1 . While there are many milk substitutes (替代品) on the market, most fall short of imitating dairy milk. And while vegetarians around the world have grown accustomed to these substitutes, millions of milk drinkers are unsatisfied with these options, which don’t often taste, look, and blend like dairy milk. That accuracy is exactly what Impossible Foods has set out to develop. “We want milk that a dairy milk consumer will choose” said CEO Pat Brown at a virtual conference call.
Like the famous Impossible Burger which tastes, cooks, and bleeds like real meat, Impossible Milk will also most likely be soy-based, giving it a protein profile (外形) like dairy milk. While the product is still in development for at least another year, Brown said in the conference call that soy is a very good choice from a nutritional standpoint and a supply chain standpoint, and for those reasons he thinks there’s a great chance that it will be the base protein for their product.
Plant-based milk, meats, and other products have been rising over the past several years as environmental and health concerns have grown, especially among millennials (千禧一代). According to a study by YouGov, approximately 55 percent of millennials surveyed agree with the statement “I am open to substituting meat or dairy products with healthy substitutes”.
And the market is seeing this preference take shape. According to the Dairy Farmers of America, milk sales dropped by $1.1 billion between 2017 and 2018. While at the same time, the Plant-Based Food Association revealed that the sales of plant-based milk increased a lot, making up 15 percent of the total milk market.
As the trend towards choosing plant-based substitutes grows, so do the products, which can now be found in supermarkets throughout the world. With no plans of slowing down, plant-based food substitutes are a micro revolution that is changing the very culture of our food consumption from the bottom all the way to the top.
1. What is the target of Impossible Foods?| A．To satisfy the increasing demand for milk. | B．To attract more vegetarians to buy milk. |
| C．To make its milk more similar to dairy milk. | D．To develop more nutritional milk substitutes. |
| A．Intolerant. | B．Unclear. | C．Impartial. | D．Favorable. |
| A．The poor sales of milk substitutes. | B．The success of Impossible Foods’s milk. |
| C．The booming market for plant-based milk. | D．The competition among plant-based products. |
| A．They will change vegetarians’ diets. | B．They are only sold in supermarkets. |
| C．They are expensive for most consumers. | D．They have a strong effect on food culture. |
2 . Amazon’s Alexa will be able to revive the voices of deceased relatives, allowing users to feel as if they are speaking to lost ones beyond the grave.
In a video shown on stage, Amazon demonstrated how, instead of the robot Alexa’s signature voice reading a story to a young boy, it was his grandmother’s voice.
Rohit Prasad, an Amazon senior vice president, said the updated system will be able to collect enough voice data from less than a minute of audio to make personalization like this possible, rather than having someone spend hours in a recording studio like how it’s done in the past.
The concept starts from Amazon looking at new ways to add more “human features” to artificial intelligence, especially “in the post-pandemic era, when so many of us have lost someone we love,” Prasad said. “While AI can’t rid that pain of loss, it can definitely make their memories last.”
Amazon has long used AI recreations of people’s voices to voice Alexa. But they have also increasingly improved over the past few years, particularly with the use of AI and deepfake (高仿真的) technology.
However, Amazon’s attempt at personalized Alexa voices may struggle most with the weird valley effect—recreating a voice that is so similar to a loved one’s but isn’t quite right, which leads to rejection by real humans. “For some, they will view this as creepy or outright terrible, but for others it could be viewed in a more profound way, perhaps for the first time and in a way that isn’t a strict recording from the past.” said Michael Inouye of ABI Research. He believes, however, the varying reactions to announcements like this speak to how society will have to adjust to the promise of innovations and their eventual reality in the years ahead.
The technology is also likely to lead to fears that it could be used to impersonate living people, which could be used to bypass security systems. In 2019, a manager at a British energy company lost almost￡200,000 after criminals used AI to fake his boss’s voice, directing him to transfer the company’s funds to a foreign bank account.
1. What is the feature of the updated system of Amazon’s Alexa?| A．It will use AI recreations of people’s voices. |
| B．It will free the grandmother from reading a story. |
| C．It will be highly efficient in collecting voice data. |
| D．It will make a breakthrough in deepfake technology. |
| A．We should tolerate the limitations of new technology. |
| B．Technology should meet the promises it made before. |
| C．Technology should recreate exactly our loved ones’ voice. |
| D．We should constantly increase our demand for technology. |
| A．Interact with. | B．Prove to be. |
| C．Have command of. | D．Pretend to be. |
| A．Critical. | B．Objective. | C．Supportive. | D．Skeptical. |
3 . The library is the heart of a university—its collections, services, and study spaces are central to every student’s educational journey. Let’s take a look at some famous university libraries around the world.
Magdalen College Old LibraryOxford University is famous for its academic programs, but it’s also known for its outstanding libraries that are said to include more than 11 million books. The Old Library at Magdalen College is the crown jewel of the university’s library system. It contains more than 20,000 rare books and manuscripts. Nearly all of these volumes were published before 1800.
TU Delft LibraryThe library at the Delft University of Technology was constructed in 1997, which has more than 862,000 books, 16,000 magazine subscriptions and its own museum. But it will only take a glance to be attracted, as it is a sight to remember. The building itself exists beneath the ground, so you can’t really see the actual library. What makes it interesting is the roof, which is a grassy hill.
Trinity College LibraryThe Trinity College Library in Dublin is the oldest library in Ireland, founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I. It contains more than 200,000 of the library’s oldest books. Treasures of the library’s extensive collection include a rare copy of the 1916 proclamation (宣言) of the Irish Republic and a beautiful 15th century harp (竖琴).
Joe and Rika Mansueto LibraryOpened in 2011, the Joe and Rika Mansueto Library at the University of Chicago is designed with a grand glass roof, perfect for staring out when you are tired. The library can hold around 3.5 million volumes through its underground automatic storage system. If you are not already impressed, the librarians, robotic cranes, will knock your socks off. They can locate and bring you any book within an average time of 3 minutes.
1. What do Magdalen College Old Library and Trinity College Library have in common?| A．Both house stringed instruments. |
| B．Both feature attractive designs. |
| C．Both boast numerous ancient books. |
| D．Both gain recognition as crown jewels. |
| A．TU Delft Library. | B．Trinity College Library. |
| C．Magdalen College Old Library. | D．Joe and Rika Mansueto Library. |
| A．Music enthusiasts. | B．Book collectors. |
| C．Exchange students. | D．Jewel designers. |
4 . My mom spent years as a stay-at-home mom so that my brothers and I could focus on our education. However, I could tell from her curiosity of and attitudes toward working women that she envied their financial freedom and the self-esteem that must come with it. When I asked her about working again, she would tell me to focus on achieving my dream. I knew she had once dreamed for herself.
For years, I watched her effortlessly light up conversations with both strangers and family. Her empathy and ability to reach the heart could make anyone laugh, even when the story itself did not apply to them at all. “Mom, have you ever thought about being a stand-up comedian?” “It is too late for me, son,” she responded, laughing at the idea. I could not bear to watch her struggle between ambition and doubt.
Her birthday was coming up. Although I had already bought her a present, I knew what I actually wanted to give her. I placed little notes of encouragement inside the present. I asked my family and her friends to do the same. Eventually I had collected 146 notes, and each with the same sentiment, “You are humorous, full of life, and ready to take on the stage.”
On the day of her birthday, my mom unwrapped my present. She was not surprised as she had been hinted at it for long. But then she saw those little notes. She started to weep with her hands full of notes. She could not believe the support was real.
Within two months, my mom gave her first performance in a New York comedy club. I have read the notes countless times with my mom. They are framed and line the walls of her new office space that she rented with the profits she made from working as a professional comedian. For many parents, their children’s careers are their greatest accomplishment, but for me my mom’s is mine.
1. What was the attitude of the author’s mother to working women?| A．She was curious about their income. |
| B．She admired what work brought them. |
| C．She felt indifferent to working women. |
| D．She appreciated their ambitions in finance. |
| A．Her effort in making friends. | B．Her talent to bring people joy. |
| C．Her curiosity about working women. | D．Her desire for financial independence. |
| A．Amazed and hesitant. | B．Sad and disappointed. |
| C．Moved and encouraged. | D．Delighted and proud. |
| A．My Mom’s Greatest Success. | B．My Mom’s Comedy Career. |
| C．A Special Birthday Gift. | D．A Journey to Independence. |
5 . There is a famous study called “the marshmallow (棉花糖) test”, conducted by Stanford University professor Walter Mischel. The experiment measured how well children could delay immediate gratification (满足) to receive greater rewards in the future an — ability that predicts success later in life.
For a long time, people assumed that the ability to delay gratification had to do with the child’s personality and was, therefore, unchangeable. But more recent research suggests that social factors—like the reliability of the adults around them — influence how long they can resist temptation (诱惑). Now, findings from a new study add to that science, suggesting that children can delay gratification longer when they are working together toward a common goal.
In the study, researchers repeated a version of the marshmallow experiment with 207 five- to six-year-old children from two very different cultures —Western, Germany and a farming community in Kenya. Kids were first introduced to another child and given a task to do together. Then, they were put in a room by themselves, presented with a cookie on a plate, and told they could eat it now or wait until the researcher returned and receive two cookies. (The researchers used cookies instead of marshmallows because cookies were more attractive treats to these kids.) Some kids received the standard instructions. But others were told that they would get a second cookie only if they and the kid they’d met (who was in another room) were able to resist eating the first one. That meant if both cooperated, they’d both win.
Results showed that both German and Kikuyu kids who were cooperating were able to delay gratification longer than those who weren’t cooperating. Apparently, working toward a common goal was more effective than going it alone.
“Delaying gratification is not just about material benefits,” says Sebastian Grueneisen, coauthor of the study. “Addressing various social issues often necessitates giving up short-term gains for long-term advantages.”
1. What was the traditional belief about kids’ ability to delay gratification?| A．It is dependent on rewards. | B．It is relevant to intelligence. |
| C．It is linked to social factors. | D．It is a fixed personality trait. |
| A．It is an extended version of Mischel’s experiment. | B．It took age differences into consideration. |
| C．It was carried out on a local basis. | D．It reveals the secret of success. |
| A．Self-control. | B．Reliable adults. | C．Cooperation. | D．Cultural differences. |
| A．Instant rewards bring short-term benefits. | B．Delaying gratification holds social value. |
| C．Cooperation is motivated by self-satisfaction. | D．Social development outweighs personal benefits. |
6 . As a mother who had three kids in public schools, it always bothered me that the elementary school had a voluntary “reading club” in which students received prizes based on how much reading for pleasure they did each week. The message seems all wrong: We have to bribe (贿赂) you to read for fun.
A survey by the National Assessment for Educational Progress found that the numbers of 9- and 13-year-olds who say they read for enjoyment almost every day dropped from slightly more than half in 1984, to 42% during the 2019-20 school year. The trend among middle schoolers is worse. The percentage who frequently read for fun dropped by more than half, to 17%, while the percentage who seldom or never do more than tripled (增至三倍).
Meanwhile, a British study found that reading for pleasure had much wider benefits, resulting in better vocabulary, spelling and mathematical abilities. According to the nonprofit reading-advocacy group Kids Read Now, readers also learn better empathy (同理心), decision-making and social skills.
One contributor to this disappointing trend seems obvious: Social media and other digital activities are heavy draws and can consume hours of time. But some librarians and students point to other reasons as well: As students advance in school, required reading of textbooks and classroom-assigned literature increases. They may be reading more, but often enjoying it less.
Reading for pleasure isn’t the same as assigned reading because kids need to be able to relax with the reading material of their choice. As a child, my son used to finish his reading for school and then sigh (叹息) with pleasure, saying, “Now I can read.”
Parents play a key role in changing this situation, but many may not realize how important it is to expose their kids to books, magazines and the like. Giving older students more choices in what they read for class would help encourage pleasure reading too. The class could make group choices or students could pick from a menu of options instead of being assigned a single book. When there are just a few choices and we spoon-feed them to kids, we just deprive them of the experience of realizing there’s a bigger world of books out there for them to explore.
1. What made the author annoyed according to paragraph 1?| A．The messages sent by the reading club each week. |
| B．The lack of reading clubs in the elementary school. |
| C．The unrealistic reading goals set by the elementary school. |
| D．The way to encourage elementary school students to read for fun. |
| A．By listing some persuasive figures. | B．By providing some research results. |
| C．By referring to some experts’ views. | D．By sharing her own parenting experience. |
| A．It takes time to finish reading for school. |
| B．Parents should read together with their kids. |
| C．The reading for school is hardly fun for children. |
| D．Children have difficulty choosing reading materials. |
| A．Keep them from. | B．Prepare them for. |
| C．Lead them to. | D．Fill them with. |
7 . Hawking was one of the most famous scientists in the world. But humor was always a big part of Hawking’s effort to bring physics to the masses. In his 2010 book, The Grand Design, for instance, he describes how, in 1277, the religious government declared scientific laws such as gravity to be wrong, since they seemed against their belief. “ Interestingly,” the text adds in a humorous way, “ the religious leader was killed by the effects of the law of gravity a few months later when the roof of his palace fell in on him. ”
Hawking was only 21 when he was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis — ALS (肌萎缩侧索硬化). For most people, the condition would have been a disaster. But Hawking rolled over difficulty as if it were just a rock under his wheelchair. “Life would be tragic (悲剧的),” he once said, “ if it weren’t funny. ”
So Hawking made jokes. There was the time when talk show host John Oliver asked him about parallel (平行的) universes. “ Does that mean there is a universe out there where I am smarter than you?” Oliver joked. Hawking’s dry reply: “ Yes. And also a universe where you’re funny.” Hawking liked physical humor too. He reportedly enjoyed wheeling his chair over the feet of people who annoyed him, including Prince Charles. “ A malicious (恶意的) rumor,” Hawking said. “ I’ll run over anyone who repeats it. ”
Hawking’s greatest hit, humor-wise, was probably the cocktail party he held in 2009. It was a “welcome reception for future time travelers,” he said, so naturally he sent out the invitations the day after the party. No one showed up yet. “ Maybe one day someone living in the future will find the information and use a wormhole time machine to come back to my party,” Hawking explained. After all, he never missed a chance to have fun.
1. Why did Hawking mention the death of the religious leader in his book The Grand Design?| A．To enhance the credibility of his book. |
| B．To show the result of going against science. |
| C．To illustrate the law of gravity humorously. |
| D．To question the power of the religious government. |
| A．Indifferent. | B．Positive. | C．Ambiguous. | D．Confused. |
| A．People showed no interest in time travel. |
| B．The party was in fact a joke by Hawking. |
| C．There was no such thing as a time traveler. |
| D．The wormhole time machine wasn’t there yet. |
| A．The Humorous Side of Hawking | B．Great Achievements of Hawking |
| C．A Party with No One Attending | D．The Personal Life of Hawking |
8 . Opening Notice for the National Museum of China (NMC)
Admission:
NMC is open from Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00-17:30 (no entry after 16:30), and is closed on Mondays (except for public holidays). All visitors are required to book online 1-7 days in advance via the NMC official website or WeChat platform.
Audio Guide Rental:
Audio guide devices are available at the West Hall Service Desk for RMB40, with a RMB100 deposit (押金). A valid (有效的) ID is necessary. Damage to an audio guide causes a fee based on the level of damage. Lost devices are subject to payment of the full purchase cost.
Facilities:
Wheelchairs and strollers (婴 儿 推车 ) are available for free use on the day of visit at the Service Desk. A valid ID card and a deposit of RMB500 are required.
Photo Policy:
Photography is allowed in the NMC collection exhibitions without using flash, selfie sticks, or tripods. Temporary exhibits may have specific photo policies, indicated by clear signs put up at both the entrance and the corresponding exhibit halls.
Transportation:
Bus Route:
You can take the No.1, No.2, No. 52, No. 82, No.120 buses, or Sightseeing Line 2, Tourist Bus Line 1 and Line 2 and get off at Tian'anmen East Station.
Metro:
You can take Metro Line 1, get off at Tian'anmen East Station, and exit the station through Exit C.
1. What happens if a rented audio guide device is damaged?| A．An additional fee of RMB40 is charged. |
| B．The visitor is excused from any charges. |
| C．Its full price is charged regardless of the damage. |
| D．Fee for damage is based on the extent of the damage. |
| A．Borrow a wheelchair with a deposit of $500. |
| B．Use a stroller provided by the museum for free. |
| C．Take photos with flashlight, selfie stick or tripod. |
| D．Take pictures of the collections on all exhibitions. |
| A．The No.82 Bus. | B．Tourist Bus Line 52. |
| C．Sightseeing Line 1. | D．Metro Line 2. |
9 . Clothes were once used until they fell apart. Not today. In high-income countries in particular, clothing and footwear are increasingly frequently bought, thrown away and replaced with new fashions, which are themselves soon thrown away and replaced.
The so-called “fast fashion” is having a surprising environmental impact. Take water. The fashion industry, one of the world’s largest users of water, consumes anywhere from 20 trillion to 200 trillion litres every year. Then there are microplastics. Plastic fibres are released when we wash polyester (聚酯纤维) and other polymer-based textiles (纺织品), and make up between 20% and 35% of the microplastics choking the oceans. Added to this are specific chemicals, such as those used to make fabrics stain resistant and the pesticides required to protect crops such as cotton.
Change is badly needed, but will require the fashion industry to work harder to embrace more of what is known as the circular economy. That will involve at least two things: refocusing on making things that last, and so encouraging reuse; and more rapidly expanding the technologies for sustainable manufacturing processes, especially recycling. There’s a big role for research—both academic and industrial—in achieving these and other ambitions.
Researchers could begin by helping to provide more accurate estimates of water use. There is also work to be done on improving and expanding textiles recycling. Undoubtedly, used textiles go to landfill in part because there are relatively few systems that collect, recycle and reuse materials. Such recycling requires the manual separation of fibres, as well as buttons and zips. Different fibres are not easy to identify by eye, and overall such manual processes are time-consuming. Machinery is being developed that can help. Technologies also exist to recycle used fibres chemically and to create high-quality fibres that can be reused in clothing. But these are nowhere near the scale needed.
1. Why does the author mention “water”, “microplastics” and “chemicals” in Paragraph 2?| A．To list examples. | B．To prove a point. |
| C．To provide an idea. | D．To give a definition. |
| A．Efforts are made to lengthen the lifespan of textiles. |
| B．Worn-out clothes are used as dishcloths and oil rags. |
| C．High-quality fibres are created to be reused in clothing. |
| D．Fashion industry is encouraged to release new lines more often. |
| A．To make sure that all of the used textiles go to landfill. |
| B．To separate fibres, as well as buttons and zips manually. |
| C．To improve and expand textile recycling to a larger extent. |
| D．To encourage consumers to satisfy their desires for fashion. |
| A．Say No to the So-Called Fast Fashion |
| B．Address the Challenges for Researchers |
| C．Embrace More of the Circular Economy |
| D．Cut Fast Fashion’s Environmental Impact |
10 . In Denmark, bicycling is one of the primary forms of transportation. In sunshine, rain and snow, you will see cyclists on their way to work, to the grocery store, or to social events. The bike is a Dane’s best friend. Danish cycling culture is as old as the bicycle itself. Bikes were first introduced to the country in the 1880s, and during the 1920s and 1930s, the bicycle became a widespread symbol of equality and freedom. People of all social classes began biking side by side —in the cities on their way to work and in the countryside on their days off.
The increased prosperity of the late 1950s saw some. Danes replacing bikes with motorcycles and automobiles. Just like their colleagues around the world, Danish urban planners believed the future belonged to cars, trucks, and ever-wider highways. In the early 1970s, however, the Mideast oil crisis terminated that development. “Car Free Sundays” were introduced in Copenhagen, and protests demanding Copenhagen to become car-tree took place. Over time, concerns about air pollution, climate change, and the need for people to get enough exercise have helped bicycles make a big comeback. Denmark’s heavy taxes on petrol and automobiles are a factor, too.
Today, cycling is an inseparable part of Danish culture. Newcomers who do not know how to cycle are encouraged to learn as soon as they arrive. Danish children usually learn to bike before they begin school at the age of six — and often much earlier. In school, children learn about traffic rules, road safety, and the importance of wearing a helmet as well as good cycling habits. Another alternative for families with children is the cargo bike-a sort of oversized tricycle with a large wooden box on the front. It’s estimated that a quarter of all Copenhagen families with two or more children own one of these cargo bikes for transporting kids, groceries, and other necessities. Danish cargo bikes have also won design awards and become a Danish export success.
Commuting by bike is the fastest, easiest and most environmentally friendly way to get around the cities of Denmark. And the numbers speak for themselves: Residents who cycle in Copenhagen request 1.1 million fewer sick days. Cyclists reduce CO2 emissions by 20,000 tonnes a year on average.
1. What can we learn about bicycles in Denmark from paragraph 1?| A．Bicycling was the only form of transportation. |
| B．Danish cycling culture dates back to the 18th century. |
| C．Bicycles had symbolic significance in the early 20th century. |
| D．Bicycles revolutionized transportation |
| A．Facilitated. | B．Permitted. |
| C．Ended. | D．Postponed. |
| A．To demonstrate the commitment to cycling. | B．To compare cycling with driving. |
| C．To highlight the popularity of cycling. | D．To show the benefits of cycling. |
| A．Denmark: A Nation of Cyclists |
| B．Denmark: A Model of Sustainable Living |
| C．The Evolution of Transportation in Denmark |
| D．The Impact of Cargo Bikes on Danish Mobility |
