1 . Caribou Math Competition
Participants: 2nd graders~high school students
Cash Prizes: Yes
The Caribou Math Competition is the only worldwide math competition that is held totally online. This contest is held six times throughout the school year, and students that complete all six tests can compete for the Caribou Cup. Each contest engages students in 60 minutes of math puzzles, interactive questions, and a wide variety of problem-solving activities.
Not only is the Caribou Math Competition open to international participants, it also offers contests to elementary (小学) through high school students. The high school level Caribou Math Contests are divided into two age-based categories. Grades 9 and 10 participate in the same contests, and grades 11 and 12 participate in the same contests.
Cash prizes are given out to the top performing students and schools in the Caribou Cup after the final contest each year, which is held in May. Students are ranked based on the total of their top scores in five out of the six contests. A student's cash prize amount is determined based on their percentage score multiplied by a set dollar amount based on their ranking. Here's how that is calculated (计算):
• 1st place student: $ 100 X percentage score
• 2nd place student: $75 × percentage score
• 3rd place student: $ 50 × percentage score
• 4th and on: $ 30 X percentage score
1. Who can join in the competition?| A．University students. | B．High school students. |
| C．Everyone around the world. | D．All elementary school students. |
| A．It has seven tests. |
| B．It lasts sixty minutes. |
| C．It is held six times every year. |
| D．It's the only worldwide online math competition. |
| A．By their top five contest scores. |
| B．By the rankings of their schools. |
| C．By the best score of their six contests. |
| D．By their scores in the contest for the Caribou Cup. |
2 . I am a single father with two young daughters. It had been a(n)
Then, unexpectedly, a(n)
As I stared at the gifts through
| A．ordinary | B．happy | C．typical | D．rough |
| A．reminded | B．robbed | C．informed | D．convinced |
| A．disappoint | B．warn | C．push | D．control |
| A．asked | B．chosen | C．expected | D．forced |
| A．love | B．request | C．respect | D．pity |
| A．responsible | B．panic | C．guilty | D．pleased |
| A．idea | B．miracle | C．opportunity | D．failure |
| A．lost | B．collected | C．donated | D．won |
| A．gift | B．favor | C．surprise | D．lesson |
| A．wondering | B．doubting | C．remembering | D．thinking |
| A．lay out | B．set up | C．hand over | D．get together |
| A．hesitated | B．froze | C．waited | D．rested |
| A．thirsty | B．cool | C．bad | D．natural |
| A．tightly | B．carefully | C．slightly | D．nervously |
| A．burning | B．charming | C．watery | D．picky |
3 . Letter writing may seem like a lost art to many of us, but for Emerson Weber, it’s a way of life. Emerson is a fifth-grader. Her dad said the 11-year-old has a(n)
One day, she decided to write a
“You may know me as the person that lives here that writes a lot of
Emerson gave Doug the letter and was
Now that their story has gone viral (传播开来), Emerson’s dad is
| A．serious | B．strange | C．common | D．unconscious |
| A．carries | B．contributes | C．sends | D．shows |
| A．signs | B．gifts | C．rewards | D．goods |
| A．public | B．secret | C．standard | D．special |
| A．focused | B．organized | C．connected | D．motivated |
| A．reviews | B．books | C．poems | D．letters |
| A．improving | B．delivering | C．exchanging | D．reading |
| A．important | B．familiar | C．faithful | D．available |
| A．believable | B．successful | C．happy | D．popular |
| A．phone | B．car | C．job | D．hobby |
| A．interesting | B．worthwhile | C．affordable | D．possible |
| A．eager | B．thrilled | C．fortunate | D．disappointed |
| A．believes | B．remembers | C．loves | D．knows |
| A．allowing | B．encouraging | C．promising | D．forcing |
| A．writes about | B．deals with | C．refers to | D．longs for |
4 . In the United States, a company is working on a project that could change the way we think about public transportation. Its planned system would move people around in steel tubes. Those passengers would be traveling at speeds of up to 1,200 kilometers per hour.
The futuristic transportation system is called Hyperloop. Workers plan to test the system next year in a specially built community called Quay valley. The town will be powered entirely by energy from the sun.
The Hyperloop transport system is the idea of businessman Elon Musk. Dirk Ahlborn is head of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies. He says his company has taken Mr. Musk's idea and is developing a system that will be safe, environmentally friendly and fast.
It’s 100 percent solar-powered... we’re not going to get up to 760 miles per hour, but we believe we can actually break the records that are exiting right now.”
This means that a four-hour drive from Los Angeles, California to Las Vegas, Nevada, could someday take only 30 minutes by Hyperloop.
The system involves a series of capsules that float inside a long tube. These containers wouldn’t need to travel along a pathway or track. The system has been designed to operate above or below ground.
Inside the tube there is a low-pressure environment very similar to an airplane that’s at high altitudes. So now the capsule travelling inside the tube doesn’t meet with as much resistance, and therefore can travel really fast with very little energy.
Dick Ahlborn and his company will use an eight-kilometer track in Quay Valley to find the best way to set up passenger traffic and repair capsules. A larger system will cost an estimated 6 — 10 billion dollars to build.
If Mr. Ahlborn and his company succeed, we may one day see these very fast Hyperloop capsules speeding through tubes around the world.
1. What do we know about the Hyperloop transport system?| A．It travels along a pathway or track. | B．It was already tested in a community. |
| C．It was developed by a businessman. | D．It is environmentally friendly. |
| A．They are solar-powered. | B．They travel at high altitudes. |
| C．There is less resistance inside the tube. | D．There is a powerful engine to drive them. |
| A．Objective. | B．Doubtful. | C．Subjective. | D．Dissatisfied. |
| A．Steel Tubs | B．A Creative Businessman |
| C．Hyperloop Transport System | D．Quay Valley |
5 . It was bad enough when COVID- 19 closed schools in Philadelphia, US, in March. Like a lot of students, Makyla Linder, 16, found herself getting bored. So she started watching baking videos and shows on TV and online. Soon, she started baking on her own.
Cupcakes and chocolate-covered strawberries were her first creations.
“I tried them on my friends when they came to my house,” Linder sad. “I also tried them on my family. They said my creations were good.”
For most children, that would have been enough. But Linder had bigger ideas. She asked her mom - what if she started selling her baked goods?
With the help of her mother, Linder got more baking supplies and equipment. She started taking orders online. More people started hearing about her business. Linder also started giving out business cards to make her company more well-know.
She also improved her baking as time went on. She researched new recipes (食谱) and learned good baking skills. She now sells chocolate-covered cookies, chocolate apples and banana pudding. She has some customers who have returned to her several times. They say her prices are good. She charges $15 for a dozen cupcakes or cake pops.
When school reopened in September, Linder had to focus more on her studies. “I wanted to do both, but I understand that school is much more important right now,” she said. However, she still watches cooking shows to get new ideas for her business.
1. What special thing did Linder do after COVID-19 broke out?| A．She started a baking business. | B．She made her own cooking show. |
| C．She invited friends over for parties. | D．She gave online baking lessons. |
| A．They are creative. | B．They are delicious. | C．They are well-known. | D．They are not big enough. |
| A．Linder is good at making money. | B．Linder spends a lot of money. |
| C．Linder’s baked goods aren’t expensive. | D．Linder’s baked goods are too cheap. |
| A．Linder didn’t return to school this year. | B．Linder is proud of her studies. |
| C．Linder will open a new bakery soon. | D．Linder will keep studying baking. |
6 . The life of a premature (早产的) baby born during the winter storm in Texas was saved thanks to a team of medical professionals, including a doctor and two nurses who traveled from east Austin to Marble Falls in an effort to save a newborn baby's life.
When Arias began experiencing pains, she and her parents headed to the closest hospital, Baylor Scott & White. Arias gave birth to her daughter, Zaylynn, who weighed just over one pound and was in need of advanced special care. However, the hospital does not offer the specialized care premature babies require.
"We had five or six people out at the nurses' station calling hospital networks all over the state of Texas," said Meredith Schubert, the labor and delivery nurse on duty when Arias arrived. "Nobody could answer our cry for help."
They finally reached Dr. John Loyd through a patient, division neonatologist chief at Dell Children's Medical Center in Austin, Texas. Around 5 p.m., after already having worked a full shift, Loyd packed his SUV with equipment and he and two NICU nurses set out for Marble Falls, about 55 miles away. The drive took Loyd and the nurses about two hours as they drove in the night through ice and snow.
After safely arriving at the Marble Falls medical center around 8 p.m., the Dell Children's crew set up a temporary newborn ICU. Together, the Dell Children's and Baylor Scott & White teams worked around the clock to care for the mother and daughter.
Once the weather cleared enough to allow for a helicopter to safely land, Zaylynn was transferred to Dell Children's, where there is a Level IV newborn intensive care unit.
"It was incredible when the helicopter lifted off. There were tears from all of us," said Schubert. "It was a huge relief and sense of accomplishment and joy that Zaylynn was doing so well and getting to the place that she needed to be."
Arias told KVUE that she was grateful to the doctors and nurses who worked together to save her daughter.
1. What did the newborn baby need badly?| A．Professional surgery. | B．Special intensive nursing. |
| C．Immediate transfer. | D．Experienced doctors. |
| A．Timely. | B．Hopeful. | C．Desperate. | D．Encouraging. |
| A．He came with all the necessary equipment. | B．He tried his best to maintain his honor. |
| C．He had enough bravery to drive at night. | D．He drove to rescue at night in severe weather. |
| A．The fine weather. | B．The baby's improvement. |
| C．The takeoff of the helicopter. | D．The baby's arrival at its destination. |
7 . The Curb-cut Effect (路缘坡效应) refers to the fact that supporting small groups of people often ends up helping much larger ranges of society.
Curb cuts: Easing the walking
In the 1940s, hundreds of thousands of World War Ⅱ soldiers returned home with disabilities. Disappointed by the difficulties they faced, Jack Fisher of Kalamazoo, Michigan, as one of them, asked his city government to build an experimental curb cut-a gentle slope that brings the end of a sidewalk down to meet the level of the street-at the corners of several blocks downtown. A few months later, Fisher reported that even residents without wheelchairs were enjoying the impact of the little slopes.
Reading machines: Getting the message
In 1976, technologist Ray Kurzweil invented a machine for the blind and visually damaged to change images into text that it then read aloud. Smart speakers with those voices are now in roughly one-quarter of US homes. By detecting street signs and house numbers, it is helping build the maps that self-driving cars use to navigate the world.
Closed captions (字幕): Following the conversation
Sears launched the first TV with a built-in equipment that allowed deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers to read along with their favorite programs in 1980. In the 1990s, text became increasingly common as DVDs and, later, streaming services added the ability to switch the words on at will. A 2006 survey found that only around 20 percent of the people using captions had hearing problems.
DeafSpace designs: Keeping things quiet
More than 150 designs of the DeafSpace Project came from architect Hansel Bauman. One aim is to clear distracting noises, which can make it difficult for people to use their limited hearing abilities. By keeping conversations and other sound disturbances from walking and jumping around the room, these ways also make it easier for all sorts of students and workers to focus.
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1. Who were the four inventions initially intended to serve?| A．The army. | B．Special groups. | C．All human beings. | D．Professionals. |
| A．A city designer. | B．A city governor. | C．A disabled soldier. | D．An ordinary roadman. |
| A．Sears'. | B．Jack Fisher's. | C．Ray Kurzweil's. | D．Hansel Bauman's. |
8 . Curtin University research has found a simple and affordable method to determine which chemicals and types of metals are best used to store and supply energy, in a breakthrough for any battery-run devices and technologies relying on the fast and reliable supply of electricity, including smart phones and tablets.
Lead author Associate Professor Simone Ciampi from Curtin’s School of Molecular and Life Sciences said this easy, low-cost method of determining how to produce and keep the highest energy charge in a capacitor (电容器). could be of great benefit to all scientists, engineers and start-ups looking to solving the energy storage challenges of the future.
“All electronic devices require an energy source. While a battery needs to be recharged over time, a capacitor can be charged instantly because it stores energy by separating charged ions (离子), found in ionic liquids,” Ciampi said.
There are thousands of types of ionic liquids, a type of “liquid salt”, and until now, it was difficult to know which would be best suited for use in a capacitor. What our team has done is designing a quick and easy test, able to be performed in a basic lab, which can measure both the ability to store charge when a solid electrode touches a given ionic liquid—a simple capacitor—as well as the stability of the device when charged.
“The simplicity this test means anyone can apply it without the need for expensive equipment. Using this method, researchers found that charging the device for 60 seconds produced a full charge, which did not ‘leak’ (渗漏) and begin to diminish for at least four days,” Mr Belotti said.
The next step is to use this new screening method to find ionic liquid with an even longer duration in the charged state and larger energy density.
1. What can the new method be used to do in the future?| A．Help to choose smart phones. |
| B．Find materials used as energy. |
| C．Settle the problem of storing energy. |
| D．Research energy sources of the future. |
| A．Choosing the best ionic liquid. | B．Figuring out the storing ability. |
| C．Devising a quick and easy test. | D．Recharging a battery instantly. |
| A．Charge. | B．Develop. |
| C．Expand. | D．Decrease. |
| A．Selecting ionic liquid is important in capacitor |
| B．An easy and cheap way to seek perfect ionic liquid for capacitor |
| C．Types of ionic liquid best suited for use in capacitor |
| D．Research has found a simple and affordable battery |
9 . The teacher blew the whistle and 30 girls started running. Every kids goal was to reach the end of the field and then back to the
Kid’s parents were present there,
The race
Little Emma came in at number 5. She ran towards her father sadly. Her father said, “Well done, baby. Let’s go and eat the ice cream as an awards for
“But Papa, I didn’t get any place in
“I mean you beat the other 25 kids. This time, you didn’t
“Why?” asked Emma.
Her father smiled and replied, “Because they had made more
“I’ll practice even
Her father said, “Great. But in fact, it’s not about getting ahead of others but getting ahead of
| A．finishing | B．resting | C．turning | D．starting |
| A．places | B．lessons | C．points | D．goals |
| A．examining | B．comforting | C．encouraging | D．preventing |
| A．cheers | B．whistles | C．noises | D．laughter |
| A．began | B．ended | C．continued | D．slowed |
| A．raising | B．showing | C．shaking | D．waving |
| A．upset | B．amazed | C．proud | D．nervous |
| A．watching | B．winning | C．hosting | D．organizing |
| A．last | B．top | C．next | D．extra |
| A．believed in | B．cared about | C．looked for | D．compete with |
| A．choices | B．promises | C．preparations | D．contributions |
| A．learn | B．practice | C．change | D．care |
| A．harder | B．safer | C．stronger | D．easier |
| A．doubt | B．kindness | C．satisfaction | D．determination |
| A．me | B．someone | C．yourself | D．nobody |
10 . Blue whales are the largest creatures to live on Earth after the dinosaurs. These amazing creatures are not only the largest whale species but also the largest mammal (哺乳动物) species to have ever existed on Earth.
The average length of a blue whale is 23—27 meters and its weight is from 100 to 150 tons. In spite of their large size, blue whales can swim at a fast speed of 25 to 30 miles per hour. The blue whales are not really blue in color but are actually gray. Blue whales feed on krill (磷虾). They take in a lot of water. They have a very unique way of communicating with each other by sending low frequency sound waves, which is even higher than the sound produced by a plane.
Before the whale hunting time started, blue whales could be found in all major oceans. Once, there were more than 200,000 blue whales that swam in the oceans. The Seas of Canada, North Atlantic Ocean and the seas to the south of Madagascar are among the most popular regions where blue whales can be found nowadays. Other major parts are the Antarctic Ocean and the Davis Strait.
Early whaling was limited by simple tools and whaling skills. So the damage to whale populations was not great. But with the development of powerful guns and steam-powered boats, whaling advanced. More whales were hunted at a rapid rate. In 1931 alone, 29,649 whales were killed. Humans competed to hunt the big animals. Besides, the number of blue whales is low due to more man’s deep-sea activities.
Fortunately, officials are doing something great about the blue whales. The International Whaling Commission has taken steps to protect these wonderful creatures. Committees of experts have been formed to work against whaling.
1. How do blue whales communicate?| A．By swimming fast. | B．By delivering food. | C．By touching each other. | D．By sending sound signals. |
| A．The habits that blue whales develop. | B．The ways that blue whales are hunted. |
| C．The places where blue whales can be found. | D．The reasons why blue whales are endangered. |
| A．Ocean water was polluted. | B．Hunting tools were improved. |
| C．The blue whales suffered from illnesses. | D．The blue whales fought against each other. |
| A．Positive. | B．Worried. | C．Unclear. | D．Confused. |
