The beautiful oceans that cover three-quarters of our planet are home to some of our most valuable natural resources. However, while our knowledge of outer space is quite wide, the same cannot be said about the deep waters, thanks to the fact that any attempts to monitor them have either been too awkward or too expensive. Now, California-based Liquid Robotics has come up with an invention that is both economical and easily used across the waters.
Called Wave Glides, the autonomous robot that resembles a surfboard consists of two interconnected sections - on the surface is a glider(滑翔机)fitted with solar panels, battery and sensors. Right below underwater is a navigation(航行) glider.
The robot travels at a snail’s pace gathering data. This data is quickly sorted by its solar-powered computer chips and then sent ashore for analysis. This robot contains no battery that needs recharging. It is a zero emission (排放)device that uses wave energy to push itself forward.
The company is working towards making the robot even more autonomous than it currently is. As it now stands, while the robot can sense a danger such as a ship or a shark, it does not have the ability to move away. Liquid Robotics wants to change that and program the robot so that it has the ability to move away from danger.
To encourage the general public to get involved with the informative data collected by Wave Glider, the company is planning to launch four of the robots on a yearlong trip across the Pacific. Two will head for Tokyo and two for Sydney. All the data they collect will be posted online and the person who comes up with the most innovative interpretation will be awarded a prize.
1.What can we infer from Paragraph 1?
A.It costs less to explore the sea than outer space. B.Outer space has more resources than the oceans
C.People do not have as much knowledge of oceans as space. D.Three quarters of natural resources come from the oceans.
2.What do we know about Wave Glider?
A.It is eco-friendly. B.It can be used as a surfboard.
C.It’s shaped like a snail. D.It uses solar energy to move.
3.What change is most likely to be expected of Wave Glider?
A.Traveling more quickly. B.Sensing danger autonomously.
C.Analyzing data underwater. D.Keeping itself away from danger.
4.Why will four robots be launched on a yearlong trip?
A.To find more natural resources. B.To collect data around the world.
C.To get people informed of collected data. D.To test their ability to work underwater.
5.What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?
A.To promote an online contest. B.To call on people to explore oceans.
C.To introduce a new invention. D.To share the data collected in oceans.
Elephants born without tusks(长牙) normally make up just 2 to 6 percent of the herd population. However, that is not the case at Mozambique’s Gorongosa National Park, where 33 percent of female elephants born after the country’s civil war ended in 1992 are tuskless. While that might be just a coincidence(巧合), Joyce Poole, an elephant behavior expert, has another theory.
The researcher thinks we may be witnessing an unnaturally evolution of the species due to the hunting of the elephants for their valuable tusks. Unlike our permanent teeth, tusks of elephants grow throughout the animal’s life, becoming longer and thicker with age. For decorative purposes, poachers usually first target older males due to their impressive tusks, and females are not spared either. As a result, in areas where hunting goes unchecked for long, the number of tuskless females increases. This allows them to gain a biological advantage, resulting in a larger than average population of female offspring (后代)with no tusks.
Poole believes this phenomenon explains the rise in the number of tuskless females at Gorongosa National Park. The researcher says before the war, the park was home to over 4,000 elephants. However, by the time the conflict ended in 1992, about 90 percent of the elephants had been slaughtered for tusks to help finance weapons and meat to feed the soldiers. Of the less than 200 survivors, over 50 percent of the females had no tusks. Hence, it is not surprising that the park’s tuskless elephant population has grown greatly.
So far, the hunting has largely influenced female elephants. Poole explains, “Very few males are tuskless because males require tusks for fighting. Without tusks, males have a much harder time breeding and do not pass on their genes(基因) as often as tusked ones.” If the hunting of males for tusks continues at this pace, it could result in a generation of elephants with much smaller tusks.
1.How does the writer draw readers’ attention to the topic?
A.By comparing figures. B.By offering explanation. C.By giving an example. D.By introducing an expert.
2.What might be the reason for the increase of tuskless females?
A.Illegal hunting. B.Pure coincidence.
C.Natural evolution. D.Effective protection.
3.What does the underlined word “slaughtered” in Paragraph 3 mean?
A.Raised. B.Protected. C.Killed. D.Trained.
4.What is the text mainly about?
A.The future of African elephants.
B.The protection of African elephants.
C.The increasing number of tuskless elephants.
D.The genetic consequence of hunting elephants.
5.In which section of a newspaper may this text appear?
A.Health. B.Science. C.Education. D.Finance.
While my cousin and I were riding horses over the dry, grassy hills and swimming in the Navarro River, Mother, Grandma, Auntie Gert, and my elder cousins had begun the annual work of preparations for Thanksgiving on our farm, five months ahead of Thanksgiving.
By mid-July, the summer kitchen was running full steam. Peas were always the first to be processed. Everyone Grandma could get help from sat shelling(剥落) the peas into large pans, but as we wished we were out swimming. Then came the cherries. Mother packed them into jars, while Auntie Gert separated the riper cherries into a large pot to make delicious jam, which is my favorite. Peaches followed shortly. They were carefully washed, then skinned, halved and packed.
By fall, ropes of onions and garlic hung at the end of the shelves; apples, potatoes and pumpkins lined the floor.
With the coming of November rains, Grandma filled the remaining shelf space with coffee cans(罐) packed with her famous fruitcakes. The smell of spices, apples and bay leaves came into the house, announcing the Thanksgiving season.
The weekend before Thanksgiving, aunts, uncles, and cousins began to arrive. My uncles helped Grandpa catch up on repairs around the farm; my aunts baked pie and bread; and my cousins and I played card games in the front room, staying as close to the warm woodstove as possible. When the Thanksgiving dinner was ready, we’d all sit around the dining table, which extended into the front room. Grandpa would pray. And then it was time to enjoy the delicious food prepared months ago.
How I miss those simple happy old days!
1.What does the author mainly intend to show in Paragraph 1?
A.Thanksgiving food was hard to prepare.
B.He loved riding horses with his cousins.
C.All his relatives lived together on the farm.
D.Preparations for Thanksgiving began early in his family.
2.What did the writer do to help with the preparations in summer?
A.Wash peaches. B.Nothing. C.Pack cherries. D.Shell peas.
3.The preparations for Thanksgiving include____.
① making jam ② baking bread
③ doing repairs ④ making coffee
A.①②③ B.①③④ C.①②④ D.②③④
4.Why does the writer start almost each paragraph with a phrase expressing time?
A.To attract attention. B.To show the diversity of preparations.
C.To record activities. D.To stress the long period of preparations.
5.How might the author feel about the family’s preparations for Thanksgiving?
A.They are challenging. B.They are worth the efforts.
C.They are troublesome. D.They are a waste of time.
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.Why did the post office in Guyana print their own special stamps?
A.They wanted to make more money.
B.They had only a few usual stamps left.
C.There were no 1-cent or 4-cent stamps then.
2.How much was the l-cent stamp sold for in 1980?
A.A few dollars. B.Seven thousand dollars. C.Seven million dollars.
3.Why are stamps with mistakes so valuable?
A.They are very limited. B.They are very beautiful. C.They were made long ago.
4.What is the text mainly about?
A.The history of the stamps.
B.Things learned from stamps.
C.Reasons for collecting stamps.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.Where did the man go on holiday?
A.Paris. B.Bali. C.London.
2.What did the man do on the first day of his holiday?
A.Go swimming. B.Go boating. C.Play volleyball.
3.What’s the probable relationship between the speakers?
A.Classmates. B.Colleagues. C.Fellow travelers.
4.How did the man probably feel when he visited the small island?
A.Tired. B.Excited. C.Disappointed.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.What day might it be yesterday?
A.Monday. B.Tuesday. C.Saturday.
2.What did the woman do after hearing the noise last night?
A.She went to sleep. B.She turned the light on. C.She went up for a look.
3.Who is the woman probably talking to?
A.A neighbor. B.Her husband. C.A policeman.
