【推荐1】How to Save Humanity from Extinction

Modern humans have only existed for a relatively brief amount of time, and probably we’d like to stick around a lot longer. For example, if we want to reach our 500.000th birthday as a species, what should we focus on?     1    .

•     2    

The Earth’s climate has changed and shifted for millions of years. There have been times in the past when it’s been hotter than it is today, and times when it’s been cooler. But there is something different about the past century. As far as we can tell from the geologic record, there has been no time in Earth’s entire history when the climate has warmed so much in such a short amount of time.     3    . While climate change doesn’t necessarily cause an existential threat to human existence, it surely poses a threat to how we like to live our lives in modern society.

• Figure out nuclear weapon

Again, a single nuclear weapon doesn’t pose a threat to all of humanity, but the thousands of warheads in the world right now certainly do. But as time goes on, the chances of one nuclear explosion increases. Just consider all the “near misses” in recent history, where all-out nuclear war was avoided thanks only to the quick thinking and calmness of individuals.     4    , there will be no nuclear conflict. So it’s possible to reduce the risk of catastrophe.

• Explore asteroids (小行星)

    5    , just ask the dinosaurs how well it worked out for them. Asteroids and comets have the ability to spark off massive extinction events. wiping out vast numbers of entire species. While these kinds of events are thankfully incredibly rare, the risk they present are horrible. For humanity to make it to the long-term, we need to equip ourselves with hard asteroid detection and relief strategies.

A．Tackle climate change

B．Make geologic record

C．If human beings calm down

D．Here are some goals we need to achieve

E．If we want to safeguard ourselves against potential risks

F．And we can see the effects of climate change everywhere

G．If you desire to know the horrible consequences for ignoring space threats

【推荐3】Going from junior high school to the freshman year of senior high school is a big challenge. What if you meet with difficulties?     1    

Be open to new friendships.

Senior high school is all about experiencing new things, including new friendships. Getting to know people you haven’t met before is a great way to broaden your horizons.    2     Simply sitting with a new person at lunch can be a good way to get it started.

    3    

For most people, going off to senior high school means heading off to a new campus. If you worry about the unknown, reach the school and see if someone can help. They might be able to show you around the campus, which will make you a bit more comfortable as you go on with your freshman year.

Get organised.

Senior high school and junior high school are very different in studying.    4     You can buy a planner and spend a few minutes each night revising the notes you took in class that day. Being on top of your study will make it much easier to get used to senior high school.

Create a three-year plan.

While there’s no need to plan every day for the next three years, it can’t hurt to make a note of classes you want to take or activities you’d like to try.    5     Having a plan in place will help you make the most of your senior high school experience.

A．Explore the campus.

B．Be open to new experiences.

C．If you’re nervous or frightened, start small.

D．Believe it or not, the three years goes by really fast.

E．Challenges like these might sometimes put you under great pressure.

F．Try to get as organised as possible so you can be on top of your study.

G．Here are some ways to help you deal with bad feelings and prepare for the first year.

【推荐2】How to Choose Your Purpose-Filled Career

When you think about choosing a career, you often do it in the following two ways.

    1    . If you like writing or doing crafts, you might consider these things. This is not a bad way to go, of course, but you can’t always make money doing things you like (like video games or drinking beer). And sometimes things you like are better as a hobby or side passion.

Think about a well-paid job that you can do and doesn’t sound so bad. Maybe a doctor, engineer or lawyer? Or maybe that’s out of your educational reach, so you choose office or retail worker.     2     but often they are not something you’re really passionate about. It’s kind of like just doing something because it’s there-- not very inspired.

However, there’s another way that is perhaps better:     3    . For example, taking care of children, because you really want to help children get a great start in life, or blossom into who they want to be or getting into government or social work to improve the conditions of the community you live in or becoming a scientist to help ease the environmental crisis or find a cure for a terrible disease.     4     and if you choose one of them for that purpose, you will serve in that work feeling a sense of purpose each day.

There are endless ways to do that. The point isn’t how you serve the world, but just serving the world in some way will help you feel filled with purpose.     5    .

A．These are all great choices

B．Think about what you like to do

C．You can identify your purpose and work out how to get there

D．Each of these is just one of many possibilities filled with purpose

E．Try to do something to serve a community or make the world better

F．The sooner you complete the training requirements, the sooner you will make a living

G．If you choose a purposeful and enjoyable job, you’re always further along than most people

【推荐3】Work Abroad Programs and Paid Summer Internships (实习)

InterExchange — Work and Learn Programs

InterExchange, a non-profit organization with more than 50 years of cultural exchange experience, offers work and experiential learning programs to US citizens in foreign countries, including Au Pair, Teach English, and Work & Travel. Programs are offered in Asia, Europe, North and South America, and Oceania.

Dates: Year-round Cost: $260 and up

Tel.: 212-924-0446 Email: workabroad@interexchange.org Website: www.InterExchange.org

BUNAC — Working Adventures Worldwide

Since 1962, BUNAC has been enabling all young people to discover the world through life-changing work and travel adventures. We are experts in providing programs that cover a long list of countries, including the UK, South Africa, China and so on. We provide assistance in getting your work permit and job-hunting support in-country. To find out more information, visit our website.

Dates: Year-round Cost: $320 and up

Tel.: 866-220-7771 Email: info@bunacusa.org Website: www.bunac.org

The Intern Group — Worldwide Internship Programs

The Intern Group is a leading provider of global internship programs in the US, Canada, Europe, Asia, Australia and Latin America. It also provides virtual/remote internship programs, so that you can build your career from anywhere. It provides internships in all career fields. Learn from leading professionals in your field while making friends from all over the world and living like a true local.

Dates: Year-round Cost: $590 and up

Tel.: +1 (718) 878-6393 Email: info@theinterngroup.com Website: www.theinterngroup.com

CRCC Asia — Worldwide Award-winning Internship Programs

CRCC Asia has been the leading provider of global internship programs with 9,000 past- participants since 2008. Our award-winning programs cover 19 fields in China, Japan, Vietnam, South Korea, India, and the UK. Programs are designed to improve your future employability and increase your cultural and business understanding. Program prices include high-quality accommodation, pre-departure services, visa processing, a leaving party, and excellent references to your future employers.

Dates: Year-round Cost: $1,700 and up

Tel.: 267-534-2984 Email: internships@crccasia.com

1. What do we know about BUNAC?

A．It has a history of more than 70 years.

B．It is suitable for young adventure lovers.

C．It only provides programs for the US citizens.

D．It aims to improve young people’s language skills.

2. Which number should you call if you hope to attend a program without leaving your home country?

A．267-534-2984.	B．212-924-0446.
C．866-220-7771.	D．+1 (718) 878-6393.

3. What do the four programs have in common?

A．They are available all year round.

B．They offer recommendations to employers.

C．They were created by non-profit organizations.

D．They have their own award-winning programs.

【推荐1】Can a computer think? That depends on what you mean by “think”. If solving a mathematical problem is “thinking”, then a computer can “think” and do so much faster than a man. Most mathematical problems can be solved quite mechanically by repeating certain straightforward processes over and over again. Even the simple computers of today can be geared for that.

It is frequently said that computers solve problems only because they are “programmed” to do so. They can only do what men have them do. One must remember that human beings also can only do what they are “programmed” to do. Our genes “program” us the instant the fertilized ovum is formed, and our potentialities are limited by that “program”.

Our “program” is so much more enormously complex, though, that we might like to define “thinking” in terms of the creativity that goes into writing a great play or composing a great symphony, into developing a brilliant scientific theory or a profound moral judgment. In that sense, computers certainly can’t think and neither can most humans.

Surely, though, if a computer can be made complex enough, it can be as creative as humans. If it could be made as complete as a human brain, it could be the equivalent of a human brain and do whatever a human brain can do.

But how long will it take to build a computer complex enough to duplicate the human brain? Perhaps not as long as someone thinks. Long before we approach a computer as complex as our brain, we will perhaps build a computer that is at least complex enough to design another computer more complex than itself. This more complex computer could design one still more complex and so on and so on and so on.

In other words, once we pass a certain critical point, the computers take over and there is a “complexity explosion”. In a very short time thereafter, computers may exist that not only duplicate the human brain but far surpass it.

1. In what sense does the writer think that humans are programmed?

A．He thinks a man’s abilities are not limited, as a computer’s are.

B．Their characteristics, powers, etc. are fixed before birth.

C．In the sense that humans will always be superior to computers.

D．Computers must be operated by men, but man can operate by himself.

2. The writer mentions two kinds of “thinking”. They are________.

A．mathematical thinking and language thinking	B．writing thinking and composing thinking
C．mechanical thinking and creative thinking	D．none of the above

3. What does the “critical point” in the last paragraph refer to?

A．When one computer is itself clever enough to design a better one.

B．The point at which a computer is an exact copy of a human brain.

C．When a computer can be made as creative as we are.

D．When the computers destroy each other in an explosion.

4. The underlined word “explosion” in the last paragraph is closest in meaning to _______.

A．damage

B．noise

C．excitement

D．leap forward

5. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Human Brain and Computer’s Thinking.	B．About Computer’s Creative Thinking.
C．How to Build a Complex Computer?	D．Can a computer Think?

【推荐2】

Recent studies have shown that challenging your brain, by spurring (刺激) the brain to create new patterns, is very important to keep your brain active and healthy as you age. Lifelong learning is a health club for our minds, bodies and spirits. This is why we parents should also teach our children to be lifelong learners. Dr. Marilyn Price-Mitchell, an American psychologist, and youth development expert, shares some ways for us to do this.

1. Ask questions.

When your child asks you a question, don't answer it straight away. Instead, help him or her bring up “questions that pique their curiosity.” This way, we help children make connections between what they're learning at school and the world beyond their classroom. We also show them that learning does not, and should not, end when one is “done with school” — it's actually a lifelong process!

2. Let them fail.

Our kids love learning about different scientific concepts (概念) via The Magic School Bus videos on YouTube. And one of the characters, Miss Frizzle (the science teacher) always says this phrase: “Take chances, make mistakes, and get messy.” I always quote (引述) her when the kids say they're afraid to do or learn something because they might do it wrong or make a mistake. If we don't allow our kids to fail, they won't be able to learn to “use mistakes and failures to make lifelong learning easier,” as Dr. Price-Mitchell says.

3. Learn through experience.

This is very true for all of us, especially children. In the words of Dr. Price-Mitchell, “Learning through experience, not just from books, is one of the best ways to give the youth the skills they need for lifelong learning, living, and working in the 21st century.”

Of course, we should also set an example for our children — by learning continuously, and expanding our knowledge and experiences.

1. What does the underlined word “pique” in the text probably mean?

A．Change.

B．Awaken.

C．Balance.

D．Prevent.

2. What's the author's attitude to what Miss Frizzle always says?

A．Worried.

B．Doubtful.

C．Uncaring.

D．Supportive.

3. Which of the following shows the importance of learning through experience?

A．Learning is not child's play; we cannot learn without pain.

B．It is not that I'm so smart. But I stay with the questions much longer.

C．If you don't learn to think when you are young, you may never learn.

D．Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.

4. In which part of a newspaper will the text most probably appear?

A．Health.

B．Culture.

C．Education.

D．Popular science.

【推荐3】When you hear the word “shapeshifting (变身)”, you may think of magic in some movies and not the climate. But that’s what animals are doing to go on living in the world.

A new study shows that some animals are slowly growing larger beaks, legs and ears. In this way they can cool themselves down more easily as the Earth gets warmer. When we talk about the climate change, we often ask “What can humans do with this?” “How can we live in the future?” “But we should know that animals also have to face these changes,” said Sara Ryding, from Deakin University, Australia. If animals do nothing to keep their normal body temperature, they will die.

In one example, the beaks of some kinds of Australian parrots have grown 4 to 10 percent larger. The study says it has a lot to do with the hotter summer over the years. There are other similar examples. Wood mice have longer tails and bats in warm climates have bigger wings.

Although the changes are still small, they could be common as the weather becomes hotter. “Body parts like ears may become bigger, so we might be able to see a real Dumbo (big-eared elephant from a Disney cartoon) in the near future,” Ryding told the reporters.

1. Why do animals grow bigger body parts?

A．To become stronger.	B．To enjoy a better life.
C．To find food easily.	D．To keep normal body temperature.

2. How many animals are mentioned in Paragraph 3?

A．2.

B．3.

C．4.

D．5.

3. What does the underlined word “they” refer to in the last paragraph?

A．Changes.

B．Tails.

C．Wings.

D．Examples.

4. What does the text mainly tell us?

A．Why climate changes so much.	B．When the climate starts to change.
C．How animals deal with hotter weather.	D．What the weather will be like in the future.

【推荐1】The following are the essential and sustainable sites to see in 2021. Grab your hags and go!

●Magdalen Island, Canada
Why go now: See a beautiful but decreasing world of ice — and the harp seals that depend on it.
What to know: The baby seals are born on the ice in late February and early March. The young seals are one of the most attractive creatures on the planet.
When to go: February-March
How to go: Live aboard boat expeditions offer the luxury of time with the seals above and below the sea ice.
●Abu Simbel, Egypt
Why go now: Enjoy a private audience with Ramses II
What to know: Abu Simbel is deep in the south of Egypt near its border with Sudan. The temples are archaeological treasures and wonders of modern engineering. Buried by sand for thousands of years, the towering landmarks were unearthed by archaeologists in 1813 and saved from the rising waters of Lake Nasser.
When to go: February-March
How to go: A good way to experience Abu Simbel is as part of a Nile cruise.
● Fort Kochi, India
Why go now: Track artful trends in creative Kerala
What to know: It is gaining notice as a new arts center. The four-month-long Kochi-Miseries Biennale is the largest event of its kind in South Asia. Launched in 2012, the Biennale shows contemporary international. Indian, and cross-cultural visual art and experiences.
When to go: December— April
● Zakouma National Park, Chad
Why go now: Support an African elephant haven
What to know: Zakouma National Park is home to a rapidly growing African elephant population---some 559 in 2019 and a thousand expected by 2024. The park's location, in southeastern Chad, one of the world’s least visited countries, makes Zakouma a best-kept secret-one worth sharing to help ensure its continued success.
When to go: March—April
1. What attracts tourists in Magdalen Island most?

A．Waters.

B．Fishing.

C．Seals.

D．Expeditions.

2. Who might show great interest in Fort Kochi?

A．History lovers.

B．Art lovers.

C．Photographers.

D．Designers.

3. Why has Zakouma National Park been well protected?

A．People there are poor.	B．Measures are proper.
C．Tourists are fewer.	D．Laws play a role.

【推荐2】Why go to Madrid？

There may be a slight chill(寒冷) in the air, with temperatures staying around 15℃ in March, but Spain’s handsome capital is slowly starting to warm up. Even more attractive are the cultural events.

A new exhibition on the living and working spaces of Spain’s greatest artist, Picasso, has just opened in the studio at the Fundación Mapfre at Paseo de Recoletos 23. It runs until 11 May with rarely seen pieces borrowed from his family.

Later this summer, the 400th anniversary of the death of the Renaissance(文艺复兴) painter El Greco will be marked with an exciting exhibition at the Museo del Prado at Paseo del Prado from 24June to 5 October.

How to go?

The widest range of flights is offered by EasyJet—from Bristol, Edinburgh, Gatwick, Liverpool and Luton. British Airways and its sister airline Iberia combine forces from Heathrow and London City. Ryanair flies from Manchester and Stansted; Air Europa flies from Gatwick.

Barajas airport is 13km north-east of the city centre and is served by frequent trains on Metro line 8, but the shortest underground journey is a bit complex with at least one change at Nuevos Ministerios station and takes about 30 minutes. The fare to any station in the city centre is ∈4.50. The airport express bus runs every 15 to 35 minutes around the clock; ∈5 one way. It takes 40 minutes to reach the city centre. A taxi takes half the time. A flat rate of ∈30 covers most of central Madrid.

1. When will the exhibition about Picasso close?

A．On 23 March.

B．On 11 May.

C．On 24June.

D．On 5 October.

2. Which airline operates flights from Manchester to Madrid?

A．EasyJet.

B．Ryanair.

C．Air Europa.

D．British Airways.

3. What is the fastest way to reach central Madrid from Barajas airport?

A．Take a taxi.

B．Take a city bus.

C．Take Metro line 8.

D．Take the airport express bus.

【推荐3】Two things changed my life: my mother and a white, plastic, daisy bike basket. I have thought long and hard about it and it’s true. I would be a different person if my mom hadn’t turned a silly bicycle accessory (配件) into a life lesson I carry with me today.

It was summer and, one day, my mother drove me to the bike shop to get a tire fixed — and there it was in the window. White, shiny, plastic and decorated with daisies, the basket seemed so appealing and I knew I had to have it.

“Mom, please can I please, please get it? I’ll do extra chores for as long as you say. I’ll do anything, but I need that basket. Please, Mom. Please?”

“You know,” she said, gently rubbing my back while we both stared at what I believed was the coolest thing ever, “If you save up, you could buy this yourself.”

“By the time I make enough it’ll be gone!’

“Maybe Roger here could hold it for you,” She smiled at Roger, the bike guy.

“For that long? He can’t hold it for that long, Mom. Someone else will buy it. Please, Mom, please?”

“There might be another choice,” she said. My mother bought the beautiful basket and put it safely out of reach in some hiding place I couldn’t find. Each week I eagerly counted my growing nest egg earned by extra work here and there (washing the car, helping my mother make dinner, delivering milk around the neighborhood). And then, weeks later maybe, I counted, re-counted and jumped for joy. Oh, happy day! I made it! I finally had the exact amount we’d agreed upon.

Days later, the unthinkable happened. A neighborhood girl I’d played with millions of times appeared with the exact same basket fixed to her shiny, new bike that already had all the bells and whistles. I rode my bike fast home to tell my mother about this disaster, this horrible turn of events.

And then came the lesson I’ve taken with me through my life: “Honey, your basket is extra-special,” Mom said, gently wiping away my hot tears. “Your basket is special because you paid for it yourself.”

1. In Paragraph 1, the writer shows a sense of _________.

A．loneliness

B．gratitude

C．brightness

D．regret

2. The writer finally got the basket she desired by _________.

A．waiting and sharing	B．crying and begging
C．working and saving	D．borrowing and returning

3. What lesson did the mother want to teach her children?

A．The fruit of one’s labor tastes sweeter.	B．After rain comes fair weather.
C．Hard work leads to success.	D．Tolerance and patience bring happiness.