1 . A new study on the link between chili and dementia(老年痴呆) may bring bad news for spicy food addicts. Researchers have found that eating lots of chili may cause an increased risk of dementia.
The study, led by Zumin Shi, analyzed 4,582 Chinese adults aged 55 and above between 1991 and 2006 and found evidence of faster cognitive decline in those who consistently ate more than 50 grams of chili a 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 Tuesday.
“Chili is one of the most commonly used spices in the world and particularly popular in Asia compared to European countries,” Ming Li from the University of Southern Australia said in the press release. “In certain regions of China, such as Sichuan and Hunan, almost one in three adults consumes spicy food every day.”
The researchers said people of normal body weight may be more sensitive to chili intake and hence their memory and weight suffer a bigger impact. Worldwide, around 50 million people have dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form that may contribute to 60 percent 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. According to the text, what aspect is chili consumption harmful to?| A．Body shape. | B．Body weight | C．Blood pressure. | D．Cognitive abilities. |
| 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．It is incurable. | B．It affects people’s weight. |
| C．It determines blood types. | D．It can be cured by eating chili. |
2 . Sharks are amazing creatures. They are known as the deadliest hunters in the sea. Fortunately most are not, but there are some kinds of sharks that can be extremely dangerous. Look at these short descriptions of four kinds of sharks.
The Great White Shark
Great Whites are one of the most frightening creatures in the sea. They live in tropical and subtropical waters, and they can grow up to 9 meters long. Most Great Whites are actually grey, blue or brown with a white belly, and their powerful teeth are triangles with edges like saws.
The Whale Shark
Whale Sharks are the largest kind of shark in the world-up to 11 meters in length. They live in tropical waters all around the world, but they are not dangerous. Whale Sharks are brown or grey with white or yellow stripes. They often travel near the surface of the sea.
The Mako Shark
Mako Sharks are fierce predators. They come from the same family of sharks as the Great White and they are especially fast-they can swim at speeds of up to 65 kilometers per hour. They are large bluish sharks found in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. Mako Sharks can grow up to 3 meters long.
The Great Hammerhead Shark
The Great Hammerheads' most striking feature is its wide thick head which looks like a hammer. The average size of a Great Hammerhead is approximately 3.5 meters, but can grow up to 6 meters long. These sharks average over 500 pounds but can weigh as much as 1,000 pounds. Like most sharks the females are larger than the males. They have several rows of teeth that have 24 to 37 teeth per row. The Great Hammerhead has a very keen sense of smell, which helps find its prey.
1. What can we learn from the text?| A．Sharks usually live in icy waters. |
| B．Mako Sharks are fast but not dangerous. |
| C．Great Whites have at least 24 to 37 sharp teeth. |
| D．Whale Sharks are bigger than other sharks in the sea. |
| A．The size of its body. | B．The waters it lives in. |
| C．The shape of its head. | D．The function of its teeth. |
| A．A news report. | B．A book review. |
| C．An advertisement. | D．A biology magazine. |
3 . A shocking 53.6 million tons of electronic waste were discarded last year, a new UN-backed report has revealed. The report shows that e-waste is up 21% from five years ago. This isn't surprising, considering how many more people are adopting new technology and updating devices regularly to have the latest versions, but the report also shows that national collection and recycling strategies are nowhere close to matching consumption rates.
E-waste contains materials including copper, iron, gold and silver, which the report gives a conservative value of $ 57 billion. But most are thrown away or burned rather than being collected for recycling. Precious metals in waste are estimated to be worth $ 14 billion, but only $4 billion-worth is recovered at the moment.
While the number of countries with national e-waste policies has grown from 61 to 78 since 2014, there is little encouragement to obey and a mere 17% of collected items are recycled. If recycling does occur, it’s often under dangerous conditions, such as burning circuit boards to recover copper, which “releases highly poisonous metals” and harms the health of workers.
The report found that Asia has the highest amounts of waste overall, producing 24.9 million metric tons(MMT), followed by Europe at 12 MMT, Africa at 2.9 MMT, and Oceania at 0.7 MMT.
But whose responsibility is it? Are governments in charge of setting up collection and recycling points, or should companies be responsible for recycling the goods they produce? It goes both ways. Companies do need to be held accountable by government regulations and have incentives to design products that are easily repaired. At the same time, governments need to make it easy for citizens to access collection points and deal with their broken electronics in a convenient way. Otherwise, they may turn to the easiest option — the landfill.
1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?| A．What e-waste refers to. | B．Where e-waste is collected. |
| C．Why e-waste is increasing rapidly. | D．How many kinds e-waste includes. |
| A．The functions of policies. | B．The great damage to environment. |
| C．The change of consumption rates. | D．The urgency of recovering e-waste. |
| A．New technology should be used to update old devices. |
| B．Governments and companies should take responsibilities. |
| C．Non-poisonous metals had better be used in e-device. |
| D．Citizens must play a key role in recycling e-waste. |
4 . Now many countries work towards a carbon-neutral future, hoping to achieve the real green growth and change. The current UK government had originally set out plans to become carbon-zero by 2050. And in a new announcement regarding the UK’s green economic recovery, the Prime Minister has committed to accelerating offshore wind by 2030.
In a recent speech, Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that the government will invest in clean energy, promising that £160m will be dedicated to building wind turbines (涡轮机)to help the country “build back greener”. It’ll create 2,000 jobs in construction, and support 60,000 more, by upgrading ports and factories to build the turbines. He announced that “we believe that in 10 years’ time offshore wind will be powering every home in the country.”
In Boris Johnson’s speech, he said the UK would become “the world leader in clean wind energy” and perhaps also in its further green recovery plans. Attention has been paid to wind, as it is a limitless resource on the island that is Britain. Plans included employing new floating offshore technology, where large farms could be placed further out to sea.
Before this announcement, climate activists and organizations have been urging world governments to include climate change concerns in their economic recoveries. Organizations such as the International Energy Agency worked out a sustainable energy plan that provided a blueprint on how governments could encourage economic growth with climate change in mind, by moving towards areas such as clean energy and creating jobs within this area. In the UK’s economic recovery plan, the government rolled out a scheme that allowed home owners to access a grant that would enable them to upgrade their homes with energy-saving improvements.
Reported in The Guardian, executive director of the environmental NGO Greenpeace UK, John Sauven, said: “If carried through, the commitment would help strengthen the UK’s global leadership in this key technology. We now need to see the Prime Minister’s newly-found enthusiasm is followed through by knocking down all the barriers that the offshore wind industry faces in delivering its ambition.”
1. What is the benefit of building the turbines besides providing the new energy?| A．Developing the technology. |
| B．Having more people employed. |
| C．Getting many large farms built. |
| D．Making all homes powered cleanly. |
| A．Cooperate with other foreign governments. |
| B．Build a blueprint on fighting climate change. |
| C．Encourage the use of energy-saving equipment. |
| D．Seek the support of the international organizations. |
| A．To predict the future of Britain’s energy. |
| B．To get people to support the government. |
| C．To think highly of the use of wind energy. |
| D．To comment on the new announcement. |
| A．Britain hopes to power homes by wind farm by 2030. |
| B．Britain takes the lead in using sustainable new energy. |
| C．Britain calls on the world to accelerate offshore energy. |
| D．Britain is expected to mainly use wind energy by 2030. |
5 . As one of the mostwatched programs in China, the CCTV Spring Festival Gala has been an integral part of the Chinese New Year celebrations. From the television era to the digital age, people's expectations always run high for the event.
Having a big family dinner with relatives on the eve is a must for New Year celebrations for almost every family. The annual Spring Festival Gala usually lasts over four hours, just in time when the Chinese people gather to have their festive dinner. Featuring musicals, dances, comic skits and dramas, the gala is aimed at entertaining viewers of all ages.
This year, more than 621.4 million people in China and another 24.8 million overseas watched the show on television, while a number of viewers—527 million—watched it on new media platforms: apps, websites, videostreaming sites and social media.
The first CCTV Spring Festival Gala was live broadcast via television on February 12, 1983. However, not all Chinese people had a chance to watch the show at home as nearly 80 percent of families did not possess their own TV set. In 1983, the director of the CCTV Spring Festival Gala set four telephones backstage so viewers could ask the actors to perform the requested items. As the ondemand calls were so popular, the lines would literally be overheated, causing staff members to stand by with a fire extinguisher ready to put out any possible fire.
The gala traditionally concludes with the song “Can't Forget Tonight”. The song has been performed for 23 times over the past 36 years. Its original performer Li Guyi has also held a record of singing the most songs during a gala. In 1983, she sang a total of seven songs.
Cheung Mingman was the first singer from Hong Kong to perform at the CCTV Spring Festival Gala. He sang a patriotic song, “My Chinese Heart,” in 1984 and won millions of hearts, especially those who were living abroad.
The longest running performance in the history of the gala is called “Time”. In 2016, Yang Caiqi performed on stage for four hours until the New Year's bell rang.
1. How many people watched the 2019 CCTV Spring Festival Gala?| A．About 1,148 million. | B．About 646 million. |
| C．About 1,173 million. | D．About 552 million. |
| A．“Time” lasted over four hours in the gala of 2016. |
| B．Cheung Mingman sang a patriotic song in the first gala. |
| C．The song “Can't Forget Tonight” is performed annually in the gala. |
| D．Backstage staff of the first gala kept cautious in case the telephone lines caught fire. |
| A．To share some facts about the gala. |
| B．To look back on the past of the gala. |
| C．To attract more viewers to watch the show. |
| D．To promote the traditional Chinese festival. |
6 . At the beginning of the 20th century there were more than a million lions worldwide. Today there are less than 30,000 in the wild. The remaining lions are increasingly threatened by habitat loss, hunting activities to protect farms and cattle.
For generations, Masai tribesmen on the large African plains in southeastern Kenya have hunted lions-to protect their farms and cattle. Today they celebrate the lions’ life. Noah is an elder in the Masai community. “We have decided as a community of the Masai to lay down our spears, and there will be no more killing of lions in our community.” He is part of a group of Masai visiting the United States promoting (推广) the Predator (捕食性动物) Compensation Program.
Conservation International’s Frank Hawkins explains，“The Masai have been living with wildlife for many generations and it has been a conflicting relationship in many ways. They compete with the animals for food as lions eat their cattle. We’re trying to find ways in which the wildlife will become something useful to them.” They had the Predator Compensation Fund founded in 2003. After much discussion, a group of Masai farmers agreed to protect lions. In turn, if lions or other predators kill their cattle, the Masai owner will be paid market value for the dead animals from the fund.
One man said that in the past, when a lion killed cattle, they killed it on the spot. And now, after the start of the program, the Masai see the lion population growing. Since 2003. only four lions have been killed here.
1. What is this passage mainly about?| A．The wildlife in the world. |
| B．Lions and the Masai. |
| C．The reason why lions are killed. |
| D．The living ways of the Masai. |
| A．To protect people in the wild. |
| B．To help the Masai protect their farms and cattle. |
| C．To protect lions only. |
| D．To protect the wildlife. |
| A．because lions were dangerous for people there. |
| B．because dead lions were worth a lot of money. |
| C．because they wanted lions’ meat. |
| D．because they wanted to protect their farms and cattle. |
| A．Reasonable. | B．Cruel. | C．Poor. | D．Stupid. |
7 . People have strange ideas about food. For example, tomato is a kind of very delicious vegetable. It is one of useful plants that can be prepared in many ways. It has rich nutrition and vitamin in it. But in the 18th century, Americans never ate tomatoes. They grew them in their gardens because tomato plants are so pretty. But they thought the vegetable was poisonous. They called tomatoes “poison apples”.
President Thomas Jefferson, however, know that tomatoes were good to eat. He was a learned man. He had been to Paris, where he learned to love the taste of tomatoes. He grew many kinds of tomatoes in his garden. The President taught his cook a way for a cream of tomato soup. This beautiful pink soup was served at the President party. The guests thought the soup tasted really good. They never thought their president would serve his honoured guests poison apples. Jefferson never spoke to his honoured guests about the fact.
1. What do we know about tomato?
| A．It is a kind of poisonous fruit |
| B．It id a kind of poisonous vegetable |
| C．It is a kind of tasty fruit. |
| D．It is a kind of tasty vegetable. |
| A．while he was in Paris | B．when he was a little boy |
| C．because his parents told him so | D．from books |
| A．They were people from other countries. | B．They were from France. |
| C．They were people of his own country. | D．They were men only. |
8 . “Every child has a great curiosity about something they love,” said Carolyn King, a doctor in Grand Rapids, Michigan. King, who once studied at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, is the co-founder of a yearly event called Reach Out to Youth (ROTY).
Wayne State has held the event since 1989, which lets kids ages 7 to 11 experience science and medicine in a fun way.
“We’re here to help identify future scientists and future physicians,” said Richard Baker, director of Medical Education at Wayne State.
Diamond Moore, a medical student and the leading organizer of ROTY, planned a special but interesting day for attendees. Exhibits included a room where you could see a brain, heart, and some other parts of our body, and a room where you could test your reflexes (反射动作). Wayne State teachers and medical students, including Moore, shared their knowledge of medical science with kids.
“This program wants kids to learn about science, arts, and the health care system,” Moore said, “so that hopefully, they’ll become interested in medicine.”
Some of the students were excited about the chance to tour the exhibits and learn more about medicine-related jobs. “A doctor would be a cool job,” said first-time attendee Desiree Anders, 9.
Jeremiah Tower, an 11-year-old from Detroit, said that learning about “science and things about the body” was what the program was all about. Still, he wasn’t excited about having to get up early on a Saturday morning.
This year’s theme (主题) was “Play It Safe: Brain Safety.” After seeing what a brain looks like up close, young attendees learned about the danger of concussions (脑震荡). A fun test was given about brain safety so that kids could see how much they had learned.
About 350 kids take part in the program each year. It’s a great way to get an idea of what it feels like to be a doctor.
1. What can we learn about ROTY?| A．It is open to kids of all ages. |
| B．It educates kids in a fun way. |
| C．It is held on a Saturday afternoon. |
| D．It helps kids learn more about others. |
| A．Care for. | B．Look for. | C．Pick up. | D．Cheer up. |
| A．She felt a bit worried about it. |
| B．She thought it was hard to learn. |
| C．She showed an interest in it. |
| D．She believed it would have a bright future. |
9 . Four interesting festivals :
Grand Old Days:
Phone numeber: (651) 699-0029 E-mail address: fo@grandave.com
Grand Old Days is one of the Midwest’s largest one-day festivals. It’s held every year on the first Sunday in June. It starts at 7:45 am until 5:00 pm. You should pay $8 for a ticket to enter the live music festival gardens and you must be at least 21 years old. There are a lot of interesting activities for the whole family.
Uptown Art Fair:
Phone numeber: (612) 823-4581 E-mail address: info@uptownminneapolis.com
There is a wide variety of artwork you can buy from only a few dollars to thousands of dollars. There are also activities held by some artists. Uptown Art Fair starts on August 5th and ends on August 7th. It is free to attend. The opening time and closing time are Friday 11 am-8 pm, Saturday 10 am-8 pm, and Sunday 10 am-6 pm.
Minnesota State Fair:
Phone numeber: (651) 288-4400 E-mail address: fairinfo@mnstatefair.org
It is one of the most popular fairs in Minnesota. It starts on August 25th and goes through Labor Day on September 5th. Tickets for adults (aged 13-64) are $11, seniors (aged 65 and older) $9, kids (aged 5-12) $8 and children under 5 are free of charge. It opens at 6 am and closes at midnight. The State Fair has lots of fun activities, bands, games, and rides.
Nativity County Fair:
Phone numeber: (651) 696-5401 E-mail address: info@nativitycountyfair.com
The Nativity County Fair is a kid’s fair, but it has some fun things for adults as well. You can buy tickets for the rides and games, and the price depends on how many tickets you want to buy. It starts from September 16th to September 18th.
1. Which of the following lasts the longest?| A．Grand Old Days. |
| B．Minnesota State Fair. |
| C．Uptown Art Fair. |
| D．Nativity County Fair. |
| A．17 dollars. |
| B．19 dollars. |
| C．22 dollars. |
| D．30 dollars. |
| A．advertise some popular festivals. |
| B．introduce some festival activities. |
| C．give advice on kids’ festival safety. |
| D．compare the costs of different festivals. |
| A．In a museum guide. |
| B．In a business report. |
| C．In a book review. |
| D．On a tourist website. |
10 . Vaccines(疫苗) may soon make their first film appearance. Led by expert Maria A. Croyle, researchers have developed a thin sheet that preserves vaccines for long periods without refrigeration. This means the carefully cooled small bottles now used to ship vaccines could potentially be replaced by lightweight films that can be mailed in an envelope and stored on a shelf.
Croyle’s laboratory began developing the technology in 2007. Inspired by amber’s ability to preserve the DNA of insects, the researchers set out to create their own version of the substance by mixing “a lot of sugar and a little bit of salt, much like hard candy,” Croyle explains. The vaccine-containing film is administered by mouth—sweet news for many who dislike needles.
The film is tailored to suit each specific vaccine candidate and provide a protective coating. “We’ve learned over time that the key to really stabilizing whatever the film holds is to have it intermixed with all the components,” Croyle says, adding that the process is quick and uses affordable, standard equipment. “We really wanted to come up with something that would be transferable to developing countries.”
Immunization(免疫) programs depend heavily on keeping vaccines cold(2℃-8℃) as they are transported, sometimes over thousands of kilometers to far-away locations. Delivery can be difficult and costly, and transport disruptions can cause the vaccines to be ineffective.
But this new product can store live viruses, bacteria and antibodies for several months at 20℃. In a paper published in Science Advances, the scientists show that the live viruses in one vaccine were preserved in the film even after 36 months. They also find that a flu vaccine suspended in their film compares favourably with a traditional flu shot(流感预防针). “The study demonstrates early proof of concept for an exciting platform for vaccine product development,” says Lisa Rohan, a pharmacologist, who was not involved in the study. She also notes that each vaccine type would need a custom formulation(配方) for future stages of development.
Finding partners to mass-produce for clinical trials is the researchers’ most pressing problem, Croyle says. They are also exploring packaging methods to keep their films stable up to 40℃.
Size is a major advantage—a letter-sized sheet of the film can carry more than 500 doses(剂) of vaccine, about 1⁄900 the weight of the same amount of traditional doses. By making it easier and cheaper to ship and preserve vaccines efficiently, Croyle says, the technology could vastly improve immunization rates the world over, particularly in middle- to low- income countries.
1. What can we learn about the film?| A．It contains animal’s DNA. | B．It will replace vaccines. |
| C．It comes in different flavours. | D．It can hold bio-products. |
| A．key component | B．development schedule |
| C．possible advantages | D．transportation requirements |
| A．advise personalizing vaccines |
| B．suggest the product is promising |
| C．prove the study is supported widely |
| D．stress the functions of a new platform |
| A．Advertising the film worldwide. | B．Improving the film’s capacity. |
| C．Reducing the shipping cost. | D．Seeking ideal manufacturers. |
