【推荐3】Mobile phones have become a large part of people’s lives. No matter where they’re heading, people will take their mobile phones with them and use them when eating, going to and from work, and before going to bed.     1     It’s clear that mobile phones have completely changed our lives.

Mobile phones have experienced great changes.     2     However, compared with other methods of contact（联系）, such as public telephones or writing letters, mobile phones enabled people to communicate in real time while moving about. Later, it was realized that these large mobiles weren’t suitable to carry around. With the continuous development of technology, the size of mobile phones is being gradually reduced.

    3     After solving the problem of size, people began to think about how to make mobile phones more convenient to operate. After all, with change in size, the style of mobiles has also changed. Most phones were designed to have fewer keys, and then no keys at all.

The invention of touch-screen phones came with even more changes.     4     However, it was the first iPhone developed decades later that really promoted touch-screen phones and formed a trend. This mobile phone brought the development of mobile phones to a new stage.

Nowadays, mobile phones are palm-sized. Touch screens have long been standard on most smartphones and there are added functions. For example, you can surf the Internet, watch videos, listen to music, play games, and much more. It’s because of these functions that mobile phones have become a big part of our lives.     5    

A．The human desire to explore is endless.

B．The earliest touch-screen mobile phone was produced in 1993.

C．At first, mobile phones were all large, heavy and inconvenient.

D．Most people can hardly imagine living without their mobile phones.

E．There were no other functions included in mobile phones at that time.

F．Some people will even look down at their mobile phones when walking.

G．Mobile phones were invented so we could contact others anytime and anywhere.

【推荐2】According to a recent study in Science, pigs are providing convincing new evidence that animals may respond emotionally to music. The finding may lead to ways to improve their welfare on farms. “It’s a really neat study that shows animals are more emotionally attuned (音感好的) to music than people think”, says Charles Snowdon, an animal behaviour expert at the University of Wisconsin.

Music is sometimes used as enrichment for animals and other captive animals. And Snowball the dancing cockatoo (凤头鹦鹉) likes to dance to the Backstreet Boys. But whether these creatures have a true emotional response to the tunes is unclear. That’s what the new study aimed to do — but with pigs. Coauthor Maria Camila Ceballos, an animal welfare scientist, says she chose these animals because they are intelligent and social, and face serious welfare challenges on factory farms.

The researchers composed music that were either consonant or dissonant. To humans, consonant music generally sounds pleasant whereas dissonance tends to sound uncomfortable. The team then filmed six litters of young pigs listening to the music, which was played in a random order with a break in between.

The researchers scored the pigs’ body language using an approach called QBA. Pieces of consonant music were linked to the pigs experiencing positive emotions, whereas the dissonant music was linked to negative emotions, the team reports this month in Scientific Reports. “So we found that, yes, music generates different emotions,” Ceballos says.

Animal welfare scientist Jun Bao from a university in China is skeptical about whether Ceballos’s team detected emotions, however. He recently found that exposure to music increases play and tail wagging in pigs, which he sees as signs of a “positive mood”. However, he says it’s not clear that pigs labeled as “happy” or “uneasy” through QBA actually experience those emotions.

Ceballos hopes the study will help researchers create welfare-improving music, tailor-made to a specific species. Bao also agrees, adding “It’s really interesting, because if it works, it would be the handiest and cheapest way to enrich their environment.”

1. What is the recent study mainly about?

A．Pigs’ welfare on farms.

B．Pigs’ reaction to tunes.

C．Pigs’ daily behaviours.

D．Pigs’ potential diseases.

2. Why are pigs chosen as Ceballos’s objects of study?

A．They are easy to regulate.

B．They prefer to live alone.

C．They enjoy terrific welfare.

D．They own good intelligence.

3. From which aspect is Jun Bao doubtful about Ceballos’s research?

A．The duration of their on-site observation.

B．The accuracy of judgement on pigs’ emotion.

C．The selection of music pigs are exposed to.

D．The appropriateness of the testing approach.

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

A．Pigs’ Emotion Can Be Tuned by Music

B．High Pork Production Is on the Way

C．Pigs’ Intelligence Can’t Be Overlooked

D．The Way to Ease Pigs’ Stress Is Found

【推荐3】One of the things that make humans mammals (哺乳动物) is that we’re warm-blooded — our bodies have high metabolism (新陈代谢) that maintains our internal temperature independent of the surroundings, unlike cold-blooded animals that have to lie in the sun for heat. Among modern animals, only mammals and birds are warm-blooded and our ability to keep ourselves warm has enabled us to survive in icy weather and make long migrations. But it’s been a mystery exactly when mammals evolved their high metabolism. In a new study, scientists point to an unlikely source for determining when ancient mammal ancestors became warm-blooded.

The ears of all living creatures that have backbones contain tiny canals (管道) filled with fluid that helps us balance. The runniness (流动性) of that fluid changes based on temperature, and our inner ears have evolved different sizes so that the fluid can flow correctly. Cold-blooded animals’ ear fluid is cooler and thicker, so it needs wider spaces to travel through, while warm-blooded animals have runnier ear fluid, so our canals are different.

“Canals were generally used to predict the movement of fossil organisms. However, by carefully looking at their biomechanics (生物力学) , we figured that we could also use them to infer body temperature,” says Romain David, one of the study’s lead authors. “This is because, like honey, the fluid inside canals gets runnier when temperature increases, impacting function. Therefore, during the transition to endothermy (温血性) , physical adaptation was required to keep best performances, and we could track ear canals in mammal ancestors. ”

To track these evolutionary changes, the researchers compared the sizes of the inner ear canals of over 300 animals, including 243 living species and 64 extinct ones. They found that mammal ancestors didn’t develop the kinds of inner ear structures ideal for warm-blooded animals until 233 million years ago.

The origin of mammalian endothermy is one of the great mysteries to be solved. Many different approaches have been used to try to predict when it first evolved, but they have often given unclear or conflicting results. This method shows real promise because it has been confirmed using a very large number of modern species.

1. Which of the following might be the key to mammals’ long migrations?

A．The large body size.	B．The rich food resources.
C．The warm-bloodedness.	D．The adaptability to surroundings.

2. What can we learn about warm-blooded animals compared to cold-blooded ones?

A．They have much bigger backbones.

B．Their inner ear canals are relatively narrow.

C．They are much more sensitive to outside sounds.

D．Their ear fluid seldom changes with temperature.

3. What do Romain David’s words in paragraph 3 mainly tell us?

A．Theories on the evolution of mammal ancestors.

B．The reason for studying the inner ears of mammals.

C．The importance of physical adaptation to mammals.

D．Possible ways to predict the movement of fossil organisms.

4. What’s the author’s attitude to the new method of tracking evolutionary changes?

A．Appreciative.

B．Doubtful.

C．Negative.

D．Unconcerned.

【推荐1】Dr. John Nkengasong, head of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, warned against a “vaccine war” among nations. He said on Thursday at a WHO meeting that he “truly feels helpless that this situation is going to greatly influence our ability to fight this virus.” He added, “There is absolutely no need for us humans to go into a vaccine (疫苗) war to fight this pandemic (疫情). We will all be losers.”

It is reported that the Serum Institute of India is delaying major exports of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to meet the rising demand within India. This institute produces the AstraZeneca vaccine being sent to Africa through the COVAX program. It is an international effort to make sure poor countries receive enough vaccines.

South Sudan received its first shipment of 132, 000 doses (剂) of the AstraZeneca vaccine on Thursday. The WHO called the arrival a “big step” toward equal availability of COVID-19 vaccines worldwide. At least 28 of Africa's 54 countries have received over 16 million doses through COVAX.

But COVAX has been facing delays related to the limited worldwide supply of the vaccine. Africa has received limited doses and much later than the rest of the world. At least 10 African countries have not yet received any vaccines.

Officials hope to vaccinate (注射疫苗) 60 percent of Africa's 1.3 billion people by the middle of next year to help Africa reach herd immunity (群体免疫), which means when enough people are protected through infection or vaccination, it will be difficult for a virus to continue spreading. But that goal will not be reached without the widespread use of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which is less costly and easier to store than many others.

Expel warn that until vaccination rates are high worldwide, the virus remains a threat everywhere.

1. Who is likely to win the vaccine war?

A．Indians.

B．Africans.

C．Vaccine producers.

D．Nobody.

2. What is the purpose of the COVAX program?

A．To make money from selling more vaccines.

B．To help vaccine companies produce more vaccines.

C．To help poor countries get enough vaccines.

D．To help African countries develop their own vaccines.

3. How can people reach “herd immunity”?

A．By staying far away from other people.	B．By taking exercises to improve the immunity.
C．By getting infected or vaccinated.	D．By producing enough doses of AstraZeneca vaccine.

4. The passage may be chosen from________.

A．a medicine book

B．a science booklet

C．a popular magazine

D．a newspaper

【推荐2】Yesterday, after a day of Zoom (视频会议软件) meetings in my living room, I stepped out for a walk leaving my teen son bored on the couch. Bleecker Street, usually packed with people, was sprinkled with only the occasional pedestrians. Bars and restaurants lining the street were dark. Stores with bright neon lights, doors open, beckoned for the rare passers-by to enter. After just a week of the Covid-19 pandemic, an afternoon walk in Greenwich Village neighborhood felt surreal.

But then I noticed a row of daffodils(水仙)reaching for the sun in the small triangle-shaped park by Minetta Lane. On the windows of a locked restaurant, in bright yellow paint, were the words “We love you, West Village. Take care of each other. ” My phone buzzed—a colleague sent a picture of her newborn baby just home from the hospital. I arrived home to find my son animated on the couch playing a video game virtually with his friends. Life, love, play, and human connection persist, even though our world has been tuned upside down.

In my welcome note to the new students in the Fall, I wrote that this year is about our college’s core values of inclusion, innovation, and impact and emphasized the power of interconnection. Today, these core values persist, with interconnection taking on even greater significance. Our collaborative spirit has always given us an advantage—academically, creatively, culturally, and now, remotely.

A wise person once told me that getting through a crisis is like being given a new hand of cards in the middle of a game. We are halfway through the semester, with new hands to play, but the game hasn’t changed. We will find new ways to continue to work, teach, create and learn. Let’s also continue the informal interactions that make us a community—the study groups, coffee dates, drop-ins just to say hello. In doing so, we will remain connected.

We will come together, from spaces around the world, to meet this new reality. This is who we are. Nothing—not space, nor time—can keep us from moving forward, together.

1. What can be inferred from paragraph 1?

A．The Covid-19 pandemic is unstoppable.

B．The effects of the pandemic could be easily felt.

C．Nothing is the same except that the business goes slow as usual.

D．People have every reason to be worried about the future.

2. What does the writer include in paragraph 2?

A．Daily routines that seemed insignificant.

B．Reminders that the world has been changed.

C．Events that people can do during the pandemic.

D．Things or people that carry symbolic meanings.

3. What does the underlined word “collaborative” mean in paragraph 3?

A．Cooperative.

B．Pioneering.

C．Independent.

D．Adventurous.

4. What is the main purpose of the text?

A．To express wisdom gained from previous experience.

B．To give people some tips on how to handle a crisis.

C．To deliver an uplifting message over the pandemic.

D．To encourage people to enjoy the great outdoors.

【推荐3】Protect yourself and others from COVID-19

If COVID-19 is spreading in your community, stay safe by taking some simple precautions, such as physical distancing, wearing a mask, keeping rooms well-ventilated (通风), avoiding crowds, cleaning your hands, and coughing into a bent elbow or tissue.     1     Do it all!

Maintain at least a 1-metre distance between yourself and others to reduce your risk of infection when they cough, sneeze or speak. Maintain an even greater distance between yourself and others when indoors.

The further away, the better.

    2     The appropriate use, storage and cleaning or disposal are essential to make masks as effective as possible. Remember the following basics of how to wear a mask:

Clean your hands before you put your mask on, as well as before and after you take it off, and after you touch it at any time.

Make sure it covers both your nose, mouth and chin.

When you take off a mask, store it in a clean plastic bag, and every day either wash it if it’s a fabric mask, or dispose of a medical mask in a dustbin.

    3    

Avoid the 3Cs: spaces that are closed, crowded or involve close contact.

Outbreaks have been reported in restaurants, choir practices, fitness classes, nightclubs, offices and places of worship where people have gathered, often in crowded indoor settings where they talk loudly, shout, breathe heavily or sing.

The risks of getting COVID-19 are higher in crowded and inadequately ventilated spaces where infected people spend long periods of time together in close proximity.     4    , so taking precautions is even more important.

Meet people outside. Outdoor gatherings are safer than indoor ones, particularly if indoor spaces are small and without outdoor air coming in. For more information on how to hold events like family gatherings, children’s football games and family occasions, read our Q&A on small public gatherings.

    5    , but if you can’t, then take precautions: Open a window. Increase the amount of “natural ventilation” when indoors.

WHO has published Q&As on ventilation and air conditioning for both the general public and people who manage public spaces and buildings.

A．These environments are where the virus appears to spread more efficiently.

B．How to make your environment safer?

C．Stick to strict rules to stay away from the epidemic.

D．Check local advice where you live and work.

E．Don’t use masks with specific air holes.

F．Avoid crowded or indoor settings.

G．Make wearing a mask a normal part of being around other people.