For more than twenty years, scientists have been searching for signs of life on other planets．Most of these searches have been done over the radio．The hope is that someone in outer space may be trying to get in touch with us．Scientists also have sent radio and television messages on spaceships traveling through space, on the chance that someone may be receptive to such messages．
Scientists are using powerful radio telescopes to listen to signals from about 1, 000 stars, all within 100 light years of earth．In addition, they will scan the entire sky to "listen" for radio messages from more distant stars．Using a computer, they will be able to monitor more than eight channels at one time．Scientists are looking for any signal that stands out from the background noise．
Of the 200 billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy（银河星系）, scientists find that five percent are like our sun．Perhaps half of them have a planet like earth．Such a planet would be a reasonable distance from the star for temperatures to be right for the evolution of life．Based on the inhabitable （that can be lived in） planets in our galaxy, most scientists agree that chances are likely that one or more of these planets support some life．
However, many scientists wonder whether intelligent life exists on other planets．Some believe that twenty years of searching without any intelligible messages shows that no one is out there．They say that the evolution of intelligence comparable to ours is unlikely．
Other scientists believe that our search hasn't been long enough to rule out the possibility that intelligent life exists in our galaxy．Although our sun family is only about five billion years old, our galaxy is about 20 billion years old．In that time, some scientists think it is likely that civilization （文明）much more advanced than ours have developed．Perhaps these civilizations send us no signals; perhaps we have not recognized the signals they have sent us．If we hope to find intelligent life, these scientists believe that we have to keep looking．
1. According to the passage, how many planets in our galaxy might be inhabitable？| A．5 billion． | B．10 billion． |
| C．15 billion． | D．100 billion |
| A．how scientists are looking for signs of life on other planets |
| B．why scientists are looking for signs of life on other planets |
| C．where scientists are looking for signs of life on other planets |
| D．when scientists are looking for signs of life on other planets |
| A．find | B．change |
| C．check | D．form |
| A．The earth is one of the oldest planets in our galaxy． |
| B．Most scientists believe that there is intelligent life on other planets． |
| C．Scientists are trying different ways to find signs of life on other planets． |
| D．Scientists don't believe that there might be life on other planets． |
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【推荐1】A simple gesture can be formed into a child’s memory so quickly that it will cause the child to give a false answer to a question along with that gesture. A new finding suggests that parents, social workers, psychologists and lawyers should be careful with their hands as well as their words.
While memories of both adults and children are easy to react to suggestion, those of children are known to be particularly influenced, said lead researcher Sara Broaders of Northwestern University. Kids are used to looking to adults to tell events for them and can be misled even if not intentionally.
Previous research, for example, has shown that detail-loaded questions often cause false answers; when asked, say “Did you drink juice at the picnic?” the child is likely to say “yes” even if no juice had been available. It is not that the child is consciously lying, but rather the detail is quickly formed into his or her memory.
To avoid this problem, social workers have long been advised to ask children only open-ended questions, such as “What did you have at the picnic?” But an open-ended question paired with a gesture, briefly meaning a juice box, is treated like a detailed question. That is, children become likely to answer falsely.
And it isn’t just a few kids: 77% of children gave at least one piece of false information when a detail was suggested by an ordinary gesture. Gestures may also become more popular when talking with non-fluent language users, such as little kids, Broaders said as hand movements can impart meaning of unfamiliar words and phrases. “It certainly seems reasonable that adults would gesture more with children.”
In general, Broaders advises parents and other adults to “try to be aware of your hands when questioning a child about an event. Otherwise, you might be getting answers that don’t reflect what actually happened.”
1. What can we know about gestures from the text?| A．They are rarely used by people. | B．They have not any function at all. |
| C．They have certain effect on children. | D．They are often used by social workers. |
| A．Children are easy to tell lies. | B．These gestures are very attractive. |
| C．These gestures are used frequently. | D．Children’s memories are affected easily. |
| A．Where are you going Lucy? | B．What will you have for lunch? |
| C．Did you see anything else last night? | D．Did you cheat in the last English examination? |
| A．Tell apart. | B．Pass on. | C．Mix up. | D．Break up. |
【推荐2】Contrary to popular belief, when a person makes a mistake while learning, it improves their memory for the right information, but only if the error is close to the correct answer, according to recent findings by Baycrest researchers.
Our research found evidence that mistakes that are a' near miss' can help a person learn the in formation better than if no errors were made at all, says Dr. Nicole Anderson, senior scientist at Bavcrest's Rotman Research Institute. " These types of errors can serve as stepping stones to remembering the right answer. But if the error made is a wild guess, then a person doesn’t learn the correct information as easily.
In their study, researchers asked 32 young adults with no Spanish background to guess the English definition of certain Spanish words,, The Spanish words selected either resembled an English word with a similar meaning or the word looked like an English word. but meant something different.
Participants were shown the Spanish words and asked to guess their meanings. Then, they were briefly shown the correct translation, before being shown another Spanish word. After repeating this process with 16 Spanish words, participants had a short break before their memory for the translations was tested. Researchers found that people were better able to think of the correct translations for Spanish words that were similar to the English words.They had greater difficulty recalling the meaning for words that looked misleading.
''Based on these findings, someone studying for an exam should only take practice quizzes Nafter reviewing the material, "says Dr. Anderson. "If a person takes a practice test and is unfamiliar with the content, they risk making guesses that are nowhere near the right answer.
This could make it harder for them to learn the correct information later".
1. What do people usually think of mistakes in learning?| A．Necessary |
| B．Avoidable |
| C．Harmful |
| D．Beneficial |
| A．Remembering |
| B．Realizing |
| C．Distinguishing |
| D．Understanding |
| A．Errors of any kind are likely to help with learning |
| B．Taking practice tests before exams isn't always a good thing |
| C．Practice tests should be taken before lessons have been reviewed |
| D．It's important to make as few mistake as possible during learning. |
| A．Making Mistakes Is Also an Art. |
| B．A Unexpected Way to Improve Memory |
| C．Trying to Remember the Correct Information Is Important |
| D．Making Mistakes While Studying May Help. You Learn Better |
【推荐3】NASA is studying ways to build human habitations on the Red Planet. In 2016, SpaceX publicly announced a plan to begin building settlements Mars. This mission (任务)could put people on Mars by 2026. This is why astrobiology students at Villanova began their Mars Gardens project, investigating which plants and vegetables can grow in iron oxide-rich Martian soil simulant (模拟物).
A few billion years ago, Mars had a better environment, complete with oceans, a mild climate and quite possibly —life. It has since lost most of its atmosphere and water and there's currently no water on its surface. Water (or ice) is present beneath the surface, however, as well as in the planet's icy polar areas. The tough conditions on Mars make it necessary for all plants to be grown in heated, pressurized greenhouses with significant compensations (补充)made for atmosphere, wetness and water.
In their greenhouse experiments, the Villanova students took measures to create an environment that's both plant-friendly and similar to what would be found in greenhouses on Mars. They made sure, for example that plants received roughly the same amount of sunlight as they would on Mars. The students found that their success rates improve by using multiwavelength LEDs and adding potting soil or earthworm feces.
The students were able to get certain vegetables from consideration. For example, the low light on Mars does not lend itself well to growing plants that require full sun, which include favorites like tomatoes, beans, corn or many root plants. Carrots also don't make the cut. Potatoes largely don't thrive in the simulant soil and low light conditions, but sweet potatoes do a little better.
The students found that dandelions (蒲公英)would grow well on Mars and have significant benefits: they grow quickly, every part of the plant is eatable, and they have high nutritional value. Other thriving plants include microgreens, lettuce, peas and so on.
1. What do the students at Villanova intend to do with their project?| A．Design space crafts for the Mars mission. |
| B．Choose possible plants to be grown on Mars. |
| C．Study reasons for environmental changes on Mars. |
| D．Test models of human settlements to be set up on Mars. |
| A．The air pressure is low. | B．The temperature is high. |
| C．The soil is plant-friendly, | D．The sunlight is abundant. |
| A．Have high nutrition. | B．Require full sun. |
| C．Grow well. | D．Adjust to the conditions. |
| A．Tomatoes. | B．Carrots. | C．Potatoes. | D．Dandelions. |
【推荐1】Are we facing the end of civilization, or even the planet? It's a question that attracted some serious scientific brainpower. Some institutions are studying the probabilities of various disasters. Meanwhile, climate and earth-system scientists are collecting more evidence that climate change will seriously damage our world or at least cause a major war.
Rather than judging the science itself Notes From An Apocalypse explores how these threats affect individuals. It is the second such book from Mark O'Connell, the winner of the 2018 Wellcome Book Prize. In the story, O'Connell explores deeper into our personal hearts. He asks what happens when we're faced with the possibility of the end-time.
A successful journalist living in Dublin with his young family, O'Connell is crazy about the idea of collapse(毁灭).This leads him into shadowy worlds while readying himself for the breakdown. He visits a former weapons-storage place. He interviews Peter Thiel, a billionaire who attempts to redesign the government to suit the needs after collapse. And he attends a meeting of the Mars Society, where members share dreams of living on the Red Planet.
However, O'Connell discovers that what those people are doing is preparing not for their fears but their imaginations. They contribute “nothing to the prevention of others' sufferings”. Back in Dublin, O'Connell finds he has lost his taste for collapse. He finds inspiration to change his focus from how our lives might end, to what makes them worth living.
Notes from an Apocalypse offers no scientific analysis of the threats we face or how we should respond. Instead, it shows how easily our fears can cause us to walk away from the disasters we create — to hide, lice, waste — just when we most need to do something. In this thoughtful, funny and disturbing book, O'Connell makes a persuasive argument that connecting with nature and each other is the best way to calm our disasters—and it might even increase our hopes of avoiding the worst.
1. What possibility is discussed in Paragraph I?| A．The weather is getting warmer. |
| B．The world is coming to an end. |
| C．Science can improve civilization. |
| D．A big war is on the way to the world. |
| A．He finds many people sharing his belief. |
| B．He knows how to prepare for the end-time. |
| C．He collects some evidence about the disaster. |
| D．He throws away his initial idea about collapse. |
| A．People must make preparations for the end-time. |
| B．People have to find a way to escape from the earth. |
| C．People should bridge the gap between human and nature. |
| D．People just need to enjoy themselves before the disaster. |
| A．A Journey to the End of the World and Back |
| B．A Scientific Research into Saving the Planet |
| C．A Story of the People Threatened by Collapse |
| D．An Exploration into Different People's Hearts |
【推荐2】Tuition and fees for a four-year private college averaged $35,830 in 2018-19; at four-year, in-state public colleges, it was $10,230, according to the College Board. And that’s not even adding in room and board or other expenses.
By the end of last year, the amount families actually paid was $26,458, on average, according to Sallie Mae’s 11th annual “How America Pays for College” report. That’s up from $23,757 in the year earlier.
Income and savings from parents and students combined covered nearly half, or 47 percent of that amount in 2017-2018, up from 44 percent the year earlier, the education lender found. “Some families do pay 100 percent out of pocket while some others do get a full ride, which means their children gain a full scholarship,” said Marie O’Malley, the senior director of consumer research at Sallie Mae. “Typically, though, people rely on a number of different resources to pull it together.”
Scholarships, in fact, were the single most-used resource to pay for an undergraduate’s college bill. The share of college costs covered by scholarships and grants - money that does not have to be paid back - accounted for 28 percent of the total expense. The average total award among those who used one or more scholarships was $7,760, Sallie Mae said. Of course, many families also borrow to pay for school. Borrowed money, or loans, covered nearly a quarter, or 24 percent of the bill, down from 27 percent the year before. Contributions from grandparents or other relatives or friends paid for the remainder.
The report surveyed about 800 parents of children aged 18-24 enrolled as undergraduate students and nearly 800 undergraduate students aged 18-24 online.
1. How much did the typical American family pay last year for college on average?| A．$35,830 | B．$10,230 | C．$26,458 | D．$23,757 |
| A．borrowing from others | B．at their own expense |
| C．free of charge | D．with nothing rewarded |
| A．loans | B．savings |
| C．scholarships | D．parents’ income |
| A．borrowed money | B．money from relatives |
| C．money from banks | D．scholarships |
【推荐3】What if your next job is just a weak tie away? A recent study, conducted by a team from Stanford University and LinkedIn, revealed that weaker social connections have a greater beneficial effect on job mobility (流动性) than stronger ties. Stanford Professor Erik Bryson suggests a practical outcome of this study is to encourage job seekers to expand their reach beyond immediate friends and colleagues. Weak ties, he explains, often provide more unique, beneficial information and connections.
The advantage of weak ties theory is based on the idea that weak ties allow distant group of people to access novel information that can lead to new opportunities and innovation. Weak ties are more likely to introduce new job information to a wider social network.
The research team conducted a five-year experimental study with LinkedIn, involving 20 million global participants and 600,000 new jobs created. Using LinkedIn’s “People You May Know” (PYMK) algorithm (算法), the researchers tested the weak tie theory’s impact on the job market. The team randomly assigned LinkedIn users to receive either more weak or strong tie recommendations from the PYMK algorithm, then tracked the labor mobility of these groups over five years.
Their findings confirm that weaker ties enhance job mobility. Besides, the researchers looked at differences across industries and found that adding weak ties creates significantly more job opportunities in digital and high-tech industries. “This may reflect the fact that there is more rapid change and need for novel information and connections in those industries,” Bryson said.
He points out that the traditional methods used by policymakers to analyze labor markets are quickly becoming outdated. “They need to recognize that the labor market, like all aspects of the economy, is being digitized,” Bryson said. “It is important that we understand how the algorithms used by digital platforms like LinkedIn impact the labor market.”
1. According to paragraph 1, what should job seekers do?| A．Expand network to include weak ties. | B．Limit the search to their current industry. |
| C．Strengthen connections with close friends. | D．Rely on strong connections for opportunities. |
| A．By carrying out on line surveys. | B．By interviewing LinkedIn employers. |
| C．By tracking user data and job mobility. | D．By conducting a large-scale job fair. |
| A．They are fast-paced and value novelty. | B．They cause weak ties among employees. |
| C．Strong ties are the main source of mobility. | D．Weak ties do not contribute to job mobility. |
| A．Prioritize traditional methods only. | B．Ignore the impact of digital platforms. |
| C．Recognize the influence of digitization. | D．Understand the rules on digital platforms. |
【推荐1】Living in a foreign culture can be exciting, but it can also be confusing(令人迷惑的). A group of Americans who taught English in other countries recently discussed their experiences. They found that miscommunication was always possible, even over something as simple as “yes” and “no”.
On her first day in Micronesia, an island in the Pacific, Lisa thought people weren’t paying any attention to her. The day was hot. She went into a store and asked, “Do you have cold drinks？” The woman there didn’t say anything. Lisa repeated the question. Still the woman said nothing. She later learned that the woman had answered her: She had raised her eyebrows(眉毛), which in Micronesia means “yes”.
Jan remembered an experience she had in Bulgaria, a country in Europe. She went to a restaurant that was famous for its cabbage. She asked the waiter, “Do you have cabbage today？” He nodded his head. Jan waited, but the cabbage never came. In that country, a nod means “no”.
Tom had a similar problem when he arrived in India. After explaining something in class, he asked his students if they understood. They answered with many different nods and shakes of the head. He thought some people had not understood, so he explained again. When he asked again, they did the same thing. He soon found out that his students did understand. In India, people nod and shake their heads in different ways depending on where they come from. You have to know where a person is from to understand whether they mean “yes” or “no”．
1. The Americans teaching English in other countries found that they ________.| A．had problems with communication | B．needed to learn foreign languages |
| C．should often discuss their experiences | D．should go abroad for vacations |
| A．nodding heads | B．raising eyebrows |
| C．shaking heads | D．saying “no” |
| A．he didn’t know where the students came from |
| B．he didn’t explain everything clearly enough |
| C．some students didn’t understand his questions |
| D．he did not know much about Indian culture |
| A．In Bulgaria, nodding heads means “no” |
| B．Jan taught English on a Pacific island. |
| C．Lisa was trying to buy some cabbage. |
| D．In India，only shaking heads means “yes”. |
In Britain, there is a constant debate about the relevance(相关性) of the royal family to modern British society. However, Windsor (the family name of the British Royal Family) and Middleton have been seen to represent a more modern, forward-looking nation.
Nigel Baker, the British ambassador to Bolivia, believes that the royal wedding is “about modern Britain”. “The estimated 2 billion spectators across the world will see that Britain is one of the most culturally and ethnically diverse nations in the world, home to 270 nationalities speaking 300 different languages, founded on tolerance and respect for difference,” wrote Baker on his blog.
According to Baker, the wedding could help viewers to see “why Britain is one of the most dynamic and creative countries in the world”: The television on which most people watched the event was invented by John Logie Baird, a Briton, and the World Wide Web that broadcast the event to millions more was invented by another Briton, Tim Berners-Lee.
The guests who attended the wedding ceremony gave more than a few clues as to the nature of modern Britain. David and Victoria Beckham represent Britain’s obsession (着迷)with football and celebrity.
Leaders from different religious backgrounds supported Baker’s comments on the multicultural nature of modern British society.
Before the wedding, David Elliott, arts director of the British Council China, agreed that the wedding would be a showcase for modern Britain: “I think, and hope, that it (modern British influence) would be values like openness, multiculturalism, creativity, sense of humor and the traditional British sense of fair play,” he said.
Furthermore, events such as the Olympics in London in 2012 may also increase people’s sense of Britishness.
According to a poll published in Daily Telegraph, more than a third of people in the UK admitted they felt “very British” when watching the Olympics.
1. . What is the point of the article?
| A．To introduce Prince William’s wedding arrangements in detail. |
| B．To comment on the significance of the royal wedding. |
| C．To question the relevance of the royal family in modern British society. |
| D．To explain why the royal wedding is linked with the 2012 Olympics. |
| A．Some say that the royal wedding is a reflection on modern Britain.B Some think the royal wedding shows Britain’s multiculturalism and sense of fair play. | B．About 2 billion people across the world will see the wedding ceremony online. |
| C．Britons are obsessed with football due to the influence of David Beckham. | |
| A．To inform readers about some well-known British inventors. |
| B．To point to the importance of the World Wide Web for the wedding. |
| C．In support of the idea that Britain is a nation of creative and original people.D. To encourage people to watch the wedding on the Internet. |
| A．have increased the British sense of national identity |
| B．have promoted traditional British values |
| C．represent a more modern Britain |
| D．have encouraged the interest of Britons in Football |
【推荐3】Talking to human-like devices can be great fun - just ask Siri to tell you a joke. But it may also lead to problems.
A recent study by scientists from the University of Kansas (KU) in the US found that human-like devices keep people from seeking out normal human interaction when they feel lonely.
During a series of experiments, participants were asked to write about a time when they felt lonely. They also took part in an online game of “catch” against a computer program that was designed to “throw” the ball other player more often, but participants believed they were playing with real people online.
Participants were then introduced to human-like products, including a vacuum cleaner (真空吸尘器) designed to appear as if it were smiling. They were also asked to think about their phone in human-like terms, considering questions like “how much does it help you?”
The results showed that the participants were happy with the comfort they got from the machines and didn’t need to seek out normal human interaction.
Generally, when people feel socially excluded, they seek out other ways to reduce the feeling of loneliness. Normal ways include increasing their number of social media friends or engaging in behaviors to seek out interaction with other people, according to Jenny Olson, assistant professor of marketing at KU.
But it wasn’t all bad news, as the team found that there were limits to how far this effect would extend.
“As soon as we tell people we know that it looks like the [vacuum cleaner] is smiling, they seemed to realize it was a machine and not a person,” Olson told Daily Mail. “The effect goes away. This seems to happening on a very subconscious level.”
Researchers believe the results are important for consumers to realize how these types of products could affect their social interaction with real people, especially because so many new products feature interactivity.
“If someone notices they are talking more to Siri lately, maybe that has something to do with felling lonely,” Olson said. “From that standpoint, it’s important to be aware of it.”
The study could also help companies design products that can increase the well-being of people who feel lonely, without sacrificing normal social interaction.
“Maybe it is more about improving our current relationships,” Olson said, “such as taking a break from screen time and focusing on developing your real personal connections.”
1. Researcher from the University of Kansas found that _______.| A．human-like devices may help people interact with others. |
| B．interaction with human-like devices may make people feel lonely. |
| C．lonely people may easily become addicted to human-like devices. |
| D．human-like devices may reduce people’s social interaction in real life. |
| A．were allowed to talk with human-like devices. |
| B．were shown devices with human features. |
| C．played online games with both machines and real people. |
| D．were encouraged to engage in normal human interaction. |
| A．lonely people are more likely to seek out interaction with other people. |
| B．lonely people are content to only interact with human-like machines. |
| C．the feeling of loneliness deepens as people interact more with human-like devices. |
| D．People who are socially excluded would get uninterested in socializing. |
| A．It shows people why human-like products make them feel lonely. |
| B．It warns people to stop using human-like devices completely and focus on real social interaction. |
| C．It may help the well-being of people who fell lonely and improve their current relationships. |
| D．It points out the effects of human-like devices and could help companies improve their products. |
【推荐1】With Heavenly Lake as the center, the Heavenly Lake and Tianshan Mountains Scenic Area consists of four mountain landscape belts, which covers a total area of 380.69 square kilometers. In the mountains by Heavenly Lake, there live many precious plants and animals, such as snow cocks and roe deer. The tops of the mountains are even home to contemporary glaciers and rich in resources such as copper, iron and mica.
Ideal Sightseeing Season: August and September
Opening Hours: 09:00 - 19:30 in peak season, 10:00-18:00 in off season
Ticket Price:
● Admission fee: 95 yuan from April to October, 45 yuan from November to March.
● Temple of Queen Mother of the West: 10 yuan.
● Eco- museum of Heavenly Lake: 10 yuan.
● Cableway: 20 yuan/one-way, 35 yuan/round-trip.
● Other fees: sightseeing bus (60 yuan/round-trip), accumulator car (5 yuan/person each time), painted pleasure boat (50 yuan/person each time), speed boat (35 yuan/person each time), yacht (205yuan/person each time).
Note:
● There is an obvious difference in temperature from day and in night in Xinjiang and temperature in some scenic spots is probably lower due to the high elevation or weather change. Therefore, it is still necessary to take along a coat or woolen sweater to keep warm during the summer.
● Located in the northwest, Xinjiang has a lower average temperature than that in most areas of China, but ultraviolet irradiation in it is commonly higher. The highest temperature in some cities such as Turpan can reach above 40 degree Centigrade, so it is suggested to take along effective sun block and some medicine in case of sunburn and sunstroke prevention.
● Xinjiang is a region of an ethnic minority with a common belief of Islam. Pork is one of the biggest taboos for Muslims, so please do NOT bring porky food into a Muslim restaurant or talk about pork in public areas.
● Although most areas of Xinjiang are located in UTC+6, Beijing Time (UTC+8, national standard time of China) is officially used in Xinjiang. Due to the time difference of two hours later, sightseeing in Xinjiang is usually arranged between Beijing Time 09:00 and 20:00.
1. What can we know from the passage?| A．There are many common plants and contemporary glaciers on tops of the mountains. |
| B．In spring visitors can enjoy the most beautiful scenery there. |
| C．Visitors need to carry heavy clothes, sunglasses and some medicine during the visit in summer. |
| D．Pulled pork is available in Muslim restaurants in Xinjiang |
| A．165 yuan. | B．330 yuan. |
| C．70 yuan. | D．140 yuan. |
| A．A travel review. | B．A travel advertisement. |
| C．A travel news. | D．A travel guide. |
【推荐2】Anyone who has studied biology, watched a nature documentary, or, for that matter, simply enjoyed time in the outdoors, has likely been amazed by the variety of plant and animal life on our planet.
To date, about 1.5 million species have been formally described in the scientific literature, most of them insects. Proportionally, bacteria make up less than 1% of all described species.
Scientists generally agree that many more species exist than are formally described，but they disagree about how many there really are. Some studies have estimated 2 million or fewer, whereas others suggest as many as 12 million. In a new paper published in The Quarterly Review of Biology，researchers from the University of Arizona have estimated that there are roughly 2 billion living species on Earth, over a thousand times more than the current number of described species. In coming up with their estimate，the researchers took advantage of the fact that many estimates now agree on the projected number of insect species, around 6.8 million. They incorporated new estimates of species boundaries revealed by DNA sequences, which suggest there might be six times as many insect species，increasing the total to 40 million for insect species alone.
They then reviewed all groups of organisms associated with insects as parasites. They found that each insect species most likely hosts a unique species of mite(螨)，roundworm，a one-celled microsporidian(微孢子虫), and a one-celled organism called apicomplexan(顶覆虫). Most importantly, the researchers estimated that each insect species is likely to host at least 10 bacterial species found nowhere else. Based on these estimates，they conclude that there should be around 2 billion species on Earth.
1. How many bacterial species are formally described in the scientific literature?| A．About 1.5 billion. | B．About 1.5 million. |
| C．About 150 thousand. | D．About 15 thousand. |
| A．There are many more species not included in the scientific literature. |
| B．There are about 1.5 million insects described in the scientific literature. |
| C．There are about 12 million species existing but not known to the scientists. |
| D．There tire about 6. 8 million insect species not hosting parasites. |
| A．Attracts. | B．Supports. |
| C．Kills. | D．Invites. |
| A．A discovery of new bacterial species. |
| B．Different theories to estimate species. |
| C．A new estimate of biodiversity on Earth. |
| D．Different opinions on the number of species. |
A tender woman, or an independent one, which one would you prefer? A recent research shows that most people would choose the latter.
This type of woman is called a nühanzi (“tough woman”). Experts believe these characteristics have social and psychological roots among young females in China. Su Hao’s friends all call her a tough woman, because she can finish tough tasks usually carried out by men. For example, she carries 10-litre water to her dormitory on the 5th floor. “I depend on no one but myself,” she says.
According to a recent survey by China Youth Daily, tough women have become rather common in society. Of the 21,265 respondents, 78.5 percent said they are familiar with a tough woman. About 50 percent said they like women with tough characteristics, while less than 29 percent expressed the opposite view.
Why are tough women gaining popularity? Shen Meng, a psychological consultant, believes the fierce competition in society is contributing to this trend. “Women are often in a disadvantaged position compared to men,” Shen says. “In order to survive, they have to be independent, strong and tough.”
Liu Xiaolin, professor of psychology at Wuhan Mental Health Center, believes tough women are brought up this way. They are often on close relationship with their fathers, who teach their daughters to be brave and decisive,” he says. As a result, these women are more likely to be psychologically healthy and more tolerant to stress, according to Liu.
Though Liu believes that this is a good trend, Hu Shenzhi, a psychologist at the Guangdong Sunflower Counseling Center, says the popularity of tough woman indicates an unclear line between gender identities, which can lead to relationship problems. “Some women with characteristics that differ from the traditional female image may have a difficult time finding Mr Right,” he says.“Even if they get married, their manly characteristics might cause family conflicts.
1. Which of the followings does NOT belong to the characteristics of a tough woman?| A．She is independent of others in daily life. |
| B．She is soft and tender to others. |
| C．She is more tolerant to stress. |
| D．She can solve problems usually for men. |
| A．About 10,600. | B．About 16,700. |
| C．21,265. | D．About 6,200. |
| A．Because tough women are more lovely. |
| B．Because more women want to be independent. |
| C．Because girls often love fathers more. |
| D．Because of the fierce competition in society. |
| A．It’s difficult for them to be friends. |
| B．They often suffer gender confusion. |
| C．They may have difficulty with marriage. |
| D．They have different characteristics form traditional female images. |
