I feel that I was blessed by an Angel not long ago. I was out in town with my husband. We live in a ______ town. Because of the cold，my ______ shrunk，causing my anniversary ring to ______. I didn’t notice this until we got home. I became ______ ill ached all over. I thought my husband was going to have a heart attack.
Although it is a material item, it is yet very ______. He went out and retraced our _____ to where we came back．I called the stores we were in and no one ______ it in. I thought it was ______ for sure．
Well，at around midnight last night，our dogs went mad. We have a sunroom ______ to our home．The door to that is usually ______. But that night, we left it unlocked．My all-terrain motor scooter(小型摩托车)was ______ out there．In its basket was a ring box…holding my ring! Along with the ring was a diamond circle．
There was also a ______ that told the story of this stranger ______ the ring and recognizing the work, as it is a piece made particularly. The person then went to the jeweler and ____about finding the ring. The jeweler is a friend of mine so she gave her my ______ and the town is so small，we are ______ to find．The stranger who found the ring ______ the ribbon(丝线)in the store in order to keep the ring around the finger when it is ______ out. And then also left a gift card for us to take our family out to the movies as a Christmas gift. The note was ______ “Santa’s Elf(小精灵)”. My friend is keeping her lips ______ about whom it was．
1.A. modern B. small C. big D. developed
2.A. ring B. hand C. brain D. finger
3.A. fall off B. 1eave behind C. break down D. go away
4.A. firmly B. formally C. identically D. physically
5.A. valuable B. challenging C. memorable D. beneficial
6.A. footprints B. steps C. streets D. directions
7.A. took B. pressed C. turned D. counted
8.A. gone B. stolen C. changed D. transformed
9.A. adapted B. attached C. exposed D. held
10.A. open B. abandoned C. closed D. locked
11.A. made B. parked C. repaired D. destroyed
12.A. slogan B. advertisement C. note D. announcement
13.A. handling B. exploring C. finding D. chasing
14.A. explained B. complained C. wondered D. argued
15.A. phone number B. photo C. mailbox D. name
16.A. difficult B. easy C. incredible D. complex
17.A. purchased B. tore C. sold D. borrowed
18.A. warm B. rainy C. foggy D. cold
19.A. called B. written C. signed D. noticed
20.A. tight B. painted C. secret D. clear
Whether you use a GPS device（设备） in your car or Google Maps on your smartphone, few of us travel anymore without digital help. 1. For one thing, GPS isn’t as accurate as you might think. What’s more, science is beginning to discover that people who rely only on navigational technologies may have a poor sense of place during travel.
2. They soon become outdated as cities change, requiring users to continually purchase updated versions. They’re also easily damaged from exposure to water, poor weather conditions and other physical forces.
However, paper maps still offer a few advantages that technologies can’t. For example, studying a map allows you to get a full view of where you’re going, including the roads, forests, towns, historic sites, rivers and mountains you’ll come across along the way. Many older maps are wonderful, offering a lovely feast for the eyes. 3.
Research by Toru Ishikawa and colleagues at the University of Tokyo found that GPS users spent 30％ more time looking at their device than those who used a paper map. 4. Instead they tended to stare at their screens and follow directions, never gaining a full view of where they were going.
Therefore, go ahead and use your GPS, but also carry a paper map as a handy backup. 5. Also it could even be a life-saver!
A. It will improve your travel experiences.
B. But don’t hurry to fold up your paper maps.
C. They also had a poorer recollection of surrounding scenery.
D. Compared with digital maps, paper maps do have disadvantages.
E. What’s more, paper maps tend to focus on smaller geographic areas.
F. They can also take you back in time to have a glimpse（瞥） of history.
G. In other words, they didn’t see or experience much during their travels.
An international team of researchers from the University of Oxford have found that the way people use the Internet is closely tied to the seasonal movements in the natural world. Their online species searches follow the patterns of seasonal animal migrations (迁徙).
Migratory birds (候鸟) flood back to where they reproduce every spring. That migratory behavior is accompanied by some human behavior. “In English-language Wikipedia (维基百科), the online searches for migratory species tend to increase in spring when those birds arrive in the United States,” said the lead author John Mittermeier.
And not just birds. Mittermeier and his team surveyed nearly 2.5 billion Wikipedia search records, for 32,000 species, across 245 languages. They also saw variable search rates for insects, horsetails and flowering plants. Seasonal trends seemed to be widespread in Wikipedia behavior for many species of plants and animals.
This finding suggests new ways to monitor changes in the world’s biological diversity. It also shows new ways to see how much people care about nature, and which species and areas might be the most effective targets for conservation.
Mittermeier is encouraged by the search results. He commented, “I think there’s a concern among conservationists (生态环境保护者) that people are losing touch with the natural world and that they’re not interacting with native species anymore. And so in that sense, it was really exciting and quite unexpected for me to see people’s Wikipedia interest closely related to changes in nature.”
Richard Grenyer, Associate Professor from the University of Oxford, says search data is useful to conservation biologists, “By using these big data approaches, we can direct our attention towards the difficult questions in modern conservation: which species and areas are changing, and where are the people who care the most and can do the most to help.”
1.What have researchers found about species searches?
A. They strengthen ties among people.
B. They affect the animal movements.
C. They differ in language backgrounds.
D. They reflect animal migration seasons.
2.What is the purpose of writing Paragraph 3?
A. To summarize the research process.
B. To further support the research findings.
C. To show the variety of species searches.
D. To present researchers’ heavy work load.
3.How does Mittermeier feel about the search results?
A. Satisfied with Wikipedia’s service.
B. Worried about Wikipedia behavior.
C. Amazed at people’s care about nature.
D. Sad about people’s not getting close to nature.
4.Why does Richard think such search data is useful?
A. It helps to aim at conservation targets.
B. It increases interest in big data approaches.
C. It keeps track of trends in biologists’work.
D. It pushes people to solve difficult problems.
My two- and four-year-old boys love to win, whether they’re racing their bikes down the sidewalk or just finishing their snacks. It’s true that those with high status, from world leaders and prize winners to athletes and movie stars, are people we like and respect. A recent study published in Nature Human Behaviour showed that we seem to have an innate（天生的）preference for high-ranking peoples——but only if those people aren’t hurtful toward others.
Researchers showed toddlers（aged 21 to 31 months） a scene where two puppets（木偶） approached one another from opposite sides of a stage and one bowed to let the other pass first. Asked which puppet they liked better, 18 of the 21 toddlers in the experiment reached for the puppet who had been allowed to pass. Because respect from others is a marker of status, this suggests that children have a preference for those with a higher status—even before age three.
However, the results were quite different when two puppets approached one another and one used force to knock the other down before continuing to the other side. In this case, 18 of the 21 toddlers reached for the one who was knocked down. As the researchers concluded, “When approaching others, very young children care not only who wins, but also how.” The previous experiment has shown that toddlers know about social status, but this experiment went one step further by proving they have an obvious preference for high status. Since the participants were so young, this might even be an innate human preference.
In a word, this new research suggests that young children appreciate people who do well while at the same time doing good to others. So, when my four-year-old thinks that he has to get his shoes on first, I’ll keep reminding him that helping his brother so they both finish faster is what winning is all about.
1.What do we tend to do according to the first paragraph?
A. Seek challenges all the time. B. Admire high-ranking people.
C. Take advantage of high status. D. Hurt others with offensive words.
2.Why did toddlers prefer the puppet allowed to pass?
A. It looked adorable. B. It behaved smartly.
C. It seemed polite. D. It was respected.
3.What can we infer from the latter study?
A. Slower people are better loved by toddlers.
B. People naturally dislike unkind behavior.
C. Toddlers care little about high social status.
D. Being helpful contributes to being supported.
4.What should we do when we encourage children to win?
A. Instruct them to use proper and creative ways.
B. Advise them to be as hardworking as possible.
C. Remind them to be considerate to other people.
D. Tell them to try to cooperate with someone else.
When we see a person in trouble, the first idea that comes to our mind is to lend a hand. But what if we see an animal in trouble, does the same rule apply?
This question was raised after a group of penguins were saved from an icy gully（峡谷）in Antarctica. It was filmed for the BBC wildlife series Dynasties. The film crew were anxious when they saw that a group of penguins had fallen into a gully and been trapped with their young. They built a slope（斜坡）so that a few of the penguins could save themselves.
The case has taken the international media by storm. Viewers watching this film let out a sigh of relief. “I’m so glad. I understand not taking action directly, but a helping hand isn’t bothering, right?” viewer Kathryn Shaw said on her Facebook.
However, others think human interference（干涉） is unnatural. “You can’t have sunshine throughout your life. To have done anything else would only make matters worse,” said the show’s creator David Attenborough, according to The Times.
In this case, however, Mike Gunton, the executive producer of the series, said that this was a one-off situation. “There were no animals going to suffer by interfering. You weren’t touching the animals and it was just felt by doing this... they had the chance not to have to keep slipping down the slope,” he told the BBC.
Such cases are familiar to Paul Nicklen, wildlife photographer for National Geographic. He told Metro, “If it’s ever a predator（捕食者）situation, no matter how gut-wrenching, you stay out of the way. Even when you’re watching a male polar bear eat a baby bear.”
“There’s no rule book in those situations. You can only respond to the facts that are right there in front of you,” Will Lawson, the show’s director, told Daily Mail.
1.What has led to a heated media discussion?
A. People’s various remarks on penguins. B. The rescue of penguins from a gully.
C. Some penguins’ sufferings in a gully. D. Ways of filming the series Dynasties.
2.Who holds a positive attitude towards human interference?
A. Kathryn Shaw. B. Will Lawson.
C. Paul Nieklen. D. David Attenborough.
3.Which of the following best explains the word “gut-wrenching” underlined in paragraph 6?
A. Putting one in place. B. Making one confused.
C. Putting one in danger. D. Making one heartbroken.
4.What can be a suitable title for the text?
A. Reasons for the Necessity of Lending a Hand to Animals
B. Suggestions on How to Protect Animals From Danger
C. Effects of Human Interference on Dangerous Animals
D. Opinions on Whether to Help Animals in Trouble or Not
Dark Sky Parks around the World
Warrumbungle National Park
Situated in the central west slopes of New South Wales is Australia’s only dark sky park, Warrumbungle. The park has served as a dark sky park since July 2016. Its crystal-clear night skies and high altitude make it a natural, educational, and astronomical heritage site in the southern half of the earth. Tourists can use Australia’s largest optical telescope within the park boundaries to view the auroras(极光)，the Milky Way, and faint shooting stars.
Sark
Sark is a Channel Island near the coast of Normandy under the protection of the UK. It was the World’s First Dark Sky Island set up in January 2011. Its historical and cultural blend attracts over 40,000 tourists annually. With no motor vehicles and public lighting on the island, there is an exceptional view of the dark skies. A rich Milky Way is visible in the dark night skies from the shores of the island.
Pic du Midi de Bigorre
Pic du Midi de Bigorre in France was designated as a dark sky park in December 2013 making it the second largest dark sky park in the world. The park covers 3.112 square kilometers spread across the Pyrenees National Park and UNESCO’s World Heritage site, Pyrenees-Mont Perdu. The park attracts over one hundred star watchers every year. The Observatory Midi-Pyrenees, which was built in 1870, is one of the world’s highest museums at a height of 2,877 meters above sea level.
Ramon Crater/Makhtesh Ramon
Ramon Crater is a unique 1,100-square-kilometer nature reserve located in the Negev Desert in Israel. In 2017, the Ramon Crater became the first designated dark sky park in the Middle East. Its location, rough climate, and forbidding landscape that are characteristic of the Negev have largely defeated historical attempts for human settlement, making it a great place to view the night skies. Stargazers usually camp in the desert to have an uninterrupted view of the stars, planets, and the Milky Way.
1.Which park serves as a heritage site for astronomy?
A. Sark.
B. Pic du Midi de Bigorre.
C. Warrumbungle National Park.
D. Ramon Crater/Makhtesh Ramon.
2.What do we know about Sark from the passage?
A. Not a single car runs there.
B. It was an island belonging to Normandy.
C. The Milky Way can only be seen there.
D. Visitors like to stay on the island in groups.
3.What makes it difficult for humans to live in Ramon Crater?
A. High altitude. B. The large area.
C. Geographical conditions. D. Cultural features.
