1 . Bricks are one of the oldest known building materials, dating back thousands of years. But researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have found a new use for bricks: as energy storage units. A team of engineers and chemists have found a way to transform an ordinary house brick into a pseudo-battery — allowing it to conduct and store electricity. The bricks are powerful enough to illuminate（点亮）an LED light bulb and cost only about $ 3 to make.
“I love the idea of adding value to things that are inexpensive, things that are affordable, things that we kind of take for granted, ”said Julio D’Arcy, an assistant professor of chemistry at Washington University and one of the researchers on this project.
The brick battery relies on the reddish pigment（色素）known as iron oxide, or rust, that gives red bricks their color. The scientists pumped the bricks with several gases that react with iron oxide to produce a network of plastic fibers. These microscopic fibers coat the empty spaces inside the bricks — and conduct electricity.
“What we’re trying to do is: we’re trying to make specialized plastics that are only used on the nano（纳米）scale — where we use very little of the plastic, and we can actually insert that plastic inside construction materials. ” The study is in the journal Nature Communications.
In the future, D’Arcy says, a brick wall could potentially serve a double purpose: providing structural support and storing electricity generated from renewable energy sources, such as solar panels.
The technology is still at least a few years away from being ready for the commercial market. And right now the energy storage capacity of the bricks is still pretty low — about 1 percent of a lithium battery. But the team is now testing ways to improve brick performance — because it looks like you can teach an old brick new tricks.
1. What appeals to Julio D’Arcy listing bricks as their subjects?| A．Their low expense. | B．Their common existence. |
| C．Their additional value. | D．Their internal composition. |
| A．Pump the brick with gases. |
| B．Color the brick red. |
| C．Produce microscopic fibers. |
| D．Cover its inner vacancy with microscopic fibers. |
| A．Construction materials possessing low energy storage capacity. |
| B．Construction materials generating renewable energy resources. |
| C．Construction materials used for electricity storage. |
| D．Construction materials with built-in common plastic. |
| A．Skeptical. | B．Objective. |
| C．Conservative. | D．Controversial. |
2 . Shoppers in the United States have many different retail stores (零售店) to choose from. You can shop at large department stores, furniture stores, jewelry stores, electronic equipment stores and many others. Another type of retail store—the catalog store, has become popular in the U.S.
Catalog stores offer much of the same goods as traditional retail stores. However, in these stores, shoppers select the items they wish to buy from large catalogs that are filled with photos and descriptions of all the different goods. The variety of products listed in the catalogs includes everything from baby clothing to video equipment and watches. The prices of these items are very low. In fact, the same items often cost more in other retail stores. And that’s the reason many people prefer to shop in catalog stores.
When shoppers go to a catalog store, they see many brand-name products on display. If they are interested in purchasing an item, they need to follow this simple procedure.
●First, they go to a counter to find the store’s catalog.
●They look in the catalog to find the exact item they wish to buy.
●Then, they fill out an order form with the name of the item, the item number from the catalog, the price, and their name and address.
●After completing the form, the customer gives it to a salesperson, who checks to see if the item is in stock.
If the item is available, the stockroom sends it on a conveyor belt (输送带) to the pick-up counter. When the item arrives at the pick-up counter, the customer’s name is called, and the customer pays for the item.
The whole procedure usually takes ten to twenty minutes. If the item isn’t available, the salesperson can usually check the store’s computer and find out when it will be in stock again.
Catalog stores usually don’t offer all the services that regular retail stores do. They usually don’t have many salespeople, so customers can’t expect to receive much assistance or attention from store employees. Customers need to know about the features and the quality of the items they wish to buy before they shop, since there isn’t much opportunity to ask questions or examine the product in the store. However, catalog stores offer quality items at lower prices, and consumers seem to appreciate this.
1. What is the difference between the traditional retail stores and the catalog stores?| A．The prices of products in catalog stores are higher. |
| B．Shoppers select the items they need from large catalogs. |
| C．Catalog Stores offer more products than the traditional stores. |
| D．Catalog stores usually offer all the services that regular retail stores do. |
①Check the catalog to select the items.
②Fill out the order form.
③Wait at the pick-up counter.
④Find a catalog at a counter.
⑤Find a salesperson to cheek the form.
| A．④-①-③-⑤-② | B．①-④-②-③-⑤ |
| C．④-①-②-⑤-③ | D．④-②-⑤-③-① |
| A．become salespeople now |
| B．do the same as in retail stores |
| C．have more chances to examine the goods |
| D．should know the information of the goods ahead |
| A．offer quality goods at lower prices |
| B．have many salespersons for service |
| C．can help save much time when doing shopping |
| D．offer the exact items the customer wishes to purchase |
3 . After beating bone cancer, Hayley Arceneaux thinks rocketing into orbit on SpaceX’s first private flight should be no problem at all. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital announced the 29-year-old doctor’s assistant will rocket into space later this year.
Arceneaux, a former patient at St. Jude, will become the youngest American in space, beating NASA record-holder Sally Ride by over two years. She will travel with businessman Jared Isaacman, who is using the spaceflight he bought to raise money for charity. Two other yet-to-be-chosen space flyers will join them. Arceneaux will be the first person to launch with a prosthesis an artificial device that replaces a missing or injured part of the body. When she was 10, Arceneaux had an operation at St. Jude to replace her knee and a piece of metal was put in her left leg. She still limps and has occasional leg pain.
“My battle with cancer really prepared me for space travel,” she recently told The Associated Press. “It made me tough, and then also I think it really taught me to expect the unexpected and go along for the ride.” Arceneaux wants to show her young patients and other cancer survivors that “the sky is not even the limit anymore.” “It’s going to mean so much to these kids to see a survivor in space.” she said.
Isaacman announced his space flight on February 1, promising to raise $200 million for St. Jude. As the flight’s self-appointed commander, he offered one of the four seats aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft to St. Jude. The hospital chose Arceneaux from among its many workers who had once been patients. The idea was that one of them could represent the new generation, noted Rick Shadyac, president of St. Jude’s financing organization.
Arceneaux was at home in Memphis, Tennessee, when she got a surprising call in January. She was asked if she would represent St. Jude in space. As a lifelong space fan who loves adventures, Arceneaux has traveled widely and loves roller coasters. Isaacman, who flies fighter airplanes for fun, considers her a perfect fit. The launch is planned for this fall at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, with the spacecraft orbiting Earth for two to four days.
1. Which statement is true about Hayley Arceneaux?| A．She works where she used to be a patient. |
| B．She is an adventure hater. |
| C．She is the youngest American in space. |
| D．She is the first woman space flyer. |
a. She received a surprising call. b. She was diagnosed with a serious disease.
c. She was chosen to rocket into space. d. She was operated on at St.Jude.
| A．a c d b | B．b c d a | C．b d a c | D．c a b d |
| A．To carry out medical research. |
| B．To explore space. |
| C．To expect the unexpected. |
| D．To collect money. |
| A．Generous and strong. |
| B．Caring and optimistic. |
| C．Brave and honest. |
| D．Patient and representative. |
4 . Curtis Whitson knew the water fall was coming. He'd rafted down the Arroyo Seco, a river in central California, before. But this year was different. Heavy snow and spring rains had turned the usually manageable falls into something fierce. And this year, instead of his friends, Whitson's companions were his wife, Krystal Ramirez, and his 13-year-old son, Hunter. As the three of them approached the falls late in the afternoon of the third day of their camping trip, Whitson could tell from the increasing roar of water in the narrow canyon that they were in serious trouble. There was no way they’d be able to rappel down(绕绳下降) the rocks as planned.
“The water was just gushing through there with tremendous force,” recalls Whitson.
They could wade to the shore, but would anyone find them there? They had no mobile phone service, and they hadn’t seen a single person in the past three days.
As he considered what to do, Whitson hit on a bit of luck-he heard voices coming from the other side of the falls. He yelled, but the sound of the rushing water drowned him out.
We have to get these people a message, Whitson thought.
Then he spotted his green Nalgene water bottle. Whitson grabbed it and carved “Help!” on it. Ramirez also reminded him that he had a pen and paper, which she'd brought to play games with, in his backpack. Whitson knew it was a long shot. But he scrawled “We are stuck here at the waterfall. Get help please!” and pushed the note into the bottle, throwing it over the waterfall perfectly.
“All right, that’s all we can do,” Whitson told Hunter.
It took 30 minutes to navigate back upstream to the beach where they made a fire. With no reasonable expectation that their message in a bottle would find its way to anyone, they spelled out SOS in white rocks. As the evening wore on, they placed a headlamp with a flashing light on a ledge (岩石突出部) . Then, just after midnight, they heard a helicopter hovering above them. Whitson ran over to the headlamp and started flashing it at the helicopter. He, Ramirez, and Hunter were waving and hollering when they heard the magic words: “This is Search and Rescue. You have been found.”
It was a moment of pure happiness as the three chatted with the officers who had rescued them. Together, they marveled at the unlikelihood of it all. Two men had seen the water bottle in the water. When they picked it up, they noticed the writing on it - “Help!”.
A few days after news of the rescue broke, one of the hikers contacted Whitson.
That’s when he learned the story. There were actually two little girls hiking with the men that day. It was the girls who first spotted the bottle and swam to get it. Whitson is planning on having a big barbecue to meet the hikers-and thank them.
1. Which was NOT the trouble the Whitsons faced?| A．The water falls were fierce. |
| B．There was no mobile phone service. |
| C．All of them were not experienced in rafting. |
| D．They had to rappel down the rocks. |
① They spelled out SOS on the rocks.
② Whitson squeezed the note “Get help please” into the bottle.
③ Whitson yelled to the other side of the falls.
④ Whitson carved “help” on his green bottle.
| A．③④②① | B．②③④① | C．①④③② | D．④③②① |
| A．It is a fantastic idea. | B．It’s a big challenge. |
| C．It’s a wild attempt. | D．It’s a long exploration. |
| A．to celebrate their survival |
| B．to show gratitude to the hikers |
| C．to have a family union |
| D．to meet and thank the rescue officers |
5 . I once heard this tale in India, where it is told as if true—though any naturalist would know it couldn’t be. The country is India. A colonial official and his wife are giving a large dinner party. They invite army officers and their wives, and a visiting American naturalist.
A spirited discussion springs up between a young girl who says women are no longer the jumping on a chair at the sight of a mouse and an army officer who disagrees and says, “A woman’s reaction in any crisis is to scream. And a man has more control than a woman.”
The American scientist does not join in the argument but sits and watches the faces of the other guests. As he stares, he sees a slight strange expression come over the face of the hostess. She gestures to the servant standing behind her chair and whispers to him. The servant’s eyes widen. He turns quickly and leaves the room. Of the guests, none except the American notices this or sees the servant place a bowl of milk on the balcony just outside the open glass doors.
In India, milk in a bowl means only one thing: bait (诱饵) for a snake. The American understands there must be a snake in the room. His eyes move across the room but see nothing. He realizes the snake can only be in one place — under the table.
His first reaction is to jump back and warn the others. But he knows any sudden movement will frighten the animal into striking. He speaks quickly, the tone of his voice so arresting that it quietens everyone. “I want to know what control everyone here has. I will count three hundred—that’s five minutes — and not one of you is to move a muscle. Ready!”
The 20 people sit like stone images while he counts. He is saying, “—two hundred and eighty—” When out of the corner of his eyes, he sees the snake make for the bowl of milk. Four or five screams ring out as he jumps to close the balcony doors.
“There is your proof!” the host shouts. “A man has just shown us perfect self-control.”
“Just a minute,” the American says, turning to his hostess, “How did you know that snake was in the room?” With a faint smile coming across her face she replies: “Because it was lying across my foot.”
1. What can we conclude from the passage?| A．Women are afraid of mice. |
| B．The army officer’s opinion is wrong. |
| C．The American suggests playing a game for entertainment. |
| D．The hostess has had previous experience catching snakes. |
a. The American’s eyes sweep the room but he sees nothing.
b. The American suggests the guests playing a game.
c. Following the instructions, the servant puts out some milk.
d. The hostess is staring ahead, a slight strange look appearing.
e. The American shuts the balcony doors safely, and several screams are let out.
f. The snake edges its way to the bowl of milk.
| A．d,c,a,b,f,e | B．a,b,c,e,f,d |
| C．d,f,a,b,c,c | D．f,e,c,a,d,b |
| A．The American. | B．The army officer. |
| C．The girl. | D．The hostess. |
| A．A Heated Argument | B．A Striking Dinner Party |
| C．An Unbelievable Story | D．A Smart Hostess |
6 . Brownie and Spotty were neighbor dogs who met every day to play together. Like pairs of dogs you can find in most any neighborhood, these two loved each other and played together so often that they had worn a path through the grass of the field between their respective houses.
One evening, Brownie's family noticed that Brownie hadn't returned home. They went looking for him with no success. Brownie didn't show up the next day, and despite their efforts to find him, by the next week he was still missing. Curiously, Spotty showed up at Brownie's house alone. Barking, whining and generally pestering Brownie's human family. Busy with their own lives, they just ignored the nervous neighbor dog.
Finally, one morning Spotty refused to take "no" for an answer. Ted, Brownie's owner, was steadily harassed by the furious, adamant little dog. Spotty followed Ted about; barking insistently, then darting toward nearby empty lot and back, as if to say, "Follow me! It's urgent!"
Finally, Ted followed the frantic Spotty across the empty lot as Spotty paused to race back and bark encouragingly. The little dog led the man under a tree, past clumps of trees, to a desolate spot a half mile from the house. There Ted found his beloved Brownie alive, one of his hind legs crushed in a steel leg hold trap. Horrified, Ted now wished he'd taken Spotty's earlier appeals seriously. Then Ted noticed something quite remarkable.
Spotty had done more than simply led Brownie's human owner to his trapped friend. In a circle around the injured dog, Ted found an array of dog food and table scraps which were later identified as the remains of every meal Spotty had been fed that week!
Spotty had been visiting Brownie regularly, in a single minded quest to keep his friend alive by sacrificing his own comfort. Spotty had evidently stayed with Brownie to protect him from predators, snuggling with him at night to keep him warm and nuzzling him to keep his spirits up.
Browni’s leg was treated by a veterinarian and he recovered. For many years thereafter, the two families watched the faithful friends playing and chasing each other down that well-worn path between their houses.
1. What's the correct order of the following?① They couldn’t find him everywhere.
② Spotty went to Brownie’s master's house to ask for help.
③ One evening, Brownie was missing.
④ Spotty found Brownie and helped him by giving him food.
⑤ They play together happily again.
| A．③①②④⑤ | B．⑤③①④② | C．③①④②⑤ | D．③①④⑤② |
| A．Spotty took Brownie's food to him every day. | B．There was a natural path between the two houses. |
| C．The legs of Brownie were hurt by the steel trap. | D．Brownie disappeared for more than a week. |
| A．Ted noticed Spotty’s earlier actions. | B．Brownie’s family were thankful to Spotty. |
| C．They asked the police to find Brownie for them. | D．Spotty led Brownie’s owner to feed him. |
7 . One day in March,seven years ago,during happy hour at a bar in my hometown of Fayetteville,Arkansas,made a surprise announcement to my friends:I was going to shut down my law practice and attempt to travel around the globe in a year.What’s more,I would do it without taking any flights or making a single advance reservation of any kind.My announcement drew mixed reactions from my friends.Some offered support and encouragement,while others were more doubtful.
Once I had said the words,there was no turning back.It took months to shut down my practice and get things in order.Once I set off on my adventure in December 2008,found travelling without using planes was not easy.Trying to circle the globe in 16 months(it took me a bit longer than the initial 12 months planned)made it even harder.Even so,travelling overland was the most amazing way to truly understand the immensity(浩瀚无际)of our wonderful planet.
I took three consecutive(连续)overnight buses to travel 3,000 km through Argentina,from Ushuaia to the capital Buenos Aires.I would look out the windows for hours on end of the completely unspoiled plains,as if humans had never touched it.
It took seven consecutive days and nights on trains to get from Moscow to Beijing,each day spent staring out the windows for hours as the Siberian plains swept by.Sometimes,I wouldn’t see a village or a human being for 10 hours.Later in my journey,it took 22 days on a cargo freighter(货船)to get from New Zealand through the Panama Canal and back to Philadelphia,to finish my round-the-world adventure.
It turned out that travelling with no reservations was far less difficult than had imagined.Pulling into a city on a bus with a backpack,looking in a guidebook for a few suggestions of accommodations(住宿),and then finding an empty room was never much of a problem anywhere.It also kept me flexible and open about all my travel plans,which is advice I give everyone who asks—plan far less than you think you should.
1. The author's trip was special in that .| A．he made it at the expense of giving up his job |
| B．it hardly cost him anything |
| C．he did not make advance booking or travel by air |
| D．it was a global trip |
| A．June 2009 | B．December 2009 | C．February 2010 | D．April 2010 |
| A．Unimportant. | B．Undamaged. | C．Invaluable. | D．Priceless. |
(1)Moscow (2)Philadelphia (3)New Zealand
(4)Ushuaia (5)Beijing (6)Buenos Aires
| A．(5)(4)(1)(6)(3)(2) | B．(4)(6)(1)(5)(3)(2) |
| C．(4)(5)(1)(6)(3)(2) | D．(5)(1)(6)(4)(3)(2) |
| A．Challenging but pleasant. | B．Dangerous but wonderful. |
| C．Boring and disappointing. | D．Costly and painful. |
8 . One night in March, five years ago, during happy hour at a bar in my hometown, I made a surprise announcement to my friends: I was going to shut down my law practice and attempt to travel around the globe in a year. What’s more, I would do it without taking any flights or making a single advance reservation of any kind. My announcement drew mixed reactions from my friends. Some offered support and encouragement, while others were more doubtful.
Once I’d said the words, there was no turning back. It took months to shut down my law practice and get things in order. Once I set off on my adventure in October 2016, I found that travelling without using planes was not easy. Trying to circle the globe in 16 months (it took me a bit longer than the initial 12 months I planned) made it even tougher. Even so, travelling overland was the most awe-inspiring way to truly understand the immensity of our wonderful planet.
I took three consecutive overnight buses to travel 3,000 km through Argentina, from Ushuaia, the world’s southernmost city, to the capital Buenos Aires. I would look out the windows for hours on end at the completely unspoiled plains, as if humans had never touched it.
It took seven consecutive days and nights on trains to get from Moscow to Beijing, each day spent gazing out the windows for hours as the West Siberian Plain swept by. Sometimes, I wouldn’t see a village or a human being for 10 hours. Later in my journey, it took 22 days on a cargo freighter to get from New Zealand through the Panama Canal and back to Philadelphia, to finish my round-the-world adventure.
It turned out that travelling with no reservations was far less difficult than I had imagined. Pulling into a city on a bus with a backpack, looking in a guidebook for a few suggestions of accommodations, and then finding an empty room was never much of a problem anywhere. It also kept me flexible and open about all my travel plans, which is advice I give everyone who asks—plan far less than you think you should.
1. The author’s trip was special in that .| A．he made it at the expense of giving up his job | B．it hardly cost him anything |
| C．he did not make advance booking or travel by air | D．it was a global trip |
| A．June 2017 | B．December 2018 |
| C．October 2017 | D．February 2018 |
①Moscow ②Philadelphia ③New Zealand ④Ushuaia ⑤Beijing ⑥Buenos
| A．⑤④①⑥③② | B．④⑥①⑤③② |
| C．④⑤①⑥③② | D．⑤①⑥④③② |
| A．challenging but pleasing | B．dangerous but wonderful |
| C．boring and disappointing | D．costly and painful |
9 . Yellowstone National Park became America’s first national park in 1872.The National Park Service was formed 44 years later. Yellowstone, which is mostly in the state of Wyoming, is considered as a great example of the National Park System. Humans have been present in Yellowstone for more than 11,000 years.
The first organized exploration of the area which lies close to the Continental Divide of North America took place in 1870.Those first organized explorers must have seen right away how special the land was. Yellowstone contains beautiful mountains, deep canyons, lakes and rivers.
The name Yellowstone comes from the river running through the area. At first known as Rock Yellow River, later it became known as the Yellowstone River. Yellowstone is home to many different species of plants. However, the park is most special because of what lies underneath it. It sits on top of an ancient super volcano. And it remains an active volcano. It is believed that the last time the volcano erupted was a half million years ago. The area has had three major eruptions in the last three million years. Experts say it may erupt again in another 1,000 to 10,000 years. But each year, there are thousands of earthquakes at Yellowstone. Most are too small to be felt by people visiting the park.
Yellowstone is filled with the beauty of many hot water springs. Of all the geothermal(地热的)places in the world, half are in Yellowstone. In places of geothermal activity, hot water and gases are trapped under the earth’s crust. In places like Yellowstone, they rush to the surface in the form of hot water and steam to form geysers(喷泉).There are more geysers and hot springs in Yellowstone than anywhere else on Earth. The most famous geyser is Old Faithful. It erupts about every hour or hour and a half. The eruption can last from one and a half minutes up to 5 minutes. The amount of hot water it pours in that time can be as much as 31,000 liters or more.
1. Which shows the correct time order according to the text?a. Explorers organized the first exploration of Yellowstone.
b. The National Park Service was formed.
c. The park became the first national park in America.
d. Humans showed up in Yellowstone.
| A．a,d,c,b | B．d,c,b,a |
| C．d,a,c,b | D．d,a,b,c |
| A．The beautiful mountains and deep canyons. |
| B．The different species of plants. |
| C．The ancient active volcano. |
| D．The lakes and rivers. |
| A．It is the largest geyser in Yellowstone. |
| B．It may erupt over twenty times every 24 hours. |
| C．It can be easily affected by active volcanoes. |
| D．It pours over 31,000 liters of hot water every minute. |
| A．Yellowstone lies in the state of Wyoming. |
| B．Rock Yellow River is near the Yellowstone River. |
| C．Yellowstone has the most famous plants in the world. |
| D．Yellowstone National Park is successful in National Park System. |
10 . Airborne dust is normally seen as an environmental problem, but the lack of it is making air pollution over China considerably worse.
A new study suggests less dust means more solar radiation hits the land surface,which reduces wind speed. That lack of wind in turn leads to an accumulation of air pollution over heavily populated parts of China. The researchers found that reduced dust levels cause a 13% increase in human-made pollution in the region.
Hundreds of millions of people across China continue to be impacted by air pollution from factories and coal-fl red power plants. Studies suggest that the dirty、air contributes to 1.6 million deaths a year, about 17% of all mortalities. But this new research says that the human-induced pollution is being made worse or better by naturally occurring dust that blows in from the Gobi desert. Using models to simulate 150 years of wind and dust patterns in the region, the researchers found that the dust deflects significant amounts of sunlight. Without it, more heat from the Sun hits the land. Differences in the temperatures between land and sea cause the winds to blow. Without the dust, the land warms up more and that changes the temperature differential with the sea leading to weaker breezes - and more air pollution.
“There are two dust sources. One is the Gobi and the other is the highlands of north-west China, but we found the Gobi had much more influence," said lead author Yang Yang, from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Washington State, US. “Less dust in the atmosphere causes more solar radiation to reach the surface. It weakens the temperature difference between the land and the sea and impacts the circulation of the winds and causes a stagnation over eastern- China and that causes an accumulation of air pollution.”
Another study has recently shown a link between declining Arctic sea ice and a major air pollution event in China. The authors of the new study believe that both theories could be true.
“Our study has the same mechanism: the weakening of winds causes more pollution, and what is behind this needs to be studied/ said Yang Yang, “We have two views on this kind of weakening of wind. They found the sea ice, we found the dust-wind interaction can also lead to weakening of the wind. I think both of them are important.”
The researchers believe that the study may inform broader questions about how natural human-created aerosols interact.
Many parts of the world, in addition to China, are now suffering from increased levels of air pollution and understanding how dust, winds and emissions work together may help limit some of the worst impacts of dirty air.
One of the key lessons from this study is that the absence of dusty conditions could mean the air you are breathing is worse for you, not better.
1. According to the new study, the formation of air pollution over heavily populated parts of China is due to_________.| A．the accumulation of dust | B．the shortage of wind |
| C．the high level of living standards | D．the rise of temperature |
①the worse circulation of the winds
②more heat from the sun
③lessening temperature between the land and the sea
④less dust
⑤a worse stagnation
| A．④②③①⑤ | B．①④②⑤③ |
| C．④①③②⑤ | D．①⑤②④③ |
| A．Lack of dust from the highlands of north-west China means we can breathe better air. |
| B．There is little connection between declining Arctic sea ice and air pollution in China. |
| C．Declining Arctic sea ice and dust-wind interaction can cause weakening of the wind. |
| D．The interaction between dust, winds and emissions can worse dusty conditions. |
