1 . Smartphones, tablets and other digital devices can be addictive. They affect sleep. They draw kids into an alternate universe, often distracting（使分心）them from more productive-and healthier-real-world activities. And they are often linked to anxiety and depression, learning disabilities and obesity（肥胖）. Yet for many teenagers, cellphones and social media are also absolutely necessary tools for planning their social lives, keeping up with schoolwork and staying in touch with out-of-town friends and relatives.
How can parents make the most of the constructive uses of screen-based technology while minimizing its harmful effects？
The key is helping kids use technology as a tool, not a toy, “where there’s some purpose other than the medication of boredom,” says Jim Taylor, a psychologist and author of the book Raising Generation Tech：Preparing Your Children for a Media-fueled World. Taylor, like many other medical and mental health professionals, advises parents to set limits and stick to them. They should restrict the amount of time their kids spend on devices, create tech-free zones-no cellphones in their bedrooms, for example-and tech-free times, such as at the dinner table, in restaurants and on family outings.
Perhaps the best thing you can do is serve as a good role model by exhibiting the same online behavior you expect of your children, says Dr. Elias Aboujaoude, a Stanford University psychiatrist. “If parents are breaking their own rules,” Aboujaoude says, “kids cannot be expected to behave differently.”
Chad Landgraf, 44, of Oklahoma, told me he was worried about how addicted his 12-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter became when they were on their devices. So, hoping to set an example, he switched from e-books to old-fashioned print. “When I had my Kindle or ipad open, they. didn’t know if I was reading or surfing the net,” Landgraf says. “But at least if I have a paper copy of a book, they know I am reading. Modeling seems like the easiest way.”
1. What may be the result of children’s using digital devices?| A．Health improvement. | B．Free creation. |
| C．Sleep disorder. | D．Good conduct |
| A．Killing time by using screen-based technology. |
| B．Forbidding kids using smartphones. |
| C．Setting clear boundaries for kids. |
| D．Restricting tech-free family time. |
| A．He was afraid of becoming addicted. | B．He expected to be a role model. |
| C．He was tired of surfing the net. | D．He preferred paper copies of books. |
| A．Parenting in a digital world | B．Learning to be intelligent parents |
| C．Using smart devices wisely | D．Helping children behave themselves |
2 . E-cigarettes can damage vital immune system cells and may be more harmful than previously thought, a study suggests. Researchers found e-cigarette vapour disabled important immune cells in the lung and boosted inflammation (炎症).
The researchers caution against the widely held opinion that e-cigarettes are safe. However, Public Health England advises they are much less harmful than smoking and people should not hesitate to use them as an aid to giving up cigarettes.
The small experimental study, led by Prof David Thickett, at the University of Birmingham, is published online in the journal Thorax. Previous studies have focused on the chemical elements of e-cigarette liquid before it is vaped.
In this study, the researchers designed a mechanical process to mimic (模拟) vaping in the laboratory, using lung tissue samples provided by eight non-smokers. They found vapour caused inflammation and impaired the activity of alveolar macrophages cells (肺泡世噬细胞) that removed potentially damaging dust particles, bacteria and allergens. They sail some of the effects were similar to those seen in regular smokers and people with chronic lung disease.
They caution that the results are only in laboratory conditions and they are planning to do more research to better understand the long-term health impact the changes recorded took place only 48 hours.
Prof Thicket said while e-cigarettes were safer than traditional cigarettes in terms of cancer risk, they may still be harmful in the long-term. If you vape for 20 or 30 years, you can suffer from COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), then that’s something we need to know about.
1. What’s the widely held opinion about e-cigarettes?| A．They’re more harmful. | B．They’re less harmful. |
| C．They’re unknown to people. | D．They’re harmless. |
| A．It’s believable. | B．It’s conducted narrowly. |
| C．It’s accepted by most people. | D．It’ s carried out in America. |
| A．They are safer in terms of mental problems. |
| B．They may be little harm in the long run. |
| C．They are safer with regard to cancer risk. |
| D．They can completely replace traditional ones. |
| A．Can e-cigarettes damage vital brain system cells? |
| B．Can e-cigarettes become popular among people? |
| C．Can e-cigarettes be recommended to smokers ? |
| D．Can c-cigarettes damage vital immune system cells ? |
3 . China has just officially opened its FAST radio telescope to international scientists. Scientists across the world can submit proposals for astronomical observations using the telescope.
FAST is short for Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (球面射电望远镜) and it is also believed to be the world's largest radio telescope and the most sensitive single-dish radio telescope. The receiving surface area of FAST is 250,000 square meters, about the size of 30 standard football fields. Its construction was completed in September 2016 and it officially began operating in January 2020.
The major scientific task of the telescope is the observation of pulsars (脉冲星) – the rotating neutron stars. The study of pulsars can help to confirm the existence of gravitational radiation and black holes, and help solve many other major questions in physics. Another scientific goal of FAST is to search for outer space civilization.
The telescope is located in a naturally deep and round karst depression in southwest China's Guizhou Province. The first advantage of the selected site is the altitude. The average altitude of Guizhou is about 1,100 meters, which maximizes the effectiveness of the observation equipment. Secondly, the radio telescope needs to have a “big pan” to receive better signal. The huge natural depression could reduce the amount of excavation (挖掘) and difficulty of construction. Moreover, the selected site in Guizhou is far away from cities, and has a small population, which reduces the interference (干扰) caused by wireless devices such as TVs, mobile phones and radios from human activities.
FAST has identified over 300 pulsars. Experts predict that the number could reach 1,000 in five years and that the telescope could locate and identify the first pulsar outside the galaxy. With the opening-up to international scientists, China's FAST is expected to make more contribution to astronomical research in the future.
1. What do we know about FAST?| A．It is opened to global scientists. | B．It is a project under construction. |
| C．It has provided service since 2016. | D．It has found a pulsar outside the galaxy. |
| A．To study black holes. | B．To observe the pulsars. |
| C．To explore the sun. | D．To seek space civilization. |
| A．It's close to urban areas. | B．It reduces engineering amount. |
| C．It possesses a shallow depression. | D．It's at the highest altitude in China. |
| A．Major Scientific Tasks of FAST | B．Ways to Select the Site for FAST |
| C．Contributions FAST Has Made | D．Facts about FAST Radio Telescope |
4 . Calling all tea lovers: the next time you reach for a cup of tea, try green tea—if you want to lengthen your life. That’s according to a new study recently concluded by researchers with the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. Researchers found “habitual” tea drinkers—whom they defined as drinking tea at least three or more times a week—had longer and healthier lives than those who did not drink tea as regularly. But these benefits were only seen in those who drank green tea, not black tea.
To come to this conclusion, researchers analyzed 100,902 Chinese participants with no history of heart attack or cancer. They were divided into two groups, those who drank tea three or more times a week, and those who drank tea less than three times a week. Participants were then followed-up after seven years.
In the end, the researchers found that regular tea drinkers had a 20 percent lower risk of suffering from heart disease, and a 22 percent lower risk of dying from heart disease than those who never or seldom drank tea. Then, to look at the “potential influence of changes in tea drinking behavior,” researchers about eight years later took a part of study participants—14,081 people—and assessed them after five years. Finally, they found those who continued to drink tea three or more times a week had a 56 percent lower risk of deadly heart disease.
But why is green tea more beneficial than black? Senior author Dr. Dongfeng Gu said that green tea is rich in polyphenols(多酚), as a previous study shows, which, “protect against cardiovascular(心血管的) disease and its risk factors.” Black tea, on the other hand, is fermented(发酵), during which process “polyphenols may lose their antioxidant effects.”
“In our study population, 49% of habitual tea drinkers consumed green tea most frequently, while only 8% preferred black tea,” he said. “The small percentage of habitual black tea drinkers might make it more difficult to observe strong associations, but our findings hint at a differential effect between tea types.”
1. What is paragraph 2 mainly about?| A．The research process. | B．The research purpose. |
| C．The research subjects. | D．The research findings. |
| A．Assess. | B．Examine. | C．Produce. | D．Indicate. |
| A．Green Tea or Black Tea, That’s a Question |
| B．Tea Drinking: a Common Practice in China |
| C．Green Tea Drinkers may Enjoy a Longer Life |
| D．Tea Time: Relaxing, Refreshing and Rewarding |
5 . Some scientists have detected a chemical on Venus (金星) that isn’t expected to be there, which leads them to wonder what is producing the chemical.
Venus may look beautiful in the night sky, but it’s a harsh planet. Its clouds are made of acid. And its atmosphere is so thick that if you could stand on the planet’s surface, you would feel like you were 3,000 feet under the sea. It is the hottest planet in the solar system, with an average temperature of 464℃. Though people have often wondered if Venus used to have life, most people don’t believe life exists there. Now, as a result of work by a group of scientists led by Dr. Jane Greaves from Cardiff University, there may be reason to question that.
The scientists found a molecule called phosphine (磷化氢) in Venus’ atmosphere. On Earth, some bacteria produce small amounts of phosphine in oxygen-free environments. Phosphine molecules aren’t very stable, so they tend to break apart or burn up easily.
Many scientists believe phosphine might be a sign of life on other planets. So the scientists were puzzled when they found signs of phosphine high in the atmosphere of Venus. They double-checked their result and it was the same — high in the clouds there appeared to be too much phosphine.
That led the scientists to think about what could make the phosphine. They studied many ideas, from sunlight, lightning strikes to volcanoes. But none of these could produce the amount of phosphine they detected. One possible explanation for the phosphine is simple — life. For example, some sort of bacteria can somehow survive in the acid clouds of Venus.
The discovery of phosphine on Venus has caused a lot of excitement. The scientists behind the study are eager to do more research. Now, many other people are also looking to focus on the planet and perhaps even create missions to explore Venus’ atmosphere.
1. According to Paragraph 2, what’s generally believed about Venus?| A．Life exists there for long. |
| B．It is an unlivable planet. |
| C．It is one of the hottest planets. |
| D．The clouds on Venus are thin and acidic. |
| A．It is a kind of gas low in the clouds. | B．It is a possible marker of life. |
| C．It contributes to the birth of life. | D．It is stable in oxygen-free environments. |
| A．The presence of phosphine. | B．The amount of acid. |
| C．The instability of phosphine. | D．The high temperature. |
| A．Is There Life on Venus? | B．Oxygen Spotted on Venus |
| C．A New Way to Explore Venus | D．Will Astronauts Land on Venus? |
6 . A retired postman from Turkey and a beautiful white swan have been inseparable for nearly four decades, and the story of their amazing friendship has melted the hearts of millions.
When Recep Mirzan spotted a wounded swan in a field in Turkey’s Edirne province, in 1984, he had no idea that he was about to meet his best friend. He was in a car with a group of friends, when he spotted a swan that appeared to have a broken wing in an empty field. Mirzan quickly realized that leaving the bird there was the same as signing its death sentence, as predators (捕食者) would have most likely eaten it, so he stopped the car and took the bird with him. He took it home and started nursing it back to health.
“Since I love animals, I took her home instead of leaving her as food to foxes,’’ Mirzan told The Associated Press. We got used to each other. We never separated. Even after the female swan's broken wing healed, it didn’t try to fly away. Instead, it befriended the other animals on Recep’s farm in the Karaagac region, and decided to stick around. Recep named her Garip, and she has been with him for the last 37 years.
“She comes when I call. Since 1984, she has never left me, not even during the river floods,” the retired postman told Anadolu News Agency. “She used to be more vigorous, but she has grown old now. If she dies, I will make her a nice grave here, but I hope we live more together.”
Garip has her own coop on Mirzan’s farm, but she mostly spends nights in it. During the day, she is busy following her human friend around, either during his daily chores, or on his evening walks.
After his wife died a few years ago, Recep Mirzan started spending more time with his animals, and since he has no human children, he regards Garip as his child.
Whooper swans can live for decades in protected environments, but Garip has long surpassed the average lifespan for her species.
1. Why did Recep save the swan according to the passage?| A．He felt extremely lonely. |
| B．The swan was a rare animal. |
| C．He was a real animal lover. |
| D．The swan was being followed by foxes. |
| A．the swan stayed with Recep at night after the death of his wife |
| B．Garip lived a longer life probably because of the care of Recep |
| C．Recep’s friends directly signed the wounded swan death sentence |
| D．Recep was sure to meet a lifelong friend when he spotted the wounded swan |
| A．A Retired Postman’s Story Has Melted the Hearts of Millions |
| B．Man and Swan Have Been Best Friends for the Last 37 Years |
| C．A Wounded Swan Has Befriended the Other Animals on a Farm |
| D．Humans Have Made Efforts to Protect the Environments for Swans |
7 . In Asia, the car is as much a status symbol as it is a means of transport. A car’s design is not the only consideration when a vehicle has to suit the needs of everyone in the family .
This is the case for one particular group of drivers: The sandwich generation, who are stuck between caring for their children and caring for their parents. For them, the ‘family car’ is often shared with everyone from the newly licensed teens to adults with their own kids, or grandparents struggling with physical mobility.
With differing demands of so many people from boomers to Gen Z, your car has to appeal to all — and keep everyone safe in the event of a car accident.
Over 20% of serious driver accidents involving teens were caused by driving too fast for the road conditions. But it isn’t just risky driving behavior that causes teens to be the source of serious road accidents. In fact, according to research conducted by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, most speed-related teen crashes are due to inexperience and a lack of driving skills rather than intentionally risky driving behavior.
It can be challenging for newbie drivers to appropriately judge the proper speed at which to take turns, especially on less-than-perfect roads or driving conditions. Helping them along is Subaru’s Active Torque Vectoring, which makes up for any over-eagerness, ensuring you can take the car through corners in a smooth and safe manner.
For seniors with slower reaction, or having difficulty stretching out their neck to check blind spots, being able to quickly avoid danger can be critical. Subaru’s Blind Spot Detection system will alert you if there’s a vehicle in the neighboring lane. What’s more, Subaru’s EyeSight Lane Departure Warning warns the driver if they start to stray by accident from their traffic lane and endanger other vehicles in the neighbouring lane, while the EyeSight Lane Sway Warning system will remind you should you begin to move back and forth in your lane.
It can be difficult to find a car that appeals to multiple generations. But there are some things you should never compromise regardless of your age or driving experience. And at the top of that list is safety.
1. According to the text, what is the reason for most speed-related teen crashes?| A．Their risky driving behavior on purpose |
| B．Their inability to check blind spots. |
| C．A lack of experience and driving skills |
| D．The busy roads or ideal driving conditions |
| A．Subaru’s Active Torque Vectoring |
| B．EyeSight Lane Sway Warning system |
| C．Subaru’s Blind Spot Detection system |
| D．Subaru’s EyeSight Lane Departure Warning |
| A．Speed up | B．Move away |
| C．Pull over | D．Turn around |
| A．The sandwich generation mainly care about their parents’ demands. |
| B．It is challenging to design a multifunctional car to satisfy everyone. |
| C．It’s extremely important to drive safely no matter how old the drivers are. |
| D．Subaru can ensure driving safety of the drivers ranging from teens to seniors. |
8 . It was Thanksgiving Day a few years ago. My daughter was sitting on the couch watching the parade. My dogs kept lifting their noses to sniff the turkey slowly cooking in the oven. And my sons and I were secretly getting a piece of pumpkin pie with cream to hold us until dinner was done. As we lifted our forks I said, “Life is short! Eat dessert first!” Then I smiled as we ate our pie with delight and gave the outside part to the dogs.
Later I decided to take my oldest dog, Snoopy out for a walk. As we slowly walked through the ankle deep leaves I let my mind wander to memories of Thanksgivings past. I could see my grown children as babies sitting in their high chairs covered in mashed potatoes. I remembered all of those years spent visiting their grandparents and all of the special foods they made. There was sausage stuffing, noodles and cheese, and fried potatoes. There was turkey and delicious desserts made with love. And there was the three day nap (小睡) you wanted to take after dinner.
Even more than the food were the memories of joy that stuck in my mind and stayed in my heart. There were the smiles and hugs, the shared stories and laughter, the love so freely given at this time of the year. I went back inside with all of them flowing through me. I felt both glad and sad at the same time. I was happy for all the blessed times we had shared over the years and sad that they had flown by so fast. Most of all, though, I felt at peace and thankful to God for this wonderful life we are given here.
The truth is the more you love, the more thankfulness fills your heart. The more you love, the more joy you create in your life. Make the most of each day you are given here then. Be thankful for the glorious gift of life. Be the blessing you were meant to be and make every day Thanksgiving Day.
1. What do the first two paragraphs focus on?| A．The preparations for Thanksgiving |
| B．The happy memories of Thanksgiving |
| C．The various ways to celebrate Thanksgiving |
| D．The customs of celebrating Thanksgiving |
| A．Happy times spent with her family seemed short. |
| B．She wished she were young again. |
| C．She had many regrets in those happy times. |
| D．Things changed much and she never felt the same. |
| A．Desserts were the author’s favorite. |
| B．The author’s grandparents were good chefs. |
| C．Delicious food was the best part of her memories. |
| D．The get-together of the family was full of love. |
| A．We should make the best of Thanksgiving Days. |
| B．Everybody should treasure the time with their family. |
| C．People should live at present and be grateful for what they have. |
| D．Thanksgiving Days are the best time for people to express their love. |
9 . The door of a small cage opens up and a bird flies into a large enclosure (围场). The bird lands on a tree and moves its red head to the side, as if it is surprised. “That’s what it feels like to be free,” said Juan Camilo Panqueba, who works at a wildlife center in the Colombian city of Bogota, far from the Caribbean coast, where the bird usually lives.
Birdsong contests have taken place all over the Caribbean for hundreds of years. Although catching any wildlife is not permitted by the law, wildlife trafficking (非法交易) still happens a lot in Colombia, as the officials were too busy fighting with the drug trade, nongovernment fighters and other dangerous groups. Until recently, they did not enforce (强制实施) the law. Now, as dangerous groups have fallen and with the drug trade mostly destroyed, officials are taking another look.
Three weeks ago, Colombian officials saved birds from a group. The group was mostly people who had recently moved to Bogota from the Caribbean and Venezuela. Officials accuse (控告) the group of setting up a songbird competition on social media. In a closed Facebook group, crowds cheered and recorded the loudness and the number of calls from each bird. The owner of the winning bird received＄100, and people who correctly predicted the winner could also win money. Environmental officials say the birds were badly hurt, because they were kept in the small cages and forced to listen to loud music all day long to make sure they can sing. In the wild, the birds sing to protect themselves or find a mate. “For them, it was like cruel harm,” noted Juan Camilo Panqueba, who works at Bogota’s wildlife center. There, he and others care for birds and more than 1, 000 animals.
Colombians have grown to understand the importance of wildlife, and officials are working to end animal trafficking.
1. Colombia has lots of wildlife trafficking because ________.| A．there was no law to protect wildlife |
| B．people from other countries kept coming |
| C．Colombians are people that like birds very much |
| D．the government didn’t have enough time to carry out the law strictly |
| A．It’s a new form of entertainment. |
| B．The birds were badly treated during the contest. |
| C．Finding their mates was what birds sang for. |
| D．All the owners of the birds can win a prize. |
| A．There will be less and less harm to wildlife. |
| B．Government officials will keep the wild animals. |
| C．Birdsong contests will be more and more popular. |
| D．Many wild animals will die out because of the trafficking. |
| A．The bird training methods are important. |
| B．There are many kinds of wildlife in Colombia. |
| C．Colombia has introduced laws to stop the harm to wildlife. |
| D．Birdsong contests did a lot of harm to birds and Colombia is trying to stop it. |
10 . In the small village of Goss in Austria, a century-old brewery tradition had a novel transformation towards Sustainability (可持续性), Göss in home to the Gösser Brewery, the world’s first large scale zero-carbon brewery.
Owned and operated by the Heineken Group, the world's third-largest beer maker, the Gösser Brewery was relaunched as a zero-carbon facility in June. The brewery produces 1.4 million bottles of beer every day using a mix of entirely renewable energy sources, including hydropower, biogas and waste heat. This has brought its carbon emissions (排放) down from 3, 000 tons a year to zero.
Andreas Werner, brew master at Gösser Brewery said, “Our Cöss brewery may be in a small town but our goal was to make a big influence. I am proud of what we have achieved for the Heineken Group and want to help our other breweries and the wider brewing industry makes renewable energy part of their energy mix, just as we have done.”
The brewery is helping Heineken achieve its commitment to a 40 percent reduction in CO2 emissions from production by 2022, which is kept in the company’s Brewing a Better World stability strategy.
To power its production, the Gösser Brewery uses 100 percent hydropower sources for eletnicity-35 percent from biomass for heating, 10 percent from biogas from waste water, 3-5 percent from a solar plant, and 50 percent from biogas generated from the spent grain fermentation (发酵) tank.
For this creative move towards sustainability, the brewery won the EU Sustainable Energy Award and Citizens Choice Award in June. The awards cognize creative projects in energy efficiency and renewability in Europe. “The Goss brewery is the stand-out example of this work and our commitment to sustainability,” Roland Verstappen, Heineken’s director for public and movement affairs said.
1. What is special about the Gösser Brewery?| A．It’s the world’s third largest zero-carbon brewery. |
| B．No carbon will be given off during its production. |
| C．It can produce 1.4 million bottles of beer annually. |
| D．The Heineken group newly opened it to produce more beer. |
| A．The resources of making beer. |
| B．The production of beer bottles. |
| C．The examples of sustainable energy. |
| D．The composition of hydropower sources. |
| A．It has won two international awards for its creativity. |
| B．It has helped more industries turn to renewable energy. |
| C．It has led to the draft of Heineken’s Brewing a Belter World strategy. |
| D．It has played an important role in Heineken’s achieving its goal of CO2 reduction. |
| A．A brewery’s creative move to achieve sustainability. |
| B．Profits gained from the transformation of an old brewery. |
| C．The brewery industry’s responsibility for protecting the environment. |
| D．A small business making a big difference by mixing various sources. |
