As a natural resource in the earth, geothermal energy can be one of the renewable energy sources. “Geo” means “Earth” and “thermal” means “heat”, so “geothermal energy” means “heat from the earth”.
For centuries, geothermal springs have been used for bathing and cooking. But only in the early 20th century people have started to consider geothermal as a practical source of energy. Today it is used to produce electricity, to heat and cool buildings, as well as for other industrial purposes like fruit and vegetable growth.
The earth takes in solar energy. Geothermal energy becomes available when underground heat is moved by water that is heated when it passes through hot rocks, usually hundreds or thousands of feet deep. Most times, the rocks have lots of holes in them, this heat slowly comes out as forms of hot water and steam.
Inside the earth, the temperature gets about 3 degrees higher as it gets 100 meters deeper. Water passing through hot rocks in the temperatures between 80℃ and 180℃ is able to produce enough heat to warm humans’ living space Iceland, a cold country heats 90%of the houses and buildings of its 320,000 people by using geothermal energy. Geothermal energy resources are widely discovered in China, making the country among the richest in geothermal energy in the world, and its highest geothermal power station in southwest China’s Tibet has been put into operation in 2018. In fact, the usable geothermal resources are found throughout the world and are used nowadays in 83 countries.
Compared with wind and solar energy, geothermal energy cannot be affected by changes in the weather and seasons. We can always get energy from geothermal sources.
But like most other energy sources, geothermal energy also has a defect—it may present environmental problems. The surface of the ground may drop if hot groundwater is taken out without being replaced. In addition, the heated water can contain harmful materials. Apart from that, drilling far enough to make more energy sources costs lots of money.
Although geothermal energy leads to new possibilities, its contribution to the world’s energy future is still too early to tell.
1. Geothermal energy is ______.| A．a new invention | B．deep in the earth |
| C．affected by weather | D．a man-made energy |
| A．Iceland has got the most geothermal energy resources. |
| B．China started to explore the geothermal energy in 2018. |
| C．Geothermal energy appears as the form of steam or water. |
| D．We can only use water at the temperatures above 180℃. |
| A．Benefit. | B．Achievement. | C．System. | D．Disadvantage. |
| A．Geothermal Energy: A Choice for Future Energy |
| B．Geothermal Energy: A Clean Energy to Be Explored |
| C．Geothermal Energy: A Resource for A Greener World |
| D．Geothermal Energy: A Tool for Heating and Cooling System |
In spring 2020, the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) produced a new play Dream based on one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This experimental production created a 3D digital image that was projected above the stage.
The performance used the latest gaming and theatre technology together. Everything was presented in a specially-built studio. The performers brought this new play to life in a digital midsummer forest. The play used virtual reality (VR) technology, focusing on the leading character Puck and the fairies. There were only seven actors, much fewer than in its traditional way of performance. They were surrounded by a 360-degree camera set, made up of 47 cameras. The performers’ every movement was immediately presented digitally, which was shown to audiences online.
Dream gave a unique opportunity for audiences to directly influence the live performance from wherever they were in the world. Audience members at home were able to interact with actors during the 50-minute online production. Up to 2,000 audience members could be chosen to become part of the show and were invited to guide Puck through the forest. On screen, the chosen audiences appeared as fireflies. By using their mouse or finger on the screen of a smart device, they were able to move their firefly across the screen, and Puck was ready to follow their order to go through the virtual space. For audiences who watched at home, the virtual fairies moving through a digital forest looked more like a video game than an average show.
“Without the fireflies, the audiences, Puck wouldn’t be going anywhere,” said E. M. Williams who plays the role. “The audiences are the energy of the show.”
1. How was the play Dream presented?| A．On a traditional studio. | B．By using 360 cameras. |
| C．By forty-seven actors. | D．With gaming technology. |
| A．The play lasted for less than an hour. |
| B．Audiences couldn’t interact with the actors. |
| C．Puck went through the forest without a guide. |
| D．Fireflies are the leading characters in the play. |
| A．The audiences were important. | B．The show was worth watching. |
| C．The show was easy to understand. | D．The audiences were very pleased. |
| A．To show how to make a 3D play. | B．To introduce the play Dream to us. |
| C．To advise us to watch the play Dream. | D．To raise the ticket price of the play Dream. |
Before the discovery of DNA analyzing in the 1980s, fingerprints were the easiest way to solve serious crimes due to two basic features: their persistence and their uniqueness.
It’s believed that of the 7 billion or so people on Earth, each one of us has our own unique fingerprints. But did you know that our fingerprints could actually reveal a lot more about us than just our identity?
According to Bailey of The Conversation, fingerprints can show people’s lifestyle and living environment, eating habits, possible medical problems and even the job of a person.
So how can we figure all these out from just a simple fingerprint?
Well, a fingerprint is formed when a finger makes contact with a surface. Most fingerprints are not visible to our eyes and require a chemical way to make them visible. Stuck between the ridges of a fingerprint, however, are substances that can tell a story about who we are. Things like traces of sweat, blood, and food reveal a lot of information about us–what we’ve touched, what we’ve eaten and even what medicine we’ve taken.
At the moment, the skills to discover these substances are mostly used in solving the crime cases, but its application could be much wider, according to Bailey, who gives speeches in chemistry at the University of Surrey in the UK. For example, she and her fellow researchers were able to tell what medicines people were taking from their fingerprints, which may be of great help in the future to doctors treating their patients. A fingerprint check may also be able to tell a doctor whether a patient is properly taking the medicine they’ve been given. In the treatment of some of the most serious illnesses, it’s deadly important that the body is taking in these medicines. As Scientific American noted, this is particularly important for patients undergoing treatment for heart conditions and psychosis*, as these people might struggle to take the medicines or forget or choose not to take them.
And while it’s commonly believed that our fingerprints never change, but in fact, they do—and people can get a great deal of information from the ways they change. In the future, fingerprint science won’t only be restricted to the crime lab but can help doctors keep us in the best possible health as well. Won’t that be really amazing?
1. The purpose of Paragraph 2 is ________.| A．to make a conclusion | B．to lead to some unknown facts |
| C．to further explain the theme | D．to make a common sense known |
| A．What a patient had taken. | B．How a doctor gave medicines. |
| C．Who made a serious crime. | D．How a man was different from others. |
| A．We can see a fingerprint with our eyes. |
| B．The change of fingerprints is of great value. |
| C．Fingerprints are the easiest way to solve crimes. |
| D．Things stuck between fingerprints’ ridges are of little use. |
| A．Fingerprints: Uniqueness of Humans | B．Fingerprints: Traces to Solve Crimes |
| C．Fingerprints: Secrets Hidden on Fingers | D．Fingerprints: Ways for Treating Illnesses |
4 . In 1909, Sonora Smart Dodd was listening to a Mother’s Day sermon at her local church when she had the idea of setting a similar day to honor the hard-working fathers of the community. Dodd was the daughter of a Civil War soldier named William Jackson Smart, who raised six children on his own after his wife died during the childbirth.
She contacted local church groups, government officials, and businesses, hoping to call on the community to honor fathers around the state of Washington. Several other people across the nation had similar ideas throughout the years, but Mrs. Dodd is believed to be the first one to popularize it, starting events that made Father’s Day a U.S. national holiday.
While Father’s Day always takes place on the third Sunday of June now, that date was actually a compromise after the first date turned out to be unrealistic. Dodd’s goal was for the holiday to be on June 5, which was also her father’s birthday, but when the local churches asked for more time to prepare for all the festivals during that period, it was moved to the third Sunday in June. Officially, the first Father’s Day celebration took place on June 19, 1910.
The first Father’s Day included a church service where daughters would hand red roses to their fathers as a general process. The roses were also stuck onto the clothing of the children to further honor their fathers – a red rose for a still living father and a white rose for those who had passed away. Dodd also brought roses and gifts to any father in the community who was unable to make it to the service. This gave birth to the tradition of buying roses as specific flowers of Father’s Day in the twentieth century.
But now it is nearly forgotten. For most young people today, Father’s Day means buying and sending greeting cards to their fathers. The holiday is the fourth most popular day for exchanging cards, with about 72 million flying off shelves every year.
It’s difficult to think of how to praise or thank fathers on the card while mothers always receive many kind words. Actually, a father is someone you need to look up to no matter how tall you grow.
1. Sonora’s father was a man who ________.| A．served in a local church | B．raised children with his wife |
| C．returned from the Civil War | D．worked hard in a community |
| A．On June 3. | B．On June 5. | C．On June 15. | D．On June 19. |
| A．Giving roses to fathers. | B．Sending cards to fathers. |
| C．Saying kind words to fathers. | D．Singing the Father’s Day sermon. |
| A．People wore some roses to show respect to their fathers. |
| B．People used to send cards more than giving greeting cards. |
| C．The idea of setting Father’s Day was first brought up by Sonora. |
| D．Sonora worked hard to make Father’s Day popular all over the world. |
5 . Learning English can be great fun. Today I learned some expressions (表达) about fruit and vegetables. I’d like to tell you something about them.
First, cucumbers (黄瓜) are long and green. People often eat them. If we say a person is “as cool as a cucumber”, that means he never worries about anything or gets angry. He is calm at any time.
If two people look exactly the same, we might say they are “two peas in a pod (豆荚)”.
Potatoes are popular food in many countries. “Small potatoes” means something or somebody unimportant. For example, Jim doesn’t want to be “small potatoes”, so he works hard. Someone might call you “a couch potato” if you sit and watch television all day and get little or no exercise.
Bananas are a kind of popular fruit. We can say you “go bananas” if you are very angry.
1. Who are most probably described as “two peas in a pod”?| A．Lovers. | B．Teammates. | C．Classmates. | D．Twins. |
| A．angry | B．cool | C．down | D．worried |
| A．Sports. | B．Story Telling. | C．Travel. | D．Language Learning. |
| A．Fruit and vegetables. | B．How to cook fruit and vegetables. |
| C．Some expressions about fruit and vegetables. | D．How to learn English well. |
6 . In the 1800s, there was a metal that was even more valuable than gold. It is aluminum. Rich ladies wore jewelry made of aluminum. Kings served their guests on aluminum plates.
However, aluminum is not rare. In fact, it’s the most common metal.
Only it was difficult to get it. For a long time, no one knew how to get it out of bauxite. As far back as the 1700s, scientists thought bauxite held metal. But they didn’t know what kind. They tried heating the rock to different temperatures. They also put into acids and salts. But no luck. Finally, in 1825 they managed to get a little aluminum. It took another 20 years to get the metal, although in a very small amount.
In 1884, an American named Charles Hall was in chemistry class when his teacher handed around a piece of aluminum. He told the students that they could change the world and get rich if they could invent a cheaper way to make it. Charles Hall did it.
The main challenge was how to separate the aluminum from oxygen. Aluminum really, really likes oxygen. Aluminum and oxygen will stick together even at very high heat. Hall’s way was to add electricity to knock oxygen and aluminum apart.
Meanwhile, in France, chemist Paul Heroult had exactly the same idea! They shared credit for the discovery. The Hall-Heroult Process is still used today. And Hall’s aluminum company became the largest in the world.
Soon there was cheap aluminum for all. Engineers loved it. Aluminum is light and strong. Mixing aluminum with other metals can make them lighter and stronger.
Today, aluminum is all around us, in cars, airplanes, buildings, bikes, computers, cooking pots, soda cans, and much more.
What’s more, ________. Getting new aluminum from old aluminum products uses 90% less energy. It’s much cheaper and creates less pollution. In fact, thanks to recycling, 75% of all aluminum ever produced is still in use! So the next time you see an old soda can, don’t think of it as trash. Think of it as one of Earth’s most valuable metals, even if it doesn’t cost as much as gold now.
1. According to the passage, aluminum ________ in the past.| A．was not liked by wealthy people | B．was not a common metal on the earth |
| C．was not easy to get out of bauxite | D．was not as valuable as gold in the 1800s |
| A．salts | B．ice | C．heat | D．electricity |
| A．aluminum is easy to make |
| B．aluminum is easy to recycle |
| C．aluminum products can be used for a long time |
| D．aluminum products don’t cost much money now |
| A．The Common Rock — Bauxite | B．The Great Chemist — Charles Hall |
| C．The Magical Metal — Aluminum | D．The Helpful Idea — Hall-Heroult Process |
7 . A visit to a whole country in a day? This is possible in Madurodam! In the world famous Holland miniature park, everything is built on a scale of 1:25. You are treated to a trip through the history of the seaside country and all its famous buildings.
There are themed areas in the park. The most beautiful buildings in the old cities of Holland are located in StedenRijk. This historical area shows how Holland has developed from farmland to a modern country. Another one is WaterRijk. Water has always played an important part in the development of Holland, a country that would be underwater without dams. To learn everything about water, you must research it. You can also have a hand-on experience in the area, VindingRijk. You can operate the barrier to prevent a village from flooding, help a plane take off, and load or unload ships. Apart from the themed areas, there is also a playground for kids called the Waddenzee.
Madurodam works hard to show a realistic view of Holland. Each of its 338 miniatures is made in detail. People must research the shape and the color of an item by examine pictures before building a model. Little figurines in the park show the daily life of people in Holland. The figurines change clothes with the seasons, wearing coats in winter and T-shirts in summer. Windmills are a symbol of Holland and they are everywhere in the park. With 55,000 flower beds and 5,500 trees shorter even than a kid, the park is famous for its natural beauty.
Opened in 1952, Madurodam has seen more than 50 million visitors. Still, it is developing. Many more miniatures will be built in the park. There are still plenty of great stories to tell from the past, present and future.
1. Which picture might be taken in the park, Madurodam?A． | B． |
C． | D． |
| A．One. | B．Two. | C．Three. | D．Four. |
| A．By showing many miniatures that are similar to the real ones. |
| B．By making figurines which change positions on different days. |
| C．By planting trees which can finally grow as tall as the real ones. |
| D．By building windmills that show the natural beauty of the country. |
| A．Madurodam has a history of about 50 years. |
| B．More miniatures will be added in Madurodam. |
| C．In the Waddenzee, stories from the past are told. |
| D．In VindingRijk, visitors aren’t allowed to touch things. |
| Solving the Mosquito Problem Project report by students from Northeast High School |
| What we wanted to do: •We saw news about mosquitoes and the diseases they carry. We wanted to invent something to solve the problem. |
| What we learned about mosquitoes: •Mosquitoes bite people and spread diseases. •Mosquitoes lay their eggs in still water. •The water has to be still for eggs to develop. |
| What we wanted our invention to be like: •It can shake the water to stop mosquitoes from laying eggs. •It should be simple and not cost much. •It should run itself for a long time without being powered. |
| How we made the invention come true: Step1 We raised money in our school and community. Step2 We tested motors to help our invention shake. Step3 We tried ways to power the motor. Step4 We managed to use a computer to turn the motor on and off. Step5 We designed the shape of our invention and 3 D printed it. Step6 We tried our invention and shared the video on the Internet. |
| What we are going to do next: •We are going to find ways to monitor the water, and only turn the invention on when needed. We are also getting some help to get a patent so no one else can copy it. |
| A．biting people | B．laying eggs | C．spreading diseases | D．walking on water |
| A．They designed the shape of their invention. |
| B．They got money for their invention on the Internet. |
| C．They chose the right motor after watching videos online. |
| D．They found ways to know when to turn the invention on. |
| A．the water | B．the disease | C．the mosquito | D．the invention |
“No building comes without carvings (雕刻), and carvings make buildings more valuable,” goes an old saying in Minnan, an area in southern Fujian Province. The saying refers to brick carvings, which were an important feature of the old red brick buildings in the area.
The carvings were once commonly found on either side of the main entrance of Minnan’s buildings. However, with development, the number of ancient red brick buildings has decreased, and Minnan’s brick carvings have gradually faded (逐渐消失) from sight, said Wu Jiandong, a young master brick carver from Fujian’s Quanzhou City.
The 42-year-old has learned the traditional technique and now combines it with modern tastes to develop his own style of brick carving. Wu said that he hoped to be able to help the traditional craft continue through innovation (创新). ①
“Market demands have changed in recent years, and so has our thinking,” Wu said. “We must add modern elements to help pass down and develop traditional crafts.” ②
People in Minnan love tea, so Wu created a series of carved brick tea decorations, including tea plates, cup holders, pot holders and other items. ③
Earlier this year, a pendant (挂件) decorated with a swallow tail ridge (屋脊) and a bright moon was bought by an overseas Chinese man from the Philippines. The customer told Wu that he would hang the pendant in his office as a reminder of the architecture and the moon of his hometown.
Because of the market’s recognition of his work, Wu will be able to pass down the craft and further develop his pieces, and the popularity of short videos has also given him new hopes of promoting (推广) Minnan brick carvings. ④
The art form originated during the Song Dynasty flourished (繁荣) during the Ming and Qing dynasties. It is now an important part of national cultural heritage.
1. What’s the writer’s purpose in mentioning the saying at the beginning?| A．To attract more people to visit Minnan. |
| B．To give advice on developing brick carvings. |
| C．To introduce an area in southern Fujian Province. |
| D．To show the importance of brick carvings in Minnan. |
| A．Wu’s most customers came from abroad. |
| B．The pendant of brick carving becomes popular. |
| C．Wu’s brick pieces are warmly received all over the world. |
| D．Brick carvings become symbols of homesickness for overseas Chinese. |
| A．① | B．② | C．③ | D．④ |
| A．The history of Minnan’s brick carvings | B．Minnan’s brick carving art is coming back |
| C．The ancient red brick buildings in Minnan | D．An artist with his own style of brick carvings |
“There are waves rushing across the sea. There are ships sailing under the sails on the middle of the sea. All through the spring has been filled with a rich and poetic atmosphere.” It’s a beautiful poem that was written in several seconds by ChatGPT. It is a powerful AI chatbot that can give you an answer to just about any question you have. It’s as if you could have a conversation with Google, a tool to search for information.
New things always bring benefits for all walks of life. We can get information supported by thousands of webpages, with the information in a simple language. ChatGPT can also help people who are poor at foreign languages communicate effectively. In addition, using it as a teaching tool can help teachers save time. For example, Chat GPT provides teaching ideas and activities for classes. Another fun way is to ask for cooking ideas with the ingredients(原料) you have on hand. When used in this way, Chat GPT can be a great tool to make the world closer and better!
Chat GPT is amazing, but it causes worries. For thousands of years, students have been required to find information from books and the Internet now. It requires a level of effort. Students who work hard usually get rewards(奖励) and can see lots of different information. With ChatGPT, finding information becomes much easier than using the Internet or a book. It could make cheating much easier, and make students feel their hard work isn’t rewarded.
ChatGPT also presents other problems. Nowadays, there are millions of people around the world working in the ‘knowledge economy(经济)’. It may have influence on people, such as translators, scientist, teachers and writers. Because Chat GPT helps people get information easily, these jobs could become much easier. It may lead in the result that ▲ , as their skills are no longer something companies need.
It’s too soon to say what kind of effect ChatGPT will have on our lives. Let’s hope that its effects are mostly positive, if ChatGPT does become bigger and more popular. So what do you think?
1. Why does the writer mention a poem in Paragraph 1?| A．To start a story. | B．To explain an idea. |
| C．To introduce a topic. | D．To discuss a problem. |
①searching for the information ②entering the cooking competition
③offering lesson plans to teachers ④helping foreigners chat with Chinese
| A．①②③ | B．①③④ | C．①②④ | D．②③④ |
| A．ChatPGT will take the place of human beings |
| B．writers will play an important part in economy |
| C．the Internet knowledge will spread quite slowly |
| D．many people will lose jobs or be paid much less |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
