1 . 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. |
2 . 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. |
3 . The history of microbiology begins with Dutch cloth maker named Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, a man of no formal scientific education. In the late 1600s. Leeuwenhoek, inspired by the magnifying lenses（放大镜）he used to examine cloth, built some of the first-microscopes. He developed technique to improve the quality of tiny, rounded lenses, some of which could magnify an object up to 270 times. After removing some plaque from between his teeth and examining it under a lens, Leeuwenhoek found tiny twisting creatures, which he called “animalcules”.
His observations, which he reported to the Royal Society of London, are among the first descriptions of microbes（微生物）. Leeuwenhoek discovered an entire universe invisible to the human eye. He found different microbes in samples of pond water, rain water, and human blood. He gave the first description of red blood cells, observed plant tissue, examined muscle, and investigated the life cycle of insects.
Nearly two hundred years later, Leeuwenhock’s discovery of microbes helped French chemist and biologist Louis Pasteur to develop his “theory of disease”. This concept suggested that disease originates from tiny organisms attacking and weakening the body. Pasteur’s theory later helped doctors to fight infectious diseases including anthrax, diphtheria, polio, smallpox, tetanus, and typhoid. All these breakthroughs were the result of Leeuwenhoek’s original work. Leeuwenhoek did not foresee this legacy.
In a 1716 letter, he described his contribution to science this way: “My work, which I’ve done for a long time, was not pursued in order to gain the praise I now enjoy, but chiefly from a strong desire for knowledge, which I notice resides in me more than in most other men. And therefore; whenever I found out anything remarkable, I have thought it my duty to put down my discovery on paper, so that the scientific community might be informed thereof.”
1. Which of the following best describes Leeuwenhoek?| A．trained researcher with an interest in microbiology |
| B．A curious amateur who made pioneer studies of microbes |
| C．A talented scientist interested in finding a cure for disease |
| D．A bored cloth maker who accidentally made a major discovery |
| A．the discovery of microbes |
| B．Pasteur’s theory of disease |
| C．Leeuwenhoek’s contribution |
| D．the origin of the tiny organism |
| A．He admitted that many of his discoveries happened by chance. |
| B．He considered his work to be central to later medical breakthroughs. |
| C．He was greatly concerned with improving people’s living conditions. |
| D．He believed the sharing of knowledge was a key to scientific progress |
a. Magnifying lenses were built.
b. The “theory of disease” was put forward
c. Microbes were discovered in samples of waters.
d. Leeuwenhoek’s first microscopes were successfully developed.
e. Leeuwenhoek explained his thoughts upon his own contribution.
| A．a-d-c-e-b | B．d-a-c-e-b | C．a-c-d-b-e | D．d-a-e-b-c |
4 . Rocky was a 65-pound dog. Rita was his eleven-year old owner. When Rocky was given to her, Rita immediately liked him. Whenever she was not in school,the two were always together and within touching distance. The family would lovingly call the pair “R and R”.
But Rocky had one shortcoming. He feared water very much because of a terrible experience. When he was at the age of seven weeks long before he met Rita,he was nearly drowned by a naughty boy who had been blamed by his father.
One late afternoon, Rita's mother took R and R to a shopping area near a lake. Rita was running along the wooden bridge over the water,enjoying the beautiful scenery around. Suddenly a boy on a bicycle hit Rita. She let out a cry of pain and fell into the lake.
Rita's mother was at the entrance of a store not far away. She rushed to the lake shouting for help. Rocky seemed to forget his fear and jumped into the water to save his owner. Rocky immediately swam to Rita and held her by the shoulder's clothes with his mouth. Rita's face was quickly out of the water and she could cough.Luckily,the water was calm,they were not far from the bank,and Rocky finally reached a depth where his feet were on solid ground. He pulled Rita hard until her head was completely out of the water, and then he stood beside her, licking (舔) her face.
Rita and her family firmly believed that it was only the big dog's love for the little girl that caused him to take action that might be life-dangerous.
1. From the text, we know __________.| A．Rita was once blamed |
| B．Rocky was eleven years old |
| C．Rita spent her spare time with Rocky |
| D．Rocky lived in Rita's home since his birth |
| A．Brave. | B．Honest. | C．Unkind. | D．Dangerous. |
| A．At noon. | B．At night. | C．In the morning. | D．In the afternoon. |
① Rocky came into Rita's life.② Rocky was nearly drowned.
③They were playing near the lake. ④ Rocky saved Rita from the water.
| A．①②④③ | B．②①③④ | C．③①②④ | D．④③②① |
5 . Oindrila Basu from India, 25, is a key member of a global forestry organization.
Back in her youth, she had to be taught the importance of nature. She used to ruin nests of the bulbul bird just for fun. Once, her mother caught her and forced her to find the eggs and replace the nest. With a heavy heart, the girl realized she had done something terrible.
This is just one way that Basu's parents shaped her understanding and appreciation of nature. Living in the countryside, she spent her youth studying ants before a rain, watching sunbirds drink bottlebrush nectar （花蜜），counting fireflies and watching seedlings grow. Then her parents decided to move to a nearby city with better educational opportunities and she stopped having firsthand experiences with nature.
As she struggled to choose a college major, her mother suggested a career in forestry. That's when her journey began and she fell in love with forestry. Away from the crowded concrete cities, in the lap of the Himalayas, she got her bachelor's degree in forestry from Kumaun University, India. When she went on to study for a master's in forestry from the Forest Research Institute, India, she finally got introduced to a like-minded group of people, dedicated to the same cause — the International Forestry Students' Association （（IFSA）.
IFSA is a global organization connecting students to exchange knowledge and participate in forestry activities. The youth joining IFSA are encouraged to undertake its task — to enrich forest education and spread a love for nature through events and intercultural exchanges.
After six months of exciting international conferences and workshops, Basu found her home — a family that loved forests as much as she did. She felt rejuvenated （重生的）;her passion had a direction. Now she wanted to do more.
Now with the IFSA , Basu recalled her experience of joining , " Consciously （有意识地）or subconsciously we chose forestry, or rather, forestry chose us".
1. Basu's parents play a role in her love for nature.| A．unique | B．usual | C．vague | D．vital |
| A．Basu's tutors | B．people who love forests |
| C．Basu's classmates | D．people who work for forest research |
| A．Love — Take — Study — Spread. |
| B．Hate — Destroy — Flee — Enrich. |
| C．Explore — Understand — Take — Devote. |
| D．Destroy — Experience — Love — Devote. |
| A．Loving Nature. |
| B．Basu: Forest Guardian Angel. |
| C．Realising Dreams. |
| D．Forestry: Home to Human Beings. |
6 . The lander-ascender (上升器) combination of China's Chang’e 5 robotic lunar probe (探测器) has finished gathering subsurface samples and packed them in vacuum container and is continuing collecting surface samples, according to the China National Space Administration.
The administration said in a statement on Wednesday morning that the drilling and packing processes of rocks and soil from 2 meters beneath lunar surface concluded at 4:53 am. A mechanical arm is continuing gathering surface samples.
The combination landed on the moon at 11:11 pm on Tuesday, becoming the third spacecraft that has successfully touched down on the lunar surface this century. The first two aircraft that had achieved this are also from China — the Chang’e 3 and 4. The combination is tasked with collecting about 2 kilograms of samples.
China’s largest and most sophisticated lunar probe, Chang’e 5 was launched by a Long March 5 heavy-lift carrier rocket early on Nov 24 at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan province, undertaking the world’s first mission since 1976 to return lunar samples to Earth. The spacecraft is composed of four parts — orbiter (轨道飞行器), lander, ascender and re-entry capsule (返回舱).
Before the landing, Chang’e 5 separated into two parts — the orbiter-reentry capsule combination and the lander-ascender combination — in a lunar orbit early on Monday morning so as to prepare for the landing operation.
While the lander-ascender combination is carrying out surface operations, the orbiter-reentry capsule combination is traveling in a lunar orbit at an average altitude of around 200 km above the moon. After all surface operations are done, an engine on the ascender will lift it to meet the reentry module. It will transfer the lunar samples to the module and then separate from it.
The orbiter-reentry combination capsule will then return to the Earth’s orbit, where the pair will break up and the reentry capsule will return to a preset landing site in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region in mid-December.
If the mission is successful, it will make China the third nation to bring samples back from the moon, after the United States and the former Soviet Union.
1. What does the underlined word “sophisticated” in Paragraph 4 refer to?| A．Popular. | B．Advanced. | C．Necessary. | D．Difficult. |
a. landing on the moon.
b. separating Chang’e 5 into two parts.
c. launching Chang’e 5 lunar probe from the rocket.
d. collecting subsurface and surface samples.
e. returning to the Earth’s orbit.
| A．cbade. | B．baced. | C．bcaed. | D．cbdae. |
| A．Chang’e 5 has finished collecting samples on the surface. |
| B．The reentry capsule will return with the lunar samples. |
| C．The orbiter-reentry capsule will be together all the time. |
| D．The reentry capsule will return to the launch center. |
| A．In a travel brochure. | B．In a geography textbook. |
| C．In a science newspaper. | D．In a personal diary. |
7 . 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. |
8 . 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 |
9 . 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 |
10 . 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. |
