【推荐1】Have you noticed fewer mosquitoes（蚊子）this summer?     1    

The right amount of rain at the right time is important for mosquitoes because it lays eggs in water, but it’s too hot and there is much less rain this year.     2     At the same time, at high temperatures, mosquitoes may develop more quickly but become smaller and weaker, so it’s much difficult for them to lay healthy eggs. As a result, there are fewer mosquitoes than before.

However, don’t get too excited about that.     3    

In addition, high temperatures also have a bad effect on other animals on earth. According to the WHO, more than 15, 000 people die of extreme heat in Europe in 2022.     4     This means that after a heat wave, the production of crops and fruits will reduce without bees’ help.

    5     If we do not protect the earth or try our best to stop global warming, human beings will be in danger one day.

A．A lot of lakes and rivers are drying out.

B．It’s probably because of the hot, dry weather.

C．In fact, this is what the Great Nature wants to tell us.

D．It’s also reported in Europe that an unusual number of honeybees die this year.

E．Although they are less active（活跃）and bite less, the diseases they carry are more active in hot summer.

【推荐2】A force is a push or pull in a specific direction. It can cause an object to move.

Balanced (平衡的) forces keep objects from moving. This happens when forces act in opposite directions. The forces have the same strength (强度), too. For example, when two people are pushing against a box in opposite directions with the same strength, the forces will cancel, resulting in no movement.

Unbalanced forces cause objects to move. It’s when forces are uneven. The stronger force moves the object. For example, when two people are playing tug-of-war, the rope will move if one starts pulling more than the other person.

Different kinds of forces can act on an object at the same time. For example, when a cat on a sled (雪橇) is put on a hill, gravity (重力) will pull the sled downward. Gravity is a force that pulls objects together. It keeps everything pulled down to Earth. Gravity always works on an object, even when you push or pull it. Friction (摩擦力) pulls against the sled opposite of gravity. It slows down the sled’s movement. So why does the sled keep moving? Because the pull of gravity is stronger than the pull of friction.

1. We can probably read the passage in a _______ book.

A．chemistry

B．geography

C．biology

D．physics

2. How many kinds of forces are mentioned in the passage?

A．One.

B．Two.

C．Three.

D．Four.

3. Picture ________ shows the balanced force.

A．

B．

C．

D．

4. The activity “tug-of-war” is the one shown in Picture ________.

A．

B．

C．

D．

5. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Unbalanced forces are of different sizes.

B．Balanced forces cause the movement of an object.

C．Gravity disappears when you push or pull an object.

D．Friction is a force that pulls everything down to Earth.

【推荐3】A middle school student has a science test on Monday but spends most of the weekend playing video games and does not start studying until late Sunday night. This kind of avoiding or delaying of work that needs to be done is called procrastination (拖沓). It is said that up to 95% of people procrastinate at least sometimes, and about 20% of them do it too much. Although researchers do not agree on all the reasons behind procrastination, there is general agreement about some factors that can explain it.

The first factor is how pleasant or unpleasant people find a task. Research shows that people put off tasks they find unpleasant. Many middle school students delay cleaning their rooms or doing their homework. Someone who loves bicycles might not delay fixing a tire, while someone who does not may put it off.

Besides how people feel about the job at hand, the amount of confidence they have in their ability to do a task also has to do with procrastination. For example, those who have low expectations of success are more likely to put off starting a job. On the other hand, those who believe that they can perform well are more likely to take on challenging tasks. However, too much confidence can also lead to procrastination.Some people believe how easily they can do a particular task and start too late.

Another factor is whether or not people can use self-control. Those who have less self-control can easily be drawn away from their work. Interestingly, age is said to be connected with self-control. Research shows that the older people become, the less likely they are to delay doing their work until the last minute.

Lastly, there is a link between procrastination and how long people must wait before they see the reward(回报) for an effort. For example, studying hard in school might not give middle school students any quick rewards, what they learn might not seem useful to the present.

What are the roots (根源) of your procrastination? Because the behaviors described here are common to most people, you probably do not need to completely change your habits. If it is a problem, the first step to reducing(减少) it is discovering the reasons behind it. It is only by understanding the roots of your problem that you can choose the proper method for yourself.

1. The middle school student’s case in the first paragraph is used to _________.

A．show how common procrastination is among students

B．provide a typical example of what procrastination is

C．suggest how to avoid procrastination before a test

D．explain why students tend to procrastinate before tests

2. Why do many students delay doing their homework?

A．Maybe they have to clean their rooms.

B．Maybe they loves fixing bikes better than doing homework.

C．Maybe they think doing homework is a boring task.

D．Maybe they find their teachers are unpleasant.

3. According to the text, people lacking(缺乏) self-control _________.

A．are more likely to pick up challenging tasks

B．try to make wrong judgments about the difficulty of their tasks

C．could find it easier to focus on their tasks as they grow older

D．often develop the habit of procrastination at an early age

4. We can know from the passage_________.

A．we must change our habits at once without finding the roots of procrastination

B．people always find most of their daily tasks unpleasant

C．there are 3 factors mentioned in the passage

D．procrastinators are more likely to expect quick reward from their efforts

5. The writer’s writing purpose is to   _________.

A．explain the general causes of procrastination

B．suggest some solutions to the problem of procrastination

C．report on recent findings about procrastination

D．express the bad influences of procrastination