1 . Do you want to see majestic lions roaring, rare rhinos running and colorful birds flying? You’ll find this incredible display of nature in the Kenya Lake System in the Great Rift Valley.
First stop
Fly into Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. This great city is known for its fashion markets and beautiful art. And be sure to pick up some rich Kenyan coffee while you’re there! Then head for the countryside.
Plan your trip
The largest of the three lakes in the system, Lake Nakuru, is less than 175 kilometers from Nairobi. But Lakes Bogoria and Elementaita are equally worth a visit. You can stay at one of several choices of luxurious cabins in the valley. And if you sign up for a trip, be sure to put flamingos, the white and pink birds, at the top of your list.
Paradise
The Kenya Lake System is shallow and alkaline (碱性的). That means it supports vegetation such as green algae, a food source for many waterfowl. Hundreds of species of birds flourish here, using this area as a major breeding and nesting ground. Water buffalo, leopards, monkeys and the endangered Rothschild giraffe also make this area their home.
Other sights
Wildlife isn’t the only natural wonder in the Great Rift Valley. The valley marks a place where the earth is divided far below the surface. This rock separation below ground leads to noticeable features above ground. Walking around Lake Bogoria especially, you will see steam rising from hot springs.
Other activities include golfing, horseback riding and hiking. The fun doesn’t stop when the sun goes down, either. The river valley is far from city lights, so many visitors gaze at the stars shining above.
If you are ready for a wildlife experience, don’t hesitate!
1. Where can you buy fashionable gifts in Kenya?| A．Nairobi. | B．Lake Nakuru. | C．Lake Bogoria. | D．Lake Elementaita. |
| A．Living in a cabin. | B．Seeing flamingos. |
| C．Visiting hot springs. | D．Gazing at shining stars. |
| A．It has countless lakes worth visiting. | B．It’s an ideal place for wildlife to live. |
| C．Its water is unsuitable for plant growth. | D．It’s famous for rich culture and history. |
NASA will crash a spacecraft into an asteroid (小行星) to try to change its orbit, attempting to prevent humans going the same way as the dinosaurs.
Earth is constantly being disturbed by small pieces of debris (碎片), but they usually burn up or break up long before they hit the ground. Once in a while, however, something large enough to do significant damage makes impact. About 66 million years ago, one such crash is thought to have wiped out the dinosaurs. Someday, something similar could end human beings-unless we can find a way to tackle it.
NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (Dart) mission is the first attempt to test if such asteroid redirection is a realistic strategy: investigating whether a spacecraft can autonomously reach a target asteroid and intentionally crash into it, as well as measuring the amount of redirection. “If it works, it would be a big deal, because it would prove that we have the technical capability of protecting ourselves,” said Jay Tate, the director of the National Near Earth Object Information Center.
The 610kg Dart spacecraft is scheduled to be launched at the target—the Didymos system-a harmless pair of asteroids consisting of a 163-metre “moonlet” asteroid called Dimorphos that orbits a larger 780-metre asteroid called Didymos (Greek for “twin”). The plan is to crash the spacecraft into Dimorphos when the asteroid system is at its closest to Earth-about 6.8 million miles away.
About 10 days before the impact, a miniaturized satellite called LiciaCube will separate from the main spacecraft, enabling images of the impact to be relayed back to Earth. Combined with observations from ground-based telescopes, and an onboard camera that will record the final moments before the crash, these recordings will enable scientists to calculate the degree to which the impact has changed Dimorphos’s orbit. The expectation is that it will change the speed of the smaller asteroid by approximately 1% and reduce its orbit around the larger asteroid.
Then, in November 2024, the European Space Agency’s Hera spacecraft will visit the Didymos system and conduct a further close-up analysis of the consequences of this snooker (斯诺克) game, recording details such as the precise makeup and internal structure of Dimorphos, and the size and shape of the hole left by Dart. Such details are vital for transforming asteroid redirection into a repeatable technique.
Even then, it is impossible that any single redirection strategy would be enough. “The problem is that no two asteroids or comets are alike, and how you redirect one depends on a huge number of variables. There is no silver bullet in this game. What you need is a whole folder of different redirection methods for different types of targets,” said Tate.
So, while this may be one small step towards planetary protection, many more are likely to be necessary to avoid destruction.
1. What is the purpose of Paragraph 2?| A．To examine the impact of dinosaurs’ extinction. |
| B．To explain the necessity of NASA’s Dart mission. |
| C．To show the damage caused by small pieces of debris. |
| D．To highlight the crisis threatening human beings at present. |
A． | B． |
C． | D． |
| A．Sending impact data back to Earth. |
| B．Calculating the length of Dimorphos’s orbit. |
| C．Helping the satellite separate from the spacecraft. |
| D．Recording the scientists’ ground-based observations. |
| A．There is no challenge too big to overcome. |
| B．There is no possibility to satisfy NASA’s needs. |
| C．There is no single solution to the complex problem. |
| D．There is no strategy to help make an obvious decision. |
3 . My wife, Hannah, and I don’t usually keep houseplants. Anything in pots gets either overwatered or underwatered, but after my diagnosis (诊断) with brain cancer, I loved the idea of having something green around.
A friend gave me what he said was a lucky bamboo plant in a deep-green bowl. We placed the plant in the living room and I told Hannah I wanted to care for it myself. When it didn’t immediately turn yellow or lose leaves, I was pleasantly surprised. Tending to the plant gave me a sense of accomplishment when I sometimes felt useless. As a family physician, I was used to offering care, not receiving it.
Since my diagnosis, I had to rely on help from other people. Watering the plant, small act as it was, connected me to a core part of my old identity.
After I recovered from the operation and returned to work, I continued to care for the plant. Soon, it had nearly doubled in height. Both the tree and I were thriving (茁壮成长). Then, without any reason, it began to show signs of stress. Its leaves kept browning and dropping to the floor. Hannah reminded me that we’d seen houseplants die before, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that the plant had become a symbol of my health. I grew increasingly depressed and fearful.
Looking back, I realized I had wrongly connected my caring of the plant—something I could manage—with my own survival—something I couldn’t. Knowing I couldn’t control my fate (命运), my anxiety actually lessened. I began to search online to figure out how to care for my plant. Following the instructions, I transplanted the tree to a larger pot, giving it room to grow. When it was back in the sunny window, we both began to thrive again. Whenever I look at the plant in its new pot, I make a point to think of those who have cared for and supported me.
1. Why was the author surprised about the plant’s good condition?| A．Because of his recent diagnosis. | B．Because of his worsening health. |
| C．Because of his previous failures. | D．Because of his unusual good luck. |
| A．The author considered himself useless. | B．The author felt connected to the plant. |
| C．The author desired to provide care. | D．The author hoped to return to work. |
| A．Because the plant’s poor health might indicate his death. |
| B．Because the stress of work would harm his well-being. |
| C．Because he may have to rely on others from then on. |
| D．Because he would experience a rather risky operation. |
| A．By searching plant knowledge online. | B．By thinking of those who supported him. |
| C．By knowing he will survive in the end. | D．By accepting his unavoidable limitation. |
4 . Your house may have an effect on your figure. Experts say the way you design your home could play a role in whether you pack on the pounds or keep them off. You can make your environment work for you instead of against you. Here are some ways to turn your home into part of your diet plan.
Open the curtains and turn up the lights. Dark environments are more likely to encourage overeating, for people are often less selfconscious (难为情) when they’re in poorly lit places—and so more likely to eat lots of food. If your home doesn’t have enough window light, get more lamps and flood the place with brightness.
Mind the colors. Research suggests warm colors fuel our appetites. In one study, people who ate meals in a blue room consumed 33 percent less than those in a yellow or red room. Warm colors like yellow make food appear more appetizing, while cold colors make us feel less hungry. So when it’s time to repaint, go blue.
Don’t forget the clock—or the radio. People who eat slowly tend to consume about 70 fewer calories (卡路里) per meal than those who rush through their meals. Begin keeping track of the time, and try to make dinner last at least 30 minutes. And while you’re at it, actually sit down to eat. If you need some help slowing down, turn on relaxing music. It makes you less likely to rush through a meal.
Downsize the dishes. Big serving bowls and plates can easily make us fat. We eat about 22 percent more when using a 12inch plate instead of a 10inch plate. When we choose a large spoon over a smaller one, total intake (摄入) jumps by 14 percent. And we’ll pour about 30 percent more liquid into a short, wide glass than a tall, skinny glass.
1. The text is especially helpful for those who care about ____________.| A．their home comforts | B．their body shape |
| C．house buying | D．healthy diets |
| A．digest food better | B．reduce food intake |
| C．burn more calories | D．regain their appetites |
| A．Eat quickly. | B．Play fast music. |
| C．Use smaller spoons. | D．Turn down the lights. |
| A．Is Your House Making You Fat? | B．Ways of Serving Dinner |
| C．Effects of SelfConsciousness | D．Is Your Home Environment Relaxing? |
5 . Let’s celebrate some festivals in summer.
The Cariwest Festival
It is one of Edmonton’s most colourful summer festivals! It’s three days of fun as Caribbean Canadians share their music, cuisine and carnival culture! Local performers bring you amazing dance, music and fun. Bring Cariwest atmosphere into your home this year with these amazing online events.
Indigenous Festival
The annual Summer Solstice Indigenous Festival (SSIF) in Edmonton has done a wonderful job to make their annual off-line festival a number of online events this year because of COVID-19. The events take place from June 1 to 21. SSIF has partnered with BMO to provide Education Days for students to learn together about indigenous history. These classes for which only a small fee will be charged include art workshops, book readings and museum tours.
Bluegrass Festival
Just 45 minutes from the heart of downtown Edmonton is the town of Stony Plain that works hard to keep ties to its agricultural background, and here you’ll see old-styled lamp posts and historical wall paintings with a long history everywhere. It’s also the site of Western Canada’s largest bluegrass festival, which has been a main attraction for more than 25 years and in July every year draws in all the big names, including Grammy winners.
Cowboy Festival
You like poetry, music, art and cowboys? Then you can’t miss it. Heading into its 24th year, Cowboy Festival in Stony Plain in August is a showcase of the cowboy life. The events include good old-fashioned BBQ meals and some other entertainment.
1. What is true about SSIF?| A．It takes place in two cities. | B．It focuses on students. |
| C．It is annually held online. | D．It is free of charge. |
| A．It’s a city with modern appearance. | B．It has produced many musicians. |
| C．It has deep roots in agriculture. | D．It often hosts national festivals. |
| A．Cowboy Festival. | B．Indigenous Festival. |
| C．Bluegrass Festival. | D．The Cariwest Festival. |
6 . Some folks spend decades looking for their best friends. I was
As we progressed to high school, a couple of girls
Among our many
At the beginning, we gave each other butterfly hair clips and so on. Those
Holidays with family can be
| A．cautious | B．astonished | C．lucky | D．clever |
| A．mature | B．teenage | C．fashionable | D．strange |
| A．dropped out | B．dropped in | C．showed up | D．showed off |
| A．broken | B．forced | C．separated | D．united |
| A．secret | B．long | C．natural | D．complete |
| A．hobbies | B．traditions | C．ceremonies | D．rules |
| A．caught on | B．took place | C．broke out | D．fell down |
| A．fancy | B．expensive | C．modest | D．generous |
| A．repeat | B．add | C．search | D．make |
| A．instantly | B．literally | C．eventually | D．consequently |
| A．homes | B．schools | C．shelters | D．offices |
| A．held on to | B．gave way to | C．catered to | D．adapted to |
| A．salaries | B．jobs | C．kids | D．families |
| A．rare | B．practical | C．inspiring | D．cosy |
| A．create | B．reform | C．apply | D．recognize |
7 . When I was a boy growing up in New Jersey in the 1960s, we had a milkman delivering milk to our doorstep. His name was Mr. Basille. He wore a white cap and drove a white truck. As a 5-year-old boy, I couldn’t take my eyes off the coin changer fixed to his belt. He noticed this one day during a delivery and gave me a quarter out of his coin changer.
Of course, he delivered more than milk. There was cheese, eggs and so on. If we needed to change our order, my mother would pen a note — “Please add a bottle of buttermilk next delivery” — and place it in the box along with the empty bottles. And then, the buttermilk would magically (魔术般) appear.
All of this was about more than convenience. There existed a close relationship between families and their milkmen. Mr. Basille even had a key to our house, for those times when it was so cold outside that we put the box indoors, so that the milk wouldn’t freeze. And I remember Mr. Basille from time to time taking a break at our kitchen table, having a cup of tea and telling stories about his delivery.
There is sadly no home milk delivery today. Big companies allowed the production of cheaper milk, thus making it difficult for milkmen to compete. Besides, milk is for sale everywhere, and it may just not have been practical to have a delivery service.
Recently, an old milk box in the countryside I saw brought back my childhood memories. I took it home and planted it on the back porch (门廊) . Every so often my son’s friends will ask what it is. So I start telling stories of my boyhood, and of the milkman who brought us friendship along with his milk.
1. Mr. Basille gave the boy a quarter out of his coin changer to __________.| A．show his magical power | B．pay for the delivery |
| C．satisfy his curiosity | D．please his mother |
| A．He wanted to have tea there. | B．He was a respectable person. |
| C．He was treated as a family member. | D．He was fully trusted by the family. |
| A．Nobody wants to be a milkman now. | B．It has been driven out of the market. |
| C．Its service is getting poor. | D．It is not allowed by law. |
| A．He missed the good old days. | B．He wanted to tell interesting stories. |
| C．He needed it for his milk bottles. | D．He planted flowers in it. |
8 . Whom should you marry? Where should you live? How should you spend your time? For centuries, people have relied on their gut instincts (直觉) to figure out the answers to these life-changing questions. Now, though, there is a better way. We are living through a data explosion, as vast amounts of information about all aspects of human behavior have become more and more accessible. We can use this big data to help determine the best course to chart.
There has long been overwhelming- and often surprising- evidence that algorithms (算法) can be much better than people at making difficult decisions. Researchers have collected data on various kinds of choices people make, the information they base those choices on, and how things turn out. They have found, for example, that a simple data-driven algorithm would have been better than judges at deciding whether a defendant should stay in jail (监狱) or be released; better than doctors at deciding whether a patient should get a procedure; and better than school principals at deciding which teachers should be promoted.
The power of data analysis has been proved in the sports and business worlds, too. As made famous by the book and movie Moneyball, baseball teams found that algorithms were better than scouts (物色优秀运动员的人) at picking players, and better than managers at picking strategies. In finance, the hedge fund (避险基金) Renaissance Technologies dramatically defeated competitors by seeking out patterns in stock market data and using them to inform its investment strategy. Tech firms in Silicon Valley have found that data from experiments provides better insights into how to design their websites than designers could.
These are the early days of the data revolution in decision-making. I am not claiming that we can completely outsource (外包) our lifestyle choices to algorithms, though we might get to that point in the future. I am claiming instead that we can all dramatically improve our decision-making by consulting evidence mined from thousands or millions of people who faced dilemmas similar to ours. And we can do that now.
1. What makes people better at finding answers to life-changing questions?| A．People’s better gut instincts. | B．Changed human behavior. |
| C．The modern information era. | D．Various courses accessible. |
| A．court rulings | B．job promotions |
| C．operative estimation | D．teaching practices |
| A．The plot of the movie Moneyball is related to successful data analysis. |
| B．Scouts and managers are not needed in successful baseball teams. |
| C．The hedge fund Renaissance Technologies had some financial problems. |
| D．Tech firms in Silicon Valley mainly relied on data to design websites. |
| A．The modern information era is mature enough to take advantage of. |
| B．People should outsource all the lifestyle choices to algorithms. |
| C．With big data people can learn from countless similar examples. |
| D．Face-to-face consultation will be the major trend in the future. |
9 . Gardeners who use pesticides are contributing to the decline of British songbirds, a study suggests. Scientists have urged people to stop “spraying their gardens with poisons” in order to halt bird decline and adopt instead wildlife-friendly practices. The results of the University of Sussex study, which researchers call the first of its kind, were published in the journal Science of the Total Environment.
The experiment, which surveyed 615 gardens in Britain, found 25% fewer house sparrows when glyphosate (草甘膦) was used regularly. This is an ingredient found in commonly used herbicide (除草剂) brands such as Roundup or Gallup. Slug pellets (鼻涕虫杀虫剂) also seemed to have an impact on bird sightings; in gardens where Slug pellets were used, house sparrow numbers were down by almost 40%.
Prof. Dave Goulson, of the school of life sciences at the University of Sussex, said, “The UK has 22 million gardens, which collectively could be a fantastic refuge for wildlife, but not if they are overly tidy and sprayed with poisons. We just don’t need pesticides in our gardens. Many towns around the world are now pesticide free. We should simply ban the use of these poisons in urban areas, following the example of France.” The Royal Horticultural Society, the UK’s leading gardening charity, said the use of pesticides and herbicides should be avoided if possible and they should only be used, if ever, in small and targeted applications.
The research also found that those who adopted wildlife-friendly practices such as planting native shrubs and flowers, or digging a wildlife pond, saw more birds than those who did not. Cannelle Tassin de Montaigu, a PhD researcher within the school of life sciences and an author of the study, said, “It’s encouraging to find that simple measures, such as planting native shrubs and trees and creating a pond, together with avoiding the use of pesticides, really make a measurable difference to the number of birds you will see in your garden.”
1. What does the underlined word “halt” in paragraph 1 most probably mean?| A．Stop. | B．Attract. | C．Note. | D．Witness. |
| A．To reveal the severe influence of pesticides on birds. |
| B．To compare the effects of two kinds of pesticides. |
| C．To convince readers of the importance of house sparrows. |
| D．To help gardeners choose the proper pesticides. |
| A．The ideal places for wildlife in the UK are extremely tidy gardens. |
| B．The gardens in the UK are so tidy that pesticides are not needed. |
| C．Pesticides should be prohibited from use throughout the UK. |
| D．Some countries like France have made urban areas pesticide free. |
| A．Alternative methods to keep gardens tidy. |
| B．Assistant ways to increase the number of birds. |
| C．Gardeners’ attitudes towards the experiment. |
| D．Other researchers’ interest in the experiment. |
10 . Art and science may seem like opposite things. One means the creative flow of ideas, and the other means cold, hard data-some people believe. In fact, the two have much in common. Now, a study finds art can help students remember better what they have learned in the science class.
Mariale Hardiman, an education specialist at Johns Hopkins University, noticed that students who used art in the classroom listened more carefully. They might ask more questions. They might volunteer more ideas. What’s more, students seemed to remember more of what they had been taught when their science lessons had involved(涉及) art. To prove that, Hardiman teamed up with some researchers and six local schools.
In the experiment, the researchers worked with teachers in 16 fifth-grade classrooms. They provided traditional science lessons and art-focused ones. In a traditional science class, for example, students might read aloud from a book. In the art-focused one, they might sing the information instead.
The team randomly assigned(随机分配) each of the 350 students to either a traditional science classroom or an art-focused one. Students then learned science using that way for the whole unit-about three weeks. When they changed to a new topic, they also changed to the other type of class. This way, each student had both an art-focused class and a traditional one. Every unit was taught in both ways, to different groups of students. This enabled the researchers to see how students did in both types of classes.
The team found that students who started off in a traditional class performed better after they moved into an art-focused class. But those who started off in an art-focused class did well even when they went back to a traditional science class. These students appeared to use some of the art techniques(技巧) after going back to a traditional class. Classroom teachers reported that many students continued to sing the songs that they learned after finishing the unit. “The more we hear something, the more we retain it,” Hardiman says. “It suggests that the arts may help students apply creative ways of learning on their own.”
1. Why did Mariale Hardiman do the study?| A．To prove the importance of art at school. |
| B．To see if art might improve science learning |
| C．To find a way to help her students learn better. |
| D．To know how to encourage students to ask questions. |
| A．Take two types of classes. | B．Learn three units in total. |
| C．Learn two topics for three weeks. | D．Choose what they’d like to learn. |
| A．Finish. | B．Express. | C．Improve. | D．Memorize. |
| A．Art helps students develop creativity. |
| B．Art-focused classes interest students a lot. |
| C．Art can make science easier to remember. |
| D．Art has something in common with science. |
