1 . “Your mother’s breast cancer has returned, and it’s metastasized (扩散),” said my mother’s doctor. I held the phone, tears in my eyes.
Even as a health-care professional, I had never really been able to do anything for my mother. She’d always been the caretaker, especially when I was in my teens battling my own incurable illness. She’d arranged and accompanied me on trips to the Cleveland Clinic. During those long train rides, she’d always reach into her bag and produce a gift-a Seventeen magazine-to lift my spirits.
Shortly after her diagnosis, I stopped by Mother’s house. She’d wanted to live at home to look after herself while she could, so my sister and I took turns to check in on her.
As her health worsened, Mother eventually decided to stay with me in my house on the weekends and let me care for her. After I helped her into the house, she would stretch out on the sola, my dog Spanky sleeping at her feet. I’d make us cups of Red Zinger tea. She’d look at me and say, "My purse, honey. Inside would be one of her surprises, like a bag of treats for Spanky or a new pen for me.
At the end of her life, Mother was no longer conscious. Her wish was to be in my house. The night before, I moved all the furniture to prepare for the delivery of her medical equipment. The next morning, two guys lifted the sofa to move it, making room for the hospital bed. “What do we do with these, ma’am?” one asked. I looked over. He held up two beautifully-wrapped (包裹) gifts. How had they gotten there? I’d moved that sofa the night before and seen nothing! My hands shook as I unwrapped a toy for Spanky and a box of Red Zinger tea.
At that moment, it was as if my mother spoke directly to my heart, “Our little traditions will get you through this, Roberta, even if I can’t take part anymore.”
1. What can be known about the author as a teenager?| A．She volunteered in hospitals. | B．She loved traveling so much. |
| C．She was in really poor health | D．She often wrote to magazines. |
| A．Cautious and organized. | B．Hardworking and honest. |
| C．Humorous and generous. | D．Caring and independent. |
| A．The stay with Mother in her final life. | B．Unexpected gifts prepared by Mother. |
| C．Mother’s wish to move into her house. | D．Mother’s ability to take care of herself. |
| A．Her family traditions. | B．Her love for her daughter. |
| C．Her unbearable disease. | D．Her attitude toward life. |
2 . Emily Bonfim Camargo, a 10-yeiir-old girl, has cerebral palsy （大脑性瘫痪）. Because of her condition, her involuntary movements prevent her from freely holding objects with her hands or standing up. She's never been able to walk, but that doesn't mean she doesn’t have the same dreams and hopes as other children. In particular, she's always wanted to ride a bicycle.
“That was her dream, and I had 10 do something to help,” her grandfather. Clovis Urias dos Santos, a 69-year-old former construction worker? said. First he tried to make his granddaughter^ dream come true by buying her a tricycle （三轮车）. Unfortunately, she was unable to hold the handlebars to guide the vehicle, and she couldn't keep her balance on the seat. Her grandfather, however, isn't a man who is easily discouraged.
In his home workshop, he started to think of how he could make a more stable tricycle for her. He started to take things apart and put the useful pieces back together. “ I fixed the pedals （踏板）with brakes, and I didn't put on handlebars,” he told Sempre Familia a local news medium.
This vehicle isn't just fun； it's also practical. Clovis added a basket behind the seat, so that Emily can carry her backpack for school, or some groceries, because she likes to go to the supermarket and bakery with him. Emily's special tricycle is also stylish. "After the tricycle was ready, I painted it pink and purple because Emily chose those colors. She was very happy, and I was even happier," Clovis said.
There's no cure for cerebral palsy, although there is medicine to decrease involuntary muscle movements. So what does the future hold for Emily? Only time will tell, but the support of her family will fill her future with hope.
1. What do we know about Emily from paragraph 1?| A．She can't afford a new bike. |
| B．She has set up a home workshop. |
| C．She hasn't been able io walk since 10. |
| D．She shares common dreams with others. |
| A．Courageous and calm. | B．Determined and loving. |
| C．Cooperative and generous. | D．Ambitious and professional. |
| A．By holding the handlebars. |
| B．By keeping her balance on the seat. |
| C．By putting her hand on the brakes. |
| D．By pressing the brakes on the pedals. |
| A．A family that is full of love. |
| B．A tricycle made of useful pieces. |
| C．A girl got a present from her grandfather. |
| D．A grandfather creates a tricycle for his granddaughter. |
3 . The artificial lighting which lines the world’s coastlines could be having a significant effect on species that rely on the moon and stars to find food, new research suggests.
Creatures such as the sand hopper orientate（确定方位）their nightly migrations based on the moon’s position and brightness of the natural night sky. However, a study by Bangor University and the University of Plymouth shows the presence of artificial light coming from cities several kilometres away (also known as artificial sky glow) disrupts the lunar compass they use when covering long distances.
In some cases, this can lead to animals travelling towards the sea and away from food, while in others it reduces the chance of them risking out for food at all. Writing in Current Biology, researchers say this could throw a clear threat not just to the health of sand hopper populations (沙蚤种群)but also the wider ecosystem, since they play an important role in breaking down and recycling algae (海藻)washed up on coastlines.
Dr. Thomas Davies, Lecturer in Marine Conservation at the University of Plymouth (UK), said, “Artificial sky glow is the most geographically widespread form of light pollution. Surveys have shown it can currently be detected above 23% of the world’s coasts nightly, and with coastal human populations set to at least double by 2060, its effects are only going to increase. Our results show it is already having obvious effects on biological processes that are guided by celestial（天上的）light signals.”
Through the study, researchers find increasing proofs that light pollution from coastal cities can influence marine species inhabiting nearby beaches, rocky shores and even the seafloor. These results highlight how massive city lighting could be in shaping the ecology of coastlines kilometres distant from their nearest urban centres. They also highlight the potential for artificial sky glow to affect other species that undergo migrations using the moon as a compass.
“While our understanding of the effect of street lights on nature has improved greatly, artificial sky glow has been largely overlooked. More work is urgently needed to fully understand the degree to which it is shaping the natural environment.” Dr. Thomas.
1. Which of the following could best replace “disrupts” in paragraph 2?| A．disturbs | B．makes |
| C．unites | D．replaces |
| A．Light pollution is more serious in coastal cities. |
| B．Artificial light has been widely used in the world. |
| C．Artificial light is of great use to animals’ migrations. |
| D．Light pollution caused by artificial sky glow is on the rise. |
| A．It is the main pollution in cities. |
| B．It shapes the ecology of the ocean. |
| C．It has a great effect on surroundings. |
| D．It affects the migrations of sea creatures. |
| A．It is useless. | B．It is quite necessary. |
| C．It is doubtful. | D．It is challenging. |
4 . James Harrison has donated blood from his right arm, nearly every week for the past 60 years. The reason can date back a serious medical operation.
At the age of 14, James Harrison had a major chest operation and he required 13 units (3.4 gallons) of blood afterwards. The blood donations saved his life, and he decided that once he turned 18, he would begin donating blood as regularly as he could.
More than 60 years and almost 1,200 donations later, Harrison, whose blood contains an antibody (抗体) that has saved the lives of 2.4 million babies from miscarriages (流产), retired as a blood donor on May 11. Harrison’s blood is valuable because he naturally produces Rh-negative blood, which contains Rh-positive antibodies. His blood has been used to create anti-D in Australia since 1967.
“Every bottle of Anti-D ever made in Australia has James’ in it,” Robyn Barlow, the Rh program director told the Sydney Morning Herald. “It’s an amazing thing. He has saved millions of babies. I cry just thinking about it.” Since then, Harrison has donated between 500 and 800 milliliters of blood almost every week. He’s made 1,162 donations from his right arm and 10 from his left.
“I’d keep going if they let me,” Harrison told the Herald. His doctors said it was time to stop the donations — and they certainly don’t take them lightly. They had already extended the age limit for blood donations for him, and they’re cutting him off now to protect his health. He made his final donation surrounded by some of the mothers and babies who his blood helped save.
Harrison’s retirement is a blow to the Rh treatment program in Australia. Only 160 donors support the program, and finding new donors has proven to be difficult. But Harrison’s retirement from giving blood doesn’t mean he’s completely out of the game. Scientists are collecting and cataloging his DNA to create a library of antibodies and white blood cells that could be the future of the anti-D program in Australia.
1. What do we know about James Harrison?| A．He is to retire as a blood donor. | B．He saved 2.4 million poor people. |
| C．He donates blood nearly every day. | D．He is a very grateful blood donor. |
| A．To describe how Harrison’s donations come to an end. |
| B．To introduce some babies saved by Harrison’s blood. |
| C．To state Harrison’s decision to continue donating blood. |
| D．To praise Harrison for his cooperation with the doctors. |
| A．New donors are easy to find in a short time. |
| B．He continues to contribute to the Rh program. |
| C．His DNA is kept in a library for future study. |
| D．After his retirement, the Rh program will fail. |
| A．A Unique Man with a Rare Blood Type | B．A Special Blood Type Donor to Retire |
| C．The Man with the “Golden Arm” | D．The Blood Saving Millions of Babies |
5 . The Trades Union Congress(TUC) has urged the government to use high productivity from the greater use of robots and artificial intelligence to reverse(推翻) planned changes to the state retirement age.
Before its annual congress in Brighton, the TUC said higher productivity thanks to technological innovation(革新) ought to bring greater benefits for working people. It said recent progress had mainly benefited business owners, rather than being shared across the workforce through better wages and working conditions. Frances O'Grady, the TUC general secretary, said: "Robots and Al could let us produce more for less, promoting national prosperity. But we need a debate about who benefits from this wealth, and how workers get a fair share."
There have been previous waves of technological advances since the first Industrial Revolution, when inefficient jobs have been replaced by machines or the number of people required to do work has been reduced. Such advances have not led to a total loss of jobs, but have disturbed the type of work people do.
There are concerns that the current stage of innovation could be more damaging, while the rewards from higher productivity have not necessarily led to higher wages. The latest available figures show low unemployment unseen since the mid-1970s, but growth in real wages remains negative.
In 1950, almost one in three workers worked in manufacturing, while one in twelve worked in professional and technical services. By 2016 the proportions(比例) had changed completely, but in the communities which were affected, the jobs lost in manufacturing were not replaced by jobs of similar or better quality. Wages in former industrial areas were still 10% below the national average.
The increase in the state retirement age by seven years, which was controversially(有争议的) brought forward by the Work and Pensions Secretary David Gauke, is expected to affect about 7 million people in their late 30s and early 40s. As well as reversing the proposal on the retirement age, the TUC said workers should be given the right to a midlife career review, while firms should invest more in workplace training. At present, the UK invests just half of the EU average, it said. O'Grady said: "Robots are not just terminators. Some of today's jobs will not survive, but new jobs will be created. We must make sure that tomorrow's jobs are no worse than today's."
1. According to the TUC, the use of robots and artificial intelligence should result in ______.| A．technological advances |
| B．higher levels of productivity |
| C．benefits for working people |
| D．more wealth of business owners |
| A．had a great influence on the labor structure |
| B．tended to be more damaging than constructive |
| C．were the outcome of the Industrial Revolution |
| D．slowly raised the real income of working people |
| A．It is strongly opposed by the TUC. |
| B．It will help to create new types of jobs. |
| C．It has produced a widespread influence. |
| D．It reflects the real needs of economic growth. |
| A．Technological innovation has contributed to people's wage increases. |
| B．The government plans to delay retirement age, from which 7 million people will suffer. |
| C．The use of robots and artificial intelligence is only beneficial to the national prosperity. |
| D．O'Grady holds an idea that new jobs in the future must be ensured to be at least as good as today's. |
6 . My six-year-old granddaughter stared at me as if she was seeing me for the first time. “Grandma, you are an antique (古董),” she said. “You are old. Antiques are old. You are my antique.”
I was not satisfied to let the matter rest there. I took out the Webster’s Dictionary and read the definition to Jenny. I explained, “An antique is not only old, it’s an object existing since or belonging to earlier times...a work of art... a piece of furniture. Antiques are treasured,” I told Jenny as I put away the dictionary. “They have to be handled carefully because they sometimes are very valuable. In order to qualify as an antique, the object has to be at least 100 years old.”
“I’m only 67,” I reminded Jenny.
We looked around the house for other antiques, besides me. There was a desk that was handed down from Rone aunt to another and finally to our family. “It’s very old,” I told Jenny. “I try to keep it polished and I show it off whenever I can. You do that with antiques."
There was a picture on the wall bought at a garage sale. It was dated 1867. “Now that’s an antique,” I said with pride. “Over 100 years old.” Of course it was marked up and scratched (刮坏) and not in very good condition. “Sometimes age does that,” I told Jenny. “But the marks are good marks. They show living, or being around. That’s something to display with pride. In fact, sometimes, the more an object shows age, the more valuable it can become.” I believed this was important for my own self-worth.
Our tour of antiques continued. There was a vase on the floor. It had been in my house for a long time. I was not certain where it came from but I didn’t buy it new. One thing about antiques, I explained to Jenny, was that they usually had a story. They’d been in one home and then another, handed down from one family to another, traveling all over the place. They’d lasted through years and years. They could have been thrown away, or ignored, or destroyed, or lost. But instead, they survived.
For a moment, Jenny looked thoughtful. “l don’t have any antiques but you,” she said. Then her face brightened,“Could I take you to school for show and tell?”
“Only if I fit into your backpack,” I answered. And then Jenny’s antique lifted her up and embraced her in a hug that would last through the years.
1. Why did Grandma read the definition of “antique” to Jenny?| A．To change Jenny’s shallow understanding of antiques. |
| B．To list all the important characteristics of antiques. |
| C．To express her disappointment at being called “antique”. |
| D．To tell Jenny the importance of protecting antiques. |
| A．The desk reminded her of her dear relatives. |
| B．The marks on the picture showed its age and value. |
| C．There was usually a sad story behind each antique. |
| D．She planned to buy a new vase to replace the old one. |
| A．Jenny had a strong desire for grandma’s love. |
| B．Jenny was too young to know grandma’s humor. |
| C．Grandma had a deep long-lasting love for Jenny. |
| D．Grandma was too old to lift Jenny up. |
| A．Grandma’s Antique | B．A Story of Antiques |
| C．A Tour of Antiques | D．Jenny’s Antique |
7 . Faster, cheaper, better-technology is one field many people rely upon to offer a vision of a brighter future. But as the 2020s dawn, optimism is in short supply. The new technologies that dominated the past decade seem to be making things worse. Social media were supposed to bring people together, but they are better known for leaking privacy. E-commerce, ride-hailing (网约车) and the gig economy (零工经济) may be convenient, but they are charged with underpaying workers, worsening inequality and blocking the streets with vehicles.
Today's pessimistic mood is centered on smart phones and social media, which took off a decade ago. Yet concerns that particular technologies might be doing more harm than good have arisen before. The 1920s witnessed a criticism against cars, which had earlier been seen as an answer to the problems caused by horse-drawn vehicles which filled the streets with noise and animal waste and caused accidents. And industrialization was criticized in the 19th century by Romantics who worried about the replacement of skilled workers, the robbing of the countryside and the suffering of factory hands.
However, that pessimism can be overdone. Too often people focus on the drawbacks of a new technology while taking its benefits for granted. Worries about screen time should be weighed against the much more substantial benefits of convenient communication and the instant access to information and entertainment that smartphones make possible. A further danger is that Luddite (反对技术进步者) efforts to avoid the short-term costs associated with a new technology will end up denying access to its long-term benefits-something Carl Benedikt Frey, an Oxford academic, calls a "technology trap". Fears that robots will steal people's jobs may discourage their use. Yet in the long run countries that wish to maintain their standard of living as their workforce ages and shrinks will need more robots, not fewer.
Any powerful technology can be used for good or ill. It is the choices people make about it that shape the world. Perhaps the real source of anxiety is not technology itself, but growing doubts about the ability of societies to hold this debate, and come up with good answers. So as the decade turns, put aside the pessimism for a moment. To be alive in the tech-obsessed 2020s is to be among the luckiest people who have ever lived.
1. What phenomenon is described in Paragraph 1?| A．The seriousness of social inequality. |
| B．The rapid development of technology. |
| C．Problems brought by personal privacy leaks. |
| D．Worries about the influence of new technologies. |
| A．Negative. | B．Uncertain. | C．Sympathetic. | D．Enthusiastic. |
| A．A lack of good jobs in the job market. |
| B．An increase in the number of Luddites. |
| C．A decrease in the number of skilled workers. |
| D．An interruption to the advancement of a new technology. |
| A．Pessimism vs Progress | B．Technology vs Civilization |
| C．2020s: The Age of Technology | D．Robots: Our Future Caretakers |
8 . Next time you go on holiday, it's going to feel pretty different. You may have to wear a face mask. And that means getting your point across in an unfamiliar language—all while keeping your mouth covered—could become a bit of a problem.
That's where the C-mask, by Japanese company Donut Robotics, comes in. It's a smart, Internet-connected mouth covering that can make calls, raise the wearer’s voice, and most helpfully for travelers, translate conversations into eight different languages.
If need be, you simply place it over a standard face mask and connect it via Bluetooth to a smartphone. A special app will then allow you to record live conversations, turn them into text and translate them into English, Chinese, French, Korean, Thai, Indonesian, Spanish or Vietnamese (currently only from Japanese)—making it easy to understand what people are saying. It won't actually speak the translated phrases for you, but it does have a built-in amplifier（扩音器）to help you make yourself heard.
“We worked hard for years to develop a robot and we have used what we've researched to create a product that responds to how COVID-19 has reshaped society,'' Donut's CEO recently told reporters. The firm has already raised more than 28 million yen via crowdfunding to develop the product, which will go on sale for 3 ,980 yen in Japan.
There are all manner of fashionable, eco-friendly masks you can now get your hands on— check out these in London, Singapore and Barcelona. But in creating an affordable, high-tech mask, Donut could well be on to something.
1. The C-mask is developed to _______.| A．seek fashion. | B．reshape society. |
| C．replace cellphones. | D．promote communication. |
| A．How the C-mask speaks. |
| B．How the C-mask works. |
| C．What advantages the C-mask brings. |
| D．What languages the C-mask translates. |
| A．take a look. | B．earn a living. |
| C．make a difference. | D．issue a warning. |
| A．Health. | B．Tourism. | C．Fashion. | D．Technology. |
9 . Microplastics, as the name implies, are tiny plastics that result from both commercial product development and the breakdown of larger plastics. Officially, they are defined as plastics less than five millimeters in diameter(直径). .
The problem with microplastics is that — like plastic items of any size — they do not readily break down into harmless molecules (分子). Plastics can take hundreds or thousands of years to decompose, and in the meantime, cause damage to the environment. On beaches, microplastics are visible as tiny colored plastic bits in sand. In the oceans, microplastics pollution is often consumed by sea animals.
Some of this environmental pollution is from littering, but much is the result of storms and winds that carry plastics into our oceans. Single-use plastics, plastic items meant to be used just once and then thrown away, are the primary source of microplastics in the environment.
Microplastics have been detected in sea animals, in commercial seafood, and even in drinking water. Alarmingly, standard water treatment facilities cannot remove all the traces( 痕迹) of microplastics. To further complicate matters, microplastics in the ocean can combine with other harmful chemicals before being swallowed by animals.
Scientists are still unsure whether consumed microplastics do damage to human or animal health - and if so, what specific dangers they may cause. Even so, many countries are taking action to reduce microplastics. A United Nations resolution has discussed the need for rules to reduce microplastics to oceans, wildlife, and human health.
1. What does the underlined word “decompose” mean in Paragraph 2?| A．Break down. | B．Fade away. . |
| C．Dry up. | D．Give out. |
| A．Water treatment facilities fail to remove their traces. |
| B．People might consume them through drinking water. |
| C．They can combine with other chemicals inside animals. |
| D．They have been a blow to commercial seafood industry. |
| A．Many governments turn a blind eye to microplastics. |
| B．It has been confirmed that consumed microplastics are harmful. |
| C．Measures will be taken to reduce microplastics in the environment. |
| D．Scientists have known what specific dangers microplastics may cause. |
| A．inform the public of an environmental issue |
| B．arouse the awareness of protecting seawater |
| C．persuade scientists to look into microplastics |
| D．introduce the microplastics treatment methods |
10 . You’ve probably heard of rain forests, but do you know what a cloud forest is? Cloud forests are evergreen forests that are often covered in clouds or mist and are located on mountains. Cool temperatures on mountain slopes create clouds that cover the trees. There are cloud forests on most continents. Central and South America have them, as do Asia and Africa. You can also find cloud forests in Hawaii and on Caribbean islands.
Cloud forests have different names, depending on where they are found. Cloud forests are also known as fog forests or mossy forests. In Peru and Bolivia, cloud forests are part of a larger ecosystem called yungas, which means “warm lands.”
Many scientists consider cloud forests to be a special type of rainforest. Cloud forests are not as warm tropical rain forests because they are found at higher elevations (海拔) that have colder air. But these cloud forests and tropical rain forests both have many different plants and animals living within their ecosystems.
Like tropical rain forests, cloud forest trees drip (滴下) with moisture, but it does not often rain in a cloud forest. Instead, the fog collects as dew on leaves, vines, and branches. This dew provides the water that the plants need. Green moss, ferns, and exotic, colorful orchid flowers hang down from the canopy. Other plants and bushes crowd between the trees, and hundreds of insects crawl (爬行) and fly amid the vegetation. Cloud forests are as diverse and interesting as rain forests or temperate forests.
Cloud forests have animals that aren't found anywhere else, such as mountain gorillas and a strange woolly mammal called the mountain tapir. The colorful Quetzalcoatl bird is also found there, and golden toads hop among the bushes. Lately, scientists discovered a new cloud forest animal, a black and brown rodent that looks like a cross between a squirrel and a rat. Cloud forests probably contain hundreds of other rare and fascinating plants and animals that people have never seen before.
1. The passage is mostly about .| A．the animals of the cloud forest | B．what the cloud forest is like |
| C．where cloud forests are found | D．how scientists study the cloud forest |
| A．temperatures are cool | B．there are so many trees |
| C．the forests are so low | D．it is so moist there |
| A．why scientists study cloud forests | B．the kinds of trees in cloud forests |
| C．the animals and plants of cloud forests | D．why cloud forests are endangered |
| A．Cloud forests have more plants. |
| B．Cloud forests are wetter. |
| C．Cloud forests are studied by scientists. |
| D．Cloud forests are found on mountain slopes. |
