1 . Sharing is love for a couple in Texas. That's what a popular Facebook post from a woman named Tracy Howell has shown tens of thousands of people. Tracy detailed a four-decade-long tradition she shares with her husband, Clifford, which many have called “sweet”.
Whenever Clifford goes to work，he takes a sandwich that has a small bite on it. The bite symbolized a deep message for the pair, Tracy explained in the post. “Clifford and I have been married almost 41 years and I have made his lunch every working day since day 1,”Tracy wrote at the time. “Sometimes I would join him on the job site and have lunch with him. He told me once that lunch tastes better when you share it with someone you love. Soon after that, while fixing his sandwich one night, I took a bite out of it before putting it away. I told him that since I couldn't often join him for lunch, I took a bite so he knew I was joining him,” she recalled.
The first time Tracy had done this, her husband returned with anger after work and told her that some workmate had taken a bite out of his sandwich.
“I continue to do this frequently and he still says, ‘It's always happy to see you join me for lunch.’”
The post had been shared more than 97,000 times in just one week and had received more than 26 ,000 likes from Facebook users. “That is the most beautiful thing I have ever heard,” a user shared.
1. Why does Tracy always take a bite of Clifford's lunch?| A．To make her lunch popular. | B．To give Clifford a sweet feeling. |
| C．To remind Clifford to have lunch on time. | D．To remove Clifford's tiredness from work. |
| A．He was annoyed. | B．He thought it romantic. |
| C．He returned home at once. | D．He asked a workmate about it. |
| A．Powerful. | B．Anxious. | C．Caring. | D．Capable. |
2 . At any moment, about half the world's population is wearing denim （牛仔布）. But few realize tiny bits of denim have been adding up to a surprising amount of pollution in water, as a new study shows.
Sam Athey, one of the study's authors, says, “Even though denim is made of a natural material — cotton — it contains chemicals. " Cotton fibers are treated with many types of chemicals, she notes. Some improve its durability and feel. Others give denim its distinctive blue color.
Athey and her team washed jeans and found that about 50,000 microfibers come off from each pair per wash. Not all of those fibers make their way into the environment. Wastewater treatment plants catch about 83 to 99 percent of them. Catching 99 percent may sound pretty good. But one percent of 50,000 is still 500 fibers per wash. And since every pair of jeans is washed again and again, it still adds up to lots of microfibers entering water environments.
Denim microfibers showed up in sediment （沉淀物）from the Great Lakes. More of these fibers polluted a series of shallow lakes in southern Ontario. They even turned up in sediment from the Arctic Ocean in northern Canada. The team found denim accounted for 12 to 23 percent of microfibers in the sediment. There were other microfibers too. But the team focused on denim because so many people wear jeans.
"Everyone wears jeans so they could be our largest input of microfibers into our streams and soils,“ Athey says. "An easy way to limit that is by washing our jeans less often.” Athey grew up thinking she should wash her jeans after every couple of wearings, but most jean companies recommend washing them no more than once a month “The solution is not that you shouldn't wear jeans," she says. "We need to buy fewer denim clothes and only wash them when they truly need it. ”
1. Why are chemicals used to deal with cotton according to the passage?| A．To lessen it harm. | B．To remove its blue color. |
| C．To make it into denim. | D．To prevent fibers from falling. |
| A．Chemicals | B．Microfibers. |
| C．Jeans. | D．Plants. |
| A．The wide uses of denim. |
| B．The types of water pollution. |
| C．The large water area of Canada. |
| D．The seriousness of denim pollution. |
| A．Avoid wearing jeans. | B．Wash jeans more often. |
| C．Reduce denim consumption. | D．Limit input in denim production. |
3 . Our national park system invites visitors to choose their own adventures in the most beautiful spots in the U.S. Here’s our selection for the most exciting and unusual national park activities.
Rock-Climbing: Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park is a climber’s paradise. Since 1969, the Yosemite Mountaineering School and Guide Service has been training newbies and accompanying seasoned climbers on trips in the park’s many climbing areas.
Snorkeling: Virgin Islands National Park
You’ll want flippers, a mask and snorkel to explore the best trail in St. John because it’s actually underwater. The snorkeling trail at Trunk Bay is a 225-yard swim lined with signs describing the fish, coral and plants that live in the warm turquoise waters.
Orienteering: Prince William Forest Park
Set off on a modern-day treasure hunt at Prince William Forest Park. Leave the GPS system at home for an orienteering adventure using Just a map and compass to follow clues around one of the park’s 30 courses. You can choose to set your own pace, whether it’s a slowpoke family stroll while the kids master the compass or a competitive jaunt to race to the final clue.
Hiking: Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Hikers can set off on a great adventure on foot any time of year in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. With more than 800 miles of trails, there are plenty of options including scenic strolls through fields of wildflowers and strenuous climbs to the top of the park’s glorious waterfalls.
1. Which park may a diver favor?| A．Yosemite National Park. |
| B．Virgin Islands National Park. |
| C．Prince William Forest Park. |
| D．Great Smoky Mountains National Park. |
| A．GPS system. | B．Treasure. |
| C．Compass. | D．Pacer. |
| A．Enjoy beautiful scenery. | B．See underwater creatures. |
| C．Play hunt game. | D．Receive climbing training. |
4 . An amateur fossil hunter has unearthed a new type of prehistoric “sea dragon” on the beach of the UK's Dorset Coast. The new 2m-long ichthyosaur is named “Etches sea dragon”,after fossil collector Dr. Steve Etches, who found it buried head-first. Ichthyosaurs are called sea dragons for their usually very large teeth and eyes. He thought its teeth were unusual,so he passed it on to experts at the University of Portsmouth to identify(鉴定).There,a Masters student, Megan Jacobs, who has spent several years working on ichthyosaurs, identified it as a new species, which lived 150 million years ago.
The find is the UK's fifth known ichthyosaur from the Late Jurassic periods,and by far the smallest so far.
The fossil was found near Kimmeridge Bay—part of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. When it died, the seafloor would have been very soft mud, allowing the front half of the animal to sink into the mud, before other animals came along and ate the tail end.Being buried in a bed of soft mud meant it was preserved in exceptional condition and even some of its soft tissues were preserved.
Megan said, “Fossils of Late Jurassic ichthyosaurs in the UK are extremely rare. I did some research,comparing it with those known from other Late Jurassic fossils found around the world. It was very exciting that I didn’t find a match. Steve's extraordinary collection contains many new and exciting animals, and it was a real honor to have the chance to describe this ichthyosaur.”
Professor David Martill,who leads the palaeontology(古生物学)research,said, “Steve is an exceptional fossil collector and although he is sometimes referred to as an amateur collector, he has done so much for palaeontology that he has been awarded an MBE, Member of the British Empire, and is truly a professional.”He added, “If it were not for collectors like Steve,scientists would have very few specimens(样本)to work on. ’’
1. What did Steve Etches do after finding the ichthyosaur?| A．He spent years studying it. | B．He sent it to a university. |
| C．He named it after himself. | D．He announced it’s a new species. |
| A．The largest sea dragons once lived there. |
| B．Fossils found there usually have soft tissues. |
| C．It is very popular among fossil hunters worldwide. |
| D．The seafloor there was once covered with soft mud. |
| A．Confirming the uniqueness of the fossil. |
| B．Admiring Steve’s extraordinary collections. |
| C．Finding a matching name for the new ichthyosaur. |
| D．Seeing other Late Jurassic’s fossils around the world. |
| A．He had a good taste of collections. |
| B．He contributed a lot to palaeontology. |
| C．He set an example for other amateur collectors. |
| D．He did better than professional palaeontologists. |
About a year ago，NASA offered $125 ,000 to Anjan Contractor， a 3-D technology expert，to build a device（设备）that would allow astronauts to make pizza on demand． The mechanical engineer promised that his invention would produce pies in large quantities that looked， tasted and even smelled like pizza made in common ovens．
Late last year， the engineer presented a video of his first prototype（原型）that begins by creating a single slice of dough（面团）that is cooked and printed at the same time．Then comes the tomato “sauce” — a mix of tomato powder，oil and water and finally，a protein slice that resembles cheese．While the video doesn’t show the baking process，the inventor says that once the pizza is printed，it can be ready to be consumed in 7 seconds．
While the pie in the video looks delicious enough to attract any pizza lover，Anjan Contractor is far from ready for astronauts．That’s because he still has to find a solution to make the food container in the printer last for 30 years．Though that may sound unrealistic，actually it is not．
Anjan Contractor believes that the only way that is possible is that the water is removed from all the ingredients（配料）and then they are reduced to the powder form．This，as you can imagine，will not be so easy．But，while the printer may not be ready for space，it certainly looks ready enough for people on earth．Hopefully，NASA and Contractor will consider selling it to those not fortunate enough to go to Mars！
1. Why does the author mention the things that astronauts in space cannot do？
| A．To ask us not to take common things for granted． |
| B．To show they live a difficult life there． |
| C．To show their life is boring in space． |
| D．To introduce the topic of the text． |
| A．create some new type of 3-D printer |
| B．attract more companies to work for NASA |
| C．help astronauts in space enjoy fresh pizza one day |
| D．produce pizza in large quantities to earn great profits |
| A．he has no money left to go on with his research |
| B．the pizza doesn’t seem appetizing to pizza lovers |
| C．he has no way to make pizza that can last for thirty years |
| D．he cannot make the food container last for decades |
| A．NASA is trying its best to help astronauts eat better |
| B．Astronauts may soon be able to enjoy steaming hot pizza |
| C．NASA is working on making pizza for common people |
| D．A 3-D pizza printer has been used to make pizza |
6 . At least three times a week. Louise and David Sample prepare three-course meals in their home and then give them away.
Louise prepares the meats the night before she cooks them. Vegetables matter, too.She once spent an entire Saturday cooking greens. Each “regular”(which is how the couple refers to those their meals are intended for) gets a fresh salad. This means David needs to shop multiple times a week.Together the couple prepare,cook,clean, package,and deliver containers full of food to their neighbors in need.
“They're always making food for people,making sure everybody is taken care of,always giving,said Sha’Laina,35. “It’s just something they do.”The Samples, who are retired（退休的）,say it’s no big deal spending hundreds of dollars and unknown hours each month in service to others.
Louise got a dangerous cancer in November 2018, and there were moments when those around her worried she wouldn't make it. Last year on Valentine's Day, she was very sick. But right up until she received her operation last August at Albert Einstein Medical Center, she made food for the regulars and for every employee who took care of her. “I was cooking the night before my transplant (移植).David took me to the seventh floor of the hospital” —to her patient room—“then took the food to them,’’she said. Even during her post-transplant hospital stay, Louise found a way to help others. Shekel separate the untouched food from her meal, and give it to David to take home. “We’d give it to the regulars,so she didn’t have to waste it,” said David.
Two months after leaving the hospital, Louise was back in the kitchen.“When someone goes through something traumatic (创伤的),continuing any part of your life where you know what you're doing is very beneficial. It puts you in a place where you're in control,’David said. “She loves cooking. Just doing it gave her part of her life back.”
1. What is mainly talked about in Paragraph 2?| A．The couple went shopping a lot. |
| B．It takes great effort to prepare the food. |
| C．The meals from the couple are well balanced. |
| D．The couple take good care of their neighbors. |
| A．They are fond of giving. | B．They are good at treating strangers. |
| C．They are exhausted from the cooking. | D．They prefer serving others to cooking. |
| A．was too sick to see the doctor alone | B．usually cooked food in the hospital |
| C．continued her acts of giving | D．received several operations |
| A．Louise's bravery helped her survive. |
| B．Cooking benefits Louise's recovery. |
| C．Everyone will go through hard times. |
| D．Louise should spend more time cooking. |
7 . The M3 Challenge is a contest that gives high schoolers the chance to experience working as a team to deal with a practical problem within limited time. The challenge is meant to give high schoolers a sense of the kinds of problems faced by professional mathematicians working in the real world. Students who are gifted at coding (编程) might consider this competition since extra credit awards are available for teams who include outstanding code as part of their solution.
High school juniors and seniors from anywhere in the U. S. are welcome to participate in the M3 Challenge. Teams of students must consist of three to five people and at least one teacher-coach. Another cool thing? The M3 Challenge is. entirely online until the final round, and there are no participation fees !.
At the end of the M3 Challenge, six teams are identified and invited to present their work in New York City. The finalist teams are also eligible to receive cash awards, which are as follows:
◆ M3 Challenge Champions (Summa Cum Laude Team Prize) $ 20,000
◆ M3 Challenge Runner Up (Magna Cum Laude Team Prize) $ 15,000
◆ M3 Challenge Third Place (Cum Laude Team Prize) $ 10,000
◆ M3 Challenge Finalist (Meritorious Team Prize) $ 5,000 (3 teams)
In addition to these top prizes, there are also awards in the amount of $ 1,500 and $ 1,000 for semi-finalist and honorable mention teams respectively. Finally, Challenge finalists, semi-finalists, and honorable mention teams may be invited to submit applications for summer internships in STEM.
1. What's the purpose of the M3 Challenge?| A．To promote coding. |
| B．To select math professionals. |
| C．To solve difficult math problems. |
| D．To enrich high schoolers' knowledge. |
| A．Having only one coach in a team. |
| B．Coming from a remote U. S. state. |
| C．Including eight students in a team. |
| D．Failing to pay the participation fees. |
| A．$ 1,000. | B．$ 1,500. | C．$ 5,000. | D．$ 10,000. |
8 . Ready or not, here they come: Scientists who played hide-and-seek with rats found that their furry subjects seemed to love the game- and they were remarkably good at it.
The researchers taught six adolescent male rats how to play a one-on-one version of hide-and-seek. They equipped a large room with cardboard barriers and small containers to serve as hiding places for humans and rats, respectively. The game started when the rat was placed in a small box in the middle of the room. If the rat was the “seeker,” the scientist would hide and then remotely open the box. If the rat was the “hider the scientist would crouch (蹲伏) by the box when the rat came out. This prompted the little rodent to running quickly for cover. All six rats learned how to be the seeker. Five of them were able to handle hiding as well.
Compared with something like playful wrestling, hide-and-seek is more complex for several reasons. It requires an understanding of the rules, a clear grasp of players’ distinct roles and the ability to assume different roles on different rounds. This unconventional experiment sheds light on the sophisticated sense of play in these tiny rodents, and also hints at the evolutionary usefulness of this type of play.
Peggy Mason, a neurobiologist (神经生物学家) at the University of Chicago, said that she was most impressed by the discovery that the rats didn’t just learn hide and seek—they wanted to play it. Play probably helps young animals learn how to socially interact, Mason said. She pointed to evidence that when rodents are prevented from playing during early development, they don’t grow into normal adults. Instead, they become anxious, they don’t play well with others and they aren’t great parents.
1. What can we know about the experiment?| A．Rats do better than other creatures in hide-and-seek. |
| B．Rats may enjoy themselves in hide-and-seek. |
| C．Rats prefer hide-and-seek to other games. |
| D．Rats may be subject to humans in hide-and-seek. |
| A．The scientist’s getting close. |
| B．Potential danger out of the box. |
| C．Its sense of safety under the cover. |
| D．Other rats’ call for help. |
| A．Unique | B．Outdated |
| C．Easy | D．Demanding |
| A．Deep anxiety over their kids’ growth. |
| B．Unwillingness to get on well with their kids. |
| C．A lack of confidence in their kids. |
| D．Absence of play in their early life. |
9 . The winter had been busy and long. I desperately needed a getaway from work, so I decided to book a trip to the Caribbean with my wife. But just three days before my trip， the human-resources manager of the company called and asked to speak with me in his office. I sensed something wrong. Just months shy of my ten — year anniversary with the company, I was laid off.
I was in complete shock — too shocked to even cry. But I wouldn't cancel my trip, as I needed it now more than ever. The night before my trip, I had a dream that the suitcase I had brought to the hotel was empty. When I woke, I interpreted this dream to mean that I was leaving all of my “baggage” behind — and I did. I enjoyed my vacation more than any others I had taken. And when I was back, I decided to do one thing I loved but never had the spare time to do: writing.
My works had never been published, but I wanted to try. I wrote a few pieces and sent them out to magazines and newspapers. After several non-responses and rejections, the most-read newspaper in Canada agreed to publish one of my travel stories. I shared the thrilling news with my family and friends. People I hadn't talked to in years contacted me to tell me they read my story. How amazing!
I started writing because I liked it. What I didn't realize was that my first published story would open several doors. Being published in a major publication made my resume impressive and led to interviews for writing positions. It also led to more publications noticing the articles I submitted. I am satisfied that now I work full-time as a corporate writer and my works have been published in a number of magazines.
Getting laid off was an experience that could have been fatal （毁灭性的）,But there was something about that dream after it happened. That dream helped me put everything behind me and gave me the confidence to pursue new possibilities.
1. Why did the author decide to go to Caribbean?| A．To go on a business trip. |
| B．To have a break from work. |
| C．To fill a position in the company. |
| D．To celebrate his wedding anniversary. |
| A．He is gifted in writing. |
| B．He is an optimistic person. |
| C．He gave bad job performance. |
| D．He suffered much from losing his job. |
| A．It tightened his family bond. | B．It brought back long-lost friends. |
| C．It earned him a job in a magazine. | D．It enabled him to become a writer. |
| A．A Trip Has Changed My Future | B．Fill Your Life with Surprises |
| C．Leave the Baggage Behind | D．Dare to Dream; Dare to Win |
10 . More than a billion people around the world have smart phones, almost all of which come with some kind of navigation app such as Apple Maps or Amap. This raises the age-old question we meet with any technology: What abilities is our brain losing to these apps? But also, importantly: What abilities are we gaining?
Talking with people who are good at finding their way around or good at using paper maps, I often hear a lot of annoyance with digital maps. North/south direction gets messed up, and you can see only a small section at a time. I can really understand that it may be quite disturbing for the already skilled to be limited to a small phone screen.
But consider what digital navigation aids have meant for someone like me. Although being a frequent traveler, I'm so terrible at finding my way that I still use Apple Maps almost every day in the small town where I have lived for many years.
In many developed nations, street names and house numbers can be meaningful, and instructions such as go north for three blocks and──then west’’ make sense to those familiar with these rules. In Istanbul, however, where I grew up, none of those hold true. For one thing, the locals seldom use street names. Besides, the city is full of winding and ancient alleys(小巷) that cross with newer avenues at many angles. In such places, you’d better turn to the locals. In the countryside, however, there is often nobody outside to ask. In fact, along came Apple Maps, like a fairy grandmother whispering directions in my ear. Since then, I travel with a lot more confidence, and my world has opened up.
Which brings me back to my original question: While we often lose some skills after depending on new technology, this new equipment may also allow us to gain new abilities. Maybe when technology closes a door, we should also look for the doors it opens.
1. Why do people who are skilled at reading paper maps feel upset?| A．They are interested in reading paper maps, |
| B．They don’t know how to use navigation, apps. |
| C．They are limited to a single smart phone app. |
| D．They are confused by digital maps’ direction. |
| A．Asking local people the way. |
| B．Following the navigation app. |
| C．Getting familiar with the city rules. |
| D．Looking for street names and house numbers. |
| A．Cautious | B．Ambiguous |
| C．Favorable | D．Critical |
| A．Benefits of Navigation Apps |
| B．Disadvantages of Navigation Apps |
| C．My World Opens Up by New Technology |
| D．Have Navigation Apps Worsened Our Brain? |
