1 . Women have been making scientific discoveries since ancient times. Dozens of women have won the Nobel Prize in science, one of the highest honors in the world. Some women scientists never married, some worked with their husbands, and others raised large families. It has been difficult for women to be successful scientists.
In the early 1800s in England, Mary Anning became one of the first women recognized for her discoveries about the ancient history of the earth. Mary and her father collected fossils in their village on the south coast of Great Britain. Fossils are parts of plants or animals that have been saved in rocks for millions of years.
When she was only twelve years old, Mary became the first person to find the almost complete skeletons of several animals that no longer existed on earth. She didn’t become famous for her discoveries at that time because she often sold her fossils to get money to support her family.
In 1891, a young Polish woman named Marie Sklodowska traveled to Paris to study physics. She did so because she could not get a college education in Poland. She began working in the laboratory of a man named Pierre Curie. Marie and Pierre Curie got married and made many discoveries together. They received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903 along with another scientist. Marie Curie became the first person to be awarded a second Nobel Prize in 1911, this time in Chemistry. Marie Curie was one of the few women at the time that became famous as a scientist.
1. What does the author think of women scientists according to Paragraph 1?| A．They go through difficulties to be successful. |
| B．They cannot get the highest honors in the world. |
| C．They had better pay more attention to their families. |
| D．They have more opportunities to become successful. |
| A．She didn’t want to be known to anyone. | B．They weren’t worth studying. |
| C．Nobody recognized them. | D．She sold them for money. |
| A．She finished her college education in Poland. |
| B．She was the first person to win two Nobel Prizes. |
| C．She won the first Nobel Prize before getting married. |
| D．She and her husband won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. |
| A．Ancient discoveries of a woman scientist. | B．Some stories of a woman scientist. |
| C．Successful marriage of a woman scientist. | D．A woman scientist winning the Nobel Prize. |
2 . Love your parents
Even if you think that your parents are mean-spirited at times, loving your parents is a normal and fulfilling （满意的）part of life. You love them for the fact that they created you, raised you, and are in part a source of who you are. Here are some ways to love your parents.
Respect them more and cherish（珍惜）these moments. You can use these moments to learn from them when you're off on your own. It's OK to get angry but angry actions don't help you or your parents. Act calmly, cool off, journal about your feelings, or talk to a friend.
Obey their requests. It will make your attitude better and earn you more respect from them. It may seem like you are going through hell when you don't get what you want or you have to clean. However, you had better remember they keep a roof over your head when it's cold, raining, snowing, or too hot. Understand that parents are human beings and make mistakes.
Keep company with them. Do things with your parents like watching TV, or go somewhere with them.
Some people simply may not be able to love their parents. .
| A．There can be realistic reasons for this, family violence for example. |
| B．Anyway, spend as much time with them as you can. |
| C．Tell them you love them every morning. |
| D．Forgiveness is the key. |
| E．Parents will turn express their love to you. |
| F．After this, share your feelings with your parents. |
| G．Please remember parents are as important as friends. |
3 . People have many different ways to relax during break time at work or school. Smartphones are probably the number one choice for a quick mental vacation. Looking at your cellphone may damage your mental power, according to a recent psychological study from Rutgers University in the United States.
For the study, more than 400 students were asked to finish a set of 20 word puzzles. The students were divided into three groups. One group was allowed to take a break and use cellphones to buy things online. The second group was asked to have a rest and buy things using a computer. The last group didn't take any break at all.
Interestingly, the group that used their cellphones during the break went back to work feeling the most tired and least motivated to continue. They also had the hardest time solving the remaining word puzzles. The cellphone group took 19 percent longer to finish the rest of the task, and solved 22 percent fewer problems than those in the other break conditions combined.
Terri Kurtzberg, co-author of the study, explained that they assumed looking at cellphones during a break would be no different from any other break—but instead, the phone may cause increasing levels of distraction that make it difficult to return focused attention to work tasks.
“Cellphones may have this effect because even just seeing your phone activates thoughts of checking messages, connecting with people, access to ever-refilling information and more, in ways that are different from how we use other screens like computers, and laptops,” Kurtzberg told Science Daily.
So, during your next break, try putting your smartphone way. Go out for a walk, get to know your classmates or even take a nap. You may be surprised by the results!
1. What did the study find about using cellphones during breaks?| A．It could affect one’s relationships with others | B．It could reduce one’s ability to solve problems |
| C．It could make people more motivated at work | D．It could be beneficial both physically and mentally |
| A．They have become a necessary part of people’s lives. |
| B．Their negative influence is almost impossible to avoid. |
| C．They may make it hard for people to concentrate on work. |
| D．They may influence people in the same way as computers. |
| A．It makes people sleepy | B．It does harm to peoples brains |
| C．It activates thoughts of using cellphones | D．It reminds people of their unhappy experiences. |
| A．Turn off their cellphones | B．Keep their cellphones out of sight |
| C．Keep their cellphones face down | D．Replace cellphones with laptops. |
4 . Learning to say “yes, and”
When I first heard about the improvisation (即兴交流) class, I was hesitating. As a quiet and shy girl, I feared improvising in front of strangers. However, I knew I wanted to work as a science communicator after finishing my Ph.D., so it seemed like a perfect chance to learn how to speak and communicate with others effectively. I signed up, knowing the experience would give me help.
During our first class, we learned an important concept of improvisation: “yes, and.” It means that, as improvisers, we’d better accept what fellow performers say. If someone says that rhinos (犀牛) are librarians, for example, then rhinos are librarians. We do not question the logic; we say “yes” and then continue with the scene as if nothing is wrong.
The first few scenes were hard, but as weeks turned into months, I became more comfortable and even started to enjoy our classes. I became better at listening, relating to my conversation partners, and communicating clearly in the moment. Once when I was giving a presentation about my science, an audience member surprised me with a question that didn’t grow out of the information I’d presented. Instead of getting confused and nervous, I took the “yes, and” approach—accepting the question and letting my mind focus on why it was asked. That helped me find an appropriate answer. I got pretty excited about it.
The benefits of improvisation go beyond communication. Before attending the class, I would get stuck when my experiments produced unexpected data, thinking that I had made a mistake. But now, instead of getting discouraged, I will stay open to the possibility that the results are real, keep exploring the data and end up identifying a new type of cell—one that isn’t behaving as expected.
I think all scientists can benefit from this lesson. If the data say rhinos are librarians, then it’s worth finding out whether rhinos are, in fact, librarians. As scientists, our job isn’t to challenge data that support, a preconceived story, but to say “yes, and.”
1. Why did the author attend the improvisation class?| A．To get a different experience. |
| B．To finish her Ph.D. at university. |
| C．To give up her job as a science communicator. |
| D．To improve her speaking and communicating ability. |
| A．She formed her own idea quickly. |
| B．She came up with lots of creative responses. |
| C．She paid more attention to the logic of answers. |
| D．She became a good listener before giving an opinion. |
| A．explain the process of using the method |
| B．prove the benefits of the improvisation class |
| C．share her own research experiences with readers |
| D．attract fellow scientists to attend the improvisation class |
| A．They should attend the improvisation class. |
| B．They should question all preconceived ideas. |
| C．They should carry on research by admitting earlier data. |
| D．They should try to improve their academic knowledge. |
5 . Give yourself a test. Which way is the wind blowing? How many kinds of wildflowers can be seen from your front door? If your awareness is as sharp as it could be, you’ll have no trouble answering these questions.
Most of us observed much more as children than we do as adults. A child’s day is filled with fascination, newness and wonder. Curiosity gave us all a natural awareness. But distinctions that were sharp to us as children become unclear; we are numb(麻木的）to new stimulation(刺激), new ideas. Relearning the art of seeing the world around us is quite simple, although it takes practice and requires breaking some bad habits.
The first step in awakening senses is to stop predicting what we are going to see and feel before it occurs. This blocks awareness. One chilly night when I was hiking in the Rocky Mountains with some students, I mentioned that we were going to cross a mountain stream. The students began complaining about how cold it would be. We reached the stream, and they unwillingly walked ahead. They were almost knee-deep when they realized it was a hot spring. Later they all admitted they’d felt cold water at first.
Another block to awareness is the obsession(痴迷) many of us have with naming things. I saw bird watchers who spotted a bird, immediately looked it up in field guides, and said, a "ruby-crowned kinglet" and checked it off. They no longer paid attention to the bird and never learned what it was doing.
The pressures of "time" and "destination" are further blocks to awareness. I encountered many hikers who were headed to a distant camp-ground with just enough time to get there before dark. It seldom occurred to them to wander a bit, to take a moment to see what’s around them. I asked them what they’d seen. "Oh, a few birds," they said. They seemed bent on their destinations.
Nature seems to unfold to people who watch and wait. Next time you take a walk, no matter where it is, take in all the sights, sounds and sensations. Wander in this frame of mind and you will open a new dimension to your life.
1. According to Paragraph 2, compared with adults, children are more ________.| A．anxious to do wonders |
| B．sensitive to others’ feelings |
| C．likely to develop unpleasant habits |
| D．eager to explore the world around them |
| A．are very patient in their observation |
| B．are really fascinated by nature |
| C．care only about the names of birds |
| D．question the accuracy of the field guides |
| A．The natural beauty isn’t attractive to them. |
| B．They focus on arriving at the camp in time. |
| C．The forest in the dark is dangerous for them. |
| D．They are keen to see rare birds at the destination. |
| A．fill our senses to feel the wonders of the world |
| B．get rid of some bad habits in our daily life |
| C．open our mind to new things and ideas |
| D．try our best to protect nature |
6 . In Shakespeare’s HAMLET, Polonius asks the prince, “What are you reading, my Lord?” Hamlet replies, “Words, words, words.” Either, as is likely, Hamlet wasn’t interested in what he was reading, or, less likely, he didn’t understand the words he was reading. In this case, Polonius should have lent Hamlet a good dictionary.
Dictionaries are essential tools for people who like to read. There are so many words in English that even the most educated person will sometimes meet an unfamiliar word and have to look it up. Languages keep changing, too, with new words constantly being added and new meanings being applied to old words. For example, the 12th edition of Xinhua Dictionary, the most popular dictionary in China, has added new words such as “chu xin” “fen si” “er wei ma” etc. As for new meanings, “girl” once meant “a small child of either sex”. And “naughty” didn’t mean you were “enjoying playing tricks”; it meant you were poor.
A printed dictionary can’t keep pace with all the changes, which is why most dictionaries have websites and apps to help you keep up-to-date. However, I still prefer printed dictionaries because they give you more definitions and more examples of how a word is used. Even a simple word, such as “set”, has 430 meanings (the most of English words) but an online dictionary would only offer two or three. A printed dictionary also gives you the opportunity to discover new words as you run your finger down the page looking for the word you want.
There is no “official” English dictionary, but the Oxford English Dictionary is considered to be the best. For English language learners, however, I would recommend the Collins COBUILD Dictionary for Advanced Learners. Hamlet, by the way, was Danish and a college student. He would have appreciated the Collins Dictionary to help himself with his words, words, words. This dictionary has over 40,000 words and gives you full-sentence definitions with good examples of how words are used.
1. What’s the function of paragraph 1?| A．To introduce the topic. |
| B．To let the readers know more about HAMLET. |
| C．To arouse readers’ interest in Shakespeare. |
| D．To explain when it’s necessary to use a dictionary. |
| A．To show how powerful Xinhua Dictionary is. |
| B．To support the idea: languages keep changing. |
| C．To prove new words are being added to dictionaries. |
| D．To imply “girl” also means “boy” in some cases. |
| A．Favorable. | B．Ambiguous. | C．Negative. | D．Critical. |
| A．To introduce the history of dictionaries. |
| B．To call on learners to use dictionaries. |
| C．To recommend Collins Dictionary. |
| D．To explain why Hamlet likes Collins. |
7 . At the foot of the Tianmu Mountain in Zhejiang, a homestay (民宿) is attracting travelers from far and wide, which has won architectural medal at the 2021 German iF Design Awards.
The owners of the homestay are a couple in their late 30s who decided to return to their hometown three years ago. Li Xiumei used to be in charge of a division at a company in Hangzhou, and her husband was a sales director. It was an ordinary situation where Li’s husband was on business trips a lot and Li still worked on weekends. City life sometimes is not easy.
In 2018, they quit jobs and went back to Dongtianmu village, which lies in a forest of bamboo. The first time they drove into the village was one late afternoon. The cooking smoke was rising from the foot of the mountain, which gave them a very different feeling from the city.
The homestay was built beside her husband’s old countryside house. The old house is preserved (保留), while a brand-new building was built on its side and the whole site is made up of four courtyards. It has been updated to have a hall, a tea room, a kitchen, a dining room. Japanese cherry trees are planted in the east courtyard. A swimming pool is placed in the west courtyard, with a bar located on one side.
Li and her husband love gardening and music, and their new home gives them enough space to continue their interests and relax in the heart of nature. Li wants to share the quiet country life, so she makes her new home a homestay. In 2019, the homestay became an online hit after guests shared their experiences on social media. “The longer I stay here, the more I feel it was the right choice to come back, and this is more meaningful than making money,” Li says.
1. How did Li feel about city life?| A．Satisfied. | B．Noisy. | C．Attractive. | D．Tired |
| A．The forest of bamboo. | B．The smoke of cooking. |
| C．The fresh air in the village. | D．The feeling of loneliness. |
| A．It is ancient and broken. | B．It can hold many guests. |
| C．It must have been carefully designed. | D．It has been rebuilt by the couple. |
| A．Continuing their music dream. | B．Living in the countryside. |
| C．Staying at the old house. | D．Developing a city. |
8 . According to some researchers, you should not praise children for everything that they do. It does not help them build self-confidence.
Most parents and teachers agree that praise can help increase children’s self-confidence—the more, the better. However, according to some researchers, only proper praise is good for children. If adults praise everything children do, it makes children look for praise all the time, not trying to do their best. "Teachers should not say things like ‘good job’ or ‘nice work’ whenever a child does anything. They should encourage them to continue to improve," some researchers advise.
Another idea is that children with high self-confidence are happier, and do better at school. About this, Marshall Duke, a researcher in children, says, "High self-confidence brought in by too much praise does not make children happier, get more, or become able to do more. Finding a child’s advantages and developing them can help build confidence more than too much praise can." Praise also loses its effect if it is given equally to all students.
"It’s important to tell children the truth about what they’ve done. Honest feedback (反馈) is far better than empty praise," Duke adds. "People have got into the habit of not telling children when they’re wrong. That makes it hard for them to deal with difficulties when they grow up. That’s just how the world is."
1. According to some researchers, if parents praise their children too much, their children will ________.| A．always look for praise | B．increase self-confidence |
| C．become strong | D．do better in their studies |
| A．make them live more happily | B．let them do more difficult work |
| C．help them do better in school | D．encourage them to improve |
| A．Praise makes children become successful. |
| B．Children don't know what they're really good at. |
| C．The same praise for all children has no meaning. |
| D．Duke thinks praise is more important than finding children’s strengths. |
| A．It’s important to have the habit of praising children. |
| B．Children should know their mistakes as soon as possible. |
| C．We should praise children honestly and tell them their mistakes. |
| D．What children with high self-confidence are like. |
9 . A young Dutch inventor is widening his effort to cleanup floating (浮动的) plastic from the Pacific Ocean. He has developed a floating device (设备) to trap plastic waste moving into rivers before it reaches the oceans.
Boyan Slat was just 18 years old when he invented a system for catching waste in the ocean. He also founded an environmental group called “The Ocean Cleanup”. Its purpose is to develop the system. Last year, Slat showed the next step: a floating device which is called Interceptor. It removes plastic out of rivers. The device is powered by energy from the sun. “The 1,000 rivers are responsible for about 80% of plastic going into the world’s oceans,” said Slat. Three of the machines have already been used. Each machine costs about $775, 660, but the cost might drop as production increases.
Since they were used, the machines have been doing very well, collecting the plastic bottles and all the rubbish in the rivers. According to Slat, it is necessary to close “the tap”, which means preventing more plastic from reaching the ocean in the first place. He wanted to clean them all in the next five years. “This is not going to be easy, but if we do get this done, we could truly make our oceans again, ”said Slat.
The device is designed to be safe in rivers. Its nose is shaped to change directions to keep it away from larger floating things. It works by guiding plastic waste into an opening in the front of the device. The waste is then carried inside the machine where it is dropped into containers. The devices ends a text message to local operators that can come and empty it when it is full.
1. What do we know about Interceptor?| A．It needs solar power to work. | B．It is mainly used in the oceans. |
| C．It is being under test. | D．It can help sort waste. |
| A．The waste. | B．The oceans. |
| C．The machines. | D．The rivers. |
| A．To ensure the device’s safety. | B．To send operators text messages. |
| C．To empty the waste. | D．To serve as containers. |
| A．A novel. | B．A magazine. |
| C．A diary. | D．A guidebook. |
10 . The Government has proposed to spend money developing wireless charging roads in the UK as part of a £ 40 million plan. Wireless charging roads could be developed to recharge electric cars while they drive along to solve some problems about limited equipment to encourage ownership of these vehicles and ensure better air quality. The Government has promised the money to developing both on-street and wireless charging to help transformation from internal combustion engine(内燃机) cars to electric cars.
These systems work similarly to a Scalextric toy car. Wireless charging uses a process called electromagnetic induction(电磁感应) to move energy. On the ground is a pad in which electricity is passed through a set of wire to generate a magnetic field. It is then moved to a receiver on the underside of the car. Once the technology works, it could mean that drivers can fill up their car as they drive along, meaning there could be longer periods between charging.
The proposal was made in Department for Transport (DfT) and could also see charging points positioned at service stations and car parks. New homes will also, where permitted, be built with some points. David Martell, of the electric car charging company BP Chargemaster, said: “Wireless charging will make driving an electric vehicle as similar as possible to driving a petrol car but without going to the petrol station frequently.”
This is not the first time that wireless charging roads have been proposed as a number of firms have developed technologies. Renault partnered with Qualcomm and VEDECOM Tech to develop a road to test the technology’s capability. The 100-metre test track was said to be capable of a charge up to 20 kilowatts at speeds up to, and over, 62 miles per hour (nearly 100 kmh).
1. What does the UK government do according to paragraph 1?| A．It tries to solve problems of air pollution. | B．It supports the development of electric vehicles. |
| C．It has planned to introduce modern transportation. | D．It limits the use of internal combustion engine cars. |
| A．How the electric cars get charged. | B．How a Scalextric toy car functions. |
| C．How the wireless road systems run. | D．How the new technology benefits people. |
| A．It makes electric cars easy to drive. | B．It gets petrol cars unfavorable. |
| C．It gives rise to many new car parks. | D．It saves drivers’ trips to petrol stations. |
| A．To announce the progress of the new technology. | B．To prove the effect of wireless charging roads. |
| C．To encourage the cooperation among different firms. | D．To show the efficiency of the wireless road systems. |
