1.动物濒危的原因;
2.保护的措施;
3.呼吁大家。
注意:
1.词数80左右;
2.可以适当增加细节,以使行文连贯。
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2 . In Shark Bay, Australia, bottlenose dolphins that aren’t related have been observed teaching each other a new way to use a tool, a behavior that until now scientists have found only in humans and other great apes. It’s also the first known example of dolphins passing on such knowledge within the same generation, rather than between generations. That’s significant, the authors say, because such social learning between peers is rare in nature.
In a practice called shelling, dolphins will chase fish into abandoned giant snail shells on the seafloor, then bring the shells to the surface and shake them with their noses, draining the water and catching the fish that fall out. In 2007, Krutzen launched a study of Shark Bay’s dolphins, identifying more than a thousand individual dolphins over 11 years. During this time, scientists observed shelling 42 times among 19 dolphins. Half of these events occurred after a marine heatwave in 2011, which may have caused a die-off among giant sea snails, leading to more abandoned shells on the seafloor.
Because of the length of their study, scientists had thorough knowledge of the individual dolphins, family histories, ages sexes, and behavior, making it easier for them to study the 19 dolphins that practiced shelling. For instance, they observed that the dolphins that practice shelling hang out with other shelling hunters, so it’s likely that they copy the action from those they spend time with, says study lead author Sonja Wild, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Konstanz in Germany. Although 42 observations are a small data set, the scientists add it’s likely the behavior is actually common; it only lasts a few seconds, making it harder for people to spot it from a boat.
The team had assumed that environmental factors — specifically, whether shelling dolphins did so simply because they lived in a shell-rich area — could explain this peer-to-peer transmission (传递). A genetic trait (遗传特性) among a family group was another possible reason.
So the researchers combined their data on the dolphin sightings, as well as genetic and environmental data, into a computer model that proposed various ways shelling could be passed on between dolphins. The model that supported this kind of transmission was the strongest outcome, according to the study.
1. What do we know about dolphins?A.They are becoming rare in nature. |
B.They are as intelligent as humans. |
C.They cause more sea snails to die. |
D.They can carry out social learning. |
A.It could probably happen often. |
B.It may be hard to understand. |
C.It is actually meaningless. |
D.It differs between dolphins. |
A.Analyze the causes of the dolphins’ behavior. |
B.Explain the genetic traits of shelling dolphins. |
C.Summarize the previous paragraphs. |
D.Get the readers to reflect on the topic. |
A.Shelling Dolphins Face More Dangers |
B.Dolphins Learn Tricks from Each Other |
C.Dolphins Communicate with Sea Snails |
D.Dolphins Abandon Their Natural Habitats |
3 . Rolling electric power blackouts afflicted(困扰) roughly 2 million California residents in August, 2020 as a heat wave gripped(影响) the Golden State. At the center of the problem is a state policy requiring that33 percent of California’s electricity come from renewable sources such as solar and wind power, rising to a goal of 60 percent by 2030. Yet data showed that power demand peaks just before the sun begins to go down, when overheated people turn up their air conditioning in the late afternoon. Meanwhile, the power output from California’s wind farms in August was erratic.
California electricity grid operators warned that power shortages might become increasingly common when heat waves hit in the coming years. California still has some natural gas power plants that can be ramped up to(提高) supply energy when renewable supplies fail. “But some folks in the environmental community want to shut down all the gas plants,” Jan Smutny-Jones, CEO of the Independent Energy Producers Association, a trade association representing solar, wind, geothermal, and gas power plants, said in August, 2020. “That would be a disaster. 60 percent of the power in the California Independent System Operator electricity network was being produced by those gas plants in this summer. They are your insurance policy to get through heat waves.”
Union of Concerned Scientists analyst Mark Specht, by contrast, said that “The solution is definitely not more natural gas plants. Really, if anything, this is an indication that California should speed up its investments in clean energy and energy storage.”
1. What can we learn from Paragraph 1?A.The population in California is growing rapidly. |
B.California is short of wind and solar power. |
C.People turn up their air conditioning all the day. |
D.The government required people to use more renewable energy |
A.Unstable. | B.Abundant. | C.Changed. | D.Increased. |
A.Favorable. | B.Disapproving. | C.Objective. | D.Doubtful. |
A.More natural gas plants ought to be built in the future. |
B.Money should be invested in clean energy early. |
C.More energy should be produced in the summer. |
D.California government should carry out insurance policy. |
4 . Harry Smith has a dog, Sarah Jane. They are best friends and love to take walks together. One day when they
As the 81-year-old, not being able to
“I am
A.shopped | B.walked | C.ran | D.drove |
A.adapted to | B.cleaned up | C.came across | D.worked out |
A.But | B.And | C.Or | D.So |
A.air | B.seat | C.street | D.water |
A.move | B.swim | C.quit | D.shout |
A.creatively | B.officially | C.loudly | D.hardly |
A.jumped | B.played | C.struggled | D.lived |
A.contact | B.praise | C.help | D.news |
A.prevented | B.honored | C.frightened | D.pulled |
A.equal | B.kind | C.close | D.thankful |
A.save | B.share | C.shorten | D.record |
A.feeling | B.saying | C.thinking | D.training |
A.time | B.idea | C.wheelchair | D.friend |
A.show | B.teach | C.offer | D.sell |
A.guest | B.dog | C.visitor | D.customer |
5 . Many animals recognize their food because they see it. So do humans. When you see an apple or a piece of chocolate you know that these are things you can eat. You can also use other senses when you choose your food. You may like it because it smells good or because it tastes good. You may dislike some types of food because they do not look, smell or taste very nice. Different animals use different senses to find and choose their food. A few animals depend on only one of their senses, while most animals use more than one sense.
Although there are many different types of food, some animals spend their lives eating only one type. The giant panda eats only one particular type of bamboo. Other animals eat only one type of food even when given the choice. A kind of white butterfly will stay on the leaves of a cabbage, even though there are plenty of other vegetables in the garden. However, most animals have a more varied diet. The bear eats fruits and fish. The fox eats small animals, birds and fruits. The diet of these animals will be different depending on the season.
Humans have a very varied diet. We often eat food because we like it and not because it is good for us. In countries such as France and Britain, people eat foods with too much sugar. This makes them overweight, which is bad for their health. Eating too much red meat and animal products, such as butter, can also be bad for the health. Choosing the right food,therefore, has become an area of study in modern life.
1. Which of the following eats only one type of food?A.white butterfly | B.small bird. |
C.The bear. | D.The fox. |
A.the season changes |
B.the food color changes |
C.they move to different places |
D.they are attracted by different smells |
A.food is chosen for a good reason |
B.French and British food is good |
C.some people have few choices of food |
D.some people care little about healthy diet |
A.Why choosing the right food is important. |
B.How to choose the right food. |
C.The right amount of food for a person. |
D.Vegetables matter more than meat and sugar. |
6 . Contrary to the long-held belief that plants in the natural world are always in competition, new research has found that in severe environments adult plants help smaller ones and grow well as a result.
The research, led by Dr Rocio, studied adult and seedling (幼苗) plants in the ecological desert in the south-east of Spain.
Dr Rocio said, “If you’re a seedling in a poor land — the top of a mountain or a sand hill, for example—and you’re lucky enough to end up underneath a big plant, your chances of survival are certainly better than if you landed somewhere on your own. What we have found, which was surprising, is an established large plant, called a ‘nurse’, protects a seedling; it also produces more flowers than the same plants of similar large size growing on their own.”
Other benefits of nurse-seedling partnerships include that more variety of plants growing together can have a positive effect on the environment. For example, vegetation areas with nurse plants with more flowers might be able to attract higher numbers of pollinators (传粉者) in an area, in turn supporting insect and soil life and even provide a greater range of different fruit types for birds and other animals.
“The biggest winner for this system of nursing a plant is biodiversity (生物多样性),” Dr Rocio said. “The more biodiversity an area, the greater number of species of plants, insect life, mammals and birds, and the better the chances of long-term healthy functioning of the environment and ecosystems.” This system is win-win for adult and seedling plants in unfavorable environments.
The research is of value to those who manage and protect plants in tough environments. Most home gardeners and farmers plan to ensure their soil and conditions are the best they can be for plant growth, but the findings might be of value to those who garden in bare places.
1. What is a common understanding of plants?A.They can help each other. | B.They can survive ill conditions. |
C.They compete with each other. | D.They grow well on their own. |
A.They will produce more flowers. | B.They will die owing to competition. |
C.They will make adult plants larger. | D.They will benefit from adult plants. |
A.People studying organic farming. |
B.People protecting plants on sand hills. |
C.People wanting to change biodiversity. |
D.People keeping more animals on the farm. |
Located in southwest China’s Sichuan Province, the Jiuzhai Valley runs more than 50 kilometers, towards the Sichuan Basin. The Jiuzhai Valley got
More than 400 million years ago, the region was
In 1978, the Jiuzhai Valley
Now a network of wooden walkways has been built to provide a
From dunes (沙丘) and stone paintings
Millions of years of erosion by ancient oceans, freshwater lakes, streams and windblown sand dunes
Mountain bikers, hikers, campers, climbers and off-road drivers arrive here
9 . What’s Really Green?
Most of us are aware that we must take care of the environment, and the majority of us take steps to save energy. and reduce waste and pollution. But recently, some “green truths” have been shown to be only half true, or even completely false.
Paper shopping bags are better than plastic ones.
Plastic bags cause litter and are a danger to wild animals, which mistake them for food. It takes hundreds of years for plastic to break down, but much less time for paper. Because of this, people think paper bags are the better environmental choice.
However, making a paper bag uses four times as much energy as making a plastic bag and up to three times the amount of water.
It seems like common sense: eating local food should be better for the environment, because it does not need to be transported long distances and kept cold during transport.
It’s better to take a shower than a bath.
Environmental awareness is now part of daily life. But it’s worth checking common ideas and opinions to see what’s really green.
A.So say no to plastic bags. |
B.Here are some common ones. |
C.Unfortunately, it is not that simple. |
D.Eating local food is good for the environment. |
E.The process also produces more greenhouse gases. |
F.It’s time that we should take some measures to protect our environment. |
G.It depends on how long you spend in the shower and how large your bath is. |
10 . I took a job as a receptionist for a vet almost five decades ago. As an animal lover, I accepted the position on the condition that I wouldn’t have to assist with any wounded animals.
I could not bear to see any creature in pain. At the end of my first week, we were closing the office for the day when a young man ran up to us holding a severely injured Doberman puppy in his arms and begging us to save its life.
The four-month-old puppy had been hit by a car. The vet and I ran back into the operating room. The only place the skin was still attached to this poor little animal’s body was around one shoulder. The vet worked tirelessly for what seemed like hours, stitching it back together again. That was the easy part. The puppy had broken multiple bones, including its spine. If it survived the next few days, we were quite sure it would never walk again.
That day forever changed my life. The veterinarian trusted me a lot and I became his assistant in all things medical. One of my first jobs was to give that Doberman puppy daily physical therapy (治疗). I remember moving its tiny legs to try to keep its muscles from withering. Weeks went by until one day, I felt this little fighter push back ever so slightly. And it continued to push back till it could finally use its legs.
One year later, I walked into the clinic’s crowded waiting room and called the name of the next client. Suddenly, a huge Doberman who had been standing quietly with its owner on the opposite side of the room broke loose and bolted (脱缰) toward me. I found myself pinned against the wall with this magnificent dog standing on its hind legs, its front paws on my shoulders, washing my face with abundant and joyful kisses!
I still tear up in amazement at the display of love and gratitude the dog had for me that day all those years ago. Since retirement, I’ve volunteered at a no-kill animal shelter. In all the time that has passed and all the experiences I have had, I have never met such a grateful dog.
1. What happened when the author was about to finish his first week’s job?A.A young man was injured. |
B.A bus hit a four-month-old puppy. |
C.A dog rushed into his shop with its owner. |
D.A young man brought a seriously-injured dog to the office. |
A.Its skin was severely injured. | B.It had just one shoulder left. |
C.All its bones broke except spine. | D.It could only survive for a couple of days. |
A.Because the dog went mad. |
B.Because the dog was excited to see him. |
C.Because the dog wanted to bite him. |
D.Because the dog’s name was called by him. |
A.A Caring Vet. | B.An Interesting Job. |
C.A Grateful Patient. | D.A Life-saving Surgery. |