1 . Compared to saving the rainforests, or helping pandas to produce young, linguistic ecology (语言生态) might not seem very exciting. One language is becoming extinct every fortnight — so what？“Why should we care？”is a common reaction. Here are a few reasons why you should.
Identity: Many speakers of minority languages are fiercely proud of their language. Language forms an important part of anyone's identity. Nerys Jenkins in Belfast says, “Telling me not to speak Welsh would be like telling me not to breathe: I just couldn't do it.” To let someone's language die out is to let part of their identity die too.
Culture: Language is connected with culture — if a nation loses a language, it may also lose its links with a tradition of jokes, music and literature. Elizabeth MacDonald from Arisaig says Scottish Gaelic is “... our language, the most important part of an ancient culture which has somehow survived despite many persecutions (迫害) over the centuries. It is a culture rich in story, song and poetry, beloved of those familiar with it.”
Knowledge: Languages harbor all kinds of human knowledge — including useful biological or medical information that we might not find out about otherwise. In the Micmac language, for example, trees are named after the sound they make in the wind. The names change as the sounds change, so, if an elderly Micmac speaker remembers that a certain kind of tree used to have one name, but is now called something else, this can show the effects of acid rain on that species. Lose Micmac and you will lose that understanding.
Of the 6,000 or so languages in the world, more than half are expected to die within the next century, and many more are disappearing. It's estimated (估计) that two languages die out every month. It's easy to think of dying and extinct languages as just facts and figures, but behind every one, there are real people. The online Ethnologue database, for example, says of one Syrian language：“The last speaker died in 1998. His daughter knows Mlahsö well, but is nearly deaf and has no one to speak it to.”
1. What do Nerys Jenkins's words suggest?| A．He takes pride in his language. |
| B．He doesn't know other languages. |
| C．He can't find his identity in Wales. |
| D．He'll die if not allowed to speak Welsh. |
| A．It builds a nation's spirit. |
| B．It forms a nation's tradition. |
| C．It keeps people in touch with the classics. |
| D．It connects people from different nations. |
| A．Languages develop very fast. |
| B．The air pollution is getting worse. |
| C．The number of Micmac speakers is dropping. |
| D．People of different ages speak different languages. |
| A．Mlahsö is no longer in existence. |
| B．The extinction of languages matters little. |
| C．Languages die with the disappearance of facts. |
| D．Languages are disappearing at a surprising speed. |
2 . People have different ways of dealing with a common cold. Some take over the counter medicines such as aspirin while others try popular home remedies(治疗) like herbal tea or chicken soup. Yet here is the tough truth about the common cold: nothing really cures it.
So why do people sometimes believe that their remedies work? According to James Taylor, professor at the University of Washington, colds usually go away on their own in about a week, improving a little each day after symptoms peak, so it's easy to believe it's medicine rather than time that deserves the credit, USA Today reported.
It still seems hard to believe that we can deal with more serious diseases yet are powerless against something so common as a cold. Recently, scientists came closer to figure out why. To understand it, you first need to know how antiviral drugs work. They attack the virus by attaching to and changing the surface structures of the virus. To do that, the drug must fit and lock into the virus like the right piece of a jigsaw(拼图), which means scientists have to identify the virus and build a 3D model to study its surface before they can design an antiviral drug that is effective enough.
The two cold viruses that scientists had long known about were rhinovirus(鼻病毒) A and B. But they didn't find out about the existence of a third virus, rhinovirus C, until 2006. All three of them contribute to the common cold, but drugs that work well against rhinovirus A and B have little effect when used against rhinovirus C.
''This explains most of the previous failures of drug trials against rhinoviruses,'' study leader Professor Ann C. Palmenberg at the University of Wiscons in Madison, US, told Science Daily.
Now, more than 10 years after the discovery of rhinovirus C, scientists have finally built a highly detailed 3D model of the virus, showing that the surface of the virus is, as expected, different from that of other cold viruses.
With the model in hand, hopefully a real cure for a common cold is on its way. Soon, we may no longer have to waste our money on medicines that don't really work.
1. What does the author think of popular remedies for a common cold?| A．They are quite effective. | B．They are slightly helpful. |
| C．They actually have no effect. | D．They still need to be improved. |
| A．By breaking up cold viruses directly. |
| B．By changing the surface structures of the cold viruses. |
| C．By preventing colds from developing into serious diseases. |
| D．By absorbing different kinds of cold viruses at the same time. |
| A．The surface of cold viruses looks quite similar. |
| B．Scientists have already found a cure for the common cold. |
| C．Scientists were not aware of the existence of rhinovirus C until recently. |
| D．Knowing the structure of cold viruses is the key to developing an effective cure. |
| A．Drugs against cold viruses | B．Helpful home remedies |
| C．No current cure for common cold | D．Research on cold viruses |
3 . It’s important for children to take part in social activities during their summer holidays. “Kids should have a break during the summer. They’ve worked hard during the school year and this is their time to relax, but they should continue communicating with their friends and meeting new people,” said Dr. Jin Han. He’s a professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.
Spending time with friends and meeting new people by doing fun and educational activities such as music, arts and sports programs in summer help with their development. “If children spend a lot of time alone on their electronic equipment, then they will fail to communicate with others,” Han said. “In today’s world, it’s very easy for kids to stay indoors all day and keep in touch with others, but that is not a good way to connect with others. Face-to-face communication is necessary and important. Parents should restrict the time their children spend on electronic equipment. For example, the time they spend on their phones cannot be more than one hour a day.”
It’s also important for children to spend quality time with their parents and sisters or brothers. “It’s not the length of time, but the quality of time that families spend together that is really valuable,” Han said. “This type of communication is not something that you can get from anywhere else. It doesn’t matter how old the child is, because family bonding (人与人之间的关系) experiences can happen at any time.”
Having children spend time with friends and families doesn’t have to spend money in the wallet, either. For example, going to the neighborhood swimming pool or having a picnic is a great way to spend quality time together.
1. What does Dr. Jin Han think about the summer holidays according to the first paragraph?| A．It is necessary for children to have a rest during summer holidays. |
| B．Children should relax as much as possible during summer holidays. |
| C．Making new friends in summer holidays is difficult for children. |
| D．Children should prepare for schoolwork in summer holidays. |
| A．Increase. | B．Control. | C．Spend. | D．Employ. |
| A．How long children spend with families matters. |
| B．What to do with families depends on the parents. |
| C．When to spend time with families makes a difference. |
| D．How to enjoy the time with families is of great importance. |
| A．The importance of friends and families. | B．The introduction of some social activities. |
| C．The suitable ways to spend summer holidays. | D．The necessity of face-to-face communication. |
4 . Airplanes are known for "making" people sick. Fortunately, I've got the inside scoop on some practices that will keep you healthy on the plane and a head start on staying healthy during your travels.
Start taking immunity support products BEFORE you begin your trip.
Immunity support products come in a variety of forms. They are designed to prepare your body for physical stress by loading you up on the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants（抗氧化） that support great immune system functioning .
If your body is weak at the beginning of the trip, any germ or bacteria is going to have easy access to your system. Get those defenses in place a few days before travel and give your body the best chance to stay healthy.
Antibacterial wipes are your best friend.
Take a minute to think about that airplane. How many people are touching literally every surface with hands that have blocked a sneeze, been coughed into, held the handrail of the moving sidewalk?
Take along plenty of individually wrapped antibacterial wipes and use them everywhere. Wipe down the armrests, the seat belt buckle, the tray table and the remote control for the in-flight entertainment.
Wear slip-on shoes.
Many articles instruct passengers to wear socks on the airplane for comfort. However, if you walk down the aisle in your socks, or even worse, use the restroom, the bottom of those socks are going to pick up all kinds of dirt. So wear shoes when you move around on the plane! Let your shoes provide a barrier to whatever might be lying on the floor.
1. Why do planes easily make people sick according to the writer?| A．People lack practice to keep fit. |
| B．There are many bacteria on the plane. |
| C．People have too much entertainment during the flight. |
| D．People's immune system fails to work on the plane. |
| A．By wearing socks. |
| B．By stopping feeling stressful. |
| C．By blocking coughing with hands. |
| D．By taking some supportive products. |
| A．Advice on safety | B．A worthwhile trip |
| C．Stay healthy on a flight | D．Be careful of your flight |
5 . A quarrel at home may result in you falling ill. Don't laugh, it's true. Family matters including living habits and even the way we speak have a big effect on our health, doctors say.
Wang Xiaoyu, a Senior 2 girl from Xichang, Sichuan Province, fainted (晕倒) in class when she heard her classmates quarrel at the top of their voices. Quarrels between her parents also put the girl into a coma. It is because she is suffering from depression , caused by bad relations at home, doctors explained."We don't get sick or stay well by ourselves," says Dr Robert Ferrer from the US. Ferrer shows that family forces may explain up to a quarter of health problems, in his recent research.
The genes you get from your family may cause illness. If one of your parents has a heart attack, your risk of being affected (影响) may double. But effects on health are not only written in our DNA.
Unrelated people who live under the same roof also get similar problems. Diet, lifestyle and environment affect our health, too.
Ferrer's research also found that if teenagers feel they are ignored (忽视) or unimportant at home they are more likely to get sick.
We may never fully understand all the effects that families have on our health. But just as individual problems can have effects on others, a small improvement can have big benefits , Ferrer said.
1. Which of the following can best explain why Wang Xiaoyu fainted in class?| A．Because her classmates often quarreled in class. |
| B．Because her parents used to quarrel. |
| C．Because of her depression caused by bad family relations. |
| D．Because her classmates shouted loudly at her. |
| A．We get sick or stay well by ourselves. |
| B．Only the genes we get from our family have a big effect on our health. |
| C．Our health has nothing to do with diet, life style and environment. |
| D．Teenagers who are ignored at home get sick more easily than those who are not. |
| A．embarrassment | B．faint | C．tiredness | D．sadness |
| A．Family relations. | B．The reasons why we get sick. |
| C．Happy family makes you healthy. | D．A research about teenagers' health. |
6 . One Sunday night, a high school student, Rory Campbell, heard noises next door to his home in Bonita Mews, off St Asaph Road, Brockley. When he went outside, he saw his neighbor climbing out of a front window of his second floor flat, which was on fire. He then saw the man covered in black soot(黑灰), shouting for help.
The 15-year-old boy called the fire service and tried to calm the neighbor, who is in his thirties, until firefighters arrived. Rory said, “He was shouting ‘Help me, help me! Get a ladder, get a ladder!’ He was a bit hysterical(歇斯底里的). I didn’t have time to think. I just tried to calm him by telling him the firefighters were on the way.”
Rory was told by the man that the fire had been caused by a candle falling over. Firefighters from New Cross, Peckham, Lewisham and Forest Hill rescued the man by ladder and got the fire under control within minutes of arriving. The man was taken to a south London hospital where he is still recovering from smoke inhalation(吸入).
25% of the flat was damaged by the fire.
Rory, studying music, added, “As the man walked past me, he said ‘Thanks’ and that meant a lot to me. I do feel good because I helped save his life.”
Another neighbor said, “I heard a lot of noise but thought it was coming from the railway opposite. I couldn’t believe it when I saw the man hanging there. The boy next door really did save his life by calling the firefighters.”
1. According to the passage, what caused the fire?| A．Rory’s smoking. |
| B．Careless cooking. |
| C．The gas fire. |
| D．A lighted candle. |
| A．He lighted the candle. |
| B．He calmed his neighbor. |
| C．He closed doors to stop the fire. |
| D．He held a ladder. |
| A．He was rescued by ladder. |
| B．The boy carried him out. |
| C．He was carried by a firefighter who got into the room. |
| D．He got out himself. |
| A．much of the flat was destroyed |
| B．Rory was sent to hospital for injuries |
| C．Rory studied music |
| D．Rory led an important part in saving the man’s life |
7 . Why do most of us live our life always caring what people might say or think? Some of the decisions we make are just to please the outside world around us. I have always lived life pleasing the ever over-demanding society. This had a great effect on my search for authenticity (真实性). I only felt good enough when people paid attention to me. So I would frequently do things to catch people’s eye instead of placing emphasis on what really matters to me.
A recent experience changed my view. I had been looking for a tailor to mend some of my clothes. With the help of a few friends, I found one, who just so happened to go to the same gym as me. As we chatted, he shared his story and his use of drugs for muscle development with me. In his words, he weighed over 240 pounds and was the envy of a lot of people. So many people wanted to be like him and have a body like his, which made him use more drugs.
But within two years something happened. He began to have problems with his liver. The doctor advised him to stop using drugs and give up lifting heavy weights for a while. This was a hard decision because he had got so used to the attention from people. He didn’t want to give that up; who would? Right? That was it. He made me understand how he lived his life for people. He lost sight of what was best for him.
He told me not to live life thinking about too much what people think, feel, or say. Instead, live life with meaning. His story really has an effect on me. I have to look at my life to see what I do. I am not saying we shouldn’t take the advice of others into consideration, but we must work hard for continuous self-awareness (自我认识). If we can know what we’re doing and why we’re doing it, we can realize just how important that thing is to us.
1. What does the underlined phrase“placing emphasis on”mean?| A．Looking forward to. | B．Paying attention to. |
| C．Getting familiar with. | D．Taking pride in. |
| A．To lose weight. | B．To keep healthy. |
| C．To treat his liver disease. | D．To improve his muscle and weight. |
| A．He was afraid of losing others’admiration. |
| B．He didn’t have any trouble with his health. |
| C．He wanted to live a simple and easy life. |
| D．He wasn’t able to lose sight of himself. |
| A．We should live life to the fullest. |
| B．Being open to others’advice is important. |
| C．We should have a good understanding of ourselves. |
| D．Nothing is more important than good health in our life. |
8 . When I was a kid, my siblings (兄弟姐妹) and I used to have ice cream for dessert. Every day, we would choose which ice cream flavor to have, whether to eat it in a cone or a bowl. Then we would happily wolf down our treat (款待) as fast as we could.
Once, though, when I was probably about 10 or 11, our grandpa came to visit us. Grandpa always had a unique view on things. On this particular occasion, my sister and I were making bets as to who could finish our ice cream first. With a smile, Grandpa said, “Why would you want to finish first? If you eat slowly, it will last longer. You should have a competition to see who can finish last.” Even now, I always try to taste my ice cream, but of course this is about more than just dessert.
Too often, kids want to scramble (争夺) for more, whether it’s more ice cream, more toys, or more friends. This habit persists into our adult years, and we end up constantly scrambling for more. We never develop the skill of appreciating what we have. If we learn to recognize this pattern and change it, we can raise our kids a little differently, giving them the tool of tasting their widely known dessert, which could lead to a happier life for them.
What my grandpa taught me that day was really that if you take the opportunity to enjoy what’s in front of you, the pleasure will last longer and be more rewarding than if you rush through life always trying to get the next treat. It’s a lesson that, I think, has made my adult life happier, as well. These days, when I want something, I wait as long as I can before I allow myself to have it. Then, when I finally get it, I make sure to treasure it as long as possible, because I know that, no matter what it is, it will be gone all too soon.
1. The author’s grandfather advised her sister and her to_______.| A．stop eating ice cream | B．learn something from their way of eating |
| C．stop the competition between them | D．eat ice cream as slowly as possible |
| A．Humorous. | B．Wise. | C．Strict. | D．Careful. |
| A．Value what you have. | B．Keep longing for more. |
| C．Have a balanced diet. | D．Save for the future. |
| A．The author benefits a lot from her grandfather’s advice. |
| B．The author doesn’t like ice cream as much as before. |
| C．The author just starts to understand her grandfather. |
| D．The author longs for the days when they ate ice cream. |
9 . It is important to protect yourself from harmful rays. But if you think a high-factor sunscreen keeps you safe from harmful rays, you may be wrong. Research in this week’s Nature shows that while factor 50 reduces the number of melanomas(黑素瘤)and delays their occurrence, it can’t prevent them. Melanomas are the most aggressive skin cancers. You have a higher risk if you have red or blond hair, fair skin, blue or green eyes, or sunburn easily, or if a close relative has had one. Melanomas are more common if you have periodic intense exposure to the sun. Other skin cancers are increasingly likely with long-term exposure.
There is continuing debate as to how effective sunscreen is in reducing melanomas—the evidence is weaker than it is for preventing other types of skin cancer. A 2011 Australian study of 1,621 people found that people randomly selected to apply sunscreen daily had half the rate of melanomas of people who used cream as needed. A second study, comparing 1,167 people with melanomas to 1,101 who didn’t have the cancer, found that using sunscreen routinely, alongside other protection such as hats, long sleeves or staying in the shade, did give some protection. This study said other forms of sun protection—no sunscreen—seemed most beneficial. The study relied on people remembering what they had done over each decade of their lives, so it’s not entirely reliable. But it seems reasonable to think sunscreen gives people a false sense of security in the sun.
Many people also don’t use sunscreen properly applying insufficient amounts, failing to reapply after a couple of hours and staying in the sun too long. It is sunburn that is most worrying—recent research shows five episodes of sunburn in the teenage years increase the risk of all skin cancers.
The good news is that a combination of sunscreen and covering up can reduce melanoma rates, as shown by Australian figures from their slip-slop-slap campaign. So if there is a heat wave this summer, it would be best for us, too, to slip on a shirt, use sunscreen and slap on a hat.
1. What’s people’s common expectation of high-factor sunscreen?| A．It will protect them from sunburn. |
| B．It will keep their skin smooth and fair. |
| C．It will work for people of any skin color. |
| D．It will delay the occurrence of skin cancer. |
| A．Sunscreen can prevent all kinds of skin cancers. |
| B．The studies are based on direct observation of the subjects. |
| C．The studies may help people select the most effective sunscreen. |
| D．Daily application of sunscreen helps reduce the incidence of melanomas. |
| A．Staying in the shade whenever possible. |
| B．Using covering up instead of sunscreen. |
| C．Using both covering up and sunscreen. |
| D．Applying the right amount of sunscreen. |
| A．No Way to Stop Harmful Rays! |
| B．Does Sunscreen Prevent Skin Cancer? |
| C．Did You Use Sunscreen in the Right Way? |
| D．Skin Cancer—The Biggest Threat to Human Beings! |
10 . The fast spread of the virus has led most Chinese citizens to wear face masks in public to help reduce infections. The Beijing-based Hanwang Technology Ltd. says it has created a new facial recognition system that is the first to effectively identify people even if they are wearing masks.
China is recognized as a world leader in the development of artificial intelligence and facial recognition system. The new system is based on the existing technologies developed over the past 10 years.
“When wearing a mask, the recognition rate can reach about 95 percent, which can ensure that most people can be identified,” Hanwang’s vice president, Huang Lei, said. He added that the system’s success rate for people not wearing a mask is about 99.5 percent. However, the new system struggles to identify people wearing both a mask and sunglasses. “In this situation, all of the key facial information is lost. In such cases recognition is tough,” Huang said.
Hanwang is now selling two main kinds of products that use the technology. One performs “single channel” recognition and the other is a “multi-channel” recognition, which can identify individuals in a crowd of up to 30 people “within a second”.
Huang said officials can use Hanwang’s technology to compare images with ministry (部门) records on individuals in order to identify and track people as they move about. The system can identify crime suspects (嫌疑人), terrorists or make reports or warnings, he added.
While some citizens have expressed opposition to such tools, more people seem to have accepted the methods as a way to deal with the current health emergency.
So far, Huang says most interest in the new system has come from within China. But he sees the interest likely expanding if the virus continues to spread and the use of face masks increases.
1. What do we know about the new facial recognition system?| A．It has no relation to the existing tech. | B．It is being used both at home and abroad. |
| C．It can record people’s temperature. | D．It can be used for many purposes. |
| A．international companies | B．colleges and universities |
| C．the Ministry of Public Safety | D．the Ministry of Manpower |
| A．Supportive. | B．Disapproving. | C．Uncaring. | D．Doubtful. |
| A．To show China’s technological advances. | B．To introduce a newly developed system. |
| C．To demonstrate the innovation of China. | D．To advertise a new tech-based product. |
