1 . Jonathan the tortoise, the world’s oldest land animal, turned 190 over the weekend on the island of St. Helena, where he enjoyed a “cake” of seasonal fruits, leafy greens and vegetables, including carrots carved into the number “190”.
Jonathan was brought to St.Helena from the Seychelles in 1882 as a gift. According to Guinness World Records, Jonathan surpassed the previous record holder, Tu’i Malila, who lived in the 1770s until 1965and could be even older. He arrived in St.Helena as a fully mature tortoise, meaning he was at least 50 in 1882.
“The vet is still feeding him by hand once a week to boost his calories, vitamins, minerals and trace elements, as he is blind and has no sense of smell. His hearing though is excellent and he loves the company of humans, and responds well to his vet Joe Hollins’ voice as he associates him with a feast, Guinness World Records said.
“The tortoise enjoys the sun but on very hot days takes to the shade. On mild days, he will sunbathe his long neck and legs stretched fully out of his shell to absorb heat and transfer it to his core,” according to Hollins. When it’s cold, Jonathan has been known to “dig himself into leaf mold or grass cuttings and remain there all day.”
In most cases, the lifespan of a tortoise or turtle depends on the species and level of care they receive. They generally live much longer in captivity than in the wild, because in the wild, they must find their own food in addition to evading predators while not getting medical treatment. Larger turtle and tortoise species also tend to live longer than their smaller counterparts. For more information about animal record holders, click here.
1. When might Jonathan be born?A.In 1882. | B.In 1770. | C.In 1965. | D.In 1832. |
A.Jonathan had a birthday cake made of fruits, meat, and vegetables. |
B.Jonathan was born and raised on the island of St. Helena. |
C.Jonathan is the Guinness World holder of the oldest land animal. |
D.Jonathan is a very old but healthy tortoise with full senses. |
A.Species differences. | B.Food shortage. |
C.Lack of medical treatment. | D.Animal enemies. |
A.In a science fiction. | B.On a news website. |
C.In a travel brochure. | D.In a biology textbook. |
2 . Age is truly just a number if our hearts are young. Lee Minor, an 85-year-old retired psychologist, has
“I like to run in all kinds of
Minor’s enthusiasm for running is
Last fall, Robert graduated from the university, despite the challenges of his illness. “When I went across the stage, and as I’m getting my
The stories of Minor and Robert are reminders that age and illness need not
A.proven | B.approved | C.won | D.imagined |
A.starting | B.center | C.finishing | D.bottom |
A.depressed | B.thrilled | C.calm | D.uneasy |
A.weather | B.zones | C.illness | D.phases |
A.position | B.footprints | C.reflections | D.route |
A.infectious | B.temporary | C.blind | D.restricted |
A.wait | B.abandon | C.exist | D.run |
A.award | B.suspend | C.quit | D.pursue |
A.powerful | B.visible | C.boring | D.accurate |
A.uniform | B.application | C.certificate | D.license |
A.slid away | B.gave up | C.broke in | D.choked out |
A.emotional | B.identical | C.financial | D.abstract |
A.enjoy | B.reject | C.doubt | D.expect |
A.save | B.define | C.distinguish | D.witness |
A.scholarship | B.fitness | C.passion | D.career |
3 . Most young people are always on their phones, which may upset many people.
Each teen spent at least an hour of one-on-one time with their oldsters. Based on their
Some of the oldsters actually wanted to take part in e-commerce (电子商务), and needed help to
In addition to arranging group lessons for all of the seniors to
The eighth graders earned their “Silver Award,, for their job. After experiencing the
A.Otherwise | B.Therefore | C.However | D.Besides |
A.service | B.praise | C.invitation | D.donation |
A.keep | B.untie | C.share | D.unlock |
A.technological | B.medical | C.psychological | D.physical |
A.record | B.teach | C.recall | D.investigate |
A.get back | B.set up | C.check out | D.pay off |
A.patience | B.luck | C.fun | D.trouble |
A.write | B.phone | C.text | D.read |
A.sweet | B.simple | C.rare | D.common |
A.play | B.live | C.talk | D.review |
A.amazed | B.experienced | C.confused | D.respected |
A.success | B.arrangement | C.change | D.pressure |
A.performances | B.clinics | C.clubs | D.competitions |
A.organized | B.managed | C.visited | D.funded |
A.needed | B.refused | C.enjoyed | D.deserved |
4 . Goldfish may seem like simple creatures swimming in a glass tank, but they possess a rather complicated navigation system, as discovered by researchers at the University of Oxford Led by Dr. Adelaide Sibeaux, the study aims to shed light on our understanding of how fish, and potentially humans, estimate distances using what could be described as an internal GPS.
Writing in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, Sibeaux and colleagues report how they created a tank in their experiment with 2cm-wide black and white vertical stripes (条纹) on the walls, connected by similar stripes across the floor. The team trained nine goldfish to swim a set distance of 70cm and then return to their starting point when waved at. The experiment aimed to investigate how the fish would estimate this distance without any gestures, under different patterns.
Over multiple trials, the goldfish averaged a swim distance of 74cm, give or take 17cm, when presented with the vertical 2cm-wide stripes. However, when the stripe pattern was altered to either narrower vertical stripes, checked patterns, or horizontal stripes, the fish’s behavior changed significantly. Narrower vertical stripes led them to overestimating the distance by 36%, while horizontal stripes resulted in highly inconsistent estimations.
According to the researchers, the goldfish appeared to be using an “optic (光学的) flow mechanism” based on the visual density of their environment. They kept track of how frequently the vertical pattern switched between black and white to estimate how far they had traveled. The study suggests that different optic flow mechanisms are used by mammals, including humans, based on angular (有角度的) motion of visual features. The study implies that the use of visually based distance information could have emerged early in the evolutionary timeline.
“This study is novel because, despite knowing that fish respond to geometric information regarding direction and distance, we don’t know how they estimate distances,” Professor Colin Lever, although not involved in the study, said, “it’s exciting to explore fish spatial mapping because fish navigation evolved earlier and better than most mammals.”
1. Why did Dr. Adelaide Sibeaux conduct the study on goldfish?A.To test the accuracy of goldfish’s internal GPS. |
B.To create an advanced navigation system for humans |
C.To uncover how an inbuilt GPS helps calculate distances. |
D.To explore the relationships between goldfish and humans |
A.People gestured the goldfish throughout the experiment |
B.The tank was decorated with colorful background patterns |
C.Goldfish tended to underestimate distances with horizontal stripes. |
D.The change in the tank setting led to the goldfish's incorrect judgment. |
A.optic flow mechanism is unique to humans |
B.mammals developed flow mechanism long before goldfish |
C.goldfish evaluated the distance with multidimensional visual information |
D.visual density of the environment strengthened the locating ability of goldfish |
A.Neutral. | B.Ambiguous. | C.Disapproving. | D.Favorable. |
5 . In many ways, Gitanjali Rao is an ordinary 11-year-old, lively and chatty, yet her scientific spirit makes a huge difference. Last month, she
What
She recalls. She then searched for suitable materials with continued efforts and
The process of designing her project wasn’t always
A.earned | B.designed | C.offered | D.made |
A.exposed | B.improved | C.defined | D.inspired |
A.stick | B.belong | C.occur | D.apply |
A.simple | B.reliable | C.predictable | D.creative |
A.initially | B.immediately | C.temporarily | D.eventually |
A.managed | B.promised | C.pretended | D.happened |
A.observation | B.command | C.instruction | D.control |
A.access | B.results | C.decisions | D.approval |
A.optional | B.complete | C.continuous | D.smooth |
A.changed | B.risked | C.helped | D.followed |
A.stresses | B.credits | C.impresses | D.provides |
A.encouragement | B.request | C.struggle | D.pressure |
A.fortune | B.intention | C.honor | D.potential |
A.keeps up with | B.gets along with | C.takes care of | D.speaks highly of |
A.commercial | B.practical | C.academic | D.systematic |
6 . Rainforests are home to a rich variety of medicinal plants, food, birds and animals. Can you believe that a single bush(灌木丛)in the Amazon may have more species of ants than the whole of Britain! About 480 varieties of trees may be found in just one hectare of rainforest.
Rainforests are the lungs of the planet-storing vast quantities of carbon dioxide and producing a significant amount of the world's oxygen. Rainforests have their own perfect system for ensuring their own survival; the tall trees make a canopy(树冠层)of branches and leaves which protect themselves, smaller plants, and the forest animals from heavy rain, intense dry heat from the sun and strong winds.
Amazingly, the trees grow in such a way that their leaves and branches, although close together, never actually touch those of another tree. Scientists think this is the plants' way to prevent the spread of any tree diseases and make life more difficult for leaf-eating insects like caterpillars. To survive in the forest, animals must climb, jump or fly across the gaps. The ground floor of the forest is not all tangled leaves and bushes, like in films, but is actually fairly clear. It is where dead leaves turn into food for the trees and other forest life.
They are not called rainforests for nothing! Rainforests can generate 75%of their own rain. At least 80 inches of rain a year is normal-and in some areas there may be as much as 430 inches of rain annually. This is real rain-your umbrella may protect you in a shower, but it won't keep you dry if there is a full rainstorm. In just two hours, streams can rise ten to twenty feet. The humidity(湿气)of large rainforests contributes to the formation of rainclouds that may travel to other countries in need of rain.
1. What can we learn about rainforests from the first paragraph?A.They produce oxygen. | B.They cover a vast area. |
C.They are well managed. | D.They are rich in wildlife. |
A.Heavy rains | B.Big trees. |
C.Small plants. | D.Forest animals. |
A.For more sunlight. | B.For more growing space. |
C.For self-protection. | D.For the detection of insects. |
A.Life-Giving Rainforests | B.The Law of the Jungle |
C.Animals in the Amazon | D.Weather in Rainforests |
7 . “Why does grandpa have ear hair?” Just a few years ago my child was so curious to know “why” and “how” that we had to cut off her questions five minutes before bedtime. Now a soon-to-be fourth grader, she says that she dislikes school because “it’s not fiun to learm.” I am shocked. As a scientist and parent, I have done everything I can to promote a love of learning in my children. Where did I go wrong?
My child’s experience is not unique. Developmental psychologist Susan Engel notes that curiosity defined as “spontaneous (自发的)” investigation and eagerness for new information-drops dramatically in children by the fourth grade.
In Wonder: Childhood and the Lifelong Love of Science, Yale psychologist Frank C. Keil details the development of wonder — a spontaneous passion to explore, discover, and understand. He takes us on a journey from its early development, when wonder drives common sense and scientific reasoning, through the drop-off in wonder that often occurs, to the trap of life in a society that devalues wonder.
As Keil notes, children are particularly rich in wonder while they are rapidly developing causal mechanisms (因果机制) in the preschool and early elementary school years. They are sensitive to the others’ knowledge and goals, and they expertly use their desire for questioning. Children’s questions, particularly those about “why” and “how” support the development of causal mechanisms which can be used to help their day-to-day reasoning.
Unfortunately, as Keil notes, “adults greatly underestimate young children’s causal mechanisms.” In the book, Wonder, Keil shows that we can support children’s ongoing wonder by playing games with them as partners, encouraging question-asking, and focusing on their abilities to reason and conclude.
A decline in wonder is not unavoidable. Keil reminds us that we can accept wonder as a desirable positive quality that exists in everyone. I value wonder deeply, and Wonder has given me hope by proposing a future for my children that will remain wonder-full.
1. What is a common problem among fourth graders?A.They upset their parents too often. | B.They ask too many strange questions. |
C.Their love for fun disappears quickly. | D.Their desire to learn declines sharply. |
A.They control children’s sensitivity. | B.They slightly change in early childhood. |
C.They hardly support children’s reasoning. | D.They develop through children’s questioning. |
A.By monitoring their games. | B.By welcoming inquiring minds. |
C.By estimating their abilities. | D.By providing reasonable conclusions. |
A.A book review. | B.A news report. | C.A research paper. | D.A children’s story. |
8 . For those who can stomach it, working out before breakfast may be more beneficial for health than eating first, according to a study of meal timing and physical activity.
Athletes and scientists have long known that meal timing affects performance. However, far less has been known about how meal timing and exercise might affect general health.
To find out, British scientists conducted a study. They first found 10 overweight and inactive but otherwise healthy young men, whose lifestyles are, for better and worse, representative of those of most of us. They tested the men’s fitness and resting metabolic (新陈代谢的) rates and took samples (样品) of their blood and fat tissue.
Then, on two separate morning visits to the scientists’ lab, each man walked for an hour at an average speed that, in theory, should allow his body to rely mainly on fat for fuel. Before one of these workouts, the men skipped breakfast, meaning that they exercised on a completely empty stomach after a long overnight fast (禁食). On the other occasion, they ate a rich morning meal about two hours before they started walking.
Just before and an hour after each workout, the scientists took additional samples of the men’s blood and fat tissue.
Then they compared the samples. There were considerable differences. Most obviously, the men displayed lower blood sugar levels at the start of their workouts when they had skipped breakfast than when they had eaten. As a result, they burned more fat during walks on an empty stomach than when they had eaten first. On the other hand, they burned slightly more calories (卡路里), on average, during the workout after breakfast than after fasting.
But it was the effects deep within the fat cells that may have been the most significant, the researchers found. Multiple genes behaved differently, depending on whether someone had eaten or not before walking. Many of these genes produce proteins (蛋白质) that can improve blood sugar regulation and insulin (胰岛素) levels throughout the body and so are associated with improved metabolic health. These genes were much more active when the men had fasted before exercise than when they had breakfasted.
The implication of these results is that to gain the greatest health benefits from exercise, it may be wise to skip eating first.
1. The underlined expression “stomach it” in Paragraph 1 most probably means “______”.A.digest the meal easily | B.manage without breakfast |
C.decide wisely what to eat | D.eat whatever is offered |
A.Their lifestyles were typical of ordinary people. |
B.Their lack of exercise led to overweight. |
C.They could walk at an average speed. |
D.They had slow metabolic rates. |
A.They successfully lost weight. | B.They consumed a bit more calories. |
C.They burned more fat on average. | D.They displayed higher insulin levels. |
A.A workout after breakfast improves gene performances. |
B.Too much workout often slows metabolic rates. |
C.Lifestyle is not as important as morning exercise. |
D.Physical exercise before breakfast is better for health. |
9 . Alice Moore is a teenager entrepreneur(创业者), who in May 2015 set up her business AilieCandy. By the time she was 13, her company was worth millions of dollars with the invention of a super-sweet treat that could save kids’ teeth, instead of destroying them.
It all began when Moore visited a bank with her dad. On the outing, she was offered a candy bar. However, her dad reminded her that sugary treats were bad for her teeth. But Moore was sick of missing out on candies. So she desired to get round the warning, “Why can’t I make a healthy candy that’s good for my teeth so that my parents can’t say no to it?” With that in mind, Moore asked her dad if she could start her own candy company. He recommended that she do some research and talk to dentists about what a healthier candy would contain.
With her dad’s permission, she spent the next two years researching online and conducting trials to get a recipe that was both tasty and tooth-friendly. She also approached dentists to learn more about teeth cleaning. Consequently, she succeeded in making a kind of candy only using natural sweeteners, which can reduce oral bacteria.
Moore then used her savings to get her business off the ground. Afterwards, she and her father secured their first business meeting with a supermarket owner, who finally agreed to sell Moore’s product—CanCandy.
As CanCandy’s success grows, so does Moore’s credibility as a young entrepreneur. Moore is enthusiastic about the candy she created, and she’s also positive about what the future might bring. She hopes that every kid can have a clean mouth and a broad smile.
Meanwhile, with her parents’ help, Moore is generally able to live a normal teenage life. Although she founded her company early on in life, she wasn’t driven primarily by profit. Moore wants to use her unique talent to help others find their smiles. She donates 10% of AilicCandy’s profits to Big Smiles. With her talent and determination, it appears that the sky could be the limit for Alice Moore.
1. How did Moore react to her dad’s warning?A.She argued with him. | B.She tried to find a way out. |
C.She paid no attention. | D.She chose to consult dentists. |
A.It is beneficial to dental health. | B.It is free of sweeteners. |
C.It is sweeter than other candies. | D.It is produced to a dentists’ recipe. |
A.To earn more money. | B.To help others find smiles. |
C.To make herself stand out. | D.To beat other candy companies. |
A.Fame is a great thirst of the young. |
B.A youth is to be regarded with respect. |
C.Positive thinking and action result in success. |
D.Success means getting personal desires satisfied |
10 . The problem of robocalls has gotten so bad that many people now refuse to pick up calls from numbers they don’t know. By next year, half of the calls we receive will be scams(欺诈). We are finally waking up to the severity of the problem by supporting and developing a group of tools, apps and approaches intended to prevent scammers from getting through. Unfortunately, it’s too little, too late. By the time these “solutions”(解决方案) become widely available, scammers will have moved onto cleverer means. In the near future, it’s not just going to be the number you see on your screen that will be in doubt. Soon you will also question whether the voice you’re hearing is actually real.
That’s because there are a number of powerful voice manipulation(处理) and automation technologies that are about to become widely available for anyone to use. At this year’s I/O Conference, a company showed a new voice technology able to produce such a convincing human-sounding voice that it was able to speak to a receptionist and book a reservation without detection.
These developments are likely to make our current problems with robocalls much worse. The reason that robocalls are a headache has less to do with amount than precision. A decade of data breaches(数据侵入) of personal information has led to a situation where scammers can easily learn your mother’s name, and far more. Armed with this knowledge, they’re able to carry out individually targeted campaigns to cheat people. This means, for example, that a scammer could call you from what looks to be a familiar number and talk to you using a voice that sounds exactly like your bank teller’s, tricking you into “confirming” your address, mother’s name, and card number. Scammers follow money, so companies will be the worst hit. A lot of business is still done over the phone, and much of it is based on trust and existing relationships. Voice manipulation technologies may weaken that gradually.
We need to deal with the insecure nature of our telecom networks. Phone carriers and consumers need to work together to find ways of determining and communicating what is real. That might mean either developing a uniform way to mark videos and images, showing when and who they were made by, or abandoning phone calls altogether and moving towards data-based communications—using apps like FaceTime or WhatsApp, which can be tied to your identity.
Credibility is hard to earn but easy to lose, and the problem is only going to get harder from here on out.
1. How does the author feel about the solutions to problem of robocalls?A.Panicked. | B.Confused. | C.Embarrassed. | D.Disappointed. |
A.aim at victims precisely | B.damage databases easily |
C.start campaigns rapidly | D.spread information widely |
A.Honesty is the best policy. |
B.Technologies can be double-edged. |
C.There are more solutions than problems. |
D.Credibility holds the key to development. |
A.Where the Problem of Robocalls Is Rooted |
B.Who Is to Blame for the Problem of Robocalls |
C.Why Robocalls Are About to Get More Dangerous |
D.How Robocalls Are Affecting the World of Technology |