1 . They say everything is bigger in Texas. While that may be true, some of the best things in Texas are quite small. Case in point: tiny Mount Vernon, a town of just under 3,000 people. But if you do come across Mount Vernon, you might just get an intention to stay. That happens a lot around here, and it’s worth noting how remarkable that is.
Tom Wilkinson was born in Mount Vernon 87 years ago and moved back after he retired from his career as a college English professor in Dallas. Like many of his neighbors, Wilkinson can track his ancestors back to the pioneers who settled here in the 1870s. And like many, he values the simple life you can’t easily find in big cities. “People are still polite. They hold the door open for you.” he says, “We grow strong roots here!”
Preserving and honoring the past has been key to helping Mount Vernon survive. The residents have restored and reopened some of the empty stores, including the old barbershop, built more than 100 years ago. An old general store was turned into a combination space. Wander in on any given day and you might find a book club discussion, a Coffee Ladies meet-up, or a work session for the local genealogy(家谱) group among the tables of people chatting over cups of coffee and plates of food.
Mount Vernon has the kind of big hearts you tend to find in a small town. For instance, when a local policeman was diagnosed with cancer last year, ten-year-old Lola McKellar set up a lemonade stand to raise money for his treatments. In 2015, when a 350-year flood sent water rushing into local homes, an army of volunteers showed up to get a wheelchair-bound neighbor and his wife to higher ground, and then came back to help rebuild.
1. What does the author think of Mount Vernon?| A．Remote. | B．Wealthy. |
| C．Primitive. | D．Attractive. |
| A．He preferred the simple and natural life. | B．He could continue his language teaching. |
| C．He could live together with his ancestors. | D．He could meet more neighbors of his age. |
| A．It is in danger of extinction. | B．It is quickly changing over time. |
| C．It is conservative but harmonious. | D．It is being disturbed by the outside world. |
| A．The history of Mount Vernon. | B．The humanity of Mount Vernon. |
| C．The volunteers of Mount Vernon. | D．The reconstruction of Mount Vernon. |
2 . Hazel Mayfield usually cooks the Thanksgiving meal for her extended family in Houston, Texas. She usually welcomes friends and neighbors who are eager to taste her fried turkey, green bean casserole, candied yams, homemade cornbread dressing, and dirty rice-just a few of her signature dishes. Known as Sugar Mama, because her grandchildren think she’s so sweet, the 91-year-old typically likes to do her own shopping for the ingredients to make her special dishes.
“My mother is the head cook of the family,” said Panulette Mouton, Mayfield’s daughter. “Because of her reputation, you know, there’re people in and out all day and every family comes through. They want to get some of Sugar Mama’s cooking, and some of them would like to learn from her how to cook the food.”
But Mayfield hasn’t been to the grocery store since March. And there is little about Thanksgiving in 2020 that’s usual. Because of Covid-19, the deadly virus that has killed millions in the U.S. and spoiled life around the world, everything is different. Since limiting close face-to-face contact with others is the best way to reduce its spread, hundreds of thousands of American families have re-imagined the holiday with virtual celebrations and canceled or delayed travel plans. There can only be small gatherings with people in their households in response to COVID-19.
This year, Mayfield’s family members, without exception, are lamenting the absence of a big gathering. They’ve explained to their young children and grandchildren why this year’s Thanksgiving is different. Mayfield’s youngest daughter, Michelle Sanders, says it’s tough to help her grandchildren understand why they can’t see some of their other family members and why they have to stay at home, celebrating Thanksgiving all by themselves.
“It’s really hard, trying to explain to them,” Sanders said. “When-you’re talking to them and they want to come over, you have to tell them no. They really don’t know how to be careful.” Sanders added, “And, they don’t understand that, being three, four, and six, you know they don’t really understand that. So, it’s...it’s really, really hard, and heartbreaking.”
1. According to the passage, Hazel Mayfield is ________.| A．helpful and kind-hearted | B．stubborn and enthusiastic |
| C．talented and instructive | D．grateful and sensitive |
| A．fascinated by | B．upset about |
| C．ignorant of | D．embarrassed at |
| A．Children are too young to understand the situation. |
| B．Children are always careless on Thanksgiving Day. |
| C．It’s tough to help children overcome their problems. |
| D．Adults should show patience when talking with kids. |
| A．People are cutting down holiday celebration expenses. |
| B．People are trying hard to get together to have more fun. |
| C．People have to make changes in their lifestyle to stay safe. |
| D．People have put more emphasis on the traditional customs. |
3 . The New York Vegas Hotel has some of the most beautiful and luxurious (豪华的) rooms. Here are four kinds of them.
Park Avenue
This kind of room has about 350 square feet of space. It comes with either a king-size or queen-size bed. The room has the following: a 40-inch television and a good bathroom. The Park Avenue room costs about $65 to $85 per night during weekdays and has a weekend rate of $100 to $110 per night.
Marquis
This Marquis room is up-grade. It provides guests with 700 square feet of space. This up-grade room has a good bathroom, two separate dining areas, and Internet access. There is also a small refrigerator in the room. Guests can stay in this kind of room for about $125 per night.
Players
The Players room comes with two queen-size beds. This room is almost 800 square feet and has a sitting area. The Player room has the following: two 40-inch televisions, a good bathroom, dining and entertainment areas and Internet access. One can stay in the Players room for $155 per night.
Penthouses
This kind of room has about 1,100 square feet of space with a DVD and CD player, coffee pots, and a separate master bedroom. Penthouses rooms have more up-grade amenities (设施). Guests can stay in this room comfortably for $415 per night, and it has a different price in the busy season.
Las Vegas travelers have their choice of one of these hotel rooms. It doesn’t matter which room one chooses because all of them are wonderful!
1. The price of some rooms of the New York Vegas Hotel______.| A．depends on what time of year it is |
| B．is a bit higher during weekdays |
| C．keeps the same all the year round |
| D．changes almost every day |
| A．Park Avenue. | B．Players. |
| C．Marquis. | D．Penthouses. |
| A．The queen once stayed in a Park Avenue room. |
| B．There are two beds in a Players room. |
| C．There is a small refrigerator in every room. |
| D．The New York Vegas Hotel provides guests with free meals. |
| A．introduce the New York Vegas Hotel |
| B．raise funds for the New York Vegas Hotel |
| C．introduce the luxurious amenities of the New York Vegas Hotel |
| D．make some rooms of the New York Vegas Hotel known to readers |
4 . The scientists who re-engineered the plastic-eating enzyme(酶) PETase have now created a new enzyme called “cocktail” , which can digest plastic up to six times faster.
PETase breaks down PET back into its building blocks, creating an opportunity to recycle plastic and reduce plastic pollution. PET is the most common thermoplastic(热塑性塑料) used to make single-use drinks bottles, which takes hundreds of years to break down in the environment, but PETase can shorten this time to days. The initial discovery set up the prospect of a revolution in plastic recycling, creating a potential low-energy solution to tackle plastic waste.
Now, the same trans-Atlantic team have combined PETase and its “partner”, a second enzyme called MHETase, to generate much bigger improvements: simply mixing PETase with MHETase doubled the speed of PET breakdown, and engineering a connection between the two enzymes to create a “super-enzyme”, increased this activity by a further three times.
The team was co-led by the scientists who engineered PETase, Professor John McGeehan and Dr Gregg Beckham. Professor McGeehan said: “Gregg and I were chatting about how PETase attacks the surface of the plastics and MHETase chops things up further, so it seemed natural to see if we could use them together. Our first experiments showed that they did work better together, so we decided to physically link them. It took a great deal of work, but it was worth the effort — we were delighted to see that our new enzyme is up to three times faster than the separate enzymes.”
The original PETase enzyme discovery indicated the first hope that a solution to the global plastic pollution problem might be within grasp, though PETase alone is not yet fast enough to handle the tons of PET bottles. Combining it with a second enzyme, and finding together they work even faster, means another leap forward has been taken towards finding a solution to plastic waste. PETase and the new combined MHETase-PETase both work by digesting PET plastic. This allows for plastics to be made and reused endlessly, reducing our reliance on fossil(化石) resources.
1. What can we learn about “cocktail” from the text?| A．It doubles the breakdown of plastics. |
| B．It takes hundreds of years to break down. |
| C．It contributes to breaking down plastic quickly. |
| D．It deals with the plastic waste three times faster. |
| A．A new study of PET. | B．The breakdown of PET. |
| C．The discovery of PETase. | D．The functions of PETase. |
| A．Co-leading the trans-Atlantic team. | B．Combining PETase and MHETase. |
| C．Attacking the surface of the plastics. | D．Talking about conducting experiments. |
| A．PET pollution is no longer a difficult problem to deal with. |
| B．New enzyme is speeding up our reliance on fossil resources. |
| C．MHETase-PETase makes the world free from plastic pollution. |
| D．Plastic-eating enzyme “cocktail” promises new hope for plastic waste. |
5 . Twice every month, Miranda Sam, a 66-year-old Ghanaian, visited the China Traditional Herbal Hospital, a private herbal facility at Pokuase, a suburb of the Ghanaian capital, for treatment.
“I was squeezing lemons, and when I finished, I could not get up or even move my legs, so I went to the hospital and did an X-ray examination, but they saw nothing. Meanwhile, I could not walk and was in a wheelchair,” the retired worker said. Hence Miranda decided to visit the herbal facility. “On two occasions, I had to do acupuncture(针灸), and I have found great relief. Now I walk unaided, so I keep coming for treatment,” she said.
As Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is gaining popularity in Ghana, many acupuncture clinics run by Chinese doctors pop up in the country. However, the China Traditional Herbal Hospital was established by 52-year-old Ghanaian business owner Bediako, after his fruitful encounter with the effects of TCM in 2012. With the help of a Chinese lady, Bediako set up a small clinic specializing in TCM. Years on, the facility has subsequently grown into a bigger herbal hospital. The hospital treats patients with a combination of local and Chinese herbal formulas. It supports this with the application of traditional Chinese medical methods.
Strokes(中风) account for 1.3 percent of all hospital admissions in Ghana, and 6.3 percent of all hospital deaths. But Bediako is confident that as more people with these conditions turn to the natural methods of healing, the pain and death rates would subside. “A gentleman was brought here three weeks ago, who could not sit, stand, or walk. He was first taken through acupuncture. I observed him on camera 30 minutes later, squatting(蹲), standing, and walking. You come here with your pain but will leave with a smile. That is our feature,” he said.
The hospital has started a second facility in Ashaiman near the capital, with plans to open other branches across the country to meet the growing demand.
1. What can we learn from Miranda’s words in Paragraph 2?| A．Her illness is not a bit severe. | B．Squeezing lemons is a risky job. |
| C．She is feeling better now. | D．She is unsure about what to do next. |
| A．It is located in the downtown area. |
| B．It was originally a specialized clinic. |
| C．It was established by a Chinese doctor. |
| D．It uses nothing but Chinese herbs. |
| A．Decline. | B．Remain. |
| C．Climb. | D．Change. |
| A．Negative. | B．Optimistic. |
| C．Uncertain. | D．Concerned. |
6 . Geocaching
Common Sense Media says that this expensive but very cool GPS app makes it possible for the whole family to go geocaching, a high-tech treasure hunt game. This app makes it unnecessary to buy a dedicated GPS device. The app taps directly into a database with more than 2 million locations, some within walking distance, and gives you everything you need to find treasures hidden by other enthusiasts.
SkySafari
SkySafari is a powerful mobile planetarium（天象馆）that uses GPS locations to view the night sky. The app comes in multiple versions. The databases, even on the entry-level versions, are large, requiring up to 940 MB of free space depending on the platform. You can learn about astronomy by viewing planets and stars, searching for specific objects of interest or looking at astronomical sightings in that night's sky.
Historypin
Historypin is a great tool to bring families together to share stories. You can learn about the history of any area by searching Historypin's world map by place, time, or subject. Because there are a few different ways to use Historypin's bank of user-contributed knowledge, as well as ways to add content, you can learn how to access and create digital content that's meant to be shared with the general public.
GarageBand
GarageBand is powerful digital music workstation and multitrack recorder. You can create songs in a number of ways, all in an interesting interface. An added bonus is the great editing tools that tighten up any musical performance. You can share your GarageBand songs through social media, email, or text. The app is designed to give everyone an amazing musical experience---and it delivers.
1. What is special about Geocaching?| A．It needs an extra GPS device. |
| B．It helps to collect data. |
| C．It can locate hidden treasures. |
| D．It is a platform for developing games. |
| A．Geocaching. | B．SkySafari. |
| C．Historypịn. | D．GarageBand. |
| A．get families involved | B．enjoy musical performances |
| C．search world maps | D．share what they create |
7 . If you've got a reliable Internet connection, smart lights are a cheap way to make your home very cool. Here are four of them.
LIFX
The biggest feature: you don't need a separate hub to control your smart lights. They connect via Wi-Fi and you can stick the lights anywhere. The LEDS create up to 16 million colors and are programmable, so you can create custom lighting patterns through the smartphone app. You can also set up a lighting schedule and make changes with your voice through Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and Google Assistant. $70.
Sylvania
The Sylvania LED light strip(灯带) is Apple HomeKit-enabled, meaning you can change colors and settings with Apple's smart voice assistant Siri or through the app. The only feature Sylvania does not include -- one that LIFX does -- is the ability for the lights to automatically rotate(转换) through colors. With these lights, you can only adjust brightness and change colors. $39.
If you use an Android phone, make sure to get an Android version. It has the same functions but is also compatible
(兼容的) with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. $52.
Eve
The Eve LEDS can be extended with additional strips and reach up to 32.8 feet. The LEDS produce a full range of whites and colors and are compatible with Apple HomeKit -- therefore voice controlled with Siri. This setup requires no extra hub. The starter version is available for $80 and extension strips are available for $50.
Minger
Mingers Wi-Fi connected strips of LEDS are 16.4-feet-long and can be controlled via the Govee app on your smartphone or with Amazon Alexa. The company doesn't recommend connecting multiple strips. $29.
1. How is LIFX different from Sylvania?| A．It is voice controlled. | B．It is intended for Android phone users. |
| C．The brightness of its lights can be adjusted. | D．The colors of its lights can change automatically. |
| A．LIFX. | B．Sylvania. | C．Eve. | D．Minger. |
| A．They are powered by the sun. |
| B．They an be extended with additional strips. |
| C．They work well with smart home assistants. |
| D．They are developed by smartphone companies. |
8 . Masks that helped save lives are proving a deadly danger for wildlife, with birds and sea creatures trapped in the shocking number of thrown-away facial coverings. Single-use masks have been found around pavements, waterways and beaches worldwide. Worn once, the thin protective materials can take hundreds of years to decompose. “Face masks aren't going away any time soon—but when we throw them away, these items can harm the environment and the animals,” Ashley Fruno of animal rights group PETA said.
In Britain, a gull was rescued by the RSPCA after its legs became tangled in the straps of a mask for up to a week. The animal welfare charity took it to a wildlife hospital for treatment before its release.
The biggest impact may be in the water. More than 1.5 billion masks made their way into the world's oceans last year, accounting for around 6,200 extra tonnes of ocean plastic pollution, according to environmental group Oceans Asia.
Conservationists in Brazil found one mask inside the stomach of a penguin after its body was washed up on a beach, while a dead pufferfish was discovered caught inside another off the coast of Miami. French campaigners found a dead crab trapped in a mask near the Mediterranean. Masks and gloves are “particularly problematic” for sea creatures, says George Leonard, chief scientist from NGO Ocean Conservancy. “When those plastics break down in the environment, they then enter the food chain and impact entire ecosystems.” he added.
There has been a shift towards greater use of reusable cloth masks as the pandemic has worn on, but many are still using the lighter single-use varieties. Campaigners have urged people to bin them properly and cut the straps to reduce the risk of animals becoming trapped. Oceans Asia has also called on governments to increase fines for littering and encourage the use of washable masks.
1. What's Paragraph 1 mainly about?| A．The problem of littering masks. | B．The long time to break down masks. |
| C．The threat of masks to wildlife. | D．The protective use of masks to people. |
| A．They gave first aid to the bird. | B．They released the bird at once. |
| C．They kept the bird for about a week. | D．They sent the bird to hospital. |
| A．By providing examples. | B．By giving explanations. |
| C．By making comparisons. | D．By analyzing causes. |
| A．Forbidding the use of single-use masks. | B．Wearing reusable cloth masks. |
| C．Cutting the masks up before throwing. | D．Increasing fines for binning masks. |
9 . November isn’t the only time when people come together to raise money for good causes. Here are three other major charity events from around the world.
Race for Life, UK
What started off as a race of 680 women in a London park in 1994 to raise money for a cancer charity has now turned into a massive nationwide event, with thousands of women up and down the UK taking part every year.
Known for dressing head to toe in pink, participants raise money for breast cancer research by being sponsored to take part in marathons, which are organized all year round. Since it began, more than 8 million women have taken part, raising over £547 million for Cancer Research UK.
40-Hour Famine, Australia
Normally taking place in mid-August, this program encourages young Australians to give something up for 40 hours in order to raise awareness of less fortunate youths around the world.
Participants raise money which is donated to good causes worldwide, by giving something up for the weekend, including the use of technology (TVs, computers, smartphones and so on), or even food. Since it began in 1975, World Vision Australia, the event’s organizer, has raised over A$200 million.
AIDS / LifeCycle, US
Each year, thousands of people ride the 545-mile route from San Francisco to Los Angeles in order to raise money and awareness for HIV (AIDS-related causes). Cyclists make the trip over seven days, stopping each night at designated camps to shower, eat and relax. The mainly male riders are known for their colorful riding sportswear, with some dressing as nuns, cowboys or even in bikinis. The event has raised around $100 million since it began in 2001.
1. In what way is “Race for life” special?| A．The participants are all women. |
| B．It’s a yearly marathon held in London. |
| C．All the athletes are cancer patients. |
| D．It attracts about 8 million people every year. |
| A．Advertise for a brand sports suit. |
| B．Research into the causes of AIDS. |
| C．Talk with local cowboys in camps. |
| D．Cycle in the daytime and rest at night. |
| A．All the participants give something away to the poor. |
| B．They are all held to raise money for people in need. |
| C．All the participants donate what they have to charity. |
| D．They have all drawn people’s attention to cancer and AIDS. |
10 . People eat more when they are glued to the television, and the more entertaining the program is, the more they eat, according to a new research.
It seems that distracted(分心的)brains do not notice what the mouth is doing, said Dr. Alan Hirsch, neurological director of the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago.
Hirsch explored the impact of smell, taste and eating behaviors while watching TV by measuring potato chip consumption. Forty-five volunteers ate as many chips as they wanted every six minutes while they watched monologues by late-night talk show hosts David Letterman and Jay Leno. They were still given chips to eat when the television was off. Hirsch found people ate an average of 44 percent more chips while watching Letterman and 42 percent more while viewing Leno, than when they did not watch TV.
If you concentrate on how the food tastes, you'll eat less because you'll feel full faster, "Hirsch said in an interview at the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in Toronto. So if that's the case, let's look at the opposite. What if you're distracted? If you're distracted, in theory, then you'd eat more."
Through his research at the foundation, Hirsch has helped people overcome the loss of sense of smell and sense of taste. which typically results in weight gain because the brain does not know when it should stop eating.
The ventromedial nucleus(腹内侧核)in the hypothalamus( 下 丘脑)， where the so-called satiety(饱腹感)center is located. tells the body whether it is hungry or full. It is inhibited or tricked, the result can be changes in eating patterns, he said.
People who cook spaghetti all day don't feel like eating spaghetti at the end of the day, "said Hirsch," By being exposed to a smell all day long it's tricking the hypothalamus."
Volunteers were asked to concentrate on the sensory characteristics of the food such as taste and smell. Researchers say these sensory clues, in addition to inner body changes. mark satiety.
But when distracted. a person does not pay attention to either the body's sensations of feeling full, or to the sensory characteristics of the food.
Many studies have linked being fat to watching television and that link is likely due to inactivity, Hirsch said. But perhaps entertaining shows are also contributing.
"If you want to lose weight, turn off the television or watch something boring," he said.
1. When Hirsch conducted the research, he______| A．evaluated the degree of the volunteers' loss of taste. |
| B．measured the amount of the chips the volunteers ate. |
| C．analyzed the volunteers' preference on TV programs. |
| D．counted the minutes the volunteers spent on TV programs. |
| A．When we are distracted. |
| B．When we focus on how the food tastes. |
| C．When we are watching entertaining programs. |
| D．When the brain doesn't know when it should stop eating. |
| A．It tells us that eating spaghetti is inhabited. |
| B．It indicates that spaghetti doesn't taste good at the end of the day. |
| C．It tells us that people who cook spaghetti don' like eating spaghetti. |
| D．It shows that smell is "telling" the hypothalamus that the body is full. |
| A．To prove that being fat is linked to inactivity. |
| B．To reveal the relationship between TV programs and eating behaviors. |
| C．to explain why watching television makes people eat more and gain weight. |
| D．To find how sensory characteristics of the food affects people's feelings of eating. |
