Today, experts guess that over 50% of people worldwide live in cities. By the year 2050, they expect 70% are going to be living in cities. They also say that more of the world’s cities will be megacities!
A megacity is a huge city. It might be any city with over 10 million people. However, it is harder to count the exact number of people living in a city than one might think. For one thing, it is not always clear who to count. For the other, many megacities do not have clear borders(边界) for where the city ends. Suburbs and regions around the city may or may not be included in the city’s total population.
Even with the difficulty of saying where a city ends and who to count, it is clear that certain cities around the world are megacities. Sao Paulo, the city with the most people in South America, is one, New York, the most famous city in North America, is another. Then there is Tokyo, a megacity with over 30 million people. This makes it the largest megacity in the world.
A mega-region, develops when megacities become so big that we can consider them to be connected. One report by the United Nations said the largest mega-region today is in China. The megacities included in this region are Hong Kong, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou. However, a mega-region does not have to be limited to one country. In West Africa, a mega-region connects four countries: Nigeria, Benin, Togo, and Ghana.
An important fact about mega-regions is how much economic power they have. Research by the United Nations found that 66% of economic activity worldwide happened within the world’s 40 largest mega-regions. The research also showed that 85% of new ideas in technology and science came from these 40 mega-regions. Less than 20% of the world’s population, however, lives in these mega-regions.
1. What is the best title for the text?| A．Good Things about Living in Cities | B．Problems with Too Many People |
| C．Huge Cities and Regions | D．The City with the Highest Population |
| A．People are born every day. | B．The suburbs grow too quickly. |
| C．More people move to the cities. | D．Defining the border of the city is hard. |
| A．London. | B．Nigeria. | C．Guangdong. | D．Hong Kong. |
| A．Connected megacities. | B．Large areas with many suburbs. |
| C．Places with over 10 million people. | D．Countries with three or more megacities. |
| A．There is a mega-region in Africa. |
| B．One-third of the world’s population lives in them. |
| C．Most new ideas in science and technology come from them. |
| D．Two-thirds of the world’s economic activity happens in them. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Have you ever seen people building houses? To build a house, you need workers. They use their hands, tools（工具）and machines to put things together. Building the ISS（国际太空站）is the same. The difference is that the workers are astronauts. They walk in space and use robots’ arms and hands to do their work.
In the space station, astronauts are comfortable. The temperature there is about 21°C. But outside the station, it can be too hot or cold for people. In the sunlight, it’s about 120°C. In the shadow（阴暗处）of the station, it’s about -85°C. So, when astronauts walk in space, they have to wear heavy clothes spacesuits.
Spacesuits also keep astronauts safe from flying rubbish（垃圾）in space. Each time people go into space, they leave rubbish there. Astronauts should be careful because there’s a lot of rubbish, and some rubbish goes many times as fast as a plane!
Space walking is not easy, and it can be dangerous. Getting ready for it takes a lot of time to learn. Astronauts will need to do 160 space walks to finish their work in the ISS. That will take about 1,900 men hours of work.
1. What’s the temperature in the space station?| A．-85°C | B．-21°C | C．21°C | D．120°C |
| A．scientists’ hands | B．tools in their hands |
| C．their own hands | D．robots’ arms and hands |
| A．Space walking is easy but dangerous. |
| B．Flying rubbish in space goes as fast as a plane. |
| C．Spacesuits can’t always keep astronauts warm and safe. |
| D．Outside the station, it can be too cold or hot for people. |
| A．science magazine | B．cook book | C．travel guide | D．school introduction |
【推荐2】Wolves
For years people are afraid of wolves and don’t understand them. The wolves are the bad animals in many stories. How did these animals get such a bad reputation? It’s because people think they are sneaky and always hunting for food.
The wolf is not truly bad enough for such a reputation. It’s time to know the facts about wolves.
Life in a pack
Wolves do not like to live near humans. They prefer to live in the wild with other wolves. They live in groups called packs. A pack is made up of two parents and their newest babies, or young. Sometimes other wolves become part of a pack, too. Most packs have six to eight wolves. Some packs can have as many as 30 members.
Wolves often help each other. They live, hunt, and raise pups-baby wolves-together. In fact, members of a pack always work together to hunt animals.
Raising the pups
Pups are born in a well-hidden cave or a dirt hole. At first, the mother stays with the pups. She lets other members of the pack bring her food. After a few weeks, the mother goes off with the rest of the pack to hunt. Another wolf may “babysit” the pups. When the pack return, they feed small pieces of meat to the pups.
Young wolves learn how to hunt by playing. They also watch other pack members hunt.
1. Which of the following is NOT a reason why wolves prefer to live in packs?| A．They can help each other. | B．They can hunt animals together. |
| C．They can hide better from humans. | D．They can raise baby wolves together. |
| A．She leaves the pups alone and goes hunting. | B．She stays with the pups for a few weeks. |
| C．She teaches the pups how to hunt. | D．She lets other wolves in the pack raise the pups. |
| A．To encourage us to stay away from wolves. |
| B．To explain how wolves hunt and raise their pups. |
| C．To tell us why wolves are considered dangerous. |
| D．To correct some common misunderstanding about wolves. |
【推荐3】Children with no shoes on do better at school than those with shoes on, a study suggests.
For over 10 years, researchers from universities observed (观察) children in 100 schools from 25 countries. They found that classrooms were quieter when children took off their shoes. It provided a quieter environment where pupils were more willing to focus on study than those with shoes on.
“Children are much more willing to sit on the floor and relax if they have no shoes on,” said professor Stephen Heppel, a lead researcher.
“The last place a child would sit to read is an upright chair. And we’ve found that 95% of them really don’t read on a chair at home,” Heppel added. “When they go on holidays, they read lying down.” Professor Heppel hopes to bring the “shoeless policy” to all U.K. schools. He says relaxing conditions at school make children feel as if they’re at home. He believes all the teachers will be glad to adopt the habit.
1. The best title to describe the main idea of the passage is “__________”.| A．Suggestions on shoeless children. |
| B．Suggestions on children with shoes on. |
| C．Shoeless children do better at school. |
| D．Shoeless children looks cool at school. |
2. According to the passage, we know that the study was made by __________.
| A．some university students | B．children from 25 countries |
| C．teachers in 1000 schools | D．researchers from university |
| A．A | B．B | C．C | D．D |
| A．quiet activities | B．relaxing conditions |
| C．some upright chairs | D．a safe environment |
| A．accept | B．refuse | C．change | D．throw |
【推荐1】Sansha City is the southernmost city in China. Of all the cities in China, Sansha City has the largest area, but its land area is the smallest.
Sansha City is in control of three main islands—Xisha Islands, Zhongsha Islands and Nansha Islands and their waters. There are countless coral reefs（无数的珊瑚礁）here. The city lies in South China Sea.
Thousands of years ago, fishermen had got to Sansha and took up fishing there. During Tang Dynasty, officials were sent to rule（统治）the islands in South China Sea.
Sansha has fresh air, the blue sky, the blue sea, nice weather, and all kinds of fishes of different colors and shapes. In nice weather, you can go there for fishing and diving. You can see all kinds of sea living things that you have never seen before. Even in cold winter, the warm sun and the beach can make visitors crazy.
All the visitors will get lost here because of different kinds of seafood. Every island of Sansha is a fantastic place to visit. Lots of people call Sansha China’s Maldives（马尔代夫）. Let’s look forward to a greater future for Sansha.
1. Sansha City’s ________ is the smallest of all the cities in China.| A．sea area | B．government | C．land area | D．beach |
| A．远足 | B．潜水 | C．采集 | D．冒险 |
| A．swim as far as you can | B．taste all kinds of seafood |
| C．dive under the sea | D．buy all kinds of corals and fishes |
| A．Sansha will become more and more beautiful. | B．Most visitors like Maldives best. |
| C．People can only have fun on Xisha Islands. | D．Maldives is a city in South China Sea. |
【推荐2】Travel around England
Places to visit in London
☆The River Thames
It turns through London, dividing the city into two parts. It’s interesting to take a trip on the river. This way, you can see almost every place of interest of London.
☆Big Ben
May 31, 2019 is the 160th birthday of the largest four-face clock in the world—Big Ben. It isn’t the name of the tower itself but the 13-ton bell inside it. Every hour, it “bongs” the number of hours to tell the time.
Places to visit in Liverpool
☆Music: “The Beatles Story”
If you love The Beatles—the world-famous 1960s music group, come here!
Open every day except Dec 25 and 26
Adult: £16.00 Under-16s and student: £12.00 Child under six: Free
☆Sport: “Liverpool FC”
Do you love football? Visit Anfield football center, home to Liverpool’s favorite football team.
Closed on Sat. and Sun.
Adult: £15.00 Under-16s and student: £9.00 Child under six: Free
☆Museum: “Liverpool Museum”
You can learn all about the history and culture of Liverpool here. It was set up in 1851, and moved to the new building in 2011.
Open daily Free entry!
1. If you want to visit the most places of interest in one day in London, you’d better _________.
| A．go by bus | B．go by boat | C．go by subway | D．go by taxi |
| A．Fried Chicken. | B．Famous Coach. | C．Football Club. | D．Favourite Center. |
| A．The Beatles Story. | B．Liverpool Museum. | C．Big Ben. | D．All of them. |
| A．£0. | B．£24. | C．£28. | D．£40 |
| A．Big Ben “bangs” once at 9 a.m. every day. |
| B．We can visit two of the three places in Liverpool any day. |
| C．Liverpool Museum shows the development of the city. |
| D．You can play music with the Beatles in Liverpool. |
It’s an interactive(互动的) restaurant where you will control your meal and your fun．The service is fast and the runners know clearly where to go．There will be no waiting for a waiter，and no misunderstandings(误解) in the kitchen．Different kinds of food are served at any time of day. U.Wink is a place which hosts “room games”，where every table in the restaurant can have a video game competition at the same time．The owner of the restaurant hopes that U.Wink can make it easy for people to be interactive，have fun and enjoy a delicious meal．
1. What can’t people do in the restaurant?
| A．Enjoy their meals. |
| B．Play computer games. |
| C．Have fun with their family and friends. |
| D．Chat with the waiters and waitresses. |
| A．touching the screen in front of them |
| B．calling the restaurant |
| C．asking the waiters or waitresses |
| D．asking the runners |
| A．The waiters. | B．The waitresses. |
| C．The runners. | D．The customers themselves. |
| A．it’s a restaurant where there are no waiters or waitresses |
| B．different kinds of food are served at any time of day |
| C．it’s an interactive restaurant for people to have fun and enjoy a delicious meal |
| D．it’s in Los Angeles |
| A．A restaurant without waiters or waitresses. |
| B．A new kind of restaurant called uWink. |
| C．A new kind of kitchen. |
| D．How you order food in the restaurant. |
【推荐1】Things like yoga or lively music may help us when we feel down. But nature documentaries（纪录片）could be just as good in helping reduce stress.
This is according to the research by BBC Worldwide’s research team and Dacher Keltner, an expert in the science of emotion at the University of California, Berkeley, US. As the researchers found out, watching nature programs has direct and uplifting benefits on the mood and well-being of their viewers.
During the research, named “The Real Happiness Project”, Keltner and colleagues studied 7, 500 participants from the US, UK, Singapore, India, and South Africa. The participants were asked to fill in surveys about their mood before watching parts of Planet Earth II, plays and news stories. Their reactions were recorded with facial mapping technology and psychological tests.
Results showed that women are more likely to experience sharp emotional changes than men when they watch nature documentaries. Meanwhile, people aged between 16 and 24 showed the most decrease in feelings of nervousness and tiredness.
Keltner explained that the findings mean that our connection to nature could be a huge improvement to cognitive（认知的）performance such as attention and sense of calm. In turn, it made us more effective and could even improve our physical health.
“The changes in emotions as a result of watching this powerful natural history series（系列）are important as we know that wonder and satisfaction are the basis of human happiness.” Keltner told the Daily Mail.
The result came just weeks after Planet Earth II broke viewing records with its release in the US. A decade after its first series, the follow-up’s stunning（惊人的）views of nature made it one of the most-watched television programs of 2016 and, according to the BBC, the most successful nature documentary for 15 years.
1. What might help people reduce stress according to the passage?| A．TV dramas. | B．Science magazines. | C．Rock music. | D．Nature documentaries. |
| A．The results of the research. | B．The research process. |
| C．The technology used in the research. | D．The participants in the research. |
| A．People aged over 24. | B．People aged between 13 and 16. |
| C．People aged between 24 and 36. | D．People aged between 16 and 24. |
| A．Feeling connected to nature improves cognitive performance. |
| B．People can find wonder and contentment in their lives. |
| C．Teenagers can reduce nervousness and tiredness easily. |
| D．Women are less likely to experience emotional changes. |
| A．To stress the disadvantages of feeling down. |
| B．To encourage us to watch documentaries like Planet Earth II. |
| C．To discuss the best way of improving one’s physical health. |
| D．To report a study about how nature documentaries influence our emotions. |
【推荐2】Husky dogs are more than just animals to some people. Huskies can in a lot of different ways.
The native people of the Arctic are called the Inuit. They live in Alaska, Canada and Greenland. They live in very cold climates. The Inuit people use huskies because the dogs are strong and can live in very, cold climates, too. They are also very good workers.
Today, a lot of Inuit people live a traditional lifestyle. They use animals for food, transport and clothes. In the Arctic, there aren't many vegetables or fruit. In fact, in some places, there aren't any supermarkets. The basic diet of the Inuit people is meat and fish. The Inuit hunt seals, polar bears and reindeer, and their huskies help them. Inuit hunters travel with their dogs. They make sledges with animal bones and skin, and teams of huskies pull the sledges. These dogs can pull heavy sledges and go very fast.
Of all the animals in the Arctic, the husky is the Inuit's greatest helper!
FACT! A team of huskies with a sledge can travel over 150 km in one day.
1. What does "some people" mean?| A．Native people in Alaskan. | B．Native Canadian people. |
| C．Native people in Greenland. | D．Native people in the Arctic. |
| A．They like travelling. | B．Huskies with a sledge can go over 150 km in one hour. |
| C．They are not afraid of cold weather. | D．They can hunt seals, polar bears and reindeer. |
| A．It is hard to get vegetables or fruit. | B．There are a lot of seals and other animals. |
| C．Huskies can catch the fish. | D．Inuit hunters travel with their dogs. |
| A．Good workers. | B．Great helpers. |
| C．Strong runners. | D．Common animals. |
| A．Huskies are strong and fast. |
| B．Huskies' basic diet is meat and fish. |
| C．Inuit people don't need any supermarkets. |
| D．Inuit people make sledges with Husky bones and skin. |
Do you know ChatGPT? It’s an artificial intelligence (AI, 人工智能) tool. It can answer questions, tell stories, said a new study.
ChatGPT has “homes” around the world in data centers (数据中心). When it works, the computers at the data centers get very hot. Workers then have to use water to cool them down. Cold water goes into pipes (管道) near the computers. The water needs to be very clean. They can’t use seawater because it can eat away at the pipes.
When you ask ChatGPT 20 to 50 questions, it “drinks” 500 milliliters of water. Scientists used 700, 000 liters of water to build ChatGPT. The water use is very big. People can make 370 cars with it.
NOT THE ONLY ONE
ChatGPT is just one AI tool. You need data centers to do everything on the internet. There are more than 8, 000 data centers around the world. The number is still growing. We may have to “fight (斗争)” with AI for water in the future.
THINK AND DISCUSS
AI uses a lot of water to “grow”. The world’s water may not be enough (足够的). Many people don’t have enough water to drink. But AI technology (技术) helps people. Should we rethink how we use AI? Talk to your friends about it.
1. The new study used the word “thirsty” to show that ________.| A．ChatGPT looks like a man | B．ChatGPT can eat and drink |
| C．ChatGPT talks too much | D．ChatGPT needs water when working |
a. They are AIs just like ChatGPT.
b. The computers there get hot when ChatGPT works.
c. They are pipes in the ChatGPT’s home.
d. They are in different places in the world.
| A．ab | B．bc | C．ac | D．bd |
| A．AIs like ChatGPT. | B．Computers. | C．The workers. | D．The pipes. |
| A．Because it is near the centers. | B．Because it is colder than seawater. |
| C．Because it is good for the pipes. | D．Because it is hard to get seawater. |
| A．To help readers know the big size of ChatGPT. |
| B．To show the big water use in building ChatGPT. |
| C．To help scientists find a better way to build ChatGPT. |
| D．To give an idea about how to use ChatGPT. |
