1 . Plants: we eat them, juice them-and now it seems we can mine them too!
After a successful experiment on the island of Borneo, the botany professor Alan Baker and a group of researchers want to introduce phytomining (harvesting minerals from plants) as a better, partial substitute for traditional mining.
Phytomining, also known as agromining, means collecting metals from live plants. However, this can only be done with a group of plants known as "hyperaccumulators". There are around 700 identified types worldwide, and what makes these hyperaccumulators special is that they naturally attract and absorb minerals through their roots-metals poisonous to other plants-and then store huge, pure concentrations of these minerals in their bodies. The metals can then be extracted from the plants' sap(汁;液), oil, or sometimes even live tissue.
Baker and his colleagues see a lot of potential in phytomining. Not only can it help meet the growing global demand for metals, but is a way of undoing some of that damage to the environment by traditional mining.
One of the biggest problems with traditional mining is that it pollutes the surrounding area. Phytomining can extract metal waste, plus planting the hyperaccumulators would regrow the deforested areas caused by mining operations. Aside from this, if phytomining is able to replace part of traditional mining, then there would be fewer instances of bad mining practices like abandoned mines, which pollute the nearby waters. Also, since phytomining provides metals that are already naturally pure, there is no need to use huge amounts of energy to purify the ore(矿石).
Phytomining has its drawbacks. Harvesting plants on a large scale is expensive today, compared to traditional mining. Besides, plants can be wiped out by diseases or unexpected weather conditions.
However, there are many reasons to consider phytomining. After all, we need to make sure that our planet can keep up and sustainable practices like phytomining give us the hope that our advancement doesn't mean sacrificing Mother Earth.
1. What makes hyperaccumulators different from other plants?| A．The sap poisonous to other plants. |
| B．The ability to take in and store minerals. |
| C．The oil extracted from live plant tissue. |
| D．The concentrations of minerals in their bodies. |
| A．It can stop deforestation. |
| B．It may reduce the desertedmines. |
| C．It uses clean energy to purify the ore. |
| D．It can't be destroyed by diseases. |
| A．Pessimistic. | B．Indifferent. | C．Optimistic. | D．Skeptical. |
| A．Metals From Plants. |
| B．The Future of Phytomining. |
| C．What Are Hyperaccumulators? |
| D．Benefits of Phytomining. |
2 . The world has seen many inventions. While most people are proud of those associate with their names, there are things making inventors feel the other way.
The pop-up (弹出) advert, by Ethan Zuckerman
Pop-up ads are convenient for those who are interested, but most people get annoyed when they are on computers. They may contain computer viruses. Just as we would blame the inventor, the man humbly accepted his invention isn’t one of the best. In his essay, Zuckerman wrote about the most hateful thing, “I wrote the code to launch the window and run an ad in it.”
The emoticon, by Scott E. Fahlman
Emoticons began to occupy screens crazily in 2011 and gained great popularity, especially with young men. It had been four years since Fahlman first used a “smiley face” in a computer message. He created the emoticon as a joke marker. But things are different. “It has gone to places I don’t approve of,” he complained to The Wall Street Journal in 2013. “It shouldn’t have been created.”
The office cubicle (隔间), by Bob Propst
In 1968, Bob Propst came up with the idea office cubicles, something that “would build a futuristic and tidy office style with no real walls or doors and provide a more comfortable environment”. But the man has come to hate what he has invented, as Propst recalled to Fortune at age 80, “They’ve changed and just become cubicles”.
The K-Cup, by John Sylvan
It seems everyone has a Keurig coffee maker for K-Cups. John Sylvan invented the K-Cup, aimed at facilitating office life of white-collar workers. Now it’s common in houses and companies. However, the single-serve plastic coffee cups aren’t eco-friendly. “I feel bad sometimes that I ever did it”, Sylvan admits. But! Good news for Mr. Sylvan: Keuring now offers varieties of recyclable K-Cups.
1. When was the emoticon invented?| A．In 2007. | B．In 2009. | C．In 2011. | D．In 2013. |
| A．The pop-up advert. | B．The emoticon. | C．The office cubicle. | D．The K-Cup. |
| A．They benefit human life greatly. |
| B．Their creators are blamed by the public. |
| C．Their inventors feel regretful. |
| D．They are very popular with young people. |
3 . You might have heard about how honey bees are doing poorly these days. It’s different, though, from the situation many of the world’s vulnerable (脆弱的) animals find themselves in. We want them to live their lives and grow stronger, but are we willing to change our lifestyles to make it happen? The decrease in honey bees is a bit different, because if honey bees can’t live well, neither can people and, eventually people won’t eat as a result.
As happened in 2017, U.S. beekeepers lost 40 percent of their bees because of a disease. It’s really about the earnings of beekeepers and the reduced amount of bees. But it doesn’t stop there. Honey bees go around doing pollination (授粉). And do you know what need to be pollinated? That’s our crops. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates bees pollinate about $15 billion worth of apples and peaches each year in the United States alone.
So, we 21st-century humans not only take notice, but also start trying to fix the problem. It’s infeasible that we give every bee the treatment. We can’t imagine how huge the task is and how hard we carry on it! The most promising immediate solution seems to prevent the disease. That’s where the bee vaccine (疫苗) comes.
Scientists have long thought immunizing (使免疫) bees will be unworkable, but a 2015 study discovered that bees transfer immunity to their babies through protein. Vaccinating a bee won’t help that bee, but if you vaccinate the queen of bees, she can pass her immunity on to her later generations through her eggs.
The new vaccine will treat for American foulbrood (AFB), a serious disease that quickly destroys bees. It’s in the testing phases and most likely headed for bee boxes near you. And don’t worry, it doesn’t require a tiny doctor’s chair and needle to deliver the vaccine—the queen bee can drink the medicine in a little sugar water and pass it along to her later generations.
1. What does exactly the author intend to tell us through the 2017 beekeepers’ incident?| A．The beekeepers lead a terrible life. |
| B．The number of bees continues to decrease. |
| C．The decline of bees affects the production of grain. |
| D．The pollination work of bees is huge and complicated. |
| A．Practical | B．Impossible | C．harmful | D．Convenient |
| A．The bee vaccine is hard to develop. |
| B．Bees will learn skills from the queen. |
| C．Bees can transfer immunity to each other. |
| D．The bee vaccine can take effect in the long run. |
| A．It’s applied to all sick bees. |
| B．It will be delivered to bees by skilled doctors. |
| C．It works by allowing the queen of bees to take it. |
| D．It has been put into use and makes many bees survive. |
4 . Take a look at your fingers. Would you believe me if I told you that the length of your fingers in relation to one another can predict your personality? I know that it sounds like one of those silly tests you see on Facebook, but I have to admit that it was spot-on for me.
Look at your three middle fingers of your left hand. Is your index finger (食指) longer than your ring finger? Is your ring finger longer than your index finger? Or are the two the same length?
Category 1: A longer ring finger. If your ring finger is longer than your index finger, research shows that you’re likely a charming type, and you can probably talk yourself out of any situation. Others often find this personality type irresistible and will go to great lengths to help you. You’re more likely to take risks, and you’re good at problem-solving. People in this category make great engineers, soldiers and crossword-puzzle solvers.
Category 2: A longer index finger. If your index finger is longer than your ring finger, chances are you are full of confidence — possibly even to the point of being over-confident and too proud. You are not necessarily introverted, but you do enjoy time to yourself especially when you’re trying to complete a project. You are a determined go-getter who can make things happen, but you may be shy when it comes to taking the first step in building up a friendship. You are also probably happy with what you have, but you’re always wishing for more.
Category 3: The two are the same length. If your index finger and ring finger are roughly the same length, you are likely to avoid conflict at all costs and seek to keep the peace in your relationships. You are well-organized, faithful and sympathetic. But deep down under all of that caring and peace-loving, you also have a fiery core (暴躁的本质) and can lash out unexpectedly when you’re pushed too far.
How well did these descriptions match your personality? I was surprised at the accuracy in my case.
1. What does the passage mainly tell us?| A．Never believe the silly tests on Facebook. |
| B．The length of fingers can reveal personality. |
| C．Why your fingers are not of the same length. |
| D．How to find out about one’s personality accurately. |
| A．Very funny. | B．Quite easy. |
| C．Exactly correct. | D．Completely strange. |
| A．cautious | B．catching |
| C．hard-working | D．warm-hearted |
| A．The sweet talker. | B．The self-important one. |
| C．The introvert. | D．The peacemaker. |
5 . I’d done it before, and so I had no reason to believe that this time would be any different. I was sure that when I returned home from my mission trip. As always, I’d bring back nothing more than some mud on my boots. A hole or two in my jeans and, of course, a lot of great memories.
The summer before my high school graduation, I went to West Virginia with others as volunteers to repair the homes of those in need. Arriving at our destination, my group was assigned the task of rebuilding sections of a home that had been damaged by fire. No sooner had we parked on the home’s dirt driveway than we saw an excited little girl, no more than six years old, standing in the doorway of the family’s temporary home. Shoeless and wearing dirty clothes and the biggest smile I’d ever seen, she yelled, “Ma, Ma, they really came!” I didn’t know it then, but her name was Dakota, and four more days would pass before she’d say another word near me.
Behind Dakota was a woman in a wheelchair — her grandmother, we’d soon learn. I also discovered that my job that week would be to help change a fire-damaged dining room into a bedroom for this little girl. Over the following days, I noticed Dakota peeking at us every now and then as we worked. A few times, I tried talking with her, but she remained shy and distant, always flying around us like a tiny butterfly but keeping to herself.
By our fifth and final day, however, this was about to change. Before I went to work on her home on that last morning, I spoke for a moment or two with the grandmother. I was especially pleased when she told me how much Dakota loved her new room — so much. As we talked, I noticed something I hadn’t seen before — Dakota was hiding behind her grandmother.
Cautiously, she stepped into view, and I could see that just like her clothes, her face was still dirty. But no amount of soil could hide those bright blue eyes and the big smile. She was simply adorable. Slowly, she began walking toward me. It wasn’t until she was just inches away that I noticed the folded piece of paper in her tiny hand. Silently, she reached up and handed it to me. Once unfolded, I looked at the drawing she’d made with her broken crayons on the back of an old coloring book cover. It was of two girls — one much taller than the other — and they were holding hands. She told me it was supposed to be me and her, and on the bottom of the paper were three little words that instantly broke my heart. Now almost in tears, I couldn’t control myself anymore — I bent down and hugged her. She hugged me, too. And for the longest time, neither of us could let go.
I left for home early the next morning. I was returning with muddy boots and holes in my jeans. But because of Dakota, I brought back something else, too — a greater appreciation for all or the blessings of my life. I’ll never forget that barefoot little butterfly with the big smile and dirty face. I pray that she’ll never forget me either.
1. What did the author expect before taking this mission trip?| A．An exciting experience. | B．A routine result. |
| C．A special memory. | D．A surprising change. |
| A．feared to talk with me | B．desired to approach me |
| C．resisted accepting me | D．enjoyed meeting me |
| A．Enjoy your help. | B．Help me, please. |
| C．Please don’t leave. | D．Hug me close. |
| A．One must learn to share life experiences. |
| B．One often wants to lead a meaningful life. |
| C．One should be more grateful for the gift of life. |
| D．One occasionally benefits from the poverty. |
6 . Experts are warning about the risks of extremely picky(挑剔的)eating after a teenager living on a diet of chips and crisps developed lasting sight loss. Eye doctors in Bristol cared for the 17-year-old after his sight had gone to the point of blindness. Tests showed he had serious vitamin deficiency(缺乏). Dr. Denize Atan, who treated him at the hospital, said, “His diet was basically a portion of chips from the local fish and chip shop every day. He also used to snack on crisps and sometimes white bread and ham, and not really any fruit and vegetables.”
The teenager saw his doctor at the age of 14 because he had been feeling tired and unwell. At that time he suffered from vitamin B12 deficiency, but he did not stick with the treatment or improve his poor diet. Three years later, he was taken to the Bristol Eye Hospital because of progressive sight loss.
He was not overweight or underweight, but he had lost minerals from his bones, which was really quite shocking for a boy of his age. In terms of his sight loss, he met the standards of being blind. “He had blind spots right in the middle of his sight,” said Dr Denize Atan, “That means he can’t drive and would find it really arduous to read, watch TV or recognize faces.”
Dr Denize Atan said that parents should learn about the harm that can be caused by picky eating, and turn to experts for help. For those who are concerned , she advised, “It’s best not to be anxious about picky eating , and instead calmly introduce one or two new foods with every meal.” She said multivitamin tablets can supplement(补充) a diet, but cannot take the place of eating healthily. “It’s much better to take in vitamins through a varied and balanced diet,” she said, adding that too many certain vitamins , including vitamin A, can be harmful ,“so you don’t want to overdo it.”
1. What does Dr Denize Atan imply in paragraph 1?| A．The diet of the boy is not balanced. |
| B．Fruit and vegetables are rich in vitamins. |
| C．Picky eating is common among teenagers. |
| D．The cause of the boy’s disease is unknown. |
| A．To improve his poor diet. |
| B．To get some help to lose weight. |
| C．To be treated for his discomfort. |
| D．To slow down his progressive sight loss. |
| A．Important. | B．Easy. | C．Necessary. | D．Difficult. |
| A．Reasons why the boy is seriously ill. |
| B．Suggestions for the boy’s family to care for him. |
| C．Advice for parents worried about picky eating. |
| D．Ways of taking in enough vitamins and minerals. |
7 . A new study on the link between chili (辣椒) and dementia (老年痴呆) may be bad news for spicy food fans as researchers have found that eating lots of chili may cause an increased risk of dementia.
The study, led by Zumin Shi, associate professor at the College of Health Sciences of Qatar University, analyzed 4,582 Chinese adults aged 55 and above between 1991 and 2006 and found evidence of faster cognitive (认知) decline in those who consistently ate more than 50 grams of chili a day.
“Chili is one of the most commonly used spices in the world and particularly popular in Asia compared to European countries,” Li said in the press release. “In certain regions of China, such as Sichuan and Hunan, almost one in three adults consume spicy food every day.”
“Chili consumption was found to be beneficial to body weight and blood pressure in our previous studies. However, in this study, we found negative effects on cognition among older adults,“ Shi said in a press release published on Tuesday.
Chili intake included both fresh and dried chili peppers but not sweet capsicums or black peppers, explained Ming Li of the University of South Australia, an author of the study. Capsaicin is the active component in chili which reportedly speeds up metabolism (新陈代谢) and fat loss, and inhibits vascular disorders (抑制血管紊乱), but this is the first longitudinal (纵向的) study to investigate the association between chili intake and cognitive function, researchers said. The researchers said people of normal body weight may be more sensitive to chili intake than overweight people and so their memory and weight suffer a lot.
Worldwide, around 50 million people have dementia, and Alzheimer's disease is the most common form that may contribute to 60 to 70 percent of the cases, according to the World Health Organization. At present, no treatment can cure dementia or change its progressive course.
1. What is Paragraph 3 about?| A．The planting of chili. | B．The popularity of chili. |
| C．The bad effects of chili. | D．The custom of eating chili. |
| A．Overweight seniors. | B．Overweight teenagers. |
| C．Seniors of normal body weight. | D．Teenagers of normal body weight. |
| A．body weight | B．blood pressure |
| C．cognitive abilities | D．metabolism |
| A．Eating chili causes dementia. |
| B．Chili is the main cause of dementia. |
| C．Avoiding chili could help dementia. |
| D．Eating too much spicy food might cause dementia. |
8 . It was a day in late December. The Christmas tree had been taken down. The lights and decorations had been boxed up and put in the closet until next year. And I was feeling a little empty. Surely I wasn't looking forward to the long, cold, dark winter to come. I had always been a light lover on the inside. I tried to take comfort in knowing that a few more minutes of daylight was being added each day, but it hardly worked.
I was both surprised and delighted when I looked, out of my window and saw that a spring-like day had suddenly arrived. I could hear the neighborhood children outside playing in the warm air. I smiled when I saw them and my inner little girl longed to be out there riding bikes and playing games as well.
I tied my dogs for their afternoon walk hoping to enjoy some of the sunshine myself. As I was about to head out the door, however, I decided to do something a little different. I reached down and pulled my shoes and socks off. I hadn't been barefoot outside since the summer. I slowly stepped out on the cool damp grass. It felt so alive under my feet. I laughed as I walked along. I remembered something I once read too, “Walk as if you were kissing the earth with your feet.” And with each step I did so. My walk felt sacred and holy. I felt a oneness with the world and the love of Heaven all around me. With love in my heart, I thanked God for the gift of this day and no longer dreaded the coming of the winter. I thought I had gathered enough energy and courage to welcome it.
AH of us are walking through this life. But it is up to each of us how we do so. Are you going to trip and walk with heavy steps and complain with each step you take? Or are you going to kiss the earth with your feet and Heaven with your heart? The choice is yours.
1. How did the author feel shortly after Christmas at first?| A．Surprised. | B．Delighted. | C．Unhappy. | D．Relaxed. |
| A．She was inspired by delighted children. | B．She had to walk her dogs in the afternoon. |
| C．She intended to give the neighbors warmth. | D．She was touched by her childhood memories. |
| A．She kissed the earth lovingly. | B．She walked barefoot outside. |
| C．She read a book on the grass. | D．She dried her feet in the sun. |
| A．Forgot. | B．Judged. | C．Desired. | D．Feared. |
9 . Want to know what we can do to help make our city a better place to live in? Why not take part in “Clean & Green weekend”? Join us, and you can make new friends and help protect the environment at the same time.
Park Life
Do you like playing and relaxing in the park with your friends? If so, why not take the chance to come with us and tidy up the park when you go? To add some fun, there is a gift for the person who collects the most rubbish! Meet us at the south entrance to Taohe Park at 9 a.m. next Saturday if you want to join in.
The Air You Breathe
A great way to make the air we breathe cleaner is by planting lots of trees！It is a fact that trees slowly filter (过滤) a lot of pollutants (污染物) from the air. So come and help us plant some new ones in Fenhe Park at 2 p.m. next Sunday.
War on Graffiti(涂鸦)
Some people think graffiti is cool. Well, it is not! The best way to stop buildings from becoming totally covered in ugly graffiti is to fix it as soon as possible. And that is exactly what we are going to do. We are repainting the school walls from 1 p.m. on Saturday. You don’t have to bring any tools, just remember to wear some old clothes!
1. The main purpose of “Clean & Green Weekend” is to ________.| A．have a nice weekend | B．offer the chance to have fun |
| C．help students meet old friends | D．make our city more beautiful |
| A．draw pictures well | B．bring some tools with us |
| C．wear some old clothes | D．wear some new clothes |
| A．on a school notice board | B．in a fashion magazine |
| C．in a travelling magazine | D．on a hospital notice board |
10 . If there had to be a father of handwashing in history, it would be Ignaz Semmelweis. While working at Vienna General hospital, the Hungarian doctor, faced with a situation in which maternal death (孕产妇死亡) in hospitals were significantly higher than local clinics, tried hard clues as to why.
Germs (细菌) were yet to be discovered, and it was still believed in the 1840s that disease was spread by bad smells in the air. So it didn’t seem a problem that trainee doctors hanging out of labs to dissect (解剖) human bodies would pop up to the maternity ward (产房) to deliver a baby without washing their hands.
Then an accidental finger cut by a knife during a dissection caused a doctor to die, seemingly of the same sign the mothers had been getting. Semmelweis assumed that something from the dead bodies was to blame, which might, through the hands of doctors, make their way into women’ s bodies during childbirth.
To test his theory, he ordered doctors to wash their hands and instruments in some chlorine solution. As a result, the death rate for new mothers dropped to about 1 percent, compared with that of as high as 18 percent before the experiment.
However, he faced great resistance, and met a sad end. People at that time didn’t think of themselves as sort of walking Petri dishes. And the majority of doctors then were from middle- or upper-class families, and thought of themselves as very clean people.
Over the next 40 years, a better understanding of germs developed, and attitudes to hygiene (卫生) gradually shifted. In 1876, the German scientist Robert Koch discovered the anthrax bacillus (炭疽), kicking off the new research field of medical bacteriology. Many more germs were later identified. Surgeons started to take handwashing seriously.
By the 1890s and into the early 1900s, handwashing moved from being something doctors did to something everybody had been told to do.
1. What was the situation like in the 1840s?| A．Germs might have been discovered then. |
| B．Women suffered from delivering babies then. |
| C．The air at that time was dirty and full of viruses. |
| D．People were unaware of how disease was spread. |
| A．Liquid. | B．Option. | C．Tissue. | D．Shell. |
| A．It was effective. | B．It was necessary. |
| C．It was ridiculous. | D．It was dangerous. |
| A．Steps to Protect Yourself |
| B．Disease Spreading by Your Hand |
| C．Hand Washing Critical in Fighting Viruses |
| D．The First Recorded Discovery of Handwashing |
