1 . A British company has proposed releasing a GM(genetically modified) strain of the diamondback moth (菱形斑纹蛾), which has been developed to help reduce the population of these vegetable-eating insects.
Male diamondback moths carrying a deadly gene would be released which would cause their off springs (后代) to die almost immediately. Then the fall in their numbers could help to increase crop yields for farmers.
Oxitec, the company which came up with the idea, hopes to begin trials next year but faces opposition from groups who say the untested technology could threaten wildlife and human health.
“Mass releases of GM insects into the British countryside would be impossible to recall if anything went wrong. Changing one part of an ecosystem can have knock-on effects on others in ways that are poorly understood. This could include an increase in different types of pests. Wildlife that feeds on insects could be harmed if there are changes to their food supply” said Dr Helen Wallace, the director of Gene-Watch UK, who has sat on government advisory bodies.
Hadyn Parry, Oxitec’s chief executive, said there was demand from farmers for the technology and that using GM insects to kill the pests that feed on food crops is better for the environment than chemical sprays. The firm, which is supported by grants from the taxpayer, is developing a number of GM insects that would be used in Britain and around the world to protect crops and combat disease in humans.
Oxitec has contacted the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to ask what controls, if any, should be put in place around GM moth trials. A spokesman said that while its officials and advisers have discussed Oxitec’s plans, there is yet to be a formal application for a trial. Consequently the department has not reached a view on whether it should go ahead.
1. People strongly object to the idea mainly because they think _______.A.the technology won’t be as effective as chemical sprays |
B.the technology may bring about knock-on effects on insects |
C.the technology won’t be well controlled |
D.the technology may not be good for wildlife and human health |
A.Disapproving. | B.Positive. | C.Doubtful. | D.Not mentioned. |
A.struggle | B.avoid | C.fight | D.contract |
A.Oxitec still hasn’t formed any plans to control the trials. |
B.Oxitec has decided to begin the trial this year. |
C.Taxpayers will not continue to support Oxitec’s research. |
D.Farmers prefer GM insects to chemical sprays. |
For the most part, Hank, a two-year-old cat, is a homebody — and for good reason. But on November 6th, Bushong, his owner, spotted Hank resting on a branch near the top of a neighbor’s tree. Bushong believed Hank got frightened by some dogs. The more scared he got, the higher he climbed. “Cats have an amazing ability to climb up trees, but they aren’t that good at climbing down,” said Dan D’Eramo, director of field services for the Humane Rescue Alliance (HRA). Bushong then asked the HRA to help, but it was no easy task. HRA called the fire department, but it refused to help because of safety concerns. Then Bushong called a construction company to ask about renting scaffolding (脚手架) , but was told she would have to book the equipment 48 days in advance. Next she reached out to a local tree company, Casey Trees. But the crew said it wasn’t safe for a person to go up into the tree.
Bushong became very sad. Then neighbors came to help. Ed Baptiste, whose tree Hank had climbed, let Bushong sit in his backyard and called to Hank. Another neighbor donated a can of fish, hoping it might attract the cat to come down. Nearby dog owners took their pets on walks instead of letting them out in their yards to avoid further frightening Hank. Another neighbor suggested Bushong call a local business, which had a tall ladder. Unfortunately, their 42-foot ladder proved too short. By day five, nothing had worked. That’s when another neighbor suggested creating a pulley(滑轮)system by throwing a sandbag attached to the rope to a branch higher than Hank. It will form a pulley system as the sandbag hangs down by gravity. Then raise a basket with some of the owners’ personal items. The cat may be attracted by the familiar scents and climb into the basket.注意:
1. 续写词数应为80左右;
2. 续写第一段, 每段开头语已为你写好。
Paragraph 1:
Bushong decided to have a try…
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2:
Carefully, they lowered Hank down.
3 . Sharks have been swimming in the ocean for millions of years. They were on Earth even before dinosaurs! At the top of the world’s ocean’s food chain, sharks help keep the population of other ocean animals in balance. A large drop in the number of sharks can cause serious problems for all ocean animals. Saving sharks makes sense!
Many people are afraid of sharks. But most sharks are harmless. Only a small percentage of sharks are known to attack humans. They adapt well to new habitats and eat whatever is available. However, today, sharks are in trouble. Nearly one third of the 400 shark species are in danger of extinction, largely due to over-fishing. Each year, tens of millions of sharks are caught and killed just for their fins. The fins are used to make shark fin soup.
Humane Society International(HSI) joined with the Jane Goodall Institute’s Roots and Shoots program and Beijing Zoo to protect sharks. An exhibit at the zoo, “The Price Behind the Taste—Protect Sharks. Don’t Eat Shark Fins”, was designed to tell people that shark finning is cruel and unnecessary. It’s hoped that the activity will help put an end to the practice.
Shark fin soup is also eaten in the United States. In fact, the numbers of some shark species in US waters have dropped 90 percent in the last 30 years. To slow the fall, laws against the sale of shark fins have been passed in several states, including Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, and California.
1. What does the first paragraph mainly tell us?A.Ocean animals are at the top of the food chain. |
B.Sharks play an important role in the ocean. |
C.Sharks are an old species in the ocean. |
D.Sharks are being caught and killed. |
A.they often attack humans |
B.their food is being polluted |
C.they are being caught for food |
D.their habitat is being destroyed |
A.shark finning |
B.shark protection |
C.the program of HIS |
D.the exhibit at Beijing Zoo |
A.There are 400 shark species in the United States. |
B.It’s illegal to eat shark fin soup in the United States. |
C.Most sharks are not interested in a human for dinner. |
D.Sharks are very particular about their habitats and food. |
4 . A kitchen garden produces vegetables for delicious, healthy meals. It doesn’t have to be right outside the kitchen door, but the closer it is, the better.
Planting a garden: where, when and how. Make a garden plan of what will be planted, where, when and how.
When and how much to water your garden. Vegetables are made mostly of water.
Garden maintenance: keep an eye on it. Sun and rain willing, fast growers such as radishes (萝卜) and salad greens will begin to produce crops as early as 20 to 30 days after planting. Check on them regularly so you get to harvest them before someone else does.
A.Choosing garden crops |
B.Getting ready for garden site |
C.The easier it is for you to get into the garden |
D.So you need to ensure your plants have enough water |
E.You show an interest in how to produce multiple harvests |
F.To do this, you need to get familiar with all kinds of crops |
G.Besides, protective barriers and organic products can prevent pests and diseases |
5 . Five years ago, a friend asked me to look after his cat while he went on holiday, and I realized the idea had potential on a bigger scale. So I moved to London and decided to
For me, cat sitting is about
I have always loved cats, and their gentle temper makes them ideal
Cat sitting helps me with my
Now I have stayed in 25 houses,
A.study | B.start | C.observe | D.train |
A.connecting | B.judging | C.comparing | D.teaching |
A.offices | B.hearts | C.lives | D.homes |
A.free | B.tough | C.serious | D.possible |
A.test | B.game | C.dream | D.exchange |
A.employers | B.assistants | C.instructors | D.companions |
A.hate | B.bond | C.mind | D.trust |
A.guide | B.order | C.expect | D.scare |
A.musical | B.cultural | C.social | D.personal |
A.saves | B.discourages | C.protects | D.tells |
A.improved | B.suffered | C.worsened | D.formed |
A.cat | B.job | C.flat | D.space |
A.hardly | B.nearly | C.really | D.narrowly |
A.attended to | B.given away | C.brought up | D.left out |
A.holiday | B.rent | C.sale | D.credit |
As the Internet calls him, Terry Lauerman is
Terry’s love for cats
Terry would sometimes take a cat nap with a few of his cat
7 . It sounds like something from science fiction — a space journey into the vast expanse of space, heading towards Mars. While we’re not quite ready to put a person on the land, the question we ask today is:
The space race saw the USA and USSR compete to achieve the first in spaceflight. The Soviet Union released Sputnik 1, an artificial satellite (人造卫星), before anyone else.
However, not everyone agrees.
It seems the main reason is the search for extraterrestrial (地球外的) life.
A.Leading astrophysicist Neil Tyson is one of them. |
B.And the US landed on the Moon first. |
C.One of these could be the survival of our species. |
D.May landing on Mars inspire more people to become interested in science? |
E.It has been believed that, at one time, Mars was filled with life. |
F.Surely inspiring a new generation to visit the stars is reason enough. |
G.Why are so many countries interested in going to Mars? |
8 . Four reasons to adopt a dog
If you haven’t already experienced the unbelievable joy of adopting (收养) a dog, this year is a great time to feel the love.
Even your closest friends and family members trouble and are troubled by you occasionally.
Each year, 2.7 million dogs die in shelters because there just aren’t enough people to adopt them. When you adopt from a shelter or rescue group, not only are you saving that dog, but you’re clearing up space for another animal that might need it.
You’ll never be lonelyThere are all sorts of studies that show links between dog ownership and health benefits from lowering the risk of heart diseases to living longer lives.
A.You’ll save a life |
B.Do you need some reasons |
C.But your dog wouldn’t trouble you |
D.Would you like to go to walk a dog |
E.Other studies show that dogs help relieve stress |
F.Unlike cats that often are quite happy doing their own thing |
G.Your friends are tired of seeing your face from social media |
9 . New findings suggest that when it-comes to learning, the snake may be quite a bit like humans. David Holtzman, a scientist at the University of Rochester, has found that snakes have a much greater capacity for learning than earlier studies had indicated.
Holtzman’s study challenged 24 snakes to escape from a black plastic container the size of a child’s pool. Cards mounted on the container’s walls and tape on its floor provided the snakes with visual and touchable signals to find their goal: holes in the container’s bottom that offer a dark, comfortable spot to hide.
Simply falling into a hole isn’t the only proof that the snakes are learning something, though. “Speed to find that goal is one of the measures which shows they’re learning,” Holtzman says. “On average, they take over 700 seconds to find the correct hole on the first day of training, and then go down to about 400 seconds by the fourth day of training. Some are actually very fast and find it in less than 30 seconds.”
Studies dating back to the 1950s interpreted snakes’ awkwardness with mazes(迷宫)as a poor reflection on their intelligence. “Early attempts to study snake intelligence were problematic because the studies used mazes as testing arenas(场地)-as though snakes might be expected to run through mazes in the same way mice run through mazes,” says Peter Kareiva, a professor of zoology. “Snakes do not encounter anything like mazes in nature, and they do not learn how to run mazes in laboratory conditions.”
Holtzman also found a few age-based differences in the signals the snakes use. Young snakes appear to be more adaptable and resourceful, using a variety of clues to find their way to the exit.But their elders seem to rely much more heavily on visual clues. “Actually, one of the amazing findings from our studies is that snakes do use vision in locating places,” says Holtzman. “They don’t just rely on the chemical clues picked up by sticking their tongues out, as many snake biologists assume.”
1. What is the function of the cards and tape?A.To direct the snakes to the exits. |
B.To protect the snakes from bright lights. |
C.To cover the holes at the container’s bottom. |
D.To make the container a comfortable spot to stay. |
A.They are skillful escapers. | B.They are good learners. |
C.They communicate with each other. | D.They adapt to environments quickly. |
A.They chose the wrong testing arenas. |
B.They failed to do tests in laboratory conditions. |
C.They referred to studies dating back to the 1950s. |
D.They compared snakes with a different kind of animal. |
A.They rely on sight to find their way. |
B.They leave chemical clues everywhere. |
C.The young beat their elders in many ways. |
D.Their tongues are unable to recognize chemical clues. |
10 . When astronauts land on Mars, a couple of decades from now, perhaps, they’ll need to find a way to communicate-with each other, with equipment on and around the planet, and with mission control back on Earth. Despite living so far from home, they’ll no doubt want to connect with loved ones, or stream their favorite shows or music.
But setting up a Wi-Fi connection to Earth’s internet won’t be a choice. Earth is simply too far away—around 55 million to 400 million kilometers, depending on where the planets are in their orbits. We will need another strategy.
Establishing good communication equipment is essential for human missions to Mars. Researchers are testing ways to upgrade existing networks, along with some far-out alternatives. For example, NASA’s Psyche mission, which lifted off in October with the job of exploring an asteroid (小行星) between Mars and Jupiter, will also test the communication using lasers. Lasers could carry far more data than the radio waves that have been used from the earliest days of space travel.
There is no strategy which can get rid of the time lag in communications between Earth and Mars; a message moving at the speed of light takes anywhere between 4 and 24 minutes for a one-way trip. In other words, a quick ping to mission control is out of the question, not to mention a WhatsApp call home.
There’s also the issue of solar conjunction (聚合), says Parfitt, when the sun comes between Earth and Mars. This happens for a couple of weeks every two years or so, cutting off communications between the planets. The last one took place in November.
But new approaches could open possibilities that make communications on Mars more like what we experience here on Earth. At least one research team has wondered: What if Mars had its own internet?
1. What discourages Mars to have a net connection to Earth?A.The Earth is too far to reach. | B.The Earth is hard to identify. |
C.The current strategy doesn’t work well. | D.Many planets are blocking the signals. |
A.Raising a question. | B.Giving an example. |
C.Listing numbers. | D.Comparing facts. |
A.Laser carries less data than the radio waves. | B.There is no such thing as time lag. |
C.It takes only four minutes for a single trip. | D.The process could sometimes be cut off. |
A.The possible mission of the astronauts on Mars. |
B.The communication among the astronauts on Mars. |
C.The possibility for Mars to have its own network. |
D.The opinions given by experienced astronomers. |