1 . It is sometimes jokingly said that you may skip a meal a day without any adverse effect but skip using your WeChat for an hour and you will feel distinctly unwell. It is an acknowledgement of the fact that the app is no longer only a fun tool but an essential part of life for millions.
Launched in January 2011, this messaging, social media and mobile payment app today has more than 1 billion individual users. People use it for everything, from applying for a business license to booking a hospital appointment to keeping up with family and friends, shopping and paying bills—activities that are part and parcel of our everyday life.
When it was first introduced, WeChat was only an app supporting voice, video, picture and text messages between two persons or among a group. But today it has become ubiquitous.
In the past, people carried their wallet and keys with them wherever they went; today, a smart phone with WeChat installed is all they need in daily life. Its functions like Moments and mini programs and the official WeChat accounts of government agencies and companies have made communication and public services accessible and convenient like never before.
WeChat is also widely used by enterprises. Figures from Tencent show there are around 15 million WeChat official accounts, which enjoy 5 billion followers. Most businesses use their WeChat groups as a standard marketing kit. This has immensely reduced advertising, marketing and communication costs, and in the background of the novel coronavirus disease, made operations faster, contactless and safe.
However, there are concerns about the downsides of WeChat, such as addiction among primary school children. Equally serious is the misuse of WeChat for fraud or instigating crimes. However, it has to be kept in mind that these fallouts are not really the fault of WeChat, but due to the misuse of the app.
If we learn to temper our use of messaging apps with prudence and pragmatism, we could be looking forward to yet new conveniences and experience in this decade with the rapid development of 5G technology and artificial intelligence. Ultimately, the choice is ours, whether to use WeChat or any other new invention, wisely or wantonly.
1. We can conclude from the first paragraph that ___________.| A．we can easily skip a meal a day. |
| B．we will be ill by not using WeChat. |
| C．WeChat used to be meant for fun. |
| D．WeChat has become inseparable in daily life. |
| A．everywhere. | B．somewhere. | C．nowhere. | D．wherever. |
| A．WeChat has a mobile payment function. |
| B．The agencies provide better service through WeChat. |
| C．Mini programs are convenient for the agencies. |
| D．People do not have to carry keys and cash with them. |
| A．It has brought more followers. |
| B．It has become a standard. |
| C．It has helped to cut down the costs. |
| D．It has made the businesses healthier. |
| A．WeChat should be held responsibly. |
| B．WeChat should be banned among primary school children. |
| C．The improper use of the app leads to many problems. |
| D．The 5G technology will bring new conveniences and experience. |
2 . Plane wings are traditionally strong and thick but a team of researchers led by NASA has created a flexible wing that morphs (变形) as it flies. The new wing is constructed from thousands of units that fit together and function in a similar way to a bird’s wing, says NASA research engineer, Nick Cramer.
“Something like an eagle will lock its joints in while it’s cruising, and then it adjusts its wings to a more suitable shape for its cruising, and then when it wants to do a more aggressive move it’ll unlock its shoulder. That’s a similar response to what we’re doing here,” he said.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is constructed from body parts that are so large, so they require outsize molds (模具) to create them. The same applies to the Airbus A380. “The cost of infrastructure (基础设施) that the business needs to invest to build these planes is pretty extraordinary,” said Kenneth Cheung, a NASA research scientist. “So what we’re doing with these projects is trying to reduce all of that, so that you could have the same sort of performance in terms of the materials but be able to manufacture it without setting up all of the infrastructure that’s currently required.”
The new wings are created by putting fiber reinforced polyetherimide into a 3D mold to create each part, which locks together in a process that could eventually be carried out by assembly robots. The new structure can also be easily packed down to allow transport, which also makes it potentially the ideal package for another purpose — to send into space.
While the idea of cheaper, more flexible planes could be appealing to the commercial aviation industry, there are major obstacles to overcome. That demands time, research and money. “If you want to revolutionize the traditional manufacturing process of the aerospace industry, you have to have a really good reason,” Cramer said. “So your performance gain has to be significant enough to justify that. It’s not about whether it’s practicable; it’s about whether it’s financially marketable.”
1. Why does Cramer mention the eagle in Paragraph 2?| A．To praise its great hunting skills. |
| B．To explain why it adjusts itself while flying. |
| C．To give an example of how the new plane wing works. |
| D．To make a comparison between eagles and other birds. |
| A．The cost of making new wings. |
| B．The performance of traditional planes. |
| C．The performance of the new plane wings. |
| D．The cost of building infrastructure for traditional planes. |
| A．It may speed up planes. |
| B．It may be used in space. |
| C．It may reduce planes’ fuel consumption. |
| D．It may be applied in infrastructure construction. |
| A．It is financially marketable. |
| B．It performs badly during the tests. |
| C．It is more expensive than traditional plane wings. |
| D．It has a long way to go before being applied in planes. |
| A．A new flexible plane wing |
| B．How plane wings work |
| C．A great change in planes |
| D．Why planes cost a lot |
3 . Those days of sucking (吮吸) up the sides of your rapidly melting (融化) ice cream may soon be over. Researchers have discovered a natural protein that could be added to everyone’s favorite summertime snack to keep it solid for longer, according to a press release from the University of Edinburg in Scotland.
Most people know that, at its most basic, ice cream is made of milk and sugar. But it has other ingredients that give it a solid consistency (黏稠度) — a fat (often oil), air bubbles, and ice crystals. The protein that the researchers discovered, called BsIA, coats all three of them to slow down the rate at which the ice melts and the air escapes. In one study of the protein, published earlier this year, the researchers call BsIA a “raincoat” that can act as a film to keep everything inside it for just a little longer. That same quality prevents big pieces of ice crystals from forming, which can happen if you leave ice cream in the fridge for too long.
BsIA is found in bacteria called Bacillus subtilis that is common in soil, and is already present in some foods. So adding the protein to ice cream wouldn’t bring the same sorts of long-term health concerns as would artificial ingredients (人造添加剂). The researchers note that producers could also add BsIA to ice cream to reduce their fat and sugar content.
Though the researchers have published two papers about BsIA and have tested it in the lab, they are staying quiet on the most recent data they collected, as the Washington Post notes. Importantly, the researchers make no mention about how the new ingredient might affect ice cream’s taste or how much we might enjoy eating it. What’s the good of long-lasting ice cream if you don’t even like it? But it might not be too long before you can try it out for yourself; ice cream with BsIA might be available within three to five years.
1. According to the passage, what is BsIA?| A．A group of ice crystals. | B．A sort of natural protein. |
| C．A kind of man-made bacteria. | D．A type of artificial film. |
| A．Covers. | B．Produces. | C．Melts. | D．Changes |
| A．It exists widely in food. |
| B．It has the same function as sugar. |
| C．It can speed up the freezing of ice crystals. |
| D．It can slow down the melting rate of ice cream. |
| A．They can add extra flavor to food. |
| B．They are more costly than BsIA. |
| C．They may do harm to people’s health. |
| D．They can’t be mass-produced like BsIA. |
| A．There is still uncertainty in BsIA. |
| B．BsIA faces an unpromising future. |
| C．BsIA won’t affect the taste of ice cream. |
| D．Everyone likes the ice cream with BsIA. |
| A．A guidebook. | B．A magazine. | C．A novel. | D．A diary. |
4 . During a visit to the United Arab Emirates, I was invited to speak to college students to learn more about how the country is preparing the next generation for the future. I met with students who were required to present their final projects in a three-minute presentation to members of the ruling family. Now, that is pressure. But learning the art of public speaking is no longer an option to succeed in the 21st century; it is fundamental.
Educators who I have met across the Middle East, Europe and Asia say that they are elevating the art of public speaking to a core requirement along with math and science. Chris Anderson, the curator (负责人) of TED, encourages schools in the United States to make “presentation literacy” a requirement in elementary schools. There is a wrinkle, however. According to an article in The Atlantic, some American middle-school and high-school students are advocating for the elimination (取消) of mandatory (强制的) in-class, presentations.
Their anxiety is real. Psychology professor Matthew Lieberman writes in book, “Our brains crave the positive evaluation of others almost to an embarrassing degree.” That’s why most of us get anxious about public speaking. Anxiety can turn into full-blown panic attacks or create lifelong fears.
As an author whose books are used in public speaking classes around the world, I will explain why public speaking skills are more important than ever. Persuasion — one person convincing another to change their mind — is now responsible for 25 percent of Americas total income, according to Deirdre McCloskey at the University of Illinois. The percentage will rise to 40 percent soon, she assured me. It is a terrible idea to reduce public speaking opportunities in class at a time when students need the skills it can give them to succeed. Today anyone who is better at presenting their ideas can see a sudden, massive increase in wealth that is unprecedented in human history.
In the age of ideas, public speaking is one of the greatest skills that students need in order to learn, grow, and inspire the rest of us to dream bigger. If students enjoy the process of building the necessary skill set, they will learn to love public speaking.
1. What can we learn from Paragraph 1?| A．Public speaking is essential in preparing for the future. |
| B．Students don’t have to choose the course of public speaking. |
| C．The ruling family plays a key role in judging the presentation. |
| D．College students are under pressure in preparing the introduction. |
| A．Simple case. | B．New idea. |
| C．Small problem. | D．Strong belief. |
| A．we long for the positive judgment terribly |
| B．good public speaking skills can promote our confidence |
| C．we feel embarrassed when expecting positive evaluation |
| D．public speaking can make us feel scared rather than anxious |
| A．It can help persuade others to change their mind. |
| B．Good speakers can see huge rise in their income. |
| C．It will offer students skills to make a great success. |
| D．It encourages students to live a wealthy life in the future. |
| A．It scares students to make a speech publicly. |
| B．Presentations is a steppingstone for student’s future. |
| C．We can improve speaking skills in many effective ways. |
| D．Confidence in presentation increases if one is well prepared. |
5 . Television is a central part of many people’s lives. There are very few places in the world where one cannot find a television set. Some sporting events, such as the Olympic Games or the football World Cup, can attract audiences of many millions. But is television a good or bad influence on young people in the modern world?
Thomas Murray, president of the British Parents Against Television Society, believes that it has not improved young people’s lives. “Television damages family life,” he argues. “At mealtime, families no longer talk to each other. In the evenings, youngsters do not spend good quality time with family members. Instead, they watch television.” Murray says that this lack of communication leads to social problems.
Murray also believes that the content of television programmes provides young people with poor role models. “There is so much violence(暴力) on TV—guns, kung fu fighting, and so on. Young people think that all problems should be solved by aggression.”
It is not just young people’s mental health that worries Murray. “Teenagers don’t get enough exercise because they spend so many hours watching television. They also develop back problems from sitting down for so long, and eye strain from the effort of watching.”
Murray would like to see changes to television habits. “Programmes should be educational. Their contents should be nonviolent and healthy. There should be no programmes after ten o'clock in the evening. Parents should teach their children to enjoy their spare time by playing sports or games. And certainly, the television should be switched off during meal time.
Susan Taylor is a television producer. She believes that television is a good influence on young people. “Television brings the outside world to youngsters. It even brought us pictures from the moon! And look what happens after the Olympic Games or the World Cup matches have been shown on TV. People start to take more exercise. Also, there are a lot of programmes about healthy eating and keeping fit.”
However, Taylor agrees with Murray’s point of view concerning parents. “Of course parents have a role to play in educating their kids. They should turn the TV off during mealtime and they should talk with their children as often as possible.”
1. The article is mainly about ________.| A．that TV is a central part of many people’s lives |
| B．that Murray would like to see changes to television habits |
| C．whether TV is a good or bad influence on young people in the modern world |
| D．that parents should turn the TV off during mealtime and talk with their children |
| A．Teenagers will get backache for sitting down for a long time. |
| B．Murray only worries about young people’s mental health. |
| C．TV programmes are nonviolent and educational. |
| D．Teenagers don’t like doing exercise at all. |
| A．The lack of communication. |
| B．Young people watching too much TV. |
| C．So much violence on TV. |
| D．Not enough exercise. |
| A．eye sickness | B．blindness | C．eye tiredness | D．far-sightedness |
| A．Murray is president of the British Parents Against Television Society |
| B．Susan Taylor completely disagrees with Murray on TV |
| C．there are both good and bad programmes on TV |
| D．Susan Taylor is a television producer |
1. According to the job advert, the website is looking for a person __________.
| A．who has high calibre(能力) |
| B．who gets careers advice for young people |
| C．who allows university graduates to find jobs |
| D．who will be in charge of web pages for graduates’ CVs |
| A．Common types of software. |
| B．Phone number, address, e-mail. |
| C．Some websites. |
| D．Some kinds of languages. |
| A．Attractive salary. |
| B．Ordinary conditions. |
| C．High pay and good conditions. |
| D．Attractive salary and health benefit. |
| A．Iwanttobe.com.cn/ before 21 March. |
| B．Iwanttobe.com.cn/ on 21 March. |
| C．Jobs@iwanttobe.com.cn/ on 21 March. |
| D．Jobs@iwanttobe.com.cn/ before 21 March. |
| A．young people to get career advice |
| B．university graduates finding jobs |
| C．young people to find friends |
| D．employers finding candidates |
7 . One of my earliest memories was walking up to the smell of camp smoke and my mother’s hot chocolate. My parents were poor, and we lived in the countryside in Portland. Dad had two jobs and Mom was disabled, but that didn’t stop them from heading into the Cascade Mountains several times a year.
Our clothes were old and worn and our food was usually cheap and simple. However, we were always satisfied with our hot chocolate, which was made in a traditional way handed down from my grandmother to my mother.
There was no store to buy anything we needed. We just had powdered cocoa in our camp.
Mom would set the smoke-blackened coffee pot at the side of the fire and slowly warm the milk, adding chocolate and sugar, and stirring (搅拌) until the contents became thick and rich brown. The wonderful smell of chocolate filled the camp. More than once, I could remember people that we had just met hours before stepping into our camp to enjoy mother’s creation.
Once we were trapped in our tent (帐篷) for days because of a terrible rainstorm. Every morning I was woken up by the attractive smell of Mom’s hot chocolate.
Now, many years have passed, when we head for the mountains, I still use that worn coffee pot. And we always bring extra cups for the neighbours who will certainly turn up.
I have told my family a lot about Mom, and it seems that nothing brings back those warm memories better than sitting around the fire at night and tasting sweet hot chocolate.
1. Where did the author live when she was a child?| A．In a village. | B．In a big city. | C．In a hotel. | D．In a palace. |
| A．Kind. | B．Friendly. | C．Disabled. | D．Serious. |
| A．Her parents were poor. | B．Her mom had two jobs. |
| C．Her mom was a boss of Coffee House. | D．Her dad stopped them from camping. |
| A．Saved. | B．Absorbed. | C．Caught. | D．Suffered. |
| A．Camp Smoke | B．Mom’s Hot Chocolate |
| C．My Neighbours | D．Grandmother’s Creation |
