【推荐1】A new study shows that eating nuts and peanut butter may help prevent one form of the disease diabetes (糖尿病). Adult-onset or Type Two diabetes affects about 135 million people around the world. The disease results when the body cannot produce or use a substance called insulin (胰岛素). Insulin is produced in the organ (器官) called the pancreas. Insulin helps turn sugar in foods into energy.

The Journal of the American Medical Association published the findings. Scientists from the Harvard University School of Public Health in Cambridge, Massachusetts completed the research. They studied more than 83,000 women for 16 years. The women were 34 to 59 years old. None of the women had diabetes, cancer or heart disease when the study began. During the study, more than 3,000 women developed diabetes.

The women answered questions every four years between 1980 and 1996. The researchers asked what they ate, including information about nuts and nut products. Some of the women ate nuts five days a week. The size of each serving weighed about 30 grams. Or, they ate a serving of peanut butter five days each week. Other women in the study did not eat nuts or peanut butter. Those who ate nuts five times a week were more than twenty percent less likely to develop Type Two diabetes than the women who did not eat nuts.

Although the study involved only women, the researchers believe eating nuts would also be good for men. The scientists say more research is needed to confirm the findings. But the study suggests that the fats in nuts may improve the way the body makes and uses insulin.

Nuts contain magnesium, which helps balance insulin and levels of sugar in the blood. The fats in nuts also may improve the body’s ability to process sugar in the blood. People who suffer from diabetes have too much sugar in their blood and urine, the body’s liquid waste.

1. What can we learn about the women involved in the new research?

A．All the women had to answer questions every week.

B．Some women were not allowed to eat nuts on purpose.

C．Some of them suffered from diabetes because of the research.

D．Women who ate nuts regularly had lower risk of having diabetes.

2. What do Paragraph 3 and Paragraph 4 mainly focus on?

A．Who did the findings.	B．What happened to the women.
C．How the research was carried out.	D．How much nuts women should eat.

3. What helps prevent diabetes according to the new research about nuts?

A．Insulin in nuts.

B．The fats in nuts.

C．Sugar in the blood.

D．People’s urine.

4. What’s the author’s purpose by writing the passage?

A．To show the importance of insulin.	B．To introduce a new study about eating nuts.
C．To introduce a new way to deal with diabetes.	D．To encourage people to eat as many nuts as possible.

【推荐1】Over recent decades, hurricanes and other tropical cyclones (气旋) in the U.S. were associated with up to 33.4 percent higher death rates from several major causes in subsequent months.

This is the finding of research from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, Colorado State University, Imperial College London, and Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, published in the journal JAMA. The study exemplifies how far-reaching and varied the hidden costs to life could be from climate-related disasters and climate change. After collecting 33.6 million U.S. death records from 1988 to 2018, the researchers used a statistical model to calculate how death rates changed after tropical cyclones and hurricanes when compared to equivalent periods in other years.

The researchers found the largest overall increase in the month of hurricanes for injuries (33.4 percent), with increases in death rates in the month after tropical cyclones for injuries (3.7 percent), infectious and parasitic diseases (1.8 percent), respiratory diseases (1.3 percent), cardiovascular diseases (1.2 percent), and neuropsychiatric conditions (1.2 percent). Female injury death rate increases (46.5 percent) were higher than males (27.6 percent) in the month of hurricanes. Death rate increases were higher for those aged 65 years or older in the month after tropical cyclones (6.4 percent) when compared with younger ages (2.7 percent).

“In the U.S., tropical cyclones, such as hurricanes and tropical storms, have a devastating effect on society, yet a comprehensive assessment of their continuing health impacts had been lacking,” said Marianthi-Anna Kioumourtzoglou, ScD, assistant professor of Environmental Health Sciences at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, “Our study is a first major step in better understanding how cyclones may affect deaths after they cause destruction.”

The study was supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, and the British Heart Foundation Imperial College Centre for Research Excellence. Work on the U.S. mortality data is financed by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, as part of the Center for Clean Air Climate Solution.

1. What did the researchers do when they compared the death rates?

A．They gave some examples.

B．They analyzed the data.

C．They made an assumption.

D．They defined tropical cyclones.

2. According to the text, the findings of research don’t include________.

A．Female death rate is higher than that in men.

B．Hurricanes were associated with the most injuries.

C．The survival rate of the young is higher than that of the old.

D．Old male’s risk of death is higher than that of young female.

3. Which can replace the underlined word “devastating”?

A．Environmental.

B．Predictable.

C．Destructive.

D．Continuous.

4. What section of a website may you find this article in?

A．Health sciences.

B．Social sciences.

C．Physical sciences.

D．Environmental sciences.

【推荐2】Once again, China has conquered the world’s highest peak, Mount Qomolangma, on May 4th, 2022. Thirteen members of the Chinese Earth Summit Mission 2022 scientific expedition (探险) team successfully established an automatic weather station at an altitude of over 8800 meters, the world’s highest of its kind, on Mount Qomolangma on the China-Nepal border, achieving the milestone task of the country’s second comprehensive survey to the roof of the world.

To finish this mission, Yao Tandong, a leader of the expedition, said they have organized a massive party consisting of 16 teams and over 270 researchers, some of whom trained for over two years for the project. Now they have set up eight stations from 5200 meters to 8800 meters on Mount Qomolangma, with four stations higher than 7000 meters respectively at 7028 meters, 7790 meters, 8300 meters and 8800 meters. These weather stations at different altitudes mainly monitor the temperature, relative humidity, wind direction, wind speed, pressure and radiation changes in the region, and can realize real-time remote transmission (传输) of data.

Conventional weather observations are generally below 5000 meters and rarely above 5000 meters, and such high-altitude weather observations are scarce at the moment, Zhao Huabiao, a researcher at the Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, said. “The reason for building a weather station at 8800 meters instead of 8848 meters is that the snow and ice on the summit are not suitable for fixing equipment, and in this regard, the weather station was built on bedrock around 8800 meters which is easier,” said Zhao.

The team reached the summit of Mount Qomolangma and used high-accuracy radar to measure the thickness of ice and snow, and collected samples for further research. Kang Shichang, a researcher of the Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said studying the changes to the glacier aims to clarify the impact of global warming, which is beneficial to mounting a global response to climate change. “Through the study of glacier changes and glacier air pollutants, we can see the impact of global and regional human activities in the Qomolangma area,” Kang said.

1. What do we know about the expedition team?

A．They built the world’s highest automatic weather station.

B．They found the quickest way to reach Mount Qomolangma.

C．They conducted an experiment successfully on the world’s highest peak.

D．They became the first Chinese team to do research on Mount Qomolangma.

2. What do the figures in paragraph 2 mainly indicate?

A．The importance of real-time data transmission.

B．The tough environment of Mount Qomolangma.

C．The difficulty of monitoring weather conditions.

D．The challenging task of the scientific expedition.

3. Why was the weather station built at 8800 meters instead of 8848 meters?

A．To reduce the effect of strong winds.

B．To keep away from tough bedrocks.

C．To fix equipment more conveniently.

D．To predict the weather more accurately.

4. What does Kang Shichang intend to tell us about the glacier?

A．Its characteristics.	B．Its value of research.
C．Its formation process.	D．Its impact on climate change.

【推荐3】A big city might not seem like the best place to learn about nature and the environment. But one group in Washington, D. C. is trying to change that. City Blossoms is a non-profit organization, with the aim to bring nature to children who might not otherwise have green spaces. The organization has assisted in creating green spaces at seven elementary schools.

City Blossoms assists schools in creating and caring for the garden. But the gardens are mainly operated by the schools. McNerney partners with schools that already understand the importance of an outdoor education. “It’s a school-run program that City Blossoms is supporting,” McNerney said. “We don’t want it to be a ‘plop and drop’ where it’s seen as a City Blossoms garden and it’s not fully embraced by the community, because that won’t really lead to a sustainable garden program.”

“At the end of the day, we’re not designing these sites,” said Isa Zambrano, who oversees the community gardens for City Blossoms. She helps maintain the community spaces for City Blossoms. “The community designs it. Every garden takes the shape of the community and the culture that exists there. Young children and older adults have gotten involved with the community green spaces,” said Isa. During cooking lessons, for example, people will talk about meals that are special to their culture.

While City Blossoms’ main goal is to teach children, many older families and adults have also gotten involved. The organization holds gardening lessons for all ages. Isa said the pandemic had made people want to spend more time outside experiencing nature. “People have really woken up to the fact that green spaces are really important in our communities,” she added. “They have realized the good that comes from being outdoors and being disconnected from technology,” she explained.

1. What is the original goal of City Blossoms?

A．To develop students’ planting skills.	B．To call for protecting the environment.
C．To allow students to experience nature.	D．To change teenagers’ academic performance.

2. What does the underlined phrase “a ‘plop and drop’” refer to in paragraph 2?

A．An improper course.	B．A school-run garden.
C．An unsustainable garden.	D．A community program.

3. What do we know about a community green space in paragraph 3?

A．It helps students only.	B．It is run with joint efforts.
C．It is designed by City Blossoms.	D．It creates a new culture.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Exploring City Gardens	B．Establishing City Blossoms
C．Developing Gardening Lessons	D．Bettering Communities via City Gardens

【推荐1】I know that I shall meet my fate

Somewhere among the clouds above;

Those that I fight I do not hate,

Those that I guard I do not love;

My country is Kiltartan Cross,

My countrymen Kiltartan’s poor,

No likely end could bring them loss

Or leave them happier than before.

Nor law, nor duty bade me fight,

Nor public men, nor cheering crowds,

A lonely impulse of delight

Drove to this tumult in the clouds;

I balanced all, brought all to mind,

The years to come seemed waste of breath,

A waste of breath the years behind

In balance with this life, this death.

This poem by W. B Yeats is rather a thought-provoking poem on Major Robert Gregory, who was the son of one of Yeats’s friends. Robert Gregory was killed in Italy during the First World War in 1918. The poem was written during the First World War （1914-1919） when many Irish men fought for the cause of Englishmen. The poem is taken from the collection The Wild Swans At Coole. During the first World War, Ireland was a part of “Great Britain”. It became a separate nation later inl922. Therefore, when Gregory died, he actually died for the “English”, not for the “Irish”.

The pilot sees his forthcoming death yet he does- not seem regretful or scared but rather accepts the fate he is going to encounter. He clearly states that it is not any obligation for the country nor the inspiring speeches of the leaders or the cheering of the crowds that encourage him to fight in the battlefield. It is simply the thrill of the battlefield or adventure that pushes him to take up the job of an airman. He does not hate or love his enemies or his allies（盟友）; his country will neither be benefited nor hurt by any outcome of the war. His past life seems a waste, while his future life promises to be the same and his death will balance out his life. He feels that only death in war can balance his life of dullness. This is reflected in the line, “A waste of breath the years behind/In balance with this life, this death.”

This poem is recited in first-person. The poet is recounting the thoughts that are going through the airman’s mind as his death approaches. This choice of active voice is important because it gives all insight into the thoughts of the airman fighting on the edge of death. It is the poet who is imagining these thoughts.

1. What can we learn about the poem from paragraph 1?

A．The poem was written after the First World War.

B．The poem was requested by one of the poet’s friends.

C．The poem belongs to a collection.

D．The poem was written for the English.

2. Which of the following can best describe the airman?

A．Patriotic.

B．Adventurous.

C．Scared.

D．Life loving.

3. At the end of this passage, the author might continue to write about______.

A．the voice of the poet

B．other poems of the poet

C．other poetic techniques used in the poem

D．the conversation between the poet and the airman

4. Which of the following is the best title of the poem?

A．An Irish Airman Foresees His Death	B．The Irish Guarding the English
C．Dying a Painful Death	D．Fighting for Kiltartan Cross

【推荐2】For the instinctive writer, there’s the thrill of never knowing what will happen next and just going where the music takes you. It’s magical to write that way.     1     When someone asked the nineteenth century French poet Charles Baudelaire where he got his inspiration, he replied, “Madame, I brush my teeth every morning.” No, it’s not a serious answer, but what else could he say?

Quite often, your best lines and melodies will just pop into your head, and you don’t understand how or why. Instinctive writing depends completely on that moment, so everything is a surprise.     2    . And more often than not, instinctive writers are also the groundbreakers. With no rules to hold them back, they often find brand-new ways of saying things.

The problem is that instinctive writers usually don’t bother paying any attention to craft; essentially, they write blind. If they’re fortunate enough to experience critical or commercial success, it becomes very frightening. Since there’s no craft to back them up, they never know if the magic will be there when they need it. That stops them from doing anything involving a deadline (writing for films, television, or Broadway), co-writing on specific projects (like with an artist who’s recording a CD in two weeks), or even rewriting their own songs.     3    .

For instance, I was 14 when I had my first hit, a song called “Society’s Child.” I’d written a total of 15 songs. Since I also sang and recorded the song, people identified me closely with the song itself. Audiences twice my age were hanging on my every word. Critics would ask me to explain a lyric from my album, and all I could do was smile mysteriously. Three years after I wrote “Society’s Child,” I left the music industry, feeling like a cheat. It wasn’t until I’d written other successful songs like “Jesse,” and then “Stars,” that I felt qualified to call myself a songwriter.

Years later, discussing that period of my life with well-known acting teacher Stella Adler, I finally understood what had happened. Stella said, “Janis, you reached an age where talent was not enough.” She was exactly right.     4    .

A．Creating so much material requires a writer to tackle a wide variety of subjects.

B．Your talent and instinct can take you so far, but craft will see you through in the long run.

C．It takes the pressure off of deadlines and quantity; you count on sheer talent to provide the answers.

D．Staying with a difficult or boring piece of work might make you a better writer.

E．All writers admit that they often “don’t know where it came from.”

F．If you don’t know how you got there in the first place, how can you improve on it?

【推荐3】Poetry and science seem like opposites. Yet, if we look through our history, we’ll see that navigating (理解) science through poetry is not a new concept. In fact, records of scientific poetry can date back to the late 1700s. English physician and naturalist Erasmus Darwin (Charles Darwin’s grandfather) used poetry to celebrate scientific   discoveries and inventions in The Botanic Garden, which he published in 1791. His book was well-received in Britain and the United States. In the next few decades, many European and North American poets y followed his lead.

This relationship unfortunately became weak as literature and the natural sciences gradually grew apart by the end of the 19th century. While scientific research expanded rapidly, the topics being studied also became more specialized Experts believe that poetry — a relatively time-consuming art form — simply couldn’t keep up with the demand for more efficient science communication. All of this has led to scientific literature being gas we know it today: articles written in complicated, academic language that is not easily understood by non-scientists.

In recent years, there’ve been calls to explore the intersections between science and the creative arts. For example, in 2014, Dr. Sam Illingworth, a senior lecturer at the University We stem Australia, started a weekly blog called The Poetry of Science where he reads a piece of scientific research and translates the findings into an original piece of poetry. His blog reached tens of thousands of readers, and he has since extended his work to research publications.

Like many other experts, Dr. Illingworth believes that poetry can help facilitate dialogue between scientists and non-scientists, and this view is supported by studies from around the world!

As we continue to make advances in science and technology, perhaps we can also turn to poetry to help us navigate the ever-growing fountain of knowledge reported by scientists each day.

1. Why does the author mention The Botanic Garden?

A．To propose new means to combine poetry and science.

B．To explain the historical concepts of poetry and science

C．To prove poetry and science have long been integrated.

D．To show poetry and science functioned differently in history.

2. What is said about today’s scientific literature?

A．It is written in poetic language.	B．It is unfriendly to non-scientists
C．It becomes a time-consuming art form.	D．It contributes to the scientific research.

3. What does Dr. Illingworth use his blog to do?

A．Summarize research findings in a poem.	B．Stress the influence of science on poetry.
C．Encourage scientists to share their research.	D．Offer readers a platform to create poems.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Science gives new life to poetry.	B．Poetry and science change our life.
C．Communicating science through poetry.	D．Firing our enthusiasm for science education.