1 . 阅读下面短文,根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写1个适当的单词,在给出 提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。
A new study shows rapid decline in insect populations. A growing number of the Earth’s insect population now can
2 . Scientists have been surprised and impressed with the long-distance travel of a bird recently, a common cuckoo (布谷鸟) which flew from southern Africa to Mongolia.
Onon is a common cuckoo. It’s one of 5 cuckoos who were tagged last summer in Mongolia, far to the north of China. Though cuckoos originally came from Africa, until recently scientists weren’t sure that cuckoos from Mongolia flew to Africa for the winter.
In June, 2019, scientists attached tiny trackers to five cuckoos. These satellite tags allowed the scientists to follow the movements of the birds on a map. Sure enough, Onon spent the winter in southern Africa — in Zambia.
This spring, Onon returned to Mongolia, amazing scientists once again with his long-distance flying. In just a couple of months, Onon flew more than 12,000 kilometers. It crossed 16 countries, flying at an average speed of 60 kilometers per hour.
Long migrations are common among sea birds, but cuckoos are land birds. “It was one of the longest animal migrations which has been recorded for a land bird,” said Chris Hewson, one of the project’s lead scientists.
At times, Onon stopped for a few hours or a few days. But some of the long stretches, like crossing the Indian Ocean, had to be done without stopping. The birds have to travel through strong winds and storms, make sure they find enough to eat, and avoid being eaten themselves.
Luckily, cuckoos seem to have a good sense of weather patterns, allowing them to fatten up as much as possible right before they leave. They also seem to be good at finding helpful winds that allow them to travel long distances without getting too tired. Still, flying such long distances isn’t easy. Onon is the only one of the five tagged cuckoos who made it all the way back to Mongolia.
1. Why were satellite tags attached to five cuckoos?A.To make them safe. | B.To position the birds. |
C.To draw a detailed map. | D.To observe them in winter. |
A.Delighted. | B.Astonished. | C.Puzzled. | D.Annoyed. |
A.Because it is very dangerous. | B.Because it is well-known. |
C.Because it is a place to go. | D.Because it is rich in food. |
A.Cuckoos’ advantages. | B.Cuckoos’ senses. |
C.Cuckoos’ habits. | D.Cuckoos’ will. |
Pandas
4 . Nature can be unforgiving, especially when it comes to the animal world. As such, squirrels need every advantage they can get in order to protect themselves from a variety of predators that may want to make them their next meal. Squirrels pay incredibly close attention to their surroundings, and they pick up alarm calls from other nearby animals in reference to nearby predators. Now, a new study reveals that squirrels also listen to nearby birds’ conversations to make sure there is no threat close by.
Researchers from Oberlin University say that if the talk from birds is relaxing and normal, the squirrel knows it is not in immediate danger. The authors said that squirrels were listening to bird conversations and sounds to assess their safety, so in order to test their theory they observed the behavior of 54 wild Eastern gray squirrels scattered across various parks and areas in Ohio.
First, a threat was shown by playing a record of a red-tailed hawk(鹰), an animal known to hunt and eat both squirrels and other smaller birds. Then, researchers played one of two different recordings; one recording was of many songbirds chattering among one another happily, and the other was with no bird noises. After playing these recordings, each squirrel’s behavior was monitored for three minutes.
As expected, after hearing the initial record, all the squirrels displayed defensive attitudes, such as running away, looking around, or freezing their movements. Interestingly, the squirrels that heard the happy sounds of songbirds returned back to a normal, relaxed state much faster than the other group that heard the quiet sounds.
The study’s authors say that this indicates squirrels use the sounds of nearby animals to ensure their own safety. This allows the squirrel to either get back to what they were doing in a faster manner, or prepare for potential threats more efficiently.
“Perhaps in some circumstances, cues of safety could be as important as cues of danger,” the study reads. The study is published in the scientific journal PLOS ONE.
1. What does the underlined word “predators” mean in the first paragraph?A.Animals that hunt squirrels as food. |
B.Animals that make friends with squirrels. |
C.Animals that hunt squirrels and birds at night. |
D.Animals that steal the food from the squirrels’ nests. |
A.They will stay and freeze. |
B.They will behave normally. |
C.They will keep on their guard. |
D.They will look around and run away. |
A.By studying the different data. |
B.By listing the different figures. |
C.By comparing the different responses. |
D.By playing different games with the squirrels. |
A.Three interesting experiments. |
B.Squirrels listen to birds to stay safe. |
C.Judging danger from nearby sounds. |
D.Squirrels can record the dangerous sound. |
5 . Ecofriendly replacement products for single-use plastics are appearing everywhere. But have you heard of edible (可食性的) straws? Now EQUO, a new eco-friendly company in Vietnam has come up with a natural edible solution to plastic or paper straws.
The edible straws are completely plastic free, nontoxic, chemical free, and 100 percent biodegradable according to a company press release.
“It’s well known that plastic straws are harmful to the environment. Most of the 500 million used every day in America end up in oceans where they pollute water and harm marine life. Currently over eight billion straws pollute the world’s beaches,” said Marina Tran-Vu in the press release. “Although there are some plastic and paper straw alternatives on the market, most are environmentally harmful, and we were also unsatisfied with the quality and lasting of paper straws.”
All of the materials are locally from regions that support sustainable farming according to the company’s website and they struggle to have zero-net influence by” using the power of mother nature”. The name of the company was created by combining “ECO” — meaning environmentally friendly — with “STATUS QUO” — meaning the existent state. EQU stands for creating products that have minimal influence on the environment. The company was first shown on Kickstarter on May 18 and hit their funding goal in only 30 days.
Many countries are banning single-use plastics. The EU banned 10 single-use plastic products including straws that will take effect in 2021. Other items that will no longer be made of plastic include cutlery (餐具), and balloon sticks. These 10 items make up a large percentage of ocean waste that harms marine life.
So do your part, use biodegradable cutlery — you can carry your own , edible straws, and reusable water or coffee cups. These small items can contribute to reducing plastic waste.
1. What is the third paragraph mainly about?A.The popularity of plastic straws. |
B.The harm of plastic straws. |
C.The pollution of beaches. |
D.The necessity of change. |
A.It means the original aim. |
B.It means the existent state. |
C.It means how to create products. |
D.It means being good for the environment. |
A.Plastic straws will be forbidden. |
B.Edible straws will be sold cheaply. |
C.Ocean waste can be rid completely. |
D.Single-use plastic products will disappear. |
A.Skeptical. | B.Objective. | C.Tolerant. | D.Approving. |
A.Sunny. |
B.Windy. |
C.Rainy. |
A.At a zoo. | B.In a restaurant. | C.In a tree house. |
1. What is the focus of the announcement?
A.The warning of a natural disaster. |
B.The place to buy food and drinks. |
C.Some ways of entertainment at the hotel. |
A.The beach. | B.The hotel rooms. | C.The underground floor. |
A.Shoes. | B.Bags. | C.Food and water. |
A.The government official. |
B.The safety officer. |
C.The hotel staff. |
1. What is the probable relationship between the speakers?
A.An art teacher and a student. |
B.A lecturer and a listener. |
C.A host and a guest. |
A.Paint. | B.Metal. | C.Natural objects. |
A.In New Zealand. | B.In Australia. | C.In Brazil. |
A.She likes the views in Brazil. |
B.She intends to try new materials. |
C.She wants to call on people to protect the environment. |
A.Keeping a pet. |
B.Taking care of kids. |
C.Developing a healthy lifestyle. |