Whether you are a beginner or already a regular runner, these apps will come in handy for planning routes that avoid busy places on your next run
Strava
Just put in whether you’re running or cycling, how far you’d like to go and whether you’re keen to avoid hills, the app will then suggest a number of routes near you, based on where other runners have been. It is a good way to see running routes you might not have explored.
Komoot
As you plan the route, it’ll work out the distance of your run and give you the option to input your running speed, allowing the app to work out how long the route shall take you.
Map my run
Map my run gives runners the option to plan their own route, or the ability to search through popular running routes near you, which is even more helpful for beginners. The app gives you the option of saving your favourite routes and accessing them on the app if you get lost mid-run.
OS Maps
Another hugely popular map-building platform, OS Maps is pretty high tech when it comes to planning a running route. You’ll need a subscription to get some of the features, but using the free app you can find local running routes. There are almost two million routes stored in the routes database, and many of them are free.
1. What is special about Strava?| A．It can be used to play music. | B．It is pretty high technology. |
| C．It can plan cycling routes. | D．It works out the running distance. |
| A．Map my run | B．Komoot |
| C．Strava | D．OS maps |
| A．To teach running skills to users. |
| B．To share running experience online |
| C．To introduce four apps about running. |
| D．To show the increasing popularity of running. |
2 . Soot (煤) pollution is speeding up climate-driven melting in Antarctica, a new study suggests, raising questions about how to protect the delicate continent from the increasing number of humans who want to visit.
“It really makes us question, is our presence really needed?” says Alia Khan, one of the authors of the new study. “We have quite a large black carbon footprint in Antarctica, which is enhancing snow and ice melt.”
Black carbon is the leftover thing from burning plants or fossil fuels. Soot in Antarctica comes primarily from waste gases of cruise ships (游轮), vehicles and airplanes, although some pollution travels on the wind from other parts of the globe. The dark particles (微粒) coat white snow and absorb heat from the sun the way a black T-shirt does on a warm day. The blanket of dark bits speeds up melting that was already happening more quickly because of global warming.
When snow and ice are uncovered, they reflect an enormous amount of sunlight before it can turn into heat. “These are the mirrors on our planet,” says Sonia Nagorski, a scientist at the University of Alaska Southeast. “When those mirrors are covered in a film of dark bits, they don’t send back that much light and heat. That means more heat is trapped on Earth, speeding up melting and contributing to global warming.”
As a scientist who personally visits Antarctica every year, Khan says she is troubled by her own research results. On the one hand, she goes to Antarctica to collect crucial data about how quickly the snow and ice there are disappearing. “But then when we come to conclusions like this it really does make us think twice about how frequently we need to visit the continent,” she says, “and what kind of regulations should be placed on tourism as well.” That could mean requiring that cruise ships and vehicles be electric, for example, or limiting the number of visitors each year.
1. What is Khan’s attitude towards human actions in Antarctica according to paragraph 2?| A．Angry and abusive. | B．Cold and uninterested. |
| C．Doubtful and anxious. | D．Admiring and delighted. |
| A．The quick melting of ice and snow. | B．The emission from virous transport. |
| C．The remaining parts of burning plants. | D．The floating gases from other continents. |
| A．The covered ice is less reflective. |
| B．The melting speed of ice is slower than before. |
| C．The dark blanket serves as a big mirror. |
| D．The sunlight gets increasingly stronger recently. |
| A．What made our planet so polluted? | B．Who is to blame for air pollution? |
| C．Can electric vehicles save tourism? | D．Are we welcome to the South Pole? |
3 . Scientists at the University of Birmingham in the U.K. found that increased consumption of flavonols (黄酮醇类) allowed its male participants to more efficiently complete cognitive tasks. Flavonols are molecules naturally found in fruit, vegetables and cocoa (可可粉).
Researchers giving a cocoa drink to a select group of participants and a non-cocoa drink to another for a study found flavonol produced a faster and greater increase in blood oxygenation (氧化) levels. The study consisting of 18 healthy male participants aged between 18 and 40 led to the discovery that participants who drank the cocoa completed cognitive (认知的) tasks some 11% faster than the other group.
In the news released by the university, the study’s author Dr. Catarina Rendeiro said: “It is the first time the cognitive effects of flavonols in young, healthy subjects and the link with brain blood oxygenation have been investigated.”
“Our results showed a clear benefit for the participants taking the flavanol-enriched drink, but only when the task became sufficiently complicated,” she explained. “We can link this with our results on improved blood oxygenation. If you’re being challenged more, your brain needs improved blood oxygen levels to manage that challenge. It also further suggests that flavonols might be particularly beneficial during cognitively demanding tasks.”
“By better understanding the cognitive benefits of eating these food groups, as well as the wider cardiovascular benefits, we can offer improved guidance to people about how to make the most of their dietary choices,” the doctor added.
The study, published in Scientific Reports, was funded by a Birmingham-Illinois Bridge Seed Grant, and by the National Institute of Aging in the U.S.
Also worthy of note is that some participants of the study saw no benefit from consuming the flavanol-enriched drink. It’s believed that they likely already had high blood oxygenation levels.
1. What did the researchers discover?| A．The function of flavonols. | B．The flavors of cocoa. |
| C．People’s cognitive levels. | D．Our blood oxygenation levels. |
| A．The result of doing cognitive tasks. |
| B．The meaning of the research. |
| C．The ways of completing the research. |
| D．The need to improve men’s cognition. |
| A．Make a diet plan. | B．Cure many patients. |
| C．Improve girls’ study. | D．Solve an easy problem. |
| A．They are suitable for children and adults. |
| B．Scientists won’t study them any more. |
| C．People should consume them as much as possible. |
| D．They are good for people to keep their minds sharp. |
4 . No matter where you usually hear today’s top hits, you’ve probably noticed that they tend to be around three minutes long.
As Vox explains, the custom dates back to the early 20th century, when shellac (虫胶) records first appeared in the market. The rates at which these records spun varied, but 78 revolutions (旋转) per minute (RPM) quickly became the norm. The most popular record sizes were 10 inches which could hold about three minutes of music per side, and 12 inches which held roughly four to five minutes per side. To get radio stations to broadcast their music and get people to buy it, musicians pretty much had to accommodate those time limits.
As music technology developed over the years, from records to cassette tapes to CDs, three minutes didn’t fall out of fashion. According to Classic FM, this was partly because radio stations could fit more commercials into a program if the songs stayed relatively short. It’s also likely that pop music listeners just preferred briefness; after all, it’s what the last several decades had taught them to expect. As Thomas Tierney said, “It’s implanted in our DNA.”
Today, many tracks come in under three minutes long. Shorter attention spans and social media’s influence might explain the trend toward briefness, but it’s not the only factor: The reward model matters, too. “Instead of getting paid by physical sales, you’re getting paid in a stream, which only counts if someone listens to 30 seconds of a song,” songwriter Charlie Harding told The Verge. “It actually makes sense if you can have more songs streamed at a time, which means that you want to pack your album full of much shorter songs.”
In other words, success is now less about sales but more about the number of streams. Today’s pop stars are making music that reflects the shift—not unlike how 20th-century musicians learned to work within the original three-minute limits.
1. Why did some songs in the early 20th century tend to be about three minutes long?| A．To keep up with the development of society. |
| B．To follow the musicians’ steps. |
| C．To be in memory of shellac records. |
| D．To meet the market demand. |
| A．Fewer media. | B．Fewer listeners. | C．More profits. | D．More programs. |
| A．Its songwriter. | B．Its physical sales. |
| C．The number of its streams. | D．The album’s packaging. |
| A．Why are many pop songs about three minutes long? |
| B．What kind of pop songs do people like? |
| C．How did music technology develop gradually? |
| D．Why are pop songs getting shorter now? |
5 . I walked along the sidewalk that borders the west side of Central Park this morning, wondering at its shape: Hexagonal(六边形的) paving stones underneath my feet were bordered by brickwork, with a tidy stone wall running alongside. Just past the wall lay the park itself, where delicate branches of leafless trees reached to the blue sky, and sparrows emerged from trees.
The contrast between the straight-lined, orderly, man-made sidewalk and the complex diversity of nature just beyond its border made me think about the differences between natural creation and man’s creation.
The world holds many examples of circles: the moon, grapes, drops of water and the center of flowers. Triangles(三角形) are readily evident, too. There are kitty cat noses and ears, mountain peaks and river deltas.
But what about the most common shape in the man-made world, the rectangle(矩形)? I searched my brain for natural equals. Though I thought and thought, I came up with only two: teeth and salt crystals. That surprised me. Do we prefer rectangles simply because it’s easier to plan and build with blocks and straight lines? Or does it have something to do with the idea that humans tend to assume life is supposed to be linear? I don’t know.
There are bent lines everywhere. As I look at the beauty of, a tree in winter, with its branches reaching skyward in a seemingly untidy but obviously planned pattern, I can apprehend something of what that means.
Our world isn’t always tidy and predictable in the way that I want it to be. There are twists and turns in my life that I can’t foresee or predict. That doesn’t mean branching off in unexpected directions is bad or wrong. It means that when I find myself in each new place, I need to continue growing and reaching upward.
1. How did the author feel about the sidewalk’s shape?| A．disappointed. | B．surprised. | C．worried. | D．pleased. |
| A．negative. | B．cautious. | C．unconcerned. | D．objective. |
| A．create. | B．imagine. | C．understand. | D．arrange. |
| A．People should live in a complex world. |
| B．Triangles are the most common in nature. |
| C．Natural creation and man’s creation should be balanced. |
| D．We should move forward in the face of uncertainties. |
6 . Since launching in 2014, InspireMore has made it its task to spread hope to the world through the power of digital storytelling. This year it announces a new way to partner Smile Train.
Smile Train
It has given free high-quality treatment for cleft lips to more than 1.5 million children in just 22 years. By doing so, it has changed the lives of countless children. In other words, cleft lips are a serious medical condition affecting the lives of millions globally. But the treatment is effective when people have access to it. That’ s why Smile Train comes in!
About the partnership
InspireMore wants to spread that kindness even further, so it named Smile Train its first-ever “Partner Cause of the Year”. Using the platform to share inspiring stories from the field of comprehensive care of cleft lips, InspireMore will help educate the public on cleft lips while spreading the awareness of the free treatment. Plus, InspireMore will be directly supporting Smile Train’s crucial work around the world.
Share to Give
With the new campaign Share to Give, every time you share an InspireMore article, it will donate to Smile Train to help provide these life-changing opportunities to children in need. It’ s a win-win situation: The more you share the inspiring stories, the more good news is spread to the world, and the more InspireMore is able to give directly to support Smile Train’s incredible work.
The campaign will run all year long, so be sure to visit www.inspiremore.com regularly and find the latest uplifting news to share!
1. What is Smile Train?| A．A charity. | B．A company. | C．A research institute. | D．A travel agency. |
| A．By setting up more branches. | B．By writing more inspiring stories. |
| C．By spreading inspiring stories of cleft lips. | D．By treating patients suffering from cleft lips. |
| A．A textbook. | B．An advertisement. | C．A biography. | D．A novel. |
7 . Football: Designing the Beautiful Game
Whether you are a crazy fan or sideline supporter, visitors to this exhibition will enjoy discovering the remarkable design stories behind the world’s beautiful game.
What to expect
The exhibition explores the story behind football, showing how design has been used to push the game to new limits. Take a journey through over 500 objects, films and interviews in sporting performance, equipment development and stadium design, and involve yourself in the stories of clubs and game legends(传奇人物)including Messi, Pelé, George Best and Diego Maradona.
Held by the Design Museum and the National Football Museum in Manchester, the show reveals the master planning of the world’s most significant football stadiums, the design innovation used in today’s equipment, how the graphic design of team badges(徽章) and posters shapes a club’s identity and how grassroots’ efforts are pushing the sport’s commercialization.
Ticket information
※Online booking is advised but tickets will also be available in the booking office. Last entry to the exhibition is 90 minutes before the museum closes.
※Adult tickets are charged from £ 16 and student tickets from £ 12. Meanwhile, you can save 25% on family and group tickets.
※Present your exhibition entry ticket for 10% off food and drink at London Grade Coffee on the ground floor.
1. What can visitors do at the exhibition?| A．Design a team badge. | B．Interview master designers. |
| C．Put on football equipment. | D．Learn about famous football players. |
| A．£ 33. | B．£ 36. | C．£ 44. | D．£ 48. |
| A．A special discount on goods at a cafe. | B．A photo of a significant football stadium. |
| C．A free visit to the National Football Museum. | D．An invitation to a club’s sporting performance. |
8 . Math anxiety is far from uncommon, but too often, those who fear the subject simply avoid it. Research from The University of Chicago offers evidence for the link between math anxiety and avoidance.
Studying nearly 500 adults through a computer program called the Choose—And—Solve Task (CAST) the researchers gave participants a choice between math and word problems labeled “easy” and “hard”. The easy problems were always worth two cents, while the hard problems were worth up to six cents. They also informed participants the computer task would modify the questions in the process of testing based on their abilities, enabling them to handle about 70% of the hard problems.
Although participants attempted hard word problems when promised higher monetary prizes, they rarely chose to do the same for math problems. “We found we couldn’t even pay math-anxious individuals to do difficult math problems,” researcher Rozek says.
The findings also contradict a widely held belief that feeling anxious about math and avoiding math-related problems is rooted in being bad at math. “If you take two students good at math, the math-anxious one will do worse at math than the one that isn’t anxious.”
Such a mentality does more than stopping people from taking calculus courses or pursuing a career in STEM. It can affect everyday interactions with math-like leaving a tip in a restaurant. But all is not lost. Reframing their anxiety from negative to positive could help math-anxious people re-engage. Giving those anxious about siting exams guidance may lead them to perform better. “Telling them if you’re anxious, this is your body getting you ready to perform and focus,” Rozek says. Another path may be to create early positive experiences around math. For example, telling stories featuring math and tackling problems around the story may be helpful.
1. What does the underlined word “modify” mean in paragraph 2?| A．Adjust. | B．Design. | C．Solve. | D．Add. |
| A．Math anxiety interacts with math avoidance. |
| B．Word problems are often regarded as easier. |
| C．Fear of math can outweigh higher rewards. |
| D．People underrate their mathematical ability. |
| A．It is the cause of math avoidance. |
| B．It causes people to be bored of math. |
| C．It is a complex phenomenon in life. |
| D．It results from poor math performance. |
| A．Consequences of math avoidance. |
| B．Ways to break the anxiety-avoidance link. |
| C．Explanations for math anxiety. |
| D．Mental barriers to mathematical achievements. |
9 . The Best Hiking Near New York City
If you want to go hiking near New York City, you’re in luck. These trails can met your needs.
Ice Caves and Verkeerderkill Falls Trail Hike
Along the seven-mile tail, you get to get through the passages of the Ice Caves and walk past Verkeerderkill Falls. The trail is the highest waterfall trail in the Shawangunks. Take the Short Line bus from New York to nearby Ellenville and then take a 14-minute taxi ride to Sam’s Point Preserve.
Yellow Trail at Mount Beacon
Consider this 2.5-mile trail if you don’t have enough time. You can go on a quick but difficult hike there that sends you straight up to the Mount Beacon. You can take in beautiful views similar to its more popular neighbors there. You can even watch the sunset. To get there, take Metro-North to Beacon and take a 5-minute walk to the beginning of the trail.
Stairway to Heaven Trail
The trail lies about 50 miles outside the city, but it allows you to get everything you ever wanted in a hike. You’ll get good exercise if you choose the 7.3-mile “Stairway to Heaven”. Take NJ Transit bus route 196 or 197 to Warwick, New York, and it’s just a 10-minute taxi ride to the beginning of the trail.
Camp Smith Trail
This three and-a-half-mile hike is great for a day trip by yourself. With fairly easy landform (地形), even your four-legged friend can join you on the trail. Take the Metro-North Hudson Line to Peekskill Station for free buses or trains to the Bear Mountain Inn. And you can hike up to see unbelievable Hudson Valley view.
1. What can you do if you choose Yellow Trail at Mount Beacon?| A．Watch the waterfall. |
| B．Enjoy the beauty of nature. |
| C．Experience mountain biking. |
| D．Have team sports in the wild. |
| A．Ice Caves and Verkeerderkill Falls Trail Hike. |
| B．Yellow Trail at Mount Beacon. |
| C．Stairway to Heaven Trail. |
| D．Camp Smith Trail. |
| A．They can be easy to get to. |
| B．They are near the city center. |
| C．They are suitable for small kids. |
| D．They attract many hikers every year. |
10 . If we continue at our current production rate, the World Economic Forum predicts that by 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean. Today, there is a garbage island three times the size of France floating in the Pacific Ocean. However, in her presentation last week, Alexandra Cousteau, a world-renowned environmental advocate, offered a small sign of hope.
Cousteau’s talk, titled “Telling the Story of Our Water Planet: Innovation in Filmmaking and Social Media to Effect Environmental Change”, focused on using innovation and technology to create environmental solutions with a focus on restoration rather than preservation. She described our current approach to conservation as a “zero-sum game” between environmentalists and economists. An endangered species habitat can either be protected or developed; a polluted stream can either be cleaned or left to deteriorate (恶化). Both teams are on the defensive, yet playing a losing game.
In the 1970s, the environmentalist movement focused on conservation efforts. Cousteau said, “It was an effective tool then when plastics were young. But we have lost 50 % of our oceanic ecosystems since 1950. Conservation is no longer enough. “Cousteau urges us to create biological richness for the creatures still living in the sea.
Throughout her speech, Cousteau discussed the challenges facing our oceans and the solutions lying at our fingertips. She explained the power of seaweed farming to sequester (隔离) carbon. She talked of 3 D printing coral reefs rather than painstakingly growing. Most of all, she focused on the youths and our amazing power for driving practical change.
Cousteau said, however, there are challenges in the mission. Ocean conservation has inequalities (不平等) in its approach and implementation. Though the science exists, lawmakers need to employ these solutions efficiently and equitably, which is far easier said than done. Despite these obstacles, Cousteau’s message gave hope.
Modern environmentalism is no longer the work of a few, but the work of many dedicated individuals with a common vision for change. Together, we can regain hope and rebuild our oceans.
1. Why is the World Economic Forum’s prediction mentioned?| A．To share environmental solutions. |
| B．To tell the content of Cousteau’s talk. |
| C．To show the serious result of oceanic garbage. |
| D．To show our current dangerous living condition. |
| A．The failure of protecting the environment. |
| B．People’s awareness of protecting the Earth. |
| C．The success of the environmentalist movement. |
| D．People’s creative solution to protecting the Earth. |
| A．It should be continued. |
| B．It should be prevented now. |
| C．It was useful for biological richness. |
| D．It was good but then had little effect. |
| A．Her goal is difficult to achieve. |
| B．Her focus on the youths’ efforts is wrong. |
| C．She will rebuild the ocean by herself in the future. |
| D．She believes in the present ways to protect the ocean. |
