1 . The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2024 took place in Las Vegas, US. The event shows off some of the coolest new inventions.
One is a robot companion. It helps people around the house. It uses artificial intelligence (Al). AI is when a computer can learn from experience. It can do things that need usually human intelligence. The robot controls household appliances. It keeps an eye on pets. It even patrols like a mini security guard.
Al technology is in many more products at CES 2024. A smart fridge was made by Samsung. It can recognize up to 33 food items. It suggests recipes that will use up what you have.
In video gaming, two companies used AI to create more natural non-playable characters (NPCs). Usually when you meet a character in a game, what they say to you or how they react will have been pre-programmed or coded by the game's creators. The creators of say they are different. They can react spontaneously.
Technology company LG showed a transparent television. It's wireless. This means it can be put anywhere. You can even put it in front of a window. The screen can be kept clear, so you can see what's behind it. Or users can block out the background. It also has a screensaver feature that can play relaxing scenes such as fish swimming around in a tank.
Hairdryers also got an upgrade. The AirLight Pro was created by L’Oreal. It copies the effects of the Sun and wind. It uses infrared (a type of light energy that humans can't see but feel as heat). The company says it dries hair faster, causing less damage, and uses less energy.
Finally, for children, there is the Droyd Venym electric scooterboard (滑板车). It is basically a seat, low to the ground, with legs and four wheels. You control it with handles. Its top speed is three miles per hour.
1. What can’t a robot companion do according to the passage?A.Watch over pets. | B.Assist others around the house. |
C.Learn from human intelligence. | D.Secure around the house. |
A.naturally | B.personally | C.purposely | D.emotionally |
A.A smart fridge made by Samsung. |
B.Hairdryers updated by L’Oreal. |
C.A transparent television showed by LG. |
D.A scooterboard launched by Droyd Venym. |
A.AI applications at CES. |
B.AI technology in products at CES. |
C.Some of new inventions showed at CES. |
D.Some of technology companies at CES. |
2 . Researchers recently discovered that mosquitoes who have their sleep interrupted would rather get rest than go looking for their next meal. “It was a bit surprising. Sleep deprived (睡眠不足) or not, a blood meal should appeal to them,” said Oluwaseun Ajayi, the leader of the study.
To study mosquitoes, researchers spent more than a year developing ways to analyze how they sleep, and to show the posture of mosquitoes accurately and count their amount of sleep. It was particularly challenging because of something researchers call the “observer effect”. This is when the act of just observing something can change its outcome. In the case of mosquitoes, they’re able to sense that people are nearby due to their body heat, movement, smells and breath. To deal with those circumstances, researchers set up the experiment in a quiet lab where the mosquitoes were several rooms away from anybody who might pass by. They placed cameras and infrared sensors (红外传感器) in the room so they could record whenever the mosquitoes moved without any risk of disturbing them.
Researchers found that the mosquitoes in the lab slept between 16 and 19 hours each day. When mosquitoes were actually in a sleep-like state, their hind legs are lowered, and they bring in their bodies closer to the surface where they are resting. Then, researchers moved their sound equipment regularly at night or during the day to subject them to sleep deprivation. More than three-quarters of the mosquitoes that got to sleep normally went hunting for a blood meal when they were awake. But less than one-quarter wanted to eat after a sleepless night.
Mosquitoes can spread serious diseases to humans. By understanding the sleep rhythms of insects, researchers hope to find new methods to prevent the spread of infections. “In fruit flies, a link between sleep and immunity (免疫力) has been established. And immunity is an important factor for disease transmission in mosquitoes,” Ajayi says. “Based on this, this research would provide us with an understanding of the role of sleep on the disease transmission in mosquitoes.”
1. What did the researchers recently find?A.The regular sleep patterns of mosquitoes. |
B.An effective way to prevent mosquito bites. |
C.The lack of sleep increases the death of mosquitoes. |
D.Sleep deprivation influences mosquitoes’ eating behaviors. |
A.Interrupting the sleep of mosquitoes. | B.Avoiding the impacts of observers’ act. |
C.Figuring out the number of mosquitoes. | D.Placing suitable equipment in the laboratory. |
A.The results of the experiment. | B.The process of the experiment. |
C.The purpose of the experiment. | D.The significance of the experiment. |
A.Conduct research on sleep rhythms of humans. | B.Explore new means of improving human sleep. |
C.Help reduce the diseases spread by mosquitoes. | D.Present the relationship between sleep and immunity. |
3 . If you enter The Malvern School, you’ll find that children are learning on a “light cube”. It’s a sensory lesson, and this activity allows them to add different colours together to see which colours they create when combined. These preschool-age children are not only learning about colour mixing, but also math and experiment execution.
The Malvern School is an innovative private preschool that serves children from 6 weeks to 8 years old.“ Some schools have a pre-purchased curriculum (课程) that they need to follow, but we do not,” said Christle Seal, Program Operations Manager at The Malvern School. “Our curriculum is based on the needs of the individual children.” The teachers all have training experience in early childhood education, allowing them to help the children and keep them challenged.
Besides, teachers are encouraged to follow a flexible curriculum, making it stand out among other schools. For example, a shorter lesson could turn into a day’s exploration of a more particular topic. “It gives teachers the opportunity to decide what skills each child needs to learn, what interests them and how to teach them,” Seal said. “As educators, we should learn to adjust the lesson according to the children.”
There is a lot of work on creative thinking skills and making sure the children are prepared to be 21stcentury learners. Children in the school do not need to sit and memorize things; they are learning by doing. They are learning in an effective way. They are also learning to enjoy school.
The Malvern School students have the opportunity to link different lessons in a variety of subjects, including science, technology, engineering, art and math. In addition, early literacy (读写能力) is also popular in the school. Based on the 1991 radio program, Mrs. Bush’s Story Time, which encouraged families to read with their children, The Malvern School has developed a series of children’s books based on the original radio program.
1. What is special about the curriculum of The Malvern School?A.It is free for all the children. | B.It varies with the children’s needs. |
C.It attaches no importance to textbooks. | D.It provides training service for parents. |
A.They are creative. | B.They stand out among other schools. |
C.They have more room to decide what to teach. | D.They have to teach longer lesson than other schools. |
A.generous and honest | B.determined and confident |
C.creative and enthusiastic | D.independent and hard-working |
A.Malvern School, one that puts students’ need first. |
B.Malvern School, one whose teachers are excellent. |
C.Malvern School, one whose students are imaginative. |
D.Malvern School, one whose curriculums are flexible. |
4 . When the spring breeze blows, blooming flowers give off pleasant scents, mixing with the smell of earth. In such a charming season, why don’t you grab your camera and snap some photos of the magnificent golden flower sea? Here’s a list of some popular places to view rapeseed flowers(油菜花) across China. It’s time to start your spring journey!
Luoping county, Yunnan provinceBest viewing period: From February to March
Boasting favorable weather and a unique ecological environment, Luoping county in Southwest China’s Yunnan province is home to the world-famous rapeseed flowers. Every year from February to March, the flowers are in full bloom, forming a beautiful and magnificent golden view.
Hanzhong, Shaanxi provinceBest viewing period: From March 20 to April 15
Located in southern Shaanxi province and with favorable weather conditions for growing rapeseed flowers, the Hanzhong Basin is a traditional planting and production base for the oilseed rape vegetable. The city of Hanzhong is home to more than 70,000 hectares of rapeseed flowers, yielding 144,000 tons of canola oil each year.
Menyuan Hui autonomous county, Qinghai provinceBest viewing period: July
Menyuan Hui autonomous county in Northwest China’s Qinghai province is a production base for the oilseed rape vegetable in northern China. Rapeseed flowers can be seen everywhere, but those growing in Menyuan look extremely magnificent. Against the blue sky of the plateau, the beautiful flower sea complements villages and distant mountains and rivers. While walking into Menyuan Hui autonomous county, you may have a feeling of crossing a natural painting.
Xinghua, Jiangsu provinceBest viewing period: April
Known as “a pearl of water town”, Xinghua in East China’s Jiangsu province has rich culture and unique scenery. From April to May, the blooming rapeseeds in Xinghua form a vast golden sea of flowers. The Qianduo area attracts tourists who ride a boat to cruise through the flower sea and are intoxicated by fragrance of the flowers.
1. What do we know about rapeseed flowers in Luoping county?A.They can be seen everywhere. |
B.They are the best rapeseed flowers in China. |
C.They bloom earlier than the other three places. |
D.They cover the largest area among the four places. |
A.Xinghua, Jiangsu province |
B.Hanzhong, Shaanxi province |
C.Luoping county, Yunnan province |
D.Menyuan Hui autonomous county, Qinghai province |
A.They are favored by foreigners. |
B.They share the same best view period. |
C.They are well-known for rapeseed flowers. |
D.They are in the southern provinces of China. |
5 . I was driving on the freeway when I noticed heavy clouds roll in. A storm was coming. The rain began beating
Hurricane Katrina struck when I was nine years old. I had worried it would strike us in Houston. It missed us, but other cities were not so lucky. I remembered watching the
The next day, my friends
Suddenly, a phone call brought me back to the present. To my joy, the storm had
A.creatively | B.lazily | C.merrily | D.heavily |
A.looked out | B.set out | C.pulled off | D.got off |
A.warned | B.informed | C.reminded | D.cured |
A.news | B.disaster | C.game | D.performance |
A.observing | B.greeting | C.challenging | D.interviewing |
A.cheap | B.worn | C.fascinating | D.funny |
A.hugging | B.pressing | C.selling | D.throwing |
A.left | B.joined | C.asked | D.annoyed |
A.invent | B.deliver | C.collect | D.produce |
A.freedom | B.happiness | C.struggle | D.belief |
A.gathered | B.processed | C.donated | D.spread |
A.left | B.decorated | C.entered | D.measured |
A.flew | B.drove | C.marched | D.surfed |
A.struck | B.passed | C.strengthened | D.approached |
A.reports | B.clues | C.victims | D.photos |
6 . As we face climate (气候) change, a new digital tool helps develop carbon-free energy without damaging the wildlife habitats. In Maine, the Renewable Energy Siting Tool is a new map that allows the clean energy developers to identify the sites for solar and wind projects while avoiding those with sensitive wildlife habitats. Sarah Haggerty, the lead developer, notes that the tool came into being thanks to the data provided by Maine’s Department of Environmental Protection, state biologists, clean energy developers, as well as economic support from the bank.
Based on data on land-use, habitats, energy resources (资源), etc., the tool uses a traffic light model to identify sites suitable for development and sites to avoid. Fields like landfills are shown in green, wetland areas or endangered species habitats are shown in red, while yellow-shown areas indicate that closer examination of project impacts is necessary.
The tool was developed after Maine passed a law requiring that 80% of Maine’s electricity come from renewable resources by 2030. Haggerty says, “We are in urgent need of this tool to help us fight climate change in a way that reduces impact on our valuable natural resources.”Maine is the most forested state in the nation, and agriculture, natural resources, and nature tourism play important roles in its economy. Yet the state is among the top five in losing its farmland to development. It makes little sense to develop clean energy projects at the cost of farmland.
When developers announce a clean energy project, they often face disagreement from community members who are concerned about the loss of valuable farmland or the impact on wildlife. This can discourage investors (投资者) and slow the change to renewable energy. Luckily, this tool can help developers speed up the development of clean energy by quickly identifying suitable land. Clean energy development needn’t come at the cost of wildlife.
1. What is the function of the new tool?A.To protect Maine’s renewable resources. | B.To apply clean energy to wildlife habitats. |
C.To improve the effective use of clean energy. | D.To balance clean energy and wildlife habitats. |
A.How the new tool is inspired. | B.How the new tool works. |
C.How the new tool is developed. | D.How the new tool collects data. |
A.Indifferent. | B.Neutral. | C.Positive. | D.critical. |
A.Renewable energy is in great need. |
B.To protect wildlife is to protect ourselves. |
C.Traffic lights is of great use to wildlife protection. |
D.A tool helps develop renewable energy and protect wildlife. |
7 . When learning a foreign language, most people fall back on traditional ways: reading, writing, listening and repeating. But Brian Mathias’ research team found out that if you gesture (做手势) with your arms while studying, you can remember the vocabulary better, even months later.
As Mathias describes, they had 22 German-speaking adults learn a total of 90 invented words over four days. While the test subjects first heard the new vocabulary, they were shown a video of a person making a gesture that matched the meaning of the word. When the word was repeated, the subjects performed the gesture themselves. Five months later, they were asked to translate the vocabulary they had learned into German. Those who performed better on the task showed a higher level of activity in their motor cortex—the part of the brain that is responsible for our body movements. The researchers concluded that the motor cortex contributed to the translation of the vocabulary learned with gestures. The effect did not occur when the subjects were only presented with matching pictures instead of gestures.
Another research group led by Leipzig had young adults and eight-year-old children listen to new vocabulary for five days, paired with matching pictures or videos of gestures. After two months, the two methods were still tied. But after six months, the adults benefited more from the gestures than the pictures, while the children were helped equally by both.
But it is not only the motor cortex itself that promotes learning. The meaning expressed by the gesture also figures in, “I think we underuse gesture in our classrooms,” Goldin-Meadow says. “Good teachers and good listeners use it, but not always in a systematic way. Others don’t necessarily bring it into the class —and it could be used more often and more effectively.”
1. What do we know according to Brian Mathias research?A.Those only presented with matching pictures performed better. |
B.The motor cortex had nothing to do with the vocabulary learning. |
C.The research concluded that gestures benefited vocabulary learning. |
D.22 German-speaking adults and children were chosen as the test subjects. |
A.Adults and children are equally good learners. |
B.Pictures have little influence on language learning. |
C.Pictures are found more helpful than videos for children. |
D.Benefits of gestures are more obvious in adults in the long run. |
A.Makes a deal. | B.Plays a part. | C.Takes a chance. | D.Makes a proposal. |
A.Make better use of gestures. | B.Teach listening in a systematic way. |
C.Don’t use traditional teaching approaches. | D.Do some scientific researches on teaching. |
8 . Bang! Somewhere, someone set off fireworks. After hearing the loud noise, ten-year-old Rosie, ran back towards her
Nowhere can Steve find Rosie. Steve had less than five minutes to begin worrying when his phone rang. “Is that black-and-white dog yours, Mr. Harper? She’s just
Closed-circuit television showed Rosie walking into the police station,
Steve supposed why Rosie knew just where to
Steve headed to fetch Rosie from the
A.partner | B.owner | C.vet | D.trainer |
A.adopted | B.bought | C.stolen | D.separated |
A.competed | B.fought | C.bonded | D.finished |
A.fondness | B.care | C.fear | D.awareness |
A.built up | B.gave off | C.passed on | D.went away |
A.partly | B.gradually | C.permanently | D.quickly |
A.handed | B.thought | C.pulled | D.troubled |
A.crying | B.kidding | C.whispering | D.shouting |
A.jumping | B.sitting | C.rolled | D.nosing |
A.anxiously | B.bravely | C.politely | D.impatiently |
A.left | B.explained | C.hesitated | D.emerged |
A.collar | B.back | C.tie | D.leg |
A.lie | B.settle | C.sleep | D.play |
A.station | B.house | C.shelter | D.clinic |
A.charming | B.nervous | C.sound | D.amazed |
9 . Few social networking platforms are known for inspiring positive social change these days, but an Inuit-developed app is helping local communities from Alaska to Greenland advance their self-determination.
Named SIKU after the Inuktitut word for “sea ice”, the app allows communities in the North to pull together traditional knowledge and scientific data to track changes in the environment, trace local wild foods, and make decisions about how to manage wildlife.
Over the years, SIKU has stepped forward in its development. Recently, the elders saw that the platform could help address a familiar challenge: sharing knowledge with younger people who often have their noses in their phones. In 2019, SIKU relaunched as a full-fledged social network—a platform where members can post photos and notes about wildlife sightings, hunts and sea ice conditions. The app operates in multiple languages, such as Inuktitut, Innu and Greenlandic. Since early 2024, over 25,000 people from at least 120 communities have made more than 75,000 posts on SIKU.
The app is also equipped with useful tools for life on the ice, including weather reports, sea ice forecasts, and other critical safety information. “When I go out on the land with family, we go a long distance, and the SIKU app can show which area we are in. It’s precise.” says Karen Nanook, who lives in Taloyoak, Nunavut.
The data held in SIKU is abundant and up to date, and communities are already using the app to inform important decisions. In 2021, for example, elders in Sanikiluaq were worried the local reindeer population had thinned, so the Hunters and Trappers Association used SIKU to survey hunters and look at recent reported harvest rates. The analysis led the association to temporarily close the hunt to relieve pressure on the population and to reintroduce hunting slowly once the number of reindeer increased. This decision shows how Inuit can use the technology in combination with traditional wildlife management. “It’s part science and part Inuit knowledge. It can work both ways, instead of one dominating the other,” says Arragutainaq, a manager at the association.
1. What do we know about SIKU?A.It traces data to do researches. | B.It gets tryout all over the world. |
C.It allows people to post photos and notes. | D.It mainly focuses on traditional knowledge. |
A.Well-developed. | B.Time-saving. | C.Business-centered. | D.Fancy-looking. |
A.Favorable. | B.Doubtful. | C.Intolerant. | D.Curious. |
A.SIKU advocates the Inuit tradition. | B.SIKU promotes technological advances. |
C.SIKU tracks changes in the environment. | D.SIKU helps local communities make decisions. |
10 . Frying French fries in space may be possible, according to a recent study by Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
On Earth, we have gravity and buoyancy (浮力). Gravity makes sure that the oil stays in the cooker, and buoyancy allows the bubbles that come out of the fries to travel up ward so that the fries are cooked. In space, which is under microgravity, there is no buoyancy. So scientists for long believed that frying wasn’t possible.
The research team first designed a sealed container that could fry the potato safely in zero gravity and then took the researchers on a ride. The plane climbed up, and then, at a certain point, headed down just like a roller coaster. There were about 20 seconds of microgravity when the plane reached the highest point, during which the team did tests.
To their surprise, the fries were cooked, and the bubbles were able to escape. When being fried, the water inside the potato turned into vapor (水蒸气). The vapor created pressure when released from the potato. The pressure inside the potato allowed the bubbles to go out and let the oil come in, according to the research paper. It showed that “frying can occur in space”.
This isn’t the first attempt for scientists to deep-fry French fries in “space”. Early in 2014, a group of researchers conducted studies under various gravities. The agency’s large centrifuge (离心机)can create artificial gravity from 1 to 20g, with “g” referring to the gravitational acceleration at the surface of the Earth. It has four arms and can spin fast. During the spin, things held by the arm are under centrifugal force, which is the source of artificial gravity. The fries were cooked under different gravities from 1 to 9 g.
They discovered that the French fries had the most crispy (脆的) chips under 3g. It’s interesting to mention that Jupiter’s gravity is 2.4 times that of Earth’s gravity. So, French fries may have the perfect taste if cooked on Jupiter, compared with other planets in the solar system.
1. What may make frying French Fries possible in space?A.The release of bubbles. | B.The transformation of gravity. |
C.The reduction of vapor. | D.The accumulation of buoyance. |
A.To make a weightless sense. | B.To get appropriate pressure. |
C.To test the seal of the container. | D.To create experiment conditions. |
A.To show the function of the centrifuge. |
B.To find common ground of various experiments. |
C.To prove the perfect taste of French fries on Jupiter. |
D.To offer more evidence about cooking French fries in space. |
A.A science magazine. | B.A cook book. |
C.A food advertisement. | D.A travel brochure. |