can recognize that people in Budapest speak Hungarian, not Spanish?” So she set out to find an answer through a scientific study.
Cuaya and her colleagues decided to use brain images from MRI scanning to shed light on her hunch. They worked with dogs of various ages that had, until the experiment, only heard their owners speak just one of the two languages, Spanish or Hungarian. Not surprisingly, getting the dogs to happily take part in the experiment took some creative coaxing and animal training! The researchers first needed to teach Kun-kun and her 17 fellow participating dogs including a labradoodle, a golden retriever and Australian shepherds, to lie still in a brain scanner. Their pet parents were always present, and they could leave the scanner at any point.
The research team played children's book classic The Little Prince in both Spanish and Hungarian while scanning the dogs' brains with an MRI machine. They were looking for evidence that their brains reacted differently to a familiar and unfamiliar language. The researchers also played scrambled versions of the story to find out if dogs could distinguish between speech and non-speech.
The images reveal that dogs' brains show different patterns of activity for an unfamiliar language than for a familiar one — the first time anyone has proved, researchers say, that a non-human brain can distinguish between two languages. This means that the sounds and rhythms of a familiar language are accessible to non-humans.
Interestingly, the team also found that the brains of older dogs were more skilled at detecting speech “suggesting a role for the amount of language exposure”. They suggest that dogs have refined their ability to distinguish between human languages over the long process of domestication.
1. What is paragraph 1 mainly about?A.The background of the study. | B.The significance of the study. |
C.The concern of the researcher. | D.The introduction to the researcher. |
A.Age limits. | B.Brain patterns. | C.Language exposure. | D.Owners' commands. |
A.practical | B.contradictory | C.compromising | D.groundbreaking |
A.Dogs Can Tell Foreign Languages | B.Dog Brains Have Different Patterns |
C.Old Dogs Know More About Human Speech | D.Dogs Can Differ Speech From Non-Speech |
2 . Last week came solid evidence that living in toxic Britain can seriously harm your health. Cardiologists at Queen Mary University of London found that even "safe" levels of air pollution are linked to heart abnormalities similar to those seen during the early stages of heart failure. Their study of almost 4,000 people was backed up by a major US study which showed that higher exposure to fine particles and nitrogen oxides is linked to an acceleration in the hardening of the arteries (动脉).
We have long known that air pollution leads to coughing, shortness of breath and irritation in the eyes, nose and throat. It is also clearly linked to respiratory diseases such as asthma and bronchitis, as well as diabetes and some cancers. It is now beyond doubt that children's health is greatly affected, and links have been made between it and Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, dementia and congenital birth defects.
The statistics are alarming. In the UK, more than 2 million people suffer from cardiovascular (心血管的) diseases, and nearly one in seven men and one in 12 women will go on to die from them. Heart disease costs the UK economy nearly £30 bn a year to treat, as much as the state spends on secondary education. It is one of the greatest single drains on the public purse. Britain, however, rejects common sense, and shows little sign that it wants to seriously address pollution any time soon.
Despite the mounting evidence of air pollution's costs and health impact, Britain has had to be dragged screaming through the courts to make it comply with minimal clean air guidelines and laws. Successive governments have continually tried to evade their legal responsibilities, spending millions of pounds fighting in the courts and lobbying the EU to be allowed to continue to pollute.
The government now has a new draft clean air strategy our for consultation until 14 August and claims to be acting faster to tackle air pollution than almost every other major developed economy. It pledges to halve the number of people living in places that do not meet World Health Organization pollution guidelines, and it propose to end the sale of new diesel and petrol cars and vans by 2040.
But intending to cut the air pollution bill by around 12.5% in 12 years and waiting 20 years to be rid of the worst vehicles seems criminally weak. Meanwhile, government is knowingly forging ahead with infrastructure plans that will inevitably increase air pollution. The effect will inevitably be to massively increase air pollution and health costs for millions of Britons.
So could the car-clogged streets of Sunder-land, Birmingham and London, where I lived for many years, have contributed to my disease and those of millions of others? Probably. Could the oil companies be responsible for far more than climate change? Certainly. Could Britain's monstrous and mounting bill for heart disease be partly due to the highly polluting diesel cars that governments so scandalously encouraged us to drive? Quite possibly.
What is certain is that air pollution is now an international scandal, and the cause of a health emergency that governments and industry have failed to address. It undoubtedly threatens life more than any war or disaster. When there are clear alternatives to burning fossil fuels then politicians who do not act to prevent it must stand accused not just of failing to act, but of condoning the mass poisoning of their people.
1. According to the study, ________ is probably unrelated to air pollution.A.diabetes | B.stomachaches | C.Alzheimer | D.artery hardening |
A.British government has been screaming for help in court |
B.EU has dissuaded British government for help in court |
C.British government has tried to have EU's permission for more pollution |
D.The government firmly refused to act in accordance with the clean air guideline. |
A.Britain will implement it faster than other major developed economies. |
B.It presents a practical way to end pollution from vehicles. |
C.Its goal will be achieved at the price of massive health cost. |
D.It's aiming too low when more pollution is expected. |
A.Government officials should feel disgraced for non-action as leaders. |
B.The government should cover the bills for air pollution and related diseases. |
C.Oil companies should not be held accountable for the international scandal. |
D.British government is an irresponsible one for encouraging people to use vehicles. |
3 . Brazil’s election offers hope for the rainforest
A presidential election in 2022 will offer a chance for Brazil’s government to reverse policies that have
On his watch, environmental enforcement and fines dropped to record lows. Activists say this has encouraged
A greener president would try to crack down on such crimes. Polls
But even an enlightened president will have to battle a
Better leadership in Brazil could jump-start regional efforts to boost enforcement and find sustainable
A.referred | B.contributed | C.amounted | D.related |
A.footprint | B.sink | C.source | D.emission |
A.indeed | B.instead | C.accidentally | D.otherwise |
A.stepped down | B.took office | C.claimed precedence | D.kept watch |
A.seasonal | B.selective | C.illegal | D.professional |
A.involvement | B.attachment | C.limitation | D.existence |
A.advise | B.advocate | C.suggest | D.represent |
A.sustainable | B.economic | C.rapid | D.rural |
A.claim | B.manage | C.create | D.borrow |
A.farmer-friendly | B.warm-blooded | C.pressure-free | D.profit-making |
A.realise | B.normalize | C.publicise | D.legalise |
A.sold | B.explored | C.cleared | D.occupied |
A.election | B.argument | C.appeal | D.decision |
A.main | B.varied | C.final | D.same |
A.replacements | B.transitions | C.alternatives | D.references |
4 . The part of the environmental movement that draws my firm’s attention is the design of buildings. Today, thousands of people come to
Home builders can now use materials, such as green paints, that release significantly
Look at it this way: no one
A.commercial | B.green | C.traditional | D.simple |
A.efficient | B.changeable | C.influential | D.effective |
A.relevant | B.indoor | C.flexible | D.forward |
A.revealed | B.displayed | C.exhibited | D.discovered |
A.careful | B.comfortable | C.stable | D.safe |
A.reduced | B.revised | C.delayed | D.defined |
A.destroy | B.deny | C.dissolve | D.depress |
A.Anyway | B.Besides | C.Anyhow | D.However |
A.exactly | B.completely | C.partially | D.superficially |
A.restored | B.regain | C.reused | D.retain |
A.developed | B.stretched | C.researched | D.constructed |
A.sets off | B.sets about | C.sets out | D.sets up |
A.instead | B.because | C.out | D.regardless |
A.adjusting | B.adopting | C.adapting | D.admitting |
A.functional | B.sensible | C.beneficial | D.precious |
5 . Many people learn at an early age to associate the color red with danger. So might it make sense to print medication
“People are not
The researchers found that when the screen was red, subjects performed better on detail-oriented tasks. In one test,
In other tests, creative abilities seemed to be
Researchers concluded from the tests that seeing red causes people to take the extra time to think
A.instructions | B.symptoms | C.warnings | D.treatments |
A.create | B.relax | C.decorate | D.design |
A.skies | B.medication | C.colors | D.paint |
A.danger | B.detail | C.emotions | D.vigor |
A.distracted by | B.aware of | C.content with | D.curious about |
A.cognitive | B.intelligence | C.mental | D.memory |
A.on one hand | B.at the same time | C.for example | D.that is |
A.grey | B.blue | C.green | D.white |
A.proven | B.acquired | C.recognized | D.enhanced |
A.more abstract | B.more positive | C.more innovative | D.more valuable |
A.practical | B.academic | C.economical | D.profitable |
A.critically | B.logically | C.carefully | D.independently |
A.painting | B.memorizing | C.designing | D.brainstorming |
A.Unless | B.When | C.Since | D.Though |
A.turn up | B.stir up | C.set off | D.give off |
6 . An exhibition of vivid photographs and a restored documentary give fresh insight into the Antarctic explorer, who died a century ago.
One hundred years ago, the leader of the last great expedition of the heroic age of polar exploration died from a heart attack as his ship, Quest, headed for Antarctica. The announcement of the death of Ernest Shackleton on 30 January 1922 was greeted with an outpouring of national grief.
This was the man, after all, who had saved the entire crew of his ship Endurance — which had been crushed and sunk by ice in 1915 — by making a daring trip in a tiny open boat over 750 miles of polar sea to raise the alarm at a whaling station in South Georgia.
It remains one of the greatest rescue stories of modern history and led to the idolising of Shackleton in the United Kingdom, a reputation that survived undamaged for the rest of the century. As his contemporary Raymond Priestley, the geologist and Antarctic explorer, later put it: “When disaster strikes and all hope is gone, get down on your knees and pray for Shackleton.”
And here and now in 2022, his death is being marked with an elaborately illustrated exhibition — Shackleton’s legacy and the power of early Antarctic photography — which opens at the Royal Geographical Society (RGS), and which includes a range of images and artefacts from his expeditions. Additionally, a digitally remade version of South, a documentary film of Shackleton’s 1914-16 Endurance expedition, is being screened at the British Film Institute.
The film and most of the exhibition’s finest images are the handiwork of Frank Hurley, who sailed with Shackleton and who was one of the 20th century’s greatest photographers and film-makers. Both film and exhibition feature striking camera work and provide vivid accounts of the hardships that Shackleton and his men endured as they headed off to explore Antarctica.
Even after he survived the great expedition, he still longed for another trip to Antarctica, and after long negotiations set sail in Quest, from England, with the aim of circumnavigating (环航) Antarctica, Shackleton was by now very ill and had suffered at least one heart attack. On 2 January 1922, he wrote in his diary: “I grow old and tired but must always lead on.” Three days later he had a major heart attack and died a few hours later. He is buried on South Georgia, scene of his greatest triumph.
“Shackleton was an inspirational leader. He had an innate sense of what was possible and achievable. He also had a huge personality but led by example. At the same time, he was sensitive to the needs of the individuals he was leading. For example, after Endurance broke up, his men had lost their protection and shelter. Their social fabric had been destroyed. There would have been disagreement. Yet Shackleton succeeded in keeping them together and made sure they survived.”
1. People were overcome with grief when Ernest Shackleton died because .A.it was a huge pity that such a brave explorer should have died from a heart attack |
B.he was the man that wrote about one of the greatest rescue stories of modern history |
C.he came to his entire crew’s rescue and symbolised hope in extreme circumstances |
D.there was no one to pray to anymore when disaster came and there was no hope |
A.It presents Shackleton’s 1914-16 Endurance expedition with powerful Antarctic photos. |
B.It celebrates the 100th anniversary of the great explorer Ernest Shackleton’s birth. |
C.It consists of vivid photographs, artefacts, and documentaries of Ernest Shackleton. |
D.It is created by Frank Hurley, who witnessed Shackleton’s heroic acts with his own eyes. |
A.He was the leader of a heroic exploration to the South pole, who died from a heart attack off shore. |
B.He saved the crew members of the sunken Endurance by travelling to raise the alarm in a tiny boat. |
C.He is universally recognised as the greatest Antarctic explorer who has enjoyed enduring fame. |
D.He was inspirational, practical, responsible, sensitive towards his men, but had a strong character. |
A.What they wore would not be accepted by others upon returning. |
B.They could no longer socialise with others even if they went back. |
C.The ship could not keep them together even if they survived. |
D.They could not function socially as they had when there was shelter. |
7 . AI-based Conservation Efforts
When an endangered seabird hits a power line, it makes a sound “very much like the laser sound from Star Wars,” says conservation (野生动物保护) biologist Marc Travers. He should
His team recorded 600 hours of audio and sent the recordings to Conservation Metrics, a company that assists conservation efforts with AI resources. Conservation Metrics used a program to “listen” to the recordings and
In large national parks and wildlife reserves, poachers (偷猎者) are a danger for animals both big and small. Some animals are worth a lot of money on the black market. Park guards are left with an impossible task because there is too much land to
We still face many challenges to
A.assume | B.know | C.hope | D.lead |
A.frequently | B.directly | C.violently | D.rarely |
A.imitate | B.locate | C.count | D.present |
A.puzzling | B.demanding | C.disturbing | D.uplifting |
A.justice | B.proof | C.image | D.wisdom |
A.In theory | B.By definition | C.On the contrary | D.By many measures |
A.monitored | B.enclosed | C.requested | D.overlooked |
A.decline | B.expansion | C.climb | D.quality |
A.supply | B.renew | C.lack | D.invent |
A.Obviously | B.Fortunately | C.Interestingly | D.Initially |
A.give away | B.sort through | C.get over | D.make up |
A.exclusive | B.delicate | C.effective | D.special |
A.convey | B.mark | C.cover | D.hide |
A.emergence | B.movement | C.evolution | D.existence |
A.recover | B.reverse | C.remove | D.reveal |
8 . In 2004, Pen Hadow became the first person to trek (跋涉) to the North Pole alone, without being resupplied on the way. That meant swimming through unimaginably cold waters, and risking encounters with polar bears. Just eight months later, he made a similar trip to the South Pole. Now he is back in the Arctic again, preparing for an expedition (远征) he says is even more ambitious. Explorers are confident, driven individuals. They have to be. This time, however, more significance is attached. Pen and two colleagues will set out on a three-month, 1000-kilometre trek to the North Pole, taking detailed measurements of the thickness and density of the ice. Nobody has ever done this before, and he knows the results will be of vital significance to the scientific community. This will be the truest picture yet of what global warming is doing to the ice that covers the polar region.
Pen and his wife, Mary, live in the country with their two children. “It’s much harder to be away from them this time,” he admits. They were one and five when I last went, and I made a mistake in the way I said goodbye. I thought it would be a good idea to say to my son, “You’re the man of the house now, look after your mum and your sister.” He absolutely took it to heart, asking his mum how she was all the time, but the stress eventually became too much. While it was well intentioned, it was an unfair thing to do.
He is spending these last days before departure preparing his things. “Out on the ice, one is virtually unable to mend things or do anything that isn’t absolutely straightforward,” he says. With him will be Ann Daniels, one of the world’s leading polar explorers, and the photographer, Martin Hartley. They will be supported by a crew of six, flying in supplies. Being part of a team is actually more stressful to someone with his mentality, says Pen, and something else is on his mind too. “I’m going to be 47 on Thursday. I’ve done far less training than I’m comfortable with.” Why? “Organisational things always seem more urgent. So I’m almost fearful of what I’m going to ask of myself.”
Pen believes his mission reconnects exploration with the search for knowledge that drove previous generations into the unknown. “Making it to the North Pole was a personal ambition,’”he admits, “and of limited value to anyone beyond the polar adventuring community. This time, scientists will profit from the data, and we’re creating a platform in which to engage as many people as possible in what’s happening in the Arctic Ocean. This is important work, and nobody can do it but us,” he says. “Our skills, which are otherwise not that necessary, have become really relevant. Suddenly, we’re socially useful again.”
1. In the first paragraph, what do we learn about Pen Hadow’s opinion of the new expedition?A.He feels certain that it will be stressful. |
B.He is aware of the huge importance of its aims. |
C.He thinks it may be harder than his previous journeys. |
D.He is less than confident of the scientific work it involves. |
A.He started to feel unwell. | B.He memorised his father’s words. |
C.He was afraid of the responsibility. | D.He carried out his father’s words carefully. |
A.Whether he will be mentally prepared |
B.Whether he will still be fit enough to take part. |
C.Whether the arrangements he has made will turn out well. |
D.Whether the equipment will work properly in icy conditions. |
A.uncertain if it will collect information. |
B.doubtful about its long-term usefulness |
C.pleased that more people will benefit from it |
D.relieved that the general public will be more supportive |
Owning a Pet Is Good for Your Health
Pets in America are incredibly well loved: according to a 2015 Harris poll, 95% of owners think of their animal as a member of the family. About half buy
Scientists are now digging up evidence
The rise of animal therapy
More research is needed
Venice—The Risk of the Disappearance of an Entire City
Venice is a stunning oddity. It is a city built atop around 120 islands, crisscrossed by 177 canals, and is best explored via the use of its 391 bridges. But the city is not well recently. Indeed,
This is far from hyperbole(夸张): Venice is at very real risk of
Globally, a lot of cities
In November 2019, Venice suffered its second-worst flooding. It created headlines around the world, with onlookers
The tide reached a peak height of 187cm above sea level,
The worst ever flooding event, which happened in 1966,