1 . What do you plan to do when you retire? Keep working? Get more exercise? Or learn something new? You may put them on hold. There's a chance that, sooner or later, you might have to move further than you were thinking, as far as Mars.
On Thursday, National Geographic will show the first-ever Mars show home, giving earthlings (地球人)an idea of what their life could look like on the Red Planet. In the not-so-distant year of 2037, the igloo-shaped structure could be the home of your future.
It shows a house built using recycled spacecraft parts and Martian soil, called regolith, which has been microwaved into bricks. Some parts of the home are recognizable — a kitchen, a bedroom — but there are fundamental differences that are important to human survival.
As the Martian atmosphere is around one hundredth as thick as the Earth’s, people will need permanent (永久的) shelter from the sun;society will move largely indoors. Most buildings will be connected by underground passages and the houses won't have windows. The homes will have simulated solar lighting, or natural light that has been bent several times. Walls will need to be 10 to 12 feet thick, to protect people from dangerous rays (光线)that can pass through six feet of steel, and a double air-locked entrance to keep the home under proper pressure.
"We don’t think of our houses as things that keep us alive, but on Mars your house will be a survival centre, 99 says Stephen Petranek, author of How We’ll Live on Mars. This is not just the stuff of sci-fi. “10 to 20 years from now there will certainly be people on Mars,” Petranek says.
“We’ve had the technology for 30 years to land people on Mars, but we haven’t had the will, ”Petranek says. But two main factors have “completely swung public attitudes”.
The private companies’ participation has forced government agencies to speed up their game, and influential films such as Gravity and The Martian have caught society’s eye.
1. What do the underlined words "put them on hold" in paragraph 1 probably mean?A.Put them off. | B.Give them away. |
C.Carry them through. | D.Take them seriously. |
A.It has no windows or doors due to security concern. |
B.Its design presents the idea of environmental protection. |
C.It has thick walls keeping the home under propel pressure. |
D.Its underground passages connect all the buildings together. |
A.The development of related technology. |
B.The competition from private companies. |
C.The great influence of the Mars show home. |
D.The popularity of influential books on Mars. |
A.Living on Mars: Possible or Not | B.Sending People to Mars: Yes or No |
C.First-Ever Show Home: How Is It Made | D.Future Home on Mars: What Will It Be like |
2 . Physical education, or PE, isn’t required for all high school students. In some schools, it isn’t offered for some different reasons. But should high school students have physical education? The answer is certainly “yes”.
Today many people don’t do sports. But as is known to all. doing sports is very important for an adult. Teaching teens the importance of a healthy lifestyle and making fitness plans now can help teens put exercise in the first place as an adult.
High school isn’t that easy. Many students are under a lot of stress. Stress can be harmful to a student’s studies and life. Doing sports can help them deal with stress better, helping them live a happier life at school.
The American Heart Association says that 10 million kids and teens suffer from obesity (肥胖). Teens should get 60 minutes of physical activity per day to control their weight and to help their bones get stronger. The increase in activities that don’t get teens to move around, such as computer games, means many teens don’t get their required exercise. PE classes act as a public health measure (措施) to encourage physical activities and help teens have healthy weights.
Not doing sports increases teens’ hazard of developing many diseases. An active lifestyle offers a good way of protection from these health problems. As much as 75 percent of health-care spending goes toward treating medical conditions that can be prevented by lifestyle changes, according to the American College of Sports Medicine.
According to the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition (PCFSN), students who performed five hours of physical activities each week improved their academic (学业的) performance. Students from programs with no physical activity, who used the extra time for classroom study, did not perform better on tests than those who gave up some study time in support of physical education.
1. According to Paragraph 2, what does physical education in high school mean?A.Making teens attach importance to ęxercise later. |
B.Removing the stress faced by teens at school. |
C.Getting teens to encourage adults to exercise. |
D.Helping teens learn to make good plans |
A.Happiness. | B.Risk. | C.Safety. | D.Sadness. |
A.means making students choose between sports and studies |
B.helps students make good use of all their time |
C.means students adjust to their studies better |
D.helps students do better in their studies |
A.Why high school students should receive physical education. |
B.Why some schools consider physical education important. |
C.How schools can help students love doing sports. |
D.How high school students can live a better life. |
3 . Planning to get away? Think passport first
If you’re planning to get away from it all this year, you should think passport first. Checking you have a valid passport before you book your trip takes minutes but could save you the trouble and cost of not being able to go.
Renewing (更新) your passport before it runs out
You can renew your passport up to 9 months before it can no longer be legally used. So take the time now and save the tears later.
Applying for a passport for the first time
Our eligibility (资格) checks mean that it takes at least one week to issue (颁发) a passport. So make sure you don’t leave it to the last minute, and apply in plenty of time.
Help with your application is just around the corner
Selected Post Office branches and Worldchoice travel agents offer a Check and Send service that helps you with your application. It’s convenient and you should receive your passport within 2 weeks.
If you need to apply for or renew a passport, you can either:
Pick up a Passport Application Form at Selected Post Office branches and Worldchoice travel agents.
Or call the Application Form Request line on 0901 4700 100 or visit www.passport.gov.uk
If your need is urgent, call 0870 521 0410 for an appointment at one of our offices. We can’t guarantee to see customers without an appointment.
1. When applying for a passport for the first time, you need to know that ______.A.passports can be legally used forever |
B.passports are issued at the last minute |
C.application checks take at least one week |
D.applications are selected by post office branches |
A.going to the offices directly |
B.making a call for an appointment |
C.visiting www.passport.gov.uk for a guarantee |
D.getting in touch with Worldchoice travel agents |
A.Certain types of passports. | B.Instructions on applying for passports.. |
C.Advantages of holding passports. | D.Different functions of passports |
4 . Photographer Lindsey Villatoro gave one family the most beautiful gif. She organized a fake wedding ceremony so that a terminal(不治的)ill father could walk his Il-year-old daughter down the aisle.
Jim Zetz, 62, was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and knew that he wouldn't be around for all the big moments in his daughter Josie's life. So when Villatoro heard about the family's heartbreaking story, she decided to do something special for them.
"One day you'll wake up and realize you're given the opportunity to change someone's life for the better, "Villatoro wrote in the description of the wedding video. "If you get an idea, don't think twice and run with it. It was an honour doing this for them. "
Villatoro first met Zetz and his family when she was invited to take one of their final family photos together. When Zetz's wife mentioned that Josie was upset that her father wouldn't be around for "memories down the line", Villatoro decided to help out.
Amazingly, the photographer managed to organize a mini-wedding in the family's backyard within 72 hours! With the help of financial contributions from the local community, she gathered a wedding cake, a dress, flowers, and make-up for the little girl. Friends, family, and even strangers attended the event to show their support.
"Your dad may not live to see you get married, but he is here to walk you down the aisle today, "Gary Galbraith, the pastor(牧师), said in the ceremony. "The daddy and daughter relationship is one of the most special relationships in life. "
At the ceremony Zetz placed a ring on Josie's finger as the pastor called them "daddy and daughter". Josie's mini-wedding coincided(同时发生)with her 11th birthday. Her mother said, "I knew it would be her last birthday with her dad. If I were Josie, this would be the best gif anyone could give. "
"It was a beautiful ceremony, "the neighbour Jennifer Stout said. "It's sad to think of someone so young losing her dad but at least she will have a memory of this event. "
1. Why did Villatoro help to organize the wedding ceremony?A.To celebrate Josie's birthday. | B.To meet Zetz's demand. |
C.To comfort the dying father. | D.To satisfy Josie's wish. |
A.Josie didn't know about his father's illness |
B.Josie was not satisfied with the wedding ceremony |
C.the wedding ceremony gained much support |
D.Zetz was fighting his illness bravely |
A.Greedy. | B.Skilful. | C.Helpful. | D.Hard-working. |
A.The dying father walked his daughter down the aisle. |
B.The 11-year-old daughter was sad for losing her father. |
C.Photographer Lindsey Villatoro filmed an important event. |
D.Josie spent her last birthday with her dying father. |
5 . What you do after studying could have a big effect on how well you learn and remember. Today on Education Tips, we will explore two no-cost ways that can help you improve your learning: wakeful rest and sleep.
When many students finish studying, they often go straight to another activity. Perhaps they look at their phone or computer. They might even play a video game or watch television. But research suggests that resting after your study may help you remember what you have studied.
The basic idea is this: by stopping your activity after the study, your brain gets a chance to rest. Resting is difficult when you are playing computer games.
While this might sound unusual to you, many studies have explored the benefits of resting after learning—what is called “wakeful rest”.
A 2019 study found that both young and older adults were able to better remember information they learned after doing wakeful rest.
If you want to give “wakeful rest” a try, here are a few simple things to do. Rest quietly for five to ten minutes. Do not look at your phone, read stories or play games. It is really that easy!
Besides wakeful rest, sleep is also important for learning. The Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School (HMS) notes that sleep helps people to learn in two ways. A report on the school’s website explains that “a sleep-deprived person cannot focus attention well and therefore cannot learn well”. It also says, “Sleep itself helps us to memorize and that memorizing is very important for learning new information.”
The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) suggests that adults between the ages of 20 and 64 get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per day. Teenagers may need a little bit more, and people over the age of 65 may need a little less.
Try to get some “wakeful rest” after a study. Then try to get a good night’s sleep. That’s it—a simple, no-cost way to help you remember what you learn.
1. What is paragraph 3 mainly about?A.The importance of sleep. | B.The good ways to get a rest. |
C.The reason for having a rest. | D.The types of resting activities. |
A.Reading a newspaper. | B.Playing a video game. |
C.Sitting there doing nothing. | D.Having a nice sleep at night. |
A.Less than 7 hours. | B.Just 7 hours. |
C.No more than 9 hours. | D.Around 9 hours. |
A.Low-cost Tips on Working | B.Good Things to Do After Your Study |
C.Why Do We Need to Have a Good Sleep? | D.How Long Should We Rest After Learning? |
HIGHFIELD COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL SCHOOL REPORT Form Teacher: G. Baker Pupil’s Name: Simon Watkins Term: Summer 2015 Form: Ⅳ B
Basically satisfactory work and progress though he will now have realized, I hope, that in certain subject areas he needs to make speedy improvement. HEADMASTER I shall be keeping an eye on his progress in his weaker subjects though his success in the science is most pleasing. |
A.becomes weak because he doesn’t exercise at all. | B.likes to work with his classmates |
C.doesn’t exercise his body at the right time | D.is too talkative in the class |
A.History and French. | B.Biology |
C.English and Chemistry. | D.Physics and Physical Education. |
A.He has made great progress in language classes. |
B.His potential has been fully reflected in scientist. |
C.He needs to improve his attitude on certain subjects. |
D.His grade in maths makes him a born science and Maths. |
A.Simon didn’t bother his teacher to revise French. | B.Basically, Simon did a good job in science. |
C.Simon is a determined learner in English. | D.Simon is able to pay attention to history for long. |
7 . With the development of our society, cellphones have become a common part in our lives. Have you ever run into a careless cellphone user in the street? Maybe they were busy talking, texting or checking updates on WeChat without looking at what was going on around them. As the number of this new "species" of human has kept rising, they have been given a new name—phubbers (低头族).
Recently a cartoon created by students from China Central Academy of Fine Arts put this group of people under the spotlight. In the short film, phubbers with various social identities bury themselves in their phones. A doctor plays with his cellphone while letting his patient die. A pretty woman takes a selfie (自拍) in front of a car accident site. And a father loses his child without knowing about it while using his mobile phone. A chain of similar events will finally lead to the destruction(毁灭) of the world.
Although the ending of the film sounds unrealistic, the damage phubbing can bring is real. Your health is the first to bear the effect and the result of it. "Always bending your head to check your cellphone could damage your neck," Guangming Daily quoted doctors' words. "The neck is like a rope that breaks after long-term stretching." Also, staring at cellphones for a long time will damage your eyesight gradually, according to the report.
But that's not all. Being a phubber could also damage your social skills and drive you away from your friends and family. When getting together with family or friends, many people prefer to play their cellphones while others are chatting happily with each other and this creates a strange atmosphere, Qilu Evening News reported.
It can also cost your life. There have been lots of reports on phubbers who fell to their death, suffered accidents, and were robbed of their cellphones in broad daylight.
1. Why does the author give the example of a cartoon in Paragraph 2?A.To suggest phubbers will destroy the world. |
B.To call for people to go walking without phones. |
C.To tell people the bad effects of phubbing. |
D.To advise students to create more cartoons like this. |
① Destructing the world.
② Affecting his social skills.
③ Damaging his neck and eyesight.
④ Getting separated from his friends and family.
A.①②④ | B.②③④ | C.①③④ | D.①②③④ |
A.Supportive. | B.Confident. | C.Disapproving. | D.Unconcerned. |
A.Ways to avoid the risks of phubbing. | B.Bad effects of phubbing. |
C.Daily life of phubbers. | D.Behaviours of phubbers. |
8 . A bicycle may be seen by most people as just another vehicle(交通工具), but for many Londoners, cycling is a way of life. According to a UK government survey in 2020, about 570,000 bike journeys were made every day in London. In fact, almost half of the vehicles that pass over London Bridge each day are bikes.
London introduced a public bike-sharing system in 2010. “There can be no doubt that our trusty bicycles have changed that way people get around our great city,” Johnson told The Guardian.
In London, bikes are used for more than just taking short trips to and from the subway. NO matter where you want to go in the city, riding a bike is usually the quickest and easiest choice.
And it’s not just shared bikes that the government is encouraging people to ride. In many companies across the UK, the UK government’s Cycle to Work scheme(计划) allows workers to buy a brand new bike without having to pay any tax (税). This means that it’s common to see many people cycling to and from work, and some employers even provide showers and lockers in the workplaces for their workers. More importantly, a cycle-friendly boss may let you off for being late if you ride a bike to work.
Not only is it great for the environment and our body, cycling is also good for the mind. According to National Geographic, “Bike riding can improve people’s happiness.”
1. How does the author show the popularity of cycling in London?A.By using numbers. | B.By giving examples. |
C.By making comparisons. | D.By using famous sayings. |
A.Disappointed. | B.Concerned. | C.Supportive. | D.Uninterested. |
A.Free bike-sharing services. | B.Showers and lockers in workplaces. |
C.Shorter working hours. | D.Tax-free bikes. |
A.Cycling, a healthy way of life. |
B.How cycling has become popular in London. |
C.Why Londoners are encouraged to ride bikes. |
D.London’s public bike-sharing system. |
9 . Inspiring young minds!
TOKNOW Magazine is a big hit in the world of children's publishing, bringing a unique combination of challenging ideas and good fun to young fans every month.
Sounds too good to be true?
Take a look online—evidence shows that thousands of teachers and parents know a good thing when they see it and recommend TOKNOW to their friends.
Happy Birthday All Year!
What could be more fun than a gift that keeps coming through the letterbox every month? The first magazine with your gift message will arrive in time for the special day.
SUBSCRIBE(订阅) NOW
Annual(年度)Subscription
Europe £55 Rest of World £65
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Includes a Mammoth Map, a passport Puzzle Booklet, and Subscription
Europe £60 Rest of World £70
Refund Policy—the subscription can be cancelled within 28 days and you can get your money back.
1. Why is TOKNOW a special magazine?A.It entertains(使愉悦)young parents. |
B.It provides serious advertisements. |
C.It publishes popular science fictions(小说). |
D.It combines fun with complex concepts. |
A.£55. | B.£60. |
C.£65. | D.£70. |
A.free birthday presents |
B.full refund within 28 days |
C.membership of the TOKNOW club |
D.chances to meet the experts in person |
10 . Welcome to our school. You can do a lot of things here. Come and join us.
Timetable
Sunday 8:30---11:30
Personal Inventions
You can see many inventions by the students; you may also bring your own inventions.
Monday 19:00---21:00
Space and Man
Dr. Thomas West
If you want to know more about the universe.
Wednesday 19:30---21:00
Modern Medicine
Mrs. Lucy Green
Would you like to know medical science?
Friday 18:30---21:00
Computer Science
Mr. Harry Morison from Harvard University(哈佛大学)
Learn to use Windows XP.
1. You may have a chance to introduce your inventions on ________.A.Sunday | B.Monday |
C.Wednesday | D.Friday |
A.Canada | B.Australia |
C.New Zealand | D.America |
A.Dr. West | B.Mr. Morison |
C.Mrs. Green | D.Mr. Thomas |
A.8:30 to 11:30 on Sunday | B.19:00 to 21:00 on Monday |
C.19:30 to 21:00 on Wednesday | D.18:30 to 21:00 on Friday |