1 . Next-generation fitness equipment and robots help you cook dinner. Those are a few of the countless new products expected to be shown next week at CES, the annual tech conference that typically sets the tone for the biggest trends of the year. Home automation（自动化）, health and 5G will once again be hot topics, but many companies will also introduce pandemic-specific features to reflect our increased time at home.
Each year, reporters, exhibitors and investors typically explore Las Vegas showrooms filled with giant TVs, smart cars and robots, but CES will be online only for the first time in its 54-year history due to Covid-19.
The Consumer Technology Association, the nonprofit behind the four-day event starting Monday, said 1,800 exhibitors from around the world will fill its "digital venue" this year—a number that's down significantly from 4,000 in-person exhibitors last year. The move will allow tech companies from countries which have never attended before to take part in the online exhibition, but could also make it harder for smaller companies to get noticed without a physical showroom.
Registered attendees will be able to stream and re-watch keynotes from companies such as Verizon (VZ) and General Motors (GM), tune in to breakout sessions -- about how, for example, technology is playing a role in vaccine deployment（疫苗的应用）—and search through a registry of exhibitors to watch new product presentations.
It'll lack some of the signature ingredients（因素）of the trade show, such as hands-on time with the latest small machines and networking. But the technology that makes our lives more connected and convenient will still gain popularity.
1. What are the new products mainly connected with?| A．The popularity of 5G. | B．Countless housework |
| C．People’s daily life. | D．Everyday busy work. |
| A．It attracts fewer exhibitors this year. | B．It takes place every two years. |
| C．It is usually held on the Internet. | D．It prohibits small companies to attend. |
| A．Disappointed. | B．Doubtful. | C．Ambiguous. | D．Supportive. |
| A．A brochure. | B．A textbook. | C．A guidebook. | D．A newspaper. |
2 . Two vaccines（疫苗）developed by a Maryland company are showing promise in the fight against malaria（疟疾）. One vaccine was 100 percent effective in preventing the deadly disease malaria.
Malaria is a disease caused by parasites（寄生虫）and carried by mosquitoes. Parasites are organisms that live on or in an organism of another species and feed off it or get protection from it. Mosquitoes spread the disease to people by biting on their skin. The World Health Organization says there are 214 million cases of malaria each year. And the deadly disease kills over 400,000 people a year worldwide. People who have malaria often have a fever, chills, and flu-like illness. Serious complications happen, including death, when the disease is left untreated.
The new vaccines work by preparing the immune system to fight the disease. Researchers do this by introducing live, but weakened, young parasites called sporozoites. They are injected into the body by infected mosquitoes. Both vaccines target Plasmodium Falciparum（恶性疟原虫），which is the most common and deadly form of the disease.
One successful trail was carried out in Germany. Different amounts of the vaccine were injected into 27 healthy people who volunteered for the study. Another group of 15 was given a placebo, which is a substance given to a patient like a drug, but t has no physical effect on the person. Eight to 10 weeks after the last vaccine amount, both groups were then exposed to the parasites that carried the malaria.
Stephen Hoffman is chief executive and scientific officer of Sanaria. He says the researchers were surprised by the results from nine of the people who received the highest vaccine amount. “We got 100% protection against malaria at ten weeks after the last amount of the vaccine. That is really beginning to look like something quite extraordinary and that's never been done before.”
1. What can we know about malaria?| A．It is a disease that can't be treated. |
| B．It kills people when left untreated. |
| C．It is a deadly disaster with a high death rate. |
| D．It is a flu-like disease caused by mosquitoes. |
| A．By killing parasites in the mosquitoes. |
| B．By getting rid of most of the mosquitoes. |
| C．By injecting parasites into mosquitoes' body. |
| D．By restarting the immune system of people's body. |
| A．Remarkable. | B．Unpredictable. | C．Unsatisfactory. | D．Unreasonable. |
| A．Science &technology. | B．Education. |
| C．Lifestyle. | D．Politics. |
3 . If there were an app on your phone that could improve your memory, would you try it? Who wouldn't want a better memory? After all, our memory can be easily damaged by diseases, injuries, mental health conditions and, most particularly for all of us, aging.
Nowadays, there are a large number of apps that provide memory training on our phones. Can they help you remember to take medicine, do better on a school exam, remember the name of the person whom you met yesterday? Some scientists question whether this is possible. Undoubtedly, many of the brain training companies today exaggerate the potential benefits of using their apps.
Scientists have provided evidence that brain training does not benefit everyone in the same way. It is suggested that little consideration has been given to who would benefit most from those brain training apps. Will it only be those who have some form of memory impairment（缺陷），or can it also help those eager for self-improvement even though they are already functioning very well?
To overcome these limitations, our team has started a new study aiming to find 30,000 volunteers to help us determine which form of training may be best for individuals. Our goal is to avoid a one — size — fits — all approach. Instead of focusing on the simple question of whether brain training works, we are looking to engage the whole population in a new challenge to test for whom brain training works, and under which conditions.
1. What can affect our memory in particular?| A．Getting ill. | B．Getting old. | C．Being upset. | D．Being injured. |
| A．Supportive. | B．Doubtful. | C．Neutral. | D．Indifferent. |
| A．To test whether brain training works. |
| B．To develop a training that suits all the people. |
| C．To compete with other memory training organizations. |
| D．To find the best form of training for different people. |
| A．A fashion magazine. | B．A tour guide. |
| C．A science website. | D．A personal blog. |
4 . It is a big job to take away a city’s rubbish. Most rubbish is made up of things we can’t eat or use. If we kept these things we would soon have mountains of rubbish.
In some cities the rubbish is collected and taken outside of the city to a dump. Often the city dump is placed where the ground is low or there is a big hole. The kitchen rubbish is broken into small pieces and sent into the sewage system. The sewage system takes away the used water from toilets, bathrooms and other places.
To keep mice and flies away, some earth is used to cover the newly dumped rubbish. Later, grass may be planted on the rubbish-filled land. Finally, a house or a school may be built there, and then you’d never know that this was an old rubbish dump before.
In other cities the rubbish is burnt in special places. The fire burns everything but the metal. Sometimes the metal can be used again in factories where things are made of metal. The food parts of rubbish are put in special piles where they slowly changes into something called humus, which looks like black earth. It is rich with kinds of things that feed plants and help to make them grow.
1. The best title of the passage is ______.| A．Need of rubbish collection | B．Different ways to treat rubbish |
| C．Reuse rubbish | D．Rubbish, a big job |
| A．health | B．pollution | C．washing | D．rubbish |
| A．to make machines | B．to feed plants | C．to build a house | D．to feed animals |
| A．By reusing it. | B．By putting it in water. |
| C．By throwing it away. | D．By burning it off. |
| A．a history book | B．a TV guide | C．a science book | D．a telephone book |
5 . Due to climate changes, Arctic ice is breaking up earlier in the spring, and its area is decreasing. This is creating problems for polar bears that make their homes off northern Alaska and in Hudson Bay.
Polar bears off Alaska normally hunt and raise their young on ice sheets that float on the ocean. But as the ice has melted, the polar bears have been forced to spend more time on land. There, they have begun to frequent beaches, feeding on the remains of whales caught by native hunters. For polar bears, this food is less nutritious than seals that they normally catch on ice sheets. The shrinking (减少) ice has also forced more polar bears into the ocean. In the past, they only had to swim short distances between ice sheets. But as the ice has shrunk, polar bears have been forced to swim longer and longer distances in the open ocean. This poses a severe danger during rough weather, and an increasing number of drowned polar bears have been observed.
In Hudson Bay, the ice breaks up three weeks earlier in the spring now than it did 20 years ago. Polar bears on Hudson Bay fast (绝食) during the summer, waiting for ice to form in the fall to hunt. Every year, the summer gets longer, and the bears get skinnier. Over the past 25 years, the average weight of the female bears has dropped 68 kg. This loss affects their ability to reproduce, and already the number of births has dropped by 15 percent. Unless the bears can learn to survive these climate changes, these giants of the ice may one day disappear.
1. What is Arctic ice doing earlier each year?| A．It's freezing. | B．It's hardening. |
| C．It's melting. | D．It's expanding. |
| A．Their young are dying. | B．Their diet is changing. |
| C．Their health is improving. | D．Their families are growing. |
| A．They are having fewer young now. | B．They suffer from various sicknesses. |
| C．They don't need stronger protection. | D．They can't find enough good males. |
| A．Medical News. | B．Society Today. |
| C．Wildlife Journal | D．Design Magazine. |
6 . Worship Music Leader — First Presbyterian Church (FPC) in Napa is looking for someone who will select songs and use media for church services on Sundays. And working hours are flexible and the pay is about $18 an hour. Detailed job information will be posted on the Payroll Office’s window. If interested, send your cover letter and resume to David Stoker at david@fpcnapa.org.
Catering Company — Oak Avenue is a most successful catering company searching for enthusiastic people to join their talented team of chefs and service professionals. Students’ part-time positions are available for ambitious chefs, bakers, service helpers, and captains. Please send a brief cover letter and resume to Maritza@oakovenuecatering.com or call 707-963-9278 for more information.
Caregiver Position — Looking for a caregiver to help with a 91-year-old woman who lives in Calistoga. She speaks both English and Spanish, but Spanish is her preference. She sleeps quite a bit during the day so there is time to do housework. She cannot be left alone because she has a fall risk. She walks with a walker on her own. Please call 925-785-8500 if interested.
Housekeeping Services — A responsible, professional, and experienced housekeeper is needed to take care of all cleaning details of a local business in Angwin. This person will be needed 2 or 3 times per week for about 8 hours per day. Please send an email for additional information and be ready to provide resume and work history. Driver’s license is required. Pay will be $20-$25 per hour. To contact them, email recruitingangwin@gmail.com.
1. Which is the email address or contact number for those who want to become great bakers？| A．david@fpcnapa.org. |
| B．recruitingangwin@gmail.com. |
| C．925-785-8500. |
| D．707-963-9278. |
| A．Flexibility in working hours. |
| B．Speaking Spanish fluently. |
| C．Being able to drive. |
| D．Being a local in Angwin. |
| A．A hotel advertisement. |
| B．A job advertisement. |
| C．A household guide. |
| D．A tourist guide. |
7 . Join us for the opening of the schools of the future exhibition — event
The year is 2035. A group of schoolchildren heads over to a garden for lunch and, after the break, teachers send lessons into headsets (头戴式耳机) worn by students. The wearable tech is able to read body signals to make sure the child is concentrating (全神贯注) and can differentiate the lessons according to how their young charge is getting along. It can also send a full progress assessment (评估) to the teacher.
This is one picture of the future of school life, but how likely is it? Over the past five months, the Guardian Teacher Network has been exploring how schools might develop over the next twenty years and beyond. Our journalists have explored a series of topics from whether computers could replace teachers and how some libraries are breaking with tradition, to the rise of outdoor learning and the forest school revolution. One area that provides much food for thought is the future of school dinners. Journalist Matthew Jenkin has looked back at Jamie Oliver’s campaign against Turkey Twizzlers, deciding that the next hot topics include mealtimes and foods.
We’re now bringing these ideas to life in an exciting exhibition, supported by Zurich Municipal, held at our offices in London. It is free to attend. We’ll be hearing from Liz Sproat, the head of education for Google across Europe, Middle East and Africa.
We’d love for you to join us for a spot of future drinks and food.
Date: Sunday 17 June 2018
Time: 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm
Location: The Guardian, 90 York Way, London, N1 9GU
Cost: Free
Speakers: Charles Leadbeater, author and education advisor
Margaret Cox OBE, professor of information technology in education, King’s College London
Tom Sherrington, headteacher, Highbury Grove School
Liz Sproat, head of education, EMEA, Google
1. What does the first paragraph describe?| A．An exhibition program. | B．A picture on the school wall. |
| C．A possible future scene at school. | D．A newly invented high-tech headset. |
| A．It is being held by King’s College London | B．It centres on the future of school life. |
| C．It will be on show worldwide. | D．It is hosted by Liz Sproat. |
| A．A travel guide. | B．An announcement. | C．A school year plan. | D．An educational report. |
8 . British Museum
When the British Museum opened in 1759 it was the first of its kind in the world: the only national museum open to the public. It was – and still is – free to visit. The displays are organised by location and time period: Ancient Iran, Greece, China from 5000 BC onwards, Roman Britain and so on. Overwhelmed? Follow a free eye-opener tour on your smart phone or book onto the Around the World in 90 Minutes guided tour.
National Gallery
You can’t miss this artistic institution in Trafalgar Square. There you can see some of the world’s finest works of art for free. Founded in 1824 to display a collection of just 36 paintings, today the National Gallery is home to over 2,000 works from artists such as da Vinci, van Gogh and Picasso. The National Gallery hosts free after-work events for adults. So if you want to learn more about these famous artworks over a glass of wine, come along.
Science Museum
One of London's favorite hands-on museums, the Science Museum features seven floors of entertaining and educational exhibits, including the Apollo 10 Spaceship! If you're going with little ones, head to Pattern Pod or The Garden, where children can directly explore basic scientific principles with sound and water.
Cartoon Museum
This highly entertaining London tourist attraction covers the history and development of British cartoon from the 18th century to the present day. See how artists portrayed important events and the great and good over the centuries. It’s great value at only ₤7.00 for entry.
1. Which museum provides a free digital guide?| A．British Museum. |
| B．National Gallery. |
| C．Science Museum. |
| D．Cartoon Museum. |
| A．It is the only one where entry is free. |
| B．It offers free events after regular working hours. |
| C．It allows visitors to carry out simple experiments. |
| D．It is the museum with the longest history in London. |
| A．In a British school book. |
| B．On a London street map. |
| C．In a London tourism guide book. |
| D．On the British Museum Entrance Board. |
9 . Researchers in Singapore found that eating mushrooms over twice per week could help prevent memory and language problems later in life.
According to the study, published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, there is a unique antioxidant (抗氧化物质) present in mushrooms that helps protect certain brain functions.
Researchers observed 663 Chinese adults aged over 60 whose diets and lifestyles were tracked from 2011 to 2017. In the study, the participants were asked how often they ate six different types of mushrooms: oyster, shiitake, white button, dried, golden and tinned. The findings showed that eating more than two shares of mushrooms per week somehow lowered the chances of mild cognitive impairment (MCi) by 50% against those who ate fewer than one share.
MCI is a condition that can make people forgetful, affect their memory and cause problems with language, attention and finding the exact position of objects in space. Changes in behavior can be not very noticeable and not serious enough to be known as dementia (痴呆).
Participants who ate more mushrooms were found to perform better in thinking and processing exams and also exhibited a faster processing speed. The advantage was reportedly more apparent in those who ate more than two shares a week or more than 300 grams.
The scientists pointed out, however, that they have yet to put up a direct link between the fungi and brain function.
The researchers also acknowledged that since this study mainly relied on self-reported information on mushroom intake and other dietary factors (因素), further studies may be required.
Still, the lead study author Lei Feng is encouraged by their findings.
“This correlation is surprising and encouraging,” Lei said.
Mushrooms are one of the richest dietary sources of ergothioneine — a matter which humans can’t make on our own.
1. What are the findings in paragraph 3 about?| A．Diets and lifestyles. | B．The percent of MCI. |
| C．The types of mushrooms. | D．The benefit of eating mushrooms. |
| A．It can strengthen memory. | B．It can result in language problems. |
| C．It can make people get lost. | D．It can lessen the chance of forgetfulness. |
| A．They will take the exams much more easily |
| B．Their academic performance improves greatly |
| C．Their thinking ability is better than the majority |
| D．They will love communicating with others. |
| A．Scientific fiction. | B．An advertisement. |
| C．A science report. | D．Adult literature. |
The Chinese Culture Day of Confucius Institute in Cairo University was held for the first time at the Egyptian National Museum in the capital’s Tahrir Square on Monday, Oct 8, 2018. A teacher from Confucius Institute in Cairo University performs Wushu. Meanwhile, a woman performs Chinese calligraphy (书法) and a student from Confucius Institute in Cairo University performs Chinese folk dance.
Chinese opera legends make UK stage return
People in UK will have an opportunity to enjoy Chinese culture when the China National Peking Opera Company returns to the country for the fourth time, for a series of workshops and performances.
Activities will be held at the British Library, Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum. Lisa Lu, a respected actress will lead a group of artists from China, the US and the UK to discuss their experiences of working across a variety of artistic fields in different cultures over many years.
China Reading Corner opens in Fiji National Library
China Reading Corner opened here on Friday in the Fiji National Library to help strengthen the cultural exchanges between China and Fiji.
The China Reading Corner contains over 6,000 books, 20,000 e-books and other hardware given by China’s Zhengzhou Library.
Chinese Ambassador to Fiji Qian Bo said that, with this reading Corner, Fijian people know where to find the information they are interested in and the reading comer will serve as a window for Fijian people to look out to the outside world.
“The Chinese and Fijian people will further deepen their friendship and have a better understanding of each other,” said he.
1. In paragraph 1, all the following Chinese cultures are mentioned except ________.| A．Wushu | B．paper-cuts |
| C．calligraphy | D．folk dance |
| A．China Reading Corner | B．Confucius Institute in Cairo |
| C．Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum | D．Egyptian National Museum |
| A．Fijian people will have a better relationship with China. |
| B．Lisa Lu will perform Peking opera in Britain. |
| C．Fiji library gave over 6,000 books to China Reading Corner. |
| D．The China National Peking Opera Company went to UK for the 1st time. |
| A．Artist. | B．Library. |
| C．University. | D．Culture. |
| A．A science report. | B．A guidebook. |
| C．A newspaper. | D．A diary. |
