It is currently the harvest season for Christian Nachtwey, who operates an apple farm, or orchard, in the western German town of Gelsdorf.
A reporter from The Associated Press (AP) recently visited Nachtwey as workers loaded up red Elstarapples ready to be shipped to stores. In addition to apples, Nachtwey’s farm also produces a second harvest: electricity. Many of the farm’s trees grow beneath solar panels that have been producing power during this year’s unusually sunny summer. In addition to providing electricity, the panels protect the fruit below with shade.
Nachtwey said the idea behind the farm is simple. The design protects the trees from getting too much sun without reducing the available growing area. “On top of that, there’s the solar electricity being generated on the same land,” Nachtwey said. Putting solar equipment on the same land as crops is becoming increasingly popular in Europe and North America. Farmers are finding that this model can make the most of their land, while establishing a second way to earn money.
But getting the right mix of crops and solar panels is difficult. Most fruit requires specific growing conditions. Even small changes in the environment can harm crops and cause financial losses. Even if the fruit survives, it might turn the wrong color or be less sweet and may be difficult to sell. For this reason, Nachtwey is working with researchers to test which kinds of apples do well under a solar cover. He is also investigating which kinds of solar panels work best in the orchard. For testing purposes, Nachtwey covered some of his trees with a traditional netting material. It is normally used to protect sensitive crops from damaging weather events.
Juergen Zimmer is an expert in the area’s agricultural services department. He told the AP that apples grown under the solar covers were a little less sweet this year than those under the nets.
Researchers hope the tests will show that fruit crops perform well under solar panels.
1. What’s the main purpose of the design of the farm?| A．To generate electricity. | B．To protect the environment. |
| C．To make the most of the land. | D．To protect the fruit trees. |
| A．Because of fruit’s specific growing conditions. | B．Because of financial problems. |
| C．Because of the lack of traditional material. | D．Because of the weather changes. |
| A．He is an expert in The Associated Press. |
| B．He figures apples grown under the nets are sweeter. |
| C．He is working with Christian Nachtwey. |
| D．He is testing which kinds of apples do well under a solar cover. |
| A．Nachtwey’s farm produces a good harvest. |
| B．A German farmer plans to provide electricity to homes in the surrounding area. |
| C．Nachtwey is growing apples beneath solar power equipment that produces electricity. |
| D．Nachtwey uses the solar electricity produced on the farm to power his own machines. |
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【推荐1】The Notre Dame (巴黎圣母院) fire has been put out, but its wooden roof has been largely damaged. The terrible accident causes a sudden sharp pain to people around the world, “What a pity that we cannot see the damaged parts of the wonder anymore.”
But the good news is that there is at least one way of seeing them, namely through a video game called Assassin’s Creed: Unity. In this game, the player can travel to one city after another and enter the buildings exactly like what they are in reality, and see Notre Dame as it was before the fire. In addition, with VR technology, one can even look around the undamaged Notre Dame as if it is still there. Maybe digital technology could help to better protect architectural cultural heritage.
The idea of digitalizing ancient buildings, making digital models of them so their data can be saved, dates back to the 1990s and the necessary technology has continued to advance since then. By scanning the ancient buildings with lasers (激光器), building 3D models with hundreds of images, as well as measuring everything precisely (精准地), engineers can make a copy as “same” as the real one.
As computers and smartphones are hugely popular, the digital replica (复制品) or digital copy has great practical value. It allows tourists to feel the cultural relics without touching them, which helps protect them. The virtual (虚拟的) tour of Dunhuang Grottoes in Gansu Province is a good example of this as tourists can view the paintings without standing near them. What’s more, it keeps all the information of the cultural relics. Even if the original ones are damaged one day, people can still know what they were like and can build a replica if they want.
Time is the biggest problem to architectural heritage. Maybe we will have better technologies in the future, but the digital technology offers a practical way to keep architectural cultural heritage at the moment.
1. What can we see about Notre Dame in the video game?| A．The big fire. | B．Its undamaged look. |
| C．The damaged parts. | D．Its wooden shape. |
| A．Design a video game. |
| B．Build 3D models of full size. |
| C．Scan the photos of the buildings. |
| D．Measure all the parts precisely. |
| A．It attracts more tourists. |
| B．It allows tourists to touch the relics. |
| C．It gathers data of the relics. |
| D．It advertises the history of the relics. |
| A．The Damage of Notre Dame |
| B．The Value of Digital Replica |
| C．VR Technology Helps Repair the Cultural Relics |
| D．Digital Technology Helps Keep Architectural Heritage |
【推荐2】Paying $ 25,000 to get your pet cloned might sound attractive, if you have the money and can’t imagine life without your pet.
There are two companies now that can clone your pet: ViaGen and Sooam Biotech. Lab techs there will clone your pet using a process called somatic cell nuclear transfer (体细胞核移植), the same method used to clone Dolly the sheep in 1996. This involves removing the nucleus from a female’s developing egg cell and replacing it with the nucleus from a cell from the animal you want to clone. The new cell is then stimulated (刺激) with an electric shock to make it divide and then implanted into a host organism (有机体).
The decision to clone your pet has to take place while they’re still alive. You need to sign up with the company and take your pet to the vet so they can harvest some cells. Then, for between $ 1-2000, the company will store the cells. Even if you decide to stop, there’s no refund for the storage. If you decide to have your pet cloned, you’ll pay a much larger deposit to perform the cell transfer and implant the cells into a host animal.
What’s most important to consumers is the product. Your clone is a twin of your former pet, but it won’t necessarily look or act like the original. They may have different colors and you don’t get your money back. Even the companies admitted in New York Times “You can clone the look of a dog, but you can’t clone the soul.”
1. Why did the author mention Dolly the sheep?| A．To ensure the safety of cloning. |
| B．To show that it is easy to clone sheep. |
| C．To prove the technology has a long history. |
| D．To tell readers the method used to clone their pets. |
| A．Your pet can be brought back to life. |
| B．The charge of pet cloning is $ 1-2000. |
| C．Your new pet will have a parent when cloned. |
| D．The company will refund you if you give up halfway. |
| A．Cloning is a moral issue. |
| B．The future of cloning is unclear. |
| C．The technology of cloning is not perfect. |
| D．Yon won’t get the exact copy of the former one. |
| A．A travel guide. | B．A newspaper. |
| C．A science fiction. | D．A textbook. |
【推荐3】Today just as technology changed the face of industry, farms have undergone an “agricultural revolution”. On the farm of today, machines provide almost all the power.
One of the most important benefits will be the farm computer. A few forward-looking farmers are already using computers to help them run their farms more efficiently. The computers help them keep more accurate records so they can make better decisions on what crops to plant, how much livestock to buy, when to sell their products, and how much profit they can expect. Because of the growing importance of computers on the farm, students at agricultural colleges are required to take computer classes in addition to their normal agricultural courses. There can be no doubt that farmers will rely on computers even more in the future. While the old-time farm depended on horse power, and modern farms depend on machine power, farms of the future will depend on computer power.
Another technological advance which is still in the experimental stage is the robot, a real “mechanized hired hand” that will be able to move and, in some ways, think like a human being. Agricultural engineers believe that computer-aided robots will make startling changes in farming before the end of the century. Unlike farmers of the present, farmers of the future will find that many day-to-day tasks will be done for them. The complete mobilization of the farm is far in the future, but engineers expect that some robots will be used before long.
1. Which sentence carried the main idea of the whole passage?| A．The first sentence of the first paragraph. |
| B．The first sentence of the second paragraph. |
| C．The first sentence of the third paragraph. |
| D．The last sentence of the second paragraph. |
| A．Farmers in the future will depend totally on computers. |
| B．Both computers and robots have been in use on today’s farms. |
| C．Farmers mainly use machines on their farms at present. |
| D．Students at agricultural colleges must take computer classes because they can do nothing without the help of computers on today’s farms. |
| A．all farm work | B．little work |
| C．some work | D．most work |
| A．Computer, Farmers’ Best Friend | B．Farmers in The Future |
| C．Computers and Robots | D．The Agricultural Revolution |
【推荐1】Reducing plastic waste isn't easy because the cheap material is found in almost every household item. Now, a delicious and nutritious solution has come up to help reduce our dependence on this environmental hazard.
David Christian, the co-founder of Evoware, says the idea of creating the biodegradable (生物降解的) products came from concern at the country’s high pollution rate. Indonesia is home to four of the world's worst polluted rivers. Since single-use packaging is a large contributor to the problem, Evoware decided to deal with that first.
After investigating various materials, the company settled on seaweed. Unlike corn, commonly used for biodegradable containers, seaweed does not require resources like water or large amounts of space. Since Indonesian farmers already harvest more seaweed than they can sell, it's easy for the company to find the material.
Though they will not reveal their production process, Evoware says the seaweed packaging contains no chemicals and is safe to consume. The company has also invented single-use cups, which can break down 30 days after they're thrown away.
While replacing plastic with the seaweed products may seem appealing to most of us, it is a hard-sell in Indonesia. According to Christian, ''The awareness to reduce single-use plastic is still very low. This makes our bioplastic unnecessary.” Also a factor is the cost, which is higher than using plastic. Hopefully, Evoware will succeed in convincing Indonesians and people worldwide that switching to their products will be helpful to protecting our beautiful planet.
1. What problem did Evoware decide to deal with first?| A．Ways to clean the four worst polluted rivers. |
| B．What nutritious materials for people to use. |
| C．How to deal with single-use packaging. |
| D．Means to contribute to the country's economy. |
| A．It didn't require much space and was easy to get. |
| B．It could be found everywhere in his country. |
| C．It was most commonly used for packaging. |
| D．It grew thickly in most of the polluted rivers. |
| A．Their seaweed products have won government support. |
| B．Sometimes it's hard to get people to reduce the use of plastics. |
| C．Their new products have received worldwide popularity. |
| D．The cost of making seaweed products will be lowered soon. |
| A．Something lasting long. | B．Something hard to accept. |
| C．Something easy to get. | D．Something commonly seen. |
【推荐2】Demanding days seem designed to test our self-control. We all need to rely on willpower to avoid short-term temptations and override unwanted thoughts or impulses (冲动). The prevailing psychological theory proposed that willpower resembled a kind of battery. With each exercise of self-control, you exhausted this resource. Without a chance to recharge, that resource ran low, making it harder to maintain self-control. This process was known as “ego depletion”.
In 2010, however, psychologist Veronika Job published a study that questioned the foundations of “ego depletion” theory, with some interesting evidence that ego depletion depended on people’s underlying beliefs. In the study, Job divided participants into two categories: those with a “limited” view of willpower and those with a “non-limited” view of willpower, based on a prior questionnaire. She then gave the participants some standard laboratory tests examining mental focus, which was considered to depend on the reserves of willpower. The study found that people with a limited mindset tended to perform exactly as ego depletion theory would predict but the non-limited individuals did not, which indicated that people’s beliefs about willpower could be self-fulfilling prophecies (预言). Those who believed willpower was easily depleted saw their self-control decrease, while those who believed in “mental stamina (耐力)” experienced no ego depletion.
Subsequent debates about the reliability of the laboratory tests of ego depletion emerged, but Job’s work demonstrated that mindset significantly impacted real-life outcomes. Her follow-up study revealed that after completing demanding tasks, most participants recovered to some degree overnight, but those with non-limited mindsets actually experienced an increase in their productivity the following day, as if energized by the extra pressure.
If you already have a non-limited mindset about willpower, these findings might be a cause for self-satisfaction. For those with limited mindsets, hope is not lost. Learning about this science can help shift beliefs. Sharing this knowledge with others can further consolidate this shift. Moreover, recollecting times of engaging in taxing yet enjoyable tasks naturally shifts people’s beliefs toward non-limited mindsets, as they see proof of their own men tal stamina. To provide yourself with further evidence, you can conduct small self-control tests. As you realize your willpower’s growth, you’ll find resisting temptations and distractions easier.
While immediate miracles aren’t guaranteed, perseverance will lead to a changed mindset and increased self-control, propelling actions toward personal goals.
1. “Ego depletion” theory shows that willpower ________.| A．helps control our impulses | B．reduces after exercising self-control |
| C．is a test of your character | D．is like a chargeable battery |
| A．Extra pressure boosts mental focus. |
| B．Demanding tasks reduce mental focus. |
| C．Reserves of willpower depend on mental focus. |
| D．The change of mental focus relies on one’s mindset. |
| A．Picturing your ideal university. |
| B．Doing homework in front of a TV. |
| C．Sharing science knowledge with friends. |
| D．Recalling mastering a challenging piano piece. |
【推荐3】Some recent surveys show that the health conditions of many white collar employees and office workers are rather critical. Death cases among white collar employees and office workers are increasing year by year and these cases are generally believed to have been caused by overwork and spend little time taking rest or doing exercise.
If their offices are within the distance of half an hour’s walk, some office workers now choose to go to work on foot. Ms. Deng, who works in a foreign enterprise in Beijing, has been walking to her office for more than six months now. “I usually have a tight work schedule and can’t find time to do exercise. So I choose to walk to work.” As she said, if the office is not far from home, most women would like to go to work on foot. Walking is good for their health and can help them to keep good figures as well.
Apart from walking to office, one can also find time to do exercise when one is at work. The simplest way is to abandon the lift. Mr. Wei, who works in the Passenger Service Department at Shenzhen Airlines, is one of such men who frequently climb stairs to his office. “I only use the lift whenever I’m with my colleagues or my boss. Otherwise, I would climb stairs instead of taking the lift.”
In addition, some office workers try to find time to go to a gym at the end of a day. Ms. Sang works in a law firm in Shenzhen. She goes to the gym several times a week when she has the time. “I go to the gym every weekend. During the weekdays, I will also go there whenever I have the time.” Ms. Sang and her husband both have a gym membership card for a whole year. The cards cost them 3,000 yuan. However they think it’s worth it.
1. Why are death cases among white collar employees and office workers increasing year by year?| A．Because they overwork for a long time. |
| B．Because they are too busy to have time for a rest. |
| C．Because they hardly have time to do exercise after work. |
| D．All of the above. |
| A．3 | B．4 | C．5 | D．6 |
| A．Then, what shall office workers do next to prevent death cases? |
| B．What will happen to office workers? |
| C．In order to keep themselves healthy, some office workers now take measures as follows: |
| D．Working on foot is the best way for office workers. |
| A．Health Is Very Important | B．Office Workers Try to Keep Healthy |
C．How to Keep Healthy  | D．Office Workers’ Trouble |
