1 . Atomic shapes are so simple that they can’t be broken down any further. Mathematicians are trying to turn to artificial intelligence (AI) for help to build a periodic table of these shapes, hoping it will assist in finding yet-unknown atomic shapes.
Tom Coates at Imperial College London and his colleagues are working to classify atomic shapes known as Fano varieties, which are so simple that they can’t be broken down into smaller components. Just as chemists arranged element s in the periodic table by their atomic weight and group to reveal new insights, the researchers hope that organizing these atomic shapes by their various properties will help in understanding them.
The team has given each atomic shape a sequence of numbers based on its features such as the number of holes it has or the extent to which it bends around itself. This acts as a bar code (条形码) to identify it. Coates and his colleagues have now created an AI that can predict certain properties of these shapes from their bar code numbers alone, with an accuracy of 98 percent.
The team member Alexander Kasprzyk at the University of Nottingham, UK, says that the AI has let the team organize atomic shapes in a way that begins to follow the periodic table, so that when you read from left to right, or up and down, there seem to be general patterns in the geometry (几何) of the shapes.
Graham Nib lo at the University of Southampton, UK, stresses that humans will still need to understand the results provided by AI and create proofs of these ideas. “AI has definitely got unbelievable abilities. But in the same way that telescopes (望远镜) don’t put astronomers out of work, AI doesn’t put mathematicians out of work,” he says. “It just gives us new backing that allows us to explore parts of the mathematical landscape that are out of reach.”
The team hopes to improve the model to the point where missing spaces in its periodic table could point to the existence of unknown shapes.
1. What is the purpose of building a periodic table of shapes?| A．To gain deeper insights into the atomic shapes. |
| B．To create an AI to predict the unknown shapes. |
| C．To break down atomic shapes into smaller parts. |
| D．To arrange chemical elements in the periodic table. |
| A．Its holes. | B．Its bends. |
| C．Its atomic weight. | D．Its properties. |
| A．Design. | B．Help. | C．Duty. | D．Threat. |
| A．Thanks to AI, new atomic shapes have been discovered. |
| B．Mathematicians turn to AI to create more atomic shapes. |
| C．AI helps build a relationship between chemistry and maths. |
| D．A periodic table of shapes can be built with the help of AI. |
2 . Fresh fish should have a mild smell. Strong fishy smells are the first signs to go bad. How do the fishy smells come from?
It can be several days from when the fish are caught to when they reach the supermarket. In that time, bacteria that grow naturally in fish start to consume a substance called trimethylamine N-oxide(TMAO)in fish. These bacteria change TMAO into trimethylamine (TMA), the substance responsible for the fishy smells. Bacteria in fish can also change lysine(赖氨酸)into cadaverine(尸胺), a substance that’s associated with breaking down the fish once they are caught and giving off fishy smell.
Chemical reactions can also lead to fishy smells. This happens through the oxidation(氧化)of fat. Fish are an important source of omega-3 fatty acids. When these fats are exposed to oxygen, they oxidize and break down into the substance that you can smell.
To slow down the fishy smell, what is beyond question is that the less time between when the fish are caught and when they reach the kitchen, the better. But today, fish are often flown across the globe. To keep smell-producing bacteria at bay, the fish must be frozen or kept at the low temperature possible as soon as they are caught and cleaned.
Controlling fat oxidation can function as well, especially for fattier fish species. While freezing slows bacterial growth, it does not stop fat oxidation. This reaction will occur as long as oxygen is present. Fatty fish are usually not frozen because, despite the cold temperature, they’re going to oxidize pretty fast unless they are stored in a low oxygen container. That’s why those species are often canned.
It’s also important to remember that smell is not always an indicator of safety, especially in processed fish products. “What you might consider the fishy smell may be a delicacy in another culture,” said Carl A. Batt, a professor of food science at Cornell University.
1. Which of the following has the fishy smell?| A．Fish fat. | B．TMAO. | C．Cadaverine. | D．Lysine. |
| A．Drying them in the air. | B．Storing them in closed containers. |
| C．Carefully cleaning them. | D．Exposing them to rich oxygen. |
| A．Objective. |
| B．Negative. |
| C．Acceptable. |
| D．Unclear. |
| A．Topic—Example—Conclusion. | B．Topic—Comparison—Opinion. |
| C．Question——Cause——Solution. | D．Question—Effect—Opinion. |
3 . Fortunately, the days of being spread on thick baby oil and lying in the sun to get you skin yellowish-brown—or more likely burnt—are long over. Many sunscreens work by filtering (过滤) the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays to keep them from reaching skin cells and causing the DNA damage that can lead to wrinkles and skin cancer. But in recent years, the safety of some of those filtering chemical ingredients, particularly oxybenzone (氧苯铜), has been in question.
A 2019 study published in JAMA found evidence that oxybenzone is absorbed into the bloodstream, leading to concerns about whether it might affect functions of our body. Oxybenzone has also been detected in breast milk for newborn babies. Because of concerns about higher intake in children, doctors from the American Academy of Pediatrics advise against sunscreen with oxybenzone for kids.
The Environmental Working Group, an activist organization that monitors chemical safety, has called for a ban, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration considers sunscreens with oxybenzone safe. “It’s uncertain,” says Deborah S. Sarnoff, president of the U.S. Skin Cancer Foundation. “Just because you’re absorbing the chemical doesn’t mean it’s dangerous.” Further study is required.
But oxybenzone is a risk to coral reefs. Hawaii and the U.S. Virgin Islands have banned the sale of sunscreens with oxybenzone. In a 2022 study published in Science, researchers found that some certain sea plants, when exposed to sunlight, turn oxybenzone into energy or something needed in a way that damages and kills corals.
Some companies have been trying to stop using oxybenzone gradually in stages, and many big brands offer oxybenzone-free options. For anyone who is pregnant or breastfeeding, or simply looking to avoid these chemical filters, Dr. Sarnoff recommends mineral sunscreens, which contain mainly physical barriers.
1. What is the advantage of sunscreen?| A．It gets your skin yellowish-brown. | B．It stops wrinkles and skin cancer. |
| C．It keeps UV rays from harming you. | D．It prevents skin cells from DNA damage. |
| A．They don’t want children to absorb more oxybenzone. |
| B．They don’t want oxybenzone to hurt babies’ functions. |
| C．They know oxybenzone can affect children’s bloodstream. |
| D．They know oxybenzone has been found in newborn babies. |
| A．Coral reefs in Hawaii were damaged or killed by sunscreens. |
| B．More research is needed to prove the danger of oxybenzone. |
| C．Some organizations have already banned the use of sunscreens. |
| D．Mineral sunscreens are much safer than those with oxybenzone. |
| A．The findings about sunscreens with oxybenzone. |
| B．Questions on safe use of oxybenzone raised by doctors. |
| C．Discussion on safety of oxybenzone between organizations. |
| D．Effects of sunscreens on humans and plants in recent studies. |
4 . When my wife, Jane, and I were 16, we were in the same class. About a week before Thanksgiving Day, we found out that our teacher Edward was having some
When Jane told her family about our plan, her mother was
Before making our
Last month while I was in a meeting, my secretary informed me, “Your high school teacher Mr. Edward is wondering if you could
I left my meeting and went to my office
| A．financial | B．personal | C．academic | D．typical |
| A．applied | B．determined | C．attempted | D．preferred |
| A．figure out | B．point out | C．make sense | D．make sure |
| A．satisfied | B．puzzled | C．amazed | D．touched |
| A．separate | B．donate | C．distribute | D．collect |
| A．breaking up | B．breaking down | C．pulling out | D．pulling down |
| A．complete | B．usual | C．traditional | D．basic |
| A．honesty | B．generosity | C．pity | D．curiosity |
| A．decision | B．contact | C．delivery | D．contribution |
| A．opportunity | B．gift | C．deal | D．memory |
| A．impression | B．sorrow | C．expression | D．laugh |
| A．pushed | B．reached | C．dragged | D．answered |
| A．again | B．anyhow | C．though | D．enough |
| A．wait | B．spare | C．spend | D．save |
| A．hurriedly | B．nervously | C．proudly | D．worriedly |
| A．come up with | B．look back on | C．keep up with | D．get hold of |
| A．just | B．even | C．still | D．already |
| A．experience | B．excitement | C．pleasure | D．warmth |
| A．and | B．or | C．but | D．so |
| A．spirit | B．symbol | C．history | D．intention |
5 . Sometimes people around you can change your life. The change may not be sudden or
One thing I've learned from Julia is how to balance
Last year I hated studying vocabulary, but I loved playing on my computer. Julia
Julia has always
| A．simple | B．slight | C．necessary | D．impressive |
| A．results | B．problems | C．ideas | D．decisions |
| A．taught | B．served | C．offered | D．bought |
| A．for | B．of | C．throughout | D．into |
| A．work | B．money | C．career | D．time |
| A．plan | B．get | C．move | D．stay |
| A．never | B．seldom | C．yet | D．still |
| A．excited | B．determined | C．careful | D．patient |
| A．important | B．easy | C．possible | D．interesting |
| A．shared | B．remembered | C．combined | D．separated |
| A．watch | B．play | C．raise | D．improve |
| A．permitted | B．invited | C．challenged | D．reminded |
| A．lessons | B．skills | C．words | D．stories |
| A．learned | B．read | C．used | D．spelled |
| A．allowed | B．warned | C．forced | D．encouraged |
| A．Therefore | B．Besides | C．However | D．Otherwise |
| A．Unless | B．If | C．Although | D．Since |
| A．realized | B．noticed | C．imagined | D．dreamed |
| A．turn away | B．make a difference | C．show off | D．make a mistake |
| A．ready | B．sorry | C．thankful | D．anxious |
6 . Facial expressions carry meaning that is determined by situations and relationships. For example, in American culture (文化) the smile is in general an expression of pleasure. Yet it also has other uses. A woman’s smile at a police officer does not carry the same meaning as the smile she gives to a young child. A smile may show love or politeness. It can also hide true feelings. It often causes confusion (困惑) across cultures. For example, many people in Russia consider smiling at strangers in public to be unusual and even improper. Yet many Americans smile freely at strangers in public places (although this is less common in big cities).Some Russians believe that Americans smile in the wrong places; some Americans believe that Russians don’t smile enough. In Southeast Asian cultures, a smile is frequently used to cover painful feelings. Vietnamese people may tell a sad story but end the story with a smile.
Our faces show emotions (情感), but we should not attempt to "read" people from another culture as we would "read" someone from our own culture. The fact that members of one culture do not express their emotions as openly as do members of another does not mean that they do not experience emotions.
Rather, there are cultural differences in the amount of facial expressions permitted. For example, in public and in formal situations many Japanese do not show their emotions as freely as Americans do. When with friends, Japanese and Americans seem to show their emotions similarly.
It is difficult to generalize about Americans and facial expressiveness because of personal and cultural differences in the United States. People from certain cultural backgrounds in the United States seem to be more facially expressive than others. The key is to try not to judge people whose ways of showing emotion are different. If we judge according to our own cultural habits, we may make the mistake of "reading" the other person incorrectly.
1. What does the smile usually mean in America?| A．Love. | B．Politeness. |
| C．Joy. | D．Thankfulness. |
| A．show friendliness to strangers |
| B．be used to hide true feelings |
| C．be used in the wrong places |
| D．show personal habits |
| A．Learn about their relations with others. |
| B．Understand their cultural backgrounds. |
| C．Find out about their past experience. |
| D．Figure out what they will do next. |
| A．Cultural Differences |
| B．Smiles and Relationship |
| C．Facial Expressiveness |
| D．Habits and Emotions |
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从1--20各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
I often read of incidents of misunderstanding or conflict. I’m left
I was growing up in Kuala Lumpur in the early 1960s,
We were nine when we became friends. During the school holidays, we’d
When I was twelve, my family moved to Johor. Ismail’s family later returned to their village, and I
One spring afternoon in 1983, I stopped a taxi in Kuala Lumpur. I
If we can allow our children to be
| A．interested | B．pleased | C．puzzled | D．excited |
| A．parties | B．cities | C．villages | D．races |
| A．why | B．which | C．how | D．when |
| A．together | B．around | C．alone | D．apart |
| A．drop | B．throw | C．move | D．roll |
| A．refused | B．made | C．sought | D．accepted |
| A．paid | B．meant | C．preserved | D．treated |
| A．explore | B．search | C．discover | D．desert |
| A．get through | B．deal with | C．come across | D．take away |
| A．arrival | B．choice | C．effort | D．company |
| A．lost | B．gained | C．developed | D．missed |
| A．stated | B．ordered | C．decided | D．chose |
| A．attempts | B．instructions | C．opinions | D．arrangements |
| A．anxiously | B．carelessly | C．disappointedly | D．fixedly |
| A．familiarly | B．strangely | C．fully | D．coldly |
| A．departures | B．months | C．years | D．decades |
| A．possible | B．funny | C．hard | D．clear |
| A．them | B．themselves | C．us | D．ourselves |
| A．from | B．by | C．with | D．against |
| A．still | B．otherwise | C．then | D．instead |
