1 . Who says inventions are only made by grown-ups and professionals? Over the years, children have also succeeded in making their useful contributions to the world. Here are a few inventions that came to life from the minds of young children.
Hero Helmet
Seven-year-old Samuel Meyer's invention is aimed at stopping people from riding their bikes or skateboards without using a helmet. The Hero Helmet features an inbuilt remote that controls a lock on the wheels which unlocks when the Helmet is being worn by the rider. Samuel says: no helmet, no bike.
Robotic Earthworm
The first thought that comes to mind is, why a robotic earthworm? Well, ten-year-old David Cohen had some useful applications in mind. He believed it could be used to find victims after a flood, earthquake or fire. The robot could get into small and dangerous places where search dogs and humans could not go.
B. E. A. C. O. N.
Fifteen-year-old Hannah Herbst's invention, which stands for Bringing Electricity Access to Countries through Ocean Energy, was inspired by her pen pal who lives in Ethiopia and did not have access to lights. So she came up with B. E. A. C. O. N, which absorbs energy directly from ocean waves. Her invention won the “Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge” in 2015 and other numerous awards.
Portable Wheelchair Controller
At only eight years old, Amelia Fox created the invention to help lift people in and out of their wheelchair. This invention was not just born out of the desire to create something. Amelia developed this controller for her brother, who had just got hip surgery and needed the wheelchair to move around.
1. Who is the youngest inventor?| A．Samuel Meyer. |
| B．David Cohen. |
| C．Amelia Fox. |
| D．Hannah Herbst. |
| A．Hero Helmet |
| B．B. E. A. C. O. N. |
| C．Robotic Earthworm. |
| D．Portable Wheelchair Controller. |
| A．To give her brother assistance. |
| B．To benefit the earthquake victims. |
| C．To generate electricity effectively. |
| D．To protect bike riders from injuries. |
2 . Amanda Kofoeds had found a strange lump in her arm one day and visited a doctor at a friend's urging. During this time, she was enrolled in school for education and was currently uninsured due to the expense. She planned to save money so she could get on her husband' s insurance and then seek medical treatment for the cancer.
Her friends and family didn't want her to postpone her treatment due to the expense. They took matters into their own hands and started a GoFundMe campaign. The friend came up with the creative idea to spread the word and invite family, friends, and strangers who wanted to help to participate in a donation flash mob (快闪行动).The event started an outpouring of enormous generosity from the local community.
Amanda and her husband Clint teared up as the crowd passed by and the donations poured in. The generous act of kindness gave the family a comforting, and optimistic feeling during a time when all hope seemed lost. Clint said that Amanda struggled with the idea of asking for help. She felt guilty and undeserving compared to others who are also struggling.
In the time since, Amanda has enrolled in an insurance plan and has finished chemotherapy. Life for the family has started getting back to their normal routine.
Once Amanda got her strength back, she returned to school and completed her bachelor's degree in education. She is now a teacher. She said the experience motivated her to instill (灌输) the value of charity in her children. The family is now inspired to volunteer in their local neighborhood and contribute to crowdfunding (众筹) efforts. They are grateful for the opportunity to give back and help others as many have helped them.
The couple said they feel blessed by the strong support. PassItOn wants to celebrate those heroes during the family's darkest time. These individuals perfectly demonstrate the value of community. It is with the help of their generosity that the family is now happy, healthy and whole.
1. Why did Amanda Kofoeds postpone her treatment?| A．She was admitted to a school. |
| B．Her family couldn't afford the medical cost. |
| C．No good doctors could treat her cancer. |
| D．Her friends and family refused to assist her. |
| A．They started a donation flash mob. |
| B．They founded a community school. |
| C．They supported her through local hospitals. |
| D．They fought for assistance from the whole country. |
| A．Guilty. | B．Satisfied. | C．Anxious. | D．Grateful. |
| A．Hard work pays off. |
| B．The value of charity is great. |
| C．Education is the key to success. |
| D．A friend is never known till a man has need. |
3 . IMPORTANT FALL SEMESTER 2020 UPDATE
Welcome back students! We hope that you had a productive and safe summer.
Our office staff is committed to your safety and well-being during the ongoing COVID-19. As the virus continues to spread and in accordance with University of Idaho safety efforts, our office procedures have changed for the fall semester. Please read the letter to all University Honors Program students from the director with important information.
The Honors Program enriches your experience at the University of Idaho.
·Small, enriching, discussion-based courses that count toward degree requirements
·Selective honors program-specific, four-year scholarships
·Special advising to help you get engaged in undergraduate research and prepare for graduate school
·Extracurricular academic activities such as “Fireside Chats” with professors and trips to regional honors conferences
·Free admission to on-and off-campus concerts and movies
·Leadership opportunities such as the Honors Student Ambassador Program. Peer Mentor Program and student clubs
·Supportive campus living groups
Students interested in finding out more about national competitive scholarships, fellowships and grants for summer research, and language program, please contact Dilshani Sarathchandra, coordinator of the Distinguished Scholarships Program at the University of Idaho, at dilshanis@uidaho.edu. Please also visit the program home page.
1. Who is the director’s letter intended for?| A．All the staff at the University of Idaho. |
| B．University of Idaho safety departments. |
| C．All University Honors Program students. |
| D．The officers changing the autumn semester. |
| A．Organizing academic activities. |
| B．Supporting campus living groups. |
| C．Taking part in special graduate research. |
| D．Attending enriching，discussion-based courses. |
| A．Student clubs. | B．Summer study. |
| C．Language programs. | D．Concerts and movies. |
4 . I went snowboarding in France with my little brother and what we lacked in skill was made up for in enthusiasm. That day, fresh snow had been falling. We stopped near the top of an off-path section. I let my brother disappear into the trees ahead, figuring I would soon catch up.
I began to pick up speed when I was suddenly thrown off balance. Just as I was regaining control, I ran into the trunk of a large tree. It was like hitting a solid wall. The pain was instant.
I quickly realized the situation could get very serious. Nobody would be coming past. There was no phone signal. It was snowing and cold. If I waited, I would probably be rescued eventually. But the chance of freezing to death before that happened was too high for me to risk staying put.
I managed to get the board off from my feet and moved it under my stomach so I was lying on it. I faced down the mountain and used the board to slowly drag and slide my body down the steep, tree-lined slope (斜坡).
It took about two hours before a skier found me and I got help. I couldn't feel my hands or my toes from the cold, but the relief at knowing I was safe was massive.
I had broken one of my backbones, so I had an operation where the doctors inserted plates. The constant pain was unbearable, but it wasn't as bad as seeing the pain and worry I put my family through.
The recovery road was tough, but I was lucky. Gradually, I was able to walk, then swim, then cycle and then run. I haven't been back to the slopes yet, but it might happen someday— I will, however, choose the paths.
1. How did the author feel at the start of snowboarding?| A．Confident. | B．Amused. | C．Nervous. | D．Panic. |
| A．He was cold and hungry. |
| B．He preferred to challenge himself. |
| C．He was aware of the risks of waiting. |
| D．He wanted to catch up with his brother. |
| A．Follow the safer path. |
| B．Do more sports activities. |
| C．Receive training in the future. |
| D．Never go snowboarding again. |
| A．To share a lesson. | B．To keep a diary. |
| C．To recommend a sport. | D．To make a comment. |
5 . The human brain remembers negative experiences more easily than positive ones. Our brains have developed in this way because threats, like dangerous animal, have a more immediate effect on people's survival compared to positive things like food or shelter. As a result, you clearly know what makes you unhappy, but do you know what makes you happy?
Research suggests that our level of happiness is partly shaped by the choices we make. If you've been chasing wealth, fame, power and some material things, you may be looking for happiness in the wrong places. Psychologists suggest that the following habits can make people happier.
People who own close relationships tend to be happier than those who do not. The number of our friends is not important. What matters is the quality of our relationships. Relationships that bring happiness usually consist of the sharing of feelings, acceptance, mutual respect and trust.
People who exercise regularly can improve both their physical and mental well-being. Some research has shown that exercise can be as effective as some medicine in treating depression.
If we are so interested in an activity, we may lose track of time, and we can be in a state of flow. The activity could be playing the piano, surfing the Internet or playing a game. People who experience flow in their work or life tend to be happier.
People are more likely to be happy if they know what their strengths are and can use them regularly. People are especially happy when they can set goals and use their strengths to achieve them.
People, who think positively by being grateful, mindful and optimistic, are more likely to be happy. Being grateful means being thankful. Being mindful means considering, focusing on, and enjoying the experiences of the present moment. Being optimistic means being hopeful about the future.
1. Human brains remember negative things more easily because negative things_________.| A．tend to affect human survival immediately |
| B．are much more important than other thing |
| C．can make people live much happier |
| D．are easy to remember |
| A．being famous | B．setting life goals |
| C．chasing power | D．earning money |
| A．think more about our future |
| B．focus on everything in our life |
| C．be positive in our life and work |
| D．only enjoy the present moment |
| A．Why people remember positive things easily. |
| B．Why people remember negative things easily. |
| C．What makes people happy. |
| D．What makes people sad. |
6 . After traveling ten years and hundreds of millions of kilometers, a small probe (探测器) called Philae has for the first time landed on the surface of a comet, a solar system object made of ice and rock.
Philae was sent from the European Space Agency’s main Rosetta spaceship early Wednesday, November 12, 2014. Originally, the mission of the spaceship was to target Comet 46P but when the launch was delayed due to problems with the Ariane 5 launch vehicle, the mission was redirected to Comet 67P, to study the appearance and materials that make up Comet 67P.
The Philae research probe left its mother ship Rosetta and then began a trip toward the comet and landed on its surface hours later. The effort to land on the comet was considered dangerous because just before the planned landing, scientists identified problems in Philae’s active descent system thruster (推进器) used to land the probe.
Rosetta has been orbiting Comet 67P since August 2014. However, it was sent up into space in March of 2004. The spaceship circled the sun until it was in position to meet with the comet.
Comets are the most primitive (原始的) objects in the solar system. Scientists think that they have kept a record of the physical and chemical processes that occurred during the early period when planets were formed. By studying Comet 67P’s make-up and history, scientists wish to unlock the secret of the solar system and even the origin of human lives.
The Philae probe did a series of scientific experiments. Philae examined the materials that make up the comet looking for organic, or carbon-based materials, and inorganic materials. It lasted until March 2015, when the comet was too close to the sun and the surface temperature was too high for Philae to operate.
1. What was Rosetta launched to do?| A．To send Philae to Comet 67P safely. |
| B．To study the appearance of Comet 46P. |
| C．To collect information about Comet 67P. |
| D．To research on the make-up of the solar system. |
| A．Due to technological issues. |
| B．As a result of power failure. |
| C．Because of lack of experience. |
| D．Due to problems in radio systems. |
| A．Challenging. | B．Satisfying. | C．Meaningful. | D．Impractical. |
| A．Philae landing on Comet 67P |
| B．Another comet found in space |
| C．One step further in geography research |
| D．Great improvement in spaceship design |
7 . Lack of airflow in your home can cause indoor air pollution and worsen health issues. Your furniture, the materials in your walls and your carpet can hold poisons, Before buying an expensive air cleaner,you'd better try out a few houseplants first 一they' re much cheaper and look a lot nicer.
Snake Plant
Perfect for your bedroom, this plant is unique in its ability to give off oxygen at night. Snake plants are also able to produce enough oxygen in an air-sealed room for people to breathe normally.It's one of the best plants for filtering (过滤) some harmful gases. Water it once a week, being sure to let the soil dry in- between waterings, and keep it by a window.
Peace Lily
If you' re somebody that loves flowers in the house, this is a great option for you. A peace lily produces fragrant flowers all summer long , and effectively removes formaldehyde(甲醛) from the air. It grows best in shady areas and with the soil kept damp. Be careful though, as this plant can be poisonous if eaten by children or pets.
Bamboo Palm
This fast growing houseplant looks splendid and is safe for children and pets. It will add damp to the air in the dry winter months and remove indoor air pollutants. It grows well in indirect sunlight away from any cold drafts. .Take care of it by keeping the soil wet and misting ts leaves.
Red Edged Dracaena
This drought tolerant plant is good for beginners. It grows well in sunlight. Wipe the underside of the leaves regularly with a damp cloth to make sure it can properly filter your air.Place it in a semi-shaded area and mist the soil with room-temperature water. Careful,it's not pet-friendly.
1. How does a snake plant help you?| A．It produces enough oxygen. | B．It gives off a fragrant smell. |
| C．It keeps the indoor air wet. | D．It makes the bedroom prettier. |
| A．A snake plant. | B．A peace lily. | C．A bamboo palm. | D．A red-edged dracaena. |
| A．They prefer dry conditions. | B．They do good to kids and pets. |
| C．They reduce indoor pollution. | D．They're suitable for beginners. |
8 . I grew up five minutes from Clapham Junction station in south London. Our house backed onto the railway, so the regular sound of passing trains was a sound I found noisy. Clapham Junction was famously busy, but it felt separate from the rest of London, as if its purpose was to carry people away from the capital. I felt I stood on the edge of the city.
During my last year at primary school, I spent every afternoon going across the road with my mum to eat white toast with drinking sugary tea. My mum would argue with the Greek Cypriot owner about politics. They disagreed about everything, but laughed a lot while arguing. Our life seemed uneventful.
But as time passed by, our area changed. The town became modern, and I changed a lot too. I went from a state primary school to a private secondary school. I stopped drinking sugary tea. I cared less about branded skirts but more about books. I spent less time hanging around the common but more travelling to the libraries where I found my interest.
It was then that I discovered Dodie Smith's I Capture the Castle and Elaine Dundy's The Dud Avocado. After that I scanned the shelves of bookshops for some writing. In this way I found so many writers who have influenced me: Barbara Pym, EM Delafield and so on.
Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People wasn't like any other book I'd read. For more than sixty years the rock solid, time-tested advice in this book has carried thousands of now famous people up the ladder of success in their business and personal lives. Now this previously revised and updated bestseller is available in trade paperback for the first .time to help you achieve your maximum potential throughout the next century! I read it as a guide anyway. And in a way it was.
1. How did the author feel about her childhood?| A．Meaningful. | B．Unsatisfied. | C．Unforgettable. | D．Colorful. |
| A．She often felt lonely. | B．She usually drank sugary tea. |
| C．She began to become modern. | D．She started to like reading. |
| A．The world. | B．A dream. | C．The inspiration. | D．A plan. |
| A．My Colourful Life | B．Reading Changed Me |
| C．My Hometown Raised Me | D．My Learning Experience |
9 . Former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill once said, "The British are the only people who like to be told how bad things are." This is definitely true of British comedy. Most people think humor is about happy things, but for the British, the opposite is true. We love to use our cruel sense of humor to complain and be negative.
British comedy, for example, draws a fine line between comedy and tragedy（悲剧）. BBC's The Office is a TV show, famous for its dry humor. The main character, David Brent, is a foolish man, and the show's comedy comes from his delusions. For example, he often tells himself that he is loved by everyone but the viewer can see that everyone hates him.
Stupid characters for the audience to laugh at are an old tradition in Britain. In Shakespeare's play Twelfth Night, the character Malvolio is an old man whom people play tricks on. The audience will laugh away, although the reality is that this man is a truly tragic individual.
This side of British humor is reflected in friendships as well. At university, my friends and I would always laugh at one another. I had an American friend who actually found this sarcasm（挖苦）quite upsetting. She didn't realize that in Britain, the better friends you are with someone, the more you laugh at them.
This approach—laughing at everything—may sound rather depressing（让人郁闷的）, but our strange humor played a big part in British history. In World War II, along with a stiff upper lip（坚定沉着）, the British got through it by laughing. What else was there to do?
There is a saying in English: "Laugh and the world laughs with you; cry and you cry alone." If you are ever on the receiving end of British sarcasm, you may feel like crying, but it's best to just laugh it off!
1. How is British humor special?| A．It is often surprising and boring. |
| B．It is often about negative things. |
| C．It often laughs at happy people. |
| D．It often makes happy things depressing. |
| A．British people will not laugh at their good friends |
| B．there is a great difference between comedy and tragedy |
| C．stupid people are often treated well in Shakespeare's plays |
| D．British humor used to give people courage in face of sufferings |
| A．Keep silent. |
| B．Cry as you like. |
| C．Don't take it seriously. |
| D．Try to hold back your laughter. |
10 . The government's top Great Barrier Reef scientist says a third mass coral bleaching (珊瑚白化) event in five years is a clear signal that the marine wonder is “calling for urgent help on climate change. Corals can recover from mild bleaching, but severe bleaching can kill corals.
Prof Terry Hughes, director of the Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University, surveyed 1,036 reefs from a plane over nine days in late March.
The marine park authority also had an observer on the flights. The survey has released maps showing that serious levels of bleaching occurred in 2020 in all three sections of the reef northern, central and southern. Some 25% of the reefs were seriously bleached-meaning that more than 60% of the corals on each reef had bleached.
The Great Barrier Reel has experienced five mass bleaching events-1998. 2002,2016, 2017 and 2020 -all caused by rising ocean temperatures driven by global heating. Hughes said there probably would not be the same level of coral death in the north and central regions in 2020 as in previous years, but this was partly because previous bleaching outbreaks had kill off the less heat -tolerant species The 2020 bleaching was second only to 2016 for severity(严重性), Hughes said.
Dr. David Wachenfeld，chief scientist at the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, told Guardian Australia "My greatest fear is that people will lose hope for the reef. Without hope there's no action. People need to see these bleaching events, They are clear signals that the Great Barrier Reef is alling for urgent help and for us to do everything we can”.
Measures to improve the ability of recovery of the reef include improving water quality, controlling outbreaks of coral-eating starfish, and research and development to improve the heat tolerance of corals. " However, climate change brings a new scale of impact unlike anything we have seen before. Thus, dealing with the climate problem is the basis for everything else to work, ” Wachenfeld said.
1. What does the underlined word “mild” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?| A．Serious |
| B．Strong. |
| C．Steady. |
| D．Slight. |
| A．The majority of the corals on each reef were bleached. |
| B．The survey was carried out on a plane by Hughes alone. |
| C．The 2020 bleaching killed off the less heat tolerant species. |
| D．The 2020 bleaching was worse than those of all the previous years. |
| A．have done everything they can for the reef |
| B．are sure to lose hope for the reef |
| C．will care more about the reef |
| D．will have no action at all |
| A．Improving water quality. |
| B．Making efforts to prevent global warming. |
| C．controlling outbreaks of coral-eating starfish., |
| D．Doing research on the heat tolerance of corals. |
