【推荐1】In 1888 an Egyptian farmer digging in the sand near the village of Istabl Antar uncovered a mass tomb. The bodies weren’t human. They were feline—ancient cats that had been mummified and buried in holes in astonishing numbers. “Not one or two here and there”, reported English Illustrated Magazine, “but dozens, hundreds, hundreds of thousands, a layer of them, a layer thicker than most coal joints, ten to twenty cats deep.” Some of the linen-wrapped cats still looked presentable, and a few even had golden faces. Village children peddled the best ones to tourists for change; the rest were sold as fertilizer (肥料). One ship transported about 180,000, weighing some 38, 000 pounds, to Liverpool to be spread on the fields of England.

Those were the days of generously funded (资助的) explorations—that dragged through acres of desert in their quest for royal tombs, and for splendid gold and painted masks to decorate the museums of Europe and America. The many thousands of mummified animals that turned up at religious sites throughout Egypt were just things to be cleared away to get treasure. Few people studied them, and their importance was generally unrecognized.

In the century since then, archaeology (考古学) has become less of a treasure hunt and more of a science. Archaeologists now realize that much of their sites’ wealth lies in the majority of details about ordinary folks—what they did, what they thought, how they prayed. And animal mummies are a big part of that.

“They’re really displays of daily life,” says Egyptologist Salima Ikram. After looking beneath bandages with x-rays and cataloguing her findings, she created a gallery for the collection—a bridge between people today and those of long ago. “You look at these mummified animals, and suddenly you say, Oh, King So-and-So had a pet. I have a pet. And instead of being at a distance of 5,000-plus years, the ancient Egyptians become clearer and closer to us.”

1. The underlined word “peddled” in Paragraph 1 probably means        .

A．examined	B．displayed
C．replaced	D．shared

2. What is Paragraph 2 mainly about?

A．Treasure hunting explorations.	B．Egyptian Royal tombs in desert.
C．Mummified animals in museums.	D．Big archaeological discoveries.

3. From the last paragraph, we can learn that Salima Ikram        .

A．wishes to keep the continuity of pets over history

B．wants to identify the King’s personal belongings and classify them

C．believes that studying the remains can help modern society relate to the past

D．doubts if current society will understand the significance of Egyptian remains

4. The passage probably encourages the readers to        .

A．make full use of the remains the ancestors left behind

B．become more sensitive to the ancient lifestyle of the ancestors

C．pay more attention to the historical and cultural value of ancient remains

D．understand there are more the historical remains waiting for explorations

【推荐2】It’s not often sunny in Paris, but people still love to walk along the bank of the Seine. They love the view of the city’s old buildings, especially Notre Dame Cathedral, with its iconic spire(标志性塔尖).

Unfortunately, that view has been forever changed. On April 16 a fire destroyed the spire of the 850-year-old wooden Notre Dame Cathedral built in 1163, and two-thirds of the roof.

The fire shocked and saddened Parisians. Citizens gathered around the giant church, singing hymns(赞美诗) and praying for the hundreds of firefighters who fought the flames.

“The importance of Notre Dame, not only to Catholics (天主教) but to all Parisians, cannot be underestimated,” wrote French author Bernard-Henri Levy. “For many in France, it’s more than a house of worship. It’s a symbol of French culture, architecture and history.”

The church is also home to many religious artworks, paintings and sculptures. Luckily, its world-famous colored glass windows survived the fire. These windows are made of many small pieces of glass and feature various Christian images.

Despite its long history and many treasures, the cathedral needed the help of a writer to become truly famous. Victor Hugo’s 1831 novel, The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, presented the building to a wide audience of readers. The book’s ugly lead character, Quasimodo, serves as a symbol for Paris’ forgotten Gothic(哥特式的) architecture. Hugo wrote the book to remind people of it, with the hope that they would work to protect the beautiful old buildings of Paris.

French President Emmanuel Macron has promised to reconstruct the historic building. “Notre Dame is our history, our literature and it’s our imagery,” he said in a public speech following the fire.

1. Which of the following is True about Notre Dame Cathedral?

A．It is a representative architecture of France.

B．It is made of wood and metal.

C．It is a place for entertainment.

D．It will be rebuilt in a different style.

2. What does the underlined word “underestimated” in Paragraph 3 refer to?

A．Undertaken.	B．Undercharged.
C．Undervalued.	D．Understood.

3. What makes the Cathedral known to the world?

A．Its famous spire.	B．Its colored glass windows.
C．Victor Hugo’s novel.	D．Religious treasures inside.

4. What’s the writer’s attitude towards the damage to the church?

A．Uncaring.	B．Regretful.
C．Negative.	D．Optimistic.

【推荐3】Rome wasn't built in a day. And neither was the Roman subway system. Underground work is slow going, because construction workers often meet with frescoes(壁画) and other valuable stone foundations thousands of years ago. And a few years ago, they found the wooden foundations of a luxurious porch from a Roman building.

So local archaeologists called in Mauro Bernabei of the National Research Council of Italy. He's a dendrochronologist: someone who analyzes tree rings, which give age and environmental information.

"We have to study wood because it's full, really full, of information!" Bernabei and his team found that the wooden planks were oak(橡木). But the wood's origin was harder to determine. So they compared the tree rings in the oak floor to those available in libraries of tree rings that contain timber from all over Europe. And they found a match for the Roman wood—from the Jura region of eastern France, more than 600 miles away.

The researchers also determined that it was used in about 40 to 60 B.C. And some came from trees already up to 300 years old when they were cut down. The details are in the journal PLOS ONE.

The discovery is the first clear evidence of oak from north of the Alps being used to build ancient Rome. And it's a reminder that the Romans had a complex trading network. These trees, for example, likely floated down two rivers, across the Mediterranean and up another river to Rome.

Bernabei says Roman archaeologists usually destroy ancient wood—it's not as valuable as jewelry and vases and frescos. But he's hoping this study might change their minds."Save the wood, yes! And call me,if you don't want to save—please, call me!"He says.

1. Why does the subway in Rome go slowly?

A．It is hard to dig up the earth in Rome.

B．There are many ancient ruins buried here.

C．It is very dangerous to work too fast in Rome

D．The Roman are not experienced in building subways

2. What can people learn from the wood foundations?

A．The wealth in ancient Rome

B．The trading information of ancient Rome

C．The culture of ancient Rome

D．The social relations of ancient Rome

3. What does the underlined word in paragraph 4 refer to?

A．The stone	B．The subway
C．The French wood	D．The Roman foundation

4. What is the main idea of this passage?

A．Scientists found some information about ancient Rome

B．Wood was not as valuable as stones in ancient Rome

C．Only the rich people in ancient Rome could use wood

D．Ancient Rome could have a rich trading network.

【推荐1】       How fit are your teeth? Are you lazy about brushing them? Never fear: An inventor is on the case. An electric toothbrush senses how long and how well you brush, and it lets you track(跟踪) your performance on your phone.
       The Kolibree toothbrush was exhibited at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week. It senses how it is moved and can send the information to an Android phone or iPhone via a Bluetooth wireless connection.
       The toothbrush will be able to teach you to brush right (don’t forget the insides of the teeth!) and make sure you’re brushing long enough. “It’s kind of like having a dentist actually watch your brushing on a day-to-day basis,” says Thomas Serval, the French inventor.
       The toothbrush will also be able to talk to other applications on your phone, so developers could, for example, create a game controlled by your toothbrush. You could score points for beating monsters among your teeth. “We try to make it smart and fun,” Serval says.
       Serval says he was inspired by his experience as a father. He would come home from work and ask his kids if they had brushed their teeth. They said “yes,” but Serval would find their toothbrush heads dry. He decided he needed a brush that really told him how well his children brushed.
       The company says the Kolibree will go on sale this summer, from $99 to $199, and the U.S. is the first target market.
1. All of the following statements are wrong except ____________.

A．It can track users’ school performance.

B．It can sense how users brush their teeth.

C．It can check users’ fear of seeing a dentist.

D．It can help users find their phones.

2. What can we learn from Serval’s words in Paragraph 3?

A．You will find it enjoyable to see a dentist.

B．You should see your dentist on a day-to-day basis.

C．You’d like a dentist to watch you brush your teeth every day.

D．You can brush with the Kolibree as if guided by a dentist.

3. What can we infer about Serval’s children?

A．They were unwilling to brush their teeth.

B．They often failed to clean their toothbrushes.

C．They preferred to use a toothbrush with a dry head.

D．They liked brushing their teeth after Serval came home.

【推荐1】If there was such things as perfect food，eggs would be one of them．They're readily available，easy to cook，affordable and packed with protein．

But for decades，eating eggs has also been controversial due to their high cholesterol（胆固醇）content．One egg contains around 185 milligrams of cholesterol，which is more than half of the 300mg daily amount of cholesterol that the US dietary guidelines recommended until recently．

Researchers haven't definitively linked consumption of cholesterol to an increased risk of cardiovascular（心血管的）disease．As a result，US dietary guidelines no longer have a cholesterol restriction；nor does the UK．Instead，emphasis is placed on limiting how much fat we consume，which can increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease．

Research published earlier this year，though，challenged the common opinion that eggs have no harm to our health．Researchers looked at data from 30，000 adults followed for an average of 17 years and found that each additional half an egg per day was significantly linked to a higher risk of heart disease and death．

Despite the study being one of the largest of its kind to address this specific relationship between eggs and heart disease，it was observational，giving no indication of cause and effect．

While researchers are a long way from understanding why eggs affect us differently，the vast majority of recent research suggests they pose no risk to our health，and are much more likely to provide health benefits．

Even so，having eggs for breakfast every day probably isn't the healthiest option，either—at least as it's recommended that we have a varied diet…rather than put all our eggs in one basket．

1. Which section on a newspaper could you probably find this article？

A．Society

B．Health

C．Travel

D．Fashion

2. Why has eating eggs been controversial for decades？

A．Because they are readily available．

B．Because they are easy to cook．

C．Because they are affordable and packed with protein．

D．Because they contain much cholesterol．

3. What can we infer from the research mentioned in the 4th paragraph？

A．Cholesterol has strong link to the increased risk of disease．

B．The UK dietary guidelines no longer have a cholesterol restriction．

C．Having two eggs per day would lead to health problems．

D．Eggs is not harmful to our health．

4. What is suggested by the author in the last paragraph？

A．Having eggs everyday for breakfast．

B．Recommending our friends to have at least one egg per day．

C．Balancing our diet with different kinds of food．

D．Putting all eggs in one basket when your buy them．

【推荐2】Use vouchers (代金券) to get DANS dance classes cheaper

Want to improve your dancing skills? Join DAN’S, where the improved classes are designed to get you moving. Beginners and people who are skilled at dancing are all welcome, as long as you bring a fierce attitude and you’re happy to dance. It’s time to hit the dance floor.

Location:

DAN’S, Marylebone

Highlights (最好的部分):

●Take part in a single class for £10 (usually £23) or three classes for £29 (usually £69)

●Choose between three types: fitness, soul and technique

●Central London location--Westminster

Need to know:

●This voucher can be used for all of the three types of class at DAN’S.

●To redeem (兑换), open an account at DAN’S here. Then email hello@dans.co.uk with the name on your account, the number of classes you have bought and a copy of your voucher number.

●Available until December 22 on DAN’S Fitness, DAN’S Soul and DAN’S Technique.

●If you want to take only a type of the dance class, you must redeem by December 22, 2020.

●If you want to take all of the three types of the dance class, you must redeem by January 31, 2021.

●To view the timetable please click here. January’s timetable will be updated by mid-December.

●This voucher cannot be used with any other offer.

1. How much can you save at most by using the voucher?

A．£13

B．£23

C．£40

D．£53

2. What should you do first if you want to redeem the voucher?

A．Open an account at DAN’S.

B．Check the timetable of the class.

C．Send an email to hello@dans.co.uk

D．Send your voucher number to DAN’S

3. If you want to take DAN’S Fitness, you should redeem your voucher by

A．mid-December	B．December 22, 2020
C．January 31, 2020	D．December 22, 2021

【推荐3】More People Are Leaving the Rat Race for the Simple Life
Time is more precious than money for an increasing number of people who are choosing to live more with less—and liking it.
Kay and Charles Giddens, two lawyers, sold their home to start a B&B hotel. Four years later, the couple dishes out banana pancake breakfast, cleans toilets and serves homemade chocolate chip cookies to guests in a B&B hotel surrounded by trees on a hill known for colorful sunsets.
“Do I miss the freeways? Do I miss the traffic? Do I miss the stress? No,” says Ms. Giddens, “This is a phenomenon that’s fairly widespread. A lot of people are reevaluating their lives and figuring out what they want to do. If their base is being damaged, what’s the payoff?”
Simple living ranges from cutting down on weeknight activities to sharing housing, living closer to work, avoiding shopping malls, borrowing books from the library instead of buying them, and taking a cut in pay to work at a more pleasurable job.
Vicki Robin, a writer, lives on a budget equal to a fifth of what she used to make. “You become conscious about where your money is going and how valuable it is,” Ms. Robin says, “You tend not to use things up. You cook at home rather than eat out…”
Janet Luhrs, a lawyer, quit her job after giving birth and leaving her daughter with a nanny for two weeks. “It was not the way I wanted to raise my kids,” she says, “Simplicity is not just about saving money; it’s about me sitting down every night with my kids to a candlelit dinner with classical music.”
Mrs. Luhrs now edits a magazine, Simple Living, which publishes tips on how to buy recycled furniture and shoes, organize potluck dinners instead of expensive receptions, and generally how to consume less.
“It’s not about poverty,” Mrs. Luhrs explains, “It’s about conscious living and creating the life you want. The less stuff you buy, the less money goes out of the door, and the less money you have to earn.”
1. Kay and Charles Giddens sold their home to ______.

A．pay off the debt

B．start a private hotel

C．cut down expenses

D．buy living necessities

2. Simple living includes ______.

A．building a home library

B．living in the countryside

C．enjoying a colorful night life

D．sharing housing with others

3. It can be learned from the passage that now Janet Luhrs ______.

A．spends more time with her kids

B．has an interest in classical music

C．works as a reporter of a magazine

D．helps people buy recycled clothes

4. How does the author develop the passage?

A．By using figures.

B．By asking questions.

C．By giving examples.

D．By making comparisons.

【推荐1】

Cold weather can be hard on pets, just like it can be hard on people. Sometimes owners forget that their cats are just as used to the warm shelter (住所) as they are. Some owners will leave their animals outside for a long period of time, thinking that all animals are used to living outdoors. This can put their pets in danger of serious illness. There are things you can do to keep your animal warm and safe.

Keep your pets inside as much as you can when the weather is bad. If you have to take them out, stay outside with them. When you're cold enough to go inside, they probably are too. If you must leave them outside for a long time, make sure they have a warm, solid shelter against the wind, thick bedding, and plenty of non­frozen water.

If left alone outside, dogs and cats can be very smart in their search for warm shelter. They can dig into snow banks or hide somewhere. Watch them closely when they are left outdoors, and provide them with shelter of good quality. Keep an eye on your pet's water. Sometimes owners don't realize that a water bowl has frozen and their pet can't get anything to drink. Animals that don't have clean and unfrozen water may drink dirty water outside, which may contain something unhealthy for them.

1. What do we learn about pets from Paragraph 1?

A．They are often forgotten by their owners.

B．They are used to living outdoors.

C．They like to stay in warm places.

D．They build their won shelters.

2. Why are pet owners asked to stay with their pets when they are out in cold weather?

A．To keep them company.

B．To keep them from eating bad food.

C．To help them find shelters.

D．To know when to bring them inside.

3. What is the purpose of this text?

A．To solve a problem.

B．To give practical advice.

C．To tell an interesting story.

D．To present a research result.

【推荐2】A man in Germany may not have been in danger when he called the police on a baby squirrel chasing him, but it all worked out for the best for the furry suspect.

Emergency services in the city of Karistruhe got a call on Thursday from a man afraid that the tiny animal wouldn't stop following him around, The Guardian reported. Police arrived at the scene, where the squirrel finally stopped running after him by lying down and going to sleep.

It turned out that the squirrel actually needed help, the police said, “It often happens that squirrels which have lost their mothers look for a replacement and then focus their efforts on one person,” the police spokesman Christian Krenz told The Guardian.

The squirrel, now named Karl-Friedrich, is in the care of an animal rescue center. Karlstruhe police posted a statement on Facebook about the animal, including several lovely photos. The department wished Karl-Friedrich the best.

The baby squirrel chase is the second police-involved squirrel incident to make international headlines this summer. Last month, a London woman called the police after she heard loud noises in her home and suspected a thief. The unwanted visitor turned out to be a “rogue squirrel”, according to the police who came for help.

Although authorities in the German case said the squirrel did need assistance, wildlife experts generally warn that before dealing with the case where you suspect a squirrel is orphaned, you should do your best to make sure the creature truly requires help. The Wildlife Center of Virginia, which gets hundreds of calls annually about supposedly orphaned squirrels, published this handy guide to help determine whether such an animal really needs help and what to do if so. When in doubt, contact a local wildlife rescuer, a rehab center on animal control.

1. Why did the man in Germany call the police?

A．A baby squirrel was asleep there.	B．A baby squirrel tried to bite him.
C．A baby squirrel was lying down there.	D．A baby squirrel kept running after him.

2. What does Karl-Friedrich in the passage turn out to be?

A．A woman from London.	B．A lovely little squirrel.
C．An unwanted visitor.	D．A local policewoman.

3. What do we know about the people making calls when they see squirrels?

A．They are very active in animal protection.

B．They are very eager to help disabled squirrels.

C．They think squirrels are endangered animals.

D．They think squirrels are in a hungry state.

4. What can we infer from wildlife experts' words in the last paragraph?

A．People should try to give first aid to injured or sick squirrels.

B．People should figure out whether squirrels actually need assistance.

C．People should help squirrels who are left alone as soon as possible.

D．People should contact a local wildlife rescuer when seeing orphaned squirrels,

【推荐3】The real point of human nature lies in the social bonds that we make through family, friendships, professional associations and local communities. These bonds produce a sense of common purpose and values, in which groups of people seek hard and enjoy together the things that are for the common good: a sound education, a pleasant environment to live in, a healthy population. This is what the heart of the gift economy (经济) is.

In the past, American companies operating in Japan found it difficult to attract Japanese people, even though, compared with Japanese employers, they offered more generous wages, shorter work hours and better promotion chances. But these were traditionally not so important to the employees, who did not think of their services as being ‘bought’. Rather, they felt they were entering into a long-term—“gift exchange” —relationship with their employer, which was of mutual (相互) benefit.

This relationship had many aspects. At its most basic it related the simple exchange of physical gifts. For example, if the employee got married, the company sent a gift. Another company gift which is popular among Japanese employees is the yearly company vacation. On these organized weekends co-workers share dormitories, eat together and visit the same attractions, largely at the company’s expense. For their part, the main gift given by the employees to their company is their hard work and this is why each Japanese employee gives such great attention to accuracy, and quality in their work. Even the simplest tasks are carried out with extraordinary care.

Now, neighborhood groups use online networks to share tools and skills. Someone who needs a long ladder to repair their roof does not need to go out and buy one; they simply put a message up on the neighborhood discussion board and soon a neighbor will offer theirs. Via the Internet, knowledge and advice can be shared on almost everything, from how a nuclear reactor works to how to plan your holiday. The gift economy is going through a booming time.

1. What is the key point of the gift economy?

A．People’s working hard.	B．People’s similar social status.
C．Sharing social interests.	D．Accepting social bonds.

2. Why did the Japanese show little interest in American companies?

A．The companies offered them low salaries.

B．They were difficult to get a better position.

C．The companies provided shorter vacations.

D．They didn’t want to sell their services.

3. What does the yearly company vacation inspire Japanese employees to do?

A．Contribute themselves to the company.

B．Exchange physical gifts with each other.

C．Spend less money while talking vacations.

D．Organize more effective weekend parties.

4. What can we infer about the gift economy from the last paragraph?

A．It is changing the Internet services.	B．It benefits greatly from the Internet.
C．It is better accepted on the Internet.	D．It booms the Internet development.