Over the last five months, the COVID-19 pandemic has taken the world by storm. It has affected different countries and regions in different ways, from damaging their economies to creating new social orders. Here, we’ll take a look at a few of the most important events that have happened during the outbreak.
Italy shuts down
On March 10, the Italian government decided to put the whole country on lockdown (封锁) after the number of cases in the country started increasing too fast. The first cases were confirmed as early as January 31. In the following weeks, the number of confirmed cases (确诊病例) exploded, reaching over 10,000 by the time of the lockdown. The lockdown affected 16 million people across the country. Italy was one of the first of many countries that carried out lock downs to prevent the spread of the virus.
WHO declares pandemic
On March 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus officially declared COVID-19 as a global pandemic. This was due to a growing number of cases around the world. In his announcement, Ghebreyesus called on governments to slow down the spread of the virus by taking “immediate and urgent actions”. By this time, there were more than 20,000 cases in Europe, including 1,000 deaths, as well as 1,000 cases in the US.
Summer Olympics delayed
On March 24, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Thomas Bach and Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo held a video conference in which they agreed that the 2020 Summer Olympic Games, which were planned to be held in Tokyo, would be put off until the following year for public safety.
The event has hardly been cancelled or delayed-usually only in times of war. However, the leaders agreed that the Olympic flame would remain in Tokyo until the games can start again in order to stand as a “light at the end of the tunnel”.
US hits over 1 million cases
On April 28, the US officially recorded over one million COVID-19 cases nationwide. This came just four days after it was announced that the virus had led to over 50,000 deaths across the country. The virus spread rapidly across the country, as the first case had been recorded three months earlier.
Despite this, many US states have announced that they will gradually relax lockdown requirements, which is against the advice of many medical workers. US President Donald Trump has been criticized by the press and members of the public for his government’s slow and ineffective response to the outbreak.
1. What do we know about Italy’s lockdown?| A．The Italian government decided to shut down on Jan 31. |
| B．It happened when the number of deaths reached 10,000. |
| C．Italy took action ahead of many other countries. |
| D．It encouraged other European countries to shut down. |
| A．push governments to take quick actions to stop the virus spreading quickly |
| B．encourage medical workers to study it |
| C．encourage people to stay home |
| D．called on governments to shut down their countries |
| A．It is the first time that the Games have been delayed. |
| B．The timing of the Olympics has not been decided yet. |
| C．The Olympic flame will be sent back to Greece. |
| D．It will be delayed until next summer. |
| A．The virus has seriously affected the world economies. |
| B．Medical workers support the ease of lockdown in many US states. |
| C．The US government’s response to stop the virus has been rather slow and not so effective. |
| D．More than 50,000 people died from the virus before April 28th in the US. |
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Rethinking on Sorting of Waste
Waste sorting is becoming increasingly common around the world.It has slowly moved into the center of discussion on the future of business and sustainable(可持续的) development.It may seem like a tiny activity, but is indeed quite complex.Waste sorting is no doubt an important step toward a global circular economy(循环经济) and an environment-friendly society.
In the coming years, the world is supposed to clear out the use of fossil fuels(化学燃料), become more resource- efficient and ensure greater equity(公平).Waste sorting can play a key role in achieving these goals. However, what we need and expect is very different from what we are taking now.Waste sorting in some areas is working reasonably well, for example the glass and metal industries.But when we are looking at global sustainability, there is a need to rethink waste sorting.
The world seems to be in a dilemma.It is no longer clear if the kind of waste sorting done in western nations is part of the problem or the solution.Much of the recycled waste is turned into low-value goods in a way that does not result in a completely reduced use of natural resources.People around the world have begun to realize that much of the waste they sort is not perfect in sustainable material flows.Instead, it is shipped to poor countries, without being used in a correct way.
A waste sorting system for the 21st century should build on the high technology that allows citizens to know more about what is happening to the waste they are sorting.It should also require companies to show how resources-efficient their solutions are In this way, consumers(消费者)will be able to compare choices.
China could start in the next generation of waste sorting systems- those that help citizens to know more about what is happening to the waste they are sorting.Such a waste sorting system would be a driver for innovation and resource efficiency and a true step toward a greener global village.
1. The author leads in the topic “waste sorting” by__________.| A．introducing the steps to do it | B．comparing the laws on it |
| C．listing different ideas about it | D．presenting the importance of it |
| A．new resources need to be discovered | B．the circular economy should be questioned |
| C．waste sorting in western nations is not perfect | D．recycled waste shipped to poor countries is useless |
| A．Recycled waste must be turned into high-value goods. |
| B．Consumers can suggest the best way to sort their garbage. |
| C．High technology may help to improve the resource efficiency. |
| D．Companies should spend most of their money on new technology |
【推荐2】Not all birds have their eyes on the sides of their heads. Pigeons and parrots do, but other birds, such as owls, have large eyes placed close together at the front of their heads.
Whether they have eyes at the front or on the sides of their heads, all birds can still see straight ahead. But that doesn't mean all birds see things in the same way.
Having two eyes means animals can see a three—dimensional(三维的) image of what' s around them. So they can sense the height, width and depth of an object, as well as how far away it is. Where a bird's eyes are on its head influences its field of vision (视觉). Think about how far you can see to either side without turning your head: these are the limits of your own field of vision. Because owls have eyes at the front of their heads, they have a smaller field of vision. Parrots, pigeons and other birds with eyes on the sides of their heads have a much bigger field of vision.
Amazingly, this means that they can see things in front and on sides, at the same time.
Having different kinds of vision helps different kinds of birds live in the wild. For parrots and pigeons, having a wider field of vision with only a small blind spot behind them lets them see where they are going, while they are also keeping an eye out for predators(捕食性动物) which might be trying to catch them. For owls, having forward—facing eyes helps them to see depth and distance much more clearly, since both eyes can see the same object at the same time. This is perfect for finding and catching small prey(猎物) such as field mice.
1. What do all birds have in common about vision?| A．They can see nothing in the dark. |
| B．They can see objects in front clearly. |
| C．They can see things ahead and on sides at the same time. |
| D．They can see more three—dimensional images than humans. |
| A．Parrots and owls. | B．Owls and pigeons. |
| C．Parrots and pigeons. | D．Owls and mice. |
| A．They can find more food in the wild. |
| B．They can do better in watching for predators. |
| C．They can see two different images of one object. |
| D．They can fly in the air with no blind area of sight. |
| A．Birds’ eyes have more purposes than humans. |
| B．The position of birds’ eyes influences their visual field. |
| C．Some animals can sense objects correctly without eyes. |
| D．Human’s eyes have much in common with other animals. |
【推荐3】Babies don’t learn to talk just from hearing sounds. They are lip (嘴唇) readers too. It happens during the period when a baby’s babbling (咿呀声) slowly changes from unclear voices into that first “mama” or “dada”. The babies have to find out how to shape their lips to make that particular sound they are hearing, according to developmental psychologist David Lewkowicz of Florida Atlantic University, who led the study.
Clearly it doesn’t take them too long to understand the movements that match basic sounds. By their first birthdays, babies start changing back to look you in the eye again. It offers more evidence that quality face-time with babies is very important for speech development more than, say, turning on the latest baby DVD.
But Lewkowicz went a step further. He and his student Amy Hansen Tift tested nearly 180 babies, groups of them at ages 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 months. How? They showed videos of a woman speaking in English or French to babies of English speakers. They found that when the speaker used English, the 4-month-old babies gazed (凝视) mostly into her eyes. The 6-month-old babies spent equal amounts (数量) of time looking at the eyes and the mouth. The 8-month-old babies and 10-month-old babies studied mostly the mouth. At 12 months, attention started changing back toward the speaker’s eyes.
But what happened when these babies are used to English heard French? The 12-month-old babies studied the mouth longer, just like younger babies. They needed the extra information to understand the unfamiliar sounds. That fits with research into bilingualism (双语) that shows babies’ brains adjust (调整) themselves to tell the differences between the sounds of their native language over other languages in the first year of life.
The continued lip reading shows the l-year-old babies clearly still are fit for learning. Babies are so hard to study, says Duke University cognitive scientist Greg Appelbaum, who found the research so fantastic that he wants to know more.
1. According to the first paragraph, babies ________.| A．might get its voice “mama” by lip reading |
| B．like to find out how to shape their lips |
| C．learn to talk just from hearing the sounds |
| D．communicate with parents by gestures |
| A．Playing baby DVDS nearby. |
| B．Teaching babies to read English. |
| C．Speaking with babies face to face. |
| D．Speaking different languages in front of babies. |
A． | B． |
C． | D． |
| A．Babies Have Different Methods to Talk. |
| B．Babies Try Lip-reading in Learning to Talk. |
| C．Babies Are Suitable to Learn Two Languages. |
| D．Babies Can Easily Accept Foreign Language. |
| A．carry on further research in baby learning |
| B．develop popular baby DVDS to earn more money |
| C．teach parents how to improve babies’ language skills |
| D．learn more about adults’ language learning |
【推荐1】Have you gotten vaccinated? This question has been a common way to greet others in China since the country produced a number of COVID-19 vaccines (疫苗) in December 2020.
China vaccinated 40 percent of its population by June, 2021. At the same time, China was also providing vaccines for other countries. It is exporting (出口) COVID-19 vaccines to 28 countries and giving help to 69 countries in need, Xinhua reported. Most of these countries were developing nations, such as Pakistan, Mongolia and Mexico. The leaders of these countries were taking the lead in receiving vaccine shots in January last year. They included Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Chilean President Sebastian Pinera.
According to the World Bank, to vaccinate (接种) their citizens, small and medium-sized developing nations could have ended up a year behind larger developing nations and developed countries. Some wealthier nations have already stored many vaccine doses (剂) for their own citizens. Some of them have ordered enough vaccines to vaccinate their people two or three times, The Washington Post reported.
For countries that have not yet developed or gotten a vaccine, China may be the only answer, AP noted China is one of the few nations that can produce vaccines on a large scale (大批量).
China joined COVAX in October 2020, a mechanism (机制) organized by the World Health Organization, to make sure that all members can get the vaccines in the future. China has decided to offer 10 million vaccines to COVAX, Xinhua reported.
1. What is the main idea of Paragraph 2?| A．China offers vaccines to all other countries for free. |
| B．China has only sent vaccines to nearby Asian countries. |
| C．Chinese vaccines are used in many countries. |
| D．Some people have questioned the safety of Chinese vaccines. |
| A．They have received help from western countries. |
| B．They have started to develop their own vaccines. |
| C．They have stored enough vaccines for their citizens. |
| D．They have fallen behind in vaccinating their citizens. |
a. China produced COVID-19 vaccines.
b. 40 percent of Chinese people have received vaccine shots.
c. Many leaders in less developing countries received vaccine shots.
d. China joined COVAX.
| A．a-d-c-b | B．d-a-c-b | C．d-a-b-c | D．a-d-b-c |
| A．COVID-19 will soon end. |
| B．China might offer COVID-19 vaccines all over the world. |
| C．China is the only country to develop COVID-19 vaccines. |
| D．Chinese COVID-19 vaccines are cheaper and safer than others. |
【推荐2】In the fight against COVID-19, many national heroes have become well-known to the public. On August 11th, 2020, Chinese president Xi Jinping awarded four of them for their outstanding contribution(贡献) in the battle against the deadly disease.
Zhong Nanshan was awarded the Medal of the Republic(共和国勋章). He is now leading the Chinese government’s efforts in the fight against COVID-19. The 84-year-old respiratory(呼吸道的) expert found that COVID-19 could be spread between humans. He also found the SARS virus in 2003.
The national honorary title(国家荣誉称号), “the People’s Hero.” was given to three others. They are Zhang Boli, Zhang Dingyu and Chen Wei.
Zhang Boli is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) expert. He has been in charge of the research of the COVID-19 treatment combining TCM and Western medicine.
Zhang Dingyu is the head of Wuhan’s Jinyintan Hospital. He was diagnosed(诊断) with ALS(渐冻症) in 2018. However, he chose to stay with his co-workers in Wuhan to save lives.
Chen Wei is a professor at the Academy of Military Medical Science. She has made great achievements in COVID-19-related research, vaccine(疫苗) development and protective medicines. She is also one of the key leaders in China’s Ebola(埃博拉病毒) vaccine research.
The aim of giving the nation’s top honors to these people was to fully show the spirit of the Chinese people in their great courage and sense of unity.
1. Why did President Xi award the four people on August 11th, 2020?| A．Because they died in the battle against COVID-19. |
| B．Because they help a lot when fighting against COVID-19. |
| C．Because they are well-known to Chinese people. |
| D．Because they are both brave and hard-working. |
| A．84 years old | B．77 years old | C．67 years old. | D．57 years old |
| A．烈酒 | B．精神 | C．价值观 | D．传统 |
| A．Zhong Nanshan was awarded the national honorary title “ the People’s Hero” in 2020. |
| B．Zhang Dingyu is good at treatments combining TCM and Western medicine. |
| C．Zhang Boli was diagnosed with ALS in 2008. |
| D．Chen Wei has made great achievements in COVID-19-related vaccine development. |
| A．Honors for Four Heroes | B．Great Courage and Sense of Unity |
| C．The Fight against COVID-19 | D．Many National Heroes |
| About COVID-19 vaccinations (疫苗接种) Thanks to the efforts of the doctors, we can have COVID-19 vaccinations to prevent (预防) us from being infected (受感染的). China had administered (派发) more than 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines by March 28. ►The reasons about getting vaccinated: To lower the risk (风险) of outbreaks. To relieve (减轻) the pressure in preventing and controlling imported COVID-19 cases. ►Targeting(把……作为目标) key groups: People aged 18—59 including workers at higher risk of infection (感染), necessary personnel (员工), and people working in special areas. ►The vaccine function: The shot helps your immune (免疫的) system to produce antibodies (抗体). The antibodies work against COVID-19 viruses. ►The risk of vaccines: Serious problems from flu vaccines seldom happen. Common mild (温和) problems include: pain or redness where the shot was given, fever, headaches, tiredness. ★Notice: 1.Bring your ID card. 2.Tell the doctor about your health condition. 3.Wait for 30 minutes after getting vaccinated to make sure you are all right. ★Warning (警告) * People who have ever had allergic reaction (过敏反应) aren’t allowed to get shot. * People who have chronic diseases (慢性病) such as high blood pressure, heart disease, lung cancer are not allowed to get shot. * Pregnant (怀孕的) women or women who are planning to have a baby in three months are not allowed to get shot. To get more information you can visit the website: //http:www.healthcare.com. |
| A．less than 30 million | B．over 100 million | C．1,000 million | D．1 million |
| A．To relieve the pressure. |
| B．To lower the risk of outbreaks. |
| C．To bring your ID card and tell the doctor about your health condition. |
| D．To get more information from the website mentioned in the text. |
| A．babies | B．people over 60 | C．people under 18 | D．people aged 18—59 |
| A．People aged 30 | B．Women who are married |
| C．People who have heart disease | D．People with ID cards |
| A．a story book | B．a magazine | C．a website | D．a tour guide |
