1 . Late last month a team of researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine transplanted a genetically modified pig heart into a person — the second such surgery ever attempted — and it has kept him alive for the past few weeks.

The patient, 58-year-old Lawrence Faucette, underwent the highly experimental procedure under a “compassionate use” pathway, in which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration permits an unapproved therapy when a person is seriously ill or dying and has no other options available. Faucette was not eligible for a conventional human heart transplant because he had peripheral vascular disease and other complications, which narrowed the outlook for success.

By mid-October, Faucette was continuing to recover. “He’s had a rough time,” however, Bartley Griffith, a surgeon who performed Faucette’s procedure as well as the previous one, said at that time. According to Griffith, Faucette was living at home when the FDA first approved the surgery, but he was subsequently hospitalized with fluid in his lungs. Then he suffered a cardiac arrest the night before the surgery. Still, he had so far responded well to the transplant.

More than 100,000 people are waiting for an organ transplant, so researchers have long been exploring xenotransplantation (异种器官移植): transplanting other species’ organs into humans. To prevent the human immune system from attacking these alien organs, scientists have begun to breed genetically modified donor pigs that lack certain genes or have other genes added.

In the past couple of years, pig xenotransplants have been tested in both nonhuman primates and deceased humans — but the ultimate goal is to conduct human clinical trials on a bigger scale. The results of the recent compassionate use transplant will likely influence the FDA’s consideration of whether and when to allow such trials to take place. Many researchers hope this could happen in the next year or two.

“We took a pretty good swing at the ball the first time, and we got very close to a prolonged success, we think,” Griffith says. Although there were some unforeseen circumstances in that first xenotransplant, his team and others have developed better methods to test for these conditions.

1. Why did Faucette undergo the pig-to-human heart transplant?

A．Because he was seriously ill and there was no better options.

B．Because the pig heart fits well in human body.

C．Because FDA has long approved such transplant.

D．Because the surgery has been applied in medical treatment already.

2. What do we know about the transplant according to paragraph 3?

A．Faucette highly praises the surgery.

B．Faucette responds well to the alien organ.

C．Faucette has suffered a lot after the transplant.

D．Faucette experienced cardic arrest after the surgery.

3. What method was put forward to prevent human immune system from attacking the alien organs?

A．The FDA is taking great care on human clinical trials.

B．The patients will receive the best of care after the transplant.

C．The human immune system is greatly changed before the transplant.

D．Scientists modified the donor pig’s genes or added other genes before breeding it.

4. What’s scientists’ attitudes towards pig xenotrasplants?

A．Skeptical.

B．Neutral.

C．Supportive.

D．Indifferent.

3 . Photographers from China were among the top prize winners at the 14th Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition, organized by the Royal Observatory Greenwich, in London.

Chinese photographers featured significantly and won _________ in three categories and one of the individual awards, with the most remarkable _________ being the young photographer award, jointly won by Yang Hanwen and Zhou Zezhen, both aged 14, for their _________: Andromeda Galaxy: The Neighbor.

The official awards news release described their picture as “a _________ photograph of one of the Milky Way’s closest and largest neighbors” that showed the lively _________ of a nearby galaxy, stars piercing (穿透) through the _________ and emphasized the wonder of the magnificent sight.

The image was _________ by Laszlo Francsics, one of this year’s judges. “It is an excellent sight _________   by young Chinese teenagers, who also demonstrate their extraordinary talent in _________ a deep-sky photo,” says Francsics.

Hanwen, one of the two Chinese winners, says, “I think this photo shows how __________ our nearest neighbor is.” “One of the main functions (功能) of the competition is to __________ more people to fall in love with astronomy by showing the beauty of the __________,” says Zezhen, the other teenager who won the award.

“The __________ for the competition is incredibly high,” says Ed Bloomer, an astronomer. “It was really satisfying to see how many competitors __________ themselves to capture unusual, rarely imaged or __________ events: There are some things you won’t have seen before, and even some things that won’t be seen again.”

1.

A．diplomas

B．fortunes

C．titles

D．prizes

2.

A．effect

B．motivation

C．success

D．enthusiasm

3.

A．imagination

B．image

C．exploration

D．reflection

4.

A．fascinating

B．terrifying

C．puzzling

D．disturbing

5.

A．colors

B．shapes

C．structures

D．sizes

6.

A．temperature

B．darkness

C．coldness

D．cloud

7.

A．presented

B．stored

C．highlighted

D．introduced

8.

A．created

B．predicted

C．tracked

D．observed

9.

A．processing

B．analyzing

C．designing

D．appreciating

10.

A．quiet

B．beautiful

C．distant

D．mysterious

11.

A．demand

B．persuade

C．allow

D．attract

12.

A．atmosphere

B．environment

C．universe

D．earth

13.

A．standard

B．intention

C．desire

D．application

14.

A．enjoyed

B．challenged

C．treated

D．devoted

15.

A．slight

B．ordinary

C．familiar

D．temporary

4 . For the past 13 years, Martin Burrows has been working as a long-distance truck driver. Spending up to five nights a week on the road can be a lonely business, leaving him with plenty of time to notice his surroundings. “I kept seeing more rubbish everywhere and it was getting on my nerves. I decided I had to do something about it,” he says. One day, he stopped his vehicle, took out a trash bag and started picking up the garbage. The satisfaction after clearing a small area was remarkable.

Before his time on the road, Burrows spent over two decades in the military as a vehicle driver. His service saw him stationed throughout Europe and also on tours in Afghanistan. After returning to civilian life, he was diagnosed with PTSD (创伤后应激障碍) and had a mental health crisis in 2017. His involvement in fundraising for Help for Heroes led him to meet a man who used model-building as a distraction from PTSD. Burrows realized that his act of roadside cleanup had a similar calming effect on his mental well-being.

By 2019, Burrows had begun using his free time on the road to regularly clean up garbage. A passerby encouraged him to set up a Facebook group, which he called Truckers Cleaning Up Britain. “I was worried I’d be the laughing stock of my town for putting videos and photos up of me cleaning but people started to join,” he says. “I was amazed. The local council stepped in and gave me litter-picking supplies and we’re up to almost 3,000 members now.”

Since truckers are so often on the move, the Facebook page acts as a means of raising awareness rather than a platform for organizing cleanups. Burrows expressed his intention to continue the cleanup efforts as long as his physical condition allowed, as he still found joy in the process.

1. What initially caused Burrows to pick up roadside garbage?

A．He wanted to kill time by picking up litter.

B．He aimed to raise fund for soldiers with PTSD.

C．He felt annoyed to see the increasing rubbish.

D．He received the assignment from his employer.

2. How did collecting roadside garbage affect Burrows’ PTSD?

A．It resulted in his embarrassment.	B．It increased his sense of isolation.
C．It worsened his stress and anxiety.	D．It brought him comfort and relief.

3. What concerned Burrows when he started Truckers Cleaning Up Britain?

A．He feared being teased for his action.

B．He was lacking in advanced cleanup tools.

C．He was unsure about the group’s development.

D．He worried about the local council’s disapproval.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．A Joyful Volunteer Experience	B．A Trucker’s Cleanup Initiative
C．A Fighting Hero against PTSD	D．A Platform for Environmentalists

5 . San Francisco’s public garbage cans have long outlived their lifespan (寿命) and need to be replaced. However, the current design is not enough for the city’s large population and the increasing number of tourists. The garbage cans also get messed up by the homeless. To address the issues, in 2018, San Francisco Public Works officials set out in search of a perfect garbage can. This proved harder than they had thought.

The officials had a few criteria in mind. The ideal garbage can had to be durable (耐用的) and easy to empty. It would also have a built-in sensor (传感器) to send warnings when full, cost between $2,000 to $3,000 a piece, and, most importantly, look good! After an extensive search failed to find a suitable off-the-shelf replacement, the committee asked local firms to design customized garbage cans.

The four-year exploration ended on July 18, 2022, with three selections. They include the “Slim Silhouette” “Salt & Pepper” and “Soft Square”. Since none of them meet all the required criteria, the officials have turned to the city’s residents for help.

The customized cans and three new off-the-shelf options have been placed across San Francisco for a 60-day trial. Residents can scan the QR codes on the cans and provide opinions on their use experience. A location map of each option is included at the end of the survey. The most popular garbage can will be publicized after the trial ends in mid-September.

The time spent on the project and the cost of the three customized garbage cans — which ranged between $11,000 to $20,900 a piece — have drawn criticism from the city’s retired official Matt Haney.

“The idea that San Francisco is so unique that we need a separate garbage can from any one used in any city around the world is laughable,” Haney said. “It’s something that reflects a broader and deeper brokenness of city government and the services it provides.”

However, Beth Rubenstein, director of policy and communications at San Francisco Public Works, believes their research will benefit cities across the US.

1. What is paragraph 1 mainly about?

A．The local tourism industry.	B．The origin of garbage cans.
C．The problems faced by the city.	D．The city’s poor environment.

2. What aspect of the garbage can is stressed most?

A．The function.

B．The appearance.

C．The material.

D．The cost.

3. What did the officials ask the residents to do?

A．Take good care of the new garbage cans.	B．Make improvements to the new garbage cans.
C．Check new criteria for the new garbage cans.	D．Give their opinions on the new garbage cans.

4. What does Haney think about the effort of designing new garbage cans?

A．Rewarding.

B．Meaningless.

C．Misleading..

D．Efficient.

6 . Restaurants, farmers, and food businesses are turning to chemistry and physics to address the problem of food waste. Some companies are testing coverings to slow the ripening process in fruit and packets to keep food fresh. Others are developing digital sensors that can tell when meat is safe to eat.

Experts say growing awareness of the costs of food waste has led to more efforts to deal with the problem. ReFed is a group that studies food waste. It says new businesses raised $300 billion in 2021, double the amount raised in 2020, to solve the problem. The group says that in 2019, around 35 percent of food available in the US — worth about $418 billion — went unsold or uneaten. The US Environmental Protection Agency says that food waste is the largest kind of material placed in local waste areas. And the agency notes that rotting food gives off methane, a gas that is not good for the environment.

ReFed says 225,000 kilograms of food could be kept out of waste areas each year with special, high-tech coverings. Many companies are working on ways to help reduce food waste. Swedenbased Innoscentia is developing a sensor that can show if meat is safe to eat by measuring the buildup of microbes (微生物) inside its container. And Ryp Labs, based in the US and Belgium, is working on a sticker for fruits and vegetables that would give off gas to slow ripening. SavrPak has developed a plant-based packet that can fit inside a container and take in moisture (水分), helping the food inside stay crispy.

“The science is promising, but it’s only part of the solution,” said Yvette Cabrera, who is the director of food waste for the Natural Resources Defense Council. “Most food waste happens at home. Reducing food sizes, buying smaller quantities, or improving the accuracy of freshness date could have even greater effects than new technology. Overall as a society, we don’t value food as it should be valued,” Cabrera said.

1. According to paragraph 2, food waste in the US has caused ______.

A．great economic losses	B．seasonal food shortages
C．growing awareness of food safety	D．serious water pollution

2. What’s the function of the high-tech covering developed by SavrPak?

A．Maintaining the freshness of meat.	B．Keeping food from getting wet.
C．Freeing food from microbes.	D．Preventing fruits and vegetables from ripening.

3. In Cabrera’s opinion, what matters more in reducing food waste?

A．Developing new technology.	B．Promoting Empty Plate Campaign.
C．Shortening the process of producing food.	D．Changing people’s consuming habit.

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A．Dealing with Food Waste Calls for Combined Efforts

B．Public Awareness Is the Key to Handling Food Waste

C．Food Waste Remains a Hard-to-handle Problem Worldwide

D．Companies Develop Technologies to Deal with Food Waste

7 . Elito Circa is a Filipino artist who rose to fame for using his own blood to create canvas (油画布) paintings, which has attracted both praise and criticism over the years.

Born in a poor family that couldn’t afford to buy proper art supplies, Elito Circa experimented with a variety of unusual mediums as a child, including tomatoes, but it was when he accidentally scraped (刮破) his hand that he discovered the art medium that would mark his artistic career—his own blood. He quickly realized that the blood was not only harder to erase from the canvas, but it also made his artworks his own in a way that he had never imagined before.

Every time he scraped his body, young Elito used the blood as paint, but as he grew older he realized that his “paint” needed to be supplied stably, so he started visiting a clinic in Manila to have it drawn periodically. Nowadays, he stops by the clinic about once every three months. He then stores his blood in a freezer in his studio.

Although Elito has been criticized for his use of blood as paint in the past few years, the Filipino artist has always made it clear that he wants to change people’s view of blood through his art. “People are afraid of blood, because in their minds, blood means death,” Elito said in an interview. “But I want to twist that belief. That’s why I’m addressing its use because I want people to think that it’s not death, but love and life.”

It’s unclear how much of his own blood Elito Circa has stored in his art studio, but it must be a lot, because he has announced a plan to create the largest ever “blood painting” on a 100-meter canvas next year, expecting to set a new world record.

1. Why did Elito Circa become well-known?

A．Great details were reflected in his artworks.

B．He used a special art medium in his artworks.

C．He showed extraordinary skills in his artworks.

D．Unique thoughts were expressed in his artworks.

2. What made Elito Circa paint with blood?

A．His family’s economic conditions.	B．His great interest in experiments.
C．His strong desire to stand out.	D．His rich artistic imaginations.

3. How did Elito achieve a stable supply of “paint”?

A．By keeping himself in shape.	B．By scraping his body periodically.
C．By having his blood drawn regularly.	D．By collecting blood from a local clinic.

4. Which of the following proverbs can best describe Elito Circa’s story?

A．Practice makes perfect.

B．He who laughs last laughs best.

C．God helps those who help themselves.

D．Go your own way regardless of what people say.

9 . No one in the US has 3D-printed a two-story house before. But now three companies are working together to print the first large, two-story house in the US.

The house, which is in Houston, Texas, was designed by a company. Another company provided the 3D printer. And a construction company is doing the actual building. Leslie Lok. who designed the house, says there are special challenges involved in printing the two-story house. One of the biggest is the size of the machine needed for the building. The 3D printer in Houston is massive. It weighs over 12 tons.

Ms. Lok says printing the house will take the massive machine about 330 hours. That’s about eight normal work weeks. But the team isn’t in a rush. Though it’s a two-year project, the actual printing didn’t start until last July. The house is now about halfway finished.

“We are not trying to beat the clock,” says Hikmat Zerbe, who works for the construction company. Instead, they’re using the house as a “big laboratory” to learn more about 3D-printing houses. They want to see how the concrete reacts “under different weather conditions”.

They also want to figure out how to make 3D-printing faster and cheaper. Mr. Zerbe says that currently, 3D-printing a house with concrete costs more than building a house with wood. That’s partly because the technology is new. With time, Mr. Zerbe expects the costs of 3D-printed houses to go down. He thinks printers will improve and make it easier to create more houses quickly. 3D-printed concrete houses are stronger and hold up better in serious storms than house built with wood. This can save money in the long run. Since the machine is doing the building, fewer workers are needed, which also saves money.

Besides, with 3D-printing, it’s easy to make each house different from other houses. These kinds of changes can apply to almost any tiling. Hikmat Zerbe says that means in the future, each house could be created specially for its owner.

1. What is a big problem in printing the two-story house?

A．The limited time.	B．The lack of skilled workers.
C．The need for huge 3D printers.	D．The shortage of building materials.

2. What is to be studied in the building process?

A．How the printed houses stand wear and tear.

B．How 3D-printed houses are made stronger.

C．How workers can print large houses quicker.

D．How concrete changes with the shift of weather.

3. What is a disadvantage of the 3D-printed house at present?

A．Its cost is higher.	B．It can’t survive the storm.
C．It uses special concrete.	D．It needs experienced workers.

4. How does Mr. Zerbe feel about the future of 3 D-printing?

A．Negative.

B．Unclear.

C．Worried.

D．Hopeful.

10 . Kazunori Takishima has been traveling the world to support Japan at every Olympic Games for the past 15 years, so he intended to see the event in his home city of Tokyo. But when a ban on audience was announced, that dream was over.

He had spent nearly $40,000 on 197 tickets for him and his friends to see as many events as possible during Tokyo 2020, which started on July 23.

“It took an unbelievable amount of time, effort, and passion,” Takishima told CNN. “But I was so passionate about the Olympics that even though it was very difficult and challenging, I enjoyed the process of buying the tickets.”

The 45-year-old businessman worked out that if he watched all the events he had booked, he would have broken the Guinness World Record for attendance at Olympic events. He got a refund (退款) on the tickets he had purchased.

Takishima’s love for the Olympics started in 2005 when he saw a figure skating competition for the first time and immediately bought tickets for the 2006 Torino Olympics in Italy. He was infatuated. It inspired him so much that he has been going to the Olympics ever since.

But this year, only members of the media and the selected people were allowed to watch the events. The decision by Olympic officials to ban audience was designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

“And it’s the athletes that will suffer the most from the lack of support in the stands,” Takishima said.

“It’s a great loss when your family can’t come,” Takishima said. “So I hope everyone will at least cheer for them in front of the TV.”

Despite his disappointment, he said the experience wouldn’t stop him from being an Olympic superfan. “I will continue to visit and support the Olympics until the day I die,” Takishima said. “While I’m still able to move, I plan to see all the Games from the opening to the closing ceremonies.”

1. What was Kazunori Takishima’s dream?

A．To break the Guinness World Record.

B．To support Japan at every Olympic Games.

C．To compete in the Olympic Games as an athlete.

D．To watch the Tokyo Olympic Games on the scene.

2. What problem did Kazunori Takishima meet with?

A．His efforts got nowhere.	B．He failed to get enough tickets.
C．His business suffered a great loss.	D．He had to watch the Games alone.

3. What does the underlined word “infatuated” in paragraph 5 probably mean?

A．Upset.

B．Ambitious.

C．Interested.

D．Surprised.

4. Who would be affected most without the audience in the Games according to Takishima?

A．The sponsors.	B．The judges.
C．The Olympic officials.	D．The athletes.