1 . Scientists say they have created a new method that can turn brain signals into electronic speech. The invention could one day give people who have lost the ability to speak a better way of communicating than current methods.

Brain-computer interfaces (交界面) already exist to help people who cannot speak on their own. Often these systems are trained to follow eye or facial movements of people who have learned to spell out their thoughts letter by letter. But researchers say this method can produce many errors and is very slow, permitting at most about 10 spoken words per minute. This compares to between 100 and 150 words per minute used in natural speech.

For the new method, scientists created a brain-machine interface that is inserted in the brain. It can read and record brain signals that help control the muscles that produce speech, like the lips, the tongue and the jaw. The experiment involved a two-step process. First, the researchers used a “decoder (解码器)” to turn electrical brain signals into representations of human vocal (声音的) movements. An electronic instrument then turns the representations into complete spoken sentences.

The new two-step method actually presents a “proof of principle” with great possibilities for real-time communication in the future. Five volunteer patients who were being treated for epilepsy (a disease of the nervous system) participated in the study. The individuals had the ability to speak and already had interfaces built in their brains. They were asked to read several hundred sentences aloud while the researchers recorded their brain activity.

The researchers then used audio recordings of the voice readings to reproduce the vocal muscle movements needed to produce human speech.

This process made it possible for the scientists to create a realistic “virtual voice” for each individual, controlled by their brain activity.

The study reports the spoken sentences were understandable to hundreds of human listeners later asked to write out what they heard. Scientists say future studies will test the technology on people who are unable to speak.

1. What’s the new method mainly designed to do?

A．To monitor people’s brain and control their speech.

B．To help people improve their communication skills.

C．To turn people’s speaking desire into digital speech.

D．To develop a hand gesture for people unable to speak.

2. What’s the problem with the existing brain-computer interfaces?

A．They are unreliable and inefficient.

B．They ask people to fully concentrate.

C．They require too much body language.

D．They are useless to people unable to speak.

3. What does Paragraph 3 mainly talk about?

A．How to decode brain signals correctly.

B．How the new method works theoretically.

C．How to use your speech muscles effectively.

D．How the brain responds to one’s muscle movements.

4. What will the scientists do next?

A．Ask human listeners for opinions.

B．Bring their products to the market.

C．Invent new tools for those unable to speak.

D．Prove the new method in people unable to speak.

2 . Hummingbirds occupy a unique place in nature: They fly like insects but have the bone and muscles of birds. According to Bo Cheng, a professor in Mechanical Engineering at Penn State, hummingbirds have incredible agility (敏捷) when flying through the air, which is why their flight behavior is often mimicked in the design of drones and other flying vehicles.

Using a new modeling method, Cheng and his team gained new insights into how hummingbirds produce wing movement, which could lead to design improvements in flying robots. “We essentially analyzed how the muscles and skeleton   (骨骼) work in hummingbirds to flap the wings,” said Cheng. “The traditional methods have mostly focused on measuring the activity of a bird or insect during natural flight or in an artificial environment where flight-like conditions are reproduced. But most insects and, among birds specifically, hummingbirds are very small. The data that we can get from those measurements are limited.”

The researchers employed various methods to inform and adjust their model. With this model, they uncovered previously unknown methods of hummingbird wing movement. The discovery was that hummingbirds tighten their shoulder joints in both the up-and-down direction and the twisting direction using various smaller muscles.

“It’s like when we do fitness training and a trainer asks us to tighten our core to be more agile,” Cheng said. “We found that hummingbirds are using a similar kind of procedure.” They tighten their wings in the twisting and up-and-down directions but keep the wings loose along the back- and-forth direction. So their wings appear to be flapping back and forth only while their power muscles, or their flight engines, are actually pulling the wings in all three directions. In this way, the wings have very good agility in their motion.

While Cheng stressed that the results from the new model are predictions that will need confirmation, he said that it has suggestions for technological development of flying vehicles. “Even though the technology is not there yet to fully mimic hummingbird flight, our work provides essential methods for informed mimicry of hummingbirds hopefully for the next generation of agile flight systems.”

1. What’s the limitation of previous studies on hummingbird flight?

A．Insufficient records.

B．Inaccurate measurements.

C．Few bird species for research.

D．Lack of suitable test environments.

2. What has the research discovered about hummingbirds’ agile winging?

A．They tighten their wings for balance in flight.

B．They use twisting motions to get flight power.

C．They keep straight flight by controlling small muscles.

D．They flexibly adjust wing movements in different directions.

3. What is Cheng’s attitude towards the research findings?

A．Unclear.

B．Approving.

C．Doubtful.

D．Negative.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．The impact of drones on hummingbirds’ survival

B．Identifying hummingbird species through flying patterns

C．A new approach to studying hummingbirds’ muscle system

D．Studying hummingbirds to advance future flying vehicles

3 . Trans-Siberian Railway

About the tour

Board our private train, the Zarengold, and start a 15-day journey from Beijing to Moscow via Ulaanbaatar on the world’s most famous railroad. An unforgettable adventure will wait for you. Set this dream of a lifetime on the tracks with our private train and experience Russia, Mongolia and China in the safest and most comfortable manner.

The historic route between Beijing and Moscow is the central part of the trip. The exciting days of your journey are delivering three of the world’s largest countries directly to your compartment (车厢). Sit back to fully enjoy the great changes of scenery and Europe’s and Asia’s most excellent landscapes!

Highlights

● Visits to the Great Wall of China and Ming Tombs

● Traditional Mini-Naadam celebrations, including Mongolian horse-riding shows

● Rides on the panoramic (全景的) railway tracks along Lake Baikal with photo stops

● Traditional Russian welcome ceremonies

● Moscow city tours including a guided visit to the Kremlin

● Professional tour guides offering a special understanding of Russian, Mongolian and Chinese culture

View Dates

15 May 2022 - 29 May 2022 (15 days)

12 Jun. 2022 - 26 Jun. 2022 (15 days)

31 Jul. 2022 - 14 Aug. 2022 (15 days)

26 Aug. 2022 - 09 Sept. 2022 (15 days)

18 Sept. 2022 - 02 Oct. 2022 (15 days)

What’s included

TRANS	●   Overnight private train ●   Transfers in Moscow and Beijing
ACCOMMODATION	●   Overnight private train accommodations for 9 nights ●   Hotel accommodations for 5 nights
LUGGAGE	●   Luggage service at train stations
FOOD & DRINKS	●   All meals on the train except meals at hotels

What’s not included

● Cancellation and travel insurance are not included in the price of the tour but can be organized

● Airport transfers

1. What can we know about the tour?

A．It covers places outside Europe and Asia.

B．It’s a year-round trip popular with Asians.

C．It’s a cross-border trip with impressive scenery.

D．It can be adjusted according to tourists’ requests.

2. What can tourists do during the trip?

A．Visit the Kremlin.	B．Clean the Ming Tombs.
C．Walk along Lake Baikal.	D．Ride a horse in Mongolia.

3. What does the tour include?

A．Airport transfers.	B．Luggage storage.
C．Private tour guides.	D．All meals in the tour.

4 . Imagine getting ready for bed, brushing your teeth, setting your alarm and then putting a device on your head that allows you to control your dreams. It might sound like something unfeasible, but it’s the real-life promise of a new futuristic-looking headband called Halo, at present in development by US tech company Prophetic.

Expected to be released in 2025, Halo aims to allow you to have more lucid dreams (清醒梦). In some cases, you might also exercise a degree of control over what happens in these dreams, perhaps in ways that benefit your waking life, such as solving work problems, practicing guitar and more.

Earlier research has shown lucid dreams could be used for real-life benefits. For example, one study carried out by researchers at the University of Bern, Switzerland showed that participants who practised casting coins into a cup in their lucid dreams showed superior performance the next day.

The team behind Halo are using technologies like EEG (脑电图) to collect vast amounts of brain data from volunteers experiencing lucid dreams. The idea is to build a detailed map of what’s happening in the brain during different types of lucid dreams. This information will be key for the second main area of investigation, which involves using TUS (delivered via the headband) to control brain activity. TUS, a non-invasive brain stimulation technique, can change brain function by using high-frequency sound.

“It’s seemingly true that the sound stimulation could contribute to the high-frequency brain activity that’s associated with lucidity,” says Professor Mark Blagrove, a sleep scientist based at Swansea University. “Sound stimulation has been used to cause low-frequency slow waves in slow wave sleep, so the method suggested is believable.”

However, TUS is a relatively new approach to brain stimulation and it’s not entirely clear what the long-term results of stimulating your brain with high-frequency sounds might be. Moreover, some sleep scientists believe dreams have basic functions, including processing emotional experiences. By using a device to change the nature of your dreams, maybe you risk interrupting the usual purpose of your dreams.

1. What does the underlined word “unfeasible” in paragraph 1 probably mean?

A．Impossible.

B．Significant.

C．Logical.

D．Meaningless.

2. Why is the study by the University of Bern mentioned?

A．To suggest a way to dream a dream.	B．To provide a theory for developing Halo.
C．To prove the benefits of lucid dreams.	D．To indicate the meaning of being awake.

3. What is the fourth paragraph mainly about?

A．The way in which EEG works.	B．The reason for designing Halo.
C．The changes brought by Halo.	D．The methods used by the team.

4. What can we know from the last paragraph?

A．Hal o has got widespread recognition.	B．There may be some side effects about Halo.
C．Dreaming doesn’t have any functions.	D．Lucid dreams cause emotional experiences.

6 . The British coastline has a wild beauty in the colder months but still offers incredible wildlife, views and fresh air. Our guide looks at the best beaches to visit in the UK in the winter months.

Cuckmere Haven, East Sussex

If you’re visiting Brighton or Eastbourne, a winter walk along Cuckmere Haven beach and through Seven Sisters Country Park is a must. Here, brisk sea breezes refresh your mind and amazing beach and ocean provide the perfect setting for an open-air yoga session.

Robin Hood’s Bay, Yorkshire

Robin Hood’s Bay is a hidden bit of history, with its raw cliffs, red-roofed cottages and unusual architecture. The beach itself is one of the UK’s best spots for fossil-hunting. Perfect to visit in the winter, you can enjoy a walk along the cliffs or beach to take in the historical village.

Embleton Bay, Northumberland

A beautiful long stretch of beach overlooked by the impressive ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle, Embleton Bay is a perfect winter beach. On a clear cold morning the ruins can be seen perfectly from the beach and beach itself backs onto dunes (沙丘), famous for flowers, grasses and birds.

Charmouth, Dorset

There are few family pleasures as simple or as satisfying as finding fossils on the beach. It’s an outdoor experience perfect for children of all ages. There’s no better place to indulge a passion for fossils than the Jurassic coastline of Dorset and Devon. Now recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it’s made up of 95 miles and 185 million years of prehistoric life.

1. Which beach best suits people who pursue a mind and body practice?

A．Cuckmere Haven.	B．Robin Hood’s Bay.
C．Embleton Bay.	D．Charmouth.

2. What do the Robin Hood’s Bay and Charmouth have in common?

A．They have beautiful cliffs.	B．They have historical villages.
C．They are good fossil-hunting spots.	D．They are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

3. Where is this text probably taken from?

A．A biography.	B．A travel brochure.
C．An academic article.	D．An exhibition guide.

7 . Joseph Dituri hasn’t seen the sun for two fortnights. And he won’t see it again for months. Since March 1st, the professor has been underwater, with the goal of spending 100 days there-for science. If successful, he will break the current world record for time spent living underwater, which was set by two Tennessee biologists in 2014 when they stayed beneath the surface for 73 days.

Dituri, who has been nicknamed “Dr. Deep Sea”, is living in Jules’ Undersea Lodge (小屋) in Key Largo, Florida-the same underwater venue where the previous record was set. The 100-square-foot hotel, which sits 30 feet below the surface, is his temporary home, where he is carrying out research and giving virtual lectures for his students at the University of South Florida.

“The human body has never been underwater that long, so I will be monitored closely,” Dituri said. “This study will examine every way this journey impacts my body, but my hypothesis (假设) is that there will be improvements to my health due to the increased pressure.” This hypothesis comes from a study that indicated potentially positive effects of pressure exposure on cell growth and vitality (活力), and Dituri hopes that his underwater experience could reveal ways to combat age-related diseases and lengthen lifespan.

As part of his research, Dituri is investigating the effects of living in a high-pressure environment for an extended period. To keep water from entering the lodge, air must constantly be pumped into the space to create a pressure about 1.6 times higher than that of the Earth’s surface. Therefore, it can’t be achieved in his own right.

Before the journey, Dituri had undergone psychosocial, psychological and medical tests. He continues to undergo testing during and after his 100 days at the lodge. “The mental health part of this is important, because I’m in an isolated and limited environment,” he said.

Beyond research, the project is also a chance to cultivate children’s enthusiasm for exploring the science field. Dituri invites about 40 children to stay with him for 24 hours at a time and teach them to dive. To him, this outreach is what makes the whole project worth it-more than the chance for a world record.

1. What do we know about Dituri’s experiment from the text?

A．It is scheduled to end on July 9th.

B．It has been on for nearly a month.

C．Its aim is just to break the world record.

D．It is conducted where two Tennessce biologists settled.

2. What is Dituri’s attitude toward the impact the increased pressure has on health?

A．Doubtful.

B．Cautious.

C．Hopeful.

D．Unclear.

3. Which scene possibly happens in the course of Dituri’s living underwater?

A．He pumps the air into the lodge.	B．He instructs invited children to dive.
C．He analyzes his own psychosocial tests.	D．He experiments in a spacious lodge.

4. Why does Dituri invite children to experience the underwater life?

A．To arouse their eagerness for science.	B．To case his loneliness and isolation.
C．To set a world record at full stretch.	D．To prove the value of his experience.

9 . The first time our fifth grader bought a salad for school lunch, she proudly told me the news as soon as she walked in the kitchen door. I didn’t share her delight.

“Honey, just so you know, salad isn’t a meal. It’s a side,” I said. “Vegetables won’t keep you full.”

“But a salad’s healthy, right?” she asked.

Of course the objective answer is yes. But my answer was more complicated. I couldn’t celebrate her otherwise healthy choice because I was worried she had begun to model my dieting and restrictive eating habits she saw as a younger child — habits that included lots of salad eating (and little else) and finally led to my anorexia (厌食症) nearly two years ago. Was this monkey see, monkey do?

Even though our daughters — who are now 10, 8 and 6 — are old enough to make their own regular food choices, what my husband and I have modeled for them will make a difference. I learned something about restrictive eating from watching my own father, who often struggled with his weight. Of course, I don’t blame him for my disorder — he never intended for his choices to be a weight-loss book for me, though sadly, they were. So knowing what I know now, it would be stupid, if not irresponsible for me to think that just because I never told our daughters to restrict or to spend hours each day exercising that they wouldn’t have understood what my “healthy” lifestyle really meant. To be clear, there are countless medical reasons why some parents chose restrictive diets, but when restriction or a diet becomes a way of life that starts to affect relationships, that’s not healthy.

I knew I was wrong to shame the salad our daughter bought for lunch, which is why I reconsidered my response and told her that salad for lunch was, indeed, a healthy choice, and that it should include cheese, meat or nuts, which would keep her brain focused for the rest of her school day. She smiled at my answer. “Well, I also have cheese, eggs and chicken on my salad.”

1. How did the author feel on hearing about her daughter’s lunch?

A．Unconcerned.

B．Relaxed.

C．Uneasy.

D．Delighted.

2. What can we infer about the author’s father?

A．He exercised a lot to keep fit.

B．He was often on a diet.

C．He once suffered from a disorder.

D．He was a good model for the author.

3. What was worrying the author?

A．Her kids at e too much fat every day.

B．Her kids were influenced by her lifestyle.

C．Her kids spent too little time exercising.

D．Her kids knew nothing about food choices.

4. What kind of lunch did the author’s daughter have that day?

A．Vegetarian.

B．High-fat.

C．Balanced.

D．Weight-loss.

10 . It took an ill screech owl (鸣角鸮) to teach a scientist the value of up-close-and-personal study.

In his Harvad talk, Carl Safina, an ecologist and author of Alfie and Me: What Owls Know, What Humans Believe, recalled that the chick was found dying in his backyard. Safina took it in and planned to nurse it back to health and then perform release. But the owlet's flight feathers didn't grow properly. Safina delayed the release. Over those extended months, Safina got to know Alfie in ways that moved and changed him.

“An owl found me and then I was watching ‘an owl’,” he said. “It was no longer an owl after a while, it was ‘she’ because she had a history with me. This little owl, who was with me much longer than I thought she would be, became an individual to me by that history and all those interactions.”

The bond with Alfie strengthened to the point that, when she was finally released, she created a territory with Safina's home at its center. Safina was able to spend hours each day observing her in the woods as she learned to take care of herself in the wild, met two mates, and raised chicks of her own.

When he heard Alfie calling, Safina said, he'd call back and she'd land nearby. Their closeness allowed him to learn more things about screech owls. Field guides, for example, describe two known calls but he identified six, some of which you have to be quite close to hear. The relationship also opened a window for Safina onto personality differences between Alfie and her mates.

When pointed out that his approach to Alfie—including the act of naming her—ran counter to widespread scientific practice, Safina said he wasn't concerned about violating (违反) convention, particularly if something interesting like individual personality differences among owls could be learned.

The experience caused Safina to think more deeply about humankind's relationship with nature and the kind of personal connection he was able to feel with a wild individual. “What I learned from Alfie is that all sentient (有情感的) beings seek a feeling of well-being and freedom of movement,” Safina said. “That's a guide to what's right and what's wrong to me.”

1. What do we know about Alfie?

A．She developed a close bond with Safina.

B．She was a fictional character in Safina's book.

C．She intentionally landed in Safina's backyard.

D．She was dying because of the broken flight feathers.

2. What happened after Safina released Alfie?

A．Alfie chose to stay with Safina at his home.

B．They maintained a continous communication.

C．Alfie met mates and raised chicks by herself.

D．Safina kept his distance from her to prevent attachment.

3. What did Safina achieve in his study?

A．Recording six different calls of the screech owl.

B．Identifying different types of owls by their calls.

C．Learning how to release owls back into the wild.

D．Understanding personality differences among owls.

4. How did Safina's experience with Alfie impact him?

A．He became more focused on exploring nature.

B．He initiated his commitment to wildlife conservation.

C．He developed a deep appreciation for the welfare of living creatures.

D．He decided to guide readers to distinguish between right and wrong.