1 . Most scientists are now certain that global warming is taking place. Gases such as carbon dioxide are creating a warm blanket around the earth. This blanket is trapping heat in the atmosphere, and so raising the temperature of the earth.
In Europe, eight of the last ten years have seen record high temperatures. On the other hand, the countries around the Mediterranean Sea are receiving even less rain than before. In Sub- Saharan Africa the crops are drying out in the fields and people are dying of starvation. In 1999, the southern United States was struck by a serious of destructive(毁灭性的) hurricanes. Scientists expect such trends to continue, and to worsen, if global warming cannot be stopped.
In addition to worrying about rising global temperatures and extreme weather conditions, scientists are closely monitoring sea levels around the world. They are slowly rising, as the northern and southern polar ice caps start to melt. This will have serious consequences for low-lying countries near the sea. Already parts of these places are disappearing under the rising sea water.
According to a new research, one contradictory feature(特征) of global warming is that it will probably lead to a period of much colder weather. Scientists base their theory on what happened the last time the world warmed up, 8,300 years ago. They have discovered that when the ice melted from the northern polar ice cap it became trapped in a lake in northern Canada. As more ice melted, this lake suddenly burst open, pouring millions of tons of freezing fresh water into the North Atlantic. This flood of water prevented the normal flow of water in the Atlantic, which takes warm water from the tropics(热带地区) north to Europe. When this flow of warm water was cut off, temperatures in Europe dropped by between three and eight degrees over the next 200 years. ''That's the concern here,'' says Richard Alley, an American climate expert. ''The climate hasn't varied much in 8, 000 years. But big changes could come back!''
1. What is the overall effect of global warming on Europe?| A．A warmer climate. | B．A decline in rainfall. |
| C．An increase of hurricanes. | D．A decrease of crop production. |
| A．The rising sea level. | B．The melting of icebergs. |
| C．The increase in disasters. | D．The cause of global warming. |
| A．By offering statistics. | B．By giving an example. |
| C．By making comparisons. | D．By analyzing the process. |
| A．Global climate change will bring more disasters. |
| B．Global warming will likely produce a colder climate. |
| C．Global warming will continue for the next two centuries. |
| D．Global climate will remain unchangeable in the next 8,000 years. |
2 . Dolphins are universally regarded as some of the cleverest creatures in the world. In captivity ( 圈养), they can be trained to complete complex tasks such as jumping through hoops and somersaulting through the air.
But their intelligence doesn’t stop there. In a recent study of cetaceans (鲸目动物)--a group of animals that includes dolphins and whales--researchers created a list of intelligent behaviors observed in 90 different cetacean species, reported the Guardian. For example, the smartest cetaceans hunt in groups, share knowledge through mimicry (模仿) and even care for each other's children. Some even consider their behavior to be human-like.
“There is the saying that ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ seems to be true for both whales and humans,”
Michael Muthukrishna of the London School of Economics, co-author of the study, told the Guardian.
However, cetaceans don’t just use their brain power for survival. The study suggests that dolphins might even gossip. That's because some species greet each other with specific whistles, just as humans greet each other by name, the Guardian reported. Sometimes, a group of dolphins whistles the “name” of a dolphin that isn't there. Could they be speaking about their “friend” behind its back?
For the researchers, dolphin small talk is a big deal. As they found that the most social cetaceans also have the largest brains, they argue that cetacean intelligence developed to meet the demands of complex social groups.
Known as the “cultural brain hypothesis (假设),” it had only been used to explain the intelligence of humans and other primates (灵长目动物). The new study aimed to find a common pathway for the evolution of intelligence among biologically different species.
“It is interesting to think that whale and human brains are different in their structure but have brought us to the same patterns in behavior, ” Luke Rendell, a biologist at the University of St Andrews, told the Guardian.
Indeed, we still have a lot to learn about our intelligent ocean-dwelling neighbors. “We don’ t have to look at other planets to look for aliens,” Muthukrishna told the Guardian, “because we know that underwater there are these amazing species with so many parallels to us in their complex behaviors.”
1. The recent study was intended to ______.| A．learn more about intelligent creatures of the sea |
| B．explain the intelligence of humans and cetaceans |
| C．create a list of intelligent behaviors of different cetacean species |
| D．see whether the intelligence of different species evolved in the same way |
| A．villagers have the responsibility to raise any child in the village |
| B．like human beings, whales even help raise each other’s babies |
| C．cetaceans have social behaviors very similar to human beings |
| D．it is not easy for one villager to take care of his or her own child |
| A．it is unnecessary to look for aliens and do research into them |
| B．some cetaceans have the same intelligence as human beings |
| C．both dolphins and whales greet each other with specific whistles |
| D．both dolphins and whales have a lot in common with humans in behaviors |
| A．Aliens living underwater | B．A study of intelligent dolphins |
| C．Intelligent creatures of the sea | D．Reasons for the intelligence of sea creatures |
3 . POETRY CHALLENGE
Write a poem about how courage, determination, and strength have helped you face challenges in your life.
Prizes
3 Grand Prizes:Trip to Washington, D.C. for each of three winners, a parent and one other person of the winner’s choice. Trip includes round-trip air tickets, hotel stay for two nights, and tours of the National Air and Space Museum and the office of National Geographic World.
6 First Prizes:The book Sky Pioneer:A Photobiography of Amelia Earhart signed by author Corinne Szabo and pilot Linda Finch.
50 Honorable Mentions:Judges will choose up to 50 honorable mention winners, who will each receive a T-shirt in memory of Earhart’s final flight.
Rules
Follow all rules carefully to prevent disqualification.
■Write a poem using 100 words or fewer. Your poem can be any format, any number of lines.
■Write by hand or type on a single sheet of paper. You may use both the front and back of the paper.
■On the same sheet of paper, write or type your name, address, telephone number, and birth date.
■Mail your entry to us by October 31 this year.
1. How many people can each grand prize winner take on the free trip?| A．Two. | B．Three. | C．Four. | D．Six. |
| A．A plane ticket. | B．A book by Corinne Szabo. |
| C．A special T-shirt. | D．A photo of Amelia Earhart. |
| A．Typing your poem out. | B．Writing a poem of 120 words. |
| C．Using both sides of the paper. | D．Mailing your entry on October 30. |
4 . We are the products of evolution, and not just evolution that occurred billions of years ago. As scientists look deeper into our genes (基因), they are finding examples of human evolution in just the past few thousand years. People in Ethiopian highlands have adapted to living at high altitudes. Cattle -raising people in East Africa and northern Europe have gained a mutation (突变) that helps them digest milk as adults.
On Thursday in an article published in Cell, a team of researchers reported a new kind of adaptation - not to air or to food, but to the ocean. A group of sea-dwelling people in Southeast Asia have evolved into better divers. The Bajau, as these people are known, number in the hundreds of thousands in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. They have traditionally lived on houseboats; in recent times, they’ve also built houses on stilts (支柱) in coastal waters. “They are simply a stranger to the land,” said Redney C. Jubilado, a University of Hawaii researcher who studies the Bajau.
Dr. Jubilado first met the Bajau while growing up on Samal Island in the Philippines. They made a living as divers, spearfishing or harvesting shellfish. “We were so amazed that they could stay underwater much longer than us local islanders,” Dr. Jubilado said. “I could see them actually walking under the sea.”
In2015, Melissa Ilardo, then a graduate student in genetics at the University of Copenhagen, heard about the Bajau. She wondered if centuries of diving could have led to the evolution of physical characteristics that made the task easier for them. “it seemed like the perfect chance for natural selection to act on a population,” said Dr. Ilardo. She also said there were likely a number of other genes that help the Bajau dive.
1. What does the author want to tell us by the examples in paragraph 1?| A．Environmental adaptation of cattle raisers. | B．New knowledge of human evolution. |
| C．Recent findings of human origin. | D．Significance of food selection. |
| A．In valleys. | B．Near rivers. | C．On the beach. | D．Off the coast. |
| A．They could walk on stilts all day. | B．They had a superb way of fishing. |
| C．They could stay long underwater. | D．They lived on both land and water. |
| A．Bodies Remodeled for a Life at Sea | B．Highlanders’ Survival Skills |
| C．Basic Methods of Genetic Research | D．The World’s Best Divers |
5 . Train Information
All customers travelling on TransLink services must be in possession of a valid ticket before boarding. For ticket information，please ask at your local station or call 13 12 30.
While Queensland Rail makes every effort to ensure trains run as scheduled，there can be no guarantee of connections between trains or between train services and bus services.
Lost property(失物招领)
Call Lost Property on 13 16 17 during business hours for items lost on Queensland Rail services.
The lost property office is open Monday to Friday 7:30am to 5:00pm and is located(位于)at Roma Street station.
Public holidays
On public holidays, generally a Sunday timetable operates. On certain major event days，i.e.
Australia Day, Anzac Day, sporting and cultural days, special additional services may operate.
Christmas Day services operate to a Christmas Day timetable，Before travel please visit translink. com. au or call TransLink on 13 12 30 anytime.
Customers using mobility devices
Many stations have wheelchair access from the car park or entrance to the station platforms.
For assistance, please Queensland Rail on 13 16 17.
Guardian trains (outbound)
Depart | Origin | Destination | Arrive |
6:42pm | Altandi | Varsity Lakes | 7:37pm |
7:29pm | Central | Varsity Lakes | 8:52pm |
8:57pm | Fortitude Valley | Varsity Lakes | 9:52pm |
11:02pm | Roma Street | Varsity Lakes | 12:22am |
| A．Call 13 16 17. | B．Visit translink .com.au. |
| C．Ask at the local station. | D．Check the train schedule. |
| A．Altandi. | B．Roma Street. | C．Varsity Lakes. | D．Fortitude Valley. |
| A．6:42 pm. | B．7:29 pm. | C．8:57 pm. | D．11:02 pm. |
6 . The cancer death rate in the U.S. fell by the most on record as advances in treatments for lung tumors （肿瘤） like video-assisted surgery helped prolong the lives of patients.
The death rate from cancer has been gradually declining for 26 years, thanks in large part to fewer people smoking cigarettes. But from 2016 to 2017, the most recent period available, it dropped by 2.2%, the most ever in a single year, according to a report released Wednesday by the American Cancer Society. That compares with an average 1.5% yearly decline over the decade. The drop translates to roughly 2.9 million fewer cancer deaths than would have occurred had death rates remained at their peak. For lung cancer specifically, the death rate declined 4.3% annually from 2013 to 2017.
"It is really lung cancer that is driving this," said Rebecca Siegel, scientific director of surveillance research at the American Cancer Society, and lead author on the new study. "We found increases in survival for lung cancer at every stage in diagnosis.”, She attributed the lower deaths to improvements in treatments, including video-assisted surgery that enables more patients with early lung tumors to become eligible for operations; more precise radiation treatment; and better scanning technology that allows doctors to better assess the stage of tumor, so the patient gets the best treatment right away. At later stages of illness, new, targeted drugs that aim at specific disease-causing genes are helping patients whose tumors have those genetic flaws （缺陷）.Overall, lung cancer death rates have dropped by 51% for men since their peak in 1990, and by 26% for women since their peak in 2002.
There's the potential for more progress in future reports. That's because the latest death-rate statistics go only through 2017, and likely don't include the potential impact in lung cancer death from immune-therapy drugs. They became widely used in lung cancer only in the past few years.
The report, based on U.S. government data, isn't all good news. Prostate （前列腺）cancer death rates have leveled off recently after a period of decline. That may be because many doctors pulled back on using the controversial prostate-specific antigen test, or PSA, which can spot the disease but can lead to over-treatment of men who may never have died from their tumors.
"Though it was definitely causing harm, it was also contributing to declines in death," Siegel said. What's needed now is better screening tests to detect only the prostate cancers that will go on to cause harm.
Population death rates are considered one of the most reliable ways of measuring progress in cancer treatment and prevention. By contrast, cancer survival rates can sometimes be influenced by improvements in diagnosing tiny, early stage tumors that wouldn't necessarily be deadly.
1. According to paragraph 2, ______.| A．cancer death rate reached its peak in 2017 |
| B．death rate decreases over the past 2 decades |
| C．2.9 million people die of cancer in America every year |
| D．most of the cancer patients in America suffer from lung cancer |
| A．female death rate of lung cancer drops more than that of male |
| B．targeted drugs have led to rapid increase in cancer death rates |
| C．better scanning technology will lead to improvement in treating genetic flaws |
| D．improper use of prostate-specific antigen test can lead to over-treatment of men |
| A．remain unchanged | B．show up |
| C．take off | D．become sharp |
| A．Medical Progress Prolonging Patients’ Lives |
| B．Cancer Death Rates Dropping at the Fastest Pace |
| C．Significant Improvement in Treating Lung Cancer |
| D．Advanced Technologies Applied in Cancer Treatment |
7 . For or Against?—That Is the Question
Andy is the most unreasonable and he makes me so angry that I could even scream sometimes! Of course, I sort of have to love him because he is my twin brother. Andy and Amy （that is me） have the same curly hair and dark eyes and are equally stubborn. Yet, on most issues we usually take opposite positions.
Just this week in our school, there was a heated discussion on whether to adopt a school dress code. Every student would be required to wear a uniform. The teachers are divided: Some are in favor of the uniforms while others are opposed. The principal has asked the students to express their opinions by voting on the issue before decisions are made. But she will have the final word on the dress code.
I think a dress code is a good idea. The reason is simple. The less I have to decide first thing in the morning, the better. I can't tell you how many mornings I look into my closet and just stare, unable to decide what to wear.
Andy is shocked at my opinion. Last night, he even dragged out my parents' high school photo albums to show me how brilliant they looked without uniforms! He also declared, "Bruce Springsteen never wore a school uniform. Bob Dylan wouldn't have been caught dead in a school uniform! Besides, when I am feeling political, I want to be able to wear clothes made of natural, undyed fibers, sewn or assembled in countries that do not pollute the environment or exploit child labor. If I have to wear a uniform, I won't feel like me!"
To that I replied, "So your personal heroes didn't wear school uniforms. But they went to high school about a million years ago! I feel sorry for you since I had no idea that your ego（自我）is so fragile that it would be completely destroyed by a uniform." That really made him angry and he shouted, "You're just copying what you hear that new music teacher saying because you are crazy about him!"
Fortunately, the bell rang before we could do each other physical harm, and we went to our separate classes. The vote for or against uniforms took place later that day. The results of the vote and the principal's decision will be announced next week. I wonder what it will be. I know how I voted, and I'm pretty sure I know how Andy voted. How would you vote---for or against?
1. Amy and Andy often get angry with each other because ______ .| A．they're both stubborn | B．they like different teachers |
| C．they always hold different views | D．they don't like each other very much |
| A．school clothing should reflect parents' values |
| B．teenagers should never follow the latest clothing fashion |
| C．the way one dresses should be an expression of one's personality |
| D．wearing school uniforms means one makes less decision every morning |
| A．The principal. | B．Their parents. |
| C．Their teachers. | D．Students themselves. |
| A．Andy shouldn't look up to his heroes so much |
| B．our clothes should decide people's attitudes towards us |
| C．Andy's lack of self-confidence is reflected in his clothing |
| D．our clothes shouldn't determine how we feel about ourselves |
8 . While jewelry made from gold can be beautiful, most people admit that wearing the heavy metal over long periods of time can get a little annoying. Now, researchers from Swiss university ETH Zurich have created a new form of lightweight gold that weighs five to ten times less than traditional 18-carat gold—which typically consists of 75 percent gold and 25 percent copper—but has the same purity.
The researchers began by mixing gold with water, salt, protein fibers and other materials. They then replaced the water with alcohol and placed the mixture inside a high-pressure carbon dioxide (CO2) box. The reaction between the gas and alcohol transformed the golden plastic into a light material that can be heated to melt and made into whatever form was needed. "This gold has some characteristics of plastic,” says team leader Raffaele Mezzenga, professor of Food and Soft Materials at ETH Zurich.
In addition to being lighter, the "plastic” gold has other advantages over traditional forms. It can be melted into shape at about 105 degrees Celsius, much lower than the 1,064 degrees Celsius required to melt pure 24-carat gold. The metal's firmness can be easily adjusted by changing the components at the beginning of the process. It is also much easier to vary the color. "As a general rule, our approach lets us create almost any kind of gold we choose, in line with the desired properties, says Mezzenga.
The researchers, who published their study in the journal Advanced Functional Materials on January 10, 2020, believe the new lightweight gold will be able to replace the metallic version in most traditional applications, including jewelry and watches. However, given that most buyers associate high-quality gold with weight, that may take some time. But the material will undoubtedly be beneficial for use inside electronic devices, chemical catalysts (催化剂),and even radiation shielding.
1. Why do many people find the traditional gold annoying?| A．It costs too much。 |
| B．Its purity is too low. |
| C．It feels too heavy to wear long. |
| D．Its beauty lasts a short time, |
| A．The functions of the "plastic" gold. |
| B．The components of the "plastic” gold. |
| C．The characteristics of the "plastic” gold. |
| D．The production process of the "plastic" gold. |
| A．It is easier to process. |
| B．It is more widely used. |
| C．It has a lower temperature. |
| D．It is more convenient to get. |
| A．A diary. | B．A guidebook. |
| C．A novel. | D．A magazine. |
9 . In 1926, US automaker Henry Ford shortened its employees' workweek from six eight-hour days to five, with no pay cuts. It's something workers and labor unions had been calling for. Ford wasn't responding to worker demands； he was being a businessman. He expected increased productivity and knew workers with more time and money would buy and use the products they were making. It was a way of encouraging consumerism and productivity to increase profits, and it succeeded.
Since standardization of the 40-hour workweek in the mid-20th century, everything has changed but the hours. If anything, many people are working even longer hours, especially in North America. This has a severe influence on human health and well-being, as well as the environment. Until the Second World War, it was common for one person in a family, usually the oldest male, to work full-time. Now, women make up 42 percent of the world's full-time workforce. Technology has made a lot of work unnecessary, with computers and robots doing many tasks previously performed by humans.
Well into the 21st century, we continue to work the same long hours as 20th century laborers, using up ever more of Earth's supply to produce more goods that we must keep working to buy, use and replace in a seemingly endless cycle of hard work and consumption. It's time to pause and consider better ways to live like shifting from fossil-fueled lifestyles with which our consumer-based workweeks are connected.
The UK think tank, New Economics （经济学）Foundation, argues that a standard 21-hour workweek would address a number of interconnected problems： "overwork, unemployment, over-consumption, high carbon emissions, low well-being, and the lack of time to live sustainably, to care for each other, and simply to enjoy life".
Economic systems that require constant growth on a finite （有限的）planet don't make sense. It's time for a change in our economic thinking.
1. Why did Ford decide to shorten the workweek?| A．To cut workers' pay. |
| B．To make more profits. |
| C．To respond to worker demands. |
| D．To meet labor unions, requirements. |
| A．More women worked full-time. |
| B．The number of laborers decreased. |
| C．Technology enabled people to work shorter hours. |
| D．It was unnecessary for a family's oldest male to work. |
| A．Longer working hours means better consumption ability. |
| B．The 21st century sees the longest working hours in history. |
| C．The cycle of hard work and consumption should be changed. |
| D．Pausing our way of living can change the present workweek. |
| A．increase unemployment |
| B．cause various problems |
| C．encourage people to enjoy life |
| D．challenge the economic growth |
10 . People often plan to receive medical exam but don’t, resulting in increasing health care cost. A surprising number of citizens mean to complete tax forms in time but forget to, forcing them to pay unnecessary fines. Many families miss the government deadline to complete financial aid forms, losing out on aid available for child care.
How can policymakers help people follow through on important tasks? They use carrots and sticks: bonuses, late fees, or regulations. These methods can be clumsy, and often aren’t effective for the situation at hand. Reminding people to form simple plans. however, provides a low-cost, simple, and powerful tool.
Evidence is growing that providing prompts, which push people at key times to think through how and when they will follow through, make people more likely to act on tasks of importance. In one early randomized study on tetanus vaccination rates, for example, a team of social psychologists showed that 28% of Oxford University seniors got the shot after being encouraged to review their weekly schedules and to select a possible time to stop by the health center. They were also given a list of times when shots were available and a map showing the health center’s location. Only 3% of the seniors got the shot when simply informed about how effective the shots were.
People who make a plan gain an advantage from their psychological forces. Specifically, they can overcome the tendency to put off as well as the tendency to be overly optimistic about the time it will take to accomplish a task. Imagine Sarah who wants to renew a car insurance, but it will require two hours of travel to and from a garage. Making a plan may lead her to lake two hours off and have her responsibilities covered by her colleagues while she is away. Moreover, she will be less likely to underestimate the time needed to accomplish the task—a particularly common problem for complex tasks.
People mistakenly believe that their strong intentions are enough to push them to perform desired behaviors. These psychological research results stress the need for policy decisions that encourage plan making and improve social welfare.
1. What phenomenon is described in paragraph 1?| A．Heavy burden of daily chores. | B．Lack of task management skills. |
| C．Disappointment of over-ambitions. | D．Failure to achieve original intentions. |
| A．People need to think deeply before they act. |
| B．Specific reminders help people accomplish plans. |
| C．Awareness of task significance matters in planning. |
| D．Seniors need encouragement to have vaccination shots. |
| A．They are realistic in the time required. | B．They are optimistic about the outcome. |
| C．They are confident to overcome hardship. | D．They are careful with task arrangements. |
| A．Medical staff. | B．Government officials. |
| C．Ordinary people. | D．Social psychologists. |
