1 . Scientists have created an "artificial leaf" to fight climate change by inexpensively changing harmful carbon dioxide into a useful alternative fuel. The new technology was inspired by the way plants use energy from sunlight to turn carbon dioxide into food.
Scientists call it an artificial leaf because it mimics real leaves and the process of photosynthesis(光合作用). A leaf produces glucose(葡萄糖) and oxygen. Scientists use an artificial leaf to produce methanol(甲醇) and oxygen. Making methanol from carbon dioxide, the primary contributor to global warming, would both reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide a substitute for the fossil fuels.
The key to the process is a cheap, fully used red powder called cuprous oxide. Engineered to have as many eight-sided particles as possible, the powder is created by a chemical reaction when four substances are added to water that has been heated to a particular temperature. The powder then serves as the catalyst(催化剂), or trigger, for another chemical reaction when it is mixed with water into which carbon dioxide is blown and a beam of white light is directed with a solar simulator(模拟器). "This is the chemical reaction that we discovered," said Wu, a professor of mechanical and mechatronics engineering, has worked on the project since 2015. He added, " Nobody has done this before." The reaction produces oxygen, as in photosynthesis, while also changing carbon dioxide in the water-powder solution into methanol. The methanol is collected as it evaporates when the solution is heated.
Next steps in the research include increasing the methanol yield and commercializing the patented process to convert carbon dioxide collected from major greenhouse gas sources such as power plants, vehicles and oil drilling. "I'm extremely excited about the potential of this discovery to change the game," said Wu, "Climate change is an urgent problem and we can help reduce CO2 emissions while also creating an alternative fuel."
1. What is the function of an artificial leaf?| A．Turning carbon dioxide into a solid fuel. | B．Changing a chemical reaction into food. |
| C．Producing much glucose and oxygen. | D．Making methanol and oxygen cheaply. |
| A．It's a powder containing four substances. |
| B．It should be directed with a solar simulator. |
| C．It's a key substance to cause another chemical reaction. |
| D．It's used to collect methanol from a chemical reaction. |
| A．Optimistic. | B．Wait- and- see. | C．Skeptical. | D．Negative. |
| A．A short story of an artificial leaf. | B．An advertisement for a famous company. |
| C．A report in a science journal. | D．An introduction to a science fiction. |
2 . The surprising experiment I am about to describe proves that air is all around you and that it presses down upon you. Air pressure is a wonderful force. When you swim underwater, you can feel water push down your body. The air all around you does the same. However, your body is so used to it that you do not notice this. The pressure is caused by a layer of air called the atmosphere. This layer surrounds the Earth, extending to about five kilometers above the Earth’s surface.
The following experiment is an easy one that you can do at home. But make sure that you are supervised, because you will need to use matches. Now for the experiment!
What you need is a hard-boiled egg without the shell, a bottle with a neck slightly smaller than the egg, a piece of paper and a match.
Metheod: check that the paper will sit firmly on the neck of the bottle, tear the paper into strips and put the strips into the bottle, light the paper by dropping a burning match into the bottle and quickly sit the egg on the neck of the bottle.
Astonishingly, the egg will be sucked into the bottle. Your friends will be amazed when you show them the experiment. But be careful when you handle matches.
Do you think it’s a simple and interesting physical experiment? Why did it happen this way? As the paper burns, it needs oxygen and uses up the oxygen (air) in the bottle. The egg acts as a seal in the neck of the bottle, so no more air can get inside. This reduces the air pressure inside the bottle. The air pressure must equalize, so more air from outside must enter the bottle. The outside air presses against the egg and then the egg is pushed into the bottle! This proves that air is all around and that it is pressing down on us.
1. Why is there the need to take care when you are doing the experiment?| A．The bottle could break. |
| B．The egg needs to be shelled. |
| C．You need to light the paper with a match. |
| D．The egg has to be perfectly placed on the neck of the bottle. |
| A．make a seal in the neck of the bottle |
| B．finish up the oxygen inside the bottle |
| C．produce more oxygen inside the bottle |
| D．equalize the air pressure inside and outside |
| A．It became salt without the shell. |
| B．The neck of the bottle was wide enough. |
| C．The oxygen inside the bottle sucked the egg in. |
| D．The outside air pressure forced it into the bottle. |
| A．The air pressure is not equalized around us. |
| B．The pressure of air around us has a powerful force. |
| C．Water pushes on your body when you swim underwater. |
| D．The earth is surrounded by a layer of air called the atmosphere. |
3 . Raffles EL Week
Be absorbed in the world of words, metaphors and imagery in our annual Raffles EL Week! Come and participate in the exciting activities we have for you!
The learning adventures begin from 20 May 2021 to 24 May 2021. Read on to find out where the actions are!
Activities that add fun to your recesses!
ONCE UPON A TIME... A fan of fairy tales? This activity is definitely right up your alley!
Let our student librarians tell you fairy tales from all over the World! Suitable for all levels. Date: 20 and 23 May Time: 9:30 am Venue: School library | HOW WELL CAN YOU SPELL? Show your spelling skills in this Spelling Bee challenge! Get to compete with peers from different classes too! Date: 20 and 21 May (P1 & P2 pupils)
22 and 23 May (P3 & P4 pupils) 24 May (P5 & P6 pupils) Time: 9:30 am Venue: Lower canteen area |
Story Writing Competition Do you love writing stories? Take part in our annual story writing competition! The theme this year is “Fractured Fairy Tales”. Rules & Regulations: ·In less than 500 words, pick a fairy tale you like and modify it to make us laugh at an unexpected characterization, plot development or a different point of view. ·You may submit only one story and we will pick one winner from each level (P1-P6). ·The winning entries will be published in our Raffles Magazine in Term 4. ·Email your entry to: elweek@raffles.com by 30 May 2021. ·If you have any questions, go to the General Office and approach any of the friendly staff there. | |
Organized by: The English Department Partners: Writers’ Association
1. How often is Raffles EL Week held?| A．Once a month. | B．Every two years. | C．Once a year. | D．Every two months. |
| A．Writing an original fairy tale. |
| B．Not going over the word limit. |
| C．Being a member of Raffles Magazine. |
| D．Submitting your entry at the General Office. |
| A．Students at all levels can go to the Spelling Bee challenge every day. |
| B．There will be one winner for the school story writing competition. |
| C．Student librarians will be telling fairy tales in the school library. |
| D．Its purpose is to get pupils to compete with peers from other classes. |
4 . Black Valley, 63 kilometers from downtown Chongqing, is one of the best preserved natural wonders around the municipality. The national 5A-level scenic spot is a popular summer resort for sightseeing, forest adventures, outdoor camping, hunting and angling.
Located in Heishan town, Wansheng Economic Development Zone, the scenic spot spans over 103 square kilometers, 97 percent of which are covered by primitive forests. With over 110,000 negative oxygen ions in each cubic centimeter of air, it is dubbed as a natural oxygen bar and “the most beautiful healthcare-themed valley.”
Black Valley is also known as “the natural gene bank of Chongqing and Guizhou regions” for the diversity of its rare plants and wildlife, including Cathaya argyrophylla, Davidia involucrata, Trachypithecus francoisi and clouded leopards.
Scenic spot level: AAAAA
Address: Heishan town, Wansheng Economic Development Zone, 63 kilometers from downtown Chongqing Opening hours: 8:30 am - 3:30 pm (peak season from November to February), 9:00 am-3:00 pm (off season from March to October)
Ideal sightseeing season: from May to September
Ticket price: 60 yuan ($8.72) during off season and 100 yuan during peak season, sightseeing bus and cable not included.
Notes:
1. It is recommended that tourists start from the higher southern area for a downward journey.
2. The average temperature is 18.1 degrees.
3. It’s a good idea to experience the local folk culture of the Miao ethnic group, especially when you choose to visit in May when the traditional Caishan Festival of Miao ethnic group is celebrated.
1. What can we know about Black Valley?| A．It lies in downtown Chongqing. |
| B．Plants and wildlife are rarely seen there. |
| C．A visit there costs at most 100 yuan. |
| D．The air is very high in negative oxygen ions there. |
| A．January. | B．March. | C．May. | D．July. |
| A．Culture. | B．Travel. | C．Nature. | D．Wildlife. |
5 . Zhang Guimei, a rural teacher in Huaping county, Lijiang, Yunnan province, breaking cycle of poverty in mountain areas realizes potential of students.
It was a chance meeting that revealed the reality of one life as it changed another. About 20 years ago, while on the way to visit a student’s house, Zhang Guimei noticed a girl sitting on the hillside. She was staring blankly into space. She was completely preoccupied. The girl, 13, told Zhang she was about to get married. It was arranged by her parents. “But I want to go to school,” the girl says. Zhang went to her house and tried to persuade her parents to let the girl return, to school and promised to pay for her tuition herself. However, they didn’t agree.
Zhang says she feels sorry not being able to help “We always say, each child should stand on the same starting line, but these girls didn’t even have a chance to get on the track,” she tells Xinhua News Agency.
That fateful encounter persuaded Zhang to build a free big school for girls, aiming to help break the cycle that saw women drop out of education, marry early and spend their whole life in the remote mountain. The priority of less well-off families was to spend whatever scarce resources they had on educating their sons.
After years trying to raise funds, in 2008, Huaping High School for Girls, a free public high school, was founded at the foot of the Shizi Mountain in Huaping, where Zhang is the principal.
Over the decades, the principal walked thousands of kilometers, visiting students’ families in the deep mountain, talking to villagers, persuading girls to go back to school. She donated her wages and bonus to support rural education and poor people. It has been worth it. More than 1. 800 graduates have been admitted to college, which is regarded a “miracle” in the remote area, as most students didn’t perform well in academic study before the school was established.
In early December. she was named a national outstanding member of the Communist Party of China for her dedication to education in rural China. She was also given the honor of the country’s “role model for teachers”, advanced worker “and” outstanding woman”. Her moving stories inspire thousands of people.
1. What does the underlined word “preoccupied” probably mean in paragraph 2？| A．Cautious. | B．Regretful. | C．Worried. | D．Merciful. |
| A．Women are poor in academic fields. | B．There are few women schools in China. |
| C．Few girls are admitted to universities. | D．Girls in rural areas receive little education. |
| A．Independent and tough. | B．Faithful and honest. |
| C．Inspirational and generous. | D．Determined and conventional. |
| A．Zhang Guimei helps change the life of girls from poor families. |
| B．Zhang Guimei creates a miracle in advanced technology. |
| C．Zhang Guimei is awarded as an international heroine. |
| D．Zhang Guimei devotes her life to fighting poverty. |
6 . 2020 Cultural events
The year 2020 has been a tough one in which we suffered from the coronavirus epidemic and faced enormous challenges in many aspects of life. In spite of this, we still made many achievements in the cultural field. Let’s review and carry on our journey bravely in new year.
The Forbidden City celebrates 600th anniversary
The Forbidden City is celebrating the 600th anniversary of the completion of the glorious construction this year. The Forbidden City, a 720,000-square-meter palace complex made of wood and earthen bricks, is the largest surviving specimen of its kind in the world. This compound served as the imperial palace from 1420 to 1911, where 24 emperors once lived. It stands as evidence to past glory that informs contemporary people about Chinese civilization’s advanced thought and practices across six centuries.
Horse head sculpture returns to Old Summer Palace
A bronze horse head sculpture, a treasure of China’s Old Summer Palace that went missing 160 years ago, returned to its original palace home in December. It is the first time that a lost important cultural relic from the Old Summer Palace was returned to and housed at its original location. Macao billionaire Stanley Ho bought the bronze horse head and decided to donate it to the National Cultural Heritage Administration and return it to its original home.
Museums go on the cloud
This year, due to the coronavirus outbreak, many museums launched online tours that attracted many viewers. On March 1. the Potala Palace, a landmark building in China’s Tibet autonomous region, held a live streaming tour for the first time in its over 1,300-year history. The tour received about 920,000 views, more than half of the total visits the palace receives a year. Museums also have adopted popular tools and high-tech to enrich cloud-based event experiences.
Musicians mark Beethoven’s 250th birthday
This year marks the 250th birthday of the German composer Ludwig van Beethoven, whose best gift to the world was his magnificent music. To mark the anniversary, over 180 Chinese musicians performed in a 12-hour music concert at the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing from 10 am to 10 pm on Dec 12. Musicians from Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei symphony orchestras, as well as the Suzhou Symphony Orchestra and Hong Kong siring Orchestra, also played to celebrate the event.
1. Which event is the most attractive to archaeologists？| A．The Forbidden City celebrates 600th anniversary. |
| B．Horse head sculpture returns to Old Summer Palace. |
| C．Musicians mark Beethoven’s 250th birthday. |
| D．Museums go on the cloud. |
| A．Viewing exhibitions online. | B．A field trip to museums. |
| C．Easy access to the location. | D．Traditional broadcasting method. |
| A．To recommend four events you can participate in. |
| B．To record memorable cultural moments. |
| C．To arouse readers’ interest in music. |
| D．To show honor to great artists. |
7 . The use of face masks has become the new normal in parts of the world. Masks, However, can affect the quality of communication between wearers. It can be more difficult to hear voices through the coverings. Many business and public spaces also have social distancing barriers in place, which also make it harder for people to be heard and understood.
Japanese company Donut Robotics has created a “smart” mask that aims to improve communication for people wearing face coverings to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Donut Robotics calls its invention the “c-mask”. The device is meant to fit over other kinds of face masks commonly worn by the public. The c-mask is made of soft plastic material. It contains a built-in microphone and has holes in the front to let air in. When it is turned on, the mask uses Bluetooth technology to connect to a mobile device. An app then helps users perform several actions, including turning speech into text, completing telephone calls and making the user’s voice louder. The device can also translate a person’s voice from Japanese into eight other languages.
Taisuke Ono, the head of Donut Robotics, told the Reuters, “We worked hard for years to develop a robot and we have used that technology to create a product that responds to how the coronavirus has reshaped society.” The company was able to raise money to develop the smart mask through a campaign on the Japanese crowdfunding service Fundinno. He noted that the effort raised $265,000 in just the first 37 minutes. “It was very surprising, because it would usually take 3 or 4 months to get that kind of money,” Ono said.
The company produced a working model of the mask within a month by using software developed for its other robot products. The mask design was similar to one created years ago that mapped facial muscles to interpret speech. The company plans to ship its first 5,000 c-masks to buyers in Japan starting in September, looking to sell the devices in China, the United States and Europe. Donut Robotics plans to sell the devices for about $40 per mask, in an effort to capture a mass market that did not exist until a few months ago. “We hope that our device will be useful in a society where people naturally practice social distancing,” the company states on its website.
1. What is special about c-mask?| A．It protects wearers from being infected. |
| B．It helps shorten the social distance. |
| C．It has the function of translating. |
| D．It is made of rare material. |
| A．The device has aroused a revolution in the IT world. |
| B．Donut Robotics has a strong desire to fund a robot. |
| C．Donut Robotics is facing a fierce financial crisis. |
| D．The device has gained popular recognition. |
| A．C-masks’ market will get more and more prosperous. |
| B．Donut Robotics made the first try on c-mask design. |
| C．C-masks will be sold a high price to gain more profits. |
| D．Donut Robotics will put in more to stimulate the world economy. |
| A．To advocate innovation. |
| B．To advertise for Donut Robotics. |
| C．To show the necessity of wearing masks. |
| D．To introduce a novel communication mask. |
8 . Fortunately or otherwise, moats(护城河)have been part of my neighborhood throughout my more than 60-year life. No matter where we moved, our house was never more than 300 meters away from the moat that is not far enough to avoid the overpowering unpleasant gas that wafted night and day from the putrid water of the moat where untreated sewage had been dumped for centuries. Later, I shifted to the capital. My house was just 50 meters away from a moat and its stench was no different than that from the one in Xi’an.
A few years after I shifted to the capital, the Xi’an authorities began cleaning the moat. Thousands of residents who were forced to stand the stench volunteered to help with the cleaning and after years of efforts, they turned the moat into a tourist attraction along with the famous city wall. It took a few more years for the Beijing authorities to start cleaning the moat near my house. It was dredged and its bed paved. More sewage plants were installed to treat the polluted water which was then re-released into the moat. And restaurants and factories along the moat were shifted elsewhere to prevent untreated water or waste from being discharged into it. Now the moat is perhaps the most attractive part of the Yuan Capital Relics Park. The 10-kilometer-long moat is my favorite place for evening walk. The cleaning of the moats in Xi’an and Beijing exemplify the efforts China has made to clean rivers, lakes, canals and moats.
While the government’s determination, huge investment and strict supervision are responsible for the improvement in water quality, China’s unique “river chief mechanism” has also played an important role in the success. The mechanism, introduced in 2007, assigns the upkeep and health of each part of a river to the top official of that area. Along the moat near my home in Beijing. there are many billboards with the phone numbers of local authorities who are also the river chiefs of different sections of the moat, asking residents to report any activities that could pollute the moat. I have no idea how many river chiefs there are in China, but I know there are at least five for the 10-km-long moat.
But for all the progress it has made in environmental and ecological protection, China still has a long way to go to improve water quality to the highest level, because despite more than 90 percent of the waste water being treated in urban areas, sewage treatment is not yet effective in rural areas.
1. What is the writer’s original feeling about the moat?| A．It was attractive. | B．It was fragrant. |
| C．It was disgusting. | D．It was magical. |
| A．Dragged | B．Polished | C．Cleared | D．Removed |
| A．Residents mainly take charge of the moat nearby. |
| B．Residents must inform officials of daily activities. |
| C．River chiefs help residents sort the household waste. |
| D．River chiefs play a positive part in improving the moat. |
| A．Eco-friendly China will continue to improve water quality. |
| B．China possesses the most effective tools to better water quality. |
| C．China is far from active in improving water quality. |
| D．The progress made in eco-protection can be wholly achieved across the country. |
9 . Paris boasts a wealth of world-class museums and arehitectural masterpieces. From the world’s largest art museum to France’s most famous landmark, there is plenty to experience in the French capital.
The Louvre Museum
As the most visited art museum in the world and also the largest, the Louvre should be top of your list. It would take you no fewer than 100 days to visit the 35,000 works of art on display across 300 rooms – and that’s if you spend just 30 seconds looking at each one.
The Moulin Rouge（红磨坊）
The Moulin Rouge in Montmartre, with its iconic red windmill, was built in 1885. The venue pioneered the famous French cancan dance, and has now become one of the most famous cabarets in the world. Expect flamboyant handmade costumes of feathers and elegance at every turn.
The Eiffel Tower
Originally built to commemorate the centennial of the French Revolution in 1889, the impressive Eiffel Tower has become the most iconic landmark(地标) of France. The first floor is home to the 58 Tour Eiffel restaurant while the second-floor observation deck provides spectacular bird’s eye views – the best in the city.
The top of the Arc de Triomphe
The Arc de Triomphe, a Neoclassical take on the ancient Roman areh, is one of Paris’s most iconic attractions. It’s worth hiking the 284 stairs to reach the platform on top of the areh as the views span right across the city, towering above the capital at 50m tall.
1. What can visitors expect to do while visiting Paris?| A．Watching the ballet. |
| B．Enjoying the local food. |
| C．Reaching the platform on top of the areh easily. |
| D．Fully understanding the Louvre within one day. |
| A．The Arc De Triomphe. | B．The Louvre Museum. |
| C．The Eiffel Tower. | D．The Mourin Rouge. |
| A．Museum-goers. | B．Hiking-lovers. |
| C．Dance-lovers. | D．Travel-devotees. |
10 . Voters in Colorado narrowly approved an initiative (计划), setting the stage for the return of gray wolves, which were wiped out in this area by the 1940s. This is the first time that a state has reintroduced an animal like this.
The Colorado Parks and Wildlife department will lead the effort to establish a sustainable population of gray wolves in the western part of the state, beginning in 2022 or 2023. The Southern Rocky Mountains, where there used to be a lot of them, contain millions of acres of suitable habitat that could support several hundred wolves or more, biologists say.
However, some say it’s unwise to leave the question to voters. “State biologists have previously declined to introduce wolves. There's a reason it's never been done before.” says Shawn Martini, spokesperson for Coloradans for Protecting Wildlife, noting that most supporters are from urban areas and they don't have to live alongside the animal, unlike people living in the countryside. Farmers and hunters don't favor the initiative, either. Farmers worry wolves will kill their cattle while hunters worry they will lose elk (驼鹿) to the predators.
On the other hand, according to Jonathan Proctor, a conservationist with the Defenders of Wildlife, reintroducing wolves will restore Colorado's natural balance. They help thin out sick animals, maintaining healthy populations of deer and elk. The remains of wolf kills also provide food for “eaters of the dead”, including wolverines, eagles, and bears. He also emphasizes the experience of living with wolves in other places, like the Northern Rockies, has shown that wolves are not the threat people sometimes make them out to be. Reintroduction program biologists promise to make it a priority to work with people living alongside wolves, providing training and resources to keep the wolves out of the farms in the first place. And a program will be funded to pay farmers for their lost cattle.
1. What can we learn about the Southern Rocky Mountains from the text?| A．They are heavily populated. | B．They were inhabited by wolves. |
| C．They are in the east of Colorado. | D．They are home to small animals. |
| A．It's unfair to make it happen by voting. |
| B．It's welcomed by urban and rural people. |
| C．State biologists shouldn't have opposed it. |
| D．The wolves should be put somewhere else. |
| A．Buy more cattle. | B．Reach out to the locals. |
| C．Relocate the wolves. | D．Clear the site for wolves. |
| A．Wolves are Coming Home. | B．No Worries about Wolves. |
| C．Always Vote for What is Right. | D．Wolves Help Local Ecosystem. |
