1 . If you plan to learn a foreign language, you might think it’s going to be really challenging. You’ve probably heard a lot of talks about how it’s easier to learn languages as a young child, and that learning as an adult can be difficult. You might even know friends or family members who have tried to learn a foreign tongue and failed. That’s because they are surrounded by the failure. We’re here to cheer you up with some good news and inspire you to get started.
The amazing adult brain: whether you can learn languages at any age? Scientists are always learning about the human brain. Decades ago, experts believed that the brain developed during childhood and then retained that way for life. However, modern studies have shown us that the brain has the ability to continually form new neural (神经的) connections throughout adulthood. A 2010 Swedish study tested two groups of people, one in the range of age 21 through 30 and another between 65 and 80. Remarkably, they found no significant differences in Neuroplasticity (神经可塑性). In other words, this suggests that it’s possible for you to learn new things at any age.
Besides being possible to learn languages, research also suggests that it improves the adult brain in general. In a 2012 Chinese study, experts looked at a group of adults who were learning Mandarin (普通话) over a nine-month period. They found that these adults showed improved integrity in their white matter, the part of the brain that allows neural cells to communicate. The better your neural cells communicate, the easier it will be for you to learn new things.
Why may adults have an easier time learning? Children might be blessed with a naturally high degree of neuroplasticity, but that doesn’t mean learning is necessarily easier for them. In fact, adult brains have a number of great qualities that might actually make learning easier, especially if you take advantage of free language learning apps like Mondly.
1. Why do some adults fail in the language learning?| A．Because they are too old to learn a new language. |
| B．Because languages are too difficult for adults to learn |
| C．Because they are influenced by the adults who failed. |
| D．Because they have no plans for new language learning. |
| A．improved | B．remained | C．changed | D．strengthened |
| A．To tell the difference between children and adults in language learning. |
| B．To state the difference between children and adults in brain development. |
| C．To show that there is no difference between children and adults in learning. |
| D．To prove the former theory about brain development by some experts wrong. |
| A．Brain development and new language learning. |
| B．Analysis about children learning a new language. |
| C．Information about adults learning a new language. |
| D．Some good news for adults to learn a new language |
2 . We are all aware of the effect greenhouse gas emissions are having on our planet and the efforts needed to fight climate change. Most of us are doing our bit to reduce our impact on the environment, but despite our collective effort, are we doing enough to achieve net zero by 2050?
Net zero means not adding to the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Many countries are doing their bit by changing how they generate and use power, therefore, cutting carbon dioxide output. And they announced what further steps they were going to take at the recent COP26 summit in Glasgow.
In the UK, the government has been setting out its plans to achieve net zero by 2050. It’s recently announced an end date for the sale of gas boilers, which are used for heating homes. The idea is to replace them with heat pumps. It’s offering homeowners money of up to £5,000 to get them in place. Another initiative in the UK is a big push towards electric vehicles. There are to be financial incentives (激励措施) for car makers, and more charging points are to be fitted in streets. And there’s to be a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030.
But not all emissions can be reduced to zero, so those remaining will have to do something to pay for being in existence. One way to do this is to plant thousands of trees, which are good at absorbing carbon dioxide. The UK government has promised to plant 30,000 hectares of trees a year by 2025. There are other ideas too, but what’s certain is this will cost money. The CBI’s Tom Thackray told the BBC that “those costs have to be weighed up against the cost of inaction.”
Whether the UK, or anyone else, reaches net zero remains to be seen. And there’s some doubt about how this can be accurately measured anyway. But it’s generally recognized that a global effort is needed to deal with climate change. Therefore, net zero targets only make sense if every other country is moving in the same direction.
1. What can be inferred from paragraph 1?| A．Net zero greenhouse gas emissions can be achieved by 2050. |
| B．Climate change is closely related to greenhouse gas emissions. |
| C．We are doing what we can to reduce our impact on the environment. |
| D．Countries should work together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. |
| A．Coal-fired power. | B．Gas heating. |
| C．Electric cars. | D．Petrol vehicles. |
| A．Plans made by the UK to cut down greenhouse gas emission. |
| B．Big contributors emitting greenhouse gas into the atmosphere. |
| C．Measures to be taken to ban the use of fossil fuel in some industries. |
| D．Incentives to encourage industries to reduce greenhouse gas emission. |
| A．To demonstrate how important and urgent it is to fight against climate change. |
| B．To introduce what the UK is doing to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emission. |
| C．To tell the difficulties to reach the set target of net zero greenhouse gas emission. |
| D．To call on countries in the world to work together to fight against climate change. |
3 . Surf holidays don’t have to mean noisy backpacker hotels and sticky floors. You can also book some truly unique surf stays right here.
The house on an island, Newquay, England
Separated from the mainland and accessed via a suspension bridge, this island is completely isolated (隔绝的) by water. It’s particularly famous for surfing and storm watching. Once on the island, you can pick your own flag from the collection in the house and raise it to let everyone know you’ve arrived.
Sleeps Six, from £ 1,776 for Three Nights.
The eco turf house, Isle of Lewis, Scotland
Folks in the northern hemisphere (半球) have been building such houses since 4,000 BC. Special roofs keep the houses naturally warm. These cottages also attract wildlife. For extra warmth, there’s under-floor heating and fuel-burning stoves. And stay guilt free－a wind turbine 300 metres away provides all the power to these eco houses.
Sleeps two, from £ 600 for two nights.
The inland surf camp, Bristol, England
The Camp at The Wave is minutes from an artificial surf break producing 1,000 perfect waves of varying sizes and shapes an hour. Unlike other surf destinations, you can book your trip for whenever suits you and be guaranteed perfect waves. These tents have a kitchen. There’s also a cafe on site.
Sleeps eight, two-night minimum stay mid-week and three-night minimum stay on weekends. From £ 105.
The coastal carriage, Ceredigion, Wales
The last of its type in existence, this Edwardian original sleeper carriage was built in 1905 for the London and South Western Railway. It used to form part of the Plymouth-Waterloo “boat train”, before it was retired from service in 1931 and transported here. Excellent waves can be found down the coastal path at Tresaith beach.
Sleeps five, from £ 354 for three nights.
1. What can we know about “The house on an island”?| A．It offers flag service. | B．It is surrounded by water. |
| C．It appeals to water skiers. | D．It is accessible by vehicles only. |
| A．The house on an island. | B．The eco turf house. |
| C．The inland surf camp. | D．The coastal carriage. |
| A．The eco turf house, Isle of Lewis, Scotland. |
| B．The coastal carriage, Ceredigion, Wales. |
| C．The inland surf camp, Bristol, England. |
| D．The house on an island, Newquay, England. |
4 . Though there are filters which can change digital photographs to make them similar to a painting, obvious differences still exist.
A brand-new painting AI has been made public recently. Much like the pupils of the old masters, the new AI studies the work of great painters like Vermeer and Van Gogh and learns to reproduce their works.
The AI, named “PaintBot”, is the creation of a team of researchers from the University of Maryland, the Bytedance AI Lab and Adobe Research.
PaintBot can not only reproduce the work of different artists but create new works based on photographs in the chosen painter's characteristic style.
To train the AI to imitate a given artist's technique, the researchers would present it with between 3 and 10 reference paintings. With each reference painting it studies, the AI gradually learns to recognize the various characteristics of the given artist's technique, including the stroke colour, position and size—along with the order in which each brushstroke should be made.
PaintBot uses a technique known as reinforcement learning. During the learning process, the AI would practice reproducing reference paintings, which it would then compare with the original work to see how similar the two were and if it was improving its imitation of the artist's style. It takes around six hours for the AI to learn to imitate a given painter.
Once the AI has mastered a particular artist's technique, the researchers could present it with a new image to reproduce in the same style. The AI then uses what it has learnt to produce a new painting, putting down each brushstroke one at a time.
After being trained in a given style, PaintBot takes only around five minutes to produce each of its digital masterpieces.
The way that PaintBot's compositions are built up from thousands of individual brushstrokes makes the AI's works more realistic than those online filters.
1. What do we know about filters used to change digital photos?| A．They are well received. | B．They are not good enough. |
| C．They are really fantastic. | D．They are disliked by people. |
| A．It mixes techniques of different artists. | B．It learns from the artist on the spot. |
| C．It just imitates the color of the given paintings. | D．It follows the given style of the paintings. |
| A．Lifelike. | B．Valuable. | C．Advanced. | D．Original. |
| A．The Most Intelligent AI Painter PainBot | B．A Brand-new Painting Reproduced By AI |
| C．PainBot Creates More Realistic Paintings | D．How PainBot Imitates Artists’techniques |
5 . Prashant Mandal shares a small hut with his wife and four kids, lives on less than $2 a day and recently suffered medical debts of more than $4,000 after his teenage son got sick last year. Yet, despite Mandal’s modest earnings, he spends 20 percent of his income on solar energy, an expense which is key to drawing in customers and helping his children to study. Across the globe, about 1.2 billion people live without electricity. Such limitations are not only inconvenient, but they put people in low-income countries at a greater risk of developing serious health condition. People living without electricity typically rely on kerosene lamps and other harmful light sources, which can lead to burns, injuries, poisoning and other risks .
Realizing the need for a more efficient energy source, a handful of for-profit companies have developed business models that enable under-served people to purchase solar energy, and, in turn, protect themselves and the environment in the process. Simpa Networks, which focuses its efforts on rural India, is such a company that has found a way to make solar energy affordable and accessible to people in need. Customers are charged a small down payment. Then, through its “progressive purchase” model, they pay in advance for a designated amount of energy consumption. A number of other companies have found ways to get solar energy into the hands and homes of people who typically can’t afford electricity. MPOWERD, a New York-based company, invented an inflatable solar light that is powered by the sun, and is also able to store that energy.
The Luci, which can provide light for up to about 12 hours, is marketed in the developed world as an efficient camping light. Those sales allow the company to keep its production costs down so that they’re actually affordable in low-income countries. “Energy poverty is discouraging but solvable if we all work together,” said John Salzinger, MPOWERD’s co-founder. “Every single consumer’s purchase helps us reduce costs, and then we pass those savings on to those who need affordable lights the most.”
1. Why does the text mention Prashant Mandal in Paragraph 1?| A．To tell us the situation of his family. | B．To state Prashant Mandal’s sufferings. |
| C．To show the convenience of solar energy. | D．To lead in the topic of the article. |
| A．Those who can produce solar energy. |
| B．Those who have access to enough electricity. |
| C．Those who live without sufficient electricity. |
| D．Those who are willing to use solar energy. |
| A．They can pay step by step. | B．They can pay after using it. |
| C．They must fully pay first. | D．They can buy it at a discount. |
| A．Concerned. | B．Optimistic | C．Discouraged | D．Neutral |
6 . Sam is a fourth-year student at Harvard Medical School, but poetry is still a big part of his life, now with a new teacher, Rafael Campo, who believes poetry can benefit every doctor's education and work. Rafael is a physician, professor and a highly respected poet.
“Poetry is in every encounter with my patients. I think healing is really in a very great way about poetry. And if we do anything when we're with our patients, we're really immersing ourselves in their stories, really hearing their voices. And, certainly, that's what a poem does,” he said.
Rafael worries that something important has been lost in medicine and medical education today: humanity, which he finds in poetry. To end that, he leads a weekly reading and writing workshop for medical students and residents.
He thinks medical training focuses too much on distancing the doctor from his or her patients, and poems can help close that gap.
Third-year resident Andrea Schwartz was one of the workshop regulars. She said, “I think there's no other profession other than medicine that produces as many poets as it does. And I think that is because there's just so much power in doctors and patients interacting when patients are at their saddest.” Not everyone believes that's what doctors should do, though.
Rafael said, “I was afraid of how people might judge me, actually. In the medical profession, as many people know, we must always put the emergency first. But, you know, that kind of treatment, if it's happening in the hospital, very regrettably, sadly, results in a bad outcome. The family is sitting by the bedside. The patient hasn't survived the cancer. Don't we still have a role as healers there?”
In a poem titled “Health”, Rafael writes of the wish to live forever in a world made painless by our incurable joy. He says he will continue teaching students, helping patients and writing poems, his own brand of medicine.
1. Which of the following is true about Rafael Campo?| A．He is a doctor. | B．He benefits from education. |
| C．He is a professional poet. | D．He isn’t keen on poetry. |
| A．Medical training is significant. | B．Poetry has no effects on medical treatment. |
| C．Poetry is similar to medical work in a sense. | D．Patients are closely linked to doctors. |
| A．It relieves patients' family members. | B．It contributes to medical work a lot. |
| C．It has nothing to do with patients. | D．It prevents doctors understanding patients. |
| A．Assist the students in medical schools. | B．Teach those patients in the hospital. |
| C．Write poems for his medical students. | D．Stick to his unique way in the medical field. |
7 . Graduate Schemes
Commercial Banking Graduate Scheme
We help U.K.-based clients to invest locally and trade globally, and advise them on ways they can manage risk. To apply for our scheme, you need a 2:1 degree or above in any discipline from any university.
Location: Our graduate schemes are based in various cities around the U. K., including London, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Bristol.
WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING
♦ Attending client meetings to understand their needs and offering solutions to support them.
♦ Managing the Group’s exposure to risk and assessing investment opportunities.
Risk Management Graduate Scheme
If you are eager to learn how a national organization protects itself and its customers from different threats, you’ll be a great fit for our Risk Management teams.
What you need is just a 2:2 degree or above.
Location: The first placement will be in Bristol, followed by three placements in London.
WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING
♦ Developing your understanding of credit risks, risk analysis and financial modeling.
♦ Using artificial intelligence (AI) to simplify our risk management processes.
Finance Graduate Scheme
Finance teams are the trusted advisors to our business. And, once they understand how a business works, they can develop strategies that help transform it, within a fast-changing industry.
Accounting and finance graduates are qualified for this scheme.
Location: London.
WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING
♦ Building relationships with colleagues and customers to better understand their needs.
♦ Reviewing our practices and contributing ideas on the ways we can improve them.
Manufacturing Graduate Scheme
We’re the U.K.’s second largest fresh food manufacturer. We’re unique in the way we source and make most of our fresh food ourselves. To join us, it’s crucial that you have to own a driving license. Besides, you must have a passion for food quality and safety. Those who have a minimum 2:2 degree and are fluent in Chinese will be preferred.
Location: London.
WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING
♦ Working with a variety of teams at several of our manufacturing sites.
♦ Going on placement in stores to learn more about our retail operations.
1. Which graduate schemes suit people who want to stay in Bristol?| A．Finance Graduate Scheme and Risk Management Graduate Scheme. |
| B．Manufacturing Graduate Scheme and Finance Graduate Scheme. |
| C．Risk Management Graduate Scheme and Manufacturing Graduate Scheme. |
| D．Commercial Banking Graduate Scheme and Risk Management Graduate Scheme. |
| A．Reviewing ideas on the ways to improve them. |
| B．Master more knowledge about retail operations. |
| C．Create bonds with customers to know them well. |
| D．Using AI to make risk management easy |
| A．A passion for food. | B．A driving license. |
| C．A certificate for Chinese. | D．A health certificate. |
8 . It was the 9th day of Wuhan lockdown (封锁) starting on January 23. My parents left because they had been running fever for several days and they were showing other symptoms of COVID-19.
The virus, COVID-19, is somehow fearsome because it does not discriminate (区别对待) in choosing who it infects. And if the older people were infected, the situation could be worse, so I was wondering whether my parents would make it.
On the second day, my parents called and asked me how I was. We talked using FaceTime, and the moment I saw my mom lying there with an oxygen mask and my dad could not talk without breathing heavily, I realized that I had to live on my own.
But two weeks later, I got a fever and had to go into quarantine (隔离) to be observed for 14 days. Fortunately, my illness turned out to be not COVID-19.
Everything there was busy, and there seemed to be a shortage of medical staff and materials were in short supply. Even though the doctors and nurses were covered from head to toe, I could see how tired they were when I looked into their bloodshot eyes. Most of the patients were really understanding, but of course there were those who were not, and complained loudly, but all the doctors and nurses tried their best to deal with it in a calming way.
When the quarantine was over, every patient thanked the workers for what they had done, but the answer patients received was exactly the same: “That’s what we’re here for.”
1. When did the author’s parents leave her for the hospital?| A．January 23. | B．January 30. | C．February 2. | D．January 31. |
| A．Succeed. | B．Join in. | C．Live through. | D．Arrive. |
| A．Not all the patients understood the doctors and nurses. |
| B．Both the author and her parents got infected with COVID-19. |
| C．The patients were too tired. |
| D．The virus infects the older more easily. |
| A．Outgoing. | B．Respectable. | C．Impatient. | D．Calm. |
9 . For those who are keen to explore natural wonders and cultural heritage sites and to pursue (追求) the passion of local people for ice and snow in Jilin province, now it is the time to go there.
Rime observation
Compared with rime (雾凇)in other regions of China, rime in Jilin city is unique (独特的) because it is thick and crystal clear. A toothpick-thick tree branch can be covered in frost as thick as an adult's thumb. The best time to observe is at 6-10am between November and February.
Winter fishing
Chagan Lake is one of the top 10 largest freshwater lakes in China. It covers more than500 square kilometers. Winter fishing on Chagan Lake is an ancient tradition that dates back to the Liao Dynasty and Jin Dynasty. It was listed as a national-level intangible (无形的) cultural heritage item in 2008.
Hot springs
For those who want to feel warm in winter in Jilin province, Changbai Mountains area could be the best place to visit. The region, formed after a volcanic eruption in ancient times, holds hundreds of hot springs with an average temperature above 60℃.The hot springs are said to be good for health because of their stable flow, constant temperature and mineral-rich water.
1. What makes rime special in Jilin city?| A．Its observation time. | B．Its thickness and clearness. |
| C．Its unique tree branches. | D．Its fame as a cultural heritage. |
| A．It formed in the Liao Dynasty. |
| B．It covers less than 500 square kilometers. |
| C．It is the 10th largest saltwater lake in China |
| D．It is one national non-material cultural heritage |
| A．Because of hot springs. | B．Because of the volcano. |
| C．Because of the rime. | D．Because of winter fishing |
| A．Technology. | B．Business. | C．Travel. | D．Art |
10 . Why do you go to the library? For books, yes—but you like books because they tell stories. You hope to get lost in a story or someone else’s life. At one type of library you can do just that—even though there’s not a single book.
At a Human Library, instead of books, you can “borrow” people. People with unique life stories volunteer to be the “books”. For a certain amount of time, you can ask them questions and listen to their stories, which are as fascinating as any you can find in a book. (If you attend, make sure to review the habits that make you a good listener.) Many of the stories have to do with some kind of depressing (令人悲伤的) topic. You can speak with a refugee(难民), a soldier suffering from PTSD(创伤后遗症), a homeless person and a woman living with HIV. The Human Library encourages people to take time to truly get to know and learn from someone they might otherwise make a snap judgement about. According to its website, the Human Library is “a place where difficult questions are expected, appreciated and answered.”
The Human Library Organization came to be in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2000. Romni Abergel and his friends hosted a four-day event during a major Northern European festival. After the success of this event, Abergel founded the Human Library Organization, hoping to raise awareness among youth about depression, which has been growing ever since.
Though there are a few permanent(长期的) human libraries, most aren’t places at all, but events. Though many do take place at physical libraries, you don’t need a library card—anyone can come and be part of the experience. There have been human library events all over the globe, in universities and in pubs, from Chicago to Tunis to Edinburgh to San Antonio. Check out the organization's Facebook page to see when the Human Library might be arriving near you.
1. In a Human library, what is highly appreciated?| A．Reading habits. | B．Difficult questions. | C．Frequent interruptions. | D．Keeping quiet. |
| A．Bring a book. | B．Get a library card. |
| C．Know good listening habits. | D．Make an appointment. |
| A．Right. | B．Fair. | C．Formal. | D．Quick |
| A．To answer different questions. | B．To draw attention to depression. |
| C．To host an event in Northern Europe. | D．To celebrate a four-day festival. |
| A．A Library in Denmark | B．Human Library Organization |
| C．Human Library Is Near You | D．“Borrow” People Instead of Books |
