1 . Some people may be picky eaters, but as a species we are not. Birds, bugs and whales, we’ll eat them all. Yet our reliance on wild animals goes far beyond just feeding ourselves. From agricultural feed to medicine to the pet trade, modern society exploits wild animals in a way that beats even the most aggressive wild predator (捕食者). Now, for the first time, researchers have tried to capture the full picture of how we use wildlife, including how many, and for what purposes. The research showcases just how broad our influence on wild animals is.
In the study, researchers have found that humans kill, collect or otherwise use about 15,000 species. That’s up to 300 times more than the next top predator in any ecosystem.
Yet according to Chris Darimont, a co-author of the study, the biggest shock isn’t how many species we affect but why we take them. “The result,” he says, “is that we remove, or essentially prey on, more species of animals for non-food reasons than for food reasons.”And the biggest non-food use is as pets and pet food. “That’s where things have gone off the rails (轨道),” he says. The problem is especially serious for tropical birds. The helmeted hornbill, for example, is captured mainly for the pe trade, or for its beak to be used as medicine or to be carved like ivory. Their disappearance limits seed dispersal and the spread of trees around the forest.
Another big difference between humans’ influence on wild animals and that of other predators is that we tend to favor rare and exotic (外来的) species in a way other animals do not. Most predators target common species, since they are easier to find and catch. Humans, nowever, tend to covet the novel. “The more rare it is,” say scientists, “the more that drives up the price, and therefore it may go into extinction.”
If we want wild species to survive, we need to reestablish our relationship with them, perhaps from predator to caretaker.
1. What role do humans play in their present relationship with wildlife according to the author?| A．Picky predators. | B．Protectors of biodiversity. |
| C．Greedy predators. | D．Caretakers of the environment. |
| A．More species hunted for non-food use. |
| B．The impact of pet industries on wildlife. |
| C．The number of species affected by humans. |
| D．The consequences caused by species extinction. |
| A．Long for huge profits. |
| B．Favor domestic species. |
| C．Take interest in pet trade. |
| D．Seek after new and unique things. |
| A．To promote stricter rules for hunting. |
| B．To advocate eco-friendly pet choices. |
| C．To reveal how humans affect biodiversity. |
| D．To highlight the need for wildlife conservation. |
2 . The harsh winters and modern cities can make life tough for a wild animal, especially when they get lost and are outside their natural habitat for too long. Animal shelters are crowded with animals in desperate need of help, especially during the winter season.
One day, a man found a small owl (猫头鹰) that was soaking wet and appeared to be struggling. He brought it into a local shelter.
The owl weighed 245 grams, which was 33% more than the upper limit of what an owl that size should weigh. The reason for the weight gain was quite natural. The owl was eating too much. The winter had been unusually warm, and as a result, the area had a higher than normal population of mice.
The shelter staff put the owl on a systematic plan of diet and exercise, and it started to lose weight quickly. After some time, the owl was back to its normal health and was released back into the wild.
The question of whether this obesity issue is a strange result of climate change or just a coincidence (巧合) is difficult to say.
| A．Different types of animal shelters have different purposes. |
| B．Animal shelters are not just a place for injured or sick animals. |
| C．This meant that it was like an all-you-can-eat buffet for the little owl. |
| D．They are really important when animals struggle to survive in cold weather. |
| E．After a thorough check-up, the shelter staff found out that it was not injured at all. |
| F．However, it is clear that it is vital to care for wild animals and to ensure their safety. |
| G．However, recently, a wild animal was brought to a shelter for a very different reason. |
3 . Antarctica has not always been a land of ice and snow. Earth’s southernmost continent once was home to rivers and forests full of life.
Scientists are using satellite observations and radar imagery to look deep under the ice. The researchers report finding a large ancient landscape buried under the continent’s ice sheet. It is full of valleys and ridges (山脊) , shaped by rivers before being covered by glaciers long ago.
The landscape is located in East Antarctica’s Wilkes Land area bordering the Indian Ocean. The researchers said the landscape appears to date back to at least 14 million years ago and perhaps beyond 34 million years ago, when Antarctica entered its deep freeze.
“It is difficult to know what this lost world might have looked like before the ice came along, but it was certainly warmer back then,” said Stewart Jamieson, a professor at Durham University. “Depending how far back in time you go, you might have had climates that ranged anywhere from the climate of present-day Patagonia through to something more approaching tropical.”
“Such an environment likely would have been populated by wildlife”, Jamieson said. “But the area’s fossil record is too incomplete to know which animals may have lived there.”
The researchers said the surface of the planet Mars is better known than the earth surface below the ice in Antarctica. They said one way to learn more would be to drill through the ice and take a piece of the earth below. This could uncover evidence showing ancient life, as was done with samples taken in Greenland dating back two million years ago.
Jamieson said the researchers think that when Antarctica’s climate was warmer, rivers flowed toward a continental coastline that was created as the other land masses broke away. When the climate cooled, some small glaciers formed on hills next to the rivers. When the climate cooled even more, an ice sheet grew which covered the whole continent, the landscape got preserved, likely for 34 million years.
1. What can we learn about the ancient landscape?| A．It locates in the center of Antarctica. | B．It’s discovered by drilling through the ice. |
| C．It’s once a warmer area than it is now. | D．It has a history of no more than 14 million years. |
| A．There is a lack of complete fossil record. |
| B．The ice sheet of Antarctica is melting quickly. |
| C．Scientists lack enough advanced equipment. |
| D．Climate conditions vary greatly from place to place. |
| A．To attract more scientists to study Antarctica. |
| B．To strengthen the importance of the Mars. |
| C．To indicate the complex situations of the Mars. |
| D．To show the difficult to know Antarctica’s earth surface. |
| A．The colder climate. | B．The protection offered by coastlines. |
| C．Other land masses’ reduction. | D．A decrease in the number of wildlife. |
4 . James Rainey reads trees like most people read signposts. The senior ecologist is using a small hand camera to identify a lichen (地衣) that is surrounding the base of wild pines (松树) in a deep narrow valley on the west coast of Scotland. He is looking for ecological clues of species associated with the ancient Caledonian Forest, which once covered most of the Highlands.
Wild pines have been growing in Scotland continuously since the ice age, offering a globally unique ecosystem supporting rare wildlife. But now less than 2% of the original growth survives, with just 14 individual Caledonian pinewood sites now officially recognized. “To meet the demand for more wood, many wild pines in Highlands have been removed to make room for commercial forestry,” says Rainey. “This was often done in ancient woodlands and was really damaging to the remaining trees.”
But restoration is still possible, especially since some old trees still survive along with the ancient woodland soil and seedbank—seeds stored in the soil, which can grow once the heavy shade of commercial conifers (针叶树) is removed.
The ecological investigator uses three clues of evidence to discover where these pinewoods first stood. “First there’s the historical evidence, like old maps and texts. Then comes the landscape context: is the pine associated with planting around a big house, or is the setting more natural? And finally I use the ecological evidence: wild pine usually grow alongside old birch trees, which indicates ecological continuity,” explains Rainey.
Rainey has identified 23 pines in this area, all rooted in places least accessible. Their needles have been taken for genetic testing to confirm their family trees. “This would have been filled with trees but is now empty — these are the most critical areas in need of regeneration and we want the whole of the ancient woodlands to recover, not just the pines,” he said.
1. Why are the wild pines considered to be so significant?| A．They act as a signpost for the highland. | B．They are an indicator of an ancient forest. |
| C．They are an alternative to commercial forestry. | D．They provide a shelter for certain species of lichen. |
| A．The existence of ancient seeds. | B．The presence of commercial conifers. |
| C．The awareness of the forest protection. | D．The application of the advanced technology. |
| A．By locating big houses. | B．By consulting historians. |
| C．By referring to digital maps. | D．By making the most of surroundings. |
| A．To confirm the genes of the pine. | B．To restore the old-growth woodlands. |
| C．To explore the unfrequented places. | D．To enrich the diversity of the wild pines. |
Every year for over a millennium, fishermen have braved the subzero temperatures, biting winds and deep snow to search for
Chagan is the only place in China
To ensure that this tradition can continue
Also, over the past few years, the money from the auction has been invested into protecting the lake and surrounding environment. And during the summer, private fishing without
6 . As a child, I was keen on collecting moths（飞蛾）and butterflies. By adulthood, I could identify about 700 species by sight, recognizing the stripes, dots and colors on their wings and bodies.
In 1972, I moved to Australia and continued collecting. But I started to struggle: identifying them quickly became an impossible task. The species there were so different from those at home, and there was no space in my mind to recognize them all.
My crisis soon increased. Throughout the 1970s, I led expeditions to Papua New Guinea to collect moths. One night, we could collect more than twice as many as those I had memorized in my childhood. Identifying them felt overwhelming. I gave up and stopped working on moths. But my instinct to identify them never went away.
Two decades later, I was in a supermarket and an idea started to develop in my mind: what if a part of DNA could be used to differentiate between species Just 13 lines on. the supermarket barcodes（条形码）were being used to identify products What if we could identify species in the same way?
To test the idea, I began collecting the moths again. Each sample had to donate a leg to science. I believed that COI（a single segment of a rapidly evolving gene）present in almost all animals could be used to tell species. With their legs, we used the PCR method to focus in on their section of COI. One by one, it became clear: every single moth could be sorted using a tiny slice of their genome（基因组）DNA barcoding was 100% successful on its first test.
In our study paper, we claimed that we had discovered a reliable, inexpensive and accessible solution to identifying the millions of animal species waiting to be discovered. I believe DNA barcoding is humanity’s first shot at finally discovering all life on Earth. This technique has helped conservationists to fight against wildlife crime and monitor the impact of mining on bıodiversity. One day, I am confident it will form part of a system to monitor the biosphere the Same way we monitor the weather.
1. How did the author recognize moth species in his childhood?| A．By turning to books. |
| B．By using lab equipment. |
| C．By obseiving their behavior. |
| D．By distinguishing their appearance. |
| A．The loss of interest in studying moths. |
| B．The impossibility of recognizing moths. |
| C．The pressure of discovering new moth species. |
| D．The challenge of collecting as many moth samples. |
| A．The ease of using PCR to focus on COI. |
| B．The simplicity of supermarket barcodes. |
| C．The success of DNA barcoding on moths. |
| D．The availability of COI in almost all animals. |
| A．Protecting wildlife habitats. |
| B．Tracking wildlife population. |
| C．Assisting in monitoring biodiversity. |
| D．Updating weather monitoring systems. |
7 . While many cats love to go outdoors, they usually do not venture far from home. But some cats are the
Although Nala, a four-year-old cat has a home in Hertfordshire and a loving owner, she always loves
She comes in every day to greet hundreds of commuters. Ambler says that Nala goes to the station when it is the busiest because she enjoys the
The staff at the station have grown very
Nala wears a collar with
Nala is so popular that Ambler
| A．competitors | B．cases | C．negotiators | D．exceptions |
| A．circus | B．zoo | C．home | D．workplace |
| A．eating | B．wandering | C．hunting | D．sleeping |
| A．visit | B．skip | C．monitor | D．advocate |
| A．challenges | B．delights | C．guides | D．disturbs |
| A．debate | B．news | C．space | D．attention |
| A．worthy | B．free | C．fond | D．proud |
| A．presence | B．request | C．performance | D．trick |
| A．qualifications | B．diaries | C．details | D．recommendations |
| A．found | B．released | C．struck | D．adopted |
| A．business | B．adventure | C．exhibition | D．diet |
| A．looked for | B．referred to | C．learned from | D．set up |
| A．encounters | B．fights | C．quarrels | D．comparisons |
| A．experiences | B．makes | C．explores | D．examines |
| A．directly | B．relatively | C．frequently | D．definitely |
8 . The hottest year on record is coming to a close, emissions of planet-warming gases are still rising globally, and the most ambitious climate goal set by world leaders is all but impossible to meet, according to a new analysis by the United Nations.
Between 2021 and 2022, global greenhouse gas emissions grew about 1%, the analysis finds. Emissions need to fall as quickly as possible to avoid catastrophic climate impacts such as uncontrollable sea level rise, unsurvivable heat in some areas and mass extinction of plants and animals.
Right now, the world is headed for at least 4.5℉ of warming this century compared to global temperatures in the late 1800s. It is assumed that countries will do everything they have currently promised under the Paris Agreement, including things that some governments have said they’ll only do if wealthy countries follow through on promises to help foot the bill, for example, helping to pay for renewable energy infrastructure in less wealthy nations. If such conditions aren’t met, the planet is headed for more than 5°F of warming, the analysis finds.
The new range is ever so slightly lower than predicted in last year’s analysis, which reflects the very slow progress that humanity is making on slowing emissions and controlling future warming. Even the lower end of the current projected temperature range — 4.5°F of warming — is extremely high. And the lower target is likely out of reach entirely at this point — a finding that is backed up by another recent study.
The new analysis emphasizes once again that controlling oil, gas and coal operations is key to controlling global warming. It finds that, if humans extract (提取) and burn all the oil, gas and coal currently in development worldwide, countries would collectively emit enough greenhouse gases to basically hit the higher temperature target under the Paris Agreement. That means all new oil, gas and coal extraction is essentially incompatible (对立的) with avoiding harmful warming later this century. Right now, many countries including the United States are still allowing new fossil fuel extraction.
1. What does the underlined word “catastrophic” in paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．Limited. | B．Invisible. | C．Ruinous. | D．Controllable. |
| A．Solutions to global warming aren’t clear. |
| B．The world is heading to a warmer future. |
| C．Countries are unwilling to make promises. |
| D．The temperature target is unrealistically high. |
| A．Indifferent. | B．Optimistic. | C．Cautious. | D．Critical. |
| A．A new analysis is calling for all the countries to reach an agreement. |
| B．Fossil fuel extraction control is far from a solution to pollution. |
| C．The huge impacts of global warming are predictable but uncontrollable. |
| D．The world is far behind on controlling planet-warming pollution. |
9 . A garden is a project that often requires a fairly large initial investment of both time and money from the start — as well as a commitment to maintain it.
If you’re lucky enough to have a backyard, you can imagine the enjoyment you’d receive from changing that dusty, weedy dead space into a green, relaxing environment.
So, how can you build a pleasant home garden? Some clever gardeners use drought-resistant plants such as cacti (仙人掌), and a little bit of watering and inspiration to produce spaces that are both relaxing and pleasing to the eye.
There are many popular home garden books and magazines.
| A．A trip to the library can help you get started |
| B．However, it is a deserving challenge for many people |
| C．A home garden can be a good workout as well as a place to relax |
| D．The shape of the space is often as important as its contents or size |
| E．Some do it for exercise and spend a little time outdoors on a sunny day |
| F．No matter what the circumstances, it’s possible to create a lovely home garden |
| G．Many gardeners also enjoy employing touches such as stone paths to create a nice atmosphere |
10 . Chaudhary weaves (编织) together lengths of rope and grass collected from the nearby riverbank in her village, skillfully shaping the materials into a gift box while instructing a group of women to follow suit.
The ropes being used were once the lifeline for mountain climbers tackling Nepal’s mountains and were then cast away. Diverse measures to remove such discarded materials have rocketed since 2019, when the government launched Clean Mountain Campaign.Around 140,000 tons of waste were collected on Mt. Everest alone, which were handled accordingly, either securely buried or recycled.
Some waste is now finding fresh life, transformed by skilled hands like Chaudhary’s into items to sell, thanks to an initiative led by Acharya, an owner of a waste processing business and an advocate for sustainable waste management. She has been working with the cleaning campaign, aiming at mountains like Mt. Everest.
“Metal waste goes through the recycling process, but we weren’t capable of recycling these ropes and cooking gas cans,” Acharya says. It didn’t occur to her that the waste which couldn’t be recycled could be reused until she met Rai at an art exhibition and a solution emerged.
Rai, a businessman dealing in craftworks, helped connect Acharya with Chaudhary and her team of craftswomen in hopes of unlocking the economic value of the mountain waste. With flexible hours, the project gives the craftswomen an opportunity to earn money even as they maintain their household responsibilities.
“While this seems insignificant compared to waste in the mountains, it’s a start. We can’t supply sufficient raw material with waste sorting and cleaning processes taking plenty of time and money,” Acharya says, desperate to expand the program to involve more women and treat more waste. But progress has been slow. “We need investment to mechanize the cleaning and processing of waste in the initial phase to provide the crafting team with enough materials to meet their demand,” she adds.
1. What were the ropes mentioned in paragraph 2 initially intended as?| A．Tools for tying up weeds. | B．Villagers’ basic necessities of life. |
| C．Raw materials tor unique artworks. | D．Life-saving devices for mountaineers. |
| A．A journey to the rural area. | B．An encounter with a trader. |
| C．Information from a product launch. | D．Attendance at an academic conference. |
| A．Train more senior technicians. | B．Obtain a better reputation. |
| C．Drop waste washing procedures. | D．Bring in advanced equipment. |
| A．Chaudhary: An Eco-Minded Folk Artist |
| B．Nepali Women Are Turning Garbage into Crafts |
| C．Clean Mountain Campaign Has Already Taken Effect |
| D．A Headache: Mt. Everest Is Heavily Littered with Waste |
