1 . A study has found that people who are literate (识字的）had a third the risk of developing dementia (痴呆症）compared with those who had never learnt to read and write. The scientists — behind the study suggested that learning to read may reveal new intellectual worlds and promote a life of the mind that might help to keep brains sharp into old age.
“If one acquires the ability to read and write, that opens up opportunities to engage in cognitively (认知的）stimulating activities, ” Miguel Arce Renteria ，from Columbia University Medical Centre, said. “Even with low education， you can read newspapers and books. That provides opportunities for constant stimulation that can last for the rest of your life. Maybe that might give protection and reduce the effects of dementia."
The research published in the journal Neurology, looked at almost 1, 000 older people in New York, chosen because they had received little education as children. The average age was 77 and more than 90 percent were immigrants (移民），Ali of them had had four years or less of education, with about a quarter describing themselves as illiterate.
Among those who did not read, 35 percent had dementia at the start of the study, increasing to 48 percent four years later. Among the literate respondents, 18 percent had dementia at the outset, rising to 27 percent. After adjusting for social class, age and other risk factors, the scientists concluded that illiterate people were three times more likely to have dementia. They were also twice as likely to have it over the four years of the investigation.
It is impossible to say for certain that the link means that literacy delays dementia. It may be that people who managed to get a better education before arriving in the US were also different in other ways. However, Dr Arce Renteria said, “What this provides is strong evidence for a pretty strong link. ”
1. What is the finding of the study?| A．Dementia slows people’s reading speed. |
| B．Dementia can be cured, by reading. |
| C．Literacy prmotes life quality of old people. |
| D．Literacy makes dementia less likely. |
| A．Bottom. | B．Middle | C．Beginning. | D．End. |
| A．By carrying out experiments. | B．By making a comparison. |
| C．By working on an assumption. | D．By analyzing different answers. |
2 . Bees are essential for the pollination of flowers, fruits and vegetables. Sadly, over the past 15 years, the global population of the hardworking insects has been dropping worldwide at alarming rates due to loss of food and habitat. Now, Dutch cities are coming up with creative ideas to help stem the population decrease of these all-important insects.
In Amsterdam, bees can live for free in specially built “hotels” — tall wooden structures — across the city. While they may not look like much to the untrained eye, they provide perfect homes for members of the over 200 known species of solitary bees. As the name indicates, the insects spend their lives alone. The smart insects nest inside holes like the ones provided by the insect hotels, marking their occupancy by covering the entrance with a mud “door”. Though unable to produce honey, solitary bees are excellent pollinators and perform an essential role in many ecosystems.
Additionally, city officials are also educating people on the use of harmful chemicals and are providing prize money to encourage developers to build green roofs and populate them with local plants. In 2015, they set a goal to change some plants in public green spaces to native plants. Geert, one of eight ecologists working for the city, says, “Our idea is when we design a park, we use native species but also the species that give a lot of flowering and fruit for bees.” Many people, with help from the government, are replacing the sidewalks outside their homes with small gardens featuring flowers.
In Utrecht, bus stop roofs are gradually being turned into beautiful, living gardens designed to attract varieties of bee species. The green roofs, which naturally collect both rainwater and dust, are also beneficial for the environment.
These cities’ collective efforts seem to be working. A recent study found that the variety of bee species there has increased by an astonishing 45 percent since 2000.
1. What does the underlined word “stem” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?| A．Review . | B．Stop. | C．Monitor. | D．Improve. |
| A．They’re not social insects. |
| B．They make high-quality honey. |
| C．They like to nest together in woods. |
| D．They’re scared of other species of bees. |
| A．Collect rainwater for future use. |
| B．Plant flowers for enjoyment. |
| C．Draw bees to them. |
| D．Clear dust away. |
| A．Protecting the environment. |
| B．Importance of bees in ecosystems. |
| C．Design ideas of insect hotels and bee stops. |
| D．Dutch cities’ attempts to restore bee population. |
3 . Some people think only school children do not agree with their parents, however, it is not true. Communication is a problem for parents and children of all ages. If it’s hard for you to communicate with your parents, don’t worry about it. Here are some advice for you to bridge the generation gap (代沟).
Don’t argue with your parents. Don’t get to parents when you are angry. Your parents probably won’t consider your ideas if you are shouting at them. And you can’t express yourself well if you are angry. Go someplace to cool off. Make sure you understand why you are unhappy. Then think about what you want to say to your parents. If you don’t think you can speak to them at the moment, try writing a letter.
Try to reach a compromise (和解). Perhaps you and your parents disagree on something. You can keep your disagreement and try your best to accept each other. Michael’s mother didn’t agree with him about buying a motorcycle. They argued over it. But they finally cane to a compromise. Michael bought the motorcycle, but only drove it on certain days.
Of course, your parents might refuse to compromise on something. In these situations, it is especially important to show love and respect to them. Showing respect will keep your relationship strong.
Talk about your values. The values of your parents are probably different from those of your own. Tell your parents what you care about, and why. Understanding your values night help then see your purposes in life.
A good relationship with your parents can make you a better and happier person. It is worth having a try!
1. According to the passage who have a communication problem?| A．parents and other people | B．only school kids and their parents |
| C．teachers and their students | D．parents and children of all ages |
| A．5. | B．4 | C．3 | D．2. |
| A．建立 | B．消除 | C．通过 | D．到达 |
| A．argue with them | B．keep away from them |
| C．agree with them all the time | D．tell your parents what you care about |
| A．How to bridge the generation gap | B．How to deal with family problems |
| C．How to be good parents | D．How to be a good child |
4 . The government's top Great Barrier Reef scientist says a third mass coral bleaching (珊瑚白化) event in five years is a clear signal that the marine wonder is “calling for urgent help on climate change. Corals can recover from mild bleaching, but severe bleaching can kill corals.
Prof Terry Hughes, director of the Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University, surveyed 1,036 reefs from a plane over nine days in late March.
The marine park authority also had an observer on the flights. The survey has released maps showing that serious levels of bleaching occurred in 2020 in all three sections of the reef northern, central and southern. Some 25% of the reefs were seriously bleached-meaning that more than 60% of the corals on each reef had bleached.
The Great Barrier Reel has experienced five mass bleaching events-1998. 2002,2016, 2017 and 2020 -all caused by rising ocean temperatures driven by global heating. Hughes said there probably would not be the same level of coral death in the north and central regions in 2020 as in previous years, but this was partly because previous bleaching outbreaks had kill off the less heat -tolerant species The 2020 bleaching was second only to 2016 for severity(严重性), Hughes said.
Dr. David Wachenfeld，chief scientist at the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, told Guardian Australia "My greatest fear is that people will lose hope for the reef. Without hope there's no action. People need to see these bleaching events, They are clear signals that the Great Barrier Reef is alling for urgent help and for us to do everything we can”.
Measures to improve the ability of recovery of the reef include improving water quality, controlling outbreaks of coral-eating starfish, and research and development to improve the heat tolerance of corals. " However, climate change brings a new scale of impact unlike anything we have seen before. Thus, dealing with the climate problem is the basis for everything else to work, ” Wachenfeld said.
1. What does the underlined word “mild” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?| A．Serious |
| B．Strong. |
| C．Steady. |
| D．Slight. |
| A．The majority of the corals on each reef were bleached. |
| B．The survey was carried out on a plane by Hughes alone. |
| C．The 2020 bleaching killed off the less heat tolerant species. |
| D．The 2020 bleaching was worse than those of all the previous years. |
| A．have done everything they can for the reef |
| B．are sure to lose hope for the reef |
| C．will care more about the reef |
| D．will have no action at all |
| A．Improving water quality. |
| B．Making efforts to prevent global warming. |
| C．controlling outbreaks of coral-eating starfish., |
| D．Doing research on the heat tolerance of corals. |
5 . When the young donkey Daisy May came to us，she was pregnant. With no donkey experience. I was unprepared for what might come next.
After some difficulty，Daisy’s baby was born. I thought the poor thing was dead. I planned to put the loss behind us and make sure she never got pregnant again. Just then，I heard a little noise. I couldn’t believe that baby was breathing and looking at me!We called him Samson，and of course I became his mother as much as Daisy was.
When Samson was nine months old，I had to separate Daisy and Samson for a few hours a day to wean(使断奶)him，but otherwise he went wherever she did. I think she would be lost without him. His donkey stepdad Bernard taught him to always be ready to have fun. They enjoy playing football together and going for a roll on a hot summer day.
I asked a worker to make a harness(马具)for my three little donkeys. When I brought it home I taught them one by one how to pull a cart. Samson watched and freely followed Daisy. When he was three，I put the harnness on him and he knew exactly what to do.
That was 15 years ago. Now，the most exciting thing about Samson is that he has become a little renowned. People come from all over to see him perform. The neighbors bring their grandchildren，and my sons bring their friends.
Samson shakes hands，unties my shoe，picks up a hat and more. And when I ask him if he has any bad habits，he tries to pick my pocket!He surprisingly learned these tricks himself. I just ask him to do them and he understands.
The relationship I have with my“baby”Samson has been an amazing experience. Every day is a fun day with this superstar donkey.
1. Why was the author at a loss for what might happen next at first?| A．She wasn’t ready to be a mother. |
| B．She never raised a donkey before. |
| C．The donkey was pregnant by accident. |
| D．The donkey gave birth to a dead baby. |
| A．He was surrounded by love. |
| B．He was separated from his family. |
| C．He was unwelcome to the neighbors. |
| D．He was skilled in entertaining people. |
| A．Friendly and courageous. | B．Intelligent and lively. |
| C．Carefree and creative. | D．Patient and fortunate. |
| A．Strange. | B．Proud. |
| C．Humorous. | D．Famous. |
6 . Scientists say a huge percentage of bird species are in danger because their habitats are disappearing.
The scientists studied the migration, or flight, paths, of almost 1,500 species and decided that 91 percent of them passed through dangerous areas. The major danger for migratory birds is development. Building and paving have covered over nature where birds stop and feed as they move from one part of the world to another.
For example, a bird called the bar-tailed godwit migrates from its breeding grounds in the Arctic. It flies all the way to Australia and New Zealand. The problem, according to investigators, is that many of these small birds die along their migration because they don't have a safe place to eat and rest. There is no place to restore their energy for the next part of their journey. “They simply perish along the way,” says one of the scientists.
Countries in North Africa, Central Asia and those along the coasts of East Asia are having the most difficult time conserving land. The scientists say these countries do not have enough areas that are safe for birds.
“Our world gets poorer every time we lose a species,’’ one of the scientists says.
The researchers say countries need to work together and come up with safe stopover areas for birds that pass through their boundaries.
For example, one country might have preserved safe zones for migrating birds. But a neighbor country might not. A bird might die.
One scientist who is not involved in the report tells the Los Angeles Times that while some habitats are changing, more work can be done to make urban areas safe for birds. He says small changes-like planting more native plants or keeping cats out of areas birds would be likely to use-could make a big difference.
1. What’s the major danger for migratory birds according to the passage?| A．They can’t find enough food along the way. |
| B．They have lost their way because of human development. |
| C．Human development has occupied their natural habitats. |
| D．They are sometimes struck by human diseases. |
| A．They fly from the Arctic south to Australia every year. |
| B．They can pick out good resting place along the way. |
| C．They have died out because of human hunting. |
| D．They have their conserved land in Australia. |
| A．Continue. | B．Die. | C．Settle. | D．Migrate. |
7 . More than 10 years ago，it was difficult to buy a tasty pineapple (菠萝)．The fruits that made it to the UK were green on the outside and，more often than not，hard with an unpleasant taste within.Then in 1996，the Del Monte Gold pineapple produced in Hawaii first hit our shelves.
The new type of pineapple looked more yellowygold than green. It was slightly softer on the outside and had a lot of juice inside.But the most important thing about this new type of pineapple was that it was twice as sweet as the hitandmiss pineapples we had known.In no time，the Del Monte Gold took the market by storm，rapidly becoming the world’s bestselling pineapple variety，and delivering natural levels of sweetness in the mouth，up until then only found in tinned pineapple.
In nutrition (营养) it was all good news too.This nicetasting pineapple contained four times more vitamin C (维生素C) than the old green variety.Nutritionists said that it was not only full of vitamins，but also good against some diseases.People were understandably eager to be able to buy this wonderful fruit.The new type of pineapple was selling fast, and the Del Monte Gold pineapple rapidly became a_fixture in the shopping basket of the healthy eaters.
Seeing the growing market for its winning pineapple，Del Monte tried to keep the market to itself.But other fruit companies developed similar pineapples.Del Monte turned to law for help，but failed.Those companies argued successfully that Del Monte’s attempts to keep the golden pineapple for itself were just a way to knock them out of the market.
1. We learn from the text that the new type of pineapple is________.| A．green outside and sweet inside |
| B．goodlooking outside and soft inside |
| C．yellowygold outside and hard inside |
| D．a little soft outside and sweet inside |
| A．It was rich in nutrition and tasted nice. |
| B．It was less sweet and good for health. |
| C．It was developed by Del Monte. |
| D．It was used as medicine. |
| A．that people enjoy eating |
| B．that is always present |
| C．that is difficult to get |
| D．that people use as a gift |
| A．allowed other companies to develop pineapples |
| B．succeeded in keeping the pineapple for itself |
| C．tried hard to control the pineapple market |
| D．planned to help the other companies |
8 . They say there are three ways to experience the Grand Canyon; on foot, on mules(骡子) or by air. We chose the first. Up early, my husband and I and our three children couldn't wait to get started. We decided to walk along a lovely path named Bright Angel Trail.
As we set out, I was shocked at how narrow the path was. And I couldn't help noticing that the other tourists weren't like us. They had heavy backpacks, water bottles, and hats. But as usual we were dressed. As the sun rose higher, Arizona's famous heat seemed to roast us. There was no shade and our legs were aching. We decided to go back, with the girl on my back and the boys far behind. By the time we finally got back, our legs were like jelly.
The next day, after we'd had a long rest and a good breakfast, we were ready for another view of the Canyon—by air. After our last walk, this would be the easiest thing in the world.
We called to each other excitedly as the plane took off and circled around the Canyon. But the smiles on our faces disappeared as the pilot tossed(翻转) the plane around, pretending he was going to hit the ground. I shouted, "STOP, TAKE US BACK!" When we finally arrived back on land, once again our legs were like jelly. We hardly spoke as we drove back.
As I said, there are three ways to view the Grand Canyon. We never tried the mules, but personally I'd suggest a fourth: buy yourself a good magazine like National Geographic. That way, you can see the Canyon, without fear or tiredness.
1. Which of the following is true according to the second paragraph?| A．They made a careful preparation before the trip. |
| B．The children were more joyful than their parents. |
| C．Bright Angel Trail was not as lovely as they expected. |
| D．The summer heat prevented them from enjoying the view. |
| A．we were weak | B．we were unhappy |
| C．we were dissatisfied | D．we were disappointed |
| A．It proved to be frightening. | B．It was more comfortable. |
| C．It turned out to be exciting. | D．It made each of them tired. |
| A．experiencing the Canyon on mules would be the best way |
| B．one needs to dress less when visiting the Grand Canyon |
| C．the writer was not serious when she made the suggestion |
| D．the whole family narrowly escaped from the air accident |
