【推荐1】A new analysis of photographs from the International Space Station has identified a shift in the kind of lighting technologies that European countries are using at night to brighten streets and buildings. Researchers have found that the old warm high-pressure street lights are rapidly being replaced by cooler LED lights. The University of Exeter study, published in Science Advances, claimed that “this phenomenon is widely increasing the risk of harmful effects to ecosystems”.

LED lighting was promoted as being intended to reduce emissions, but its usage has raised energy consumption. One explanation of this is that the increase in power efficiency and the associated decrease in economic cost have driven increased demand for lighting, therefore, any efficiency gains have been counteracted by increased consumption of light.

The study also claimed that previous research into the effects of light pollution have underestimated the impacts of blue light radiation. Chief among the health consequences of blue light is its ability to reduce the production of melatonin(褪黑素)that regulates sleep patterns in humans and other organisms. Scientific studies have warned that increased exposure to artificial blue light can worsen people’s sleeping habits.

The increase in blue light radiation in Europe has also reduced the visibility of stars in the night sky, which may have impacts on people’s sense of nature. Blue light can also alter the behavioral patterns of animals including bats and moths, as it can change their movements towards or away from light sources.

David Smith, of the conservation charity Buglife, said, “Light pollution can dramatically impact animals. We should consider light from a wider biological perspective than that of just humans and focus on better quality lighting that is harmonious with our natural world. Better quality and lower levels of lighting would help save energy, and lower financial costs, while also making our environment safer for living beings. Authorities can dim the lights during night hours, and change the bandwidths(带宽值)of their LED bulbs to produce less harmful blue light.”

1. What is the phenomenon described in paragraph 1?

A．The rising demand for public lighting.

B．The increasing use of LED lights.

C．Old street lights producing lots of emissions.

D．Artificial lights at night wasting much energy.

2. What does the underlined word “counteracted” in paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Judged.	B．Maintained.
C．Balanced.	D．Strengthened.

3. In which aspect are people influenced by blue lights?

A．Sleep patterns.	B．Eyesight.
C．Learning ability.	D．Social behaviors.

4. Why does the author mention David Smith?

A．To stress the importance of saving energy.

B．To persuade authorities to avoid using LED lights.

C．To show ways of improving the quality of LED bulbs.

D．To provide suggestions on reducing light pollution.

【推荐2】Some people say that dogs are human’s best friend-good companions, loyal and lovable. Of course, they can be more than just a pet as some are excellent working dogs. More recently, a new role has been found for the animals-working as therapy dogs in universities.

Research, conducted by Washington State University, has found that spending time with dogs can help stressed-out students. Patricia Pendry from the university said that a study of 300 undergraduates had found weekly hour-long sessions with dogs brought to the university by professional handlers (训狗师) had made stressed students who were at “high risk of academic failure” or dropping out, “feel relaxed and accepted”. The dogs helped them to concentrate, learn and remember information.

Other research has shown that petting animals like dogs can reduce stress hormone levels and anxiety. Around 1,000 campuses in the US already use therapy pets and it’s becoming more common in the UK. For example, The University of Middlesex has employed some dogs to help stop lonely students dropping out. Fiona Suthers, head of clinical skills at the university, says that five Labradors had a “stringent assessment” to ensure they had the right temperament (性情). But she adds, “It’s hard to describe the impact of just having a dog lying down in the corner of a class.”

Using dogs for therapy can also help the dogs themselves. In Wales, Swansea University Students’ Union has used rescued Greyhounds to help students unwind between exams. Sessions allow mistreated and abandoned dogs to interact with humans and begin to trust them again. Student Union education officer Chloe Hutchinson said, “A lot of students have dogs at home and might be a bit homesick, especially around exam time when it is stressful and you just want your home comforts.”

So if you’re a student who’s been working like a dog, but you still feel like you haven’t a dog’s chance in passing your exams, maybe introducing a four-legged friend into your life might be the help you need.

1. What can we learn about therapy dogs in universities?

A．They can reduce students’ anxiety.

B．They can help blind students.

C．They can work with students.

D．They can keep students safe.

2. What does Fiona Suthers imply?

A．Dogs play a part in class in universities.

B．The right temperament is needed for a therapy dog.

C．The impact of therapy dogs is clear.

D．It’s hard to describe how dogs will help with the students.

3. How do the abandoned dogs themselves get help?

A．By finding a new family to live in.

B．By helping students with some exams.

C．By lying down to the ground in a room.

D．By making more chances to meet humans.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Dogs helping stressed-out students

B．College students are stressed out

C．Why dogs are perfect helpers

D．How to keep a therapy dog

【推荐3】A new method of lie detection shows that lie tellers who are made to multi-task while being interviewed are easier to spot. The extra brain power needed to concentrate on a secondary task other than lying was particularly challenging.

Professor Aldert Vriji from the University of Portsmouth designed an experiment to identify lie tellers. The 164 participants in the experiment were first asked to give their levels of support or opposition about various societal topics that were in the news. They were then given a truth or lie condition by chance and interviewed about the three topics that they felt most strongly about. Truth tellers were instructed to report their true opinions while lie tellers were instructed to lie about their opinions during the interviews.

For the secondary task, participants were given a seven-digit (数字) car number and instructed to recall it back to the interviewer. Half of them received additional instructions that if they could not remember the car number during the interview, they may be asked to write down their opinions after the interview.

Participants were given the opportunity to prepare themselves for the interview and were told it was important to come across as convincing as possible during the interviews — which was incentivized by being awarded a prize.

The results showed that lie tellers’ stories sounded less reasonable and less clear than truth tellers’ stories, particularly when lie tellers were given the secondary task and told that it was important.

“The pattern of result suggests that the introduction of secondary tasks in an interview could help lie detection but such tasks need to be introduced carefully. It seems that a secondary task will only be effective if lie tellers do not neglect it. This can be achieved by either telling interviewees that the secondary task is important, or by introducing one that cannot be neglected,’’ said Professor Vriji.

1. What can we learn about participants in the experiment?

A．Some truth tellers gave false opinions in the interview.

B．Not all participants knew the importance of the secondary task.

C．Participants didn’t express opinions about news topics.

D．Participants chose a truth or lie condition by themselves.

2. On what condition was the secondary task effective in the experiment?

A．When participants paid little attention to it.	B．When participants had the chance to prepare.
C．When participants had strong brain power.	D．When participants took it seriously.

3. What does the underlined word “incentivized” in paragraph 4 mean?

A．Completed.

B．Corrected.

C．Motivated.

D．Chosen.

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

A．Exposing Liars by Distraction	B．Interviewing Lie Tellers
C．Challenging a Secondary Task	D．Covering up the Truth

【推荐3】Bing Dwen Dwen, the cute mascot(吉祥物)ofthe Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, has been selling like hotcakes. Why is the ice-glazed panda so popular? What are the fantastic ideas behind its design?

Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts professor Cao Xue, who is in charge of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics mascot design team, told the China Media Group(CMG)the story.

Now, Cao Xue still clearly remembers that the exciting day came on the 17 of September, 2019, when the Organizing Committee of the Winter Olympic Games officially announced the mascot designed by Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts as the mascot of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games. After discussion by many experts and scholars, the mascot got a new name —“Bing Dwen Dwen” .

The 14-member design team led by Cao Xue all work as teachers and graduate students from the School of Visual Arts and Design of Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts. During that time, there were almost no holidays, and the whole team needed to revise and discuss every day, and they ended up completing over 10, 000 manuscripts(稿件) . In the end, Bing Dwen Dwen, based on a panda, was selected from nearly 6, 000 entries from 35 countries and regions.

Bing Dwen Dwen is a panda with a high sense of science and technology. It captures attention with its full -body“shell”made out of ice . Cao told us that the inspiration(灵感) came from traditional Chinese snack“ice-sugar gourd, ”also known as tanghulu, while the shell also is similar to a space suit — a nod to embracing new technologies for a future of infinite possibilities. Although the tanghulu idea was widely praised, it wasn’t enough to represent the image of a big country. So the team tried again and again, changing the image in the ice shell into elk, tiger, rabbit . …

1. What is the main purpose of the first paragraph?

A．To raise two questions.	B．To introduce a topic.
C．To advertise a new toy.	D．To find out a solution.

2. What is the fourth paragraph mainly about?

A．Where the team took holidays.	B．Where the manuscripts came from.
C．How the design came to an end.	D．How the team worked for the design.

3. What makes Bing Dwen Dwen so well received?

A．Its image.

B．Its history.

C．Its material.

D．Its size.

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A．Chinese Culture, Rich in Fantastic Ideas

B．Bing Dwen Dwen, Full of Wisdom and Pride

C．The Ice-glazed Panda, Most Popular Hotcake

D．Chinese Tradition, Worthy of Wide Attention