1 . Nanako Hama was holding a light envelop. When she tore it open with care, locks of hair emerged. Many strangers send Hama locks of their hair, hoping to recycle it.
People generate a huge amount of hair waste. Nearly all of that waste ends up in landfill, where it can release harmful greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. But hair possesses useful qualities that it’s a shame to simply throw it away. That’s why people all around the world, like Hama, have been collecting hair and finding innovative ways to recycle it, including making mats (垫子) out of it for removing oil leaks in the ocean.
Hama is part of the nonprofit Matter of Trust (MoT) members working at more than 60 centers dotted across 17 countries, using machines to make hair donated from local salons and individuals into square mat, which are then used to clean up the floating oil. “Hair is particularly well-suited for this,”says MoT co-founder Lisa Gautier.“That’s because its rough sort of outer layer lets oil stick to it.” MoT’s mats have been used in major oil leaks, including the 2010 Deepwater Horizon and 2007 Cosco Busan incidents.
In a 2018 study, Murray, an environmental scientist at the University of Technology Sydney, in Australia found that mats made of recycled human hair could absorb 0.84 grams of oil onto its surface for every gram of hair—significantly more than polypropylene (聚丙烯), a type of plastic that’s typically used to clean up floating oil. Besides, hair is also useful as fertilizer (化肥). Hair contains a relatively high nitrogen (氮), a chemical element crucial for plant growth, and each lock of hair is made of roughly 16 percent of this essential nutrient. Last year, more than 560 gallons of liquid fertilizer made from human hair was sold to farmers in northern Tanzania and the feedback from the farmers has been very encouraging.
“It’s just a great way to use hair in a productive way. Hair is an answer literally hanging in front of our eyes—for oil and soil,” Hama says.
1. How does the author introduce the topic?| A．By presenting a scene. |
| B．By detailing the background. |
| C．By describing the usage of hair. |
| D．By praising an environmentalist. |
| A．Improve soil. | B．Prevent oil leaks. |
| C．Take in harmful gas. | D．Clear the sea of oil. |
| A．Its color and strength. | B．Its length and amount. |
| C．Its weight and flexibility. | D．Its structure and component. |
| A．Uncertain. | B．Promising. | C．Doubtful. | D．Worrying. |
The ocean is beautiful and important, but in many areas of the ocean the water is dirty and the animals and plants are in danger. That’s why Sylvia Earle, an ocean scientist, started Mission Blue in 2009. Many scientists and volunteers have joined the Mission Blue (蓝色任务).
Mission Blue divided the parts of the ocean that are in danger into many small areas and calls them “hope spots”. There are rules to keep “hope spots” clean and healthy. For example, in some areas people can’t fish or even use boats.
Mission Blue teaches people about “hope spots” and looks for ways to help the waters. Scientists often go into the ocean to study and get information about plants and animals. These scientists often take beautiful pictures underwater. Then they shared pictures with others. By doing this, they hope people will become interested in protecting the ocean.
Mission Blue does important work on land, too. Its members teach people about the ocean in many ways. Some members write books about special places in the ocean. Others talk about Mission Blue’s goals at special events.
At an event in Japan, the members of Mission Blue offered a beach part to a group of kids. The kids enjoyed snacks and games and played in the water. They also learn about the ocean and spend time cleaning up the beach. At this event, kids helped the ocean and had fun at the same time.
Mission Blue believes people of all ages can work together and help save earth’s wonderful waters
1. What do you know about Mission Blue from Paragraph One?①When it started. ②Who started it? ③Why it started? ④how many members it has?
| A．①②③ | B．①②④ | C．①③④ | D．②③④ |
| A．Teaching people to fish. |
| B．Dividing the ocean into smaller areas. |
| C．Getting information about plants and animals |
| D．Sharing beautiful pictures of the underwater world |
| A．Educational, but boring. | B．Boring and meaningless. |
| C．interesting but meaningless | D．Educational and interesting |
A． | B． |
C． | D． |
Recently, the nickname (昵称) “southern spuds (马铃薯)” has been popular across the country, thanks to Harbin, the capital of Northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province which is creating a frenzy (掀起热潮) on social networking sites in China.
Harbin has been actively meeting tourists from southern China, and these visitors are warmly called “nanfang xiaotudou” or “southern spuds”. The nickname comes from a perception (感知; 认识). Many northern Chinese think the people from the South look shorter when they are dressed in thick jackets and hats. This nickname may create a sense of warmth and friendliness for southern tourists.
However, the use of this nickname “southern spuds” has led to heated discussion. Locals think that the nickname shows warmth and good will. Besides, other interesting nicknames like “potato princess” are also getting popularity.
Many people agree the humor behind such nicknames, but some netizens (网民) have been unhappy to being called “southern spuds”. They feel their height is being made fun of.
Despite (尽管) the warmth and friendliness showed by the people from the Northeast, it is important to accept that different people have different ideas in some parts of China. In such an age where anyone can be a visitor or host, being kind and warm is necessary because all like friendliness and dislike discrimination (歧视).
1. Who are called “southern spuds”?2. What do locals think of the nickname “southern spuds”?
3. Do all netizens like the nickname “southern spuds”?
4. Do you have a nickname? What do you think of nicknames?
4 . A guide to making a summer diary
| Imagine summer full of adventures and discoveries. Now imagine collecting all of that excitement in a correct place just for you. Sounds exciting, right? |
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| Why keep a summer diary? A summer diary is like a treasure box, filled with memories and experiences from your summer days. It’s a way to remember all your adventures, big and small, and all the things that make summer such a wonderful time. It is also a great place to show your ideas, and let your imagination (想象力) run wild! | |
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| Choose your favourite diary notebook Every great adventure begins with the right tools. For your summer diary, the first step is to find the perfect notebook. It could be a simple pocket notebook or a diary with a lock and key. Look for something that catches your eye, and don’t forget that it should have pages to last you the whole summer. | Ideas to get more creative Here are some ideas to get you started: ◇Daily Activities: Every day is an adventure! Write about what you did, saw or felt ◇ Nature Observations ( 观 察 ): You could write about a tiny insect you saw or the way the leaves rustle (make soft sounds when they move) in the wind. ◇Simple Doodles (涂鸦): A diary doesn’t have to be all about words. Paint something you saw, or draw a picture about your summer holiday. ◇Goals: What are your hopes for this summer or the new school year? Write them down and make a plan on how to achieve them. |
| The reward (回报) of your summer diary By the end of the summer, you’ll have a collection of memories and experiences. It will remind you of all the fun you had and show how much you’ve grown and learned. It’s a gift you can keep and share with your family and friends. | |
1. A summer diary is made NOT for ________.
| A．showing ideas | B．remembering summer adventures |
| C．doing as homework | D．keeping a record of summer days |
| A．It’s necessary to choose a right notebook for summer diaries. |
| B．We can write some daily simple things and our feelings in summer diaries. |
| C．Summer diaries are all about words. Drawing is not advised in them. |
| D．It’s good to make a plan for the next term in summer diaries. |
| A．Worries and pains. | B．Progress and growing up. |
| C．Gifts from families. | D．Love from best friends. |
| A．teach students to keep a diary in summer holidays |
| B．call on teenagers to care more about themselves |
| C．attract parents to buy a notebook as a gift |
| D．encourage students to make a plan for the future |
China Daily’s digital employee (员工) Yuanxi and Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes’ official virtual carto on character (敦煌莫高窟官方虚拟卡通人物) Jiayao together introduced an interactive digital platform (数字化互动平台) that hosts a virtual copy of the Mogao Grottoes’ Library Cave to the world.
The platform was developed together by the Dunhuang Academy (研究院) and the Chinese tech company Tencent. It uses gaming technologies to show the historical scenes of the Library Cave in the digital world.
The Library Cave in Mogao Grottoes was discovered in 1900, with more than 60,000 cultural relics (文物) from the 4th century to the 11th century undearthed (出土). It was one of the most important discoveries in the 20th century.
On the platform, visitors can role-play and “time travel” to ancient dynasties and talk with eight historical figures (人物). The public can enter the platform through the Digital Dunhuang website and its WeChat program.
In the digital age, the model of “culture + technology” is used to promote (促进) the development of Chinese culture. The digitalization rate (数字化率) of China’s valuable cultural relics has been more than 70 percent, according to the 2022 China Digital Collection Industry Research Report reported by iResearch.
Institutions (机构) such as the Palace Museum have also set up online digital services of their own.—Artificial intelligence (AI) technology allows the public to see the inside of the buildings through the Palace Museum’s WeChat program.
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism has also encouraged the development and transformation (转型) of cultural relics by digital ways. China Central Television has created a series of digital collections with different Dunhuang themes, such as the Dunhuang divine deer (神鹿) Youyou. It was created according to the image (形象) of the nine-colored deer from Dunhuang murals (壁画). The public can see the divine deer on CCTV’s own digital platform.
Digital collections cater to (迎合) the habits of young people. They not only protect the cultural relics but also bring the public closer to China’s “excellent traditional culture”, reported Dunhuang Art Institute.
Su Bomin, director of the Dunhuang Academy, told Xinhua that more efforts will be made to discover new forms for showing cultural relics and offer the public cultural experiences to develop Dunhuang culture.
1. On the interactive digital platform for the Mogao Grottoes’ Library Cave, visitors can ________.| A．talk to the designer of the digital Library Cave |
| B．play video games named historical characters |
| C．play role-playing games set in ancient times |
| D．design digital caves showing historical culture |
| A．To show the latest gaming technologies. |
| B．To help cultural institutions make money. |
| C．To encourage people to explore new forms of digital collections. |
| D．To promote the development of Chinese culture. |
| A．Worried. | B．Hopeful. | C．Excited. | D．Serious. |
| A．Experiencing History Online | B．Showing Digital Collections |
| C．Creating Mini Programs | D．Introducing Gaming Technologies |
China sent a new X-ray astronomical satellite in space, Einstein Probe, on Jan. 9, 2024.
According to Yuan Weimin, a researcher of the satellite project, the satellite is expected to find the first light from supernova explosions (超新星爆炸) in the universe, monitor high-energy transient (瞬态) objects in the universe, which are now poorly understood by scientists.
When developing the satellite, a new generation of detection equipment (探测设备) with large fields of view and high sensitivity (灵敏度) was needed. But the important question was how to make such equipment.
Lobsters (龙虾) are a kind of sea animal which can be found around the world. Scientists discovered early on that lobsters’ eyes are different from other animals’. Lobsters’ eyes are made up of lots of tiny square tubes, pointing to the same center, which allows light from all directions to reflect in the tubes and meet on the retina (视网膜), which gives lobsters a large field of view. Scientists then simulated (模仿) the lobsters’ eyes to create a telescope to catch X-rays in space.
Through working together with other organizations, the X-ray Imaging Laboratory began the research and development work on lobster-eye X-ray imaging technology in 2010 and finally made a breakthrough.
“Thanks to the lobster-eye telescope technology, the Einstein Probe is able to monitor the poorly known soft X-ray band with a large field of view and high sensitivity,” Yuan said.
1. What is Einstein Probe?| A．A newly-found planet. | B．A newly-built space station. |
| C．A new X-ray astronomical satellite. | D．A new telescope technology. |
| A．To enlarge the field of view. | B．To catch the supernova explosion. |
| C．To monitor the sensitivity of objects. | D．To improve the detection equipment. |
| A．By simulating the lobsters’ eyes. | B．By observing lobsters’ movement. |
| C．By doing experiments on sea animals. | D．By comparing lobsters with other sea animals. |
| A．The new detection equipment looked like a lobster. |
| B．Scientists knew nothing about supernova explosion. |
| C．China is the first country to send Einstein Probe into space. |
| D．The lobster-eye telescope technology leads to Einstein Probe’s success. |
7 . Marconi, an Italian inventor, who gave us the radio, probably didn’t know how much his great invention would have done for the world in the years to come. Radio has perhaps done as much as any other communication tool. Things of the world can be reported to people everywhere a few seconds after they happened. Travelers in out-of-the-way places, ships at sea, and even astronauts round the earth are able to keep in touch with each other by radio.
Television is another important invention. It lets us see as well as hear the actor. Since it was invented, TV has done a great deal in the life of people everywhere. Many programs are now televised on TV.
Perhaps the most modern invention is “Telstar”, a “star” moving round the earth. It makes it possible for the people all over the world to be closer than ever before. Now on TV a family in Chicago can watch a car race in Italy, a table tennis competition in Beijing or a volleyball match in Japan as these events are actually happening!
1. How many inventions does the writer mention in the article?| A．One. | B．Two. | C．Three. | D．Four. |
| A．不合适的 | B．偏僻的 | C．尽力的 | D．繁华的 |
| A．He is just an Italian inventor. | B．He invented many useful tools. |
| C．His invention has done much for the world. | D．He helped people exercise a lot around the world. |
| A．To show programs like a TV. | B．To help people go to the moon. |
| C．To give light to the earth at night. | D．To help send radio or TV information to the world. |
8 . Many people dream of traveling into outer space. However, spending too much time in space may cause health problems. That’s why astronauts shouldn’t spend more than six months on the International Space Station (ISS) at a time.
Muscle (肌肉) and bone loss(骨质损失). In a weightless environment, astronauts don’t need to use their muscles to support themselves. So their muscles start shrinking (萎缩). To keep their muscles strong, astronauts need to exercise for about two hours each day on the ISS.
Sleep disorder (紊乱). In space, the sun rises every 90 minutes. It is hard for astronauts to get used to this light-dark cycle (循环) when they sleep. Also, they need to sleep in a sleeping bag that is fixed to a wall. It is uncomfortable. Now astronauts have individual (单独的) sleeping pods (睡眠舱) that help shut out some of the light. Still, studies have found that most astronauts only sleep about six hours each night, even though they should have eight and a half hours.
Brain changes. Scientists have found that the position of the brain changes during spaceflight. This can influence how the brain deals with how we see, stay balanced (平衡) and move around. That’s why some astronauts can’t control their movement and balance after returning to Earth. Scientists have also found that astronauts may get used to this change after going on more spaceflights. But they still need to do more research.
1. When astronauts don’t use their muscles in space, _______.| A．they should eat much meat | B．their muscles start shrinking |
| C．they need to exercise all day | D．they can’t support themselves |
| A．the weight | B．the temperature | C．the light | D．the air |
| A．his muscle shrinks | B．he can’t sleep well |
| C．he doesn’t have any research | D．the position of his brain changes |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
9 . 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． |
10 . Going to museums is one of the ways for us to entertain (使快乐) ourselves. But should museums charge a fee (收费)?
Museums are there for enjoyment and they are for education as well. We can gain a lot of knowledge about history and art by visiting museums. Everyone should be able to visit and learn from it. If entry fees are charged, not everyone will be able to afford them.
Also, some people have pointed out that museums can attract more visitors if they are free to visit. When people have to pay for tickets, they often choose to go to the movies or go shopping instead.
However, others argue that museums should not be free to visit. The maintenance fees that come from protecting paintings and valuable exhibits can be very high. The money that is made from selling tickets can be used to pay these fees. Also, museums are places for people to get knowledge and enrich themselves. They’re not just tourist attractions for people to visit and take pictures at. Chen Dong, a worker in a city museum, “People will value the special opportunities (机会) if they have to pay for their visits.”
To sum it up, although there are clear arguments on both sides, I think museums should be free. At the end of the day, the most important function of museums is to spread culture and knowledge. Local governments or organizationss can take responsibility to provide museums with financial support (资金支持).
1. What does visiting a museum bring us?| A．Enjoyment and knowledge. | B．Pressure and knowledge. |
| C．Enjoyment and choices. | D．A large fee. |
| A．赞助费 | B．生活开支 | C．门票收人 | D．维护费用 |
| A．care about the chances to visit | B．get something special |
| C．learn much knowledge | D．get more chances to visit |
| A．Is Visiting a Museum Helpful? | B．Should Museums Charge a Fee? |
| C．What Do You Learn from Visiting a Museum? | D．How Can You Choose a Museum to Visit? |
