1 . China was a latecomer to space exploration, and in the movies, it has been a latecomer to science fiction. That has probably changed.
The country’s first blockbuster (大片) set in space, The Wandering Earth, opened in February amid high expectations that it would represent the beginning of a new era in Chinese filmmaking. Shown in 3D, The Wandering Earth takes place in a distant future in which the sun is about to expand into a red giant and devour (吞食) the Earth. The approaching danger forces the world’s engineers to work out a plan to move the planet to a new solar system. Things go very badly when Earth has to pass Jupiter, setting off a desperate fight to save humanity from being totally destroyed.
The Wandering Earth is adapted from a short novel by Liu Cixin, the writer who has led a renaissance in science fiction in China. His works are great epics (史诗) and deeply researched. Translating them into movies would challenge any filmmaker, as the director of The Wandering Earth, Guo Fan, admitted.
Guo noted that Chinese Studios had been cautious about investing the resources required to make convincing science-fiction. The budget for The Wandering Earth reportedly reached nearly $50 million— modest by Hollywood standards but still significant in China. “I really hope this movie will not lose money at least,” said Guo before the movie’s release. The popularity of Liu’s novels could help. So could the fact that China has reached a milestone in space: the landing of a probe (航天探测器) on the far side of the moon in January. Although decades behind Russia and the United States, China has now put astronauts in orbit and has ambitious plans to join---or even lead---a new age of space exploration.
Unlike some typical Hollywood movies, The Wandering Earth does not feature a world-saving hero. The fight to save Earth is fought instead by a group. A vision of international cooperation to cope with the threats facing the Earth is a theme that runs deeply through Liu’s fiction.
1. What message does the success of the movie The Wandering Earth convey?| A．It lives up to the audience’s high expectations. |
| B．It marks a new height of the Chinese filmmaking industry. |
| C．It displays China’s ambition to lead space exploration. |
| D．It sets new and higher standards for Chinese movies. |
| A．giant investment of Chinese studios | B．the high reputation of the film director |
| C．China’s advances in space exploration | D．the deep research and world-saving theme |
| A．A New Era for Space Exploration Begins |
| B．A Film Based on Liu Cixin’s Novel Enjoys Great Popularity |
| C．China’s First Space-Themed Film Features Cooperation |
| D．China’s Film Industry Eventually Joins the Space Race |
2 . Calling all tea lovers: the next time you reach for a cup of tea, try green tea—if you want to lengthen your life. That’s according to a new study recently concluded by researchers with the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. Researchers found “habitual” tea drinkers—whom they defined as drinking tea at least three or more times a week—had longer and healthier lives than those who did not drink tea as regularly. But these benefits were only seen in those who drank green tea, not black tea.
To come to this conclusion, researchers analyzed 100,902 Chinese participants with no history of heart attack or cancer. They were divided into two groups, those who drank tea three or more times a week, and those who drank tea less than three times a week. Participants were then followed-up after seven years.
In the end, the researchers found that regular tea drinkers had a 20 percent lower risk of suffering from heart disease, and a 22 percent lower risk of dying from heart disease than those who never or seldom drank tea. Then, to look at the “potential influence of changes in tea drinking behavior,” researchers about eight years later took a part of study participants—14,081 people—and assessed them after five years. Finally, they found those who continued to drink tea three or more times a week had a 56 percent lower risk of deadly heart disease.
But why is green tea more beneficial than black? Senior author Dr. Dongfeng Gu said that green tea is rich in polyphenols(多酚), as a previous study shows, which, “protect against cardiovascular(心血管的) disease and its risk factors.” Black tea, on the other hand, is fermented(发酵), during which process “polyphenols may lose their antioxidant effects.”
“In our study population, 49% of habitual tea drinkers consumed green tea most frequently, while only 8% preferred black tea,” he said. “The small percentage of habitual black tea drinkers might make it more difficult to observe strong associations, but our findings hint at a differential effect between tea types.”
1. What is paragraph 2 mainly about?| A．The research process. | B．The research purpose. |
| C．The research subjects. | D．The research findings. |
| A．Assess. | B．Examine. | C．Produce. | D．Indicate. |
| A．Green Tea or Black Tea, That’s a Question |
| B．Tea Drinking: a Common Practice in China |
| C．Green Tea Drinkers may Enjoy a Longer Life |
| D．Tea Time: Relaxing, Refreshing and Rewarding |
3 . A retired postman from Turkey and a beautiful white swan have been inseparable for nearly four decades, and the story of their amazing friendship has melted the hearts of millions.
When Recep Mirzan spotted a wounded swan in a field in Turkey’s Edirne province, in 1984, he had no idea that he was about to meet his best friend. He was in a car with a group of friends, when he spotted a swan that appeared to have a broken wing in an empty field. Mirzan quickly realized that leaving the bird there was the same as signing its death sentence, as predators (捕食者) would have most likely eaten it, so he stopped the car and took the bird with him. He took it home and started nursing it back to health.
“Since I love animals, I took her home instead of leaving her as food to foxes,’’ Mirzan told The Associated Press. We got used to each other. We never separated. Even after the female swan's broken wing healed, it didn’t try to fly away. Instead, it befriended the other animals on Recep’s farm in the Karaagac region, and decided to stick around. Recep named her Garip, and she has been with him for the last 37 years.
“She comes when I call. Since 1984, she has never left me, not even during the river floods,” the retired postman told Anadolu News Agency. “She used to be more vigorous, but she has grown old now. If she dies, I will make her a nice grave here, but I hope we live more together.”
Garip has her own coop on Mirzan’s farm, but she mostly spends nights in it. During the day, she is busy following her human friend around, either during his daily chores, or on his evening walks.
After his wife died a few years ago, Recep Mirzan started spending more time with his animals, and since he has no human children, he regards Garip as his child.
Whooper swans can live for decades in protected environments, but Garip has long surpassed the average lifespan for her species.
1. Why did Recep save the swan according to the passage?| A．He felt extremely lonely. |
| B．The swan was a rare animal. |
| C．He was a real animal lover. |
| D．The swan was being followed by foxes. |
| A．the swan stayed with Recep at night after the death of his wife |
| B．Garip lived a longer life probably because of the care of Recep |
| C．Recep’s friends directly signed the wounded swan death sentence |
| D．Recep was sure to meet a lifelong friend when he spotted the wounded swan |
| A．A Retired Postman’s Story Has Melted the Hearts of Millions |
| B．Man and Swan Have Been Best Friends for the Last 37 Years |
| C．A Wounded Swan Has Befriended the Other Animals on a Farm |
| D．Humans Have Made Efforts to Protect the Environments for Swans |
4 . A Chicago woman, Karen Autenrieth, who lost her wedding band nearly 50 years ago was reunited with the ring just in time for Valentine’s Day.
The story began during the winter of 1973. “It was very cold and the snow piled up along the roads,” Karen told the Chicago Tribune. “I had to help each kid climb over the large piles to get into my grandparents' yard. My hands were cold---I didn't have gloves on---and my ring just flew into the snow.” Despite her best efforts, Karen was unable to find the ring.
In February, a Chicago man who lost his own wedding ring posted on Facebook asking if anyone had found it. In the comments section, Sarah Batka, a woman who lives in Autenrieth's grandparents' former home% said she had discovered a wedding ring eight years ago while gardening. It wasn't the man s ring» but it sparked a hunt for the rightful owner.
Two historians---Carol Flynn and Linda Lamberty from the Historical Society---set off to solve the mystery. They used every means to retrace the origin of the ring and finally drew a conclusion that a woman, Karen Autenrieth, whose grandparents had once lived in Batka’s home, was the possible owner.
“The woman was on Facebook. So I asked whether this ring was hers. ’’ Flynn wrote in the post. “She replied—it was hers!”
After connecting, Flynn mailed the ring to Autenrieth, who received the package on Valentine's Day. 44Holy Mary, I can t believe it. Karen told the Chicago Tribune. “Just think I get the ring back after almost 50 years!
1. When did Karen lose her wedding band?| A．When she played snow with kids. |
| B．When she cleaned the snow on the road. |
| C．When she aided kids to get over piles of snow. |
| D．When she helped her grandparents do gardening. |
| A．Sarah's honest report. | B．Karen’s endless efforts. |
| C．A similar case from a man. | D．Flynn and Linda's assistance. |
| A．A Special Valentine’s Day |
| B．A Woman with a Magic Story |
| C．The Return of a Long-lost Ring |
| D．The Search for the Rightful Owner |
5 . As a high school student, I learned this the hard way last year,when a student I didn't expect to bested me on the math PSAT. He soon admitted the secret to his success: the CAS calculator. He made clear that the CAS was able to solve all of his SAT equations (方程式). He claimed all he needed was his knowledge of seventh-grade math and the calculator did the rest.
From experience, I know it isn't that simple. A fancy calculator that costs about ＄150 is not that useful if you don't understand what the question is asking. But it does feel like cheating. Aside from being financially out of reach of many students， CAS calculators have the potential to misrepresent math ability and problem-solving skills.
It's unfair to allow such an incredibly helpful advanced calculator unless every student has access to it. Especially when the test has the potential to affect a student's educational path. In response to an email asking whether the College Board, which owns the SAT, is aware that the CAS is seen as greatly helping those who use it and whether it has considered banning such calculators, a communications officer sent a link to the SAT calculator policy, which spells out the permitted calculators, CAS among them.
If all students had access to a better calculator, how many could improve their test scores enough to get into their dream school? How many students get into better schools because of this privilege hack? It isn't right and shouldn't stand.
The simplest solution would be to leave out the math section that allows calculator use or permit test-takers to use only the most basic calculators, provided by the College Board. The equation for fairness is simple: You know it when you see it, and this calculator inequity (不公) isn't it.
1. The example of a student doing better than the writer in the math PSAT is used to________.| A．introduce the topic |
| B．compare their math achievements |
| C．show the writer's envy |
| D．blame his cheating in the exam |
| A．Because every student can not use one in SAT. |
| B．Because he didn't use one as early as others. |
| C．Because his model was less powerful than others'. |
| D．Because the College Board didn't provide one to him. |
| A．Favorable. |
| B．Disapproving. |
| C．Ambiguous. |
| D．Cautious. |
| A．CAS calculators-cheating in SAT |
| B．Solution to stopping cheating in SAT |
| C．Calls on banning the calculators |
| D．Calls on using basic calculators |
6 . Experts are warning about the risks of extremely picky(挑剔的)eating after a teenager living on a diet of chips and crisps developed lasting sight loss. Eye doctors in Bristol cared for the 17-year-old after his sight had gone to the point of blindness. Tests showed he had serious vitamin deficiency(缺乏). Dr. Denize Atan, who treated him at the hospital, said, “His diet was basically a portion of chips from the local fish and chip shop every day. He also used to snack on crisps and sometimes white bread and ham, and not really any fruit and vegetables.”
The teenager saw his doctor at the age of 14 because he had been feeling tired and unwell. At that time he suffered from vitamin B12 deficiency, but he did not stick with the treatment or improve his poor diet. Three years later, he was taken to the Bristol Eye Hospital because of progressive sight loss.
He was not overweight or underweight, but he had lost minerals from his bones, which was really quite shocking for a boy of his age. In terms of his sight loss, he met the standards of being blind. “He had blind spots right in the middle of his sight,” said Dr Denize Atan, “That means he can’t drive and would find it really arduous to read, watch TV or recognize faces.”
Dr Denize Atan said that parents should learn about the harm that can be caused by picky eating, and turn to experts for help. For those who are concerned , she advised, “It’s best not to be anxious about picky eating , and instead calmly introduce one or two new foods with every meal.” She said multivitamin tablets can supplement(补充) a diet, but cannot take the place of eating healthily. “It’s much better to take in vitamins through a varied and balanced diet,” she said, adding that too many certain vitamins , including vitamin A, can be harmful ,“so you don’t want to overdo it.”
1. What does Dr Denize Atan imply in paragraph 1?| A．The diet of the boy is not balanced. |
| B．Fruit and vegetables are rich in vitamins. |
| C．Picky eating is common among teenagers. |
| D．The cause of the boy’s disease is unknown. |
| A．To improve his poor diet. |
| B．To get some help to lose weight. |
| C．To be treated for his discomfort. |
| D．To slow down his progressive sight loss. |
| A．Important. | B．Easy. | C．Necessary. | D．Difficult. |
| A．Reasons why the boy is seriously ill. |
| B．Suggestions for the boy’s family to care for him. |
| C．Advice for parents worried about picky eating. |
| D．Ways of taking in enough vitamins and minerals. |
7 . Diving under the ice first started over 100 years ago when divers still used heavy suits to stay dry while getting their oxygen from ships on the surface. Today, divers use lightweight flexible suits and SCUBA (self-contained underwater breathing apparatus) gear that allow them to do much more under the water, while using modern technology to stay in communication with the surface and document what they find.
Though Antarctica may seem like a desert place, under the ice, cold water creates some of the most nutrient-rich waters in the world’s oceans. There are beautiful creatures of all shapes and sizes that a diver can get close to. The water is too cold, and most animals that have adapted to the cold conditions are smaller than their cousins in warm places.
Diving under the water requires more experience than your average tourist on holiday. Kelly recommends that only very experienced divers attempt the cold waters. Everything is more difficult in the cold.
It’s also important to watch out for seal attacks, which are highly uncommon but have become more of a concern in recent years, with one reported death in 2004. Kelly recommends at least one diver carry a stick while in the water.
In spite of the risks, the waters under the Antarctic seas offer incredibly novel and great experiences that most people could never imagine. Besides whales, seals and penguins, lucky divers will get to see a great variety of underwater wildlife, including beautiful worms, sponges, corals and kelp.
Surprisingly, while the world above the water in Antarctica is often shades of white and gray, and everything seems still, under the surface there is an amazingly colorful world.
1. When diving under the ice first started, divers ________.| A．breathed the air from ships on the sea | B．wore very light suits to keep warm |
| C．communicated with the surface by phone | D．got their oxygen from the water under the ice |
| A．Being a desert place, Antarctica lacks nutrition in its cold water. |
| B．Divers can take a close look at various beautiful creatures under the ice. |
| C．Only very experienced divers are recommended to attempt the cold waters. |
| D．Divers are advised to carry sticks to protect themselves from seal attacks. |
| A．The creatures in Antarctica | B．Travel in Antarctica |
| C．Diving under the ice in Antarctica | D．The colorful world under the ice |
8 . The conductor on the podium (指挥台) has no baton (指挥棒), no tailcoat and no musical score, but Android Alter 3 is kicking up a storm as it guides a symphony orchestra's players through their paces.
The robot has a humanoid face, hands and lower arms, which gesture with what could pass for passion as it bounces up and down and rotates during the live performance of Keiichiro Shibuya's opera Scary Beauty in the Emirate of Sharjah.
Video from the recent performance in the Emirate of Sharjah showed the machine turning to face orchestra members and waving its arms. Alter 3 even sang at times.
Shibuya said the involvement of robots in the everyday lives of humans is continually increasing. But, he said he thinks people will need to decide in the future how artificial intelligence can best improve the human experience.
Shibuya added that he believes humans and robots can learn to work together to create beautiful art. "This work is a metaphor of that relations between humans and technology," he said. Shibuya noted that sometimes the music-leading robot can "get crazy", making it difficult for the musicians to keep up. But other times, the humans and machines cooperate very well.
Shibuya said the robots and AI that exist today are "far from complete". He is interested in studying how such incomplete technology can be combined with art.
"I think this is a very exciting idea…We came to see what it looks like and how much is possible," said Anna Kovacevic. Another audience member, who gave his name only as Billum, said after the show, "You know, a human conductor is so much better." Although he said he is interested in AI and looks forward to big developments, he concluded on the project: "The human touch is lost."
1. What does Shibuya think of Alter 3?| A．It is not perfect at present. | B．It teams up with humans well. |
| C．It often makes humans crazy. | D．It is better than human conductors. |
| A．The performance drew mixed reactions. |
| B．Billum took no interest in the performance. |
| C．The audience were fascinated by the performance. |
| D．The audience thought Alter 3 would have a bright future. |
| A．Positive | B．Negative. | C．Objective. | D．Critical. |
| A．Robot Cooperates with Humans |
| B．Robot Conducts Human Orchestra |
| C．The Significance of Robots in Art |
| D．The Relations Between AI and Humans |
In Africa, the honeyguide birds can respond to human calls to lead people to honey—what scientists describe as a mutualistic interaction, or one that benefits both creatures. The birds tweet and fly from tree to tree to guide honey seekers to hidden bee nests, typically inside trees. Then, humans open the trees to find honey, and the birds can dine on beeswax, their favorite food. |  |
Dogs have an excellent sense of smell, which is why the folks at Penn Vet Working Dog Center are training dogs to identify the smell of cancer using tissue and blood samples from people who suffer. The scientists hope to develop a way for dogs to screen samples first, then perform follow-up testing on the samples the dogs flagged—a system for spotting cancer in its early stages. |  |
Having a snake wrapped around your neck isn’t necessarily what you usually expect. But Monty, a 13-year-old snake has been helping customers relax with neck massages(按摩). It’s unlikely he was trained to do the job and is just pulsating like any other snake would when around a person’s neck. Regardless, this special snake books out a few weeks in advance. |  |
The Guide Horse Foundation has been training miniature horses (those standing 34 inches or less) as assistance animals for the visually damaged since 1999. Miniature horses are ideal service animals for people who feel uncomfortable with dogs or who want a guide animal with a longer life span. The horses typically live from 30 to 40 years. |  |
1. According to the text, which animal can help you relax?
| A．A snake. | B．A dog. |
| C．A honeyguide bird. | D．A miniature horse. |
| A．blind people who dislike dogs | B．blind people who can live longer |
| C．animal lovers who search for honey | D．animal lovers who suffer from cancer |
| A．special training | B．great potentials |
| C．unique jobs | D．high intelligence |
10 . Light pollution is a significant but overlooked driver of the rapid decline of insect populations, according to the most comprehensive review of the scientific evidence to date.
Artificial light at night can affect every aspect of insects' lives, the researchers said. "We strongly believe artificial light at night — in combination with habitat loss, chemical pollution.invasive (入侵的) species, and climate change — is driving insect declines, " the scientists concluded after assessing more than 150 studies.
Insect population collapses have been reported around the world, and the first global scientific review published in February, said widespread declines threatened to cause a "catastrophic collapse of nature's ecosystems".
There are thought to be millions of insect species, most still unknown to science, and about half are active at night. Those active in the day may also be disturbed by light at night when they are at rest.
The most familiar impact of light pollution is moths (飞蛾) flapping around a bulb, mistaking it for the moon. Some insects use the polarisation of light to find the water they need to breed, as light waves line up after reflecting from a smooth surface. But artificial light can scupper (使泡汤) this. Insects are important prey (猎物) for many species, but light pollution can tip the balance in favour of the predator if it traps insects around lights. Such increases in predation risk were likely to cause the rapid extinction of affected species, the researchers said.
The researchers said most human-caused threats to insects have analogues in nature, such as climate change and invasive species. But light pollution is particularly hard for insects to deal with.
However, unlike other drivers of decline, light pollution is relatively easy to prevent. Simply turning off lights that are not needed is the most obvious action, he said, while making lights motion-activated also cuts light pollution. Shading lights so only the area needed is lit up is important. It is the same with avoiding blue-white lights, which interfere with daily rhythms. LED lights also offer hope as they can be easily tuned to avoid harmful colours and flicker rates.
1. What is discussed in the passage?| A．Causes of declining insect populations. |
| B．Consequences of insect population collapses. |
| C．Light pollution: the key bringer of insect declines. |
| D．Insect declines: the driver of the collapsed ecosystem. |
| A．How light travels in space. |
| B．How light helps insects find food. |
| C．How the food chain is interrelated. |
| D．How light pollution affects insects. |
| A．Selective things. | B．Similar things. | C．Variations. | D．Limitations. |
| A．To offer solutions. |
| B．To give examples. |
| C．To make comparisons. |
| D．To present arguments. |
