1 . Lima, the capital of Peru, is located in the central coastal part of the country, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. With a population of more than 9 million, Lima is one of the largest cities and the only capital in South America that faces the ocean.
Lima has a long history. The lost Inca civilization, is thought to be a mystery. There are many museums, where you can learn: how the ancient American Indians founded the Inca Empire and built Machu Picchu, a famous ancient city in the Andes Mountains; what happened in 1532 and why over 90% of Peruvians speak Spanish. Visiting the historic center, a World Heritage Site, you may find you are communicating with both the past and the present.
Lima is also a place where you can find the lifestyles and fashions, created by its people and culture. You will see Peruvian clothes, dances, and taste their delicious foods and drinks. You can see buildings in different styles, enjoy the fantastic sunset over the ancient ruins, climb the mountains, fly over the ocean, or sit in the restaurants and bars to experience Peruvians’ relaxing life.
You may have heard “It never rains in Lima.” In fact, the special geographic feature makes it not as dry as it is said to be and it is warm all year round. Though it seldom rains in summer, it sometimes drizzles on early winter mornings. The drizzle and the wet air “water” the ground, which makes the crops and the plants grow. Moreover, modern technology helps to bring water from the snow and ice on the top of the Andes (over 6,000m high) for the city to use. People there never waste water.
Lima is such an amazing city that it is worth a visit.
1. According to the passage, where is Lima on the map?A． | B． | C． | D． |
| A．Indian | B．Spanish | C．English | D．Inca language |
| A．warm air | B．sea water | C．snow and ice | D．very light rain |
| A．which is rich in water resources | B．where people can learn Inca culture |
| C．which is the largest in South America | D．where the houses are in the same style |
Imagine a world where you move around in front of a computer in your own sound space. You listen to your favorite songs, play loud computer games or watch a movie-all without other people hearing the sound.
That’s the possibility presented by “sound beaming,” a new technology from Noveto Systems, an Israeli company. The company debuted a desktop device that sends sound directly to a listener without the need for headphones. The device included nature videos of birds on a lake, bees flying and a quiet waterway.
Because the device does not use headphones, it’s possible to hear other sounds in the room clearly. The device uses a 3-D technology that finds and follows the ear position of the listener. It sends ultrasonic waves to create sound pockets by the user’s ears. Sound can be heard in stereo or 3-D. The 3-D method creates sound on all sides of the listener. By changing a setting, the sound can follow a listener around when he moves his head. The listener doesn’t need to tell the device where he is. It is also possible if the listener moves out of the sound beam’s path, he hears nothing at all.
Ayana, the manager of the company, enjoys watching the reactions of people trying the technology for the first time. Most people just say, “Wow, I really don’t believe it. No one else can hear but only you.” One tester, Louise Dixon, writes that listening to the device is like something from a science fiction movie. The sound seems so close that it feels like it’s inside your ears while also in front, above and behind them.
The company expects the device will have many uses. People could play a game, a movie or music without waking up others in the same room. Office workers could listen to music or have video meetings without others hearing.
While the idea of sound beaming is not new, Noveto was the first to make use of the technology. Its CEO Christophe Ramstein said a “smaller” version of the device would be on sale next year.
1. According to the passage, “sounding beaming” can ________.| A．provide different sounds of wild animals |
| B．make it possible for listeners to share music |
| C．protect people’s ears when listening to music |
| D．help people listen to music without headphones |
| A．The way the device works. | B．The development of the device. |
| C．The advantages of the device. | D．The purpose of making the device. |
| A．A manager who usually holds meetings in a company. |
| B．A student who plans to attend online classes in a library. |
| C．A reporter who likes listening to music when writing alone. |
| D．A runner who wants to enjoy music when jogging in a park. |
| A．Music World in the Future | B．Choose a Magical Headphone |
| C．The 3-D Technology of Music | D．Enjoy your Own Sound Space |
Gong Bao Chicken was originally a family dish of Ding Baozhen, an official of the Qing Dynasty. Over the years, it has become one of the most popular dishes in Chinese restaurants all over the world.
It’s hard for people to refuse the delicious dish. What’s more, it is easy to make. So, why not pick up some chicken and try this recipe out?
.....................................................................RECIPE.....................................................................
Ingredients Instructions
chicken breast.........................................300g 1. Heat the oil over a high heat.
roasted peanuts.........................................50g 2. When the oil is hot, add the chillies and stir them for about 30 seconds.
small pieces of dried to fu....................... .50g 3. Add the spring onions and stir them for about 30 seconds.
cooking oil..........................................2 spoons 4. Add the chicken and cook it through.
dried chillies............................................5 or 6 5. Add the soy sauce, vinegar and sugar.
spring onions.....................................a handful 6. Add the peanuts and dried tofu and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes.
soy sauce........................................1 teaspoon 7. Add some salt and serve.
vinegar.............................................1 teaspoon
sugar................................................2 teaspoon
salt...................................................1 teaspoon
1. According to the recipe, if you want to cook 600g of chicken, you need ________ of sugar.
| A．1 teaspoon | B．2 teaspoons | C．4 teaspoons | D．6 teaspoons |
| A．Heat the oil over a low heat. |
| B．Add the chillies before the oil is hot. |
| C．Cook the dish for about 1 to 2 minutes. |
| D．Add some salt after cooking the dried tofu. |
| A．novel | B．report | C．magazine | D．guidebook |
Birding, which actually started in the 19th century, is the practice of carefully watching and studying the appearance and behaviour of wild birds. It is a hobby for many and a sport for a few that gained a lot of popularity in the 20th century.
Learning to correctly identify birds is one of the hardest things when it comes to bird-watching. However, there are several methods and technologies that can be used to help you.
When it comes to birding, the first thing to learn is to reduce the range of the bird toa group by judging the shape of is body and head.if you can reduce the range of a bird down to at least its grouping, then you're already half way there. Next, pay attention to the shape of its mouth and tail. Almost no two species have the same shape, so this can really help you.
Keeping in mind that the habitat you're in will also help you out a lot.For instance, you might see a Red-eyed Vireo in a treetop but chances are that if you see one on the ground then it might just be a Horned Lark. These are just a few ways of identifying a bird.
If you are still having problems or want to take the easy way out, then this is where birding technology comes in. There is a very popular app called Merlin Bird ID. It will come up with a list of possible matches after you answer a few simple questions about the bird. You can also take a picture of the bird with the app and it will offer you some matches, including its appearance, colour, habit and habitat. It's been proved to be very easy to pick up with a list of possible matches most of the time.
While bird-watching is fun, it can be challenging, but if you remain focused on what you are doing, nothing can stop you from enjoying the experience to the fullest.
1. Birding is an activity to watch and find out ________.| A．when birds became popular | B．how birds behave in the wild |
| C．why bird lovers protect birds | D．what the wild birds eat and drink |
| A．show the living area of the bird |
| B．judge the correct species of the bird |
| C．match the right sound with the very bird |
| D．give matches by answering your questions |
| A．boring but meaningful | B．interesting but surprising |
| C．challenging but worthy | D．exciting but time-wasting |
| A．a new app to watch birds | B．a tool to use while birding |
| C．some ways to identify birds | D．some places to watch birds |
1. To make the dot disappear, we need to go through ________ steps.
| A．one | B．two | C．three | D．four |
| A．move our head a bit | B．lift the wax paper up |
| C．can’t see the edges of the dot | D．cover the dot with wax paper |
| A．the dot becomes clear | B．our eyes make movements |
| C．we see the edge of paper | D．the brain can’t see its edges |
A Japanese company has created a “smart” mask to improve communication for people wearing face coverings to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The use of face masks has become the new normal in parts of the world still trying hard to reduce spread of the coronavirus. However, masks and other kinds of coverings can affect the quality of communication between wearers.
It can be more difficult to hear voices through the coverings. Many business and public spaces also have social distance barriers in place, which also make it harder for people to be heard and understood.
The wearable electronic device is designed to help improve speech interactions in such conditions. The Japanese startup company Donut Robotics calls its invention the “c-mask”. The device is worn over other common face masks.
The c-mask is made of soft plastic material. It has a built-in microphone and holes in the front to let air in. When it is turned on, the mask uses Bluetooth technology to connect to a mobile device. An app then helps users perform several actions, including turning speech into text, completing telephone calls and making the user’s voice louder. The device can also translate a person’s voice from Japanese into eight other languages.
If needed, when people speak, the voice speech transcription can also be displayed on a large computer screen, which makes modern online meetings possible. During a company meeting, minutes can be created and translated without typing.
Donut Robotics plans to create a world where people can connect with each other from a distance better. The c-mask will be equipped with a Wi-Fi router. And the company is planning to install AR function as well.
Ono, the head of Donut Robotics, said the company planned to ship its first 5,000 c-masks to buyers in Japan in September. He is also looking to sell the devices in China, the United States and Europe and says he has received strong interest in the product.
“We hope that our device will be useful in a society where people get used to keeping social distance,” the company states on its website.
1. The c-mask was invented in order to .| A．tell people to keep social distance |
| B．help people to be heard more clearly |
| C．change people’s ways of communication |
| D．improve the quality of the common mask |
| A．A mobile app | B．An hole in the front |
| C．A microphone | D．The plastic material |
| A．people will buy more c-masks instead of common ones |
| B．people will communicate more when c-masks are worn |
| C．c-masks will be sold in other countries besides in Japan |
| D．c-masks will take the place of lots of electronic devices |
| A．The C-mask and Its Future | B．Advantages of the C-mask |
| C．How to Use the C-mask Better | D．The Recent Plan of the C-mask |
In the open ocean, there’s nowhere to hide. Being visible isn’t safe for animals that live here. So many of them take up a remarkable form of camouflage: they’re transparent.
Transparent animals let light pass through their bodies the same way it passes through a window. These animals usually live between the surface of the ocean and a depth of about 3,300 feet (1,000 m) — as far as most light can reach. Most of them are extremely delicate and can be damaged by a light touch.
How does an animal become see-through? The objects around you are visible because they interact with light. But a transparent object doesn’t interact with light, at least not very much. To become transparent, an animal needs to keep its body from absorbing or scattering light. According to Sonke Johnsen, a marine biologist and professor at Duke University, avoiding absorption is actually easy. Living materials allow light to get through them if they don’t have pigments, which are chemicals that absorb specific colors of light. Pigments make your blood red and plant leaves green, but if an animal doesn’t have them, its tissues won’t absorb light.
__________ Light bends and scatters when it goes through different materials of an animal-skin, fat, muscle, and more. All that bending means light can’t pass straight through the animal, so the animal is visible. Transparent animals use different tricks to fight scattering. Some animals are just very small without much tissue to scatter light. Others build a large, clear mass of non-living, jelly-like material and spread themselves over it. Actually the living tissue of the animal is pretty thin.
Eyes and stomachs are hard to hide. To keep enemies from seeing their eyes or their last meal, transparent animals use disguises. Eyes might be placed far away from the rest of the body. A stomach may be covered by something like a mirror which makes others only see the ocean around the animal. It may also take strange, needle-like shape that is difficult to see the edge.
1. The animals become transparent by ________.| A．absorbing or scattering light | B．living somewhere without light |
| C．bending light with special chemicals | D．letting light get straight through their bodies |
| A．How do large animals protect themselves? |
| B．The real challenge is to stop light from scattering. |
| C．Is it possible to make an animal body scatter light? |
| D．Transparent animals have to make themselves look large. |
| A．eat less | B．fight enemies | C．see further | D．change appearance |
| A．A large animal with small living parts. |
| B．A soft animal living at the bottom of the sea. |
| C．A light animal that absorbs colors of other animals. |
| D．A strong animal that can escape from most dangers. |
If you’ve always wanted to be a high flier, then skydiving is the right sport for you! Skydiving is the activity of jumping from a plane or other aircrafts at about 4000m and falling through the sky before opening a parachute.
The actual history of skydiving started with Frenchman Andre-Jacques Garnerin, who made successful parachute jumps in 1797 from a hot air balloon. Later, more people took it up and had regular competitions, which led to it becoming an international sport in 1952. For some people, skydiving has become a sport they enjoy doing for a lifetime through which they meet new friends, learn, progress and even compete.
The sport of skydiving has a whole range of training methods. Tandem skydiving is the most common way for beginners to get started in this exciting sport. During a tandem dive, the student is connected to an instructor. The student is able to enjoy the sensation of free fall, while the instructor takes control of vital activities such as opening the parachute and performing a safe landing. While falling through the sky, the “arch” position is the best body position for beginners. The shape of a banana is similar to the body position. To feel the sensation of the “arch” you can lie face down on the ground and extend your arms out while keeping them off the ground. Do the same thing with your legs — legs extended with knee bend and keeping them off the floor. This “arch” position allows for a smooth free fall.
Today, skydiving has become a popular activity around the world. Why not take the chance to skydive in your coming vacation?
1. According to the passage, skydiving ________.| A．helps us jump higher in the sky | B．was first practiced by an Englishman |
| C．has a history of over 500 years | D．is a lifetime hobby for some people |
| A．dive with a group of people | B．control the parachute before landing |
| C．experience free fall in the sky | D．land on the ground by themselves |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
| A．Come and Join Us in Skydiving | B．A True Story about Skydiving |
| C．Secrets Behind an Excellent Skydiver | D．Get Started with Tandem Skydiving |
A hungry fly speeds through a forest. It smells nectar and lands on a green leaf. It starts to drink the sweet liquid. Suddenly, the fly’s world turns green. The two sides of the leaf close against each other. Long green teeth lock together around it. The fly has been caught by a Venus flytrap. There is no escape.
Unlike most plants, the Venus flytrap is carnivorous, which means they eat meat. And it is perhaps the most famous killer plant. However, scientists have wondered for a long time how it hunts and eats. Only until recently did they start to figure it out. After years of study, plant scientist Alexander Volkov believes he now knows the Venus flytrap’s secret. "This." says Volko, "is an electrical plant."
There are three small hairs along each of the Venus flytrap’s two leaves. When an insect touches a hair, it creates an electrical sign in the leaf. The insect can keep on feeding—for now. But if it touches another hair within 20 seconds, the plant will take action, swinging its famous shut. The bristles on the edges of the leaves work like jail bars to prevent insects from making an escape. This system allows the plant to tell the difference between a drop of water, for example, and a living thing. And that probably keeps the plant from wasting time on raindrops or other things that aren’t its food.
Once caught, an insect has little chance of survival. The Venus flytrap now lets out a different liquid-one that slowly eats away at the insect. Ten days later, the plant’s leaves open again and the parts of the insect that couldn’t be digested fall out. The Venus flytrap is ready for its next meal.
This is just one of the interesting biological peculiarities of the Venus flytrap, scientists are still working hard to explore more about this mysterious plant.
1. The Venus flytrap is a kind of plants that ________.| A．contains electrical powers | B．mostly feeds on meat |
| C．we are familiar with | D．is famous for its leaves |
| A．why the Venus flytrap eats meat |
| B．when the Venus flytrap uses its hair |
| C．what the Venus flytrap is famous for |
| D．how the Venus flytrap hunts and eats |
| A．flies above a flytrap for a long period of time |
| B．tries its best to escape from a flytrap’s bristles |
| C．touches different hairs of a flytrap in 20 seconds |
| D．touches the edges of a flytrap’s leaves very gently |
| A．Carnivorous Plants: Magical Wonders |
| B．Carnivorous Plants: Attractive to Humans |
| C．The Venus Flytrap: A Famous Killer Plant |
| D．The Venus Flytrap: Dangerous for Humans |
Many cultures have stories of talking trees that give advice as well as warnings to people. Alexander the Great and Marco Polo were said to have visited such a tree in India. And in some modern stories, such as the film Avatar, trees can communicate with animals and people.
New research has found something amazing: it seems that plants can communicate after all.
It has been known for some time that plants use chemicals to communicate with each other. This happens when a plant gets attacked by insects. The plant gives out chemicals from the leaves that are being eaten. This is like a warning, or a call for help: “I’m being attacked!” When another plant gets the chemicals, it starts to give out its own, different chemicals. Some of these chemicals drive insects away. Others attract the wasps! The wasps kill the insects that are eating the plants. Scientists hope to learn more about this plant warning system, so that we can use it to grow more crops.
More surprisingly, plants also use sound to communicate. People can’t hear these sounds, but plants are making them. Some plants make noises with their roots. Corn and chilli plants do this. Some trees make clicking noises when there is not enough water.
Most surprisingly of all, plants have an amazing system of communication that can link nearly every plant in a forest. Scientists call this system the “wood wide web”. The wood wide web is linked underground by fungi. It links the roots of different plants to each other. It is in some ways similar to the Internet we use. Using the wood wide web, ▲ . However, it may lead to bad effects. Plants may use it to steal food from each other, or spread chemicals to attack other plants. Perhaps one day scientists will learn how to create a “firewall” to help prevent these attacks within the wood wide web.
Scientists are learning more every day about the secret ways in which plants talk to each other. Who knows? Maybe one day we will know enough about plant communication to be able to “talk” with them ourselves.
1. The writer starts the passage by ________.| A．telling stories | B．giving advice | C．listing numbers | D．giving examples |
①chemicals ②leaves ③sound ④fungi
| A．②③④ | B．①③④ | C．①②④ | D．①②③ |
| A．plants can share information and even food with each other |
| B．scientists can help stop the plants from attacking each other |
| C．plants can use chemicals to attract insects to attack other plants |
| D．scientists can build a system to link almost every plant in a forest |
| A．The secrets of how plants communicate. |
| B．The study about the plant warning system. |
| C．The plants that give advice as well as warnings. |
| D．The reasons why scientists do research about plants. |
