1 . Earthworms don’t move fast. But humans can accelerate the worms’ spread. Fishermen often use invasive(蔓延性的) earthworms to catch fish. Many have introduced invasive earthworms to rivers, streams and lakes previously unexposed to these animals. Gardeners who use earthworms to make their soil rich may unknowingly introduce invasive ones. The worms even give rides in the mud on wheels, potted plants and road materials shipped around the nation.
But they’re not everywhere yet. In the Great Lakes region, “20 percent of the land is earthworm-free,” says Cindy Hale, a research biologist. Of the remaining 80 percent of land, half of the land has fewer than two earthworm species-meaning there isn’t yet too much impact on the ecosystem, she explains. For these regions, she says, now is the time to take action. According to Hale, educating the public, especially fishermen, is one approach to stopping the spread of invasive earthworms. Identifying which lands are currently earthworm-free is another.
Ryan Hueffmeier, a program coordinator for Great Lakes Worm Watch, has been working on a model that will help create large maps of areas with minimal(最小的) or no damage from earthworms. Ultimately, landowners can use it to identify earthworm activity on their property. once identified, lands with minimal or no earthworm damage should be protected.
But scientists suspect that once invasive earthworms arrive they can’t be removed. And even if all could be, affected forests might never return to the way they were. “It’s very much a story of learning to live with them,” concludes Lee Frelich of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Forest Ecology.
Forest ecologists have called earthworms “ecosystem engineers” because they can change or create habitats that otherwise would not be present. Whether this is a good thing depends on the situation.
“What the earthworms do and how we value it is what really matters.” said Hale. “In one place-farm fields or gardens-we really like European earthworms and what they do, so we consider them good. In native hardwood forests, we really don’t like what they do-so we consider them bad. You really have to understand how an organism(微生物) affects an ecosystem. Things aren’t black and white.”
1. Why are fishermen and gardeners mentioned in the first paragraph?| A．To attract more people to fishing and gardening. |
| B．To introduce different uses of invasive earthworms. |
| C．To stress the importance of invasive earthworms to humans. |
| D．To show humans’ effect on the spread of invasive earthworms. |
| A．Finding out areas free of earthworms. |
| B．Extending a ban on the fishing industry. |
| C．Making maps of areas with most earthworms. |
| D．Informing the public of different earthworm species. |
| A．Objective. | B．Positive. |
| C．Ambiguous. | D．Doubtful. |
| A．A biology textbook. | B．An official report. |
| C．A science magazine. | D．A research paper. |
2 . For many Americans, regular exercise is a complicated commitment—one made at the beginning of January that fades out within weeks or months. Busy work schedules, a lack of motivation and unease towards exercising in public all contribute to the discouraging statistics that only around a quarter of adults exercise enough per week.
This month, enterptiser Trent Ward and designer Yves Behar are uncovering their design for a mirror fitness system, Forme. Forme is reflective like a mirror, uses machine learning to heighten workouts, and offers attachments including ankle belts, rope handles and a heart rate monitor. When not in use, the two arms that form the resistance pulley (滑轮) system fold behind it and the display screen disappears, turning Forme into a simple full—length mirror.
Interest in home exercise has particularly increased recently around the world. Home workout apps have seen a significant uptick in downloads, and trendy brands like Peloton have rolled out free virtual workouts for everyone stuck indoors. One French athlete who was kept away from others chose to run an entire marathon on his 23-foot balcony.
But beyond the new restrictions affecting daily workout routines, Ward and Behar are tapping into the same concerns that have made every home workout appealing：the ability to save time and sweat in the privacy of one’s home. In an age of personal metrics (衡量标准)--where one can measure their heart rate and sleep cycles with smart watches and train for marathons with AI smart sneakers----Ward and Behar want to improve exercise through machine learning. Forme evaluates performance and adjusts weights accordingly. Easy access to one’s own performance data also makes it easier to track that progress and stay motivated.
Though it’s too soon to tell if mirror gyms will be the trend of the late 2010s to 2020s, Behar explained that having a screen in the home can become the basis for more than just fitness, such as shopping or telemedicine.
1. What does paragraph 2 mainly focus on?.| A．The ways to operate Forme. | B．The features of Forme. |
| C．The reasons to develop Forme. | D．The theory behind Forme. |
| A．By offering them online workouts for free. |
| B．By raising their interest in marathon. |
| C．By keeping them far away from others. |
| D．By entertaining them with all kinds of downloads. |
| A．The better results than outdoor activities. |
| B．The fresher air at home. |
| C．The privacy of home. |
| D．The convenient access to mass data. |
| A．Can Forme Have More Powerful Functions? |
| B．Does Regular Exercise Keep up with New Technology? |
| C．Is the New Trend of Smart Machines at Home available? |
| D．Is this AI—Powered "Mirror Gym" the Future of Home Exercise? |
3 . People think that smartphones and laptops are evidence of progress. A certain amount of online searching, for instance, can be good for your brain, and there are apps that can promote brain function. Yet tech advancements also come with some unintended consequences.
Studies have shown that blue-enriched light from electronic things like smartphones can disturb the body’s internal clock and makes it impossible for you to stick to a proper sleep schedule. Losing sleep has negative effects on your brain, such as bad moods, decreased focus and problems with memory.
Technology makes it much easier to get distracted, for example, you step away from an important project to check your smartphone. Teens, in particular, are more distracted than ever. A recent survey of 2,400 teachers found that most educators feel students are more distracted than previous generations. Some 64 percent agreed with the idea that today’s digital technologies do more to distract students than to help them academically.
And technology makes people much more forgetful than they used to be. The new generation are actually more likely to forget what day it is or where they put their keys than people over the age of 55, according to a Trending Machine survey. In a press release for the survey, Jo Patricia, a doctor, said technology was to blame. “This is a population that has grown up multitasking using technology, often accompanied by lack of sleep, which results in high levels of forgetfulness,” she said.
People who rely on GPS to get around have less activity in the hippocampus, an area of the brain involved in both memory and direction. A study from the University of London even found that taxi drivers had a more developed hippocampus than non-taxi drivers — because they are so accustomed to using spatial memory, rather than relying on GPS.
Now that you’re probably terrified of the effects of technology, let us remind you that you do have the power to prevent it. Just log off every once in a while！
1. How does digital technology affect students according to teachers?| A．It upsets the new generation. |
| B．It makes students more forgetful. |
| C．It takes the students’ attention away. |
| D．It fails to aid students with their lessons. |
| A．They mainly rely on GPS. |
| B．They do more mental exercise. |
| C．They use spatial memory more. |
| D．They have a better sense of balance. |
| A．Negative. | B．Objective. | C．Optimistic. | D．Conservative. |
| A．Surveys conducted in school. |
| B．Apps used to promote memory. |
| C．Progress made in electronic products. |
| D．Harmful effects brought by digital technology. |
4 . Pacific Asia Travel Association is warning people travelling to East Asia and the West and Central Pacific region about the ongoing threat of typhoons coming from the Pacific. The region covered by this warning includes countries in East Asia and the West and Central Pacific. Typhoons in these areas of Pacific may occur all the year round. However, historically, the most active months are June through November. Travellers in the region should pay attention to local weather reports and take appropriate action as needed.
People traveling abroad in these areas during the typhoon season may be forced to delay their travel or return home because of damages to airports and limited flight availability. In the event of a typhoon, you should be aware that you may not be able to leave an affected area within 24 to 48 hours or more. We recommend that you buy travel insurance to cover unexpected expenses during an emergency.
You may meet with uncomfortable and sometimes dangerous conditions after storms pass while you wait for transportation back home. In many places, typhoons are often accompanied by damaging high tides and flooding. If you are living close to the ocean, you may be at higher risk. Landslides and mudslides are also serious concerns during heavy periods of rain. Be sure to check with local authorities for safety and security updates. Because weather conditions can damage local facilities, security personnel and other emergency responders may not be able to assist you at all times.
Minor storms in these areas can develop into typhoons very quickly, limiting the time available for you to move safely. Please tell your family and friends where you are and keep in close contact with your operator, hotel staff, and local officials for evacuation (疏散) instructions in the event of a weather emergency. Protect your travel and identity documents against loss or damage as the need to replace lost documentation could delay your return home.
1. What may happen to travelers in a typhoon?| A．They may be forced to leave home. |
| B．They may be offered free travel insurance. |
| C．They may fail to get the latest weather reports. |
| D．They may stay in the affected area for over 48 hours. |
| A．Why travelers should keep in touch with others. |
| B．What travelers should do when a typhoon comes. |
| C．How travelers can move from the affected area safely. |
| D．When travelers need the travel and identity documents. |
| A．An official notice. | B．An introduction to an association. |
| C．A feature story. | D．A document from a travel agency. |
5 . Research carried out last year stressed the growing challenge facing employers in terms of managing and supporting the UK’s aging workforce.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics have suggested that the number of people aged 65 and over still working has reached 1.19 million—up 25,000 from a year ago. There were also now more people aged 50-74 in work than ever before. However, the overall trend was hiding the fact that 12% people are forced to stop working before reaching state pension age because of ill health or disability.
Nearly half a million (436,000) workers who are within five years of state pension age have had to leave work for medical reasons, with an apparent divide between the North (worse) and South (better). Those in the lowest-paid jobs, including cleaners, leisure industry workers and people doing heavy laboring jobs, were twice as likely to stop working before retirement age, because of sickness and disability than managers or professionals.
Within this, the needs of the “sandwich generation”— those juggling work with caring for elderly dependents as well as children — needed to be given greater priority (优先权) by employers, a white paper by insurer and health care provider concluded.
Its research argued that 66% of managers think the average age of retirement in their organization will increase in the next 5 to 10 years. Yet, 36% reported being unaware of anything their organization did to attract, keep and engage older staff. Fewer than a quarter (23%) of employees said they felt supported by their employer with their responsibilities for caring for a loved one.
This was perhaps unsurprising, given that only 28% of managers said their organization had formal policies and practices in place to support these employees, argues health care distribution director Chris Horlick.
1. According to the passage, who is more likely to leave work before retirement age?| A．Tom, a physician. | B．Jason, a language teacher. |
| C．Henry, a construction worker. | D．Bill, a bank manager. |
| A．moving | B．dissatisfying | C．inspiring | D．surprising |
| A．Old employees are well attended in the UK. |
| B．Aging workforce should be well supported in the UK. |
| C．Employers show responsibilities for supporting their employees. |
| D．UK employers are facing challenges in supporting aging workforce. |
6 . Looking at his beautiful green lawns, Ed Adams can’t help smiling – thanks to a bit of bravery and a lot of hard work, he’s now enjoying the life that is just a fantasy for most of us.
Five years ago, Ed and his wife Laura, along with their three children, moved from their narrow house in the city to the a much larger and more peaceful property in the country. Having grown up on a farm, Ed, a video producer, longed for a more rural lifestyle. Then, in 2016, a new job came up for Ed in the US. They were about to set off when the whole deal was canceled. Although disappointed, it inspired them to buy a new home in rural north Buckinghamshire.
Soon, the whole family moved to their new home, Church End Cottage. They also came up with a plan to turn some of their extra space into an attractive home hotel to increase their family income, which meant lots of building work to create two extra guest rooms.
Besides, with all the building work, the garden had become a mess. To get it back into shape, he had to reseed all the lawns. In time the lawns grew back, but Ed admits keeping them clean and tidy is a big job, especially on top of his daily commute to work in London and the responsibilities of running the home hotel.
Now, there comes a cutting-edge robotic mower. Rather than spending hours working up and down, he is delighted to find he can relax himself while the mower does all the hard work. For Ed, who also has a dog and keeps chickens, the biggest attraction is being able to get so much time back. He says: “Instead of spending boring hours pushing the mower, I can take time to plant the flowerbeds or help out with the hotel. It also means I can spend more time with the kids.”
1. What does the word “bravery” in paragraph 1 refer to?| A．The decision to move to a rural area. | B．The decision to open a home hotel. |
| C．The chance to move to the US. | D．The dream of living in a rural area. |
| A．They wanted to serve guests. |
| B．They wanted to add to their income. |
| C．They wanted to make full use of their space. |
| D．They wanted to have more people in their house. |
| A．Ed finds it easy to keep the lawns tidy. |
| B．Ed is completely running the home hotel now. |
| C．The robotic mower can do the work by itself. |
| D．With the help of the robotic mower, Ed can do fewer other things. |
7 . Somewhere between 40,000 and 110,000 tons of plastic waste produced by Americans ends up in the ocean, according to a study published in the journal Science.
It's difficult to point out where all that waste comes from, and researchers think that much or most of it probably comes from the nation's seriously-populated coasts. But there's also evidence that the nation's inland waterways serve as a passage for plastic to travel thousands of miles into the oceans.
While researchers have documented plastic and human trash floating in the world's oceans, there has been relatively little attention paid to plastics in rivers, streams and lakes. "To my knowledge, no one has studied particular routes, with the exception of places like L.A, and Baltimore Harbor where there are measures in place to prevent trash in rivers from entering the ocean." said Kara Lavender Law, an oceanographer.
The few studies that exist, however, suggest that it may be a huge problem. A 2011 study of two southern California urban rivers---including Santa Ana River---found that every square meter of water contained from 125 to 819 pieces larger than 4.75 millimeters. Another survey of the Meuse River, which flows 575 miles through France, Belgium and the Netherlands to the North Sea, found that it contained 70,000 pieces of plastics per square meter of water, about 500 of which were roughly an inch or bigger in size.
If there's anything positive in this, it's you that can do something, at least on a personal level, to reduce the amount of plastic that goes into the oceans. "Put trash where it goes." said Jenna Jambeck, an associate professor of environmental engineering at the University of Georgia. "Use reusable items---bags, cups and bottles---to reduce waste."
Finally, Jambeck urges people to pick up litter along waterways, and record it with a phone app called the Marine Debris Tracker. The data you provide can help scientists to get a better handle on the trash problem.
1. According to the text, the least polluted place might be __________.| A．Santa Ana River | B．Meuse River |
| C．Baltimore Harbor | D．The North Sea |
| A．By referring to experts' views. | B．By listing statistics. |
| C．By making comparisons. | D．By following time order. |
| A．Make use of plastic items. | B．Reduce the size of waste we throw away. |
| C．Stay positive about the oceans' future. | D．Start from small things to deal with waste. |
8 . Generally,when rescue workers save the lives of people in emergency situations,they never see each other again.However,this was not the case for Mike Wilson,a member of the U.S.Air Force,and Jennifer Brown,the"little"girl Wilson picked up from the waters of Hurricane Ike in 2008.
The Air Force pilot took a photo of the moment Jennifer gave her rescuer the biggest hug that he would never forget.The photo touched hearts around the world.For Wilson, who was fighting an illness at the time,it was especially precious.He carried the photo with him everywhere to remind him of one of the most special moments in his life. Eventually, he decided to find the little girl who changed his life and even ran a FindIkeGirl activity on social media.
Finally,10 years later,the two met again on the set of The Real in September 2018. And Wilson told Jennifer,"You, rescued me more than I rescued you".They did not end their friendship there.Ever since they met again,Wilson has visited her family and has spoken to her on the phone weekly.This Saturday,he will visit the Browns again,as 14-year-old Jennifer is bringing him to her military training program,which she encouraged herself to join in with the support Wilson has provided."I'm going because I would do anything for her and her family in return for the hug.They mean as much to me as my own family,"Wilson says.
The girl tells PEOPLE:"The program was very interesting and a challenge for me because I had never done it before".She even plans to join the military one day."I am Proud of her no matter what she does and will support her in everything she does,"Wilson said."I think she understands service and I believe that she will do great things no matter what she chooses."
1. How did Wilson and Jennifer come to know each other?| A．Wilson took a photo for Jennifer. |
| B．Wilson rescued Jennifer in a disaster. |
| C．Jennifer encouraged Wilson to fight an illness. |
| D．Jennifer brought Wilson to a training program. |
| A．find the girl he once saved |
| B．raise money for Jennifer's dream |
| C．share the moving story of Jennifer |
| D．encourage more people to be helpful |
| A．managed to save Wilson's life |
| B．offered Wilson courage to go on |
| C．made Wilson known to the world |
| D．developed a lasting friendship with Wilson |
9 . As a dropout myself, I often feel it is my duty to defend my fellow non-scholars. Common wisdom would have you believe we are the “bad kids", the future criminals, the worst sort of people. But not all dropouts are likely to deal drugs,steal goods from a shop, or shoot pool all day.
My own favorite place to go when skipping school was always the public library. My early retirement meant that at last I had the time to read everything I wanted to. I found reading Thomas Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow a lot more interesting than reading about Sir Isaac Newton and the falling apple.
Best of all was the time I finally had to myself. I felt liberated. I had been in school nearly my whole life. I wanted to find out for myself who I was,and until I did,everything else felt like a waste of time.
However, after nearly three years, a series of strange thoughts began to make me anxious and unsure. Images of myself at the age of 35 began to haunt(缠扰）me in my sleep. And a voice in my head began asking over and over,"Who is paying the hot water bills? Who buys the microwave pizza?"The answer, of course, was my poor old parents. Sure,I was having an enjoyable time doing plenty of nothing, discovering myself and all, but that's unfair to them. What parents long to see their child drop out of school,with no plans for the future? Could they be expected to support me forever? Certainly not. I immediately moved out of the house and out of town, in search of a future for myself.
And it is here, in my new home of San Francisco, that I have decided to do what was once unthinkable: go back to school. I plan to take adult education classes and then apply for City College. On the one hand, I can hardly believe I'm doing it: a return to desks, chalkboards, and clocks that tell you when to stop thinking about one thing and start thinking about another. But at City College, I'll be able to take film production, semiotics, and sociology—just because I want to know about them.
So next time you see a dropout, be sympathetic. And please don't push him to do something he doesn't want to do. It never works. He'll come around when he's ready.
1. It is commonly believed that dropouts are_____.| A．bad kids from birth |
| B．interested in studying drugs |
| C．very likely to commit crimes |
| D．responsible for defending non-scholars |
| A．Living in comfort with his parents. |
| B．Reading in the public library. |
| C．Escaping the pressure from school. |
| D．Having time for self-discovery. |
| A．To fight for his own future. |
| B．To apply for City College. |
| C．To break away from his parents. |
| D．To live up to his parents' expectations. |
| A．Push them to the limit. |
| B．Open their hearts to them. |
| C．Try to be understanding. |
| D．Encourage them to be friendly. |
10 . Every person has the same 24 hours in their day. While the majority of people end up complaining about not having enough time, or there being too much to do, the most effective individuals always manage their time in such a way that they are able to accomplish what they feel they need to do. Peter Drucker wrote, “Time is the scarcest resource, and unless it is managed, nothing else can be managed.” There are many ways in which effective leaders can more effectively manage their time. Among them: beginning with a clear vision and setting goals that have a date attached to them; using an agenda for each day’s activities as well as for meetings, and so on.
Creating a practical vision permits a leader to focus clearly on his or her goals and what needs to be done. This must be accompanied by the ability to control oneself to slay on topic. By organizing his or her goals, a leader can better manage the various aspects of leading, and this will lead to taking action in a clear-cut, less wasteful manner. When goals have a date attached to them, it both subconsciously and consciously creates urgency and improves focus and efficiency. A true leader will then invent a plan to decide what would be better handled by staff and what needs to be handled and needs the leader’s personal attention and touch. By creating assignments and deadlines, there are clear-cut expectations and responsibilities, and for less time is wasted when this is done properly.
Leaders who understand the significance of sticking to an agenda always achieve more in less time. For example, most committee reports can and should be sent to attenders at meeting in advance for them to be able to review the contents, and the people in the meeting can then spend their time on implementation (执行), questions and so on, and not simply on reciting committee reports, which is largely wasteful. In addition, using an agenda gives an efficient flow to the meeting, avoiding much of the digression (离题) and repetitiveness. When leaders are organized, they are quite simply more productive. Although this may seem like a rather simple and obvious statement, the majority of those in leadership seem to lack that organizational ability.
1. Effective leaders are likely to manage their time by ________.| A．completing multiple tasks at a time | B．arranging things in advance |
| C．taking action without hesitation | D．making the most of free time |
| A．It refreshes a leader’s memory. | B．It helps complete other tasks easily. |
| C．It urges a leader to manage the leading. | D．It improves the focus and productivity. |
| A．How Leaders Efficiently Manage Time |
| B．How Committee Reports Should Be Done |
| C．Why Some People Become Leaders |
| D．Why leaders Should Have a Practical Vision |
