1 . Trillions of evolution’s wonders, red-eyed periodical cicadas (蝉) that have pumps in their heads and jet-like muscles in their bodies, are about to emerge in numbers not seen in decades and possibly centuries. Crawling out from underground every 13 or 17 years, with a collective song as loud as jet engines, the periodical cicadas are nature’s kings of the calendar. These black bugs with bulging eyes differ from their greener cousins that come out annually. They stay buried year after year, until they surface and take over a landscape.
This spring, an unusual cicada double population is about to invade a couple of parts of the United States in what University of Connecticut cicada expert John Cooley called “cicada-geddon”. The last time these two broods (a group of creatures) came out together was in 1803. Thomas Jefferson, the then president, wrote about cicadas in his Garden Book but mistakenly called them locusts (蝗虫). Usually mistaken for hungry and unrelated locusts, periodical cicadas are more annoying rather than causing great economic damage. They can hurt young trees and some fruit crops, but it’s not widespread and can be prevented.
The largest geographic brood in the nation—called Brood XIX and coming out every 13 years—is about to march through the Southeast, having already created countless boreholes in the red Georgia clay. It’s a sure sign of the coming cicada occupation. “They emerge when the ground warms to 64 degrees, which is happening earlier than it used to because of climate change,” scientists said. “The bugs are brown at first but darken as they mature.”
Soon after the insects appear in large numbers in Georgia and the rest of the Southeast, cicada cousins that come out every 17 years will inundate Illinois. They are Brood ⅩⅢ. “And when you put those two together… you would have more than anywhere else any other time,” University of Maryland entomologist Paula Shrewsbury said. “These two broods may actually overlap—but probably not interbreed-in a small area near central Illinois.”
1. How are periodical cicadas different from their greener cousins?| A．They appear once a year. | B．They look more beautiful. |
| C．They have stronger muscles. | D．They have a longer life circle. |
| A．They are a type of locusts. | B．They have underestimated advantages. |
| C．They are Thomas Jefferson’s inspiration. | D．They only eat young trees and fruit crops. |
| A．The red Georgia clay is more beneficial to them. |
| B．Climate change may be confusing their schedules. |
| C．The adult ones only live 4-6 weeks before they die. |
| D．They are expected to be found throughout the world. |
| A．strike out | B．give up | C．flood into | D．jump at |
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2.只允许修改10处，多者（从第11 处起）不计分。
School life has taught me a lot, of them I think honesty is the most important. When I was in Senior One, I caught cheating in the final exam. I feel everyone in my class looked down upon myself. I was very ashamed that I decided to run away from school. Upon know this, my teacher paid a visit to my home in person but had a long chat with me. He made me to come to know that being brave enough to recognize one’s mistakes and overcome them are a basic quality for a man. Since then, I’ve made up my mind to be honesty and work hard.
3 . Several years ago, I was driving down a busy freeway in Portland, Oregon, when my tire blew out. I pulled over and made a (n)
Three hours later, a car finally
I thanked them and tried to give them money as a (n)
Then I heard their small daughter call out, to ask if I was
I know the
| A．deal | B．sign | C．attempt | D．promise |
| A．pulled up | B．moved on | C．went off | D．dropped out |
| A．coach | B．rescuer | C．advisor | D．interpreter |
| A．wipe | B．unlock | C．fix | D．polish |
| A．rope | B．hammer | C．nail | D．log |
| A．replace | B．return | C．kick | D．blow |
| A．reminder | B．reward | C．comfort | D．donation |
| A．last | B．least | C．superior | D．minor |
| A．refuse | B．notice | C．deserve | D．accept |
| A．apparently | B．confidently | C．eventually | D．temporarily |
| A．hungry | B．alone | C．nervous | D．thirsty |
| A．displayed | B．exchanged | C．identified | D．demanded |
| A．unwrapped | B．unloaded | C．emptied | D．gathered |
| A．came across | B．got through | C．passed by | D．ran after |
| A．sympathy | B．support | C．attention | D．confirmation |
| A．shook | B．raised | C．covered | D．bent |
| A．meaning | B．connection | C．expression | D．background |
| A．claim | B．reveal | C．suppose | D．appreciate |
| A．different | B．traditional | C．gradual | D．universal |
| A．advance | B．trouble | C．question | D．action |
Cheng Yongmao was born in a village in Huairou, Beijing and began to learn the skill of building under the
Cheng received his first Great Wall assignment in 2004. He led a construction team of dozens of members, most of
In 2016, he started to work on the Jiankou section, which
After years of efforts, the section has regained its historical appearance. “Protecting the Great Wall is my responsibility,” he said, “As long as I can climb up the mountain, I’ll do my best to lead my team, especially to assist them in gaining experience
5 . Polly Arrowsmith is a clever bargain shopper, and knows exactly when her three local supermarkets make their daily price down. She estimates that hunting out food with yellow discounted labels saves her hundreds of pounds a year. But all this could soon be coming to an end. That’s because supermarkets are adopting dynamic pricing, controlled by artificial intelligence (AI) software.
It involves digital price tags that are displayed either on the shelf below the food items, or on high-tech labels attached the product itself. These prices are automatically, and wirelessly, updated by the AI when a particular item approaches its sell-by date. The AI also examines how much stock (库存) the store is holding of that item and makes the decision as to whether a markdown is requiredor not. Besides, it can help supermarkets better understand how to manage stock supply and avoid over-ordering. So we’re actually turning the current food waste problem into an opportunity and can help cut supermarkets’ food waste by more than a third.
Matt Wills, the co-founder of a firm called Acumen, warns that there are potential disadvantages to dynamic pricing. “Not knowing what the reference price is, consumers might not realise they are getting a deal at all,” he says. “This could also cause added complications for people who retired, if items are seen to be continually changing in price.”
The key, Mr. Wills believes, will be for supermarkets to have strict guidelines to ensure they can offer the benefits that dynamic pricing can bring, while ensuring AI doesn’t create unintended negative consequences for shoppers. Whether shoppers will welcome the change is another question, but Mr. Wills believes they’ll be won over by the price reductions they receive.
Ms. Arrowsmith admits she will miss the yellow discount stickers that have become part of her shopping routine. However, she also says she wants to see less food going to waste. “I’m happy to forgo really cheap pricing,” she says.
1. Why are yellow discount labels disappearing?| A．They are easy to hunt out. |
| B．They expose some safety issues. |
| C．They cause great damage to shoppers. |
| D．They are replaced with digital pricing. |
| A．The advantages of using the AI. |
| B．The display of digital price tags. |
| C．The management of stock supply. |
| D．The problem of current food waste. |
| A．It offers the cheapest price. | B．It greatly reduces food stock. |
| C．It has side effect on retirees. | D．It gives rise to legal problems. |
| A．Pay off. | B．Give up. | C．Agree on. | D．Cut down. |
6 . Against huge odds, Shikuku Ooko is fighting to save the last remaining ancient forest. When he was in his early 20s, Shikuku Ooko was deeply taken with the Afro-Alpine forests of central Kenya. So much so that he decided to buy 15 acres of woods next to Mount Kenya National Park & Reserve. More than 30 years later Mr. Ooko’s home is one of the few plots still filled with native trees and plants. In contrast, much of the national park has been heavily logged.
The Mount Kenya region is remote and delicate, which makes it difficult to safeguard. Though the Kenya Forest Service has made sustainably managing all public forest plantations its second priority, the burden of conservation has fallen on the shoulders of local individuals such as Mr. Ooko.
In recent years, herders (牧民) have even built animal pens within legally protected areas. “It’s a bit of an annoying sight,” Mr. Ooko says, “when foreign visitors have to pay a high fee to enter the park but then come across huge herds of sheep and cattle in the delicate environment. The laws protecting that environment are in place, but they are insufficiently enforced because rangers (护林员) at each gate are limited.”.
When he’s at home in Naro Moru, Mr. Ooko advocates for tree planting, particularly among kids. “It’s something I grew up doing,” he explains. “When I was young, my dad would give all of us 10young trees to plant and take care of. Somehow, he knew the connections between trees and climate changes.”
It’s a practice Mr. Ooko has kept alive despite continuous challenges with climate and cattle; it is not uncommon for sheep and cattle to destroy the young trees that he and his young friends have planted. “We just keep going,” he says. “It’s something I value, and I think we should plant more.”
1. What can we know about Mr. Ooko’s woods?| A．They were purchased 20 years ago. | B．They suffer from heavy logging. |
| C．They have conserved much wildlife. | D．They have been well protected. |
| A．Because herders need to save cattle. | B．Because herders need wood for fire. |
| C．Because there are too many visitors. | D．Because there aren’t enough rangers. |
| A．He never raises sheep and cattle. | B．He was influenced by his father. |
| C．He donated his woods to the park. | D．He has made a fortune by planting. |
| A．The Challenges from Climate Changes | B．The Introduction to Mount Kenya Park |
| C．The Fight to Save Mount Kenya’s Forests | D．The Connection between People and Nature |
7 . Mr. Riccardi was working for an Italian university at the time, 10 years ago, and had to go to the city of Potenza in the south of the country for a conference. He wanted to book an environmentally-friendly hotel, but it was not so easy to find one online and book.
So it gave him the idea for a business — a website called Ecobnb, where people can search for sustainable accommodation. When someone finds a place that they would like to book, Ecobn b does not take the payment. Rather it contacts the property, which then emails the person directly. Ecobnb makes its money by charging the accommodation providers a monthly subscription to list on its website.
Today Ecobnb, based in Trento, in northern Italy, lists more than 3,000 properties worldwide, from an organic farmhouse in Tuscany, to an eco-mountain cottage in Costa Rica. 2.8 million travellers now use Ecobnb per year, up from 780,000 in 2018. Mr. Riccardi says the number is still rising. Some accommodation providers offer discounts for guests arriving by bicycle, or those not using a car during the trip.
“Holidaymakers are rethinking their relationship with planet Earth,” Mr. Riccardi says. “Thereis a new awareness, especially in young people, about our responsibility for our future and for the planet.” Statistics appear to back this up. A study has found that 69% of travellers are now actively seeking sustainable travel options.
Although Ecobnb is focused on sustainability, how sustainable is it when many people might be flying to arrive at the accommodations it lists? “The impact of the travel of the flights is very big,” agrees Mr. Riccardi. “We are pushing the staycation (就近旅游) model a lot, inviting people to discover their own countries and to avoid the flights when it’s possible.”
“More people are interested in green lifestyles every day,” he says. “And now they are looking for the same green choices also during their holidays. These little choices can come together, and we can change things and make something different. We can be the change we want to see in the world.”
1. What inspired Mr. Riccardi to start the website Ecobnb?| A．His pursuit for a better future. | B．His motivation to find a green hotel. |
| C．His teaching experience in an university. | D．His desire to invest in sustainable tourism. |
| A．It enjoys great popularity. | B．It owns 3,000 properties in Italy. |
| C．It offers discounts to all visitors. | D．It charges payment from customers. |
| A．To promote sustainable travel. | B．To attract more young travelers. |
| C．To reduce the accommodation list. | D．To make flights available for others. |
| A．Discouraged. | B．Tolerant. | C．Uncertain. | D．Optimistic. |
8 . It’s Community Day again!
The event that Map le Estate residents are eagerly looking forward to is just around the corner! As usual, the Map le Residents’ Committee has planned a programme that is designed to promote community spirit. Maple Estate has been celebrating Community Day every month for more than a year. By now, we hope all our residents understand the importance of forming strong bonds with our neighbours. If you have just moved to our lovely estate and have not had the opportunity to know your neighbours, you can do so by joining at Community Day!
August Highlight: Map le Estate Chefs Call all residents who are keen to practice your cooking skills and let your neighbours sample your cooking! You will be the stars of the upcoming event! Visit www.maplerc.sg for more information and to register for this activity. Kitchen equipment and basic ingredients will be provided. You will receive a $50 shopping voucher that you can use to purchase other ingredients from MapleMart the day before the event. Remember to register before 21 July, 2024! We are sure everyone will enjoy the delicious dishes! Time: From 10 a.m.to 6 p.m,6 Aug.,2024 Place: Maple Community Club Entry: Flash your Maple Resident Card |
“My wife and I moved to Maple Estate when we got married. For a few months, we spent all our free time after work doing up our house. Even though we knew that our neighbours were friendly and would sometimes invite us for their gatherings, we were occupied with getting things ready. However, it wasn’t long before we grew curious about the Community Day celebrations. After we started attending them regularly, we met many neighbours. The first time we invited some of them over, we played games that helped us to get to know one another better!”
—Mr. Wang, a Maple Estate resident since 2022
1. What do the Community Day events aim to do?| A．To teach how to cook meals. | B．To develop community spirit. |
| C．To meet diverse needs of neighbours. | D．To make the community cleaner. |
| A．To sign up before 21 July , 2024. | B．To provide basic ingredients. |
| C．To use your own kitchen equipment. | D．To pay a registration fee of $50. |
| A．they spent all their time at work |
| B．they weren’t invited for the gatherings |
| C．they were busy beautifying their home |
| D．they lacked information about the community |
9 . Total solar eclipses (日食) have scared people since time out of mind. The first record of one, preserved on a clay tablet found at Ugarit, once a trade city but destroyed later in Syria, is believed from its age and location to describe either an eclipse that happened in 1375 BC or one in 1223 BC. Legendary explanations for eclipses include the Sun being eaten by dogs, frogs or dragons. The reality is not romantic. Why are total ones, like the one coming on April 8, so rare?
Solar eclipses are a special case of phenomena called transits and occultations, in which an intervening (介于中间的) heavenly body stops light from a star reaching an observer. If the blocking body appears smaller in the sky than the star, the result is called a transit and looks like a dark spot crossing the star’s surface. If the blocking object appears larger than the star, the star disappears completely—an occultation. A total eclipse is an occultation.
Solar eclipses may be either of these things, since the apparent sizes in the sky of the Sun and the Moon, viewed from Earth, are almost identical. If the Moon orbited Earth in the same plane as Earth orbits the Sun, eclipses would happen every month, but would be total only in the tropics (热带地区). In reality, the average interval between total eclipses is 18 months, and they may be seen from time to time all over the world. The path of totality across Earth’s surface is narrow and the period short (a maximum of just over seven and a half minutes). Outside these boundaries, the Sun will appear partially eclipsed, looking like a pie that something has taken a bite from.
The Great North American Eclipse, as it has been called, will be a sight to be hold on April 8. But it should also be cherished, because total eclipses of the Sun will not happen for ever. Tidal friction (潮汐摩擦) causes the Moon to move away from Earth at 3.8 cm a year, making it appear smaller and smaller in the sky. In 600 million years or so the last, short totality will occur.
1. What does the clay tablet of Ugarit represent?| A．Some figures of ancient animals. |
| B．The Sun being eaten by some animals. |
| C．Ancient people who were hunting for animals. |
| D．The earliest total solar eclipse recorded. |
| A．By listing statistics. | B．By giving definitions. |
| C．By giving examples. | D．By analyzing cause and effect. |
| A．Their duration is relatively longer. | B．They take place every month actually. |
| C．They are visible only from a narrow path. | D．They look like a bite taken out of the Sun. |
| A．The moving-away Moon. |
| B．The stronger tide on Earth. |
| C．The smaller attraction of the Moon for Earth. |
| D．The changing distance between the Sun and Earth. |
Chinese comedienne and actress Jia Ling, known for her bubbly persona and her bright smile,
Jia Ling has lost 100 kilograms for her new movie YOLO (You Only Live Once) . From the exposed photos, Jia Ling looks like a
This version of Jia Ling is both familiar and unfamiliar. She still has that familiar dimple smile, but now she possesses strength and resilience that she has never had before. Her defined abdominal muscles are clear and beautiful, making
She shows us through her actions that regardless of the circumstances, as long as you have determination and perseverance, you can definitely achieve
