A dozen international coffee experts moved around a long wooden table, pausing at each steaming cup, heads dipping,smelling and tasting. In the wings, coffee farmer Yang Fan watches attentively as the judges’ circle, awaiting a decision on her latest crop of beans.
In recent years, China is fast developing a reputation as a top coffee producer. This tasting was a side event to the first ever Pu’er International Specialty Coffee Expo in China’s southwestern Yunnan province, which ran this winter and drew more than a thousand attendees, including industry aficionados (酷爱者) from across the globe.
“Coffee has huge potential in China,” says Liu Ying, who is working in private investment in Beijing to grow coffee in Pu’er five years ago. “The younger generation prefers to drink coffee in their offices much more than tea.” Still, Pu’er remains synonymous with tea. In a region of China known for thousands of years of tea growing, a new crop is beginning to change the country’s landscape: coffee. This town near the Laos border is surrounded by the green hills scored with tea plantations; it produces a variety of tea which is also called Pu’er. But the region’s mild climate is also perfect for growing Arabica coffee. And as China’s young people move away from traditional tea in favor of the invigorating coffee, Pu’er’s farmers are catering to the demand. Yunnan accounts for 98% of China’s coffee harvest, with half coming from the misty landscape around Pu’er. Today, China is the 13th biggest coffee producer in the world - rising from zero output three decades ago to 136,000 tons annually today.
In April, Seattle’s annual Specialty Coffee Expo decided to showcase China as its portrait country of origin. It follows on the heels of Starbucks’ launching its first single-origin Yunnan coffee last year after eight years of partnership with Yunnan farmers.
With global coffee prices at record lows, Yunnan farmers are processing beans in bespoke (定制的) ways to create distinct flavors -allowing them to enter the market of specialty coffee. “At current coffee prices, I can’t even feed my family,” says the farmer Yang. “My only way out is to produce specialty coffee, to make the best coffee beans.” That means letting beans dry in their cherries, thus producing a wild, fruity flavor, or allowing them to “honey” in their sugary inner layer, which adds a slight sweetness.
“If I told you this was Colombian or Panama coffee, nobody would argue with me,” says Samuel Gurel, CEO of Pu’er’s Torch Coffee Roasters, as Yang breaks into a laughter. “It’s a great example of how Chinese coffee is evolving.”
1. What is the best title of the passage?| A．Coffee gains ground in China’s tea-growing heartland |
| B．Coffee is taking the place of Pu’er tea in Yunnan province. |
| C．Bespoke coffee in Ynnnan has a variety of flavors. |
| D．China has become a top coffee producer in the world. |
| A．they have the tradition to plant coffee |
| B．Starbuck needs coffee from Yunnan province |
| C．coffee planted there has a special flavor |
| D．they think coffee has great potential in China |
| A．Pu’er cannot produce coffee. |
| B．Coffee enjoys a good reputation. |
| C．Pu’er is most famous for its tea. |
| D．Coffee is as popular as coffee. |
| A．He is worried about it. | B．He thinks highly of it. |
| C．He doubts about its future. | D．He shows no interest in it. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Whether you consume it in ice cream, coffee, cupcakes, pudding, or protein shakes, the vanilla you eat in the future might taste just a little bit sweeter thanks to a surprising new ingredient: used plastic.
Admittedly, it doesn’t sound very appetizing. To scientists Joanna Sadler and Stephen Wallace at Scotland’s University of Edinburgh, however, what’s even less delicious is plastic waste, which currently enters the ocean at a rate of 8 million tons per year—enough plastic waste to outweigh all of the ocean’s fish by the year 2050. To help stop the plastic pollution on land and at sea, they’ve designed a novel way to turn it into vanillin, a chemical substance in vanilla extract that gives it its distinct vanilla smell and flavor.
Although it can be found in natural vanilla bean extract, vanillin also can be made synthetically using chemicals coming from petrol. To create it from plastic, instead, researchers genetically modified a strain of E. coli bacteria so that it can make vanillin from a raw material used in the production of plastic bottles.
According to their research paper, around 85% of the world’s vanillin is synthesized from chemicals that are obtained from fossil fuels. That’s because demand for vanillin—which is used widely not only in food, but also in beauty products, cleaning products, and herbicides—is far greater than supply. In Madagascar, which grows 80% of the world’s natural vanilla, pollinating, harvesting, and curing vanilla beans is a long and painstaking process that couldn’t possibly yield enough vanillin for modern appetites. And even if it could, the only way to naturally increase vanillin supply would be to plant more vanilla plantations, which would drive deforestation.
Being able to create vanillin with plastic instead of petroleum means increasing vanillin supply while decreasing plastic waste, reducing industrial reliance on fossil fuels, and preserving forests.
“Using microorganisms to turn waste plastics, which are harmful to the environment, into an important product is a beautiful demonstration of green chemistry,” said Ellis Crawford, publishing editor at the United Kingdom’s Royal Society of Chemistry.
1. How do scientists produce vanilla?| A．Extracting it from plastic bottles. |
| B．Forming it without bacteria. |
| C．Changing the formula of protein shakes. |
| D．Taking it from ocean life. |
| A．Naturally. | B．Artificially. |
| C．Biologically. | D．Industrially. |
| A．Madagascar is the biggest vanilla import country in the world. |
| B．Making natural vanilla is an easy process. |
| C．Enlarging vanilla plantations is environmentally-friendly. |
| D．Producing vanilla from plastic is a win-win solution. |
| A．In a science magazine. | B．In a travel booklet. |
| C．In an economic textbook. | D．In an advertisement. |
【推荐2】Porridge doesn't have a very tasty name, does it? It doesn't have a very tasty reputation, either. I'm here to try and convince you that porridge isn’t boring and tasteless, that it can be a delicious, convenient and very healthy way to start the day.
If you’ve never eaten it (although you probably have), porridge is a type of food served for breakfast. It is usually a type of grain, like rice or oat (燕麦), mixed with either milk or water, and often heated up. It is often thicker than liquid, but not solid and is very easy to digest, so it's a better option for people who are ill, and it provides long-lasting energy for the day.
Porridge preparation--the amount of ingredients (配料) and cooking time—depends on what you choose to use as your porridge base. If I'm cooking for myself, I put a very big handful of ‘rolled’ oats in a saucepan, add a little bit of water and about 200ml of milk, and let the mixture boil. I stir the porridge constantly, and it takes about five to ten minutes to cook.
Once it's cooked, the fun part is adding the flavors. Porridge alone doesn't have a very strong flavour. Although some people think this makes porridge boring, I think this is what makes porridge exciting! It is like a blank piece of paper—you can add almost anything you want to the porridge base. Greens, nuts and dried fruits are very healthy options to add and can give you energy for the day. But if you don't like these, or you're allergic, then honey and chocolate are also very tasty options. (Just don’t add to much!)
One of the best things about porridge? You can make it almost anywhere in the world. Either oats or rice or both are “staple foods (主食)” for many people across the world. You can usually buy big bags of either, then add local ingredients to make your porridge interesting—whatever is cheap and convenient to find, wherever you are. I am currently in Mexico, and I love to heat my oats up with milk, then mix in peanuts and pumpkin seeds and cacao nibs, and I put a layer of sugar over the top to make my porridge sweeter.
Porridge? Hopefully it sounds a lot tastier now!
1. What is the purpose of the text?| A．To give brief introduction to various porridge. |
| B．To show how to prepare porridge for the patient. |
| C．To warn us not to have porridge for breakfast. |
| D．To introduce the benefits of porridge. |
| A．Porridge is often thicker, liquid and solid. |
| B．Porridge alone has a very strong flavor. |
| C．Porridge is to many people's liking. |
| D．Porridge is only served for breakfast. |
| A．It provides long-lasting energy for the day. |
| B．It is cheap and convenient to make. |
| C．It's a better option for people. |
| D．It is never boring and tasteless. |
| A．Porridge with Sugar. | B．Porridge with oats. |
| C．Porridge with fruit. | D．Porridge with milk. |
【推荐3】When we think of bananas, the image of a vibrant yellow fruit comes to mind. However, there exists a unique variety of blue bananas that adds a colorful twist to this classic fruit. While not as widely available as their yellow counterparts, blue bananas offer a delightful and nutritious addition to fruit lovers. So, embrace the unexpected and seek out the extraordinary blue bananas for a truly unforgettable taste experience.
One of the most well-known blue banana varieties is the Blue Java, also called the “Ice Cream” banana. This distinctive fruit owns a pale blue or silver skin when unripe, which gradually turns to a creamy yellow when fully ripe. Its flesh has a delicate, sweet flavor like vanilla ice cream, earning it the fitting nickname.
Originating from Sri Lanka, the Pisang Ceylon banana is another interesting blue variety. Its striking blue-green skin hides a creamy white flesh that is slightly sweet of citrus. This unique banana is valued not only for its appealing color but also for its nutritional benefits.
There are other related varieties with similar coloration. These include the Namwah Blue, Kluai Khai, and Kluai Namwa Aw. Each exhibits its own distinct flavor, ranging from sweet, creamy to subtly tangy (强烈的) respectively.
Blue bananas are widely used fruits that can be enjoyed in various cooking preparations. Their sweet, creamy flesh lends itself well to smoothies, milkshakes, and desserts. Additionally, their unique color adds a visually striking element to fruit salads or tropical-themed dishes.
Like their yellow counterparts, blue bananas are abundant in vital nutrients. They are a good source of potassium (钾), which supports heart health and helps maintain proper blood pressure. Blue bananas also contain protein, vitamin C, and other beneficial antioxidants that contribute to overall well-being and immune system support.
1. What can we learn about blue bananas from the text?| A．They have become a hit worldwide. | B．They are still limited in supply. |
| C．They have been exported to Sri Lanka. | D．They have the highest medical value in fruits. |
| A．It has light blue skin. | B．It tastes like ice cream. |
| C．It is as sweet as Kluai Namwa Aw. | D．It contains a lot of nutrients. |
| A．They improve the resistance to infection. | B．They cure heart disease. |
| C．They strengthen the digestive system. | D．They contain less sugar. |
| A．Yellow bananas are replaced by blue ones. |
| B．Blue bananas are perfect for delicious cuisine. |
| C．We should raise the awareness of preserving blue bananas. |
| D．It’s time to explore the amazing world of blue bananas. |
【推荐1】Chances are that today’s college graduates will get jobs not directly connected to their majors. A 2014 study by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found that only 27 percent of graduates from four-year colleges were working in jobs connected to their college majors. North Carolina State University is trying to help students face the likelihood that their future jobs will not connect directly to their majors.
North Carolina State University Dean Jeff Braden shares a laugh with students after a class. This fall, the university is offering two days of workshops to help 30 juniors and seniors “design their lives.” School officials were inspired by a popular class at the Design School at Stanford University in California. The Stanford class helps students prepare for the future. Among other things, the Stanford professors say they provide “ideas for what the world needs more of.”
At North Carolina State, three college deans(院长) will teach the workshops. All offer expertise in different fields – Jeff Braden in humanities, Annette Ranft in business management, and Mark Hoverstein in design.
As to advice to students about where the jobs will be, Braden suggests looking toward work that cannot be done by machines or computers. He also suggests jobs that deal with questions that are a “little fuzzy”. Finding solutions to problems is not always clear, and there is more than one possible answer.
Ranft, the North Carolina State management dean, said students should also think beyond their first jobs after college. She hopes students will look toward “lifelong professional goals.” Unlike their grandparents, today’s college graduates are not likely to stay in a job for their entire lives, or even more than five years. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median number of years that workers stay on a job was 4.2 years in January 2016. That was down from 4.6 years in 2014. “The days of someone working at the same job for his or her entire life are over,” Braden said.
1. Why does the North Carolina State University set up the workshops?| A．Thirty students are worried about their future jobs. |
| B．College students have trouble finding jobs nowadays. |
| C．College students can’t get jobs related to their majors. |
| D．Some college deans offer to teach the workshops. |
| A．It provides ideas about business management. |
| B．It is a popular class in North Carolina State University. |
| C．It doesn’t help students make preparations for the future. |
| D．It inspires the school officials of North Carolina State University. |
| A．Confusing | B．Reasonable | C．Boring | D．Unique. |
| A．seek jobs done by robots and machines. |
| B．consider career planning in the long run. |
| C．stay on a particular job as long as possible. |
| D．think twice about their first jobs after college. |
【推荐2】Did you know roughly one third of food for human consumption goes to waste? Most of it is fresh fruits and vegetables that go bad. The produce dries out or goes bad, which has led scientists to develop ways of coating or sealing the food to keep it fresher for longer. Now research at Rice University reveals there might be a better way.
Scientists discovered that dipping produce like strawberries and bananas into an egg-based was his remarkably good for preserving it. The coating is extremely thick, and made from a mixture of powdered egg whites and yolks(70%), and some wood-sourced cellulose(纤维素) to act as a barrier preventing water loss.
What the scientists found was that the egg-based wash made a significant difference in helping produce stay fresh over a two-week observation period. The appearance of the coated fruits and vegetables didn’t change much, while the uncoated produce ripened and even rotted within the same timeframe. The egg-based coating, as it turned out, reduced each fruit’s chance to get exposed to oxygen.
The non-poisonous coating was found to be flexible and tests showed that it was just as tough as other products， including synthetic films(合成膜), used in produce packaging. For anyone with an egg allergy, the coating can be removed by thorough washing in water and is tasteless.
The scientists hope this could be a breakthrough in the fight against food waste. “Reducing food shortages in ways that are not related to genetic modification, uneatable coatings or chemical additives is important for better sustainable living,” said materials scientist and study author Pulickel Ajayan.
What’s great about this discovery is that it fights food waste in more than one way: even the coating was made from eggs that would otherwise have been thrown away because they weren’t fit for consumption. The researchers said roughly 200 million of US produced eggs go to waste annually. So if this were scaled up, it could be a win-win situation all around.
1. How does the egg-based wash help keep food fresh?| A．By making its coating less thick. | B．By limiting its oxygen exposure. |
| C．By removing its cellulose slowly. | D．By improving its absorbent ability. |
| A．To stress the seriousness of food shortage. | B．To show the significance of the discovery. |
| C．To offer the method of cutting food waste. | D．To give brief description of the research. |
| A．Optimistic. | B．Doubtful. | C．Cautious. | D．In different. |
| A．How to use eggs creatively. | B．A breakthrough in technology. |
| C．How to recycle food waste. | D．A new way to preserve food. |
【推荐3】Companies which sell liquids like drinks or shampoo depend on bottles made of plastic or glass for their packaging. But as customers have become more worried about the environment, many companies have begun working to develop paper bottles.
Paper bottles have many advantages. They are easy to recycle and weigh less than glass or plastic bottles, meaning they’ll require less energy to produce and to move around.
A company called Paboco has been working with many large companies to develop paper bottles. Clearly, one of the biggest challenges is keeping a paper bottle from leaking (渗漏). Therefore, many companies are lining their bottles with a thin sheet of plastic. Though this liner can be taken away and recycled, many recycling programs don’t have the right machines to deal with these liners.
A Danish beer company called Carlsberg is working with Paboco on a paper bottle called the “Green Fiber Bottle”. In the future the company hopes to use a “bio-plastic” that will break down naturally over time. A company named Diageo has just announced the first paper bottle that’s completely plastic-free. Instead of a plastic liner, a non-plastic coating will be used on the inside of the bottles. This should make the bottle fully recyclable. Diageo says they’ll use the bottle with their whiskey in 2023.
However, there’s still lots of testing to be done before paper bottles can replace glass or plastic bottles. Companies will need to see how long liquids can be stored in the bottles, and make sure the bottles don’t influence the taste. But with so many companies working toward the same goal, it’s likely that we can expect to see paper bottles on store shelves in the near future.
1. What forces many companies to develop paper bottles?| A．The cost of making plastic or glass bottles. |
| B．The customers’ caring about the environment. |
| C．The energy needed to produce ordinary bottles. |
| D．The difficulty in shaping the plastic or glass bottles. |
| A．To make them easy to recycle. | B．To make bottles reusable. |
| C．To prevent liquid from escaping. | D．To lower the production cost. |
| A．Non-plastic coatings may be hard to recycle. |
| B．Paper bottles can’t go without a plastic liner. |
| C．There’s still a long way to go to reach the goal. |
| D．Not all paper bottles are better than glass bottles. |
| A．Traditional Bottles or Paper Bottles |
| B．Companies Work to Develop Paper Bottles |
| C．Paper Bottles Are Getting Increasingly Popular |
| D．Advantages and Disadvantages of Paper Bottles |
【推荐1】Kid-friendly attractions & hands-on museums
National Geographic Museum
Animal lovers young and old will look forward to a visit to the National Geographic Museum, which is near Farragut West. There are changing exhibits that always feature work by great photographers, as well as exhibits that show the efforts of international scientists to protect the natural worlds resources (资源) and animals. Children under 5 are free.
National Air and Space Museum
The National Air and Space Museum on the National Mall offers daily programs involving science experimentation. Kids are welcome to make and fly their own paper airplane, look through a real telescope (望远镜) with astronomy experts, watch a show at the Planetarium, climb in an aircraft, or watch an IMAX film.
National Building Museum
Kids can learn how engineers construct architectural wonders by using soft blocks in the Great Hall of the National Building Museum. Little ones will love the Building Zone, where they can drive a bulldozer (推土机) and build a house.
Renwick Gallery
Take the kids to the Renwick Gallery, which hosts the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s amazing collection of decorative art, and start a completely new conversation between kids and art.
1. What is special about the museum near Farragut West?| A．It enables kids to build a house on their own. |
| B．It houses a vast collection of paintings. |
| C．It teaches kids about the environment. |
| D．It is free for both parents and kids |
| A．Architects. | B．Animal enthusiasts. |
| C．Art lovers. | D．Astronomy fans. |
| A．A news report. | B．A travel brochure. |
| C．A geography textbook. | D．A culture magazine. |
【推荐2】Canyon Rock Tours
South Rim Drive
(555) 602-7548
A unique look at the Grand Canyon from an expert’s perspective. Let our professional geologists give you the most informative Grand Canyon tour available.
The Rocks
Learn about the amazing history of the Grand Canyon by looking at its many layers of rock. See trace fossils of animals and plants that lived millions of years ago. Touch Precambrian (前寒武纪的) rocks that are 2 billion years old. Find out which minerals give the rock layers their colors of red, yellow and green.
The Formations
Visit different rock formations and witness how erosion and weathering have shaped one of the world’s most beautiful canyons.
The Views
Enjoy your lunch break at Yavapai Observation Station. The station overlooks the canyon with a view that is breathtaking and unforgettable.
Tour departs every day, except Sunday, at 9 A.M. from the Grand Canyon Village Visitor Centre. Tours return around 5 P.M.
Cost is $30 per person.
Unsuitable for senior citizens with special needs.
Be sure to pack a sack lunch and bring plenty of drinking water.
Tours involve extensive hiking and require some rock-climbing experience. Please dress in layers and wear appropriate shoes.
Note: Reservations are required at least two days in advance for groups of six or more.
1. What is special about the tour?| A．Tourists can bring home some colorful rocks. |
| B．It is tailored to the needs of senior people. |
| C．Tourists can see rare animals and plants. |
| D．It combines sightseeing with learning. |
| A．Wear thick clothes to keep warm. |
| B．Bring their own breakfast. |
| C．Drink enough water in advance. |
| D．Wear shoes suitable for hiking. |
| A．If they have a team of seven people. |
| B．If they would like a private tour. |
| C．If they want to go on a particular day. |
| D．If they wish to have lunch at Yavapai Observation Station. |
【推荐3】A team of researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, has developed a system to use a smartphone camera to test for viral infections. In their paper published in the journal Science Advances, the group describes their system, which involves the use of an external microchip device and a smartphone system that uses a trained deep-learning algorithm.
As the pandemic has gripped the world for most of this year, scientists have been looking for ways to slow the spread of the next one. In this new effort, the team has developed a smartphone-based system that can be used by non-medical people to test for a variety of viral infections.
The system is made up of a smartphone, an external microchip device and software. Body fluid samples are placed into a channel on the microchip device, which is then dipped in a small amount of H2O2. The resulting reaction leads to the formation of bubbles. The bubbles develop in unique patterns based in part on viruses in the fluid sample. The user points their smartphone camera at the bubbling sample and starts the deep-learning algorithm that has already been trained to identify the patterns and therefore recognize the presence of viruses. The whole process takes about 50 minutes. The researchers have thus far taught their system to recognize just three viruses, Zika and Hepatitis B and C. But testing shows the system to be 99% accurate. They note that their system is more portable and cost-effective than other solutions in the works.
The researchers suggest that their system could be rapidly trained to recognize new viruses if the need arises, and the microchip device could be sent to hot spots in the future. Such technology, the researchers suggest, could help to stop future pandemics if used widely. The researchers also note that the system could be immediately useful in infection prone areas lacking testing labs.
1. What’s the purpose of the text?| A．To advise people to use a new smartphone camera. |
| B．To introduce the development of deep-learning algorithm. |
| C．To explain the invention of a new microchip device. |
| D．To show a new finding about testing for viral infections. |
| A．To educate ordinary people with medical skills. |
| B．To help prevent the pandemic from spreading fast. |
| C．To try to treat an illness with a smartphone camera. |
| D．To make smartphones more portable and powerful. |
①Bubbles of a liquid sample are formed. ②Samples react with H2O2.
③Fluid samples are collected in a special device. ④Viruses in bubbles are recognized automatically.
⑤The software is started to examine the bubbles.
| A．③②①⑤④ | B．③①②④⑤ |
| C．②③①⑤④ | D．②①③④⑤ |
| A．Indifferent. | B．Doubtful. | C．Confident. | D．Curious. |
【推荐1】Visitors to Rome can now see one of the most important private collections of ancient Greek and Roman marble sculptures. The 90 works from the Torlonia Collection opened this week in the newly rebuilt Palazzo Caffarelli, overlooking the Roman Forum. Among the works is a marble fountain that was made in ancient Greece. Experts on ancient Rome believe the fountain once stood in the garden of the general and statesman Julius Caesar. At the time, it was already hundreds of years old.
The 620-piece Torlonia collection is believed to be the greatest private collection of classical art in the world. It was started more than a century ago by Prince Alessandro Torlonia. He found many of the pieces on the grounds of his family's Roman properties. Wealthy from a business relationship with the Vatican, the family purchased other well-known sculpture collections. In 1884, the Prince built his own museum to show off his collection. When the museum closed in 1976, the pieces went into storage.
“The reappearance of such a collection is a very important event, said art historian Salvatore Settis. “When I saw them for the first time, it was very emotional, because I knew most of those pieces from books, but I had never seen them. " The Torlonia family chose Settis to help with the difficult job of deciding which works should be shown to the public.
1. What can tourists to Rome see this week?| A．All kinds of antiques of great significance. | B．Some well-known statues carved by wood. |
| C．The 90 ancient Asian works collected privately. | D．A marble fountain from Julius Caesar's garden. |
| A．It was exhibited to the pubic in the 18th century. |
| B．The works have been in storage for more than 40 years. |
| C．Torlonia and his business partner Vatican began it together. |
| D．It is considered as the greatest private collection in the world. |
| A．Disgusting. | B．Thrilling. | C．Promising. | D．Meaningless. |
| A．The Exhibition, a Returning Wonder |
| B．Prince Totlonia, a Great and Wealthy Collector |
| C．Torlonia Collection, a Brilliant Contribution to History |
| D．Marble Sculptures, a Combination of Imagination and Creation |
Philosophers from Aristotle to the Beatles have argued that money does not buy happiness. But it seems to help. Since 2005，Gallup, a pollster (民意调查) has asked a representative sample of adults from countries across the world to rate their life satisfaction on a scale from zero to ten. The headline result is clear : the richer the country, on average, the higher the level of self-reported happiness. The simple correlation (相关性) suggests that doubling GDP per person lifts life satisfaction by about 0.7 points.
Yet the prediction that as a country gets richer, its mood will improve has an unclear record. In 1974 Richard Easterlin, an economist, discovered that average life satisfaction in America had failed to develop between 1946 and 1970 even as GDP per person had grown by 65% over the same period. He went on to find a similar disconnection in other places, too. Although income is correlated with happiness when looking across countries—and although economic downturns are reliable sources of short-term suffering—long-term GDP growth does not seem to be enough to turn the average frown (皱眉) upside-down.
The “Easterlin paradox (悖论)” has been hotly debated since, with some economists claiming to find a link between growth and rising happiness by using better quality data. On March 20th the latest Gallup data were presented in the World Happiness Report, an annual UN-backed study. The new data provide some evidence for both sides of the debate, but on the whole, suggest that the paradox is alive and well.
There are important examples of national income and happiness rising and falling together. The most significant—in terms of population—is China, where GDP per person has doubled over a decade, while average happiness has risen by 0. 43 points. Among rich countries, Germany enjoys higher incomes and greater cheer than ten years ago. Venezuela, once the fifth-happiest country in the world, has become miserable as its economy has collapsed. Looking across countries, growth is correlated with rising happiness.
Yet that correlation is very weak. Of the 125 countries for which good data exist, 43 have seen GDP per person and happiness move in opposite directions. Like China, India is a populous developing economy that is growing quickly. But happiness is down by about 1.2 points in the past decade. America, the subject of Easterlin’s first study, has again seen happiness fall as the economy has grown. In total, the world’s population looks roughly equally divided between places where happiness and incomes have moved in the same direction over the past ten years, and places where they have separated.
1. What can we learn from Paragraph 2?| A．Economic downturns do not cause people’s unhappiness. |
| B．Economic growth increased average life satisfaction in America. |
| C．Long-term GDP growth does not necessarily make people happy. |
| D．The correlation between people’s mood and income can be predicted. |
| A．India. | B．America. | C．Venezuela. | D．China. |
| A．giving explanations | B．presenting research data |
| C．giving definition | D．listing examples |
| A．The relationship between economic growth and rising happiness is uncertain. |
| B．Countries with similar population tend to have more things in common. |
| C．Half of the world enjoys growth when economy and mood are positive. |
| D．National income and happiness will always rise and fall regularly. |
【推荐3】In 2017,the United Arab Emirates announced its ambition to colonize Mars within the next 100 years. But architects are already imagining what a Martian city might look like-and planning to recreate it in the desert outside Dubai.
Mars Science City was originally scheduled to cover 176,000 square meters of desert-the size of more than 30 football fields-and cost approximately 135 million dollars. To create a space for Dubai's Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) to develop the technology needed to colonize Mars,architects Bjarke Ingels Group were asked to design a prototype of a city suitable for sustaining life on Mars-and then adapt it for use in the Emirati desert.
For this unique commission,the architects first had to overcome the immense challenges of creating a design to make the severe environment of Mars habitable. Mars has a thin atmosphere and no global magnetic field,so there's little protection from harmful radiation. Temperature is another problem-the average on Mars is a chilly 63 degrees C. The thin atmosphere also means there's little air pressure,so liquids quickly evaporate into gas; despite freezing temperatures,an unprotected human's blood would boil on Mars.But according to Jonathan Eastwood,director of the Space Lab at Imperial College London,the biggest challenge in terms of a sustained presence on Mars is not the engineering or scientific challenge,but the human and personal one.More researches need to be done to test the effects of isolation on mental and physical health of astronauts.
The MBRSC hopes that,in future,such research could take place in Mars Science City.This is going to be our platform where we can develop the science and the technology that will help us in our future missions to Mars,said Adnan AlRais,Mars 27 Program Manager at MBRSC."We want to come up with a totally new facility that will help the international community.”
1. What information can you get about the Martian city?| A．It is planned to be completed in the next 100 years. |
| B．It occupies more than 30 football fields of Dubai. |
| C．It has been put into use in the desert outside Dubai. |
| D．It serves as a prototype for sustaining life on Mars. |
| A．A thin atmosphere exposes people to harmful radiation. |
| B．High temperature makes unprotected human's blood boil. |
| C．Little air pressure causes liquid to turn into gas quickly. |
| D．A long period of isolation may affect physical health. |
| A．Positive | B．objective | C．critical | D．skeptical |
| A．The research on the effects of living on Mars. |
| B．A Martian city designed for the desert outside Dubai. |
| C．The United Arab Emirates' ambition to colonize Mars. |
| D．The challenges of surviving the inhabitable environment of Mars. |
