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Good news for giant panda lovers: The cute and cuddly creature has just been brought back from the brink of extinction.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) downgraded the species from “endangered” to “vulnerable” as the union released its updated Red List on Sept 4 at Hawaii.
The downgrade came after IUCN data suggested that there were 1,864 giant pandas in the wild in China in 2014 — their population has grown by 17 percent in the decade leading up to 2014.
Chinese conservation efforts, including forest protection and reforestation, are considered to be the driving force behind the animal’s resurgence.
“It’s all about restoring the habitats,” Craig Hilton-Taylor, head of the IUCN Red List, told the BBC.
The number of panda reserves in China has also jumped to 67, from 13 in 1992. Nearly two-thirds of all wild pandas live in these reserves, according to the World Wildlife Fund.
“Just by restoring the panda’s habitat, that’s given them back their space and made food available to them,” Hilton-Taylor said.
A loss of habitats, on the contrary, was what caused the number of pandas to drop to just over 1,200 in the 1980s, Hilton-Taylor added.
Apart from giant pandas, the Tibetan Antelope has also moved from “endangered” to “near threatened”. According to a statement from IUCN, the animal’s numbers dwindled severely — dropping from around 1 million to an estimated 65,000-72,500 in the 1980s and early 1990s — due to commercial poaching. Rigorous(严格的) protection has since been enforced to protect the beasts and the population is now likely to be between 100,000 and 150,000.
Despite the improved statuses, wild animals like the giant panda and the Tibetan Antelope still face great challenges. The IUCN warned, for example, that ongoing threats from climate change could eliminate more than 35 percent of the panda’s bamboo habitat in the next 80 years, which would reverse the species recent gains.
1.What does the underlined word in pagagraph 1 mean?
A. dangerous and threatened. B. safe and sound.
C. weak and easily hurt. D. normal and common.
2.Which of the following can account for pandas’ living improvement?
A. Better climate. B. More built reserves.
C. Well restored habitats. D. Aroused public awareness.
3.The passage is written in order to ________.
A. convince B. inform C. argue D advocate
4.What does the last paragraph imply?
A. The climate will influence the threatened species.
B. We humans still have a long way to go to protect the endangered species.
C. Pandas will go extinct for lack of abundant food.
D. Habitats for giant pandas will decrease sharply.
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Good news for game lovers― a tank game has come out recently. In this game you are in a tank and the screen shows your view of the landscape outside. You gain points by shooting enemy tanks, supertanks, missiles (导弹) and flying saucers（飞碟）.
Expert players can gain scores of around 150,000 points at this game. To get a high score you have to destroy twenty tanks as quickly as possible. After this, the supertanks, missiles and flying saucers appear. These are worth far more points than the ordinary tanks. However, the number of tanks you have to destroy before the supertanks appear varies on different machines.
Try to get close to an enemy tank from the side or the back, so it cannot shoot at you. Then, when you get close, turn to face it, line it up in your sights and fire before it turns to shoot at you. If you miss or are too slow, quickly escape by moving out of the enemy's line of fire. You can then move around the enemy and come in from another side.
When a supertank appears, try to destroy it as quickly as possible. Then wait safely behind an obstacle（障碍物）for a missile or flying saucer. The cubes are useful objects to hide behind as you can fire over them without exposing yourself to danger. The missiles will fly straight at you, but they are difficult to hit, so do not shoot at them until they are quite close. The saucers are much easier to hit, but do not follow them as you will be open to attack from enemy tanks.
60. This passage is an / a ______ about a game.
A. instruction B. liberation C. tradition D. construction
61. If you hide behind the cubes during an attack, which of the following may not happen?
A. Avoiding being exposed to danger B. Destroying a missile
C. Firing over missiles or flying saucers D. Being hit by a missile
62. If you can destroy a supertank, missile or flying saucer, you will get_____.
A. many more points B. a machine to play with
C. an ordinary tank D. nothing
63. From the last sentence we can see that you are likely to be attacked by tanks if you_____.
A. hit a flying saucer B. run after a flying saucer
C. fire straight at a missile D. shoot at enemy tanks
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Animal .lovers have long suspected that playing with pups was good for the soul, and now science has confirmed it – for students in particular.
The results of a new study done by researchers at the University of British Columbia concluded that the college students who spent time at drop-in dog therapy sessions experienced an increase in feelings of wellness and a reduction in overall stress. The study, as reported by Science Daily, indicates that playing with pups is not only popular with the students, it’s also beneficial to their health. This finding was seen across gender（性别）.
The study, which published on March 12 in the journal Stress and Health, involved 246 students who were surveyed before and after they dropped by dog therapy sessions. The young participants were given free access to pet, hug with and talk to seven to 12 therapy dogs. Additionally, they filled out questionnaires right before and right after hanging with the dogs, as well as 10 hours later.
According to researchers, these young adults reported a notable increase in happiness, a significant reduction in stress and a flood of energy right after their sessions with the pups. Although the reported feelings of happiness and satisfaction weren’t long-lasting, researchers say other effects have clear, positive advantages.
“These sessions clearly provide benefits for students in the short-term, so we think universities should try to schedule them during particularly stressful times, such as around exam periods,” Assistant Professor of Psychology at UBC and the study’s senior author, Frances Chen told Science Daily. “Even having therapy dogs around while students are working on their out-of-class assignments could be helpful.”
1.What does the new study say about the pups?
A. They are only good for college students.
B. They are only beneficial to the students’ physical health.
C. They can increase happiness and satisfaction.
D. They can create positive feelings that last very long.
2.What does the author of study advise universities to do?
A. Allow their students to have therapy dogs to avoid acute stress.
B. Allow their students to have therapy dogs around during each exam.
C. Allow their students to have therapy dogs around during their class.
D. Allow their students to have therapy dogs to achieve good grades.
3.What can we infer from Paragraph 2?
A. College students like to play with pups.
B. Dog therapy sessions are popular among college students.
C. People especially college students are under great pressure.
D. Playing with pups benefits males and females mentally.
4.What may be the best title for the text?
A. Pups, best friends of humans. B. Pups, therapies for students.
C. Animal lovers and pups D. Pets keeping and the soul
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New research brings some good news for lovers of spicy(辛辣的) foods, after finding that eating hot red chili peppers might help to extend lifespan（寿命）.
Consuming hot red chili peppers might reduce death risk, say Chopan and Littenberg from the research team. In hot peppers, such as Mexico peppers, the strong flavor comes from a compound(复合物), which does not exist in sweet peppers or onions. Studies have suggested that this compound can offer a welth of health benefits.
A study of more than 16,000 people in the United States revealed that individuals who consumed red chili peppers had a lower risk of death from all causes over an average of 18 years than those who did not eat the spicy food. Compared with participants who did not consume hot red chili peppers, those who did were found to be at 13 percent reduced risk of all-cause death.
For example, a recent study reported by Medical News Today, found that the compound might have the potential to stop breast cancer, while an earlier study linked the compound to a reduced risk of digest system cancers. Still, the available data suggested that hot red chili pepper consumption was most strongly associated with a reduced risk of death from heart disease.
While the researchers are unable to identify the concrete compound by which red chili peppers might extend lifepan, the team says that it is likely due to the compound that is effectively against obesity(肥胖症).
Overall, the team says that these latest findings support those of the 2015 study, linking spicy food intake to reduced risk of death by showing “a significant decrease in death associated with hot red chili pepper consumption.” However, Chopan and Littenberg note that the earlier study was only conducted in Chinese adults, so the now research makes these findings more credible.
1.What can be inferred from the passage?
A. The study only goes for American people.
B. Red chili pepper can all-cause disease.
C. The compound protects people against obesity.
D. Onion consuming can reduce death risk.
2.What is the finding of the new research mainly about?
A. Hot red chili pepper lovers develop no cancers.
B. Hot red chili peppers help control breast illness.
C. Hot red chili peppers decrease heart disease.
D. Hot red chili pepper intake may increase lifespan.
3.Which of the following has the closest meaning to the underlined word “credible”?
A. Convincing. B. Practical. C. Encouraging. D. Attractive.
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The exhibition _____ such endangered animals as the giant panda and the Siberian tiger and describes the work being done to protect them．
A． exploits B． features
C． demonstrates D． inspects
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The exhibition _____ such endangered animals as the giant panda and the Siberian tiger and describes the work being done to protect them．
A． exploits B． features
C． demonstrates D． inspects
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The giant panda is an animal unique to China, and Wolong in Sichuan Province is one of the few places in China where ______.
A. the giant panda live B. lives the giant panda
C. does the giant live C. the giant panda is living
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Good news for coffee and tea drinkers: No more wasting time and energy waiting for the perfect cup. Using patented Heatworks’ Ohmic Array Technology, the DUO Smart Untethered Carafe (玻璃水瓶) has the power to heat or cool water to the exact degree while you pour. With its functionality, convenience and stylish appearance, the DUO looks like quite the game changer.
So how does it work? The precise temperature control lets you pick the water temperature to the plus/minus one degree. Simply set your temperature, pour water into the tank(fits four cups) at the top and pour into your cup. The carafe features one blue spout(出水口) for filtered (过滤的) cold water and another red spout for hot water, which appears to heat up instantly.
The entire device is battery operated, making it perfect for taking it to the office or really anywhere else. Youwill also be able to plug it in, so the carafe can stay comfortably on your kitchen table or desk to charge for on -the -go use.
The DUO advocate 99 percent energy efficiently and an advanced water filtration system created by heat works CEO Jerry Callahan,who wanted to create a heating system without using metal heating elements. Unsustainable and imperfect metal heating parts have been used for heating for the past 100 years and carry the risk of rusting(生锈). Callahan felt It was time for an upgrade heating systems, and the Ohmic Array Technology was born. Using electrical currents passed through the water itself rather than separate heated elements to transfer heat into the water. Ohmic Array cuts out a whole step in the process.
The DUO is not yet available for purchase, but you can learn more Information and sign up for the release updates on the Heatworks website.
1.What do we know about the DUO carafe from the first paragraph?
A. It makes perfect coffee. B. It heats or cools water.
C. It produces electricity to heat water D. It provides fun game to play
2.Which step is a must to get water of 80 °C with the DUO Carafe?
A. Set the required temperature B. Cool the boiling water
C. Pour water from the blue spout D. Add filtered water into the tank
3.The Ohmic Array Technology makes the DUO Carafe ___
A. fast to charge B. convenient to take
C. tough and stylish D. rust-free and time efficient
4.What's the main purpose of the text?
A. To apply for a patent B. To introduce a product
C. To report a product launch D. To share a technology
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A company called Compass Pools has some good news for height and swimming enthusiasts.Recently, the company announced their novel design-a first of its kind 360-degree pool which is set to be placed on a skyscraper in London.The Infinity London will be the first and only building in the world to include this cutting-edge pool design. The pool will be laid on top of a 55-story skyscraper and will allow people to float over 200 meters above the London skyline with unobstructed（无障碍）views of the city.
The entrance to the pool is hidden.People began to raise questions about how anyone would get inside the pool. Compass Pools explains: "Swimmers will access the pool through a rotating spiral（螺旋）staircase based on the door of a submarine, rising from the pool floor when someone wants to get in or out."
But that is not the only unique technology of the pool.The designers found a way to make sure the wind doesn't blow the water down to the streets.They included a built-in anemometer（风力计）to monitor the wind speed. It is linked to a computer-controlled building management system which will also take care of the temperature of the water.
Alex Kemsley promises that this unique pool will surpass expectations."Swimming in the SkyPool at The Shard，it's quite a strange feeling to have helicopters flying past at your level but this pool takes it a step further," he says."Putting your goggles（防水镜）on and with a 360-degree view of London from 220m up, it really will be something else-but it's definitely not one for the acrophobic（恐高）!"
While the exact date of the construction is not clear yet, if things go well, it may begin in 2020.The location has yet to be confirmed too.
1.What can we learn from the first paragraph? ______
A.The Infinity London is the only building to swim in.
B.Swimmers can enjoy the views of London in the poo1.
C.The pool is located on the first floor of a skyscraper.
D.Compass Pools has built many 360-degree pools in the world.
2.What does the underlined word "that" in Paragraph 3 refer to? ______
A.The pool floor. B.A built-in anemometer.
C.The door of a submarine. D.The entrance to the poo1.
3.Who might not be suitable to swim in the SkyPool? ______
A.People who enjoy flying. B.People who lose weight.
C.People who fear heights. D.People who have poor sight.
4.What can we know about the SkyPool at The Shard? ______
A.It is not certain when people can swim in it.
B.Its exact location of the construction is clear.
C.Swimmers can expect its designs easily.
D.It's impossible to monitor the temperature of the water.
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Here's some good news for the foodies in the USA: One of China's most popular and fastest-growing restaurant chains is coming to the United States,and folks better watch out.This braised（炖，焖）chicken rice shop could upend a lot of competitors in the area.
First opened in 2011,Yang's Braised Chicken Rice is definitely the new kid on the fast food block.However,the chain already has 5,000 locations globally,proving that they're perfect when it comes to speed,service,and flavor.
They've even been compared to the most popular In-N-Out burger for their business model,swift output,and delicious food.Similar to the burger legend,Yang's specializes in just one item and does it right: Huang Men Braised Chicken Rice.The only customization you can make to this dish is the level of spiciness.Other than that,the base to every clay pot of this Shandong delicious food is the exact same.
In fact,the recipe has barely changed over the past 80-plus years.That's because Yang's Huang Men chicken recipe is originally from the 1930s.Xiao Lu Yang,the founder of the new restaurant powerhouse,has inherited the recipe from his grandmother.He's made some slight changes,but otherwise it's the same chicken dish Yang's grandmother first sold in the 1930s.
Yang first opened his namesake chain when he discovered the national popularity of Huang Men chicken served with rice,and it's still the only item sold in the chain's 5,000-plus locations.Many of those locations are in China,but some locations are in Melbourne,Singapore,and Japan as well.
On September 10th,Yang's Braised Chicken Rice will open its first USA location in Tustin,California.Yang's sole menu offering,the Huang Men chicken with rice,sells for $9.99 per clay pot.Each pot comes with a generous helping of rice and chicken thighs（鸡腿肉）that braise with vegetables in Yang's secret sauce.The sauce is actually made in China and shipped to the US,meaning the flavor should almost perfectly replicate what Yang's sells in China.
If you want to be one of the first people to taste the food in the US restaurant,make sure to reserve a spot for this September 10th grand opening.Otherwise,Yang's does plan to expand out to the rest of the country and beyond. Franchise offers have already come in from Chicago,Los Angeles,New York,and Canada.
1.Why do people compare Yang's Braised Chicken Rice to In-N-Out?
A. Because both of them are fastest-growing restaurant chains.
B. Because they resemble each other in many ways.
C. Because they are completely different.
D. Because both of them are the most popular food in their own country.
2.Which is true about Yang's Braised Chicken Rice?
A. It may greatly influence the food industry of the world.
B. It opened its first location in the USA in 2011.
C. It is exactly the same as his grandmother's.
D. It is almost the same in flavor in the USA and in China.
3.What's the meaning of the underlined word "Franchise" in the last paragraph?
A. Financial support. B. New Chinese restaurant.
C. Business permission. D. New Chinese dish.
4.Where can't you have a pot of Yang's Braised Chicken Rice up to now?
A. In Singapore. B. In Canada.
C. In Japan. D. In Melbourne.