1 . It is the stock response to a parent struggling with a crying baby or a bad-tempered teenager: “Treasure every moment because they grow up so fast.” Now researchers have found there may be something in the old saying. Watching children grow up really does seem to make time fly. Scientists have found that parents feel time passing more quickly than non-parents.
The findings could be due to the fact that children change fast. “Over ten years, children go through dramatic changes not only in their physical appearance, but also in their understanding abilities and their status, ” the researchers said. The results could also be a consequence of parents spending a large amount of their time on their children, they said, even though they found no difference in the time pressures recorded by parents compared with non-parents in the study.
For the study, published in the journal Timing & Time Perception (感知), the researchers asked 431 people aged from 20 to 59 to fill in a subjective time questionnaire, a tool used by psychologists to measure time perception. They were asked: “How fast did the last ten years pass for you?” An answer of very slowly gave a score of-2; slowly was-I; neither fast nor slow was 0; fast was I and very fast scored 2. So the higher the score, the faster they felt time had passed. The parents had an average score of I. 22, compared with 0. 76 for the non-parents.
Participants were also asked how quickly the last year, month and week had passed, but there were no differences between the groups for these shorter intervals (间隔). Previous studies have suggested that time also seems to speed up when we get older. Research published in 2019 by Duke University in North Carolina suggests this could be due to physical changes in our bodies, with a slowdown in image processing speeding up our perception of time passing.
Days that seemed to last forever in our youth were “not due to experiences being much deeper or meaningful”, the researcher Adrian Bejan said, “but due to the fact that they were being processed rapidly.”
1. What probably makes parents feel time passing more quickly than non-parents?| A．The pressure of raising children. | B．Devoting much time to children. |
| C．The slowdown in image processing. | D．Noticing children’s daily physical growth. |
| A．Time seems to speed up for the young. |
| B．Parents responded differently to the old saying. |
| C．Non-parents have deeper experiences. |
| D．The older people are, the higher scores they may get. |
| A．Experiences. | B．Researchers. | C．Days. | D．Youths. |
| A．The perception of time passing. |
| B．Teenagers experience dramatic changes. |
| C．Time really flies when you are having children. |
| D．Comparison between parents and non-parents. |
2 . I have always believed this to be true: people we meet will have a role in our life, whether it's big or small. Some will help us grow, some will hurt us, and some will inspire us to do better. We don't meet people by accident; they' re to cross our path for a reason. We may not realize it at the time of our coming together, but I always do at some point in the future and find I've learnt a lot from them.
I come to know the best teachers are those who don't tell you how to pet there but show the way. For them there is no better joy than helping you see a bright future, and seeing you go to levels higher than you would ever have imagined on your own. But that doesn't mean they'll try to fix you or enable you; instead, they guide you to the source of your own power. They believe in you and offer you support.
I also learn the importance of never looking down on (瞧不起) someone unless you are helping them up. We like to think of life as a meritocracy (英才管理), so it's easy to look down on someone who isn't as successful or well educated as you are But you've no idea how far he has gone to be here he is now. Be sure we treat everyone with dignity (尊严), for they're worthy to be treated the way you want to be treated.
People we meet are like passengers who get on and off the car of our life journey. As they are there to share a certain part of our life, why not take advantage of the chances and learn from them when dealing with them? That way, life is sure to get better.
1. What would the best teachers like to see most?| A．You share your joy with them. | B．You believe in their support. |
| C．You develop your ability to the full. | D．You show them the way to power. |
| A．The writer understands why he meets someone at first. |
| B．Only those who help us make a difference to our life. |
| C．We should treat people with dignity for their success. |
| D．Those who work hard in life should be respected. |
| A．We Don't Meet People by Accident | B．We Need Help And Support in Life |
| C．What Role Learning Plays in Our Life | D．What the Best Teachers Are Like |
3 . A few years ago, my father arranged to send me a mail- order fruitcake at Christmastime. Although I had a good job and owned an apartment in Manhattan, he feared my cupboards and refrigerator might be bare. I had recently moved from California, where my parents still lived in their suburban bungalow of 50 years, the house I grew up in.
He wanted me to have a particular brand of fruitcake. "It reminds me of my mother's," he told me in a phone call. Ordering the fruitcake was his way of trying to take care of me from afar. "It should arrive the first week of December," he said. "As soon as you get it, let me know what you think." The first week of December passed with no sign of his fruitcake. Delayed by holiday mail, I assumed, or a backlog of orders.
The day before my flight to California, the fruitcake still had not arrived. When I arrived at my parents' house, he said, "Did you get the fruitcake?" "No, but I'm sure it'll be there when I go home."
As soon as the word left my lips, I realized that home, for them, was a kind of triggering（触发）word. Because wasn't this home? Wasn't I home now, with my parents greeting me, asking whether I was hungry after the long flight?
January, February, and March came and went with no fruitcake. Though my father continued to ask about it, I never once considered lying and telling him yes, the fruitcake had finally arrived and was delicious. Instead I said, "That cake is traveling earth, and sooner or later it will land."
"That's a good one!" he said,
His sense of humor never wavered, and as time went on he would bring up the journey of his fruitcake now and then.
"I wonder where it is now," he'd say.
"It's taken a detour（绕道）to Pluto（冥王星）."
He liked that one too.
"Do you want me to order another, in case it never comes?"
"That's OK. Dad. I said. "I'll wait for this one. It'll taste even better after touring the universe."
Early last December, nearly a year after my father died from a failing heart, I got a call from a staffer at the front desk of my apartment building.
"You have a package," he said.
1. Why did the author's father purchase a fruitcake for her a few years ago?| A．Because her father missed his own mother so much. |
| B．Because her father was concerned about her very much. |
| C．Because her father knew she was too busy to buy one herself. |
| D．Because her father wanted to share a particular brand of fruitcake with her. |
| A．Regretful. | B．Shocked. |
| C．Unbelievable. | D．Heartbroken. |
| A．It was touring the universe. |
| B．It failed to reach the author. |
| C．It arrived after the author's father died. |
| D．It was sent to her before she left for California. |
| A．A Late Call. | B．Dad's Package. |
| C．Adventure of a Gift. | D．Grandma's Fruitcake. |
4 . A wildfire is a fire that burns strongly and out of control in the wild. Wildfires are becoming even more powerful and harmful over time. That is in part because of climate change. Hotter temperatures and drier forests are helping to cause wildfires. The fires start from natural causes, like lightning. Humans can start fires with cigarettes or campfires, accidentally.
Sometimes, people can set fires on purpose. This is to help an ecosystem and those that live there. For thousands of years, humans have set fires on purpose. Fire does put living things in danger, but this happens naturally, Over time, ecosystems have adapted to the benefits from regular fires, because fires clear out dead material. Some plant and animal populations actually need fire to survive and reproduce. The fires help encourage healthy ecosystems. Of course, these are controlled burns. Modern fire experts now know how to set controlled burns that are well planned and safe.
Why is fire necessary? As dead or decaying(腐朽的) plants begin to build up on the ground, they may prevent organisms in the soil from getting nutrients(养分).They may keep animals on the land from getting to the soil. This coating of dead matter can also choke the growth of smaller or new plants.
Fire removes that layer of decay. The soil gets nutrients from the burned material faster than if it had slowly over time. This allows healthy parts of the ecosystem to grow stronger and stronger.
Some plants actually need fire to continue their life cycles. Seeds from some pine trees grow in pine cones that are covered in a thick sap(汁液). The seeds release from the pine cones when fire melts the sap. Fires allow more seeds to get to the soil and grow. The healthier plant populations after a fire can help animals, too Animals that live in nine trees benefit from more growing trees. Plant growth provides the food sources of animals.
Humans should prevent most uncontrolled damaging wildfires. But trying to prevent all fires might make matters worse. Understanding the benefits of fire is the only way to truly keep our ecosystem safe from its dangers.
1. What is the main idea of the first paragraph?| A．The causes of wildfires. | B．The effects of wildfires. |
| C．The functions of wildfires. | D．The characteristics of wildfires. |
| A．To scare dangerous animals away. | B．To encourage healthy ecosystem. |
| C．To offer nutrients to the animals. | D．To control plant and animal populations. |
| A．Humans should prevent all wildfires. |
| B．Plant growth cuts down the food sources of animals. |
| C．Humans are permitted to set forests on fire anytime by law. |
| D．Without fires, it would be difficult for seeds in pine cones to release. |
| A．The Balance of Nature | B．How to Prevent Forest Fires |
| C．How to Protect Our Ecosystem | D．The Ecological Benefits of Fire |
5 . When Simon Cane was in the second grade, he began learning about all the ways humans have an impact on the environment and really took those classroom lessons to heart in a way that set him apart from his schoolmates at his elementary school, P. S. 81, in the Bronx. “He told me we drove too much and made too much pollution,” his dad, Jonathan Cane, told Runner’s World. So Simon convinced his parents to start hanging their clothes to dry, taking the stairs instead of elevators, and other “green” measures.
“For much of kindergarten and first grade I rode my bike to Simon’s school with him on the back,” Jonathan said. “We had a lot of fun being outdoors. We’d stop to give our dog treats and generally enjoyed it.” As Simon got bigger, though, it wasn’t practical for him to ride on his father’s back, but it also didn’t make sense to ride together — both because of safety concerns and because there was no place to put away Simon’s bike. So, most of the time they drove the 1. 5 miles to school.
But in 2019, when Simon was going into third grade, the 8-year-old came up with a new way to help the planet: running the 1. 5 miles to P. S. 81. And Jonathan promised his son he’d join him for as long as he wanted.
“We did a test run one day in August, and decided to give it a go. To be honest, I thought he’d blink (眨眼)after it got really cold or rainy, but he never did,” Jonathan said. He recalled one day when the weather was particularly bad. “It’s really raining out there today,” he told Simon. “And Simon said, ‘Well then we’re going to get wet!’ He took pride in toughing it out, and it became a really fun family routine.”
Since the start, Simon has run with his dad and their black dog, Lola, and has even inspired his mom, Nicole Sin Quee, to join in. They soon became known as “the family that runs to school”.
1. What makes Simon different from his classmates?| A．Washing his clothes by himself. | B．Taking many classes after school. |
| C．Raising strange questions in class. | D．Taking green measures to protect the environment. |
| A．By car. | B．By cycling. | C．By running. | D．By school bus. |
| A．Simon has trouble with his eyesight. | B．Simon is really stubborn and inflexible. |
| C．Simon is much tougher than expected. | D．Simon didn’t get support from his father. |
| A．The Best Way to Go to School |
| B．Father and Son Run for the Environment |
| C．A Teenager Keeps Running to Inspire Father |
| D．Three Inspiring Running Athletes to Protect the Environment |
6 . It was an amazing feeling to be acknowledged for the Pride Of Britain award at No 10 Downing Street.
The last thing you expect when doing something as ordinary as picking your son up from a sleepover is to end up saving three people’s lives in a plane crash—but that’s exactly what happened to me in May this year.
I think I was acting unconsciously. I jumped out, leaving Giacomo in the car.
The plane was upside down and flames were coming out of the driver’s seat and I could hear screaming. I think there must have been roughly half a minute between getting the first and last person out. Then another guy—who turned out to be Joel Snarr—arrived on the scene to help at just the right time. I don’t think I’d have been able to get the pilot out—he was a big guy. There is no way he would have survived if Joel hadn’t been there. I could tell straight away Joel had a military background by how he conducted himself. We’d just got all three of them to a safe distance when the aircraft was completely swallowed by the flames.
Giacomo and I stared at each other, almost laughing in relief.
The emergency services arrived pretty quickly, and we were at the scene for a couple of hours while they dealt with the fire and cleared the roads. Afterwards I spoke to the family,and that was the first time the emotion of the whole thing hit me.I kept randomly bursting into tears.
Thankfully, Stuart Moore, the pilot, and his nephew and niece Jack Moore, 19, and Billie Manley, 16, have all since made a full recovery. Jack and Billie were suffering a lot more than I was. Although they were safe, the memory of being inside that burning plane would have been more of an emotional scar.
1. What do we know about the author?| A．He prided himself on being helpful. |
| B．He regretted having saved the family. |
| C．He was overcome by fear and despair then. |
| D．He was well equipped with first-aid knowledge. |
| A．Joel Snarr’s character. | B．The importance of teamwork. |
| C．The rescue process. | D．An investigation of the air crash. |
| A．It was a narrow escape. |
| B．They both appreciated Joel’s help. |
| C．They both survived the crashing plane. |
| D．The emergency services arrived in time. |
| A．An Unforgettable Award. | B．A Crashing Plane. |
| C．A Thrilling Rescue. | D．An Exciting Experience. |
7 . At a comedy night at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland, members of the school's comedy(喜剧) club bring lots of laughter to their classmates with funny speeches and humorous body movements. These college student comedian’s humour entertains busy, young people and eases their stress.
Yet the club member Ariella Shua says comedy is serious work. Every comedy starts as an individual project-- each member writes their own material. Then they try it out in weekly club meetings where all club members read the material, going joke by joke and seeing what works and what doesnt. Nothing unsatisfactory will be compromised(妥协). In this way comes a satisfying comedy.
Ariella joined the club last year. Now she does not go anywhere without bringing something on which she can take notes. ''Whenever I just have a thought in my head or when I see something or overhear someone saying something in the library, I just put it down, '' Ariella explained. ''when I'm trying to write my own set, I go through that…to see if there is anything in there that I can use. ''
Club president Nicholas Scandura finds writing one of the many skills he has developed since joining the club. ''Writing jokes takes a lot of critical thinking.'' he said. The club gives its members a sense of community. When they meet, they share funny experiences. tell jokes and laugh.
Harry Kuperstein discovered the club was a natural fit. Noticing the funny qualities of different situations improved his way of looking at the world. Becoming an active member also helped him work on the future skills he'll need as a medical doctor. ''Having jokes ready to go might help smooth these interactions and make you a better public speaker, '' he said.
1. What can a successful comedy be described as?| A．A group effort | B．A personal project |
| C．A satisfying task | D．A compromised result |
| A．Creating her own style. |
| B．Going to the library regularly |
| C．Taking notes in class |
| D．Becoming a good observer |
| A．By easing his stress of being a doctor |
| B．By preparing the ground for his career. |
| C．By changing his way of communication |
| D．By developing his interest in public speaking |
| A．Laughter Is Serious Work |
| B．Humor Is an Edge in Jobs |
| C．Comedy Comes with Learning |
| D．Clubs Influence One's World View |
8 . At the age of seven I started taking violin lessons. I practiced half an hour every day, went to lessons once a week, and occasionally played in a group concert. Like most kids, I always thought practicing was boring. If my parents hadn't been there to make me practice, I probably would have put down my violin and never have picked it up again.
I met Moira when I was 11 at an Irish music party. Moira hosted the party that night, playing the violin, singing and dancing. She made sure that everyone in the room got involved and had a great time. I immediately fell in love with the music she played and the energy that she brought to it. Just a few days after that party, I took my first lesson with Moira, and I continued taking lessons with Moira throughout middle school.
When I started playing the violin with Moira, playing music became something that I loved. She introduced me to so many types of music, from Irish to Old Time, to Cajun. Moira also taught me to play the guitar. Soon we started performing together and were shocked to discover that people actually wanted to hear us! When I began to play the violin, practicing was something that I did at home in my living room, but with Moira's influence it quickly became something that I did everywhere. I played on street corners, at festivals, at the beach, at parties, at weddings, and late at night in my friends' kitchens.
Moira took the music out of the classroom and brought it to life. Her passion (激情) was not only for playing music, but also for sharing it. My time with Moira allowed me to grow both musically and personally. I have met so many special people and had so many invaluable experiences. Moira has proven to be the most important influence in my musical development, and also my invaluable friend.
1. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?| A．The writer had her violin lessons every day. |
| B．The writer disliked the kids who hated the violin. |
| C．The writer usually played music in school concerts. |
| D．At first the writer was not active in learning the violin. |
| A．The writer was proud of Moira’s achievements in music. |
| B．The writer became a popular local actress. |
| C．The writer spent all her spare time playing the violin. |
| D．The writer had more selfconfidence in terms of performing. |
| A．Moira didn't like to play music in the classroom. |
| B．Moira helped the writer a lot with her personal life. |
| C．Moira had great influence on the writer's life. |
| D．Moira was very thankful for the writer's support. |
| A．My Way to Success. |
| B．My Invaluable Friend. |
| C．My Middle School Life. |
| D．How I Learned the Violin. |
9 . I'm not much of a gardener. I love having beautiful flowers-but I don't have a good track record when it comes to making them grow.
A few months after our son left for the Middle East, my friend gifted me a box of tulip bulbs (郁金香球茎). She explained that these bulbs were put into the ground in the fall and lay sleeping all winter. They had all the nutrients they needed inside the bulb and would come out in the spring. ''When you see the leaves of the tiny flowers pushing toward the sun, you'll know that it's almost time for your son to come home. They'll give you what you need most.'' She walked me through the process of planting them. I thanked her — trying to show my gratitude for her gift.
It was a long winter — cold and dark. I endured both the weather and the loneliness and fear I felt with my son away. Dead leaves, frost and finally a heavy snow covered the area where I'd planted those flowers, and I soon forgot they were there.
Finally the weather began to warm. One day, as I walked down my front steps, I noticed an area of green. I bent down to inspect the situation more clearly and saw that those tulips had begun to grow, their tiny leaves forcing their way to the sun.
Day after day I noted the flowers' progress. And day after day, the time approached when my son would finally be home. Now with spring just around the corner, nothing could keep either of us from marching toward the light. Almost all of those bulbs bloomed. And with each brightly colored flower, I marked off one day closer to getting to hold my son in my arms again.
1. What can we know about the author?| A．She is a professional gardener. |
| B．She is not good at growing flowers. |
| C．She never plants flowers at home. |
| D．She often sends friends flowers as gifts. |
| A．The bitter winter reminded her of her son far away. |
| B．She was discouraged from making another attempt. |
| C．They failed to live through the cold and long winter. |
| D．She had no hope for beautiful flowers indeed. |
| A．A physical representation of the hope. |
| B．Things deep inside her heart and soul. |
| C．A lesson she will never forget completely. |
| D．The trouble she had in making them come out. |
| A．A dark winter with hope. | B．Planting hope in winter. |
| C．An area of green in spring. | D．Living a changeable life. |
10 . Like most people, you have probably lost count of the number of perfect-looking shoes you have thrown away simply because the rubber soles (橡胶鞋底) are broken. In addition to the expense, it is also harmful to our environment. Now, thanks to a revolutionary self-healing 3-D printed rubber material, broken shoe soles may be a thing of the past.
The magical polymer (聚合物) is developed by the researchers at the University of Southern California’s (USC) and the University of Connecticut (UConn) . The team, led by USC Assistant Professor Qiming Wang, created it through a process called photopolymerization, which uses light to solidify the liquid used to create 3-D printed plastic. The researchers found that adding the right amount of oxidant (氧化剂) to the liquid allowed the 3-D polymer to heal (愈合) without slowing down the hardening process.
“When we gradually increase the oxidant, the self - healing behavior becomes stronger, but the photopolymerization behavior becomes weaker,” explained Wang. “There is competition between these two behaviors.”
The team, who published the findings in the journal NPG Asia Materials on February 1st,2019, state that the repair time can be reduced by increasing the room temperature. “If you just put a broken shoe on a bench at room temperature, the rubber will heal itself in six to eight hours,” Wang said. “If you apply heat at maybe 60℃, that expedites the healing process to about two hours.”
Given the material s huge potential, it is not surprising to hear that Wang and his team have been approached by several shoe-making companies eager to be the first to use the technology, which is still in the early stages. Once perfected, the scientists also hope to apply the technique to hard plastics that can be used to create self-healing toys, electronics, vehicle parts, and, if Wang has his way, even tires.
1. How do the researchers make 3-D printed plastic self- heal?| A．By changing the amount of light used. |
| B．By raising the temperature at which it is used. |
| C．By increasing the hardening speed of the liquid. |
| D．By adding the proper amount of oxidant to the liquid. |
| A．The creation of 3-D printed plastic doesn’t need light. |
| B．The surrounding temperature determines the speed of healing. |
| C．Many shoe making companies got the right to use the technology. |
| D．Throwing away broken shoe soles has been a thing of the past. |
| A．Strengthens. | B．Delays. | C．Accelerates. | D．Worsens. |
| A．Self - healing shoes may be in our future. |
| B．3-D printing technology makes a difference. |
| C．Self - healing technology will serve many fields. |
| D．A revolution of rubber soles has changed our life. |
