【推荐1】Early people had very little effect on the environment. They lived in very small 'clan'（部落） groups. They collected or killed only enough for the clan's survival. Early clans were nomadic, which means that they did not stay in one place.     1     . The land had time to recover and animals had time to breed （繁殖） before the clan returned for the next season.   

As time went by, these small family clans joined with others to form larger groups for protection.

    2     . Eventually, people tamed（驯养） wild animals such as dogs and horses. People settled around rivers   and fertile plains to share responsibilities and duties. Then, people began to plant crops instead of moving to areas where the plants grew. This development changed the environment.

    3     . Some people were better at performing a particular task than other clan members, so they began to specialize in things they were good at doing. This also meant that they began to exchange their goods for things that others produced.

People began to communicate with distant tribes. Land was cleared for roads. Foreign plants and animals were transported to places where they had not existed before.     4     . So art, dance and music became important ways of expressing feelings and thoughts. This was how many great civilizations started.

Compared to the past, modern civilization has experienced many changes to become the highly developed society that exists today. Populations have increased rapidly. Inventions and technology have made work easier. However, pollution and other serious problems have also resulted from human progress.     5     .

A．Traditional forms of work also changed.

B．Specialization also gave people more free time.

C．Civilization has improved traditional forms of work.

D．Moving around seasonally helped to protect the environment.

E．Early people moved to new places looking for new sources of food.

F．It gave them more hunters and more women to help cut up the meat and share it between families.

G．As concerned citizens, it is up to us to learn from past mistakes and to help maintain and improve our environment.

【推荐2】Great Activities for Nature Lovers

Hiking

One of the easiest and most accessible ways to get close to nature is by setting out on a good old fashioned hike. Hiking generally doesn’t require any fancy equipment or special skills, just a piece of map and a thirst for adventure. This activity can be as relaxing as you make it.

Backcountry Camping

Why limit yourself to just a day hike when you can have a full weekend or longer adventure? Backcountry Camping involves packing your tent, sleeping gear, food, and water on your back to set up camp in a remote location. If you’re an experienced hiker and camper, this is an excellent way to test your survival skills and explore the wilderness.

Mountain and Road Biking

Unlike long hikes through the woods, biking allows you to cover more ground and travel farther in nature. Mountain biking typically involves riding up and down steep slopes, between trees, and over rocks. If this sounds too intense or your tires aren’t suited for rugged terrain（地形), consider taking a road bike on paved trails through forest preserves or along country roads.

Gardening

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to travel beyond your own backyard to experience the beauty of nature every day. If your personality is less adventurous or your mobility is restricted, consider planting a garden to grow your own vegetables, fruits, herbs, or flowers. There’s something truly satisfying about mixing up a salad with fresh ingredients you grew yourself. One of the best parts about spending time in nature is that it doesn’t have to break your budget and anyone can do it.

1. What does hiking need for hikers?

A．A world map.	B．A strong desire.
C．Practical skills.	D．Necessary equipment.

2. Where will you go to show your survival potential in the wild?

A．To a backyard.	B．To a forest.
C．To a mountain.	D．To a distant place.

3. What is the advantage of enjoying the natural beauty in your garden?

A．It’s popular.	B．It saves money.
C．It’s adventurous.	D．It saves time.

【推荐3】For more than 140 years, fishers in Laguna, Brazil have formed an unusual partnership with local dolphins. As soon as the fishers spot a dolphin waving its tail, lifting its head, and diving deeply, they race into the water with their nets. Now, a new study suggests the dolphins are willing partners in this cooperation and that the animals may be guiding the people. They pay close attention to the humans, timing their actions to maximize their catch. Over the years, dolphins have been showing the fishers “where to stand and when to get ready to throw their nets” in the dark waters. It’s almost as if the dolphins are training the humans.

As much as the fishers were watching the dolphins, the dolphins were also watching the fishers, the study found. Both species must time their actions correctly to catch fish. The people wait with their nets at the ready for a dolphin to approach closely. When a dolphin sees a ready fisher, the animal will give a tip, usually that deep dive, which tells the fisher the mullet (鲻鱼) are right there and it’s time to cast their net. Sometimes, either dolphin or fisher will respond incorrectly, and neither catches fish. Yet, the scientists reported that of nearly 3,000 recorded fishing attempts, nearly 46% were successful. To ensure this accuracy, fishers must understand the dolphins’ tips, learning them over time. Even it can say, “The dolphins are almost like teachers.”

Other populations of dolphins have also been known to cooperate with human fishers, rushing fish toward shore or into nets off eastern Australia, Mauritania, and Southeast Asia. But these practices have either disappeared or are in decline.

The same fate likely faces the Laguna dolphins if the mullet numbers, which have dropped over the past decade because of overfishing, continue to decline. The practice may escape such a fate, if Brazil regards this dolphin-fisher relationship a cultural heritage, as the scientists propose. “Without mullet,” the expert says, “this partnership will end.”

1. How do the dolphins guide the fishers to catch the fish?

A．They constantly attack fish.	B．They use body languages.
C．They make strange voices.	D．They pull the nets.

2. What does the author intend to do in Paragraph 3?

A．Introduce a new topic for discussion.	B．Provide suggestions for the readers.
C．Share some interesting facts about dolphins.	D．Conclude the previous paragraphs.

3. What can we learn about the dolphin-fisher relationship in Laguna?

A．It has completely disappeared.	B．It develops friendly.
C．It needs to be protected.	D．It becomes useless and meaningless.

4. In which column of the newspaper can we read the passage?

A．Art.

B．Health.

C．Sports.

D．Animals.

【推荐1】White sand beaches of the Cocos Islands, which are known as a gorgeous tourist destination surrounded by greenish blue water, have now been filled with plastic wastes like abandoned plastic water bottles, toothbrushes, and cigarette lighters.

Jennifer Lavers, a marine scientist, went to these tropical islands with her research team. Knowing that lots of beaches were polluted by plastic wastes, the team conducted a careful scientific examination on the coast, only to find the problem caused by pieces of trash humans left was worse than expected.

Not all plastics are to blame. They are necessary in places like hospitals and airplanes, and make our vehicles lighter and more efficient. However, other plastics, especially disposable plastics, account for the growing mess on the beaches. Islands all over the world are jammed with plastics. And the Cocos Islands are no exception.

It requires the greatest effort of all time to control plastic pollution in modern society. No matter how tall the hurdles(栏架) are, something has to be done.

Apparently, demand for disposable plastics must be reduced greatly. “Why don’t we carry around bags that we can use over and over again?” asked Richard Gross, a chemist who researches innovative ways to make more sustainable plastics. “Let’s carry around reusable lunch boxes. We should understand how serious the situation is.”

Although it is important for individuals to make an effort to avoid using disposable plastics, it is also generally believed that only with international rules can such a deep-rooted, common, and worldwide scourge(灾害) be tackled.

However, the U.N., which engages in dealing with accelerating climate change and public health crises, obviously isn’t paying enough attention to calling for international action on plastic pollution. As a result, billions of plastic products will still be produced every year, many of which will end up in the ocean.

Nowadays, fish are eating plenty of plastics, and people eat those fish. It remains unrevealed how it will affect human health, but clearly the amount of plastics used has increased many times in the last several decades, and if this tendency goes on, by 2050 an enormous amount of carbon will be released into the already carbon-saturated(碳饱和的) skies.

1. Why does the author write about the Cocos Islands at the beginning of the text?

A．To tell the story of the islands.

B．To appreciate the islands.

C．To introduce the problem of plastic pollution.

D．To introduce a scientific study.

2. What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 4 mean?

A．People don’t care about the problem.

B．The problem is too serious to deal with.

C．Action must be taken however difficult the problem is.

D．The problem is as difficult as jumping over tall hurdles.

3. According to the text, what is the U.N.’s attitude toward plastic pollution?

A．Cautious.	B．Optimistic.
C．Enthusiastic.	D．Unconcerned.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．The beautiful Cocos Islands

B．The problems caused by disposable plastics

C．Scientific research on plastics

D．Plastic pollution on Cocos Islands

【推荐3】The Internet brings us many advantages. With the Internet, people can send and receive e­mails. On the Internet, people can skim over news. Using the Telnet, the user anywhere on the Internet can log into any other machine on which he has an account. It is possible to use the FTP program to copy files from one machine on the Internet to another.

But the Internet also brings us troubles.

Internet use seems to cause a fall in psychological (心理的) health, according to research at Carnegie Mellon University. Even people who spent just a few hours a week on the Internet experienced more depression and loneliness than those who logged on less often, the two­year study showed. And it wasn't that people who were already feeling bad spent more time on the Internet, but that using the Net actually seemed to cause the bad feelings.

Researchers are puzzled over the results, which were completely opposite to what they had expected. They expected that the Net would prove socially healthier than television, since the Net allows users to choose their information and to communicate with others.

The fact that Internet use reduces time used for family and friends may be the reason for the drop in health, researchers said. Faceless, bodiless “virtual” (虚拟的) communication may be less psychologically satisfying than actual conversations, and the relationships formed through it may not be so deep. Another possibility is that exposure to the wider world through the Net makes users less satisfied with their lives.

“But it’s important to remember this is not about the technology; it’s about how it is used,”said one of the researchers. “It really points to the need for considering social factors (因素) when you design new inventions.”

1. The writer mainly wants to tell us that ________.

A．the Internet can bring people many advantages

B．the Internet use may cause psychological problems

C．the Internet users are not satisfied with their lives

D．we shouldn't use the Internet

2. Why are the researchers puzzled over the results?

A．Because the results were completely different from what they had thought.

B．Because the Net proved socially healthier than television.

C．Because the Internet users were all healthier.

D．Because the Internet users experienced less depression and loneliness.

3. What may be the reasons why the Internet use causes a fall in psychological health?

A．Internet use reduces time used for family and friends.

B．Virtual communication is less psychologically satisfying than actual conversations.

C．Exposure to the wider world through the Net makes users less satisfied with their lives.

D．All of the above.

【推荐1】Despite the negative international headlines that have hit Huawei over the past few months, its consumer business continues to thrive. The Chinese technology giant replaced Apple as the second­largest smartphone player by global market share last year. It's firmly the biggest vendor(销售商) in China.

Chinese consumers say they've been attracted to Huawei's newest features, the price points and the fact that it's a domestic brand.“Using Huawei's mobile phones is supporting domestic brands. We hope our brands can go international，” Vikey, a Guangzhou­based Huawei user, told CNBC. She added that Huawei phones are “cost­effective” and have good features while iPhones are “more of a trend”. One of the key features that Huawei introduced was a triple­lens camera on its P20 Pro, which was launched last year.

For the next 12 months, the iPhone lacks one of the most appealing features of current winners in the Chinese smartphone market, the triple­lens camera. The Huawei P20 Pro led the march.

Retailers (零销售) are slashing (大幅消减) iPhone prices across China as consumers say the phones aren't worth the cost. Apple's latest iPhone models are facing huge discounts in China as retailers try to sell the struggling devices. That comes as the top­of­the­line Apple smartphones have posted poor China sales on what experts say are too­high prices for the world's largest smartphone market and a lack of innovative features compared to local competitors like Huawei. The technology giant itself acknowledged earlier this month that unexpectedly low sales in the Chinese market would likely lead to worse­ than ­anticipated first quarter profits.

One of the most recent iPhone cost cuts in the country came from Suning, a large Chinese retailer, which changed the price of the 128GB version of the iPhone XR from 6,999 yuan to 5,799 yuan — a 1,200 yuan discount.

Other retailers in China are also putting their iPhones on sale. Sunion, an Apple reseller, was advertising 700 yuan off for both the 128GB and 256GB versions of the iPhone XR. E­commerce site Pinduoduo, which allows third­parties to sell products, also had hefty(很大的) discounts across all of the latest iPhone models.

1. What does the underlined word “thrive” probably mean in the first paragraph?

A．Reduce.	B．Remain.
C．Threaten.	D．Increase.

2. Which of the following is one of the Huawei's characters?

A．More of a trend.	B．Cost­effective.
C．Too­high prices.	D．A lack of innovative features.

3. Which of the following is a medium?

A．Suning.	B．Sunion.
C．CNBC.	D．Pinduoduo.

4. What can we infer from the text?

A．Updating of technology counts.

B．Advertising of the products matters.

C．The sale strategy is invisible.

D．The iPhone still leads the trend in China.

【推荐2】I've handled chopsticks skillfully for decades. While it used to amuse me, it mildly annoys me now that Chinese react with astonishment to see a foreigner handle them—as if someone from a country that put a man on the moon would somehow be incapable of handing two simple sticks. As you can see, China’s influence stretched far and wide long before opening-up in the late 1970s or today’s Belt and Road Initiative. So the idea that most foreigners cannot use chopsticks is, simply put, fiddlesticks.

My first exposure to chopsticks came way back in the 1960s via the elementary piano tune known as Chopsticks, which aroused my curiosity as to what the word meant. Not long afterward, my parents introduced me to Chinese food at King Fong Cafe in Omaha, Nebraska, which, I only learned recently, was among the landmarks of the heartland city’s once-thriving Chinatown in the early 1900s.

In fact, I have undergone special kuaizi training (improving skills, for example, by constantly picking up peanuts when I lived with my Chinese tai chi master) and experimentation (exploring the use of chopsticks to snap up popcorn and donuts; I’m working on ice cream).

But there’s one western food for which chopsticks are truly a godsend: salads. After moving to China in 2014, I bought a salad at a convenience store, and the clerk handed me kuaizi. I refused at first, but then thought, “All right” and gave it a try.

Amazingly useful! I could pick and choose each small piece much more carefully, without having to move awkwardly trying to spear (刺) the crispy carrot or cherry tomato and then move it mouth ward.

Another clear advantage of these simplest of tools is that they regulate the pace and volume of eating. It's much harder to “pig out” by shoveling food with chopsticks than with a fork and spoon.

However, in the spirit of globalization, let’s not overlook the finer points of knife and fork. In fact, a handy thing about the fork is that everyone can basically use it with each hand. I dare to say that, for Chinese and foreigners alike, switching hands while using chopsticks is not so readily done with confidence.

1. What makes the author feel unhappy about using chopsticks?

A．The comments on chopsticks from foreigners.

B．Incapacity to handle two simple sticks.

C．The idea that foreigners don't like chopsticks.

D．Reaction of Chinese on seeing him using chopsticks.

2. What does the underlined word “fiddlesticks” in Paragraph 1 mean?

A．nonsense	B．reasonable
C．acceptable	D．shameful

3. What is the advantage of chopsticks according to the passage?

A．They can let people wolf down food easily.

B．They can spear the crispy carrot or cherry tomato.

C．They can be amazingly useful to eat western food.

D．They can help users control the pace and volume of eating.

4. What is the best title for the passage?

A．Me and Chopsticks	B．Chinese Kitchen Culture
C．The Globalization of Chopsticks	D．Two Sides of Chopsticks

【推荐3】When it’s five o'clock, people leave their office. The length of the workday, for many workers, is defined by time. They leave when the clock tells them they’re done.

These days, the time is everywhere: not just on clocks or watches, but on cell-phones and computers. That may be a bad thing, particularly at work. New research shows on that clock-based work schedules hinder morale (士气) and creativity.

Clock-timers organize their day by blocks of minutes and hours. For example: a meeting from 9 am to 10 a.m., research from 10 a.m. to noon, etc. On the other hand, task-timers have a list of things they want to accomplish. They work down the list, each task starts when the previous task is completed. It is said that all of us employ a mix of both these types of planning.

What, then, are the effects of thinking about time in these different ways? Does one make us more productive? Better at the tasks at hand? Happier? In experiments conducted by Tamar Avnet and Anne-Laure Sellier, they had participants organize different activities—from project planning, holiday shopping, to yoga—by time or to-do list to measure how they performed under “clock time” vs “task time.” They found clock timers to be more efficient but less happy because they felt little control over their lives. Task timers are happier and more creative, but less productive. They tend to enjoy the moment when something good is happening, and seize opportunities that come up.

The researchers argue that task-based organizing tends to be undervalued and under-supported in the business culture. Smart companies, they believe, will try to bake more task-based planning into their strategies.

This might be a small change to the way we view work and the office, but the researchers argue that it challenges a widespread characteristic of the economy: work organized by clock time. While most people will still probably need, and be, to some extent, clock-timers, task-based timing should be used when performing a job that requires more creativity. It’ll make those tasks easier, and the task-doers will be happier.

1. What is the way people often do their work according to the author?

A．They give priority to the most urgent task on hand.

B．They set a time limit for each specific task.

C．They accomplish their tasks one by one.

D．They combine clock-based and task-based planning.

2. What did the researchers find in their experiments about clock-timers?

A．They tend to be more productive.	B．They always get their work done in time.
C．They seize opportunities as they come up.	D．They have more control over their lives.

3. What do the researchers say about today’s business culture?

A．It does not support the strategies adopted by smart companies.

B．It attaches more importance to work efficiency than to workers’ lives.

C．It does not lay enough emphasis on task-based practice.

D．It aims to bring employees’ potential and creativity into full play.

4. From the passage, we can conclude that           ?

A．It is important to keep a balance between work and life.

B．Performing creative jobs tends to make workers happier.

C．Task-based timing is preferred for doing creative work.

D．A scientific standard should be adopted in job evaluation.