On Aug. 13, four Chinese irrigation (灌溉) sites won global recognition and were added to the 2018 list of Heritage Irrigation Structures. Let’s look at these amazing sites.

Dujiangyan

Dujiangyan is the oldest and only surviving dam-less irrigation system in the world. More than 2,000 years ago, Chengdu was threatened by frequent flooding from the Minjiang River. Li Bing, a local official, studied the situation and designed the Dujiangyan irrigation system, which could control the water flow from the mountains to the Chengdu Plain throughout the year.

The Dujiangyan irrigation system has created harmony between man, earth and water. It is the last remaining ecological project of its kind.

Changqu Canal

Changqu Canal is in the city of Xianyang in Hubei province. It is 48 km long and was originally used to transport soldiers. It was later used for irrigation – in fact, it is still used to provide water to more than 20 square km of farmland.

“The recognition of irrigation heritage is intended to help us better use ancient irrigation projects that are still functioning and preserve our precious historical and cultural heritage,” says a notice on the official website of the Hubei provincial government.

Lingqu Canal

Lingqu Canal is located in Xing’an county, near Guilin, Guangxi province. As the oldest canal in the world, it has been described as “another wonder of the world”. The design of the canal is unique. “It magically shows the ease of transportation along the north and south waterways,” according to the Travel China Guide.

Jiang-Xi Dam

The Jiang-Xi Dam in Zhejiang province actually consists of two dams–the Jiang and Xi dams. Built in the 14th century, it improved life for local people for centuries. “It not only plays an important role in irrigation, but also responds to environmental governance,” said Ding Kunlun, vice chairman of International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage.

1. What do we know about Dujiangyan?

A．It has no dam and has existed for over 2000 years.

B．Li Bing was tasked to design it as a local official.

C．It could control the Minjiang River most of the time in a year.

D．After it was built Chengdu was never threatened by flood.

2. What was the use of Changqu Canal at first?

A．Military purpose.	B．Water supply.
C．Farmland irrigation.	D．The ease of transportation.

3. Which of the following has an influence on the ecological environment according to the passage?

A．Dujiangyan and Changqu Canal.

B．Dujiangyan and Jiang Xi Dam.

C．Changqu Canal and Jiang Xi Dam.

D．Dujiangyan and Lingqu Canal.

Chusovitina announced retirement on Sunday night after competing at a record eighth Olympic Games. After failing to secure a spot in Sunday’s final, the 46-year-old, representing Uzbekistan, waved to the crowd inside Tokyo’s Ariake Gymnastics Center, made a heart shape with her hands and briefly cried. All people present gave Chusovitina a standing applause as she left the sport’s biggest stage for the last time.

Born in Uzbek in 1976, Chusovitina took up gymnastics at 7. “My mother did not want me to do gymnastics. I wanted to prove I was not doing it in vain, and I succeeded in that,” Chusovitina once said.

She made her Olympic debut (首秀）at the 1992 Barcelona Games as part of the gold medal-winning team, consisting of athletes from former Soviet Union. She then represented Uzbekistan, before being given German citizenship in 2006. She won a silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Games for Germany, but switched back to competing for Uzbekistan in 2013. Chusovitina is one of just two female gymnasts to represent three different nations at the Olympic Games.

When Chusovitina’s 3-year-old son was diagnosed with leukemia in 2002, she sold her possessions and used any prize money she earned to pay for his medical treatment. Her switch to German citizenship was motivated by the promise of a higher income and better medical care.

After her son’s recovery, Chusovitina continued to compete, but this time it was her love of gymnastics that kept her going. “I just love gymnastics. I do so with pleasure,” she said.

Chusovitina has become a global fan favorite. She was introduced into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 2017, and last year was named the Best Athlete of the Decade by Uzbekistan.

“My son is 22 years old and I want to spend time with him,” she told reporters. “I want to be a mom and wife.”

4. Which is the correct order according to what happened to Chusovitina?
①She gave birth to his son.
②She was named the Best Athlete of the Decade.
③She took up gymnastics.
④She represented Germany to compete.

A．①④③②	B．①③④②
C．③①④②	D．③④①②

5. What can we infer from the passage?

A．Chusovitina hasn’t missed any Olympic Games since 1992.

B．Chusovitina can become a citizen of any country as she likes.

C．She became a German citizen only for getting a large sum of money.

D．She retired from her career because her son recovered from his illness.

6. Which of the following words best describe Chusovitina?

A．Vain and Professional.	B．Determined and Modest.
C．Devoted and Responsible.	D．Ambitious and Generous.

7. Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?

A．Chusovitina’s Hard and Successful Life

B．Chusovitina’s Retirement from Her Career

C．Chusovitina’s Great Achievements in Gymnastics

D．Chusovitina’s Experiences in Olympic Games

Crying is generally associated with negative emotions like being sad or frustrated, making this natural emotional state something that many people try to avoid. Yet a new study, which sought to better understand the physiological function of shedding tears, suggests that crying is actually kind of good for you. Specifically, it turns out that crying supports the regulation(调控) of breathing during a stressful event.

Sharman headed the research and said crying was previously thought to help humans deal with stressful situations, which led them to testing the idea. Researchers invited 197 undergraduate students to watch sad videos for 17 minutes. About half of them ended up crying. All of the students then participated in the Cold Pressor Stress Test. Researchers monitored their heart and respiration activity during this stress test.

Researchers were surprised when they found that those who cried were not better able to deal with the stress test than those who did not cry. However, they did come across an unexpected finding: evidence that participants who cried were better able to regulate their breathing.

“Firstly, crying doesn’t seem to provide any change to stress hormones(激素) or our ability to deal with physical stress to a degree that might be meaningful if you hurt yourself. Secondly, what was our main finding, is that crying seems to assist in keeping our body stable and calm by slowing down and regulating our breathing and our heart rate,” Sharman told PsyPost.

However, there are some limitations to the findings. “We don’t know if these reactions are typical in real-world settings where you might be crying because of sadness or loss, for example, or if there are differences if someone else is present with you when you cry, ” Sharman said.

8. What does the underlined word “respiration” in Paragraph 2 mean?

A．Blood-pressure.	B．Breathing.
C．Brain.	D．Muscle.

9. Why did the researchers do the research?

A．To help people to avoid negative emotions.

B．To better understand breathing in stressful situations.

C．To prove an already existing thought about crying.

D．To find out whether people cry when watching sad videos.

10. What can we infer from the passage?

A．The undergraduate students are more likely to cry.

B．Crying is very helpful for us to deal with stress.

C．That crying helps regulate breathing was found accidentally.

D．Sharman is sure that the research findings agree with reality.

11. Where can you probably read the passage?

A．A biology textbook.	B．A research report.
C．A travel brochure.	D．A health magazine.

When you are sick, you may dream: if only I had been given an injection against diseases before my birth. It is not a dream now.

On Nov. 26, He Jiankui from Guangdong announced the birth of healthy twin girls, Lulu and Nana, earlier in the month. They came into being via external fertilization with gene editing technology that protected them from HIV infection.

The reaction to his announcement was explosive. China’s Ministry of Science and Technology has cooperated with other departments to investigate He’s project. In a signed open letter released on Nov. 27, 140 Chinese researchers in HIV/AIDS from China and abroad condemned the research. They questioned the need for He’s project. The letter said that there are many treatments that prevent babies born to HIV-positive parents from being infected. In fact, there are many drugs for this.

Until now, there has only been gene editing research on faulty embryos(胚胎）. The research only went ahead when it was clear that children would have terrible diseases. But even this research is controversial.

The idea that research could find ways to switch off genes that cause cancer may be exciting, but it is also troubling. There are worries about babies that are designed to be superior, with better looks and above average skills. People are also concerned that gene editing changes the human genome(基因组）, which means that changes will be handed onto future generations and spread through the population. Such research also raises ethical(道德的）questions. If the technology becomes available, who will be able to use it? Will it be only the wealthy? And if people live much longer lives, will there be an effect on the size of the world population?

Those questions are difficult to answer. But one thing is certain: If the cures have the potential to affect not just those who are treated, but the human population as a whole, it’s important to ensure that scientific advances aren’t getting too far ahead of our understanding of how to use them.

12. Why does the writer talk about “dream” in paragraph 1?

A．To stress the importance of dreams.	B．To show how to achieve one’s dream.
C．To introduce gene editing technology.	D．To prove that injections can cure disease.

13. What attitude did 140 researchers have towards He’s project?

A．Critical.

B．Supportive.

C．Cautious.

D．Unclear.

14. What do we learn about gene editing technology from the passage?

A．It is the only way HIV-positive parents bear healthy babies.

B．It has already been applied in more than one field.

C．It is highly appreciated because it can cure terrible diseases.

D．It can bring benefits to humans as well as troubles.

15. What does the passage mainly talk about?

A．Treatments for new-born babies.	B．Worries about the future generation.
C．Development of science and technology.	D．A hot issue about gene editing research.