Wildlife in Decline

The populations of Earth’s wild vertebrates (脊椎动物）have declined by 58% over the past four decades, according to the Living Planet Report 2016 published by the World Wildlife Fund.

Climate change and activities such as deforestation and poaching（偷猎）are in large part (21)______(blame) for the decline. If the trend continues, by 2020, the world (22)________(lose) two-thirds of its vertebrate biodiversity. “Sadly, there is no sign yet (23)________ this rate will decrease,” the report says.

“Across land, fresh water and the oceans, human activities are forcing wildlife populations to the edge," says Marco Lambertini, director-general of WWF International.

The Living Planet Report is published every two years. It aims to provide an assessment of the state of the world’s wildlife. The 2016 study included 3700 different species of birds, fish, mammals, amphibians and reptiles around the world. The team collected data from more than 3000 sources, including government statistics and surveys (24) ______ (carry) out by conservation groups. They then analyzed (25) ______ the population sizes had changed over time.

Lambertini said some groups of animals had done worse than others. ''We do see particularly strong declines (26) ______ the freshwater environment. For freshwater species alone, the decline stands at 81% since 1970. This is related to the way that water (27)________(use) and taken out of freshwater systems, and also to the fragmentation（分裂）of freshwater systems through dam building, for example.”

The report also highlighted other species, such as African elephants, (28) ________ nave suffered huge declines in recent years, and sharks, which are threatened by overfishing.

(29) ________ ________ ________ all the terrifying facts, however, some conservationists say there is still hope. “One of the things that I think is the most important is that these wild animals haven't yet gone extinct,” said Robin Freeman，head of the Zoological Society of London. “On the whole, (30) ________ are not dying out, and that means we still have opportunities to do something about the decline.”

A. contribute    B. flows    C. fundamental    D. lays    E. notes    F. outline   

G. reflect    H. respectively    I. shared    J. serve    K. uncertainly

Leadership Traits（特质）

My job puts me in contact with extraordinary leaders in many fields. So I tend to ____31____ a lot on leadership and how we can inspire successful teamwork, cooperation, and partnerships. In my experience, it is clear that the most successful leaders—both men and women—always demonstrate three ____32____ traits.

Trustworthiness

Leaders must set an example of honesty and justice and earn the trust of their teams through their everyday actions. When you do so with positive energy and enthusiasm for ____33____ goals and purpose, you can deeply connect with your team and customers. A culture of trust enables you to empower employees and ____34____ the foundation for communication, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Compassion (共情)

You can't forget that organizational success ____35____ from the hearts and minds of the men and women you lead. Rather than treating your people as you’d like to be treated, treat them as they would like to be treated. Small gestures like choosing face-to-face meetings or sending personal ____36____ can have an enormous impact on the spirits of the teams. In addition to thanks and praise, you must also understand people’s needs, pressures, and individual goals, which will allow you to lead them more effectively and ____37____ to their personal ambitions and professional development.

Decisiveness

In times of ____38____ employees long for clarity. As a leader, you won't always have all of the answers—no one expects you to—so you must be open to listening and learning from others. Once you understand a particular challenge and ____39____ the options, you have to be confident in making bold and optimistic decisions.

Successful leadership demands a lifelong commitment to sharpening these three basic skills. Wherever you have the opportunity to ____40____, the qualities of trustworthiness, compassion, and decisiveness are the keys to leadership and organizational success.

Boxing is a popular sport that many people seem to be fascinated by. Newspapers, magazines and sports programmes on TV frequently ____41____ boxing matches. Professional boxers earn a lot of money, and successful boxers are ____42____ as big heroes.

It seems to me that some people, especially men, find it ____43____ because it is an aggressive sport. When they watch a boxing match, they can t ____44____ the winning boxer, and this gives them the feeling of being a t ____45____ themselves. It is a fact that many people have feelings of aggression

“Any apple today ?”, Effie asked cheerfully at my window ,. I followed her to her truck and bought a kilo . On credit , of course . Cash was the one thing in the world I lacked just them .

All pretense （借口）of payment was drooped when our funds , food and fuel decreased to alarming lows. Effie came often , always bringing some gift: a jar of  peaches or some firewood . There were other generosities.___________

Effie was not a rich woman . Her income , derived from investment she had made while running an interior decorating shop , had never exceeded $200 a month , which she supplemented by selling her apples .But she always managed to help someone poorer .

Years passed before I was able to return the money Effie had given me from time to time . She was ill now and had aged rapidly in the last year .” Here , darling , “ I said , “ is what I owe you ,” _____________” Give it back as I gave it to you -----a little at a time.” “ I think she believed there was magic in the slow discharge of a love debt.

The simple fact is that I never repaid the whole amount to Effie , for she died a few weeks later . By now , the few dollars Effie gave me have been multiplied many times . But a curious thing began to happen .

___________At that time , it seemed that my debt would forever go unsettled . So the account can never be marked closed , for Effie’s love will go on in hearts that have never known her .

Chaco Great House

As early as the twelfth century A.D., the settlements of Chaco Canyon in New Mexico in the American Southwest were notable for their "great houses," massive stone buildings that contain hundreds of rooms and often stand three or four stories high. Archaeologists have been trying to determine how the buildings were used. While there is still no universally agreed upon explanation, there are three competing theories. 

One theory holds that the Chaco structures were purely residential, with each housing hundreds of people. Supporters of this theory have interpreted Chaco great houses as earlier versions of the architecture seen in more recent Southwest societies. In particular, the Chaco houses appear strikingly similar to the large, well-known "apartment buildings" at Taos, New Mexico, in which many people have been living for centuries. 

A second theory contends that the Chaco structures were usedto store food supplies. One of the main crops of the Chaco people was grain maize, which could be stored for long periods of time without spoiling and could serve as a long-lasting supply of food. The supplies of maize had to be stored somewhere, and the size of the great houses would make them very suitable for the purpose. 

A third theory proposes that houses were used as ceremonial centers. Close to one house, called Pueblo Alto, archaeologists identified an enormous mound formed by a pile of old material. Excavations of the mound revealed deposits containing a surprisingly large number of broken pots. This finding has been interpreted as evidence that people gathered at Pueblo Alto for special ceremonies. At the ceremonies, they ate festive meals and then discarded the pots in which the meals had been prepared or served. Such ceremonies have been documented for other Native American cultures. 

72.  想和我一起看电影的人请举手。 （those）

73.   背包旅行（ backpacking ）不仅是一种度假形式，也是一种受教育方式。（Not only）

74. 人们理所当然地认为花的钱越多就越有可能获得高品质的服务。(grant )

75. 网购是一种电子商务， 它让顾客可以足不出户地购买心仪的商品或服务。（commerce）