Plastic is everywhere, from the Arctic ice to vital organs in the human body. In fact, previous estimates suggest that the average person swallows a credit card-worth of microscopic plastic particles(颗粒) every week. But new research shows that this could actually be an understatement.
Microplastics are plastics smaller than 5 millimeters, found in industrial waste, beauty products, and formed during the degradation of larger plastic pieces. Over time, they break down into even smaller nanoplastics. These tiny particles can pass through our intestines and lungs into our bloodstreams, reaching vital organs like the heart and brain.
While the idea of eating plastic is unsettling in itself, the major concern here is that these plastic particles contain chemicals that can interrupt our body’s natural release of hormones, potentially increasing our risk of reproductive disorders and certain cancers. They can also carry toxins(毒素) on their surface like heavy metals.
In the past, researchers have shown bottled water can contain tens of thousands of identifiable plastic fragments in a single container. However, until recently, only the larger microplastics were detectable with available measuring tools, leaving the area of nanoplastics largely a mystery.
Using Raman microscopy (显微镜学), capable of detecting particles down to the size of a flu virus, the team measured an average of 240, 000 particles of plastic per liter of bottled water, 90 percent of which were nanoplastics, a revelation 10 to 100 times larger than previous estimates.
These plastics likely originate from the bottle material, filters used to “purify” the water, and the source water itself. “It is not totally unexpected to find so much of this stuff, ” the study’s lead author, Columbia graduate student Naixin Qian, said in a statement. His team hopes to expand their research into tap water and other water sources to better inform our exposure to these potentially dangerous particles. “The idea is that the smaller things get, the more of them I reveal, ” he added.
1. What is the primary focus of the new research?| A．The presence of plastic particles. | B．The use of plastic in everyday products. |
| C．The detection methods for microplastics. | D．The potential risks of nanoplastics to human. |
| A．Finding the source of plastic particles. | B．Helping to cure the deadly flu virus. |
| C．Detecting the smaller plastic particles. | D．Improving the quality of bottled water. |
| A．To focus on areas with higher plastic pollution. |
| B．To be aware of the dangerous particles in daily life. |
| C．To further measure the types of particles in tap water. |
| D．To detect the smaller plastic particles in industrial areas. |
| A．Skeptical. | B．Objective. | C．Conservative. | D．Positive. |
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【推荐1】When I was small and my grandmother died, I couldn’t understand why I had no tears. But that night when my dad tried to cheer me up, my laughs turned into crying,
So it came as no surprise to learn that researchers believe crying and laughing are controlled by the same part of the brain. Just as laughing has many health advantages, scientists are discovering that so does crying.
Whatever helps us to reduce pressure is important to our emotional health, and crying seems to work well. One study found that 85 percent of women and 73 percent of men report feeling better after crying.
Besides, tears attract help from other people. Researchers agree that when we cry, people around us become kinder and friendlier and they are more ready to provide support and comfort. Tears also enable us to understand our emotions better, sometimes we don’t even know we’re very sad until we cry. We learn about our emotions through crying, and then we can deal with them.
Just as crying can be healthy, not crying-holding back tears of anger, pain or suffering-can be bad for physical health. Studies have shown that too much control of emotions can lead to high blood pressure, heart problems and some other illness. If you have a health problem, doctors will certainly not ask you to cry. But when you feel like crying, don’t fight it. It’s a natural, healthy and emotional response.
1. Why didn’t the author cry when her grandmother died?| A．Because her father did not want her to feel too sad. | B．Because she did not love her grandmother. |
| C．Because she was too shy to cry at that time. | D．The author doesn’t give the explanation. |
| A．there are two ways to keep healthy |
| B．emotional health has a close relationship to physical health |
| C．crying and laughing play the same roles |
| D．crying does more good to health than laughing |
| A．Crying is the best way to get help from others. |
| B．Fighting back tears may cause some health problems. |
| C．We will never know our deep feelings unless we cry. |
| D．We must cry if we want to reduce pressure. |
| A．Why We Cry. | B．How to Keep Healthy. |
| C．Power of Tears. | D．New Scientific Discovery. |
| A．Positive. | B．Negative. | C．Touched. | D．Upset. |
【推荐2】The position of a car's fuel door (if you can actually remember where it is) remains one of the greatest unsolved motoring mysteries.
Do car company engineers draw straws (抽签) to decide what side of the car the fuel door goes on? No. According to Ford spokesman Mark Schirmer, as reported on the Allstate Blog, engineers are free to place fuel doors on the side of the car that offers the easiest packaging. And while one on each side would be rather convenient, we're not likely to see double fuel doors anytime soon—there's neither the room nor the demand for them.
"The placement of the fuel door is mainly a factor of fuel tank design, location, and underbody packaging," Nissan's Steve Yaeger told the Allstate Blog." With all of the structure and components located underneath the vehicle, engineers would quickly encounter restrictions in trying to route the filler tube to the same side on every vehicle."
Schirmer says Americans prefer fuel doors on the left side of their cars, probably because it makes it easier for them to place their car's left fender close to the fuel pump. For this reason, itˈs possible that drivers in the U. K., Australia, New Zealand, India, and other countries who drive on the left side of the road favor a right-hand-side fuel door. But thereˈs nothing to confirm that driver preference is a factor. There are regulations about where the fuel door should be positioned, but these donˈt specify the right or left side of the car.
If you canˈt remember the location of your fuel door, simply look at the little diamond-shaped arrow on the fuel gauge (燃油量表) on your dashboard—it points to the side of the car where the fuel door is. Do it before you pull up to the pump, to avoid the embarrassment of having to get back into your car and drive to another pump.
1. Why don't all cars have gas tanks on the same side?| A．Engineers place fuel doors where they like. |
| B．Drivers ask for its position due to their driving habits. |
| C．It troubles engineers if they are on the same side. |
| D．There are regulations about which side it should be positioned. |
| A．They are left-handed. |
| B．Itˈs convenient for their fuel filling. |
| C．It is easier to place their carˈs right fender near the fuel pump. |
| D．There are many cars with a right-hand-side fuel door in America. |
| A．The fuel door. | B．The fuel gauge. |
| C．The dashboard. | D．The diamond-shaped arrow. |
| A．Tips to Identify the Location of the Fuel Door |
| B．The Popularity of a Right-hand-side Fuel Door to American Drivers |
| C．Reasons for Gas Tanks on Different Sides |
| D．The Motoring Mysteries |
【推荐3】A group of scientists is gathering today in the U. K. to discuss a thick piece of ice that’s cracking in Antarctica, which is of the size of Delaware.
The ice shelf is called Larsen C, and it now has a 90-mile crack running through it. The big rift (裂缝) is slicing the ice shelf from top to bottom. But this is not just another sad climate change story. It’s more complicated. “A lot of things are going on deep inside the ice,” says Adrian Luckman, a glaciologist.
Luckman says climate change is certainly influencing this region. Larsen C used to have two neighbors to the north, Larsen A and Larsen B. As the air and water warmed, those ice shelves started melting and then disappeared in 1995 and 2002. But the crack in Larsen C seems to have happened on its own, for different reasons.
Larsen C has many cracks. All ice shelves do. This particular crack has been around since at least the 1960s. The unusual part is that in 2014, this crack — and only this crack — started growing quickly. Why?
“Well, that is a little bit of a mystery and that's why it drew itself to our attention,” says Luckman. One puzzling aspect is how it managed to cut through areas of softer ice that bind (连接) the ice from neighboring glaciers into one giant sheet. Starting in 2014, that soft ice did very little to slow down this rift.
Scientists are split on how important this crack is for the stability of the whole ice shelf. Some say if this giant section breaks off, it won’t make a difference. Others disagree.
“Ice shelves are the gates of Antarctica in a way, and the gatekeepers of Antarctica. The ice shelves are already floating, so if they fall apart it does not immediately affect sea levels. It’s what they hold back -water from all the inland glaciers — that could be problematic. If all the water packed in those glaciers made their way to the sea, it could significantly raise global sea levels,” says Ala Khazendar, a geophysicist.
1. Larsen C’s two neighbors disappeared mainly because of ________.| A．climate change | B．human behavior |
| C．the crack in Larsen C | D．some unknown reasons |
| A．Because it still exists. |
| B．Because it has many cracks. |
| C．Because one of its cracks is growing rapidly. |
| D．Because it is getting bigger and bigger quickly. |
| A．It is easy to cut through. |
| B．Its forming is still a mystery. |
| C．It can prevent cracking to a degree. |
| D．It exists mainly in small pieces of ice. |
| A．He is very curious. | B．He is unconcerned. |
| C．He is pretty optimistic. | D．He is cautiously worried. |
【推荐1】Methods to Help Solve Air Pollution
With the development of the industry, air pollution has become an internationally concerned issue. The governments are taking efficient measures to prevent the situation getting worse.
1.Leave your cars at home.
Cars, being the greatest source of air pollution, can be left at home this weekend.
2.Volunteer yourself
This is one of the best things you can do. Why? Because it will do you good too.
3.Green-up your home.
This is one of the most common things that people do whenever Earth Day rolls around. That is to switch off their lights. However, this is not something you should do just for a day and for only an hour.
4.Pledge (保证) to do more every day
You know what the best way to celebrate Earth Day is? Extend your celebrations. That’s right! Do something every day that will improve your surroundings to make the planet a better place to live in.
| A．Bathing every day is bad for our health. |
| B．Voluntary work does good to your body and mind. |
| C．Travelling via public transport is the better option. |
| D．Join other like-minded individuals in a common task. |
| E．Always remember that every step, every initiative counts. |
| F．But as a member of the earth village, you can also help a lot. |
| G．Conserve energy by switching off all power whenever they are not in use. |
【推荐2】You are drinking plastic,I’m drinking plastic and we’re all drinking plastic.Bottled water drinkers may be drinking the most plastic of all.
A new study released by Orb Media evaluates that on average,a liter of bottled water from big brands like Dasani,Aquafina,and Nestle,contains roughly 10.4 tiny plastic bits.The world drinks them in swiftly,consuming roughly a million plastic bottles a minute,as The Guardian evaluates.Aquafina and Dasani both said that their bottled water is tested on strict standards.Nestle said the company hasn’t found microplastics in its water bottles beyond a “trace(微量)level”.Evian did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In our modern,plastic-filling world,these little plastic bits-many thinner than a human hair-seem to be very common everywhere.We don’t know exactly what these plastic parts are doing to our bodies,but we’re drinking them in anyway.That’s an alarming possibility,because in the ocean,these little plastics are doing harmful things to fish.In some species,they’re even slowing down growth and reproduction.
While there isn’t clear evidence yet that the plastics in single-use water bottles can increase cancer risk,we know that bottles containing a chemical called Bisphenol A(BPA) do.The hard BPA plastics in certain reusable water bottles can lead to higher risks of breast cancer,and other diseases.And a few studies suggest the softer kinds of single-use water bottles can have similar chemicals inside.
The tiny plastic bits aren’t just in our bottles.They come out of our taps,too.The tiny plastics are also swimming in the seas and disturbing the way fish eat.In some countries,microplastics are even slipping into the salt markets.Even Dasani wrote in its statement:“It’s clear the world has a problem with plastic waste.”
1. What can we infer about Evian?| A．It is a social medium. |
| B．It produces a chemical. |
| C．It can be a plastic bottle. |
| D．It can be a water company. |
| A．Describe basic facts about plastics. |
| B．Focus on the potential danger of plastics. |
| C．Discuss the living conditions of fish. |
| D．Illustrate the part plastics are playing. |
| A．Anxious. | B．Positive. | C．Disappointed. | D．Uncaring. |
| A．Here’s What Microplastics in Bottled Water Do. |
| B．Bottled Water Does Harm to the Environment. |
| C．The Importance of Recycling Water Bottles. |
| D．Species Are Suffering From Microplastics. |
【推荐3】Scientists say they have found high levels of small plastic particles(颗粒) in Arctic snow. A German-Swiss research team collected snow samples(样本）from the Arctic and other areas. They included northern Germany, the Bavarian and Swiss Alps, and the North Sea island of Heligoland.When the researchers examined the samples in a laboratory, they were surprised to find very high levels of microplastics.
Microplastics are very small pieces of plastic. These plastic particles are generally smaller than 5 millimeters in length. They come from the breakdown of man-made plastic products and industrial waste.
The study found the highest levels of microplastics came from the Bavarian Alps. One snow sample from the area had 154,000 microplastic particles per liter. Samples collected from the Arctic had much lower levels. However, even samples from the Arctic contained up to 14,000 particles per liter.
The study also attempted to explore how some of the material could have been carried in the atmosphere. A limited number of earlier studies did find microplastics in the air of some cities, including Paris, Tehran and Dongguan, China.
Bergmann Melanie co-wrote the report on the new study. She believes the new study clearly shows that “the majority of the microplastic in the snow comes from the air.” The new study suggests that much of the microplastic found in Europe and the Arctic comes from the atmosphere and snow.
While there is growing concern about the effect of microplastics on the environment, scientists are still studying their possible harmful effects on humans and animals. “I hope the new study will lead to more research on this issue. I think microscopic plastic particles should be included in worldwide observations of air pollution levels.We really need to know what effects microplastics have on humans, especially if inhaled with the air that we breathe.” Bergmann said.
1. Why did scientists collect samples from so many places in paragragh 1?| A．To make the research convincing. |
| B．To attract people to explore there. |
| C．To measure the length of microplastics . |
| D．To examine the samples easily in the lab. |
| A．The risks of microplastics. |
| B．The transport of microplastics. |
| C．The breakdown of plastic products. |
| D．The description of microplastics. |
| A．Many people threw them away at the Alps. |
| B．They were delivered to remote areas through air. |
| C．They could be caught sight of in the air. |
| D．They had no great effect on the environment. |
| A．Scientists are worried about the the influence of microplastics. |
| B．We have found a practical solution to the environment problem. |
| C．The effect of microplastics on human must be urgently researched. |
| D．There is no need to change observations of air pollution levels. |
【推荐1】When it comes to risky behavior, adolescence is the perfect storm. In fact, teens are hardwired to seek challenge. According to a study by University College London (UCL), risk-taking behavior peaks during adolescence. As an adolescent’s social-emotional system matures, they long for stimulation and teen challenge.
Moreover, the study found that teens took risks because they enjoyed the thrill. In fact, they often understood the consequences of their behavior. However, the desire to take risks was stronger than their common sense. That’s because the teen brain is not fully developed. Therefore, the areas controlling impulses (冲动) and decision-making are still immature.
The study involved adolescents and adults aged 9 to 35 years. Participants chose between risky and safe options in a computer gambling game. Scientists found that the teenagers took the most risks compared with the other groups. In fact, 14-year old teens demonstrated the most risky behavior. In other words, they were constantly seeking challenge and excitement.
In another study at the University of Texas at Austin, participants aged 8 to 30 were given money as a reward for correctly identifying an image. Scientists measured how their brains responded when they found out whether their answers were right or wrong. The teenagers’ brains released the highest levels of dopamine, a chemical associated with pleasure. Dopamine motivates the brain to seek rewards and is linked to addiction. Thus, the researchers concluded that teens are more willing to take risks in order to experience rewards.
Risk-taking isn’t always a bad thing if it takes place within safe boundaries. In fact, a certain level of safe, positive risk-taking is essential for teens to develop their sense of self and gain self-esteem (自尊). Healthy risk-taking activities include playing sports, outdoor adventures, performing on stage, and reaching out to make new friends.
In conclusion, there’s no getting around it: Teens will always seek thrills and push the limits. They’re made that way. But parents can help them find healthy challenges that support growth and reduce risk.
1. What is the reason for teens’ tendency to take risks?| A．They lack common sense and decision-making ability. |
| B．They don’t understand the consequences of their behavior. |
| C．They enjoy the excitement and actively pursue stimulation. |
| D．Their brain areas controlling impulses are fully developed. |
| A．By analyzing the choices of teens and adults in the gambling game. |
| B．By analyzing the results of the gambling game. |
| C．By measuring how brains worked in the gambling game. |
| D．By observing how excited the teens were in the gambling game. |
| A．The more risk-taking teens are, the more self-esteem they have. |
| B．Dopamine plays an important role in teens’ risk-taking activities. |
| C．Making new friends shouldn’t be considered as risk-taking. |
| D．Taking risks makes a teenager more eager for reward. |
| A．Negative. | B．Approving. | C．Objective. | D．Ambiguous. |
【推荐2】Cars could soon be communicating with each other using 5G to make drivers aware of upcoming dangers, scientists claim. The ultra-fast mobile Internet would allow for rapid information transmission and could make drivers aware of black ice, pot holes or other dangers up ahead.
Several car manufacturers are already integrating 5G into their vehicles, including as a tool to welcome the coming of self-driving vehicles. Experts believe the high-speed connection will also improve the reliability and capability of automated vehicles to the point where they will be safer than the manual cars being driven today. They predict the number of road traffic accidents—which according to the World Health Organization (WHO) account for more than 1.3 million deaths and up to 50 million people injured worldwide every year—will drop thoroughly as a result.
Dr Dimitrios Liarokapis, a member of the research group, said: "With the help of 5G, an early warning system that alerts (给……报警）drivers is possible within the next few years. Cars that are close enough to the danger area will send warning messages to other cars around them using short-range communication technologies, but also to cars further away using 5G, fast and reliably. Then those cars will transmit the same information to cars near them and so on, forming a joined-up, multi-vehicle communication chain that stretches far and wide."
Automotive giant Ford is already working on connected cars. Earlier this year it revealed its intention to fit 80 percent of its 2020 vehicles with technology that warns drivers about upcoming road accidents, bad weather and traffic jams. The system pools data from other connected road users, emergency services and the authorities and sends it from the cloud directly to the car. Alerts are shown on the car's dashboard display warning the driver about what lies around the corner.
1. How can 5G help reduce road accidents?| A．By offering the fast mobile Internet. |
| B．By helping drivers overcome dangers. |
| C．By offering practical safety programs. |
| D．By helping WHO calculate traffic accidents. |
| A．To track other drivers. |
| B．To send warning messages. |
| C．To collect drivers' information. |
| D．To send the traffic situation to the police. |
| A．They will be safer. |
| B．They may be bigger. |
| C．They may replace other vehicles. |
| D．They will be more personalized. |
| A．Cars of Ford are the most intelligent. |
| B．Warning messages are shown on phones. |
| C．Ford is the first producer to use 5G. |
| D．Connected cars are equipped with 5G. |
【推荐3】Blood donations save lives. But blood can only be stored by freezing for up to six weeks. “Because of that limitation, people have to continually donate blood to meet the needs. But also, in places where freezing may not be available, that can also be a challenge. It’s difficult to have blood available when needed.”
“The disruptions to regular blood donations due to COVID-19 have put stress on the blood supply, and the pandemic emphasizes the need for more reliable long-term storage methods.” University of Louisville bioengineer Jonathan Kopechek said.
Kopechek’s team has developed a method of preserving blood so it can be stored in a dehydrated state at room temperature. They turned to an unusual preservative: a sugar called trehalose（海藻糖）, which is a common ingredient in donuts... to help make them look fresh even when they might be months old, and you wouldn’t know the difference.
The researchers chose trehalose because, in nature, it’s made by hardy animals like tardigrades and sea monkeys—aka brine shrimp—famous for their ability to survive dehydration.
So these animals can dry out completely for a long period of time and then be rehydrated and resume normal function. First, the researchers had to get trehalose into blood cells. They used ultrasound（超声波）to drill temporary holes in the cell membranes—which let some trehalose get in. And they need to have sufficient levels of trehalose on both the inside and the outside of the cell in order to survive the dehydration and rehydration process. At that point, the blood could be dried and made into a powder. And then we can rehydrate the blood and have it return back to normal.
“The technique could be ready for clinical test in three to five years. If successful, it could be used to create stores of dried blood in case of future pandemics or natural disasters. Maybe medicine bag on the Red Planet will include dried red blood cells.” Kopechek said.
1. Why do people have to continually donate blood to meet the needs?| A．Because blood donations aren’t popular. |
| B．Because the blood needs can’t be met. |
| C．Because blood storage by freezing has time limit. |
| D．Because blood freezing is a challenge in many places. |
| A．pause | B．damage | C．end | D．distribution |
| A．Blood can be preserved in a dehydrated state by freezing. |
| B．Trehalose is only made by hardy animals like tardigrades. |
| C．Trehalose can help make donuts look fresh for a long time. |
| D．The technique of blood dehydration has been applied in clinical test. |
| A．By the process of dehydration and rehydration. |
| B．By being dried and made into a power. |
| C．By rehydrating the blood returning back to normal. |
| D．By the temporary holes drilled by ultrasound. |
