1 . China was a latecomer to space exploration, and in the movies, it has been a latecomer to science fiction. That has probably changed.
The country’s first blockbuster (大片) set in space, The Wandering Earth, opened in February amid high expectations that it would represent the beginning of a new era in Chinese filmmaking. Shown in 3D, The Wandering Earth takes place in a distant future in which the sun is about to expand into a red giant and devour (吞食) the Earth. The approaching danger forces the world’s engineers to work out a plan to move the planet to a new solar system. Things go very badly when Earth has to pass Jupiter, setting off a desperate fight to save humanity from being totally destroyed.
The Wandering Earth is adapted from a short novel by Liu Cixin, the writer who has led a renaissance in science fiction in China. His works are great epics (史诗) and deeply researched. Translating them into movies would challenge any filmmaker, as the director of The Wandering Earth, Guo Fan, admitted.
Guo noted that Chinese Studios had been cautious about investing the resources required to make convincing science-fiction. The budget for The Wandering Earth reportedly reached nearly $50 million— modest by Hollywood standards but still significant in China. “I really hope this movie will not lose money at least,” said Guo before the movie’s release. The popularity of Liu’s novels could help. So could the fact that China has reached a milestone in space: the landing of a probe (航天探测器) on the far side of the moon in January. Although decades behind Russia and the United States, China has now put astronauts in orbit and has ambitious plans to join---or even lead---a new age of space exploration.
Unlike some typical Hollywood movies, The Wandering Earth does not feature a world-saving hero. The fight to save Earth is fought instead by a group. A vision of international cooperation to cope with the threats facing the Earth is a theme that runs deeply through Liu’s fiction.
1. What message does the success of the movie The Wandering Earth convey?| A．It lives up to the audience’s high expectations. |
| B．It marks a new height of the Chinese filmmaking industry. |
| C．It displays China’s ambition to lead space exploration. |
| D．It sets new and higher standards for Chinese movies. |
| A．giant investment of Chinese studios | B．the high reputation of the film director |
| C．China’s advances in space exploration | D．the deep research and world-saving theme |
| A．A New Era for Space Exploration Begins |
| B．A Film Based on Liu Cixin’s Novel Enjoys Great Popularity |
| C．China’s First Space-Themed Film Features Cooperation |
| D．China’s Film Industry Eventually Joins the Space Race |
2 . Eurail Passes
Ever dreamed of traveling around Europe? If so, then there are several types of Eurail passes available for unlimited rail travel in up to 33 countries. Which one is best for you?
Eurail Global Pass
The Eurail Global Pass is the standard pass, available for unlimited first-class travel for continuous periods ranging from 15 days to three months. Keep in mind that if you choose, say, the 15-day option, you must travel for 15 continuous days; if you skip a day because you want to stay a little longer in Paris, you’ll lose that day of travel.
Eurail Global Pass Flexi
If you’re planning to spend a few days in each city before moving on, the Eurail Global Pass Flexi may be a better option. This pass offers first class travel for any 10 or 15 days within a two-month period. The travel days can be continuous or non-continuous; the choice is yours.
Eurail Select Passes
While Eurail Global Passes are ideal for extensive multinational transportation, travelers who are visiting only three to five countries may be better off purchasing a Eurail Select Pass. With this, you may choose to travel within three, four or five bordering European countries for a duration of five, six, eight or 10 days within a two-month period. If selecting five countries, you also have the option of 15 travel days. The 28 different countries available allow for hundreds of different combinations.
Youth Pass
Travelers between the ages of 12 and 26 can save 35 percent by purchasing the Youth Pass, which essentially provides the same benefits as the regular Eurail Global Pass, except that you travel in second class rather than first class. Passes for children 4–11 cost half of the adult fare, and children under 4 travel free.
1. How is the Eurail Global Pass Flexi different from the Eurail Global Pass?| A．It is more flexible. | B．It is more reliable. |
| C．It is available in more countries. | D．It offers more travel days. |
| A．Traveling through 28 different countries. |
| B．Traveling for five to 10 days in 10 countries. |
| C．Traveling for 15 days in three to five countries. |
| D．Traveling through three to five neighboring countries. |
| A．The Eurail Select Pass. | B．The Youth Pass. |
| C．The Eurail Global Pass. | D．The Eurail Global Pass Flexi. |
3 . No matter where you go around the globe, everybody loves to celebrate. And when it comes to celebration, festivals offer something for everyone.
Mardi Gras （New Orleans, Louisiana）
Also known as Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras in New Orleans is a cultural event. Though the celebration
is held every year on the day before Ash Wednesday, the festivities last for months, banning in November throughout January and early February. And if you love music, check out the annual Galactic concert at the world-famous Tipitina’s on Lundi Gras (the day before Mardi Gras).
La Tomatina （Valencia, Spain）
Launched way back in 1945, La Tomatina is one of the oldest festivals on our list. It's also easily the happiest but the messiest, coming off like the world's biggest food fight.
Legend has it that the whole thing started when some local boys joined a parade alongside musicians. The boys made the performers so angry that they tried hit the boys, and a vendor's (小摊贩)vegetable stand fell victim to the incident.
If you go, please follow some simple rules: Don't throw hard objects, squash the tomato before throwing it, stay a safe distance away from tomato trucks, and stop in time.
Montreux Jazz Festival （Switzerland）
Founded back in 1967, Montreux is one of the oldest music festivals in the world. It's also the second largest jazz festival, after the Montreal International Jazz Festival. That Canadian concert may attract more visitors-around 2 million annually. But Montreux benefits from its pretty location on the attractive shores of Lake Geneva. The area is particularly beautiful in late June/early July, when the festival is held.
1. When is Galactic concert held?| A．On Mardi Gras. | B．On Lundi Gras. |
| C．On Montreux Jazz Festival. | D．On La Tomatina. |
| A．Punish naughty boys. | B．Enjoy musicians' performance. |
| C．Throw tomatoes without hurting. | D．Catch people who destroy tomatoes. |
| A．News report. | B．Academic journal. |
| C．Conceit brochure. | D．Travel magazine. |
4 . Windows are a key component in a building's design, but they are also the least energy- efficient part. According to a 2009 report by the United Nations, buildings account for 40 percent of global energy usage, and windows are responsible for half of that energy consumption. If conventional windows are used to better block sunlight passing into a building, they need expensive coatings. Even so, they can not adjust the indoor temperature effectively.
Scientists at the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU) have developed a smart liquid window panel that can help. By creating a mixture of micro-hydrogel (水凝胶), water, and a stabilizer, they found that it can effectively reduce energy consumption in a variety of climates. Thanks to the hydrogel, the mixture becomes hard-to-see- through when exposed to heat, thus blocking sunlight, and, when cool, it returns to its original clear state. The high heat capacity of water allows a large amount of heat energy to be stored instead of getting transferred through the glass and into the building during the hot daytime when office buildings mainly operate. The heat will then be gradually cooled and released at night when the staff are off duty.
As a proof of concept, the scientists conducted outdoor tests in hot (Singapore, Guangzhou) and cold (Beijing) environments. The Singapore test revealed that the smart liquid window had a lower temperature (50°C) during the hottest time of the day (noon) compared to a normal glass window (84°C), The Beijing tests showed that the room using the smart liquid window consumed 11 percent less energy to maintain the same temperature compared to the room with a normal glass window. They also measured when the highest value of stored heat energy of the day occurred. This "temperature peak" in the normal glass window was 2 pm, and in the smart liquid window was shifted to 3 pm. If this temperature peak shift leads to a shift in the time when a building needs to draw on electrical power to cool or warm the building, it should result in lower energy charges for users. The research team is seeking ways to cut down the cost of producing the smart window and so far, they have found several industry partners to commercialize it.
1. What is the disadvantage of conventional windows?| A．They are expensive. |
| B．They are not heatproof. |
| C．They contribute less to energy saving. |
| D．They can't block light into the building. |
| A．By taking in much of heat energy. |
| B．By returning to its original clear state. |
| C．By getting most of sunlight transferred. |
| D．By spreading sunlight in different directions. |
| A．It will make the windows long-lasting. |
| B．It could help the building users reduce costs. |
| C．It makes the buildings rely on no electrical power. |
| D．It helps the windows maintain a constant temperature. |
| A．It will be unaffordable. |
| B．It needs to be further improved. |
| C．It will be widely used in the city. |
| D．It will come onto the market soon. |
5 . With the world’s attention on vaccines (疫苗), now feels like a good moment to sing the praises of an often forgotten contribution to their development. Three hundred years ago this month, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu got her daughter inoculated (接种) against smallpox, making her child the first person in the West to be protected in this way. Without Montagu’s willingness to adopt a practice she had learned from other cultures, the introduction of vaccines around 80 years later would never have taken place.
Montagu first witnessed inoculation when she accompanied her husband to Turkey in 1717. Inoculation had started in Asia, probably in China, as early as the 10th century AD. Montagu observed how older women in Turkey took a tiny amount of pus (脓) from a person with smallpox. They then used needles to make cuts on people’s wrists and ankles and added the pus to their bloodstream. This helped people gain immunity from future infection.
Like other visitors to the country, Montagu took steps to ensure that her son was inoculated in Turkey. This worked well, but she knew that trying it in England would be far more challenging. Inoculation performed by unlicensed amateurs would threaten doctors’ professional standing and potentially rob them of valuable income. Churchmen also disagree with the practice, as they saw it as going against nature.
Back in England, Montagu observed the increased severity of smallpox infections. Eventually, in April 1721, she decided to use the Turkish practice to have her daughter inoculated, because she believed that the rewards would outweigh the risks. After a safe time had passed following the inoculation, Montagu allowed doctors to examine her daughter.
Doctors in Britain gradually accepted the practice. About so years later, a pioneering physician found smallpox vaccines to destroy smallpox completely. As early as last century, academics argued that Montagu was no more than an enthusiastic amateur. In truth, she made a vital scientific contribution towards finding the cure for smallpox.
1. What is the second paragraph mainly about?| A．The origin of smallpox inoculation. |
| B．Montagu’s first access to inoculation. |
| C．The benefits from smallpox inoculation. |
| D．Turkish women’s invention of inoculation. |
| A．it was against human nature | B．it might harm doctors’ interests |
| C．it was beyond doctors’ abilities | D．it might shake churchmen’s belief |
| A．The increased severity of smallpox infections. |
| B．A physician’s discovery of smallpox vaccines. |
| C．The result of Montagu’s daughter’s inoculation. |
| D．Montagu’s focus on its rewards rather than its risks. |
| A．An unsung hero | B．No limit to creation |
| C．Development of vaccines | D．A historic medical innovation |
6 . Your best friend that follows you around when the sun comes out - your shadow - doesn’t serve an important function like your heart or brain, but what if you could use shadows to create electricity? When using solar panels (电池板) that are powered by light, shadows can be boring because it means electricity can’t be created. However, researchers from the National University of Singapore have engineered a way to create power from the shadows present everywhere.
A team of the university created a machine that can collect energy from shadows. It is created by placing a thin coating of gold onto silicon (硅). Like in a normal solar panel, when put in light, the silicon electrons (电子) become energized and the energized electrons then jump from the silicon to the gold. The voltage (电压) of the part of the machine that is placed in the light increases relative to the dark part and the electrons in the machine flow from high to low voltage. They are sent through an external circuit (外电路) creating a current that can be used to power another machine. The greater the contrast between light and dark, more energy is provided by the machine.
The team is working on improving the performance of the machine, borrowing approaches from solar panels to gather light. Increasing the amount of light the machines can receive allows them to better make use of shadows, as well as developing shadow energy collecting panels that can successfully gather from indoor lighting. The team is also researching the use of other materials other than gold to drop the price of the machine, meaning they would be more cost effective and easier to apply in society.
Shadows are present everywhere and perhaps one day in the future we will be able to collect energy from them by placing the shadow-effect energy machine around the world in places that have been considered unfit for solar panels to work, or indoors. “A lot of people think that shadows are useless,” Tan says, but “anything can be useful, even shadows.”
1. What is Paragraph 1 mainly about?| A．Your best friend always stays with you after the sunrise. |
| B．The shadow has the same function as the heart and brain. |
| C．Shadows can stop solar panels from creating electricity. |
| D．Researchers have found a way to create power from shadows. |
| A．The silicon produces electricity when it is in the light. |
| B．The gold produces power with the help of the silicon. |
| C．The energized electrons flow from high to low voltage. |
| D．An external circuit creates current using another machine. |
| A．Using solar panels in the machine. |
| B．Increasing the amount of light received. |
| C．Developing light energy collecting panels. |
| D．Bringing down the price of gold. |
| A．A gym. | B．A park. | C．A farm. | D．A playground. |
7 . If history doesn't quite repeat itself, it certainly rhymes. With demand for bicycles rocketing, and nations preparing to spend billions of dollars to redesign their cities with a new focus on cycling and walking, it's worth remembering how the invention of the bicycle in the late 19th century transformed societies the world over. It was a hugely revolutionary technology, easily equal to the smartphone today. For a few heady years in the 1890s, the bicycle was the best must-have—swift, affordable, stylish transportation that could take you anywhere you cared to go, anytime you liked, for free.
Almost anyone could learn to ride, and almost everyone did. The sultan of Zanzibar（a former Muslim country）took up cycling. So did the king of Russia. But it was the middle and working classes around the globe that truly made the bicycle their own. For the first time in history, the masses were mobile, able to come and go as they pleased. No more need for expensive horses and carriages.
Society was transformed. Women were especially enthusiastic, abandoning their burden some Victorian skirts, adopting reasonable clothes, and taking to the road in groups. “I think bicycling has done more to liberate women than anything else in the world,” Susan B. Anthony, the American champion of women's suffrage（选举权）said in an interview with The New York Sunday World in 1896. “I stand and feel thrilled every time I see a woman ride by on a wheel...the picture of unrestricted womanhood.”
By 1898 cycling had become such a popular activity in the United States that The New York Journal of Commerce claimed it was costing restaurants and theaters more than $ 100 million a year in lost business. Bicycle manufacturing became one of America's biggest and most advanced industries. A third of all patent applications were bicycle-related—so many that the US patent office had to build a separate building to deal with them all.
The arrival of the bicycle touched virtually every aspect of life—art, music, literature, fashion, and even the human gene pool. English songwriter Henry Dacre scored a huge hit on both sides of the Atlantic in 1892 with Daisy Bell and its famous refrain（副歌）A Bicycle Built for Two.
1. Why did the author consider the bicycle as a revolutionary technology?| A．It cost its owner too much money. | B．It harmed the cyclists' health at first. |
| C．It had a huge influence on the society. | D．It made people redesign their city buildings. |
| A．It changed public morals. | B．It made women more united. |
| C．It offered women more freedom. | D．It made Victorian skirts more popular. |
| A．Bicycle-related patent applications. | B．Interviews with cyclists. |
| C．Bicycle management charges. | D．Broken restaurants and theaters. |
| A．Business and economy. | B．Environment and energy. |
| C．Entertainment and sports. | D．History and culture. |
8 . The practice of encouraging laughter with the sound of laughter itself dates back to the 16th century. During performances of Shakespearean plays, there were people who laughed at just the right moments. This would cause other members of the audience to laugh in a similar way, thus making the show seem funnier.
Centuries later, when comedy programs were popular on radio, the sound of a laughing audience was a natural part of performances that were aired live. To make sure his performances were aired at the same time in each time zone, actor Bing Crosby had his show prerecorded. Eventually, one of the show's writers realized that big laughs from old recordings could be added in to follow new jokes. So the world was introduced to canned laughter.
When TV came along, laugh tracks were recorded from the live studio audience that was present at a show. But sometimes, the audience didn't laugh at the expected time, making these moments seem dull to those watching at home. To fix this problem, TV audio engineer Charley Douglass invented a machine called the Laff Box.
Douglass' Laff Box was a collection of tapes connected to different keys. Each tape contained canned laughter that-was-carefully selected by Douglass for its particular quality. For example, one tape might have produced very soft laughs, while another produced loud cackles(咯咯笑). The machine could be played almost like a musical instrument: if the live audience didn't laugh enough, Douglass would “sweeten” the audio by adding the right amount and type of canned laughter. This technique could even be used when no audience was present, as with cartoons. Critics have long claimed that canned laughter is merely a trick to make people laugh at bad jokes. Live laugh tracks, however, can still be heard on popular modern shows like The Big Bang theory. Sometimes it's just more fun to share in the laughter - canned or otherwise.
1. What is mentioned about Shakespearean plays?| A．They were sometimes broadcast on radio. |
| B．Most of these plays weren't funny enough. |
| C．Some viewers were purposefully arranged to laugh. |
| D．Canned laughter was used during the performances. |
| A．Bing Crosby's older jokes got more laughs. |
| B．Bing Crosby' show was aired live worldwide. |
| C．Bing Crosby's team made comedy programs popular. |
| D．Bino Crosby's team brought canned laughter into existence. |
| A．It can offer many types of laughter. |
| B．It is inconvenient for people to use. |
| C．It isn't allowed by law today. |
| D．It can make bad jokes funny. |
| A．By giving examples. | B．By analyzing reasons. |
| C．By following time order. | D．By making comparisons. |
9 . Baby foods on market generally contain too much sugar, causing a source of health concern, a new report by World Health Organization (WHO) says.
The United Nations specialized agency on public health based the conclusion on an examination by its European office of about 8, 000 baby food products on shelf between. November 2019 and January 2020. It warns that the very high level of sugars present in commercial products is a cause for concern. They increase the risk of overweight and teeth holes while causing a lifetime eating habit in favor of sugary foods.
“In around half of the products examined, more than 30 percent of calories were from total sugars and around a third of products contained added sugar or other sweetening agents,” the world health body said in the report released on Monday to update guidelines for babies’ diets. The examination that covered more than 500 stores in Austria, Bulgaria, Israel and Hungary also finds the labels of up to 60 percent of the inspected food are misleading consumers by claiming to suit babies under six months old.
In the report, countries are advised to make new laws on controlling high sugar intake, ban added sugars and sweeteners in baby foods, and put an end to the promotion of breast milk substitutes. It also requires labels on candies and sweetened drinks, including fruit juices and condensed (压缩) milk, to state they are not suitable for children under three. Meanwhile, WHO recommends that children between six months and two years be fed nutrient-rich home-prepared foods.
“WHO has long recommended that babies receive only breast milk for the first six months of life. Good nutrition in babyhood and early childhood remains the key to ensuring best child growth and development, and to better health outcomes later in life,” said Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO regional director for Europe, in a statement.
1. How did WHO get the finding?| A．By testing baby foods’ flavour. | B．By examining some baby foods. |
| C．By monitoring baby foods’ production. | D．By conducting an interview about baby foods. |
| A．Some of them are selling poor baby foods. |
| B．They have broken the laws about baby foods. |
| C．Their baby foods have damaged babies’ health. |
| D．They are taking action to change the present situation. |
| A．The experts’ guidance. | B．The consumers’ cooperation. |
| C．The stores’ being closed down. | D．The government’s involvement. |
| A．Condensed milk. | B．Fruit juice. | C．Breast milk. | D．Home-prepared foods. |
10 . Experts are warning about the risks of extremely picky(挑剔的)eating after a teenager living on a diet of chips and crisps developed lasting sight loss. Eye doctors in Bristol cared for the 17-year-old after his sight had gone to the point of blindness. Tests showed he had serious vitamin deficiency(缺乏). Dr. Denize Atan, who treated him at the hospital, said, “His diet was basically a portion of chips from the local fish and chip shop every day. He also used to snack on crisps and sometimes white bread and ham, and not really any fruit and vegetables.”
The teenager saw his doctor at the age of 14 because he had been feeling tired and unwell. At that time he suffered from vitamin B12 deficiency, but he did not stick with the treatment or improve his poor diet. Three years later, he was taken to the Bristol Eye Hospital because of progressive sight loss.
He was not overweight or underweight, but he had lost minerals from his bones, which was really quite shocking for a boy of his age. In terms of his sight loss, he met the standards of being blind. “He had blind spots right in the middle of his sight,” said Dr Denize Atan, “That means he can’t drive and would find it really arduous to read, watch TV or recognize faces.”
Dr Denize Atan said that parents should learn about the harm that can be caused by picky eating, and turn to experts for help. For those who are concerned , she advised, “It’s best not to be anxious about picky eating , and instead calmly introduce one or two new foods with every meal.” She said multivitamin tablets can supplement(补充) a diet, but cannot take the place of eating healthily. “It’s much better to take in vitamins through a varied and balanced diet,” she said, adding that too many certain vitamins , including vitamin A, can be harmful ,“so you don’t want to overdo it.”
1. What does Dr Denize Atan imply in paragraph 1?| A．The diet of the boy is not balanced. |
| B．Fruit and vegetables are rich in vitamins. |
| C．Picky eating is common among teenagers. |
| D．The cause of the boy’s disease is unknown. |
| A．To improve his poor diet. |
| B．To get some help to lose weight. |
| C．To be treated for his discomfort. |
| D．To slow down his progressive sight loss. |
| A．Important. | B．Easy. | C．Necessary. | D．Difficult. |
| A．Reasons why the boy is seriously ill. |
| B．Suggestions for the boy’s family to care for him. |
| C．Advice for parents worried about picky eating. |
| D．Ways of taking in enough vitamins and minerals. |
