1 . The warm coast of California is a place where many western monarch butterflies travel to stay during the cold winter months in the United States. Researchers fear the record low number of monarchs this year could mean the insects are in danger of disappearing in the near future.

The Xerces Society works on conservation efforts for insects. Last winter, it recorded around 29,000 butterflies in its yearly survey. That was similar to the winter before, when an all-time low of 27,000 monarchs was counted. But the count this year is dangerously low. Fewer than 2,000 orange-and-black butterflies are in the yearly count this January, which showed a big drop in recent years. On the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains, another monarch butterfly population has decreased by more than 80 percent since the mid-1990s.

Causes for the extremely low numbers of butterflies in the western states include homebuilding and chemical use, which destroyed milkweed plants along their migratory(迁移的)path. The plants are needed for monarch butterflies to grow and develop. Climate changes interfere with the growth of wild plants. And huge wildfires in the west may also have influenced their migration.

A 2017 Washington State University study predicted that monarch butterflies would likely disappear within 10to 20 years if the population dropped below 30,000 and nothing was done to save them.

Action should be taken to provide protection for their food supply and environment, including their migratory path. The Xerces Society said it will keep working with other partners to protect the monarch. The organization added that people can help by planting flowers and milkweed along these butterflies’ migratory path.

1. Why do the researchers fear the possibility of monarch butterflies disappearing?

A．Because the warm coast of California is getting cold during the winter months.

B．Because most of them are killed by huge wildfires.

C．Because the population of this species is varied.

D．Because the number of monarch butterflies has dropped sharply.

2. What does Paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．Milkweed plants need monarchs to grow and develop.

B．Factors of the decrease in numbers of monarchs.

C．Human activities have influenced the climate change.

D．The importance of milkweed to the environment.

3. What does the underlined phrase “interfere with” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Lead.

B．Help.

C．Reserve.

D．Disturb.

4. What can we infer from the last 2 paragraphs?

A．Within 10 to 20 years monarch butterflies will disappear.

B．The migratory path of monarch butterflies is under protection.

C．Milkweed should be planted along monarchs’migratory path.

D．It is dangerous if the number of a species is below 30,000.

2 . When I found an advertisement for a conference by chance, I couldn’t wait to tell my coworkers. It looked like a great day of presentations highly relevant to our research, and I expected they would be eager to attend with me. However, no one was interested.

A year earlier, I left India for the United Kingdom to pursue my research career. At work, I shied away from engaging in discussions or putting forward my opinions. I was afraid my coworkers would realize how weak I really felt. Some mornings just stepping out of my room and going into the lab seemed a tough task.

Socializing didn’t help, as I constantly feared committing social mistakes. I longed for new experiences, but my insecurities prevented me. I started to keep more and more to myself. That began to change after a quiet breakdown in the lab prompted (促使) me to contact the university’s mental health services. The consultant suggested I attend a nearby concert by a famous singer from my home country. I couldn’t miss it. So, there I was in the packed concert hall, surrounded by strangers—all of us clapping and singing the choruses of the familiar songs. It was a beautiful night, and it proved to be a turning point.

My growing self-confidence carried over into my work, where I started to speak up and put forward my opinions. I offered to help coworkers design and trouble shoot experiments. I began to ask questions during departmental meetings. I finally felt like an active member of the group. So, when that conference came around, I felt comfortable registering to attend on my own-and I’m so glad I did. Not only did I meet the speakers, but I also introduced myself to other attendees. The encounters inspired me to critically evaluate my own professional interests.

1. How did the author probably feel at first about his coworkers’ response?

A．Eager.

B．Worried.

C．Disappointed.

D．Uninterested.

2. Why did the author contact the mental health services?

A．He wanted to solve a conflict.	B．He struggled to conduct research.
C．He often made big mistakes in socializing.	D．He lacked confidence in a new environment.

3. What happened during the concert?

A．The author got the consultant’s help.	B．The author sang along with the strange audience.
C．The author met with a previous coworker.	D．The author connected a song with his research.

4. What did the author do at last?

A．He went to the conference alone.	B．He turned to experts for advice.
C．He took full charge of the lab.	D．He changed his professional interests.