1 . 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. |
| A．Judgment. | B．Tendency. | C．Reaction. | D．Choice. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
2 . The TV series, The Longest Day in Chang'an, which was shown on Chinese online platforms last summer became a hit soon. Since then, it has been shown on partnering streaming platforms and TV networks abroad. Some websites overseas also offered the program to their users paying for it — the first time a Chinese series was broadcast as paid content abroad.
"I was amazed by the overseas audience's love for this show," Cao Dun, director of The Longest Day in Chang'an, told Bejing Review. "I was worried that they wouldn't understand the complex political structure of the Tang dynasty. But in reality the show is prompting foreign audiences to research Tang dynasty's history to better understand the plot. "
The unique culture in ancient China is not a barrier but a bridge to connect with foreign audiences. In the TV series, every figure is given enough space to flesh out his or her character. Telling stories of ordinary Chinese people that resonate (引起共鸣) with the audience might be the way to communicate with the world. "The success of the TV series shows that beauty is a universal language crossing borders," he told Beijing Review.
His ambition is to distinguish Chinese dramas from the TV shows in the rest of the world. "The TV series is a step in my plan to tell Chinese stories to the world," Cao said. "After describing the impressive beauty of the Tang dynasty, I am looking for several plays that tell stories of today's China. I don’t want to copy any country's production. Chinese dramas have to be built on our rich culture and Chinese people's everyday life," Cao added.
1. What do we know about the TV series?| A．It was first put on overseas. |
| B．It can be appreciated for free. |
| C．It is about the development of the Tang dynasty. |
| D．It was very popular once it was shown. |
| A．Requiring. | B．Reminding. |
| C．Encouraging. | D．Informing. |
| A．Stories of ordinary people. | B．Recognition of beauty. |
| C．Diversity of Chinese culture. | D．Personalities of every figure. |
| A．To tell Chinese stories to the world. | B．To make a successful TV series. |
| C．To show China’s different nationalities. | D．To learn the ancient political structure. |
3 . Oxford English Dictionary（OED） announced on November 23 for the first time that it has chosen not to name one single word of the year, but many words for the “special” year 2020. Describing 2020 as “a year which cannot be neatly summarized in one single word”. OED said on Monday that there were too many words to sum up the events of 2020. From more than 11 billion words found in web-based news, blogs and other text sources, its lexicographers(词典编纂者)revealed what the dictionary described as “great shifts in language data and frequency rises in new words” over the past 12 months.
Most words of the year are coronavirus-related, including coronavirus, lockdown, circuit-breaker, keyworkers and face masks. The report said the word "coronavirus" dates back to the 1960s and was previously "mainly used by scientific and medical specialists". But by April this year it had become one of the most frequently used nouns in the English language, beyond even the usage of the word "time". It said use of the word “pandemic” has increased by more than 57,000 percent this year.
The revolution in working habits during the pandemic has also affected language, with both “remote” and “remotely” seeing more than 300 percent growth in use since March. “On mute(静音)”and “unmute” have seen 500 percent rises since March, while the words “workation” and “staycation” also increased drastically.
Casper Grathwohl, the president of Oxford Dictionaries, said. “I've never witnessed a year in language like the one we've just had. The Oxford team was identifying hundreds of significant new words and usages as the year unfolded.” “2020 has been filled with new words unlike any other,” Grathwohl added.
The OED's announcement mirrored the huge influence of the COVID-19 on the people from all walks of life. To bring life back to normal, countries such as Britain, China, Germany, Russia and the United States are racing against time to develop coronavirus vaccines.
1. How did the lexicographers find words to summarize the events of 2020?| A．By consulting some experts, scholars and authors. |
| B．By consulting some reporters and hosts of news programs. |
| C．By referring to web-based news, blogs and other text sources. |
| D．By referring to magazines, newspapers and other printed materials. |
| A．They are precise. | B．They are subjective. |
| C．They are reasonable. | D．They are unique. |
| A．Sharply. | B．Steadily. | C．Similarly. | D．Slightly. |
| A．It is a word created in 2020. |
| B．It might first appear in the 1960s. |
| C．It is the only named word of 2020. |
| D．It has been frequently used since the 1960s. |
4 . In 2018 measles ( 麻疹) infected almost 10 million people around the world and killed 420. Countries that achieved high vaccination（苗接种） rates or had formerly eradicated the disease also failed to have narrow escape .
Fortunately, apart from troublesome measles, many inspirational global health stories happened in the last decade, new viruses, vaccines, and treatments were discovered, once again showing the significance of science.
Huge progress was made in virus research. For instance, a kind of virus named Medusavirus, which can turn an amoeba, a kind of single-celled living creature, into a "stone", was identified by Japanese scientists. The virus has one of the largest and most complicated viral genomes(基因组) that have ever been found. Besides, a new virus, Alongshan virus, was discovered in a group of patients in Inner Mongolia. Researchers also found for the first time that an insect RNA virus, the Providence virus, was able to infect plants and mammalian cells, which indicated that plants could serve as hosts of human viruses.
We also saw improvement in treatments and vaccines. Ebola virus is good case in point. According to the Royal Free Hospital in Britain, the drug MIL77, which had been developed by Academy of Military Medical Sciences, an institution in China, jointly with some other companies, was adopted to treat a Briton infected with the disease and helped her recover from the deadly virus. This has indicated China's capability of offering an economical and practical drug fighting Ebola virus worldwide. Furthermore, the Chinese and British medical research teams have worked on genome sequencing of the virus, making it possible to develop drugs and vaccines that are more effective. Therefore, Ebola is no longer a death sentence.
Thanks to investment in global supervision transnational partnership, and scientific research, many new viruses, vaccines, and treatments were successfully discovered in the last decade. But the journey will continue and much more needs to be done. For example, we need to have a deeper understanding of bow climate change influences the spread of infectious diseases
1. What does the underlined word "eradicated” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?| A．Got rid of. | B．Conducted research on | C．Lost control of | D．Come down with. |
| A．It is a newly identified virus . | B．It has the largest viral genome |
| C．It was discovered in Inner Mongolia. | D．It can infect both plants and humas |
| A．MIL77 is an effective Ebola vaccine. |
| B．No death will be caused by Ebola virus anymore. |
| C．China has made great contributions to fighting Ebola virus. |
| D．Genome sequencing of Ebola virus is too complicated to he carried out. |
| A．Science keeps improving global health | B．A victory over deadly diseases |
| C．Global cooperation in fighting viruses | D．Serious global health problems |
5 . When Hurricane Florence landed in North Carolina on the morning of September 14, it wasn’t 90-mile-an-hour winds that officials feared most. It was water. The 400-mile-wide-storm brought heavy rain and a 10-foot wave of seawater. Roads were destroyed. Trees fell down. More than 600,000 homes and businesses on the East Coast lost power. And it was just beginning.
By afternoon, the winds had slowed. But as the storm moved west, it brought great amounts of rain to North and South Carolina. By the end of Florence’s second day on land, North Carolina had gotten more than 30 inches of rain, a new record. The National Center said the results would be “catastrophic”.
North Carolina governor Roy Cooper surveyed the situation in his state on September 15. “Floodwater are still spreading,” he said afterwards, “and the risk to life is rising.”
It is hard to tell how many of the 1.7 million people along the East Coast who were ordered to leave actually did, or could. Even when skies cleared, on September 17, people were dying for help. Floodwaters trapped people on rooftops. Federal and state authorities(官方) in the Carolina saved hundreds of people by plane, boat, etc. Others were saved by volunteers.
By September 18, Florence had left at least 32 people dead. There was more trouble on the way. “Wilmington, North Carolina, was cut off by floods. The hardest-hit areas will remain underwater for days to come,” Chris Vaccaro, of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, told TIME for Kids. “Rivers that have already flooded areas may continue to rise as more water flows down.”
Brock Long, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said, “Recovery is always a very hard thing for people when they’ve lost their livelihoods,” he said. “But we’re going to be okay.”
1. What did officials fear most when Hurricane Florence hit the city?| A．Its high traveling speed | B．The area it affected |
| C．The water it brought | D．Its strong wind |
| A．Extremely bad | B．Totally different |
| C．Far more common | D．A little disappointing |
| A．The hurricane grew stronger than ever. |
| B．Communication was totally cut off. |
| C．Rivers and streams stopped rising. |
| D．Most trapped people were saved. |
| A．By providing examples |
| B．By making comparisons |
| C．By following the order of time |
| D．By following the order of importance |
6 . At age 12, Keegan Sobilo of New Baltimore carefully tucks his legs and arms into a fire suit, pulls on a helmet and climbs into a race car that exceeds 80 mph. He has been doing this since age 8.
"At first, I was scared to death. It was like, 'Let's do bowling or swimming.' It' s still very scary. But he knows what he's doing." said his mother.
"The sixth-grader always wears pajamas to the track every night and takes them off when he puts his race clothes on. He's been doing that for the last four years. That' s his trademark," said Tim Phillips, his crew chief. The first time he wore his train pajamas to the track, Keegan went from last place to ninth place. He decided they brought luck. Since then, he has won a series of championships.
Passion for cars runs in the family. Keegan' s father is a design mechanic at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. He knows what it means to have seats and roll cages built to fit his son's body. "I tell my son you have to be the perfect package. Winning races every weekend is not the only key. More importantly, you have to have the right name, you have to look the correct way, speak the correct way, and act the correct way. Then the rest of it is really luck, like the stock market."
While Keegan' s classmates play basketball and volleyball, Keegan is at the Birch Run track—practicing, qualifying and racing until 10 pm or 2 am. While many children spend time playing video games, Keegan runs race simulation training with his joystick（操纵杆）after school.
"The kid is cool. It was like having a grandson. We showed respect to each other. And he takes it very seriously," said competitor Mike Todd, 69, of Galesburg, Michigan. "He's an older soul in a young man's body."
1. What does the underlined word "exceeds" in paragraph 1 mean?| A．Remains stable. | B．Goes beyond |
| C．Stops | D．Climbs |
| A．Victory | B．Safety |
| C．Good qualities. | D．Real luck. |
| A．Keegan spends a lot of time practicing |
| B．the train pajamas bring Keegan success |
| C．Keegan's mother worries about his studies |
| D．Keegan picked up the hobby at the age of 4 |
| A．his grandfather | B．his race car |
| C．his competitor | D．his joystick |
7 . I have been consistently opposed to feeding a baby regularly. As a doctor, mother and scientist in child development I believe there is nothing to recommend it, from the baby's point of view.
Mothers, doctors and nurses alike have no idea of where a baby's blood sugar level lies. All we know is that a low level is harmful to brain development and makes a baby easily annoyed. In this state, the baby is difficult to calm down and sleep is impossible. The baby asks for attention by crying and searching for food with its mouth.
It is not just unkind but also dangerous to say a four-hourly feeding schedule will make a baby satisfied. The first of the experts to advocate a strict clock-watching schedule was Dr Frederic Truby King who was against feeding in the night. I've never heard anything so ridiculous. Baby feeding shouldn't follow a timetable set by the mum. What is important is feeding a baby in the best way, though it may cause some inconvenience in the first few weeks.
Well, at last we have copper-bottomed research that supports demand feeding and points out the weaknesses of strictly timed feeding. The research finds out that babies who are fed on demand do better at school at age 5, 7, 11 and 14, than babies fed according to the clock. By the age of 8, their IQ(智商)scores are four to five percent higher than babies fed by a rigid timetable. This research comes from Oxford and Essex University using a sample(样本)of 10, 419 children born in the early 1990s, taking account of parental education, family income, a child's sex and age, the mother's health and feeding style. These results don't surprise me. Feeding according to schedule runs the risk of harming the rapidly growing brain by taking no account of sinking blood sugar levels.
I hope this research will put an end to advocating strictly timed baby feeding practices.
1. According to Paragraph 2, one reason why a baby cries is that it feels| A．sick. | B．upset. | C．sleepy. | D．hungry. |
| A．basic. | B．reliable. | C．surprising. | D．interesting. |
| A．The baby will sleep well. |
| B．The baby will have its brain harmed. |
| C．The baby will have a low blood sugar level. |
| D．The baby will grow to be wiser by the age of 8. |
| A．in the night. |
| B．every four hours. |
| C．whenever it wants food. |
| D．according to its blood sugar level. |
8 . The populations of common animals are just as likely to rise or fall in number in a time of accelerating global warming as those of rare species, a study suggests.
Until recently, scientists were still accumulating data on how animal populations were shifting over time globally across the different regions of the planet.
Making use of the newly available data, a team of University of Edinburgh researchers studied nearly 10000 animal populations recorded in the Living Planet Database between 1970 and 2014 to provide a new perspective on animal population change. These include records of mammals, reptiles, sharks, fish, birds and amphibians.
The team found that 15 percent of all populations declined during the period, while 18 percent increased and 67 percent showed no significant change. Amphibians were the only group in which population sizes declined, while birds, mammals and reptiles experienced increases. The overall decline in amphibians makes them a priority for conservation efforts, researchers say, as their loss could have knock-on effects in food chains and wider ecosystems.
Gergana Daskalova, of the University of Edinburgh’s School of GeoSciences, who led the study, said, “We often assume that declines in animal numbers are prevalent everywhere. But we found that there are also many species which have increased over the last half of a century, such as those which do well in human-transformed landscapes or those which are the focus of conservation actions.”
Dr. Isla Myers-Smith, also of the School of GeoSciences, who co-authored the study, said, “Only as we bring together data from around the world, can we begin to really understand how global change is influencing the biodiversity of our planet.”
1. With the global temperature rising, what happens to the animals?| A．Rare animal species tend to decline. |
| B．Common animal species tend to increase. |
| C．Global wanning is accelerating with the loss of animal species. |
| D．The population of common animals changes just like rare ones. |
| A．By analyzing existing information. | B．By studying animals，behavior. |
| C．By comparing different studies. | D．By recording the data of animals. |
| A．Sharp. | B．Common. | C．Steady. | D．Relative. |
| A．Objective. | B．Optimistic. | C．Subjective. | D．Pessimistic. |
9 . What do you want to be when you grow up? My answer has always been a vet.
We didn’t have pets growing up because my mother was scared of animals. She transferred(转移) some of this fear to me. It’s not common you find someone who’s scared of animals but wants to be a vet. Still, I knew this is what I wanted.
Vet school was nothing like I had imagined. Within the first few weeks, any fears I had about being a vet vanished. In the fourth year, we were introduced to surgery. I loved it. Stitching(缝) wounds was like a satisfying game of Tetris(俄罗斯方块), where all the pieces fit beautifully together to make something broken whole again. It solidified(使坚固) my belief that this was the right fit for me.
These were the most challenging and rewarding two years of my life, and before I knew it, they were over. I was officially a veterinary surgeon(兽医). Surprisingly, I felt empty after I finished. Why wasn’t I excited to move on? I had completely forgotten to think about what comes next. I felt as if I had spent the last decade of my life writing exams and working crazy hours only to come out on the other side, completely clueless.
There were so many options to choose from. I could start a clinic, work at another practice or even pursue further studies. It was my father who suggested I travel to gain some perspective. I hesitantly decided to spend some time in New Zealand with my aunt who also happens to be a vet.
New Zealand was beautiful! I finally had a chance to think about what I wanted. One of the vets there allowed me to observe their practice. Working with vet nurses really stood out for me. We don’t have vet nurses in India! It is a blessing to have such experienced and dedicated individuals as a part of your support system. After a whole year of what felt like aimless wandering, this experience helped me decide I wanted to work overseas.
So, to all the other confused vets out there who haven't figured things out: It’s completely okay to feel confused! Most people feel the same way at some point in their careers. Don’t be afraid to try new things even if you feel difficult or impossible.
1. Why didn’t the author consider raising a pet of her own before?| A．Because she had been wounded by a pet. |
| B．Because she was not interested in animals. |
| C．Because her family couldn’t afford to buy her one. |
| D．Because her mother passed on her fear of animals to her. |
| A．Erupted. | B．Disappeared | C．Increased. | D．Realized. |
| A．Lost. | B．Ashamed. | C．Confident. | D．Excited. |
| A．Different people have different dream jobs. |
| B．How the author became a vet with the help of her aunt. |
| C．By traveling abroad, people can broaden their knowledge circles. |
| D．People will find what they really want if they are brave enough to try. |
10 . Looking for a place to take a rest，sip a cup of coffee and have a furry companion? Welcome to animal-themed cafes.
In recent years，the combination of pets and catering has become incredibly popular in many cities throughout China. While many cafes started out offering the company of cats and dogs，others are expanding their range. Some cafes include animals like squirrels，raccoons and even capybaras.
In reviews，internet users have commented that their main reason for visiting these businesses is to interact closely with animals they have only seen from afar.
“The customers love animals. They are curious about these pets and want to raise one at home，but circumstances don’t allow it，”said pet cafe owner Tian Rui，Liu Jing，a Beijing resident who works in finance，loves pigs，but her parents would not endorse her getting one as a pet. The 24-year-old had to admire the animals through videos and images. But now，she can have close contact with an adorable pig every weekend in a pet cafe.
Also，these pet cafes serve as a shelter for those who find comfort in being around animals. “In this place，you can get close to the cute little ones in a very comfortable way without having to worry about safety and hygiene(卫生)—overall，it is an extremely comfortable experience，”said Zhao Ming from Tianjin，30，a frequent pet cafe visitor.
Animal lovers also expect the pet cafes to change people’s attitudes toward pets. Animals like ducks，pigs and sheep have been served as food for many years. People hardly see them as pets. But the pet cafes help shift their attitude from seeing them as playthings to regarding them as family members or close friends.
“Whether at home or in stores，these little animals are there for companionship and they bring warmth to our hearts. They care and understand just like family members. They give us much more than the love we give to them，”Zhao said.
1. Why do people visit pet cafes?| A．To pursue inner peace. | B．To appreciate animal images. |
| C．To experience a clean environment. | D．To have close contact with animals. |
| A．Believe in. | B．Approve of. | C．Prevent. | D．Suspect. |
| A．change our views of animals |
| B．teach us how to look after pets better |
| C．show us the importance of having pets |
| D．remind us to value our family and friends |
| A．Cafes Enjoy Great Popularity | B．Ideal Shelters for Lovely Animals |
| C．Animals Turn into Companions | D．Animal Lovers from Different Cities |
