An American woman Anna Jarvis was the first person to decide the mothers should have a holiday in their honor each year. Miss Jarvis started her campaign in 1906 in her home city Philadelphia. She wrote thousands of letters to congressmen (国会议员), city officials, teachers and newspaper publishers, proposing an official holiday for mothers. She traveled all over America, trying to get support for the idea. Her battle went on for years.
In 1914, the Congress declared the second Sunday in May each year as Mother's Day. Anna Jarvis wanted Mother's Day to be a simple event. She thought children could honor their mothers by spending some time with them as an act of love and respect. However, the holiday turned out to be a major event for department stores, flower shops and greetingcard industry, which Miss Jarvis didn't like.
Americans spend millions of dollars on gifts for their mothers on this day. Younger children often try to prepare and serve breakfast for their mothers. Fathers may offer to take care of children so that mothers can enjoy themselves. The holiday becomes an important time for family gathering.
1. What can be inferred from the text is that ________.| A．the Congress didn't accept Anna's suggestion until the whole country supported her |
| B．the battle lasted 8 years |
| C．Jarvis didn't enjoy the usual way Americans spend Mother's Day |
| D．Mother's Day is an important day for Americans |
| A．by spending some time with them |
| B．by offering them precious gifts |
| C．by eating in restaurants together |
| D．by taking children for them |
| A．all women, young and old, receive gifts |
| B．families gather together |
| C．all people stay at home |
| D．no one goes to work |
| A．flower shops selling flowers |
| B．department stores earning money from greetingcards |
| C．greetingcard industry |
| D．the way people spend Mother's Day |
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However，the celebration of Mother’s Day is not the recent thing that many believe it to be.It was the ancient Greeks who started the tradition by celebrating their annual spring festival in honor of Rhea，the mother of many gods and goddesses.
Later，in the 1600s，Mothering Sunday came to be celebrated in England.On the fourth Sunday of Lent (大斋期)，children brought flowers and special fruitcakes to show their respect for their mothers.It may be the root of the modern Mother’s Day.
Thanks to the great efforts of Julia Ward Howe and Anna Jarvis，Mother’s Day became an official festival in the US.It is celebrated on the second Sunday in May.Later，many countries began to celebrate this day as Mother’s Day.
Today，Mother’s Day is an international festival honoring mothers.It is celebrated all over the world in different ways.In Western countries，the most common way is to treat mothers with breakfast in bed.Kids often allow their mothers to sleep till late in the morning while they prepare her favorite breakfast with their fathers.Some also make handmade gifts or buy beautiful carnations (康乃馨)．It is the day when you acknowledge your mothers contribution in your life and pay a tribute (礼品) to her，often with flowers and gifts.It complements Father’s Day，the celebration honoring fathers.
Today，Mother’s Day is a day celebrated on various days in many places around the world.
1. Why do people across the world celebrate Mother’s Day?
| A．Because they want to express thanks and send best wishes to their mothers. |
| B．Because they want to express thanks and send best wishes to Rhea. |
| C．Because Mother’s Day is an official festival in the US. |
| D．Because Mother’s Day is an international festival. |
| A．Greece | B．England |
| C．America | D．China |
| A．Rhea is the mother of many gods and goddesses of England |
| B．many people wrongly believe Mother’s Day has a short history |
| C．in America Mother’s day is celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent |
| D．on Mother’s day fathers have to get up early to prepare breakfast |
| A．how to celebrate Mother’s day |
| B．what to do on Mother’s day |
| C．the historical change of Mother’s day |
| D．the meaning of Mother’s day |
【推荐2】This year’s holiday photos will have an undoubtedly pandemic feel:
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Bass Pro Shops began offering free photos with Santa during the 2008 recession, when the country was in need of a collective pick-me-up.
The SoNo collection, a mall in Norwalk, Conn., is offering virtual visits this year for $25. But for those who would like to see Santa in the flesh, he’ll be greeting shoppers from inside an acrylic snow globe on the third floor.
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Her acrylic barriers, which she sells for as much as $4,000, are being used by nearly 50 malls, schools and hospitals this holiday season.
| A．A visit to Santa Claus is always a big pleasure for children. |
| B．It turned out to be an overnight success |
| C．Santa has survived so many things |
| D．We find it difficult to deal with the situation |
| E．But we had to come up with a creative plan to protect him |
| F．No more sitting on Santa Claus’s lap or whispering in his ear |
| G．Santa can’t give out hugs or candy canes this year, but people still want to see him |
【推荐3】Tens of thousands of people from around the world threw tones of ripe tomatoes at each other Wednesday in an annual food fight that leaves the eastern Spanish town of Bunol covered in red pulp (酱). More than 40,000 people, including many visitors from Australia Britain and the United States, merrily took part this year in the food fight known as the “Tomatina”, now in its 64th year, a spokeswoman for Bunol’s town hall said.
A rocket fired from the town hall was the signal for start of the event for which local authorities provided 120 tones of tomatoes and participants were covered in pulp and standing ankle-deep in red pulp. Many men were shirtless while others wore old clothes, hard hats, goggles or protective plastic sheets. Shopkeepers put up huge plastic covers on their store fronts or boarded them up to protect their properties from the sea of red mush.
After a battle municipal workers and local residents used huge hoses to clear the walls and streets of the tomato pulp in just half an hour while the participants headed to a nearby river where temporary showers were set up.
The event cost the town of some 10,000 residents 28,000 euros (40,000 dollars) to stage. Spanish media reported.
The “Tomatina” is observed each year in Bunol, located in a fertile (肥沃的) region some 40 kilometres north of the coastal city of Valencia, Spain’s third-largest city, falling on the last Wednesday in August.
The origins of the event are unclear although it is thought to have its roots in a food fight between childhood friends in the mid-1940s in the city.
It has grown in size as international press coverage brought more and more people to the festival.
1. What can we know from the first paragraph?| A．Visitors came to watch the Spanish fighting. |
| B．The “Tomatina” takes place every year. |
| C．Bunol lies in the west of Spain. |
| D．The “Tomatina” is held all over the world. |
| A．To present some details. | B．To prove a point. |
| C．To draw a conclusion. | D．To introduce another topic. |
| A．Swimming in the river. |
| B．Going to the river to have a shower. |
| C．Using running water at home. |
| D．Getting washed in the bathroom. |
| A．The government. | B．The citizens of Bunol. |
| C．Improvement of economy. | D．Media reporting. |
【推荐1】Although it has been shown in recent years that plants can see, hear and smell, they are still usually thought of as silent. But now, for the first time, they have been recorded making ultrasonic (超声的) cries when stressed, which researchers say could open up a new field of precision agriculture where farmers listen for water-starved crops.
Itzhak Khait and his colleagues at Tel Aviv University in Israel found that tomato and tobacco plants made cries at frequencies humans cannot hear when stressed by not having enough water or when their stem is cut.
Microphones placed 10 centimetres from the plants picked up sounds in the ultrasonic range of 20 to 100 kilohertz, which the team says insects and some mammals would be able to hear and respond to from as far as 5 metres away. A moth may decide against laying eggs on a plant that sounds water-stressed, the researchers suggest. Plants could even hear that other plants are short of water and react accordingly, they speculate (推断).
On average, drought-stressed tomato plants made 35 sounds an hour, while tobacco plants made 11. When plant stems were cut, tomato plants made an average of 25 sounds in the following hour, and tobacco plants 15. Unstressed plants produced fewer than one sound per hour, on average.
Enabling farmers to listen for water-stressed plants could “open a new direction in the field of precision agriculture”, the researchers suggest. They add that such an ability will be increasingly important as climate change exposes more areas to drought.
“The suggestion that the sounds that drought-stressed plants make could be used in precision agriculture seems feasible (可行的) if it is not too costly to set up the recording in a field situation,” says Anne Visscher at the royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in the UK.
She warns that the results can’t yet be broadened out to other stresses, such as salt or temperature, because these may not cause sounds. Besides, there have been no experiments to show whether moths or any other animal can hear and respond to the sounds the plants make, so that idea is still based on guesses for now, she says.
1. The experiment by researchers at Tel Aviv University shows that________.| A．humans can hear water-hungry plants crying clearly |
| B．plant sounds can be heard by plants quite far away |
| C．tomato plants cry more often than tobacco when hurt |
| D．moths like laying eggs on stressed plants |
| A．Cautious. | B．Disappointed. | C．Appreciative. | D．Optimistic. |
| A．harvest crops in time | B．reduce greenhouse effects |
| C．detect and remove insects easily | D．identify plant condition faster |
| A．Plants Get Stressed Just Like Us | B．Sounds of Plants Detected Far Away |
| C．Plants Scream in the Presence of Stress | D．Cries of Plants Break Farmers’ Hearts |
【推荐2】In recent years, studies have suggested how the bisphenol A (BPA) in some food-packaging plastics has been linked to various health problems including heart disease and developmental difficulties in children. Scientists are thus developing a more harmless alternative, and it’s made from tomato waste which would otherwise be got rid of.
However, BPA is still widely used in the plastic coatings which are applied to the inside of metal food packaging such as cans. These smooth waterproof coatings help protect the metal from corrosion (腐蚀), plus they keep the food from sticking to the inside of the container.
Building on previous studies, an international team has researched a type of agricultural waste known as tomato pomace. This material typically consists of tomato skins, seeds and stems, which are left over after the fruits have been processed for use in foods such as sauces or juices. Ordinarily, the pomace is simply dumped in a landfill, burned, or at best composted. It may also be used in animal feed, although it doesn’t have much nutritional value.
The scientists started by drying tomato pomace — first in the sun for three days, then in a 60℃ oven for 16 hours — after which they grounded it into a powder. That powder was subsequently mixed with a sodium hydroxide solution (溶液), which was then heated at 100℃ for four hours. After repeatedly filtering that solution to remove the sodium hydroxide, the researchers were left a lipid. That lipid was then mixed into an ethyl alcohol solution which was sprayed onto samples of some metal. Once the spray had dried and the samples had been heated in a 200℃ oven for 10 to 60 minutes, the result was a polymerized lacquer coating which proved to be very effective at protecting the metal.
The scientists now plan on testing the coating on actual cans. “We would take tomato sauce, and other foods that are usually sold in cans, and we would sterilize them, put them in tins and check if they withstand real conditions,” said a scientist.
1. Which of the following is the most likely to use the plastic coating?| A．A pot full of water. |
| B．A cup filled with coffee. |
| C．A tin containing apple juice. |
| D．An iron box stuffed with packaged food. |
| A．It’s used as animal’s food with rich nutrition. |
| B．It has been used in the plastic coatings. |
| C．People use it to make sauce or juice. |
| D．People usually treat it in many ways. |
| A．How the new coating is created. | B．Why heating is important. |
| C．Why high temperature is needed. | D．What other materials are included. |
| A．To present a scientific study. | B．To introduce a new material. |
| C．To show a complex process. | D．To teach an actual test. |
【推荐3】Poaching and habitat loss have threatened Africa's two species of elephants, taking them closer toward the edge of disappearance, according to a new report released by the International Union for Conservation of Nature(IUCN).
Before this update, Africa's elephants were grouped together and were evaluated as vulnerable by the IUCN. This is the first time the two species have been sorted separately. In the past, elephants were mostly considered as either Asian elephants or African elephants. Forest and savanna elephants were typically classified as subspecies of African elephants.
The African forest elephant is now listed as critically endangered and the African savanna elephant as endangered. The number of African forest elephants fell by more than 86% over a 31 -year assessment period. The population of African savanna elephants dropped by at least 60% over the last 50 years, according to the IUCN, which tracks the assessment risk of the world's animals. Africa currently has an estimated 415,000 elephants, counting the two species together.
Both elephant species experienced significant population decreases because of poaching. Although it peaked in 2011, illegal hunting still happens and continues to threaten elephant populations. African elephants also face continued habitat loss as their land is converted for agriculture or other uses.
There is some good conservation news, the IUCN points out. Anti-poaching measures, combined with better land use planning to support better human-wildlife relationships, have helped conservation efforts. Some forest elephant population figures have stabilized in well-managed areas in Gabon and the Republic of Congo and savanna population figures have remained stable or have been growing, particularly in the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area in southern Africa.
But with constant demand for ivory and increasing human pressures on Africa's wild lands, concern for Africa's elephants is high, and the need to creatively conserve and wisely manage these animals and their habitats is more severe than ever.
1. What can be inferred from the new report about African elephants?| A．They are divided into three kinds. | B．They are dying out. |
| C．Their threat is mainly from poaching. | D．Their population has grown in Africa. |
| A．The detailed number of African elephants. | B．The similarities of African elephants. |
| C．The different types of African elephants. | D．The present situation of African elephants. |
| A．Expanded. | B．Protected. | C．Transformed. | D．Forbidden. |
| A．Hopeless. | B．Optimistic. | C．Uncertain. | D．Worried. |
【推荐1】Science on Sundays
Science on Sundays is a new series of informal, drop-in plant science talks at the Cambridge University Botanic Garden suitable for 12+.
27 Mar. A trick(花招) of the light? How flower surfaces attract pollinators(授粉昆虫) Professor Beverley Glover, Director of the CUBG (Cambridge University Botanic. Garden) and Head of Group, Plant Evolution and Development Research, Department of Plant Sciences
24 Apr. The shapes that feed us: a pleasing journey into grass leaf shape Dr Devin O'Connor, the Leyser Group, Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University
29 May Nature's geometry (几何学): the interesting world of plant patterns(图案) Dr Siobhan Braybrook, Plant Growth Mechanics Group, Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University
26 Jun. A bird's-eye view of the natural world: learning about forests from aircraft Dr David Coomes, Head of Group, Forest Ecology and Conservation, Department of Plant Sciences
24 Jul. Extreme green: plant adaptations(适应) to the world's most difficult environments
Dr Sam Brockington, Head of Group, Molecular Systematics & Evolution, Department of Plant Sciences
Science on Sunday talks last 30 minutes and are free (as long as you have paid to get into the Garden); there is no need to book; just drop in to the Classroom at the Brookside Gate at 11 am (each talk repeated at 2 pm).
1. Who is the director of the Cambridge University Botanic Garden?| A．Devin O'Connor. | B．Beverley Glover. | C．David Coomes. | D．Siobhan Braybrook. |
| A．Tricky light. | B．Leaf shape. | C．Plant patterns. | D．Plant adaptations. |
| A．A monthly review. | B．A science report. | C．A gardening guide. | D．A local notice. |
【推荐2】Great Albums
Golden Hour
By Kacey Musgraves
Price: $10.49
It’s no surprise that many people forecast Golden Hour will be one of the best country albums of the 2010s. Country music superstar Musgraves makes listeners feel like she is speaking directly to them, thanks to her honesty and attention to detail. Although Musgraves is famous for her clever wordplay and humorous expressions about small-town life, she says she likes more direct songwriting.
Honky Tonk Time Machine
By George Strait
Price: $11.49
Honky Tonk Time Machine is a successful return for the best country music singer of all time. Radio stations often play it. Though you can listen to this album at home, the cover is a good enough reason for owning the album. The album is a must for fans of George or true country music.
Stronger Than the Truth
By Reba McEntire
Price: $9.49
If you are a country music fan, then this album is for you. There is something for everyone on this album. As the Queen of love songs, McEntire has some beautiful songs and she sings them to perfection. This may be her best country album to date.
Under Pressure
By Logic
Price: $9.49
On this album, the American rap singer talks about his growth. Under Pressure is a how of Logic’s life, his new fame, and most importantly, his family. Although Logic shows his skillful flow on this album, what makes it really special is the autobiographical (自传的) detail. The album is actually a successful project for a guy who worked hard.
1. What do we know about Kacey Musgraves?| A．She often talks with her fans face to face. |
| B．She cares about detail in golden hour. |
| C．She is the best songwriter in the 2010s. |
| D．She likes writing in small towns. |
| A．Kacey Musgraves. | B．George Strait. |
| C．Reba McEntire. | D．Logic. |
| A．Golden Hour. | B．Stronger Than the Truth. |
| C．Honky Tonk Time Machine. | D．Under Pressure. |
【推荐3】You’re finishing up your history homework when your cell phone rings. You’ve got 30 minutes to reach headquarters(总部), get your equipment packed and receive your task. There’s a lost hiker in the mountains near the edge of town. Your task: find the missing person; provide emergency medical treatment, if necessary; and be prepared to operate 48 hours on your own with only the supplies you carry.
Sounds like some kind of film’s plot (情节)? Not if you’re a member of the Arapahoe teen rescue patrol (搜救队) in the suburbs of Denver. About 25 teen guys and girls are active members of this search, rescue and emergency organization, and they know firsthand that you don’t have to be an adult to save lives.
These 9th-through-12th graders are the real deal when it comes to emergency services. In fact, they’re the only teen-commanded patrol in the nation. Sure they have adult advisers to turn to if necessary, but in the field it’s a teen patrol officer calling the shots — sometimes even giving direction to adults.
Members are trained in rock-high-angle，swift-water and avalanche (雪崩) rescue, winter and alpine (高山) operation, wilderness life support and emergency care, among other skills. They also regularly(有规律) ride along with the local fire and police departments, providing support such as security(安全) details and evidence searching.
When asked what makes a good patrol member, founder and president Stan Bush named good physical conditioning and an interest in helping people. “We put in lots and lots of hours helping people in trouble,” he says. “So if a person is not really interested in doing that kind of thing, he won’t last as a member.”
1. In the first paragraph, the author describes ______.| A．a plot in some kind of film | B．an emergency rescue |
| C．a teen patrol member’s life | D．a lost hiker in trouble |
| A．They are trained to have many special skills. |
| B．They think they can save lives only when growing up. |
| C．They turn to adults for help sometimes. |
| D．They also work with local firemen and policemen. |
| A．giving orders | B．shouting loudly |
| C．beginning to shoot | D．making phone calls |
| A．finish your history homework first |
| B．be a 9th-through-12th grader |
| C．be strong and interested in offering help |
| D．spend many hours helping people first |
【推荐1】When the company was small, Google cared a lot about getting kids from Harvard, Stanford, and MIT. But Laszlo Bock, Google’s former Senior Vice President of People Operations, said it was the "wrong" hiring strategy. Experience has taught him that there are exceptional kids at many other places, from state schools in California to those in New York. "What we find is that the best people from places like these are just as good if not better as anybody you can get from any Ivy League school," said Bock, who authored a book titled "Work Rules!".
So what else does Google not care about:
Grades: Google’s data shows that grades predict performance for the first two years of a career, but do not matter after that.
Brain-teasers: Gone are interview questions such as: Why are manhole covers (井盖) round? How many golf balls can fit in a school bus? "Our research tells us those questions are a waste of time," Bock said. "They’re a really coachable skill. The more you practice, the better you get at it."
Here’s what Google does care about:
Problem solvers: Your cognitive (认知的) ability, or how well you solve problems.
Leaders: The idea is not whether you were president of the student body or vice president of a bank, but rather "When you see a problem, do you step in and help solve it?" and then critically, "Are you willing to let somebody else take over, and make room for somebody else? Are you willing to give up power?"
Googleyness: That’s what Google calls its cultural fit. It’s not "Are you like us?" Bock said. "We actually look for people who are different, because diversity gives us great ideas."
"What’s most important is that people are intellectually humble, willing to admit when they’re wrong, and care about the environment around them ...because we want people who think like owners not employees," Bock said.
1. What does Bock mean in Paragraph 1?| A．People from state schools can be as good. |
| B．Google prefers kids from Ivy League schools. |
| C．Hiring is a hard job for Google. |
| D．State schools are worse than Ivy League ones. |
| A．What are your grades like? |
| B．What is the significance of the "dead beef"? |
| C．How would you improve a Google product? |
| D．How would you solve homelessness in Seattle? |
| A．One eager for power. |
| B．One solving problems well. |
| C．One willing to step aside. |
| D．One operating an organization. |
| A．Being unique | B．Being diverse |
| C．Being qualified | D．Being loyal |
【推荐2】You’ re in your car, heading for a crossroads. The light turns yellow, so you decide to step on the gas. Then you see a police car. Almost instantly, you know that stepping on the accelerator （油门） is a mistake. But there’s a good chance that you’ll do it anyway, says Susan Courtney, a professor in the Department of Psychological& Brain Sciences at Johns Hopkins University.
Thar’s because as one area of your brain is recognizing that police car, other areas have already begun carrying out your original plan to speed up. "Even if you haven’t actually started moving your your brain has already started that plan, Courtney says. And stopping a plan requires a lot of brainpower, Courtney and a team of researchers report in the journal Neuron
The team monitored the brain activity of 21 people as they met with a situation that was a bit like approaching a crossroads when the night turns yellow. Participants were asked to focus on a central point on a screen and wait for a target to appear somewhere else. Sometimes they were allowed to do the natural thing and shift their gaze to the target when it appeared. However, most of the time, they got a visual order to resist the wish to move their gaze. In other words, they had to cancel an action the brain was already planning to carry out.
The study found that changing an action required three key brain areas to communicate with eight other areas. Previous research had suggested fewer areas were required. The team also found that all the communication had to occur when participants got the order not to move their eyes.
This lag （落后） is why we experience that awful moment when our brain knows we shouldn’t step on the accelerator, but our foot does it anyway. "If the signal has already been sent, you can only watch it happen without being able to stop it, "Courtney says. The brain’s stop system appears to be involved in a lot more than just controlling our bodies. "It’s not just about stopping your foot or your eyes;it’s about changing your plan, "Courtney says.
1. What will people most probably do in the situation according to Susan?| A．They will stop the car. |
| B．They will drive slowly. |
| C．They will speed up. |
| D．They will avoid the police car. |
| A．The brain needs a long time to deal with the signal. |
| B．It is hard for the brain to accept two different signals. |
| C．Sometimes people will stop an action without realizing it. |
| D．Changing an action requires different parts of the brain to work together. |
| A．How to make a change. |
| B．How to stop a dangerous action. |
| C．Why your brain reacts faster than your body. |
| D．Why you have trouble in stopping an action. |
【推荐3】Delivery Robots May Soon Be Knocking at Your Door
With self-driving vehicle technology rapidly advancing, many companies are turning to autonomous robots for the final leg—the so-called last mile—of the delivery process, from the store or local distribution center to the customer. The latest to join the trend is Amazon. Following a successful eight-month test run in Snohomish County, Washington, the company’s Scout robots have been making the rounds of Irvine, California, since August 6, 2019.
The six-wheeled Scout is about the size of a large cooler with the ability to carry small or medium-sized packages. The battery-powered vehicle, which moves at a regular walking pace, has been programmed to avoid pedestrians, animals, and unexpected obstacles（障碍）, such as garbage cans. Its powerful sensors（传感器）can also detect the movement of a car backing out of a driveway.
While Amazon is focusing on home deliveries, San Francisco-based Starship Technologies has its eyes set on universities. On August 20, 2019, the company announced plans to use thousands of robots to deliver food and other things to students at college campuses across the country. Unlike Scout, Starship’s robots are seasoned workers. They have been tested in over 100 cities in 20 different countries and successfully completed over 100, 000 deliveries.
Meanwhile, food and grocery delivery company Postmates’ robots are currently making their rounds along the busy San Francisco streets. Also in testing, the robots can carry up to 50 pounds and travel 30 miles on a single battery charge.
Though the eco-friendly robots will help free our streets of bicycles and large delivery trucks that typically send packages, they have some limitations. They are unable to climb stairs or open gates, which means that they can only reach consumers who live on the ground level. Additionally, the robots are unable to leave packages at the front door if the customers are not home. Whether these problems get solved remains to be seen. For now, it appears that humans will still be needed to meet the ever-growing demand for home and office deliveries.
1. What does the underlined part in para l mean?| A．much more help | B．very close distance |
| C．substitute for human | D．the last section |
| A．Powerful robots sensors are gaining popularity in delivery. |
| B．The Postmates’ robots focus on students' food and grocery delivery. |
| C．The Scout can avoid obstacles because it moves at a regular pace. |
| D．Delivery robots have turned up in universities to serve students. |
| A．Objective | B．Optimistic |
| C．Pessimistic | D．Cautious |
| A．a biology textbook | B．a health magazine |
| C．a newspaper | D．a travel brochure |
