1 . Scientific research on yoga has found that yoga practice can help with problems such as back pain, depression and anxiety. Still, yoga studies tend to be of uneven quality, often relying on self-reported survey data. However, a 2019 review paper focused on a more objective measure: brain scans. Though far from definitive, the findings show that the practice may improve brain health, and they indicate a way to bring yoga and science more convincingly together.
The review, led by Neha Gothe, director of the Exercise Psychology Lab, examined 11 papers that used various types of brain scans to assess the impact of yoga practice on the brain. Gothe and her colleagues limited their review to studies in which all three major elements of yoga were included: the physical poses, breathing exercises, and meditation or mindfulness. Three patterns emerged with some consistency: yoga practice could be linked to increased gray matter volume(体积) in the hippocampus, a key structure for memory; increased volume in certain regions of the prefrontal cortex, the seat of higher-order-cognition(认知); and greater connectivity across the default mode network. This network plays a role in processing memories and emotions.
Jessica Damoiseaux, a co-author of the review paper, focuses her research on aging-related changes in the brain, and she notes that the structures that seem to be strengthened by yoga are ones that tend to shrink with aging. The greater volumes linked to yoga are similar to those seen in studies of aerobic (有氧的)exercise. This raises a question: Is there really anything special about yoga or is it just another brain-preserving workout?
At this point it’s hard to say. Clearer answers will come with better studies that build on the smaller experiments. Gothe, for example, recently received government funds for a study that will assign 168 old adults to six months of classes of yoga, aerobic exercise, or stretching and strengthening. “It’s exactly the kind of trial we need,” says Gothe.
1. What do we know about the 2019 review paper on yoga?| A．It is far from objective. | B．It is centered on brain scans. |
| C．It proves to be of low quality. | D．It relies on self-reported data. |
| A．Three major elements of yoga. | B．The key structure for memory. |
| C．The finding of the review by Gothe. | D．The emotion processing network. |
| A．Take aerobic exercise. | B．Apply for government funds. |
| C．Assign old people to jobs. | D．Carry out smaller experiments. |
| A．Yoga back in fashion. | B．Age can affect brain power |
| C．Brain trials on the way | D．Yoga may boost brain health |
2 . The UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) Volunteer Center works with many external partners to provide this list of current volunteer opportunities. Search here for an opportunity in the community that suits your interests or skills. Good luck!
Medical Volunteer Abroad Programs
Volunteering Solutions have been organizing medical volunteer abroad programs in different countries for 12 years. Participants (preferably medical students) joining these programs will work under the guidance of professional doctors and nurses. The medical volunteering opportunities, offered in different areas like Emergency and General Medicine, are available throughout the year with flexible start dates and durations.
Answer Crisis Calls at a Helpline
Community Helpline currently has opportunities for students as a Volunteer Crisis Listener. It provides a nonjudgmental listening ear to the callers while also assisting individuals in coping with mental health issues to prevent serious crises. No previous experience is required but completion of a five-week training program is required. The crisis line is open from 8 am to 8 pm every single day. A "shift" consists of 3 hours and we ask that you sign up for 1 shift a week.
Youth Education Volunteers Needed
Youth Education Volunteers at LINC Cares serve at after school programs and summer camps that provide fun recreational activities support strong educational habits, and promote good health and positive social development for children from low-income families. Volunteers serve at the after-school program one weekday per week from 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm.
1. What do we know about Medical Volunteer Abroad Programs?| A．Volunteers will work domestically. | B．There are various volunteering areas. |
| C．Volunteers will work independently. | D．There is a fixed volunteering time. |
| A．Judge the caller when listening. | B．Be capable of stopping crises. |
| C．Complete a training program. | D．Work twelve hours per day. |
| A．Volunteer programs. | B．Educational courses. |
| C．Recreational activities. | D．Charity work. |
3 . Most solar panels acquire sunlight from only one side, meaning they can acquire more or less of it depending on where the sun is in the sky. In recent years, they’ve become far more effective typically turning around 22 percent of the light they acquire into energy. In a new study published in the journal Joule on Tuesday, scientists put forth a way to increase that percentage even higher: double-sided solar panels that can move to follow the sun.
Basically, these panels can acquire sun from not only their sun-facing side but also from the light reflected off the ground onto their dark undersides. At the same time, a GPS allows them to move on an axis from east to west in order to always be pointed at a best angle to acquire the sun’s rays. Though double-sided solar panels and sun-following solar panels are both in use currently, models that combine the two technologies aren’t widely available for commercial use, Solar experts predict explosive growth in the market soon, though.
The study authors determined that these two-sided sun-tracking panels produce an average of 35 percent more energy than immobile single-panel systems, and are 16 percent more cost-efficient. That holds true even when accounting for changes in weather conditions.
“This means that investing in double-sided and tracking systems should be a safe bet for the foreseeable future, Carlos Rodriguez-Gallegos,” the study’s lead author said.
The same warnings for solar panels and their effect on the local environment apply to the double-sided, moving systems as well, if not more so. Lead used in solar panels can be one source of local pollution, and Dustin Mulvaney, an associate professor of environmental studies, told Earther in an email double-sided panels could mean “twice as much lead” as traditional solar systems.
Since these new panels are more energy efficient, they could save not only money but also land. That would require restructuring how solar contracts currently work.
1. What does most solar panels rely on to acquire sunlight?| A．The amount of sunlight. | B．The location of the sun. |
| C．The quality of solar panels. | D．The size of solar panels. |
| A．The sun’s rays. | B．The panels’ undersides. |
| C．The double-sided panels | D．The panels’ sun-facing sides. |
| A．Uncertain. | B．Supportive. | C．Doubtful. | D．Subjective. |
| A．Double-Sided Solar Panels that Follow the Sun | B．Advantages of the Double-Sided Solar Panels |
| C．Application of the Double-Sided Solar Panels | D．New Trends of Double-Sided Solar Panels |
4 . Have you ever loved a destination but couldn’t figure out why — or even a way ——to express your feelings? That’s my dilemma with Morocco.
In August, I traveled in a country that had long been, on my wish list. I rode a camel, got lost in Medinas, and ate more couscous (粗麦粉) than was humanly possible.
I loved the trip. Our friendly guide introduced us to the helpful locals. I made friends with my tour mates and my roommate (which, on a tour, is a huge blessing). I loved being lost in the smell of different spices, and the chaos of millions of people and the dark red of the Sahara were all I wanted them to be.
There were many moments when I felt like a fish out of water and things didn’t go my way. But I take pleasure in those moments because it’s when you are pushed out of your comfort zone that you grow. Morocco lived up to all my expectations, but for some reason, my experience has been hard to express. Why?
One constant in my travels is that of a touchstone, one defining point where the trip all comes together and acts as a prism (三棱镜) for everything the journey represented . In Costa Rica，it was getting lost in a jungle. In Thailand, it was meeting those five people who changed my life.
I’m so inconsistent about Morocco because I lack that touchstone. There’s no “whoa” moment. But I have thousands of little ones - staring at a million stars in the blackness of the desert, discovering new foods with some amazing Australians on my tour, and befriending the fish sellers.
1. What does the author regard as a huge blessing?| A．Going on a guided trip. |
| B．Having a helpful guide. |
| C．Being warmly received by the local people. |
| D．Getting along well with the fellow travelers. |
| A．To prove Morocco lacks the touchstone. |
| B．To show his reliance on the touchstone. |
| C．To compare Morocco with Costa Rica and Thailand. |
| D．To share his experience in Costa Rica and Thailand. |
| A．The lack of big moments. |
| B．The little “whoa” moments. |
| C．Meeting with five Thai people. |
| D．Making friends with Australians. |
| A．Unpleasant travel in Morocco. |
| B．Finding a touchstone on travel. |
| C．Reflection on traveling in Morocco. |
| D．Lack of special moments in Morocco. |
5 . I was with my mom one day as we took a walk while window shopping. We both knew we wouldn't be buying much. I remember I was looking up at the people we passed as we walked. Ladies wore 5-inch heels and bright clothes. Men wore expensive perfumes and creams that wiped away the wrinkles on their faces. An uneasy feeling started to settle in my chest. I could deny it no longer and I was ashamed of my mom.
We were in a high-class neighborhood. We lived in a small, expensive apartment building at the edge of our county. Mom chose to move there because she knew the schools were good. I realized for the first time that we didn't belong there.
I could see the heavy lines around my mom's eyes and mouth. She wore cheap clothes and worm-out shoes. Her eyes were tired from working long hours to make ends meet, and her hair was too gray for her age. She was nothing extraordinary, yet at that moment, she stood out because she was just so plain. I didn't want to be seen with her although there was no one important around to see me anyway. I felt embarrassed about being at her side. We were standing in the middle of a high-end store, and she was holding a sweater.
Mom said, “Anna, this will look good on you. Do you want it?” It Was much too expensive, but I almost thoughtlessly answered “Yes”. Then I took a closer look at the small, tired woman with a big smile and a sweater in her hands, happy to be giving me something so nice. My words died in my throat. Her clothes were worn and old because she spent her money buying me new ones. She looked so tired because she was busy working to provide for me. She didn't wear jewelry or perfumes because she was content with spending what little money she had on me. Suddenly, my mom was beautiful and extraordinarily wonderful in my eyes. I was no longer ashamed of her, but of myself.
“Do you want it?” Mom repeated.
“No, thanks,” I replied.
1. Why did the author describe the passers-by while window-shopping?| A．To stress her mother was plain. |
| B．To show she envied rich people. |
| C．To suggest she was curious about others. |
| D．To indicate she was in an expensive neighborhood. |
| A．Studying at a top school. | B．Going window-shopping. |
| C．Being seen with her mom. | D．Living in a small apartment. |
| A．She was afraid of being blamed by her mom. |
| B．She was too excited to say anything about the sweater. |
| C．She felt her mom was so ordinary that she stopped speaking. |
| D．She failed to speak after realizing her mom's great sacrifices. |
| A．Misunderstanding Mom | B．Refusing Mom's Kindness |
| C．Feeling Ashamed of Mom | D．Going Shopping with Mom |
6 . Why did the little boy throw butter out of the window? He wanted to see the butterfly! That’s an old joke you’ve probably heard many times. Butterflies always carry away children.
Most insects do not migrate(迁徙), because their life is not long enough. Except for one particular butterfly species-the monarch butterfly. Each November, monarch butterflies land on an unbelievable cross-country migration from the United States and Canada until they reach Mexico, where they overwinter until it’s time to begin their migration back home in March. The butterflies spend their time in concentrated areas of forest where they stick to the branches of trees, forming beautiful vast crowds. Monarchs are a truly important species-and they’re in danger.
Just like living things, plants, insects or animals on the planet, monarchs play a vital role in the survival of our ecosystems. Butterflies-just like bees, also in great danger-help pollinate(授粉) plants, making them a significant contributor to crop growth and food production. They also serve as a food source to birds and other animals. The population of monarch butterflies has dropped a lot over the past few decades—a destructive 96. 5 percent. This has placed monarchs in danger of moving toward dying out. Several causes have contributed to the monarch’s decline. Climate change, loss of reproductive homes, and deforestation in Mexico’s forests where monarchs overwinter have all affected the butterfly’s migration pattern and home. But the most significant danger is the decline in milkweed, the plant where monarchs lay their eggs, and that serves as the only food source for caterpillars(幼虫). Much of the milkweed decline is due to agricultural practices that either remove this vital plant or destroy it through pesticides(农药).
1. Why do monarch butterflies move to Mexico?| A．To survive the cold weather. | B．To escape from being hunted. |
| C．To take advantage of the flowers there. | D．To cooperate with the bees there. |
| A．They help birds to catch their food. | B．They produce seeds for wild plants. |
| C．They contribute to crop production. | D．They bring food to other animals. |
| A．Monarch Butterflies Migrate | B．Butterflies Attract Children |
| C．Fight to Save Monarch Butterflies | D．Monarch Butterflies Are in Danger |
| A．Why monarch butterflies decline. |
| B．How monarch butterflies can be saved. |
| C．How monarch butterflies reproduce. |
| D．Why monarch butterflies migrate. |
7 . “Human activity has wiped out two-thirds of the world’s wildlife since 1970,” CNN reported on September 10, 2020. Later that month, the Guardian reported that “40 percent of the world’s plant species are at risk of extinction”. Stanford biologist Paul Ehrlich and his colleagues argued that “the ongoing sixth mass extinction may be the most serious environmental threat to the persistence of civilization”. Around the same time, the Daily Mail warned that “human civilization stands a 90 percent chance of collapse within decades due to deforestation”.
These horrible calculations and projections come from authoritative-sounding reports issued by international agencies, conservation groups, and peer-reviewed scientific journals. But is the future of wild nature and human civilization really so poor?
Data from uncontroversial mainstream sources strongly indicate that both humanity and the natural world are likely to be flourishing rather than collapsing at the end of this century. Humanity is becoming an urban species, and that’s good for the environment, since urban dwellers generally use less electricity, produce less globe-warming carbon dioxide, and have smaller land footprints than people living in the countryside. By 2100, it is estimated that 85 percent of people will be city dwellers, which would leave only 1.2 billion still living in the countryside. That means more space for the wildlife and less pollution from the agriculture.
The global tree-covering area increased by 865,000 square miles between 1982 and 2016. The researchers found that gains in forest area in the mild, subtropical and northern climatic zones are offsetting declines in the tropics. The Maryland researchers owe much of that increase to “natural afforestation on abandoned agricultural land”. “Furthermore, forests in mountainous regions are expanding as climate warming enables trees to grow at higher altitudes,” they added.
Humanity does face big environmental challenges in the coming century. But the scientific and economic evidence shows that most of the trends are positive or can be turned in positive direction by human wisdom. Rather than an age of extinction, the 21st century promises to be an era of environmental renewal.
1. Why does the author mention the reports in Paragraph 1?| A．To give examples. | B．To introduce the topic. |
| C．To make a contrast. | D．To support his opinion. |
| A．No one will choose to live in the countryside. |
| B．More space will be available for the wildlife. |
| C．Neither humanity nor the natural world will develop quickly. |
| D．Urban residents will do more walking than those in the countryside. |
| A．The expanding and disappearance in forest area aren’t evenly matched. |
| B．The forest area in the mild, tropic and northern zones is increasing. |
| C．There are more forests in mountainous regions due to the climate warming. |
| D．The plan of “natural afforestation on abandoned agricultural land” is unfavorable. |
| A．The Bright Future of Humanity |
| B．The Challenges in the Coming Century |
| C．Better Environment, Better Future of Human |
| D．21st Century: An Era of Environmental Renewal |
8 . Today, we study literature from a young age—learning about our histories, faraway worlds and influential people. Whether we notice or not, these stories—both fiction and non-fiction—guide us throughout our lives. They allow us to see the world through another’s eyes, open up our world and teach us about every subject known to man.
Despite their importance, many people throw out their old books—laying waste the wisdom that lies on each page. In an effort to save this knowledge and share it with those less fortunate, a garbage man in, Bogota, Colombia has been saving thrown-away books for 20 years and sharing them with those in need.
“I hated to see all the books in the dustbins of wealthier neighborhoods. So I started to rescue them,’’ said Gutierrez. The first book he found was a copy of the classic novel Anna Karenina. The Tolstoy book was later joined by The Little Prince, Sophie's World, The Iliad and a number of novels. Today, he has collected around 25,000 books.
His growing collection didn’t go unnoticed. Gutierrez’s neighbors were soon borrowing the books to help with their children’s homework. “There was a lack of them in our neighborhood, so we started to help,”said Gutierrez.
The ground floor of Gutierrez’s home is now filled with books, from floor to ceiling. Over spilling with books, he opened it up as a free library, with the help of his wife Luz Gutierrez and their three children.
Word eventually spread around about Gutierrez and his books. Most of the books now come from donations. He now travels around the country, delivering free books to poor and remote districts. The library, named “The Strength of Words", has donated books to some 235 schools, institutions and community libraries across Colombia.
1. How does the author introduce the topic of the text?| A．By stating some facts. |
| B．By contradicting a theory. |
| C．By describing a scene. |
| D．By referring to documents. |
| A．A heavy financial burden. |
| B．A companion in difficult times. |
| C．The beginning of his charity campaign. |
| D．One of his greatest achievements in life. |
| A．A good book is a light to the soul. |
| B．A bad beginning makes a bad ending. |
| C．Actions speak louder than words. |
| D．One man's garbage is another man' s treasure. |
| A．Tolstoy books recovered from dustbins. |
| B．Literature now appeals to garbage collectors. |
| C．Free libraries popular with neighborhood kids. |
| D．Garbage man builds a library from rescued books. |
9 . If there had to be a father of handwashing in history, it would be Ignaz Semmelweis. While working at Vienna General hospital, the Hungarian doctor, faced with a situation in which maternal death (孕产妇死亡) in hospitals were significantly higher than local clinics, tried hard clues as to why.
Germs (细菌) were yet to be discovered, and it was still believed in the 1840s that disease was spread by bad smells in the air. So it didn’t seem a problem that trainee doctors hanging out of labs to dissect (解剖) human bodies would pop up to the maternity ward (产房) to deliver a baby without washing their hands.
Then an accidental finger cut by a knife during a dissection caused a doctor to die, seemingly of the same sign the mothers had been getting. Semmelweis assumed that something from the dead bodies was to blame, which might, through the hands of doctors, make their way into women’ s bodies during childbirth.
To test his theory, he ordered doctors to wash their hands and instruments in some chlorine solution. As a result, the death rate for new mothers dropped to about 1 percent, compared with that of as high as 18 percent before the experiment.
However, he faced great resistance, and met a sad end. People at that time didn’t think of themselves as sort of walking Petri dishes. And the majority of doctors then were from middle- or upper-class families, and thought of themselves as very clean people.
Over the next 40 years, a better understanding of germs developed, and attitudes to hygiene (卫生) gradually shifted. In 1876, the German scientist Robert Koch discovered the anthrax bacillus (炭疽), kicking off the new research field of medical bacteriology. Many more germs were later identified. Surgeons started to take handwashing seriously.
By the 1890s and into the early 1900s, handwashing moved from being something doctors did to something everybody had been told to do.
1. What was the situation like in the 1840s?| A．Germs might have been discovered then. |
| B．Women suffered from delivering babies then. |
| C．The air at that time was dirty and full of viruses. |
| D．People were unaware of how disease was spread. |
| A．Liquid. | B．Option. | C．Tissue. | D．Shell. |
| A．It was effective. | B．It was necessary. |
| C．It was ridiculous. | D．It was dangerous. |
| A．Steps to Protect Yourself |
| B．Disease Spreading by Your Hand |
| C．Hand Washing Critical in Fighting Viruses |
| D．The First Recorded Discovery of Handwashing |
10 . How do you turn “dumb” headphones into smart ones? Rutgers engineers have invented a cheap and easy way by transforming headphones into sensors that can be plugged into (插入) smartphones, identify their users monitor their heart rates and perform other services.
Their invention, called HeadFi, is based on a small plug-in headphone adapter that turns a regular headphone into a sensing device (装置). Unlike smart headphones, regular headphones lack sensors. HeadFi would allow users to avoid having to buy a new pair of smart headphones with sensors to enjoy sensing features.
“HeadFi could turn hundreds of millions of existing, regular headphones worldwide into intelligent ones with a simple upgrade (升级),” said Xiaoran Fan, a HeadFi primary inventor.
A Rutgers-led paper on the invention, which results in "earable intelligence", will be formally published in October at MobiCom 2021, the top international conference on mobile computing and mobile and wireless networking.
Headphones are among the most popular wearable devices worldwide and they continue to become; more intelligent as new functions appear, such as touch-based gesture control, the paper notes. Such functions usually rely on aiding sensors, such as accelerometers, gyroscopes and microphones that are available on many smart headphones.
HeadFi turns the two drivers already inside all headphones into a versatile (多功能的) sensor, and it works by connecting headphones to a pairing device, such as a smartphone. It doesn't require adding aiding sensors and avoids changes to headphone hardware or the need to customize headphones, both of which may increase their weight and size. By plugging into HeadFi, a converted headphone can perform sensing tasks and play music at the same time.
The engineers conducted experiments with 53 volunteers using 54 pairs of headphones with prices ranging from $2. 99 to $15 ,000. HeadFi can achieve 97. 2 percent to 99. 5 percent accuracy on user identification , 96. 8 percent to 99. 2 percent on heart rate monitoring and 97. 7 percent to 99. 3 percent on gesture recognition.
1. What does Xiaoran Fan think of HeadFi?| A．Secure to operate. | B．Simple to use. |
| C．Easy to substitute. | D．Convenient to store. |
| A．It can't work with headphones alone. |
| B．It actually functions as a versatile sensor. |
| C．It makes headphones larger and heavier than usual. |
| D．It doesn't work when headphones are playing music. |
| A．the various functions of HeadFi | B．the wide popularity of headphones |
| C．the great complexity of headphones | D．the excellent performance of HeadFi |
| A．How to Use Headphones Appropriately |
| B．Headphones Can Be Upgraded Instantly |
| C．How to Make Regular Headphones Intelligent |
| D．New Uses Have Been Found in Headphones |
