Twins may be more common today than at anytime in history. Researchers analyzed records from 165 countries and found a significant rise in twin birth rates since the 1980s, with one in 42 people now born a twin. According to the survey, the global twin birth rate has risen by one-third, on average, over the past 40 years.
“The trends are really quite striking,” said Christiaan Monden, a professor at Oxford University. “Over the past 40 years we’ve seen a strong increase in twinning rates in rich and developed countries. Globally, twinning rates have risen from nine to twelve per 1,000 births since the 1980s, but the picture varies from country to country. The greatest rises are seen in North America (71%), Europe (60%) and Asia (32%). In the UK, twinning rates rose about 62%. In the Oxford study, a decrease of more than 10% was found in only seven countries over the dates surveyed. “The absolute number of twin deliveries (分娩) has increased everywhere except South America,” Monden said. “In North America and Africa, the numbers have increased by more than 80%, and in Africa this increase is caused almost entirely by population growth.”
Raj Mathur, a doctor at St. Mary’s Hospital in Manchester, said, “It doesn’t surprise us that twinning rates have increased because the availability of assisted reproduction (生殖) has increased and also because women are slightly older when they have their first children, and both those things will increase the twinning rate.”
“The majority of twin babies are completely fine, but there is no doubt that a twin pregnancy (怀孕) carries greater risks for the mother and the baby. So when we can avoid it, we should avoid it. The principle we follow is simply summed up by the phrase ‘one at a time’,” Mathur said.
1. What do we know about the survey?| A．It saw a world population growth. | B．It lasted nearly fifty years. |
| C．It was the first research about twins. | D．It was based on plenty of data. |
| A．South America. | B．Asia. | C．Europe. | D．Africa. |
| A．It’s dangerous to be with child. | B．It’s wise to bring up a single baby. |
| C．It’s best to have one baby at a birth. | D．It’s unavoidable to give birth to a twin. |
| A．The Principle of Delivering Babies |
| B．More Twin Babies Than Ever Before |
| C．No Doubt About the Present Twinning Rates |
| D．A Great Breakthrough in Human Reproduction |
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【推荐1】Researchers from the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) discovered that ant species Formica fusca (丝光褐林蚁) has a well developed sense of smell. It was able to tell cancerous cells from healthy cells in humans, thanks to their sense of smell. But more clinical tests must be carried out before they could be used in clinical settings like hospitals, the team said. They suggest that in future, ants could turn out to be better at dogs when it comes to locating cancerous cells in humans.
To conduct their research, the scientists performed tests with 36 ants. First, the specialists exposed the ants to the smell of a sample of cancerous human cells. This odor (气味) was then associated with a reward of sugar. In a second step, the researchers exposed the ants to two different odors. One was a new healthy smell and the second was the smell of the cancerous cells. The test showed ants can tell the two kinds of smell successfully.
The researchers exposed the ants to different cancerous cells in the next test. They found that ants distinguish between two cancerous cells. After training, Formica fusca ants are able to detect organic compounds (合成物) given off by cancerous cells.
This isn’t the first time that scientists have used the animal sense of smell to locate cancerous cells. “Dogs’ noses are well suited for medical diagnosis (诊断) and used for the detection of cancer,” the researchers explained. However, training them requires several months to a year. On the other hand, insects can be easily raised, they are inexpensive, they have a very well-developed smelling system and hundreds of individuals can be conditioned with very few trials.
The approach could potentially be adapted to a range of other complex odor detection tasks including the detection of explosives, spoiled food, or other diseases, including malaria, infections, and diabetes (糖尿病).
1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?| A．Ants can distinguish cancerous cells owing to their smell |
| B．Researchers found all ants have the ability to tell cancerous cells |
| C．Formica fusca was used in clinical settings to locate cancerous cells |
| D．Researchers found that ants have a better sense of smell than dogs. |
| A．To show ants have the ability to tell healthy from cancerous cells. |
| B．To prove that ants can be used to cure cancers. |
| C．To show ants have the ability to distinguish two different kinds of cancerous cells. |
| D．To improve ants’ accuracy in telling cancerous cells. |
| A．controlled. | B．distinguished. | C．trained. | D．fed. |
| A．A brochure | B．A guidebook. | C．A novel | D．A magazine. |
【推荐2】Animals in the Arctic, including reindeer and golden eagles, are migrating (迁徙) earlier due to climate change，say researchers who have gathered a huge amount of data to study the behavior of 86 Arctic species over the past three decades.
“We have the ability to keep our eyes on animal movements on a very large scale,” says Eliezer Gurarie at the University of Maryland. “It seems that animals are unknowingly reacting and adapting to climatic changes, and have been doing for years.”
Gurarie and his team used GPS and satellites to track the spring migration of more than 900 female reindeer over the past 15 years. They discovered that the females are migrating to give birth about a day earlier year on year, probably as a result of warming temperatures. Earlier birthing times can be risky in northern parts of the Arctic, says team member Gil Bohrer at Ohio State University. “There are higher chances of their children facing strong and unexpected storms,” he says. If they do, many will die because they cannot deal with extreme conditions.
Similarly, golden eagles—which usually nest (筑巢) in the Arctic area—have been starting their spring migration half a day earlier each year over the past 25 years.
“The day-to-day change of climate is very small,” says Bohrer. “To understand how animals react to climate change, you need a very long period of observation—something that has only recently been possible.”
The researchers' archive (档案) of Arctic animal movement currently covers more than 15 million data points related to 8000 animals.” Our archive can help to advise management methods to preserve endangered species, as climate change only becomes more extreme,” says Bohrer.
1. What can we conclude from Gurarie's words?| A．Researchers can guide animal movements. |
| B．Animals can adapt to climate change easily. |
| C．Animals don't know how to react to the changes. |
| D．Earlier migration is animals' reaction to warmer climate. |
| A．Children have less opportunity to survive | B．There will be more unexpected storms. |
| C．Fewer children will be delivered. | D．They may migrate earlier in spring. |
| A．The small change of climate | B．The challenge of the research. |
| C．The possibility of observing animals | D．The purpose of the research. |
| A．It maps out the routes for birds. |
| B．It can improve the observing skills. |
| C．It prevents the climate growing more extreme. |
| D．It contributes to endangered animals' preservation. |
| A．The observation of animals. |
| B．Newly-found animals in danger. |
| C．The discovery of animals' migrating earlier. |
| D．Animals' extinction caused by global warming. |
【推荐3】Taking a shower is relaxing. You can hum a song, daydream or think about nothing, leaving the real world behind you. But did you know that showering can also benefit your mind?
A research by Scott Barry Kaufman, a psychologist from Yale University interviewed over 3,000 people around the world. It turned out that nearly two-thirds of the interviewees said they had experienced new ideas in the shower and were more likely to have them in the shower than at work.
So why does a simple shower have such magic power? Science can explain it.
Showering can help to raise our level of dopamine( 多巴胺), a hormone closely related to our creativity. “People vary in terms of their level of creativity according to the activity of dopamine,” explained Alice Flaherty, a famous American neuroscientist. “Taking a warm shower can make us feel relaxed and therefore make the dopamine level rise and bring ‘Aha！’ moment to us.”
Besides the chemical changes, showering may give you a break from what you feel you have been stuck with. Especially when you have thought hard all day about a problem, jumping into the shower can keep you from the outside world so that you can focus on your inner feelings and memories.
Compared with sitting in front of a computer, taking a shower is something we do less frequently in our daily life. When showering, we get a fresh experience with the change of location, temperature and humidity. “New and unexpected experiences can lead to positive changes in thinking,” explained Kaufman. “Getting off the couch and jumping in the shower may create a distance and force you to think from a new point of view.”
Showering allows us to enjoy the creative juices of our minds, but it needn't just be the bathroom where you get your inspiration. For instance, Gertrude Stein, a female American writer and poet, got new ideas by driving around a farm and stopping at different cows until she found the one that most inspired her. So try to create your own way to free your mind.
1. According to the article, what changes can showering cause?| A．Bringing the terrible moment to us. |
| B．Setting the creative part of the brain free. |
| C．Leading to boredom or tiredness. |
| D．Increasing the level of dopamine. |
| A．turn one's attention inward |
| B．draw one's attention to the outside world |
| C．make an important breakthrough |
| D．many chemical changes to take place |
| A．Because taking showers happens more often. |
| B．Because taking showers can make us acquire a fresh experience, inspiring us. |
| C．Because nothing but taking showers can get our inspiration. |
| D．Because taking showers can help us try something unexpected. |
| A．encourage readers to find their own ways of getting inspiration |
| B．point out to readers that it's hard to get inspiration |
| C．explain how to link inspiration with readers' daily lives |
| D．show that creativity often comes from strange places |
【推荐1】Online games are very popular among people. They make a large amount of money and have a large user base, including lots of teenagers. But now, new rules on online games have been introduced.
Adult players need to spend most of their time paying attention to work and family, and cannot play games as often as they want.
As academic (学业的) success is important for students, Chinese parents are more worried that their children will lack interest in study if they become addicted to online games.
To carry out the new rules to the best effect, more specific issues need to be solved. Authorities ought to manage the online games strictly.
| A．Here are some tips for teenager players. |
| B．The online world is attractive to teenagers. |
| C．Besides, most parents don’t know how to deal with the situation. |
| D．They are aimed at fighting against addiction among teenage players. |
| E．However, teenage players have more spare time and less self-control. |
| F．The biggest effect of an addiction to online games is on teenagers’ mental health. |
| G．For example, they should ensure facial recognition technologies have the wanted effect. |
【推荐2】The widespread use of Internet technology has made our lives easier but causes a big challenge to senior citizens (长者), who are not always comfortable with smartphones and so many new apps.
Only a few senior citizens are able to enjoy the advantages that new technologies offer. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the number of people aged 60 and above was 253.88 million in 2019, about 18.1% of China's population. But only 23% of the senior citizens were able to use the Internet. That means more than three-fourths of the elderly are deprived (被剥夺) of the digital benefits.
Many senior citizens who can't use smartphones are facing difficulties during this pandemic (流行病)．Even with a smartphone in hand and Internet available, many of them still feel helpless. They don't know how to call a taxi through the apps. There have been reports of many shops turning away elders who don't know how to pay using smartphones, instead of letting them pay with cash. Worse still, as they don't know how to get the Internet-based health code (健康码), they are refused to enter many public places. Presenting individual health code is part of the epidemic prevention(防疫) and control measures.
New technologies become popular because they are often useful in our daily lives. But many senior citizens, especially those living in the countryside or those whose grown-up children don't live with them, are not able to use the Internet or smartphones, either because of financial(财政的) problems or because they cannot learn new things beyond a certain point. The digital gap between the elderly and the young is becoming more clear.
However, the senior citizens should not become a silent group deprived of digital benefits. It is our responsibility to help them bridge the digital gap, and be patient with them when they face difficulties catching up.
1. What do the statistics show in Paragraph 2?| A．There are a small number of senior citizens in China. |
| B．Only 23% of the senior citizens can use the computer. |
| C．Three fourths of the elders are unwilling to use smartphones. |
| D．Many elders fail to enjoy the convenience of the digital devices. |
| A．Cash is no longer accepted in most shops. |
| B．It's a must for everyone to have a health code. |
| C．Most elders need guidance on how to use the apps. |
| D．Many shops now refuse to offer service to the elderly. |
| A．their living areas |
| B．their financial conditions |
| C．their relationship with children |
| D．their difficulty in learning new things |
| A．Positive | B．Worried | C．Negative | D．Doubtful |
【推荐3】Approximately 90 percent of the young Chinese participating in the latest survey conducted by the Global Times Research Center believe China should not “look up to the West” anymore.
Chinese analysts said the sustainable and fast development of China is the core (核心的) reason why more Chinese are becoming increasingly confident, and some key elements have sped up the process such as the rise of Trumpism (特朗普主义) in the US.
The survey, titled “Changing attitudes toward the West among young Chinese people,” showed that there has been a significant change in attitude among young people toward Western countries, as a growing number of respondents see them as equals while many previously looked up to them.
The survey showed 37.2 percent of the participants said that five years ago, they still believed they should “look up to the West”, but now, only 8.1 percent of these people have the same view. Meanwhile, the people who “look down on the West” rose to 41.7 percent while only 18.4 percent of them held the same opinion as they did five years ago. About 48.3 percent of the participants believe they should see the West equally now.
The core reasons that have driven such changes are mostly concerned with China’s achievements in recent years. For example, 53.8 percent of interviewees chose “China’s successful epidemic (流行病) prevention and control amid the COVID-19 pandemic”, 40.5 percent selected “China’s cooperation with other countries under the Belt and Road Initiative”, 37.6 percent said “China is the only major economy that keeps growing when the world economy is in a shadow”.
Viewing the West equally does not mean that China will be proud or will oppose the West. The survey also shows that the participants are realistic and rational as they are aware that the West still has advantages over China in certain fields. For example, 64.6 percent of the participants said China should still learn from the West in the fields of science and technology.
1. According to the passage, why are more Chinese becoming increasingly confident?| A．Because Trumpism is rising in the US. |
| B．Because China has been developing rapidly and steadily. |
| C．Because there are few patients with the COVID-19 pandemic in China. |
| D．Because China cooperates with other countries under the Belt and Road Initiative. |
| A．By giving examples. | B．By listing figures. |
| C．By making remarks. | D．By showing facts. |
| A．China will he the most powerful country in the world. |
| B．Most young Chinese are probably unwilling to go to the West. |
| C．Cooperation and win-win contributes to China’s development. |
| D．China’s economy is the strongest when the world economy is in a shadow. |
| A．Objective | B．Disapproving | C．Supportive | D．Subjective |
【推荐1】When a chunk of ice fell from a collapsing glacier (冰川) on the Swiss Alps’ Mount Eiger in 2017, part of the long deep sound it produced was too low for human ears to hear. But the continuous shaking held a key to calculating the ice avalanche’s (崩塌) critical characteristics.
Low-frequency sound waves called infrasound that travel great distances through the atmosphere are already used to monitor active volcanoes from afar. Now some researchers in this field have switched focus from fire to ice. Usually glaciers move far too slowly to generate an infrasound signal, which researchers pick up using detectors that track slight changes in air pressure. But a collapse—a sudden, rapid breaking of ice from the glacier’s main body—is an infrasound producer in large amounts. Glacial collapses drive ice avalanches, which pose an increasing threat to people in mountainous regions as rising temperatures weaken large fields of ice. A glacier “can become separate from the ground due to melting, causing bigger break-offs,” says University of Florence geologist Emanuele Marchetti, lead author of the new study. As the threat grows, scientists seek new ways to monitor and detect such collapses.
Researchers often use radar to track ice avalanches, which is accurate but expensive and can monitor only one specific location and neighboring avalanche paths. Infrasound, Marchetti says, is cheaper and can detect break-off events around much broader regions as well as multiple avalanches across a mountain. It is challenging, however, to separate a signal into its components such as traffic noises, individual avalanches and nearby earthquakes without additional measurements, says ETH Zurich glaciologist Malgorzata Chmiel. “The model used by Marchetti is a first close estimation for this,” she says. Isolating the relevant signal helps the researchers monitor an ice avalanche’s speed, path and volume from afar using infrasound.
Marchetti and his colleagues have set up collaborations around the continent to better understand signals that collapsing glaciers produce. They are also refining their analysis to figure out each ice avalanche’s physical details.
1. What do we know about ice avalanches?| A．Ice avalanches can be detected through infrasound. |
| B．Ice avalanches are caused by change in air pressure. |
| C．Ice avalanches move too slowly to produce an infrasound signal. |
| D．Ice avalanches pose a bigger threat to people than volcanic eruptions. |
| A．The combination with other relevant signals. |
| B．The ability in picking up signals in wider areas. |
| C．The accuracy in locating only one certain avalanche. |
| D．The sensitivity in tracking slight air pressure changes. |
| A．distinguishing different parts of a signal |
| B．adding measurements to receive signals |
| C．detecting multiple avalanches across a mountain |
| D．calculating the speed, path and volume of ice avalanches |
| A．From Fire to Ice | B．Nature’s Warning |
| C．Glacier Whispers | D．Secret of Ice Avalanches |
【推荐2】Have you ever made soup at home? It’s pretty easy to do. One of my favorite kinds of soup to make is chicken torilla (玉米薄饼) soup. It’s a kind of Mexican soup that has beans, chicken and some other ingredients (原料).
Since I make the soup often, I know the recipe (配方) well and it tastes the same every time. But there was one time when I didn’t have one of the most important ingredients. I decided to just make the soup without that ingredient anyway, I thought one ingredient wouldn’t make a big difference.
When I tasted it later, it still tasted all right — I could eat it, but it wasn’t quite the same. I was sure that it would have been better if I followed the recipe exactly.
It is the same in our lives. When you work in groups at school or later at work, you can think of each member of the group as being an ingredient in the soup. If each “ingredient” isn’t there, or isn’t doing their job well, the “soup” won’t turn out right. Remember the story of the soup the next time you have to work in a group with your classmates.
1. How did the writer’s soup taste without the important ingredient?| A．It tasted very good. | B．It was too bad to eat. |
| C．It was not as good as before. | D．It tasted like a different kind of soup. |
| A．not always necessary | B．always going to do their job well |
| C．like a special kind of soup | D．like an ingredient in soup |
| A．The importance of following recipes. | B．The importance of teamwork. |
| C．How to make soup at home. | D．How to join new groups. |
【推荐3】Before moving to Stokholm, I did my research on Sweden and was confident about my move. However, I quickly realized on my first day that so much of what I learned was so very wrong. There are many things that a Google search cannot show about Sweden.
The first is fika. A fika is taking a break from whatever you are doing to enjoy a coffee with friends. Swedes value community highly so it makes sense that they would like to set aside time each day to reconnect with others. Fika is a great time to meet new people as well as catch up with friends.
I grew up in the American South where everyone is very friendly. I found that little things like not being asked my life story at the coffee shop by the waiter upset me. However, Swedish people are not rude. Instead, they practice being logom, which means “just enough”.
The winters can be very dark and cold, so the Swedish people do not take any sunny day for granted. Since the weather has been fine, I have found myself walking a lot around Stockholm. Often it is easiest to get from place to place by walking, which allows you to see so much of the city and enjoy the fresh air. Though it has been very tiring to get used to, it also has made me feel better about all of the kardemummabullar that I have been eating!
I think it is important for students who want to study abroad to know that it is hard to move to countries no matter how “similar” you may think they may be. You have to jump in with both feet and be patient with yourself as well as others. As long as you keep an open mind and are willing to learn, you will have a great experience.
1. What do we know about fika?| A．It is a waste of time. | B．It is a way to balance life and work. |
| C．It is all about drinking coffee. | D．It is a Swedish social tradition. |
| A．They are friendly. | B．They seem a bit cold. |
| C．They appear really rude. | D．They are interested in other's life. |
| A．It is fun and not very tiring. | B．It is good exercise on cold days. |
| C．It allows her to enjoy sunny days. | D．It gives her the chance to eat the local food. |
| A．Be confident. | B．Be careful. |
| C．Be open- minded. | D．Be hard- working. |
