1 . The cry of the fishing cat sounds like the quack of a duck, and the rest of this midsize cat also enables it to hunt in the water. Its streamlined head is perfect for moves in the mangrove swamps (红树林沼泽地) and wetlands of South and Southeast Asia, and its pointy ears even fold (折叠) down when it jumps into deep water. The short and strong tail helps control its direction. The extra-thick coat keeps it warm and dry while swimming.
“I found fishing cats to be very ingenious,” says Tiasa Adhya, co-founder of The Fishing Cat Project, a research and conservation group based in eastern India. Her research recently showed that the animal has two methods of catching fish. In deep waters, the cat stays still on the banks for hours before jumping into the water for the kill. In shallow (浅的) waters, though, the cat actively drives the fish out of their hiding places by moving about with heavy steps.
Now the fishing cat is facing another challenge: humans. The world has lost almost 90 percent of its wetlands since the 1700s, with Asia suffering the greatest loss. These days, industrialized fish farming, pollution and other human behaviors have destroyed the living condition of freshwater fish and set fishing cats against farmers, as the hungry cats steal farmed fish, and the farmers get even with them (报复). Once found along river systems from Pakistan to Vietnam, the cats have disappeared from large areas of their range.
Researchers are testing new methods, including the commercial launch (商业化推出) of a type of native rice variety. Depending on nutrients (营养物) washed in by rains rather than on chemicals, the rice creates living space for the fishing cat and its food. The idea is that in healthy lakes where there is plenty to feed fishing cats and fishermen alike, killings will be unnecessary. “Nobody takes a loss,” Adhya explains, “when somebody takes a fish.”
1. What does the author want to explain about fishing cats in the first paragraph?A.Why they moved to South and Southeast Asia. |
B.What helps them swim well in the water. |
C.What pushes them to live with ducks. |
D.Why they love staying in the water. |
A.Friendly. | B.Alarmed. | C.Clever. | D.Lazy. |
A.The battle between fishing cats and humans. |
B.The decision to protect freshwater fish. |
C.The importance of stopping pollution. |
D.The method of increasing wetlands. |
A.It will do some harm to the environment. |
B.It will create a win-win situation. |
C.It will increase food production. |
D.It will cost a lot of money. |
1. What did Spanish merchants take to the Americans?
A.Corn. | B.Wheat. | C.Potatoes. |
A.He saw the Pacific Ocean. |
B.There were many jungles. |
C.Panama was so narrow. |
A.In 1513. | B.In 1524. | C.In 1533. |
A.Wildlife. | B.Rocks. | C.Gold and silver. |
1. What mainly made the man hesitate to visit the White House?
A.Lack of interest. | B.The tight security. | C.The historical atmosphere. |
A.From the website. | B.From the local paper. | C.From the travel guide. |
A.In the White House. | B.In a dining hall. | C.At an airport. |
A.Serious. | B.Humorous. | C.Careful. |
4 . Biar Kon, a 17-year-old student, whose parents were working in neighboring Sudan, moved to Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, to attend school. Once he
The woman told Kon that she had seen him asking questions of multiple people as they
They cleared up the
Today, it’s an encounter he
A.worked | B.arrived | C.changed | D.graduated |
A.permission | B.comments | C.explanation | D.directions |
A.passed | B.watched | C.struggled | D.hesitated |
A.awkward | B.homeless | C.careful | D.shy |
A.evidence | B.difficulty | C.confusion | D.conflict |
A.generosity | B.wisdom | C.responsibility | D.confidence |
A.put it aside | B.take it easy | C.kick it off | D.pay it forward |
A.persuaded | B.spotted | C.questioned | D.inspired |
A.witnessed | B.reported | C.recalled | D.shared |
A.praised | B.thanked | C.blamed | D.mistaken |
A.common | B.unintended | C.serious | D.similar |
A.clue | B.rise | C.job | D.solution |
A.creates | B.expects | C.deserves | D.values |
A.reminder | B.protector | C.challenge | D.practice |
A.secretly | B.actively | C.loudly | D.anxiously |
5 . Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras have been working on a fascinating new way to identify people: using the ways of their breath. This idea could change how we unlock our phones and access secure places.
The key to this technology lies in the way we breathe out. Every person has a unique way of breathing air, which creates specific turbulence (涡流) patterns. The IIT Madras team, led by Prof. Mahesh Panchagnula, has developed a method of catching these unique patterns and using them as a biometric (生物特征识别的) signature, similar to how fingerprints are used today.
They conducted tests with breath samples from 94 people and found that their system could correctly confirm the person’s identity with an impressive accuracy of 97%. However, when it came to identifying someone without knowing who they were beforehand, the accuracy was around 50%. This means the technology is great at confirming if someone is who they claim to be, but it still needs improvement in recognizing people without any prior information. What makes this research exciting is its potential beyond just unlocking phones. It could play a significant role in personalized medicine. Since the way we breathe can give insights into our health, this technology could help doctors tailor treatments to individual patients more effectively.
In a similar study at Kyushu University in Japan, researchers developed an artificial system that identifies people based on how their breath smells. This system showed a high accuracy rate of 97.8% in identifying individuals. However, this method currently requires people to fast (禁食) for six hours before testing, indicating that it still needs to be improved to be more practical for everyday use.
These advancements in using human breath for identification are not just about adding another cool feature to our smartphones. They represent a significant step forward in biometric technology, which could have far-reaching implications in security, medicine, and personal technology. This research at IIT Madras and Kyushu University is pioneering a new way of using the unique patterns of our breath for identification purposes, potentially revolutionizing (变革) how we interact with technology and receive medical care.
1. What makes the new technology possible according to paragraph 2?A.The distinctive breath smells. | B.The unique patterns of breath. |
C.The different patterns of fingerprints. | D.The speed of taking in air. |
A.To eat no food for 6 hours is practical in everyday life. |
B.To eat fast is a basic requirement for a higher accuracy rate. |
C.The system is workable and will soon appear on the market. |
D.Breath smells affected by food can decrease the accuracy rate. |
A.It helps raise people’s awareness of health. | B.It will let people better understand their breath. |
C.It makes unlocking our phones more easily. | D.It will introduce new ways to develop medicine. |
A.Should We Still Use Fingerprints to Unlock Our Phone? |
B.Fingerprint Patterns Can Identify Breath Types Easily |
C.A Breath “Fingerprint” Could Be Used to Unlock Your Phone |
D.Which Unlocking Method Is More Secure, Breath or Fingerprint? |
6 . Many people changed residences and are eager to get familiar with their new neighbors. Here’s a quick refresher on making the most of neighborhood relationships.
Begin at the beginning. Building good neighborly relationships starts when you or someone else moves into the area. If a new neighbor moves in, be proactive (主动的) and welcome them to the neighborhood.
Be inclusive. If you are hosting a large party, consider extending invitations to your neighbors. During the holiday season, remember the people next door with a card, a homemade goodie, or an offer of assistance. Give without expectations.
Allow people to be human.
Accept it. If you have tried your best to resolve a conflict without success, let it go. Sadly, some people won’t like you whatever you do. And you aren’t going to enjoy some people.
A.Maintain your space |
B.Be the first to stop by and say hello |
C.It’s easier to accept it and move on |
D.Everyone has a bad day now and then |
E.Take steps to ensure it won’t happen again |
F.Let others know you are thinking of them |
G.Some neighbors are more easygoing than others |
1. What is an effect of lack of sleep on teenagers according to the new study?
A.Lower spirits. | B.Bad health. | C.The poor academic performance. |
A.Too much screen time. | B.Lack of exercise. | C.Too much homework. |
A.By reading a book before sleeping. |
B.By listening to music before sleeping. |
C.By drinking hot chocolate before sleeping. |
A.Offer sports classes. | B.Shorten the school day. | C.Delay school start time. |
1. What does the man think of his job?
A.It is tiring. | B.It is boring. | C.It is easy. |
A.Treating injured lions. |
B.Attending to baby animals. |
C.Dealing with special animals. |
A.Take a higher degree. | B.Receive specific training. | C.Raise a pet. |
A.A student. | B.A doctor. | C.A zookeeper. |
1. What does the woman intend to do?
A.Get photos digitized. | B.Develop some photos. | C.Beautify the photos. |
A.$200. | B.$100. | C.$50. |
A.It is lighter. | B.It is cheaper. | C.It is stronger. |
The basketball court was filled with eager students and cheerleaders were waving their pompoms at the stands. Excited cheers could be heard from all sides of the court. My teammates and I got fully prepared for our basketball competition. Our hearts were pounding in expectation of the competition ahead.
“And let’s all welcome the Blue Team!” the emcee (主持人) announced through the microphone. All of us marched in proudly as everyone cheered at the top of their lungs. “And welcome the Red Team!” the emcee announced, and the Red Team came in. We were astonished to see that the Red Team was filled with tall and strong members! We were trembling with fear as we walked slowly towards the centre of the court. As we were short of teammates, our confidence in winning wavered (减弱).
The judge threw the ball and the other team quickly caught it! The ball danced between their hands. Our defence seemed to be in slow motion compared to the Red Team’s swiftness. Soon, the other team scored!
We were losing the match as time passed. To make matters worse, our star player, Tom, even tripped and fell, hurting his ankle! We were losing hope as our best player was gone. Just then, our captain called for a time-out. On the bench, our captain announced that this would be his last match. “Come on! Don’t give up! I want to win one last trophy (奖杯) before I quit. Let’s do it!” he insisted, giving us a wide smile. Hearing this, our team held our fists tightly. We were focused on winning this match and making our captain proud! The judge threw the ball once more. I jumped as high as I could and caught the ball. I ran as fast as lightning and scored. Our opponents were nervous but they still scored a few goals to catch up. A few minutes later, we were neck to neck, locked in a tie.
注意:1.续写词数应为150个左右;2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Whoever scored this one goal would win the competition!
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The crowd erupted into deafening applause.
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