1 . Calculated every year by Global Footprint Network（GFN），Earth Overshoot Day（地球生态超载日）is the day when human has used up all the natural resources—produce,meat,fish,water and wood.This means we use up them ahead of time before the end of the year.
It is just like spending your entire years' money by August and then borrow money from friends,knowing fully well you cannot pay back. GFN says the same thing happens in the case of the earth."Because we give out more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than our oceans and forests can take in,and we harvest forests more quickly than they can regrow,"he said.
In a perfect world,we should only spend what we have.This means Earth Overshoot Day would fll on 31 December or perhaps in the following year. Unfortunately,the day has been climbing up quickly since 2014 when it fell on 19 August.In 2015,it was 13 August,and this year, the earliest so far—8 August!
According to GFN,Australia tops the list,with the United States coming in a close second.If the world's population started to live like either of these countries,we would need more resources to meet our needs.
Fortunately,experts say the situation isn't as bad as it sounds. Many countries have already taken measures to reduce carbon emissions（释放）by using wind or solar energy.People can also help by eating less meat, walking, cycling or taking public transportation,as well adopting the three Rs: Reduce,Reuse&Recycle.If we work together,we can help push back Earth Overshoot Day to December 31 or even beyond.
1. How does the author explain Earth Overshoot Day?| A．By giving us some data. |
| B．By comparing it to personal money. |
| C．By describing the process of waste. |
| D．By introducing the present situation of the earth. |
| A．Uncertain. | B．Negative. | C．Skeptical. | D．Positive. |
| A．Earth Overshot Day falls on different days every year. |
| B．Earth Overshoot Day falls on 8 August. |
| C．Earth Overshoot Day falls on 31 December. |
| D．Earth Overshoot Day is put forward year by year. |
| A．To warn people to plan for their future. |
| B．To tell people the importance of nature. |
| C．To teach people how to protect the earth. |
| D．To call on people to care about the earth. |
2 . The 90-minute documentary, Amazing China, which is co-produced by China Central Television and China Film Corp, opened in theatres nationwide.
The film focuses on the major achievements the country has made since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012 under Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.
Speaking about the documentary, Wei Tie, the director, says," The film arouses Chinese pride from deep inside."
The documentary focuses on key Chinese infrastructure（基础设施）projects in aerospace，high-speed rail，the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and the world's largest single-dish telescope FAST. The documentary also informs viewers that seven of the world's 10 biggest sea ports are now in China and that the country now has the longest high-speed rail network in the world.
In the film, Lin Ming, the chief engineer of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge project, says," In the past, what kind of projects we took up was decided by what kind of facilities we had. But, nowadays, no matter what kind of projects we are assigned, we develop the technology to complete it." His voice is calm but his words show the country’s self-confidence. Speaking of the importance of the new documentary for the Chinese, La Peikang, the head of China Film Corp, says," It's not only about showing the achievements, but presenting the present situation of China. The film will help people to know our country better."
Amazing China also focuses on common people. In the film, you see a young Tibetan woman volunteering in rural areas to help people get rid of poverty. And, you also see a successful entrepreneur from the coastal Fujian Province who settles in the Gobi Desert, in northwest China, who has taken up a new career growing grapes.
1. The underlined word" assigned" in Paragraph 5 means________.| A．given | B．allowed | C．required | D．connected |
| A．The high-speed rail. | B．The ancient Silk Road. |
| C．The single-dish telescope FAST | D．The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. |
| A．The documentary also covers common people. |
| B．The film calls on people to convert the Gobi Desert. |
| C．The film encourages more people to volunteer in rural areas. |
| D．A young Tibetan woman is the main character of the documentary. |
| A．An Introduction to China |
| B．An Introduction to Xi Jinping Thought |
| C．The Effect of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics |
| D．An Introduction to a Documentary Named Amazing China |
3 . I work at a grocery store(杂货店) in Montreal's Plateau neighbourhood, which gets a lot of regulars. On March 12, the Quebec government announced to close all public places to stop the spread of the pandemic (流行病) of COVID-19.
The next day the store was the busiest I've ever seen. The six cash registers had to be kept open from 10 a. m. until close. I didn't have time to eat lunch, and whenever one of us on cash had to use the bathroom, we'd have to bring in a co-worker off the floor to cover for us.
Since then, the atmosphere in the store has been different. Customers are mostly considerate, but whenever someone coughs or sneezes(打喷嚏), everyone turns around to make sure that person sneezed into their elbow. I've even seen customers come in wearing some strange get-ups. One guy even came in with a plastic Walmart bag wrapped around his entire head, with a hole cut out for his eyes.
A lot of my co-workers have left to avoid a public-facing job during the pandemic. Grocery store workers across Canada are putting their health at risk every time they come in to work, but a lot of us are still making close to minimum wage. I realized that I feel more exhausted than normal even though I'm working the same hours.
There still have been some moments of kindness in the chaos（混乱）. I've overheard people talking on the phone who sounded as though they were organizing grocery deliveries for those stuck at home. And this past weekend a very nice lady thanked us for continuing to work. I know everyone is worried, but it's useless having the same scary conversations day after day. Instead, tell us a funny story, or about something nice. We'll appreciate it, and you'll make our day just a bit brighter.
1. What can be inferred from Paragraph 2?| A．The goods were in short supply. |
| B．The store was selling goods at low price . |
| C．The cashiers were enjoying their work. |
| D．The locals rushed to do shopping like crazy. |
| A．They like to shop here in disguise（伪装）. |
| B．They are panicky about the disease. |
| C．They are more friendly to each other. |
| D．They have taken proper preventive measures. |
| A．The author is optimistic. |
| B．The author earns more money than others |
| C．The author isn’t afraid of the pandemic at all. |
| D．The author works more hours than before. |
| A．keeping away from the pandemic |
| B．It is not work but worry that kills |
| C．Here is what it's like working in the pandemic |
| D．Moments of kindness shine in a time of chaos |
4 . British shoppers buy 2.15 million tonnes of clothing and shoes annually, yet UK citizens have an estimated £30 billion worth of unused clothing gathering dust at the back of the wardrobe（衣柜）. But new technology could see the end of that, with the garments themselves giving owners a gentle reminder of their existence.
“Smart clothes” could help us clear out our drawers by sending messages or tweeting us if they haven't been worn for a good while. If these alerts are ignored, the garments will get in touch with a clothing charity and ask to be reused, with an organization automatically sending out donation information. They could also be programmed to put themselves up for auction（拍卖） on eBay.
Academics at Birmingham City University are developing the “connected wardrobe” to encourage more suitable clothes consumption. The concept sees garments tagged（给……加标签） using washable contactless technology, known as radio-frequency identification.
Mark Brill, senior lecturer at Birmingham City, said: “Think of the surprise when an owner suddenly receives bids for items they didn't know were in their wardrobe”.
“The connected wardrobe is a practical, pleasant concept to encourage people to think about their clothing consumption. Finally, I hope it will encourage more appropriate fashion consumption,” He added, “Perhaps we can even move away from the idea of ‘ownership’ of clothing. When we’ve worn them enough, the items will pass themselves on to their next keeper to wear.”
It follows in the footsteps of the “Internet of Things” — a concept that sees ordinary household items connecting to the internet in order to share information. From adjusting your alarm clock to monitoring the temperature of your home, the Internet is changing the way we live.
Now, the “Internet of Clothes” will see that neglected garments will tweet and text the owners “asking” to be worn depending on the weather and frequency of wear. Clothes will keep track of other information such as who owned it previously, as well as how much it originally cost, who made it and how much the worker was paid for it.
1. What does the author say about “smart clothes”?| A．They have gained in popularity. | B．They may be donated on eBay. |
| C．They may be recycled if long forgotten. | D．They give warnings if worn out. |
| A．It changes people’s shopping habits. |
| B．It helps people buy cheaper clothes. |
| C．It improves people’s consumer confidence. |
| D．It contributes to right consumption attitudes. |
| A．Clothes are sold online at a low price. |
| B．Internet is a platform to share items. |
| C．Clothes can be a source of information. |
| D．Weather affects the connected wardrobe. |
| A．Approving. | B．Skeptical. | C．Critical. | D．Uninterested. |
5 . When you can’t get away, your kids still can by taking a virtual (虚拟的) field trip to a museum farm, zoo or another fun location. This is a great way to get them interested and happy.
Best Tours of the World: AirPano
AirPano has a variety of tours in China, Portugal, Switzerland and more countries. It offers narrations (叙述) of several tours and includes short written information that’s easy for kids of most ages to read. The tours are also fairly short, which makes these tours great for younger kids.
Best Virtual Dairy Farm Tour: Will-O-Crest Farm
This 45-minule tour of Will-O-Crest Farm in New York state walks through every step of working on a dairy farm. It shows how cows are housed and how cows are milked. The video is hosted by a narrator with a live instructor from the farm onsite.
Best Aquarium Virtual Tour: National Aquarium
The aquarium has more than 20,000 water animals. Kids can click and drag (拖) images to navigate (导航) their way around and use the map to explore various exhibits. Explore eight areas, such as the Amazon River, a rain forest and the Mexican gulf.
Best Natural History Tour: Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
This museum helps understand nature and humanity's place in it. There's so much to see that not all can be listed here. However, the museum offers an online tour of most of its exhibits. Divide this tour up into a lot of lessons, so kids don't get stressed.
1. Which is in New York state?| A．AirPano. | B．Will-O-Crest Farm. |
| C．National Aquarium. | D．Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. |
| A．They are divided into lots of lessons. | B．They are likely to be loved by animal lovers. |
| C．They provide chances to tour different places. | D．They teach kids knowledge about natural history. |
| A．Give Fun to Your Kids | B．Adventures in Rain Forests |
| C．Tour the World with Your Kids | D．Best Virtual Field Trips for Your Kids |
6 . Drinking coffee as soon as one wakes up from a night's sleep greatly affects metabolism （新陈代谢） and blood sugar responses. Scientists published this in the British Journal of Nutrition,
In the study, the UK researchers let 29 healthy men and women take part in three different overnight experiments. In the first two scenes, participants were given a sugary drink upon waking first from a normal night's sleep, and then again after a greatly disturbed night's sleep. In the third, their sleep was similarly, but they were given a strong black coffee 30 minutes before having the sugary drink.
Blood samples from participants were taken following the sugary drinkin each experiment. Results showed that one night of disturbed sleep did not worsen the participants' blood sugar responses at breakfast when compared to a normal night of sleep. However, strong black coffee consumed before breakfast increased the blood sugar response by around 50 percent.
By drinking such kind of drink after breakfast, UK researchers found that our bodies, ability to break down our food healthily is completely improved. Examining the effects of broken sleep and morning coffee through a range of different metabolic markers, researchers found that, while one night of poor sleep had a limited effect on metabolism, drinking coffee before breakfast could have a negative effect on blood sugar control.
“We know that nearly half of us will wake in the morning and, before doing anything else, drink coffee-the more tired we feel, the stronger the coffee is. This study is important and has far-reaching health influences, and it indeed shakes some coffee drinkers. Up to now we have had limited knowledge about what this is doing to our bodies, in particular for our metabolic and blood sugar control, so we have a long way to go. "said Professor James Bette, co-director of the Centre for Nutrition at the University of Bath.
1. How did the UK researchers get the result of the experiment?| A．By theoretical analysis. | B．By comparative experiments. |
| C．By doing questionnaires. | D．By consulting journals. |
| A．A poor night sleep surely affects blood sugar responses. |
| B．Drinking coffee after breakfast does much harm to health. |
| C．Having strong drinks has a good effect on one's metabolism. |
| D．Drinking coffee at different time has different effects on health. |
| A．It makes no sense. | B．It is limited and blind. |
| C．It remains to be continued. | D．It is particular and precise. |
| A．Harms of drinking coffee before breakfast. |
| B．What weakens ones' blood sugar responses. |
| C．How much coffee one should drink a day. |
| D．The effective procedure for blood sugar control. |
7 . The idea of changing the world seems very crazy, but there are a number of small everyday things we can do to make the world better. Community centers, parks, libraries, homeless shelters, hospitals and schools are all places where students can make a difference through service.
Alisia Orosco, 10, wanted to show her love and care to the sick kids at University Children's Hospital in Texas, where her brother had been a patient. She earned money by doing part-time jobs and used it to buy different toys for the children in hospital. Now she visits three hospitals every year with bags of toys. "I hope to help as many kids as I can," Alisia says. "It makes me happy to make them smile."
High school students in a town of Washington made a difference to the lives of some needy children by building a playground at a worker's camp. They got a lot of help from a building supply store which provided free building materials for the project.
Teens in New Jersey decided to offer their help at a local soup kitchen where people with no homes can get free food. But there wasn't one. They created a one-day soup kitchen and were able to feed 60 needy people and allow them to take the rest home. Their efforts got more people to understand the great need of the poor in their community. Because of their efforts and success, a permanent soup kitchen was created with the $ 10,000 National award they received from Newman's Own.
High school students in Las Vegas helped 30 homeless adults prepare resumes during a job fair they held at the area's largest homeless shelter. At least nine of the adults later found jobs.
1. Every year Alisia visits three hospitals with bags of toys in order to _________.| A．sell her different toys | B．look for part-time jobs |
| C．look after her sick brother | D．bring cheer to the sick kids |
| A．received high praise | B．cost $ 10,000 to build |
| C．got help from 60 people | D．was aimed at children |
| A．Kind. | B．Brave. | C．Proud. | D．Crazy. |
| A．In Texas. | B．In a town of Washington. |
| C．In New Jersey. | D．In Las Vegas. |
8 . The terraced rapeseed(油菜)flower hills of Jiangling, Wuyuan is well-known as one of the four “seas of flowers” in China, attracting thousands of plant-loving tourists to come and appreciate and photograph the vast and endless rapeseed flower fields.
“Rapeseed flowers are the messenger of spring,” said Bin Zhan, manager of Jiangxi Wuyuan Tourism, “Jiangling is the best place for a relaxing spring trip to enjoy the most visually impressive views of golden seas of rapeseed blossoms covering layered terrace fields”.
The rapeseed blossom in the terraced fields of Jiangling, located 45 kilometres to the northeast of Wuyuan County, Jiangxi Province, reached full bloom in the second week of March.
This year. Wuyuan restores ancient farming traditions and practices to give visitors an idea or the history ，culture and folk customs of the county by adding scarecrows(稻草人) in the rapeseed flower fields. The creative scarecrows of Wuyuan County are designed in the shapes of popular cartoon characters, Hui-style architecture and folk customs. They are placed in the rapeseed fields to provide more fun and interactions for visitors on flower viewing tours.
“As flower viewing is becoming more popular in recent years, Jiangling is seeing a growing number of returning visitors, especially professional photograph who come back every year for the dramatic rapeseed blossoms,” Zhan said. “The blossoms only last one to two months. April is the last chance to catch a flower-viewing tour this year.”
In addition to flower viewing, Wuyuan County is also home to the most well-protected ancient Hui-style architecture in China. As one of the most beautiful countryside villages in China, it attracts photographers from around the world every year to document not only the natural scenery, but also the unique farming culture and folk traditions.
1. Which is NOT one of the features of the rapeseed blossoms of Jiangling？| A．The rapeseed fields cover a limited area. |
| B．The rapeseed is planted on layered terraces. |
| C．Rapeseed flowers blossom, at the beginning of spring. |
| D．When the flowers blossom, the fields are like a golden sea. |
| A．Folk customs. | B．Hui-style buildings. |
| C．Creative scarecrows. | D．Models of popular cartoon characters. |
| A．Returning visitors get discount when entering Jiangling. |
| B．Visitors could catch the last flower viewing tour in May. |
| C．It is in March and April that Jiangling has the most visitors. |
| D．Not many professional photographers will go to see the blossoms. |
| A．To introduce Wuyuan County as a tourist destination. |
| B．To report how many people visited Jiangling this year. |
| C．To introduce the history of rapeseed farming in Jiangling. |
| D．To remind visitors the best viewing time for rapeseed blossoms. |
9 . Do you like running enough to make it a habit? Tierney Wolfgram does; she has made running a lifelong career and isn't stopping.
In February, the 16-year-old from a high school, US, competed at the 2020 US Olympic Trials. She finished the marathon(42.195 km)with a time of 2:42:47 as the youngest competitor in the race and ranked 76th out of 390 runners. However, the cross-country(越野的)season was postponed to winter because of the COVID-19. So she jumped at the opportunity to train for another race-the Parkway Marathon in California. In November, Wolfgram broke the Women's American Junior marathon record with her time of 2:31:49. The old record was 2:34:32, which had stood since 1984.
“I'm completely stunned, ”said Wolfgram's coach. “I knew she was going to break it, but she really showed out！”
During the run, Wolfgram once hit a wall pretty hard, but she overcame it to finish. “I guess I can say I gave it my all, ”she told Runner's World. “When I finished, all I was thinking was I felt super happy,” Wolfgram said This was only her third marathon. In 2018, when Wolfgram was 15 years old, she ran her first marathon just because she wanted to see if she had the ability to do it. “I believed that I would get faster as the distances got longer. . . I'm still glad that I did it. ”
When preparing for that first marathon, she ran up to 120 miles per week. Although her parents didn't have any background in running, they helped Wolfgram train. At first, her dad would take her out in the morning and run about 13 miles. The distance would gradually increase each day. On top of her runs in the morning, she would do cross-country practice after school.
Now Wolfgram will consider attending the Olympics Games in 2024 after it's scheduled.
1. What can we learn about Wolfgram from Paragraph 2?| A．She was the champion at the 2020 US Olympic Trials. |
| B．She put off the cross-country season for the COVID-19. |
| C．She broke an Olympic marathon record in November. |
| D．She prepared for the Parkway Marathon in California. |
| A．Doubtful | B．Worried. | C．Shocked. | D．Interested |
| A．Her parents' encouragement. | B．Her desire to prove she could do it. |
| C．Her coach's support and help. | D．Her hope to break the national record |
| A．Sports. | B．Lifestyle | C．Culture. | D．Opinion |
10 . It is becoming more and more important for researchers to closely observe our sea life, with climate change and overfishing damaging our oceans. However, this is almost impossible since human presence scares the animals.
Now, thanks to The Soft Robotic Fish, also called SoFi, researchers may not only be able to keep a close eye on the creatures, but also uncover undersea secrets that have been confusing us for centuries. Though not the first autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) created to observe the oceans, SoFi solves many of the problems that have hindered (妨碍) the usefulness of previous robots.
AUVs traditionally have had to be tied to a boat because radio communications do not work well underwater. To solve the problem, CSAIL director Daniela Rus and her team used sound waves which can travel greater distances, allowing drivers using a waterproofed Super Nintendo controller to pilot SoFi from up to 50 feet away. To ensure SoFi can freely move around the ocean, a pump moves water from one balloon-like structure to the other through its soft rubber tail, while a controller fitted with a battery powers the robot through the ocean.
During test dives, SoFi moved alongside the sea life at depths of 50 feet for up to 40 minutes at a time, taking high-quality photos and videos. Even more importantly, it was able to do so without causing any disturbance. The researchers say sometimes the fish would swim alongside the strange-looking robot-fish out of curiosity, while at other times they appeared completely unaware of its existence.
While SoFi currently only records videos, future versions will include sensors. “For us, this fish is magical,” says Rus. “We imagine someday it might help us uncover more mysteries from the amazing underwater world that we know so little about.”
1. The first paragraph is used to _________.| A．attract readers’ attention |
| B．provide background information |
| C．call on people to stop overfishing |
| D．show human influence on sea animals |
| A．A solar battery | B．A rubber tail |
| C．A special controller | D．An inside balloon |
| A．Multi-functional and expensive. |
| B．Scary-looking but sensitive. |
| C．Fast -moving and disturbing. |
| D．Silent-running but powerful. |
| A．Rus has a magical fish. |
| B．SoFi needs to be improved. |
| C．Rus has designed sensors for SoFi. |
| D．We know little about the underwater world. |
