1 . 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 that most species are not being protected until their numbers became so small that their chance of recovery is slim.

In 1993, a study found that few species received protection under the ESA until their populations dwindled to very tiny numbers: on average, just 1,075 individuals for vertebrates (脊椎动物), 999 for invertebrates, and 120 for individuals for plant species.

For the new study, researchers repeated the methods in the earlier research to see if 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.

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. The findings showed that the population of vertebrates when listed is 999 individuals, invertebrates is 536, and plants is 192.

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.

There have been several thousand species listed on the ESA over the past nearly five decades, and 99% of the listed species have avoided going extinct. But researchers point out that only 54 species — like the bald eagle and American alligator — have recovered so well that they no longer need protection.

Researchers say that the findings are timely due to the upcoming December meeting of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity. The members will finalize a plan for conservation efforts globally through 2030.

Polls (民意调查) over the years have demonstrated that most Americans support a strong ESA to protect endangered (濒危的) wildlife. And the ESA has the strong policy, if used correctly, to do that.

1. What does the underlined word “dwindled” in paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Adapted.

B．Reduced.

C．Limited.

D．Returned.

2. What does the new study focus on?

A．The problems that were noticed recently.

B．The method used in the earlier research.

C．The improvement of protective measures.

D．The duration animals that were under protection.

3. What is the finding of the research?

A．The population of protected species grows larger.

B．Many more species are listed as endangered animals.

C．The number of vertebrates grows faster than invertebrates.

D．Endangered species tend to wait long before getting protected.

4. What is the significance of the study?

A．It contributes to a plan.

B．It put forward more effective measures.

C．It discovered more endangered species.

D．It reflected the public’s wishes and dreams.

2 . A bill to conserve endangered species was passed by the U.S. House in a 231-to-190 vote on Tuesday.

The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act would create an annual fund of more than $1.3 billion, given to states, and territories for wildlife conservation on the ground. While threatened species have been recognized and protected under the Endangered Species Act since 1973, that law does not provide constant funding to actively maintain their numbers.

The effort comes as scientists and international organizations sound the alarm about accelerating species decline.

“Too many people don’t realize that about one-third of our wildlife is at increased risk of extinction,” said lead House sponsor Debbie Ding-ell, echoing (呼应) a recent study about climate change.

In the United States, there are more than 1,600 endangered or threatened species, but state agencies have identified more than 7 times that number in need of conservation assistance in their wildlife action plans.

“The bottom line is, when we save wildlife we save for ourselves,” said Collin O’ Mara, CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, which supports the bill. He said species loss threatens everything from the insects that pollinate (授粉) plants in the food chain, to sea life that helps to reduce damages to coastlines from storm.

The bill would improve a 1937 law, the Pittman-Robertson Act, which was passed in response to decreasing game and waterfowl species. That law allows states to tax hunting supplies to pay for wildlife and habitat restoration, but that money is not enough to do the same for non-game species.

The act would also invest more in conservation than the existing program for threatened non-game species, called the State Wildlife Grant Program, which awarded states a total of $56 million this year.

1. What do we know about the Endangered Species Act?

A．It does not involve continuous funding.

B．It was passed by the House this Tuesday.

C．It has proved to be a failed Act.

D．It ensured the population of all the species.

2. What did Debbie Dingell show us in paragraph 4?

A．Human behavior causes species to decline.

B．People’s efforts matter a lot in conservation.

C．People lack awareness of animal protection.

D．The decline of species is beyond imagination.

3. Why are “insects” and “sea life” mentioned in paragraph 6?

A．To indicate they are at risk of dying out.

B．To illustrate how to protect them properly.

C．To show they’re more important than others.

D．To tell man and nature are an organic whole.

4. In which section of the website would this text appear?

A．Entertainment.

B．News.

C．Technology.

D．Health.

5 . 假设你是李华，下面是你的笔友Jenny给你发来的一封邮件。

Dear Li Hua, How are you? A new law has been passed in my city. Smoking is banned in public places. I think it is a wise decision. Do you think so? Best wishes, Jenny

请根据邮件内容给她回复，要点如下：
1. 表明你的观点；
2. 给出理由（至少两点）；
3. 得出结论。
注意：1. 词数100左右（开头和结尾已给出，但不计入总词数）；2. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Jenny,

I’m happy to receive your email.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Best wishes,

Li Hua

6 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

A revised law     1     requires children to visit their aging parents on a regular basis has been welcomed by many, but some say it will be just symbolic. Family members should care about the psychological needs of their older relatives,     2     they should visit them or send greetings     3     (regular).

The law was passed     4     (protect) the lawful rights and interests of parents aged 60 and older, and to carry on the Chinese virtue of filial piety(孝顺). To highlight the implementation of the law, a court in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province,     5     (hold) public hearing on Monday and passed judgement that the two defendants must visit their aging mother at least once every two months after both failed to supply support to her. Filial piety,     6     (consider) a key virtue of traditional Chinese culture, generally means respect for one’s parents and ancestors,     7     (include) being good to one’s parents and fulfilling one’s duty to take care of them.

The law also states that China will deal     8     an aging population as part of its long-term national strategy, and will improve social     9     (secure) for old people. Although it is difficult to carry it out now, many people think the law will     10     (apply) more effectively in the future.

7 . Junk food is everywhere. We’re eating way too much of it. Most of us know what we’re doing and yet we do it anyway.

So here’s a suggestion offered by two researchers at the Rand Corporation: Why not take a lesson from alcohol control policies and apply them to where food is sold and how it’s displayed?

“Many policy measures to control obesity (肥胖症) assume that people consciously and rationally choose what and how much they eat and therefore focus on providing information and more access to healthier foods,” note the two researchers.

“In contrast,” the researchers continue, “many regulations that don’t assume people make rational choices have been successfully applied to control alcohol, a substance - like food - of which immoderate (过度的) consumption leads to serious health problems.”

The research references studies of people’s behavior with food and alcohol and results of alcohol restrictions, and then lists five regulations that the researchers think might be promising if applied to junk foods. Among them:

Density restrictions: licenses to sell alcohol aren’t handed out unplanned to all comers but are allotted (分配) based on the number of places in an area that already sell alcohol. These make alcohol less easy to get and reduce the number of psychological cues to drink.

Similarly, the researchers say, being presented with junk food stimulates our desire to eat it. So why not limit the density of food outlets, particularly ones that sell food rich in empty calories? And why not limit sale of food in places that aren’t primarily food stores?

Display and sales restrictions: California has a rule prohibiting alcohol displays near the cash registers in gas stations, and in most places you can’t buy alcohol at drive-through facilities. At supermarkets, food companies pay to have their wares in places where they’re easily seen. One could remove junk food to the back of the store and ban them from the shelves at checkout lines. The other measures include restricting portion sizes, taxing and prohibiting special price deals for junk foods, and placing warning labels on the products.

1. What does the author say about junk food?

A．People should be educated not to eat too much.

B．It is widely consumed despite strict policies.

C．Its temptation is too strong for people to resist.

D．It causes more harm than is generally realized.

2. What is the general guideline the Rand researchers suggest about junk food control?

A．Guiding people to make rational choices about food.

B．Enhancing people’s awareness of their own health.

C．Borrowing ideas from alcohol control measures.

D．Resorting to economic, legal and psychological means.

3. What do the Rand researchers think of many of the policy measures to control obesity?

A．They are based on wrong assumptions.

B．They provide misleading information.

C．They should be implemented effectively.

D．They help people make rational choices.

4. Why do policymakers of alcohol control place density restrictions?

A．Few people are able to resist alcohol’s temptations.

B．There are already too many stores selling alcohol.

C．Drinking strong alcohol can cause social problems.

D．Easy access leads to customer’ over-consumption.

8 . ZHAO ZHIZHONG, a professor of geography at Hainan Normal University, recently proposed to make the law and forbid pupils below the age of 16 to use smartphones. Beijing Youth Daily comments:

With the prosperity of the economy, many families choose to buy a smartphone for their children at school to search for materials and assist in studying.     1    .

In and out of class, the pupils have smartphones in their hands.     2    . While enjoying their lunch, they hold them in their hands. Even on the bed before sleeping, they hold one in their hands.

It seems the heavy addiction to smartphones is affecting ever more pupils at young ages.     3    . The addiction to smartphones, which is popular among pupils, is a problem that affects them in many aspects. It distracts them from their academic studies and prevents them from talking with each other. That’s why quite many people agree to limit the use of smartphones among pupils. That’s also why Zhao’s proposal got quite a wide welcome among the public.

    4    . This is because smartphones, if used well, do play a key role in helping the pupils get wider access to the outside world and broaden their horizon. Besides, the school might not have the power to forbid pupils from using their own properties that do not pose harm to others.

There are certain countries that limit pupils from using smartphones in class but allow them to use them after it.     5    . But that can offer some food for thought.

A．While walking, they hold them in their hands.

B．So a flexible ban can be considered to avoid the trouble.

C．They, just like their parents, have become enslaved by smartphones.

D．However, it remains doubtful whether a simple ban is proper.

E．Perhaps a child model for smartphones can also be introduced.

F．The actual effect remains to be seen.

G．In fact, when children get their smartphones, the situation is different.

9 . Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. benefit   B. displayed   C. documentation   D. elegantly   E. improbable   F. intrusive G. label       H. lessen     I. massive            J. positively   K. promotional

Norway’s new law on edited photos

A new law in Norway makes it illegal for advertisers and social media influencers to share     1     photos online without disclosing whether the images were altered.It modifies the 2009 Marketing and Control Act and sets to go into effect when the King of Norway decides it should.

The law concerns advertisers and people who receive “payment or other     2    ” in exchange for their posts. It will impact “brands, companies, and influencers’ sponsored posts,” and concerns posts on all social media sites.

The new law requires disclosures for edits made after the image was taken and before, such as Snapchat and Instagram filters that modify one’s appearance. Examples of edits that people who are being paid for pictures are required to     3    include “enlarged lips, narrowed waists, and exaggerated muscles,” among other things.

Body pressure, or “kroppspress” in Norway, is a major topic of conversation in the country, the Ministry of Children and Family Affairs said in its report. “Young people are exposed to a(n)    4     pressure to look good through advertising and social media, and the models     5     are often digitally retouched, which exposes young people to an ideal of beauty that is impossible to achieve.”

By prohibiting advertisers and influencers from posting such photos without proper     6     with a government-authorized stamp, the Ministry said it hopes to    7     the negative impacts of body pressure on young people. “It is especially important to prevent the desire to make more     8     and long-lasting changes in one’s own look,” the Ministry said.

Some of Norway’s top influencers have already thought     9     about the new law, “Young people today are growing up to a completely     10     beauty ideal,” Husebye, who was awarded “Influencer of the Year”,said “I feel that the new law can only help them to understand that this is not how you look, but it has been edited.”

10 . Michael Jackson had Bubbles, a chimpanzee(黑猩猩). Justin Bieber had Og Mally, a capuchin(卷尾猴), until it was seized by German customs officials and put in a zoo. Rihanna has been photographed bottle-feeding a baby monkey on holiday. The stars would find few fans in the British government, which on December 12, 2020 placed new restrictions on keeping primates(灵长目动物)as pets. Somewhere between 1,000 and 5,000 marmoserts, lemurs, tamarins and other little species of primates are kept in private ownership in Britain, the government says, often bored to misery.

One of the benefits of cutting loose from the European continent is that Britain can fully express its passion for animals. Politicians are only too happy to work for it, for pet-friendly policies are cheap and popular. In the previous election, the Tory Party promised to help reunite missing pets with their owners by making it compulsory to put chips into the bodies of cats and dogs, and to deal with animal smuggling(走私). The Labour Party promised to ban the live-boiling of lobsters in restaurants.

Yet, Britain’s animal welfare laws are already among the most comprehensive in the world, according to the Animal Protection Index.

Wild animals in traveling circuses were banned by law last year, but a decreasing public appetite for parades of elephants and tigers balanced on chairs had already put an end to the business. By the time the ban came into force, only two licensed animal circuses were left in Britain. Members of Parliament are moved by the sad loss of pets because of motor accidents. James Daly has proposed Gizmo’s Law, named after a cat, the victim of a hit-and-run accident, which was burned without its owner’s knowledge. The law requires that dead animals be brought back from the roadside to scan them for microchips, so that they can be reunited with their brokenhearted owners rather than being burned without their names being known. A draft bill in 2018 proposed criminalizing drivers who failed to stop after striking a cat. Hit-and-runs on dogs, pigs, goats and humans are already illegal.

1. What does the author want to introduce by mentioning the three stars in Paragraph 1?

A．A recent pet-friendly policy in Britain.

B．British people’s passion for animals.

C．A trend towards keeping primates as pets.

D．The present situation of primates in Britain.

2. What do we know about Britain’s politicians?

A．They’re two-faced about animal welfare.

B．They disapprove of European animal welfare.

C．They used to blame each other on animal welfare.

D．They devoted to making laws on animal welfare.

3. Why are dead animals in Gizmo’s Law scanned?

A．To track the hit-and-run driver.

B．To help the animals find their way home.

C．To inform their owners of the accidents.

D．To find out the exact locations of the accidents.

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．Animal welfare: all you need to know

B．Could Britain be a leader in animal welfare?

C．Could animal welfare plans be smart politics?

D．Animal welfare: a favorite issue for politicians.