1 . There are nearly 2,800 working satellites in space, which we depend on for technology we use every day, such as video calls, online maps, satellite TV, and weather tracking. Scientists use them to study space and learn more about our planet.
But there are many other satellites in orbit (轨道) that are no longer working. They're among the objects cluttering (使杂乱) up space. Some of these eventually fall back toward Earth, either landing or burning up in the atmosphere. But much of this space junk (垃圾) circles Earth for years. Space junk is a problem. Debris (残骸) floating around Earth puts technology and future space tasks at risk. Experts are working on ways to solve it.
Orbital debris, a type of space junk, is any human-made object that has slopped working but continues to float around the Earth. This includes satellites that are no longer used and pieces of spacecraft, such as rocket stages. It has been a large problem since the 1960s.
Space junk also includes broken pieces of objects. These occur when satellites hit against things. They also result from an object crashing into an old rocket stage that still contains fuel, causing an explosion (爆炸) . There have been more than 250 space explosions since the 1960s. These tiny broken pieces can damage working satellites, which can affect research in space.
Companies all over the world are working to clean up the area surrounding our planet. A company based in Japan will test the method of using magnets (磁石) to collect space debris. Another mission is led by a company based in Switzerland. It plans to carry out a debris-removal spacecraft in 2025. The craft will get hold of a piece of an old rocket, slow it down, and move it back to Earth. Eventually, the debris will burn out like a shooting star.
Governments are trying to help too. Some are updating their country's space guidelines to limit the amount of debris created. Space is so large that the problem won't be solved by a single organization or a single country. We have to work on this together.
1. What is the biggest harm that space junk does to human beings?| A．It will fall back toward the Earth. | B．It circles the Earth for years. |
| C．It puts other space objects in danger. | D．It will burn up in the atmosphere. |
| A．By making the orbital debris fall back to Earth. | B．By putting the pieces all together. |
| C．By collecting space junk with magnets. | D．By sending space junk into deep space. |
| A．Strict laws. | B．Global efforts. |
| C．Stopping in space exploration. | D．Setting up professional organizations. |
| A．Earth and its satellites. | B．The problem of space junk. |
| C．Ways of cleaning up space junk. | D．The various uses of man-made satellites. |
2 . The company SpaceX has already launched hundreds of its Star-link satellites, with plans to put as many as 42,000 of them in Earth orbit. Its goal is to provide high-speed Internet to billions of people. Moving toward that kind of access is important, but it comes at a cost. Glittering with reflected sunlight, these first orbiters, sent up in the past year, are brighter than 99 percent of the 5,000 or so other satellites now circling Earth, and obviously there are going to be a lot more. This sudden increase is bad for astronomy: the probability of a Star-link satellite crossing a telescope’s field of view and ruining an observation will be quite high near sunset. For that reason, my fellow astronomers have signed a petition (请愿书) calling for governments to protect the night sky from this invasion.
In response to protests, SpaceX has promised to address the visibility problem by, for example, applying experimental coatings — essentially painting the satellites black — but the company’s aggressive launch schedule remains unchanged. And the satellites’ illuminated (被照亮) surfaces are mostly their solar panels — exactly the part that cannot be painted over.
Unfortunately, at present no regulations govern how bright a single satellite can be, let alone thousands of them together. Even if there were such regulations, one nation’s laws can not hinder (阻碍) another country’s launches. Space literally has no borders, and the sky will need to be protected at an international level. As a consequence, we hope that the United Nations will find a way to think outside of the box to save the sky for everyone.
When I was growing up in Montana, it was a game to be the first to find a moving satellite among the host of stars in the night sky. Soon it could be a game to recognize the constellations (星座) behind a swarm of moving points of light.
1. What is the writer’s attitude toward Space X’s launching plans?| A．Indifferent. | B．Doubtful. | C．Optimistic. | D．Disapproving. |
| A．SpaceX plans to send too many Star-line satellites into space. |
| B．The Star-line satellites will possibly ruin an observation near sunset. |
| C．The first orbiters are brighter than most of other satellites circling Earth. |
| D．Space X fails to provide high-speed Internet to people around the world. |
| A．The United States. | B．The United Nations. |
| C．The company SpaceX. | D．Just one nation. |
| A．Preserve the Night Sky | B．Ban Star-line Satellites |
| C．Observe the Stars Attentively | D．Protest against Space X |
3 . A company called Compass Pools has some good news for height and swimming enthusiasts.Recently，the company announced their novel design—a first of its kind 360degree pool which is set to be placed on a skyscraper in London.The Infinity London will be the first and only building in the world to include this cuttingedge pool design.The pool will be laid on top of a 55story skyscraper and will allow people to float over 200 meters above the London skyline with unobstructed(没有障碍的) views of the city.
The entrance to the pool is hidden.People began to raise questions about how anyone would get inside the pool.Compass Pools explains：“Swimmers will access the pool through a rotating spiral(螺旋形的) staircase based on the door of a submarine，rising from the pool floor when someone wants to get in or out.”
But that is not the only unique technology of the pool.The designers found a way to make sure the wind doesn't blow the water down to the streets.They included a builtin anemometer(风力计) to monitor the wind speed.It is linked to a computercontrolled building management system which will also take care of the temperature of the water.
Alex Kemsley promises that this unique pool will surpass everyone's expectations.“It's quite a strange feeling to swim in the SkyPool at The Shard and have helicopters flying past at your level but this pool takes it a step further，”he says.“Putting your goggles(游泳镜) on and with a 360degree view of London from 220m up，it really will be something else—but it's definitely not one for the acrophobic(恐高的)！”
While the exact date of the construction is not clear yet，if things go well，it may begin in 2022.The location has yet to be confirmed too.
1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?| A．The Infinity London is the only building to swim in. |
| B．Swimmers can enjoy the views of London in the pool. |
| C．The pool is located on the first floor of a skyscraper. |
| D．Compass Pools has built many 360degree pools in the world. |
| A．How to get a view of London. |
| B．How to monitor the wind speed. |
| C．How to get into or out of the pool. |
| D．How to keep the water in the pool. |
| A．People who enjoy flying. |
| B．People who lose weight. |
| C．People who fear heights. |
| D．People who have poor sight. |
| A．It is not certain when people can swim in it. |
| B．The exact location of the construction is clear. |
| C．Swimmers can expect its designs easily. |
| D．It's impossible to monitor the temperature of the water. |
4 . Marco Springmann and his colleagues, at the Oxford Martin School's Future of Food Programme, built computer models that predicted what would happen if everyone became vegetarian by 2050. The results indicate that if the world went vegan, the greenhouse gas emissions declines would be around 70%.
In the US, for example, an average family of four emits more greenhouse gases because of the meal they eat than from driving two cars——but it is cars, not steaks, that regularly come up in discussions about global warming.
Food, especially livestock, also takes up a lot of room. 68% of agricultural land in the world is used for livestock. When these lands become grasslands and forests, they would capture carbon dioxide and further ease climate change.
However, if the whole world went vegan, there would be negative effects too. First, it is necessary to keep livestock for environmental purposes. "I'm sitting here in Scotland where the Highlands' environment is very man-made and based largely on grazing by sheep," says Peter Alexander, a researcher in socio-ecological systems modeling at the University of Edinburgh. "If we took all the sheep away, the environment would look different and there would be a potential negative impact on biodiversity. "
Plus, meat is an important part of history , tradition and cultural identity. Numerous groups around the world give livestock gifts at weddings, celebratory dinners such as Christmas with turkey or roast beef.
And nowadays, moderation in meal-eating's frequency and portion size is key to solving these conflicts. "Certain changes would encourage us to make healthier and more environmentally friendly dietary decisions," says Springmann, "like putting a higher price lag on meat and making fresh fruits and vegetables cheaper. "
In fact, clear solutions already exist for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the livestock industry. What is lacking is the will to implement those changes.
1. What can we infer from the underlined sentence in the second paragraph?| A．Driving cars is more dangerous than eating steaks in the US. |
| B．Our dietary choices affecting climate change is often underestimated. |
| C．People compare the greenhouse gas emissions of the cars and steaks. |
| D．Cars affect the global warming more seriously than the steaks. |
| A．To show the important impact of livestock on the environment. |
| B．To show his work as a researcher in the socio-ecological systems. |
| C．To encourage people to take all the sheep back for environmental purpose. |
| D．To point out the negative impact of the sheep on the biodiversity. |
| A．It is hard to please all. |
| B．Don't put all your eggs in one basket. |
| C．One cannnot see the wood for the trees. |
| D．Everything is a double-edged sword. |
| A．A biology textbook. | B．A health magazine. |
| C．A scientific journal. | D．An educational review. |
5 . The news that all teachers were expected to attend camp with their students left me feeling unsettled. For the first time in more than 20 years, I would need to spend three days in the early autumn bush with 120 14-year-olds.
I love spending time with teenagers. But I teach Grade 12 English and am 51 years old. There is a difference between a literary seminar on King Lear, no matter how lively it may be, and late-night party in a campground. Besides, my idea of “outdoors” is biking on the Ottawa bike paths or sitting in the backyard with a cup of tea and a good book.
Eventually, we turn down a long dirt track that dives deep into a forest. I read the schedule and note the impressive minute-by-minute detail for the next 72 hours. I’ve never faced such a structured(高度组织化的) time since, well, when I went to camp in Grade 9. I think of home.
The next morning, I arise early. It is 7 a.m. Time for the polar bear dip. Everyone asks if I am going to swim. I respond with lame excuses and then wander, like a Grade 8 boy at the edges of a middle-school dance. Kids charge in, great plumes(股流) of water rising up around them as they shout with joy. My colleagues link arms, count down and run into the water bravely. Toweling off, the swimmers discuss the water temperature. The regret that I knew I would feel starts to kill me. I will now forever be the guy who did not take part in the polar bear dip. I walk slowly up to the dining hall and decide that from that moment on I will commit fully to camp life. My unwillingness to do anything is replaced with a burning desire to do everything.
At 7 a.m. the next morning, I am the first person on the beach in my bathing suit. I dive into the water. I scream about how good it feels. Toweling off afterward, I talk to anyone within earshot about the temperature of the water.
Later that day, the camp winds down. Something has happened in this camp. To the students, for sure, but also to me. When the last camper leaves, I give the camp director a big hug.
1. How did the author feel before the camp?| A．Angry. | B．Disappointed. |
| C．Anxious. | D．Excited. |
| A．To stress its liveliness. | B．To explain its topic. |
| C．To introduce his preference. | D．To show its similarity to camping. |
| A．He is fed up with making excuses. |
| B．He hates to be regret-stricken. |
| C．He desires to show off his swimming skills. |
| D．He is encouraged to do so by his colleagues. |
| A．He has used up his energy. |
| B．He misses home very much. |
| C．He turns into a camp director. |
| D．He has become a camp lover. |
6 . A Guide to the University
Food
The TWU Cafeteria is open 7a.m. to 8p.m. It serves snacks, drinks and meals. You can pay with cash or your ID cards. You can add meal money to your ID cards at the Front Desk. Even if you do not buy your food in the cafeteria, you can use the tables to eat your lunch, to have meetings and to study with friends.
If you are on campus in the evening or late at night, you can buy snacks, fast food, and drinks in the Lower Café located in the bottom level of the Gouglas Centre. This area is often used for entertainment such as concerts, games or TV watching.
Relaxation
The Globe, located in the bottom level of McMillan Hall, is available for relaxing, studying, cooking, and eating. Monthly activities are held here for all international students. Hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., closed on Sundays.
Health
Located on the top floor of Douglas Hall, the Wellness Centre is committed to physical health. A doctor and nurse is available if you have health questions or need immediate medical help or personal advice. The cost of this is included in your medical insurance. Hours are Monday to Friday, 9a.m. to noon and 1:00 to 4:30pm.
Academic Support
All students have access to the Writing Centre on the upper floor of Douglas Hall. Here, qualified volunteers will work with you on written work, grammar, vocabulary, and other academic skills. You can sign up for an appointment on the sign-up sheet outside the door, two 30-minute appointments per week maximum. This service is free.
Transportation
The TWU Express is a shuttle service. The shuttle transports students between campus and the shopping centre, leaving from the Mattson Centre. Operation hours are between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturdays only. Round trip fare is $1.
1. The Guide tells us that the Wellness Centre _____.| A．offers services without pay | B．is open six days a week |
| C．gives advice on mental health | D．trains students in medical care |
| A．Have meals and meet with friends. |
| B．Add money to your ID and play chess. |
| C．Do homework and watch TV. |
| D．Buy drinks and enjoy concerts. |
| A．To take students to the Mattson Centre. |
| B．To provide students with campus tours. |
| C．To transport students to and from the stores. |
| D．To carry students to the lecture halls. |
7 . Several recent studies have found that being randomly assigned(分配) to a roommate of another race can lead to increased tolerance but also to a greater likelihood (可能性) of conflict.
Recent reports found that lodging with a student of a different race may decrease prejudice and force students to engage in more ethnically diverse friendships.
An Ohio State University study also found that black students living with a white roommate saw higher academic success throughout their college careers. Researchers believe this may be caused by social pressure.
In a New York Times article, Sam Boakye – the only black student on his freshman year floor -said that "if you're surrounded by whites, you have something to prove."
Researchers also observed problems resulting from pairing interracial students in residences.
According to two recent studies, randomly assigned roommates of different races are more likely to experience conflicts so strained that one roommate will move out.
An Indiana University study found that interracial roommates were three times as likely as two white roommates to no longer live together by the end of the semester.
Grace Kao, a professor at Penn said she was not surprised by the findings. "This may be the first time that some of these students have interacted, and lived, with someone of a different race," she said.
At Penn, students are not asked to indicate race when applying for housing.
"One of the great things about freshman housing is that, with some exceptions, the process throws you together randomly," said Undergraduate Assembly chairman Alec Webley. "This is the definition of integration (融合)."
"I've experienced roommate conflicts between interracial students that have both broken down prejudices and reinforced prejudices," said one Penn resident advisor (RA). The RA of two years added that while some conflicts "provided more multicultural acceptance and melding (融合)," there were also " cultural conflicts."
The RA said that these conflicts have also occurred among roommates of the same race.
Kao said she cautions against forming any generalizations based on any one of the studies, noting that more background characteristics of the students need to be studied and explained.
1. What can we learn from some recent studies?| A．Conflicts between students of different races are unavoidable. |
| B．Students of different races are prejudiced against each other. |
| C．Interracial lodging does more harm than good |
| D．Interracial lodging may have diverse outcomes. |
| A．White students tend to look down upon their black peers |
| B．Black students can compete with their white peers academically |
| C．Black students feel somewhat embarrassed among white peers during this year |
| D．Being surrounded by white peers motivates a black student to work harder to succeed. |
| A．interracial roommates are more likely to part |
| B．roommates of different races just can't get along |
| C．few white students like sharing a room with a black peer |
| D．assigning students’ lodging randomly is not a good policy |
| A．Students of different races are required to share a room |
| B．Interracial lodging is arranged by the school for freshmen. |
| C．Lodging is assigned to students of different races without exception. |
| D．The school assigns roommates without regard to race. |
8 . Andrew Grey doesn’t fit most people’s idea of an astronomer. He works in a car repair shop, not in a lab or university, yet the Australian repairman discovered a star system hiding in data from NASA’s Kepler space telescope.
Mr. Grey is one of millions of citizen scientists helping researchers to expand collective understanding. For centuries, only a few ordinary people had been contributing to science, but advances in technology have brought a higher level of democratization (民主化) to science.
“This is a collaborative (合作的) effort that anyone could get involved in,” says Chris Lincoln, an Oxford University astrophysicist (天体物理学家) and cofounder of Zooniverse, a platform that hosts dozens of citizen science projects. Citizen scientists can contribute to breakthroughs in almost any field, from ecology to astrophysics.
“As long as pattern recognition is involved, there are no limits to what can become a citizen science project,” Dr. Linton says. “Anyone can identify patterns in images, graphs, or even seemingly boring data after a short tutorial. Machine learning allows computers to do some pattern recognition. But humans, particularly amateur scientists, don’t stay focused on what they’re supposed to. And that’s good, because people who do that notice the unusual things in s data set.
“And citizen science doesn’t have to be directed by a scientist,” says Sheila Jasanoff, director of the Program on Science, Technology and Society at Harvard University. “Citizens producing knowledge in places where official organs have failed then can also be citizen scientists,” she says. That’s what happened in Flint, Michigan, when a local mother started drinking water tests that caused a broader investigation of lead levels.
Citizen-powered research is as old as scientific inquiry. For centuries before science became professionalized, regular people looked for patterns in the world around them. Despite a lot of advanced equipment and computer models, scientists still welcome help from everyday people.
As a professional scientist himself, Lintott says, “People think that were intelligent, but science is easy and we need your help.”
1. What made citizen scientists appear?| A．The high level of science projects | B．The development of technology. |
| C．The support of the government. | D．The foundation of Zooniverse. |
| A．Humans can identify patterns mare swiftly. |
| B．Humans focus their attention on data. |
| C．Humans can observe uncommon things. |
| D．Humans have stronger emotions. |
| A．Favorable. | B．Cautious. |
| C．Indifferent. | D．Doubtful. |
| A．Citizen scientists can be intelligent. | B．Science is important to everyone. |
| C．Anyone can be a scientist. | D．Science is everywhere. |
9 . “Birds” and “airports” are two words that, paired together，don’t normally paint the most harmonious picture. So it really raises some eyebrows when China announces plans to build an airport that is for birds.
Described as the world’s first-ever bird airport, the proposed Lingang Bird Sanctuary(保护区）in the northern coastal city of Tianjin is, of course,not an actual airport. Rather，it's a wetland preserve specifically designed to accommodate hundreds-even thousands-of daily takeoffs and landings by birds traveling along the East Asian-Australian Flyway. Over 50 species of migratory (迁徙的）water birds，some endangered, will stop and feed at the protected sanctuary before continuing their long journey along the flyway.
Located on a former landfill site，the 150-acre airport is also open to human travelers.(Half a million visitors are expected annually.) However，instead of duty-free shopping，the main attraction for non-egg-laying creatures at Tianjin’s newest airport will be a green-roofed education and research center, a series of raised “observation platforms” and a network of scenic walking and cycling paths totaling over 4 miles.
“The proposed Bird Airport will be a globally significant sanctuary for endangered migratory bird species, while providing new green lungs for the city of Tianjin.” Adrian McGregor of an Australian landscape architecture firm explained of the design. Frequently blanketed in smog so thick that it has shut down real airports, Tianjin is a city---China’s fourth most populous----that would certainly benefit from a new pair of healthy green lungs•
1. The underlined phrase “non-egg-laying creatures” in Paragraph 3 refers to?| A．Visitors. | B．Designers. |
| C．Endangered water birds. | D．Planes. |
| A．People cannot watch birds up close here. |
| B．It is located on a 150-acre landfill site. |
| C．It functions as an actual airport and a wetland preserve. |
| D．It provides migratory birds with food and shelter. |
| A．The airport will become a permanent home for birds. |
| B．Tianjin will win worldwide fame in the future. |
| C．Tianjin’s air quality will improve thanks to the airport. |
| D．Tianjin will be able to accommodate more people. |
| A．Airports shut down and open up. |
| B．China is to open the first Bird Airport. |
| C．Airports turn into green lungs. |
| D．Birds are no longer enemies to airports. |
10 . Babies made from three people approved in UK
Babies made from two women and one man have been approved by the UK’s fertility regulator. The historic and controversial move is to prevent children from being born with deadly genetic diseases.
Doctors in Newcastle — who developed the advanced form of In Vitro Fertilization or IVF (人工授精) — are expected to be the first to offer the procedure and have already appealed for donor eggs. The first such child could be born, at the earliest, by the end of 2017.
Some families have lost multiple children to incurable mitochondrial (线粒体的) diseases, which can leave people with insufficient energy to keep their heart beating.
The diseases are passed down from only the mother, so a technique using a donor egg as well as the mother’s egg and father’s sperm has been developed.
The resulting child has a tiny amount of their DNA from the donor, but the procedure is legal and reviews say it is ethical (伦理的) and scientifically ready.
“It is a decision of historic importance,” said Sally Cheshire, chairwoman of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA). “I’m sure patients will be really pleased by what we’ve decided today.”
But some scientists have questioned the ethics of the technique, saying it could open the door to genetically-modified(转基因) ‘designer’ babies.
The HFEA must approve every clinic and every patient before the procedure can take place. Three-person babies have been allowed only in cases where the risk of a child developing mitochondrial disease is very high.
Prof Mary Herbert, from the Newcastle Fertility Centre, said, “It is enormously pleasing that our many years of research in this area can finally be applied to help families affected by these devastating diseases”.
“Now that we are moving forward towards clinical treatments, we will also need donors to donate eggs for use in treatment to prevent affected women transmitting disease to their children.”
Prof Sir Doug Turnbull, the director of the Welcome Centre for Mitochondrial Research at Newcastle University, said, “We are delighted by today’s decision. We will also provide long-term follow up of any children born.”
NHS England has agreed to fund the treatment costs of the first trial of three-person IVF for those women who meet the HFEA criteria, as long as they agree to long-term follow up of their children after they are born.
1. Why is it historically important to approve babies made from three people?| A．It helps couples who lose the ability to give birth to a baby. |
| B．It marks a foundation stone to change babies’ appearances before birth. |
| C．It stops deadly genetic diseases passing down to newly-born babies. |
| D．It turns out to be an advanced form of In Vitro Fertilization. |
| A．They pass down on to babies from their parents. |
| B．They prevent people’s heart from functioning normally. |
| C．Some children infected can be cured with proper treatment. |
| D．Babies can be infected with them through a donor’s egg. |
| A．Only when the baby to be born needs it to survive. |
| B．Only when the patient gets financially prepared. |
| C．Only when the clinic gets scientifically ready. |
| D．Only when the technique is ethnically accepted. |
| A．Supportive | B．Indifferent | C．Worried | D．Objective |
