2 . When you think of the Himalayas, you may picture tall, rocky, snow-covered peaks. But that’s not true.

The subnival (亚冰雪的) region is the zone between the treeline and the snowline. It is 5 to 5 times as large as the areas of glaciers and permanent snow, which means studying it is vital to understanding the Himalayas as a whole.

The treeline is the edge of an ecosystem where trees are able to grow, and beyond the treeline environmental conditions become too tough to allow tree growth. Meanwhile, snowlines are the boundaries on mountains that separate areas with permanent snow (where snow is present for the majority of the year) from areas with seasonal or no snow.

Researchers used satellite data from 1993 to 2018 to measure plant cover between 4,150 meters and 6,000 meters above sea level. The scientists discovered that the greatest increase in plant cover was between an altitude of 5,000 meters and 5,500 meters. Subnival plants mostly include small shrubs and grasses.

Even areas once completely occupied by glaciers now hold rocks covered with mosses, lichen, and sometimes even flowers. In addition, the snowline seems to be retreating, while the treeline is expanding. This shows that the region is becoming warmer, causing more melting of snow and allowing vegetation to move up in height.

In the past 40 years, 25% of all Himalayan ice has been lost due to global warming. Himalayan glaciers are reducing by about 0.5 meters each year. The rate of glacier melting has doubled in this decade. The melting of glaciers increases water in the region, making it wetter. Receding snow also forces the snowline to move up, providing a greater amount of area for the warm and moist conditions, which are perfect for vegetation growth.

As of now, we do not know whether vegetation will accelerate or slow down the rate of glacier melting.

1. How does the writer develop the third paragraph?

A．By explaining concepts.	B．By providing some examples.
C．By analyzing causes and effects.	D．By listing specific data.

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

A．Disappearing.

B．Lengthening.

C．Withdrawing.

D．Widening.

3. What is the direct effect of global warming on the Himalayas?

A．The snowline moves up.	B．Glaciers are melting faster.
C．The subnival area is wetter.	D．Plants grow much better.

4. What does the passage mainly talk about?

A．The climate of the Himalayas is changing.	B．Icebergs in the Himalayas have disappeared.
C．Plants are diverse in the Himalayas.	D．Plant life spreads in the Himalayas.

3 . When you hear the word "birthmark", you probably think of one of those black or brown spots that you have on your body. For me, it's different -I have them on my lips and inside my mouth. I'm used to being asked, "What are those black marks on your lips?" When I tell people they're birthmarks, they usually say, "That's strange." I used to consider them ugly. However, my mom calls them beauty marks

In pictures, I used to hide my birthmarks by pursing（噘起）my lips so I wouldn't have to deal with people's questions. As I was growing up, people wore me out with them. Some people would ask me the same questions even before knowing my name. In society I feel like we judge people by their looks before their personality.

My birthmarks are caused by a genetic condition from my mom's side of the family. My mom's mom has birthmarks on her lips, and my mom's uncle and my uncle have some on their bodies. Every year I plan to have a procedure to remove them. But when imagining the process, I always get nervous and give up.

My cousin faces a similar challenge. She has a huge birthmark that takes up her whole arm. She's never tried to hide it or change her appearance. Once, her grandmother told her that the birthmark looked extremely prominent and suggested that she should wear long sleeves more often. If my cousin had actually taken that suggestion, she wouldn't be such a person as she is.

Inspired by my cousin, I am finally accepting who I am and now I don't hesitate when someone asks me about them either. I say, "They`re beauty marks" and smile without pursing my lips.

1. How did the author feel when asked about the birthmarks?

A．She was bored to be faced with the question.

B．She felt annoyed to give others an answer.

C．She was scared to be made fun of by people.

D．She felt excited to show her difference.

2. Who has the similar birthmarks like the author?

A．Her mother.	B．Her grandmother.
C．Her cousin	D．Her uncle.

3. What can be inferred about the author's cousin?

A．She dislikes talking about her birthmark.

B．She is more confident than the author.

C．She never judges others by their looks.

D．She has taken her grandma's suggestion.

4. What does the underlined word "prominent" in paragraph 4 mean?

A．Brilliant.	B．Harmful
C．Obvious.	D．Impressive

4 . Honeybees can’t swim, and when their wings are wet, they can’t fly, either. But Chris Roh and other researchers at the California Institute of Technology found that when bees drop into bodies of water, they can use their wings to produce little waves and slide toward land-like surfers who create and then ride their own waves.

As with many scientific advances-Isaac Newton’s apple or Benjamin Franklin’s lightning bolt-Dr. Roh’s experiment began with a walk. Passing Caltech’s Millikan Pond in 2016, he observed a bee on the water’s surface producing waves. He wondered how an insect known for flight could push itself through water.

Dr. Roh and his co-worker, Morteza Gharib, used butterfly nets to collect local Pasadena honeybees and observed their surf-like movements. The researchers used a wire to restrict each bee’s bodily movement, allowing close examination of their wings. They found that the bee bends its wings at a 30-degree angle, pulling up water and producing a forward force. Bees get trapped on the surface because water is roughly three times heavier than air. But that weight helps to push the bee forward when its wings move quickly up and down. It’s a tough exercise for the bees, which the researchers guess could handle about 10 minutes of the activity.

The researchers said the surf-like movement hasn’t been documented in other insects and most semiaquatic insects use their legs for propulsion, which is known as water-walking. It may have evolved in bees, they-predicted.

Dr. Roh and Dr. Gharib have imagined many practical applications for bees’ surfing. One plan is to use their observations to design robots able to travel across sky and sea. “This could be useful for search and rescues, or for getting samples of the surface of the ocean, if you can’t send a boat or helicopter,” Dr. Gharib said.

1. What does the author intend to show by mentioning Newton and Franklin?

A．Roh’s admiration for them.	B．Roh’s chance discovery about bees.
C．Their outstanding talent for science.	D．Their similar achievements in discovery.

2. What plays the most vital role in a bee’s moving forward on water?

A．The air weight.	B．Its leg extension.
C．The water movement.	D．Its continuous wingbeat.

3. What does the underlined word “propulsion” in Paragraph 4 mean?

A．Fast flight

B．Driving force.

C．Pulling speed.

D．Explosive power.

4. What does the text mainly tell us?

A．Honeybees can surf to safety.	B．Bees help scientists make inventions.
C．Insects can adapt to the environment.	D．Nature is a helpful guide for discovery.

5 . Research has shown that disrupting one's natural “morning lark” (早起鸟) or “night owl” (夜猫子) tendency can result in immoral behavior at work.

Who doesn't love a flexible work schedule? Being able to make your own hours, come in when you're ready and leave when you're done, step out to attend a child's presentation at school, have a midday appointment, or even squeeze in a quick workout or nap as a guaranteed pick-me-up — flexibility greatly improves one's quality of life.

The benefits don't stop there, however. Research has shown that having flexible work hours actually makes one a better person. How so? It's been found that disrupted sleep patterns —in the form of having to act outside of your normal inclination to be a morning “lark” or a night “owl” — can result in strange, unethical, and out-of-line behavior.

Science journalist Linda Geddes said, “If you don't get enough sleep, research suggests you are more likely to have unethical behavior, such as being mean, bullying your fellow employees or falsifying receipts. But it's not just owls: the larks tend to behave more unethically in the evening, and owls in the morning. So ideally, you want to introduce flexible working."

Employers would be wise to allow their employees to start whenever they feel ready — whether it's at the crack of dawn or at 11 a.m., and to allow breaks or pauses in the day as needed — because that would mean better productivity, performance, and behavior.

This shift is already happening, with the New York Times recently reporting that 27 percent of US employers now offer the flexibility to work outside normal business hours, up from 22 percent in 2014; and 68 percent allow telecommuting as needed (up from 54 percent in 2014). With the national unemployment rate at its lowest in 50 years, employers are having to become more competitive in what they offer workers, and flex-hours seem like a no-brainer, highly beneficial to all.

1. What is mainly talked about in Paragraph 2?

A．Ways to improve life quality.

B．People's activities in their free time.

C．Methods to get a flexible work schedule.

D．The advantages of flexibility in work time.

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

A．Judgment.

B．Tendency.

C．Reaction.

D．Choice.

3. What is the effect to change people's sleep pattern according to Geddes?

A．They will show their nature more easily.

B．They tend to suffer from sleep problems.

C．They tend to behave immorally in their work.

D．They will get more flexibility in working time.

4. What do the figures in the last paragraph indicate?

A．The unemployment rate is increasing.

B．Employers are getting more free time.

C．Flexible working has been creating more jobs.

D．More employers adopt a flexible work schedule.

6 . Twice every month, Miranda Sam, a 66-year-old Ghanaian, visited the China Traditional Herbal Hospital, a private herbal facility at Pokuase, a suburb of the Ghanaian capital, for treatment.

“I was squeezing lemons, and when I finished, I could not get up or even move my legs, so I went to the hospital and did an X-ray examination, but they saw nothing. Meanwhile, I could not walk and was in a wheelchair,” the retired worker said. Hence Miranda decided to visit the herbal facility. “On two occasions, I had to do acupuncture(针灸), and I have found great relief. Now I walk unaided, so I keep coming for treatment,” she said.

As Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is gaining popularity in Ghana, many acupuncture clinics run by Chinese doctors pop up in the country. However, the China Traditional Herbal Hospital was established by 52-year-old Ghanaian business owner Bediako, after his fruitful encounter with the effects of TCM in 2012. With the help of a Chinese lady, Bediako set up a small clinic specializing in TCM. Years on, the facility has subsequently grown into a bigger herbal hospital. The hospital treats patients with a combination of local and Chinese herbal formulas. It supports this with the application of traditional Chinese medical methods.

Strokes(中风) account for 1.3 percent of all hospital admissions in Ghana, and 6.3 percent of all hospital deaths. But Bediako is confident that as more people with these conditions turn to the natural methods of healing, the pain and death rates would subside. “A gentleman was brought here three weeks ago, who could not sit, stand, or walk. He was first taken through acupuncture. I observed him on camera 30 minutes later, squatting(蹲), standing, and walking. You come here with your pain but will leave with a smile. That is our feature,” he said.

The hospital has started a second facility in Ashaiman near the capital, with plans to open other branches across the country to meet the growing demand.

1. What can we learn from Miranda’s words in Paragraph 2?

A．Her illness is not a bit severe.	B．Squeezing lemons is a risky job.
C．She is feeling better now.	D．She is unsure about what to do next.

2. What do we know about Bediako’s hospital?

A．It is located in the downtown area.

B．It was originally a specialized clinic.

C．It was established by a Chinese doctor.

D．It uses nothing but Chinese herbs.

3. What does the underlined word “subside” in Paragraph 4 mean?

A．Decline.	B．Remain.
C．Climb.	D．Change.

4. What’s the writer’s probable attitude towards the TCM in Ghana?

A．Negative.	B．Optimistic.
C．Uncertain.	D．Concerned.

7 . By now, most of us have picked up at least one pandemic hobby. And there's a seemingly common pandemic hobby trend: People who haven't been able to go anywhere are making imaginary travel plans. Maybe you're among those who have spent hours researching locations-even though you're not actually planning to travel.

It turns out that you aren't alone. People who seem to be sticking to public safety recommendations are still planning trips they don't intend to book. And, when I suddenly found myself addicted to an imaginary girls' trip to Joshua Tree, I wondered whether this was a healthy distraction.

"It's an escapist imagination," said Regine Galanti, a psychologist, adding that there's nothing wrong with escapism during a global pandemic.

On the one hand, distractions are often beneficial right now. We are a full year into living with COVID-19 as a pandemic, and that means you've probably had to navigate a range of emotions like discomfort, sadness, or even boredom. So any hobby that doesn't harm anyone or endanger your well-being is probably a worthy attempt.

Even if vacation planning is your happy place, Dr. Galanti suggests you "actually think about what you're trying to achieve." Why? "Maybe what you're saying is, I need a vacation from work," Dr. Galanti explains. "Then take three days off even if you are not going anywhere. "When you figure out what you're looking for, you might be able to find a small socially distanced adventure in your backyard or a quiet place. Vacation planning is a good way to spend some time, but there might be an even better way to get what you're desiring.

Anyway, when uncertainty is all around us, creating things to look forward to isn't a terrible idea. And when things are safer, you'll have all your plans in place.

1. Why do people make imaginary travel plans during the pandemic?

A．To develop a new hobby.	B．To stay safe and sound.
C．To be distracted from reality.	D．To get ready for future travel.

2. Which of the following can replace the word "navigate" underlined in paragraph 4?

A．Express.

B．Balance.

C．Adapt to.

D．Deal with.

3. What is the writer's attitude towards imaginary travel plans?

A．Objective.

B．Negative.

C．Supportive.

D．Unclear.

4. Which section of the newspaper does the text probably come from?

A．Figures.	B．Lifestyle.
C．Food and recipe.	D．Science and technology.

8 . In order to reduce the risk of suffering from COVID-19, people are supposed to say no to a handshake, give up high fives, refuse kisses on the cheek and absolutely avoid hugging. So people all over the world are changing their daily habits at work and at home to prevent it from spreading.

In France, handshaking is regarded as daily greeting habits. And kissing on the cheek is often seen even between people who have only just met. Philippe Lichtfus, a lifestyle expert notes that handshaking is a relatively recent development in human history that began in the Middle Ages. Now, he says simply looking into a person’s eyes can serve as a greeting.

The Brazilian health ministry has recommended that citizens should not share the metal straws traditionally used to consume the caffeine-rich drink chimarrão. And a kiss—even if it is not on the mouth—is totally advised against.

One of Spain’s most treasured traditions is also affected by the outbreak—the kissing of sculptures of Virgin Mary in the week leading up to Easter. During the holy week, the faithful believers queue up to kiss the hands or feet of sculptures of Mary and the saints, seeking their protection.

Germany’s interior minister (内政部长) Horst Seehofer rebuffed Chancellor（总理）Angela Merkel’s attempt to shake hands with him, smiling and keeping both his hands to himself. They both laughed and Merkel threw her hand up in the air before taking a seat.

In Iran, a video has gone viral (走红) showing three friends meeting, hands in their pockets, two of whom are wearing masks, tapping their feet against each other as a greeting. A similar video in Lebanon shows singer Ragheb Alama and comedian Michel Abou Sleiman tapping their feet against each other while making kissing noises with their mouths.

The UAE (阿拉伯联合酋长国) is advising citizens to stop the traditional “nose to nose” greeting. The UAE also said that people shouldn’t shake hands anymore or kiss. Greet each other “by waving only”.

1. What can we learn from Philippe Lichtfus?

A．Handshaking has a long history.

B．People can continue to kiss on the cheek.

C．It is recommended that people look into other’s eyes as a greeting.

D．It is unusual for two people who have just met to kiss on the cheeks.

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

A．Appreciated.

B．Refused.

C．Accepted.

D．Welcomed.

3. What can be inferred from the text?

A．Several traditional greeting habits are advised against in the UAE.

B．People who believe in Virgin Mary must be disappointed to cancel the ceremony.

C．Brazilians are crazy about consuming the caffeine-rich drink chimarrão.

D．Tapping feet against each other has already become a daily greeting in Iran.

4. What does the text mainly tell us?

A．Some old greeting styles are out of date.

B．Some new greeting styles become popular.

C．Different countries have different greeting styles.

D．People change their greeting styles to protect themselves.

9 . Albert Einstein’s 1915 masterpiece “The Foundation of the General Theory of Relativity” is the first and still the best introduction to the subject, and I recommend it as such to students. But it probably wouldn’t be publishable in a scientific journal today.

Why not? After all, it would pass with flying colours the tests of correctness and significance. And while popular belief holds that the paper was incomprehensible to its first readers, in fact many papers in theoretical physics are much more difficult.

As the physicist Richard Feynman wrote, “There was a time when the newspapers said that only 12 men understood the theory of relativity. I do believe there might have been a time when only one man did, because he was the only guy who caught on, before he wrote his paper. But after people read the paper a lot understood the theory of relativity in some way or other, certainly more than 12.”

No, the problem is its style. It starts with a leisurely philosophical discussion of space and time and then continues with an exposition of known mathematics. Those two sections, which would be considered extraneous today, take up half the paper. Worse, there are zero citations of previous scientists’ work, nor are there any graphics. Those features might make a paper not even get past the first editors.

A similar process of professionalization has transformed other parts of the scientific landscape. Requests for research time at major observatories or national laboratories are more rigidly structured. And anything involving work with human subjects, or putting instruments in space, involves piles of paperwork.

We see it also in the Regeneron Science Talent Search, the Nobel Prize of high school science competitions. In the early decades of its 78-year history, the winning projects were usually the sort of clever but naive, amateurish efforts one might expect of talented beginners working on their own. Today, polished work coming out of internships(实习) at established laboratories is the norm.

These professionalizing tendencies are a natural consequence of the explosive growth of modern science. Standardization and system make it easier to manage the rapid flow of papers, applications and people. But there are serious downsides. A lot of unproductive effort goes into jumping through bureaucratic hoops(繁文缛节), and outsiders face entry barriers at every turn.

Of course, Einstein would have found his way to meeting modern standards and publishing his results. Its scientific core wouldn’t have changed, but the paper might not be the same taste to read.

1. According to Richard Feynman, Einstein’s 1915 paper ________.

A．was a classic in theoretical physics

B．turned out to be comprehensible

C．needed further improvement

D．attracted few professionals

2. What does the underlined word “extraneous” in Paragraph 4 mean?

A．Unrealistic.	B．Irrelevant.
C．Unattractive.	D．Imprecise.

3. According to the author, what is affected as modern science develops?

A．The application of research findings.

B．The principle of scientific research.

C．The selection of young talents.

D．The evaluation of laboratories.

4. Which would be the best title for this passage?

A．What makes Einstein great?

B．Will science be professionalized?

C．Could Einstein get published today?

D．How will modern science make advances?

10 . A sleepover (过夜) program, which is designed to make kids believe that their favorite toys enjoy reading, can help encourage children to pick up more books, a new study suggests.

Toys sleepover programs are designed to get children interested in books. Children take their toys to a library for the night. At this point, workers and volunteers take photos of the toys which explore the library and read books. The next day, the children collect their toys and the photos of what the toys did during the night. They are given the books their toys chose to read.

It was found that before the sleepover the children did not spend time looking at the books in their play area at preschool. Immediately after the sleepover, the number of children who read to the toys was higher than the number who did not, but after three days the effect decreased gradually.

The researchers also tested a method for sustaining the effect. They reminded the children of the sleepover a month later, by hiding the toys and showing them the photos again the next day. This simple method brought an increase in the number of children reading to their toys.

The study proves for the first time that children who take part in sleepover programs read picture books to their toys more. “We wanted to know if there really was an effect, and if so, how long it lasts. Surprisingly, not only did the children show interest in the books, but they also began to read to their toys. This means that a new behavior pattern appeared that the children hadn’t had before. We did not expect anything like this,” said one of the researchers.

Reading is important for the development of children’s language skills and imagination. When parents read to their children, it is a passive way of reading for the child. However, when children read to their toys, it is a more active, self-directed way of reading, helping them develop into more active readers, researchers said.

1. What is the purpose of the sleepover program?

A．To develop children’s language skills.

B．To help children to sleep well.

C．To encourage children to read more.

D．To guide children to form a good sleeping habit.

2. What do children do in the sleepover program?

A．Go around the library with their toys.

B．Sleep with their toys.

C．Read together with their toys.

D．Take their toys to the library.

3. The underlined word “sustaining” in paragraph 4 can be replaced by______.

A．keeping

B．testing

C．surveying

D．showing

4. What made the researchers surprised after the study of the sleepover program?

A．Children showed no interest in the books.

B．The effect of the sleepover program could last long.

C．Children began to read to their toys on their own.

D．Whether the sleepover program had an effect remained unknown.