1 . Is there anybody out there? For centuries humans have wondered although the ways in which we have gone about this have varied. As we have gained a greater understanding of the universe, our searches have taken on more concrete(具体的) forms. Questions about aliens(外星人) have become a subject for science rather than science fiction.
Now new cooperation between the Very Large Array (VLA) observatory in New Mexico and the SETI Institute in California means that our curiosity about whether aliens exist can be closer than ever before to being satisfied. Data from the VLA’S 28 radio telescopes, used to scan a vast area of sky, will be fed through a special supercomputer that will search for distant signals.
How likely it is that a signal will be found, and what this might mean, are hard questions to answer. SETI’s existing projects have not discovered any signals from other planets so far. But recent discoveries in space and Earth sciences have provided some encouragement for those who are enthusiastic about the possibility, however remote, of detecting other civilizations.
Once it was thought that our solar system could be unique. Since the discovery of the first exoplanet (a planet beyond the solar system) in the 1990s, thousands more have been located. Around one in five stars is now thought to have a planet in their orbit(运行轨道) in a so-called “habitable(适合居住的) zone”—that is, at a distance from the star where the temperature means that life is theoretically possible.
Are Earth’s 7.5 billion humans, along with billions of other animals and plants they share their home with, on their own in the universe? If there is another life form somewhere, could it be as intelligent as humans? Or could it threaten them? I think all of these need further exploration. As explorations of Mars continue, and a new set of observations from the James Webb Space Telescope are set to begin, our interest in the possibility of alien life appears as much as before.
1. Why does the VLA work with SETI?| A．To develop new radio telescopes | B．To find evidence of aliens’ existence |
| C．To build a special supercomputer | D．To search for distant signals |
| A．Life does indeed exist on exoplanets |
| B．New technologies are employed to find aliens |
| C．Some exoplanets may have habitable zones |
| D．Signals have been discovered from other planets |
| A．Uncertain | B．Positive | C．Unacceptable | D．Worried |
| A．Space: the unknown place | B．Finding aliens: possible or not? |
| C．Receiving signals: aliens appear again? | D．Exoplanets: home of aliens |
2 . In our magazine’s document room, from the June 1920 issue, I discovered a piece, What Editors Do, by Hazel Miller. What she talks about caught my eye: The first World War and its ending just two years before.
“During 1917 and 1918, when the World War was going, there was a huge demand for war material,” Miller writes. “Most magazines were carrying practically nothing but war stories. When the War ended in November, 1918, some editors still had a goodly supply of war fiction and articles—for which they had paid real money—on their hands, which most people by now are fed up with.”
Her words have stuck with me for the past 12 months as we’ve weighed which COVID-19 stories to run and which to hold. I’m writing these words with thick snow outside my window, but they will reach you in the green of spring. Will you be vaccinated(接种疫苗) and tired of reading about COVID-19 then?
We say writing is an art, and publishing is a business, but I worry we forget that publishing is also a gamble(赌博), Except for the immediate publication, everyone in the industry—agents, acquiring editors, magazine and journal editors, etc.—are betting on a story’s success in a future we cannot see. As is the nature of fortune telling, we are not so sure we will not occasionally lose: The 1920 editors sitting on a store of war stories no one wants, for example.
With so many factors outside your control, and so much uncertainty in the industry, isn’t it better to have stories written from the heart that you are truly enthusiastic about rather than some to please an ever-changing publishing market?
My future reader, it’s my hope that this issue finds you this spring doing just that: Writing the stories you need to tell—and the ones that will delight your own future readers for years to come.
1. What does the writer probably do?| A．A journalist. | B．An editor. | C．A librarian. | D．A historian. |
| A．The First World War shouldn’t have ended too soon. |
| B．Some editors would make a great fortune by storing war material |
| C．In the post-war years, people still enjoyed reading about war. |
| D．Too much war material had been stored by some editors. |
| A．deciding which COVID-19 stories to publish |
| B．writing during the winter months |
| C．waiting for the green of spring |
| D．expecting to be vaccinated |
| A．To please the present publishing market. |
| B．To learn the nature of fortune-telling |
| C．To control as many factors as possible. |
| D．To write from the heart for the future readers. |
3 . Short Short Story Competition
We’re looking for short fiction stories! Think you can write a winning story in 1,500 words or less? Enter the 21st Annual Writer’s Digest Short Short Story Competition for your chance to win $3,000 in cash, get published in Writer’s Digest magazine, and a paid trip to our ever popular Writer’s Digest Conference!
Prizes
The First Place Winner will receive：
●$3,000 in cash
●Their short story title published in Writer’s Digest magazine’s September 2021 issue
●A paid trip to the Writer’s Digest Annual Conference
The Second Place Winner will receive:
●$1,500 in cash
●Their short story title published in Writer’s Digest magazine’s September 2021 issue
The Third Place Winner will receive:
●$500 in cash
●Their short story title published in Writer’s Digest magazine’s September 2021 issue
Fourth through Tenth Place Winners will receive:
●$100 in cash
●Their short story titles published in Writer’s Digest magazine’s September 2021 issue
Eleventh through Twenty-Fifth Place Winners will receive:
●A $50 gift certificate for writersdigestshop.com
How to Enter
●All entries must be submitted online. Entries must be accompanied by the required judging fee. We accept PayPal or credit card payment for the required judging fee.
●All entries must be in English. Only original works that have not been published in print, digital or online publications will be considered
●BE SURE OF YOUR WORD COUNT! Entries beyond the word limits will be disqualified. Type the exact word count at the top of the manuscript(稿件).
For more information visit our Preparing Your Entry Page or our FAQ page.
1. Who will receive a paid trip to the Writer’s Digest Annual Conference?| A．The First Place Winner. | B．The Second Place Winner. |
| C．The Third Place Winner. | D．Fourth through Tenth Place Winners. |
| A．$500 in cash |
| B．$ 100 in cash. |
| C．A $50 gift certificate for writersdigestshop.com. |
| D．His/Her story title will be published in the magazine. |
| A．It must be submitted online. | B．The entry is free of charge. |
| C．It must be written in English. | D．The works must be original. |
4 . Research has shown that disrupting one's natural “morning lark” (早起鸟) or “night owl” (夜猫子) tendency can result in immoral behavior at work.
Who doesn't love a flexible work schedule? Being able to make your own hours, come in when you're ready and leave when you're done, step out to attend a child's presentation at school, have a midday appointment, or even squeeze in a quick workout or nap as a guaranteed pick-me-up — flexibility greatly improves one's quality of life.
The benefits don't stop there, however. Research has shown that having flexible work hours actually makes one a better person. How so? It's been found that disrupted sleep patterns —in the form of having to act outside of your normal inclination to be a morning “lark” or a night “owl” — can result in strange, unethical, and out-of-line behavior.
Science journalist Linda Geddes said, “If you don't get enough sleep, research suggests you are more likely to have unethical behavior, such as being mean, bullying your fellow employees or falsifying receipts. But it's not just owls: the larks tend to behave more unethically in the evening, and owls in the morning. So ideally, you want to introduce flexible working."
Employers would be wise to allow their employees to start whenever they feel ready — whether it's at the crack of dawn or at 11 a.m., and to allow breaks or pauses in the day as needed — because that would mean better productivity, performance, and behavior.
This shift is already happening, with the New York Times recently reporting that 27 percent of US employers now offer the flexibility to work outside normal business hours, up from 22 percent in 2014; and 68 percent allow telecommuting as needed (up from 54 percent in 2014). With the national unemployment rate at its lowest in 50 years, employers are having to become more competitive in what they offer workers, and flex-hours seem like a no-brainer, highly beneficial to all.
1. What is mainly talked about in Paragraph 2?| A．Ways to improve life quality. |
| B．People's activities in their free time. |
| C．Methods to get a flexible work schedule. |
| D．The advantages of flexibility in work time. |
| A．Judgment. | B．Tendency. | C．Reaction. | D．Choice. |
| A．They will show their nature more easily. |
| B．They tend to suffer from sleep problems. |
| C．They tend to behave immorally in their work. |
| D．They will get more flexibility in working time. |
| A．The unemployment rate is increasing. |
| B．Employers are getting more free time. |
| C．Flexible working has been creating more jobs. |
| D．More employers adopt a flexible work schedule. |
5 . Students, teachers, and local community members are strongly encouraged to register online to receive real-time information of emergency events from Columbia University.
Text message warnings will only be used in rare cases where ongoing events cause an immediate threat or have a significant influence. Possible situations include severe weather conditions, emergency campus closures, crimes in progress that may endanger the community, and major transportation interruptions.
Read instructions on how to sign up for emergency notifications（通知）.
Columbia students
Columbia students can easily register for text message notifications. Simply enter Student Services Online, click on "Text Message Enrollment" and add your cellphone number. Students can register parents or family members by following the instructions for the public below.
Columbia teachers
Columbia teachers can register for text message notifications by following the step by step instructions below:
● Register with your UNI and password at my.columbia.edu.
● Select "Faculty & Staff" at the top of the page.
● Select "Contact Details".
● Click the "+" under "Phone".
● Select "Campus Alert 1".
● Enter your mobile number.
To receive emergency information on additional mobile phones, you may follow the above instructions for "Campus Alert 2" and "Campus Alert 3" for a total of three.
Community/General Public
Community/General Public interested in receiving emergency information from Columbia can sign up by clicking on the "Register" button on the registration page and entering their email and mobile number. Users will receive confirmation code（密码）on their phone and will need to confirm their account via email.
Users can choose not to use the Emergency Text Alert System at any time by texting STOP to 226787, calling 226789 or sending an email to lr27682@.cumc.columbia.edu.
1. Which is a possible situation where a text message will be sent?| A．The temperature will drop slightly tomorrow. |
| B．The campus will be closed during Christmas. |
| C．The main railway system of the city is interrupted. |
| D．A bank robber is being sentenced in the court of the city. |
| A．Selecting Campus Alert. | B．Entering mobile numbers. |
| C．Clicking "+" under "Phone". | D．Selecting "Faculty& Staff". |
| A．By sending an email. |
| B．By texting STOP to 226789. |
| C．By managing information online. |
| D．By making a phone call to 226787. |
6 . Covid-19 has brought a great deal of trouble for all of us since March 2020. During this time, mobile phones have been the solution for the boredom and restlessness caused from staying indoors. The most downloaded apps on play store 2020 are;
TikTok
TikTok was the most downloaded app. With over 111.9 million downloads, TikTok has seen a huge growth in 2020, twice more than what it got in 2019. 20% of its total downloads were from India and around 9. 3% of the total downloads were in the US.
Zoom
Zoom was the second most installed app in the overall downloads category. With nearly 94. 6 million installs, Zoom is the most used app for online meetings and virtual classrooms. 17% of its downloads were in the US and India. Offices and educational institutes were shut down and to continue working and studying from home, people relied heavily on Zoom for video conferencing and calling.
WhatsApp ranked third in overall downloads with more than 100 million downloads. It is one of the most popular and widely used chat applications; WhatsApp also supports communication between international phone networks.
It ranked fourth in the overall downloaded list. Facebook is the world’s most popular social networking application. Facebook builds technologies that give people the power to connect with friends and family, find communities and grow businesses.
1. What do we know about TikTok?| A．It is an India-based app. | B．It has most users in America. |
| C．It is used for growing business. | D．It has doubled its download than in 2019. |
| A．TikTok. | B．Zoom. | C．WhatsApp. | D．Facebook. |
| A．Communication. | B．Training. | C．Teaching. | D．Payment |
7 . Many children first learn the value of money by receiving an allowance. The purpose is to let children learn from experience at an age when financial mistakes are not very costly.
The amount of money that parents give to their children to spend as they wish differs from family to family. Timing is another consideration. Some children get a weekly allowance. Others get a monthly allowance.
In any case, parents should make clear what, if anything, the child is expected to pay for with the money.
At first, young children may spend all of their allowance soon after they receive it. If they do this, they will learn the hard way that spending must be done within a budget. Parents are usually advised not to offer more money until the next allowance.
The object is to show young people that a budget demands choices between spending and saving. Older children may be responsible enough to save money for larger costs, like clothing or electronics.
Many people who have written on the subject of allowances say it is not a good idea to pay your child for work around the home. These jobs are a normal part of family life.
Paying children to do extra work around the house, however, can be useful. It can even provide an understanding of how a business works.
Allowances give children a chance to experience the three things they can do with money. They can share it in the form of gifts or giving it to a good cause. They can spend it by buying things they want. Or they can save it.
1. What is special about children learning financial management by experience?| A．They learn more quickly. |
| B．They are not as likely to make mistakes. |
| C．Their mistakes won't matter so much. |
| D．They have plans made by their parents. |
| A．they will know how hard it is to learn budget |
| B．they will have an easy time learning the lesson |
| C．what they will learn is absolutely true |
| D．their parents will teach them a hard lesson |
| A．regularly twice every month |
| B．whenever he has run out of money |
| C．telling him to ask for permission before spending |
| D．without telling him what to spend on |
| A．borrow money from others | B．ask their parents for more money |
| C．get paid for their household routines | D．earn money by extra work |
8 . You’ve heard the predictions from some of the brightest minds about AI’s influence. Tesla and SpaceX’s chief Elon Musk worries that AI is far more dangerous than nuclear weapons. The late scientist Stephen Hawking warned that AI could serve as the “worst event in the history of our civilization” unless humanity is prepared for its possible risks.
But many experts, even those who are aware of such risks, have a more positive attitude, especially in health-care and possibly in education. That is one of the results from a new AI study released Monday by the Pew Research Centre.
Pew canvassed the opinions of 979 experts over the summer, a group that included famous technologists, developers, innovators, business and policy leaders. The interviewed experts, some of whom chose to remain anonymous, were asked to join in the discussion of a serious and important question: “By 2030, do you think it is most likely that advancing AI and related technology systems will improve human capacities and control them?”
Nearly two-thirds of experts predicted most of us will be mostly better off. But a third thought otherwise, and a majority of the experts expressed at least some concerns over the long-term impact of AI on the “essential elements of being human”. Among those concerns were data abuse, loss of jobs and loss of control brought by autonomous weapons and cybercrime. Above all, by taking data in and spitting answers out, those “black box” tools make decisions in digital systems. It is an erosion in our ability to think for ourselves.
1. Why is Stephen Hawking mentioned in the first paragraph?| A．To warn humans to give up AI as soon as possible. |
| B．To remind readers that a new AI age has come into view. |
| C．To prove great scientists care much about the future of AI. |
| D．To introduce the main idea of the text that AI benefits the future. |
| A．Most experts are certain that AI will be out of control. |
| B．Pew asked experts from different fields for opinions. |
| C．Pew concludes that humans will suffer from AI. |
| D．33% of experts think AI will have little impact on humans. |
| A．Because they make decisions in digital systems. |
| B．Because they can take data in and spit answers out. |
| C．Because they may weaken our ability to think independently. |
| D．Because they may decrease humans’ welfare in the long term. |
| A．Experts’ concern about AI. | B．Humans’ being controlled by AI. |
| C．Experts’ Expectation of AI. | D．AI’s influence on society. |
9 . Apple’s iPad has been a huge hit among children, with its easy-to-use interface and innovative apps.
In fact, researchers say the astonishing rise of the iPad has meant it has now overtaken household names such as McDonalds and Disney to become the number one brand among American 6-12 year olds.
The annual study, conducted by leading youth and family research firm Smarty Pants, ranks more than 250 brands each year. “iPad’s number one status among kids represents the summit of the ‘tablet takeover’—a movement from shared screens and TV network dominance to planned content on personal devices,” said Wynne Tyree, president of Smarty Pants. “Kids increasingly turn to iPad for games, TV shows, videos, books, homework help and communicating with friends and family.”
In the firm’s 2014 study, Apple’s iPad went ahead of kid brands such as McDonald’s, Toys’ R’Us, Nickelodeon, and Disney. Kids see the iPad as the a-in-one digital tool, giving them a unique sense of independence, the researchers say.
Tyree notes that iPad’s march to the top has been dramatic. “In just five years, the iPad has risen from ranking 109th to being kids’ favorite brand. Early on, it captured the hearts of tweens and middle and upper class families, but iPad is now an indispensable part of childhood for the masses.”
On the study iPad was tops with a weighted score of 898 out of 1000. Disney came at 858, Google’s YouTube 852, McDonald’s 839, iPhone 830 and Apple 829. Digital entertainment overall is seeing an increase among kids and families, with brands such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Instant Video, Android, and Samsung posting noteworthy increases in the study, a measure of Kid’s awareness, popularity, and love for a brand. Along with iPad, these devices and services provide entertainment that is “always on”.
Offering seemingly endless options, tablets and digital content providers are meeting contemporary kid’s needs—with fun and connectivity never more than a tap away.
1. What is the “tablet takeover” movement according to the passage?| A．In the movement everyone owns an iPad. |
| B．It refers to the shift from watching TV together to using an iPad separately. |
| C．In the movement people become more independent in entertainment. |
| D．In the movement people receive more information from an iPad than from TV. |
| A．An iPad helps the kids build up stronger relationships with their parents. |
| B．An iPad can develop the kids’ reading skills. |
| C．With an iPad, the kids can become a better learner. |
| D．They can watch TV shows using an iPad. |
| A．Disney—YouTube—Apple—iPhone—iPad—McDonald’s. |
| B．iPad—Disney—YouTube—McDonald’s—iPhone—Apple. |
| C．iPhone—Disney—iPad—McDonald—YouTube—Apple. |
| D．iPad—Apple—iPhone—McDonald’s—Disney—YouTube. |
| A．Apple’s iPad can develop the kids’ creativity. |
| B．Tablet and digital providers can never meet the kids’ needs. |
| C．An iPad can provide the kids with most entertainment. |
| D．An iPad’s fun and connection to the Internet attracts the kids most. |
10 . Physical activity is important in preventing cardiovascular(心血管的) disease in young people so long as they don’t undertake very intense activity on days when air pollution levels are high, according to a recently released study.
Until now, little has been known about the relationships between the health benefits of physical activity taking place outdoors and the potentially harmful effects of air pollution. Previous research by the authors of the current study had investigated the question in middle-aged people at a single point in time, but this is the first time that it has been investigated in young adults aged between 20—30 years over a period of several years. In addition, the researchers wanted to see what happens when people increase or decrease their physical activity over time.
At each health check-up, the participants completed a questionnaire asking about their physical activity in the past seven days and this information was changed into units of metabolic equivalent task(MET, 代谢当量任务) minutes per week(MET-mins/week). The participants were divided into four groups: 0, 1—499, 500—999 and 1000 or more MET-mins/week. People are recommended to do 500—999 MET-mins/week and this can be achieved by; for example, running, cycling or hiking for 15—30 minutes five times a week, or brisk walking, doubles tennis or slow cycling for 30—60 minutes five times a week.
The researchers used data to calculate annual average levels of air pollution, in particular the levels of small particulate matter that are less than or equal to 10 or 2.5 microns in diameter, known a PM10 and PM25.
Overall, the results show that physical activity is associated with a lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease among young adults. However, when air pollution levels are high, exercising beyond the recommended amount may offset or even reverse the beneficial effects. The study cannot show that air pollution causes the increased cardiovascular risk, only that it is associated with it.
1. What can we know from Paragraph 2?| A．Outdoor physical activity harms our health. |
| B．Exercising isn’t advised on serious air pollution days. |
| C．A first in-depth survey has been done on young adults. |
| D．Middle-aged people have been the ideal research target. |
| A．By doing research on young adults. |
| B．By collecting PM10 and PM2.5 data. |
| C．By making experiments on middle-aged people. |
| D．By studying a questionnaire on physical activity. |
| A．Air pollution leads to cardiovascular disease. |
| B．Cardiovascular disease relates to air pollution. |
| C．More physical exercise benefits young people. |
| D．Young adults seldom develop cardiovascular disease. |
| A．Physical activity & air pollution: when to do more or less physical activity. |
| B．Physical activity & health benefit: how to prevent cardiovascular disease |
| C．Physical activity & air pollution: what to do with high air pollution levels |
| D．Physical activity & health benefit: how to maximize the health benefits of exercising |
