1 . Amid the coronavirus outbreak, the U. S. Department of Homeland Security recommends having at least a two - week supply of water and food.
Potatoes
Shelf life ： 2 to 5 weeks if stored in a cool, dry, dark place
Yukon Gold, red, and fingerling potatoes will last from two to three weeks. Larger white potatoes can last for three to five weeks. Sweet potatoes have about the same shelf life. Don't store them next to onions, however. The two might go together well in cooking, but raw, each gives off gases and moisture that might cause the other to spoil faster.
Tea
※Shelf life： 6 to 12 months past "sell - by" date
Dried tea leaves, whether loose (in a sealed container) or in teabags (in an unopened box) can easily last a year or more if they' re not subjected to damp or humidity. However, the tea does tend to lose flavor over time.
Peanuts
● Shelf life ： 1 to 2 months
Peanuts in their shell, especially when kept cool and dry, are perfectly happy in the cupboard for as long as two months.
Canned fruits and vegetables
● Shelf life ： 1 to 2 years past "sell - by” date
Canning is an extremely efficient means of preserving food. Generally speaking, if canned foods aren't subjected to extreme heat, their contents should stay good for two years or more. Be aware, however, of dented cans or those with swollen tops, which may indicate the presence of bacteria inside.
1. Which can go bad faster if stored with onions?| A．Potatoes. | B．Tea. |
| C．Peanuts. | D．Canned fruits and vegetables. |
| A．The flavor of tea can always remain the same. |
| B．Tea leaves are better to be preserved in an open jar. |
| C．Tea leaves should be kept away from the state of being wet. |
| D．The maximum length of time that tea can be stored is 6 months. |
| A．Shapes of cans. | B．Categories of foods. |
| C．Decline of the temperature. | D．Exposure to high temperature. |
2 . Video calls are a common occurrence but have you imagined being able to touch the person on the other end of the line? Scientists are making this a reality.
Researchers at the University of New South Wales, Australia, have invented a soft skin stretch device(SSD), haptic(触觉的) device that can recreate the sense of touch. Haptic technology can copy the experience of touch by stimulating(刺激) the skin through force, vibration(震动) or motion.
Vibration is the most common haptic technology today and has been built into many electronic devices, such as one attached to the back of trackpad (触控板) in laptops. However haptic feedback with vibration becomes less sensitive when the trackpad is used continuously. The existing technology also has great difficulty recreating the sense of touch with objects in virtual environments or located remotely.
The new technology overcomes issues with existing haptic devices. The research team introduced a novel method to recreate the sense of touch through soft, artificial “muscles”.
It works like this:imagine you call a friend in Australia. You wear a haptic glove with the SSDs and your friend also wears a glove with 3D force sensors. If your friend picks up an object, it will physically press against your friend's fingers. And the glove with 3D force sensors will measure these interactions. The force signals can be sent to your glove so your device will generate the same 3D forces, making you experience the same sense of touch as your friend.
The haptic devices could be used in various fields, allowing users to feel objects inside a virtual world or at a distance. This could be especially beneficial during such times like the COVID-19 pandemic when people rely on video calls to stay connected with loved ones. Or it could be used in medical practices. Doctors could feel a patient's organ tissues without touching them.
1. According to the text, SSD can .| A．improve skin health | B．recall earlier experiences |
| C．recreate the sense of touch | D．be used as the trackpad in laptops |
| A．how SSD works | B．what advantages SSD has |
| C．how vibration can be used | D．what problems the current technology has |
| A．Tasting a dish on the video call. |
| B．Enjoying classical music at home. |
| C．Admiring beautiful scenery online |
| D．Performing a distant medical operation. |
| A．Science. | B．Entertainment. |
| C．Education. | D．Health |
3 . Some people have a very poor sense of direction. Unluckily, I am one of them. I have visited a place many times but I may still get lost there the next time.
When I was a little girl, I never dared to ask strangers the way. And so I used to walk around in circles and hope that by chance I would get to the place I was going to.
Now, I am no longer too shy to ask people for directions, but I often receive helpless or even wrong information. So I try to avoid giving people wrong directions. If anyone ever asks me the way somewhere, I would say, “Sorry, I am a stranger here. ”
Once on my way to work I was stopped by a man. He asked me if I could tell him the way to the Friendship Building. I gave him my usual reply. But just as I walked on only a few steps, I realized that he had asked the way to my office building. However, I had no time to turn back and look for him. I was rushing to meet with someone at my office and I didn’t want to keep him waiting.
When I just got to my office, the secretary(秘书) showed in the man who had asked me for directions. Imagine how embarrassed I was and how surprised he was when we saw each other at the first sight.
1. The writer always refuses to give people directions because _________.| A．she is a stranger to the city |
| B．she doesn’t know the people |
| C．she’s afraid of giving wrong directions |
| D．she has no time to help others |
| A．sell her something | B．ask her the time |
| C．ask for the direction | D．make friends with her |
| A．They saw each other the second time. |
| B．The man was much fastyer. |
| C．The writer didn’t tell the right direction to the man |
| D．They hadn’t seen each other for a long time. |
| A．lives | B．studies | C．works | D．teaches |
| A．The writer is too shy to give others directions. |
| B．The writer never got lost when she was young. |
| C．The writer has a very poor sense of direction. |
| D．The man was quite nervous when he saw the writer. |
4 . Top Music Festivals in 2021
Coachella
Selling out fast every year, the Indio desert becomes a fashionable place where the coolest bands are watched by trendy people and celebrities. Near the top of everyone's bucket list of festivals, Coachella is a constant source of annual expectation and a hotbed for musical discussion.
When &. where: April 9-11 &. 16-18, 2021; Indio
Ultra Music Festival
Seen as the ultimate gathering for electronic music fans across the nation and globe, the streets of Miami turn into a bold and bumping party with popular DJs playing what will be the sounds of summer.
When & where: March 26-28, 2021; Miami
South By South West
Regarded as the ultimate trend-setter and launcher of careers, SXSW is an annual showcase of music, films and interactive highlights enjoyed through performances, showcases, talks, screenings and more. Virtually taking over the city of Austin, everyone in the world of music from fans to media flock here to discover the next big thing.
When &, where: March 16-20, 2021; Austin
The Governors Ball Music Festival
Another event which proves the music loving potential of Randall's Island Park is Governors Ball, an exciting and infectious mix of rock, hip-hop, electronic, pop and folk. Providing a variety of music and food tastes, whether you look to kick back and relax or dance to the beats, Governors Ball has what you want.
When & where: June 11-14, 2021; New York
1. Which music festival lasts the most days?| A．Coachella | B．Ultra Music Festival. |
| C．South By South West | D．The Governors Ball Music Festival. |
| A．It's held in a park. |
| B．It features electronic music |
| C．It's a gathering of popular DJs. |
| D．It's the most popular in the country. |
| A．Indio. | B．Miami. | C．Austin | D．New York. |
5 . Los Angeles Public Schools take three weeks off during the Holidays, leaving working parents in need of camps for their kids. Here's a list of terrific Winter Camps in Los Angeles to choose from.
Act One Theatre Camp
A new online camp which brings the exciting world of theatre straight to your living room! Join us for a dynamic and interactive theatre experience where our campers get the opportunity to enjoy the fun, creativity and laughter of the theatre world. Each and every day they'll participate in acting, singing, dancing, movie-making, and stage design. All of it lead up to a professionally produced Big Show for the whole family to watch online! From the shy wallflower to the class clown: All levels of experience welcomed!
Available Dates: Dec 21 -23 and Dec 28-30
Atwater Photo Camp
In addition to Photo Camp this Fall/Winter, A PC is offering online Editing Camp. Learning how to edit with Lightroom & Photoshop will not only take your images to the next level, but it will also vastly improve the way you shoot. Join us!
Available Dates: Dec 28-31 and Jan 5-8 for both Photo Camp and Editing Camp
Camp Wildfolk
Join us in-person for “Wide-Open Spaces" Winter Camp in a beautiful outdoor setting in Valley Village. We're outdoors, masked-up, spaced-out, and all ready to make some wonderful memories for our kids. Games, Science, Nature Exploration, Robotics, Art, and more. 1 st-5th grade. Very few spaces remaining!
Available Dates: Dec 21-24 and Jan 4-8
Sender One LAX
Looking for something fun and health-conscious to do for your child this season? Sign-up for our 3-day rock climbing camp! Activities include rope climbing, games, zip line, king swing, and Sender City. Space is limited, so register early! Morning and afternoon sessions available.
Available Dates: Dec 21-23 and Dec 28-30
1. What is special about Act One Theatre Camp?| A．It is a camp intended only for beginners. |
| B．It is an in-person camp held in a theatre. |
| C．It presents kids with a big TV show for fun. |
| D．It offers kids various kinds of theatre experiences. |
| A．Act One Theatre Camp. | B．Camp Wildfolk. |
| C．Sender One LAX. | D．Atwater Photo Camp. |
| A．They are held in Los Angeles. |
| B．They are online winter camps. |
| C．They are open to students of all ages. |
| D．They are available every day in December. |
6 . Mapled Cottage
From £579 for six nights
Mapled Cottage is well-located for exploring the north Cornish coast, with its long beaches and coastal footpaths all within walking distance of the property. It is in the village of St Agnes, famous for Stippy Stappy. The house has two bedrooms and cozy decor, with wooden floors, fireplace and a kitchen. Trevaunance Cove, Chapel Porth and Porthtowan are the local beaches; all three have lifeguards from spring to autumn, making them great for families.
classic, co. uk
Seaspray
From £1,025 for seven nights
A smart, modern holiday home, Seaspray, is a short walk from the long, sandy bay of Woolacombe: an award-winning family beach resort perfect for learning to surf. The three-bedroom, ground-floor apartment has an open-plan living and dining room, and sea and sunset views from the yard.
northdevonholidays. co. uk
Ivy Cove
From £678 for seven nights
The location of Ivy Cove is enough to sell it: on the green hills above Lannacombe Bay, with views over the cliff. This is a perfect holiday cottage for those after a simple hideaway in a beautiful natural spot. Two fantastic beaches are within walking distance, both perfect for swimming. The three-bedroom coastguard cottage shares its setting with two other homes built by the Admiralty in 1903. Inside are wooden floors and simple cozy furnishings.
toadhallcottages, co. uk
Wans Barton
From £1,470 for seven nights
Wans Barton is a huge, modern barn conversion on the Jurassic Coast and just 15 minutes’ walk from much-loved Chesil Beach. The four-bedroom property is full of natural light and has stone floors and white walls, while the open-plan living space — with oak dining table — is ideal for large group dinners.
sawdays. co. uk
1. Which of the following is the best place to learn surfing?| A．Seaspray. | B．Ivy Cove. | C．Mapled Cottage. | D．Wans Barton. |
| A．It was built in 1903. | B．It is perfect for large group dinners. |
| C．It has three bedrooms. | D．It has wooden floors and stone walls. |
| A．They all have white walls. | B．They are located in the same area. |
| C．They all have easy access to beaches. | D．Their rooms are of the same price. |
7 . Removing gender bias
Tailors worked out long ago that men and women have different shapes. Yet this message has failed to enter many other areas of design. Car seat belts, for example, which date back to the 1880s, are often still more suitable for men, who tend to sit farther back than women when driving. And today the most forward-looking tech companies on Earth are still placing old-school bias (偏见；成见) into new products. Consider smart phones. Most are too big to fit comfortably into the average woman’s hand, as are many video-game controllers.
An obvious part of the explanation for their design problem is that men control most of its companies—male-run firms receive 82% of venture-capital (VC) funding. Male bosses may be unaware of the problems women face. They may not flag up obvious areas of concern, or ask the right questions when doing their research for a new product design. And once an idea gets the green light, it will then be handled by product-design and engineering teams, three-quarters of whose members are men. These teams often use data to make decisions, but mixing all users together means they may fail to spot trends based on sex differences. Dependence on historical data, and the lack of data on underrepresented groups, can also create bias in algorithms (算法).
Next comes testing. Naturally, designers test original models on their intended customers, but they may not get feedback from a broad enough group of people. There is also the risk of confirmation bias—designers may listen to what they want to hear, and ignore negative reactions from some groups of users.
Tech’s design bias needs fixing for moral, safety and business reasons. The ethical importance is obvious: it is wrong that women have to make do with a “one-size-fits-men” world, as Caroline Criado Perez, a writer, puts it. As for safety, regulators can tackle that by banning things that are dangerous to women—including seat belts—because they are no! designed properly.
But there is also a powerful business case for avoiding design bias, because huge opportunities are being missed. Women are 50% of the population, and make 70—80% of the world’s consumer-spending decisions.
Change is coming. The first voice-recognition systems struggled to understand female voices, but most now manage just fine. “Femtech” start-up companies, which focus on women’s health and well-being, may raise MYM 1 billion by the end of this year. VC funds and tech firms are hiring more women. Ensuring that products are designed for everyone would lead to happier and safer customers. For the companies that get it right, that means higher profits. What is holding them back?
1. The underlined part in Paragraph 2 means ________.| A．hits the market | B．gets approval |
| C．becomes successful | D．comes into being |
| A．Why tech’s design bias needs to be fixed. |
| B．How gender bias is affecting tech companies. |
| C．Where gender bias in product design is rooted. |
| D．Who is to blame for gender bias in tech companies. |
| A．tech companies are unwilling to change |
| B．design bias may result in missed opportunities |
| C．male workers benefit more in engineering teams |
| D．tech companies are poor at making user-friendly products |
| A．Uncertain. | B．Sceptical. |
| C．Positive. | D．Negative. |
8 . The 2020 Nobel Prize in literature has been awarded to former U.S. Poet Laureate（桂冠诗人）Louise Gluck. The prize committee cited “her unique poetic voice that with plain beauty makes individual existence universal”. Gluck is the first American woman to win the award since Toni Morrison in 1993. Gluck, 77, joins a list of literary giants and previous Nobelists who include, in this century, Canadian short-story master Alice Munro, Chinese magical-realist Mo Yan, etc.
Gluck’s work includes 12 collections of poetry and a few volumes of essays on literary writing. “All are characterized by a striving for clarity（清晰）. Childhood and family life, the close relationship with parents and siblings, is a theme that has remained central to her,” Anders Olsson, the chairman of the Nobel Committee for Literature, said. “She seeks the universal, and in this she takes inspiration from myths and classical motifs,” Olsson added, citing her 2006 collection Averno, which the committee described as “masterly” for its “visionary interpretation of the myth of Persephone’s (珀尔塞福涅) fall into hell in the captivity (囚禁) of Hades(哈得斯), the god of death”.
Being a professor at Yale and a resident of Cambridge, Gluck also served as U.S. Poet Laureate from 2003 to 2004 and is no stranger to awards. She won the Pulitzer Prize in 1993 for her collection of poems titled The Wild Iris, in which “she describes the incredible return of life after winter in the poem Snowdrops,” the Nobel literature committee said Thursday. She also won the 2014 National Book Award for the poem Faithful and Virtuous Night. In 2016, President Obama awarded the National Humanities Medal to Gluck in a White House ceremony.
The publicity-shy Gluck did not immediately issue any comment about the latest honor for her body of work, which spans more than half a century. In a 2012 interview, she acknowledged that prizes can make “existence in the world easier” but did not amount to the immortality(不朽) of a true artist.
1. What can we know about Gluck from Paragraph 1?| A．She is as popular as the Chinese novelist Mo Yan. |
| B．She won the Nobel Prize for her special literary style. |
| C．She is the first American to win a Nobel Prize in literature. |
| D．She is the only Poet Laureate in modern American history. |
| A．Daily life. | B．Nature. |
| C．Careers. | D．Classical myths. |
| A．To show Gluck’s contributions to literature. |
| B．To prove Gluck’s great passion for writing. |
| C．To present Gluck’s outstanding achievements. |
| D．To stress Gluck’s influence on other poets. |
| A．She is content with it. |
| B．She takes it very seriously. |
| C．She deserves a higher honor. |
| D．She doesn’t attach great importance to it. |
9 . With races delayed and outdoor exercise limited, COVID-19 has put the brakes on China’s previously booming marathon industry as event organizers struggle to make ends meet during the crisis. The sparse turnout（到场人数）of runners at Beijing’s Olympic Forest Park these days bears witness to the decline.
Despite the successful containment of the outbreak in China, fears over the potential risks of mass gatherings clearly remain within the running community, while the virus-enforced business shutdown has created a severe challenge to organizers and promoters involved in the sport. Event organizers are struggling to survive through the crisis with the majority of their source of income dried up.
Last Thursday’s cancellation of the 2020 Chengdu Panda Marathon showed that local governing bodies and organizers remain cautious against the virus despite a growing urge among the running community to get back to normality. With this year’s emptied spring schedule, industry experts expect that businesses face a daunting（令人生畏的）second half of the year even if races are allowed to restart.
“Due to the delay of events originally scheduled in the first half, the number of races will skyrocket in the second half if the government gives the green light,” said Chen Guoqiang, a sports sociology researcher at Shanghai University of Sport. “Event organizers will have to compete harder against each other to attract enough runners, sponsors and media exposure to make their races profitable.”
Bao Mingxiao, director of the China Sports Economic Research Center, suggests that race organizers and promoters should focus on improving race quality by providing more professional services and better online interactions with participants whenever events restart. “The rising public awareness of having a healthy lifestyle will only be strengthened after the coronavirus(冠状病毒) crisis,” Bao said during an online forum(论坛) earlier last month. “For the long term, the sport participation and consumption will be very likely to bounce back.”
1. What problem does the author talk about in Paragraph 1?| A．The marathon industry is suffering. |
| B．People are living beyond their income. |
| C．People’s health is worsening over time. |
| D．The popularity of outdoor sport is declining. |
| A．Recovery. | B．Treatment. |
| C．Control. | D．Prediction. |
| A．Most industries are facing difficulties. |
| B．The coronavirus is still very serious. |
| C．Less and less runners are interested in the races. |
| D．The government is still careful about the coronavirus. |
| A．Neutral. | B．Positive. |
| C．Negative. | D．Doubtful. |
10 . One night in 1966, Michael Chapman rushed into a folk-music club in Cornwall, England to get out of the rain, and soon found himself onstage playing the guitar.
“They offered me a job to play for the rest of the summer. And I’ve been playing ever since,” Chapman says. “I’ve told that story so many times, but it’s absolutely true. If it hadn’t been raining that night, I wouldn’t be talking to you.”
The British guitar player has spent the 50 years since then on the road. He released some praised albums in the 1970s, but his health went downhill in the 80s and 90s. Like a lot of British artists in the 1960s, Chapman taught himself to play the guitar by listening to American jazz and blues records.
Chapman actually taught photography, but quit when he was 26 to play music full time. When he was starting out, he was often compared to other British acoustic guitar heroes of the time, like John Martyn and Bert Jansch.
“The fascinating thing about Michael Chapman is that he doesn’t fit in with those guys of his generation,” says Andrew Male, a music journalist. “He’s always been an outsider. He never moved to London. ”
And while he never became part of the London music scene, Chapman was noticed by those musicians. “The 70s caught up with him in the 80s,” Male says. “He had a huge heart attack at the end of the 80s that nearly finished him off. When he made his way back into the world in the early 90s, people had forgotten about him.” But not everyone. A younger generation of musicians in America, including Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth and a younger singer and guitarist named Steve Gunn, recently rediscovered Chapman.
“We wanted to capture Michael’s voice and character where he is now. You know, it’s a little road-weary, but he still has it,” Gunn says. “For me, it was really important to get that right.” “He’s the right old musician for present times,” Male says. “I think the music he makes seems quite in tune with where we’re at.”
1. Which can best describe Michael Chapman’s first involvement in music?| A．Untrue. | B．Accidental. | C．Unfortunate. | D．Reasonable. |
| A．He has taught photography for 26 years. |
| B．He taught himself to play the guitar and did far better than John Martyn. |
| C．To some degree, he is not accepted by other people of his generation. |
| D．He is one of the best guitar players in the early 90s. |
| A．He lost his special voice. | B．He suffered from a severe heart attack. |
| C．He got tired of competing with others. | D．He was almost forgotten by everyone. |
| A．The Rise and Fall of Guitar Music | B．The Sad Story of a Guitar Musician |
| C．A New Generation Helps an Old Guitar Musician | D．A Brief Introduction to a Guitar Musician |
