As we continue to explore farther out into our solar system and beyond, the question of humans living on other planets often comes up. Manned bases on the Moon or Mars for example, have long been a dream of many. There is a natural desire to explore as far as we can go, and also to extend humanity’s presence on a permanent (永久的) or at least semi-permanent basis. In order to do this, however, it is necessary to adapt to different extreme environments. On the Moon for example, a colony must be self-sustaining (自立的) and protect its inhabitants from the airless, harsh environment outside.
Mars, though, is different. While future bases could adapt to the Martian environment over time there is also the possibility of modifying (改变) the surrounding environment instead of just co-existing with it. This is the process of terraforming (地球化)—adjusting Mars’ atmosphere and environment to make it more Earth-like. But the bigger question is, should we?
One of the main issues is whether Mars has any native life or not and if it does, should it be preserved (保护) as much as possible? If the answer is yes, then large-scale human settlements on Mars should be completely off-limits. Small colonies might be fine, but living on Mars should not be at the expense of any native habitats, if they exist. If Mars is home to any indigenous life, then terraforming should be a non-issue; it simply should not be done.
What if Mars is lifeless? Even if no life exists there, that untouched and unique alien environment needs to be preserved as it is as much as possible. We’ve already done too much damage here on our own planet. By studying Mars and other planets and moons in their current natural state, we can learn so much about their history and also learn more about our own world. We should appreciate the differences of other worlds instead of just transforming them to suit our own ambitions.
1. What is the best title for the text?| A．Are Mars and Earth So Different | B．Should We Terraform Mars |
| C．Can We Adapt to Mars | D．Is There Life on Mars |
| A．Ensure that it’s not harmed. |
| B．Discuss with the Martians. |
| C．Change the unpopulated regions. |
| D．Reconsider the advantages and disadvantages. |
| A．Complex. | B．Simple | C．Foreign. | D．Native. |
| A．By referring to others’ research. |
| B．By showing the benefits of terraforming. |
| C．By arguing in support of one viewpoint. |
| D．By examining the conditions of different planets. |
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【推荐1】For years, I was in the rat race, my sense of wonder lost. Gardening was my antidote (解毒药). It gave me time to stop, listen and absorb all the little details that nature has to offer—nurturing the earth, plants and myself to fight against the aggression and tiredness of everyday working life.
I quit my job and had a vision for my company. I wanted others to find the comfort that my garden gave me. Now, I watch my clients experience their own transformations. A corner that was once an unwelcoming place of weeds is a child's play area; a lonely person has an inspiring, evolving view.
Gardening requires us to be present in the moment, while also imagining the future. You may see a beautiful flower and surprise for a minute at the magic of nature. Some flowers last for a day, others for a season. Some come back year after year. Seasons pass and you become connected to the changes in life in a deeper, more spiritual way. This builds acceptance.
Where there once may have been beauty, there might now be an empty space and a deep sense of sadness... But gardening brings hope—we can create something beautiful again and that space will no longer be bare.
Hope is one of many emotions stirred by gardening. Whether you're growing vegetables to eat, planting tiny seeds or tending flowers, there is always a great sense of satisfaction at the end of a session. How you choose to garden is deeply personal to you—it's about creating something fruitful, alone or with others .
The key is to have a vision, ideas and bright hopes for the future.
1. What does the author benefit from gardening?| A．It helps to develop a take-it-as-it-is attitude. |
| B．It relieves anxiety about losing the job. |
| C．It releases her loneliness and depression . |
| D．It teaches her a lot of sowing knowledge. |
| A．It’s beautiful. | B．It's rewarding | C．It’s depressing | D．It’s cooperative. |
| A．Gardening for Fun |
| B．A Sense of Wonder |
| C．Sowing Seeds of Hope |
| D．A Vision for the Future |
【推荐2】My12-year-old daughter loves to stretch out spoken and written words by adding extra letters. When I read about a new study that analyzed the use of stretchable words (拉长词) in over 100 billion tweets between 2008 and 2016, I texted my daughter a link with the message, “I thought of youuuu when I read this study about streeetccchabblee words.” She replied, “Haaahahaha Youuuu knowww me soooooo wellll!!!”
Stretchability is a powerful linguistic(语言学的) device that makes a written word visually forceful. That goes for the"gooooooaaaaaaal"of a soccer announcer, a teenager’s “finallyyyyy”, and a surfer ’s"aweeeeeesome" And “booooy” is popular on Twitter. Writing in the journal PLOS ONE, the researchers detail how they combed through 100 billion tweets, mapping how often these words are stretched, and how far they are elongated (拉长)ー“haha” versus “hahahahaaaa”, for example. Stretchable words are playful and fun. But, as a parent, I sometimes worry that constantly using misspelled stretched words could make it hard for kids like my daughter who is now in seventh grade to write in a more formal style when it becomes necessary in high school, college, and beyond.
The latest research on stretched words by Tyler Gray and colleagues at the University of Vermont is the most comprehensive study to date that uses big data to analyze how people use stretched words on a social media platform. Notably, the title of Gray 's paper, "Hahahahaha, Duuuuude, Yeeessss! " includes three different examples of stretchable words. All kidding aside, this research provides valuable insights into new linguistic patterns surrounding the dynamics of purposely mistyping and misspelling some words
I have mixed feelings about the increased use of stretched words. On the one hand, I love the occasional use of a stretchable word in a text message; stretched words make written and spoken language more emotive without the use of an emoji or emoticon. It will be interesting to see if stretched words in casual correspondence just indicate a short-lived fashion, or if they are here to stay and need to be added to dictionaries. However, stretching out too many words in a text can be annoying and reduces their effect.
1. Why did the author send her daughter the message “I thought of youuuu...”?| A．To do it playfully. | B．To remind her of the new trend. |
| C．To show her the power of linguistics. | D．To inspire her to analyze stretchable words |
| A．It may misdirect kids. |
| B．It may make kids less playful. |
| C．It may kill kids’ interest in writing. |
| D．It may lead kids to misspell words constantly. |
| A．Why people often mistype words on purpose. |
| B．How stretched words become a new linguistic pattern. |
| C．Exploring the use of stretchable words in social media. |
| D．Listing examples of stretchable words in network language. |
| A．Attach importance to the meaning behind them. |
| B．Stop using too many emojis at the same time. |
| C．Use them in casual situations . |
| D．Avoid abusing them. |
【推荐3】Once China’s strict lockdown was lifted, we saw a sharp rise in divorce enquiries. And this behaviour was mirrored around the world. In the US, the UK and throughout Europe, divorce rates have risen violently during the pandemic. Latvia, Lithuania and Belgium lead the way for the highest divorce rates in Europe. And in the USA, between 40-50% of marriages will end in divorce. The country with the lowest divorce rate in the world is India, followed by Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Turkey.
Why they have the lowest divorce rates, and what are they doing differently? In many cases, access to divorce is a driving force behind a country’s divorce rates. A country like Chile only legalized divorce in 2004, so the concept is still quite new and the local uptake is likely to be much slower.
Another key factor in determining divorce rates of a country is the value placed on family life. In countries like Colombia, it’s far more common for multiple generations from the same family to live together. This emphasis on family values places marriage at the heart of everything, so entering into a marriage is a more considered event.
Countries such as India with a strong religious following are more likely to have low divorce rates. This is because marriage is more sacred (神圣的) when viewed from a religious perspective. Couples will be more likely to seek settlements or simply stay together regardless when they hit bumps in the road.
There are a number of factors at play here, so it’s difficult to place a finger on one single factor that ensures couples enjoy a long and happy life together. And low divorce rates don’t always mean that couples are happy, it can just mean that the importance of marriage outweighs individual happiness. Seeking a divorce doesn’t have to be viewed as a failure; it can help you to get your life back on track and help you work towards a brighter and happier future.
1. Which of the following countries has the highest divorce rates?| A．Colombia | B．India |
| C．USA | D．Mexico |
| A．Because people there enjoy a happier and longer life. |
| B．Because divorce hasn’t been legal until 2004 in Chile. |
| C．Because people there consider marriage the centre of everything. |
| D．Because people there think seeking a divorce is evil and blamable. |
| A．Divorce without hesitation | B．separate in a peaceful way |
| C．stay together regardless of conflicts | D．beg for forgiveness of their god |
| A．negative | B．supportive |
| C．critical | D．objective |
【推荐1】Australia, France or…Mars? When considering a place to emigrate to, Mars might not be the best choice in your list, but according to an online survey, more than one in ten of British would accept a one-way ticket there. Yes, you read that correctly — because the Mars One mission is looking to emigrate to Mars, the first voyagers will not be able to return back to Earth. The organizers suggest applicants think over their applications, because the agreement didn’t come with a return ticket. But still thousands of people agreed to it.
The Mars One aims to construct a human settlement on Mars. Thankfully, applications for the program are entirely voluntary and potential astronauts can back out at any time during the strict selection process.
In order to apply, the candidate must be over 18, have A2 English level and be adaptable and curious. The following selection process consists of four rounds.
The first round is an online application including general information and a one-minute video in which the applicant answers some given questions and explains why he or she should be among the first humans to set foot on Mars. At the end of the first round, a team of Mars One experts will decide which applicants will pass to the next round.
The remaining applicants must then provide a medical statement from their doctor stating that they have met all the requirements. Successful candidates will then be briefly interviewed by Mars One’s chief medical officer Norbert Kraft.
One-hundred healthy, smart candidates are then in the third round which will test their team work ability and communication skills through a series of group challenges.
The final part of the testing process is the ability to stay alone. Even the best astronauts in history can hardly enjoy the silent space. Following this challenge, the forty remaining candidates will be reduced to thirty who will then undergo the Mars Settler Suitability Interview. Following on from the first selection series, international crews of up to six groups of four will become full time employees of Mars One.
1. What is the organizers’ attitude towards the online survey result?| A．Understandable. | B．Satisfied. |
| C．Unexpected. | D．Doubtful. |
| A．Stop carrying out the agreement. |
| B．Move out of space backwards. |
| C．Drive aircrafts backwards and leave. |
| D．Fail to pay attention to the advertisement. |
| A．Test the candidates’ English level. |
| B．Check the basic information of participants. |
| C．Interview the candidates and collect the forms. |
| D．Determine whether candidates are eager to learn. |
| A．Their skills to communicate with others. |
| B．Their excellent physical health at present. |
| C．Their abilities to cooperate with the team. |
| D．Their long-time adaptability to being alone. |
| A．100 | B．40 | C．30 | D．24 |
【推荐2】Fans of Star Wars might remember Luke Skywalker’s home planet. Called Tatooine, the planet orbits two stars. A new study suggests similar planets might be the best focus in the search for places that can host life outside our solar system.
Many suns come in pairs called binary stars. Lots of these should have planets orbiting them. That means there could be more planets orbiting around binary stars than around lone stars like our sun. But until now, no one had a clear idea about whether those planets could host life. New computer models suggest that in many cases planets like Tatooine could be fit for life.
The researchers ran computer models of binary stars arranged in thousands of ways. Each had an Earthlike planet orbiting the two stars. The team modeled different sizes and shapes of the stars’ orbit around each other. They then tracked the movement of the planets for up to a billion years of simulated (模拟) time. That showed whether the planets would stay in orbit over timescales that might develop conditions to start life. They also checked to see if the planets stayed in a habitable zone. That’s the region around a star where an orbiting planet’s temperatures are never extremely hot or cold, and water could stay liquid (液态).
“An atmosphere and oceans could make a great difference,” says Mariah MacDonald, who took part in the new modeling work. Plentiful air and water could change the picture. Adding atmospheres to the modeled planets should increase the number of stars that could host life. She hopes to build more advanced models in coming months.
“Models of planets orbiting binary stars could guide future efforts to look for them with telescopes,” says Jason Wright, who studies the physics of stars at Pennsylvania State University. “This is an under-explored population of planets. There’s no reason why we can’t go after them,” he says. “And it might be worthwhile to try.”
1. Why does the author mention Tatooine in Star Wars?| A．To attract movie lovers. | B．To introduce the topic. |
| C．To remember an old friend. | D．To present a newfound planet. |
| A．Its preparation. | B．Its application. | C．Its process. | D．Its finding. |
| A．Improve the study. | B．Lead a peaceful life. |
| C．Start another project. | D．Travel into outer space. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Positive. | C．Concerned. | D．Uncaring. |
【推荐3】Should humans explore space? If you ask me, I’ll definitely give a positive answer.
The exploration of space has a direct impact on the lives of humans, as well as the state of our world. Satellites (卫星) moving around the earth enable communication across the world, connecting people of different continents and broadcasting information worldwide. The Global Positioning System (GPS) can identify our location anywhere. Furthermore, weather satellites can predict harmful weather conditions which allows humans to prepare for deadly natural disasters and save lives.
Space programs can also indirectly contribute to the solution to poverty and world hunger. For example, large pieces of land could be used far better if humans applied technologies. The most effective tool is the artificial (人造的) earth satellite. It can screen areas of land within a very short time, indicating useful measures such as the condition of crops, soil rainfall, and droughts. It can then send this information to ground stations on the earth for better use.
Furthermore, access to better education means better life prospects and opportunities for human beings. Rural (乡村的) communities have disadvantaged access to education and satellite communication technologies are trying to bridge this gap. With the development of technology, students can now access any information and connect with peers and teachers in different parts of the world through video conferences and the creation of virtual classrooms.
Space exploration is something we can do for future generations. Mankind is using the resources provided on the planet, but these will run out one day. Overpopulation can be a threat for all mankind. With the development of space technology, it will be wise to use and explore the vast potential of other planets, such as the availability of mining resources on asteroids (小行星) or other planets.
For the exploration of the universe, perhaps the most advantageous of all is that it will unite us to work together for a common purpose, regardless of our differences.
1. What can space exploration do according to Paragraph 2?| A．Improve the traffic on the earth. |
| B．Promote travel between countries. |
| C．Help prevent deadly natural disasters. |
| D．Help humans communicate and exchange information. |
| A．By benefiting crop production with artificial earth satellites. |
| B．By transporting food worldwide more easily. |
| C．By creating job opportunities for the poor. |
| D．By protecting available land resources. |
| A．Time-wasting. | B．Arguable. | C．Necessary. | D．Educational. |
| A．Why Space Exploration Is Important? |
| B．Why Humankind Should Keep Exploring? |
| C．Why We Should Improve Space Technology? |
| D．Why Humans Should Keep Developing Technologies? |
