1 . When you walk with a backpack, do you know how the things inside move from side to side? Now scientists have figured out how to tap into that movement to produce electricity.
Picture a pendulum (摆锤) fixed to a backpack frame and stabilized with springs on either side. The pack’s weight is attached to the pendulum, so the pendulum swings side to side as you walk. Then a machine is driven by that swinging movement, and spits out electrical current to charge a battery.
Volunteers carried the pack while walking on a running machine and wore masks to measure the flow of O2 and CO2. Walking with the slightly swinging 20-pound load, the device (设备) did not significantly affect the volunteers’ metabolic (新陈代谢的) rate compared to when they carried the same weight fixed in place. In fact, the energy-harvesting pack reduced the forces of acceleration they’d feel in a regular pack, which might mean greater comfort for a long hike. And the device did produce a steady trickle (涓流) of electricity. If you up the load to 45 pounds, the swing of the pack could fully charge a smart phone only after 12 hours. The details are in the journal Royal Society Open Science.
The device produces electricity from human movement and has been identified as a workable solution to providing a renewable energy source for portable electronic devices. It is particularly useful for those who work in remote areas, as these people often carry a lot of weight in a backpack for their exploration.
But here’s a real conundrum: the energy-harvesting device currently weighs five pounds. The researchers say that’s about four pounds too many to be a smart alternative to batteries. So they hope that more research lets them lighten the load, to ensure the pack charges you up without weighing you down.
1. What does Paragraph 2 mainly talk about?| A．How the device works. |
| B．What the device looks like. |
| C．Who the device is designed for. |
| D．Why scientists designed the device. |
| A．It greatly affected the volunteers metabolic rate. |
| B．It harvested energy as the volunteers walk. |
| C．It failed to produce steady electricity. |
| D．It was useless for a long walk. |
| A．Problem. | B．Method. | C．Bond. | D．Decision. |
| A．Increase the charging speed of their device. |
| B．Find smarter alternatives to batteries. |
| C．Reduce the weight of their device. |
| D．Put their device on the market. |
2 . Many people fear a visit to the dentist. They are not so much afraid of the doctor, but of the dental equipment and treatments. For over a century, dentists have been repairing the bad tooth in the same way. They first remove the bad tooth tissue with an electric-powered drill. Then, they fill the hole with a certain material. If the hole is deep and near the nerve of the tooth, it can be very painful. The worst part is that the process of drilling and filling the hole has to be repeated for the entire life of that tooth.
A British company called Reminova says it has developed a kind of technology that will end the need for mechanical cleaning of bad teeth. It also says the technology speeds up a natural process of tooth repair. The new treatment begins with a cleaning of the hole. This does not require power tools. The dentist covers the problem area with a mineral solution, and then uses an electrical current to harden this material. The electricity is too weak for the patient to feel. And the hardened mineral completely fills the hole.
Researchers say this method could be especially useful for children. Sometimes children have bad experiences at the dentist’. They fear the drilling and injections. If they have a better experience of going to the dentist’, they’ll be much more positive in later life and probably become much more regular patients. The new method is most efficient on the early-stage bad tooth. The whole treatment lasts about as long as a normal drill-and-fill visit. They believe the new technology can be further developed for treating the late-stage bad tooth.
1. What do we know about the traditional treatment for the bad tooth?| A．The experience can be unpleasant. | B．The bad tooth will be taken out directly. |
| C．It costs much money. | D．The bad tooth can be cured once and for all. |
| A．It aims to speed up the process of tooth repair. | B．More power tools will be used for treatment. |
| C．The patient often gets an electric shock. | D．It causes less pain than the old one. |
| A．is only performed on children now | B．will take the patient much more time |
| C．needs to be improved for wider use | D．costs more than the drill-and-fill visit |
| A．Different Ways To Repair Bad Teeth | B．It’s Necessary To Keep Teeth Healthy |
| C．How To Prevent Children From Having Bad Teeth | D．Days of Painful Tooth Repair May Be Over |
3 . Robots are now being employed not just for dangerous tasks, such as discovering mines or rescuing people in disasters. They are also finding application as household helps and as nursing assistants. As the number of machines increases, which are equipped with the latest artificial intelligence and take on a growing variety of specialized and everyday tasks, the question of how people see them and behave towards them becomes ever more urgent.
A team led by Sari Nijssen of Radboud University and Markus Paulus, Professor of Developmental Psychology at Ludwig-Maximilians- Universitat (LMU), have carried out a study to determine the degree to which people show concern for robots and behave toward them based on moral principles.
According to Sari Nijssen, the study set out to answer the following question: "Under what circumstances would adults be willing to sacrifice robots to save human lives?" The participants were faced with a hypothetical (假设的) moral dilemma:Would they be prepared to put a single person at risk in order to save a group of injured persons? The intended victim presented in the situations was either a humanoid robot that had been humanized (人性化的) to various degrees or a robot that was clearly recognizable as a machine.
The study suggested that the more the robot was humanized, the less likely participants were to sacrifice it. Situations that included vivid stories in which the robot was described as a merciful being or as a creature with its own understandings, experiences and thoughts, were more likely to stop the study participants from sacrificing it in the interests of anonymous (无名的) humans.
"This result indicates that our study group attached a certain moral status to the robot," says Paulus. "One possible suggestion of this finding is that attempts to humanize robots should not go too far. Such efforts could come into conflict with their intended function—to be of help to us."
1. What has become a concern about robots?| A．How to treat them in life. | B．How to humanize them. |
| C．How to use them effectively. | D．How to find more applications. |
| A．where to experience risks. | B．when to sacrifice a robot. |
| C．which robot to work with. | D．what robots should be like. |
| A．Humanized robots offer less help to people. |
| B．Certain moral status should be attached to robots. |
| C．Humanizing robots too much may be improper. |
| D．Conflicts often happen between humans and robots. |
| A．Robots, a Must for Future | B．Robots Saved, People Take the Hit |
| C．Humanized Robots, a New Trend | D．Humanized Robots Replace Human |
4 . When you visit Kinderdijk, one of the most visited villages in the Netherlands, you step right into the middle of Dutch history.
Kinderdijk lies in the Alblasserwaard, where the Lek and Noord rivers meet together. Much of the village is near or even below sea level. Although there are canals and dykes (堤坝), the lowlands of the village are still at risk of flooding (洪灾). Among the most deadly floods was Saint Elisabeth’s flood in 1421, which killed thousands after the dykes broke in several places. To deal with this kind of problem, the Kinderdijk windmills (风车) were built around 1740 to move water from the lower areas to higher ground and into the river.
Nineteen of the 20 Kinderdijk windmills remain and were named a UNESCO World Heritage (遗产) Site in 1997. Of the 19 windmills, 16 still have millers who live inside and control the huge sails (翼板) in the wind. These windmills continue to help manage the Netherlands ongoing fight to stay above water.
For tourists, boat tours are offered along the canals and walkways lead from the visitor center to the windmills. Two windmills serve as museums, filled with old millers’ items and photos. You can climb up inside to see how the windmills work. The windmills also are working, so be prepared to feel the whole building shake when the sails turn in the wind.
Each year, about 500,000 people visit the Kinderdijk windmills and the buildings have become a must-see on any trip to the Netherlands. There are some windmills north of Amsterdam that “were built for tourists, but we’re a historical site where tourists come, so it’s the other way around,” says Kinderdijk communications manager Peter Paul Klapwijk. “Tourism is a good way to support our site.”
1. Why were the Kinderdijk windmills built around 1740?| A．To protect dykes. | B．To produce clean water. |
| C．To prevent floods. | D．To keep the sea level from rising. |
| A．Most of them are working as before. |
| B．Most of them have become museums. |
| C．Several of them have been sold to millers. |
| D．Several of them were destroyed long ago. |
| A．Fearful. | B．Worried. | C．Excited. | D．Surprised. |
| A．The history of Kinderdijk |
| B．A famous historical site |
| C．An amazing village of canals |
| D．The traditions of the Netherlands |
5 . High school often serves to prepare students for a college education, or it might be the last stop on the educational journey for some people. No matter which path one may select, high school life offers students the opportunities to achieve a great deal of learning, get to know themselves, or simply have fun.
In America, high school is a special experience with a culture of its own. Public high schools exist in all communities. Every community in the United States has a public school system, teaching children at primary and secondary levels. These schools are free and supported mainly by taxes, with additional aid from states and governments. Private high schools are a choice for parents who want to give their child a better education. They are often very expensive. Private schools are usually famous for their academic reputation (学术声望). This academic reputation is related to college preparation.
In high school, students study various academic subjects such as English, literature, foreign languages, maths, science, history, geography and so on. Some large high schools have classes that teach job-related subjects like auto mechanics, cooking and others, in order to provide students with skills needed for certain jobs. High school might also offer “honours classes” for particularly smart and sharp students.
Some states give basic skills exams during the last year of the high school process to make sure that certain academic standards are met, but, again, high school curricula (课程) vary greatly among communities.
High school sports, particularly basketball and football, are often organised. Inter-city and cross-town competitions are often held. These competitions are popular, especially in communities that do not have their own professional sports teams. Nearly all high school teams have nicknames: the Knights and the Tigers being some famous examples.
1. Which of the following is not the supporting source of public school?| A．Taxes. | B．States. |
| C．Community. | D．Governments. |
| A．Private schools are a better choice for parents than public schools. |
| B．All private high schools in the United States are very expensive. |
| C．Private schools can usually provide better college preparation. |
| D．There is a private school system in every community. |
| A．Some schools have special classes for smart students. |
| B．Some states set academic standards in the first year. |
| C．Sports competitions are only in the city or town. |
| D．All communities have their own professional sports teams. |
| A．Life in the USA |
| B．Education in the USA |
| C．Public Schools and Private Schools in the USA |
| D．High Schools in the USA |
6 . Still seeking a destination for your weekend break? There are some places which are probably a mere walk away from your college.
King’s Art Centre
A day at the Centre could mean a visit to an exhibition of the work of one of the most interesting contemporary artists on show anywhere. This weekend sees the opening of an exhibition of four local artists.
You could attend a class teaching you how to ‘learn from the masters’ or get more creative with paint — free of charge.
The Centre also runs two life drawing classes for which there is a small fee.
The Botanic Garden
The Garden has over 8,000 plant species; it holds the research and teaching collection of living plants for Cambridge University.
The multi-branched Torch Aloe here is impressive. The African plant produces red flowers above blue-green leaves, and is not one to miss.
Get to the display house to see Dianaea muscipula, a plant more commonly known as the Venus Flytrap that feeds on insects and other small animals.
The Garden is also a place for wildlife-enthusiasts (热爱者). Look for grass snakes in the lake. A snake called ‘Hissing Sid’ is regularly seen lying in the heat of the warm sun.
Byron’s Pool
Many stories surround Lard Byron’s time as a student of Cambridge University. Arriving in 1805, he wrote a letter complaining that it was a place of “mess and drunkenness”. However, it seems as though Byron did manage to pass the time pleasantly enough. I’m not just talking about the pet bear he kept in his rooms. He spent a great deal of time walking in the village.
It is also said that on one occasion Byron swam by moonlight in the lake, which is now known as Byron’s Pool. A couple of miles past Grantchester in the south Cambridgeshire countryside, the pool is surrounded by beautiful circular paths around the fields.
1. As is mentioned in the passage, there is a small charge for ________.| A．attending the masters’ class | B．working with local artists |
| C．learning life drawing | D．seeing an exhibition |
| A．common insects | B．impressive plants |
| C．rarely-seen snakes | D．wildlife-enthusiasts |
| A．to fear pet bears | B．to like walking |
| C．to be a heavy drinker | D．to finish university in 1805 |
7 . Football is my favorite sport. I loved to watch it, but I had never played in a football game before I went to college. I lacked self－confidence and I doubted if I could do well in a team, which was why I hardly did sports together with others. I just loved practicing playing football in the backyard of my house.
About one month after I went to college, one day some of my classmates said they'd play a football game with some players of another class. I really looked forward to it but never thought I'd join them to play. That day finally came and I went to watch with my classmates. However, just about ten minutes after the game started, one member of our football team got injured and could no longer play. The other members looked worried. Then one of them came to me and asked, “Can you play?” At first, I shook my head, but then I nodded. “Great! Come and play,” he said. I followed him, having no idea at all what to do. To my joy, he asked me to play in defense (防守). Defense was my favorite because I found it more fun and less complicated (复杂的). Then the game began again. There weren't a lot of big kids on the offensive line (攻击线) of the other team and I suddenly gained some self－confidence. About five minutes later, the ball was kicked toward the guard. I thought it was a good opportunity for me. I quickly ran past the guard and got the ball. When the guard came to the offensive line, I kicked the ball. I scored and all my classmates cheered. You may not believe it, but I scored twice that time. The final score was 6—2 and we won. My teammates thought that I did very well and none of them believed I hadn't played in a game before.
That game really changed me. I am a really confident person now and often play football games with my teammates.
1. Why didn't the author play sports with others before?| A．He wasn't interested in sports. |
| B．He wasn't popular with others. |
| C．He couldn't afford time for sports. |
| D．He wasn't confident about his ability. |
| A．excited | B．boring |
| C．anxious | D．angry |
| A．got nervous about watching football games |
| B．decided to become a full－time football player |
| C．was considered the best football player at school |
| D．fell in love with joining others in playing football |
| A．My first football game. |
| B．My most unforgettable experience. |
| C．My way of finding self－confidence. |
| D．My way of scoring at football games. |
8 . Nearly all of us have a bad habit, whether we know it or not. Some people say they want to get rid of it but don’t know the proper ways. Here’s some advice on how to get rid of bad habits.
Make a list. Write down why you want to stop a certain behavior, how it’s hurting you and how to get rid of it. This will help a lot. Look at that list regularly.
Join in other activities. It’s wise of you to do something else when you want to stop your bad habits. If you get angry easily, for example, you can practice having a deep breath or going for a walk.
Give yourself a present. Before you take action against a bad habit, decide what you’ll do to celebrate it if you reach your goal.
Keep off bad habits. If you are fat and want to lose weight, keep junk food out of your house. If you are a heavy smoker with coffee, turn to tea and keep away from friends who like smoking.
Be patient. Bad habits develop over years, so you probably won’t be able to get rid of them quickly. In fact, people often give up several times before being successful, so you should be patient.
Find support. Don’t be afraid to ask for support from friends, family or other people who have the same bad habits as you. When you talk to others, they might be able to provide advice or encouragement that you usually wouldn’t get from yourself.
1. If you want to lose weight, you should ______.| A．drink more coffee. | B．refuse the junk food. |
| C．find support from friends. | D．find a heavy smoker. |
| A．it’s not easy to get rid of bad habits in a short time. |
| B．You can write down the reasons for getting rid of bad habits. |
| C．When talking to others, you can get what you can’t get from yourself. |
| D．When you want to stop your bad habits, don’t do anything. |
| A．how to get rid of bad habits. | B．why we have some bad habits. |
| C．what to do to have a bad habit. | D．where to find some support |
9 . Black rhinos(犀牛) have terrible eyesight. Even so, these African giants easily fend off hungry predators such as lions and hyenas. Their basic body plan has proved to be good enough to survive on African grasslands full of large predators, being very large, thick-skinned, big sword-like horns.
But those protective traits(特征) are no match for humans with guns. Today the species is critically endangered largely due to poaching. But the rhinos may have an unlikely ally against poachers: the red-billed oxpecker. The chatty, sociable birds often hang out on the backs of rhinos, feasting on parasitic ticks(寄生虫).And actually, research has shown that the tick is the favorite diet of an oxpecker.
The birds also get nutrients by picking at sores on the rhinos’ bodies. Victoria University of Melbourne behavioral ecologist Roan Plotz suspected that the rhinos put up with this indignity because the oxpeckers make loud alarm calls whenever they see humans approach, giving the rhinos an early warning to flee.
To test whether the oxpeckers do, in fact, act as noisy lookouts, Plotz and his team implanted(植入) radio transmitters in the rhinos’ horns. This didn’t hurt the rhinos and allowed the researchers to track the animals.
“And approach them undetected, when the oxpeckers were on the back and when the oxpeckers were not on their backs, to get an idea of if the birds do alarm them and if the rhinos do listen.”
The researchers found that rhinos without oxpeckers detected an approaching human only 23 percent of the time, at an average distance of 27 meters. But when oxpeckers were present, the birds alarmed the rhinos 100 percent of the time. And they detected the human 61 meters away on average. And the more oxpeckers on the scene , the greater the detection distance.
“It makes sense because the more eyes you have on your back, looking out for you, the more chance that they can pick up anything coming. There can be no doubt that the rhino is listening on the oxpecker alarm call.”
1. What does the underlined phrase in the first paragraph mean?| A．Defend against. | B．Feed. |
| C．Hide from. | D．Attract. |
| A．To protect rhinos from poachers. |
| B．To seek protection from rhinos. |
| C．To find food over the rhino’s body. |
| D．To let rhinos carry them around. |
| A．Rhinos have poor eyesight. |
| B．The birds alarm and rhinos listen. |
| C．There are many ticks on rhinos. |
| D．The birds have sharp eyes. |
| A．They protect each other from dangers. |
| B．They are food source for each other. |
| C．They depend on each other for survival. |
| D．They have win-win partnership. |
10 . A music talent show launched by Mango TV has caught the attention of domestic TV channel viewers recently. This entertainment program, whose Chinese name translates to “Sisters Who Brave Winds and Waves”, invited 30 established actresses in their thirties, put them up in an apartment where they competed against each other and then selected five among them to form a new star group.
While young hopefuls are commonly considered to be the protagonists of music talent show, “Sisters Who Brave Winds and Waves” turns out to be an outlier. Apart from showcasing female stars musical talent, this show tries to deliver a positive message that age should not be the barrier for female entertainers to chase their dreams. The reality that most female entertainers have a short “shelf life” needs to be changed.
Attracted by the unique theme of Mango TV’s new show, many Chinese viewers were desperate for the show’s debut. The first episode aired last week received 10 million views within the first 20 minutes. Following the initial success, Mango Excellent Media’s stock rose by nearly 9% on Friday and another 7% on Monday. The company’s market value has now surpassed 100 billion yuan ($ 14 billion).
The value of this show was not only recognized by the market, but also the majority of Chinese viewers. Many netizens made good comments on the new show as it encouraged them to explore their inner potential no matter how old they are. One wrote, “Of course, young stars in their late teens and early 20s are beautiful. But I feel more impressed by these celebrities over the age of 30.” She went on to say that their confidence and ambition make them shine, and that age is just a number.
The Mango TV’s new show comes as a welcome relief, which demonstrates that charm and ambition is not limited to the young age. In fact, such age equality should extend to all professions to ensure that people with all ages could be treated equally in pursuit of their career goals.
1. What does the underlined word “outlier” in paragraph 2 mean?| A．Surprise. | B．Success. |
| C．Failure. | D．Exception. |
| A．The company’s market value has now exceeded 14 billion dollars. |
| B．Mango Excellent Media’s stock rose by nearly 16% over the weekend. |
| C．Nearly 10 million viewers watched the first episode within the first hour. |
| D．The debut of the new show did not affect the company's market value. |
| A．She thinks young celebrities are not attractive to the audience. |
| B．She holds the view that Mango TV’s new show is conventional. |
| C．She believes charm could make the celebrities shine no matter their age. |
| D．She complains about age discrimination in the entertainment industry,. |
| A．He/She aims to purse gender equality. |
| B．He/She protests against age discrimination. |
| C．He/She is a fan of musical shows. |
| D．He/She dreams about being an actor/actress. |
