Perhaps you spotted them on La Cienega Boulevard, flying north by the thousands near the Westfield mall. Maybe you saw them in Santa Anita crossing a quiet street in a thick line. You may have even driven with hundreds of them along the 105 Freeway, where they violently beat their small wings as if they were trying to catch a flight at Los Angeles International Airport. People may mistake these black — and — orange insects for moths (飞蛾) or monarchs (黑脉金斑蝶)due to the appearance. Actually, they are called painted ladies, and these butterflies are flying by the millions across the state.
The migration((迁徙)itself is nothing new. What's unusual this year is the number of butterflies making the journey. James burg, the director of Palm Desert, came across a pack of butterflies while riding a bike lust week. "They were Hying with me, as I rode," he said. "It was absolutely magical. I felt like a Disney princess."
The painted lady's appearance is a welcome exception to California's current butterfly crisis. The number of butterflies in the state has been in a loss for decides, reaching historic lows in 2018. A monarch count led by the Xerces Society found only 28,129 of monarchs wintering along the California coast. That figure represents an 85% drop from the previous year and a 99.4% fall compared with 40 years ago. Other butterfly populations have been hit even worse.
No one is certain what is causing butterflies in California to disappear, but researchers have pointed several likely factors. They include the general loss of open spaces, which means fewer flowers and leaves for food, as well as changing agricultural practices that have reduced the number of butterfly-friendly plants along the edges of crop fields. The climate change plays a role, which produces higher temperatures that can dry plants out and make them uneatable.
Scientists say the reason for this year's painted ladies' appearance can be summed up in one word: rain. And more specifically, rain in the desert. “The more plants, the more butterflies," James Burg said.
1.What can learn about painted ladies from Paragraph 1 ?
A.They enjoyed flying in the sky.
B.The liked chasing the drivers.
C.They and moths look much alike.
D.They were big trouble to the airport.
2.What is special about painted ladies' migration this year?
A.Their quantities. B.Their destination.
C.Their flying route. D.Their flying distance.
3.How is Paragraph 3 mainly developed?
A.By giving examples. B.By quoting a statement.
C.By analyzing cause and effect. D.By listing accurate numbers.
4.Which can best summarize the main idea of Paragraph 4?
A.Open spaces in California decrease greatly.
B.Changes on agriculture affected butterflies.
C.Lack of food makes butterflies disappear.
D.Climate change drives butterflies away.
5.In which section of a magazine will you probably read the passage?
A.Travel. B.Nature.
C.History. D.Health.
Swimming across the English Channel is no easy feat. In addition to the strong ocean currents, swimmers also have to endure extremely cold temperatures. However, don't tell that to Sarah Thomas. The 37-year-oki American recently became the first person ever to swim across it not once, hut four times non-stop!
"I just can't believe I did it/' Thomas told the BBC after the swim. "I'm really just pretty numb. There was a lot of people on the beach to meet me and wish me well, and it was really nice of them, but I feel just mostly stunned."
What makes Thomas's achievement even more remarkable is that just a year ago, in 2018, she was undergoing treatment for breast cancer. She said that fighting the strong currents was hard. But even worse was “dealing with the saltwater... it really hurts your throat your mouth and your tongue”, she said. “I got stung(蛰)in the face by a jellyfish. The water wasn't as cold as I thought it might be, but it was still very cold."
Thomas’s record-breaking journey began just past midnight on Sunday, September 15, 2019, when she dove into the waters off the shore of Dover, England. Though the swim was initially meant to be about 80 miles, strong currents forced the athlete to change course several times, lengthening the total distance by about 50 miles. By the time she appeared from the water at 6:30 a.m. local time on Tuesday, September 17, 2019, she had been in the water for 54 hours and 13 minutes and swum a total of 133 miles! Even more impressive, Thomas achieved the astonishing feat in a regular swimsuit. Her only aids were swim goggles, one cap, a nose clip, and earplugs。.
This is not the first time Thomas has swum across the English Channel. She has done it twice before, in 2012 and 2016. She told filmmaker Jon Washer, who is making a documentary about her swim, “As I was doing 20 mile swims, it occurred to me that I could do more and I wanted to see what that more was." The swimmer, who is being praised “an absolute legend" by the CS&PF, has indeed shown the world what she is capable of However, we have a feeling she is not done yet!
1.By mentioning “Swimming across the English Channel is no easy feat", the writer aims to
A.warn people not to swim across it
B.arouse people' interest in swimming
C.set off Sa rah Thomas's achievements
D.stress the difficulties swimmers have to conquer
2.What does the underlined word “stunned" mean in Paragraph 2?
A.Surprised. B.Satisfied. C.Doubtful. D.Regretful.
3.What troubled Thomas most during swimming?
A.Strong currents. B.Sea water.
C.Jellyfish. D.Water temperature.
4.What does Paragraph 4 mainly focus on?
A.The long distance she covered.
B.The ordinary equipment she possessed.
C.The record-breaking time she stayed in water.
D.The impressive determination she displayed.
5.What can we infer from the last Paragraph?
A.A documentary is being made about her achievements.
B.She has swum across the Channel more than once.
C.She will probably plan to swim the Channel in the future.
D.She is capable of doing everything she wants to achieve.
Because travel is as much about the journey as the destination, the right accessories((配件) make a difference to the jet-setters on your gift list.
Smart carry-on suitcase
There's nothing worse than landing in a foreign city and realizing you have no way to call Uber because your phone died while you were delayed before takeoff and unable to find a plug. If your suitcase is the Millennial Power Bank Spinner from Traveler's Choice, problems like this will be a thing of the past If you remember to charge it up along with your phone the night before your flight, you'll always have a charge in reserve.
Purchase: via NORDSTOMRACK.COM $189.97
Noise-canceling headphones
Few things are more needed by travelers than a quality pair of noise-canceling headphones. The Bose Noise Cancelling Wireless Bluetooth Headphones 700 has 11 levels of noise canceling power so you can control your environment as needed, and four microphones that pick up and separate your voice so you can still take calls, even in a noisy airport. Plus, it offers one-touch access to Google Assistant or Alexa, and 20 hours of battery life, which should get you most anywhere in the world on a single charge.
Purchase: via AMAZON.COM $399
Multi-purpose jacket
Sure, jackets are a great way to add a layer of warmth——but that's just about any conventional jacket with two front pockets. If the traveler on your list is a techie, he or she will be thrilled with the Baubax bomber jacket 2.0. which has 25 features to ensure everything stays organized and readily available. It comes with built-in neck pillow, travel footrest, eye mask, travel blanket, battery-charger pocket, bottle opener... and 12 pockets to place your tablet, phone, sunglasses and passport. Yes, 12...
Purchase: via BAUBAX.COM S238
Motion-sickness relief
There's a new choice for the traveler who suffers motion sickness. Reliefband 1.5, a drug-free wristband that uses patented, clinically proven, FDA-cleared technology to treat motion sickness. The wristband works by stimulating the nerve at the underside of the wrist with gentle pulses. It works for travel by plane, train, boat, or car, as well as for virtual reality gaming, amusement park rides, and even morning sickness.
Purchase: via AIMAZON.COM $94.99
1.What can a "Smart carry-on suitcase " do?
A.Guarantee a safe landing. B.Keep the cell phone alive.
C.Help avoid any trouble in flight. D.Ease the passengers' burden.
2.What's the additional function of "Noise-canceling headphones"?
A.It's of high quality. B.It's noise-proof.
C.It keeps a phone call clear. D.It can access Google Assistant.
3.Compared with ordinary jackets, the advantage of "Multi-purpose jacket" lies in .
A.its ability to keep warm B.its up-to-date design
C.its capacity to store stuff D.its affordable price
4.What can we learn about "Motion-sickness relief?
A.It's a smart wearable device.
B.It's a newly-invented pill.
C.It can cure any sickness.
D.It is effective only for passengers.
5.Which of the following is the cheapest one to purchase?
A.Smart carry-on suitcase. B.Noise-canceling headphones.
C.Multi-purpose jacket. D.Motion-sickness relief.
Sending an urgent message in a bottle would not typically be considered a sensible strategy. However, it magically ___ for three hikers from California.
In June 2019, for Father^ Day weekend, the Whitsons ___ to go backpacking along central California's Arroyo Seco River. Things went ___ for the first two days. On June 16, Whitson, who was ___ with the area, led the trip to the Arroyo Seco narrows(峡谷).
____ when the hikers reached the waterfall in the narrows, Whitson realized that ___ his previous trip through the area, the water currents were too strong to pass. "My heart ____ when I realized that.” Whitson told CNN. Whitson and his son tried to ___ other routes to get around it, but their efforts proved ____ .
With food running low and no cellphone reception to____help, he decided to carve a "GET HELP” message on the side of his water bottle and threw it downstream in the ___ that someone would find it. Then they went back up the river to a small beach to camp out for the night.
Sometime after midnight, the three adventurers were ___ by a welcome sound — a California Highway Patrol helicopter flying overhead. Since it was too dark to conduct a(n) ____ , the officials asked them to stay warm for the night, and ___ to send a team the following day.
Shortly after being____on the morning of June 17, 2019, Whitson ____ that two hikers had tripped upon their water bottle and, upon seeing the urgent ____reported the issue to the officials. Whitson says, "They didn't leave their name or phone number. They just did what was ____ in their heart, and most importantly they took it ____ . Whitson and his family hope the two good hikers will reveal their ___ so that they can express their gratitude in person.
1.A.failed B.worked C.connected D.recommended
2.A.decided B.preferred C.attempted D.happened
3.A.obviously B.unexpectedly C.smoothly D.surprisingly
4.A.familiar B.popular C.content D.busy
5.A.Besides B.Meanwhile C.Moreover D.However
6.A.unlike B.like C.as D.opposite
7.A.beat B.sank C.ached D.broke
8.A.attach B.avoid C.expand D.seek
9.A.priceless B.hopeless C.fruitless D.endless
10.A.call for B.spread out C.beg for D.give away
11.A.challenge B.arrangement C.hope D.satisfaction
12.A.awakened B.disturbed C.annoyed D.greeted
13.A.experiment B.escape C.exploration D.rescue
14.A.regretted B.promised C.chose D.appealed
15.A.picked up B.tried out C.put Forward D.passed down
16.A.believed B.accepted C.predicted D.discovered
17.A.sculpture B.message C.coincidence D.comment
18.A.urgent B.flexible C.right D.possible
19.A.directly B.normally C.seriously D.frequently
20.A.identity B.motivation C.characteristic D.quality
Auto companies are taking a(n) ______ approach toward introducing electric cars until they better understand the market.
A.casual B.enthusiastic C.considerate D.cautious
Everyone on this planet is different, and that's______ makes it such a beautiful place.
A.When B.how C.what D.why
