1 . Great whites, the largest predatory(捕食性的)sharks in the world with the most fatal attacks on humans, are tough to imagine as newborn babies. That is partially because no one has seen one in the wild, it seems, until now.
Wildlife filmmaker Carlos Gauna and UC Riverside biology doctoral student Phillip Sternes were scanning the waters for sharks on July 9, 2023, near Santa Barbara on California’s central coast. That day, something exciting appeared on the viewfinder of Gauna’s drone camera. It was a shark pup(幼崽)unlike any they’d ever seen.
“We enlarged the images, put them in slow motion, and realized the white layer was being shed(脱落)from the body as it was swimming,” Sternes said. “I believe it was a newborn white shark shedding its embryonic layer.”
These observations are documented in a new paper in the Environmental Biology of Fishes journal. What Gauna and Sternes observed could help solve the longstanding mystery of great white birthing habits. This may well be the first evidence we have of a pup in the wild. Great whites, referred to only as white sharks by scientists, are gray on the top and white on the bottom. But this roughly 5-foot-long shark was pure white.
Though the paper authors acknowledge it is possible that the white layer the shark shed could have been a skin condition, the two believe what they saw was in fact a newborn great white. First, great white females give birth to live pups. A second reason is the presence of large, likely pregnant great whites in this location. Finally, this location off the coast of central California has long been proposed as a birthing location for great whites. Many scholars believe great whites are born farther out at sea.
Great whites are listed as an international endangered species. “Further research is needed to confirm these waters are indeed a great white breeding ground. But if it does, we would want lawmakers to step in and protect these waters to help white sharks keep thriving,” Sternes said.
1. What do we know about what appeared on Carlo s Gauna’s camera?| A．It is rare in the world. | B．It is tough to identify. |
| C．It is not open to the public. | D．It is unbelievable to scientists. |
| A．Pure gray. | B．White only on the bottom. |
| C．Gray on the top. | D．Pure white. |
| A．How great white females give birth to pups. |
| B．How the authors prove they saw a baby shark. |
| C．Why the authors believe they saw a newborn shark pup. |
| D．Why the authors think the white layer is a skin condition. |
| A．Helping white sharks to stop breeding. |
| B．Using laws to protect shark pups and their habitats. |
| C．Listing white sharks as endangered species. |
| D．Further study to confirm white sharks breeding waters. |
2 . For almost a century, Ecuador’s giant tortoises (陆龟) have been protected. These species are one of the largest living reptiles (爬行动物) on the planet. They live a very long life—the oldest tortoise on record was 175 years old. And, they all live on the Galapagos Islands.
Hunting the tortoises is illegal under Ecuador’s laws, but now the Attorney General’s office has opened an investigation into the remains of four tortoises that were found in the park. Tortoise meat is considered delicious, meaning there can be large financial gains made by wildlife hunters. “This is not an isolated incident,” said the Galápagos Conservancy, a US-based conservation organization in a statement. “In September 2021, the remains of 15 critically endangered giant tortoises from the subspecies Chelonoidisguntheri were found on Isabela. Evidence from the investigation showed that the reptiles had likely been hunted for consumption.”
The islands are considered one of the world’s best places to see wildlife, and they’re home to animal and plant species that are found nowhere else in the world. The famously fearless wildlife is believed to have been a source of inspiration for Darwin’s theory of evolution, following his visit to the islands in 1835. The islands were actually discovered by accident in 1535, when a Spanish ship was blown off course while sailing from Panama to Peru. Ridiculously enough, the ship’s captain was unimpressed by the islands, writing to the king that they were “worthless”.
In late August, a special unit for environmental crime traveled to the Galápagos Islands to investigate and interview park keepers about the incident. And when the keepers discovered four animal bodies on Isabela Island, just a few months after the discovery of 15 dead tortoises, environmentalists were shocked. There were once at least 250,000 tortoises on the islands. But now there are only fewer than 15,000 in the wild today, and two subspecies are already extinct. “Evidence from the 2021 investigation showed that the reptiles had likely been hunted for consumption,” Galapagos Conservancy continued. “Therefore, it comes as no surprise that many are worried that their population will continue to decrease if serious action isn’t taken soon.”
1. What does the underlined word “This” in paragraph 2 refer to?| A．The long life of the giant tortoises. | B．The hunting of the tortoises in the park. |
| C．The food consumption of the tortoises. | D．The investigation into the remains of the tortoises. |
| A．To show the value of the islands. | B．To criticize the captain’s ignorance. |
| C．To present Darwin’s great achievements. | D．To raise people’s awareness of protecting the islands. |
| A．It is not surprising that they are dying out. | B．The population of them is on the sharp decline. |
| C．Strict measures have been taken to protect them. | D．They have been so popular because of their meat. |
| A．Reptiles Face Extinction in a Park of Ecuador |
| B．How Are Galápagos Giant Tortoises Well Protected? |
| C．Hunting Threatens Galápagos Giant Tortoises’ Survival |
| D．Why Are Galápagos Giant Tortoises Called Fearless Reptiles? |
3 . Monarch butterflies (帝王蝶) are edging dangerously close to extinction despite a decision late last year to remove the orange-and-black insects from the endangered species list, a new study has found.
An annual survey led by the World Wildlife Fund(WWF)of the species wintering in central Mexico found the second-lowest number of monarch butterflies on record, meaning they took up just 2.2 acres of regional forests, 59% less than during the 2022 — 2023 winter season. The findings are troubling to scientists determined to protect the species.
Each year, monarch butterflies migrate (迁徙) thousands of miles from southern Canada and the northern and central US to the mountain forests of central Mexico. They require a large and healthy forest to protect them from winds, rain and low temperatures in the areas where they migrate for winter. Yet because of heat and drought brought on by climate change, scientists say, their natural habitat is quickly depleting. Scientists with the WWF considered this winter season’s findings serious and said they represented the second-smallest area taken up by monarch butterflies in Mexico since 1993.
What’s worse, in recent years, their breeding areas in Canada and the US have seen a reduction in milkweed leaves where female monarch butterflies lay their eggs. “Land-use changes in the United States, combined with the widespread use of chemicals, also contributed to the loss of milkweed and other plants that adult monarch butterflies feed on,” the WWF said.
Monarch butterflies play an important role in maintaining plant ecosystems and are also an important food source for birds, small animals and other insects, according to the National Park Service. It’s necessary that all governments, communities, scientists, and others continue to strengthen our protection efforts to support their unique migration.
1. Why do monarch butterflies fly to central Mexico each year?| A．To spend winter. | B．To lay eggs. |
| C．To search for shelter. | D．To escape from enemies. |
| A．Shifting. | B．Disappearing. | C．Recovering. | D．Increasing. |
| A．The loss of food sources. |
| B．The widespread use of chemicals. |
| C．The land-use changes in the United States. |
| D．The threat of being eaten by other animals. |
| A．To raise people’s awareness about climate change. |
| B．To call for more measures to protect monarch butterflies. |
| C．To inform people of the serious situation of monarch butterflies. |
| D．To prove monarch butterflies should be on the endangered species list. |
4 . In the thick forest, a New Caledonian crow carefully removes a branch, pulls off unwanted leaves and makes a tool from the wood. The crow is a perfectionist. When it’s satisfied, the bird advances the finished tool into a hole in the tree and fishes out a wriggling grub (蠕动的幼虫).
The New Caledonian crow is one of the only birds known to make tools, a skill once thought to be unique to humans. The remarkable originality that Christian Rutz, a behavioral ecologist at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, observed changed his understanding of what birds can do. He started wondering if there might be other ignored animal abilities. Experiments have shown that different crow groups in the forest have distinct vocalizations (发声). Rutz wanted to know whether these vocalizations could help explain cultural differences in tool-making among the groups.
New technology powered by artificial intelligence (AI) is ready to provide exactly these kinds of insights. Whether animals communicate with one another in terms we might be able to understand is a question of enduring question. “With recent breakthroughs in AI, people realize that we are on the edge of fairly major advances in regard to understanding animals’ communicative behavior,” Rutz says.
Beyond creating chat-bots that attract people and producing art that wins fine-arts competitions, machine learning may soon make it possible to crack (破解) things like crow calls, says Aza Raskin, one of the founders of the nonprofit Earth Species Project. Cracking animal vocalizations could aid conservation and welfare efforts. It could also have a shocking impact on us. Raskin compares the coming revolution to the invention of the telescope. “We looked out at the universe and discovered that Earth was not the center,” he says. The power of AI to reshape our understanding of animals, he thinks, will have a similar effect. “These tools are going to change the way that we see ourselves in relation to everything.”
1. What does the author intend to do in paragraph 1?| A．Show the New Caledonian crow can make tools. |
| B．Explain why the New Caledonian crow is a perfectionist. |
| C．Tell the New Caledonian crow often makes mistakes. |
| D．Describe how the New Caledonian crow lives in the forest. |
| A．It is humans and crows that can make tools |
| B．Humans may fail to notice some animals’ abilities. |
| C．The New Caledonian crow is the smartest bird. |
| D．The New Caledonian crow has various sounds. |
| A．Chatting with AI. | B．Looking out into space. |
| C．Using AI to crack animal calls. | D．Connecting with the outside world. |
| A．Earth Is Not the Center | B．Start Your Mind and Study Deeply |
| C．Protect Animals to Make the World Better | D．AI Could Help Us Understand Animals |
5 . Animals being extinct from the Earth is a serious issue. When this happens in order to use their fur or skin for fashion, it is even worse, since it’s not even for a matter of human survival. That’s why a London zoo decided to make a powerful statement at the Siamese crocodile enclosure (鳄鱼围栏).
When visitors come in expecting to see a crocodile, they’re greeted with the handbag instead, making a very effective and powerful point about illegal wildlife trade and the harm it takes on the species involved.
A sign by the enclosure reads, “This bag used to be found swimming in slow-moving rivers and streams across Southeast Asia and Indonesia. Over the last 75 years, more than 80% of Siamese crocodiles have disappeared. Many, like this one, were hunted for their skins as part of the illegal wildlife trade.”.
Native to parts of Southeast Asia, Siamese crocodiles are critically endangered and have become virtually extinct in the wild. Due to hunting as well as habitat loss, they are now absent from nearly 99% of their original range. A huge part of the decline of population is due to humans using their wetland habitat for rice farming, and things only took a turn for the worse when large-scale hunting for their skin for commercial purposes began in the 1950s.
The particular handbag that is on display at the zoo was confiscated at a UK airport, according to Benjamin Tapley, leader of reptiles and amphibians at ZSL London Zoo.
Tapley told The Huffington Post, “We made this exhibit, within ZSL London Zoo’s Reptile House, to draw visitors’ attention to the destructive impact the Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) is having on species around the world. At ZSL, we are working globally with governments and local communities to protect wildlife, support law enforcement (执法) that targets illegal trade networks, empower local communities affected by IWT and reduce demand for threatened wildlife.”
1. Why does the sign say this handbag used to swim?| A．It is made of a crocodile’s skin. |
| B．It is made into a crocodile shape. |
| C．It is light enough to float on water. |
| D．It was kept in flowing river at first. |
| A．Wildly hunting of Siamese crocodiles. |
| B．Destruction of Siamese crocodiles’ habitats. |
| C．Commercial value of Siamese crocodiles. |
| D．Causes to make Siamese crocodiles endangered. |
| A．Seized. | B．Sold. | C．Found. | D．Stolen. |
| A．The importance of wildlife protection. |
| B．The crisis endangered animals are facing. |
| C．The purpose to show the handbag. |
| D．The harm IWT caused. |
6 . Spearmint the seal has an addiction. Being too overly friendly to humans around Plymouth, England, she’s been sent to kick her human habits.
Spearmint was first seen in Caws and Bay, Cornwall, almost seven months ago, and was found hanging out with tourists and swimmers, as well as paddlers. She was even known to have visited a local outdoor pub.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) put the North Atlantic gray seal into a treatment program, where rescuers were “working around the clock to get her fit and healthy” enough to be released.
After rehab, the organization hopes to release her into a remote area of Scotland where she won’t be so tempted by people. The Rame Wildlife Rescue Network has also provided assistance, raising more than $6,500 for the seal’s relocation.
Jessica Collins, a medical worker at British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR), initiated the rescue. She says Spearmint is an endangered seal that has become used to human contact. “Despite receiving treatment at a young age, to change her human-related behavior is far from easy. Spearmint’s interest in humans grew once released as she was fed regularly by tourists,” Collin s explained. “After multiple relocations we found Cawsand Bay, where we were able to control the situation better and keep people away.”
The RSPCA plans to either reintroduce Spearmint to the wild or place her in permanent care in a shelter intended for seals. “Give wild animals space and avoid feeding them. We hope the message carries through beyond Spearmint’s story,” the RSPCA said in a statement.
1. What is Spearmint’s addiction according to the passage?| A．Visiting local pubs. | B．Swimming in Cawsand Bay. |
| C．Hanging out with swimmers. | D．Enjoying being with humans. |
| A．Relocating the seal. | B．Changing the seal’s personality. |
| C．Treating the seal’s human habits. | D．Helping the seal grow stronger. |
| A．Tourists’ constant feeding. |
| B．The seal’s need for medical attention. |
| C．Absence of early treatment for the seal. |
| D．Spearmint’s constant moving when released. |
| A．Build shelters for seals. | B．Leave wild animals on their own. |
| C．Keep seals in permanent care. | D．Avoid taking wild animals’ land. |
7 . Great white sharks are typically loners, swimming through the world’s vast oceans largely on their own. That’s why scientists were so confused and impressed when they noticed an odd pattern in tracking data from two sharks. Simon and Jekyll.
The two males were first tagged off the coast of Georgia. When they reached Long Island, reseatchers noticed their tracks were remarkably similar. Then they arrived in Novia Scotia within practically the same day - they have traveled more than 4,000 miles together!
“Most animals don’t form any emotional bonds with each other and there are no previous records of two sharks traveling together for such a long period,” Bob Hueter, chief scientist for Ocearch, the group tracking the sharks says, “But we have found that some whites may remain close while hunting to benefit from food pieces after a kill. So we are wondering if this one-time event is similar to that. If so, it will open the door to the secret of sharks’ migration law.”
Now, scientists are trying to puzzle out what’s going on. Researchers suppose that there may be some reasons, such as seawater temperatures and the amount of light each day. And they further put forward other possibilities. Are the two sharks friends or relatives? And do they have more companions that aren’t tagged swimming with them? To uncover the secret, the researchers are running genetic tests For the further research direction.
But no matter what their relationship, the pair’s unique behavior is of great significance in the foreseeable future. At the very least, the discovery that sharks may hang out together could impact conservation efforts. The reseurch lteam, for example, is working to help people view sharks less as blood-thirsty monsters and more as vital players in a healthy ocean ecosystem worthy of protection. They are “humanizing”, which adds to the limited understanding human have of sharks. “They have a mother, a father and siblings,” the team shares, “They’re just trying to make a living in the ocean, and we need them for the balance of life in the sea.”
1. What drew scientists’ attention about Simon and Jekyll?| A．The destination they reached. |
| B．The distance they covered. |
| C．The way they traveled together. |
| D．The species they belong to. |
| A．Traveling in pairs. |
| B．Migrating regularly. |
| C．Hunting food together. |
| D．Traveling for a long time. |
| A．The procedure of the test. | B．The results of the research. |
| C．The assumption of the causes. | D．The significance of the pair’s travel |
| A．They are friendlier and closer to humans than hefore. |
| B．Their relationship has been figured out by the rescarch |
| C．Human’s limited understanding leads to their extinction. |
| D．Their jourcy offers new insight into ocean conservation. |
8 . Tigers enjoy the reputation (名誉) of being the largest of the world’s big cats. To raise people’s awareness of tiger protection, International Tiger Day is celebrated annually on July 29. It was first celebrated in 2010 after it was found that 97% of all wild tigers had disappeared in the last century, with about only 3, 000 of them remaining. It’s not news that tigers are on the edge of extinction and International Tiger Day aims to halt the numbers from worsening. Many international organizations such as the WWF, the IFAW, and the Smithsonian Institute also celebrate International Tiger Day.
With the loss of habitats and climate change, tigers are increasingly coming into conflict with humans. The illegal trade industry is a very serious threat that wild tigers face. Demand for tiger bone, skin, and other body parts is leading to increased cases of illegal trade. Another threat that has negatively impacted the tiger population is the loss of habitats. All across the world, we are witnessing (见证) a loss of tiger habitats due to human settlements and agriculture. In fact only about 7% of the original tiger habitats are still undamaged today. And the ever-increasing habitat loss means that tigers may wander into the human population, which is worrying for both people and tigers. Experts also worry that the lack of genetic diversity among tigers can lead to inbreeding (同系繁殖) in small populations.
Tigers are now an endangered species and we must all do our bit to protect them. While protection efforts are carried out all year long, International Tiger Day reminds us to get involved in the cause. We are all dependent on each other in more ways than one, and the day makes us realize that a healthy tiger population also means a well-balance d ecosystem.
1. What does the underlined word “halt” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?| A．Ban. | B．Save. | C．Hide. | D．Prevent. |
| A．It was first celebrated on July 29, 2011. |
| B．It has saved 3, 000 tigers since its foundation. |
| C．It aims to raise people’s awareness of tiger protection. |
| D．It is supported by few organizations for the time being. |
| A．Tigers have been illegally traded. |
| B．Tigers are faced with various threats. |
| C．Tigers are going to where humans live. |
| D．Tigers’ habitats are losing increasingly. |
| A．It is a reminder of protection. |
| B．It promotes the image of tigers. |
| C．It stands for a balance d ecosystem. |
| D．It ensures a healthy tiger population. |
9 . Los Angeles is a noodle bowl of highways. It’s also one of the only two cities in the world where big cats walk wild inside the city boundaries (边界). But big cats and highways do not mix, which is why Los Angeles will soon be home to one of the world’s biggest wildlife corridors (走廊). Last month the governor of California, Gavin Newsom, launched construction (发起建设).
The cats in question are mountain lions. They live in the Santa Monica Mountains. Their numbers are unchanging. Their habitat is mostly natural wilderness, full of deer, the lions’ food. The ecology (生态) of their home, the largest city national park in the world, is healthy. Yet animals can be in danger without habitat loss. Genetic degradation (基因退化) can be just as deadly.
Cutting through the mountains is Route 101, carrying up to 10,000 vehicles an hour. It cuts the Santa Monica range off from a larger wilderness to the north. The southern area is not big enough for all the lions. The result is a population trapped with inbreeding and genetic degradation.
Four years after that study came the first evidence (证据) that the big cats were suffering physical damage. In the early 1990s biologists studying the Florida panther, a closely related animal, found that many of the males had the same genetic shortcomings. The Florida panther escaped extinction only thanks to the introduction of females brought from Texas to refresh the gene pool.
California does not need to go that far. There are healthy mountain-lion populations north of the Santa Monica range, separated by the road. Hidden cameras show the animals waited at the side of the highway, not daring to cross. The solution is a 165-foot-wide dirt bridge which would allow them to walk high over the traffic.
The animals become sexually mature (成熟) at 2 1/2 to 3 years and have babies every other year. So within ten years of the corridor’s completion the great-grandchildren of the first mating beyond the mountains could have babies. Genetically, even a few matings would make a difference. “We’ll definitely save the mountain lion,” thinks Paul Edelman of the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA). “It’s just a matter of how long it takes.”
1. What can we know about the corridor?| A．It is being constructed by MRCA. | B．It will take about ten years to complete. |
| C．It is supported by the governor of California. | D．It will be the world’s biggest wildlife corridor. |
| A．They lack food. | B．Their habitat is lost. |
| C．Their genes are becoming worse. | D．They are being hunted without limit. |
| A．Making laws to protect their habitat. | B．Introducing females from other states. |
| C．Setting up more national parks for them. | D．Building a dirt bridge for them to cross Route 101. |
| A．In a textbook. | B．In a novel. | C．In a travel guide. | D．In a science magazine. |
Horses are picky eaters
Horses have an even better sense of smell than humans do. When horses raise their noses and open their nostrils (鼻孔), their nervous system allows them to sense smells we can’t sense. This might explain why they refuse dirty water and carefully move around meadows, eating only the tastiest grasses, experts say.
Whale says thanks
In 2018, a whale expert spotted a humpback whale trapped in a fishing net and spent an hour freeing it. Afterward, in an hour-long display of thanks, the whale swam near their boat and leaped into the air about 40 times.
Pandas like to be naughty
Is there anything more lovely than a baby panda, except maybe a human baby? In fact, baby pandas sometimes behave like human babies. They sleep in the same positions and value their thumbs. Pandas are shy by nature for its shy behaviors such as covering its face with a paw or ducking its head when confronted by a stranger.
A cat honors its owner
Paper towels, and a plastic cup are just a few of the gifts that Toldo, a devoted three-year-old gray-and-white cat, has placed on his former owner Iozzelli Renzo’s grave every day since the man died in September 2018. Renzo adopted Toldo from a shelter when the cat was three months old, and the two formed an inseparable bond. After Renzo passed away, Toldo followed the coffin to the cemetery, and now “stands guard” the grave for hours at a time.
1. What can horses do to pick delicious grasses?| A．Feel them. |
| B．Taste them. |
| C．Smell them. |
| D．Observe them. |
| A．They are clever. |
| B．They have a grateful heart. |
| C．They are active and lovely. |
| D．They have a good sense of smell. |
| A．The whale |
| B．The cat. |
| C．The horse. |
| D．The panda. |
