1 . The Indian government declared an “emergency situation” in New Delhi on Sunday as air pollution hit dangerous new highs and people had the selfies(自拍) to prove it.
Officials announced a series of measures to fight against smog in the capital city, including halting construction projects, closing a coal-fired power factory for 10 days and washing the dusty roads. The citizens，meanwhile，took “smog selfies” as they walked through dirty air which could taste and smell. Some selfie photographers joined hundreds of protesters in downtown New Delhi to demand that the government deal with the deadly smog.
New Delhi, already one of the world’s dirtiest cities, is experiencing its worst smog in nearly two decades. The city saw levels of PM2.5 of more than 900 micrograms per cubic meter on Saturday. That’s more than 90 times the level that the World Health Organization considers safe and is 15 times higher than the Indian government’s standards.
Particulate(微粒的) matter comes from vehicles, coal factories, burning trash piles, dust and other sources. New Delhi’s severe pollution was initially blamed on the widespread bursting of firecrackers during the festival Diwali. But images published by NASA last week suggested that crop burning in the neighboring states of Punjab and Haryana could be the reason for the increasing levels of PM2.5. New Delhi’s chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal, said that farmers in those states begin burning straw at the start of every winter to clear their plants for planting wheat.
The pollution can lead to lung cancer, heart disease and related illnesses, particularly in growing children. Kejriwal said people should avoid going outdoors until the pollution levels drop and should work at home as much as possible. Of course, they should put down the selfie sticks, too.
1. What does the underlined word “halting” in Paragraph 2 meap?| A．Stopping. | B．Encouraging. | C．Protecting. | D．Changing. |
| A．The poor condition in New Delhi has led to a strike. |
| B．New Delhi is one of the most polluted cities in the world. |
| C．A lot of people especially children died of smog in New Delhi. |
| D．Kejriwal suggested that people stop working to deal with smog. |
| A．Images of people living in New Delhi. |
| B．Levels of PM2.5 in most cities of India. |
| C．Sources of particulate matter in New Delhi. |
| D．Measures taken by the New Delhi government. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Supportive. | C．Uncaring. | D．Opposed. |
2 . Killer whales, or orcas, are known for their severe attacks on sea animals but they have never posed a threat to humans. However, since late July, the normally social animals have been intentionally attacking sailboats off the coasts of Spain and Portugal.
The strange behavior first surfaced on July 29, 2020, when a 46-foot boat was repeatedly attacked for almost an hour by nine orcas, causing the boat to rotate(旋转) 180 degrees and having its engine switched off. Since then, over 30 more similar incidents have been reported. On September 23, 2020, Spain's government banned boats of less than 50 feet in length from sailing in the 60-mile stretch of the Atlantic coastline between Ferrol and the Estaca de Bares Cape, where the attacks have been occurring.
Researchers across the world are trying to explain the orcas' behavior. Some believe it could be a result of the overfishing of the bluefish tuna - the orcas' primary food source -which has left the area's killer whales starving and unable to feed their babies. "I saw them look at boats carrying fish. I think they know humans are somehow related to food shortages, "says Ken Balcomb, senior scientist at the Center for Whale Research in Washington, USA. The environmentalists believe the sudden increase in boat traffic and fishing activities, after months of absence due to restrictions on human activity last spring, could also be contributing to the agitation.
However, Alfredo López, a biology professor in Galicia, Spain, thinks the attacks are defensive measures the orcas adopted to protect themselves against boat injuries. The researcher came to this conclusion after looking at the of the videos of a few incidents and noticing that two of the young killer whales involved had serious injuries. Hopefully, the experts will be able to find a way to restore the harmony between the animals and the humans soon.
1. What do we know about orcas in paragraph 1?| A．They are friendly to humans. | B．They have changed their behavior. |
| C．They are famous for hunting skills | D．They have met tough living conditions. |
| A．Ken Balcomb. | B．The environmentalists. |
| C．Alfredo López. | D．Spain's government. |
| A．The attacks. | B．Food shortages. | C．The overfishing. | D．Human activities. |
| A．How do killer whales attack humans? |
| B．Why Are Killer Whales attacking Boats? |
| C．How can we live in harmony with animals? |
| D．Why are boats banned from sailing on the sea? |
3 . Social distancing is not a new concept in the natural world, where infectious diseases are commonplace. Through specialized senses animals can detect certain diseases and change their behavior to avoid getting ill.
In 1966, while studying chimps (猩猩) in a Tanzanian national park, zoologist Jane Goodall observed a chimp named McGregor who had caught a highly infectious virus. His fellow chimps attacked him and threw him out of the troop. In one instance, McGregor approached chimps in a tree. He reached out a hand in greeting, but the others moved away without a backward glance.
“For a full two minutes, old McGregor sat motionless, staring after them,” Goodall notes in her 1971 book In the Shadow of Man. “It’s really not that different to how some societies react today to such a tragedy.”
Not all animals are so aggressive toward their ailing neighbors. Sometimes it’s as simple as avoiding those who may infect you.
When Kiesecker, a lead scientist in America, studied American bullfrog in the late 1990s, he found that bullfrogs could not only detect a deadly smell of infection in other bullfrogs, but healthy members actively avoided those that were sick. Bullfrogs rely on chemicals signals to determine who is sick or not.
Caribbean lobsters also shun diseased members of their community, well before they become infectious. It takes about eight weeks for lobsters infected with the deadly virus Panulirus argus mininuceovirus to become dangerous to others. Normally social animals, lobsters begin keeping away from the diseased as early as four weeks after infection – once the lobsters can smell certain chemicals released by sick individuals.
Overall, it’s important to note that, unlike us, animals don’t realize if they stay home, they might actually reduce the infection rate,” Kiesecker explains. “As humans, we have that ability. It’s a big difference.”
1. What can we learn about the chimps from Goodall’s observation?| A．They kept a distance from one another. |
| B．They became aggressive when infected. |
| C．The infected avoided contact with others. |
| D．The infected were forced to leave the group. |
| A．Avoid. | B．Cure. | C．Get rid of. | D．Get along with. |
| A．Humans are more sensitive to virus. |
| B．Humans are less likely to get infected. |
| C．Humans treat infectious diseases in a wiser way. |
| D．Humans can detect chemical signals more quickly. |
| A．Help Me Out |
| B．Leave Me Alone |
| C．Stay Away From Us |
| D．Stay Home Stay Healthy |
4 . A 2018 report found that food waste would increase by a third to 2. 1billion tons by 2030. Beyond the cost of the waste itself，thrown-away food generates a gas that contributes to climate change.
Home delivery meal kits(盒)can reduce food waste by more than two-thirds，but suppliers need to switch to reusable packaging to make them environmentally friendly.
Tailor-made meal kits cut waste by providing people with precise amounts of fresh ingredients(烹饪原料)for chosen recipes，meaning leftovers are minimized. But while the delivery services score well on reducing food waste，buying the same food ingredients from the supermarket almost always saves energy overall simply because meal kits use so much single-use packaging. The good news is that if people have meals that are tailored for consumption，they won’t overbuy and have less food waste. They fine-tune the amount of food to what they will actually eat.
Meal kits can reduce transport emissions(排放)if people go to the supermarket less frequently. If people only go and buy such goods as soap and toilet paper，they may only have to visit once every couple of months. A delivery truck can carry meals for a lot of people in the neighborhood. So dozens of car trips might be replaced with one truck trip.
However，study found that even if delivery meal kits reduced food waste to zero，they would still use up more energy overall than buying the same food from the supermarket unless the energy used for the meal kit packaging was cut by a fifth. The packaging is a killer if it’s single-use and thrown away，which can make all the environmental benefits lost. But if the packaging can be reused，if it’s glass bottles，like in the old days，we can get some benefits.
1. What can we learn about home delivery meal kits?| A．They can cut down on daily expenses. |
| B．They will totally solve the problem of food waste. |
| C．They can keep energy consumption to a minimum. |
| D．They will benefit the environment with reusable packaging. |
| A．Attach. | B．Adjust. |
| C．Raise. | D．Compare. |
| A．reduce transport emissions | B．save more food |
| C．shop only in the supermarket | D．shorten car trip distances |
| A．Supportive. | B．Unfavorable. |
| C．Objective. | D．Indifferent. |
5 . 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. |
| A．difficulty. | B．tress. | C．pain. | D．sadness. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
6 . The next time a giant Big Mac or Coke flashes into your mind when you’re walking home from the pub, you may not simply have the snacks. And that picture of the model putting on Chanel — no, you’re not daydreaming.
A British startup has created a new advertising system that uses lasers to project images up to 200 metres tall from the sides of tall buildings, enabling advertisers to reach people from virtual billboards（广告牌）in the sky. Passers-by will see each image for only between one tenth and quarter of a second, as their eye eye catches the light from certain angles.
Advertising agencies and big businesses have already signalled their interest, but Skyline campaigners have branded the technology “greedy” and said that it could fill our skies with showy and tasteless brands.
The Echo system, from Lightvert, uses a high laser projector to bounce light off a narrow reflective strip fixed to the side of a building, visible up to 1km away. This creates large-scale images that are captured briefly in the viewer’s eye as a result of the “persistence of vision” effect: the same effect that leaves an imprint of a light source on your vision after you’ve turned away.
Daniel Siden, the technology’s inventor, explained: People often think this could be subversive, but it’s not subliminal advertising（隐性广告）as the imagery registers on the conscious level. It’s actually less invasive and more fun than traditional advertising. Mr.Siden said that planning experts have indicated that planning permission should not be a problem outside of conservation area. He said that the system was safe because of the distance between the projector and passers by. And images would be above the line of sight of drivers and cyclists
and below the field of vision of airline pilot. The images have been tested and shown not to cause epileptic seizures（癫痫发作）.
Because it uses only one strip of reflected light, the system needs a small amount of the power, about one-twentieth of a standard 96-sheet digital outdoor display for an image of the same height.
The owners of high-rise properties could use the system to make large returns from installing the laser projector and reflective strip. The company puts the cost of a unit measuring 100 metres at under ￡750,000, based on the present design, anticipating that costs will drop.
Still, some Skyline campaigners dislike the technology and believe it delivers subliminal advertising. Barbara Weiss of the Skyline Campaign, said: “It’s actually offensive. London’s latest tall buildings are not particularly well-built or well designed, but unfortunately people are forced to look at them. Adding stupid advertising that’s invasive in its nature will only make it worse.”
1. Why does the writer cite the example of Big Mac, Coke and Chanel in paragraph 1?| A．Because he attempts to promote these products to potential consumers. |
| B．Because he studies the association between products and images in advertising. |
| C．Because he tries to illustrate the effectiveness of flashing images of advertised goods. |
| D．Because he wants to introduce a new advertising technology to readers. |
| A．Pedestrians can see the flashing images on one side of the building from specific angles. |
| B．The system is composed of a laser projector, a reflective strip and a physical billboard. |
| C．The image lasts between one tenth and quarter of a second in vision even if you turn away. |
| D．It’s a new advertising system developed by a time-honored British company. |
| A．Subconscious | B．trouble making |
| C．harmless | D．imaginative |
| A．Environmentalists worried about energy consumption. |
| B．Drivers, cyclists and pilots whose sight might be affected. |
| C．The Skyline Campaign regarding the image as flashy. |
| D．The patients who suffer from epileptic seizures. |
7 . In 2015, a man named Nigel Richards memorized 386, 000 words in the entire French Scrabble Dictionary in just nine weeks. However, he does not speak French. Richards’ impressive feat is a useful example to show how artificial intelligence works — real AI. Both of Richard and AI take in massive amounts of data to achieve goals with unlimited memory and superman accuracy in a certain field.
The potential applications for AI are extremely exciting. Because AI can outperform humans at routine tasks — provided the task is in one field with a lot of data — it is technically capable of replacing hundreds of millions of white and blue collar jobs in the next 15 years or so.
But not every job will be replaced by AI. In fact, four types of jobs are not at risk at all. First, there are creative jobs. AI needs to be given a goal to optimize. It cannot invent, like scientists, novelists and artists can. Second, the complex, strategic jobs — executives, diplomats, economists — go well beyond the AI limitation of single-field and Big Data. Then there are the as-yet-unknown jobs that will be created by AI.
Are you worried that these three types of jobs won’t employ as many people as AI will replace? Not to worry, as the fourth type is much larger: jobs where emotions are needed, such as teachers, nannies and doctors. These jobs require compassion, trust and sympathy — which AI does not have. And even if AI tried to fake it, nobody would want a robot telling them they have cancer, or a robot to babysit their children.
So there will still be jobs in the age of AI. The key then must be retraining the workforce so people can do them. This must be the responsibility not just of the government, which can provide funds, but also of corporations and those who benefit most.
1. What is the main purpose of paragraph 1?| A．To introduce the topic. |
| B．To mention Nigel’s feat. |
| C．To stress the importance of good memory. |
| D．To suggest humans go beyond AI in memory. |
| A．Be superior to | B．Be equal to |
| C．Be similar to | D．Be related to |
| A．The writer. | B．The shop assistant. |
| C．The babysitter. | D．The psychologist. |
| A．Limit the application of AI to a certain degree. |
| B．Get more support from the government. |
| C．Apply for the donation from companies. |
| D．Upgrade themselves all the time. |
8 . During a visit to the United Arab Emirates, I was invited to speak to college students to learn more about how the country is preparing the next generation for the future. I met with students who were required to present their final projects in a three-minute presentation to members of the ruling family. Now, that is pressure. But learning the art of public speaking is no longer an option to succeed in the 21st century; it is fundamental.
Educators who I have met across the Middle East, Europe and Asia say that they are elevating the art of public speaking to a core requirement along with math and science. Chris Anderson, the curator (负责人) of TED, encourages schools in the United States to make “presentation literacy” a requirement in elementary schools. There is a wrinkle, however. According to an article in The Atlantic, some American middle-school and high-school students are advocating for the elimination (取消) of mandatory (强制的) in-class, presentations.
Their anxiety is real. Psychology professor Matthew Lieberman writes in book, “Our brains crave the positive evaluation of others almost to an embarrassing degree.” That’s why most of us get anxious about public speaking. Anxiety can turn into full-blown panic attacks or create lifelong fears.
As an author whose books are used in public speaking classes around the world, I will explain why public speaking skills are more important than ever. Persuasion — one person convincing another to change their mind — is now responsible for 25 percent of Americas total income, according to Deirdre McCloskey at the University of Illinois. The percentage will rise to 40 percent soon, she assured me. It is a terrible idea to reduce public speaking opportunities in class at a time when students need the skills it can give them to succeed. Today anyone who is better at presenting their ideas can see a sudden, massive increase in wealth that is unprecedented in human history.
In the age of ideas, public speaking is one of the greatest skills that students need in order to learn, grow, and inspire the rest of us to dream bigger. If students enjoy the process of building the necessary skill set, they will learn to love public speaking.
1. What can we learn from Paragraph 1?| A．Public speaking is essential in preparing for the future. |
| B．Students don’t have to choose the course of public speaking. |
| C．The ruling family plays a key role in judging the presentation. |
| D．College students are under pressure in preparing the introduction. |
| A．Simple case. | B．New idea. |
| C．Small problem. | D．Strong belief. |
| A．we long for the positive judgment terribly |
| B．good public speaking skills can promote our confidence |
| C．we feel embarrassed when expecting positive evaluation |
| D．public speaking can make us feel scared rather than anxious |
| A．It can help persuade others to change their mind. |
| B．Good speakers can see huge rise in their income. |
| C．It will offer students skills to make a great success. |
| D．It encourages students to live a wealthy life in the future. |
| A．It scares students to make a speech publicly. |
| B．Presentations is a steppingstone for student’s future. |
| C．We can improve speaking skills in many effective ways. |
| D．Confidence in presentation increases if one is well prepared. |
9 . “Birds” and “airports” are two words that, paired together，don’t normally paint the most harmonious picture. So it really raises some eyebrows when China announces plans to build an airport that is for birds.
Described as the world’s first-ever bird airport, the proposed Lingang Bird Sanctuary(保护区）in the northern coastal city of Tianjin is, of course,not an actual airport. Rather，it's a wetland preserve specifically designed to accommodate hundreds-even thousands-of daily takeoffs and landings by birds traveling along the East Asian-Australian Flyway. Over 50 species of migratory (迁徙的）water birds，some endangered, will stop and feed at the protected sanctuary before continuing their long journey along the flyway.
Located on a former landfill site，the 150-acre airport is also open to human travelers.(Half a million visitors are expected annually.) However，instead of duty-free shopping，the main attraction for non-egg-laying creatures at Tianjin’s newest airport will be a green-roofed education and research center, a series of raised “observation platforms” and a network of scenic walking and cycling paths totaling over 4 miles.
“The proposed Bird Airport will be a globally significant sanctuary for endangered migratory bird species, while providing new green lungs for the city of Tianjin.” Adrian McGregor of an Australian landscape architecture firm explained of the design. Frequently blanketed in smog so thick that it has shut down real airports, Tianjin is a city---China’s fourth most populous----that would certainly benefit from a new pair of healthy green lungs•
1. The underlined phrase “non-egg-laying creatures” in Paragraph 3 refers to?| A．Visitors. | B．Designers. |
| C．Endangered water birds. | D．Planes. |
| A．People cannot watch birds up close here. |
| B．It is located on a 150-acre landfill site. |
| C．It functions as an actual airport and a wetland preserve. |
| D．It provides migratory birds with food and shelter. |
| A．The airport will become a permanent home for birds. |
| B．Tianjin will win worldwide fame in the future. |
| C．Tianjin’s air quality will improve thanks to the airport. |
| D．Tianjin will be able to accommodate more people. |
| A．Airports shut down and open up. |
| B．China is to open the first Bird Airport. |
| C．Airports turn into green lungs. |
| D．Birds are no longer enemies to airports. |
10 . A new study has found no evidence that sunscreen, commonly used to reduce the risk of skin cancer, actually increases the risk.
Researchers from the University of Iowa based their findings on a review of 18 earlier studies that looked at the associstion between sunscreen use and melanoms(黑素瘤). They said that they found flaws in studies that had reported associations between sunscreen use and higher risk of melanoma.
Most health experts believe that by protecting the skin from the harmful effects of the sun, sunscreen helps prevent skin cancer, which is increasing in incidence (发生率) faster than any other cancer in the United States.
But questions have been raised about sunscreen and whether it may have the opposite effect, perhaps by allowing people to remain exposed to the sun longer without burning.
The researchers said that among the problems with some earlier studies is that they often failed to take into account that those people most at risk for skin cancer—people with fair skin and freckles（雀斑）, for example—are more likely to use sunscreen. As a result, it may appear that sunscreen users get cancer more often.
The studies, which generally relied on volunteers to recall their sunscreen use, were also unable to prove how well the products had been applied, said the new study.
1. What is the meaning of the underlined word “flaws” in the 2nd paragraph?| A．Evidences | B．Facts | C．Faults | D．Failures |
| A．They seldom use sunscreen. |
| B．They are more in danger of skin cancer. |
| C．They can be free from the harm of the sun. |
| D．They often expose themselves to the sun. |
| A．Sunscreen users get skin cancer more often. |
| B．The volunteers have proved the effect of sunscreen. |
| C．The new study was based on the experiences of volunteers. |
| D．The number of skin cancer patients is increasing in America. |
| A．Sunscreen to Prevent Skin Cancer |
| B．Sunscreen to Increase Skin Cancer |
| C．Skin Cancer Caused by Sunscreen |
| D．Skin Cancer Caused by Freckles |
