1 . A joint research team recently have developed a new electronic skin that is similar to human skin in strength, durability(耐久性) and sensitivity. The skin or e-skin may play an important role in next-generation personalized medicine, soft robotics and artificial intelligence.

“The ideal e-skin will mimic(模仿) the many natural functions of human skin, such as sensing temperature and touch, accurately and in real time,” says leading researcher Yichen Cai. However, making suitably flexible electronics that can perform such delicate tasks while also used repeatedly is challenging, and each material involved must be carefully engineered.

Most e-skins are made by putting an active sensor on the surface that attaches to human skin. However, the connection between them is often too weak, which reduces the durability and sensitivity of the material; otherwise, if it is too strong, it won’t be flexible enough, making it more likely to break the circuit.

“The landscape of skin electronics keeps shifting at a remarkable pace,” says Cai. “The discovery of 2D sensors has accelerated efforts to turn these quite thin but strong materials into functional, durable artificial skins.”

The new man-made skin built by the researchers could sense objects from 20 centimeters away. It could further make a quick response when touched in less than one tenth of a second. “ It is a striking achievement for an e-skin to maintain toughness after repeated use,” said Shen, “which mimics the softness and rapid recovery of human skin.”

This type of e-skin could monitor a range of biological information, such as changes in blood pressure, which can be detected from movements of arms and legs. This data can then be shared and stored on the cloud via Wi-Fi.

“One remaining problem to the widespread use of e-skins lies in mass production of high-resolution sensors,” adds group leader Vincent Tung “ however, the latest technology offers new promise. ”

1. What’s the feature of the new e-skin?

A．It can store information.	B．It’s quite hard and tough.
C．It’s flexible and sensitive.	D．It can replace human skin.

2. Why does the author mention “most e-skins” in paragraph 3?

A．To stress the challenges of making e-skins.

B．To introduce the popularity of e-skins.

C．To show the process of making e-skins.

D．To compare the similarity between e-skins.

3. What can the new e-skin do?

A．Adjust the blood pressure.	B．Recover the wounded skin.
C．Work as a remote controller.	D．Sense the outside temperature.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．A Breakthrough in Hi-tech	B．Man-made Skin, Improved
C．E-skin, A Promising Business	D．The Widespread Use of E-skin

2 . Welcome to the Sydney Opera House

Ticket Info and Guided Tours

Visitors can enjoy the Sydney Opera House foyer for free, but for a more insightful visit, you'll need to book a tour.

There are several different ways to experience the Sydney Opera House, and multiple tours are available including back-stage passes and walking tours.

Tour Type       Adult （AUD $ ）       Child
Guided Walking Tour       $ 42       $ 22
Guided Walking Tour + Dinner       $ 73       $ 52
Guided Walking Tour + Tasting Plate       $ 82.20       $ 64. 80
Backstage Tour       $ 175       $ 175
Opening Hours and the Best Time to Visit

The Sydney Opera House is open year-round with the following opening hours：

● Monday—Saturday ： 9am—8 ： 30pm

●Sunday： 9am—5pm

As for the best time of day, it's recommended to book the earliest Sydney Opera House tour of the day to beat the crowds. To enjoy sunny weather with fewer crowds, try visiting in the shoulder season (October, November, February, or March )

Points of Interest

●The Steps

Before entering the Opera House, take a picture of the building from the steps outside.

●The Sails

Step beneath the sails on a guided tour and enjoy harbor front views.

●The Concert Hall

The Concert Hall is the largest venue with seats for more than 2000 people. It features contemporary live music shows and highly -regarded orchestral (管弦乐的)performances. It is also here that you will find the world's largest mechanical tracker-action pipe organ.

● Opera Bar

After your tour, head to the Opera Bar for a bite to eat or drink in the sun.

● Badu Gili

Badu Gili, which is ‘water light’ in the language of the Gadigal people-takes place most evenings after sunset at 9pm, 9：30pm, and 10pm. The seven-minute display is free to view.

1. How much will a guided walking tour for two adults cost?

A．$ 64.

B．$ 84.

C．$ 128,

D．$ 168.

2. Which of the following is the best time to visit the Opera House?

A．9：30 am, a Monday in February.	B．10：00 am, a Sunday in December.
C．5：00 pm, a Friday in September.	D．6：00 pm, a Saturday in March.

3. What is Badu Gili?

A．A local language.

B．A pipe organ.

C．A light show.

D．A dinning area.

3 . Sugar cane（甘蔗）contains around 10% sugar. But that means it contains around 90% non-sugar—the material known as bagasse （甘蔗渣）which remains once the sugar-bearing juice is squeezed out. World production of cane sugar was 185 million tonnes in 2017 , which results in a lot of bagasse.

At the moment, most of it is burned. But Zhu Hongli, a mechanical engineer at Northeastern University, in Boston, thinks it can be put into better use. As she, and her colleagues describe, in Matter this week, with a bit of improving bagasse makes an excellent and biodegradable （可生 物降解的）replacement for the plastic used for disposable food containers such as coffee cups.

Dr. Zhu is not the first person to have this idea. But previous attempts tended not to survive contact with liquids. She knew from previous research that the main reason why past efforts fell to pieces when wet is that bagasse is composed of short fibres which are unable to hold the finished product. She therefore sought' to insert a suitably long-fibred substance.       

Bamboo seemed to be the best choice. It grows quickly /degrades readily and has appropriately long fibres. And it worked. When the researchers blended bamboo remaining into bagasse, they found that the result had a   strong crossing of short and long fibres.

To put their new material through its paces, Dr. Zhu and her colleagues first poured hot oil onto it and found that, rather than passing through the material, as it would have with previous, bagasse products, the oil was resisted by their invention.

They also found that when they made a cup out of the stuff and filled it with water heated almost to boiling point, the cup remained unbroken for more than two hours. Though this is not as long as a plastic cup would   Hast, it-is long enough for all practical purposes.

1. What do we know about bagasse?

A．It is widely used.	B．It is usually wasted.
C．It can not be degraded.	D．It takes up 10% of sugar cane.

2. Why do the previous attempts fail?

A．The cups are not disposable.	B．The fibres of bagasse are short.
C．The plastic can not be replaced.	D．The material is not biodegradable.

3. What is special about Zhu's invention?

A．It can let oil pass through.	B．It can be boiled in the water.
C．It can hold liquid and resist heat.	D．It can reduce the use of bamboo.

4. What would be the best title for the text?

A．New Bamboo Containers	B．A New Application of Fibres
C．Young and Promising Materials	D．A Perfect Mix of Cane and Bamboo

4 . For years, Hainan, China's southernmost island province, has been an attractive tourist destination for people around the world because of its pleasant environment. Beginning this year, the beautiful island will have a new identity — an open and distinctive free trade port.

The Hainan Free Trade Port will serve as a special functional economic area and its level of openness will be better than any other port in the world. Products and funds from abroad will have free access to the port, and most goods will be duty-free. The decision shows China's willingness to further open up to the world.

The province of Hainan was founded in 1988. Later it became an appointed special economic (SEZ) to attract foreign investment. In 1992, the Yangpu Economic Development Zone, which was the first area in China to be comprehensively developed by foreign investors, was established. After eight years, in 2000, Hainan took the lead in carrying out a policy of visa on arrival. In the following years, a series of similar initiatives have been implemented for Hainan's continuous development, including a pilot zone for free trade founded in 2018.

Apart from an attractive landscape, Hainan's industrial structure features tourism and modern services. Not only will they become the highlights of the free trade port, but also they are in line with the rapid trade growth in global services as well as the development of many ports toward the service sector. In addition, as a free trade zone and port at provincial level, Hainan has a satisfying scale and full experience. All these advantages will enable Hainan to become a global trade center.

From SEZ to free trade pilot zone, and now today's free trade port, Hainan's development and its determination to build an open economy are evident to all. It's hoped that it will seize the chance of free trade and attract more business and experienced professionals from around the world to come to the island.

1. What's Hainan's future plan?

A．To construct a free trade port.

B．To boost Hainan's tourism and services.

C．To remove the tax on all imports and exports.

D．To strengthen environmental protection.

2. How is Paragraph 3 mainly developed?

A．By analyzing causes.	B．By giving descriptions.
C．By following time order.	D．By making comparisons.

3. Which of the following is good for Hainan to become a global trade center?

A．Its slow trade growth.	B．Its traditional services.
C．Its development of IT industry.	D．Its distinctive service industry.

4. What is the best title for the passage?

A．Hainan: A Push for Global Economy

B．Hainan: A Witness to China's Opening-Up

C．Hainan: An Island Full of Ups and Downs

D．Hainan: An Unforgettable Tourist Destination

5 . English is changing faster than ever with the development of society. Do you long to keep up with the times? If so, here are some old-fashioned words you should remove from your vocabulary list.

Whippersnapper

As an alteration of the term "snippersnapper'', the word first appeared in the 17th century, expressing our ancestors' annoyance at ill-mannered children. In its more contemporary version, the word relates to a young person who is too confident and does not show enough respect to older.

Tape

Are you born in the 1980s? If so, you may still be using the term "tape" when speaking of recording music or TV shows. Today, though digital media has made data storage on magnetic an outdated thing, this old linguistic habit still exists.

Stewardess

In the earlier age of air travel, female crew members serving airline passengers were called stewardesses. It was the development of women's rights movement in the 1960s that the word fell out of use. "Stewardess" was replaced by a more gender-neutral term, "flight attendant”. Dungarees

What we know as "jeans" today were once called “dungarees" to refer to trousers made of denm （蓝粗棉布）.As traders began importing the cloth from Genoa in Italy, this kind of trousers got a new name ’jeans”. So don't be surprised if you catch your grandpa saying dungarees.

1. Who can be described as a whippersnapper nowadays?

A．A child who is bad-tempered.

B．An elder who doesn't like children.

C．An elder who has confidence and influence.

D．A teenager who is overconfident and impolite.

2. Which of the following has become out of date with digital technology?

A．Whippersnapper.

B．Tape.

C．Stewardess.

D．Dungarees.

3. What is the author's purpose in writing the passage?

A．To show readers how to stay young.

B．To explain how to keep up with the times.

C．To analyze the differences among modern words.

D．To advise readers not to use some old-fashioned words.

6 . Most sea turtles, whales and fish may have plastic in their bodies. To determine the various forms and colors of this material in marine animals, Marga Rivas at the University of Almeria in Spain and her team analyzed data from 112 studies published in the past decade. These looked for microplastics and larger macro plastics in marine species globally.

Of the studies, 80 examined the gastrointestinal tracts (胃肠道)of animals to see what they had taken in. The others also looked at wider animal tissues to identify plastics that end up in other parts of the body. After examining all of the data, Rivas and her team concluded that 66 per cent of sea turtles have white-colored macro and microplastics in their systems, while 55 percent have a distinct class of plastic called microfibers, which are shed by some fabrics (织物). The high amount of white plastic in turtles was unsurprising, says Rivas, given that plastic of this color, particularly larger pieces, may resemble jellyfish, a large part of the animals' diets.

Microfibers were also present in 80 percent of whales and dolphins - and white macro and microplastics in 38 percent of them. The researchers also concluded that clear fiber microplastics are probably the most common form of this waste that is taken in by large marine animals globally. Rivas and her colleagues also discovered that the animals with the highest rates of plastic were those in the Mediterranean and the northeast Indian Ocean.

“The Mediterranean is the most contaminated sea in the world, so we expected to find these results,” says Rivas. Marine plastic pollution has increased roughly 10-fbld since 1980, and Rivas says the problem is worsened by inadequate water treatment systems. In parts of India and the southeast Mediterranean, waste water isn’t adequately treated or recycled, she says. This means that microfibers shed by fabrics in washing machines, and larger pieces of rubbish, enter the sea. “It’s possible to introduce management strategies to control these huge threats,” says Rivas.

1. How did Rivas and her team conduct the study?

A．By doing comparative experiments.

B．By analyzing data from previous studies.

C．By determining the forms and colors of plastics.

D．By looking for plastics in global marine animals.

2. Why was it unsurprising to find a large amount of white plastic in sea turtles?

A．White plastic looks like the food sea turtles consume.

B．More while plastic was in the sea than that of other colors.

C．White plastic is the most common form of the plastic waste.

D．White microfibers from fabrics were abundant in the oceans.

3. What does the underlined word “contaminated” probably mean in the last paragraph?

A．Researched

B．Conserved

C．Examined

D．Polluted

4. In which section of a newspaper may this text appear?

A．Health.

B．Lifestyle.

C．Science.

D．Education.

7 . 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—15^th 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: 15^tlh 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: 10^th 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.

2. What was the impact of the Printing Press according to the passage?

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.

3. What did people in the Near East think of coffee?

A．Another choice to alcohol.	B．Means of mining for resources.
C．A place to meet and play games.	D．Important milestones for humanity.

8 . 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.

2. Who hold(s) the idea that fishing activities caused the incidents?

A．Ken Balcomb.	B．The environmentalists.
C．Alfredo López.	D．Spain's government.

3. What does the underlined word "the agitation" in Paragraph 3 refer to?

A．The attacks.

B．Food shortages.

C．The overfishing.

D．Human activities.

4. What might be a suitable title for this text?

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?

9 . 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.

2. What did the author find after analyzing the reason of rejection?

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.

3. What might be the author's advice when you reject others?

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.

4. What is one of the benefits of rejection?

A．It enables us to live.	B．It gives us more time.
C．It has some plus sides.	D．It does something else.

10 . 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.

2. What does the underined phrase in the fourth paragraph mean?

A．Kill something completely.	B．Bring up in large numbers.
C．Control something completely.	D．Rely on something completely.

3. What is the author’s attitude towards mosquitoes?

A．Positive.

B．Negative.

C．Critical.

D．Objective.

4. What may the author continue to write about in the following?

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.