The “three ox spirit” (三牛精神) first appeared in President Xi Jinping’s speech at a New Year’s gathering last December. The ox is a symbol of diligence (勤劳), progress and strength. On Feb 18, the first working day of the new year, Hua Chunying, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, explained it on the social media to encourage people with the “three ox spirit”—the serving-the-people ox, the pioneering ox, the persisting ox.
Centuries ago, most people earned their living through farming. The ox was used to help in the field and carry heavy goods.
The ox has played an important place in Chinese culture. Ancient Chinese poets and writers often described the ox in literature. In the Classic of Poetry, the oldest collection of Chinese poetry, the animal was mentioned in nine out of the 305 pieces.
Oxen seldom bully (欺负) the weak or fear the strong. They work hard and make sacrifices (牺牲). A poem by Lu Xun (1881-1936) — “Fierce-browed, I coolly defy a thousand pointing fingers; Head bowed, like a willing ox I serve the children (横眉冷对千夫指，俯首甘为孺子牛)” fully expresses the poet’s love to our country and the people.
So naturally, those who were born in the Year of the Ox are often expected to be hardworking and dependable. “They never want to be the center of attention or look for praise,” the website China Highlights noted.
1. When was the “three ox spirit” first appeared?| A．2018. | B．2019. | C．2020. | D．2021. |
| A．The progressing ox. | B．The serving-the-people ox. |
| C．The pioneering ox. | D．The persisting ox. |
| A．Because the ox is weak. | B．Because the ox is loving. |
| C．Because the ox is helpful. | D．Because the ox is proud. |
| A．They always want to look for praise. | B．They want to be the center of attention. |
| C．They are hardworking and dependable. | D．They bully the weak and fear the strong. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Researchers have found bees can do basic mathematics, in a discovery that deepens our understanding of the relationship between brain size and brain power. Recently, A study conducted by researchers from RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia showed that bees could perform arithmetic operations like addition and subtraction (减法).
Solving math problems requires a complex level of involving the mental management of numbers, long-term rules and short-term working memory. The finding that even the tiny brain of a honeybee can grasp basic mathematical operations has a possible effect on the future development of Artificial Intelligence, particularly in improving rapid learning.
RMIT’s Professor Adrian Dyer said numerical (数字的) operations like addition and subtraction are complex because they require two levels of processing. “You need to be able to hold the rules around adding and subtracting in your long-term memory, while mentally using skillfully a set of given numbers in your short-term memory,” Dyer said. “On top of this, our bees also used their short-term memories to solve arithmetic problems, as they learned to recognize plus or minus as abstract concepts.”
The findings suggest that advanced numerical cognition (认知) may be found much more widely in nature among non-human animals than previously suspected.
“If math doesn’t require a massive brain, there might also be new ways for us to include interactions of both long-term rules and working memory in designs to improve rapid AI learning of new problems,” said Dyer.
Many species can understand the difference between quantities and use this to search for food, make decisions and solve problems. But numerical cognition, such as exact number and arithmetic operations, requires a more complex level of processing.
Previous studies have shown some primates (灵长目动物), birds, babies and even spiders can add and/or subtract. The new research, published in Science Advances, adds bees to that list.
1. What have the researchers from RMIT University discovered?| A．The relationship between brain size and brain power. |
| B．Long-term rules and short term working memory. |
| C．Bees can perform complex arithmetic operations. |
| D．Bees can do basic mathematics. |
| A．requires addition and subtraction two complex processing |
| B．has a possible effect on the future development of AI |
| C．only involves their short-term working memory |
| D．calls for a lot of maths knowledge |
| A．Bees can recogize the exact number. |
| B．Arithmetic operations exist in human and bees. |
| C．Numerical cognition has been found in many more species. |
| D．Some primates, birds and even spiders can add and substract. |
| A．A Discovery About the Tiny Brain of Bees |
| B．New Findings About Bees Having Numerical Cogintion |
| C．Numerical Cognition Requires a Complex Level of Processing |
| D．The Relationship Between Brain Size and Brain Power |
【推荐2】Researchers are looking into new ways to generate efficient photovoltaic energy (光伏能源) and for this they have been inspired by the v-shaped posture of the Cabbage White butterfly.
Photovoltaic energy is the science behind solar power, where light is turned into electricity. It is a two-set process. Step one is a photoelectric effect, caused by sunlight. The second step is an electrochemical process, which generates an electric current.
To improve the collection of sunlight, a research group has been inspired by the resting posture of the Cabbage White butterfly. The species has a natural range across Europe, Asia, and North Africa. To many farmers, the butterflies are regarded as a pest; to others, they are pretty to look at. To one research group the butterflies are an inspiration.
The butterfly adopts a v-shape in order to heat up its flight muscles before taking off. By creating solar panels(太阳能电池板)in this formation，scientists think that the quantity of power that a solar panel can produce can be increased by around 50 percent.
The Cabbage White butterfly is different to many other butterflies in using the v-formation. On cloudy days butterflies need to wait to receive enough sunlight in order to fly. However, by using the v-posture, the Cabbage White butterfly is able to absorb more energy more quickly than other butterflies. In addition, the butterfly can reflect sunlight from its wings, which allows its flight muscles to be warmed to an ideal temperature.
The new research was conducted at the University of Exeter's Environment and Sustainability Institute (ESI) and the Centre for Ecology and Conservation. Discussing the findings with Laboratory Manager magazine, lead researcher Professor Tapas Mallick stated :"Biomimicry（仿生学）in engineering is not new. However, this research shows pathways to develop low cost solar power that have not been done before. "
1. Which can be the best title for the text?| A．The future of solar power |
| B．The butterfly effect theory |
| C．Cool things about the Cabbage White butterfly |
| D．Butterflies contribute to solar power revolution |
| A．The flying posture. | B．The resting posture. |
| C．The take-off posture. | D．The sleeping posture. |
| A．To look prettier. | B．To take a good rest. |
| C．To prepare for flight. | D．To protect themselves. |
| A．Positive. | B．Casual |
| C．Skeptical. | D．Disapproving. |
| A．A lesson plan. | B．A book review. |
| C．A science report. | D．A personal diary. |
【推荐3】Large oceangoing vessels like oil tankers and cruise ships produce noise that travels long distances underwater. That audio pollution can disturb the sounds that marine mammals, fish and other animals use to communicate.
Emily Carter, a sensory ecologist from University of Exeter wondered whether ship noise might also be harmful to animals that don’t rely on sound for communication. For example, young shore crabs that use camouflage (伪装) to hide from predators. “So they can actually change their color to match whatever it is that they’re sitting on, basically to make it harder for predators to find them.” Carter explained.
She suspected that stress from ship noise might affect the change process. To find out, she and her colleagues collected shore crabs with dark shells and brought them back to the lab. They placed the crabs in tanks full of white small stones. An underwater speaker in each tank played quiet natural sounds at all times. One group of crabs also heard loud natural sounds every hour. But another group was subjected to hourly recordings of large ships.
Carter says shorebirds, which eat the crabs, can see UV light, so she used ultraviolet (紫外线) photography to determine how well the crabs blended into their new habitat over time.
“Through the eyes of a shorebird — so through bird’s perspective — were they camouflaged? Weren’t they camouflaged? How obvious would they be?”
After eight weeks, the crabs that heard only natural sounds had become much lighter and were well camouflaged. But the ones that were exposed to the ship noise didn’t change color as much. And then, as a result, they weren’t as camouflaged at the end of the experiment. So they’d be much more manifest to predator.
Carter says the stress caused by ship noise may affect hormones that regulate color change in crabs or destroy the energy needed to make the change efficiently. The research not only puts a spotlight on the unintended consequences of noise pollution, but is a reminder that too much stress isn’t just bad for people — it can also be deadly to wildlife that needs some peace and quiet.
1. Why is ultraviolet photography used in the experiment?| A．To scare away shorebirds. |
| B．To kill the bacteria in crabs’ new habitat. |
| C．To test the effectiveness of crab’s camouflage. |
| D．To monitor the shorebird population in nighttime. |
| A．Avoidable. | B．Noticeable. |
| C．Changeable. | D．Adjustable. |
| A．Carter conducted the experiment on her own. |
| B．The crab that heard natural sound lost some weight. |
| C．Carter created three kinds of living environment for crabs. |
| D．The crab that heard ship noise slightly changed their color. |
| A．Noises do harm to us people. |
| B．Wildlife needs a quiet environment. |
| C．Crabs aren’t camouflaged in new habitats. |
| D．Stress can change the hormones in humans. |
【推荐1】Li Ziqi, a vlogger who enjoys a fan base of more than 21 million people on Sina Weibo and 7 million strong followers on YouTube, has made a name for herself in her videos that highlight a traditional Chinese way of life in the rural areas of Sichuan Province. Her videos cover a wide variety of crafts related to traditional Chinese culture. From making paper and ink to weaving cloth, from making a silk quilt comforter for her grandmother to building her own bread kiln with blocks, nothing seems impossible with Li’s crafty hands as they work their magic to bring these things into existence. But Li’s most eye-catching, and mouth-watering craft is cooking.
Li scarcely speaks in her videos. When she does open her mouth, the most common phrase that comes out is her calling her grandmother to come and eat. Instead of dialogue, Li focuses on how she works with her hands. Watching her videos, it is difficult not to appreciate their beauty and hold back that sense of nostalgia (怀旧) and longing for home. But it is even harder not to want to take a bite of her succulent dishes, which really remind viewers of taste of our childhood and home.
Glamorous as her present life may seem, life was difficult for her during her youth as she and her grandparents had little to live on. Li herself revealed that she was “economically supported” to continue schooling. She started to work in the city at 14 and would not have returned to her childhood home if not for her grandmother falling ill in 2012. After returning home, Li opened an online shop, Li Ziqi, to sell mostly edible products. To boost sales, she began making short films in 2016 about how these products were created, while covering her life in the rural area, all against the backdrop of traditional Chinese aesthetics (审美). “I started it because I wanted to create something for people to watch and relax. We are all under a lot of stress. I hoped that after a long and busy day, they could click on my videos and relieve some of their anxiety and pressure,” Li said.
However, Li is not without criticism, such as remarks about her “beautifying” life in the country and her use of a professional production crew to help her film. Others have expressed skepticism about how “real” her videos are, and how “amazing it is that she looks so picture perfect after a long day of work in the fields.”
1. According to the passage, we can know the following EXCEPT .| A．it was her grandmother‟ falling ill that made her return to her hometown |
| B．masses of viewers from both home and abroad are hooked by her videos |
| C．she never opens her mouth in her videos because she has difficulty in speaking |
| D．many viewers speak highly of her videos while some of them throw doubt on her |
| A．Aggressive and strong-willed. | B．Crafty and considerate. |
| C．Humorous and stubborn. | D．Ambitious and severe. |
| A．Many hands make light work | B．An idle youth, a needy age |
| C．Virtue is bold, and goodness never fearful | D．God helps those who help themselves |
| A．Young vlogger tells story of China in picturesque videos |
| B．An Internet celebrity makes delicious dishes |
| C．Relaxing videos are made with passion |
| D．The more traditional, the more popular |
【推荐2】Do Americans have any morals? That's a good question. Many people insist that ideas about right and wrong are merely personal opinions. Some voices, though, are calling Americans back to traditional moral values. William J. Bennett. former U. S. Secretary of Education, edited The Book of Virtues in 1993 to do just that.
One of the most basic moral values for Americans is honesty. The well-known legend about George Washington and the cherry tree teaches this value clearly. In the story, instead of punishment, George received praise for not lying but telling the truth that he cut down his father's favorite cherry tree. Sometimes American honesty—being open and direct—can offend people.
Another virtue Americans respect is perseverance. Remember Aesop's Fables (伊索寓言) about the turtle and the rabbit that had a race?
In no way can this brief description cover all the moral values honored by Americans. Courage, responsibility, loyalty, gratitude and many others could be discussed. In fact, Bennett's bestseller—over 800 pages—highlights just 10 virtues. Even Bennett admits that he has only scratched the surface. But no matter how long or short the list, moral values are invaluable.
| A．But this virtuous attitude is hardly one of them. |
| B．Compassion(同情心) is a desire within us to help others. |
| C．The rabbit thought he could win easily, so he took a nap. |
| D．Compassion may be the queen of American virtues. |
| E．But Americans still believe that "honesty is the best policy”. |
| F．They are the foundation of American culture—and any culture. |
| G．Bennett suggests that great moral stories can build character. |
【推荐3】Do you like traditional Chinese painting and dance? They are two important parts of the traditional Chinese art. But what about when they meet each other?
This year, a dance drama titled Poetic Dance: The Journey of a Legendary Landscape Painting (《只此青绿》) was staged at CCTV’s Spring Festival Gala and became popular.
According to CCTV, this poetic dance was inspired by the Chinese painting A Panorama of Rivers and Mountains(《千里江山图》). Created by the Song Dynasty painter Wang Ximeng, the painting is amazing in its sweeping size, rich coloration and the expressive details, reported CCTV. It shows a Chinese blue-green landscape.
When the dancers moved elegantly, audiences seemed to be looking at the moving mountains and rivers. “It brings me a pure experience of beauty. It is not only a dance drama but also an exhibition. Vast mountains and rivers are coming to life!” Internet user Mo Weisha wrote in a review. “More than a thousand years later, green mountains and rivers still impress people as they did long ago.”
Some people even decided to watch the dance again when it was staged in the theaters later. In fact, in recent years, more and more modern shows feature traditional Chinese culture and have received a warm welcome. As for the reason, it is due to people’s great love for traditional culture.
“The younger generations have grown up with a more open mindset. They embrace Chinese culture and are proud of it,” Yao Wei, director of Henan TV Station’s Innovation Center, told China Daily.
1. What’s the writing purpose of paragraph 1?| A．To introduce the topic. | B．To show a doubtful attitude. |
| C．To advertise a dance drama. | D．To raise some questions. |
| A．CCTV’s Spring Festival Gala. | B．A Chinese blue-green landscape. |
| C．The Song Dynasty painter Wang Ximeng. | D．An ancient traditional Chinese painting. |
| A．Young people are happy to see new forms of art. |
| B．Young people are more open to traditional culture. |
| C．Young people have gained more access to traditional culture. |
| D．Chinese culture has been spreading around the world. |
| A．Art Coming Alive Through Dance | B．Beauty Presented in Poetic Dance |
| C．Passion for Traditional Chinese Painting | D．Highlights of Traditional Chinese Culture |
【推荐1】The innovation is part of research into brain-computer interfaces (接口) to help improve the lives of people with motor disabilities. The researchers included machine learning capabilities with their brain-computer interface, making it a one-size-fits-all solution.
Typically, these devices require extensive adjustment for each user- every brain is different, both for healthy and disabled users- and that has been a major hurdle to mainstream adoption. This new solution can quickly understand the needs of an individual subject and self-adjust through repetition. That means multiple patients could use the device without needing to tune it to the individual.
In a clinical setting, the subjects wear a cap packed with electrodes (电极) that is connected to a computer. The electrodes gather data by measuring electrical signals from the brain, and the decoder translates the brain signals into commands, which are used to control devices or applications. In this case, the decoded signals are translated into actions in a car racing game and a simpler task involving balancing a digital bar. Subjects were trained simultaneously for both the simpler bar game and the more complex car racing game, thus improving their brain function.
The researchers call this work foundational, in that it sets the stage for further brain-computer interface innovation. This project used 18 subjects with no motor disabilities. As they continue down this road, they will test this on people with motor disabilities to apply it to larger groups in clinical settings. “To achieve this, we need to improve our technology to make it easier to use,’ Millan. a professor in the University of Texas says.
On the side of translating the research, Millan and his team continue to work on a wheelchair that users can drive with the brain- computer interface. At the South by Southwest Conference and Festivals this month, the researchers showed off another potential use of the technology. controlling two rehabilitation (康复) robots for the hand and arm. This was not part of the new paper but a sign of where this technology could go in the future. “We’ll continue down this path wherever it takes us in the pursuit of helping people.” Millan says.
1. Who will benefit the most from the Brain-Computer Interface innovation?| A．People with physical disabilities. | B．Businessmen selling wheelchairs. |
| C．Students seeking academic improvement. | D．Athletes seeking performance enhancement. |
| A．Faster adjustment process. | B．Decreased need for tuning. |
| C．Improved mainstream adoption. | D．Quick understanding of commands. |
| A．Translating signals. | B．Measuring brain signals. |
| C．Controlling devices. | D．Enhancing brain function. |
| A．Exploring hand and arm rehabilitation. |
| B．Showcasing technology at conferences. |
| C．Translating and publishing research papers. |
| D．Enhancing brain- computer interface technology. |
【推荐2】Nobody is sure where and when the expression “apple-pie order” began. Some say that Scottish and English writers used the expression a long time ago. Others say it first was used in the northeastern American states known as New England. The housewives of New England cut their apples in even slices. Then they filled pie pans with them in an organized way, row (排) upon row. As one writer said, the women of New England loved to have everything in its place. This perhaps explains why it generally is believed that the expression “apple-pie order” began in New England.
Another old expression, “apple of discord”, comes from ancient mythology (神话), however. The myth says that all the gods and goddesses were sitting around the table to celebrate the marriage of Thetis and Peleus. One of the goddesses—Discord—was a troublemaker. She threw a golden apple on the table to be given as a prize to the most beautiful goddess.
At one time, the tomato was called a love apple. That was a mistake. This is how the mistake happened: In the sixteenth century, Spain bought the tomato from South America after Spanish explorers had landed there. Spain then sold the tomato to Morocco. Italian traders carried it on to Italy. The Italian name for the tomato was “pomo di Moro”—apple of the Moors. When French growers brought it in from Italy, they thought “di Moro” meant “d’amour”—the French word for love. And so “pomo di Moro” became the apple of love.
People believe many things about the apple. One belief is that it has great power of keeping people healthy. A very common expression is “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”.
Another belief is based on fact. The expression is “one rotten apple spoils the barrel”. When an apple begins to go bad, it ruins all the other apples around it in the container. The expression has come to mean that one bad person in a group can cause everyone to behave badly.
1. What can be learned about the phrase “apple-pie order”?| A．It began in New England. |
| B．It has been put into use recently. |
| C．Everyone is sure of how it began. |
| D．No one knows for sure where and when it began. |
| A．Cause of disagreement. | B．Everything in good order. |
| C．Everything under control. | D．Situation of danger. |
| A．To prove people’s love for tomatoes. |
| B．To tell us a love story about apple. |
| C．To explain how the tomato was called the apple of love. |
| D．To show how the tomato was brought in from South America. |
| A．Apple-pie order. | B．Apple of discord. |
| C．One rotten apple spoils the barrel. | D．An apple a day keeps the doctor away. |
“Go for it!” means you should not worry about failure or be too careful. You should take a chance, be brave, and act firmly.
“Go for it!” gets name from football. Not football as it is played in most countries such as England, Egypt or Japan, but the kind of football played in the United States and Canada.
One of the most exciting times in football comes when a team has failed, after three attempts, to move the ball forward ten yards. The team must make a critical decision.
The conservative choice is to kick the ball and accept temporary defeat in order to gain a good position for your team the next time it gets the ball. The more exciting choice, however, is to try a fourth and final time to gain the remaining yards needed.
In the nineteen eighties, people began using this expression in many kinds of situations to encourage someone to act bravely.
There is no guarantee(保证) that the action you “Go for it!” will succeed. But that is the chance you take when you decide to go for it. You put your fears behind. You choose courage over safety. You hold your breath and go for it.
1. The expression “Go for it!” comes from______.
| A．English football | B．Egyptian football | C．Japanese football | D．American football |
| A．safety | B．action | C．result | D．situation |
| A．We decide to avoid trouble or danger for the future. |
| B．We try to improve our English for better education. |
| C．We need to make a quick decision at the last moment. |
| D．We have to make a choice between success and failure. |
