1 . Flocks of hundreds of regent honeyeaters（王吸蜜鸟）could once be spotted all over south-eastern Australia on a regular basis, but today the species is critically endangered, with only 300 believed to exist in the entire world. They were also known for the complexity of their mating songs, but as their numbers started declining, scientists started noticing male regent honeyeaters didn’t even sound like their species anymore. Today, there is enough evidence that regent honeyeaters have forgotten how to sing, which could cause the entire species to go extinct.

At one point, Australian scientists noticed that male regent honeyeaters were imitating（模仿）the songs of other bird species. Some experts believed that the imitation was a purposeful strategy to avoid attacks from their enemies. However, a recent study showed otherwise. Young regent honeyeaters learn their songs from adult members of their species, just like human children learn to speak, but because they are spread so thin in their habitat-they could occupy probably 10 times the size of the UK but are really small in quantity-many males don’t get to listen to the right songs, so they start adopting the tunes of other bird species. The problem is that these aren’t the songs female regent honeyeaters want to hear, so their chances of finding a mate are very slim.

Scientists are now planning to catch wild males that can sing and put them next to caged regent honeyeaters so that the young birds can learn the right song. They then plan to release them into the wild every few years, where they will hopefully be able to attract females and reproduce.

“This study shows how damaging population declines and habitat fragmentation（碎片）might be to this critical process in the life of songbirds,” said Dr Sue Zollinger, an expert in animal communication from Manchester Metropolitan University.

1. Why are regent honeyeaters faced with extinction?

A．They are short of food.	B．They are incapable of imitation.
C．Their habitats are badly destroyed.	D．Male birds fail to sing the right songs.

2. What is paragraph 2 intended to do?

A．Analyse the reason.	B．Draw a conclusion.
C．Present the problem.	D．Add some background.

3. What are scientists doing to help the honeyeaters?

A．Broadcasting mating songs to the young birds.

B．Introducing wild birds to teach caged ones.

C．Training them to escape from the enemies.

D．Spreading them in different habitats.

4. Why does the writer mention Dr Sue Zollinger’s words?

A．To indicate the difficulty of catching wild birds.

B．To offer some strategies for animal communication.

C．To point out the critical tunes of the bird’s mating songs.

D．To stress the significance of an ideal population per habitat.

2 . On July 24, 2020, Mike Stout launched his kayak（皮筏艇）just before 8：30 a.m. About 56 miles and 16.5 hours later, he landed on the sandy Michigan shore. It was his second time crossing Lake Michigan.

By chance, Stout said, he gave kayaking a try in 2016. Already in good physical condition, he considered kayaking a weekend escape. Then he was challenged by a client of his firm to think bigger. He did go big quickly. Weekend kayak trips were 40, 50 and 60 miles long over the next few months. Then his goal was to cross Lake Michigan that year. On August 3, Stout completed his first crossing of Lake Michigan in 15.5 hours. Since then, he’s finished countless long-distance trips on Minnesota rivers and lakes.

In heading back to Lake Michigan last summer, Stout thought he could become the first kayaker to make a round-trip crossing of the Great Lake. He felt capable. He’d put in 800 miles since March 1, 2020-when ice was still on the Minnesota River.

Stout wanted to do with manageable winds. Possibilities rose, only to become worse, the lake showing its mercurial nature. Stout realized a single crossing was his best hope. With local police informed of his plans and plenty of food aboard, Stout launched. His plan was to land on the Michigan shore 12.5 hours later. The lake thought otherwise. The winds and waves were working against him, too. Still, he was resolute. Finally he could hear waves crashing on shore.

“Never did I have a sense of doubt or fear or worry,” Stout said. Despite the constant, forceful wind, he said the crossing was easier than his others because of his experience. But no less meaningful. The stars, the chance to speak to the heavens, and the hope that his adventure would inspire others-all were fuel to finish.

1. What can we infer about Stout from paragraph 2?

A．He challenged his client.

B．He intended to escape real life.

C．He was organized and determined.

D．He set a goal bigger than his capability.

2. What forced Stout to change his journey into a single crossing in 2020?

A．His physical state.	B．The weather condition.
C．The freezing water.	D．Warning from local police.

3. What does the underlined word “mercurial” in paragraph 4 mean?

A．Changeable.

B．Merciful.

C．Perfect.

D．Balanced.

4. In which section of a newspaper may this text appear?

A．Weather.

B．Adventure.

C．Geography.

D．Entertainment.

3 . China has just officially opened its FAST radio telescope to international scientists. Scientists across the world can submit proposals for astronomical observations using the telescope.

FAST is short for Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (球面射电望远镜) and it is also believed to be the world's largest radio telescope and the most sensitive single-dish radio telescope. The receiving surface area of FAST is 250,000 square meters, about the size of 30 standard football fields. Its construction was completed in September 2016 and it officially began operating in January 2020.

The major scientific task of the telescope is the observation of pulsars (脉冲星) – the rotating neutron stars. The study of pulsars can help to confirm the existence of gravitational radiation and black holes, and help solve many other major questions in physics. Another scientific goal of FAST is to search for outer space civilization.

The telescope is located in a naturally deep and round karst depression in southwest China's Guizhou Province. The first advantage of the selected site is the altitude. The average altitude of Guizhou is about 1,100 meters, which maximizes the effectiveness of the observation equipment. Secondly, the radio telescope needs to have a “big pan” to receive better signal. The huge natural depression could reduce the amount of excavation (挖掘) and difficulty of construction. Moreover, the selected site in Guizhou is far away from cities, and has a small population, which reduces the interference (干扰) caused by wireless devices such as TVs, mobile phones and radios from human activities.

FAST has identified over 300 pulsars. Experts predict that the number could reach 1,000 in five years and that the telescope could locate and identify the first pulsar outside the galaxy. With the opening-up to international scientists, China's FAST is expected to make more contribution to astronomical research in the future.

1. What do we know about FAST?

A．It is opened to global scientists.	B．It is a project under construction.
C．It has provided service since 2016.	D．It has found a pulsar outside the galaxy.

2. What is the main task of FAST?

A．To study black holes.	B．To observe the pulsars.
C．To explore the sun.	D．To seek space civilization.

3. What's special about the selected site?

A．It's close to urban areas.	B．It reduces engineering amount.
C．It possesses a shallow depression.	D．It's at the highest altitude in China.

4. Which can be the best title for the text?

A．Major Scientific Tasks of FAST	B．Ways to Select the Site for FAST
C．Contributions FAST Has Made	D．Facts about FAST Radio Telescope

4 . Each year, about 250 billion to-go cups serve coffee and tea from places like Starbucks and McDonald’s are produced to satisfy the world’s love for hot drinks on the run. These paper-based cups have the inside surface covered with plastic to prevent water from escaping, and keep water from being absorbed into the material. Despite this, that also removes any opportunity for the cups to be biodegradable (可生物降解的).

The materials that created these cups of goodness and convenience are recyclable but only if separated. In addition, the demand for such resources is low, so they are worth next to nothing.

In response to this great challenge, NextGen Consortium, multi-year partnership led by Starbucks and McDonald’s launched their first big initiative (倡议)—NextGen Cup. The first step in NextGen Cup was an open competition where participants presented ideas for sleeves, cups, lids and other parts of the hot-cold paper-based takeaway coffee cup that would make it reusable, recyclable, or biodegradable; to finally be widely used. 12 winners, announced in 2019, shared a prize of $1 million, as well as personalized growth, and support from members of NextGen Consortium.

Later, they launched two pilot programs at independent coffee shops in California. In one case, customers were given “smart” reusable cups made mostly from recyclable plastic. They then could drop their empties into collection containers at key locations, for washing and reuse. These cups were printed with RFID chips or QR codes, through which coffee shops can know where there is the greatest need for collection containers and how many are not using them.

To reduce coffee cup waste, Cup Club is already replacing millions of takeaway cups in the UK, while Recup in Germany, has performed a deposit system that simply adds a small extra fee to any coffee cup which is returned to the buyer after the cup is deposited in any registered collection point.

1. What can we say about the paper-based cups?

A．They can absorb water easily.	B．They are not popular in life.
C．They can’t be easily recycled.	D．They are attractive in low price.

2. What’s the theme of the NextGen Cup?

A．Separating recyclable materials from the cups.

B．Making the cups green and easily available.

C．Reducing the unnecessary parts of the cups.

D．Gaining the support from their partners.

3. What’s the function of RFID chips or QR codes?

A．Knowing about customers’ preference for coffee shops.

B．Collecting the information on which shop is empty.

C．Helping choose where customer can drink coffee.

D．Making the recycling of cups more efficient.

4. What does the word “which” in the last paragraph refer to?

A．A collection point.	B．A deposit system.
C．A small extra fee.	D．Any coffee cup.

6 . A recent study suggests there's nothing soft about pink, as it is revealed that the pinkest flamingos are the toughest. Published in the Journal Ethology, a recent study found that a pink color of feathers was a good indicator of how aggressive a bird was when feeding, as well as a sign of good health or a signal that the bird was ready to breed(繁育）.

For the study, researchers observed the behavior of flamingos in different feeding situations, ranging from small indoor spaces to large outdoor spaces, with or without a pool.

They found that compared to indoor birds competing for food from a bowl, the outdoor-raised flamingos spent twice as much as time searching for food, so they had less time to show aggressive behaviors. Interestingly, their findings also revealed that when the race for food turned hot, the birds most likely to appeal to arms were the pinkest, whether they were male or female.

“The color of flamingos comes from their food, more specifically, from the algae(藻类）that they absorb from water. So the more food they have, the pinker the birds are,” said Dr. Paul Rose, from the University of Exeter, in a statement. “Flamingos live in large groups with complex structures, in which color plays an important role.”

Flamingos don't have a breeding season. Instead, they breed when they are healthy enough to do so. Their health is indicated by the color of the feathers, which is pinker in their prime and paler when they weak. So, the signal that a bird is ready to breed is described as a pink flush in its feathers, which goes away when the bird parents a chick or already passes its best reproductive time.

A healthy pink flamingo will have more time and energy to be aggressive and dominant when feeding. When birds have to crowd together to get their food, they fight more and therefore spend less time feeding, leading to the fading color of flamingos that are already weak. “And this definitely is unfavorable for their reproduction,” Rose said.

The research provides a direction for zoos to feed their flamingos and keep them content and colorful. That is, ensure captive birds are fed in a wide space, as crowded conditions are more likely to result in fights. “Based on my observations, I suggested some changes. And the keepers were willing to try them out. As a result, we've got pinker, more relaxed flamingos," said Dr. Rose.

1. What's the purpose of the author by writing Paragraph 1?

A．To propose an example.

B．To make an argument.

C．To make a comparison.

D．To introduce the topic.

2. Which aspect of flamingos did the researchers focus on?

A．Health condition.

B．Social structures.

C．Feeding activities.

D．Breeding activities.

3. What can we infer about the flamingos' group?

A．Body size determines status.

B．Family is taken as a basic unit.

C．Healthy flamingos control the whole group.

D．Pinker flamingos enjoy a breeding advantage.

4. Which measure of raising flamingos will Dr. Rose support?

A．Enlarging the raising space.

B．Raising all flamingos indoors.

C．Limiting the population of a group.

D．Increasing the frequency of providing food.

8 . I'm interested in the Renaissance, so I like visiting ancient Italian cities. Ferrara is called City of the Renaissance. When I learned about this city on the Internet, I decided to pay a visit to it.

The city has a certain charm and calmness, but I find it isn't as great as other Italian cities like Verona, let alone Venice or Rome. The Michelin Green Guide gives it two stars, which is right.

I first visited the city centre. The Cathedral and Castello Estense are at the heart of the city. Both have striking appearances. I visited the Cathedral first. Castello Estense is also worth visiting, which owns its name to the powerful family Este family. It was built with bricks and surrounded by a moat（护城河）. At the lower levels, the history of the city and the Este family are told through displays, and in another part the ceilings are shown through mirrors on the ground.

In the north, we can appreciate the Renaissance extension of the town, with straight streets and monumental houses. The famous Palazzo dei Diamanti lies here. When I was visiting it, it started to rain, so after taking a few photos quickly, I cut my visit there short. It had been raining for a few days. When the rain ceased, I went to visit the historical centre and the Renaissance buildings.

After leaving there, I visited several other interesting places such as palaces, churches and the narrow streets of the downtown. After four hours in Ferrara I left by train to Mantua. There I had much better time.

1. Why did the author pay a visit to Ferrara?

A．Because it is related to the Renaissance.

B．Because it is full of charm and calmness.

C．Because it is a very famous city in Europe.

D．Because it is strongly recommended by a website.

2. What did the author think of The Michelin Green Guide's comment on Ferrara?

A．Unbelievable.

B．Reasonable.

C．Unacceptable.

D．Ridiculous.

3. What can we infer from the text?

A．The writer thought Ferrara was as great as Venice.

B．The writer visited Palazzo dei Diamanti for a long time.

C．The writer was much more satisfied with the tour in Mantua than in Ferrara.

D．The writer was disappointed with the visit to the Cathedral and Castello Estense.

10 . There you are, looking through your WeChat moments or your Weibo feed, and you come across a post saying something like this: “I just got accepted to Harvard and 0xford! Are they sure they didn’t mix my applications up with somebody else’s?”

This person is clearly humblebragging. The term “humblebrag” was first coined back in 2010 by the late US comedian Harris Wittels, and it describes when someone makes a seemingly modest statement, but the actual purpose is to bring attention to something they are proud of.

The example above is a modesty-based humblebrag. The person wants to tell others: “I got accepted to Harvard and Oxford!” However, they don't want to seem too proud of their accomplishments. So, instead, they word it in a way to be more modest and bring down the importance of their achievements.

Although people who humblebrag think it will make them more likeable because they aren’t talking proudly about their victories, a study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology showed that humblebragging actually has the opposite effect.

“Humblebragging doesn’t have the intended result because it seems insincere. That ‘poor me’ attitude combined with self-promotion does not lead to a favorable impression,” said Ovul Sezer, the lead author of the study and an assistant professor of organizational behavior at the University of North Carolina, US. “ Even simply bragging or complaining (抱怨) is better, because at least those messages are seen as more sincere.”

Sezer’s study also found that nearly 60% of humblebrags were complaint-based humblebragging, with most people humblebragging about their looks, followed by their money or wealth, and finally about their performance at work. “It’s such a common phenomenon. All of us know some people in our lives, whether in the social media or in the workplace, who do this annoying thing,” commented Sezer, adding that we all do it to some extent.

So, if you want to share your achievements with others, what’s the best way to do it then? Sezer suggests that people admit their self-promotion and harvest the rewards of being sincere. She also suggests finding a go-between, adding, “If someone brags for you, that’s the best thing that can happen to you, because then you don’t seem like you’re bragging.”

1. The underlined word “coined” in Paragraph 2 probably means “________”.

A．recognized	B．invented
C．bought	D．copied

2. Which of the following can be considered as humblebragging?

A．Hesitating to talk about your achievements.

B．Bringing people’s attention to your achievements.

C．Talking proudly about your achievements in the social media.

D．Pretending to be modest when talking about your achievements.

3. What is Sezer’s attitude towards humblebragging?

A．Cautious.	B．Ambiguous.
C．Supportive.	D．Disapproving.

4. What does Sezer suggest people do when it comes to sharing achievements?

A．Share their achievements with their best friends.

B．Bring down the importance of their achievements.

C．Find someone else to talk about their achievements.

D．Talk about their achievements after someone else does.