More than a third of the world’s population lives in dry lands, areas that experience significant water shortages. Scientists at the University of Texas at Austin have developed a unique solution to help people in these areas access clean drinking water.
They developed a low-cost gel film (凝胶膜) that can pull water from the air in even the driest climate. Combining two simple ingredients, cellulose and konjac gum, the gel is inexpensive to produce. Just one kilogram of gel can absorb up to 6 liters of water in a dry climate. For those living in a climate with relative humidity (湿度), one kilogram of gel can collect up to 13 liters of water a day. As the gel is so inexpensive and easy to make, it may offer a way of providing drinking water to countries with water shortages.
Previously, researchers have harvested fresh water from fog and dew, but that only serves areas with high humidity. Other attempts at pulling water from desert air are typically energy-intensive and do not produce much. In fact, this gel is a vast improvement from previous water harvesting technologies. The maximum water harvested has been 5.87 liters in places with relative humidity. This new gel doubles this amount, uses no energy and is simple to operate and it can be made into a shape or size that best suits the user.
“This new work is about practical solutions that people can use to get water in the hottest, driest places on Earth,” said Guihua Yu, professor at the Cockrell School of Engineering. “This could allow millions of people without consistent access to drinking water to have simple, water generating devices at home that they can easily operate.”
“This is not something you need an advanced degree to use,” the paper’s lead author, Youhong Guo said. “It’s straightforward enough that anyone can make it at home if they have the materials.” Scientists are planning on making a thicker gel that will increase the yield, making this technology a practicable solution to drought.
1. What can we know about the gel film from paragraph 2?| A．It can increase the humidity of the air. |
| B．It can harvest drinking water from the air. |
| C．It has been widely applied in desert areas. |
| D．It costs lots of money and energy to produce. |
| A．The advantages of the new gel. |
| B．The process of producing the new gel. |
| C．The tough living conditions in dry regions. |
| D．The theory of water harvesting technologies. |
| A．An advanced degree. | B．An expensive material. |
| C．A water harvesting device. | D．A non-stopping condition of drought. |
| A．Develop a thicker gel. | B．Raise money for further research. |
| C．Produce the gel in large quantities. | D．Teach people to make the gel at home. |
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Winning a significant science award is a big deal, especially if you are 12 years old. But Marine Gill, a girl from Fresno, California, won the top award in the Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge (SIIC) for designing a fire detection system superior to existing ones.
Marine’s inspiration came from a fire that destroyed a restaurant in her neighbourhood during the spring of 2023. “I had never really experienced something like that before,” she told The Washington Post about the early morning fire, which started in the kitchen. “They had smoke detecting device(设备), and yet it still burned down.”
After she studied fire statistics, Marine spent over half a year developing a fire detection system that could have prevented the fire. Unlike traditional smoke detectors that sense active fires from the smoke in the air, Marine’s thermal(热的) imaging device is designed to stop fires from occurring.
With a thermal camera and a tiny computer, the device detects when a heat source has been left unattended for ten minutes and sends a text message warning. The hardest part was the programming. “I had two designs, and my first design completely failed. It was a really big challenge I had to go through,” she said. The final device outperforms traditional smoke detectors in speed and accuracy. Marine wants to bring the costs down to make it even more common than hardwired smoke detectors.
“The top winners have , exhibited boundless possibility,” Maya Franklin, president of Society for Science, said in the press release. “Their remarkable research not only reflects their talent but also puts a stepping stone to an exciting new future.”
1. What design won Marine Gill the top award in the SJIC?2. From where did Marine draw inspiration for the design?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
Unlike traditional smoke detectors, Marine’s thermal imaging device is designed to sense active fires from the smoke in the air.
4. What is the main quality that has made Marine a top winner? Why?(In about 40 words)
【推荐2】Your next car might drive itself. After years of trials on city streets, driverless vehicles are now nearing the production phase. Last month, a driverless bus began carrying passengers through Lyon, France. Most in the automobile industry think self-driving vehicles will be on the road by 2020 or before.
Driverless cars will at first be huddled with human-driven cars. But the first places where they will become dominant（占支配地位的）are dense urban areas-precisely the spots most damaged by the automobile age. Many advanced cities are already reducing the role of human-driven cars. Driverless cars will quicken that process and will bring us great benefits.
Driverless cars will reduce accidents by around 90 percent. That's big-the annual death toll on the world's roads is about 1.2 million a year. Pollution and carbon emissions will drop, because urban driverless cars will be electric. The old, otherwise they would stay at home most of the time and the disabled and teenagers will suddenly gain mobility.
On the other hand, driverless cars will bring catastrophe（灾难）.The best thing about the automobile age is that it employs tens of millions of people to make, market, insure and drive vehicles. Over the next 20 years, most men who now drive trucks, taxis and buses will see their jobs reduced. Carmakers are especially scared. A few cars in the future might be made by tech companies such as Apple, Baidu and Google. Imaging the impact on Germany, where the automotive sector is the largest industry.
Dramatic change is coming, and driverless cars could arrive by 2020. But governments have hardly begun thinking about it. Only 6 percent of the biggest US cities have factored them into their long-term planning.
A decade ago anyone hardly saw the smartphone coming. It has brought an epidemic of mass addiction. Let's hope we do a better job of handling the driverless car.
1. The underlined words "be huddled with "in Paragraph 2 can be replaced by "________".| A．show up with | B．exist together with |
| C．get rid of | D．take the place of |
| A．Driverless cars reduce the number of human-driven cars. |
| B．Driverless cars will be powered by electricity. |
| C．Driverless cars save fuel by driving themselves. |
| D．Driverless cars will reduce too many accidents. |
| A．They will not hit the road until 2020. |
| B．They will only be used in urban areas. |
| C．They will not cause any road accident. |
| D．They aren't still seriously taken by governments. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Negative. |
| C．Objective. | D．Worried. |
【推荐3】Pillows(枕头) are a universal part of our lives and there are more choices than there have ever been, each with its own claim of support and comfort. While the idea of pillows being a soft place to rest your head is not a new concept, it certainly wasn’t its original purpose.
The earliest pillows date back over 9,000 years to Mesopotamian, or modern-day Iraq. Formed from stone, the top was carved in a half-moon shape to support the neck. The idea obviously wasn’t comfort. The basic function of the pillow was to keep the head off the ground and prevent insects from crawling (爬) into mouths, noses and ears.
The Egyptians believed that the head was an important spiritual and life center for the body, so pillows were created to hold and protect it. Pillows were carved of wood and reserved mainly for wealthy people.
The Chinese on the other hand, created decorated pillows from many materials including wood, stone, bamboo and jade (玉). Though they had the knowledge and ability to create soft pillows, they believe that such pillows stole energy from the body while one slept and were ineffective at keeping the bad spirits away.
Ancient Greeks and Romans used pillows more similar to those we know today—cloth bags filled with materials such as feathers or straw. By the Middle Ages in Europe, however, pillows had fallen out of favor with many. Many men viewed pillows as a sign of weakness, and their use was primarily limited to people with health problems.
Pillows did not become nearly as universal as they are today until the Industrial Revolution. The improvements in technology made mass production of pillows possible, meaning everyone could sleep with a pillow at night.
For such a simple idea, it’s amazing to see that pillow is still changing—new materials and shapes arise constantly. The pillow has been an important piece of human culture throughout much of our history and continues to be today.
1. Why were the earliest pillows invented?| A．To make people comfortable. | B．To protect the head from insects. |
| C．To provide energy for the body. | D．To drive away bad spirits at night. |
| A．The rich. | B．The mass. | C．Patients. | D．Spirits. |
| A．many people nowadays view pillow as a sign of weakness |
| B．more and more Europeans began to favor pillows in the Middle Ages |
| C．the ancient Chinese believed decorated pillows could keep bad spirits away |
| D．ancient Greaks and Romans used pillows in a quite different way from today |
| A．Pillows throughout the ages | B．Technology changes pillows |
| C．Mass production of pillows | D．Ways of promoting sleep |
【推荐1】Speeding off in a stolen car, the thief thinks he has got a great catch. But he is in for an unwelcome surprise. The car is filled with a remote immobilizer and a radio signal from a control center miles away will ensure that once the thief switches the engine off, he will not be able to start it again.
The idea goes like this. A control box fitted to the car contains a mini-cellphone, a micro-processor and memory, and a GPS satellite positioning receiver. If the car is stolen, a coded cellphone signal will tell the control center to block the vehicle’s engine management system and prevent the engine being restarted.
In the UK, a set of technical fixes is already making life harder for car thieves. “The pattern of vehicle crime has changed,” says Martyn Randall, a security expert. He says it would only take him a few minutes to teach a person how to steal a car, using a minimum of tools, but only if the car is more than 10 years old.
Modern cars are far tougher to steal, as their engine management computer won’t allow them to start unless they receive a unique ID code beamed out by the ignition(点火) key. In the UK, technologies like this have helped achieve a 31% drop in vehicle-related crime since 1997.
But determined criminals are still managing to find other ways to steal cars, often by getting hold of the owner’s keys. And key theft is responsible for 40% of the thefts of vehicles fitted with a tracking system.
If the car travels 100 meters without the driver confirming their ID, the system will send a signal to an operation center that it has been stolen. The hundred meters minimum avoids false alarms due to inaccuracies in the GPS signal.
Staff at the center will then contact the owner to confirm that the car really is missing and keep police informed of the vehicle’s movements via the car’s GPS unit.
1. What’s the function of the remote immobilizer fitted to the car?| A．To help the police make a surprise attack on the car. |
| B．To order the car to lock automatically when stolen. |
| C．To prevent the car thief from restarting it once it stops. |
| D．To send a radio signal to inform the car owner of the thief. |
| A．it takes less time for the car thief to do the stealing |
| B．many self-prepared tools can be used for car theft |
| C．the theft becomes more difficult because of modern technology |
| D．the thief has lost interest in stealing cars over 10 years old |
| A．A micro-professor. | B．A unique ID code |
| C．A special cell phone | D．A GPS satellite positioning receiver. |
| A．To leave time for the operation center to give an alarm. |
| B．To keep police informed of the car’s movement. |
| C．To give the driver time to contact the operation center. |
| D．To allow for possible errors in the GPS system. |
| A．Start the tracking system. | B．Stop the engine. |
| C．Contact the owner. | D．Locate the missing car. |
【推荐2】From driving to landing on moon, more and more human tasks are being taken over by artificial intelligence(AI-人工智能). It will make everyday tasks easier and bring benefits to different industries.
And yet, like any other technology, AI will also bring risks and dangers. When people mention that AI could be dangerous, they think of the situation in films where an AI program decides to kill or enslave all humans. While this possibility is unlikely for now, there are many other dangers that AI could bring to mankind.
In February 2018, a group of AI experts got together to discuss the possible misuse of AI. What they found was that “Every AI advance by the good guys is an advance for the bad guys, too”. Their main worry was that criminals could use AI for many bad purposes, including using AI to create websites that could steal people’s personal information. Another possible risk was faster hacking(黑客)—AI programs could be taught to find weaknesses in software and break into computer systems. Some other risks were as dramatic as the ones we see in books and movies. For example, long-distant attacks could be made easier through the use of AI. And, finally, there were some worries on imitating voices as well. It is possible that AI could be used to make false photos and videos. In china, tech giant Baidu has developed a program called Deep Voice that can “clone” anyone’s voice by studying a 3.7-second audio sample (声音样本).
Many people in the tech world have expressed worry about AI. People like US businessmen Bill Gates and Elon Musk have called for the industry to be more strictly controlled, as there are few laws currently governing the use of AI. Famous British Physicist Stephen Hawking even thought AI could finally cause the end of mankind. “Once humans develop artificial intelligence, it will take off and redesign itself at an alarming rate. Humans…couldn’t compete and would be replaced.”
1. What cannot possibly be done by AI right now?| A．Driving cars. | B．Landing on moon. |
| C．Playing games. | D．Ruling all humans. |
| A．Every coin has two sides. | B．Prevention is better than cure. |
| C．Risk nothing, gain nothing. | D．One’s meat is another’s poison. |
| A．One. | B．Two. |
| C．Three. | D．Four. |
| A．To show Hawking’s perfect prediction. |
| B．To strengthen the high position of Hawking. |
| C．To help readers understand the serious situation. |
| D．To introduce the famous scientist--Stephen Hawking. |
| A．Risks and dangers of AI. | B．Guidance of AI usage. |
| C．Advantages and disadvantages of AI. | D．Development of AI industry. |
【推荐3】Natural Language Processing (NLP) is a computer science based on artificial intelligence aiming at obtaining meaning from human language. NLP enables computers to communicate with human users and understand their unspoken intention. NLP-powered programs are now making their entry into other practical applications. The range of NLP applications is getting wider, and the technology is being used for a variety of purposes.
Aircraft generate large amounts of data that humans alone or traditional computers can’t handle. NLP technology is being tried for aircraft maintenance. Computers with NLP abilities can draw needed information from thick aircraft manuals written in plain human language. They also can understand the meaning of written or spoken descriptions of problems reported by the pilot or the mechanic. By being able to search and process relevant information, machines can help with predictive aircraft maintenance and smart trouble removal.
Social media monitoring is another area where NLP models are used for the sentiment analysis of users based on textual data. Sometimes called “opinion mining”, sentiment analysis is concerned with identifying users’ opinions about a company or a product. Sentiment analysis tools are mainly used for business-related purposes. Users’ opinions mined in real-time help influence business decisions which are aimed at increasing brand image. Through such an automated NLP-based process, brands can judge the receptiveness of its audience to is offerings and make data-driven decisions.
There’s another more significant application of NLP-based sentiment analysis. NLP can also come in handy in criminology, more exactly predictive policing. Using NLP for detective predictive police work is about getting the motivation of crimes from textual data. Emotionally-charged texts of potentially malicious individuals can reveal their intention and help prevent their threat before they act on their sentiments.
Besides the most common NLP applications we rely on every day, other uses like the three above also benefit the large public. These applications are all suitable for the society at large.
1. What is the second paragraph mainly about?| A．NLP for information analysis. | B．NLP for aircraft operation. |
| C．NLP for aircraft repair. | D．NLP for trouble removal. |
| A．Introduction — Explanation — Argument. | B．Definition — Examples —Conclusion. |
| C．Opinion—Discussion — Description. | D．Topic— Comparison — Conclusion. |
| A．Easy-going. | B．Simple-minded. | C．Ill-intentioned. | D．Well-behaved. |
| A．It can communicate with humans emotionally. | B．It can help make business decisions. |
| C．It can change product users’ opinions. | D．It can monitor criminals’ behaviors. |
【推荐1】My 15-year-old boy is a high achiever. He is very bright, pursuing everything he does with devotion and determination. And he is a great kid; honest, kind, faithful and caring.
Like a lot of kids who are high achievers, he is a perfectionist and very easy to fall into anxiety. That is manifested in his study, and other things he does as well. For example, he loves tennis but he is often worried about losing in the game. Now he has to stop competing because the pressure he puts on himself is becoming unhealthy. He still plays, but playing socially rather than competitively means that it’s an outlet for him rather than a source of stress.
He does not manage stress well. He puts so much pressure on himself to the point of worrying himself sick over just about every assessment. And he gets so negative about it, everything I say to him is met with negativity, every suggestion with a response that it won’t work, and honestly it’s depressing and tiring.
To help my son, I had a patient conversation with him, and he finally followed my advice about physical exercise to ease stress. Whenever he was under a lot of pressure, I would run with him for half an bour and do some push-ups to relax the pressure. Gradually, he became less nervous in the later exams and his scores became more and more stable.
Pressure from grades and perfectionism can be really hard to manage when it comes to schooling. As kids, what they need is effective communication and sincere encouragement. So I have always told and shown my son that we’re proud of him, and that pride doesn’t merely depend on top grades.
1. Which of the following best explains “manifested” underlined in paragraph 2?| A．Exchanged. | B．Explored. | C．Achieved. | D．Reflected. |
| A．He is a high achiever. | B．He’s easy to fall sick. |
| C．He hopes to release stress. | D．He wants to win the game. |
| A．His son fails to handle stress properly. | B．His son becomes tired of stress. |
| C．His son is good at some sports. | D．His son is doing well at school. |
| A．Taking up a new hobby. | B．Hanging out with some friends. |
| C．Doing some exercise with him. | D．Talking to friends as much as possible. |
【推荐2】One million species face extinction, more than ever before in human history, according to a UN report released in May. And humans should be responsible.
The Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) based the assessment (评估) on some 15,000 sources considering the causes and results of environmental changes over the past 50 years.
The findings are clear and alarming. The researchers have found that about 25 percent of the world’s plants and animals are at risk of extinction. These include sea and land animals. Even the domesticated (驯养的) animals are at risk: Over 9 percent of the domesticated animal species used for food and agriculture might have been lost.
There are some big problems. This rapid decrease of the natural world endangers global food safety and quality of life. For example, about 4 billion people rely on natural medicines, produced by the disappearing species, for their health care. And losses of species that pollinate (授粉) plants threaten up to $ 577 billion in crops each year.
The researchers identified five drivers responsible for the unpleasant news. They think at the top of the list is the change of land and sea use. The change in ecosystems towards agriculture, aquaculture and other human developments has led to changes in the natural living space of species. It is followed by the direct overuse of creatures (harvesting crops, cutting down the trees, hunting and fishing) and climate change, including rising sea levels and increasing extreme-weather events, wildfires, floods and droughts. The final causes of species extinction are pollution, especially plastics, and the spread of non-native species that can displace or kill native plants and animals.
The researchers say it is time for humans to make a change. They think maybe a new global way to save food and refuse waste in our everyday life could turn the tables. Whether that is possible is an open question.
1. What is the main purpose of the first paragraph?| A．To introduce the topic of the text. |
| B．To introduce the schedule of the report. |
| C．To introduce humans’ sense of responsibility. |
| D．To introduce the history of human development. |
| A．The reliability of the findings. |
| B．The species of animals worldwide. |
| C．The seriousness of species’ reduction. |
| D．The risky experiences of the researchers. |
| A．Climate change. |
| B．Natural disasters. |
| C．Changes of their living space. |
| D．The direct overuse of creatures. |
| A．Ignoring the food problem. |
| B．Spreading non-native species. |
| C．Limiting native plants and animals. |
| D．Changing some habits in our daily life. |
【推荐3】Bird migration is described as the regular, seasonal movement of bird populations from one place to another and back again.
The longer days and rich food of the northern summer provide greater chances for birds to feed their young. The longer daylight hours and enormous food resources allow birds to lay larger eggs than those of related non-migratory species that remain in the tropics all year round. As the days shorten in autumn and the breeding period is over, the birds return to warmer regions where the available food supply differs little with the seasons changing. The advantages of migration make up for the high stress, physical exertion（消耗）, and other risks of the migration.
Day length is the primary environmental factor that encourages birds to prepare for migration. They have an increased appetite which results in weight gaining, giving them the fat reserves that provide energy for their migratory flight. They also show more activity at night, which is when most birds migrate. While the length of day is the primary reason for migration, birds also respond to temperature changes. For example, if a spring is late and the temperature is lower than normal, birds delay migration; if a spring is early, birds also begin migration early.
The timing of the migratory cycle must allow birds to arrive on the breeding site so that there is time to build a breeding place, mate, lay the eggs, and hatch the young before the rich food is available to feed the young in the nest. Similarly, if birds wait until the climate in their northern breeding grounds becomes tolerable(可忍受的), there will be no time to gain the necessary weight that provides the energy needed for their southbound migration.
1. Why do birds migrate to the north in spring?| A．The temperature in the south has risen. |
| B．They like traveling and enjoy the journey. |
| C．The summer there is warmer than that in the south. |
| D．The environment there is more suitable for them to feed their baby birds. |
| A．Day length and food supply. |
| B．Night length and high stress. |
| C．Temperature changes and day length. |
| D．Food supply and temperature changes. |
| A．Birds' Life |
| B．Birds' Migration |
| C．Birds' Breeding Habits |
| D．Birds' Living Environment |
