1 . Vaccines(疫苗) may soon make their first film appearance. Led by expert Maria A. Croyle, researchers have developed a thin sheet that preserves vaccines for long periods without refrigeration. This means the carefully cooled small bottles now used to ship vaccines could potentially be replaced by lightweight films that can be mailed in an envelope and stored on a shelf.
Croyle’s laboratory began developing the technology in 2007. Inspired by amber’s ability to preserve the DNA of insects, the researchers set out to create their own version of the substance by mixing “a lot of sugar and a little bit of salt, much like hard candy,” Croyle explains. The vaccine-containing film is administered by mouth—sweet news for many who dislike needles.
The film is tailored to suit each specific vaccine candidate and provide a protective coating. “We’ve learned over time that the key to really stabilizing whatever the film holds is to have it intermixed with all the components,” Croyle says, adding that the process is quick and uses affordable, standard equipment. “We really wanted to come up with something that would be transferable to developing countries.”
Immunization(免疫) programs depend heavily on keeping vaccines cold(2℃-8℃) as they are transported, sometimes over thousands of kilometers to far-away locations. Delivery can be difficult and costly, and transport disruptions can cause the vaccines to be ineffective.
But this new product can store live viruses, bacteria and antibodies for several months at 20℃. In a paper published in Science Advances, the scientists show that the live viruses in one vaccine were preserved in the film even after 36 months. They also find that a flu vaccine suspended in their film compares favourably with a traditional flu shot(流感预防针). “The study demonstrates early proof of concept for an exciting platform for vaccine product development,” says Lisa Rohan, a pharmacologist, who was not involved in the study. She also notes that each vaccine type would need a custom formulation(配方) for future stages of development.
Finding partners to mass-produce for clinical trials is the researchers’ most pressing problem, Croyle says. They are also exploring packaging methods to keep their films stable up to 40℃.
Size is a major advantage—a letter-sized sheet of the film can carry more than 500 doses(剂) of vaccine, about 1⁄900 the weight of the same amount of traditional doses. By making it easier and cheaper to ship and preserve vaccines efficiently, Croyle says, the technology could vastly improve immunization rates the world over, particularly in middle- to low- income countries.
1. What can we learn about the film?| A．It contains animal’s DNA. | B．It will replace vaccines. |
| C．It comes in different flavours. | D．It can hold bio-products. |
| A．key component | B．development schedule |
| C．possible advantages | D．transportation requirements |
| A．advise personalizing vaccines |
| B．suggest the product is promising |
| C．prove the study is supported widely |
| D．stress the functions of a new platform |
| A．Advertising the film worldwide. | B．Improving the film’s capacity. |
| C．Reducing the shipping cost. | D．Seeking ideal manufacturers. |
2 . The United States celebrates Valentine's Day each year on February 14. Many other countries celebrate Valentine's Day, too, each in their own way. Here is a look at the Valentine's Day traditions in three countries.
Wales：land of love spoons
In Wales, it is called St. Dwynwen's Day, which takes place on January 25. The traditional romantic gift on this day is a love spoon.
Beginning in the 17th century, Welsh men made beautiful wooden spoons as a show of their love for that special person in their lives. Each shape of the spoons has a different meaning. For example, horseshoes mean good luck； keys represent the key to a lover's heart； and wheels are a sign of support.
Argentina：a week of sweets
Argentina celebrates Valentine's Day in February, but also gives a whole other week to love in July. They call it Sweetness Week. If you kiss someone, they have to give you a sugary treat.
Sweetness Week started in 1989 with a candy company called Arcor. They made an advertisement called “Candy for a Kiss”. The idea was to give the company's chocolates and other candies in exchange for a sweet kiss on the cheek. The campaign had a stronger effect than the company expected—it led to a new holiday!
Every July, couples who take part give each other candies and kisses all week long.
South Korea: three is a charm
For South Koreans, Valentine's Day happens in three parts： February 14, March 14 and April 14.
On February 14, women traditionally give men gifts of chocolate to show their love. One month later, on a holiday known as White Day, men show their thanks by giving women a sweet gift. The name “White Day” comes from the custom of giving white-colored gifts.
Let's not forget Black Day on April 14. Single people who did not get gifts on February 14 or March 14 often gather on Black Day to eat noodles with black bean soup.
1. What does a key-shaped spoon mean?| A．Strong support. | B．Good luck. |
| C．Deep love. | D．Real thanks. |
| A．In July . | B．In June. |
| C．In March. | D．In February . |
| A．White chocolates. | B．Silver spoons. |
| C．Black candies. | D．Black beans. |
3 . For Deaf People, Face Masks with Windows Mean More Than Smiles
For the last few months, Michael Conley has felt very alone. Conley is a deaf man, and he reads lips to understand what people are saying to him. However, people have been wearing masks to help slow the spread of COVID-19, a new virus that spreads from person to person when infected people breathe out virus particles (颗粒).
People who are deaf and hard of hearing communicate in many different ways. Some might learn to read lips. Many people also use American Sign Language (ASL). It is a way to communicate using gestures and signs for people who are deaf and hard of hearing.
For both reading lips and ASL, being able to see someone's face and facial expressions is critically important. Particularly for ASL, facial expressions play a role in grammar and wording.
Helping Lip Readers See Mouths Move
Conley told his co-worker, Chris LaZich, about his situation. LaZich asked her friend, Helton, for help. Ingrid Helton is a costume designer with the San Diego Opera. She makes masks with plastic windows for hearing people to wear, making it possible for lip readers to see mouths move.
For a long time, lip readers have struggled to understand hospital workers who wear masks. The problem has only gotten worse during COVID- 19. Many interpreters for the deaf have not been able to enter hospitals because they could catch the virus.
More Challenges For Deaf People
Now, more people are wearing masks outside of hospitals, too. This creates even more challenges for deaf people.
When people began wearing masks, Conley felt cut off from the world. Since he could not read lips, he did not know when people were speaking to him or what they were saying.
Conley was nervous to go to the pharmacy or the grocery store. Once, he felt so nervous to enter his favorite restaurant that he waited outside for 45 minutes. He did not know what he would do if a masked worker asked him questions about his order. Luckily, the employee recognized him and pulled down her mask to talk to Conley. Conley was grateful for her action.
Not everyone knows Conley, though, and would not know he is deaf. He carries pieces of paper with him so he can ask people to write what they are saying. This way, other people don't have to remove their mask. However, it also means touching the same paper, Touching common surfaces can spread germs. Spreading germs risks contracting COVID-19. Because of that, Conley was refused service many times.
“It makes you lose your confidence,” said Conley, who has been deaf his entire life. However, Helton's windowed masks helped him get his independence back. Conley and his co-worker, Chris LaZich, tried out the masks and he had no trouble reading LaZich's lips.
1. Where can you probably read the passage?| A．In a newspaper. | B．In a diary. |
| C．In a guidebook. | D．In a medical report. |
| A．He felt the situation couldn't be changed. | B．He felt it difficult to recognize people. |
| C．He felt cut off from the world. | D．He felt lonely and angry. |
| A．To help them meet other deaf people. | B．To keep them safe from COVID-19. |
| C．To comfort them emotionally. | D．To satisfy their social needs. |
| A．Soon she started her company called Happy Laugh Masks. |
| B．The windowed masks helped slow the spread of the virus. |
| C．Through her mask's window, LaZich smiled at him. |
| D．Helton said store owners liked the masks as well. |
4 . Do you remember what happened on Sponge Bob Square Pants yesterday? The day before? If so, you may be in need of a TV timeout!
Kids today are watching more TV than they watched before, researchers say. Kids ages 6 to 11 in the United States watch more than three hours of TV each day. Ten years ago, children watched only about two hours and 40 minutes of TV each day.
Why the increase? Experts say more TV shows today are focused, or aimed, at kids.
Some people want to limit kids' TV time. Researchers say that children who watch TV shows for more than three hours a day do not do as well in school. However, some programs can help kids learn. One example is BrainSurge. Some people say the show teaches kids facts.
How do you know whether a TV show can make you smart? Think about what you learn from watching, says Aletha Huston. She is a TV expert. But, she warns, don't spend too much time watching. “Limit the amount you watch. Get off the couch and do something else.”
TV Guide
This pie chart shows how long kids ages 6－11 use different types of TV technology each week.
1. What is the main idea of the text?
| A．Kids today watch more TV than they did before. |
| B．BrainSurge helps kids learn facts. |
| C．Kids do not watch proper TV shows. |
| D．More TV shows today are created for kids ages 6－11. |
| A．unusual | B．aimed | C．suitable | D．pleasant |
| A．Three. | B．Five. | C．Four. | D．Six. |
| A．Video games | B．DVD | C．VCR | D．TV |
5 . Earthquake rescue robots experienced their final tests in Beijing. Their designers said with these robots, rescuers would be able to buy more time to save lives during an earthquake.
This kind of robot looking like a helicopter is a flying robot. It’s about 3 meters long, and it took about 4 years to develop the model. Its main functions (功能) are to collect information from the air, and send goods of up to 30 kilos to people trapped by an earthquake. It has a high-definition 360-degree panoramic (全景的) camera. It can work day and night and is also able to send the latest pictures from the quake area.
Dr Qi Juntong, a researcher at Chinese Academy of Sciences, said, “The most important feature of this flying robot is that it doesn’t need a distant control. We just set the destination information on it, and then it takes off, and lands by itself. It flies as high as 3, 000 meters, and as fast as 100 kilometers per hour.
This robot has a different function—it can change as the environment changes. Its main job is to search for any signs of life in places where human rescuers are unable to go. As well as a detector (探测器) that finds victims and detects poisonous gases, a camera is placed in the 3-metre-long robot, which can work in the dark. Another use for the rescuers is the supply bot. With its 10-metre-long pipe, people who are trapped in the ruins will be able to get supplies including oxygen and liquids.
Experts have said that the robots would enter production and serve as part of the national earthquake rescue team as soon as possible.
1. What does Dr Qi Juntong think makes this robot mainly different from the others?| A．It has more functions. | B．It has a unique shape. |
| C．It has more advanced cameras. | D．It can work by itself once given the information. |
| A．A camera. | B．A detector. | C．A rescuer. | D．A supply. |
| A．It is carried by the helicopter. | B．It weighs about 30 kilos. |
| C．It is a machine with a length of 10 meters. | D．It hasn’t been put into production so far. |
| A．What the robot looks like. | B．An introduction to a robot. |
| C．How the robot is made. | D．Information about earthquakes. |
6 . Johnny Cash was born in 1932 in the southern state of Arkansas. His parents were poor cotton farmers. As a school boy, he began writing songs and he performed on radio programs. After high school, he joined the United States Air Force and served as a radio operator in Germany.
He returned to the United States in 1954 and formed a band with two friends and performed at local events. They began recording for Sun Records in Memphis. One of the songs Cash wrote became the first country music hit record for the company. It was “Cry, Cry, Cry.”
Johnny Cash performed all across the United States and Canada. By 1958, Johnny Cash was a successful recording artist, songwriter and singer. He was invited to perform at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee.
Johnny Cash won many awards, including eleven Grammy Awards and the Kennedy Center Honors. He was elected to both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He also received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
He died on September 12, 2003, in Nashville at the age of seventy-one.
Fans say that Johnny Cash's music was important because it told simple stories about life and death. They say he cared about social issues and continued to express support for those who are poor and without political power. One of the last songs he recorded was one made popular by the rock and roll group Nine Inch Nails. It is called “Hurt.”
1. Johnny Cash returned to the United States after ________.| A．he finished high school | B．he formed a band |
| C．he served in US Air Force in Germany | D．his song Cry, Cry, Cry became famous |
| A．Johnny Cash performed his famous song Cry, Cry, Cry at the Grand Ole Opry |
| B．Johnny Cash didn't care about social problems |
| C．Johnny Cash's music was only loved by his fans |
| D．the Grand Ole Opry is a place where famous singers hold their concerts. |
| A．Beat | B．Failure | C．Strike | D．Success |
| A．he won many awards in his lifetime |
| B．he often performed in the Grand Ole Opry |
| C．his songs expressed support for the poor people with no political power |
| D．his songs were sung by the rock and roll group Nine Inch Nails |
7 . White Temple, Thailand
Immediately upon entering White Temple, you will realize this contemporary, unconventional temple stands out, even in a country dotted with temples. The White Temple is incredibly different and unique in its architecture, art and design. In fact, it is designed in a very modern way. This temple is all white. It is very hot in summer in Thailand, so going to White Temple in other three seasons is a wise choice
Sagrada Familia, Spain
This symbolic Barcelona building is famously unfinished. It is said to be finished by 2026， but nobody believes it. However, visitors believe its incompleteness is part of its charm, which sets it apart from other temples in the world. You will have to wait in a long line if you visit Sagrada Familia in summer holiday. Visitors are not that many in spring and winter.
Kinkaku-ji, Japan
This temple is absolutely the most popular one in Japan. Whether you visit during the fall when there are red leaves against the golden wall, in winter when the gold is topped with pure white snow, in spring with cherry blossoms, or in summer allowing you to smell the earthy smell after rain--there is never a bad time to visit this beautiful temple.
1. Which temple will you choose to go if you are a fan of modern architecture?| A．Gobekli Tepe | B．White Temple. | C．Sagrada Familia. | D．Kinkaku-ji. |
| A．It is unfinished | B．It is all white | C．It is the oldest temple | D．It is untraditional |
| A．Gobekli Tepe | B．White Temple | C．Sagrada Familia. | D．Kinkaku-ji. |
8 . I started to work as an editor for a travel magazine. I didn’t really mind the work, but I wanted something more challenging. My sister sent me some details for a position in a startup. The job was a seemingly perfect mix of my skills and interests, so I jumped at it.
However, soon after I joined the company, its model changed to focus on education, and everything about my position changed. I was asked to take on the completely different roles of selling contents to teachers and training people. I had no experience in sales, training or education. I felt more a little outside my comfort zone.
I knew I wanted to grow as an individual and make a serious effect on the company. I told myself that everything feels overwhelming(巨大的)at first and I should at least try. In a way, I felt like I didn’t have a choice. I knew jumping out of the nest was the right thing for me, even though it felt pretty awful.
I was lucky to be surrounded by very helpful people, both at work and at home. My boss never asked if I thought I could do it; she asked if I was interested in trying.
I spent hours researching my company’s products. I asked lots of questions and spoke to so many teachers that there were soon more good experiences than difficult ones. I looked for chances to put in extra effort. The more I did, the better I felt.
Over time, I discovered that the job was something I could do and liked doing. It was unbelievably rewarding to see the company grow. I also learned it’s important to take risks and accept new opportunities, even when you’re not sure if you’ll do well. I don’t think there’s anything worse than failing to try. I’m so glad I tried, and it surely paid off.
1. Why did the author want to change her job?| A．She got bored of her old boss. |
| B．She followed her sister’s advice. |
| C．She was paid too little at her old job. |
| D．She intended to challenge something new. |
| A．Excited. | B．Stressed. |
| C．Curious. | D．Comfortable. |
| A．her boss trusted her to try |
| B．she knew she would do well |
| C．she was hardworking and made a lot of effort |
| D．people around her helped her solve the challenge |
| A．To tell readers that failure is the mother of success. |
| B．To warn about the risks and challenges when changing jobs. |
| C．To expose risks and challenges in a small and newly founded company. |
| D．To encourage readers to take on challenges and turn risks into opportunities. |
9 . It was our last class before summer break. I was finishing up the first year of an MFA program in poetry. I was tired and puzzled. "Was I good enough to be in the program?" When a professor asked about our summer plans, I panicked. I didn't want to appear idle(闲散的). "Gardening," I responded immediately. Actually I knew nothing about plants! My professor nodded, saying, "What a good idea, Mari! Emily Dickinson loved gardening." Emily Dickinson had lived in the countryside, studying plants as a child. I was in my late twenties, living in the city without gardening experience.
A few days later, I bought a jalapeño seedling(青辣椒秧苗). At least I could say I'd tried gardening. I watered and changed the dirt for my little plant. I even talked to it. And over the summer, it grew bigger and bigger. I was proud. Maybe I didn't have a black thumb after all.
I started the second year of my MFA, and then it was almost December and my jalapeño was suffering. It was brown in some places; many of its leaves had fallen off. Would my little guy make it? I prayed, "Please be okay." As if its survival were closely linked to mine.
I worked hard in school. Spring came. My jalapeño plant came back to life. It grew bigger, with new leaves. And then it flowered. I handed in my graduate paper--a book of poems--in May. "Your poems are strong," my professor said.
A huge weight lifted. I'd done it! At that time, I found the flowers on my jalapeño plant were gone. I watched closer. Where a flower had been, a tiny green fruit pushed through. I smiled. I had succeeded in my MFA program, and my jalapeño plant had grown right beside me, and I successfully did things I hadn't thought possible.
1. Why did the author begin gardening?| A．Just by accident. |
| B．For the love for gardening. |
| C．To express fancy for Emily Dickinson. |
| D．Because of the reminding of a professor. |
| A．In her childhood. | B．In one of her summer breaks. |
| C．In her teens. | D．In her first year of MFA program. |
| A．A talent to grow plants. | B．A dirty finger to touch plants. |
| C．A good fortune to do everything. | D．An inability to do gardening. |
| A．Nothing is impossible to a willing mind. |
| B．Easier said than done. |
| C．It's never too old to learn. |
| D．Do not teach fish to swim. |
10 . As the birthplace of kites in the world, Weifang, Shandong province of China, produces beautiful, vivid, colorful and high-quality kites. Now, more than 70% of kites in the world are exported from Weifang. If you want to see various shapes and sizes of kites covering the sky, you cannot miss the Weifang Kite Festival held on the third Saturday of every April.
But this year, tens of thousands of Chinese participants gathered in Weifang, from Sept 26 to 29 for the 37th International Kite Festival. Held since 1984, the International Kite Festival is an annual event to “exhibit the excellence of the kite lovers to the public,” according to the festival's website.
During the festival, kite lovers can enjoy stunt (特技表演) kite flying, also known as aerial ballet. Controlled by either a single person or a group, the kites form different shapes in the air. People always devote a lot of time and wisdom to making their own kites. From animals that crawl (爬行) on the ground or swim in the water to legends like Monkey King, everything can fly in the sky at the festival. One of this year's highlights was the giant kites decorated with images of medical staff and the Long March 5 rocket, which reflect the hot topics this year.
“Flying a kite is like flying your dream. All the cultural symbols from ancient and modern times can be found in the sky of Weifang,” noted Medium. After more than three decades of development, the festival has become a place to appreciate kites. But most importantly, it serves as a unique cultural event to promote international exchange.
1. What does the text mainly talk about?| A．A kite festival. | B．A kite birthplace. |
| C．The future of kites. | D．Kite performances. |
| A．To enjoy animals flying in the air. | B．To show kite-lovers' brilliance. |
| C．To perform specialized kite flying. | D．To enhance Weifang's global impact. |
| A．It takes a lot of trouble to make a kite. | B．Stunt kite flying is the only highlight. |
| C．Imagination can be shown in the kite. | D．Decorations matter least in the show. |
| A．It helps organize an international event. |
| B．It offers tips on how to appreciate kites. |
| C．It helps make the place known worldwide. |
| D．It enhances international cultural exchange. |
