In Australia, as the world locked down to slow the tide of the Covid-19 outbreak, Dr. Daniel Reardon, an astrophysicist living in Melbourne, was admitted to hospital after getting four magnets (磁铁) stuck up his nose in an attempt to invent a device that stops people touching their faces during the coronavirus outbreak. Originally, Reardon, who despite his qualifications has by his own account really no experience or expertise in building circuits or things, planned to use his time creating a device that — worn as a necklace, with a powerful neodymium magnet worn on the wrist — would set off an alarm if you brought your hand too close to your face. However, it turned out that Reardon’s facility did the opposite. The necklace screams continuously unless you move your hand close to your face.
After this initial failure, it seems, lockdown boredom really set in. Reardon started playing with the magnets, clipping (夹住) them to his face and then to his nostril. Things went downhill pretty quickly when he clipped them to his other nostril.
He placed two magnets inside his nostrils, and two on the outside. When he removed the magnets from the outside of his nose, the two inside stuck together. He decided to Google the problem and found the solution was more magnets on the outside to offset the pull from the ones inside.
As he was pulling downwards to try and remove the magnets, they clipped on to each other and he lost his grip. And those two magnets ended up in his left nostril while the other one was in his right. At that point he ran out of magnets.
Ultimately, after some further struggles involving some pliers which became magnetized, Reardon was hospitalized — with his partner, who works at a hospital, taking him in because she wanted all her colleagues to laugh at him. After the magnets were successfully removed, Reardon received some medical notes which contained the phrase: “Denies difficulty breathing. Denies further magnets.”
1. Why did Reardon start his invention?| A．To amuse himself. | B．To remind wearers. |
| C．To stop covid-19. | D．To kill time. |
| A．He lacked qualifications. | B．He was inexperienced. |
| C．He had no spare parts. | D．He was fully occupied. |
| A．Each of Reardon’s nostrils had two magnets in. |
| B．It’s dangerous to play with neodymium magnets. |
| C．People tend to surf the Internet for their problems. |
| D．Reardon could have saved face with enough magnets. |
| A．Funny. | B．Awkward. | C．Boring. | D．Creative. |
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【推荐1】Scientists in South Africa have found that ceramic (瓷的) nest boxes can protect endangered African penguins from climate change.
In the past, the penguins laid eggs in holes dug into centuries-old layers of their own droppings, most of which was shipped by traders to the United Kingdom as fertilizer (肥料) in the 1800s. Since then, many penguins have nested in the open, exposing their eggs and themselves to the burning heat.
Because penguins evolved to keep heat in cold water, they can easily overheat on land. Typically, penguins leave their nests regularly to cool off in the sea. But without proper holes, this leaves their eggs unprotected. Since 1900, the African penguin population has dropped from three million to only 48,000.
Fortunately, a team of researchers seem to have found a way. Over the past years, the team has put more than 1,500 handmade ceramic nest boxes in five areas where the penguins live, including Bird Island in Algoa Bay, South Africa, which is home to nearly half of the world’s remaining African penguins. Looking like small round houses, the double-walled ceramic nests can keep African penguins cool.
“The nests are so useful,” says Welman, a zoologist, “Even if adults had to leave nests for some reason, their eggs would never be at any risk of overheating.” Christina Hagen of Bird Life South Africa, who was not part of the study, says finding effective conservation solutions is important given the decreasing population of African penguins.
The main threat to African penguins is overfishing of anchovy and sardines, the penguins’ favorite food. Scientists and conservationists are pushing the South African government to close commercial fishing around the five African penguin breeding (繁殖) colonies until populations recover. But without protection from rising temperatures, those efforts alone may not be enough. Ceramic nests could help to give these beloved penguins a fighting chance.
1. What can we learn about African penguins from the passage?| A．They well adapt to high temperatures. |
| B．They are mainly threatened by pollution. |
| C．They are suffering a lot from overheating. |
| D．They have a population of over three million. |
| A．There is a vast population of African penguins. |
| B．It enjoys the best climate for African penguins. |
| C．African penguins there can nest in the open. |
| D．There are holes for penguins to lay eggs. |
| A．To allow the penguins to stay cool inside. |
| B．To protect the penguins from being hunted. |
| C．To provide a place for the penguins to rest. |
| D．To save enough room for the adult penguins. |
| A．Creating more nesting areas for the penguins. |
| B．Stopping people fishing where the penguins breed. |
| C．Introducing new species of fish for the penguins. |
| D．Providing man-made cooling facilities for the penguins. |
【推荐2】A small robot may help children who are recovering (康复) from a long-term illness in the hospital or at home. Anyone who has had a long-term illness knows that recovering at home can be lonely, which is especially true of children. These children may feel isolated from their friends and classmates. The robot takes their place at school. Through the robot, the children can hear their teachers and friends. They also can take part in class activities from wherever they are recovering.
Norwegian researchers have developed a clever robot called AV1 to keep children recovering from long-term illness connected to their friends and their education. AV1 is large and looks like a human because it is supposed to be a friend to the children. It was designed to be hard. It is water-resistant (防水) and can take a fall from a desk without break. AVI goes to school for a child who is at home while recovering from a long-term illness. And the child’s school friends must help. They carry the robot to school and between classes place the robot on the child’s desk.
At home, the child uses a tablet (手写板) or phone to start the robot. Then they use the same device (装置) to control the robot’s movements. At school, the robot becomes the eyes, ears and voice of the child. The student can take part in classroom activities from wherever they are recovering — whether at home or from a hospital bed. The robot is equipped (装备，配备) with speakers, microphones and cameras that make communicating easy.
Robots are, quite simply, cool. The robot just became available (可得到的) to the public. Hopefully AVI will help some children feel less lonely while they are absent from class.
1. The robot can help children ________.| A．who study at home on their own |
| B．who are absent from school for illness |
| C．who show no interest in school studying |
| D．who feel alone at home without parents |
| A．separated | B．different | C．connected | D．communicated |
| A．Because it can help children better. |
| B．Because children like it very much. |
| C．Because children can treat it as a friend. |
| D．Because it can do the homework like a human. |
| A．Robots help sick children a lot. |
| B．Robots aim to help children with study. |
| C．Robots are to be friends to the children. |
| D．Robots can take part in classroom activities. |
【推荐3】Most of the wind available on land is too gentle to push commercial wind turbine（涡轮机），but now researchers in China have designed a kind of "tiny wind turbine,, that can use wind energy from breezes as little as those created by a quick walk. The new device is not technically a turbine. It is a nanogenerator made of two plastic strips in a tube that clap together when there is airflow. Like rubbing a balloon to your hair, the two plastics become electrically charged after being separated from contact, a phenomenon called the triboelectric effect. But instead of making your hair stand up like Einstein's, the electricity generated by the two plastic strips is captured and stored.
"Our intention isn't to replace existing wind power generation technology. "Our goal is to solve the issues that the traditional wind turbines can't solve?" says Ya Yang, a researcher from Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems. "Unlike wind turbines that use coils and magnets （磁石） where the costs are fixed, we can pick and choose low-cost materials for our device. Our device can also be safely applied to nature reserves or cities because it doesn't have the rotating （旋转）structures.
Yang says he has a small vision and a big vision for the project's next steps. In the past, Yang and his colleagues have designed a nanogenerator as small as a coin, but he wants to make it even tinier and more compact with higher efficiency. Yang is also looking to make the device bigger and more powerful. "I'm hoping to scale up the device to produce 1,000 watts. We can place these devices where traditional wind turbines can't reach. We can put it in the mountains or on the top of buildings for sustainable energy.
1. What do we know about the new device in paragraph 1?| A．It is called tiny wind turbine. |
| B．It can help you walk quickly. |
| C．It consists of a tube and two plastic strips. |
| D．It is a turbine used to store the electricity. |
| A．Its cost is fixed because of materials used in it; |
| B．It has solved the problems the old device can't. |
| C．It creates a cheap and secure way of making electricity. |
| D．It can take the place of the present wind generators. |
| A．He intends to make the device much smaller. |
| B．He plans to apply the device to nature reserves and cities. |
| C．He means to make the device more powerful and widely used. |
| D．He wants to make the device the biggest one in the country. |
| A．Science. | B．Culture. | C．Fashion. | D．Business. |
【推荐1】As we know birds do not have teeth. However, according to a new study, this was not always the case. About 116 million years ago, the ancient birds had teeth and used them for eating, just like what they do today. The new study was conducted by a team of researchers that analyzed the remains of the tooth gene in modern birds and tried to find out why the teeth suddenly disappeared in birds during the process of evolution.
Because the fossils of ancient birds, buried deeply in the earth, are either broken or not preserve(保护)well, their use in determining this evolutionary(进化)change has not been helpful. Researchers have instead focused on analyzing the DNA of modern birds. The aim of the study is to search for clues in the genes of birds that explain the loss of teeth during evolution.
In the absence of teeth, birds heavily rely on their beaks(鸟嘴)to process food. They also have an excellent ability to digest the food properly. However, at some point in history, birds used to rely on their teeth for chewing(咀嚼)food just like us.
The earliest known clue in this regard was found in Germany in 1862. The fossil of an ancient bird found there, suggested that birds had teeth in the past. Today, scientists have confirmed(确认)that birds evolved form dinosaurs that were known for their sharp and pointed teeth.
Until now, there has been no definite explanation of the significant evolutionary change in birds. In the ongoing study, researchers analyzed the genes of modern birds that are responsible for tooth production. They searched for any kind of genetic mutation(基因突变)that may have made the gene to become inactive. The gene mutation first occurred about 116 million years ago.
1. What does the underlined word "fossils" mean in Paragraph 2?| A．A kind of bodies which are still full of life now. |
| B．A kind of stones which were from ancient animals. |
| C．A kind of animals which were relatives to modern birds. |
| D．A kind of ancient dinosaurs which hid deeply in the earth. |
| A．By studying the DNA of modern birds. |
| B．By studying the functions of birds' mouth. |
| C．By comparing the dinosaurs and the birds together. |
| D．By visiting Germany to get the newest information. |
| A．Uninterested. | B．Disappointed. |
| C．Convinced. | D．Unsure. |
| A．The Ancient Birds | B．The Ancient Birds Have Teeth |
| C．The Ancient Birds Are like Human | D．The Birds Abandoned the Teeth Now |
【推荐2】The city of Toronto is the capital of Ontario and is a popular tourist destination with its beautiful city attractions, activities, sights, and so much more to enjoy. During your time in the city, you can find theme parks, historic locations, beautiful nature areas, and great shopping opportunities. Prepare for an unforgettable vacation to the city with many of the locations listed below.
Popular Toronto, ON Attractions
Canada's Wonderland
This amazing 330-acre theme park allows for the entire family to enjoy their time in the city of Toronto, Ontario. The park offers a variety of rides for all ages including thrilling rides and roller coasters, family areas and rides featuring over 25 attractions and rides, and amazing live shows to enjoy during your visit. During the warmer months, the park also includes a 20-acre water park to cool off and relax together with fun slides, pools, and more. To make the park a full-day adventure, there are multiple dining options as well for a bite to eat when hunger sets in.
Toronto Helicopter Tours
The city of Toronto has a lot to offer from its skyline including historic locations, skyscrapers, and more. With Toronto Helicopter Tours, you can see all of these amazing sights from high above the sky for the perfect bird’s eye view of the city. Your experienced guide will provide a live commentary （报导）along the way to point out points of interest, as well as give fun facts and information about certain areas. The tour will be the perfect opportunity to get photos of the city and of your travels as you fly up to 2,000 feet over the beautiful downtown Toronto sky.
Hop On - Hop Off City Tour
See the beautiful city of Toronto with this amazing hop on and hop off city tour. This city tour allows you to get around the city in an one-of-a-kind way to see many popular locations in the downtown area. The tour allows you to hop off at any time to see the sites and then hop on again to continue getting around the city. The full tour without hopping off takes 2 hours if you are wanting to get a great overview o£ the city to decide where to go first as well as get great photos from the double decker bus. Locations along the way of the tour include the Bata Shoe Museum, Casa Loma, Dundas Square, Park Hyatt, CN Tower, Union Station, Harbourfront, Distillery District, and so much more.
1. Where can our family get fun in a water park on a hot day?| A．Canada's Wonderland | B．Toronto Helicopter Tours |
| C．Hop On-Hop Off City Tour | D．CN Tower |
| A．Thrilling rides and roller coasters. |
| B．Driving a plane as a pilot. |
| C．2 hours of getting around the city. |
| D．A great overlook of the city. |
| A．The downtown area. | B．Toronto's Universities |
| C．The Theme Park. | D．Ontario's other areas |
【推荐3】As for the choice of jobs, girls and boys as young as seven have preference with gender ( 性 别 ) differences in a new study. Girls choose jobs based on care and love, while boys choose jobs based on money and power.
Professor Laura Scholes and Dr Sarah McDonald surveyed 332 Year 3 students from 14 Australian schools. They found that the top professions for boys included sports and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) related jobs, while girls, on the other hand, wanted to be teachers or nurses.
Professor Scholes said the influence of gender stereotypes (刻板印象) on such choices begins in early childhood. “Bright pink toys for girls and blue toys for boys are sold on store shelves around the world. ” she said, “In the boys’ section, you’ll find science, construction and warfare toys — perhaps a robot or a telescope. In the girls’ section, you’ll see toys related to cleaning, dolls, kitchens, makeup, jewellery and crafts. ”
“This results in lower numbers of girls taking STEM subjects at school. In turn, this means fewer women are going to work in the sciences. ” Professor Scholes’s comments came as women make up only 2 percent of the STEM workforce, with the biggest gap in the highest-paid jobs of computer science and engineering.
In Australia, some brands (品牌) are no longer targeting boys or girls with their toys. Danish toy giant Lego last week announced that they would remove gender stereotypes from their toys, after a global study found that 71 percent of boys feared being made fun of for playing with toys marketed at girls. Lego said its products were mainly used by boys, but it promised to work to remove gender preference from its toys and instead market them for both genders.
1. Which of the following jobs do the girls not tend to choose?| A．Teachers. | B．Programmers. | C．Dressers | D．Nurses. |
| A．The effect of gender stereotypes. |
| B．Their desire to be teachers or nurses. |
| C．Their hobbies based on care and love. |
| D．Low-paid jobs concerned with sciences. |
| A．Some brands advertise their products for boys. |
| B．Some brands use gender stereotypes from their toys. |
| C．Some brands advertise their products for both genders. |
| D．Some brands target boys or girls with their products. |
| A．Supportive. | B．Worried. | C．Doubtful. | D．Negative. |
