1 . The first wave of a new class of anti-aging drugs have begun human testing. These drugs won't let you live longer but aim to treat specific illnesses by slowing a fundamental process of aging.

The drugs are called senolytics—they work by removing certain cells that accumulate as we age. Known as “senescent” cells, they can create low-level inflammation (炎症) that prevents normal systems of living cells repair and creates a poisonous environment for neighboring cells.

In June, San Francisco - based Unity Biotechnology reported initial results in patients with mild to severe osteoarthritis (关节炎) of the knee. Results from a larger clinical trial are expected in the second half of this year. The company is also developing similar drugs to treat age-related diseases of the eyes and lungs, among other conditions.

Senolytics are now in human tests, along with a number of other promising approaches targeting the biological processes that lie at the root of aging and various diseases.

A company called Alkahest injects patients with components found in young people's blood and says it hopes to stop conscious and functional decline in patients suffering from mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. The company also has drugs for Parkinson's and dementia in human testing.

And in December, researchers at Drexel University College of Medicine even tried to see if a cream including the immune-suppressing drug could slow aging in human skin.

The tests reflect researchers' expanding efforts to learn if the many diseases associated with getting older- such as heart diseases, arthritis, cancer, and dementia- can be dealt with to delay their outbreak.

1. Why do the researchers develop the drugs?

A．To rid inflammation.	B．To lengthen people's life.
C．To treat age-related diseases.	D．To remove cancer cells.

2. What does the underlined word “senescent” in paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Repairing.

B．Cycling.

C．Aging.

D．Dividing.

3. How does the text mainly develop?

A．By listing data.	B．By providing details.
C．By making comparisons.	D．By analyzing causes.

4. Where is this text most likely from?

A．A diary.

B．A guidebook.

C．A novel.

D．A magazine.

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1. According to the passage, who might be the potential customers for 2ND Draft?

A．Students who fail to come up with original ideas.

B．Teachers who need help in marking the papers.

C．Authors who attempt to publish their own works.

D．Editors who want their work less time-consuming.

2. Why is Kim Chavez so grateful for the services?

A．The services offered both instant and lasting benefits.

B．His personal letter got wide recognition after it was polished up.

C．He met up with many new writers and learnt much from them.

D．The services set patterns for different types of writing to follow.

3. In which column can we probably find this passage?

A．Education.	B．Finance.
C．Technology.	D．Advertisement.

3 . Savannah Family Vacation Package

Bring your whole family to Savannah for a vacation adventure that combines sightseeing with a show at Savannah’s most historic theatre and three nights’ lodging in the exciting Savannah Family Vacation Package!

Prices Starting at:

Ages 19 and Up: $150.00

Ages 13—19: $50.00

Ages 4—12: $20.00

Ages 0—3: Free

Historical Attractions in Savannah

Savannah is a beautiful city, as well as one of the most historic in the United States, Here, visitors will enjoy Southern history and culture. Head out on any one of the remarkable activities offered to experience some fun. Plus, the city is full of historic sites to explore.

About the Included Savannah Theatre Musical Production

Savannah Theatre has brilliant architecture and is known for being a top theater with a state-of-the-art sound and light system and talented performers. At this theater you can experience a high-energy and interesting musical or a two-hour variety show in an unforgettable performance! The possibilities are endless with the Historic Savannah Theatre, as the show changes throughout the year. During November and December, guests will get to experience the Christmas production.

About the Included Savannah Old Town Trolley Tour

Guests will also be able to board upon the Savannah Old Town Trolley Tour. The trolley tour gives guests a comfortable and fun way to see the city in style. Though the guided tour lasts approximately 90 minutes, guests will be able to hop on or hop off at a mass of locations including the City Market, Sorrel-Weed House, and Massie Heritage Museum. With transportation taken care of, guests can simply focus on seeing the best that Savannah has to offer.

1. How much should a couple with their five-year-old twins pay for this tour?

A．$170.00.

B．$190.00.

C．$340.00.

D．$400.00.

2. What contributes most to the reputation of Savannah Theatre Musical Production?

A．Its sound and light system.	B．Its high-quality musical.
C．Its changeable show.	D．Its Christmas production.

3. Where is the text probably taken from?

A．A historical book.	B．A travel website.
C．A guide to Savannah.	D．A fashion magazine.

4 . On July 24, 2020, Mike Stout launched his kayak（皮筏艇）just before 8：30 a.m. About 56 miles and 16.5 hours later, he landed on the sandy Michigan shore. It was his second time crossing Lake Michigan.

By chance, Stout said, he gave kayaking a try in 2016. Already in good physical condition, he considered kayaking a weekend escape. Then he was challenged by a client of his firm to think bigger. He did go big quickly. Weekend kayak trips were 40, 50 and 60 miles long over the next few months. Then his goal was to cross Lake Michigan that year. On August 3, Stout completed his first crossing of Lake Michigan in 15.5 hours. Since then, he’s finished countless long-distance trips on Minnesota rivers and lakes.

In heading back to Lake Michigan last summer, Stout thought he could become the first kayaker to make a round-trip crossing of the Great Lake. He felt capable. He’d put in 800 miles since March 1, 2020-when ice was still on the Minnesota River.

Stout wanted to do with manageable winds. Possibilities rose, only to become worse, the lake showing its mercurial nature. Stout realized a single crossing was his best hope. With local police informed of his plans and plenty of food aboard, Stout launched. His plan was to land on the Michigan shore 12.5 hours later. The lake thought otherwise. The winds and waves were working against him, too. Still, he was resolute. Finally he could hear waves crashing on shore.

“Never did I have a sense of doubt or fear or worry,” Stout said. Despite the constant, forceful wind, he said the crossing was easier than his others because of his experience. But no less meaningful. The stars, the chance to speak to the heavens, and the hope that his adventure would inspire others-all were fuel to finish.

1. What can we infer about Stout from paragraph 2?

A．He challenged his client.

B．He intended to escape real life.

C．He was organized and determined.

D．He set a goal bigger than his capability.

2. What forced Stout to change his journey into a single crossing in 2020?

A．His physical state.	B．The weather condition.
C．The freezing water.	D．Warning from local police.

3. What does the underlined word “mercurial” in paragraph 4 mean?

A．Changeable.

B．Merciful.

C．Perfect.

D．Balanced.

4. In which section of a newspaper may this text appear?

A．Weather.

B．Adventure.

C．Geography.

D．Entertainment.

5 . No matter where you go around the globe, everybody loves to celebrate. And when it comes to celebration, festivals offer something for everyone.

Mardi Gras （New Orleans, Louisiana）

Also known as Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras in New Orleans is a cultural event. Though the celebration

is held every year on the day before Ash Wednesday, the festivities last for months, banning in November throughout January and early February. And if you love music, check out the annual Galactic concert at the world-famous Tipitina’s on Lundi Gras (the day before Mardi Gras).

La Tomatina （Valencia, Spain）

Launched way back in 1945, La Tomatina is one of the oldest festivals on our list. It's also easily the happiest but the messiest, coming off like the world's biggest food fight.

Legend has it that the whole thing started when some local boys joined a parade alongside musicians. The boys made the performers so angry that they tried hit the boys, and a vendor's (小摊贩)vegetable stand fell victim to the incident.

If you go, please follow some simple rules: Don't throw hard objects, squash the tomato before throwing it, stay a safe distance away from tomato trucks, and stop in time.

Montreux Jazz Festival （Switzerland）

Founded back in 1967, Montreux is one of the oldest music festivals in the world. It's also the second largest jazz festival, after the Montreal International Jazz Festival. That Canadian concert may attract more visitors-around 2 million annually. But Montreux benefits from its pretty location on the attractive shores of Lake Geneva. The area is particularly beautiful in late June/early July, when the festival is held.

1. When is Galactic concert held?

A．On Mardi Gras.	B．On Lundi Gras.
C．On Montreux Jazz Festival.	D．On La Tomatina.

2. What do people do on La Tomatina?

A．Punish naughty boys.	B．Enjoy musicians' performance.
C．Throw tomatoes without hurting.	D．Catch people who destroy tomatoes.

3. Where can you read the passage probably?

A．News report.	B．Academic journal.
C．Conceit brochure.	D．Travel magazine.

8 . Buying toothpaste can raise all sorts of questions. Which brand? Do I want whitening? Are my teeth sensitive?

A question you may not ask yourself is why the toothpaste tube comes in a cardboard box. After all, the tube is what actually holds the toothpaste. It would be like putting shampoo or shaving cream into an additional package.

A Change. org petition is asking that same question while encouraging toothpaste manufacturers to abandon the cardboard box, thinking it is kind of waste.

Toothpaste boxes do look good on the shelf, and it’s almost certainly easier to package, ship and stock toothpaste that way. In the 1995 book “Waste Age and Recycling Times: Recycling Handbook,” the editor explains that toothpaste boxes provide information about the product, serve a marketing function, protect the tube and prevent theft. The book also says the boxes are “often made from recycled paperboard,” providing a market for wastepaper in addition to packaging for a tube.

We can recycle the tubes (and your toothbrushes, for that matter), but it’s not easy. Since products have to be cleaned before they can be recycled—this is why you can’t recycle a cheese-riddled pizza box—it’s unlikely you can just toss the tube in your city’s recycling bin with wastepaper and glass bottles. There’s still toothpaste stuck inside the tube, after all. Plus, toothpaste tubes are often more than one type of material fused together, and that requires special machinery to separate them.

So what can you do if you really want to clean your teeth and keep the environment clean, too? Well, you can make your own toothpaste—some websites offer recipes that are easy to learn at home—and cut out the tubes and the unnecessary packaging entirely. You could also try something like Bite, a toothpaste-pill delivery service focused on making toothpaste healthier and more sustainable. You bite down on a cube, then brush with a wet toothbrush. Foamy(泡沫) toothpaste goodness occurs. The pills come in a recyclable glass jar and all the mail packaging is recyclable as well.

1. Why do people feel normal when they see the toothpaste tube in a cardboard box?

A．The toothpaste brings benefits.

B．The toothpaste is similar to shampoo.

C．The tube is what actually holds the toothbrush.

D．The cardboard box usually holds the toothpaste tube.

2. What can we learn about toothpaste boxes?

A．They look out of place.

B．They aren’t recyclable.

C．They are difficult to pack up.

D．They are useful in providing information.

3. What does the author suggest readers do in the last paragraph?

A．Make toothpaste yourself.

B．Throw your toothpaste.

C．Ask Bite for better advice.

D．Buy some pills in place of toothpaste.

4. Where is this text most likely from?

A．A personal diary.	B．A public guidebook.
C．An online report.	D．A fashion magazine.

9 . Scientists have created an "artificial leaf" to fight climate change by inexpensively changing harmful carbon dioxide into a useful alternative fuel. The new technology was inspired by the way plants use energy from sunlight to turn carbon dioxide into food.

Scientists call it an artificial leaf because it mimics real leaves and the process of photosynthesis(光合作用). A leaf produces glucose(葡萄糖) and oxygen. Scientists use an artificial leaf to produce methanol(甲醇) and oxygen. Making methanol from carbon dioxide, the primary contributor to global warming, would both reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide a substitute for the fossil fuels.

The key to the process is a cheap, fully used red powder called cuprous oxide. Engineered to have as many eight-sided particles as possible, the powder is created by a chemical reaction when four substances are added to water that has been heated to a particular temperature. The powder then serves as the catalyst(催化剂), or trigger, for another chemical reaction when it is mixed with water into which carbon dioxide is blown and a beam of white light is directed with a solar simulator(模拟器). "This is the chemical reaction that we discovered," said Wu, a professor of mechanical and mechatronics engineering, has worked on the project since 2015. He added, " Nobody has done this before." The reaction produces oxygen, as                                        in photosynthesis, while also changing carbon dioxide in the water-powder solution into methanol. The methanol is collected as it evaporates when the solution is heated.

Next steps in the research include increasing the methanol yield and commercializing the patented process to convert carbon dioxide collected from major greenhouse gas sources such as power plants, vehicles and oil drilling. "I'm extremely excited about the potential of this discovery to change the game," said Wu, "Climate change is an urgent problem and we can help reduce CO₂ emissions while also creating an alternative fuel."

1. What is the function of an artificial leaf?

A．Turning carbon dioxide into a solid fuel.	B．Changing a chemical reaction into food.
C．Producing much glucose and oxygen.	D．Making methanol and oxygen cheaply.

2. What do we know about cuprous oxide?

A．It's a powder containing four substances.

B．It should be directed with a solar simulator.

C．It's a key substance to cause another chemical reaction.

D．It's used to collect methanol from a chemical reaction.

3. What is professor Wu's attitude toward the prospect of' Artificial Leaf?

A．Optimistic.

B．Wait- and- see.

C．Skeptical.

D．Negative.

4. What is this text?

A．A short story of an artificial leaf.	B．An advertisement for a famous company.
C．A report in a science journal.	D．An introduction to a science fiction.

10 . MEXICO CITY, April 1（Xinhua）——Discoveries at the legendary Sanxingdui ruins in southwest China show that the region’s ancient Shu state civilization shared similarities with the Maya, according to the director of the Chichen Itza archaeological site, Marco Antonio Santos.

The Sanxingdui ruins, located in the city of Guanghan, about 60 kilometers from Chengdu, belonged to the Shu Kingdom that existed at least 4,800 years ago and lasted more than 2,000 years. China announced on March 20 that archaeologists uncovered gold, ivory and jade objects dating back about 3,000 years in six sacrificial pits.

Santos told Xinhua that the bronze-made remains of trees buried at the ruins of the Shu Kingdom recall the Maya’s sacred ceiba tree, which symbolized the union of heaven, earth and the underworld for the civilization that flourished in Mesoamerica. “They are very important similarities.” said Santos, stressing that “the representations of trees in both cultures provide us with a symbolism that is very similar”.

“One notable feature of the recent discoveries at Sanxingdui was the interdisciplinary（跨学科的）work and technology applied by teams of Chinese archaeologists.” said Santos. “The technology allowed the unearthing of artifacts as fragile as silk remains, which other types of less careful excavation methods would not have been able to manage.” he said. “Cooperation between Chinese and Mexican archaeologists could benefit projects in the Maya world, where the rainy climate and humidity are problematic for the conservation of objects.” said Santos.

“Every time our cultural knowledge increases, regardless of whether we speak one language or another, what it shows us is that we continue to be sister cultures, and, therefore, the exchange of such knowledge is fundamental.” said Santos.

1. What does the underlined word “excavation” in Paragraph 4 mean?

A．research

B．examination

C．digging

D．discovery

2. Which of the following is true according to Santos?

A．The sacred ceiba tree is also found at the ruins of the Shu Kingdom.

B．The recent discoveries at Sanxingdui featured interdisciplinary work and technology.

C．Only the unearthing of silk remains needs to be managed with more careful methods.

D．The language barrier is an issue that affects the cooperation between China and Mexico.

3. What is the passage mainly about?

A．China and Mexico continue to exchange cultural knowledge.

B．The discovery of the Sanxingdui ruins in south west China shocks the world.

C．Cooperation between Chinese and Mexican archaeologists benefits projects in both countries.

D．The discovery of the Sanxingdui ruins shows similarities between ancient Shu state and the Maya.

4. Where is this text most likely from?

A．A newspaper.

B．A historical novel.

C．A research review.

D．A guidebook.