1 . Americans are now allowed to get a COVID-19 vaccine （疫苗）. But the process in America is not going as smoothly as some had hoped. Many people are still facing a wait for their first shot. Moreover, the vaccines aren't available to kids under 16 yet. That's because scientists have only tested if the vaccine works in adults.
The good news is that there are two companies, Moderna and Pfizer, making COVID-19 vaccines. They are now running clinical trials（临床实验）to test their vaccines in teens and kids. Volunteers are given a treatment plan and then evaluated after.
Clinical trials are designed with safety in mind and usually done in adults first. They work like this: volunteers get placed into one of two groups. One group receives the vaccine. The other group gets a placebo. This is a shot given in the same way as the vaccine but with no effect. Scientists can compare the effects of the real vaccine against the placebo to see if the vaccine works. Researchers want to know everything that a person experiences when they get the shot, so they can detect any harmful effects. If anything did happen, the trial would stop immediately.
Some teens are eager to volunteer because they want to help people. Maybe you're the right age to be part of a clinical trial for the COVID-19 vaccine. Why not volunteer For A Vaccine Trial? Interested kids should read about the trials because every trial has risks. They should talk to their doctor and weigh the benefits and risks. Every vaccine has rare side effects in a few patients.
If you want to participate in a trial, you can try to sign up online by just clicking here, clinicaltrials gov. which lists every clinical trial in the US, including COVID-19 vaccine trials.
1. Why kids under 16 can't get a COVID-19 vaccine?| A．Because the vaccine is too hard to get. |
| B．Because the vaccine is too expensive for them. |
| C．Because they are not at the risk of getting COVID-19. |
| D．Because the effectiveness of the vaccine for kids hasn't been tested . |
| A．A substance to comfort patients | B．A pill to treat patients |
| C．A prize to award patients | D．A way to cure patients |
| A．To tell American adults they can get a COVID-19 vaccine. |
| B．To inform that American children can't get a COVID-19 vaccine. |
| C．To give information about clinical trials of vaccines in teens and kids. |
| D．To provide information for potential volunteers on trials. |
| A．Newspapers. | B．Magazines. | C．Internet. | D．Textbooks. |
2 . Most online fraud(诈骗) involves identity theft Passwords help. But many can be guessed. Newer phones, tablets, laptops and desktop computers often have strengthened security with fingerprint and facial recognition. But these can be imitated. That is why a new approach, behavioural biometrics(行为生物识别) is gaining ground.
It relies on the wealth of measurements made by today’s devices. These include data from sensors that reveal how people hold their phones when using them, how they carry them and even the way they walk. Touchscreens, keyboards and mice can be monitored(监测) to show the distinctive ways in which someone’s fingers and hands move. These features can then be used to determine whether someone attempting to make a deal is likely to be the device’s habitual user.
“Behavioural biometrics make it possible to identify an individual’s unique motion fingerprint”, says John Whaley, head of Unifyid, a firm in Silicon Valley that is involved in the field. When coupled with information about a user’s finger pressure and speed on the touchscreen, as well as a device’s regular places of use—as revealed by its GPS unit—that user’s identity can be pretty well determined.
Used wisely, behavioural biometrics could be a great benefit. In fact, Unifyid and an unnamed car company are even developing a system that unlocks the doors of a vehicle once the pace of the driver, as measured by his phone, is recognized. Used unwisely, however, the system would become yet another electronic spy on people’s privacy, permitting complete strangers to monitor your every action, from the moment you reach for your phone in the morning, to when you throw it on the floor at night.
1. What is behavioural biometrics for?| A．To identify network crime | B．To ensure network security. |
| C．To track online fraud. | D．To gather online data. |
| A．By limiting and discovering users’ passwords. |
| B．By spotting and revealing where a device is regularly used. |
| C．By offering and analyzing users’ facial features. |
| D．By monitoring and comparing how users interact with devices. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Concerned | C．Favorable. | D．Objective. |
| A．Science and technology. | B．Health and wealth. |
| C．Finance and economics | D．Books and arts |
3 . When people see machines that respond like humans, or computers that perform amazing functions, they sometimes joke about a future in which humanity will need to accept robot overlords(霸主). But buried in the joke is a seed of unease. Science-fiction movies have ever shown us about artificial intelligence (AI) that escapes its creators’ control.
Even in the real world, not everyone is ready to welcome AI with open arms. In recent years, as computer scientists have pushed the boundaries(界限) of what AI can accomplish, leading figures in technology and science have warned about the frightening dangers that artificial intelligence may pose to human beings, even suggesting that AI could destroy the human race. But why are people so frightened about the idea of AI?
Elon Musk is one of the famous voices that have raised red flags about AI. In July 2017, Musk told people at a meeting of the National Governors Association, “I have exposure to the very cutting-edge AI, and I think people should be really concerned about it. I keep sounding the alarm bell. But until people see robots going down the street killing people, they don’t know how to react, because it seems so impossible. ”
Earlier, in 2014, Musk had labeled AI “our biggest existential threat”, and in August 2017, he declared that humanity faced a great risk from AI.
Physicist Stephen Hawking, who died on March 14, also expressed concerns about AI, telling the BBC in 2014 that “the development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race.”
It’s also less than reassuring that some programmers—particularly those with MIT Media Lab in Cambridge, Massachusetts—seem determined to prove that AI can be terrifying.
1. What are top scientists in AI worried about?| A．It has wonderful functions. |
| B．It contributes too much to movies. |
| C．It may end the human race some day. |
| D．It’s ability to bury our seeds in jokes. |
| A．Disapproving. | B．Ambiguous. |
| C．Understanding. | D．Supportive. |
| A．Be a great threat to human beings. |
| B．Learn the human emotions like fear. |
| C．Predict the future of the human race. |
| D．Turn horrible tales into scary stories. |
| A．Technology. | B．Health. |
| C．Culture. | D．Nature. |
4 . Applications for GoCamp online volunteers are now open
GoCamp is employing English speakers to volunteer to teach English online this summer.
What will I be doing?
Volunteers will teach Ukrainian school students English.
You will:
● receive free webinars（网络研讨会）and teaching materials.
● get special training on how to work with children.
● work with teachers to encourage English-language learning.
● inspire children to discover the entire world by sharing your culture, thoughts and values with them.
Am I qualified?
● You must be at least 18 years of age. There is no upper age restriction.
● You are required to have a middle — and — up level of English.
● You are expected to be active, loving and responsible to engage children in activities you enjoy and share and give them a memorable experience.
How do I apply?
Instructions on how to apply are available on GoCamp. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. If GoCamp determines that you are a good match for the programme, the next step will be a Skype interview.
How do I get in touch?
For contact details, please email us gocamp8899@hotmail.com.
1. What do we know about GoCamp?| A．It's a language course. | B．It's a guidebook. |
| C．It's an agreement. | D．It's a website. |
| A．A Spanish-speaking adult. | B．An English-speaking adult. |
| C．A computer programmer. | D．A 17-year-old Chinese student. |
| A．Take language exams. | B．Online English Learning. |
| C．Study and work abroad. | D．Education, art and society. |
5 . Do you think it enough to have eight hours of sleep per might? Napoleon didn't agree with it. His saying went something like this: "Six hours for a man, seven for a woman and eight for a fool." But Napoleon's words weren't right, either. The ideal amount of sleep is different for everyone and depends on many factors, including age and genetic makeup.
In the past 10 years, my research team has surveyed sleep behavior in more than 150,000 people. About 11 percent slept six hours or less, while only 27 percent clocked eight hours or more. Most people fell in between. Women tended to sleep longer than men, but only by 14 minutes. Bigger differences are seen when comparing various age groups. Ten-year-olds needed about nine hours of sleep, while adults older than 30, including senior citizens, averaged about seven hours. We recently-found the first gene related to sleep length—if you have one kind of this gene, you need more sleep than if you have another.
Although it's common to hear warnings about .getting too much sleep—and 80 percent of the world uses an alarm clock to wake up on workdays—it's not difficult to figure out how much sleep we need. We sometimes overeat, but we generally cannot oversleep. When we wake up naturally, feeling comfortable, we have slept enough. In our modern society, we sleep about two hours less per night than 50 years ago. This sleep deprivation greatly decreases our work performance and harms our health and memory.
1. What main point does the writer try to make in Paragraph 1?| A．Napoleon has his own sense of sleep time. |
| B．The quality of sleep time is more important. |
| C．Having 8 hours of sleep per night is common sense. |
| D．Different people needs different amount of sleep time. |
| A．Women sleep much more than men. | B．The older one is, the longer one sleeps. |
| C．Most people sleep between 6-and 8 hours. | D．The sleep time is decided by gene. |
| A．Too much sleep. | B．A light sleep. | C．No enough sleep. | D．A deep sleep. |
| A．A guidebook. | B．A school report. | C．A novel. | D．A scientific research. |
6 . One Chicago kindergartner wanted to feed the homeless instead of holding a birthday party.
Armani Crews, who turned 6 earlier this month, had been begging her parents for “a few months ”to feed homeless people in her community, but her parents thought “she was joking”. Her mother, Artesha Crews, told ABC News.
“I said, ‘OK, we’ll make some sandwiches,’ to which Armani said, ‘No. I want the same thing we’d have at my birthday party,’ ” her mother recalled.
Even when her father, Antoine, informed her that if she wanted to go through with this, she wouldn’t get a birthday gift, the girl, whose birthday was on March 5, persisted.
So the Chicago family spent about $300 buying food to deliver to homeless people in the city’s East Garfield Park neighborhood. They purchased chicken, fish, spaghetti, corn, green Deans, mashed potatoes, rolls, cake, cookies, fruit and water.
After Armani mentioned her plan at the family’s local church, congregation members donated other items to create care packages for the homeless. Each care package included a toothbrush, toothpaste, and a snack, such as a granola bar and so on.
Armani’s birthday party was a success, with the family feeding more than 125 people who gathered.
In a statement, the kindergarten student told ABC News, “It was nice to be nice.” Her mother added, “She was excited. She was happy. Everybody was being fed.....One of the gentlemen said he hadn’t had a hot meal in a long time.”
Now the 6-year-old wants to host another community meal for the homeless. Her mother said the family plans to return to the park “within the next couple of weeks”. They hope more and more people will give a hand to the massive homeless people in Chicago.
1. What do we know about Armani Crews?| A．She was a six-year-old girl disliking birthday gifts. |
| B．She begged her parents to feed the homeless regularly. |
| C．She gave up her birthday party to feed the homeless. |
| D．She was willing to protect the pride of the homeless. |
| A．Armani and her family. | B．East Garfield Park. |
| C．Congregation members. | D．ABC News reporters. |
| A．Armani Crews held a birthday party for them. |
| B．The Chicago family spent more to feed them. |
| C．The girl felt disappointed with the party for them. |
| D．Homeless people are a great concern in Chicago. |
| A．Lifestyle. | B．Sports &Games. |
| C．Health&Fitness. | D．Entertainment. |
7 . SPORTS EVENTS
BASKETBALL
Central Sports Centre, City Road.
All Stars vs Rockets, Saturday 8:30 p.m. $12
Northerners vs Tigers, Sunday noon $14
BUSH WALKING
Meet at Wanda Station, Saturday 9:00 a.m. sharp for 3-hour walk to Canary Mountains. $7, call 341-5432.
Meet at Westley Station, Sunday 9:00 a.m. sharp for a full day walk to Wombak Valley. $5, call 341-8643: Bring your own lunch.
SOCCER
St Martins Sports Centre
St Martins vs Doonsberg, Saturday 2:00 p.m. $8
Eastside Central vs Light Hill, Sunday 2:00 p.m. $8
Neill Park Recreation Centre
Neill Park vs Robinson, Saturday 2:00 p.m. $11
Essen vs Springwood, Sunday 2:00 p.m. $11
LAWN BOWLS
Tans Town B.C
Tans Town vs White Vale, Saturday 9:00 p.m. $10
Wake Hill B.C.
Wake Hill vs Coils, Saturday 2:00 p.m. $9
1. _______ sports events are to be held at Saturday 2:00 p.m. according to the passage.| A．Two | B．Three | C．Four | D．Five |
| A．handbook about tour | B．notice about sports |
| C．magazine about ball matches | D．blog about match reviews |
| A．All Stars vs Rockets and the bushwalking at Westley Station |
| B．Wake Hill vs Colls and Essen vs Springwood |
| C．Neill Park vs Robinson and Eastside Central vs Light Hill |
| D．St Matins vs Doonsberg and Northerners vs Tigers |
8 . If Confucius(孔子)were still alive today and could celebrate his September 28 birthday with a big cake, there would be a lot of candles. He'd need a fan or a strong wind to help him put them out.
While many people in China will remember Confucius on his special day, few people in the United States will give him a passing thought. It's nothing personal. Most Americans don't even remember the birthdays of their own national heroes.
But this doesn't mean that Americans don't care about Confucius. In many ways he has become a bridge that foreigners must cross if they want to reach a deeper understanding of China.
In the past two decades, the Chinese studies programs have gained huge popularity in Western universities. More recently, the Chinese government has set up Confucius Institutes in more than 80 countries. These schools teach both Chinese language and culture. The main courses of Chinese culture usually include Chinese art, history and
philosophy(哲学). Some social scientists suggest that Westerners should take advantage of the ancient Chinese wisdom to make up for the drawbacks(缺陷)of Western philosophy. Students in the United States, at the same time, are racing to learn Chinese. So they will be ready for life in a world where China is an equal power with the United States. Businessmen who hope to make money in China are reading books about Confucius to understand their Chinese customers.
So the old thinker's ideas are still alive and well.
Today China attracts the West more than ever, and it will need more teachers to introduce Confucius and Chinese culture to the West.
As for the old thinker, he will not soon be forgotten by people in the West, even if his birthday is.
1. The opening paragraph is mainly intended to______________.| A．provide some key facts about Confucius |
| B．attract the readers' interest in the subject |
| C．show great respect for the ancient thinker |
| D．prove the popularity of modern birthday celebrations |
| A．have a great interest in studying Chinese |
| B．take an active part in Chinese competitions |
| C．try to get high scores in Chinese exams |
| D．fight for a chance to learn Chinese |
| A．Forgotten Wisdom in America |
| B．Huge Fans of the Chinese Language |
| C．Chinese Culture for Westerners |
| D．Old Thinker with a Big Future |
| A．a personal biography | B．a history paper |
| C．a cultural newspaper | D．a philosophy textbook |
9 . Asthma (哮喘) and allergy (过敏) attacks have increased in the United States, despite the fact that our outdoor air quality has improved. Some researchers think these problems have increased because kids are spending too much time indoors.
When outdoors, we are exposed to different kinds of pollen (花粉) and dust. But when indoors, we are also exposed to allergens (过敏源) . Allergens cause allergies and most people know that allergens can make you sneeze, have runny eyes, and other cold-like symptoms (症状). But allergens can also lead to asthma attacks, which are more serious. Asthma symptoms include coughing, shortness of breath, especially during exercise and tightness in the chest. Allergic asthma affects about three million children (8 to 12 percent of all children) and seven million adults in the United States each year!
You can get rid of the allergens from your environment! Most children with asthma are allergic to something, so staying away from the allergen should help control the asthma. If you have asthma or allergies, stay away from animals, remove the teddy bears, rugs and curtains in rooms that you spend a lot of time in. Removal of dusty things can help you breathe more easily. If it's trees and pollen that affect you, air conditioning and air filters(空气过滤器) should help.
And research helps, too! Children whose parents, brothers or sisters have asthma are more likely to develop it themselves. But even though our genes do play some part in whether or not we'll have asthma, researchers hope to make the most progress in fighting the disease by looking at the environmental aspect (方面) of asthma. The hope is that if kids are exposed to fewer allergens early in life, they'll be less likely to develop allergic responses. Asthma research is performed at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases(NIAID).
1. What makes asthma and allergy attacks increase in the United States?| A．Poor outdoor air quality. | B．Not enough outdoor time. |
| C．Too much pollen and dust. | D．The decrease of people's physical condition. |
| A．Allergens in home environment can affect our health. |
| B．The number of allergens in the average home has decreased. |
| C．Asthma symptoms are the same as those of the common cold. |
| D．Allergens from outdoors are more dangerous than those in our homes. |
| A．Allergies are more serious than asthma. |
| B．People do not get asthma when they are outdoors. |
| C．We should stay away from allergens to help control asthma. |
| D．Children whose parents have asthma are certain to develop it. |
| A．In a storybook. | B．In a news report. |
| C．In a travel guide. | D．In a health magazine. |
10 . If you’re single this Valentine's Day, don't settle for another night of being alone. Single ladies and dudes can celebrate, too. Below, five holidays from around the world to celebrate instead of Valentine's Day this year.
Singles Awareness Day
In the U.S., we have “Singles Awareness Day”--a humorous anti-Valentine's Day celebrated on February 14 or 15, depending on your preference. On these days, singles toast their uncoupled status.
Ystävänpäivä or Friendship Day
Finland has a more ideal take on Valentine's Day: February 14 is considered Ystävänpäivä or “Friendship Day”, which is marketed as a celebration of friends. (We'd recommend adopting this holiday if you're looking for an occasion to hang out with your best friends.)
Black Day
April 14 in Korea is known as Black Day, a holiday where singles gather in local restaurants and drown their sorrows in cheap, but delicious bowls of jajangmyeon--- a Chinese-Korean noodle dish swimming in chunky black bean sauce, and topped with pork and veggies. The holiday has been popular over the last decade, and we can't say we're surprised. It's hard to be sad about being single when you're dipping into a bowl of something that delicious.
Single's Day
November II marks Singles' Day in China, an unofficial holiday that started in the 1990s as a protest Valentine's Day and that's now a day where singles buy stuff--a lot of stuff- for themselves. In 2013, China's biggest online shopping company took in more than $5.75 billion in online payments on Single's Day-two and a half times the total American retailers（零售商） netted on Cyber Monday the same year.
International Quirkyalone Day
Another option for singles looking to get in on the celebratory action on February 14? International Quirkyalone Day, a “do-it-yourself celebration of romance, friendship, and independent spirit," according to the official site. The founder of the event swears her holiday is not an anti- Valentine's Day; instead, it's a celebration of all kinds of love: romantic, platonic, familial, and yes, self-love. "In other words, it's a day to do whatever you want, with whoever you want. We can get behind that and have a great time.
1. Which of the following holidays would you like to celebrate if you like delicious food?| A．Singles Awareness Day. | B．Ystävänpäivä. |
| C．Black Day. | D．Single’s Day. |
| A．Shopping online. | B．Whatever they like. |
| C．Hanging out with families. | D．Gathering in local restaurants. |
| A．Business | B．Opinion | C．Lifestyle | D．Culture |
