1 . Face masks and protective suits can save lives. But what happens after people are done using them? Binish Desai, the founder of Eco-Eclectic Technologies from Western India, saw the impact brought by the rising use and demand for single-use masks and kits due to the coronations pandemic (冠状病毒流行病), so he created Brick 2. 0 to prevent tons of single-use Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) from being waste and ending up in landfills or water streams.
Although PPE is essential for medical use, it is extremely necessary to assess new alternatives and to raise awareness regarding its proper use and disposal (处理). A study published by the American Chemical Society suggests that 129 billion face masks are used monthly during the coronations pandemic, which causes great environmental pollution. In India alone, over 18, 000 British tons of coronations-related biomedical waste was generated in just four months between June and September. The waste would take hundreds of years break down, according to the magazine Waste Advantage.
Brick 2. 0 is a new version of the brick made from industrial waste, now also including used face masks and protective suits. The process starts with the collection of PPE waste through garbage cans placed in small shops and apartment buildings, with easy access for people to throw away their used items. Once in the factory, the collections are kept for 72 hours for safety reasons. Then they are cleaned and torn into pieces before being mixed with other waste. Finally, the material is shaped, and once dry, each brick is ready to use. It is three times stronger than conventional bricks at twice the size and half the price.
In a complex circumstance like the one we are living in these days, this solution is not only relatively easy to operate, but also very achievable in the short term, which can really help overcome today's global environmental challenges.
1. Why did Desai create Brick 2.0?| A．To recycle the PPE waste. |
| B．To reduce production cost. |
| C．To protect water recourse. |
| D．To prevent serious disease. |
| A．The study lacks sufficient evidence. |
| B．The pandemic is difficult to control. |
| C．The demand for face masks is in decline. |
| D．The environment is facing severe challenges. |
| A．Its function. |
| B．Its advantage. |
| C．Its main characteristic. |
| D．Its production process. |
| A．Innovation never ends |
| B．Environmental issues count |
| C．Transform waste into treasure |
| D．Defend your life with face masks |
2 . 1. Scenic landscapes on stamps: A nine-day tour in the cities of Xuzhou,Suqian and Huai'an in northern Jiangsu province.
This route is associated with local culture, characteristics, and creativity. It offers a taste of the famous canal cities.
2.Life on the Grand Canal: A seven-day Jiangsu tour through the cities of Nanjing, Suqian, Huai'an,Yangzhou and Suzhou.
This route presents the most authentic, economic, cultural and entertainment-focused activities along the canal from both ancient and modern times.I allows visitors to ride in boats and observe local fishermen fishing.
3.Food,culture,leisure and health;Seven-day experience of local life in Zhenjiang Changzhou,Wuxi and Suzhou
To increase tourists’ interest in the traditional culture and crafts of Jiangsu, the route will include pottery,embroidery(刺绣), paper-cutting, cooking and other hands-on experiences. It includes scenic spots along the Beijing-Hangzhou Gran Canal, ancient water towns, historical streets and ancient fishing villages.Visitors can join in the recreational farmhouse experience and pick up both fruits and vegetables
4．A walk into history: Six-day tour in Xuzhou, Suqian,Huai’an,Yangzhou, Zhenjiang, Changzhou and Wuxi
The Beiing-Hangzhou Grand Canal runs through the entire province and has been a part of Jiangsu's culture for thousands of years. Inspired by the canal, the route includes historical cities Xuzhou, Suqian, Huai'an,Yangzhou along with Zheniang Changzhou and Wuxi.
1. Which of the following do the four travel routes share?| A．A time duration of less than a week. |
| B．Ancient towns in southern Jiangsu. |
| C．The Grand Canal. |
| D．The city of Suqian. |
| A．Route 1 | B．Route 2 | C．Route 3 | D．Route 4. |
| A．Rowing a boat. | B．Trying on paper-cutting. |
| C．Growing vegetables. | D．Fishing with local villagers. |
3 . A report revealed that about 85% of the working mothers surveyed felt that their parenthood had affected their career “in a significant way”. Over 30% of them said that they went through a “long period of mental distress” before announcing their pregnancy at work, and 35% said their bosses immediately started looking for their replacements after learning about their pregnancy.
While Chinese women may no longer sacrifice their careers for their husbands, they are still expected to do so for their children. The study found that nearly half of the mothers left the labor force for at least one year after giving birth, among whom roughly 20% ended up becoming stay-at-home moms. When asked about the impact of motherhood on their identities and life goals, nearly 35% said that the most profound change was how they started to balance between family and work.
The adjustment, however, is not always by choice. Responding to a question about the distribution of child¬care labor in their home, almost 40% of the working mothers said that their husbands basically spent no time on parenting.” Moreover, over half of the husbands didn't use up their paternity leave(陪产假), whereas about 21 percent never took it at all.
Another key finding from the survey was that although it's illegal for Chinese companies to ask a woman about family plans, many employers still do. The unlawful yet prevalent practice has been a main factor influencing women's decisions about timing of motherhood. The survey showed that about 40% of the childless respondents delayed parenthood because of “the time it would take,” which they thought would have a negative impact on their promotion opportunities.
In theory, there has never been a better time than now for working mothers in China to shine. Faced with an aging population and shrinking workforce, Chinese officials encourage Chinese women to have babies while working at the same time.
1. What can be concluded from the first paragraph?| A．Some women choose to hide their pregnancy. |
| B．Pregnant working women will be replaced immediately. |
| C．Half of working mothers go through long-term depression. |
| D．Most working mothers are significantly affected by parenthood. |
| A．To help their husbands' career. |
| B．To become stay-at-home moms. |
| C．To sacrifice their careers for their children. |
| D．To be successful both at home and in company. |
| A．common | B．obvious | C．embarrassing | D．potential |
| A．Women have greater pressure than men. |
| B．Pregnancy and motherhood affect working women. |
| C．Balance between work and family is unavailable. |
| D．Working moms have less promotion opportunities. |
4 . Welcome to the Sydney Opera House
Ticket Info and Guided Tours
Visitors can enjoy the Sydney Opera House foyer for free, but for a more insightful visit, you'll need to book a tour.
There are several different ways to experience the Sydney Opera House, and multiple tours are available including back-stage passes and walking tours.
Tour Type Adult （AUD $ ） Child
Guided Walking Tour $ 42 $ 22
Guided Walking Tour + Dinner $ 73 $ 52
Guided Walking Tour + Tasting Plate $ 82.20 $ 64. 80
Backstage Tour $ 175 $ 175
Opening Hours and the Best Time to Visit
The Sydney Opera House is open year-round with the following opening hours：
● Monday—Saturday ： 9am—8 ： 30pm
●Sunday： 9am—5pm
As for the best time of day, it's recommended to book the earliest Sydney Opera House tour of the day to beat the crowds. To enjoy sunny weather with fewer crowds, try visiting in the shoulder season (October, November, February, or March )
Points of Interest
●The Steps
Before entering the Opera House, take a picture of the building from the steps outside.
●The Sails
Step beneath the sails on a guided tour and enjoy harbor front views.
●The Concert Hall
The Concert Hall is the largest venue with seats for more than 2000 people. It features contemporary live music shows and highly -regarded orchestral (管弦乐的)performances. It is also here that you will find the world's largest mechanical tracker-action pipe organ.
● Opera Bar
After your tour, head to the Opera Bar for a bite to eat or drink in the sun.
● Badu Gili
Badu Gili, which is ‘water light’ in the language of the Gadigal people-takes place most evenings after sunset at 9pm, 9：30pm, and 10pm. The seven-minute display is free to view.
1. How much will a guided walking tour for two adults cost?| A．$ 64. | B．$ 84. | C．$ 128, | D．$ 168. |
| A．9：30 am, a Monday in February. | B．10：00 am, a Sunday in December. |
| C．5：00 pm, a Friday in September. | D．6：00 pm, a Saturday in March. |
| A．A local language. | B．A pipe organ. | C．A light show. | D．A dinning area. |
5 . As children, many of us dreamed of being treasure hunters when we grew up. Few of us grow up to do this work, and those who do are often professional archeologists (考古学家). And then there’s Lara Maiklem, an editor, who has taken up the hobby of mudlarking, which is a kind of treasure finding, done along the banks of rivers.
Maiklem’s idea of “treasure” is self-defined. She says she was blessed with a mother who really taught her to look, and to take pleasure in the small things around her. So for her, treasure is anything extraordinary. “Finding dry snakeskin in the long grass, or broken china in the garden bed is like finding treasure to me,” she says.
About 20 years ago, Maiklem moved to London, but having grown up on a farm, she missed the peace of the countryside. Then, one day, she found herself at the top of a set of rickety (摇晃的) wooden steps looking down at the Thames’s foreshore. “The tide (潮) was low and the riverbed was exposed. I went down and started to look about. That day I found a short piece of clay pipe stem and reasoned that there was probably more, so I went back on another low tide and I found some china. Then I found myself going there regularly,” she says.
Maiklem says after she’s photographed and researched what she finds, she often takes objects back to the foreshore of the river. “What I do keep is limited to things I don’t already have, or better examples of things I already have,” she says.
In today’s busy, stressful world, arguably the best thing treasure mudlarkers take home is the relaxation and peace of mind found in the work of mudlarking. “You’ re doing a search, yet not really doing anything so you can let your brain wander. I mudlark for 5-6 hours, which sounds like a long time, but the time flies. By the time I leave the foreshore the river has taken away my problems, and that’s more valuable than treasure,” says Maiklem.
1. What does “treasure” mean to Maiklem?| A．Anything she believes special. |
| B．Anything her mother places around her. |
| C．Anything she and her mother take pleasure in. |
| D．Anything archeologists consider extraordinary. |
| A．The best place for mudlarking. |
| B．The typical way of mudlarking. |
| C．How Maiklem got into mudlarking. |
| D．What mudlarking brought for Maiklem. |
| A．She cleans them carefully. |
| B．She gives them to photographers. |
| C．She classifies them as limited editions. |
| D．She gets them back to their original places. |
| A．Finding special and valuable things. |
| B．Searching for solutions to problems. |
| C．Enjoying the beauty of the foreshore. |
| D．Gaining a peaceful state of mind. |
6 . A 62-year-old man has set an amazing world record, planking (平板支撑) for 8 hours, 15 minutes and 15 seconds. George Hood spent around 2,100 hours planking to train to win back his record from Chinese policeman Mao Weidong, who took the record in 2016 at an event Mr. Hood also competed in.
“Anybody can do what I do,” Mr. Hood said in an interview. “Everybody has to start somewhere. Every tree that’s planted has roots. Once that tree is planted, those roots start to grow, whether it be 30 seconds or a minute or five minutes or an hour of planking. You start repeating the process and taking care of your tree, it will grow and you will improve and you will actually get better.”
Mr. Hood’s preparation included four to five hours of planking a day and 2,000 sit-ups, 700 push-ups, and 500 squats a day. He also attended training camps and had a practice attempt in 2018 in which he lasted 10 hours and 10 minutes.
His new record-breaking plank was sponsored by a US gym called Fivel5 Fitness, which was set up to help people experiencing mental illnesses that affect their thinking, feeling, or behavior. Throughout the attempt, Mr. Hood spoke to groups and listened to words from guests with autism (自闭症) and adult learning difficulties.
After Guinness World Records judge, Philip Robertson, said that he had broken the record, Mr. Hood said he would never do plank record attempts again. However, he ended the event by doing 75 push-ups after his 8-hour plank, indicating that while his record-breaking plank days might be over, push-up record attempts are happening in the near future.
1. What was Hood talking about in the interview?| A．How to plant trees. |
| B．How to keep a record. |
| C．How to look after oneself. |
| D．How to plank as well as him. |
| A．Hood had been training hard to break the record. |
| B．Hood went to a month-long training camp in 2016. |
| C．Hood planked shorter in 2018 than the new record. |
| D．Hood likes doing all kinds of sports in his spare time. |
| A．Teach others to plank. |
| B．Work for Fivel5 Fitness. |
| C．Try to do push-up record attempts. |
| D．Continue doing plank record attempts. |
| A．To tell us a funny story about Hood’s life. |
| B．To describe the advantages of physical activity. |
| C．To provide us with information on a new record. |
| D．To record a change that happened in Hood’s body. |
7 . As a regular Duolingo user, I enjoy the app s simple, colorful interface and short, game like exercises. The app doesn't limit how many languages you can try to learn at the same time, or how many lessons you can complete in one day, even on the free version. I use Duolingo to keep up with Spanish and German. It's an easy app because it doesn't require you to create an account right away.
For example, even if you start with little to no understanding of Spanish, the lessons are pretty gentle. You'll choose which picture- paired with the Spanish translation- accurately describes basic phrases and words. Duolingo translates from English to Spanish and back again. Most questions let you tap or click on the Spanish word to translate it in case you get stuck. The app offers additional learning resources if you click the lightbulb icon, as well as the ability to fast-track your lessons if you click the key icon.
Duolingo's “streak” feature motivates you to keep up with your language learning efforts by tracking the number of days you've reached your point goal. It can also make it feel like your world is crashing in if you lose an 80-day streak. Resources such as Duolingo Stories, which are short audio stories that allow you to check your comprehension skills as you are available online and in the apps. Duolingo also has a podcast that reiterates the lessons you've completed.
You can also subscribe to Premium for $10 per month, which gives you access to an experimental feature that lets you chat with a language tutor from a country where the language is spoken. This isn't available for all Duolingo Plus subscribers though.
1. What kind of app is Duolingo?| A．It is free of charge to users. | B．It requires users to create an account. |
| C．It enables users to learn multiple languages. | D．It provides Spanish and German versions only. |
| A．The lightbulb icon. | B．The word. |
| C．The key icon. | D．The picture. |
| A．To encourage learners to keep learning. | B．To remind you of your point goal. |
| C．To provide resources such as stories. | D．To count the number of your lost days. |
| A．To instruct. | B．To inform. | C．To entertain. | D．To comment. |
8 . Every child has a different personality, and those personalities need to be nurtured (培育) in a positive way. Here we have a list of extracurricular activities for kids and what your child can learn from them to help you make your decision.
1. Music
Some children learn to play instruments, while others prefer to sing. There are so many instruments to choose from that you are bound to find something that fits your child and that he or she will enjoy.
There is a certain freedom in music, and a lot of children find joy in it because of this reason. Not just that, children also tend to learn a lot about history and culture while learning something like playing a musical instrument or singing, especially if it is in the classical genre (类型).
2. Dance
Even among dance, there are so many types to choose from. He or she may prefer classical folk dances, or want to learn the more contemporary styles like hip hop or lyrical dance styles.
This is another activity that teaches children about culture if they prefer the more classical genres of dance. Dance is something that will help your child develop physically and mentally, as most forms of dance require discipline and endurance (忍耐力).
3. Sports
Sports such as football, basketball, cricket and softball require teamwork and a lot of energy, but if this type of sport doesn't sound like it suits your child, there are other options like tennis, badminton and golf that your child can try.
In sports like basketball and football, children learn how to work well in a team, how to strategies, and also build endurance. Every sport has something good to offer your child. whether they are played in teams or individually. Sports are great for competitive children.
4. Painting and Sketching
Perhaps your child is a blossoming artist. Playing with colours is a lot of fun and creating different works of art may be something your child would prefer over more violent activities.
Your child will improve his or her creative skills, as the more he or she is exposed to and works with creative things, the better the areas associated with creativity in his or her brain will be developed. Painting and drawing can also help develop problem-solving skills.
1. Who are the text intended for?| A．Children. | B．Teachers. |
| C．Parents. | D．Coaches. |
| A．Freedom. | B．History and culture. |
| C．Classical music. | D．Musical instrument or singing. |
| A．Music. | B．Dance. |
| C．Sports. | D．Painting and Sketching. |
Should you have your baby’s DNA sequenced? What keeps you awake? Step inside the Hall of Human Life. the Museums new biology exhibition, and encounter such far-reaching questions on an amazing journey inside the human body. Through digital media and personal interaction, you become “part of the story”, as you contribute your own data in a process of learning and discovery.
A Birds World(Permanent Exhibit)
This exhibit features the Museums extraordinary collection of birds，displaying over 300 species in New England. Here, you can learn to interpret the bird language taking place just outside your window at home.
Test your observation skills and see if you can get past different birds without them alerting(发信号)other animals to your presence. Learn to identify birds from a distance by recognizing unique flight patterns. Practice your flying technique in the Bird Walk.
Butterfly Garden(Permanent Exhibit)
Walk among the free-flying residents of this warm conservatory. It is a wonderful opportunity to get close to a variety of living butterflies from New England and across the globe. The “Emergence Box” offers a window into the butterfly behavior. Look inside to see hanging chrysalides (蝶蛹)transform into adult butterflies. Tickets are required and visitors should reserve at least two weeks in advance.
1. How can you become part of the story in the Hall of Human Life?| A．By keeping awake. | B．On an funny journey. |
| C．By answering questions. | D．Through offering the personal data. |
| A．Learn the bird language. | B．Watch all bird species. |
| C．Make your flying technique better. | D．Send signals to birds. |
| A．Hanging chrysalides. |
| B．Getting close to butterflies. |
| C．Keeping the conservatory warm. |
| D．Observing butterflies through its window. |
10 . Do you want something different for dinner? Try some space food. Many scientists are living for months aboard the International Space Station high above the earth. It's too expensive to carry food to feed people living in space. Therefore, people in space will need to grow food for themselves. But how can they grow food without soil and sunlight?
Today, we already have hydroponic vegetables. The science of hydroponics is not new. Many writers believe that the Hanging Gardens of Babylon were actually a large hydroponic system. This system could have used fresh water that was rich in oxygen and minerals for the plants. Hydroponic systems need light. In addition to sunlight, hydroponic farms can use artificial lights. Instead of soil, hydroponic farms use mixtures of chemicals to feed the plants. And in addition to a natural climate, most hydroponic farms often use greenhouses. One advantage of hydroponics is that diseases and insects that travel through the soil are avoided. Another advantage is there are no weeds to pull out.
Farmers know how to grow a few kinds of hydroponic vegetables, such as lettuces, tomatoes, and cucumbers. But in space, people will need to eat more than salad. So scientists are learning how to grow hydroponic rice, beans and potatoes. As they do these experiments, they are analyzing their results and examining how to apply these results to a real life situation providing tasty meals for space travelers.
The scientists make imitation meat dishes, such as carrot drumsticks, made from carrots, garlic, and bread, instead of chicken. How do these unusual foods taste? The scientists have been inviting a group of taste testers into their laboratories. So far, they have tested 200 different recipes. The carrot drumstick dish was a hit. Perhaps soon, people will eat meals made from hydroponic vegetables that are truly out of this world.
1. Why do scientists grow space food?| A．To reduce food costs. | B．To support space travelers. |
| C．To find new varieties of food. | D．To increase agricultural production. |
| A．Sunlight. | B．Warm weather. |
| C．Soil to grow the plants in. | D．Chemicals to feed the plants. |
| A．They don't get diseases. | B．They aren't affected by weeds. |
| C．They can grow in a lightless place. | D．They are bigger than common ones. |
| A．Uninterested. | B．Doubtful. | C．Optimistic. | D．Cautious. |
