1 . Space engineers from the University of Glasgow have published new research showing how reflectors (反射器) placed in orbit around Earth could increase the output of future large-scale solar farms by reflecting additional sunlight toward them even after the sun has set.
In their paper, the researchers described how they used advanced computer models to help determine the most effective method of using orbiting solar reflectors to produce additional power. Their models showed that putting 20 thin reflectors into orbit 1,000 kilometers from Earth could reflect sunlight to solar farms for an extra two hours each day on average. The additional sunlight could increase the output of the world’s future solar farms, particularly after sunset when electricity demand is high. The output could be scaled up further by adding more reflectors or increasing their size.
The team developed an algorithm (算法) to determine how the reflectors could be arranged to catch the sun’s rays most effectively, maximizing the additional sunlight reflected to solar farms around Earth in the early morning and late evening. The researchers suggested that 20 reflectors could produce an extra 728 MWh of electricity per day — equal to adding an additional large solar power farm to Earth without the cost of construction.
Dr. Onur Çelik, one author of the paper, said, “Solar power has the potential to speed our race to reach net-zero, helping us to relieve the global impacts of climate change by reducing our reliance on fossil fuels.”Moreover, the price of solar panels (太阳能电池板) has dropped quickly in recent years, increasing the pace of their adoption and paving the way for the creation of large solar farms around the world.
One of the major limitations of solar power, of course, is that it can only be generated during daylight hours. Putting orbiting solar reflectors in space would help to maximize the effectiveness of solar farms in the years to come. Strategically placing new solar farms in locations which receive the most additional sunlight from the reflectors could make them even more effective.
1. What is the purpose of placing reflectors in space?| A．To improve communication between Earth and space. |
| B．To bring the effects of climate change under control. |
| C．To produce electricity for agricultural use. |
| D．To increase the production of solar power. |
| A．The increased demand for electricity. | B．The decrease in the cost of solar panels. |
| C．The development of space technology. | D．The requirement to preserve the environment. |
| A．They’ll replace fossil fuels completely. |
| B．They’ll become the main source of energy. |
| C．They’ll be more cost-effective and efficient. |
| D．They’ll rely mainly on orbiting reflectors for sunlight. |
| A．A news report. | B．A maths website. |
| C．A marketing brochure. | D．A policy brief. |
2 . Four of the Best Money Games for Kids
When was the last time your kids saw you pay for something in cash? Chances are that your kids rarely see bills and coins exchange hands. Living in a digital world, it’s difficult for kids to understand what really happens when adults pay for things. The following are some money games for kids that can teach them the different values of bills and coins, how to handle money, and even economics.
Buy It RightAge range: Ages 7 to 12
Buy It Right lets kids get hands-on experience dealing with bills and coins while introducing the concept of prices and thinking through whether an object is too expensive or not. Kids set their prices and buy and sell items while moving their piece around the board.
Money Match MeAge range: Ages 5 to 8
While not entirely a game, Money Match Me can be a fun way to test kids’ knowledge of coins. One card shows a group of coins needing to be matched with a written description. For example, a picture of three quarters would be matched with a card that says “seventy-five cents”.
Money BagsAge range: Recommended for ages 7+
If your kids need practice counting money and telling apart different coins, the Money Bags game can help. As players move along the board, they collect money from the bank. The winner is the person who has the most money when the game ends.
Pay DayAge range: Ages 8 and up
This classic board game simulates what it’s like to get a paycheck each month while also having financial duties. Players are also able to receive 10% interest on the balance of their savings. The player with the most cash and savings at the end wins.
1. What is the skill focus of Buy It Right?| A．Introducing basic business concepts. | B．Recognizing different bills and coins. |
| C．Learning to identify and count money. | D．Making kids consider prices and expenses. |
| A．Buy It Right. | B．Money Bags. |
| C．Money Match Me. | D．Pay Day. |
| A．Players focus on adding different bills. |
| B．Whoever owns the most money is the winner. |
| C．Kids learn how to budget in a reasonable way. |
| D．Kids are able to receive interest on their savings. |
3 . Elephants’ important role in maintaining biodiversity and healthy ecosystems has earned them various names including ecosystem engineers and forest gardeners. However, African forest elephants — a species living in the rainforests of central Africa — are increasingly recognized by another name: “climate heroes”.
African forest elephants help lessen climate change by increasing carbon storage in their forest habitats, meaning they help remove heat-trapping CO2 from the atmosphere. They do this by influencing the forest structure, including by increasing the diversity and abundance of plant species. It’s estimated that one forest elephant can increase the net carbon capture (捕获) capacity of the forest by almost 250 acres. This is equal to removing from the atmosphere a year’s worth of emissions (排放量) from 2,047 cars.
“As strange as it seems, all that eating and destruction help the forest pull more carbon out of the air,” says Alison Pearce Stevens in the book Animal Climate Heroes! . Elephants eat more than 400 pounds of food a day, so they spend a lot of time searching for food. As they walk through the forest, they do a lot of damage to the surrounding smaller trees, leading to the survival of trees that have the ability to absorb and store more CO2.
In addition, their thirst for fruits also helps to promote forest growth. This is because elephants disperse fruit seeds. In other words, the seeds pass through the elephant bodies until they drop back to the forest floor.
But African forest elephants are seriously endangered and continue to face threats. These mainly come from hunting for the illegal international trade in elephant ivory (象牙), but also from habitat loss and fewer food sources. The number of forest elephants fell by more than 86% over a period of 31 years, and their habitats are thought to have reduced by 75%. Protecting forest elephants and the forests they depend on means we are safeguarding their ecological contributions that we all rely on.
1. How do African forest elephants help relieve climate change?| A．They increase the diversity of wildlife species. |
| B．They help to maintain the plants of the forest. |
| C．They take in heat-trapping CO2 from the atmosphere. |
| D．They promote the net carbon capture ability of the forest. |
| A．Consume. | B．Preserve. | C．Spread. | D．Gather. |
| A．Illegal hunting and habitat loss. |
| B．The disturbed balance of the forest ecosystem. |
| C．Natural disasters resulting from climate change. |
| D．Competition for water sources with other animals. |
| A．Preserving Forests: Elephants’ Contribution |
| B．New Role of African Forest Elephants: Climate Heroes |
| C．Ivory Trade Threatens African Forest Elephants |
| D．Forest Elephants Are Approaching the Edge of Extinction |
4 . When you hear the word “uncertainty”, how do you feel? Scared, anxious, excited or challenged? With many global challenges still ongoing, we are likely to face even more of the unknown, so we had better get accustomed to managing it.
So how do we detect uncertainty and which part of the brain is responsible for it? Researchers have found that noradrenaline (去甲肾上腺素) is the key chemical involved in our response to uncertainty.
To investigate the role noradrenaline plays when we are faced with uncertain events, scientists at Massachusetts Institute of Technology conducted an experiment with mice. The animals were trained to push a lever (杠杆) down when they heard a high frequency noise. If they did this, they were rewarded with a drink of water. They were also trained to learn that they’d receive an unpleasant puff of air if the lever was activated when a low frequency noise was played. But the researchers added in an element of uncertainty by including a sound where the frequency was unclear.
From this experiment, the researchers discovered that a small part in the brain called the locus coeruleus — an area that modulates noradrenaline — was essential in detecting uncertainty. When the high frequency was clear and the reward was expected for the mice, their noradrenaline release was small. But when the outcome wasn’t clear, and the reward was a surprise, the release was much larger. This was how the mice’s brains learned to deal with uncertainty.
A study with humans was also carried out. They discovered that the subjects’ neurons (神经元) in the prefrontal cortex (前额叶皮质) respond much more to loss than to gain. Namely, this area rules our avoidance behaviour when we are under stress. This helps us understand our unwillingness to expose ourselves to uncertainty.
Once we understand that our cognitive and emotional responses to uncertainty are a necessary part of the human experience. Acknowledge instead of fear them, perhaps making big decisions can seem less stressful.
1. What is the uncertainty in the experiment with mice?| A．The high frequency noise. | B．A drink of water as a reward. |
| C．The action to push a lever down. | D．The noise with unclear frequency. |
| A．Removes. | B．Adjusts. | C．Lessens. | D．Boosts. |
| A．By seeking rewarding outcome. | B．By maintaining balance. |
| C．By avoiding negative outcome. | D．By reducing uncertainty. |
| A．Responses to uncertainty come naturally. |
| B．Uncertainty gives birth to potential risks. |
| C．Experiments can predict expected outcomes. |
| D．Noradrenaline tends to result from uncertainty. |
5 . In present-day Romania, a decreasing number of craftsmen practice what’s thought to be a centuries-old craft. They search the forest for a fungus (真菌), which grows within trees and sends out shelf-like mushrooms a few inches wide. The fungus is shaved lengthwise into thin strips. Those strips are then stretched to form broad sheets, which can be crafted into hats, bags, jewelry, and ornaments. As far back as 1903, Tlingit craftsmen in what is now the state of Alaska were recorded crafting purses out of a material from agarikon fungus.
However, the craftsmen’s process in the early times was about searching for materials, not cultivating them for mass production. Today, the biotechnology company MycoWorks in the US is pioneering in cultivating mycelium (菌丝). Mycelium is a structural wonder — soft, dense, and strong, making it a great potential replacement for leather.
The operation starts with agricultural waste, like sawdust (锯末), which is heated to remove existing microbial life. Once done, it goes into deep plates of varying sizes. Then fungus joins the party, digesting and growing. In some cases, fabric can be added for the mycelium to weave around. The sheet of mycelium is eventually peeled off the wood blocks, and growth comes to an end. It can be easily mistaken for traditional leather.MycoWorks is one of a wave of innovators, all of whom assume that a better understanding of mycelium can redefine the limits of fashion and design. In recent years, MycoWorks’ products have been used in designer bags and pillows. CEO Matt Scullin praises mycelium as a material in fashion, “It has a bit of a soft touch, and it has a bounce. It can absorb the oil s and heat from your fingers when you touch it.” “The early efforts appear to be more moral, and improve eco-footprint. Products made from such material are fully biodegradable — allowing for a future in which dealing with an old pair of shoes might mean simply composting (堆肥) them,” he added.
1. What is the author’s purpose in writing the first paragraph?| A．To stress the history of growing mushrooms. |
| B．To introduce a fashion inspired by mushrooms. |
| C．To show ancient mushroom growing techniques. |
| D．To present the novel use of mushrooms in fashion. |
| A．Its growing process. | B．Its high quality. |
| C．Its shortcomings. | D．Its working life. |
| A．It is straightforward to grow. | B．It offers a rough feel. |
| C．It promotes sustainability. | D．It is oil-and-heat resistant. |
| A．Fungus Crafts: An Endangered Heritage |
| B．Mycelium: The Green Leather Alternative |
| C．Crafting with Nature: Romania’s Fungal Tradition |
| D．Mycelium’s Role: From Ancient Craft to Modern Innovation |
6 . The Coolest Travel Adventures
Our annual Best of the World list ranks the great travel experiences. Here’s our ranked list of the top travel experiences right now.
Gallery hop in São PauloSão Paulo, Brazil’s largest city holds numerous galleries and exhibitions. The crowning jewel is the Museu de Arte de São Paulo (MASP), which is expanding to showcase more of its 11,000-plus artworks, from pre-Renaissance paintings to contemporary sculptures. Breaking the tradition of the usual model of exhibiting works on walls, MASP hangs some pieces against clear panels, allowing visitors to view the art from all angles.
Ride classic rails in ScotlandExploring Scotland’s wild, scenic Highlands doesn’t have to mean roughing it. Departing Edinburgh from April through October, the elegant Royal Scotsman train leads to Highlands adventures such as wild swimming, hiking, and delicacy tasting. After a day spent hiking to waterfalls or playing rounds of golf—a sport tied to the nation, guests can wind down with a massage (按摩) at the onboard.
Dive with sharks in Western AustraliaStretching almost 700 miles along the Indian Ocean, Western Australia’s Coral Coast is decorated with natural wonders. But Ningaloo Reef is the star. Here, you can div e with giants: Some 300 to 500 whale sharks, one of the largest groups on Earth, gather along the reef (礁) each year between March and July. Decent agencies secure divers and ensure they give the sharks space, avoid feeding them or using flash photography.
Hike a glacier (冰川) in ChileChile has the third largest continental ice extension, after only Antarctica and Greenland. In Laguna San Rafael National Park, visitors can hike to glaciers. Some 17,300 glaciers still cover the whole of Patagonia’s ice fields, but rising temperatures are rapidly melting them. Climate scientists say sustainable tourism, such as hikes, supports local communities and inspires travelers to learn more about how to protect glaciers.
1. What is special about MASP?| A．It has the most exhibits in the world. |
| B．Its way of exhibition is very different. |
| C．Flash photography is forbidden there. |
| D．Its exhibits last a longer period of time. |
| A．An easy access to a private golf course. |
| B．A strict no-massage policy at the onboard. |
| C．A rough and challenging travel experience. |
| D．A combination of adventure and relaxation. |
| A．They are limited to a specific season. |
| B．There are shark groups in both places. |
| C．They bring attention to ecological issues. |
| D．They are concerned with climate changes. |
7 . A dad from Texas didn’t miss a beat when it came to supporting his daughter recently. Cecelia Simmons shared a video of her husband, Andre Simmons, dancing in the stands while their daughter Jazlyn and her Temple High School cheer team performed. In the video, as the cheer team members raise the small balls and go through their routine, Andre Simmons follows right along, nailing the moves right alongside them.
The post shared on social media has obtained over 312,000 views. With tens of thousands of overwhelmingly positive comments on his post, people online quickly shared their reactions. They recommended Andre Simmons as “Cheer Dad of the Year” or applauded his energy and spot-on moves. Simmons himself was quick to say he’s not the best dancer and it took him a few days to learn the routine. “Once I got it down pat, I just jumped up there when I heard the band finally bring the song up and I got up there and did it with her,” he said.
But the father of five said he persisted because he wanted to create a lifelong memory with his girl Jazlyn, mostly because he was constantly away for work, thereby affording limited opportunities to be in the company of her. “Since she made the cheer team, that was my way of supporting her and kind of relieving the guilt of the lost time. She thought I was doing things that she loved and surprising her with joining her in the cheer during the football game,” Simmons said.
Simmons said Jazlyn and her cheer team friends were surprised and “absolutely loved” that he could join in on the fun. The proud dad said it meant “the world” to him to be able to be there for his daughter too. “I love to try to be a super dad when I’m here and create those lifelong memories and it’s something for us to look back on and enjoy together,” he said and planned on cheering some more and making more memories with Jazlyn.
1. What did Andre Simmons do at his daughter’s cheer performance?| A．He danced with the team. | B．He filmed the performance. |
| C．He coached the cheer team. | D．He cheered from the stands. |
| A．Amusing. | B．Disturbing. | C．Odd. | D．Admirable. |
| A．To win the title of “Cheer Dad of the Year”. |
| B．To show off his newly learned dancing skills. |
| C．To be the focus of attention on the Internet. |
| D．To make up for being absent from Jazlyn’s life. |
| A．Bearable and cautious. | B．Selfless and cooperative. |
| C．Supportive and caring. | D．Ambitious and sensitive. |
8 . China’s eight-day Spring Festival holiday for the Year of the Dragon witnessed a booming consumer market, highlighting the vitality (活力) and strength of the Chinese economy.
Data from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism shows that 474 million domestic tourism trips were made during the Spring Festival holiday, marking a 34.3 percent increase from the same period last year and an increase of 19 percent compared to the pre-pandemic level in 2019. Domestic tourists spent about 632.69billion yuan (about $ 89.07 billion)in total, up 7.7 percent from the same period in 2019.
The online transactions (交易) also saw a powerful increase. NetsUnion Clearing Corporation, a Chinese online payment clearing house, and card payment giant China UnionPay processed about 2.63 billion online transactions or around 1.25 trillion yuan in value per day from Feb. 9 to 17. The figures represent an increase of 18.6 percent and 8.0 percent respectively compared to the previous Spring Festival holiday.
Different from the Western dragon, the Chinese dragon symbolizes good luck and prosperity in traditional Chinese culture. Consumption during the festival is encouraging and illustrative of the increasingly important role that consumption plays in the country’s economic growth. This positive trend marks a solid start for China as it begins the newyear.
China’s super-large market, ongoing urbanization and evolving consumption structure provide broad space for consumption growth. And such huge potential will continuously translate into real consumption as the country expands domestic demand, through developing digital, green and health promotion consumption and boosting spending on big-ticket item s such as new energy vehicles and electronic products, among other moves.
Given the sustained economic recovery and overall improvement of the employment landscape, residents’ income is expected to continue growing steadily, thereby releasing their purchasing power. The consumption potential of the Chinese market will be further enhanced this year, boosting the momentum of China’s economic recovery.
1. What is the purpose of presenting the figures in Paragraph 2 and 3?| A．To highlight the big increase in tourism. |
| B．To boom the large consumer market in China. |
| C．To prove the vitality of the Chinese economy. |
| D．To show online payment is very common in China. |
| A．Dragons may stand for misfortune in the west. |
| B．The Year of the Dragon in the favorite year in China. |
| C．There must be good luck in the Year of the Dragon in China. |
| D．People in the west will become more wealthy in the Year of the Dragon. |
| A．By building larger market. |
| B．By expanding native demand. |
| C．By evolving consumption structure. |
| D．By inventing more electronic products. |
| A．Tolerant. | B．Indifferent. | C．Critical. | D．Optimistic. |
9 . Some of the classrooms at Taft Elementary in Santa Clara, California, have one disadvantage in common: They don’t have windows. That’s true for Logan Earnest’s fifth grade classroom, and he felt it was affecting his students.
“Most of the day, they’re inside,” Earnest told CBS News. “And they don’t really get to see any trees, grass, or the blue sky.” He said the gray walls could be depressing to the kids and may affect their attention and even their attendance.
This was confirmed by former school psychologist Ernesto Rodriguez, who said the lack of windows does affect kids, because research shows being in and around nature eases anxiety and benefits students. Though no longer a practicing psychologist, perhaps he knows now more than ever the impact nature has on mental health. Rodriguez became a park ranger (公园管理员) on Southern California’s Catalina Island and began focusing on his passion — landscape photography.
It was during his training to become a park ranger that he learned a fact that kids who have views out windows to trees do better academically, emotionally and creatively. So an idea to bring nature into rooms occurred to him: Why not bring landscapes in classrooms — via the ceiling (天花板), because teachers don’t typically use them.
Rodriguez took 360 degree shots of tree canopies (树冠) using his photography skills, then he printed them and fit them onto the classroom ceiling of Earnest’s fifth grade. “Beautiful.” one student said as she entered the room. Another student said the trees brought him peace, “When you look up, it feels like you’re sitting under a tree.”
Earnest said he thought there would be many positive effects on his students. “I think my attendance is going to go up. The kids are going to want to come here more frequently. Overall, I think the kids are going to be happier,” he said.
1. What can we infer about classrooms without windows at Taft Elementary?| A．They help students focus more on studies. |
| B．They might make students feel less happy. |
| C．They offer a similar experience to being outdoors. |
| D．They have no impact on students’ mental health. |
| A．To promote his photography skills. |
| B．To connect the students with nature. |
| C．To improve the teachers’ performance. |
| D．To create an exciting environment for the students. |
| A．They were in favour of the new addition. |
| B．They preferred the original gray ceiling. |
| C．They failed to concentrate on lessons. |
| D．They did not notice the change. |
| A．Curious but unsure. | B．Cautious and objective. |
| C．Concerned but doubtful. | D．Appreciative and supportive. |
10 . When Sable Marie Cady Johnson saw a poster online advertising a food truck, it inspired her to create the innovative project, a Shakespeare Food Truck Festival, to connect students with the Shakespeare’s plays they’re studying in her class. Her idea became a reality on April 28. Nearly 200 students designed and built cardboard outline of food trucks from which they sold food during a mid-morning activity period.
Students were given two options when creating their food trucks. The first option was a character’s truck in which students were asked to imagine that one character from the current play they’re studying has decided to leave everything behind and take a food truck out on the road. Students had to design the truck from the view of the character, making appearance, theme, staffing and menu choices based on all they have learned about him or her.
The second option was a themed food truck in which students were asked to imagine what famous authors, publishers, journalists would be eating when visiting a world literary conference. The truck needed to represent a current play being studied and choices of appearance, theme and menu had to be based on elements from the text of that play.
The festival took place in the cafeteria, which was filled wall-to-wall with 45 food trucks. The students worked in teams to staff their food trucks. Two juniors at the Murderous Meals food truck — Breamna Allen and David Newsome — were excited about their Macbeth-themed eatery. “It took two days for us to come up with the theme and three days to create the truck,” said Newsome. “We were able to integrate what we’ve learned in the classroom by designing our food truck around the play.”
“This is awesome,” said Johnson. “It’s beyond my expectations. It took lots of time and lots of creativity. I loved watching the students engage in this project and make it their own. Money raised from the festival will be donated to the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts in Hatfield.”
1. What was the purpose of Johnson launching the project of a Shakespeare Food Truck Festival?| A．To show honor to Shakespeare. | B．To get students connected with plays. |
| C．To raise students’ sense of charity. | D．To let students experience a different life. |
| A．Rent a truck and decorate it. | B．Name the menu as they like. |
| C．Choose a character from the plays of Shakespeare. | D．Sell items in a food truck on the road. |
| A．Time-consuming but rewarding. | B．Expensive but meaningful. |
| C．Demanding but insignificant. | D．Risky but valuable. |
| A．Bite into Shakespeare for Food Truck Project | B．A Thoughtful and Creative Teacher |
| C．The Power of Shakespeare’s Plays | D．Engage Students in Books by Role Performance |
