1 . The road to a Nobel Prize, the most respected scientific award in the world, is growing ever longer, with almost half of winners now waiting more than 20 years from making a Nobel-worthy discovery to receiving the prize.
One analysis shows that the average time between publishing the work and receiving one of the science prizes has nearly doubled in the past 60 years. Across the three science prizes, chemistry now has the longest “Nobel lag”—an average of 30 years over the past decade—and physiology or medicine has the shortest, at 26 years.
Alfred Nobel’s will stated that the prizes should be awarded “to those who, during the previous year, shall have given the greatest benefit to mankind.” In reality this has only happened a few times. But in the first half of the twentieth century, it was common for Nobel prize winners to be in their 30s -and that is unheard of now, says Santo Fortunato, now a computational social scientist at Indiana University.
There are a number of possible reasons for this, says Yian Yin, a computational social scientist at Cornell University. It could be that the overall number of breakthroughs is increasing each year, so awards cannot keep up with the number of people who deserve to be recognized, he says. It is also the case that the importance of some works, which Yin describes as “sleeping beauties” are only realized years or decades later. Besides, the lengthening gap could be a sign that there has been a decrease in “disruptive” science - important studies or discoveries that change the paradigm (范式) of their field. This could be causing the Nobel committees to focus more on the past.
Fortunato points out that, if the gap continues to grow, outstanding scientists could miss out on the award owing to the Nobel Committee’s rule banning posthumous prizes (追授奖项). “It has to stop at some point,” he says, adding that a rethink of the posthumous-awarding ban would allow more people’s work to get the recognition that it deserves.
1. Why does the writer mention the numbers in the first two paragraphs?| A．To explain a rule. | B．To present a fact. |
| C．To clarify a concept. | D．To make a prediction. |
| A．None of them are in their 30s nowadays. | B．Their names are unheard of by the public. |
| C．None of them receive the prizes several times. | D．They must make contributions the year before. |
| A．The change in standards. | B．The requirement of the award. |
| C．The increase in breakthroughs. | D．The tradition of the committees. |
| A．Reconsidering the current rule. | B．Establishing a better committee. |
| C．Stopping the award presentation. | D．Recognizing more people’s work. |
2 . Have you ever wondered what happens to your mobile phones and laptops after you throw them out to make way for a newer model? According to its latest Global E-Waste Monitor, India is the third top producer of e-waste in the world. E-waste in Indian landfill goes on to pollute soil and groundwater, affecting food supply systems and water sources.
Thankfully, the country has a new group of artists who are changing these thrown mechanical items-from mobile phones to old televisions- into large murals (壁画) and artworks to creatively show their concern for the waste problem.
Over the past quarter of a century, Mumbai’s Haribaabu Naatesan has transformed hundreds of tonnes of e-waste into art, integrating elements from nature and industry. “I get my waste material from friends, relatives and neighbours who know my interest in e-art and send me bags of thrown electronic appliances,” says Naatesan. Over his career, he has created huge murals for several companies. He has also showed his work at the India Art Fair, as well as several other national displays.
Another artist Vishwanath Davangere has also long worked with e-waste. He likes to take apart old laptops and reassemble (重新组装) them into birds, animals and plants. After retirement, he started pursuing this hobby more seriously and started selling his creations across the world. His most outstanding works include a robotic Egyptian statue with glowing red eyes and a Milky Way made from keyboard keys. He hopes to enable others to reconsider their own consumption habits and make more environmentally conscious choices.
“By giving e-waste a second chance, I aim to raise awareness about the environmental impact of electronic waste.” says Davangare, who today has a collection of more than 600 eco-art objects.
1. Why do the artists create artworks from E-waste?| A．To promote their artistic career. | B．To update electronic appliances. |
| C．To make profits for several companies. | D．To express their environmental concern. |
| A．His creations are displayed globally. | B．He gains support from people around. |
| C．He has been creating e-art for 10 years. | D．His works integrate technology and history. |
| A．Reliable. | B．Confident. | C．Devoted. | D．Generous. |
| A．E-waste Recycling Sweeping the World | B．Environmental Problems Worrying Indians |
| C．An Art Movement Turning Trash into Cash | D．Indian Creatives Transforming E-waste into Art |
3 . The road to a Nobel Prize, the most respected scientific award in the world, is growing ever longer, with almost half of winners now waiting more than 20 years from making a Nobel-worthy discovery to receiving the prize.
One analysis shows that the average time between publishing the work and receiving one of the science prizes has nearly doubled in the past 60 years. Across the three science prizes, chemistry now has the longest “Nobel lag”- an average of 30 years over the past decade- and physiology or medicine has the shortest, at 26 years.
Alfred Nobel’s will stated that the prizes should be awarded “to those who, during the previous year, shall have given the greatest benefit to mankind.” In reality this has only happened a few times. But in the first half of the twentieth century, it was common for Nobel prize winners to be in their 30s and that is unheard of now, says Santo Fortunato, now a computational social scientist at Indiana University.
There are a number of possible reasons for this, says Yian Yin, a computational social scientist at Cornell University. It could be that the overall number of breakthroughs is increasing each year, so awards cannot keep up with the number of people who deserve to be recognized, he says. It is also the case that the importance of some works, which Yin describes as “sleeping beauties” are only realized years or decades later. Besides, the lengthening gap could be a sign that there has been a decrease in “disruptive” science -important studies or discoveries that change the paradigm (范式) of their field. This could be causing the Nobel committees to focus more on the past.
Fortunato points out that, if the gap continues to grow, outstanding scientists could miss out on the award owing to the Nobel Committee’s rule banning posthumous prizes (追授奖项). “It has to stop at some point,” he says, adding that a rethink of the posthumous-awarding ban would allow more people’s work to get the recognition that it deserves.
1. Why does the writer mention the numbers in the first two paragraphs?| A．To explain a rule. | B．To present a fact. |
| C．To give an opinion. | D．To make a prediction. |
| A．Experts who are in their thirties. |
| B．Teachers who study computer science. |
| C．Researchers whose name has not been heard of. |
| D．Scientists whose discovery benefits humans most. |
| A．The change in standards. | B．The requirement of the award. |
| C．The increase in breakthroughs. | D．The tradition of the committees. |
| A．Reconsidering the current rule. | B．Establishing a better committee. |
| C．Stopping the award presentation. | D．Recognizing more people’s work. |
4 . In 1921, Karel Čapek’s play R. U. R.: Rossum’s Universal Robots had its first public performance in Prague, and was translated into English the following year. He needed a name for the factory produced humanoid workers of the story, and was thinking of coining something based on the word “labour”. But his brother Josef suggested an old Czech word for “forced labour”, robota. And the word “robot” was born.
If the Čapeks had known English, they might have chosen one of the words with relevant senses that were already in the language. “Automaton” had been available since the 17th century and “android” since the 18th. But the clear sound of “robot” seemed to capture the public imagination, because within five years it was being used not only for intelligent artificial beings but for any machine capable of carrying out a complex set of movements.
In science fictions(小说), the word took on new life, with writers such as Isaac Asimov writing well-regarded novels in which robots played a central role. It was these writers who first shortened “robot”to“bot”, but none of them could have expected the explosion of usages which arrived in the 1990s, as the shortened word came to be adopted in computing. Today, a bot is any piece of software that runs an automated task, such as in searching the Internet or playing computer games. It has also become a suffix (后缀), with the function of the“bot”explained in the other part of the word, as in searchbot, infobot, spybot and warbot.
As early as 1923, George Bernard Shaw had applied the word “robot” to people who act automatically, without thinking or emotion, usually because of the repetitive work they have to do. Now anyone having automaton-like behaviour risks attracting the label. A movie star called Samantha who has taken on the same type of character too many times might have her roles described as “Samanthabots.” And in 2009 “Obamabots” arrived-people who support Barack Obama without really knowing anything about him.
1. What does the underlined word “coining” in paragraph 1 mean?| A．Delivering. | B．Predicting. | C．Inventing. | D．Recommending. |
| A．It was no longer linked with machines. | B．It was gradually replaced by “android”. |
| C．It was shortened and used in computing. | D．It was only adopted in well-regarded novels. |
| A．The usage of “robot” in different situations. |
| B．The impact of “robot” on people’s behaviour. |
| C．The popularity of “robot” among movie stars. |
| D．The connection of “robot” with public figures. |
| A．A writer’s biography. | B．A science fiction. |
| C．A technology newspaper. | D．A language encyclopedia. |
5 . California is home to some of the most beautiful botanical gardens in the country. Suppose you want to appreciate unique landscapes and native plants, this post has what you need to experience in the Golden State.
San Francisco Botanical Garden
Located in the Golden Gate Park, this garden is home to over 9,000 types of plants. It has 55acres of walking paths and streams where families, couples, and solo travelers can escape from the noise of the city. It offers attractive florals (植物群) during every season of the year.
California Botanic Garden
It’s the largest botanic garden devoted to California-native plants. As a living museum, the California Botanic Garden features over 22,000 California-native plant species, many of which are endangered species. The garden offers guided walks and tours for visitors who want a behind-the-scenes look at the garden and its many beautiful species.
UC Botanical Garden at Berkeley
This garden features the most diverse landscapes in the world. It has over 10,000 types of plants. The plant collections here are impressive; visitors can wander for hours and still find new plants to admire. Special events are hosted there throughout the year, including plant sales and summer camps for kids.
San Diego Botanic Garden
This coastal California botanic garden has 4 miles of trails and ocean views and features over 5,000 plant species. Among 29 uniquely themed gardens on-site, the bamboo garden collection is a must-see. With over 100 species within the living collection of bamboo, guests can experience many distinctive eco-friendly plants up close.
If exploring the botanical gardens in California is on your to-do list, don’t wait any longer! We’re confident this collection of must-see outdoor gardens will entertain, amaze, and inspire you.
1. Which botanical garden has the most types of plants?| A．San Francisco Botanical Garden. | B．California Botanic Garden. |
| C．UC Botanical Garden. | D．San Diego Botanic Garden. |
| A．It holds different events regularly. | B．It has distinctive theme gardens. |
| C．It features California-native plants. | D．It shows various landscapes worldwide. |
| A．Travellers. | B．Gardeners. | C．Researchers. | D．Guides. |
6 . We’ve all had them: “It’s been one of those days” days. It starts out
Then I noticed the salt still in the shopping cart. I
| A．early | B．bad | C．new | D．gradual |
| A．realized | B．understood | C．pretended | D．assessed |
| A．walked | B．ran | C．drove | D．cycled |
| A．picked up | B．handed in | C．put down | D．lived on |
| A．recipe | B．card | C．cash | D．check |
| A．money | B．salt | C．dinner | D．purchase |
| A．took | B．carried | C．handed | D．poured |
| A．argued | B．joked | C．suggested | D．blamed |
| A．complained | B．explained | C．suspected | D．found |
| A．pulled | B．paid | C．spotted | D．switched |
| A．ordered | B．recommended | C．commanded | D．insisted |
| A．never | B．seldom | C．always | D．already |
| A．unique | B．abnormal | C．identical | D．kind |
| A．bows | B．smiles | C．shouts | D．nods |
| A．adopt | B．remember | C．evaluate | D．present |
7 . We’ve all had them: “It’s been one of those days” days. It starts out
Then I noticed the salt
| A．bad | B．early | C．new | D．gradual |
| A．serving | B．preparing | C．enjoying | D．displaying |
| A．realized | B．acknowledged | C．inferred | D．pretended |
| A．walked | B．ran | C．drove | D．cycled |
| A．handed in | B．picked up | C．put down | D．went through |
| A．recipe | B．salt | C．cash | D．check |
| A．bagged | B．estimated | C．obtained | D．purchased |
| A．even | B．again | C．still | D．also |
| A．argued | B．assumed | C．suggested | D．blamed |
| A．complained | B．explained | C．suspected | D．found |
| A．pulled | B．evaluated | C．spotted | D．switched |
| A．persuaded | B．recommended | C．commanded | D．insisted |
| A．unique | B．abnormal | C．identical | D．kind |
| A．bows | B．frowns | C．shouts | D．nods |
| A．incident | B．promise | C．example | D．emergency |
