1 . Inventions That Changed the World
The medieval era was not short of groundbreaking ideas. As we'll explore here important scientific leaps and popular new products were invented in this era, some of which remain important to this day.
The Printing Press
Date 11 th—15th Century
Use: Publishing
Well before Johannes Gutenberg brought the idea of mass production of printed text to Europe with his Gutenberg Bible, the moveable type printing press was already in use in China. Before this, in Asia as in Europe, books were handwritten to be copied. In 1440 Gutenberg applied similar technology to mass produce books for the general public. Freeing up access to knowledge in a cheap and efficient way was a game changer.
Coffee
Date: 15tlh Century
Use: Drink
The exact timing and origin of coffee bean cultivation is greatly disputed, but we can say with some confidence that by the 15th century coffee beans were being grown and roasted for the production of coffee in the Yemeni region of Arabia. From there it would spread to Egypt and eventually to Europe. First though it took root in the Near East where the stimulating drink became a popular alternative to alcohol. The secondary offshoot of coffee drinking became the spread of coffeehouses where men would meet to play games like chess as well as discuss politics, smoke and listen to music.
Gunpowder
Date: 10th Century
Use: Entertainment, Firearms
The black powder was an incredibly important milestone for humanity. This relatively simple explosive mixture might be best known for its use in weapons and fireworks, but it also offered new means of mining for resources, which was a massive time — and energy-saving innovation. The formula originates in China where the mixture was first used for setting fires. The impact of this technology on the world of weaponry is well known to us now.
1. What does the Printing Press and Gunpowder have in common?| A．They have similar uses. | B．They were related to China. |
| C．They appeared at the same period. | D．They were time-saving innovations. |
| A．It produced books in Europe. | B．It freed up lots of human labor. |
| C．It changed the game of printing. | D．It made knowledge accessible affordably. |
| A．Another choice to alcohol. | B．Means of mining for resources. |
| C．A place to meet and play games. | D．Important milestones for humanity. |
2 . Killer whales, or orcas, are known for their severe attacks on sea animals but they have never posed a threat to humans. However, since late July, the normally social animals have been intentionally attacking sailboats off the coasts of Spain and Portugal.
The strange behavior first surfaced on July 29, 2020, when a 46-foot boat was repeatedly attacked for almost an hour by nine orcas, causing the boat to rotate(旋转) 180 degrees and having its engine switched off. Since then, over 30 more similar incidents have been reported. On September 23, 2020, Spain's government banned boats of less than 50 feet in length from sailing in the 60-mile stretch of the Atlantic coastline between Ferrol and the Estaca de Bares Cape, where the attacks have been occurring.
Researchers across the world are trying to explain the orcas' behavior. Some believe it could be a result of the overfishing of the bluefish tuna - the orcas' primary food source -which has left the area's killer whales starving and unable to feed their babies. "I saw them look at boats carrying fish. I think they know humans are somehow related to food shortages, "says Ken Balcomb, senior scientist at the Center for Whale Research in Washington, USA. The environmentalists believe the sudden increase in boat traffic and fishing activities, after months of absence due to restrictions on human activity last spring, could also be contributing to the agitation.
However, Alfredo López, a biology professor in Galicia, Spain, thinks the attacks are defensive measures the orcas adopted to protect themselves against boat injuries. The researcher came to this conclusion after looking at the of the videos of a few incidents and noticing that two of the young killer whales involved had serious injuries. Hopefully, the experts will be able to find a way to restore the harmony between the animals and the humans soon.
1. What do we know about orcas in paragraph 1?| A．They are friendly to humans. | B．They have changed their behavior. |
| C．They are famous for hunting skills | D．They have met tough living conditions. |
| A．Ken Balcomb. | B．The environmentalists. |
| C．Alfredo López. | D．Spain's government. |
| A．The attacks. | B．Food shortages. | C．The overfishing. | D．Human activities. |
| A．How do killer whales attack humans? |
| B．Why Are Killer Whales attacking Boats? |
| C．How can we live in harmony with animals? |
| D．Why are boats banned from sailing on the sea? |
3 . A mix of anxiety rising in my chest and a voice at the back of my mind shouting ‘what’s wrong with me?’ –it’s how I’ve felt about rejection my whole life.
The earliest rejection I can remember was on my first day of school. I started the term late due to illness and the teacher asked the class who would play with me at break. The silence was deafening. Now, a bit of online dating sees us rejected by half the town before we've even started our day. There's not a break at work. Is there a worse feeling than hitting the final slide on your presentation, boldly asking 'any questions?' and looking around the room to see everyone on their phones?
We need to build resilience. For me, this has come in two stages. First, I spent time listening to the voice of fear that saw each rejection as proof that there was something wrong with me. When I analysed it, I could see it was rarely about me. Perhaps the guy I was talking to was too busy to reply. It was likely that the magazine I'd sent a passage to already had an article on that topic. Now, I assume it's about me 20 per cent of the time - and I can live with that.
The other thing I do is practice rejecting. Because I hate rejection, I shy away from being the rejector, which means I either please people or avoid tricky situations. Instead, I've come up with a few lines for when I want to say no: 'That sounds great but it's not for me; thank you for asking but I decline; it was lovely but I think we should leave it there.' It's never pleasant to reject a person but there is a kind way to do it. With resilience and clarity, we can see the plus sides of rejection: it frees us up to do something else, be with someone else and be happier. We can't complain about that.
1. What is Paragraph 2 mainly about?| A．The examples of the author's being rejected. |
| B．The experiences of the author's online dating. |
| C．The reasons of the author's lateness for school. |
| D．The feelings of the author's being ignored at work. |
| A．He could live with it. | B．It was partly about him. |
| C．He did something wrong. | D．It had nothing to do with him. |
| A．Do it with resilience and clarity. |
| B．Come up with a few pleasant lines. |
| C．Please others or avoid tricky situations. |
| D．Show your kindness and don't complain. |
| A．It enables us to live. | B．It gives us more time. |
| C．It has some plus sides. | D．It does something else. |
4 . Zika virus. Malaria. West Nile virus. Dengue fever. Have you ever heard of these illnesses? If so, you likely know what they all have in common. These are a few of the diseases spread by one of the greatest pests known to humankind一the mosquito.
Much of the time, mosquito bites are just itchy. Nothing ruins a backyard barbecue faster than a mass of these bloodsucking insects. However, some mosquitoes carry viruses that cause deadly ilnesses. In fact, some experts say mosquitoes are a bigger threat to human life than any other organism.
Over the centuries, mosquitoes are thought to have caused the deaths of 52 billion people. That’s half the people who have ever lived on Earth! Even today, ilnesses spread by mosquitoes kill more people each year than war does.
It should be no surprise that many people would like to get rid of mosquitoes. What if we could wipe out the entire mosquito population? No more malaria. No more Zika. No more itchy bumps after a summer day spent outdoors. Doesn’t that sound great?
Not so fast. Sure, some species of mosquitoes harm humans. But others don’t pose any threat at al! In fact, some of these mosquitoes play important parts in their ecosystems. Let’s look at a few ways.
Many of our Wonder Friends already know that bees play an important part in pollination（授粉）. It turns out, mosquitoes do, too! Most mosquitoes actually drink nectar（ 花蜜） instead of blood. When they do so, they help pollinate the plants they feed on.
It’s also important to remember that even mosquitoes are part of an ecosystem. Without them, the food chain would be disturbed.
Adult mosquitoes are a food source for bats, birds, spiders, and small mammals. Without them, these animals would need to find something else to eat. Some experts even think mosquitoes could be used to help humans.
1. What do Zika virus, Malaria, West Nile virus, and Dengue fever have in common?| A．They are all pests from the wild forest. | B．They can not be cured by human beings. |
| C．They can all be spread by mosquitoes. | D．They are all caused by bacteria. |
| A．Kill something completely. | B．Bring up in large numbers. |
| C．Control something completely. | D．Rely on something completely. |
| A．Positive. | B．Negative. | C．Critical. | D．Objective. |
| A．How mosquitoes are harmful to human beings. |
| B．How mosquitoes are helpful to human beings. |
| C．How mosquitoes cause various ilness to mankind. |
| D．How mosquitoes are eaten by small mammals. |
5 . The world’s hottest rainforest is located not in the Amazon or anywhere else you might expect, but inside Biosphere (生物圈) 2, the experimental scientific research facility in the desert outside Tucson, Arizona. A recent study of tropical trees planted there in the early 1990s reported a surprising result: They have withstood temperatures higher than any likely to be experienced by tropical forests this century.
The study adds to a growing number of findings that are giving forest scientists something that’s been in short supply lately : hope. Plants may have unexpected resources that could help them survive — and perhaps even prosper — in a hotter, more carbon-rich future. And while tropical forests still face both human and natural threats, some researchers believe terrible reports of their approaching decline due to climate change may have been overstated.
“Biology is clever, ”says Scott Saleska, an ecologist at the University of Arizona in Tucson and co-leader of the Biosphere 2 study. “It’s a lot smarter than our models yet represent.”
The last few years have seen a flood of alarming reports about forests and climate change’s effects on them. Scientists have announced that the Amazon forest is no longer a reliable carbon sink; the Amazon rainforest may be nearing a tipping point; tropical forests globally are already close to the hottest temperatures they can tolerate and climate change is killing off old trees.
One thing is certainly true: Our fossil fuel emissions are creating a climate that humans have never seen and trees haven’t experienced in a very long time.“We’re pushing tropical forests into temperatures they’ve never seen since the Cretaceous — since there were dinosaurs,” says Abigail Swann, an ecologist and climate scientist at the University of Washington in Seattle.
1. Where is the hottest rainforest located according to the article?| A．In the Amazon tropical forest. | B．In a research facility in Arizona. |
| C．In the rainforest in Brazil. | D．At the University of Arizona. |
| A．Forest scientists still lack numbers of findings about rainforest. |
| B．Plants may not survive in hot and carbon rich future than expected. |
| C．Plants may survive in hotter and more carbon-rich environment. |
| D．People may overstate the climate change in the future. |
| A．We have never seen the climate change due to greenhouse. |
| B．The fossil fuel emissions may destroy the whole ecosystem. |
| C．The temperatures may reach as high as those in dinosaur period. |
| D．The fossil fuel emissions may create a climate plants can’t bear. |
| A．The world’s hottest rainforest in the wild |
| B．Plants may die of fossil fuel emissions due to mankind |
| C．The Amazon forest is declining quickly in the future |
| D．Plants may stand hotter temperature than expected |
6 . Tony Williams, 75 from Alton, East Hampshire, lost his wife Jo back in May, when, tragically, Jo, passed away from cancer just nine days after she was diagnosed.
And ever since, Tony has been completely alone, explaining the continuous loneliness is “like torture, with no family nearby”. Tony took finding a friend into his own hands, even putting two adverts in his local newspaper and handing out cards. Heartbreakingly, he received no responses.
But after a poster he placed in his window made headlines this week, the retired physicist has been overwhelmed with responses from people wanting to be his friend. In just a couple of days, he's had between 50 and 70 phone calls with strangers, and meanwhile he's received thousands of emails.
Tony said: “I just regret it's impossible for me to answer even a small part of calls and emails. If I could meet them all I would tell them how much I care for them and how much I'd like to reach out to them as they did to me. The love, kindness and compassion they've shown actually brought tears to my eyes.”
He has even had phone calls from as far as America and Canada!
Tony met his late wife Jo, who he describes as his “best friend and soul mate,” in a bar more than 35 years ago, and describes their marriage as a “perfect harmony”. The couple, who lived in Gloucestershire for 25 years, were unable to have any children, and so depended on each other heavily for company and support.
“For weeks and weeks, it looked as if I was pushing doors open and they were immediately slammed in my face. And then I was isolated and almost totally abandoned. And I thought, I've got to do something about that," he recalled.
Tony's determination has paid off, getting hundreds of people queuing up to be his friend. We're so pleased for you, Tony!
1. Why did Tony advertise in the local newspaper?| A．To inform people of his wife's death. | B．To draw attention to the old's loneliness. |
| C．To seek a second marriage. | D．To find someone as a friend. |
| A．He is working as a physicist. | B．He is now in a sweet trouble. |
| C．He has a complete family. | D．He lives in Gloucestershire. |
| A．Disappointed. | B．Sympathetic. | C．Moved. | D．Surprised, |
| A．Tony loves his wife very much | B．Tony's children live far from him |
| C．Tony has become world-famous | D．Tony used to have many friends |
7 . Best Places for Kids in the Jacksonville Region!
CSR Wildlife Sanctuary(1 p.m. —3 p.m.)
Our mission is to provide a safe, loving, and forever home to endangered big cats, and to educate the public about their living conditions. We offer Daytime Tours of our facility where visitors can see the animals in a happy and stress-free environment. Our current residents include tigers, lions, pumas and leopards.
JK Zoo and Gardens (9 a.m. — 5 p.m.)
Discover the earth's various wildlife through interactive and educational experiences. A true family adventure! We're changing daily and improving consistently. With recent updates, we are quickly becoming a world-class establishment. The Zoo donates a percentage of every ticket and membership sold to conservation efforts, supporting over 45 programs, regionally and globally.
Riverside Arts Market (10 a.m. — 3 p.m.)
Hosted on Saturdays, rain or shine, RAM is a weekly market where our community comes together! During the week, the space is a parking lot, but on Saturdays, it houses hundreds of artists, farmers, community organizations and small businesses! Enjoy the harvest of the agricultural arts by supporting Florida farmers, who depend on your weekly purchases to remain sustainable. Our community benefits from all of us staying “loyal to local.”
Grace Crop Maze (10 a.m. —10 p.m.)
Family fun on the farm in Clay County! You can enjoy hayrides, cow train, duck races and so much more! The Fall Festival in October is a month of fun that you won't want to miss. We're opening part of our beautiful sunflower patch for our Fall Season! Selfies with Sunflowers offers fun for friends and families to spread out, capture memories and enjoy quality time together.
1. What similarity do CSR Wildlife Sanctuary and JK Zoo and Gardens have?| A．Both of them are open all day long. | B．They both care about animal protection. |
| C．They keep the same kinds of animals. | D．They have the same management. |
| A．CSR Wildlife Sanctuary. | B．JK Zoo and Gardens. |
| C．Riverside Arts Market. | D．Grace Crop Maze. |
| A．Sustainable development. | B．Changeable weather. |
| C．Sense of community. | D．Daily business. |
8 . When you’re on a fishing boat, you may see flocks of birds following in your track, hoping to catch a snack. Now scientists say they can use those birds’ behavior to track illegal fishing boats.
Here’s how it works: Researchers attached data recorders to the backs of 169 albatrosses (信天翁) in the Southern and Indian oceans. The devices weighed only an ounce and a half, but they included a GPS and were able to detect the presence and intensity of radar signals coming from boats. That information was then transmitted by satellite, so the researchers could track the location of the birds-and thus the radar-emitting boats-in real time.
The scientists then cross-checked that data against the known locations of boats, gathered from a system that boats use to declare themselves, called the Automatic Identification System (AIS). And differences appeared frequently.
More than a third of the times the birds’ recorders detected radar signals, and therefore a boat, no such boat appeared in the official log (航海记录)—meaning that the vehicles had likely switched off their Automatic Identification Systems—something the researchers say probably happens in illegal fishing operations.
The work suggests birds could be an effective boat-monitoring tool—as long as illegal fishing operations don’t target the birds. Fortunately, such a task would be difficult.
“Around fishing vessels, you can get hundreds of birds at any one time that are all flying around. So it’s not really possible to target a specific bird. And the birds with recorders on are not marked in any way. So it’s difficult for fishermen to pick out a specific bird," said study author Samantha Patrick, a marine biologist at the University of Liverpool.
Patrick’s bigger concern is that albatrosses often get hooked on fishing lines. And though regulations have been established to protect against that happening—with success—illegal boats don’t necessarily obey. So scientists might be underestimating the risk posed to albatross populations. But this system could mean that those illegal boats may have a tougher time flying under the radar.
1. What behavior of albatrosses can be used to track illegal fishing boats according to scientists?| A．Seeking snacks on a boat. |
| B．Following a boat to catch food. |
| C．Monitoring the location of the boats. |
| D．Keeping an eye open for illegal activities. |
| A．To carry a GPS. |
| B．To record the birds’ behavior. |
| C．To help satellite transmit information. |
| D．To detect radar signals from boats. |
| A．They are probably fishing illegally. |
| B．They needn’t declare themselves. |
| C．They don’t want to emit radar signals. |
| D．They want to avoid being followed by albatrosses. |
| A．Birds—Humans’ Friends |
| B．Data Recorders—A Helper to Albatrosses |
| C．AIS—A System to Declare Locations of Boats |
| D．Albatrosses—A Tool to Monitor Illegal Fishing Boats |
9 . The vaccine (疫苗) news continues to seem very encouraging. Britain started its mass vaccination effort and the U.S. isn’t far behind.
But there is still one dark cloud hanging over the vaccines that many people don’t yet understand.
The vaccines will be much less effective at preventing death and illness in 2021 if they are introduced into a population where the coronavirus is still severe—as is now the case in the U.S.
A vaccine is like a fire hose (消防龙头). A vaccine that’s 95 percent effective, as Moderna’s and Pfizer’s versions appear to be, is a powerful fire hose. But the size of a fire is still a bigger determinant of how much destruction occurs.
At the current level of infection in the U.S. (about 200,000 confirmed new infections per day), a vaccine that is 95 percent effective—distributed at the expected pace—would still leave a terrible toll (伤亡人数) in the six months after it was introduced. Almost 10 million or so Americans would catch the virus, and more than 160,000 would die.
This is far worse than the toll in a different situation where the vaccine was only 50 percent effective but the U.S. had reduced the infection rate to its level in early September (about 35,000 new daily cases). In that case, the death toll in the next six months would be kept to about 60,000.
It’s worth pausing for a moment on this comparison. If the U.S. had maintained its infection rate from September and Moderna and Pfizer had announced this fall that their vaccines were only 50 percent effective, a lot of people would have panicked.
But the reality we have is actually worse.
How could this be? No vaccine can get rid of a pandemic immediately, just as .no fire hose can put out a forest fire. While the vaccine is being distributed, the virus continues to do damage.
There is one positive way to look at this: Measures that reduce the virus’s spread—like mask-wearing, social distancing and rapid-result testing—can still have great consequences. They can save more than 100,000 lives in coming months.
1. How does the author mainly present his argument?| A．By giving definitions. | B．By categorizing facts. |
| C．By drawing comparisons. | D．By appealing to emotions. |
| A．Improving the effectiveness of the vaccines. |
| B．Producing a greater variety of vaccines. |
| C．Looking at the situation in a positive way. |
| D．Wearing masks and practicing social distancing. |
| A．The vaccines are less effective than expected. |
| B．The US have controlled the spread of the coronavirus. |
| C．The death toll in the next six months will be about 60,000. |
| D．Fewer people will die if the infection rate is lower. |
| A．The vaccine is the hope of wiping out the pandemic. |
| B．The public are optimistic about the effects of the vaccine. |
| C．The public are concerned about the high infection rate. |
| D．The distribution of vaccine will end the pandemic quickly. |
10 . When Du Yongbo, 23, entered Beijing Jiaotong University graduate school, he could see a difference between himself and his local peers in terms of their consumption capacities and life attitudes. However, he was lucky compared to other newcomers from small towns. The difference could have been more obvious if he had not spent his undergraduate years doing extra learning.
Growing up in Baoding, Hebei. Du was enrolled in a little-known institution in Hebei after high school.
"Knowing that I would be stuck in this place for the next four years, I felt like I was chained down," he said.
Determined to change his situation, Du made use of everything he could find on campus, starting with the technology lab. Here he got to know talented members of the senior class and joined them in their innovative experiments and technology competitions. Du learned a lot more than he could ever have by sitting in class.
But Du didn't just hide away in the lab all day long. He kept himself busy by working with all kinds of student societies, such as the Speech and Eloquence(雄辩)Association and the Drama Club.
"I used to be a little self-isolating, but student club experiences gave me new hobbies and the ability to manage tough people and issues," he said.
Internet was a great helper too. Du once planned to study user interface design at a training center. But he was taken aback upon hearing the training fee—70,000 yuan. Fortunately, a friend instructed him to buy a similar course on Taobao for a much lower price. That was when Du learned about the abundance of resources online. He was eager to know more, studying online educational resources and listening to podcasts(播客).
Now that he has made his way to Beijing, Du says that all his efforts have paid off and that he has gotten the chance to stretch his legs on a bigger platform.
1. Du felt different from his local peers when entering a graduate school because____________.| A．he entered Beijing Jiaotong University graduate school |
| B．he had spent his undergraduate years doing extra learning |
| C．he was lucky compared to other newcomers |
| D．he came from a smaller town than Beijing |
| A．excited | B．depressed | C．self-isolating | D．confused |
| A．Du was determined to change his situation to make use of everything he could find. |
| B．Du learned a lot more by sitting in class after he was enrolled in an institution. |
| C．Du took part in some student societies to develop his abilities on campus. |
| D．Du's friend instructed him to study user interface design at a training center. |
| A．Doing is better than saying |
| B．Experience is the mother of wisdom |
| C．Nothing is impossible to a willing heart |
| D．Every man has his price |
