1 . Baby foods on market generally contain too much sugar, causing a source of health concern, a new report by World Health Organization (WHO) says.
The United Nations specialized agency on public health based the conclusion on an examination by its European office of about 8, 000 baby food products on shelf between. November 2019 and January 2020. It warns that the very high level of sugars present in commercial products is a cause for concern. They increase the risk of overweight and teeth holes while causing a lifetime eating habit in favor of sugary foods.
“In around half of the products examined, more than 30 percent of calories were from total sugars and around a third of products contained added sugar or other sweetening agents,” the world health body said in the report released on Monday to update guidelines for babies’ diets. The examination that covered more than 500 stores in Austria, Bulgaria, Israel and Hungary also finds the labels of up to 60 percent of the inspected food are misleading consumers by claiming to suit babies under six months old.
In the report, countries are advised to make new laws on controlling high sugar intake, ban added sugars and sweeteners in baby foods, and put an end to the promotion of breast milk substitutes. It also requires labels on candies and sweetened drinks, including fruit juices and condensed (压缩) milk, to state they are not suitable for children under three. Meanwhile, WHO recommends that children between six months and two years be fed nutrient-rich home-prepared foods.
“WHO has long recommended that babies receive only breast milk for the first six months of life. Good nutrition in babyhood and early childhood remains the key to ensuring best child growth and development, and to better health outcomes later in life,” said Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO regional director for Europe, in a statement.
1. How did WHO get the finding?| A．By testing baby foods’ flavour. | B．By examining some baby foods. |
| C．By monitoring baby foods’ production. | D．By conducting an interview about baby foods. |
| A．Some of them are selling poor baby foods. |
| B．They have broken the laws about baby foods. |
| C．Their baby foods have damaged babies’ health. |
| D．They are taking action to change the present situation. |
| A．The experts’ guidance. | B．The consumers’ cooperation. |
| C．The stores’ being closed down. | D．The government’s involvement. |
| A．Condensed milk. | B．Fruit juice. | C．Breast milk. | D．Home-prepared foods. |
2 . Researchers at the DogStudies lab at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History have shown that dogs may possess some metacognitive (元认知) abilities. Specifically, when they do not have enough information to solve a problem, they will actively look for more information, similarly to primates (灵长类).
In a recent study, project leader Julia Belger explored whether dogs have metacognitive abilities. To test this, the researchers designed a device involving two V-shaped fences. A reward, either food or a toy, would be placed by one researcher behind one of the two fences while another researcher held the dogs. In some cases, the dogs could see where the reward was placed, while in others, the dogs could not. The researchers then analyzed how frequently the dogs looked through the gap in the fence before choosing an option.
The researchers found that the dogs did check significantly more often for the reward when they had not seen where it was placed. These results show that dogs do tend to actively seek extra information when they have not seen where the reward is concealed.
The results did not allow the researchers to say definitively whether dogs possess meta-cognition, though they displayed some evidence for it. Julia said, “For humans, vision is an important information gathering sense. In this case, our experiment was based on a checking action relying on sight, but the dogs probably also used their sense of smell when checking through the gap. We know that smell is very important to dogs and we could see that they were using it.”
Julia added, “In future, we would like to develop an experiment to investigate under what circumstances dogs decide to use their sense of smell versus sight. This may give us additional insights into their information seeking abilities.”
1. What ability may dogs have according to the study?| A．To offer information like primates. | B．To use their skills to find more food. |
| C．To seek information to solve a problem. | D．To ask for help before choosing an option. |
| A．Decorated. | B．Hidden. | C．Produced. | D．Purchased. |
| A．Uncertain. | B．Friendly. | C．Negative. | D．Critical. |
| A．Environment and technology. | B．Humans and nature. |
| C．Literature and culture. | D．Society and life. |
3 . A 19-year-old independent artist, Omar Banos, is making’ waves as Cuco, a self-produced multi-instrumentalist and singer. Omar Banos’ approach to music is simple. He just wants to make the music he would listen to himself. Most of the time, that idea shows in his fast hip-hop beats and jazzy electric guitar solos.
Banos, who has released two self-produced albums, has been aspiring to music. He always wanted to play the guitar, and picked it up in high school before expanding his talent to the trumpet and French horn. “I’m very committed to my instruments,” Banos said. “If an instrument is right in front of me, and nobody has time to teach me, I just teach myself.” The same is true for his dreamy production. At 16, Banos got his hands in his first music-editing software, and he has developed a range of techniques.
Banos switches between English and Spanish, singing with his pleasant and warm lilt. “When I’m writing, I just put myself in a place, in a certain time period in my life,” he said, “songs just come out very naturally.”
Though Banos’ soft sound might encourage daydreaming, the independent artist is keeping his feet firmly on the ground during his breakthrough. “I feel I’m watching myself take off, but my brain is still on the ground,” he said. “This all happened so quickly. I didn’t even have time to get ready!”
Banos adds that despite his success, he isn’t always recognized as Cuco. “I will wear Vans, and sometimes people will get confused. They will ask whether I’m sure I’m there to perform. I guess I don’t look like an artist,” he said.
1. Why did Banos make music in the beginning?| A．To entertain himself. | B．To kill his dull time. |
| C．To make himself well-known. | D．To improve his skill in music. |
| A．Banos’ high school life. | B．Banos’ learning methods. |
| C．Banos’ achievements in music. | D．Banos’ great interest in music. |
| A．Honest and careful. | B．Efficient and faithful. |
| C．Creative and low-key. | D．Devoted and warm-hearted. |
| A．Banos has made himself take off | B．Banos will continue daydreaming |
| C．A genius learned music in high school | D．A famous singer keeps pursuing his dream |
4 . Google Cloud is racing to roll out new features and services aimed at helping its customers maintain business during the coronavirus pandemic, including a new security product expected to launch Tuesday. The new security product includes technology that could attract more businesses, especially those in highly regulated industries, to adopt cloud services. The technology protects data while it is being processed. “We wanted people comfortable in knowing they can move to the cloud and don’t have to worry about the security of their data,” said Mr. Kurian, chief executive of the unit.
Google Cloud accelerated the development of several features for its virtual meeting product, Google Meet, in April, including one that automatically filters out background noises such as keystrokes and dog barks. Another feature automatically adjusts a user’s video with lighting variations. In 2018, the company launched an AI tool for manufactures that automatically inspects products for quality.
Google Cloud also benefited from the protocols(协议) for Black Friday, when shopping websites see a rush of online shoppers, to deal with sudden more demand for cloud services. The protocols benefited the customers in online videogames, government services, education and shopping, who needed assistance in more computing capacity.
Also, the protocols benefited many companies. Godbole, chief information officer for home improvement company Lowe’s Cos., worked with Mr. Kurian and his team in March and April to manage increased business. Lowe’s customers were doubling on projects such as those related to home offices during those months, and “Our company saw tremendous demand,” Ms. Godbole said.
The coronavirus pandemic presented a new opportunity for Google Cloud to prove its value for customers, said Plummer, chief of research for cloud computing. “Google Cloud aims to differentiate itself by being known as a provider that can handle unpredictable events,” Mr. Plummer said. It aims to do that by offering secure remote-work tools and software development tools that require minimal coding. “Trust is built in times of crisis,” he said.
1. During the coronavirus pandemic, Google Cloud is working hard to ________.| A．start more highly regulated businesses. |
| B．help customers to save more money. |
| C．make people move to the cloud more safely. |
| D．remove data while it is being processed. |
| A．Produces. | B．Breaks. | C．Matches. | D．Removes. |
| A．To show the market needs the new products of Google Cloud. |
| B．To share the experience of Ms. Godbole’s company. |
| C．To offer an example of running a company in times of crisis. |
| D．To encourage people to follow the step of Godbole. |
| A．Insufficient. | B．Reliable. | C．Unpredictable. | D．Complex. |
5 . One in five Brits won’t answer the door to anyone they’re not expecting, according to a new study. When asked how often they might respond to unexpected guests, 46 percent of people quizzed by Hillarys.co.uk said they would only answer if it was someone they want to see, while 20 percent said they would never answer the door to anyone they were not expecting.
When asked who they would be most likely to avoid answering the door to, salesmen understandably came out on top followed by neighbors. More interestingly, 25 percent are ignoring family members, 19 percent said they’d pretend not to hear their friends and 16 percent admitted they’d ignore their partners.
This reminds me of a family friend who used to lie on her living room floor when she saw her annoying neighbor coming up the drive. My neighbors are lovely, but there have been times I wished for a solid wooden door with a small hole. We have a glass panel (嵌板) that makes it difficult to retreat on the living room floor when an unwelcome visitor is standing outside.
Interestingly, two fifths of surveyed respondents also admitted ignoring trick or treaters — I’m surprised it’s not more. We fully accepted all things Halloween-related, taking our children out and loading up a bowl of candies for our young visitors, and a lot of people seemed to be “out” that night. I think that’s fair enough — Halloween definitely isn’t for everyone and I admit I’d gone off it myself by 9 pm when some crazed banging and letter box shaking started at my front door.
I’d forgotten to turn the pumpkin lights off, but that didn’t mean I was up for welcoming a group of noisy older kids after hours. But, being British, I waited until they’d moved on before quietly stepping out to turn out the lights.
1. Who are probably the most unwelcome knockers for British?| A．Neighbors. | B．Family members. |
| C．Business partners. | D．Door-to-door salesmen. |
| A．To make a replacement. | B．To escape to a place. |
| C．To see something clearly. | D．To treat someone politely. |
| A．She is socially inactive. |
| B．She doesn’t accept Halloween customs. |
| C．She wouldn’t answer the door to trick or treaters. |
| D．She thought more British would welcome trick or treaters. |
| A．To offer reasons for British indifference. |
| B．To warn us not to answer the door for strangers. |
| C．To introduce Brits’ reaction to unexpected visitors. |
| D．To tell us some ways to deal with unexpected visitors. |
6 . It should probably come as a big surprise that a Mandarin song, Yi Jian Mei, or One Plum Blossom, from a 1984 Taiwan TV drama with the same title, has become so popular. It’s also equally surprising that 65-year-old experienced singer, Fei Yuching, who performed the song and announced his retirement with his last concert held in Taipei on Nov. 7, 2019, has won over a group of new fans in Western countries with his pleasant and smooth voice.
The popularity of the song started with a Chinese man, who performed the song in the snow and posted it online on Kuaishou on Jan. 20. His video was shared on YouTube in February and attracted the attention of many viewers with his unique voice. It scored more than 400,000 views.
Within the past couple of months when COVID-19 broke out around the world, the song has been adapted into different versions, one version of which has been viewed more than 16 million times on YouTube. It has been shared on popular social media platforms, such as TikTok and Twitter.
“The song has been popular for decades among Chinese music fans. I didn’t expect that it could reach audiences in the West. My parents still listen to the song. Indeed, it’s a great song,” commented a Chinese fan on Sina Weibo, a popular Chinese social media platform.
Born in Taiwan, Fei Yuching launched his music career by winning a local singing competition in 1973 and has released over 100 albums. He is also a TV host. On Sept. 27, 2018, he announced his plans to retire and launched a global farewell tour.
The song, Yi Jian Mei, with lyrics written by Wawa King and composed by Chen Bide, is about a man’s love, which is full of sadness and no regrets.
One of the lines Xue Hua Piao Piao Bei Feng Xiao Xiao, literally translated as “snow falls and wind blows”, has been used widely in emojis(表情符号) and comments to convey a complaining tone. “My parents are talking about getting a divorce. Me in my room: Xue Hua Piao Piao Bei Feng Xiao Xiao,” a viewer wrote under the name, BruhBruh, on YouTube.
“Jokes aside, this is actually a pretty nice and relaxing song,” commented another fan on YouTube.
“Despite the language barrier, the English-speaking listeners can still feel the sadness of the lyrics. Fei Yuching is truly breaking cultural boundaries with his voice,” wrote a Chinese fan.
1. What do we know about the song Yi Jian Mei from the passage?| A．The song was written and composed by Chen Bide. |
| B．The song is about a love story which has a happy ending. |
| C．The song has been popular for decades around the world. |
| D．The song’s popularity in the West came as a surprise. |
| A．The song’s being adapted into different versions. |
| B．The singer, Fei Yuching’s pleasant and smooth voice. |
| C．A Chinese man’s performing it in the snow and posting it online. |
| D．The song’s being popular among Chinese music fans for decades. |
| A．In 2020. | B．In 2019. | C．In 2018. | D．In 1984. |
| A．Relaxed. | B．Sorrowful. | C．Embarrassed. | D．Comfortable. |
7 . England’s iconic red telephone booths have fallen out of use with the rise of cellphones, but people are finding imaginative new ways to make use of the relics that have been part of the British landscape for about 80 years.
The British famously have trouble letting go of old things. So when the cellphone turned the classic phone booths into a waste of space, there was a problem: What to do with them? As nobody was using them, the phone company started removing them and putting them in what looks like a phone booth graveyards.
Tony Inglis ran a trucking firm that got the contract to remove the old phone booths, many of which had fallen into ruin. His job was just to collect them, but something happened.
“I don’t know what we’re going to do with them, but we just can’t let them go,” Inglis said.
So, Inglis started fixing them up. And - surprise - some people started buying them because they liked the old phone booths with their old-fashioned phones. But playing with old phones only went so far. These booths, as it turned out, had legs. Inglis has helped to make them show up around the country being put to all sorts of new uses. Local libraries found them handy places from which to run book exchanges. Other uses include a coffee shop, a hat stall, a salad bar, and even a disco. But perhaps the most funny use, a cellphone repair shop.
The things are already popular and few tourists come to town without the selfie in front of one of the ones that are still around. They’re a natural place to do business, and seem like an obvious opportunity to Eddie Ottewell, who started renting them out.
“The red phone boxes are not just iconic. They’re history. They’ve been through wars. They’ve been through everything,” Eddie Ottewell said. These weren’t just phone booths. They were cultural signposts. In fact, they can’t go away. They have been protected as historically significant. Just as well, for they now have other uses.
1. What put the red telephone booths out of use in England?| A．Their high repair costs. | B．Their inability to provide good services. |
| C．The popularity of cellphones. | D．The growth in people’s living standard. |
| A．get the old phone booths to work well | B．keep people’s memory of the old phones |
| C．have his company running normally | D．give the phone booths new functions |
| A．Local tourism. | B．School education. |
| C．Daily communication. | D．Scientific invention. |
| A．Red telephone booths quit the British history stage. |
| B．Red telephone booths witness the British history. |
| C．British red telephone booths get a second life. |
| D．British red telephone booths are well protected. |
8 . Dale Austermuhl’s daughter was struggling academically when she started the after-school program at her Fairbanks elementary in the second grade. Dale did his best to help, but there’s only so much a single dad working full-time on a swing shift (小夜班) can do.
“Taking care of her all by myself while working—that’s difficult even for two parents. It’s challenging to handle this alone. You need a community,” Dale says.
Fast-forward four years, and Dale’s daughter is still enrolled in the program—and bringing home straight As. Perhaps more importantly, though, is the positive changes and growth he has seen in his daughter. “It’s helping my child become more confident with herself,” he says. “With the support of the program, she’s growing into a responsible, sincere and beautiful person. That’s what I’ve seen as a parent.” And, of course, you can’t put a price tag on the peace of mind the program offers to parents. “Knowing she is safe and that people are there making sure homework is done and helping her learn new things—I’m not sure what we would do without it,” Dale says.
The program Dale’s daughter is enrolled in is the 21st Century Community Learning Center. The grant-funded after-school program tries to improve student academics by providing a safe environment for students to explore interests, develop confidence and celebrate success, while promoting positive connections between schools, families and the community.
“The program is not just about homework—it also includes activities like knitting, cooking and gardening,” Dale explains. “After-school programs offer a safe environment where the kids are learning and becoming confident with themselves. The people involved in the after-school program are helping make sure these kids become successful adults. Positive influences create a better person.” Dale praises the program teachers and coordinators, as well as elected officials and organizations like Alaska Children’s Trust that support program funding.
1. What happened to Dale’s family according to the first two paragraphs?| A．Dale may have lost his job. |
| B．Dale wanted to move to a new community. |
| C．Dale’s daughter had difficulty in studying. |
| D．Dale’s daughter wanted to work in their community. |
| A．It helps students to improve their challenging subjects. |
| B．It provides a safe place for students to play video games. |
| C．It is funded by some students’ families in the community. |
| D．It is assisted by voluntary teachers from a nearby school. |
| A．By receiving academic aid during the vacation. |
| B．By practicing volunteer activities. |
| C．By building character and developing confidence. |
| D．By participating in sporting activity training. |
| A．The author prefers to share sad news. | B．The author is a leader in the program. |
| C．The author is curious about Dale’s story. | D．The author thinks highly of the program. |
9 . Amazon wants to be able to answer the troublesome question: Did I leave the stove on? The latest home security tool by Ring, a home security company owned by Amazon, is the Always Home Cam, a flying drone that can help homeowners check their apartments whenever they’re not in.
The Always Home Cam is a lightweight, self-docking, flying indoor camera that can take a predetermined path set by its user. When used with Ring’s proprietary home alarms systems like the Ring Alarm, the Always Home Cam will take flight and check the house for any potential disturbances. The drone unit can also be controlled remotely and manually. After a flight, the Always Home Cam automatically returns to its station itself for charging. It only records while in flight, too.
You can ask it to fly to check the stove while you’re out, or to see if you left the windows open. It’s also great for checking on naughty pets. The drone has obstacle avoidance technology built-in, and hidden propellers(螺旋桨) to mitigate any damage to household furnishing in the event of a collision. Amazon says the drone will automatically take flight if there’s movement in the house to show you what’s going on.
The device was one of several that Amazon unveiled Thursday as part of its annual appliance event. Due to the pandemic, this year’s version was held online instead of at Amazon’s Seattle headquarters.
The indoor flying camera, called the Ring Always Home Cam, still needs approval from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, but Amazon said it expects to sell it next year at $250. It will also launch a camera and alarm system for cars next year under its Ring brand.
Critics have raised privacy concerns about Ring, which is best known for its doorbell cameras, citing the company’s close relationship with police departments. Amazon said the drone only records when it is in the air, and that it makes a sound when it flies so any people in the house knows its recording.
1. What’s the main idea of the text?| A．The Always Home Cam can ensure your safety. |
| B．Always Home Cam can guard your house while you out. |
| C．Critics raised privacy concerns about the Always Home Cam. |
| D．New devices were unveiled on Amazon’ annual appliance event. |
| A．It can take a path set by computer. | B．It can record when you are out. |
| C．It can get charged by itself. | D．It can take flight at any time. |
| A．It was unveiled at Amazon’s Seattle headquarters. |
| B．It will be sold at $250 next year. |
| C．It can lessen damage to furniture for its obstacle avoidance technology. |
| D．It records in the air, not found by anyone. |
| A．Favorable. | B．Critical. | C．Doubtful. | D．Objective. |
10 . Teach abroad as an English Language Assistant
Established in 1905, the British Council’s English Language Assistants (ELA) programme is a major UK mobility initiative that offers paid teaching placements abroad, providing a perfect opportunity to travel, teach and gain invaluable experience along the way.
Every year we send around 2,500 English Language Assistants from the UK to support the teaching of English in 14 countries around the world.
Applications for the 2021—2022 academic year
Online applications for the 2021—2022 programme are scheduled to open on Wednesday 28 October 2020. Full details and the link to the online application system will be available via this webpage. Before applying, please make sure you first check the qualification requirements.
Am I eligible(合适的) for the English Language Assistants programme?
To be eligible to apply, you must meet all of the following criteria:
● Be highly proficient(熟练的) in English
●Meet the language requirements
●Hold a UK/Irish or European passport
●Have lived in the UK for a minimum of two years and be eligible to apply for an International Child Protection Certificate
●Hold the minimum academic qualifications
Please note that some of the information on this website currently relates to the 2020—2021 programme, but will be updated once the 2021—2022 programme application cycle is underway.
1. What opportunity will the programme provide?| A．All-expense-paid trips. | B．Practical teaching experience abroad. |
| C．Studying different languages. | D．Training for qualified teachers. |
| A．The age of the applicant. | B．High proficiency in English. |
| C．Time span of living in America. | D．Invaluable experience in teaching. |
| A．A travel book. | B．An English newspaper. |
| C．The Internet. | D．An English radio programme. |
