1 . Humans have long gained pleasure from the smells of the natural world. For the most part, though, human beings are not their target market. For plants, fragrances are a way to interact with insects and other animals. Their attraction for people happens simply by chance.
In chemical terms, most natural fragrances are made up of volatiles — so called because of their tendency to change states suddenly. Volatiles evaporate easily, drifting into noses. In plants’ reproductive processes, smelly volatiles attract pollinators (授粉昆虫). But their natural applications are much more varied. If an insect chews through the leaves of some Bursera plants, out shoots a sticky, smelly liquid to trap it. Coyote tobacco plants are even more crafty: upon sensing the smell of hungry caterpillars, they produce volatiles that attract predators to kill the pests.
What is truly amazing is just how wily plants can be in using their scents for reproduction. White flowers often emit their scent at night to attract nocturnal pollinators such as moths. They produce a dilute nectar (稀释的花蜜) that encourages moths to keep moving, rather than linger at a single bloom—all the better to increase pollination. Other flowers change their fragrance after being successfully pollinated, as a signal for insects to go elsewhere.
But though “Scent” is a story of plants’ cleverness, it is also a tale of the human kind. People have long used fragrances for their own purposes, particularly for use in religious ceremonies: perfume recipes on the walls of an Egyptian temple in Edfu demonstrate just how long ingredients have been mixed in pursuit of the best blend. So highly prized were some scents that, to scare off competitors, Arab traders spread a legend about giant eagles that guarded cinnamon.
Eventually scientists no longer needed natural sources for fragrances. In 1866 a fragrance molecule was produced for the first time. Sixteen years later, Houbigant Parfum released Fougère Royale, the first “modern fantasy perfume” that creates an imaginary scent rather than copying a natural one. Nowadays fragrance–making is dominated by man–made compounds, which can be reliably and affordably produced in large quantities.
That has led to the mass production of smelly products, from toilet paper to toothpaste. Scent is accordingly big business. It is said that a world–famous fragrance and flavour manufacturer that claims people interact with its products up to 30 times a day, had sales of €3.8bn last year.
According to Paragraph 1 and 2, which would the author agree with?| A．Some plants might kill the pests with their smells. |
| B．Fragrance is a tool for plants to protect themselves. |
| C．People interact with nature easily through fragrance. |
| D．Fragrances are less important to humans than to animals and insects. |
2 . Limiting kids’ recreational (消遣的) screen time to less than two hours a day, along with enough sleep and physical activity, is associated with improved cognition (认知) , according to a study published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health.
The study included about 4 ,500 US children aged 8 to11 and measured their habits against the Canadian 24 – Hour Movement Guidelines for Children and Youth. It found that 51% of the children got the recommended (建议的) 9 to 11 hours of uninterrupted sleep per night; 37% met the recreational screen time limit of two hours or less per day, while 18% met the physical activity recommendation of at least 60 minutes of accumulated physical activity a day. Only 5% of the children in the study met all three recommendations; 30% met none at all.
The researchers found that as each recommendation was met by a participant, there was a positive association with global cognition, which includes memory, attention, processing speed and language. Those who met all three had the most “superior” global cognition, followed by those meeting the sleep and screen time recommendation and finally the screen time recommendation alone, according to the study.
Other organizations, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics – have guidelines in place to help with the management of children’s screen time. The organization suggests putting realistic rules or limits in place for how long your children are on their screens, knowing who they are talking to and what they are doing. The amount recommended screen time depends on the age of the child. Besides, parents should also make sure to encourage physical activity and have bedroom rules such as creating “ tech-free zones”.
Why does the American organization suggest creating" tech-free zones "?| A．To make sure children have enough physical playtime. |
| B．To make sure children have enough sleep time. |
| C．To make sure children have recreational time. |
| D．To protect children against radiation. |
3 . I was a graduate student in Manhattan having breakfast on my rooftop on Sept. 11, 2001, when I witnessed planes hit the Twin Towers. For months afterwards, I shook with anxiety every morning. Unwilling to medicate, I tried everything else. Mindfulness meditation (冥想) caused panic attacks. Hot yoga built muscle but did nothing for my anxiety. I went to talks by Buddhist monks and meditation teachers hoping to attain inner peace, but in vain. Finally, I attended a SKY Breath Meditation class, which involves a 20-minute breathing regimen (养生之道) in different postures and rhythms. Though I went in skeptical, I came out calm. Two decades later, I never missed a day of my breathing practice, not even when I gave birth.
I’ve also devoted part of my research career to studying the benefits of breathing for mental health and well-being. Seven years after 9/11, I was working with veterans returning from war with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Traditional treatments had failed many of them, so my colleagues and I ran a randomized controlled trial to test the effects of SKY breathing. Compared with the control group, veterans practicing SKY every day for one week saw their anxiety drop to levels typical of the general population.
Even though most did not continue to practice, they maintained the benefits a year later.Emotions influence your breathing patterns, and changing your breathing can change your emotions. For example, anxiety and anger correspond to an irregular, short, fast breath. Adopting the slower and more regular breathing pattern that corresponds to a calm feeling signals relaxation by activating the vagus nerve (交感神经), slowing heart rate, easing blood pressure, and settling you down. A simple exercise you can try is to close your eyes and breathe out for twice as long as you breathe in. Do this for five minutes in the morning, before a stressful meeting or as you transit from work to home.
1. Why did the author attend the SKY Breath Meditation class?| A．To build up muscles. |
| B．To relieve inner anxiety. |
| C．To learn more about meditation. |
| D．To quest for religious belief. |
| A．She worked with healthy veterans returning from war. |
| B．She chose victims suffering PTSD in the 9/11 incident. |
| C．She divided the veterans into two groups and compared results. |
| D．She cooperated with researchers from mindfulness meditation classes. |
4 . Limiting kids’ recreational (消遣的) screen time to less than two hours a day, along with enough sleep and physical activity, is associated with improved cognition (认知) , according to a study published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health.
The study included about 4 ,500 US children aged 8 to11 and measured their habits against the Canadian 24 – Hour Movement Guidelines for Children and Youth. It found that 51% of the children got the recommended (建议的) 9 to 11 hours of uninterrupted sleep per night; 37% met the recreational screen time limit of two hours or less per day, while 18% met the physical activity recommendation of at least 60 minutes of accumulated physical activity a day. Only 5% of the children in the study met all three recommendations; 30% met none at all.
The researchers found that as each recommendation was met by a participant, there was a positive association with global cognition, which includes memory, attention, processing speed and language. Those who met all three had the most “superior” global cognition, followed by those meeting the sleep and screen time recommendation and finally the screen time recommendation alone, according to the study.
Other organizations, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics – have guidelines in place to help with the management of children’s screen time. The organization suggests putting realistic rules or limits in place for how long your children are on their screens, knowing who they are talking to and what they are doing. The amount recommended screen time depends on the age of the child. Besides, parents should also make sure to encourage physical activity and have bedroom rules such as creating “ tech-free zones”.
According to the passage, which of the following might contribute most to cognition?| A．Screen time limit. |
| B．Sleep hours. |
| C．Physical activity time. |
| D．Sleep hours and screen time limit. |
5 . Humans have long gained pleasure from the smells of the natural world. For the most part, though, human beings are not their target market. For plants, fragrances are a way to interact with insects and other animals. Their attraction for people happens simply by chance.
In chemical terms, most natural fragrances are made up of volatiles — so called because of their tendency to change states suddenly. Volatiles evaporate easily, drifting into noses. In plants’ reproductive processes, smelly volatiles attract pollinators (授粉昆虫). But their natural applications are much more varied. If an insect chews through the leaves of some Bursera plants, out shoots a sticky, smelly liquid to trap it. Coyote tobacco plants are even more crafty: upon sensing the smell of hungry caterpillars, they produce volatiles that attract predators to kill the pests.
What is truly amazing is just how wily plants can be in using their scents for reproduction. White flowers often emit their scent at night to attract nocturnal pollinators such as moths. They produce a dilute nectar (稀释的花蜜) that encourages moths to keep moving, rather than linger at a single bloom—all the better to increase pollination. Other flowers change their fragrance after being successfully pollinated, as a signal for insects to go elsewhere.
But though “Scent” is a story of plants’ cleverness, it is also a tale of the human kind. People have long used fragrances for their own purposes, particularly for use in religious ceremonies: perfume recipes on the walls of an Egyptian temple in Edfu demonstrate just how long ingredients have been mixed in pursuit of the best blend. So highly prized were some scents that, to scare off competitors, Arab traders spread a legend about giant eagles that guarded cinnamon.
Eventually scientists no longer needed natural sources for fragrances. In 1866 a fragrance molecule was produced for the first time. Sixteen years later, Houbigant Parfum released Fougère Royale, the first “modern fantasy perfume” that creates an imaginary scent rather than copying a natural one. Nowadays fragrance–making is dominated by man–made compounds, which can be reliably and affordably produced in large quantities.
That has led to the mass production of smelly products, from toilet paper to toothpaste. Scent is accordingly big business. It is said that a world–famous fragrance and flavour manufacturer that claims people interact with its products up to 30 times a day, had sales of €3.8bn last year.
What can we learn from the passage?| A．Humans do not use fragrances as purposefully as plants do. |
| B．Natural sources for fragrances will be out of date in the future. |
| C．Plants use fragrances to both attract and send away pollinators. |
| D．Man–made fragrances have to be produced by copying natural ones. |
6 . I was a graduate student in Manhattan having breakfast on my rooftop on Sept. 11, 2001, when I witnessed planes hit the Twin Towers. For months afterwards, I shook with anxiety every morning. Unwilling to medicate, I tried everything else. Mindfulness meditation (冥想) caused panic attacks. Hot yoga built muscle but did nothing for my anxiety. I went to talks by Buddhist monks and meditation teachers hoping to attain inner peace, but in vain. Finally, I attended a SKY Breath Meditation class, which involves a 20-minute breathing regimen (养生之道) in different postures and rhythms. Though I went in skeptical,I came out calm. Two decades later,I never missed a day of my breathing practice, not even when I gave birth.
I’ve also devoted part of my research career to studying the benefits of breathing for mental health and well-being. Seven years after 9/11, I was working with veterans returning from war with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Traditional treatments had failed many of them, so my colleagues and I ran a randomized controlled trial to test the effects of SKY breathing. Compared with the control group, veterans practicing SKY every day for one week saw their anxiety drop to levels typical of the general population.
Even though most did not continue to practice, they maintained the benefits a year later.Emotions influence your breathing patterns, and changing your breathing can change your emotions. For example, anxiety and anger correspond to an irregular, short, fast breath. Adopting the slower and more regular breathing pattern that corresponds to a calm feeling signals relaxation by activating the vagus nerve (交感神经), slowing heart rate, easing blood pressure, and settling you down. A simple exercise you can try is to close your eyes and breathe out for twice as long as you breathe in. Do this for five minutes in the morning, before a stressful meeting or as you transit from work to home.
What can we learn from the last paragraph?| A．Breathing interacts with emotions. |
| B．It is harmful to activate the vagus nerve. |
| C．Breathing out as long as you breathe in is a simple way to follow. |
| D．Breathing regimen should be carried out for five minutes every morning. |
Jane Hutcheon
Journalist, author and former foreign correspondent (通讯员) Jane Hutcheon knows a thing or two about conversations, and in Rebel Talk she draws on her rich experience in the art of guided conversations to help us begin and nurture conversations. Rebel Talk looks at ways to: transform poor conversation habits; speak up about problems; generate energy, passion and optimism; stop lecturing and giving uninvited advice; and most importantly, learn by humble listening.
From Earth: Create Your Own Natural Apothecary (药剂师)Charlotte Rasmussen
The makings for simple skincare and medicinal home treatments can be found in your own garden or kitchen. From Earth's recipes employ pure and natural ingredients such as lily and rose and will inspire you to enlarge your herb knowledge. Beautifully photographed, this step-by-step guide explains how to use carrier oils, butters and dried flowers and is the perfect guide for anyone wanting to find a more comprehensive way of life.
Burning QuestionsMargaret Atwood
Fans of Margaret Atwood, the creator of The Handmaid's Tale and more than 50 other works of fiction, poetry and essays, will be interested in her collection of essays and occasional pieces from 2004 -21. Full of wit and wisdom, Atwood focuses on subjects such as the climate crisis, freedom, debt, tech, the rise of Trump and a pandemic. Other topics include: When to offer advice to the young? (only when asked); So what if beauty is only skin deep?
Here Goes NothingSteve Toltz
If you like your fiction left-of-centre, then this book's for you. Angus Mooney struggles for most of his life, until he meets his wife, marriage celebrant Gracie (whose wedding ceremonies are anything but traditional). Just when things are starting to work out, an old guy with a terminal illness breaks into their house and asks to stay until he dies. When Angus does some research on their ‘guest’, he wakes up the next day in the ‘afterlife’.
1. What might you get from Rebel Talk?| A．How to solve problems. |
| B．How to stop a conversation. |
| C．How to learn in speeches. |
| D．How to talk productively. |
| A．Rebel Talk. |
| B．From Earth: Create Your Own Natural Apothecary. |
| C．Burning Questions. |
| D．Here Goes Nothing. |
Jane Hutcheon
Journalist, author and former foreign correspondent (通讯员) Jane Hutcheon knows a thing or two about conversations, and in Rebel Talk she draws on her rich experience in the art of guided conversations to help us begin and nurture conversations. Rebel Talk looks at ways to: transform poor conversation habits; speak up about problems; generate energy, passion and optimism; stop lecturing and giving uninvited advice; and most importantly, learn by humble listening.
From Earth: Create Your Own Natural Apothecary (药剂师)Charlotte Rasmussen
The makings for simple skincare and medicinal home treatments can be found in your own garden or kitchen. From Earth's recipes employ pure and natural ingredients such as lily and rose and will inspire you to enlarge your herb knowledge. Beautifully photographed, this step-by-step guide explains how to use carrier oils, butters and dried flowers and is the perfect guide for anyone wanting to find a more comprehensive way of life.
Burning QuestionsMargaret Atwood
Fans of Margaret Atwood, the creator of The Handmaid's Tale and more than 50 other works of fiction, poetry and essays, will be interested in her collection of essays and occasional pieces from 2004 -21. Full of wit and wisdom, Atwood focuses on subjects such as the climate crisis, freedom, debt, tech, the rise of Trump and a pandemic. Other topics include: When to offer advice to the young? (only when asked); So what if beauty is only skin deep?
Here Goes NothingSteve Toltz
If you like your fiction left-of-centre, then this book's for you. Angus Mooney struggles for most of his life, until he meets his wife, marriage celebrant Gracie (whose wedding ceremonies are anything but traditional). Just when things are starting to work out, an old guy with a terminal illness breaks into their house and asks to stay until he dies. When Angus does some research on their ‘guest’, he wakes up the next day in the ‘afterlife’.
Whose book will a flower lover be interested in?| A．Jane Hutcheon. |
| B．Charlotte Rasmussen. |
| C．Margaret Atwood. |
| D．Steve Toltz. |
9 . Media multitasking, such as scrolling through social media while watching a movie, may be linked to more brief failures in attention and difficulty remembering things.
“Our data support the idea that we should be aware of how we engage with media,” says Kevin Paul Madore at Stanford University in California. He and his team compared people’s self-reported levels of media multitasking with their performances in a memory task, as part of a study including 80 participants aged 18 to 26.
The researchers specifically tested episodic memory, which helps us recall events, by presenting the participants with images of objects on a computer and then later asking them to recall whether they had seen the objects earlier or not. At the same time, the team used EEG and eye tracking to monitor people’s attentiveness.
Madore and his colleagues also asked participants to complete a questionnaire to determine how often they engage in various forms of media multitasking, such as texting while watching TV or reading while listening to music. They found that people who reported more frequent media multitasking had more brief failures in attention during the memory task, which was associated with increased difficulties with remembering.
“I think conscious awareness of attentiveness and limiting potential distractions can go a long way in memory preparedness and reducing mind wandering or mind blanking,” says Madore. “Resisting media multitasking during school lectures or work zones, or limiting media multitasking to set times, could be valuable.”
“Media multitasking is becoming more prominent. We don’t actually know anything about the effects yet,” says Amy Orben at the University of Cambridge. It will be important to investigate whether media multitasking causes brief attentional failure and memory failure or whether there is another factor, such as how generally distractible a person is, that could explain the association. “This could be investigated through studies that monitor people over time and this is a really interesting area that we should explore,” she says.
What can be a suitable title for the text?| A．More Media Multitasking, Worse Memory |
| B．More Media Multitasking, Less Efficiency |
| C．Media Multitasking — a Barrier to Success |
| D．Media Multitasking — a Distraction from Work |
10 . It is an uncomfortable fact that civilized society is almost completely dependent upon fossil fuels in nearly every aspect. Whether you believe there are hundreds of years or just a few decades left of this resource, the fact remains that it is a limited resource. At some point, fossil fuels are going to either be gone or become too expensive to realistically use. That is, when fossil fuels become too expensive to use, people will just start using something else. Though this may work well in theory, actually shifting from fossil fuels is not the same as shifting from one brand of shampoo to another.
This is entirely due to the fact that humans rely so much on the infrastructure (基础设施) they have developed, which is entirely dependent upon this resource, accounting for 85% of the United State's energy use. If the world were entirely dependent upon solar energy, that would be fine because sunlight is a continuing resource. However, at the current state of things, humans are in a dangerous position owing to its complete dependence upon one single limited input.
Fossil fuels are also responsible for a significant amount of land, water, and air pollution beyond their carbon dioxide (二氧化碳) production. For example, coal mining brings solid wastes to the surface that would normally remain underground and the areas around a mine can remain barren (贫瘠的) for generations due to the lack of proper topsoil. The burning of coal for energy also produces many different types of particulate (微粒的) matter that pollutes the air. Compared with fossil fuels, renewable energy is far more environmentally friendly.
There exists an argument that renewable energy options are not as efficient as fossil fuels because the deployment (部署) of renewable energy equipment like the wind turbine (风力涡轮机) costs a lot of money. However, when factors such as pollution and climate change are considered, renewable energy is actually far more efficient than fossil fuels. And fossil fuels will be surely replaced by renewable energy whether it is your generation or your grandchildren's.
What does ''This'' in paragraph 2 refer to?| A．That it is necessary to use solar energy. |
| B．That it is hard to stop using fossil fuels. |
| C．That people have overconsumed fossil fuels. |
| D．That people have developed so many infrastructures. |
