【推荐1】Where in the classroom do you prefer to sit,and why? Scientists have discovered that seating preference not only shows students’ personalities,but has a great influence on their school performance.Generally speaking,students show different attitudes depending on where they sit. Based on the research, scientists have developed a funnel-like(像漏斗的) model of “learning zones(区域)” to see the relationship between seating and active learning.

In this model,the mouth of the funnel(A) is the best position for learning. Students in this front area prove to be the most active learners.They show a greater desire(渴求) for learning,which leads them to focus(集中注意力) better and take a more active part than the rest of the class.Those in the neck of the funnel(B) don’t pay the same close attention,but they ask a lot of questions,partly because of the added confidence they feel from being in a safe zone, with others around them. Less desirable is the area “outside the funnel(C,D),” which refers to the side and the back rows,where students take a less active part in classroom activities and find it hard to focus their attention, falling asleep at times.

Studies about learning zones suggest that a change in traditional seating plans can benefit students. In fact, a growing number of teachers have begun less traditional seating plans,such as “U-Type”.There are no side and back areas,so teachers can expect their students to take part in activities more actively and increase student-teacher interaction(互动).

1. According to scientists,students’ learning is greatly influenced by .

A．the number of students	B．the time of class
C．seating positions	D．the size of the classroom

2. It turns out that the students sitting in Area B .

A．sometimes fall asleep	B．feel safe and confident
C．seldom ask their teachers questions	D．try to avoid looking directly at the teacher

3. Which area is most proper for learning?

A．Area A.

B．Area B.

C．Area C.

D．Area D.

4. What does the underlined word “benefit” in the last paragraph mean?

A．Cause trouble for.	B．Take control of.
C．Give a warning to.	D．Do good to.

【推荐3】A team of scientists says that playing sounds underwater can get fish to return to areas with severely damaged coral reefs(珊瑚礁).

In an experiment, they found fish returned after hearing recordings of the sounds of a healthy ocean reef. The scientists placed underwater speakers in areas where coral had been dying in Australia’s northern Great Barrier Reef. They played the sounds over a period of about six weeks in 2017 and studied the results. The team reported that twice as many fish arrived in areas where the sounds of healthy coral were played. The sounds also led to a 50 percent increase in the number of species present in the area, the researchers found. Among the arriving fish were species that feed on all major food sources.

The researchers noted the importance of having many different kinds of fish return to the area. Different species of fish perform many activities that support the ocean environment and sea life. “Damaged reefs have a higher chance of recovery if they have healthy fish populations,” the scientists wrote in the report.

Steve Simpson is a professor at the University of Exeter who helped lead the research. He said in a statement that “healthy coral reefs are remarkably noisy places”. They contain the sounds of many kinds of shrimp, fish and other sea creatures. Young fish listen for these sounds when they are looking for a place to settle, Simpson said.

He added that reefs “become ghostly quiet” when they suffer destruction that is usually related to human-caused pollution. Coral damage can cause unappealing smells and sounds that drive shrimp and fish away. But the experiment suggested that the use of underwater loudspeakers was an effective way to get young fish to come back.

Andy Radford, a professor at University of Bristol, said the underwater sounds are a promising way to fight coral reef damage at the local community level. But he noted that other threats need to be, reduced as well. These include climate change, pollution and overfishing.

1. What does the underlined “they” (Para.4) refer to?

A．The sounds.

B．The corals reefs.

C．The young fish.

D．The researchers.

2. What’s the main idea of the text?

A．Healthy fish help recover the damaged coral reefs by swimming.

B．People reduce environmental pollution to save dying coral.

C．Scientists find a new way to protect the ocean environment and sea life.

D．Researchers use underwater sounds to fight coral reef damage.

3. What did the scientists find in the experiment?

A．Twice as many fish arrived in the healthy coral areas.

B．The sounds led to a 50 percent increase in the number of fish present in the area.

C．Playing the sounds of healthy coral reefs is effective to save dying coral.

D．Damaged reef scan recover completely if they have healthy fish populations.

4. According to Steve Simpson, what will drive fish away from damaged coral reefs?

A．Human-caused pollution.	B．The unattractive smells and sounds.
C．Climate change.	D．Overfishing.

【推荐1】As prices drop and their functionality expands, you can expect to see humanoid(类人的)robots in more places, including schools, airports, and hospitals. Will they influence human behavior?

In a study published recently, scientists found that mean robots can help people concentrate. The experiment, published in Science Robotics, was based on something called the Stroop Task, which is widely used in psychology and described as the "gold standard" of attentional tests. It challenges participants to name the colors of words and ignore their meanings while calculating reaction time.

The researchers put a modern twist on the task, though-this time, there was a robot in the room. The goal was to see if the presence of a robot would affect cognition, and the researchers found it did, but only when the robot was mean.

How do you make a robot mean? In this case, a meter-tall toy robot called a Meccanoid G15KS was made to respond to seven questions. The good robots told jokes, spoke about friendship, and described test subjects as nice. The bad robots replied to questions with passive aggressive comebacks, such as "I enjoy doing analysis programs but you would not understand" and statements like "I do not value friendship."Then the participants rated the robots."The more participants thought the robot made them uncomfortable, the greater the improvement of their Stroop performance was," the researchers wrote."Not surprisingly, the bad robot was rated as less warm, friendly and pleasant than the good robot."

The study authors argue that robots are crossing the line in some situations from machines to social agents. That will change how humans interact with and behave around them.

“Similar to a human's presence, the presence of a robot might not be neutral(无倾向性的) in situations like school or in the office when you are working." Nicolas Spatola, one of the study authors said in an email, "So before your boss decides to introduce a robot in your office, it could be a good idea to evaluate how you feel about it and how it can positively or negatively impact your work, how comfortable you may feel with it or if you feel it to be a threat."

Just 58 students from University Clermont Auvergne in France participated in the experiment but the researchers found an increase in the speed of correct answers among those in the presence of a mean robot when compared to those who were with a nice robot or alone.

In the future, robots will almost certainly become more and more common in nursing homes, hotel check-in desks, behind the wheel, and elsewhere. “If we want to improve the use of robots in our daily life, there seems to be a need to first understand how Human Robot Interaction can impact human psychology,” Spatola said.

1. What was the finding of the new study?

A．The use of robots is rising.	B．Humanoid robots can be mean.
C．Unkind robots can sharpen our focus.	D．Robots are becoming more functional.,.

2. According to the passage, how did the participants judge the robots?

A．By their words.	B．By their actions.
C．By their appearance.	D．By the Stroop Task.

3. Which of the following might Nicolas Spatola agree with?

A．Be careful about using robots.	B．Leave the robot if it presents a threat.
C．Robots will have a good impact on offices.	D．Robots may replace humans in the workplace.

4. What was the drawback of the study?

A．The participants were too young.	B．The study method wasn't scientific.
C．There was a slight difference in speed.	D．The number of the participants was too small.

5. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A．Scientists have already developed humanoid robots.

B．Humanoid robots have already found its way into our daily life.

C．Humanoid robots will certainly come into our daily life sooner or later.

D．There is no difficulty we'll meet with before humanoid robots are widely used.

【推荐2】Layton Guenther recently took a break from work to talk about moving from a wealthy neighborhood near New York City to a farm on Long Island. “Farming----where I grew up----was a very unusual career choice，” said the 32-year -old American.”But everybody belongs to the land in their own way. None of us should feel separated from it.”

Guenther was brought up in a rich town outside New York， where most people never think about working on a farm. Today Guenther grows potatoes， pumpkins，wheat and other crops at Quail Hill， New York. She is one of a growing number of college-educated Americans in their 20s and 30s who are changing the face of organic farming.

In the United States organic farming is a growing industry. Some of the best-known organic farms on Long Island are operated by women. Women make up a little more than 37 percent of all organic farmers nationwide. They represent 36 percent of all commercial farmers. Experts predict women’s share in farming is likely to increase. One reason organic farmers are more popular is that their smaller size means less money is needed to support them. The average organic farm is around 141 hectares， compared to 178 hectares for a commercial farm.

These new young farmers chose organic farming because of their desire to have an influence on society.

Guenther said that the farmers meant to protect natural resources for future generation， to fight against climate change and to feed their community good and healthy food.

Although organic farming is growing quickly， it comes with high labor costs and at times smaller harvests than commercial farming. So it can be a difficult business for new farmers. “When I look now at the starting of the farm， it seems really audacious，”Guenther said.”But in that environment ，in2008， everyone had lost their jobs and there was no work. So it didn’t feel strange to start something new，” she said.

1. What do we know about Guenther from the first two paragraphs ?

A．She had no farming background.

B．She hoped to become a wealthy farmer.

C．She dreamed of farming during childhood.

D．She created the age of organic farming in America.

2. Why do more women begin to operate organic farming ?

A．It is smaller in size.	B．It is modern farming.
C．It has lower labor costs	D．It produces better harvests.

3. What’s the purpose of Guenther taking up organic farming?

A．To deal with unemployment	B．To make a difference to the world
C．To experience a different career	D．To have healthy and natural food

4. What does the underlined word “audacious” in the last paragraph mean ?

A．Rewarding

B．Exciting

C．Promising

D．Daring

【推荐3】More than four decades ago, British scientist Robert Edwards first witnessed the miracle of human life growing inside a test tube at his Cambridge lab. Since that ground－breaking moment, more than four million babies have been born through IVF(体外受精) and in 2010 his great contribution to science was finally recognized as he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine.

The prize for Dr. Edwards, who was given a Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Award in 2008, includes a ￡900，000 cheque. The Nobel Assembly described IVF as “a milestone in modern medicine”.

With the help of fellow scientist Patrick Steptoe, the Manchester－born physiologist developed IVF — leading to the birth of the world's first test tube baby. Dr. Steptoe died 10 years later but their work has transformed fertility(生育) treatment and given hope to millions of couples.

It was a scientific breakthrough that changed the lives of millions of couples. They said, “His achievements have made it possible to treat infertility, a disease which makes humans unable to have a baby. This condition has been afflicting a large percentage of mankind, including more than 10% of all couples worldwide.”

Professor Edwards, who has 5 daughters and 11 grandchildren, began his research at Cambridge University in 1963, after receiving his PhD in 1955.He once said, “The most important thing in life is having a child. Nothing is more special than a child.” With the help of fellow scientist Patrick Steptoe, Prof. Edwards founded the Bourn Hall clinic in Cambridgeshire, which now treats more than 900 women a year. Each year, more than 30, 000 women in Britain now undergo IVF and 11，000 babies are born as a result of the treatment.

But his work attracted widespread criticism from some scientists and the Catholic Church who said it was “unethical and immoral”.

Martin Johnson, professor of reproductive(生殖的) sciences at the University of Cambridge, said the award was “long overdue”. He said, “We couldn't understand why the Nobel has come so late but he is delighted — this is the cherry on the cake for him.”

Professor Edwards was too ill to give interviews but a statement released by his family said he was “thrilled and delighted”.

1. What is Robert Edwards' contribution to science?

A．Challenging a disease which stops couples having a baby.

B．Seeing the wonder of the first tube baby growing.

C．Enabling millions of couples to live a better life.

D．Helping couples with infertility to have test tube babies.

2. What does the underlined word “afflicting” in Paragraph 4 most probably refer to?

A．Troubling.	B．Developing.
C．Improving.	D．Frightening.

3. It can be inferred from Paragraph 6 and Paragraph 7 that ________.

A．some people envied Professor Edwards for his being awarded

B．different opinions were voiced on Professor Edwards' work

C．Professor Edwards deserved the prize for his breakthrough

D．the prize was late because the finding was first considered immoral

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

A．Life Stories of Robert Edwards

B．Preparations for Having a Baby

C．Nobel Prize for IVF Expert Edwards

D．Treatment of Infertility in a Lab

【推荐2】Ecuador may have a new tourism jingle (广告歌). But they don’t want anyone to actually sing it. Indeed, the country’s latest national park is built on the belief that silence is golden. The South American country has become the first in the world to build a “quiet park” beside the Zabalo River where silence is protected like a natural resource.

There are no transport routes here. Nor residential and commercial developments. You can’t even hear the sound of power lines.

Named as Wilderness Quiet Park, the land is owned by the Cofán people of Ecuador. But hopes are high that this unique space in a world increasingly affected by noise will kickstart (启动) tourism in the region — quiet tourism, that is.

These days, it’s almost impossible to escape the human noise. And it’s a serious effect on the health of animals, including humans.

“Science has made it clear that noise pollution is not just an annoyance, it causes health loss and impacts wildlife’s ability to survive. By recognizing the Zabalo River as the world’s first quiet park, we are paving the way for many more quiet parks around the globe.” says Gordon Hempton, an ecologist and co-founder of Quiet Parks International, an organization which aims at spreading quiet across the globe.

So, what’s it actually like when nature is the only soundtrack? Here’s how Sam Goldman, a journalist, describes it: “The monkeys roar; insects buzz; and birdsong cackles …”

But the park not only gives nature a chance to find its voice. The people who own the land — the Cofán people — have long regarded themselves as caretakers of the rivers and rainforests in the region but their numbers have decreased to fewer than 2,000. Quiet Parks International will help the Cofan Nation “defend their lands and preserve their culture.”

1. What’s the purpose of this text?

A．To introduce a special park.

B．To explain a new living concept.

C．To warn people of noise pollution.

D．To recommend a travel destination.

2. What do we know about Wilderness Quiet Park?

A．It vaules natural quiet much.

B．It develops rapidly in business.

C．It can easily get rid of the human noise.

D．It provides tourists with various transport routes.

3. According to Gordon Hempton,       .

A．wildlife in Ecuador are in danger of extinction

B．noise pollution has become a serious problem

C．the Zabalo River is the best quiet park in the world

D．there are already many quiet parks around the globe now

4. What can we infer about the Cofán people from the last paragraph?

A．They care little about environmental protection.

B．They are in need of help to protect their safety.

C．Their numbers have decreased due to noise pollution.

D．They have long been protecting their living surroundings.

【推荐1】Beijing—The public has responded with vigorous support for an NPC deputy’s proposal to extend the Spring Festival holiday from three days to 10.

More than 78 percent of about 27,600 respondents to a poll on www.people.com.cn<http://www.21cnjy.com/> voted in favor of the idea of Li Jing,who is also the mayor of Meishan city in South-west China’s Sichuan province. Li said the lunar new year festival holiday was too short for family reunions,especially for the nation’s 220 million migrant workers.

With hundreds of millions of people on the move during such a short time span,the holiday puts great stress on the public transport system and suppresses tourism, she added. She suggested the holiday be extended and cover the three adjacent(毗连的)weekends,which means the public could take a total of 16 days off and floating population could spend the Lantern Festival,which falls on the 15th day of the lunar new year,with their families.

People would then have sufficient time to fully enjoy the traditional holiday with their families,Li said during an interview with People’s Daily Online on Friday.

Most online voters agreed that extending the holiday will ease the burden on public transport and strengthen family ties.“The Spring Festival is an occasion for family reunions and should be longer than the National Day holiday,”one responder said in an online post.“Every year,I wish I could spend more time at home for the Spring Festival,but I always have to go back to work.I hope the NPC will approve this proposal.”

Another online comment read:“Extending the Spring Festival holiday could prevent the annual transportation crush,which has in recent years resembled an exodus(出走)of fleeing refugees(难民)”.

Most of the about 13 percent who opposed the idea cited difficulties readjusting to work after the break.Some pointed out that office moral was generally low during the first week after the holiday. “After the six-day holiday, many people come back to work feeling absent-minded,” one respondent said. Some who opposed the extension suggested adding the Lantern Festival as an official holiday.

Another 10 percent said lawmakers should carefully study the impacts before they make any decisions on holidays.

1. Which of the following is NOT the reason why Li Jing suggested extending the Spring Festival holiday?

A．The floating population could spend the Lantern Festival.

B．People could spend more money and this could promote consumption.

C．The lunar new year festival holiday was too short for family reunions.

D．The holiday puts great stress on the public transport system and suppresses tourism.

2. What was Li Jing’s plan for the lunar new year festival holiday?

A．It could cover the two adjacent weekends.

B．The holiday would be from the first day of the lunar year.

C．She added the Lantern Festival as an independent official holiday.

D．The public could take a total of 16 days off including the Lantern Festival.

3. The underlined word“crush”in the sixth paragraph probably means“______”.

A．uncomfortable pressure caused by a great crowd of people

B．a drink made by pressing fruit and used as juice

C．a traffic accident resulting from traveling too fast

D．people’s eagerness to go home to meet their families

4. Why were some netizens against extending the holiday?

A．It was a waste of time.

B．People would not earn much money.

C．It would have a bad effect on China’s economy.

D．People wouldn’t be in a good working stage after so long a holiday.