1 . Species (物种) can actually go extinct (灭绝的) more than once. In a biological sense, species become extinct when the last animal of a species stops breathing. But when the species disappears from our shared memory and cultural knowledge, it becomes extinct in a different way — society (与社会有关的) extinction.
The researchers looked at dozens of previous studies to look into how societal extinction happens, finding out contributing factors such as symbolic or cultural importance, how long ago a species was last alive, and how much of a connection it had to humans.
Societal extinction usually but not always happens after biological extinction. Sometimes, both extinctions can happen at the same time, depending on how well and widely known a particular species is.
Most species — such as those far removed from culture, or those too small to be noticed except through a microscope (显微镜) — never have a societal presence to begin with. Meanwhile, for other species, the societal presence can break with reality after a biological extinction.
“Species can remain widely known after they become extinct, or even become more popular,” says conservation biologist Uri Roll. “However, our awareness and memory of such species gradually becomes transformed, and often becomes incorrect, or disassociated from the actual species.”
Take the Spix’s macaw(金刚鹦鹉) for example, currently extinct in the wild: A 2013 conservation report from Brazil surveyed 242 children from the bird’s former habitat, and almost all of them incorrectly believed the species originated from Rio de Janeiro, because of its appearance in the 2011 cartoon movie Rio.
Finally, the researchers found various links between societal extinction and a lack of support for biodiversity protection. So, ifs important to keep the memories and the records of extinct species in order to realize what’s been lost.
1. When does a species most probably become societal extinct?| A．When it has difficulty in breathing. |
| B．When it faces some biological changes. |
| C．When it disappears unexpectedly in nature. |
| D．When it no longer exists in our memory and culture. |
| A．Relationship with humans. | B．Average length of life. |
| C．Biological importance. | D．Shape of the body. |
| A．They are not big enough to be seen. |
| B．They are closely linked to a specific culture. |
| C．They are in the process of societal extinction. |
| D．They are cleared away from scientific studies. |
| A．To draw a conclusion. | B．To prove an opinion. |
| C．To introduce a topic. | D．To make a prediction. |
2 . The green and red watermelon is a sweet, refreshing summer snack. But it wasn’t always so sugary or brightly colored. So what did watermelons originally taste and look like, and from where did they come?
The fruit isn’t from the Fertile Crescent of ancient Mesopotamia, as so many other domesticated (家养的) crops are, research shows. Susanne Renner, a scientist, and her colleagues carried out comprehensive genetic sequencing (基因测序) of the domesticated watermelons — the kind you might find on supermarket shelves — along with six wild watermelon species.
“We found the modern genomes (基因组) of the domesticated watermelon are more closely related to the Sudanese wild type than any other that we analyzed,” she said. The Sudanese wild watermelon has some obvious differences from the domesticated version. “The flesh is white and not very sweet, and it’s mainly used as animal feed,” Renner said. Nevertheless, the genetic similarity between the two species led the researchers to conclude that the Sudanese fruit is probably a precursor (前身) to the red and sweet domesticated watermelon.
It’s likely that ancient farmers grew non-bitter varieties of the wild watermelon and thus increased its sweetness over many generations through the domestication process. The red color is probably also thanks to artificial selection, in which farmers likely favored and selectively bred red fruit.
We already knew that the ancient Egyptian king Tutankhamun was buried with watermelon seeds 3,300 years ago, yet that isn’t sufficient proof of a domesticated, sweet watermelon. But then, Renner found an image of a watermelon-like fruit on an ancient Egyptian tomb painting, thought to be more than 4,300 years old. In a separate tomb, another image showed the watermelon cut up in a dish alongside other sweet fruits. This realization, coupled with Renner’s genetic findings, suggests that the watermelon was most likely domesticated around that time either in Egypt or within trading distance of the ancient empire.
“Historically speaking, that’s a very significant finding,” said Hanno Schaefer, a professor of plant biodiversity. “It’s becoming clearer that we’ve greatly neglected the North African region. We’ve focused too much on the Fertile Crescent and we need to invest more resources into studying the agriculture of North Africa.”
1. What can we learn about the Sudanese wild watermelon?| A．It is brightly colored and sugary. |
| B．It is consumed mainly by animals. |
| C．It has no connection with the domesticated type. |
| D．It has more differences than similarities to the domesticated type. |
| A．More resources will be devoted to agriculture research in South Africa. |
| B．The domesticated watermelon has a history of at least four thousand years. |
| C．The domesticated watermelon probably developed from the Sudanese type. |
| D．Few domesticated crops are from the Fertile Crescent of ancient Mesopotamia. |
| A．The history of the Sudanese wild watermelon. |
| B．Where wild watermelons actually come from. |
| C．The characteristics of domesticated watermelons. |
| D．How domesticated watermelons came into being. |
| A．Favorable. | B．Doubtful. | C．Critical. | D．Tolerant. |
3 . 阅读以下短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
The Travels of Xu Xiake is a travel note
This book is the first work to systematically investigate China’s geomorphology (水文地质学) and geology (地理学). In addition, the beautiful words also make it a masterpiece of literature,
The fresh and beautiful writing style used to describe things in The Travels of Xu Xiake
The historical value of The Travels of Xu Xiake covers a wide range
From these rich
The day of the first chapter of The Travels of Xu Xiake (May 19) is
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 . Conservation organization Plantlife is urging people to put away their lawnmowers (除草机) for a month and let wild flowers grow instead, as part of its No Mow May project.
Leaving the grass uncut will create a habitat that will benefit bees and other insects, the organization says. Plantlife says lawns could be biodiversity hot-spots if left alone. It says those who participated in its campaign last year reported the growth of more than 250 plant species on their lawns. Among these were wild strawberry and wild garlic. There were also sightings of declining species like green-winged orchids.
One gardener who has been enjoying a more relaxed approach is Tom Jennings, 45, from Buckinghamshire. He says it’s a chance to reconnect with the natural world. “Those fascinated by neat gardens use not only lawnmowers but chemicals.” says Tom.
After letting his back garden grow out, Tom witnessed an explosion of wild flowers—important for pollinators (授粉者) such as bees. Tom says he’s been shocked at how quickly insects have returned to his back garden: an encouraging signal given the global decline of insect populations.
According to Colette Webb, 42, who lives in West Sussex, there are added benefits to letting nature gradually take its course in the garden. “It saves you a bit of time and arguments with the husband about getting the lawnmower out—something my husband hates doing,” she says. “There’s a part of me that thinks the garden is really messy, but when you sit there for some time a day and look at what’s it’s supporting, you realize it’s for the benefit of nature.”
But not everyone is on board with the idea, says David. One of his neighbours is pursuing their own re-wilding project in their own garden—but the other is yet to be convinced. “And my mother, who’s 81, still says it looks untidy,” he laughs.
1. What is the major goal of Plantlife’s No Mow May project?| A．Helping promote biodiversity. | B．Attracting more garden visitors. |
| C．Making their gardens look more natural. | D．Saving people’s trouble of mowing their gardens. |
| A．He is crazy about neat gardens. |
| B．He hates having to cut the grass regularly. |
| C．He believes the project is increasing the number of insects. |
| D．He benefited a lot from the decline of insects in his garden. |
| A．She gets on better with her husband. | B．Her husband has come to enjoy gardening. |
| C．Her garden is no longer as messy as it used to be. | D．She has formed the habit of sitting in the garden. |
| A．Shows concern about. | B．Makes response to. | C．Agrees with. | D．Comes up with. |
World Wetlands Day (WWD) occurs on the
The world’s wetlands serve an important role in nature. They are all mini eco-systems and contain a huge diversity (多样性) of animal and plant life. They take the form of ponds, streams, rivers and so on. They also serve an important role in the defence of floods,
Nature’s Lungs
We know that trees are nature’s purifier (净化器): They absorb carbon emissions (碳排放)and release oxygen. But their
According to the study, there are
This may sound like a lot,
Yet, planting trees is still considered the most effective way
8 . An elephant was rescued in southern India after falling into a well. It
The elephant had
Locals from the village alerted authorities about the
Forest officials brought in a crane (吊车) to
The area where the rescue happened has had some
Open wells and ditches (壕沟) in elephant migratory
Least we can do is
| A．cost | B．spent | C．took | D．brought |
| A．exactly | B．frequently | C．obviously | D．roughly |
| A．run | B．wandered | C．slid | D．stolen |
| A．barrier | B．sign | C．way | D．top |
| A．hidden | B．fallen | C．excited | D．trapped |
| A．eat | B．drink | C．stay | D．feed |
| A．protect | B．free | C．warm | D．calm |
| A．move off | B．rise up | C．get back | D．give out |
| A．suspect | B．safety | C．condition | D．freedom |
| A．scared | B．sucked | C．blew | D．attacked |
| A．faults | B．privileges | C．experience | D．difficulty |
| A．Uncovered | B．Unfolded | C．Unrelated | D．Newly-built |
| A．chance | B．threat | C．extinction | D．practice |
| A．expansive | B．effective | C．impressive | D．progressive |
| A．groups | B．fields | C．reserves | D．routes |
| A．reaching | B．extending | C．ranging | D．marching |
| A．destroy | B．construct | C．repair | D．cover |
| A．fed | B．operated | C．monitored | D．adopted |
| A．wounded | B．healthy | C．hungry | D．thirsty |
| A．Credits | B．Fruits | C．Benefits | D．Interests |
9 . The earth is struck daily by 60 tons of rocks from outer space. However, finding these ancient rocks is no easy task. Most meteorites (陨石) fall directly into water. And those that hit land can be difficult to spot among other rocks.
Fortunately for researchers there is one place on Earth where meteorites find it difficult to hide: Antarctica. “There are probably fewer meteorites falling per acre of land in Antarctica than in other parts of the world,” said Ralph Harvey, a professor at Case Western Reserve University. “But if you want to find things that fell from the sky, lay out a big white sheet. And Antarctica is a 5,000-kilometer-wide sheet.”
Finding meteorites in Antarctica is so relatively “easy” compared to the rest of the world that an estimated two-thirds (around 45,000) of those ever discovered have come from the icy continent. The challenge, however, comes not only from the terrible conditions, but also from knowing where to look to make any expedition worthwhile.
In an effort to greatly improve the collection rate of Antarctic meteorites, a Belgian—Dutch team of scientists has unveiled (展示) what they’re calling a “treasure map” for the region. “We expect the treasure map to be 80% accurate,” said Veronica Tollenaar, who led the study.
After landing in the snow in Antarctica, a meteorite will either be directed into the ocean or brought back to the surface of what’s known as a “blue ice” area. As meteorites come out in these special “blue ice” areas, their color contrasts (对比) against the deep blue ice, making them easy to spot. The treasure map marks more than 600 special “blue ice” areas. They estimate that these sites may contain anywhere from 340,000 to 900,000 surface meteorites.
The researchers add that these locations also likely contain rare meteorites, such as angrites, brachinites or even Martian meteorites.
“Collecting these ancient rocks will further improve the understanding of our Solar System,” they write.
1. What makes it relatively easy to spot meteorites on Antarctica?| A．Few people visit the Antarctica. |
| B．Antarctica is covered with snow. |
| C．More meteorites fall in Antarctica. |
| D．Meteorites stay still in Antarctica. |
| A．Antarctic is too far to arrive. |
| B．Meteorites’ location is hard to track. |
| C．The expedition to Antarctic is too expensive. |
| D．The snow in Antarctic covers most of the meteorites. |
| A．More and more meteorites found in Antarctica |
| B．Challenges of spotting meteorites in Antarctica |
| C．Improving our understanding of the Solar System |
| D．Treasure map helping spot meteorites in Antarctica |
| A．Science. | B．Business. | C．Environment. | D．Education. |
10 . “There’s not any more water out there and what water is out there is becoming really expensive. So, let’s look at how we’re using it now,” said John Berggren. He is a water policy expert with Western Resource Advocates, a non-profit group.
Berggren’s organization supports an effort by Colorado’s lawmakers to launch a statewide turf (草皮) replacement program. Turf is land covered with grass. The program aims to pay home and business owners to replace their grass with other plants and landscapes as a way to deal with the state’s dry climate.
The Las Vegas Valley has always been dry. The desert area has only 10.7 centimeters of rainfall a year. The people who live there take 90 percent of their water from the Colorado River. The rest comes from underground water. Berggren said that in Las Vegas one tenth of a square meter of grass can use 276 liters of water every year. Replacing that grass with native plants and landscaping can cut that to 82 liters or less.
Berggren added that the replacement would be completely voluntary. Water officials launched turf replacement program in 1999. The program offered residents (居民) $4 for every square meter of lawn (草坪) that they replaced. Valley residents, apartment managers and business owners took the government’s money and replaced their grasses with rocks and desert plants. Water officials increased the offer to $10 for each square meter in 2003, then $20 in 2007. Now water officials offer $30 for each square meter up to 929 square meters.
It paid off. Home and business owners in the Las Vegas Valley have removed more than 18.5 million square meters of turf, which has saved about 741 billion liters of water since the program started. In Colorado, since launching in 2018, the program has helped save about 145 million liters of water. The turf replacement program in Castle Rock has also saved millions of liters. The city has reduced residential water use by 7 percent since starting its replacement program in 2009.
1. What is the program in Colorado intended to do?| A．Save water. | B．Replace turf. |
| C．Turn the desert into grassland. | D．Make the area more beautiful. |
| A．The difficulty of getting water. | B．The present state of water wasting. |
| C．The dry climate and desert environment. | D．The need and reasons to carry out the program. |
| A．The program has won support from all residents. |
| B．Residents replacing turf are offered more money than before. |
| C．Water officials save more money by launching the program. |
| D．It totally depends on the government to carry out the program. |
| A．Costly. | B．Popular. | C．Fruitless. | D．Effective. |
