1 . The SNAG stands for stereotyped nature-inspired aerial grasper and it’s a 3D-printed bird robot with claws. It can fly, stay on various surfaces catch and carry objects, just like the mighty falcon（隼）that was used as the source of inspiration in its development.
Each leg of the SNAG has two motors, one for helping it move back and forth, and the other one for grasping. Twenty printing attempts were necessary for the robot to finally reach its current structure, but it was worth it. Now, according to researchers, the flying machine has an impressively strong and high-speed clutch（离合器），being able to land and wrap its claws around a branch in about 20 milliseconds. SNAG has ankles lock, and there’s an accelerometer （加速计）on its right foot that reports that it’s landed while triggering（触发）a balancing process to stabilize it.
Scientists have already conducted several tests with the robot in rural areas and on different surfaces. In all the situations, the SNAG was able to catch objects thrown by hand, such as bean bags, a tennis ball, and more.
As for the applications of the bird-like robot, the SNAG can get attached to drones（无人机）and be used for search and rescue missions, wildfire monitoring, to offer just a few examples. Another great application is environmental research, with the SNAG also featuring a temperature and humidity（湿度）sensor. By using a robot that can act like a bird, you can unlock new ways of studying the environment, as explained by William Roderick, mechanical engineer and one of the researchers involved in the project. Now scientists are moving on to improving the robot’s situational awareness and flight control.
This isn’t the first time that nature has inspired groundbreaking technologies. We also wrote a piece recently about the F-SAM micro drone, which was inspired by the flight of samara（翼果）seeds, also known as “twisters” which have a special way of spinning down to the ground.
1. What gave the researchers inspiration for the SNAG’s development?| A．The plane. | B．The falcon. |
| C．The micro drone. | D．The samara seeds. |
| A．To balance the SNAG in flight. |
| B．To change the SNAG’s flying speed. |
| C．To keep the SNAG’s feet in balance. |
| D．To make the SNAG steady on a surface. |
| A．The SNAG has huge potential for practical use. |
| B．The SNAG has a long way to go before being used. |
| C．The SNAG will be helpful in putting out forest fires. |
| D．The SNAG is sensitive to temperature and humidity. |
| A．It doesn’t know its situation well. |
| B．It can’t fly fast enough in the air. |
| C．It is easily broken by the branches. |
| D．It can’t catch objects with smooth surfaces. |
2 . Giant pandas (大熊猫) are no longer endangered, Chinese officials have said, decades of work to save the creatures helped drive their population in the wild up to 1,800. The species will be listed as vulnerable (易危物种), Cui Shuhong, director of the Department of Natural Ecological Protection of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, said at a press conference on Wednesday.
China has spent half a century attempting to boost the population of its famous animals, creating panda reserves across several mountain ranges in an effort to save them from extinction. They were taken off the endangered list by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 2016.
Since the 1970s, Chinese officials have worked on a campaign to drive up their numbers. To prevent habitat loss, officials created specially designed nature reserves in areas where their main food source, bamboo, is plentiful. In 2017, China announced plans for a 10,476-square-mile reserve, which is three times the size of Yellowstone National Park.
"China has established a relatively complete nature reserves system," Cui said on Wednesday as he announced the move. "Large areas of natural ecosystems have been systematically and completely protected, and wildlife habitats have been effectively improved."
Pandas are known in China as an umbrella species, which means experts believe measures to protect them would help protect other species, as well as the larger ecosystem. Cui added that the populations of some other rare and endangered species are gradually recovering as well. "The number of species such as Siberian tigers, Amur leopards, and Asian elephants has increased significantly." he said.
1. What has happened to giant pandas?| A．They will never be protected in future. |
| B．Their nature reserves will decrease sharply. |
| C．They are not listed as endangered species. |
| D．They have to face the worsening situations. |
| A．Increase. | B．Maintain. |
| C．Cancel. | D．Copy. |
| A．They can improve the production of umbrellas. |
| B．Protecting it is beneficial to a larger ecosystem. |
| C．They are not at the top of food chain in nature. |
| D．Protecting it means endangering other species. |
| A．A novel. | B．A business plan. |
| C．A guidebook. | D．A newspaper. |
3 . The benefits of regular exercise are well documented but there’s a new bonus to add to the ever-growing list. New researchers found that middle-aged women who were physically fit could be nearly 90 percent less likely to develop dementia in later life, and as they did, it came on a decade later than less sporty women.
Lead researcher Dr. Helena Horder, of the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, said : "These findings are exciting because it’s possible that improving people's cardiovascular （心血管的）fitness in middle age could delay or even prevent them from developing dementia. "
For the study, 191 women with an average age of 50 took a bicycle exercise test until they were exhausted to measure their peak （最大值的） cardiovascular capacity. The average peak workload was measured at 103 watts.
A total of 40 women met the criteria for a high fitness level, or 120 watts or higher. A total of 92 women were in the medium fitness category; and 59 women were in the low fitness category, defined as a peak workload of 80 watts or less, or having their exercise tests stopped because of high blood pressure, chest pain or other cardiovascular problems.
These women were then tested for dementia six times over the following four decades. During that time, 44 of the women developed dementia. Five percent of the highly fit women developed dementia, compared to 25 percent of the women with medium fitness and 32 percent of the women with low fitness.
"However, this study does not show cause and effect between cardiovascular fitness and dementia, it only shows an association. More research is needed to see if improved fitness could have a positive effect on the risk of dementia and also to look at when during a lifetime a high fitness level is most important. " She also admitted that a relatively small number of women were studied, all of whom were form Sweden, so the results might not be applicable to other groups.
1. What is on the ever-growing list mentioned in the first paragraph?| A．Positive effects of doing exercises. |
| B．Exercises suitable for the middle-aged. |
| C．Experimental studies on diseases. |
| D．Advantages of sporty woman over man |
| A．To predict their maximum heart rate. |
| B．To assess their cardiovascular capacity |
| C．To change their habits of working out |
| D．To detect their potential health problems |
| A．It aimed to find a cure for dementia. |
| B．Data collection was a lengthy process. |
| C．Some participants withdrew from it. |
| D．The results were far from satisfactory. |
| A．More Women Are Exercising to Prevent Dementia |
| B．Middle-Aged Women Need to Do More Exercise |
| C．Fit Women Are Less Likely to Develop Dementia |
| D．Biking Improves Women's Cardiovascular Fitness |
4 . 2022 Kids News Short Story competition
Kids News is starting its 2022 Kids News Short Story competition and wants to read all your wonderful stories. Kids News editor(编辑）Kamahl Cogdon encouraged all kids to enter and get all their creative stories down on paper.
"Last year we received almost 2,000 entries and the stories were great," Ms Cogdon said." We have some very creative young minds across Australia and we are looking forward to reading more of their fantastic stories this year."
How to enter
◎Entry to the competition is free for children from Kindergarten to Year 9 studying in an Australian school. One entry per person.
◎All entrants(参赛者）must get permission（许可）from their schools and parents before entering this competition.
◎Entrants can choose any topic they want.
◎Entries must be submitted（提交）through the online competition form located at www.kidsnews.com.au.
◎The competition starts at 9 am on Wednesday, May 11,2022,and ends at 5 pm on Sunday, July 3,2022.
Age categories:
Kindergarten to Year 2:entry must be between 250 and 750 words.
Years 3–4:entry must be between 250 and 750 words.
Years 5–6:entry must be between 500 and 1,000 words.
Years 7–9:entry must be between 500 and 1,000 words.
Prizes
Winners will get the following prizes:
First prize(one for each age category)
10 copies of your winning short story published(出版）into a printed book with a personally designed cover.
Apple iPad—valued at $ 529
Harper Collins Book Pack—valued at $ 100
Second prize (one for each age category)
Harper Collins Book Pack–valued at $ 100
Third prize (three for each age category)
Harper Collins Book Pack-valued at $ 30
1. What can we know about the competition?| A．It is open to kids from around the world |
| B．It is held for the first time this year. |
| C．It is free for kids to enter. |
| D．It requires no permission from the entrants' schools. |
| A．Write no less than 750 words. |
| B．Finish his or her story by May 11,2022. |
| C．Choose a topic from a given list. |
| D．Submit his or her story online. |
| A．Apple iPad valued at $ 529. |
| B．Harper Collins Book Pack valued at $ 100. |
| C．Harper Collins Book Pack valued at $ 30. |
| D．10 copies of his or her winning short story. |
5 . I sat and waited for Kathleen to speak. “Annie, ” she said, “A food bank that serves the elderly is asking for
I walked back to my office wondering where to
That evening I drove home with negativity. Then I remembered a time when my father was out of work. Mom wrote a note to Jim, the milkman, asking him not to
The memory of Jim’s kindness
The next morning I
Within a few days I had to locate empty office space to
I asked her where she got all the enthusiasm. She said, “With the unemployment rate touching 10 percent, I can’t think of a better way to be
As I listened to Maggie, the milkman’s words
| A．advice | B．help | C．pity | D．medicine |
| A．response | B．comment | C．explanation | D．complaint |
| A．sit | B．stay | C．begin | D．work |
| A．growing | B．fading | C．recovering | D．booming |
| A．drive | B．attempt | C．refuse | D．struggle |
| A．s pare | B．drink | C．deliver | D．sell |
| A．keys | B．kids | C．cents | D．empties |
| A．returned | B．continued | C．stopped | D．delayed |
| A．for | B．to | C．with | D．from |
| A．guided | B．fired | C．moved | D．used |
| A．designed | B．noticed | C．marked | D．posted |
| A．Bargains | B．Demands | C．Donations | D．Purchases |
| A．check | B．store | C．separate | D．clear |
| A．collected | B．bought | C．found | D．selected |
| A．clothes | B．books | C．foods | D．gifts |
| A．satisfaction | B．quality | C．energy | D．motivation |
| A．lucky | B．proud | C．delighted | D．grateful |
| A．lost | B．deserved | C．abandoned | D．wanted |
| A．available, | B．tight | C．enough | D．powerful |
| A．rang | B．disappeared | C．hid | D．fell |
6 . Some high school students think it useless to receive higher education. Therefore, they choose not to go to college. If you're one of them, think again. Here are some reasons why you should go to college and receive a good education there.
Schools and universities are the first places to get knowledge. We take that knowledge later on to build our careers after graduation. More knowledge will be gained after you start working, but without education, that job will not be within easy reach. Knowledge leads to knowledge.
While limited within the walls of the educational places, we openly explore other cultures of the world! We come to know that ours is not the only culture. Other cultures have valuable things to share, enriching our own. Education also makes us want to travel and exchange with various cultures, getting more experience.
When there's a recession in the economy（经济）, those who attended college will be more likely to find a new job than those who only finished high school and have a limited skills set. The more education you have, the more chances you will get to improve the quality of your life as you have a better job and earn a higher salary.
When you're skillful and knowledgeable, you gain access to people of similar backgrounds and tastes. It means a good education leads to excellent networking. Good networking can benefit you a lot in your later life.
A good education makes you a more interesting person. You can talk about ideas and events instead of just other people and what's on sale in stores. An educated person doesn't gossip（说闲话）, having a preference to discuss ideas and listen to what other people have to say.
1. What can we learn about college education from Paragraph 2?| A．It offers you a chance to study abroad. | B．It can allow you to gain more knowledge. |
| C．It can improve the quality of your daily life. | D．It encourages you to travel around the world. |
| A．change. | B．drop. | C．growth. | D．support. |
| A．You can gossip about others’ affairs. | B．You are likely to study well at school. |
| C．You can work well with your coworkers. | D．You get to know excellent people with similar interests. |
| A．The benefits of attending college. | B．The exchange with other cultures. |
| C．The access to good networking. | D．The ways of college education. |
7 . Heightened anxiety affects a person’s world, including his or her senses. Symptoms such as paralysis, numbness, or blindness which are not connected to a medical cause and are often traced to a psychological problem, are frequently termed conversion disorders (转换障碍).
I once met a client affected by blindness. Russ, a successful 66-year-old man, described visiting the local zoo with his wife and grandchildren when anxiety washed over him. His vision narrowed. “It felt like clouds were closing in on my eyes,” Russ said. Russ’s sight continued to narrow until he was almost completely visionless.
The experience occurred several times and eventually, Russ refused to leave his home. His medical doctor conducted numerous tests, but a medical explanation could not be identified.
As I gathered information about Russ’s life, it became clear that he was experiencing difficulty adjusting to an enormous life change — retirement. Yet, though most people look forward to retirement and regard it as a positive and well-deserved change, it was tough for him to admit he missed the important and respectable role he had performed so well. For forty years he had worked tirelessly to solidify the success of his company, so giving up “the mission” left him feeling empty and anxious.
Russ then shared his internal struggle with his wife, Mary. She supported him in developing new ways to fill himself up, such as caring for his grandchildren and contributing to several community architectural projects. He successfully re-consolidated his sense of self later.
It is normal and human to feel anxiety during the adjustment period. Bringing unconscious anxieties and conflicts into conscious awareness prevents the anxiety from taking over. And talking to a loved one or getting support from a psychotherapist is also necessary.
1. What trouble did Russ meet with while visiting the local zoo?| A．Missing the visiting time. | B．Getting separated from his wife. |
| C．Losing his sight for the moment. | D．Having his eyes blocked by clouds. |
| A．Losing the essential role. |
| B．Having nobody to talk with. |
| C．Being ignored by his colleagues. |
| D．Looking forward to early retirement. |
| A．By enriching his new life. |
| B．By starting a new company. |
| C．By seeing the doctor regularly. |
| D．By moving to a new community. |
| A．Heightened anxiety is easy to deal with. |
| B．Rebuilding one’s confidence takes patience. |
| C．One’s attitude adjustment matters when facing significant transition. |
| D．Increasing conscious awareness helps one fit in with the new life. |
8 . Ants have the almost unique ability among animals to switch between individual and collective(集体的) action, according to new research which uncovers the mystery behind their impressive teamwork.
The insects are able to transport objects such as food that are much larger than themselves by naturally understanding when to be part of the collective muscle and when to play an individual “scouting(侦察)” role for the group, researchers found.
Experiments using the breakfast cereal showed how groups of a dozen or more ants working together could transport much bigger items by pushing in the same direction. But more importantly, when the group moves off course or heads for trouble, the ant who first realizes the problem transforms into a highly individualistic leader.
This ant signals the need for a direction change by pulling at a different angle — and her colleagues instantly accept the decision and follow suit.
“The individual ant has the idea of how to pass a thing that blocks their way but lacks the muscle power to move the load. The group is there to promote the leader’s strength so that she can actually carry out her idea,” said Ofer Feinermann, the study’s lead author.
But the lead ant will only carry the baton for a short period, typically shouting to others for 10 to 20 seconds, by which point another ant has become best placed to make leadership decisions.
“As far as we can tell the scout is no different to the other ants, such as in creativity. No one designates(指派) her as the leader, and she designates herself because she has current knowledge about the correct direction,” he added.
Ants are among the very few creatures, besides humans, that can collectively carry loads far heavier than an individual member of their creatures.
The study by the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel was published in the journal Nature Communications.
1. What does the new research mainly tell us?| A．Ants usually work together to look for food. |
| B．Ants usually turn to others for help when finding food. |
| C．Ants are good at delivering food larger than themselves. |
| D．Ants are able to work both individually and collectively. |
| A．the scout usually works individually |
| B．ants work together towards the same direction |
| C．every ant wants to play a role of the leader |
| D．ants elect a leader through a discussion |
| A．Act as a leader. | B．Win the respect. |
| C．Work very hard. | D．Lose heart. |
| A．a good sense of direction | B．the strongest body |
| C．the great creativity | D．a good reputation |
9 . We found him at our front door, frightened and shaking. My mom said we’d take care of him until we found out who'd
I’d always wanted a dog, but we couldn’t have one because my sister was
In the evening, somebody
Fuzz and I grew up together and he was my true
| A．chosen | B．lost | C．hidden | D．deserted |
| A．fearful | B．cruel | C．impatient | D．allergic |
| A．longed for | B．came across | C．aimed at | D．believed in |
| A．fruitless | B．secondary | C．ridiculous | D．secure |
| A．stage | B．standard | C．chance | D．choice |
| A．need | B．dare | C．wish | D．fail |
| A．hope | B．worry | C．regret | D．puzzle |
| A．doubting | B．dreaming | C．admitting | D．promising |
| A．inseparable | B．dynamic | C．lonely | D．depressed |
| A．now and then | B．over and over | C．sooner or later | D．back and forth |
| A．visited | B．indicated | C．called | D．guaranteed |
| A．stopped | B．beat | C．bled | D．sank |
| A．comfortable | B．direct | C．endless | D．private |
| A．wanderers | B．elders | C．kids | D．soldiers |
| A．appealed | B．agreed | C．pretended | D．refused |
| A．home | B．job | C．friend | D．cage |
| A．struggled | B．compared | C．dealt | D．bonded |
| A．Clearly | B．Casually | C．Amazingly | D．Temporarily |
| A．theirs | B．his | C．hers | D．ours |
| A．defender | B．companion | C．toy | D．possession |
10 . Alice is a student who came to my class last year. Though she has already turned 60, Alice looks so fit and
For my 2-hour class every Saturday morning, Alice has to take a 3-hour round-trip on the road. But she is never
Alice came to me with very
I feel fortunate to have a student like Alice. She has
| A．strong | B．cheerful | C．generous | D．proud |
| A．anxious | B．ready | C．late | D．meant |
| A．treat | B．recognize | C．mistake | D．describe |
| A．carefully | B．obviously | C．regularly | D．eagerly |
| A．humor | B．achievement | C．responsibility | D．belonging |
| A．special | B．basic | C．effective | D．official |
| A．in place | B．in motion | C．in order | D．in use |
| A．copy | B．check | C．mention | D．prepare |
| A．revised | B．saved | C．arranged | D．collected |
| A．volunteers | B．agrees | C．promises | D．hesitates |
| A．lively | B．former | C．suitable | D．senior |
| A．encouraged | B．annoyed | C．confused | D．impressed |
| A．taught | B．challenged | C．guaranteed | D．permitted |
| A．appointment | B．arrangement | C．interaction | D．cooperation |
| A．whoever | B．wherever | C．whatever | D．however |
