【推荐1】The human brain remembers negative experiences more easily than positive ones. Our brains have developed in this way because threats, like dangerous animals, have a more immediate effect on people’s survival compared to positive things like food or shelter. As a result, you clearly know what makes you unhappy, but do you know what makes you happy?

Research suggests that our level of happiness is partly shaped by the choices we make. If you’ve been chasing wealth, fame, power and some material things, you may be looking for happiness in the wrong places. Psychologists suggest that the following habits can make people happier.

People who own close relationships tend to be happier than those who do not. The number of our friends is not important. What matters is the quality of our relationships. Relationships that bring happiness usually consist of the sharing of feelings, acceptance, mutual (双方的) respect and trust.

People who exercise regularly can improve both their physical and mental well-being. Some research has shown that exercise can be as effective as some medicine in treating depression.

If we are so interested in an activity, we may lose track of time, and we can be in a state of flow. The activity could be playing the piano, surfing the Internet or playing a game… People who experience flow in their work or life tend to be happier.

People are more likely to be happy if they know what their strengths are and can use them regularly. People are especially happy when they can set goals and use their strengths to achieve them.

People, who think positively by being grateful, mindful and optimistic, are more likely to be happy. Being grateful means being thankful. Being mindful means considering, focusing on, and enjoying the experiences of the present moment. Being optimistic means being hopeful about the future.

1. Why do Human brains remember negative things more easily?

A．Because negative things tend to affect human survival immediately

B．Because negative things are easy to remember

C．Because negative things are much more important than other things

D．Because negative things can make people live much happier

2. According to this passage, in which of the following can people not find happiness?

A．making friends

B．doing sports

C．playing the violin

D．chasing power

3. In the last paragraph, what does author try to tell us?

A．We should think more about our future.

B．We should be positive in our life and work.

C．We should focus on everything in our life.

D．We should only enjoy the present moment.

4. What does the passage mainly want to tell us?

A．Why people remember positive things easily.

B．Why people remember negative things easily.

C．Some habits that make people happy.

D．The habits the people form in their life.

【推荐1】Widespread descriptions of animals in pop culture could actually be hurting the animals’ survival chances in the wild, a new research suggests.

Franck Courchamp of the University of Paris-Sud was interested in the idea of “appeal” (吸引力) in animals. He wanted to know: What species do people consider appealing? And what are the influences of being appealing on populations of animals in the wild?

In a research published this month, Courchamp and other researchers list the top 20 appealing species. They deemed large mammals living on land are appealing. Coming in first place are tigers, followed by lions, elephants, giraffes, panthers, pandas, cheetahs, polar bears, wolves, and gorillas. However, at least half of the interviewees didn’t realize that five of the top ten most appealing species are threatened. It is strange that we do not protect the species we care about the most.

The study also finds that we are flooded with images of these creatures, even as they are becoming fewer in the wild. The study suggests that too much imagination might be creating a “virtual population” of the animals in people’s minds, making them believe there are far more individuals in the wild than is exact.

The study authors suggest that companies who benefit from the use of these images should set as idea small percentage of their profits for protection efforts and informational campaigns. “That would be not only something fair, but something that could bring a win-win situation for them,” Courchamp says. It could bring them positive public relation, for example. Besides, if a company’s mascot (吉祥物) goes extinct, that could hurt them from a marketing point, Courchamp says. But not enough companies are “truly concerned about the protection of the species that they work on,” he adds.

1. The widespread descriptions of animals may ______ according to Paragraph 1.

A．make people aware of the necessity of wild protection

B．lead people to protect animals

C．be beneficial for both animals and humans

D．reduce the animals’ survival chances

2. What does the underlined word “deemed” mean in Paragraph 3?

A．Rescued.

B．Established.

C．Thought.

D．Disappeared.

3. What can we know about panthers and cheetahs from the passage?

A．They are among the best liked.	B．They have a large population in the wild.
C．They have died out.	D．They are well protected.

4. How does Courchamp list the companies’ responsibilities and their advantages?

A．By doing experiments.	B．By giving examples.
C．By asking a question.	D．By listing data.

【推荐2】Living robots can reproduce on their own in a dish. This is not a science-fiction movie, but the result of a new research.

Xenobots, a type of tiny robot, were first created in 2020, using cells taken from the embryo (胚胎) of an African frog species. Under the right lab conditions, the cells formed small structures that could self-assemble (自组装), move in groups and react to their environment. Now, the researchers have found that xenobots can also self-reproduce, according to the journal-New Scientist.

Xenobots step over an unusual line. Are they living organisms or robots? They are organisms because they are made of stem cells and can reproduce. But they are also robots because they can move on their own and perform physical labor, co-author Sam Kriegman told The Washington Post.

“People have thought for quite a long time that we’ve worked out all the ways that life can reproduce or copy. But this is something that’s never been observed before,” co-author Douglas Blackstone, a senior scientist at Tufts University   in the US, told Science Daily website.

The ability to copy adds a new layer of potential function to the robots. Kriegman told The Washington Post that while xenobots are not yet commercially useful, they have the potential to offer a number of services, from cleaning up microplastics in the ocean to safely delivering drugs to a specific spot in a person’s body.

However, the creation of xenobots comes with concerns. Some think more advanced future xenobots, especially ones that live longer and reproduce, could out-compete other species, according to The Conversation, an Australia news media.

Researchers think these risks are manageable. “If you change the amount of sodium (钠元素) in that water to be too high or too low, they’ll die, ”Kriegman told The Washington Post. “If there’s a piece of copper, a kind of metal, in the dish, they’ll all die. It’s an extremely controllable, stoppable and safe system.”

1. What are xenobots?

A．Robots first discovered in 2020.	B．Robots from a sci-fi movie.
C．Organisms made of embryos.	D．Organisms as well as robots.

2. What is the promising benefit brought about by xenobots?

A．Promoting commercial products.	B．Offering some household services.
C．Delivering medicine inside a patient.	D．Cleaning up huge plastics in the ocean.

3. What can you infer from Kriegman’s words in the last paragraph?

A．Xenobots die hard in water.	B．Xenobots won’t pose a threat.
C．Xenobots are made of copper.	D．Xenobots have a safe system.

4. What is the purpose of the passage?

A．To inform us of the creation of Xenobots.	B．To instruct people how to use Xenobots.
C．To warn about the danger from Xenobots.	D．To settle the arguments over Xenobots.

【推荐3】Technology is developing fast. A gadget as small as a smartphone now has more processing power than rockets to the moon once had. New tech brings many advantages, making our lives easier and opening up new opportunities. One piece of such kit that’s been really taking off recently is the drone.

This pilotless mini aircraft, originally developed for aerial photography and warfare, is now bringing us benefits closer to home. In the last few years, tech companies such as Amazon, Alphabet and Uber have promised us delivery drones — bringing goods to our doorsteps in a matter of minutes. Progress in developing them has, however, been slow.

Drones are helping to connect with and enhance the lives of people in remote locations. In the UK, the Royanl Mail wants a fleet of 500 drones to help deliver the mail to far-flung communities. Wincracers, the company developing the drones, say they can fly in fog and produce 30％ fewer emissions than comparable piloted aircraft. And in Coventry in the UK, construction has started on an air hub, which will act as a base for police and delivery drones. Urban-Air Port Limited is working with car-maker Hyundai on the mini-airport, known as sky port.

Drones could also play a part in improving the health of millions of people. In Zanzíbar, for example, they’re being used to spray wetlands against malaria. And writing for BBC Future website, Harriet Constable describes an incredible development project by the University of South Australia. The plan is for drones to eventually be able to survey populations for disease by reading the blood oxygen levels of humans from the air. They’ll also be able to scan for other vital signs, like coughing and a high temperature.

“It seems the sky is the limit for what drone technology can achieve. The only thing that sometimes keeps it grounded is regulation.” Writing for the BBC, Jessica Brown says, “If our skies are to become as crowded as our streets, airspace rules need updating to prevent accidents. There are also related problems, such as noise pollution.”

1. For what were drones first used?

A．Aerial photography and warfare	B．Bringing goods to people in need
C．Checking for disease in a community	D．Spraying farm chemicals onto plants

2. Where does the UK’s Royal Mail want to deliver mail to by drone?

A．The foggy areas	B．An air hub
C．A skyporl	D．Distant or remote places

3. What attitude does Jessica Brown have toward drones?

A．Doubtful

B．Opposed

C．Supportive

D．Pessimistic

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

A．Advances in aviation	B．Delivering by drones
C．High-tech and human life	D．Solutions to air crisis