1 . New research shows that removing black rhinos’ horns (犀牛角) to make them less attractive to illegal hunters is reducing their territory (领地) sizes and making them less sociable with each other.
The study, published in the journal PNAS, found that dehorned South African rhinos have home ranges that are 45 per cent smaller than those of complete animals, and that they were 37 percent less likely to engage in social interactions.
“The big, dominant bulls that used to have very large territories that overlapped with a lot of females may now have much less territory and much less reproductive (繁殖的) success,” says Vanessa Duthé, who led the work at Switzerland’s University of Neuchâtel.
“It’s really hard to predict the effects of this,” she says. “It doesn’t mean that population success will necessarily decline, because it might open up gaps for younger males that would not have had the space or the means before.” Indeed, a University of Bristol study published last year showed that dehorning (去角) does not negatively affect populations overall.
But such unintended behavioral consequences necessarily feed into judgments about whether this highly invasive procedure is worthwhile. Remarkably, perhaps, there is little hard evidence either way. “No one’s put all the data together to say whether it’s a really effective measure,” says Duthé.
“What is clear is that the introduction of dehorning and a decline in illegal hunting has occurred at the same time,” she adds. “But dehorning has been accompanied by other conservation measures that may be more effective.”
“It’s incredibly complicated,” says Lucy Chimes, a member of the Bristol team. “There are so many other factors involved. You have to consider what other security measures are being carried out — fencing, patrols, staff numbers — and poverty levels surrounding parks, their nearness to national borders and whether there is community engagement.” Chimes is currently planning a project that aims to separate these and other factors. In the meantime, Duthé believes that dehorning is a worthwhile tool of last course of action. “A rhino that is behaving a little bit strangely is better than a dead rhino.”
1. What is the purpose of removing the horns of black rhinos?A.To make them less sociable. | B.To protect them from being hunted. |
C.To reduce their home ranges. | D.To affect their reproductive success. |
A.The removal of rhino horns. | B.The loss of rhino territories. |
C.The impact on rhino population. | D.The change of rhino behavior. |
A.Supportive. | B.Opposed. | C.Unconcerned. | D.Uncertain. |
A.Dehorning rhinos shows satisfying effects. |
B.Various factors lead to the decline in illegal hunting. |
C.Dehorning is the last action researchers will take. |
D.Rhinos are supposed to behave a little bit strangely. |
2 . Down comforters (羽绒被) are frightening pieces to wash. They’re huge, expensive and filled with delicate material.
Start with a spot treatment. If you’re washing your comforter because it’s dirty, spot-treat it first. Most food and dirt spots should respond to regular washing agent. But for old or tough spots, soak the area and leave it overnight. Whichever remover (去污剂) you choose, please remember: “
Wash it at least twice.
Dry it well. Thoroughly drying your comforter helps ensure the down inside stays fluffy (蓬松的). You don’t want to cook the down with high heat and damage it, though.
A.Run it through the dryer |
B.Keep your comforter fresh |
C.Follow the directions on the bottle strictly |
D.But you can wash your comforter yourself |
E.Dry your comforter on low or medium heat |
F.Washing it many times may actually help you |
G.Confirm your comforter is machine washable first |
3 . “Your mother needs a new heart,” my father told me when I called on that December afternoon. An unrelenting optimist, he spoke as if she merely needed to have a part replaced. But, although my two sisters and I knew that our mother had heart problems, this news still made us frozen for a while with our eyes widening in disbelief.
Dr. Marc Semigran of the transplant team reviewed my mother’s medical history. She’d had an irregular and rapid heartbeat for most of her life. Her present treatment — the use of a series of cardioversions, or electric jolts, to restore a normal heartbeat — would not work in the long-term. She had an enlarged and weakened heart, as well as a faulty valve.
“With medication,” Dr. Semigran said, “you have a 60 percent chance of living six months. You could have a longer life with a transplant, but there are risks. You’re at the top end of the age group of sixty years old. The lungs and other organs must be healthy and strong. While the transplant surgery is actually a straightforward procedure, acceptance by the body is the difficult thing.”
My family came together, trying to provide strength and work out what to do. We’d already gone from shock, over our mother’s condition, to worry that she wouldn’t be a suitable recipient. Despite of the risk, we chose to believe that she would make it eventually.
Word came later in December that she had been accepted into the programme. Dr. Jeremy Ruskin told us one of the reasons she had been accepted was that she had such strong family support.
One Monday in May, at about 8 p. m., my mother received a phone call from the hospital that a heart was available. As she was about to be wheeled off, my father took her face in his hands and looked into her eyes. His look said everything about their 42-year relationship.
The heart transplant operation was successful and the conditions could not have been better.
The irony of the transplant process is that one family’s loss is another’s gain; that tragedy begets fortune. It is a kind of life after death, our hearts beating beyond us. We developed a feeling of love for this new part, of gratitude for the doctors, for the process, and for those people who made a decision just for humanity.
1. How did the sisters feel to the news that their mother needed a new heart?A.Frightened. | B.Astonished. | C.Worried. | D.Annoyed. |
A.Her abnormal heart beat. |
B.The age of over sixty years old. |
C.Her willingness to the transplant. |
D.The adaptation of the new heart in the body. |
A.That her lungs were healthy. |
B.That a new heart had been found. |
C.That her family were expecting the operation. |
D.That her family trusted the doctors' medical level. |
A.Family support is of great importance. |
B.Fortune favors those who are optimistic. |
C.Confidence helps patients overcome difficulties. |
D.Getting prepared before accepting a treatment matters. |
4 . It was 4:30 pm. As I was packing up, I noticed my colleague had left his laptop bag in the office. So I decided to bring it to him. It took me about 15 minutes to get to his house, where I
Suddenly a snowstorm came and within minutes I was in a whiteout. I stopped because I was afraid of driving into a farmer’s field, or worse. I kept the car
Those seconds after the call were
I texted my colleague, joking about my good deed ending in
Waiting in the car, I doubted whether
At 8 pm, I saw a tall figure in a yellow raincoat striding toward me in the dark, carrying a flashlight. I’d never been more
He turned around and started to trudge through the snow, sure of the direction. I drove behind him, feeling my heart begin to beat more
The experience has been a game changer for me. I now
A.dropped off | B.filled up | C.set aside | D.put away |
A.locked | B.parked | C.signaling | D.running |
A.painful | B.critical | C.disappointing | D.impressive |
A.failure | B.smoke | C.disaster | D.mystery |
A.route | B.location | C.direction | D.destination |
A.news | B.help | C.hope | D.faith |
A.satisfied | B.surprised | C.relieved | D.worried |
A.slowly | B.excitedly | C.nervously | D.strongly |
A.recognition | B.admiration | C.satisfaction | D.appreciation |
A.identify | B.present | C.approach | D.anticipate |
5 . At my first lesson in Chinese calligraphy, my teacher told me plainly: “Now I will teach you how to write your name. And to make it beautiful.” I felt my breath catch. I was curious.
Growing up in Singapore, I had an unusual relationship with my Chinese name. My parents are ethnically Chinese, so they asked fortune tellers to decide my name, aiming for maximum luck. As a result, I ended up with a nonsense and embarrassing name: Chen Yiwen, meaning, roughly, “old”, “barley (薏米)” and “warm”.
When I arrived in America for college at 18, I put on an American accent and abandoned my Chinese name. When I moved to Hong Kong in 2021, after 14 years in the States, I decided to learn calligraphy. Why not get back in touch with my heritage? I thought.
In calligraphy, the idea is to copy the old masters’ techniques, thereby refining your own. Every week, though, my teacher would give uncomfortably on-the-nose assessments of my person. “You need to be braver,” he once observed. “Have confidence. Try to produce a bold stroke(笔画).” For years, I had prided myself on presenting an image of confidence, but my writing betrayed me.
I was trying to make sense of this practice. You must visualize the word as it is to be written and leave a trace of yourself in it. As a bodily practice, calligraphy could go beyond its own cultural restrictions. Could it help me go beyond mine? My teacher once said to me, “When you look at the word, you see the body. Though a word on the page is two-dimensional, it contains multitudes, conveying the force you’ve applied, the energy of your grip, the arch of your spine.” I had been learning calligraphy to get in touch with my cultural roots, but what I was really seeking was a return to myself. Now I have sensed that the pleasure out of calligraphy allows me to know myself more fully.
During a recent lesson, my teacher pointed at the word I had just finished, telling me: “This word is much better. I can see the choices you made, your calculations, your flow. Trust yourself. This word is yours.” He might as well have said, “This word is you.”
1. What did the author initially think of her name “Chen Yiwen”?A.It was lucky so she gladly accepted it. | B.She felt proud of its symbolic meaning. |
C.She understood the intention but still disliked it. | D.Its strange pronunciation made her embarrassed. |
A.pick up a new hobby | B.reconnect with her origin |
C.gain insights into a new culture | D.fit in with local community |
A.reflects the creator’s spirits | B.comes from creative energy |
C.highlights the design of strokes | D.depends on continuous practice |
A.Appreciate what our culture offers. | B.Find beauty from your inner self. |
C.A great teacher leads you to truth. | D.We are the sum of what we create. |
6 . Join the Sydney City Library
1. Create a City of Sydney account and join the libraryExperience greater security and access to our library and other services by joining with a City of Sydney account. Your City of Sydney account uses your email address and a password as the login (登录). You’ll be able to use the same login to access other City of Sydney services.
① Go to the library online catalogue (目录) and select Join
② Select Create an account and follow the instructions
③ When the account is created, select Join the library
2. Join the library without an email addressIf you don’t have an email address you can still join the library.
① Go to the library online catalogue and select Join
② Select Create an account and then the option I don’t have an email
③ Follow the prompts to complete the library membership form
3. Activate (激活) your membershipTo ensure your full membership and collect your library card, visit a branch open for browsing and borrowing. You need to show proof of identity and permanent residential address. Official documents such as a driver licence, student card, bank statement or rates are accepted.
Applicants under 18 years old
A parent or guardian is required to approve your application. They need to visit a branch with you to show proof of identity, including their residential address and medicare card listing your name. For online memberships this proof of identity should be emailed to librarymemberships@cityofsydney. nsw. gov. au
1. What’s the benefit of having a City of Sydney account?A.You can spend less money. | B.You can borrow more books. |
C.You can enjoy safer access. | D.You can log in without a password. |
A.Library card. | B.Email address. |
C.Identity documents. | D.Bank password. |
A.A guide. | B.A poster. | C.A report. | D.A notice. |
7 . Nowadays, the term “superfood” has become the nutritional buzzword. Simply put, these superfoods are those that provide large amount of nutrients through minimal calories.
The term “superfood” may have taken the modern food scene by storm.
In an age when we share all kinds of superfoods on social media, ignoring the phenomenon is impossible.
A.What is driving the trend? |
B.What are nutritional superheroes? |
C.They bring appearances to the table as well. |
D.Superfoods promise more than just a meal. |
E.No single food can cure all diseases. |
F.They seem tailormade to deal with these concerns. |
G.However, its roots can be traced back to early 20thcentury nutrition literature. |
8 . Ideally located in the heart of New York Times Square, Yotel New York, a five-star hotel, has comfortable accommodation in a modern design.
The hotel has convenient transportation with an 18-minute walk from Fifth Avenue and Grand Central Station. John F Kennedy Airport can be reached directly from Times Square Underground Station.
All rooms include cozy beds, 54-inch HD TVs with free Sports and Movie channels, and free Wi-Fi. Each room also has luggage storage, and hanging space for clothing. Yotel New York also offers wheelchair accessible rooms and free accommodation for kids under 13.
American breakfast is served in Yotel New York every morning, including fresh juice, corn flakes, buttered toast and scrambled eggs. A selection of salads, sandwiches and hot dishes are offered throughout the day.
Yotel New York is our guests’ favorite part of New York, according to independent reviews. This area is also great for shopping, with popular brands nearby: Apple, H&M, Zara, Burberry and Channel.
Yotel New York is rated for the best value in America! Guests are getting more for their money when compared to other hotels in this city. Come and stay with us!
Prices:
Room type | Price | Options |
Twin Room — non-smoking | $125 | Non-refundable Good breakfast $9 |
Double room — non-smoking | $165 | Non-refundable Good breakfast $9 |
Queen Room — disability access | $215 | Pay at the hotel Good breakfast included |
1. What probably makes a tourist choose this hotel?
A.Airport pick-up service. | B.Chinese-style breakfast. |
C.Good value for guests’ money. | D.A shop with popular brands in the hotel. |
A.$ 259. | B.$ 339. | C.$ 421. | D.$ 430. |
A.Advertisement. | B.Lifestyle. | C.Entertainment. | D.Business. |
9 . My earliest reading memory takes me back to being five years old, sitting in my grandfather’s cozy study. He would read to me from his French-translated copy of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book. I was so familiar with the stories that I could correct him word-for-word if he tried to change something.
Growing up, my favorite book was Ray Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes. It was a treasure for an imaginative and lonely child like me. The book was filled with magical elements: a magical carousel, monsters, and the charming scent of autumn leaves lying in the sun. The language was as crisp and sweet as an October apple, awakening in me a deep passion for words and the magic they could bring out. I’ve reread it regularly and it never fails to satisfy me.
In my adult years, I revisited Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights. When I first read it at 16, I perceived it as a love story. However, rereading it as an adult, I was struck by how different it seemed to me, and how much of the humour I’d missed. Now I love its poetry. And the love story not only exists between the characters but between Brontë and the North York Moors.
James Joyce’s Ulysses was a book I came back to after 40 years. Initially, at 15, I found it ugly, depressing, and dull, and I hated it. It took me four decades to return to it, and this time, I found myself understanding and beginning to appreciate it. I could see the details, the mythic parallels, the references to different writing styles, and the groundbreaking technique.
Though some exceptional books can develop and grow alongside us, others fall by the wayside. I’ve revisited so many childhood favourites only to find the magic gone, but I’m usually happy to leave the book behind. I’ve taken from it what I need.
1. What was the author’s earliest reading memory?A.Copying the stories of Rudyard Kipling. |
B.Reading Something Wicked This Way Comes. |
C.Studying Ulysses for writing styles. |
D.Listening to The Jungle Book in French. |
A.The complex plot. | B.The characters. |
C.The humour and poetry. | D.The love story. |
A.Remain unchanged over years. | B.Lose their original attraction. |
C.Gain widespread popularity. | D.Are left by the side of the road. |
A.The Changing Power of Reading |
B.The Development of Reading Taste |
C.The Lifelong Journey of Rereading Classics |
D.The Childhood Memories in Reading Habits |
10 . Many footballers struggle when they leave the beautiful game for retirement in their mid-thirties, with stories that are sad or even terrible. However, in his new book Kicking On! Tony Rickson reveals the footballers who have achieved success after retirement, whether it’s by setting up charities, helping others cope, creating multi-million-pound businesses or going into media, politics or back into the football world.
Tony Adams, a former footballer, set up a charitable foundation more than 20 years ago called Sporting Chance and said it’s one of his greatest achievements. He’s wrong. Despite all the cups he won while captaining Arsenal during a highly successful 22-year career at his only club, and all the times he played for England, it is his greatest achievement. Not just one of them.
As Adams admits in his memorable book, Addicted, he suffered from alcoholism and drug abuse while still a professional footballer. Setting up Sporting Chance was his response, and ever since it’s treated and supported sports professionals suffering from drink or drug problems. The charity’s offer is: “We understand that it takes courage to ask for help, either during or following a career in sport, so when you’re ready to reach out, we’re ready for you.”
Since retiring from playing in 2002, Adams, who has a statue in his honor outside the Arsenal ground, has managed and coached in several countries alongside his charity work. He told The Sun: “What happened in my life with alcohol makes me feel so sad but also grateful that I found a way out of it. I’ve had highs and lows, in and out of football, given up playing and gone into coaching and management. I’ve not had a drink through any of it. My self-esteem (自尊) has come back and I am all right.”
The self-assessment as “all right” also applied to his 2022 appearance in TV’s Strictly Come Dancing, when Adams showed an admirable ability to laugh at himself.
1. What is Adams’ greatest achievement according to Rickson?A.Setting up Sporting Chance. | B.Captaining the team Arsenal. |
C.Playing for England all his life. | D.Writing his bestseller Addicted. |
A.Losing his position on the team. | B.Lack of courage to seek advice. |
C.Addiction to alcohol and drugs. | D.Tense relations with teammates. |
A.Adams worked as a coach immediately he retired. |
B.Charity work made Adams recognized in his circle. |
C.Adams began his football career at the age of 22. |
D.Arsenal thinks highly of Adams’ contribution to it. |
A.A news report. | B.A biography. |
C.An introduction to a book. | D.An entry of a diary. |