1 . 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 |
2 . 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 |
3 . 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. |
4 . 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. |
5 . 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. |
6 . The Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins of Shark Bay in Western Australia have an unusual way of obtaining food.
They drive fish into a large, empty marine gastropod shell. Then they carry the shell and captured(捕捉)fish up to the surface, and shake it upside down. Then, the fish go straight down into the dolphins' stomachs. It's called shelling, only the second tool use recorded among dolphins, and the first that dolphins have been seen learning from their friends, just like great apes.
The dolphins were first observed using tools over 20 years ago, slipping sea sponges over their beaks(喙)to protect them as they searched for food. This behaviour is called sponging, and it allows the dolphins to access food in deeper water channels than non-sponging dolphins.
Sponging is a skill passed down from mothers to daughters-a type of learning called vertical transmission. But there is another kind of learning, horizontal social transition, in which individuals pick up skills from their social peers-their friends.
There are similarities between dolphin and great ape societies that have led scientists to believe that dolphins should be capable of horizontal leaning.
Now a team of researchers led by behavioural ecologist Sonja Wild of the University of Konstanz in Germany has finally identified it.
Their data comes from over a decade's worth of observations. Between 2007 and 2018, the researchers documented over 1.000 individual dolphins across nearly 5,300 encounters with the animals.
They used genetic, behavioural and environment data to model the likely transmission pathways, and found that shelling was likely spread among friends, rather than passed down from parents.
This opens the door to a new understanding of how dolphins may be able to behaviourally adapt to changing environments.
In 2011, a large marine heatwave destroyed the seagrass habitat of Shark Bay, in which the dolphins search for food. This resulted in a die-off of both fish and the invertebrates that live in the giant shells that the dolphins use for their fishing, and, afterwards there was an immediate increase in the dolphin's shelling behaviour. It's possible that both the decrease in fish and the increase in shells could have played a role in this uptick.
1. What is the second paragraph mainly about?| A．The process of shelling. | B．The importance of tool use. |
| C．The eating habits of dolphins. | D．The similarity between dolphins and apes. |
| A．It is used by most dolphins. | B．It is a skill newer than shelling. |
| C．It is passed down from mothers. | D．It is helpful in searching for food. |
| A．It is easier than sponging. | B．It is a tradition among them. |
| C．Their food has become less. | D．Their fishing tools are fewer. |
| A．Shelling or Sponging, Dolphins Have the Final Say |
| B．Dolphins Are Learning Tool Use from Their Friends |
| C．Changing Environments Are Affecting Dolphins' Life |
| D．The Second Tool Use Among Sea Animals Was Recorded |
7 . With a quick movement, the little creature vanishes in the air like it never existed and somehow appears dramatically-this is a part of the film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. But in reality, “disappeared” fantastic creatures can also reappear.
The Global Wildlife Conservation(GWC) announced on Oct 30 they have rediscovered the Voeltzkow's chameleon(变色龙)in Madagascar. The last time that the animal was seen was in 1913.
This discovery excited the researeh team, but the finding was not easy. The GWC organized an expedition as part of its Seareh for Lost Species program, an attempt to rediscover species that have not been observed by scientists for at least a decade. They headed into the forests of northwestern Madagascar in April 2018. But they didn't have much luck for a long time. Just days before the trip was to end. the tour guides spotted one of the chameleons. Ultimately, the team discovered three males and 13 females.
Male Voeltzkow's chameleons are up to 164 millimeters long and are light green with dark stripes, which get darker when they are angry or stressed. Females are smaller than males, growing to about 150 millimeters long. They can change their skin to a pattern of red dots and a stripe of purple against a background of black and white.
“The Voeltzkow's chameleon adds color and beauty to the planet, and reminds us that even when all seems lost, a great adventure can reawaken hope." said Don Church, president of the GWC. "Now we have so much to learn about this extraordinary reptile(爬行动物)・including how we can best save it from extinction.”
This isn't the only time a species thought to be extinct has been rediscovered. In fact, this year scientists discovered a frog that has been missing for more than 50 years in a Brazilian jungle. Another example is the Albany adder snake, which was rediscovered in 2016. The species had disappeared for over a decade and was generally believed to be extinct.
So how are these "lost" species able to make a comeback? If the environment changes in favor of certain species that have been considered extinct, the population size of those species may recover again. As they reach greater numbers, the chance of humans discovering them increases.
1. Why is the part of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them mentioned?| A．To lead to a discussion about animal extinction. |
| B．To warn of the difference between reality and fiction. |
| C．To demonstrate that magic can be found in real life. |
| D．To further discuss the reappearance of creatures. |
| A．How luck determined the fate of a lost species. |
| B．How the GWC rediscovered the Voeltzkow's chameleon. |
| C．An introduction to the Seareh for Lost Species program. |
| D．The solutions to make “lost" species come back. |
| A．They can change their colors to green and yellow. |
| B．Female chameleons are much longer than male ones. |
| C．The color of the males' skin can reflect their mood. |
| D．Male chameleons outnumber female ones by a lot. |
| A．The rediscoveries may be due to environmental changes. |
| B．The habitats of frogs and snakes are quite similar. |
| C．Human beings are to blame for species extinction. |
| D．Extinct reptiles would be the first group to be rediscovered. |
8 . Happiness is not a warm phone, according to a new study exploring the link between young life satisfaction and screen time. The study was led by professor of psychology Jean M. Twenge at San Diego State University (SDSU).
To research this link, Twenge, along with colleagues Gabrielle Martin at SDSU and W. Keith Campbell at the University of Georgia, dealt with data from the Monitoring the Future (MtF) study, a nationally representative survey of more than a million U. S. 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-graders. The survey asked students questions about how often they spent time on their Phones, tablets and computers, as well as questions about their face-to-face social interactions and their overall happiness.
On average found that teens who spent more time in front of screen devices — playing computer games, using social media, texting and video chatting — were less happy than those who invested more time in non-screen activities like sports, reading newspapers and magazines, and face-to-face social interactions.
"The key to digital media use and happiness is limited use," Twenge said. "Aim to spend no more than two hours a day on digital media, and try to increase the amount of time you spend seeing friends face-to-face and exercising — two activities reliably linked to greater happiness."
Looking at historical trends from the same age groups since the 1990s, it's easy to find that the increase of screen devices over time happened at the same time as a general drop-off in reported happiness in U. S. teens. Specifically, young peopled life satisfaction and happiness declined sharply after 2012. That's the year when the percentage of Americans who owned a smartphone rose above 50 percent. By far the largest change in teens' lives between 2012 and 2016 was the increase in the amount of time they spent on digital media, and the following decline in in-person social activities and sleep.
1. Which method did Twenge's team use for the study?| A．Calculating students' happiness. |
| B．Asking students certain questions. |
| C．Analyzing data from a survey. |
| D．Doing experiments on screen time. |
| A．By making a comparison. |
| B．By giving an example. |
| C．By making an argument. |
| D．By introducing a concept. |
| A．To draw a conclusion from the study. |
| B．To offer some advice to the readers. |
| C．To prove social activities' importance. |
| D．To support the researchers' finding. |
| A．Quitting Phones Equals Happiness |
| B．Screen Time Should Be Banned |
| C．Teens' Lives Have Changed Sharply |
| D．Screen-addicted Teens Are Unhappier |
9 . Traffic jams are the horrible dreams of motorists’ lives. If you think your journey is bad, spare a thought for drivers in Sao Paolo, Brazil — one evening in May last year, the traffic jams during the rush hour added up to a 344km queue, according to the city's traffic management agency.
This isn't a new problem, of course. During the car boom of the 1960s, city planners had one seemingly obvious solution: build more and wider roads. But the more roads created, the more cars they attracted. So what's the solution? Some cities have adopted easy methods, like banning cars from driving on certain days.
However, ending this horrible dream may need more of a complete rethink. A company, Urban Engines, has a slightly fresher method. "We're providing an online game that offers trip suggestions and prizes to encourage commuter behaviour changes, including changing travel from peak to off-peak times,“ says Shiva Shivakumar, Urban Engines' co-founder and GEO. For the past two-and-a-half years, the company has conducted pilot studies in major cities, including Bangalore and Singapore. In Bangalore, one-in-six people who took part in the trial started travelling off-peak, and in Singapore one-in-eight.
But others think this solution doesn't go far enough—and that we should provide more reasons for putting fewer cars on the road. “The only effective long-term solution is to improve alternative methods—walking, cycling and particularly high-quality public transport,” says Todd Litman of the Victoria Transport Policy Institute in Canada. Road pricing that charges motorists extra if they drive during the rush hour could also be an option. Cities like Singapore, London and Stockholm have successfully used road pricing to control the steel river.
The solution to beating traffic jams in cities, if it comes, will probably take a long time to gain prizes. But if at least some of these new ideas are a success, the days of Sao Paolo's heavy traffic jams may finally become history.
1. What can we learn about the method of building wider roads?| A．It results in the car boom. | B．It is far from satisfactory. |
| C．It needs to be further tested. | D．It is unlikely to be widely used. |
| A．It charges commuters for travelling at peak times. |
| B．It changes its working time to avoid peak times. |
| C．It bans commuters from driving on certain days. |
| D．It offers prizes to those travelling at off-peak times. |
| A．The traffic flow. | B．The traffic light. |
| C．The public transport. | D．The crowd of people. |
| A．How Do Traffic Jams Form | B．Can We Ever End Traffic Jams |
| C．Do Traffic Jams Affect Our Life | D．Where Is the Most Jammed City |
10 . 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. |
