1 . At every turn in the Netherlands, the future of sustainable(可持续的) agriculture is taking shape—not in the meeting rooms of big companies but on thousands of modest family farms.
You can see it vividly on the farm run by Ted Duijvestijn and his brothers. At the Duijvestjns' 36-acre greenhouse near the old city of Delf, visitors wander among the deep green tomato plants, 20 feet tall. Rooted not in soil but in materials made from leaves and stalks, the plants are heavy with tomatoes—15 varieties in all—to suit the taste of the most demanding customers.
Since 2004, the Duijvestijns have declared resource independence on every front. The farm produces all of its own energy and fertilizer and even some of the packaging materials necessary for the crop's distribution and sale. The growing environment is kept at perfect temperatures year-round by geothermal heat(地热) that can be found under at least half of the Netherlands. Only rainwater is used for irrigation. Each kilogram of tomatoes from their plants requires less than 15 kilograms of water, compared with 61 kilograms for plants in open fields. Once each year the entire crop is regrown from seeds, and the old plants are processed to make packaging materials. The few pests that manage to enter the greenhouse are greeted by an army of fierce insects that shows no interest in tomatoes. The nutrition in the soil can be improved by growing plants that work with certain bacteria to produce their own fertilizer. In short. it's an entirely self-contained food system.
“Look at the island of Bali in Indonesia!” Ted explains. “For at least a thousand years, its farmers have raised ducks and fish within the same rice field. It's irrigated by the canal systems sculpted by human hands along mountains. They are our model.”
1. What can we learn about the Duijvestijns' tomatoes?| A．Their color is deep green. | B．There are 15 on each plant. |
| C．They are very tasty. | D．They grow in rich natural soil. |
| A．does not have insects | B．is heated by solar energy |
| C．produces its own chemical fertilizer | D．consumes much less water |
| A．Independent. | B．Reliable. |
| C．Satisfying | D．Separated. |
| A．He is attracted to its canal systems. | B．He will also raise ducks in his farm. |
| C．He wants to see the beautiful island. | D．He appreciates its farming methods. |
2 . Mareus Eriksen was studying plastic pollution when he met camel expert Ulrich Wernery. He went deep into the desert and spotted a camel skeleton（骨架）.Eriksen was not prepared for what he saw in the desert. It was justappalled," he said. “Inside the camel's body was a mass as big as a medium-sized suitcase, all plastic bags. "
Wernery is a scientist working in a researeh lab in Dubai. Since 2008. Wernery s team has examined 30,000 dead camels. Of these, 300 had gutspacked with plastic. As camels wander in the desert, they eat plastic bags and other trash that drift into trees and pile up along roadsides. "To a camel, if it s not sand, it's food," explains Eriksen.
Tightly packed masses of indigestible things can build up in the gut of people or animals. Scientists call them bezoars. Normally, these are made of vegetable fibers or hair. Wernery and Eriksen call those found in the camels “polybezoars”. It points to their origin：plastic polymers.
A bezoar can be dangerous. As it fills the stomach. an animal may stop eating. No longer feeling hungry, they might starve to death. Plastic can also release harmful chemicals. The polybezoars may even carry bacteria that can poison camels.
In a new study, Eriksen and Wernery report data suggesting that each year these polybezoars are killing off around 1 in every 100 of camels. Of five camel bezoars analyzed for this study, the plastic content ranged from 3 to 64 kilograms. "If 1 percent mortality（死亡率）due to plastic is confirmed by future and more detailed studies, then plastic pollution will certainly represent a reason of concern for camels." says Luca Nizzetto. an environmental scientist. Such studies are important, he says, because they "raise social awareness about this pollution”.
Banning plastic bags and single-use plastics is crucial for protecting camels and other wildlife, Eriksen says. “Plastic bags are escape artists. They blow out of garbage cans, out of landfills and out of people's hands. ”What's more, he adds, “They travel for hundreds of miles.”
1. What does the underlined word “appalled” in paragraph 1 most probably mean?| A．Ashamed. | B．Shocked. | C．Confused. | D．Annoyed. |
| A．They mistake them for food. | B．They have to survive on them. |
| C．They find them very delicious. | D．They are surrounded by them. |
| A．They make camels feel hungry. | B．They consist of vegetable fibers. |
| C．They are rare poisonous bacteria. | D．They are hard to digest for camels. |
| A．They can certainly lead to the ban on plastics. |
| B．They can educate people on plastic pollution. |
| C．They are quite simple but offer enough details.' |
| D．They are very convincing but less inspirational. |
3 . Fou Ts'ong, a Chinese-born pianist known for his sensitive interpretations of Chopin, Debussy and Mozart.died on Monday at a hospital in London, where he had lived for many years. He was 86.
A lover of classical music from a young age, Mr. Fou began taking piano lessons when he was 7. Mr. Fou made his first stage appearance in 1952. The concert caught the attention of officials in Beijing, who selected him to compete and tour in Eastern Europe. Mr. Fou soon moved to Poland, where he studied at the Warsaw Conservatory(音乐学校)on a scholarship. To prepare for the fifth Chopin Competition in Warsaw in 1955.he practiced so diligently that he hurt his fingers and was nearly cut from the first round of the competition.
Mr. Fou was one of the first Chinese pianists to achieve global prominence when he took the third place in the International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw in 1955. He also won a special prize for his performance of Chopin's mazurkas(马祖卜舞曲). Almost overnight, he became a national hero. To China, Mr. Fou's recognition in a well-known international competition was proof that the country could stand on its own artistically in the West. Chinese reporters flocked to interview Mr. Fou, while many others sought out his father, Fu Lei, for advice on child-rearing.
In 1981, a volume of letters written by his father, primarily to Mr. Fou, was published in China. Full of advice, encouragement, life teachings and strict paternal love, the book Fu Lei's Family, Letters became a best-seller in China. Besides influencing a generation of Chinese, Mr. Fu's words resonated(共鸣)long after his death with the person for whom they were intended.
"My father had a saying that 'First you must be a person, then an artist, and then a musician, and only then can you be a pianist.'" Mr. Fou once recalled in an interview. "Even now, I believe in this order-that it should be this way and that I am this way."
1. What can be learned from Paragraph 2?| A．Fou Ts'ong competed and toured in Beijing. |
| B．Fou Ts'ong first performed on the stage at 7. |
| C．Fou Ts'ong made great efforts for competitions. |
| D．Fou Ts'ong started learning music in Eastern Europe. |
| A．It earns Chinese art a place in the West. |
| B．It promotes the spread of Chinese culture. |
| C．It proves Chinese people's talent for music. |
| D．It enables Chinese art education to be recognized. |
| A．Mr. Fu's words. | B．Young Chinese. |
| C．Fou Ts'ong and his family. | D．Readers of Fu Lei's Family Letters. |
| A．Pursuing art is a long and painful process. |
| B．It requires various qualities to be a pianist. |
| C．Everyone should develop an interest in art. |
| D．Talent is of the greatest importance for a pianist. |
4 . There are many therapies (疗法) for depression, including medical treatment, psychotherapy and talk therapy. Having a range of treatment choices is a good idea because no single treatment works equally well for each of millions of sufferers. Choosing the most suitable treatment is important to them. Now researchers say a new therapy proven to relieve depression should be added to the established treatments. It's called nature therapy. "Interacting with nature can have positive effects on those with depression," says Ethan Kross, PhD, an expert who has studied the nature depression link.
A little exposure to nature helps all of us get our energy back, and it may have special benefit for those who are depressed.“It seems that, from our work, the restorative effect of nature seems to be stronger for individuals with depression," says Marc Berman, PhD, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Chicago. That might be because they feel mentally exhausted, and being in nature re energizes them. However, Dr Berman has a strong warning. “We're not arguing that interacting with nature should replace clinically proven treatments for depression," he says, “Nor should those with clinical depression try to treat themselves.”
However, Berman and others say, interactions with nature could serve as a very effective supplementary treatment. Compared to adults with depression walking for 50 minutes in an urban setting, those who took a 50 minute walk in a natural setting were less depressed and had better memory skills.
Why does nature hold this special effect? Berman says, “In a natural environment, we can choose to think or not, and this choice is believed to help us rest our brains. You can then pay attention later, when you need to.”He adds, “It gives people more ability to concentrate, which is a big problem for those with depression. ”Nature provides an effective setting for resting our brains, unlike urban setting. Even in the most peaceful urban environment, you have to pay attention to such things as traffic and stoplights.
1. What can we learn about depression therapies from paragraph 1?| A．They focus on physical activity. |
| B．They pay no attention to interactions. |
| C．They mainly depend on natural environment. |
| D．They need to be tailored to different patients. |
| A．By making them feel energetic. | B．By reminding them to rest in time. |
| C．By taking the place of clinic treatment. | D．By covering up their mental problems. |
| A．Additional. | B．Traditional. | C．Controversial. | D．Essential. |
| A．An urban setting of restoring energy. |
| B．The positive role of nature in treating depression. |
| C．The popularity of using multiple ways to treat diseases. |
| D．An effective replacement of clinical therapy for depression. |
5 . Every year, companies like GoPro manage to pack more and more functions into smaller and smaller action cameras that are less noticeable to wear. But a team of researchers from the University of Washington have managed to build a live-streaming wireless camera that’s so small that even an insect can wear it. It’s not quite small and light enough to be held to a fly, but at around 250 milligrams, the camera was successfully carried by a beetle.
Although the camera inside a modern smartphone is certainly tiny, it’s too large and heavy for an insect to carry once the batteries are added. Capturing millions of pixels（像素）with every shot requires a lot of image processing, which in turn requires a lot of power. Taking an alternate route, the researchers copied nature’s approach to how flies see the world. Their large compound eyes can not only detect motion across a wide field of view（it’s why they’re so difficult to hit）but also feature a small, high-resolution（分辨率）region that can focus on their targets, which helps reduce the load on their tiny brains.
Given its size and low-power approach, the camera’s streaming abilities are similarly limited, with a Bluetooth connection that maxes out at a distance of roughly 120 meters, requiring a remote operator to be fairly close to the camera at all times. However, battery life is surprisingly decent. The camera can run for up to two hours, but to extend that, the researchers included an accelerometer so that it’s only capturing and broadcasting images whenever the beetle is moving That can increase the camera’s battery life to over six hours.
The researchers acknowledge that their design certainly raises some privacy concerns, given how easy it is for insects to find their way into your home. But the camera could provide entomologists（昆虫学者）with new insights into how insects cross their environment, respond to threats in the wild, and even provide a closer look at their social structures.
1. What is the feature of the new camera?| A．It’s small-size and low-weight. | B．It takes much clearer pictures. |
| C．It can perform tasks in the open air. | D．It protects beetles from their enemies. |
| A．How to enlarge its vision. |
| B．How to capture the target. |
| C．How to save power of its battery. |
| D．How to make sharp turns during flying. |
| A．casual | B．adequate | C．beneficial | D．unsatisfactory |
| A．Critical. | B．Doubtful. | C．Favorable. | D．Objective. |
6 . 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. |
7 . I didn't like his looks and hated doing business with him, but I needed the money．He was the first customer to come through the door of my new timber（木材）yard．The moment he came, his strangely twisted and scarred face repelled me．
He was in his late twenties, slight of build, and he held his head low throughout the trade．In checking his credit rating, I found that Frank Dandridge was a qualified cement finisher and concrete contractor．
The frequency of Frank's trips to the yard increased．Sometimes I had the feeling that he wanted to talk to me on a personal basis but was hesitant to do so．Then one morning Frank Dandridge came in to make a purchase．When his order was completed and put into his truck, he scanned his load and headed back into the office．Naturally, I guessed something was wrong．As I followed him into the office, I was ready to defend the quality of my goods．
Neither of us spoke for a long minute．At last he said, "Do you remember a Mrs Standish who once worked for you as a bookkeeper?"
"I do, indeed．That was years ago．"
"And do you remember her son, who accidentally shot himself in the face while hunting?"
Of course, I remembered the little boy, who bravely returned to school, enduring the teasing of his thoughtless classmates about his artificial eye and scarred face．
"Well, then," Dandridge continued, "you must remember how you used to visit the boy after the accident and bring him toys and ice cream and draw funny animal pictures to make him laugh．"
That was eighteen years ago, but I've never forgotten．Frank Dandridge was obviously that boy．
"But, Frankie," I protested, "why didn't you tell me who you were that first day?"
"Well, from the moment I read your advertisement in the paper, I decided to be your first customer to express my gratitude in this way for the help you gave me so long ago．"
I looked at him now and for the first time I did not see scars．I saw his kindness, his desire to be friendly, and I recognized a brighter radiance（光辉）in his personality．
1. What does the underlined word "repelled" in paragraph 1 probably mean?| A．Delighted． | B．Comforted． | C．Disgusted． | D．Confused． |
| A．He was greatly encouraged by others' friendliness． |
| B．He became aggressive to those who made fun of him． |
| C．He didn't dare to go to school because of his scarred face． |
| D．He wasn't well treated by his classmates after the accident． |
| A．He wanted to see whether the author still remembered him． |
| B．He was busy and could not find time to chat with the author． |
| C．He was sure that the author would recognize him the next time． |
| D．He wanted to support the author's business as a common customer． |
| A．The author often sold goods of poor quality． |
| B．The boy's appearance had changed a lot． |
| C．The author pretended not to recognize the boy． |
| D．Mrs Standish didn't remember the author any more． |
8 . At CES (Consumer Electronics Show) 2020, one of the more well-represented gadget (小器具) categories was definitely consumer robots—but none was more adorable than a new robot pet from industrial robot startup Elephant Robotics.
This robot pet is a fully autonomous companion that can respond to touch and voice—and even play with toys, and it's hard not to love the thing after spending even just a brief amount of time with it. Marscat's pedigree (血统) is a bit unusual, since Elephant Robotics is focused on building what's known as “cobots”, or industrial robots that are designed to work alongside humans in settings like factories or assembly (装配) plants.
Elephant Robotics, which was founded in 2016, already produces three lines of these cooperative robots and has sold them to customer companies around the world, including in Korea, the U. S. , Germany and more.
This new product is designed for the home, however, not the factory or the lab. Marscat is the startup's first consumer product, but it obviously benefits immensely from the company's expertise and experience in their industrial robotics business. Marscat walks, runs, sleeps, sits. stretches, bites nails and even buries litter although she won't produce any waste. It may express different emotions by different meows (喵) or gestures. Marscat is unique from its eyes，body to personality. It has six characters which can be changed. She may be energetic or lazy，social or shy. Her personality develops through the way the users pet her.
While Marscat provides that kind of functionality out of the box, it's also customizable and programmable by the user. Inside, it's powered by a Raspberry Pi, and it ships with Marscat SDK, which is an open software development library that allows you to fully control and program all of the rohat's functions. This makes it an interesting gadget for STEM (Science, technology. engineering, math) education and research, too.
1. How does Marscat differ from cobots?| A．Cobots is used more widely. | B．Marscat is for family company. |
| C．Marscat is more difficult to operate. | D．Cobots is a good housework helper. |
| A．It is like a real cat. | B．It has unchanged personality. |
| C．It can speak to its owner if necessary. | D．Its litter box needs cleaning regularly. |
| A．A bookstore. | B．A control room. |
| C．Marscat SDK. | D．A Raspberry Pi. |
| A．Questioning. | B．Conservative. |
| C．Prejudiced. | D．Confident. |
9 . "Italians don't get fat" is a popular saying used to describe Italian food and lifestyle. Italians are famously devoted to their great food, yet their obesity rate is really low compared with other countries.
Many studies have found that an Italian diet has numerous health benefits, from reducing the risk of cancer and heart disease to living a healthier, longer life. However, something must be getting lost in translation. Many Italian foods are everything but healthy.
On a recent trip to my homeland, Italy, I decided to see for myself why the Italians don't get fat. My trip started where my family lives, in the northern Italy, and ended 15 days later on the Amalfi coast.
It quickly became very clear that the Italians know how to really enjoy the experience of eating. They socialize and relax while dining over dinner. Before and after dinner, most people in Italy walk through town, called passeggiata. People walk together, talking and keeping alive a valued tradition.
Many people in Italy aren't regardful about calories because they usually stop eating when they are full. Italians, also lead active lifestyle, with lots of bike riding or walking, mostly in urban areas. Moreover, they usually satisfy a sweet tooth with fruits instead of sweet desserts.
Italians simply balance the quality and quantity of foods. People in Italy enjoy the fat, but they don't overdo it.
What I personally like the most is that the kitchen secrets are passed along from generation to generation, little children can always be found in the kitchen with their mammas ——learning from them.
Italians learn to eat well and just enjoy something sweet on occasion. How right they are! Because when people go on diets, they usually get depressed and gain even more weight. An Italian mealtime should be a relaxed occasion enjoyed in the great company of family or friends.
Cooking at home and avoiding restaurant food are some of the reasons why Italians don't get fat. So, always choose homemade food and try to be active after eating. If you don't have time or don't want to leave the house, there are many healthy exercises that you can do at home.
1. What does the author say about Italian food?| A．It is healthy. | B．It contains high fat. |
| C．It helps people lose weight. | D．It lowers the risks of various diseases. |
| A．She missed her family. |
| B．She wanted to have a rest. |
| C．She planned to travel in her hometown. |
| D．She decided to find the secret of Italian diets. |
| A．Concerned. | B．Satisfied. |
| C．Doubtful. | D．Frightened. |
| A．They seldom eat out. | B．They don't have a sweet tooth. |
| C．They avoid taking a passeggiata. | D．They control fat they take in strictly. |
10 . Every girl dreams and Li Xie is no exception. She has read dozens of books on how to be a ballerina and Swan Lake is her favorite. She hopes one day her dream will come true. She has taken ballet lessons and all her teachers confirm she is a good student.
One day,she saw an advertisement that a famous ballerina troupe will be performing in her hometown.Her thoughts ran wild,“I must meet up with the leader of the troupe and show him my skills,"she murmured to herself. She dressed herself in her ballerina costume and managed to evade the guards and hid in the dressing room. To her luck,the leader entered and she timidly knocked at the door.She bravely approached him and handed him a bunch of red roses and in her excitement the thorns pricked her hand but she did not make much ado about the pain. The leader observed her action as she told him her dream. “Alright, you dance and I will give you my verdict."But halfway through the dance he stopped her and said,“I'm sorry. You're not good enough!”On hearing this, Li Xie ran as fast as her legs could carry her and was ashamed.She gave up her dream.
Many years later,she heard that the same ballet troupe was performing in her town again. Bitter memories of the leader's harsh words came flooding back to her. This time she was determined to find out why the leader had told her she was not good enough when all her teachers thought otherwise.“I remember your gift of roses and how the thorns had pricked your fingers but you carried on bravely. If only you had treated ballet like that and had not given up so easily; therefore,you still deserve my verdict!”
1. What did all of Li Xie's teachers think of her?| A．She needs to be better. |
| B．She was born a ballet dancer. |
| C．She should be more persistent. |
| D．She is qualified for ballet dancing. |
| A．avoid | B．convince | C．approach | D．submit |
| A．She didn't feel it at all. |
| B．She let out a painful cry. |
| C．She ignored it on purpose. |
| D．She attracted the leader's attention. |
| A．Well begun is half done. |
| B．Doing is better that saying. |
| C．He that climbs high falls heavily. |
| D．Dreams belong to those who stick to them. |
