1 . Mankind’s most famous “eye in the sky” turned 30 this year, taking a beautiful image of “space clouds” to celebrate.
The Hubble Space Telescope, known to most simply as “Hubble”, was sent into space on April 24, 1990. The telescope, one of our best space exploration tools, uses a large mirror to collect light and direct it into a powerful digital camera. This allows it to see parts of outer space that are located 10 to 15 billion light-years away.
Each year on its birthday, the telescope takes a new image to celebrate. On its 30th birthday, Hubble took an image titled “Cosmic Reef”. The picture shows two big clouds of cosmic dust and gas: the giant red nebula NGC 2014 and a smaller blue nebula called NGC 2020, according to Space. The title of the image comes from NGC 2014’s appearance, as it looks like a large reef of red coral.
Hubble has made many important discoveries over the last 30 years. For example, the telescope helped us discover four of Pluto’s five moons. This discovery made it possible to plan a mission for the New Horizons probe, which took never-before-seen images of Pluto in 2015. The telescope has also taken photos of pulsating stars. The regular pulses of light that come from these stars allow us to calculate the age of the universe, which is currently believed to be 13.7 billion years old.
But Hubble’s work is not done yet. It is expected to continue working through the 2020s, when it will be joined by its successor, the James Webb Space Telescope, according to CNET.
1. What is the text mainly about?| A．How the Hubble Space Telescope works. |
| B．The Hubble telescope’s 30th anniversary. |
| C．How the Hubble Space Telescope has helped us explore space. |
| D．How scientists chose the follower of the Hubble telescope. |
| A．It was the best space exploration tool. |
| B．It was designed to be in service for about 40 years. |
| C．It can see the whole outer space. |
| D．The James Webb Space Telescope will take place of it soon. |
| A．By titling a new space picture. | B．By naming a new nebula. |
| C．By taking a new image of space. | D．By taking a new image of itself. |
| A．A magazine. | B．A novel. |
| C．A report. | D．An advertisement. |
2 . Barcelona’s opera house has celebrated its reopening to the public since the coronavirus pandemic put the world into a huge horror, but their opening night had an unusual audience. For its first concert, the theater refused the usual crowd of people and instead packed the house with plants. Yes, that's correct. All 2, 292 seats at the GranTeatre Liceu were occupied by green plants.
The idea was conceived by an artist Eugenio Ampudia and was broadcast live on the theater’s website. These lucky ficus trees, palms, and Swiss cheese plants — which were brought in by local nurseries (苗圃) — got the pleasure of hearing Puccini’s Crisantemi performed by the UceLi Quartet string musical group.
Ampudia hopes that his idea and the work will inspire people to think more deeply about their relationship with nature and the idea of sustainability. “We are at the end of an era and that means that we have to change certain patterns,” he shares. “We don’t live in the same world as 90 days ago, and this means we have to reflect on everything that we do.”
As plants can respond to different vibrations caused by music, they certainly weren’t a passive audience — even if they weren’t able to give applause. Now that the concert is over, each plant will be given to a different frontline healthcare worker who helped guide the country through its battle with the coronavirus.
The moving concert is a continuation of the Liceu’s mission to create a dialogue between music and the visual arts. Pictures and a video of the performance taken by Ampudia will now become part of La Caixacon temporary art collection.
1. What was the special part of the concert?| A．It had only 2, 292 seats. | B．It made the world fall in horror. |
| C．It welcomed audience with plants to come. | D．It gave plants opportunities to enjoy music. |
| A．Hated. | B．Enjoyed. | C．Put forward. | D．Turned down. |
| A．We didn’t do very well in dealing with nature. | B．The healthcare workers were more important. |
| C．The plants should have the equal rights. | D．We did everything in a wrong way. |
| A．Daily Hero. | B．Teens’ Life. |
| C．New Technology. | D．Art Around the World. |
3 . Kid-friendly attractions & hands-on museums
National Geographic Museum
Animal lovers young and old will look forward to a visit to the National Geographic Museum, which is near Farragut West. There are changing exhibits that always feature work by great photographers, as well as exhibits that show the efforts of international scientists to protect the natural worlds resources (资源) and animals. Children under 5 are free.
National Air and Space Museum
The National Air and Space Museum on the National Mall offers daily programs involving science experimentation. Kids are welcome to make and fly their own paper airplane, look through a real telescope (望远镜) with astronomy experts, watch a show at the Planetarium, climb in an aircraft, or watch an IMAX film.
National Building Museum
Kids can learn how engineers construct architectural wonders by using soft blocks in the Great Hall of the National Building Museum. Little ones will love the Building Zone, where they can drive a bulldozer (推土机) and build a house.
Renwick Gallery
Take the kids to the Renwick Gallery, which hosts the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s amazing collection of decorative art, and start a completely new conversation between kids and art.
1. What is special about the museum near Farragut West?| A．It enables kids to build a house on their own. |
| B．It houses a vast collection of paintings. |
| C．It teaches kids about the environment. |
| D．It is free for both parents and kids |
| A．Architects. | B．Animal enthusiasts. |
| C．Art lovers. | D．Astronomy fans. |
| A．A news report. | B．A travel brochure. |
| C．A geography textbook. | D．A culture magazine. |
4 . When people make travel decisions regarding destinations, recreation usually sits at the top of the most considered factors. But in recent years, with a rising awareness of health, travelers are beginning to upgrade their expectations. They want a place where they can relax and do some sports with local features, which can explain the emergence of a sports tourism market.
We have selected several places around China that have a perfect combination of recreation and health, in case that is what you have in mind for your next holiday.
Beijing Olympic Park
Located at the north end of the Beijing central axis line, Beijing Olympic Park witnessed the glory of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Apart from visiting the renowned Bird’s Nest and Water Cube, You can try some leisure and sports activities.
Wanlong Ski Resort, North China’s Hebei Province
Wanlong Ski Resort in North China’s Hebei Province is nicknamed “heaven for ski lovers”. The 2022 Winter Olympics will be held here, which will boost ski development and tourism activities in Hebei Province. If you happen to be a skiing fan, try the professional trails here!
Qingdao Olympic Sailing Center, East China’s Shandong Province
The Olympic Sailing Center has become a new landmark in Qingdao, a coastal city in East China’s Shandong Province. It was a host venue of the sailing games for the 29th Olympics in 2008 and the 13th Paralymic Games. You could visit the match venue and enjoy a cruise around Qingdao.
Zhangye in Northwest China’s Gansu Province
Hot-air balloons glide across the Danxia landform during the first hot-air balloon festival in Zhangye, Northwest China’s Gansu Province,July 20,2019.The unique Danxia landform in Zhangye features multicolored ridges of weathered strata. Visitors can not only be impressed by the natural wonders here ,but also can try hot-air balloons, helicopters and powered parachutes.
1. What contributes most to a sports tourism market?| A．The desire for pleasure. | B．The interest in health. |
| C．The expectation of relaxation. | D．The awareness of environment protection. |
| A．Beijing Olympic Park. |
| B．Zhangye in Northwest China’s Gansu Province. |
| C．Wanlong Ski Resort, North China’s Hebei Province |
| D．Qingdao Olympic Sailing Center, East China’s Shandong Province. |
| A．Entertainment. | B．Health. | C．Sports. | D．Travel. |
5 . Jonas was careful about language. Not like his friend, Asher, who talked too fast, mixing up words and phrases until they were barely recognizable and often very funny.
Jonas smiled, remembering the morning that Asher had dashed into the classroom, late as usual, arriving breathlessly in the middle of the chanting of the morning anthem (国歌). When the class took their seats at the conclusion of the patriotic song, Asher remained standing to make his public apology as was required.
“I apologize for inconveniencing my learning community.” Asher ran through the standard apology phrase rapidly, still catching his breath. The Instructor and class waited patiently for his explanation.
“I left home at the correct time but when I was riding along near the pool, the crew was separating some salmon. I guess I just got distraught, watching them.”
“I apologize to my classmates,” Asher concluded. He smoothed his messy collar and sat down.
“We accept your apology, Asher.” The class recited the standard response in unison. Many of the students were biting their lips to keep from laughing.
“I accept your apology, Asher,” the Instructor said. He was smiling. “And I thank you, because once again you have provided an opportunity for a lesson in language. ‘Distraught’ is too strong an adjective to describe salmon viewing.” He turned and wrote “distraught” on the instructional board. Beside it he wrote “distracted.”
Jonas, nearing his home now, smiled at the recollection.
Thinking, still, as he wheeled his bike into its narrow port beside the door, he realized that frightened was the wrong word to describe his feelings, now that December was almost here. It was too strong an adjective.
He had waited a long time for this special December, when the Ceremony of the Twelve will be held and the future assignment will be announced by the Elders in the committee.
Now that it was almost upon him, he wasn’t frightened, but he was... eager, he decided. He was eager for it to come. And he was excited, certainly. All of the Elevens were excited about the event that would be coming so soon. But there was a little tremble of nervousness when he thought about it, about what might happen.
Anxious, Jonas decided. That’s what I am.
1. Asher arrived at the school _________.| A．as soon as the students concluded the national anthem |
| B．after all the other students had taken their seats |
| C．when the Instructor had begun the language lesson |
| D．when students had started singing the patriotic song |
| A．To show he accepted the apology. |
| B．To explain the confusing words. |
| C．To warn students against using it. |
| D．To shame Asher for using the wrong word. |
| A．he found himself struggling to describe his feelings precisely |
| B．he was certain that he would make the same mistake as Asher did |
| C．he was reminded to use the appropriate language for the ceremony |
| D．he finally understood how Asher was feeling that morning |
| A．a science fiction novel |
| B．a journal of applied linguistics |
| C．a documentary about campus life |
| D．a manual for using language correctly |
6 . An artist in Oakland, California is using his skills to help the homeless. Greg Kloehn builds very small shelters that make life on the streets a little more comfortable. The structures offer the homeless some safety and protection from bad weather. Each little house also has wheels on the bottom so it can go wherever its owner goes.
Greg Kloehn has given away at least 20 tiny houses. Several are on the roadside near an active railroad. On a recent day, Mr. Kloehn stops at one to visit Oscar Young. The two men hug. Inside his little shelter Mr. Young gets relief from cold nights on the streets. Mr. Kloehn also visits Sweet-Pea, another friend who also lives in one of the little homes the artist built. She says it keeps her safe and protects her belongings.
In the mornings, Mr. Kloehn searches the streets for building materials. He gathers what he can and takes it to his studio. There, he puts the houses together. Empty coffee bags become roof material. A washing machine door and refrigerator part become windows. Nails, screws（螺丝钉） and the sticky glue hold all the pieces together. The artist also attaches a small electrical device to the house. The device is powered by the sun.
Some of the people living on the streets once had normal houses of their own. But some of the people say they have learned to live with less and they are thankful to that man.
Mr. Kloehn says his work is not a social project. He says he is just someone using his skills to help his homeless neighbors.
1. The following are the advantages of the small shelters except ________.| A．saving power and energy |
| B．decorating the streets where they are |
| C．protecting possessions of the homeless |
| D．keeping the homeless safe and comfortable |
| A．An act of kindness has made people simple and grateful |
| B．Greg Kloehn has sold at least 20 tiny houses |
| C．The shelters are immovable |
| D．The government has got involved in the action |
| A．An official report | B．A news report |
| C．An art review | D．A science magazine |
| A．A more comfortable shelter on the streets. |
| B．An artist creates homes for the homeless. |
| C．A successful social project in Oakland. |
| D．An artist makes a living by designing small shelters. |
7 . A Central Park
Explore Central Park, one of the largest city parks in the world and one of the most famous symbols of New York.Let's have a look at its main sights. Central Park is New York's largest city park and one of the biggest in the world, with an area of 843 acres.This park is home to man-made lakes, waterfalls, grass and wooded areas.You will also find the Central Park Zoo, among other attractions in this green space of New York.
Besides, being the city's primary green lungs, Central Park is also a favorite spot for many New Yorkers. It is perfect for sunbathing, going for walks, or doing any outdoor sports. Something that we found curious is seeing so many people running with their babies in prams.
On Foot or by Bicycle
To get to know some of the wildest parts of Central Park, we suggest walking.However, to get a general feel for the whole park, the best thing to do is to hire a bicycle and enjoy the scenery.If you decide to hire a bike, you will find lots of bike rental stores around Central Park that are not very expensive.
Open Time
From 7 am to 10 pm on weekends.From 6amto8：30 pm on weekdays.
Price
Entry to the Park is free.But if you visit some parts like Central Park Zoo, you need to buy a ticket.
Transport
Subway: Line 5 , 6 , 7, A, B, C and D.
Bus: Line Ml, M2, M3, M4 and M10.
Nearby places
Metropolitan Museum of Art (447 m)
Guggenheim Museum (564 m)
American Museum of Natural History (688 m)
Whitney Museum of American Art( 1 km)
The Frick Collection( 1.3 km)
1. What can we learn about the Central Park from the text?| A．It is famous for lakes and waterfalls. | B．It is the largest city park in the world. |
| C．It is the most famous symbol of America. | D．It is a favorite destination for many New Yorkers. |
| A．By bike. | B．On foot. | C．By underground. | D．By train. |
| A．In a travel guide. | B．In a science report. |
| C．In a story book. | D．In a fashion magazine. |
8 . The worst outbreak of desert locusts (蝗虫) in decades is presently underway in the Horn of Africa. It is the biggest of its kind in 25 years for Ethiopia and Somalia — and the worst Kenya has seen for 70 years.
What we are seeing in East Africa today is unlike anything we’ve seen in a very long time. Its destructive potential is enormous, and it’s taking place in a region where farmers need every gram of food to feed themselves and their families. Most of the countries hardest hit are those where millions of people are already vulnerable (脆弱的) or in serious humanitarian need, as they endure the impact of violence, drought, and floods.
We have acted quickly to respond to this outbreak. The primary method of battling locusts is the aerial spraying of pesticides (杀虫剂). FAO’s “Locust Watch” service explains that “although giant nets, flamethrowers, lasers, and huge vacuums have been proposed in the past, these are not useful for locust control. People and birds often eat locusts but usually not enough to significantly reduce population levels in large areas.”
The UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has released $10 million from its Central Emergency Relief Fund to support a huge scale-up in aerial operations (空中作业) to manage the outbreak.
But the window to contain this crisis is closing fast. Before the beginning of March we must bring this infestation (虫害) under control as that is when the rain and planting season begins. If left unchecked (未受制止的) — and with expected additional rains — the number of locusts in East Africa could increase 500 times by June.
We must act now to avoid a full-blown catastrophe. And we will. At the same time, we need to pay attention to a bigger picture. This is not the first time the Greater Horn of Africa has seen locust outbreak approach this scale, but the current situation is the worst in decades. This is linked to climate change. Warmer seas mean more tropical storms, generating the perfect breeding conditions for locusts.
1. What is implied in paragraph 2?| A．People in East Africa are suffering droughts. |
| B．People in East Africa are going through floods. |
| C．The locust outbreak will cause crop failure. |
| D．The locust outbreak is worsening locals’ life. |
| A．We need a bigger picture to study the disaster. |
| B．It is the second outbreak of locusts in East Africa. |
| C．It is the largest outbreak of locusts ever in history. |
| D．The outbreak of locusts is fueled by global warming. |
| A．To analyze and compare. |
| B．To inform and call for action. |
| C．To argue and discuss. |
| D．To introduce and assess. |
| A．A guidebook. | B．A health magazine. |
| C．A news report. | D．A chemistry paper. |
9 . Creating a new gene in a single day could soon be possible. The technology could one day let researchers speedily rewrite genes, enabling them to make new medicines and fuels on the fly. Researchers have been able to make DNA since the 1970s. The traditional approach takes DNA nucleotides(核苷酸）and adds them, one by one, to a growing chain called an oligo(寡核苷酸）。But the process is typically slow and error-prone, limiting oligos to about 200 letters-a tiny part of the thousands of letters that make up most genes.
Over the decades, most researchers have settled on one particular polymerase(聚合酶），called TdT,because unlike others, it can attach new nucleotides to an oligo strand without following a DNA template strand. Scientists have tried for years to make TdT add one nucleotide at a time and stop, before repeating the process with a different nucleotide. But TdT doesn't work well with these modified nucleotides. “TdT is very picky." says Sebastian Palluk, a Ph. D. student. One such system, for example, required about an hour to add each modified base, far too slow to be practical.
Ultimately, the approach should be cheap, because TdT is easy to manufacture in bacteria. It's also fast. Most new nucleotides attach to the growing oligo in 10 to 20 seconds. For now,the step still takes a minute. So synthesizing a whole gene will still likely take the better part of a day.
The new approach is not quite ready. So far, the group has made oligos only 10 bases long. And there are still a few writing problems,as the approach was only 98% accurate at writing DNA, below the 99% accuracy of the traditional approach. In order to write oligos up to 1000 bases long, the approach will likely need to be 99.9% accurate.
1. What is the drawback of the traditional way of making DNA?| A．It is too expensive. |
| B．It is too hard to be carried out. |
| C．It increases oligos to about 200 letters. |
| D．It is too slow and there may be mistakes. |
| A．Because it is cheap. |
| B．Because it is easy to get. |
| C．Because it is harmless to people. |
| D．Because it is easy to control. |
| A．Researchers have been able to make DNA recently. |
| B．The new approach is quite ready without any problem. |
| C．There is still some work to do before the new approach is practical. |
| D．To write oligos 1000 bases long, the approach needs to be 99% accurate. |
| A．A magazine. | B．A diary. |
| C．A novel. | D．A guidebook. |
10 . How was 2019 for you? Was it pleasant and full of joy? Or was it unpleasant and full of sadness? Either way, some good things happened this year that can warm your heart. Let's take a look.
A Thailand supermarket came up with a great way to cut down the plastic packaging. It wraps the things in banana leaves instead of plastic. | South Korea is having the daytime disco parties for people over 65.The goal is to help fight loneliness and dementia in the elderly people. |
There are only two northern white rhinos left in the world. They live in Africa. This year, scientists successfully fertilized seven of their eggs. This might help to save the dying ones! | Students at a primary school in Maine, the US, are learning the sign language. They are doing this in order to help a deaf 6-year-old girl feel welcomed at their school. They hope that she'll be happy every day. |
| A．dangerous animals around the world | B．different cultures in different countries |
| C．exciting things that can warm our hearts | D．something special that happened in 2018. |
| A．to cut down the plastic packaging | B．to help a deaf 6-year-old girl |
| C．to save the dying ones. | D．to help the elderly people. |
| A．A Chinese supermarket uses the leaves to wrap the things. |
| B．South Korea set up a disco club to help dementia people. |
| C．Scientists in Africa try to help save the white rhinos in danger. |
| D．Primary school students are learning the sign language to help a boy. |
| A．Language Corner | B．Magic World |
| C．Food Square | D．School Time |
