Pigs are not native to North America. They were first introduced to California by Spanish and Russian explorers and settlers many centuries ago. In the early times, pigs were allowed to wander freely in search of food.  16  This practice also allowed many pigs to escape from farms and live in the wild, which became a problem. In fact, they are one of the most damaging invasive species on the continent. Wild pigs caused millions of dollars in crop damage yearly.  17  They also harbored dozens of diseases that threaten both humans and farm animals. Forest patches with wild pigs have been found to have considerably reduced plant and animal diversity. In addition to either eating other animals or their food supply, wild pigs damaged native habitats by rooting up grasses and rubbing on trees. Their activities may also create opportunities for invasive plants to colonize these areas. Wild pigs will eat almost anything containing calories. Mice, deer, birds, snakes and frogs are among their victims. They can also harm other wild species through indirect competition rather than eating them or shrinking their food supply. On one particular United States island, wild pigs themselves became an attractive food source for a species of Mainland Eagle.  18  The eagles began breeding on the island and also feeding on a species of native fox. The foxes were almost wiped out completely.

猪并非是美国的本土物种。多个世纪前，西班牙和俄罗斯的探险家和定居者首次将它们引入加利福尼亚州。早期，猪被允许自由游荡和寻找食物。 16 这种做法也让许多猪逃离农场，在野外生活，而这成为了问题。事实上，作为非洲大陆最具破坏性的入侵物种之一，野猪每年造成数百万美元的农作物损失。 17 它们还携带着数十种威胁人类和农场动物的疾病。有野猪生活的森林斑块被发现植物和动物多样性大幅减少。除了吃其他动物或它们的食物供应，野猪还通过杂交和在树上摩擦来破坏当地的栖息地。它们的活动也可能为入侵植物在这些地区定居创造机会。野猪几乎可以吃任何含热量的食物。老鼠、鹿、鸟、蛇和青蛙都是受害者。它们也可以通过间接竞争而不是吃掉或减少食物供应来伤害其他野生物种。在美国一座小岛上，野猪本身就是一种大陆鹰的诱人食物来源。 18 鹰开始在岛上繁殖，它们也以一种本土狐狸为食。这导致狐狸几乎被彻底消灭。

16. 关于北美早期的猪，我们了解到什么？

A) 许多（猪）逃离农场，变成野生的（猪）。

B) 它们实际上是北美本土的。

C) 许多（猪）在野外寻找食物时被杀。

D) 它们被西班牙和俄国探险家猎捕。

17. 为什么野猪对人类是一种威胁？

A) 它们经常对人类发动突然袭击。

B) 它们破坏了自然的食物供应链。

C) 它们造成了大量的环境污染。

D) 它们携带多种疾病。

18. 关于美国一个岛上的本土狐狸，本篇短文说了什么？

A) 它们与野猪和平共处。

B) 它们把食物全吃光了。

C) 它们成为了老鹰的食物。

D) 它们繁殖的速度很快。

 19  A pair of entrepreneurs are planning to build and launch a spacecraft that would carry and roast coffee beans in outer space. The craft will use the heat of re-entry to roast coffee beans as they float inside it in a pressurised tank. The effect would be to roast the beans all over and produce perfect coffee.  20  The businessmen say that on earth, beans can easily break apart and get burned in the roaster. But if gravity is removed, the beans float around in a heated oven, received 360 degrees of evenly distributed heat and roast to near perfection. The spacecraft will reach a height of around 200 kilometers. The beans would then be roasted in the heat generated by the craft’s 20-minute re-entry into earth’s atmosphere. Temperatures in the pressurised tank will be kept to around 200 degrees Celsius. Once back on earth, the planet’s first space roasted beans would be used to make coffee that would be sold for the first time in Dubai—this is where the pair’s company is based. It is not clear how much they would charge for a cup. Surprisingly, the space roaster concept—should it go ahead—will not be the first attempt to take coffee into space.  21  In 2015, two Italian companies collaborated on the construction of a similar type of spacecraft, which was the first coffee machine designed for use in space.

 19  两位企业家正计划建造并发射一艘宇宙飞船，将咖啡豆送入太空并在太空烘烤。这艘飞船将利用重返大气层的热量来烘烤漂浮在加压水箱中的咖啡豆。这样做会均匀烘烤咖啡豆，从而生产出完美的咖啡。 20  这两名商人表示，在地球上，咖啡很容易破碎，在烤箱里被烧焦。但如果去掉重力，咖啡豆就会漂浮在加热的烤箱里，接受360度均匀分布的热量，烤得近乎完美。宇宙飞船将达到200公里左右的高度。之后这些咖啡豆将被烘烤，飞船产生的热量将在20分钟后返回地球大气层。温度和加压水箱将保持在200摄氏度左右。一旦返回地球，地球上首颗太空烤制的咖啡豆将被用来制作咖啡，这将在迪拜首次出售。那里是二人公司的所在地。目前尚不清楚他们准备一杯咖啡售价多少。令人惊讶的是，太空烘焙机这一概念——如果能继续进行——那将不会是第一次尝试将咖啡带到太空。 21  2015年，两家意大利公司合作建造了类似类型的太空飞船，这是第一台为应用于太空而设计的咖啡机。

19. 两名企业家打算做什么？

A) 在外太空品尝咖啡。

B) 在外太空烘焙咖啡豆。

C) 培育一种新的咖啡豆。

D) 用加压罐煮咖啡。

20. 关于地球上烘焙的咖啡豆，这篇文章说了什么？

A) 它们很容易被烤糊。

B) 它们飘浮在烤箱中。

C) 它们必须被加热到360℃。

D) 它们接收到均匀分布的热量。

21.这两家意大利公司在2015年做了什么？

A)它们对其在太空烘焙的咖啡豆要价很高。

B)它们在迪拜设立了一家分公司来生产咖啡烘焙机。

C)它们合作打造了第一台太空咖啡机。

D)它们放弃了在太空进行咖啡豆烘焙的尝试。

In cold and snowy Alaska, there’s a village called Takotna. It has a population of a mere 49 souls.  22  Each March, this tiny village swells up in numbers because it is located in the middle of a race that takes place every year. It is a 7-day race called “The Iditarod Trail”. And participants stop at Takotna for their obligatory 24-hour rest.  23  Lucky for them, Takotna is famous for its delicious fruit pies.  24  Weeks before the competitors arrive, the residents of Takotna start preparing for what is without question their biggest event of the year. The whole village chips in to help, including the kids, who end up developing their baking skills at an early age. The exhausted and hungry racers are greeted with delightful pies of all kinds, such as apple, orange, or lemon, or banana. They consume the pies as stomach-warming race fuel. The toughness of the race allows for racers to eat pretty much whatever they want. The more calories, the better. Takotna has gained a reputation for its dessert-based hospitality since the 1970s. It started with one person:Jan Newton. Jan moved from Idaho with her husband in 1972 and opened a restaurant.  25  Her rich and filling fruit pies quickly got the racers’ attention, and the village gained some fame as a result. Proud residents then started to refer to Jan as “Queen of Takotna”.

在寒冷多雪的阿拉斯加，有一个名为塔克哈纳的村庄。该村庄只有49个人。 22  每年三月，这座小村庄会人满为患，因为其位于每年举行的比赛赛段的中间地点。这是一场为期七天的比赛，名为“艾迪塔罗德狗拉雪橇比赛”。参与者会在塔克哈纳停留24小时休息。 23  幸运的是，塔克哈纳以其美味的水果馅饼而闻名。 24  在参赛者到来的几周前，塔科特纳的居民们就开始为这一年最大的活动做准备。全村的人都会来帮忙，孩子们也在其中，他们在很小的时候就发展了烘焙技能。疲惫不堪、饥肠辘辘的选手会得到各种令人愉快的馅饼，如苹果、橘子、柠檬或香蕉。他们吃馅饼和暖胃的比赛食物。比赛的激烈程度使选手们可以想吃什么就吃什么。卡路里越多越好。自上世纪70年代以来，塔克哈纳就以甜点招待而闻名。这始于简·牛顿。1972年，简和丈夫从伊迪塔罗德搬来，开了一家餐馆。 25  一种馅料丰富且丰盛的水果馅饼很快引起了赛事的注意，村庄也因此名声大噪。骄傲的居民开始称简为塔克哈纳女王。

22. 为什么每年三月份有很多人来到塔科特纳村？

A) 这是观光的最佳时间。

B) 每年都有一场比赛途经这里。

C) 他们来清扫艾迪塔罗德小道。

D) 这是村民选举女王的时间。

23. 塔科特纳村因什么而出名？

A) 其孩子的烘焙技能。

B) 其独特的冬季景色。

C) 其美味的水果馅饼。

D) 其丰富的食物种类。

24. 谁来帮忙为这一年度活动做准备？

A) 参赛者。

B) 整个村子的村民。

C) 简·牛顿和她的朋友们。

D) 来自爱达荷州的人。

25. 关于简·牛顿，这篇短文说了什么？

A) 她在爱达荷州拥有一家餐馆。

B) 她和丈夫于1972年结婚。

C) 她去阿拉斯加参加一场比赛。

D) 她帮助这个村庄变得有名气。