1 . Giving silkworm silk a metallic bath may make the strands (丝线) both strong and solid, scientists reported on October 6 in Matter. The work is the latest in a decades-long pursuit of creating fibers as strong, lightweight and biodegradable as spider silk. If scientists can mass-produce such material, the potential uses will range from the biomedical to the athletic. Sewing (缝) up wounds, even sporting equipment could get a significant improvement.
“Hunting for enough silky material to make these super strong products has been a big barrier. Silk from silkworms is simple to harvest, but not all that strong. And spider silk, the gold-standard for hand-spun strength and toughness, is not exactly easy to collect. Unlike silkworms, spiders cannot be farmed due to their nature,” wrote study coauthor Zhi Lin, a structural biologist at Tianjin University.
“Scientists around the world have tried to spin (编织) strong strands in the lab using silkworm cocoons. The first step is to take off the silk’s sticky outer coating. Scientists can do this by boiling the fibers in a chemical bath, but that can be like taking a knife to silk proteins. If the proteins get too damaged, it’s hard for scientists to respin them into high-quality strands,” said Chris Holland, a materials scientist at the University of Sheffield.
Lin’s team tried gentler approaches, one of which used lower temperatures and a papaya enzyme (木瓜酵素), to help dissolve (溶解) the silk’s coating. That seemed to work. They don’t have little pieces of silk protein. That’s huge because the bigger the proteins that remain, the stronger the fibers are going to be. After some processing steps, the researchers bathed the pressed silk in a solution containing zinc and iron ions (锌铁离子).That was why some of the strands were so strong — Lin’s team detected zinc ions in the finished fibers.
But Holland wasn’t so sure. “The team’s real innovation may be that they’ve managed to untwist silk in a less damaging way. The silk protein remains in a good state,” he said, “In my mind, that’s a major step forward.”
1. Why is creating super strong silk worth the long-time pursuit?| A．It can be mass-produced. | B．It promotes athletic training. |
| C．It might have wide applications. | D．It is potentially environmentally friendly. |
| A．The poor harvest of silkworm silk. | B．The low quality of spider silk. |
| C．The absence of silkworm data. | D．The insufficient supply of spider silk. |
| A．By enhancing its protein. | B．By bathing it in metallic liquid. |
| C．By removing its coating. | D．By squeezing it firmly in a tube. |
| A．Processing silk in a safer method. | B．Mass-producing silk. |
| C．Creating silk of superior quality. | D．Analyzing silk scientifically. |
2 . Sure, it’s good to get along well with your teacher because it makes the time you spend in the classroom more pleasant.
And yes, it’s good to get along well with your teacher because, in general, it’s smart to learn how to get along well with the different types of people you’ll meet throughout your life.
In fact, kids who get along well with their teachers not only learn more, but they’re more comfortable with asking questions and getting extra help. This makes it easier for them to understand new materials and makes them do their best on tests. When you have this kind of relationship with a teacher, he or she can be someone to turn to with problems, such as problems with learning or school matters.
Here is a question: What if you don’t get along with your teachers? In fact, teachers want to get along well with you and enjoy seeing you learn. But teachers and students sometimes have personality clashes(个性冲突), which can happen between any two people. If you show your teacher that you want to make the situation better, he or she will probably do everything possible to make that happen. By dealing with a problem like this, you learn something about how to get along with people who are different from you.
However if, a certain teacher isn’t your favourite, you can still have a successful relationship with him or her especially ________. Here are some of those responsibilities(责任)：
Attend class ready to learn.
Be prepared for class with the right stationery, and completed assignments(作业).
Listen when your teacher is talking.
Do your best, whether it’s a classroom assignment, homework or a test.
1. According to the passage, getting along well with your teachers will make you ________.| A．have no problems with study |
| B．get a better seat in the classroom |
| C．get the best scores in the exams |
| D．have more pleasant time in the classroom |
| A．the happy time you have in the classroom |
| B．getting along very well with classmates |
| C．a better relationship between you and your teacher |
| D．the disappearance of personality differences |
| A．if you fulfil(履行) your basic responsibilities as a student |
| B．if you are thought of as a good student |
| C．if you know some basic social skills |
| D．if you are easy-going and helpful |
| A．The importance of friendship in schools. |
| B．The importance of a good relationship with your teachers. |
| C．Studying skills for students. |
| D．Useful skills to get along well with your teachers. |
3 . It may be difficult to understand non-verbal messages because different cultures have different expectations about eye contact, physical
Let’s consider eye contact. Children from many Latin American and Asian
Culture greatly
How close should people stand to each other when they’re having a conversation? In areas of the Middle East and South America, people stand very close when
To create a positive environment for communication, your non-verbal message must closely
| A．exercise | B．touch | C．education | D．strength |
| A．schools | B．villages | C．homelands | D．cultures |
| A．uncertain | B．angry | C．unfamiliar | D．popular |
| A．seeing | B．staring at | C．looking | D．glancing at |
| A．influences | B．supports | C．observes | D．reduces |
| A．never | B．often | C．seldom | D．sometimes |
| A．child’s | B．baby’s | C．adult’s | D．man’s |
| A．because | B．although | C．unless | D．if |
| A．talking | B．eating | C．waiting | D．listening |
| A．more | B．less | C．no | D．little |
| A．hate | B．prefer | C．wish | D．dream |
| A．afraid | B．ashamed | C．proud | D．aware |
| A．suggesting | B．considering | C．refusing | D．accepting |
| A．pass | B．explain | C．match | D．prepare |
| A．provide | B．support | C．prove | D．search |
4 . Do you like Chinese traditional painting and dance? They are two important parts of the traditional Chinese art. But what about when they meet each other?
This year, a dance drama titled Poetic Dance: The Journey of a Legendary Landscape Painting (《只此青绿》) was staged on CCTV’s Spring Festival Gala and became popular.
According to CCTV, this poetic dance program was inspired by the 900-year-old Chinese painting A Panorama of Rivers and Mountains (《千里江山图》), created by Song Dynasty painter Wang Ximeng at about 18. The painting is amazing in its sweeping size, rich coloration and the expressive details, reported by CCTV. It shows a Chinese blue-green landscape: mountains and groupings of infinite (无限的) rise and fall between cloudless sky and rippling (涟漪的) water.
When the dancers moved elegantly, audiences seemed to be looking at the moving mountains and rivers. “It brings me a pure experience of beauty. It is not only a drama but also an exhibition. Vast mountains and rivers are coming to life!” Internet user Mo Weisha wrote in a review. “More than a thousand years later, green mountains and rivers still impress people as they did long ago.” Some people even decided to watch the dance again when it was staged in the theaters later. In fact, in recent years, more and more modern shows have featured Chinese traditional culture and received warm welcome. As for the reason, it is due to people’s great love for traditional culture.
“The younger generations have grown up with a more open mind. They accept Chinese culture and are proud of it,” Yao Wei, director of Henan TV Station’s Innovation Center, told China Daily.
1. What’s the writing purpose of paragraph 1?| A．To raise a question. | B．To introduce the topic. |
| C．To describe the art world. | D．To show a doubtful thought. |
| A．CCTV’s Spring Festival Gala. | B．A Chinese blue-green landscape. |
| C．Song Dynasty painter Wang Ximeng. | D．An old Chinese traditional painting. |
| A．Traditional culture is accepted and loved by people. |
| B．Green mountains and rivers greatly impress people. |
| C．The poetic dance can be staged in the theaters later. |
| D．Increasing modern shows feature Chinese traditional culture. |
| A．It explains why Chinese art enjoys popularity. |
| B．It shows us art can come to life through dance. |
| C．It highlights the beauty of Chinese traditional art. |
| D．It tells us the love for Chinese traditional painting. |
5 . “Charlieeeeeeee, do your homework now!” his mother was shouting.
Charlie thought, “Well she doesn’t have to do it.” and he spent hours with his books, hoping that time would pass and it would soon be time for supper. As usual, he was lying on his bed, busy staring at the ceiling, daydreaming. Suddenly some little elves (精灵), no more than a centimetre tall, appeared by the window.
One of the elves asked Charlie politely to give them his homework so they can play with it.
Charlie agreed and watched his guests, and was so surprised to see what they did. In less than a minute, they had formed teams and were busy playing with the pen, the eraser, the book, and the pad of paper. Very strange stuff they were getting up to. Like with the sums, instead of moving the pen across the paper, they would hold the pen still and move the paper instead. Or like how they had races to see who could do the sums fastest. They also used well-known songs to learn the words to them.When they had done that they put on a big concert to sing those songs.
Charlie really enjoyed watching those little students. He even joined in with the singing.
“Aww, this is so much fun...”
“Of course, it’s fun! Why don’t you try it for a few days yourself? We’ll all come back to see you again from time to time.”
“Deal!” agreed Charlie.
So, every evening, Charlie started playing with his homework, inventing new and crazier ways to make it more fun. He would sing loads of songs and do all manner of other things too. Now and again, his elf friends would turn up.
Neither Charlie’s parents, nor his teachers, nor anyone in the whole school could understand the great change in him. From that day on, not only did he spend a lot more time doing homework, he did it perfectly. He was very happy, and was always singing. His mother told him how proud she was at seeing him work so hard.
But Charlie said to himself, “Well, she doesn’t have to do it. It’s fun!”
1. What did Charlie think of his homework at first?| A．It’s difficult. | B．it’s boring. | C．It’s tiring. | D．It’s upsetting. |
| A．They politely asked Charlie to watch their performance. |
| B．They patiently taught Charlie to sing songs together. |
| C．They finished Charlie’s homework in a fun way. |
| D．They tried to stop charlie doing his homework. |
| A．Singing the well-known songs. |
| B．Playing with the homework. |
| C．Moving the paper instead. |
| D．Performing in a big concert. |
| A．He created his own songs to perform with his elves. |
| B．He succeeded in finishing his homework in a shorter time. |
| C．He tried elves’ method and found his homework very easy. |
| D．He made up some funny new methods to finish his homework. |
6 . Farming and Gardening
Agriculture has a long history in China. Much of the wisdom
Around 540 AD, he wrote a book called Qimin Yaoshu. The book is about both farming and
| A．discovered | B．recovered | C．reported | D．repeated |
| A．industrial | B．agricultural | C．cultural | D．article |
| A．adventures | B．advantages | C．tradition | D．experience |
| A．nursing | B．gardening | C．produce | D．trade |
| A．instructions | B．constructions | C．measures | D．treasures |
| A．economical | B．practical | C．similar | D．regular |
| A．drop | B．increase | C．grow | D．throw |
| A．argue against | B．go against | C．compete with | D．deal with |
| A．application | B．situation | C．condition | D．addition |
| A．successfully | B．carefully | C．gradually | D．frequently |
| A．destroy | B．prevent | C．divide | D．limit |
| A．keep | B．improve | C．manage | D．change |
| A．win | B．collect | C．harvest | D．plant |
| A．holes | B．lines | C．space | D．balance |
| A．showed | B．meant | C．intended | D．decided |
7 . Three Exercises to Make Breathing Easier
If you lack lung power and feel a little exhausted even after a short jogging, the following exercises can be of great help.
Use Your Diaphragm (横膈膜)
Your diaphragm is the muscle that controls breathing, and because it is located right above your stomach, you can strengthen them together. Lie on your back with your knees bent, keeping one hand on your stomach and the other on your chest. Breathe in deeply, slowly pulling the air into your lungs. Breathe out through your mouth. Try to wait seven seconds before taking in air again.
Imagine You Are Rowing a Boat
This exercise strengthens the upper back muscles and opens your chest cavity (腔), allowing for full lung ability. Sit on the floor with your legs in front of you and knees slightly bent. Put a resistance band around the bottoms of your feet and hold it in front of you in an X shape. Holding an end in each hand, spread your arms, then pull backward until your hands meet your chest. Repeat at least six times three days a week.
Walk for 20 Minutes
Walking doesn’t just get your heart pumping or work your leg muscles—it also builds up the area around your lungs to help them function better. To get the most out of your walk, stand straight, with your head up and your shoulders back, and keep a heel-to-toe pace, allowing your lungs to fully expand. Combine walking with deep breathing to increase your air intake. Work up to walking three or four days a week.
No matter which exercise you pick up, keep this in mind: Chances are that it will take you several months to see the outcome. So keep it up!
1. What should you obey if you are strengthening your diaphragm?| A．You should lie on your stomach with your knees bent. |
| B．You should hold your breath before breathing in again. |
| C．You should do it seven times a week to get a best result. |
| D．You should do it by breathing in merely with your mouth. |
| A．By keeping on rowing a boat regularly. | B．By opening your chest cavity more often. |
| C．By integrating walking with deep breathing. | D．By allowing your lungs to expand to the fullest. |
| A．They all need some extra assistance. | B．They all involve using your both feet. |
| C．They all require you to stand straight. | D．They all call for constantly practicing. |
8 . Benjamin Alexander, a 38-year-old man from Northampton shire, became the first athlete to represent Jamaica in an alpine skiing event (高山滑雪) at the Winter Olympics.
But his story started in 2015. When he saw friends did the sport so skillfully, he was in awe and decided to take a ski lesson.” That first time, I fell 27 times on the way down the hill. I think a lot of people would have given up at that point.” “But I kind of just took that as the baseline. If I can aim for falling less than 27 times on the next hill, then I am progressing.”
However, it wasn’t until two years later that Benjamin considered seriously competing in the sport. “In 2018, I went to the Winter Olympics as a spectator,” he said. “I noticed that there were only three athletes representing Jamaica. I found that very strange since my mother country is a powerhouse full of athletes in the summer game. So coming into 2019, I just had a plan to say, ‘Let’s see if this crazy idea of going to the Olympics is even possible. Let’s just go and ski for a little while and see what happens.’” he said.
Alexander has no full-time coach. He built a support network that included Stokes and the US skier Gordon Gray, who called Alexander’s technique “terrible” but thought his lack of fear would give him an advantage in competition. A strategic approach and fearless technique have led the engineering graduate and former DJ not only to make sporting history but find success as a black athlete in a historically white sport. Alexander bills himself as a “reinvention expert” and has used skills learned in his other careers to develop his pursuit of skiing success. “I’ve been to 67 countries. I’ve spent a lot of my life on the road.” he said. “I’ve always loved to travel and a big part of my previous role as a DJ was getting myself out there, marketing myself in the right way, figuring out ways to get into venues, clubs and festivals that I wanted to perform at.”
1. What made Benjamin decide to compete in Olympics?| A．His love for his motherland. | B．His friends’ encouragement. |
| C．His desire to change his life. | D．His enthusiasm for alpine skiing. |
| A．The challenges Benjamin met. | B．The advantages Benjamin has. |
| C．The way of Benjamin’s training. | D．The reason behind Benjamin’s success. |
| A．Better late than never. | B．Failure is the mother of success. |
| C．Never judge a book by its cover. | D．Nothing is impossible to a willing heart. |
| A．Entertainment. | B．Health. | C．Sports. | D．Culture. |
9 . When Faith Wanjiku graduated from the Technical University of Kenya last year, she immediately enrolled (注册) at the Confucius Institute in Kenyatta University. She wanted to learn Chinese, as she believed that it would help her land a good job.
She has just completed the hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (HSK) 3 exam. HSK is a test of Chinese language level for non-native speakers, organized by the Confucius Institute Headquarters.
However, this level isn’t enough for Wanjiku, who plans to pass HSK 6. She wanted to increase her level of Chinese and improve her spoken Chinese. And Wanjiku isn’t alone. The number of people taking the HSK reached 6.8 million in 2018 and went up 4.6 percent from a year earlier, the Ministry of Education said on May 31.
Chinese is becoming an increasingly popular choice of language to study around the world. Currently, middle school students in Russia can take Chinese as an elective language test in the country’s national college entrance exam, Sputnik News reported.
In May, Zambia became the fourth country in Africa-after Kenya, Uganda and South Africa—to introduce Chinese language to its schools.
And many English-speaking countries have shown an interest in allowing their students to learn Chinese. The US government announced the launch of “1 Million Strong” in 2015, a plan that aims to bring the total number of learners of Chinese to l million by 2020.
Behind the growing popularity of Chinese language learning is the international community’s positive attitude toward Chinas future development, as well as the people’s longing to learn about Chinese civilization and culture.
Indeed, it’s as the former president of South Africa Nelson Mandela put it, “if you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart.”
1. What did Wanjiku do after graduating from university?| A．She went abroad. | B．She learned Chinese. |
| C．She found a job. | D．She travelled to China. |
| A．non-native speakers | B．native speakers |
| C．middle school students | D．college students |
| A．Wangjiku has lots of friends. |
| B．Lots of people want to pass HSK6 exam. |
| C．Wangjiku has passed HSK3 exam. |
| D．Many people want to live in China. |
| A．Chinese Language Study Takes Off |
| B．Chinese Play an Important Role in Economy |
| C．People Share the Experience of Learning Chinese |
| D．Different Opinions about the Function of Chinese |
10 . Najma Hashi (also named Nujuum) is a respected female artist, whose paintings are winning a global following. But Nujuum is not your
This young artist grew up in a
However, Nujuum was
This
She
| A．strange | B．intelligent | C．ambitious | D．typical |
| A．protected | B．discouraged | C．helped | D．kept |
| A．peaceful | B．comfortable | C．terrible | D．civilized |
| A．compared | B．refused | C．determined | D．failed |
| A．somewhere | B．nowhere | C．everywhere | D．where |
| A．shore | B．table | C．station | D．store |
| A．imagination | B．extinction | C．reality | D．danger |
| A．survival | B．relief | C．excellence | D．reward |
| A．concerned | B．likely | C．optimistic | D．aware |
| A．in general | B．in person | C．in shock | D．in secret |
| A．normal | B．confusing | C．useful | D．strange |
| A．pressure | B．shame | C．consequence | D．extent |
| A．advantage | B．opportunity | C．intention | D．choice |
| A．tendency | B．appreciation | C．interest | D．entertainment |
| A．approves of | B．dreams of | C．consists of | D．knows of |
