1 . Matt Kauffman is a wildlife researcher at the University of Wyoming. He leads the Wyoming Migration Initiative, which studies the migratory (迁徙的) paths of animals like deer and elk (驼鹿) in the American state of Wyoming.
In 2019, Kauffman and other scientists were talking at a conference in Italy. He began learning that wildlife around the world had the same difficulties faced by Wyoming’s migratory deer and elk. “We just naturally got together, and nine or ten of us are working on migrations around the world,” Kauffman told Jackson Hole News & Guide. “We realized that a lot of the same things we were trying to address by mapping migrations in Wyoming were applicable globally.”
Their talk in 2019 was the beginning of an international effort that now includes 92 scientists and environmentalists. Their effort is called the Global Initiative on Ungulate (有蹄类动物) Migration. The aim is to gather information on the seasonal movements of gazelles in Mongolia and Norwegian reindeer. The hundreds of paths would then be presented in an electronic migration map. The researchers wrote a report that recently appeared in the publication Science.
The report describes how animal movements over long distances to get food and other resources are not doing so well. The main reason for the struggles comes from land development by humans. Roads and fences create barriers for the animals, restricting their movement. And the warming of the planet has also unsettled environmental systems.
Joe Ogutu studies migratory east African wildebeest, zebra and Thomson's gazelle for the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart, Germany. Since 2015, he has watched the ungulate migration called Mara-Loita in southwestern Kenya stop working because of fence-building and sharing land space with hundreds of thousands of sheep and goats. Ogutu hopes that the Global Initiative on Ungulate Migration will bring attention to the Mara-Loita migration and other at-risk paths. “Publicity and attention,” he said, “will hopefully lead to its restoration and protection.”
1. What did Kauffman realize at the conference in Italy?| A．The migratory paths of animals in Wyoming were at risk. |
| B．The migratory animals’ difficulties were global issues. |
| C．Some scientists finished mapping animals’ migrations. |
| D．Many countries focused on wildlife migrations. |
| A．How to save ungulates in the world. | B．Where migratory animals like to move. |
| C．Why animals’ migrations run into trouble. | D．What people have done to protect wildlife. |
| A．It has great significance. | B．It has brought great benefits. |
| C．It should be extended to Africa first. | D．It should be based on Mara-Loita migration. |
| A．Animals Are Facing Survival Challenges |
| B．Humans Have Ruined Animals’ Migration |
| C．Researchers Are Mapping Animals’ Migratory Paths |
| D．Global Warming Brings Threat to Ungulate Migration |
2 . Two thirds of the ice in the glaciers (冰川) of the Alps is doomed! These glaciers will melt by the end of the century as global temperatures rise, according to a recent study.
Scientists claim that half the ice held in some 4,000 Alpine glaciers will disappear by 2050 due to global warming through the effect of past emissions. After that, even if carbon emissions drop to zero, two-thirds of the ice will still have melted by 2100. If emissions continue to rise at the current rate, the ice tongues will have all but disappeared from Alpine valleys by the end of the century. The most pessimistic prediction tells us that the Alps will be mostly ice-free by 2100. Only isolated ice patches would remain at high altitudes, representing five per cent, at most, of the ice volume seen today.
The researchers warn that the loss of these glaciers will mean much less water is available for farming and hydroelectricity, especially during droughts. It would also affect nature and tourism.
In February, a study found that a third of the huge ice fields in Asia’s towering mountain chains were also under threat for the same reasons. This will lead to serious consequences for almost two billion people who live downstream. Glaciers along the Hindu Kush and Himalayan range are at higher, colder altitudes. If global carbon emissions are not cut, however, two-thirds of their ice could be gone by 2100.
The latest research combined computer models with real-world data to forecast the fate of the glaciers. It used 2017 as its starting point. Unlike previous work, these models included how the glaciers move down the mountains. Applying this approach to other glaciated mountain chains could improve ice loss forecasts there.
Cutting the emissions from fossil-fuel burning, deforestation and other polluting activities is the biggest factor in minimizing the melting of the ice. The future of these glaciers is indeed at risk, but there is still a possibility of limiting their disappearance.
1. What does the underlined word “doomed” mean in paragraph 1?| A．Polluted. | B．Discovered. | C．Endangered. | D．Abandoned. |
| A．Emissions have much to do with the ice melting. |
| B．The Alps is expected to lose all its ice by 2100. |
| C．Ice loss will be avoided with emissions prevented. |
| D．Large ice pieces will just exist at the mountain top. |
| A．To explain how glacier melting came about. |
| B．To imply pollution is a worldwide problem. |
| C．To show what consequences ice melting will cause. |
| D．To indicate the Alps is not alone to face ice melting. |
| A．Objective. | B．Optimistic. | C．Critical. | D．Doubtful. |
3 . In the world of water, 2021 was another year for the record books. Parts of Western Europe suffered from deadly floods while large areas of the southwestern United States remained locked in a massive drought.
One might think that our impressive water management would safeguard society from such catastrophic events. Yet when it comes to water, the past is no longer a good guide for the future and most of the water engineering is unprepared for consequences of increasingly occurring extreme weather. One of the most alarming wake-up calls came from the city of Cape Town, where the water taps of 4 million residents were nearly forced to be shut off after severe drought dried up its reservoir (水库).
Appealing as it might be, the solution is not to further build bigger and higher dams (水坝) that often result in more disastrous flooding. Rather, it is to work more with natural processes.
The Netherlands avoided major damage from the historic floods in July 2021 thanks to its recently completed project, which gives river room to spread out by redirecting floodwaters into wetlands, lowering parts of the stormy river by more than a foot. Agricultural practices offer another strategy. Scientists have found that boosting organic matter in the soil by 1% can increase the soil’s water-holding capacity by up to 18,000 gallons per acre, creating flexibility to both intense rains and dry periods. This means farmland practices such as the planting of cover crops can not only raise output but improve water management.
Solutions don’t come easily, but they are key to a livable future. While it’s too late to avoid the impacts of climate change, we can avoid the worst of those impacts by investing more in such nature-based water solutions.
1. Cape Town is mentioned to show__________.| A．the reservoir was of no use |
| B．new water management is in need |
| C．how awful it was without tap water |
| D．the existing water management is impressive |
| A．The Netherlands was spared from flood damage. |
| B．The river’s water level was reduced to over a foot. |
| C．Improving soil’s water-holding ability is practical. |
| D．Planting crops boosts organisms at the cost of production. |
① “Restoring Healthy Soil”
② “Filling Wetland”
③ “Strengthening Dam”
④ “Making Room for River”
| A．①② | B．②③ | C．③④ | D．①④ |
| A．Water disaster: way out of control |
| B．Investment in water: a key to the future |
| C．Nature-based solution: a way out for water |
| D．Good news: farming practices working well |
4 . Although there are plenty of flightless bird species on Earth, the parlor roller pigeon(鸽子) is believed to be the only one selectively bred(养殖) by humans until it lost its capacity to take to the skies and developed a completely new and strange means of getting around—backflips(后空翻).
Seeing a parlor roller pigeon roll on the ground, you would think it might go crazy, but in reality, the bird is rolling on the ground because it comes naturally to it. No one knows exactly how or when the breed was created, but experts and enthusiasts assume that its origin can be traced back to the mid-19th century when someone probably encountered a specimen with a slight tendency to roll on the ground and decided it was worth emphasizing via selective breeding. It is believed that over years of selective breeding, pigeons that rolled over long distances were obtained.
The parlor roller is a common-looking pigeon that weighs about between 200 and 280 grams and comes in a variety of colors. What sets it apart from any other pigeon breed is its inability to fly, and its tendency to continuously do backflips on the ground, especially when encouraged. Interestingly, parlor rollers are physically equipped to fly and are not heavier than other pigeon breeds. Some believe they have some shortcomings in the balance centers of the brain that cause them to roll on the ground instead of flying.
Doing backflips is what these pigeons are good at and what they are bred for. Fanciers will roll them on the ground like bowling balls, just to get them started. The birds will then continue to roll for up to a few hundred feet. The current record for the longest roll sits at 662 feet.
Although parlor roller pigeons are very popular among fanciers, animal lovers consider it cruel to strengthen what they consider a disability.
1. What does the text say about the origin of the parlor roller pigeon?| A．It still remains unclear. | B．It is very misleading. |
| C．It has been proven scientifically. | D．It is of little significance. |
| A．It is especially good-looking. | B．It is physically equipped to fly. |
| C．It has a strong sense of balance. | D．It has the ability to do backflips. |
| A．Disapproving. | B．Supportive. |
| C．Indifferent. | D．Ambiguous. |
| A．Travel. | B．Art. |
| C．Nature. | D．History. |
5 . I noticed two male bluebirds. They appeared to be helping a female with a group of newly-born birds. I wanted to know if one of the males was an invader (入侵者). This is the fun of bird watching — you never know when you’ll find something exciting and unusual.
Like 90% of the bird world, one male bluebird pairs with only one female, and together they raise a family. But sometimes a third adult shows up and helps the pair raise the young. Often it is a relative. The most likely reasons a lone bluebird becomes a “helper bird” are that it either has lost its mate (配偶) or failed to get one during the mating season.
Both the mated pair and the helper get some advantages when helping happens. Every time the helper brings food to the nest (巢), one of the parents is free to take care of its own needs for a few minutes. Helpers also protect the nest by driving away possible enemies. The helper’s gain is less direct but equally valuable. He or she (helpers can be male or female) learns how to be a parent. Though raising babies is natural, skilled parents usually are more successful.
The Florida scrub jay is a kind of bird living in the U.S. state of Florida. Many pairs of Florida scrub jays “have” one to six helpers. Usually the helpers are older children, and they do their job very well. Nests with helpers have 50% more young than nests without helpers (about half the jays don’t use helpers). Helping in scrub jays seems related to a shortage of nesting habitats. Young jays must wait for older birds to die to get a nest. During the time, they help raise their younger brothers and sisters.
1. Why may a bluebird be a helper for other bird pairs?| A．It has no mate of its own. |
| B．It wants to be a parent itself. |
| C．It wants to live in others’ nests. |
| D．It is good at raising baby birds. |
| A．Practicing building nests. |
| B．Being an experienced parent. |
| C．Having its own needs satisfied. |
| D．Finding a mate as soon as possible. |
| A．Florida scrub jays are an endangered species. |
| B．Some Florida scrub jays will die without a nest. |
| C．Florida scrub jays need great help from humans. |
| D．More young Florida scrub jays survive with helpers. |
| A．Bluebirds share nests. |
| B．Animals are human-like. |
| C．Helper birds feed and raise young of others. |
| D．Bird watching brings people close to nature. |
6 . Scientists working in NASA say they have made a significant discovery that a huge star seems to have disappeared from the universe. The star is part of the Kinman Dwarf galaxy, pictures of which were taken in the past by a camera attached to NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. But since the galaxy is so far away, researchers have not been able to clearly observe its stars. Astronomers had, however, identified important “signatures”, or signs, that the massive star existed. Now they are searching for answers to why it is no longer possible to see them.
A team of scientists from the European Southern Observatory reported it had been observing the star with its Very Large Telescope, VLT, for at least 10 years. The team said its observations repeatedly showed evidence that the Kinman Dwarf galaxy contained the massive star, which was estimated to be about 2.5 million times brighter than our sun. Researchers said the evidence suggested that the star was “in a late stage of its evolution”. They added that the star was a kind considered to be “unstable”. This means it could go through major changes in brightness or lose some of its mass.
Andrew Allan, the project’s leader, said the researchers wanted to learn more about how massive stars end their lives. The massive object observed in the Kinman Dwarf galaxy seemed like the perfect target. But when astronomers turned the VLT toward the distant galaxy in 2019, they could no longer find any signs of the massive star. “Instead, we were surprised that the star had disappeared,” Allan said in a statement.
The astronomers are now exploring two possibilities. The first is that the star might have become less bright and could be partly blocked by dust. The other possibility is that it collapsed into a black hole without producing a super powerful explosion.
The astronomers plan to keep observing the galaxy for signs of the missing star. They will likely need to wait a few years before confirming what happened to this particular star.
1. What does the underlined word “them” in Paragraph 1 refer to?| A．The stars. | B．The galaxies. | C．The signatures. | D．The astronomers. |
| A．It was once clearly observed. | B．It experienced a temporary change. |
| C．It could only be traced with the VLT. | D．It evidently existed in the distant galaxy. |
| A．It exploded. | B．It lost some of its mass. |
| C．It evolved into a black hole. | D．It was damaged by dust and became less bright. |
7 . Recycling is one of the best ways for you to have a positive impact on the world in which we live. Recycling is important to both the natural environment and humanity as a whole. We must act fast as the amount of waste we create is increasing all the time.
There are many reasons for the continuous increase in the amount of rubbish we create.
Recycling is very important because waste has a huge negative impact on the natural environment. Recycling can help solve certain environmental problems. For instance, the rubbish in landfills (垃圾堆) release harmful chemicals and greenhouse gases.
Recycling is necessary to cities around the world and to the people living in them. Our landfill sites are filled up fast. By 2020, almost all landfills in the UK will be full.
| A．Recycling helps reduce the pollution caused by waste. |
| B．It avoid landfills and helps in reducing air and water pollution. |
| C．Many of these products contain materials that don't break down naturally. |
| D．One reason is that more and more people are able to make more money. |
| E．It therefore helps save natural resources. |
| F．Saving energy can reduce the future effects of global warming. |
| G．There will be no more space for the waste. |
8 . In many places, a moonless night sky is no longer totally black. Artificial lighting can give the night a lasting light. This so-called light pollution can affect animals. Even moderate light pollution, a new study finds, can roughly double how long a house sparrow infected with West Nile Virus (WNV) remains at high risk of spreading disease. If bitten by a mosquito, that virus can now spread to other animals, including people.
“In the United States, house sparrows are about as widespread as artificial lighting. So they made a useful test species in a new first-of-its-kind study,” says Meredith Kernbach. Her team used these birds to test whether light at night might affect the spread of the West Nile Virus.
Kernbach based much of her lab test on real-world conditions. In the study, some house sparrows in the lab spent the night in an area that was dimly (昏暗地) lit. These birds were slower in fighting off West Nile Virus infections than those that spent the night in full darkness.
WNV needs a mosquito to spread from bird to bird, or from bird to human. If a mosquito doesn’t pick up enough viruses from the blood of an infected animal, its new victim might be able to avoid getting sick. House sparrows kept under a dim night light typically had enough viruses in their blood to be a source of virus for at least four days, Kernbach reports. House sparrows in full darkness had enough viruses to spread the disease only for two days.
What light does to the birds is only part of the story, points out Davide Dominon, a physiologist at the Nether-lands Institute of Ecology in Wageningen. “Researchers will need to look for effects on the virus itself,” he says. “And, of course, on the mosquitoes.”
1. Why are house sparrows chosen as the test species?| A．They are sensitive to light. | B．Their distribution is wide. |
| C．Mosquitoes like biting them. | D．Their immune system is weak. |
| A．West Nile Virus becomes stronger under light. |
| B．Darkness can help people avoid getting sick. |
| C．It’s better for house sparrows to live in the dark. |
| D．It takes house sparrows longer to kill this virus under light. |
| A．It needs further study. |
| B．It’s very useful. |
| C．New victims are ignored. |
| D．Other birds should be studied. |
| A．Artificial lighting can affect house sparrows’ reproduction. |
| B．Mosquitoes can spread WNV from animals to humans. |
| C．Light pollution lengthens the time of birds’ spreading WNV. |
| D．The light pollution may help WNV develop slower. |
9 . Doing a bit of research before you sort your trash can make all the difference. Recycling rules differ from one city to another. Here are a few ways to help you do it better.
■Don’t put your recyclables in a plastic bag
It’s not that we don’t have the technology to recycle plastic bags, but it is risky to recycle them because the bags are so lightweight and flexible that they end up getting caught in the recycling equipment!
Your best option is to bring your plastic bags to a drop-off recycling center where it has the right equipment to recycle them.
■You can recycle plastic caps together with bottles
In the past, we were told to separate the cap from the bottle when recycling. Bottles are made from # 1plastic while their caps #5 plastic. They are at different melting temperatures and need to be processed separately. But now, advanced machines have made it easier to separate bottles and caps.
At present, what you need to do is leave the plastic bottle cap on the bottle and ensure the bottle is free of all liquids before throwing it into the bin.
■You can’t recycle a pizza box
Although cardboard itself is recyclable, pizza boxes are not. Why? It all comes down to the oil. When you place oily cardboard into a recycling bin, you run the risk of polluting clean, recyclable things. And an entire pack of polluted recyclables can cost more.
But if only a small part of your box is oily, pull that piece off the box and throw just that piece away while the rest of the box can then be recycled.
1. Why can’t we place recyclables in a plastic bag when sorting trash?| A．It will cause more pollution. |
| B．The equipment may fail to work. |
| C．Plastic bags are not tough enough. |
| D．No technology is available to recycle plastic bags. |
| A．Collect them into a specific bin. | B．Put them into different machines. |
| C．Separate the caps from the bottles. | D．Empty the bottles and re-cap them. |
| A．The oil on it. | B．Lack of proper facilities. |
| C．Its harmful materials | D．Different melting temperatures. |
10 . Americans love their pets. They consider them part of the family. Sometimes people spend hundreds of dollars buying animals from pet stores. Many of these dogs and cats are fine, but some are not healthy.
The best way to find a healthy pet is to visit the Humane Society in your area. There are millions of wonderful animals looking for homes, and most have been checked over by vets. The people at the Humane Society will ask some questions to make sure their animal is going to a home that is safe, healthy and loving. They may ask if you have children or other animals, and how those animals might relate to a new friend. They may also ask if you will keep the animal inside or outside.
When adopting, don’t forget that in future there will be vet bills. Kittens and puppies need their shots and check-ups, just like children. Of course, as your pet ages, it may have medical problems.
As far as visiting the vet, your pet probably won’t enjoy the trip, so make it as stress-free as possible. Pick a vet who is gentle and caring. Ask your friends for suggestions. Ask your vet how much money each procedure will cost so you won't get an unwelcome surprise when you see the bill. And decide how far you are willing to go to save your pet if it gets really sick. When you get home from the vet’s, be sure to give your pet a little treat to show it how well it behaved and how proud you ae of it.
Having a pet is one of life's greatest pleasures. The way to spend the most quality time with them is to make sure they are healthy and happy at the start. Enjoy!
1. Why does the author advise people to adopt a pet from the Humane Society?| A．People are more caring there. | B．It costs nothing to get a pet there. |
| C．There are many species of pets. | D．There are many nice and healthy animals |
| A．They need enough care. | B．They are cute and smart. |
| C．They bring people great joy. | D．They have mental problems. |
| A．Reasons for having a pet. | B．Advice on visiting the vet. |
| C．Ways to find a healthy pet. | D．Difficulties of picking a vet. |
| A．To advertise the Humane Society. |
| B．To show the pleasure in keeping a pet. |
| C．To give suggestions for adopting a pet. |
| D．To stress the importance of protecting animals. |
