4 . Would it surprise you to learn that, like animals, trees communicate with each other and pass on their wealth to the next generation?

Professor Simard form University of British Columbia explains how trees are much more complex than most of us ever imagined. Although Charles Darwin thought that trees are competing for survival of the fittest, Simard shows just how wrong he was. As far as Simard is concerned, actually the opposite is true: trees survive through their co-operation, passing around necessary nutrition “depending on who needs it”.

Nitrogen (氮) and carbon are shared through miles of underground fungi (真菌) networks, making sure that all trees in the forest ecological system give and receive just the right amount to keep them all healthy. This hidden system works in a very similar way to the networks of neurons (神经元) in our brains, and when one tree is destroyed, it affects all.

Simard talks about “mother trees”, usually the largest and oldest plants on which all other trees depend. She explains how moribund trees pass on the wealth to the next generation, transporting important minerals to young trees so they may continue to grow. When humans cut down “mother trees” with no awareness of these highly complex “tree societies” or the networks on which they feed, we are reducing the chances of survival for the entire forest.

“We didn’t take any notice of it” Simard says sadly. “Trees move nutrition into the young trees before they die, but we never give them chance.” If we could put across the message to the forestry industry, we could make a huge difference towards our environmental protection efforts for the future.

1. Which statement would Simard agree with?

A．Trees support each other.

B．Trees compete for nutrition.

C．Trees depend on their needs.

D．Trees co-operate with the fittest.

2. Why are the networks of neurons in brains mentioned in Paragraph 3?

A．To explain the importance of fungi networks.

B．To introduce the function of neurons networks.

C．To illustrate how Nitrogen and carbon are shared.

D．To show how the forest ecological system works.

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

A．Energetic.

B．Ancient.

C．Previous

D．Dying

4. What does Simard call on people to do?

A．Protect tree societies.

B．Cut down oldest trees.

C．Get nutrition from nature.

D．Improve our environment.

7 . Hazel Mayfield usually cooks the Thanksgiving meal for her extended family in Houston, Texas. She usually welcomes friends and neighbors who are eager to taste her fried turkey, green bean casserole, candied yams, homemade cornbread dressing, and dirty rice-just a few of her signature dishes. Known as Sugar Mama, because her grandchildren think she’s so sweet, the 91-year-old typically likes to do her own shopping for the ingredients to make her special dishes.

“My mother is the head cook of the family,” said Panulette Mouton, Mayfield’s daughter. “Because of her reputation, you know, there’re people in and out all day and every family comes through. They want to get some of Sugar Mama’s cooking, and some of them would like to learn from her how to cook the food.”

But Mayfield hasn’t been to the grocery store since March. And there is little about Thanksgiving in 2020 that’s usual. Because of Covid-19, the deadly virus that has killed millions in the U.S. and spoiled life around the world, everything is different. Since limiting close face-to-face contact with others is the best way to reduce its spread, hundreds of thousands of American families have re-imagined the holiday with virtual celebrations and canceled or delayed travel plans. There can only be small gatherings with people in their households in response to COVID-19.

This year, Mayfield’s family members, without exception, are lamenting the absence of a big gathering. They’ve explained to their young children and grandchildren why this year’s Thanksgiving is different. Mayfield’s youngest daughter, Michelle Sanders, says it’s tough to help her grandchildren understand why they can’t see some of their other family members and why they have to stay at home, celebrating Thanksgiving all by themselves.

“It’s really hard, trying to explain to them,” Sanders said. “When-you’re talking to them and they want to come over, you have to tell them no. They really don’t know how to be careful.” Sanders added, “And, they don’t understand that, being three, four, and six, you know they don’t really understand that. So, it’s...it’s really, really hard, and heartbreaking.”

1. According to the passage, Hazel Mayfield is ________.

A．helpful and kind-hearted	B．stubborn and enthusiastic
C．talented and instructive	D．grateful and sensitive

2. The underlined word in paragraph 4 can be best replaced by ________.

A．fascinated by	B．upset about
C．ignorant of	D．embarrassed at

3. What can we infer from what Sanders said in the last paragraph?

A．Children are too young to understand the situation.

B．Children are always careless on Thanksgiving Day.

C．It’s tough to help children overcome their problems.

D．Adults should show patience when talking with kids.

4. What do we know about the effect of COVID-19 according to the passage?

A．People are cutting down holiday celebration expenses.

B．People are trying hard to get together to have more fun.

C．People have to make changes in their lifestyle to stay safe.

D．People have put more emphasis on the traditional customs.

8 . Round and Round They Go

Space is becoming more crowded. On December 3, a Falcon 9 rocket made by Space X thundered into the sky. On board were 64 small satellites, more than any American company had launched before in one go. They have a variety of uses, from space-based- radar to the monitoring of radio-frequency- emissions.

These objects are part of the latest breed of low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellites. This launch is just taste of what is planned. Space X and One Web, a communications firm, plan to launch satellites in their thousands, not hundreds. The pair are set to double the total number of satellites in orbit by 2027.

That promises to change things dramatically on Earth. LEO satellites can bring internet connectivity to places where it is still unavailable or unaffordable. This will also be a lasting source of new demand for the space economy. Morgan Stanley, a bank, projects that the space industry will grow from $350 billion in 2016 to more than $1. I trillion by 2040. New internet satellites will account for a half this increase.

For that to happen, however, three worries must be overcome. Debris(碎片)is the most familiar concern. As long ago as 1978, Donald Kessler, a scientist at NASA, proposed situation in which, when enough satellites were packed into low-Earth orbits, any collision could cause a chain reaction which would eventually destroy all space craft in its orbital plane(平面). The syndrome which bears Mr. Kessler's name weighs heavily on the minds of executives at the new satellite firms. Debris could cause entire tracts(广阔的一片) of space to be unusable for decades.

Solutions exist. One is to grab malfunction satellites and pull them down into Earth's atmosphere. Another is to monitor space more intensively for debris; a US Air Force program me called Space Fence is due to start in 2019. But technology is only part of the answer. Rules are needed to govern the safe disposal(清除) of old satellites from low-Earth orbit. The United States' Federal Communications Commission is revising its regulations with this in mind. Other countries should follow suit.

Cyber-security is a second, long-standing worry. Hackers could take control of a satellite and seal intellectual property, redirect data flows or cause a collision. The satellite industry has been slow to respond to such concerns. But as more of the world's population comes to rely on the infrastructure of space for access to the internet, the need for action intensifies.

The third issue follows from the first two. If a simple mistake or a cyber-attack can cause a chain reaction which wipes out hundreds of billions of dollars of investment, who is liable? Underwriters(保险商) are studying the plans of firms that wish to operate large numbers of satellites. But there is a long way to go before the risks are well understood, let alone priced.

As space becomes more commercialized mind-bending prospects open up: packages moved across the planet in minutes by rocket rather than by plane, equipment sent to other small planets, passengers launched into orbit and beyond. All that and more may come, one day. But such activities would raise the same questions as LEO satellites do. They must be answered before the space economy can truly develop.

1. What can we learn about LEO satellites from the passage?

A．They are supposed to limit the space economy.

B．They are expected to increase in large numbers.

C．They are designed to move beyond the Earth as far as possible.

D．They are mainly intended to bring internet connectivity to remote areas.

2. To deal with debris in space, the author suggests________.

A．depending entirely on the modern technology

B．monitoring the movement of spaceships carefully

C．strengthening rules to remove old satellites safely

D．destroying all the satellites with problems instantly

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

A．Measure.

B．Increase.

C．Spread.

D．Repeat.

4. Which of the following can be classified as the third worry?

A．Lack of satellite regulations.

B．Loss of intellectual property.

C．Crisis of confidence in the field.

D．Slow response of satellite industry.

5. What is the author's attitude toward the launch of LEO satellites?

A．It should be further confirmed for its ownership.

B．It should be continued because of its advantages.

C．It should be done carefully to avoid potential risks.

D．It should be stopped in face of the space economy.

9 . Every year more people recognize that it is wrong to kill wildlife for “sport”. Progress in this direction is slow because shooting is not a sport for watching, and only those few who take par realize the cruelty and destruction.

The number of gunners, however, grows rapidly. Children too young to develop proper judgments through independent thought are led a long way away by their gunning parents. They are subjected to advertisements of gun producers who describe shooting as good for their health and gun-carrying as a way of putting redder blood in the veins（血管）. They are persuaded by gunner magazines with stories honoring the chase and the kill. In school they view motion pictures which are supposedly meant to teach them how to deal with arms safely but which are actually designed to stimulate（刺激）a desire to own a gun.

Wildlife is disappearing because of shooting and because of the loss of wildland habitat Habitatloss will continue with our increasing population, but can we slow the loss of wildlife caused by shooting? There doesn't seem to be any chance if the serious condition of our birds is not improved. Wildlife belongs to everyone and not to the gunners alone. Although most people do not shoot, they seem to forgive shooting for sport because they know little or nothing about it. The only answer, then, is to bring the truth about sport shooting to the great majority of people.

Now, it is time to realize that animals have the same right to life as we do and that there is nothing fair or right about a person with a gun shooting the harmless and beautiful creatures. The gunners like to describe what they do as character-building, but we know that to wound an animal and watch it go through the agony of mortality can make nobody happy. If, as they would have you believe, gun-carrying and killing improve human character, then perhaps we should encourage war.

1. According to the text, most people do not seem to be against hunting because      .

A．they have little knowledge of it.

B．it helps to build human character.

C．it is too costly to stop killing wildlife.

D．they want to keep wildlife under control.

2. The underlined word “agony” in the last paragraph probably means      .

A．difficulty.

B．tress.

C．pain.

D．sadness.

3. According to the text, the films children watch at school actually      .

A．teach them how to deal with guns safely.

B．praise hunting as character building.

C．describe hunting as a physical exercise.

D．encourage them to have guns of their own.

4. By saying “perhaps we should encourage war”, the writer intends to tell us that      .

A．Hunting to build human character makes no sense.

B．War in the best way to improve human character.

C．We are on the edge of war against gunners.

D．Protecting wildlife from gunners is extremely difficult.

10 . If your in-box is currently reporting unread messages in the hundreds or thousands, you might have a hard time believing the news: e-mail is on the decline.

At first thought, that might seem to be the case. The incoming generation, after all, doesn’t do e-mail. Oh, they might have an account. They use it only as we would use a fax machine: as a means to communicate with old-school folks like their parents or to fulfill the sign-up requirements of Web sites. They rarely check it, though.

Today’s instant electronic memos — such as texting and Facebook and Twitter messages — are more direct, more concentrated, more efficient. They go without the salutation (称呼语) and the signoff (签收); we already know the “to” and “from.” Many corporations are moving to messaging networks for exactly that reason: more signal, less noise and less time. This trend is further evidence that store-and-forward systems such as e-mail and voicemail are outdated. Instead of my leaving you a lengthy message that you pick up later, I can now send you an easily-read message that you can read — and respond to — on the go.

The coming of the mobile era is responsible for the decline of e-mail. Instant written messages bring great convince to people. They can deal with them at about any time: before a movie, in a taxi, waiting for lunch. And because these messages are very brief, they’re suitable for smart phone typing.

Does this mean e-mail is on its way to the dustbin of digital history? Not necessarily. E-mail still has certain advantages. On the other hand, tweets and texts feel ephemeral — you read them, then they’re gone, into an endless string, e-mail still feels like something you have and that you can file, search and return to later. It’s easy to imagine that it will continue to feel more appropriate for formal communications: agreements, important news, longer explanations.

So, e-mail won’t go away completely. Remember, we’ve been through a transition (过度) like this not so long ago: when e-mail was on the rise, people said that postal mail was dead. That’s not how it works. Postal mail found its smaller market, and so will e-mail. New technology rarely replaces old one completely; it just adds new alternatives.

1. What would the incoming generation like to do with their e-mail accounts?

A．Check bank accounts.	B．Send long messages.
C．Fill in some forms.	D．Communicate with their colleagues.

2. Which of the following is mainly discussed in paragraphs 3 and 4?

A．The possible reasons behind the decline of e-mail

B．The likes and dislikes of the young generation

C．The rapid development of e-communication channels

D．Evidence about the uncertain future of easily-consumed messages

3. What does the underlined word “ephemeral” in paragraph 5 mean?

A．Automatically-sending.	B．Randomly-written.
C．Hardly- recognized.	D．Shortly-appearing.

4. According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?

A．It’s too early to determine the decline of e-mail.

B．E-mail has reasons to exist with its own advantages.

C．E-mail, just like postal mail has come to its end.

D．We should feel sorry for the decline of e-mail.