1 . The number of British students going to US universities has been climbing steadily over the past decade. The latest available figures (from 2017- 2018) show 11,460 British students are choosing to study in US. This represents a small drop (0.3%) from the previous year, showing that American degrees remain a popular choice.
Among the most popular American universities for British students are, Harvard, Y ale, Princeton, Stanford and also institutions with convenient location-- New York University in New York City, or the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, for example.
Two factors motivate young people to head west for universities: academic opportunity and the increasing availability of financial aid for foreign students. Anthony Nemecek, an education expert, explains, “While there are many reasons British students consider higher education study in the US, the main reason is the wide range of choice on offer, both subjects and institutions, as well as not having to decide their *major/course' until the end of the second year."
One reason why the Brits may be unwilling to pursue a US degree is the cost. The University of Oxford, for example, estimates living costs of f14,850 in 2020, along with course fees of f9,250, so a total of f24,100. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), a world-leading specialist in science, costs $73,1 60 (£59,447; more than twice as much as Oxford), but most students at MIT will get financial aid. MIT is home to a financial aid program for international students, making it a great place to apply if money is not enough.
1. How many British students went to US universities in 2016- 2017?| A．11,495. | B．11,460. |
| C．11,425. | D．14,898. |
| A．Its low cost. | B．Its location. |
| C．Its influence. | D．Its top institutions. |
| A．He will suffer financial problems. |
| B．The financial aid is not easy |
| C．The living costs will be twice as much. |
| D．He is likely to pay less than required. |
| A．British students studying in US universities. |
| B．Differences between US and British universities. |
| C．Why British students are going to US Universities. |
| D．Which are more attractive, US universities or British universities. |
2 . Summer Servers
Summer Servers contacts area nonprofits to determine the number of volunteers needed at the organizations throughout the summer weeks. Students sign up for volunteer expeditions with Summer Servers at the Activities Fair on Opening Weekend. Trips are scheduled throughout the summer on Saturdays. Visit the website or call (617) 495 — 3454 to learn more information.
Harvard Summer School Orchestra
The Harvard Summer School Orchestra is currently in its thirty-fifth season under the direction of Judith Zuckerman. Practise sessions are from 6:30 pm to 9 pm, in Sanders Theatre, on the following dates: Friday, June 28; Mondays, starting July 1; and Friday, July 26. The performance is scheduled for Saturday, July 27, at 8 pm, in Sanders Theatre, Memorial Hall. For more information, please email hsso@verizon. net.
Harvard Summer Pops Band
The band is open to most instrument players from both Harvard and the Greater Boston area, regardless of age or experience. Practise sessions are Wednesdays in Sanders Theatre from 7:15 pm to 9:30 pm, starting June 24. The band will perform two concerts. The first on July 23 at 4 pm in Tercentenary Theatre, Harvard Yard, and the second on July 26 at 3 pm at the Hatch Memorial Shell in Boston. For more information, email meolson@fas. Harvard. edu.
Harvard Summer Chorus
The chorus, founded in 1936, is led by Andrew Clark, Harvard University's Director of Choral Activities. Practise sessions are Tuesdays and Thursdays, 7 pm to 9:30 pm, in Sanders Theatre, starting Tuesday, June 25. The final performance is scheduled for Friday, August 2,at 8 pm, in Sanders Theatre, Memorial Hall. Visit the Harvard Summer Chorus website or email Harvard summer chorus® gmail. com for more information.
1. Which of the following suits those who are only available on the weekend?| A．Summer Servers. | B．Harvard Summer School Orchestra. |
| C．Harvard Summer Pops Band. | D．Harvard Summer Chorus. |
| A．There are two practice sessions in total. | B．It's only suitable for experienced players. |
| C．Each practice session lasts nearly 3 hours. | D．The concerts will be held in different theatres. |
| A．They all date back to over three decades ago. |
| B．They all have performances in Sanders Theatre. |
| C．All of their activities are scheduled in the summer. |
| D．They all have practise sessions at least twice a week. |
3 . Big, old trees are dying faster than in the past, leaving younger, less biodiverse forests that store less carbon worldwide. They give us paper and fuel, as well as vital ecological services—like cleaning the air, storing carbon and providing habitat. We’re talking about trees, of course. But human changes to the environment appear to be causing profound changes to trees around the world.
In a new study, scientists reviewed global research on trends in tree seedlings growth and death. They combined those data with an analysis of deforestation. And they found that worldwide, older trees are dying at a higher rate than in the past due to factors like rising air temperature, wildfires, drought and pathogens(病原菌).
“And most of the drivers of that decrease in large, old trees are increasing themselves, such as temperature is going up, droughts are more severe, wildfires, windstorms and deforestation are all on the increase—although variable across the globe—they’re generally increasing. And so for both the loss has already occurred, but we expect more continued loss of big, old trees.” said Nate McDowell, an earth scientist at Pacific Northwest National Lab, who was one of the study’s authors.
“So if we have an increasing rate of death, particularly of the larger, older trees, what’s left are the younger trees. So that’s why, on average, through the loss of bigger, older trees, our forests are becoming inherently(天生地) younger and shorter.”
This trend is a problem, because old trees are vitally important.
“For sure, the increase in death does limit the carbon storage of an ecosystem and can force the system to become a carbon source to the atmosphere. The second reason we care is from a biodiversity perspective: old trees tend to house a higher biodiversity than young forests do. And the third reason is aesthetic: as a society, we care about these trees. We have national parks named after these big trees. So there’s a personal reason for people to care about this as well.”
1. What has the new study found about the forests?| A．Forests are getting younger and shorter. |
| B．Many factors cause the death of big old trees. |
| C．Old trees are beneficial to humans in many ways. |
| D．The death of big old trees influences biodiversity. |
| A．The death rates of big old trees. |
| B．The trends in the death of big old trees. |
| C．The human changes to the environment. |
| D．The factors causing high death rate of old trees. |
| A．By giving examples. | B．By analyzing reasons. |
| C．By listing facts. | D．By providing figures. |
| A．To call on people to protect old trees. |
| B．To illustrate a phenomenon about old trees. |
| C．To share the findings of a new study about trees. |
| D．To analyze the reasons why some trees are dying faster. |
4 . Micro-plastics have occupied almost every part of the planet today, including the most distant reaches.
The Arctic is far from clean, though it s rarely stepped in by visitors. Melanie Bergmann, a marine ecologist (海洋生态学家) and her colleagues had been studying plastics on the Arctic seafloor since 2002. In deep sea, they found about 6,0000 particles (微粒) in every 2.2 pounds of mud. In sea ice, there were as much as 12,000 pieces per 34 ounces of melted ice.
Scientists measured micro-plastics in snow from this distant location and found a lot, which could only have caught rides on the wind. The study raises concerns about the pollution that micro-plastics brought to the air, bringing a health risk to people and animals that breathe them in. But they are less worried about the threat that breathed-in pollutants have to wildlife than about polluted snow going into water.
The science on the health effects of micro-plastics is still going on.“For human health, we now now very little," says micro-plastics researcher Chelsea Rochman, “There is a lot of concern. For wildlife, we know that micro-plastics may go into every level of the food chain." Laboratory studies find some physical and chemical effects from micro-plastics, but the findings vary by the plastic type, shape experiments will be carried out soon with use of equipment if financial support approves."
Even worse is the threat from airborne micro-plastics in the area---too small to be noticed and may actually enter cells. Research on that also has been done and it could be a bigger problem, according to Rochman.
1. What can you learn from the data in Paragraph 2?| A．Visitors rarely step into the Arctic. |
| B．Micro-plastics threaten the human beings. |
| C．Micro- plastics are everywhere in the world. |
| D．The Arctic suffers serious micro-plastics pollution. |
| A．Wildlife's threat by micro-pollutants. |
| B．Human beings breathing micro-plastics in. |
| C．Micro-plastics entering the water ecosystem. |
| D．Micro-plastics pollution worsening global warming. |
| A．Damage of micro-plastics to health. |
| B．Appeals for environmental protection. |
| C．Findings about airborne micro-plastics in the Arctic. |
| D．Measures to solve micro-plastics pollution. |
| A．Science. | B．Health. |
| C．Education. | D．Entertainment. |
5 . A high level of methane (甲烷) gas on Mars was found by NASA's Mars exploration vehicle. The discovery is exciting because the presence of methane gas could support the case for life on Mars:
NASA's Curiosity vehicle recently recorded the largest level of methane ever measured during its seven-year Mars mission.
Methane has no color or smell. A special instrument on Curiosity's Mars Science Laboratory recorded the increased gas level. Besides methane, the instrument can record levels of water and carbon dioxide.
Nearly all the methane gas found in earth's atmosphere is produced by biological activity. It usually comes from animal and plant life. But it can also be formed by geological processes, such as interactions between rocks and water.
It was not the first time Curiosity has found methane gas in the Martian atmosphere.. About a year ago, NASA announced that Curiosity had discovered sharp seasonal increases in the gas. This time, NASA said the measured methane gas level was clearly larger than any others observed in the past. NASA officials even temporarily stopped Curiosity's other activities to investigate further.
However, Curiosity's team carried out a follow-up methane experiment that showed a sharp drop in levels of the gas. The rise and fall of the methane gas levels left NASA scientists with more questions than answers. The scientists are continuing to study possible causes for the sudden increase.
Curiosity does not have instruments that can exactly identify whether the source of the methane is biological or geological. One leading theory is that methane is being released from underground areas created by possible life forms that disappeared long ago. Even though Mars has no active volcanoes, scientists believe it is also possible that methane is being produced by reactions involving carbon materials and water.
1. Why is the discovery of methane gas on Mars exciting?| A．It was first found on Mars. | B．It's evidence of life existence. |
| C．It can be used in further studies. | D．It proves the existence of water. |
| A．It is colorless and smelly. |
| B．It is mainly created by rocks and water. |
| C．It is as important as water and carbon dioxide. |
| D．It is produced by biological or geological, activity. |
| A．Discovering methane gas several times on Mars. |
| B．The failure of the follow-up methane experiment. |
| C．Having no exact instruments to identify methane gas. |
| D．Sharp changes in the amount of methane gas on Mars. |
| A．Explorations on Mars | B．Methane Level on Mars |
| C．Methane Mystery on Mars | D．The Sources of Methane on Mars |
6 . Do you want to really impress your friend with a birthday gift? How about flying a drone (无人机) made of chocolate?
It can be done, and it was done by a team of three Duke University students, with help from a chocolate maker called Chocolove. About a year ago, mechanical engineering student Anuj Thakkar and his friends were talking over coffee. “Wouldn't it be cool if we had eatable drones?" they wondered.
Over the summer, that idea began to take shape. "We tried cheese. We tried bread. Chocolate was what we settled on." said Thakkar. Chocolate is moldable, making the design process a little easier. Thakkar, Carlo Lindner and Ben Succop started designing. Eventually, to make their friend Kristine Stanner smile, they managed to build a fleet of drones out of chocolate. On Stanner's birthday, they flew a drone to her. She ate a piece of the one-of-a-kind drone at once.
However, they worked really hard for it. The summer in Durham, North Carolina, is very hot, and it's not a great time to work with chocolate. "The first drone — chocolate was falling from the sky," Thakkar said. “It was flowing in drops.” Hearing the news, Chocolove enthusiastically provided his high-quality dark chocolate for them. But the high-quality chocolate is more fragile than the cheap one, so the team had to fix it again. They put the plastic on the airframe at first and then put sweet vermicelli (细面条) to give the airframe more flexibility. The drone crashed a lot, but it always held. And it had a tendency to tear, which may be why real planes aren't made of chocolate.
Thakkar said, “I got tired of chocolate in the first day of designing, but I like to make strange gifts for my friends."
1. What does the underlined word “moldable" in paragraph 3 probably mean?| A．Delicious. | B．Flexible. | C．Soft. | D．Solid. |
| A．Planning a birthday surprise. | B．Advising some useful guidance. |
| C．Offering higher-quality materials. | D．Introducing some guests to them. |
| A．The lack of chocolate. | B．The change of the weather. |
| C．Their unprofessional skills. | D．The unstability of the airframe. |
| A．Creative. | B．Humorous. | C．Ambitious. | D．Strict. |
7 . There are apps for almost everything. Here are some of the best free apps that are well received by smartphone users.
StorySign
StorySign is designed to help deaf children learn to read. With a book in hand. just point your phone's camera at the page and an animated character in StorySign will read the page in sign language. And children will both enjoy the books and learn to read in the process. Even in its limited form,StorySign is well worth trying if you have a deaf child young enough to appreciate it,but we expect this app will keep getting better as its library grows.
PlantLet
Wherever you are.chances are there are hundreds of different plant species within walking distance .and most of us have no idea what all but the most common are called. PlantNet aims to make identifying them easier--simply take a photo and the app will attempt to identify what kind of plant you’re seeing.
Google Photos
Google Photos stands out among hundreds of photo apps.as it gives you unlimited storage for photos and videos. But with basic editing tools and the ability to make albums. it's more than just photo and video storage. It aims to be your first and last stop after taking a picture. To achieve that,it will need a few more steps. but it's well on its way.
Soon
Soon is an app that lets you create lists of books you want to read. movies you want to watch.restaurants you want to try and more. You can select from a number of categories, including games.shops, bars, museums and TV shows, and then make a list of the ones that interest you. It's a great app for anyone struggling to remember the things they want to watch, visit, read, play and listen to .
1. Who is Story Sign mainly intended for?| A．Children interested in sign language. | B．Any child fond of stories. |
| C．Children with hearing loss. | D．Any child who enjoys reading. |
| A．They both focus on photos and videos. |
| B．They both need improving. |
| C．They both allow users to share. |
| D．They both offer unlimited storage. |
| A．PlantNet helps users research into plants. |
| B．Users can learn to write and talk through StorySign. |
| C．Soon is especially suitable for forgetful people. |
| D．Google Photos can only be used to store data. |
8 . Next time you find yourself tending to your flower garden, you may want to stay quiet. The flowers are listening.
According to Israeli scientists, the plants could hear bees approaching and attempt to attract them with sweeter nectar(花蜜). In several experiments, they found that playing audio recordings of buzzing bees around certain flowers would cause the sugar concentration in the nectar to rise by about 20% in less than five minutes. Such a rapid reaction by plants to sound had never previously been reported. Just to compare, the researchers also tried a higher frequency noise-like that made by a mosquito or a bat-and the flowers did not respond.
This is not the first time that they' ve reacted to what they 're hearing around them. In a 2009 study. Britain’s Royal Horticultural Society found that women's voices helped make plants grow faster. In that experiment, tomato plants were found to grow up to two inches taller when they were tended to by a female gardener. More recently, an Australian study found that some flowers were able to sense noises, such as the flow of water through a pipe.
The ability of inanimate(无生命的) objects to hear what' s around them may seem like something out of a science fiction novel, but it's real. What if we told you that a potato chip bag left on the floor of a break room could listen in an office gossip? You'd think we were crazy. right?Think again. Researchers found that as people were talking around the potato chip bag. they were sending teeny-tiny sound vibrations(振动) into the air. Those vibrations then hit inanimate objects around the room. So next time you're at the gardens or in a grocery. be careful with what you say.Something might be listening.
1. What did Israeli scientists discover in their research?| A．What plants do to sense their environment. |
| B．How plants respond to certain sounds. |
| C．How plants make their nectar sweeter. |
| D．What plants do to protect themselves. |
| A．To indicate that plants can actually hear what's around them. |
| B．To stress the environment is important to plants' survival. |
| C．To tell us many scientists are interested in plant research. |
| D．To show that Israeli scientists are not the most experienced. |
| A．Some plants. | B．Sound vibrations. |
| C．Inanimate objects. | D．Potato chip bags. |
| A．Flowers can actually hear your voices |
| B．Wildlife has amazing survival skills. |
| C．Bees can talk with garden flowers. |
| D．Chip bags can uncover your secrets. |
9 . A Japanese company has created a "smart" mask that aims to improve communication for people wearing face coverings to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The use of face masks has become normal in parts of the world still struggling to reduce the spread of the coronavirus. However, it can affect the quality of communication between wearers.
The wearable electronic device is designed to help improve speech communication in such conditions. The Japanese company Donut Robotics calls its invention the "e-mask." The device is meant to fit over other kinds of face masks commonly worn by the public.
Made of soft plastic material, it contains a built-in microphone and has holes in the front to let air in. When 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, 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." He noted that the company raised $265,000 in just the first 37 minutes to develop the smart mask through a campaign on the Japanese crowdfunding service Fundinno. "It would usually take three or four months to get that kind of money," Taisuke 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 by one of the company's engineers that mapped facial muscles to interpret speech.
Taisuke said the company plans to sell its first 5,000 e-masks starting in September, at about $40 per mask, in an effort to enter a global market that appeared a few months ago.
1. What's the purpose of the new "smart" mask?| A．To help protect people from being struck by COVID-19. |
| B．To help COVID-19 patients communicate with the doctors. |
| C．To make it convenient to communicate when wearing face masks. |
| D．To translate human thoughts into words for communication. |
| A．Greatly encouraged. | B．Somewhat regretful. |
| C．A bit dissatisfied. | D．Terribly disappointed. |
| A．By connecting to an application on the mobile device. |
| B．By using Bluetooth to make the user's voice clear, |
| C．By turning the wearer's dialect into standard language. |
| D．By being fitted into other face masks that people wear. |
| A．Expensive. | B．Competitive. |
| C．Profitless. | D．Environmentally friendly. |
10 . I never thought about bringing home a dog since my previous dog Calhoun died, but my 7-year-old daughter Emily had other plans. So on a hot August day, I found myself with Emily and my wife Betsy driving to the animal shelter to look at puppies
Betsy and Emily picked out a small, shy white mix, which Emily called Sophie. Emily gave us the speech every parent has heard concerning a dog: "I'll keep it in my room and take care of it and walk it every day.” But that turned out to be my job from the first day. I slept downstairs on the couch, letting Sophie sleep with me or pet her until she slept. Soon, it seemed she had always been a part of our family. I realized I had honored Calhoun's memory by giving a good home to another dog.
Two months after she came to live with us, my mother died, and I felt shattered. In the mornings, after Betsy and Emily had left for work and school, instead of getting to my writing, all I could do was stare into space. Sophie, however, wasn't interested in watching me stare into space. She would push me to take her out. Once we were at the park, she would annoy me until I played with her. She led me down forest paths I'd never explored. Some days, we'd spend two hours out exploring the hiking trails around the village. When we came home, she'd sit by my chair and put her head on my foot or rest it against my leg. I learned from her that life goes on, no matter what kind of tragedy knocks you down.
I learned that lesson multiple times through many different events. When any sorrow or uncertainty came my way, Sophie was always there with her bright eyes, wagging her tail and telling me it was time to get up, go out and see what life had to offer. Emily grew up with Sophie, and so did Betsy and I in our own way.
1. What did the author think about after his dog died?| A．Adopting another dog to replace it. |
| B．Looking after dogs at animal shelter. |
| C．Giving up the idea of keeping dogs. |
| D．Training his daughter to love animals. |
| A．It became adventurous. |
| B．It fitted in well with the family. |
| C．Emily slept with it by her bed. |
| D．It made friends with Calhoun. |
| A．Grown. | B．Absorbed. | C．Suspected. | D．Crashed. |
| A．Life will go on despite difficulties. |
| B．Where there's a will, there's a way. |
| C．Everyone has a chance to stand out. |
| D．One today is worth two tomorrows. |
