【推荐2】Every year, 1.5 million kids around the world die as a result of not getting vaccines (疫苗). This is partly because transporting and storing medicines can be a huge challenge in some countries.

Anurudh Ganesan, 17, knows this firsthand. When he was a baby in India, his grandparents carried him 10 miles to a health clinic in a remote village to receive a vaccine. But by the time they arrived, the vaccines were no longer usable because they had been overheated.

Vaccines, Anurudh later learned, must be kept cool to stay effective. But refrigerating them requires electricity or ice – precious resources that many developing countries lack.

Although Anurudh eventually received the vaccine he needed, his experience as a baby and the sad reality that so many other children aren’t as lucky motivated him to take action. The high school student invented Vaxxwagon, a portable vaccine-carrying device that generates its own power to keep lifesaving medicines cool as they’re delivered to remote areas around the world.

Anurudh first got his idea for Vaxxwagon in 2014. He read several textbooks to learn everything he could about refrigeration, and then he did research online to learn more about vaccines. Rather than relying on electricity or ice, Anurudh figured out a way to use wheels to power a refrigeration system for about eight hours. The entire rechargeable cooling system can be pulled to areas in need of vaccines by a bicycle, a car, or an animal. Eventually, Anurudh took his design to professors at Johns Hopkins University for advice. Not only did they confirm Vaxxwagon could work, but they offered him funding to help build it.

Anurudh was rewarded with the 2015 Google Science Fair LEGO Education Builder Award for his invention. Anurudh says his final goal is to start selling Vaxxwagon to relief organizations, so it can be used to help people around the world.

Anurudh, who plans to pursue engineering degree in college, says, “Don’t give up on your ideas. But always try to help others with your projects. That’s the point of engineering – to help people.”

1. Why do many children die every year?

A．They lack qualified medical teams.

B．They cannot afford usable medicines.

C．They don’t have an electricity system.

D．They have no access to effective vaccines.

2. What is special about Vaxxwagon?

A．It can serve as a fridge.

B．It can produce safe vaccines.

C．It can detect deadly diseases.

D．It can be a means of transport.

3. Which of the following words can best describe Anurudh?

A．Caring and creative.

B．Modest and sympathetic.

C．Loyal and determined.

D．Honest and hard-working.

4. What can we learn from the story?

A．Practice makes perfect.

B．One good turn deserves another.

C．Motivation is the mother of success.

D．All things are difficult before they are easy.

【推荐1】Men don't go through pregnancy or childbirth. Their hormone (荷尔蒙) levels don't nosedive. What exactly have they got to be depressed about? Quite a lot, according to research from Sweden showing that, over the past 10 years, a significant number of men have struggled with the transition(过渡) to fatherhood.

This latest research tries to quantify just how many men get postnatal(产后)depression. Previous studies have found between 4% and 10% of men. while, in this smallish sample of 447 Swedish fathers who volunteered (and may therefore not represent your average dad), a surprising 28% of men had symptoms that scored above mild levels of depression. Overall, 4% had moderate depression. Fewer than one in five fathers who were depressed sought help, even though a third of those had thought about harming themselves. While women in the UK are often asked a series of questions that screen for postnatal depression (which affects up to 13% of women), the mental health of fathers is rarely assessed.

The lead author of the Swedish paper, Elisa Psouni, from the department of psychology at Lund University, says the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale(EPDS) used for both women and men is not so accurate in picking up depression in fathers. Her research showed higher levels of depression in dads because it added in a score more reflective of "male" symptoms of depression such as agitation, anger, irritability(易怒), working longer hours and drinking too much.

Depression in fathers may be rising not just because researchers are looking for it, but because more new dads are struggling. Psouni believes fathers increasingly face the same dilemmas that mothers do-including trying to combine parenthood with working Fathers who got depressed often had external pressures, such as job issues, and if their partner was depressed, their own risk of depression doubled. Lack of sleep, having twins and conflict in the relationship can all contribute.

A depressed dad will play and smile less with his child. Children are deeply affected by paternal postnatal depression with studies showing poorer measures of wellbeing and more behavioral problems at the age of seven.

Fathers who sense they may be struggling and partners, relatives or friends who notice an increase in imitability and anxiety in a man in the first year of parenthood (paternal depression is more dispersed throughout the first 12 months) should consider the possibility of paternal postnatal depression.

Cognitive behavioral therapy(认知行为疗法) can help, as can antidepressants. If the depression is not recognised, says Psouni, "one of most terrible things is that you catch up with yourself a year later and realise you have been really down and struggling-and the first year of your child's life has gone.”

1. What is revealed about men according to a Sweden research?

A．They experience a sharp decline in hormone.

B．Many of them suffer from postnatal depression.

C．They seldom go through pregnancy or childbirth

D．Many of them qualify for the transition to fatherhood.

2. What do the statistics in Paragraph 2 indicate?

A．The researchers should invite more Swedish fathers.

B．Over half of Swedish fathers tend to harm themselves.

C．The mental health of fathers deserves more attention.

D．Postnatal depression affects British women more easily.

3. Why did Psouni's research show higher levels of depression in dads?

A．Researchers use a new measure for male symptom of depression.

B．Researchers adopt EPDS to accurately pick up depression in dads.

C．Fathers have trouble in coping with internal and external pressures.

D．Fathers are often faced with the doubled risk of partner depression.

4. What may happen to a father with paternal depression?

A．He may develop terrible behavioral habits.

B．He may avoid being recognized with depression.

C．He may decline cognitive behavioral therapy.

D．He may miss the chance of giving proper childcare.

【推荐2】Standing on one leg is a simple way to assess someone's risk of suffering a stroke （中风）， suggests a new study．

Researchers have found struggling to balance on one leg for 20 seconds or longer is linked to an increased risk of small blood vessel （血管） damage in the brain and reduced thinking ability in otherwise healthy people with no symptoms．

"Our study found the ability to balance on one leg is an important test for brain health． Individuals showing poor balance on one leg should receive increased attention， as this may indicate an increased risk of brain diseases and cognitive （认知的） decline，" said Dr Tabara， a professor at Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine in Japan．

The study， published in the journal Stroke， consisted of 841 women and 546 men， with an average age of 67． To measure onelegged standing time， they stood with their eyes open and raised one leg． The maximum time for keeping the leg raised was 60 seconds． The participants performed the examination twice and the better of the two times was used in the study analysis．

The researchers found that the inability to balance on one leg for longer than 20seconds was associated with brain diseases without symptoms． Overall， those with brain diseases were older and had high blood pressure than those who did not have such diseases．

Short onelegged standing time was also linked with lower cognitive score． Although previous studies have examined the connection between physical abilities and the risk of stroke， this is among the first studies to closely examine how long a person can stand on one leg as an indication of their overall brain health．

Dr Tabara and his team also found a strong link between struggling to stand on one leg and increased age．

1. Dr Tabara suggested that one who couldn't stand on one leg for more than 20 seconds     ．

A．try to improve his physical abilities

B．receive medical treatment for brain diseases

C．be given special attention to prevent accidents

D．be examined for other symptoms of brain diseases

2. Which of the following factors might decrease onelegged standing time according to the text？
a． Heart diseases．
b． Cognitive decline．
c． High blood pressure．
d． The aging process．
e． Brain diseases．

A．a， b， d

B．a， c， d

C．b， c， e

D．b， d， e

3. What can we learn about the study from the fourth paragraph？

A．It was led by Dr Tabara．

B．It included more than 1，300 people．

C．It examined people of different age groups．

D．It required the participants to close their eyes first．

4. Which of the following might be the best title for the text？

A．Overall Brain Health Deserves Close Attention

B．Brain Diseases Without Symptoms Require Attention

C．Can't Stand on One Leg？ You May Be at Risk of Stroke

D．Can't Keep Your Balance？ You May Have Brain Damage

【推荐3】From talking robots and video phones to rovers(探测器) on Mars, technology has become so advanced that the previously impossible seems to occur on a daily basis.    1    

Why can't we stop the common cold? According to Peter Barlow, a scientist at Edinburgh University in the UK, the main challenge lies in the many different types of cold viruses that are produced by the rhino-viruses (鼻病毒).    2    A single cure isn't likely to work on every type of cold.

However, researches from Stanford University and the University of California have found a possible answer.     3    Without it, they can't spread inside your body.

Researchers used a gene-editing technique to test human genes and found that all the viruses were unable to replicate(复制) inside cells without a gene that produces a specific protein. Then, they tested genetically modified mice, which were completely unable to produce the protein.    4    "Lacking that gene protected the mice complete from viral infection." associate professor Jan Carette from Standford told the BBC.

Carette said the plan is to find a drug that can temporarily stop the protein, instead of producing genetically modified humans. "We have identified a fantastic target that all rhino-viruses require and depend on.    5    This is a really good first step - the second step is to have a chemical that copies this genetic deletion," he added.

A．Everything seems to be possible.

B．There are at least 160 types of them.

C．But we still have no cure for the common cold.

D．They discovered a protein that the viruses need.

E．Take that away and viruses really have no chance.

F．The mice were able to live a healthy life without it.

G．The result was unexpected and made them frustrated.

【推荐1】Marco Springmann and his colleagues, at the Oxford Martin School’s Future of Food Programme, built computer models that predicted what would happen if everyone became vegetarian by 2050. The results indicate that if the world went vegan (严格的素食主义者), the greenhouse gas emissions declines would be around 70%.

In the US, for example, an average family of four emits more greenhouse gases because of the meal they eat than from driving two cars---but it is cars, not steaks, that regularly come up in discussions about global warming.

Food, especially livestock (牲畜，家畜) also takes up a lot of room. 68% of agricultural land in the world is used for livestock. When these lands become grasslands and forests, they would capture carbon dioxide and further ease climate change.

However, if the whole world went vegan, there would be negative effects too. First, it is necessary to keep livestock for environmental purposes. “I’m sitting here in Scotland where the Highlands’ environment is very man-made and based largely on grazing by sheep,” says Peter Alexander, a researcher in socio-ecological systems modeling at the University of Edinburgh. “If we took all the sheep away, the environment would look different and there would be a potential negative impact on biodiversity.”

Plus, meat is an important part of history, tradition and cultural identity. Numerous groups around the world give livestock gifts at weddings, celebratory dinners such as Christmas with turkey or roast beef.

And nowadays, moderation in meal-eating’s frequency and portion size is key to solving these conflicts. “Certain changes would encourage us to make healthier and more environmentally friendly dietary decisions,” says Springmann, “like putting a higher price lag on meat and making fresh fruits and vegetables cheaper.”

In fact, clear solutions already exist for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the livestock industry. What is lacking is the will to carry out those changes.

1. What can we infer from the underlined sentence in the second paragraph?

A．Driving cars is more dangerous than eating steaks in the US.

B．Our dietary choices affecting climate change is often underestimated.

C．People compare the greenhouse gas emissions of the cars and steaks.

D．Cars affect the global warming more seriously than the steaks.

2. Which saying can best show the author’s attitude to livestock?

A．It is hard to please all.

B．Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

C．One cannot see the wood for the trees.

D．Everything is a double-edged sword.

3. Where is this text most likely from?

A．A biology textbook.	B．A health magazine.
C．A scientific journal.	D．An educational review.

【推荐2】Do you think you would work out more if you were offered money to do so? Science has shown that money can give people motivation to work out, but perhaps not in the way that you think.

According to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine Journal, the best strategy isn’t offering money; it’s giving someone money, then threatening to take it away.

Researchers gave 281 people the goal of walking 7,000 steps every day over 13 weeks.

To motivate the people who took part to reach the goal, researchers divided them into three groups.

People in the first group received $1,40(9 yuan) each day as long as they finished 7,000 steps, the second group was only able to collect the $1.40 if they had reached 7,000 steps the day before, and the third group was given $42 at the beginning of each month and $1.40 was taken away every time someone failed to meet the goal.

The third group met their daily fitness goals 50 percent more often than the other two groups, showing that people were most motivated to walk by the fear of losing money.

“People are more motivated by losses than gains, and they like immediate gratification.” study author Dr Mitesh Patel, an assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania in the US, told CNN. “They want to be rewarded today, not next year or far into the future.”

Our brains tend to avoid wanting to lose things more than they try to get the benefits from gaining them, Patel explained. “It makes people think like the money is theirs to lose from day one.”

In addition, in most programs, many participants will drop out quickly and only the motivated will stay involved, Patel said.

“In ours, we were pleasantly surprised that 96 percent stayed.” he added.

The study provides evidence that what matters is not only the money incentive （激励）, but also how you think about them. This is important to how effective they are. The evidence could have a big effect on health promotion programs in the future, according to the study.

“Incentives themselves are not all you need,” Stephanie Pronk, a health and wellness consultant with the Aonplc corporation, told The Wall Street Journal. “It’s really important to change up the incentive design and keep people on their toes.”

1. According to Dr Mitesh Patel, the third group did better than the other two groups mostly because______.

A．they were satisfied with being paid immediately

B．they did not want the money they had gained to be taken away

C．they were able to get more money than the other two groups

D．they were given money at first while the others were not

2. By mentioning other similar programs, Dr Mitesh Patel intended to______.

A．prove that their program has been more successful

B．show that motivation mattered more in other programs

C．stress that they didn’t expert the result

D．make a further comparison between these programs

3. What can we infer from Stephanie Pronk’s words?

A．Incentives are of little importance in the process of getting fit.

B．Incentives and ways in which they are given are key to fitness programs.

C．People should keep fit actively instead of being motivated by incentives.

D．There are many ways to get people to feel motivated to work out more.

4. We can learn from the study that for incentives to work______.

A．more benefits than losses should be obvious for participants

B．direct profits should be given rather than long-term ones

C．designers need to consider how people think about incentives

D．designers need to work out the right from of motivation

【推荐3】Given how valuable intelligence and automation (自动化) are, we will continue to improve our technology if we are at all able to. At a certain point, we will build machines that are smarter than we are. Once we have machines that are smarter than we are, they will begin to improve themselves. And then we risk what the mathematician IJ Good called an ‘‘intelligence explosion”. The process could get out of control.

The concern is really that we will build machines that are much more competent than we are. And the slightest divergence (分歧) between their goals and our own could destroy us.

Just think about how we relate to ants. We don’t hate them. We don’t go out of our way to harm them. In fact, sometimes we take pains not to harm them. We step over them on the sidewalk. But whenever their presence seriously conflicts with one of our goals, we will kill them without hesitation. The concern is that we will one day build machines that, whether they’re conscious or not, could treat us with similar disregard.

The bare fact is that we will continue to improve our intelligent machines. We have problems that we desperately need to solve. So we will do this, if we can. The train is already out of the station, and there’s no brake to pull. If we build machines that are more intelligent than we are, they will very likely develop in ways that we can’t imagine, and exceed us in ways that we can’t imagine.

So imagine we hit upon a design of super intelligent AI that has no safety concerns. This machine would be the perfect labor-saving device. It can design the machine that can build the machine which can do any physical work, powered by sunlight, more or less for the cost of raw materials. So we’re talking about the end of human labour. We’re also talking about the end of most intellectual work. So what would apes like ourselves do in this circumstance?

What would some nations do if they heard that some company in Silicon Valley was about to deploy a super intelligent AI? This machine would be capable of starting war, whether terrestrial or cyber, with unbelievable power.

Given that the companies and governments building super intelligent AI are likely to perceive themselves as being in a race against all others, and that to win this race is to win the world, it seems likely that whatever is easier to do will get done first unless it is destroyed in the next moment.

But the moment we admit that information processing is the source of intelligence, we have to admit that we are in the process of building some son of god. Now would be a good time to make sure it’s a god we can live with.

1. What message does Paragraph 3 convey?

A．Intelligence and automation are very valuable.

B．The improved machines will get away from us.

C．The presence of machines does conflict with our goals.

D．Future intelligent machines could treat us without mercy.

2. Which of the following sayings has similar meaning with the underlined sentence in Paragraph 4?

A．Time and tide wait for no man.

B．Rome wasn’t built in a day.

C．Tomorrow is another day.

D．Shot arrows will not come back.

3. How is the passage mainly developed?

A．By making comparisons.

B．By giving assumptions.

C．By showing valid evidence.

D．By analyzing statistics.

4. Which of the following statements can best summarize the author’s viewpoint towards AI?

A．Human beings will no doubt be destroyed by AI in the future.

B．Super intelligent AI will put an end to human labour eventually.

C．We should keep the development of AI within humans’ control.

D．Human beings should stop the development of super intelligent AI.

【推荐1】Jim Denevan is an amazing artist whose work is admired by all, but owned by none — that’s because all of Jim’s art is created on an unusual canvas (画布) — the soft sand. He sometimes spends days working on a piece, only to see it washed away by the sea or a storm and that is just the way he likes it.

Denevan discovered his artistic talents about ten years ago, when he was wandering aimlessly on the beach with a stick. He ended up drawing a 12-foot-long fish. Since then, Jim has traveled over 1,800 miles while creating over 600 pieces of sand art.

Over the years, his drawings have become bigger, but the tools he uses haven’t changed — All he needs is a stick, a garden rake (耙) and most importantly, his lively imagination!

Just like any good artist, Jim is quite particular about the “quality” of his canvas, sometimes walking for miles, in search of perfect sand. His latest piece of work, which is also the world’s largest freelance (自由职业的) drawing, was created in the desert sands of Nevada. It took Jim three trips, eight days and over 100 miles of walking to create this 3-mile work of art. It took the storm just one night to destroy it! However, Jim says he actually enjoys watching the waves or rain wash his paintings away.

Jim’s art has become very popular over the years and was even the topic of a documentary named “Sandman” in 2005. Jim Denevan is not just about art in the sand — he is also an excellent cook and founder of an organization called “Outstanding in the Field”, whose motto (座右铭) is to celebrate food at its source. Accordingly, group dining events are held outdoors on farms, with the diners being treated to a delicious meal. The events, which are held in different farms throughout America, are always sold out the minute the schedule is announced.

1. What do we know about Denevan?

A．He used to be a cook.

B．He has a gift for creating sand art.

C．He puts his work on show regularly.

D．He showed artistic talents at a very young age.

2. What can we learn from the text?

A．Denevan walks a lot to complete his work.

B．It is not hard for Denevan to find suitable sand.

C．It takes a long time for the storm to destroy Denevan’s work.

D．Denevan is very particular about his drawing tools.

3. What does Denevan enjoy about his work according to the text?

A．Walking a long distance.	B．Waiting for the storm to come.
C．Looking for a suitable canvas.	D．Watching nature destroy his work.

4. Which of the following can best describe Denevan?

A．Generous.	B．Open-minded.
C．Imaginative.	D．Traditional.

【推荐2】This year, German environmentalists collected 1.75 million signatures for a “save the bees” law requiring an immediate change toward organic farming. But to create healthy ecosystems worldwide, people in communities across the globe will need to take similar action based on sympathy for insects — and not only for bees and butterflies. The environmentalists presented immediate, science-based actions to slow down the insect decline.

“It takes specific law to preserve the amazing variety of insects in the world and we need to stop the destroying of natural habitats, limit road building in parks and reserves and produce food without the use of pesticides,” said Basset, an entomologist, “Conserving insects is not the same as conserving big animals or rare frogs. You can’t keep millions of insects in a zoo.”

A recent article in Entomology Today suggests that successful programs to save insects have a clear and simple objective and a strategically chosen audience. By focusing on bees and butterflies and other beautiful, familiar insects, it is possible to enact the law to protect the habitat of lesser known, less attractive, but equally important species.

But there are still huge gaps in information about how different species of insects are doing, especially in the tropics. “It is next to useless to weigh insects collected in an area and say that insect communities are increasing or declining.” Basset said. “We need much more specific information. That is expensive and difficult because of the effort that it takes just to identify the species, especially in the tropics. What we are doing now is to group insects by their main function, and then to determine how each group is doing in a specific area of the world.”

1. What should people do to protect insects according to the text?

A．Stop building roads in parks and reserves.

B．Open up more natural habitats.

C．Avoid using pesticides for crops.

D．Keep them in a zoo.

2. What can we learn from the successful programs to save insects?

A．They have set up laws.

B．They focus on specific species.

C．They conserve important species.

D．They protect the habitat of lesser known species.

3. What are the environmentalists doing now?

A．Classifying the insects.

B．Identifying the species of insects.

C．Doing research on insects’ function.

D．Weighing insects collected in an area.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Helping Insects Is Helping Ourselves!

B．Take Action! Insects Need Protection!

C．Save the Bees — They Need Your Help!

D．Insect Decline: Where Have All the Insects Gone?

【推荐3】I’m interested in coding and technology, but there’s a huge gender gap in the computing field, meaning girls are in the minority. I wanted to change that. I started the Catwalk Coding Camp where girls learn how to code(编程) light-up accessories (配饰) and show them at a fashion show. I thought the main result would be that some would be interested enough to learn more, but it turned out that the girls were hungry for role models in the field.

I’d never seen myself as a role model, but suddenly there were younger girls looking up to me. It made me want to be better. This “role model psychology" doesn’t just change what I do out in the world; it changes what I do for myself. I’m halfway through my first year as a computer science major. To be honest, it’s not always easy!

I struggled, and there was a moment when I considered changing my major. Difficult as it is, I survive and move on. Look around the lecture hall and only one third of the students are girls. Then when we break up into sections led by more advanced students, only 2 to 3 sections are run by women.

It keeps me going to know that so many girls look up to me. They have decided that if another girl can go   into computer science, they can as well. I want to do well so I can become a section leader in years to come, hoping to close the gender gap in the field.

1. What surprised the author after the Catwalk Coding Camp?

A．The fashion show turned out to be a success.

B．The girls wanted role models in computing field.

C．Some girls presented unusual talents for fashion.

D．Many girls displayed interest in learning coding.

2. What does the author want to do according to Paragraph 2?

A．Change her major in the college.

B．Hold more coding camps for girls.

C．Make girls feel welcome in the field.

D．Help more girls become section leaders.

3. How does the author feel about her first year in college?

A．Exhausting.	B．Relaxing.
C．Discouraging.	D．Challenging.

4. What helped the author go through the hard time?

A．The admiration from the girls.	B．The desire to be a scientist.
C．The determination to be better.	D．The hunger for knowledge.