【推荐1】A Norwegian company has created what it calls the world’s first zero-emission(排放), autonomous cargo ship(货船). Developed by chemical company Yara International, the ship was designed to reduce emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases, and move goods away from roads to the sea.

The shipping industry accounts for between 2.5% and 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the International Maritime Organization. Nearly all of Norway’s electricity is generated by hydroelectric power, which is generally considered to have much lower carbon emissions than burning fossil fuels, despite the fact that it still produces greenhouse gases.

Capable of carrying 103 containers and with a top speed of 13 knots, it will use a 7 MWh battery, with about a thousand times the capacity of one electrical car. The ship will be charged near the port before sailing to container harbors along the coast and then back again, replacing 40,000 truck journeys a year.

As well as providing a greener option compared to conventional cargo ships, there is no crewman, which means it will be more cost-effective to operate. Initially, loading and unloading the ship will require humans, but gradually, all loading, discharging, and some other operations will also be eventually operated using autonomous technology. That will involve developing autonomous cranes(起重机) and carriers, which are the vehicles that place containers onto ships.

According to researchers, fully autonomous ships are the future. But there are many challenges to overcome before autonomous ships can be used for commercial long sea journeys. Navigating traffic in large ports could be a major barrier.

Without a crew aboard to carry out maintenance checks, autonomous ships would need built-in self-diagnosing systems with the ability to detect and fix problems, or call for human assistance.

Although Yara International has no plans to add more autonomous ships to its operations, we may see more elements of AI technology used on commercial ships in the future. Elements are already being used in shipping today when it comes to the voyage and we’ll see more partly autonomous elements added.

1. What’s the good news about the new ship?

A．It’s conventionally designed.	B．It has been fully marketed.
C．It’s environmentally friendly.	D．It is luxuriously equipped.

2. What plays a critical role in the ship’s successful operation?

A．The autonomous carriers.	B．The latest navigating traffic.
C．The burning of fossil fuels.	D．The massive battery capacity.

3. What can we learn from paragraphs 4-6?

A．Researchers are pessimistic about its future.

B．The new ship isn’t completely autonomous yet.

C．A lot more such ships will be in operation soon.

D．No human labor is needed to maintain the ship.

4. What is the author’s attitude to technology being applied to shipping?

A．Favorable.

B．Reserved.

C．Suspicious.

D．Disapproving.

【推荐2】Someday it may be possible for people to deal with their food allergies(过敏)simply by brushing teeth. A New York City-based company has started a trial to test this concept in a small group of peanut-allergy sufferers. The idea is to expose users to small doses(剂量)of an allergen daily, in order to build tolerance to it

“Tying this treatment to a daily routine should help allergy sufferers keep up with regular treatment,” say researchers at Intrommune Therapeutics, which developed the toothpaste. The product may also do a better job than existing therapies(疗法). Several years ago, William Reisacher, an allergist at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City, was standing in front of a mirror brushing his teeth. “I saw all the foam(泡沫)in my mouth going into all the areas I wanted it to go,” he says. “If food proteins could be delivered as a toothpaste, that would get the treatment to the right cells and make it a routine daily habit.”

“William told me this crazy idea he had, and I thought it was perfect,” says Michael Nelson, cofounder of Intrommune. “The newly started trial of the toothpaste will include 32 peanut-allergic adults to test how well they tolerate increasing doses. Future trials may test toothpastes that contain several different allergens.”

Other allergists support the toothpaste concept, though some worry about dose control and safety. “When there are sores in a patient's mouth or after a patient loses a tooth—allergens may have direct access to the bloodstream, which increases the risk of systemic allergic reactions,” says allergist Sakina Bajowala.“Safety is something I'm going to be watching closely,” she says. “But if they find something that can                    be commercialized and made accessible, and if they can prove it's safe and effective, then fantastic.”

1. How does the new toothpaste help users deal with allergies?

A．By transforming allergens.	B．By getting them used to allergens.
C．By preventing allergen exposure.	D．By helping users identify allergens.

2. What inspired William Reisacher to develop the new toothpaste?

A．Other similar products.	B．His own life experience.
C．Some existing therapies.	D．Allergy sufferers' concerns.

3. What's Sakina Bajowala's attitude to the new toothpaste?

A．Doubtful.

B．Hopeful.

C．Cautious.

D．Opposed.

4. What can we infer from the text?

A．The new toothpaste proved safe and effective.

B．Food allergy used to be an incurable problem.

C．Adults are the major target of the new toothpaste.

D．The new toothpaste may be able to treat various allergies.

【推荐2】Technology bosses who fail to protect children online face up to two years in prison after 40 Tory MPs (保守党议员) backed plans for a new law.

With great support for an amendment (修正案) to the Online Safety Bill from a few figures of authority, which would enable senior managers to be put to prison if they willfully or neglectfully fail to carry out their duties to children, the MPs are forcing Downing Street to take the amendment seriously. Similar laws were passed in Ireland last month.

At present, the bill has criminal sanctions (制裁) for managers — but only if they fail to cooperate with Ofcom, the regulator — and fines of up to 10 percent of a company’s global income for failures to protect children online. MPs and campaigners believe these are not a serious enough deterrent to protect children online or to prevent a repeat of the Molly Russell tragedy. Under the bill,a company should ensure children do not encounter unhealthy content promoting self-harm, eating disorders and suicide. The companies must use technology to identify the age of people using the platform. The measure is due to be voted on at report stage on Jan.17th 2023, after which the process of making and passing laws will move on to the Lords.

However, Monica Horten, the policy manager at Open Rights Group, which defends human rights online, warned:“Does this turn Britain into an powerful state? One that would put people in prison, not for what they’ve written but for what other people are writing and other people’s misuse of the system. I think that for parliament (议会) to be just nodding this through with no debate would be morally wrong and deserving criticism.”

The government said,“Our aim is to hold to account social media platforms for harmful content, while also ensuring the UK remains a great place to invest and grow a tech business. We are confident we can achieve both of these things.

1. What can we know about the new law?

A．Up to 10 percent of a company’s global income will be fined for failures soon.

B．Senior managers could face a serious sanction once the law comes into effect.

C．The amendment to the Online Safety Bill has gained support from all people.

D．Similar laws were passed in Ireland last month and will be passed in Britain.

2. Which word could replace “deterrent” in Para.3?

A．Money.

B．Blow.

C．Fine.

D．Failure.

3. What can be inferred from the passage?

A．Parliament will face severe criticism for nodding the new law.

B．This new law would turn Britain into a powerful state eventually.

C．Molly Russell was a sufferer exposed to unsafe online environment.

D．The government approves of the amendment unconditionally.

4. What could be the best title for the passage?

A．Opinions on a New Law Protecting Children Online

B．The UK Aiming to Punish Some Technology Bosses

C．An Amendment Support to the Online Safety Bill

D．Prison Threat for Online Harm to Children Since

【推荐3】Math and literature are probably two of the subjects that bring students headaches. However, mathematicians choose to join the two together—they wonder whether the beauty of math can be found in literary works.

Once Upon a Prime: The Wondrous Connections between Mathematics and Literature, a book published recently by: UK mathematician Sarah Hart, presents some interesting thoughts about “three”. She argues that the number has a special hold on Western literature and languages in general.

Many common phrases are in three words, such as “ready, set, go”. Being the first things kids may learn, some nursery rhymes(童谣) have a word repeated three times, such as “row, row, row your boat”. In stories, there are usually three main characters, such as Harry, Ron and Hermione in the Harry Potter series. For a series of novels, there are usually three books rather than four, according to Hart.

Three is the minimum number of point s that can define a two-dimensional (二维的) shape. Three sticks can create a triangle, a stable structure. These characteristics behind the number three give it “a sense of strength and completeness” which balances a story, according to the book.

Similarly, another study connected math and storytelling by mapping out readers’ “emotional experiences”. Researchers at the University of Vermont, US, analyzed more than 1,300 fiction works. As each book was divided into many 10,000-word parts, they rated how “happy” each part made readers feel. The ratings were then grouped into arcs (弧线), which showed how the readers’ emotions changed while reading.

The researchers summarized the arcs in six shapes, which covered almost all novels. The simplest patterns were “rise” and “fall”, showing that the plot was straightforward. Two of the most popular story shapes among readers were “rise-fall” and “fall-rise-fall”. It showed that more twists and turns in the stories are preferred by readers.

So why do researchers analyze (分析) the mathematics of literature? As the study’s lead author Andrew Reagan told Scientific American, turning words into data “can teach us more about stories”.

1. What does paragraph 3 focus on about the number “three”?

A．Its significance in literary works.	B．Its importance in mathematical study.
C．Its occurrences in literature and language.	D．Its various interpretations in literature.

2. Why is the number “three” significant in Western literature and languages according to Hart’s book?

A．It carries a special meaning in math.	B．It can create a strong emotional impact.
C．It indicates the innovation of storytelling.	D．It brings a feeling of power and unity.

3. How did researchers at the University of Vermont connect math and storytelling?

A．By using shapes to show the readers’ reading experiences.

B．By comparing the number of characters in some works.

C．By analyzing math knowledge used in different novels.

D．By recording the use of numbers in fiction works.

4. What is the point of analyzing the mathematics of literature according to Reagan?

A．To explore the role of literature in teaching math.

B．To improve readers’ mathematical skills.

C．To uncover hidden mathematical mysteries.

D．To gain a deeper understanding of stories.

【推荐1】What time it is varies depending on which of Earth’s time zones you are in—but what if you aren’t anywhere on Earth? Scientists from the European Space Agency (ESA), a group committed to exploring the universe, are arguing that the Moon should have its own time zone too.

At the moment, missions to or involving the Moon use the time zone of the country operating the spacecraft. ESA argues that a specific time zone for the Moon would make it easier for space agencies from around the world to work together. Once missions make it to the Moon, having the same time zone would make it simpler for astronauts to communicate and travel across its surface.

Setting up a lunar time zone is not easy. Gravity affects how quickly or slowly time passes. Since gravity is weaker on the Moon than it is on Earth, clocks run slightly faster on the Moon. After 24 hours, a lunar clock would be 56 microseconds ahead of a clock on Earth. Another point to consider is that a full day on Earth is measured by the length of time between two sunsets—about 24 hours. On the Moon, the time between two sunsets is nearly 709 hours, which is about 29.5 Earth days. This means that lunar nights can be around two weeks long, with only the Earth and the stars—no Sun—in the sky. With all this to think about, scientists need to decide whether it would be better to follow a time zone on Earth, or for the Moon to have its own unique zone, which would have much longer days.

NASA is planning to land humans on the Moon in 2025. There are also other unmanned missions of other countries to the Moon later this year. The idea is that creating a time zone on the Moon would make these easier.

Bernhard Hufenbach from ESA said that if a working time system for the Moon could be established, ESA could then perhaps go on to do the same for other planets in the solar system.

1. Why does ESA insist that the Moon should have its own time zone?

A．To help scientists land on the moon.	B．To help astronauts operate the spacecraft.
C．To help astronauts travel around the world.	D．To help space agencies cooperate worldwide.

2. What is the challenge to establish a lunar time zone?

A．Fewer stars in the sky.	B．Slower time on the Moon.
C．Longer nights on the Moon.	D．Weaker gravity on the Earth.

3. What is Bernhard Hufenbach’s attitude to the future of the Moon’s time zone?

A．Negative.

B．Doubtful.

C．Supportive.

D．Unclear.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．The origin and future of the time zone on the Moon.

B．The necessity and methods of building a lunar time zone.

C．The theory and practice behind the time zone on the Moon.

D．The importance and difficulties of creating a lunar time zone.

【推荐3】Most people have map apps on their phones that can show their location and guide them to where they want to go. But how do these apps know your location at any time or place? They find you by using satellite navigation（satnav）systems（卫星导航系统）.

A satnav system uses groups of satellites to find the user’s location. This location information is then sent to a receiver, such as a smartphone.

The first satnav system was the Global Positioning System（GPS）,which belongs to the United States. First used in 1964, the system is the world’s leading satnav system. But China’s satnav system, Beidou, has overtaken（超过）GPS in size, Japan’s Nikkei Asian Review reported.

China sent Beidou’s first navigation satellite into space in 2000. China also became the third country to build a satnav system after the US and Russia, People’s Daily reported. As of right now, over 30 countries in Africa and the Middle East are using the Beidou system.

With its world-leading technology, Beidou is leading Chinese citizens to a better life by playing significant（重要的）roles in different areas，according to Xinhua News Agency.

For example, as of April, over 6.2 million vehicles（车辆）in China were using Beidou for navigation, according to a report on the Beidou system’s construction（建造）and development.

At the newly-built Beijing Daxing International Airport, Beidou has been used to keep track of（追踪）loading and unloading vehicles indoors and outdoors. When the airport fully opens, each baggage cart will have Beidou navigation equipment to help passengers get their luggage faster.

1. What do map apps depend on to find a user’s location?

A．satellites

B．computers

C．receivers

D．smartphones

2. Which country built the world’s second satnav system?

A．The US.

B．Japan.

C．China.

D．Russia.

3. What do we know about the Beidou system?

A．Its first group of satellites was sent into space in 2001.	B．It offers services to other countries.
C．The number of satellites it uses is the same as GPS.	D．It has become the world’s best satnav system.

4. What do the last two paragraphs tell us?

A．Why most vehicles are using the Beidou system.	B．How Beidou will improve service quality at airports.
C．How the Beidou system is being used.	D．Who will be interested in using Beidou.