1 . Experts are warning about the risks of extremely picky(挑剔的)eating after a teenager living on a diet of chips and crisps developed lasting sight loss. Eye doctors in Bristol cared for the 17-year-old after his sight had gone to the point of blindness. Tests showed he had serious vitamin deficiency(缺乏). Dr. Denize Atan, who treated him at the hospital, said, “His diet was basically a portion of chips from the local fish and chip shop every day. He also used to snack on crisps and sometimes white bread and ham, and not really any fruit and vegetables.”
The teenager saw his doctor at the age of 14 because he had been feeling tired and unwell. At that time he suffered from vitamin B12 deficiency, but he did not stick with the treatment or improve his poor diet. Three years later, he was taken to the Bristol Eye Hospital because of progressive sight loss.
He was not overweight or underweight, but he had lost minerals from his bones, which was really quite shocking for a boy of his age. In terms of his sight loss, he met the standards of being blind. “He had blind spots right in the middle of his sight,” said Dr Denize Atan, “That means he can’t drive and would find it really arduous to read, watch TV or recognize faces.”
Dr Denize Atan said that parents should learn about the harm that can be caused by picky eating, and turn to experts for help. For those who are concerned , she advised, “It’s best not to be anxious about picky eating , and instead calmly introduce one or two new foods with every meal.” She said multivitamin tablets can supplement(补充) a diet, but cannot take the place of eating healthily. “It’s much better to take in vitamins through a varied and balanced diet,” she said, adding that too many certain vitamins , including vitamin A, can be harmful ,“so you don’t want to overdo it.”
1. What does Dr Denize Atan imply in paragraph 1?| A．The diet of the boy is not balanced. |
| B．Fruit and vegetables are rich in vitamins. |
| C．Picky eating is common among teenagers. |
| D．The cause of the boy’s disease is unknown. |
| A．To improve his poor diet. |
| B．To get some help to lose weight. |
| C．To be treated for his discomfort. |
| D．To slow down his progressive sight loss. |
| A．Important. | B．Easy. | C．Necessary. | D．Difficult. |
| A．Reasons why the boy is seriously ill. |
| B．Suggestions for the boy’s family to care for him. |
| C．Advice for parents worried about picky eating. |
| D．Ways of taking in enough vitamins and minerals. |
2 . Today’s students have a problem. They were born into a world where technology, smartphones, and immediate access to the Internet are hurting their ability to focus and changing the way they think.
Now teachers have a problem too. They find it particularly exhausting to ask students to read complex or long texts without taking regular breaks. Smartphones have clearly affected the younger generation, but how education should evolve for digital-native students?
A common idea among teachers is that short is good. When students can’t seem to pay attention to long lectures, many teachers simply break lessons into smaller patterns. In fact, students need time to engage with a topic once the teacher introduces it before moving on. Switching between small lessons too quickly could rob them of valuable comprehension.
There are also teachers who begin classes with meditation (深思) exercises to help their students focus. However, it turns out that any sort of “tech breaks” could counteract strong desires to multi task.
A 2018 study found that students aged between 10 and 24 tend to stay away from physical books. They prefer video as a source of information second only to teachers. Therefore, some tech-forward teachers choose platforms such as YouTube and Instagram. Asha Choksi, vice-president of global research at Pearson, gives the example of a teacher who films himself performing a science experiment and posts it to YouTube. When it is time for class, he uses the video to illustrate material in the textbook, which can seem boring to students.
Still, while those educators are embracing technology in the classroom to meet student’s needs, they also find value in traditional methods, and so suggest a “blended (混合的) learning” approach. Direct instruction from them will never be replaced in their classes. Technology will be favored only when it improves a lesson in ways that are impossible offline.
Digital natives will continue to eagerly adopt new media. Teachers have no choice but to evolve. They are making an effort not only to ensure that students can take advantage of new technologies, but to teach students valuable skills that can help them think in a world constantly trying to distract them. Think of the Zuckerbergs, the Gates, the Jobs and all those pioneers in the tech world. They became successful not because they could code (编程); it was because they could think.
1. What does the underlined word “counteract” in paragraph 4 probably mean?| A．Motivate. | B．Reduce. | C．Compensate. | D．Influence. |
| A．Teachers adopt short lectures, small lessons, which could be hard to understand sometimes. |
| B．Teachers employ meditation exercises to help students concentrate on class, which is of little effect. |
| C．Students aged between 10 and 24 don’t prefer physical books, so YouTube and Instagram may be a good choice. |
| D．Students aged between 10 and 24 prefer videos to teachers, so using videos to explain textbooks is a popular way. |
(1). the conventional way of teaching remains unchallenged
(2). technology is a useful supplement to textbooks
(3). material in the textbook is too boring to most students
(4). teachers want to change their traditional teaching methods
| A．(1)(2) | B．(2)(3) | C．(3)(4) | D．(1)(4) |
| A．to share as much knowledge with students as possible |
| B．to encourage students to make full use of new technologies |
| C．to help students develop their ability to think critically and creatively |
| D．to instruct students to limit their use of smart phones and social media |
3 . Scientists have been trying to figure out how to alter the genes of humans for many years, and it looks like they’ve finally cracked (破解) the code. But while this may seem like a great step forward in science, some also believe that it’s one step back when it comes to ethics (道德准则). In August, a group of scientists from the USA and South Korea worked together to successfully edit a human embryo (胚胎) and remove a genetic mutation (突变) that would have led to heart disease, reported The Guardian. This was done with the help of CRISPR, a gene-editing tool that allows scientists to “cut and paste” human DNA.
Although this was the first example of an embryo’s genes being changed successfully, the advantages of gene editing have already been tested in living patients. In 2015, a five-month-old girl from the UK was saved after doctors used edited cells to fight off her cancer. As of today, she’s alive and well. And in the USA last year, scientists managed to remove HIV cells from several patients by editing the genes inside their bodies.
Some people hope that in the future, diseases or birth defects could simply be "edited out”. However, others believe this could lead to so-called designer babies, giving parents the option to choose everything from eye color to intelligence. “You could find wealthy parents buying the latest “upgrades” for their children, leading to even greater inequality than we already live with,” Marcy Camovsky, director of the San Francisco Center for Genetics, told BBC News.
In spite of these ethical concerns, experts say it’s not possible to create the “perfect” human being. Despite the progress scientists have made, we don’t understand human genes enough to give all unborn children great brainpower or amazing singing abilities. “Right now, we know nothing about genetic enhancement,” Hank Greely, a director at Stanford University, USA, told The New York Times. “We’re never going to be able to say, honestly, this embryo looks like it would score high on the two-part SAT.”
So it looks like if we want good exam results, or to impress people with our piano skills, we’ll have to stick with the old fashioned method of plain hard work---at least for now.
1. The underlined word “alter” in Paragraph 1 probably means ________.| A．record | B．change | C．remove | D．increase |
| A．A genetic mutation related to heart disease was removed by scientists. |
| B．A newborn baby with cancer was saved by edited cells. |
| C．HIV cells were removed from patients9 bodies. |
| D．Some birth defects were simply edited out. |
| A．They don’t think it is an effective way to fight diseases. |
| B．They are concerned that it could lead to genetic mutations. |
| C．They think it could lead to designer babies and increased inequality. |
| D．They worry that it could make parents abandon children with birth defects. |
| A．Gene editing is regarded as the perfect way to treat birth defects. |
| B．There is still a long way to go to fully understand human genes. |
| C．Gene editing could help enhance human intelligence in the near future. |
| D．Scientists are pessimistic (悲观的) about the future of gene editing. |
4 . The COVID-19 pandemic is having a negative influence on people with eating disorders, according to a new study from the UK.
While it is well known that COVID-19 is having a great effect on the global population, a research carried out by researchers from Northumbria University shows that the pandemic raises additional, unique challenges for individuals with eating disorders.
During the early stages of the UK pandemic lockdown, Dr. Dawn Branley-Bell and Dr. Catherine Talbot surveyed individuals across the country who are now experiencing, or in recovery from, an eating disorder.
The results suggest the disruption (扰乱) to daily life as a result of being locked at home and social distancing may have a detrimental influence on an individual’s well-being, with almost nine out of ten participants reporting that their symptoms had worsened as a result of the pandemic.
Detrimental impacts on psychological well-being include decreased feelings of control, increased feelings of social isolation (孤立), and low feelings of social support, the survey discovered.
Through an analysis of participants’ responses, researchers found the negative effects maybe due to changes in a number of factors, including regular routines, living situations, time spent with friends and family, access to treatment, engagement in physical activity, relationship with food, and the use of technology.
The research team warns that the effects of not being able to access professional eating disorder treatment during the pandemic could be severe, causing some people’s conditions to become much worse and—in some cases—could prove deadly.
“Our findings stress that we must not underestimate the impact of the pandemic,” Branley-Bell said, “Individuals with eating disorders will likely experience a long-tern effect on their symptoms and recovery. It is important that this is recognized by health care services, and beyond, in order to offer the necessary resources to support this population.”
1. The underlined word “detrimental” in the fourth paragraph probably means ________.| A．embarrassing | B．damaging |
| C．beneficial | D．professional |
| A．health care services are important for helping those with eating disorders |
| B．the lack of regular routines is the main factor for the negative effects of the pandemic |
| C．having access to medical treatment can improve people’s conditions immediately |
| D．individuals with eating disorders have an increased sense of control due to the pandemic |
| A．The deep influence of the pandemic on the worldwide population. |
| B．The serious effects of the changed time spent with friends and family. |
| C．The harmful effects of the pandemic on citizens with eating disorders. |
| D．The importance of the necessary resources provided by health care services. |
5 . Based on some studies, people in their forties, on average, laugh less often each day than children under age 7 and adults over age 65. That's kind of sad for middle-aged men. If it's been awhile since your father has let out a good belly laugh, here are some ideas that you can do to get your father back on the road to joy.
A joke book can be helpful. The Dilbert series by Scott Adams is quite funny if you're into office humor. The Far Side series by Gary Larson came out twenty years ago, but it still works even for today's people. In fact, you don't even have to buy a book. You can go online and find comic strips, lists of jokes and so on.
On DVD, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon or however you get them, you can find funny movies and shows that can make a difference in your life. Teen movies are particularly funny when done well. Mean Girls, 10 Things I Hate About You and She's All That are bound to bring a smile to your father's face. Screwball comedies might be your father's cup of tea. Some comedies from the 1930s, 40s and 50s have stood the test of time and are still amusing. Also, there are a number of channels where people can watch comedians in high spirits.
If your father already has close friends to exchange jokes with, it's to his great advantage. But your father can also seek out new friends who have a lighter, cheerier and more mirthful way to life.
People are often in humorous situations at work, at home and in life, but to what degree do we take note of them? You can encourage your father to note humorous situations all around him. If he begins to notice this, soon enough, he begins to actively seek them. Before he knows it, his search for a humor-filled life becomes a significant part of his day.
1. What do the Dilbert series and The Far Side series have in common?| A．They're in the form of short stories. | B．They have many jokes about office life. |
| C．They can bring much laughter to people. | D．They became popular soon after publication. |
| A．colorful | B．joyful | C．puzzling | D．regular |
| A．Humorous situations can be easily ignored. |
| B．Humorous situations can be created actively. |
| C．People should spend time with positive people. |
| D．People should learn to discover the humorous moments. |
6 . Sleeping in a noisy room isn't only distracting（使人分心的）, and it can also harm your health. Although researchers have known for decades that long-term loud noises can harm us, it's only recently become recognized as a widespread issue.
In a new review of previously published studies, researchers from Germany and Denmark took a look at the ways in which noises, such as an airplane passing by or jackhammer digging in the ground can affect our hearts. Perhaps the most obvious impact of a loud sound while you are sleeping is that it can wake you up. But, even if you don't remember hearing the noise or you don't physically get out of bed, it can disrupt you in ways you may not realize
"Noise is not just causing annoyance, but it actually makes us sick," said Dr. Thomas Munzel, a professor at Johannes Gutenberg University Main. "Regardless of where the sound is coming from, if it gets louder than 60 decibels（分贝）, it can increase the risk of heart disease."
When our body hears these noises, it reacts with a stress reaction. In this case, these sudden and unexpected noises cause hormones（荷尔蒙）to speed up and eventually damage the heart. Although the chance that a single noise will affect you is unlikely, it's the constant exposure to the sound that can eventually affect you.
"But our heart health isn't the only cause for concern. Long-term noise may also raise the risk of type 2 diabetes, depression, and anxiety disorders," he warns. In the future, Munzel plans to examine how noises from cars, planes, and other vehicles affect the brain. But despite the amount or the depth of research he conducts, it'll take the help of politicians to improve the impact of noise on our health.
"Politicians have to take into account, in particular, the new findings,"Munzel said, "With respect to aircraft noise and airports, it is important to make new laws and set new lower noise limits that protect people living close by the airport instead of the owners of the airport."
1. Which word can replace the underlined word "disrupt" in paragraph 2?| A．Defeat. | B．Harm | C．Benefit. | D．Discourage |
| A．Politicians should take action to handle noise pollution |
| B．Munzel will continue other studies on brain diseases. |
| C．Benefits of airport owners are more important than health |
| D．Attention should be paid to heart health and other diseases. |
| A．Who Is to Blame for Noise Pollution |
| B．What Should Be Done to Stop Noise |
| C．How Munzel Carried Out His Research |
| D．How Noise Pollution Harms Our Body |
7 . Take a quick tipple and you could find yourself speaking a second language more naturally, according to a new research. The foreign language skills of participants in the study were found to be improved after a drink of alcohol, which suggests the way alcohol can put us at ease outweighs the negative effects on our brain—at least for the first drink, anyway. The international team of researchers is warning against reading too much into their experiment, but it could reveal some interesting insights into the anxiety associated with speaking another language, and how alcohol can help us overcome it.
The study involved 50 native German speakers studying Dutch at a Dutch university, who had recently learned to speak, read, and write in the new language. Based on random selections, participants were either given alcohol or water as a control beverage. The amount of alcohol varied based on body size, but was the equivalent of just under a pint (460 milliliters) of 5 percent beer for a 70kg male. They then chatted to a researcher for five minutes, assessed by two native Dutch speakers who weren’t told whether alcohol had been consumed or not. Those people who had been given the alcoholic drink were given better ratings by the observers, especially for their pronunciation.
However, with only 50 people involved, we should be cautious of making too many generalizations on this study alone, but it’s an interesting pointer towards how a little bit of drink could grease the wheels as far as talking in a foreign language is concerned.
“One possible reason could be that, but more research is needed to test this. ” adds one of the team. “It is important to point out that participants in this study consumed a small amount of alcohol, however, higher levels of alcohol consumption might not have beneficial effects on our brain’s executive functioning, including our memory and our attention.
1. Which of the following caused alcohol drinkers to get better ratings in the experiment?| A．The skills of speaking a foreign language. | B．Alcohol’s role in improving one’s memory. |
| C．The anxiety-reducing effect of alcohol. | D．The brain’s executive function. |
| A．The former is heavier that the latter. |
| B．The former is of greater importance, benefit, or significance than the latter. |
| C．The former is lighter than the latter. |
| D．The former is of less importance, benefit, or significance than the latter. |
| A．The study hasn’t been carried out yet. | B．The size of participants is too small. |
| C．The study is not accountable and authoritative. | D．The process of the study is misguided. |
| A．Man needs a larger amount of alcohol than woman does to improve their oral speaking. |
| B．If you want to improve your pronunciation, you should drink as much as possible. |
| C．A right amount of alcohol will be helpful for language speaking. |
| D．Higher levels of alcohol consumption will have beneficial effects on the pronunciation of a foreign language. |
8 . When we speak to other people, they are not only listening to our actual words, but sensing our facial expression, tone of voice, gestures, level of eye contact, posture, and movements as well. Nonverbal communication, or body language, makes up approximately 65 percent of human communication. Body language has a major impact on how others perceive what we say. It can also be a tool for miscommunication when the speaker and listener are from different cultures or are communicating through technology that deprives them of vision cues. In fact, we often realize the importance of body language only when we cannot interpret someone else’s body language correctly.
In Eye to Eye： How People Interact, Dr. Peter Marsh explains that before we speak，our gestures, posture, and facial expressions are already broadcasting messages to those around us. While we are speaking，these gestures continue to communicate messages-usually clarifying what we are saying, but sometimes contradicting us in telltale ways.
Often, body language is an unconscious act that triggers the most developed senses in other people-hearing and sight. That is why body language is such a great way to emphasize words and ideas. Many people take advantage of this. Advertisers，for example, cast actors in their commercials who use body language that appeals to viewers.
Studies have shown that peopled body language changes when they are not telling the truth. If someone’s body language is inconsistent with what he or she is saying，people tend to believe what the body is telling them. A good way for people to convey a positive message is to avoid certain movements, like fidgeting or letting your eyes wander. Instead, good communicators maintain steady eye contact, nod in agreement, and smile. You may notice that people on television, like hosts of infomercials and talk-shows generally display this positive language when speaking.
1. The text mainly focuses on the ______________ of the body language.| A．development | B．significance |
| C．examples | D．acquirement |
| A．To attract readers to go on reading. |
| B．To help readers know about Dr. Marsh and encourage them to read his book. |
| C．To offer a research to support the writer’s statement. |
| D．To introduce a different viewpoint from the writer’s. |
| A．pleased | B．sad |
| C．satisfied | D．nervous |
9 . "The music will not vanish," said Zhang Yadong，a famous Chinese music producer, in an interview with CGTN，expressing his strong belief in the power of today’s young musicians.
China’s new popular variety show "The Big Band，"debuted (首演）in May, is bringing some incredibly talented Chinese rock bands into the mainstream. As one of the judges, or "Super Fans"， Zhang has grabbed the spotlight for his professional remarks on the show. Zhang, who started his career as a music producer in the early 1990s, has composed, recorded and produced several hit songs and albums for notable Chinese singers and bands.
Although Zhang admitted the importance of having a unique style and innovative (创新的）music， he emphasized the necessity of hard work. He said he respects talent，but he doesn’t think it is reliable. "Music is my profession，which cannot just rely on talent,"he said, "I have to work hard to keep myself sharp all the time."
According to a 2018 report by the Communication University of China, nearly 30 percent of Chinese musicians earn nothing from their music and 70 percent have to find part-time jobs. "The cost is quite high for today’s music producers, who need the support of expensive equipment," said Zhang. "It is convenient for users to download unauthorized content，but musicians may lose their motivation to create new content because their efforts seem to have gone in vain. Luckily, music copyrights have been strengthened as numerous policies to crack down on (打击）pirated music on the Internet have come into effect." Zhang agrees that these measures are helpful, and that record companies should not sign unequal contracts with musicians by taking advantage of their desire to be famous.
Decades have passed since Zhang came to Beijing to pursue his dream. Chinese popular music, meanwhile，has continued to transform and develop. Zhang said today’s young musicians are more stressed due to fiercer competition. However, he thinks they are hopeful and should not be underestimated. "I believe the changes are from quantity to quality," said Zhang. "I hope more people can write songs and fall in love with music." For more: click here.
1. What’s the meaning of the underlined word “vanish” in paragraph 1?| A．disappear. | B．boom. |
| C．survive. | D．exist. |
| A．talented but pessimistic | B．stressed and negative |
| C．passionate but unsociable | D．promising and hopeful |
| A．On a poster. |
| B．In a magazine. |
| C．On the Internet. |
| D．In a traveling guide. |
10 . The coronavirus has been a catalyst for change in many areas of our lives. As things return to normal, one thing that is likely to remain for many is the practice of working from home, known as telecommuting.
Much like the cloud classroom, the cloud office enables employees to cooperate, access resources and operate software from any location. Without doubt, communication tools play an important role. Video and voice chat allow a team, regardless of location, to work together as if they're in the same office.
The rise of telecommuting is due in part to time-tracking applications and software that allows employers to monitor productivity. Wechat Work and Work Examiner are all popular options that have been adopted by thousands of companies. These tools make employers feel secure that remote workers are staying on task. As an increasingly popular approach to work, the objective of the cloud office is to find the ideal balance between home and office work.
According to CNBC, a study showed that 85 percent of millennials（千禧一代）preferred working from home as it gives them a healthier work-life balance, flexible hours and more autonomy. It also showed that firms could save $ 11,000per person each year by allowing employees to work from home.
However, not everyone sees this revolution as positive. According to Bloomberg, in a survey of 1,001 US workers, 45 percent felt burnt out due to the increased workload, decreased communication and the requirement to juggle（兼顾）professional and personal life.
There has indeed been a mixed reaction to the move amid the pandemic.
It's believed that it will become more manageable once lockdown measures are fully lifted worldwide. And by then, who knows what tasks we could all achieve from the comfort of our sofas?
1. Which of the following is closest in meaning to the underlined word in the first paragraph?| A．disaster. | B．motivation. |
| C．cause. | D．disease. |
| A．Employers hold different opinions towards telecommuting. |
| B．The purpose of working from home is to help achieve work-life balance. |
| C．Working from home can help employers spend less on human resources. |
| D．Software that enables workers to monitor work gains increasing popularity. |
| A．Positive. | B．Negative. |
| C．Neutral. | D．Unclear. |
