Here is an astonishing and significant fact：Mental work alone can’t make us tire. It sounds absurd．But a few years ago, scientists tried to find out how long the human brain could labor without reaching a stage of fatigue(疲劳). To the amazement of these scientists, they discovered that blood passing through the brain, when it is active, shows no fatigue at all!
If we took a drop of blood from a day laborer, we would find it full of fatigue toxins (霉素) and fatigue products. But if we took blood from the brain of an Albert Einstein, it would show no fatigue toxins at the end of the day.
So far as the brain is concerned, it can work as well and swiftly at the end of eight or even twelve hours of effort as at the beginning. The brain is totally tireless. So what makes us tired?
Some scientists declare that most of our fatigue comes from our mental and emotional (情绪的)attitudes. One of England’s most outstanding scientists, J. A. Hadfield, says, “The greater part of the fatigue from which we suffer is of mental origin. In fact, fatigue of purely physical origin is rare. ”Dr. Brill, a famous American scientist, goes even further, He declares, “One hundred percent of the fatigue of sitting worker in good health is due to emotional problems.”
What kinds of emotions make sitting workers tired? Joy? Satisfaction? No! A feeling of being bored, anger, anxiety, tenseness, worry, a feeling of not being appreciated— those are the emotions t hat tire sitting workers. Hard work by itself seldom causes fatigue. We get tired because our emotions produce nervousness in the body.
1. What surprised the scientists a few years ago?| A．Fatigue toxins could hardly be found in a laborer’s blood |
| B．Albert Einstein didn’t feel worn after a day’s work |
| C．The brain could work for many hours without fatigue |
| D．A mental worker’s blood was filled with fatigue toxins |
| A．Challenging mental work | B．Unpleasant emotions |
| C．Endless tasks | D．Physical labor |
| A．He agrees with them | B．He doubts them |
| C．He argues against them | D．He hesitates to accept them |
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【推荐1】A tech firm, Huawei, in partnership with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), is set to enhance learning in Nigeria through technology.
The tech company said it is also making similar efforts in other developing countries, including Bangladesh, Egypt, and Pakistan. The company made this known during the digital talent conference co-hosted by Huawei and Institute for Lifelong Learning. Huawei’s Vice President, Corporate Communications, Vicky Zhang, said the cooperation with UNESCO would enhance learning experiences in developing countries through the use of technology. “Getting the right education is often the key to success in life. As a major player in the technology sector, Huawei feels it is responsible for providing technical skills in all parts of the world, trying our best to include as many people as possible,” she said.
Zhang announced that Huawei started the Seeds for the Future program, a sub-project of the National Information and Communications Technology (ICT) talent development in 2018 by signing a memorandum (备忘录) of understanding (MoU) between the firm and Nigerian Federal Government. She added that the program is expected to make significant social impact and contribution that will inspire and help students find new solutions for future ICT development and help the country develop rapidly.
Director of UNESCO’s Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL), David Atchoarena, praised the firm for its commitment and contribution toward enhancing educators’ use of technology in developing countries. While introducing the company into the Global Alliance for Literacy(GAL), Atchoarena said, “Our rapidly changing world calls for joint efforts and strong partnerships to achieve quality education and lifelong learning for all. ”
A beneficiary (受益者) of Seeds for Future Nigeria, Anthony Ugheoke, described the program as a life-changing opportunity that has opened his eyes and changed his perspectives on life, especially ICT. While thanking the firm for the opportunity, Ugheoke urged future program beneficiaries to make good use of the learning to positively impact their lives, country and continent at large.
1. What does the Seeds for the Future program belong to?| A．ICT. | B．MoU. | C．UIL. | D．GAL. |
| A．Uncertain. | B．Supportive. | C．Alarmed. | D．Disappointed. |
| A．It brought in high salaries. | B．It affected his children positively. |
| C．It changed his understanding of life. | D．It offered books for free. |
| A．Huawei Increases Sales of Products in a Nigerian Company |
| B．Huawei Builds a Good Relationship with a Nigerian Company |
| C．Huawei Partners UNESCO in Technology in Nigeria |
| D．Huawei Promotes Learning Through Technology in Nigeria |
【推荐2】The number of places on Earth with the right natural climate and geography for the Olympic Winter Games is already naturally limited. Yet a new study finds as global temperatures rise from the burning of fossil fuels, the list is narrowing further.
Concerns over how climate change will affect the biggest of all sporting events have been mounting each time the Olympics are held every two years. But the Summer Olympics are more adaptable than their winter counterpart because the former can be held in a much wider range of places and can be put off to the somewhat cooler “shoulder season.” Though refrigeration (冷冻) technology has helped make it easier to hold some winter events indoors, in a wider range of places, outdoor sports, such as skiing and snowboarding, are more depending on the climate.
While previous studies have examined how global warming will affect the snowfall and temperature of Winter Olympic sites, they have not included the more specific needs of competitive athletes, says the new study’s co-author Daniel Scott. He and his team conducted an online survey of 339 athletes in 20 countries to find out what conditions they considered unfair or unsafe for their sport. Based on the survey results, they created four indicators (评价指标) that contribute to these conditions: lack of snow coverage, wet snow, rain, and temperatures that are too high or low. The researchers combined these indicators with local weather station data and computer models to evaluate the future possibility of the 21 current and previous host cities.
The conclusion shows if greenhouse gas emissions (排放) continue to grow at the same rate, only four locations—Lake Placid, Sapporo, and Lillehammer and Oslo—will be reliable by mid-century. And by the end of the century, only Sapporo will remain in the reliable category in that case. However, there is still a silver lining. “If countries can control the emissions in line with the goals of the Paris climate agreement, nine locations will still be reliable places by mid-century,” Scott says.
1. What can be inferred from the second paragraph?| A．The Summer Olympics could be moved to the spring. |
| B．Changing the host city is one way to fight climate change. |
| C．The Summer Olympics will not be affected by climate change. |
| D．Technology can’t remove the climatic impact on the Winter Olympics. |
| A．It contains some different indicators. | B．It takes athletes’ needs into account. |
| C．It examines the snowfall and temperature. | D．It is a survey of athletes around the world. |
| A．Hopeless. | B．Confusing. | C．Disturbing. | D．Pleasing. |
| A．Winter Olympic Sites Are Melting Away |
| B．Warmer Winter Olympics Seem Unavoidable |
| C．Where Will the Next Winter Olympics Be Held? |
| D．Previous Winter Olympics Host Cities Will Disappear |
【推荐3】Angela Guzman was born in Bogota, Colombia. At the age of 8, she moved to a tiny island in South Florida. The contrast was pretty vast. She didn’t speak any English, so she met with lots of challenges. At school, she would get stuck because she couldn’t understand or be understood. She thought, “Well, everyone understands a picture! Why don’t I start drawing to communicate?” That was what she did. She tried hard to create pictures to show her meanings exactly, and then she became known as the artist in the classroom, from third grade through her whole years of secondary schooling. Later she chose to study design in college.
When Angela began her work in a big company, she was tasked with designing emojis — the company’s very first. At first, she intended to refuse the task because she had no idea what the word meant and what emojis would be used for. Her mentor said that the emoji was an icon (图标), an image, or a type of illustration, sharing joy, surprise, anger, fear, sorrow, love and so on.
Angela then began to study microexpressions of humans and simplify or exaggerate (夸大) them in an illustrative manner. For example, the eyebrows make a V in anger and an upside down V in surprise. When she designed object emojis, she often turned to real-life items. She went to the party supply store, buying party poppers (派对烟花) to watch how the colorful paper pieces came out, and how light reflected off them. They were hard to capture, but Angela tried to make it.
Later, the tiny icons Angela and her mentor created were born and soon used by millions of people. When people praised Angela for her emoji design, she replied, “Actually, it’s an experience that teaches me a lot. One major thing is empathy (共鸣) for communities worldwide. I pay close attention to the symbolism of color and the cultural symbolism overall. I think the cultural questions are important. For example, how do we make sure that every culture, every accent, or every person that speaks to these devices feels included? That was something I struggled with early on. This kind of thinking allowed my mind to be inclusive and mindful of everyone who would use the product.”
1. What can we learn about Angela’s childhood?| A．She had a hidden talent for language. |
| B．She was always on the move with her family. |
| C．She often held views different from her classmates. |
| D．She was good at communicating through drawing. |
| A．By diving into real life. | B．By referring to some popular emojis. |
| C．By gaining related knowledge of emojis. | D．By seeking help from experienced people. |
| A．Her mentor guided her in every detail. | B．Her design was inclusive of varied cultures. |
| C．She introduced color elements to her works. | D．She had a thoughtful attitude towards the poor. |
| A．Adventurous and kind. | B．Devoted and creative. |
| C．Generous and positive. | D．Humorous and considerate. |
