1 . Regardless of how famous they are, and despite the star treatment they receive, many celebrities make it a point to give back to charities. Some have even set up their own private foundations. Their widely publicised visits to troubled areas of the world help to raise awareness of issues such as famine and poverty. According to Jane Cooper of Unicef UK, celebrities have a unique ability to reach huge numbers of people, many of whom might not otherwise be engaged in charitable causes. She pointed out that famous faces had played a significant role in raising funds in recent years, and their energies had produced tangible results, such as enabling millions of children in poorer countries to attend school.

But in spite of these successes there is evidence to suggest that celebrity endorsement (代言) may be overrated. In a survey of members of the public to find out if celebrity involvement would encourage people to donate, researchers found that the impact was not as great as previously thought. When shown a list of well-known organisations and famous people who represent them, over half of respondents were unable to match the celebrity with the cause. What’s more, three quarters claimed that they didn’t respond to celebrity endorsement in any way. The survey also showed that a few names did stand out as being associated with particular charities. But the presence of a celebrity in a campaign, was not a significant factor when it came to a decision to donate time or money. Instead, the majority of people contribute because of personal connections in their lives and families which make a charity important to them.

In another study aimed at young people, most participants cited a compelling (无法抗拒的) mission as their main motivation to give. The second most important incentive was if a friend or peer recommended supporting a particular cause. Only two percent of respondents said they were motivated by celebrity endorsement. This seems to contradict the general assumption that teenagers are particularly influenced by famous people. One possible explanation is that there is a general fatigue (疲倦) with celebrity culture. There is also a suspicion that the stars are the one who benefit most when they offer to do charity work. Some critics have accused that celebrities might actually take attention away from issues by attracting more attention than the causes they represent.

So taking all these issues into account, is it time for charities to rethink their campaign strategies and look for alternative ways to reach new audiences? Whichever point of view you favour, there seems to be opportunities for more research into how charity campaigns might develop relationships with celebrities to maximise their potential. This in turn will open up more engagement, and better targeted campaigns-which can only benefit those who really matter — the people and animals that are in need of assistance.

1. What does the underlined word “tangible” in paragraph I probably mean?

A．Definite.

B．Complicated.

C．Limited.

D．Temporary.

2. According to the passage, most people contribute to charities because ________.

A．they gain benefit from the charities

B．they are forced to finish a necessary task

C．they believe in the famous people they like

D．they are inspired by the people around them

3. The third paragraph is mainly about ________.

A．what celebrities achieve in doing charities

B．How young people react to celebrity culture

C．why young people are hardly influenced by celebrities

D．who is to blame for taking attention away from charities

4. What is the author's attitude towards celebrity doing charities?

A．Objective.	B．Positive.
C．Negative.	D．Unclear.

2 . A Bridge Linking Art and the Audience

According to a 2018 report, people aged between 16 and 24 make up about 15 percent of the population but only 10 percent of museum-goers. Similarly, people aged over 35 go half as much as you would expect from their population size. We have reached the point of recognising the disconnection between art and the audience but haven’t yet determined how to bridge the gap. Two answers to tackling this challenge lie in telling a greater diversity of art histories and communicating these stories in more accessible ways.

In 2018, a radio program called Art Matters was started with the aim of discussing art from a pop-culture viewpoint with topics that would engage younger and more diverse audience. It offers an accessible pathway to art history with conversations on different topics. Art history is about storytelling; art content shines when there is an effort to bring audience along for the discussion.

More traditional institutions are paying attention. Recently the Getty Museum issued a social-media challenge for people to recreate paintings using items they had at home. Users displayed incredible creativity, and the museum was flooded with submissions. This reaction proves that there is a potential desire for the audience to engage with art topics if the format is appealing. Since many people feel intimidated and think that there’s a base level of understanding required to join the conversation, the Getty initiative serves as a reminder that there are many pathways to engaging with it.

Another result of the Getty challenge was the exposure given to a diversity of artworks. The famous opera singer Peter Brathwaite, for example, made scores of attractive recreations highlighting centuries of black paintings. His efforts opposed the idea that there were not many historical paintings of black figures. It is extremely important that we do a better job of showing the complex and diverse stories that are represented in art.

Social media have offered a platform for people who have not traditionally had a seat at the table. Anyone can recognise a gap in the field and address it. Accounts have gathered tens of thousands of followers. They are the proof that there is hunger to hear these art histories, and these themes work brilliantly for museum programming.

But there is only so much that can be done without the museums and galleries changing meaningfully from within. We need to see a better balance of these stories represented in permanent collections. We also need a much wider diversity of people and interests represented on board. Ensuring that art-and writing and talking about art-is able to continue on the rising generation of storytellers, inside and outside of institutions, getting the funding and support they need to paint a brighter picture for the part.

1. What challenge is the author trying to tackle?

A．People doubt a great diversity of artworks.

B．Fewer and fewer young people go to museums.

C．Art appears too distant from common audience.

D．Adult audience has a different understanding of art.

2. What does the underlined word “intimidated” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Tired.

B．Worried.

C．Annoyed.

D．Surprised.

3. In the author’s opinion, the museums and galleries should ________.

A．make the art history stories accessible in a traditional way.

B．change meaningfully for activities like the Getty challenge.

C．limit the number of storytellers both in and out of institutions.

D．improve the permanent collections by adding famous artworks.

4. We can conclude from the passage that common audience ________.

A．lacks the channels to understand and talk about art history.

B．prefers to view artworks and hear art stories on social media.

C．feels satisfied with people and interests represented on board.

D．refuses to engage with diverse art topics and art history stories.

3 . Human activity is changing the surface and temperature of the planet. But new research shows it is also changing the sound of the Earth’s oceans and seas.

Scientists say the changes in the sounds of our oceans and seas affect many marine(海洋) animals—from very small fish to huge whales. Sound travels “very far underwater,” Francis Juanes told the reporter. Juanes is an ecologist at the University of Victoria and co-writer of the recent research published in a magazine. “For fish,” he explained, “sound is probably a better way to sense their environment than light.”

Sounds help fish and other marine animals survive. They use sounds to communicate with each other. Sounds also help some ocean animals find food and avoid their hunters. Many ocean animals use sounds to find good places to give birth. However, increased noise from humans is making it harder for these animals to hear each other. The noise comes from shipping traffic, underwater oil and gas exploration, offshore construction, and other noisy human activity.

“For many marine species, their attempts to communicate are being masked by sounds that humans have produced,” said Duarte. The marine ecologist at the Red Sea Research Center co-wrote the paper with Juanes. The Red Sea, Duarte said, is one of the world’s most important shipping passages. It is full of large ships traveling to Asia, Europe, and Africa. Some fish and other animals, he said, now avoid the noisiest areas. Also, the overall number of marine animals has gone down by about half since 1970. In some parts of the ocean, scientists now record “fewer animals singing and calling than in the past—those voices are gone,” said Duarte.

Juanes and Duarte examined studies and research articles about changes in noise volume(音量) and frequency in the world’s oceans. Then they put together a detailed picture of how the ocean soundscape is changing and how marine life is affected.

Climate change, the researchers found, also affects physical processes that shape ocean sounds. These include such things as wind, waves, and melting ice.

Some studies suggest that noise may cause hearing loss of marine animals. Besides, many marine animals are showing higher levels of stress due to noise, which might also affect the immune(免疫) system.

Scientist Juanes says sound pollution may be easier to deal with than other ocean threats. “In theory,” he said, “you can turn down or turn off the sound immediately. It’s not like plastics or climate change, which are much harder to undo.”

1. What can we learn from the passage?

A．Sound noise may result in hearing loss of human beings.

B．Sound pollution killed most of the marine animals in the Red Sea.

C．Sound noise can influence the communication of marine animals.

D．Sound is unlikely to be a better way to sense their environment than light.

2. What’s the meaning of the underlined word “passage” in Paragraph 4?

A．Channel.	B．Address.
C．Industry	D．Company.

3. In the following paragraph, the author probably tells us__________.

A．what is the main cause of climate change

B．what should be done to reduce sound pollution

C．how to record changes in noise volume and frequency

D．how to enhance the immune system of marine animals

4. Which is the best title for the passage?

A．The Future of Oceans Exploration

B．The Changes in the Sounds of Oceans

C．Sounds Help Marine Animals Survive

D．Humans are Making Oceans Too noisy

4 . A unique positioning technology POINTER is being developed to pinpoint firefighters inside buildings where other positioning technologies fail.

“Even with all of the advances made in firefighting technology, we still lose far too many firefighters each year,” said Greg Price who leads S&T’s first responder research and development programs. “We want them to know that we have their backs, that we are working to give them the tools they need to ensure their own safety. POINTER is one of those life-saving solutions.”

Unlike positioning technologies such as GPS or radio-frequency identification, POINTER doesn’t use radio waves. Though radio waves offer a reliable means to determine your location in a relatively open space, they can become unpredictable if you go indoors or find yourself surrounded by high buildings. This may be minor annoyance when trying to find the location of an appointment, but it could be a life-or-death situation when trying to locate firefighters in a burning building.

The POINTER system is composed of three parts: a receiver, transmitter, and base station. The firefighter wears the receiver, which is currently the size of a cellphone but expected to become much smaller after further development. A transmitter that can be attached to emergency vehicles outside the building generates the MOS fields, which travel through the building, pinging any receivers located inside over range of about 230 feet (70 meters) in the current version of the system. This range can be extended but isn’t needed in most fire-service applications. The receivers detect the fields determine their 3D location, and then send that data back outside the building to a laptop (the base station). Visualization software shows where the firefighters are in 3D space within an accuracy of a few inches. Not only can POINTER help firefighting teams locate team members through walls, MOS fields can also determine the orientation of the receiver.

“This is a very exciting technology that adds another dimension to firefighters’ situational awareness,” said JPL’s Ed Chow, the POINTER program manager, “Firefighters can be tracked in real time and, if they become unresponsive, their team members can see if they are trapped under debris or if they are injured so a rescue can be mounted.”

The POINTER team is now planning to carry out a live webcast of a technical demonstration inside a two-level single-family home in Pasadena, California, near the campus of Caltech, which manages JPL for NASA. Further field tests in a variety of firefighting scenarios are being planned through 2021, and a commercial version of POINTER will be made available to fire departments in 2022.

1. Why does the author quote what Greg Price said?

A．To emphasize the necessity and importance of developing POINTER.

B．To introduce the advances made in firefighting positioning technology.

C．To compare the advantages and disadvantages of POINTER and GPS.

D．To demonstrate the reliability of POINTER to locate firefighters inside buildings.

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

A．Sending messages to.	B．Adding dimension to.
C．Protecting the safety of.	D．Shutting the connection with.

3. Paragraph 4 is mainly talking about ________.

A．how POINTER is tested	B．what POINTER is
C．why POINTER is developed	D．how POINTER works

4. What can be inferred about POINTER from the passage?

A．It may be only a dream.	B．It will serve NASA only.
C．It will come into use soon.	D．It may have passed field tests.

5 . Improve Cloud Security

Sensitive customer data has constantly been found exposed on cloud servers without password protection. To ease the problem, database software makers have been trying to make security easier for cloud database managers. At the Enigma Conference in San Francisco, Kenn White, a security manager at database software maker MongoDB, will describe a new technique, called field level encryption, to make data safer on the cloud.

Field level encryption works by scrambling data before it’s sent to a cloud database and rearranging it in order when the data is needed for use. The promise of the product is to protect the contents of a cloud database, even if bad guys access it.

MongoDB’s new feature comes as more and more companies move user data to cloud servers, rather than run their own costly data centers. It was predicted that cloud computing would be a $214 billion industry by the end of 2019. That would be up more than 17% from 2018, when it was $182 billion.

Companies have rushed to the cloud without understanding all of the possible security consequences. Many companies have left countless databases exposed, revealing personal data. A database containing details about who lives in 80 million US households was left unprotected in 2019, just like the data on Facebook users.

Database managers want to store their data in an unreadable form, but they also want to be able to find specific pieces of information in the database with a simple search term. For example, someone might want to look up health care patients by their Social Security numbers, even if those numbers are stored as random characters. To make this possible, field level encryption lets database managers encrypt a search term on their machine and send it to the database as a query. The database matches the encrypted version of the search term with the record it’s storing and then sends it back to you.

This approach only works with specific kinds of data. For example, field level encryption isn’t useful for long text entries, like notes in a patient’s medical chart, because you can’t search for individual words.

Still, for data like account numbers, passwords and government ID numbers, field level encryption protects data and maintains a usable database.

Most importantly, White said, it’s simple to set up. Database managers turn it on with a one-time configuration change when they set up the database. “That’s really powerful,” he said in an interview.

1. The underlined word “scrambling” in paragraph 2 probably means________.

A．mixing

B．collecting

C．hiding

D．storing

2. What can field level encryption do?

A．Secure the safety of Internet pages.	B．Protect files with a unique style of storage.
C．Stop bad guys from accessing the database.	D．Enable companies to store files on the cloud.

3. What can be inferred from the passage?

A．Companies should move user data to cloud servers.

B．Cloud computing achieved a 17% increase in 2019.

C．Companies may be unaware of the risks of the cloud.

D．No companies were willing to run their own data centers.

4. The author wrote the passage mainly to ________.

A．present some facts	B．offer security advice
C．introduce a technique	D．recommend a product

6 . According to statistics published by the BPI (Buying Power Index) a couple of months ago, digital streaming (流媒体) now accounts for 80 percent of the music consumption in the UK. Despite the incredible growth of online streaming platforms like iTunes, Apple Music and Tidal over the past 15 years, a more traditional medium has also seen a return of interest and sales in the music industry. In 2020, almost one in five of all albums purchased in the UK is vinyl (黑胶唱片), and it has once again become the most popular physical musical medium.

With digital streaming so easy and convenient, why are so many people drawn to traditional records? Some experts claim that vinyl is a physical medium for experiencing music, something tangible (有形的) to hold and own. For most people, having something tangible and interacting with it gives depth to the experience of music. Listening to an album and touching it the way the artist intended can make them feel more connected to the music and the artist. Records are physical products that can be not only displayed but also gifted, shared, traded and passed down through generations.

Sound quality is another hot topic. A lot of music lovers feel that the analogue sound (模拟声音) vinyl offers is superior to modern digital audio, particularly with regards to the compressed formats streaming platforms use. There’s a common belief that old-school analogue audio has a warmer, fuller sound than digitised music. For vinyl followers, the very defect traditional recorders often have, such as the familiar crackle (劈啪作响) when the record starts, bring the music to life in a different way.

There’s a ritualistic aspect to vinyl that a lot of people are drawn to, too. The act of putting a record on—carefully removing the record from the sleeve, placing it on the record player and gently dropping the needle on the right groove (凹槽)—is a more assiduous (一丝不苟的), mindful way of engaging with music. When you’re listening to vinyl, you can’t tap a button and go about your day while the streaming service provides hours of music. You need to stay close to the record player to move the needle and flip the record over.

It’s clear that the vinyl interest is well underway, and vinyl records are truly making a comeback. In an increasingly digital society, there’s something to be said for analogue experiences. Perhaps one of the great things about being alive in the 21st century is our ability to have the best of both worlds—the timeless appeal of physical records alongside the easy access to vast music libraries that streaming offers.

1. What are the statistics published by the BPI used to show?

A．An increase in music consumption.

B．The recovery of music industry.

C．A comeback of a physical medium.

D．The acceptance of online streaming.

2. According to some experts, why does vinyl interest many people?

A．It attracts people by its realistic feel.

B．It offers simple access to different music.

C．It shares a new way to enjoy music.

D．It provides people with perfect sound effect.

3. The underlined word “ritualistic” in Para.4 means something ______.

A．Overlooked by society.

B．Updated very frequently.

C．Performed as part of a ceremony.

D．Kept for a long time without changing.

4. How does the writer feel about the future development of music medium?

A．Traditional records will get underway.

B．The analogue experiences may matter more.

C．Vinyl sales will boom with technological advance.

D．There should be a good mix of old and new.

7 . For today’s increasingly interconnected food supply chains, “efficient” is what it’s supposed to be: Each country specializes in what it’s best, at and puts it on the global market. Producers and processors within countries specialize, too, as a way to minimize costs. As a result, at least in theory, prices stay low, the world gets fed and everyone wins.

However, the coronavirus crisis demonstrates what is wrong with this approach. When barriers prevent food from reaching its markets, or demand suddenly drops — both of which are happening now — the system falls apart.

Specialization of the food system makes it hard to shift into different markets when disruptions arise. Belgium, a leading exporter of potatoes, lost sales not only to local restaurants but also to other countries because of lockdowns（封锁）. At least the Belgians can try to eat the potatoes at home. That strategy won't work for every crop: Ghana, the world’s top cocoa exporter, lost markets when people stalled focusing on buying essential items instead of chocolate.

The loss in export income in Africa more generally could have a huge impact if the pandemic continues, as many countries there rely heavily on imported wheat and rice. The prices of these grains have soared not only because of rising demand for these grains during the crisis, but also because a few countries — including Russia and Vietnam — imposed export restrictions out of fear that sending food abroad would lead to higher prices at home.

Concentrated markets dominated by just a handful of companies heighten food system fragility. For example, just three meatpacking plants process over 95 percent of Canada’s beef and nearly all of its beef exports. Now, those meat processing plants have had to temporarily shut down because of outbreaks of COVID-19 among workers.

Seeing the spoiled products across the world should force all of us to rethink our “efficient” food supplies. We need to rejuvenate（使恢复活力）local and regional food systems to reduce the vulnerabilities that come with being too reliant on imported and corporate-dominated foods. This doesn’t mean cutting off all trade or abolishing all packaged foods, but it does mean building diversity, and increasing opportunities for small and medium-scale enterprises to flourish in shorter, more sustainable food supply chains that are closer to home.

One place to start is for governments to shift their support from the large-scale, specialized and export-oriented food system to building infrastructure for more diverse local food systems. Around the world, small-scale and organic producers have been overwhelmed with the surge in interest from customers who want to buy directly from farmers during the crisis. But these producers often lack the infrastructure to meet that demand. As governments around the world pass stimulus packages to address the crisis, building more diverse and localized food systems should be an obvious inclusion.

1. In theory, specialization of the food system ________.

A．adapts to changes efficiently	B．balances supply and demand
C．focuses on essential items	D．reduces costs of production

2. The underlined word “fragility” in Paragraph 5 means ________.

A．weakness	B．diversity
C．unfairness	D．complexity

3. What can we learn from the passage?

A．A few countries restrict exports to stabilize local food prices.

B．Grain prices rise due to Africa’s dependence on importation.

C．Ghana might be less affected by lockdowns than Belgium was.

D．Packaged-food consumption should be encouraged to address the crisis.

4. The main purpose of this passage is to ________.

A．expose food security issues during the crisis

B．advocate establishing diverse local food systems

C．discuss the development of a sustainable economy

D．prove the importance of sound government policies

8 . That summer, I went to a small and rather remote village of Manitoba’s as a substitute for a sick teacher. It was a very poor village with a few humble wooden houses. There was nothing but the spruce around me. Could I leave a deep impression on the children in just a month? Is a month really worth the effort? I was really doubtful about these two questions.

Maybe the children had the same ideas, because I had never seen so depressing, sad, and even bitter facial expressions. I had little experience in teaching, and my age was like that of those children.

Most of them had thin eyes, dark skin, and shiny black hair, which indicated they were mixed blood children of French and Indian.

At nine o’ clock, the classroom was already as hot as a stove. I didn’t know where I should start. Then I called from a list of names, expecting the response. They stood up, and gave me the reply. However, when Yolanda was called, there was no response …Still no response …About 15 seconds later, a voice came from the back of the classroom with the buzzing of flies. “She’s dead. She died last night.”

The tone of the child’ s voice was astonishing but plain, and perhaps nothing could be more painful than to narrate in that tone. “Ah!” I cried out, not knowing what to say. The children and I looked at each other for a long time and we were silent. I understood that what I had seen from the children’s eyes and faces, which I had thought was the expression of indifference, turned out to be a great pain.

“Since Yolanda was your classmate, would you like to see her at four o’ clock after school?” There was a smile on the children’s serious little faces. It was a smile, though formal and sad.

After four o'clock, I saw that many children were waiting for me at the school gate. There were more than 20 children in total. Some of them walked in front to guide me. The others held me tightly, which almost made me unable to walk. Five or six younger children took my hand and gently led me forward, just like leading a blind guy. I unconsciously remembered those names, and they are still fresh in my memory, including Yolanda.

1. The author went to a small remote village to________.

A．have a summer trip

B．teach for a short time

C．have a good time with children

D．achieve more teaching experience

2. What does the underlined word “indifference” in Paragraph 5 probably mean?

A．Unconcern.

B．Dissatisfaction.

C．Disagreement.

D．Friendliness.

3. What can we infer from the story?

A．The children were unwilling to see Yolanda after school.

B．The children were upset about their mixed blood identity.

C．The author was moved by the love of the poor children.

D．The author was confident about his teaching at first.

9 . It is the season for taking the time to reflect on what we’re thankful for in life. Spending that time with friends and family to give thanks is what makes the holidays so special. But why should limit it to just a few weeks in the year? Gratitude（感恩）is a muscle we should strengthen year-round to make us healthier, happier humans and leaders.

Gratitude builds empathy. We often take for granted the simple things in life. Those who recognize the goodness in life, no matter how simple or automatic, are more likely to be sensitive to the needs of others and to help whenever they can. Being empathetic to others’ opinions, experiences and backgrounds will make you a better professional, no matter your career.

Through his research, Emmons, a leading researcher, found that grateful people reported feeling healthier, both mentally and physically. Specifically, those who were grateful were 25 percent happier than those who weren’t. In the workplace, well-being（健康快乐）is a crucial topic when it comes to preventing employee burn-out and promoting engagement. Beyond the research that shows that employees who are shown that they are appreciated are more productive by 50 percent, caring for your employees’ well-being is simply the right thing to do. Offering fitness classes or carrying out flexible work schedules are just a few things that, when paired with gratitude, can lead to more productive, engaged and happier working professionals.

Working in a developing, fast-paced industry, we are often surrounded by ambitious people who are always striving（奋斗）for more and better. Gratitude makes us more self-aware. It challenges us to reflect in the moment instead of always thinking about the future. It starts by paying attention to what’s going on in our life, and that true self-awareness is a key factor to being successful in our career.

Gratitude is a powerful tool for making relationships stronger, both at work and in our personal life. People who express their gratitude tend to be more willing to forgive others and therefore able to create relatively long-lasting connections.

During my month-long vacation, I made it a point to be reflective during the time I had without disturbances or deadlines. Part of that was making a mental list of the people, things and experiences I was grateful for in my life. I decided to reach out to my fifth-grade teacher and thank her for being positive instructor and a strong influence on my life.

The old saying goes “It’s never too late to say you’re sorry,” but the same is true of gratitude. Taking the time to thank people for their work, kindness or empathy-whether it was today, last month or many years ago-makes you happier, healthier and more self-aware. And that’s a gift worth celebrating 365 days a year.

1. What does the underlined word “empathy” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．The feeling of being sorry for others’ problems.

B．The desire to help people in difficult situations.

C．The ability to understand other people’s feelings.

D．The feeling of pleasure or satisfaction towards others.

2. What can be inferred from the passage?

A．People who have self-awareness can succeed without effort.

B．Grateful people will live a much longer life than ungrateful people.

C．Wise enterprises should raise the employees’ sense of well-being.

D．Gratitude can ensure the relationship between people is unbreakable.

3. Why does the author mention his own experience in Paragraph 6?

A．To encourage people to contact with teachers.

B．To show it’s never too late to express gratitude.

C．To order people to keep long-lasting connection.

D．To present that his teacher greatly influenced him.

4. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A．Being Grateful Year-Round.

B．The Season for Gratitude.

C．The Way to Show Thanks.

D．The Special Holiday of Gratitude.