1 . China formally announced its first batch of five national parks. Are any of them from your hometown?
·The Sanjiangyuan National Park
The Sanjiangyuan Natonal Park, which is the source of three major rivers — the Yangtze, the Yellow, and the Lancang Rivers — is an important source of fresh water supply in China maintaining the lifeline of water security of the country. It is also home to hundreds of species of wild animals, such as wild yaks (牦牛), snow leopards and Tibetan antelopes.
·The Giant Panda National Park
The Giant Panda National Park connects three provinces — Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu. The park holds more than 70 percent of China’s wild giant pandas. Aside from the “national treasure” of China, the park is also the habitat of highly protected animals, including the snub-nosed monkey.
·The Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park
In the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park in Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces the high-tech monitoring system was launched to provide real-time protection for plants and animals. Thanks to the establishment of the national park, at least 12 Siberian tiger cubs and 11 Amur leopard cubs have been born so far.
·The Wuyi Mountain National Park
The Wuyi Mountain National Park is the only national park in China which is both a biosphere reserve and heritage site. The park has the most complete, most typical, and largest area of the central subtropical (中亚热带的) native forest ecosystem at the same latitude on Earth. It is known as a birds’ paradise, the kingdom of snakes and the world of insects.
·The Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park
In the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park, the protection of Hainan gibbons (长臂猿) has become a success story for animal preservation worldwide. Being the animals native to the South China island, Hainan gibbons are the world’s rarest primate (灵长类动物). Under the effective protection, its population has increased from as few as 7 to 9 in the 1980s to 35 today.
1. What does the Sanjiangyuan National Park influence most?| A．Land resources. |
| B．Water resources. |
| C．Forest resources. |
| D．Living resources. |
| A．The Sanjiangyuan National Park. |
| B．The Wuyi Mountain National Park. |
| C．The Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park. |
| D．The Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park. |
| A．In a novel. |
| B．In a research report. |
| C．In a travel handbook. |
| D．In a nature magazine. |
2 . Tom Brown’s orchard (果园), known as Heritage Apples, is home to 700 varieties of apples. They are among the 1,200 endangered varieties that Brown has recovered from six southern states. Many of these have not been sold for a century or so. In fact, he cloned some of the apples from the last remaining trees of their kinds.
Before Brown discovered lost apples, he was a chemical engineer who, along with his wife, Merrikay Brown, enjoyed visiting farmers’ markets. It was at one, in 1999, that he became fascinated by baskets full of heritage apples with unfamiliar names such as Kane, Lawver, Rusty Coat, and Rambo. These apples had shapes, colors, and tastes like no apples Brown had ever seen before. The seller Maurice Marshall told him other lost apples might still be found in the area. Interested, Brown went in search of them.
Brown advertised in area newspapers seeking information about old apple trees. The response was exciting, but few brought concrete information. Actually, most of the leads about the whereabouts of these old trees come from people in their 70s, 80s, and 90s, many of whom he met at local businesses and at festivals where he exhibited heritage apples. When Brown finds a tree, he cuts a branch off and returns during fruiting season to identify them. He compares leaves and apples to historical seed catalogs, and uses photos to correspond with experts for further confirmation.
In 1905, there were more than 7,000 apple varieties in the United States. Then people moved to urban areas and grew less of their own food while large agribusinesses preferred selling fewer varieties, ones that were familiar and shipped easily. Saving the long-forgotten fruits is a race against time. Now, the 79-year-old has to drive over 30,000 miles a year and devotes around three days a week to apple-hunting. He hopes to recover another 100 varieties or more in his lifetime.
1. What do we learn about the apples in Brown’s orchard?| A．They are rare species. | B．They are mostly clones. |
| C．They sell well in the market. | D．They adapt to different climates. |
| A．Help him promote fruits. | B．Recover the lost apples. |
| C．Learn to plant fruit trees from him. | D．Taste the apples mentioned by him. |
| A．By referring to documents. | B．By putting advertisements. |
| C．By consulting the elderly. | D．By communicating with experts. |
| A．His colorful retirement life. |
| B．His work in protecting fruit trees. |
| C．His love for popularizing gardening. |
| D．His contributions to saving lost apple species. |
3 . Darwin’s Arch, a famed rock formation in the Galapagos Islands has taken on a new shape.
The top of the Arch collapsed this week into the Pacific Ocean due to natural forces.
“Obviously all the people from the Galapagos felt it was a shame because it’s something we’re familiar with since childhood, and to know that it has changed was a bit of a shock,”
Washington Tapia said, “However, from a scientific point of view, it’s part of the natural process.
It normally happens on our planet.”
Darwin’s Arch,which is made of natural stone, at one point would have been part of the island. Named after famed naturalist Charles Darwin, it is not accessible by land. But the area around the islands is a popular diving spot, particularly to observe sharks and other sea species.
“Unfortunately today, our guests of the Galapagos Aggressor III experienced a once in a lifetime event,” the travel company Agressor Adventures posted on Facebook. The group added, “This morning at 11:20 am local time, the world-famous Darwin’s Arch collapsed in front of their eyes. There are now only two pillars (柱子) remaining. Some in the dive & travel industry are already referring to this now as ‘The Pillars of Evolution (进化)’.”
The post received nearly 200 comments including one person who wrote, “What a shame! Geologic (地质的) time is so much different from human time that we forget that it’s always going on. That’s why I like to spend a lot of time among the arches in Southern Utah. You never know when it could be the last time before geology does its work.”
The Galapagos Islands are a UNESCO World Heritage Site that has been called a “living museum and showcase of evolution”. The islands are situated about 621 miles from the coast of Ecuador. They are home to many interesting animals including giant tortoises, marine iguanas, and many types of finches.
1. What does Tapia think of the collapse of Darwin’s Arch?| A．It is a disastrous memory especially for kids. |
| B．It is a little bit disappointing but acceptable. |
| C．It is a rare natural phenomenon in the world. |
| D．It is such a wonder hard to explain in science. |
| A．Diving to observe some sea species. |
| B．Catching sharks around the islands. |
| C．Climbing Darwin’s Arch carefully. |
| D．Visiting the office of Charles Darwin. |
| A．The magical power of the geology. |
| B．The novel description of the pillars. |
| C．The witness of the fall of the Arch. |
| D．The reason for the loss of the Arch. |
| A．To advertise for Aggressor Adventures. |
| B．To introduce the theory of evolution. |
| C．To praise Darwin for his contribution. |
| D．To add some background information. |
1. Where is Stonehenge located?
| A．In Egypt. | B．In China. | C．In England. |
| A．In 4000 BC. |
| B．Between 3000 and 2000 BC. |
| C．In 1600 BC. |
| A．It was built in stages. |
| B．It's the oldest construction in the world. |
| C．The supporting stones are 2.29 meters tall. |
| A．It's a royal palace. | B．It's a religious site. | C．It's a burial ground. |
