1 . After years of heated debate, gray wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park. Fourteen wolves were caught in Canada and transported to the park. By last year, the Yellowstone wolf population had grown to more than 170 wolves.
Gray wolves once were seen here and there in the Yellowstone area and much of the continental United States, but they were gradually displaced by human development. By the 1920s, wolves had practically disappeared from the Yellowstone area. They went farther north into the deep forests of Canada, where there were fewer humans around.
The disappearance of the wolves had many unexpected results. Deer and elk populations — major food sources (来源) for the wolf — grew rapidly. These animals consumed large amounts of vegetation (植被), which reduced plant diversity in the park. In the absence of wolves, coyote populations also grew quickly. The coyotes killed a large percentage of the park’s red foxes, and completely drove away the park’s beavers.
As early as 1966, biologists asked the government to consider reintroducing wolves to Yellowstone Park. They hoped that wolves would be able to control the elk and coyote problems. Many farmers opposed the plan because they feared that wolves would kill their farm animals or pets.
The government spent nearly 30 years coming up with a plan to reintroduce the wolvers. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service carefully monitors and manages the wolf packs in Yellowstone. Today, the debate continues over how well the gray wolf is fitting in at Yellowstone. Elk, deer, and coyote populations are down, while beavers and red foxes have made a comeback. The Yellowstone wolf project has been a valuable experiment to help biologists decide whether to reintroduce wolves to other parts of the country as well.
1. What is the text mainly about?A.Wildlife research in the United States. |
B.Plant diversity in the Yellowstone area. |
C.The conflict between farmers and gray wolves. |
D.The reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone Park. |
A.Damage to local ecology. |
B.Preservation of vegetation. |
C.A decline in the park’s income. |
D.An increase in the variety of animals. |
A.Doubtful. | B.Uncaring. | C.Positive. | D.Disapproving. |
2 . Using too much water or throwing rubbish into our rivers are clear ways that humans can put our water supply in danger, but we also affect our water supply in less obvious ways. You may wonder how paving(铺砌) a road can lead to less usable fresh water. A major part of the water we use every day is groundwater. Groundwater does not come from lakes or rivers. It comes from underground. The more roads and parking lots we pave, the less water can flow into the ground to become groundwater.
Human activity is not responsible for all water shortages(缺乏). Drier climates are of course more likely to have droughts(干旱) than areas with more rainfall, but in any case, good management can help to make sure there is enough water to meet our basic needs .
Thinking about the way we use water every day can make a big difference, too. In the United States, a family of four can use 1.5 tons of water a day! This shows how much we depend on water to live, but there’s a lot we can do to lower the number.
You can take steps to save water in your home. To start with, use the same glass for your drinking water all day. Wash it only once a day. Run your dishwasher only when it is full. Help your parents fix any leaks(滴水) in your home. You can even help to keep our water supply clean by recycling batteries instead of throwing them away.
1. Which of the following is most likely to lead to less groundwater?A.Using river water. | B.Throwing batteries away. |
C.Throwing rubbish into lakes. | D.Paving parking lots. |
A.All water shortages are due to human behavior. |
B.It takes a lot of effort to meet our water needs. |
C.There is much we can do to reduce family size. |
D.The average family in America makes proper use of water. |
A.show us how to fix leaks at home |
B.tell us how to run a dishwasher |
C.prove what drinking glass is best for us |
D.suggest what we do to save water at home |
A.how human activity affects our water supply |
B.how much we depend on water to live |
C.why droughts occur more in dry climates |
D.why paving roads reduces our water |
Ecotourism is commonly regarded as low impact (影响) travel to undisturbed places. It is different from traditional tourism because it allows the traveler to become
Ecotourism has
Due to
·Minimize the impact of
·Build respect for and awareness of the environment and cultural practices.
·Provide
·Make sure that the tourism provides experiences for both the visitors and the hosts.
Komodo National Park, officially recognized in 1980, is popular for ecotourism because of its unique biodiversity.
4 . Think about the different ways that people use the wind. You can use it to fly a kite or to sai1a boat. Wind is one of our of our cleanest and riches power source(来源) ,as well as one of the oldest . Evidence shows that windmills(风车) began to be used in ancient Iran back in the seventh century BC .They were first introduced to Europe during the 1100s,when armies returned from the Middle East with knowledge of using wind power .
For many centuries ,people used windmills to grind(磨碎)wheat into flour or pump water from deep underground when electricity was discovered in the 1ate 1800s,people living in remote areas began to use them to produce electricity. This al1owed them to people in almost all1 areas of the United States, windmills were rarely used. During the course 1970s, people started becoming concerned about the pollution that is created when coal and gas are burned to produce electricity. People also realized that the supply of coal and gas would not last forever. Then, wind was rediscovered, though it means higher coasts. Today, there is a global movement to supply more and more of our electricity through the use of wind .
1. From the text we know that windmills_________.A.were invented by European armies. |
B.have a history of more than 2800 years. |
C.used to supply power to radio in remote areas. |
D.have rarely been used since electricity was discovered. |
A.Sailing a boat. |
B.Producing electricity. |
C.Grinding wheat into flour. |
D.Pumping water from underground. |
A.wind power is cleaner. |
B.it is one of the oldest power sources. |
C.it was cheaper to creat energy from wind . |
D.the supply of coal and gas failed to meet needs. |
A.The advantage of wind power. |
B.The design of wind power plants. |
C.The worldwide movement to save energy. |
D.The global trend towards producing power from wind. |
1. What are the two sperkers mainly talking about?
A.Electronic waste. | B.Soil pollution. | C.Recyling benefits. |
A.Throw it away. | B.Keep it at home. | C.Sell it to be recycled. |
6 . Pre-school children who spend time together take on one another's personalities, a new research has found. The study shows that environment plays a key role in shaping people's personalities. While genetics still forms the central part of the human psyche (心理), the research finds that personality traits (特征) are "contagious" (传染的) among children. "Our finding flies in the face of common assumptions that personality can't be changed," said Dr. Jennifer Neal, co-author of the study.
The researchers studied the personalities and social networks of two pre-school classes for a full school year. One of the classes was a set of three-year-olds, and the other a set of four-year-olds. Children whose friends were hard-working or outgoing gradually took on these personality traits over time. Psychology expert Dr. Emily Dublin said kids are having a far bigger effect on each other than people may realize.
The new study is not the first to explore the contagious effects of personality traits. A 2015 psychology study found that rudeness at work can be contagious as it travels from person to person "like a disease". The study found that seeing a boss being rude to an employee was enough to cause people to be rude to those around them.
The researchers questioned 6,000 people on the social "climate" in their workplaces, which included offices, hotels and restaurants. They found 75 percent of those who took part said they had been treated rudely at least once in the past year. And the study also suggests that merely seeing other people being subjected to rudeness made it more likely that a person would treat their colleagues in the same way. Rudeness could include leaving someone off an invite to a company event, sending unkind emails, finding fault with others or failing to give praise.
Dr. Torkelson believes companies need to be more aware of the harm that rudeness in the workplace can do as it can damage the working environment. She said better training could help to fight against the problem.
1. What does the underlined part "flies in the face of" in Paragraph1mean?A.Leads to. | B.Results from. |
C.Goes against. | D.Agrees with. |
A.Their parents. | B.Their friends. |
C.The researchers. | D.The psychologists. |
A.Ignoring the faults of co-workers. |
B.Not sending emails to workmates. |
C.Seeking praise from colleagues and bosses. |
D.Not inviting a colleague to a company party. |
A.One's personality is hard to change. |
B.One's personality is shaped by genes. |
C.One's personality traits can spread to others. |
D.One's personality traits can change overnight. |
A.a science report | B.a study guide |
C.a school textbook | D.a technical journal |
7 . Baggy has become the first dog in the UK—and potentially the world—to join the fight against air pollution by recording pollutant levels near the ground.
Baggy wears a pollution monitor on her collar so she can take data measurements close to the ground. Her monitor has shown that air pollution levels are higher closer to ground level, which has helped highlight concerns that babies and young kids may be at higher risk of developing lung problems.
Conventional air pollution monitors are normally fixed on lampposts at about nine feet in the air. However, since Baggy stands at about the same height as a child in a pushchair(婴儿车), she frequently records pollution levels which are much higher than the data gathered by the Environment A gency.
The doggy data research was the idea of Baggy's 13-year-old owner Tom Hunt and his dad Matt. The English youngster noticed that pollution levels are around two-thirds higher close to the ground than they are in the air at the height where they are recorded by the agency. Tom has since reported the shocking findings to the government in an attempt to emphasise that babies are at higher risk of developing asthma(哮喘).
Matt Hunt said he was "very proud" of his son because “when the boy gets an idea, he keeps his head down and gets on with it, and he really does want to do some good and stop young kids from getting asthma."
“Tom built up a passion for environmental protection at a very early age," Matt added. “He became very interested in gadgets(小装置). About one year ago, he got this new piece of tech which is like a test tube. One Sunday afternoon, we went out to do some monitoring, and he said, why don't we put it on Baggy's collar and let her monitor the pollution?'So we did it."
Tom said, "Most of the time, Baggy is just like any other dog. But for the rest of the time she is a super dog, and we are all really proud of her."
1. With a monitor on her collar, Baggy can ____________.A.take pollutant readings | B.record pollutant levels |
C.process collected data | D.reduce air pollution |
A.High places are free of air pollution. |
B.Higher pushchairs are more risky for kids. |
C.Conventional monitors are more reliable. |
D.Air is more polluted closer to the ground. |
A.To warn of a health risk. | B.To find out pollution sources. |
C.To test his new monitor. | D.To prove Baggy's abilities. |
A.Modest. | B.Generous. | C.Creative. | D.Outgoing. |
Single-use plastic bags are used at most a few times before they
9 . Let's take a minute to think about the water we use. The human body is 60% water and we need to drink lots of water to be healthy. When we are thirsty we just go to the kitchen and fill a glass with clean water.
The truth is that we are lucky enough to have clean water whenever we want,but this is not the case for many people around the world.
A.We use water indirectly too. |
B.Every system in our body depends on water to function. |
C.It is to inspire people to learn more about water-related problems |
D.If children walk many hours a day to get water,they can't go to school. |
E.Did you know that around 750 million people do not have clean water to drink? |
F.In 1993 the United Nations decided that March 22nd is the World Day for Water. |
G.In this way,they know how it feels to walk a long distance carrying heavy bottles. |
10 . Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is road testing a new way to keep winter roads ice-free – by spreading on them cheese brine, the salty liquid used to make soft cheese, like mozzarella.
Wisconsin, also called "America's Dairyland," is famous for its cheese. The state produced 2.8 billion pounds of cheese last year! As a result, there was a lot of leftover cheese brine. Disposing of(处置)the brine can be expensive. So what should cheese makers do with the waste?
Normally, towns use rock salt to de-ice streets. The salt lowers waters' freezing point, causing ice to melt(融化). But using cheese brine could help both cheese producers and cities save money, while keeping roads safe. Cheese brine has salt in it, which, like the rock salt, helps lower water's freezing point.
In addition to saving money, cheese brine could also be a more environment-friendly option. Many people suspect that all the rock salt used every winter is harming the environment.
Rock salt is made of sodium chloride, the sane con-pound (化合物)in ordinary table salt. Sounds harmless, right? But while you probably add only a small amount of salt to your food, road crews spread about 20 million tons of salt on U.S. Roads every year!
The chemical washes off roads and goes into the ground. There it can pollute drinking water, harm plants. and eat away soil. By spreading cheese brine on streets before adding a layer of rock salt, Milwaukee may be able to cut its rock salt use by 30 percent.
Cheese brine has a downside too – a shell similar to that of bad milk. "I don't really mind it," Emil Norby told Modern Farmer magazine. He works for one of Wisconsin's county highway commissions and came up with the idea of using cheese brine. "Our roads smell like Wisconsin!" he said.
1. Why can cheese brine help keep winter roads ice-free?A.It is soft. | B.It contains salt. | C.It is warm. | D.It has milk in it. |
A.Improving air quality. | B.Increasing sales of rock salt. |
C.Reducing water pollution. | D.Saving the cheese industry. |
A.barking up the wrong tree | B.putting the cart before the horse |
C.robbing Peter to pay Paul | D.killing two birds with one stone |