1 . How do you feel about bees? Do you get irritated when they buzz (嗡嗡地叫) around you and do you fear their mission is just to sting you? Love them or loathe them, these little insects are extremely important creatures, and without them we might starve.
Bees deserve some respect— they give us honey, and they play their part either in pollinating (给……授粉) the many vegetables and fruits we eat directly or pollinating the food for the animals that we then consume. In fact, they are the world’s most important pollinators. That’s not all— a study by the University of Reading in the UK, found bees and other pollinating insects have a global economic value of around & 120bn and contribute around & 690m to the UK economy every year.
So, bees are worth protecting, and although a small number of bee species are vital for crops such as oilseed rape (欧洲油菜) , apples and strawberries, experts say we should be taking care of all our bees. Researchers say conservation efforts should be aimed at a wide number of species— even those that currently contribute little to crop pollination— in order to maintain biodiversity and ensure future food security.
Unfortunately, in recent times, bee populations have been declining due to pesticides (杀虫剂), disease and habitat loss. It’s something we should be worried about because, as Gill Perkins, chief executive of the Bumblebee (大黄蜂) Conservation Trust, told BBC Future website: “They provide a whole ecosystem service.” The recent lockdowns caused by the coronavirus pandemic seem to have given bee populations a little boost because they faced less human disturbance, traffic and polluting fumes.
Conservationists hope, going forward, people will appreciate bees more and encourage them to thrive as they reconnect with nature. Gill Perkins says, “They are beginning to realize how their mental health and well-being are supported by nature— particularly by bumblebees, which are so iconic, beautiful and buzzy.” So, it really seems time to give bees a second chance.
1. What do bees do to the fruits and vegetables we eat?| A．They store them. | B．They pollinate them. |
| C．They destroy them. | D．They consume them. |
| A．Habitat loss. | B．Natural enemies. |
| C．Heavy weather. | D．Crop pollination. |
| A．Grow. | B．Plant. | C．Decrease. | D．Shrink. |
| A．Tourism. | B．Sports. | C．Business. | D．Science. |
2 . The elderly residents (居民) in care homes in London are being given hens to look after to stop them feeling lonely.
The project was dreamed up by a local charity (慈善组织) to reduce loneliness and improve elderly people’s wellbeing. It is also being used to help patients suffering dementia, a serious illness of the mind. Staff in care homes have reported a reduction in the use of medicine where hens are in use.
Among those taking part in the project is 80-year-old Ruth Xavier. She said: “I used to keep hens when I was younger and had to prepare their breakfast each morning before I went to school. ”
“I like the project a lot. I am down there in my wheelchair in the morning letting the hens out and down there again at night to see they’ve gone to bed.”
“It’s good to have a different focus. People have been bringing their children in to see the hens and residents come and sit outside to watch them. I’m enjoying the creative activities, and it feels great to have done something useful.”
There are now 700 elderly people looking after hens in 20 care homes in the North East, and the charity has been given financial support to roll it out countrywide.
Wendy Wilson, extra care manager at 60 Penfold Street, one of the first to embark on the project, said: “Residents really welcome the idea of the project and the creative sessions. We are looking forward to the benefits and fun the project can bring to people here.”
Lynn Lewis, director of Notting Hill Pathways, said: “We are happy to be taking part in the project. It will really help connect our residents through a shared interest and creative activities.”
1. What is the purpose of the project?| A．To ensure harmony in care homes. | B．To provide part-time jobs for the aged. |
| C．To raise money for medical research. | D．To promote the elderly people’s welfare. |
| A．She has learned new life skills. | B．She has gained a sense of achievement. |
| C．She has recovered her memory. | D．She has developed a strong personality. |
| A．Improve. | B．Oppose. | C．Begin. | D．Evaluate. |
| A．It is well received. | B．It needs to be more creative. |
| C．It is highly profitable. | D．It takes ages to see the results. |
3 . Sometime in the early 1960s, a significant thing happened in Sydney, Australia. The city discovered its harbor. Then, one after another, Sydney discovered lots of things that were just sort of there — broad parks, superb beaches, and a culturally diverse population. But it is the harbor that makes the city.
Andrew Reynolds, a cheerful fellow in his early 30s, pilots Sydney ferryboats for a living. I spent the whole morning shuttling back and forth across the harbor. After our third run Andrew shut down the engine, and we went our separate ways — he for a lunch break, I to explore the city.
“I’ll miss these old boats,” he said as we parted.
“How do you mean?” I asked.
“Oh, they’re replacing them with catamarans. Catamarans are faster, but they’re not so elegant, and they’re not fun to pilot. But that’s progress, I guess.”
Everywhere in Sydney these days, change and progress are the watchwords (口号), and traditions are increasingly rare. Shirley Fitzgerald, the city’s official historian, told me that in its rush to modernity in the 1970s, Sydney swept aside much of its past, including many of its finest buildings. “Sydney is confused about itself,” she said. “We can’t seem to make up our minds whether we want a modern city or a traditional one. It’s a conflict that we aren’t getting any better at resolving (解决).”
On the other hand, being young and old at the same time has its attractions. I considered this when I met a thoughtful young businessman named Anthony. “Many people say that we lack culture in this country,” he told me. “What people forget is that the Italians, when they came to Australia, brought 2000 years of their culture, the Greeks some 3000 years, and the Chinese more still. We’ve got a foundation built on ancient cultures but with a drive and dynamism of a young country. It’s a pretty hard combination to beat.”
He is right, but I can’t help wishing they would keep those old ferries.
1. What is the first paragraph mainly about?| A．Sydney’s striking architecture. | B．The cultural diversity of Sydney. |
| C．The key to Sydney’s development. | D．Sydney’s tourist attractions in the 1960s. |
| A．He goes to work by boat. | B．He looks forward to a new life. |
| C．He pilots catamarans well. | D．He is attached to the old ferries. |
| A．It is losing its traditions. | B．It should speed up its progress. |
| C．It should expand its population. | D．It is becoming more international. |
| A．A city can be young and old at the same time. |
| B．A city built on ancient cultures is more dynamic. |
| C．Modernity is usually achieved at the cost of elegance. |
| D．Compromise should be made between the local and the foreign. |
4 . What will restaurants look like in the future? What would your dinner taste like if a robot cooked it? A robot restaurant in Tianjin may give you the answers.
Covering an area of over 400 square meters with a total of 112 seats, the X Future Restaurant is a robot restaurant opened in November 2018. The restaurant has amazed customers with its fully-automated technology, which covers every step of the dining experience, from ordering to cooking to serving the dishes and even taking payment.
Entering the restaurant, one can order dishes by simply scanning the QR codes on the table. There are over 40 choices of dishes. After taking the order, “robot cooks” prepare dishes using fixed time, temperature and ingredients designed by famous Chinese cooks.
“As the cooking is controlled by a computer system, the taste and quality of dishes can be good,”said Li Xiaokui, manager of the X Future Restaurant.
Robots also complete the delivery of dishes. Without following any designed route, the robot waiters serve meals thanks to automated driving technology, which helps each robot timely change its route when something is in the way.
These eye-catching technologies have received wide praise from customers. “The dishes taste surprisingly good. I couldn’t believe that they were made by robots, especially dishes that were difficult to cook”, one customer said. “The application of robots has increased our efficiency and cut down our costs,” Li said, “I think robot restaurants will develop fast and have a bright future.”
1. What do we know about the X Future Restaurant?| A．It covers over 112 square meters with 400 seats. |
| B．Customers could enjoy fully-automated services |
| C．Robot waiters deliver dishes following fixed routes. |
| D．Robot cooks design dishes by themselves. |
| A．They are prepared by human cooks. | B．They are not accepted by customers. |
| C．They are ordered by scanning QR codes. | D．They are not easy for robots to prepare. |
| A．Worried | B．Doubtful. | C．Puzzled. | D．Hopeful. |
| A．A Robot Restaurant Was Opened in Tianjin. | B．Robots Cook Delicious Dishes like Humans. |
| C．The X Future Restaurant Has Become Popular. | D．Robots Are Helpful in Many Restaurants. |
5 . My teacher picked up a piece of broken glass and asked ,“Who broke this window ?”
Thirty boys tried to think about not only what they had done , but also what our teacher may have found out. She seldom became angry , but she was this time.
“Oh,” I thought. I was the one who broke the window. It was caused by a mischievous throw of a baseball. If I admitted the guilt , I would be in a lot of trouble. How could I be able to pay for a big window like that? I didn't even get an allowance. “My father is going to have a fit ,” I thought. I didn’t want to raise my hand , but some force much stronger than I was pulled it skyward. I told the truth. “I did it.” It was hard enough to say what I had done.
My teacher took down a book from one of our library shelves and I had never known my teacher to strike a student , but I feared she was going to start with me.
“I know how you like birds,” she said as she stood looking down at my guilt-ridden face. “Here is that field guide about birds that you are constantly checking out. It is yours now. It’s time that we should get a new one for the school anyway. You will not be punished as long as you remember that I am not rewarding you for your misdeed, but I am rewarding you for your truthfulness.”
I couldn’t believe it ! I wasn’t being told off and I got my own bird field guide--the very one that I had been saving money up to buy.
All that remains of that day is my memory and the lesson my teacher taught me. That lesson stays with me every day, and it will echo forever.
1. From the story , we can learn that the boy __________.| A．didn’t break the window on purpose | B．lacked the strength to admit his guilt |
| C．tried to think about what he had done | D．didn’t know what the teacher had found out |
| A．be punished by the teacher | B．make his father angry |
| C．pay for the broken window | D．get a bird field guide |
| A．Afraid - Surprised - Thankful. | B．Frightened - Amazed - Proud. |
| C．Regretful - Guilty - Excited. | D．Nervous - Afraid - Satisfied. |
| A．Every coin has two sides | B．Honesty is always precious. |
| C．Bad luck never comes alone | D．It ' s never too late to be careful. |
6 . We all love our parents and turn to them when we’re in need, but would you like them to hear the conversations you have with your friends in the school playground or lunch queue? Social networking sites have become virtual extensions of the school hallways, so would you add your parents as “friends” and allow them to view your online activities and conversations with friends?
In the past the generation gap included a technology gap, where children were up to date with the latest technology and parents were left behind, content to continue their day-to-day lives as they always had because they had no need to be tech-savvy. However, more and more parents are beginning to realize just how important social networks are in their lives. This realization has given many parents the motivation to educate themselves about social networking sites.
These days many people are attracted to social networking sites because they can choose who they have around them; there’s also a certain amount of control over privacy that we don’t get in real life. Sometimes we feel that privacy is violated when we must accept a “friend” request from a parent or family member.
It’s a difficult choice whether or not to allow a parent to become a part of our online lives. On the one hand we don’t want to “reject” their request because that might hurt their feelings or make them feel you have something to hide. On the other hand if you do accept, then you could have a sense of being watched and no longer feel free to comment or communicate the way you did before.
A recent survey suggested that parents shouldn’t take it personally if their child ignores their request: “ When a teen ignores a parent’s friend request, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are hiding something, but it could mean that this is one part of their life where they want to exert their independence.”
Perhaps talking with parents and giving explanations would help soften the blow when you do choose not to add them to your friends list.
1. Many parents teach themselves social networks because ________.| A．they are not content with their daily life | B．they regard social networks important |
| C．they are curious to explore new technologies | D．they want to view their children’s online activities |
| A．They can’t choose friends around them. | B．They have nothing to hide. |
| C．They don’t want to teach their parents. | D．Their privacy can not be guaranteed if so. |
| A．teens value their privacy and independence | B．a teen’s rejection means they have something to hide |
| C．a teen’s rejection means nothing special | D．independence is everything teens desire |
| A．How to bridge the generation gap. | B．How to make friends on social networks. |
| C．How to explain to parents about the rejection. | D．How to use the social networking sites. |
7 . He came to Britain,16, with a handful of qualifications. ￡5 in pocket and a burning ambition. Thirty-five years later, Vijay, 51, and his brother. Bhikhu. own a drug company which does $234 million worth of business each year. Together they are worth ￡280 million and now they have been jointly named “Entrepreneur of the Year”.
It is an inspirational tale. Yet despite their wealth and this award, Vijay remains modest about their success. He praises his mother: “She is an incredible lady. She taught us hard work, honesty and we have based our lives on those qualities.”
In 1967,Vijay kissed his mother goodbye to London to make his fortune. “I had little more than my qualifications and $5,” says Vijay. “But to go with those, I had a huge ambition to make something of myself,” he recalls. Typically, Vijay looks on the bright side. “When you start from zero, things can’t get any worse. You have only one way to go. and that’s up - if there is a hunger in your stomach for success.” Vijny says. “My brother and I were determined to better ourselves and Britain was the land of opportunity.”
By 1982, he had owned six chemist’s shops, when Bhikhu, a then financial analyst, joined him, adding some “financial discipline” to his company. Vijay says: “I simply couldn’t have done it without him.” As he puts it, “Brought up under one roof, we understand one another from A to Z.”
Vijay is keen to continue repaying the country he has made his own. “We hope we are mode citizens and would like to remain so,” he says. “We are lucky enough to live in a country that never stands in our way.” His message for young people is to do the same: “Identify your aim, and do not let anything discourage you from achieving that goal.”
1. What did Vijay possess when starting his business?| A．£280 million in cash. | B．A small drug company. |
| C．The title “Entrepreneur of the Year”. | D．Nothing but qualifications and ambition. |
| A．His brother’s financial aid. | B．His identity of model citizen. |
| C．The perseverance in his goal. | D．Encouraging quotes from mom. |
| A．We share something in common. | B．We know each other inside out. |
| C．We count on each other in career. | D．We two together create fire and water. |
| A．From Penniless to Millionaire | B．The Significance of Education |
| C．The Power of Deep Brotherhood | D．A Modest Successful Businessman |
8 . Have you ever shouted at your computer because it wasn’t working? Your computer couldn’t “yell” back – until now. AI researchers are now working on computers that can argue and perhaps even win debates with humans.
IBM scientists published a paper in Nature on March 17 about their new AI system – Project Debater. After listening to arguments from its opponent (对手), the system can search around 400 million online articles in less than five minutes. It looks for ideas that can support its own argument.
Testing on the system began in 2019 when it debated with Harish Natarajan, a professional debater who holds the world record for most debate competition victories. The debate topic was whether or not preschool should be funded, and the AI system argued in favor of this idea. Although the AI lost the debate in the end based on the audience vote, the audience said it did very well. Interestingly, 58 percent of the audience said that Project Debater increased their knowledge about the topic, while only 20 percent said the same about Natarajan. Also, Project Debater has shown strength at making impressive and logical opening statements in the debate, according to Scientific American.
Humans and technology have been battling for decades. In 1997, IBM’s Deep Blue became the first computer to defeat a reigning (卫冕的) chess champion, Garry Kasparov in a six-game match. So after two decades, have IBM’s researchers just reproduced a “Deep Blue” to debate? It’s much more than that, the researchers noted. Argument and debate are fundamental abilities of human intelligence, and it’s a step outside of AI’s comfort zone to enter this field, according to the article in Nature.
1. What is the purpose of Paragraph 1?| A．Make a comparison. | B．Introduce the topic. |
| C．Ask a question about computer. | D．Give background information. |
| A．By learning from humans. |
| B．By making use of its internal data. |
| C．By listening to researchers’ instructions. |
| D．By collecting a lot of data in a short time. |
| A．Its opening statements were boring. |
| B．Its statements were not logical enough. |
| C．Its overall performance was better than Natarajan’s. |
| D．It made them more aware of the topic. |
| A．Humans have an advantage over AI in debating. |
| B．Project Debater is considered an updated version of Deep Blue. |
| C．AI has a long way to go before it can win against humans. |
| D．AI technology hasn’t progressed much in the last decades. |
9 . Considering the fast-changing world, it’s great to know the possible job options in the future. The occupations below are probably some of the most promising future careers.
Personal education guideCompared with online programs today, education could better meet individual needs, even with improved convenience. Like an adviser, a personal education guide may assist people with on-demand course selection or the planning of personalized training.
Individualized body part makerDoctors may expect individualized organs grown or 3D printed using their patients’ own cells. After all, scientists’ creation of hearts, kidneys, and livers has already had some success in the labs. Even external body parts including skin and ears have been grown.
Pharmaceutical artisan (制药师)The increasing popularity of 3D printing may enable the quick production of the medicine based on individual needs. It’s possible that artisanal drugs would be created according to one’s unique genes, habits, and medical history.
Brain implant specialistWe are making greater progress in understanding how the complex human brain works, so it’s highly possible that we would create something amazing by combining the rapid advances in neuroscience (神经科学) with the advantages of computer technology. In the future, one can have a specialized computer chip put into his brain to treat certain health issues, such as diseases, mood disorders, and paralysis.
1. Who can help in a personalized course selection?| A．An individualized body part maker. | B．A brain implant specialist. |
| C．A personal education guide. | D．A pharmaceutical artisan. |
| A．Improve human intelligence. |
| B．Change how the brain works. |
| C．Develop medicine for brain diseases. |
| D．Apply computer technology to brain health. |
| A．Online work. | B．Personalized service. |
| C．Artificial technology. | D．Medical knowledge. |
10 . In recent years, researchers of Cornell University’s Food and Brand Lab are studying how environmental factors influence many Americans to unnoticeably eat too much. Many people wrongly believe that factors like hunger or boredom and depression are the main causes of overeating, but their research has shown otherwise. It is thought that we overeat if the food is good or if we’re really hungry. In reality, those are two of the last things that determine how much we eat.
In one experiment, the researcher placed jars of candies in workers’ offices for a month. Then, he moved the candies 1.8 m away. The office workers ate five more candies each day when the jar was closer to them, equaling an additional 125 calories a day. It does not sound too bad, but add that up over a year and you will have gained 5.4 kg. “If something is visible, every time we see it, we have to make a decision: to eat it or not?” the researcher explained.
In the other experiment, moviegoers were given five-day-old popcorn, some in medium-size buckets, some in large buckets. The researcher found that moviegoers who had the larger buckets ate 53 percent more, despite its unpleasant taste. He believes that the distraction of the movie and hearing others eat the popcorn persuade people to keep eating.
The findings in other researches have shown that we tend to eat more when we use larger dishes, eat in front of the television, or dine with someone who eats a lot. Researchers of the lab advise a gradual approach in changing eating habits. People can cut a couple of hundred calories a day by doing things such as avoiding open food dishes at the office, using smaller serving bowls, sitting next to the slowest eater and being the last one to start eating.
1. What is the truth shown by the study?| A．We eat more when the food is good. |
| B．People tend to eat a lot when they dine out. |
| C．Feeling depressed leads us to overeat. |
| D．Hunger is not the key factor in overeating. |
| A．People turn to more candies for more energy. |
| B．Office workers eat more candies due to visibility. |
| C．Moviegoers eat more popcorn because it is tasty. |
| D．People keep eating popcorn to enjoy the movie. |
| A．Dining with slim persons. | B．Eating while watching films |
| C．Using smaller dishes. | D．Starting eating earlier. |
| A．To display a research process. |
| B．To instruct how to do research experiments. |
| C．To warn against overeating. |
| D．To advise being a mindful eater. |
