1 . If you are interested in wildlife and also wish to learn the artistry from the masters with their inspiring, practical and informative books, here are some recommended best sellers by world-class wildlife photographers.

British Wildlife Photography By Will Nicholls

This book brings together 250 of the winning images from 2023’s British Wildlife Photography Awards. Entered in nine categories, each image is explained by the photographer with details on how they got shot, making it a useful learning tool.

Photographing Garden Birds By Mark Carwardine

Packed with inspiring images of British birds, Carwardine details which equipment is essential, explains ways to attract different species to your garden, and offer advice on lighting tips, as well as guidance on how to shoot birds in flight. There’s even a chapter on “Working with Birds” and how to take images using your smartphone.

Butterfly Safari By Fusek Peters

View British butterflies in astonishing details in this attractive book by photographer Fusck Peters. Fusck Peters spent four years travelling around the UK in search of butterflies species. His detailed photos reveal the delicate beauty of butterflies.

Wildlife Photography By Susan Young

Photographer Susan Young offers systematic ways to locate British wildlife in this book. Learn about the importance of research before you set out, including how to find a suitable place and what to take. There are also tips on how to observe without disturbing animals.

1. Which book helps to take better smartphone photos?

A．Butterfly Safari.	B．British Wildlife Photography.
C．Wildlife Photography.	D．Photographing Garden Birds.

2. What does Susan Young share in her book?

A．Lighting tips for photography.	B．Ways on wildlife spotting.
C．How to capture animals in motion.	D．How to do wildlife research.

3. What’s the common feature of the four books?

A．They focus on British wildlife.	B．They concern natural beauty.
C．They are collections of photos.	D．They de tail ways of research.

2 . North Rim to reopen on June 2 with limited services available

News Release Date: May 17, 2023
Contact: Joëlle Baird, 928-606-3154
Grand Canyon, Ariz

The North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park will open as scheduled, on June 2, with limited visitor services and water conservation measures due to a break in the North Rim water pipeline. A landslide from winter storms destroyed more than 300 feet of the North Rim water pipeline.

Visitor Services

The Grand Canyon Lodge will operate day-use services with limited food and beverage service beginning on June 2. No overnight accommodations will be available until at least July 23, 2023.

The North Rim Campground, managed by the National Park Service, will operate as scheduled beginning on June 9 with potable drinking water and toilets available. The public laundry and shower facilities will not be open at least through July 23, 2023.

The North Rim Visitor Center and Grand Canyon Conservancy’s bookstore open as usual, 8 am to 6 pm daily, with a variety of ranger programs offered.

Visitors exploring the North Rim this summer should be self-sufficient and should bring adequate food and water for the day as services are limited and may be subject to change. Nearby, accommodating is available at the Kaibab Lodge and food services and fuel at the North Rim Country Store. Year-round accommodating, food services and fuel are located 45 miles north of the North Rim at Jacob Lake. As a result of substantial winter rockfall and landslides, trail (步道) repair work on the North Kaibab Trail continues. There is a trail closure in effect on the North Kaibab Trail and it will officially reopen on June 16, 2023.

1. Which was not affected and opens as usual?

A．The public laundry.	B．The Grand Canyon Lodge.
C．The North Kaibab Trail.	D．The North Rim Visitor Center.

2. What can we learn about the North Kaibab Trail from the text?

A．It offers food service.	B．It is around Jacob Lake.
C．It is under repair now.	D．It opens all the year around.

3. What is the purpose of the text?

A．To warn visitors of the oncoming landslide.

B．To inform visitors of schedules of some attractions.

C．To appeal to more visitors to the Grand Canyon National Park.

D．To advertise the products of the Grand Canyon National Park.

3 . 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.

2. What is a common belief on periodical cicadas?

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.

3. What can be inferred about Brood ⅩⅨ?

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.

4. What can best replace the underlined word “inundate” in the last paragraph?

A．Strike out.

B．Give up.

C．Flood into.

D．Jump at.

4 . Almost no one knows the world of competitive climbing like Janja Garnbret, an Olympic gold medalist and eight-time world champion. Having risen to the top of the sport, the Slovenian now is using her platform to raise awareness of the “cultural trap” in climbing. She says it is contributing to a widespread issue with eating disorders.

The problem is from an outdated idea that weighing less means you climb faster. Such a mindset has created an environment where young athletes start skipping or cutting down on meals, she says, sometimes to disastrous effect. Despite not having issues with eating disorders herself, she is more than aware of friends and fellow competitors who have damaged their bodies in the pursuit of a thinner figure.

“I have to recognize that weight does have some role to play in the sport. I also want to win, but I’m a strong believer that you can do climbing, or any sport, in a healthy way. Luckily I didn’t fall into this trap.” She says.

“I was trying hard to help them get out of it, but it didn’t work. It was really hard for me to see them destroying themselves, mentally and physically.” It was experiences such as this that inspired Gambret to post a message on the social platform in July 2023 about eating disorders. The post sparked a huge response throughout the climbing community and attracted support from the likes of US rock climber Sasha DiGiulian.

In her message, Garnbret spoke about Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs) — a syndrome (综合征) that occurs when someone of any gender has overtrained and/or undereaten for a long period in an attempt to improve their athletic performance, often without knowing the dangers of failing to compensate (补偿) for the energy they consume in training, racing and their daily lives. Left untreated, medical experts say REDs can damage an athlete’s bone health, immune system, and psychological health, as well as his athletic performance.

1. What does the “cultural trap” in the text refer to?

A．The defeat of eating disorders.	B．The pursuit of a thinner figure.
C．The idea of keeping daily meals.	D．The mindset of climbing to the top.

2. Why did Garnbret decide to post the message on the social platform?

A．She used to fall into the cultural trap.	B．Her efforts to help dieters were in vain.
C．Her achievements deserved to be shared.	D．She wanted to receive support from DiGiulian.

3. What may lead to REDs according to the text?

A．Severe mental problems.	B．The habit of overeating.
C．Over-exercise for a long time.	D．The poor athletic performance.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．The Road to a World Champion	B．Rising to Fame on Social Media
C．The Challenge of Climbing with REDs	D．Warning against Cultural Trap in Climbing

5 . Are your keys not in the spot you thought you left them? Can’t recall the title of a book? I’ve had those moments. Such instances of “brain freeze” remind us that we should do everything in our power to keep our brains sharp.

A new study finds Tai Chi study can help slow cognitive (认知的) decline and protect against dementia (痴呆). The study included about 300 older adults, in their mid-70s on average, who had all reported that their memory was not as good as it used to be.

As part of the study, all the participants took a 10-mirrute test called the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. A normal score is 26-30. A person who scores between 18 and 25 is considered to have mild impairment (损害), which means they don’t have dementia but they’re not as sharp as they used to be and may need to work harder to maintain everyday activities. Once their score drops under 18, people experience quite a bit of impairment from memory loss and cognitive decline.

The average score of participant s at the start of the study was 25. The study found that people who practiced a simplified form of Tai Chi twice a week for about six months improved their score by 1.5 points, meaning that they’re going to get three extra years before they hit that decline into dementia.

Researchers also tested a more stricter type of Tai Chi, called Cognitively Enhanced Tai Chi, where they provided extra challenges. For example, participants were asked to spell a word, backward and forward, as they moved through a series of Tai Chi moves. The people who practice this type of cognitively enhanced Tai Chi improved their scores by about 3 points, meaning they are given six extra years of cognitive function.

The theory on why Tai Chi is effective is that it combines the memorization of the movements, known as forms, almost like composing dancing moves.

1. Why are two questions raised in the first paragraph?

A．To present the author’s doubts.	B．To expect answers from readers.
C．To analyze the causes of forgetfulness.	D．To introduce the main topic of the text.

2. What is the third paragraph mainly about?

A．Cognitive assessment methods.	B．The process of running the test.
C．Cognitive measurement criteria.	D．The test results of the participants.

3. What does the pre-best average score of the participants imply?

A．Most of them suffer from, dementia.	B．They remain as quick-minded as before.
C．Many of them have slight cognitive decline.	D．They can protect themselves against dementia.

4. Why does Tai Chi have a positive impact?

A．It helps resolve challenges.	B．It involves mind-body movements.
C．It puts off cognitive decline by three years.	D．It improves the participants academic level.

6 . In 2012, Laura Eshelman man was in the middle of a mental unsettlement. She was having ________ in finding work. “I was leaving a downtown business where I had another job application ________. I was feeling pretty ________ and decided to go to the Whole Foods across the street,” Eshelman recalled.

As she crossed the street, Eshelman ________ a man asking for money on the corner. But he was ________ by passersby. As Eshelman ________, he turned to her, and asked if he could have a little bit of money. She was ________ and said: “Leave me alone. I don’t have anything to give you. Get away!”

Eshelman ________ into the grocery store. But suddenly she realized how ________ she had been to the man. Eshelman rushed outside to find him. She apologized and ________ some coins from the bottom of her _________.

As she ________ him the change, the man said, “It’s OK. Everything ________ will disappear.” And all of a sudden, she felt like somebody was seeing her ________, and she started to cry.

“That moment on the street was one of the few ________ in that extremely dark period of my life,” Eshelman later said.

1.

A．fun

B．trouble

C．experience

D．luck

2.

A．rejected

B．submitted

C．displayed

D．followed

3.

A．relaxed

B．awkward

C．nervous

D．depressed

4.

A．remembered

B．guided

C．spotted

D．comforted

5.

A．ignored

B．touched

C．rewarded

D．cheated

6.

A．hesitated

B．waited

C．escaped

D．approached

7.

A．active

B．impatient

C．anxious

D．desperate

8.

A．slid

B．struggled

C．got

D．looked

9.

A．helpful

B．rude

C．strict

D．particular

10.

A．set aside

B．put away

C．dug out

D．used up

11.

A．heart

B．pocket

C．store

D．drawer

12.

A．handed

B．lent

C．returned

D．awarded

13.

A．dangerous

B．normal

C．unpractical

D．unpleasant

14.

A．pain

B．choice

C．effort

D．privilege

15.

A．instants

B．chances

C．differences

D．flashes

7 . Off Australia’s northern coast, the remains of ancient coral reefs (珊瑚礁) form the bedrock of wooded islands, which are home to diverse animals and plants, including mangrove (红树林) forests that blanket their coasts and serve as vital habitats and carbon storers. A recent survey shows that expanding seas might have led to a massive mangrove increase, researchers report November 1 in Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

Mangroves absorb carbon dioxide and store it as “blue carbon”, a term for carbon that is hidden away in ocean environments. “There’s a lot of interest in using mangrove blue carbon to lessen climate change,” says Kerrylee Rogers, an environmental scientist at the University of Wollongong in Australia. But there remain a lot of questions around their capacity to adapt to sea level rise.

In 2021,a team led by Wollongong environmental scientist Sarah Hamylton visited the Howick Islands to do a related research. They walked through the seawater to assess the plant diversity and measure individual trees. Using the measured widths and heights of several mangroves, the team calculated tree widths for the rest of the forest from the data to estimate the total mangrove quantity. The islands host nearly 54,000 metric tons of mangroves, the team estimates, which is roughly 10,000 more metric tons than there was in 1973.

The Howick Islands are uniquely suited to supporting mangroves as the ocean rises. At the end of the Last   Glacial Maximum, around 12,000 years ago, water levels rose around northern Australia, and coral reefs grew   upward to fill the space that had opened for them.

When sea levels fell thousands of years later, the exposed reefs became sediment (沉积物). With sea levels now rising again, the mixture of saltwater and sediment makes a perfect home for the salt-tolerant mangroves.

Rogers and Hamylton are now working on a bigger effort to study mangoves around Australia. “If we’re going to invest in mangroves to provide us blue carbon and to protect shorelines, we need to understand how dynamic they are,” Rogers says.

1. What can be known about blue carbon?

A．It is produced by ocean water.	B．It is massively present in the air.
C．It is friendly environment.	D．It is nutritious for mangroves.

2. What is the purpose of Hamylton’s research?

A．To measure the size of mangroves.

B．To figure out where to plant mangroves.

C．To confirm whether local natural environment is polluted.

D．To see how the mangroves respond to sea level rise.

3. What makes the Howick Islands the suitable habitats for mangroves?

A．The diversity of ocean life.

B．The increase of coral reefs.

C．The combination of salt water and sediment.

D．The formation of the bedrock of wooded islands.

4. What is the suitable title of the text?

A．Climate Change Causes Sea Level Rise

B．Sea Level Rise Helps Mangroves Boost

C．Environment on Australia Islands Is Improving

D．Climate Warming Poses Dangers To Mangroves

8 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Butter arguably makes everything better — even tea. Yak (牦牛) butter tea, a traditional drink of China’s Tibetan ethnic group, is catching on with its     1     (salt) and unexpected flavor.

For Jason, who works at Café Himalaya in New York City,     2     butter in the cup of tea before him ideally comes from a yak.     3    , in New York yak butter is pretty hard to come by, so Jason, as well as anyone who orders it at Café Himalaya, has to make do with butter     4     a cow. Back in Tibet, yak butter is plentiful, yet no one knows exactly when yak butter     5     (add) to hot tea for the first time.

The     6     (introduce) of this hot butter tea to Tibet provided Tibetans with warmth and supplemented their meager (贫乏的) diet. Also known as Tibetan medicine, it is believed to be able to     7     (sharp) one’s mind and body. Today it is part of Tibetan hospitality to offer guests butter tea and refill the bowl again and again until it’s time for goodbyes — at which point a polite guest will drink up     8     is left.

To non-Tibetans, yak butter may taste strange at first as it makes for a very different taste than the sweet butter     9     (produce) by corn-fed cows. Some of them find it helpful     10     (think) of it as a sort of light soup rather than as tea.

9 . Floods can come from multiple sources. It can be a hurricane, failed dam, or overflowing river. The disasters can move quickly.     1     It’s important to know how to keep your family and belongings safe during such an event. Full preparation can put you at ease for its coming.

A flood is simply an event where water overflows a natural area and covers normally dry places. In general, there are two types.     2     The soil in these areas can’t absorb a lot of moisture. The water then rapidly runs off the surface resulting in a torrent (激流) of rapidly moving water. River flooding is when a river overflows its banks due to excessive (过分的) water and the situation can get worse if barriers such as a dam or levee (防洪堤) break as well.

A flood can be caused by many things.     3     Living next to a river, dam, on the coast, or in a low-lying area puts you at risk for flooding.

There is no specific flood season.     4     Any time there is a large amount of rain in a short period, flooding can occur. Man-made and natural disasters can also cause flooding outside of those months. For example, the collapse of a dam can cause a flood. A natural disaster, such as a tsunami, can also cause flooding on a massive scale.

    5     Using existing maps and examining low-lying areas can determine high risk areas for flooding. Moreover, flood warnings are sent out to areas that could experience flooding when there is a large amount of rainfall over a short time.

A．The rising river threatens people’s lives.

B．Floods can be preventable and predictable.

C．Flash floods are more common in dry areas.

D．And sometimes they come with little warning.

E．The weather forecast accurately predicts all disasters.

F．They include severe weather, geography, and other man-made factors.

G．Generally, the period from spring to fall is considered a heightened risk for floods.

10 . In early October, Travis Gienger transported an enormous pumpkin (南瓜) from his home in Minnesota to the World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off in California. His pumpkin set the record for the biggest one ever grown in North America. How do competitive growers get their pumpkins to grow to massive sizes?     1    

Gienger, who teaches horticulture (园艺学) at Anoka Technical College, begins growing his pumpkins in mid-April, starting with seeds that he grows indoors for the first few weeks, when Minnesota’s soil is too frosty.     2     They can absorb sunlight, nutrients from the soil, and water there. “At their peak, you’re watering them with at least 600 liters a day, ” he says.

Depending on the variety, pumpkin plants can grow up to a dozen fruits on a single vine (藤曼) . But to maximize size, growers remove all but one or two of these pumpkins in order to decrease each individual fruit’s competition for resources.     3    

But what exactly happens inside a pumpkin as it grows? Two factors drive natural growth: cell division and cell expansion. Cell division accounts for most of the growth at the beginning of a fruit’s life. This period lasts for about 20 days in pumpkin plants.     4     Pumpkin cells will expand until around 50 or 60 days after pollination (授粉).

    5     Some varieties of pumpkins have been bred specifically to maximize their size. Still, there is genetic variation even among pumpkins of the same variety. This has led to competition for the best seeds. Following each harvest, many growers auction off (拍卖掉) the seeds from their biggest pumpkins, which will then be used for the following year’s plantings.

A．Biology has the answers.

B．Genetics also influences pumpkin growth.

C．The following tips will give you a head start.

D．Once it warms up, the plants are transferred outside.

E．When it stops, cell expansion will then come into play.

F．Growers extend the growth period for as long as possible.

G．Growers also remove the weeds in the area for the same reason.