1. 保护野生动物的重要性;
2. 提出合理建议(至少两点);
3. 发出呼吁。
注意:1. 词数80左右;
2. 可适当增加细节,以使行文连贯。
Protecting the Wild Animals
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2 . Like many people, Stimpson, who is nearly 80, has noticed an alarming loss of wildlife in his lifetime. The clouds of swifts (雨燕) of his childhood have disappeared.
A loss of nesting (筑巢的) sites is driving the decline of swifts in the UK, whose numbers are believed to have dropped by about 57% in 22 years. These birds — which are now on the UK’s red list — are site-specific, meaning each spring they come back to the same spot after flying thousands of miles from Africa, The problem is that lots of old barns (谷仓) and houses have been upgraded and repaired and nesting sites have disappeared.
Thirteen years ago no one was making swift boxes, so Simpson started, “I’m not a carpenter (木匠), I’m a salesman, but I thought I’d certainly give it a go,” he says. When he started he could make three a day, now on a really good day he can make 30. “The government and big wildlife organisations don’t end up doing much to stop wildlife loss. We seem to have too many pen-pushers and not enough workers,” he says. “We could do an awful lot more than we’re doing.”
He believes local action groups are much more effective and has been working with a number of them. “The number of swift groups that have started up in the last five to eight years is quite staggering. And they seem to go from strength to strength,” he says,
“Swifts are the one thing where an individual can make a significant difference,” says Dick Newell, from Action for Swifts, who has 66 pairs of nesting swifts in his village of Landbeach in Cambridgeshire, 20 of them nesting on his house.
Newell says developers should put swift brick in every new building, and he has been working with housebuilding company Taylor Wimpey to make this happen. Exeter city council has started incorporating tfiem into new buildings, as well as the Duchy of Cornwall, and local councils are getting on board. Others are working on bee bricks and hedgehog (刺猬) holes in new developments.
1. What led to the swifts’ decline in the UK?A.A loss of food. |
B.A lack of nesting sites. |
C.Their being removed from the red list. |
D.Their deaths during their long journey. |
A.Curious. | B.Satisfied. | C.Tolerant. | D.Negative. |
A.Misleading. | B.Shocking. | C.Confusing. | D.Disturbing. |
A.Build fewer buildings in rural areas. |
B.Increase buildings made of bricks. |
C.Include a swift brick in new buildings. |
D.Give special attention to bees and hedgehogs. |
Wildlife conservation is the practice of protecting plant and animal species and their habitats. As part of the world’s ecosystems, wildlife provides balance and stability to nature’s processes. The goal of wildlife conservation is to ensure the survival of these species, and to educate people on living sustainably(可持续地) with other species.
The human population has grown significantly over the past 200 years, to more than seven billion people today, and it continues to rapidly grow. This means natural resources are being consumed faster than ever by the billions of people on the planet. This growth endangers the habitats and existence of various types of wildlife around the world, particularly animals and plants that may be displaced for land development, or used for food or other human purposes. Other threats to wildlife include the introduction of invasive(侵入的) species from other parts of the world, climate change, pollution, hunting and fishing.
National and international organizations like the World Wildlife Fund, Conservation International, the Wildlife Conservation Society, and the United Nations work to support global animal and habitat conservation efforts on many different fronts. They work with the government to establish and protect public lands, like national parks and wildlife reserves. They help make laws, such as the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973 in the United States, to protect various species. They work with law enforcement to prosecute(起诉) wildlife crimes, like illegal wildlife trade and hunting. They also promote biodiversity to support the growing human population while preserving existing species and habitats.
National Geographic Explorers, like conservation biologists Camille Coudrat and Titus Adhola are working to slow the extinction of global species and to protect global biodiversity and habitats. Environmental filmmakers and photographers, like Thomas P. Peschak, are essential to conservation efforts as well, documenting and bringing attention to endangered wildlife all over the world.
注意:请在答题卡的相应位置作答。
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4 . Parrots are prey animals, which means that other predators (捕食者) in the wild, such as hawks or snakes, are looking to make them into a meal. This one factor influences parrots’ behavior in your house more than any other.
Parrots are most easily hurt when feeding on the ground. Membership in a group plays an important function in ensuring their safety and improving their chances of survival from attacks by predators. The most common predators of parrots include hawks, snakes, cats, monkeys, and bats. Some predators make attacks only during the day while others hunt in the night.
As prey animals, parrots are constantly watching out for danger and they instinctively (本能地) react to risks. Their first choice is to take flight. However, if this is not possible, they will fight with their powerful beaks to defend themselves.
Because their biggest enemy is the hawk, parrots are especially reactive to quick movements from above and behind. For this reason, it is wise to avoid quick, sudden movements near your bird. This is a built-in reaction not subject to logic or reason. Simple and relatively harmless household objects can draw extreme fear responses from a bird. For example, a balloon may represent a hawk or a vacuum hose (吸尘器软管) may be the same as a snake in your bird’s mind.
As prey animals, parrots are often frightened by exposure to new household items or strangers. It is important to expose your bird to safe experiences and changes starting at a very young age to build flexibility and improve their adaptability. Variety in diet and toys, travel, and exposure to new people and places all help to make your bird more flexible and adaptable to change.
1. What is important for parrots to better survive from attacks in the wild?A.Living in a group. | B.Growing beautiful feathers. |
C.Feeding on the ground. | D.Avoiding coming out at night. |
A.To attack back. | B.To get away. |
C.To protect the young. | D.To play dead. |
A.It may explode suddenly. | B.It may be in a strange shape. |
C.It may have a strong color. | D.It may move around quickly. |
A.To explain wild parrots’ behavior. | B.To give advice on raising a parrot. |
C.To call for action to protect animals. | D.To introduce a study on bird ecology. |
5 . Young soldiers, far away from home and missing their families, discover a bear cub. That’s how the story of Wojtek begins, back in 1942. He was alone in the mountains of Iran; nobody knows how he got there.
When the exhausted Polish soldiers came upon Wojtek, they were immediately struck with emotions. They had been away from their loved ones for a long time. They needed something to pick their spirits up. So, they nursed the baby bear with milk from a bottle and named him Wojtek, which means: a warrior to whom fighting brings joy.
Wojtek was officially adopted into the army. He traveled with the army to the Middle East, providing comradery and entertainment. He would wrestle with the men, chase after oranges they cast for him and follow them about like a puppy. He became their connection to humanity in a time when the light of peace seemed so far away. And, like a child, he was also playful. In the desert heat, he learned how to break into the showers and turn on the water. He could also be seen pulling trunks of empty gun shells with the men or standing at attention in formation. Wojtek was also the chief frightener of new members: He would literally bear hug them and hold them upside down for a good laugh.
Getting through the hardship of war takes something extraordinary, something unexpectedly dangerous to preserve your mental state. That’s what Wojtek did for the men who had been so long in the fog and uncertainty of World War II. A playful bear became the symbol of strength and adaptability. Thankfully, wars ended but Wojtek was not forgotten. He was shipped with a group of men to a farm in Scotland, which was a fitting place to retire for a bear with so much military experience. Wojtek was a local celebrity. Stories of him kicking a soccer ball, attending local dances and parties, and enjoying jam and honey are still told today. And to everyone who knew him, Wojtek was the one that made a difficult time a little more bearable.
1. How did the Polish soldiers react after they found the bear?A.They were hit by the bear. | B.They accepted him and fed him. |
C.They called Wojtek names. | D.They brought joy to him like warriors. |
A.He would run after and eat up the oranges thrown by the soldiers. |
B.He could pull branches with the soldiers to the army camp. |
C.He would stand and listen attentively for information. |
D.He would play tricks on those newly-joined soldiers. |
A.He became famous and brought joy to the locals in a farm in Scotland. |
B.He settled down with the Polish army in a farm in Scotland. |
C.He enjoyed his life in another army in a farm in Scotland. |
D.He was shipped to his hometown with the help of the Polish soldiers. |
A.Wojtek: The Wild Warrior in the Desert Storm |
B.Wojtek: From the Frontlines to a Hairy Friend |
C.A Lifelong Bear Friend with the Scottish Locals |
D.Bearing Witness: The Remarkable Tale of the Polish Army |
6 . In habitats across the planet, animals periodically drop everything to walk, fly or swim to a new place. Some animals such as whales and geese learn migration paths by following their parents. Others, including small songbirds, gain the distance and direction of their migration within their genetic code. And some animals use a combination of genetics and culture to guide their migration.
Another group of migrators does not quite fit either model, and researchers have only recently started to figure out how they find their way. The Cory’s shearwater is an oceangoing seabird that migrates over the Atlantic every year. The young do not migrate with their parents, so culture cannot explain their journeys. And the exact paths vary wildly from individual to individual, making genetics equally unlikely.
Cory’s shearwaters are long-lived, rarely producing young successfully before age nine. This leaves an opening for learning and practice to develop their migration patterns. Researchers call this the “exploration-refinement”, and until now it has been hypothetical (假设的) because of difficulties in tracking migratory animals’ movements.
But a team of researchers has done that by attaching small geolocators to more than 150 of the birds aged four to nine. They found that younger birds traveled longer distances, for longer periods, and had more diverse paths than older birds. “We finally have evidence of the ‘exploration-refinement’ for migratory birds,” says Letizia Campioni, who led the study. Younger Cory’s shearwaters are able to fly just as fast as the adults——but they do not, suggesting that the young do more exploring, which gradually fades as they mature and settle into a preferred course.
“Although it may seem less efficient than other strategies, exploration refinement could be beneficial to birds and other organisms in a rapidly changing world due to unpredictable man-made changes,” says Barbara Frei. “It might be safer to repeat a behavior that was recently successful than to rely on patterns that were perfected long ago but might no longer be safe.”
1. What is the first paragraph mainly about?A.It describes animals’ habitats. | B.It compares different species. |
C.It talks about migration models. | D.It introduces a tracking technology. |
A.The opening for learning and practice. |
B.The unique living habit of Cory’s shearwaters. |
C.The process scientists track Cory’s shearwaters’ movements. |
D.The way Cory’s shearwaters form their migration patterns. |
A.They travel as much as adult birds. | B.They lower the speed for exploration. |
C.They move in a predictable manner. | D.They look for a course with their parents. |
A.Exploration refinement contributes to birds’ adaptability. |
B.Man-made changes make migration easier. |
C.Animals make a safer journey via a fixed track. |
D.A combination of strategies assures migration success |
7 . Since the Endangered Species Act (ESA) was passed in 1973, it has helped hundreds of species avoid extinction in the United States. The strong conservation policy has been used as a model in other countries. But it’s not as successful as it could be, a new study finds.
Researchers have discovered most species are not being protected until their numbers have become so low that their chance of recovery is slim.
“The ESA is an incredibly powerful, ambitious law for protecting our endangered wildlife. Yet, for decades, the agency primarily responsible for operating the ESA — the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) — has been starved of resources,” lead author Erich Eberhard says.
“As a result, we are very slow to give species the protection that they deserve. We typically wait until species are extremely rare and thus at extreme risk of extinction, and then, when a species is finally listed, the USFWS is straining its resources to try to recover it.”
In 1993, a study found that few species received protection under the ESA until their populations became very small. For the new study, researchers repeated the methods used in the earlier research to see whether protections have become better since the problem was first noted. They also looked at trends in “wait times” — the amount of time between when a species is identified as potentially needing protection and when it actually receives protection under the ESA.
“Our analysis suggests that, in the nearly 30 years since attention was first brought to this problem, we have not become more active in protecting endangered species,” says Eberhard.
The researchers found that the population sizes of species when they first became protected under the ESA are not statistically different from those in the 1993 study. They also discovered that there are long wait times between when a species is identified as likely needing protection and when they actually receive them.
“I can say that our study paints the current state of the ESA as a bit of cautionary (告诫的) tale for the strong conservation policy,” says Eberhard.
1. What problem does the USFWS have protecting endangered species?A.It takes ineffective measures. | B.It is lacking in resources. |
C.It can’t get timely information. | D.It is an irresponsible organization. |
A.To try out new ways to protect endangered species. |
B.To find out the exact number of endangered species. |
C.To check the time needed to save endangered species. |
D.To see if endangered species have been better protected. |
A.It found out many more endangered species. |
B.It pointed out the direction for the USFWS to act on. |
C.It proved the role of the public in conservation. |
D.It showed some effective ways to protect animals. |
A.The USFWS Needs Stronger Laws |
B.The ESA Has Achieved Great Success |
C.New Conversation Laws Are on the Way |
D.Endangered Species Act Isn’t Working Well |
8 . Tall, long-necked giraffes are famous for their spots which are believed to help the animals hide from their enemies. Just like no two humans have the same fingerprints, each giraffe has its own special pattern of spots. However, a Tennessee zoo made headlines recently after it welcomed one of the world’s most uncommon giraffes.
On July 31, a baby giraffe was born at Brights Zoo with light brown fur which is a reticulated (网状的) giraffe, one of the four different kinds of giraffes. Unlike most giraffes, she was born without spots, a unique feature of the reticulated giraffe. At six feet tall, this baby giraffe is growing well under her mother’s care. She shows typical baby giraffe behavior, such as eating rocks.
Experts said the young giraffe was the only single-colored reticulated giraffe living anywhere on the planet. The last time this happened was 1972 in Japan. A giraffe’s pattern of spots is created when the animal is still growing inside its mother. That means that this giraffe will never have spots.
“The new giraffe might not have survived if she had been born in the wild. Being single-colored, she may not be able to hide quite as well,” said Mr. David Bright, who runs the zoo, “It will easily be a key target for poachers (偷猎者) because she’s so unusual.”
Brights Zoo stressed that reticulated giraffes had already become imperiled. In 2018, they were officially listed as “threatened”. Thirty-five years ago, there were 36,000 reticulated giraffes. Now, the number has been cut by more than 50%. Only about 16,000 reticulated giraffes remain.
This brown giraffe’s birth is not only a rare and fascinating event, but also an opportunity to raise awareness about the challenges faced by giraffes in the wild. By supporting efforts like this, we can contribute to the conservation of these large creatures and ensure their survival for generations to come.
1. What do we know about the spots of giraffes?A.They help protect giraffes. | B.They are the same pattern. |
C.They look like giraffes’ footprints. | D.They appear on giraffes occasionally. |
A.Its extremely large size. | B.Its light brown fur. |
C.Its unusual eating habit. | D.Its absence of spots. |
A.Recognized. | B.Endangered. | C.Doubled. | D.Balanced. |
A.Awkward. | B.Worrying. | C.Meaningful. | D.Foreseeable. |
9 . Though fireworks (烟花) on bonfire night bring joy to many people, it is likely to be a night of fright and pain for the UK’s geese (鹅).
Research by Anglia Ruskin University has found that fireworks displays (表演) cause wild birds to suffer significant pain, and researchers have recommended that displays should not take place in areas with large wildlife populations. A study, published in the journal Conservation Physiology, is one of the first carried out into the effects of fireworks on wildlife. It found that the heart rate (率) of geese increases by 96% when they are influenced by fireworks displays.
The study involved 20 wild grey lag geese fitted with recorders to record their heart rate and body temperature, which are measures of physiological stress. Claudia Wascher, who led the research, found that the average heart rate increased from 63 to 124 beats per minute, and their average body temperature increased from 38℃ to 39℃, in the first hour of fireworks displays. It took the geese about five hours before the birds displayed normal body temperatures, with average readings returning by 5 am.
“Ours is one of the first scientific studies to examine whether fireworks disturb wildlife. There have been previous studies showing that fireworks can cause anxiety in pets, for example in dogs, but little research has been done into how animals in the wild react. We need to carry out further research to conclusively tell whether the geese are reacting to the noise or the light pollution from the fireworks, or a combination of both. Many people get a lot of enjoyment from fireworks but it’s important that we consider animals both pets and wildlife — whenever planning a display,” Wascher said.
1. What advice do researchers give according to the findings of the study?A.Geese should be protected especially at night. |
B.Great attention should be paid to the UK’s geese. |
C.Fireworks displays should be held without harming wildlife. |
D.Fireworks displays should take place to bring joy to people. |
A.To compare the heart rates between them. |
B.To make them safe and sound in the wild. |
C.To keep their body temperature normal. |
D.To measure their physiological stress. |
A.About five hours. | B.About four hours. |
C.About two hours. | D.About one hour. |
A.The relations between light pollution from fireworks and geese. |
B.The effects of noise and light pollution from fireworks on geese. |
C.Whether fireworks influence other wild animals. |
D.The influence of a display on pets and wildlife. |
10 . Imagine you are on a beautiful tropical beach. The blue water shines in the sun, and the sand is warm under your feet. You notice a small fruit in the sand. It looks like a little green apple. You pick it up and smell it... it smells sweet. But whatever you do. Don’t take a bite!
This is the fruit of the manchineel tree. It is the most poisonous tree in America. You can find it in Florida, as well as in the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America.
If you were to eat the fruit, it would taste delicious. But then your mouth would start to burn. Your throat would tighten and make it difficult to breathe. You could even die.
The fruit isn’t the only risky part of the manchineel tree. The tree is full of milky white sap. Sap is a liquid that flows through a plant, like blood flows through a person. The manchineel’s sap is hazardous. If it gets on your skin, it will cause painful blisters. So don’t try to cut down these trees, because you could get sap all over you!
And if you try to burn manchineel wood, the smoke will choke and blind you.
Manchineel trees are dangerous, but they’re also an important part of the environments where they grow. Manchineels protect beaches with their strong roots. The roots help stop sand and soil from washing away. This is good for the plants, animals, and people living nearby. There aren’t many manchineel trees left in the world. So even though they’re harmful, people are trying to protect them. Still, if you see one, stay away!
1. What do we know about the manchineel tree?A.It looks ugly. | B.Its fruit is dangerous. |
C.Its fruit tastes terrible. | D.It grows in cool places. |
A.Clear. | B.Smelly. |
C.Sweet. | D.Unsafe. |
A.To help people choose fruit. |
B.To introduce the manchincel tree. |
C.To improve people’s sense of safety. |
D.To attract people to tropical beaches. |