Easter(复活节 ) is still a great day for worship, randy in baskets and running around the yard finding eggs, but every year it gets quite a bit worse for bunnies.
And no, not because the kids like to pull their ears. The culprit is climate change, and some researchers found that rising temperatures arc having harmful effects on at least five species of rabbit in the US.
Take the Lower Keys March rabbit, for instance. An endangered species that lives in the Lower Florida Keys, this species of cottontail is a great swimmer — it lives on the islands! — but it is already severely affected by development and now by rising levels. According to the Center for Biological Diversity, an ocean level rise of only 0. 6 meters will send these guys jumping to higher ground and a 0.9-meter rise would wipe out their habitat (栖息地) completely.
The snowshoe hare, on the other hand, has a color issue. Most of these rabbits change their fur color from white in the wintertime to brown in the summer, each designed to give them better cover from predators（捕食者）. As the number of days with snow decreases all across the country, however, more and more bunnies arc being left in white fur during brown dirt days of both fall and spring, making them an easier mark for predators. Researchers know that the color change is controlled by the number of hours of sunlight, but whether the rabbit will be able to adapt quick enough to survive is a big question. The National Wildlife Federation has reported that hunters have noticed their numbers are already markedly down.
American pikas or rock rabbits, a relative of rabbits and hares, might be the firs' of these species to go extinct due to climate change. About 7-8 inches long, pikas live high in the cool, damp mountains west of the Rocky Mountains. As global temperatures rise, they would naturally migrate (迁徙) to higher ground — but they already occupy the mountaintops. They can't go any higher. The National Wildlife Federation reports that they might not be able to stand the new temperatures as their habitat beats up.
The volcano rabbit has the same problem. These rabbits live on the slopes of volcanoes in Mexico, and recent studies have shown that the lower range of their habitat has already shifted upward about 700 meters, but there are not suitable plants for them to move higher, so they are stuck in the middle. Scientists are concerned about their populations.
Native to the US, pygmy rabbits weigh less than 1 pound and live in the American West. They are believed to be the smallest rabbits in the world. Their habitats have been destroyed by development. Several populations, such as the Columbia Basin pygmy, almost went extinct and were saved by zoo breeding programs. Pygmy rabbits also rely on winter cover by digging tunnels through the snow to escape predators, but lesser snowfall is leaving them exposed.
All of this gives new meaning to dressing up in a giant bunny costume this Easter. The word "culprit" ( Paragraph 2) is closest in meaning to______.
| A．criminal |
| B．judge |
| C．victim |
| D．producer |
According to the passage, some rabbits can now be easily Uncovered by predators because they_______
| A．are exposed lo more skillful hunters |
| B．have moved to habitats with fewer plants |
| C．haven't adapted themselves to climate change |
| D．can't change their fur color into white in the fall and the spring |
The problem faced by volcano rabbets and rock rabbits is that________.
A. both are affected by 1ess snow
B. both are affected by rising sea levels
C neither can find enough food
D. neither can migrate to higher places
Fund Tianhong Zenglibao has become the first fund in China to hit 100 billion yuan (＄16.30 billion) of sales thanks to its cooperation with Yu’ebao, Alibaba’s wealth management product.
Alipay(支付宝), attached to the e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, announced in June it would offer its users the option to directly invest with the private Tianhong Fund using spare cash from Alipay accounts. The business is called Yu’ebao.
The past five months have seen this fund blossom, owing to the prosperous Interet e-commerce platform, and the Singles Day shopping spree on November 11 had helped Yu’ebao. In the process of a deal on Taobao, once the buyer pays for the order, his or her money is first accepted by Alipay, then after he or she receives the goods, a final confirmation is made and Alipay then gives the money to the seller. If a buyer forgets to confirm payment, the money is transferred into the seller’s account after 10 days by the system.
The Singles Day had a total volume of 35 billion yuan(＄5.75 billion) and thus a large amount of money passed through Alipay’s account. Analysts estimated that Alipay may have also bought the fund using the extra income, which powerfully enlarged the scale of Yu’ebao. Profit purchasing investors tend to choose safe financial management tools. The relatively stable yields of Yu’ebao is favored by most customers, the report said.
Chinese e-commerence giant Alibaba allows consumers to invest their spare cash in the money market funds through its Alipay online payment service. The product, called Yu’ebao, or “Leftovers Treasure,” has netted 130 billion yuan so far, making the fund’s management firm, Tianhong Fund, the country’s largest fund management company.
Meanwhile, due to the cooperation with Alipay, the management scale of Tianhong monetary fund has doubled from 55.653 billion yuan at the end of September to over 100 billion yuan. During the Singles Day, the frequency of payment of Alipay and Yu’ebao exceeded 188 million and 16.79 million with total transaction volume at 35 billion yuan and 6 billion yuan. The fund has been successful so far mainly because ________.
| A．it is the country’s largest fund management fund. |
| B．it was the first fund in China to cooperate with Yu’ebao. |
| C．consumers can directly invest the spare cash in it through online payment service. |
| D．The online shopping is prosperous and the Singles Day shopping makes great contribution. |
From the passage, we can know that Alipay ________.
| A．allows sellers to invest their spare cash in the money market funds |
| B．offers the business called Yu’ebao |
| C．has doubled to 55.653 billion yuan at the end of September |
| D．transfers the money from the buyer to the seller directly |
Which of the following is the best title of the passage?
| A．Yu’ebao, the right choice to invest |
| B．Alibaba helps make China’s largest fund |
| C．Celestica, the largest fund in China |
| D．Alipay, a branch of Alibaba group |
Get up close and very personal with the Aquarium’s largest exhibit and its biggest predators(食肉动物) with the new Shark Keeper program! After each participant prepares to feed the sharks and other fishes in the 120,000-gallon Lost City of Atlantis Exhibit, they will then get the once-in-a-lifetime chance to feed our sand tiger sharks! Participants will also experience a tour of other behind-the-scenes animal care work areas and take home a real-life shark tooth.
Program Outline:
﹡Greeting from Educator
﹡Educational Program: misunderstandings about sharks, biology, pictures, shark tooth comparisons, animal overview, what to expect during the experience.
﹡Behind-the-scenes food prep
﹡Brief overview of Safety and Policies
﹡Feeding
Schedule:
Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at 3:40 pm
Session: 3:40 pm
Length: 60 minutes
Requirements: All participants must be 16＋.
Price: $50.00, plus Admission(Members: $45.00). Space is currently limited to three participants per scheduled session.
How to Book: Phone: 631 208 9200,ext.H2O(426)
Online: When purchasing your Admission ticket, please select the Shark Keeper add-on under the Aquatic Adventures section of the shopping cart.
Guests with Special Needs:
Long Island Aquarium＆Exhibition Center makes every effort to accommodate guests with special needs. Please be aware that to participate in this program, guests must be able to navigate the animal habitat spaces with minimum assistance, and must be able to understand and take direction in English from staff members. To ensure the best experience, please contact the Call Center at 631 208 9200, ext. H2O(426) to discuss your individual needs.
Cancellations(取消):
There is a 72-hour cancellation policy. Any cancellation made within 72 hours will not be refunded. No-shows will not be refunded or rescheduled. Guests arriving late (after the required program check-in time) will not be permitted to participate in the program and will not be refunded or rescheduled. We encourage guests to arrive at the Aquarium with plenty of time to park, enter, and check into the program. Adventurers should report to the Main Entrance at least ten minutes ahead. The sessions will begin quickly at the scheduled time. Please plan accordingly.After joining the program, you will _______.
| A．feed sharks once a life time |
| B．get a real shark tooth as a souvenir |
| C．meet the biggest predators of sharks |
| D．draw some pictures of sharks |
As a guest with special needs, you are expected to _______.
| A．make sure of your individual needs |
| B．move around the center alone |
| C．follow the directions of staff members |
| D．seek as much assistance as possible |
If you want to give up the program, you’d better _______.
| A．report it to the center 10 min before the session |
| B．manage your plan again with 72 hours |
| C．expect to refund from the center |
| D．report the center 3 days in advance |
What information can we learn from the program?
| A．You can book the program in advance online. |
| B．There is no limit to the age of participants. |
| C．You need to pay ＄95 at least for the program. |
| D．A session is scheduled for 3 children every week. |
Selena Gomez and I are scheduled to meet at a low-key coffee shop in Encino. Not wanting to keep the superstar waiting, I arrived at nine, 20 minutes early. As I was catching up on e-mails, Selena quietly scooted into the seat next to me. No bodyguard. Not even a drop of makeup. She was ten minutes early and so inconspicuous that no one else in the restaurant looked up so much. Selena was wearing Bebe shorts. She had a baby face and ordered a hot chocolate.
After making small talk about what she wore for the shoot, she dived into the subject of her career. Selena declared 2012 the year of movies. She filmed three: Spring Breakers, a drama; The Getaway, an action flick; and Hotel Transylvania, a comedy. Each is a marked move away from the teen style that made her a household name.
Now that her Disney days are behind her, Selena is at that unstable point in a child star’s career where she is trying to grow up---both as a person(she turned 20 in July)and as an artist. “Being part of the Disney Channel was such a blessing, and I’m super happy with what my show accomplished, but acting is something I would like to take on more seriously.” She continued, “I don’t necessarily feel accomplished. I want to creat a whole different persona when it comes to acting.”
Selena has been working fulltime since she was seven years old and scored a role on Barney&Friends. In 2007, when she was offered the lead in Wizards of Waverly Place, Selena, her mother, and her stepfather uprooted from Grand Prairie, Texas, to LA, where they are settling now.When was it that Selena arrived at the low-key coffee shop?
| A．At ten. |
| B．At ten to nine. |
| C．At ten past nine. |
| D．At thirty past nine. |
Which of the following statements is ture according to the second paragraph?
| A．Selena went into her film career as soon as we met in the coffee shop. |
| B．Three famous films filmed in 2012 have shown her teen style. |
| C．The film Hotel Transylvania is an action flick filmed in 2012 |
| D．Each of the three films marks Selena’s move away from her teen style. |
How did Selena think of Disney days which were behind her?
| A．She thought of playing in Disney a blessing. |
| B．She didn’t feel very satisfied with her show in Disney. |
| C．She found her not accomplished in her performance in Disney. |
| D．She believed her being part in Disney Channel a blessing. |
The underlined word in the last paragraph probably means “ _______”.
| A．moved | B．picked | C．changed | D．informed |
Sure, it’s good to get along with your teacher because it makes that time you spend in the classroom more pleasant. And yes, it’s good to get along with your teacher because, in general, it’s smart to learn how to relate to the different types of people you’ll meet throughout your life.
But really, there’s one super-important reason why you should get along with your teacher. Kids who get along with their teachers not only learn more, but they’re more comfortable asking questions and getting extra help. This makes it easier to understand new material and do your best on tests. When you have this kind of relationship with a teacher, he or she can be someone to turn to with problems, such as problems with learning or school issues, such as bullying.
As a kid in elementary or middle school, you’re at a wonderful stage in your life. You’re able to take in lots of new and exciting information. Apart from that, you’re able to think about all this information in new ways. Your teacher knows that, and in most cases, he or she is thrilled to be the person who’s giving you all that material and helping you put it together. Remember, teachers are people, too, and they feel great if you’re open to what they’re teaching you. That’s why they wanted to be teachers in the first place to teach!
Some kids may be able to learn in any situation, whether they like the teacher or not. But most kids are sensitive to the way they get along with the teacher, and if things aren’t going well, they won’t learn as well and won’t enjoy being in class.Paragraph 2 mainly talks about_______.
| A．new materials learned from teachers |
| B．ways to develop relationship with teachers |
| C．benefits in getting along with teachers |
| D．avoiding problems happening around kids |
What’s the writer’s attitude towards getting along with teachers?
| A．Doubtful. | B．Objective. |
| C．Uncaring. | D．Favorable. |
What can we know from the passage?
| A．Kids are unable to understand lots of exciting information. |
| B．Kids are bullied while communicating with others in schools. |
| C．Kids will leave the class when not doing quite well with their teachers. |
| D．Kids will leave the class when not satisfied with teachers’ teaching methods. |
The passage is most probably taken from______.
| A．children’s literature | B．an education magazine |
| C．a science report | D．an advertisement |
Since the 1970s，scientists have been searching for ways to link the brain with computers. Braincomputer interface (BCI) technology could help people with disabilities send commands to machines.
Recently，two researchers, Jose Millan and Michele Tavella from the Federal Polytechnic School in Lausanne，Switzerland，demonstrated (展示) a small robotic wheelchair directed by a person’s thoughts.
In the laboratory，Tavella operated the wheelchair just by thinking about moving his left or right hand. He could even talk as he watched the vehicle and guided it with his thougts.
“Our brain has billions of nerve cells.These send signals through the spinal cord(脊髓) to the muscles to give us the ability to move. But spinal cord injuries or other conditions can prevent these weak electrical signals from reaching the muscles，” Tavella says. “Our system allows disabled people to communicate with external world and also to control devices.”
The researchers designed a special cap for the user. This head cover picks up the signals from the scalp (头皮) and sends them to a computer. The computer interprets the signals and commands the motorized wheelchair. The wheelchair also has two cameras that identify objects in its path. They help the computer react to commands from the brain.
Prof.Millan，the team leader，says scientists keep improving the computer software that interprets brain signals and turns them into simple commands. “The practical possibilities that BCI technology offers to disabled people can be grouped in two categories：communication，and controlling devices. One example is this wheelchair.”
He says his team has set two goals. One is testing with real patients，so as to prove that this is a technology they can benefit from. And the other is to guarantee that they can use the technology over long periods of time.How did Tavella operate the wheelchair in the laboratory?
| A．By controlling his muscles. |
| B．By talking to the machine. |
| C．By moving his hand. |
| D．By using his mind. |
Which of the following shows the path of the signals described in Paragraph 5?
| A．scalp→computer→cap→wheelchair |
| B．computer→cap→scalp→wheelchair |
| C．scalp→cap→computer→wheelchair |
| D．cap→computer→scalp→wheelchair |
Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
| A．Switzerland，the BCI Research Center |
| B．New Findings about How the Human Brain Works |
| C．BCI Could Mean More Freedom for the Disabled |
| D．Robotic Vehicles Could Help to Cure Brain Injuries |
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