1 . On Christmas Eve, a team of reindeer (驯鹿) will help Santa Claus deliver gifts to children all around the world. The reindeer, led by their fearless leader Rudolph, won’t be the only ones doing something special. Back in the highest Arctic, their cousins have a remarkable ability changing their eye color.
During the summer months, when the days are long and the sun is bright, reindeer’s tapetum lucidum (荧光膜), a mirror-like layer at the back of their eye, appears golden, which helps bounce the majority of light off the eyes, effectively acting like a pair of natural sunglasses. As winter comes, and the days become shorter and darker, the tapetum lucidum turns blue to absorb more light, allowing reindeer to improve their night vision and see clear in low light conditions.
With these adaptations, reindeer can adapt and thrive in one of the harshest environments on Earth. Unlike humans, reindeer can see well into the shorter Ultra Violet (UV) range. This UV vision enables them to spot food and predators more effectively in the snowy landscape. Lichens, a key part of their winter diet, absorb UV, so they show up dark against UV-reflecting white snow. Wolf and polar bear fur also absorb UV, so instead of disappearing against snow they pop out in high contrast, allowing reindeer to spot potential threats from a distance.
Reindeer change their eyes by adjusting their tapetum lucidum, which is made of collagen fibers. In winter, the collagen fibers become packed tighter, causing the tapetum lucidum to mainly reflect blue light. This change happens when reindeer dilate their pupils (瞳孔). In summer, the reindeer’s pupils return to a smaller size, which helps reindeer reduce the amount of light entering the eye.
But their unique adaptation may hurt them. Today, the increasing use of artificial lighting, especially during the winter months, poses a potential threat to their sensitive eyes. It can make reindeer lose their way, affecting their ability to survive in their challenging environment. So it is crucial for us to be mindful of our use of electricity and make efforts to minimize light pollution to ensure the well-being and survival of these magnificent creatures.
1. What do we know from paragraph 2?A.The shape of reindeer’s eyes varies with seasons. |
B.It is difficult for reindeer to live in low light conditions. |
C.The tapetum lucidum helps reindeer adapt to seasonal changes. |
D.Reindeer’s eyes appear golden in winter while blue in summer. |
A.To help them see clear in dark nights. |
B.To distinguish food of different colors quickly. |
C.To protect their eyes from harsh sunlight in summer. |
D.To better locate food and enemies during snowy days. |
A.Relax. | B.Expand. | C.Narrow. | D.Hide. |
A.To call on people to protect reindeer from light pollution. |
B.To show the reasons for the decline in reindeer population. |
C.To present humans’ great efforts to reduce artificial lighting. |
D.To prove reindeer’s strong adaptability to harsh environments. |
2 . When Malaika Vaz was a kid, living in Goa, India, she was constantly surrounded by nature. Among her childhood experiences, she recalls journeys to the Arctic and Antarctic, climbing mountains, diving, and windsurfing.
At some point in her late teens, Vaz realized adventure didn’t really mean anything if there wasn’t an intention to protect the natural spaces we were exploring in. Motivated by her passion for filmmaking, she began to seek a way that would both satisfy her appetite for adventure and allow her to advocate the protection of the species and ecosystems she interacted with.
Today Vaz wears many hats in the filmmaking world, as a documentary director, producer, and presenter. After falling in love with manta rays (蝠鲼), she discovered they were being hunted illegally and started to dress herself as a seafood trader to get as close as possible to the issue. She traced sellers to figure out why the threatened species were being killed. She shared the shocking details in Peng Yu Sai, her Green Oscar-nominated film on the matter.
The subjects that grab her attention, Vaz admits, run the gamut. When she was asked to define her focus, she replied that she preferred variety. She always argues that the issues she looks into are more interrelated than they may initially appear. “I think that it’s exciting to dive into the different aspects of environmental stories,” she says.
Her work doesn’t stop at recording important stories; she also ensures the message is heard. From Vaz’s viewpoint, real improvement in planetary protection lies in the hands of each of us rather than just those of several environmentalists. “If you’re an engineer and you care about the natural world, you can change the kind of construction materials you use. If you’re a teacher loving nature, you can bring that into the learning for your class.” she says.
As a filmmaker, Vaz believes it’s important to figure out ways that attract the audience who can push for the protection of the natural world.
1. What did Malaika Vaz decide to do in her late teens?A.Motivate children to get close to nature. |
B.Make a film about her childhood experiences. |
C.Develop a passion for an adventurous lifestyle. |
D.Combine nature exploration with nature conservation. |
A.The role of manta rays in the local economy. | B.Vaz’s personal life as a seafood trader. |
C.The threatened species in India. | D.The illegal trade in manta rays. |
A.Are quite popular. | B.Cover a wide range. |
C.Make little progress. | D.Are hard to deal with. |
A.Human beings are closely linked to nature. |
B.Stories are effective in changing people’s behavior. |
C.Everyone can make a difference to the environment. |
D.Environmentalists play a big part in solving environmental issues. |
3 . The students stand on a pier (码头) over the Harlem River in New York City. They stare down into the brown water. Their teacher, Mr. Rodman, pulls a long rope out of the river. Fastened to the end of the rope is a metal cage and inside are oysters (牡蛎). Taking turns, the students measure all the oysters, and then compare notes. The biggest oyster is over 2 inches long, much bigger than a healthy size for its age! They also measure the level of oxygen. As more oysters grow, the water should become clearer and hold more oxygen. Also, other animals should move in.
Oysters are soft-bodied animals, and share the underwater community with plants, fish, and other life. They are food for crabs and other animals. As new oysters grow, they attach their shells to older ones,forming big reefs with many small spaces where other animals live. Oysters eat algae (藻类). If algae grow too fast,they can decrease oxygen from the water-and even fish need oxygen to breathe!
But what happened to the oysters 100years ago in New York Harbor? Before then, lots of oysters lived in these waters. They were shipped to restaurants around the world. By the early 1900s, people were eating them faster than they could grow. Pollution was pouring into the waters. The harbor became seriously polluted. Since the 1970s, new laws have helped reduce poisonous waste. Some fish started to swim through again. But oysters were still missing-until recently.
The Billion Oyster Project began in 2014 to help bring oysters back to New York Harbor. The project has recruited (招募) more than 6,500 students at more than 100 middle schools and high schools to help grow, distribute, and study the oysters.
Finally, the students put the oysters back in the cage. Mr. Rodman lowers the cage into the river. In a few months, they will check the cage again. When the oysters are big enough, they will be moved to join a healthy reef in the middle of the harbor.
1. Why do students come to the pier over the Harlem River?A.To do research. | B.To go fishing. |
C.To buy oysters. | D.To clean up the river. |
A.What oysters are like. | B.How oysters get fed. |
C.Why algae grow fast. | D.What role oysters play. |
A.People’s love of eating oysters boosted their numbers. |
B.More oysters than before lived in waters in the 1900s. |
C.Polluted water was partly to blame for the missing of oysters. |
D.New laws in the 1970s were crucial to oysters’ recovery. |
A.Oysters Raised in New York Harbor |
B.The Harlem River Polluted Heavily |
C.Nature’s Helpful Crew Brought Back |
D.Teacher Devoted to Wildlife Protection |
4 . Natalie Doan, 14, has always felt lucky to live in Rockaway, New York. Living just a few blocks from the beach, Natalie can see the ocean and hear the
On October 29, 2012, that ocean turned
In the following few days, Volunteers came with carloads of donated clothing and toys. Neighbors devoted their spare time to helping others
In the coming months, her website page helped lots of kids.
Today, the scars (创痕) of
A.noises | B.waves | C.bells | D.songs |
A.fierce | B.calm | C.active | D.silent |
A.ran | B.headed | C.escaped | D.moved |
A.in ruins | B.at risk | C.in rags | D.at sea |
A.rich | B.healthy | C.young | D.elderly |
A.excitedly | B.hurriedly | C.sadly | D.temporarily |
A.improve | B.rebuild | C.develop | D.react |
A.buildings | B.floors | C.flights | D.storeys |
A.astonished | B.interested | C.inspired | D.awakened |
A.appear | B.help | C.show | D.speak |
A.discovered | B.landed | C.put | D.replaced |
A.Additionally | B.Unexpectedly | C.Frankly | D.Amazingly |
A.made | B.promised | C.awarded | D.offered |
A.ocean | B.love | C.decoration | D.destruction |
A.will | B.hope | C.belief | D.truth |
5 . Leave-No-Trace Camping
For those of us who love spending time in the great outdoors, wild spaces are very special. These are places we visit to recharge, or to fill our hearts with natural beauty.
Its principles are to treat the wilderness the way a decent visitor would and leave everything just as you found it, with no evidence that you passed through.
You can carry out these ideals in a number of ways. Begin by packing out all your litter. Whenever you go camping, take an empty trash bag with you and put all garbage into the bag. In addition, try not to damage vegetation.
It’s also important that you should not take things away from the wilderness. Rocks, plants, flowers and seashells are all part of the natural landscape.
Leave-No-Trace camping is about being respectful and thoughtful. It’s about honoring the natural world and the creatures that live in it. If you love seeing an untouched mountain stream or a lovely field of wildflowers, then you’ve already taken the first step.
A.This means not stepping into a wild animal’s space. |
B.This is also called “low impact” or “no impact” camping. |
C.Once taken away, they won’t be there for others to enjoy. |
D.An increasing number of people take up camping in the wilderness. |
E.When you put up your tent, try to find a place that’s already bare of plants. |
F.We hate to see them littered with rubbish or any reminders of previous visitors. |
G.Follow these basic practices and you can be models of the Leave-No-Trace philosophy. |
6 . Introduced species have a bad reputation. It has been believed that the species mix in a particular place should remain as unchanged as possible. But this is just an opinion. Other opinions are possible. A study published recently by Dov Sax of Brown University, thus asks how the benefits of introduced species might be better assessed, so that opinions can be more informed. Specifically, he identifies several aspects for that.
Initially, whether introduced species provide direct human advantage is taken into account. Dr. Sax and his colleagues ignored crops, since their benefits are obvious. But they included transplanted grass species that have gone wild,yet provide grazing(牧草)for domestic animals, and introduced forest trees that produce wood for construction.
Another factor is their possible benefit to the ecosystem into which the introduction has happened. Such introduction is sometimes made to reduce the risk of a localised species becoming extinct. Pyne’s ground plum(李子),native to a handful of sites in the central basins of Tennessee but now transplanted to others, falls into this category.
The last value is experienced on an emotional rather than a practical level. Lots of people feel good about native wildlife, which is generally the main motive for its conservation. But that feel-good factor can extend to introduced species as well. Such value can cut both ways, however. For example, ring-necked parakeets, an Asian and African species, have been spreading through Britain for several decades. Some find them a colourful addition to the local wildlife, others a noisy competitor for native birds.
In light of their analysis, Dr. Sax and his team therefore suggest that researchers studying introduced species should in future create a clear distinction in their studies between changes that have happened and judgments about the value of those changes. In addition, when making those judgments, they should acknowledge all types of values, rather than focusing narrowly on one or two of them.
That done, many species will surely still be accused of possible damage. But others, badly thought of in the past, may not.
1. What is Dr. Sax’s study aimed to do?A.Kecp track of introduced species. |
B.Get introduced species fully understood. |
C.Compare opinions on introduced species. |
D.Identify consequences of introducing species. |
A.To provide graze for local animals. |
B.To produce wood for construction. |
C.To build a new local ecosystem. |
D.To save local species from dying out. |
A.They don’t care about it. |
B.They consider it acceptable. |
C.They can’t put up with it. |
D.They hold divided opinions on it. |
A.Focusing on main values. |
B.Evaluating evident changes. |
C.Analyzing previous researches. |
D.Presenting all-round assessments. |
7 . Are you facing a situation that looks impossible to fix?
In 1969,the pollution was terrible along the Cuyahoga River Cleveland, Ohio. It
But the river wasn’t changed in a few days
Maybe you are facing an impossible situation. Maybe you have a habit
While there are
Ten-year-old Sami loved to visit his grandfather's house. The house was near the beautiful blue sea. At the seaside stood thick and tall palm trees with green coconuts hanging from them. When the coconuts fell down, Sami would break them open and drink the coconut water. Sami liked to play under the trees. It was always great fun to spend the holidays at Grandpa's place.
This winter vacation, Sami was surprised when he came to his grandfather's village. There were hardly any trees left. He saw houses built near the sea. People had cut down many palm trees and there was hardly any greenery left.
Grandpa's house was different. He never allowed his trees to be cut. He hugged each palm tree in his courtyard. He also named the two big trees near the front door--one was Petu, and the other Betu. He had planted them with his own hands and today they had become large, massive trees with thick trunks. They were tall and green and gave the sweetest, juiciest coconuts.
One night, Sami was awakened by a strange sound. He could not sleep. He tossed(辗转)and turned in bed.
Suddenly, the ground shook as if the earth was splitting. He sat up straight and then ran to Grandpa. He clung(附 着)to his grandpa tightly. Grandpa cried out, “It's an earthquake! It's an earthquake!" They ran outside the house. They thought that would be safe.
Suddenly, there was a loud sound; the earth was not splitting but the sea was roaring. People were shouting, screaming and crying, “The sea is rising! The sea is rising." The villagers started running away from the beach.
Sami watched dumbstruck(呆若木鸡).
The waves were rising higher and higher. Sami thought, “How big the waves are!" He went into the house again and saw water coming in from all sides. He was scared.
Sami remembered his mother telling him long ago, “You must always get out of the house if the floods come too near." He ran outside the house with Grandpa. But the water came surging(汹涌) in.
Waves about twelve meters high came rushing in, drowning everything. Water was all around and everywhere.
Paragraph 1:
Grandpa held Sami's hand tightly but a huge wave separated them.
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Paragraph 2:
“Sami, Sami!” Grandpa cried. “Don't be scared, little one, come to me, quickly.”
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9 . Nowadays, with the popularity of modern traffic and modern communication means, our world is becoming much smaller. Thus our life today is much easier than it was hundreds of years ago, but meanwhile it has brought new problems, the biggest one of which is pollution. For a long time ever since, man has been polluting the earth. The more people, the more pollution.
To pollute means to make things dirty. Pollution comes in many ways. We see it, smell it, drink it and even hear it. Many years ago, the problem was not so serious because there were not so many people. When the land was used up or the river was dirty in one place, man moved to another place. But this is no longer true. Man is now slowly polluting the whole world.
Air pollution is still the most serious. It’s bad for all living things in the world, but it is not the only one kind of pollution. Water pollution kills our fish and pollutes our drinking water. Noise pollution makes us angry more easily.
Many countries are making rules to fight pollution. They stop people from burning coal in houses and factories in the city, and from putting dirty smoke into the air. Pollution by SO2 is now the most dangerous kind of air pollution. It is caused by heavy traffic. We are sure that if there are fewer people driving, there will be less air pollution.
The earth is our home. We must take care of it. That means keeping the land, water and air clean. And we must take care of the rise in pollution at the same time.
1. What is the reason for the world to become much smaller?A.The rise in pollution. | B.Science and technology development. |
C.The earth is being polluted day and night. | D.The earth is blown away by the wind every year. |
A.Air pollution. | B.Rubbish pollution. |
C.Noise pollution. | D.Water pollution. |
A.It makes much noise. | B.It makes us angry more easily. |
C.It makes our rivers and lakes dirty. | D.It’s bad for all living things in the world. |
A.Supportive. | B.Critical. | C.Doubtful. | D.Indifferent. |
Oysters, soft-bodied animals without skeletons, are important for the underwater community they share with plants, fish, and other life. They are food
Because so many animals depend on them, oysters are called a keystone species. If a keystone species
That’s
The oysters were in trouble for