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Every year, little black-and-white birds called pied flycatchers(斑姬鹟) travel from sub-Saharan Africa to northern Europe to feast on caterpillars (毛毛虫), claim a nest, and have babies. And they fly back a few months later. But recently, some flycatchers have arrived only to find their nesting sites occupied by great tits (大山雀). And those birds don’t just chase flycatchers away—they attack them, kill them, and eat their brains.
Great tits live in European forests all year round. Flycatchers are regular vacationers. Since the 1980s, flycatchers’ reproductive season has been inching up earlier in the month of April. Warm spring temperatures have caused caterpillar populations to boom. To adapt to that, flycatchers arrive a bit earlier, too. That won’t be too big a problem. But now, tits delay their breeding period a bit in April, so they overlap with the flycatchers, and violence begins.
Moreover, there’s limited nesting space in many of these birds’ favorite forests—the trees can be quite young and have very few tree holes where birds can nest. Volunteers and academics have placed nestboxes to help. But with climate change, birds’ breeding schedules getting closer, there aren’t enough nestboxes to go around. Unfriendly hosts—the tits, eat their brains.
“Great tits are superior competitors when it comes down to a fight, ” said Jelmer Samplonius, lead author of a study. “People see it as a cute garden bird, but some of them have a real anger management problem. ” Luckily, the murdered birds were often surplus males that arrive late. The deaths haven’t had a big impact on the population because those late males probably won’t have had babies anyway. But there’s always the chance that it could get worse.
“Whatever the flycatcher population’s future may hold, ” Samplonius said, “this is a good example of why it’s essential to study how climate change can shift animals’ schedules, often with deadly consequences. Understanding different responses to changing environments will be an important part of species assessments in coming years.”
1.What has happened to pied flycatchers recently?
A.They couldn’t get enough food.
B.Their nesting sites were destroyed.
C.Their babies have become less likely to survive.
D.Their lives have been threatened by another kind of birds.
2.Which is one of the causes of the violence between pied flycatchers and great tits?
A.The change in migration of flycatchers. B.The delay of flycatchers’ reproductive season,
C.The reduction of both birds’ favorite forests. D.The two birds’ sharing the same food.
3.Which can best describe great tits?
A.Ugly. B.Smart. C.Aggressive. D.Lazy.
4.What can be the best title for the text?
A.A terrible bird murder B.Birds’ struggle to hunt
C.Birds’ influence on climate change D.The future of mixed species communities
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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Dessi Sieburth's love of birds started about six years ago. Now, he has his own group called Protecting Our Birds.Recently,Dessi,14 years old, chatted with TFK about his work and goals for the future.
TFK:
What is Protecting Our Birds?
DESSI：
Birds are citizens of the world, so they need protection. I basically try to do conservation work to help birds get protected throughout the world. I recently wrote an article about a bird called the bartailed godwit(斑尾）.I interviewed a biologist named Nils Warnock, who had studied the bartailed godwit. He expressed the concern about the threat that the bartailed godwit is facing. I wrote an article about his answers to the questions, which is published on the American Birding Association Website.
TFK:
What impelled you to start this project?
DESSI:
When I was eight years old, our class had to do a woodworking project, so I chose a bird feeder(喂食盒). I didn't like birds at the time. I made the feeder, filled it up with seed, put it in my backyard and then the birds started coming. I got really interested in birds as more came. I later got involved in my local Audubon Society, which is devoted to conserving and restoring natural ecosystems. It really got me into birds and I realized bird populations were declining, and many are becoming endangered quite rapidly. I wanted to help them, so I started the project.
TFK:
What are some future projects you plan to work on?
DESSI：
I live in L.A., where there are a lot of parrots. Most of the parrots' native range is in Mexico, but they’re really declining there because of habitat loss. I want to study the parrots and help them in their native range in Mexico, so they can start increasing again.
TFK:
How can people learn more about Protecting Our Birds and the work you're doing?
DESSI：
I have a website. It's my free website about protecting our birds. There people can learn about what I do and how to help birds.
1.What's Nils Warnock's attitude to the bartailed godwit?
A. Worried. B. Changing.
C. Uncertain. D. Optimistic.
2.When did Dessi start his project “Protecting Our Birds”?
A. After he prepared a feeder for birds.
B. After he interviewed Nils Warnock.
C. After he studied parrots in Mexico.
D. After he joined a local association.
3.What will Dessi probably do next?
A. Write articles about birds in danger.
B. Help parrots losing the natural home.
C. Set up a website to teach how to help birds.
D. Recreate his own conservation organization.
高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
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In Malta, people hold a 1.(tradition) festival called Gostra. They hold Gostra Festival every year to mark the feast day of Saint Julian. Part of the festival is a special competition. For 2. competition, people prepare a piece of round wood, 3. is about 10 meters long. Then, they put oil over the pole and carry it to a boat, 4. one end on the boat and the other over the water. There are flags 5. (attach) to the end of the pole. People are supposed to take turns to run along the pole and get one flag at a time. Obviously, it is not easy to make it. Many people fall into the water and end 6.(they) chances. The one who gets the most 7.(flag) wins the competition.
For some competitors, the style in which they fall off the pole seems to be 8.(slight) more important than getting the flags. But there are still some others who show definite determination while 9. (run) on that oily pole. Following the day’s entertainment, as dusk 10.(fall), hunters fire guns over the harbor to show respect for Saint Julian.
高三英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
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This little South American Magellanic penguin swims 5,000 miles, to a beach in Brazil, every year in order to be reunited with the man who saved its life. It sounds like something out of a fairy tale, but it’s true!
71-year-old retired brick worker Joao, who lives in an island village just outside Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, found the small Magellanic penguin lying on rocks at his local beach in 2011. The penguin was covered in oil and running out of time fast. Joao rescued the penguin, naming it Din, cleaned the oil off its feathers and fed him a daily diet of fish to rebuild its strength. After a week of recovery, Joao attempted to release the penguin back into the wild. However, Din had already formed a family bond with his rescuer and wouldn’t leave.
“He stayed with me for 11 months and then, just after he changed his coat with new feathers, he disappeared,” Joao recalls. “I love the penguin like it’s my own child and I believe the penguin loves me,” Joao told Globo TV. “No one else is allowed to touch him. He pecks (啄) them if they do. He lies on my lap, lets me give him showers, and allows me to feed him.”
Professor Krajewski, a biologist who interviewed the fisherman for Globo TV, told The Independent: “I have never seen anything like this before. I think the penguin believes Joao is part of his family and probably a penguin as well.”
However, environmentalists warn that, while hundreds of the Magellanic species are known to naturally migrate (迁徙) thousands of miles north in search of food, there has been a worrying rise in the phenomenon of oceanic creatures washing up on Brazil’s beaches. Professor David Zee from Rio de Janeiro’s State University, said the increase is due in part to global climatic changes. Professor Zee added that sea animals face increased danger from leaked tanker oil.
Luckily the ending for Joao and Din has been a happy one, even though it is illegal in Brazil to keep wild animals as pets.
Professor Krajewski said: “Professionals who work with animals try to avoid relationships like this occurring so they are able to reintroduce the animal into the wild. But in this single case the authorities allowed Din to stay with Joao because of his kindness.”
1.Every year Din swims a long distance to a beach in Brazil to ______.
A.avoid being killed B.meet his rescuer
C.escape from ocean currents D.find much more fish
2.When Din was found in 2011 ______.
A.he was dying B.he was running on the beach
C.he was resting on a rock D.he was cleaning oil off his feathers
3.What can we learn about Joao from the passage?
A.He is not allowed to keep the penguin as a pet by the authorities.
B.He overprotects the penguin by keeping him away from others.
C.His contact with the penguin is encouraged by professionals.
D.His kindness wins the penguin’s trust.
4.The story in the passage mainly shows ______.
A.the environmental impact on wildlife
B.the love between humans and wildlife
C.the tendency of wildlife to bond with humans
D.the protection of threatened wildlife by mankind
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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This little South American Magellanic penguin swims 5,000 miles, to a beach in Brazil, every year in order to be reunited with the man who saved its life. It sounds like something out of a fairy tale, but it’s true!
71-year-old retired brick worker Joao, who lives in an island village just outside Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, found the small Magellanic penguin lying on rocks at his local beach in 2011. The penguin was covered in oil and running out of time fast. Joao rescued the penguin, naming it Din, cleaned the oil off its feathers and fed him a daily diet of fish to rebuild its strength. After a week of recovery, Joao attempted to release the penguin back into the wild. However, Din had already formed a family bond with his rescuer and wouldn’t leave.
“He stayed with me for 11 months and then, just after he changed his coat with new feathers, he disappeared,” Joao recalls. “I love the penguin like it’s my own child and I believe the penguin loves me,” Joao told Globo TV. “No one else is allowed to touch him. He pecks (啄) them if they do. He lies on my lap, lets me give him showers, and allows me to feed him.”
Professor Krajewski, a biologist who interviewed the fisherman for Globo TV, told The Independent: “I have never seen anything like this before. I think the penguin believes Joao is part of his family and probably a penguin as well.”
However, environmentalists warn that, while hundreds of the Magellanic species are known to naturally migrate (迁徙) thousands of miles north in search of food, there has been a worrying rise in the phenomenon of oceanic creatures washing up on Brazil’s beaches. Professor David Zee from Rio de Janeiro’s State University, said the increase is due in part to global climatic changes. Professor Zee added that sea animals face increased danger from leaked tanker oil.
Luckily the ending for Joao and Din has been a happy one, even though it is illegal in Brazil to keep wild animals as pets.
Professor Krajewski said: “Professionals who work with animals try to avoid relationships like this occurring so they are able to reintroduce the animal into the wild. But in this single case the authorities allowed Din to stay with Joao because of his kindness.”
1.Every year Din swims a long distance to a beach in Brazil to ______.
A.avoid being killed B.meet his rescuer
C.escape from ocean currents D.find much more fish
2.When Din was found in 2011 ______.
A.he was dying B.he was running on the beach
C.he was resting on a rock D.he was cleaning oil off his feathers
3.What can we learn about Joao from the passage?
A.He is not allowed to keep the penguin as a pet by the authorities.
B.He overprotects the penguin by keeping him away from others.
C.His contact with the penguin is encouraged by professionals.
D.His kindness wins the penguin’s trust.
4.The story in the passage mainly shows ______.
A.the environmental impact on wildlife
B.the love between humans and wildlife
C.the tendency of wildlife to bond with humans
D.the protection of threatened wildlife by mankind
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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Every year a great number of foreign tourists pay a visit to _____ we Chinese call Heaven Lake.
A．where B．which C．what D．that
高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
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Every year, families across the US and the UK hang up little strange-shaped pickles (腌黄瓜) to decorate their Christmas trees. The practice is ______ by many English-speaking families, and is thought to be brought over from _______.
The tradition involves hiding the pickle ornament(装饰品) among the branches, and _____ the child who finds it with the chance to open gifts first. It’s also believed that person will get good ____ for the year.
The origin of the ______, however, is a bit confusing. In fact, it doesn’t seem to have actually _____ in Germany at all, since most Germans don’t practice it. In 2016, a survey conducted among 2,057 Germans found that 91 percent had never even heard of it.
Another ____ is that the tradition of _____ a pickle didn’t actually start in Germany, but with a German immigrant in the US. The ______ goes that a German man named John Lower _____ to the US and became ill when he was in prison during the Civil War. He ______ a guard to give him a pickle as a last meal, but he _____surviving. After being _______, he honored that pickle by starting his own ______ tradition of hiding a pickle in his Christmas tree for the kids ---- saying ______ found it would have the same good ______ he did.
Of course, that story is also _______, and could just be a tale coming out nowhere to explain the pickles later on. According to Wide Open Country, the whole pickle game was most ______ a marketing trick to sell German glass ornaments to Americans.
It was said to be ______ by F.W. Woolworth when the store began importing the ornaments in 1880. Each one would come with a card telling the story of the tradition.
Whether the tradition is real or manufactured, pickle ornaments have become ______ everywhere.
1.A.interrupted B.mentioned C.favored D.suspected
2.A.Germany B.America C.England D.Australia
3.A.pleasing B.winning C.rewarding D.encouraging
4.A.fame B.luck C.fate D.life
5.A.congratulation B.expectation C.situation D.tradition
6.A.originated B.concluded C.borrowed D.dated
7.A.custom B.routine C.performance D.story
8.A.decorating B.hanging C.manufacturing D.purchasing
9.A.program B.inspiration C.legend D.intention
10.A.fled B.slipped C.escaped D.immigrated
11.A.persuaded B.advised C.commanded D.urged
12.A.gave up B.ended up C.set up D.showed up
13.A.removed B.rejected C.regained D.released
14.A.country B.family C.hometown D.community
15.A.whatever B.whichever C.whoever D.whomever
16.A.fortune B.possibility C.experience D.destiny
17.A.disappeared B.disapproved C.unexpected D.unconfirmed
18.A.appropriately B.approximately C.likely D.exactly
19.A.created B.imagined C.instructed D.directed
20.A.particular B.popular C.familiar D.regular
高三英语完形填空简单题查看答案及解析
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Look! There are lots of ________ birds flying over the trees.
A. funny red little B. funny little red
C. little funny red D. little red funny
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
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Most birds produce short, simple calls, but songbirds also have the ability of many complex vocal (发声的) patterns that help them attract mates, defend territory (领地), and strengthen their social bonds. Each songbird species has its own unique song patterns, some with characteristic regional dialects. Experienced listeners can even distinguish individual birds by their unique songs.
A lot of what scientists know about bird song comes from studying zebra finches. A baby male zebra finch typically learns to sing from its father or other males, starting while it’s still a baby bird in the nest. First comes the sensory learning stage, when the baby finch hears the songs sung around it and commits them to memory. The bird starts to vocalize during the motor learning stage, practicing until it can match the song it memorized. As the bird learns, hearing the tutor’s song over and over again is helpful — up to a point. If it hears the song too many times, the imitation (模仿) becomes worse -- and the source matters. If the song is played through a loudspeaker, he can’t pick it up as easily. But hide the same loudspeaker inside a toy painted to look like a zebra finch, and his learning improves.
What if the baby never hears another zebra finch’s song? Interestingly enough, it’ll sing anyway. Isolated finches still produce what are called innate songs or isolate songs. A specific tune might be taught, but the instinct to sing seems to exist in a songbird’s brain. Innate songs sound different from the “cultured” songs learned from other finches - at first. If isolate zebra finches start a new colony, the young birds pick up the isolate song from their fathers. But the song changes from generation to generation. And after a few generations, the melody actually starts to resemble the cultured songs sung by zebra finches in the wild.
1.What can be learned from the first paragraph?
A. Songbirds don’t make short, simple calls.
B. Each songbird has its unique song patterns.
C. Some songbirds can speak human regional dialects.
D. Songbirds promote relations with others by singing.
2.Which of the following is true about a baby zebra finch’s learning process?
A. It begins to learn to sing from its parents,
B. The more it hears the song, the better it sings.
C. Before practicing, it has to remember the songs.
D. A loudspeaker is good enough to be a good teacher.
3.The underlined words “innate songs” in paragraph 3 refer to .
A. the songs sung by only one bird itself
B. the songs that a bird produces naturally without learning
C. the songs that are taught by parents
D. the songs always different from those of the same species
4.What’s the best title of this text?
A. What Can Songbirds Do with Singing?
B. How Do Songbirds Learn to Sing?
C. Why Are Bird Songs Different?
D. What Is a Zebra Finch?
高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
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The opening ______ of 2008 the Beijing Olympics, which was held in the national stadium called Bird’s Nest, was a feast for the eyes.
A. exhibition B. ceremony C. form D. scene
高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析