Urban Wildlife
Cities are diverse ecosystems. In addition to visitors from the wild, a large number of species share our urban areas. As our cities spread, we need to think about what it is like for other species to have human neighbors.
Cities are built for humans. 1.For example, most city parks are kept neat and tidy so that humans will find them beautiful. But when we cut grass or plant flowers, we destroy natural habitats.
2.When a bridge in Austin, Texas was repaired, engineers added small gaps running along the length of its bottom. This made a good home for bats, and soon the bridge was the home of
thousands of bats. 3. Now, they have come to value their winged neighbors. The bats are a tourist attraction, and they eat lots of bugs every night.
There are also structures built with the aim of bringing wildlife into the city. The Beijing Olympic Forest Park is a good example. The park used native plants and created open, natural spaces for wildlife. The result is a zone in Beijing with over 160 species of birds. In many ways, the park is the opposite of a zoo. 4.
If we learn to share our space, we can become better neighbors to the wildlife around us. 5. Our own future will be endangered too.
A.They are built to protect birds.
B.Our actions sometimes help other species.
C.If we do not, more species will become extinct.
D.They do not always provide suitable habitats for wildlife.
E.Instead of being kept in cages, wildlife can move about freely.
F.At first, people were afraid of the bats and tried to get rid of them.
G.They would sit on it and their droppings would fall into the water.
A 2018 report found that food waste would increase by a third to 2. 1billion tons by 2030. Beyond the cost of the waste itself，thrown-away food generates a gas that contributes to climate change.
Home delivery meal kits(盒)can reduce food waste by more than two-thirds，but suppliers need to switch to reusable packaging to make them environmentally friendly.
Tailor-made meal kits cut waste by providing people with precise amounts of fresh ingredients(烹饪原料)for chosen recipes，meaning leftovers are minimized. But while the delivery services score well on reducing food waste，buying the same food ingredients from the supermarket almost always saves energy overall simply because meal kits use so much single-use packaging. The good news is that if people have meals that are tailored for consumption，they won’t overbuy and have less food waste. They fine-tune the amount of food to what they will actually eat.
Meal kits can reduce transport emissions(排放)if people go to the supermarket less frequently. If people only go and buy such goods as soap and toilet paper，they may only have to visit once every couple of months. A delivery truck can carry meals for a lot of people in the neighborhood. So dozens of car trips might be replaced with one truck trip.
However，study found that even if delivery meal kits reduced food waste to zero，they would still use up more energy overall than buying the same food from the supermarket unless the energy used for the meal kit packaging was cut by a fifth. The packaging is a killer if it’s single-use and thrown away，which can make all the environmental benefits lost. But if the packaging can be reused，if it’s glass bottles，like in the old days，we can get some benefits.
1.What can we learn about home delivery meal kits?
A.They can cut down on daily expenses.
B.They will totally solve the problem of food waste.
C.They can keep energy consumption to a minimum.
D.They will benefit the environment with reusable packaging.
2.What does the underlined word“fine-tune”in paragraph 3 mean?
A.Attach. B.Adjust.
C.Raise. D.Compare.
3.The author suggests carrying meals with a delivery truck to__________.
A.reduce transport emissions B.save more food
C.shop only in the supermarket D.shorten car trip distances
4.What’s the author’s attitude to meal kits?
A.Supportive. B.Unfavorable.
C.Objective. D.Indifferent.
“ The moment before they called my name, I was really nervous because the other finalists’ presentations are really good and I thought they would win, ” Kara Fan, 14, who has won America’ s Top Young Scientist, told Yahoo Finance. “ When they announced my name, I was really surprised actually. ”
To win that claim, Fan’ s nano-particle liquid bandage had to surpass the experiments of hundreds of fifth to eighth graders as well as nine other finalists. Fan started developing her liquid bandage in April 2019 to fight the overuse of antibiotics(抗生素).
According to the CDC, roughly 2 million people every year suffer a bacterial infection in the U. S. and about 23, 000 passed away as a result. If left alone, a UN study reported, drug- resistant diseases or the “ superbug” could lead to 10 million deaths across the globe by 2050. When Fan’ s sprayable bandage dries on a person’ s skin, it creates a thin layer that protects the wounded area while breaking the cell wall and killing the bacteria on the skin. After experimenting with copper nitrate(硝酸铜) to fight bacteria, switching to the silver nitrate ended up being the major catalyst (催化剂) to seeing results for her award-winning project.
“ Thousands of years ago, ancient people would use copper and silver to eat with and they would drink water from like copper bowls to kill bacteria, ” Fan explained. “ I found out that it didn’t work. So I used nano silver. ”
Sir Alexander Fleming’ s discovery of penicillin— a type of antibiotic— is Fan’ s favorite scientific discovery. That said, she doesn’ t think humans should rely too heavily on penicillin.
Following her years at Westview High School, Fan hopes to continue her biology track at Stanford University. Along with the ＄ 25, 000 cash prize she won on October 29, becoming Amer-ica’ s Top Young Scientist may help get the private university’ s attention.
1.How did Kara Fan feel about her winning the prize?
A.Confident. B.Regretful.
C.Proud. D.Unexpected.
2.For what purpose did Fan develop her liquid bandage?
A.To fight overuse of antibiotics. B.To enter a national contest.
C.To reduce deaths from injuries. D.To get into a good university.
3.Which of the following does Fan use to kill bacteria?
A.Copper nitrate. B.Copper.
C.Silver. D.Nano silver.
4.What might be Fan’ s opinion about penicillin？
A.Addictive. B.Valuable.
C.Useless. D.Irreplaceable.
With bushfires continuing to swallow different parts of Australia, a local zoo in New South Wales - the state which is the easiest to catch fire - has hit the headlines with a heartwarming story.
Right in the line of a bushfire, the keepers of Mogo Wildlife Park managed to protect all 200 animals from harm after they received evacuation orders, according to reports.
Netizens were quick to react on social media and praised the bravery of the zoo keeper and staffs, as they stayed and managed to protect animals from uncontrolled fires and even sheltered some at their own house.
The 40-year-old zoo keeper, Chad Staples, described the situation as the worst catastrophe, which felt like Armageddon (大决战) here. Luckily, his team had made a precise plan ahead of time by moving everything flammable from the area and the larger animals to safe places.
What’s remarkable is that as the smaller ones needed extra shelter, Staples decided to take them to his own house.
“Right now in my house there are animals of all descriptions in all the different rooms. They are safe and protected … not a single animal lost,” he said.
BBC news also mentioned that “there’s a tiger to the back of the house.”
Some media outlets highlighted the “heroic job” in their headlines. Online users also reacted with thumbs-up and were glad to see all the staff and animals coming through the horrific fire.
Located in the southern coast of New South Wales, Mogo Wildlife Park houses Australia’s largest collection of primates, also including different and unique animals such as zebras, giraffes, rhinos and red pandas.
1.New South Wales hits the headlines because of ________.
A.its famous zoo
B.its endangered animals
C.the heartwarming event
D.being easy to catch fire
2.Which of the following is true about Mogo Wildlife Park?
A.It belongs to Chad Staples.
B.None of the animals is missing.
C.It merely holds rare animal species.
D.Extra shelters were built for emergencies.
3.Which word can probably describe Chad Staples?
A.Irresponsible. B.Considerate.
C.Selfish. D.Energetic.
4.Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
A.The Heroic Job.
B.The Horrific Fire.
C.The Extinct Animals.
D.The Brave Zoo Keeper.
MarineLand Theme Park
With numerous rides, a variety of wildlife from both land and sea and shows filled with action-packed excitement, no wonder it's a hit with visitors from all over the world. Whether riding on the world's biggest steel roller coaster, Dragon Mountain, or enjoying a show filled with fun-loving dolphins and intelligent whales, you’re sure to have the time of your life at MarineLand. Having been in business for more than 50 years, this park has something for every member of the family!
Highlights＆Attractions:
The King Waldorf Stadium Show：This entertaining, educational and heart-warming show features dolphins, white whales, sea lions, and walruses and is sure to leave you in awe as well as help you understand and appreciate these wonderful marine mammals(海洋哺乳动物).
Arctic Cove: It featuring one of the largest white whale collections in the world, visitors are able to purchase a pass to Arctic Cove where they can touch and feed the whales as well as view them underwater.
Friendship Cove: Breathtaking underwater viewing allows you to enter the magic world of the killer whale below the water surface or on a surface level walkway.
Hotels：
Villager Lodge: It is located in Niagara Falls, Ontario.
Diplomat Inn: Within half a mile of the Skylon Tower, it is the choice for an inexpensive location.
Marriott Niagara Falls Fallsview Hotel&Spa: It is close to popular attractions and the Scotiabank Convention Center.
Days Inn Lundy's Lane: It is located just two miles from the gorgeous Niagara Falls and the Skylon Tower Observation Deck.
Hours of Operation:10:00 am-5:00 pm(Sept. 11th—Oct. 13th)
Phone:417—823—0981
1.What can be learned about MarineLand Theme Park?
A.It is only suitable for kids.
B.It was opened fifty years ago.
C.It has both land and marine animals.
D.It has the world's biggest roller coaster.
2.What is special about Arctic Cove?
A.It has the largest white whale collection in the world.
B.It allows visitors to enter the magic world of the killer whale.
C.It features an entertaining show starring various marine mammals.
D.It provides visitors with a chance to interact with white whales personally.
3.Which hotel suits you best if you have a tight budget?
A.Diplomat Inn.
B.Villager Lodge.
C.Days Inn Lundy's Lane.
D.Marriott Niagara Fails Fallsview Hotel&Spa.
假如你是李华，你校拟以“追逐自己的梦想”为主题进行英语演讲比赛，请你写一篇短文，内容如下：
1.你的梦想；
2.原因；
3.实现方式。
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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