1 . A new study establishes that environmental damage caused by corn production results in 4,300 premature deaths annually in the United States, representing cost of $39 billion.
The paper, published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Sustainability, presents how researchers have estimated for the first time the health damages caused by corn production using detailed information on pollution emissions, pollution transport by wind, and human exposure to increased air pollution levels.
The study also shows how the damage to human health of producing a litre (升) of corn differs from region to region and how, in some areas, the health damages of corn production are greater than its market price.
“The deaths caused per litre in western corn belt states such as Minnesota, Iowa, and Nebraska tend to be lower than in eastern corn belt states such as Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio,” said lead researcher Jason Hill.
It’s important for farmers to have this information so that they can carry out practices that reduce the environmental influence of the crops they grow. Farmers can greatly improve the environmental profile of their corn by using precision agriculture tools and switching to fertilizers that have lower ammonia (氨) emissions. The study’s results also suggest potential benefits from improving nitrogen use efficiency, switching to crops requiring less fertilizer, and changing the location where corn is grown.
Aware that changes in practices can take time and planning, Hill suggests farmers could be offered motivation to switch to crops that demand less applied nitrogen while still offering market and nutritional benefits.
Hill said, “The number of deaths related to corn production could be reduced through these key strategies”.
1. Which of the states has the lowest death rate caused by corn production?| A．Nebraska. | B．Illinois. |
| C．Indiana. | D．Ohio. |
| A．Improve nitrogen use efficiency. |
| B．Plant crops with no fertilizer. |
| C．Change the corn’s location. |
| D．Using precision agriculture tools. |
| A．Indifferent. | B．Optimistic. |
| C．Pessimistic. | D．Neutral. |
| A．Health and lifestyle. |
| B．Art and design. |
| C．Science and environment. |
| D．Fashion and business. |
2 . Even though these monuments are extremely well known, they hold secrets that not many people are aware of.
Empire State Building
On the 103rd floor of the Empire State Building in New York, there is a secret observation deck that not a lot of people know about. To access the balcony, you have to take a series of elevators and then a very steep, narrow staircase. The observation deck isn’t open to the public, but many celebrities have been photographed there.
Eiffel Tower
There is a secret apartment and office at the very top of the Eiffel Tower that has just recently become open to the public. In 1889, Gustave Eiffel, the engineer of this famous Paris landmark, built himself a private apartment and office. It has been restored and has wax models of Gustave, his daughter, and American inventor Thomas Edison on display.
Statue of Liberty
There is actually a room in the torch of the Statue of Liberty that showcases breathtaking views of the city. People used to be able to visit that room until 1916 when German agents blew up a nearby wharf (码头). The explosion sent broken pieces into the raised arm of Lady Liberty, making the staircase up to the hidden room unsafe.
Disneyland
Hardcore Disney fans might think they know all of the secrets of the park, a famous U.S. landmark, but many haven’t heard of Club 33. This exclusive restaurant is hidden behind an unmarked door in Disneyland’s New Orleans Square. If you want to dine here on your next trip to Disneyland, don’t get your hopes up. It costs $25,000 to join the club, plus an annual fee of $12,000.
1. What do the monuments have in common?| A．They are all in Europe. |
| B．They all have skyscrapers. |
| C．They are all the best-known. |
| D．They all hide little-known secrets. |
| A．Disneyland. | B．Eiffel Tower. |
| C．Statue of Liberty. | D．Empire State Building. |
| A．Attractive. | B．Expensive. |
| C．Wonderful. | D．Beautiful. |
3 . Charlotte Grainger explains that it was her primary school teacher who first speculated that she might write a novel. “I thought the height of achievement would be to write a book because it seemed such a challenge and anyway I didn’t know what other teenagers were doing, like being in the Olympics, for example. When I turned 13, I thought I may be as well attempt this now. Recently I told my ex-teacher about it and she was astonished. She told me she’d meant I’d do it when I was 30 or 40. That had never occurred to me — I couldn’t understand why I’d be expected to put something on hold that I had a chance of being good at.”
It’s a winter afternoon, in the offices of Charlette’s publishers. The public relations representative for the book is keeping us company in case Charlotte might need defending. But she needs neither parental nor professional support. She’s her own person: spirited, with an alert face and great intelligence, but also a steadiness that prevents any overconfidence she could be forgiven for feeling.
She has a theory about teenagers and the way they are “betrayed” by the fiction that is specifically aimed at them. There are, she maintains, three types of teenagers depicted in novels. “There’s the outsider who becomes acceptable to society, the naive teenager who knows nothing about the big wide world, and the awkward teenage character who is socially skilled. The overall impression teenagers can get from some writers is teenagers can’t possibly know who they are because they are not experienced enough to know the truth. And when that is being pushed onto them by writers, it can undermine their self-belief. ”
Charlotte has always been a keen reader of famous fantasy writers, some of whom you might suppose she’d be grateful to, but in fact they almost put her off writing entirely. “Books by my favorite fantasy writers explore deep things about psychology and about life. I was asking myself: is this seriously what I have to be doing to write a good book and am I really up to it?” She does, however, praise the influence of a book called “How Not to Write a Novel. “It tells you that if the reader starts to guess what’s going to happen, the suspense has probably gone. ”
1. Why did Charlotte write her first novel at 13?| A．She considered it something she might be good at. |
| B．She wanted to live up to her teacher’s expectations. |
| C．She wished to prove age was no barrier to success. |
| D．She felt it impossible to delay doing anything. |
| A．She needs to be more confident. | B．She is more modest than expected. |
| C．She should take more advice from others. | D．She should be allowed more independence. |
| A．Mentioned. | B．Identified. | C．Betrayed. | D．Described. |
| A．They were too boring to read. | B．They offered inspirations for her novel. |
| C．They nearly made her frightened of writing. | D．They taught her the skill of creating suspense. |
4 . Big Space Events To Put In Your Calendar For 2022
MAY — CHINA’S SPACE STATION GETS BIGGER
May will see the launch of a new module for the Tiangong space station, China’s “Palace in the sky”. Its first core module, Tianhe was launched last April. The next module will be Wentian, a laboratory expected to launch between May and June. It will also serve as a backup core module and the place where future spacewalks from the taikonauts will take place. It will be followed by a second laboratory module, Mengtian, in August-September.
JUNE — INDIA’S SPACECRAFT TAKES ITS FIRST FLIGHT
ISRO, the Indian Space Research Organization, has announced that Gaganyaan (which translates to Sky Craft) will have is first unscrewed fight in June. The craft is panned to be a key vehicle in the Indian Human Spaceflight Program and, all going well in this test; it will be followed by a crewed test next year.
JULY — RUSSIA EYES THE MOONAGAIN
Russia’s Luna program had many successes with landers, rovers, and even sample returns, and Luna 25 is expected to follow in that tradition according to Russian Space Agency, Roscomos. The mission this fine is just a lander expected to touch down near the Lunar South Pole with instruments designed to study the soil. The location might be a possible area of interest for a permanent base on the Moon.
AUGUST — MORE LUNAR MISSIONS
August will see the launch of the Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter, a panned lunar orbiter by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI). This will be the first Korean Lunar Mission, a technology demonstration for KARI.
1. Which country will carry out multiple space tasks this year?| A．China. | B．India. | C．Russia. | D．Korea. |
| A．It will operate in low lunar orbit. | B．It will take a land on the Moon. |
| C．It will serve as a permanent base. | D．It will take its first crewed flight. |
| A．In May. | B．In June. | C．In July. | D．In August. |
