China’s birthrate has dropped to its lowest level since 1978. Data released by the country’s national bureau of statistics shows there were 8.5 births per 1,000 people in 2020, the first time in decades that the figure has fallen below 10. The statistical yearbook, released at the weekend, said the natural rate of population growth-taking in births and deaths—was at a new low of 1.45.
The government is under pressure to prevent a potential population decline after decades of policies on childbirth and more recent pressures including high living costs. It did not give reasons for the dramatic drop, but demographers (人口统计学家) have previously pointed to the relatively low number of women of child-bearing age and the rising cost of raising a family.
Governments and local authorities have introduced a series of policies seeking to turn around the trend, from relaxing limits on having children, to easing costs associated with education and child raising, and introducing mandatory (强制的)“cooling off” periods for divorces. China’s yearbook revealed a fall in divorces for the first time since at least 1985, to about 4.3m, though there were also fewer marriages, 8.14m, compared with 9. 27m the year before.
But it appears the government’s policies have so far failed to adequately address young people’s concerns about the costs associated with having children. What the Chinese government is doing has already been done by the Japanese government, and the former is not as rich as the latter. Japan can provide free healthcare and education, but China can’t.
Yao Meixiong, a demographics expert and adjunct professor at Huaqiao University’s school of economics and finance, told the local outlet Jiemian that the low levels of desire to have children was a wake-up call for China’s development.
“The response to the population crisis is in a race against time, and measures to encourage childbirth must speed up,” Yao said.
1. According to the text, what might be a cause of the potential population decline in China?| A．High costs of child raising. | B．The decreasing family income. |
| C．Relaxed limits on having children. | D．The low number of women wanting children. |
| A．To stress the importance of a country’s wealth. |
| B．To praise the success of the Japanese government. |
| C．To show the weakness of the Chinese government’s policies. |
| D．To compare the Chinese and Japanese government’s welfare systems. |
| A．Tolerant. | B．Concerned. | C．Hopeful. | D．Favorable. |
| A．Chinese Government Seeks to Increase Population |
| B．China’s Yearbook Shows Low Population Growth |
| C．Experts Analyze the Reasons for the Low Birthrate |
| D．Chinese Birthrate Falls to Lowest Level in Decades |
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【推荐1】Five years ago, Meredith Arthur, a 45-year-old San Francisco resident and an employee of a social media company, arrived at a neurologist(神经科医生) appointment in a frustrated state. She spoke a mile a minute, explaining why she thought she might hold clues to her disabled shoulder and neck pain, frequent dizziness, and … “I was presenting my inexpert case to an expert, who stopped me and said, ‘I know what’s wrong. You have generalized anxiety disorder.’” Arthur recalls.
The diagnosis(诊断) took Arthur by surprise. She had been so focused on her abnormal physical symptoms(症状) that she hadn’t considered that they could be linked to her mental health. Almost immediately, it clicked.
“My brain was always in overdrive,” Arthur recalls. “I wanted to work all the time and solve everything.”
She would never have described herself as a worrier, however, and certainly didn’t connect her perfectionism to anxiety or its effect on her body. But, in fact, physical discomfort — not upsetting thoughts — is most often what drives people with anxiety to seek treatment.
“The diagnosis changed everything,” says Arthur. “It’s like somebody picked me up off the earth, turned me around 180 degrees, and put me back down. It was the same world, but everything looked a little different.”
Arthur is one of the 40 million American adults who experience an anxiety disorder — the most common form of mental illness — every year. But anxiety touches everyone to varying degrees. Typically, it’s brought on by a stressful or painful event. Its key features are too much fear and worry, and one of the major factors is a feeling of uncertainty about situations that occur in daily life.
These are particularly uncertain times due to the combination of economic dangerousness, social unrest and environmental disasters. Managing anxiety will ensure it doesn’t rule your life.
1. How did Meredith Arthur feel after the diagnosis?| A．Confused. | B．Shocked. |
| C．Frustrated. | D．Disappointed. |
| A．To relate physical symptoms to mental health. |
| B．To suggest the importance of seeking treatment. |
| C．To present a typical example of anxiety disorder. |
| D．To show the seriousness of her physical symptoms. |
| A．It results from uncertainty in life. | B．It is hard to get proper treatment. |
| C．It is caused by physical discomfort. | D．It is the most common illness in USA. |
【推荐2】Derry which was short-listed (入围的) along with Birmingham, Sheffield and Norwich, has been chosen as the UK City of Culture.
Hundreds of people gathered in. the Guildhall to hear the result relayed on big screens.A number of nationally important events such as the Brit Awards and the Turner Prize could be hosted in Derry. The idea for a UK City of Culture came from the success of Liverpool during its year as European Capital of Culture in 2008. The honor does not come with any direct government funding but the bid organizers are hoping to focus on fundraising and rebuilding.
Plans are already in place to hold a ceremony on the River Foyle celebrating the return of St. Columbia to Ireland, a contemporary(当代的)music festival and a visual arts festival.
The judging group was led by television producer Phil Redmond, who was joined by culture minister Ed Vaizey for the announcement Both men are due to travel to Derry on Friday.
Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness travelled to Liverpool for the announcement and said he was “over the moon”.
The city's mayor,Colum Eastwood，,also travelled to Liverpool for the announcement and said he was also "over the moon"."The award will bring lasting benefits .for Deny. It will bring the jobs, the investment and the regeneration that we need,"，he added.
Gregory Campbell, Member of Parliament for East Derry, said that he felt very proud of the city's success."It has great potential； let's realize that potential,"he said.
"It could be the case if we are not careful that this could just be a three-year long party."
Mr. Campbell also cautioned that everyone needed to take part in the events in what is a majority nationalist city." We need to try to make sure that the divisions of the past area are the divisions of the past and that this has a universal potential for the future,"he said, "Too often in the past this city has a divided culture；we need to bring people together."
1. The underlined part "over the moon" in Para 5 most probably means| A．curious | B．shocked | C．frightened. | D．overjoyed |
| A．bring a lot of long-term advantages for the city |
| B．make the city become the center of Europe |
| C．help the government become richer and stronger |
| D．benefit the environmental protection |
| A．Liverpool was named the UK City of Culture in 2008. |
| B．Several events and celebrations will be held in Derry. |
| C．Phil Redmond alone will make the announcement. |
| D．Only Derry was chosen as the UK City of Culture. |
| A．Great Potential of Derry |
| B．The Changing Face of Derry |
| C．Derry , chosen as the UK City of Culture |
| D．Derry , bringing people together |
【推荐3】Airlines already place common-sense limits on young passengers. For example, on United Airlines, babies younger than seven days old can’t fly. And lately, there’s been a heated discussion about keeping little ones out of business class. Why draw a line there?
No one’s suggesting a ban on babies, or even kids, from flights. That wouldn’t make sense for passengers or airlines. Banning children from flights would be a financial disaster for airlines. That’s because leisure travel accounts for two-thirds of all air travel incomes, and people sometimes take their kids on vacation with them despite their kids’ screams, tantrums (发脾气) and meltdowns.
But maybe it’s time for a little course correction when it comes to children. Maybe there are places we should keep baby-free, such as a section of the plane, or the entire plane. It will benefit passengers because all or some of them will arrive at their destinations well-rested and ready for their vacation or work.
There are some passengers who believe airlines shouldn’t restrict young passengers from flying anywhere. They think people seem to forget that babies and toddlers are people. Restricting children may be an easy solution, but it will have long-term consequences. They’re not going to like the humans they grow up to be.
There’s an equally convincing argument that we should place sensible limits on babies. Some may have physiological challenges that make a flight unbearable. Others may not have the patience to sit in a pressurized aluminum tube for hours. Some of them are just not ready to sit still for a 12-hour flight. But the biggest challenge for babies and toddlers is the pressure changes on the climb to and fall from cruising (平稳行驶的) altitude.
Babies will keep flying anyway. So there are always a few ways of staying calm when you are seated close to a seat-kicking child who raises the noise level on your next flight, for example, asking a flight attendant for help, buying a good pair of noise-canceling headphones or earplugs or avoiding the babies entirely by booking the red-eye flights.
1. What is the common sense about children taking flights?| A．Children tend to lack patience. |
| B．Not all children should be banned from flights. |
| C．Flights shouldn’t ban children from business class. |
| D．Babies should be accompanied by adults on flights. |
| A．Flights have no suitable seats for them. |
| B．Airlines can’t profit as much from them. |
| C．They make their parents lose their minds. |
| D．They are too noisy for other passengers. |
| A．Children’s mental health will be influenced. |
| B．Children tend to lose the appetite for flying. |
| C．Children are likely to be ignored when they grow up. |
| D．Children will have a weak connection with their family. |
| A．A discussion about keeping little children out of flights. |
| B．A benefit of passengers on the flights keeping baby-free. |
| C．A financial disaster for airlines banning children from flights. |
| D．A new measure to make all passengers happy on the flights. |
【推荐1】I’ve spent over a year in India, and in those 365 plus days, I’ve learned a lot about getting around Indian cities.My biggest lessons have been learned through being cheated, particularly by taxi and rickshaw (人力车) drivers, but that doesn’t mean those are bad ways to travel, as long as you know what you’re doing.Below are the best ways to get around the city of Delhi, India, and tips for how to keep from being the victim of scams (欺骗).
Taking taxis is a great way to get around the city of Delhi and chances are, if you arrive in Delhi by plane, as soon as you make it through customs, you’ll be swarmed by Indian taxi drivers.At the Delhi airport, be sure to arrange for a taxi to your hotel at one of the two Delhi Traffic Police Taxi Booths.One is inside the airport, and one is outside.The key is to make sure to go to a booth run by the police, rather than by independent taxi drivers.
Rickshaws are one of my favorite ways to get around Indian cities, in part because it’s how the locals often travel.Autorickshaws are more common, but bicycle rickshaws are still used in Old Delhi.If you do have a chance to take a bicycle rickshaw, you should do it at least once for a unique experience that should only set you back about 15 rupees.Autorickshaw rates around Delhi range between 30 and 80 rupees, depending on distance.
If you really want to travel around Delhi like the locals, take a public bus.Indian buses become very crowded and most do not have air conditioning.They are, however, very cheap.A bus trip won’t set you back any more than 15 rupees, as long as you stay within the city limits.Since Indian buses get so crowded, try to board the bus at the start of the route so you can get a seat.
The train is a great way to get around within the city of Delhi.Fares are reasonable, between six and 22 rupees.All departure announcements are in both Hindi and English, and tokens can be purchased for between 6 and 22 rupees.
1. To avoid being cheated, you ought to if you want to take a taxi at the Delhi airport.| A．pay more to the drivers to keep safe | B．show your ticket to the driver |
| C．go to a policerun booth | D．go out of the airport |
| A．save some money | B．enjoy the comfortable trip |
| C．gain a unique experience | D．help the local rickshaw drivers |
| A．You won’t have to pay much if you travel around by bus in India. |
| B．It will be difficult for you to get a seat if you get on the bus halfway. |
| C．A rickshaw driver only charges whatever amount you give him. |
| D．You’ll have to speak English if you travel around in India. |
| A．Hotel recommendations in Delhi. | B．Weather conditions in Delhi. |
| C．Food and drink in Delhi. | D．Car rentals in Delhi. |
【推荐2】After lab-grown meat, are you getting ready for animal-free cow’s milk? A San Francisco startup believes it has found a solution.
Through a combination of yeast(酵母), cow DNA and plant nutrients, Perfect Day claims to have created a product identical in taste and nutritional value to cow’s milk, but without any cows involved. It will satisfy consumers who love eating dairy(乳制品的)ice-cream, cheese and yoghurt, but loathe factory-style farming and its environmental footprint.
Sales of milk alternatives such as soy, coconut and more recently pea milk are expected to be on the rise. But until now they have not cut traditional milk and dairy production. “The alternatives for yoghurt, cheese and ice-cream are so bad that people don’t even want to try them,” says Perfect Day co-founder Ryan Pandya.
The missing ingredient (成分)in plant-based alternatives is cow’s milk proteins. To make the animal-free cow’s milk, Perfect Day puts cow DNA—which is readily available thanks to decades of research by the dairy industry—into yeast and adds sugar to create cow’s milk proteins through fermentation (发酵). These milk proteins are then combined with sugar, fats and nutrients to create the final product.
“We’re taking plant nutrients and transforming them into animal proteins the same way that cows do, using the same milk proteins as found in cow’s milk, but much more efficiently, because we’re using a yeast cell not an animal,” said Pandya.
Although comparisons have been made with lab-grown meat, Pandya said they are not using novel technology. Many people initially go ‘oh is this like lab or test-tube milk’, but that’s wrong. There are no test tubes in our fermentation process. The meat folks are trying to invent technology that doesn’t exist today, but our milk is made through techniques that have been in use for more than three decades.
1. What does the underlined word “loathe” mean in Paragraph 2?| A．Ignore. | B．Hate. | C．Doubt. | D．Tolerate. |
| A．Mixing cow DNA with yeast and sugar. |
| B．Adding sugar and fats to plant milk. |
| C．Mixing plant milk with cow milk. |
| D．Adding cow DNA to plant milk. |
| A．It costs less energy. |
| B．It is cheaper in price. |
| C．It has cow’s milk proteins. |
| D．It contains less sugar and fats. |
| A．It tastes like test-tube milk. |
| B．It needs to be tested further. |
| C．It is well-received by green food lovers. |
| D．It is produced with existing technology. |
【推荐3】Scientists say they've developed a system using machine learning to predict when and where lighting will strike. The research was led by engineers from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, Switzerland.
European researchers have estimated that between 6,000 and 24,000 people are killed by lightning worldwide each year. The strikes can also cause power outages, destroy property, damage electrical equipment and start forest fires. For these reasons, climate scientists have long sought to develop methods to predict and control lightning. In the United States and other places, ground-based sensing devices are used to identify strikes as they happen. But, no system has been created to effectively predict lightning.
The system tested in the experiments used a combination of data from weather stations and machine learning methods. The researchers developed a prediction model that was trained to recognize weather conditions that were likely to cause lightning.
The model was created with data collected over a 12-year period from 12 Swiss weather stations in cities and mountain areas. The data related to four main surface conditions: air pressure, air temperature, relative humidity and wind speed.
The atmospheric data was placed into a machine learning algorithm（算法）, which compared it to records of lightning strikes. Researchers say the algorithm was then able to learn the conditions under which lightning happens.
Amirhossein Mostajabi is a PhD student at the institute who led the development of the method. He said, “current systems for gathering such data are slow and complex and require costly collection equipment like radar or satellites.”
“Our method uses data that can be obtained from any weather station,” Mostajabi said. “This will improve data collection in very remote areas not covered by radar and satellite or in places where communication systems have been cut,” be added.
The researchers plan to keep developing the technology in partnership with a European effort that aims to create a lightning protection system. The effort is called the European Laser Lightning Rod project.
1. Why have climate scientists tried to predict and control lighting?| A．To collect relative data. |
| B．To reduce the destruction lightning has been causing. |
| C．To create a scientific system. |
| D．To do research in relation to machine learning. |
| A．air pollution | B．wind speed |
| C．relative humidity | D．air temperature |
| A．lighting. | B．the system being tested. |
| C．the atmospheric data. | D．the machine learning algorithm. |
| A．He developed the method and the system himself. |
| B．He thinks the current systems are too slow and simple. |
| C．He is a professor at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. |
| D．He believes their system does much better in data collection. |
