Pumpkins (南瓜) have all shapes and sizes and have colors of golden orange, white and green. Cooked in a pie, they are symbols of autumn that are grown in every county of Washington.
U.S. farmers grow more than a billion pounds of pumpkins every year, and many famers use sheets (膜) of plastic blocking the grass and preventing water loss to make their plants grow well. In the country, farmers use about a billion pounds of plastic every year. Unfortunately, that plastic is thrown away finally, and in some areas, burned in the fields.
For several years, Carol Miles has studied a new product—the soil-biodegradable (土壤生物降解的) plastic cover that can be left in the ground after harvest, then broken down by things in the soil. “You don't need to pull it out of the field and throw it away every autumn, saving time and money,” Miles said.
Most pumpkins grow along vines (藤蔓) that spread through the grass-blocking cover, and Miles wanted to see how pumpkin fruit performed over the plastic cover. That brought a challenge: the soil-biodegradable cover stuck to the bottom of the fruit.
“We have a lot of dew (露水) in the morning, and we found that if we let the fruit dry after harvest, the cover would stick more strongly to the pumpkins,” Miles said. “Nobody wants plastic stuck to pumpkins, even if it's biodegradable. But if you wipe the fruit before the dew dries, the plastic comes right off.”
Farmers who grow plants that don't set fruit on plastic covers won't meet this challenge. For those who do, it means an extra step that they'll have to weigh against advantages and disadvantages for the development.
“Challenges aside, working with this crop can bring on a happy picture,” the farmer Tymon said. “Pumpkins are great. They have bright colors, and are really fun to work with.”
1. How did farmers deal with the sheets of plastic in old farming method?| A．They collected them and recycled them. |
| B．They burned them or threw them away. |
| C．They covered them under the ground. |
| D．They broke down them and buried them in the soil. |
| A．It prevents water loss. |
| B．It blocks the grass. |
| C．It is stuck to pumpkins easily. |
| D．It's environment-friendly. |
| A．Let the pumpkins break down plastic sheets. |
| B．Wipe the dew from the plastic cover. |
| C．Clean the pumpkins when they're wet. |
| D．Put some powder on the plastic sheets. |
| A．Balance against. | B．Fight against. |
| C．Remove. | D．Measure. |
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【推荐1】Batteries can power anything from small sensors to large systems. While scientists are finding ways to make them smaller but even more powerful, problems can arise when these batteries are much larger and heavier than the devices themselves. University of Missouri(MU) researchers are developing a nuclear energy source that is smaller, lighter and more efficient.
“To provide enough power, we need certain methods with high energy density(密度)”，said Jae Kwon, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at MU. “The radioisotope(放射性同位素) battery can provide power density that is much lighter than chemical batteries.”
Kwon and his research team have been working on building a small nuclear battery, presently the size and thickness of a penny, intended to power various micro / nanoelectromechanical systems (M/NEMS). Although nuclear batteries can cause concerns, Kwon said they are safe.
“People hear the word ‘nuclear’ and think of something very dangerous,” he said, “However, nuclear power sources have already been safely powering a variety of devices, such as pace-makers, space satellites and underwater systems.”
His new idea is not only in the battery’s size, but also in its semiconductor(半导体). Kwon’s battery uses a liquid semiconductor rather than a solid semiconductor.
“The key part of using a radioactive battery is that when you harvest the energy, part of the radiation energy can damage the lattice structure(晶体结构) of the solid semiconductor,” Kwon said, “By using a liquid semiconductor, we believe we can minimize that problem.”
Together with J. David Robertson, chemistry professor and associate director of the MU Research Reactor, Kwon is working to build and test the battery. In the future, they hope to increase the battery’s power, shrink its size and try with various other materials. Kwon said that battery could be thinner than the thickness of human hair.
1. Which of the following is true of Jae Kwon?| A．He teaches chemistry at MU. |
| B．He developed a chemical battery. |
| C．He is working on a nuclear energy source. |
| D．He made a breakthrough in computer engineering. |
| A．to show chemical batteries are widely applied. |
| B．to indicate nuclear batteries can be safely used. |
| C．to describe a nuclear-powered system. |
| D．to introduce various energy sources. |
| A．get rid of the radioactive waste | B．test the power of nuclear batteries. |
| C．decrease the size of nuclear batteries | D．reduce the damage to lattice structure. |
【推荐2】Putting a microchip (芯片) into one’s brain brings the world a super hero, which is common in sci-fi movies. However, we may find it possible in reality.
Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX and co-founder of electric car maker Tesla — has been working on this technology. On Aug 28, Musk gave a livestream demonstration of the chip, which was implanted into the head of a pig named Gertrude.
The chip, developed by Musk’s company, is the size of a coin. But don’t let its size fool you. The tiny chip has over 3,000 electrodes (电极) attached to flexible threads, which can monitor about 1,000 neurons (神经元). It collects neural signals from an area of the brain, and then transmits those signals wirelessly to nearby computers. In the livestream, Gertrude could be seen walking around sniffing the ground while a monitor showed her brain activity.
Though the technology is still in its early stage, it is encouraging for humans. This technology “would solve a lot of brain injuries”, which allows the human brain to combine with an artificial intelligence, Musk said.
When the device can be applied to humans, its main goal will be to help those who have mobility issues, such as those suffering from paralysis. Musk hopes this technology could also be used to help those with hearing and eyesight issues and one day lead to a cure for epilepsy (癫痫).
Although such a device could, in principle, repair those problems, putting it into practice is by no means a piece of cake. Currently, the device can transmit signals from about 500 neurons in the pig’s brain. Compared to 80 billion neurons in a human brain, this number is tiny. And to cover the whole human brain also means the electrodes have to be much smaller. Also, implanting the chip into the brain poses a potential danger. There is a possibility of the immune system attacking this foreign body.
Right now, the hope of controlling the brain via controlling a few neurons seems overly optimistic. “There are many technological challenges...to overcome before Neuralink can put its devices to the purposes,” Yuan Lanfeng, an associate professor at the University of Science and Technology of China, told China Daily.
1. What do we know about Elon Musk’s microchip according to the first three paragraphs？| A．It is able to collect wireless signals. | B．It was inspired by sci-fi movie plots. |
| C．It is tiny in size but powerful in function. | D．It has no more than 1, 000 electrodes. |
| A．To develop a cure for epilepsy. |
| B．To monitor animals’ brain activity. |
| C．To contribute to the research in Al technologies. |
| D．To help people with difficult in moving freely. |
| A．Key differences between pigs’ and humans’ brains. |
| B．Hidden challenges and risks in practice. |
| C．Implanting the chip costs a lot. |
| D．The immune system is the major problem to the implant. |
| A．Excited. | B．Cautious. | C．Optimistic. | D．Worried. |
【推荐3】In Telangana, southern India, a 17-year-old teenager, Hemesh Chadalavada, is making waves with a game-changing invention that has the potential to revolutionize dementia (痴呆) care.
When Hemesh was 12､his grandmother Jayasree, then 63, accidentally left the gas on in the kitchen after making herself a cup of tea. The incident frightened Hemesh who found himself wondering what would have happened if he hadn’t been there.
Witnessing his grandmother suffer from dementia, Hernesh knew that he had to do something, so he turned to the Internet. After watching robotics courses online and taking advantage of his passion for coding, Hemesh set about creating a smart device.
He spent time in a day centre to learn more about the needs of people with dementia. And 20 failed versions later, the Alpha Monitor was born. Using advanced machine learning technology, the device, which can be worn on the wrist, sends an automatic alert to caregivers when any abnormal activity is detected, such as if the user falls down, wanders off, or has an accident. While other devices rely on Wi-Fi and are therefore unable to detect movements outside a limited range, the Alpha Monitor uses long-range technology that can detect a person’s movements more than a mile away in cities and three miles away in the countryside.
Sadly, Jayasree passed away last year, but her death has only reinforced Hemesh’s determination to continue his mission of improving dementia care far and wide. Dhruv Saidava, Hemesh’s mentor, said, “I first met Hemesh in 2019 during Ideate for India... Hemesh stood out. What set him apart was his exceptional talent for thorough research and hands-on ability.”
In future, he plans to do research at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi and improve the Alpha Monitor so that it’s ready for market. He has made it clear that he wants the device to be sold at an affordable price so that it’s accessible to people in less developed countries.
1. What inspired Hemesh’s invention?| A．The concern about his grandma’s security. |
| B．The enthusiasm for robotics development. |
| C．The sympathy for people suffering from dementia. |
| D．The desire to research into machine learning technology. |
| A．It goes through a series of tests. |
| B．It can detect abnormal activities. |
| C．It is equipped with an alert system. |
| D．It monitors a person’s farther distance. |
| A．Changed. | B．Illustrated. | C．Strengthened. | D．Restored. |
| A．Strong-willed and adventurous. | B．Warm-hearted and creative. |
| C．Responsible and sensitive. | D．Stubborn and generous. |
【推荐1】There are many things that we can do in our own ways which will help save the environment. What are some of these ways to save the environment? Let’s take a look at a list of them.
There won’t be enough water before we need to fight for clean and fresh water. That is why saving water and preventing water pollution becomes very important. Keep simple things in mind like turning off the tap when you are brushing teeth. Don’t often take a shower. Don’t pour oil into the drains. Don’t throw rubbish into the river.
Save paper to save trees. Make sure that you use both sides of paper before throwing it away. If you can, try not to use paper as possible as you can and do not forget to recycle paper. Also, using cloth bags instead of paper bags can save much Paper. This is one of the best ways to save our environment.
Recycling is important. It makes sure that the environment is not more polluted. Recycling does not simply include recycling paper, but things like plastic, metal and office supplies like pens, ink and more. This makes sure that they are changed into material that is reusable and also puts less pressure on the environment.
What are the ways to save energy? Turn off the lights and computers before you leave. Use cold water instead of hot water to wash clothes, use the stairs instead of the lift and keep the air conditioner on moderate setting (设置) to save energy.
In a word, try our best to do something to save our environment, and we will do something helpful to save ourselves.
1. How can we save trees according to the passage?| A．By saving water. | B．By planting trees. |
| C．By saving energy. | D．By using less paper. |
| A．Saving paper. | B．Saving water. | C．Recycling. | D．Planting trees. |
| A．it can save our environment | B．there are many old things |
| C．it helps us keep healthy | D．it can save some money |
| A．high wind | B．high temperature | C．open | D．proper |
【推荐2】China’s economic growth has long impressed the world with its high speed. Now the country’s accelerating green transformation (转型) is expected to offer inspiring lessons in balancing the economy and the natural environment.
Ant Forest, a program on the platform of Alipay, last week won the 2019 UN Champions of the Earth award for turning the green good deeds of half a billion people into real trees planted in some of China’s most dry regions. It was not the first time that China won the UN’s highest environmental honor due to a positive influence on the environment. Last year, a green rural program in Zhejiang Province won this award for its work to repair polluted waterways and damaged lands. In 2017, Saihanba Forest Farm, a program in northern China, was awarded the same honor. The awards came due to China’s solid progress in ensuring the harmony between man and nature.
However, China’s past economic growth has not come without negative consequences for the environment and climate. In the late 1970s, with the rapid development of China’s economy, environmental problems also increased.
To strike a balance between economic boom and environmental burden, China put environmental protection as a basic national policy and the sustainable development strategy was put into practice in the 1990s. Now the country holds a belief: “Lucid (透明的) waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets.”
Increased environmental awareness and investments have produced results. Air quality in China continued to improve with more cities reporting a drop in major pollutant indicators. Surface water quality kept improving in general. In terms of soil pollution control, the country reduced solid waste imports by 46.5 percent last year.
Strong environmental protection has motivated related fields. The country becomes the first in the world to set up a national green finance system. It also helps push green finance to be included on the G20 agenda. In 2020, the total revenue of China’s environmental protection industry is expected to surpass 2 trillion.
Recognizing that protecting the environment is the best way to realize economic growth, China will continue to stick to giving preference to green development.
1. What’s the author’s purpose in writing Paragraph 2?| A．To make a detailed list of the economic progress in China. |
| B．To sing high praise for the efforts the Chinese government made. |
| C．To show increasing importance of environment over economy. |
| D．To prove China’s achievements in balancing the economy and the environment. |
| A．China’s past economic progress has been smooth and healthy. |
| B．China has won many UN’s highest environmental honors. |
| C．China has made the protection of the environment a national policy. |
| D．Increased environmental awareness and investments have brought positive effects. |
| A．More cities report a drop in major air pollutant indicators. |
| B．Preference ought to be given to developing the economy. |
| C．China’s environmental protection industry is expected to make profits. |
| D．China reduced solid waste imports sharply last year. |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
【推荐3】There is no doubt that the actions such as using too much water or throwing rubbish into the rivers can put our water supply in danger. However, we could also affect the water supply in less obvious ways, for example, paving(铺砌))a road. Some may feel confused and wonder how such actions could result in less usable fresh water. To understand it, we have to know that a main component of our daily-used water is groundwater. Despite its name, it does not come from lakes or rivers on the ground。Instead, it comes from underground. The more roads and parking lots we build, the less water there is that flows into the ground to become groundwater.
However, human activity is not responsible for all water shortages. Places with drier climates are of course more likely to have droughts than areas with more rainfall. Regardless of the cases, good management can help ensure enough water to meet our basic needs.
Meanwhile, paying more attention to the way we use water can make a difference, too. According to recent research, each American uses more than 80 gallons of water a day at home on average! This shows how much we depend on water to live, but there is a lot we can do to lower the amount.
We can take steps to save water at home. To start with, use the same glass to drink water all day and wash it only once a day. Also, run the dishwasher only when it is full and use it in water-saving mode.Meanwhile, fix any leak in the house to avoid wasting water. We can also help to keep our water supply clean by recycling batteries and other rubbish instead of throwing them away.
1. Why does the author say people affect the water supply by paving the road?(no more than20 words)2. What could also be responsible for water shortages apart from human activity?(no more than 2 words)
3. What does the underlined expression"Regardless of the cases"in paragraph 2 probably mean?(no more than 5 words)
4. According to recent research, how much water does each American use one day at home?(no more than 10 words)
5. What does paragraph 4 mainly tell us?(no more than 15 words)
【推荐1】When you first arrive in Oxford，it may take a little while for you to find your way around. The university is a large organization that is fully integrated into the city and has been evolving for 800 years. Some of the first things our students do when they arrive include finding a bike ( most students in Oxford find cycling is the best way to go around), setting up a bank account , getting their computer and mobile phone working , finding their department, getting to know their college and working out the best places to socialize.
One of the major events you will experience shortly after "coming up" to Oxford is matriculation. Matriculation is held at the University's Sheldonian Theatre and is the ceremony at which you are formally admitted to the university.
International students are invited to an orientation day at the start of the academic year. Sessions run throughout the day that will give you practical information about living and studying in UK and introduce you to other graduate students from all over the world who are starting their studies at Oxford at the same time as you , as well as to current Oxford graduate students and staff who will be able to help and advise you . The day covers topics such as studying and learning in the Oxford system, University services, information on living in Britain and culture differences, as well as addressing practical issues such as employment, immigration and visas, health and safety. You can choose which talks to attend and at the end of the day there is a social hour so you can meet fellow student.
Another good thing to experience early on is college dining. Most colleges have a tradition of regular formal hall dinners, which consist of three or four courses and the atmosphere of an evening out in a nice restaurant. On some of these occasions you can invite people around to your college for dinner and then they may return the favor. In this way you can get to know people studying your own and other subjects at the same time as visiting many often historical college grounds and dining halls.
Further information on your first few weeks at Oxford is available via the Students Gateway on our website and you can get first-hand accounts of what life at Oxford is like by watching videos of students talking about their experiences on our Wall of 100 Faces.
1. Which of the following is not the first thing for a newcomer to Oxford to do_______？| A．to find a best place to socialize |
| B．to set up a bank account |
| C．to go to the Sheldonian Theatre |
| D．to get mobile phone working |
| A．They arrived in Oxford and settled down on campus． |
| B．They received the offer from the admission office． |
| C．They met the staff and took some required courses． |
| D．They experienced the matriculation in the university． |
| A．It is a good chance to ask the staff for help． |
| B．It offers practical information about living and studying． |
| C．It helps get students' computers hooked to the Internet． |
| D．It can help deal with the problem of culture differences． |
| A．inviting you for dinner |
| B．visiting your historic college in return |
| C．sharing favorite videos |
| D．providing you with some good advice． |
【推荐2】Have you ever heard about Black Friday and Cyber Monday? Surely, they are all about finding the best deals on holiday gifts for yourself and family members. And have you heard about GivingTuesday? Here is something about it!
GivingTuesday is observed annually on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, which encourages people to help those in need by making financial donations or doing good in their local community. The “Global Day of Giving” was started in 2012 by New York City nonprofit 92nd Street Y and the United Nations Foundation.
Unlike Black Friday, GivingTuesday serves a more altruistic purpose. In its first year, the movement brought in almost $10 million for charities, and things have only improved since. In 2019, many GivingTuesday social media campaigns worldwide helped raise an amazing $ 1.9 billion from 27 million donors! Over the past five years, many higher education institutions have also been using the Tuesday after Thanksgiving to ask alumni for donations. In 2019, the University of Michigan, which calls it Blueday, received 5887 gifts totaling over $4 million, while Pennsylvania State University raised $710 000 to benefit over 85 University programs.
Though donating money certainly helps, there are many other ways to support the great cause, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. You can video tutor kids struggling with online learning, or team up with an adult to get groceries or medications for an elderly neighbor. Alternatively, call on your peers to help you with a service project that addresses an issue close to your heart, or pick one from the several ideas suggested on the GivingTuesday website. You can also donate your gently-used clothes and toys to local shelters, or mail a handwritten note to a grandparent or a friend you miss seeing.
What are you going to do to make a positive difference in your community on GivingTuesday? Let us know by adding your comments below!
1. Why does the author mention Black Friday and Cyber Monday in Paragraph 1?| A．To make a comparison. | B．To lead to the topic. |
| C．To arouse readers’ interest. | D．To express his doubt. |
| A．To promote the development of economy. | B．To attract people to buy more holiday gifts. |
| C．To call on more universities to donate money. | D．To encourage people to help those in need. |
| A．Selfless. | B．General. | C．Specific. | D．Complex. |
| A．Where people can offer their kind help. | B．What people can do on GivingTuesday. |
| C．How people can stay safe during COVID-19. | D．Why people need to support the great cause. |
【推荐3】All living things on Earth need water to live. Yet humans are facing serious water problems. According to the United Nations, today over 663 million people live without a safe water supply close to home.
To remind people of the importance of water, the UN first set up World Water Day in 1993. It is on Mar 22 each year. From Mar 22 to 28 is also the China Water Week. The first year’s theme is “Waste water”. It tried to call people to reuse waste water instead of wasting it.
In Australia people make good use of waste water. Most Australians have a grass lawn around their home instead of washing the car in the street. Many of them wash it on the lawn to keep the grass longer so that it covers the ground and reduce evaporation.
Rainwater may seem useless to you. But you can also reuse it. People in Germany collect rainwater to wash their toilets. Most houses in the country that are built in the last few years have rainwater collection devices (设备). Rainwater is collected from the root, and then linked to the toilet. But if you don’t have the device just put a bucket (桶) under your roof when it rains.
Water makes up 71 percent of Earth’s surface. But we can only use a very small part of it. Only about 3 percent of the world’s water is fresh water. It’s in lakes, rivers and underground.
Over 80 percent of the w
aste water in the world goes back into the nature. It has not been cleaned and pollutes the rivers and lakes. Unsafe water makes around 842,000 people die each year.
By 2030, about half of the world’s population could be facing water problem. By 2050, as many as seven billion people across the world could not have enough water supplies. The world’s population might be 9.3 billion by then.
1. The China Water Week in 2017 tries to___________.| A．collect rainwater to wash their toilets |
| B．remind people of the importance of water |
| C．put a bucket under your roof when it rains. |
| D．call people to reuse waste water instead of wasting it. |
| A．sit down | B．cut down | C．put down | D．write down |
| A．To share his rich knowledge about water. |
| B．To warn more people to save water. |
| C．To show how water problems change the world. |
| D．To tell people how to discover safe water supply. |
| A．Water in the world has become less and less. |
| B．Unsafe water makes so many people die. |
| C．Our planet will face serious water problems. |
| D．Learning to save water to protect our planet. |
