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.
假定你是李华最近得知英国新冠疫情（COVID-19 epidemic）比较严重，你很担忧英国朋友Peter，请你给他写封邮件，内容包括：
1. 他的情况；
2. 咱们的抗疫经验（勤洗手；戴口罩mask；开窗通风等）；
3. 你的期待（希望他身体健康，来中国旅游）。
注意：
1. 词数100左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同学写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。错误涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加:在缺词处加一个漏字符号（^）,并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除:把多余的词用（\）划掉。
修改:在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意: 1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词;
2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
Last Saturday morning in the railway station, I casually saw something that touched me deep. Right as I was on my way to the main hall, I saw an old woman putting something next to a slept homeless man. I wanted to see what she had put some moneys there. Instead of, I just find a sandwich. The moment was very touching. The old woman just helped the man in need though his act might not be recognized. This made me realize it's a small thing that could really make big difference. I was luck to see so an act of kindness.
