1 . In an incredible display of compassion and kindness, a man from Turkey was spotted trying to warm a pigeon in the most creative way.
Sabahattin Yılmaz was at home one chilly day. After a rain shower had passed, he noticed something landed on the sill (窗台) outside his window—a cold and wet pigeon. The animal was trembling and soaked; it clearly didn’t have the chance to seek shelter before the rain began. Feeling for the poor pigeon, Yılmaz thought of a way to dry him off.
Rather than pick him up and take him inside to warm up, Yılmaz plugged in a hairdryer and used it to dry off the bird. Little did he know that his neighbor captured the whole moment on video. In the video, Yılmaz can be seen leaning out of his window. He was stretching his arm as far as he can so the hot air can reach the pigeon. The bird willingly let the man warm him up, crouching (蹲伏) to let his outer feathers dry.
Yılmaz told the media that he spent about fifteen minutes drying off the bird. He said he had just opened his window when he saw the pigeon around the corner of the sill. He described it as wet and “about to freeze” from the cold and rainy weather.
After fifteen minutes, Yılmaz gave the pigeon birdseed, which he ate happily. However, the bird remained wet still. “I saw that it was still there so I warmed it up again, after the pigeon recovered again, and after eating a good amount of seed, it flew away,” Yılmaz recalled.
He also didn’t know that he was being recorded at the time and that the video was shared online. He simply did it out of the kindness of his heart. “The pigeon is a living creature and deserved to continue living, that is why I did it,” he said.
1. What is the text mainly about?| A．An online video about a pigeon became a hit. |
| B．A man warmed up a wet and cold pigeon. |
| C．A man invented a creative way to help birds. |
| D．A man lives in harmony with a pigeon. |
| A．It was scared and flew away. |
| B．It was annoyed and refused his help. |
| C．It was ready to accept his assistance. |
| D．It was happy to settle in his home. |
| A．A man was filming Yılmaz’s kindness. |
| B．A pigeon was jumping back and forth when dried off. |
| C．Yılmaz was warming a pigeon in a novel way. |
| D．Yilmaz was stretching his arms to catch a pigeon. |
| A．Indifferent but creative. | B．Patient and ambitious. |
| C．Talented but careless. | D．Sympathetic and warm-hearted. |
2 . A 3-year-old boy who was lost in the forest for two days is now safe at home with his family. But Casey Hathaway told reporters that he was not alone in the rainy, freezing cold forest. He said he was with a friend — a bear.
The child went missing on January 22, 2019 while playing with friends at his grandmother’s house in the southern state of North Carolina. When the other children returned to the house and Casey did not, the family searched the area for almost an hour before calling the police. The police organized a search team to search the nearby forest for the little boy. But two days went by and Casey was still not found.
Then on January 24, someone called the police saying he heard a child crying in the forest. The police followed up the information and found Casey at about 9:30 that night. They pulled him out of some briar (荆棘). He was in good health.
Casey told the police that he had hung out with a black bear for two days, a bear he called his “friend.” The police told reporters that Casey did not say how he was able to survive (活下来，幸存) in the forest for two days in the cold, rainy weather. However, the police said, “He did say he had a friend in the forest that was a bear that was with him.”
Hundreds of people helped in the search, including some 600 volunteers, policemen and soldiers. An officer told reporters that at no point did he think Casey had been kidnapped (绑架). Casey’s mother Brittany Hathaway told reporters she thanked everyone who joined the search for her son. “We just want to tell everybody that we really thank you for taking the time out to come to search for Casey,” said his mother.
1. Casey said that he ________.| A．was hurt by a bear |
| B．was caught by the police |
| C．made friends with a bear |
| D．got lost with a friend together |
| A．organized a search team |
| B．called the police right away |
| C．received a call from a stranger |
| D．spent nearly an hour looking for him by themselves |
| A．He is brave enough to fight against a bear. |
| B．He was freezing in the forest when found. |
| C．He was protected well from animals by a bear. |
| D．How he survived in the forest is still unknown. |
| A．Hopeful. | B．Worried. | C．Thankful. | D．Disappointed. |
3 . The public nowadays has a misunderstanding of forest fires, believing that fires should be kept out of every type of forest. Many of us can recall Smoky the Bear's famous warning: “Remember, only YOU can prevent forest fires”. However, that's not always the case. Under the right conditions, and when conducted safely, fire can create many environmental benefits as well as help prevent larger, uncontrollable wildfires.
After a forest fire, many wildlife species will move into recently burned areas to feed on these newly available foods. Some reptiles and amphibians such as the pine (松树） snake prefer forests frequently burned by fire. As Herbert Stoddard put it, “One of the most harmful things modern man has done to birds has been his attempt to exclude fire from fire-type pine forests. Within a few years most forests choke up with bushes, lose their prairie-like vegetation (草原般植被） and can no longer support birds dependent on periodic burning for their food supply and proper cover.”
If you are asked to picture the forest floor, what do you see? Pine needles, cones, leaves, branches might come to mind-all sources of fuel. If these fuel sources build up without any type of removal, the 'fuel load' can lead to fires catastrophic to forests and people alike. In contrast, prescribed fire can be used by forest professionals every couple of years to keep forest fuels at an appropriate and manageable level. They can also minimize the spread of pest insects and disease and remove unwanted tree and plant species. Plus, they can create and maintain important wildlife habitats rich in grasses and promote the growth of trees, wildflowers and other various plants.
Many organizations and agencies work to promote fire on the landscape when and where appropriate. Smokey Bear even has an updated warning: “Only You can Prevent Wildfires,” as the Forest Service has over the last few decades developed policies and procedures to include prescribed fire as a management tool, as well as continuing their work to prevent and fight wildfires.
1. Why did the author mention Smoky the Bear's warning?| A．To introduce the topic of the passage. |
| B．To clarify a misunderstood concept. |
| C．To show the significance of fire prevention. |
| D．To raise people's awareness of forest protection. |
| A．Forest bushes. |
| B．Fuel sources. |
| C．Pine forests. |
| D．Periodic burning. |
| A．To put out wildfires. |
| B．To keep the forest balance. |
| C．To remove tree and plant species. |
| D．To keep the fuel rich in the forest. |
| A．One Match Can Start A Forest Fire |
| B．Where There Is Smoke There Is A Fire |
| C．Not All Forest Fires Are Created Equal |
| D．Why Not Keep The Forest Fire Burning |
4 . If businesses are to get workers back into the office, finding ways to keep social distancing will be key. An Israeli company thinks it can help, using smart sensors installed on workplace ceilings.
PointGrab developed its technology before the Covid-19 to help workspace managers optimize how employees use office space. About the size of a smoke alarm, the sensors can record the exact number and location of people in buildings including offices, hotels and restaurants.
One of the company's first clients was Deloitte, which installed the system at its London office last year. PointGrab's sensors were connected to screens in the building to show the availability of desks and shared areas in real time. PointGrab CEO Doron Shachar says it was one of a series of innovations that helped Deloitte fit 30% more people into 3% less space.
Now PointGrab has adapted the technology so the sensors can also monitor social distancing by keeping track of how far apart people are, and whether they're traveling in one direction around a building. Workspace managers can set up alerts for when two people are closer than two meters for more than 30 seconds, for example.
The sensors have been included in the “six feet office” concept created by a company Cushman & amp; Wakefield to encourage employees to practice social distancing. They are currently being used in this way at a university in the Netherlands, and at an innovation centre in Belgium. While the social distancing innovation is new, PointGrab has installed more than 10, 000 sensors for workspace optimization, including in the offices of Coca-Cola, Facebook and Dell.
Workers might not like the idea of being monitored, but PointGrab says no images or identifying features are recorded. Instead, each employee is represented as an dot on a dashboard. “The sensor does not violate people’s privacy,” Shachar says. “This is extremely important in the workspace.”
1. What can we learn about PointGrab?| A．It has been dedicated to outdoor monitoring. |
| B．It established industry standards for monitoring. |
| C．It has developed a sensor to monitor social distancing. |
| D．Its new product gets inspiration from the smoke alarm. |
| A．Reduce workplace seriously. | B．Select employees wisely. |
| C．Take their time efficiently. | D．Make the most of. |
| A．Office efficiency will be greatly improved. |
| B．It will improve the availability of office space. |
| C．It can keep track of the whole working process. |
| D．It makes the staff work at ease without being disturbed. |
| A．Their privacy will be revealed. |
| B．The activity space has been reduced. |
| C．The change has affected work efficiency. |
| D．They cannot work under monitoring. |
5 . The biggest challenge faced by travelers, especially those who like to have a backpacking trip is how to ensure a steady supply of clean clothes. Now, thanks to a great invention called Scrubba Wash Pack, that worry may be a thing of the past.
The portable washing machine was invented by Ash Newland in 2010, while he was planning to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. Struck by the limited packing space, he got inspiration from traditional washboards to create a bag that could be used to clean clothes. Then he quitted his career as a lawyer and focused on perfecting the bag’s design. By 2012, the bag was ready for the public. It weighed only 180 grams and required very little storage space, making it perfect for anyone wishing to travel light.
Not surprisingly, the bag which was worth 55 dollars was an instant hit with travelers, university students and even passengers. However, Newland was not satisfied. He still saw a disadvantage with his invention — dirty clothes had to be carried around in a separate bag! The recently introduced Scrubba Wash Pack solves that problem.
In order to make the pack active, dirty clothes are placed inside the bag along with two or three liters of water. The bag is then shut tightly to ensure all air is squeezed out and the colors are massaged for a few minutes. After a quick wash, they are clean and ready to be dried. According to Newland, the pack can clean anything from jeans to smelly socks! What’s even more amazing is that with a capacity to hold 13 liters of water, it can be used to wash more clothes at a time.
The best part is that the 99-dollar pack that will be available for sale later this year, only weighs 300 grams and is completely foldable, making it easy to store when it’s not in use. With the Scrubba Wash Pack, wandering through foreign cities searching for a washing shop, or paying for washing machines may soon be a thing of the past.
1. What led Ash Newland to create the Scrubba Wash Pack?| A．His job requirement. | B．A traditional washboard. |
| C．His interest in invention. | D．His personal experience. |
| A．Clothes couldn’t be washed well. |
| B．The invention was not so convenient. |
| C．The bag couldn’t contain enough water. |
| D．The cost of the invention was very high. |
| A．turns to be much environmentally friendly |
| B．will replace the traditional washing machines |
| C．will be widely used by more travelers in the future |
| D．can encourage more people to travel a long distance |
| A．Introducing a great new invention. |
| B．Explaining the development of backpack. |
| C．Listing some common problems for travelers. |
| D．Comparing two kinds of washing machines. |
6 . Online Bachelor's Degrees and Programs
The overview
Colleges offer online degrees in a range of fields. Click on a degree program to explore what courses you take, how long the program takes to complete, career options and average salary. For example, to earn an online health science bachelor's degree, you would take courses in public health, health communications and epidemiology(流行病学).
The benefits
Pursuing an accredited(官方认可的)online bachelor's degree can help you take the next step in your career. Through your program, you'll attend online lectures, study from home manage a busy schedule and interact virtually with professors and classmates.
The applicants
An online college degree may appeal to those who want more flexibility in completing their education, or who want to take classes while working full time or parenting. Choosing where to register online will likely be challenging, but below you'll find tools, advice and other resources to make your search easier.
Best online bachelor's programs
U. S. News evaluated several factors to rank the best online bachelor's degree programs, including graduation rates and support services available remotely.
| School name | Tuition per credit | Application deadline | Financial aid available |
| University of Georgia | $ 326 | May 1 | Yes |
| Georgia Washington University | $ 615 | June 10 | No |
| University of Arizona | $ 525 | July 12 | Yes |
| North Carolina University | $ 900 | February 15 | Yes |
To see the full ranking list, please click here.
1. What will you do after attending online degree programs?| A．Get a degree for free. | B．Attend lectures in a hall. |
| C．Take some related courses | D．Talk with teachers face to face. |
| A．Georgia Washington University. | B．University of Georgia. |
| C．North Carolina University. | D．University of Arizona. |
| A．On the Internet. | B．In a magazine. |
| C．In a textbook. | D．In a newspaper. |
7 . What people say is only one aspect of good communication. Good listening skills and body language are also important for us to effectively communicate with others. Effective communication involves more than talking to a person. How things are said, words are chosen and tones are adopted are all aspects of good communication.
Body language, a common form of non-verbal communication, can support what a speaker is saying. Studies have shown that of the information that is received from other people, only 10% is from what they say and 40% is from the tone and speed of their voice. The other 50% is obtained from their body language. Reading body language is part of developing social skills.
Some professionals, such as lawyers, governmental security officers and doctors on mental problems, learn to read every type of body language of others to help in their jobs. They look for specific signs, while the average person reads some body language subconsciously（下意识地）. Body language can involve one aspect such as the eyes, or the use of different body parts. Where the body is positioned in relation to another person or at a table is another piece in communicating what the person is feeling. Troubles may arise（出现） when body language is misunderstood.
Good listening skills clear the way to a clear message while bad listening skills create barriers which can confuse or stop the message. Good listeners can use body language by nodding occasionally to show interest and understanding, make eye contact with the speaker, repeat some of the words and feelings, and summarize what they have heard. All these can avoid communication troubles.
Poor listeners rarely communicate effectively. Barriers they commonly use may include: interruptions, inappropriate humor, judgments, criticisms, and unrelated questions. People who are attempting to communicate with a person who continually throws out barriers will often stop talking and they even get angry as they feel misunderstood and frustrated. Healthy minded people are able to communicate with others effectively by avoiding these barriers. They are able to let their partners know what they want regularly and clearly.
1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?| A．Speakers usually pay little attention to what they said and what words and tones they use. |
| B．Good communication means talking to a person effectively with right tones and speed. |
| C．Body language and listening skills are highly involved in successful communication. |
| D．The manner of communication is determined by the listener rather than the speaker. |
| A．makes up 40% of the information received from communication |
| B．sometimes leads people to misunderstand what others have said |
| C．can remind the listeners of what the speakers are actually expressing |
| D．can only be correctly read by people with excellent social skills |
| A．Making a summary of what he has heard. |
| B．Repeating the speaker’s words and ideas. |
| C．Showing his feeling to the speaker. |
| D．Bringing in an unrelated topic suddenly. |
| A．To emphasize that communication involves more than talking. |
| B．To introduce different types of non-verbal communication. |
| C．To suggest ways to effectively communicate with others. |
| D．To discuss the different effects of good and poor listening skills. |
8 . The 90-minute documentary, Amazing China, which is co-produced by China Central Television and China Film Corp, opened in theatres nationwide.
The film focuses on the major achievements the country has made since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012 under Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.
Speaking about the documentary, Wei Tie, the director, says," The film arouses Chinese pride from deep inside."
The documentary focuses on key Chinese infrastructure（基础设施）projects in aerospace，high-speed rail，the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and the world's largest single-dish telescope FAST. The documentary also informs viewers that seven of the world's 10 biggest sea ports are now in China and that the country now has the longest high-speed rail network in the world.
In the film, Lin Ming, the chief engineer of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge project, says," In the past, what kind of projects we took up was decided by what kind of facilities we had. But, nowadays, no matter what kind of projects we are assigned, we develop the technology to complete it." His voice is calm but his words show the country’s self-confidence. Speaking of the importance of the new documentary for the Chinese, La Peikang, the head of China Film Corp, says," It's not only about showing the achievements, but presenting the present situation of China. The film will help people to know our country better."
Amazing China also focuses on common people. In the film, you see a young Tibetan woman volunteering in rural areas to help people get rid of poverty. And, you also see a successful entrepreneur from the coastal Fujian Province who settles in the Gobi Desert, in northwest China, who has taken up a new career growing grapes.
1. The underlined word" assigned" in Paragraph 5 means________.| A．given | B．allowed | C．required | D．connected |
| A．The high-speed rail. | B．The ancient Silk Road. |
| C．The single-dish telescope FAST | D．The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. |
| A．The documentary also covers common people. |
| B．The film calls on people to convert the Gobi Desert. |
| C．The film encourages more people to volunteer in rural areas. |
| D．A young Tibetan woman is the main character of the documentary. |
| A．An Introduction to China |
| B．An Introduction to Xi Jinping Thought |
| C．The Effect of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics |
| D．An Introduction to a Documentary Named Amazing China |
9 . Nowadays, we can read almost all "truths" on social media sites. But are they really reliable? Sites such as the micro-messaging service, the social networking site and the photo-sharing app Instagram might "misrepresent the real world", according to a study by computer scientists from McGill University and Carnegie Mellon University.
The scientists warn that gathering information about public views and trends from these sites is unwise. There are still large parts of the population who do not take part in social media activities. Also, there's a risk that many social media users are under-represented. Instagram, for example, appeals to younger adults in urban areas while Pinterest is used mainly by females aged 25 to 34. And only 5 percent of the micro-messaging service users are over 65 years old, according to the study. However, this is not the only issue, according to the scientific team. The design of a website can influence how people behave online, creating what the researchers call "Internet bias". For example, micro-blogging sites such as Weibo promote "popular" stories. It saves time for some but it also limits readers' choice of what they see. In the end, many people open those stories and make them more "popular". But it's not because they choose those stories. Rather, it is because the content is right in front of them.
Besides, it's possible that not everyone on your social networks is real. There might actually be a few fake accounts among them. Fake "bots" pretend to be humans and are often included when measuring or predicting human behaviors online.
The findings might be more important than you would think, since many social media studies are used to inform and justify decisions and investments among the public and in industry and government, according to Derek Ruths, an assistant professor of Computer Science at Mc Gill University.
If the team is right, you might have to think carefully next time you say, "It's true, you know; I read it on Weibo."
1. Why does the author mention the micro-messaging and Instagram?| A．Because they are the best social media sites today. |
| B．Because they are not in favor of the current study. |
| C．Because the public are sharing truths on these sites. |
| D．Because information on these sites may not be reliable. |
| A．By giving examples. | B．By making comparisons. |
| C．By dividing into groups. | D．By analyzing causes. |
| A．Ambiguous. | B．Favorable. | C．Disagreeable. | D．Cautious. |
| A．To analyze why information gathered from social media sites may not be trustworthy. |
| B．To remind readers of things they should watch out for when using social media. |
| C．To point out the advantages and disadvantages of social media. |
| D．To recommend popular social networking sites for readers. |
10 . A car weighing only a few hundred pounds, can travel 500 miles per hour, repair itself and cost less than other cars. It might be hard to imagine such a cat, let alone a spaceship. But NASA is trying to make a spaceship that is much better than other ships.
The spacecraft has to be as light as it can be. Weight costs money! A new discovery might allow spacecraft to be lighter. A new material called a "carbon nanotube（碳纳米管）" might be the answer to the weight problem of building a super spaceship. This material is 600 times stronger than steel.
One of the big problems with space travel is space radiation （辐射）.In space, astronauts need protection against harmful rays. You might think that the metal on a spaceship is the answer. But, metals are the worst for protecting against very dangerous space rays. These rays are made of little pieces called ions （离子）.When the ions hit metals at very high speed, they can break an atom and cause another type of ray to form. These new rays can be worse than the radiation the metal skins were supposed to stop. Thus, it is very important to block these rays.
But we could use carbon nanotubes to make the skins of spacecraft. Things that are light in weight seem to work the best against these ions. The rays are stopped outside the spacecraft and new rays aren't made.
In addition, our super spaceship needs to be able to repair itself. Humans can feel the smallest pinpricks （针刺）because of tiny sensors that send signals to our brains. Tiny sensors like ours could be built in the new ships. Each sensor could send messages to the computer “brain" of the spacecraft. If something needed to be fixed, the computer could tell the ship to do it.
Just as amazing as a car would be to someone 200 years ago, our nanotube spaceship might seem to us. We might actually make the spacecraft of tomorrow, using the technology of today.
1. What are the features of carbon nanotubes?| A．Light and strong. | B．Thin and radioactive. |
| C．Self-repairing and weightless. | D．Sensitive and protective. |
| A．Space radiation can't be blocked at all. |
| B．Space rays can break ions to form new rays. |
| C．Carbon nanotubes can prevent radiation effectively. |
| D．Metal skins aren't a good choice for their strength. |
| A．Humans can feel the smallest pinpricks. |
| B．The computer "brain" can repair itself. |
| C．Signals can be sent to humans' brains. |
| D．The computer can be informed of what to repair. |
| A．A New Discovery in Space |
| B．NASA Made a Breakthrough |
| C．Nanotubes Help to Repair Spacecraft |
| D．NASA's Attempt to Make a Super Spaceship |
