1 . Andrea Yoch loves her adult sons, but would also love not to live with them. This is especially true in the 2, 200-square-foot rental in St. Paul, where she and her husband moved after the boys left their childhood home (a 5,000-square-foot property with a pool). But now Ben, 20, and Ryan, 23 are crammed with their parents in a house where a movie playing in one room can be heard in almost any other.
After her sons showed up due to the lockdown after the Coronavirus crisis struck—Ben from Boston, where he is a college student, and Ryan from New York, where he was starting out as an assistant advertising account executive—Ms. Yoch rushed to set up temporary offices in a bedroom and a basement that now also functions as a super crowded gym. “I would give anything for them to restart their lives,” she said.
As the pandemic continues, Wall Street bankers, Uber drivers, academics, artists and many other adults have given up their independent lives and migrated home. Some fled heavily populated cities for the rural suburban houses where they grew up and for the promise of home-cooked meals and free laundry. Others ended up in downsized spaces designed for empty nesters or in apartments already shared with other family members, such as grandparents or teenage siblings.
Parents caught by the increase of layoffs and canceled contracts found themselves feeding grown children who were in the same position. Mothers who had grown accustomed to freedom were suddenly expected to go back to cooking and cleaning.
“Some parents see this as a welcome surprise, but it can also add a lot of financial stress,” said Lindsey Piegza, chief economist at the investment bank Stifel. “You can’t assume that parents are necessarily in a better-off position than their adult children: a lot of Americans live paycheck to paycheck and don’t have enough savings to accommodate extra people living in their households.”
1. Which word best describes Ms. Yoch’s life with her two sons?| A．Inconvenient. | B．Satisfying. |
| C．Disappointing. | D．Exciting. |
| A．People without jobs. | B．Grown-ups with no houses. |
| C．Children staying abroad. | D．Parents with no children around. |
| A．Because they are too busy to take care of them. |
| B．Because they want their kids to be independent. |
| C．Because they are in no better financial situation. |
| D．Because they have already sold or rented out their houses. |
| A．The generation gap between parents and their children. |
| B．The problems caused by two generations living together. |
| C．The parents’ life being affected by children in the lockdown. |
| D．The economic crisis brought about by the deadly Coronavirus. |
2 . On Monday, about 270 pilot whales got into difficulty on a sandbank at Macquarie Heads, near Strahan on Tasmania’s west coast, about 190 kilometres from Hobart. Another 200 of the animals were found early on Wednesday, making it Tasmania’s largest recorded stranding event. The Department of Primary Industry, Parks, Water and Environment (DPIPWE) said that about a third had died.
Marine biologists arrived in the area to carry out rescue operations. They planned to use specialized equipment such as special tarpaulins to push the whales back into the deep water. The local police also assisted in the rescue.
The whales that were stranded are Pilot Whales, and they are found in almost all the oceans of the world, according to the Marine conservation group. Pilot whales are in fact one of the largest members of the dolphin family, but they are treated as whales for the Marine Mammals Protection Regulations issued in 1992.They were named pilot whales because it was thought that each pod followed a ‘pilot’ in the group.
Cetacean stranding, commonly known as beaching, is a phenomenon in which whales and dolphins strand themselves on land, usually on a beach. Several explanations for why cetaceans strand themselves have been proposed, including changes in water temperatures, unusual features of whales’ echo location in certain surroundings, and geomagnetic disturbances, but none have so far been universally accepted as a definitive reason for the behavior.
In recent years, whale strandings have become more frequent around the world. In November 2018, a dead sperm whale that had washed ashore in eastern Indonesia consumed a horrifying collection of plastic trash, including 115 drinking cups, 25 plastic bags, plastic bottles, two flip-flops and a bag containing more than 1,000 pieces of string. In all, the plastic contents of the whale’s stomach weighed 13.2 pound (six kilograms). The bags are black due to a reaction with the creature’s stomach acids, according to Thai Whales organization. A person, on average, breathes or swallows at least 74,000 microscopic particles of plastic each year.
1. How many whales died according to DPIPWE?| A．About 160. | B．About 200. | C．About 270. | D．About 470. |
| A．Being put into danger. |
| B．Being trapped in trouble. |
| C．Being found in extinction. |
| D．Being left or driven ashore. |
| A．Whales mistake plastics for food. |
| B．Whales need the ability of self-protection. |
| C．Whales’ living conditions are worsening. |
| D．Whales have an excellent digestive system. |
| A．Protective measures for whales. |
| B．The reasons for whale stranding. |
| C．Studying whales’ stomach deeply. |
| D．Researching the oceans’ ecosystem. |
3 . Shimon, a four-armed robot with a ball-like head, holds small mallets (球棍) in “hands” to play a kind of music called a marimba. As he plays, his head moves around in time to the music.
Using “deep learning”, Shimon was taught to write his own music. He could not only make up his own music, but do it in real time, while playing with other musicians. This is called “improvising”.
Now he is back with a whole bunch of new tricks. He can write the words to his own songs, and sing them. Shimon learned to write the words for the songs the same way he learned to write music — by being “fed” thousands of examples. Shimon was trained on the lyrics (歌词) to 50,000 songs.
Georgia Tech professor Gil Weinberg, who leads the Shimon project, gets Shimon going with a starting idea. Shimon then writes the lyrics based around that idea. Mr. Weinberg usually provides much of the music for the songs, but Shimon helps out there, too.
Singing the songs is another story. To give Shimon a voice, the Georgia Tech team worked with experts at Pompeu Fabra University. The voice was created using AI and sounds very much like a man.
Later this spring, the team plans to put out an album of about 8-10 of Shimon’s songs. The album will be released on the music streaming service Spotify. There are also plans for Shimon to go on tour with a band to play and sing his songs live.
For Mr. Weinberg, that’s the main goal behind the Shimon Project — not to have robots take over, but to have robots and humans make something beautiful together.
1. What’s the main purpose of Paragraph 1?| A．To describe what the robot looks like. |
| B．To tell readers how Shimon performs. |
| C．To arouse readers’ curiosity to read further. |
| D．To advertise functions of the robot Shimon. |
| A．Writing music. | B．Releasing albums. |
| C．Singing songs. | D．Playing the marimba. |
| A．By deep learning. |
| B．By copying songs. |
| C．By feeding himself. |
| D．By teaching himself. |
| A．Have Shimon achieve more amazing skills. |
| B．Make robots take the place of human beings. |
| C．Carry out a music tour to make more profits. |
| D．Have Robots and humans work hand in hand. |
4 . What can holidaymakers in Argentina do in the country? Express.co.uk spoke to the travel experts to find out more.
The best time to visit Argentina
If you want to avoid crowds and peak prices while still enjoying everything offered, Lloyd, Director of Sunvil Latin America, advises visiting from October to mid-December and April to mid-June.
If you want to see the Patagonia penguins (企鹅), Tom Bourlet, a travel blogger, advises going between October and March.
The best places to visit in Argentina
“Buenos Aires is a melting pot of cultures,” said Tom Hughes, “Here travellers will discover a wealth of culture, not to mention it is the birthplace of a fast dance, tango. Nature lovers should head to the world’s largest waterfall system, Iguazu Falls.”
“I highly recommend San Carlos de Bariloche,” Tom Bourlet said. “It’s a quite beautiful and fantastic, and also acts as a good base for exploring the Lake District.”
“The best holiday destination in Argentina is Patagonia. The most famous place is Ushuaia — the southernmost city in the world. Expect glaciers (冰川), national parks, wildlife and end of the world cruising,” said Lloyd.
The best accommodation in Argentina
Lloyd advises avoiding some of the chain hotels. “While it may be attractive to stay at famous hotels, I recommend some of the smaller boutique hotels in the city,” he said.
Bourlet also recommends staying in some of Argentina’s more unique accommodation, such as a youth hostel and a boutique hotel in the heart of Argentina’s wine country.
1. Which time is available for tourists to observe penguins?| A．May 1st. | B．July 24th. | C．September 3rd. | D．November 11th. |
| A．Tango was born there. |
| B．Its scenery is quite beautiful. |
| C．Tourists can explore in national parks. |
| D．It is the southernmost city in the world. |
| A．A chain hotel. | B．A youth hostel. |
| C．A boutique hotel. | D．A well-known hotel. |
5 . If you wear glasses, chances are you are smarter. Research published in the famous British journal Nature Communications has found that people who displayed higher levels of intelligence were almost 30 percent more likely to wear glasses.
The scientists studied the genes of thousands of people between the ages of 16 and 102. The study showed intelligence can be connected to physical characteristics. One characteristic was eyesight. In out of 10 people who were more intelligent, there was a higher chance they needed glasses. Scientists also said being smarter has other benefits. It is connected to better health.
It is important to remember these are links which are not proven causes. Scientists call this correlation. Just because something is linked with something else does not mean one of those things caused the other. And it’s worth noting that what constitutes intelligence is subjective and can be difficult, if not impossible, to measure.
Forget genes though. Plenty of proof shows wearing glasses makes people think you are more intelligent, even if you do not need glasses. A number of studies have found people who wear glasses are seen as smarter, hard-working and honest. Many lawyers use this idea to help win their cases. Lawyer Harvey Solves explained this. Glasses often their appearance. He said sometimes there has been a huge amount of evidence showing that the clients he was defending broke the law. He had them wear glasses and they weren’t found guilty.
Glasses are also used to show someone is intelligent in movies and on TV Ideas about people who wear glasses have begun to shift. People who do not need glasses sometimes wear them for fashion only. They want to look worldly or cool. But not everyone is impressed by this idea, though. GQ magazine said people who wear glasses for fashion are trying too hard to look smart and cool. However that hasn’t stopped many famous people from happily wearing glasses even if they do not need them. Justin Bieber is just one high-profile fan of fashion glasses.
1. What does the new study show?| A．Wearing glasses is related to higher IQ. |
| B．Wearing glasses can make people clever. |
| C．People wearing glasses are healthier. |
| D．People wearing glasses are smarter |
| A．Shift. | B．Cause. | C．Consequence. | D．Connection. |
| A．mislead the witnesses | B．highlight clients’ qualities |
| C．create a moral image | D．prove the clients’ innocence |
| A．Mixed. | B．Supportive. | C．Negative. | D．Unconcerned. |
6 . Cyndi Decker, a school teacher in Florida, had recently taken an art class and made a painting of a huge white bird called an egret. Her proud son posted a photograph of Decker on Reddit, a popular social media website in the US, shyly holding her painting. Below it he wrote, “My mom painted this and said no one would like it.”
Then Kristofer Zetterstrand, an artist in Sweden, saw the photo, deciding to pay respect to the teacher by painting Decker holding her painting. He even captured (捕捉) the shy look on her face Zetterstrand photographed himself holding his painting of Decker holding her painting. He posted the image on Reddit. The caption for his photograph is “I painted somebody’s mom”. Two days later, Amer, a student in Canada, painted a picture of Zetterstrand holding his painting of Decker holding her painting. Her caption read, “I painted the guy who painted the other guy’s mom”. The artist Vince Law was the next to join in. The caption for is photo of his painting is “I painted the girl who painted the guy who painted the other guy’s mom who painted an egret”. Artist Travis Simpson continued the fun.
And it happened again and again and again!
By this time, more than one million people had seen the paintings and pictures of paintings on a number of social media websites. Many artists around the world Jumped into the process, many at the same time .
“I was in fear I was going to read a lot of hateful comments. You all have proven me so wrong. I’m assuming most of you could be my kids, and you all get an unjust accusation in this world. You all are caring and a ton of fun! Thanks for uplifing me! You all have inspired me instead”, she wrote on Reddit.
1. How did people join in the painting?| A．By painting the same bird. |
| B．By means of sharing painting process. |
| C．By organizing voluntary painters on the Internet. |
| D．By painting the photo posted by the previous painter. |
| A．Proud and caring. | B．Considerate and fun. |
| C．Hateful and unjust. | D．Uncaring and bored. |
| A．She was afraid of her painting skill. |
| B．She was instructed by the professionals. |
| C．Most of kids like non-photo realistic art form. |
| D．There exists language violence on the Internet. |
| A．A Worldwide Painting Party |
| B．The Social Media Changed an Art-lover |
| C．How a Woman Won the Respect of People |
| D．How the Painters Reacted to a Kid's Hope |
7 . Coffee chains create a lot of waste, from disposable take-away cups to the used grounds that are sent to landfills(垃圾填埋场). Starbucks has started to try recyclable alternatives to the disposable cups. But the used coffee is often unnoticed.
The world drinks around 2 billion cups of coffee a day, producing 6 million tons of used grounds every year. When they go to landfills, the grounds give off greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming.
UK Bio-bean has found a way to turn that waste into a valuable resource. At Bio-bean, used coffee grounds are processed to remove paper cups or plastic bags, and then passed through a dryer and a further screening (筛选) process. They are finally processed into the Coffee Log.
“Coffee is highly calorific and lends itself to being a really fantastic fuel”, says May, director of Bio-bean. “They burn about 20% hotter and 20%o longer than wood logs do.”
While these fuels release greenhouse gases when burned, if they replace other carbon-based fuels. Bio-bean estimates that the recycling process reduces emissions (排放) to by 80% compared with sending the grounds to landfills.
Founded in 2013, Bio-bean grew rapidly, starting coffee collection services across the UK and building the world's first coffee recycling factory only two years later. In 2016 they produced their first product, Coffee Log, and are now ready to launch their first natural flavoring ingredient into the tool and drink industry.
“We’re really managed to succeed with our innovation (创新) because we’ve managed to get to scale. What started as a good idea is today the UK’s largest recycler of coffee grounds. We are tuning 7,000 tons of those grounds per year into the fuel”, says George May. “Despite being delayed by the worldwide COVID-19 epidemic, we plan to expand our operation into northwestern Europe within the next five years.”
1. What do the first two paragraphs suggest?| A．It’s necessary to limit coffee consumption. |
| B．Drinking coffee is popular around the world. |
| C．Measures should be taken to recycle coffee waste. |
| D．Coffee grounds are the main cause of global warming. |
| A．drink. | B．fuel. | C．natural food. | D．wooden product. |
| A．It’s developing faster than Starbucks. |
| B．It is started to produce coffee and fuels. |
| C．It is a promising recycler of coffee grounds. |
| D．It is a high-tech company with a long history. |
| A．Cover a wide range. | B．Do mass production |
| C．Give accurate measurement. | D．Reduce the pollution |
Durham has been your home in the past three years. This is an appropriate moment in time to invite you as a group of “tourists” in this special exploration. We would also like to congratulate you on your forthcoming transition (转变) from being a Durhammer to a member of society. Please see information below on offers and activities to assist with planning your coming celebrations.
View details of special offers for Winter Assembly at:
http://www.durac.uk/ceremonies/congregation/offers/
⚫ Sign up to keep in touch with Durham University and get a goody bag provided by the ALUMNI team for free.
⚫20% discount on pre-ordered Durham University Merchandise with the ticket code.
WGRADUATE2019 (Or you have to pay the full price at the shop).
⚫Pre-order your photographs and receive a discounted rate.
⚫Free entry to the exhibitions at Palace Green Library for you and your guests (with tickets).
⚫Purchase a diploma container to keep your degree certificate safe. Please check:
htps://www.dur:ac.uk/student.registry/qualifications/order/
⚫Details of celebration events being held in Departments and Colleges are published at:
https://www.dur:ac.uk/ceremonies/congregation/celebrations/
Information on the highlight of the celebration, including but not limited to the opportunity to go out of campus for BBQ and camping at Botantic Garden is published at:
https: //www: dur:ac uk/ campusperks/whatsnewon/ceremonies/
We also hope very much that you will come and meet us and colleagues at the ceremony, which is a traditional and magnificent public presentation of your diploma and award, and it is always memorable and fun. You will have already received a formal email invitation, but this is just to say that we hope to meet you there and congratulate you in person.
Yours sincerely,
Sir Thomas Allen
1. Which of the following items are free of charge?| A．Library cards. | B．Goody bags |
| C．Pre-ordered photographs | D．Diploma containers |
| A．www.dur:ac.uk/ceremonies/congregation/offers |
| B．www.dur.ac.uk/student.registry/qualifications/order/ |
| C．www dur.ac uk/campusperks/whatsnewon/ceremonies/ |
| D．www.dur.ac.uk/ceremonies/congregation/celebrations/ |
| A．Visitors exploring the campus. | B．Colleagues in Durham University. |
| C．Organizers of the ALUMNI Group. | D．Graduates from Durham University. |
9 . It was about 10:15 p.m. Janice Esposito got off the train at the Bellport, New York, got into her car and began driving home. She had traveled the route so many times that she almost drove automatically: a left onto Station Road, then a left on Montauk Highway, and then—bang! Out of nowhere a car crashed into Esposito’s car, pushing her backward some 100 feet onto the railroad tracks. Injured but mostly shocked by the crash and by the airbags that popped up, she got stuck in the vehicle.
As it happened, Pete DiPinto was getting ready for bed when he heard the crash coming from not far outside his bedroom window.
A volunteer firefighter and retired teacher, DiPinto, 64, never stopped to think. He grabbed a flashlight and rushed out. “Any firefighter would have done what I did,” he said. “We’re always on duty. ”
The first car he came upon, 2,000 feet from his front yard, was the one that had hit Esposito. Once making sure the driver was OK, he looked around and spotted Esposito's car straddling (骑跨) the railroad tracks. And then he heard a bell sound, which signaled a coming train.
DiPinto rushed to Esposito’s car and hit on the driver’s side window. She just looked at him, “I don’t know where I am,” she said.
“You’re on the railroad tracks,” DiPinto yelled. “We have to get you off right now!” The train was traveling at a speed of 65 miles per hour toward them. The driver’s door couldn’t be opened due to the crash, so DiPinto ran to the passenger side. He threw open the door, pushed aside the airbags, seized Esposito’s arms, and pulled her toward him across the passenger seat until he finally got her out and walked her to safety as quickly as he could.
Within seconds, the train crashed into the car. “It was like a Hollywood movie, ” DiPinto told reporters the next day.
“Last night, ” said Greg Miglino Chief of the South Country Ambulance, “the hero arrived in pajamas, not in a fire truck. ”
1. What can we know about the accident from the first paragraph?| A．Esposito was not familiar with the road. | B．Esposito was driving too fast. |
| C．The crash was violent. | D．It should have been avoided. |
| A．Esposito was badly injured. | B．Esposito was to be hit by the train. |
| C．Esposito was firmly stuck in the car. | D．The driver’s door couldn’t be opened. |
| A．He is praising DiPinto’s heroic action. | B．DiPintodidn’t act as professionally. |
| C．A firefighter should be ready any time. | D．Fire trucks are not enough for emergencies. |
| A．A woman had an accident on the way home at night. |
| B．A woman had a narrow death escape. |
| C．A firefighter managed to become a hero overnight. |
| D．A firefighter saved a woman from a further accident. |
10 . New Zealand is one of the best countries in the world to experience how life might have been in prehistoric times. New Zealand is a nature lover’s paradise(乐园) with its conservation reserves.
Kaharoa Conservation
The Kaharoa Conservation is home to a number of endangered birds and the North Island Kokako is just one of them. The Kokako is possibly New Zealand’s most beautiful songbird with such a variety of whistles, clicks, buzzes and whirrs in its sound range, one bird sounds like a chorus!
Mokaihaha Ecological Area
Rich in Maori history, the Mokaihaha Ecological Area has high conservation and scientific value. Birdlife features this natural wonderland with the symphony including such stars as the Tui, Kereru, Fantail, Bellbird and the endangered Kokako.
Whakarewarewa Forest Conservation Park
If mountain biking is your thing, then this is the place for you! The Whakarewarewa Forest provides a network of tracks through exceptionally impressive scenery that has made Rotorua famous for its mountain biking.
Maungatautari Ecological Island
A project of great ecological importance is being undertaken by a community aimed at the restoration of Maungatautari volcano forest.
The volcano forest has sustained the lives of its wildlife for hundreds of years but since the introduction of European pests such as deer, rabbits, goats, pigs and rats, the native varieties of mammals, birds and plants have been facing threats.
The aim of the courageous project is to get rid of all introduced pests from the 3363 hectares of forest. Luckily, life in the forest of Maungatautari is beginning to awaken again.
1. What is special about the bird Kokako?| A．It can make different sounds. |
| B．It is an endangered species. |
| C．It only lives in the Kaharoa Conservation. |
| D．It is the most beautiful birds in the world. |
| A．Kaharoa Conservation. |
| B．Mokaihaha Ecological Area. |
| C．Whakarewarewa Forest Conservation Park. |
| D．Maungatautari Ecological Island. |
| A．There is a live volcano on the island. |
| B．Introduced species threaten native ones. |
| C．The restoration project is of no effect. |
| D．It is rich in Maori history. |
