1 . A proud and happy all-female Delta flight crew lit up the skies earlier last October, flying 120 female students from Salt Lake City to NASA in Houston for tours of the facilities and to meet with female leaders in the industry.
The flight was part of the airline’s Women Inspiring our Next Generation (WING) program, which was created in 2015 to help close the gender gap in aviation (航空) and expose more young girls to STEM(Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) careers. This is the fifth WING flight, with more than 600 female students flying Delta so far through the program.
The flight was planned and executed (执行) completely by women, including pilots, ramp agents, gate agents and flight control.
“At Delta, we believe you have to see it to be it, “said Beth Poole, general manager of pilot development, who helped start Delta’s WING initiative, in a statement. “We’re taking ownership to improve gender diversity by exposing girls at a young age and providing a pipeline so that 10 years from now, they will be the pilots in the Delta cockpit (驾驶舱) inspiring generations of women who follow. ”
While the students, who ranged in age from 12 to 18, were in Houston, they met with female mentors in aviation. They toured NASA’s Mission Control Center, Johnson Space Center and other key facilities in areas of flight and space exploration.
“It didn’t seem realistic to go after a career in aviation, but today I realized, ‘Hey, I can do this too’, ” said Katelyn J, age 17, a 12th grader from Advanced Learning Center.
Delta has achieved 100% pay parity for employees in frontline jobs. In the past four years, 7. 4%of the airline’s newly hired pilots have been women. The WING program is one of the ways they’re hoping to increase those numbers.
“I’ve loved being able to look at all of the things these successful women have accomplished, ” said Shanae C., 17, a 12th grader from Jordan Technical Institute. “I think we ill learn from them and build on their foundation of success.”
1. What can we know from this text?| A．Female pilots receive their training at the early age. |
| B．More and more female pilots will take males’ place. |
| C．Male pilots are more likely to have air crash than female pilots. |
| D．The WING program is intended to train more youngsters in STEM. |
| A．Minority. | B．Diversity. | C．Equality. | D．Majority. |
| A．A poster. | B．A travel brochure. | C．A novel. | D．A newspaper. |
| A．The Gender Gap Is Closed | B．The Sky Has No Limit |
| C．Female Pilots Are Better Than Males | D．Gender Discrimination Exists in Aviation |
2 . Avoid These Foods Before Bed
Chocolate
Chocolate is packed with sugar, which can have a serious impact on how well you sleep. A study found that people who ate more sugar and saturated fats（饱和脂肪）experienced less deep sleep and woke up more throughout the night. Chocolate also contains some caffeine, which can stimulate the nervous system and keep you awake for hours.
Hamburger
According to Health, the problem with hamburgers is their high amount of fat content. More fat means more acid production in the stomach, which means more heartburn due to acid reflux（反流）—a no-no before bed.
Broccoli
These vegetables are high in soluble fiber（可溶性纤维）, which is great for digestion during the day but can leave the body focused on digestion as opposed to sleep at night. This can cause discomfort or trouble sleeping.
Spicy foods
Spicy foods like chili also contribute to heartburn. If someone experiences acid reflux from spicy foods and lies down right after eating spicy foods, the acids from the stomach can flow back into the esophagus（食道）more easily, causing a burning sensation in the chest, which may disturb sleep.
1. Which of the following will cause excitement?| A．Chocolate. | B．Hamburger. | C．Broccoli. | D．Chili. |
| A．Broccoli can cause acid reflux. | B．Broccoli does good to digestion. |
| C．Broccoli disturbs sleep due to heartburn. | D．Broccoli contributes to sound sleep at night. |
| A．Lie down to rest immediately. |
| B．Eat hamburgers to reduce acid reflux. |
| C．Walk for a while to avoid acid flowing back. |
| D．Play with the mobile phone in bed to distract the attention. |
3 . Have you ever spent half an hour searching the Internet which, as you find out afterwards, lasted three hours, or opened a book shortly after breakfast and a little while later noticed that the room was getting darker?
Most people can remember experiencing such a state. Your mind wasn't wandering; you were totally focused and concentrated on that activity, to such an extent that you were not even aware of yourself. Psychologists call these fully absorbing experiences flow states, which were discovered and named by a world-famous psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. His celebrated book Flow: The Psychology of Happiness became an instant best-seller, making its way to the top self-help classics.
The state of flow happens under very specific conditions-when we encounter a challenge that is testing for our skills, and yet our skills and capacities are such that it is just about possible to meet this challenge. So both the challenge and the skills are at high levels, stretching us almost to the limit. If challenges exceed skills, one can become anxious. If skills exceed challenges, we usually become bored. Neither of these two cases result in flow.
What is also interesting in flow is the almost total absence of emotions during the actual process. One seems to be almost beyond experiencing emotions, most likely because the awareness of self is not present. Mihaly himself is also very much aware of the potential negative impact of the flow. One philosopher once describes his own experience of flow: “When I get totally involved in the conversation, I am not aware of myself, the world around or the passage of time. Sometimes, I may become addictive to that existence, unwilling to cope with other daily routines of life, like forgetting dinner, and saying goodbye to my children.”
1. What is the purpose of Paragraph 1?| A．To offer a general background of the topic. | B．To make an overall outline for the passage. |
| C．To introduce the topic of the passage. | D．To clarify the definition of the topic. |
| A．Adopting a dog. | B．Watching TV. |
| C．Playing the chess. | D．Arguing with others. |
| A．The state of flow is little conditional. | B．Genius at normal schools often gets bored. |
| C．Challenges at high levels push us to the limit. | D．Skills play the most important part in flow. |
| A．To show the drawbacks of the flow. | B．To stress the value of self-awareness. |
| C．To underline the absence of emotions. | D．To indicate the difficulty of enjoying the flow. |
4 . Every eighth grader wanted to be in a show choir(合唱团). I waited with the other students. Soon, it was my
I found my name on it, “Angelica H.—an alternate(候补人)”. An alternate? After I saw this, my
A year passed and I realized that it was not
The
| A．turn | B．chance | C．wish | D．duty |
| A．challenging | B．amazing | C．regular | D．difficult |
| A．printed | B．marked | C．posted | D．updated |
| A．curiosity | B．honesty | C．kindness | D．confidence |
| A．intention | B．gift | C．choice | D．time |
| A．fashionable | B．confused | C．different | D．surprised |
| A．polite | B．careful | C．dependent | D．smart |
| A．allowed | B．chose | C．warned | D．encouraged |
| A．eventually | B．suddenly | C．obviously | D．occasionally |
| A．talking | B．eating | C．competing | D．shopping |
| A．worried | B．regretted | C．realized | D．guessed |
| A．passion | B．energy | C．honor | D．patience |
| A．advice | B．story | C．news | D．lesson |
| A．misunderstood | B．punished | C．refused | D．distanced |
| A．pretend | B．continue | C．afford | D．forget |
5 . Scientists recently have discovered a new species of bat that has bright orange for and black wings. They later named it Myotis nimbaensis in the journal American Museum Novitates.
Jon Flanders, who works at Bat Conservation International (BCI), was leading a team with eight other researchers in the Nimba Mountains in Guinea where they found the orange bat. Many bats live in the mountains’ old mineshafts (井筒) that are now unsafe to enter, so researchers placed nets at the entrances to trap bats while they flew. One night in January 2018, a brightly colored bat standing out among its dark-furred neighbors was also caught in the net.
“The color is just unusual. Its wings are black with orange fur. There aren’t a lot of orange bats in the world. I don’t tend to work with that many brightly colored bats. It’s definitely an unusual one for me,” Flanders says.
There are about 1,400 bat species in the world, including a few orange ones in China and South America — far from Myotis nimbaensis’s home in West Africa. For the past several years, more than 20 new bat species have been added to the list. However, those discoveries usually come about when scientists tease (梳理) apart the small genetic and physical differences between nearly the same species.
“Experienced researchers went out in the field, caught an animal, and said, ‘This is something we can’t identify.’ That’s much more unusual.” says Nancy Simmons, the American Museum of Natural History’s director of mammals.
To make sure that they had found something new, the team recaptured (重新捕获) the first bat they had found and compared it with specimens (标本) of other species. After doing some research, the team concluded that the new species of bat is at least five percent different than the closest related species, reports The Times.
Next, the scientists hope to study more about Myotis nimbaensis’s ecology — where it lives, what it eats, and what it needs in a habitat.
1. What did the researchers do after arriving at the mineshafts?| A．They entered them for further observation. |
| B．They caught some bats with a big net. |
| C．They reported their newly found bat caves. |
| D．They made sounds to drive the bats away. |
| A．They are commonly seen. | B．They are different in colors. |
| C．They live in West Africa. | D．They share similar genes. |
| A．To attract more such bats. | B．To make a specimen. |
| C．To identify its species. | D．To keep it in their lab. |
| A．An unusual adventure in Guinea | B．Different bat species worldwide |
| C．A newly discovered bat species | D．Bats living in old mineshafts |
6 . On December 23, 2019, a Texas couple and their 12-year-old daughter delivering furniture in a rental truck got trapped in the San Juan National Forest in Colorado. After not being able to free the truck, they spent the evening in the truck, leaving the vehicle on and wrapping up in moving blankets to keep warm. In the morning, they wrapped plastic around their feet and chose to walk out to safety. Thanks to the concern of a family member, local authorities were contacted. The couple was spotted by a member of the Sheriff’s Department flying in his private plane.
This couple was making a quick run to deliver some furniture before the Christmas holiday. They were not thinking that they were putting themselves in a life-or-death situation. But where did things go wrong? They were using their GPS to take the fastest route. The issue with this is that GPS doesn’t take weather into account, especially snow that has fallen in rural areas. Also, GPS won’t account for what kind of vehicle you are driving! They had a cellphone. But it’s possible that being in a rural location, cell towers weren’t available. Or it could have been that they ran out of battery.
Every day has the potential to become a real-life survival situation. How can you ensure your story doesn’t turn into a survival story? You should always let people know where you are going and carry your phone and a battery charger. Besides, always check the weather and adjust your trip accordingly. Always be prepared. Preparedness is a lifestyle. It means taking responsibility, hoping for the best, and preparing for unfortunate events. Taking a few moments to make sure you are prepared when you leave your home is a smart thing to do.
1. What happened to the family on their way to delivering furniture?| A．Their car had run out of fuel. | B．They got stuck in a rural area. |
| C．They lost directions in the woods. | D．Their daughter suffered a heavy cold. |
| A．An officer. | B．A couple. |
| C．A GPS application. | D．A neighbour. |
| A．Cell towers were outdated in some rural areas. |
| B．First aid training is necessary in all situations. |
| C．Modem technologies can go wrong occasionally. |
| D．Overall factors should always be taken into account. |
| A．To warn against some dangerous travels. |
| B．To show the importance of responsibility. |
| C．To give tips on outdoor safety preparations. |
| D．To offer measures to deal with emergencies. |
7 . Finger painting is an art that most people have experienced in childhood. But there are still people who know little about this art form. Finger painting is a simple activity that involves dipping(浸；蘸) fingers in paints and then using fingers to create objects and shapes on a piece of paper. All you need is a table at elbow height, a few sheets of plain paper, and a few bottles of watercolor.
When engaging kids in this activity, one should use non-toxic(无毒的) paints only. If not available in the market readily, non-toxic paints can be made at home easily. Preferably, the paints should also be eatable. Finger paints come in bright colors and can be purchased relatively inexpensively. Adults can save money by making their own finger paints using a mixture of cornstarch, food coloring and water.
It is a common fallacy that finger painting is for children alone; rather it’s an activity that can be enjoyed by adults in equal measure. Adults can use rubber gloves while painting to avoid dirty marks of paints on their hands. When a group of people are gathered for an exercise of finger painting, it can be a great way of creating a bond between the group. Art and painting parties are a popular concept in the West. Organizations can also use finger painting as a team-building activity by making participants paint together on a large canvas(画布).
There’s no limit to the expression of feelings in finger painting. All one needs to do is go all out and put all their feelings on a piece of paper by dipping their fingers in paints. While painting, one may unconsciously choose colors that reflect their emotions. For example, you may choose the color red to express your anger or green to express hope. At times you may be confused, and the painting will help you describe your confused state of mind. Once you get your emotions on paper, you are likely to feel relieved.
So what are you waiting for? Plan a finger-painting session soon, and experience the joy.
1. What can we know about finger painting?| A．Most people loved it in their childhood. | B．The preparation for it is quite difficult. |
| C．Kids learn it much faster than adults. | D．Finger painting is easy to carry out. |
| A．Prepare safe paints for them. | B．Have parents stay with them. |
| C．Use paints of bright colors. | D．Buy inexpensive paints. |
| A．Goal. | B．Sense. |
| C．Principle. | D．Misunderstanding. |
| A．Finger painters can find artistic inspiration from emotions. |
| B．Finger painting provides freedom of self-expression. |
| C．Finger painting shows people’s emotions correctly. |
| D．Finger painters have a wide choice of colors. |
8 . As the world reopens to travelers, the planet’s national parks offer a whole lot of peace and quiet landscapes. Here, let’s find some national parks which are safe and possible to travel to.
·Croatia: Mljet National Park
Generations of vacationers have heard the song of Dubrovnik, the “Pearl of the Adriatic”. When you are bored with the tourists crowding the Old Town, particularly in the peak summer season, choose the national park located only 15 miles offshore. Blanketed in a pine forest, Mljet Island offers activities like cycling, hiking, kayaking(皮划艇) and swimming in the famous saltwater lakes.
·France: Mercantour National Park
Travel 30 miles from the Riviera and you can discover one of France’s last wild areas, a place of great biodiversity and varied landscapes. There’s a red-rock valley, the grass filled with wildflowers, villages located on sheer rock cliffs, etc. Did we mention the prehistoric rock art? A guided hike through the “Valley of Wonders” shows Bronze Age petroglyphs(岩画) carved in stone.
·Iceland: Vatnajökull National Park
Why go for one volcano when you can explore two? Vatnajökull National Park isn’t just a park. This World Heritage Site is formed by volcanic and glacial(冰川的) activities in southeastern Iceland, and covers 14 percent of the country.
·Ireland: Killarney National Park
Created in 1932 as Ireland’s first national park, Killarney is a 25,425-acre area of mountains, lakes, and woodlands. It’s a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve because of its diversity of habitat and species. The park is home to Carrauntoohil, the country’s highest mountain at 1,038.6 meters. And the forest, filled with oaks, yews, and lichens, presents Ireland’s native woodland.
1. What can tourists do on Mljet Island?| A．Play water sports. | B．Visit the Old Town. |
| C．Observe wildflowers. | D．Enjoy beautiful songs. |
| A．Mljet National Park. | B．Killarney National Park. |
| C．Mercantour National Park. | D．Vatnajökull National Park. |
| A．It is a World Heritage Site. | B．It is formed by glacial activities. |
| C．It owns Ireland’s highest mountain. | D．It gets its name from deep valleys. |
9 . Alaina and Keith, the owners of a coffee shop, were surprised to discover that someone had graffitied (涂鸦) a fence outside their shop. But the real
Discovering the graffiti on their property was
“Calling all
As their post gained attention online, they heard from the very people they had least
After the graffiti was
What a powerful demonstration of forgiveness! It just goes to show that one act of kindness can have a domino (多米诺骨牌) effect.
1.| A．sadness | B．pressure | C．guilt | D．shock |
| A．disappointing | B．embarrassing | C．confusing | D．exciting |
| A．adventurous | B．positive | C．realistic | D．supportive |
| A．customer | B．manager | C．police | D．company |
| A．inspired | B．persuaded | C．required | D．permitted |
| A．neighbors | B．doctors | C．artists | D．teachers |
| A．confidently | B．eventually | C．exactly | D．casually |
| A．protect | B．connect | C．repair | D．recognize |
| A．arranged | B．promised | C．refused | D．expected |
| A．teenagers | B．painters | C．customers | D．adults |
| A．terrified | B．delighted | C．depressed | D．surprised |
| A．apply | B．apologize | C．prepare | D．stand |
| A．proud | B．selfless | C．modest | D．brave |
| A．repaid for | B．broken down | C．painted over | D．packed up |
| A．touched | B．amused | C．defeated | D．disturbed |
10 . University of Minnesota Twin Cities College of Science and Engineering researchers have invented a cheaper, safer, and simpler technology that will allow a “stubborn” group of metals and metal oxides to be made into thin films used in many electronics, computer components, and other applications. The researchers applied for a patent for the technology and have already gained interests from industry.
Many metals and their compounds must be made into thin films before they can be used in technological products like electronics. “Stubborn” metals are very difficult to convert into thin films because they require extremely high temperatures (usually more than 2, 000 degrees Celsius) to evaporate (蒸发). Typically, scientists combine these metal films using techniques like sputtering and electron beam evaporation (溅射和电子束蒸发). The latter consists of melting and evaporating metals at high temperatures and allowing a film to form on the top. But, this conventional method is very expensive, uses a lot of energy, and may also be unsafe due to the high voltage used.
Now, University of Minnesota researchers have developed a way to evaporate these metals at significantly lower temperatures, fewer than 200 degrees Celsius instead of several thousands. By designing and adding organic ligands (配体)—combinations of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms—to the metals, the researchers were able to substantially increase the materials' vapor pressures, making them easier to evaporate at lower temperatures. Not only is their new technique simpler, but it also makes higher quality materials that are easily expanding.
“The ability to make new materials with ease and control is essential to transition into a new era of energy economy,” said Bharat Jalan, the senior author of the study. “There is already a historical link between the innovation (革新) in synthesis science and the development of new technology. Millions of dollars go into making materials for various applications. Now, we've come up with a simpler and cheaper technology that enables better materials with atomic accuracy.”
These metals are used to make many products, from semiconductors for computer applications to display technology. We hope to see renewed interest in the more complex materials which contain these stubborn metals.
1. What does the author mean by saying “stubborn” metals?| A．The metals are complex to use. | B．It is expensive to patent the metals. |
| C．It is dangerous to create the metals. | D．The metals are hard to be made into thin films. |
| A．They increase the voltage while sputtering. |
| B．They raise the temperature to 2, 000 degrees Celsius. |
| C．They reduce the temperature to 200 degrees Celsius. |
| D．They add the atomic combinations to metals. |
| A．By making comparisons. | B．By describing process. |
| C．By giving examples. | D．By stating arguments. |
| A．New Technology to Use Metals | B．New Time of Energy Economy |
| C．New Products Made from Metals | D．New Links between Creation and Tradition |
