Are aliens trying to contact the Earth? Six new mysterious blasts of radio energy are detected from deep space. While the source of the waves remains unknown, some suggest the mysterious bursts of energy could be a sign of alien life trying to contact us. The waves were detected by researchers from McGill University in Montreal.
The detection follows 11 previously recorded fast radio bursts (FRBs) from the same location, called FRB121102. This is the only known repeater of FRBs. Although there have been a number of FRBs from the site, the origin of the radio bursts remains a puzzle to researchers.
But the researchers say that the repeated FRBs imply that whatever is causing the FRBs is not a one-time event, such as an explosion or a collision. Instead, they say that flares (耀斑) from a young neutron star (中子星) are a promising candidate.
Previously when waves have been detected, astronomers have also asked Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) to take a closer look at whether they could be a message from aliens. But it is unclear whether the researchers will ask SETI to help this time.
If there were any intelligent alien life forms out there, in Stephen Hawking’s opinion, we were playing a dangerous game by trying to contact them. If alien s discovered the Earth, they would likely want to conquer and colonize our planet.
But the co-founder and former director of the SETI Institute, Jill Tarter, doesn’t think this will be the case. She argues any alien s who have managed to travel across the universe may be friendly and peaceful. “The idea of a civilization which has managed to survive far longer than we have... and the fact that the technology remains an aggressive one, to me, doesn’t make sense,” she said.
1. What is the purpose of the question in paragraph 1?A.To draw readers’ attention. |
B.To indicate commonality in astronomy. |
C.To emphasize the mystery of the source. |
D.To highlight the discovery’s significance. |
A.Messages from aliens. |
B.The explosion of a star. |
C.Flares from a neutron star. |
D.A collision between two stars. |
A.We should try to find the aliens. |
B.The aliens may conquer the Earth. |
C.We can play games with the aliens. |
D.The aliens may live with us one day. |
A.Doubtful. | B.Critical. | C.Indifferent. | D.Supportive. |
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【推荐1】From people’s brains, a song was just picked by scientists. In a new experiment, electrodes (电极) measured their brain activity as they listened to a song. From those measurements, a computer could then produce noises that sounded like the song the people had heard.
The 29 participants were in the hospital and had electrodes fixed in their brains. These electrodes were meant to track the source of their epilepsy (癫痫), a disorder of the nervous system. For part of that time, they listened to a song-Pink Floyd’s 1979 hit Another Brick in the Wall. But in this experiment, the researchers found an additional use for the electrodes. They used them to catch the electrical signals moving between brain cells, or neurons (神经元).
Neurons responded to the song-especially in parts of the brain involved in processing sound. Electrodes detected neural signals associated with hearing rhythm, harmony and other aspects of music. With that information, the team built a computer model to create sounds based on brain activity. And it was able to produce noises that sounded like the original song.
“It’s a real tour deforce,” says Robert Zatorre, a neuroscientist in Canada. “You’re recording the activity of neurons directly from the brain, so you get very direct information about exactly what the patterns of activity are.”
The new study also highlights which parts of the brain respond to different aspects of music. Take one known as the Superior Temporal Gyrus (STG), an area of the brain that is in charge of sound and language. It’s found in the lower middle of each side of the brain. Activity in one part of the STG got stronger at the onset of specific sounds. Say when a guitar note played. Another area of the STG became obviously more active when it heard singing.
1. The application of detecting signals by the electrodes is ________.A.an improper practice | B.an unintentional move |
C.an efficient tracking method | D.an effective approach to treating epilepsy |
A.Detect neural signals. | B.Monitor brain activity. |
C.Analyze different brain activities. | D.Interpret neural signals into music. |
A.The brain is comprised of different areas. |
B.The new study proves the complexity of the brain. |
C.Different brain areas pick up various aspects of music. |
D.Different styles of music cause different brain activities. |
A.New Fields for Music Study | B.Reproduce Music from the Brain |
C.A Real Blessing for Music Lovers | D.Create Computer Models for Brain Research |
【推荐2】Negative effects of social media on teenagers
In the past few years, we have seen a rapid growth in the use of social media and networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, etc.
They share too much. Everyone of us has our own set of beliefs and ideas.
They affect social skills. Due to spending more time online teens often do not notice the importance and appropriate behaviors related to face-to-face contact.
They may result in identity theft(身份盗用). One of the big problems with social media sites is that teenagers often do not fully read or understand the privacy setting of their accounts. They do not realize the risks of giving away personal information. According to a recent survey, 20% of the teenagers think it is perfectly safe to post their personal information and photos online.
A.They cause emotional problems. |
B.And we’d like to share them with our close friends. |
C.They are harmful to friendships. |
D.Such teenagers may easily become victims(牺牲者)of identity theft. |
E.Teenagers love this new way of staying in touch with friends. |
F.This may lead to distrust of strangers. |
G.However, they are necessary skills for success in real life. |
【推荐3】Sport is not only physically challenging, but can also be mentally challenging. Criticism (批评) from coaches, parents and other teammates, as well as pressure to win can create too much anxiety or stress for young athletes. Stress can be physical, emotional, or psychological and research has indicated that it can lead to burnout. Burnout has been described as dropping out of or quitting an activity that was at one time enjoyable.
The early years of growth are important years for learning about oneself and the sport setting is one where valuable experiences can take place. Young athletes can for example, learn how to cooperate with others, make friends, and gain other social skills that will be used throughout their lives. Coaches and parents should be aware, at all times, that their feedback to youngsters can greatly affect their children. Youngsters may take their parents and coaches’ criticisms to heart and find faults in themselves.
Coaches and parents should also pay attention that youth sport participation does not become work for children. The outcome of the game should not be more important than the process of learning the sport an other life lessons. In today’s youth sport setting, young athletes may be worrying more about who will win instead of enjoying themselves and the sport. Following a game, many parents and coaches focus on the outcome and find faults with youngsters’ performances. Positive support should be provided regardless of the outcome. Research indicates that positive support encourages and has a greater effect on learning than criticism. Again, criticism can create high levels of stress, which can lead to burnout.
1. What is the main idea of the first paragraph?A.Sport can be mentally challenging. |
B.Stress should be made less. |
C.Mental stress should be reduced. |
D.Sport should be made less competitive. |
A.It enables them to criticize themselves. |
B.It can provide them with valuable experiences. |
C.It can help them learn more about society. |
D.It teaches them how to set realistic goals for themselves. |
A.Train children to deal with stress. | B.Help children to win every game. |
C.Make sure children enjoy sport. | D.Understand the meaning of sport. |
A.To stress the importance of encouraging children in sport. |
B.To persuade young children not to worry about criticism. |
C.To teach young athletes how to avoid burnout. |
D.To discuss the skill of combining criticism with encouragement. |
【推荐1】Tokyo's newly completed National Stadium was formally opened at a ceremony attended by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the famous architect Kengo Kuma. Costing around 157 billion yen ($1.4 billion), the 68,000-seat stadium will host the opening and closing ceremonies at both the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics. It will also be used for soccer matches and various track-and-field events during the Games.
Kuma said his design features three tiers (层)of seats beneath a partially covered roof made from steel and wood. “With the 2020 Olympics, we wanted to create something that focuses public attention on the environment or the Earth at the time/' he told CNN in an interview in June. “So., we thought that the best material for this era would be wood/'
At Sunday's ceremony, Abe praised the design for achieving ''harmony with the surrounding environment and a Japanese character." But as recently as 2015, the new National Stadium could have looked dramatically different. A futuristic design by the late British-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid had initially been selected, though Japan's Olympic organizers eventually gave up the plan because of enormous costs and fierce criticisms. Celebrated architect Arata Isozaki described Hadid's design as a "disgrace to future generations/'
The mission was then passed to 65-year-old Kuma. and he set about reimagining the project in his characteristically organic style. The architect said that his stadium design was partly inspired by Tokyo's Edo-period temples. "All over the world, architecture in the 20th century that uses concrete and steel feels cold and stiff I want to make it softer, kinder, warmer/' said Kuma, whose firm designed the stadium alongside architecture firm Azusa Sekkei. His final design features large roof eaves (屋檐)that encourage air to circulate, allowing breeze (微风)to enter the stadium during hot weather.
"We would like both athletes and audiences to enjoy the stadium, but we also thought of something we can contribute to the community," Kuma said, highlighting the pedestrianized areas he designed around the structure. The late switch of design meant that construction on the stadium did not begin until late 2016. As such, plans for the stadium to host matches in the recent Rugby World Cup were canceled.
1. What can we learn about Tokyo's new National Stadium?A.It cost about $157 billion in all |
B.It uses wood as one of its leading materials. |
C.It has several partially covered wooden roofs. |
D.It will be used for all ball games during the Games. |
A.To expose the beauty of the futuristic design. |
B.To report Abe's great appreciation tor her design. |
C.To show her contribution to Japanese architecture. |
D.To explain why Kama's design was adopted later. |
A.Zaha Hadid's designs. |
B.Ancient temples in Tokyo. |
C.Arata Isozaki's masterpieces. |
D.Architecture in the 20th century. |
A.The Rugby World Cup matches will be put off. |
B.The National Stadium wasn't completed on time. |
C.Kuma's design of the community was controversial |
D.The construction of the stadium didn't begin until 2017. |
【推荐2】Chinese scientists have collected seeds of several plants at a height of about 6,200 meters above sea level on the world's highest peak—Mount Qomolangma and will permanently preserve them in a place where seeds can be kept alive for as long as thousands of years.
The seed haven, namely the Germplasm (种质) Bank of Wild Species (GBWS), is located in an ordinary four-story building in a research institute in Kunming, Yunnan Province.
As the genes of most plants are contained in their seeds, germplasm resources have become the carriers of plants' genetic information. A seed bank serves as the most important facility for preserving such resources.
The fast loss of biodiversity and germplasm resources is the main reason for the establishment of seed banks around the world. Construction of the germplasm bank in Kunming started in 2004, and it was put into operation three years later.
“Wildlife germplasm resources have great application potential in the biological industry, attracting global attention, especially for the collection and preservation of wild plants,” said a researcher. Currently, seeds can only be accepted by the GBWS if they tick at least one of the three boxes: endangered, endemic (特有的) or “of economic importance”.
The long-term conservation of a seed is a complex procedure, involving more than 70steps, at the end of which the seed will be stored at -20℃. If properly stored, the seed could theoretically stay alive for decades or even thousands of years.
“When a species is destroyed by natural disasters, we will activate these seeds and bring the species to life,” said Li Dezhu, director of the seed bank.
1. What does the text say about the GBWS in Kunming?A.It has been in use since 2004. | B.It lies in a four-story building. |
C.It is the largest of its kind in the world. | D.It stores the most seeds from Mount Qomolangma. |
A.To develop high-quality seeds. | B.To store worldwide seed data. |
C.To guide modern agriculture. | D.To conserve biodiversity. |
A.Seeds that can grow in extreme weather. | B.Seeds that have some medical effect. |
C.Seeds with high economic value. | D.Seeds widely grown by farmers. |
A.Mainly to amuse readers. | B.Mainly to solve a problem. |
C.Mainly to introduce some plants. | D.Mainly to persuade consumers. |
【推荐3】Jules Verne was born on 8 February 1828 in the French city of Nantes. From an early age, he had a fascination with exploration and discovery. When he was six, his teacher, Madame Sambin, told him stories about her husband, who disappeared while travelling the world on a ship 30 years before. She told her class that he was like Robinson Crusoe, a fictional (虚构的) castaway who lived on a desert island. Verne would later write stories about similar characters.
In 1847, Verne was sent by his family to study law at a university in Paris, but he preferred to write novels, poems and plays. After graduating, he realized he wanted to write science adventure stories. This had never been done before, but Verne was sure that it would be a success. His first story, Five Weeks in a Balloon, was published in September 1862. His career lasted for more than 40 years, during which time he wrote more than 60 gripping (扣人心弦的) stories.
To begin with, Verne wrote positive and optimistic books. Many of these were to be his most popular creations. Although some included fantastical elements, they were usually based on scientific facts, making them believable. These happy stories weren’t to last. As he got older, Verne became less confident in the idea that science and technology were always good for the planet. His books started to include more scientists who used technology for their own—sometimes evil—purposes. Verne died on 24 March 1905, but new books continued to be published until 1919. These stories were based on ideas Verne had written about while he was still alive, but featured new characters and plots created by his son, Michel.
In the 20th century, his books were translated into more than 140 languages and several successful film versions came out. His creations have been recognized as an inspiration for many scientists and inventors. Many of the futuristic ideas from his most popular books have since come true.
1. What is the function of paragraph 1?A.To describe Verne’s discovery. |
B.To introduce the characters of his stories. |
C.To present the adventure of Sambin’s husband. |
D.To show the teacher’s impact on Verne’s writing. |
A.Studying law. |
B.Graduating from university. |
C.Writing novels, poems and plays. |
D.Writing science adventure stories. |
A.They covered happy elements. |
B.They were unbelievable stories. |
C.They revealed Verne’s doubt on science. |
D.They were partly written by Verne’s son. |
A.Talented and productive. | B.Popular and caring. |
C.Optimistic and generous. | D.Friendly and honest. |