Public toilets around the world have a bad name for being dark, dirty and dangerous. Some public restrooms in Tokyo’s train stations don’t have hand soap inside. A kindergarten in Southern Japan stops taking children to a city park because they are afraid of the flies in the restrooms. People have long called for a change.
Tokyo recently introduced new restrooms in two public parks. For one thing, they are brightly lit and look colourful. For another, they are transparent (透明的). This way, people who need to go to the toilet can check out the cleanness and safety of the restrooms without walking inside or touching anything.
The new restrooms, designed by Shigeru Ban, are made out of “smart glass” that has already been used in different buildings to provide privacy when needed. When used and locked properly, the colourful glass toilet will become opaque. When the door is unlocked, it will become transparent again.
The toilets are considered as a futuristic example of the country’s technological achievements. However, people hold different opinions about these new public toilets.
“It will take time to get used to the idea,” said Ming Cheng, whose job is designing buildings. But he would like to give it a try. Sarah Copper white, a technology worker in Tokyo, said that although she always avoided public toilets, she was glad to use the new ones because they looked bright and clean. “I trust science, ” she said in a phone interview.
“I don’t want to put my privacy at risk,” Sachiko Ishikawa, a 32-year-old writer and translator, said. Ms Ishikawa worried that some small mistakes might make restroom users accidentally expose (暴露) themselves. Talia Harris, a writer who has lived in Tokyo for seven years, said she did not see it as a useful way to make people feel comfortable in public restrooms. “Personally, I think this will make people feel more uncomfortable, especially for women.” Ms Harris, 29, said.
1. What do we know about the toilets in the Japanese city park?| A．They are always crowded. |
| B．They are very dirty. |
| C．They have no toilet paper. |
| D．They have no hand soap. |
| A．To show its technological achievements. |
| B．To make the public parks more popular. |
| C．To improve the present conditions. |
| D．To help disabled people out. |
| A．Not able to be seen through. |
| B．Not clean enough to be used. |
| C．Warm enough for people to use. |
| D．Big enough to hold many people. |
| A．They cost too much. |
| B．They are quite amazing. |
| C．They make users uncomfortable. |
| D．They cannot make people feel safe. |
| A．How do we use a public toilet |
| B．Public toilet around the world |
| C．New public toilet in Tokyo |
| D．Never use public toilet |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】How do people find their ways? At first, people did it by looking at the sun, the moon and stars. Later, we started to use the compass(指南针).Today, there are navigation satellite systems(卫星导航系统).
A navigation satellite system uses groups of satellites(卫星), they send information to a receiver, such as your smart phone. Then they can find where you are.
The earliest navigation system is the Global Positioning System(GPS)（全球定位系统） of the United States. The US has put 24 satellites into space to make sure GPS can locate a person correctly and globally. Russia's GLONASS and European Union's Galileo can also work globally.
The BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) is China's homegrown navigation system. It was set up in 2000. On June 23rd 2020, the last satellite of China’s Beidou Navigation Satellite system was sent into space. Beidou, China’s own navigation system, was finally completed. On July 31, Beidou started providing full-scale global services(全面的全球服务). More than 120 countries and regions (地区) are now using Beidou services. Since 2000, China has sent 55 Beidou satellites.
BeiDou can find you wherever you are. It helps you go faster by finding shortcuts and using correct directions. When you are in trouble and call the police, they will know exactly where you are if you have a smart phone that uses BeiDou.
BeiDou also has a unique messaging ability. It allows people to send text messages up to 1,200 Chinese words when mobile phone services are interrupted(中断) because of some reasons.
1. How did people find their ways at first according to this passage?| A．By looking at the sun, the moon and stars. |
| B．By using the navigation satellite systems. |
| C．By looking at the compass. |
| A．It helps people plan trips. |
| B．It helps people find where they are. |
| C．It lets people send text messages |
| A．Two | B．Three | C．Four |
| A．位于 | B．设置 | C．定位 |
| A．It was set up before GPS. |
| B．BeiDou systems were completed in June. |
| C．Only China can use BeiDou system services. |
What will life on Earth be like in 2050? How different are things going to be?
■TRANSPORTATION
Transportation (交通工具) will look very different in years to come.
Chris Riddell, a famous futurist (未来学家), predicts (预测) that well before 2050, roads in many big cities will be filled with self-driving cars. People who want to drive themselves may have to pay some money for the pleasure.
■ COMPUTER LEADERS
Among all new technologies artificial intelligence (AI) (人工智能) will change our lives the most, according to Riddell. It will be built into computers. And these computers will be able to learn to act like humans.
■THE ENVIRONMENT
By 2050, there will be more people living on Earth. A growing population will add stress to the environment. Scientist Tan Lowe warns that we need to use clean energy (能源). “We are damaging (破坏) the environment at a great speed,” Lowe says. “We simply don’t know what will happen in the future.
| A．Riddell also says people may go to the sky. |
| B．We must act now to protect the environment. |
| C．There will be flying cars, drones and self-driving cars. |
| D．Some science and technology experts (专家) offer their predictions (预测). |
| E．But because of their artificial “brains”, they can learn things at a faster speed. |
【推荐3】A new product called MarinaTex is expected to replace single-use plastic bags or containers one day. Its inventor Lucy Hughes won the 2019 James Dyson Award on November 13th. The new material is made by combining fishing waste and algae, so it is edible. Even if it is eaten accidentally, there won’t be any harm. Unlike plastic, MarinaTex breaks down in 4 to 6 weeks under normal conditions and does not pollute the soil.
Hughes studied on it for her final year project at the University of Sussex and continued her research after she left the university. What made her work hard on it was the concern about the situation of plastic in ocean waters. The United Nations said that 100 million tons of plastic waste had already been left in the oceans. A report showed there would be more plastic than fish in the world’s oceans by the year 2050.
Hughes also looked for ways to reduce the amount of waste from the fishing industry which produces about 50 million tons of waste worldwide each year, according to UN officials. Examining fish parts left over from processing helped to give her the idea of a material that was useful and did not harm the environment. “Why do we need to produce man-made plastic when the oceans already have had so many gifts for humans?” she asked.
To create a strong material, Hughes added something that came from sea animals like crabs and red algae. After months of testing, Hughes managed to produce a strong, flexible piece of material that forms at temperatures below 100℃.
MarinaTex is stronger, safer and much more sustainable than the materials that single-use plastic bags are made from. Though products made from MarinaTex can also be used only once, they are easier to break down than other possible replacement products. However, the cost of making MarinaTex is still high.
Hughes will use the prize money to further develop the product in order to lower the cost and produce it in a large amount. She strongly believes the oceans still have much more treasure for us to explore.
1. The underlined word “edible” means ________.| A．safe to eat | B．easy to produce | C．strong to use | D．clean to throw away |
| A．what Lucy found about plastic waste | B．when Lucy started doing the research |
| C．why Lucy kept studying on the project | D．how Lucy used the plastic waste in oceans |
| A．It is made from waste of fishing industry and sea animals, so it’s money-saving. |
| B．It must be produced at temperatures above 100℃, which makes it much stronger. |
| C．It breaks down in less than two months under normal conditions and is friendlier to the land. |
| D．It is sustainable and reusable, thus saving more energy than usual single-use plastic material. |
| A．No More Plastic | B．The Gifts from the Oceans |
| C．An Accidental Invention | D．Lucy Hughes, Women’s Pride |
【推荐1】If I had a cold, I wouldn’t think twice about telling my friends or my doctor. For some reason, however, mental (心理的) health is not treated in the same way.
At my primary school, mental health was not discussed even once as far as I can remember. This makes me wonder how many other schools are failing to educate their students on this topic. It makes me sad that children growing up with mental illness may feel like it is something to be ashamed of (对……感到羞耻的) because it is never discussed. When I reached high school, mental health was still seldom discussed. But when it was in the topic of health or biology class, I was given a broad idea that mental illness was a “thing” that really lies.
In my opinion, overstressed high school students could benefit (获益) greatly from more deep discussions about how to deal with mental health problems, such as how to know when you should care about yourself or a friend, or who to reach out for help. I know my friends and I could have (本可以) benefited. Even if you personally have never faced mental health problems, someone you know is sure to have, and you can offer timely help.
I believe we need to normalize (使……正常化) discussions about mental health at an early age, rather than hiding them from sight. At school, I saw a student’s report on mental health education and how it can be carried out in the American school system. The student used the film Inside Out (头脑特工队) to explain feelings to younger kids. This report made me believe that it is possible to start these discussions at a young age if we try.
Although we can’t change the way people think about mental health over one night, there are still things we can do. Asking our friends how they’re feeling is a good start.
1. What was mental health education like when the writer was in high school?| A．It was dealt with in detail. | B．It was paid no attention to. |
| C．It was far from enough. | D．It was considered important. |
| A．High school students are under increasing stress these days. |
| B．There is an increased awareness of mental health problems. |
| C．Many students are ashamed of having mental health problems. |
| D．The writer might have had mental health problems in high school. |
| A．Kids who are healthy outside might be ill inside. |
| B．Mental health discussions can be held with young kids. |
| C．The American school system is open to mental health education. |
| D．Watching educational films can help children with mental illness. |
| A．Mental health matters! | B．Is it okay if it’s not good? |
| C．The earlier, the better! | D．How to pay attention to mental health? |
【推荐2】A myth is something that is not correct, but many people believe. There are a lot of myths about our brains.
One of the biggest myths is that we only use 10% of our brains. The next part of the myth is that if we can learn to use the rest of our brains, then we’ll be much smarter. People say this all the time, but it’s not true! The truth is that we don’t know everything about the brain, but we know that each part of it has an important function (功能). So researchers think the “10% myth” silly.
The other most popular myth is about the right brain and the left brain. According to this myth, people who often use the right brain are more creative. People who often use the left brain are better at math and science. This is as popular as the 10% myth, and it’s also wrong. In 2013, a study at an American university examined (研究) the right brain and left brain myth. The study shows we use the left brain as much as the right brain.
It’s true that we use different parts of our brains for different things. We use our left brain for language more, and our right brain when we need to pay attention.
Next let’s look at a few interesting facts about the brain. First of all, the brain feels no pain. Second, about 75% of the brain is made of water. It’s also the fattest organ (器官) in your body. Here’s another interesting fact about the brain. Around the time you are 18 years old, it stops growing.
1. What do researchers think of the “10% myth”?| A．Important. | B．Not true. | C．True. | D．Exciting. |
| A．the left brain myth | B．the right brain and left brain myth |
| C．the use of our brains | D．the study of an American university |
| A．Robert, a young man learning Chinese. | B．Kate, a girl drawing pictures. |
| C．Jenny, a woman making clothes. | D．Jacob, a student good at science. |
| A．Math teachers use the left brain more often. | B．We know everything about the brain. |
| C．Most of the brain is made of water. | D．It is always growing all your life. |
| A．the growing of the brain | B．different functions of the brain |
| C．the right brain and the left brain | D．myths and facts about the brain |
【推荐3】If you’re ever apart from your children, a new study says just talking on the phone will help just as much as a hug(拥抱).
If you’re a parent who spends long hours on the job, you probably feel sorry for spending so much time away from your kids. But the results of a new study show that a mother’s voice alone can be just as comforting to an anxious child as physical contact(接触).
In an experiment, researchers from the University of Wisconsin Madison asked a group of girls between the ages of 7 and 12 to solve maths problems in front of judges—a stressful situation for anyone. Before the girls were set to give their answers, the researchers measured their levels of two hormones(荷尔蒙): cortisol, which goes up during stressful periods, and oxytocin, the “love” hormone, which goes down at the same time.
After the girls finished the problems, some of them got to meet up with their mothers right away. The mums came in and hugged the girls. Another group of the girls didn’t see their mothers, but received phone calls from them, in which their mothers told them how well they’d done. The final group had no contact with their mothers, but instead watched an animal movie, March of the Penguins.
Finally, the girls’ hormone levels were measured again. Although the movie was interesting, it did nothing to reduce the children’s anxiety—but, surprisingly, both the physical contact and phone calls from their mothers had the same effect on reducing the girls’ stress levels.
So, no matter how old you are, if you’re feeling stressed about something in your life, a phone call to Mum might be just the key to helping you feel better.
1. If a girl is under stress, ________.| A．she can’t solve maths problems | B．she will have high levels of hormone |
| C．oxytocin will remain at a high level | D．cortisol will go up with oxytocin down |
a. The girls’ levels of hormones were measured again. b. The girls solved maths problems.
c. The girls’ levels of hormones were measured. d. The girls were divided into three groups.
| A．b-c-d-a | B．d-b-c-a | C．c-b-d-a | D．d-c-b-a |
| A．it is easy for girls to solve maths problems |
| B．the girls who had watched the movie remained anxious |
| C．all mothers should hug their kids as often as possible |
| D．older girls have higher cortisol than younger ones |
| A．A mother’s voice can comfort her anxious kids. |
| B．Mothers should often hug their kids. |
| C．Mothers should spend enough time caring about their kids. |
| D．Scientists discovered why kids become stressed when having tests. |
