1 . People who play drums regularly for years differ from unmusical people in their brain structure and function. The results of a study by researchers from Bochum suggest that they have fewer, but thicker fibers in the main connecting tract between the brain hemispheres(半球). In addition, their motor brain areas are organized more efficiently. This is the conclusion drawn by a research team headed by Dr. Lara. It was published in the journal Brain and Behavior, online on 4 December 2019.
The researchers were interested in drummers because their movement control far surpasses that of untrained people. "Most people can only perform fine motor tasks with one hand and have problems playing different rhythms with both hands at the same time," explains Lara, "Drummers can do things that are impossible for untrained people."
The team intended to gain new insights into the organization of complex motor processes in the brain by identifying the changes in the brain caused by this training. The researchers tested 20 professional drummers who have played their instrument for an average of 17 years and currently practice for more than ten hours per week. They examined them using various MRI imaging techniques that provide insights into the structure and function of the brain. They then compared the data with measurements of 24 unmusical control subjects. Both groups had to play drums to test their abilities and were then examined in the MRI scanner.
Drummers presented clear differences in the front part of the corpus callosum(胼胝体)responsible for motor planning. The data indicated that the drummers had fewer but thicker fibers in this important connecting tract. This allows musicians to exchange information between the hemispheres more quickly than the controls.
Although drummers might be good at motor coordination, they are less active in motor tasks than that of control subjects. This phenomenon indicates that a more efficient brain organization in the areas leads to less activation in professionals.
1. Which has the closest meaning with the underlined word in Paragraph 2?| A．Correspond with. | B．Go beyond | C．Differ from. | D．Fall behind. |
| A．By analyzing previous study. |
| B．By organizing complex motor tasks. |
| C．By testing their abilities and scanning the brains. |
| D．By comparing amateur drummers and unmusical people. |
| A．They are more active in motor tasks. |
| B．They can play rhythms more quickly. |
| C．They have better imagination and insights. |
| D．They have more efficient brain organization. |
| A．Playing drums changes the brain. |
| B．Playing drums can be trained. |
| C．Playing music makes you active. |
| D．Playing music brings benefits. |
2 . Your action can speak louder than your words. It is important to know another language and how to communicate without words when you are in another country. Before saying anything, people communicate with each other by using gestures. However, many gestures have different meanings, or no meaning at all, in different parts of the world.
In the United States, nodding your head up and down means “yes”, while in some parts of Greece and Turkey, it means “no”. In the southeast of Asia, it is a polite way of saying “I heard you”.
Today in the USA, when someone puts his thumb up, it means “Everything is all right.” However, in Greece it is bad manners to do so. Also putting your clasped hands up above your head means “I am the winner.” It is the sign which players often make. In Russia it is the sign of friendship.
In the USA, holding your hand up with the thumb and index finger in a circle, and the other three straight means “Everything is OK.” In France, it means “You are worth nothing.”
It is also important to make eye communication. If you look down when talking to an American, he or she may feel that you are shy, or you are trying to hide something.
Besides these, you should also know there are some topics that can not be talked about, such as age, weight and marriage. You can talk about the weather, work, sports, food, where one lives and news of the day.
1. What does the sentence “Your action can speak louder than your words” in paragraph 1 mean?| A．What you do is better than what you say. |
| B．You try your best to be polite. |
| C．You are better understood by your gestures than through your words. |
| D．What you say is better than what you do. |
| A．Greece. | B．the USA. | C．England. | D．China. |
| A．Putting your clasped hands up above the head means friendship in Greece. |
| B．You can express “You are worth nothing” by putting your thumb up in France. |
| C．Making eye communication is not important in a talk. |
| D．Weather, sports, food and work are the topics that can be talked. |
3 . When Dr. Stanley Fineman started as an allergist, he reminded patients to start taking medications and prepare for pollen season in the middle of March. That was about 40 years ago. Today , he tells them to start around the middle of February.
Since 1990, pollen season across the United States and Canada has been starting earlier, about 20 days earlier. And pollen loads, the amount of pollen released by plants, are 21 percent higher. The main reason for this, a new study found, is global warming.
Other studies have demonstrated North America's allergy, season getting longer and worse. But this one, published in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences, is the first study to make scientific connections between an earlier and more intense pollen season with human-caused climate change. The study says the warmer the Earth gets, the earlier spring starts for animals and plants, especially plants that release pollen. Additionally, plants yield more pollen when they drink in carbon dioxide.
Since 1990,about half of the earlier pollen seasons were linked to climate change — mostly from warmer temperatures. And carbon dioxide played a part. Since the 2000s, about 65 percent of earlier pollen seasons can be blamed on wanning. And about 8 percent of the increased pollen loads can be blamed on climate change. Bill Anderegg, the lead writer of the study, said, u climate change is here and it's in every breath we take. This is clearly warming temperatures and more carbon dioxide, giving rise to more pollen in the air. ”
Chris Downs of St. Louis, Missouri already has problems with breathing, headaches, and red itchy eyes. His allergies usually hit in March. But the last two years, they came in early February. "As a kid I never saw anything start blooming in February, " Downs said, "Now I see a handful of years like that. " This is not just a matter of sneezing and watery eyes. There are more serious health concerns. A University of Maryland scientist said the pollen is a risk for other diseases including asthma.
1. Why is Dr. Stanley's advice mentioned in paragraph 1?| A．To arouse the readers’ interest. |
| B．To define the term "pollen season”. |
| C．To caution the readers about global warming. |
| D．To emphasize his capacity as an allergist. |
| A．Carbon dioxide is the main reason for earlier pollen season. |
| B．Warming temperatures account for more carbon dioxide. |
| C．Half of the increased pollen loads are due to climate change. |
| D．The impact of climate on early pollen seasons has been increasing. |
| A．His allergies have been more severe. |
| B．He sees more blossoms than before. |
| C．His symptoms were ahead of time since two years ago. |
| D．He has suffered from allergies since he was a kid. |
| A．causes of asthma |
| B．measures of preventing global warming |
| C．connection between asthma and pollen season |
| D．advice on how to protect yourself against pollen |
4 . The National Geographic Museum in Washington D. C. hosts rotating exhibitions year-round.
The National Geographic Museum
1145 17th Street, NW
Washington, D. C. 20036
Museum Hours: Monday — Sunday: 10:00 A. M. — 6:00 P. M.
Closed on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day
Museum Ticket Pricing
Adults | $ 15. 00 |
Students/Military/Seniors (over 62) | $ 12. 00 |
Children (ages 5 — 12) | $ 10. 00 |
Children (ages 4 and under) | FREE |
Contributing Member | FREE |
You can purchase tickets online, over the phone Monday — Friday through our ticket office, or in person daily from 10:00 a. m. to 5:00 p.m. at our National Geographic Museum ticket desk. We recommend purchasing ahead of time, as many of our events sell out quickly.
About Your Visit
With a wide range of changing exhibitions, the National Geographic Museum is a perfect destination for all ages. Visitors get to know the work of National Geographic conservationists, photographers, and scientists through charming, dynamic exhibitions, which feature everything from photography and world-famous artifacts to interactive learning stations and behind-the-scenes stories.
During Your Visit
We do not store bags or any other personal items. We do offer a small coat rack and umbrella bins. There is no food or drink allowed inside the museum. Seating is available in each exhibition.
The National Geographic Society has a cafe and a cafeteria located in our M Street building. Our cafe is open from 10:00 a. m. to 4:30 p. m. and the cafeteria from 11:30 a. m. to 2:00 p. m. Monday through Friday. Both are closed Saturdays and Sundays.
Contact Us
The National Geographic Ticket Office: 202-857-7700 | ngtickets@ngs.org (Monday — Friday, 10 a. m. to 4 p. m.)
Group Sales: 202-807 -3232 | groupsales@ ngs. org
1. When can you visit the National Geographic Museum?| A．At 8:00 a. m., Friday. | B．At 7:00 p. m. Monday. |
| C．At 2:00 p. m., Christmas. | D．At 11:30 a. m. Sunday. |
| A．$30. | B．$60. | C．$ 66. | D．$ 101. |
| A．Visit groupsales@ngs.org. | B．Call 202-857-7700. |
| C．Go to M Street building in person. | D．Book them in advance at ngtickets&ngs.org. |
5 . In a country where over 80% of residents live in public housing, a government commitment to sustainable urban design could have huge influence. And when it’ s a tropical country like Singapore where convenience and air conditioning are a way of life, the impact could be greater still.
Promising 42,000 new homes across five residential districts, the eco-town of Tengah will be the 24th new settlement built by Singapore’ s government since World War Ⅱ. It is, however, the first with centralized cooling, automated trash collection and a car-free town center, with which environment lovers hope to offer a roadmap for reducing carbon emissions in the Southeast Asian city-state.
The development is named as “Forest Town” by officials, due to its abundant greenery and public gardens. Once home to brickmaking factories, and later used for military training, the 2.7-square-mile site has been reclaimed by a forest in recent years. A 328-foot-wide ecological “corridor” will be maintained through its center, providing safe passage to wildlife and connecting a water catchment area on one side to a nature reserve on the other.
The project has proven a new plan for urban planners supporting green design principles and “smart” technology, according to Chong Fook Loong, group director for research and planning at Singapore’s Housing and Development Board, the agency overseeing the country’s public housing. “Tengah is a new start,” he said in a video interview, explaining that roads and parking are being pushed beneath the town center. “We’re going for the ideal concept of separated traffic, with everything underground and then the ground level totally freed up for pedestrians — for people. So, it’s a very safe environment for all.”
“We want a town that allows walking and cycling in a very user-friendly manner,” he added, saying that cycling has “taken off” in Singapore in the “last three to five years especially”. The master plan will see the installation (安装) of electric vehicle charging stations.
1. What is special about the 24h new settlement?| A．It can house 42,000 people. | B．It will be well equipped. |
| C．It will be built by the government. | D．It will be environmentally friendly. |
A． . |
B． . |
C． . |
D． . |
| A．A parking lot will put in the town center. |
| B．Separated traffic will be applied. |
| C．Bikes will be able to fly in the near future. |
| D．All masters will install charging stations. |
| A．Ways to reduce carbon emissions |
| B．A green roadmap for Singapore |
| C．Eco’ smart’ city of Singapore |
| D．A smart electric vehicle technology |
6 . When you are having dinner, do you eat up all the food on your plate or have some leftover? According to the UN, 1. 3 billion tons of food is wasted around the world every year. That’s about one-third of all food produced each year.
We make a survey in 34 countries to see how much food is wasted in different countries. For example, the UAE(阿联酋) wastes the most food, with each person wasting about 1,000 kilos every year on average. However, some countries have worked hard to use their foo resources wisely. France wastes the least amount of food, according to the survey.
France was the first country to pass laws that stop food waste. It’s not allowed to throw away fresh food. Another law forces French restaurants to provide bags for people's leftovers(剩菜剩饭).
China ranked 23rd for food waste in the survey. China's food waste is around 18 million tons every year, enough to feed up to 50 million people for one year. Facing this situation, China has been working hard to reduce food waste. Since early 2013, a movement to prevent food waste called “empty plate” has begun. It has become popular among both government officials and general public.
1. How much food is produced every year around the world?| A．1, 000 kilograms. | B．Nearly 4 billion tons. |
| C．About 1. 3 billion tons. | D．More than 34, 000 kilograms. |
| A．France. | B．China. |
| C．The United States. | D．The UAE. |
| A．produces less food each year |
| B．passed laws to ban food waste |
| C．buys more food from other countries |
| D．started a movement called "empty plate' |
| A．UAE wastes the most food. |
| B．You can throw away fresh food in France. |
| C．China has been working hard to reduce food waste. |
| D．1.3 bilii tons of food is wasted around the world every year. |
| A．Developed countries waste more food. |
| B．How much food the world needs every year. |
| C．Empty plate" has become popular worldwide. |
| D．A survey about food waste in different countries. |
7 . Have you always wanted to make your lifestyle more sustainable? Here are a few tips that community activists, zero-waste experts and eco-friendly shop owners recommend specifically for the pandemic (疫情) .
Start with your own mask
Still using disposable (一次性的) masks or N95s? Hoiyin Ip, an environmental activist in Orange County, suggests you transition to a cloth mask that you can wash along with the rest of your laundry. They are reusable, sustainable and generally more comfortable too.
Eat smart
You may be tired of your own cooking and eating at home. When ordering takeout, Ip suggests asking the restaurant to keep its plastic cutlery (餐具).“Before you walk away with your to-go bag, check, look into your bag to see if you have this stuff, and give it back to the restaurant,”Ip said.
Electronic waste
Once your electronic device has worn out, recycle it. Battery collections in California are down a third compared to last year, he said, because many collection spots have closed or reduced hours. He advises collecting old batteries in a bag and recycling them at a drop-off location near you.
Buy in bulk
Environmental advocate Monica Campagna is creatively adapting by purchasing large quantities of her essentials — like rice, pasta and cereal — and refilling a reusable container at home. While she doesn’t get rid of disposables altogether, buying in bulk avoids lots of small plastic bags, and the bigger bags can be reused.
1. Why does Hoiyin Ip suggest using cloth masks?| A．Generally, there is no need to wash. |
| B．You can spend little money on them. |
| C．They are sustainable and more comfortable. |
| D．They’re strong enough to reuse for a long time. |
| A．Walk away with your to-go bag. |
| B．Don’t take away the restaurant’s cutlery. |
| C．Do your best to cook and eat at home. |
| D．Order takeout to avoid waste. |
| A．still use disposable masks or N95s |
| B．usually go to the restaurant to eat |
| C．throw old batteries into dustbins |
| D．purchase large quantities of your essentials |
8 . Return & Refund Guarantee
The “Returns & Refund Guarantee”（退换货保证）is a promise provided by most sellers for every product they sell on DHgate. Com. When you receive a product that was bought and paid for on our site, and you find it is not as described or is of low quality, you can not contact the seller to solve these problems. DHgate will offer additional help if the seller is not cooperative（配合的）.
Scope（范围）
The following points should not be included in the “Returns & Refund Guarantee”：
▲The seller didn’t make any promise.
▲The seller can provide evidence to prove the products are as described.
▲You didn’t contact the seller within the promised time.
▲You have paid the seller before asking DHgate for help.
Sellers are able to set up the following promises；
Returning products for any reason
Buyers can return products for a refund within a specific day which has been set up by sellers，such as 3 days，and 7 days from the day when the products are received. The products’ receive date is the date that is shown on the shipping carrier’s official website. Buyers should prepay any return shipping cost, which will be given back to the buyers after the seller receives the products as long as the products are returned in the same exact condition as when they were delivered.
Returns or Refunds accepted if the product has quality problems
Buyers can return the products for a refund when they are not as described or have quality problems by communicating directly with the seller. The seller is responsible for the return shipping cost.
Buyers can get a refund and keep the products when the products are not as described or have quality problems by communicating directly with sellers.
1. Who can get additional help from DHgate in the guarantee?| A．The buyers in physical stores. |
| B．The buyers on DHgate.com. |
| C．The sellers on DHgate.com. |
| D．Both the buyer and the sellers. |
| A．The seller didn’t make any promise. |
| B．The buyer has paid the seller in advance. |
| C．The buyer asked for help within the promised time. |
| D．The seller proves that there is nothing wrong with the product. |
| A．Not all the sellers made promises. |
| B．DHgate sometimes will pay the buyers. |
| C．Sellers should prepay return shipping cost. |
| D．The buyer can't keep the products after getting a refund. |
9 . If businesses are to get workers back into the office during the epidemic(疫情) period, finding ways to maintain social distancing will be key. An Israeli company thinks it can help, using smart sensors mounted on workplace ceilings(天花板).
PointGrab developed its technology before the epidemic to help workspace managers optimize(优化)how employees use office space. About the size of smoke alarm, the sensors can record the exact number and location of people in buildings including offices, hotels and restaurants.
One of the company's first customers was Deloitte, which installed the system at its flagship London office last year. PointGrab's sensors were connected to screens in the building to show the availability of desks and shared areas in real time. PointGrab CEO Doron Shachar says it was one of a range of innovations that helped Deloitte fit 30% more people into 3% less space.
Now PointGrab has adapted the technology so the sensors can also monitor social distancing by keeping track of how far apart people are, and whether they're traveling in one direction around a building.
Workspace managers can set up warnings for when two people are closer than two meters for more than 30 seconds, for example.
The sensors have been included in the “six feet office” concept created by real estate(房地产) services company Cushman and Wakefield to encourage employees to practice social distancing. They are currently being used in this way at a university in the Netherlands, and at an innovation hub in Belgium.
While the social distancing innovation is new, PointGrab has deployed ( 部署)more than 10,000 sensors for workspace optimization, including in the offices of Coca-Cola, Facebook and Dell.
Workers might not like the idea of being monitored, but PointGrab says no images or identifying features are recorded. Instead, each employee is represented as an anonymous(无名的)dot on a dashboard.
“The sensor does respect people's privacy,” Shachar says. “This is extremely important the workspace.”
1. Which world can replace “mounted” in the first paragraph?| A．adapted | B．connected | C．fixed | D．included |
| A．make the best of employees' office space |
| B．keep track of how far apart employees are |
| C．encourage employees to practice social distancing |
| D．monitor people's privacy |
| A．Smart sensors can help save more space. |
| B．People will be warned when they are too closer. |
| C．Smart sensors will be installed in the offices of Facebook. |
| D．People's privacy can be recorded clearly. |
| A．Smart sensors will help maintain social distancing. |
| B．Getting workers back into the office is not easy. |
| C．How an Israeli company develop smart sensors. |
| D．Social distancing is extremely important in the workspace. |
10 . Researchers believe that the black and white stripes(条纹) on a zebra's coat are used to dazzled(使目眩) blood sucking flies as they come in to land. It has the effect of confusing the little flies and sparing the zebra from an uncomfortable situation.
Recently, scientists conducted an unusual experiment involving zebras and horses dressed in black and white striped costumes. They found that flies gathered around horses and zebras at a similar rate, but landed on zebras quarter as often. When uniformly colored horses were dressed in “zebra coats”, the flies made far fewer landings on the striped areas but were not kept away from the uncovered heads.
A video showed that the flies made uncontrolled approaches when faced with a striped landing area. Typically they came in too fast, often crashing into zebras or giving up the landing altogether.
Study leader Professor Tin Caro, from the University of California, said, “Once they get close to the zebras, they tend to fly past or knock against them. This indicates that stripes may interrupt the flies' abilities to have controlled landing.” Dr Martin How, a member of the team from lie University of Bristol, said “Stripes may dazzle the flies in some way once they are close enough to ace them with their low- resolution(低分率的)eyes.”
In a similar way, human pilots can be dazzled when attempting to land into the sun. The study took place a UK horse farm in Somerset that keeps with horses and zebras. The purpose of zebra stripes has long been a mystery. Theories about their functions have included camouflage(伪装) ,a means of confusing other animals, a method of signaling other zebras, and system of controlling heat.
More recent research has suggested that somehow the stripes reduce the chances of a zebra being bitter by flies. As additional protection, zebras swing their tails almost continuously to keep flies off, the study has found. Unless the flies are particularly determined, they will stop feeding or attempt to free from them.
1. How do Zebra stripes spare zebras from flies?| A．Dazzling flies when they the flying. |
| B．interrupting the flies' abilities to have a controlled landing. |
| C．Making flies crash into each other and give up the landing. |
| D．Having flies attack their heads. |
| A．To show the study result is convincing. |
| B．To tell readers human pilots have the same problem. |
| C．To indicate pilot is not an easy job. |
| D．To compare human pilots with zebras. |
| A．camouflage. | B．confusing other animals. |
| C．controlling heat. | D．dazzling flies. |
| A．The function of zebra stripes is still a mystery. |
| B．The black and white stripes on a zebra coat can kill flies. |
| C．Zebra stripes can help zebras reduce the chance of being bitten by flies. |
| D．Zebras signal others by zebra stripes. |
