Born to a model mom and a suit maker dad, fashion was actually in my blood. I always had a strong desire to dress in a certain way and to stand out from the crowd.
I made my own toys when I was a young child and sewed my first skirt at just 10 years old. A friend’s mother took one look at my skirt and told me that I should be a patternmaker. In high school I started making my own clothes, mostly changing other things because I never liked anything how it was when I bought it. During the last two years of school, I worked part-time for a small business that made hand-painted silk clothing and bags. The owner became the teacher who got me into design in the first place. Another useful bit of work experience then came when I worked at a showroom during fashion week and found it very exciting. From there I worked at a top clothing store while I got my business started.
For my business I started out with the idea that everything I did would be hand-made and one-of-a-kind, specially made for one individual who hopefully had the same tastes as me. Every morning I jumped out of bed, went to my studio and worked on my projects. This just showed how enthusiastic I felt about my work. And at night I even dreamed of new designs!
Fashion design is functional art. What I mean is that it’s something close to you and something you can touch and feel, and actually interact with. My advice to any young person who wants to be a fashion designer is to get the basic skills early on, such as sewing and pattern-making. Even if you end up specializing, it’s really important to understand all aspects of design in order to make high-quality clothes.
Also, if you dream of having your own clothing line, the best thing to do is start wearing your clothes. You have to try and do this because that’s the way you’re going to develop something that’s all yours and unlike anyone else’s. I passionately believe that the right clothing can make people feel better and give them more confidence.
1. When the author was in high school, she ______.
| A．wore the latest fashions |
| B．was fond of hand-painted clothing |
| C．began to make clothes on her own |
| D．dressed in the same way as her classmates |
| A．Practical. | B．Standard. | C．Decorative. | D．Complex. |
| A．Creating basic designs in high school. |
| B．Wearing high-quality clothes all the time. |
| C．Looking at what their friends are wearing. |
| D．Deciding what is unique about their clothes. |
| A．cost people a lot of money |
| B．bring people great success |
| C．provide people with popular taste |
| D．help people feel sure of themselves |
2 . After about two weeks of intense negotiations in Paris, delegates from around the world reached an international agreement on Dec. 12 to address climate change. For the first time in history, 195 countries have promised to reduce greenhouse gas（GHG）emissions and to increase these reductions over time.
The agreement goes beyond requiring developed countries like the US to take actions to cut down emissions. It's a universal agreement requiring some form of action from every country, rich or poor.
The agreement sets the date for an emissions peak "as soon as possible". It would also limit warming worldwide to less than 2℃ above the levels in the 1800s. According to scientific studies 2℃ is the point at which climate change will bring destructive consequences to the planet, including rising sea levels, severe droughts, increased flooding, destructive storms, and widespread food and water shortages.
The deal also urges wealthy countries to set a non- binding goal of providing more than $100 billion（650 billion yuan）per year in public and private financing by 2020 for poorer countries to help them invest in clean energy and combat the impact of climate change.
The Paris deal asks countries to make voluntary promises based on an analysis of each country's economy, politics and technology. However, the deal also includes a series of legally binding（有约束力的）requirements. It requires countries to reconvene every five years, starting in 2020, with updated plans that would cut their further emissions. Countries will also be legally required to reconvene every five years starting in 2023 to publicly report on their progress.
The Paris deal alone won't solve global warming. Its effectiveness will depend on whether each country enacts（立法）their promise. But the deal "could be viewed as a signal to global financial and energy markets, triggering a fundamental shift away from investment in coal, oil and gas as primary energy sources like wind, solar and nuclear power", according to The New York Times.
1. Which of the following is true according to the passage?| A．The agreement requires only developed countries to take actions to cut down emissions. |
| B．The agreement would limit warming worldwide to 2℃ less than the levels in the 1800s. |
| C．The agreement requires some form of action from all the countries in the world |
| D．The constant global warming will do great harm to the planet. |
| A．do something to fight against the influence of climate change |
| B．invest more in coal, oil and gas as primary energy sources |
| C．provide more than $100 billion per year in public and private financing |
| D．report on their progress of reducing their emissions every 5 years in Paris |
| A．Meet | B．Report. | C．Promise | D．Return. |
| A．a science magazine | B．a newspaper |
| C．a school text | D．an economic lecture |
3 . Jerome Karie and Isabella Lugoski met in their first physical chemistry class at the University of Michigan in 1940. Jerome Karie was in his first year of doctoral work, Isabella Lugoski was in her last year as an undergraduate(大学本科生), and they were laboratory partners. However, they didn't get along well at first.
Isabella Lugoski looked back on the past, “I walked into the physical chemistry laboratory and there's a young man in the desk next to mine with his equipment all set up running his experiment. I don't think I was very polite about my question. I asked him how he got there early and had everything all set up. He didn't like that. So we didn't talk to each other for a while.
Their relationship got going as they competed for the top grade in that course and they started to build connection because both of them were interested in chemistry. They married in 1942. By 1946, both of the Karies had earned doctorates in physical chemistry, and, after a period of time at the University of Chicago working on the Manhattan Project, moved to Washington DC to join the US Naval Research Laboratory.
Each specialized in a different aspect of X-ray crystallography(晶体学): Jerome focused on developing equations(方程式) that could determine how atoms(原子) were arranged inside complex molecules, while Isabella ran practical experiments to test how well the equations worked. Working together, they created what is now called the direct method for determining molecular structures(分子结构), which has allowed scientists to effectively study and copy complex organic molecules to continue further study.
Jerome Karie was awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1985. Although he was disappointed that the Nobel committee had ignored Isabella's contribution to that work, she was unfazed. At that point, she had already won more awards and prize money for her experimental work than he had.
1. What did Isabella Lugoski do when she first met Jerome Karie?| A．She blamed him for his being late. | B．She set up all his equipment for him. |
| C．She asked him a question impolitely. | D．She observed his experiment silently. |
| A．Their common interest in chemistry. | B．Their wonderful marriage since 1940. |
| C．Their pleasant first talk in a laboratory. | D．Their successful cooperation in courses. |
| A．The Karies' encouraging further study. | B．The Karies' good teamwork in science. |
| C．How the Karies worked with others. | D．Why the Karies won the Nobel Prize. |
| A．Generous. | B．Touched. | C．Shocked. | D．Calm. |
4 . Many wildflowers of spring in eastern North America bloom thanks to ants. The tiny six-legged gardeners have partnered with those plants and about 11, 000 others to spread their seeds. The plants，in turn, “pay” for the service by attaching a calorie-loaded appendage (附属物) to each seed, much like fleshy fruits remunerate birds and mammals that desert seeds or poop (排泄) them out. But there's more to the ant-seed relationship than that exchange, researchers reported last week at the annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America, which was held online.
Many ants eat seeds. Certain plants attach a nutritive globe called an elaiosome to their seed coats, which serves as a favorite lunch for the ants’ young and gives ants a handle on seeds that can be bigger than their heads. Until now, researchers assumed the ants simply carry the seeds to their nests, feed the elaiosome to their young, and deposit the seed either outside or inside at the colony's “garbage dump”, which provides a rich environment for shooting.
In both the field and the lab, Chelsea Miller presented ants with seeds from various trillium (延龄花) species and found the ants were quick to pick up some species’ seeds while leaving others to rot, Miller said. To find out how ants make their choices, Miller and Susan Whitehead at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) used techniques to analyze the chemical makeup of elaiosomes. They found that ants pick seeds based on the specific combination and concentrations of acid and other compounds (化合物) made by the plant, 20 of which are unique to trilliums. The ants’ tastes may affect plant species’ distributions, say Kirsten Prior, an ecologist at Binghamton University: “Widespread trillium species are preferred by seed-dispersing ants compared to rare trillium species.”
Melissa Burt, an ecologist at Virginia Tech, hopes these studies bring ants new respect. “Many people who talk about ants only know them as insects that are taking over their kitchens, but many ants perform important functions in ecosystems,” she says. “Seed dispersal is just one of those.”
1. What does the underlined word “remunerate” probably mean?| A．Attract. | B．Track. | C．Free. | D．Reward. |
| A．It's a tasty treat for young ants. | B．It's no smaller than ants’ heads. |
| C．It is used as young ants’ new nest. | D．It can be used as a weapon to protect ants. |
| A．To analyze the specific combination affecting the plant growth. |
| B．To find out the reason for ants preferring some seeds to others. |
| C．To prove the accuracy of their lab techniques applied in the field. |
| D．To understand the way of ants distributing different plant species’ seeds. |
| A．Annoying. | B．Greedy. | C．Creative. | D．Hardworking. |
5 . Today we can do everything with apps: pay bills, order food and shop for anything. Mobile technology means we can hold the world in our hands. However, when it comes to technology and health care, chances and challenges come together.
Let's start with the ways to get health care. Telemedicine can allow a patient to use technology to see the doctor online and get a diagnosis and instructions without leaving home.
In addition, there are many patient websites. These allow for different kinds of interactions about our health needs without involving the medical team. Setting a date with doctors and reading lab results are readily achieved by technology.
A whole new age of medical care seems likely to come in the future. But every coin has two sides. What might be on the other side of techno-health care?
Firstly, we should think about the health care experience as a whole. A usual visit to a doctor begins with a receptionist, who can see and tell how a patient is doing. This may influence the treatment effect. It's unlikely that a patient website will have such intuition.
Next, sharing the details of one's life requires trust, which takes time to build. This is certainly true in health care, where some of life's best and worst moments involve doctors. The human touch should not be undervalued and is unlikely to be there over the smartphone.
Lastly, test results can be difficult to understand. When someone without a medical degree sees a flagged result with no explanation on the website, there's room for all kinds of stories to form in their minds—and also great worry .
So how does medicine adapt to the new technology age? Very talented companies are working on it. There is medical equipment that can be used at home to send necessary signs and heart sounds through telemedicine. It seems likely that some companies will find a way to explain test results.
But what it will not achieve is the warmth of human interaction and touch. Patients often need someone to listen to-and care about — their journey story, which will never be realized through a human-less technology. Technology should be a tool, but depending on it totally will most certainly have unexpected effects. Let's not allow our humanity to be one of them.
1. How does technology help health care?| A．It encourages doctors to voice their needs on the websites. |
| B．It offers the patient a convenient way to get a diagnosis. |
| C．It improves relations between doctors and patients. |
| D．It provides a chance to build a medical team. |
| A．An interesting experience. | B．An ability to understand. |
| C．A chance to win. | D．A fair decision. |
| A．Patient websites require trust from doctors. | B．Talented companies can give medical advice. |
| C．Flagged results may cause worry for patients. | D．Medical equipment collects patients' stories. |
| A．Technology can deal with unexpected effects. |
| B．Telemedicine can take the place of usual health care. |
| C．Techno-health care should take humanity into consideration. |
| D．It is difficult for patients to adapt to the new technology age. |
6 . When visitors to the Palace Museum feel a need to sit down for a cup of tea or find a bathroom without a long line, they soon will be able to turn to their smart phones for the information they need.
This modern day solution comes thanks to an agreement signed on Friday by the museum and Huawei Co., the telecommunication giant, to build a “smart network” using 5G technology. Under the agreement, 5G Wi-Fi signals will cover the Palace Museum, China's royal palace from 1420 to 1911, and the branch museum of the institution under construction in northwestern Beijing.
“It’s essential to always stay close to the latest technology to better serve the public,” said Shan Jixiang, former director of the Palace Museum. Shan said there is still much room for improvement in the handling of a huge number of cultural relics (文物)，such as when the priceless painting Along the River During the Qingming Festival is exhibited again in the future. When it was last exhibited in 2015, visitors stood in long lines until 3 am to get a glimpse. The museum ended up preparing instant noodles to serve the hungry visitors. “I don't want that scenario to reoccur," Shan said. “Our operation can be done in a more scientific way.
The new system will also make use of the closed--circuits television cameras that are set up all over the Palace Museum to safeguard the museum's precious relics. More than 1.86 million of them are housed at the museum, which recorded nearly 20 million visits from the public last year, topping all museums worldwide. “How can we make sure no single visitor who might have evil ideas threatens these treasures?" Shan said. “After adopting the internet of things, we can instantly detect any motion involving the artifacts to prevent such threats.”
The 5G network also will be used to improve remote consultation through webcams, which will facilitate conversations with overseas scholars to jointly find the best answers for restoration and preservation issues.
1. What do we know about the Palace Museum?| A．Its visitors won't have to queue up for the bathroom. |
| B．It has served as China's royal palace for over 500 years. |
| C．It will cooperate with Huawei to promote its management. |
| D．It will set up advanced television cameras for the purpose of safety. |
| A．Disaster. | B．Situation. | C．Operation. | D．Exhibition. |
| A．It is better than any other museums. | B．It has a rich collection of cultural relics. |
| C．It enjoys great popularity all over the world. | D．It faces a tough challenge of protecting relics. |
| A．A Feast for Museum Visitors | B．A Revolution in Exhibition |
| C．A Protector of Cultural Relics | D．A Connection Between Old and New |
7 . I’m going to be completely honest. I have no idea how I ended up with this opportunity, I have no idea what I’m doing, but I am very happy to be here.
Last summer a friend tagged me in a Facebook post from BBC Earth and encouraged me to apply to the BBC Presenter Search 2018. The assignment was easy and hard, make a video shorter than 60 seconds where you talk about something in science you think is cool. Simple concept, but for me it was challenging as I want to talk about bryophytes(苔藓植物) forever (which is slightly longer than 60 seconds).
So I decided to make an attempt. I was going to make a 60 second video about sphagnum(水苔), commonly known as peat moss and uncommonly known as an unsung climate hero. Sphagnum is the plant genus that holds the most carbon in the world, it slowly builds up its carbon storage over hundreds of thousands of years and if undisturbed, they never let go of the carbon they gathered.
Making a short video on this was hard because I wanted to include everything. And it became even harder as I had no one to hold the camera. I tied my camera to the scrawniest little tree, swinging in the wind as a bird tried to chase me away from the mud. This chaos ended up as the video “Why sphagnum is awesome” on my channel. I submitted the video, but didn’t dare to write in the description section of the video that it was a submission, because I never imagined that I could win!
But I did.
I waited two months before I could tell people that I had won the search, and when the news came out, I received the most attention I’ve had in my entire life.
No matter your background, whether you want to pass the time or pass an exam, I really hope you enjoy the video!
1. What can we infer about the author from paragraph 1?| A．She is uncertain about the result. | B．She gets used to telling people lies. |
| C．She is unable to achieve the goal. | D．She knows much about the ending. |
| A．It can form its carbon storage in a very slow way. |
| B．It is universally recognized as an unknown climate hero. |
| C．It won’t release the carbon without being disturbed. |
| D．It contains a large amount of carbon. |
| A．weakest | B．strongest |
| C．shortest | D．most energetic |
| A．She shows great interest in filming the video. |
| B．Her knowledge helps overcome all the difficulties. |
| C．Her attitude and hard work pay off eventually. |
| D．She is more than delighted to gain the most attention. |
8 . “I think I’m nothing more than a dead fish.” “I don’t want to do anything.” “I’m so beat and so sad.”…The young generation in our country used to enjoy their “happy culture” but now they have become “beat and sad” slowly and secretly. Some people even called it “the beat culture”. The “Beat” youths don’t want to do anything. They have no purpose, no desire and they are totally depressed so that they only want to live an aimless life. The “Ge You slouch (葛优瘫)” and the song I feel like having been drained are the examples.
Many media concern themselves about this phenomenon and try to persuade the youths into embracing positive and healthy feelings and encourage them to work hard to get rid of decadence. This is really a kind gesture. However, we don’t have to worry too much about this “beat culture.” In fact, it’s not a negative thing. “Beat” never means despair, but a way of self-mockery(自嘲)and pressure relief.
In general, the youths in China are not “beat”. According to a recent international research, the youths in China hold positive attitude towards the future. 29% of the Chinese interviewees believe they will live and work in peace in China because “as long as you work hard, you can have your own day”. Around 93% of the Chinese interviewees believe the future is promising because of medicine industry, renewable energy sources and computer. Compared with Chinese youngsters, youths in developed countries are more pessimistic (悲观的).
Of course there are some social reasons for the appearing of “the Beat Culture”. As urbanization develops rapidly, youths living in big cities are facing new challenges that their forefathers have never met before. Loneliness and feelings of insignificance and powerlessness are easy to get hold of the young people. Without proper care, they could threaten our mentality and cause many social problems. These problems probably need our attention more.
1. “The Beat culture” includes the following examples except that _______| A．the young generation don’t feel like doing anything. |
| B．the young generation consider themselves dead fish. |
| C．the young generation in big cities are facing new challenges. |
| D．the young generation enjoy the song I feel like having been drained. |
| A．loneliness | B．laziness |
| C．sufferings | D．pessimism |
| A．Most people believe that with hard work, people can have their own day. |
| B．These days, young people suffer much more loneliness than their parents. |
| C．Chinese youths are more negative than young people in developed countries. |
| D．Social development does bring some pressure to the younger generation. |
| A．The Chinese youths are not the beat generation. |
| B．How does “the Beat Culture” affect the Chinese youth. |
| C．“The Beat Culture” is positive to Chinese youngsters. |
| D．“The Beat culture” is popular among the Chinese youngsters. |
9 . A new study shows that the increased heat from Arctic (北极的)rivers is making sea ice in the Arctic Ocean gradually disappear. The study published this week in Science Advance was led by the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, together with other scientists in the United States, United Arab Emi rates , Finland and Canada.
According to the research, the main Arctic rivers bring more heat to the Arctic Ocean than they did in 1980. River heat is one of the reasons that cause sea ice loss of the Arctic Ocean. That loss is equal to about 120,000 square miles of 1-mcter thick ice. "If Alaska were covered by 1-meter thick icc. 20% of Alaska would be gone," explained Igor Polyakov, a re- searcher at the University of Alaska Fairbanks' International Arctic Research Center.
Rivers have the greatest influence during spring. The wanning water pours into the ice covered Arctic Ocean and spreads below the ice， slowly destroying it. Once the sea ice melts(融化), the warm water makes the temperature go up. The research found that much more river heat energy entered the air. Since air is mobile, this means river heat can influence areas of the Arctic far from river deltas (三角洲).
The influence was the most prominent in the Siberian Arctic, where several large rivers go into the Arctic Ocean. Canada's Mackenzie River is the only river large enough to contribute to sea ice meh near Alaska, but the state's smaller rivers are also a source of heat.
Polyakov says that rising global air temperatures will continue to warm Arctic rivers in the future. As rivers heat up, more warm water will flow into the Arctic Ocean, melting more sea ice,
1. What does the increased heat from Arctic rivers cause?| A．Dry weather in the Arctic. |
| B．A strange disease in the Arctic. |
| C．The gradual loss of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean. |
| D．The death of fish in the Arctic Ocean. |
| A．Alaska will disappear. |
| B．There's more and more sea ice in the Arctic Ocean. |
| C．10% of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean melts each day. |
| D．Arctic rivers bring more heat to the Arctic Ocean. |
| A．Obvious. | B．Important. | C．Famous. | D．Generous. |
| A．Arctic Rivers Will Disappear |
| B．Arctic Rivers Are Melting Arctic Sea Ice |
| C．Arctic Rivers Will Create a New River Delta |
| D．Arctic Rivers Bring More Sea Animals to the Arctic Ocean |
10 . Argentina soccer legend Diego Maradona has died aged 60 of heart failure on Wednesday. Heart failure is a chronic condition that gradually damages the heart's ability to pump blood. Fluid can build up in the lungs as a result — a condition known as pulmonary edema. It is an increasingly common problem that can be fatal.
Regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the game, Maradona became a household name after inspiring his country to World Cup glory in 1986. He took center stage at the tournament with a memorable performance against England where he scored a symbolic goal that he later described as the "Hand of God".
The small forward out-jumped legendary keeper Peter Shilton and knocked the ball into the net. The goal was allowed to stand, though it was claimed to be a handball. Later in the very game he scored one of the best goals in history after weaving his way past seven English defenders.
His impressive career was also marked by numerous controversies and his notorious lifestyle led to alcoholism and addiction.
Argentina's President Alberto Fernandez announced three days of national mourning for the passing of the superstar, and posted a tribute to Maradona on Twitter. "You took us to the top of the world. You made us feel incredibly happy. You were the greatest of all. Thank you for having existed," it read.
Maradona will lie in honor for public viewing at Argentina's presidential palace. Fans headed to the streets across Argentina and in Naples on Wednesday to pay tribute to（悼念） their hero. Meanwhile, a minute's silence would be observed ahead of all European matches this week in honor of the Argentine.
"He will go down in history as someone who set football alight and thrilled global fans young and old with his brilliance and skill."
1. Why did the famous football player Maradona die?| A．Old age. | B．Heart illness. | C．Loss of blood. | D．Lung cancer. |
| A．His achievements in life. | B．His "Hand of God". |
| C．His great performance in 1986. | D．His legendary life. |
| A．good | B．bad | C．common | D．healthy |
| A．Respectful. | B．Unkind. | C．Impolite. | D．Friendly. |
