1 . People working from home have more options for making their living abroad than ever before. Recently new destinations have launched programs to tempt workers to abandon their home offices for tropical shores and year-round sun.
Montserrat
Remote workers must have medical insurance and an annual income of at least $70,000.
Fees are S500 for individuals-or $750 or higher for families — to apply.
Applicants know within a week if they are approved.
Remote workers must test negative for Covid-19 and quarantine for 14 days at an accommodation of their choice.
Mauritius
Remote workers seeking a "Covid-safe" place to ride out the pandemic can consider Mauritius.
There is no fee to apply, though applicants need long-term accommodation plans, travel and health insurance and proof of sufficient funds to stay in Mauritius, which is defined as at least$ 1,500 in monthly income.
The Bahamas
People who think they may tire of staying on one island can apply for the Bahamas Extended Access Travel Stay program.
The new 12-month residency permit lets remote workers and students live and move between 16 different islands in the Bahamas.
Applications are processed within five days and cost $25 per person.
Travelers need a negative Covid-19 test result.
Dubai
All nationalities can apply for Dubai's new remote working program, provided they make $5,000 per month.
At $287 to apply, fees are lower than most other programs. Applicants must have health insurance and show proof of income.
Travelers must arrive with a negative PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test taken no more than 72 hours before departing.
1. Which place charges least for application?| A．Montserrat. | B．Mauritius. | C．The Bahamas. | D．Dubai. |
| A．Travelers have the longest residency permit. |
| B．Applicants are informed of approval results. |
| C．Remote workers need no Covid-I9 test taken. |
| D．Students are allowed to apply for the program. |
| A．First-class service. | B．Permanent residency. |
| C．Cosy environment. | D．Health insurance. |
2 . A robot with a sense of touch may one day feel “pain”, both its own physical pain and sympathy for the pain of its human companions. Such touchy-feely robots are still far off, but advances in robotic touch-sensing are bringing that possibility closer to reality.
Sensors set in soft, artificial skin that can detect both a gentle touch and a painful strike have been hooked up to a robot that can then signal emotions, Asada reported February 15 at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. This artificial “pain nervous system,” as Asada calls it, may be a small building block for a machine that could ultimately experience pain. Such a feeling might also allow a robot to “sympathize” with a human companion’s suffering.
Asada, an engineer at Osaka University, and his colleagues have designed touch sensors that reliably pick up a range of touches. In a robot system named Affetto, a realistic looking child’s head, these touch and pain signals can be converted to emotional facial expressions.
A touch-sensitive, soft material, as opposed to a rigid metal surface, allows richer interactions between a machine and the world, says neuroscientist Kingson Man of the University of Southern California. Artificial skin “allows the possibility of engagement in truly intelligent ways”.
Such a system, Asada says, might ultimately lead to robots that can recognize the pain of others, a valuable skill for robots designed to help care for people in need, the elderly, for instance.
But there is an important distinction between a robot that responds in a predictable way to a painful strike and a robot that’s able to compute an internal feeling accurately, says Damasio, a neuroscientist also at the University of Southern California. A robot with sensors that can detect touch and pain is “along the lines of having a robot, for example, that smiles when you talk to it,” Damasio says. ‘It’s a device for communication of the machine to a human.” While that’s an interesting development, “it’s not the same thing” as a robot designed to compute some sort of internal experience, he says.
1. What do we know about the “pain nervous system”?| A．It is named Affetto by scientists. | B．It is a set of complicated sensors. |
| C．It is able to signal different emotions. | D．It combines sensors and artificial skin. |
| A．Delivered. | B．Translated. | C．Attached. | D．Adapted. |
| A．Robots can smile when talked to. |
| B．Robots can talk to human beings. |
| C．Robots can compute internal feelings |
| D．Robots can detect pains and respond accordingly. |
| A．Machines Become Emotional | B．Robots Inch to Feeling Pain |
| C．Human Feelings Can Be Felt | D．New Devices Touch Your Heart |
3 . When I was a kid, my sister and I would fight all the time over nearly everything. But as we grew older, our bond strengthened by sharing secrets, offering advice and trading clothes. Having a sister by my side while growing up taught me many lessons about the unique bond.
And now, thanks to an 8-year long study that’s making the rounds on the Internet again, science is confirming what I know is true. In the study, researchers discovered that having an older or younger sister can help ease the anxiety for kids between the ages of 10 and 14 years. They also found that people with sisters can “learn how to make up and to have control over their emotions again, which are skills that undoubtedly serve children well.
The revival of this study actually comes on the heels of another newer study, which shows that it’s not just the older kids and parents who influence and shape children as they grow. It turns out that younger siblings(兄弟姐妹) do too, and what’s more, they may also give their older siblings a greater chance of developing empathy (同情).
The Canadian study followed 452 pairs of siblings, all between a year-and-a-half and 4 years old. The researchers found that having a younger sibling increased the older sibling's level of empathy.
This research confirms that sisters are pretty amazing in making the world a much lovely place. As the mom of two boys, I often wonder what kinds of lessons they will learn from their younger sister. Perhaps they will be the same lessons I learned from mine that cooler heads always win. This study gives me hope that all those endless arguments between my kids may actually be laying the groundwork for conflict-settlement skills.
1. What can we learn from the study?| A．Children under four develop empathy fastest. |
| B．It is normal for siblings to quarrel. |
| C．Having siblings is not always a headache. |
| D．Having sisters is helpful to mental health. |
| A．Result | B．Beginning. |
| C．Reappearance. | D．Significance. |
| A．They love their mom very much. |
| B．They have a higher level of empathy. |
| C．They often quarrel with one another. |
| D．They have learned the same lessons as the the author. |
| A．Siblings have a unique bond. |
| B．Siblings have something in common. |
| C．Having siblings is good to children. |
| D．Children having siblings are considerate. |
4 . If our kids don’t fall, they don’t learn to get up. I still remember the day in high school that my mom forgot to pick me up from school. I’m the oldest of four children, and no doubt she’d had a long day with the other kids and it’d slipped her mind. After waiting at school for an hour, I walked the three miles home, and when I got to my house, I shut our front door with anger, stormed into the kitchen and screamed in my mom’s face that she’d forgotten me.
Later that night, my dad told me I no longer had a ride to school the next day. I figured my mom would still take me, but when the morning came, she refused. It was midterm, and as a straight-A student ready to start college applications, being late wasn’t an option (选择). In my mind, missing these tests would have been the end of my academic career. I begged my mom. I told her she was ruining my future and everything I’d worked for. But she held her ground, and that day, I walked to school. And I missed my tests.
My mom didn’t rescue me from failure. She let me suffer from it. She let me figure it out. She let me learn. Now, as a mom myself, I’ve realized that I want my kids to experience failure because failure is how we grow, learn and think outside of ourselves. It’s how we self-educate to learn what’s right and respectable, and what’s not. It’s how we become responsible and enthusiastic. Falling down makes us better because we learn how to get up.
1. What is one of the reasons that the author got angry that day?| A．She was tired. | B．She failed in a test. |
| C．She was late for school. | D．She had to walk home by herself. |
| A．Terrible. | B．Meaningful. | C．Embarrassing. | D．Colorful. |
| A．gave in to me | B．said yes to me |
| C．stayed in the place | D．kept to her idea |
| A．My Way of Growing | B．The Value of Failure |
| C．My Love for Mother | D．Failure in My Life |
5 . While mangoes are known as the "King of Fruits", grapes are popularly called as the "Queen of Fruits". The small juicy grapes are sorted into three varieties based on colors: green, red, black or blue. So are there any health benefits in grapes?
Grapes can be consumed in many ways. It can be either eaten raw, consumed in a juice form or used to prepare wine. During autumn, you will find different kinds of grapes in the market. As it is the main season of grapes, the amount of consuming this fruit is very high.
Although grapes are tiny in size, it has numerous health benefits. A lot of people are unaware of the health benefits of grapes. For example, drinking grape juice is one of the easiest ways to treat acidity. Moreover, the fruit juice is also a healthy drink for those who are on a diet.
Grape juice is loaded with nutrients, vitamins and mineral which keep us fit. For example, drinking grape juice is one of the traditional ways to cure a painful headache.
It would be interesting to know that grape juice is good for skin as well. Drinking a glass of grape juice every day helps get a clear and perfect skin naturally. It also has anti-ageing benefits on the skin. Green grapes especially speed up metabolism (新陈代谢) and induce perspiration which in turn helps get a youthful skin naturally.
So selection of grapes is very important. You must buy fresh, fine, and colored grapes. This can be easily done by lifting a bunch of grapes and shaking them. If the grapes fall, then they have been stored for long. And if the grapes are attached to the stem, then you can be sure that they are fresh to be consumed.
1. When it comes to grapes, the author thinks ________.| A．they are the best fruit in the world |
| B．they are consumed most in summer |
| C．they can do much good to our health |
| D．they consist of more than three kinds |
| A．Grapes are harvested only when it is cold. |
| B．The benefits of grapes escape many people. |
| C．Grape juice is considered to result in acidity. |
| D．Grape juice can make you have a good appetite. |
| A．It helps people avoid suffering from acidity. |
| B．It is beneficial to those being overweight. |
| C．It can make your skin fine and smooth. |
| D．It can cure all kinds of diseases. |
| A．Green grapes are much better than black ones. |
| B．It is better to prepare fresh grape juice at home. |
| C．The stored grapes juice is thought to be harmful. |
| D．Grape juice does more good to women than to men. |
6 . Grand Canyon Park Ranger Programs
Guided Cedar Ridge Hike
7 am Daily (Meet at the South Kaibab Trailhead)
A 3-mile(4.8km)hike on an unpaved path. Allow 4 hours. Minimum 2 liters of water per person. Bring salty snacks, sunscreen, and wear hiking shoes. Not recommended for people with heart problems, or difficulty walking.
Fossil Discovery Walk
9 am Daily(Meet at the Bright Angel Trailhead sign)
Walk among sea creatures that lived on this part of the continent 270 million years ago, before the age of the dinosaurs. This easy 1/2-mile(0.8 km)one-way walk explores an exposed fossil bed.
Critter Chat
9:30am Daily(Meet at Grand Canyon Visitor Center)
Learn about some of the Grand Canyon's diverse wild creatures who survive here in this place of extreme changes in exposure and climate. Wheelchair accessible. Family friendly.
Geology Walk
3:30 pm Daily(Meet at Yavapai Geology Museum)
Learn how the Grand Canyon formed while exploring Yavapai Geology Museum during this short introductory talk. Why is it so deep, wide, and grand? Why does it exist only here and nowhere else in the world? Consider walking the Trail of Time following the program.
Note: Children must be accompanied by an adult in all programs. All programs are free of charge.
1. What might you do in the program starting at 7 am?| A．Go on a hike. | B．Look for dinosaur fossils. |
| C．Learn more about climate change. | D．Walk the Trail of Time. |
| A．Guided Cedar Ridge Hike. | B．Fossil Discovery Walk. |
| C．Critter Chat. | D．Geology Walk. |
| A．At the South Kaibab Trailhead. | B．At the Bright Angel Trailhead sign. |
| C．At Grand Canyon Visitor Center. | D．At Yavapai Geology Museum. |
7 . Research has shown that disrupting one's natural “morning lark” (早起鸟) or “night owl” (夜猫子) tendency can result in immoral behavior at work.
Who doesn't love a flexible work schedule? Being able to make your own hours, come in when you're ready and leave when you're done, step out to attend a child's presentation at school, have a midday appointment, or even squeeze in a quick workout or nap as a guaranteed pick-me-up — flexibility greatly improves one's quality of life.
The benefits don't stop there, however. Research has shown that having flexible work hours actually makes one a better person. How so? It's been found that disrupted sleep patterns —in the form of having to act outside of your normal inclination to be a morning “lark” or a night “owl” — can result in strange, unethical, and out-of-line behavior.
Science journalist Linda Geddes said, “If you don't get enough sleep, research suggests you are more likely to have unethical behavior, such as being mean, bullying your fellow employees or falsifying receipts. But it's not just owls: the larks tend to behave more unethically in the evening, and owls in the morning. So ideally, you want to introduce flexible working."
Employers would be wise to allow their employees to start whenever they feel ready — whether it's at the crack of dawn or at 11 a.m., and to allow breaks or pauses in the day as needed — because that would mean better productivity, performance, and behavior.
This shift is already happening, with the New York Times recently reporting that 27 percent of US employers now offer the flexibility to work outside normal business hours, up from 22 percent in 2014; and 68 percent allow telecommuting as needed (up from 54 percent in 2014). With the national unemployment rate at its lowest in 50 years, employers are having to become more competitive in what they offer workers, and flex-hours seem like a no-brainer, highly beneficial to all.
1. What is mainly talked about in Paragraph 2?| A．Ways to improve life quality. |
| B．People's activities in their free time. |
| C．Methods to get a flexible work schedule. |
| D．The advantages of flexibility in work time. |
| A．Judgment. | B．Tendency. | C．Reaction. | D．Choice. |
| A．They will show their nature more easily. |
| B．They tend to suffer from sleep problems. |
| C．They tend to behave immorally in their work. |
| D．They will get more flexibility in working time. |
| A．The unemployment rate is increasing. |
| B．Employers are getting more free time. |
| C．Flexible working has been creating more jobs. |
| D．More employers adopt a flexible work schedule. |
8 . Covid-19 has brought a great deal of trouble for all of us since March 2020. During this time, mobile phones have been the solution for the boredom and restlessness caused from staying indoors. The most downloaded apps on play store 2020 are;
TikTok
TikTok was the most downloaded app. With over 111.9 million downloads, TikTok has seen a huge growth in 2020, twice more than what it got in 2019. 20% of its total downloads were from India and around 9. 3% of the total downloads were in the US.
Zoom
Zoom was the second most installed app in the overall downloads category. With nearly 94. 6 million installs, Zoom is the most used app for online meetings and virtual classrooms. 17% of its downloads were in the US and India. Offices and educational institutes were shut down and to continue working and studying from home, people relied heavily on Zoom for video conferencing and calling.
WhatsApp ranked third in overall downloads with more than 100 million downloads. It is one of the most popular and widely used chat applications; WhatsApp also supports communication between international phone networks.
It ranked fourth in the overall downloaded list. Facebook is the world’s most popular social networking application. Facebook builds technologies that give people the power to connect with friends and family, find communities and grow businesses.
1. What do we know about TikTok?| A．It is an India-based app. | B．It has most users in America. |
| C．It is used for growing business. | D．It has doubled its download than in 2019. |
| A．TikTok. | B．Zoom. | C．WhatsApp. | D．Facebook. |
| A．Communication. | B．Training. | C．Teaching. | D．Payment |
9 . English Language Courses at ELC Los Angeles
At the English Language Center (ELC) Los Angeles you will find a variety of English courses and programs that meet the highest academic standards of any English language school in the United States. Through its 40 years of teaching students at all levels from all over the world, ELC has developed teaching and training techniques and programs that really work for everyone.
ENGLISH COURSES OFFERED AT ELC LOS ANGELES
● GENERAL ENGLISH COURSES
Intensive English Course
Semi-intensive Course
Individual Intensive Course
● TEST PREPARATION COURSES
Cambridge Preparation Course
TOEFL Preparation Course
● BUSINESS ENGLISH COURSE
Individual Executive Business English Course
ENGLISH CLASSES LOS ANGELES FACT FILE
● Length of lesson: 50 minutes
● Number of levels: 12
● Average number of students per class: 8-9
Maximum number of students per class: 10 (14 during July and August only)
ADDITIONAL SERVICES AT ELC LOS ANGELES
The ELC Los Angeles staff is eager to assist international students in achieving their long-term learning goals. ELC offers the following support services to ensure each student's time at ELC is enjoyable, effective and worry-free:
● Student Visa
ELC has been approved by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)to issue the SEVIS Form I-20. Students enrolling in a minimum 24-lesson-per-week course are eligible (有资格的) to receive an I-20 form in order to apply for an F-1 student visa in their country.
● English Level Evaluation with Multi-level- Placement
Each student benefits from our English level evaluation with multi-level placement. Our method means students usually have different teachers for different levels and ensures that students study English in the learning environment that is best for them.
● University Admission Services
ELC is pleased to offer free counseling and university placement services to all ELC students interested in continuing their education at an American college or university in California and around the United States.
1. Which course should you choose in order to improve your English in general?| A．TOEFL Preparation Course. | B．Individual Intensive Course. |
| C．Cambridge Preparation Course. | D．Individual Executive Business English Course. |
| A．8. | B．10. | C．12. | D．14. |
| A．To help achieve enough class hours. | B．To help start from the lowest level. |
| C．To help get into an appropriate level. | D．To help gain admission to university. |
10 . Just like humans, birds too rely on sound to communicate. However, they do not have a “language” in the true sense of the word and instead produce a variety of sounds to convey different emotions.
Often, birds recognize their mates(or young) by sound rather than sight. Hungry young birds use begging calls to let their mothers know it is feeding time. Alarm calls, flight calls and warning calls are other sounds made frequently by adults.
A new study shows that songbirds rehearse(排演) their songs even in their sleep. The activity in the brain of the birds when asleep is similar to the brain activity when the birds were awake and singing. The team used tiny recording devices to measure the activity of individual brain cells in four songbirds both when they were singing and when they were asleep.
Apparently the bird stores a song after hearing it, and then rehearses it later in its sleep. Scientists now believe the birds “dream of songs and tunes” to help them master the fine art of singing and that sleep plays a key role in the learning process!
Many songbirds learn to sing listening to adult birds of the same species. However, if separated from the adults, the young birds develop sounds which are hard to understand instead of normal song patterns. Researchers carried out an experiment in which a male bullfinch (灰雀) was raised by a female canary(金丝雀). The bullfinch soon learned the canary’s song and when it was later mated to a female bullfinch, Mr.Bullfinch taught his children the canary’s songs.
Last year, a British survey of London’s songbirds showed that the city’s birds are losing their tunes. Birds could hardly hear one another, over the traffic noise; as a result, instead of copying the sweet notes of the adults, young birds were copying the sounds they heard most often, namely car horns and beeping cellphones!
1. According to the passage, birds recognize their mates by ________.| A．using their own words | B．listening to their sounds |
| C．looking at their appearances | D．singing the same songs |
| A．Flight calls. | B．Alarm calls. |
| C．Begging calls. | D．Warning calls. |
| A．young birds learn to sing from whom they live together with |
| B．birds only learn how to sing from the same adult species |
| C．it's not easy for adult birds to teach young birds songs |
| D．a canary's song is more beautiful than a bullfinch's |
| A．traffic noise makes young birds become deaf |
| B．birds in the city can sing as sweetly as those in the wild |
| C．birds in the city recognize their mates mainly by sight |
| D．noise pollution causes much trouble for birds in the city |
