1 . The other day, I bought an expensive anti-aging cream that promised to make my face look several years younger than other women by fighting free radicals(自由基). It made me curious about what free radicals are. Is the anti-aging cream the only way I need to protect myself?
“As a scientific term, free radicals are essentially unstable atoms, ” says Arizona-based doctor, Natasha Bhuyan, M. D. “In medicine, they cause cells to break down over time and are linked to aging. ”
A super simple chemistry review for you：Atoms from different elements are the building blocks that make up water, nitrogen and more. Electron(电子) are the negatively charged atoms, and they like to be in pairs. When an electron loses its partner, it creates a free radical, which is usually unstable and highly reactive. Free radicals typically go through the body to seek out a replacement for their missing electron, and that can result in damage to cells, proteins and DNA.
So how do free radicals form and why do they happen? Bhuyan says, “Scientifically, free radicals are unpaired electrons that are seeking a mate to bond with. The theory behind free radicals is that they can lead to the imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants(抗氧化剂). ” Another mini-science lesson for you：Antioxidants are natural or man-made matters that can help delay or prevent some types of cell damage. They’re often found in fruits and vegetables.
A lot of the aspects of modern life--our diet, lifestyle and environmental factors like pollution, can cause oxidative(氧化的) stress. Over time, oxidative stress weakens cells and tissues and can leave you more easily exposed to certain health issues, including cancer. And, as beauty marketers are keenly aware, oxidative stress can also speed up the aging process. Now that you know free radicals can weak on your health, you’re probably wondering if there are any ways to prevent them from forming or at least to minimize their negative effects.
1. What does the author intend to do in paragraph 1?| A．Explain the process of aging. | B．State the formation of free radicals. |
| C．Introduce the topic of free radicals. | D．Describe the harm of anti-aging cream. |
| A．Unpaired electrons. | B．Steady atoms. |
| C．Replacements of atoms. | D．Functions of electrons. |
| A．They have never been found in nature. | B．They do harm to cells proteins and DNA. |
| C．They can slow down the damage of some cells. | D．They always keep balance with free radicals. |
| A．What exactly oxidative stress is. | B．How beauty marketers promote sales. |
| C．Where a variety of diseases come from. | D．How free radicals can be prevented. |
2 . In 2009, I rescued a skittish donkey. Bo came from a nearby cattle ranch and now lives peacefully on my ranch in the Bitterroot Valley of Montana. But the key to Bo's successful recovery from nervous rescue to happy ranch animal wasn't anything I did. It was my grandson, Dylan.
Dylan came with his parents to spend some days with me on their way to Canada for a vacation. Bo kept his distance from the grown-ups, but he showed an unusual fascination with Dylan. So we decided to introduce them.
“Move slowly, be quiet, and stoop down sometimes,” I told my grandson. Dylan carefully approached Bo, step by step, holding a soft rubber currycomb. Bo held his ground, but he seemed interested by this little visitor. Dylan rubbed Bo's shoulders and neck with the comb, softly and gently.
It's hard for an almost four-year-old to stay still for long. Dylan made one quick move, and Bo was terrified running off. But Bo and Dylan were not ready to give up. Dylan approached again. It was amazing to witness a preschooler learn to control himself in such a short time.
As we watched, true love developed between this once distrustful donkey and a gentle boy. Over the next few days, Dylan felt free to sit at Bo's feet while Bo carefully nibbled his shirt collar and hair and rubbed Dylan's back with his bristly chin. Just as Dylan had earned Bo's trust, Bo came up to and hugged him --- yes, a donkey can hug — without knocking him off balance.
They met again one week later as the family passed through on their return trip. It was almost dark, but Dylan and his dad travelled far to reach the ranch. Bo came to meet them cheerfully. He is now a changed and trusting donkey.
1. What can we learn about Bo according to paragraph 1?| A．He lived peacefully on a cattle ranch. | B．He was rescued from the ranch by Dylan. |
| C．He was from Bitterroot Valley of Montana. | D．He no longer suffers from nervousness. |
| A．Amusement. | B．Interest. | C．Patience. | D．Respect. |
| A．They became friends immediately. | B．They were afraid of each other. |
| C．Dylan's sudden move frightened Bo. | D．Bo refused the combing from Dylan. |
| A．Dylan and Bo meet once a week. | B．Dylan will stay on the ranch for Bo. |
| C．Dylan was knocked down by Bo. | D．Dylan's gentleness has changed Bo. |
3 . The best London hotels near Oxford Street
An expert guide to the top London hotels near Oxford Street—eight minutes' walk or less— including the best hotels for their family-friendly services and budget accommodation.
The London EDITION
Soho, London, England
This place is just off Oxford Street in leafy Fitzrovia. It will suit those who want more than a bed for the night. The multi-functional lobby makes a great entrance, though it's the restored ceiling, old not new, that really grabs the attention. The picture- lined restaurant is an equally successful space. The rooms are a bit like being inside a luxurious cigar box, with their wood-panelled walls and artful fur sofa covers that add a feeling of warmth.
The Langham, London
Marylebone, London, England
An advert from the late 19th century declares that the Langham is situated in the "most healthy, convenient and fashionable position in London. " Today this still holds true； the hotel is right in the centre of London. This is one of London's oldest grand hotels. Everything feels as if it has been running the way it should for a long time. Expect enormous vases of fresh flowers in public areas, oriental furnishings and marble baths in the rooms. This is also home to Michel Roux Jr's Roux, which does tasty French cuisine.
The Grazing Goat
Marylebone, London, England
The hotel is located on New Quebec Street, a quiet road lined with clothing shops and beauty salons about three minutes' walk from Oxford Street. There's something of a village feel to this area of London that is difficult to correspond with the tourist groups moments away—but it's most welcome. Rooms have Egyptian cotton beds, Aesop toilets and walls in the color of moss green and steel blue. The food menu offers seasonal British foods with the latest trendy ingredients.
1. In The London EDITION, customers are most likely to be attracted by its .| A．multi-functional lobby | B．restored ceiling |
| C．luxurious cigar box | D．wood-panelled walls |
| A．They are old grand hotels. | B．They serve delicious French cuisine. |
| C．They offer fresh flowers in their bedrooms. | D．They are located in Marylebone, London. |
| A．The London EDITION. | B．The Langham, London. |
| C．The Grazing Goat. | D．All the above. |
4 . Protecting wildlife has become a tough problem in today’s world. As one of the effort, many countries formulate(制定) related laws to protect wildlife. The need for such protection was realized centuries ago in India.
About 300 BC an India writer described forests that were somewhat like national parks today. The game of killing animals was carefully controlled. Some animals that became dangerous to human visitors were trapped or killed outside the park.
The need for wildlife protection is greater now than ever before. About a thousand kinds of animals are in danger of extinction(灭绝), and the speed at which they are being destroyed has been increasing. With mammals(哺乳动物), for example, the speed of extinction is now about one kind every year. From AD 1 to 1800, the speed was about one kind every fifty years. Everywhere, men are trying to solve the problem of saving wildlife while caring for the world’s growing population(人口).
1. “Protect wildlife” means ______.| A．保护野生动物 | B．保护每一个生命 |
| C．猎杀野生动物 | D．关爱野生动物 |
| A．was understood in India centuries ago |
| B．was described by an India writer about 3,300 years ago |
| C．is not met in many centuries ago |
| D．is not carried out in the forests as well as in national parks |
| A．hunters were given permits to hunt games |
| B．all animals were to be killed |
| C．the game of killing animals was controlled |
| D．no killing of animals was allowed |
4. According to the report, men trying to save wildlife are thinking about ______ as well.
| A．the animals in national parks | B．stricter laws against hunting |
| C．the trees in the forests | D．the growth of the population |
5 . Baron Pierre de Coubertin was a Frenchman. At his time sports were not taught in French schools. De Coubertin believed that sports should go hand in hand with studies. He had an idea. His idea was to begin the Olympics all over again.
Sports teachers of other countries liked De Coubertin ideas. So in 1896, the modern Olympic Games were held in Athens, Greece. Since then the Olympics have been held once every four years, except three times, when there were wars.
The modern Olympic games have many foot races and field sports programs. The longest race in the games is called marathon.
Before the start of the Olympic Games, runners carry lighted torch( 火炬 ) through many nations towards the stadium where the games will be held. These sportsmen are from different countries. Yet they work together to carry the Olympic torch. It is passed from runner to runner, When the last runner enters the stadium, he or she places the torch in a special basin filled with oil. It catches fire. It is then, only then, that the Olympic Games can begin.
The Olympic flame burns throughout the games. It is the flame of peace.
1. Before 1896 French schools didn't teach ______.| A．match | B．history |
| C．sports | D．physics |
| A．In Athens,Greece | B．In German |
| C．In French | D．In Russia |
| A．1896 | B．1904 |
| C．1915 | D．1924 |
6 . Paris is a museum city. There are hundreds of them, big and small. But, most importantly, they are excellent, some of the best on the planet. From the Louvre to the Musée d’Orsay to the Centre Pompidou, you could spend a lifetime wandering the halls of the city’s great museums. Here are some of the best museums in Paris.
The Louvre
The world’s ultimate museum is also the biggest one and the most visited. The 35,000 art objects on display are all overshadowed by one single painting—Mona Lisa, in the Renaissance era.
Jeu de Paume
Set in the Tuileries Gardens next to the Louvre, Jeu de Paume’s past lives were of a tennis court and then a museum which housed Impressionist art. Today it is Paris’s main photography and video museum. It also occasionally shows art-house films.
Musée d’Orsay
Housed in a former railway station on the Left Bank of the Seine, the museum opened in 1986 and today houses the planet’s largest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist artworks. If you like 19th-century natural landscapes with rural lives and tastes, this is the place to take it all in.
Musée du Quai Branly
As Paris’s main home to non-European art, objects, and culture, this Jean Nouvel-designed museum exhibits a collection of 3,500 pieces, many of which were taken from various countries during the vast period of French Colonialism. There are objects from Quebec and Louisiana from the time when the regions were under French control. There are also Indian sculptures, masks from West Africa and other aesthetic delights.
1. Which is the best and most admired exhibit in the Louvre?| A．Mona Lisa. | B．Renaissance. |
| C．Lady Era. | D．Unknown. |
| A．Jeu de Paume. | B．The Louvre. |
| C．Musée d’Orsay. | D．Musée du Quai Branly. |
| A．it houses non-European objects | B．it used to be a tennis court |
| C．it shows the 19th-century rural scenery | D．it is Paris’s largest museum |
7 . The United Nations Cultural Organization, or UNESCO, meets each year to choose the latest additions to its World Heritage list. Today, we look at some of the recent additions:
Churches of the Pskov School of Architecture (Russia)
A group of ancient structures in the city of Pskov make up Russia’s newest UNESCO World Heritage Site. The structures, many of which are churches, all were designed by the Pskov School Architecture. It was a leading school of building design in the country, especially in the 15th and 16th centuries. Some elements common to Pskov architecture date back to the 11th century.
Writing-on-Stone (Canada)
Canada’s Writing-on-Stone monument, known also as Aisinai’ pi, has a large number of protected rock paintings and rock carvings. Some of them are 2,000 years old. The markings were left by Blackfoot Native Americans, who live in parts of Western Canada and the far northern United States. The land that makes up writing-on-Stone is filled with rock columns that have been formed by erosion (侵蚀) into “spectacular shapes”.
Babylon (Iraq)
The ancient city of Babylon is gaining World Heritage Site status. The city was once a main tourist site before Iraq suffered several wars. The 4, 300-year-old Babylon is where dynasties have risen and fallen since the earliest days of settled human civilization UNESCO says the site “offers a look into one of the most influential empires of the ancient world”.
Paraty and IIha Grande (Brazil)
The historic coastal town of Paraty and the island IIha Grande are already popular places for visitors to Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro state. Now, they make up a newly named UNESCO site. Paraty was the final stop along the gold Route, along which gold was shipped to Europe in the 1600s. The area is also home to a huge number of animals some of which are threatened.
1. What do we know about Russia’s newest UNSCO World Heritage Site?| A．They merely are various churches. |
| B．They are a group of ancient school. |
| C．Their paintings are 2,000 years old. |
| D．Their designs came from the same school. |
| A．Iraq. | B．Brazil. |
| C．Russia. | D．Canada. |
| A．It has rich wildlife resources. |
| B．It has many famous churches. |
| C．It used to be a gold mining site. |
| D．It has many rock paintings and rock carvings. |
8 . A trip to the Natural History Museum is the perfect family day out in London. There is so much to explore!
Site: Cromwell Road, London SW7 51313
Opening hours: Open daily 10:00-17:50; Last entry 17:30; Closed 24-26 December
Upcoming events
Wildlife Photographer of the Year
10 October 2019-31 January 2020
Event type: Exhibition
Ticket price: ￡8.25-￡13.90
Explore the world's best nature photography, with great lighting effects.
Orbit: A Journey Around Earth in Real Time
21 October 2019-5 January 2020
Event type: Film
Ticket price: Free, no ticket needed
Appreciate the beauty of our home planet from space in this film by Sean Doran with music by Phaelch.
Natural History Museum Ice Rink(溜冰场)
19 October 2019-12 January 2020
Event type: Visitor
Ticket price: Adults from ￡12.65, children from ￡8.80, families from ￡39.60
Get your skates on this winter in front of the Waterhouse building, with fairy lights on and frost-covered trees standing around.
Museum of the Moon
17 May 2019-5 January 2020
Event type: Exhibition
Ticket price: Free, no booking needed
Museum of the Moon is a touring artwork by UK artist Luke Jerram. Since 2016, this six-meter model has been circling the globe, lighting up spaces from Bilbao to Beijing.
Safety notice
Bags and other personal items will be inspected when you enter the Museum. Please do not bring anything sharp including knives and scissors to the Museum.
Smoke free
Smoking (including the use of electronic cigarettes) is not allowed in the Museum.
1. If you travel to London in late January 2020, which event can you go to?| A．Museum of the Moon. | B．Natural History Museum Ice Rink. |
| C．Wildlife Photographer of the Year. | D．Orbit: A Journey Around Earth in Real Time. |
| A．Going skating in the Ice Rink. | B．Circling the globe. |
| C．Exploring the best nature photography. | D．Watching a film about the earth. |
| A．A diary. | B．A novel. |
| C．A travel guide. | D．A menu. |
9 . Joseph Francis Charles Rock (1884–1962) was an Austrian-American explorer, botanist, and anthropologist(人类学家). For more than 25 years, he travelled extensively through Tibet and Yunnan, Gansu, and Sichuan provinces in China before finally leaving in 1949.
In 1924, Harvard sent Joseph Francis Rock on a treasure hunt through China’s southwestern provinces—the Wild West of their day. But gold and silver weren’t his task : Rock, a distinguished botanist, sought only to fill his bags with all the seeds, saplings, and shrubs he could find. During his three-year expedition, he collected 20,000 specimens for the Arnold Arboretum(阿诺德植物园).
Botany, though, was just one of Rock’s strengths. As an ethnologist(民族学者), he took hundreds of photographs of the Naxi, a tribe in Yunnan province, recording their now-lost way of life for both Harvard and National Geographic, and took notes for an eventual 500-page dictionary of their language. His hand-drawn map of his travels through China’s “Cho-Ni” territory, in the Harvard Map Collection, includes more than a thousand rivers, towns, and mountains indicated in both English and Chinese, and was so well made that the U.S. government used it to plan aerial missions in World War II.
Scientist, linguist, cartographer, photographer, writer—Rock was not a wallflower in any sense. Arrogant and self-possessed, he would walk into a village or warlord’s place “as if he owned the place,” said Lisa Pearson, the Arboretum’s head librarian.
In declaring his successful return under the headline “Seeking Strange Flowers, in the Far Reaches of the World” , the Boston Evening Transcript ran a large photo of the daring explorer wearing in a woolly coat and fox-skin hat. “In discussing his heroism including hair-raising escapes from death either from mountain slides, snow slides and robber armies, he waves the idea away as if it is of no importance.”
The Arboretum and Rock parted ways after 1927, mainly because his trip cost Harvard a fortune—about $900,000 in today’s dollars. Fortunately, many of his specimens, many of his amazing photos, and his great stories remain.
1. What is the passage mainly about?| A．Rock’s service for the U.S government. |
| B．Rock’s cooperation with Harvard. |
| C．Rock’s work as a botanist. |
| D．Rock’s exploration in Southwest China. |
| A．He traveled through some uncivilized places in China. |
| B．His hand-drawn map was used in WWII. |
| C．He showed heroism by escaping difficulties. |
| D．He made headlines in Boston Evening News. |
| A．Excitedly. | B．Proudly. |
| C．Calmly | D．Nervously. |
| A．The vast expense. | B．The dangerous journey. |
| C．The challenging tasks. | D．The unknown world. |
10 . My fourth-grader came home from school crying recently, after discovering that she hadn’t been invited to a birthday party. I wanted to join in her pity party.
I, too, had just seen pictures of a gathering on social media. I was asleep by 9:00 that night, unaware of all the fun things that were happening.
I always assumed that FOMO (fear of missing out) was a feeling reserved for kids and teens. But FOMO affects every age group. In fact, there’s a scientific explanation for FOMO: Our survival as a species is based on being included in group activities. In order to survive, we must share resources and work as a team.
In a 2018 study published in Motivation and Emotion, researchers found that FOMO is felt by everyone, regardless of their personality. And while FOMO was originally based on survival, today it is associated with sleep problems, fatigue and stress.
When scrolling through social media, we see the best versions of people’s lives and we think we should be doing something to feel more fulfilled and satisfied, instead of focusing on activities that actually give us joy, said Meha Agrawal, founder and CEO of Silk & Sonder, a self-care and mental wellness subscription experience for women.
Cutting back on your social media time would help curtail your FOMO feelings. But you can also decide to change your thinking. “You always get to choose your thoughts,” said Vikki Louise, an anxiety coach. “The concept of missing out is subjective: You always decide if you are missing out.”
Additionally, connecting with the reasons you chose not to participate and owning your choice can go a long way, said Adi Jaffe, mental health expert and lecturer at UCLA. This is true even if you didn’t actually make the choice to be excluded.
1. How did the author reacted to her daughter’s incident?| A．She didn’t approve of her daughter’s sadness. |
| B．She wanted to throw a party for her daughter. |
| C．She herself wanted to cry about missing fun things. |
| D．She tried to comfort and cheer up her daughter. |
| A．People want to do more in their work or personal lives. |
| B．People would like to feel more fulfilled and satisfied. |
| C．Joining others in more fun activities is human nature. |
| D．Being included is originally a need for survival. |
| A．It can lead to sleep issues and stress. |
| B．It helps us achieve more in work and life. |
| C．It gives us joy and a sense of belonging. |
| D．It makes people do more fulfilling things. |
| A．My Forth-Grader’s Pity Party | B．Feelings Helping Humans Survive |
| C．The Scientific Explanation for FOMO | D．FOMO: Reasons, Effect and Solution |
