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.
阅读下面短文，根据其内容写一篇 60 词左右的内容概要。
Children form opinions about drugs and alcohol at a very early age. Even four and five year olds have definite opinions about alcohol. Preschoolers, because of the commercials(商业广告) they see on TV, often think that alcohol helps people have more fun and be better athletes! Images of alcohol are everywhere in our society—consumption of alcohol is represented twice per hour in daytime shows, and three times in an average evening program. Also, posters about alcohol can be seen on buses, at underground stations, in streets and so on.
Despite the wide spread of alcohol in our society, and the problems that can be connected with it, many parents feel uncomfortable when talking about alcohol with their children, or are not sure when and how to start. Many parents believe that teenage drinking is something that their children would never be involved in.
Unfortunately, teenage drinking is very common in North Dakota. In a statewide survey of adolescents in junior and senior high school, only 24% claimed to have never consumed alcohol. When asked about their drinking in the past 30 days:
•61% adolescents reported drinking
•42% drank five or more drinks in a row
•17% reported binge(大吃大喝) drinking
•4.2% reported driving and drinking
Other research on rural youth in North Dakota has found that about 10% of a sample of fifth and sixth graders were engaged in frequent drinking. Teenagers who reported alcohol use (especially those who began use in late elementary school and junior high school) were more likely to be depressed, feel less positive about both their family and friends, and have poorer grades.
Research has found that children and even teenagers turn to their parents in making decisions about important things in their life. Decisions about using alcohol are undoubtedly something that parents will want to provide guidance about. So it’s high time that parents should talk to children about alcohol seriously.
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假定你是李华，你的美国外教Tom 在你校任教期间，帮助学校组建了英语俱乐部，增强了英语学习的氛围。现在，他三年任期已满准备回国。请你代表学校给他写一封信，内容包括:
1. 对其所作工作表示感谢；2. 表达继续保持联系的愿望；3. 欢迎他再次来中国。
注意:1.词数 80 左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3. 开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
Dear Tom,
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Yours truly,
Li Hua
