Mother Nature has it figured out. She’s designed a master scheme that connects plants and animals, all working in concert to keep every living thing in balance.
This is especially obvious in places like central Africa and in South American tropical rainforests where certain animals help keep trees safe and healthy, which is critical as trees absorb vast amounts of planet-warming carbon pollution.
Recent research warns that losing the creatures that nurture trees puts forests in danger. This, by extension, is helping to accelerate dangerous climate change.
In central Africa for example, elephants eat fast-growing trees, making room for those that grow more slowly. The slow-growing trees with their very dense wood store more carbon than the thinner, faster-developing ones Without elephants, more carbon would accumulate in the atmosphere, worsening climate change according to a new study that used computer models to project what could happen if elephant populations continue to decrease or become extinct.
Africa may once have contained 10 million elephants from the Mediterranean to the Cape, in every habitat except extreme desert. In 1970, there may have been a million left. By the end of the 1980s, there were half that number, mostly killed for the ivory trade, "said Stephen Blake, assistant professor of biology at St. Louis University.
By killing elephants, poachers (偷猎者) rob slow growing trees of their guardian. They also slow the growth of new trees. Elephants blaze(开辟) trails and disperse(散播) seeds as they look for food. “Elephants are basically the gardeners of the forest,” Blake said. They disperse over 100 species of seeds, and disperse more of them over longer distances than other dispersers.”
Blake, who has spent nearly 20 years in Africa working in elephant research and conservation, mourns their fate, describing them as “a complex society of intelligent, caring, emotional animals who respect their grandmothers and mourn their dead” and condemns those who neglect their duty to save them.
“We will go to Mars-there is no doubt-humans are too smart not to,” he said. “Yet we do not have the wisdom to protect elephants and their forest environment that do so much for our physical, spiritual, and emotional well-being.
1.Elephants help keep slow-growing trees safe and healthy by________.
A.providing living space for them.
B.dispersing seeds when searching for food.
C.decreasing in number and reducing carbon accumulation.
D.protecting them in the forest from being cut down.
2.What can we infer from the last paragraph?
A.The world is changing at a faster speed than before.
B.People are intelligent enough to protect the environment.
C.What we have done to protect elephants is far from satisfactory.
D.Animals are so smart that they care much about the well-being of humans.
3.Which of the following is the best title of the passage?
A.Elephants are in danger of dying out in the near future.
B.Elephants are fighting climate change in ways humans can’t.
C.Animals are assumed to be the gardeners of the forest.
D.Animals are accelerating dangerous climate change.
Northern Lights in a Superjeep
Tour Operator: Superdeep. is Travel method: Jeep/4x4 Region: Capital Region
The northern lights are a natural wonder, ethereal sheets of green and blue lights swaying across the starry night sky.
To see the lights, you need to get out of the city lights on a clear winter's night. The northern lights guides are experts at finding the best spot for viewing the elusive(难以得到的) lights, giving you the very best chance possible to see them. Travelling in a small group means that your moment under the northern lights will be intimate and personal and the sturdy vehicle also allows for a greater range of movement. The superjeep drivers can get off the beaten path and take you to places where it's just you, the Icelandic nature and the northern lights.
Important information
This tour lasts 3-4 hours. Free pick-up from your hotel in the capital area begins at 20: 00.
From 15/09-31/09 and 15/03-15/04. The pickup starts at 21: 00 due to a longer daylight.
It is vital to wear comfortable and appropriate clothing like waterproof, walking shoes, dress in layers to be able to enjoy your journey to the fullest.
Attention
The Northern Lights Superjeep tour is dependent on the weather and sky conditions and we reserve the right to cancel at any time. If the evening tour goes ahead and the Northern Lights are not seen, we will offer the trip again for free!
We make the decision around 17: 00 every day if the tour is on or not due to weather condition. Please contact us around 17: 00 on the day of your our to confirm the forecast is good and tour is ON at info@superjeep. is or call 00 354 569 8000.
Dress for the worst, hope for the best and prepare to be surprised.
1.Why is joining in the Northern Lights Superjeep tour a good choice?
A.Because it helps tourists find the only viewing spot of the northern lights.
B.Because it provides tourists with a small-group personalized experience.
C.Because it allows travelling with many friends or companions around.
D.Because it ensures an amazing trip with a limited range of movement.
2.From the advertisement we know that___________.
A.a free pick-up in the capital area is available at 20: 00 every day.
B.dressing formally is important for tourists to fully enjoy the trip.
C.tourists are supposed to confirm the trip is on as early as possible.
D.weather conditions are a great concern for the tour operator.
It all started with a commercial. I watched the baby take his first_________ on TV, right before his family left for a trip to Disney World. An idea came to my mind: I wanted to go to Disney World. For most young kids, it's a(n) _______ request, but for me, it is unique. I was born with cerebral palsy (脑瘫), which doesn't________ me to walk on my own. Over the next three years or so, I worked with physical therapists and practiced walking, standing, and balance all __________that I would need to turn my goal into a reality.
I remember the feeling when my legs would_________ doing any more work, practically turning to jelly(胶状物). __________ this, everyone else told me I could do it, so I persisted. I walked, stood, balanced, until the ______came. On June 9, 2008, I stood in the tunnel leading into Main Street, looking around at my adoring fans, otherwise ________ as my family and friends. My dad asked me if I wanted any help doing this thing. I promptly replied, “No!” and situated myself ________ the end of the tunnel, feet_________ firmly, heart most likely beating out of my chest. Step, step, step, step, bump. I __________quickly what had happened: I ________ my momentum (冲力)and my focus, bumping into something. _________, we had practiced this type of ________ beforehand. Holding fast onto the handlebars, I gathered all of my six-year-old ___________and straightened out, _________my pace once again. It wasn't too long before the__________became louder because I had made it to the end, where my mom was waiting with tears in her eyes.
Looking back on that experience, I realize something thoughtful. Every once in a while, life will________ a few bumps in the road. _______ it may set you back for a bit don’t let it ________ you. Pick yourself back up and finish. It’s worth it.
1.A.steps B.risk C.photos D.chance
2.A.official B.blind C.explicit D.normal
3.A.leave B.require C.allow D.expect
4.A.skills B.possibilities C.answers D.features
5.A.delay B.protest C.admit D.miss
6.A.Besides B.Against C.Despite D.Beyond
7.A.time B.help C.memory D.person
8.A.appointed B.evaluated C.emphasized D.known
9.A.searching B.missing C.facing D.overlooking
10.A.planted B.controlled C.buried D.tied
11.A.explained B.realize C.confirmed D.proved
12.A.sustained B.lost C.gathered D.acquired
13.A.Partly B.Luckily C.Alternatively D.Abruptly
14.A.technique B.involvement C.situation D.intention
15.A.patience B.curiosity C.dignity D.strength
16.A.laughing at B.worrying about C.picking up D.looking
17.A.cheering B.explosion C.shout D.scream
18.A.guarantee B.spread C.distribute D.throw
19.A.Until B.Unless C.Since D.Though
20.A.threaten B.push C.stop D.cheat
—Kobe Bryant was a basketball star with strong fighting spirit.
—_____________. He's always a role model for youngsters.
A.I couldn't agree more. B.I can't help it. C.I couldn't be bothered. D.I beg to differ.
Local governments will step up efforts to keep employment stable, with all-round measures_________ more jobs.
A.being created. B.created. C.having been created. D.to create.
The composition seems imperfect but you should make_________ for the fact that the author is only seven.
A.appointments. B.assumptions. C.allowances. D.arrangements
