【推荐2】US Space Agency Returns to Mars with InSight Lander

The American space agency's lander InSight is to arrive on Mars at the end of November,2018. Unlike NASA's Curiosity rover, InSight will not move across the planet's surface. Instead it will become the first spacecraft (航天器) used only for exploring underground. It will study the geography of Mars, searching for signs of Martian (火星的) quakes.

InSight is a project of U.S. and Europe. It is 6 meters long and 1.5 meters wide. It weighs 360kilograms. InSight's 1 .8 -meter robotic arm will put two experiments in place. Both are designed toexplore underground of Mars to learn about the inside.

Bruce Banerdt is the lead scientist for InSight. He viewed the spacecraft as a robot that can take care of itself. "It's got its own brain. It's got an arm. It can listen and feel things. It pulls its own power out of the sun," he noted.

Thomas Zurbuchen, one of the heads in NASA, said the results of the InSight project could "change the way we think about the inside of our earth. " But, first, InSight will have to land on Mars undamaged. Since Mars exploration started in the 1960s, only about 40 percent of the explorations have succeeded.

Tom Hoffman is InSight's project manager. He said earlier successes do not lessen the concerns for each new exploration. "That we ve done it before doesn't mean we' re not nervous and excited about doing it again," he said.

InSight will enter the Martian atmosphere (大气层) traveling at 19,800 kilometers an hour. It will slow for landing on a wide flat area on Mars. If all goes well, InSight could carry out its experiments in about 10 weeks. The InSight project is expected to continue for one Martian year, about two years on Earth.

1. What is the difference between InSight and NASA's Curiosity rover ?

A．The size.

B．The design.

C．The speed.

D．The task.

2. What can we learn from the passage?

A．InSight travels at an unchanged speed.

B．InSight is the project of America and Japan.

C．InSight has the functions (功能) of a robot.

D．InSight is mainly powered by the natural gas.

3. What will be one of the contributions (贡献) of the InSight project according to Zurbuchen?

A．It will help us understand the geography of Mars.

B．It will change the way we think about the inside of the earth.

C．It will help carry out more experiments on Mars.

D．It will get more information about the reasons for Mars quakes.

4. What is Hoffman's attitude towards this exploration of the InSight?

A．Confident.

B．Satisfied.

C．Concerned.

D．Frightened.

【推荐2】To Whom It May Concern:
Your address was forwarded to us by How to Magazine. All of us here think The International Institute of Not Doing Much is the best organization in the world. You know how to avoid unnecessary activities!
As a matter of fact, we closely followed the advice in your article. First, we replaced all our telephones with carrier pigeons. Simply removing the jingle of telephones and replacing them with the pleasant sounds of birds has had a remarkable effect on everyone. Besides, birds are cheaper than telephone service. After all, we are a business. We have to think of the bottom line. As a side benefit, the birds also add the nutrients to the grass outside the new employees’ sauna(桑拿房).
Next, we sold the computers off to Stab, Grab, Grit, and Nasty, a firm of lawyers nearby. Our electricity bill went way down. Big savings! The boss is impressed. We have completely hugged paper technology. Now that we all use pencils, doodling (涂鸦) is on the increase, and the quality of pencil Woman Ship is impressive, as you can tell from my handwriting in this letter. By the way, if you can, please send this letter back to us. We can erase and reuse it. Just tie it to Maggie’s leg and she’ll know where to take it.
Now it’s very calm and quiet here. You can notice the difference. No more loud chatter on the telephones! All we hear is the scratching of pencil on paper, the sound of pigeons, and the delivery of inter-office letters by paper airplane.
Wonderful! I’ve always wanted to work for an insurance company ever since I was a little girl. Now it’s perfect.
Sincerely yours,
Eleanor Lightly
Spokeswoman and Company Hair Stylist
ABC Activity Insurance: insure against overdoing it
1. Where is Eleanor’s letter sent to?

A．How To Magazine.

B．ABC Activity Insurance Company.

C．Stab, Grab, Grit, and Nasty Law Firm.

D．The International Institute of Not Doing Much.

2. Which of the following best describes the life the author is leading?

A．A religious, peasant-like life.

B．A simple, slow-paced life.

C．A life away from paper and pencils.

D．A life of hard work and security.

3. Which of the following is practiced in the author’s company?

A．Replacing the hand work system with modern technology.

B．Turning off lights in the daytime to save electricity.

C．Buying birds and pets as company for the staff.

D．Recycling paper resources whenever possible.

4. What is the purpose of writing this letter?

A．to show his dissatisfaction with the new environment.

B．to complain about the bad working condition.

C．to persuade people to live a simple life.

D．to express his thanks for the good advice.

【推荐3】The color of the ocean has changed significantly over the last 20 years, for which human-caused climate change may take the responsibility, and more than 56% of the world’s oceans have changed color to an extent that cannot be explained by natural variability, according to a new study published Wednesday in the journal Nature. It also mentioned that tropical oceans close to the equator in particular have become greener, reflecting changes in their ecosystems.

The color of the ocean is from the materials found in its upper layers. For example, a deep blue sea will have very little life in it, whereas a green color means there are ecosystems there, based on phytoplankton (浮游植物), plant-like microbes which contain chlorophyll (叶绿素). The phytoplankton form the basis of a food web which supports larger organisms such as fish, seabirds and marine mammals.

It’s not clear exactly how these ecosystems are changing. Ocean ecosystems are finely balanced and any change in the phytoplankton will impact on the whole food chain. “All changes are causing an imbalance in the natural organization of ecosystems. Such imbalance will only get worse over time if our oceans keep heating,” said study co-author Stephanie Dutkiewicz. “It will affect the ocean’s ability to act as a store of carbon, because different phytoplankton absorb different amounts of carbon.”

While the researchers are still working to find out exactly what the changes mean, what is clear is that the changes are being driven by human-caused climate change. The researchers analyzed color variation data from 2002 to 2022 and then used climate change. models to simulate (模拟) what would happen to the oceans both with additional planet-heating pollution and without. The color changes matched almost exactly what Dutkiewicz predicted would happen if greenhouse gases were added to the atmosphere—that around 50% of our oceans would change color.

1. What can we learn about the change in ocean color?

A．Climate change is likely to blame for it.	B．The study owes it to nature’s magic.
C．It is the most obvious in tropical areas.	D．It is a symbol of change in human action.

2. What does Paragraph 2 tell us about phytoplankton?

A．They’re mainly found in the deep blue sea.	B．They’re decisive to the ocean’s color.
C．They help the growth of microbes.	D．They’re sensitive to the ocean temperature.

3. How does ecosystems’ imbalance affect the oceans?

A．By breaking the whole food chain.	B．By keeping the ocean increasingly warm.
C．By reducing the varieties of the marine life.	D．By influencing oceans’ carbon-storing ability.

4. What may the researchers probably agree with?

A．The planet is at risk of being destroyed.	B．Ocean pollution is more serious than before.
C．Greenhouse gas reduction is urgently needed.	D．About half of the oceans have turned green.

【推荐2】The government of Tanzania has set up a high-speed Internet service on Mount Kilimanjaro. The government says the service will promote safety for climbers. But it will also allow people to post selfies as they work their way up Africa’s tallest mountain.

At 19, 300 feet (about 5,895 meters), Mount Kilimanjaro, is the highest mountain in Africa. It’s also the world’s tallest mountain that’s not part of a mountain range. About 35,000 people every year are trying to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. But climbing such a tall, glacier-covered mountain isn’t easy. Nape Nnauye, Tanzania’s information minister, said that in the past, “It was a bit dangerous for visitors-without Internet.”

The new Internet service should make it easier for climbers to reach the top of the mountain. They’ll be able to use the Internet to check maps and find their way as well as call for help if they need it. Currently, the new service reaches more than halfway up the mountain. The government says that by the end of the year, climbers will be able to get Internet even at the very top of Mount Kilimanjaro.

The government says safety is the main reason for setting up the Internet service on the mountain. But Tanzania depends heavily on tourists. In 2019, tourists were responsible for about 17% of all the money produced in Tanzania. Having people post pictures and videos on social media as they climb Mount Kilimanjaro could certainly make the spot even more popular with tourists. Some people in Tanzania are upset that the government is focusing on Internet for tourists instead of the people who live in the country.

Last year, the government approved a $72 million plan to build a cable car (缆车) on Mount Kilimanjaro. The idea was to allow tourists who weren’t climbers to enjoy the mountain. But the project made climbers and guides angry. It also bothered people who were worried about how the project might affect the environment on the mountain.

1. What is the government’s main reason for setting up an Internet service?

A．Health.

B．Safety.

C．Attention.

D．Money.

2. What was climbers’ attitude towards building a cable car on Mount Kilimanjaro?

A．Doubtful.

B．Supportive.

C．Opposed.

D．Tolerant.

3. What can we learn from the text?

A．Nearly 35, 000 people have climbed Mount Kilimanjaro so far.

B．Mount Kilimanjaro is part of a mountain range in East Africa.

C．People living in Tanzania quite agree with the government’s idea.

D．Climbers can post photos on social media halfway up the mountain.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Mount Kilimanjaro Gets Internet Service

B．Tourists Bring a Lot of Money into Tanzania

C．Tanzania Focus on Helping Its People Directly

D．Steps Must Be Taken to Protect Mount Kilimanjaro

【推荐1】Will doing housework save you a trip to the gym? If you think so, you need to think again. A new study finds that people who do housework as their weekly exercise tend to be heavier than those who get their exercise by doing sports.

In fact, the more time people spend on performing housework as exercise, the heavier they tend to be. The finding is shocking, because people thought more physical activities — no matter what the form — would always lead to a lower weight.

Richard Cotton, an exercise physiologist, agreed that it is hard to lose weight only by doing housework. You’ll get the most reward for your time if you add some traditional physical activities, he said. For example, 30 minutes of sweeping floors bums about 130 calories, while 30 minutes of riding a bike bums 400 calories. But some housework does give you exercise. For example, 30 minutes of washing the clothes by hand bums 215 calories, close to what you would bum in 30 minutes of combined jogging and walking.

The study collected information from more than 4 ,600 people who were interviewed about their weekly physical activity. About 42 percent of them had 150 minutes of physical activity per week. Of those people, nearly two-thirds said that at least 10 minutes of their weekly activity was spent doing housework. Women and older people tended to report more time spent in doing housework as part of their physical activity. In other words, if the researchers didn’t count housework as a type of physical activity, just

20 percent of women had enough physical exercise.

Therefore, it is possible that people who said they exercised by doing housework were not really honest about the time or length of the activity, researchers said. "After all, the combination of different physical activities is the best choice," Cotton said.

1. Why does the author raise a question at the beginning of the passage?

A．To invite some readers to answer it.	B．To draw readers' attention to the topic.
C．To test readers' knowledge about sports.	D．To show the importance of going to the gym.

2. Which of the following belongs to “traditional physical exercise"?

A．Sweeping floors.	B．Riding a bike.
C．Washing the clothes.	D．Cleaning the garage.

3. What can we learn about losing weight according to the passage?

A．We should do various physical activities.

B．We should exercise by doing housework.

C．Jogging and walking are the best kinds of sports.

D．The more housework we do, the heavier we'll be.

【推荐2】With the rapid development of intelligent systems and new-age transit networks,life in the big cities will likely be more efficient and comfortable.

After all,more than 60 percent of the world’s population is expected to live in cities by 2050 , according to a UN report. The answer to making these cities more livable for so many people lies in creating “smart” cities. These cities will use 5G networks and the “Internet of things”(IoT) to make everyday life safer and more convenient. Some cities are already using smart technology to improve the lives of residents.

But what exactly does a smart city do? In the United States cities of Boston and Baltimore, smart trash cans can sense how full they are and inform cleaning workers when they need to be emptied. In Amsterdam, the Netherlands, traffic flow and energy usage are monitored and adjusted according to real-time data gathered from sensors(传感器)around the city. And in Copenhagen, Denmark,a smart bike system allows riders to check on air quality and traffic condition as they ride.

Smart cities will be interactive ，allowing their residents to feel like they’ re truly shaping their environment,instead of merely existing in it.“One of the most important reasons to have a smart city is that we can actually communicate with our environment in a way that we never have in the past,”said Mrinalini Ingram,head of a telecom company.

Smart cities will also allow us to save resources. By using sensors and 5G networks to monitor the use of water，gas and electricity,city managers can figure out how to distribute and save these resources more efficiently. Emissions of carbon dioxide and other air pollutants can be more closely monitored in smart cities as well.

Of course,it will take time and money to turn our current cities into the smart cities of the future. But as we’ve already seen, more cities around the world are already adopting smart technology in smart ways. China, for instance,is making investments in big cities like Shanghai and Guangzhou to make them “smarter”. It won’t be long before even more cities start to develop their own smart infrastructure( 基础设施).

1. What calls for the development of smart cities?

A．The rapid progress in 5G networks.

B．The marked increase in world population.

C．The growing number of residents living in cities.

D．The major concern over the safety of living in cities.

2. How does the writer illustrate the way smart cities work?

A．By making a contrast.	B．By telling a story.
C．By listing figures. .	D．By giving examples.

3. How do smart cities help us to protect the environment?

A．By interacting directly with our environment.

B．By keeping track of the way we usually live.

C．By ensuring no emission of air pollutants.

D．By educating residents to save resources.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Smart City Closer to Reality.	B．The Rise and Fall of Cities.
C．How to Save Natural Resources.	D．Ways to Feed the World Population.

【推荐3】Coronavirus: What is “flattening the curve” and will it work?

In epidemiology, the idea of slowing a virus' spread so that fewer people need to seek treatment at any given time is known as "flattening the curve". It explains why so many countries are implementing "social distancing" guidelines﹣including a "shelter in place" order that affects 6.7 million people in Northern California, even though COVID﹣19 outbreaks there might not yet seem severe.

Here's what you need to know about the curve, and why we want to flatten it.

What is the curve?

The "curve" researchers are talking about refers to the projected number of people who will contract COVID﹣19 over a period of time. （To be clear， this is not a hard prediction of how many people will definitely be infected, but a theoretical number that's used to model the virus' spread. ） Here's what one looks like:

The curve takes on different shapes, depending on the virus's infection rate. It could be a steep curve， in which the virus spreads exponentially （that is, case counts keep doubling at a consistent rate）, and the total number of cases skyrockets to its peak within a few weeks.   Infection curves with a steep rise also have a steep fall; after the virus infects pretty much everyone who can be infected, case numbers begin to drop exponentially, too.

The faster the infection curve rises, the quicker the local health care system gets overloaded beyond its capacity to treat people. As we're seeing in Italy, more and more new patients may be forced to go without ICU beds, and more and more hospitals may run out of the basic supplies they need to respond to the outbreak.

A flatter curve, on the other hand, assumes the same number of people ultimately get infected, but over a longer period of time. A slower infection rate means a less stressed health care system, fewer hospital visits on any given day and fewer sick people being turned away.

How do we flatten the curve?

As there is currently no vaccine or specific medication to treat COVID﹣19, the only way to flatten the curve is through collective action. Some governments have recommended that all citizens wash their hands frequently, self﹣isolate when they're sick or suspect they might be， and start “social distancing” right away.

1. According to the passage, which of the following about the curve is TRUE?

A．The curve has different shapes depending on the types of pandemic.

B．The curve with a flatter rise has a flatter fall as well.

C．The steep curve suggests local health system might maintain its capacity.

D．The curve here shows the number of people who've been cured.

2. Why is it important to flatten the curve?

A．The time for the infection will be shorter.

B．People can develop immunity to the virus.

C．The health care system can handle the infected people.

D．Vaccines can be developed to stop the spread of the virus.

3. What is the way mentioned in the passage to flatten the curve?

A．Putting local health care system under stress.

B．Paying more frequent visits to local hospitals.

C．Giving people effective medication or vaccine.

D．Practicing social distancing as soon as possible.