1 . A ship that sank off the coast of California decades ago was recently reconstructed in detail. The 3D digital model even included hundreds of sponges (海绵动物) that have gathered on the ship’s surface since it sank.
Named American Heritage, the supply ship sank in Santa Monica Bay on May 4, 1995, and for decades its exact location was unknown. Researchers with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) spotted a strange shape in that area in 2008. But it wasn’t until May 2018 that MBARI scientists identified its exact location and mapped the site in detail, showing what appeared to be a shipwreck (失事船只).
Even then, the identity of the shipwreck was uncertain. Yet another MBARI team revisited the location to do further exploration. They sent remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and took photos of the damaged ship. Though it was covered with deep-sea sponges and other animals, the scientists were able to spot letters spelling out its name, confirming that the shipwreck was American Heritage.
As one of the MBARI scientists who found American Heritage, chief ROV pilot Knute Brekke had worked on the ship before. And he was on duty with the diving company American Pacific Marine — the owner of American Heritage — the night the ship began taking in water and eventually sank.
MBARI spokesperson Kim Fulton -Bennett said to Live Science about the discovery, “The model is not complete, as floating ropes and poor visibility kept the pilots from getting too close to the wreck. But the 3D reconstruction is detailed enough to show that American Heritage is now home to thousands of sponges. Shipwrecks often turn into the shelter for diverse communities of ocean life.”
1. What is the main idea of the text?| A．A valuable treasure was discovered. |
| B．Special sponges were found under sea. |
| C．3D model reconstructed a sunken ship. |
| D．A sunken ship was gotten out of water. |
① Something strange was found in the area.
② ROVs were sent under sea to take photos.
③ A ship sank in Santa Monica Bay.
④ The identity of the ship was confirmed.
⑤ Scientists tried to locate the shipwreck.
| A．②③⑤④① | B．③①⑤②④ |
| C．⑤③①④② | D．④③①②⑤ |
| A．He was familiar with the sunken ship. |
| B．He was in charge of a diving company. |
| C．He was responsible for the rescue work. |
| D．He was the first one to witness the accident. |
| A．Critical. | B．Doubtful. | C．Amazed. | D．Objective. |
2 . Stages of Hurricane: Simple Storms Grow Into Giants
A storm progresses through four different stages before it is actually considered a hurricane. First is a tropical disturbance (热带扰动), which has thunderstorms and rotating (旋转) winds. Next is a tropical depression (热带低气压), which is similar to a tropical disturbance, but has winds between 23 and 39 miles per hour. A tropical storm is the next level, which has stronger wind speeds between 40and 73 miles per hour. Once winds reach 74 miles per hour the storm is officially called a hurricane. The wind picks up energy from the warm surface ocean water.
As a hurricane crosses over land, it begins to become weaker or break apart and reduce in strength. This is because it is no longer over the warm ocean water that it needs for energy. At this point, a hurricane can still cause a lot of damage because of high winds, rain, and flooding. But unless it makes its way back over the open ocean, it is downgraded from a hurricane back to a tropical storm.
What’s Your Name, Hurricane?
Hurricanes and tropical storms are given names to help people recognize them. Scientists refer to hurricanes and storms by name as they track them across the ocean.
Before 1953, hurricanes were not given official names. From 1953 through 1978, hurricanes were only given female names, like Isabel, Camille, Claudette, and Wilma. Beginning in 1979, hurricanes were given the names of both women and men. Today, the names alternate male and female, and they are named in order of letters.
For example, in 2010, storms were named as follows: Alex (male), Bonnie (female), Colin (male), Danielle (female), Earl (male) and so on…
There are six different lists of names that change, so the same names are used every six years. The only way that a new name is added is when a hurricane has been particularly deadly or costly and the name is retired, then replaced with a new one.
1. Which of the following is the right order of stages of a hurricane?| A．Tropical depression, tropical disturbance, tropical storm, hurricane |
| B．Tropical disturbance, tropical depression, tropical storm, hurricane |
| C．Tropical storm, tropical depression, tropical disturbance, hurricane |
| D．Tropical storm, tropical disturbance, tropical depression, hurricane |
| A．It breaks apart and forms tornadoes. | B．It returns to the ocean afterwards. |
| C．It moves more quickly. | D．It becomes less powerful. |
| A．take turns between | B．carry or |
| C．come from | D．cause trouble to |
| A．Six common hurricane names are often used. |
| B．An old name will be replaced every year. |
| C．Most of them are deadly and costly. |
| D．They didn’t have official names until 1953. |
3 . I am a parent of a disabled teenager. My son is in and out of hospital and school. His learning disabilities and behaviour issues are a barrier for him, and he is teased on campus. At home, he swears and punches me.
He is on a waiting list for his disorder which contributes to his anxiety. Meanwhile, there are hospital appointments to manage, at least four consultants on the go, and an imminent transfer to adult services. The bureaucracy of caring keeps me busy.
I used to work in the theatre industry but had to quit when my son kept getting excluded from school. I never expected that my life would turn out like this. But now, amazingly, I am doing a PhD at a Russell Group university，looking at nonwhite protagonists in historical drama. It is fascinating: underrepresented characters!Hidden histories! Diversity!
I am starting to win awards for my research and I feel like a success story. Almost. There's just one problem: I can't get funding. I keep missing out on studentships and scholarships. These awards—which are mainly funded by research councils or universities directly—are worth about ￡14，000－￡16，000 a year and usually include a fee waiver (saving a further ￡5，000). That's a lot of money.
But the funding tends to go to students half my age with straightA academic results—not to people like me, who have taken an unusual path to academia. When I was turned down for the last studentship I applied for, I asked why. The decision maker—a professor in my department and the head of a research institute—told me “it all comes down to excellent academic results”．
They don't say this on the application forms: it's all about the originality of your project, your research statement, your supervisor's supporting statement, the panel that considers you, the level of competition. But when it comes down to it, this is clearly what they want. Someone with my background is never going to get a studentship if the decisive criteria are undergraduate and master's results.
When I started my PhD and realised that I would need financial help, I went to the student advice office and told them that I am a carer. They asked what that meant and then offered me advice on benefits, but not funding. I went to the student union advice service—they referred me back to student advice. I went to the graduate school. Same response. I spoke to a vice dean and a chaplain. I had to tell them what a carer is. You get the picture. I was invisible. So I gave up, decided to apply annually for the studentships and kept my parttime job.
UCAS announced this year that young carers will now be able to identify themselves in their applications, so that universities will be able to support them. But how is this going to happen if staff at these institutions don't even know what a carer is?
The student welfare vicepresident at the union has finally agreed with me that carers are an undersupported and underrepresented group on campus. We are going to ask student records to add an option to the equality and diversity monitoring section, so that we can identify as carers and hopefully raise awareness. Wish us luck.
1. Put the following events in the correct order.a. The author won awards for her research.
b. The author spoke to a vice dean and a chaplain.
c. The author decided to apply annually for studentships.
d. The author started her PhD.
| A．dabc | B．dcba |
| C．cdab | D．cdba |
| A．she has a disabled son | B．her academic results were not good enough |
| C．the bureaucracy of caring kept her busy | D．the competition was too fierce |
| A．the writer likes reading success stories |
| B．the writer is a nonwhite woman |
| C．carers deserve our attention and help |
| D．carers are favored in the process of application and enrollment |
| A．Only undergraduates and masters can get the studentship. |
| B．In spite of her son's illness, the writer continued to work to feed her family. |
| C．The writer shows great interest and enthusiasm in her academic research. |
| D．The writer's disabled son does not respect his mother. |
| A．call on more people to care about disabled teenagers |
| B．complain about the barriers she met in getting funding |
| C．inform the readers of a carer's difficulties |
| D．give advice on how to get a studentship |
4 . On a trip to India in 2012, Anirudh Sharma took a photo of a diesel generator (柴油发电机) blowing black soot (烟灰) against a white wall. That dark stain made Sharma, who was then a student in the Media Lab of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), think seriously about pollution—and also about coloring matters, like ink.
The black ink we use in our pens or in inkjet printers is essentially from soot. The technical term for the substance is “carbon black”, and it is the powder that remains after burning coal or oil. The powder is mixed with other chemicals to turn it into smooth, flowing black ink.
“So, if you can do it with soot, can we do the same with air pollution?” Sharma explains. “The black ink in the pen you use is made by burning fossil fuels. But you shouldn’t need to burn new fossil fuels just to make ink. Fossil fuels are already being burned.” If he could find a way, he thought, to catch the soot that produced that stain on the wall in his photograph, he could not only reduce the amount of pollution released into the air, but also turn it into something new, or perhaps something beautiful.
In 2014, following the completion of his Master’s degree at MIT, Sharma returned to India to focus fully on developing what would become a product called AIR-INK, the first commercial ink made entirely from air pollution. He and his team built a lab in a small garage in Bangalore to create a device that could catch air pollution at the source, in engines or factory machinery.
They first developed a filtering device called Kaalink that consisted of a steel container that could be attached to an exhaust pipe. Now Kaalink can filter air pollution from almost any source, and turn it into soot, which is then processed to form ink that can be used in AIR-INK pens and markers. Each marker holds about 30 milliliters of AIR-INK, which is equal to approximately 45 minutes of diesel car pollution.
The inventor would like AIR-INK to have practical applications, like in inkjet printers in offices, newsprint, or textbooks. “We’ve set up industries for our comfort, but the environment has to bear the price of it.” Sharma explains, adding that AIR-INK isn’t a complete solution to the world’s pollution problem. “It’s a start, and it can inspire several others to start looking at new forms of waste that are lying outside, unused.”
1. What inspired Sharma to make ink out of air pollution?| A．A photo he took in India. | B．The lack of ink in his studies. |
| C．The serious pollution in the U.S.. | D．His experiments in the laboratory. |
| A．It is a useful kind of fuel. | B．It is the main air pollutant. |
| C．It is the key component of ink. | D．It is usually in the form of a liquid. |
| A．Soot→exhaust pipe→Kaalink→AIR-INK | B．Soot→Kaalink→exhaust pipe→AIR-INK |
| C．Air pollutants→soot→Kaalink→AIR-INK | D．Air pollutants→Kaalink→soot→AIR-INK |
| A．It needs more tests. | B．It is costly but practical. |
| C．It helps raise environmental awareness. | D．It has gained the admiration of other inventors. |
5 . SAN FRANCISCO — A dog that survived the catastrophic wildfire in Northern California apparently protected the ruins of his home for almost a month until his owner returned.
Madison was there waiting when Andrea Gaylord was allowed back to check on her burned property in Paradise this week. Gaylord fled when the Nov. 8 fire broke out and destroyed the town of 27 ,000. Shayla Sullivan, an animal rescuer, who responded to Gaylord’s request to check on Madison first spotted the male Anatolian shepherd mix several days later.
Shayla Sullivan said the outdoor guard dog was mentally upset and kept his distance. Sullivan left food and water for him regularly until Gaylord got back on Wednesday. She also helped locate Madison’s brother Miguel, another Anatolian shepherd mix that was taken to a shelter 85 miles (135 kilometers) away after the wildfire.
“If the evacuees (疏散人员) can’t be there, I’m going to be there and I’m not going to give up on their animal until they can get back in,” Sullivan said.
The dogs reunited Friday when Gaylord came back to the property with Miguel and brought Madison his favorite treat: a box of Wheat Thin crackers.
Gaylord told news station ABC10 she couldn’t ask for a better animal. “Imagine the loyalty of hanging on in the worst of circumstances and being here waiting,” she said. “Their job is to watch the sheep and we’re part of them.” Gaylord said about her dogs. “It’s a comforting feeling.”
1. Andrea Gaylord was deeply touched by Madison’s ________.| A．noble blood | B．special habit |
| C．being faithful to his master | D．narrow escape from the wildfire |
| A．Gaylord requested Sullivan to leave food and water for Madison. |
| B．Madison was afraid of getting close to Sullivan in the beginning. |
| C．Sullivan saved Miguel in order to comfort Madison. |
| D．Sullivan took both two dogs to a shelter 85 miles away. |
a. Miguel was taken to a shelter
b. the wildfire in Northern California broke out
c. Madison was treated with a box of Wheat Thin crackers
d. Andrea Gaylord applied for search and rescue of Madison
| A．d-c-a-b | B．b-d-a-c | C．d-a-c-b | D．b-a-c-d |
| A．Andrea Gaylord found Madison in a shelter. |
| B．Gaylord told news station she wanted for a better animal. |
| C．The Nov. 8 fire killed 27,000 people in the town. |
| D．Shayla Sullivan was kind-hearted and patient. |
6 . With the click of a button, Amanda Eshelman, a 13-year- old girl with hearing loss, regained the ability to hear the world around her.
"Hi, baby, " her mom, who seated herself next to her at St.Louis Children’s Hospital, said before they both burst into tears.
Amanda has been deaf in her left ear from a young age and has been progressively losing hearing in her right ear since she started middle school two years ago.A hearing aid helped her for a while, but it slowly became less and less effective.
A specialist in St.Louis Children's Hospital thought a cochlear implant could improve her hearing—but there was no guarantee.Her parents allowed Amanda to decide for herself.She wanted to go for it.
"They said she hadn’t heard on this side for at least 10 years； we didn't know if it would work, and if her brain would be able to recognize these signals," Amanda’s mom, Betsy Eshelman, told Today.“So we tried not to get our hope up as we walked in.”
In mid-November, Amanda had the surgery and two weeks later, the system was turned on.When the sounds returned，Amanda covered her mouth with her hands in astonishment and then shed tears of joy.
“I like it, ” Amanda said in the video.“It’s a lot better than I thought it was going to be.”
Amanda noted the whirr of the fan system and the buzz of the lights overhead.“I didn’t know the lights make noise.”she said.
Now, Amanda is able to hear all sorts of sounds she has been missing out for years—especially at home.
"It's been great，" Betsy said."She made the comment that she didn’t realize how loud we all were! She didn’t realize how quiet her world had become.”
1. What is the correct order for the events in the story about Amanda?①Amanda received a cochlear implant.
②Amanda lost hearing in her right ear.
③Amanda lost hearing in her left ear.
④Amanda regained her hearing.
⑤Amanda started middle school.
| A．③②⑤①④ | B．③⑤②①④ |
| C．⑤③②①④ | D．⑤①③②④ |
| A．Amanda wouldn't like the cochlear implant |
| B．a cochlear implant wouldn’t help |
| C．a cochlear implant would reduce hearing |
| D．they couldn't afford a cochlear implant |
| A．nervous | B．disappointed |
| C．surprised | D．delighted |
| A．a cochlear implant surgery |
| B．an achievement for deaf people |
| C．a girl who regained her hearing |
| D．how to improve hearing |
7 . If you ever find yourself trapped in the wilderness without food, you'll have to figure out how to feed yourself. Many plants in the wild are edible, but many are also poisonous. So it is necessary to learn how to determine whether the plants you find can be eaten safely.
Avoid using this method without careful planning. Some plants can be deadly, and even if you follow these guidelines perfectly, there is always a chance that a plant will make you seriously ill. Prepare yourself for wilderness outings by learning about the local plants, and carry a guidebook to help you identify plants. Even if you are unprepared and cannot find food you know to be safe, remember that, depending on your activity level, the human body can go for days without food, and you’re better off being hungry than being poisoned.
Testing the plant in your mouth is dangerous, so go forward very slowly and carefully. First, hold a small portion of the prepared plant part against your lip for 3 minutes. Do not put the plant in your mouth. If you notice any burning, tingling (刺痛), or other reactions, discontinue testing. Second, place another small portion of the plant part on your tongue. Hold the plant on your tongue without chewing for 15 minutes. Discontinue testing if you notice any reaction. Third, chew the plant and hold it in your mouth for 15 minutes. Chew the plant well, and do not swallow. Discontinue testing if you notice any reaction. Fourth, swallow the small portion of the plant. Wait 8 hours. Do not eat or drink anything during this period except purified water. If you feel sick, immediately throw up what you eat and drink plenty of water. If activated charcoal (活性炭) is available, take that with the water.
1. What’s the meaning of the underlined world “edible” in paragraph 1?| A．Suitable for using as food. | B．Widely spread. |
| C．Existing in large quantities. | D．Not widely known. |
| A．Planning is unnecessary when using the method. |
| B．Not all plants in the wild can serve as food generally. |
| C．Suffering hunger can be more dangerous than testing plants. |
| D．Following the method perfectly can ensure safety. |
① wait and see ② chew it in the mouth③ put it on the tongue④ put it against lips ⑤ swallow it
| A．③④②①⑤ | B．④③②①⑤ | C．③④②⑤① | D．④③②⑤① |
| A．A student’s diary. |
| B．A science report. |
| C．A guide book for camping. |
| D．A doctor’ s notebook. |
8 . In Africa, Christmas Day begins with groups of carolers (欢唱颂歌的人) walking to and from through the village, along the roadway, by the houses of the missionaries (传教士), singing the lovely carols known to the world around. Often people may be awakened by a group of carolers beginning to gather at the house of worship(敬神活动). They return home to make final preparations as to the clothes one must wear and also as to their offering for the Christmas service.
The most important part of their Christmas worship service is the love offering. This is the gift in honor of Jesus. At about 8 or 9 o'clock everyone goes to the celebration of the birthday of Jesus. Everyone who attends the service goes forward to lay down their gift upon the raised platform near the Communion table. No one will attend the service without giving a gift.
Christmas in South Africa is a summer holiday. There is no snow, but it has many flowers, many beautiful varieties of wild flowers being in their full pride.
In Ghana, most churches show the coming of Christmas by decorating the church and homes beginning with the first week in Advent, four weeks before Christmas. This season happens to be the time of cocoa harvest, so it is a time of wealth. Everyone returns home from wherever they might be such as farms or mines.
In Africa, it is the traditional dinner of turkey, roast beef, mince pies, or suckling pig, yellow rice with raisins, vegetables, and plum pudding, crackers. In the afternoon, families go out into the country and usually there are games or bathing in the warm sunshine, and then home in the cool of the evening. Boxing Day is also a proclaimed (正式宣布的) public holiday usually spent in the open air. It falls on December 26 and is a day of real relaxation.
1. The purpose of this text is to ________.| A．persuade us to have a holiday in Africa |
| B．describe some important holidays in Africa |
| C．tell us how people celebrate Christmas in Africa |
| D．introduce to us when Christmas came into being |
| A．One must sing a carol on the platform. |
| B．One must appear in fantastic clothes. |
| C．Food is shared among carolers. |
| D．Everyone carries a gift to the scene. |
| A．the church and homes are being decorated |
| B．there are flowers all over the country |
| C．everyone returns home to harvest cocoa |
| D．it is snowing heavily everywhere |
| A．Christmas→ Boxing Day→Advent |
| B．Boxing Day→ Christmas→Advent |
| C．Christmas→ Advent→Boxing Day |
| D．Advent→Christmas→Boxing Day |
Nike
In the Greek myth, Nike is the goddess of victory and the source of inspiration for soldiers. This logo represents the wing in the famous statue of the Greek goddess. Nike’s logo was designed by Carolyn Davidson in 1971 for $35, and was registered as a trademark in 1995.
McDonald’s
The logo was designed in 1962 by Jim Schindler to resemble the archshaped(拱形的) signs on the side of the company’s then walk-up hamburger stand. Later on, the two golden arches were combined together to form the M. The McDonald’s name was added to the logo in 1968.
Apple
There are different stories behind Apple’s logo. The first logo was a reference to the religious story of Adam and Eve, in which the apple represented the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. One year later, the second logo was designed in 1977 by Steve Jobs and Ronald Wayne, and it described Sir Isaac Newton sitting under an apple tree. This logo didn’t stay long. One year later it was replaced almost immediately by graphic designer Rob Janoff’s “rainbow apple”, a rainbow-colored silhouette(轮廓) of an apple with a bite taken out of it. And then the rainbow-colored apple was replaced by the one-colored logo in 1998. It has not been changed so far.
Mercedes Benz
The Mercedes Benz logo, which was originally created by Gottlieb Daimler in 1909, consists of a simple description of a three-pointed star that represents its rule of the land, the sea and the air. The company was founded by Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach. Mercedes is the name of Maybach’s elder daughter, while Benz came as a result of a combination with Benz, Cie and DMG in 1926.
Adidas
The Adidas logo, which was created by the founder of the company Adi Dassler, represents mountains, pointing towards the challenges that are seen ahead and goals that can be achieved. The logo was used for the first time in 1967.
1. What does the author think of the stories of the great logos?
| A．They are boring. | B．They are out of date. |
| C．They are attractive. | D．They are practical. |
| A．The goddess of victory. |
| B．The source of inspiration for soldiers. |
| C．The statue of the Greek goddess. |
| D．The wing of the Greek goddess. |
| A．the religious story of Adam and Eve |
| B．a bitten apple with only one color |
| C．Newton’s sitting under an apple tree |
| D．the rainbow-colored bitten apple |
| A．Nike’s logo | B．Apple’s logo |
| C．The Mercedes logo | D．The Adidas logo |
| A．Mercedes Benz –McDonald’s – Nike – Apple. |
| B．Nike – McDonald’s – Apple – Mercedes Benz. |
| C．McDonald’s – Apple – Nike – Mercedes Benz. |
| D．Nike – Mercedes Benz – McDonald’s – Apple. |
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2020 to two women scientists, Charpentier and Doudna, “for the development of a method for gene editing."
The discovery of these genetic scissors was unexpected.During Charpentier' s studies of Streptococcus pyogenes, one of the bacteria that cause the most harm to humans, she discovered a previously unknown molecule(分子），tracrRNA. Her work showed that tracrRNA is part of bacteria's ancient immune system, CRISPR/Cas. Charpentier published her discovery in Nature in 2011 and described how tracrRNA works with the Cas9 protein(蛋白质）to follow and kill viruses by cutting up their DNA.
Then in that same year,Charpentier began to cooperate with Doudna, an experienced biochemist in RNA.Together, they succeeded in recreating the bacteria's genetic scissors in a test tube and simplifying the scissors' molecular components so they were easier to use.They then reprogrammed the genetic scissors. In their natural form, the scissors recognize DNA from viruses,but Charpentier and Doudna proved that they could be controlled so that they can cut any DNA molecule at a predetermined site. Where the DNA is cut, it is then easy to rewrite the code of life.
Since the CRISPR/Cas9 genetic scissors were discovered in 2012, their use has exploded though there are concerns that the technology could be misused. This tool has contributed to many important discoveries in basic research, and plant researchers have been able to develop crops that withstand mould, pests and drought. In medicine, clinical trials of new cancer therapies are underway,and the dream of being able to cure inherited diseases is about to come true.
1. According to Charpentier's studies of Streptococcus pyogenes, tracrRNA_____| A．can change life's DNA precisely |
| B．causes the most harm to human beings |
| C．is a previously unknown immune system |
| D．works with Cas9 protein to split viruses' DNA |
a. Charpentier began to cooperate with Doudna.
b. Charpentier published her discovery in 2011.
c.Charpentier studied Streptococcus pyogenes.
d. The bacteria's genetic scissors were recreated.
e.The genetic scissors were then reprogrammed
| A．a-b-d-c-e |
| B．c-a-b-e-d |
| C．a-d-e-c-b |
| D．c-b-a-d-e |
| A．Concerns about the misuse of genetic scissors. |
| B．The widely-spread use of the genetic scissors. |
| C．The important discoveries in basic research. |
| D．Contributions to cure for inherited diseases. |
| A．Cooperation:Secret to Success in Scientific Researches |
| B．Genetic Scissors:a Tool for Rewriting the Code of Life |
| C．Charpentier & Doudna:Women Scientists Acknowledged |
| D．The Nobel Prize in Chemistry: a Promoter of Gene Editing |
