1 . Over a four-year period, Swiss researchers have developed a machine that can keep human livers (肝)alive outside of the body for one week.
Livers are among the most commonly transplanted (移植)human organs. Current technology can only keep human livers alive for up to 24 hours. It is reported that, in 2017, about 8.000 liver transplants were performed in the U.S., of which 360 used livers from living givers In addition, about 11,500 people were registered on a waiting list to receive a liver transplant. Keeping livers alive and functioning for longer periods could greatly improve the chances of survival for patients.
The researchers say the purpose of their “Liver4Life” machine is to perform what they call liver perfusion (灌注)operations outside of the human body. Perfusion is the process by which blood or other liquids are pumped through organs and tissue. The machine keeps the liver at the right temperature and moves it in a way that would be natural in the body. Using a pump to fill the liver with blood acting like a human heart, the machine also provides oxygen to the organ, controls red blood cell levels and removes waste.
The research team began their experiments with livers from pigs. After repeated testing and engineering development, they succeeded in getting the pig livers to survive for seven days with support only provided from the Liver4Life machine. They also discovered the system can work to repair damaged livers. The team is now planning its next step to transplant machine-treated organs into patients.
Pierre-Alain Clavien. leader of the research said in a statement. “This technology will greatly increase the number of livers available for transplant, improving the chances of survival for patients. The success of this unique machine opens the way for many new applications in transplantation and cancer medicine.”
1. What does the author intend to do in paragraph 2?| A．Introduce a brand new topic for discussion. |
| B．Provide some latest data about present liver transplants. |
| C．Show the urgency of tech improvement in liver transplants. |
| D．Remind readers concerned of the importance of a healthy liver. |
| A．The machine. | B．The liver. |
| C．The temperature. | D．The tissue. |
| A．It is among the most commonly used machines for liver transplants. |
| B．It is aimed to carry out liver perfusion operations in the human body. |
| C．It can perform several functions to keep the liver working normally. |
| D．It can be used to keep the pig livers alive for more than one week. |
| A．A biology textbook. | B．A first aid brochure. |
| C．A social web page. | D．A health magazine. |
As many as two-thirds of the city’s 21 million residents live in slums. “Most girls are trapped in a terrible cycle of poverty. Many of them are not thinking of education, a plan for the future,” Abisoye Ajayi-Akinfolarin, a computer programmer in Lagos, recalls. But several times a week, girls like Okpoe get a glimpse of another world when they attend GirlsCoding, a free program run by the Pearls Africa Foundation that seeks to educate and excite girls about computer programming. Since 2012, the group has helped more than 400 disadvantaged girls gain the technical skills and confidence they need to transform their lives.
It’s the vision of Ajayi-Akinfolarin, who left a successful career to devote herself to this work. She'd noticed how few women worked in this growing field-a 2013 government survey found that less than 8% of Nigerian women were employed in technology jobs. She wanted to fix the gender gap. “Technology is a space that’s dominated by men. Why should we leave that to guys?” she said. “I believe girls need opportunities.”
Now, dozens of girls aged 10 to 17 get trained in computer programming technology. “I believe you can still find diamonds in these places,” Ajayi-Akinfolarin said. “They need to be shown another life.” One way her program does this is by taking the students to visit tech companies — not only showing them what technology can do, but also helping them visualize themselves joining the industry.
Okpoe, for one, has taken this to heart. She helped create an app called Makoko Fresh that went live this summer, enabling fishermen like her father to sell seafood directly to customers. She even wants to become a software engineer and hopes to study computer science at Harvard. “One thing I want my girls to hold onto is, regardless of where they are coming from, that they can make it,” Ajayi said. “They are coders. They are thinkers. Their future is bright.”
1. What can we learn about GirlsCoding?| A．It encourages girls to land a job in education. |
| B．It offers Nigerian girls in need part-time jobs. |
| C．It helps girls working in Lagos to fight poverty. |
| D．It teaches girls in Makoko computer programming. |
| A．Men could do far better in technology jobs. |
| B．Girls should get equal work opportunities. |
| C．Men normally got paid more than women. |
| D．Girls tended to devote themselves to work. |
| A．Rebuilding the girls’ confidence. |
| B．Training the girls to find diamonds. |
| C．Presenting a different life to the girls. |
| D．Taking the girls to technology companies. |
| A．She got fishermen to benefit from her app. |
| B．She was admitted to Harvard University. |
| C．She took her father’s suggestion to heart. |
| D．She made some changes to computer science. |
3 . Two years ago, my friend and I were at college. With his birthday quickly approaching, he came to me with an unusual
I was
Our university employed some security guards to
We decided to make a large pot of hot
| A．order | B．request | C．problem | D．story |
| A．stuck | B．blessed | C．burdened | D．bored |
| A．traditional | B．complex | C．familiar | D．novel |
| A．plan out | B．take over | C．watch for | D．hold back |
| A．judge | B．help | C．monitor | D．protect |
| A．step by step | B．around the clock | C．more or less | D．now and then |
| A．addicted | B．devoted | C．attached | D．accustomed |
| A．presence | B．hunger | C．poverty | D．thirsty |
| A．tea | B．milk | C．porridge | D．chocolate |
| A．workers | B．students | C．guards | D．drivers |
| A．finally | B．initially | C．occasionally | D．frequently |
| A．remind | B．track | C．spot | D．recognize |
| A．spread | B．moved | C．happened | D．returned |
| A．friends | B．difficulties | C．greetings | D．smiles |
| A．similar | B．small | C．daily | D．modest |
4 . I arrived in this beautiful Spanish island at the start of September, full of enthusiasm and eager to start work as an English teacher. I sorted all the necessary paperwork out and moved into a flat of my own within the first couple of days. Great! Or so I thought. At 4 am and at several intervals after that, I was rudely awoken by the cock that lives opposite me. Fantastic! I now have 5 extra alarms every morning.
In the following weeks, I also started to notice a trend. Things in my flat started to break at the rate of one object per day, like the hot water, bowls, cups, shower, doors or glass shelves. Yes, I am clumsy but things just fell apart. If it wasn’t broken, it would either be dirty or missing. Using my washing basket for the first time was pretty disgusting. When I took out my clothes, they were swiftly followed by a hundred or so bugs that were living in the bottom.
As for the general lack of equipment in the house, there was no oven, tin opener, sharp knives or potato peeler. It turns out making a burger from scratch wasn’t the best idea. I have a small microwave and a grill. I thought the general understanding was never to put metal in a microwave but I went with it. Smoke soon started to appear. I was not quite sure if it was the burger or the grill but as soon as I opened the door, the electricity cut out. I spent the following 10 minutes in a dark, smoky room hunting for the power switch using the light from my mobile phone, which broke the week after and left me without a connection to the outer world.
Luckily, I’m now borrowing a phone and my luck has returned. No more things have broken (probably because there is nothing left to break). I’ve also realized that even if a flat looks pretty, it doesn’t mean its contents work. I am also learning how to adapt to life with limited, broken utensils (厨房用具).
1. What problem did the author have in the morning?| A．She got some noisy neighbors. | B．Her sleep was disturbed by a rooster. |
| C．She often slept late. | D．Her alarm failed to work. |
| A．Her household articles were in poor condition. |
| B．Her flat was pretty old but comfortable. |
| C．She was quite satisfied with her flat. |
| D．She was a very careful woman. |
| A．She broke her phone accidentally. | B．She suffered a sudden power failure. |
| C．She was seriously injured. | D．She made a terrible mistake. |
| A．Learning to live in a new flat. | B．Why living abroad is not easy. |
| C．Remaining optimistic. | D．How to choose a nice flat. |
5 . Following the outbreak of the novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP), also named COVID-19 by WHO, there is a general fear of the unknown virus as its full effects remain to be seen. Fever, coughing, sore throat, difficulty breathing —the NCP’s symptoms are similar to the common cold or the flu, but it’s potentially more dangerous.
Viruses could be deadly, like HIV and Ebola. But what are viruses? How can they cause so much trouble?
Viruses are non-living organisms (有机体) approximately one-millionth of an inch long. Unlike human cells or bacteria, they can’t reproduce on their own. Instead, they invade the cells of living organisms to reproduce, spread and take over.
Viruses can infect every living thing – from plants and animals down to the smallest bacteria. For this reason, they always have the potential to be dangerous to human life. Sometimes a virus can cause a disease so serious that it is fatal. Other viral infections trigger no noticeable reaction.
Viruses lie around our environment all of the time, waiting for a host cell to come along. They can enter our bodies by the nose, mouth, eyes or breaks in the skin. Once inside, they try to find a host cell to infect. For example, HIV, which causes AIDS, attacks the T-cells of the immune system.
But the basic question is, where did viruses first come from? Until now, no clear explanation for their origin exists. “Tracing the origins of viruses is difficult”, Ed Rybicki, a virologist (病毒学家) at the University of Cape Town in South Africa, told Scientific American, “because viruses don’t leave fossils and because of the tricks they use to make copies of themselves within the cells they’ve invaded”.
However, there are three main hypotheses (假说) to explain the origin of viruses. First, viruses started as independent organisms, then became parasites (寄生者). Second, viruses evolved from pieces of DNA or RNA that “escaped” from larger organisms. Third, viruses co-evolved with their host cells, which means they existed alongside these cells.
For the time being, these are only theories. The technology and evidence we have today cannot be used to test these theories and identify the most plausible explanation. Continuing studies may provide us with clearer answers. Or future studies may reveal that the answer is even murkier (含糊不清的) than it now appears.
1. What can we learn about viruses from the text?| A．Viruses have nothing to do with the common cold. |
| B．Viruses are really small living organisms. |
| C．Viruses can’t reproduce unless they find a host cell. |
| D．Viruses enter our bodies mainly through the mouth, nose and hair. |
| A．They evolved from the fossils of large organisms. |
| B．They evolved from parasites into independent organisms. |
| C．They evolved from the T-cells in animals. |
| D．They evolved along with their host cells. |
| A．reasonable | B．common |
| C．creative | D．unbelievable |
| A．Viruses live longer in human host cells than in animals’. |
| B．Viruses will become more like bacteria as they evolve. |
| C．It may take a long time to understand the origin of viruses. |
| D．The author is optimistic about future virus research. |
6 . It is true that quite a few most respected scientific authorities have confirmed that the world is becoming hotter and hotter. There is also strong evidence that humans are contributing to the warming. Countless recent reports have proved the same thing. For instance, a 2012 summary about the climate science by the Royal Society noted that, ''The global warming over the last half- century has been caused mainly by human activity.''
You may not believe that humans could change the planet's climate, but the basic science is well understood. Each year, billions of tons of greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere because of human activity. As has been known for years, these gases hold heat that would otherwise escape to space, wrapping the planet in an invisible blanket.
Of course, the earth's climate has always been changing due to “natural” factors such as volcanic eruption or changes in solar, or cycles concerning the Earth's going around the sun. According to the scientific research, however, the warming observed by now matches the pattern of warming we would expect from a build-up of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere — not the warming we would expect from other possible causes.
Even if scientists did discover another reasonable explanation for the warming recorded so far, that would give birth to a difficult question. As Robert Henson puts it, ''If some newly discovered factor is to blame for the climate change, then why aren't carbon dioxide and the other greenhouse gases producing the warming that basic physics tells us they should be?''
The only way to prove with 100% certainty that humans are responsible for global warming would be to run an experiment with two identical Earths — one with human influence and one without. That obviously isn’t possible, and so most scientists are careful not to state human influence as an absolute certainty.
1. In most scientists' opinion, the global warming is mainly caused by _______.| A．solar activities | B．volcanic activities |
| C．natural factors | D．human factors |
| A．giving typical examples | B．following the order of space |
| C．analyzing a theory and arguing it | D．comparing and finding differences |
| A．''natural'' factors also contribute to changes of earth’s climate |
| B．greenhouse gases also have some benefits to the earth |
| C．there is another planet that is exactly the same as the earth |
| D．increasing temperature can not be proved with 100% certainty |
| A．Are All the Scientists Really Scientific? |
| B．Where Is Global Warming Leading Us to? |
| C．Are Humans Definitely Causing Global Warming? |
| D．What's Relation of Global Warming and Greenhouse Gases? |
7 . Italy and China has agreed to jointly advance the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) (一带一路), which aims to build a trade and infrastructure network to connect Asia with Europe and Africa along ancient trade routes. Italy will use this opportunity to cooperate with China to develop its northern ports and the InvestItalia program, and promote cooperation in all fields.
Despite some skepticism, the BRI has developed into one of the world’s largest cooperation platforms and become a hot public good. More than 120 countries and 29 international organizations have signed agreements with China up to date, bringing all sorts of development opportunities to parties of the BRI, including the construction of Kenya’s first high-speed expressway, the first cross-sea bridge in the Maldives, and the formation of the car industry in Belarus.
The inclusion of Italy into the BRI makes Italy the first G7 country to formally join the Initiative, and sets a new milestone in the process of building the Belt and Road.
What makes the BRI unique is that it is an initiative for win-win cooperation rather than zero-sum competition. As everyone knows, the BRI has its origin in the ancient Silk Road trade route that linked China with many places in the world, including the Italian cities of Rome and Venice. Italy is a natural fit for the ambitious project because of its historical connections with China, and also because of the need to be open rather than closed, to cooperate rather than confront. In this fast-changing world, seeking win-win progress is the best path forward for all countries.
In China, it is said that without a big breakthrough in thinking, there will be no big leap in practice; and without a big leap in practice, there will be no great development. A number of Chinese ideas and initiatives have been formed with the goal of building a community of common destiny in mind. Under the BRI, we can expect China to deepen policy coordination, facilities connectivity, free trade, financial integration, and people-to-people bonds.
The revival of China as a great power is a blessing to the world, contributing to the building of a better world.
1. How does the author develop the second paragraph?| A．By giving examples. | B．By making comparisons. |
| C．By reasoning and analyzing. | D．By describing important events. |
| A．China has become a superpower. |
| B．China puts others’ interests before its own. |
| C．China has been seeking development for all. |
| D．China is well-known for its traditional ideas. |
| A．Only one participant will win. |
| B．None of the participants will win. |
| C．All participants will gain something. |
| D．Some participants will win at the cost of others. |
| A．The revival of China as a great power |
| B．Construction along ancient trade routes |
| C．A milestone in building BRI has beenset |
| D．Italy and China reached an agreement on BRI |
8 . Last year saw one of the poorest salmon returns on record in North America. Yet, we are eating more fish than ever before. Aquaculture (水产养殖) production has tripled in the last two decades to meet this need, and another historic move was made by the FDA earlier this year, when a company received the first ever nod to sell a genetically modified salmon, a bioengineered version of the Atlantic salmon.
US-based AquaBounty, the firm which received the go-ahead, said it would begin stocking fish in supermarkets ''as soon as possible''. The first commercial harvest is expected at the end of 2020. At the moment, Argentina, Brazil and China have also granted environmental approvals for genetically modified fish farming trials.
This genetically modified salmon is actually a fish injected with the DNA of two other edible fish. The long road to the current version of the GM fish began in the 1980s when a physiologist named Garth Fletcher read about the work being done to genetically modify mice and wondered whether it could apply to salmon. He understood that the fish's growth hormones are most active in some seasons and considered changing this so that the hormones are always active. Cut to 2019, Fletcher's GM fish is able to reach adult size in 16 to 18 months, compared with 30 months for natural Atlantic salmon, while consuming 25% less feed.
In the United States, Atlantic salmon is endangered, so catching it is heavily restricted. It is currently imported from Chile, Norway and Canada. If the production and sales of AquaBounty go as planned, this will all change. And simultaneously, the company claims that farming the fish in their land-based hatcheries will lower the transportation cost as well as emissions associated with importing the fish as is currently done.
This has not all been without stiff opposition, and protestors who have sent nearly 2 million comments to the FDA have had issues on three main fronts. Health risks, being the main one, as it has been with several other genetically modified foods in the past. The environmental group Earth Action says no one can predict what will happen when people start eating the fish over time.
1. What can we learn about AquaBounty?| A．It is a firm located in Argentina. |
| B．It performs research into GM fish. |
| C．It deals with the production and sales of fish. |
| D．It is the only firm allowed to produce GM fish. |
| A．it has proved to have no health risks |
| B．it costs 25% less than imported salmon |
| C．it can meet people's ever increasing need |
| D．it grows faster than natural Atlanticsalmon |
| A．fish markets will be seriously disturbed |
| B．GM food has potential health problems |
| C．GM salmon may not be up to the standard |
| D．the environmental group Earth Action will not be satisfied |
| A．the nod to sell a GM salmon |
| B．the lower cost of GM salmon |
| C．the prediction about what will happen |
| D．the import of salmon from Chile, Norway and Canada |
9 . The 33-year-old Australian, Bradley, is actually a student in international relations completing his PhD through Griffith University. He came to Beijing for a cooperative research at Peking University less than two years ago. Such an academic life was just added color with a chance offered by the cultural exchanges project, “I’m in China”.
Bradley was lucky to win the most “likes” for his photo story about his life in China and became one of 20 winners to visit locations after a global recruitment (招募) by the project this summer. All the winners’ experiences were filmed to produce a reality show, My Chinese Working Day, which will be broadcast by mid-September. The film crew took them to many “amazing sites” and the staff taught them a lot about how to incorporate modern Chinese characteristics while still keeping traditional customs. “I would have to say two things stick out as the most memorable: the helicopter ride and talking with the staff at the hotel about how they organize weddings here in China,” he said. That was Bradley’s first time to be in a helicopter, and he was too absorbed with the awesome view of the beautiful coastline. “I think it is so important to show other Australians the different landscapes China has to offer. I think so many Australians, when they think about China, imagine the historical sites of Beijing and the exciting things to see in Shanghai but have no idea about other beautiful places, like Sanya or the many other places people have been taken to in this TV series,” Bradley said.
“I’m in China” is a project sponsored by China Intercontinental Communication Centre and other institutions under the guidance of China’s State Council Information Office. It invites foreign natives worldwide to experience unique jobs and participate in activities that one can find nowhere else except in China.
1. What does the underlined word “incorporate” in paragraph 2 mean?| A．Distinguish. | B．Clarify. |
| C．Receive. | D．Include. |
| A．The historical sites and the exciting things to see. |
| B．The thrilling ride and the unique wedding arrangements. |
| C．The different landscapes and traditional customs. |
| D．The unique jobs and kind-hearted Chinese people. |
| A．To introduce the cultural exchange project. |
| B．To invite the Australians to visit China. |
| C．To inform us of the reality show. |
| D．To tell an experience in China. |
| A．Education. | B．Environment. |
| C．Culture. | D．History. |
10 . I believe in the power of science fiction, not just for its capacity to transform dreams into reality, but also for its power to bond together those who share a common vision of the future. For me, that’s true for my relationship with my dad. Some fathers and sons bond over sports, fishing or hunting, but my dad and I bond over Star Trek. We tried a trip to Disney World, but one of my earliest memories wasn’t Mickey, but a Klingon battle cruiser(巡洋舰)on the screen.
Over the years, nearly every setting and situation has become far away for my dad and me. When it’s warm at night, we’re not driving along some dark streets in Indiana, but going at a slow speed with stars dimly shining. Both of us are thinking of them, without needing to say a word. All these visions of other universes have together created a private universe for my dad and me.
Gene Rodenberry, creator of Star Trek, once said, “Science fiction is a way of thinking, a way of logic that bypasses( 绕 过 )a lot of nonsense. It allows people to look directly at important subjects.” A lifetime of science fiction has influenced more than just my relationship with my dad, but has also helped me shape my own hopes for the future. I’m now a science writer.
Yes, science fiction has made me into a “nerd” (书呆子), and it also has been a source of joy for my family, making me an optimist while enabling me to think critically about the danger of technology. Thank those authors who have shared their visions; the world and my family are better for it. Thank my dad, who is both the best storyteller and the best man I have ever known because he helped me realize the truth of Tennyson’s words, “Since I dipped into the future, I saw the vision of the world, and all the wonders that would be.”
1. What is the special bond between the author and his father?| A．Their similar dreams. |
| B．Their love for each other. |
| C．Their common interest. |
| D．Their hatred for science. |
| A．His deep impression on his dad. |
| B．His feeling of staying with his dad. |
| C．His earliest memory of his dad. |
| D．His good relationship with his dad. |
| A．It leads him to pursue a desirable career. |
| B．It brings him the courage to live better. |
| C．It helps him solve the danger of technology. |
| D．It makes him become a source of his family’s joy. |
| A．The Wonders of Science |
| B．The Power of Science Fiction |
| C．The Versions of Science Fiction |
| D．The Time together with My Father |
