1 . The use of AI (artificial intelligence) is becoming more common in many branches of industry and online shopping. Traditional lines of work, such as goods transport and driving, are developing in a similar direction although mainly out of public view. Scientists at the University of Göttingen have now investigated how efficient (高效的) the use of AI can be in the commercial management of trucks.
“Digital applications—as well as machine leaning, a kind of AI—are increasingly applied to operations and courses in the transport area,” explains Professor Matthias Klumpp from the Faculty of Economics. “The question in the commercial area, however, is whether or not this contributes to achieving goals.”
To answer this question, the researchers compared the work efficiency of truck drivers with their main use of AI applications. Looking at trade delivery by truck, they studied three groups: the first drove completely following human decision-making models; the second used a combination of human and machine; and the third depended completely on fully automated decisions.
The researchers found that an intelligent combination of human work and decision-making abilities with AI applications promises the highest transport and driving efficiency. “On average, the second group achieved the most efficient transport trips, with the fewest interventions (干预) and off-course from the best path.” one researcher said, “Clearly, neither a completely human decision-making structure nor a fully automated driving system can promise to meet current goods transport requirements.” The scientists therefore summarized that despite the progress of AI in the field of transportation by truck, human experience and decision-making abilities will still be necessary in the longer term. However, the challenge is that a wide range of training and qualification (资格) needs will come along by working with Al applications, especially for simple goods transport activities.
1. What does Matthias Klumpp focus on?| A．The efficiency of AI. |
| B．The advantages of AI. |
| C．The problems caused by AI. |
| D．The wide applications of AI. |
| A．By providing examples. |
| B．By making comparisons. |
| C．By using different trucks. |
| D．By listing three experiments. |
| A．Al is better at making decisions. |
| B．A balance is needed between human and AI. |
| C．Human will soon be replaced by AI in driving. |
| D．Al applications meet the current requirements. |
| A．The future of transport. |
| B．Artificial intelligence as a co-driver. |
| C．Artificial intelligence-a better choice in driving. |
| D．The strengths of artificial intelligence in transport. |
2 . 2020 was a really tough year. It affected our lives in many ways and made other serious issues even more difficult to address. There was also social and political unrest in the United States and other places around the world.
All of this added up to some big, stressful year called 2020. In fact, 2020 is a song filled with low, depressing notes.
In English, “low notes” are unpleasant things that happen during an event, any event. So if something ends on a low note, it ends in an unpleasant way. For example, once I took a fun vacation. But it ended on a low note. On the last day, all my money was stolen. Then my flight home was delayed. So, I had to sleep in an airport for two days!
However, we also have another phrase-- a “high note”! In English, a “high note” is something pleasant or gratifying.
So, to end something on a high note is to end it with something pleasant. It can also mean to end something at the best possible point -- for example, at the point when something is most successful.
Anything can be a high note, if you choose it to be. For example, 2020 was a disaster. But for me it ended on a high note. One cold night in late December, I saw on owl in a tree near my house. I love owls but had never seen one so close before! That was a high note for me.
Hopefully, all of us were able to end 2020 on a high note.
1. Which of the following does NOT show the writer’s attitude towards the year of 2020?| A．It’s a year that is filled with low notes. |
| B．It’s a year that ends on a high note. |
| C．It’s a year full of easy issues. |
| D．It’s a year full of unforgettable memories. |
| A．Humorous. | B．Enjoyable. | C．Permanent. | D．Concerned. |
| A．Because it ended on a high note. |
| B．Because it is a song with something pleasant. |
| C．Because the author loves owls that have high notes. |
| D．Because the author love owls and saw one so close. |
| A．The usages of “high notes” and “low notes”. |
| B．Examples about “high and low notes”. |
| C．The change of “low notes” and “high notes”. |
| D．Some serious issues about “high and low notes”. |
3 . 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. |
4 . In the delightful presence of adorable little things, it isn’t uncommon to be conquered by a desire to shout “Kawaii”. In Western culture, we’ve come to think of kawaii as a synonym for cute. In Japan, where the kawaii aesthetic (审美) has been its own pop culture phenomenon for decades, the word is a bit more complex.
Nittono, a kawaii researcher, says the Japanese word kawaii was originally an affective adjective that expressed one’s feelings toward an object. “In Japanese, we can say ‘feel kawaii,’” he adds. Visually, kawaii is tied to what researchers call baby schema—a large head, round face, and big eyes—but kawaii involves the other senses too. In a paper published in the journal Universal Access, researchers reported that people also label certain sounds as cute, and those sounds tend to be high pitched, like the chirp (鸣叫) of a baby bird.
Kawaii isn’t always what we would traditionally describe as cute, either. Ugly or strange- looking things can also bring about kawaii feelings, a concept referred to as kimo-kawaii, or “gross cute.”
Put simply, Nittono says, kawaii is the “cute emotion” you experience in the presence of something that elicits that emotion.
Kawaii doesn’t just make us feel good — it changes our behavior. Kawaii is what causes you to pinch (捏) a baby’s cheeks or snuggle (紧抱) a puppy. What’s more, kawaii not only makes you want to physically embrace the cute thing, but also enables a natural need to protect it. Kawaii also influences our feelings and behavior in other ways. It has a calming and healing effect, for instance. It also makes us soft — more easily influenced and open to requests. “I think kawaii, or cute feelings, reminds us of human connection that we sometimes forget,” says Nittono.
1. What is the author’s main purpose in writing the text?| A．To explain the word kawaii. | B．To praise the effect of kawaii. |
| C．To recommend a medical method. | D．To argue about a culture phenomenon. |
| A．It generally involves different senses. |
| B．It often conveys human’s negative feelings. |
| C．It is merely aroused by cute or familiar-looking things. |
| D．It is widely considered to originate from western cultures. |
| A．Expresses. | B．Inspires. |
| C．Contains. | D．Hides. |
| A．Examples of cute feelings. | B．Results of recent researches. |
| C．Definitions of new concepts. | D．Influences of kawaii on people. |
5 . When you hear the beginning of your favorite song from the radio, suddenly your neck is covered in goose bumps.
It's such a thing that a group of scientists call “skin excitement”—a feeling of cold caused not by a drop in temperature or sudden scare, but by the sense of beauty. “Skin excitement” can come from a song, a painting, a moving movie scene, or even a beloved memory-pretty much anything that causes the giving out of pleasure-soaked dopamine in your brain. But it does not come for all of us.
Your favorite music uncovers a lot about your personality，and so does how you respond to that music. Studies suppose that as few as 55 percent of people experience “skin excitement” when listening to music. And if you count yourself among this group, the goose bumps on your skin aren't the only giveaway—scientists can read it in your brain, too. In a new study published in the journal Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, Harvard researchers performed brain scans on 10 students who said they reliably got cold when listening to music, and 10 students who didn't. They found that the cold-prone brains may really be excited by stronger emotions.
Cold-prone brains are generally more likely to show stronger emotional intelligence than no-cold brains. Cold-prone minds tend to have unusual active imagination, reflect more deeply on their emotions, and appreciate nature and the beauty of music and art to a stronger degree than no-cold brains.
So, what type of music causes the chills? It seems that the type is not so important; participants in the new study reported getting cold from songs of every kind. And any song connected with a strong emotional memory of the listener can produce the most reliable results. For me, that's the song Sailing to Philadelphia by Mark Knopfler, which I listened to as a kid in the car with my dad, on the way to the summer camp.
1. What can we learn about “skin excitement” in the text?| A．It helps to produce doparmine. | B．It is caused by the pain in the skin. |
| C．It can be experienced by every music listener. | D．It is the human body's reaction to something nice. |
| A．The percentage of music lovers in students. |
| B．The solutions to the goose bumps on one's skin. |
| C．The differences between cold-prone and no-cold brains. |
| D．The relationship between one's music preference and personality. |
| A．Beautiful and intelligent. | B．Emotional and dishonest. |
| C．Imaginative and sensitive. | D．Brave and strong-minded. |
| A．Responses to Music Vary among People | B．A Feeling of Cold Is Caused by Horrible Music |
| C．Your Favorite Music Reveals Your Personality | D．Favorite Music May Bring Forth Goose Bumps |
6 . The public nowadays has a misunderstanding of forest fires, believing that fires should be kept out of every type of forest. Many of us can recall Smoky the Bear's famous warning: “Remember, only YOU can prevent forest fires”. However, that's not always the case. Under the right conditions, and when conducted safely, fire can create many environmental benefits as well as help prevent larger, uncontrollable wildfires.
After a forest fire, many wildlife species will move into recently burned areas to feed on these newly available foods. Some reptiles and amphibians such as the pine (松树） snake prefer forests frequently burned by fire. As Herbert Stoddard put it, “One of the most harmful things modern man has done to birds has been his attempt to exclude fire from fire-type pine forests. Within a few years most forests choke up with bushes, lose their prairie-like vegetation (草原般植被） and can no longer support birds dependent on periodic burning for their food supply and proper cover.”
If you are asked to picture the forest floor, what do you see? Pine needles, cones, leaves, branches might come to mind-all sources of fuel. If these fuel sources build up without any type of removal, the 'fuel load' can lead to fires catastrophic to forests and people alike. In contrast, prescribed fire can be used by forest professionals every couple of years to keep forest fuels at an appropriate and manageable level. They can also minimize the spread of pest insects and disease and remove unwanted tree and plant species. Plus, they can create and maintain important wildlife habitats rich in grasses and promote the growth of trees, wildflowers and other various plants.
Many organizations and agencies work to promote fire on the landscape when and where appropriate. Smokey Bear even has an updated warning: “Only You can Prevent Wildfires,” as the Forest Service has over the last few decades developed policies and procedures to include prescribed fire as a management tool, as well as continuing their work to prevent and fight wildfires.
1. Why did the author mention Smoky the Bear's warning?| A．To introduce the topic of the passage. |
| B．To clarify a misunderstood concept. |
| C．To show the significance of fire prevention. |
| D．To raise people's awareness of forest protection. |
| A．Forest bushes. |
| B．Fuel sources. |
| C．Pine forests. |
| D．Periodic burning. |
| A．To put out wildfires. |
| B．To keep the forest balance. |
| C．To remove tree and plant species. |
| D．To keep the fuel rich in the forest. |
| A．One Match Can Start A Forest Fire |
| B．Where There Is Smoke There Is A Fire |
| C．Not All Forest Fires Are Created Equal |
| D．Why Not Keep The Forest Fire Burning |
7 . March 21 is World Sleep Day. On March 18, the China Sleep Research Society published a “White Paper on Exercise and Sleep 2021”, which explores the relationship between exercise and sleep. The white paper, the product of surveys in 31 provinces, covers many aspects of sleep and sleep quality. It has attracted widespread interest among netizens after its release.
The report shows over 300 million people in China today have sleep disorders, while the proportion of insomnia(失眠症) among people who exercise regularly is only 10 percent. This means the rate of insomnia among the general population is nearly four times higher than those who exercise regularly.
Studies show sleep is essential, as people spend a third of their lives asleep. Yet today more and more people are suffering from insomnia, which causes us to suffer both physically and mentally.
Increased mental stress is one of the major causes of insomnia. Today people generally work more intensely and are under more mental stress, thus causing sleep disorders. Studies show people with higher income are more likely to sleep late because of overtime, and that lawyers, business executives and doctors often nave to stay up late because of overtime work.
In addition, the popularity or electronics has also enriched our nightlife. Some netizens say, “I feel empty if I don’t browse Tiktok or weibo before going to bed. Retaliatory agrypnia(报复性熬夜)is also increasing among younger generation. They say “The only time I have is the time before I go to bed, and as long as I don’t sleep today, the next day will never come. It forms a vicious cycle in which people don’t get enougn sleep at night and feel sleepy during the day.
Decreased immunity, memory loss, obesity, endocrine disruption and increased risk of depression—these are all possible risks of staying up late.
1. What does the report show?| A．Those who exercise regularly less suffer from insomnia. |
| B．People have no insomnia problems. |
| C．People have mental breakdown. |
| D．People prefer to stay up. |
| A．Regular exercise and limited activities in bed. |
| B．Increased mental stress and electronics. |
| C．Food and lifestyle. |
| D．Work environment. |
| A．Memory loss | B．Obesity | C．Depression | D．Exercise |
| A．The mental breakdown related to insomnia. |
| B．The insomnia problems in current society. |
| C．Te tips to improve insomnia problems. |
| D．Students’sleep disorders. |
8 . The beauty of the outdoors naturally encourages people to go outside. The drive toward the natural world is present in normal times. Now, as many people are locked indoors, spending hours in front of screens, the pull of watching wind blow branches of neighboring trees is hardly matched. Forest therapy is one way to satisfy the demand while improving personal health and well-being.
Inspired by the Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku, or "forest bathing", forest therapy is a guided outdoor practice, which encourages people to experience the pleasures of nature through all of their senses and be present in the body.
Research on shinrin-yoku began in Japan in the 1980s when leaders there noticed a sharp rise in stress-related illnesses in the country, resulting from people spending more time working in technology and other industrial work. Specific settings were created to guide people in outdoor experiences. Research showed forest bathing may help reduce stress, improve attention, and lift moods.
Stress raises levels of cortisol, which plays a role in high blood pressure, heart disease and headaches. In test subjects, levels of cortisol decreased after a walk in the forest. Trees give off oils called phytoncides that have special properties and may influence immunity(免疫力). Exposure to natural tree oils helps lift depression, lower blood pressure. One study showed a rise in the number and activity of immune cells, which fight viruses and cancer, among people who spent three days and two nights in a forest compared with people taking an urban trip. This benefit lasted for more than a month after the forest trip!
Don't worry if you don't have three days to spend in the forest. A recent study showed spending at least 120 minutes a week in nature improved self-reported health and well-being. It doesn't matter whether the 120 minutes represents one long trip, or several shorter visits to nature. So, even as we are honoring physical distancing, it's possible and essential to get outside for 20 minutes every day and enhance our well-being.
1. What does the underlined sentence in paragraph 1 imply?| A．Interaction between neighbors is rare. |
| B．The beauty of nature is often ignored. |
| C．People's urge to be outside is stronger. |
| D．Public physical condition is worsening. |
| A．To find a way to help people work out. |
| B．To deal with a national health crisis. |
| C．To provide an effective exercise guide. |
| D．To get people away from technology. |
| A．What long-term stress could cause. |
| B．How long people should stay in nature. |
| C．How forest therapy affects the body. |
| D．Whether exposure to forests is helpful. |
| A．Limiting time spent outdoors properly. |
| B．Spending at least 2 hours in nature a day. |
| C．Making a plan to exercise every day. |
| D．Keeping our connection with nature. |
9 . Until now, scientists haven’t been able to study the new rock on the moon.The new samples from Chang’e 5 will change this. They’re from near Mons Rümker, a volcanic mountain where the rock is thought to be much younger-- about 1 billion years old.
There are a lot of reasons scientists are eager to study this younger rock, one of which is that it could help us more precisely date not only the moon, but many rocky planets and other objects.
Here’s how that works: Scientists date lunar rock by using something called a chronology curve（年代学曲线）, says Jollliff, a scientists at Washington University in St. Louis. Basically, they estimate the age of the rock by counting the number of craters（火山口） in the area the rock comes from; those increase as objects strike the rock over time. To make this estimation, scientists need to match the number of craters to a precise age. Right now, they only have data points for lunar rock that is 3 to billion years old. Modern techniques can date the new sample extremely accurately, and once scientists know its precise age, they can add a valuable data point to their chronology curve. The dating system will also help us more accurately estimate the age of all sorts of objects in space, like rocky planets and other moons.
Another reason scientists are keen to study this young volcanic rock is to find out more about how volcanism works on the moon. Jollliff says that it’s unclear why there was volcanic activity on the moon for such a long period of time. Most of the moon; s volcanic activity, he says, is thought to have occurred 3 or 4 billion years ago, when the moon was still pretty young. But since the moon does not have plate structure, which drives volcanism on Earth, it’s unclear what could have caused much later volcanic activity. “That’s something that you can find out of the samples by studying them in the lab,” Jollliff says.
1. What does the underlined word “this” in paragraph 1 refer to?| A．The fact of being unable to study the new rock. |
| B．The new rock from near Mons Rümker. |
| C．One of the reasons to study the moon;s new rock. |
| D．The study of the moon’s younger rock. |
| A．ensure there was volcanic activity on the moon. |
| B．more precisely date only the moon. |
| C．date lunar rock by using a chronology curve. |
| D．explore how volcanism works on the moon. |
| A．Scientistsare keen to study this young volcanic rock. |
| B．Scientists can’t know why volcanic activity exists on the moon. |
| C．The moon’s volcanic activity occurred 3 or 4 billion years ago. |
| D．It’s clear what could have caused much later volcanic activity. |
| A．How scientists study the younger rock. |
| B．Why the research is important. |
| C．Why the younger rock is worth studying. |
| D．What scientists do to study the younger rock. |
10 . Scientists have long thought about whether each animal species has a different language, much like different human languages that we cannot understand. Language experts agree on the fact that the way animals communicate through various calls which are not like human languages.
Animal calls are not considered as a language because the calls are limited to information related to food activities, warning about the presence of enemies and so on. They haven't the characteristics that all human languages have. That is because humans create new expressions every day by connecting different words. However, animal calls have unchanged meanings.
Anyway, animals do communicate. People who study humans believe that people speak with their whole bodies. To express a message, one does not always need words. Have you ever shared a private joke with your friends across the table？All you did was to give them a self-satisfied smile. Animals can communicate in much the same way as humans do. Although animals do not have the ability to speak words, they can use other methods, such as movements, calls and their sense of smell. In short, most of their communication is not related with speech.
If animals can make noises, why can't they talk？Humans and animals both have the necessary organs that produce sounds, such as lungs, throat, voice box, lips and tongue. However, human organs are fully developed, which makes it possible for us humans to speak.
1. What do we know about animal calls and human languages？ ________| A．Animal calls can express richer meanings. | B．Animal calls are made only in dangerous situations. |
| C．Human languages are more creative and changeable. | D．Both of them can express the same meanings. |
| A．movement | B．language | C．speech | D．writing |
| A．They don't need to communicate by speaking. |
| B．They haven't the necessary organs to produce sounds. |
| C．Their language-related organs aren't fully developed. |
| D．Their throats and lips are too wide to speak. |
| A．Why Can Humans Speak？ |
| B．Are Lungs Necessary to Speak？ |
| C．Why Humans Can't Understand Animal Calls？ |
| D．Are Animal Calls a Language Humans Don't Understand？ |
