For the first time in more than 60 years, firearms and motor vehicles are killing Americans at an identical rate, according to new death data. The death rate for both firearms and motor vehicles stands at 10.3 deaths per 100,000 people. The result was produced primarily by a sharp drop in the rate of motor vehicle deaths since 1950, while over the same period, gun deaths rose.
The steady decline in motor vehicle deaths can be attributed to (归因于) a combination of improved technology and smarter regulation. The federal government commanded the presence of seat belts in the 1960s. The 1970s brought anti-lock brakes. The 1980s brought an increased focus on drunk driving and seat belt use. Airbags came along in the 1990s. More recent years have seen demands on electronic stability systems, increased penalties (惩罚) for careless driving and other improved technology used to meet safety requirements.
However, the history of American gun control regulation has been more erratic (不稳定的). Restrictions past in earlier times have been undone recently. Technological advances, like smart-gun technology that prevents people other than the owner from firing a gun, have been blocked by opposition from the National Rifle Association of America and many gun owners.
The result? The gun death rate is slightly higher than before. Particularly annoying is that there may be ways to improve gun safety and reduce firearm deaths. But innovations (创新) in gun safety are hard to come by, in large part because of Congress’s longstanding ban on many types of federal government research. The ban badly affects academic researchers. One well-known researcher, Garen Wintemute of the University of California at Davis, had to donate $1 million of his own money to keep his research going. He clearly tells his students not to join the field because of the severe difficulties that researchers face in obtaining funding and publishing their results.
Gun deaths and vehicle deaths are in many ways two different problems. Gun deaths are typically on purpose, but motor vehicle deaths are usually accidental. And cars are much more complicated machines than guns. Still, we’ve been able to make driving much safer. We could potentially do the same with guns.
1. What does the new death data reveal?| A．Gun deaths once experienced a sharp drop in 1950. |
| B．About 10 out of 10,000 people died of gun accidents. |
| C．Motor vehicle deaths have slightly declined since 1950. |
| D．Guns are now killing as many people as cars in the U.S. |
| A．By stating facts. | B．By using figures. | C．By giving instructions. | D．By making comparisons. |
| A．Give up his gun research. | B．Donate $1 million to his university. |
| C．Support Congress’s ban on gun research. | D．Discourage students from following his research. |
| A．Gun safety could be guaranteed. | B．Guns are as complicated as cars. |
| C．Car driving is much easier than before. | D．Car accidents tend to be caused deliberately. |
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【推荐1】It is a common sight on Japanese public transportation: Children troop through train cars, alone or in small groups, looking for seats.
They wear knee socks, polished leather shoes, and school uniforms, with train passes pinned to their backpacks. The kids are as young as six or seven on their way to and from school, and there is no parent in sight. They may chat happily, listening to music or just reading books quietly.
Kakaito, a 12-year-old boy in Tokyo, has been riding the train by himself between the homes of his parents, since he was nine. “At first, I was a little worried,” he admitted, “whether I could ride the train alone, but only a little worried.” Now, he says, “It’s easy.” His parents were worried at first, too. But they went ahead because they felt he was old enough, and lots of other kids were doing it safely.
“Honestly, what I remember thinking at this time is, the trains are safe and on time, and he is a smart boy,” Kakaito’s stepmother says. “I took the train on my own when I was younger than him in Tokyo,” she recalls. “We didn’t have cellphones back in my day, but I still managed to go from point A to point B on the train, If he gets lost, he can call us.”
Kakaito’s stepmother says she wouldn’t let a nine-year-old boy ride the subway alone in London or New York-just in Tokyo. Japan has a very low crime rate, which is surely a key reason parents feel confident about sending their kids out alone. But small-sized urban spaces and a culture of walking and public transportation use also bring people safety.
1. The writer describes the scene at the beginning in order to__________.| A．encourage the readers | B．introduce the topic |
| C．make a sharp comparison | D．show us the beauty of riding the train |
| A．Ask his classmates for help. | B．Get off the train and take another. |
| C．Contact his family members. | D．Wait for his parents to pick him up. |
| A．The reasons why Japanese kids take trains alone. |
| B．The reasons why London or New York has a high crime rate. |
| C．Japanese people like walking and take public transportation. |
| D．The reason why Kakito’s stepmother is worried about his safety. |
【推荐2】Being alone doesn’t necessarily mean being lonely: even when you’re dining alone, you’re often in the company of your phone, which means you’re in touch with friends and family, with the tap of a screen.
A new survey of 2,000 Americans found that the average adult eats alone during 7-4 meals each week. However, many say it can be a good thing. In fact, the survey revealed that 68 percent of Americans look forward to eating a meal alone.
The top reason why Americans eat alone? “It’s more relaxing”, say 50 percent of people who have taken part in the survey. Busy schedules (44 percent) and saving money (38 percent) round out the top three answers.
The new study, conducted by OnePoll on behalf of The U. S. Highbush Blueberry Council, revealed that busy schedules are challenging for Americans in general, and that it impacts mealtime is no exception.
The average American says they rush through four meals a week due to lack of time, with two meals being eaten on their feet and/or on the go.
Technology may be changing how we understand our alone time, and dining beside your phone could be Just as good as eating with a friend.
At least half of respondents will take part in some “eat and scroll” for six meals every week, but, two in three (66 percent) say they don，t feel like they’re eating alone when they’re looking through their phone.
Keeping our relationships strong doesn’t always require being together physically (though the average person in the poll ate with another person six times a week —one shy of their “solo meals” record). According to the poll, three in four respondents (75 percent) feel that engaging with their friends and family on social media platforms helps them feel more connected.
“Today, ‘togetherness’ is more of a feeling than a physical state, and people get creative to stay connected,” said a spokesperson for The Highbush Blueberry Council. “The joy of being together - however you manage it - never changes.”
1. Which statement is the leading reason why Americans eat alone?| A．“I can relax more.” | B．“I want to save money.” |
| C．“I’m rushed.” | D．“My friends are all busy.” |
| A．What makes people feel like they’re not eating alone? |
| B．Why does “dinner for two” mean “you and your device”? |
| C．How do social media platforms change Americans’ eating habits? |
| D．Why 68 percent of Americans feel good about eating alone? |
| A．Busy schedules. | B．Technology | C．Life style. | D．Finance. |
| A．It requires being together physically. | B．It’s a state of accompanying side by side. |
| C．It’s more of a spiritual feeling. | D．It has nothing to do with social media. |
【推荐3】A group of digital models dressed in sports outfits strutted down the runway in an online virtual fashion show during China Fashion Week in September. Led by Xijiajia, tech company Baidu Inc’s virtual spokesperson, they presented the latest clothes by homegrown sportswear maker Anta Sports in different virtual scenarios (场景)-stadiums, snowfields, the Gobi Desert and even outer space.
Li Shiyan, head of Baidu’s digital human and robotics section, said that technologies, the production cost of virtual clothing has been reduced dramatically, and production periods shortened from more than one month to just a week.
“The virtual human industry is still in an early stage, and there are some challenges, such as how to produce low-cost digital assets and digital content, and how to make digital humans interact with real people more naturally, “Li said.
The size of China’s virtual human market is forecast to reach 270 billion yuan by 2030. According to experts, the fashion landscape is rapidly expanding its virtual horizon to prepare for a future populated by digital avatars, and the most accessible way for fashion brands to engage with virtual replicas is by dressing them in their latest collections.
“Holding virtual fashion shows doesn’t just mean moving real-world shows online. More importantly, we can use digital space to expand our understanding of fashion and imagination for what is possible,“ said Chen Duan. For example, people can make use of textures that do not exist in the physical world, and digital humans are able to go beyond the biological limits of real humans and present new fashion styles in new ways.
“Digital humans are increasingly being used in brand promotion, advertisement, livestreaming, gaming and entertainment,” said Zhu Xiaowen, an analyst. However, she added that a new set of problems have also emerged, such as personal privacy protection and data security. She said unregulated use of digital humans might open a way for fraud, given that digital humans can be difficult to distinguish from real people.
1. Why does the author describe a virtual fashion show in Paragraph 1?| A．to stress Baidu’s technological development. |
| B．to introduce the use of digital fashion avatars. |
| C．to make ads for sportswear maker Anta Sports. |
| D．to describe the work of some digital models. |
| A．Digital humans fail to react with real people. |
| B．The virtual human market isn’t clear. |
| C．Producing digital contents costs more. |
| D．Virtual beings aren’t widely accepted. |
| A．They apply digital technology in daily life. |
| B．They enrich people’s understanding of humans. |
| C．They will replace real-world shows. |
| D．They explore more possibilities for fashion. |
| A．the potential harm they do. |
| B．their bright future in the fashion world. |
| C．the need of their personal privacy. |
| D．their betraying to real people. |
【推荐1】A serious and widespread desert locust outbreak in some parts of Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan and Eritrea has caused panic in the agriculture and aviation sectors.
The invasion, which has lasted for over a month despite efforts by respective governments to control it, has led to the destruction of crops and pastures (牧场) threatening food security in the region despite a promising harvest following successful rainfall.
The outbreak has also caused panic in the aviation sector, following a recent incident where an Ethiopian Airline passenger plane was forced by a swarm (群) of locusts to divert from landing in Dire Dawn Airport in east-central Ethiopia to Bole International Airport in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization or FAO, a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger and improve nutrition and food security, the present outbreak is the worst in 25 years.
The UN agency attributed the invasion to unusual weather and climate conditions, including heavy and widespread rains since October 2019. It warned a further increase in locust swarms is likely to continue until June due to the continuation of favorable ecological conditions for locust breeding.
The locusts have already destroyed 175,000 acres of farmland in Somalia and Ethiopia, according to the FAO.
The desert locust is the most dangerous of the nearly one dozen species of locusts. A typical desert locust swarm can contain up to 150 million locusts per square kilometer, according to the IGAD. An average swarm can destroy as many food crops in a day as is sufficient to feed 2,500 people.
1. What is the result of the desert locust outbreak on East Africa?| A．It has led to a disease outbreak. |
| B．It has caused the weather to change. |
| C．It has created fear in agriculture and aviation. |
| D．It has threatened the safety of the people there. |
| A．Take a different route. |
| B．Take off from an airport. |
| C．Split off from a new place. |
| D．Slide away from somewhere. |
| A．Locust breeding is slower and slower. |
| B．There will possibly be a decrease in locust swarms. |
| C．It is related to unusual weather and climate conditions. |
| D．The ecological conditions are bad for locust breeding. |
| A．By describing a process. |
| B．By comparison. |
| C．By statistics. |
| D．By analyzing cause and effect. |
【推荐2】IT’S A TYPICAL morning: you wake up, take a shower, brush your teeth, and then prick (刺;扎) your arm with a tiny needle. Wait, what? Unless you have a serious disease such as diabetes, you probably haven’t ever tested your own blood. But in the future, that might change.
The company Cor already sells a system for home blood testing. You stick your arm using a supposedly painless, one-off, blood-drawing cartridge (针筒) about the size of a lipstick. Then you stick the cartridge into a device (装置) that looks like the base for an electric toothbrush. A few minutes later, an app on your phone buzzes with updated information, including your current health data (数据) and tips on what to eat and how to exercise during the day.
It’s true that blood contains a wealth of information about a person’s health. Blood tests can show if a person is infected with a disease or at risk for a variety of problems, including a heart attack or a stroke. But most people don’t test their own blood until a doctor says it’s time. Healthy young adults get regular blood tests about every five years. These tests happen at a lab, where a technician or a nurse sticks a long needle into the arm to draw out several tubes full of blood. Cor and similar companies, such as Wellness FX, are trying to change all that. They think people deserve access to more information about their own health.
But not everyone is convinced that regular blood testing for health y people is a great idea. Cor’s system is expensive and may not offer much benefit. “The lightest result here is that you lose your money and then you’re reminded to get more sleep and to eat more fruits, vegetables, and fish,” Pieter Cohen of Harvard Medical School told the New York Times. “The worst result is that you end up getting frightened by probably abnormal results that are actually completely normal for you.”
Plus, the results of a home blood test might be wrong. It’s hard to get accurate results from a tiny amount of blood. So what do you think? Is monitoring your own health via pinpricks the way of the future? Or is it better to leave blood testing to medical professionals?
1. Why does the author mention the typical morning in the first paragraph?| A．To explain a scene. | B．To provide an example. |
| C．To make a comparison. | D．To introduce the topic. |
| A．It is painless and cheap to use. |
| B．It has won popularity among people. |
| C．It may give advice on our diet according to the health data. |
| D．It offers accurate health information about our body |
| A．Negative. | B．Unclear. | C．Supportive. | D．Objective. |
| A．Home blood testing: your health monitor! |
| B．Home blood tests: yes or no? |
| C．A new system of improving your health. |
| D．Should blood tests be allowed at home? |
【推荐3】If your pilot calls “Mayday” on the communication system, you’re in big trouble. In May 2020, the pilot of Pakistan International Airlines Flight PK 8303 gave the horrible “Mayday” signal. “We have lost two engines “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday,” were the pilots’ last words, according to “Business Insider” Ninety-seven people died. “Mayday” is an international distress (遇险) signal used by airplane pilots and boat captains.
The signal arose just after World War, as air traffic between Britain and Europe increased greatly. All nearby nations needed an internationally understood signal that would warn authorities of urgent aircraft problems. Ships communicated through telegraph (电报) using Morse code (摩斯密码), and this technology made “SOS” unmistakable. However, aircraft pilots used radio calls, and “SOS” owing to its consonants (辅音) could be misheard as other letters, like “F”.
So Frederick Mock ford, a senior radio officer in London, was put in charge of finding a proper code word. He reasoned that because so much of the air traffic flew between Croydon and Le Bourget Airport in Paris. It might make sense to use a word that has been developed from a French word. He came up with “Mayday”, the French pronunciation of “m’aider” (help me) which itself is a clear version (版本) of “venez m’aider,” (come help me). The U. S. formally adopted “Mayday” as a distress signal in 1927.
Given its importance, most people respect the “Mayday” signal and use it only when completely necessary. Sadly, the Coast Guard occasionally deals with hoax calls. As a result a lot of dollars and countless man-hours may be wasted trying to rescue people who were never in danger. People who misuse this system can be put in prison for up to 10 years.
1. What does the author use the example of the Pakistan pilot to show?| A．“Mayday” is used for distress calls. | B．Flying may become a terrible air crash. |
| C．“Mayday” has to be used sometimes. | D．“Mayday” is mainly used by the pilot. |
| A．It is difficult to understand. |
| B．It is only used among bout captains. |
| C．It may be misunderstood in radio calls. |
| D．It is only understood by certain countries. |
| A．It is a French word. | B．It means a day in May. |
| C．It has different versions. | D．It was created by Frederick. |
| A．To use “Mayday” cautiously. | B．To learn the importance of “Mayday”. |
| C．To understand the origin of “Mayday”. | D．To know how to use “Mayday”. |
