1 . Canadians are blessed with an abundance of natural wonders with enough lakes, mountains and rivers to explore for a lifetime. We’ve also got some of the most amazing waterfalls on Earth.
Horseshoe Falls Niagara Falls, Ontario
Niagara Falls are the most famous waterfalls in Canada — and understandably so. Actually they are made up of three different falls, and the fittingly named Horseshoe Falls is the only one located on the Canadian side, which is the most powerful in North America. Multiple viewing options are available including tourist ships and sightseeing buses.
Nailicho (Nirginia Falls) Nahanni National Park Reserve, Northwest Territories
Coming in at twice the height of Niagara Falls, this massive waterfall is located on the South Nahanni River in the Northwest Territories. The remote location means it receives only about 1,000 visitors per year who must make their way by either boat or floatplane.
Takakkaw Falls — Yoho National Park, British Columbia
Takakkaw translated from Cree loosely means “the magnificent (壮丽的)”, and it’s a suitable word for the second-highest waterfall in Canada. After a steep drive up a winding road, Takakkaw Falls is only a short distance from the parking lot along a wheelchair accessible path.
Bridal Veil Falls — Bridal Veil Falls Provincial Park, British Columbia
Pretty and delicate, Bridal Veil Falls is located just east of Chilliwack, British Columbia, and really does look like its name, with water gently pouring over smooth rock. An easy 15-minute walk to the waterfall takes you through rich leaves. Tables are available to have a meal outdoors, and there are lots of opportunities for viewing wildlife along the way.
1. What do we know about Horseshoe Falls?| A．It is easily accessible. |
| B．It consists of three falls. |
| C．It limits tourist numbers. |
| D．It crosses North America. |
| A．By tourist ship. | B．By cable car. |
| C．By floatplane. | D．By car. |
| A．Swim. | B．Camp. | C．Picnic. | D．Hunt. |
2 . Sprite has been recognized for decades by its green cans and bottles, but it is retiring its green plastic bottles after more than 60 years.
Starting Aug. 1, the Coca-Cola Co., which produces Sprite, will package the lemon-lime drink in clear plastic bottles in North America, the company announced Wednesday. Sprite’s current plastic contains green polyethylene terephthalate(PET)(聚对苯二甲酸乙二醇酯), an additive(添加剂) that can’t be recycled into new bottles, a key choice for the company as it looks to reduce plastic waste.
“When recycled, clear PET Sprite bottles can be remade into bottles, helping drive a circular economy for plastic.” Julian Ochoa, CEO of R3CYCLE, a plastic group helping Coca-Cola improve its recycling, said in a statement.
Customers will also notice a revised logo and packaging design on the Sprite bottles that aims to provide a more “consistent look around the world,” the company said. The well-known green color will still be used on Sprite labels. Other beverages that use green bottles in Coke’s portfolio(系列产品), including Fresca. Seagram’s and Mello Yello, will also be replaced with clear containers in the coming months.
Coca-Cola reported higher-than-expected second-quarter earnings Tuesday, citing strong demand, and lifted its revenue forecast for the full year.
The beverage giant has often been criticized for contributing to environmentally damaging plastic waste. In 2020, the company was named as the world’s No. 1 plastic polluter by the environmental firm Break Free From Plastic. Its logos and branding were found on 13, 834 pieces of discarded plastic in 51 countries, often in public spaces such as parks and beaches.
1. Why will the Coca-Cola Co. stop using green Sprite bottles?| A．They think the old design is out of date. |
| B．They want to cut down the production cost. |
| C．Customers prefer clear bottles to green bottles. |
| D．They want to help drive a circular economy for plastic. |
| A．They have not any plastic. | B．They have a consistent look. |
| C．They have not green color at all. | D．They have quite a different design. |
| A．Not the design, but the logo of the Sprite. |
| B．Not the material, but the design of the bottles. |
| C．Not the color, but the material: single-use plastic. |
| D．Not the recycling, but using as much plastic as possible. |
| A．The Coca-Cola attaches importance to profits. |
| B．The Coca-Cola lays the needs of customers first. |
| C．The Coca-Cola values environmental protection most. |
| D．The Coca-Cola likes the fame of the world’s No. 1 plastic polluter. |
3 . A record surge in the creation of marine protected areas has taken the international community close to its goal of creating nature refuges on 17% of the world’s land and 10% of seas by 2020, according to a new UN report. Protected region snow cover more than five times the territory of the US, but the authors said this good news was often undermined by poor enforcement. Some reserves are little more than “paper parks” with little value to nature conservation. Atleast one has been turned into an industrial zone. More than 27m square kilometres of seas (7% of the total) and 20m sq km of land (15% of the total) now have protected status, according to the Protected Planet report, which was released on Sunday at the UN biodiversity conference in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.
Almost all of the growth has been in marine regions, most notably with the creation last year of the world’s biggest protected area: the 2m sq km Ross Sea reserve, one-fifth of which is in the Antarctic. The no-fishing zone will be managed by New Zealand and the US.
“We have seen an enormous expansion in the past two years. There is now more marine protected area than terrestrial, which nobody would have predicted,” said Kathy McKinnon of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. “I think we’ll continue to see a substantial increase, I’d guess, to at least 10% in the near future.”
The UN convention on biological diversity says it has received national commitments for an additional 4.5m sq km of land and 16m sq km of oceans to be given protected status in the next two years. This would put it on course to achieve one of the key aims of the 2010 Aichi biodiversity targets.
“This is the target with the most progress. In an ocean of bad news about biodiversity loss and eco-destruction, it is important to highlight that progress, though we still have a lot more to do to ensure not just the quantitive target but the effectiveness of the management,” said CristianaPașca Palmer, the head of UN Biodiversity.
The creation of protected areas has not been enough to halt a collapse of species and ecosystems that threatens civilisation. Since 1970 humanity has wiped out 60% of mammal, bird, fish and reptile populations, with a dangerous knock-on impact on food production, fisheries and climate stability.
Protected areas are important refuges from this wave of extinctions but many are underfunded and poorly policed. Only one in five have provided management assessments to the UN, which has raised questions about the viability of the rest.
Naomi Kingston, of UN environment world conservation monitoring centre, said: “There is a race to deliver on Aichi target 11. It is fantastic that countries are coming with more ambition, but not if it is just a number without substance.
“Some areas that have been reported to us as protected areas have been completely built over. We need datasets to define which areas are paper parks and which are real.”
Developing nations have better reporting standards because many are obliged to provide regular assessments in order to qualify for funds from the Global Environment Fund. By contrast, many wealthier nations devote few resources to monitoring.
Discussions will focus on a new, more flexible category for community land that is used by locals for both agricultural production and wildlife conservation. In Africa, Asia and Latin America, this is a model that has often helped improve biodiversity because residents — often from indigenous communities — live closely with nature and have an interest in protecting it.
1. What promotes the achievement of the goals of marine nature reserves?| A．Poor management of marine protected areas. |
| B．Loss of biodiversity and ecological destruction. |
| C．Rapid growth in the number of marine protected areas. |
| D．Commitments in the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity. |
| A．They have promoted the expansion of marine protected areas. |
| B．They have little value for nature conservation. |
| C．They all turn into industrial zones. |
| D．They will slow down the collapse of ecosystems. |
| A．NewZealand and the United States regulate fishing-ban zones. |
| B．In the near future, the number of marine refuges will increase by at least 10%. |
| C．The quantity and management quality of marine refuges are equally important. |
| D．Many countries have ambitions to achieve Aichi 11. |
| A．A recorded surge in the creation of marine protected areas. |
| B．Developing countries may receive funding from the Global Environment Facility. |
| C．The Increase of marine refuges and the views of relevant personnel. |
| D．Achieving Aichi 11 Goal. |
4 . If you live in one of the 40 million American households with a gas stove, it could be leaking even when it’s turned off.
According to a new study from Stanford scientists, many stoves are constantly giving out gases that can warm the planet and pose serious health risks when breathed in. The research found methane missions from gas stoves across the United States are roughly equal to the carbon dioxide released by half a million gas-powered cars in a year.
To estimate the impact of these emissions, researchers measured three key gases from stoves in 53 homes across seven California counties. The team chose two gases — methane and carbon dioxide — because of their contribution to climate change, and selected nitrogen oxides because of their known risk to human health. The scientists set up plastic dividing walls between the kitchens and other rooms and used instruments that measure wavelengths of light to determine the concentration of certain gases.
The team estimated that stoves release between 0.8 and 1.3 percent of the natural gas they consume as unburned methane. To their surprise, they found that more than three-quarters of the methane emissions happened when both old and new gas stoves were turned off. “Over a 20-year time scale, the global warming potential of methane leaks is 86 times greater than carbon dioxide,” Stanford reports.
The most significant health risks happen when the stove is lit, the authors note, because the process creates nitrogen dioxide as a byproduct. Increasing airflow by using a range hood can help reduce the personal health risk of natural gas-burning appliances, but most individuals report rarely using their ventilation system.
In a small kitchen, it only took a few minutes of unventilated stove use to generate emissions levels above national health standards. According to a meta-analysis from 2013, children living in homes with gas stoves were 42 percent more likely to experience symptoms associated with asthma, and 24 percent more likely to be diagnosed with lifetime asthma.
In addition to health risks, natural gas burning stoves also endanger the planet by releasing methane. The results of the study have furled efforts by scientists and activists to encourage Americans to switch to all-electric stoves and appliances.
1. Which gas leaking from stoves warms the earth most?| A．Methane. | B．Carbon dioxide. | C．Nitrogen oxide. | D．Nitrogen dioxide. |
| A．The measuring instruments. | B．The American families. |
| C．The team members. | D．The gas stoves. |
| A．When it is old. | B．When it is new. |
| C．When it is turned on. | D．When it is turned off. |
| A．Equip kitchens. | B．Switch to clean fuels. |
| C．Use sustainable energy. | D．Purchase electric stoves. |
5 . While facial recognition technology continues to promote many aspects of human life, it's now being applied to aid the protection of giant pandas, Xinhua News Agency reported on 6 January 2022.
A nature reserve has built an AI-enabled video monitoring system to better protect giant pandas. Installed with 300 infrared (红外线) cameras, the monitoring system helps ensure the health and safety of 110 wild giant pandas there. It was put into operation two years ago, and has captured numerous photos and videos of pandas engaged in activities such as eating, resting and fighting for mates. It provides scientific data to help us grasp pandas’ living conditions and establish conservation strategies. More importantly, it achieves real-time monitoring of the reserve so that we can discern the threats to the wildlife as early as possible.
A recent study found the facial recognition system can automatically recognize various wild animals caught in infrared cameras, allowing researchers to collect data on giant pandas while staying indoors. It's shown that by equipping the AI-aided system to retain the filed photos of giant pandas, we obtain a 98% success rate for species recognition. Its success rate of recognizing other wild animals can top 80%. In 2021 alone, this monitoring system captured 2, 896 photos of giant pandas and other rare animals and filmed 3,218 seconds of footage, showcasing the reserve's sound ecological environment as well as a gradual rise in panda population there.
Head of the reserve's administration, Liu Xingming, said researchers used the system not only to observe the dynamics and health of the giant panda population but also to learn about changes in the natural surroundings of their habitat. “The monitoring system has enabled systematic, scientific, and intelligent conservation of wildlife,” he added. “However, it is expected to be further improved and optimized in the near future.”
1. What does the underlined word “discern” mean in paragraph 2?| A．Solve. | B．Pose. | C．Attach. | D．Detect. |
| A．It precisely recognizes any species. | B．It makes panda population rise rapidly. |
| C．It contributes to species data collection. | D．It understands pandas' facial appearance. |
| A．Critical. | B．Objective. |
| C．Ambiguous. | D．Conservative. |
| A．Panda Facial Recognition Using Database |
| B．Functions of Facial Recognition Technology |
| C．AI Technology for Better Panda Protection |
| D．A Breakthrough in Video Monitoring System |
6 . During a period of two months, the east coast of Florida was hit by three major hurricanes!
When we
This was the first time we had ever
Although I had been trying to plant all the right plants to
The hurricane season affected me in a very
| A．woke up | B．stood up | C．looked up | D．turned up |
| A．Generally | B．Gradually | C．Normally | D．Suddenly |
| A．garden | B．room | C．balcony | D．office |
| A．dropped | B．appeared | C．remained | D．landed |
| A．heard | B．drawn | C．seen | D．caught |
| A．color | B．name | C．shape | D．sight |
| A．symbol | B．concept | C．belief | D．wonder |
| A．attract | B．feed | C．drive | D．impress |
| A．formally | B．finally | C．regularly | D．constantly |
| A．task | B．joy | C．hope | D．plan |
| A．track | B．mind | C．view | D．shadow |
| A．common | B．casual | C．strange | D．positive |
| A．informed | B．warned | C．reminded | D．cured |
| A．message | B．hobby | C．subject | D．chance |
| A．buying | B．changing | C．receiving | D．planting |
7 . Today’s children spend too much time online, which gives them an abnormal perception of reality. We adults are expected to fill their lives with wonder by taking them to a site featuring something natural.
Nature is actually the best environment for children to enjoy, explore, and absorb. When exposed to nature, children don’t just see the beauty as we adults do.
Children begin to wonder in nature. Natural materials such as leaves and sticks provide endless possibilities for play and imagination.
Additionally, nature gives children ultimate freedom — they don’t necessarily have to follow the rules and tasks set for them when indoors. They become more confident by learning new skills. If they can catch a fish, they’ll have a cool story to share with their friends.
Given so many benefits, we need to find ways to support children’s connection with nature.
| A．They don’t come with directions. |
| B．Nature can even be brought indoors. |
| C．It gives them something to take pride in. |
| D．Adding tools to enhance exploration is an option. |
| E．Motivating children to share their observations is vital. |
| F．More importantly, they begin to interact with its offerings. |
| G．Children benefit greatly from such direct exposure to nature. |
8 . In the paper Diversity, Constance Woodman, a doctoral graduate student of Texas A & M University, and Professor Donald Brightsmith shared their findings from a project with Chris Biro, a globally recognized free-fight trainer, which included documenting Biro’s training process step by step so that conservationists can apply his methods when releasing birds into the wild.
Biro has trained 400 students on how to free-fly their birds, but his process was only captured by video previously.
“We have colleagues raising and releasing birds, but their main objective is conservation and they have no chance to write up a lot of the science,” Brightsmith said. “A & M’s role in this project is to ensure this information gets put into a format so others can read, criticize, use and improve it. If information hasn’t made it into scientific literature, it’s not improving future parrot (鹦鹉) conservation.”
Woodman and Biro spent years training three flocks (群) of multiple parrot species using Biro’s techniques, thoroughly documenting every step. These 37 birds, which collectively spent 500 months in free-flight, were hand-raised from chicks to build a strong bond with the trainer before being gradually taught new commands and introduced to increasingly complex environments to learn the skills necessary to safely fly in open, uncontrolled areas. They learned to recognize and even frighten natural enemies, and avoid unsafe situations.
Traditionally, attempting to release hand-raised parrots has resulted in birds that show little fear of humans, increasing their chances of being trapped by hunters. Biro used a “kernel flock”, human-socialized birds trained in free-light, to teach survival behaviors to other parrots. This technique being applied to establishing new bird flocks in the wild allows conservationists to release wild birds without having to train them themselves, cutting the difference when human socialization is not desirable in wild birds.
After the “kernel flock” trains the non-socialized birds, it could be recalled and moved to another location, leaving behind a well-established settlement of wild parrots.
“The work we’ve done—spending years working with a group to learn how they do what they do and then translating that into something useful for scientists—is critical to moving conservation forward,” Woodman said.
1. What’s the main task of A & M in the project?| A．Shooting training videos. | B．Protecting hand-raised birds. |
| C．Monitoring experimental data. | D．Forming scientific literature. |
| A．Getting familiar with their behavior. | B．Establishing emotional ties with them. |
| C．Instructing them to follow commands. | D．Teaching them to identify natural dangers. |
| A．It prevents them settling in open space. |
| B．It allows them to socialize with humans. |
| C．It frees people from training them in person. |
| D．It guarantees consistent intervention in them. |
| A．Lessons of failure. | B．Valuable references. |
| C．Global cases of reintroduction. | D．Advanced evaluation systems. |
9 . Amphibian (两栖动物) species are disappearing at an alarming rate across the globe due to habitat loss, pollution, and disease. FrogWatch trainings cover the importance of amphibians in the environment, how monitoring our local frog population helps to protect them, factors to consider in choosing a site to monitor, how to identify frog species by their calls and how to report findings to FrogWatch USA. Become a citizen scientist with FrogWatch USA, and help save our frogs!
Date: Saturday, June 4, 1:00 p.m.—3:00 p.m.
Price: $10household (includes up to 2 adults and 2 children age 8+)
Training instruction:
FrogWatch trainings cover the importance of amphibians in the environment. The instruction focuses on how to:
1. monitor our local frog population to protect the species;
2. determine factors when choosing a site to monitor;
3. recognize frog species by their calls;
4. report findings to FrogWatch USA.
After passing a test on identifying frog calls at the end of the training, certified volunteers then commit themselves to monitoring a local amphibian habitat (such as a pond or lake) approximately once a week for about 15 minutes, and collecting /submitting data on what they hear. Data collected will be added to a national FrogWatch USA database. In 2020, Rhode Island FrogWatch citizen scientists followed 80 sites almost 900 times! In those 900 observations, FrogWatchers, heard more than 1,220 frog choruses.
Questions: Contact Programs@rwpzoo.org or call (401)785-3510 ext. 358.
Please note: FrogWatch trainings will cover a large amount of information and protocols (规程). While FrogWatching is a great after-dark family activity for all ages, the trainings are designed for interested older children and adults.
1. How can you tell frog species apart?
| A．By their colors. | B．By their shapes. | C．By their voices. | D．By their sizes. |
| A．To collect data about frogs. | B．To set up a database for frogs. |
| C．To take a test on frog knowledge. | D．To guard frog habitats once a week. |
| A．Frogs need to be watched by a family. |
| B．It is dangerous to watch frogs at night. |
| C．Small children aren’t suitable for trainings. |
| D．People have to take notes about frog information. |
10 . Houston may be the last place you would expect to see a tiger wandering, but private ownership and breeding (哺育) of big cats is a Texas-sized problem in the United States. While tiger ownership is banned in Houston, it is legal in most parts of Texas. In some other states, it is even easier to buy a tiger than to adopt a dog from a local animal shelter.
In America, young tigers can be purchased from the pet market, online and elsewhere. These tigers in private hands grow quickly into large and dangerous animals that few people are equipped to handle. As a result, some may end up as body parts sold on the black market, fueling the illegal wildlife trade. Tigers in the wild have a territory of at least 18—and up to 1,500—square kilometers. To confine (关押) them to a cage, home or backyard is unquestionably cruel.
Another thing, wild animals make for dangerous pets. A tame animal is not the same thing as a domesticated (驯养的) animal. A tiger in the house is still a tiger. It keeps all the same traits as a tiger in the wild. Tigers can pose dangers, whether they are born in a forest or in a cage. Undoubtedly, a thinly-regulated private ownership of tigers in the U.S. has created a public safety nightmare.
South Africa has approved a ban on captive-bred lion industry. Authorities worldwide are also waking up to the cruelty of breeding big cats for commercial purposes. The incident in Houston should serve as a wake-up call to ban private ownership and the breeding of big cats.
Americans should urge their government to ban the backyard breeding industry. At the same time, the most effective thing we can do is to support organizations that are working to protect tigers in their native, wild habitats.
The unfortunate truth is that the population of tigers in the wild has declined over the last century from 100, 000 to about 3,900. By some estimates, there are twice that many in captivity in America. Tigers belong to forests, grassland and valleys. They’re not supposed to be in backyards, in selfies, and certainly not in a Houston neighborhood.
1. What does the underlined word “Texas -sized” in paragraph 1 mean?| A．Enormous. | B．Practical. | C．Technical. | D．Uncomplicated. |
| A．It is a cruel act for wildlife. |
| B．It will stimulate illegal wildlife trade. |
| C．It poses a danger to the common public. |
| D．It introduces trouble to the management of the pet market. |
| A．By introducing a concept. | B．By making comparisons. |
| C．By explaining statistical data. | D．By referring to a previous study. |
| A．To introduce the habits of wild tigers. |
| B．To call for awareness of the dangers of backyard breeding. |
| C．To urge the American government to stop private ownership of tigers. |
| D．To inform people of the seriousness of private tiger ownership in the U.S. |
