1 . Space engineers from the University of Glasgow have published new research showing how reflectors (反射器) placed in orbit around Earth could increase the output of future large-scale solar farms by reflecting additional sunlight toward them even after the sun has set.
In their paper, the researchers described how they used advanced computer models to help determine the most effective method of using orbiting solar reflectors to produce additional power. Their models showed that putting 20 thin reflectors into orbit 1,000 kilometers from Earth could reflect sunlight to solar farms for an extra two hours each day on average. The additional sunlight could increase the output of the world’s future solar farms, particularly after sunset when electricity demand is high. The output could be scaled up further by adding more reflectors or increasing their size.
The team developed an algorithm (算法) to determine how the reflectors could be arranged to catch the sun’s rays most effectively, maximizing the additional sunlight reflected to solar farms around Earth in the early morning and late evening. The researchers suggested that 20 reflectors could produce an extra 728 MWh of electricity per day — equal to adding an additional large solar power farm to Earth without the cost of construction.
Dr. Onur Çelik, one author of the paper, said, “Solar power has the potential to speed our race to reach net-zero, helping us to relieve the global impacts of climate change by reducing our reliance on fossil fuels.”Moreover, the price of solar panels (太阳能电池板) has dropped quickly in recent years, increasing the pace of their adoption and paving the way for the creation of large solar farms around the world.
One of the major limitations of solar power, of course, is that it can only be generated during daylight hours. Putting orbiting solar reflectors in space would help to maximize the effectiveness of solar farms in the years to come. Strategically placing new solar farms in locations which receive the most additional sunlight from the reflectors could make them even more effective.
1. What is the purpose of placing reflectors in space?| A．To improve communication between Earth and space. |
| B．To bring the effects of climate change under control. |
| C．To produce electricity for agricultural use. |
| D．To increase the production of solar power. |
| A．The increased demand for electricity. | B．The decrease in the cost of solar panels. |
| C．The development of space technology. | D．The requirement to preserve the environment. |
| A．They’ll replace fossil fuels completely. |
| B．They’ll become the main source of energy. |
| C．They’ll be more cost-effective and efficient. |
| D．They’ll rely mainly on orbiting reflectors for sunlight. |
| A．A news report. | B．A maths website. |
| C．A marketing brochure. | D．A policy brief. |
2 . Elephants’ important role in maintaining biodiversity and healthy ecosystems has earned them various names including ecosystem engineers and forest gardeners. However, African forest elephants — a species living in the rainforests of central Africa — are increasingly recognized by another name: “climate heroes”.
African forest elephants help lessen climate change by increasing carbon storage in their forest habitats, meaning they help remove heat-trapping CO2 from the atmosphere. They do this by influencing the forest structure, including by increasing the diversity and abundance of plant species. It’s estimated that one forest elephant can increase the net carbon capture (捕获) capacity of the forest by almost 250 acres. This is equal to removing from the atmosphere a year’s worth of emissions (排放量) from 2,047 cars.
“As strange as it seems, all that eating and destruction help the forest pull more carbon out of the air,” says Alison Pearce Stevens in the book Animal Climate Heroes! . Elephants eat more than 400 pounds of food a day, so they spend a lot of time searching for food. As they walk through the forest, they do a lot of damage to the surrounding smaller trees, leading to the survival of trees that have the ability to absorb and store more CO2.
In addition, their thirst for fruits also helps to promote forest growth. This is because elephants disperse fruit seeds. In other words, the seeds pass through the elephant bodies until they drop back to the forest floor.
But African forest elephants are seriously endangered and continue to face threats. These mainly come from hunting for the illegal international trade in elephant ivory (象牙), but also from habitat loss and fewer food sources. The number of forest elephants fell by more than 86% over a period of 31 years, and their habitats are thought to have reduced by 75%. Protecting forest elephants and the forests they depend on means we are safeguarding their ecological contributions that we all rely on.
1. How do African forest elephants help relieve climate change?| A．They increase the diversity of wildlife species. |
| B．They help to maintain the plants of the forest. |
| C．They take in heat-trapping CO2 from the atmosphere. |
| D．They promote the net carbon capture ability of the forest. |
| A．Consume. | B．Preserve. | C．Spread. | D．Gather. |
| A．Illegal hunting and habitat loss. |
| B．The disturbed balance of the forest ecosystem. |
| C．Natural disasters resulting from climate change. |
| D．Competition for water sources with other animals. |
| A．Preserving Forests: Elephants’ Contribution |
| B．New Role of African Forest Elephants: Climate Heroes |
| C．Ivory Trade Threatens African Forest Elephants |
| D．Forest Elephants Are Approaching the Edge of Extinction |
3 . Some of the classrooms at Taft Elementary in Santa Clara, California, have one disadvantage in common: They don’t have windows. That’s true for Logan Earnest’s fifth grade classroom, and he felt it was affecting his students.
“Most of the day, they’re inside,” Earnest told CBS News. “And they don’t really get to see any trees, grass, or the blue sky.” He said the gray walls could be depressing to the kids and may affect their attention and even their attendance.
This was confirmed by former school psychologist Ernesto Rodriguez, who said the lack of windows does affect kids, because research shows being in and around nature eases anxiety and benefits students. Though no longer a practicing psychologist, perhaps he knows now more than ever the impact nature has on mental health. Rodriguez became a park ranger (公园管理员) on Southern California’s Catalina Island and began focusing on his passion—landscape photography.
It was during his training to become a park ranger that he learned a fact that kids who have views out windows to trees do better academically, emotionally and creatively. So an idea to bring nature into rooms occurred to him: Why not bring landscapes in classrooms—via the ceiling (天花板), because teachers don’t typically use them.
Rodriguez took 360 degree shots of tree canopies (树冠) using his photography skills, then he printed them and fit them onto the classroom ceiling of Earnest’s fifth grade. “Beautiful,”one student said as she entered the room. Another student said the trees brought him peace, “When you look up, it feels like you’re sitting under a tree.”
Earnest said he thought there would be many positive effects on his students. “I think my attendance is going to go up. The kids are going to want to come here more frequently. Overall, I think the kids are going to be happier,” he said.
1. What is the common challenge shared by some classrooms at Taft Elementary?| A．Lack of fresh air. | B．Absence of windows. |
| C．Insufficient lighting. | D．Limited access to technology. |
| A．To connect the students with nature. |
| B．To promote his photography skills. |
| C．To improve the teachers’ performance. |
| D．To create an exciting environment for the students. |
| A．They did not notice the change. |
| B．They failed to concentrate on lessons. |
| C．They preferred the original gray ceiling. |
| D．They were in favour of the new additions. |
| A．Cautious and objective. | B．Appreciative and supportive. |
| C．Concerned but doubtful. | D．Curious but unsure. |
4 . Bai Peilan is the Chinese name of Flora Botton Beja. The Chinese character lan in her name
Born in Greece, Botton moved to Mexico with her family at the age of 15, where she started a wonderful journey that finally
Botton first traveled to China in 1975, and later worked at the Mexican embassy (大使) in China, actively
Now in her 90s, she was honored with the excellent
When asked what
| A．stands for | B．looks like | C．cares about | D．makes into |
| A．excuse | B．symbol | C．opinion | D．form |
| A．returned | B．paid | C．added | D．tied |
| A．trained | B．designed | C．regarded | D．missed |
| A．turning | B．devoting | C．leading | D．replying |
| A．promoted | B．balanced | C．described | D．admired |
| A．translated | B．mixed | C．broke | D．developed |
| A．Around | B．Without | C．Despite | D．Throughout |
| A．particular | B．common | C．necessary | D．unique |
| A．impatiently | B．unwillingly | C．dishonestly | D．tirelessly |
| A．modern | B．strong | C．natural | D．flat |
| A．charity | B．achievement | C．invention | D．kindness |
| A．recognition | B．charge | C．advance | D．search |
| A．benefits | B．praises | C．inspires | D．corrects |
| A．still | B．even | C．yet | D．just |
5 . These days, children spend less time in the fresh air. Many of them are addicted to a screen either on a computer or a TV — they seem to be living in a virtual world. They have lost touch with nature.
But now 400 organizations in the UK, from playgroups to the National Health Service, are encouraging children to have some “wild time”. They want kids to replace at least 30 minutes of watching TV or playing computer games for time playing outside. Activities such as building caves, climbing trees and playing hide and seek are just some of the things kids can do. Even if they live in a city, they can go on adventures in the garden or the park.
Children often need a helping hand from their mum and dad. They need to be shown what to do and where to go. Andy Simpson from National Health Service says, “We want parents to see what this magical wonder product does for their kids’ development, independence and creativity, by giving wild time a go.”
So despite the complicated (复杂的) world that young people grow up in now, it seems that going back to basics and experiencing “nature’s playground” is what modern children need. David Bond from Project Wild Thing says, “We need to make more space for wild time in children’s daily routine, freeing this generation of kids to have the sort of experiences that many of us took for granted (想当然).”
This might sound a bit old-fashioned to you or maybe, like me, it makes you think about sticking on your boots, getting outdoors and reliving your childhood. There’s no age limit on enjoying yourself!
1. What makes children lose touch with nature?| A．Playing hide and seek. | B．Building caves frequently. |
| C．Being addicted to a screen. | D．Going on adventures in parks. |
| A．Teachers. | B．Experts. | C．Children. | D．Parents. |
| A．Children need more time to get close to nature. |
| B．Children always take it for granted to play outside. |
| C．What modern children need is spiritual satisfaction. |
| D．Parents should make larger room for kids to study. |
| A．Everyone lives in a high-pressure world. |
| B．People at any age can enjoy wild time. |
| C．Adults desire to go back to childhood. |
| D．Watching TV is a good way to learn about nature. |
6 . Today was Saturday. I went to the shopping center to buy a few things before I return to work next week. I was
He said, “I don’t want to
I didn’t know what to do. I offered him the roast chicken I had
I was surprised by his offer and
I honestly had tears in my eyes. I knew how
Thanks to the man with the half a bag of oranges, you have done more for me than you could ever
| A．sending | B．ordering | C．packing | D．exchanging |
| A．which | B．when | C．where | D．that |
| A．offered | B．threw | C．awarded | D．lent |
| A．sincerely | B．normally | C．carefully | D．softly |
| A．pick | B．waste | C．forget | D．share |
| A．rest | B．most | C．amount | D．part |
| A．saved | B．raised | C．hidden | D．bought |
| A．warning | B．announcing | C．saying | D．lying |
| A．walked away | B．set off | C．gave in | D．checked out |
| A．valued | B．accepted | C．considered | D．decorated |
| A．finding | B．losing | C．fearing | D．expecting |
| A．small | B．easy | C．expensive | D．typical |
| A．reaction | B．desire | C．reminder | D．method |
| A．rights | B．chances | C．patterns | D．examples |
| A．donate | B．own | C．realize | D．stress |
7 . Music can have a strong effect on our emotions. But what happens when we listen to music in a live setting? Do our brains react differently depending on whether the music we’re listening to is live or recorded?
A team of researchers at the University of Zurich led by Sascha Frühholz, professor of cognitive and affective neuroscience (神经学), has now explored this question. The researchers investigated the effects of live music and recorded music on emotional processes in the human brain.
They conducted an experiment in which a pianist changed the live music he was playing to increase the emotional reactions in the amygdala (杏仁体), the emotional center in the brain. During the experiment, the researchers used magnetic resonance imaging (磁共振成像) to measure the activity in the amygdala of the 27 listeners as well as the performer in real time. Based on these measurements, the pianist then adapted his performance to further increase the audience’s emotions. To compare reactions, the listeners were played a recording of the same music performed by the same musician.
“Our study showed that live music caused much higher and more long-lasting activity in the amygdala than recorded music. The live performance also brought about a more active exchange of information in the whole brain,” says Frühholz.
People have always used instruments to make live music. It wasn’t until technical advances in the early 20th century that music was able to be recorded and made widely spread to all people. Even today, though, despite music streaming platforms and high-quality loudspeakers and headphones, the social experience of attending a live concert cannot be taken place of.
1. Why does the author raise questions in paragraph 1?| A．To introduce the topic. | B．To present an argument. |
| C．To call for different answers. | D．To make a survey among readers. |
| A．By observing listeners’ brain reaction. |
| B．By encouraging listeners to play the piano. |
| C．By investigating listeners’ memory of music. |
| D．By asking listeners to comment on the pianist. |
| A．The same effect as the recorded music. | B．Listeners’ longer emotional experience. |
| C．Equal pleasant and unpleasant emotions. | D．Less exchange of information in the brain. |
| A．Great Musician: A Guide of Amygdala’s Magic Trip |
| B．Recorded Piano Music: A Soul’s Impressive Adventure |
| C．Music’s Big Power: A Life’s Emotional Transformation |
| D．Live Music’s Unique Effect: A Brain’s Emotional Journey |
8 . Whether rock, pop, folk, jazz, or EDM is your cup of tea, one of these festivals is bound to attract you.
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
Since first taking place in 1999, the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival has become one of the USA’s most popular events. Alongside attracting major acts such as Rage Against the Machine, Jay Z, and Kesha, Coachella is also known for its huge contemporary art facilities.
Glastonbury Festival
It’s come to be known as one of the most musically diverse festivals around, with performances from idols (偶像) including Stevie Wonder and David Bowie to lesser-known acts just waiting to be discovered. It has also been the subject of a number of documentaries — firstly, Nicolas Roeg and Peter Neal’s Glastonbury Fayre in 1971 and most recently in Julien Temple’s 2006 film Glastonbury.
Roskilde Festival
Denmark’s Roskilde Festival, held each year since 1971, is one of the world’s longest-running festivals, and today is an eight-day long musical extravaganza (盛会) attracting over 100, 000 attendants each year. Featuring around 175 music acts across eight stages, Roskilde Festival has welcomed big names like Bob Marley, Metallica, and The Rolling Stones over the course of its history.
Newport Folk Festival
During its early years, the festival is credited with introducing several then — rising stars of the folk scene to a wider audience including Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, and Jose Feliciano. In 1965, Newport Folk Festival made history as the site of Dylan’s disputable choice to “go electric” — a decision which resulted in a chorus of boos (喝倒彩) from folk purists among the festival crowd.
1. What is a special feature of Glastonbury Festival?| A．It lasts the longest time. | B．It features lesser-known acts. |
| C．It is the most famous music festival. | D．It is the theme of many documentaries. |
| A．Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. | B．Glastonbury Festival. |
| C．Newport Folk Festival. | D．Roskilde Festival. |
| A．They take place every other year. | B．They welcome famous stars. |
| C．They attract millions of attendants. | D．They are popular among composers. |
9 . I loved being a teacher, but for years I was a librarian. However, the timing was never right for me to go back to school. I spent a lot of time learning, acquiring professional knowledge and skills. Finally, I received my media specialist degree. But my biggest challenge was yet to come. I wanted to find a job — a media specialist in a nearby elementary school, but those positions were hard to get.
The new school year started, and I was still working in the school library. As the months passed from August to December without any job prospects (前景), my optimism and faith began to decline. To stay positive, I listened repeatedly to several uplifting songs in the car to my son’s school and my job.
In the beginning of January, I saw a job posted online for a media specialist position. I knew I had to have faith, so I applied for the job, but I didn’t hear anything for weeks. I started to doubt myself. I played my uplifting music so much that my little son who knew the words would sing along. Admiring the dynamic state of my son, suddenly I came to realize that I just had to have faith and remain true to my dream.
Within days, I received a phone call from the school to which I had applied, requesting an interview. I went on the interview with confidence and faith. The result was unforgettable. I am proud to say I’m now a media specialist.
From my experience, what I want to share is that ambitious career aspiration is a strong drive for one’s development. Set your goal of life and follow it with all you can.
1. What was the biggest challenge for the author?| A．Getting a job as a media specialist. |
| B．Adapting to the job of a librarian. |
| C．Gaining the media specialist degree. |
| D．Finding a proper time to go back to school. |
| A．The uplifting songs. | B．The state of her singing son. |
| C．An unexpected phone call. | D．A successful interview. |
| A．Protection. | B．Quality. | C．Desire. | D．Talent. |
| A．It’s challenging but beneficial. | B．It’s smooth and rewarding. |
| C．It’s ordinary but interesting. | D．It’s painful and disappointing. |
10 . Imagine this: You’re at a movie theater food stand loading up on snacks. You have a choice of a small, medium or large soda. The small is 83. 50 and the large is $5. 50. It’s a tough decision: The small size may not last you through the whole movie, but $5. 50 for some sugary drink seems unreasonable. But there’s a third option, a medium soda for $5. 25. The medium might be just right for you, but the large only cost a quarter more. If you’re like the majority of people, you end up buying the large.
If you’re wondering who would purchase the medium soda, the answer is almost no one. Actually, there’s a good chance that the marketing department purposely priced the medium soda as a decoy (诱饵), making you more likely to buy the large soda rather than the small.
I have written about this unique human nature previously with my friend Dan Ariely, who, after noticing pricing for subscription (订阅) to The Economist, studied this phenomenon widely. The digital subscription was 859, the print subscription was $125, and the print plus digital subscription was also $125. No one in their right mind would buy the print subscription when you could get digital as well for the same price, so why was it even an option? Ariely ran an experiment and found that when only the two “real” choices were offered, more people chose the less-expensive digital subscription. However, the bad option increased people’s likelihood of selecting the expensive print plus digital option.
Brain scientists call this effect “asymmetric dominance (非对称优势)” and it means that people are hooked to the option that is closest to an obviously inferior (较差的) option.
Marketing professors call it the decoy effect, which is certainly easier to remember. It works because of the way our brain assigns value when making choices. Value is rarely absolute; rather, we decide an object’s value relative to other choices. If more options are introduced, the value equation (方程) changes.
1. Why do the shops give the third option-the medium soda?| A．To earn more money. | B．To offer people better choices. |
| C．To help people save money. | D．To give people the right size of soda. |
| A．Lower-priced goods attract more customers |
| B．The economist’s promotional strategy works. |
| C．The economist’s print edition turns out to sell the best. |
| D．More readers choose the digital over the print edition. |
| A．Opposed. | B．Employed. | C．Devoted. | D．Attracted. |
| A．https: //www. lifestyle. com/health | B．https: //www. education. com/science |
| C．https: //www. consumers. com/money | D．https: /www. movie. com/entertainment |
