1 . Would it surprise you to learn that, like animals, trees communicate with each other and pass on their wealth to the next generation?
Professor Simard form University of British Columbia explains how trees are much more complex than most of us ever imagined. Although Charles Darwin thought that trees are competing for survival of the fittest, Simard shows just how wrong he was. As far as Simard is concerned, actually the opposite is true: trees survive through their co-operation, passing around necessary nutrition “depending on who needs it”.
Nitrogen (氮) and carbon are shared through miles of underground fungi (真菌) networks, making sure that all trees in the forest ecological system give and receive just the right amount to keep them all healthy. This hidden system works in a very similar way to the networks of neurons (神经元) in our brains, and when one tree is destroyed, it affects all.
Simard talks about “mother trees”, usually the largest and oldest plants on which all other trees depend. She explains how moribund trees pass on the wealth to the next generation, transporting important minerals to young trees so they may continue to grow. When humans cut down “mother trees” with no awareness of these highly complex “tree societies” or the networks on which they feed, we are reducing the chances of survival for the entire forest.
“We didn’t take any notice of it” Simard says sadly. “Trees move nutrition into the young trees before they die, but we never give them chance.” If we could put across the message to the forestry industry, we could make a huge difference towards our environmental protection efforts for the future.
1. Which statement would Simard agree with?| A．Trees support each other. |
| B．Trees compete for nutrition. |
| C．Trees depend on their needs. |
| D．Trees co-operate with the fittest. |
| A．To explain the importance of fungi networks. |
| B．To introduce the function of neurons networks. |
| C．To illustrate how Nitrogen and carbon are shared. |
| D．To show how the forest ecological system works. |
| A．Energetic. | B．Ancient. | C．Previous | D．Dying |
| A．Protect tree societies. |
| B．Cut down oldest trees. |
| C．Get nutrition from nature. |
| D．Improve our environment. |
2 . As digital devices （设备）have taken over society, “keyboard activity is now often recommended as a substitute for early handwriting," a new study notes. The idea is that typing may be easier for young children.
“Some schools in Norway have become completely digital," notes Audrey Vander Meer, the new study's leader, who measures brain activity to better understand learning and behaviors. She works at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim. The human brain has developed to interact with the world in as many ways as possible, she notes. She believes that young children should learn to write by hand successfully, and, at the same time learn to manage a keyboard.
Using a pen involves more of the brain than using a keyboard, her new findings show. This is because writing and printing involve complex movements that activate more areas of the brain. The increased brain activity, "gives the brain more 'hooks' to hang your memories on," she explains.
Think about it. The same movement is required to type each letter on a keyboard. By comparison, when we write, our brain needs to think about and recover memories of the shape of each letter. We also need to use our eyes to watch what shapes we're writing. And we need to control our hands to press a pen or pencil to shape the different letters. All of this uses and connects more areas of the brain.
Along the way, these processes appear to “open the brain up for learning", says Vander Meer. So learning through only one format — digital — could be harmful, she worries.
Vander Meer also points out that taking notes by hand stimulates （激发）"visual notetaking". Rather than typing blindly, the visual note-taker has to think about what is important to write down. Then, key words can be "interlinked by boxes, and arrows, and supplemented by small drawings".
1. What is the main idea of the text?| A．Digital devices are popular with students. |
| B．Handwriting beats typing in taking notes. |
| C．The process of taking notes changes thinking. |
| D．The new study makes contributions to science. |
| A．Communicate with the world. | B．Rely on keyboard activity. |
| C．Learn to write by hand. | D．Master basic drawing skills. |
| A．By studying how the brain develops. | B．By observing social phenomena. |
| C．By assessing functions of senses. | D．By comparing ways of taking notes. |
| A．Relationship. | B．Fashion. |
| C．Culture. | D．Science. |
3 . Ant Forest, a green initiative by the world’s leading payment and lifestyle platform Alipay, received the “U.N. Champions of the Earth” award, the UN’s highest environmental honor. It was given to Ant Forest for motivating half a billion people to adopt an eco-friendly and greener lifestyle, greatly contributing to ecological protection with the help of digital technology.
Alipay achieved this by inspiring its users to do environmentally-friendly things, such as walking, using public transportation, going paperless in the office and more to earn “green energy points”. These points can then be used to water and grow their own virtual young trees. After the virtual young trees have grown up on line, Ant Forest will plant real trees somewhere in China.
The number of Ant Forest users has reached 350 million, reducing 3 million tons of carbon dioxide. “Such programs are quite attractive to me. I feel satisfied to see a real tree planted just by doing some simple things such as riding bicycles and buying tickets online,” said an interviewee.
This initiative of Ant Forest is in line with the Chinese government’s strategy of a “Green Economy”. The country is taking aggressive actions in expanding its green coverage. Now, its efforts are paying off, with improved biodiversity and a healthier economic growth. Rare animal species have been spotted and forest parks are now popular attractions of tourism.
The planet is at a critical point which could result in natural disasters. It seems clear that unless governments, businesses and people form a focused team, it’s difficult to stop global warming. Fortunately, Ant Forest shows that it is possible to make joint efforts while relying on digital technology. And more initiatives are using technology to contribute to a sustainable future of the planet.
1. What was Ant Forest given the award for?| A．It brings convenience to people’s lives. |
| B．It is run by the world’s leading payment platform. |
| C．It technically assists many people to protect ecology. |
| D．It has made the greatest contribution to global development. |
| A．How Alipay makes profits. |
| B．How Ant Forest is carried out. |
| C．What a low-carbon life is like. |
| D．Why Alipay takes up the initiative. |
| A．350 million people have planted real trees. |
| B．Promoting tourism can help save animals. |
| C．China keeps a balance between economy and ecology. |
| D．The expansion of green coverage mainly results from Ant Forest. |
| A．By criticizing natural disasters. |
| B．By stopping the global warming. |
| C．By providing a platform to make joint efforts. |
| D．By encouraging people to donate money to plant trees. |
4 . The Chinese manned submersible(潜水器) Fendouzhe, over 96.5 percent of whose core components have been independently developed by China, reached one of the deepest spots on the planet, a dizzying and dark depth of 10,909 meters.
Extreme water pressure is the first challenge that requires dealing with during the exploration. At 10,000 meters down in the ocean, the submersible has to stand about 1,100 atmospheres of pressure, equal to 2,000 elephants stepping on a person’s back. As the solid “armour (盔甲)”，the manned cabin is a safety guarantee for humans to reach down to 10,000 meters deep in the ocean. To overcome the technical bottleneck, the Chinese researchers developed a new material-Ti62A, successfully solving problems of the strength and toughness of the manned cabin.
To avoid risks of crashes in the dark deep sea with complex terrain(地形)，Fendouzhe requires its control system, a smart “brain” to give the exact instructions. Researchers designed a neural network algorithm(神经网络算法), which enables Fendouzhe to travel automatically according to the seabed terrain and locate fixed points. Its control system has reached the international frontier level.
The submersible is equipped with two flexible and strong “arms”. Each 7-joint arm with 6 degrees - of - freedom control and a weight-carrying ability of more than 60 kilograms can cover the sampling basket and its front areas. With the arms, Fendouzhe collected samples of ocean rocks, deep-sea living things and seabed sediments(沉淀物).
The ocean, especially the deep sea, is widely regarded as Earth's final frontier. Deep down in the ocean are unusual creatures, strange environments and impressive geological wonders, yet humanity knows less about the ocean floor than about the far side of the moon. These samples and data collected from the deep ocean can be used for geological and biological research, as well as study the human impact on the planet.
1. Why is “2000 elephants” mentioned in paragraph 2?| A．To make the numbers accurate. |
| B．To provide a biological explanation. |
| C．To emphasize the importance of the task. |
| D．To describe the degree of the pressure vividly. |
| A．Collect ocean samples. |
| B．Land the submersible. |
| C．Provide safety guarantee. |
| D．Prevent crashes intelligently. |
| A．The toughness of the cabin. |
| B．The ability of weight-carrying. |
| C．The method of data-collection. |
| D．The technology of control system. |
| A．It is more complex than the moon. |
| B．It is seriously affected by humans. |
| C．To make sure of the depth of the ocean. |
| D．To explore the less-known field of the planet. |
5 . COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) —During his leisure time, Mahinda Dasanayaka packs his motorbike with books and rides his mobile library—across mostly muddy roads running through tea-growing mountain areas—to underprivileged children in backward rural parts of Sri Lanka.
Having witnessed the hardships faced by children whose villages have no library facilities, Dasanayaka, a child protection officer for the government, was looking for ways to help them. Then three years ago, he launched his program, called “Book and Me”.
He purchased a second-hand Honda motorbike for 30,000 Sri Lankan rupees($162), On his off days—mostly during weekends—he rides his motorbike, which is fixed with a steel box to hold books, to rural villages and distributes the reading material to children free of charge.
He began the program in 2017 with 150 books—some of his own and others donated by friends colleagues and well-wishers. His collection includes about 3,000 books on a variety of subjects. So far, he said, his program has benefited more than 1,500 children, as well as about 150 adults.
“I wanted to do something for children who are burdened with an exam-centered education. . . And to change the way kids look at society, to change their perspectives and broaden their imagination,” he said.
Apart from giving away books, Dasanayaka also speaks to the children for a few minutes, usually under a roadside tree, highlighting the value of reading, books and authors. He then conducts a discussion on books the children have read, with the aim of eventually forming reading clubs.
While Dasanayaka spends his own money on his program, he is not wealthy, with a take- home income of 20,000 rupees ($108) a month from his job. He said he spends about a quarter of that on gasoline for his mobile library.
1. How did Dasanayaka start “Book and Me”?| A．With a large sum of money. |
| B．With a used motorbike and 150 books. |
| C．By subscribing to books for children. |
| D．By borrowing a steel box from his workmate. |
| A．He is uncertain about his program. |
| B．He is trying to better kids’ living conditions. |
| C．He is seeking to change kids’ ways of thinking. |
| D．He is optimistic about the existing schooling system. |
| A．To keep in touch with them. |
| B．To prepare to start reading clubs. |
| C．To check their reading assignments. |
| D．To know about their preferences of books. |
| A．A Reading Program | B．An Education Officer |
| C．A Library on Wheels | D．A Motorbike on Road |
6 . Gene therapy (基因治疗) is a revolutionary new technique for treating people with health problems. Up until very recently, the most commonly available methods for treating patients were either through drugs or operations. Gene therapy provides a third option for treatment by transforming or replacing cells with new genetic materials and instructions. Scientists can be very precise in the kinds of changes they make in patients.
Gene therapy works by using a delivery system, such as a virus, to enter a patient's body. Once inside the body, the virus combines with a host cell and delivers the new DNA. The proteins then begin to repair the affected cells. New techniques have focused on removing cells from the patients and transforming them outside the body before reintroducing them to the patients.
The two types of gene therapy are called somatic and germline. Somatic therapy refers to changing or replacing a body cell. In this case, the treatment is restricted to the patient only. This will not affect the patient's future children because the patient's germ (生殖) cells are unaffected. In germline therapy, the patient germ cells are treated, which may affect the patient's future generation.This is highly controversial (有争议的) because it is not clear exactly how this might affect them and further generations. For this reason, many countries have passed laws that prohibit this kind of treatment.
Despite the promise of gene therapy, there are still many barriers that need to be overcome before it comes into widespread use. One of the issues is that the use of viruses to deliver DNA may actually cause unexpected problems in patients if the virus grows and attacks the body. Another problem is the nature of many diseases is very complex and spread throughout multiple genes. The use of gene therapy to change a single gene in the body would probably not be sufficient as a cure. Finally, the costs of gene therapy are high. Some gene therapy procedures may cost over$1 million to undertake and require specialized doctors and equipment.
1. What does the underlined word ''them'' in paragraph 2 refer to?| A．Techniques. | B．Cells. | C．Patients. | D．Proteins. |
| A．Gene therapy has been put into practice widely. |
| B．The cells of patients are developed in healthy people. |
| C．Viruses entering the body can mix with host cells and form new DNA. |
| D．Both somatic and germline therapy have side effects on later generations. |
| A．The disadvantages of gene therapy. |
| B．The promising future of gene therapy. |
| C．The high costs of treatment procedures. |
| D．The issues related to viruses and complex genes. |
| A．Why Gene Therapy Procedures Are Extremely Expensive |
| B．Gene Therapy: A Dangerous New After-operation Treatment |
| C．Gene Therapy: A Contemporary Progressive Treating Method |
| D．Scientists Are Accurate in Performing the Categories of Surgery |
7 . If you have ever had a cat, or have watched one of the many funny cat videos online, you’ll know that cats have a mind of their own. A lot of the things they do are hard to understand---they like to climb up tall furniture, fit themselves in small spaces and attack small objects for no reason at all.
Now scientists have managed to figure out what exactly is going on in the brains of our little friends. According to Tony Buffington, a professor at Ohio State University in the US, cats’ strange behavior largely comes from their way of life back in the wild. “Cats today still have many of the same instincts(本能)that allowed them to live in the wild for millions of years.” he said in a TED Talk. “To them, our homes are their jungles.”
In the wild, cats are hunters. Their bodies and great balancing abilities allow them to climb to high spots to better look at the environment. Even though they don’t have to hunt any more in human houses, they still keep the old habit of viewing the living room from, for example, the top of the refrigerator.
Cats’ hunting instinct is also what makes them attack small things like keys and USB drives. In the wild, they hunt whatever they can get, and most of the animals they kill are small.
However, cats can also be prey. This explains why they like to stay in small spaces like drawers or washing machines---they are hiding, or they think they are hiding, from more dangerous animals. This is also why cats prefer a clean box: a smelly one could easily show enemies where they are.
Knowing how cats’ minds work is not only useful for better understanding them. It may also help cats’ owners to better meet cats’ needs. For example, owners could try to make climbing easier for cats by moving their furniture around. They could also use “food puzzles” to make eating feel more like hunting instead of just giving food to the cats.
1. According to Tony Buffington, ________.| A．cats’ strange behavior is hard for people to understand |
| B．cats are more used to living in the wild than in humans’ homes |
| C．cats behave strangely mainly because of some instincts in the wild |
| D．cats’ instincts are as helpful to them today as they were millions of year ago |
| A．Cats like to climb up high because they want to hide from dangerous animals. |
| B．Cats attack keys and USB drives because they have a habit of hunting small animals. |
| C．Cats enjoy staying in small spaces because they usually live in small caves in the wild. |
| D．Cats’ preference for a clean box probably has something to do with their hunting instincts. |
| A．an animal that is too lazy |
| B．an animal that likes hiding games |
| C．an animal that keeps itself clean |
| D．an animal that is hunted |
| A．explore the reasons behind cats’ strange behavior |
| B．describe cats’ past wild experience to readers |
| C．tell cat owners how to make life easier for cats |
| D．compare cats’ behavior in human homes with that in the wild |
8 . After paying £20 for my racing red ukulele at a Denmark Street music shop, I happily turned up to the “Ukulele Hootenany” at a club near Liverpool Street. The host came around and tuned it for me. I went to get a drink from the bar and was about to start playing when the little man approached again and said, “Let me tune that again for you.” I hesitated, wanting to reassure him that I’d not touched it since its last tuning but he took it and returned a few minutes later saying, “I’ve tuned it, but it won’t be worth it—use this one instead. And he handed me a racing red version of a more expensive ukulele that I happily handled clumsily with that night.
You can master the basics online and come along expecting to be able to play the most commonly used chords. Just don’t expect to fluently flip (弹) between them without any mistakes. It is easier said than done.
What makes this hobby unique is the fact that it’s not seen as “serious” or “proper” instrument, so it all tracts those more likely to pick it up for fun. That night’s crew were a random collection of around 30 people ranging from 20 to 60, with various shaped and sized ukuleles and various levels of ability.
We sat around a table, with two song books in front of us, and the “leader” called out a page number as we flipper through to a well-known Johnny Cash or Queen tune and did our best to keep up. Later on we got to argue—a Lady Gaga here, an Eric Clapton there.
But the part I enjoyed the most and that I wasn’t expecting was the singalong. Everyone sang, and as no one eared about your singing abilities, people had lot of fun when they were harmonizing and putting on a heavy Southern accent even if it’s not a country song. What it resulted in was a hobby with a unique mix and thus one of my favorites; it was cheap, social, and above all great fun.
1. Which of the following words can best describe the host?| A．Strict and responsible. | B．Considerate and generous |
| C．Friendly and stubborn. | D．Ambitious and professional |
| A．People who are serious musicians. |
| B．People who are keen on classical music. |
| C．People who seek pleasure in playing despite mistakes. |
| D．People who expect social interactions with strangers. |
| A．Each member of the crew played excellent tunes. |
| B．They couldn’t produce a consistent rhythm while playing. |
| C．The author was good at singing country songs. |
| D．The author couldn’t catch up with others during the singalong part. |
| A．embarrassed | B．moody | C．cheerful | D．optimistic |
9 . Growing Pains
The term "adulting started as a sort of joke 一一 whenever a millennial（千禧一代）would do something age-appropriate, this was an act of "adulting." Now, though, millennials obviously require training in being an adult.
Rachel Flehinger has co-founded an Adulting School, which includes online courses on simple sewing, conflict resolution and cooking. The cause for such classes is that many millennials "haven’t left childhood homes" 一一 in America 34 percent of adults aged 18 to 34 still lived with their parents as of 2015, up from 26 percent a decade before.
There's a good deal of truth to this. If you're living at home, with Mom and Dad doing their best to spoil（(溺爱）you, you're less likely to know how to do laundry, cook or balance a checkbook. Dependency breeds enervation.
But here's the catch: Living at home doesn't necessarily lead to dependency. As of 1940, more than 30 percent of 25- to 29-year-olds lived at home with parents or grandparents. They were adulting, even while living at home. Parents expected their kids to do chores, to prepare for life. Instead of blaming living at home, then, we have to blame our style of parenting. The truth is that we've simply become lazier as parents.
So what's the real problem?
We're more likely to let our kids crash on our couches（长沙发）than tell them to get a job and pay rent. We don't push our kids to build families of their own, as life expectancy has increased, so has adolescence. Americans aren't expected to start building a life, particularly middle- and upper-class Americans, until they're nearing their 30s. Then the question is how we can encourage young people to "'adult" in non-circumstance-driven fashion.
1. What does the last sentence in the third paragraph "Dependency breeds enervation." mean?| A．Parents would like to do housework by themselves |
| B．Present kids are too lazy to do housework. |
| C．Dependency makes kids unable. |
| D．Kids depend on their parents. |
| A．Millennials would like to be trained in being an adult. |
| B．Parents are too lazy to do chores. |
| C．Millennials don't adult because they still live in their childhood homes. |
| D．In the 1940s kids were adulting even when they were living at home. |
| A．"Adulting" is hard, but only because parents are too lazy to teach their kids. |
| B．Millennials should leave home early to adult. |
| C．Americans aren't expected to start building a life until they're nearing their 30s. |
| D．Adulting schools with online courses are popular. |
| A．The government should push off the age of adulthood. |
| B．Parents should leave kids in charge of society. |
| C．Parents should put responsibility on young people. |
| D．Pushing kids to adult is painful for parents. |
10 . A walk through the galleries of Quebec's Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) places individuals face-to-face with some 43,000 artworks ranging from Chinese ceramics (陶瓷制品) to Inuit sculpture.
While the visiting is an incredible cultural experience, a group of local physicians will soon be able to prescribe(开处方) museum visits as treatment for some illnesses.
Hélène Boyer, vice president of a Montreal-based medical association, explains that museum visits have been shown to increase levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter (神经传导物质) known as the "happy chemical" which helps to lift mood.
According to Boyer, the small increase in hormones(荷尔蒙)associated with enjoying an afternoon of art is similar to that offered by exercise, making museum prescriptions ideal for the elderly experiencing pain that prevents them from regularly joining in physical activity.
The museum visits are designed to improve traditional methods. As Bondil notes, spending time in a peaceful environment can provide a welcome distraction. "What is most important is this experience can help them escape from their own pain," she says. "When you enter the museum, you escape from the speed of our daily life."
"I am convinced that in the 21st century, culture will be what physical activity was for health in the 20th century," said Bondil. " Some people would do well to recall that just in the 19th century, sports were believed to do harm to the body. Just as doctors now prescribe exercise, they will be able to prescribe a visit to the MMFA."
1. What does Hélène Boyer think of museum visits?| A．They can cheer people up. | B．They can reduce physical activity. |
| C．They can slow down our life pace. | D．They can increase levels of art appreciation. |
| A．Stop them concentrating on pain. |
| B．Stop them focusing on traditional methods. |
| C．Encourage them not to be absent-minded. |
| D．Encourage them to slow their steps while walking. |
| A．Physical activities were popular in the 19th century. |
| B．Sports are considered to be harmful to the body. |
| C．Ideas of treating illnesses are changing over time. |
| D．Doctors prescribe museum visits regularly now. |
| A．Museum visits are ideal for the elderly. | B．Happy chemical helps to lift mood. |
| C．Peaceful environment helps escape pain. | D．Cultural activities will promote health |
