1 . Polar bears normally need sea ice to hunt seals, but an isolated (孤立的) group of polar bears living on the mountainous coast of southeast Greenland have figured out how to make a living, even though the sea ice there melts away early in the year.
These bears have found a way to supplement (补充) their limited sea ice supply by hunting on freshwater ice that comes from glaciers on land. The glacial ice falls off in pieces into fjords (峡湾), where the pieces get together into a floating platform that the polar bears use to catch seals, according to a report in the journal Science.
Climate change is making sea ice less and less. “Loss of sea ice is the primary threat to polar bears,” says Kristin Laidre of the University of Washington, lead author of the new study. But, she says, this new work suggests some bears might be able to deal with a decreased amount of sea ice - at least for a while - in places like Greenland where they can take advantage of floating glacier ice.
While local people have long known that bears live in southeast Greenland, it’s a remote, challenging environment that’s not frequented by humans. “It’s a coastline with huge mountain peaks, lots of winds, extreme conditions and plenty of fogs.” says Laidre, who has spent years working with colleagues to survey polar bears living on Greenland’s 1,800-mile-long east coast.
To see what they could find in southeast Greenland, the team had to take helicopters from the nearest settlement and fly for two hours in a straight line to the coast. “We arrived in these fjords, very isolated fjords, and there’s essentially no sea ice or very poor sea ice offshore,” says Laidre, explaining that the researchers expected to find few bears. “But there were a lot of bears in these fjords,” she says. “It was clearly just a unique habitat.”
The sea ice continues to exist in these fjords for only around a hundred days a year, she notes, meaning that bears don’t have much time to use it as a hunting ground.
1. What will happen to pieces of glacial ice after falling off?A.They will gather to block some fjords. |
B.They will exist in fjords for only a hundred years. |
C.They will float into cold places and never disappear. |
D.They will form a platform used by polar bears for food. |
A.Lack of food sources. | B.Loss of freshwater ice. |
C.Human activities in their habitats. | D.Decrease of sea ice due to climate change. |
A.Polar Bears Use Floating Glacial Ice to Hunt | B.The Exploration of Southeast Greenland |
C.Polar Bears Can Survive in Isolated Areas | D.The Importance of Sea Ice to Polar Bears |
2 . The story of Oprah Winfrey’s life is one of overcoming incredible difficulties and achieving great success. Born into poverty in Mississippi, Winfrey faced numerous challenges throughout her childhood. She was raised by her grandmother, who passed on her a love of reading and a moral duty in work. However, Winfrey was also the victim of abuse and neglect (忽视), both at home and in her community.
Despite these obstacles, Winfrey showed great promise from a young age. At age 19 she became a news anchor (主播) for the local television station, and in 1976 she was made a reporter and co-anchor for the ABC news in Baltimore, Maryland. She found herself limited by the objectivity required of news reporting, and in 1977 she became co-host of the Baltimore morning show People Are Talking.
Winfrey excelled in the casual and personal talk-show format, and in 1984 she moved to Chicago to host the declining talk show AM Chicago. Winfrey’s honest and engaging personality quickly turned the program into a success, and in 1985 it was renamed The Oprah Winfrey Show. Winfrey’s warmth, intelligence, and empathy (同理心) made her a beloved figure to millions of viewers. She used her platform to address important social issues, such as child abuse, domestic violence, and poverty.
Despite her success, Winfrey faced many challenges along the way. She struggled with her weight, and was often criticized for her appearance. She also faced many personal and professional setbacks in her life and work. However, Winfrey refused to give up. She continued to work hard, launching her own production company, Harpo Productions, and starting her own cable network, OWN. She also became a charitarian, donating millions of dollars to charitable causes.
Today, Winfrey is one of the most successful and influential people in the world. She has won lots of awards for her work. She is also a best-selling author and a respected public speaker. Winfrey’s story proves the power of perseverance, hard work, and faith in oneself.
1. What can we infer about Oprah Winfrey when she was young?A.She led a comfortable life. |
B.She was brought up by her parents. |
C.She worked early to support her family. |
D.She was positively impacted by her grandmother. |
A.A news anchor. | B.A talk show co-anchor. |
C.A manager of a company. | D.A reporter of a TV station. |
A.It was Winfrey’s excellent qualities that made it popular. |
B.It called on viewers to fight against international crimes. |
C.It was meant to help the local citizens. |
D.It was designed only for Winfrey. |
A.Oprah Winfrey’s struggle against poverty. |
B.Oprah Winfrey’s rise to fame and success. |
C.Oprah Winfrey’s contributions to society. |
D.Oprah Winfrey’s influence on the media industry. |
3 . My name is Maria Helena Corrcia, and I studied biology at college. After
Working on the Egyptian Vulture New LIFE project, I
To save the vultures, we have to show the livestock keepers that there are other ways of
Until now, I have had nothing but
As I mentioned before, I used to work as a researcher in a laboratory. But my experience here in Greece has changed my life
A.graduation | B.marriage | C.birth | D.class |
A.difference | B.cut | C.decision | D.mistake |
A.testing | B.protection | C.behavior | D.disease |
A.try | B.remember | C.happen | D.refuse |
A.watched | B.loved | C.raised | D.attacked |
A.crying | B.running | C.dying | D.sitting |
A.finding | B.helping | C.stopping | D.feeding |
A.put away | B.break down | C.pull up | D.set up |
A.repeated | B.changed | C.shared | D.expressed |
A.goal | B.reason | C.chance | D.choice |
A.early | B.painful | C.wonderful | D.sad |
A.proud | B.lonely | C.strict | D.thankful |
A.offered | B.asked | C.lent | D.showed |
A.legally | B.completely | C.unluckily | D.uncertainly |
A.continue | B.describe | C.discuss | D.finish |
4 . Vincent Willem van Gogh is a great Dutch painter. In 2017 one of his paintings was sold for $81 million. 2021 seemed to be Vincent Willem van Gogh’s year. There were at least five different exhibits in nearly 40 U. S. cities regarding his works. It’s very surprising to know he sold only a few paintings in his lifetime, for only little profit (利润). How did this now-famous painter fail to escape attention after his death? It was probably thanks to a woman.
Six months after Van Gogh died, his beloved brother Theo passed away, who had expected to make his brother’s works well-known. Fortunately, Theo’s wife Johanna van Gogh-Bonge, as an English teacher at two different girls’ schools before her marriage, was left with their son and a sizable art collection. She decided to help Tneo’s wishes come true. “During her lifetime, she devoted herself to making people know more about Vincent’s art,” says Luijten, the author of Johanna’s lifetime story.
Johanna tried all her best to improve Van Gogh’s name. To do this, she chose some of his works to sell and encouraged writers and art critics to write about his paintings though she was refused many times. Johanna didn’t lose heart. She lent some pieces to well-known museums and organized countless exhibitions. “One of Johanna’s major achievements was the organization of an exhibition at the Stedelijk Museum in 1905, where she collected no less than 484 of Van Gogh’s works. A Van Gogh exhibition of this size would never again be matched,” Luijten explains. Another particular move happened in 1914 when Johanna published Van Gogh’s letters. Theo had kept hundreds of letters. “This was of great importance, as following the publication of the letters, the appreciation of Van Gogh as an artist increased further,” says Luijten.
“There’s little doubt that although Van Gogh was great, he wouldn’t be remembered to the level seen today without the influence of Johanna.” said Luijten.
1. What appears unbelievable about Vincent van Gogh according to the author?A.His paintings being sold at such an amazingly high price. |
B.His attending many different art exhibitions worldwide. |
C.His becoming well-known because of a woman’s efforts. |
D.His paintings bringing little money for him in his lifetime. |
A.She married Theo in 1905. |
B.She was a famous painting collector. |
C.She was creative with a strong will. |
D.She was once a teacher in an art school. |
A.The great life story of Van Gogh. | B.The woman behind Van Gogh. |
C.The contribution of Van Gogh’s brother. | D.Van Gogh’s famous paintings. |
5 . With a few hours until curtain call, a quiet but noticeable energy fills the backstage dressing room of the famous Sunbeam Theatre, known as “Hong Kong’s Grand Palace for Cantonese Opera” Tonight, it’s the annual Rose family performance.
Some of the performers are eating takeout boxes of food, sure to sustain them through the bows-long show ahead. Others are getting a head start on their make-up. A few are being helped into their colorful costumes by eager assistants.
But there is something unexpectedly unusual about this particular performance that becomes obvious as soon as the curtains rise some of the people on stage aren’t Chinese.
Mike Brady, who comes from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, stands on stage in full costume. But he has never seen a Cantonese Opera, let alone been in one. As a background character, he has no spoken lines.
This unlikely actor owes his first performance to Lyle Rose, a fellow American who stands next to him in a similar costume. When it comes to performing, Lyle, a native New Yorker who now lives in Hong Kong, is not as green of a performer as Mike; in fact, he is the mastermind behind tonight’s show.
The entire Rose family is on stage. Mike himself is actually a new addition to the group: his daughter recently married Lyle’s younger son.
Cantonese Opera is a family affair for Lyle. Every year, Lyle, his wife, Cynthia Hu-Rose, a Hong Konger, and two sons put on a performance to raise money for local charities. But their true purpose for doing it is simply to introduce people to it. Though Cantonese Opera remains an important part of Hong Kong culture, it has to compete with many other forms of entertainment for the attention of younger generations, who associate n with their grandparents. “We love Cantonese Opera,” Lyle said. “We want people of all ages to come and watch.”
1. What scene is described in Paragraph 2?A.Actors are practicing a play backstage. |
B.Actors are getting ready for an upcoming show. |
C.The audience are lending a hand to a performer. |
D.The audience are eagerly waiting for a big show. |
A.Some of its performers are American. |
B.Most of its performers have no spoken lines. |
C.Some of its performers wear newly styled costumes |
D.Most of its performers have never performed before |
A.He lacks performing experience. |
B.He has seldom seen Cantonese Opera. |
C.He directs and plays a part in tonight’s show. |
D.He always plays a background character in opera shows. |
A.To make a living abroad. |
B.To collect money for local charities. |
C.To change elders’ opinions about operas. |
D.To attract younger audiences to Cantonese Opera. |
6 . Parents have a new tool in the battle over screen time, with an Australian app asking kids to solve one math or English problem before they can unlock their phones.
Sydney entrepreneurs Issac and Ann Elnekave turned their bright idea into an app called 1 Question and tried it on their 16-year-old daughter Alyssa.
“At first I wasn’t sure about it,” Alyssa said. “I didn’t want my friends to blame me if their parents made them get it. But once I started using it, I realized it doesn’t take that long to answer a question and it’s actually pretty cool.”
“Research has shown almost half of children aged between 6 and 16 either have a mobile phone or have access to one. The majority play games or use apps like YouTube for an average of about five hours a day. The 1 Question app creates micro learning moments,” Mrs. Elnekave said. “We created a solution that makes a balance between screen time and study.”
Parents can download the $2.99 a month app onto their child’s phone, select their grade and curriculum subjects, then monitor each time their child correctly answers a question to open a game or app such as YouTube.
“We designed the user experience to be really simple, but underneath the hood is our incredibly intelligent AI engine,” Mr. Elnekave said. “As your child learns, so does the AI, which works out each child’s areas of strength and weakness and creates a customized path for their learning.”
The app has a base of 12,000 questions developed by teachers using the Australian, British and American curriculums designed for primary school children.
1. What do we know about the 1 Question app?A.It is free of charge. |
B.It contains questions suitable for high school students. |
C.Children need to answer more than one question correctly to unlock their phones. |
D.It serves to help children learn something useful during their screen time. |
A.The popularity of mobile phones. |
B.The influence of phone games on children. |
C.The function and significance of the 1 Question app. |
D.The way to install the l Question app. |
A.Entertainment. | B.Science. | C.Finance. | D.Health. |
7 . Jane Addams was born in 1860 in the small town of Cedarville, Illinois. Addams graduated in 1881 from the Rockford Female Seminary. That same year, her father died. Feeling sad for his death and troubled by her own health problems, she spent the next six years seeking a direction for her life.
During an 1887 visit to London with her lifelong friend Ellen Starr, Addams came upon the Whitechapel District’s Toynbee Hall, where activists worked to improve life in that poor area. What she saw there inspired her.
In 1889, she and Miss Starr rented a large, empty home in a working-class immigrant district of Chicago. They called it Hull House. There were kindergarten classes for the young, supervised social activities for older children and college -level courses for adults in the evenings, along with various clubs for all ages and housing for single working women.
In the wake of Jane’s success, her influence and activism expanded. She worked to improve the education system and in 1909 became the first woman president of system and in 1909 became the first woman president of the National Conference of Charities and Corrections. She also fought for labor reform and workers rights, sponsored research into the causes of poverty and crime, and pressed for health and housing regulation. In 1910, she was the first woman to receive an honorary degree from Yale University. During that same year, she became president of the National Conference of Social Work-another first for a woman.
She supported the interests of African Americans, women, and immigrants and campaigned for their being treated equally and getting more chances both nationally and internationally. In 1931, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. She died of cancer in 1935, and her funeral was held in Hull House’s courtyard.
1. Why did Addams spend six years looking for a direction for her life?A.She lost her way. | B.She suffered from mental and physical problem. |
C.She wanted to get help from the friends. | D.She was too clever to ensure her life. |
A.In London. | B.In Africa. | C.In Chicago. | D.In Yale University. |
A.She was a graduate from the Rockford Female Seminary. |
B.She had great influence on education system. |
C.She set up the famous Hull House. |
D.She helped people in need and fought for their equal rights. |
A.75 years. | B.65 years. | C.55 years. | D.70 years. |
8 . Renee William and her friend were happy on the way to a football game. But in all of the
As it turned out, the stadium had restrictions (限制) on the
That sounded unbelievable, but no
Renee admitted (承认) her expectation of ever
Renee had not
A.stress | B.encouragement | C.excitement | D.confidence |
A.hopeful | B.terrible | C.boring | D.different |
A.length | B.width | C.size | D.weight |
A.give up | B.turn up | C.pay off | D.set off |
A.take | B.watch | C.leave | D.buy |
A.better | B.cleverer | C.more | D.crazier |
A.trust | B.patience | C.pressure | D.courage |
A.proudly | B.nervously | C.eagerly | D.kindly |
A.visiting | B.seeing | C.following | D.helping |
A.wrong | B.clear | C.low | D.common |
A.however | B.therefore | C.again | D.instead |
A.applied | B.planned | C.believed | D.promised |
A.expected | B.preferred | C.required | D.reminded |
A.consider | B.revise | C.tell | D.find |
A.editor | B.cover | C.writer | D.list |
9 . Do you need to throw your smartphone away to live your best life? Not necessarily, according to researchers from Ruhr-Universität Bochum who suggest that we could all benefit from cutting down on screen time – just only a little bit time.
On average, we spend more than three hours a day looking at our smartphone screens. Between social media, news feeds, endless video games, and an app for pretty much everything else, there’s always something to draw our attention. In recent years, researchers have found connections between smartphones and many modern problems ranging from increasing anxiety cases to neck pain. So here comes the question: Are people all really better off changing back to landlines (座机)?
“The smartphone is both a benefit and a danger,” says study leader Dr. Julia Brailovskaia, whose team set out to answer that question by gathering together 619 volunteers, hoping to know how much the smartphone is good for us. For a week, two hundred people put their smartphones completely aside; 226 reduced the amount of time they used the device (装置) by one hour a day; 193 people didn’t change anything in their behavior.
Researchers interviewed each person about both their lifestyle habits and well-being (健康) four months later after the experimental week ended. “We found that both completely giving up the smartphone and reducing its daily use by one hour had positive effects on the well-being of the participants (参与者),” as Brailovskaia studies and reports the upshots. Especially, changing their smartphone habits for just one week appeared to produce lasting outcomes among volunteers. Even four months afterward, participants who were told to avoid using their smartphones totally were using their phones for an average of 38 minutes less per day.
Meanwhile, the “one hour less” group were using their phones as much as 45 minutes less per day after four months. This group also showed improved life satisfaction, more exercise, and less depression (抑郁). “It’s not necessary to completely give up the smartphone to feel better,” Brailovskaia concludes.
1. What can we know about the volunteers in the research?A.They received some training beforehand. |
B.They were divided into two groups. |
C.They were interviewed months later about their habits and health. |
D.They completely gave up using their smartphones after the research. |
A.Results. | B.Reasons. | C.Doubts. | D.Purposes. |
A.No smartphone use is the best policy. |
B.Less use of smartphones brings health benefits. |
C.Using smartphones more can reduce depression. |
D.Smartphones show little improvement in our lives. |
10 . We’ve explored London many times and come away with quite a few lessons. Here are our tips.
Visiting Buckingham Palace
Being London’s most famous landmark, this 775-room building is where Queen Elizabeth hosted feasts (盛宴) and met heads of state. But if you’re dreaming of taking a visit to it, you’ll need to plan your trip carefully. The palace is typically only open during the summer months from July 23rd to October 3rd. Visiting hours are from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. If you’re visiting when the palace isn’t available to tour, you can still see the Changing of the Guard.
Hitting the London Eye
The London Eye is a playful addition (添加) to the city skyline. Standing near centuries-old buildings, this huge Ferris wheel spins (旋转) slowly over the left bank of the Thames, serving up views over the London Bridge and the Shard to the west, plus a wide perspective (视野) of the Palace of Westminster. Buy your tickets beforehand online, choose a clear day and go in the morning to avoid the crowds peak.
Drinking afternoon tea
Afternoon tea is reason enough to come to London. The British have taken a simple tea break and turned it into a luxurious (奢侈的) ceremony, complete with patterned china, fine plates of finger sandwiches, cakes and scones in cream and jam. When making a booking, remember that afternoon tea isn’t a snack but a full meal with sweet and salty elements (元素), and you’ll be full. The smart move is to leave out lunch and maybe even dinner.
1. Which is a suitable time to visit Buckingham Palace?A.July 18, 10:00 a.m. | B.Aug. 23, 8:30 a.m. | C.Sep. 27, 3:00 p.m. | D.Oct. 2, 7:30 p.m. |
A.Being a necessary part of London’s skyline. |
B.Going round quickly by the Thames. |
C.Being more convenient than the nearby buildings. |
D.Offering chance to view places of interest. |
A.Take it as a simple tea break. | B.Bring along a complete set of china. |
C.Don’t eat too many sweet snacks. | D.Don’t have lunch before going to it. |