1 . A new study shows that the more people read any kind of fiction, the better their language skills are likely to be. The piece was written by Sandra Martin-Chang, professor of education, and PhD student Stephanie Kozak. They found that people who enjoyed reading fiction at leisure (休闲) and those who identified themselves as readers scored higher on language tests, whereas those who read to access specific information scored more poorly on the same tests.
As leisure reading declines as a pastime for younger adults especially, Martin-Chang says emphasizing the fun aspect of it can draw them back to novels while at the same time improving their verbal abilities.
Martin-Chang and Kozak used a scale called the Predictors of Leisure Reading ( PoLR) to investigate reading behavior ( motivations, obstacles, attitudes and interests). They then examined how well the PoLR predicted the language skills o£ 200 undergraduate students, with all data gathered at York University. The researchers note that the age range of the subjects in the study is of key interest. In early adulthood, reading becomes self-directed rather than imposed by others, which makes this a key time to develop one's own reading habits. This population is also rather understudied, with most existing research focusing far more on children.
The researchers administered a series of measures over two separate half-hour sessions. First, the volunteers completed the 48-question PoLR scale measuring various reading factors. They were then given language tests similar to those found in the SAT and a measure of reading habits called the Author Recognition Test. Those who scored higher read more and have better verbal abilities than those who scored lower. After analyzing the data, the researchers concluded that reading enjoyment, positive attitudes and deeply established interests predicted" better verbal abilities and that they were more strongly associated with exposure to fiction than non-fiction.
Besides having better verbal abilities, lifelong readers are known to be more understanding, more empathetic （同感的），less prejudiced, to attain higher socioeconomic status and even to live longer, healthier live than non — readers. Teachers and parents can inspire a love of reading by letting young people read what they want, without guilt or shame.
1. According to the new study, people's language skills are mainly influenced by their reading| A．environments | B．speeds | C．motivations | D．frequencies |
| A．approved | B．recommended | C．forced | D．evaluated |
| A．By making data analysis. | B．By conducting wide surveys. |
| C．By consulting previous studies. | D．By making reasonable assumptions. |
| A．Great pleasure of reading. | B．Various benefits of reading. |
| C．Ways to be a lifelong reader. | D．Methods of developing reading skills. |
2 . Over eight million acres of land in the US were scorched in 2020. We've lost more trees faster than nature or humans can regenerate. So we've got to have better tools to be able to reforest faster.
A Seattle—based company called DroneSeed thinks that tool could be, as its name suggests, automated seed dropping drones, which means multiple drones operating to perform a task at the same time.
Typically, reintroducing tree growth is a slow, manual process that can take up to three years. It requires growing young trees in a nursery that tree planters plant by hand. And they're using a shovel and they burn the caloric equivalent of running two marathons every day. But automated drones can cover a lot more ground and get the job done faster.
Grant Canary, DroneSeed CEO, says in groups of five, the drones can cover up to 50 acres in a day compared to about two acres by human. And he says the speed and automation can save landowners 30 to 50 percent of their reforestation costs. Eight- foot- long drones take off on pre-programmed routes carrying loads of nearly 60 pounds. They zip up and down those mountainsides, distribute seed vessels in very targeted, precise locations and make reforestation workable. But they don't drop raw seeds. Instead, Drone Seed has developed seed vessels that include a patent mixture of every thing a seed needs to survive, like fertilizers, nutrients and natural pest deterrents.
Unlike seedlings, they don't need to be buried in the ground. The vessel is a dry fiber so it absorbs moisture, soaking up and expanding so that helps it avoid drying out, which is one of the biggest causes of seed mortality.
Aerial seeding is not a new idea. But historically, raw seeds are dropped and can land in poor soil. So Drone Seed uses advanced laser mapping to identify the best locations for their seed drops, targeting healthy soil and other ideal conditions. Those are the areas that are not gravel. They don't have high competitive vegetation and so the seeds themselves are going to grow better.
1. What's the fourth paragraph mainly about?| A．The cost-reduction of planting trees. | B．The importance of reforestation. |
| C．The disadvantages of artificial tree planting. | D．The advantages of planting trees by drones. |
| A．To serve as nurseries for seedlings to grow healthily. |
| B．To prevent the young trees from rolling down hill sides. |
| C．To keep the seedlings from being damaged when landing. |
| D．To help the drones determine locations of delivery accurately. |
| A．Drones will completely replace humans. | B．They will speed up reforestation. |
| C．The diversity of forest species will increase. | D．Forest fires will be greatly reduced. |
| A．Artificial planting, slow but effective. | B．Aerial seeding, new and workable. |
| C．Drone seeding, productive and promising. | D．Forests resources, significant but fragile. |
3 . In recent years, Ethiopia has become a regional leader in solid waste management. Last year, the country transformed the landfill (垃圾填埋场) in Addis Ababa into a new waste-to-energy plant, the first such project on the continent. The plant incinerates up to 1, 400 tonnes of waste every day, about 80 percent of the city's rubbish, supplying the capital with 25 percent of its household electricity needs.
However, despite these important steps, challenges remain in Ethiopia. Although the country has permitted the Basel, Stockholm and Rotterdam conventions, laws and policies for environmentally sound management of hazardous (有害的) wastes are still not effective in pre- venting littering waste illegally.
To help Ethiopia meet these challenges, the Chemicals and Waste Management Program is supporting the country with a three-year project to enhance its capacity for sound management of hazardous wastes.
In the initial stages, a project management unit will be formed, made up of many representatives from government departments and private organizations. This unit will be responsible for reviewing and assessing Ethiopia's current legal system, which, despite numerous advances in recent years, does not specifically target the recycling of hazardous waste. Once legal gaps are identified, the project will seek to update existing policies and strategies.
Many people in Ethiopia are not aware of the possible effect of environmental damage and the need to report such crimes to the police. To resolve this pressing issue, Ethiopia will be conducting a series of capacity-building activities, including creating awareness-raising programs, training trainers and providing equipment.
Ethiopia will also work to establish a national mechanism for chemicals and waste management by engaging government departments and civil society groups. Authorities will also make budgetary provisions (预算拨款) in national, regional and institutional planning to ensure funding for these activities is sustainable even after the project's completion.
1. Which can replace the underlined word “incinerates” in paragraph 1?| A．Produces. | B．Burns. | C．Gathers. | D．Absorbs. |
| A．The relevant laws are not sound. | B．The shortage of workers is severe. |
| C．The pollution level is too high. | D．The funds are not sufficient. |
| A．Restrict their environmental movement. | B．Call on them to start some programs. |
| C．Reward them with budgetary provisions. | D．Raise their environmental awareness. |
| A．Ethiopia is facing serious environmental problems. |
| B．Ethiopia has achieved success in waste management. |
| C．Ethiopia is putting efforts into waste management. |
| D．Ethiopia has reduced environmental pollution levels. |
4 . They' re not the world' s tallest or longest bridges, but a string of river crossings made from tree roots are engineering wonders that contain lessons for modern architects.
The town of Cherrapunji in the Khasi Hills is credited with the world record for annual rainfall of over 75 feet! And in this rainy, wet climate, the rubber fig tree grows with abandon. The tree has a secondary root system that grows up above the ground floor and lets the tree easily grow on top of big stones and even out in the middle of streams. Long ago, the Khasis, a tribe in Meghalaya region, realized they could make use of these roots to their own advantage. By controlling and directing the secondary roots, they have created strong living bridges with which to cross streams and rivers by themselves.
To make a tree grow in a certain direction, the tribespeople use the trunks of a betel nut tree whose middle is got rid of, as a guidance system. The thin, tender roots of the rubber tree are placed so they grow in the direction of the tree trunk rather than fanning out. Eventually, the roots reach the other side of the river and grow into the soil. This process can take well over a decade before the bridge is fully functional and then over time the bridge grows and strengthens. Rocks are placed along the bridge' s sides to improve the footpaths.
Some of these bridges are over 100 feet long and can even support the weight of fifty or-more people at a time. These bridges are used daily by the people of the villages around Cherrapunji and a few are thought to be more than 500 years old. There is even a double decker bridge , known as the “Umshiang Double-Decker Root Bridge", which features two bridges grown right on top of each other. It is thought to be the only bridge of its kind.
1. What do we know about the bridges in Meghalaya?| A．They resemble the fig tree roots. |
| B．They're works of modern architects. |
| C．They take a very short time to build. |
| D．They're constructed by the villagers. |
| A．It plays the role of a guide. |
| B．It bears the weight of the bridge. |
| C．It protects the surface of the bridge. |
| D．It delivers materials across the river. |
| A．A complex system. |
| B．A construction process. |
| C．A scientific theory. |
| D．A natural landscape. |
| A．Its history. |
| B．Its material. |
| C．Its shape. |
| D．Its length. |
5 . Here on Earth where most of us live, we spend about a third of everyday lying down sleeping and two-thirds standing or sitting in an upright position.
That's not really how it goes in space when people are weightless and the zero gravity environment causes more liquid to shift to the head. Faces get swollen, legs lose volume and appear to be smaller. Many astronauts have complained of eye and back problems after coming back down to Earth and its gravity.
And now scientists say they have discovered some new risks with long-term space flight. A study published recently in JAMA Network Open, a medical journal, examined 11 healthy astronauts who had been on the International Space Station for six months. Eight of them had unusual characteristics observed in their blood. For instance, six of the astronauts had reverse （反向的）blood flow from their heads.
The lead author of the study says he doesn't know if that's actually harmful. The blood is still leaving the head from other pathways, so flowing backwards through a jugular vein（颈静脉） may not be dangerous. But he says it does show a change in how blood moves through the body while in space.
Another issue the study found was blood clots （凝块）. One astronaut had one. Another showed signs of a partial blood clot. That is potentially harmful as the clots can block the flow of blood to the lungs. The astronaut who had one was treated for the rest of the spaceflight and made it home safely.
What does all this mean? Well, one researcher says these issues have probably been oc- curring since humans first went into space and that they would likely resolve themselves when astronauts came back down to Earth. Knowing about them now gives doctors something else to monitor when people leave our atmosphere.
1. What causes the physical problems for astronauts?| A．Sleeping for a long time. | B．The zero gravity environment. |
| C．Staying in the spaceship. | D．The shift in their bodies. |
| A．Four. | B．Three. | C．Two. | D．One. |
| A．It is a common problem. | B．It is a new kind of disease. |
| C．It is a threat to people's health. | D．It was first found by astronauts. |
| A．Doctors have a new task for astronauts |
| B．Zero gravity stops astronauts flying in space |
| C．It's dangerous for astronauts to fly into space |
| D．New risks are found in long-term space flight |
6 . Researchers at CU Boulder have developed a wearable device that changes the human body into a biological battery. The device is stretchy(弹性的) enough that you can wear it like a ring, sport band or any other thing that touches your skin. It also taps into a person's natural heat-employing thermoelectric generators to change the body's internal temperature into electricity. "In the future, we want to be able to power your wearable electronics without having to include a battery," said Jianliang Xiao, an associate professor at CU Boulder.
The concept may sound like something out of The Matrix film series, in which a race of robots have enslaved humans to harvest their precious organic energy. Xiao and his colleagues aren't that ambitious: Their devices can generate about 1 volt (伏特) of energy for every square centimeter of skin space-less volt per area than what most existing batteries provide but still enough to power electronics like watches or fitness trackers.
Scientists have previously experimented with similar wearable devices, but Xiao's is stretchy, can heal itself when damaged and is fully recyclable-making it a cleaner alternative to traditional electronics. "Whenever you use a battery, you're depleting(消耗) that battery and will, eventually, need to replace it," Xiao said. "The nice thing about our device is that you can wear it, and it provides you with constant power."
Just pretend that you're out for a jog. As you exercise, your body heats up, and that heat will radiate out to the cool air around you. Xiao's device captures that flow of energy rather than let it go to waste. "The thermoelectric generators are in close contact with the human body, and they can use the heat that would normally be sent into the environment," Xiao said.
1. What does Xiao expect of his device at present?| A．It will be used for medical purposes. |
| B．It will be made smaller and wearable. |
| C．It will change natural power into electricity. |
| D．It will supply constant power to wearable devices. |
| A．To give an explanation. | B．To make a comparison. |
| C．To introduce a topic. | D．To analyze the cause. |
| A．The strengths of Xiao's device. |
| B．The convenience of using a battery. |
| C．The replacement of wearable devices. |
| D．The development of traditional electronics. |
| A．It operates with plenty of power. |
| B．It is designed for practical use. |
| C．It benefits people's health in a way. |
| D．It's based on traditional electronics. |
7 . There are many therapies (疗法) for depression, including medical treatment, psychotherapy and talk therapy. Having a range of treatment choices is a good idea because no single treatment works equally well for each of millions of sufferers. Choosing the most suitable treatment is important to them. Now researchers say a new therapy proven to relieve depression should be added to the established treatments. It's called nature therapy. "Interacting with nature can have positive effects on those with depression," says Ethan Kross, PhD, an expert who has studied the nature depression link.
A little exposure to nature helps all of us get our energy back, and it may have special benefit for those who are depressed.“It seems that, from our work, the restorative effect of nature seems to be stronger for individuals with depression," says Marc Berman, PhD, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Chicago. That might be because they feel mentally exhausted, and being in nature re energizes them. However, Dr Berman has a strong warning. “We're not arguing that interacting with nature should replace clinically proven treatments for depression," he says, “Nor should those with clinical depression try to treat themselves.”
However, Berman and others say, interactions with nature could serve as a very effective supplementary treatment. Compared to adults with depression walking for 50 minutes in an urban setting, those who took a 50 minute walk in a natural setting were less depressed and had better memory skills.
Why does nature hold this special effect? Berman says, “In a natural environment, we can choose to think or not, and this choice is believed to help us rest our brains. You can then pay attention later, when you need to.”He adds, “It gives people more ability to concentrate, which is a big problem for those with depression. ”Nature provides an effective setting for resting our brains, unlike urban setting. Even in the most peaceful urban environment, you have to pay attention to such things as traffic and stoplights.
1. What can we learn about depression therapies from paragraph 1?| A．They focus on physical activity. |
| B．They pay no attention to interactions. |
| C．They mainly depend on natural environment. |
| D．They need to be tailored to different patients. |
| A．By making them feel energetic. | B．By reminding them to rest in time. |
| C．By taking the place of clinic treatment. | D．By covering up their mental problems. |
| A．Additional. | B．Traditional. | C．Controversial. | D．Essential. |
| A．An urban setting of restoring energy. |
| B．The positive role of nature in treating depression. |
| C．The popularity of using multiple ways to treat diseases. |
| D．An effective replacement of clinical therapy for depression. |
