1 . Leonardo da Vinci experimented with chemicals while painting some of his representative works — including The Mona Lisa — forming a poisonous layer hidden beneath the celebrated art. Researchers studying a tiny microsample from a corner of the painting found a substance known as plumbonacrite (水白铅矿), a poisonous compound (化合物) formed when oil and lead(Ⅱ) oxide (氧化铅)are mixed together.
The Mona Lisa, and many other paintings from the Renaissance era in the early 1500s, were painted on wooden panels. These required a thick base layer to enable artists to create their works on top. The most common method was using a substance called gesso, which comes from plaster of Paris, but the presence of plumbonacrite suggests Da Vinci layered his painting with lead white paint, mixed with oil infused (泡) with lead(Ⅱ) oxide.
Writing in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, the authors said, “The most remarkable signature in the sample is the presence of plumbonacrite, a rare compound that is stable only in an alkaline(碱性的) environment. Leonardo probably attempted to prepare a thick paint suitable for covering the wooden panel of The Mona Lisa by treating the oil with a high load of lead(Ⅱ) oxide. ”It is thought the lead(Ⅱ) oxide may have been used to help the paint applied on top of it to dry.
The team reviewed Da Vinci’s writing to find reference to his use of the chemicals, but found only “unclear references” to plumbonacrite. It seems once again the famous scholar was ahead of his time, with the technique only found in other paintings by Rembrandt in the 1600s. Use of plumbonacrite at the time seems to have been limited to skin and hair treatment.
In addition to The Mona Lisa analysis, the team used high-resolution analytic techniques on 17 samples from across the surface of The Last Supper and found it also contained the same poisonous base layer.
1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?| A．A poisonous compound was found in The Mona Lisa. |
| B．Da Vinci created his painting through trial and error. |
| C．Researchers damaged the famous painting while studying it. |
| D．Da Vinci buried some poison under the painting to protect it. |
| A．He used lead to decorate the painting. |
| B．He applied oil to cover the wooden panel. |
| C．He treated skin and hair with plumbonacrite. |
| D．He mixed oil and lead together to create a thick paint. |
| A．To support the finding above. |
| B．To show how talented Da Vinci is. |
| C．To explain the process of artwork creation. |
| D．To stress the importance of analytical techniques. |
| A．Mona Lisa, a Mysterious Woman |
| B．Poisonous Chemicals Help Create Artworks |
| C．Da Vinci, a Distinguished Painter as Well as a Chemist |
| D．The Mona Lisa Reveals a Poisonous Secret Hidden in the Painting |
2 . Passenger ships, trade ships, and fishing boats are a normal part of life on the open sea. However, all their activity creates a great deal of noise underwater. Scientists who have studied the recordings of sound recorded with equipment placed underwater recently reported their observations that the ocean is getting noisier.
Another report on the effect of noise from ships on the behavior of whales shows it is likely that whales must call out more loudly to be heard over this noise. The whales find fish by producing clicking sounds and other noises, loud engine noise could be interfering with (妨碍) their efforts.
Michael Jasny, a policy expert for the Natural Resources Defense Council, says the rise of underwriter noise is influencing the ability of whales to communicate. “Shipping noise falls across the sea frequencies (频率) that these animals use for their important behaviors.”
Mr. Jasny says sound travels very effectively underwater. And it is not just whales that he is worried about. “The entire web of life in the ocean depends on sound. And as more and more research has been done, it’s been very clear that what we have on our hands is really a significant serious and global problem.
The main source of noise pollution is the propeller (螺旋桨). Better shaped propellers and ship designs can help cut down on noise pollution. Michael Bahtiarian, who works for Noise Control Engineering — a company which helped design the boats — said, “The technology to make quieter ships does exist and has been used in the military for some time. NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) has four new ships that have such costly engines, which produce less noise. These NOAA ships show that you can get quiet — I think they’re quiet enough — because they are able to go up quietly and count a fish and not startle the fish so that they can actually count them.”
The shipping industry in the United States wants to be part of the solution to the noise problem, Kathy Metcalf, who works for the Chamber of Shipping of America, says it will be much less costly for the industry if it chooses to build quieter ships instead of being forced to do so.
1. What kind of effect do you think the noise made by ships has according to the passage?| A．It is sure to get stronger in the future. |
| B．It influences the normal life of whales. |
| C．It makes underwater equipment unable to work normally. |
| D．It makes it hard for scientists to track the activities of deep sea creatures. |
| A．Whales’ skill in finding food gets hurt most. |
| B．There is no better way of solving the problem. |
| C．The problem is far more serious than we thought. |
| D．The frequencies of shipping noise should be increased. |
| A．Frighten. | B．Catch. | C．Dive. | D．Feed. |
| A．Quieter ships have been designed to save money. |
| B．The shipping industry should make quieter ships actively. |
| C．The shipping designers are ordered to build quieter ships. |
| D．The four new ships are the most advanced ships in the ocean. |
3 . In 1240, the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II built Castel del Monte on a lonely hill in central Puglia, where he had a perfect view of approaching enemies. He probably never imagined the enemies might be tourists one day. But these days, the old castle has been polished clean, and hundreds of multicolored Pullman buses snake up the winding roads to its grounds, now filled with T-shirt stands, Coca-Cola signs and a 200-car parking lot. All this thanks to the fact that UNESCO has designated (认定) it a World Heritage Site in 1996.
Officially, UNESCO honors places that exemplify an area’s ancestry, with the purpose of ensuring they are preserved. Unofficially, this designation is a kind of fairy dust that often turns little-known cultural sites into overnight tourist sensations. This is both a gift and a cuss. Lisa Mastny, senior adviser to the World Watch Institute, says tourism is double-edged for places considered of “outstanding value to humanity. It offers many poor communities the chance to obtain financial rewards, but also threatens the very resources —human and natural—upon which the industry is ultimately built”.
There is growing awareness that assigning UNESCO designation is worthless — or worse, harmful — without some kind of follow-up preservation program. “In the early days there wasn’t much attention given to what would happen once these site s became World Heritage. But that’s changing slowly,” says Joseph King, director of the sites unit at the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM). In Africa, a 12-year training program is currently underway to teach locals not only how to preserve their immovable cultural heritage, but how to use it for economic development. In Eastern Europe, where tourism is a relatively new thing, cities are looking for help in figuring out where to draw the line between preserving historical centers and promoting urban development.
1. What can we learn about Castel del Monte?| A．It was built to enjoy the view. | B．It has become a hot tourist spot. |
| C．It has to make way for a shopping mall. | D．It failed to win UNESCO designation in 1996. |
| A．Solution. | B．Promise. | C．Drawback. | D．Chance. |
| A．By quoting experts. | B．By analyzing cause and effect. |
| C．By giving examples. | D．By making comparisons. |
| A．Is UNESCO Helpful in Driving Global Tourism? |
| B．How Can a Place Be Included in the UNESCO List? |
| C．Why Is It Important to Market World Heritage Site Tours? |
| D．Does Identifying World Heritage Sites Do More Harm Than Good? |
4 . The Wild Atlantic Way has a certain romantic attraction, bringing to mind images of violent storms, terrible winds and driving rain. The Irish Republic inaugurated (为……举行仪式) this, “the longest defined coastal touring route in the world”, in 2014, an excellent marketing idea. The Wild Atlantic Way follows the west coast of Ireland, from the Inishowen Peninsula in the north down to the picturesque town of Kinsale, County Cork, in the south.
Having recently retired, and also having a very supportive wife, I decided to cycle the 2,600 kilometres of this highway, and to seek some sponsorship while doing so for the benefit of a small, but hugely effective charity supporting Children of the Dump in Manila in the Philippines.
Another reason to start this cycle tour was the polite refusal of my youngest son to my request to accompany him, and his friend, on their journey in 2016 from Lima in Peru to Ushuaiain Patagonia by bike. He was probably quite right to have done so. The Donegal hills were enough to tire me out in the first week of my own adventure; the Andes might have finished me off a longtime before I had the opportunity to wheel my bike from the Holyhead to Dublin ferry (渡口) at the beginning of May this year.
Having begun the journey in suitably cold and wet conditions in Donegal, my luck and that of the rest of Ireland changed quite suddenly, and to the amazement of the whole country, they and I enjoyed some of the finest May and June weather on record. The “Wild Atlantic Way” became the “Kind Atlantic Way”, and I got sunburnt! It was a remarkable and unforgettable journey for me. Generous friends have helped me raise £2,600, one pound for each kilometer I rode.
Try it yourselves, but do it the green way and leave the car at home. Pump up (给……打气) your bike tyres and give it, or at least some of the route, a go. You won’t regret it.
1. What do we know about the Wild Atlantic Way from paragraph 1?| A．It starts at Kinsale in County Cork. | B．It is a famous cross-Europe touring route. |
| C．It used to be extremely popular with sea divers. | D．It was promoted by the Irish Republic government. |
| A．To join his wife. | B．To raise money for a charity. |
| C．To work out for his health. | D．To find sponsorship for his company. |
| A．Lucky. | B．Angry. | C．Excited. | D．Disappointed. |
| A．He stopped halfway. | B．He was badly injured. |
| C．He got many flat tyres. | D．He had quite a few sunny days. |
5 . What you need to know about New Orleans
New Orleans has something for everyone; all ages, interests, and lifestyles. It is described as the northernmost Caribbean city and the westernmost European city. You will not find another place quite like it in the world.
What is the best way to get there?
Flying: Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) is the city’s main airport, where you can keep the good times rolling by appreciating some live entertainment while you wait for your flight.
Train: New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal (终点站) is a major American railroad center, with three train lines offering service to every big city.
Bus: Three major bus companies in the United States all offer service to the New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal.
How to enter New Orleans legally?
If you are a non-U. S. citizen, you may need a visa to visit New Orleans, unless your country is part of the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), such as Japan, France and 41 other countries. The program allows citizens of certain countries to visit the U. S. for up to 90 days without a visa.
When is the best time to visit?
The best time in New Orleans is in February and lasts until May. During this period there is also the Carnival season and the world-famous Carnival celebrations. The average daily temperatures this time of year typically hit high s of 22℃, with lows dropping to 7℃.
If you’re looking to avoid the crazy prices, choose to visit in winter when hotels are cheaper, and you won’t experience the summer’s heat or worry about autumn’s possible hurricanes.
How much do I tip?
Restaurant service: Standard tipping in New Orleans is 15 to 20 percent of your bill or 25 percent if you are extremely happy with your meal and service.
Housekeeping: It’s common to leave a tip of $2 per day of your stay to the housekeeping staff of your hotel, which you can leave in the room when you go. Some hotels leave envelopes for such tips, but if they don’t, a quick note saying “Thank you” will work.
Are there local customs I should know?
Drinking: The legal drinking age in New Orleans is 21. You can consume alcohol on the streets of The Big Easy as long as it’s not in a glass container. Some places even allow you to bring drinks in from other places. In addition, some bars are open 24 hours.
Greetings: If you’re asked, “Where y’at?” by a local, don’t give your location. They’re actually asking how you are or what’s going on.
1. According to the passage, what are you most likely to do while waiting for a flight in MSY?| A．You will watch a live show. | B．You will buy some food to eat. |
| C．You will provide tips to airport staff. | D．You will appreciate pop music on your phone. |
| A．The world-famous Carnival celebrations maybe are held in July. |
| B．If you’re looking to avoid hurricanes, choose to visit in autumn. |
| C．The average daily temperatures all year is 22 Celsius to 7 Celsius. |
| D．Hotels are less expensive during the winter compared to the summer. |
| A．You need to answer what you ate. | B．You need to answer where you live. |
| C．You need to answer how you are today. | D．You need to answer what you drank today. |
6 . Peru is prepared to approve new laws that would make it easier to investigate and punish researchers who engage in academic cheating, including paying to have their names added to a paper.
The move comes as Peru’s national science agency seeks to crack down on authorship buying and other dishonest practices. It recently removed two scientists accused of dishonest publications from a national registry that is key to receiving government sponsor, job promotions, and salary bonuses. And officials are investigating more than 170 other researchers at a Peruvian media report claimed were involved in academic misconduct, including 72 listed in the national registry who work at 14 universities in Peru.
The new laws will empower universities and government officials to punish such behavior. Dishonest publishing practices “ transcend mere moral misbehavior” because they enable researchers to obtain government and private funding without telling the truth, says Edward Málaga Trillo, a member of Congress who is the driving force, behind the bills, which lawmakers are expected to finalize early this year. “These individuals are operating academic cheating.” Peru’s academic community has been struggling with a rising tide of false authorship and related problems. One cause, some researchers say, is a 2014 law that aimed to stimulate research by rewarding researchers who boost their publishing output. For example, under a scoring system used by universities,researchers can earn five points for authorship in a high-impact journal, and two points when the journal is lower impact. A massing points can bring bonus payments and career promotion.
Signs of dishonest publishing can be obvious, notes Nahuel onteblanco,president of Cientificospe, a Peruvian group that investigates misconduct. Many of the papers cited by Punto Final have numerous co-authors from different nations with few prior publications on the same subject. “If your colleague consistently publishes 20 articles a year with co-authors from other countries, that’s highly suspect.” Monteblanco says.
1. What action did Peru take recently to address academic cheating?| A．Disqualifying 2 scientists from a national registry. |
| B．Fining 72 offenders for academic dishonesty. |
| C．Punishing 170 researchers for academic misconduct. |
| D．Withdrawing government fund from 14 universities. |
| A．Opposed. | B．Concerned. | C．Approving. | D．Neutral. |
| A．It advocated a fair scoring system. |
| B．It applied to high-impact journals. |
| C．It aimed to punish dishonest publishing. |
| D．It led to an increase in false authorship. |
| A．Career promotion. |
| B．Consistent research focus. |
| C．Co-authors from various countries. |
| D．Few citations by Punto Final. |
7 . Many of us seem to have lives that follow a certain way. From kindergarten all the way to getting married, every stage of our lives seems to be preset (预置). And although this works well for a lot of people, according to British scholar Jay Shetty, there is no “right” schedule to live our lives by.
A few months ago, a video of Shetty’s speech “Before You Feel Pressure” became popular on the Internet across the world. In the video, he sends an important message that we should think “outside of the way” and have the courage to follow our hearts. As Shetty says in the video, we don’t have to get stressed and put ourselves in the race with our peers (同龄人) or judge our lives based on others’. “Everything in life happens according to our time, our clocks,” he says.
In his inspiring speech, Shetty points out that UK author J. K. Rowing got her famous “Harry Potter” series published at age 32, after being turned down by 12 publishers. Shetty also mentions that Chinese businessman Jack Ma didn’t even start the Alibaba Group until he was 35 years old. So we shouldn’t let anyone rush us.
As physicist Albert Einstein once said, “Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that is counted truly counts. The key to staying on our own tracks is to be patient and keep our own interest.” In Australian nurse Bronnie Ware’s best-selling book “The Top Five Regrets of the Dying”, she recorded the dying regrets of her patients, and the top one on the list was: “I wish I had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the one others expected of me.”
Indeed, we are all unique in our personalities and gifts, and there is no perfect fit for all. We should listen to our inner voices and ignore what the world has taught us, and what we have picked up from people around us. “It is important to allow people to go back to being self-aware of their own interests, needs and concerns”, Shetty told the magazine. “It’s disconnecting from what makes sense to what actually moves you and what makes sense internally (内在的).”
1. What does Jay Shetty agree to?| A．All people live their lives according to schedules. |
| B．The stages of our lives should be preset. |
| C．Few people have lives that follow a certain way. |
| D．We can live our lives not according to the given way. |
| A．To show everyone can be a winner. |
| B．To show great new life can begin anytime. |
| C．To show hard work is the key to success. |
| D．To show success does not happen in one’s youth. |
| A．The top dying regret was not living the life people wanted. |
| B．We should count and analyze everything in life. |
| C．One should live a life as expected by others. |
| D．Everything that is counted truly counts. |
| A．people should listen to others’ advice |
| B．we should follow the heart and do what we want to do |
| C．what makes sense should not be about what people care internally |
| D．needs and concerns are not acceptable |
8 . English businessman Richard Branson made history on July 11, 2021 as he and three other crewmates became the world’s first space tourists. The flight was made by a spacecraft named VSS Unity that was built by Branson’s company, Virgin Galactic. The flight lasted slightly more than an hour, and took Branson and crew to an altitude (海拔) of 53.5miles above the Earth, just a little above the boundary (边界) of space which lies 50 miles above the Earth.
At that height, the atmosphere turns into the black of outer space and the Earth becomes a bent ball of blue. Travelers also exhibit weightlessness as there is no gravity, the force that keeps our bodies walking on the Earth’s surface. Therefore, Branson and his fellows were able to float around in VSS Unity while enjoying the views. They were able to do that for three minutes before the spacecraft began its downward journey. It landed back at Virgin Galactic’s space port in New Mexico, United States, which is the same place from where it had taken off 90 minutes before.
On landing back, Branson said, “I have dreamt of this moment since I was a kid but honestly, nothing could prepare you for the view of the Earth from space. It was just magical. I’m just taking it all in, and it’s unreal.”
July 11’s flight is the start of space tourism for one and all. In early 2022, customers who can afford a ticket for a quarter of a million dollars can line up for a seat on a trip to space. And guess what — they will have a choice of spacecraft. Jeff Bezos, who owns a famous company, is all set to launch himself into space on July 20 on board a spacecraft built by his new branch company Blue Origin. Blue Origin will also carry tourists to space.
1. What is Richard Branson famous for?| A．His success in tourism. |
| B．His company of Virgin Galactic. |
| C．His spaceship named VSS Unity. |
| D．His first commercial space travel in history. |
| A．Unbelievable. | B．Adventurous. | C．Regrettable. | D．Worthless. |
| A．Take a spacecraft of Virgin Galactic. |
| B．Pay $250,000 for the rocket tour. |
| C．Pass the fitness test for astronauts. |
| D．Line up for a position in Blue Origin. |
| A．Humans will move to other livable planets. |
| B．Ordinary people will soon land on the moon. |
| C．Private rocket space travel is growing gradually. |
| D．Some companies abandon their proper business. |
9 . Food waste across the globe continues to fuel climate change, nature loss and pollution while hurting the global economy according to the UNEP Food Waste Index Report 2024, which says it is important for countries to connect the fight against hunger and the three global crisis of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss.
The report, whose findings revealed that the total food loss on the global economy is estimated at roughly $1 trillion, emphasized that reducing food waste is an opportunity to reduce costs and tackle some of the biggest environmental and social issues of our time: climate change and food insecurity.
While making opening remarks at the conference that launched the report, Dechen Tsering, acting director of the climate change division at the UNEP, said government polices, such as tax rebates (退税) and waste collection fees, could be used to stimulate changes in business practices and consumer behavior. In addition, better data on the cost of food waste and the environmental, economic, and social benefits of limiting food waste could help influence investors and consumers.
According to the report, as of 2022, only 21 countries had included food loss and waste reduction in their national climate plans, including China, Namibia, Sierra Leone, etc. Meanwhile, the number of people who are food insecure and in urgent need of humanitarian assistance in the Greater Horn of Africa rose to 74 million at the end of February, according to another report released by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and other agencies.
The international agencies said that the 2023 El Nino rains contributed to the rise in the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance in the region. With wetter-than-normal conditions forecast in most parts of African countries during the 2024 March-May rainfall season, the situation may not improve.
1. What does the Report 2024 indicate?| A．Food loss is the biggest problem to tackle. |
| B．Serious pollution can cause food insecurity. |
| C．Food waste worsens the environmental situation. |
| D．Many countries are cooperating to fight against hunger. |
| A．Effective measures should be taken by government. |
| B．Unnecessary costs in climate lead to development problems. |
| C．Data make no sense to consumer behavior and investors’ decision. |
| D．Avoiding waste collection fees is beneficial to limiting food waste. |
| A．Humanitarian assistance is the only way to help African people. |
| B．Food insecurity is still a big challenge to many African countries. |
| C．The situation of food waste in Africa becomes more and more severe. |
| D．The number of people needing help is increasing mainly due to bad weather. |
| A．To reveal the urgent financial situation in Africa. |
| B．To stress the necessity of food waste prevention. |
| C．To call for the joint efforts of governments in climate. |
| D．To raise the awareness of environmental conservation. |
10 . Scientists have designed plenty of devices that can pick up solid objects. Big mechanical claws can lift cars. Small claws can pluck (摘，拉) prizes from a glass box in an arcade game (街机游戏). But these new pluckers can lift something else entirely — a liquid.
Engineers have built the device, which can pick up and move a single drop of liquid. The device is made of two flexible crossed pieces. It is about the size and shape of a finger. Experimental tests showed that the pair can lift up a drop of liquids as small as 2 millimeters (0.08 inch) across.
Such a device might help scientists safely handle biological liquids like blood, says Arun Kota. That task could be particularly useful in laboratories where samples are tested for signs of flu or other infectious diseases. Kota is a mechanical engineer at North Carolina State University in Raleigh. He worked on these new devices.
The new device combines tech from two fields of engineering. One is soft robotics. Unlike robots made from hard and heavy materials such as metal, soft robots are made from soft stuff. The other field is materials science. “Many materials are repellent to water, but in alcohol or oil they’re no longer able to do it,” Kota says. Working with Wei Wang, an engineer in his lab, he developed such materials, which will not let any liquid pass through them.
The group completed their design by 2017. Yet cool as it was, it had no obvious use. Xiaoguang Dong, an engineer at Vanderbilt University, doubts whether infectious disease labs are looking for such a device. “To me, this is not really practical,” he says. “The number of droplets that can be lifted is very small. They need independently robotic fingers to lift several droplets. If you want to control hundreds of droplets, how do you do that?”
1. Why are the big mechanical claws and small claws mentioned in paragraph 1?| A．To introduce the function of the new invention. |
| B．To show the common usage of mechanical tools. |
| C．To give examples of some recent scientific findings. |
| D．To reveal the importance of accurately lifting liquids. |
| A．Its future. | B．Its feature. | C．Its creator. | D．Its principle. |
| A．Exposed. | B．Resistant. | C．Connected. | D．Similar. |
| A．It should be easier to use. | B．It should be safer in disease labs. |
| C．It should combine low-cost materials. | D．It should carry many more drops of liquid. |
