1 . When in space, astronauts typically eat dehydrated (脱水), nutrient-rich food, but when it comes to longer space missions, that can become a problem as they'll eventually lack nutrients from fresh vegetables. However, Ying Diao, a chemical and biomolecular engineering professor will be researching ways astronauts can grow their own fresh vegetables more efficiently during space missions.
Diao's goal for this research is to develop wearable sensors for plants so that their health and stress levels are detected autonomously, with no need for humans to do the testing. Then, a “smart” plant chamber will be developed that can identify the best conditions for a plant to grow in to reduce its stress. Diao also wants to develop another sensor that will continuously monitor a plant's growth over its lifetime. “We're helping the astronauts to be more healthy during space missions, by improving the health of the plants they grow,” Diao said. “So the bigger impact could also be that it helps future human colonization on Mars or on other possible habitats.”
Although the ultimate goal for this project and research is to help people in space, it could also be used back on Earth in addressing climate change.
“During climate change, a plant experiences a lot of stress, but we need a plant to be more productive without increasing the footprint of the agriculture land to feed the growing population of our planet,” Diao said. “To address this conflict, we could potentially help decipher(破译)how the climate change and the microenvironments are impacting the plant stress and then we are better equipped to help plants adapt to a changing environment.”
“Most of the technology in my field is developed for human health but we've been ignoring plants for too long,” Diao said. “I think it's a new frontier that I want to go into and it is just part of a smart agriculture movement.”
1. What troubles astronauts with longer missions?| A．The way to grow fresh vegetables. |
| B．A shortage of nutrients from fresh vegetables. |
| C．A decrease in dehydrated, nutrient-rich food. |
| D．The balance between work and growing vegetables. |
| A．To find possible habitats for people. |
| B．To deal with climate change on earth. |
| C．To decrease the footprint of agriculture. |
| D．To help people to stay healthy in space. |
| A．Technology for plants. |
| B．Sensors for space use. |
| C．A smart agriculture movement. |
| D．Research into human health. |
2 . Israeli company Watergen has produced an appliance that generates clean, potable water out of air. The device, called GENNY, is small enough to be used in a home or office but can generate up to 30 liters of water a day. The water that GENNY produces is not only clean enough to drink, but often cleaner than tap water.
GENNY takes air in and passes it through a filter (过滤器) to remove dust and dirt. The filter is powerful enough to work even in areas with high air pollution. The air then passes through a cabin where heating and cooling cause water vapor in the air to cool down. This water is then passed through several more filters, and minerals are added to make it healthier and better-tasting. Finally, the water is stored in a tank where it is continually circulated to keep it fresh.
The heating and cooling process, named GENius, is far more energy-efficient than other technologies that generate water from air. It produces four to five times more water per kilowatt-hour. Watergen has other products that use this same technology on a larger scale, the largest of which can produce up to 5,000 liters of water per day.
As an added bonus, once the water is extracted (提取), GENNY produces purified air, which is healthier for people to breathe.
At the 2020 Smart Home Mark of Excellence Awards at the Consumer Electronics Show, GENNY was named the Energy Efficient Product of the Year. The award series recognizes the world’s top high-tech home products.
As a company, Watergen aims to provide drinking water to the billions of people who don’t have safe drinking water at home. Last year Watergen’s large-scale products were donated to authorities in Brazil, Vietnam and India.
Watergen also seeks to help the environment by removing waste generated by plastic water bottles. People can put the water from GENNY into reusable bottles so that plastic ones don’t get used and thrown away. Watergen’s technology is sure to help many people around the world as well as help take care of our planet.
1. What does “GENNY” in paragraph 1 refer to?| A．A machine that produces water from air. |
| B．A company that generates water. |
| C．A process that cools water. |
| D．A reusable bottle that contains water. |
| A．The advantages of GENNY. |
| B．The working process of GENNY. |
| C．The benefits of water generated by GENNY. |
| D．The functions of GENNY. |
| A．It generates water even cleaner than tap water. |
| B．It produces clean air while extracting water. |
| C．It produces 5,000 liters of water a day. |
| D．It generates much more water each kilowatt-hour. |
| A．It has provided people in remote areas with clean water. |
| B．It has got people into using recyclable bottles. |
| C．It has won the award of Efficient Products of the Year. |
| D．It has circulated the technology throughout the world. |
3 . On a steamy July day in Bayonet Point, Florida, Gene Work and his brotherinlaw, Mark Rouco, were renewing Gene’s lawn.It had grown brown and patchy in the heat, and the homeowners’ association had threatened to heavily fine him if the situation wasn’t improved.The new sod(草皮) was sitting in the driveway on four pallets, but the job was slowgoing.Gene, then 40, wasn’t feeling right.He went inside to take a break and collapsed on the couch, clutching his chest.His wife,Melissa Work, called 911 quickly.
Even though he was staring down death, Gene had one thing on his mind:that lawn.If the sod wasn’t put down that day,it would die.“While he was having his heart attack, literally in and out of consciousness,he kept begging me to have it put down because he didn’t want it to go to waste,” Melissa wrote in a Facebook post.
Soon Pasco County Fire Rescue arrived and took Gene and Melissa to the hospital,leaving Rouco behind to tackle the yard.Within an hour,he had managed to remove the old grass.He was about to lay the new sod,which he feared would take him well into the night,when two emergency vehicles appeared.Seven men—the same ones who had treated his brother—got out.Gene had told them how badly he’d wanted to get the sod down,so they had returned to help.The job was done in under two hours.
Meanwhile, Gene had surgery to insert stents(支架) in his heart,alleviating a potentially deadly blockage.He’s home now,fully recovered—and enjoying his beautiful lawn.
The Works are still amazed that those EMTs(Emergency medical technician) went above and beyond their job description.“These men,” Melissa told tampabay.com，“saved Gene’s life,and then came back to save his grass.That’s just so awesome.”
1. Why did Gene want to renew his lawn?| A．It was in bad condition. |
| B．He was fined by the association. |
| C．The sod grew too slowly. |
| D．He disliked the color of the lawn. |
| A．perform their duties |
| B．help with Gene’s lawn |
| C．check Gene’s house |
| D．send Gene back from hospital |
| A．Removing. | B．Causing. |
| C．Easing. | D．Expanding. |
4 . English learners should not think that mistakes are bad. Alex Poole, a professor of English at Western Kentucky University, advises that language learners should instead see errors as signs of progress. One common problem is that English learners think too much about errors instead of communication. "The goal is to be able to communicate in practical terms. If you have an error, the only time you should worry about it is when it leads to misunderstanding," Poole said.
Poole said when speaking with a native English speaker, you can look for signs of confusion to detect errors. For example, when a person gives an unusual response to something you said, you can then ask them directly what the problem is. It also works if you ask a native speaker about the kinds of things that you say that could cause communication problems if you know him well.
When it comes to writing, Poole recommends thinking about errors in a different way. He suggests keeping a list of common errors. When English learners write something, instead of grammars, they should think about the big picture of what they are writing about. Then he advises thinking about how to put those ideas in order. After finishing it, you can go back and use your list to look for errors.
“My philosophy as a language learner has always been. .I'm going to monitor my errors, but I'm never going to be perfect, so that shouldn't bother me. But I should look for things which cause communication problems, and I just have to live with that."
You can read more about errors in Poole's new book Learning a Foreign Language-Understanding the Fundamentals of Linguistics. In the book, he also writes about study plans, progress and other issues in language learning.
1. English learners should worry about errors when________| A．they misuse practical terms. |
| B．they don't know native speakers. |
| C．mistakes become signs of slow progress. |
| D．errors cause communication breakdown. |
| A．Grammars. | B．Main ideas. |
| C．Details. | D．Word choice. |
| A．To introduce a book. | B．To explain basic rules. |
| C．To offer practical advice. | D．To recommend a professor. |
5 . Andrew Baldock and his friend Jason Baird decided to wear Spider-Man suits for the daily jog to cheer up locked-down children in their town, Stockport. They never expected such a huge response. The “Stockport Spider-Men” had soon achieved global levels of fame, making headlines from India to Canada.
“We were promoting staying home, staying safe and keeping a distance. We were helping get the message out there,” Baldock says. “A lot of parents were saying, ‘You’ve made my kids’ day—they have not stopped talking about it.’”
“We’ll walk down the street and even if we’re not in Spider-Man costume, people will recognise us, shout out and beep their horn,” says Baldock, “We’ve been all over the world with it—Baird did an interview with ABC News in Chicago. It’s so strange to think pictures of us are being seen by people in these faraway countries.”
Children started drawing pictures of their favourite characters to stick in their windows and dressing up themselves.
“I do believe it’s brought Stockport closer together,” says 35-year-old Baird.
A Facebook group was set up, attracting thousands of members, and the two decided to use it to raise funds for the NHS (National Health Service). “The original fundraising target was only £1,000, and we beat that in a week. In the end we raised about £62,000,” Baldock says. “It kept us busy and positive. I believe if we hadn’t been doing that, our mindsets would have been in a very bad place. There’s no better joy than bringing joy to other people. It made me feel like Spider-Man—we were out saving the day.”
1. Why did Baldock and Baird wear Spider-Man suits when jogging?| A．Their children liked to watch the cartoon. |
| B．They wanted to surprise the children. |
| C．They wanted to make the children happy. |
| D．They wanted to be famous to raise money. |
| A．They taught children to learn cartoon pictures. |
| B．They had an interview in TV in Chicago. |
| C．They drew people in the town closer to one another. |
| D．They raised money for children in hospital. |
| A．They collected $1000 in the first week. |
| B．They were happier than before. |
| C．They once lived in a bad place. |
| D．They were saved by Spider-Man that day. |
6 . From my kitchen windows, I watch colorful birds responding for black-oiled sunflower seeds, split peanuts, and cut grapes and apples on the ground. The scene is delightful and calming.
About three years ago, I noticed a newcomer to this colorful and happy display. It was a baby chipmunk（花栗鼠）, obviously on its own. Over that summer, I watched it grow. The brown and black stripes（条状）on its back darkened. The next summer, it was back, and I wondered whether it would trust me to feed it by hand or let me pet it. I decided to employ the tricks I used to persuade wild cats to come close for food: patience, a soft voice, slow moves and repetition. Before it would approach, I’d put down its favorite food--sunflower seeds, bend over and keep very still. I’d leave my open hand in place, unmoving, so the animal would know I wouldn’t seize it. I continued doing this for a few weeks. Finally, late in that second summer, it did show more trust. One day as I offered a seed on my fingertips, it approached and carefully took the seed into its mouth. It never bit my fingers. I was elated that we had made a breakthrough of trust. After about two months of this routine, I went further. With one finger, I petted its back once, but it didn’t move away. I then petted with two fingers. Again, it stayed put, eating seeds.
Today, the Chipmunk comes out of hiding when I call its name, and lets me pet its soft, silky body. Whenever I am doing this, I feel calmer. To my surprise, I also feel a sense of greater respect for nature and its creatures and the opportunity to observe, protect and save wildlife. Most of all, I’ve saved the wonderful memories gathered during these glorious summer months in my Long Island garden.
1. What did the writer do before the Chipmunk trusted him enough to get closer?| A．Petted its back. | B．Offered it food. |
| C．Called its name. | D．Watched it play |
| A．disappointed | B．excited |
| C．frightened | D．puzzled |
| A．A furry friend and a bond of trust | B．A lovely animal and an adventure |
| C．A stress reliever and a calm mind | D．A newcomer and its protection |
7 . Anyone who commutes（通勤）by car knows that traffic jams are an unavoidable part of life. But humans are not alone in facing potential backups.
Ants also commute-between their nest and sources of food. The survival of their colonies depends on doing this efficiently.
When humans commute, there's a point at which cars become dense（稠密）enough to slow down the flow of traffic, causing jam. Researchers wanted to know if ants on the move could also get stuck. So they regulated traffic density by constructing bridges of various widths between a colony of Argentine ants and a source of food. Then they waited and watched, trying to find out at what point they are going to have a traffic jam.
The researchers then took a closer look at how the behaviour of individual ants impacted traffic as a whole. And they found that when ants sense overcrowding, they adjust their speeds and avoid entering high-density areas, which prevents jams. These behaviors may be promoted by pheromones, chemicals that tell other ants where a trail is. The ants also manage to avoid colliding（碰撞）with each other at high densities, which could really slow them down.
Can ants help us solve our own traffic problems? Not likely. That's because when it comes to getting from point A to point B as fast as possible, human drivers put their own goals first. Individual ants have to be more cooperative in order to feed the colony. But the research could be useful in improving traffic flow for self-driving cars, which can be designed to be less like selfish humans—and more like ants.
1. How did the researchers control the traffic density of the commuting ants?| A．Through closer observation. | B．By controlling the widths of their path. |
| C．By finding out the dense points. | D．By regulating their numbers. |
| A．They depend on their natural chemicals to adjust their speeds. |
| B．They follow a special route. |
| C．They never stop or slow down on the way. |
| D．They level off at high densities. |
| A．Traffic jams | B．Survival of an ant colony. |
| C．Differences between human and ants. | D．Unavoidable? Not for ants! |
8 . I was 15 years old the day I skipped school for the first time. It was easily done: Both my parents left for work before my school bus arrived, so when it showed up at my house on that cold winter morning, I simply did not get on. The perfect crime!
And what did I do with myself on that glorious stolen day, with no adult in charge and no limits on my activities? Did I get high? Hit the mall for a shoplifting extravaganza (狂欢)?
Nope. I built a warm fire in the wood stove, prepared a bowl of popcorn, grabbed a blanket, and read. I was thrilled and transported by a book—it was Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises—and I just needed to be alone with it for a little while. I ached to know what would happen to Jake Barnes and Lady Brett Ashley and Robert Cohn. I couldn’t bear the thought of sitting in a classroom taking another exam when I could be traveling through Spain in the 1920s with a bunch of expatriates (异乡客).
I spent that day lost in words. Time fell away, as the room around me turned to mist, and my role—as a daughter, sister, teenager, and student—in the world no longer had any meaning. I had accidentally come across the key to perfect happiness: I had become completely absorbed by something I loved.
Looking back on it now, I can see that some subtle things were happening to my mind and to my life while I was in that state of absorption. Hemingway’s language was quietly braiding itself into my imagination. I was downloading information about how to create simple and elegant sentences, a good and solid plot. In other words, I was learning how to write. Without realizing it, I was hot on the trail of my own fate. Writing now absorbs me the way reading once did and happiness is their generous side effect.
1. Why did the author skip school on that day?| A．Because her parents left home early. |
| B．Because it was a biting cold winter morning. |
| C．Because she was fascinated by a novel. |
| D．Because she was anxious to take the exam. |
| A．Reading a fiction by the fire. | B．Travelling with a bunch of expatriates. |
| C．Breaking the rules and regulations. | D．Being occupied by one’s passion. |
| A．I was tired of his roles in the real-life. |
| B．Hemingway's style influenced me a lot. |
| C．Becoming a writer was my childhood dream. |
| D．I learnt how to write on the internet. |
9 . Anyone who commutes(通勤)by car knows that traffic jams are an unavoidable part of life. But humans are not alone in facing potential backups.
Ants also commute-between their nest and sources of food. The survival of their habitats depends on doing this efficiently.
When humans commute, there's a point at which cars become dense(稠密) enough to slow down the flow of traffic, causing jam. Researchers wanted to know if ants on the move could also get stuck. So they regulated traffic density by constructing bridges of various widths between a colony of Argentine ants and a source of food. Then they waited and watched, trying to find out at what point they are going to have a traffic jam.
But it appears that that never happened. They always managed to avoid traffic jam. The flow of ants did increase at the beginning as ants started to fill the bridge and then levelled off at high densities. But it never slowed down or stopped, even when the bridge was nearly filled with ants.
The researchers then took a closer look at how the behaviour of individual ants impacted traffic as a whole. And they found that when ants sense overcrowding, they adjust their speeds and avoid entering high-density areas, which prevents jams. These behaviors may be promoted by pheromones, chemicals that tell other ants where a trail is. The ants also manage to avoid colliding(碰撞) with each other at high densities, which could really slow them down.
Can ants help us solve our own traffic problems? Not likely. That's because when it comes to getting from point A to point B as fast as possible, human drivers put their own goals first. Individual ants have to be more cooperative in order to feed the colony. But the research could be useful in improving traffic flow for self-driving cars, which can be designed to be less like selfish humans-and more like ants.
1. How did the researchers control the traffic density of the commuting ants?| A．Through closer observation. |
| B．By controlling the widths of their path |
| C．By finding out the dense points. |
| D．By regulating their numbers. |
| A．They depend on their natural chemicals to adjust their speeds. |
| B．They follow a special route. |
| C．They never stop or slow down on the way. |
| D．They level off at high densities. |
| A．Traffic jams |
| B．Survival of an ant colony |
| C．Differences between human and ants |
| D．Unavoidable? Not for ants! |
10 . I was 15 years old the day I skipped school for the first time. It was easily done: Both my parents left for work before my school bus arrived, so when it showed up at my house on that cold winter morning. I simply did not get on. The perfect crime!
And what did I do with myself on that glorious stolen day, with no adult in charge and no limits on my activities? Did I get high? Hit the mall for a shoplifting extravaganza(狂欢)?
Nope. I built a warm fire in the wood stove, prepared a bowl of popcorn, grabbed a blanket, and read. I was thrilled and transported by a book-it was Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises-and I just needed to be alone with it for a little while. I ached to know what would happen to Jake Barnes and Lady Brett Ashley and Robert Cohn. I couldn't bear the thought of sitting in a classroom taking another biology exam when I could be traveling through Spain in the 1920s with a bunch of expatriates(异乡客).
I spent that day lost in words. Time fell away, as the room around me turned to mist, and my role-as a daughter, sister, teenager, and student in the world no longer had any meaning. I had accidentally come across the key to perfect happiness: had become completely absorbed by something I loved.
Looking back on it now, I can see that some subtle things were happening to my mind and to my life while I was in that state of absorption. Hemingway's language was quietly braiding itself into my imagination. I was downloading information about how to create simple and elegant sentences, a good and solid plot. In other words, I was learning how to write. Without realizing it, I was hot on the trail of my own fate. Writing now absorbs me the way reading once did and happiness is their generous side effect.
1. Why did the author skip school on that day?| A．Because she was fascinated by a novel. |
| B．Because it was a cold winter morning |
| C．Because she hated to take the biology exam. |
| D．Because her parents left home early |
| A．Reading by the fire. |
| B．Travelling in Spain. |
| C．Being occupied by one's passion |
| D．Breaking the regulations |
| A．I was tired of my real-life roles |
| B．Hemingway's style influenced me a lot |
| C．Becoming a writer was my childhood dream |
| D．I learnt how to write on the interne |
