Giant, krill-eating whales could grow even bigger if the size and availability of their prey (猎物）could keep up，a new study finds.
Whales are the heaviest animals to have ever lived on our planet. These marine giants evolved from dog-sized four-legged land creatures and grew nearly 10,000 times bigger in the past 50 million years or so, according to Nicholas Pyenson, head of fossil marine mammals at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History.
Creatures benefit from having a bigger size in a number of different ways, whether it’s not getting eaten by smaller creatures or having the ability to keep warm and travel great distances more efficiently. Still, some whale species are bigger than others, and they do have some limits to their size.
To find out what these limits are， researcher attached multisensor equipment to many types of whales. The researcher also assessed prey type and quantity using different methods. For baleen whale prey，they used acoustic(声学的) equipment to test the density (密度）of krill patches. For toothed whales, they looked at the size and quantity of squid(鱿鱼）beaks and otoliths (parts of the inner ear) found in the stomachs of beached whales.
Putting all the data together, they could determine how much energy the whales were likely to get back from the food. For toothed whales, the limiting factor seems to be the size of their prey. Sperm whales were found to feed mostly on medium-sized squid—possibly because there aren’t as many giant squid in the ocean. Baleen whales, like blue whales swallow massive mouthfuls of krill or other small creature. But these small creatures only appear in large concentrations for a few months per year in some areas ,which may be the limiting factor for the growth of the largest whales.
A researcher said that it ‘s not completely clear that baleen whales have finished growing. “Perhaps several million years into the future we’ ll see something even larger than a blue whale.”
1.What can we infer from the second paragraph?
A.Whales kept growing during evolution.
B.Whales evolved from dogs on the land.
C.Whales used to be four-legged fish.
D.The number of krill-eating whales would keep up.
2.How do whales benefit from their size?
A.They are more expert at traveling.
B.They can produce energy more easily.
C.They have better chances to survive.
D.They can be eaten by smaller creatures.
3.How did the researchers carry out the study?
A.Testing the density of whales with acoustic equipment.
B.Using different methods for different types of whales.
C.Calculating the amount of food in baleen whales’ stomachs.
D.Assessing the type and quantity of different whales.
4.What may stop whales from growing even bigger?
A.The amount of food.
B.The availability of equipment.
C.The size of their stomachs.
D.The concentrations of the whales.
In the future，we may not need to rely on human donations for life-saving skin grafts(移植）.
That’s the goal of Xeno Therapeutics, a biotech non-profit organization. The US Food and Drug Administration approved the group’s initial application for temporary skin grafts removed from genetically modified(基因改良）pigs. This means that they can start testing pig skin grafts on people who have experienced severe burns.
Skin，the body’s largest organ，plays an important role in blocking pathogens(病原体） from reaching our organs inside. It also helps the body keep a constant temperature. People with severe skin damage are at a high risk of developing deadly infections as a result of changes in temperature.
At the moment, the only skin grafts available in the US come from the dead people who have agreed to be organ donors, or patients who have gone through surgery to remove skin after large weight loss. These human skins used for grafts are not easy to find.
Xeno Therapeutics, which gets its name from animal-to-human transplants, has raised pigs that have skin remarkably similar to our own. Grafts from these pigs are therefore more likely to hide without being detected by the host's immune system—at least temporarily. The idea is that they could be used for immediate burn treatment, followed human skin graft treatment later.
“I’d say that just like comparing a Coke with Pepsi，it would be hard to tell which was the human skin and which was the pig graft，” said Xeno Therapeutics CEO Paul Holzer.
The non-profit organization has been working to conduct the clinical trials, which will only be testing the grafts’ safety and tolerability in six patients with severe burns. Assuming the results are positive after a month, the grafts will need to pass through two more stages of testing before they can be approved for widespread clinical use.
Several other groups around the world are working to make animal organs suitable for clinical medicine. In Brazil, researchers are exploring using tilapia skin as temporary bandages for burn victims whose skin is regrowing.
1.What’s the aim of Xeno Therapeutics?
A.To make profit from the grafts. B.To apply pig skin on human patients.
C.To modify pigs genetically. D.To test people with severe burns.
2.Why is skin important to human body?
A.It acts as a protective layer for our body. B.It helps us recover from deadly diseases.
C.It prevents itself from being damaged. D.It keeps one’s temperature changing.
3.What is Paul Holzer’s attitudes towards the pig skin grafts?
A.Doubtful. B.Worried.
C.Confident. D.Flexible.
4.What can we know about the grafts?
A.Only skin removed from pigs can be used for grafts.
B.Brazilian doctors have also applied pig skin for grafts.
C.Animal skin has been used on six patients safely.
D.They won't be put to use until they pass test
Not long ago, my wife and I spent a weekend together without any of our three children. This was the first time we had been alone for more than a few hours since our oldest was born four years ago.
What did we do on our short vacation? My wife read the first hundred or so pages of Tom Jones , a book she has been meaning to read for ages. There was takeout and a nice long walk along the shore of Lake Michigan. Football was watched. But mostly? We slept, without worrying for once about whether a shrill voice might awaken us between the hours of 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. to demand a glass of water (“No，not that one，the Tinkerbell cup!’’）. We were too relaxed to do anything else.
As parents, we might tell other people that given the chance for even a short child-free break we would love to do some reading or take in a concert. This is not true. The truth is that what most of us really want is a chance not to think about how well we are using our time.
By admitting this，I realize the myth(错误的看法）of the brain-dead parents. Being brain-dead is what a parent like me looks forward to rather than something to be accused of. The novelist Lucy Ellmann recently provided a convenient summary in an interview：
You watch people get pregnant and know they’ll be emotionally and intellectually absent for 20 years. Thought, knowledge, adult conversation, and vital political action are all put on hold. With a kiddo, you become a human koala while your old friends continue to have “interests”. They do art and literature and science, you see, not diapers(尿不湿）.
When you become responsible for the life of a very small person, nothing is more important than shouldering that responsibility. In that sense，parenting is a chance to reconsider the value of an extra 20 minutes in bed or a short phone conversation with an old friend. As to my wife and me, we spent the weekend eating steamed dumplings and drinking wine until we fell asleep.
We value the all-too-rare experience of being brain-dead.
1.What did the author and his wife mainly do on the weekend?
A.They did some reading. B.They had a sound sleep.
C.They had a nice long walk. D.They watched a football match.
2.What do the underlined words “put on hold” in paragraph 5 refer to?
A.In control. B.Forbidden.
C.Abandoned. D.In vain.
3.How does keeping kids change the author’s life?
A.He begins to feel lonely. B.He is no longer responsible.
C.He becomes absent-minded. D.He hardly has his own time.
4.What’s the best title of the passage?
A.Tips for new parents B.Avoiding being brain-dead parents
C.The myth of brain-dead parents D.How to steal time as brain-dead parents
Wet ‘n’ Wild Water Amusement Park, Gurgaon
Like any other city, Gurgaon has some of the thrilling and exciting water amusement parks. Wet ‘n’ Wild Water Amusement Park was established in 1994 which is made for audiences of all age groups and is one of India's first water park resorts. It is the best place for your much-needed rest and relaxation purposes.
Main Attractions
The main attractions include the tornado, pendulum, slides for different age groups, billiard, discotheque, bowling alley, food spots for a picnic. The place also offers both indoor and outdoor adventures. They offer complete entertainment activities that will cater to all your needs.
Timings
Park is open every day from 1: a.m. to 8 p.m.
Entry Fee
For children below 3 years. tickets and entry are free.
For 3 to 10 years old children，the entry fee is 300 Rupees per person.
For adults, entry fee is 400 Rupees per person.
How to Reach
Wet ‘n’ Wild is just one kilometer inside from the main NH 8. It is located 26 km away from the Indira Gandhi International Airport. The nearest railway station to the park is the Parthi railway station which is 60 km away and the nearest bus stop is at Rampura.
Tel： +91-124-4812100
Website： www.wetnwildresorts.com
Email： infc@wetnwildresorts.com
Therefore, if you are thinking about visiting a fun-filled amusement park with your family, then stop now because Wet 'n' Wild is waiting for you! This non-stop fun ride will help you in experiencing a new dimension of thrill.
1.Which of the following is true about Wet 'n' Wild Water Amusement Park?
A.It is a responsible park. B.It has foods for different age groups.
C.It is open all day long. D.It has various entertainment activities.
2.How much should a couple with two kids aged 7 and 2 pay for entry?
A.1，600 Rupees. B.1,400 Rupees.
C.1.200 Rupees. D.1,100 Rupees.
3.What's the author’s purpose of writing the text?
A.To persuade. B.To advertise.
C.To entertain. D.To describe.
最近，受新冠肺炎疫情影响，李华的美国朋友David要在家里上网课。David得知李华上过网课且成绩优秀，于是写邮件祝贺并求助。假定你是李华，请就David的邮件作回复。
Data:28 March From: David To: LiHua Subject: Asking for advice
Dear Li Hua
Congratulations on your excellent academic performance in your exams of online courses!Paced with the COVD-19 pandemic,we now have to take online classes just as you did not long ago.So I am writing to ask you for the recipe for effective independent learning as well as the approach to avoiding a lonely life at home.
I’d like to know how you are able to ensure full-concentration while having online classes.Besides,owing to the terrible virus getting-togethers have already been called off.There is no exception to our weekly Chinese cultural activities.You are welcome to recommend some activities for me to take up alone.
I am looking forward to receiving your reply.
Love
David
（写作内容）
1.表达对收到David 来信的喜悦心情；
2.针对 David的请求，给出合理的建议。
（写作要求）
1.词数为120个左右；
2.写作过程中不能直接引用原文语句；
3.作文中不能出现真实姓名和学校名称。
（评分标准）
内容完整，语言规范，语篇连贯，词数适当。
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阅读下而短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
Wenchuan quake survivor follows in his hero’s footsteps
Twelve years ago, Cheng Qiang was a 12-year-old boy who held a sign1.(say) ''I want to become an airborne trooper(空中骑兵)when I grow up. ''when he saw airborne troops leave 2.their rescue work in the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. Now Cheng has become a soldier of the Chinese airborne troops, just3. he said he would.
Looking back on the day when the earthquake happened, Cheng had a lucky escape as he had skipped school and4. (go)swimming in a pond in Shifang,Wenchuan.But the earthquake destroyed his home and took away the5.(life)of his little niece and his classmates.
''We survived but fell into despair, not knowing6.to do, '' he said. Then on the second day of the earthquake came the moment he will never forget-a large number of airbome troops appeared in his hometown, carrying rescue supplies. Later, he knew Huang Jiguang was7. at the troop unit.
Huang Jiguang is a Chinese war hero 8.sacrificed(牺牲)himself in the Battle of Shangganling during9. War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea in 1952. ''Huang and I both come from Deyang, Sichuan province. The airborne troops are just like my family.'' Cheng said. ''So I made up my mind10.(become)one of them who could bring people strength and hope, '' he said.
