①Could you imagine being in a car driven by a computer, not a human? Recently, China has made a big step toward self-driving technology. Since August, driverless taxis can run on roads in Wuhan, Chongqing and Shenzhen.
②Why do we develop self-driving cars? Self-driving cars have many advantages. They use computers to sense the things around them and make better use of space. This means fewer crowded roads and better parking of cars. For disabled or blind people, self-driving cars can also help them get around more easily.
③According to US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, each year, more than 1.35 million people are killed on roads around the world. Many more are hurt in accidents. Self driving cars could reduce road accidents by 90 percent and save governments a lot of money. The main cause of car accidents is human error (错误). By using computers, self-driving cars don’t make poor decisions or lose attention like humans do.
④But self-driving cars aren’t perfect. If something unexpected on the road happens, self-driving cars can’t react as fast as a human driver can. Also, during weather events like heavy snow, self-driving cars wouldn’t see the lines on the road easily. It might lead to an accident. The car’s computer system would be broken by someone, causing it to crash or change its direction.
⑤It’s clear that there is a lot of work to do to make self-driving cars a common sight on our roads. And China is taking the lead in making this happen.
1. According to the passage, it is ________ to develop self-driving cars for disabled or blind people.| A．difficult | B．creative | C．helpful | D．unnecessary |
| A．Self-driving cars would cause 90 percent road accidents of all. |
| B．Self-driving cars would cause 10 road accidents among 100 ones. |
| C．90 percent of self-driving cars would cause road accidents. |
| D．Self-driving cars could reduce the number of road accidents from 100 to 10. |
| A．how self-driving cars work |
| B．why self-driving cars were invented |
| C．what we should do to use self-driving cars safely |
| D．that self-driving cars bring both convenience and problems |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
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But things are changing. High costs, unusual educational needs and long start-up times are no longer an obstacle(障碍) to space exploration. The scientists have developed a new type of tiny, inexpensive earth-orbiting(轨道) satellite.
So far, college students have built and launched(发射) several cube-shaped satellites, or CubeSats. At least 15 more are ready to go. Those already in orbit take pictures, collect information and send it back to the earth, just as regular satellites do.
But you might not even have to wait until you get to college to start designing and building your own satellite. A new program called KatySat aims to get teenagers to take part in. When kids understand what satellites can do, the kinds of ideas they’ll come up with may be
Education isn’t the only aim of CubeSats because these tiny, technology-filled boxes are inexpensive to build and can be put together quickly, they’re perfect for testing new technologies that might one day be used on major space tasks.
The biggest challenge now is to find ways to bring the satellites back to the earth after a year or two. Or space junk could gradually increase because CubeSats become more popular.
Nowadays, college and high school students are getting a chance to learn what it takes to explore in space. Someday—perhaps a lot sooner that you imaging—you might get to design, build and launch your own satellite. If you do, you’re sure to have fun. And you might also get crazy about science for life.
1. Building a traditional satellite __________.
| A．costs $250,000 |
| B．needs college students |
| C．takes quite a long time |
| A．need long start-up times |
| B．are cheap and small-sized |
| C．collect more junk in orbit |
| A．无用的 | B．无价值的 | C．无数的 |
| A．CubeSats could possibly cause pollution in space. |
| B．Scientists designed CubeSats for kids to play with. |
| C．Students can’t design satellites without college education. |
| A．to tell us that satellite technology can also be learned by kids |
| B．to show that high technology brings a big change in kids’ life |
| C．to tell us that kids must study hard to learn satellite technology |
【推荐2】People expect living, breathing fish when they visit an aquarium (海洋馆). So, visitors to a Shanghai aquarium were surprised to see a robot shark instead.
CGTN reported that the electric-powered “whale shark” showed up in Shanghai in January.
Developed by Chinese researchers, the 4.7-meter-long “shark” has mechanical fins (机械鳍). It can swim, turn and dive (潜水) like a real shark. It swims as fast as 0.7 meters per second and can go as deep as 10 meters underwater.
Bionic (仿生的) fish like this are not just for pleasing aquarium visitors. They can be used in a wide range of fields. The bionic whale shark, for example, will be equipped with different sensors (传感器) to check water quality (质量) and take photos of underwater animals and plants, CGTN reported.
According to iMedia News, military (军事的) uses are also likely. Bionic fish produce almost no noise. They will not be found by sonar, meaning they can swim around submarines (潜水艇) unnoticed. Compared to anti-submarine aircraft (反潜艇飞机), anti-submarine “fish” are cheaper and can work better.
Along with military and research uses, underwater rescue (救援) and archaeology (考古) can also benefit from bionic fish. Smaller robots can swim in and around sunken ships, sending all kinds of data back to people. With a 3D scanner (扫描仪), people may even make models of sunken ships.
Maybe most exciting, these fish can swim among real fish. With sensors and cameras, we can learn more about fish behavior, such as schooling – how small fish swim together to avoid predators – and breeding (繁衍). If robotic fish are good at mixing in, we may also learn what it’s like to get eaten by sharks!
1. What do we know about the robot shark?| A．It moves just like a real shark. | B．It is larger than a real shark. |
| C．It was made to surprise visitors. | D．It swims faster than a real shark. |
a. they are cheap and efficient anti-submarine tools.
b. they make big noises that scare submarines.
c. submarines can’t easily detect them.
d. they can avoid submarine attacks.
| A．ab | B．ac | C．bd | D．cd |
| A．They can bring things back from sunken ships. | B．They can collect data of sunken ships for people. |
| C．They can locate where the sunken ships are. | D．They can make models of a 3D scanner. |
| A．捕食者 | B．寄生者 | C．竞争者 | D．追踪者 |
| A．The influence of bionic fish on humans. | B．Sending bionic fish to school. |
| C．The aim of creating bionic fish. | D．Using bionic fish to study fish. |
【推荐3】Have you ever heard of ＂a ball of energy＂? People often use it to describe very active children. But today we tell about an invention called the soccket, that is a real soccer ball of energy. Julia Silverman explains that in fact the soccket is a portable generator(便携式发电机).
Julia Silverman and Jessica Matthews developed the soccket as part of a group project for an engineering class at Harvard University.
There are mechanisms(装置) in a soccket. When you kick, hit or throw it, energy is then kept in it by these mechanisms instead of disappearing into the environment.
Then the user can put something directly into the ball, like a lamp, or a mobile phone charger so that they can get energy from it.
For every fifteen minutes of the game play, the soccket can provide enough electricity(电) for an LED lamp for three hours, and the ball can store(储藏) up to 24 hours’ electricity.
The International Energy Association reported last year that nearly one and a half billion people in the world had no electricity to use, and most of them live in sub-Saharan Africa and in India and other countries in Asia.
Julia Silverman and Jessica Matthews both had experiences in developing countries before they began the project. They knew that power shortages are a serious problem in really areas.
There’s an energy crisis in the world. One out of every five people in the world don’t have any electricity. And besides that, there are a lot of health problems because what people use instead of the electricity are harmful choices like kerosene(煤油) lamps, which produce a lot of smoke.
Julia Silverman says the soccket ball is one small solution(解决方法) to a big problem.
Jessica Matthews and Julia Silverman hope their soccket ball will shine more light on the problem of power shortages. It offers people a chance to put their energy into the world’s most popular sport and get some energy in return.
1. From the passage, we know the soccket is ________.| A．an active child | B．an invention | C．a lamp | D．a mobile phone |
| A．fifteen minutes | B．half an hour | C．six hours | D．three hours |
| A．a time of safety | B．a time of difficulty | C．a time of success | D．a time of pride |
| A．Julia Silverman has never been to developing countries before |
| B．Active children like to play soccket |
| C．kicking a soccket can let the energy disappear into the environment |
| D．people are expected to get some energy by playing soccket |
| A．The only way to produce electricity | B．The best way to solve energy crisis |
| C．A soccer ball that gives energy | D．An invention changing the world |
During the epidemic, if companies plan to get workers back into the office, finding ways to keep social distancing will be key. PointGrab, an Israeli company, thinks it can help, using smart sensors set on workplace ceilings.
PointGrab developed its technology before the epidemic to help workspace managers best use office space. About the size of a smoke alarm, the sensors can record the exact number and location of people in buildings including offices, hotels and restaurants.
One of the company’s first customers was Deloitte, which used the system at its London office last year. PointGrab’s sensors were connected to screens in the building to show the availability of desks and shared areas in real time. PointGrab CEO Doron Shachar says it was the smart sensors that allowed 30% more people to work in 3% less space.
Now PointGrab has adapted the technology so the sensors can also monitor social distancing by keeping way of how far apart people are, and whether they’re traveling in one direction around a building. Also, workspace managers can set up alerts for when two people are closer than two meters for more than 30 seconds, for example.
The sensors have been included in the “six feet office” concept created by services company Cushman and Wakefield to encourage employees to practice social distancing. They are using in this way at a university in the Netherlands, and at a creation center in Belgium.
Although the social distancing creation is new, PointGrab has set up more than 10,000 sensors for better using workspace, including in the offices of Coca-Cola, Facebook and Dell.
Workers might not like the idea of being monitored, but PointGrab says no images or identifying features are recorded Instead, each employee is shown as an unknown point on a screen.
“The sensor does not give people’s privacy away,” Shachar says. “This is extremely important in the workspace.”
1. According to the passage, the smart sensor ________.| A．is larger than the size of a smoke alarm | B．should be set on the gate of a workplace |
| C．can be seen in offices, hotels and restaurants | D．is designed by an American service company |
| A．To explain where the sensors were connected. |
| B．To present the great influence of the sensors. |
| C．To show more room can be brought by sensors. |
| D．To stress it was the first company using the sensors. |
| A．a worker stands too close to another one | B．two workers are traveling in one direction |
| C．workers have an one-hour online meeting | D．workers shake hands for over half a minute |
| A．Workers’ privacy is well-protected. | B．Monitoring workers is quite important. |
| C．Workers are sure to say no to sensors. | D．Workers will see their faces on a screen. |
【推荐2】“Five, four, three, two, one, fire off!” Astronauts are in space again! On Oct 16, China’s Shenzhou-13 spacecraft（载人航天器）took off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Gansu Province. It later reached the Tiangong space station and connect with the Tianhe core module（核心舱）.
Shenzhou-13 carried three astronauts—Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping and Ye Guangfu. They will stay for six months. There they will set up a robot’s arm, make sure all machines work well and do scientific tests. They will even celebrate（庆祝）the 2022 Spring Festival in space.
It’s not an easy job to do all these things. Chinese astronauts get difficult training before going to space. All the Chinese astronauts are excellent pilots with hundreds or even thousands of hours of flight time. They also receive hundreds of classes to prepare for space travel.
Wang Yaping, the mother of a 5-year-old girl, has drawn many attentions（关注）. Wang is China’s second woman astronaut to take part in a spaceflight, and she will become the first Chinese woman to take a spacewalk. “We may have to repeat（重复）such training every single day for years or decades. But there is no ‘give up’ in our dictionary.” said Wang.
1. Which province did Shenzhou-13 take off?| A．Jiangsu. | B．Gansu. | C．Jiangxi. | D．Jiuquan. |
| A．2. | B．3. | C．4. | D．5. |
| A．Some of Chinese astronauts are good pilots. |
| B．Three astronauts will live in space for half a year. |
| C．Three astronauts get physical training before going to space. |
| D．Wang Yaping is the first Chinese woman to take part in a spaceflight. |
| A．Being an astronaut is an easy job that everyone could be. |
| B．Women should not go to space. |
| C．Three pilots get lots of ups and downs to become spacemen of Shenzhou-13. |
| D．Shenzhou-13 will carry more astronauts to go to space. |
| A．In a storybook. | B．In a scientific fiction. |
| C．In a newspaper. | D．In a fashion magazine. |
【推荐3】Thousands of years ago, people didn’t know that the Earth moved. They thought the sun really did move across the sky. The Greek god Helios was said to drive the sun around the sky with his chariot（战车）. But now, these ideas have all changed. Nowadays, it is the sun that drives our “chariot” around the sky.
So what does all this mean? Well, quite simply, there is now a plane (or “chariot”) that is powered by the sun. It has special parts in its wings. These parts absorb power from the sun. They absorb so much power that they can carry on flying at night. In the Greek myths, Helios had to take a break at night. It seems we’re finally even more efficient than the gods themselves.
This plane is called Solar Impulse（太阳驱动号）. It will fly across the US in May. This is very important for the future of the world.
So why is solar energy so good for us? Well, other kinds of energy cause a few problems. If you live in China, you’ve probably noticed the pollution. This is caused by burning coal or gas to make energy. The heat and chemicals from this make things work. But if we use the heat from the sun, we don’t have to burn anything, and there’s no pollution.
Solar energy is not all there yet. It needs to be improved. But the best thing about it is that, unlike coal and gas, it doesn’t run out. Solar Impulse could keep flying forever. Well, actually, the sun will run out too, one day, but not for another 5 billion years. That’s a pretty long flight.
1. What does “chariot” really refer to in the last sentence of Paragraph 1?| A．The Earth. | B．The Greek god. | C．Solar Impulse. | D．Birds. |
| A．Solar Impulse moves very slowly. |
| B．Solar Impulse will be in use for a long time. |
| C．It takes a lot of time to get Solar Impulse going. |
| D．Solar Impulse has a long way to go to take the place of the sun. |
| A．a Greek myth | B．a science fiction | C．a story-book | D．a science magazine |
【推荐1】It could become possible for humans to live for up to 800 years. This is what researchers are saying at the University of California. They have made scientific discovery using ordinary yeast(酵母菌): the kind you find in bread.
The scientists were looking at live yeast and removed(移除) two genes(基因). These two genes can help make the yeast grow old. They are the same genes that also cause cancer(癌症) in humans. The scientists then put the yeast without two genes on a diet! This made the yeast live ten times longer than normal.
Valter Longo, the head scientist of the project, says that although human and yeast genes are different, the way to make things live longer is the same. If scientists improve this way, humans could live much longer too.
Longo also thinks that there is another gene that is helpful for making us age. If we can also find this gene and remove it, then it might be possible to live to an amazing age.
Other scientists don’t think this is possible. They think that humans can’t live for more than 125 years. The oldest known person in the world, Jeanne Calment, died at the age of 122 years and 164 days. Most scientists think that she was one of the few lucky ones to almost reach the maximum human age limit(极限).
However, it is true that more humans are living longer than ever before. In Britain, there is huge number of people living past 100. Nearly 9,000 people are 100 or older now, compared to only 100 people in 1911. There are still far more women than men in this age group-seven women for every man. So, if you want to live a long time, the best thing to be is female!
1. What does the underlined “This” refer to?| A．Scientists looked at live yeast to make better food. |
| B．Scientists put the yeast without two genes on a diet. |
| C．Scientists found the same genes in humans and the yeast. |
| D．Scientists removed two certain genes from human bodies. |
| A．Yeast without two genes lives longer than normal. |
| B．All the genes in live yeast and humans are the same. |
| C．Humans can live for up to 800 years old in Britain. |
| D．More humans are living shorter lives than before. |
| A．To show people that she was the oldest person in the world. |
| B．To tell people how lucky she was to reach human age limit. |
| C．To explain why they think people can’t live to an amazing age. |
| D．To ask people to find out how they can live as long as she does. |
| A．In a science magazine. | B．In a food recipe. |
| C．In a geography book. | D．In a history note. |
 | One day, an old woman found a peach（桃子）in the river and took it home.She and her husband found a child in the peach when they were trying to eat it.They called him Momotaro. When Momotaro grew up he started to fight bad men.With the help of a dog, a monkey and a bird，Momotaro beat them and went back home safely. |
 | A kind old man created（创造）Pinocchio from wood and treated（对待）him as his son. Instead of doing right things like going to school, Pinocchio liked hanging out.One day, a whale（鲸）ate the old man.Pinocchio went into the sea and risked his life to save his father.The brave act made him become a real man. |
1. Who found the peach in the river?
| A．An old woman. | B．An old man. | C．An old couple. | D．Momotarō. |
| A．Cutting wood. | B．Going to school. | C．Helping others. | D．Hanging out. |
| A．They both came from a peach. | B．They didn't love their fathers. |
| C．They were not born humans. | D．They both loved to fight bad men. |
One German school has come up with a cheap and simple DIY system to help with the air moving problem in the room during COVID-19. It was invented by a teacher’s scientist husband, Frank Helleis.
In the school, above every desk, there is a clear plastic funnel attached to a narrow pipe (连接着窄小管道的塑料漏斗). All the pipes are in turn connected to one wide pipe leading to a fan (风扇) that directs the air outside through a window. Warm air breathed out by the students rises up overhead and is sucked (吸) up and pushed outside before it can spread through the room. Another window is kept half-open to allow in fresh air.
The system manages to take out over 90% of aerosols (气溶胶) from the room. It can be built with materials from a DIY store for around $235. Some people were successfully putting all the materials together in half a day. And it has been shared online for anyone who wants to use the idea.
Helleis had the idea after discussing with his team on how they could help during COVID-19. “We found the best thing to do was to take out the aerosols,” he said.
Helleis says air purifiers (净化器) can be useful but are more expensive and noisier than his invention. And unlike his invention, expensive purifiers don’t deal with CO2, which might cause tiredness. This gives schools a reason to keep his homemade system.
The school plans to spend the next few weekends installing Helleis’ system in all the classrooms.
1. What is the second paragraph mainly about?| A．What the system looks like and how it works. |
| B．One classroom of the German school. |
| C．Why the school uses the system. |
| D．The importance of the system. |
| A．narrow pipes | B．fans | C．open windows | D．aerosols |
| A．there are few windows in his wife’s room |
| B．air purifiers are too noisy for students |
| C．he wanted to do something to help during COVID-19 |
| D．he was experienced in dealing with air pollution |
| A．研究 | B．安装 | C．制造 | D．清除 |
| A．The German government has helped improve the system. |
| B．The system is much cheaper and quieter than air purifiers. |
| C．The system is more popular than air purifiers in Germany. |
| D．The system can work well when the classroom windows are closed. |
