1 . The future of space exploration may depend on an art form from the past: origami (折纸艺术), the ancient art of paper folding.
Researchers from Washington State University (WSU), US, have used origami to possibly solve the problem of storing and moving fuel to rocket engines, a key challenge in space travel, according to Newswise. They’ve developed a foldable plastic fuel “bladder (囊状物)” resistant to super cold temperatures, which could be used to store and pump fuel in spacecrafts of the future. Their findings have recently been published in the journal Cryogenics.
“Folks have been trying to make bags for rocket fuel for a long time,” said Jake Leachman, one of the lead researchers. “We currently don’t do large, long-duration trips because we can’t store fuel long enough in space.”
Meanwhile, NASA is also looking to paper folding to help observe distant planets. The agency is currently developing Starshade, a foldable, sunflower-shaped piece of hardware that would help block starlight and enable telescopes to view distant objects more clearly in space.
“A huge part of my job is looking at something on paper and asking, ‘Can we fly this?’” Manan Arya, a technologist in California, said. “Once I realized this is how you fold spacecraft structures, I became interested in origami. I realized I was good at it and enjoyed it. Now, I fold constantly. ”
Using origami for space purposes isn’t new, however. Solar arrays (太阳能阵列), experimental wings for space shuttle programs and an inflatable (可充气的) satellite were also inspired by origami in both past and present space projects.
“With most origami, the magic comes from the folding,” Robert Salazar, who helped design the Starshade and now works on the Transformers project. said in a statement. “There are so many patterns to still be explored.”
1. Which can be the suitable title for the text?| A．Folding into space. |
| B．The art of paper folding. |
| C．Space exploration. |
| D．The origami-inspired projects. |
| A．To protect spacecrafts from extreme weather. |
| B．To be used to store and supply fuel in spacecrafts. |
| C．To help rocket engines cut energy consumption. |
| D．To be used to improve energy efficiency. |
| A．It can be used to get telescopes closer to stars. |
| B．It can enlarge the view of telescopes in space. |
| C．It can absorb a star’s light before it enters telescopes. |
| D．It can help telescopes get clearer pictures of objects in space. |
| A．A travel journal. | B．A digest. |
| C．A science report. | D．An advertisement. |
2 . The Indian government declared an “emergency situation” in New Delhi on Sunday as air pollution hit dangerous new highs and people had the selfies(自拍) to prove it.
Officials announced a series of measures to fight against smog in the capital city, including halting construction projects, closing a coal-fired power factory for 10 days and washing the dusty roads. The citizens，meanwhile，took “smog selfies” as they walked through dirty air which could taste and smell. Some selfie photographers joined hundreds of protesters in downtown New Delhi to demand that the government deal with the deadly smog.
New Delhi, already one of the world’s dirtiest cities, is experiencing its worst smog in nearly two decades. The city saw levels of PM2.5 of more than 900 micrograms per cubic meter on Saturday. That’s more than 90 times the level that the World Health Organization considers safe and is 15 times higher than the Indian government’s standards.
Particulate(微粒的) matter comes from vehicles, coal factories, burning trash piles, dust and other sources. New Delhi’s severe pollution was initially blamed on the widespread bursting of firecrackers during the festival Diwali. But images published by NASA last week suggested that crop burning in the neighboring states of Punjab and Haryana could be the reason for the increasing levels of PM2.5. New Delhi’s chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal, said that farmers in those states begin burning straw at the start of every winter to clear their plants for planting wheat.
The pollution can lead to lung cancer, heart disease and related illnesses, particularly in growing children. Kejriwal said people should avoid going outdoors until the pollution levels drop and should work at home as much as possible. Of course, they should put down the selfie sticks, too.
1. What does the underlined word “halting” in Paragraph 2 meap?| A．Stopping. | B．Encouraging. | C．Protecting. | D．Changing. |
| A．The poor condition in New Delhi has led to a strike. |
| B．New Delhi is one of the most polluted cities in the world. |
| C．A lot of people especially children died of smog in New Delhi. |
| D．Kejriwal suggested that people stop working to deal with smog. |
| A．Images of people living in New Delhi. |
| B．Levels of PM2.5 in most cities of India. |
| C．Sources of particulate matter in New Delhi. |
| D．Measures taken by the New Delhi government. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Supportive. | C．Uncaring. | D．Opposed. |
3 . The pandemic (流行病）has left a lot of families in financial difficulty. Not only have many found it difficult to pay bills, they’ve also had to deal with huge unpaid debts. Thankfully, one very kind-hearted doctor, Omar Atiq, from Arkansas decided to forgive the $ 650,000 debt that his patients still had to pay.
Dr. Omar Atiq closed his clinic in Pine Bluff after 30 years of offering patients radiation therapy (治疗），and CAT scans. While putting his affairs in order，with the help of a debt collection agency, Dr. Atiq realized that his patients were really struggling to pay off their debts. “So my wife and I，as a family，thought about it andlooked at forgiving all the debts. We saw that we could do it and then just went ahead and did it.”
The reasoning behind the decision comes from his understanding toward those he's seen suffer throughout his years as a doctor： “Since I started practicing，I’ve always been rather uncomfortable with sick patients not only having to worry about their own health, quality of life, their longevity，their families and their jobs but also money. That’s always concerned me.” Atiq’s wife, Mehreen, shares his caring nature and supported her husband in his decision.
So Omar sent the following letter at Christmas to around 200 of his patients： Although various health insurances pay most of the bills for the majority of patients，the deductibles (自负额） and co-pays can be burdensome. Unfortunately, that is the way our health care system currently works. My clinic has decided to forgive all the debts owed to the'clinic by its patients.
Omar, the father of four children who are also doctors or becoming doctors, seems to have always put the patients first. “I have never refused to see a patient，not for lack of health insurance or funds nor for any other reason. Tve always considered it a high honor and privilege to be someone’s physician — more important than anything else，’’ Omar shared with the local media.
1. When did Atiq realize his patients’ inability to pay off their debts?| A．As the debt collection agency helped him. |
| B．When he was collecting the debt in person. |
| C．After he clearly knew the details of the debt. |
| D．After he found out the pandemic was serious. |
| A．His responsibility. | B．His wife’s support. |
| C．His sympathy. | D．His medical practice. |
| A．He values his patients and his job. |
| B．He works together with his children. |
| C．He will start another clinic in the future. |
| D．He thinks that being a doctor is profitable. |
| A．Dr. Atiq has made a very important decision. |
| B．Dr. Atiq removes his patients' financial burden. |
| C．Dr. Atiq has contributed a lot to the medical field. |
| D．Dr. Atiq has set a good example for all the doctors. |
