1. What does the man plan to do for a few days?
A.Help the woman walk a dog. | B.Visit the woman. | C.Go on a business trip. |
A.At around 6:00 a.m. | B.At around 8:00 a.m. | C.At around 8:00 p.m. |
A.Go for a walk. | B.Make dinner. | C.Play with her friends. |
1. Where are the two speakers?
A.On the street. | B.In a park. | C.At a square. |
A.Golden retriever. | B.Chihuahua. | C.Samoyed. |
A.He’s cute. | B.He’s shy. | C.He’s dangerous. |
A.A large-sized dog. | B.A brave dog. | C.A smart dog. |
3 . Suzanne Simard, a professor of forest ecology who called herself a “forest detective”, was raised in mountains in Canada. Few scientists make much impact with their PhD thesis, but, in 1997, she did just that. Her research on the “wood wide web” made the cover of Nature and transformed our understanding of forests. What was then a challenge to traditional ideas is today widely accepted.
A mushroom is the part of a fungus (真菌) that sticks up above the ground. Thin, white threads grow from its stem deep into the soil. These threads are called hyphae (菌丝). Hyphae connect themselves to tree roots. They also stretch from root system to root system, like an underground network. This network may go for miles. Hyphae pick up nutrients and water from soil. The fungus threads that connect to tree roots share their nutrients and water with the trees. In return, they sip a bit of the sugar the trees make. Sharing helps both trees and mushrooms live. It’s also how trees communicate.
When a tree is being eaten by bugs, it makes chemicals to shoo them away, sort of like bug repellent (驱虫剂). The chemicals travel through the tree, down its roots, and into the hyphae network. Other trees connected to the network taste the chemicals. That tells them a nearby tree is under attack, so they start to make their own bug repellent. Trees do more than share warnings through the hyphae. They also help each other. In the fall, paper birch trees drop their leaves and can no longer make sugar. So, a fir tree that stays green all winter uses the network to send extra sugar to the birch until spring comes again. This system of sharing information and nutrients through the hyphae is sometimes called the “wood wide web”, because it works a bit like the Internet.
Local climate sets the stage for the wood wide web, researchers say. In cool temperature and boreal forests, where wood and organic matter decay slowly, network-building EM fungi rule. By contrast, in the warmer tropics where wood and organic matter decay quickly, AM fungi dominate. These fungi form smaller webs and do less intertree swapping, meaning the tropical wood wide web is likely more localized.
Ecologist Thomas Crowther’s results suggest that as the planet warms, about 10% of EM-associated trees could be replaced by AM-associated trees. Microbes in forests dominated by AM fungi deal with carbon-containing organic matter faster, so they could liberate lots of heat-trapping carbon dioxide quickly, potentially accelerating a climate change process that is already happening at a frightening pace.
1. What do we know about Suzanne Simard?A.She was a professor and a forest detective. |
B.Growing up in the countryside, she made the cover of Nature. |
C.Like many other scientists, she made big influence on her PhD thesis. |
D.Her idea of the “wood wide web” used to challenge people’s thoughts. |
A.They facilitate tree communication. | B.They form an underground network. |
C.They produce sugar and share it with trees. | D.They share nutrients and water with the trees. |
A.They release warning signals through leaves. |
B.They produce real bug repellent to kill insects. |
C.They make use of hyphae to produce chemicals. |
D.They send chemical signals through the network. |
A.It might slow down carbon release. | B.It would break down organic matter. |
C.It might speed up climate change. | D.It might lead to faster tree growth. |
4 . Johannes Fritz, an Austrian biologist, needed to come up with a plan again if he was going to prevent his rare and beloved birds from going extinct.
To survive the European winter, the northern bald ibis needs to migrate south for the winter over the Alps. But shifting climate patterns have delayed when the birds begin to migrate and they are now reaching the mountains too late to make it over the peaks, locking them in an icy death trap. Determined to save them, he decided to teach the birds a new, safer migration route by guiding them himself in a tiny aircraft. He was confident that he could succeed in this daring, unconventional plan.
Some 400 years ago, the Europeans hunted these birds without stopping and devoured the last in the wild, causing the birds to disappear entirely from the wild. When Mr. Fritz was born 56 years ago, the northern bald ibis could be found in Europe only in captivity (圈养).
Mr.Fritz has spent his career reintroducing the birds into the wild. Through years of trial and error, he learned to fly like a bird. He modified (改装) a lightweight aircraft so it would fly at speeds slow enough for the birds to keep up. In 2004, he led the first flock from Austria to Italy, and has since led more migrations. But the route he originally taught the ibises does not work successfully. With climate change warming the area where the birds summer, they now start their migration at the end of October instead of the end of September. The trip is expected to take about six weeks, “Still, we’re optimistic that it’ll work,” said Mr. Fritz.
His family and colleagues witnessed the risks he was taking. “But the unavoidable risks are necessary,” Mr. Fritz said. “It’s not so much a job, but my life’s purpose.”
1. What was Johannes Fritz’s plan?A.To shorten bald ibises’ migration route. |
B.To lead bald ibises to migrate on a new route. |
C.To better the climate patterns for bald ibises. |
D.To find out a safer destination for bald ibises. |
A.Destroyed. | B.Abused. | C.Released. | D.Raised. |
A.Owing to the long time it consumes. |
B.For the slow speed of his modified aircraft. |
C.Because of the toughness along the first route. |
D.Due to higher temperatures in the summer habitat. |
A.Honest. | B.Innovative. | C.Straightforward. | D.Demanding. |
1. Where did the group plan to camp?
A.On the top of Ben Nevis. | B.Beside the Tower Ridge. | C.In the Corries. |
A.Snowy. | B.Windy. | C.Sunny. |
A.He hurt his legs. |
B.He slowed the group down. |
C.He was too weak to reach the top. |
A.Challenging. | B.Disappointing. | C.Enjoyable. |
Anji, a small county in East China’s Zhejiang Province,
The outdoor café, the Deep Blue Coffeehouse, has received 350,000 tourists in less than a year, with the highest daily number of visitors
1. Why was Kaavan sent to Pakistan?
A.He was given as a gift. |
B.A zoo there wanted to train him. |
C.A female elephant there needed a companion. |
A.He was homeless. | B.He lost his friend. | C.He was kept in chains. |
A.2016. | B.2020. | C.2021. |
1. Where is Destiny’s community located?
A.Near the waterfront. | B.In the northern part. | C.In the city center. |
A.Her high school is closed. |
B.She has breathing problems. |
C.The air in her neighborhood is poor. |
A.Disapproving. | B.Unclear. | C.Supportive. |
A.Making a survey. | B.Conducting an interview. | C.Holding a press conference. |
9 . People flood into cities for understandable reasons: more job opportunities, more cultural diversity and larger communities. Yet living in a concrete-walled, green-poor, urban environment takes away from our-very essence our fundamental need to be close to nature. We can’t quite break the link with our evolutionary (进化的) past and part ways with our origins. Surrounding ourselves with walls and ‘screens, we tend to pay a price, often with our health and quality of life.
In Japan, a populous country with vast expanses of green forests, an ancient tradition, known as shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, tries to balance out the pressure from urban living. It’s the practice of spending prolonged periods of time with trees to gain from their many health benefits. In a book hitting shelves this month, Forest Bathing: How Trees Can Help You Find Health and Happiness, Dr. Qing Li, the world’s foremost expert in forest medicine, introduces readers to the valuable practice of forest bathing. The book features more than 100 color photographs of forests around the world. One may reject this kind of book as yet less convincing, but the point is that Li has not just practiced forest bathing, but has also studied its impact on people’s health through numerous scientific studies. He has data to support his claims, collected in a long list of expert-reviewed articles at the end of the book.
The book lists studies that consistently show-a substantial, reduction of stress hormones (应激激素). Essential tree oils found in forest air increase energy levels by more than 30 percent and improve a general state of well-being, including improvement in sleep.
Scientific results apart, the, concept of forest bathing shouldn’t be so surprising. Who hasn’t felt an inner sense of well-being when walking along a quiet forest path? Stepping into a forest, away from the artificial sounds and smells of urban life, does feel like pushing a life reset button, reestablishing a connection with our deepest needs.
To celebrate this wonderful book and. what seems to be a rediscovery of forest bathing in our life, I’m going to go now—to take: my forest bath.
1. What is stressed in paragraph 1?A.The harm of electronics. |
B.The downside of city life. |
C.The consequences of lack of workout. |
D.The reasons for pursuit of urban living. |
A.Promoting a lifestyle. |
B.Presenting research results. |
C.Stating the significance of walks. |
D.Appealing for forest conservation. |
A.One-sided. | B.Sharply worded. |
C.Evidence-based. | D.Widely recognized. |
A.Through clinical cases. |
B.Through practical experience. |
C.Through official statistics. |
D.Through Japanese experts’ studies. |
10 . Dozens of dolphins swam out of the polluted waters of Haifa Harbor on Tuesday. This was the first time that dolphins had visited this crowded Mediterranean Port, and researchers were surprised by the unexpected event.
Between 40 and 50 of the dolphins appeared in the busy port on Tuesday morning, obviously drawn by the fish-rich waters of Haifa Bay.
However, the bay is also full of harmful chemicals. Avia d Sheinin, professor of Haifa University’s Maritime Studies Department, said he didn’t think the dolphins were harmed by the pollution, but that he hoped they would swim back to the sea soon. “It seems that they are quite relaxed. They don’t seem to be stressed,” he said.
Haifa Bay is lined by chemical companies that have been pouring poisonous waste into the water for decades. While pollution levels have dropped in recent years, the water is still considered a health hazard, whispering warnings to those who draw near.
“There are lots of fishes in Haifa Port. Unfortunately, we couldn’t tell the dolphins that the fish are not healthy, and I don’t know what the result will be,” he told Israel Army Radio.
Hundreds of Haifa residents gathered around Haifa Bay to see the interesting sight, and researchers said this provided a rare chance to film and study the rough-toothed dolphins. In addition to the dozens of dolphins which swam into the port on Tuesday, a similar number stayed outside the breakwater (防波堤). Later Tuesday the dolphins left the port but remained near the entrance and Israel’s coastguard was patrolling (巡逻) the area to try to make sure the dolphins didn’t re-enter the poisonous waters.
Relatively little is known about rough-toothed dolphins, which are usually found in deep and warm tropical waters.
1. What cause the dolphins to appear at Haifa Harbor?A.Clean water. | B.Food supply. |
C.Social behavior. | D.Water temperature. |
A.Danger. | B.Benefit. |
C.Plan. | D.Survey. |
A.He is curious about the dolphins. |
B.He will do research on the dolphins. |
C.He is uncertain about what will happen to the dolphins. |
D.The dolphins might affect the existence of fish in Haifa port. |
A.To avoid traffic jam. |
B.To deal with the harmful waters. |
C.To prevent people killing dolphins. |
D.To protect the dolphins from the polluted waters. |
A.People love dolphins. |
B.Dolphins are well protected in Israel. |
C.Haifa Bay is full of harmful chemicals. |
D.Dolphins made a surprise visit to the polluted harbor. |