Unit 5 Into the wild
Passage 1
The Monarch’ s Journey
Many animals move from one place ________ another at certain times of the year. This movement________(call) migration. They migrate ________(find) food, find a partner or search of warmer weather. Of all the mass ________(migrate), that of the North American monarch butterflies is one of the ________(wonderful).
Every autumn, millions of these beautiful insects with delicate black and orange wings begin a long and difficult journey. Somehow they manage ________(trave)l around 4, 000 kilometers south and find their way to places where they will spend the winter. ________, until recently no one knew how they do this.
A team of scientists ________(lead) by Professor Eli Schlizerman at the University of Washington has now found the answer. They have discovered that the monarch is able to tell the time of day. It then uses its eyes to measure the position of the sun. These two pieces of information —the time of day and the point ________ the sun is in the sky—allow the butterfly ________(determine) which way it needs to go and change its direction when necessary. Eventually, it manages________(reach) California or Mexico.
The solution ________ the mystery of the monarch's ________(amaze) ability comes at a time when it is ________ serious trouble. Its population ________(crash) by as much as ninety per cent in the last few years. ________(fortunate), human activity is the main reason ________ the monarch numbers are falling. In many of the places ________ monarchs can be found, people are destroying the natural environment by cutting down trees and using chemicals that kill the plants that monarch caterpillars eat.
A better understanding of the monarch's behaviour has however led to a greater ________(aware) and appreciation of this creature. Volunteers have been working together to record their migration and make sure that there ________(be) enough plants for them to feed ________. If this work is successful, there may come a time when monarch numbers increase once again. The more we know about the delicate creatures, the ________(great) the chance they will survive. ________ doing more research, the monarch butterfly can keep its place in the human imagination for a long time to come.
Passage 2
An Encounter with Nature
As a nature ________(photograph), I have to brave the elements. But ________ the wind and the rain, I still enjoy working outside in the wild. One of the best ________(thing) about this job is that you can observe animals in their natural environment.
My favorite place to take photos is Yellowstone National Park. ________ the world's first national park, Yellowstone is famous ________ the ________(vary) of its wildlife, but it is probably best known for its bears. These huge, strong animals can live for up to thirty years. Despite an average weight of over 180 kilograms, they can run at________speed of 72 kilometres per hour and are also excellent swimmers.
Last spring in Yellowstone, I followed a path that took me through a dark forest. When I finally stepped out of the trees, the view was ________(breathtake). An eagle flew over the snowcapped mountains, ________ were reflected in the still lake below. While I was concentrating ________ photographing this amazing scene, I suddenly had a feeling that I was ________(watch). Slowly, and with the camera still held to my eye, I turned… and ________(freeze). Only metres away from me ________(be) a bear. With water ________(fall) off its thick, brown hair, the bear stared back ________ me. Time stood still as the bear and I both waited to see who would move first. My legs started shaking. Somehow, I forced my finger ________(press) the button. A second later, the bear turned and ran back into the forest. When I recovered from the shock, I looked at my camera. My most ________(frighten) but magical experience was now captured forever in a single image.
From time to time I look at the photo as a ________(remind) to show respect ________ all animals. It is after all we ________ are the visitors to their world.
原文:
Unit 5 Into the wild
Passage 1
The Monarch’ s Journey
Many animals move from one place to another at certain times of the year. This movement is called migration. They migrate to find food, find a partner or search of warmer weather. Of all the mass migrations, that of the North American monarch butterflies is one of the most wonderful.
Every autumn, millions of these beautiful insects with delicate black and orange wings begin a long and difficult journey. Somehow they manage to travel around 4, 000 kilometers south and find their way to places where they will spend the winter. However, until recently no one knew how they do this.
A team of scientists led by Professor Eli Schlizerman at the University of Washington has now found the answer. They have discovered that the monarch is able to tell the time of day. It then uses its eyes to measure the position of the sun. These two pieces of information —the time of day and the point where the sun is in the sky—allow the butterfly to determine which way it needs to go and change its direction when necessary. Eventually, it manages to reach California or Mexico.
The solution to the mystery of the monarch's amazing ability comes at a time when it is in serious trouble. Its population has crashed by as much as ninety per cent in the last few years. Unfortunately, human activity is the main reason why the monarch numbers are falling. In many of the places where monarchs can be found, people are destroying the natural environment by cutting down trees and using chemicals that kill the plants that monarch caterpillars eat.
A better understanding of the monarch's behaviour has however led to a greater awareness and appreciation of this creature. Volunteers have been working together to record their migration and make sure that there are enough plants for them to feed on. If this work is successful, there may come a time when monarch numbers increase once again. The more we know about the delicate creatures, the greater the chance they will survive. By doing more research, the monarch butterfly can keep its place in the human imagination for a long time to come.
Passage 2
An Encounter with Nature
As a nature photographer, I have to brave the elements. But despite the wind and the rain, I still enjoy working outside in the wild. One of the best things about this job is that you can observe animals in their natural environment.
My favorite place to take photos is Yellowstone National Park. As the world's first national park, Yellowstone is famous for the variety of its wildlife, but it is probably best known for its bears. These huge, strong animals can live for up to thirty years. Despite an average weight of over 180 kilograms, they can run at a speed of 72 kilometres per hour and are also excellent swimmers.
Last spring in Yellowstone, I followed a path that took me through a dark forest. When I finally stepped out of the trees, the view was breathtaking. An eagle flew over the snowcapped mountains, which were reflected in the still lake below. While I was concentrating on photographing this amazing scene, I suddenly had a feeling that I was being watched. Slowly, and with the camera still held to my eye, I turned… and froze. Only metres away from me was a bear. With water falling off its thick, brown hair, the bear stared back at me. Time stood still as the bear and I both waited to see who would move first. My legs started shaking. Somehow, I forced my finger to press the button. A second later, the bear turned and ran back into the forest. When I recovered from the shock, I looked at my camera. My most frightening but magical experience was now captured forever in a single image.
From time to time I look at the photo as a reminder to show respect to all animals. It is after all we who are the visitors to their world.